Verse 16. 'Those who fear the frost, upon them the snow shall fall.' 32. Those who from fear of temporal losses forsake justice fall into eternal evils. For frost congeals below, but snow falls down from above. And often some, while they dread temporal adversities, cast themselves before the strictness of eternal vengeance. Of whom it is well said through the Psalmist: 'There they trembled with fear, where there was no fear' (Ps. 13:5). For such a one already desires to defend the truth freely, yet in that very desire, trembling, he dreads the indignation of human power; and while on earth he fears man against the truth, he endures from heaven the wrath of that same truth.
That other man, conscious of his own sins, already desires to bestow what he possesses upon the needy, yet he fears lest he himself be in want after his goods are given away. And while, trembling, he prepares to hold back the supports of the flesh, he starves his soul from the nourishment of mercy; and while he fears to suffer poverty on earth, he cuts off from himself the eternal abundance of heavenly refreshment. Rightly, therefore, is it said: 'Those who fear the frost, upon them the snow shall fall,' because those who fear the things below that are to be trodden underfoot suffer from above the things that are truly to be feared; and while they will not part with what they could have trampled, they receive from on high a judgment that they can by no means endure. But by acting thus, they obtain the world's glory for a time.
But what will they do at the time of their summoning, when in dread they forsake all at once the things which here they guarded with grievous fear? Whence it is also aptly subjoined: