約伯倫理 第 765 章

(Verse) And after him he draws every man, and before him innumerable ones. 72. Through Antichrist, when the end of the world presses on, he shall draw all carnal men to himself; now he draws only very many. — In this place 'man' means one who is wise with human wisdom. But since 'all' are more than 'innumerable,' we must ask why he is said to draw the innumerable before him and all men after him — unless it be that the ancient enemy, having then entered into the reprobate man, seizes under the yoke of his dominion all whom he finds carnal? Even now, before he appears, he draws indeed innumerable ones, yet not all who are carnal, because daily many are called back from carnal works to life, and return to the state of righteousness, some by a brief and some by a long penance.

And now he seizes innumerable ones, while he does not yet display to men the astounding signs of his falsehood. But when he has wrought wondrous prodigies before the eyes of carnal men, then he draws after him not innumerable but all, because those who delight in present goods subject themselves to his power without hesitation. But, as we said before, since it is more to draw every man than innumerable ones, why is it first said that he draws every man, and afterward, as though by increase, innumerable ones are made subject? For reason demands that first the lesser and afterward, as an increase, the greater should be named. Yet it must be known that in this place it was 'more' to have said 'innumerable' than 'all.'

For after him he draws every man, because in three years and a half he binds under the yoke of his dominion all whom he finds engaged in the pursuits of carnal life. But before him he has drawn innumerable ones, because through the course of five thousand years and yet more, although he could by no means draw all the carnal, nevertheless those whom in so long a time he seizes as innumerable before him are far more than all whom in so short a time he finds to be seized. Well therefore is it said: After him he draws every man, and before him innumerable ones — because then he takes away less when he has taken all, and now he plunders more when he invades the hearts of the innumerable.

These things blessed Job, because he discoursed marvelously against the prince of the wicked — who in this life is permitted to be exalted, but at the coming of the Lord shall be destroyed — plainly showed concerning himself that he had not received the divine scourges out of any offense; for if any wicked man is permitted to prosper in this life, it is necessary that the elect of God should be held back under the bridle of the scourge. From which matter he reproves his friends, saying: