Caput I
The Fear of God and the Purpose of Scripture
Scripture's purpose is to restrain us from depravity by awakening the fear of God and reminding us of divine judgment, for without this fear a person ceases to be truly human.
Now the whole purpose of this same Scripture is to restrain us from the depravities of this life. This is why he pricks our heart, as if with goads, by his terrible sayings: so that a man struck by terror may tremble, and may call back to mind the divine judgments which, torn apart either by the pleasure of the flesh or by earthly anxiety, he is easily accustomed to forget.1 To this end, Scripture declares that each one of us is about to receive according to what we have done on the day of judgment.✦ When the Apostle testified to this, he added — since we do not know — we persuade men to the fear of God (II Cor. V, 11). Elsewhere it says: Fear God and keep his commandments; this is the whole duty of man (Eccli.2 XII, 13). By these words it is shown that the one who does not fear God has ceased to be a man.
Enduring Earthly Bitterness for Heavenly Joy
Scripture strengthens us to endure present hardships by holding out the hope of eternal joy, since earthly suffering is the inescapable condition of our pilgrimage.
This, too, is the aim of the same Scripture: since we can recover heavenly joy only through earthly bitterness, it strengthens us to endure whatever hardships come, with the hope of the happiness that follows upon our present misery — so that the hope of the joy that remains may lighten the sadness of the distress that passes. To this the Apostle says: "The light and momentary produces for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure" (2 Cor. 4:17).✦ 4:17). When he says "troubles," a man is born to toil (Job 5:7).✦ And the Apostle, when he was recounting his tribulations to the disciples: "You yourselves know," he says, "that we are placed in this" (1 Thess. 3:3).✦ 3:3). Likewise from Job: "A man filled with many miseries" (Job 14:1).✦ This is said for the very reason that it is exceedingly impossible for anyone to pass through the time of their pilgrimage without pain.
The Green Wood and the Dry: Christ's Suffering and Ours
If the sinless Christ did not escape the fire of suffering, how much more must we, bound by both original and actual sins, expect hardship without murmuring, since the death of sinners is the worst fate.
The author himself said on this point: If these things happen in the green wood, what will happen in the dry?✦ (Luke 23:31.) For he himself is the green wood that the rot of sin did not corrupt, because he committed no sin. We, on the other hand, are — as Judas bears witness — autumn trees, unfruitful, twice dead, uprooted.✦ And as if the Lord were to say: If I myself, who committed no sin, do not depart this life without the fire of suffering, what must be thought to be deserved by those who are bound not only by original sins but also by actual sins? Lest, indeed, on account of the hardships that are providentially heaped upon us here, we slip into the sin of murmuring, or neglect to restrain our depravities under those very hardships — since eternal gehenna threatens transgressors, saying: The death of sinners is the worst (Ps.✦ 33:21).
The Peril of Murmuring Against God
Scripture warns that grumbling against God's providential order brings destruction, as shown by the fate of those in the wilderness who murmured and were killed by serpents.
And likewise against those who grumbled about the children of Israel: Let their grumbling stop, so they won't perish (Num.✦ 20:6). And likewise: Some of them grumbled, and were killed by serpents (1 Cor.✦ 10:10).
Read the original Latin
Omnis vero ejusdem Scripturae intentio est, ut nos ab hujus vitae pravitatibus compescat. Nam idcirco terribilibus suis sententiis cor nostrum quasi quibusdam stimulis pungit, ut homo terrore pulsatus expavescat, et divina judicia quae aut voluptate carnis, aut terrena sollicitudine discissus oblivisci facile solet, ad memoriam reducat. Ad hoc namque unumquemque nostrum secundum quod gesserit in die judicii recepturum pronuntiat. Quod cum Apostolus protestaretur subjunxit, nescientes suademus hominibus timorem Dei (II Cor. V, 11). Hinc alias, Deum time et mandata ejus observa; hoc est omnis homo (Eccli. XII, 13). Quibus verbis ostenditur, quod is qui Deum non timet, homo esse desiit.
Haec quoque ejusdem Scripturae intentio est, ut quia coeleste gaudium non nisi per terrenas amaritudines recuperare possumus, ad tolerandam quaelibet adversa spe felicitatis, quae praesenti miseriae succedit, nos corroboret: ut spes manentis laetitiae leviget tristitiam transeuntis angustiae. Ad hoc enim dicit Apostolus: Quod in praesenti est momentaneum et leve immensum gloriae pondus operatur (II Cor. IV, 17). Molestias cum dicit, homo nascitur ad laborem (Job V, 7). Et Apostolus, cum tribulationes suas discipulis enumeraret: Ipsi, inquit, scitis quod in hoc positi sumus (I Thess. III, 3). Item Job: Homo repletus multis miseriis (Job XIV, 1). Quod idcirco dicitur, quia valde impossibile est ut suae peregrinationis tempora sine dolore percurrat.
Hinc ipse auctor dixit: Si in viridi ligno haec fiunt, in arido quid fiet? (Luc. XXIII, 31.) Nam ipse est lignum viride quod putredo peccati non corrupit, quia peccatum non fecit. Nos vero sumus, ut Judas perhibet, arbores autumnales, infructuosae, bis mortuae, eradicatae. Ac si diceret Dominus: Si ego ipse, qui peccatum non feci, sine passionis igne ab hac vita non exeo, quid putandum est illos mereri, qui non solum originalibus, sed etiam actualibus culpis tenentur astricti? Ne vero propter angustias quae dispensatorie nobis hic ingeruntur, in murmurationis malum excedamus, aut pravitates nostras sub ipsis angustiis compescere negligamus, aeternam gehennam transgressoribus comminatur, dicens: Mors peccatorum pessima (Psal. XXXIII, 21).
Et item contra murmuratores de filiis Israel: Cesset murmuratio eorum ne moriantur (Num. XX, 6). Et item: Quidam eorum murmuraverunt, et a serpentibus perierunt (I Cor. X, 10).
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.16.27;Rom.2.6 — For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will repay each one according to his deeds. Rom.2.6 — who will render to each one according to that person's works
- ↩2Cor.4.17 — For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure,
- ↩Job.5.7 — Yet man is born to trouble, as surely as sparks fly upward.
- ↩1Thess.3.3 — so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed for this.
- ↩Job.14.1 — Man, born of woman, is short of days and full of turmoil.
- ↩Luke.23.31 — For if they do these things in the green wood, what will happen in the dry?
- ↩Jude.1.12 — These are the ones who are blemishes at your love feasts, feasting together without fear, shepherding themselves; waterless clouds carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, dead a second time, uprooted;
- ↩Ps.33.21;Ps.35.21 — For our heart rejoices in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Ps.35.21 — And they opened wide their mouth against me; they said, "Aha, Aha! Our eyes have seen it.
- ↩Num.20.6 — Then Moses and Aaron went from before the assembly to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and they fell on their faces, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.
- ↩1Cor.10.10 — Do not grumble, as some of them grumbled, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
Notes
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