約伯倫理 第 1003 章

49. The crime of lust devours even unto perdition and destroys all virtues. No one here is without sin. — And because for the most part we weigh, by suffering, that whose gravity we do not perceive in the doing, he manifests, by expressing it, the force of that same wickedness which he declares he ought to suffer if he were guilty, saying: 'This the sin differs from the crime': that every crime is a sin, yet not every sin is a crime. And in this life many are able to be without crime, but no one is able to be without sins. Whence also the holy preacher, when he was describing a man worthy of priestly grace, by no means said, 'If any be without sin,' but 'If any be without crime' (Titus 1:6). But who can be without sin, since John says:

'If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us' (1 John 1:8). In which distinction between sins and crimes it is indeed to be weighed that some sins pollute the soul, while crimes extinguish it. Whence blessed Job, in defining the crime of lust, says: 'It is a fire devouring even unto perdition'; because assuredly the guilt of this wickedness stains not only unto defilement, but devours even unto perdition. And because, however great other good works may have been, if the wickedness of lust be not washed away, they are overwhelmed by the immensity of this crime, he added, following on: 'And rooting up all my produce.' For the 'produce' are the soul's good works.

Yet if, by a perverse order, the flesh lords it over this produce, all that has been well brought forth is consumed by the fire of lust. For there are no works of justice and piety before the eyes of Almighty God which are shown to be unclean by the contagion of corruption. For what does it profit if anyone piously has compassion on the need of his neighbour, when impiously he destroys himself, the dwelling-place of God? If therefore, through purity of heart, the flame of lust is not extinguished, whatever virtues arise, arise in vain, as is said through Moses: 'A fire is kindled in my wrath, and shall burn even unto the lowest hell, and shall devour the earth and its produce' (Deut. 32:22). For the fire devours the earth and its produce, when lust consumes the flesh, and through it all that has been well done.

For whatever comes forth from the fruitfulness of righteousness, that indeed the flame of corruption burns up. Let him say then: 'It is a fire devouring even unto perdition, and rooting up all my produce'; because if the evil of corruption be not resisted, without doubt even those things perish which seemed good. But vices are wont to lay some low unto humility, and virtues to lift others up to swelling of mind. It must therefore be asked by us whether blessed Job, in such great purity of chastity, was also humble. But the holy man, while he holds the heights of the virtues, suddenly discloses how humble a thing he feels concerning himself, when he adds: