約伯倫理 第 534 章

Verse 25. — 'Against a leaf that is snatched by the wind thou showest thy power, and thou pursuest the dry stubble?' 60. Man, like a leaf and stubble, is moved by the wind of temptation. — For what is man but a leaf, who, plainly, fell from the tree in paradise? What is he but a leaf, who is snatched by the wind of temptation, and lifted up by the blasts of desires? For the human mind, however many temptations it suffers, is moved as it were by so many blasts. For often anger disturbs it; when anger withdraws, unseemly gladness succeeds. It is urged by the goads of lust, and by the heat of avarice it is stretched far and wide to grasp at earthly things. Sometimes pride lifts it up; sometimes, however, disordered fear casts it down into the lowest depths.

Because therefore he is lifted up and driven by so many blasts of temptations, rightly is man compared to a leaf. Hence well is it said also through Isaiah: 'We have all fallen like a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind have carried us away' (Isa. 64:6). As the wind indeed iniquity carried us off, because, holding us fixed by no weight of virtue, it lifted us into empty exaltation. And well is man, after the leaf, called also stubble. For he who was a tree in his creation, was made a leaf of himself in temptation, but afterward appeared as stubble in dejection. For because he fell from on high, he is a leaf; but because through the flesh he was near to the earth, even when he seemed to stand, he is recorded as stubble.

But because he has lost the greenness of innermost love, he is now dry stubble. Let the holy man therefore consider both of how great vileness man is, and of how great strictness God is, and say: 'Against a leaf that is snatched by the wind thou showest thy power, and thou pursuest the dry stubble?' As if he openly bewailed, saying: Why dost thou assail with such rectitude him whom thou knowest to be so weak in temptation? There follows: Verse 26. — 'For thou writest bitter things against me.' 61. The sentence written concerning the death of sinful man cannot be changed. — Because everything we speak passes away, but what we write remains, God is said not to speak but to write bitter things, when his scourges endure long upon us.

For once for all it was said to sinful man: 'Thou art earth, and unto earth shalt thou go' (Gen. 3:19). And often, appearing, the angels gave commandments to men. Moses the lawgiver restrained sins by strictness. The Only-begotten of the most high Father himself came to redeem us; by dying he swallowed up death; he announced to us perpetual life, which he showed forth in himself. But nevertheless that sentence which was given in paradise concerning the death of our flesh is not changed from the very beginning of the human race even to the end of the world. 'For what man is there who lives, and shall not see death?' (Ps. 88:49). Which the Psalmist, well regarding again, says: 'Thou art terrible, and who shall resist thee? from that time forth is thy wrath' (Ps. 75:8).

He who, being angry with man who sinned in paradise, once for all fixed the sentence concerning the mortality of our flesh, which now and even to the last can in no way be changed. Let him say therefore: 'Thou writest bitter things against me.' Hence further it is subjoined: