^14:1 Man, born of woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
^14:2 He comes forth like a flower and is crushed, and he flees like a shadow and never remains in the same state.
^14:3 And do you consider it worthy to open your eyes upon one such as this and to bring him into judgment with you?
^14:4 Who can make clean one conceived from unclean seed? Is it not you, who alone are?

Man, born of woman, etc. Here he first explains the fragility of the human condition: with regard to its origin, when he says: Man, born of woman, as though from a fragile thing; with regard to its duration, when he says: living for a short time; and with regard to its condition, when he says: is filled with many miseries. Here he seems, as it were, to explain what he had said above: Against a leaf that is carried off by the wind do you show your power?

236. Second, he excludes those things about which man could glory,

the first of these is the beauty of the body, in which he flourishes in youth; but this glory is nothing, because it quickly passes away in the manner of a flower, whence he says: He comes forth like a flower and is crushed, namely, easily;

the second is fame, which does not last long, whence he says: and he flees like a shadow; for no trace or memory of a passing shadow remains;

the third is power and strength, by which someone strives to preserve himself and his own, and against this he says: and never remains in the same state.

And these three can be referred to the three preceding things: for man, born of woman, comes forth like a flower and is quickly crushed; but he lives for a short time in such a way that he flees like a shadow, of which no trace remains; and he is filled with many miseries in such a way that, if at times he obtains prosperity and joy, nevertheless he never remains in the same state.

237. Third, he wonders at the diligence of divine providence concerning man: for it seems marvelous that God should have such great care for a thing so fragile and despised.

Although all things are subject to divine providence, nevertheless divine solicitude appears especially concerning man in three things:

first indeed, with regard to this, that he gave him laws and precepts for living, and he touches on this when he says: And do you consider it worthy to open your eyes upon one such as this, in that manner of speaking by which someone is said to open his eyes upon another when he directs him and considers his ways;

second, with regard to this, that God rewards man for good things and punishes him for evil things, and he touches on this when he says: and to bring him into judgment with you;

third, with regard to this, that God adorns him with virtues by which he preserves himself clean against the foulness of sin, and he touches on this when he says: Who can make clean one conceived from unclean seed? Indeed the seed of man is unclean not according to nature but according to the infection of concupiscence; nevertheless from this unclean seed man is conceived and is sometimes found clean through virtues. But just as making something hot from something cold belongs to that which is hot of itself, so making something clean from something unclean belongs to him who is clean of himself, and therefore he adds: Is it not you, who alone are?, namely, truly and through yourself clean? For purity and cleanness are found perfectly in God alone, in whom there can be neither potentiality nor any defect; whence whatever in any way is clean or pure has cleanness and purity from God.