639:1
I bid. — Et rursum post tenebras spero lucem. 48. Sancti post mortem statim coelestibus praemiis donantur. — Lux enim post tenebras speratur, quia vel post noctem vitae praesentis aeternum lumen per- cipitur, vel ita hic adversitas atque prosperitas al- ternant, ut sibi succedere vicissim non desinant. Unde fit ut et in luce nox in suspicione sit, et in nocte lux in praesumptione, sicut scriptum est: In die bono- rum ne immemor sis malarum, et in die malorum ne immemor sis bonorum ( Eccl. xi, 27).
Ibid.—'And again after darkness I hope for light.' 48. The saints, immediately after death, are given heavenly rewards.—For light is hoped for after darkness, because either after the night of the present life eternal light is received, or in this life adversity and prosperity alternate so that they cease not to succeed one another in turn. Whence it comes to pass that both in the light the night is held in suspicion, and in the night the light in presumption, as it is written: 'In the day of good things be not unmindful of evils, and in the day of evils be not unmindful of good things' (Eccl. xi. 27).
同節——「黑暗之後，我又盼望光明。」48. 聖徒在死後便立即得著屬天的賞賜。——因為黑暗之後所盼望的是光明，這或是說：在今生黑夜之後領受永恆之光；或是說：在今生患難與興盛交替，以致彼此輪流不絕地相繼而來。由此就有這樣的事：既在光明中對黑夜存戒懼，又在黑夜中對光明存盼望，正如經上所記：「在福樂的日子不可忘記禍患，在禍患的日子不可忘記福樂」（傳十一25）。
639:2
Sed ecce quia au- ctoris nostri gratia redempti sumus, hoc jam coele- stis muneris habemus, ut cum a carnis nostrae inha- bitatione subtrahimur, mox ad coelestia praemia de- ducamur, quia dum conditor ac Redemptor noster, claustra inferni penetrans, electorum exinde animas eduxit, nos illo ire non patitur, unde jam alios des- cendendo liberavit. Hi vero, qui ante ejus adven- tum in hunc mundum venerunt, b quantamlibet jus- titiae virtutem haberent, ex corporibus educti in sinu coelestis patriae statim recipi nullo modo poterant, quia necdum ille venerat qui inferni claustra sua des- censione solveret, et justorum animas in perpetua jam sede collocaret.
But behold, because we have been redeemed by the grace of our Author, we now have this of the heavenly gift, that when we are withdrawn from the habitation of our flesh, we are at once led to heavenly rewards; for since our Creator and Redeemer, penetrating the bars of hell, led forth thence the souls of the elect, He suffers us not to go thither whence He has already, by descending, freed others. But those who came into this world before His advent, however great a virtue of righteousness they had, could in no way, once led forth from their bodies, be at once received into the bosom of the heavenly fatherland, because He had not yet come who by His own descent should loose the bars of hell, and should place the souls of the just now in an everlasting seat.
然而看哪，因我們已蒙我們創造之主的恩典所救贖，如今就在屬天的恩賜上有這樣的福分：就是當我們從肉身的居所被提去時，便立即被領到屬天的賞賜；因為我們的造物主與救贖主既穿透陰間的門閂，從那裡領出選民的靈魂，就不容我們去那祂已藉降下拯救別人所出之處。但那些在祂降臨以前來到這世上的人，無論有何等大的公義之德，一從身體被領出，也斷不能立即被接入屬天家鄉的懷抱，因為那位要藉自己降下解開陰間門閂、使義人的靈魂如今得安置於永久之座的主，尚未來到。
639:3
Unde beatus Job et afflictionem sentiens, et adhuc differri retributionem justorum sciens, apte subjungit:
Wherefore blessed Job, both feeling affliction and knowing that the recompense of the just was as yet deferred, aptly adds:
因此有福的約伯，既感到苦難，又知道義人的賞報尚被延遲，便合宜地接著說：