By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it binds me about as the collar of my coat.
All Commentaries on Job 30:18 Go To Job 30
Gregory The Dialogist
AD 604
58. If we give heed to the history, what else do we take ‘the garment’ of blessed Job for, but his body? whose ‘garment indeed is consumed’ when the flesh is put to torment. But according to the mystery of allegory, ‘the garment’ of Holy Church is the life of the faithful. For as the whole Church together is ‘the garment’ of Christ so the faithful severally are accounted ‘garments’ of that same Church. For if Holy Church were not Christ’s ‘garment,’ Paul surely would not say, That He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle; [Eph. 5, 27] i.e. neither in respect of sin ‘having spot,’ nor in respect of a double mind ‘having wrinkle,’ because both by righteousness she is clean, And by a single bent stretched. She then that is washed that she should not ‘have spot,’ and stretched that she should not ‘have wrinkle,’ assuredly is a ‘garment.’ Therefore as the clothing of Christ is the name given to the whole Church in general, so the clothing of the Church are the souls of the several persons which being converted from error, by believing that same Church, encircle her by attaching themselves with faithfulness to her. Concerning which same the Lord saith to that Church by the Prophet, As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely be clothed with them all, as with an ornament. [Is. 49, 18] But when the storm of cruel persecution arises, very many of the faithful are separated from the love thereof, who seemed to have themselves attached to her heartily. So then let her say, In the multitude of them is my garment consumed; because whilst there are many that torment, the greatest number are brought to an end, who were attached to her by the binding tie of love.
59. Now it is well added, And have bound me about as with the collar of my coat. Since ‘the collar of a coat’ encircles the neck of the wearer, but if the neck is tied up, the use of the voice and the puff of life is done for. Holy Church, then, do the children of perdition ‘tie up as with a collar of a coat,’ because they endeavour by their persecutions to put out in her the life of faith, and the voice of preaching. Since this thing her persecutors are in a special manner wont to essay, that before all things they may take away from her the word of preaching. And hence these persons who withstood the first beginnings of the holy faith told the Apostles beaten with rods, saying, Did we not straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine. [Acts 5, 28] So the body of Holy Church they had as it were girded with ‘the collar of a coat,’ who, the preachers being tied up, as it were pressing her neck, wished to shut up the way of the voice in her. But the several Elect are more ready to die in the time of their persecution than to hold their peace. Who whilst they are brought down in death in the body, are accounted despicable and mean by all the foolish and the carnal, because when the lost are unable to see what good things the Elect hold in the spirit, these whom they see brought to an end in the flesh, they account unhappy.
