約伯倫理 第 106 章

Verse 20. — 'Then Job arose, and rent his garments, and, with head shorn, falling to the ground, adored.' 28. Either not to feel God's scourges, or to feel them too much, is a fault. — Some suppose it to be philosophy of great constancy, if, when smitten by the harshness of discipline, they should not feel the blows of the lashes and the pains. Others, however, feel the scourges of the blows so excessively that, stirred by immoderate grief, they slip even into an excess of the tongue. But whoever strives to hold true philosophy must needs walk between the two. For the weight of true virtue is not insensibility of heart: since those limbs also are grievously diseased through numbness, which even when cut cannot feel pain at all.

Again, he deserts the guardianship of virtue who feels the pain of the lashes more than is needful; because, while the heart is touched by excessive affliction, it is stirred up even to the reproaches of impatience, and he who ought to have corrected his misdeeds through the scourges instead brings it about that wickedness grows through the scourge. Against the insensibility of the smitten it is said through the prophet: 'You have struck them, and they have not grieved; you have bruised them, and they have refused to receive discipline' (Jer. 5:3). Against the faintheartedness of the smitten it is said through the Psalmist: 'In miseries they shall not subsist' (Ps. 139:11). For they would subsist in miseries, if with even mind they bore adversities.

But after they collapse in mind amid the scourges, they lose, as it were, the constancy of subsisting amid the miseries that are inflicted. 29. Job avoided both extremes. The custom of nourishing or of cutting off the hair in the time of affliction. — Blessed Job, therefore, because he held the rule of true philosophy, guarded himself against both by a wondrous art of equity; so that neither, not feeling the pain, did he spurn the scourges, nor again, feeling the pain beyond measure, did he rave against the judgment of the One scourging. For when all his goods were lost, and all his children taken away, he arose, rent his garments, and, with head shorn, falling to the ground, adored. That he rent his garments, that with head shorn he fell to the ground, shows assuredly that he felt the pain of the scourge.

But by what is added, 'he adored,' it is plainly shown that even when placed in pain he did not transgress against the judgment of the One scourging. Therefore he was neither wholly unmoved, lest by that very insensibility he should despise God; nor again was he wholly moved, lest by grieving too much he should sin. But because there are two precepts of charity, namely the love of God and of neighbor: that he might discharge the love of neighbor, he bestowed mourning upon his children; that he might not forsake the love of God, he completed prayer amid his groanings. Some are wont to love God in prosperity, but, placed in adversity, to love less the One who scourges. Blessed Job, however, by this, that he displayed movement outwardly, showed that he recognized the scourges of the Father;

but by this, that in adoring he remained humble, he showed that he did not forsake the love of the Father even in pain. Therefore, lest by not feeling he should be proud, he collapsed under the blow; but lest he should make himself a stranger to the One striking him, he collapsed for this end, that he might adore. Now it was the custom of the ancients that whoever preserved the beauty of his body by nourishing his hair should cut it off in the time of affliction; and again, whoever cut off his hair in the time of tranquility should let it grow in the showing forth of affliction. Blessed Job, therefore, is shown to have preserved his hair in the time of tranquility, when he is recorded to have shorn his head for the purpose of grief; so that, when the supernal hand smote him in all things, even the varied garb of penitence might of his own will darken him.

But let us hear what this man says — stripped of his goods, bereaved of his children, who rent his garments, who shore his head, who collapsed to the ground.