Job 28:12

“And it is not found in the land of those that live sweetly.” What is denoted in this passage by the title of the “land,” except the soul of man? Concerning which the psalmist says, “My soul thirsts after you, as a land without water.” But this wisdom cannot “be found in the land of those that live sweetly,” because the person who is still fed with the pleasures of this life is severed from the perception of eternal Wisdom. For if he were truly wise-minded, being banished from the interior delights, he would mourn over that blind estate of his exile into which he has fallen. Thus Solomon says, “He that adds knowledge, adds pain also.” For the more a person begins to know what he has lost, the more he begins to bewail the sentence of his corruption that he has received. For he sees how he has fallen and how that from the joys of paradise he has come to the woes of present life, from the company of the angels to caring for necessities. He considers in what a number of perils he now lies prostrate, who before without peril disdained to stand. He bewails the exile that being accursed he undergoes. He sighs after the state of heavenly glory that he might be enjoying in security, if he had not had a mind to commit sin.… “The bottomless pit says, ‘It is not with me.’ ” What does he call the “bottomless pit?” The hearts of people who by their fall are now floating in darkness and the murkiness of double dealing. Wisdom does not reside in this “bottomless pit.” In this way the wicked mind, while it longs to be wise in a carnal way, shows itself foolish as to things spiritual. Which same “bottomless pit” declares that his Wisdom “is not with” it; because the wicked mind, while it longs to be wise in a carnal way, shows itself foolish as to things spiritual. Paul testifies, “The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” Thus, so much the more completely is everyone rendered foolish within, as he endeavors to appear wise outside.… “And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’ ” For what is there denoted by the name of the sea except the bitter disquietude of worldly minds, which while they fall foul of one another in enmities by turns, dash themselves together like encountering waves? The life of worldly persons is rightly called “a sea,” because, while it is agitated by the tempestuous stirrings of actions, it is parted from the tranquility and steadfastness of interior Wisdom. The opposite of this condition was well said by the prophet, “Upon whom shall my spirit rest but upon him who is humble and quiet and who trembles at my words?”

61. It is first to be noted, that two points be proposed to himself, and two he adds making answer. For to this that he said above, Where shall wisdom be found, and where is the place of understanding? he answered in this verse, The depth saith, It is not with me; and the sea saith, It is not with me. But in answer to that which he had said, Man knoweth not the place thereof; neither is it found in the land of them that live pleasantly; he gave the lower verse, saying, Fine gold shall not be given for it; neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. So then he answered to both questions, yet in adding to what he had objected, not in solving it. For when he enquired the place of Wisdom, and then answered below, The depth saith, It is not with me; he pointed out not where it was, but where it was not. Again when he said that’ the price thereof was not known by man,’ and rejoined to this below, fine gold shall not be given for it; he showed not what was the price of it, but what was not. For it is plain to all that neither can this wisdom of man be held in a place, nor be bought with riches. But the holy man being full of mystical ideas sends us on for the making out other things, so that we should look for not wisdom created, but Wisdom creating; for except in those words we search the secret depths of allegory, surely those things that follow are utterly deserving of disregard, if they be estimated according to the historical narration alone. For a little afterwards he saith, Gold and glass cannot equal it; and while, as we know, glass is far and incomparably of lower price than gold, wherefore after the name of gold, which is unquestionably a precious metal, byway of unlimited praise did he say that ‘glass’ too is not equal to wisdom? So by the mere difficulty of the letter, we are forced that we be quick sighted to the mystical sentiments in these words. So then what wisdom is it, the holy man is contemplating, but that of which Paul the Apostle saith, Christ the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God? [1 Cor. 1, 24] Concerning which it is written by Solomon; Wisdom hath builded her house [Prov. 9, 1]; and of which the Psalmist saith; In wisdom hast Thou made all things. [Ps. 104, 24] Of this same Wisdom ‘man knoweth not the price,’ because he findeth nothing worthy of the estimate thereof. Now this price of Wisdom is not said at once ‘to be,’ and not ‘to be known,’ but as for this reason ‘not to be known,’ because it is wanting, in that manner of speaking by which a person caught in a strait, when he finds no remedy of succour, is wont to confess that’ what to do he knows not.’
62. So then ‘not to know the price of this Wisdom,’ is to find no meriting of meet practice whereby to obtain it. For we give a price with this object, that instead of it we may possess ourselves of that object which we long after. But what have we given, that we should deserve to obtain this Wisdom, which is Christ? Since it is by grace we are redeemed. For those works alone by living badly have we given, for which if a ,just return were reserved, not Christ but punishments would be rendered back [c]. But man deserved one thing in the way of justice, and obtained another in respect of grace. Let Paul bear witness, before the time that his mind received the seed of unbought truth, with what briars of error he was overlaid. Who was before, he says, a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious, but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. [1 Tim. 1, 13] Let him testify for what sort of persons Christ deigned to die, While we were yet sinners, he says, Christ in due time died for the ungodly. [Rom. 5, 8. 6.] We, then, who on Wisdom’s coming were found ungodly, what title of good practice have we given, whereby we might obtain to receive that Wisdom? ‘The price of this Wisdom man knoweth not,’ because whoso is separated from brute animals by the understanding faculty of reason, understands that he is not saved by his own merits, knows and sees that he had not given any thing of good practice that he might come to faith. For it is as it were to give a price for the obtaining of Wisdom, to anticipate the coming to the knowledge of God by the merchandize of one’s conduct.

63. He had learnt that of this Wisdom there is ‘no price,’ who said, Who hath first given unto Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again. [Rom. 11, 35] Hence it is written again, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. [Eph. 2, 8] Not of works, lest any man should boast. Hence concerning himself he again speaks, saying, By the grace of God I am what I am. [1 Cor. 15, 10] And as by the inspiration of this same grace, the practices of the parts of virtue are at once engendered in the heart, so that from free will also conduct should follow, which after this life the Eternal Recompensing should answer to, he thereupon added, And His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain. But there are those who exult that they are in a sound state by their own powers, and pride themselves that by their own merits going before they have been redeemed, whose declaration, surely, is found to be contradictory to themselves, because, while they maintain themselves at once ‘innocent’ and’ redeemed,’ this very name of redemption they make null and void in themselves. For everyone that is redeemed is doubtless set free from some sort of captivity. Whence then is this said person redeemed, if he was not before captive under sin? It is plain then that he greatly misjudges who judges so. For heavenly grace does not find desert of man, in order to make it come, but after it has come, causes the same; and God, when He comes to the undeserving mind, at once sets it forth to Himself deserving by so coming, and causes therein merit for Him to recompense, whereas He had found only that for Him to punish.
64. It is good herein to recall the eyes of the mind to that robber, who from the jaws of the devil ascended the Cross, and from the Cross mounted to Paradise. Let us behold what sort of person he came to the stock of the Cross, what sort of person he went from the Cross. He came bound by his brother’s blood, he came bloodstained, but by interior grace he was changed on the Cross; and he who inflicted death upon a brother, of the Lord when dying proclaimed the life, saying, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom. [Luke 23, 42] On the Cross the nails had bound fast his hands and feet, and there remained nought in him that punishment left free, but the tongue and the heart. But God inspiring it, he offered all to Him that he found free in himself, so that according to that which is written, he should with the heart believe unto righteousness, and with the mouth make confession unto salvation. [Rom. 10, 10] But that in the hearts of the faithful there are three virtues in a special inner abiding, the Apostle testifies, saying, And now abideth faith, hope, charity [1 Cor. 13, 13]; all of which the robber being filled with instantaneous grace both received and kept on the Cross. For he had faith, who believed the Lord was about to reign, when he saw Him dying equally with himself; he had hope, who begged for admission into His kingdom, saying, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom. Charity also in his death he livingly retained, who at once charged home for his iniquity a brother and fellow robber dying for the like crime, and preached to him the life which he had learnt, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly: for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this Man hath done nothing amiss. [Luke 23, 40. 41.] He that came such to the Cross by sin, see what he departed from the Cross by grace. He confessed the Lord, Whom he beheld dying along with himself by human frailty, at the time that the Apostles denied Him, Whom they had seen doing miracles by divine power.
65. But they who make out that man is saved by his own powers, fancy that that same confession of man is from the efficacy of man by himself. Which if it were so, the Psalmist would not say in praise of God, Confession and great doing are His work. [Ps. 111, 3] So that from Him we receive it to confess what is right, by Whom it is granted us to practise what is great also. Therefore because we have not given aught of good practice, whereby we might deserve to be vouchsafed this Wisdom, let it be rightly said, Man knoweth not its price. Inasmuch as he that henceforth uses reason looks down upon himself under the perception of this Wisdom so much the deeper, in proportion as he more truly knows the interior depth of that Wisdom, so as to see that he has attained to her being unworthy, by the which it is brought to pass without price, that he should be made worthy.