約伯倫理 第 339 章

Ibid.— 'They came also even unto me, and were covered with shame.' 47. The trembling of the reprobate in the judgment. Even unto the holy Church in the day of judgment do the reprobate come, because they are led even unto the beholding of her glory then, so that, thrust back to the greater torments of their guilt, they may see what they have lost. But then does shame cover the wicked, when in the sight of the Judge the witness of their conscience condemns them. Then the Judge is discerned without, but the accuser is endured within. Then every fault is brought back before their eyes, and the mind is tortured above the fires of hell more grievously by its own fire. Of whom it is rightly said through the Prophet: 'Lord, let thy hand be exalted, that they see not; let them see, and be confounded' (Isa.

26:11). For the understanding of the reprobate their deserts now darken, but then the knowledge of their guilt enlightens, so that both now they see not the things that should be followed, and then, after they have lost them, they discern them. For now they neglect to understand things eternal, or, having understood them, they scorn to desire them; but then, understanding and desiring them, they doubtless behold them, when they can in no way attain the things desired. 48. The friends of Job, suffused with shame at his trust in God. These words also of blessed Job apply specially to his friends, who by harsh rebukes were striving to shake the mind of the holy man. For he says: 'They were confounded, because I have hoped.' As if he plainly said:

'While with foolish upbraidings they are unable to bend me to despair, they themselves are confounded by the madness of their own rashness. They came also even unto me, and were covered with shame.' As if he says: 'Seeing the wounds of my body, but not knowing the constancy of my mind, while they dared to upbraid me concerning injustice, they had not yet come even unto me; but assailing me with harsh invective, while they discover my mind to stand firm amid adversities, they blush as though coming unto me. For they come unto me insofar as they know me in my inmost parts; and there does shame cover them, where the outward loss does not touch me who stand strongly.'

But there are some who know not how to fear God, except when they are terrified by adversity either experienced in themselves or observed in others; whom prosperity lifts up through boldness, and adversity troubles through weakness. Of whose number blessed Job convicts his friends to be, when he straightway adds, saying: