Ver. 25. I itept of old over him that was in trouble; my soul suffered with the poor. xxxvi. gg^ Though it is true compassion to concur with the suffering of a fellow creature by bountifulness, yet sometimes when the several outward things are abundantly provided for us to bestow, the hand of him that gives finds the act of giving more quickly than the feeling does sorrow. Hence it is necessary for us to know that he gives in a perfect way, who together with that, which he reaches forth to the afflicted, takes in himself the feeling of the afflicted as well; that he should first transfer the suffering of the person sorrowing into himself, and then, to meet the sorrow of that person by the act of service render concurrence. For often, as we said before, the abundvance of good things creates the bestower of a benefit, and not the excellence of compassion. For he, who perfectly compassionates the afflicted, generally even gives that to the persons in want, wherein he himself, if he gives it, is brought to shifts. And then the compassion of our heart is to the full, when we are not afraid to take upon ourselves the evil of want in behalf of a fellow creature, in order that we may set him free from suffering.
69. Which model of pitifulness in very deed the Mediator between God and Man gave to us. Who when He could have succoured us even without dying, yet was minded to \ come to the aid of mankind by dying, because plainly He ] would have loved us too little, except He took upon Him our wounds as well; nor would He exhibit the face of His love to us, unless the thing that He was to take away from us, He did Himself undergo for a time. For He found us subject to suffering, and mortal beings, and He, Who caused us to exist out of nothing, doubtless had the powder to restore us from suffering even without death. But that He might shew how great the virtue of Compassion is. He deigned to become in our behalf what He would not have us to be, that He should take upon Him death temporally in His own Real compassion is more than any gift. 503 Person, which death He should banish for evermore from Pook ourselves. Could not He, while continuing invisible to us — —.- in the riches of His own Godhead, have been able to enrich us with wonderful powers? But that man might be brought back to the interior riclies, God deigned to appear poor without. Hence also the great Preacher, that he might kindle to the kindness of bounty the bowels of our compassion, said, For our sakes He became poor, when He was2CoT.8, rich. Who speaks in this way also; Nof. (hat to others there ^^ ^ j3 should be a releasing, but to you tribulation. These things doubtless he brought in condescending to the weak, because some not having the strength to bear want, it is better borne to give less, than after one's bounty to murmur on account of straitness of poverty. For that he might kindle the minds of those that heard him to great affections for giving, a little while after he introduced the words, saying, But this I sag, 2Cot.9j He which so wet It sparingly shall reap also sparingly. But we sometimes say that it is more to sympathize in heart than it is to give; because every one who perfectly sympathizes with one in want, reckons as less all that he gives. For except that good will surpassed the hand of a person in giving, that same great Preacher would not have said to the disciple, WJto have begun before not only to do, but also 2 Cor.8, to be forivard a year ago. Since it is easy in good deeds to ^^' obey even against one's will. But this great excellence had appeared in the disciples, that the good that w^as enjoined them, they had been forward to even before.
70. Thus because the holy man knew that with Almighty God greater sometimes is the gift of the mind than of the benefit, let him say, / wept of old over him that was in trouble, and my soul compassionated the poor man. For in bestowing outward things, he rendered an object without himself. But he who bestowed upon his neighbour weeping and compassion, gave him something even from his very self. But on this account we say that compassion is more than the gift, because for the most part some sort of thing even he gives who docs not entertain compassion, but never does he, who feels true compassion, withhold that which he sees to be necessary for his neighbour.
