If now you have understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
Read Chapter 34
Gregory The Dialogist
AD 604
50. All haughty men have this peculiarity, that when they perchance entertain any acute sentiment, they soon launch out in consequence into the sin of pride, that they despise the opinion of every one else in comparison with their own, and prefer themselves in their own judgment to the merits of others. It is the fate of these wretched men, to be more in the dark the more they see; for while they look at subtleties, they overlook themselves; and the more acutely they perceive their wisdom, the more fatally do they fall through pride. But they would look into subtleties to some use, if in what they bring forward they were to see themselves. For Eliu said above, If thou hast any thing to say, answer me; speak, for I wish thee to appear just. [Job 33, 32] But now he says, If thou hast understanding, hear what is said. See how his pride gradually advances in increase of expression. He doubted above whether blessed Job could bring forward what was just. He now makes it a question if he can even hear what is said. He said there, If thou hast any thing to say, answer me. As though he were to say, Say something, if at least thou wilt be able to speak worthily. But here he says, If thou hast understanding, hear what is said. As though he said plainly, Hear me, if thou wilt be able to hear worthily. These are the daily declensions which take place in the heart of the wicked, by which they are unceasingly sinking to worse; because while they carelessly neglect smaller faults, they break out wickedly into greater. It had already resulted from his pride that he doubted whether blessed Job could say what was just. But through neglecting to watch this fault in himself, he arrived at greater wickedness: so as not only to doubt that he could possibly say what was just, but even to despair of his understanding himself when speaking what was just. Wherefore the sin of pride must be cut up at once by the very roots, that when it springs up secretly it may be cut off vigilantly, so that it may not gain vigour by growth, or strength by habit. For it is a hard matter for a man to detect in himself inveterate pride, because in truth, the more we suffer under this sin, the less do we see of it. For pride is generated in the mind exactly as darkness in the eyes. For the wider it spreads itself, the more does it contract the light. Pride then grows up gradually in the heart, and when it has extended itself wider and wider, it closes entirely the sight of the mind which suffers from it, so that the captive mind can both suffer from the haughtiness of pride, and yet be unable to behold that under which it suffers. But because haughty men, as we have said, sometimes hold sound views in an unsound way, and know how to invent good arguments, but scorn to state them aright; Eliu, after the haughty pride with which he had said, If thou hast understanding, hear what is said.
