MORAL.

492

The righteous build not, nor settle, here.

JOB 8, bed in a stable; he stops and hurries to be off; he rests still 22. in the body, but is going forward to something else in imagination. But sometimes they even long to meet with afflictions, they shrink from finding all go well in transient things, lest by the delightfulness of the journey, they be hindered in arriving at their home; lest they arrest the step of the heart on the pathway of their pilgrimage, and one day come in view of the heavenly land without a recompense. They delight to be little accounted of, nor do they grieve to be in affliction and necessity. Thus they that never fortify themselves against the adversities of the present time, as it were will not have a tent against the heat and Matt. rain. And hence Peter is justly rebuked, because when he 17, 4. was not yet confirmed in perfectness of heart, upon the brightness of Truth' being made known, he goes about to set up a tent upon earth. And thus the righteous are indifferent to build themselves up here below, where they know themselves to be but pilgrims and strangers. For because they desire to have joy in their own, they refuse to be happy in what belongs to another. But the unrighteous, the further they are removed from the inheritance of the eternal Country, fix the foundations of the heart so much the deeper in the earth. It is hence that in the very beginning Gen. 4, of man's creation Enoch is born seventh in the elect family. It is hence that Cain calls his firstborn son Enoch, and names the city that he built after him. For Enoch' is rendered Dedication.' And so the wicked dedicate themselves in the beginning. For in this life, which is first, they plant the root of the heart, that they may flourish here to their content, and wither root and branch to the Country that follows after. But to the righteous, Enoch is born the seventh, in that the festal dedication of their lives is kept for Heb.11, the end. It is hence, as Paul testifies, Abraham dwells in 9. tents', for he looked for a city which hath foundations, Iso Vulg. whose builder and maker is God. It is hence that Jacob goes humbly following the flocks of sheep, and Esau coming like E. to meet him lords it with a throng of numerous attendants, V. paul-in that here both the Elect are without pride, and the lost swell with satisfaction in the good things of the flesh. Deut. Hence the Lord saith to Israel, If thou shalt choose one

17.

Gen.33,

14.

latim.'

17, 15.

16.

What is built in this world will not stand.

493

VIII.

from the people of the land and set him for a king over thee, Book he shall not multiply horses and horsemen to himself. And yet the first king chosen from among his brethren,' so soon as he had attained the height of power, chose for himself 1 Sam. three thousand horsemen; he immediately launched into pride, 13, 2. burst forth in the building up of the height he had attained, in that without he could not keep under on a level of equality all that made his spirit within rise high above the level of others. That rich man had as it were erected for himself a fenced dwelling place, who said, Soul, thou hast much goods Luke laid up for many years: take thine ease, eat, drink, and be 12, 19. merry. But because that dwelling is not bottomed upon the foundation of Truth, he heard at the same moment, Thou ver. 20. fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall these things be, which thou hast prepared? Therefore it is well said, And the dwelling-place of the wicked shall come to nought. In that the lovers of this fleeting life, whilst they diligently build themselves up in present things, are suddenly hurried into eternity.

i.

HIST.

BOOK IX.

He explains the ninth Chapter, together with the whole of the tenth.

1. BAD minds, if they have once broken out into the eagerness of opposition, whether what they hear from those that withstand them be right or wrong, assail it with contradictory replies; for whereas the speaker is unwelcome from being in opposition, not even what is right is welcome when he utters it. But, on the other hand, the hearts of the good, whose dislike rises not at the speaker but at the offence, in such sort pass sentence on what is amiss, as to adopt still any right things that are said. For they sit the most even umpires in deciding the sense of their opponents' words, and they so reject what is put forth amiss, that notwithstanding they set the seal upon what they recognise to be delivered in truth. For among a wilderness of thorns Ispica the ear is generally to be found growing up from seed good for fruit. Therefore it must be managed with care by the 2 spina hand of the tiller, that, whilst the thorn is removed, the ear be cherished, so that he, who is eager to root up what pricks, may have sense to preserve what gives nourishment. Hence in that Bildad the Shuhite had said well in enquiry, Doth God pervert judgment, or doth the Almighty pervert justice? in that he had delivered true and forcible sentiments against hypocrites, blessed Job, seeing that they were delivered against the wicked in general, admirably treads under foot the prosecution of his own defence, and at once sanctions the truths he had heard, saying,

ii.

1

Ver. 2. I know it is so of a truth, and that man put with God is not justified.

2. For man being put under God receives righteousness; being put with God he loses it: for every one that compares

IX.

Man cannot answer God in one of a thousand.' 495 himself with the Author of all good things, bereaves himself Book of the good which he had received. For he that ascribes to himself blessings vouchsafed to him, is fighting against God with His own gifts. Therefore by whatsoever means he being in contempt is lifted up, it is meet that being so set up he be brought to the ground by the same. Now because he sees that all the worth of our goodness is evil if it be strictly accounted of by the Judge of the interior, the holy man rightly subjoins;

Ver. 3. If thou wilt contend with Him, thou shalt not be able to answer Him one of a thousand.

3. In Holy Scripture, the number a thousand is wont to be iii. taken for totality. Hence the Psalmist saith, The word ·which He commanded to a thousand generations; when it is sufficiently plain that from the very beginning of the world up to the coming of our Lord no more than seventy-seven generations are reckoned up by the Evangelist. What then is represented in the number a thousand, save, until the bringing forth of the new offspring, the complete whole of the race foreseen. Hence it is said by John, And shall Rev. 20, reign with Him a thousand years; for that the reign off. Holy Church is made complete by being perfected in entireness. Now forasmuch as a unit being multiplied is brought to ten, and ten being taken into itself is expanded to one hundred, which again being multiplied by ten is extended to a thousand, since we set out with one to get to one thousand, what is here denoted by the designation of 'one' but the commencement of good living? what by the fulness of the number a thousand,' but the perfection of that good life? Now to contend with God is not to ascribe to Him but to take to one's self the glory of one's goodness. But let the holy man consider that the man who has already received even the chiefest gifts, if he is lifted up for what has been vouchsafed him, parts with all that he had received, and let him say, If he will contend with Him, he cannot answer Him one of a thousand. For he, that ' contends' with his Maker, is unable to answer Him one of a thousand,' in that the man that sets himself up on the score of perfection, proves that he lacks the very beginning of good living. For we cannot answer Him one of a thousand,'

4.

LIT.

496

Awe due to God's Wisdom and Might.

JOB 9, since when we are lifted up for perfection of good life, we shew that we have not so much as begun this. Now we are then more really moved by our weakness, when by reflection, we are led to form an estimate how infinite is the power of the Judge.

iv.

V.

Ver. 4. He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength.

4. What wonder is it, if we call the Maker of the wise, 6 wise,' Whom we know to be Wisdom itself? and what wonder is it that he describes Him to be mighty,' Whom there is none that doth not know to be this very Mightiness itself? But the holy man, by the two words set forth in praise of the Creator, conveys a meaning to us, whereby to recall us in trembling to the knowledge of ourselves. For God is called wise,' in that He exactly knows our secret hearts, and it is added that He is mighty,' in that He smites them forcibly, so known. And so He can neither be deceived by us, because He is wise, nor be escaped, because He is strong. Now, as wise, He beholds all things, Himself unseen, then, as strong, without let or hindrance, He punishes those whom He condemns. Who ordains this likewise here with mightiness of wisdom, that when the human mind exalts itself against the Creator, it should confound itself by that very self-exaltation. And hence it is added,

Who hath resisted Him, and had peace?

5. For He that creates all things marvellously, Himself regulates them, that after having been created, they should agree with themselves; and thus whereinsoever there is resistance made to the Creator, that agreement in peace is broken up, in that those things can never be well regulated, which lose the management of regulation above. For whatsoever things if subjected to God might have continued at peace, being left to themselves by their own act work their own confusion, in that they do not find in themselves that peace, which coming from above they contend against in the Creator. Thus that highest Angelical Spirit, who being in subjection to God might have stood at the height, being banished, has to bear the burthen of himself, in that he roams abroad in disquietude in his own nature. Thus the first parent of the human race, in that he went against the precept of his Creator, was thereupon exposed to the insolence of the flesh,