約伯倫理 第 1013 章

33. How great is the power of the fear of God for persuading contempt of all things; the foretokens of the Last Judgment. From the dread of so great a likeness let us weigh, if we can, how great was the force of fear in the holy man. For when the swelling waves loom overhead, and threaten the death which they bear, then no care for temporal things comes to the minds of the seafarers, no delight of the flesh is called to memory; they even cast out of the ship those very things for the sake of which they undertook the long voyage; all things come into contempt of the mind, out of love of living. Thus, then, as though the waves swelled above him, did he fear God, who, while he longed for the true life, despised all that he carried while possessing here.

For just as, when overtaken by a storm, we cast off the ship's load, so we remove earthly desires from the burdened mind. And it comes to pass that the lightened ship rides above, which laden was being sunk; for the cares which in this life weigh down the mind drag it into the deep. And this mind is lifted up the higher amid the waves of temptations, the more anxiously it is emptied of the thought of this present age. There is also another thing which one ought shrewdly to consider concerning the tossing of the sea. For when a tempest arises, first the lighter waves, and afterward greater surges are stirred up;

at the last the waves rear themselves on high, and by their very height overturn whatever seafarers there be. Even so, even so surely does that final tempest of souls hasten, which shall overthrow the whole world. For now by wars and disasters, as by certain waves, it shows us its beginnings, and the nearer we daily become to the end, the graver surges of tribulation do we see rushing upon us. But at the last, when all the elements are shaken, the supernal Judge, coming, brings the end of all things; for indeed that tempest lifts the waves up to heaven. Whence it is also said: 'Yet a little while, and I will move not only the earth, but also heaven' (Haggai 2:7).

Because holy men watchfully behold this tempest, they daily dread it as though the waves swelled above them, and from these tribulations which strike the world they foresee those things that will follow. 30. Holy men dread the final trial; how much more ought sinners to tremble. And it is well added: 'And I could not bear its weight'; for he who considers with intent mind the coming of the Last Judgment truly sees that so great a terror is at hand, that not only to behold it then, but even now to foresee it, he greatly fears. For at the consideration of so great a dread the soul quivers, and turning away the eyes of its attention, it refuses to gaze upon what it foresees. Well therefore is it said:

'And I could not bear its weight'; for when the mind, by considering, strives to search out the might of the supernal Majesty coming to judgment and the terror of so great a scrutiny, straightway fleeing back to itself, it dreads to have found itself. But amid these things it must be weighed that blessed Job speaks these things of himself as one praised and scourged. If then he was so smitten—even for the increase of his merits—who so feared, how shall he be smitten who despises? How shall the judgments of God press down those who exalt themselves, if they press down even for a time those who ever in humility dread these things? How shall he be able to bear the weight of God who despises it, if even he bore it under the rod who through fear foresaw it?

Wherefore that trial of so great strictness is to be feared by us above all things. But it is certain that in this life, when He smites, if correction follows the stroke, it is the discipline of a father, not the wrath of a judge; it is the love of one correcting, not the strictness of one punishing. From the present stroke itself, therefore, the eternal judgments are to be weighed. For hence we ought above all to ponder how that wrath shall be borne which He reproves, if His wrath that purges can scarcely be borne even now.