約伯倫理 第 378 章

Ibid. Behold, now I shall sleep in the dust; and if Thou seek me in the morning, I shall not subsist. 57. While he is pressed by present punishment, he is the more grievously urged concerning things to come. Humility is a covering from the sword of the judge. To the first man when he sinned it was said: Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return (Gen. iii, 19). But by 'the morning' is signified that manifestation of minds which at the coming of the Judge is shown, with thoughts laid open, as it were after the darkness of night. Of which morning it is indeed said through the Psalmist: In the morning I shall stand before Thee and shall see (Ps. v, 5). And to seek is proper to God—to sift man by subtle interrogation, and by strictly sifting him to judge.

Blessed Job therefore, considering the losses of human abasement, let him see that he is now both pressed by present punishment, and is still more grievously urged concerning things to come. And let him say: Behold, now I shall sleep in the dust; and if Thou seek me in the morning, I shall not subsist. As if he more openly lamented, saying: In the present indeed I already suffer the death of the flesh, and yet still concerning the coming judgment I dread a graver death—the sentence of Thy strictness: I endure destruction for my fault, but coming still to judgment I fear that my faults will be restored to me even after destruction. Considering therefore the outward death, let him say, Behold, now I shall sleep in the dust; fearing the inward, let him add: And if Thou seek me in the morning, I shall not subsist.

For however much they may prevail in righteousness, even the elect by no means suffice for themselves unto innocence, if in the judgment they be strictly required. But this they find now for the comfort of their deliverance, that they humbly know that they can by no means suffice. Under the covering of humility therefore they hide themselves from the sword of so great a chastisement; and by the very fact that, awaiting the terror of the coming Judge, they tremble with continual fear, it is thereby unceasingly brought about that they become the more prepared. There follows: