Spiritual compunction detects their falsehood.

175

courage, cloaks them with so much the deeper disguise Book under the image of virtues; and hence it is added,

They lifted up their voice, and wept ; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

Ver. 18. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights.

III.

'effect

68. For by the weeping pity is betokened, discretion by xxxvi. the cutting of the garments, the affecting' of good works by al. the dust upon the head, humility by the sitting. For some-ing." times the enemy in plotting against us feigns somewhat that is full of pity, that he may bring us down to an end of cruelty. As is the case, when he prevents a fault being corrected by chastisement, that that, which is not suppressed in this life, may be stricken with the fire of hell. Sometimes he presents the form of discretion to the eyes, and draws us on to spares. of indiscretion, which happens, when at his instigation we as it were from prudence allow ourselves too much nourishment on account of our weakness, while we are imprudently raising against ourselves assaults of the flesh. Sometimes he counterfeits the affecting of good works, yet hereby entails upon us restlessness in labours, as it happens, when a man cannot remain quiet, and, as it were, fears to be judged for idleness. Sometimes he exhibits the form of humility, that he may steal away our affecting of the useful, as is the case when he declares to some that they are weaker and more useless than indeed they are, that whereas they look upon themselves as too unworthy, they may fear to administer the things wherein they might be able to benefit their neighbours.

69. But these vices which the old enemy hides under the semblance of virtues, are very minutely examined by the hand of compunction. For he that really grieves within, resolutely foredetermines what things are to be done outwardly, and what are not. For if the virtue of compunction moves us in our inward parts, all the clamouring of evil dictates is made mute; and hence it follows,

And none spake a word unto him; for they saw that his grief was very great. 70. For if the heart feels true sorrow, the vices have no xxxvii. X tongue against it. And when the life of uprightness is

13.

MORAL.

176 Thoughts that tempt may yet be turned to good.

JOB 2, sought with an entire aim, the fruitless prompting of evil is closed up. But oftentimes if we brace ourselves with strong energy against the incitements of evil habits, we turn even those very evil habits to the account of virtue. For some are possessed by anger, but while they submit this to reason, they convert it into service rendered to holy zeal. Some are lifted up by pride. But whilst they bow down the mind to the fear of God, they change this into the free tone of unrestrained authority in defence of justice. Strength of the flesh is a snare to some; but whilst they bring under the body by practising works of mercy, from the same quarter, whence they were exposed to the goading of wickedness, they purchase the gains of pitifulness. And hence it is well that this blessed Job, after a multitude of conflicts, sacrifices a victim for his friends. For those whom he has for long borne as enemies by their strife, he one day makes fellow-countrymen by his sacrifice, in that whilst we turn all evil thoughts into virtues, bringing them into subjection, by the offering of the intention, we as it were change the hostile aims of temptation into friendly dispositions.

Let it suffice for us to have gone through these things in three volumes in a threefold method. For in the very beginning of this work we set firm the root of the tongue, as a provision against the bulk of the tree that should spring up, that we might afterwards produce the boughs of exposition according as the several places require.

BOOK IV.

Wherein Gregory, having in the Preface set forth in few words that the letter of Scripture is at times at variance with itself, and that the imprecations of Job, as of Jeremiah and David, cannot be understood without absurdity according to the sound which they convey, explains the words of Job in historical, mystical, and moral sense, from the commencement of the third chapter to the twentieth verse of the same.

THE PREFACE.

He who looks to the text and does not acquaint himself with the sense of the holy Word, is not so much furnishing himself with instruction as bewildering himself in uncertainty, in that the literal words sometimes contradict themselves; but whilst by their oppositeness they stand at variance with themselves, they direct the reader to a truth that is to be understood. Thus, how is it that Solomon says, There is Ecc. 2, nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink; 24. and adds not long after, It is better to go to the house of Ecc. 7, mourning than to the house of feasting? Wherefore did he prefer mourning to feasting, who had before commended eating and drinking for if by preference it be good 'to eat and drink,' undoubtedly it should be a much better thing to hasten to the house of mirth than to the house of mourning. Hence it is that he says again, Rejoice, O young Ecc. 11, man, in thy youth; yet adds a little after, for youth and3. pleasure are vanity. What does this mean, that he should Vulg. either first enjoin practices that are reprehensible, or afterwards reprehend practices that he has enjoined, but that by the literal words theinselves he implies that he, who finds difficulty in the outward form, should consider the truth to be understood, which same import of truth, while it is sought with humility of heart, is penetrated by continuance in reading. For as we see the face of strange persons, and know nothing of their hearts, but if we are joined to them

N

тег. 10.

178 Some things in Holy Writ cannot be taken literally.

PREF. in familiar communication, by frequency of conversation we even trace their very thoughts; so when in Holy Writ the historical narration alone is regarded, nothing more than the face is seen. But if we unite ourselves to it with frequent assiduity, then indeed we penetrate its meaning, as if by the effect of a familiar intercourse. For whilst we gather various truths from various parts, we easily see in the words thereof that what they import is one thing, what they sound like is another. But every one proves a stranger to the knowledge of it, in proportion as he is tied down to its mere outside.

3.

ii.

See here, for instance, in that blessed Job is described as Job 3, having cursed his day, and said, Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived; if we look no further than the surface, what can we find more reprehensible than these words? But who does not know that the day, in which he was born, could not at that time be in existence, for it is the condition of time to have no stay of continuance. For whereas by way of the future it is ever tending to be, so in going out by the past, it is ever hastening not to be. Wherefore then should one so great curse that, which he is not ignorant hath no existence? But perchance it may be said, that the magnitude of his virtue is seen from hence, that he, being disturbed by tribulation, imprecates a curse upon that, which it is evident has no existence at all. But this notion is set aside the moment the reasonableness of the thing is regarded, for if the object existed, which he cursed, it was a mischievous curse; but if it had no being, it was an idle one: but whoso is filled

Mat. 12, with His Spirit, Who declareth, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment; fears to be guilty of what is idle, even as of what is mischievous. To this sentence it is further added, Let that day be turned into darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let it be enfolded in bitterness. As for that night, let darkness seize upon it. Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein: let it look for light, and have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day. Job's curse, and wish, if literal, were impious or unmeaning.179

IV.

How is it that that day, which he knows to have gone by BOOK with the flight of time, is said 'to be turned into darkness?" And whereas it is plain that it has no existence, wherefore is it wished for that 'the shadow of death might stain it?' or what cloud dwells upon it, what envelopement of bitterness enfolds it? or what darkness seizes upon that night, which no stay holds in being? Or how is it desired that that may be solitary, which in passing away had already become nought? Or how does that look for the light, which both lacks perception, and doth not continue in any stay of its own self? To these words he yet further adds,

11-13.

Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up Job 3, the ghost when I came out of the belly? Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck? For now I should have lain still and have been quiet, I should have slept, and been at rest.

below §. 64.

If he had died at once from the womb, would he have got iii. by this very destruction a title to a reward? Do abortive children enjoy eternal rest? For every man that is not absolved by the water of regeneration, is tied and bound by the guilt of the original bond. But that which the water of Baptism avails for with us, this either faith alone did of old ree in behalf of infants, or, for those of the virtue of bel riper years, sacrifice, or, for all that came of the stock of Abraham, the mystery of circumcision. For that every living being is conceived in the guilt of our first parent the Prophet witnesses, saying, And in sin hath my mother conceived me. Ps. 51, And that he who is not washed in the water of salvation, 5. does not lose the punishment of original sin, Truth plainly declares by Itself in these words, Except a man be born of John 3, water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of 5. God. How is it then, that he wishes that he had died in the womb,' and that he believes that he might have had rest by the boon of that death, whereas it is clear that 'the rest of life could in no wise be for him, if the Sacraments of Divine knowledge had in no wise set him free from the guilt

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