MORAL. 218 'Wayfarers' here see most truly. JOB 21, of the wicked man, it is rightly premised, Ask any one of the wayfarers, and ye shall know that he understandeth these same things. For he is called a 'wayfarer,' who minds that the present life is to him a way and not a native land, who thinks it beneath him to fix his heart on the love of this passing state of being, who longs, not to continue in a transitory scene of things, but to reach the eternal world. For he that does not aim to be a wayfarer in this world, is far from setting at nought this world's good fortune, and when he sees those things which he himself covets abounding to others, he wonders. Hence the Prophet David, as he had already passed in heart from the love of the present world, Ps. 37, in describing the glory of the wicked man, said; I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading like a green bay tree. But because he did not submit his heart to this world, he justly looked down upon him, saying, I passed on, but, lo, he was not. For the wicked man would have been something in his esteem, if he had not himself passed on in the bent of his mind from this present scene. But this man, Oxf. who to one not passing by' would have been something great, to one' passing by' in mind, how little he was, was qui.' shewn; in that whilst everlasting retribution is thought on, 35. 36. Mss. read 3. 12. it is seen how little present glory is. Hence Moses, when he was seeking the glory of heavenly contemplation, said, Exod.3, I will now pass on, and see this great sight. For except he had withdrawn the footstep of the heart from the love of the world, he would never have been able to understand things above. Hence Jeremiah entreating for the sorrow Lam. 1, of his heart to be taken thought on, saith, All ye that pass by, Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow! For they who do not pass through the present life like a way, but think on it as their country, are unskilled to take in with the mind's eye the sorrow of heart of the Elect. These persons therefore the Prophet looks out, that they may view his sorrow, whose it was not to have set fast their mind in this world. Hence it is said by Solomon, Open thy mouth for the dumb, and in the cause of all such as are passing by. For those are called the dumb,' who never set themselves against the Preacher's words by gainsaying them; who are also persons 'passing by,' in that they disdain to fix Boldness required to rebuke the evil one to his face. 219 XV. the bent of their mind in the love of the present life. Book Therefore that the bad man is being 'reserved for the day of perdition,' and 'brought to the day of fury,' this thing there is none but he who is a wayfarer' that understandeth, in that he that has set his heart in the present scene of things does not find out the punishments that follow the wicked man. Of whom it is still further added; Ver. 31. Who shall reprove his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done? 69. Often that wrath of God, which the wicked man is to lviii. suffer for ever, even while placed in this life too he is made to experience, whilst he loses the good fortune that he loves, and meets with the adversity that he dreads. And though even in prosperity he may be rebuked for his wickednesses by the tongue of the righteous, yet we know that it is when his evil deeds bring the bad man to the earth, that the reproof of the righteous gains force. But in what sense is it now said, Who shall reprove his way to his face? seeing that the righteous even holding their peace this too is well known, that so often is the way of the wicked man reproved to his face' here, as often as his prosperity is disturbed by adversity intervening. But blessed Job, while he was speaking of the body of all the wicked, suddenly turns his words to the head of all the wicked. For he saw that at the end of the world Satan entering into the man, whom Holy Scripture calls Antichrist, is lifted up with such exaltation, lords it with such power, is exalted with such wonderful signs and marvels in the exhibiting of holiness, that his deeds cannot be charged home to him by man, in that with the power of terribleness he likewise unites the signs of holiness which is exhibited, and he says, Who shall reprove his way to his face? Who,' that is to say, ' of mankind may dare to rebuke him? whose face does he dread to endure1? Yet not only or, the sight of Elijah and Enoch who are brought forward for the rebuking whomhe of him, but even all the Elect " reprove his way to his face,' whilst they shew contempt, and whilst by excellence of mind they oppose his wickedness. But because this they do by divine grace and not by their own powers, it is rightly said now, Who shall reprove his way before his face? For 'who' is there save God, by whose aid the Elect are sup ⚫ dreads.' 9. 1. 220 God alone the reprover of Antichrist. JOB 21, ported to have power to withstand him? For sometimes 32. in Holy Scripture, when in asking a question the word PROPH. who' is put, the Almighty is denoted. Hence it is Gen.49, written, Who shall raise him up? Of Whom it is said Gal. 1, by Paul, Whom God raised from the dead. In respect then that holy men oppose themselves to his wickedness, it is not themselves, that'reprove his way,' but it is He, by Whose grace they are strengthened, and whereas his presence, wherewith he will come in man, will be much more dreadful in persecution than it is now, when he is not seen at all, in that he is not as yet preeminently borne by that special vessel of his, it is well said, before his face. For there are many now who judge and rebuke the ways of Antichrist, but this they do as it were in his absence, in that they rebuke him whom they do not as yet in a special manner see. But when he shall come in that damned man, whoever withstands his presence, reproves his way before his face,' the powers of whom he at once sees and sets at nought. Or surely, to reprove his way before his face' is to disturb the prosperity of his course by the interrupting of eternal punishment. Which thing because the Lord alone is to do by His own might, of Whom it is written, Whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming, it is rightly said, Who shall reprove his way before his face? And hence the words follow, And who shall repay him what he hath done? Who, truly, save the Lord, Who alone shall repay that lost man what he hath done,' when by His coming He shall dash in pieces his exceeding mighty power with eternal damnation? But what this exalted prince of the wicked is about, as long as he is in this life, let us hear. It goes on; Ver. 32. He shall be brought to the graves, and in the heap of the dead bodies he shall watch. 2 Thess. 2, 8. lix. 6 70. Whereas graves cover dead bodies, what else is denoted by the graves' but the lost, in whom their souls extinct of the life of blessedness lie as in graves? Thus this wicked one shall be brought to the graves,' in that he shall be admitted in the hearts of the wicked, in that they only admit him, in whom are found souls dead to God, concerning whom it is rightly said by the Prophet likewise where his XV. The wicked are pebbles in the stream of helpless sorrow. 221 punishments are described, His graves are about him, all the Book slain, and those that fell by the sword. For they in hell are about him,' in whom that evil spirit lies dead, which same fell, having been slain by the sword of his wickedness. Whence it is written, Who hast delivered David Thy servant from the hurtful sword. And it is rightly said, in the heap of the dead bodies he shall watch, in that now in the assembly of sinners he puts forth the artifices of his cunning. And on this account, that in the world there is a scarcity of good men, and a multitude of bad, it is rightly called 'the heap of dead bodies,' that the very multitude of the wicked might be denoted. For broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, Mat. 7, and many there be that go in thereat. So Satan's ‘keeping watch in the heap of dead bodies,' is his exercising the wiles of his wickedness in the hearts of the children of perdition. Of whom it is yet further added; Ver. 33. He was sweet to the pebbles of Cocytus. 13. 71. 'Cocytus' in the Greek tongue is the term for 'lament- lx. ation,' which is used to be taken for the lamentation of women, or any persons going weakly. Now the wise of this world being shut out from the light of truth, endeavoured by making search to hold a kind of shadows of truth. Hence they thought that the river Cocytus ran amongst the dead below, clearly denoting that they that commit deeds worthy of painful inflictions, run to an end into hell unto lamentation. But for ourselves let us make little of the shadow of carnal wisdom, who now hold the light relating to the truth, and let us see that in the utterance of the holy man 'Cocytus' means the lamentation of the weak sort. For it is written, Be of good courage, and let your heart be strengthened. Ps. 31, For they who refuse to be 'strengthened' in God, are going the way to lamentation through weakness of the mind. Now we are used to call by the name of pebbles the little stones of rivers, which the water in running away carries along with it. What then is denoted by the pebbles of Cocytus, but the lost, who, being devoted to their gratifications, are as it were ever being dragged by the river down to the lowest depth. For they that refuse to stand strong and stedfast against the pleasures of this life, become 'pebbles of Cocytus,' who by their slippings day by day are going the way to lamentation, 24. 32. PROPH. 222 The evil sweet to the perishing, scorned by the Elect. JOB 21, that they may hereafter mourn for everlasting, who now indulgently give themselves a loose in their pleasures. And whereas our old enemy, having entered into his vessel, that son of perdition, whilst he bestows gifts on the wicked, whilst he exalts them with honours in this world, whilst he exhibits marvels to their eyes, has all drifting souls admiring and following him in his marvels, it is said well of him here, He was sweet to the pebbles of Cocytus. For whilst the Elect despise him, whilst they spurn him with the foot of the mind, those love while they follow him, who are as it were drawn by the water of pleasure to everlasting lamentation, who from earthly concupiscence roll down to the lowest depth like gravel, by slippings day by day. For to some he proffers the taste of his sweetness through pride, to others through avarice; to one set by envy, to another by deceitfulness, and to another by lust, and for all the kinds of evil that he forces men to, he presents to them so many draughts of his sweetness. For when he prompts any thing proud in the heart, the thing becomes sweet that he says, because the wicked man longs to appear advanced above the rest of the world. Whilst he strives to infuse avarice into the mind, that which he speaks in secret becomes sweet, because by abundance need is avoided. When he suggests any thing to do with envy, what he says is rendered sweet, in that when the froward mind sees another go off, it exults in not appearing at all inferior to him. When it prompts any thing to do with deceitfulness, what it says is made sweet, seeing that by this alone, that it deceives the rest of the world, it appears to itself to be wise. When it speaks lust to the seduced soul, what it recommends is rendered sweet, in that it dissolves the soul in pleasure. Therefore, for all the evil propensities that it insinuates into the hearts of carnal men, it as it were holds out to them so many draughts of its sweetness; which same sweetness, however, as I have before said, none receive save they, who being devoted to present gratifications, are drawn to everlasting lamentation. And so it is well said, He was sweet to the pebbles of Cocytus; seeing that he is bitter to the Elect and sweet to the lost. For them only does he feed with his delights, whom by daily slippings he is urging to |