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| Chapter II.
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Chapter II.
But because you have
desired from me in all my letters which I had sent to you precepts to
nourish your life and faith, it has come to pass that, through the
frequency of my writings to you, I have now exhausted language of that
kind; and I can really write nothing new to you, so as to avoid what I
have written before. And in truth, through the goodness of God, you do
not now need to be exhorted, inasmuch as, perfecting your faith at the
very beginning of your saintly life, you display a devoted love in
Christ. One thing, however, I do press upon you, that you do not go
back on things you have already passed away from, that you do not long
again for things you have already scorned, and that, having put your
hand to the plow, you do not look back141
again, retracing your steps; for, undoubtedly, by falling into this
fault, your furrow will lose its straightness, and the cultivator will
not receive his own proper reward. Moreover, he does not secure even a
measure of the reward, if he has, in a measure, failed. For, as we must
flee from sin to righteousness, so he who has entered on the practice
of righteousness must beware lest he lay himself open to sin. For it is
written that “his righteousness shall not profit the righteous on
the day on which he has gone astray.”142
For
this, then, we must take our stand, for this we must labor, that we,
who have escaped from sins, do not lose the prepared rewards. For the
enemy stands ready against us, that he may at once strike the man who
has been stripped of the shield of faith. Our shield, therefore, is not
to be cast aside, lest our side be exposed to attack; and our sword is
not to be put away, lest the enemy then begin to give up all fear:
moreover, we know that if he sees a man fully armed, he will retreat.
Nor are we ignorant that it is a hard and difficult thing daily to
fight against the flesh and the world. But if you reflect upon
eternity, and if you consider the kingdom of heaven, which undoubtedly
the Lord will condescend to bestow upon us although we are sinners,
what suffering, I ask, is sufficiently great, by which we may merit
such things? And besides, our struggle in this world is but for a short
time; for although death do not speedily overtake us, old
age will come. The years flow on,
and time glides by; while, as I hope, the Lord Jesus will speedily call
us to himself, as being dear to his heart.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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