約伯倫理 第 538 章

Chapter 14, Verse 1. — 'Man born of woman, living a short time, is filled with many miseries.' 65. Man is born of weakness, because he sprang from woman. — In sacred discourse, 'woman' is put either for the sex, or for weakness. For the sex indeed, as it is written: 'God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the Law' (Gal. 4:4). But for weakness, as it is said by a certain wise man: 'Better is the iniquity of a man than a woman doing good' (Ecclus. 42:14). For any man who is strong and discerning is called a 'man'; but by 'woman' is taken a mind weak or undiscerning.

And it often happens that even some discerning man suddenly slips into fault, while another, undiscerning and weak, exhibits a good work. But he who is undiscerning and weak is sometimes lifted up the more from what he has done well, and falls the more grievously into fault; whereas any discerning man, even from the fact that he understands he has acted ill, draws himself back the more tightly to the rule of strictness; and thence advances the higher toward righteousness, whence for a time he seemed to have fallen from righteousness. In which matter rightly is it said: 'Better is the iniquity of a man than a woman doing good,' because sometimes even the fault of the strong becomes an occasion of virtue, and the virtue of the weak an occasion of sin.

In this place therefore, by the name of 'woman,' what is designated but weakness, when it is said: 'Man born of woman'? As if it were said more openly: What will he have of strength, who is born of weakness? 66. He is straitened unto life, enlarged unto misery. — 'Living a short time, he is filled with many miseries.' Behold, by the words of the holy man the penalty of man is briefly expressed, because he is both straitened unto life, and enlarged unto misery. For if everything that is done here be subtly considered, it is penalty and misery. For to serve the very corruption of the flesh in things necessary and permitted is misery, that against cold garments, against hunger food, against heat cool things are required.

That the health of the body is guarded with much caution; that, even when guarded, it is lost; that, once lost, it is repaired with grievous labour, and yet, once repaired, is always in doubt — what is this other than the misery of mortal life? That we love friends, suspicious lest they be able to be offended; that we dread enemies, and are not secure concerning those very ones whom we dread; that often we speak confidently to enemies as though to friends, and sometimes take the pure words of neighbours, and of those perhaps who greatly love us, as though the words of enemies; and we who never wish to be deceived nor to deceive, err the more grievously out of our very caution — what therefore is this but the misery of human life?

That, having lost his heavenly homeland, banished man takes delight in his exile, is burdened with cares, and yet pretends not to consider how grievous this is—because he is preoccupied with many concerns; that he has been deprived of the inner light, and yet in this life he wishes long to endure his own blindness—what is this but a misery born of our own punishment? But although he desires to remain here long, he is nevertheless driven by the very course of mortal life to depart. Whence the holy man rightly adds: