i.

BOOK III.

The whole of the second chapter of the Book of Job is explained after the manner of the former Books, historically, allegorically, and morally.

1. BLESSED Job, though aimed at for death in his temptaHIST. tion, gained growth unto life by the stroke. And our old enemy grieved to find that he had only multiplied his excellences by the very means, by which he had thought to do away with them, but whereas he sees that he has been worsted in the first struggle, he prepares himself for fresh assaults of temptations, and still has the boldness to augur evil of that holy man; for one that is evil can never believe goodness to exist, though proved by his experience. Now those circumstances, which were premised in the first infliction, are again subjoined, when it is said,

Ver. 1, 2, 3. Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright mun, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Because we have discussed these particulars very fully above, we the rather pass them over in silence, lest, whilst we often repeat points once gone into, we delay too long in coming to such as are untouched; although what is said to Satan by the Lord's voice, Whence comest thou? I cannot consider to be addressed to him just as it was before; for whereas he returns defeated from that contest upon which he had been let loose, and yet is asked whence he comes,'

Job smitten without cause, yet with cause.

III.

131 when it is known from whence he comes, what else is this Book but that the impotency of his pride is chidden? As though the voice of God openly said,' See, thou art overcome by a single man, and him too beset with the infirmities of the flesh; thou, that strivest to set thyself up against Me, the Maker of all things! Hence when the Lord immediately went on to declare the excellences of Job, as He did before, it is together with the triumphs of his victory that He enumerates this, and adds,

And still he holdeth fast his integrity.

2. As if He said explicitly,' Thou indeed hast wrought ii. thy malice, but he has not lost his innocence; and thou art forced to serve to his advancement by the very means whence thou thoughtest to lessen his advancement. For that inward innocency, which he honourably maintained when at rest, he has more honourably preserved under the rod. It follows;

Although thou movedst Me against him, to destroy him without cause.

3. Whereas God is a just and a true God, it is important iii. to enquire how and in what sense He shews that He had afflicted Job without cause. For because He is just, He could not afflict him without cause, and again, because He is true, He could not have spoken other than what He did. So then that both particulars may concur in Him that is just and true, so that He should both speak truth, and not act unjustly, let us know, that blessed Job was both in one sense smitten without cause, and again in another sense, that he was smitten not without cause. For as He that is just and true, says the thing of Himself, let us prove both that what He said was true, and that what He did was righteous. For it was necessary that the holy man, who was known to God alone and to his own conscience, should make known to all as a pattern for their imitation with what preeminent virtue he was enriched. For he could not visibly give to others. examples of virtue, if he remained himself without temptation. Accordingly it was brought to pass, both that the very force of the infliction should exhibit his stores of virtue for the imitation of all men, and that the strokes inflicted upon him should bring to light what in time of tranquillity

4. 5.

HIST.

132 God not so moved as to change in Himself.

JOB 2, lay hidden. Now by means of the same blows the virtue of patience gained increase, and the gloriousness of his reward was augmented by the pains of the scourge. Thus, that we may uphold the truth of God in word, and His equity in deed, the blessed Job is at one and the same time not afflicted without cause, seeing that his merits are increased, and yet he is afflicted without cause, in that he is not punished for any offence committed by him. For that man is stricken without cause, who has no fault to be cut away; and he is not stricken without cause, the merit of whose virtue is made to accumulate.

iv.

4. But what is meant when it is said, Thou movedst Me against him? Is the Truth' then inflamed by the words of Satan, so that at his instigation He falls to torturing His servants? Who could imagine those things of God which he even accounts unworthy of a good man? But because we ourselves never strike unless when moved, the stroke of God itself is called the moving' Him. And the voice of God condescends to our speech, that His doings may in one. way or another be reached by man's understanding. For that Power which without compulsion created all things, and which without oversight rules all things, and without labour sustains all, and governs without being busied, corrects also without emotion. And by stripes He forms the minds of men to whatsoever He will, in such sort still that He never passeth into the darkness of change from the light of His Unchangeable Being. It follows;

Ver. 4, 5. And Sutan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.

5. The old enemy derives from outward things the charge which he urges against the blessed man's soul. For he affirms that skin is given for skin;' as it often happens that when we see a blow directed against the face, we put our hands before our eyelids to guard the eyes from the stroke, and we present our bodies to be wounded, lest they be wounded in a tenderer part. Satan then, who knew that such things are customarily done, exclaims, Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give in exchange for his life.

Job, in Satan's hand, still in the Hand of God. 133 As if he said in plain words, ' It is for this reason that Job Book bears with composure so many strokes falling without, be- III. cause he fears lest he should be smitten himself, and so it is care of the flesh that makes him unmoved by hurt done to the feelings of the flesh; for while he fears for his own person, he feels the less the hurt of what belongs to him. And hence he immediately requires his flesh to be smitten, in these words;

But put forth Thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.

He had said above, Touch all that he hath, and he will Job 1, curse Thee to Thy face. Now, as if forgetting his former 11. proposal, being beaten upon one point, he demands another. And this is justly allowed him by God's dispensation, that the audacious disputer, by being over and over again overcome, may be made to keep silence. It proceeds;

Ver. 6. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

V.

6. Here again, the safeguard of protection goes along with the permission to smite, and the dispensation of God both while guarding, forsakes his elect servant, and while forsaking, guards him. A portion of him He gives over, a portion He protects. For if he bad left Job wholly in the hand of so dire a foe, what could have become of a mere man? And so with the very justice of the permission there is mixed a certain measure of pity, that in one and the same contest, both His lowly servant might rise by oppression, and the towering enemy be brought down by the permission. Thus the holy man is given over to the adversary's hand, but yet in his inmost soul he is held fast by the hand of his Helper. For he was of the number of those sheep, concerning whom Truth itself said in the Gospel, Neither shall any John10, man pluck them out of My hand. And yet it is said to the 28. enemy, when he demands him, Behold, he is in thine hand. The same man then is at the same time in the hand of God, and in the hand of the devil. For by saying, he is in thine hand, and straightway adding, but save his life, the pitiful Helper openly shewed that His hand was upon him whom He yielded up, and that in giving He did not give him,

134 Satan forced to save life. Strokes many and sore.

JOB 2, whom, while He cast him forth, He at the same time hid from the darts of his adversary.

7.8.

HIST. 1 ani

mam

13.

7. But how is that it is said to Satan, but save his life1? For how does he keep safe, who is ever longing to break in upon things under safe keeping? But Satan's saving is spoken of his not daring to break in, just as, conversely, we Matt. 6, petition The Father in prayer, saying, Lead us not into temptation; for neither does The Lord lead us into temptation, Who is ever mercifully shielding His servants therefrom. Yet it is as it were for Him to lead us into temptation,' not to protect us from the allurements of temptation. And He then as it were' leads us not into the snare of temptation,' when He does not let us be tempted beyond what we are able to bear. In like manner then as God is said to' lead us into temptation,' if He suffers our adversary to lead us thereinto, so our adversary is said to save our soul',' above. when he is stayed from overcoming it by his temptations. Ver. 7. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. How Satan goes forth from the presence of the Lord,' some is shewn by the remarks which have been already made Mss.add above. It goes on;

· ani

mam, as

often.'

vi.

vii.

And smole Job with sore boils, from the sole of his fool unto his crown.

8. Strokes are to be estimated in two ways, viz. to consider either of what kind, or how great. For being many they are often made right by their quality, and being heavy by their quantity, i. e. when, if they be many, they be not heavy, and if they be heavy, they be not many; in order to shew, then, how by the sharpness of the stroke the adversary flamed against the holy man, not only in the badness of the kind, but also in the heaviness of the amount: to prove the quality, it is said, And smote Job with sore boils; and to teach the quantity, from the sole of his foot unto his crown. Plainly, that nothing might be void of glory in his soul, in whose body there is no part void of pain. It goes on; Ver. 8. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

9. What is a potsherd made from, excepting mud? and what is the humour of the body, but mud? Accordingly he