Книга 13 [главы 16–17]

Which contains a summary, moral and common exposition of the sixteenth and seventeenth chapters of the book of Job. 1. This is a peculiar way for the wicked: to slanderously accuse good people of the bad traits inherent in themselves, before good people rightly accuse them. Fearing that they will be reproached for what they do, they hasten to testify that the righteous who tolerate them do the same. And holy people listen patiently even to what they do not remember ever doing, although they know these wrong things of which they are accused to have been committed by the accusers themselves. And when they cannot correct them by preaching, they suffer, taking upon themselves their evil, so that if they cannot achieve the fruits of their reformation by preaching, they might at least be able to overcome those very persons by longsuffering. Therefore, the Holy Church says in the words of the prophet David: sinners plowed on my back, because, raising up heretics, or lost people of any kind, whom she is unable to correct, she carries on her back the deeds of those who commit sin. Thus, blessed Job, seeing that Eliphaz, his friend, brings reproaches against him from hypocrisy, that from words of consolation he flared up in the bitterness of battle and showed the falsity of consolation, allows his own patience to show the type of the Church that is wont to tolerate such things, listening to them, so that, having received the word for reasoning, reduce their arguments to naught; that's why he says: Verse 2. I have heard many such things ( Job 16:2 ) 483 . 2. For the elect often hear wrong things from other people as if they were treating them, and they unjustly lay the blame on them who are really guilty and responsible for it. Now with this answer the blessed Job designates those times of the Church when, under the yoke of her opponents, she seems bent to the ground by their secular power. From this it follows: you are all burdensome comforters (Job 16:2) 484. Whether they are heretics, or any of the wicked, when they see a good worker in trouble, as if trying to console them, they try to suggest wrong things to their minds. Whence it is not without reason that their consolation turns out to be aggravating in the eyes of good people because, amid words of sweetness, they bend to offer the poison of error, and while they seem to ease their sorrows with soothing words, they hasten to lay upon them the burden of sin. But the chosen people, even if they are deprived of temporary glory, do not lose the severity of the internal judgment. For they learn to patiently bear the external cross, and not to be weakened internally by this, in order to stand up for what is right without embarrassment. Therefore he added: Verse 3. Will there be an end to windy words? (Job 16:3) 485. 3. For those words are “windy words” that ultimately serve temporary exaltation and not righteousness. Therefore, often the wicked, even when they say good things, end up uttering “windy words” because they say them incorrectly: their words, even if they seem to sound fair, fly out in self-delight. But in what is said: you are all burdensome comforters, what else do we learn from the blessed Job, if not that everyone should learn to watch carefully so that during the sorrow of another, he never calls upon words of abuse? For if there are some points in which one can reprove, even justly, they must still be left aside during a disaster, so that the comforter does not, with his reproof, intensify the sorrow that he is trying to alleviate. What follows: Or is there some thing that is tormenting you, if you say so? (Job 16:3) 486. 4. When bad people speak insulting words against those who are like them, they are quickly silenced the more they hear in response words similar to what they themselves say to their listeners. But when they attack good people with words of abuse, nothing stands in the way of their abuse. Therefore, when they speak out against those who hold their peace, they do not hear in response what they really are, and see that the righteous will never return the insult, even if he is accused of something he did not do. And so he said well: Or is there some thing that torments you, if you say so? It was as if it were said in simple words to him: “You say so much because you do not hear any unpleasant thing from me regarding your behavior.” Therefore it is also added: I could also speak as you do (Job.16:4) 487. A righteous man says that he had the opportunity to do so, but in order not to depart from the truth, he refrains from doing what he could have done. And then follows: Verse 4–5. If only your soul were in the place of my soul! I, too, would console you with speeches, and would lift my head over you: I would strengthen you with my lips, and move my lips, as if pitying you (Job 16:4–5) 488. 5. Sometimes it is necessary that evil minds, which cannot be corrected by the preaching of man, should receive the touch of the God who desires them, through the spirit of kindness; this is done with great love, and it is clear that it is not punishment that corrects a guilty person, and we are shown that this is done by prayer, and not by cursing. And these words of blessed Job clearly show the desire that friends who did not know how to sympathize in grief, through mercy, could learn from experience how they should sympathize with another in distress. And compassion for the sorrows of another can save them from their own suffering, teaching them to console others, and then live more sanely inside, the more they have felt something in the outside. Let us note that he does not say: “Oh, that my soul were in your place”; but “your soul was in the place of my soul.” For he would curse himself if he wished to be like them; but for them he wanted better things, asking them to be like him. Therefore we console bad people who are under attack when we point out that under the influence of outer afflictions, inner health is established within them. Moreover, we “transfer our heads” when the mind, which is our leading part, we bow towards them in love; and we strengthen them in the midst of the blows of grief, when we calm the intensity of their grief with tender words. For there are some people who know nothing of internal things and are overwhelmed with despair by external sorrows. The psalmist said about them: they should not be held back in sorrows (Ps. 139:9) 489, for he is well protected from being held back in external sorrows who knows how to always rejoice in the hope that he belongs to the inner. 6. But at the same time, he does not say “pitying you,” but says “as if pitying you”; I think that this matter should not be taken carelessly, because the Holy Church, maintaining the vigor of discipline together with the union of meekness, sometimes even at a time when “as if pitying,” does not at all pity the wicked, but sometimes “as if not sparing,” on the contrary, pity them; we will show this more effectually if we remember certain things which in themselves very often occur. So let us place before the eyes of the imagination two bad men installed in the bosom of the Holy Church, of whom let one be domineering and impudent, and the other soft and susceptible to influence. If impurity has settled in someone who is soft and susceptible to influence, the preacher, directly exposing the specific impurity in him, corrects him; and correction frees him from guilt, and leads him again to the path of righteousness. What did he do to this man? Of course, he took pity on him without pitying him. After all, he acted, knowing that if he did not keep his word of reproof, he would more quickly free him from sin. And in order to bring him home, he did not spare him; but, at the same time, precisely because he denounced him, he took pity on him. And on the other hand, when it is discovered that a powerful and impudent person is guilty of any thing, it is necessary to look for an opportunity so that the evil that he has committed can be exposed. And the preacher must wait until the moment when that person may be able to carry out correction properly, even though the delay increases the evil in him, which is subject to persecution. For it very often happens that this person has such a character that he will not tolerate a word of personal reproof. What then is a preacher to do in the case of this man's sin, but to introduce the instructions which he makes for the general welfare of all his hearers? And he must bring forward, as it were, an accusation of guilt to everyone, which he sees only in one person guilty, but who cannot yet accept the accusation if it is expressed about him personally without it becoming even worse. And while reproof is directed against guilt in general, a word of reproach easily brings it home when the powerful bad man does not know that the reproof is directed at him in particular. What did the preacher do to this man then? Of course, he, while pitying him, did not regret it when he did not immediately utter words of reproach with any special indication of this person, but still applied medicine to the wound under general instruction; and, therefore, it very often happens that this person mourns the sin he has committed, the more strongly as he believes his personal guilt, unknown to others, having felt the blow of general reproof. 7. Therefore it must be done with wonderful skill in preaching, that those who are made worse by open reproof may be brought to a healthy state by another kind of reproof. Therefore, for example, Paul says: those who seem to us to be less noble in the body, we take more care of them; and our ugly ones are covered more plausibly, but our good ones have no need for it (1 Cor. 12:23–24) 490. For, just as there are ugly members in the body, there are also persons who are in the bosom of the Holy Church, domineering and insolent, who, while they are not allowed to suffer from open reproof of them personally, are actually more plausibly covered. But we are talking about the secret sins of powerful people; when they sin and others have already known about it, they must be rebuked and others must know about it. Because if the preacher is silent about what is obvious to everyone, he seems to be sanctioning sin, and what is obvious, that the preacher’s tongue is not cut off, grows, being perceived as an example. Thus, while the Holy Church, through her preachers, denounces the private deeds of wicked people under the veil of general reproof, she “moves her lips as if to pity,” but while she pities without sparing, what does she do in general, if not maintain her peace by reproaching sin. Verse 6. But what should I do? Though I speak, my grief is not satisfied; and if I hold on, it will not leave me (Job 16:6) 491. Allegorical interpretation 8. There is no longer a single one who does not know what corresponds to the person of the blessed Job; and we see in him the Holy Church. And She says that Her “grief is not satisfied” when She sees the wicked who have not been corrected by Her preaching; and when she holds back, but her grief does not depart from her,” what does this mean, if not that, although she turns away and is silent, she laments the fact that while she is silent, she sees the sin of the wicked growing even greater. And then it continues: Verse 7. But now my grief oppresses me, and my limbs are reduced to nothing ( Job 16:7 ) 492 . 9 . The Holy Church is oppressed by her grief when she sees the evil that has grown to the heights of its wickedness; and while wickedness grows, the weak who are established in it also follow the inclinations of evil, therefore he rightly added: my limbs are reduced to nothing. For just as the strong are designated by the word “bones,” so the weak are designated by the word “limbs.” And “the members of the Church are reduced to nothing,” because, imitating the wicked, who are strengthened in this world, all the weak are weakened even more. For, seeing the prosperity of the wicked, they often slip from their very weak foundation of faith, and seek temporal blessings, and are thus “reduced to nothing,” for while they leave the being of God, which is eternal, loving things that are transitory, they, as it were, go along the path that leads to nothing, to cease to be. And it is well said: But now my grief oppresses me; for the time of sorrow of the Church is now, and the time of her joy must follow later. Now it often happens that the Holy Church encounters not only unbelievers and those who are outside Her as opponents, but also with difficulty bears those who are at war within, those who are within Her. Therefore She speaks directly in the voice of the blessed husband: Verse 8. My wrinkles speak testimony against me (Job 16:8) 493. 10. What is signified by “wrinkles” if not double-dealing and therefore they are all wrinkles of the Holy Church, who live in double-dealing in it, who recognize the faith with their voices, but renounce it with their deeds. These persons, in times of peace, seeing that faith is in honor among the mighty of this world, falsely portray themselves as belonging to the number of believers; but when suddenly a storm of adversity overtakes the Holy Church, they immediately show what they really are, following the unbelief in their heart. But these “wrinkles” are not included in the elect of the Holy Church, because they show one thing on the outside, and have something completely different inside themselves. Where the great preacher truly speaks: He presented it to Himself as a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle (Eph. 5:27) 494. For she has “neither spot nor wrinkle,” because she is not defiled by evil deeds or duality of language; and because she now holds in her bosom of faith even the sons of perdition, when the time of persecution flares up, these very people are carried out from her as her enemies, whom she seemed to have formerly nourished with the words of preaching. Therefore let her say: My wrinkles speak testimony against me; those. those same people, while they would later pursue me furiously, are now in my body, sometimes without even suspecting the evil of their double-dealing. Therefore, he rightly added even further: And the liar rises up against my face, reproaching me (Job 16:8) 495. 11. Even in her time of peace there is a "liar" in the Holy Church, because there are some in her who do not believe in the promises of eternal life, and yet falsely show themselves to be believers. And since they do not dare to openly deny her preaching, she is exposed to liars, but not “in front of her face,” but as if behind her back; but when the time of lawlessness breaks out, whoever is currently secretly full of contempt, already in his open denial rises up against the face of the fact that he speaks openly with voice and words against the true faith. But it must be known that when we encounter such things in the hands of carnal men, it does not mean that it is they themselves who violently and cruelly want our death, but rather the evil spirit who controls their minds does it, as Paul said: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood; but against the rulers, against the powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (Eph.6:12) 496. Therefore, while here he speaks of a liar, he adds words directly speaking about the prince of this lie, and says: Verse 9. He gathered up his wrath against me; and, threatening me, he gnashed his teeth against me; my enemy looks at me with terrible eyes (Job 16:9) 497. 12. What else are all evil people if not members of the devil? Therefore, he himself does everything through them, simply launching into their hearts what they need to do. For the devil is already fiercely speaking out against the Holy Church, but his rage is dispersed, because he establishes the movements of his secret temptations through the mediation of various carnal people; but when he opposes her in open persecution, "he gathers up his fury against her," because during her suffering he binds his members with the inner belt of his efforts within himself. But its members in the present world have not "gathered their wrath" against the elect in the same way, because they feel that they do not yet have sufficient strength to carry out their wickedness; but when the time comes and they see the full spectrum of iniquity at their disposal, they attack her the more boldly, the nearer they come to their head in uniting against her. And so it is rightly said now: He has gathered his wrath against me. And so that his rage could be even more fully shown, he said: and, threatening me, he gnashed his teeth against me. And then he also added: my enemy looked at me with terrible eyes. For the ancient enemy of the Church “gnashes his teeth at him” and “looks at her with terrible eyes,” because he uses various methods to ensure that cruelties are carried out, and to invent opportunities for cruelties that are yet to be carried out. 13. For the “teeth” are the enemies who are the persecutors and executioners of what is good, who maim its members and persecute its chosen ones. But the "eyes" of this enemy are those that provide the measures for her persecution, that create the conditions for the practice of persecution and support the cruelty of her persecutors. Thus, her old enemy “gnashes his teeth at her” for as long as through the cruel children of perdition he preys on the lives of good people in her. He looks with terrible eyes when, according to the plans of bad people, he never ceases to come up with schemes of deception and evil, with the help of which he can torment her even worse and worse; The Incarnate Truth in His preaching chose the poor ordinary and simple people, and therefore, on the other hand, the damned man, whom the Apostate Angel will take for himself at the end of the world, must choose to preach his falsity, cunning and hypocrisy those who have the knowledge of this world. Hence Isaiah said: woe to the land that goes beyond the rivers of Ethiopia with the wings of a cymbal 498. Who sends messengers across the sea in papyrus vessels on the waters (Is.18:1-2) 499. For what is this land upon which grief comes, that is, this accursed man, who is here called “the wings of the cymbal,” because those who fly in pride to the heights of imagination preach the sound that comes from this man of iniquity. What land is rightfully called “beyond the rivers of Ethiopia”? Ethiopia gives birth to black people, while this world gives birth to everyone as a sinner. And the land for which woe is predicted is described as the land “beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,” because the cursed man is so extremely and immensely bad that he goes beyond all sins, all that is lawless; and he sends ambassadors by sea, because he spreads his preachers throughout the world; and this is rightly noted about them, how they will be sent when he said: in papyrus vessels on the waters, for paper comes from “papyrus”. What then does “papyrus” signify, if not secular knowledge? and therefore the vessels of papyrus are the hearts of worldly people. Therefore, he “sends ambassadors across the waters in papyrus vessels” to deliver his sermon in the minds of carnal wise men, and to call the people to sin at the end. Those same persons who are designated by "papyrus vessels" are here designated by "eyes," because they see with carnal vision, and of them it is further added: Verse 10. They opened their mouths against me, reproaching me (Job 16:10) 500. 14. Lost sinners "open their jaws of reproach" when they are at once unafraid to proclaim the evil of their mistakes, and to ridicule the words of right faith. Regarding them, let it also be known that they mainly persecute those who in the Holy Church are useful to many, who strike the carnal life with the word of correction, and change others spiritually in the body of the Church. Therefore it is added: They hit me on the cheek; they have taken their fill of my punishments (Job 16:10) 501. 15. For the “cheek” of the Church is the holy preachers, about whom it is said under the image of Judea by Jeremiah: She weeps bitterly at night, and there are tears on her cheeks (Lamentations 1:2) 502. For in times of adversity for the Church, those who weep the most are those who are accustomed to crushing carnal life with preaching; for by these very people the Holy Church breaks off the bad habits of evil people and, as it were, absorbs them, transforming them into its members. That is why it was said to the first preacher, who himself is also the “cheek” of the Church: kill and eat (Acts 10:13) 503. A similar thing also means when Samson grabbed the jaw of a donkey and destroyed his enemies with it (Judges 15:16) 504; so our Redeemer, by the Hand of His power, having seized the simplicity and humility in them who preach, killed the carnality of their evil habits. And he threw his jaw to the ground, after which he poured out water, because the bodies of the preachers, given to death, showed great miracles for all nations. Thus the wicked “strike the cheek” of the Holy Church when they persecute good preachers; and while lost sinners think they have done a great great thing when they succeed in putting an end to the lives of preachers; therefore, after this he correctly added: they have taken their fill of my punishments, for these punishments make them overflowing with self-satisfaction. What follows: Verse 12. God has locked me up with the wicked and delivered me into the hands of the wicked (Job 16:11) 505. 16. The chosen people are "closed up with the wicked" when our ancient enemy is given flesh in temporal life; and the people of the elect are “given over,” precisely to “the hands of the wicked,” and not to their spirit, and the more their minds do not yield to its captivity, the more mercilessly it flares up against their flesh. But the people of the Holy Church, when she begins to suffer from adversity to the extreme, see that the weak in her go for worse and worse, and recall to memory the times of her peace, when she fed her faithful children with the riches of her preaching. Therefore this is rightly added: Verse 13. I, who was once rich, was suddenly crushed (Job 16:12) 506. 17. It is with the words “crushed suddenly” that he designates the unguarded mind of weak people: those who, while they do not know how to foresee the evil that is destined to happen, are attacked contrary to expectations. But adversity does not come suddenly to faithful minds, because it was foreseen by them before it came. And this Holy Church also passes through even now in some treacherous people who, after the richness of the teaching they have received, sometimes suffer so much from a sudden attack of evil that they fall deep in some evil deeds as if they had never been worthy of the food of the word. And then follows: He took my neck and broke me in two, and put His mark on me (Job 16:12) 507. 18. Just as for evil the “neck” signifies pride, so for good it signifies the rise in freedom; therefore it happens that sometimes even the word “pride” itself is used to denote the exaltation of someone in glory in a good sense: as when the Lord speaks promises to the Holy Church through the Prophet: I will exalt you in pride forever (Is. 60:15) 508. And because in times of persecution some who are weak do not dare to preach the freedom of the truths which they know, this may rightly be understood as said of our enemy: He took my neck, and broke me in two. But perhaps those are designated by the word “neck”, who, during the times of her peace, rise more than they should, and instead of defending the good, take the path of evil self-exaltation; who, during the persecution, feel adversity all the more, the more they have been exalted by prosperity. In their regard, it can also be rightly said: He took my neck and broke me in two, i.e. the pride that was in the weak members of the Church, He bowed down with the weight of His Contrition. It is further added: and He placed His mark on me. It is known that the "mark" that is "set" can be used to accurately hit the arrow. And so, the faithful people are “marked” by the enemy in that he attacks them with his blows and makes them suffer from his persecution, for he who is exposed to troubles in this life, as if he has a mark, and receives blows from it, one after another; and therefore the great preacher, when he suffered from persecution and groaned under the persecution of his enemies, to calm the tender souls of his disciples regarding his troubles, says: for you yourselves know that so we are destined (1 Thess. 3:3) 509. As if he said to them in simple words: “Therefore, at this time, are you surprised at my wounds? We will seek the joys of eternal peace, we came here for this, even if it means suffering." Verse 13. He surrounded me with His spears, He wounded my loins together, He spared nothing, and He poured out my bosom upon the earth (Job 16:13) 510. 19. This information would seem to be consistent with the story of the blessed Job, when it is said: He surrounded me with His spears, He wounded all my loins, He spared nothing; if the following had not been added, which is not written in his history: He poured out my bosom upon the earth. From this circumstance it follows that while we cannot find this moment recorded in history, we must search in spirit not only for it, but also for all these moments, which, in the words of blessed Job, sound like facts of history. The Holy Church faces the spears of her enemy when her members are attacked by a cunning enemy with the spear of temptation; and it is well said that we are “surrounded with spears,” because our ancient enemy attacks us from all sides, wounding us with temptations. Thus, while our continence is so restrained that lust cannot strike us, the spear of vanity strikes the mind; but if the body is not trained in abstinence, the flame of lust kindles itself. And often, while we strive not to be wasteful, we fall into stinginess; and often, even when we give generously of what we have, we fall into stinginess, seeking to replace what has been given away or to retake possession of what we may have to give up. While the spear of the old enemy attacks us in every direction, it is rightly said now: he surrounded me with his spears. And because, in the case of any sin, the evil enemy actually first advises it to us, but we, having agreed to his advice, embody it, he rightly joins: He wounded my loins together, for in the loins is lust. Therefore, he, who wanted to eradicate the delight of lust from the heart, preached the words: gird up the loins of your mind (1 Pet. 1:13) 511. And when our old enemy tempts faithful people into lust, he certainly smites their loins. But this passage also deserves additional observation: for he does not simply say “he wounded my loins,” but he wounded my loins precisely together. For it is clear that when we say “together” we are not talking about one thing, but at least two or perhaps many. This is said because our old enemy does not lead us into sin without the participation of our will, therefore it is not simply said “he wounded our loins,” but it is said precisely “he wounded our loins together.” For while he does induce us to sin, we commit this sin by following our own will; and thus we actually “hurt ourselves together,” uniting for this with our enemy, because it is with him, and by our free will, that we come to commit an atrocity. And then it follows: he spared nothing; as if he said: “he never ceases to lead us into sin,” and then he poured out my bowels onto the earth. What else should we understand by the “bosom” of the Holy Church, if not those who have been honored with its internal Sacraments? But our old enemy, when he reveals worldly concerns to any of the believers who seemed to be initiated into the inner mysteries, of course, “pours out the depths on the earth,” because he tramples into earthly low things those who were previously in secret and spiritual practices. What follows: Verse 14. He crushed me breach by breach (Job 16:14) 512. 20. For he crushes the weak members of the Holy Church, breach by breach, when sin is added to sin, when one crime leads to another, even worse one. Thus, the one whose greed leads to theft, and theft leads to deception, so that the sin committed before is protected by a lie, what else happens to this person if not brokenness break after break? The prophet said this very well: curse and deceit, murder and theft, and adultery have overwhelmed, and bloodshed follows bloodshed (Hosea 4:2) 513. For here by the name "blood" sin is signified; therefore, the one who strives to be freed from sin exclaims in repentance: deliver me from blood (Ps. 50:16) 514. Thus, "bloodshed follows bloodshed" as sin is piled on sin; and while one sin is added to another sin, the power of our old enemy grows more and more terrible against us, therefore it is rightly added: He runs towards me like a giant (Job 16:14) 515. 21. It is easy to resist the enemy, if you disagree with him, it is better in many apostasies, or at least in one. But if the soul is accustomed to obeying his convictions, the more often she agrees with him, the more difficult it is for her to bear it later, because she does not have the strength to fight against him; therefore our wicked enemy, like a giant, runs towards us when we are overcome by a bad habit. But very often the Holy Church, even after sins have been committed, returns the minds of believers through repentance, and cleanses them from sin through acts of voluntary self-punishment. Therefore it is well said: Verse 15. I sewed sackcloth onto my skin, and covered my flesh with ashes (Job 16:15) 516. 22. What is to be understood by “sackcloth and ashes” if not repentance; and what is under “skin” and “flesh” if not the sin of the flesh? So, while there are people who, after departing from the flesh, came to repentance, it is as if they “sewed sackcloth onto the skin and covered the “flesh with ashes,” because the feeling of guilt for the flesh is covered with the ashes of repentance, which, however, should not be considered as the vengeance of a strict Judge. But the Holy Church, when she leads her weak members out of sin and brings them into a state of repentance, certainly helps with her tears so that they can regain strength in order to receive the grace of their Creator. And she continues to mourn through her strong members what she has not yet done for the weak, what still remains in them. That’s why he added well: Verse 16. My face is swollen with weeping (Job 16:16) 517. 23. For the “face” of the Holy Church are those who, having been installed in the office of rulers, are most open to the outer world, and their glorious appearance should be the honor of the faithful people, even if there is something deforming them in the body hidden from view. These same persons, who are installed over the people, must mourn the sins of those who go weakly, and punish themselves for the failures of others as if they were their own. And often when they see how some return with mercy after sin, and others remain in evil, they wonder at the secret plans of Almighty God, but cannot understand them. For they are dumb towards things they do not understand. And therefore he added rightly: And my eyelids darkened (Job 16:16) 518. 24. For they are rightly called “eyelids,” who provide inspection of the paths for the feet; but when even the rulers, looking, cannot understand the secret judgments of God, then the “eyelids” of the Holy Church “darken.” But, as I remember, I have often said that blessed Job, expressing the Holy Church, uses his voice at one time to speak for her body, and at another time his voice speaks for her Head; and speaking of her members, he raised his voice suddenly to speak the words of her Head. Therefore it is also added here: Verse 17. I suffered without malice in my hand, while I offered pure prayers to God (Job 16:17) 519. 25. He suffered without malice in His hand, He who committed no sin, and no flattery was found in His mouth (1 Peter 2:22) 520, and yet endured the pain of the Cross for our redemption. He who, being above all others, offered pure prayers to God in that even in the very anguish of His Passion He prayed for His persecutors, saying: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34) 521. For what can be described, what can be conceived in a purer way in prayer than that when even those at whose hands suffer pain are granted the mercy of intercession? And then it happened that this Blood of our Redeemer, which His persecutors, raging, shed, then many of them drank, and proclaimed Him the Son of God. Regarding this same Blood, it is also rightly added: Verse 18. O earth, do not hide my blood; and let my cry have no place to take refuge in you (Job.16:18) 522. 26. It was said to man when he committed a sin: You are earth, and to earth you will return (Gen. 3:19) 523, and this “earth” will not “hide the blood” of our Redeemer, because every sinner, each time taking into himself the price of redemption, confesses It, and gives praise, and admits before all his neighbors that he has done this. Moreover, “the earth will not hide His blood,” because the Holy Church is now preaching the mystery of His redemption in all parts of the world. And notice also that he added here: and let my cry have no place to take refuge in you. For the very Blood of atonement that is received is the “voice” of our Redeemer. Hence Paul says: and to the blood of sprinkling, which speaks better than the blood of Abel (Heb. 12:24) 524. This was said about the blood of Abel: The voice of your brother's blood cries to Me from the earth (Gen. 4:10) 525, but “The blood of Jesus speaks better than the blood of Abel,” because the blood of Abel brought death to his fratricide, but the Blood of the Lord brought life even to His persecutors. So, so that the Sacrament of the Passion of our Lord does not become ineffective in us, we are obliged to imitate what we take and preach to others what we praise. For His cry will be hidden within us only if our tongue remains silent about what our mind has believed. But His cry cannot be hidden within us if each of us, to the extent given to him, conveys to his neighbors the secret of his life. It is good to remember with inner vision the hour of the Passion of the Lord, when the Jews raged against Him in persecution, and the disciples fled from Him in alarm. For He, who seemed to die in the flesh, did not find a single wise man who would consider Him God. Therefore it is correctly added in this place: Verse 19. And now behold my witness in heaven, and the companion of my heart (“conscius Meus” - one who knows my mind) in the highest (Job 16:19) 526. 27. For when the Son was sent to earth, he had a witness for Him in heaven - the Father was a witness of the Son; in relation to Whom He Himself says in the Gospel: and the Father himself, who sent Me, Himself testified of Me (John 5:37) 527, Who is also rightly called “the companion of His heart,” because by one Will, and by one Judgment, the Father always acts in union with the Son. He is also His witness, because no one knows the Son except the Father (Matthew 11:27) 528. Thus He had a "witness in heaven," and a "companion of His heart" on high, when they who saw His death in the flesh kept their eyes closed, and did not see the power of His Divine nature; and while people did not know, but at the hour of death the Mediator between God and man knew that the Father was with Him. The same, however, can be applied to the voice of His Body. For the Holy Church endures the sufferings of this life so that supreme Grace may lead her on the path to eternal reward. She despises the death of her flesh because she goes to the glory of the resurrection; and what she suffers is temporary, and she waits patiently for the eternal, and of this eternal blessing she has no fear, for she already has a sure testimony of it in the glory of her Redeemer. For she sees the resurrection of His flesh, and is greatly strengthened by this in order to have hope that what she sees has already happened with her Head, she hopes, without doubt, will happen with His body, which she herself is. The psalmist, seeing that she is destined to continue in eternal perfection, describes this same Church under the name of the moon: Beautiful is the moon for eternity (Ps. 89:38) 529. And while the Resurrection of the Lord encourages her to strengthen the hope of the resurrection, he rightly added: And a faithful witness in heaven. So that she may not fear about her own resurrection, she has a Witness in heaven, Who has risen from the dead; and thus let the believing people, when she suffers from adversity, when she endures the pains of affliction, lift up their minds in the hope of the glory of faith, and believing in the resurrection of the Savior, let them say: And now behold my witness in heaven and my companion in the highest. Who is rightly called a “companion” if not the One who was familiar with our nature, not only by creating it, but also by taking it upon Himself. For His knowledge is received through the fact that He took it upon Himself. Where also the psalmist said: for He knows our composition (Ps. 102:14) 530. For what is surprising in this, and why is it specifically said that He knows our composition, when it is already clear that there is nothing that He does not know? This is done to indicate separately that His “knowledge of our composition” also comes from the fact that He took upon Himself our weakness. Moral and historical interpretations 28. Nevertheless, this voice may, together with the blessed Job, be appropriately applied to each of us, for every man, whose works are directed to the praise of men, seeks a “witness on earth,” but he, who wants to please Almighty God by his actions, looks to his “witness in heaven.” For it may often happen that even very good things in us are not appreciated due to the carelessness of people; but he who “has a witness in heaven” has no need to fear unjust human reproof. This further adds: Verse 20 My friends are full of words; but my eye sheds tears to God (Job 16:20) 531. 29. For what is signified by the eyes if not the intentions of the heart? as it is written: If your eye is clean, your whole body will be full of light (Matthew 6:22) 532. For when any thing is done with good intentions, an act with such intention holds no ground in the sight of God; and therefore, when friends are full of words, that is, when those people who are united with us in faith humiliate us, we must shed tears to God; that, being inclined, our heart may be pierced by inward love, and may lift itself up to the things of inward affairs, the more securely, the more outward reproaches it is forced to receive; for by this the heart turns itself to the internal, so as not to get lost in the external. What follows: Verse 21. Oh! If only a person could go to court with God as the son of man goes to court with his neighbors! (Job 16:21) 533. 30. We do always acknowledge that we are sinners, but often, when we are under punishment, we do not know for what sin in particular we are afflicted, and we sift our affairs, carefully considering, that we may in any way trace the cause of our smiting; and while these causes are for the most part hidden from us, our blindness becomes an additional heavy burden on us, and we suffer even more painfully. But any person who sues his neighbor openly accuses him of what he knows, and receives an answer, and strikes, and the defendant knows why he received the blow. But he who is punished by God, while he knows that he really received a blow, still does not know why he is beaten, as he himself has been told that he thinks about it, but does not know what can be said against him. Therefore, at present, he correctly said: Oh! If only a person could go to court with God as the son of man goes to court with his neighbors! It was as if it were expressed in simple words: “Just as I hear everything that I say, so I would like to hear everything that is said about me.” Which, however, can never be achieved in this life, for for this there is a great obstacle before the eyes of our hearts, for we cannot see not only the subtle nature of God, but even our simple weaknesses in themselves; but we must see Him with clarity, the One whom we now inquisitively try to consider, when this weakness goes away and we achieve the grace of inner contemplation, about which Paul says: for then I know, even as I am known (1 Cor. 13:12) 534. Therefore, blessed Job, seeing that this knowledge cannot be fully perfected here, really cries for the blindness of this life; and proceeds to his consolation, saying that this will soon end: Verse 22. Several years will pass, and I will go on a journey from which I will not return (Job 16:22) 535. 31. Every passing thing is truly short, even if it seems slow. And on the path to death we actually leave and do not return, and not because we will not be resurrected to the life of the flesh, but because we will no longer return to the labors of this earthly life and to deserve the reward of our labors. Verse 1. My spirit is weakened (Job 17:1) 536. 32. “My spirit is weakened” is said because of the fear of judgment; for the minds of the elect, the more they feel themselves approaching the final decision, the more they tremble greatly fearful in considering themselves; and if they find any carnal thoughts in themselves, they destroy them with fervent repentance; they do not suffer in their thoughts from carnal delight, for then they pass judgment on themselves and punish themselves the more severely, the more severe the punishment they expect from the hand of a strict Judge. Therefore, they always look at their departure as something that is very close. And the minds of the wicked do many evil things, for they think that they will live here long; and so the spirit of the righteous becomes thinner, but the spirit of the evil man becomes thicker. For to the extent that they swell within themselves with delight, they do not bother their spirit with internal work, and the righteous, while they are aware of the brevity of their lives, renounce the sin of pride and impurity. And therefore it is added: My days are fading away, and only the grave remains for me (Job 17:1) 537. 33. For the one who realizes himself that he is close to death is always afraid, and from that moment he ceases to live in his own eyes, and really begins to live in the eyes of his Creator; he abstains from all desires of real life and regards himself as almost dead, because he is fully aware that he is destined to die. For an ideal life is an imitation of death, and the more diligently righteousness is accepted in it, the more it avoids the traps of sins. Therefore it is written: whatever you take into your hands, remember your final end, and you will never sin (Sir.7:39) 538 and, therefore, blessed Job, seeing that his days are fading away, and emphasizing that only the grave remains, rightly adds: Verse 2. I have not sinned, and my eye is calm, but I have received bitterness (Job 17:2) 539. 34. It was as if he expressed himself in simple words: “I have not been guilty of sin, but I have gone through troubles.” But the question arises: seeing that in many places in this story he himself admits that he is guilty of sins, is his mind now touched by the thought of another and for some reason he now denies that he is a sinner? But this question quickly passes, for he clearly says that he did not sin to such an extent as to deserve such blows of the whip, but at the same time he does not at all say that he was able to remain without sin at all. But he was struck not for the correction of sin, but for the increase of grace, as the Judge Himself testifies, Who praises the one whom He Himself strikes. And again, he was not without sin, and he himself does not deny this, he who is highly valued by the Judge, and so valued precisely because he does not deny. But I think we should better understand these words as spoken by the voice of the Head. For our Redeemer, having come for our Redemption, was indeed not a sinner, and passed away bitterness, for, being without sin, He accepted the punishment for our sins, and with His voice he added: Verse 3. Set me free, and set me next to you, and let anyone's hand fight against me (Job 17:3) 540. 35. For He sinned neither in thought nor in deed: but He had to “abide in bitterness” during His Passion, He was “liberated” after the Resurrection, He was “placed next to” the Father after His Ascension; for having ascended into Heaven, He sits at the right hand of God. And because after the glory of His Ascension, Judea rebels in persecution of his disciples, it is rightly said here: and let anyone’s hand fight against me. For the madness of the persecutors poured out its wrath upon His members, and the flames of cruelty kindled against the lives of the believers; but where should the wicked be, or what should they do, while He whom they persecuted on earth is now seated in Heaven? Regarding them, it is also additionally added: Verse 4. Thou hast deprived their hearts of discipline ( Job 17:4 ) 541 . 36. For if they are acquainted with strict discipline, they never despise the commandments of our Savior, and even the mere mortal condition of their flesh itself becomes an awakening to love in the immortal life; even our exposure to the corruption of the flesh in this life accustoms us to discipline. For even such things as feeling discomfort from heat and cold, from hunger and thirst, being stricken with disease, and one day even passing from this existence, what else is all this if not the punishment for sin? Now there are some who are exposed to calamities, lesser or greater, and yet their lives never bring them into fear of Him who punishes them. Hence it is rightly said: You have deprived their hearts of discipline; because, although their body is under the blows of discipline, their heart is still far from discipline for as long as a person who has suffered from punishment does not come to humility. It can also be understood in this sense, as the Almighty and Merciful God "deprived their hearts of discipline," leaving them where they fell, if they fell of their own accord; for we also say to Him in prayer: And lead us not into temptation, i.e. “Never subject us to the pain of falling into temptation.” Therefore it continues: Therefore they will not be exalted ( Job 17:4 ) 542 . 37. For if the heart is in discipline, it will strive for things higher, and it will not run with its mouth open to get passing things, even if they are good. Therefore, about those whose hearts are not under discipline, he correctly said: therefore they will not rise, for having sunk generally into lower pleasures, they, even desiring the good things of earth, will never raise their hearts to the joy of Paradise; they would rise if they lifted their minds to the hope of the Heavenly Country; but they who do not make it their chief business to guard their way in discipline, either in their desires lie low in low things, or, what is more difficult, lying low, they exalt themselves on earth because of transitory things. And such can be raised, but cannot be exalted, for they are sunk even deeper by the very fact that they have exalted themselves; and so a heart that is kept without discipline cannot be elevated, because the human mind, when elevated incorrectly, is forced to fall down, and forced by discipline to right things, it rises to a height. What follows: Verse 5. He promises sacrifice to his friends; and the eyes of his children will perish (Job 17:5) 543. 38. After blessed Job uttered a phrase referring to the multitude of sinners, i.e. to the body of our old enemy, he passes directly to their leader himself, that is, the head of all the children of perdition, and returns from the plural to the singular: for the devil and all evil men are so one, that it very often happens that the body is called by the name of the head, and the head is called by the words which are used for the body. So, for example, the body is equated to the name of the head when it is said about a bad person: and one of you is the devil (John 6:70) 544. And again the head is indicated by the name of the body, when he spoke of the apostate Angel himself, “man,” the enemy did it. (Matthew 13:28) 545. Thus, the prince of all the wicked has some of his members as “friends” and some as “children.” For who are his companions, these apostate Angels who fell with him from the Heavenly Country? Or what are they if not his children, those wicked people who are born of his evil conviction in the practice of iniquity? Therefore, it is also said in the voice of Truth for unbelievers: you are from your father the devil (John 8:44) 546. 39. So the evil author of sin promises a “sacrifice” to his “friends,” because he promises to evil spirits the souls of bad people to be captured in their final end; and the eyes of his children will perish, because while he sets in men the purpose of seeking only earthly things, he makes them love what they cannot hold for long: for he cannot remain in erroneous love who knows that both he and what he loves are very quickly coming to an end. It may also be that “friends” perhaps designate all those who are the most cruel and already full of every kind of lawlessness; and children are those who are only deceived by the promises of temporary things, and are now only approaching greater wickedness; in other words, the devil defines them, as it were, according to the level of wickedness achieved: to “friends” - those who at the present time can no longer grow in destruction, having reached the limit, and to the “children” of those whom he still feeds with promises, so that they can move on in their progress to worse practices. But “the eyes of his children will perish” because as a result of the evil fall to the ground, everything that they previously had here, they leave behind, and suffer endlessly, and are forever filled with grief. What follows: Verse 6. He has made me a laughing stock among men, and I am an example to them ( Job 17:6 ) 547 . 40. Let this be said by blessed Job in his own name, and in the voice of all the elect. For all who have suffered from the scourge, as it really is, “become the laughing stock of men,” because every fool, when he wishes to curse someone, denounces his curse as wishing upon his adversary those temporary sufferings which, as he sees, have befallen the righteous. And so it happens that people, not endowed with correct perception, put the injured righteous man as a negative example, and see his punishment only as a reason for his condemnation, and not as the glory that is kept for him. What follows: Verse 7. My eye is dimmed from indignation, and all my members seem to come to naught (Job 17:7) 548. 41. For "the eye grows dim with indignation" when those who enter into the body of the Lord, that is, the Church, and who are endued with the light of truth, while they see themselves long despised and humiliated by the wicked, are lost in amazement at the incomprehensibility of the judgment, and fail in the attempt to understand the mystery of God: for what reason is it that the wicked prevail over innocent good men? For who is not amazed when Herodias, taking advantage of her daughter’s dance, receives, at the command of the drunken king, the head of the Friend of the Bridegroom (John 3:29) 549, the Prophet, and more than the Prophet (Luke 7:26) 550, which is brought before the faces of the guests? And while the righteous “the eye grows dim with indignation,” the weak often fall into infidelity; therefore he added: and all my members, as it were, come to naught. For by the words "members" are often meant the weak ones, who, while they see bad men prospering and good men suffering, sometimes come to regret that they began to follow the path of good works; and return to evil deeds, as if in a hurry, so that the good that they began does not bring harm to their temporary life. But this statement of his, the eye dims with indignation, he explains in more detailed words when he adds: Verse 8. The righteous people will be troubled by this, and the innocent will stand up against the hypocrite (Job 17:8) 551. 42. In this place, "innocent" can denote the still imperfect righteous who have already begun to advance in good deeds and have disciplined the mind sufficiently not to harm others, but cannot yet do anything perfectly themselves; and therefore the hearts of the weak, while they see the prosperity of wicked men in this present life, are kindled with envy (for a man is the more envious of others who have a thing, the less he despises that thing in itself.) The innocent will rise up against the hypocrite, when he who is already innocent enough not to injure others is jealous of the glory of the hypocrite. But if in this passage the "innocent" are understood to be those who are already perfect in virtue, "the innocent will rise up against the hypocrite," it must be understood that when the innocent sees the prosperity of the hypocrite, he will not desire it for himself, and will preach and directly tell others that such prosperity should be despised the more, the more obviously it eagerly seeks things that cannot abide with it for long, and to this point of view the following is also added: Verse 9. The righteous man must hold fast to his way, and with clean hands he will gain strength (Job 17:9) 552. 43. In the context of the conversation about the hypocrite, "the righteous man should hold fast to his way" in that while he sees that a person with an evil will receives the things of the world, he himself binds himself more strongly in the love of heavenly things, knowing that if he covets earthly things, then eternal rewards will not be desired, and that bad and two-faced hearts will not renounce temporal things; from this circumstance it follows that “and with pure hands he will increase in strength” because, seeing how bad people win temporary glory, he brings his good deeds to perfection, and looks down on temporary things from a greater height, the more he sees them in abundance among evil people. For he sees how much these things deserve to be despised, those things with which Almighty God rewards even bad people: if they were unquestionably great gifts, the Creator would never have honored His opponents with them; and, therefore, he considers it all the more unworthy for himself to desire the same earthly good, the more he sees it in abundance even among the wicked; but he applies his mind to the conquest of heavenly goods, which can never be compatible with the children of perdition. Thus, after he had presented the external achievements of the wicked, and the internal achievements of the righteous, he spoke words of exhortation, saying: Verse 10. But all of you, will you turn and come (Job 17:10) 553. 44. He rightly addresses these words of exhortation to the elect whom he calls into the eternal world; to whom he proposes two main actions, namely, that they must “turn,” and that they must “come.” They must “turn” by faith, and “come” by works. Or, they will actually “turn” by giving up evil deeds and “come” by doing good deeds; as it is written: depart from evil and do good (Ps. 36:27) 554, but it is surprising that it is added: And perhaps I will not find a wise man among you (Job 17:10). 45. What does it mean that he calls them to wisdom, and yet wishes that he could not find a wise one among them, if not that they cannot come to true wisdom, they who are deceived by the confidence of their own false wisdom? Regarding which it is written: Woe to you who are wise in your own eyes and understanding in your own eyes (Isa. 5:21) 555; and to whom he again said: Do not dream about yourselves (Rom. 12:16) 556; therefore the same great preacher sought that those whom he found carnally wise, in order that they might attain true wisdom, should first become fools, saying: If any man among you thinketh to be wise in this age, let him be foolish, that he may be wise (1 Cor. 3:18) 557. And the Truth Itself also says: I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You hid this from the wise and prudent, and You revealed it to babes (Matthew 11:25) 558. So, because they, who are wise in themselves, cannot come to true wisdom, blessed Job, caring for the transformation of his hearers, rightly wishes that he could not “find a wise man among them.” It was as if he had said to them in ordinary speech, “Learn to be foolish in yourselves so that you can be truly wise in God.” Verse 11. My days disappear, my thoughts are scattered, tormenting my heart (Job 17:11) 559. Allegorical and moral interpretations 46. ​​The Holy Church of the Chosen sees that the spaces of her life pass in periods of day and night, that the time when she is in trouble is her “night”, and the time of prosperity is her “day”. For the light rises for her in the calm of peace, and the night falls in the grief of persecution. Now, as often as after a time of peace she returns to a time of persecution that increases against her, she testifies that her “days are passing away”; however, bearing the burdens of difficult times, she knows that she receives them as much as the Judge demanded of her in calculation for the quiet time. For in the calm state of the world, in due course it receives a large influx of souls, and then begins to take care of earthly things, and this care of earthly things becomes a burden on the minds of good people to the extent that in being occupied with it, they are torn, even if for a short time, from looking at things heavenly. Therefore, blessed Job, whether in his own voice, or in the voice of the Universal Church, after the testimony that his “days are disappearing,” adds: my thoughts are scattered, tormenting my heart. For when temporal glory comes to the mind of a good man, though it be a kind of payment for the management of earthly affairs, yet it becomes a torture to him in his thoughts; for such people are always directed upward in humility to perceive heavenly things, and by this circumstance that sometimes in their earthly duties of service they must descend and accept the thought of the lowest matters, they feel as if under torture. However, even the greatest hostility of persecution is replaced by a powerful exultation of joy, and comforts the heart of the faithful. Therefore he rightly adds: Verse 12. They turned night into day (Job 17:12) 560. 47. For “absent-minded thoughts turn night into day,” because sometimes the righteous are more grateful to go through hardships than to receive the effect of prosperity as a result of earthly service. But since they have already learned that adversity passes and the dawn of prosperity comes again, this is rightly added: And again after darkness I seek light (Job 17:12) 561. 48. For “light is after darkness,” because after the night of this life, eternal light is seen, or also because adversity and prosperity here do not cease to replace each other in turn. Therefore, it happens that even in the darkness of the night one can assume light, and in the light one can assume imminent darkness; as when he wrote: on the day of prosperity do not forget about sorrows, and on the day of sorrow do not forget about prosperity (Sir.11:25) 562. But remember, knowing that we have once been redeemed by the grace of our Creator, we continue to have the benefit of heavenly consecration, in that when we are removed from the habitation of our flesh, we immediately receive heavenly rewards; our Creator and Redeemer, piercing hell, brought out the souls of the elect, and He does not allow us to go to where He has already brought others to freedom. But those who were sent into this world before His Coming was accomplished, regardless of the glory of righteousness which they had attained, could not immediately after being deprived of their bodies be admitted into the bosom of the Heavenly Country; and blessed Job saw that He had not yet come, He who, by His descent, was to tear down the locks of hell, and determine the souls of the righteous to their eternal place. Therefore, blessed Job, feeling the progress of grief, and knowing that the reward of the righteous is still delayed, rightly adds: Verse 13. If I wait, the grave is my home; and I will make my bed in darkness (Job 17:13) 563. 49. For the Holy people of antiquity, even after going through adversity, could not yet, having left the flesh, be immediately freed from the abyss of hell; for He had not yet come, the One who was to descend into it without sin, to free those who were there bound by sin. Sinful man "made his bed in darkness" when he abandoned the light of righteousness, agreeing to the cunning admonitions of the tempter. But the souls of the righteous, being placed in the abysses of hell, were preserved in this prison without torment, because for original sin they had to still go down, but still for the light of their own deeds - not to be punished there. Therefore, in relation to the righteous, “making your bed in darkness” means preparing a place without torment in hell. For it was still a grave full of sadness for the elect: after leaving the flesh they could not see the likeness of the Creator. And blessed Job rightly defines this sadness as “darkness.” But while this happened as a punishment for weakness, he rightly adds what exactly this weakness is, saying: Verse 14. I say to corruption: you are my father, and to the worm: you are my mother and sister (Job 17:14) 564. 50. What does it mean when he said to decay: you are my father; if not that every person comes here already having an origin damaged by sin? And therefore, let him add: and to the worm: you are my mother and sister; this suggests that we came into this world from corruption, and along with this corruption. For it is said about the corruption of our flesh that the worm is our “mother and sister,” because we come out of corruptible flesh and walk our entire path here along with the corruption that we carry within ourselves. And if we understand this in an allegorical sense, then nature is rightly called our “mother”, and habit is called “sister”, because we come from the first, and go through life together with the second; and these “mother and sister” are really “worms”, because, due to the corruption of our nature and evil habits, we receive a kind of “worms” in the form of disturbing thoughts that seem to gnaw at our mind. For both the corruptible nature of the flesh and bad habits, because they produce countless worries in our weakness, are rightly called “our mother and sister worm.” For worries “gnaw at the mind” while they torment it. But the righteous did not stop carefully looking for ideas and advice on what to do, and thoughtfully considering where they were destined to go after this life. And because the elect saw that before the coming of the Lord they would be in the snares of this life and still, after this life, would not yet receive a heavenly reward, they were subject to many thoughts of the heart. For they waited for the mercy of the Redeemer, but, living in the flesh, they could not achieve it. Therefore he rightly added: Verse 15 Where is my expectation now? (Job 17:15) 565. 51. What could be the “expectation” for the righteous, if not God, who justifies the righteous, who must freely descend (what was) to punished humanity, and by His Righteousness set free the captives of death? For they never ceased to wait for His appearing; they knew it was going to happen and they wanted it to come quickly. Therefore, he does not simply say: “Where is my expectation?”, he says precisely “Where is my expectation now?” For by adding this now, he showed that what will happen one day, he wants to happen now without delay. And then he continues: And who sees my patience? ( Job 17:15 ). 52. While in the flesh, he expressed an ardent desire to be redeemed and brought out of hell into the upper one. And indeed, he is one of the few people who have considered these things, who have reflected on the labors of the present life, and also on the subsequent delay of reward after death. Both of these thoughts are bitter and true for the time that preceded the coming of our Redeemer. And, therefore, he correctly said: and who sees my patience? For truly He alone “sees patience.” But when God does not hear quickly, they may say that He does not “see.” For, speaking of the coming of the Redeemer of mankind for those who came first from the beginning of the world, it was indeed a long wait, that for a long period of time they were separated from receiving heavenly things, as the Truth Itself testifies, which says: Many prophets and kings desired to see these things which you see, and did not see them (Luke 10:24) 566. And so what he says: whoever sees my patience is full of the breath of ardent desire. For, as we have said before, God sees the patience of the righteous; and the fact that He does not “see” only means that the answer to their aspirations and ardent desires does not appear quickly, but after long periods of time, delaying grace according to His Providence. Therefore let him say: who sees my patience? because what is quick for Him who rules is long for him who loves. And still reflecting on the hardships of this delay, he repeats what he had said before; and, knowing that he is destined to sink lower, he redoubles the voice of his grief, saying: Verse 16. All that is mine must descend into the lowest hell (Job 17:16) 567. 53. While it is known that the righteous were imprisoned not in places of punishment, but in places of peace above, the important question becomes before us why blessed Job declares, saying: All mine must descend into the lowest hell; who were there until the appearance of the Mediator between God and man, Who, although he was supposed to descend into hell, but about Whom it is clear that He will not descend into lower hell. Why does he call the highest parts of hell, “lower hell”? Obviously, because in relation to the elevation of the sky, any region below the sky can only justly be called the inferior region. Therefore, when the apostate Angels were expelled from the places of heaven into this dark region, the Apostle Peter says: For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but delivered them, binding them with hellish chains of darkness, into hell, to be punished in the Judgment (2 Pet. 2:4) 568. If then, relative to the height of the sky, this dark region is low, relative to the height of this region, the earth that lies below can be called low; and relative to the height of this earth, even those parts of hell which are a little higher than other parts of it may, quite appropriately, be designated as the lowest hell. 54. But what is even more amazing is that he says “all that I have will do”; for while one soul must descend into the regions of hell, why does a holy man say that "all his" will descend, unless because he sees himself only there where he will receive his reward? seeing that he leaves everything meaningless on earth until the moment he returns to the incorruptibility of the Resurrection, he does not feel like himself. And therefore he declares that not he, but “all of him will descend into the lowest hell.” Or, of course, “all of him will descend into hell,” because, although the main reward for all his labors is yet to be expected, he is now placed in the quiet regions of hell; and everything he did, as it were, “descends” there with him, because, being in hell, he still receives peace for all his labors. Therefore, he further introduces, speaking about this expected peace, saying the following: Do you think that at least there is peace for me there? (Job 17:16) 569. 55. With these words he simultaneously makes it known that he desires this, and yet notes that he still doubts that he will receive peace; he who, being holy in deeds, has received so many disasters, by the secret decision of the heavenly Judge, after temporary disasters, expresses the fear that he may receive further torment. By this he obliges us, who are now assured of the security of eternal rest, to consider everything with exceeding fear, since even he trembles with the uncertainty of receiving it, he whose virtue has been glorified by the Judge himself, who yet Himself says: For if the righteous scarcely escape, where must the sinner, and the wicked, be? (1 Peter 4:18) 570. For blessed Job may have known that he would have rest after the strokes of affliction, but that he might squeeze our hearts in fear, he himself seemed to doubt of receiving Eternal rest, when he says: Thinkest thou? It is clear that we must think with extreme apprehension and fear of the coming Judgment, if even the one who received the high praise of the Judge was still not, in his own words, confident of the rewards of the Judgment. I heard a lot of this; you are all pathetic comforters! ...you are all pathetic comforters! Will there be an end to windy words? and what prompted you to answer like that? ... and what prompted you to answer like that? And I could speak the same way as you, if your soul were in the place of my soul; I would attack you with words and would nod my head at you. ... if your soul were in the place of my soul; I would attack you with words and would nod my head at you; I would support you with my tongue and with the movement of my lips I would console you. Do not, Lord, give what the wicked wants; do not give success to his evil plan: they will become proud. and those who seem to us less noble in body, we take more care of; and our unseemly ones are covered more plausibly, but our good-looking ones have no need for it. But God proportioned the body, instilling greater care for the less perfect. If I speak, my sorrow will not be satisfied; Do I stop what is leaving me? But now He has exhausted me. You destroyed my entire family. You have covered me with wrinkles as a testimony against me; My exhaustion rises up against me and reproaches me to my face. to present it to Himself as a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it might be holy and without blemish. ...my exhaustion rises up against me and reproaches me to my face. because our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spirits of wickedness in high places. His anger torments and enmities against me, gnashing its teeth at me; my enemy will sharpen his eyes on me. A biblical musical instrument consisting of two metal bowls that, when struck against each other, produce a sharp ringing sound (Ushakov’s Explanatory Dictionary). Woe to the land that spreads its wings on the other side of the Ethiopian rivers, sending messengers across the sea and in papyrus vessels across the waters! Go, swift ambassadors, to a strong and vigorous people, to a terrible people from the beginning to this day, to a tall people who trample on everything, whose land is cut by rivers. They opened their mouths on me; swearing they hit me on the cheeks; everyone conspired against me. ... swearing and hitting me on the cheeks; everyone conspired against me. He weeps bitterly at night, and his tears are on his cheeks. He has no comforter among all those who loved him; all his friends betrayed him and became his enemies. And a voice came to him: Arise, Peter, kill and eat. And Samson said: With the jawbone of a donkey, two crowds, with the jawbone of a donkey I killed a thousand people. God gave me over to the wicked and threw me into the hands of the wicked. I was calm, but He shook me; took me by the neck and beat me and made me a target for Himself.? …took me by the neck and beat me and made me a target for Himself. Instead of you being forsaken and hated, so that no one passed through (you), I will make you greatness forever, a joy throughout all generations. so that no one will be shaken in these sorrows: for you yourselves know that this is how we are destined. His archers surrounded me; He cuts my insides and does not spare, he spilled my bile on the ground. Therefore, (beloved), having girded up the loins of your mind, being watchful, have complete confidence in the grace given to you at the appearing of Jesus Christ. breaks through breach after breach in me, runs towards me like a warrior. Swearing and deceit, murder and theft, and adultery have become extremely widespread, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation, and my tongue will praise Your righteousness. ...runs towards me like a warrior. I sewed sackcloth on my skin and laid my head in dust. My face is purple from crying, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death. ... and on my eyelids is the shadow of death. despite all that there is no theft in my hands, and my prayer is pure. He committed no sin, and no flattery was in His mouth. Jesus said: Father! forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. And they divided His garments by casting lots. Earth! do not cover up my blood, and let there be no place for my cry. By the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground from which you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you will return. and to the Mediator of the new covenant, Jesus, and to the sprinkled Blood, which speaks better than Abel. And (the Lord) said: What have you done? the voice of your brother's blood cries to Me from the earth; And now here is my Witness in heaven, and my Protector in the highest! And the Father who sent Me testified about Me. But you have never heard His voice, nor seen His face. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father; and no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wants to reveal it. He will forever be firm as the moon and a faithful witness in heaven. For He knows our composition, He remembers that we are dust. My long-winded friends! My eye goes to God. The lamp for the body is the eye. So, if your eye is clean, your whole body will be bright. Oh, that man could have a rivalry with God, as the son of man has with his neighbor! Now we see, as if through a (dull) glass, fortune-telling, but then face to face; Now I know in part, but then I will know, even as I am known. For my years are coming to an end, and I am setting off on a path of no return. My breathing weakened; my days are fading; the coffins are before me. ...my days are fading; the coffins are before me. In all your deeds remember your end, and you will never sin. If it were not for their ridicule, then even among their disputes my eye would remain calm. Intercede, vouch (Yourself) for me before Yourself! otherwise who will vouch for me? For You have closed their hearts from understanding, and therefore You will not allow (them) to triumph. ... and therefore you will not allow (them) to triumph. He who condemns his friends to prey, the eyes of his children grow dry. Jesus answered them: Have I not chosen you twelve? but one of you is the devil. He said to them, “The enemy of man has done this.” And the slaves said to him: Do you want us to go and choose them? Your father is the devil; and you want to do the lusts of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and did not stand in the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks his own way, for he is a liar and the father of lies. He made me a byword for the people and a laughing stock for them. My eye is darkened with grief, and all my members are like a shadow. He who has the bride is the groom, and the friend of the groom, standing and listening to him, rejoices with joy, hearing the voice of the groom. This is my joy fulfilled. What did you go to see? a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. The righteous will be amazed at this, and the innocent will be indignant at the hypocrite. But the righteous will hold fast to his way, and the pure with hands will be strengthened more and more. Listen, all of you, and come; I will not find a wise man among you. Avoid evil and do good, and you will live forever. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and understanding in themselves! Be of the same mind among yourselves; do not be arrogant, but follow the humble; don't dream about yourself. No one should deceive himself. If any of you thinks to be wise in this age, let him be foolish in order to be wise. At that time, continuing his speech, Jesus said: I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. My days are gone; my thoughts - the property of my heart - are broken. And they (want) to turn night into day, to bring light closer to the face of darkness. ...bring the light closer to the face of darkness. In days of happiness, there is forgetfulness of misfortune, and in days of misfortune, happiness is not remembered. Even if I began to wait, then the underworld is my home; in the darkness I will make my bed. I will say to the coffin: you are my father, to the worm: you are my mother and my sister. Where is my hope after this? and who will see what I expect? For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see and did not see, and to hear what you hear and did not hear. She will descend to the underworld and will rest with me in the dust. For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but, having bound them in the bonds of hellish darkness, he handed them over to be judged for punishment. And if the righteous are barely saved, then where will the wicked and sinful appear?