49. Wherefore also the
virgins of God without blame indeed, “follow the Lamb
whithersoever He shall have gone,” both the cleansing of sins
being perfected, and virginity being kept, which, were it lost,
could not return: but, because that same Apocalypse itself, wherein
such unto one such were revealed, in this also praises them, that
“in their mouth there was not found a lie:”2205
let them remember in this also to
be true, that they
dare not say that they have not
sin. Forsooth
the same John, who saw that, hath said this, “If we shall have
said that we have not
sin, we
deceive our own selves, and the
truth
is not in us; but if we shall have confessed our faults, He is
faithful and just, so as to
forgive us our
sins,
and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. But if we shall have
said that we have not
sinned, we shall make Him a
liar, and His
word shall not be in us.”
2206
This surely is not said unto these
or those, but unto all
Christians, wherein
virgins also ought to
recognize themselves. For thus they shall be without a
lie, such as
in the Apocalypse they appeared. And by this means so long as there
is not as yet perfection in heavenly height, confession in
lowliness maketh them without blame.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
