18-20.

18 Zeal seeks to amend others, pride to display self.

JOB 32, persisted in the same silence. For when he ceased to speak without, from being wearied of speaking, he felt a flame kindled within him by the zeal of charity. For the hearts of the just burn within them, when they behold the deeds of the ungodly gain strength from not being reproved, and they believe that they are themselves partakers in the guilt of those, whom they allow, by their own silence, to go on in iniquity. The prophet David, after he had imposed silence Ps.39,1. on himself, saying, I have set a guard upon my mouth, while the sinner stood against me. I was dumb, and was humbled, and kept silence even from good things: in the midst of his silence blazed forth with this zeal of charity, when he Ps.39,3. immediately subjoined; My sorrow was renewed, my heart

grew hot within me, and in my meditation a fire shall flame out. His heart grew hot within him, because the flame of charity refused to burst forth in words of admonition. The fire burned in the meditation of his heart, because his reproof of the ungodly had ceased to flow on with the chiding of his lips. For the zeal of charity tempers itself with wonderful consolation, as it gains strength, when it bursts forth in words of reproof against the deeds of the ungodly, in order that it may not cease to reprove the faults which it cannot amend, lest it should convict itself of partaking in their sins, by consent of keeping silence.

19. But because certain vices frequently assume the guise of virtues, as, for instance, lavishness wishes to appear like pity, stinginess like frugality, cruelty like justice; in like manner, a desire for empty glory, being unable to keep itself within the bounds of silence, inflames like the zeal of charity, and the powerful desire of ostentation impels a person to speak without restraint, and the desire of display breaks out, as if with the wish of offering advice. For it cares not what good it can effect by its speaking, but what show it can make: nor is it anxious to correct the evil which it beholds, but to display the good which it feels. Hence Eliu also, swollen by the spirit of pride, and unable to keep himself ver. 18. within the barriers of silence, says, I am full of words, the spirit of my womb constraineth me; behold, my belly is as new wine without a vent which bursts in sunder new vessels.

19.

c Comma after locutionis,' as the rhythm and the sense both require.

10

up sel

ised to speak felt a flame

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Arrogance would pass for zeal. Self to be first corrected. 19

20. If we must understand this passage spiritually, by Book 'belly' he means the secret recesses of the heart.

But by

7.

17.

XXIII.

new wine is understood the warmth of the Holy Spirit, of which the Lord says in the Gospel, They put new wine into Matt.9, new skins. For when the Apostles were filled suddenly therewith, and were speaking in every tongue, it was said by the Jews, who knew not the truth and yet bare witness to it, These men are full of new wine. But by vessels we under- Acts 2, stand not inappropriately either consciences which are weak 4. from their very estate of humanity, or certainly those earthly vessels of our bodies; of which the Apostle Paul says, We 2 Cor. 4, have this treasure in earthen vessels. But because Eliu, as we before observed, was so puffed up and swollen with pride, as though he were kindled within, to speak through the grace of charity, by the fire of the Holy Spirit, compares the spirit, which he felt within him when silent, to new wine without a vent. And he well says, Which bursts asunder new vessels, because the fire of the Holy Spirit is scarcely kept in by the new life, much less by the old. The new wine then bursts asunder new vessels, because by its violent heat it is too much even for spiritual hearts. I will speak, and I will take ver. 20. breath a little; I will open my lips and answer. He well says, I will take breath, for as it is a distress to the holy to behold wickedness, without amending it; so is it a heavy distress to the boastful, if they do not display the wisdom they possess. For they can scarcely endure the violence. which boils within them, if they are rather behindhand in making known every thing which they think. And hence, when any good deed is taken in hand, all pride on account of it must first be overcome in the heart, lest, if it should proceed from the root of a bad motive, it should bring forth the bitter fruits of sin.

21. These then, who are as yet engaged in a contest with
their sins, ought never to undertake to rule over others by
exercising the office of preaching. And this is the reason,
why, according to the command of the Divine dispensa-
tion, the Levites serve the tabernacle from their twenty- Numb.
fifth year, but from their fiftieth become the guardians 8, 24.
of the sacred vessels. For what is meant by the five and
twentieth year, when youth is in its full vigour, but the

20 Age of Levites type of spiritual attainment. Time short.

JOB 32, contests against each separate sin? And what is expressed 21. 22. by the fiftieth, in which is signified also the rest of the

Jubilee, but the repose of the mind within, when the contest has come to an end? But what is shadowed forth by the vessels of the tabernacle, except the souls of the faithful? The Levites, therefore, serve the tabernacle from their five and twentieth year, and take charge of the vessels from their fiftieth, to shew that they who endure, through pleasurable consent, the contest with sins which still assault them, should not presume to take the charge of others: but that when they have been successful in their contests with temptations, by which they are assured of inward tranquillity, they may then undertake the care of souls. But who can perfectly subdue these assaults of temptations, when Paul Rom. 7, says, I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive to the law of sin? But it is one thing boldly to endure contests, another to be unnerved by them and overcome. kept in exercise, to secure it from being puffed up; in the In the first case virtue is other, it is quite quenched that it cease to be. He then who knows how to endure with boldness the temptation of the contest, even when he feels its shock, sits on high in the lofty citadel of peace. For he sees that the assaults of sin are, even when within him, subject to his power, since he does not yield his consent to them, from being overcome by any pleasure. It

23.

xii.

follows:

Ver. 21, 22. I will not accept the person of man, I will not equal God to man; for I know not how long I shall continue, or whether after a while my Maker may take me

away.

22. Most judiciously he does not make God equal to man, since he knows not how long he may continue, or when in the judgment of God be taken away. And he well says, After a while my Maker may take me away; for however long is the period of the present life, it is short, from the very fact, that it is not enduring. For that which is confined within circumscribed limits has no claim to be considered lasting. But in the midst of these sentences which he utters, based on solid truth, he again bursts out into words of pride, saying,

e

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Eliu's boasting. Right manner of teaching, humble. 21

Chap. xxxiii. ver. 1, 2. Wherefore, Job, hear my speeches, Book and hearken to all my words. Behold, I have opened my mouth; let my tongue speak in my throat.

XXIII.

23. Let us consider from what a height of pride he comes xiii.
down in admonishing Job to listen to him, in saying that he
had opened his mouth, in promising that his tongue would
speak in his throat. For the teaching of the boastful has
this peculiarity, that they cannot modestly suggest what they
teach, and cannot communicate in a right manner the truths
they hold rightly. For they make it plain by their words
that they fancy themselves, when teaching, to be seated on
some lofty eminence, and that they look upon their hearers
as standing far beneath them, as on lower ground, as persons
whom they hardly deign to address, not in the tone of advice,
but of authority. Well does the Lord address them by the
Prophet, But ye ruled them with austerity and power. For Ez. 34,
they rule with austerity and power, who are eager to correct
those under them, not by calmly reasoning, but to bend them
by the severity of command.

24. But sound teaching, on the other hand, the more
earnestly avoids this sin of pride in thought, the more
eagerly it assails with the shafts of its words the teacher of
pride himself. For it takes heed lest it be rather preaching
him by a haughty demeanour, whom it assails with holy
words in the hearts of its hearers. For it endeavours to
state in its words, and to set forth in its doings, humility,
which is the mistress and mother of all virtues, in order that
may enforce it on the disciples of truth more by its con-
duct than by its words. Whence Paul in speaking to the

it

2, 7.

15.

Thessalonians, as if he had forgotten the height of his own
Apostleship, We became as children in the midst of you. 1 Thess.
Whence the Apostle Peter, when saying, Ever ready to satisfy 1 Pet.3,
every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you,
asserted that in the science of teaching the manner of one's
teaching is to be strictly attended to, by subjoining, But with ib. 16.
modesty and fear, having a good conscience. But in that
which the Apostle Paul says to his disciple, These things 1Tim. 4,
exhort and teach with all authority; he does not recommend Tit. 2,
the tyranny of power, but the authority of his life. For that 15.
is enjoined with authority which is practised before it is

11.

4.

1. 2.

22 Authority of Example. How to be humble in correcting.

JOB 33 advised. For when conscience makes the tongue falter, it 33, detracts from the authority of one's talking. He did not recommend him therefore the authority of haughty words, but the confidence of good conduct. Whence it is said of Matt. 8, the Lord, He was teaching as having authority, not as the Scribes and Pharisees. For He alone in a singular and peculiar manner spoke with sound authority, because He had committed no sins from infirmity. For He possessed that from the power of His Godhead, which He has bestowed in us through the sinlessness of His Manhood.

29.

25. For we, because we are feeble men, when we come to speak of God to our fellows, should first of all call to mind our own nature, and thus consider from our own infirmities in what order we should offer advice to our weakly brethren. Let us consider then that we are either now such as some of those whom we are correcting, or were heretofore such, though by the operation of Divine Grace we are so no longer: that in humility of heart we may correct them with greater forbearance, the more truly we recognise ourselves in the persons of those whom we correct. But if we are neither now such, nor have been such as those still are whom we are anxious to improve; for fear our heart should perchance be proud, and should fall the more fatally by reason of its very innocence, let us recal to our eyes the other good qualities of those whose faults we are correcting. If they have not any such, let us fall back on the secret judgments of God. Because as we have received this very good, which we possess, for no deserts of our own; so is He able to pour on them the grace of power from above, so that though roused to exertion after ourselves, they may be able to outstrip even those good qualities which we received so long before. For who could believe that Saul, who kept at his death the raiment of those that were stoning him, would surpass Stephen who 1 meri- had been stoned, by the honour of the Apostleship. Our tum (or heart ought then to be first humbled by these thoughts, and then the sin of offenders should be reproved. But as has been often said, Eliu is shewn to be unacquainted with this mode of speaking, who is puffed up in his words, by the haughtiness of pride, as if by the power of a kind of authoJob 33, rity, saying, Wherefore Job hear my speeches, and hearken

service)

1.