The Measure of Life and Divine Providence

But indeed I have composed a discourse of this, not bypassing it so as to let it enter into judgment before you. A proof of this would be what is said toward God: 'My people, what have I done to you?' (Exodus 32:9) and again, 'Behold, I am being judged against you.' For God, bringing in such a care concerning men, would not have demanded justice from man so unyieldingly and absolutely, as his friends suspected him of punishing.

These things he brings forward as a defense, so that he does not suffer otherwise than for it to appear just according to: 'Do I suppose I have dealt with you differently, so that you should appear righteous?' (Job 13:15) For who is clean from filth? Not even one, even if his life on the earth be but one day, and his months be numbered before you. And he joined these things together so that they might understand that he does not suffer because of sin. For if it were so, no one would be without trouble, even if he lived for a short time.

And these things are for how the friends might be instructed in the cause; for if an objection were to be said against what was spoken of him, he said this, saying something standing in place: 'For even if you are short-lived and passing like a shadow (Psalm 103:15) and falling like a flower, it does not prevent you from suffering because of sin.' To which he most directly said: 'For who is clean from filth? But no one,' so that it was necessary for all, as has already been said, to suffer. And filth and sin, someone else might say, signify the same thing, with the one saying the filth of sin as something lesser of the other.

You have concerning filth and sin in Isaiah thus: 'The Lord will wash away the filth of the sons and the daughters of Zion, and will cleanse the blood from their midst' (Isaiah 1:16), the blood signifying sin there, the unclean thing, and the filth the unintentional acts, which the Savior, having come, cleansed by himself. For because blood often signifies sin, it is said toward the ancient evil devil: 'In whatever way a garment stained with blood is not to be clean, in the same way you will not be clean.' For he did not happen to be stained with blood, but it is clear that the blood signifies to him the 'sin unto death.' Therefore, the one having a fault capable of being washed has filth, but the one is as if unrepentant, like the one 'having blasphemed against the Holy Spirit' (Matthew 12:31) and the like, is not under filth, but sin, and the one transgressing the commandments with the intent of knowing.

And 'neither is the life of the one on earth even a single day' can be interpreted in two ways. There is the one being born now who has the sin of Adam by succession, who is the one beginning to judge things by the word, when he also fulfills the word of man. Nor will such a person be purified in a day, because ignorance remains for the one who has also begun now to distinguish the false from the good, even if he lives for a day, even if he lives for a numbered number of months.

The worthless one is 'blotted out from the book of the living' (Ps 69:28) and is not numbered by God, but the diligent one is numbered by Him. 'If, therefore, he assumes such a thing,' he says, 'even this one has not been kept from filth' (Job 7:10). Similar to this is 'I have no conscience against myself, but I am not justified by this' and 'Cleanse me from my secret sins' (Ps 51:2). For he has habituated himself to a time and will not exceed it.

The providence concerning man is made clear here, not as if it remains in life as it happens and as it pleases, but from the judgment of God, not exceeding the time appointed by Him. And these things are not to be said as being held by fate, but as the will of God, 'having appointed each thing by limits and measures.' And if he speaks allegorically that the one being led by God in a certain way does not exceed his duties because virtue is measured, consider this.

Depart from Him, so that he may be at rest and find the life well-pleasing like the laborer. Since God is present to him through providences, the 'depart' has been said instead of 'cease your anger.' For approaching God is different: that by participation and that by anger. For they suppose that he suffers through the sins of friends, and having spoken so harshly of those things passing away—that 'man is short-lived' (Job 14:2), 'like a falling flower' (Job 14:2), 'like a shadow' (Job 14:2), and as if 'God makes his word'—showing them that he is not brought low through sin, he says 'depart from Him.'

For if he imposes such a multitude of afflictions upon him, man has no opportunity for repentance. He instructs them, therefore, that they do not understand this sensibly, through 'depart from Him, so that he may be at rest.' For he is not able to bring about an opportunity or to find the life well-pleasing after so many circumstances—so that he may give as a wage to the worker. Otherwise, he alludes differently: if he suffered through sin, it would be sufficient.