lal. con-« doors,' that is, open to the conversation ^ of the humble, and closed to the terrors of the proud. They are, not improperly, called ' doors:' because they both open an entrance for the faithful, and again oppose themselves to the entrance of the unbelieving. Let us consider what a door of the Church was Peter, who admitted Cornelius, when enquiring into the faith, and rejected Simon when seeking miraculous powers Acts 10, for a price; saying to the one, I have found in truth that God is no respecter of persons, he graciously opened the Acts 8, secrets of the kingdom. Declaring to the other. Thy money ^^' perish with thee, he closes the entrance of the heavenly court by a sentence of strict condemnation. What are all the Apostles but doors of Holy Church, when they hear by John20, the voice of their Redeemer, Receive the Holy Ghost; whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose"- Persecution limited hy conversion of the Heathen. 293 soever sitis ye retain^ they are retained? As if it were plainly Book said to them; By you, those to whom ye open yourselves!^!^ZHI' shall come in to Me; and those to whom ye close yourselves, shall be rejected. Whilst then the sea rages, the Lord opposes His bar and doors; because whilst the storm of persecution spreads itself out in the world from bitter and faithless hearts, God exalts the glory of His Only Begotten, and the reverence of His preachers; and while He makes known the mysteries of the Divine strength. He breaks in the ungodly the waves of wrath.
39. But it is well said, Hitherto shall thou come, and thou shall not proceed further. Because there is doubtless a limit of the secret judgment, both when the storm of persecution should burst forth, and when it should cease, lest, if not aroused, it should not discipline the Elect, or, if unrestrained, should overwhelm them. But when the knowledge of the faith reaches as far as to the persecutors, the swelhng of the lroid)led sea is appeased, and there does the sea break its waves, because on coming to the knowledge of the truth, it blushes at every thing it has done wickedly. For the broken wave n truth glides back on itself; because wickedness when jvercome is accused even by the thought of its own heart; ind suffers, as it were, the very violence which it had inflicted, Decause it feels the stings of guilt, from the depravity which t had committed. Whence it is said to certain persons by Paul, What fruit had ye then in those things tvhereof ye «reRom. 6, low ashamed? As if it were said; Why did the waves of * '■our wickedness raise themselves aloft, which being now )roken in themselves, overwhelm you when converted, by he same means with which they puffed you up when pererted. It is therefore rightly said. And here shall thou reak thy sicelling waves. But that the doors are spoken of second time, in this shutting up of the sea, after the manner f Holy Scripture, a thing once mentioned is repeated by 'ay of confirmation.
40. But if we ought to understand by the * sea' in this lace, not specially the crowd of persecutors, but the world 1 general; the Lord set up gates against the sea a second ime, because He first gave to the human race the precepts f the law, and afterwards the testament of new grace; He a 294 Jiestraintputjlrsl on sins of ad, then of thoufjht.
Job 38, second time confined the violence of this sea by the gates ATLio ^^^ ^^^ aj^ainst it, since those, whom He chose to obey His will, lie first kcj)t from idols, by giving the law, and afterwards delivered from the carnal understanding of things by the revelation of grace. The sea a second time received gates, because God first prohibited mankind from works of iniquity, but afterwards restrained them from the sin of thought. Let us see how God first imposed gates on the swelling Ex. 20, sea. For behold it is said bv the law, Thou shall not kill.
Deut. 5 TJioii shall not commit adultery. Tliou shall not steal.
i7 — 20. Thou shall not hear false witness. Let us see how the Lord confines this sea with second gates. Behold He says in the Matt. 6, Gospel, Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adidtery with her already in his heart. And it is said again, ib.43.44. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you. Love your enemies, and do good to them that hate you. He therefore Who first prohibits wickednesses of deeds, and afterwards does away with the faults of the heart, doubtless twice imposes gates on the swelling sea, that it pass not over the shores of justice which have been drawn around it.
41. But when He was saying, Who hath shut up the sea with doors? He immediately also subjoined the time, When it was breaking forth, as if proceeding from the womb Because, namely, He then opposed mankind by the preceplsj of the Law, when the world, though little removed from itsj first beginning, was going forth even from its very birth tc make progress in the carnal life. For to proceed from the womb, is to appear in the flesh in the light of present glory And it is rightly subjoined. When I was laying the cloud ai the garment thereof. Because, doubtless, God did not ther present Himself to men in open sight, but while He rescuec them from the error of unbelief, and yet laid not open tc them the brightness of His own light. He withdrew them, aj it were, from darkness, and yet covered them with a cloud in order that they might forsake their former deeds o "wickedness, and yet see not more clearly at present future Inferior precepts Jirst given, afterward better. 295 blessings. Whence also it is fitly subjoined, And covering Book XXVIIF.
it with darkness as with swaddling clothes. For when He " — taught not ignorant people by the open preaching of the Spirit, but bound them, in figurative language, with the literal precepts, He enveloped them, while yet weak in knowledge, with the darkness of His words, as if with swaddling clothes; in order that they might gain strength by being bound by grosser commands, lest they should perish, through a fatal freedom, in their own pleasures. And since not love, but fear, was confining them to the way of righteousness, the Divine dispensation kept them close, as it were, in order to nourish them. For when the feeble people unwillingly endured the swaddling bands of precepts, it attained to a stronger condition from its very bondage. For because fear first restrained it from sin, it came forth afterwards, in a fitting condition, into the liberty of the Spirit. These swaddling clothes which He gave to beginners, the Lord Himself blames by the Prophet, saying, I gave them precepts that were Ez. 20, not good. For evil things cease, as it were, to be evil, by comparison with worse, and good things are, so to say, not good, in comparison with better. For as it is said of Sodom and Gomorrah, to guiltier Judah, Thou hast justified thy'^^.l^f sisters in all thine ahominai ions which thou hast done, so are the good precepts, which were given to the ignorant, spoken of as not good, by reason of the better precepts of the New Testament which succeed them. For neither would minds which were clinging to the practice of the carnal life be raised from their low condition, unless they advanced through a gradual course of preaching. For hence is it, that when they were settled in Egypt, their secret love of gain is condescended to by a considerate and righteous forbearance, and they are ordered to depart, after having first taken away the gold and silver vessels of their neighbours. But when brought to Mount Sinai, they hear at once, on receiving the Law, Thoit shall not covet a;zyEx. 20, thing that is thy neighhoufs. And hence it is, that in the same law they are directed to exact an eye for an eye, and aExod.
tooth for a tooth, and yet at last, on the revelation of grace,^^'^^* they are commanded, when struck, to offer the other cheek. Ma<^t. 6, For because anger exacts more in vengeance than it has suffered in wrong; while they learn not to requite their wrongs in 296 Allegories oj tite Jmw a dark Swathing -band.
Job 38, a manifold manner, ihey would learn at last to bear them of - — '■ — their own accord, even when multiplied. Hence it is that Alleo...Jle prohibited this same ignorant people certain observances, but preserved others after their original use, tlioiigli Jfe applied them so as to prefigure a better condition. For they used to sacrifice brute animals to idols in Egypt, and Jle afterwards retained the sacrifice of animals, fur their observance, but forbade the worship of idols; in order that, while losing a portion of their customs, their vreakness might be comforted by retaining something of them. But by a marvellous dispensation of wisdom the Lord converted into a mightier figure of the Spirit, that carnal custom which lie retained. For what do the sacrifices of those animals designate, except the death of the Only-Begotten } What do the sacrifices of those animals signify, except the extinction of our carnal life } The weakness then of an ignorant people is condescended to, by the same means as the greater strength of the Spirit is announced through the shadowy forms of allegories. It is therefore rightly said. And I was covering it with darkness as with swaddling clothes; because He bore with the weaknesses of its tenderness, by the same means as He raised a lofty cloud of spiritual significations.
42. But because He kept them by the limits of the precepts from um-estrained wanderings of mind, He rightly subjoins; / surrounded it with My boundaries. And because He restrained the motions of this human race by sending the Mediator, He fitly subjoins; And I set a bar and doors. For He set in truth a bar and doors; because He confirms the preaching of the new life, by sending our Redeemer to oppose the sins of the guilty. For doors, when closed, are strengthened by a bar being placed against them. God, therefore, placed against them a bar, because against the wanton motives of the human race He sent the Only-Begotten, Who confirmed in His actions the spiritual precepts, which He taught in words. But it is well subjoined; Hitherto shall thou come, and thou shall not proceed further, and here shall thou break thy sivelling waves. For this sea had in truth passed over its former doors, because the wave of human pride used to overleap the barriers of the door opposed to it. But after the world found the Only-Begotten opposed to it, it broke the force of its pride, and could not Christ the Bar. Storms ivithin the soul. 297 pass ov^er, because it found the boundary of its fury closed Book up by His strength. Whence it is rightly said by the'-^ — ^— Projjhet, The sea saw and fled. By doors, also, His sufferings Ps. 114, which were seen can, not unfitly, be understood. And He * secretly placed a bar against them, because He strengthened them by the invisible Godhead. Against which the waves of the world come, but they break and are scattered: because haughty men despise thera when they see them, but by experience dread their strength. For when the human race first derided, and then trembled at, the sufferings of the Only-Begotten, it came swelling with pride, like the sea which is about to dash against the opposing doors, and was broken and scattered by their power..
But because this is said to blessed Job, in order that the glorying of his heart, at his many virtues, might be kept down, (lest he should perchance attribute to himself what he knows of his lofty position,) if we consider these words in a moral sense also, we learn how much they were said for his edification. Let Him say therefore, Yer. 8. Who shut up the sea with doors?
43. What is this sea, except our heart, agitated by fury, xix. embittered by strife, swelling with the haughtiness of pride, ^°^* darkened by the deceit of wickedness } And how mightily this sea rages, any one observes, who understands in himself the secret temptations of thoughts. For behold we are now abandoning our perversities, we are adhering to proper desires, we are now cutting off, outwardly, our wicked works. But yet we are secretly harassed within, by that tempest of our former life, with which we have come thus far; and imless the barriers of unbounded fear were confining it, with the thought of the judgment, and dread of eternal torment, all the foundations of the work which has been raised up in us would have utterly fallen. For if that which rages within in suggestion, were to burst forth in deliberate act, the whole fabric of our life would have lain utterly overthrown. For being conceived in iniquity and born in sin, we bring with us into this world a contest, through the plague of innate corruptions, which we must strive hard to overcome. Whence it is rightly said also of the sea; When it was breaking forth, as if proceeding from the womb.
2i)8 Grace restrains the waves of thought by fear of God. Jon 38, For youlli is the womb of evil thoii''lit. Of which llje Lord 9.
says ])y Moses, For the sense ami l/LOHfjht of the human heart is prone to evil from its youth. Vox the evil of corruption wliich each one of us lias acquired fronri tlie springing up of his carnal desires, bo exercises as he advances in years; and unless the hand of Divine fear speedily repress it, sin quickly swallows up all the goodness of created nature.
Let no one then attribute the victory over his thou^^ht to himself, since the Truth says. Who shut up the sea with doors, when it was breaking forth, as if it was proceeding from the womb? For did not Divine grace restrain the waves of our heart, from the very first beginning of our thoughts, the sea, raging with the storais of temptations, would doubtless have overwhelmed the land of the human heart, so that, washed by the briny waves, it would have become barren; that is, it would have been charmed by the fatal pleasures of the flesh, and have perished. The Lord then alone shuts up the sea with doors, Who opposes to the evil motions of our hearts the barriers of inspired fear. But because we are prohibited following those things which we behold, because we are debarred from the enjoyment of bodily pursuits, we delight to raise the eyes of our mind even to things invisible, and to behold those very things we are ordered to follow. But what do we? These things are not yet open to our feeble sight. Behold we are invited to their love, and yet are restrained from their sight, because even if we ever see them by stealth and partially, we are in darkness from our still too imperfect sight. Whence it is fitly subjoined; Ver. 9. When I ivas laying the cloud as the garment thereof, and was coveri?ig it with darkness as with swaddling clothes, XX. 44. This tumultuous sea, (our heart, namely, agitated by thoughts,) is covered with a cloud; because it is so obscured by the confusion of its own restlessness, as not clearly to behold inward peace. This sea is covered with darkness as with swaddling clothes, because it is still kept from the contemplation of sublime truths, by its weak and tender senses. Let us behold Paul covered as it were with a kind of dark-1 Cor. ness, as with swaddling clothes, when he says. We now see Man^s strengtii limited. Sin restrained by inspii'ed Virtues. 299 ihrouqh a glass darkly: but ihe/i face to face* Now I knoiv Book in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known. For did he not perceive that he was a child in the understanding of heavenly things, he would not have first mentioned, on this point, a comparison of his age, saying. When \ Cor. / was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child,^^' ^^' I thought as a child. We therefore then attain to the strength of youth, when we behold with strong sight that life to which we are tending. But now, since the keenness of our sight is dazzled, through its infirmity, by the light within, our mind is, as it were, held bound by swaddling clothes. Where it is fitly subjoined; Ver. 10. I surrounded it with my boundaries.
45. For the Lord surrounds this sea with His boundaries, xxi. because He keeps low within the limits of contemplation our heart which is still agitated by the plague and trouble of its corruption; that (though it desires more) it may not ascend higher than the limit assigned to it. Or certainly the Lord surrounds this sea with His boundaries; because He calms by the secret distributions of His gifts our heart swelling with temptations: at one time keeping a wicked suggestion from arriving at pleasure, and at another a wicked pleasure from breaking out into consent. He then, Who watches the unlawful motions of the heart, and in some cases keeps them from coming as far as to consent, but in others restrains them even from delight, doubtless imposes boundaries on the raging sea, that it burst not forth in act, but that the gently murmuring wave of temptation may dash itself within the secret recesses of the mind. But because it is then mightily restrained, when it is opposed by delight in God and by inspired virtues, it is rightly subjoined; Ver. 10, 11. And I set a bar and doo7's, and said, Hitherto shall thou come, and thou shall not proceed further, and here shall thou break thy swelling waves.
46. For what do we understand by * doors,' in a moral xxii. sense, but virtues, and what by a ^ bar,' but the strength of charity } These doors, therefore, that is, these virtuous deeds, the raging sea rends af^under, unless charity of mind, secretly placed against them, holds them together. But all Oie goodness of virtues is easily destroyed by a temptation I 800 Sin restrained in the Elect by the Power of God.
Job 38, of the lieart rushing upon them, unless it be kept finn hy -^ — ^charity rooted witliin. Whence also when Paul was, in his preaching, opposing certain doors of virtues to the sea of temptation, he immediately added to them, as it were, Col. 3, the strength of a bar, saying, But above all these things having cJiarity, which is the bond of perfectness. For charity is called the bond of perfectness, because every good deed which is done, is doubtless fastened thereby, so as not to perish. For any work is speedily plucked up by the tempter, if it is found free from the bond of charity. But if a mind is constrained by the love of God and of its neighbour, when the motions of temptations have suggested to it any wicked thoughts, this very love opposes itself to their progress, and breaks the waves of sinful persuasion by the gates of virtues, and the bar of inmost love. Because therefore the Lord restrains the sins which spring up in the heart, by the strength of inspired charity. He checks the onset of the rising sea, by barriers barred against it. Anger, it may be, exasperates within, but, that heavenly peace may not be lost, the aid of the tongue is not lent to the agitation of the mind, so that that which sounds tumultuously in the recesses of the heart does not vent itself in words. Lust is kindled in the secret thoughts, but, that it lose not its heavenly purity, thy mind chastens those limbs, which could help to further the uncleanness conceived within; lest the filthiness of the heart should exhale to the corruption of the body.
Avarice excites; but, that it lose not the kingdom of heaven, the mind, contented with its own lot, confines itself within the bounds of parsimony, lest it should break out in wicked deeds, and lest the heat of inward desire should ooze forth into outward acts. Pride puffs up a man; but, that he lose not his true dignity, by considering that he is dust, he brings himself down from the loftiness of his conceived pride; striving, doubtless, that that which he endures in the suggestion of thought, may not burst forth into outward exercise. It is well said, therefore, I set a bar and doors, and said, Hitherto shall thou come, and thou shall not proceed further, and here shalt thou break thy swelling waves, because while each of the Elect is both assaulted by sin, and yet refuses to act upon evil suggestions, the sea is kept, as it were, within Job warned not to attribute this to himself. SOI bounds. And thoimh it lashes the mind ^vithin, with the Book tumultuous waves of thoughts, yet it passes not over the appointed bounds of holy living. This sea indeed swells itself up, but when it is dashed against the firm deliberation of the heart, it is broken and retires. That blessed Job, then, may not ascribe it to himself that he stands firmly against the storms of his heart, let him hear by the voice of God; Who shut up the sea with doors, when it was breaking forth as if proceeding from the womb? and the rest: as if it were plainly said to him; In vain thou regardest thyself in thy good deeds without, if thou dost not consider Me within. Who calm in thee the waves of temptation. For that thou art able to withstand the waves in act, is of My might, Who break the waves of temptation in the heart.
BOOK XXIX.
Twenty-two verses of the thirty- eighth chapter, from the twelfth to the thirty-third inclusive, are explained; and many truths are taught, especially concerning the arts and snares of Satan, grace, predestination, reprobation, and the secret judgments of God.
i. 1. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in that He is the Power and Wisdom of God, is born of the Father before all times, or rather, because He neither began, nor ceased to be born, let 1 natus. us say more truly that He was ever born ^ Yet we cannot 2nasci- say, He is ever being born ^, lest He should seem imperfect.
But in order that He may be designated both eternal and perfect, let us say that He was even ever born, so that ' bom' may relate to His perfection, and ' ever' to His eternity. In order that, in some way or another, that Essence which is without time may be able to be described in words of time.
Although in calling Him perfect, we deviate much from the 3 factum expression of His truth, since that which has not been made^, 4perfec- cannot be called perfect*. And yet the Lord says, con- *Jl™*, descending to our words of infirmity. Be ye perfect, even as 48. your heavenly Father is perfect. In that Divine Sonship therefore He could not be discerned by the human race, wherefore He came in human nature, to be seen; He wished to be seen, in order to be imitated. Which birth of the flesh appeared contemptible to the wise ones of the world; for they despised the weaknesses of His humanity, judging them unworthy of God. And man was the more His debtor, iCor.i, the more God took on Himself indignities for his sake. For ^^* since the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. As if He were saying. When the world by its wisdom found not God, Who is Wisdom itself, it seemed good that it should Eternal Nativity of the Son. The Churchy the dawn. 303 behold God made Man throuorh the foolishness of humanity, Book in order that His Wisdom might come down to our folly, - and tliat our darkness, \vhen enlightened by means of the clay Jol^" 9, of its own flesh, miglit behold tlie light of heavenly Wisdom.
Born therefore of the Father, before all time, He deigned to be born of His Mother in time, in order that by confining His birth between a beginning and an end, He might disclose to eyes of the human mind that birth, which neither rises from a beginning, nor is bounded by an end. Whence it is now well said to blessed Job, Ver. 1*2. Hast thou cotnmanded the moriiitig since thy birth, and hast thou shewn to the day-spring its place?
2. Thou understandest, as I. For the origin of His ii. Divinity has no before and after. And while Its ever being is through all eternity, while It circumscribes every thing which passes away. It bounds within Itself the ebbings and flowings of times. But because the origin of His Humanity began and ended. It received from time a before and after. But because, when He took on Himself the shadows of our temporal being. He shed on us the light of His eternity, after this beginning w^hich the Creator made for Himself in time, the day-spring rightly learned its own place without time. For because the dawn, or day-spring, is turned from darkness into light, the whole Church of the Elect is, not improperly, designated by the name of dawn, or day-spring. For whilst it is brought from the night of unbelief to the light of faith, it is laid open to the splendour of heavenly brightness, as the dawn bursts into day after the darkness. Whence it is also well said in the Song of Songs, Who is she ^o\. that Cometh forth as the rising daivn? For Holy Church, iJ°^ ' seeking for the rewards of the heavenly life, is called the dawn, because, while it leaves the darkness of sin, it shines with the light of righteousness.
3. But we have a deeper point to examine, on considering the nature of the dawn, or day-spring. For the day-spring, or dawn, announces that night has already passed, but yet does not present to us the full brightness of day: but whilst they dispel the one, and take up the other, they keep the light intermingled with darkness. What then are all we who follow the truth in this life, but day-spring, or dawn.?
I 804 The nif/lit (hpartiruj^fnll daylujht not yet come.
Job 38, B(3cau.se we now both do some tliincs which are of the light, -*— and yet arc hitlicrto not froc from somcj remains of tlic dark- Ps. 143, jjgj.j. For it is said to God by the Prophet, /;^ Thy sujht James shall no man living he justified. And it is written again, Rom 7 ^'* many things we offend all. Paul also says, / see another 23. law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive to the law of sin which is in my members. Where then the law of sin is contending with the law of the mind, there is surely still day-break; because the light, which has already shone forth, has not yet entirely overpowered the passing darkness. It is yet day-break; because while the law of the flesh assails the law of the mind, and the law of the mind that of the flesh, light and darkness are contending one against the other. Whence, when Paul Bom. was saying again. The night is far spent; he did not ' * subjoin, ' The day has come,' but, The day is at hand. For he who says, after the departure of night, not that the day ' has arrived,' but that it is ' at hand,' doubtless proves that he is still in twilight before the sun, and after the darkness.
4. But the Church of the Elect will then be fully day, when the shade of sin will be no longer blended with it. It will then be fully day, when it has been brightened with the perfect warmth of the inward light. It will be then fully day, when tolerating no longer the seducing remembrance of its sins, it will conceal from itself even all the remains of darkness. Whence also this dawn is well pointed out as still only in progress, when it is said, And hast thou shewn to the day-spring its place? For that, whose place is pointed out, is certainly being called from one condition to another. For what is the place of dawn but the perfect brightness of the eternal vision? And when it has been conducted and has arrived thither, it has no longer any of the darkness of the past night. But now, when it is still enduring the annoyances of temptations, because the Church is in intention of heart hastening to another condition, the dawn is proceeding to its place. But if it did not behold this spot with its mind, it would still remain in the night of this life. But when it is daily striving to be perfected, and daily to be increased in light, it already beholds its place, and seeks for the sun to shine fully upon it. The dawn considers its How our Lord taught the Church her true Phice, 305 place, when a holy soul is burning to contemplate the sight Book of its Creator. The dawn was busily engaged in reaching il