約伯倫理 第 762 章

Verse 31. — 'Who shall reprove his way to his face? and who shall repay him for what he has done?' The Antichrist, exalted with such great signs and with so great a display of holiness, Christ alone shall vanquish. — Often the evil man experiences even in this life, while placed here, the indignation of his Creator which he is to suffer eternally, when he loses the prosperity he loves, and finds the adversity he dreads. And although he may be rebuked for his depravities by the tongue of the just even in his prosperity, we know nevertheless that when his own deeds cast down each perverse man, the rebuke of the just grows strong. But by what reasoning is it now said: 'Who shall reprove his way to his face?'

since even while the just are silent, this too is known, that the way of the wicked man is here reproved as often as his prosperity is troubled by adversity intervening? But blessed Job, while he was speaking of the whole body of the evil, suddenly turned his words to the head of all the wicked. For he saw that at the end of the world Satan, entering into a man whom sacred Scripture calls Antichrist, is exalted with such great elation, holds princedom with such great power, is lifted up with such great signs and prodigies in the display of holiness, that his deeds cannot be reproved by man; because with the power of terror he also joins the signs of a displayed holiness, and he says: 'Who shall reprove his way to his face?'

Who, that is, would dare to rebuke that man, whose very sight he dreads to bear? But nevertheless his way is reproved not only by Elijah and Enoch, who are brought forth into the midst for his reproof, but also by all the elect, while they despise him, while by the strength of the mind they resist his malice. But because they do this out of divine grace, and not by their own powers, it is now rightly said: 'Who shall reprove his way to his face?' For who, save God, by whose help the elect are upheld that they may be able to resist? For sometimes in sacred Scripture, when 'Who' is put by way of interrogation, the Almighty is designated. Whence it is written: 'Who shall raise him up?' (Genesis 49:9). Concerning whom it is said through Paul: 'Whom God raised from the dead' (Galatians 1:1).

In this, therefore, that holy men contradict his iniquity, it is not they themselves who reprove his way, but it is He from whose grace they are strengthened. And because his presence, wherein he is to come in the man, will be far more atrocious in persecution than now, when he is by no means seen, since he is not yet specially borne in that his own proper vessel, it is well said: 'To his face.' For many now, judging the ways of Antichrist, rebuke them, but they do this as though in his absence, while they reprove him whom they do not yet specially behold. But when he shall have come in that damned man, whoever resists his presence reproves his way to his face, whose powers he both beholds and despises.

Or else to reprove his way is to trouble the prosperity of his course by eternal punishment intervening. And because this the Lord alone by His own power is to do, of whom it is written: 'Whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming' (2 Thessalonians 2:8), it is rightly said: 'Who shall reprove his way to his face?' Whence there also follows: 'And who shall repay him for what he has done?' Who indeed, save the Lord? Who alone shall repay to that lost man what he has done, when by His coming He shall have crushed his so mighty power with eternal damnation. But let us hear what this exalted prince of the evil does, as long as he is placed in this life. There follows: