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| The Gifts of Virgins, Adorned with Which They are Presented to One Husband, Christ. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
Chapter V.—The Gifts of
Virgins, Adorned with Which They are Presented to One Husband,
Christ.
Now, those who sing the Gospel to senseless people
seem to sing the Lord’s song in a strange land, of which Christ
is not the husbandman; but those who have put on and shone in the most
pure and bright, and unmingled and pious and becoming, ornament of
virginity, and are found barren and unproductive of unsettled and
grievous passions, do not sing the song in a strange land; because they
are not borne thither by their hopes, nor do they stick fast in the
lusts of their mortal bodies, nor do they take a low view of the
meaning of the commandments, but well and nobly, with a lofty
disposition, they have regard to the promises which are above,
thirsting for heaven as a congenial abode, whence God, approving their
dispositions, promises with an oath to give them choice honours,
appointing and establishing them “above His chief joy;” for
He says thus:2626 “If
I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her
cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the
roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy;”
meaning by Jerusalem, as I said, these very undefiled and incorrupt
souls, which, having with self-denial drawn in the pure draught of
virginity with unpolluted lips, are “espoused to one
husband,” to be presented “as a chaste virgin to
Christ”2627 in heaven,
“having gotten the victory, striving for undefiled
rewards.”2628
Hence also the prophet Isaiah proclaims, saying,2629 “Arise, shine,2630 for thy light is come, and the glory of
the Lord is risen upon thee.” Now these promises, it is
evident to every one, will be fulfilled after the
resurrection.2631 For the
Holy Spirit does not speak of that well-known town in Judea; but truly
of that heavenly city, the blessed Jerusalem, which He declares to be
the assembly of the souls which God plainly promises to place first,
“above His chief joy,” in the new dispensation, settling
those who are clothed in the most white robe of virginity in the pure
dwelling of unapproachable light; because they had it not in mind to
put off their wedding garment—that is, to relax their minds by
wandering thoughts.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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