約伯倫理 第 121 章

Verses 18, 19. — He was yet speaking, and behold another entered, and said: While your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their firstborn brother, suddenly a violent wind rushed in from the region of the desert, and shook the four corners of the house. Which, falling down, crushed your children, and they are dead. 53. The Jewish people figured in Job's firstborn. — A little before we already said that we understand by the sons and daughters the preaching apostles and the subject peoples: who are reported to feast in the house of the firstborn brother, because they were feeding on the delights of sacred preaching in the dwelling as yet of the Jewish people. But suddenly a violent wind rushed in from the region of the desert.

The region of the desert is the heart of unbelievers, which, while the Creator forsakes it, no inhabitant cultivates. But what else is a violent wind taken to be, than a strong temptation? A violent wind therefore rushed in from the region of the desert; because in the passion of our Redeemer, against His faithful, a strong temptation came from the hearts of the Jews. The region of the desert can also not unfittingly be understood as the forsaken multitude of unclean spirits. From which the wind comes, and shakes the house, because from them the temptation went forth, and stirred the hearts of the persecutors. 54. His house overthrown is the synagogue, torn down with its four corners, that is, its four orders shaken. Whence also the children were crushed.

But this house, in which the sons were feasting, stood upon four corners. For we have come to know three orders of rulers in the synagogue, namely of the priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people. And if we join the Pharisees to these, we find four corners in this house. From the region of the wilderness, therefore, a wind came and shook the four corners of the house, because temptation rushed in from the unclean spirits, and stirred up the minds of the four orders into the malice of persecution. And this house, falling in, crushed the children; for while Judaea fell into the cruelty of persecuting the Lord, it overwhelmed the faith of the apostles with the dread of despair. For they saw their Master seized only, and already, denying Him, they fled in different directions.

And although the inward hand held their spirit in foreknowledge unto life, yet for a time carnal fear extinguished them from the life of faith. Those therefore who forsook their Author while Judaea raged, were as it were slain, the house being overthrown by the shaking of its corners. But what do we believe was done at that time to the flock of the faithful, seeing that we know that even the rams themselves fled? Yet amid these things one escapes to bring tidings, because the prophetic word, which had foretold these things, shows that it prevailed, saying of the persecuting people: My beloved hath wrought many crimes in my house (Jer. 11:15); saying of the good preachers, who nevertheless fled in the Passion: My kinsmen stood afar off (Ps. 37:12);

saying of all who were exceedingly afraid: I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered (Zech. 13:7; Matt. 26:31). There follows: