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Who is the Rich Man That Shall Be Saved-Saint Clement of Alexandria · Israel: A Prince with God

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Speaker 1: Chapters one through ten of Who Is the Rich Man
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Speaker 1: That Shall Be Saved? This is a LibriVox recording. All
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Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
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Speaker 1: or volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Who is the
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Speaker 1: rich Man That Shall Be Saved? By Saint Clement of Alexandria,
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Speaker 1: translated by William Fletcher. Those supostow laudatory addresses on the
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Speaker 1: rich appear to me to be rightly judged not only
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Speaker 1: flatterers and base in vehemently pretending that things which are
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Speaker 1: disagreeable give them pleasure, but also godless and treacherous. Godless
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Speaker 1: because neglecting to praise and glorify God, who is alone,
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Speaker 1: perfect and good, of whom are all things, and by
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Speaker 1: whom are all things, and for Whom are all things
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Speaker 1: Romans eleven thirty five, they invest with divine honors men
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Speaker 1: wallowing in inexcricable and abominable life, and what is the
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Speaker 1: principal thing liable on this account to the judgment of God?
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Speaker 1: And treacherous because although wealth is of itself sufficient to
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Speaker 1: puff up and corrupt the souls of its possessors, and
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Speaker 1: to turn them from the path by which salvation is
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Speaker 1: to be attained. They stupefy them still more by inflating
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Speaker 1: the minds of the rich with the pleasures of extravagant praises,
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Speaker 1: and by making them utterly despise all things except wealth,
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Speaker 1: on account of which they are admired, bringing, as the
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Speaker 1: saying is fire to fire, pouring pride on pride, and
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Speaker 1: adding conceit to wealth, a heavier burden to that which,
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Speaker 1: by nature is a weight from which somewhat ought, rather
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Speaker 1: to be removed and taken away, as being a dangerous
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Speaker 1: and deadly disease. For to him who exalts it magnifies himself.
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Speaker 1: The change in downfall to a low condition succeeds in turn,
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Speaker 1: as the Divine word teaches, For it appears to me
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Speaker 1: to be kinder then basely, to flatter the rich and
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Speaker 1: praise them for what is bad, to aid them in
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Speaker 1: working out their salvation every possible way, asking this of God,
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Speaker 1: who surely and sweetly bestows such things on his own children.
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Speaker 1: And thus, by the grace of the Savior, healing their souls,
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Speaker 1: enlightening them, and leading them to the attainment of the truth.
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Speaker 1: And whosoever obtains this and distinguishes himself in good works
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Speaker 1: shall gain the prize of everlasting life. Now, prayer that
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Speaker 1: runs its course till the last day of life needs
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Speaker 1: a strong and tranquil soul, and the conduct of life
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Speaker 1: needs a good and righteous disposition, reaching out towards all
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Speaker 1: the commandments of the Savior. Perhaps the reason of salvation
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Speaker 1: appearing more difficult to the rich than to the poor
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Speaker 1: is not single, but manifold for some merely hearing, and
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Speaker 1: that in an offhanded way, the utterance of the Savior,
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Speaker 1: that it is easier for a camel to go through
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Speaker 1: the eye of a needle than for a rich man
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Speaker 1: to enter into the Kingdom of heaven. Matthew nineteen twenty four.
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Speaker 1: Despair of themselves as not destined to live, surrender all
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Speaker 1: to the world, cling to the present life as if
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Speaker 1: it alone was left to them, and so diverge more
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Speaker 1: from the way to the life to come, no longer
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Speaker 1: inquiring either whom the Lord and Master calls rich, or
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Speaker 1: how that which is impossible to man becomes possible to God.
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Speaker 1: But others rightly and adequately comprehend this, But attaching slight
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Speaker 1: importance to the works which tend to salvation, do not
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Speaker 1: make the requisite preparation for attaining to the objects of
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Speaker 1: their hope. And I affirm both of these things of
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Speaker 1: the rich man who have learned both the Saviour's power
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Speaker 1: and his glorious salvation. With those who are ignorant of
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Speaker 1: the truth, I have little concern those then, who are
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Speaker 1: actuated by a love of the truth and love of
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Speaker 1: their brethren. And neither are rudely insolent towards such rich
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Speaker 1: as are called, nor on the other hand, cringe to
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Speaker 1: them for their own avaricious ends. Must first by the
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Speaker 1: word relieve them of their groundless despair, and show, with
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Speaker 1: the requisite explanation of the oracles of the Lord, that
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Speaker 1: the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven is not quite
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Speaker 1: cut off from them if they obey the commandments. Then
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Speaker 1: admonish them that they entertain a causeless fear, and that
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Speaker 1: the Lord gladly receives them, provided they are willing. And then,
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Speaker 1: in addition, exhibits and teach how and by what deeds
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Speaker 1: and dispositions they shall win the objects of hope. It
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Speaker 1: is much as it is, neither out of their reach, nor,
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Speaker 1: on the other hand, attained without effort, But as is
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Speaker 1: the case with athletes, to compare things small and perishing
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Speaker 1: with things great and immortal. Let the man who is
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Speaker 1: endowed with worldly wealth reckon that this depends on himself.
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Speaker 1: For among those, one man, because he despaired of being
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Speaker 1: able to conquer and gain crowns, did not give in
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Speaker 1: his name for the contest, while another, whose mind was
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Speaker 1: inspired with this hope and yet did not submit to
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Speaker 1: the appropriate labors and diet and exercises, remained uncrowded and
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Speaker 1: was balked in his expectations. So also, let not the
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Speaker 1: man that has been invested with worldly wealth proclaim himself
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Speaker 1: excluded at the outset from the Saviour's lists, provided he
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Speaker 1: is a believer in one who contemplates the greatness of
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Speaker 1: God's philanthropy. Nor let him, on the other hand, expect
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Speaker 1: to grasp the crowns of immortality without struggle and effort,
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Speaker 1: continuing untrained and without contest. But let him go and
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Speaker 1: put himself under the word of his trainer in Christ,
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Speaker 1: the president of the contest, and for his prescribed food
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Speaker 1: and drink, let him have the New Testament of the Lord,
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Speaker 1: and for exercises the commandments, and for elegance and ornament,
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Speaker 1: the fair dispositions, love, faith, hope, knowledge of the truth, gentleness, meekness, pity, gravity,
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Speaker 1: so that when by the last trumpet the signal shall
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Speaker 1: be given for the race and departure, thence as from
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Speaker 1: the stadium of life, he may, with a good conscience,
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Speaker 1: present himself victorious before the judge, who confers the rewards,
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Speaker 1: confessedly worthy of the fatherland on high, to which he
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Speaker 1: returns with crowns and acclamations of angels. May the Savior
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Speaker 1: then grant us that, having begun the subject, from this
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Speaker 1: point we may contribute to the brethren what is true
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Speaker 1: and suitable in saving, first touching the hope itself, and
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Speaker 1: second touching the act says to the hope, He indeed
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Speaker 1: grants to those who beg and teaches those who ask,
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Speaker 1: and dissipates ignorance and dispels despair by introducing again the
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Speaker 1: same words about the rich, which become their own interpreters
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Speaker 1: and infallible expounders. For there is nothing like listening again
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Speaker 1: to the very same statements which till now in the
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Speaker 1: Gospels were distressing you, hearing them as you did without
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Speaker 1: examination and erroneously through puriality, and going forth into the way,
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Speaker 1: one approached and kneeled, saying Good Master, What good thing
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Speaker 1: shall I do? That I may inherit everlasting life? And
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Speaker 1: Jesus saith, why callest thou me good? There is none
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Speaker 1: good but one that is God. Thou knowest the commandments
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Speaker 1: do not come an adultery, Do not kill, do not steal,
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Speaker 1: do not bear false witness, defraud not honor thy father
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Speaker 1: and thy mother. And he answering saith to him. All
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Speaker 1: these have I observed. And Jesus, looking upon him, loved
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Speaker 1: him and said, one thing thou lackest, if thou wouldest
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Speaker 1: be perfect, Sell what thou hast and give to the poor,
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Speaker 1: and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come follow me.
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Speaker 1: And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved,
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Speaker 1: for he was rich, having great possessions. And Jesus looked
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Speaker 1: round about and saith to his disciples, how hardly shall
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Speaker 1: they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God?
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Speaker 1: And the disciples were astonished at his words. But jesus
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Speaker 1: answereth again, and saith unto them children, how hard is
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Speaker 1: it for them that trust in riches to enter into
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Speaker 1: the Kingdom of God? More easily shall a camel enter
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Speaker 1: through the eye of the needle than a rich man
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Speaker 1: into the Kingdom of God. And they were astonished out
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Speaker 1: of measure, and said, who then can be saved? And He,
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Speaker 1: looking upon them, said, what is impossible with men is
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Speaker 1: possible with God. For with God all things are possible.
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Speaker 1: Peter began to say to him, Lo, we have left
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Speaker 1: all and followed you. And Jesus answered and said, verily,
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Speaker 1: I say unto you. Whosoever shall leave what is his own,
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Speaker 1: parents and brethren and possessions for my sake, and the
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Speaker 1: gospels shall receive one hundredfold. Now in this world lands
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Speaker 1: and possessions, and house and brethren, with persecutions. And in
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Speaker 1: the world to come is life everlasting, but many that
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Speaker 1: our first shall be last in the last. First. These
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Speaker 1: things are written in the Gospel according to Mark, and
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Speaker 1: in all the rest correspondingly, although perchance the expressions very
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Speaker 1: slightly in each, yet all show identical agreement and meaning.
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Speaker 1: But well knowing that the Savior teaches nothing in a
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Speaker 1: merely human way, but teaches all things to his own
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Speaker 1: with divine and mystic wisdom, we must not listen to
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Speaker 1: whose utterances carnally, but with due investigation and intelligence, must
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Speaker 1: search out and learn the meaning hidden in them. For
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Speaker 1: even those things which seem to have been simplified to
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Speaker 1: the disciples by the Lord himself are found to require
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Speaker 1: not less even more attention than what is expressed enigmatically
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Speaker 1: from the surpassing superabundance of wisdom in them. And whereas
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Speaker 1: the things which are thought to have been explained by
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Speaker 1: Him to those within those called by Him the children
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Speaker 1: of the Kingdom, require still more consideration than the things
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Speaker 1: which seem to have been expressed simply and respecting which
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Speaker 1: therefore no questions were asked by those who heard them,
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Speaker 1: but which pertaining to the entire design of salvation, and
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Speaker 1: to be contemplated with admirable and super celestial depth of mind,
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Speaker 1: we must not receive superficially with our ears, but with
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Speaker 1: application of the mind to the very spirit of the Savior.
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Speaker 1: And the unuttered meaning of the declaration. For our Lord
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Speaker 1: and Savior was asked pleasantly a question most appropriate for him.
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Speaker 1: The life respecting life, the Savior respecting salvation, the teacher
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Speaker 1: respecting the chief doctrines taught, the truth, respecting the true immortality,
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Speaker 1: the Word respecting the word of the Father, the perfect
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Speaker 1: respecting the perfect rest, the immortal respecting the sure immortality
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Speaker 1: he was asked, respecting those things on account of which
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Speaker 1: he descended, which he incalcates, which he teaches, which he
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Speaker 1: offers in order to show the essence of the gospel,
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Speaker 1: that it is the gift of eternal life. For he
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Speaker 1: foresaw as God both what he would be asked and
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Speaker 1: what each one would answer him. For who should do
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Speaker 1: this more than the prophet of the prophets and the
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Speaker 1: Lord of every prophetic spirit. And having been called good,
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Speaker 1: and taking the starting note from this first expression, he
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Speaker 1: commences his teaching with this, turning the pupil to God,
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Speaker 1: the good and first and only dispenser of eternal life,
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Speaker 1: which the Son, who received it of Him gives to us. Wherefore,
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Speaker 1: the greatest and chiefest point of the instruction which relates
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Speaker 1: to life, must be implanted in the soul from the
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Speaker 1: beginning to know the eternal God, the giver of what
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Speaker 1: is eternal, and by knowledge and comprehension, to possess God
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Speaker 1: who is first and highest and one and good. For
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Speaker 1: this is the immutable and immovable source and support of life,
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Speaker 1: the knowledge of God who really is and who bestows
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Speaker 1: the things which really are, that is, those which are eternal,
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Speaker 1: from whom both being and the continuance of it are
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Speaker 1: derived to other beings. For ignorance of him is death,
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Speaker 1: but the knowledge and appropriation of Him, and love and
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Speaker 1: likeness to him are the only life. He, then, who
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Speaker 1: would live the true life, is enjoined first to know him,
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Speaker 1: whom no one knows except the Son reveal him Matthew
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Speaker 1: eleven seventeen. Next is to be learned the greatness of
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Speaker 1: the Savior after him, and the newness of grace. For
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Speaker 1: according to the Apostle, the law was given by Moses,
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Speaker 1: grace and truth came by Jesus Christ John one seventeen.
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Speaker 1: And the gifts granted through a faithful servant are not
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Speaker 1: equals to those bestowed by the true Son. If then
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Speaker 1: the Law of Moses had been sufficient to confer eternal life,
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Speaker 1: it were to no purpose for the Savior himself to
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Speaker 1: come and suffer for us accomplishing the course of human
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Speaker 1: life from his birth to the cross, And to no
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Speaker 1: purpose for him, who had done all the command of
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Speaker 1: the Law from his youth, to fall on his knees
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Speaker 1: and beg from another immortality. For he had not only
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Speaker 1: fulfilled the law, but had begun to do so from
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Speaker 1: his very earliest youth. For what is there greats or
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Speaker 1: pre eminently illustrious in an old age which is unproductive
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Speaker 1: of faults, but of one in juvenile frocksomeness, and the
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Speaker 1: fire of youth shows a mature judgment older than his years.
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Speaker 1: This is a champion, admirable and distinguished, and hoary, preeminently
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Speaker 1: in mind. But nevertheless, this man, being such, is perfectly
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Speaker 1: persuaded that nothing is wanting to him as far as
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Speaker 1: respects righteousness, but that he is entirely destitute of life.
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Speaker 1: Wherefore he asks it from him who alone is able
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Speaker 1: to give it. And with reference to the law he
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Speaker 1: carries confidence. But the Son of God he addresses in supplication.
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Speaker 1: He is transferred from faith to faith. As perilously tossing
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Speaker 1: and occupying a dangerous anchorage in the law, he makes
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Speaker 1: for the Savior to find a haven. Jesus accordingly does
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Speaker 1: not charge him with not having fulfilled all things out
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Speaker 1: of the law, but loves him and fondly welcomes his
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Speaker 1: obedience in what he had learned, but says that he
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Speaker 1: is not perfect as respects eternal life, inasmuch as he
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Speaker 1: had not fulfilled what is perfect and that he is
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Speaker 1: a doer indeed of the law, but idle at the
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Speaker 1: true life those things indeed are good. Who denies it?
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Speaker 1: For the commandment is holy Romans seven twelve, as far
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Speaker 1: as a sort of training with fear and preparatory discipline goes,
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Speaker 1: leading as it did to the calmination of legislation and
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Speaker 1: to grace Galatians three twenty four. But Christ is the
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Speaker 1: fifth fillment of the law, for righteousness to everyone that
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Speaker 1: believeth and not as a slave making slaves, but sons
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Speaker 1: and brethren and fellow heirs who perform the Father's will.
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Speaker 1: If thou wilt be perfect Matthew nineteen twenty one. Consequently,
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Speaker 1: he was not yet perfect, for nothing is more perfect
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Speaker 1: than what is perfect and Divinely. The expression if thou
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Speaker 1: wilt showed the self determination of the soul holding converse
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Speaker 1: with him, For choice depended on the man as being free,
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Speaker 1: but the gift on God as the Lord, and he
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Speaker 1: gives to those who are willing and are exceedingly earnest,
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Speaker 1: and ask that so their salvation may become their own.
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Speaker 1: For God compels not for compulsion is repugnant to God,
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Speaker 1: but supplies to those who seek and bestows on those
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Speaker 1: who ask, and opens to those who knock. If thou wilt,
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Speaker 1: then if thou really willest, and art not deceiving thyself,
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Speaker 1: acquire what thou lackest. One thing is lacking thee the
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Speaker 1: one thing which abides the good, that which is now
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Speaker 1: above the law, which the law gives, not which the
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Speaker 1: law contains, not which is the prerogative of those who live.
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Speaker 1: He forsooth, who had fulfilled all the demands of the
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Speaker 1: law from his youth, and had gloried in what was magnificent,
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Speaker 1: was not able to complete the whole with this one thing,
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Speaker 1: which was specially required by the Savior, so as to
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Speaker 1: receive the eternal life which he desired. But he departed displeased,
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Speaker 1: vexed at the commandment of the life on account of
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Speaker 1: which he supplicated. For he did not truly wish life,
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Speaker 1: as he averred, but aimed at the mere reputation of
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Speaker 1: the good choice. And he was capable of busying himself
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Speaker 1: about many things, But the one thing, the work of life,
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Speaker 1: he was powerless and disinclined, and unable to accomplish. Such
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Speaker 1: also was what the Lord said to Martha, who was
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Speaker 1: occupied with many things and distracted and troubled with serving,
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Speaker 1: while she blamed her sister, because leaving serving, she set
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Speaker 1: herself at his feet, devoting her time to learning. Thou
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Speaker 1: art troubled about many things, but Mary hath chosen the
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Speaker 1: good part which shall not be taken away from her
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Speaker 1: Luke ten forty one. So also he bade him leave
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Speaker 1: his busy life and cleave to one and adhere to
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Speaker 1: the grace of him who offered everlasting life. End of
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Speaker 1: Chapters one through ten, chapters eleven through twenty one of
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Speaker 1: Who is the rich Man that shall be saved by
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Speaker 1: Saint Clement of Alexandria. The Sleebrivox recording is in the
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Speaker 1: public domain. What then was it which persuaded him to
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Speaker 1: flight and made him depart from the Master, from the entreaty,
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Speaker 1: the hope the life previously pursued with ardor sell thy possessions?
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Speaker 1: And what is this? He does, not, as some conceive offhand,
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Speaker 1: bid him throw away the substance he possessed and abandon
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Speaker 1: his property, but bids him banish from his soul his
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Speaker 1: notions about wealth, his excitement and morbid feelings about it,
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Speaker 1: the anxieties which are the thorns of existence, which choke
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Speaker 1: the seed of life. For it is no great thing
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Speaker 1: or desirable to be destitute of wealth if without a
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Speaker 1: special object, not except on account of life. For thus
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Speaker 1: those who have nothing at all but are destitute and
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Speaker 1: beggars for their daily bread, the poor dispersed on the streets,
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Speaker 1: who know not God and God's righteousness, simply on account
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Speaker 1: of their extreme want and destitution of subsistence, in lack
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Speaker 1: even of the smallest things, were most blessed and most
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Speaker 1: dear to God and sole possessors of everlasting life. Nor
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Speaker 1: was the renunciation of wealth and the bestowment of it
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Speaker 1: on the poor or needy a new thing, for many
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Speaker 1: did so before the Saviour's advent, some because of the
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Speaker 1: leisure thereby obtained for learning, and on account of a
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Speaker 1: dead wisdom, and others for empty fame and vainglory, as
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Speaker 1: the exenagorious, the Democriti, and the crateses. Why then, command
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Speaker 1: as new as divine, as a lone life giving? What
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Speaker 1: did not save those of former days? And what peculiar
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Speaker 1: thing is it that the new creature, the Son of God,
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Speaker 1: intimates and teaches. It is not the outward act which
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Speaker 1: others have done, but something else indicated by it greater,
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Speaker 1: more godlike, more perfect, the stripping off of the passions
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Speaker 1: from the soul it's self and from the disposition, and
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Speaker 1: the cutting up by the roots and casting out of
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Speaker 1: what is alien to the mind. For this is the
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Speaker 1: lesson particular to the believer, and the instruction worthy of
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Speaker 1: the Savior. For those who formerly despised external things relinquished
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Speaker 1: and squandered their property, But the passions of the soul,
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Speaker 1: I believe they intensified, for they indulged in arrogance, pretension,
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Speaker 1: and vainglory, and in contempt of the rest of mankind,
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Speaker 1: as if they had done something superhuman. How then, would
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Speaker 1: the Savior have enjoined on those destined to life forever
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Speaker 1: what was injurious and hurtful with reference to the life
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Speaker 1: which he promised. For although such is the case, one,
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Speaker 1: after ridding himself the burden of wealth, may none the
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Speaker 1: less have still the less and desire for money, innate
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Speaker 1: and living, and may have abundant the use of it,
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Speaker 1: But being at once destituted of and desiring what he spent,
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Speaker 1: may doubly grieve, both on account of the absence of
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Speaker 1: attendance and the presence of regret. For it is impossible
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Speaker 1: and inconceivable that those in want of the necessities of
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Speaker 1: life should not be harassed in mind and hindered from
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Speaker 1: better things in the endeavor to provide them somehow and
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Speaker 1: from some source. And how much more beneficial the opposite case,
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Speaker 1: for a man, through possessing a competency both not himself
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Speaker 1: to be in straits about money, and also to give
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Speaker 1: assistance to those to whom it is requisite to do so.
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Speaker 1: For if no one had anything, what room would be
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Speaker 1: left among men forgiving? And how can this dogma fail
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Speaker 1: to be found plainly opposed to and conflicting with many
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Speaker 1: other excellent teachings of the Lord. Make to yourselves, friends
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Speaker 1: of the Mammon of ren righteousness, that when ye fail,
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Speaker 1: they may receive you into the everlasting habitations sixteen nine.
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Speaker 1: Acquire treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys,
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Speaker 1: nor thieves break through Matthew six nineteen. How could one
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Speaker 1: give food to the hungry and and drink to the thirsty,
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Speaker 1: clothe the naked, and shelter the houseless, for not doing
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Speaker 1: which he threatens with fire and the outer darkness. If
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Speaker 1: each man first divest himself of all these things. Nay,
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Speaker 1: he bid Zacharias and Matthew, the rich tax gatherers entertain
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Speaker 1: him hospitably, and he does not bid them part with
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Speaker 1: their property. But applying the just and removing the unjust judgment,
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Speaker 1: he subjoins to day salvation has come to this house.
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Speaker 1: For as much as he also is a son of
23:46
Speaker 1: Abraham Luke five twenty nine, nineteen five, he so praises
23:52
Speaker 1: the use of property as to enjoin along with this
23:55
Speaker 1: addition the giving a share of it to give drink
23:58
Speaker 1: to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, to take the
24:01
Speaker 1: houseless in, and clothe the naked. But if it is
24:05
Speaker 1: not possible to supply those needs without substance, and he
24:08
Speaker 1: bids people abandon their substance, what else would the Lord
24:12
Speaker 1: be doing, then, exhorting to give and not to give
24:15
Speaker 1: the same things, to feed and not to feed, to
24:19
Speaker 1: take in and to shut out, to share and to
24:22
Speaker 1: not share, which were the most irrational of all things. Riches, then,
24:27
Speaker 1: which benefit also our neighbors are not to be thrown away,
24:30
Speaker 1: for they are possessions inasmuch as they are possessed, and
24:35
Speaker 1: goods inasmuch as they are useful and provided by God.
24:39
Speaker 1: For the use of man, And they lie to our
24:42
Speaker 1: hand and are put under our power as material and instruments,
24:46
Speaker 1: which are for good use to those who know the instrument.
24:51
Speaker 1: If you use it skillfully, it is skillful. If you
24:55
Speaker 1: are deficient in skill, it is affected by your want
24:58
Speaker 1: of skill. Being itself a institute of blame. Such an
25:01
Speaker 1: instrument is wealth. Are you able to make a right
25:05
Speaker 1: use of it? It is subservient to righteousness. Does one
25:10
Speaker 1: make a wrong use of it? It is, on the
25:12
Speaker 1: other hand, a minister of wrong, for its nature is
25:15
Speaker 1: to be subservant, not to rule. That then, which of
25:20
Speaker 1: itself has neither good nor evil, being blameless, ought not
25:24
Speaker 1: to be blamed, but that which has the power of
25:27
Speaker 1: using it well and ill by reason of its possessing
25:30
Speaker 1: voluntary choice. And this is the mind and judgment of man,
25:35
Speaker 1: which has freedom in itself and self determination in the
25:39
Speaker 1: treatment of what is assigned to it. So let no
25:42
Speaker 1: man destroy wealth rather than the possessions of the soul
25:46
Speaker 1: which are incompatible with the better use of wealth, so that,
25:50
Speaker 1: becoming virtuous and good, he may be able to make
25:53
Speaker 1: a good use of these riches. The renunciation, then and
25:57
Speaker 1: selling of all possessions is to be un understood as
26:00
Speaker 1: spoken of the passions of the soul. I would then
26:04
Speaker 1: say this, since some things are within and some things
26:08
Speaker 1: without the soul, and if the soul make a good
26:11
Speaker 1: use of them, they also are reputed good. But if
26:16
Speaker 1: a bad bad, whether does he who commands us to
26:19
Speaker 1: alienate our possessions repudiate those things after the removal of
26:24
Speaker 1: which the passions still remain, or those rather on the
26:28
Speaker 1: removal of which wealth even becomes beneficial. If therefore, he
26:33
Speaker 1: who casts away worldly wealth can still be rich in
26:36
Speaker 1: the passions even though the material for the gratification is absent.
26:41
Speaker 1: For the disposition produces its own effects, and strangles the reason,
26:45
Speaker 1: and presses it down and inflames it with its inbread lusts.
26:50
Speaker 1: It is then of no advantage to him to be
26:52
Speaker 1: poor in purse while he is rich in passions. For
26:56
Speaker 1: does not what ought to be cast away that he
27:00
Speaker 1: he has cast away, but what is indifferent, And he
27:04
Speaker 1: has deprived himself of what is serviceable, but set on
27:08
Speaker 1: fire the innate fuel of evil through want of the
27:12
Speaker 1: external means of gratification. We must therefore renounce those possessions
27:18
Speaker 1: that are injurious, not those that are capable of being
27:21
Speaker 1: serviceable if one knows the right use of them. And
27:26
Speaker 1: what is managed with wisdom, and sobriety and piety is profitable.
27:30
Speaker 1: And what is hurtful must be cast away, but things
27:34
Speaker 1: external hurt not. So then the Lord introduces the use
27:38
Speaker 1: of external things, bidding us put away not the means
27:41
Speaker 1: of subsistence, but what uses them badly. And these are
27:45
Speaker 1: the infirmities and passions of the soul. The presence of
27:49
Speaker 1: wealth in these is deadly to all, the loss of
27:52
Speaker 1: its salutary, of which, making the soul pure that is
27:56
Speaker 1: poor and bare. We must hear the Savior speaking, Thus,
28:00
Speaker 1: come follow me, For to the pure in heart he
28:03
Speaker 1: now becomes the way. But unto the impure soul, the
28:07
Speaker 1: grace of God finds no entrance. And that soul is unclean,
28:12
Speaker 1: which is rich in lusts, and is in the throes
28:15
Speaker 1: of many worldly affections. For he who holds possessions in
28:19
Speaker 1: gold and silver and houses as the gifts of God,
28:23
Speaker 1: and ministers from them to the God who gives them
28:27
Speaker 1: for the salvation of men, and knows that he possesses
28:30
Speaker 1: them more for the sake of the brethren than his own,
28:33
Speaker 1: and is superior to the possession of them, not the
28:37
Speaker 1: slave of the things. He possesses, and does not carry
28:40
Speaker 1: them about in his soul, nor bind and subscribe his
28:43
Speaker 1: life within them, but is ever laboring at some good
28:46
Speaker 1: and divine work, even should he be necessarily some time
28:51
Speaker 1: or other deprived of them, is able with cheerful mind
28:54
Speaker 1: to bear their removal equally with their abundance. This is
28:58
Speaker 1: he who is blessed by the Lord and called poor
29:01
Speaker 1: in spirit, a meet heir of the Kingdom of Heaven,
29:05
Speaker 1: not one who could not live rich, but he who
29:08
Speaker 1: carries his riches in his soul, and instead of God's spirit,
29:12
Speaker 1: bears in his heart gold or land, and is always
29:15
Speaker 1: acquiring possessions without end, and is perpetually on the outlook
29:19
Speaker 1: for more, bending downwards and fettered in the toils of
29:23
Speaker 1: the world, being earth and destined to depart to earth.
29:27
Speaker 1: Whence can he be able to desire and to mine
29:30
Speaker 1: the Kingdom of Heaven. A man who carries not a
29:33
Speaker 1: heart but land or mettle, who must perforce be found
29:36
Speaker 1: in the midst of the objects he has chosen. For
29:40
Speaker 1: where the mind of man is, there is also his treasure.
29:45
Speaker 1: The Lord acknowledges a twofold treasure. The good for the
29:49
Speaker 1: good man, out of the good treasure of his heart
29:51
Speaker 1: bringeth forth good, and the evil for the evil man.
29:55
Speaker 1: Out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil. For out
29:58
Speaker 1: of the abundance of the heart the man mouth speaketh
30:01
Speaker 1: Matthew twelve thirty four thirty five. As then treasure is
30:05
Speaker 1: not one with him, as also it is with us
30:09
Speaker 1: that which gives the unexpected great gain in the finding,
30:13
Speaker 1: but also a second which is profitless and undesirable, an
30:18
Speaker 1: evil acquisition hurtful. So also there is a richness in
30:22
Speaker 1: good things and a richness in bad things, since we
30:26
Speaker 1: know that riches and treasure are not by nature separated
30:29
Speaker 1: from each other, and the one sort of riches is
30:33
Speaker 1: to be possessed and acquired, and the other not to
30:36
Speaker 1: be possessed, but to be cast away. In the same way,
30:40
Speaker 1: spiritual poverty is blessed. Wherefore, also Matthew added, blessed are
30:45
Speaker 1: the poor Matthew five three. How in spirit, and again
30:50
Speaker 1: blessed are they that hunger and thirst after the righteousness
30:53
Speaker 1: of God Matthew five six. Wherefore wretched are the contrary
30:58
Speaker 1: kind of poor, who have no part art in God,
31:01
Speaker 1: and still less in human property, and have not tasted
31:04
Speaker 1: of the righteousness of God. So that the expression rich
31:09
Speaker 1: man that shall with difficulty enter into the Kingdom is
31:13
Speaker 1: to be apprehended in a scholarly way, not awkwardly or
31:16
Speaker 1: rustically or carnally. For if the expression is used thus,
31:21
Speaker 1: salvation does not depend on external things, whether they be
31:24
Speaker 1: many or few, small or great, or illustrious, or obscure,
31:29
Speaker 1: or esteemed or disesteemed, but on the virtue of the soul,
31:33
Speaker 1: on faith and hope, and love, and brotherliness, and knowledge
31:37
Speaker 1: and meekness, and humility and truth, the reward of which
31:40
Speaker 1: is salvation. For it is not on account of comeliness
31:43
Speaker 1: of body that anyone shall live, or, on the other hand, perish.
31:48
Speaker 1: But he who uses the body given to him chastely
31:51
Speaker 1: and according to God shall live, and he that destroys
31:54
Speaker 1: the temple of God shall be destroyed. An ugly man
31:58
Speaker 1: can be profligate and good looking man temperance. Neither strength
32:02
Speaker 1: and size of body makes alive, nor does any of
32:06
Speaker 1: the members destroy, but the soul which uses them provides
32:09
Speaker 1: the cause for each bear. Then, it is said, when
32:13
Speaker 1: struck on the face Matthew five thirty nine, which a
32:16
Speaker 1: man strong and in good health can obey. And again
32:20
Speaker 1: a man who is feeble may transgress from refectoriousness of temper.
32:26
Speaker 1: So also a poor and destitute man may be found
32:28
Speaker 1: intoxicated with lusts, and a man rich and worldly goods temperate,
32:33
Speaker 1: poor in indulgences, trustworthy, intelligent, pure, chastened. If then it
32:39
Speaker 1: is the soul which first and especially is that which
32:42
Speaker 1: is to live, then in virtue springing up around it
32:45
Speaker 1: saves and vice kills. Then it is clearly manifest that
32:50
Speaker 1: by being poor in those things, by rich of which
32:53
Speaker 1: one destroys it, it is saved, and by being rich
32:57
Speaker 1: in those things riches of which ruin it is killed.
33:01
Speaker 1: Let us no longer seek the cause of the issue
33:04
Speaker 1: elsewhere than in the state and disposition of the soul,
33:08
Speaker 1: in respect of obedience to God in purity, and in
33:11
Speaker 1: respect of transgression of the commandments and accumulation of wickedness.
33:16
Speaker 1: He then is truly and rightly rich, who is rich
33:19
Speaker 1: in virtue and is capable of making a holy and
33:21
Speaker 1: faithful use of any fortune. While he is spuriously rich,
33:26
Speaker 1: who is rich according to the flesh, and turns life
33:29
Speaker 1: into outward possession, which is transitory and perishing, and now
33:34
Speaker 1: belongs to one, now to another, and in the end
33:37
Speaker 1: to nobody at all. Again, in the same way, there
33:40
Speaker 1: is a genuine poor man in another counterfeit and falsely
33:44
Speaker 1: so called. He that is poor in spirit, and that
33:48
Speaker 1: is the right thing, and he that is poor in
33:51
Speaker 1: a worldly sense, which is a different thing, to him
33:54
Speaker 1: who is poor in worldly goods, but rich in vices,
33:57
Speaker 1: who is not poor in spirit, and rich towards God.
34:01
Speaker 1: It is said, abandon the alien possessions that are in
34:04
Speaker 1: thy soul, that, becoming pure in heart, thou mayst see God,
34:09
Speaker 1: which is another way of saying, enter into the Kingdom
34:11
Speaker 1: of heaven. And how may you abandon them by selling them?
34:16
Speaker 1: What then, are you to take money for effects, by
34:19
Speaker 1: affecting an exchange of riches, by turning your visible substance
34:23
Speaker 1: into money not at all, but by introducing instead of
34:27
Speaker 1: what was formerly inherent in your soul, which you desire
34:30
Speaker 1: to save, other riches which deify and which minister everlasting life,
34:36
Speaker 1: dispositions in accordance with the commandment of God, for which
34:40
Speaker 1: there shall accrue to you endless reward and honor and
34:43
Speaker 1: salvation and everlasting immortality. It is thus that thou dost
34:48
Speaker 1: rightly sell the possessions many and superfluous, which shut the
34:52
Speaker 1: heavens against thee by exchanging them for those which are
34:56
Speaker 1: able to save. Let the former be possessed by the
34:59
Speaker 1: carnal or who are destitute of the latter. But thou,
35:03
Speaker 1: by receiving instead spiritual wealth, shalt have now treasure in
35:08
Speaker 1: the heavens. The wealthy and legally correct man, not understanding
35:13
Speaker 1: these things figuratively, nor how the same man can be
35:16
Speaker 1: both poor and rich, and have wealth and have it not,
35:20
Speaker 1: and use the world and not use it, went away
35:23
Speaker 1: sad and downcast, leaving the state of life which he
35:27
Speaker 1: was able merely to desire but not to attain, making
35:31
Speaker 1: for himself the difficult impossible. For it was difficult for
35:35
Speaker 1: the soul not to be seduced and ruined by the
35:38
Speaker 1: luxuries and flowerly enchantments that beset remarkable wealth. But it
35:44
Speaker 1: was not impossible, even surrounded with it, for one to
35:47
Speaker 1: lay hold of salvation, provided he withdrew himself from material
35:52
Speaker 1: wealth to that which is grasped by the mind and
35:55
Speaker 1: taught by God, and learned to use things indifferent rightly
35:59
Speaker 1: and properly, and so as to strive after eternal life,
36:04
Speaker 1: and the disciples even themselves were at first alarmed and amazed.
36:09
Speaker 1: Why were they so on hearing this? Was it that
36:12
Speaker 1: they themselves possessed much wealth? Nay, they had long ago
36:18
Speaker 1: left their very nets and hooks and rowing boats, which
36:21
Speaker 1: were their sole possessions. Why then do they say in consternation,
36:26
Speaker 1: who can be saved? They had heard well and like disciples,
36:31
Speaker 1: what was spoken in parable and obscurely by the Lord,
36:34
Speaker 1: and perceived the depth of the words. For they were
36:37
Speaker 1: sanguine of salvation on the ground of their want of wealth.
36:41
Speaker 1: But when they became conscious of not having yet wholly
36:45
Speaker 1: renounced the passions, for they were neophytes and recently selected
36:49
Speaker 1: by the Savior, they were excessively astonished and despaired of themselves,
36:54
Speaker 1: no less than the rich man, who clung so terribly
36:57
Speaker 1: to the wealth, which he preferred to eternal life. It
37:00
Speaker 1: was therefore a fit subject for all fear on the
37:03
Speaker 1: disciples part if both he that possesses wealth and he
37:07
Speaker 1: that is teeming with passions were the rich, and these
37:10
Speaker 1: alike shall be expelled from the heavens. For salvation is
37:14
Speaker 1: the privilege of pure and passionless souls. But the Lord replies,
37:19
Speaker 1: because what is impossible with men is possible with God.
37:23
Speaker 1: This again is full of great wisdom. For a man,
37:26
Speaker 1: by himself, working and toiling at freedom from passion, achieves nothing,
37:31
Speaker 1: But if he plainly shows himself very desirous in earnest
37:34
Speaker 1: about this, he attains it by the addition of the
37:37
Speaker 1: power of God. For God conspires with willing souls, but
37:41
Speaker 1: if they abandon their eagerness, the spirit which is bestowed
37:44
Speaker 1: by God is also restrained. For to save the unwilling
37:48
Speaker 1: is the part of one exercising compulsion, but to save
37:52
Speaker 1: the willing that of one showing grace. Nor does the
37:56
Speaker 1: kingdom of Heaven belong to sleepers and sluggards, but the
38:00
Speaker 1: violent take it by force Matthew eleven twelve. For this
38:04
Speaker 1: alone is commendable violence. To force God to take life
38:09
Speaker 1: from God by force, and He, knowing those who persevere
38:14
Speaker 1: firmly or rather violently, yields in grants, for God delights
38:18
Speaker 1: in being vanquished in such things. Therefore, on hearing those words,
38:23
Speaker 1: the blessed Peter the Chosen, the pre eminent, the first
38:27
Speaker 1: of the disciples, for whom alone and himself the Savior
38:31
Speaker 1: paid tribute. Matthew seventeen twenty six quickly seized and comprehended
38:37
Speaker 1: the saying, And what does he say, Lo, we have
38:40
Speaker 1: left all and followed thee Now, if by all he
38:44
Speaker 1: means his own property, he boasts of leaving for oblig
38:48
Speaker 1: perhaps in all, and forgets to show the Kingdom of
38:51
Speaker 1: heaven to be their recompense. But if casting away what
38:55
Speaker 1: we were now speaking of the old mental possessions and
38:59
Speaker 1: soul diseases, they follow the Master's footsteps. This now joins
39:04
Speaker 1: them to those who are to be enrolled in the heavens.
39:07
Speaker 1: For it is thus that one truly follows the Savior
39:11
Speaker 1: by aiming at sinlessness and at his perfection, and adorning
39:15
Speaker 1: and composing the soul before it as a mirror, and
39:18
Speaker 1: arranging everything in all respects similarly end of Chapters eleven
39:24
Speaker 1: through twenty one, Chapters twenty two through thirty one of
39:34
Speaker 1: Who is the rich man that shall be saved by
39:37
Speaker 1: Saint Clement of Alexandria. This LibriVox recording is in the
39:41
Speaker 1: public domain. And Jesus answering said, verily, I say unto you,
39:47
Speaker 1: whosoever shall leave what is his own, parents and children
39:52
Speaker 1: and wealth for my sake, and the gospels shall receive
39:56
Speaker 1: one hundredfold Mark ten twenty nine, quoted inexactly. But let
40:01
Speaker 1: neither this trouble you, nor the still harder saying delivered
40:05
Speaker 1: in another place in the words, whosoever hateth not father
40:09
Speaker 1: and mother and children, and his own life besides, cannot
40:13
Speaker 1: be my disciple Luke fourteen twenty six. For the God
40:17
Speaker 1: of peace, who also exhorts to love enemies, does not
40:21
Speaker 1: introduce hatred and dissolution from those that are dearest. But
40:26
Speaker 1: if we are to love our enemies, it is in
40:28
Speaker 1: accordance with right reason that ascending from them, we should
40:33
Speaker 1: love also those nearest and kindred. Or if we are
40:36
Speaker 1: to hate our blood relations, deduction teaches us that much
40:40
Speaker 1: more are we to spurn from us our enemies, so
40:44
Speaker 1: that the reasonings would be shown to destroy one another.
40:48
Speaker 1: But they do not destroy each other, or are they
40:52
Speaker 1: near doing so. For from the same feeling and disposition,
40:56
Speaker 1: and on the ground of the same rule, one loving
40:59
Speaker 1: his enemy may hate his father inasmuch as he neither
41:03
Speaker 1: takes vengeance on an enemy, nor reverences a father more
41:07
Speaker 1: than Christ. For by the one word he extirpates hatred
41:12
Speaker 1: and injury, and by the other shamefacedness towards one's relations
41:18
Speaker 1: if it is detrimental to salvation. If then one's father
41:22
Speaker 1: or son or brother be godless and become an hindrance
41:26
Speaker 1: to faith and an impediment to the higher life, let
41:29
Speaker 1: him not be friends or agree with him, But on
41:33
Speaker 1: account of the spiritual enmity, let him dissolve the fleshly relationship.
41:38
Speaker 1: Suppose the matter to be a lawsuit. Let your father
41:41
Speaker 1: be imagined to present himself to you and say, I
41:45
Speaker 1: be got and reared THEE. Follow me and join with
41:48
Speaker 1: me in wickedness, and obey not the law of Christ.
41:51
Speaker 1: And whatever a man who is a blasphemer and dead
41:54
Speaker 1: by nature would say. But on the other side, here
41:58
Speaker 1: the Savior I rea generated THEE, who wert ill born
42:02
Speaker 1: by the world to death. I emancipated, healed, ransom THEE.
42:07
Speaker 1: I will show THEE the face of the Good Father God.
42:11
Speaker 1: Call no man thy father on earth. Let the dead
42:14
Speaker 1: bury the dead, but follow thou me, for I will
42:17
Speaker 1: bring THEE to arrest of ineffable and unutterable blessings which
42:22
Speaker 1: I hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered
42:26
Speaker 1: into the heart of man, into which angels desire to
42:29
Speaker 1: look and see what good things God hath prepared for
42:33
Speaker 1: the saints and the children who love him. First Corinthians
42:36
Speaker 1: two nine, First Peter one twelve. I am he who
42:40
Speaker 1: feeds thee, giving myself as bread of which he who
42:45
Speaker 1: has tasted experiences death no more, and supplying day by
42:49
Speaker 1: day the drink of immortality. I am teacher of super
42:54
Speaker 1: celestial lessons for THEE. I contended with death and paid
42:58
Speaker 1: thy death, which the ais thou owest for thy former
43:02
Speaker 1: sins and thy unbelief towards God. Having heard these considerations
43:06
Speaker 1: on both sides, decide for thyself and give thy vote
43:10
Speaker 1: for thine own salvation. Should a brother say the like,
43:14
Speaker 1: should a child, should a wife? Should anyone whatsoever? In
43:17
Speaker 1: preference to all, Let Christ in thee be conqueror, for
43:21
Speaker 1: he contends in thy behalf. You may even go against wealth. Say, certainly,
43:27
Speaker 1: Christ does not debar me from property. The Lord does
43:32
Speaker 1: not envy. But do you see yourself overcome and overthrown
43:36
Speaker 1: by it? Leave it, throw it away, hate, renounce, flee.
43:41
Speaker 1: Even if thy right eye offend thee, quickly cut it out.
43:44
Speaker 1: Matthew five twenty nine. Better is the Kingdom of God
43:48
Speaker 1: to a man with one eye, than the fire to
43:51
Speaker 1: one who is unmutilated, whether hand or foot or soul,
43:55
Speaker 1: hate it, for if it is destroyed here for Christ's sake,
43:58
Speaker 1: it will be restored to life yonder. And to this effect.
44:03
Speaker 1: Similarly is what follows now at this present time, not
44:07
Speaker 1: to have lands and money, and houses and brethren with persecutions.
44:11
Speaker 1: For it is neither penniless, nor homelessness, nor brotherless people
44:15
Speaker 1: that the Lord calls to life, since he has also
44:18
Speaker 1: called rich people. But as we have said above, also brothers,
44:23
Speaker 1: as Peter with Andrew, and James with John, the sons
44:26
Speaker 1: of Zebedee, but of one mind with each other in Christ.
44:30
Speaker 1: And the expression with persecutions rejects the possessing of each
44:34
Speaker 1: of those things. There is a persecution which arises from without,
44:40
Speaker 1: for men assailing the faithful, either out of hatred or
44:43
Speaker 1: envy or avarice, or through diabolic agency. But the most
44:48
Speaker 1: painful is internal persecution, which proceeds from each man's own
44:54
Speaker 1: soul being vexed by impious lusts and diverse pleasures in
44:58
Speaker 1: base hopes and destructive death dreams, when always grasping it
45:02
Speaker 1: more and maddened by brutish loves and inflamed by the
45:06
Speaker 1: passions which beset it. Like gods and stings. It is
45:10
Speaker 1: covered with blood to drive it on to insane pursuits
45:14
Speaker 1: and to despair of life, and to contempt of God.
45:18
Speaker 1: More grievous and painful is this persecution which arises from within,
45:23
Speaker 1: which is ever with a man, and which the persecuted
45:26
Speaker 1: cannot escape, for he carries the enemy about everywhere in himself.
45:31
Speaker 1: Thus also burning, which attacks from without work's trial, but
45:37
Speaker 1: that from within produces death. War also made on one,
45:41
Speaker 1: is easily put an end to, but that which is
45:44
Speaker 1: in the soul continues till death with such persecution. If
45:48
Speaker 1: you have worldly wealth, if you have brothers allied by
45:52
Speaker 1: blood and other pledges, abandon the whole wealth of these
45:56
Speaker 1: which leads to evil. Procure peace for yourself. Free yourself
46:00
Speaker 1: from protracted persecution. Turn from them to the Gospel. Choose
46:05
Speaker 1: before all the Savior and advocate and paraclet of your soul,
46:09
Speaker 1: the Prince of life. For the things which are seen
46:12
Speaker 1: are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
46:17
Speaker 1: Second Corinthians five eighteen. And in the present time are
46:21
Speaker 1: things effesscent and insecure, but in that to come is
46:25
Speaker 1: eternal life. The first shall be last, and the last first,
46:30
Speaker 1: Mark ten thirty one. This is fruitful in meaning and exposition,
46:35
Speaker 1: but does not demand investigation at present, for it refers
46:38
Speaker 1: not only to the wealthy alone, but plainly to all
46:42
Speaker 1: men who have once surrendered themselves to faith. So let
46:46
Speaker 1: this stand aside for the present. But I think that
46:49
Speaker 1: our proposition has been demonstrated in no way inferior to
46:53
Speaker 1: what we promised. That the Savior, by no means has
46:56
Speaker 1: excluded the rich on account of wealth itself and the
46:59
Speaker 1: possession of property, nor fenced off salvation against them, if
47:03
Speaker 1: they are able and willing to submit their life to
47:05
Speaker 1: God's commandments and to prefer them to transitory objects, and
47:10
Speaker 1: if they would look to the Lord with steady eye,
47:13
Speaker 1: as those who look for the nod of a good helmsman.
47:17
Speaker 1: What he wishes, what he orders, what he indicates, what
47:21
Speaker 1: signal he gives his mariners, where and whence he directs
47:26
Speaker 1: the ship's course. For what harm does one do, who,
47:30
Speaker 1: previous to faith, by applying his mind and by saving,
47:34
Speaker 1: has collected a competency, Or what is much less reprehensible
47:39
Speaker 1: than this? If at once by God who give him
47:43
Speaker 1: his life. He has had his home given him in
47:47
Speaker 1: the house of such men, among wealthy people, powerful in
47:51
Speaker 1: substance and pre eminent in opulence. For if in consequence
47:55
Speaker 1: of his involuntary birth and wealth, a man is banished
47:58
Speaker 1: from life, rather he is wronged by God who created him,
48:02
Speaker 1: in having vouchsafed to him temporary enjoyment, and in being
48:06
Speaker 1: deprived of eternal life. And why should wealth have ever
48:09
Speaker 1: sprung from the earth at all, if it is the
48:12
Speaker 1: author and patron of death. But if one is able,
48:16
Speaker 1: in the midst of wealth to turn from its power,
48:18
Speaker 1: and to entertain moderate sentiments, and to exercise self command,
48:22
Speaker 1: and to seek God alone, and to breathe God and
48:26
Speaker 1: walk with God, such a poor man submits to the commandments,
48:30
Speaker 1: being free, unsubdued, free of disease, unwounded by wealth. But
48:35
Speaker 1: if not sooner shall a camel enter through the needle's
48:39
Speaker 1: eye than such a rich man reach the Kingdom of
48:42
Speaker 1: God Mark ten twenty five. Let then the camel, going
48:46
Speaker 1: through a narrow and straightway before the rich man, signify
48:50
Speaker 1: something loftier, which mystery of the Savior is to be
48:54
Speaker 1: learned in the exposition of the first principles of theology. Well, first,
49:01
Speaker 1: let the point of the parable, which is evident, and
49:04
Speaker 1: the reason why it is spoken, be presented. Let it
49:07
Speaker 1: teach the prosperous that they are not to neglect their
49:10
Speaker 1: own salvation as if they had been already four doomed,
49:15
Speaker 1: Nor on the other hand, to cast wealth into the sea,
49:19
Speaker 1: or condemn it as a traitor and an enemy to life.
49:22
Speaker 1: But learn in what way and how to use wealth
49:25
Speaker 1: and obtain life. For since neither does one perish by
49:29
Speaker 1: any means by fearing because he is rich, nor is
49:33
Speaker 1: by any means saved by trusting and believing that he
49:37
Speaker 1: shall be saved. Come, Let them look what hope the
49:40
Speaker 1: Savior assigns them, and how what is unexpected may become ratified,
49:46
Speaker 1: and what is hoped for may come into possession. The Master, accordingly,
49:51
Speaker 1: when asked which is the greatest of the commandments, says,
49:55
Speaker 1: thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy
49:57
Speaker 1: soul and with all thy strength Matthew twenty two thirty
50:01
Speaker 1: six thirty seven thirty eight. That no commandment is greater
50:04
Speaker 1: than this, he says, and with exceeding good reason, for
50:09
Speaker 1: it gives command respecting the first and the greatest God, himself,
50:13
Speaker 1: our Father, by whom all things were brought into being
50:17
Speaker 1: and exist, and to whom what is saved returns again
50:22
Speaker 1: by him. Then, being loved beforehand, and having received existence,
50:27
Speaker 1: it is impious for us to regard aught else older
50:30
Speaker 1: or more excellent, rendering only this small tribute of gratitude
50:34
Speaker 1: for the greatest benefits, and being unable to imagine anything
50:38
Speaker 1: else whatever by way of recompense to God, who needs
50:42
Speaker 1: nothing and is perfect, and gaining immortality by the very
50:46
Speaker 1: exercise of loving the Father to the extent of one's
50:50
Speaker 1: might and power. For the more one loves God, the
50:53
Speaker 1: more he enters within God, the second in order, and
50:57
Speaker 1: not any less than this, he says, is thou shalt
51:01
Speaker 1: love thy neighbor as thyself Matthew twenty two thirty nine.
51:05
Speaker 1: Consequently God above thyself, and on his interlocular inquiring who
51:11
Speaker 1: is my neighbor Luke ten twenty nine. He did not,
51:15
Speaker 1: in the same way with the Jews, specify the blood relation,
51:18
Speaker 1: or the fellow citizen, or the proselyt or him that
51:22
Speaker 1: had been similarly circumcised, or the man who uses one
51:25
Speaker 1: and the same law, but he introduces one on his
51:29
Speaker 1: way down from the upland region from Jerusalem to Jericho,
51:34
Speaker 1: and represents him stad by robbers cast half dead on
51:39
Speaker 1: the way passed by by the priest, looked sideways at
51:43
Speaker 1: by the Levite, but pitied by the vilified and excommunicated Samaritan,
51:48
Speaker 1: who did not like those pass casually, but came provided
51:53
Speaker 1: with such things as the men in danger required, such
51:57
Speaker 1: as oil, bandages, a beast of burden, money for the innkeeper,
52:02
Speaker 1: part given now and part promised, which said he of
52:06
Speaker 1: them was neighbor to him that suffered these things. And
52:10
Speaker 1: on his answering, he that showed mercy to him, replied
52:15
Speaker 1: Luke ten twenty nine thirty one, Go thou also therefore,
52:18
Speaker 1: and do likewise, since love buds into well doing in
52:24
Speaker 1: both the commandments, then he introduces love, but in order
52:27
Speaker 1: distinguishes it, and in the one he assigns to God
52:31
Speaker 1: the first part of love, and allots the second to
52:34
Speaker 1: our neighbor. Who else can it be but the Savior himself,
52:39
Speaker 1: or who more than he has pitied us, who by
52:43
Speaker 1: the rulers of darkness were all but put to death
52:46
Speaker 1: with many wounds, fears, lusts, passions, pains, deceits, and pleasures
52:51
Speaker 1: of these wounds. The only physician is Jesus, who cuts
52:55
Speaker 1: out the passions thoroughly by the root, not as the
52:59
Speaker 1: law does the bare effects the fruits of the evil plants,
53:03
Speaker 1: but applies his axe to the root of wickedness. He
53:07
Speaker 1: it is that poured wine on our wounded souls, the
53:10
Speaker 1: blood of David's vine, that brought the oil which flows
53:14
Speaker 1: from the compassions of the Father, and bestowed it copiously.
53:18
Speaker 1: He it is that produced the ligatures of health and
53:22
Speaker 1: of salvation that cannot be undone, love, faith, hope. He
53:27
Speaker 1: it is that subjected angels and principalities and powers for
53:31
Speaker 1: a great reward to serve us, For they also shall
53:35
Speaker 1: be delivered from the vanity of the world through the
53:38
Speaker 1: revelation of the glory of the sons of God. We
53:42
Speaker 1: are therefore to love him equally with God, and he
53:45
Speaker 1: loves Christ, Jesus who does his will and keeps his commandments.
53:50
Speaker 1: For not every one that saith unto me, Lord Lord,
53:52
Speaker 1: shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. But he that
53:55
Speaker 1: doeth the will of my Father John fourteen twenty three
53:59
Speaker 1: Matthew seven one. And why call ye me, Lord Lord,
54:05
Speaker 1: and do not the things which I say, Luke six
54:08
Speaker 1: forty and blessed are ye who see and hear what
54:12
Speaker 1: neither righteous men nor prophets have seen or heard. Matthew
54:17
Speaker 1: thirteen twenty three. If ye do what I say, he
54:21
Speaker 1: then is first who loves Christ, and second he who
54:24
Speaker 1: loves and cares for those who have believed on Him.
54:28
Speaker 1: For whatever is done to a disciple, the Lord accepts
54:31
Speaker 1: as done to himself and reckons the whole as his. Come. Ye,
54:36
Speaker 1: blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you
54:39
Speaker 1: from the foundation of the world. For I was in hungered,
54:43
Speaker 1: and ye give me to eat. I was thirsty, and
54:46
Speaker 1: you give me to drink. I was a stranger and
54:49
Speaker 1: ye took me in. I was naked, and ye clothed me.
54:52
Speaker 1: I was sick, and ye visited me. I was in prison,
54:56
Speaker 1: and ye came to me. Then shall the righteous answer, saying,
54:59
Speaker 1: Lord Lord, when saw we thee hungry and fed thee
55:03
Speaker 1: or thirsty, and give thee drink? And when saw we
55:06
Speaker 1: thee a stranger and took thee in or naked and
55:10
Speaker 1: clothed thee, Or when saw we thee sick and visited
55:13
Speaker 1: thee or in prison and came to thee, and the
55:16
Speaker 1: king answering, shall say to them, Verily, I say unto you,
55:21
Speaker 1: inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the
55:24
Speaker 1: least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Again,
55:28
Speaker 1: on the opposite side, to those who have not performed
55:31
Speaker 1: these things, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye
55:35
Speaker 1: have not done it unto one of the least of these,
55:38
Speaker 1: ye have not done it to me. Matthew twenty five
55:42
Speaker 1: thirty four, et cetera. And in another place, he that
55:46
Speaker 1: receiveth you receiveth me. And he that receiveth not, you
55:50
Speaker 1: rejecteth me Matthew ten forty, Luke ten sixteen. Such he
55:56
Speaker 1: names children and sons, and little children, and friends and
56:00
Speaker 1: little ones here in reference to their future greatness above
56:04
Speaker 1: despise not, he says, one of these little ones, for
56:07
Speaker 1: their angels always behold the face of my Father in
56:10
Speaker 1: Heaven Matthew eighteen ten. And in another place, fear not,
56:16
Speaker 1: little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to
56:19
Speaker 1: give you the Kingdom of Heaven Luke twelve thirty two. Similarly,
56:23
Speaker 1: also he says that the least in the Kingdom of
56:26
Speaker 1: Heaven that is his own disciple is greater than John,
56:31
Speaker 1: the greatest among those born of women Matthew eleven eleven.
56:36
Speaker 1: And again he that receiveth a righteous man or a
56:39
Speaker 1: prophet in the name of a righteous man or prophet,
56:42
Speaker 1: shall receive the reward. And he that giveth to a
56:46
Speaker 1: disciple in the name of a disciple a cup of
56:48
Speaker 1: cold water to drink shall not lose his reward Matthew ten.
56:54
Speaker 1: Wherefore this is the only reward that is not lost.
56:58
Speaker 1: And again make to you, friends of the mammon of unrighteousness,
57:02
Speaker 1: that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting
57:05
Speaker 1: habitations Luke sixteen nine, showing that by nature all property
57:11
Speaker 1: which a man possesses in his own power is not
57:14
Speaker 1: his own. And from this unrighteousness it is permitted to
57:19
Speaker 1: work a righteous and saving thing to refresh someone. Of
57:23
Speaker 1: those who have an everlasting habitation with the Father, see then,
57:27
Speaker 1: first that he has not commanded you to be solicited
57:31
Speaker 1: or to wait to be importuned, but you yourself to
57:36
Speaker 1: seek those who are to be benefited and are worthy
57:39
Speaker 1: disciples of the Savior. Excellent. Accordingly also is the apostle saying,
57:45
Speaker 1: for the Lord loveth a cheerful giver second Corinthians nine seven,
57:50
Speaker 1: who delights in giving and spares not sowing, so that
57:53
Speaker 1: he may also thus reap without murmuring and disputing and
57:57
Speaker 1: regret and communicating. Which which is pure beneficence. But better
58:02
Speaker 1: than this is the saying spoken by the Lord another place,
58:06
Speaker 1: Give to everyone that asketh thee Luke six thirty. For
58:10
Speaker 1: truly such is God's delight in giving, And this saying
58:13
Speaker 1: is above all divinity. Not to wait to be asked,
58:17
Speaker 1: but to inquire one's self who deserves to receive kindness?
58:22
Speaker 1: End of chapters twenty two through thirty one, Chapters thirty
58:31
Speaker 1: two through forty two of Who is the rich man
58:35
Speaker 1: that shall be saved by Saint Clement of Alexandria. This
58:38
Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Then to appoint
58:42
Speaker 1: such a reward for liberality, an everlasting habitation, oh, excellent trading,
58:48
Speaker 1: oh divine merchandise. One purchases immortality for money, and by
58:53
Speaker 1: giving the perishable things of the world, receives in exchange
58:57
Speaker 1: for these an eternal mansion. In the heavy sail to
59:01
Speaker 1: this mart if you are wise, o rich man, if
59:05
Speaker 1: need be sail round the whole world spare not perils
59:08
Speaker 1: and toils that you may purchase here the heavenly kingdom.
59:12
Speaker 1: Why do transparent stones and emeralds delight thee so much?
59:16
Speaker 1: And a house that is fuel for fire, or a
59:19
Speaker 1: plaything of time, or the sport of the earthquake, or
59:23
Speaker 1: an occasion for a tyrant's outrage. Aspire to dwell in
59:28
Speaker 1: the heavens and to reign with God this kingdom. A
59:32
Speaker 1: man imitating God will give thee by receiving a little
59:36
Speaker 1: here there through all ages, he will make THEE a
59:40
Speaker 1: dweller with him. Ask that you may receive, haste, strive
59:45
Speaker 1: fear lest he disgrace thee. For he is not commanded
59:50
Speaker 1: to receive, but thou to give. The Lord did not
59:54
Speaker 1: say give or bring, or do good or help, but
59:58
Speaker 1: make a friend. But a friend proves himself such not
1:00:03
Speaker 1: by one gift, but by long intimacy. For it is
1:00:07
Speaker 1: neither the faith, nor the love, nor the hope, nor
1:00:10
Speaker 1: the endurance of one day. But he that endureth to
1:00:14
Speaker 1: the end shall be saved. Matthew ten twenty two. How then,
1:00:18
Speaker 1: does man give these things? For I will give not
1:00:22
Speaker 1: only to friends, but to the friends of friends. And
1:00:27
Speaker 1: who is it that is the friend of God. Do
1:00:30
Speaker 1: not you judge who is worthy or who is unworthy,
1:00:34
Speaker 1: for it is possible you may be mistaken in your opinion,
1:00:39
Speaker 1: as in the uncertainty of ignorance. It is better to
1:00:42
Speaker 1: do good to the undeserving for the sake of the undeserving,
1:00:47
Speaker 1: than by guarding against those that are less good, to
1:00:50
Speaker 1: fail to meet in with the good. For through sparing
1:00:54
Speaker 1: and aiming at testing who will receive meritorious or not,
1:00:58
Speaker 1: it is possible for you to neglect some that are
1:01:01
Speaker 1: loved by God, the penalty for which is the punishment
1:01:05
Speaker 1: of eternal fire. But by offering to all in turn
1:01:08
Speaker 1: that need, you must, of necessity, by all means, find
1:01:12
Speaker 1: some one of those who have power with God to save.
1:01:16
Speaker 1: Judge not then that ye be not judged. With what
1:01:20
Speaker 1: measure ye meet, it shall be measured to you again
1:01:24
Speaker 1: Matthew seven to one, Luke six thirty eight. Good measure,
1:01:28
Speaker 1: pressed and shaken and running over shall be given to you.
1:01:33
Speaker 1: Open thy compassion to all who are enrolled the disciples
1:01:36
Speaker 1: of God, not looking contemptuously to personal appearance, nor carelessly
1:01:42
Speaker 1: disposed to any period of life, nor if one appears
1:01:45
Speaker 1: penniless or ragged or ugly or feeble. Do thou fret
1:01:49
Speaker 1: in soul at this and turn away? This form is
1:01:53
Speaker 1: cast around us from without the occasion of our entrance
1:01:57
Speaker 1: into this world, that we may be able to enter
1:02:00
Speaker 1: into this common school. But within dwells the hidden Father
1:02:04
Speaker 1: and his son, who died for us and rose with us.
1:02:09
Speaker 1: This visible appearance cheats death and the devil. For the
1:02:12
Speaker 1: wealth within the beauty is unseen by them, and they
1:02:16
Speaker 1: rave about the carcass, which they despise as weak, being
1:02:20
Speaker 1: blind to the wealth within, knowing not what a treasure
1:02:24
Speaker 1: is in earthen vessel Tewod Corinthians five seven. We bear protected,
1:02:29
Speaker 1: as it is by the power of God the Father,
1:02:32
Speaker 1: and the blood of God the Son, and the doo
1:02:35
Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit. But be not deceived, thou, who
1:02:39
Speaker 1: hast tasted of the truth and been reckoned worthy of
1:02:42
Speaker 1: the redemption. But contrary to what is the case with
1:02:46
Speaker 1: the rest of men, collect for thyself an unarmed and unwarlike,
1:02:50
Speaker 1: a bloodless, a passionless, a stainless, host pious old man,
1:02:56
Speaker 1: orphans dear to God, widows armed with meekness, men adorn
1:03:00
Speaker 1: with love. Obtain with thy money such guards for body
1:03:04
Speaker 1: and for soul for whose sake. A sinking ship is
1:03:08
Speaker 1: made buoyant when steered by the prayers of the saints alone,
1:03:12
Speaker 1: And disease at its height is subdued, put to flight
1:03:16
Speaker 1: by the laying on of hands, and the attack of
1:03:19
Speaker 1: robbers is disarmed, spoiled by pious prayers, and the might
1:03:24
Speaker 1: of demons is crushed, put to shame in its operations
1:03:27
Speaker 1: by strenuous commands. All these warriors and guards are trustee.
1:03:32
Speaker 1: No one is idle, no one is useless. One can
1:03:36
Speaker 1: obtain your pardon from God. Another comfort you when sick.
1:03:40
Speaker 1: Another weep and grown in sympathy for you to the
1:03:43
Speaker 1: Lord of all. Another teach some of the things useful
1:03:47
Speaker 1: for salvation. Another admonished with confidence, Another council with kindness.
1:03:53
Speaker 1: And all can love truly without guile, without fear, without hypocrisy,
1:03:57
Speaker 1: without flattery, without pretense. O sweet service of loving souls,
1:04:02
Speaker 1: O blessed thoughts of confident hearts, O sincere faith of
1:04:06
Speaker 1: those who fear God alone. O truth of words with
1:04:10
Speaker 1: those who cannot lie. O beauty of deeds with those
1:04:14
Speaker 1: who have been commissioned to serve God, to persuade God,
1:04:18
Speaker 1: to please God, not to touch thy flesh, to speak,
1:04:22
Speaker 1: but to the King of Eternity, dwelling in thee. All
1:04:27
Speaker 1: the faithful, then are good in godlike and worthy of
1:04:31
Speaker 1: the name by which they are encircled as with a diadem.
1:04:35
Speaker 1: There are besides some the elect of the elect, and
1:04:38
Speaker 1: so much more or less distinguished by drawing themselves like
1:04:42
Speaker 1: ships to the strand out of the surge of the world,
1:04:46
Speaker 1: and bringing themselves to safety, not wishing to seem holy
1:04:50
Speaker 1: and ashamed, if one call them so, hiding in the
1:04:54
Speaker 1: depth of their mind the ineffable mysteries, and disdaining to
1:04:58
Speaker 1: let their nobleness be seen in the world, whom the
1:05:01
Speaker 1: Word calls the light of the world and the salt
1:05:04
Speaker 1: of the earth Matthew five thirteen and fourteen. This is
1:05:08
Speaker 1: the Seed, the image and likeness of God and his
1:05:11
Speaker 1: true son and heirr, sent here, as it were, on
1:05:15
Speaker 1: a sojourn by the high administration and suitable arrangement of
1:05:19
Speaker 1: the Father, by whom the visible and invisible things of
1:05:23
Speaker 1: the world were created, some for their service, some for
1:05:27
Speaker 1: their discipline, some for their instruction. And all things are
1:05:31
Speaker 1: held together so long as the Seed remains here, and
1:05:35
Speaker 1: when it is gathered these things shall be very quickly dissolved.
1:05:39
Speaker 1: For what further need has God of the mysteries of love?
1:05:43
Speaker 1: And then thou shalt look into the bosom of the Father,
1:05:46
Speaker 1: whom God, the only begotten son alone hath declared. And
1:05:50
Speaker 1: God himself is love, and out of love to us
1:05:53
Speaker 1: became feminine. In his ineffable essence, he is father. In
1:05:58
Speaker 1: his compassion to us, he became mother. The Father by
1:06:03
Speaker 1: loving became feminine. And the great proof of this is
1:06:07
Speaker 1: he whom he begot of himself. And the fruit brought
1:06:10
Speaker 1: forth by love is love. For this also he came down.
1:06:14
Speaker 1: For this he clothed himself with man. For this he
1:06:18
Speaker 1: voluntarily subjected himself to the experiences of men. And by
1:06:22
Speaker 1: bringing himself to the measure of our weakness, whom he loved,
1:06:25
Speaker 1: he might correspondingly bring us to the measure of his
1:06:29
Speaker 1: own strength. And about to be offered up, and giving
1:06:33
Speaker 1: himself a ransom, he left for us a new covenant testament,
1:06:38
Speaker 1: My love I give unto you, And what and how
1:06:40
Speaker 1: great it is for each of us. He give his
1:06:43
Speaker 1: life the equivalent for all this he demands from us
1:06:47
Speaker 1: in return for one another. And if we owe our
1:06:50
Speaker 1: lives to our brethren, and have made such a mutual
1:06:53
Speaker 1: compact with the Savior. Why should we any more hoard
1:06:57
Speaker 1: and shut up worldly goods, which are eagerly foreign to us?
1:07:01
Speaker 1: In transitory? Shall we shut up from each other? What
1:07:05
Speaker 1: after a little shall be the property of the fire,
1:07:09
Speaker 1: divinely and weightily. John says, he that loveth not his
1:07:12
Speaker 1: brother is a murderer First John three fourteen, the seat
1:07:17
Speaker 1: of Cain, a nursling of the devil. He has not
1:07:20
Speaker 1: God's compassion. He has no hope of better things. He
1:07:25
Speaker 1: is sterile, He is barren. He is not a branch
1:07:28
Speaker 1: of the ever living super celestial vine. He is cut off.
1:07:32
Speaker 1: He waits the perpetual fire. But learn thou the more
1:07:36
Speaker 1: excellent way which Paul shows for salvation. Love seeketh not
1:07:41
Speaker 1: her own First Corinthians twelve thirty two thirteen five. But
1:07:46
Speaker 1: it is diffused on the brother about him. She is
1:07:49
Speaker 1: fluttered about him. She is soberly insane. Love covers a
1:07:54
Speaker 1: multitude of sins. First Peter four eight Perfect love casteth
1:07:58
Speaker 1: out fear First four eighteen. Faunteth not itself, is not
1:08:03
Speaker 1: puffed up, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the
1:08:08
Speaker 1: truth beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth, all things
1:08:13
Speaker 1: endureth all things. Love never faileth. Prophesies are done away,
1:08:18
Speaker 1: tongue cease, gifts of healing fail on the earth. But
1:08:22
Speaker 1: these three abide faith, hope, love. But the greatest of
1:08:25
Speaker 1: these is love first Corinthians thirteen four through six thirteen.
1:08:31
Speaker 1: And rightly, for faith departs when we are convicted by
1:08:34
Speaker 1: vision by seeing God, and hope vanishes when the things
1:08:39
Speaker 1: hoped for come. But love comes to completion and grows
1:08:43
Speaker 1: more when that which is perfect has been bestowed. If
1:08:46
Speaker 1: one introduces it into his soul, although he be born
1:08:50
Speaker 1: and sins, and has done many forbidden things, he is able,
1:08:55
Speaker 1: by increasing love and by adopting a pure repentance, to
1:08:59
Speaker 1: retrieve his mistakes. For let not this be left to
1:09:04
Speaker 1: despondency and despair by you. If you learn who the
1:09:07
Speaker 1: rich man is that has not a place in heaven,
1:09:11
Speaker 1: in what way he uses his property. If one should
1:09:15
Speaker 1: escape the superfluity of riches and the difficulty they impose
1:09:19
Speaker 1: in the way of life, and be able to enjoy
1:09:21
Speaker 1: the eternal good things. But should happen either from ignorance
1:09:25
Speaker 1: or involuntary circumstances after the seal and redemption, to fall
1:09:30
Speaker 1: into sins or transgressions, so as to be quite carried away.
1:09:34
Speaker 1: Such a man is entirely rejected by God. For to
1:09:38
Speaker 1: everyone who has turned to God in truth and with
1:09:42
Speaker 1: his whole heart, the doors are open, and the thrice
1:09:45
Speaker 1: glad Father receives his truly repentant son. And true repentance
1:09:50
Speaker 1: is to be no longer bound in the same sins
1:09:53
Speaker 1: for which he denounced death against himself, but to eradicate
1:09:57
Speaker 1: them completely from the soul. For on their extirpation God
1:10:01
Speaker 1: takes up his abode again in you. Ford is said,
1:10:04
Speaker 1: there is great and exceeding joy and festival in the
1:10:09
Speaker 1: heavens with the Father and the angels when one sinner
1:10:12
Speaker 1: turns and repents Luke fifteen ten. Wherefore also he cries,
1:10:17
Speaker 1: I will have mercy and not sacrifice Hoseiah sixty six,
1:10:21
Speaker 1: Matthew nine thirteen. I desire not the death, but the
1:10:26
Speaker 1: repentance of the sinner Ezekiel eighteen twenty three. Though your
1:10:31
Speaker 1: sins be scarlet wool, I will make them white as snow.
1:10:35
Speaker 1: Though they be blacker than darkness, I will wash and
1:10:38
Speaker 1: make them like white worl Isaiah one eighteen. For it
1:10:42
Speaker 1: is in the power of God alone to grant the
1:10:45
Speaker 1: forgiveness of sins, and not to impute transgressions, since also
1:10:49
Speaker 1: the Lord commands us each day to forgive the repenting
1:10:53
Speaker 1: brethren Matthew six fourteen. And if we, being evil, know
1:10:58
Speaker 1: to give good gifts Luke eleven thirteen. Much more is
1:11:03
Speaker 1: it the nature of the Father of mercies, the good
1:11:06
Speaker 1: Father of all consolation, much pitying, very merciful, to be
1:11:10
Speaker 1: long suffering, to wait for those who have turned, And
1:11:14
Speaker 1: to turn is really to cease from our sins, and
1:11:17
Speaker 1: to look no longer behind forgiveness of past sins than
1:11:22
Speaker 1: God gives, but of future each one gives to himself.
1:11:26
Speaker 1: And this is to repent, to condemn the past deeds
1:11:30
Speaker 1: and beg oblivion of them from the Father, who only
1:11:34
Speaker 1: of all is able to undo what is done by
1:11:37
Speaker 1: mercy proceeding from him, and to blot out former sins
1:11:41
Speaker 1: by the doo of the spirit. For by the state
1:11:44
Speaker 1: in which I find you will I judge also in
1:11:48
Speaker 1: what is each case the end of all cries allowed,
1:11:52
Speaker 1: So that even in the case of one who has
1:11:54
Speaker 1: done the greatest good deeds in his life, but at
1:11:57
Speaker 1: the end has run headlong into wickedness. All his former
1:12:01
Speaker 1: pains are profitless to him, since at the catastrophe of
1:12:05
Speaker 1: the drama he has given up his part. While it
1:12:09
Speaker 1: is possible for the man who formerly led a bad
1:12:12
Speaker 1: and dissolute life on afterwards repenting to overcome in the
1:12:16
Speaker 1: time after repentance the evil conduct of a long time,
1:12:20
Speaker 1: but it needs great carefulness, just as bodies that have
1:12:23
Speaker 1: suffered by protracted disease need regimen and special attention. Thief,
1:12:29
Speaker 1: dost thou wish to get forgiveness? Steal no more, adulterer,
1:12:34
Speaker 1: burn no more, fornicator, Live for the future, chastely, thou
1:12:39
Speaker 1: who hast robbed, give back, and give back more than
1:12:43
Speaker 1: thou tookest false witness, practice truth, perjurer, Swear no more,
1:12:49
Speaker 1: and extirpate the rest of the passions wrath, lust, grief,
1:12:53
Speaker 1: fear that thou mayst be found at the end to
1:12:57
Speaker 1: have previously in this world been reconciled to the adversary.
1:13:01
Speaker 1: It is then probably impossible all at once to eradicate
1:13:05
Speaker 1: inbred passions. But by God's power and human intercession and
1:13:10
Speaker 1: the help of brethren and sincere repentance, in constant care
1:13:14
Speaker 1: they are corrected. Wherefore it is by all means necessary
1:13:19
Speaker 1: for THEE, who art pompous and powerful and rich, to
1:13:22
Speaker 1: set over thyself some man of God as a trainer
1:13:25
Speaker 1: and governor. Reverence, though it be but one man, Fear
1:13:30
Speaker 1: though it be but one man. Give yourself to hearing,
1:13:33
Speaker 1: though it be but one speaking freely using harshness, and
1:13:37
Speaker 1: at the same time healing. For it is good for
1:13:40
Speaker 1: the eyes not to continue always wanton, but to weep
1:13:44
Speaker 1: and smart, sometimes for greater health. So also nothing is
1:13:48
Speaker 1: more pernacious to the soul than uninterrupted pleasure, for it
1:13:53
Speaker 1: is blinded by melting away if it remain unmoved by
1:13:56
Speaker 1: bold speech. Fear this man, when angry, be pained at
1:14:00
Speaker 1: his groaning, and reverence him when making his anger, to cease,
1:14:05
Speaker 1: and anticipate him when he is deprecating punishment. Let him
1:14:09
Speaker 1: pass many sleepless nights for THEE, interceding for thee with God,
1:14:14
Speaker 1: influencing the Father with the magic of familiar litanies. For
1:14:18
Speaker 1: he does not hold out against his children when they
1:14:21
Speaker 1: beg his pity. And for you he will pray purely,
1:14:25
Speaker 1: held in high honor as an angel of God, and
1:14:29
Speaker 1: grieved not by you, but for you. This is sincere repentance.
1:14:34
Speaker 1: God is not mocked Glatians six seven, nor does he
1:14:38
Speaker 1: give heed to vain words. For he alone searches the
1:14:42
Speaker 1: marrow and reigns of the heart, and hears those that
1:14:45
Speaker 1: are in the fire, and listens to those who supplicate
1:14:48
Speaker 1: in the whale's belly, and is near to all who believe,
1:14:52
Speaker 1: and far from the ungodly, if they repent not, And
1:14:55
Speaker 1: that you may be still more confident that repenting thus
1:14:59
Speaker 1: truly there remains for you a sure hope of salvation.
1:15:03
Speaker 1: Listen to a tale which is not a tale, but
1:15:06
Speaker 1: a narrative handed down and committed to the custody of memory,
1:15:10
Speaker 1: about the Apostle John. For when on the Tyrant's death
1:15:14
Speaker 1: he returned to Ephesus from the isle of Patmos, he
1:15:17
Speaker 1: went away, being invited to the contiguous territories of the nations,
1:15:23
Speaker 1: here to appoint bishops, there to set an order whole
1:15:26
Speaker 1: churches there to ordain such as were marked out by
1:15:30
Speaker 1: the Spirit. Having come to one of the cities not
1:15:33
Speaker 1: far off, the name of which some give, and having
1:15:37
Speaker 1: put the brethren to rest in other matters, at last,
1:15:40
Speaker 1: looking to the bishop appointed, and seeing a youth powerful
1:15:44
Speaker 1: in body, comely in appearance, and ardent, said this youth,
1:15:48
Speaker 1: I commit to you with all earnestness, in the presence
1:15:51
Speaker 1: of the Church, and with Christ as witness. And on
1:15:56
Speaker 1: his accepting and promising all, he gave the same injunction testimony.
1:16:01
Speaker 1: And he set out for Ephesus, and the presbyter, taking
1:16:04
Speaker 1: home the youth committed to him, reared, kept cherished, and
1:16:08
Speaker 1: finally baptized him. After this he relaxed his stricter care
1:16:12
Speaker 1: and guardianship, under the idea that the seal of the
1:16:16
Speaker 1: Lord he had set on him was a complete protection
1:16:19
Speaker 1: to him. But on his obtaining premature freedom, some youths
1:16:24
Speaker 1: of his own age, idle, dissolute, and adepts in evil courses,
1:16:28
Speaker 1: corrupt him. First they entice him by many costly entertainments.
1:16:33
Speaker 1: Then afterwards, by night, issuing forth for highway robbery, they
1:16:37
Speaker 1: take him along with them. Then they dared to execute
1:16:41
Speaker 1: together something greater, and he by degrees got accustomed from
1:16:45
Speaker 1: the greatness of nature. When he had gone aside from
1:16:48
Speaker 1: the right path, and like a hard mouth and powerful horse,
1:16:53
Speaker 1: had taken the bit between his teeth, rushed with all
1:16:56
Speaker 1: the more force down into the depths. Having entirely despaired
1:17:01
Speaker 1: of salvation in God, he no longer meditated what was insignificant,
1:17:06
Speaker 1: But having perpetrated some great exploit, now that he was
1:17:10
Speaker 1: once lost, he made up his mind to a like
1:17:13
Speaker 1: fate with the rest, taking them and forming a band
1:17:16
Speaker 1: of robbers. He was the prompt captain of the bandits,
1:17:20
Speaker 1: the fiercest, the bloodiest, the cruelest. Time passed, and some
1:17:24
Speaker 1: necessity having emerged, they send again for John. He, when
1:17:29
Speaker 1: he had settled the other matters on account of which
1:17:32
Speaker 1: he came, said, come now, o Bishop, restore to us
1:17:36
Speaker 1: the deposit which I and the Savior committed to thee
1:17:39
Speaker 1: in the face of the church over which you preside
1:17:42
Speaker 1: as witness. The other was at first confounded, thinking that
1:17:46
Speaker 1: it was a false charge about money which he did
1:17:48
Speaker 1: not get. And he could neither believe the allegation regarding
1:17:52
Speaker 1: what he had not, nor disbelieve John. But when he said,
1:17:57
Speaker 1: I demand the young man and the soul of the brother,
1:18:00
Speaker 1: the old man, groaning deeply and bursting into tears, said
1:18:03
Speaker 1: he is dead. How and what kind of death? He
1:18:07
Speaker 1: is dead? He said to God, for he turned wicked
1:18:11
Speaker 1: and abandoned and at last a robber. And now he
1:18:15
Speaker 1: has taken possession of the mountain in front of the church,
1:18:19
Speaker 1: along with a band like him, rending therefore his clothes
1:18:23
Speaker 1: and striking his head with great lamentation, the apostle said,
1:18:27
Speaker 1: it was a fine guard of a brother's soul. I left,
1:18:30
Speaker 1: but let a horse be brought me, and let some
1:18:33
Speaker 1: one be my guide on the way. He rode away.
1:18:36
Speaker 1: Just as he was straight from the church. On coming
1:18:39
Speaker 1: to the place, he is arrested by the robber's outpost,
1:18:43
Speaker 1: neither flaying nor entreating, but crying it was for this
1:18:47
Speaker 1: I came. Lead me to your captain, who meanwhile was waiting,
1:18:51
Speaker 1: all armed as he was. But when he recognized John,
1:18:55
Speaker 1: as he advanced, he turned ashamed to flight, the other
1:18:59
Speaker 1: following with all his might forgetting his age, crying, why
1:19:03
Speaker 1: my son dost thou flee from me? Thy father, unarmed,
1:19:06
Speaker 1: old son, pity me, fear not thou hast still hope
1:19:11
Speaker 1: of life. I will give account to Christ for thee.
1:19:14
Speaker 1: If need be, I will willingly endure thy death as
1:19:18
Speaker 1: the Lord did death for us for THEE. I will
1:19:22
Speaker 1: surrender my life. Stand believe Christ hath sent me and he,
1:19:28
Speaker 1: when he heard, first stood looking down, and then threw
1:19:31
Speaker 1: down his arms, then trembled and wept bitterly, And on
1:19:35
Speaker 1: the old man approaching, he embraced him, speaking for himself
1:19:39
Speaker 1: with lamentations as he could, and baptized a second time
1:19:43
Speaker 1: with tears, concealing only his right hand, the other pledging
1:19:47
Speaker 1: and assuring him on oath that he would find forgiveness
1:19:51
Speaker 1: for him from the Savior. Beseeching and falling on his
1:19:54
Speaker 1: knees and kissing his right hand itself as now purified
1:19:59
Speaker 1: by repentance, led him back to the Church. Then, by
1:20:02
Speaker 1: supplicating with copious prayers, and striving along with him in
1:20:06
Speaker 1: continual fastings, and subduing his mind by various utterances of words,
1:20:11
Speaker 1: did not depart, as they say, till he restored him
1:20:14
Speaker 1: to the church, presenting in him a great example of
1:20:17
Speaker 1: true repentance and a great token of regeneration, a trophy
1:20:22
Speaker 1: of the resurrection for which we hope, when at the
1:20:25
Speaker 1: end of the world, the angels, radiant with joy, hymning
1:20:29
Speaker 1: and opening the heavens, shall receive into the celestial abodes
1:20:33
Speaker 1: those who truly repent. And before all the Savior himself
1:20:38
Speaker 1: goes to meet them, welcoming them, holding forth the shadowless
1:20:43
Speaker 1: ceaseless light, conducting them to the Father's bosom, to eternal life,
1:20:48
Speaker 1: to the kingdom of heaven. Let one believe these things
1:20:52
Speaker 1: and the disciples of God, and God who is surety
1:20:55
Speaker 1: the prophecies, the Gospels, the apostolic words, living in accordance
1:21:00
Speaker 1: with them, and lending his ears and practicing the deeds,
1:21:04
Speaker 1: he shall at his decease see the end and demonstration
1:21:08
Speaker 1: of the truth thought. For he who in this world
1:21:11
Speaker 1: welcomes the Angel of penitence will not repent at the
1:21:15
Speaker 1: time that he leaves the body, nor be ashamed when
1:21:19
Speaker 1: he sees the Savior approaching in his glory with his army,
1:21:23
Speaker 1: he fears not the fire. But if one chooses to
1:21:27
Speaker 1: continue and to sin perpetually in pleasures and values indulgence
1:21:31
Speaker 1: here above eternal life, and turns away from the Savior
1:21:35
Speaker 1: who gives forgiveness, let him no more blame either God
1:21:38
Speaker 1: or Riches, or his having fallen, but his own soul,
1:21:42
Speaker 1: which voluntarily perishes. But to him who directs his eye
1:21:46
Speaker 1: to salvation and desires it, and asks with boldness and
1:21:50
Speaker 1: vehemence for its bestole. The Good Father, who is in
1:21:54
Speaker 1: heaven will give the true purification and the changeless life,
1:21:58
Speaker 1: to whom by his son Jesus Christ, the Lord of
1:22:01
Speaker 1: the Living and dead, and by the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, power,
1:22:06
Speaker 1: eternal majesty, both now and ever, from generation to generation,
1:22:11
Speaker 1: and from eternity to eternity. Amen. End of Chapters thirty
1:22:17
Speaker 1: two through forty two. End of Who is the rich
1:22:21
Speaker 1: Man that shall be saved by Saint Clement of Alexandria.
1:22:24
Speaker 1: Translated by William Fletcher,