Moralia in Job 1089

Verse 24. — 'He shall break in pieces many and innumerable, and shall make others to stand in their stead.' Some lose what they seemed to hold, others receive what was first lost. To be spurned into outward things is a sign of reprobation; as, to be drawn to inward things is a sign of predestination. — This is done daily. But because the end of both parties is not yet discerned by us, it is the less feared. For the reprobate never acknowledge their fault except in punishment. And because punishment is deferred, fault is despised. But they fall from the state of justice, and, they falling, others obtain the light of life. But they neglect their own lapse in proportion as they attend not to the destruction which awaits them for ever. For if they were to cast their eyes upon that which they shall there suffer, they would fear this which they do here.

It is clear to all that in that final reckoning the almighty and blessed One will hold a public examination, so that He may consign some to torments and admit others to a share in the heavenly kingdom. Yet this same thing is even now enacted daily by a hidden judgement, which shall then be shown forth by a public one. For, justly and mercifully examining or disposing the hearts of individuals, He rejects some toward outward things and draws others to the things that are within; He kindles some to seek inward realities, and abandons others to think upon outward things for the sake of their own pleasures; He raises up the mind of the former to things on high, and plunges the pride of the latter into their innermost desires.

But the hearts of others are closed to human eyes, and it is not known who is rejected, since the things that each man ponders cannot be penetrated. For often in a perverse heart the deliberation of thought has not yet gone forth into the effect of a deed, and perhaps he who already wanders outwardly in mind is still held within by habit. Yet any such man has already fallen before the eyes of the inward Judge at that moment when by desire he went out from seeking inward things. Sometimes, on the contrary, others, after the practice of evil deeds, suddenly revive to heavenly hope through love; and those who had scattered themselves in perverse action gather themselves back, rebuking themselves, into the bosom of inward reconsideration.

Men who still look upon these persons, judging them by what they lately knew them to be in their deeds, suppose them to be such still. But those persons, on the contrary, through the examination of strict self-consideration, pursue and recall what manner of life theirs had been; and what they were is known, but what they have now begun to be is not known. Therefore in both these kinds of men it often happens both that those who seem to stand by human judgement already lie prostrate in the sight of the eternal Judge, and that those who still lie prostrate before men already stand in the sight of the eternal Judge. For who among men could have reckoned that Judas would lose his lot of life even after the ministry of the apostolate? And who, on the other hand, would have believed that the thief would find the cause of life even in the very moment of death?

But the hidden Judge, presiding and discerning the hearts of both, mercifully established the one and justly broke the other. Him He sternly repelled outwardly, this one He mercifully drew within. Whence also, through the prophet, announcing that some would fall at the time of His Passion and that others would rise again, He fittingly says: I mingled my drink with weeping (Ps. 101:10). For drink is drawn from without to within, whereas weeping flows forth from within to without. Therefore to mingle the Lord's drink with weeping is to draw some inward from outward things, and to reprobate others from inward things into outward. He shall therefore crush many and innumerable, and shall make others to stand in their place.

Reprobation is first enacted within, and afterward shown forth without. The number of the elect is fixed and defined. — As we said above, this contrition is first enacted within, that afterward it may be shown forth without. By this contrition the outward parts of certain men are sometimes as it were sound, but their inward parts have already rotted. For it is written: Before ruin the heart is exalted (Prov. 16:18). There, then, they are smitten where they are proud. Whence it is written: I have crushed their fornicating heart, and they shall depart from me (Ezek. 6:9). For to fornicate inwardly is to take delight outwardly in forbidden things. And this very elation of the proud man is a great contrition of the heart. For by that very thing he falls from the integrity of salvation, by which the boasting of any virtue swells up in him.

For the proud despise God, and, having forsaken the glory of their Creator, seek their own. For them this very thing is already to have fallen: having lost the power of their Superior, to have come to rest in themselves. They are crushed also because, having forsaken heavenly things, they seek the earth. And what greater contrition could there be than, having deserted the Creator, to seek the creature; having deserted the joys on high, to gape after the things within? Whence it is well said through the Prophet: He humbles sinners even to the ground (Ps. 146:6). For, having lost heavenly things, everything they thirst for is earthly; and while they strive to appear greater, less is that which they desire. Of whom it is rightly said through Jeremiah: They that depart from thee shall be written in the earth (Jer. 17:13). But on the contrary, it is said of the elect:

Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20). This contrition, then, first creeps into the mind, that afterward it may proceed into the deed; it first shakes the foundations of thought, that afterward it may dash down the structure of action. Whence it is to be striven for with the utmost care that it be avoided there where it arises. For it is written: With all watchfulness keep thy heart, for from it life proceeds (Prov. 4:23). And again it is written: Out of the heart come forth evil thoughts (Matt. 15:19). Within, therefore, we must keep watch lest the mind fall while it is lifted up. Within let us guard all that we do without. For if once the rot of elation has consumed the marrow of the heart,

the empty bark of outward appearance quickly crumbles. But it is to be noted that, since, while some fall, others are said to be made firm so as to stand, the number of the elect is shown to be fixed and defined. Whence also it is said to the Church of Philadelphia through the angel: Hold fast what thou hast, lest another receive thy crown (Rev. 3:11). The Church's teaching on predestination and reprobation nourishes the hope of the humble and presses down the elation of the proud. The reprobate are innumerable. — By this sentence, then, in which it is told that some are raised up,

while the life of others is broken, we are both nourished with the hope of the humble and the elation of the proud is pressed down, since both those men can lose the good things of which they are proud, and these can receive those things which, because they did not possess them, they were despised. Let us therefore fear in the things we have received, nor let us despair of those who have not yet attained them. For we know what we are today, but we do not know what we may be able to be after a little while. And these whom we perhaps despise can both begin late and yet outstrip our life with more fervent zeal. It is therefore to be feared lest, when we ourselves fall, he rise who is now mocked while we stand; although he who now knows how to mock one standing cannot then himself stand.

But the Apostle Paul, instilling this fear of the heavenly judgements into the hearts of his disciples, says: Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Cor. 10:12). But in saying He crushes many, he at once added, Innumerable, either desiring to express the multitude of the reprobate, which surpasses the reach of human reckoning; or certainly wishing to indicate that all who perish are not held within the number of the elect, so that they are innumerable in that they run outside the number. Whence the Prophet, beholding that as many believe in outward show in the Church at this time as certainly exceed the number and sum of the elect, says: They are multiplied above number (Ps. 39:6). As if he said:

as many enter the Church, even these come to the faith in outward show who are excluded from the number of the heavenly kingdom, because by their very multiplicity they exceed the sum of the elect. Whence also it is said through the prophet Jeremiah: The city shall be built to the Lord from the tower of Hananel unto the gate of the corner, and it shall go forth beyond the norm of measure (Jer. 31:38–39). No one is ignorant that the city of the Lord is the holy Church. But Hananel is interpreted the grace of God. Now in a corner two walls are joined.

The city of the Lord, then, is said to be built from the tower of Hananel unto the gate of the corner, because the holy Church, beginning from the loftiness of supernal grace, is constructed even unto the entrance and reception of both peoples, namely the Jewish and the Gentile. But because in this growing multitude even the reprobate are gathered in, it is fittingly added: And it shall go forth beyond the norm of measure, because it is extended even unto those also who, transgressing the norm of justice, are not within the number of the heavenly measure. Whence also through Isaiah it is said to the same Church: For thou shalt be spread abroad to the right hand and to the left, and thy seed shall inherit the nations (Isa. 54:3).

For in so great a multitude of the nations it is extended to the right hand, while it receives some to be justified. To the left also it is widened, while it admits to itself even some who will remain in iniquity. On account of this multitude, which lies outside the number of the elect, the Lord says in the Gospel: Many are called, but few are chosen (Matt. 20:16). But because this—that some are crushed while others are made firm—belongs to the merit of Him who suffers it, not to the iniquity of Him who punishes, it is fittingly subjoined: For God is not unjust, who inflicts wrath (Rom. 3:5–6).