約伯倫理 第 1055 章

Verse 21.—His flesh shall waste away, and the bones that were covered shall be laid bare. No one recognizes how much he has advanced except amid adversities.—For when, by the pressing scourges, all outward pleasure is worn away, the bones of inner strength are laid bare. But what in this place is taken by the name of flesh except carnal delight itself? Or what by bones except the virtues of the soul are designated? The flesh therefore wastes away, and the bones are laid bare, because while by the accusing scourges carnal delight is diminished, those things which had lain hidden as it were beneath the flesh, the strong things of the virtues, are laid open. For no one recognizes how much he has advanced except amid adversities. For when prosperous things are present, the proofs of the powers cannot be discerned. Whence elsewhere it is written:

In the day the Lord commanded his mercy, and in the night he declared it (Ps. 42:8); because, forsooth, each one perceives the grace of the supernal gift in the tranquillity of quiet, but how much he has perceived, he shows in the adversity of disturbance. Let the flesh therefore waste away, that the bones may be laid bare. Let us be struck with paternal corrections, that we may recognize how much we make progress. For by the scourges of the Lord the fatness of carnal delight is worn away, but the bones of our virtues are laid open. Our outward comeliness is defiled by the very adversity of this world, but what lay hidden within us is shown.

For when the apostles had been beaten, it was announced to them that they should speak no more in the name of Jesus, but they rejoiced with great exultation that they were counted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus, and answered their adversaries with confidence: We ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). Behold, amid adversities the strength of faith shone forth more mightily; behold, the integrity of the flesh was cut, but the bones of the virtues were laid open. Hence concerning them it is said through Wisdom: God tried them, and found them worthy of himself (Wis. 3:5). They were indeed tried by the adversity of blows, but were found worthy by the laying bare of the bones. For because this trial of theirs is that which is applied by scourges, it is there openly declared, when it follows:

As gold in the furnace he proved them, and as a holocaust victim he received them (Wis. 3:6). Because, then, each one's powers are laid open only through adversities, well is it said: For his flesh shall waste away, and the bones that were covered shall be laid bare. For the flesh wastes away, while all that is fluid and infirm is worn away by scourges. The bones are laid bare, while through these there is opened in us even what strong thing lay hidden.

But because, as was also said above, in the very adversity of temptation not only is the strength of fortitude uncovered, but also the infirmity of humanity is recognized, and each one tempted indeed shows how much he has advanced from God, yet in the very afflictions of the scourges also recognizes how much he is infirm of himself, because not only are the bones laid bare, but the flesh also wastes away, it is fitly subjoined: