約伯倫理 第 523 章

Verse 14: 'Why do I tear my flesh with my teeth, and carry my soul in my hands?' 45. The just punish in themselves their lighter offences with great torments. — In Holy Scripture teeth are sometimes wont to be taken for holy preachers, sometimes for the inner senses. For concerning holy preachers it is said to the bride: 'Your teeth are like flocks of shorn ewes, which have come up from the washing' (Song 4:2). Whence also to one of them, when the nations were shown him in a figure, it is said: 'Kill and eat' (Acts 10:13); that is, grind down their oldness, and convert them into the body of the Church, namely into your own members. Again, that the inner senses are wont to be taken for teeth, the prophet Jeremiah testifies, saying: 'He has broken my teeth to the number' (Lam.

3:16). For by the teeth food is broken up, that it may be swallowed. Whence not without reason we take the inner senses for teeth, which chew and grind up, as it were, each of the things they think, and transmit them to the belly of memory. These the prophet says are broken to the number, because according to the measure of each man's sin a blindness of understanding is begotten in the senses, and according to what each has done outwardly, in that he is stupefied as to what he could understand concerning inward and invisible things. Whence it is also rightly written: 'Every man that shall eat the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge' (Ezek. 18:2; Jer. 31:29). For what is the sour grape but sin? For the sour grape is fruit before its time.

For whoever desires to be sated with the delights of the present life hastens, as it were, to eat fruit before its time. He, therefore, who eats the sour grape, his teeth are set on edge, because he who is fed with the delight of the present world, his inner senses are bound, so that they can no longer chew, that is, understand, spiritual things; because from that in which they were delighted in outward things, thence in the inmost parts they are stupefied. And while the soul is fed with sin, it cannot eat the bread of justice, since the teeth, bound by the habit of sin, can by no means eat the just food which savours within. In this place, therefore, because by teeth, as we have said, we take the inner senses, we ought greatly to consider what the just are wont to do.

They, for the most part, if they detect in themselves anything carnal, however light, retracting these things in their inner senses, vehemently pursue them within themselves, wear themselves down with affliction, and with great torments condemn in themselves even the least depraved things, and damn these through penance. This they do for this reason, that they too may deserve to be found, so far as is possible, irreprehensible in the sight of the eternal Judge, and that those who behold them thus judging themselves may be inflamed to amend themselves from graver faults. This indeed blessed Job had done before his friends, who held temporal glory and praised transient goods;

but yet he was not able to bring their understanding to recognize the usefulness of his scourge, so that they might be able to weigh that Almighty God not only bestows prosperity, but sometimes also, in His favour, inflicts adversity. Whence he now well says: 'Why do I tear my flesh with my teeth?' As if he openly said: Why do I discuss with my inner senses the carnal things, if any have been done in me, if I cannot profit my beholders? Where it is also fitly subjoined: 'And I carry my soul in my hands.' 46. They seek in all things not only their own advancement, but the edification of their neighbour. — To carry the soul in the hands is to show the intention of the heart in one's working.

For the just have this as their own property, that in everything they say and everything they do, they seek not only their own advancement, but also the edification of their neighbours. And sometimes in certain matters they judge themselves, that they may recall sluggish hearers to considering themselves. Sometimes they display good works, that their beholders may blush not to imitate what they see. For it is written: 'Let them see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven' (Matt. 5:16). He, therefore, who insinuates his intention through his works, carries his soul in his hands. But when a just man profits the usefulness of his neighbours neither by judging himself nor by displaying good works, through this that he has done, he returns to words of grief.

Whence it is now rightly said: 'Why do I tear my flesh with my teeth, and carry my soul in my hands?' That is: Why do I either strictly judge myself before men, or show what I aim at in my work, if I profit the usefulness of my neighbours neither by judging evils nor by displaying goods? But yet the just, even when they say these things, never fail in offering a good example to their neighbours. Whence, still before his friends, blessed Job, exhibiting and displaying the virtue of patience, says: