Jon 34, then (lid the voice of the sufFcrer utter, which did not at all ' difler from the sentence of the Srniter? Tliose persons are inconsiderately liuiTible, who, whilst they avoid pride, ensnare themselves in falsehood. Nay rather, they shew ])ride in their falsehood; because they set themselves up against the truth, which they abandon. For he, who states of himself good qualities, which are true, when necessity compels, the more closely is united to humility, the more he adheres also to truth. Was not Paul humble, when from zeal for the truth against false Apostles, he related to his disciples so many bold deeds concerning himself.'' For he would doubtless be an enemy of truth, if, by concealing his own good qualities, he had allowed the preachers of errors to gain strength.
But because proud men, in that they haughtily examine the sayings of the righteous, consider rather the surface of the words, than the order of the matters, Eliu believed that the sentiments of blessed Job had not sounded of discipline. But since the asperity of haughty men extends sometimes as far as to the severity of cursing, he immediately, as if speaking to God, subjoins against blessed Job, Ver. 36. 31y Father^ let Job he tried even to the e?id. vi. 6. Lo! how he lifts up even in words of cursing, that which he had before conceived of the swellings of arrogance. But he would perhaps wish for the force of a merciful probation, if he had believed that he had stood firm in probation. In order then that the malice of his cruelty may openly appear, he prays, that he may still be tried by scourges, who he complains had already fallen during his scourges. He first stated what he thought, in order that what he wished might be more plainly understood. He requires him to be still smitten, whom he accuses of having sinned already under the hand of the Smiter. These are wishes peculiar to the haughty, to pray that the lives of those who are suffering may be more severely examined, because the more just they are in their own eyes, the more hardened are they in others' sufferings. For they know not how to take to them the feeling of the other's infirmity, and to feel pity for their neighbour's weakness, as they do for their JSliu cruelly wishes Job'' s further trial. Searchinq reproofs. 137 own. For since they think highly of themselves, they do not Book at all condescend to the humble. Eliu believed that blessed —___: Job had been smitten for his sin, and therefore believed that no bowels of compassion vere to be shewn to him, even in the midst of so many sorrows. But when men, who are truly holy, behold any one smitten, even for his faults, though they rej)rove some of his inordinate doings, yet they sympathize with some of his sufferings; and they are so skilled in keeping down swellings, as yet to know how to relieve wounds, in order that when their hardnesses are softened, their infirmities may be strengthened. But because, on the other hand, haughty men have no bowels of love, they not only do not sympathize with the righteous when suffering, but moreover afflict them, under pretence of proper reproof, and they either exaggerate trifling faults, if there are any in them, or pervert by wrong construction those points which are really good.
7. Although even holy teachers are frequently wont to exaggerate the vices of offenders, and from some outward signs to dive into secret faults, in order from the smallest defects to discover greater. Whence it is said to Ezekiel, Son of man ^ dig in the wall. Where he presently subjoined, Ez. 8, And ivhen I had digged in the wall, there appeared a door; ^— i^-and He said unto me, Go in, and see the most wicked abominations that they do here. And I went in and saw, and behold every likeness of creeping things, and the abominations of animals, and all the idols of the house of Israel, icere painted on the wall. For by Ezekiel is represented the person of rulers; by the wall the hardness of subjects. And what is the digging into the wall, except laying bare hardness of heart by sharp reproofs: For when he had dug into it, there appeared a door; because when hardness of heart is opened by sharp reproofs, a kind of door appears, through which all the secret thoughts of the person, who is reproved, can be seen. Whence it also well follows in that place. And He said to me, Go in, and see the most wicked abominations which they do here. A person enters as it were to behold abominations, who on examining certain signs which appear outwardly, so penetrates the hearts of those under him, that all their unlawful thoughts are made 138 Imvard idolatry exposed hy strictly jadying sliyht signs.
Job 34, plain to liirn. Whcnco he added, And I wont in and saw; '— and behold every likeness of creeping things, and the ahomination of animals. Wy reptiles arc especially understood worldly tliouglils: but by animals, those which rise a little above the earth, but still seek for the rewards of an earthly recompense. For reptiles cling to the earth with the whole of their body, but though animals are in their belly suspended from the earth, yet they are by the appetite of gluttony ever bending to the earth. Reptiles therefore are within the wall, when thoughts which are never (elevated from worldly desires, are revolved in the mind. Animals also are within the wall, when if any just and becoming thoughts are conceived, they subserve the pursuit of worldly gains and honours, and of themselves indeed they are already suspended, as it were, from the earth, but by their ambition, they still bring themselves down to the basest objects, as by gluttonous desire. Whence it is also well subjoined, And all the idols of the house of Israel ivere painted on the icall.
Col. 3,5. For it is written, And covetousness which is idolatry. After the animals, therefore, the idols are properly described, because, though they arise themselves, as it were, from the earth by becoming conduct, yet they bring themselves down to the earth again by dishonourable ambition. But it is well said. Were painted; because wdrile the appearances of outward objects are drawn inward, whatever is thought in imagination is painted, as it were, on the heart.
8. We must therefore observe, that first a hole, and afterwards a door, is seen in the wall: and that then at last the secret abomination is laid open: because, doubtless, the signs of every sin are first observed wdthout, next the door of detected iniquity is laid open; and then at last all the evil is disclosed, which is lurking within. Therefore even holy teachers are w^ont to examine severely into minute points, in order to arrive at greater hidden faults, from outer faults at the very surface. They utter words of sharp reproof, in order to root out the thorns of deadly thought, and when they act thus, they rage with the love of charity, and are not puffed up with the swelling of pride. For they are ready to die for those, whom they afflict as if raging even to the death. In their thoughts they retain this affection, while Holt/Preachers^likeEzekiel^maheknoionthcattacksof the enemy, 130 they assume persecution in appearance. Tliey insinuate Hook ' sound truths in their preaching, they announce and warn ^-^ '- against evils, and do not as li^hu pray for, and desire them. They are sometimes so prompt in reproof af^ainst those committed to their care, as though they had nothing of cahnness: but are so tranquil in alfection, as though no warmth could kindle them. For they greatly fear, that if they should cease to reprove the wicked, they would be punished themselves for their damnation. And when warmed into words of reproof, they unwillingly have recourse to them, but yet prepare them, as a defence for themselves, before their strict Judge.
9. Whence it is said again also to the same Ezekiel, Son Ezek. 4, of man, lake thee a brick, and tJiou slialt place it before thee, and thou shalt describe on it the city Jerusalem, and thou shalt build munitions, and heap up a mound, and set a camp against it, and place battering rams around it. And take thou an iron pan, and thou shall place it as an iron wall between thee and the city. For whom does Ezekiel represent, but rulers? And to him it is said. Take thee a brick, and thou shall, place it before tliee, and thou shalt describe on it the city Jerusalem* For holy teachers take to themselves a brick, when they lay hold of the earthly heart of hearers, in order to instruct it. And they place this brick before them, because they guard it with the entire attention of their anxiety. And they are ordered also to describe the city Jerusalem thereon, because tliey earnestly endeavour in their preaching to shew to earthly hearts, how great is the vision of heavenly peace. And it is well said to him also. And thou shalt set in array the siege against it, and thou shall build munitions. For holy teachers sot the siege in array against the brick, on which the city Jerusalem is described, when they shew to an earthly mind, now seeking after its heavenly country, what an opposition of sins assails it in the season of this life. For when it is pointed out, how each separate sin lays ambush against the mind, the siege is set, as it were, against Jerusalem by the voice of the preacher. But because they suggest not only how sins lay wait and assault the mind, but also how virtues, when guarded, strengthen it, it is rightly subjoined, And thou 140 The preacher'' s zeal andjir-nmessi^ his dejence in jadjnicnt.
Job 34, shall build munilions. For a holy preacher builds munitions, — ^—^— when ho ceases not to teach what vktues oppose what vices. And because the contests of temptation frequently become stronger as virtues increase, it is still rightly added, And thou sJtalt heap up a mound, and set a camp ayainsl it, and place hatterimj rams around it. For every preacher raises up a mound, when he points out the mass of increasing temptation. And he raises a camp against Jerusalem, when he points out to the right disposition of his hearers the circumventions of the crafty enemy, as f^uares which are beyond their understanding. And he places battering rams around, when he makes known the stings of temptations which surround us on every side in this life, and pierce through the wall of virtues.
10. Where it is well added. And take thee an iron pan, and thou shall place it as an iron wall between thee and the city. For, by the pan is set forth parching, and by the iron, strength. But what so parches and tortures the mind of a ruler and teacher as zeal for the Lord? Whence also Paul was burned by the parching of this pan, when saying, 2 Cor. jyjio is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not '^ And because whoever is kindled with a zeal for God against sinners, is constantly protected by a sti-ong guard within, in order that he may not be condemned for neglecting his charge of preaching and ruling, it is well said. Thou shall place it as an iron wall between thee and the city. For the iron pan is placed as* an iron wall between the Prophet and the city, because when teachers now display a resolute zeal, they hold afterwards the same zeal, as a strong bulwark, between themselves and their hearers; that they may not then be given up to punishment, if they have been now negligent in reproof. The same Prophet heard that he was to hold this pan between himself and his hearers, Ez.3,19. when the voice of God addressed him before, saying, If thou hast announced to the wicJced, and he have turned not from his wickedness, and from his evil way, he fiimself shall die in his wickedness, but thou hast delivered tiiy soul. Paul had placed this pan, as a wall between himself and his Acts 20, disciples, when saying, / am pure from the blood of all of 26. 27. y^^. jQy J j^^^Q ^Qi shunned to declare unto you the whole The proud do not discriminate. God's judgment a?id EH n's. 141 counsel of Qod. It is, therefore, necessary that teachers Book . XXVI should seek to be burned up now with ardent zeal, that they ' may not be compelled to suffer torments in the fire of hell for the sloth of negligence.
11. But we owe one duty to those who are unrigliteous and subject to us, and another to those who are righteous and not subject to us. For fear should enkindle us to reprove those, and to take good care of the accounts we have to render. But the thought of equity should incline us to reverence these. But haughty men, because they know not this kind of discretion, exhibit the same conduct to those who are righteous, and not subject to them, as they see good preachers display towards those who are unrighteous, and subject to them. And when they unjui>tly launch out into warmth of invective, they venture even on words of malediction. For, because they do not love their neighbours as themselves, they cease not to wish for their neighbours that, which they are afraid of befalling themselves. Whence Eliu, venting his secret hatred in open malediction, exclaims, O my Father, let Job be tried even to the end, cease not from the man of iniquity. He calls him a man of iniquity, whom God, by a testimony from on high, pronounces righteous above all men. And because many things are still subjoined, from this want of discrimination, I think that they must be run through briefly. For sayings, which are wanting in weight, do not require any careful exposition. It follows, Ver. 37. Who hath added blasphemy upon his sins. 12. He accuses him of having deserved scourges for his vii. sins, and of having sinned after the scourges. But the Lord judges far otherwise. Who both asserts that he was scourged without reason, and conferred on him double goods, after his scourges. Blessed Job, then, is proved to have spoken without sin, whom rewards follow after his speech. Because, therefore, Eliu, when speaking in the Lord's defence, thinks of blessed Job differently from the Lord, he is at variance with the truth, while multiplying, as it were, his words in behalf of the trutli. It follows.
Let him be hound meanwhile amongst us, and then let him provoke God to judyntent with his words.
13. As though he were saying. Let him know from our viii.
142 Jol/a confidence in his cause not too great.
Job 35, assertion, that he is by no means able to bear the examina- — ^— ^tion of God. And, because haughty men strive to say not only foohsl), but also many, things, the verse which follows is frequently well introduced respecting him.
Chap. XXXV. Ver. 1. Eliu therefore spake these words again. ix. J 4. Every one, who says many things, is anxious to be always beginning, in his speech, in order, by this very beginning, to keep his hearers in suspense, so that they may be the more attentively silent, the more they expect, as it were, to hear some new thing. But Eliu, finishing one subject, begins another without delay, in order that his loquacity may be continued without limit, by beginnings being constantly joined on. It follows, Ver. 2. Doth thy thought seem right to thee, that thou saidst, I am more righteous than God. X. 15. Every one observes, who reads the text of the history, that blessed Job did not say that he was more righteous than Job 23, God. But he says. Let Him put forth equity against me, " ^' and my judgment shall come to victory. Examining namely his life, and not knowing the reasons of his smiting, as has been often observed, he believed that he was scourged for the sake of washing away his sins, and not of increasing his merits. And he was therefore confident, that his judgment would come to victory, because he found in himself no fault, for which he deserved to be smitten. AVhich thing indeed the Job 2,3. Lord also said of him to the devil; Thou hast moved Me against him, to afflict him without cause. What had he sinned then, by speaking thus, who, unknowingly, agreed, in these words, with the divine and secret sentence upon himself? Or what harm is there, if, in the judgment of men, our words differ, on the surface, from the exactness of truth, when, in that on which they turn in the heart, they are cordis closely joined to, and agree with, it. The ears of men consider our words to be such as they sound outwardly, but the divine judgments hear them as they are uttered from our inmost heart. Among men, our heart is judged of from our words, but with God, our words are judged of from our heart. Whilst blessed Job, then said without, that, which God said within, he justly uttered every thing which he cardine Prophetic ground. Elm speaks tvell, bzit not to the case. 143 said, inasmuch as he, piously, did not diflvr from the Inner Book...XXVI sentence. Althougli in that whicli ho said, filled by the •' spirit of Prophecy, Let Him put forth Equity against me, and my Judgment shall come to victory, he might be looking for the presence of our Redeemer. For lie, Who is the Virtue and the Wisdom of the Father, may be, not improperly, considered as His Equity. Whence it is written, Who of God is made unto ns wisdo^n, and righteousness, and^^^"^- *» sane tifcat ion. And because, namely, God has placed this Equity against sinners who fly from Him, by exhibiting It Incarnate, He recalled them at once from their iniquity; and, in that judgment in which it found the Equity of God opposing its ways, mankind has overcome its ancient opponent. It follows, Ver. 3. For thou saidst, that which is right doth 7iot please thee, or what xoill it profit thee, if I shall have sinned.
16. If the whole course of the book is attended to, xi. blessed Job is proved to have said none of these things. But haughty men, as we have also said before, are wont to have this peculiarity, that while they go on in violent invective, they also speak falsely in their inveighing, and that, when they cannot justly blame the things which exist, they reprehend, in their falsehood, those which do not exist. It follows, Ver. 4. / icHl therefore ansv:er thy words, and thy friends with thee.
In his former saying, he mentioned culpable words, as if those of blessed Job, and derived from them matter for his remarks. But, in the words which follow, he examines, with great acuteness, that, which he craftily invented as matter to speak upon. And the sentiments which follow are powerful, but are not applicable to the character of blessed Job; and the shafts of this reproof strike him the less, the more unjustly they are launched against him. It follows, Ver. 5 — 7. Look unto the heaven, and see, and behold the sky, that it is higher than thou. Jfthou hast sinned, what wilt thou hurt LLim? If thine iniquities have been multiplied, what wilt thou do against Him? If, moreover, thou hast acted justly, ivhal wilt thou give Him, or what will He receive of thy hand?
1 44 Onr distance heneatk God shewn by His works above.
Job 35, 17. Altlionpr}) these vvcjids ou^lit not to have been said to xu.
blessed Job, who liiiew greater truths, yet the tilings, which are said, are true, namely, that neither do our sins hurt God, nor our good deeds assist Him. Whence he followed, and added, (ver. 8.) Thine iniquih/ uill hurt a man that is like thee, and thtj righteousness will projit the son of man. TUit amongst these things we must carefully notice that which he says. Look into the heavens, and see, and behold the sky^ that it is hiijher than thou. For from speaking in this way he doubtless signifies, that Job should consider, how much less he could either benefit, or injure, God by his conduct, since he could neither benefit, nor injure, the loftiness oi the heaven, or of the sky. For although we can understand by the heaven, or the sky, the heavenly powers, who are ever steadily gazing on the sight of the Godhead, (in order that, when we behold that the angelic spirits arc still far distant from us, we may acknowledge how far we are distant below^, from the Creator and Lord of spirits Himself,) yet nothing prevents our understanding by them in this place the material substance of heaven and sky. For if we look attentively at outward things, we are recalled by their very means to inward things. For the wonderful works of the visible creation, are the footsteps of our Creator. For we cannot as yet behold Him Himself; but we are yet tending to a sight of Him, if we admire Him in these things which He has made. We call, therefore, the creation His footsteps, because we journey onwards towards Him by following up those Rom. 1, things which proceed from Him. Whence Paul says. The ^^' invisible things of Him are clearly seen^ being understood by the tilings that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead. Whence atso it is written in the Book of W^isdom, Wisd. For by the greatness and beauty of the creatures the Maker ' ' qfthem. can be intelligently seen. For to our mind, which is through sin scattered abroad, God is not as yet made known within, as He really is. But while He sets before us from without the beauty of His creation, He gives us, as it were, certain hints, and shews what to follow within. He leads us on wonderfully by these same outward forms to inward things, He intimates with boundless admiration what He is, by shewing us these marvels without, which are not Himself.
The creatures, by which wefaU, made strps to our recover?/. 1 i5 For hence it is written of Wisdom, She fiJieiveih herself FiooK cheer full If unto them in the waus, and meeteth them in all\^,. ---* forethoucjht. IG.
18. For the works of the creation are, when considered, ways to the Creator. For when we see these things, which are made, we admire the ])ower of their Maker. Tn these ways we are met by Wisdom, widi all foretliought, because the power of om* Maker is set before us, to be enquired into, in every thing, which appears to have been wonderfully wrought. And wherever the soul turns itself, if it looks attentively, it finds God in the very same objects, through which it forsook Him; and again acknowledges His power, from a consideration of those objects, for the love of which it abandoned Plim. And it is recalled, when converted, by those things, by which, when perverted, it fell. For we make efforts to rise on the very spot where we fell, and in rising, we place, as it were, the hand of consideration on the spot, where, falling with the foot of slipj)ery love, we were lying prostrate through neglect. But because we have, by visible things, fallen from invisible, it is right that we should again strive, by visible things, to reach invisible; in order that what was to the soid a fall to the bottom, may be a step in turn to the summit, and that it may rise by the same paces by which it fell: while, as was before said, those objects, rightly considered, recal us to God, which, when improperly chosen, separated us from Him. Eliu, therefore, in order to apply the force of consideration, and to shew from bodily objects, how far higher is God than man, well observed. Look unto the heaven, and see, and behold the sky, that it is hii/her than thou. For we learn from these created and corporeal objects, how far we are distant from the loftiness of our Creator: because, by every thing which we behold, we are warned to be humble; in order that the beauty of the creature, when considered, may be, as it were, a kind of lesson to our mind. Let him say then, Look nnio the heaven, and see, and behold the sky, that it is higher than thou* If thou hast sinned, in what wilt thou hurt Him? If thine iniquities have been multiplied, what ivilt thou do against Him? If, moreover, thou hast acted justly, what wilt thou give Him, or what will He receive of thy hand? As if he were saying. Understand from VOL. III. L 146 Angels between shew us distant. Man may harm man.
Job 35, the vcvy creatures, whicli thou seest by thy Vjodily senses, to '- — be higher than thyself, how far thou art removed from the loftiness of the Divine Power, and conclude, from this thy consideration, that thou canst neither benefit God by thy good living, nor, again, injure Him by thy evil deeds.
19. But if, as we before said, we understand the superior Powers by * heaven,' or the ^ sky,' Eliu, in these words, warns us to consider, that, because the angelic spirits themselves cannot fully contemplate the power of our Creator, (though it is certain that they are higher than ourselves, as not having fallen into the lowest depths,) we should hence infer, how far we are inferior to God, who are beneath even those sublime creatures, who are yet far His inferiors. As if he were to say, Lo! how widely thou art separated from the loftiness of the Godhead, from Whose might even those powers shrink in their humility, who surpass ihee with immeasurable loftiness; and how far inferior thou art to the Most High, who discernest that thou art inferior to those, who are inferior to Him. But, by pointing out the highest objects, he brings to an equality, and says, Ver. 8. Thine iniquUy will hurt a man, who is like thee, and thy righteousness will profit the son of man. xiii. 20. The iniquity of man hurts him, w^hom it pollutes by perversion. And, again, our righteousness profits him, whom it converts from his wickedness. For those things cannot either hurt, or profit, which cannot either corrupt from what is good, or change from vvhat is evil. The powers above, then, cannot be either hurt, or profited, because they have already received to be free from change. But they who are involved in earthly desires, cannot consider these things. For it is difficult for minds, which are scattered abroad, to return to themselves; because evil ways detain them, more pleasurably, when once ensnared, the more every thing, which pleases them, is therein permitted. For no wall of discipline stands in the way to confine them, no punishment of retribution is looked forward to, to frighten them. But, when the eyes of the heart are closed, the soul is plunged the more surely into the low^est abyss, as it is shut out from the highest objects, and commits temporal sins more fearlessly, the more obstinately it despairs of eternal blessings.
Persecutions of the wicked hasten the Elect in escaping. l47 21. But that wickedness of the reprobate, separating the Book life of the Elect, as corn from the chaff in threshing, * oppresses, that it may purify. For the wicked, whilst they afflict the good, release them the more from the desires of this world; because, while they heap on them many cruelties here, they compel them to hasten heavenwards. Which is well signified by the Jewish people, when Moses was summoning, and king Pharaoh raging against, them. For Moses was then sent to call them, when Pharaoh had been already urged to oppress them by hard labours: in order that the one, while summoning, might draw away, as it were, the. minds of the Israelites disgracefully clinging to Egypt, andEx.16,3. the other might urge them on, as it were, while raging: and that the people, which was disgracefully held in bondage, might be moved, either by being invited by blessings, or driven by sufferings. This occurs daily, while the reprobate are allowed to rage against the Elect, when heavenly rewards have been announced to tliem; in order, that, if we neglect to go forth, when called, to the land of promise, we may be compelled at least by raging oppressions; and, that this Egypt, that is, our present life, which oppressed us, when flattering, may aid, when pressing, us: and that, that which, when cherishing, crushed us with the yoke of bondage, may shew the way of liberty, while it tortures.
This is the special reason, why the righteous are allowed to be afflicted by the wicked, in order, namely, that while they hear of future blessings to desire, they may also suffer present evils to shudder at; and that, while love invites, torture may drive them to an easier escape. Whence Eliu, going on to speak of the same sufferings of the Elect, under the oppressions of the reprobate, says, Ver. 9. They will cry out, by reason of the multitude of^ caiumoppressors\ and will wail on account of the force of the ann''^^^^^^''^^' of tyrants. fui 2*2. We can rightly term all the ungodly * oppressors,' not^^^"'/* those only, who spoil our outward goods, but those, also, xiv. who endeavour by their wicked habits, and by the example of their reprobate life, to scatter our inward treasures. For those go about to attack the things, which are without us, but these seek to prey on us within. The one cease not to 148 Many assail the Christian life with hatred.
Job36, rago with love for our ^oods, tlic other witli hatred of our — *- — virtues. The one envy what we possess, tlie otliers the way we live. I'he one desire to spoil (jiir outward goods, because they like tliem, the others are busy in squandering our inward goods, because they dislike them. As the life, then, of our habits is superior to the substance of our goods, he is the greater o))pressor, who assaults our virtues, by wicked conduct, than he who injures our goods, by violently oppressing us. For though ho has withdrawn nothing from our support, yet he has set before us examples of perdition. He has inflicted on us, therefore, a heavier oppression, since he has roused our heart, when quiet, b}' temptation. And though he has not persuaded us to the works of his conduct, he has yet imposed on us a contest of temptation. We suffer therefore a heavy oppression from his life, because, doubtless, we suffer that vvithin, which we must overcome with difBculty. And because the life of the wicked abounds in this world, to torture us, it is well said, They vMl cry out by reason of the multitude of the oppressors, 23. But because they somi times endeavour to extort even by unrestrained violence, that which they cannot persuade by words, it is rightly subjoined, And will wail on account of the force of the arm of tyrants. For whoever compels us, by his example, to live wickedly, uses in our case, as yet, the voice of the oppressor. But whoever desires to frighten us also, when persuading us to sin, now rages against us with the arm of tjranny. For, to recommend vices by one's conduct, is one thing, to enforce it by terrors, is another.
When we look then at patterns of evil doing, we hear, thus far, as it were, the noise of the oppressor; but when we ' f\ CO- are by force compelled to sin, we endure at once a tyrant gimur j^ ^^^^ heart.
24. But the minds of the strong, which are stedfastly fixed in God, despise all these assaults, the more they discern that they rise up against the commands of their Creator For waiting for the rewards of eternity, they gain strengtl from their adversities, because, as the fight grows strong they doubt not that a more glorious victory awaits them Thus while the desires of the Elect are kept down, the make progress by adversity, just as the fire is blown back b Trials of opposition prove and strevgthen love. 149 the blast; in order to increase, and gains strength by the Book means, by which it appears to be extinguished. For we — '