約伯倫理 第 1228 章

47. As persecution increased, the ardour of the apostles and holy preachers grew. When preaching ceases, grace passes not to the heart. But if, as we said above (No. 41), by the name of the divided heat that persecution in the regions of Judaea is signified, because the very harshness of persecution in no way, through any fear, restrained the holy preachers—aided by supernal gift—from the ministry of their preaching, He aptly subjoins: 'Who gave a course to the most violent shower?' As if He said: none but I.

For, the heat being divided, to have given a course to the most violent shower was, amid the very straits of persecution, to have strengthened the impetus of preaching, so that the power of the preachers should grow the greater the more the cruelty of the persecutors withstood it, to the end that they might pour upon the dry hearts of hearers with the drops of rain, and water the drought of faithlessness the more abundantly, so that although the heat of savagery blazed against them, yet through them the voice of grace should not be silent. This heat of persecution Paul both endured and watered, when he said: 'I labour even unto bonds, as an evildoer; but the word of God is not bound' (2 Tim. 2:9). Of this shower it is said elsewhere: 'I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it' (Isa. 5:6).

Of this course of the shower, which is carried on in the hearts of the elect, the Psalmist testifies, saying: 'His word runs swiftly' (Ps. 147:15). But very often there is a shower, and it has no course, because the preaching comes to the ears, but, the inner grace ceasing, it does not pass through to the hearts of the hearers. Of the words of this preaching, on account of the elect, it is said: 'For your arrows have passed through' (Ps. 77:18). For the arrows of God pass through when the words of His preaching descend from the ears to the hearts. And because this is wrought by the divine gift alone, the Lord testifies that He has given the shower its course. 48. The efficacy of the divine word, persuading men to forsake all things, to endure all things.

But I see it must be noted that He calls this same shower not violent, but most violent. A violent shower is a great force; but a most violent shower is the immense force of preaching. For it was a violent shower when the holy preachers persuaded men to believe in eternal joys. But it was a most violent shower when, on account of hope, they admonished that possessions be forsaken, that all visible things be despised for the sake of the invisible, and that, for the sake of the joys they had heard of, the penalties and torments of the present world be endured.

But when, the faith being known, amid the raging heat of persecution, so many of the elect forsook their possessions, forgot fleshly affection, and, for the joy of the spirit, laid their limbs amid torments, what else did the Lord do but likewise give a course to the most violent shower, which, even unto the fulfilling of the highest precepts, watered the invisible things of the heart through the words of the body? Where it is also aptly subjoined: