Moralia in Job 952

CHAPTER ONE. 1. Holy Scripture is to be preferred to all other books. — Although Holy Scripture transcends all knowledge and doctrine without any comparison — to say nothing of how it proclaims what is true, how it calls to the heavenly homeland, how it changes the heart of the reader from earthly desires to embracing things above; how by its more obscure sayings it exercises the strong, and by its lowly speech soothes the little ones; how it is neither so closed that it should be dreaded, nor so open that it should be despised; how by use it removes weariness, and is loved the more the more it is meditated upon;

how it aids the mind of the reader with lowly words and lifts it up with sublime meanings; how in some way it grows together with those who read it; how it is as it were recognized by unlearned readers, and yet is always found new by the learned — to say nothing, then, of the weight of its contents, it nevertheless transcends all knowledge and doctrine even by the very manner of its speech, because in one and the same discourse, while it narrates the text, it sets forth the mystery, and so knows how to tell of the past that by that very telling it knows how to foretell the future; and, without changing the order of speaking, in those same words it knows both to describe things already done and to announce things to be done — just as these very words of blessed Job are, who, while he speaks his own things, foretells ours;

and while by his speech he indicates his own laments, by their meaning he sounds forth the causes of the holy Church. For he says: CHAPTER II. Chapter 29, verses 21-23. — 'They that heard me waited for my sentence, and being attentive held their peace at my counsel. To my words they durst add nothing, and my speech dropped upon them. They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for the latter shower.' 2. The faithful hear the Church teaching, to follow her words, not to judge them. — For that this reverence of subjects existed in blessed Job we believe without doubt.

But, as we have often already said, the holy Church, pressed by the tribulations of heretics or carnal men, calls to mind past times in which everything spoken by her was heard by the faithful with awe, and, lamenting the insolence of her adversaries, says: 'They that heard me waited for my sentence, and being attentive held their peace at my counsel.' As if she plainly said: Not like these insolent and swollen ones, who, while they refuse to receive the words of truth, as it were by teaching run ahead of the sentences of my preaching. Whose disciples now, attentive to her counsel, hold their peace, because they dare not to assail her words, but to believe them. For that they may profit from them, they hear them beyond doubt not to judge, but to follow. 3.

They add nothing to her doctrine. Not so the heretics. — Of whom it is rightly added: 'To my words they durst add nothing,' because indeed then the heretics, when they have been unbridled against this liberty with utter wickedness, presume to add something to her sayings, when they endeavor as it were to amend the rectitude of her precepts. Which she still adds concerning her good hearers: 'And my speech dropped upon them.' 3. Preachers ought to contract themselves to the capacity of their hearers. — In this dropping of speech what else is understood but the measure of holy preaching? — because it behooves that the grace of exhortation be conferred on each according to the capacity of his understanding. By this, therefore, which is said, 'To my words they durst add nothing,' the reverence of the hearers is praised.

But by that which is subjoined, 'And my speech dropped upon them,' the dispensation of teachers is indicated. For he who teaches ought subtly to discern, lest he strive to preach more than is grasped by the hearer. For he ought, by contracting himself, to descend to the weakness of his hearers, lest, while he speaks sublime things to little ones — things therefore not profitable — he care more to display himself than to profit his hearers. And at the Lord's command, not only bowls for the table of the tabernacle, but also cups are prepared (Exod. 37:16). For what is designated by the bowls but ample preaching, and what by the cups but the least and slightest speech concerning God?

On the table of the Lord, therefore, both bowls and cups are prepared, because indeed in the teaching of the sacred word there are to be set forth not only the great and hidden things which may inebriate, but also the small and subtle things which as it were by a taste bestow knowledge. Of this most discerning dispensation of hers, then, let the holy Church, pressed in the last times, be mindful, and say: 'My speech dropped upon them.' 5. The humble open their mouth to receive their teaching as the latter rain. — Where fittingly too it is subjoined: 'They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for the latter shower.' For we sustain the words of holy preaching as rain when with true humility we acknowledge the dryness of our heart, that we may be watered by the draught of holy

preaching. Hence it is rightly said to God through the Psalmist: 'My soul is as earth without water unto thee' (Ps. 143:6). The prophet admonishes us to be filled with these streams of doctrine, saying: 'You that thirst, come to the waters' (Isa. 55:1). We who, in the last part now of the age, receive the words of holy preaching, as it were open the mouth of our heart for the latter shower. For if there were no mouth in the heart, the Psalmist would not say: 'Deceitful lips in a heart, and with a heart they have spoken evil things' (Ps. 12:3). The mouth of the heart, therefore, because we attend to the words of the last preaching, we open as it were with these latter complaints. Which preaching indeed proceeded from his sacrifice to us, who says through the Psalmist: 'The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice' (Ps.

141:2). For because our Redeemer, near the end of the world, bore the violence of his persecutors, he gave himself for us as the evening sacrifice. Concerning this latter shower it is written elsewhere: 'I will give you rain in due season, the early and the latter' (Jer. 5:24). He gave the early rain indeed, because he bestowed on his elect the understanding of the law in the former time. He granted the latter rain also, because he caused the mystery of his incarnation to be preached in the last days. Which, because the holy Church ceases not daily to announce, she fills the mouths of the hearts of her hearers as if from the latter shower. There follows: