Wrath And Treasure

Secundum duritiam autem tuam, et cor impoenitens, theasurizas tibi ipsi iram in die irae, et revelationis justi judicii Dei, qui reddet unicuique secundum opera ejus. Cor durum in Scripturis dici videtur, cum mens humana velut cera frigore iniquitais obstricta signaculum imaginis divinae non recipit. Hoc idem alibi cor crassum appellatur, sicut cum dicitur: Incrassatum est cor populi hujus. Contrarium vero est duro molle,quod in Scripturis cor carneum nominatur; et crasso subtile, vel tenue, quod Apostolus spiritalem hominem vocat eum qui examinat omnia. Igitur cum quis scit quae bona sunt,et non agit bona,per duritiam cordis contemptum omnium bonorum habere credendus est. Crassitudo vero cordis est, ubi subtilis et spiritalis intelligentiae non recipitur sensus; et ita  cor impoenitens effectum thesaurizat sibi ipsi iram in die irae, et revelationis justi judicii Dei, dum bonum opus non agitur per duritiam; intellectus vero bonus per crassitudinem is excluditur. De ira autem Dei et superius, quantum res pati voluit, et in aliis locis saepe dissertum est. Quod vero dicit, Thesaurus tibi ipsia iram in die irae, considerandum est. Thesaurus appelatur, quo diversi generis opes, et divitiae congregantur. Hujus in Scripturis significantiam triplicem legimus. Dicitur enim in Evangelio thesaurus esse quidam in terris, in quo prohibet Dominus thesaurizari: et alius thesaurus in coelo, in quo jubet fideles quosque opes suas recondere: et hic nunc Apostolus dicit irae thesauros. Omnes ergo homines per haec quae agunt in hoc mundo, in uno aliquo ex istis tribus congregant thesauros. Aut enim infidelis est quis et iniquus, et per duritiam cordis, et cor impoenitens in thesauro irae actus suos recondit. Aut terrenus est, et de terra sapit, ac de terra loquitur, et cum ei attulerit ager fructus uberes, destruit horrea sua, et majora aedificat, et theasaurizat in terra. Et ille quidem durus, hic autem stultus appellatur. Dicitur enim ad eum, Stulte, hac nocte repetent abs te animam tuam, et quae parasti, cujus erunt? Aut sapiens est, et in Deum dives, et in terris ambulans conversationem habet in coelis, atque omnia quae agit digna sunt regno coelorum: et iste talis divitiarum suarum thesauros condit in coelis. Ita igitur uniuscujusque thesauri possessor et conditor potest alius quidem carnalis, alius vero animalis homo, alius autem spiritualis appellatur. Origenes, Commentariorum In Epistolam Beati Pauli Ad Romanos, Liber II, Interprete Rufino Aquileiense Source: Migne PG 14.875a-876a

According to your hardness and an impenitent heart, you have heaped up the treasure of anger for yourself on the day of wrath and the revelation of the just judgement of God, who shall return to each one according to his works. 1 It seems that a hard heart is spoken of in the Scriptures when the human mind like wax inured by the frost of wickedness does not receive the impress of the Divine image. Elsewhere this same thing is called a dull heart, as when it is said, 'The heart of this people has become dull.' 2 On the contrary, however, hardness is softened when in the Scriptures the heart is named fleshly, and dullness becomes a light or tenuous weight, which the Apostle calls the spiritual man who examines all things. 3 Therefore when someone knows what good things are and does not do those goods things because of hardness of heart, he should be thought to have contempt for all goods. But dullness of heart is when the mind does not receive the subtle and spiritual understanding. And thus the impenitent heart heaps up for itself wrath on the day of wrath and the revelation of the just judgement of God while it does not perform good works because of hardness, but good understanding is prevented by dullness. Regarding the anger of God above, how great are the things ordained to be suffered has often been spoken of in other places, but what is said with 'a treasure of wrath for yourself on the day of wrath,' must be considered. What is named a treasure is something in which there are different types of wealth and a gathering of riches. We read a threefold meaning of this in the Scriptures. For it is said in the Gospel that there is a certain treasure on the earth that the Lord prohibits us to heap up, and another treasure in heaven, which He commands the faithful to store up, 4 and here the Apostle speaks of a treasure of anger. Therefore because of what they do in the world all men gather their treasure in one of these three ways. For either a man is faithless and wicked and through hardness and impenitence of heart he heaps up a treasure of wrath with his deeds. Or he is a worldly fellow and knows the things of the earth and speaks of the things of the earth, 5 and when he has gathered up the rich yield of his field he tears down his barns and makes bigger ones, and his treasure is on the earth, and that man is hardened, but he is called a dull fellow, for it is said to him, 'Fool, this night your soul is asked of you, and what you have prepared, whose shall it be?' 6 Now the wise man is rich in God, and walking on the earth he has his conversation with heaven, 7 and everything which he does is worthy of the kingdom of heaven, and he is the one who stores up the treasure of his riches in heaven. Thus one may call each one of these a possessor and founder of his treasure, and one is a carnal man, and one is an animal man, and one is a spiritual man. Origen, from the Commentary on the Letter of Paul to the Romans, Book 2, Translated by Rufinus of Aquileia. 1 Rom 2.5-6 2 Mt 13.15, Isaiah 6.10 3 Ezek 11.19, 36.26, 1 Cor 2.15 4 Mt 6.19-20 5 Jn 3.31 6 Lk 12.16-18 7 Phil 3.20