約伯倫理 第 1429 章 第 2/2 段

「The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither shall the brightness of the moon give light to thee; but the Lord shall be to thee for an everlasting light, and thy God for thy glory」 (Isaiah 60:19). It has a dreadful appearance when, describing hell, it says: 「The day of the Lord's vengeance, the year of recompenses of the judgment of Zion; and its torrents shall be turned into pitch, and its earth into brimstone; and its land shall become burning pitch, night and day it shall not be quenched for ever」 (Isaiah 34:8ff.). Which blessed Job also describes, saying: 「A land dark and covered with the mist of death, a land of misery and darkness, where the shadow of death and no order, but everlasting horror dwelleth」 (Job 10:21-22).

It has stature when through it the Lord graciously promises, saying: 「As the new heavens and the new earth which I make to stand before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed stand and your name」 (Isaiah 66:22). For they truly stand before the Lord who do not squander their life in wickedness. It has height when it immediately subjoins: 「And there shall be month out of month, and Sabbath out of Sabbath, and all flesh shall come to adore before my face, saith the Lord」 (ibid. 23). What is a month but the perfection of days? And what is a Sabbath but the rest in which it is not lawful to do servile work? A month therefore is out of a month, because those who here live perfectly are led there to the perfection of glory.

But a Sabbath is out of a Sabbath, because those who here cease from perverse work rest there in the heavenly recompense. It has also a dreadful appearance when it forthwith adds: 「And they shall go forth and see the carcasses of the men who have transgressed against me. Their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched」 (ibid. 24). For what more dreadful can be said, what can be conceived, than to receive the wounds of damnation, and never to end the pains of the wounds! Of this dreadful appearance of the wheels it is well said through Zephaniah, when the day of judgment is announced to come upon hard minds: 「The great day of the Lord is near, it is near and exceeding swift. The voice of the day of the Lord is bitter; the mighty man shall be troubled there.」

「That day is a day of wrath, a day of tribulation and distress, a day of calamity and misery, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and whirlwind, a day of the trumpet and alarm」 (Zephaniah 1:14). But since we have set down the words concerning the outer wheel, it now remains that we should bring forth the stature, height, and dreadful appearance of the inner wheel as well. For the inner wheel has its stature when through the holy Gospel it forbids us to be bent down to earthly desires, saying with the words of our Redeemer: 「Take heed lest your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, or the cares of this life」 (Luke 21:34). It has height when it promises concerning the same Redeemer, saying:

「But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God」 (John 1:12). For what can be said higher than this power, what more sublime than this height, in which each created being is made a son of the Creator? It has a dreadful appearance when it speaks concerning the reprobate, saying: 「These shall go into everlasting punishment」 (Matthew 25:46). It has stature when Truth admonishes the disciple, saying: 「Sell what you possess, and give alms. Make to yourselves bags which grow not old」 (Luke 12:33). It has the height of promise when it says: 「They shall come from the East and the West, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven」 (Matthew 8:11). It has a dreadful appearance when it subjoins:

「But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth」 (Matthew 8:12). To whom again it is said by the voice of Truth: 「You shall die in your sins」 (John 8:21, 24). It has stature when it says with the words of the first shepherd: 「Minister in your faith virtue, and in virtue knowledge, and in knowledge abstinence, and in abstinence patience, and in patience godliness, and in godliness love of the brotherhood, and in love of the brotherhood charity」 (2 Peter 1:5). It has height when a little after it says: 「For so an entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ」 (ibid. 11).

Who again promises to good shepherds, saying: 「When the prince of the pastors shall appear, you shall receive the unfading crown of glory」 (1 Peter 5:4). It has a dreadful appearance when it says: 「But the day of the Lord shall come as a thief, in which the heavens shall pass away with great violence, but the elements shall be melted with heat」 (2 Peter 3:10). 「Seeing then that all these things are to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, by which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with the burning heat?」 It has stature when through Paul it raises us up from earthly desires, saying:

「Mortify your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is the service of idols」 (Colossians 3:5). It has height when it promises, saying: 「Your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, shall appear, then you also shall appear with him in glory」 (ibid. 3-4). It has a dreadful appearance when it threatens, saying: 「At the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, with the angels of his power, in a flame of fire, giving vengeance to them who know not God, and who obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall suffer eternal punishment in destruction, from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of his power」 (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

It has stature when it admonishes us, saying: 'See that none render evil for evil unto any man, but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves and toward all' (1 Thess. 5:15). It has height when it promises, saying: 'If we die with him, we shall also live with him; if we suffer, we shall also reign with him' (2 Tim. 2:11). And again: 'The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, which shall be revealed in us' (Rom. 8:18). It has a dreadful aspect when it threatens, saying: 'A certain fearful expectation of judgment, and the rage of a fire which shall consume the adversaries' (Heb. 10:27). And again it says: 'It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God' (Heb. 10:31). All of which it binds together also in a brief sentence, saying:

'That you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth' (Eph. 3:18). For charity is broad, since it embraces even the love of enemies; and through that charity by which Almighty God loves us abundantly, it also bears long-suffering. This, then, we ought to show to our neighbours, which we behold shown to us who are unworthy of it by our Creator. Breadth therefore and length pertain to stature, because through love it enlarges our conduct, so that charity may bear our brethren's faults with long-suffering. But the height is that recompense of eternal rewards, of whose immensity it is said:

'For eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him' (1 Cor. 2:9). It has therefore in sublimity a height, because the eternal joys of the saints can now be penetrated by no thought. The depth, too, is that inestimable condemnation of torments, which plunges into the lowest abyss those whom it receives. In these things the sacred oracles have a dreadful aspect, because they strike an inestimable terror into their hearers when they speak of the punishments of hell. Well therefore is it said: 'The wheels also had stature, and height, and a dreadful aspect' (cf. Ezek. 1:18), because Holy Scripture in both Testaments is upright in admonishing, lofty in promising, and terrible in threatening.

Let it suffice, most beloved brethren, that we have said these things this day by the Lord's bounty, so that, refreshed by rest, we may return to discussing what follows, trusting in God the Author of all and in our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.