i.

BOOK XX.

The five concluding verses of chapter twenty-nine of the Book of Job are more largely explained, together with the whole of chapter thirty, chiefly on the subject of heretics and carnal persons distressing the Church.

that

1. ALTHOUGH all knowledge and all lore Sacred Scripture without all comparison far excels, to say nothing that it tells forth what is true; that it bids to the heavenly country; that it changes the heart of him that reads it from earthly desires to the embracing of things Above; that by its obscurer statements it exercises the strong, and by its humble strain speaks gently to the little ones; that it is neither so shut up, that it should come to be dreaded, nor so open to view as to become contemptible; that by use it removes weariness, and is the more delighted in the more it is meditated on; the mind of him, who reads it, by words of a low pitch it assists, and by meanings of a lofty flight uplifts; that in some sort it grows with the persons reading, that by uninstructed readers it is in a manner reviewed, and yet by the well instructed is always found new; so then to say nothing of the weightiness of the subjects, it goes beyond all forms of knowledge and teaching even by the mere manner of its style of speaking, because in one and the same thread of discourse, while it relates the text, it declares a mystery, and has the art so to tell the past, that merely by that alone it knows how to announce the future, and the order of telling remaining unaltered, is instructed by the very self-same forms of speech at once to describe things done before, and to tell things destined to be done, just as it is with these same words of blessed Job, who while he tells his own circumstances foretels ours, and while he points out his own sorrows in respect of the phrase, sounds of the cases and occasions of Holy Church in respect of the meaning. For he says;

Men should not dare to add to the Church's teaching. 447

XX.

Ver. 21-23. They that heard me awaited my sentence, Book and listening kept silence at my counsel. They dared not to add any thing to my words, and my speech dropped upon them. And they waited for me as the rain, and opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

2. For this awe of those under him we unquestionably ii.

believe to have been towards blessed Job. But as we have already often said, Holy Church being driven to extremities by the inflictions of heretics or carnal persons, remembers the times past, in which all that is spoken by her is listened to with fear by the faithful, and lamenting the frowardness of her adversaries, she says, They that heard me awaited my sentence, and listening kept silence at my counsel. As though she expressed herself in plain speech, 'Not like these forward and swoln ones, who whilst they refuse to admit the words of truth, do as it were in teaching forestall the sentences of my preaching.' Whose disciples now intent upon her counsel keep silence,' because her words they dare not to impugn, but take on faith. For that they may be able to profit by these same words, they hear them, doubtless, not with a view to judge them, but to follow them.

6

3. Of whom it is rightly added, To my words they dared not to add any thing; surely because heretics, at that time when against her they are in liberty the most mischievous, free of all check, do dare to add something to her words,' in that they busy themselves as if to correct the rightness of her preachings. Which same still further adds touching the good hearers, And my speech dropped upon them."

4. By this dropping of speech, what else is understood but the measure of holy preaching? because it is requisite that the boon of exhortation be bestowed to each according to the capacity of his parts. And in respect of this that is said, To my words they dared not to add any thing; the reverential feeling of the persons hearing is extolled; but in respect of this, that is added, And my speech dropped upon them; the masters' distributing is pointed out. For one who teaches ought to look exactly, that he be not forward to preach more than is comprehended by the one who hears him. For it is his duty by contracting himself to let himself down to the

21-23.

ALLEG.

16.

448 Drops of Holy teaching. The Gospel latter rain."

JOB 29, infirmity of his hearers, lest whilst he speaks to little persons lofty things, which for that reason will not profit them, he be more minded to make a display of himself than to benefit Ex. 25, his hearers. Now at the Lord's bidding, there are not only 29.37, flagons but likewise cups prepared for the table of the Tabernacle. For what is denoted by flagons' but ample preaching, and what by cups but the smallest and slightest speaking about God? Therefore on the table of the Lord there are both flagons and cups made ready, in this way because in the teaching of sacred Revelation there are not only to be set forth things great and mysterious that intoxicate, but also little and minute ones, which afford knowledge as it were in a tasting. So then let Holy Church being borne down in the last times remember this most discriminating disposal of hers, and let her say, And my speech dropped upon them.

6.

