Watching And Sleeping

Dormitaverunt pastores tui, rex Assur, sepelientur principes tui, dispersus est populus tuus super montes... Semper diaboli studium est, vigilantes animas consopire. Denique et in passione Domini apostolorum oculus gravi sopore premit, quos Salvator suscitans ait: Vigilate et orate, ne intretis in tentationem. Et rursum: Quod vobis dico, omnibus dico: vigilate. Et quia non cessat semper consopire vigilantes, quoscumque ille deceperit, et quasi suavi et pernicioso carmine Sirenarum illexerit ad dormiendum, excitat sermo divinus, et dicit: Surge qui dormis, et elevare, et illuminabit te Christus. In adventu ergo Christi et sermonis Dei et doctinae ecclesiaticae, et consummationis Ninive, speciosissimae quondam mereticis, elevabitur et properabit populus, qui sub magistris ante fuerat consopitus: et ibit ad montes Scripturarum, ibique inveniet montes Moysen et Jesus fillium Nave; montes prophetas; montes novi Testamenti apostolos et evangelistas: et cum ad tales montes confugerit, et in hujusmodi fuerit lectione versatus, si non invenerit qui eum doceat, Messis enim multa, operarii autem pauci, tunc illius studium, comprobabitur, quia confugerit ad montes, et magistorum desidia coarguetur. Sanctus Hieronymus, Commentariorum In Naum Prophetam Source: Migne PL 25.1272a-b

Your shepherds have slept, O king of Assur, your princes shall be buried, your people have been scattered over the mountains...' 1 It is always the devil's desire to lull watchers of souls to sleep. Even in the passion of the Lord the eyes of the Apostles were weighed down with sleep, those whom the Saviour roused, saying: 'Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.' 2 And again: 'What I say to you, I say to all, be watchful.' 3 And because he does not cease to lull watchers to sleep, that he might deceive whom he will, and as with the sweet and ruinous song of the Sirens he charms them to sleep, the Divine word rouses and says: 'Rise up, you who sleep, and stand, and Christ shall enlighten you.' 4 Therefore in the coming of Christ, and the word of God, and the teaching of the Church, and the end of Nineveh, once a most beautiful harlot, the people are lifted up and made quick, who before beneath teachers slumbered, and they go to the mountains of Scripture, and there they find the mountains of Moses and Joshua, and the mountains of the Prophets and mountains of the Apostles and Evangelists of the New Testament, and when they shall have fled to such mountains, and considered the writings there, if they do not find there him who teaches, for 'the harvest is many and the workers are few,' 5 the desire of that one shall be confirmed, because they shall have fled to the mountains and the sloth of teachers shall be made manifest. Saint Jerome, Commentary on Nahum 1 Nahum 3.18 2 Mk 14.38 3 Mk 13.37 4 Ephes 5.14 5 Mt 9.37