The following is taken from Hilary of Poitiers, Treatise on Psalm 118, 3.12 CSEL 22:384-85:
Sed meminit propheta arduum esse
et naturae humanae periculosissimum dei desiderare iudicia. cum enim nemo
uiuens in conspectu ipsius mundus sit, quomodo desiderabile eius potest esse
iudicium? an cum ex omni uerbo otioso rationem simus praestituri, diem iudicii
concupiscemus, in quo nobis est ille indefessus ignis obeundus, in quo subeunda
sunt grauia illa expiandae a peccatis animae supplicia? beatae Mariae animum
gladius pertransibit, ut reue-lentur multorum cordium cogitationes. si in
iudicii seueritatem capax illa dei uirgo uentura est, desiderare quis audebit a
deo iudicari? Iob omni humanarum
calamitatum militia et uictoria perfunctus, qui cum temptaretur, ait: dominus
dedit, dominus abstulit, sit nomen eius benedictum in saecula, cinerem se esse
confessus est et audita de nube dei uoce non loquendum sibi ultra esse decreuit.
et quis erit ausus dei desiderare iudicia, cuius uocem de caelis nec tantus
propheta sustinuit, neque apostoli consistentes in monte cum domino ferre
potuerunt?
The prophet remembered that it is a hard thing, and
most dangerous for human nature, to desire the judgments of God. For since no
one living is clean in his sight, how can his judgment be desirable? Or since
we shall have to give an account for every idle word, shall we long for the day
of judgment, on which that unwearied fire awaits us, and on which those severe
punishments must be endured by the soul, to be purified from sins? “The sword
will pierce the soul of blessed Mary, so that the thoughts of many hearts may
be revealed.” If that virgin of God is to come into the severity of judgment,
who will dare to desire to be judged by God? Job, having undergone every trial
and victory of human calamities, when he was tested, said, “The Lord gave, the
Lord took away; blessed be his name forever,” and, confessing that he was dust,
and hearing the voice of God from the cloud, he resolved that he should speak
no further. And who will be bold enough to desire the judgments of God, whose
voice from heaven not even so great a prophet endured, and which the apostles,
standing with the Lord on the mountain, were unable to bear?
