If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in brightness;
All Commentaries on Job 31:26 Go To Job 31
Gregory The Dialogist
AD 604
6. There is no doubt that both these two luminaries, which are commissioned to ministrations for man, are called ‘the hosts of heaven.’ Into the worshipping whereof we know that numbers have fallen, as Scripture is witness; as where it is written, And worshipped all the host of heaven. [2 Kings 17, 16] And because the sun and moon are seen in one way for use, and in a different way for worshipping, in that way in which they are wont to be worshipped by their votaries blessed Job tells that he had never ‘seen the sun and moon, neither had his heart rejoiced; nor had he kissed his hand with his mouth.’ By which act of kissing what else but the gratefulness of adoration is set forth? which thing if he had ever done, he calls it ‘the highest iniquity and denial of God.’ But after that he had related of himself in passages above such great heights of virtuous qualities, what does he now tell so strange, if he shews that he had not ‘adored the sun and moon?’ Whence it deserves to be considered, that after he testifies that he had not had confidence in gold, nor had rejoiced in much riches, he is further led on to things of a higher pitch, that he might instruct so much the more, the more exactly he tells things touching himself. Thus he says, If I saw the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness; and my heart hath secretly rejoiced. What is called to ‘see’ in this passage, but to behold with desire? Whence the Psalmist saith, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. [Ps. 66, 18] Which iniquity, surely, could never be set forth in the mouth, if it were not ‘regarded in the heart.’ But it is one thing to see in the way of judgment, and another thing to see in the way of desire. Thus then blessed Job tells that ‘the sun when it shined, and the moon walking in its brightness, he had never seen,’ that he might shew that he had not sought after the appearance of the present light. As though after contempt of his earthly abundance, he plainly told us; ‘why should I say, that I never at all rejoiced in gold, who in the very corporeal light itself never took delight? For holy men after that they set at nought all the enjoyments of the present life, in consideration of the sweetness of the light interior, turn away the mind from this light exterior as if from darkness; and they strive much with themselves within, that they be not carried away by the delightfulness of this light which shines outwardly. For if the visible light be incautiously delighted in, the heart is blinded to the invisible light, because in proportion as the soul is poured out in gazing out of itself, so much the more is it made to recoil in the interior regards. Hence all the wise-hearted, that by their corporeal senses they may not too much fall away to things without, by continual effort gather themselves up within the interior self by the hidden discipline of self-guarding, that they may be found the more whole within, in proportion as they are the less poured forth without. Thus by this vigorousness of discipline he had bound himself up within the depths of his own heart, who in fleeing the desire of the outward life, said, The day of man I have not desired, Thou knowest. [Jer. 17, 16] The same, then, that by the Prophet is expressed, The day of man I have not desired, Thou knowest, this blessed Job declares concerning his own self in other words, viz. that he had not ‘seen the sun when it shined, and the moon walking in its brightness,’ and that he did not ‘rejoice in these in the secret depths of his heart,’ surely because he could not possibly ‘rejoice’ for those things which he ‘saw’ not in the desire of delighting.
7. But if these several particulars, which we have gone through, handling them according to the history, we also examine into in respect of the mysteries of allegory, what else do we in this place take the gold to be, saving the wit of a bright understanding? what ‘fine gold’ but the mind, which whilst it is fined clear by the fire of love, ever preserves in itself the brightness of beauty, by a daily renewal of fervour? For the mind knows not to wax old by inertness, which is bent by desire ever to be beginning. Thus it is hence that it is said by Paul, renewed in the spirit of your mind. [Eph. 4, 23] Hence the Psalmist, who had already reached to the height of perfection, said as if beginning, I said, now I begin; [Ps. 77, 10] in this way, because that, if we are not minded to flag and go off from good begun, it is very requisite that we should believe ourselves to be daily beginning. Nor is it at variance with the order of reason that we say that by ‘gold,’ man’s wit is denoted; for as in ornamenting gold is laid under, that the order of the gems may be arranged above, so the bright talents of the Saints are humbly laid below the benefits of God, and receive the gifts of graces set out in order upon them. And excepting that gold had a something of a like sort with wisdom, that wise man would never have said, Wisdom hidden from sight, and a treasure, that is not seen, what use is there in either? [Ecclus. 20, 50] Now holy men do not account ‘gold’ to be their ‘strength,’ because let them shine out with ever so great ability, they take thought that by their own powers they are nothing. And whilst they are powerfully able to see into all things, they desire first to understand themselves, that the light of their wit, like the sun, may first illumine the place where it arises, and afterwards all the other things to which it is made to open out in going on; lest if by applying themselves to know others they know not their own selves, the ray of the sun should there be darkened, where it rises. Accordingly, the goodness of their natural parts they apply to acquainting themselves with their own infirmity, and by acquaintance with their own infirmity they are the more effectually endued with power. And so the gold is not taken for ‘strength,’ if there is not confidence had in the wit wherewith they are endowed. Which Solomon rightly advising of saith, Put confidence in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not on thine own understanding. [Prov. 3, 5] So then let him say, If I have made gold my strength, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence. As though he avowed in plain terms; ‘Neither what I really understood did I ascribe to my own parts, nor, if it chanced that I did any whit that was good, did I reckon such things primarily to my own mind:’ who still more particularly telling us the humility of his heart.
