the holy man, the sins of his youth are dreaded. But if tliis Book is to be held after the bare letter, we ought from this con — sideration to infer how grievous the sins of grown men and the aged are, if the just so greatly fear even that which they did wrong in the years of weakness. It goes on; Ver. 27. Thou puttest my foot also in the stocks, and lookest narroivly into all my paths; Thou markcst the prints of my feet.
63. God ' set man's foot in the stocks,' in that he bound xlvii. fast his wickedness with the strong sentence of His severity. And He ' looketh narrowly into all his paths,' in that He judges with minute exactness all the several particulars that belong to him. For a ' path' is usually narrower than a ' way;' but as by ' ways' we understand actions, so by ' paths' we not unjustly understand the mere thoughts of them. So God * looketh narrowly into all our paths,' in that in all our several actions He takes account of the thoughts of the heart too; and He * marketh the prints of our feet,' in that He examineth the intentions' of our works, how far they are placed aright, lest that which is done a good work, be not done with a right object. But it is possible that by the prints of the feet the several things done badly may be understood. For a foot in the body is a print in the way. And very commonly, when we do some things wrong, whereas our brethren see it, we are setting them a bad example, and our foot being as it were turaed out of the way, we leave to those that follow our footsteps all awry, while by our own deeds we lead the way for other men's consciences to stumble. But it is very hard for man to keep on his guard, that he never presume to do evil, that in his good actions he be not unsteady in the intention, and amidst upright deeds let no wrong purpose deceive him.
Yet all these particulars Almighty God minutely examines, and weighs each one of them in judgment. But when can man, bound about as he is by the frailty of the flesh, have power to rise up against all of them with exact particularity, and to maintain the line of uprightness with the thought of the heart unmoved? Hence it is properly added; Ver. 28. Who am as a rotten thimj to he consumed, and as a garment that is moth eaten.
• "Which he often considers to be represented by the putting forth of (lie foot.
40 Sin eats into the soul as a moth. Man\ frail origin. Job 13. 6*4. For as a garment is eaten by the moth sprung out of itself, so man containeth rotteimess in himself, whereby he l^--j*consumeth, and that which he is, is that whereby he consumeth that he should not be. Which may be taken in another sense also, if it be said in the voice of man when tempted; And I as a rotten thing am to consume^ as a garment that is moth eaten. For man ' as a rotten thing consumeth,' in that he is wasted by the corruption of his flesh. And because im])ure temptation springs up to him from no other source than from himself, like a moth, temptation consumes the flesh, as a garmejit from which it issues. For man contains in himself the occasion whence he is tempted. Therefore as it were ' the moth consumeth the garment,' whilst it proceeded from that very same garment. However, we ought to bear in mind that the moth digs its way through the garment without any sound, and it very often happens that thought pierces the mind in such a way, that the mind itself is not sensible of it, until after it has been pierced by its sting. Therefore it is well said that man ^ consumeth like a garment that is moth eaten,' for sometimes we do not know the wounds of temptation, unless after we be pierced thereby within our souls. Which same frailty of ours the holy man yet further considering justly adds; Chap. xiv. 1. 3Ian that is born of a woman liveth a short time^ and is full of many miseries. xlix. 6o. In Sacred Writ ' woman' is taken either for the sex.
Gal. 4, or else Ibr ' frailty.' For the * sex,' as where it is written, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman ^ made under the Law.
Ecclus. But for frailty, as where it is said by the Wise Man, Better ' * is the iniquity of a man than a woman doing well. For ' a man' is the term for every strongminded and discreet person, but ' a woman' is understood of the weak or indiscreet mind. And it often happens that even the discreet person suddenly falls into a fault, and that another weak and indiscreet man exhibits good practice. But he that is weak and indiscreet is sometimes lifted up the more on the score of what he has done well, and falls the worse into sin; but the discreet person even from that which he' sees that he has done amiss, takes occasion to recall himself with closer application to the rule of strictness, and advances the further in righteousness Man*s short life how full of miseries at best. 41 from the same act, whereby he seemed to have fallen from Book righteousness for a time. In which respect it is rightly said, — — — Better is the iniquity of a man than a woman doing ivell; in that sometimes the very fault of the strong becomes occasion of virtue, and the virtue of the weak occasion of sin. In this place then by the name of* a woman,' what else but ' frailty' is denoted, when it is said, Man that is born of a womanf As if it were said in plainer words, ' What strength shall he have in himself, who was born in frailty?'
QQ. Liveth a short time, and is full of many miseries. Observe by the holy man's words we have the punishment of man briefly set forth, in that he is at once stinted in life and filled out in misery. For if we consider with exactness all that is done here, it is punishment and misery. For to minister to the corruption of the flesh by itself in things necessary and permitted is misery, in such measure that clothing should be sought out against cold, food against hunger, coolness against heat. That the health of the body is kept only with great care, that even when kept it is lost, when lost it is recovered not without great difficulty, and yet after being restored is always in risk; what else is this than the misery of the life of mortality?
That we love our friends, mistrusting lest they may be offended with us; that we dread our enemies, and truly are not secure touching those whom we dread; that we often talk to our enemies as confidentially as to friends, and often take the sincere words of our friends, and those, perhaps, that love us very much, as the words of enemies; and that we, who wish never either to be deceived or to deceive, err the more by our caution; what, then, is all this but the misery of man's life? That after the heavenly country has been lost, banished man is delighted with his exile, that he is weighed down with cares, and yet shuts his eyes to considering how great the burthen is, in that he is full of a multitude of thoughts; that he is deprived of the interior light, and yet in this life wishes to prolong his state of blindness; what else is this but misery, the offspring of our punishment? Yet though he desire to stay here for long, still he is driven on by the mere current of his mortal life to depart out of it. Hence the holy man rightly adds; Ver.2. He cometh forth like a flower ^andis crushed: hejleeih also as a shadotc, and never continueth in the satne state.
Job 14, 67. For, ' as a flower, he conieth forth,' in that he shews ,-— -- fair in the flesh: but he is * crushed,' in that he is reduced ] to corruption. For what are men, as born in the world, but a kind of flowers in a field? Let us stretch our interior eyes over the breadth of the present world, and, lo, it is filled as it were with as many flowers as there are human beings.
So life in this flesh is the flower in grass. Hence it is well Ps. 103, said by the Psalmist, As for man, his days are as grass: as \^',iQQ,ci flower of the field, so he flour isheih. Isaiah too saith. All flesh is grass, and all the glory thereof is as the flower of the field. For man cometh forth like a flower from concealment, and of a sudden shews himself in open day, and in a moment is by death withdrawn from open view into concealment again. The greenness of the flesh exhibits us to view, but the dryness of dust withdraws us from men's eyes. Like a ioneMs. flower we appeared, who were not; like a flower' we wither, grass.' who appeared only m time.
68. And whereas man is daily being driven into death moment by moment, it is rightly added, He fleeth also as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state. But as the sun is unceasingly going through his course, and never stays himself in a state of stedfastness, why is the course of man's life likened to ^ a shadow* rather than to the ' sun,' excepting that, when he parted with the love of the Creator, he lost the heat of the heart, and remained in the coldness of his iniquity alone? Since according to the voice of Truth, Matt. Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax ' ' cold. He, then, who hath not warmth of the heart in the love of God, and yet keepeth not the life, vvhich he loves, assuredly he * fleeth like a shadow.' Hence it is well written Ecclus. concerning him, that he hath followed a shadow. Now it is well ' said, and never continueth in the same state. For whereas infancy is going on to childhood, childhood to youth, youth to manhood, and manhood to old age, and old age to death, in the course of the present life he is forced by the very steps of Tiis increase upon those of decrease, and is ever wasting from the very cause whence he thinks himself to be gaining ground in the space of his life. For we cannot have a fixed stay here, whither we are come only to pass on; and this very circumstance of our living is to be daily passing out of life. Which same flight the first man could not have known before Fallen man home downward. God's looking on man. 43 the transgression, seeing that times passed, himself standing. Book But after he transgressed, he placed himself on a kind of '— slide of a temporal condition, and because he ate the forbidden fruit, he found at once the failure of his stay. Which liabiUty to change man suffers, not only without, but also within him, when he strives to arise to better works. For by the weight of its changeableness the mind is always being driven forwards to some other thing than it is, and, except it be kept in its stay by stringent discipline in self-keeping, it is always sliding back into worse. For that mind which deserted Him, Who ever standeth, lost the stay in which she might have continued.
Henceforth now when he strives after better things, he has as it were to strain against the force of the stream. But when he relaxes in his bent to ascend, without effort he is carried back to the lowest point. Thus whereas in ascent there is effort, in descent rest from effort, the Lord warns us that we have to enter by a narrow gate, saying. Strive to enter in at the strait qate; for when about to Luke mention ' the entering in of the narrow gate,' He premised, ' Strive, since unless there be an ardent striving ^ of the heart, the water of the world is not surmounted, whereby the soul is ever being borne down to the lowest place. And so whereas man ' springeth up like a flower and is cut down, and fleeth also as a shadow, and never continueth in his place,' let us hoar what he further subjoins in this train of reflection. It goes on; Ver. 3. And dost T/iou deign to open Thine eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with Thee?
69. For he surveyed above both the power of Almighty H. God and his own frailty; he brought before his view himself and God, he considered Who would come into judgment, and with whom. He saw on the one side man, on the other side his Creator, i. e. dust and God; and he rightly exclaims. Dost Thou deign to open Thine eyes upon such an one? With Almighty God, to open the eyes is to execute His judgments, to look whom to smite. For as it were with eyes closed He does not wish to look at him, whom He does not wish to smite. Hence it is immediately added also about the ^ al. " unless the purpose of the soul be fervent.''
44 God only can cleanse man conceived in uncleanncss. Job 14, judgment itself, To bring him into judgment with Thee?
, -— ^ — But whereas he had viewed (Jod comini' to iudi'mciit, he ]jj^ again takes a view of his own frailty. He sees that he cannot be clean of himself, who, that he might be able to be, came forth out of uncleanness. And he adds, Ver. 4. JVho can make clean a thing conceived of unclean seed? Is it not Thou, Who only Art?
lii. 70. He That alone is clean in Himself can cleanse the unclean thing. For man, who lives in a corruptible flesh, has the uncleannesses of temptation engrained in him, seeing that he derived them from his birth. For his very conception, for the sake of fleshly gratification, is uncleanness. Hence Ps.51,7. the Psalmist saith, Behold, I was shapen in wickedtiess, and in sin hath my mother conceived ma. Hence it is therefore that he is very often tempted even against his will. Hence it is that he is subject to impurities in imagination, even though he strive against them by reason, because being conceived in uncleanness, whilst he follows after cleanness, he is striving to get the better of that which he is. But whoever has mastered the motions of secret temptation, and overcome uncleanness of thought, must never ascribe his cleanness to himself, in that none can make clean a thing conceived of unclean seed, save He Who alone is clean in Himself. Let him, then, that has already reached in mind the place of cleanness, cast his eye upon the way of his conception, which he came by, and thence satisfy himself, that in his own power he has no cleanness of life, the beginning of whose existence was made in uncleanness. But the meaning here may be that blessed Job, regarding the Incarnation of the \ Redeemer, saw that That Man only in the world was not ' conceived of unclean seed. Who so came into the world from the Virgin's womb, that He had nothing derived from unclean conception. For He did not proceed from the man and the ' w^oman, but from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. He only then proved truly clean in His Flesh, Who was incapable of being affected by the gratification of the flesh, seeing that it was not by the gratification of the flesh that He came hither.
BOOK XII.
Wherein after the fourteenth chapter of the Book of Job has been explained, beginning at the fifth verse, the fifteenth chapter entire is explained for the most part in a moral sense.
It is the practice of the righteous, to think of the present Lit. life, how transitory it is, so much the more heedfully in proportion as they are taught more earnestly to take thought of the eternal blessings of the heavenly Country; for by those things, which they see lasting within, they more exactly mark the flight of things passing away without. Whence blessed Job, when he had delivered a sentence on the transition of man's time, saying, 3Ian that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live; and again. He fleeth also as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state; further adds of the shortness of his life; Ver. 5. The days of man are short, the number of his monihs is with Thee.
1. For he sees that that as it were is not with us, which runs by with such great rapidity, but seeing that even things passing away stand with Almighty God, he declares that ' the number of our months is with Him.' Or, indeed, by the ' days,' the shortness of time is denoted, but by the ' months' the spaces of the days are multiplied. Thus to ourselves * the days arc short;' but seeing that our life is further extended afterwards, ' the number of our months' is recorded, to be with God.' Hence also it is said by Solomon, Length^rov.s, of days is in her right hand. It goes on; Thou hast appointed his bounds^ that he cannot pass. *2. Of the things that happen to men in this world, none ii. come to pass without the secret counsel of Almighty God; for God, foreseeing all things that should follow, before the ages of the world decreed how they should be ordered in the 4G God*s seeming changes of purpose foreseen.
Job 14, ages of the world. Since it is already appointed to man '- — both to what extent the prosperity of the world shall attend him, or in what degree adversity shall fall upon him, that His Elect neither unbounded prosperity may exalt, nor overmuch adversity sink them too low; moreover it is appointed in this very life of mortality how long he shall live with the conditions of time. For although Almighty God added fifteen years to the life of King Hezekiali, yet at that moment that he suffered him to die, He foresaw he would die. Wherein a question presents itself, viz. how it is that 2 Kings it should be said to him by the Prophet, Set thine house in ' * order ^ for thou shalt die, and not live? For he, to whom sentence of death was declared, immediately upon his tears had life added to him. Now the Lord said by the Prophet at what time he in himself deser^^ed to die, but by the bountifulness of mercy. He kept him for the undergoing death at that time, which He Himself foreknew before the ages began. Nor even therefore was the Prophet deceptive, because he made known the time of death, at which that man deserved to die, nor were the appointments of the Lord rent and torn, forasmuch as this also, that the years of life should be added to by the bountifulness of God, was foreordained before the ages began; and the period of life, which was added contrary to expectation without, was inwardly appointed without increase upon foreknowledge; and so it is well said. Thou hast appointed his hounds which he cannot pass, MonAL. 3. Which may also be taken according to the spirit, in that we sometimes endeavour to advance in virtuous attainments, and some gifts we are vouchsafed, but being kept off from some, we lie prone in things below. For there is no man who masters that degree of goodness which he desires, in that Almighty God, Who discerneth the inward parts, sets bounds to the very spiritual attainments themselves; that by reason of that which man tries to master, and is unable, he may not exalt himself in those things, in which he has the power. Whence too that great Preacher, that had been carried up into the third heaven, and penetrated the secrets of Paradise, after that revelation, was not left the power to be at rest, and without temptation; but whereas Almighty God has * appointed man his bounds, which he cannot pass,' he MarCs attainments limited. Longing for the end. 47 both exalted bim to know tbinss on bierb, and set bim Book .. XII. down again lo be subject to weak tbings, tbat he looking at - the measure of bis compass, whilst he endeavoured to lay hold on security, and could not, that be might not be carried out of himself in pride, might be forced in humility ever to return back within his own bounds. It proceeds; Ver. 6. Turn from him a little while, that he may rest, till his longed for dag come, as an hii'eling^s.
4. In this place, Tarn from hhn, means, ' remove from iii. him the force of the stroke,' for who can rest when He turns away from bim, when He Himself alone is rest, and the further off a man is from Him, he is also rendered void of rest in proportion? Thus it is in such sort said, Turn from Mm, that you should understand, ' from smiting;' for it is fitly added, till his longed for day come, as an hireling's. In proportion as an hireling is far from the end of his work, so is he far from the recompense of his wages. Thus every holy man being set in this life, whilst he sees tbat he is far from departing out of the present life, laments tbat he is far from the eternal bliss. What then is it to say, Turn from him a little while, that he may rest; but, ' withdraw now the strokes of the present life, and shew the blessings of eternal rest?' Whence too it is added concerning tbat rest itself; till his longed for day come, as an hireling's; for then the longed for day as of an hireling comes to man, when he receives eternal rest in compensation for bis labour. But as far as relates to the aspect of the present life, bow despicable is the race of man, so full of miseries, blessed Job yet further tells, and describes how greatly the very things without sense seem to surpass bim, when be says; Ver. 7 — 10. For there is a hope of a tree, if it he cut down, that it will he green again; and that the tender branches thereof IV ill sprout forth. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of tvater it will hud, and bring forth foliage as when it was planted. But man, when he is dead, and I stripped, and consumed, where is he?
5. Now because this is self-evident according to the letter, {y. we must refer the sense to the things of the interior, and J^Iyst. search how they are to be made out after the spiritual 48 Recovery of the Tree symbol of that of the Righteous.
Job 14, signification. Thus in Holy Scripturi; by the name of tree' — l_L_we have represented sometimes the Cross, sometimes the righteous man, or even the unrighteous man, and sometimes the Wisdom of God Incarnate. Thus the Cross is denoted Jer. 11, by * the tree,' when it is said. Lei us put the tree into his ' ' bread; for to ' put the tree into the bread' is to apply the Cross to the Body of our Lord. Again by the title of* the tree' we have the just man, or even the unjust man, set forth, Ez. 17, as the Lord saith by the Prophet, / the Lord hove brought down tJie high tree, and exalted the low tree. Forasmuch Lukei4, as according to the word of the self-same Truth, Whosoever ecoalteth him self shall be abased; and he that humbleth him- Ecc. 11, self shall be exalted: Solomon also saith, If the tree fall towards the South, or toward the North, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. For in the day of their death the just man does ' fall to the South,' and the unjust ' to the North,' in that both the just man in favour of the Spirit is brought to joy, and the sinner, together with the apostate Isa. 14, Angel, who said, / will sit also upon the mount of the testimony, in the sides of the North, is cast away in his frozen heart. Again, the Wisdom of God Incarnate is represented by Prov. 3, ' the Tree,' as where it is written thereon, SJie is a tree of life to them that lay hold on Her. And as She Herself Luke23, says, Lf they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? And so in this place whereas a tree is preferred before man, what is man taken for but every carnal person? and what is denoted by the title of ' the tree,' but the life of the righteous? For there is a hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will be green again. For when in a death of painful endurance the just man is hard bestead * for the truth, in the greenness of everlasting life he is recovered again; and he who here proved green by faith, there 1 specietn becomes green in actual sight'. ' And his branches shoot,' in that it is most often the case that by the sufferings of the just man, all faithful persons are redoubled in the love of the heavenly country, and they receive the greenness of the spiritual life, while they are glad that he did courageously here in God's behalf It goes on; Ver. 8, 9. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, * Some omit ' in,' making it simply ' is put to a death of suffering for the truth.'
The * Root of the Righteous' revives in adversity. 41) and the stock I here qt' die in the dust; yet through the scent Book of water it tvill hud, and bring forth leaves as when it was '- first planted.
6. What is ' the root' of the righteous, but holy preaching, v.
since it is that he springs out of, and that he holds on in?
and what is meant by the name of the earth' or of dust,' but the sinner? to whom it is said by the voice of the Creator, '"^ Earth thou art., and unto earth shalt thou return. Gen. 3, Or, indeed, as our Translation reads, * Dust thou art, and i g^ unto dust shalt thou return. Thus ^ the root of the righte-^^%-ous waxes old in the earth, and his stock dies in the dust,' in that in the hearts of the wicked his preaching is despised, and thought dried of all goodness, and ' his stock dies in the dust,' in that amidst the hands of the persecutors his body is bereft of life; for according to the words of Wisdom, In Wisd.3, the sight of the unuise they seemed to die, and their depar-'^' ture is taken for misery. But this one, whose ' root waxed old in the earth, and whose trunk died in the dust,' through the smell of water, buddeth; in that through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, by the example of his conduct he causes the budding of virtue in the hearts of the Elect. For by the designation of water sometimes the watering of the Holy Spirit is used to be understood, as where it is written. If John 1, any man thirst, let him come unto 3Ie, and drink. -^''^john4 whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall i^^-never thirst. It follows; A7id bring forth foliage as whe?i it was Jirst pla?itcd. To ' bring forth foliage on the stock being cut down' is, when the just man is put an end to in the body, by the mere example of his suffering to raise up the hearts of many, and out of a right faith to shew forth the greenness of truth. And it is well said, As when it was first planted. All that is done by the righteous here is a second planting; in that clearly the first planting does not consist in the practice of the good, but in the foreknowledge of the Creator; and whereas all that the Elect do, as it is first seen and settled interiorly, so afterwards is executed outwardly, it is well said. And bring forth foliage as when it was Jirst planted, i. e. it shews its greenness in the exe- ^ Old Italic Version, Vid. Sabatier.
50 The * 7^00^' may he MavUs Nature, or the Flesh of Christ.
Job 14, cutiiig of practice, such as it had before in the foreknowledge - T — of the Creator.
7. The 'root of the righteous' may also be taken for the very nature itself of a human being, by virtue whereof he subsists, which same root waxes old in the earth, when the natural frame of flesh comes to nought being reduced to dust, whose ' stock dies in the dust,' in that the body dismantled of its own form and fashion crumbles to nought; but at the * scent of water it buds,' in that through the coming of the Holy Spirit it rises again; and it will bring forth boughs as when it was Jirst planted, in that it returns to that form, which it was created to receive, if, when he was set in Paradise, he had refused to sin.