53. Wherefore this do ye,
virgins of God, this do ye: follow ye the Lamb, whithersoever He
shall have gone. But first come unto Him, Whom ye are to follow,
and learn, in that He is meek and lowly of heart. Come ye in lowly
wise unto the Lowly, if ye love: and depart not from Him, lest ye
fall. For whoso fears to depart from Him asks and says, “Let
there not come to me foot of pride.”2214
Go on in the way of loftiness with
the
foot of
lowliness; Himself lifteth up such as follow in
lowly
wise, Who thought it not a
trouble to come down unto such as
lay low.
Commit ye His
gifts unto Him to keep, “
guard ye your
strength unto Him.”
2215
Whatever of
evil through His
guardianship ye
commit not, account as
forgiven unto you by Him:
lest, thinking that you have little
forgiven unto you, ye
love
little, and with ruinous boasting
despise the
publicans beating
their breasts. Concealing that
strength of yours which hath been
tried
beware, that ye be not puffed up, because ye have been able
to bear something: but concerning that which hath been untried
pray, that ye be not tempted above that ye are able to bear. Think
that some are superior to you in
secret, than whom ye are openly
better. When the good things of others, haply unknown to you, are
kindly believed by you, your own that are known to you are not
lessened by comparison, but strengthened by
love: and what haply as
yet are wanting, are by so much the more easily given, by how much
they are the more humbly desired. Let such among your number as
persevere, afford to you an example: but let such as fall increase
your
fear.
Love the one that ye may
imitate it;
mourn over the
other, that ye be not puffed up. Do not ye establish your own
righteousness; submit yourselves unto
God Who justifies you. Pardon
the
sins of others,
pray for your own: future sins shun by
watching, past sins blot out by confessing.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
