_conversion. without gung ed with su been attacke because th ut because hen eng = in a ma ant of wh any matters But nd lops of ds wither ost depth road, i and is ellers, w then ins con ased XXIV. Joy given again after the pains of temptation. 73 31. But these assaults of temptation are frequently pro- Book longed when they become common, and become, not sharper, but of longer duration. And then they cause less pain, but do more hurt: for the longer they keep hold of the mind, the less terrrible do they become, the more usual they are. The mind therefore, when involved in these trials, is distracted here and there, and is confused by the manifold assaults of temptations, and frequently, when summoned from one point to another, it knows not which assailing sin to oppose, or which first to assault itself. It is hence frequently the case that, while rebellious sins severely torture, while they drive to the very brink of desperation the mind of the person who withstands them, a convert is afraid of this very heavenward path, which he chooses as a remedy, and that he stumbles, as it were, when brought to the summit, who used to stand more firmly at the bottom. But he is so hard pressed by the movements of temptations, which rage around him, that it may be rightly said of him, His bread becomes ver. 22. abominable to him in his life, and to his soul the food which before it desired; or without question, His soul hath drawn near to corruption, and his life to the destroyers. But because God in His mercy suffers us to be proved by our probari temptations, not to be cast away, (as it is written, But God is faithful, who does not suffer you to be tempted above that ye1 Cor. are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it,) He speedily succours us with the aid of consolation, assuages the rising pangs of temptations, and calms with inward peace the emotions of the thoughts which rise up against Him. And then the mind soon derives great delight from its hope of heaven, on beholding the evil, which she had endured, overpowered. So that of this man tempted and delivered it may be justly said, He shall see His face with joy; and, He hath delivered his soul from going onward to destruction, but that it should live and behold the light. When these two stages then, that is of conversion and probation, have been passed in sorrow and in joy, there yet remains the third, whose sorrow he has still to fear, and whose pleasures he has to obtain. mained horts nded 32. For after the struggle of conversion, after the pain of герго bari. 10, 13. 29. 74 The Elect fear the Judge for sins they do not know. JOB 33, probation, there still remains a hard temptation; because he cannot arrive at the joys of perfect liberty, without the debt of human nature is first paid. But every convert, being careful and anxious for himself, ceases not to consider secretly with himself, with what strictness the eternal Judge is coming, and he daily looks forward to his own end, and before the approach of such severity of justice, considers what account he will have to render for his conduct. For though he has avoided all evil deeds, which he could tell to be such, yet as having to come before a strict Judge, he is the more afraid of those faults, of which he is not conscious in himself. For who can understand how many evils we commit every instant, by the irregular motions of our thoughts? For it is easy enough to avoid deeds of wickedness, but very difficult to cleanse the heart from unlawful Micah thoughts. And yet it is written, Woe to you who think on 2, 1. that which is unprofitable. And again, In the day when the Lord shall judge the secrets of men, after having said ib. 15. before, Their thoughts mutually accusing or excusing one Ps. 12, another. And again, Crafty lips in heart, and in heart 2;58,2. they have spoken evil. And again, For in your heart ye Rom. 2, 16. work iniquity on the earth. But when the soul has once forsaken the stability of eternity, and has sunk down to the instability of temporal things, it is obliged against its will to endure, in endeavouring to rise, that fluctuation of alternating emotions, which it sought of its own accord when willing to fall. And thus it is punished by its former pleasures, because it endures, as converted, the labour of the contest, in the very same things in which it sought while perverted the delight of pleasure. And frequently that very sin, which they skilfully detect in themselves, and of whose grievous guilt they are conscious in the sight of God, steals into the thoughts of the Elect against their will. And though they are ever afraid of a strict judgment for all these things, they then especially dread it, when on coming to pay debt of nature, they see that they are drawing near the severe Judge. And their fear is the more acute, the nearer their eternal retribution approaches. But no empty imagination from the fancy of the thought flits at that time before the eyes of the heart because when every thing else has been removed, the do not know tation; beca ot to conse ice, cousi conduct, it ons of of me m unlast o this! day wh aring s using in s Even saints meet death with fear of Judgment. 75 XXIV. they think of themselves only, and of Him, Whom they are Book approaching. Their fear increases, as the retribution of righteousness approaches nearer. And as the dissolution of the flesh is hastening on, the more the strict judgment comes, as it were, within their reach, the more mightily is it dreaded by them. And though they never remember to have passed over the things they know, they are yet afraid of those sins of which they are ignorant. Because, namely, they are unable fully to understand, and pass sentence on themselves, and, as their end draws nigh, they are harassed by more subtle fear. Whence our Redeemer, approaching His dissolution, and maintaining a resemblance to His members, fell into an agony, and began to pray at greater length. For what could He be asking for Himself when in agony, Who used, when on earth, to confer heavenly gifts with power? But on the approach of death, He represented in His own person the struggle which exists in our minds; who suffer a violent fear and dread, on approaching, through the dissolution of the flesh, to the eternal judgment. Nor is a man's mind at that time unseasonably alarmed, when it finds, after this brief state of being, that it must remain unchanged for ever. 2. 33. For we consider, that we have by no means been able to pass through the course of this present life without guilt. We consider also, that even what we have done creditably, is not exempt from a degree of guilt, if we are judged without mercy. For who of us can surpass or even equal the doings pietate of the fathers who have gone before us? And yet David says, Enter not into judgment with Thy servant, for in Thy Ps. 143, sight shall no man living be justified. Paul when saying, I am conscious of nothing to myself, cautiously added, Yet1 Cor. am I not hereby justified. James says, For in many things James we offend all. John says, If we say that we have no sin we 3, 2. deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. What will 1, 8. then the planks do, when the columns tremble? Or how will the shrubs remain unmoved, if even the cedars are shaken with the whirlwind of this fear? The soul then even of the righteous is frequently disturbed with the dread of punishment, as it approaches the dissolution of the flesh. And though it may have tasted some tranquillity in this life, it is staggered when the instant of its death comes on; so 4, 4. 1 John 29. 76 The third stage, of death, ends likewise in joy. JOB 33, that it may be rightly said of him, His bread becomes abominable to him in his life, and to his soul the food which before it desired. Or certainly, on account of the punishment of fear, that which is there subjoined, His soul hath drawn near to corruption, and his life to the destroyers. rays 34. But because the souls of the righteous are frequently purified, through the mere fear of death, from every trifling pollution, and enjoy the pleasures of eternal recompense from the very moment of the dissolution of the flesh; nay very often they rejoice at the sight of the inward recompense, even before they are stripped of the flesh; and because even while paying the debt of their old nature, they enjoy the satisfaction of the new gift, it is therefore rightly said, He shall see His face with joy. Or certainly, He hath delivered his soul from going onward to destruction, but that it should live and see the light. The soul of the righteous beholds the face of God with joy, because it feels so much of inward happiness, as it can scarce contain even when taken up to God. It therefore lives there and beholds the light, because it fixes its spiritual gaze on the of the eternal sun. It lives there and beholds the light, because having trampled under foot all the vicissitudes and shadows of mutability, it clings to the reality of eternity. And by clinging thus to Him Whom it beholds, it attains to a resemblance of His unchangeableness, and as it gazes at the unalterable nature of Him Who made it, it assumes it to itself. For that which has fallen through its own act into a state of change, is transformed to an unchangeable condition by beholding the Unchangeable. Eliu therefore, because he first spoke of the bitterness of sorrow, and afterwards of the joy of consolation, fitly added of this man thus afflicted and thus delivered, All these things God worketh three times in every man, that is to say, in conversion, in probation, and in death. For in these three states, a man first suffers under sharp pangs of sorrow, and is afterwards comforted by great pleasures of security. But because the mind of each of the Elect suffers in each of these three stages, that is, in the pain of conversion, the trial of probation, or the dread of dissolution, and is purified and set free by this very suffering, it is appropriately added, se in joy. bread become the food the he punishme il hath dres 78. are freque every tr recompe me flesh: vard rec and bec ey enjor ghtly s Light of the living. Vain Eliu recurs to his pride. 77 Ver. 30. That he may recal their souls from corruption, Book and enlighten them with the light of the living. XXIV. 35. For that is the light of the dying which we behold xii. 36. Eliu has uttered great and very powerful words. But it Ver. 31-33. Attend, O Job, and hearken unto me, and 37. He shews what opinion he has of himself by this xiii. expression in which he says, Attend, O Job, and hearken |