約伯倫理 第 907 章

61. The place and the price of the wisdom of God cannot be assigned. — First it is to be noted that he set before himself two things, and in answering he subjoins two. For to that which he said above: 'But where is wisdom found, and where is the place of understanding?'—to this he answered in this verse: 'The deep saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me.' But to that which he had said: 'Man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it found in the land of them that live pleasantly'—he rendered the lower verse, saying: 'The finest gold shall not be given for it, neither shall silver be weighed for the exchange thereof.' To both therefore he answered, augmenting what he had proposed, not resolving it. For when he sought the place of wisdom, and then answered below: 'The deep saith:

It is not in me,' he indicated not where it was, but where it was not. Again, when he said that its price is unknown to man, and to this rendered below: 'The finest gold shall not be given for it,' he showed not what its price was, but what it was not. But to all it is clear that neither can this human wisdom be held by place, nor bought with riches. But the holy man, full of mystical senses, transmits us to other things to be understood, that we should seek not the created but the creating wisdom. For unless we search out in these things the secrets of the allegories, the things which follow are altogether worthy of contempt, if they be weighed by the historical narration. For a little after he says: 'Gold or glass shall not be made equal to it.'

And since, as we know, glass is far and dissimilarly more worthless, why, after the name of gold—a metal indeed of great price—did he say that even glass is not made equal for the immense praise of wisdom? By the very difficulty of the letter therefore we are constrained to be vigilant unto the mystical meanings of these words. What wisdom therefore does the holy man contemplate, but that of which the apostle Paul says 'Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God' (1 Cor. I, 24)? Of which it is written through Solomon: 'Wisdom hath builded her house' (Prov. IX, 1); and of which the Psalmist says: 'In wisdom hast thou made them all' (Ps. CIV, 24). Of this wisdom indeed man knows not the price, because he finds nothing worthy of its estimation.

But this is not said to be both the price of wisdom and to be unknown, but is therefore said to be unknown because it is lacking: namely by that manner of speaking whereby anyone caught in straits, when he finds no remedy of relief, is wont to confess that he knows not what he should do. 62. It is due to the merit of no good work. — To be ignorant, therefore, of the price of this wisdom, is not to find the merit of a worthy work by which one may attain it. For to this end we give a price, that in exchange for it we may possess the thing which we desire. But what have we given, that we might deserve to attain this wisdom, which is Christ (Rom. XI, 6)? For by grace we have been redeemed.

For those works alone we gave by living ill, for which, if just retribution were kept, not Christ but punishments would be rendered. But one thing man merited by justice, another he received by grace. Let Paul bear witness, before his mind received the seed of gratuitous truth, by what thorns of error he was pressed: 'Who was before,' he says, 'a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious; but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief' (1 Tim. I, 13). Let him bear witness for what manner of men Christ deigned to die: 'While we were yet,' he says, 'sinners, in due time Christ died for the ungodly' (Rom. V, 8).

We therefore, who at the coming of wisdom were found ungodly, what good work did we give, whereby we might deserve to receive that same wisdom? Of this wisdom accordingly man knows not the price, because whosoever is distinguished from the brute beasts by the understanding of reason, since he perceives that he was not saved by his own merits, acknowledges that he gave nothing of good work whereby he might come to faith. For as it were, to give a price for the receiving of wisdom is to anticipate the God who is to be known by the reward of one's action. 63. Grace is given freely, not from merits. — He had known that there is no price of this wisdom, who said: 'Who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed to him?' (Rom. XI, 35). Hence again it is written:

'By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast' (Eph. II, 8). Hence again he speaks concerning himself, saying: 'By the grace of God I am what I am' (1 Cor. XV, 10). From the inspiration of which grace, because the works of the virtues are forthwith generated in the heart, so that from free will also may follow the action to which, after this life, eternal retribution may answer, he straightway added: 'And His grace in me was not in vain' (Ibid. XV, 10). But there are some who exult that they are sound by their own strength, and glory that they have been redeemed by their own preceding merits.

Whose assertion is indeed found to be contrary to itself, because while they assert both that they are innocent and that they are redeemed, they thereby empty in themselves the very name of redemption. For everyone who is redeemed is without doubt freed from some captivity. Whence then has any such one been redeemed, if he was not first captive under guilt? It is clear therefore that whoever thinks these things is greatly foolish. For the supernal grace finds not man's merit, that it should come, but makes it after it has come; and God, coming even to an unworthy mind, shows it worthy of Himself by coming; and makes in it the merit which He may reward, who had found only that which He might punish. 64. An example of gratuitous predestination in the thief who obtained salvation.

— It pleases me amid these things to lead back the eyes of the mind to that thief, who from the jaws of the devil ascended to the cross, from the cross to paradise. Let us behold what manner of man he came to the gibbet, and what manner he departed from the gibbet. He came guilty of a brother's blood, he came bloodstained, but by inward grace he was changed on the cross; and he who had brought death upon his brother, preached the life of the dying Lord, saying: 'Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom' (Luke XXIII, 42). On the cross the nails had bound his hands and feet, and nothing in him remained free from punishments except heart and tongue. God inspiring him, he offered Him all that he found free in himself, that, according to that which is written: 'With the heart he might believe unto righteousness, with the mouth confess unto salvation' (Rom.

X, 10). And the Apostle testifies that three virtues especially remain in the heart of the faithful, saying: 'And now abideth faith, hope, charity' (1 Cor. XIII, 13). All of which the thief, filled with sudden grace, both received and preserved on the cross. For he had faith, who believed the Lord about to reign, whom he saw dying together with himself: he had hope, who begged an entrance into His kingdom, saying: 'Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom' (Luke XXIII, 42). Charity too he held livingly in his own death, who both reproved his brother and fellow-thief, dying for a like crime, for his iniquity, and preached to him the life which he had come to know, saying: 'Neither dost thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation. And we indeed justly;

for we receive things worthy of our deeds; but this man hath done nothing amiss' (Ibid., 40). He who came to the cross such by guilt, behold what manner he departs from the cross by grace. He confessed the Lord, whom he saw dying with him in human infirmity, at the very time when the apostles were denying Him whom they had seen working miracles by divine power. 65. The error of those who assert that man is saved by his own strength. — But these who assert that man is saved by his own strength, suspect that the same confession of man is from the power of man himself. Which if it were so, the Psalmist would not say, in the praise of God: 'Confession and magnificence are His work' (Ps. CXI, 3). From Him therefore we receive to confess rightly, from whom to us also is given to work great things.

Because therefore we gave no good work whereby we might deserve to attain this wisdom, let it rightly be said: 'Man knoweth not the price thereof,' since whosoever now uses reason, the more he despises himself under the understanding of this wisdom, the more truly he knows the inward things of that same wisdom, so that he may see himself unworthy to have arrived at that whereby it is gratuitously brought about that he becomes worthy. Of which it is well subjoined presently.