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1. S. scriptura Speculum est. — Scriptura sacra mentis oculis quasi quoddam speculum opponitur ( Vid. August. in Psal. ciii, ser. 1, n. 4), ut interna nostra facies in ipsa videatur. Ibi etenim foeda, ibi pulchra nostra cognoscimus. Ibi sentimus, quantum proficimus, ibi a provectu quam longe distamus. Nar- rat autem gesta a sanctorum, et ad imitationem cor- da provocat infirmorum. Dumque illorum victricia facta commemorat, contra vitiorum praelia, debilia nostra confirmat; fitque verbis illius, ut eo mens minus inter certamina trepidet, quo ante se positos tot virorum fortium triumphos videt. Nonnunquam vero non solum nobis eorum virtutes asserit, sed etiam casus innotescit;
一、聖經是鏡子。——聖經彷彿一面鏡子，擺在心靈的眼睛前，使我們內在的面容得以在其中被看見。因為我們在其中認識自己醜陋之處，也在其中認識自己美好之處。我們在其中察覺自己前進了多少，也在其中察覺自己離長進還有多遠。此外，它記述眾聖徒的事蹟，激勵軟弱者的心去效法。當它記念他們得勝的作為時，便堅固我們軟弱的作為，去抵擋諸惡的爭戰；因它的話語，心靈越看見擺在面前那許多勇士的凱旋，便越在爭戰中減少戰兢。有時它不僅向我們陳明他們的德性，也叫我們知道他們的跌倒；
1. Sacred Scripture is a mirror. — Sacred Scripture is set before the eyes of the mind as it were a kind of mirror, that our inward face may be seen in it. For therein we come to know our foul things, therein our fair things. Therein we perceive how far we advance, therein how far we are distant from progress. It narrates, moreover, the deeds of the saints, and rouses the hearts of the weak to imitation. And while it commemorates their victorious deeds, against the battles of the vices it strengthens our feeble ones; and it comes to pass by its words that the mind trembles the less amid the conflicts, the more it beholds the triumphs of so many valiant men set before it. Sometimes indeed it not only sets forth to us their virtues, but also makes known their falls;
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ut et in victoria fortium quod imitando arripere, et rursum videamus in lapsibus quod debeamus timere. Ecce enim Job describitur ten- tatione auctus, sed David tentatione prostratus; ut et majorum virtus spem nostram foveat, et majorum casus ad cautelam nos humilitatis accingat; quatenus dum illa gaudentes sublevant, ista metuentes pre- mant; et audientis animus illinc spei(??)fiducia, hinc humilitate timoris eruditus, nec temeritate superbiat, quia formidine premitur, nec pressus timore desperet, quia ad spei fiduciam virtutis exemplo roboratur.
使我們既能在剛強者的得勝中，看見當效法而持守之事，又能在他們的失足中，看見當懼怕之事。因為看哪，約伯被描述為因試煉而增益，大衛卻因試煉而被打倒；使前輩的德性得以懷抱我們的盼望，前輩的跌倒也使我們束腰於謙卑的警戒；以致前者使我們歡喜而被高舉，後者使我們懼怕而被壓下；聽者的心靈，一面因盼望的信心、一面因敬畏的謙卑而受教，便既不因魯莽而驕傲，因它被畏懼壓制，也不因懼怕的壓迫而絕望，因它藉德性的榜樣被堅固，得著盼望的信心。
that both in the victory of the strong we may see what to lay hold of by imitating, and again in their lapses may see what we ought to fear. For behold, Job is described as increased by temptation, but David as laid low by temptation; that both the virtue of our elders may cherish our hope, and the fall of our elders may gird us to the caution of humility; so that, while the former, rejoicing, lift us up, the latter, fearing, press us down; and the mind of the hearer, instructed on the one side by the confidence of hope, on the other by the humility of fear, may neither grow proud through rashness, because it is pressed down by dread, nor, pressed by fear, despair, because it is strengthened unto the confidence of hope by the example of virtue.