Chapter V.
Second, the state of the just is compared to the state of the unjust in the judgment itself with respect to three things.
Then shall the just stand etc. Here he compares the state of the just to the state of the unjust in the judgment itself. And first he touches upon the steadfast accusation of the just: second, the forced confession of the reprobate: Seeing this, they shall be troubled: third, the just retribution of both: But the just shall live forever.
First, concerning the accusation of the just.
(Verse 1). Then shall the just stand etc., as if thus: The impious shall come to judgment fearful: then: The Gloss: "When the peoples shall be judged," namely on the last day: and he says then, indeterminately, because "of that day no one knows," Matthew twenty-four: likewise Acts one: "It is not for you to know the times or moments which the Father has placed in his own power." They shall stand, namely those who in the present had seemed to fall or to lie prostrate: Luke sixteen: "There was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who lay at his gate." On the contrary, the wicked, who now seem to stand, shall then lie prostrate: Proverbs fourteen: "The wicked shall lie prostrate before the good." They shall stand, I say, the just in great constancy, that is, steadfastly and boldly on account of the confidence which they shall have.
The confidence of the Saints in the judgment shall arise from seven things. From the justice of their cause: Job thirteen: "If I shall be judged, I know that I shall be found just"; likewise in the Psalm: "Judge me, O Lord, according to my justice."
Second, from the sufficiency or abundance of proofs: for they shall have proof ready through a written instrument: Job thirty-one: "Let him who judges write the book himself" etc.: likewise Apocalypse twenty: "The dead were judged from those things which were written in the books"; likewise through witnesses: Job sixteen: "Behold, my witness is in heaven," namely God himself; whence Jeremiah twenty-nine: "I am the judge and witness, says the Lord." - Third, from the faithfulness of their advocates: First John two: "We have an advocate in heaven, Jesus Christ "; likewise the Holy Spirit: Romans eight: "The Spirit intercedes" etc.: likewise the Blessed Virgin: whence we cry out: "Our Advocate" etc.
Fourth, from the powerlessness of their adversaries, according to that word of the Psalm: "The impious shall not rise in judgment," namely to accuse the just: Apocalypse twelve: "The accuser was cast out" etc.
Fifth, from the friendship and kinship of their judge: Genesis thirty-seven: "He is our flesh and our brother": Bernard: "I think he will not be able to spurn me, bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh."
Sixth, from the benevolence of the assessors, that is, the Apostles: Matthew nineteen: "You also shall sit upon twelve seats, judging" etc.: likewise Job thirty-six: "He grants judgment to the poor."
Seventh, from the familiarity of the officials of the judge, namely the Angels: Matthew thirteen: "The Angels shall go forth and shall separate the wicked from the midst of the just."
Against them: Gloss: "Their persecutors," who distressed them: Gloss: "In martyrdom," afflicting them personally: Hebrews eleven: "Distressed, afflicted," etc. And who took away their labors, bodily, namely despoiling them through violence, although the Saints bore these things joyfully: whence Hebrews ten: "You accepted the plundering of your goods with joy." Or: labors, spiritual, attempting to take away their fruit, namely by provoking them to sin: concerning this fruit above in chapter three: "Glorious is the fruit of good labors." Or: both together, according to the Gloss: "Namely by judging their bodily and spiritual labors vain and foolish."
Second, concerning the confession of the reprobate in three ways.
Seeing, they shall be troubled, etc. Here he touches upon the forced confession of the reprobate: and first he touches upon the motive for such a confession: second, the matter of the confession: These are they whom once: third, the confirmation of their confession: Such things they said, etc.
A twofold motive for the confession is touched upon, namely affliction over the true happiness of the good, and anxiety over their own unhappiness — Saying within themselves, etc.
(Verse 2). There follows therefore: Seeing: Gloss: "Themselves led from glory to punishment, and their adversaries transferred from punishment to the crown"; they shall be troubled with horrible fear: Exodus fifteen: "Then the princes of Edom were troubled": likewise Ezekiel seven: "Trouble upon trouble shall come," namely the trouble over the affliction of the resumed body upon the trouble previously had over the affliction of the soul previously tormented in the flames of Gehenna. With horrible fear, namely on account of the constancy of their accusers, of whom above in the same chapter. Second, on account of the severity of the divine judgments, according to that passage in Hebrews ten: "It is a horrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God"; likewise below in chapter six: "Horribly and swiftly shall he appear to you." Third, on account of the presence of horrible torturers; Job twenty: "Horrible ones shall go and come upon him." Or thus: They shall be troubled, on account of the gnawing conscience: with fear, on account of the irrevocable sentence of the judge: horrible, on account of the visible presence of the prepared punishments and horrible torturers. And they shall marvel at the suddenness, that is, the sudden attainment, of salvation, namely of the just, unhoped for, that is, not expected by the impious themselves, yet hoped for by the just, according to that passage of the Psalm: "In you our fathers hoped," etc. Groaning, inwardly, from anguish of spirit, from the consideration of that glory and salvation which they lost: First Kings four: "The Philistines groaned, saying: Woe to us," etc.
(Vers. 3.). Saying within themselves, by an interior speech, and they do not engage in exterior speech, perhaps on account of the vehemence of their grief. Doing penance, for the evil that they did: penance, but a late one, like the penance of the rich man, of whom it is said in Luke 16: "Father Abraham, have mercy on me," etc.: doing, or rather suffering. This is the penance of despair, like the penance of Judas, of whom it is read in Matthew 27 that "moved by penance, he returned the thirty pieces of silver." And groaning from the anguish of spirit, on account of the evil of punishment which they incurred: Isaiah 65: "From the sorrow of spirit you shall howl," etc.
These are they whom once etc. Here he sets forth the matter of the confession of the impious confessing their own error, first concerning the life of the just: second concerning their own life: We are wearied etc.
In the first, they first confess their past contempt and mockery of the Saints: second, their rejection of the Saints' state: We fools etc.: third, their then present exaltation: Behold, how they are numbered: fourth, their own error: Therefore we have erred.
(Vers. 3.). These, namely those worthy of mocking display according to the judgment of the impious, are they whom we once held in derision, by deeds and signs: Job 12: "The simplicity of the just man is laughed to scorn": likewise in the Psalm: "All who saw me mocked me," etc. And as a likeness of reproach, reproaching with words: in the Psalm: "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell upon me." But when a good work is reproached in a man, which is rather matter for praise, it is not a true reproach, but a likeness of reproach: on account of which it is said here: as a likeness of reproach: 2 Corinthians 6: "Through infamy and good fame," etc.; Acts 5: "The Apostles went rejoicing," etc.
(Vers. 4.). We fools etc, living in the manner of foolish children: fools, I say, because we did not perceive things as they were: Ecclesiasticus 16: "In all these things the heart is foolish"; 1 Corinthians 14: "Do not be children in understanding." Their life, that is, their manner of life, which was in poverty, labor, lowliness, fasting, etc.: we esteemed madness. So David was reputed insane by Achish, 1 Kings 21; so also Christ: John 8: "Do we not say well that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?" Likewise John 10: "He has a demon and is mad"; so the messenger of Elisha, 4 Kings 9: "Why did this madman come to you?" Hosea 9: "Know, O Israel, that the prophet is a fool and the spiritual man is mad"; a fool, namely in temporal things, and mad, according to the judgment of the worldly. And their end, that is, death, without honor, namely of any recompense: against which it is said in the Psalm: "Your friends are exceedingly honored, O God"; likewise John 12: "If anyone serves me, my Father will honor him," who is in heaven.
(Vers. 5.). How then are they numbered among the children of God? Through grace: Romans 8: "You have not received again the spirit of bondage in fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption of children," etc.; likewise John 1: "He gave them power to become children of God," etc. And among the Saints their lot is, that is, the portion of glory, of which in the Psalm: "Let my portion, O Lord, be in the land of the living"; likewise Colossians 1: "Who has made us worthy for a share in the lot of the Saints in light." And these things are against the two things which they had said: for they had said that the life of the Saints was foolish and their end disgraceful.
(Vers. 6.). Therefore we have erred etc. They conclude against themselves: whence that word of the Psalm is verified: "Their tongues have been weakened against them." We have erred, they say: for they approved false things as true: but Augustine says that "to approve false things as true is proper to error": Isaiah 19: "They have caused Egypt to err in all its work, as a drunkard staggers and vomits." From the way of truth: The Gloss: "Of the Gospel of the divine law," with respect to believing; Isaiah 53: "All we like sheep have gone astray: each one has turned aside to his own way." And the light of justice, with respect to acting: the light of justice, taken intransitively, that is, justice which is light, according to that word of the Psalm: "Light has risen for the just"; likewise Proverbs 4: "The path of the just is as a shining light" etc. Has not shone upon us; Isaiah 59: "We waited for light, and behold darkness"! This was the cause of their error, just as a lack of light is the cause of going astray. And the sun of understanding, namely with respect to enkindling: The Gloss: "Christ, the sun of justice, who rises upon those who fear God," as is found in the last chapter of Malachi: has not risen upon us. It should be noted that the deficiency is not on the part of the sun, but on the part of those who lie in darkness and are unwilling to rise and do not seek to open their eyes: the Psalm: "Fire," of envy, "fell upon them, and they did not see the sun," of justice. The material sun indeed rises upon the good and the evil, as is clear from Matthew 5: "Who makes his sun to rise upon the good and the evil," but the sun of understanding rises only upon the good, as is clear here.
But Christ is called the sun, because the sun is so called as if "alone shining" [solus lucens]: but Christ shines singularly, that is, above all others as the light of the world and its eye: John 1: "He was the true light, which enlightens every man coming into this world," even by the illumination of natural knowledge. "For he is the teacher who, having his chair in heaven, teaches the hearts of men on earth," as Augustine says. Likewise John 8: "I am the light of the world." - Likewise, because by the illumination of the moon, that is, of the Church: Ecclesiasticus 50: "As the full moon shines in its days," namely from the irradiation of the sun. - Likewise, because he is the fountain of all heat, that is, of spiritual love: the Psalm: "In the sun he has set his tabernacle"; and afterward: "There is none who can hide himself from his heat": 2 Maccabees 1: "The time came when the sun shone forth, which before was in a cloud: and a great fire was kindled" etc.: likewise Luke 12: "I have come to cast fire upon the earth," that is, heat.
Likewise, because he is the father of spiritual plants, that is, of all spiritual sprouting: John 15: "He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, because without me you can do nothing."