5. Where too it is fitly added, They waited for me as the rain, and opened their mouth as for the latter rain. For the words of holy preaching we undergo as rain, when by ( true humility we learn the dryness of our hearts, that we may be watered by the draught of holy preaching. Whence Ps. 143, also it is rightly said to God by the Psalmist, My soul is like earth without water to Thee. The Prophet charges us to be Is. 55, 1. bathed with these streams of teaching, saying, Ho, every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters. Who whilst in the final portion of the world we now receive the words of holy preaching, as it were open the mouth of the heart to the latter rain.' For if there were not in the heart' a mouth,' Ps. 12,2. the Psalmist would not say, Crafty lips in heart, and with the heart they have spoken evil things. The mouth of the heart, then, because we apply ourselves to the word of the preaching at the end, this, I say, we as it were open to the latter streams. Which same preaching came forth to us by Ps. 141, the sacrifice of Him, Who says by the Psalmist, And the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. For because our Redeemer at the end of the world underwent the violence of those that persecuted Him, Himself He gave an evening Jer. 5, sacrifice for us.' Of this latter rain' it is elsewhere written, Deut.11, I will give you rain, both the early, and the latter rain. For 14. He' gave the early rain,' because in the former period He

2.

24.

tem

porivam

Gentleness in ruling to be tempered with severity. 449

bestowed on His Elect the knowledge of the Law.

He'gave Book

the latter rain,' because He caused the mystery of His Incarnation to be preached in the last days. Which same mystery because Holy Church ceases not to tell forth day by day, she waters the mouths of her hearers' hearts as it were by the latter rain.' It goes on;

Ver. 24. If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance fell not on the ground.

6. If we understand this according to the words of the history, it must be imagined that the holy man had shewn himself such to those under him, that even in laughing he was able to be feared. But whereas he relates above that he had been ' a father to the poor, and the comforter of the widows; the case needs very great penetration to discriminate how and in what way in such terribleness of government there was likewise so much gentleness and mildness of pity there present. For without extraordinary gentleness of loving-kindness there was not this, viz. that he describes himself the father of the poor, and comforter of the widows;' whilst again without great severity he could not even when 'laughing' be feared: on which point what else are we taught, but that such ought to be the management of governance, that he who is in command should rule himself towards those under him by this measure, that both while laughing he may be feared, and when angered be loved, that neither excessive mirth should render him contemptible, nor unlimited severity make him hated? For oftentimes we break in pieces those under our charge when we maintain the energy of justice beyond what is just, which energy will surely now no longer be that of justice, if it do not keep itself under just control. And often those under us we unloose from the fear of discipline, if to our rule we let go the reins of mirth, because whilst they behold us joyful as it were at our liberty, they are themselves boldly let loose to what they are not at liberty. But that the countenance of the ruler may even when joyful be feared, it is necessary that he should himself unceasingly fear the countenance of his own Maker. For credit then is with difficulty given to that mind as to gladness, which it is known by those under its charge chastens itself continually for the love of God. For he who with an

XX.

HIST.

450 Job's serious fear of God; his freedom from low thoughts.

JOB 29, unintermitted fever of spiritual desire seeks after things 24 above, has this come into very great doubt concerning him, that he is sometimes glad of heart before men. And hence that same blessed Job was not long afterwards to say, For I always feared God as wares swelling over me. For he so feared his Judge as immediately impending assaults of waves, now, now on the point to die. He then into whose mind the sadness of the fear of God had poured itself, rightly did those under him not believe his joyfulness; because they were forced not to believe him when he laughed, whose heart they knew what unremitting sadness possessed under the fear of his Creator.

Prov.

17, 24.

Ecc. 2,

14.

7. That also may not unsuitably be understood after the history, which is next brought in directly; And the light of my countenance fell not on the ground. Since it is written; But the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth. And again it is said by the same Solomon, The wise man's eyes are in his head. Paul also said; The head of every man is 1 Cor. Christ. So the wise man's eyes are in his head,' in that he is ever contemplating the works of his Redeemer that he should imitate them. So the light of his countenance fell not on the ground,' because those things that are of the earth he beheld not in concupiscence.

11, 3.

ALLEG.

8. But whereas we have made out the outside of the history in brief, what lies concealed in the points belonging to mystical meaning let us consider well. That Christ and the Church are one Person, we have very frequently said already, and it oftentimes happens that the voice of the Head passes to the voice of the Body, and often that the voice of the Body passes over to the voice of the Head. For they that consist in one flesh, nothing hinders but that they also accord in one voice. So then let her say in the voice of the Head touching His Elect members, let the Church say, If I laughed on them they believed it not; since for God to laugh' is for the ways of the Saints to be made to prosper by His favour following them. As it is also expressed by common usage of those, whom in this world the caresses of good fortune accompany; The time smiled upon them.' Whence reversely it is called the wrath of God to be disPs.2,12, abled from good practice. As it is written; Lest the Lord