362 God'.'i Voice raised in a cloud, by Mystical Teaching. Job 38^Lord lifted up TTis voice in a cloud, because He reproved ——-the darkened minds of the haughty by sending the Prophet against them. Behold, the face of the waters covered Him immediately; because He Himself, Who commanded the words of reproof, suffered all things in the person of Jere- miah from the people who rose against him, and were pro- voked by reason of their reproof. The Lord also raised up His voice in a cloud by Himself, when on exhibiting Him- self before us in His assumed body. He preached many things to His persecutors, but veiled in enigmatical figures. He raised up His voice in a cloud, because He uttered His truth, as if in darkness, to unbelievers who would not follow Him. Whence also it is well written in the Books of Kings, ft io°n^ "^^^^ cloud Jilled the house ofthe Lord, and the priests were not able to minister because of the cloud. For while the proud high priests of the Jews hear the divine mysteries in parables, as their merits demand, the priests were unable, as it were, to minister in the house of the Lord on account of the cloud. For when they scorn to examine, amid the obscure darkness of allegories, the mystical meanings which are covered with the veil of the letter in the Old Testament, they lost on account of the cloud the ministry which they deserved by their faith. To whom the Lord even now uttered His voice in a cloud, when He spoke even plainly Johnio, concerning Himself. For what is plainer than, / and My John 8 Father are One? What plainer to utter, than, Befoi'e 68. Abraham was, I am ? But because the darkness of unbe- lief had filled the minds of His hearers, an intervening cloud was concealing, as it were, the ray of the sun which had been shot forth. 3. For the face of the waters immediately covered Him, at this elevation of voice, because the raging crowd of the people at once rose up against Him. For it is written, John 6, Therefore the Jews sought to kill Him, because He not only brake the Sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God, Of this force of waters Ps. 88, He exclaims by the Prophet, They came round about Me all the day like water, they compassed Ale about together. Ps. 69,1.And again, Save Me, O God,for the waters have come in enen unto My soul. Which waters He surely endured in