Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.
Read Chapter 36
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Prolong not the night Prolong not causes that are brought before thee, but dispatch, by early rising, the business of them that come up to thee. (Challoner)
Septuagint, "and all the men of power do not withdraw in the night "from just punishment. Theodotion adds, "that the people may come up against them "to demand vengeance. Do strict justice both to the rich and to the poor, without pity or fear. (Haydock)
This text is very obscure; and the Hebrew may have different meanings, which do not, however, seem well connected with the rest. "Plant not after night, when people retire home "(Calmet) or Protestants, "are cut off in their place. "(Haydock)
Delay not to banish temptations, or they will increase. (St. Gregory xxvi. 38.) (Worthington)
83. For the night is indeed prolonged, when the sorrow, that springs from temptation, is not ended by the rising up of consolation. The night is protracted, because the sorrow of the mind is prolonged by confused thoughts. For whilst the mind, placed in temptation, considers that it is driven away from the former solidity of its virtue, it is blinded by superinduced sorrows, as by a kind of gloom. And its eye is closed to every ray of joy, whilst it anxiously trembles, lest it should entirely lose that which it had before begun to be. Whence it is also well said, that, in this night, people go up in the place of the strong; because, namely, in this sorrow of temptation, instead of bold emotions, unworthy and manifold thoughts spring up in the heart. For whilst it sees, in this perturbation, that it has already almost lost that which it had been, it heaps up in itself countless waves and tumults. At one time it sorrows that it has lost its tranquillity; at another, it is afraid lest it ...
77. As if the arrogant openly said; Act not so in the darkness of thy ignorance, as to substitute a host of infirm persons in the place of the strong. For by the name ‘people’ [Lat. ‘peoples’] are designated those, who, given up to the common practice, live without restraint in all that they desire. But to ‘prolong the night, that people should go up in the place of the strong,’ is, if it is caused by negligence, that the unlearned and weak occupy the place of the learned and strong. People go up in the place of the strong, when they who have learned to live wickedly, obtain the place of pastors. And this would be rightly said, if it were spoken humbly. For haughty men, even when they give good advice, exercise their wicked over-bearingness [‘superstitionis.’ vide Ducange]. For, as was before stated, they more desire to smite with reproof, than to cherish with consolation.
