But now, because it is not so, he has visited in his anger; yet he knows it not in a great extreme:
All Commentaries on Job 35:15 Go To Job 35
Gregory The Dialogist
AD 604
37. For God in truth bears a long while with him, whom He condemns for ever; and forbears now to bring on His wrath, because He reserves it to be poured forth, hereafter, without end. For suffering is here the portion of the Elect, in order to their being trained for the rewards of their heavenly inheritance. It is our portion to receive stripes here, for whom an eternity of joy is reserved. For hence it is written, He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. [Heb. 12, 6] Hence it is said to John, I rebuke and chasten those whom I love. [Rev. 3, 19] Hence Peter says, It is time, that judgment must begin at the house of God. [1 Pet. 4, 17] Where he immediately adds with astonishment, But if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that believe not the Gospel of God? For the severity of God permits not sins to remain unpunished; but the wrath of judgment commences with our punishment here, in order that it may cease to rage at the damnation of the reprobate. Let the reprobate proceed then, and accomplish the desires of their pleasures, with unpunished iniquity: and let them feel no temporal scourges, since eternal punishments await them. But their unpunished wickedness, is well signified by the sin of Ham: to whom it was said by his father, Cursed be thy son Canaan, a servant shall he be to his brethren. [Gen. 9, 25] For Canaan was the son of Ham. And what is signified by his son Canaan receiving the sentence of punishment, when Ham offended? What is meant by his being smitten, not in himself, but in his posterity, except that the sins of the reprobate go on unpunished in this world, but are smitten hereafter? Let it be said then, For He doth not now bring on His fury, nor severely punish wickedness.
38. But it must be noticed, that he inserted the word “severely;” for, although He patiently endures some wickednesses, yet some He punishes even in this life: and He sometimes begins to smite even here, what He intends to destroy with eternal damnation. Therefore He smites some sins, and leaves some unpunished: for, if He were to be severe with none, who would believe that God regarded the doings of men? And again, if He were to smite all of them here, for what reason would the last judgment still remain? Some are, therefore, smitten, in order that we may tremble at the attentive care of our Ruler over us. But some are still left unpunished, in order that we may feel that judgment still remains. It is well said then, He doth not severely punish sin: because while some small portion of iniquity is punished, the sentence of eternal judgment is even now foretasted by unconverted souls.
39. All this then that Eliu says is right, if it were said rightly. For he knows what he ought to say, but knows not to whom he is speaking. For the things which he said are true, but are out of place, in reproving blessed Job; because he the less needed this reproof, as he had not sinned, even from any cowardice. But, because the pride of haughty men is often an occasion of virtues for the righteous, blessed Job is so dealt with in the secret judgment, in order that, after the scourges of punishments, he may gain strength also, by the words of the arrogant. For, lo! the more he is despised by the minister of pride, the more is he comforted by the truth teaching him within. For, after Eliu knew that he had said so many powerful words, he disclosed what pride he bore within, and despised blessed Job, by thinking highly of himself.