71. Which sentence surely is well suited to the accents 504 Holy Church suffers for those who lack virtue. Jon 30, of Holy Church, who while she sees persons afflicted in the -r— ^ — ^ tears of penitence, joins her own tears thereto by continual prayer, and sympathizes with the needy person as often as by the entreaties of her intercession she helps the mind • bared of virtues. Since we lament over the afflicted sympathizing with him, when we reckon the hurts of others as our own, and by our tears strive to cleanse away the sins of those guilty of transgression. In the doing which, indeed, we very often help ourselves more than we do those in whose behalf it is done, because before the Inmost Umpire, Who also breathes into us the grace of charity, he perfectly washes out his own several acts, who disinterestedly bewails those of others. Therefore let Holy Church, being seized in the time of the last persecution, recall to remembrance the good things which she has done in the time of peace, saying, / wept of old over him that was ajflicted, and my soul compassionated the poor man. Who longing for the eternal delights of the interior light, yet still delayed, because she is beset with outward ills, may subjoin in the accents of the holy man; Ver. 26. When I looked for good, then evil came unto me; and when I waited for light, there broke forth darkness. xxxvii. 72. For the faithful people * looks for good,' but receives evil, and it ' waits for light,' and meets with ^ darkness,' because by the grace of the recompensing it hopes to be now already admitted to the joys of the Angels, and yet being delayed for a longer time here below, it is exposed to the hands of those that persecute it; and he who calculates to enjoy as quickly as possible the recompensing of the Light Eternal, is still forced to suffer here the darkness of his persecutors. Which same ills of those persecuting them would grieve them the less, if they arose from unbelievers and adversaries. But they torture the mind of the Elect the worse in proportion as they proceed from those, upon whom they were foreassuring good. Whence it is yet further added; Ver. 27. My bowels boiled, and rested not. Since for ' the bowels' of Holy Church ' to boil' is for her to endure in the fierceness of persecution, these very persons too, whom she had before in the love of the faith carried as Holy men self-abased in prosperity. 505 * bowels.' Which same first acquainting themselves with Book her secrets, in the same proportion as they know where she /— — -suffers the greatest pain, to so much the worse degree never rest from the afflicting of her; which persons however even in the time of her peace she bears heavily with, because she takes thought of their wa^'s as opposite to her own preachings. For she groans when she espies the life of those as unlike to herself Concerning whom also it is fitly subjoined; The days of affliction prevented me.
For the Holy Church of Elect persons knows that in the last persecution she shall suffer many ills, but ' the days of her affliction prevent her;' because even in the time of peace she bears within herself the life of the wicked with a heavy spirit. For though in the last days there follow the open persecution of the unbelievers, yet this same even before it comes to light, those in her who are believers to the extent of the word only by bad practices forerun. It goes on; Ver. 28. / went ynourning:. without rage rising up, I cried out in the crowd.
73. I see that it is a thing to be carefully noted historically xxxviii. considered, that the holy man who a little before said, Thou "^^^'^' hast lifted me up, added below, / went mourning. For by a wonderful arrangement at one and the same time there is wont to meet together in the courses of good men, at once without, the honour of the highest pitch, and within, the mourning of afflicted abasement. Hence the holy man likewise, whilst lifted to a height by substance and by honours, 'went mourning;' for though this man the high credit of power displayed advanced above his fellow-creatures, yet inwardly he offered to the Lord by his mourning the secret sacrifice of a contrite heart. Since the sacrifice of Qod is a troubled Vs. 5i, spirit. Now all the Elect are taught by inward reflecting to fight against the temptations of outward superiority. Which persons, if they set their heart to their outward good fortune, assuredly would cease to be righteous. But because it cannot be that upon the mere grounds of the successes of fortune alone the heart of man should never be at all tempted with however slight a degree of pride, holy men strive hard within against their very good fortune itself; I do not say, lest in selfexaltation, but lest in the love of that prosperity at all events 506* Holy men speak not in rage^ thoiiyh provoked.
Job 30, they should be brought to the ground. Aud it is most effec- L_ tually to have been brought under this, to have surrendered Hist.
the mind in a state of captivity to the desires thereof. But who that has a taste for earthly things, who that embraces temporal objects, would not look upon blessed Job as happy amidst so many circumstances of prosperity, when the health of the body, the life of his children, the preservation of his household, the completeness of his flocks, were all vouchsafed to him? But that in all these circumstances he did not take delight, he is his own witness, in that he says, / went mourning. For to the holy man still placed in this state of pilgrimage, all that is full of abundance, without the Vision of God, is destitution; because when the Elect see that all things are theirs, they lament that they do not see the Author of all things, and to them all this is too little, because there is still wanting the appearance of One. And in such sort does the grace of Heavenly Appointment exalt them without, that nevertheless, within, the sorrow of the instructress charity holds them under discipline. By which same they learn, that for the things which they receive outwardly, they should ever be the more humbled to themselves, should keep the mind under the yoke of discipline, should never by the liberty of power be made to break out into impatience. Whence also it is fitly subjoined, Without rage rising in the croud, I cried out. For it often happens that the tumults of seditious men provoke the spirit of their rulers, and by disorderly emotions they transgress the limit of their orderliness.
74. And very often they who are set at the head, except in the mouth of the heart they be held in with the bridle of the Holy Spirit, leap forth into the fierceness of enraged retribution, and as much as they are able to do, reckon themselves to be at liberty to do with those under them. For impatience is almost always the friend of power, and that power when evil it even rules over as subject to it. For what that same feels, power executes. But holy men bow down themselves much more to the yoke of patience inwardly, than they are above others outwardly, and they exhibit without the truer governance, in proportion as they maintain within more lowly servitude to God: and they for this reason often Sadness of the Church. Assoclalion with hypocrites, 507 endure persons the more fully, the more they have it in their Book power to revenge themselves upon them, and lest they should ever pass over into things unlawful, they very often will not put in execution in their own behalf even what is lawful; they are subject to the clamours of those under their charge, they rebuke in love those, whom they bear in mildness. Whence it is rightly said now, IVithout rage rising up in the crowd, I cried out; in this way, because against the clamours of the unruly the good have ' crying out,' but they have not ' rage,' because those whom they bear with gently they do not cease to teach. But these particulars which Alleg. after the historical view we have delivered concerning one individual, it remains that we understand after the allegorical view concerning diverse Elect ones of Holy Church. For she too in her Elect ' goes mourning,' even in prosperous circumstances. For she accounts nothing truly prosperous to her, until the good, which she is preeminently seeking after, she may lay hold of. Since her faithful ones enjoy temporal peace indeed, but sigh evermore; they are honoured, and afflicted: because very often they are seen at the highest pitch there, where they are not citizens. She too ' rises in the crowd without rage, and cries out,' because she presses upon the life of the evil doers with the eagerness of right jealousy, not with the frenzy of rage. She is angry and loving, she deals wrathfully and is tranquil, that so her weak members she may reform by zealousness, and cherish in pitifulness. It goes on; Ver. 29. / was a brother to dragons, and a companion to ostriches.
75. What is there denoted by the title of ' dragons,' butxxxix. the life of evil minded men? Of whom also it is said by the prophet, Theg drew up the wind like dragons. For all Jer. 14, wicked men * draw in wind like dragons,' when they are * swoln with evil minded pride. But who are used to be understood by the designation of ^ ostriches,' saving pretenders? For the ostrich has wings, but has not flight; because all pretenders have an appearance of sanctity, but the goodness of sanctity they have not. For those persons the appearance of good conduct adorns, but the wing of virtue never lifts them from the earth. So let the Elect people of 508 Sinners mingled with the Riyhteous to try them.
Job 30, Holy Church, because in the time of its peace it suffers within - — '— itself persons that are evil minded and pretenders, say the words, / was a brother to dragons, and a companion to ostriches. Which too in a special manner accords with the words of blessed Job, who to the highest pitch of great fortitude was a good man amongst bad. For no one is perfect who amidst his neighbours' evil things is not patient. For he who does not bear others' evil with composure, is by his impatience witness to himself that he is very far removed from the plenitude of goodness. For he refuses to be Abel, whom the malice of Cain does not exercise.
76. Thus in the threshing of the floor the grains are squeezed under the chaff, thus the flowers come forth between thorns, and the rose that smells grows along with the thorn that pricks. Thus the first man had two sons, but one was elect, the other refuse. The three sons of Noah too did the ark contain, but while two continued in humility, one went headlong into the mocking of his father. Two sons Abraham had, but one was innocent, the other the persecutor of his brother. Two sons also Isaac had, one saved in humility, while the other even before that he was born was cast away. Twelve sons Jacob begat, but of these one was sold in innocency, while the rest were through wickedness the sellers of their brother. Twelve Apostles too were chosen in Holy Church; but that they might not remain untried, one is mixed with them, who by persecuting should try them. For to a just man there is joined a sinner together with wickedness, just as in the furnace to the gold there is added chaff along with fire, that in proportion as the chaff burns the gold may be purified. So then those are truly good men, who are enabled to hold on in goodness even in the midst of bad men; herein too it is said to Holy Church by the voice of Cant. 2 the Spouse; As a lily among tJtorns, so is my love among |,* the daughters. Hence the Lord saith to Ezekiel; And thou, son of man, unbelievers and overturners are with thee, and thou dwellest among scorpions. Hence Peter magnifies the 2 Pet.2,life of blessed Lot, saying. And delivered righteous Lot, when oppressed, from the wrongful conversation of the wicked. For to he seen and to be heard he was righteous, living among those, who from day to day vexed the soul of the righteous man Outer ones of Holy Church in trial as blackened skin. 509 by wicked works. Hence Paul magnifies the life of his Book disciples, and in magnifying strengthens it, saying, In the — r-^— midst of a crooked and perverse nation^ among ichom ye 15. 16.' shine as lights in the worlds holding the word of life. Hence by John, the Angel of the Church of Pergamus is borne witness to in the words, / know where thou dwellest, even Rev. 2, ichere Satan's seat is; and thou boldest fast My name, and^^' hast not denied My faith. So then let blessed Job, that he may evince what firmness he is of, tell with whom he liv ed, saying, / was a brother to dragons, and a companion to ostriches. Because it would have been but little that he himself did good things, except that for the heightening of his goodness he likewise sustained what was evil at the hands of others. It goes on; Ver. 30. My skhi is black upon me, and my bones are burned ivith heat.
11. This we forbear to take account of after the history, xl. for this reason, that the force of the speech appears from the ]3ain of the suffering. But because, as we have already often said, blessed Job very frequently so relates things done, as to foretell things to be done, this excellently agrees with the accents of Holy Church, who in her weak members grievously feels the pain of the last persecution. And when others die off from her, all the stronger ones are wrung with sorrow. For her outward concern is earthly dispensing, but the interior is a heavenly charge. And so by the name of the * skin' the weak are denoted, who now do service in her to exterior usefulness. While by the bones the strong are represented, in that in them the whole jointing of her body is cemented. And therefore because either being invited by bribes, or distressed by persecutions, many weak persons in her fall from the standing of faith, and themselves after they have fallen persecute her, what is it but that she suffers a ' blackness of her skin,' that in those very ones she should afterwards appear foul, in whom she before shewed fair. For whilst they who had been before accustomed to manage outward things aright, afterwards rage against the Elect of God, as it were ' the skin' of the Church has lost the hue of foregoing righteousness, in that it has come to the blackness of iniquity. Which Jeremiah also bewails under the likeness of the pri*^- 510 The at ran (J hum with <jrief of zeal when the weak fall.
Job 30, cipal metal, saying, How is the gold become dim: how is thejine colour cJianged? The frowaid, therefore, when they Lam. 4, go forth from her saeraments, very often take a place of honour amongst the children of perdition, so that the very persons should rage against Holy Church with authority, who as it were in knowing despise this Church more cruelly. And hence when he said, My skin is black, he added, upon me; because those whom she before had as it were white as to the beautifulness of righteousness, she afterwards carries ' black' the worse. But when ' the skin' is turned to ' blackness,' the strong that are in her are consumed with jealousy of the faith. And hence he fitly subjoins; And my bones are dried up with heat. For in this wa}' in the time before too that strongest bone of Holy Church, Paul, burned with a certain dryness of weariness, when he said to some persons on their 2 Cor. fallino-: Who is weak, and I am not ireak? Who is offended, ' ' and I burn not? And so ^ the skin is made black, and the bones are dried up with heat;' because while the weak leap forth to iniquity, all the strong are tortured with the fire of their zeal. It goes on; Ver. 31. My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep. xli. 78. Whereas the organ gives its sounds by means of pipes, and the harp by chords; it may be that by the ' harp' right practising is denoted, and by the ' organ' holy preaching. For by the pipes of an organ we not unsuitably understand the mouths of persons preaching, and by the cliords of the harps the bent of those living aright. Which whilst it is stretched to another life by the afflicting of the flesh, it is as I'exte- if the thin drawn ^ chord in the harp sounded in the admira-°J^^/^' tion of those beholding. For the chord is dried that it may tenta.' give a suitable note on the harp; because holy men also chasten their body, and subject it to service, and are stretched from things below to those above. Moreover it is to be considered that the chord in the harp, if it be strung too little, does not sound, if too much, it soimds harsh; because doubtless the virtue of abstinence is altogether nothing if a man does not tame his body as much as he is able; or it is very ill ordered if he wears it down more than he is able. For by abstinence the imperfections of the flesh are to be Self-discipline munt bejirrn, hut within bounds, 511 done away, and not the flesh; and every one ought to rule Book himself with such great control, that both the flesh may not — — — carry itself high for sin, and yet that it may be upheld in practice for the carrying out of righteousness. Itisasatisfixction herein to look at the great preacher, with what great skill of preceptorship the souls of behevers like chords strung on the harp, one set by stretching the more, he draws fine, another by loosening from their stretch he preserves. For to some he says; Not in rioting and d?'unkenness, not in chamber- B.om. ing and wantonness. And again he says; Mortifij therefore ^\^ ^* your members which are upon the earth. And yet to the 5. most beloved preacher he writes, saying, Drink no longer i Tim. wafer, but use a little nine, for thy stomach''s sake, and for ' thine often injirnnties. Thus those chords by drawing thin he stretches, lest by not being stretched they altogether give no sound. But this chord he abates of its stretching, lest whilst it is stretched more, the less it should sound.
79. But whether it be the holy preachers in the Church, or the simpleminded and temperate generally, as far as they are vouchsafed powers, they render to their neighbours in her the song of goodly exhortation. For both the wdse sort severally kee]) discreetly on the watch to the fruit of preaching, and that they ma}^ draw others to life they ply themselves with a sound of mighty persuading; and they that appear to be of slower wit within her, by the mere merit of their lives, to the extent that they see that they are able, take upon them authority of exhortation towards others, and cease not to draw to the heavenly Country those whom they are able. But Holy Church being borne down by the last persecutions, when she sees her words to be set at nought by the children of perdition, shapes the goodness of her love to lamentations alone, because surely she bewails those whom she is not able by exhorting to draw. Let her say then, 3Iy harp also is turned to mourning, and mine organ into the voice of them that weep. As th(jugh slie avowed in plain words, saying, ' In the season of my peace, indeed, by some I preached little things after the manner of a harp, whilst by others things great and sounding after the manner of an organ; but now ' my harp is turned into mourning and mine organ into the voice of them that weep,' because whilst I see 512 The Church laments her sony of preaching.silenced.
Job 30, myself to be despised 1 mourn over those who hear not the ^^^^^ song of preaching.' Such things is Holy Church to do by certain persons in the end, these things has she already done by certain in her beginnings. For the first martyr Stephen endeavoured by preaching to benefit the Jews that persecuted him, which persons when he saw, notwithstanding, afterthe words of preaching to have flocked together to throwing Acts 7, stones, he prayed with his knees set fast, saying. Lord ^^* Jesus, lay not this sin to their charge. How then was it to him who for long had told things both small and great, but that the melody of his ' harp and of his organ' was already mute, and they were ' turned into mourning,' because those whom he had not drawn in preaching, he wept for in loving? Which same Holy Church ceases not daily to do, because she already sees that the word of preaching is almost every where become mute. For some close their mouths from speaking, others scorn to hear right things. But the mind of the Elect whilst it sees the song of preaching to be stilled, returns groaning and in silence to lamentations. Therefore let her say, My harp is turned into mourning, and mine organ into the voice of them that weep, because every elect person in proportion as the voice of holy preaching has been stilled, so much the more sorely does he bewail the woes of the Church.
Thus far blessed Job has described the evils that he underwent; but from this place he begins to relate with more particularity the good things that he did. Now the words of grief we have run through by an historical and allegorica;! explanation: but the deeds of virtuous qualities we in great measure hold according to the text of the history alone, lest if we draw these to the exploring of mysteries, we should perchance appear to be making void the verity of the deed.
BOOK XXI.
The thirty-first chapter of the Book of Job is explained to verse twentyfour, exclusive, and chastity, humility, and mercifulness being first commended, many particulars are especially taught relative to the avoiding of the occasion of sin.
1. The sense of Sacred Revelation requires to be weighed i. with so exact a balancing between the text and the mystery, that the scale of either side being adjusted, this latter* neither the weight of over-curious scrutinizing should sink down, nor again the deadness of unconcern leave void. For many sentences thereof are pregnant with such a conception of allegories, that any one who strives to hold them after the history alone, is deprived of the knowledge of them by his indifference. But there are some that are so made subordinate to external precepts, that if a man desires to penetrate them with greater particularity, within indeed he finds nothing, whilst even that too which they tell of without, he hides from himself.
2. Whence it is well said also in historical relation by a method of representing; And Jacob took him rods of green Gen.so^ poplar, and of the almond and plane-trees, and pilled them in strakes, and when the bark was off, where they were stripped, the white appeared, and the parts that were whole remained green; and after this manner the colour was made variegated. When it is further added. And he set them in the gutters in the watering-troughs, that when the flocks came to drink they should have the rods before their eyes, and should conceive in looking on them. And the flocks, when they conceived, looked on the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, spotted, and speckled. For what is it * * hunc,' which seems to agree with ' intellectus* referred to ' mysterium.' VOL. II. L 1 ^>14 J(tc()h\ ro(hy Scripture examples, mystic and direct.
Job 31, to set before the eyes of the cattle ' rods of green poplar, '- — and of the almond and plane-trees,' but through the course of Holy Scripture to furnish for an example to the people the lives and sentences of the Ancient Fathers, which same because by the testing of reason they are in a right line, are styled ' rods.' From which he ' peels the bark" in part, that in those which are stripped the inward whiteness may appear, and in part he keeps the bark, that just as they were outwardly, they should remain in greenness. And the colour of the rods is made pied, whereas the bark is in part stripped off, in part retained. Since before the eyes of our reflection the sentences of the foregoing Fathers are placed like pied rods, in which whereas we very often avoid the sense of the letter, we are as it were withdrawing the bark, and whereaswe very often follow the meaning of the letter, we as it were preserve the bark. And when from those same the, bark of the letter is removed, the interior whiteness of the allegory is brought to view, and when the bark is left, the green grown examples of the outward meaning are shewn.
Which Jacob did well to ' set in the watering-troughs,* because our Redeemer set them in the books of the Sacred Lore by which we are inwardly watered. ' The rams mix with the sheep looking at these,' because our reasoning spirits when they are fixed in the earnest minding of those mingle themselves with the several particular actings, thai they should beget such a progeny of works as they see examples of precepts going before in words, and the progeny of good practice may have a different colour, because both sometimes, the bark of the letter being removed, it sees what is within with acuteness, and sometimes, the covering of the hisiory being preserved, it moulds itself well in the outward.
)3. For because the Divine sentences require sometimes to be explored internally, and sometimes to be viewed ^ ^„v...externally, it is said by Solomon also, He that strongly 30, 33 pYQsseth the udder for the drawing forth milk squeezeth out ^'emun-f)u iter, and he that wringeth^ violently draweth out blood, ' emul- For we ' press the udder strongly,' when we weigh with get.' minute understanding the word of Sacred Revelation, by which way of ' pressing' whilst we seek ' milk,' we find What is plain, not to he strained to mystery. 515 * butter,' because whilst we seek to be fed with but a little Book XXI. insight, we are anointed with the abundance of interior — — ^ richness. Which, nevertheless, we ought neither to do too much nor at all times, lest while milk is sought for from the udder there should follow blood. For very often persons whilst they sift the words of Sacred Revelation more than they ought, fall into a carnal apprehension. For ' he draws I forth blood, who wringeth violently.' Since that is rendered carnal which is perceived by an over-great sifting of the spirit. Whence it is requisite that the deeds of blessed Job, which he for this reason relates amidst the words of upbraiding friends, that his afflicted soul might not fall away in despair, we should examine into according to the weight of the history, lest if the mind explain these in a spiritual sense \ above what is necessary, from the udder of his words there i be blood answering us instead of milk. But if he does sometimes relate some things mystical in the relation of his works, it is necessary that the mind with quickened speed reium to these considerations, whereunto as is given to be understood the very order of the person speaking itself bids that mind. For the holy man, after he had told the things I that had been inflicted on him by the scourge of God, now by enumerating in order his own virtues makes it known what sort of person he was before the scourge, so constructing the history of his life, as to insert therein a something very rare which might be understood in an allegorical way, that both in a large proportion they should be historical facts that he records, and yet occasionally, by means of these same, he should rise up to a spiritual meaning. Thus with what strength he had bound up his exterior conduct from all falling by the training of inward safe-keeping, he tells, saying, Ver. 1. I made a covenant with mine eyes that I should not even think upon a maid.
4. Whereas the soul is invisible, it is in no degree affected ii. by the delightfulness of things corporeal, except that, being ^^st. closely attached to the body, it has the senses of that body as a kind of opening for going forth. For seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and touching, are a kind of ways of the mind, by which it should come forth without, and go a lust- 516 Job (juardcd the eye, to keep the soul from Insf.
Job 31, ing after the things that are without the Hmits of its suhstancc. For by those senses of the body as by a kind of windows the Hist.
soul takes a view of the several exterior objects, and on Jer. 9, viewing longs after them. For hence Jeremiah sailh; For deatit is come up through our windows, and is entered into our palaces; for * death comes up by the windows and enters into the palace,' when concupiscence coming through the senses of the body enters the dwelling-place of the mind.
Contrary whereunto that which we have often already said Is. 60, touching the righteous is spoken by Isaiah; WJto are they that fly as clouds, and as the doves at their windows^ For the righteous are said to fly as clouds, because they are lifted up from the defilements of earth, and they are ' as doves at their windows,' because through the senses of the body they do not regard the several objects without with the bent of rapacity, and carnal concupiscence does not carry those persons off without. But he who through these windows of the body heedlessly looks without, very often falls even against his will into the delightfulness of sin, and being fast bound by desires, he begins to will what he willed not. For the precipitate soul, whilst it does not forecast beforehand, that it should not incautiously see what it might lust after, begins afterwards with blinded eyes to desire the thing that it saw. And hence the mind of the Prophet, which being uplifted was often admitted to interior mysteries, because he beheld the wife of another without heed, being darkened afterwards joined her to him without right. But the holy man, who as a kind of judge of greatest equity is set over the senses granted him in the body, as over subject officers, sees offences before they come, and closes the windows of the body as against a plotting enemy, saying, / made a covenant with mine eyes that I should, not even think upon a maid. For that he might preserve the thoughts of the heart with