17-19. 38 Repentance leaves acts of pride, and escapes death. JOB 33, fault. And therefore when we are pinched by conscience, we seek to escape from what we ourselves have done, that we may be refashioned after the pattern in which we were first made. Whence it fitly follows, 10, 13. Ver. 17. That He may withdraw man from the things that he has done, and may deliver him from pride. xxii. 44. For what has man done of himself but sin? And it is Ecclus. written, Pride is the beginning of all sin. It is rightly said, then, that when man is withdrawn from what he has done, he is freed from pride. To transgress the commands of our Creator by sin, is to be haughty against Him; because a man casts off, as it were, the yoke of His authority, to Whom he scorns to submit by obedience. On the other hand, he who wishes to avoid what he has done, calls to mind what he was made by God: and humbly returns to the order of his creation, when flying from his own deeds, he loves himself as he was at first created by God. But because eternal glory is obtained, and eternal punishments are avoided, by this wisdom, it is appropriately subjoined, xxiii. xxiv. Ver. 18. Rescuing his soul from corruption, and his life from passing to the sword. 45. For every sinner, in consequence of his corruption by sin here, is compelled to pass thither to the sword of punishnrent; that he may be justly punished in that world, by the very sins in which he delighted in this. We must observe therefore, that God, speaking to us in a dream, delivers us first from corruption, and afterwards from the sword: because in truth He delivers the life' of that person from avenging punishment there, whose mind He here withdraws from the allurement of sin. Nor has he any thing to fear there from the sword of judgment, whom the pollution of guilt has not here corrupted after his amendment. It is well said then, Rescuing his soul from corruption, and his life from passing to the sword. For to pass from corruption to the sword, is, after the commission of sin, to arrive at the punishments which have to be endured. It follows, Ver. 19. He chastens him also with pain upon his bed, and makes all his bones to waste away. 46. By bed, or pallet, or couch in holy Scripture, is understood, sometimes carnal pleasure, sometimes a resting pes death. by conscience, done, that e we were first m the thing ide. ? And it is rightly said he has done hands of our ; because a to Whom er band, be mind what e order of ores him se eternal ided, by his life Rest, in earthly pleasure, in means of grace, in retirement. 39 6. XXIII. Luke 5, in good works, sometimes temporal rest; for what is meant Book by what our Lord said in the Gospel to a certain one who was healed, Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house, Mat. 9, except that bodily pleasure is signified by bed? And he is Mark 2, specially commanded, when restored to health, to carry that 11. on which he had lain when sick, since every one, who still, delights in sin, lies overpowered with fleshly pleasures. But he carries that, when healed, on which he had lain when sick, because when rescued by Divine assistance from his sins, he afterwards endures the insults of that very flesh, in the indulgence of which he used to rest content. But again, by bed, or couch, is designated a resting in good works. Whence the Apostle Peter says, in the Acts of the Apostles, Eneas, may the Lord Jesus Christ make thee whole; arise, Acts 9, and make thy bed. For what is meant by rise, but leave 34. off the sins which thou hast committed? and what by make thy bed, but engage in those means of grace, in which thou oughtest to rest? So that by rising he was to forsake what he had done, and by making his bed, find after what he should have done. And both these points the Prophet briefly sums up, in saying, Turn aside from evil, and do good. Ps. 37, For to turn aside from evil is to rise from that whereon he 27. lay; but to do good, is to make ready those works that win reward, in which he should rest. But he who turns aside from evil, but does not as yet do what is good, has risen from that whereon he lay, but has not yet made for himself a place wherein he is to rest. And again, bed, or couch, is taken for temporal rest; as it is written, Thou hast turned all Ps. 41,3. his bed in his sickness. For when any one, worn out by secular cares, is urged on by Divine grace to forsake the toilsome ways of this world, he is wont to consider how to avoid the attractions of the present life, and to rest from its labours. He presently seeks for himself the station of rest which he desired, and wishes to find a place of cessation from all his labours, as though it were a kind of bed. But because a man while still in this life, in whatever situation, cannot in the secresy of any retirement whatever live without temptations; the pain of temptation is found to press more heavily on that spot, which is contrived for the sake of tion by punish by the is in from thai here ition tis ion he rest. Whence it is well said by the Prophet, Thou hast 17-19. 40 Rest not allowed us lest we stop on our way. JOB 33, turned all his bed in his sickness. As if he were to say, Al that he has here contrived for himself for the sake of rest, Thou hast by secret judgment converted to his disturbance. And this is so ordained by the merciful design of God, in order that, in the season of his sojourning, the life of the Elect may be exposed to confusion. 47. For our present life is the road by which we journey Ipatriam on to our home: and we are harassed here by frequent disturbances, in the secret judgment of God, expressly that we may not love our road instead of our home. For some travellers, if they see by accident some pleasant meadows on their road, are wont to delay, and to turn aside from the straight path on which they have entered. And the beauty of the road delays their steps, while it affords them pleasure. The Lord then makes the way of this world rugged to His Elect, who are journeying towards Him: in order that no one when enjoying the rest of this present life, as if it were some beauteous road, might take greater pleasure in prolonging the journey than in speedily arriving at its end; or forget, when delighted by the way, what he used to long for in his home. But because all the rest, which we have happened to secure for ourselves in this world, is liable to disturbance, it is well said, He chastens him also with pain upon his bed, that is, He disturbs us in the rest of this world, either by the stings of temptation, or by the affliction of the scourge. For if the mind of man has been engaged in virtuous pursuits for ever so short a time, without temptation, it is often, in consequence of those very pursuits, in which it is tranquilly engaged, soon elated by those very virtues, which it is endeavouring to multiply within, from being conscious of the progress it is making. It is therefore exposed to the assaults of temptations, by the merciful dispensation of our Ruler, that thus pride, at the advance it is making, may be checked within it. Wherefore after he had said, He chastens him also with pain on his bed, he fitly subjoined, And makes all his bones to waste away. 48. By bones in holy Scripture we understand virtues; as Ps. 34, it is written, The Lord keepeth all his bones; not one of them shall be broken. Which is specially understood not of the bones of the body, but of the powers of the mind. For 20. ere to say, sake of rest s disturbance m of God, Fe of the Elect a we joumet by frequent pressly the For some meadows e from the the bea m pleasure ed to H er that if it wer prolo end; long ft are hap 'Bones wasted' in templation bring down our pride. 41 43. we know assuredly, that the bones of many Martyrs were Book broken in a bodily sense, and the persecutors of the Lord XXIII. John 19, broke the bones of that thief, to whom it was said, To-day 32. shalt thou be with Me in Paradise, as well as those of the Luke23, other thief on the cross. When He chastens us then with pain on our bed, He makes all our bones to waste away; because when we are assailed with the scourge of temptation, in that rest which we secure for ourselves from this world, we, who might perhaps have been puffed up by our virtues, are brought low by being sore vexed at the knowledge of our infirmity. For when we are advancing as we wish towards God, if no temptation checked our progress, we should believe that we were persons of some strength. But since the Divine dispensation thus deals with us, in order that we may remember our infirmity when tempted, because we forget it when we are advancing, we learn when we advance what we are by the divine gift; and in our temptation what we are by our own strength. But this temptation would in truth entirely hurry us away, did not heavenly protection keep us up. But it strikes us without breaking, it presses on us without moving us, it staggers, but does not cast us down that we may feel that it is all owing to our own weakness that we are shaken, but that it is the gift of God that we stand firm. But because a soul which is conscious of any good quality in itself, frequently revels in a kind of delight, on calling its virtues to mind, and is bloated as it were by congratulating itself on its own fulness, it is well said that the bones waste away under the assault of temptation. Because while our own weakness is, ascertained by the questionings of temptation, all that, as it were, bloated and florid self-congratulation on our own strength, is dried up by the sudden pain of anxiety. And we who, on weighing our good deeds, believed them to be of some value, when smitten somewhat more heavily are afraid that we are about to perish immediately. It is then that all satisfaction at our goodness is changed into fear of punishment. We then discover ourselves to be guilty, though, but just before, we believed ourselves to be saints. Our mind wastes away, our eyes become dull, all the prosperity which used to smile on us vanishes away; the light itself is loathsome, and the darkness 20. 42 Mystical meanings of 'Bread. Heavenly contemplation. JOB 33, of sorrow alone spreads itself over the mind. We see nothing to please us, every thing which comes before us is full of sorrow. Whence it also properly follows, XXX. Ver. 20. His bread becomes abominable to him in his lips, and to his soul the food which before it desired. 49. As if he were to say in so many words; A mind under affliction believes that every thing which used easily to satisfy, and give it pleasure, is turned into bitterness. For by bread is understood in holy Scripture sometimes the Lord Himself, sometimes spiritual grace, sometimes the instruction of divine teaching, sometimes the preaching of heretics, sometimes sustenance for this present life, sometimes the agreeableness of worldly pleasure. The Lord is signified by John 6, bread, as He Himself says in the Gospel, I am the living Bread, Who came down from heaven. 51. 15. 16. Again, by bread is understood the grace of spiritual gifts, as is Is. 33, said by the Prophet, Who stoppeth his ears, that he should not hear of blood, and shutteth his eyes that he should not see evil,he shall dwell in high places, his high place shall be the munitions of rocks, bread is given to him. For what is to close his ears, not to hear blood, except to refuse consent to those persuasive sins which spring from flesh and blood? or what to close his eyes, not to behold evil, but to disapprove of every thing which is contrary to uprightness? Such an one will dwell in high places; for though the flesh still confines him to things below, he has already fixed his mind on things above. His high place is the munitions of rocks, because he who tramples beneath his feet his longings for worldly conversation, raises himself to his heavenly country by the patterns of the fathers who have gone before. And because he is satisfied with spiritual grace through the gift of contemplation, it is rightly subjoined, Bread is given him; that is, he enjoys the refreshment of spiritual grace, because he has raised himself above the goods of the world, by hoping for those of heaven. Hence also the Lord says of Holy Ps. 132, Church by David, I will satisfy her poor with bread; because the humble-minded who dwell therein are filled with the refreshment of spiritual gifts. Again, by bread is set forth the instruction of heavenly doctrine, as is said by the Prophet, Is. 21, Ye who dwell in the land of the South, meet with bread him 15. |