Moralia in Job 927

He tempers the virtues of the elect with mingled infirmity, lest they be exalted. Waters in Holy Scripture are wont to designate sometimes the Holy Spirit, sometimes sacred knowledge, sometimes depraved knowledge, sometimes tribulation, sometimes flowing peoples, and sometimes the minds of those who follow the faith. For by water the infusion of the Holy Spirit is designated, as in the Gospel it is said: 'He that believeth in me, as the Scripture saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water' (John 7:38). Where the evangelist, following on, added: 'Now this He said of the Spirit which they should receive who believed in Him.' Again, by water sacred knowledge is designated, as it is said: 'The water of saving wisdom shall give them to drink' (Ecclus. 15:3).

By water also depraved knowledge is wont to be called, as in Solomon the woman, who holds the type of heresy, flatters with cunning persuasions, saying: 'Stolen waters are sweeter' (Prov. 9:17). By the name of waters also tribulations are sometimes to be understood, as it is said through the Psalmist: 'Save me, O God, for the waters are come in even unto my soul' (Ps. 68:2). By water peoples are designated, as it is said through John: 'The waters are peoples' (Rev. 17:15). By water also are designated not only the flowing course of passing peoples, but also the minds of the good who follow my teachings, as the prophet says: 'Blessed are ye that sow upon all waters' (Isa. 32:20). And through the Psalmist it is said:

'The voice of the Lord upon the waters' (Ps. 28:3). In this place, therefore, what is signified by the name of waters but the hearts of the elect, which through the understanding of Wisdom have now received the hearing of the supernal voice? Of whom it is rightly said: 'And He weigheth the waters by measure' (Job 28:25). Because those holy men who, by the Spirit that lifts them, are caught up to the heights, so long as they remain in this life, lest they should be puffed up by any exaltation, are held in check by certain temptations, so that they can by no means avail as much as they will, but, lest they be exalted with pride, there is in them a certain measure of their own virtues. This is confirmed by the example of Elijah fleeing from Jezebel. — For hence it is that Elijah, when in so many virtues

had advanced to great heights, was held suspended by a certain measure, when afterwards he fled from Jezebel, who, though a queen, was yet but a weak woman (1 Kings 19:3). For I consider this man of wondrous virtue drawing fire down from heaven, and twice, at a sudden petition, consuming the captains of fifty with all their men; by a word shutting the heavens from rains, by a word opening the heavens to rains; raising the dead, foreseeing whatever was to come — and lo, again it occurs to my mind with what dread he fled before a single weak woman. I consider the man, struck with fear, seeking death from the hand of God, and not receiving it; escaping death from the hand of a woman by fleeing. For he sought death while he fled, saying: 'It is enough for me, Lord, take away my soul;

for I am no better than my fathers' (1 Kings 19:4). Whence, then, so mighty as to work all those virtues? Whence so weak as thus to dread a woman, save because 'the waters are weighed by measure,' that these same holy men of God may both avail much through the power of God, and again be moderated by a certain measure through their own infirmity? In those virtues Elijah acknowledged what he had received from God; in these infirmities, what of himself he was able to be. That power was virtue, this infirmity the keeper of virtue. In those virtues he showed what he had received; in these infirmities he kept guard over what he had received. In his miracles Elijah was displayed; in his infirmities he was preserved.

And of Paul, who declined death, or endured the temptations of Satan. — So I behold Paul enduring the perils of rivers and of robbers, of the city and of the wilderness, of the sea and of the land (2 Cor. 11:26); bridling his body with fastings and vigils, sustaining the hardship of cold and nakedness, exercising himself vigilantly and pastorally for the guardianship of the churches; caught up to the third heaven, and again caught up into paradise (ibid. 12:2-4), and having heard secret words which it is not lawful for a man to utter; and yet he is delivered to the angel of Satan to be tempted (ibid. 12:7); he prays that it may be taken away, and is not heard.

When I behold the very beginnings of his conversion, I consider that the supernal loving-kindness opened the heavens to him, and Jesus showed Himself to him from on high. He who lost the light of his body for a time, received the light of his heart for ever. He is sent to Ananias (Acts 9:10-17), he is called a vessel of election; and yet, fleeing, he withdraws from that same city which after the vision of Jesus he had entered, as he himself testifies, saying: 'At Damascus the governor of the nation under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes, to apprehend me; and through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and so escaped his hands' (2 Cor. 11:32-33). To whom I may freely say: O Paul, in heaven thou already beholdest Jesus, and on earth dost thou still flee from a man?

Thou art led into paradise, thou knowest the secret words of God, and still art thou tempted by the angel of Satan? Whence so strong, as to be caught up to heavenly things? Whence so weak, as to flee from a man on earth, and still to endure adversities from the angel of Satan — save because He who lifts thee up moderates thee again by a most subtle measure, that both in thy miracles thou mayest preach to us the power of God, and again in thy fear mayest make us remember our own infirmity? Yet lest this infirmity, when it assails, should drag us into despair, when thou didst pray the Lord concerning thine infirmity, since thou wast not heard, thou hast also spoken to us what thou didst hear: 'My grace is sufficient for thee, for strength is made perfect in weakness' (2 Cor. 12:9).

Infirmity is the keeper of virtue. — By the open voice of God, therefore, it is shown that infirmity is the keeper of virtue. For then are we well guarded inwardly, when by the dispensation of God we are tolerably tempted outwardly, sometimes by vices, sometimes by pressures. For even to those whom we have known to be men of virtue, temptations and struggles of vices were not lacking. For hence it is that, for our consolation, the same excellent preacher deigns to bring forth certain such things concerning himself, saying: 'I see another law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind, and captivating me in the law of sin that is in my members' (Rom. 7:23). For the flesh draws to the depths, lest the spirit be exalted:

and the spirit draws to the heights, lest the flesh cast down. The spirit lifts up, lest we lie in the lowest things; the flesh weighs down, lest we be exalted from the highest. If the flesh tempted us while the spirit did not lift us up, it would doubtless, by the completion of its temptation, cast us down into the depths. But on the contrary, if the spirit lifted us to the heights without the flesh tempting, it would cast us down worse by that very lifting in the ruin of pride. But it comes to pass by a sure moderation that, while each of the saints is now indeed caught up inwardly to the heights, yet is still tempted outwardly, he incurs neither the fall of despair nor of exaltation, since neither does the outer temptation accomplish guilt, because the inner intention draws upward;

nor again does the inner intention lift up to pride, because the outer temptation humbles while it weighs down. And thus by a great order we recognize in our inner progress what we receive, in our outer defect what we are. And in a wondrous manner it is brought about that no one ought either to be exalted over his virtue, or to despair over his temptation, because, while the spirit draws and the flesh draws back, by the most subtle moderation of inner judgment the soul is balanced, in a certain middle, below the highest and above the lowest. Well therefore is it said: 'And He weigheth the waters by measure.' There follows: