約伯倫理 第 387 章

The same. And his confidence shall be like the spider's web. 72. The hypocrite's confidence is vain, his good deeds are nothing before God, his preaching unfruitful, his abstinence empty. The confidence of hypocrites is well said to be like the spider's webs, because everything they sweat out to obtain glory the wind of mortal life scatters. For since they seek not things eternal, they lose temporal goods with time. It is also to be weighed that spiders draw out their threads in order, because hypocrites arrange their works as it were with discretion. The spider's web is woven diligently, but is scattered by a sudden gust, because whatever the hypocrite accomplishes with labour, the breath of human favour carries off; and while the work fails in the appetite for praise, the labour vanishes as it were into wind.

For often even the deeds of hypocrites endure right up to the term of the present life, but because through these they do not seek the praise of their Author, they were never good in the eyes of God. For very often, as we have said before, they are supported by learning in the sacred law, they utter words of doctrine, they fortify everything they think with testimonies, and yet through these they seek not the life of their hearers but their own favours, because they know not how to put forth anything except what may rouse the hearts of the audience to render praises, but not to kindle them to tears. For the mind occupied with outward desires does not grow warm with the fire of divine love;

and therefore words that are uttered from a cold heart are unable to inflame their hearers to heavenly desire. For a thing which has not itself caught fire kindles nothing else. Hence it very often comes about that the sayings of hypocrites both fail to instruct their hearers, and make those very men who put them forth worse, being puffed up with praises. For, as Paul attests, Knowledge puffs up, charity builds up (1 Cor. 8:1). When therefore charity does not raise up by building, knowledge perverts by puffing up. Very often hypocrites afflict themselves with wondrous abstinence, wear away all the strength of the body, and, living in the flesh, as it were utterly extinguish the life of the flesh, and thus by abstinence draw near to death, so that dying almost daily they live.

But for these things they seek human eyes, they demand the glory of admiration. As Truth attests, which says: They disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to be fasting (Matt. 6:16). For their mouths grow pale, the body is shaken with weakness, the breast is oppressed with interrupting sighs. But amid these things, a word of admiration is sought from the mouth of their neighbours, and nothing else is aimed at by so great labour except human esteem. Whom indeed that Simon well signifies, who at the time of the Lord's passion bore the cross under compulsion, of whom it is written: They found a man of Cyrene coming to meet them, named Simon; him they compelled to bear the cross of Jesus (Matt. 27:32; Mark 15:21).

For what we do under compulsion, we do not perform from zeal of love. Therefore to bear the cross of Jesus under compulsion is to endure the affliction of abstinence for some intention other than what is necessary. Does he not bear the cross of Jesus under compulsion, who, as it were at the Lord's command, tames the flesh, and yet does not love the spiritual homeland? Hence Simon also bears the cross, but in no way dies, because every hypocrite indeed afflicts the body by abstinence, but nevertheless lives to the world through love of glory. 73. He inflicts the cross upon the flesh, but lives to the world. In contrast, it is well said through Paul concerning the elect: But they who are Christ's have crucified their flesh with its vices and concupiscences (Gal. 5:24).

For we crucify the flesh with its vices and concupiscences, if we so restrain the gullet that we now seek nothing of the world's glory. For he who mortifies the body but pants after honours, has inflicted the cross upon the flesh, but lives worse to the world through concupiscence, because often through the image of holiness he unworthily attains a place of governance, which, unless he displayed something of virtue in himself, he would deserve to obtain by no labour. But that which he obtains delightfully passes away, and that which follows remains as punishment. The confidence of holiness is now placed in the mouth of men; but when the inward Judge examines the secrets of the heart, witnesses of life are not sought outwardly. It is therefore well said:

His confidence shall be like the spider's web, because when the witness of the heart appears, everything perishes which outwardly trusted in human favour. Whence it is also fittingly added: