Chapter IV.
Third, the justice of man toward himself is treated by a twofold comparison.
O how beautiful is etc. Here he treats of the justice of man toward himself. He commends justice and reproves injustice, comparing the state of the just to the state of the unjust: first, before the judgment, namely in this chapter; second, at the judgment, in the following chapter.
First, the state of the just is compared to the state of the unjust before the judgment in three ways.
Before the judgment in three ways: first, with regard to the state of the present life; second, with regard to the state of death: The just man, if by death; third, with regard to the state after death : He condemns etc.
First, with regard to the state of the present life, in two ways.
In the first part, the commendable state of the just is shown first in itself; second, from the reproval of the opposite state, namely of the unjust: The manifold etc.
He first commends the state of the just from its beauty; second, from its immortality: It is immortal etc.; third, from its edification: When it is present etc.; fourth, from its remuneration: And in perpetuity etc.
(Vers. 1.). O how beautiful etc., as if to say: thus I said, "that the generations of the ungodly are of dire consummation"; but O how beautiful etc., he says this in admiration: beautiful, "with regard to works"; a chaste generation, "with regard to innocence of mind"; with brightness, "with regard to the splendor of virtues," according to the Gloss. Song of Songs 4: "You are all beautiful, my beloved" etc.; likewise Luke 12: "Let your loins be girded," through innocence, "and lamps burning," through the splendor of virtues; "and you yourselves like men waiting for their lord," through solicitude for good works. And I rightly said that it is beautiful, namely with spiritual beauty. For the memory of it is immortal, through happy remembrance: Proverbs 10: "The memory of the just is with praises." For it is known also with God, through approbation: 2 Timothy 2: "The Lord knows who are his." And with men, namely those who use reason and are wise, through praise or the continuation of praise; Sirach 44: "Let the peoples declare the wisdom," namely of the Saints, "and let the Church proclaim their praise."
(Vers. 2.). And I rightly said that it is immortal etc. For when it is present, "namely in the present life," they imitate it, as a most beautiful exemplar; Philippians 3: "Be imitators of me." And they desire it, namely to see the beautiful and chaste generation of the just, namely for imitation: when it has departed, from this life through death: Job 9: "They have passed like ships carrying fruit," which namely leave behind their fragrance after their passage: Song of Songs 1: "We will run after the fragrance of your ointments."
It should be noted that God leads the just out of the present life effectively, according to that verse of the Psalm: "Lead forth from custody," that is, from prison, "my soul." But they themselves lead themselves out by consenting, or by desiring and asking for this: in the Psalm: "My soul has thirsted for God, the living fountain; when shall I come and appear before the face of God"?
And crowned forever, namely with the crown of perpetual life; Apocalypse 2: "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." She triumphs, that is, by triumphing she acquires the prize of undefiled contests, that is, what is owed to undefiled contests, that is, not defiled by a lack of perseverance: the prize, I say, conquering, a prize given for a competitive contest, as the Gloss says, whence 1 Corinthians 9: "They, that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible one." Or: a conquering prize, that is, surpassing the magnitude of persecutions, according to that verse in Romans 8: "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the future glory that will be revealed in us"; whence the Gloss: "A prize that is greater than those contests and persecutions which they endured in the present."
Of manifold kind, etc. Here he touches upon the state of the unjust reprobate, censuring it, first in themselves: second in the branches: And if in the branches: third in the fruits: And the fruits: fourth in the posterity: From the wicked, etc.
(Vers. 3.). But of manifold kind, etc., as if to say: such is the beautiful and chaste generation of the just. But (in the sense of "however"): the manifold multitude of the impious, etc.; Ecclesiastes 1: "The number of fools is infinite." Here he touches upon a threefold plurality or multitude of the impious in three words, namely because it is scattered through diverse errors with respect to the rational power, against which James 3: "Do not become many masters"; likewise, through diverse appetites with respect to the concupiscible power: Hosea 10: "Their heart is divided, now they shall perish"; likewise, through diverse hatreds with respect to the irascible power: Micah 3: "Jerusalem shall be a heap of stones," that is, without the cement of charity. He touches upon or indicates the first through what he says: Of manifold kind, that is, generating many errors: the second, through what he says: Multitude, as if without the unity or bond of charity: the third, through what he says: Of the impious, in the plural, that is, without piety, but with much cruelty. The manifold, I say, multitude of the impious will not be useful, "indeed harmful," as the Gloss says; Isaiah 30: "They were not for help or for any usefulness, but for confusion and for reproach."
But on the contrary: "Because, as Augustine says, if there were fewer wicked than good, they would not dare to try the good"; but this trial is useful for the good, because Gregory says that "he cannot be Abel whom the malice of Cain does not try." Likewise in the Psalm: "Upon my back sinners have wrought," namely, a perpetual crown for me.
But it must be said that the just will not obtain this benefit from the intention of the wicked, because they do not intend to benefit them, but from their own goodness, or from their own good will, making good use of their evils.
And spurious shoots shall not take deep root, etc. So reads the text of Rabanus and all the ancients; likewise Ambrose in a certain letter says to certain persons: "You are noble shoots," that is, noble plantings. But Augustine says that it would be better said adulterous plantings; and on account of this adulterous plantings remained in the text in the newer Bibles.
It should be noted, however, that shoots are fruitless plants which grow beside the trunk of the vine, whence vitulamen is said from vitis (vine); or according to some it is said from vitulus (calf), because such a plant grows in land plowed by calves or oxen. Spurious, however, means the same as ignoble or degenerate; whence spurious shoots, that is, degenerate or unnatural plantings, and adulterous plantings, that is, impious generations, born from spiritual adultery, namely, multiplied through the propagation of impiety: Matthew 12: "An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign."
They shall not take deep root, in themselves, that is, thoughts and affections reaching toward heaven, but fixed in the earth. For man according to the Philosopher is an inverted tree; whence he ought to send and fix his roots upward, namely, his intellect and affection; whence in the Psalm: "The meditation of my heart is always in your sight"; likewise: "Our feet were standing in your courts, O Jerusalem"; likewise: "Lord, before you is all my desire"; likewise Colossians 3: "Seek the things that are above," namely, by searching with the intellect; "savor the things that are above," by savoring with the affection; the Psalm: "Taste and see." Nor shall they establish a stable support, or foundation, namely of right faith toward God: for faith is as it were the foundation of the spiritual edifice; whence Hebrews 11: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for," etc.; 1 Corinthians 3: "No one can lay another foundation besides that which has been laid, which is Christ Jesus," that is, faith concerning Christ Jesus.
Otherwise, according to the Gloss, it is expounded concerning heretics and their disciples.
(Vers. 4.). There follows: And if in the branches, that is, in exterior goods, etc. Such were the branches of that Babylonian tree, namely Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel chapter four. They budded for a time, that is, for a short time they showed some beginning of good, according to that passage of Isaiah chapter eighteen: "The unripe fruit shall bud forth." Being weakly established, "that is, for an hour," as the Gloss says; or: weakly established, that is, feebly rooted in good, they shall be shaken by the wind, that is, by a lighter temptation, according to that passage of Ezekiel chapter seventeen: "Shall it not wither when the burning wind touches it?" And by the violence of winds, that is, by a more severe persecution, they shall be uprooted: the Gloss: "They shall be utterly torn out"; Matthew chapter fifteen: "Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be uprooted."
(Vers. 5.). For the imperfect branches shall be broken off, namely, without hope of restoration, by the most severe persecution: Job chapter fifteen: "The flame shall wither his branches"; or: for the imperfect branches shall be broken off, that is, their teachings or works lacking the perfection of charity; Colossians chapter three: "Above all things have charity, which is the bond of perfection." And their fruit, namely their own, that is, their evil works, according to that passage of Matthew chapter seven: "A bad tree brings forth bad fruit"; is useless, so as not to nourish: Isaiah chapter fifty-nine: "Their works are useless works." And bitter to eat, so as not to delight but to torment: Deuteronomy chapter thirty-two: "Their grape is a grape of gall, and their cluster most bitter"; Ezekiel chapter eighteen: "The fathers have eaten a sour grape," etc. And fit for nothing, so that they profit in nothing from themselves: Ezekiel chapter fifteen: "When it was whole, it was not fit for any work: how much more, when the fire has devoured it."
(Vers. 6.). From the wicked, etc., as if to say: truly the manifold multitude of the ungodly shall not be profitable, etc. For all children who are born from the wicked, not only by birth of propagation, but also of imitation, concerning which John chapter eight says: "You are of your father the devil." They are witnesses of wickedness against their parents, through the likeness of depravity, in their examination, that is, in the scrutiny of divine judgment, for God the just judge "will examine their works, " below in chapter six; likewise their words: Matthew chapter twelve: "Of every idle word," etc.; likewise their thoughts: above in chapter one: "There shall be examination of the thoughts of the ungodly," etc.
Allegorically, the Gloss expounds this concerning heretics, who are a manifold multitude, because they are divided through the diverse sects of diverse heresiarchs: who are useless to the Church, nay rather harmful, because they persecute her. Adulterous plantings are their disciples, who are generated from their erroneous doctrine. They do not put down deep roots, because they are not established in Christ, God and man. Their branches are unstable, because, if they seem to have anything good, in a time of persecution they are uprooted from the Church. Their fruit is useless, because by their doctrines and expositions simple people are poisoned. Their children are witnesses of wickedness against their parents, because from the multiplication of disciples the errors of the master will be more gravely condemned.
Second, with respect to the state of death, in three ways.