約伯倫理 第 704 章

Verses 28, 29. — Why then do ye now say: Let us persecute him, and let us find the root of the matter against him? Flee ye therefore from the face of the sword, for the sword is the avenger of iniquities; and know ye that there is a judgment. 79. From the judgment which is to receive the resurrection, he urges the wicked to repentance. — For in the former sentence he reproves the deeds of the wicked, but in the latter he makes known the punishments from the divine judgment. For he says: Why then do ye now say: Let us persecute him, and let us find the root of the matter against him?

Any perverse men, because with evil zeal they hear good words spoken, and long to find in the tongue of the righteous an opening for accusation — what else do they do than seek against him a root of speech, from which, that is, they may take a beginning of speaking, and spread abroad the branches of depraved talkativeness in accusation? But the holy man, when he endures such things from the perverse, grieves not against them but rather for them, and reproves their evil designs, and shows them the evils which they should flee, saying: Flee ye therefore from the face of the sword, for the sword is the avenger of iniquities; and know ye that there is a judgment. Everyone who does perverse things, by that very thing whereby he scorns to fear this, knows not that there is a judgment of God. For if he knew this was to be feared, he would not do the things that are to be punished in it.

For there are very many who know in word only that there is a final judgment, but by acting perversely testify that they do not know. For because he does not dread this as he ought, he has not yet learned with how great a whirlwind of terror it comes. For if he knew how to weigh the weight of that dread scrutiny, he would surely by fearing guard beforehand against the day of wrath. To flee the face of the sword, moreover, is to appease the sentence of the strict animadversion before it appears. For the terror of the Judge can be avoided only before the judgment. Now He is not seen, but is appeased by prayers. But when He shall have sat in that dread examination, He can indeed be seen, but can no longer be appeased; for the deeds of the wicked, which He long endured in silence, He will, being angered, render all at once.

Whence it is necessary now to fear the Judge, while He does not yet exercise judgment, while He long endures, while He still tolerates the evils that He sees, lest, when once He has shaken out His hand in the retribution of vengeance, He strike the more strictly in the judgment, the longer He waited before the judgment.