Moralia in Job 256

Verse 16. 'There stood one whose face I did not recognize.' 61. Man, made wholly carnal through sin, does not think without images of bodies; whereby he may perceive his own soul, and thereafter God. — For we do not say 'a certain one' except of him whom we are either unwilling or unable to express. But with what meaning 'a certain one' is here said is at once explained, when it is immediately subjoined: 'Whose face I did not recognize.' For the human soul, cast out from the joys of paradise by the sin of the first men, lost the light of things invisible and poured itself wholly into the love of things visible; and it was blinded from the inward beholding in the same measure as it was deformedly scattered abroad;

whence it comes to pass that it knows nothing save those things which, so to speak, it recognizes by groping with the bodily eyes. For man, who, had he willed to keep the commandment, would have become spiritual even in the flesh, by sinning became carnal even in mind, so that he thinks only those things which are drawn to the soul through images of bodies. For it is a body—of heaven, earth, waters, animals, and of all visible things—which he unceasingly gazes upon; in which, while the delighted mind casts itself wholly, it grows coarse and falls away from the subtlety of inward understanding; and because it can no longer raise itself to things on high, it lies gladly, weak, among these lower things.

But when with wondrous efforts it strives to rise up from these, it is a very great thing if the soul is brought to the knowledge of itself, the bodily image being repressed; so that it may think of itself without a corporeal image, and by thinking of itself may prepare for itself a way even unto the contemplation of the substance of eternity. (Vet. XXV.) 62. How far the human soul is distant from the divine substance; if it does not yet perceive what God is, it certainly perceives what He is not. — In this way it presents itself to itself, as it were, as a kind of ladder, by which, ascending from things outward, it may pass into itself, and from itself may stretch toward its Author. For when the mind forsakes corporeal images and comes into itself, it ascends no little.

But although the soul is incorporeal, yet because it cleaves to the body, it is recognized from its very quality, being held in the place of the flesh. For while it forgets things known, and knows things unknown; remembers things consigned to forgetfulness, grows cheerful after sorrows, is given over to grief after gladness—by its very changeableness it shows how far it is distant from the substance of eternal unchangeableness, which ever, as it is, remains the same: everywhere present, everywhere invisible, everywhere whole, everywhere incomprehensible; it is discerned by the yearning mind without sight, without doubt heard, without motion received, without a body touched, without a place held fast.

When the mind, accustomed to corporeal things, thinks upon this substance, it endures the phantasms of diverse images. But when it drives these away from the eyes of its intention with the hand of discretion, setting all things beneath it, it now in some measure beholds this substance. And though it does not yet apprehend what it is, it has certainly recognized what it is not. Because, then, the mind is caught up to things unwonted when it searches out the essence of the Godhead, it is rightly said here: 'There stood one whose face I did not recognize.' 63. To stand belongs to God alone. — Well is it said, 'stood.' For every creature, because it was made out of nothing, and through itself tends toward nothing, has it not to stand, but to flow away.

But the rational creature, by that very fact that it is fashioned after the image of its Author, is fixed fast so as not to pass into nothing; the irrational creature, however, is by no means fixed, but is delayed by passing away until, by the ministry of its being seen, it fulfills the beauty of the universe. For even though heaven and earth afterward abide forever, yet of themselves they now hasten toward nothing, but for the use of those whom they serve they persevere, to be changed for the better. To stand, therefore, belongs to the Creator alone, through whom all things pass that pass, He Himself not passing, and in whom some things are held fast lest they pass away.

Whence our Redeemer also, because the state of His Godhead could not be grasped by the human mind, showed this to us, as it were by passing by, when coming to us He was created, born, dead, buried, rising again, and returning to the heavenly places. This He well signified in the Gospel to the blind man whom He enlightened, to whom, passing by, He granted hearing, but standing still, He restored his eyes (Matt. ix, 27; xx, 30; Mark viii, 22; Luke xviii, 35; John ix, 1). For through the dispensation of His humanity He had to pass by; but through the power of His Godhead, because He is everywhere present, He had to stand. The Lord is therefore said to hear the voices of our blindness while passing by, because, made man, He has compassion on human misery.

But standing, He restores the light, because out of the power of His Godhead He illumines the darkness of our infirmity. Well, then, after it was said, 'When the spirit passed before me while I was present,' is it subjoined: 'There stood one whose face I did not recognize.' As if it were openly said: Him whom I perceived through His passing, I could not detect passing away. He it is, therefore, who passes; He it is who stands. For He passes, because He cannot be known so as to be held; but He stands, because in so far as He is known, He appears unchangeable. Because, therefore, He who is ever the same is discerned but fleetingly, God is at once seen both passing and standing. Or surely to stand is His to be varied by no change, as it is said to Moses: 'I am who I am' (Exod. iii, 14).

And as James intimates concerning Him, saying: 'With whom there is no change, neither shadow of turning' (James i, 17). But because whosoever now apprehends anything of the contemplation of eternity beholds it through the co-eternal likeness of Him, it is rightly subjoined: