The Four Troubles

Residuum erucae comedit locusta, et residuum locustae comedit bruchus, et residuum bruchi comedit rubigo.   Quator esse perturbationes, quibus animarum sanitas subvertatur, omnes philosophorum scholae conclamant. Duae praesentes sibique contrariae, duae futurae mutuo dissidentes. Praesentes, aegritudo et gaudium. Aegritudinem animi dicimus, alioquin corporis non aegritudo, sed aegrotatio nominatur. Aut igitur tristes sumus, et moerore conficimur, statusque nostrae mentis evertitur: unde at Apostolus monet, ne abundantiori tristitia absordbeatur frater. Aut econtrario gaudemus, gestimusque laetitia, et bona nostra moderantur ferre non possumus; justique et fortis viri est, nec adversis frangi, nec prosperis sublevari, sed in utroque esse moderatum. Diximus de perturbatione praesentium; dicamus et de futurorum, in quibus metus, aut spes est. Adversa timemus, prospera praestolamur; et quod aegritudo et gaudium operantur in praesenti, metus et spes faciunt de futuro, dum aut adversa plus quam decet timemus esse ventura, aut prospera quae speramus intantum nos faciunt exsultare, ut non teneamus modum, maxime in his quae incerta sunt, quia futura sperantur potius quam tenentur. Has perturbationes uno et nec pleno versiculo illustris poeta comprehendit. Hi metuunt cupiunt, dolent gaudentque neque auras, Respiciunt, clausi tenebris et carcere caeco Qui enim perturbationum tenebris obvolvuntur, clarum sapientiae lumen non valent intueri. Cavendum est igitur ne aegritudo, quasi eruca, nos comedat; ne locusta vastet in gaudio, huc illucque volitans, et gestiente laetitia, per diversa se jactans: ne bruchus, id est, pavor et futurorum metus, radices sapientiae devoret, ne rubigo et desiderium futurorum res inutiles concupiscat, et nos perferat ad ruinam. Sanctus Hieronymous, Commentarium in Joelem Prophetam, Caput I Source: Migne PL 25.952b-953a

What the worm leaves the locust eats, and what the locust leaves the swarm eats, and what the swarm leaves the blight devours. 1 All the schools of philosophy declare that there are four troubles by which the health of the soul is overthrown. Two are adversities of the present and two are disturbances regarding the future. The ones of the present are grief and joy. And we speak of the griefs of the soul, and not a discomfort of the body when we speak of grief. Either, then, we are sorrowful and consumed by woe and our firmness of mind is overturned, about which the Apostle warns us: lest an abundance of grief overwhelm our brother; 2 or on the contrary, we are joyous and we exult in our joy and we are hardly able to be moderate regarding our goods. It is of the just and virtuous man neither to be crushed by adversity nor puffed up in prosperity, but in both to exercise moderation. Thus we have spoken about the troubles of the present, and so let us now speak of the future, concerning which there is fear and hope. We are worried by adverse things and wish for prosperity, and what grief and joy do in the present, fear and hope do regarding the future, that either we fear coming adversities more than we should, or the mere hope of prosperity makes us exult, something which we have yet to acquire, in which there is great uncertainty, because future things are hoped for rather than possessed. These troubles the famous poet in a few verses understands: These things they fear desiring, and lament rejoicing,  Seeing not the skies, shut in darkness and in prison blind. 3 For he who is overturned by troubles is in darkness, unable to see with the clear light of wisdom. Let us be wary, then, that neither grief, like the worm, consumes us, nor the locust lays waste to us with joy, for this and that one flittering about us, even when it bears joy, may cast us down by various means. Nor let the swarm, that is, fear and distress regarding the future, devour the roots of wisdom, nor the blight fill us with desires for worthless things in the future, and so bear us off to ruin. Saint Jerome, Commentary on The Prophet Joel, Chapter 1 1 Joel 1.4 2 2 Cor 2.7 3 Aeneid 6.733-4

Bestirring Drunkards

Expergiscimini ebrii, et flete, et ululate, omnes qui bibitis vinum in dulcedine: quoniam periit ab ore vestro. LXX: Evigilate, quo ebrii estis in vino vestro: et plorate et plangite, omnes qui bibitis vinum in ebrietate: quoniam ablatum est de ore vestro.   Quasi senes atque presbyteri audire debemus: nulla res ita inebriat ut animi perturbatio. Est tristitia quae ducit ad mortem: haec abominanda ebrietas est. Est ira quae justitiam Dei non operatur, et furori proxima,mentis suae impotem facit: in tantum ut labia tremant, dentes concrepent, vultus pallore mutetur. Recteque illud laudatur Archytae Tarentini, qui cum villico suo esset iratus: Iam te, inquit, occiderem, nisi iratus essem. Quid referam de gaudio et voluptate, et maxime amore, qui excaecat cordis oculos: et nihil aliud amantem, nisi id quod amat, cogitare permittit. An non est dicenda ebrietas, eum propter vile scortum, et ignominiosam corporis partem, animae libertas in serviles blanditias inclinatur? cum laborem suum alterius facit esse delicias? cum furto, scelere, atque perjuriis, opes futurae praeparet voluptatis? Et cum videatur ab omnibus, se existimat non videri: dummodo potiatur eo quod desiderat. Sed et avaritia excaecat animum ejus, cui nihil satis est: et muliebris timor, et dulcium cupido vitiorum. Unde dicitur ad eos: Evigilate et expergiscimini, qui ebrii estis: nequaquam vino, ut in solis LXX continetur, sed omni perturbatione vitiorum: Flete, et plangite, et agite poenitentiam: et assumite tristitiam quae ducit ad vitam, et ululate, omnes qui  bibitis vinum in dulcedine, sive, in ebrietate. Dulcia enim sunt vitia: quia mel distillat de labiis mulieris meretricis: et idcirco in Dei sacrificia non offertur: quoniam periit, sive ablatum est de ore vestro vinum, ebrietas atque dulcedo quae vos deceperat. Saepe quippe Dei fit providentia, ut qui non cognoverunt Deum in prosperis, cognoscant in adversis: et qui divitiis male abusi sunt, ad virtutes penuria corrigantur. Juxta hunc sensum audiant senes: habitatores autem terrae percipiant auribus, de illo vino nunc praecipi, in quo est luxuria, et quo qui inebriati fuerint, regnum Dei possidere non possunt. Qui vini ebrietate sopitus est, evigilet et ploret ebrium se fuisse, et ululet: ut postea ululatus ejus et fletus vertatur in risum, et gaudeat se ebrietatis materiam non habere, quae eum per abundantiam ebrium fecerat et vesanum. Sanctus Hieronymous, Commentarium in Joelem Prophetam, Cap I Source: Migne PL 25.953c-954b

Bestir yourselves drunkards and weep, and howl all you who drink wine in sweetness, because it has perished from your mouth. The Septuagint reads: Wake, you who are drunk on your wine, and weep and cry out, all you who drink wine in drunkenness, because it has been taken away from your mouth.1 As old men and elders we should hear: nothing inebriates like the troubled soul. It is a gloom that leads to death, and this is the drunkenness to be abominated. It is an anger that does not work the righteousness of God, 2 and it is near to fury, making the mind powerless, so that the lip trembles, the teeth ache, and the face blanches. And rightly praised is Archytas of Tarentum, who said to his steward, 'I would have already killed you if I had been angry.' What can I tell of joy and pleasure and especially love to him who has blinded the eyes of the heart and is permitted to think nothing else loveable unless it is that which he loves? But must it not be said of drunkenness, on account of vile prostitutes and the disgraceful parts of the body, that it inclines the freedom of the soul to servile charm? When all a man's labour is but to make himself dear to another? With the thief, amid crime and false oaths, will he not prepare the future wealth of his pleasure? And when it is observed by all, yet he does not judge himself so, provided that he drinks down what he desires. But as avarice blinds the soul, which is sated with nothing, so it is with fretfulness for a woman, and the desire of the sweetness of the vices. Whence it is said to them: Watch and wake, you who are drunk, and not now for wine, which is found  only in the Septuagint, but weep for every tribulation of the vices and cry out and make penance, and take up the sorrow which leads to life, and howl all you who drink wine in sweetness, or in drunkenness. Sweet indeed are the vices, because honey drips from the lips of a whorish woman, 3 and thus no sacrifice is offered to God, because your wine has perished, or has been taken away from the mouth, the drunkenness and the sweetness for which He reproves you. Often indeed the providence of God may be so, that those who do not know God in prosperity shall know him in adversity, and he who with wealth is vilely abused, may be led to virtue by poverty. According to this understanding let the old hear, let the ears of the dwellers on the earth attend, on that wine thinking, in which is luxury and by which they were made drunks, unable to possess the kingdom of God. 4 He who has been made insensible by wine, let him wake and weep over his drunkenness and howl, that after crying out and tears he may turn to smiles, and rejoice that he is no longer drunk, which through an abundance of drunkenness made him a madman. Saint Jerome, Commentary on The Prophet Joel, Chapter 1 1 Joel 1. 5 2 James 1.20  3 Prov 5.3  4 Ephes 5.5