For when good people speak, there are two points that they regard in their discourse (viz., that they should be of use to themselves and their hearers, or to themselves alone), if they are unable to be of use to their hearers. For when the good things they deliver are heard with good purpose, they benefit both themselves and their hearers. But even when they are turned to ridicule by the hearer, doubtless they were of use to themselves, by no longer consenting to the sin of silence. And so let blessed Job, that he might serve both himself and his hearers, speak the words, Hear, I pray you, my speech, and practice repentance. In order that he may discharge himself of the obligation that he owes, even if he is unable to avail his hearers, he adds, Suffer me that I speak; and after my words, if it shall seem so, laugh. I observe that whereas he added, and practice repentance, he first premised, Hear, but when he added the words and after my words, if it shall seem so, laugh, he premised, Permit me to speak; for hearing is of one who acts of free will, but bearing of one who acts against his own inclination. And so if his friends desire to be taught, let them hear, but if they are ready to mock, let them suffer the things that are said seeing that to a proud mind instruction in humility is a grievous and onerous weight.

Let us admit, he says, that I am iniquitous and impious; but I gain no profit from these remarks and know that you will mock me; therefore, I do not yield. And what! he says, is it a mortal who blames me? that is, no mortal can blame me. I am not fighting against a man. When I think of it, I am dismayed and pains seize my flesh. Notice how he always stands up, how he puts forward his sufferings, how he indicates the reason for the terrible words he is going to speak, because he does not talk in this manner by himself or from a fixed position but because his soul is dismayed and his thoughts are darkened.

Certainly God does not cease from benefiting the wicked, in order to show that he has no hate against them, so that they may not say, Since God hates us, he will never open the door of repentance to us. And while he severely and sternly acts with the righteous, he nevertheless offers his love to the unrighteous. The rewards to be granted in time for [righteous] virtues are the future signs of the good works they do.

Since you believe to be wise and to know the reason why I suffer these afflictions, now answer my question. Why does it happen that very often many impious persons reach an old age in their wealth?. . . Their fields produce large crops, and they are delighted by their children and enjoy a constant abundance. They fear no one and receive no blow sent them by God. Their plowing cow does not give birth to an immature fetus, that is, it does not generate an imperfect or dead fetus, and their wives have no miscarriages. And they remain in prosperity like a flock, that is, free from care.

And they remain as eternal sheep.^[1] What is the meaning of these words? They are those words that Christ spoke, My sheep hear my voice, and I give them eternal life.^[2] The faithful are the eternal sheep; the heretics are imitators. They want to imitate the flock of Christ. They ordain their own bishops, presbyters, deacons, doctors, congregation and catechumens, and by imitating the eternal sheep they fulfill the prediction, And they appear as eternal sheep. They clearly are not eternal sheep but appear as eternal sheep.

And their children play before them, taking up the psaltery and harp.^[1] Our children take up the psaltery and the harp, praising and glorifying God. But their [the heretics’] children, who are foolish in themselves, also play taking up the psaltery and the harp. Every time they usurp the words of the Old Testament, they play and mock the oracles of the Law and the Prophets. By taking up the harmonies that were once the psaltery of the law and the prophetic harp, they play with them.

For it very often happens that people make it more their aim to serve their fellow creatures, whom they see with bodily sight, than to serve God, whom they do not see. For in all that they do, their eyes reach out only for what they can see. But they cannot stretch the eyes of the body to God. They become scornful of paying god homage. They grow weary. For, as has been said, they do not serve him whom they do not behold with bodily sight. If they would but seek God, the author of all things, in a spirit of humility, they would in themselves experience that something not seen is preferred to an object that is seen. For they themselves exist by virtue of an invisible soul and a visible body. But if that which is not seen is withdrawn from them, what is seen at once perishes. The eyes of the body indeed are open, but they cannot see or perceive anything, for the sense of sight is gone, because the indweller has quit, and the house of the flesh remains empty, since that invisible spirit has departed which was wont to look through its windows. . . .

Rather, to us, the eternal world ought to be viewed in both thought and intent, yet in the way the world of time views it, one is given and the other added over and above in superabundance. And yet it very often happens that when people pray for temporal good things but do not look for eternal rewards, they seek the thing that is added and do not want that to which it should be added. They do not count it to be worthy of their prayer, if here they are poor in temporal things, and there live for everlasting wealth in blessedness. Having their eyes fixed on visible things alone, as has been said, they refuse to purchase for themselves the invisible by the labor of asking God for it. If they only sought first that which is above, they would fill their labor already with fruit. When the mind employed in prayers pants after the form and fashion of its Maker, burning with divine longings, it is united to that which is above and liberated from that below. It opens itself in the affection of its fervent passion that it may take in [that which is above], and, while taking in, kindles itself. Merely to love things above is already to mount on high, and while with longing desire, the soul is already participating in heavenly things. In a marvelous way it tastes the very thing it longs to get. It goes on, But because their good things are not in their hand, may their counsel be far from me. He holds his good things in his hand who in despising temporal things overcomes them under the dominion of the mind. For whoever loves them overly much subjects himself all the more to them than them to himself. For many of the righteous were rich in this world. Sustained by their substance and by their honor, they seemed to possess many things. Yet, because their mind was not possessed by the excessive enjoyment of these things that were theirs, their good things were [seemingly possessed] in their own hands, because they were held subordinate to the authority of the soul. But on the other hand the wicked so discharge themselves with all their hearts in aiming toward outward things that they do not themselves hold the things possessed but are held with minds in bondage by the things they possess.

Therefore, because their good things are not in their hand, it is rightly added, let their counsel be far from me. For what is the counsel of the wicked except to seek earthly things and neglect eternal glory, to aim at temporal wellbeing at the cost of interior detriment and to exchange transitory sorrows for eternal woes?

Truly the light of the righteous is forever, because in this night of the world the lamp of faith is not extinguished by any wind of temptation and is prepared for the glory of the eternal light above. On the other hand, the light of the sinner is extinguished within the short time of human life, because he is temporary like a shadow. His light will not last, and a flooding will overwhelm the impious, as Job says, that is, in an abundance of torments. And [God] distributes the pains of his anger for each of them. Undoubtedly, he has said, God distributes pains, because he rewards each one with the punishment that he deserves.

Since he spoke before him [Zophar] and said from the time man was set upon the earth,^[1] things go on in this manner. Job addresses his reproaches to him, because he ignores what is clear and evident. He says to him, you asserted that things are not as I said, but quite the opposite. Therefore, no one must know the secret plans of God, who rules the entire creation. Now tell me, why are those who are not impious punished? One is in need, the other in wealth, but their wickedness is the same.

In order to refute the argument of [his friends], who wanted to refer everything to [their concept] of divine equity, he shows how they are inferior to him in merits and successes, so that it may clearly appear that in the present state of things the form of justice that they think they understand is lame.

The weak desire to thrive in this world’s fortune. They dread scourges as evils of great magnitude. In the case of those they see smitten, they measure the offence by the punishment. For those they see struck with the rod, they suppose them to have displeased God. Hence blessed Job’s friends were persuaded that he, whom they beheld under the rod, had been ungodly, that is, as reckoning that if he had not been ungodly, his dwelling places would have remained. But no one thinks so except he who still travails with the weariness of infirmity, who firmly sets the footstep of his thoughts in the gratification of the present life, who is not taught to pass on with perfect desires to the eternal land. Hence, it is well added, Ask every one of them that go by the way. You will know that he understands this same, because the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction, and he is brought to the day of wrath. Often the patience of God long suffers with those whom it already condemns to a foreknown punishment. It suffers those to go on thriving whom it sees still committing worse things. One who sees the pit of condemnation to which they are going is viewed as nothing to them. The wicked multiply here things that must be abandoned. But one who is wedded to the glory of the present life counts it great happiness to thrive here according to his wishes, though hereafter he is driven to undergo eternal punishment. Therefore, that person only sees it as nothing for the wicked to thrive, who has already removed his heart from the love of the present world. Hence, in speaking of the future condemnation of the wicked, it is rightly premised, Ask every one of them that go by the way, and you will know that he understands this. For he is called a wayfarer, who minds that the present life is to him only 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.

It seems to me that here Job is appropriately speaking about the devil, even though his words can also be interpreted as a general reference to all sinners. Who among men could ever declare to his face his most polluted way, into which he led the entire universe? Or which creature was ever able to give him back what he deserved, except the only Lamb of God, who did not commit sin and in whose mouth no deceit was ever found?^{[1] [2]} JOB’S IMPOTENCE. ISHO‘DAD OF MERV: There is nothing left of your answers but emptiness, that is, you, he says, have brought me suffering and torments instead of consolation; and what I gain from speaking a great deal is only emptiness. Your answers, he says, are vanity to me. ^[1]