They shall also fear the heights etc. Above he set forth the weakening of the body in the old person: here he adds the signs of debilitation, which are four: tremor of the body, whiteness of the head, swelling of the belly, and cooling of desire.
(Vers. 5.). The first sign of infirmity in
the old person is tremor of the body; on account of which he says: They shall also fear the heights and be afraid in the way, that is, all the members of the body shall become tremulous: and this is a sign of the dissolution and diminution of the retentive power of the members, which is unable to hold the members steady: and therefore it is compelled to continually tremble; whence the wretched old person can say that word of the Psalm: "Fear and trembling came upon me" etc.
The second sign is whiteness of the head, regarding which he says: The almond tree shall flourish, that is, the head and beard shall grow white: for the almond tree, when it blossoms, turns white, and this is a sign of weakness of power: for because in the old person the retentive power of the humors is weakened, therefore the humors putrefy and also grow cold, as a sign of which white superfluities proceed from the body of the old person: and therefore they grow white.
The third sign of senile infirmity is swelling of the belly or of other members of the body; regarding which he says: The locust shall be fattened. The fattening of the locust even around its old age is rather swelling than true fatness, in which manner the fattening in the elderly occurs, and this is a sign of the weakness of the digestive heat. For because the digestive heat fails, phlegmatic, watery, and undigested humor abounds, which fills the body of the old person and appears to fatten it.
The fourth sign is the diminishing of desire: on account of which he says: The caper shall be scattered. The caper is a certain herb which "benefits the kidneys," as the Gloss says, and strengthens the act of the generative power; and according to Jerome, in Hebrew it has a common name for both the herb and for lustful desire. In whichever signification therefore it is taken, the sense is correct: the caper shall be scattered, that is, the ardor of desire shall diminish; and this is a sign of weakness in the old man. For in the act of generation, heat moves, and digested moisture supplies the material. Because therefore old age is cold and dry, heat and moisture fail, and therefore the ardor of desire is diminished.
On the miseries accompanying death in the dying person and in those who grieve with them.
(Vers. 5.). Because man shall go to the house etc. The miseries preceding death have been described. Here is described the very misery of death both in the dying person and in those who mourn. In the dying person, when he says: Because man shall go to the house of his eternity, that is, he shall die. For the house after death is eternal, because above in chapter eleven, "if a tree falls to the south, there it shall be; if to the north, there it shall be"; and thus the house after death is rightly called the house of eternity. As to the misery in those who mourn, he says: And the mourners shall go about in the street: they go about, because on account of grief they know not how to rest: Psalm: "The head of their going about, the labor of their lips shall cover them." And they shall mourn over the dead as though unwilling to be consoled, but they ought not so: Ecclesiasticus twenty-two: "Mourning for the dead lasts seven days."
On the miseries following death.
Before the cord is broken etc. Above he touched on the miseries preceding and accompanying death; here he touches on those following, which are the dissolution of the body and the migration of the spirit to God: which are described in this order.
(Vers. 6. 7.). First is noted the dissolution of the sinews, when he says: Before the silver cord is broken, and the phrase must be repeated: "Remember your Creator" etc. The intertwining of the sinews is rightly called a cord, because it encircles and binds the whole body, and silver, on account of their whiteness and translucency. The silver cord therefore is broken when the binding of the sinews is dissolved.
Second, the dissolution of the veins or arteries, when he says: And the golden fillet runs back; the intertwining of the veins is rightly called a fillet, because, just as a fillet is wound around, and by it the whole that is bound is preserved, so by the veins and arteries the whole mechanism of the body is surrounded and preserved. This intertwining of veins and arteries is rightly called golden, because gold is red and veins of this kind are red on account of the redness of the blood contained within them. Then therefore the golden fillet runs back when the intertwining of the veins and arteries does not endure.
Third, the breaking of the vessel of urine is noted, when he says: And let the pitcher be shattered at the fountain. The pitcher is the receptacle of water drawn from a fountain, and the bladder is the receptacle of urine proceeding from the liver as from a fountain. For urine is the filtrate of the blood and other humors, which proceed from the liver into the whole body as from a fountain. The pitcher, therefore, is shattered at the fountain when the bladder ruptures and cannot receive the filtrate of the humors that proceeds from the liver.
Fourth, the destruction of the passage of impure waste is noted, when he says: And let the wheel be broken at the cistern. The wheel is the instrument by which the drawing out of foul and muddy water from the cistern is accomplished: the cistern contains for the most part muddy water; and such is our belly. Therefore, for the wheel to be broken at the cistern is for the passage of impure waste exiting from the belly to be destroyed in death.
Fifth, the incineration of the whole body is noted, when it is said: And let the dust return to its earth, whence it was, that is, let the body be reduced to ashes, according to that passage in Genesis 3: "You are dust, and to dust you shall return." To its earth, because it is from it: Sirach 40: "All things that are made of earth shall return to earth." Sixth, the return of the spirit or soul to God is touched upon: whence he says: And let the spirit return to God, who gave it. The Lord himself gives the spirit, whence it is said in the Psalm: "He who fashioned their hearts one by one," etc.; and to him every spirit returns as to the recompenser; Romans 14: "We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ," etc.
Spiritually, from that place: When they shall be moved, etc., the final state of the Church is here described: first, with regard to what precedes the judgment; second, with regard to what accompanies it, at: Because man shall go into the house; third, with regard to what follows, at: Before the silver cord is broken.
The state before the judgment, which will be at the coming of the Antichrist, is described with regard to three things: first, with regard to the diminution of faith; second, with regard to the spread of error, at: And they shall rise up at the voice of the bird, etc.; third, with regard to the manner of spreading, at: The almond tree shall flourish, etc.
First, therefore, he foretells that there will be a diminution of faith with respect to four classes of persons: first, with respect to prelates; second, with respect to the perfect; third, with respect to the simple; fourth, with respect to the wise. First, therefore, he foretells the shaking of the prelates, when he says: When the keepers of the house shall be moved. This house is the Church, of which it is said in the Psalm: "Holiness becometh thy house," etc. The keepers are the prelates, to whom the care of the Lord's flock has been entrusted: Isaiah sixty-two: "Upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen." The keepers, therefore, shall be moved, when the prelates shall be shaken in faith; and this indeed will be at the coming of the Antichrist; whence Judith, last chapter: "The mountains shall be moved from their foundations."
Second, he foretells the wavering of the perfect, when he says: And the strong men shall stagger: The strong men are the perfect in charity and hope, according to that passage of Isaiah forty: "They that hope in the Lord shall renew their strength."
These shall waver: Matthew twenty-four: "False prophets shall arise and shall show signs, so as to lead into error, if it be possible, even the elect"; and in the same place: "And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened." Third, he foretells the fall of the simple, when he adds: And the grinders shall be idle, their number being diminished, that is, the simple shall cease from good work, overcome by weariness on account of the great deception practiced upon them; whence he says: their number being diminished, because they shall be greatly reduced: Matthew twenty-four: "Two shall be at the mill; one shall be taken, and the other shall be left."
Fourth, he foretells the error of the wise, when he says: And they that look through the holes shall be darkened, that is, the wise, who see with subtlety, shall be enveloped in the darkness of error: Job twelve: "They shall grope as in darkness and not in light, and he shall make them stagger like drunkards." And because those who fall from faith fall from faithful confession, therefore he says: And they shall shut the doors in the street, that is, in public; when the sound of the grinding is low, that is, murmuring. But true confession is in public; whence Matthew ten: "What you hear in the ear, preach upon the housetops."
And they shall rise up at the voice, etc. Here, second, there is noted the spreading of error after the diminution of faith with respect to three things. First, he says that falsehood shall be preached and heard; second, that truth shall be silenced; third, that the power of the Antichrist shall be exalted and feared.
First indeed, falsehood will be preached by the Antichrist, when he says: They will rise up at the voice of the bird. The voice of the bird singing in the night is the preaching of the Antichrist preaching in the night of darkness and unbelief. At his voice, therefore, those who believe his preaching will rise up. For this reason it is said in Matthew twenty-four, that they should not give credence: "If therefore they shall say to you: Behold, he is in the desert, do not believe." Nevertheless many will hear and believe; in John five it is said to the Jews: "If another shall come in his own name, him you will receive."
Second, he foretells that truth will be silenced, because there will be no one to hear; therefore he says: All the daughters of song will grow deaf. Then the daughters of song grow deaf when they cannot hear the sound of truth, which is like a certain harmony. This will be in the time of the Antichrist, as was foretold: in Isaiah thirty it is foretold concerning that people who will cling to the Antichrist: "It is a people provoking to wrath, lying children, children unwilling to hear the law of God."
Third, he foretells that the power of the Antichrist will be dreaded, when he says: They will also fear the heights and be in dread, etc., that is, all, both small and great, will fear the power of the Antichrist and will worship out of terror; whence Revelation thirteen: "All the earth wondered after the beast, saying: Who is like to this beast, and who shall be able to fight with it?" And afterwards: "And power was given to it over every tribe and people and tongue, and all who dwell upon the earth shall worship it, whose names are not written in the book of life."