2. As to what is again objected: The world passes away and its concupiscence, the qualification resolves it, namely the world insofar as it is an occasion of pleasure.
1. As to what is said: I saw a new heaven: the Gloss says: "that is, renewed."
2. As to what is said in Matthew: Heaven and earth shall pass away: the Gloss explains: they shall pass away, from a changeable form to an unchangeable one.
The same is proved in particular with respect to rising and setting, with respect to state, use, and manner of life.
A time to be born. Above he set forth the general proposition; here he proves it by induction in particular cases, showing the diverse varieties of times in things. And this part has four parts. First is touched upon the variety of times which regards rise and decline. Second, that which regards state, at: A time to weep and a time to laugh. Third, that which regards use, at: A time to embrace. Fourth, that which regards the manner of proper conduct, at: A time to keep silence.
On the variety of times regarding rise and decline, in fourfold manner.
First, therefore, is introduced that variety which regards the rise of things and their decline under a fourfold distinction: first, of living things; second, of plants; third, of sentient beings; fourth, of artificial things.
(Verse 2.) As to the rise and decline of living things, he says there is variety when he says: A time to be born and a time to die, and this in all living things, because from birth one comes to death: Job 14: "Man, born of woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries"; Ecclesiasticus 40: "Great labor is created for all men, and a heavy yoke upon the sons of Adam, from the day of their coming out of their mother's womb until the day of their burial into the mother of all." And therefore Wisdom 5: "We, being born, immediately ceased to be"; Ecclesiasticus 14: "Some things are generated, and others are cast down; so is the generation of flesh and blood: one comes to an end, and another is born."
As to the rise of plants, he says: A time to plant; as to their decline, a time to uproot what has been planted: Genesis 2: "The Lord God had planted a paradise of pleasure from the beginning"; but a time to uproot the unfruitful: whence Luke 13: "Behold, it is three years since I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none; cut it down therefore."
(Verse 3.) As to the rise and decline of sentient beings, he adds: A time to kill; and a time to kill is placed first, and a time to heal follows, on account of the state of corrupted nature, which has grown more prevalent, so that health does not have a place. Concerning this variation, Deuteronomy 32: "I will kill, and I will make to live"; and again, 2 Kings 8: "He measured two lines, one to put to death and one to keep alive."
As to the rise and decline of artificial things, he adds fourthly: A time to destroy, behold the decline; and a time to build, behold the restoration of what was destroyed. Things that are ruinous must be destroyed: Luke 19: "There shall not be left in you a stone upon a stone." A time to build, when there is abundance of resources: Luke 12: "I will destroy my barns and build greater ones"; Haggai 1: "Bring wood, build the house, and it shall be acceptable to me." And thus there is no permanence in the passing of things.
On the variety of times regarding state, according to a threefold distinction.
A time for weeping etc. Having set forth the variety of times which regards the rise and fall of things, here is set forth the variety of times which regards their state, namely of prosperity and adversity. And this is considered according to a threefold distinction, namely of prosperity, joy, and security, and their opposites.
(Vers. 4.). As regards therefore the time of prosperity, in which one should laugh, and of adversity, in which one should weep, he says: A time for weeping, in adversity: First Maccabees 1: "Every husband took up lamentation, and those who sat upon the marriage bed mourned"; and Lamentations 1: "Weeping she wept in the night, and her tears were on her cheeks." And a time for laughing, in prosperity: Esther 8: "A new light seemed to rise for the Jews, and joy and exultation." And he places weeping before laughter, either because it precedes according to fallen nature; Wisdom 7: "I uttered my first cry, like all others, weeping"; or because one must first grieve, because Luke 6: "Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh"; conversely, concerning the wicked: Proverbs 14: "Laughter shall be mingled with sorrow."
As regards the state of joy and its opposite, he says: A time for mourning and a time for dancing. Mourning differs from weeping, laughter from dancing, because weeping is in tears, mourning in the voice, laughter in outward sign, and dancing in the elevation of the body. Concerning mourning, the last chapter of Genesis: "This is a great mourning for the Egyptians," in that place, that is, at funeral rites; but dancing belongs to splendid solemnities: Mark 6 says that on Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias entered to dance.
(Vers. 5.). As regards the time of security and its opposite, he says: A time for scattering stones, namely when there is security: Micah 4: "No man shall take up the sword against another." A time for gathering, for the building of fortifications, namely when there is fear of enemies: Second Chronicles 32: "He built up every wall that had been broken down and erected towers."
On the variety of times as regards use, according to a fourfold distinction.
A time for embracing etc. The variety of times which regards the rise and fall of things and also their state has been set forth; here is set forth the third, which regards use, and this under a fourfold distinction, namely as regards the use of wives, possessions, treasures, and garments.
(Vers. 3.). As regards therefore the use of wives, which consists in carnal union for the generation of offspring, he says: A time for embracing and a time to be far from embraces: First Corinthians 7: "It remains that those who have wives should be as though they had none"; and again: "Do not defraud one another, unless perhaps by consent for a time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and return together again."
(Vers. 6.). Regarding the use of possessions, he says: A time to acquire and a time to lose. We acquire through diligence, but lose through sloth; Proverbs 14: "The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears down even what was built with her own hands."
Or a time to acquire in life, to lose in death: Job 20: "The riches which he gathered, he shall vomit up," etc.
Or a time to acquire, when we are joined to God; to lose, when we are separated: Psalm: "He blessed them, and they were multiplied"; and afterward: "And they were made few."
Regarding the use of treasures, he adds: A time to keep, when there is abundance; and a time to cast away, when there is need among the poor. The example is of Joseph, Genesis 41, who stored up in time of plenty and distributed in time of famine. For riches are to be kept for this purpose: that they may be distributed; hence in the Psalm: "He distributed, he gave to the poor."
(Vers. 7.). Regarding the use of garments, he adds: A time to rend, when they are worn out; and a time to sew, because our garments are daily worn out and are not renewed, unless perhaps by a divine miracle, as in Deuteronomy 8: "Your garment with which you were covered has in no way been consumed by age"; but ours are quickly consumed; therefore little care should be given to them: 1 Timothy 6: "Having food and clothing, let us be content with these."
On the variety of times regarding the manner of conduct, according to the threefold alternation of acts.