約伯倫理 第 1310 章

85. Nothing tempts them unforeseen; whence they do not overcome them. — For to smell out war from afar is to recognize from preceding causes what battles of the vices will follow. For because, as has often been said already, a thing not seen is recognized by its smell, to smell out war from afar is, as if by the breath of the nostrils, so by the foresight of thoughts, to track out the hidden wickednesses. Of which sense of smell the Lord rightly says in praise of His Church: Your nose is like the tower which is in Lebanon (Cant. VII, 4). By the nose too we distinguish odours and stenches. And what is designated by the nose, if not the provident discernment of the saints? But a tower of watching is set on high, that the coming enemy may be seen from afar.

Rightly, therefore, the nose of the Church is said to be like a tower in Lebanon, because the provident discernment of the saints, while, set on high, it anxiously looks about on every side, apprehends the fault before it comes, and the more vigilantly it takes prior note of it, the more strongly it turns aside from it. Hence Habakkuk says: I will stand upon my watch (Hab. II, 1). Hence Jeremiah, admonishing the soul of each of the elect, says: Set up for yourself a watchtower, appoint for yourself bitternesses (Jerem. XXXI, 21). For to set up a watchtower for oneself is to foreknow from lofty consideration the coming conflicts of the vices. And the mind of the elect appoints bitternesses for itself when, established in the peace of virtues, while it beholds the evils lying in wait, it does not consent to rest secure. 86.

First care must be taken that we do no evils, second that we do not incautiously do goods. Very often evils are born from goods. — First, then, he considers that he do no evils whatsoever, but in the second place that he do not do goods incautiously; and after he has subdued the depraved things, he strives to subject to himself even the right things themselves, lest, if they pass beyond the dominion of the mind, they be turned into the fault of elation. For because, as was said above, very often from goods, through the vice of carelessness, evils are born, with vigilant zeal he contemplates how from teaching arises arrogance, from justice cruelty, from piety laxity, from zeal wrath, from meekness sluggishness. And when he does these good things, he beholds that these enemies can rise up against him through them.

For when he labours in the pursuits of acquiring teaching, he anxiously prepares his mind against the conflict of arrogance. When he desires justly to avenge the faults of offenders, he most sagaciously avoids lest the cruelty of vengeance overpass the measure of justice. When he strives to curb himself with piety, he skilfully takes heed lest he be overcome by any dissolution of discipline. When he rouses himself with the goads of right zeal, he exceedingly provides lest he kindle himself with the flame of wrath more than is necessary. When he tempers himself with the great tranquillity of meekness, he vigilantly observes lest he grow cold with sluggishness. Because, therefore, by the thought of the spiritual soldier every vice is beheld before it can creep in, it is rightly said of the steed of God:

He smells the battle from afar. He weighs also what a throng of iniquities may burst forth, if he permit even a few evils to enter in to himself. Whence too it follows: