Moralia in Job 408

Verse 9: Who makes Arcturus, and Orion, and the Hyades, and the inner chambers of the South. 12. Why Scripture uses the words of the wise of the world. By no means does the discourse of truth follow the vain fables of Hesiod, Aratus, and Callimachus, so as, in naming Arcturus, to suppose the extreme tail of the seven stars of the Bear, and, as it were, that a mad lover Orion should hold a sword. For these names of the stars were invented by the cultivators of carnal wisdom; but Holy Scripture uses these same words for this reason, that the things which it desires to convey may be expressed by the knowledge of a familiar name. For if it named the stars which it wished by names unknown to us, man, for whom this same Scripture was made, would without doubt not know what he was hearing.

So, therefore, in the sacred discourse, the wise of God draw speech from the wise of the world, just as in it, for the benefit of man, the very Maker of men, God, takes upon Himself the voice of human passion, so as to say: It repents Me that I have made man upon the earth (Gen. 6:6,7); when indeed it is certain that He who beholds all things before they come to pass by no means comes to His senses by repenting after He has made something. What wonder is it, then, if spiritual men use the words of the carnal, when the ineffable Spirit Himself and Creator of all, in order to draw the flesh to His own understanding, forms in Himself the speech of the flesh? In Holy Scripture, therefore, while we hear the known names of the stars, we recognize concerning what stars the discourse is moved.

But when we weigh what stars are narrated, it remains that from their motions we should rise to the secrets of spiritual understanding. For according to the letter nothing wonderful is said, that God made Arcturus, Orion, and the Hyades, concerning whom indeed it is certain that there is nothing at all in the world which He Himself did not make. But the holy man says that the Lord made these things: by which he understands that those things are properly signified which are spiritually wrought. 13. Arcturus signifies the Church. For what is expressed by the name of Arcturus, which, set at the axis of heaven, shines with the rays of seven stars, but the universal Church, which in the Apocalypse of John is figured by seven Churches and seven candlesticks (Rev. 1:12, 20)?

Which, while it contains within itself the gifts of the sevenfold grace of the Spirit, irradiating with the brightness of the highest power, shines as it were from the axis of truth. It is also to be weighed that Arcturus always turns, and is never submerged, because the holy Church too endures the persecutions of the wicked without ceasing, yet nevertheless endures without failing even unto the end of the world. For often the reprobate, because they have persecuted her even unto destruction, believed that they had utterly extinguished her; but she returned so much the more manifoldly to the advancement of her own state, in proportion as she labored by dying among the hands of the persecutors.

Arcturus, therefore, is raised up while it turns, because the holy Church is then more mightily refreshed in the truth, when it is more ardently wearied for the truth. 14. Orion the martyrs. Whence also, aptly, after Arcturus, he next subjoins Orion. For Orion rises in the very weight of the wintry season, and by its rising stirs up tempests, and disturbs seas and lands. What, then, is designated after Arcturus by Orion but the martyrs? Who, while the holy Church is raised to the state of preaching, being about to suffer the weight and molestations of the persecutors, came to the face of heaven as it were in winter.

For at their birth the sea and land were disturbed, because when the Gentile world grieved that its customs were being destroyed, its fortitude appearing, it roused for their slaughter not only the wrathful and turbulent, but even the peaceable. From Orion, therefore, the winter grew rough, because, as the constancy of the saints shone forth, the cold mind of the unbelievers roused itself to the tempest of persecution. Heaven, therefore, brought forth Orion, when the holy Church sent forth martyrs. Who, while they dared to speak right things to the untaught, bore all the weight from the adversity of the cold. 15. The Hyades the doctors. But he well subjoins next the Hyades, which come forth to the face of heaven when spring grows young, and are shown when the sun already puts forth the strength of its heat.

For they cleave to the beginnings of that sign which the wise of the age call Taurus, from which the sun begins to increase, and rises more fervent to prolong, as they say, the spaces of the day. Who, therefore, after Orion are designated by the name of the Hyades but the doctors of the holy Church? Who, when the martyrs had been withdrawn, came to the knowledge of the world in that time when faith shines more clearly, and, the winter of unbelief being repressed, the sun of truth grows more warm through the hearts of the faithful. Who, when the tempest of persecution had been removed, when the nights of long unbelief were fulfilled, then arose to the holy Church, when now, through the spring of belief, a more shining year is opened to her.

Nor is it undeservedly that the holy doctors are signified by the appellation of the Hyades. For in the Greek tongue rain is so called, and the Hyades took their name from the rains, because, having risen, they without doubt bring showers. Well, therefore, are those expressed by the appellation of the Hyades who, being led to the state of the universal Church as it were to the face of heaven, poured out the showers of holy preaching upon the parched earth of the human breast. For if the word of preaching were not rain, Moses would by no means have said: Let my speech be awaited as the rain (Deut. 32:2); by no means would Truth say through Isaiah: I will command the clouds, that they rain no rain upon it (Isa. 5:6); nor that which we brought forth a little before: Wherefore the stars of the rains have been withheld (Jer. 3:3).

While, therefore, the Hyades come with the rains, the sun is led to the higher spaces of heaven, because, as the knowledge of the doctors appears, while our mind is infused with the shower of preaching, the warmth of faith is increased. And the earth, being drenched, profits unto fruit, when the light of the ether kindles, because we render more abundantly the crop of good work, while through the flame of sacred instruction we burn more brightly in the heart. And while through them, day by day, heavenly knowledge is more and more shown forth, the spring time of the inner light is as it were opened to us, so that a new sun may glow ruddy to our minds, and, made known to us by their words, may shine forth daily brighter than itself. For as the end of the world presses on, supernal knowledge advances, and grows more largely with time.

For hence it is said through Daniel: Many shall pass through, and knowledge shall be manifold (Dan. 12:4). Hence the angel says to John in the former part of the revelation: Seal up the things which the seven thunders have spoken (Rev. 10:4). To whom nevertheless, at the end of the same revelation, he commands, saying: Seal not the words of the prophecy of this book (Rev. 22:10). For the former part of the revelation is commanded to be sealed, the end is forbidden, because whatever lay hidden in the beginnings of the holy Church, the end daily shows forth. But some think that the Hyades were named from the Greek letter which is called Y. And if this is so, it is not contrary to the signification which we have stated.

For the doctors are not unfittingly expressed by those stars which draw their name from letters. But although the Hyades do not differ from the appearance of that same letter, yet it is certain that it is called rain, and that, having risen, they bring rains. 16. In the Church there shone first the apostles, then the martyrs, afterward the doctors. Let the holy man, therefore, contemplating the order of our redemption, marvel, and, marveling, cry out, saying: Who alone stretches out the heavens, and walks upon the waves of the sea; who makes Arcturus, and Orion, and the Hyades. For, the heavens being stretched out, the Lord formed Arcturus, because, the apostles being led to honor, He founded the Church in the heavenly conversation.

Arcturus also being formed, He made Orion, because, the faith of the universal Church being strengthened, against the storms of the world He brought forth martyrs. Orion also being brought forth, He produced the Hyades, because, the martyrs growing strong against adversities, to infuse the dryness of human hearts He conferred the teaching of the masters. These, then, are the orders of the spiritual stars, which, while they are eminent in the highest virtues, ever shine from things above. 17. What glory is prepared for the saints departing hence. But after these things what remains, but that the holy Church, receiving the fruit of its labor, should attain to behold the inmost parts of the supernal country? Whence aptly, because he had said, Who makes Arcturus, and Orion, and the Hyades, he straightway added: And the inner chambers of the South.

For what in this place is designated by the name of the South but the fervor of the Holy Spirit? By which, when anyone has been filled, he is kindled to the love of the spiritual country. Whence also it is said in the voice of the Bridegroom in the Song of Songs: Arise, O North wind, and come, O South, blow through my garden, and its aromatic spices shall flow (Cant. 4:16). For, the South coming, the North wind rises and recedes, when, at the advent of the Holy Spirit, the ancient enemy who had constrained the mind in torpor is expelled and departs. And the South wind blows through the garden of the Bridegroom, that the aromatic spices may flow down, because, forsooth, when the Spirit of truth has filled the holy Church with the virtues of His gifts, He scatters far and wide from her the odors of good work.

The inner chambers of the South, therefore, are those hidden orders of the angels, and the most secret bosoms of the heavenly country, which the warmth of the Holy Spirit fills. For thither the souls of the saints, both now, stripped of their bodies, and afterward, restored to their bodies, arrive, and are hidden away as it were as stars in secret places. There, by day, as it were in the noonday season, the fire of the sun is kindled more ardently, because the brightness of the Maker, the mist of our mortality now being pressed down, is seen more manifestly; and as the ray of a sphere lifts itself to higher spaces, because Truth illumines us more subtly from its own self. There the light of inmost contemplation is discerned without any intervening shadow of mutability; there is the warmth of the highest light without any obscurity of the body;

there the invisible choirs of the angels flash as it were as stars in secret places, which now cannot be seen by men, in proportion as they are more deeply flooded with the flame of the true light. Very wonderful is it, therefore, that, the apostles being sent, the Lord stretched out the heavens; that, the swellings of the persecutions being tempered, walking upon the sea He repressed its waves; that, the Church being made firm, He set Arcturus; that, the martyrs being strengthened against adversities, He sent Orion; that, the doctors being filled in tranquillity, He furnished the Hyades; but after these things it is very marvelous that He prepared for us the bosom of the heavenly country as it were the inner chambers of the South. 18. The beauty of the saints is one of morals, another of rewards.

Beautiful is all this which is discerned as it were on the face of heaven concerning the divine dispensation, but far and incomparably more beautiful is that to which one arrives invisibly. Whence again the Bridegroom well says in the praises of His bride: How beautiful art thou, my love, how beautiful! thine eyes are those of doves, besides that which lies hidden within (Cant. 4:1). He calls her beautiful, and repeats beautiful, because one is her beauty of morals in which she is now discerned, and another the beauty of rewards in which she shall then be lifted up through the appearance of her Maker. Whose members, forsooth, are all the elect, because they walk simply toward all things, His eyes are called those of doves, who irradiate with great light, because they also flash with the miracles of signs.

But how great is all this miracle which can be seen? That miracle of inward things is more wonderful which now cannot be seen. Of which it is there aptly subjoined: Besides that which lies hidden within. Great, forsooth, is the glory of the open work, but far incomparable is that of the hidden recompense. That, therefore, which through blessed Job is signified by the name of the stars, this by the words of Solomon is signified by the appellation of the eyes; and that which is said through Solomon: Besides that which lies hidden within, this blessed Job intimates to us, when he commends the inner chambers of the South. But behold, the holy man, admiring outward things, considering inward things, narrating things open, penetrating things hidden, endeavors to tell all that is done both inwardly and outwardly;

But when can the tongue of flesh unfold works of supreme greatness? Whence also fittingly he presently grasps these same works the better by falling short of them, saying: