De electorum consolatione ex appropinquante redemptione et de similitudine flculneae
The Consolation of the Elect
The Lord turns from the judgment of the wicked to offer comfort to the elect, promising them liberation from earthly suffering.
Then, after what has been said against the wicked, the Lord immediately turns His words to the consolation of the elect, because although the day of judgment is very terrifying for the wicked. it should nevertheless be a great consolation for the elect. For then they are carried off to glory, just as they have longed for. Therefore, He encourages them, saying: These, however, are the signs of piety. As these things occur and appear, the plagues of the world grow, and the earth is shaken by the judgment. When these virtues are shown and sinners wither away from fear and the expectation of evils, you, the elect, must stand firm through faith—that is, be diligent—and open the eyes of your mind by believing without any doubt; lift up your heads through hope, that is, lift your minds from earthly things to heavenly things, raise your hearts in expectation, and be joyful. Go and rejoice, you who have been in misery; for after the tribulation of these times, after the pressures and terrors of the wicked, your full and perfect redemption draws near. You await this because while the world—of which you are not—is finished, the redemption you have sought is near; your redemption, I say, is the redemption of the saints. But then, on the contrary, the destruction of the wicked draws near. This redemption will be a full liberation from all evils; for then you'll be free from all forms of servitude, namely: from the entanglements of sin, the infection of the flesh, and the senses. And from the passions of the flesh. And from all such things. You'll be free from temptation, from the persecution of wicked people, from the anxieties of the world, and from all such things. When you are placed into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For this redemption is nothing other than the perfect freedom of soul and body, so that then the righteous may say to Christ: As it says in the Apocalypse: 'You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood; and have made us a kingdom for our God.' This, indeed, leads to the consolation of the elect, that they see Christ coming to grant them the rewards he promised. But woe to you who are ambitious, who love the first seats—that is, you who love to climb to high positions or to persist in harmful dignities—because then you'll have no part or lot in this discourse, nor any consolation with the elect! For Christ will judge. Those who now love to preside and be judges won't see Him coming with joy or gladness. Gregory attests to this in his Morals, saying: 'For whoever likes to be a judge now, likes to see the Judge then.' He doesn't say: 'Whoever is a judge,' but 'whoever likes to be a judge,' rebuking the intention, not the rank, and referring the blame to the will, not the deed. But who can imagine or say what joy there will be for the good then, and what sadness for the evil? Hence the same Gregory says: 'Those who love God rejoice and grow cheerful at the end of the world, because they see that He whom they love is soon to be found, while that which they did not love is passing away.' Far be it, then, that any faithful person who longs to see God should mourn over the persecutions of the world, when he knows that he isn't finished by these same persecutions!
The Parable of the Fig Tree
Using the parable of the fig tree, the text explains how the signs of the end times serve as a herald for the coming kingdom.
It is written: Whoever wants to be a friend of this world will be made an enemy of God. Therefore, as the end of the world draws near, anyone who doesn't rejoice in it shows they are a friend of this world, and by this, they are proven to be an enemy of God. Therefore, as the end of the world draws near, anyone who doesn't rejoice in it shows they are a friend of this world, and by this, they are proven to be an enemy of God. For it is the lot of those who have planted the roots of their heart in His love to rejoice in the destruction of the world, for they find consolation... They don't seek the life that follows: so says Gregory. But the Lord spoke these words to the disciples, not so much to those who were to live in this life until the end of the world, but as if to one body, which holds them, us, and those who come after. Until the end of the world, for those who believe in Christ, there is the summer and the fig tree. This is the parable. Although no one knows the day, you can't doubt that it's near once such great and significant things begin to happen. For this reason, He offered a parable—a likeness suited to the purpose. Concerning the fig tree and other trees. He looks at the fig tree and all the trees. When they already put forth their fruit, you know that summer is near. So you too, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. For just as summer is recognized by the budding and fruit of leaves and flowers on a tree, so the coming of the Judge and the kingdom of God is known to be near by the vanity of the world—which is its fruit—and by the predicted signs: a summer that will be for the just a relief from winter, and for sinners a winter from summer. According to Chrysostom, He uses the fig tree for the likeness more than any other tree because it is almost... The trees bloom, and in this way they announce summer all the more closely; or, the comparison is taken from the fig tree, because if it is bad, it is very bad, and if it is good, it is very good—just as judgment is very bad for the wicked and very good for the just; or, because the sweetness of the fruit signifies the sweetness of future joys. Here, according to Gregory, the world is shown to be something to be despised, for its fruit is ruin, because it grows only to fall, and it sprouts only to wither. It consumes everything. Morally speaking, a person is compared to trees in this way: just as trees bear fruit after winter and their fruit is gathered in summer, so a person bears fruit after tribulation—acquired through the endurance of suffering—and this fruit is gathered in the summer of eternal charity. The kingdom of God is fittingly compared to summer: first, because summer is a bright time, just as the kingdom of heaven is; second, because summer is a fruitful time, just as the kingdom of heaven is; third, because summer is a pleasant time, just as the kingdom of heaven is; fourth, because summer is a tranquil time, just as in the kingdom of God the clouds of tribulation will cease. To confirm what was said before, he adds: By way of confirmation, he adds: 'Amen, that is, truly, I tell you, this generation will not pass away'—meaning this sixth age of all people, both bad and good, will not fail, which is to say, the human race. Or, specifically, this generation—namely, the Jewish people—which will not fail entirely, because though it can be oppressed and scattered, it cannot be destroyed or annihilated because of the memory of the Crucified. Or, by 'generation,' he means the Church, wishing to console his disciples so they wouldn't believe that faith would fail in those times. These things, which were predicted regarding Christ's coming, are happening and will be fulfilled. Or, according to Chrysostom, 'until the whole mystery of the calling of the Saints is fulfilled,' because however much the faithful are oppressed in the time of the Antichrist, some will nevertheless remain steadfast in the faith until the end of the world. Regarding this predicted day of the Lord's coming, Gregory warns us: 'Therefore, dearest brothers, keep that day before your eyes, and whatever...' ...whatever now seems heavy is lightened by contemplating it.' 'Keep that day before you with total focus; correct your vices, change your ways, and overcome evil temptations by resisting them.' 'And punish what you have done with tears.'
The Stability of Divine Truth
The text reflects on the passing of the heavens and earth, contrasting the transience of creation with the eternal stability of Christ's words.
As Gregory says, you'll face the coming of the eternal Judge with all the more confidence the more you anticipate His severity by fearing it now. He adds a protestation to confirm this, saying, 'Heaven and earth will pass away'—not meaning the ethereal or starry heaven, but the airy one, where birds fly and clouds gather. He means these empty, cloudy spaces of the wind, along with the earth, will pass away. This means they will be changed in their own way—specifically in their quality and appearance—not in their substance, which will endure without end. They will be changed for the better, shedding their former form to become a new heaven and a new earth, for the 'figure of this world passes away'; yet in their substance and essence, they will remain immovable. But My words, founded on eternal truth—that is, the meaning of My words—will not pass away without effect; they will be fulfilled exactly as spoken, without any loss. It is as if He were saying: 'Look at how stable My words are; it is easier for things that seem solid and durable to be destroyed than for any of My words, which seem to vanish as they are spoken, to fail.' It is easier for the whole of nature to be overturned than for the meaning of My words to go unfulfilled. For it is more repugnant to divine truth... ...for His words to fail than for anything created to be reduced to nothing. Augustine distinguishes three heavens: the first is the airy, where birds fly; the second is the ethereal, where the stars are; and the third is the empyrean, where God and the Saints dwell. The first will pass away, not in its substance, but in its quality, because it will be made new and purified by fire. The second will also pass away, for it will cease from its motion and will have the brightness that the sun has, and to the sun will be given another brightness, and to the moon likewise. The motion of the heavens and the change in the elements will therefore cease, because these were ordained for the filling up of the number of the elect; and so, once that is completed in the judgment, they will cease, just as things that exist for an end must cease once that end is attained. Morally, note that this world passes away in everything it desires; for according to John, the world passes away along with its lusts. Therefore, whoever clings to these worldly things is in a continuous state of passing away along with the world itself. In particular, it makes a miserable threefold transition: first, from sin to sin; second, from sin to punishment; third, from punishment to punishment. But the good, renouncing the world and the things that are in the world... ...enter into an admirable threefold transition: first, they pass from sin to repentance; second, from repentance to wisdom; third, from wisdom to eternal life. Whoever makes this threefold transition. He is the true Hebrew, and he celebrates the real Pascha or Phase, which is the passing of the Lord. It's also worth noting that just as the passing of the physical heaven and earth serves as a sign of Christ's coming for judgment, the passing of the spiritual heaven and earth is a sign of the eternal Word's coming into the soul. You should know that by 'heaven and earth'—the two extremes of the world—we can understand the rational soul and the body, which are the two extremes of our nature: the spiritual and the physical. Therefore, when the eternal Word comes into the soul, heaven and earth pass away; they go beyond themselves because they move outside or above the common state of humanity and are renewed. This is what His coming in us accomplishes: we are renewed, both in soul and in body, and by putting off the old self with its deeds, we put on the new self, which is created according to God. A person is renewed in their soul through the reformation of the image deformed by the oldness of sinful faults, a reformation the soul reaches through a threefold passing. First, they pass from the forgetfulness of memory to acquire the presence of the eternal Word through the remembrance of memory; second, they pass from the darkening of the intellect to contemplate wisdom through the clear scrutiny of the intellect; third, they pass from the torpor of sloth to taste the abundance of the sweetness of the Church through an ardent clinging of love. A person is also renewed in their body through a threefold passing: first, the body passes from the delight of the flesh to the proper suppression of sensuality, so that the body, as far as its animal and sensitive appetite is concerned, may be under the control of reason. Second, it is subjected to the command of reason; third, it is... in the wandering of the senses, toward the quiet of bodily likenesses and imaginary forms; third, it will pass from passions in— in the state of rest, toward the patient endurance of hardships and afflictions. Therefore, when heaven and earth have thus passed away, in us have passed away, it's the surest sign that the eternal Word hasn't passed us by, but has lovingly descended into our mind, according to the saying: 'We will come to him,' etc. For in whatever person heaven and earth—that is, soul and body—have passed away through the renewal of grace, the eternal Word doesn't pass that person by; rather, it comes to them through their mental conception of Him.
Watchfulness and Preparation
A call to vigilance against the snares of worldly cares and gluttony, urging the faithful to remain alert for the Judge.
Because a worthy preparation is necessary to guard against the great evils mentioned above, he adds a general warning. He says: "But watch yourselves." In other words, be careful that your hearts aren't weighed down—pulled toward earthly things—so that you can't lift your heads, whether through gluttony, drunkenness, or the cares of this life; that is, through an excess of food and drink, and an excessive concern for earthly matters. For worldly care binds the senses, pulls them away, and suffocates them, so that that sudden day of judgment might not come upon you, and sudden destruction carry you off while you are unaware; and therefore these things must be avoided and guarded against. For it will come like a snare—an inescapable trap that permanently holds whatever it catches—coming upon all who sit on the face of the whole earth; that is, those who rest in earthly things and the allurements of this world with a settled, loving attachment. The sinner is first caught in the snare of guilt, but eventually will be caught in the snare of punishment. The saints, indeed, pass through the earth as guests and pilgrims; but... ...they sit and rest in the earth as if they were citizens and members of the household. Hence Theophilus says: "That day will catch those who sit on the surface, as if they were caught and sluggish in their lack of preparation." They aren't those who are eager for what is good, nor are they those who sit idle in earthly things, but rather... They are told: "Get up and leave, for this isn't your resting place; for such people, that day isn't a trap or a disaster, but a feast day." Hence Bede says: "O foolish presumption of the human heart, which brings a lamentable end to the desire for drunkenness and gluttony." They don't foresee it, even with the Judge himself testifying; instead, they treat the edict of the eternal King like a wicked servant who, once he has learned of it, scorns it. If a skilled and wise doctor were to warn us, saying, 'Pay attention, for if anyone greedily consumes the juice of this herb, a sudden death will come upon him,' everyone would surely follow the doctor's warning so as not to die from tasting what is forbidden; yet now the Savior and Lord of souls and bodies commands us to avoid the herb of drunkenness and gluttony, and also the anxieties of worldly cares, so that we might not die. Why are these things not avoided, and why do so many not fear that our soul is not only wounded by them, but even consumed? There is no other reason. It's only because they refuse to trust God as they trust a doctor's advice. If they truly believed, they would certainly be afraid; and in their fear, they would avoid the danger hanging over them. As Chrysostom says: "If I tell you: Abstain from your pleasures..." ...and you don't fast, it's because you don't believe." If a doctor tells you while you're sick, "Stay away from this," you obey because you believe you'll be saved if you follow his orders. Yet you often love what you're forbidden to eat, and you overcome your hunger for the sake of your health. You could fast much more easily if you believed that pleasure would pass away." So says Chrysostom. There can be no greater madness than to have so many and such great merits of Christ, and yet not fear for the death of the soul. For, as the same Chrysostom says, the more precious the soul is compared to the body, the more miserable is the loss of the soul compared to the loss of the body. Therefore, we must always be vigilant. He then moves everyone, saying: "Watch at all times"—not with the watchfulness of the senses, for no one can sustain that, but with the watchfulness of the intellect. It is of her that the Song of Songs says: 'I sleep, and my heart watches'; and praying at all times, for... It must be continuous, because it needs to be interrupted often by the body's various needs; yet it is understood as continuous if no mortal sin intervenes to hinder its effect and good work. And for this reason it is added: 'That you may be worthy to escape'—that is, to guard against safely—'all these things that are to come, and to stand secure in judgment before the Son of Man,' who is sitting, that is, to judge; it is before Christ in human form judging, for those who are found at that time without mortal sin. They will be saved. This is the height of blessedness, as the Gloss says: to stand secure in the presence of the Judge. The wicked, however, fall before Him so that they do not rise again, because they would rather endure any punishment than see Him. As Augustine says: 'This is understood as that flight which ought not to happen in winter or on the Sabbath.' The cares of this life pertain to winter, which are as sad as winter; but gluttony and drunkenness pertain to the Sabbath, which submerge and overwhelm the heart with carnal joy and luxury. This evil is signified by the name of the Sabbath, because on that day the Jews indulge in delights while they are ignorant of the spiritual Sabbath. And according to Jerome, there is a need for the watchfulness of the mind at all times before the death of the body, so that we may stand in the presence of the supreme Judge. This is our blessedness. Bede says: 'Whoever wants to stand before the Son of Man and, according to the Apocalypse of John, to serve Him day and night in His temple, and not be cast away as cursed from His sight into eternal fire, must not only be purified from worldly allurements, but also pray and keep watch—and not just on certain days.' Instead, he ought to do so at all times. According to what the Psalmist says: 'I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall always be in my mouth.' For in this way, he will deserve to dwell in the house of the Lord and to praise Him forever and ever—so says Bede.
The Hiddenness of the Hour
The text addresses the mystery of the timing of the end, concluding with a prayer for grace and readiness for the final judgment.
Why He warned us to keep watch and be alert, He declares immediately when He adds: 'For you do not know when the time is'—that is, the time of Judgment or of your own death. And because the Lord had said that his coming and his kingdom were near, so that the disciples would not... ... He adds: 'Concerning that day or hour—that is, when he comes to judgment—no one in the Church, meaning no human being, knows it precisely; nor do the angels of heaven know it, because it is not among the things that pertain to blessedness, and the Son does not know it, except for the Father alone.' According to many teachers, this should be understood to mean that no human being or angel knows the day of judgment for themselves or for others; but the Son knows it in the Father for himself, even though he does not know it for others, meaning he does not make it known to anyone. The Father alone is said to know it, because he alone makes the Son know. This is a well-known rule of speech, as in the passage: 'God tests you so that he may know,' which means so that he may make you know whether you love him; and in the passage: 'Now I know that you fear God,' which means now I have acted so that you might know. For just as a day is called 'joyful' because it makes people joyful, and a cold is called 'sluggish' because it makes people sluggish, so the Son is said to 'not know' or to 'know' for us—those to whom he was sent—the things which he makes us know or not know; he knows it in himself and for himself, but not for us. Hence, by the statement 'except for the Father alone, from whom is the fountain of all knowledge,' the Son or the Holy Spirit is not excluded, for they dwell in that same fountain; rather, they are included, because the knowledge of the three Persons is one. Just as the beginning of this world was known to God alone, because the world was made immediately by Him, so too the end of the world is known to God alone, and to Christ as man, to whom it was revealed by God, because it belongs to Him to judge all things. 9 ? He wants this to be hidden from us because, according to Jerome, it isn't helpful for us—nor was it helpful for the Apostles—to know the day and hour of that judgment, so that we don't become lazy, but remain always uncertain about future times and the coming of the Judge, living each day as if it were our last. We should live with fear and always be watchful, as if we were to be judged at any moment, and in the uncertainty of a suspended expectation, always believe that the one who is to come is near. We don't know when He is coming. The signs of the end are indeed known. We can and should know the signs, but we do not know the day itself. As Chrysostom says: we know the signs of the world's old age, but we are ignorant of the day of the world's end; just as we know the signs of the end of the age, but the final moment remains hidden. We don't know the right time. Just as we know an old man is near death when we see him, we don't know when; it's the same when we see the world disturbed and falling apart. we know it, but we don't know the day. We are moving along. As Augustine says: 'The end of the ages is the sixth age of the world, namely from the coming of the Lord until the end of the age; old age usually lasts as long as all the other ages combined.' and so on. For since old age is said to begin in the sixtieth year, and a person's life can reach up to one hundred and twenty years, it is clear that old age alone can be as long as all the previous ages combined; it is useless, therefore, to try to define the years that remain for this world, for the effort of all who calculate this matter dissolves the skill of counting and compels us to be quiet, as He says: 'It is not for you to know the times or the seasons that the Father has set by his own authority.' So says Augustine. It's certainly not for us to know the times beyond what has been revealed. Whether it's revealed or handed down through the Scriptures—that's a matter of presumption. But to know the Scriptures is a matter of learning; therefore, it may be that the time of the Antichrist's coming has been revealed to someone. It doesn't follow, however, that one knows about the day of judgment. For it's unknown how much time will pass after the Antichrist before the judgment occurs. For although it is written that forty days will be given to the saints for repentance after the Antichrist, it is not known whether the judgment will happen immediately after those forty days. It's believed, however, that the general resurrection will occur on the night of the Lord's resurrection—that is, on the night of Easter. Therefore, according to Isidore, in the early Church the faithful would keep watch throughout that entire night, as if awaiting the Judge. We have no idea what year or day this will happen. However, what is explained here literally regarding the day of the general judgment can be understood in a moral sense as the day of particular judgment, which is the day of every person's death. Since no one knows the day of their own death unless God has revealed it, we must be vigilant about this day, just as we must think carefully about the other, because as each person leaves this world, so they will be presented in the future judgment. PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, come to me in the clouds of repentance and dissolve my heart into a rain of tears; cast out the demons by the power of your virtues, and reign in me by your majesty. Make me, O our Redemption, look to you with the eyes of my soul and lift up my head; grant me to see the fig tree—that is, to feel the sweetness of your love—so that the trees of all virtues may produce in me the fruit of good works; and may the summer of the kingdom of heaven be near to me. Grant that I may avoid all vices and keep watch in constant prayer, so that I may deserve to escape the evils to come and stand secure before you in judgment. Amen.
Read the original Latin
Dcinde, posl praemissa coiilra repiobos dicta, mox ad electorum i onsolalionem Dominus conv(;rtit verba, quia dies junicii licet* in reprohis sit valde terrii. ilis, tamen ekctis debet esse multum cons. l bi is : tunc enim ad gloram trau-fereiitur optalani. Unde hortitur eos, diceiis : His autem scihcei sigiils piaeilirtis. ftcri incifdentibus et apparentibus, s^ ilicrtcum plagae niundi cresceiit, cutn terr r judicii commotis v. rtutibus ostendetur, cuin peccatoiestabescent, praetimore et exspectatione malorum; vos electi resiAcite per fidem, id est dihgenter aliemiile, et mentis oculos aperite credendo et nullatenus dubitando, et levate per spem capita vestra id est mentes vrstras a tenenis ad coelcstia exspectatioiie ^'audiusa erigite, et corda veslia exhilar. ite, ac gaudete ciim laetitia qui iii tnsiilia fui>Lis; quoniam post tnbulationem horum «lierum, post pressuras et terrores malorum appropinquat redcmptio vestra plena et iirrfecta, quam exspectatis, quia dum fiuilur niundus, cujus aini i uon «stis, prope est redeuiptio ciujm quaesixistis ; rcdemptio, inquam, vestra, ii est Saii'torum. sedtunc e coiitrario appropinqu ibil perdilio malorum.
Haec aulem redemplio erit plena ab omnibus malis liberatio, tunc enim ab omnibus servitulibus, scilicet : a DE ELECTORUM C peccatoriim alli^atione, fomitis infectioiie,sensimm ill •cti. ne, pas-^ionum iofe^t. itiont;. d;Emo lum tentatione, malorum hommuni perscculione, nccfis-ariorum sollicitii'line, ct-ab omnibiis huju-mo il erimus iiheri. quando poni'inur ia libertatem glonis filiorum Dei. Hieceiiim redemptio ai»Q est aliud, nisi ptTfecta libcrtas animae et corporis, ut tiinc justi dicero possint Chnsto i! ud Apos-alypsis : Oncisus es, et redemisti nos beo nostro in sanguine tuo ; et fecisti nos Deo nostro regnum. Hoc quippe ad consolatioufm electorum cedii, qiiod videant Christum venire,ut eis praemia lar^iatur, quaesu s promisit.
Sed vae vol)is ambitiosis, qui primis cathedras diligitis, scilicet qui ad tii^niitates diligitis acredere, vel ini()sis dignititiiius (iiiigilis perseverare, quia tuiic non ent vobis pars neqiie sors in sermoneisto, nec cum eleclisconSiilatio! Nam Chri^tum judif. em venieiitem non hbenter, nec gandenter videbiti-, qui nunc praei^sse et judices esse diJigitis. Quod h^ny^ Gregorius in Moralibus atiestatur, dicens : « Narn cui esse nunc jiidicem libet, huic videre tunc Judicemiion libet. » Non dicit : Qiii judex est ; sed cui esse judicem libet, animum videUcet, non gradum, redar^uens, et ad voluntatem, non ad factum, vitU[ierationem referens. Quis autem coij^itare vel dicere valeat, quae tunc laetitia bonis, et quae tunctristitia maiis erit? Unde idem Gregorius : « Qui Deun diligunt, ex mundi flne gaudere atque hilarescere jtibcniur, quia vidtdicet eum, quem am^nt, mox inveuiunt, dum transit is quem non a naverunt. Absit enim, ut fideUs quisque, qni Deum videre (iesilerat, de muiidi pt^rcus-ionibus lugeatquem finiri eisdem perciissionibus suis non ignorat !
Scripium Qiimque est : Quicumque voluerit amicus esse hujus seculi, inimicus Dei constituetur. Qui ergo, appropinquante mundifine. non gaudet, amifuin se illius esse testatur, ac pcr hoc inimicus Dei esse convincitur. Lx miindi enim destructione liigere eorum est, qui raoiccm cordis in ejus amore planlaverunt, qui ONSOLATIONE, ETC. 277 sequentem vitam non quaerunt : » iioec Gregorius. Dicii aiiltm haer Dominu- ad discipulos, non tam(i am ad eos qui diirare de''erenl iii vita ista usque ad muiidi tcrminu n ; sed tiiiasi uno corporc cxi tenie ipsis et nol)is et posleris. usipie ad tonsumMia ionem munili, crediliiri^ in Christum 2 iEsTATIS ET FICULNE. E SIMILITUDO.
— Quainvis crgo diem illain nemo sciat, proximam tamcn esse dubit;ire non potcrit, postquam tanta et talia siiiiia fieri incipient. Cu)ih rei gratia subilit parabolam, id est siiiiilitudincm ad prop^situm congruam. de ficulneaet deallisarb^tribus. Videtefi' culneam et omnes arbores. Cum producunt jam ex se fructum , scitis quoniam prope est destas. Ita et vos^ cum videritis kaec fieri scitote quoniam prope est regnum Dei. Sicut enim ex pulliihiiione etfructu foliorum et florum in arbore prope e^se aestas agnoscitur; ita ex niina mun li quae tVuctiis ejus cst, et signis praediciis prope esse cognoscitur adventus Judicis, et regnu ii Dei : quae aestis erit justis ex hieme, et peccatorib is hit^ms ex aestale. Secundum Chrysostomum , plus de ficu quam de alia arbi>re similitudinein ponit, quia pene p 'St om.
ies arbores vernat, et sic magis e vicino aestatem nuntiat; vel, siuiilitudiuem a ficu sumit, quia illa si mald cst, mala est vahle, et si bona est, bona est valde, sicut jmlicium vaMe malum est malis, et valde bonum est juslis; vel, quia dolcedo flcns dulcedinem futurorum signiflcat giudiorum. Hic similitudiue, secuaduin G/'e^ori'^m, despiciendus mundus ostendiiur, cujus fructus ruina est, quia ad hoc crescit ut cadat, ad hoc germinat, ut quaecumque germinaverit cl. idibus consutnat. MoraIiter,homo arborihus in hoc assimilatur, quia sicut arborcs post hieinem fructilicant, etaestate fructus coiligitur; sic homo, post tribul ition m fructum habet,qui per tolerautiam passionura acqiiiiitur, et hic Inictus in sestate clantatis aeternae colligitur. Etconvenienter rcguum Dei comparatur ae>tati : priuio, quia aestas est tt;mpu3 lucidum, sic regnum coelorum ; secundo,quia aestas esttempus fructiferum, sic in regno coelorum ; tertio, quia aestas est tempus jucundum, sic regnuin coelorum; quarto, quiaaetase^ tempus traiiquillun, sic in regno Dei cessabit nubilum tribulationum.
Et confirmans prsemissa ass. ;riione certificatoria, subjungit : Amsn, id est vere, dico vobis, quia non praeteribit generatio haec, id est nondeficiet haec sexta aetas omnium hominum malorum et bonorum, hoc e-t genus hnmanum; vel , speciahter generatio haec, scilicet Judae irum, quae non defidet ex toto, quia potest opprinii et dispergi, non tamen de^ruiet annihilari ob meinoriam Crucifixi; vel, generationem Christiamirum dicit Ecclesiam, volens discipuios consolari, ne crederent quod in iihs temporibusfidesdeficeret;do/? ecomMia,()uae circa Christi adventum praedict i sunt fiant^ et fuerint consummata. \el, secundum Chrysostomum, donec alimpleatur otnne mysterium vocaiionis Sanctorum, quia quantumcumque fideles opprimanlur tempore Antichristi, attainen ahqui permanebunt in fide slabiles usque ad finem niundi. Ubi de praedieta die adventus Domini nos qujsi praemonendo, sic dicit Gregorius : « Illum ergo diem, fratres carissimi, ante oculos ponite, et quid. quid modo grave crediiur in ejus coinpiratione levi^atur. Illum diem tota intfutione co;,Mtate ; vitim corri^iie, mores mutite, mala tentantia resistendo vincite. perpetrata aute n fletibus punite.
Adventum namque aeterni Judicis tanto securiores quandoque videbitis , quanio nunc districtionem illius timendo praevenitis : » haec Gregorius. 4 — Et addit qua ndam protesiationem ad assertionem praemissorum, dicens : G€cZwm, scilicet non aethereum sidereum, sed aereum, a qu > et aves coeh et nubila ccEli cognominantur, hoc est inania haec et nubilosa ventosi aeris spatia, et terra transibunt^ id est suo modo mutabuntur, sciiicet qiioad mutationem qualitatis, et ejus quam nunc habent imaginis ; non quoad destructiouem subsiantiae, secundum qu un subsistent sine fine, qnia qutad qualitatem in melius commutal)untur, et forma priori deposita innovabuntur, ut dicatur coelum novum et terra nova, praeterit enim hujus mundi figura; sed quoad substantiam et essentiam semper minebunt immobilia. Verba autem mea fundamentum aeternae veritatis habentia, hoc e4 verborum meorum sententiae, non transibunt, sine effectu impieti >nis; sed sicut dicuiitur, sic sine ulla diminutione implebuntur. Ac si diceret : Ecce quanta est stabilitas verborum meorum, quia lacilius est ea quae videntur esse valde stabilia et durabilia destrui, qnam verborurn meorun quae videntur per prolationem transire, aliquod decidere. Facilius est quod toti natura subvertatur, quam quod intellectus verborum meorum effectu non complealur. Plus enim repugnat divinae ver. t iti a veritate verba sua deficere, quam quodcumque creatum in nihilum redigi. Augustinus distinguit triplex coelum : primum aereum, in ijuo aves volitant; secundum aethereum, in quo sidera stant; terlium empyreum , in quo Deus et Sancti habitant.
Primum transibit, non quidem secundum substantiam, sed secundum qu ilitatetn, quia innovabitur et depurabitur per ignem. Secundum etiam transibit, qui a motu cessabit, et habebit claritatem, quam habet sol, et soli dabitur aiia claritas, et lunae similiter. Cessibit ergo motus coeli et transmutaiio in eiementis, qiiia ista ad ct»mplendum numerum electorum sunt ordinata; et ideo i4o completo in judicio, cessibunt, stcut ea quae sunt ad finem, habito fine, cessire debent. — Moraliter circa hoc nota, quodquiamundusiste quantum ad omne sui ;ippetibiie transit, secundum enim Joannem, mundus transit et concupiscentia ejus; hinc e^t quod quicumque his mundanis adhaeret, ille est in conlinuo transitu cum ipso mundo. Et praecipue triplicem facit transitum miserabilem : pnmo, a culpa iii culpam; secundo, de culpa in poenam; tertio,depoenain poenam. DE ELECTOHUM C Boni aiitem {'ngientps mundnm et ea quae iu mundo suiit, f. iriuut triplicem transilum comiutMidabiloin : primo quidcm, ti"anseunt a culpa ad poeuiteutiam; secundo, a pcEuitentia ad sapientiam; tertio, a sapieiitia ad vitam aeternam. Qui hunc tripliceui facittransitnm.
ilIeestv<Tus Hebraeus, et liic ceiebrat verum Pasiha vel Phase, quod est tramitus Domini.
Moraliter etiam notandum est, quod sicuttransitus coeli et terrae corporalis pnnilur in argumentum adventus Christi ad jiidicium, sic transitus coeli et terrae spintualis e^t argumentum adventus \erbi aet'Tni in mentem. Unde scienduin, qui>d per coelum et lerram, quae sunt extrema mundicorpora^popsuntintelligianima ratinnahs et corpus, quae sunt duo extrema, sciiicet : spiritualis et corporalis natura Igitur adveniente Verbo aeteino in mentem, coelum et terra tran. -ibunt, id est ultra ibunt, quia scilicet extra vel supra communem hominum statum eii;vabunlur et innovabuntur; hoc enim efficit ejus adventiis in nobis,quod innovabimur, tam secundum aniiiiam, quam secuudum corpus, et exuentes veterem hominem cum actibus s lis induamus novum hominem^ qui secundum beum creatus e^t. Renovabitur autem homo secundum animam ptTreform ilionem imaginis deformatae velustate defectuum culpabiliiim, ad quam reformationem imaginis deformatae anima pervenit triplici transito : nam primo transiliit ab oldivi. me memoiiae. ad acquirendam Verbi aetemi praesentiam per lugem memoriae recordaiionem ; secundo tiansibit ab ohfuscationeinteiligentiae^adconiemplandam sapientiam per luculentam intelligentiae piTScrutationem ; tertio tran-ibit a torpore iguaviae, ad degustandam Ecch siae dulcedinis affluentiam per ardentem amori- inhaesionem. Secundum <orpus etiam homo innovabitur triplici tiansiiu: primo corpos tF*ansibit a carnadum oblectaliime ad sensualitatis debiiam suppressi nem, ut videiicet corpus quautum ad appeiitum auimalem et sensitivum, sit subONSOLMIONE, ETC. i7« I jectum imperio rationis ; secundo I tr.
in>il)itasensibiliumdivagatione,ad ' Similiuai corp )raliiim et specierum I imagmahilium ijuietationem ; tertio transibit a passioniim in.» lestatione, ad poenalitatum et alflictiouum aequanimem tolerationem. Igitur, quando sic coelum et terr. i in nob's transierunt, certissimum argumenlum est quod Verhum aeteruum nullatenus nos transivit, sed amorose in mentem nostram declinavit, juxta illud : Ad eum veniemus^ etc. In quocumque enim hnmine coelum ei terra, id est anima et corpus trausierint per <rratiae iiinovalionem,ilIum Verbum aeter num non traiisihit, imo ad deum enit, per mentalem ejus conceplionem.
Et quia ad praecavendum tanta mala supra tacta neces-aria est digna praeparatio , ideo generalcm subdit admonitionem. dicens : Attendite autem vobis . id est ddi^enter cavete, ne forte graventur corda vestra, id est deorsum premantur ad vi ia, ita qiiod levare non possilis capita vestra, in crapula et ebrietate et curis hujus vitx, id est ex suiierfliiitate cibi et potus, et superflua terrenorum solliciiudine, cr. mula enim sensum ligat, cura secularis sensum di-trahit et s iffocat^e^ superveniat in vos repentma dies illa, s iiicet judicii, et repentinus interitus vos auferat nescientes; et ideo haec vitandi sunt et cavenda. Tamquam laqueus enim^ scihcet iiispiratus, qui evadi nullo modo poterit, et perpetuo retinens quod semei ceperd, superveniet in omnes, qui sedent super faciem omnis terrx, id est qui didect ibiliter et per amorem quiescunt in terrenis, ethiijusmodi iilecebris. Peccatorenim primo capitur laqueo culpae , sed tandem capietur lanuco poenae. Sancti qiiidem traiiseunt supiT terram, tamqiiam hos[)ites et peregrini ; sed m. ili sedent et quiescunt in tena, tamquam cives et domestici.
Unde Theophilus : « Capiet emm dies illa sedeutes in superficie, quasi impraenie litatos et inertes. gnotquot vero sunt soltTtes etagilesadbonum, non sedenles et otiantes in terrenis, sed sur;? entesab eiSjsibidicentes : Snrge, vaile, qiioiiam non e>t hc tibi requies talibu^ non est illa dics ut laqueus et discriinen , sed ut <lies festivus. » Unde eiBeda : « 0 stuUam prsesumptioneni cortlis humani, quae lamentabilem fiiiem cupiditati^, ebrietatis, et crapulae. nec ipso judice contestante, praevidedt, sed edictum Regis aet rni in more servi nequam, postquamdidicerit,spcrnc)t! >)EtC('rte, si quis nobi^ peritus ac sapiens medicus praecipenit : Atteniiiti^ inquien^, "vobis, ne quis, verbi grat a de illius herbae suitco avidius sumit quod si feccrit, renentinus ei superveniet interilus, quantD quisqiie stuiiio praemom^ntis medici inand ita servaret, ne videlicet vetitu'n guslando p ^riret ; ac nunc animarum simuletcoiporuiu Salvator, ac Dominus jubel ebi'ietatis herham et cra|)ulae vitandam, net-non et curarum secul irium solliciludines, ut m "rlifero^ sui-. cos esse caveiidos, et quaiiti timen nostrum his non solum sauciari, sed etiam consumi non timent? Nulla crctlo alia causa.
nisi quia fidem quam mcdici praebent dictis, Deo praebere comtemnunt Si etenim credi iisseut, creifmio utique timerent, timendo autem immini-ns periculum c;iverent Unde ait Ghrysostomus : « Si dixero tibi : Abstine te a deliciis. et jejnna; non facis, (juia non credis. Si aegrotanti tibi medicus dixerit : Ab-^tiue te ab hoc ; ob ludis, qui « credistesalvrindum si servaveris. Et frequenter illud amas quod manducai'e vetaris, et vincis desideriu n \entris, propler desiderium sanit. itis; multo m igis jejunare poteras, si crederes jucumlitatem illam luturam : » haec Chri/sostomus. Major ins inia non potest es-e, quam po4 tot et tanta merita Christi, mortrm animae non formidare. Quia, ut ait idem Ghri/sostomus, quaiilo preli 'Sior est anima quam corpu-i, tanto miserabilior perditio animariim (]uam corporum 7 Ideo semper est vigilandum. — Deinde mouet omues, dicens : Vigilate itaque omni tempore, uon vigilia sensus, (luia nullus possi't hoc su4inere, sed vigilia intellectus.
de qua in Caaticis dicitur : Ego dormio, et cor meumvigilat; etomni tempore orantes, nui qu >d or. iUo sit sempec continua, quia oporlet eam saepi^ inlerrumpi s )mni),efaliisneeessiiatibusc»rporis, se i contiiiuitis inteliigitiir qiiol non interveniat mortale peccalum impediens ipsius effectum et opus bonum, et ideo subditur : Ut digni habeamini fugere, id est cavere salubriter, ista omnia^ qude futura sunt^ et stare securi in judicio ante Filium hominiSy sedentis scilicet ad judicandum, id ost coram Ghristoin (orma humana judicante, qu a illi qui tunc invenientur sine pec( ato mortali. eriint salvi. Haec est autein summa bealitudinis, ut dicit Glussa, scilicetin praesentii Judicis securum consistere. Mali autem cadeiit ante eum, ita qimd amplius non reur^ent, quia ptjenam q lamlihet mallent sustinere, quam ipsum videre. Ubi Augustinus : « Hoec inteiligitnr illa fu^^a, quae non debet fieri in hieme vri in sabbato. Ad hiemeni pertinent curae hujus vitae, quag tristrs sunt velul hiems; ad sabbatnm vero crapula et ebrietas, quae carnali laetitia luxuriaque cor submergunt atque obruunt, quod malum sabbati nomine siunaiur, quia illo die Judaei deliciis afnuunt, duin spirituale sabbatum iijnorant. » Etsecundum Hicronymum^ omni tempore opus est vigiiia mentis ante m^trtem corporis, ut in praesentia summi Judicis consiatamus.
Hoc eiii 11 est nostra beatitudo. Ubi Beda: « Qui ante Filium hominis stare, eique, juxta Apocalypsim Joanuis, die noctuque in templo ejus servire desiderat, nec ab ejus aspectibus in ignem aeternum malediclus abjici; non solumabillecebrisseciilaribuscastigari, sed et orare et vigilare, et hoc uon quibusdam dicbus. sed omni tempore lacere debet. Juxta quod Fsalmista ait : Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore, semper laus ejus in ore meo ; sic namque merebitur habitare in domo Domini, et in seculum seculi laudare illum : » haec Beda. Cur autem monuit ut vigilemus et solliciti simus,declaratprotinus, cum subdit : Nescitis enim qnando tempus sit^ scilicet Judicii, sive mortis propriae.
Et, quia dixerat Dominus adveiitum, et regnum snum prope essc, ne discipuli jcslimiipont quod e. v si-inis pp;elic. is possct dies et horasciri determinale,sub,ungit : De dle autein illo vel hora, scilicet quando ad judicium vtmict, neino in Ecclcsia, id est nuUus hominum scit determinate, neque Angeli co^lorum sciunt, quia n^n e-t de pertinentibus ad beatitudinem, neque Fi/ius scit, nisi solus Pater. Secundum plures doctores inteliigenduin cst quod ho ■ mo, vel Angelus, ne • sibi, nec aliis scit diem judicii, sed Filius in Patre scit sibi (juamvis a''iis nesciat, id est nullum scire faciat. Pater autemsolus scire dicitur, quia solns facit Filium scire. Nota qnidem est haec res^ula lo(|uea li, ut ibi : Tentat vos Deus ut sciat, id est scire vos faciat, utrum diligatis eam ; et ibi : Nanc coqnnvi quod tiines iJeum, id est nunc fecl, ut cog-nosceres. Ut enim dicitur dies laetus, quia laetos fa-it, et frigns pigrun, quia pigros reddit; sic diiitur Fiiius nescire, vel scire nobis quibus missus est, quae scire vel nescire nos facit; scit itaque in se, et sibi, non nobis. Unde per hoc quod dicitur : Nisi solus Pater^ a quo fons omnis cognitionis est, non excludiiur Filius, vel Spirilus Sanctus qui in eodcm fonte h ibitant,seil magis includ mtur, quia una est trium pei^sonacum notitia.
Sicut ergo principium mun li hujus a solo D 0 fuit praecognitum, <|uia mundus immediatc ab ipso fa'-tus est ; ita et finis mundi soli Deo est co;^nitus,et homini-Christo, cui a Deo fuit revelatus, qaia ad eum pectinet judicarede omnibus. 9 ? — Nobis autcm hoc vult esse celatum, quia, secundum Hieronymum^ non expedit nobis, imo nec expediebat Apo tolis scire diem et horam illam judicii, ne pigriores simus, sed semper incerti de temporibus futuris, et de adventu Julicis, sic quotidie viv. imus cum timore, et semp(;r vigilemus solliciii, qua-^i in proximo,etalteradiejudicandi simus, ac pendulae exspectationis incerto, semper eumcredamusfuturum, quem i,? noramus quando venturus sit. Signa quidem ap iropiii'|ualionis aflvenliis e. jus scire possuiniis et dcbemus, sed dii'm priB :i>uin nes^^/im is. Ubi Ckrysostomas : a Eccesenectutis signacognos imus, diem autem ulti nu n mundi igiioramus ; sic et labe itis secili signa scimus, finea e.
jus non agnoscimus. Sicut onim qu uido videmus hominem senem, scimus quia propc moriiurus est. quando autem, necimus ; sic et cum inundum perturbiium videmus casucum cogiio. scimus,diem auiem ignor. imus. » Ubi et Auqusti' nas : « Finis quidem seculorum est aetas sexta mundi, videlicei ab adventu Domini usquein finem seculi Senectus vero tantum temporis solet tcnere,quantum omnesaet. ites ccterae. Nam cum anno sexagesimo senectus dicatur inciperc, et hominis vita possit usque ad a inos cemum viginti pervenire, manifestum est solam senectutem lam longam quam omncs aetates priores essc posse ; frustra igitur ann^s qui rem ment huic seculo conaremucdiffinire, omnium enim de hac re calculantiumdigiio^ «'t peritiam niimerandi rcsolvit, et quiesi:erc jub t, qui ait : Non est vesirum nosse tempora vel momenta^ quse Pater posuit in sua potestate : » liaew Augastinus.
Non est quippe nostrum nosse tempora ultra qi. -an revelatur, vel traditur per Scripturas, quia hoc est praesumptionis. Sed seiunlum Scnpturas nosse est eruditio lis, quunvis ergo revelatum forte fuit alicui tempus adventus Antichristi. non tamen sequitur ut sciat de die judicii. Ncscitur enim quanto interstitio post Antichristum futurun sit judicium. Quia licet scriptum sit quod quadraiiinla dies dabuntur Sanctis ad poenitendum post Antichri>tum, nescitur tamcn utrum statim post illos dies qu idraginta futurum sit ju licium. Creditur tamen quod nocte resurrectionis Dorninicae erit generalis resurrectio, scilicet in nocte Paschae. Ideo, secundum Isidorum,'m primitiva Ecclesia fideles tota nocte illa vigilabant, quasi Judicem exspectantes.
Q.io autem anno dies iste venturus sit, penitus ignoramug. Istud vero quod hic ad litteram exponitur de die judicii generalis, moraliiov potesl intelligi de die judicii p;irticiilaris, qui est diesmortis cujuslibet hominis; diem enim mortis stiae nullus scit, nisi Deus sibi revelavent, et ideo est nobis vigilandum de hac die, siciit de iila sollicite co^iitandum, quia quaiis qiiisque exierit de hoc mundo, talis prgeseatabitur etiam in futuro judicio. ORATIO Domine Jesu Christe, veni ad me in nubibus poenitentiae, et cor meum in pluviam lacrymarum resolve ; ejice in potestate vitiorum daemonia, et majestate ia me regna. Fac me, o nostra Rtdemptio, ad te respicere interioribus oculis, et levar'» caput meaiis ; da mihi videre ficulneam, sentire sciiicet tuae caritatis dulcedinem, ut omiiium virtutum arbores producant in me fructum bonorum operum ; et mihi prope sit eestas regni coelorum. Praesia mihi cavere omaia vitia, etvigiiare ia oratioae coatioua, ut merear mala ventura fugere, et in judicio ante te securus stare. Amen.
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