the great bulwarks built against
it are temptations; and there has been found a poor wise man who has
delivered it--that is to say, virtue.
And on Psalm 41:1: "Blessed is he that considereth the poor."
And on Psalm 78:39: "The spirit passeth away, and cometh not again"; whence
some have erroneously argued against the immortality of the soul. But the
sense is that this spirit is the evil leaven, which accompanies man till
death and will not return at the resurrection.
And on Psalm 103 the same thing.
And on Psalm 16.
Principles of Rabbinism: two Messiahs.
447. Will it be said that, as men have declared that righteousness has
departed the earth, they therefore knew of original sin?--Nemo ante obitum
beatus est[72]--that is to say, they knew death to be the beginning of
eternal and essential happiness?
448. Milton sees well that nature is corrupt and that men are averse to
virtue; he does not know why they cannot fly higher.
449. Order.--After Corruption to say: "It is right that all those who are in
that state should know it, both those who are content with it, and those who
are not content with it; but it is not right that all should see
Redemption."
450. If we do not know ourselves to be full of pride, ambition, lust,
weakness, misery, and injustice, we are indeed blind. And if, knowing this,
we do not desire deliverance, what can we say of a man...?
What then, can we have but esteem for a religion which knows so well the
defects of man, and desire for the truth of a religion which promises
remedies so desirable?
451. All men naturally hate one another. They employ lust as far as possible
in the service of the public weal. But this is only a pretnece and a false
image of love; for at bottom it is only hate.
452. To pity the unfortunate is not contrary to lust. On the contrary, we
can quite well give such evidence of friendship, and acquire the reputation
of kindly feeling, without giving anything.
453. From lust men have found and ext
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