Chapter XXIII.
What the Lord says: Seed and harvest, cold and heat will not cease, literally and morally explained.
82. Moreover, he says: Seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not rest (Gen. VIII, 22). According to the literal meaning, it signifies that for those who remain according to the institution of the Lord, animals or all things in the woods will remain in their state without corruption in future times. For when times are corrupted, those things also which are produced in their times are corrupted. But if there is confusion of times, how can those things which are being produced also remain with confusion made? Therefore, there are times that either corrupt or preserve, depending on the quality they themselves have. And so, the year is led by opposites, spring, autumn, summer, winter, just as harmony of a song seems to consist of a mix of grave and acute tones. Likewise, this world is also composed of opposites, air and earth, fire and water. Our bodies also follow a certain order of nature, with cold and heat, moisture and dryness. For if the natural order and measure are confused, then destruction must necessarily follow. Therefore, the Lord promises a certain order of times for the perseverance of the world, once the confusion of the flood is removed.
83. However, this higher sense is such that by seed we understand the beginning, by harvest we understand the end. In both, the cause of salvation is present. One is incomplete without the other; for where there is a beginning, the end is sought, and there cannot be a beginning without the end, and the end returns to the beginning. Therefore, the human race always remembers, as long as it is in this world, that it will come back to the same thing: when the year begins, it ends; when it ends, it begins, so that the world is not dissolved in the middle of time. And so the mind, when it sees something begin, should strive to continue until the end, and seek the completion of its work. When a work is finished, it should not be satisfied as if the work is complete: but should turn to another work, and always exercise the growth of virtue; for the mind sees that the earth always returns to its fruits, which are born in different seasons, either in spring and summer, as in the Eastern parts, or in summer and autumn, as in the Western parts.
At another time, the lands produce their offspring: at another time, we gather the fruits of the trees. Therefore, the fruits can be divided into necessary and pleasurable: the necessary ones come from the seeds of the land; but truly the pleasurable ones come from the fruits of the trees. Thus, our body is nourished by air, which is truly, that is, in Latin terms, called 'aer', and by natural food. However, the Scriptures took the example from the parts of the East, especially from Egypt, which the Hebrews passed through, or from the parts of Phoenicia. However, the soul is nourished by the fruits of pleasures, which are the fruits of wisdom. But just as cold and heat are opposed to our bodies, so too fear and anger seem contrary. But because it is in the body, it is necessary for it to have anger and fear, and it cannot exist without this bodily necessity. And therefore, the mind of the wise person dispenses just moderation; not mixing anger and fear, and not causing a kind of confusion and flood in their soul.
85. Also, by day you understand the illuminating power, by night you recognize the dark foolishness, as he says. Therefore, even in fear, virtue can be illuminating, just as temperance can restrain anger. So that some may not completely dissolve in fear, but instead direct fear towards virtuous actions. For example, if a persecutor insists that you fear God more and that eternal punishments are more to be avoided than present ones, while you fear these things, you are kindled to glory, angry at betrayal and wickedness. Again, being inflamed by anger, you shall moderate the divine disturbance with fear.