約伯倫理 第 519 章

Verses 10, 11: 'He Himself shall reprove you, because in secret you accept His person. As soon as He shall bestir Himself, He shall trouble you, and His terror shall rush upon you.' 40. With what punishment are they worthy who assail the truth once recognized. — This, that he asserts God's person is accepted in secret, can be understood in two ways. For there are some who both feel the truth in their heart, and yet outwardly speak things that are false concerning God. For lest they seem to be overcome, they both know the truth inwardly, and yet outwardly assail it. Whence also it is now well said: 'He Himself shall reprove you, because in secret you accept His person.' As if it were openly said:

So much the more are you reprehensible before Him for falsehood, as you also see within your very selves what is true. And there are some who, when they return to their mind, contemplate the justice and rightness of God, and in prayer and weeping tremble; but after the hour of contemplation has passed, they return to iniquities so boldly as if, placed behind His back, they were not at all seen by the light of His justice. These, then, accept in secret within themselves the face of God as though bodily beholding them, because they both flatter Him with tears when they become present, and disparage Him in their conduct when they withdraw, as it were, from His sight.

These are to be smitten so much the more for their own evils, as they also know in the secret of their thought the right judgements of God. Whence it is also subjoined: 'As soon as He shall bestir Himself, He shall trouble you; and His terror shall rush upon you.' 41. The just fear God before they experience Him angered. — Although Almighty God is of an unchangeable nature, He is not subject to perturbation in the anger of judgement. But by a human word the very strictness of His rectitude, by which human depravity is smitten, is called the movement of God. But just men fear before God, before His anger is moved against them; and lest they should feel Him stirred, they dread Him while tranquil. On the contrary, the perverse then dread to be smitten when they are smitten;

and His terror then rouses them from the sleep of their torpor, when vengeance troubles them. Whence also through the prophet it is said: 'And vexation alone shall give understanding to the hearing' (Isa. 28:19). For when they shall have begun to be scourged by vengeance for the precepts of God despised and contemned, then they understand what they heard. And the Psalmist says: 'When He slew them, then they sought Him' (Ps. 78:34). Rightly, then, is it said: 'As soon as He shall bestir Himself, He shall trouble you; and His terror shall rush upon you,' because for the hearts of the reprobate fear does not beget rest, but punishment begets fear. There follows: