In this, then, that God is said to see all things, His care is shown; in this, that He grieves, the terror of one angered; in this, that He punishes, the severity of one who judges. "It repented God, then," says holy Scripture, "that He had made man on the earth"—not that God is subject to this emotion, or lies open to any passion, but the divine word, in order to instil in us more fully the true understanding of the Scriptures, speaking as it were to us with human affection, under the name of a repenting God demonstrated the force of one angered; for the anger of the Godhead is the punishment of the sinner. What, then, followed after these things? "When," it says, "God had seen that the earth was corrupt, He said to Noah:
"The end of all flesh is come before me; the earth is filled with iniquity from before them, and I will destroy them together with the earth." And what afterward? "All the fountains of the great deep," it says, "were broken up, and the floodgates of heaven were opened, and there was rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights." And a little after: "All flesh that moved upon the earth was consumed." And thereupon: "Noah alone remained, and they that were with him in the ark." Here now I wish to ask of those who call God heedless of human affairs, whether at that time they believe He either cared for earthly things or judged them? For I think He not only judged, but judged in a twofold manner;
for both in preserving the good He proved Himself a devoted rewarder, and in condemning the wicked He proved Himself a severe judge. But perhaps these things, in the eyes of fools, because they were done before the flood—that is, as though in some other age—seem to have less authority: as though either there were then another God, or afterward He willed not to have the same care of the world. I could indeed by divine gift prove what I say through the several generations after the flood, but the vastness of the matter forbids it, and yet certain sure and greater instances suffice; for since the God of greater and of lesser things is beyond doubt one and the same, that surely is to be understood in lesser things which is proved in greater.
Therefore, when after the flood God had blessed the generation of men, and that very blessing had begotten an immense multitude of men, the Lord speaks to Abraham from heaven, and bids him leave his own land and seek a foreign one. He is called, he follows, he is led, he is settled; from poor he becomes wealthy, from unknown powerful, from lowly most excellent by his sojourning, most distinguished in dignity. But lest these things, which had been given him by God, should seem to have been of gift only and not of merit, he who rejoiced in prosperity is proved by adversity. For there follows toil, peril, fear: he is harassed by migration, wearied by exile, afflicted with insult, deprived of his wife; God bade his son be offered to Him, the father offered him, and, so far as pertains to the resolve of his heart, sacrificed him.
Again exiles, again fears, the envy of the Philistines, the rapine of Abimelech—many evils indeed, yet consolations equal to them: for although he is afflicted by very many, yet he is avenged concerning all. What then? In all these things which we have recounted, is not God both inspector and inviter and leader, and solicitous and sponsor and protector and rewarder and prover and exalter and avenger and judge? Inspector indeed He is, when out of all He chooses the one whom He saw to be better; inviter, when He calls; leader, when He brings him to unknown places; solicitous, when He visits him at the oak; sponsor, when He promises things to come; protector, since He shielded him among barbarous nations; rewarder, since He enriched him; prover, since He willed to try him with hardships;
exalter, since He made him more powerful than all; avenger, since He avenged him upon his adversaries; judge, since in taking vengeance He judged. And God at once subjoins to this history, saying: "The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is multiplied, and their sin is grown exceedingly grievous." "The cry," He says, "of Sodom and Gomorrah is multiplied." Beautifully did He say that sins have a cry in themselves; for great, beyond doubt, is the cry of sinners, which ascends from earth to heaven. But why does He testify that the sins of men, as it were, cry out? Namely, because God says that His ears are beaten by the cries of sinners, that the punishment of the sinning may not be deferred.
And truly it is a cry, and a great cry, when the mercy of God is overcome by the cries of sinners, so that He is compelled to punish those who sin. The Lord shows, then, how unwillingly He punishes even the gravest sinners, saying that the cry of Sodom had ascended to Him. This is to say: My mercy indeed persuades me to spare, yet the cry of sinners compels me to punish. When, therefore, He had said these things, what followed? Angels are sent to Sodom, they set out, they enter; they are cherished by the service of the good, they are outraged by the injury of the wicked; the shameless are blinded, the upright are saved. Lot with his pious affections is led out of the city; the city with its impious inhabitants is burned up. Here I ask, whether God burned the wicked out of judgment or without judgment?
He who says the Sodomites were punished by God without judgment charges God with injustice; but if He destroyed the wicked with judgment, He judged. He judged indeed, and judged even, as it were, after the likeness of the future judgment, for since it is manifest that for the punishment of the wicked Gehenna will burn in the future, and that heavenly flame consumed Sodom and the cities near it. In the present, then, God willed to declare that judgment which is to come, when He sent Gehenna from heaven upon the impious people, as the apostle also says, that God "condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with overthrow, making them an example to those who should act impiously"—although that very thing which was done there had more of mercy than of severity.
For that He deferred the punishment so long was of mercy; that at length He punished, of justice. And therefore, when God sent the angels to Sodom, He wished to prove this to us: that He would punish even the wicked unwillingly; namely, that, when we read what the angels had suffered from the Sodomites, and saw the monstrousness of their crimes, the foulness of their offences, the obscenity of their lusts, God might surely prove to us that He Himself had not wished to destroy them, but that they themselves had wrung it out that they should perish. I could bring forward countless instances, but I fear lest, while I strive sufficiently to prove the matter, I should seem to have woven a history. Moses in the desert,
as he pastures the flock placed there, sees the bush burning, hears God from the bush, receives commands, is exalted with power, is sent to Pharaoh; he comes, he speaks, he is despised, he prevails. Egypt is smitten, Pharaoh's disobedience is scourged. And indeed not in one manner only, namely, that the sacrilegious one might be the more tormented by the diversity of the punishment. And what at last? Ten times he rebels, ten times he is scourged. What then do we say? I think that in all these things you may recognize that God both cares for human affairs and judges them. In Egypt indeed, at that time, it is established that God's judgment was not simple only but manifold; for as often as He smote the rebelling Egyptians, so often did He judge. But after these things which we have said, what followed?
Israel is let go; the Passover having been celebrated, it despoils the Egyptians, and departs rich. Pharaoh repents, gathers an army, comes upon the fugitives, is joined to their camp, is separated by the darkness. The sea is dried up, Israel marches through, and is freed by the dutiful forbearance of the waves. Pharaoh follows, the sea is rolled back over him, and he is destroyed as the wave covers him. I think it now not obscure that in these things which were done there is a judgment of God—and indeed not only a judgment, but also moderation and patience: for it was of patience that the rebelling Egyptians were often smitten, of judgment that the stubborn in their obstinacy were condemned to death. Therefore, after this order of things done, the nation of the Hebrews enters the wilderness victorious without war.
It makes a journey without a road, a traveller without a way, with God going before, honoured by divine companionship in arms, mighty by heavenly guidance, following the moving pillar—cloudy by day, fiery by night—taking on suitable variations of colour according to the variation of the times, namely, that it might both distinguish the light of day by a golden dimness, and illuminate the darkness of night with clear brightness by its flaming splendour.
Add to this fountains suddenly born, add waters medicinal, whether given or transformed, keeping their appearance while abandoning their nature; add the springs of the mountains laid open by bursting streams, add fields dusty with gushing torrents, add flocks of birds brought into the camps of the travellers; God, in His most indulgent lovingkindness, serving not only the needs of men but even their delights; food given for forty years by the stars that daily ministered, the heavens continually dripping with sweet food, flowing not only for sustenance but even for luxury.
Add men who in no part of their limbs felt the increase and decrease of human bodies—nails not grown, teeth not worn down, hair always the same, feet not chafed, garments not torn, shoes not worn out—an overflowing honour of men, even to the dignity of their humble clothing: add to this God descending to the earth for the office of instructing the nation, God the Son adapting Himself to earthly sight, the common folk of a countless multitude admitted into fellowship of divine intimacy, flourishing in the honour of sacred friendship.
Add to this thunders, add lightnings, the terrible sounds of heavenly trumpets, the fearful crash of all the air on every side, the heavens bellowing with sacred blasts, fires and mists and clouds full of God, the Lord speaking close at hand, the law resounding from the divine mouth, letters, characters, and pages inscribed by the finger of God, a volume of stone, a people learning and God teaching, and, with men and angels almost mingled together, one school of heaven and earth. For thus it is written, that when Moses had brought back the words of the people to the Lord, the Lord said to him: "Even now I will come to you in the darkness of the cloud, that the people may hear me speaking to you." And a little after: "Behold," it says, "thunders began to be heard and lightnings to flash, and a very thick cloud to cover the mountain."
And again: "And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the very top of the mountain." And thereupon: "And He spoke with Moses in the sight of all, so that the pillar of cloud stood at the door of the tabernacle, and they themselves stood and adored at the doors of their tents. And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man is wont to speak to his friend." Since these things are so, does not God seem to have care of man, bestowing such great gifts, granting such great things, making a lowly little man a partaker of His discourse, and admitting him, as it were, into fellowship of sacred companionship, opening to him His palms full of immortal riches, feeding them with the cup of nectar, and nourishing them with heavenly food?
What greater care, I ask, could He show them for their governance, what greater affection could He display, than that, while they still lived the life of the present age, they should already possess the very appearance of the blessedness to come? 10. But perhaps someone will answer at this point that God once had such care for men, yet now has it not at all. On what grounds do we believe this? Perhaps because, like them, we do not eat manna daily, seeing that we reap fields full of wheaten harvests? Because we do not catch quail that thrust themselves into human hands, seeing that we devour every kind of bird, cattle, and beast? Because we do not receive with open mouths the waters leaping from the rocks, seeing that we brim our wine-cellars with the produce of our vineyards?
I add something further: that we ourselves—we who say that those men were then in God's care while we are neglected by God—if we could accept the things of the past in exchange for our present goods, would utterly reject the choice of that condition. For we would not wish to lose what we now have in order to possess the things they then enjoyed—not because we now have better things than that people then had, but because even they, who were fed daily by the ministry of heaven and of God, still preferred the old gluttony of the belly to their present goods, being downcast, of course, at the vile remembrance of fleshly foods, and sickening with a most fetid longing for onions and garlic—not that what they had used before was better,
but because what is now done by us was then done by them. They loathed the things that were, and longed for the things that were not; and we the more praise those things that then were rather than these that now are—not because, if the power of choosing were given, we would always prefer to have those—but because it is a familiar vice of the human mind always to desire more the things that are lacking; and because, as the poet says, others' things please us, and our own please others more. There is added also this, which is well-nigh universal to every man: that he is ever ungrateful to God, and by this inborn and as it were native evil all men bind one another in turn, so as to detract from God's benefits, lest they should acknowledge themselves to be debtors. But enough of this.
Now let us return to the order of the argument we began some time ago—although, as I think, we have already proved in no small measure the things we set forth; yet let us add still something more, if it please. For it is better to prove a thing more than is necessary than perhaps less than the matter demands. 11. The people of the Hebrews, once freed from the yoke of Pharaoh, transgressed at Mount Sinai and were straightway struck by the Lord for their error. For thus it is written: 'The Lord therefore struck the people for the error of the calf which Aaron had made.' What greater or more evident judgment could God pass upon sinners than that punishment should at once overtake the offenders? And yet, although the whole people was guilty, why was not condemnation sent upon all?
Because, of course, the merciful Lord struck one part with the sword of His sentence, that He might correct another part by the example, and might prove to all at once both His censure in restraining and His mercy in forgiving. For it was censure that He chastised, and mercy that He spared—though each in unequal measure: for indeed more was then granted to mercy than to severity.
And that surely because, since the most indulgent Lord ever shows Himself more inclined to compassion than to vengeance, although in then restraining a part of the Jewish host the divine censure did assign something to judgment and severity, yet mercy claimed for itself the greater portion of the people—specifically indeed by this special and peculiar compassion toward the countless multitude of that time, lest, of course, the punishment should consume all whom guilt embraced. But toward certain persons and families, as we read, the censure of God is inexorable, as in that passage where, when the people rested on the Sabbath, the man who had presumed to gather wood is put to death: for although the deed itself of the man seemed harmless, yet the observance of the day made him a criminal;
or when, as two men were quarreling in strife, one was punished with death because he had blasphemed. For thus it is written: 'And behold, the son of an Israelite woman, whom she had borne to an Egyptian man among the children of Israel, quarreled in the camp with a man of Israel; and when he had blasphemed the Lord and cursed Him, he was brought to Moses.' And a little after it says: 'They put him in prison, until they should see what the Lord would command,' who spoke to Moses, saying: 'Bring forth the blasphemer outside the camp, and let all who heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the people stone him.' Is this not the present and manifest judgment of God—a sentence pronounced by heavenly deliberation as it were according to the form of a human tribunal?
First, he who had sinned was seized; second, he was brought as it were to the tribunal; third, he was accused; then he was cast into prison; finally he was punished by the authority of the heavenly judgment—and moreover not merely punished, but punished under testimony, so that it might appear that justice, not mere power, condemned the guilty man, the example, of course, availing for the amendment of all, so that no one afterward might commit what the whole people had avenged in one man. By this reasoning, therefore, and this judgment, God does all things now and has always done, namely, that whatever individuals have suffered might avail for the correction of all. Such also was that case, when Abihu and Nadab, men of priestly blood, were consumed by heavenly fire:
in whom, surely, God willed to show not merely a judgment but a present and impending judgment. For thus it is written that, when fire had gone out from the Lord and devoured the burnt offering, Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their censers, placed fire in them and incense upon it, offering before the Lord strange fire, which had not been commanded them; and fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. For what else did He will to show than His right hand stretched out over us and a sword continually threatening—He who at once punished the error of these men in the very act, and the crime of the sinners was scarcely accomplished before punishment avenged their sin.
Although not only this was accomplished in this matter, but also many other things—for since in those men it was not an impious mind but an over-heedless rashness that was then punished, the Lord assuredly declared with what punishment those would be worthy who should venture anything in contempt of the Godhead, when even those were struck by God who had sinned only through inconsiderateness of mind; or how guilty they would be who should act against the command of their Lord, when even those were so smitten who had done what was not commanded.
Further still, by this too God willed to provide for our correction through the censure of a salutary example, that all the laity might understand how greatly they ought to fear the wrath of God, when He snatched not the sons of the priest from present punishment—neither did the merit of their parent rescue them, nor did the privilege of sacred ministry defend them. But why do I speak of these, whose inconsiderateness in a manner touched God and overflowed into an injury against heaven? Miriam speaks against Moses and is punished—and not merely punished, but punished after the manner of a judgment. For first she is summoned to judgment, then she is accused, third she is scourged. In the rebuke she receives the force of the sentence, but in the leprosy she suffers the expiation of a criminal;
although a chastisement of this kind humbled not Miriam only but also Aaron, because, though it was not fitting that the high priest should be disfigured by leprosy, yet the Lord's chastisement scourged even him—and not this only, but in the punishment which Miriam suffers, Aaron too is restrained as though a sharer in the fault; for Miriam is afflicted with punishment that Aaron might be chastened with confusion. Moreover, that we might recognize the form of the divine judgment to be inexorable in certain cases, not even at the intercession of him who had been injured did He relent. For thus we read that the Lord said to Aaron and Miriam: 'Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?' And He departed in anger. And behold, Miriam appeared white with leprosy as snow; and Moses cried to the Lord, saying:
'I beseech Thee, Lord, heal her.' The Lord answered him: 'If her father had spit in her face, ought she not at least to be covered with shame for ten days? Let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and afterward she shall be called back.' Let these things, then, which we have said suffice concerning this kind of division and this part of the discourse; for it is endless to argue about all cases, which it would be far too long even to enumerate without argument. Yet let us add still something more. 12. The Hebrew nation is grieved to have departed from Egypt—it is struck; then it laments to be wearied by the labor of the journey—it is afflicted; it craves flesh—it is scourged.
And because, eating manna daily, it desires to fill the gluttony of its belly with enticements, it is indeed sated with its longed-for craving, yet even in that very satiety is tormented. 'For while the food,' says the Scripture, 'was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God rose upon them and slew very many of them and hindered the chosen of Israel.' It rebels against Moses—it is destroyed; Korah reviles—he is overwhelmed; Dathan and Abiram murmur—they are swallowed up. 'For the earth was opened,' it says, 'and swallowed Dathan and covered the congregation of Abiram.' Two hundred and fifty men also, as the sacred word testifies, princely men who at the time of council were called by name, rose up against Moses. And when they had stood against Moses and Aaron, they said:
'Let it suffice you, for all the multitude are holy, and the Lord is among them: why do you lift yourselves up above the people of the Lord?' And what after this? 'Fire,' it says, 'went out from the Lord and slew the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.' But though such great things were being done, the heavenly care availed nothing. Chastisement was most frequently applied, but amendment did not follow. For just as we, when we are constantly scourged, are not corrected, so too they, when they were most frequently struck down, were not amended. For what is written? 'And all the multitude of the children of Israel murmured the next day against Moses and Aaron, saying: You have killed the people of the Lord.' And what afterward?
At once fourteen thousand seven hundred men were struck down and consumed by divine fire. Since, then, the whole multitude of the people had sinned, why was not vengeance taken upon all? Especially since out of that sedition of Korah which I mentioned above, no one escaped. Why there did God will that the whole assembly of sinners be slain, but here only a portion? Because, of course, the Lord, full both of justice and of mercy, grants much to His mercy through forbearance and to His severity through discipline. And therefore there He furnished discipline, that the punishment of all the guilty might avail for the correction of all; but here He granted to His mercy, lest the entire people should perish.
And yet, although He acted so mercifully, because chastisement so often repeated upon a part of the people availed nothing, in the end He condemned them all to death—a matter which ought to avail both for our fear and our amendment at once, namely, lest we who by their example are not corrected at all should perhaps be punished by their end. For there is no doubt what was done concerning them. For when the whole Hebrew nation had gone out of Egypt for this purpose, that it might enter the land of promise, save two holy men only, no one entered. For thus it is written: 'The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: How long does this most wicked multitude murmur against me? As I live, says the Lord, as you have spoken this day in my hearing, so will I do to you:
in this wilderness shall your carcasses lie.' And what afterward? 'Your little ones,' He says, 'of whom you said that they would be a prey to the enemy, I will bring in, that they may see the land which displeased you: your carcasses shall lie in the wilderness.' And what then? 'All,' it says, 'died and were struck down in the sight of the Lord.' What is there that is not in all these? Do you wish to see a ruler? Behold, He both corrects the present and disposes the future. Do you wish to see a stern judge? Behold, He punishes the guilty. Do you wish to see one just and merciful? Behold, He spares the innocent. Do you wish to see in all things a judge? Behold, everywhere there is judgment. For both as judge He accuses and as judge He rules: as judge He pronounces sentence, as judge He destroys the guilty, as judge He rewards the innocent. 1.
Let these examples, then, which we have given suffice, by which our God is proved throughout to be a most solicitous beholder, a most loving governor, and a most just judge. But perhaps someone among the less instructed thinks: if all things are now done by God as they were then done, why is it that the wicked prevail and the good are afflicted, and whereas then the wicked felt wrath and the good felt mercy, now the good seem in some measure to feel wrath and the wicked to feel favor? A little later I will answer these things. For now, since I promised to prove these three things—namely the presence of God, His governance, and His judgment—by these three means: that is, by reason, by examples, and by testimonies; and since we have already satisfied the requirement by reason and examples, it remains that we should demonstrate them by testimonies;
although the very examples we have given ought to be held as testimonies, since that is rightly called a testimony by which the truth of things is proved. Which, then, of those three things stated above ought first to be proved by the sacred testimonies—the presence, the governance, or the judgment? The presence, I think; for he who is either to rule or to judge must without doubt be present, so that he may either govern whatever it is or be able to judge. The divine word, speaking in its volumes, thus says: 'In every place the eyes of the Lord behold the good and the evil.' Behold, you have Him present; behold, beholding; behold, in every place and watching through His sight.
For this reason He said that both the good and the evil are considered by Him: to prove, of course, that nothing is neglected by Him whom He showed to search out all things. And that you may grasp this more fully, hear what the same Holy Spirit testifies in another place of the Scriptures: 'The eyes of the Lord,' it says, 'are upon those who fear Him, to deliver their souls from death and to feed them in famine.' Behold why the Lord is said to look upon righteous men—surely to preserve, to protect. For the gaze of the favorable Godhead is the gift bestowed upon human converse. For elsewhere too the same divine Spirit: 'The eyes of the Lord,' it says, 'are upon the righteous, and His ears are unto their prayers.' See with what kindness the Scripture says God deals with His own.
For in this, that it says the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, the affection of Him who beholds is shown; but in this, that His ears are ever ready at their prayers, the bounty of Him who hears is demonstrated—although by that which it says, that the divine ears are ever at the prayers of the righteous, not merely God's hearing but as it were a certain obedience of God is signified. For how are the divine ears at the prayers of the righteous? How, unless that they always hear, unless that they always hearken, unless that they promptly grant what is heard, unless that they immediately concede what is hearkened to? Ever, then, are the ears of our Lord ready to hear the prayers of the saints; ever are they attentive.