Moralia in Job 1433 part 3/4

And with knowledge sorrow grows, because the more we know eternal things, the more we grieve that we are in the misery of this exile. Or, as it is said in another translation: 'And he that addeth knowledge addeth labour.' For as we begin to know what are the heavenly joys, so much the more, that we may be able to escape the snares of our errors, do we labour by weeping. In much wisdom, therefore, is much indignation, because if we now savour the eternal, we disdain to covet the temporal. If we now savour the eternal, we despise ourselves for having done that which could separate us from the love of eternity. Conscience reproves itself, accuses what it has done, condemns by penitence what it accuses, and there arises a strife in the soul, giving birth to peace with God. 44.

Thus Achab, the wicked king, reproved by the prophet, when he had heard the divine sentence against himself, was afraid, and was pressed down by great mourning, so that the Lord said to His prophet: 'Hast thou not seen Achab humbled before Me? Because therefore he is humbled for My sake, I will not bring the evil in his days' (1 Kings XXI, 29). In which words of the Lord it is to be weighed how the mourning of bitterness pleases Him in His elect, who fear to lose the Lord, if in the reprobate too the penitence pleased Him who feared to lose the present world! Or how the voluntary affliction for faults is grateful to Him in those who please Him, if this pleased for a time even in him who displeased!

But it is to be known that no one prevails to do these things with his whole heart for the love of the Almighty Lord, save he whose mind the Holy Spirit has taken. For when would a man suffice by his own virtue to despise earthly things, to love heavenly things, to seek peace with God, to undergo strife with himself, to reprove himself in thought, and to punish himself with groans? No one is able to do these things save him whom divine grace has strengthened. Whence it is also subjoined: IBID. — 'For the hand of the Lord was with me, strengthening me.' 45. For we cannot perfectly rise up to good things unless the Spirit both by preventing lifts us up, and by following strengthens us. But it is to be inquired, since above concerning the volume which he had received it is written:

'And it was in my mouth as sweet as honey,' by what reason is it afterwards said: 'I went away bitter in the indignation of my spirit'? For it is very wonderful if sweetness and bitterness meet together at once. But according to the foregoing sense it is to be known that he in whose mouth of the heart the word of God has begun to be sweet, his mind without doubt grows bitter against his very self. For as in it he subtly learns how he ought to reprove himself, so he chastens himself the more harshly through the bitterness of penitence, who is the more displeased with himself, the more in the sacred volume he beholds of the Almighty God what he may love. But because man is not able by his own virtue to advance to these things, rightly it is now said: 'The hand of the Lord was with me, strengthening me.'

For the hand of the Lord in sacred discourse is sometimes even called the only-begotten Son, because all things were made through Him (John I, 3). And of whose ascension the Almighty Father speaks through Moses, saying: 'I will lift up my hand to heaven' (Deut. XXXII, 40). This hand, which strengthens the hearts of His elect, said to the disciples: 'Without Me you can do nothing' (John XV, 5). In everything therefore that we think, in everything that we do, we must always pray, that both by His inspiring we may think, and by His helping we may do, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, unto ages of ages. Amen.

Among the other miracles of prophecy, the books of the prophets have this also as a thing to be wondered at, that just as in them things are set forth by words, so sometimes words are set forth by things, so that not only their sayings but also the deeds performed are prophecy. Whence now it is said: EZEK. III, VER. 15. — 'I came to the transmigration, to the heap of the new fruits, to those who dwelt beside the river Chobar.' 1. When the cause demanded that he should have indicated that he came to the transmigration, what necessity of speaking was there that he should also express the place by fruits, saying, 'To the heap of the new fruits,' save that often through things and places the causes are signified?

For many years of the captivity had already flowed by while Ezekiel was prophesying, and out of those who had been led into captivity many had already died the death of the flesh, to whose sons the prophet came to speak. Whence also it is said to him above: 'Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to the apostate nations that have departed from Me. Their fathers have transgressed My covenant unto this day, and the children are of a hard face and an untameable heart, to whom I send thee' (Ezek. II, 3 seq.). Of whom, because many were to believe, and through obedience to come to the fertility of good work, they are called a heap of fruits. For that good souls are called the fruits of God, another prophet testifies, saying:

'Israel is holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of His increase' (Jer. II, 3). For the fruits of the Lord were afterwards made even the nations converted to the faith. But because Israel first believed the Lord, rightly did the prophet call this the firstfruits of His fruits. Since therefore the prophet, sent not to the former people but to the children of that same people, brought words to them, he came to the heap of new fruits. But what is signified by the river Chobar we have already said above (Hom. II, n. 6); which we by no means now repeat, lest by repeating we beget weariness. There follows: VER. 15. — 'And I sat where they sat, and I remained there seven days mourning in the midst of them.' 2.

It is to be noted with how great compassion the holy prophet joins himself to the captive people, and unites himself to their mourning by sitting with them and mourning, because the root of the word is the virtue of the deed. And that discourse is willingly received by the hearer which is uttered by the preacher with compassion of soul. Thus iron, when it is joined with iron, is first melted, so that afterwards it may in turn be held by itself. For if it does not first soften, afterwards it does not suffice to hold itself firmly. Thus the prophet sat with the captive people, and stood mourning in the midst of them, so that while through the grace of charity by condescending he rendered himself the softer toward it, he might straightway hold it fast through the strength of the word.

But the people of Israel, who are called a provoking house because they did not acknowledge their faults even amid scourges and weighed down their soul with no grief, the prophet took care to sit mourning among those who rejoiced, so that by his silence he might show what he had come to teach by speaking. And before he uttered words, in this—that he kept silence in mourning—he took up the very form of his words. There follows (verse 16): 'But when the seven days had passed, the word of the Lord came to me, saying.' In that he sat mourning for seven days, and after the seventh day received the words of the Lord's command that he should speak, he plainly shows that during those same days he had kept silence in mourning. Yet he had been sent to preach, and nonetheless for seven days he sat in silence.

What is this that the holy prophet suggests to us in this his silence, except that he alone knows how to speak truly who has first learned to keep silence well? For the discipline of silence is, as it were, a kind of nourishment of speech. And rightly does he receive discourse through an increasing grace who first keeps silence in due order through humility. Hence it is said through Solomon: 'A time to keep silence, and a time to speak' (Eccles. III, 7). For he does not say, 'A time to speak, and a time to keep silence,' but he first sets down the time of keeping silence, and afterward adds that of speaking, because we must learn to speak not by speaking but by keeping silence.

If then the holy prophet, who had been sent to speak, first kept silence long that he might afterward speak rightly, we must weigh how great a fault it is not to keep silence for one whom no necessity compels to speak. There follows (verse 17): 'Son of man, I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel.' It is to be noted that the one whom the Lord sends to preach He declares to be a watchman. For he to whom the care of others is committed is called a watchman, that he may sit on the height of the mind, and draw the meaning of his title from the excellence of his action. For he is no watchman who is in the low place. The watchman indeed always stands on the height, that he may look far ahead at whatever is to come.

And whoever is set as a watchman of the people ought to stand high in his life, that he may be able to profit others by his foresight. Hence another prophet admonishes the watchman, saying: 'Get thee up upon a high mountain, thou that bringest good tidings to Zion' (Isai. XL, 9). Namely, that he who has undertaken the office of preaching should ascend to the height of good action; should pass over to lofty things, and transcend the works of those committed to him; so that he may see the life of his subjects the more subtly the more he does not subject his mind to the earthly things which he despises. O how hard are these things which I speak, for in speaking I strike myself, whose tongue neither holds preaching as is fitting, nor whose life follows the tongue insofar as it can hold it.

I who am often entangled in idle words, and, sluggish and negligent, cease from the exhortation and edification of my neighbors. I who in the sight of God have become dumb and wordy—dumb in things necessary, wordy in things idle. But behold, the word of God concerning the life of the watchman compels me to speak. They cannot keep silence, and yet in speaking I greatly dread to strike myself. I will speak, I will speak, that the sword of God's word may pass even through myself to pierce the heart of my neighbor. I will speak, I will speak, that even against me the word of God may sound through me. I do not deny that I am guilty; I see my sluggishness and my negligence. Perhaps with the merciful Judge the very acknowledgment of the fault may obtain pardon.

And indeed, when I was placed in the monastery, I was able both to restrain my tongue from idle things, and to hold my mind almost continually in the intention of prayer. But after I set the shoulder of my heart under the burden of the pastoral office, the soul cannot constantly gather itself to itself, because it is divided among many things. For I am compelled now to examine the affairs of churches, now of monasteries; often to weigh the lives and acts of individuals; now to bear certain business of the citizens, now to groan over the swords of the barbarians breaking in, and to fear the wolves lying in wait for the flock committed to me; now to take care of temporal affairs, lest support be lacking to the very ones by whom the rule of discipline is upheld; now to endure certain plunderers with equanimity, now to oppose them out of zeal for preserved charity.

When therefore the mind is drawn, torn and mangled, to think of so many and so great things, when does it return to itself, that it may gather itself wholly in preaching, and not withdraw from the ministry of uttering the word? Because, moreover, by the necessity of my position I am often joined with worldly men, sometimes I relax the discipline of my tongue. For if I hold myself in the constant rigor of my strictness, I know that I am shunned by the weaker, and I never draw them toward that to which I aspire. Whence it comes about that I often patiently hear even their idle things. But because I too am weak, drawn a little into idle conversations, I now begin willingly to speak those things which I had begun to hear unwillingly; and where it was harmful to fall, it becomes pleasant to lie down.

Who then am I, or what kind of watchman am I, who do not stand on the mountain of action, but still lie in the valley of weakness? Yet the Creator and Redeemer of the human race is able to grant to me, unworthy, both loftiness of life and effectiveness of tongue; for love of Him, in His discourse I spare not even myself. The life of the watchman, therefore, ought always to be both lofty and circumspect. Let it be lofty, lest it succumb to the love of earthly things; let it be circumspect on every side, lest it be struck by the darts of the hidden enemy. Nor is it enough for the watchman to live loftily, unless by constant speaking he also draws his hearers to lofty things, and by speaking kindles their minds to the love of the heavenly homeland. But he does this rightly only when his tongue burns from his life.

For a lamp which does not burn in itself does not kindle the thing over which it is set. Hence Truth says concerning John: 'He was a burning and a shining lamp' (John V, 35). Burning indeed by heavenly desire, shining by his word. Therefore, that the truth of preaching may be preserved, it is necessary that loftiness of living be maintained. Whence it is also rightly said in the voice of the Bridegroom of holy Church in the Song of Songs: 'Thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon' (Cant. VII, 4). What praise then is it, my brethren, that the nose of the bride should be compared to a tower? But because through the nose we always discern odors and stenches, what is designated by the nose except the discernment of the watchman?

This nose is indeed said to be both like a tower and of Lebanon, namely because the discernment of prelates ought always to be both fortified by circumspection, and to stand in loftiness of life—that is, not to lie in the valley of feeble action. For just as a tower is placed on a mountain for watching, so that enemies who come may be seen from afar, so the life of the preacher ought always to remain fixed on high, that after the manner of the nostrils it may discern the stenches of vices and the odors of virtues. Let it look far ahead at the assaults of malignant spirits, and by its foresight render cautious the souls committed to it. There follows (same verse): 'And thou shalt hear the word from my mouth, and thou shalt announce it to them from me.'

Behold, again the prophet is admonished not to presume to speak what he has not heard, but first to open the ear of his heart to the voice of the Creator, and afterward to open the mouth of his body to the ears of the people. Whence another prophet says: 'I will incline my ear to a parable, I will open my proposition upon the psaltery' (Psal. XLVIII, 5). For he who preaches rightly first, as has been said, inclines the ear of his heart to the inward speech, that he may afterward open the mouth of his body in the proposition of admonition. There follows (verse 18): 'If, when I say to the wicked, Thou shalt surely die, thou dost not announce it, nor speak, that he may turn away from his wicked way, and live; that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand.'

In these words, what is to be noted by us, what anxiously pondered, except that neither does the subject die by the fault of the prelate, nor is the prelate without fault when, the subject not hearing the words of life, the subject dies by his own fault? For death is due to the wicked, but the way of life is to be announced to him by the watchman, and his impiety rebuked. But if the watchman is silent, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, because it was the merit of his impiety that he was not worthy that the watchman's word should be addressed to him. But the Lord requires his blood at the hand of the watchman, because he himself slew this man, since by keeping silence he betrayed him to death.

In both these cases it must be weighed how closely bound together are the sins of subjects and of prelates, for where the subject dies by his own fault, there he who is set over him, because he kept silence, is held guilty of death. Weigh then, dearest brethren, weigh: that even the fact that we are unworthy pastors is also from your fault, over whom we are set as such prelates. And if ever you flow down into iniquity, this too is from our guilt, in whom you do not have men who resist and cry out against your depraved desires. You therefore spare both yourselves and us, if you cease from evil work. We spare both you and ourselves, when we do not keep silence about what is displeasing. O how free from the blood of those committed to him was that excellent preacher who said:

'I am clean from the blood of all men; for I have not shunned to declare to you all the counsel of God' (Acts XX, 26). For if he had not declared it, he would not have been clean from blood. But to those to whom he took care to declare all the counsel of God, from their blood he was clean. In which voice we are convicted, we are bound, we are shown to be guilty—we who are called priests, who to those evils which we have as our own add also the deaths of others, because we slay as many as we daily see going to death while we, lukewarm and silent, look on. But when it is said:

'But his blood will I require at thy hand'—if in this place by the name of blood the death of the body is designated, our fear concerning our own silence is greatly increased; for if he who is set as prelate to watch is so grievously held guilty concerning the bodily death of one who was some day to die anyway in his subjects, by what guilt is he bound concerning the death of the soul of his subjects, which could have lived forever, had it heard the words of correction? But better may sins be signified by the name of blood. Whence a certain man, when he bewailed the sins of the flesh, said: 'Deliver me from bloods, O God, thou God of my salvation' (Psal. L, 16). Therefore the blood of the dying is required at the hand of the watchman, because the sin of the subject is reckoned as the fault of the prelate, if he has kept silence.

There is therefore something he may do, that even when the subject dies he may render himself free. Let him rise, let him be watchful, let him contradict evil acts, as it is written: 'Run about, hasten, rouse up thy friend; give not sleep to thine eyes, neither let thine eyelids slumber' (Prov. VI, 4). Whence here too it is added (verse 19): 'But if thou announce it to the wicked, and he be not converted from his impiety, and from his wicked way; he indeed shall die in his impiety, but thou hast delivered thy soul.' For then the subject dies without thee, when in the cause of his death he has found thee a gainsayer. For to the death which thou dost not gainsay, thou art joined. And it is to be noted what those things are which ought to be preached by the watchman—namely, faith and action. For he says:

'But if thou announce it to the wicked, and he be not converted from his impiety, and from his wicked way.' Impiety indeed pertains to unbelief, but the wicked way to depraved action. And every watchman ought to have this zeal: that he draw men first to the piety of faith, afterward to the pious way—that is, to good action. But because our discourse has brought in the subject of exhortation, we ought briefly to make known how great should be the order and consideration of speech in the mouth of the pastor. For the teacher ought to weigh what he speaks, to whom he speaks, when he speaks, how he speaks, and how much he speaks. For if any one of these be lacking, the speech will not be fitting. For it is written:

'If thou offer rightly, but divide not rightly, thou hast sinned' (Gen. IV, 7, according to the Septuagint). Now we offer rightly when with good zeal we do a good work; but we divide not rightly if we neglect to have discernment in the good work. For we ought to consider what we speak, that according to Paul's word, 'Our speech may always be seasoned with the salt of grace' (Coloss. IV, 6). And we must weigh to whom we speak, because often a word of rebuke which this person admits, another does not admit. And often the very same person, according to what he has done, becomes another. Whence Nathan the prophet struck David after his adultery with a strong sentence of rebuke. He who, when he spoke of the man who stole the ewe, said:

'The man who has done this is a son of death,' and Nathan straightway answered him, saying: 'Thou art that man' (II Kings [II Samuel] XII, 5, 7). Yet when he spoke to him concerning the kingdom of Solomon (ibid., 7), because fault was absent, he prostrated himself humbly before him in adoration. In one and the same person, therefore, because the cause was unequal, even the prophetic speech was different. It must also be weighed when we ought to speak, because often, even if rebuke is deferred, it is afterward kindly received. And sometimes it grows faint, if it has lost the time at which it ought earlier to have been brought forth. For the wise woman, seeing Nabal drunken (I Kings [I Samuel] XXV, 36, 37), would not rebuke him for the fault of his stinginess, but, when the wine was digested, profitably struck him with the words of her rebuke.

And the Prophet declares that the tongues of flatterers are not to be deferred to a subsequent time, who says: 'Let them be confounded and put to shame at once, who say to me, Aha, aha' (Psal. LXIX, 4 [LXX]). For flattery, if it is patiently received even for a time, grows, and little by little softens the mind, so that it melts from the rigor of its uprightness into the delight of speech. But lest it grow, it must be struck at once and without delay. We must also weigh how we speak. For often words which recall one man to salvation wound another. Whence Paul the apostle, who admonishes Titus, saying, 'Rebuke with all authority' (Tit. II, 15), exhorts Timothy, saying, 'Reprove, entreat, rebuke, in all patience and doctrine' (II Tim.

IV, 2). What is it that to one he enjoins authority, and to the other patience, except that he saw the one to be of a gentler, the other of a more fervent spirit? Upon the gentle man, severity of word had to be enjoined through the authority of command; but he who was fervent in spirit had to be tempered through patience, lest, if he grew hot more than is just, he should not lead back the wounded to salvation, but wound the healthy. We must also take care how much we speak, lest, if we draw out too long a word of exhortation or of rebuke to one who is not able to bear much, we lead our hearer to disgust. Whence the same excellent preacher speaks to the Hebrews, saying: 'I beseech you, brethren, that you suffer the word of consolation, for I have written to you in few words' (Heb.

XIII, 22). This, however, is especially fitting for the weak, that they should hear few things indeed, and such as they are able to grasp, but such as may prick their mind to the sorrow of penitence. For if a word of exhortation be spoken to them manifoldly at one time, because they cannot retain many things, they lose all at once. Whence physicians of bodies apply the poultices which they place on ailing stomachs with a suitable medicament indeed, yet spread thinly; for if these be filled with much medicament, not strengthening the weakness of the stomach they would aid it, but oppressing it they would burden it. It must be known, however, that even if sometimes a discourse rather prolonged passes its measure, this is not dangerous to the hearers.

But if it is not vigilantly observed how a thing is said, and to whom it is said, it is very dangerous. For bashful minds, if perchance they have committed any faults, must be gently reproved, because if they are rebuked more harshly, they are broken rather than instructed. But on the contrary, harsh and shameless minds, if they are rebuked gently, are provoked to greater faults by that very gentleness. This we learn well in the same excellent preacher, who, when he knew the Corinthians to be divided into schism through love of persons, taking counsel for their bashfulness, began his address to them from thanksgiving and praise, saying:

'I give thanks to my God always for you, for the grace of God which is given you in Christ Jesus, that in all things you are made rich in him, in all utterance and in all knowledge; as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you' (I Cor. I, 4, 6). And he still adds and says: 'So that nothing is wanting to you in any grace, waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ' (ibid., 7). I ask thee, Paul, if now nothing is wanting, why dost thou weary thyself in writing to them? Why, placed far away, dost thou speak? Let us weigh then, dearest brethren, how much he praises. Behold, he asserts that the grace of God has been given them, he says they are made rich in all things, in all utterance and in all knowledge;

the testimony of Christ—that is, that which He testified by dying and rising again for us—he affirms to have been confirmed in their life, and he testifies that nothing is wanting to them in any grace. Who, I ask, would believe that a little later he rebukes those whom he so praises? For after the rest he adds: 'Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all say the same thing, and that there be no schisms among you' (ibid., 10). What could have crept in as schism upon men so perfect, as it were so praiseworthy? 'For it has been signified to me concerning you, my brethren, by those who are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you says:'

'I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ' (ibid., 11 and 12). Behold, those whom he had praised in all utterance and in all knowledge, to whom he had said nothing was wanting in any grace, speaking a little further, coming gently to rebuke, he reproves as divided against one another; and of those whose salvation he had first related, he afterward laid bare the wounds. For a skilled physician, seeing a wound that must be cut, but perceiving the sick man to be timid, long stroked it, and suddenly struck. First he laid the hand of praise as a soothing hand, and afterward he fixed the iron of rebuke.

For unless bashful minds have been reproved by stroking, so that from other matters they may hear what they may take as consolation, they fall straightway through rebuke into despair. But did Paul lie, in that he first said nothing was wanting to them in every grace, to whom he was afterward to say that unity was wanting? Far be it: who, even if he were a fool, would believe such things of him? But because among the Corinthians there were some filled with every grace, and there were some cut off in the favoring of persons, he began from the praises of the perfect, that by a modest invective he might reach to the reproof of the weak. And in this too, drawing to the medicine of the heart a use from the medicine of the body.

For when the physician looks at a wound to be lanced, he first strokes those members which are sound around the wound, that afterward he may reach, by gentle stroking, to those which are wounded. When therefore Paul praised the perfect among the Corinthians, he touched the sound members next to the wound; but when he reproved the weak concerning division, he struck the wound in the body. Let us see, however, how this very same man, who is led with so great modesty and gentleness to correct the Corinthians, exerts himself against the Galatians, who had departed from the faith. For with no patience of modesty premised, with no sweetness of speech prefaced, those whom he knew to have departed from the faith he refuted by inveighing against them from the very beginning of his epistle. For with a leap premised, he thus began: