Moralia in Job 1395

26. What gold signifies in Sacred Scripture. For by the name of gold in the sacred word sometimes the brightness of divinity, sometimes the splendor of the supernal city, sometimes charity, sometimes the luster of worldly glory, sometimes the beauty of holiness is understood. For by the name of gold the very inmost brightness of divinity is signified, as in the Song of Songs the beauty of the Bridegroom is described: 「His head is the finest gold」 (Song of Songs 5:11). For because the head of Christ is God, and nothing among metals is more resplendent than gold, the head of the Bridegroom is called gold, because His humanity holds first place from the noble brightness of His divinity. Again, by the name of gold the splendor of the supernal city is understood, as John testifies that he saw it, saying:

「The city itself was pure gold, like unto clear glass」 (Revelation 21:18). For the gold of which that city is composed is said to be like glass, so that it may be designated both by the gold as bright, and by the glass as transparent. Again, by the name of gold charity is intimated, as the same John, when he beheld the Angel who spoke to him (Revelation 1:13), saw him girt about the breasts with a golden girdle; because indeed the breasts of the supernal citizens, being now in no way subject to penal fear, and being loosed from one another by no division, bind themselves to one another by charity alone. But to have a golden girdle about the breasts is to restrain all the movements of changeable thoughts by the bonds of love alone.

Again, by the name of gold the luster of temporal glory is expressed, as it is said through the Prophet: 「Babylon is a golden cup」 (Jeremiah 51:7). For what is signified by the name of Babylon but the glory of this world? Which is called a golden cup, because while it displays temporal things as beautiful, it inebriates foolish minds with the desire of itself, so that they may covet specious temporal things, and despise the invisible beautiful things. By this golden cup Eve, the first, was inebriated of her own accord, of whom the history of truth says that, when she coveted the forbidden tree, she 「saw that it was fair to the sight, and delightful to behold, and she ate」 (Genesis 3:6). Babylon, therefore, is a golden cup, because while it presents the appearance of outward beauty, it withdraws the sense of inward rectitude.

Again, by the name of gold the splendor of holiness is understood, as Jeremiah laments the Jewish people changed from the splendor of justice to the darkness of wickedness, saying: 「How is the gold become obscured, the finest color changed!」 (Lamentations 4:1). For, as we said above, the gold is obscured when, with the darkness of iniquities following after, the beauty of justice is forsaken. The finest color is changed when the splendor of innocence is turned into the foulness of guilt. [Old version 9] 27. What mud signifies. By the name of mud also, in the sacred word, sometimes the multiplicity of earthly things, sometimes wicked doctrine tasting of filth, sometimes the enticement of carnal desire is signified.

For by mud the multiplicity of earthly things is figured, as it is said through the prophet Habakkuk: 「Woe to him that multiplieth what is not his own! how long doth he load himself with thick mud against himself?」 (Habakkuk 2:6). For he loads himself with thick mud who, multiplying earthly things through avarice, straitens himself by the oppression of his sin. Again, by the name of mud doctrine tasting of filth is signified, as it is said to the Lord through the same prophet: 「Thou madest a way in the sea for thy horses, in the mud of many waters」 (Habakkuk 3:15). As if he said: Thou didst open a way for thy preachers among the doctrines of this world tasting of filthy and earthly things. By mud also the desire of filthy pleasure is expressed, as the Psalmist praying says:

「Deliver me from the mud, that I stick not fast」 (Psalm 68:15). For to stick fast in mud is to be defiled with the filthy desires of carnal concupiscence. 28. The ancient enemy deludes some under the appearance of holiness, and baits others through foul vices. In this place, therefore, gold is understood as the brightness of holiness, but mud may without hindrance be understood either as the avarice of earthly things, or the contagions of depraved doctrines, or the filth of carnal pleasures. For because this Leviathan then subjects many who seemed to shine within the holy Church with the radiance of justice, either to the concupiscence of earthly things, or to the contagion of erring doctrine, or to carnal pleasures, he strews gold beneath himself without doubt as though it were mud.

For to strew gold as though it were mud is to trample down in certain persons the cleanness of life by illicit desires, so that even they may serve his filthy footsteps who formerly gleamed against him with the splendor of virtues. And so the ancient enemy then deludes some under the appearance of holiness, but intercepts others through the foul vices of carnal life. But then he will openly rage through these things, whereas now he secretly dominates in the hearts of many, as the Apostle Paul says: 「That he may be revealed in his own time; for the mystery of iniquity already worketh」 (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7). So often, therefore, even now, does he subject gold to himself as though it were mud, as often as he strews the chastity of the faithful through the vices of the flesh.

So often does he trample gold as though it were mud, as often as he dissipates the sense of the continent through unclean desires. Which he then accomplishes so much the more vehemently, the more, given over to his own lost liberty, he perpetrates more unbridledly what he desires. 29. Those who are subjected to the devil, even if they seem gold, are mud. And perhaps it may move someone why the merciful God permits these things to happen, that this Leviathan—whether now through cunning suggestions, or then through that condemned man whom he fills—should either subject the rays of the sun, that is, all the learned and wise, or should strew down gold, that is, men gleaming with the brightness of holiness, as though it were mud, by defiling them with vices to himself.

But we answer more readily that the gold which could be strewn as though it were mud by his depraved persuasions was never gold before the eyes of God (Decretum, De poenitentia, dist. 1, c. 「Citius」). For those who can at some time be seduced, never to return, seem to lose before the eyes of men the holiness they had; but before the eyes of God they never had it. For often a man is entangled in many secret sins, and yet seems great in some one virtue. Which very virtue, growing vain, fails, because while it becomes known to men, it is doubtless praised, and its praise is greedily coveted. Whence it comes about that even that virtue is no virtue before the eyes of God, while it hides what displeases, and puts forth what pleases.

What merits, then, can such men have before God, when their evils are hidden and their good deeds are made public? For very often, as we have said, pride lies concealed while chastity is displayed; and therefore a chastity long shown off is lost near the end of life, because pride, kept covered, is held uncorrected to the very end. Another gives himself to almsgiving and distributes his own goods; yet he is nonetheless enslaved to many injustices, or perhaps exercises his tongue in slander. And it often comes to pass that one who had been merciful, near the close of his life, blazes up with the goads of rapacity and cruelty. And this is done by a most righteous judgment, that he should lose before men that whereby he pleased men, since he never took care to correct that whereby he displeased God. Another is zealous for patience;

but while he does not guard against envying others and harbouring malice in his heart, he who had long lain grieving in secret becomes at last impatient. And so such men are in one respect gold, and in another respect mire. And this gold is laid low as though it were mire, when, at the demand of hidden sins, even the virtue that had shone forth publicly is destroyed. But we think it worth the effort if in these things we weigh more subtly the excellence of the higher order. For often almighty God tolerates the hidden evils of certain men, that He may dispense their public goods for the benefit of His elect.

For there are some who, not utterly forsaking the world, take up the narrow way though they will not persevere in it, but by their example they kindle those who will persevere to seek the narrow way. Hence it often happens that the very fact that they seem to live well profits not themselves but rather the elect alone, since by their examples, though they will not persevere, they spur on to the pursuits of good living others who will persevere. For often we see certain men enter a road and hasten toward an appointed place, and others, because they see them going, follow after them and seek that same place together. But it frequently comes about that, when some entanglement bursts in, those who went before turn back, while those who followed reach the place.

Such indeed are those who take up the way of holiness though they will not persevere. For they begin the road of virtue, though they will not reach the goal, in order to show those who will reach it the path by which they should walk. Even their fall serves, with no small profit, the progress of the elect; for while these behold the others' collapse, they tremble for their own standing; and the ruin that condemns those humbles these. For they learn to trust in the protection of heavenly aid, while they see that very many have fallen through their own strength. Therefore when the reprobate seem to act well, they show, as it were, a smooth path to the elect who follow; but when they crash down into a fall of wickedness, they show, as it were, to the elect who come after them a pit of pride to be avoided.

This Leviathan, therefore, both subjects the sun's rays to himself and casts down gold after the manner of mire. Almighty God knows how to use well the evil of the reprobate for the comfort of His elect, when those who are destined to come to Him both advance toward Him by their own merits and are often, in the very thing wherein they are proudly wise, corrected by the falls of others. But if this Leviathan does these things even in those whom some virtue has made illustrious, what will he do with those whose mind has not, even in some part, been lifted up from earthly desires? Yet these the divine word plainly expresses, when it adds: