Baldad, under pretence of defending the justice of God, accuses Job, and exhorts him to return to God.
“God will not cast away the simple, nor reach out his hand to the evildoer.” (Job 8:20)
Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)
“In that assuredly when the Strict One appeareth in the Judgment, He will at once lift up the despisedness of the simple by glorifying them, and break in pieces the greatness of the evil-minded by condemning them. For hypocrites are called evil-minded, who do good acts but not well, and practise every thing right only in eagerness after praise. Now anyone, to whom we stretch out our hand, we plainly lift up from below. Thus God does not stretch out His hand to the evil-minded, in that all that seek earthly glory He leaves below, and how right soever the things that they do may seem to be, He doth not advance them to the joys above. Or, as may well be, hypocrites are for this reason called evil-minded, because they make a shew of being wellminded toward their neighbours, and cover over the arts of their wicked designs. For in all that they either do or say, they shew simplicity externally, but they are inwardly conceiving in the subtleties of double-mindedness; they counterfeit purity on the outside, but they conceal an evil heart at all times under the semblance of purity. In respect of whom it is well spoken by Moses, Thou shalt not wear a garment woven of woollen and linen together. [Deut. 22, 11] For by ‘woollen’ is denoted simplicity, by ‘linen’ subtlety.” (4) -St. Gregory The Dialogist
Augustine interprets the beatitude of blessed are the pure of heart in a moral way, as a refusal “to display one’s justice before men so as to be admired by them” (Matthew 6:1), and thus as simplicity and frankness, which are opposed to hypocrisy. Augustine writes: “Only he who has shrugged off human praise and in his life is concerned just to please God, who searches our conscience, has a simple, that is, pure, heart.”
Gregory of Nyssa, sees the pure in heart in relation to contemplation. We must purify our hearts of every link to the world and to evil, he explains, “If in the conduct of your life you are diligent and attentive, you will wipe away the ugliness that has been deposited in your heart and the divine beauty will shine forth in you…. Contemplating yourself you will see him who is the desire of your heart, and you will be blessed.”
Women's Prayer Group In Christ 