Moralia in Job 1244

The time of resurrection foreseen and foretold by Job. — For in its wonted manner the divine discourse describes the things that are still future as though already past, observing in itself, namely, that which is said through it: 'Who hath made the things that are to come.' The dust, then, is at that time poured into the earth, because it is brought back into solid members. And the clods are joined together, because assuredly bodies gathered from the dust rise up again. But after we have said how these divine words are to be understood concerning the future, let us now also indicate what they intimate concerning the present. Heavenly things are hidden from the reprobate, revealed to the elect. — 'Who shall declare the account of the heavens, and who shall make the harmony of heaven to sleep?'

The Lord relates the account of the heavens, while now by intimating the supernal secrets He illuminates the minds of His elect. But He makes the harmony of heaven to sleep, while by a just judgement He hides the concordant hymns of the angels and those joys of the heavenly powers from the hearts of the reprobate. Which harmony of heaven, although inwardly in itself it keeps watch, yet outwardly it sleeps in the very ignorance of the reprobate. Therefore the account of the heavenly secret is declared, and yet the harmony of heaven is permitted to sleep, because to some, by the inspiration of the supernal recompense, knowledge is opened, and from others what is the sweetness of the inward praise is hidden. Visible things detain the reprobate here, but drive the saints to better things.

— The account of the heavens is related, because to the minds of the elect what is the supernal recompense is unceasingly opened, so that assuredly without cease they may make progress, and, running through visible things, may stretch themselves toward the invisible. For everything visible which in this life binds the reprobate, this impels the elect to other things, because while they regard the good things that have been made, they burn toward Him by whom they were made; and they love Him the more excellently, the more they consider that He surpasses this good which He Himself created. For the invisible tongue of compunction, sounding silently, speaks this to them inwardly. Which they hear so much the more fully within, the more perfectly they are turned away from the din of outward desires.

To these, therefore, the harmony of heaven does not sleep, because their mind, applying the ear of love, knows what is the sweetness of supernal praise. For within they hear what they long for, and by the very desire of the Godhead they are instructed concerning the rewards of heavenly goods. Whence they gravely endure the present life, not only when it opposes but even when it favours them, because everything that is discerned is burdensome to them, while they are held back from that which they hear within. They deem everything that is at hand to them grievous, because it is not that for which they pant;

but their mind, wearied by the very toils of temporality, is unceasingly held in suspense to be taken up again into that heavenly joy, while, at the harmony of heaven bursting into the ear of the heart within, they daily await for themselves the fellowship of the supernal citizens. This harmony of supernal praise had burst into the ear of him who said: 'I shall go into the place of the wonderful tabernacle, even to the house of God, with the voice of exultation and confession, the sound of one keeping festival.' He therefore who within had heard the voice of exultation and confession and the sound of the city keeping festival, what else but the harmony of heaven aroused him? The harmony of the heavens is not heard by the depraved.

Yet this harmony is asleep to the reprobate, because it is in no way made known to them through the voice of compunction. For they are not eager to consider that longed-for throng of the citizens on high; by no ray of ardor do they behold those festivals of the inward solemnity; by no wing of contemplation are they lifted up in their inmost being. For they serve visible things alone, and therefore they hear within nothing of the sweetness of heaven, because, as we said above, in the ear of their heart the deaf tumult of worldly cares oppresses them. Since, therefore, by the dispensation of a hidden judgment that which is opened to some is closed to others, and that which is uncovered to some is concealed from others, it is rightly said: 'Who shall declare the order of the heavens, and who can make the harmony of heaven to sleep?'

This, however, was then made more widely known to us, when our Redeemer, appearing through the mystery of the dispensation, both bestowed mercy upon the unworthy and shut out from Himself those who seemed worthy. Whence here also it is fitly added: