Verse 36. — My father, let Job be tried unto the end. 6. The proud know not how to have compassion on the afflicted. In correction, swelling things are so to be pressed down that the bleeding be cherished. — Behold, this which he had conceived from the swelling of arrogance he exalts even in words of cursing. But perhaps he would have wished the force of the trial to be benevolent, had he judged that Job had stood in the trial. Therefore, that his malice of cruelty may openly appear, he beseeches that he be still tried by scourges, whom he already complains to have fallen by the scourges. He put first what he felt, that what he desired might be more openly recognized. He demands that he still be smitten, whom he accuses of having already sinned under the hand of the Smiter.
These are the proper wishes of the arrogant, that they entreat the life of the sorrowing to be examined the more sharply, because the more just they are to their own selves, the harder they are toward the pains of others. For they know not how to draw upon themselves the suffering of another's weakness, and to pity a neighbor's frailty as their own. For because they think lofty things of themselves, therefore they in no way condescend to the humble. Elihu believes blessed Job to have been smitten for his fault, and therefore did not reckon that the bowels of piety were to be shown him even amid so many pains. But men truly holy, when they know that someone is scourged even for a fault, though they correct certain disorders of his, yet toward certain grievous things they have compassion; and thus they know to press the swelling,
that they may also know to cherish anew the bleeding, so that in them, while the hard things are softened, the weak things may be strengthened. But on the contrary, arrogant men, because they have not the bowels of charity, not only do not have compassion even on the justly sorrowing, but moreover afflict them under the appearance of a just rebuke; and either they exaggerate whatever small evils are in them, or they wrongly transform, by their own interpretation, those things that are truly good. 7. Holy teachers are wont to exaggerate the vices of offenders. What it is to dig through the wall of the heart. — Although even chaste teachers are often wont to exaggerate the vices of offenders, and from certain public signs to search out hidden things, that they may be able to recognize the greater from the least. Whence to Ezekiel it is said:
Son of man, dig through the wall (Ezek. viii, 8). Where immediately He added: And when I had digged through the wall, there appeared a door, and He said to me: Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they do here. And I went in and saw; and behold, every form of creeping things, and of abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel were portrayed upon the wall (Ibid. ix, 10). By Ezekiel, indeed, the person of prelates is signified; by the wall, the hardness of subjects. And what is it to dig through the wall, save by harsh corrections to open up the hardness of the heart?
And when he had dug through it, a door appeared, because when the hardness of the heart is opened by harsh corrections, a kind of door is as it were shown, from which all the inner things of the thoughts in him who is corrected may be seen. Whence it well follows there: And He said to me: Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they do here. He as it were enters to behold the abominations, who, when certain outwardly appearing signs have been discussed, so penetrates the hearts of subjects that all the things that are unlawfully thought become known to him. Whence He added: And I went in and saw; and behold, every likeness of creeping things, and of abominable beasts. By creeping things, wholly earthly thoughts are signified;
but by beasts, thoughts already somewhat lifted up from the earth, yet still seeking the rewards of earthly wages. For creeping things cleave to the earth with their whole body; but beasts are lifted up from the earth by the belly, yet by the appetite of the gullet are ever inclined toward the earth. Creeping things, therefore, are within the wall, when thoughts are turned over in the mind which are never raised from earthly desires. Beasts also are within the wall, when, even though certain just, certain honorable things are thought, yet they are enslaved to the seeking of temporal gains and honors; and through themselves indeed they are as it were already lifted up from the earth, but still through ambition, as through the desire of the gullet, they cast themselves down to the depths. Whence it is well subjoined:
And all the idols of the house of Israel were portrayed upon the wall. For it is written: And covetousness, which is the service of idols (Col. iii, 5). Rightly, therefore, after the beasts are idols described, because although by honorable action they as it were raise themselves from the earth, yet by dishonorable ambition they cast themselves down to the earth. And it is well said: They were portrayed, because while the appearances of outer things are inwardly drawn in, whatever is thought in feigned images is as it were portrayed in the heart. 8. The pious severity of the ruler of souls in scrutinizing the sins of the heart. Let him who ceases from correction fear to be condemned.
— It is to be noted, therefore, that first the hole in the wall, and then the door, is discerned, and then at last the hidden abomination is shown; because, without doubt, of every sin first the signs are shown outwardly, then the door of open iniquity, and then at last all the evil that lies hidden within is laid open. Therefore, for this cause, even holy teachers are wont gravely to discuss the smallest things, that from the outermost outer things they may be able to arrive at the hidden greater things. They set in motion words of harsh rebuke, that they may root out the thorns of deadly thought; and when they do these things, they rage with the love of charity, not swell with the puffing up of pride. For walls are prepared for the sake of those whom, as it were raging even unto death, they afflict.
They keep in thought that which they love, they take on in appearance that which they persecute. Preaching good things they instill them, but cautioning against evil things they forewarn of them; not, like Elihu, entreating out of desire. Toward those committed to them, they are sometimes so fervent in correction, as though they had nothing of tranquillity; but they are so tranquil in love, as though no fervor kindled them. For they greatly fear lest, if they cease from the correction of the depraved, they themselves be punished for their condemnation; and when they are inflamed to words of invective, they come to them indeed unwillingly, yet these prepare a defense for themselves before the strict Judge. 9. The order of correcting and instructing offenders unto penance and piety.
— Whence again to that same Ezekiel it is said: Son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and portray upon it the city of Jerusalem; and thou shalt lay siege against it, and build fortifications, and cast up a mound, and set camps against it, and place battering-rams round about. And take thou to thee an iron pan, and set it for an iron wall between thee and the city (Ezek. iv, 1 ff.). For whose person does Ezekiel hold but that of teachers? to whom it is said: Take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and portray upon it the city of Jerusalem. Holy teachers, indeed, take a tile to themselves, when they lay hold of the earthly heart of their hearers that they may teach them.
This tile they lay before themselves, because they guard it with the whole intention of solicitude. Upon it they are also commanded to portray the city of Jerusalem, because by preaching they take the greatest care to show earthly hearts how great is the vision of the peace on high. To him it is also well said: And thou shalt lay siege against it, and build fortifications. For holy preachers order a siege round about the tile on which the city of Jerusalem is portrayed, when to the earthly mind, but one now seeking the heavenly country, they show how great an adversity of vices assails it in the time of this life. For when it is shown how each single sin lies in ambush against the mind, a siege is as it were ordered round about the city of Jerusalem by the voice of the preacher.
But because they not only instill how the assailing vices attack the mind, but also how the guarded virtues strengthen it, it is rightly subjoined: And thou shalt build fortifications. For the holy preacher builds fortifications, when he ceases not to instill what virtues oppose what vices. And because with the growth of virtues the wars of temptation are for the most part increased, it is rightly still added: And thou shalt cast up a mound; and set camps against it, and place battering-rams round about. For he casts up a mound, when each preacher points out the mass of growing temptation. And he sets up camps against Jerusalem, when he foretells to the right intention of his hearers the circumventions of the crafty enemy as it were incomprehensible ambushes.
And he places battering-rams round about, when he makes known the goads of temptations that surround us on every side in this life, and pierce through the wall of the virtues. 10. And how great a zeal is necessary for this. — Where it is well added: And take thou to thee an iron pan, and set it for an iron wall between thee and the city (Ezek. iv, 3). For by the pan frying is shown, but by the iron, fortitude. And what so fries and torments the mind of a master and teacher as the zeal of the Lord? Whence Paul too was set aflame by the frying of this pan, when he said: Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not (2 Cor. xi, 29)?
And because whoever is kindled with zeal for God against sinners is forever fortified with a strong guard, lest through neglected care of preaching and governance he be condemned, it is rightly said: Set it for an iron wall between thee and the city (Ezek. iv, 3). For the iron pan is set as an iron wall between the prophet and the city, because when teachers now display a strong zeal, they afterward hold that same zeal as a strong fortification between themselves and their hearers, lest they be then destitute of vindication, if they now be dissolute in correction. This pan the same prophet heard that he should take as a wall between himself and his hearers, when the divine voice premised to him, saying:
If thou announce 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 (Ezek. iii, 19). This pan Paul had set as a wall between himself and his disciples, when he said: I am clean from the blood of all of you; for I have not shrunk from declaring to you all the counsel of God (Acts xx, 26). Now, therefore, it is necessary that teachers seek to be fried with the ardors of zeal, lest they be compelled afterward, out of the torpor of negligence, to be tormented by the fire of Gehenna. 11. With what discretion he is to be exercised. Let it not proceed from hidden hatred. — But it is one thing that we owe to the unjust and to subjects, another to the just and to those not subject.
To the correction and guarding of the former, the fear of accounts to be rendered ought to kindle us; but to the veneration of the latter, the very equity considered ought to incline us. But arrogant men, because they are ignorant of the form of this discretion, display toward the just and not-subject that which they see done by good preachers even toward the unjust and subject. Who, when they leap up unjustly to the fervor of invective, even exceed through words of cursing. For because they by no means love their neighbors as themselves, they cease not to wish upon their neighbors that which they themselves dread should befall them. Whence Elihu, sweating out hidden hatred in the manifestation of cursing, says: My father, let Job be tried unto the end, cease not from the man of iniquity.
He calls a man of iniquity him whom God, by supernal attestation, declares just above all men. And because many things are still subjoined under this indiscretion, I judge that they are to be briefly run through. For sayings that lack weight need no intent exposition. We follow on: