Moralia in Job 1231

51. Once without a way of prophecy, it lay open to grace. For long the Gentile world was without a way, to which the way of God did not lie open through the word. But when our Redeemer came, it received the calling of grace in such a way that the way of prophecy had not first been in it. It is rightly called 'desolate' also, either by reason of counsel, or destitute of the fruit of good work. The Lord, therefore, gave a course to the most violent shower, and a way to the sounding thunder, that it might rain in the desert, and fill the pathless and desolate land, and bring forth green herbs; that is, He joined to the outward preaching an inward inspiration, so that the parched hearts of the Gentiles might grow green, the closed be opened, the empty be filled, the barren germinate.

52. It germinated the works and the teaching of eternal life. For in sacred Scripture, sometimes 'herb' is understood as the verdure of temporal glory, sometimes the refreshment of the devil, sometimes the sustenance of preachers, sometimes good working, sometimes the knowledge and teaching of eternal life. For verdure is understood as temporal glory, as the Prophet says: 'In the morning let it pass like the grass, in the morning let it flourish and pass away' (Ps. 90:6). For to flourish and pass away in the morning like grass is, in the prosperity of this world, for the honour of temporal glory swiftly to wither. Herb is understood as the refreshment of the devil, as is said of him by the Lord: 'For him the mountains bring forth herbs' (Job 40:15). As if He said:

The proud and swollen, while they lift themselves up in unlawful thoughts and deeds, feed him with their iniquities. Herb is shown to be the sustenance of preachers, when it is said: 'He brings forth hay upon the mountains, and herb for the service of men' (Ps. 147:8). For upon the mountains hay, and for the service of men herb is brought forth, when the lofty ones of this world, called to the knowledge of the faith, bestow upon the holy preachers, on this life's journey, transitory nourishment. Herb is set for good working, as it is written: 'Let the earth bring forth the green herb' (Gen. 1:11).

Although we hold this to have been so done historically in the creation of the world, yet we not unfittingly understand the earth to have figured the Church, which germinated the green herb in this, that unto the word of God it brought forth the fruitful works of mercy. Herb we sometimes understand as the knowledge and teaching of eternal verdure, as is said through Jeremiah: 'The wild asses stood upon the rocks, they drew in the winds like dragons, their eyes failed, because there was no herb' (Jer. 14:6). By which saying the proud and most wicked persecution of the Jews is prophesied. For they were called wild asses for the elation of their mind, and dragons for their venomous thought.

They stood upon the rocks, because they trusted not in God, but in the highest powers of this world, saying: 'We have no king but Caesar' (John 19:15). They drew in the winds like dragons, because, inflated with the spirit of elation, they swelled with malicious pride. Their eyes failed, because assuredly their hope fell away from that which it aimed at. For, loving temporal things, it neglected to look for the eternal, and coveted earthly things for this very reason, that it set them before God. For they said: 'If we let him alone thus, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our place and nation' (John 11:48). They feared lest they should lose their place with the Lord slain, and yet, with Him slain, they lost it. But why these things befell the wretched men, he adds: Because there was no herb;

that is, because from their hearts was lacking the knowledge of eternity, and no pasture of inward verdure refreshed them with the teaching. In this place, therefore, what else do we understand by the green herbs but the knowledge of holy teaching or fitting works? The deserted land, therefore, is bedewed with rain, that from it green herbs may be brought forth, because, when the Gentile world received the shower of holy preaching, it germinated both the works of life and the herb of teaching. This verdure the prophetic voice promises to the deserted land, when it is said: 'In the lairs in which dragons dwelt before, there shall spring up the verdure of the reed and the rush' (Isa. 35:7).

For what is designated by the reed but the preachers, and what by the rush—which is always born near the moisture of water—but the lowly and tender hearers of the sacred word? In the lairs of dragons, therefore, the verdure of the reed and the rush springs up, because in those peoples whom the malice of the ancient enemy possessed, both the knowledge of teachers and the obedience of hearers is heaped together. 53. The hearts of individuals are as it were a desert, before they are made fruitful by the shower of grace. Yet if we carefully consider these things which have been said generally of the Gentile world, we see them enacted in individuals within the bosom of holy Church. For there are very many quite insensible to the words of God, who are indeed reckoned by the name of faith, and hear the words of life with their ears,

but by no means permit them to pass through to the inward parts of the heart. What else are these but a deserted land? Which land indeed has not a man, because their mind lacks the sense of reason. And no mortal dwells in this land, because, even if at some time thoughts of reasonable senses come into their conscience, they do not persist. For depraved desires find a seat in their hearts, but right ones, if ever they come, run away as though they were driven off. But when the merciful God deigns to give a course to His shower and a way to the sounding thunder, they, pricked through inward grace, open the ears of the heart to the words of life. And the pathless land is filled, because, while it lends a hearing to the word, it is heaped with mystery.

And it brings forth green herbs, because, through the grace of compunction poured in, it not only gladly receives the words of preaching, but even renders them abundantly, so that what it could not hear it now longs to speak; and that which, by not hearing, had also inwardly withered, now, by speaking the things that are holy, feeds with its verdure whatsoever hungering souls. Whence well is it said through the prophet: 'Send forth your spirit, and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth' (Ps. 104:30). For thus, thus is the face of the earth changed by the power of renewal, when the mind, long dry, is bedewed by the coming of grace, and after its former aridity, as though with herbs brought forth, is clothed with the verdure of knowledge. Which grace of our Creator is still more deeply commended to us, when it is subjoined: