then gi'ows to a height in us, when the wisdom vouchsafed 590 H'ujheat Wisdom unsearchahle. Juh\s offering.
Job 31, has killed in us as far as it is possible all the gratification — --^ — of the flesh as well. For except the ^ratification of the flesh Hist.
was seated in the reins, the Psalmist would never have said, Ps.2j26. Burn my reins and my heart. Therefore the water comes up * to the reins,' when the sweetness of wisdom destroys the very incitements of the flesh too, so that the burnings of the flesh that might have scorched up the soul are cooled down. And he still further ' measured a thousand,' ' and it was a torrent which the Prophet could not pass,' of which he also says. Because there swelled deep waters of a torrent^ which could not he passed over. For perfectness of practice having been received, we come to contemplation; in which same contemplation while the mind is cai'ried up on high, being uplifted it sees in God that the thing that it sees it cannot fathom, and as it were it touches the water of the torrent, which it cannot pass through, because at once it beholds in gazing what it may be pleased to behold, and yet is not able perfectly to behold that very thing that it pleases. And so the Prophet sooner or later comes to the water ' which he cannot pass through,' because when we are at last brought to the contemplation of wisdom, the mere immensity thereof, wdiich by itself lifts man to itself, denies the human mind a full acquaintance, so that it should at once by touching love this wisdom, and yet never by passing through penetrate it.
51. Thus blessed Job called these increasings of virtues by the title of ' steps,' because he saw them to be in distinct divisions, bestowed on men by gift from above; seeing that by them only do we ascend so as to come to the attaining of heavenly things. And so in making mention of the Sacred Book, i. e. of Divine Revelation, he says; By my several steps I will declare it, in this way surely, because he really ascends to the teaching of God, who has broken forth to the attaining thereof by the steps of holy practice. And he as it were ' by his several steps declares the book' who proves that he has been vouchsafed the knowledge of it not in respect of words only, but also of deeds. Whence it is yet further added; And as to a prince I will offer it.
For every thing that we ofler, we hold in our hands. And Souls entrusted to governors as land to till. 591 so * unto the Prince' coming to Judgment * to offer the book' Book is to have held the words of His precepts in our behaviour '- It proceeds; Yer. 38 — 40. If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain: if I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have afflicted the soid of the tillers thereof; let the thistle grow for me instead of wheat, and the thorn instead of barley.
52. For what is it for the ' land to cry,' for ' the furrows xxi.
to weep,' and to have ' eaten one's own fruits buying them?' '^'^'^* To whom is it necessary to buy what is his own } who has heard ' the land crying?' Who has seen ' the furrows weeping?' And whereas the furrows of the land are always of the land, why is it that by a separate declaration it is both said that the land did not cry, and that the fuiTows thereof did not weep along with it? For whereas a furrow of the earth is nothing else but earth, it does not need the accounting of much difference, that he adds; And along with it the furrows thereof iveep. In which same point because the order of the history falls to the ground, the mystical meaning displays itself to us, the doors as it were being now set open. As though it exclaimed in plain speech; ' Whereas ye know that the reasonableness of the letter has dropped dead, doubtless it remains that ye should fall back to me without misgiving. For every one who either by private right rules a domestic household, or for the common advantage is set over faithful multitudes, herein that he possesses the rights of government over the faithful committed to him, what else does he but hold the land to cultivate it? Since it is for this end that each individual is advanced above the rest, by Divine distribution, that the mind of those under him, like land subdued, may be made fruitful by the seed of his preaching. But ' the land crieth against' its possessor, if it chance that against him, who is set at the head, either a private family, or Holy Church utters any just murmur.
Since for * the land to cry,' is for those under charge to grieve with reason against the injustice of him who rules them; where it is rightly subjoined. And along with it the furrows thereof weep. For the land even when not cultivated by any works generally produces something of suste- 592 The furrowed hearts grieve for the oppression of otJiers.
Job 31, nance for the service of man, but when ploughed it bears ~ -' fruits to superabundance. And there are some persons, who 'not being cleft by any ploughshare of reading, or any of exhortation, do yet of themselves produce some good things, though bat the least, like land not yet ploughed up. But there are some who for always hearing and retaining, applying themselves to holy preachings and meditations, as it were cleft with a kind of ploughshare of the tongue, as to the former hardness of the heart, receive the seed of exhortation, and by the furrows of voluntary chastening render the fruits of good practice. But it is very often the case that those who are set at the head do things unjust, and it comes to pass that the very persons injure those under them, who were bound to do them good. Which when uninstructed persons see, being enraged they murmur against their ruler, and yet do not by sympathy grieve violently for their neighbours.
But when these who are already broken in pieces by the plough of reading, and dressed for the fruitage of practice, see innocent persons borne down even in the least things, they are forthwith turned by sympathy to tears of sorrow, because they bewail as their own the things that their neighbours suffer unjustly. For the perfect, whereas they are ever affected with regard to what is spiritual, are taught to lament for the bodily hurts of others, so much the more in proportion as they are now instructed not to lament for their own. And so every one who is set in authority, if he executes what is bad in the case of those under him, ' the earth crieth against him and the furrows weep,' because against his injustice the uninstructed peoples indeed break out in accents of murmuring, while all the perfect severally chasten themselves in tears for his wicked practice, and for what the inexperienced cry out and do not grieve, those under authority of a more tried life bewail and hold their peace. And so for ' the furrows to bewail along with the land crying out,' is by that thing whereas the multitude of the faithful complains with justice against the ruler, for persons of a more fruitful life to be brought to tears of sorrow. Thus the furrows are both of the earth, and yet are distinguished from the term of ^ the earth,' because those in Holy Church, who cultivate their mind with the labour of holy meditation, are Sin ofeatinij the ChurcWs bread tcUhotit Uihour. ^'iY^ as much better than the rest of the laithful, in ijroportion as Book by the seeds received they render more abundant fruits of - deeds. And there are some who being set over holy peoples obtain the payments of livelihood by the bountifulness of the Church, but do not pay the ministrations of exhortation that are due. In opposition to whom the example of the holy man is yet further subjoined aright, when it is directly added by him; If I have eaten the fruit thereof without money.
53. For to ' eat the fruit of the land without money' is to xxii. receive indeed our charges from the Church, but not to yield to that Church the price of preaching. Of which same preaching it is said by the voice of the Creator, Thou ouyhtest Matt. therefore to have put my money to the exchangers^ and then ' at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. And so he ' eats the fruits of the earth without money,' who receives the Church's benefits for the service of the body, but does not pay to the people the ministry of exhortation.
What do we pastors say to these things, who while we are the forerunners of the Advent of the Strict Judge, take upon us the function of a herald indeed, but devour the Church's supplies with dumb mouths } We exact all that is owed to our own body, but we do not pay back what we owe to the soul of those committed to our charge. Mark how the holy man, tied down by so many pledges in this world, in the midst of numberless employments, was free for the pursuit of preaching. And he never ' ate the fruits of the earth without money,' because surely he paid back the word of good warning to those under his charge, from whom he received the fruit of bodily serving. For this every one who is set over the people owes to Almighty God, he who is set over many, and he who is set over a smaller number, that he should in such sort exact the due ministration from those subject to him, that he may himself mind with heedful regard what of warning he at all times owes. For all we who subject to the appointment of the Creator are joined amongst ourselves by a vicarious ministry in obedience to our true Lord, what else are we but servants to one another? Whereas, then, he who is subordinate serves in obeisance, assuredly it remains that he who is set over him should serve to the VOL. II. Q q 69 i All (jood spoiled hy envyiixj the like in oUiers.
Job 31, word. Whereas he who is subordinate yields obedience to 1— orders, it is required that he who is at the head should bestow the care and concern af solicitude and of pity. And so it comes to pass, that whilst we studiously endeavour to serve one another now by charity, we may one day rule together with the true Lord in common rejoicing. But there are some, who herein, that they discharge the office of preaching, grudge others the good that they have, and so do not any longer have it in a true sense. To whom it is rightly JamesS, said by James, But if ye have hitter envying among yourselves^ and strife in your hearts^ this wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. Hence here also when it is said, If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, it is rightly subjoined; Or have afflicted the soul of the tillers thereof, xxiii. 54. For they are the * tillers' of the land, who, being placed in a lower situation, with what earnestness they are able, with the best practice that they can, cooperate in the grace of preaching to the instructing of Holy Church. Which same * husbandmen of this land' not to afflict, is this, viz. not to envy their labours; that the ruler of the Church, while he vindicates to himself alone the right of preaching, should not, by envy gnawing him, gainsay others also that preach in a right way. For the religious mind of the pastor, because it seeks not its own glory but the glory of the Creator, desires to have all that it does aided by all persons. For the faithful preacher wishes, if it might be brought to pass, that the truth which he is not able to give utterance to alone, the mouths of all should sound out. Whence when Joshua would have withstood the two who remained in the camp Numb, and prophesied, it is rightly said by Moses, Enviest thou 11, 29. j'gy y^^y gfj^j.Q 'f WoitM God that all the Lord'^s people were prophets, and that the Lord woidd put His Spirit upon them! For he was willing for all to prophesy, in that he envied not others the good that he had. Thus because blessed Job introduced all these things as under suspension, and if he had not done them, binds himself with the sentence of cursing, it goes on; Ver. 40. Let the thistle grow for me instead of wheat, and the thorn instead of barley.
Job's curse on h unset/ if he had done l/tus and thus. 5i)5 55. As though he said in plain words; ' If" I have done Book aught unjust towards those under me, if I have exacted the - '.-debts due to me, and have not myself paid what I owed, if I have envied others the executing of good practice, for the good things which refresh for ever and ever, may evil things that sting be repaid me in the Judgment.' Since ^ instead of the wheat there springs up the thistle, and instead of barley the thorn,' when in the final Retribution, wherefrom the recompensing of our labour is looked for, the piercing of pain is met with. And observe, that as barley is different from wheat, though both regale, so the thorn differs from the thistle, though either be a thing that pricks, because the thistle is softer, and the thorn alwa3S the harder as to pricking. Thus he says, Lei Ike thistle grow instead of tcheat, and the thorn instead of barley. As if he said plainly and openly; I know indeed that 1 have both done great good acts and lesser ones; and if it is not so, may lesser evils match me for my great good acts, and the greater evils for the lesser good ones.' Though this may also be understood in another sense. For in ' wheat' there is denoted in spiritual action whi:h regales the mind, but in ' barley* the disposal of earthly things. Wherein while vve are often forced to serve the weak and carnal, we as it were prepare their food for the beasts of burthen, and the very practice of our deeds after the manner of barley has somewhat of a mixture of chaff. And it very often hap})ens, that the ruler who is set at the head, while he enforces what is unjust against those under liis charge, while he cheers not the good with any soothing, whilst, that which is more grievous, all those acting rightly he distresses out of envy, still some good things he sometimes does, as if ho sowed corn, and mixed in the disposing of earthly things at times not in the passion of avarice, but for the use of the carnal, and so looks for the fruit of that labour as a crop of barley. But the several persons under his charge, in consideration of this, that they are borne hard upon in the chief things, cannot feel joy in his lesser good things; because neither is this practice well i)leasing in the sight of God, which is defiled by the injustice of other practice, nor yet is the very disj)osal of earthly things 596 Rulers, thoiujh had examples, to be obeyed.
Joii 31, believed to be undertaken for the service of those under his charge, when he who is over them is seen to pant with avarice.
Whence it happens that even in answer to the few good things themselves, which they see to be done in the midst of a multitude of evil ones, they give back not praises but groans, and that those that go weakly murmur, while they take thought that that which they see is not a thing of pure practice. And so he says, If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain; if I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have afflicted the soul of the tillers thereof: let the thistle grow instead of wheat, and the thorn instead of barley. As if he said plainly, ' If the great things which I owed I have not heedfully performed, may I receive the prickings of murmuring from those under me, even with reference to the good that I have done. If I have omitted to set forth what might cheer, may their tongue springing forth into complaint with justice pierce me.'
56. Wherein it requires always to be minded with heedful consideration, that neither they that are set at the head offer examples of bad practice to those under them, and kill the life of those by the sword of their evil doing, nor they that are subject to the control of another presume to judge lightly the deeds of their rulers, and from this, that they utter murmurs touching those who are placed over them, set themselves not against a human appointment but against that Divine Appointment, which disposes all things. For to those Ez. 34, it is said. And as for My flock they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet: they drink that which ye have folded with your feet. For ' the sheep drink what is fouled with the feet,' when those under charge for example of living seek after things, which the persons over them severally corrupt by bad practice. But on the other hand these persons hear Ex. iG, from those in command; And what are we? Your murg murings are not against us, but against the Lord. For he that murmurs against power established over him, it is plain reproves Him Who gave that power to man.
At length, God vouchsafing it, we have explored tJiose sentences of blessed Job, full of mystical force, in which he Words of young Elihu next to be carefully ireiyhed. 597 made answer to the words of bis friends. Now it remains Book XXII. that we come lo the words of Ehhii, which are to be weighed — - — ■* witli so much the graver caution, in proportion as they are also, put forward through the boldness of youth with a hotter spirit.
i Gregory the (^eat of Job.
- Morals on the book PONTlFi- iTure OF MEDlAEVAl. STUDIES B9 QUKEN'S PARK TOUONTOB. CANADA