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JOB 9, 8.

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Elijah and St. John as stars sealed up till the End. 9. But it is to be considered, that we shut up any thing under seal with this view, that when the time suits, we may bring it out to the light. And we have learnt by the testimony of Holy Writ, that Judæa, which is now left desolate, shall be gathered into the bosom of the Faith at the end. Is. 10, Hence it is declared by Isaiah, For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall be Rom. saved. Hence Paul saith, Until the fulness of the Gentiles should come in, and so all Israel should be saved. Therefore He That removes His Preachers now from the eyes of Judæa, and afterwards exhibits them, has as it were' shut up the stars under a seal,' that the rays of the spiritual stars being first hidden and afterwards beaming forth, she both being now cast off may not see the night of her misbelief, and then by being enlightened may find it out. It is hence that those two illustrious Preachers were removed, but their death delayed, that they might be brought back in the end for the purpose of preaching; of whom it is said by John, Rev. 11, These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the Lord of the earth. One of whom 'Truth' by His own lips gives promise of in the Gospel, saying, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. They then are as if the stars' were' shut up under a seal,' who both at this present are concealed that they appear not, and hereafter shall appear that they may stand Him in good stead. Yet the Israelitish people, which shall be gathered in full measure in the end, in the immediate infancy of Holy Church is pitilessly hardened. For it rejected the Preachers of the Truth, it spurned the message of succour. Yet this is effected by the marvellous contrivance of the Creator with this view, that the glory of the persons preaching, which if received might have lain hid in one people, being rejected might be spread abroad among all the nations. Hence too it is fitly added immediately afterwards;

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Matt. 17, 11.

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Ver. 8. Which alone spreadeth out the heavens.

10. For what is denoted by the name of the heavens,' but this very heavenly life of the persons preaching, of Ps. 19,1. whom it is said by the Psalmist, The heavens declare the Thus the same persons are recorded to be b Vide Corn. a Lap. in l.

glory of God.

God spread out the spiritual Heavens, and trode down the sea. 501

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the heavens, and the same to be the sun; the heavens indeed, Book in that by interposing' they shield; the sun, in that by 1 interpreaching they display the power of light. And so, upon cedendo the earth being shaken' the heavens were spread out,' in that when Judæa ravened in the violence of persecution, the Lord spread wide the life of the Apostles, for all the Gentiles to acquaint themselves withal. And whilst she in judgment being made captive is scattered over the world, they by grace are every where amplified in honour. For the heavens' were of small compass, so long as one people contained so many mighty preachers. For to which of the Gentiles would Peter have been known, if he had continued in the preaching to the Jewish people alone? Who would have known of Paul's virtues, unless Judæa by persecuting him had transmitted him to our knowledge? See how already they, that were thrust off with scourges and with insults by the Iraelitish people, are held in honour throughout the length and breadth of the world. The Lord alone then has spread out the heavens,' Who, by the wondrous ordering of His secret counsel, from the very cause, that He let His Preachers be persecuted in one people, caused them to spread out even to the corners of the world. But yet neither did this Gentile folk itself, which was devoted to the present world, when the tongues of the Apostles rebuked its iniquities, gladly welcome the words of life. For it forthwith swelled up in the pride of opposition, and roused itself to the cruelty of persecution. But she that sets herself to gainsay the words of preaching, is speedily subdued in wonderment at miraculous signs. Hence too the words are fitly added in praise of the Creator, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

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11. For what is denoted by the title of the sea,' but this X. world's bitterness raging in the destruction of the righteous? Ps.33,7. Concerning which it is said by the Psalmist too, He gathereth Vulg. the waters of the sea together as in a skin. For the Lord gathereth the waters of the sea together as in a skin,' when, disposing all things with a wonderful governance, He restrains the threats of the carnal pent up in their hearts. Thus the Lord treadeth upon the waves of the sea.' For when the storms of persecution lift up themselves, they are dashed in pieces in astonishment at His miracles. Since le

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poor of the world set as sand to bind the sea. JOB 9, That brings down the swellings of man's madness, as it were treads the waters standing up in a heap. Thus when the Gentile world saw that her form and fashion was undone through the preaching of the Apostles, when the rich sons of this world beheld poor men's deeds arrayed against their arrogance, when the wise men of this generation marked that the words of unlettered men were set in opposition to them, they swelled thereupon in a storm of persecution. Yet they who, being moved by the opposition of words, burst out in storms of persecution, are calmed, as we have said, by wonder at the miraculous signs. So the Lord set as many steps upon these waves, as He exhibited miracles to the persecutors in their pride. Whence it is well said again Ps. 93, by the Psalmist, Marvellously the floods lift up their waves; marvellous is the Lord on high. For against the life. of the Elect the world has lifted itself wonderfully in waves of persecution, but the Creator of things above has still more marvellously put these down in the exaltation of the Preachers' power; for He shewed that His ministers prevailed more in miracles above all that the powers of the earth had swelled unto in anger. Which the Lord moreover well delivered by the lips of Jeremiah, while relating outward things, telling of inward ones; Jer. 5, I have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it; and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail: though they roar, yet can they not pass over it. For the Lord has placed the sand for the bound of the sea;' in that He has made choice of the despised and poor to dash in pieces the glory of the world. The waves of which same sea toss themselves,' when the powers of the world leap forth in the uproar of persecution. Yet they cannot pass over the sand, in that they are broken in pieces by the miracles and the humility of the despised and scorned. But whilst the sea rages, while it is lifted up in the waves of its madness, yet whereas it is trodden upon by the manifestation of interior Power, Holy Church makes way, and by the accessions of time she rises to the station of her own rank'. Hence it is rightly added immediately afterwards,

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Or the establishing of her own order.'

Common names of Arcturus &c. used for distinctness. 503

Ver. 9. Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Hyades, and Book the chambers of the south.

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12. The word of Truth never follows the vain fables of xi. Hesiod, Aratus, or Callimachus, that in naming Arcturus it should take the last of the seven stars for the tail of the bear, or as if Orion were holding a sword as a mad lover; for these names of the stars were invented by the votaries of carnal wisdom, but Holy Scripture for this reason makes use of these words, that the things which it aims to convey instruction about, may be represented by the customariness of their usual designation. For if he had spoken of any stars he might wish by names unknown to us, man, for whom this very Scripture was made, would assuredly have known nothing what he heard. Thus in Holy Writ the wise ones of God derive their speech from the wise ones of the world, in like sort as therein God the very Creator of man, for man's benefit, takes in Himself the tones of human passion, i. e. so as to say, It repenteth Me that I have made man upon the Gen. 6, earth; whereas it is plain and undoubted that He, Who beholds all things before they come, after He has done any thing, never repents by feeling regret. What wonder is it, then, if spiritual men use the words of carnal men, when the Ineffable Spirit Himself, Which is the Creator of all things, in order to draw the flesh to the understanding of Him, in His own case frames His speech of the flesh? Thus in Holy Writ, when we hear the familiar names of the stars, we learn what stars the discourse runs on. And after we have well weighed what stars are described, it remains that from their motions we be led to raise ourselves to the mysteries of the spiritual meaning. For not even after the letter is there any thing strange, in that it is said that God created Arcturus, and the Orions, and the Hyades, concerning Whom it is an acknowledged truth, that there is nothing of any sort in the world but He Himself made it. But the holy man declares that the Lord made these, by which he means properly to denote things that are done in a spiritual way.

13. For what is represented by the name of Arcturus, which being set in the polar region of the heavens shines bright with the rays of seven stars, except the Church universal, which is represented in the Apocalypse of John Rev. 1,

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501 Arcturus, the Church. The stormy Oriones, Her Martyrs.

JOB 9, by the seven Churches and the seven candlesticks? Which same, while She contains in Herself the gifts of seven-fold grace, beaming with the brightness of highest virtue, as it were gives light from the polar region of Truth. And it is furthermore to be considered, that Arcturus is ever turned about, and never sunk from sight, in that Holy Church ever undergoes the persecutions of the wicked without ceasing, and yet endures without failing' even unto the end of the world.' For oftentimes because the sons of perdition have persecuted her even to the death, they have been persuaded that they had as it were utterly extinguished her, but she returned with manifold increase to the rearing of her full growth, in proportion as she travailed in dying amidst the hands of Her persecutors. Thus while Arcturus is turned about, he is set on high, for Holy Church is then more strongly reinvigorated in the Truth, when she spends herself more fervently for the Truth.

14. Hence too after Arcturus he immediately subjoins the 'Oriones' with propriety. For they arise in the very heaviest of the winter season, and they stir up storms by their rising, and put sea and land in commotion. What then is denoted by the Oriones,' after' Arcturus,' saving the Martyrs? who, while Holy Church is set on high to take her stand of preaching, destined to undergo the weight of the persecutors and harassing treatment, came into the face of heaven, as it were, in the winter season. For when they were born, the sea and the land were troubled, in that when the Gentile world grieved that its method of life was undone, on their courage appearing, it set up for their destruction not only the fiery and turbulent, but the mild among men also. And thus the winter lowered in the Oriones,' in that when the constancy of the Saints shone out, the frozen soul of the unbelievers lashed itself into a tempest of persecution. And so' the heavens' gave forth the Oriones, when Holy Church sent out her Martyrs, who whilst they had boldness to speak what is right to the uninstructed, brought upon themselves every thing most heavy from the adverse bitterness of cold.

15. Now he justly subjoins the Hyades directly, which, when the springtide is waxing, go forth into the face of heaven, and, when the sun is now putting out the power of

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