27. Concerning the married Paul saith, Nevertheless, such shall have trouble in the flesh. [1 Cor. 7, 28] But they may ‘have trouble in the flesh here,’ who are even now leading spiritual lives. Wherefore then is it said as it were in a special sense, that there is ‘trouble of the flesh’ to married persons, seeing that it is not far removed even from the life of the spiritual; excepting that those commonly meet with worse troubles from the flesh, who delight themselves with the pleasures of the flesh? And it is well said, And his soul within him shall mourn over himself; in that whosoever desires to rejoice in himself, by this alone is henceforth in woe, viz. that he has gone far from the true joy. For the true joy of the soul is the Creator. Therefore it is meet that man should ever find in himself sorrow, who, forsaking His Creator, sought joy in himself.
“A person is punished,” Job says, “and, even if he has many descendents, he does not know them. In fact, after his death, he is often deprived of the pleasures that he was accustomed to enjoy while alive. What is the pleasure of leaving children after one who has departed?” You see, everywhere Job emphasizes the ephemeral character of life. It is impossible to come back and to return down here. Even if he leaves children after him, he does not know how they will prosper. He does not know at all whether his descendants will be numerous or scarce. What is more painful than to ignore one’s successes and to go away alone by only knowing one’s afflictions? Even if something good happens to him after his death, he does not know, nor will he ever know it [in this life]; but what he surely knows now is that “his flesh is in pain and his soul mourns.” - "Commentary on Job 14.20–22"
