Moralia in Job 1178

(VERSE 17) 'Are not your garments warm, when the earth is blown upon by the south wind?' (63) Those who cling to the Church grow warm by the breath of the Holy Spirit. — We have already said many times that blessed Job holds the figure of the holy Church. And the garments of the Church are all those who are joined to it by the union of faith. Concerning whom the Lord says to that same Church through the prophet: 'As I live, you shall be clothed with them all as with an ornament' (Isa. 49:18). And by the south wind — which is indeed a warm wind — the Holy Spirit is not undeservedly designated, by whom whoever is touched is set free from the torpor of his own iniquity. Whence it is well said in the Song of Songs: 'Arise, O north wind, and come, O south wind, blow through my garden, and let its spices flow forth' (Song 4:16).

For the north wind is commanded to arise, so that assuredly he who restrains the hearts of mortals — the adversary spirit — may flee. And the south wind comes and blows through the garden, that its spices may flow abroad; because through the coming of the Holy Spirit, while the mind of men is filled, from it there is at once sprinkled abroad the reputation of virtues, so that the tongue of the saints may now rightly say, like a garden blown through by the south wind: 'We are the sweet fragrance of Christ unto God' (2 Cor. 2:15). The garments of the holy Church are therefore warm, when the earth is blown through by the south wind, because those who cling to it by faith glow with fervent zeal of charity, while their mind is suffused by the breath of the Holy Spirit. This can indeed also be understood, without any obstacle, concerning blessed Job himself;

because we speak these things generally of the holy Church in such a way that we nevertheless hold them specially of her individual members. (64) By the mutual concord of teachers and hearers, charity is fostered in them. — For each one who lives rightly, and has been accustomed to teach this to others as well, has, as it were, as many garments as he has hearers clinging to him in concord. For it is the nature of garments that they cannot be warm through themselves, but joined to a living body, while they cover the exhaling pores of the limbs, they press in the warmth emanating from within; by which warmth these same garments are indeed warmed, but once warmed, by retaining the warmth they have received, they give it back to the body.

What, then, is signified by the garments clinging to a living body, if not the life of disciples joined to teachers who live well? Which, as it were, receives warmth through the pores, because it is kindled to the love of God both by the example of action and by the impulse of exhortation. Which drives out and expels its own cold, when it departs from its former iniquity; it retains the warmth it has received, because it grows strong in that fervor which it has taken up through preaching. And the holy teachers, while they perceive their hearers advancing in the love of God, themselves grow more fervent in the power of doctrine; and because they behold them kindling and growing fervent toward the highest things, they are the more strongly set ablaze to preach the good things of the heavenly homeland.

And these, if ever — because they still lead a corruptible life of human weakness — they are tempted by some fault, at least slightly, in deed, in word, or in thought, behold the progress of their disciples, and they blush to be reprehensible even in the least things, lest perchance they should furnish examples of frailty to those whom by the voice of preaching they call to the rule of inward rectitude. Therefore, while the hearers are kindled by the word of the teachers, the garments, as it were, are warmed by the living body. But while, from the progress of the hearers, the life also of those who lead them advances, then, as it were, from the warmed garments, warmth returns to the body.

But let the teachers by no means attribute to themselves the fact that they see their hearers advancing to the highest things through their exhortation; because unless the Holy Spirit fills their hearts, the voice of those teaching sounds in vain upon the ears of the body. For the masters can form the voice, but they cannot imprint it within: 'For neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase' (1 Cor. 3:7). Let it be said therefore: 'Are not your garments warm, when the earth is blown upon by the south wind?' Because assuredly then the hearers who now cling to teachers living well receive the warmth of supernal love, when they are aroused by the breath of the Holy Spirit; as if he were openly to say to blessed Job:

In vain do you attribute it to yourself, if you contemplate any who have advanced in virtues through you; because those whom you esteem to have grown warm through you would, unless the fervor of the Holy Spirit touched them, remain cold in their own insensibility. But after he had said these things strongly, being lightly moved by arrogance, he at once adds words of mockery, saying: