For solitaries fight against sleep even as they light against lust and meat, because sleep, like lust and meat, maketh gross the mind, and increaseth lust; but if a man offer food unto the body only because of the need thereof, and only allow it to sleep in a similar manner, according to the means employed he will be free from the passion of fornication; but even if his vigilance exist not in the wandering of the thoughts, [p. 588] but only in the mind which is collected, and which singeth psalms and prayeth, he must drive away this passion from the thoughts, and if it goeth forth from the soul it will not remain with the body. |561 "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth" 9, the blessed Paul commandeth us, and if the members die according to the teaching of the Apostle there shall not be to thee in them a place for the motion of lust. For what can lust do in a dead body? That it is possible for the members to die the words of the Apostle shew, because he would not have commanded anything which was impossible, and as he said especially, "your members which are upon the earth," it seems as if we had other members in heaven, or from heaven, and this is what "Mortify your members which are upon the earth" meaneth. For since lusts are of the earth, they have dominion in the members which are of earth, but if we mortify these members by the patient endurance of fasting, and self-denial, and abstinence, and besides these things also by continual vigils, and the watchfulness of prayer, the lusts which are of earth are not received into them, for what have the passions to do with dead members? For the members of the new man Paul calleth "the members which are in heaven," and concerning them he spake, "they are from heaven," saying, "As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. " 10 Therefore the members of the new man he calleth "heavenly", and over these it is not right that passions should have dominion, for they [p. 589] befit them not, and they belong not unto them; how then shall the passion of fornication have dominion over the members of the new man who hath become one body with Christ? |562
Now I do not say that it is right for us to overcome this passion of fornication by reason of the greatness of the gift to us, and by reason of our exceedingly great honour only, but also because of the things which cling unto the passion, [I mean], shamefacedness, and grief, and repentance, and the want of freedom of speech, and darkness of the mind, and grossness of the thoughts, and disturbance of the reasoning powers, for all these things, and others like unto them enter in upon the soul in the train of the passion of fornication. But if we endure, and overcome, and set in our soul the beautiful image of chastity, after the victory over this lust the soul will immediately become filled with joy and with freedom of speech towards God and man, and it will delight itself in the pleasure of its thoughts, and will receive the light of Divine knowledge, and will also put on strength, and be filled with confidence. And the soul also will receive similar joy from this victory, which we are not able to express with words, because the soul itself is not able to express this joy with speech----for that which is acquired by deeds hath enjoyment in deeds, and the things which are acquired by speech rejoice in speech; therefore the victory over lust, inasmuch as it hath taken place through the might of the soul, together with the help of Grace and the happiness also which ariseth from the healthy condition of its nature and from the gift of the Grace of God, and which cometh unto it after the victory, is administered unto it conformably to rule. Now in that order, which is [p. 590] twofold, are the enjoyment and pleasure of the body, for sometimes it hath enjoyment from its natural health, and sometimes it receiveth enjoyment from foods and from things desired which are from without; and thus also it |563 happeneth with the soul, for sometimes while standing in the purity of its understanding and possessing its natural health it perceiveth the enjoyment thereof, and sometimes when it is worthy of the Grace of God, and of the contemplation of spiritual revelations, it receiveth this enjoyment. And it knoweth how to delight itself therein, and it feeleth the spiritual gratification which is shed abroad in all its parts; but there are no means whereby thou mayest reduce the enjoyment and gratification of spirit which it feeleth to speech or to the instruction of words, because it receiveth the taste of this enjoyment spiritually. Sometimes through the tastes of [various] substances and cooked things the body receiveth the gratification of eating, again through the sight of a person it is moved to the gratification of lust, or its sense of hearing hath pleasure from the sweet sounds of singing, and the various strains of music, or the body receiveth the gratification of pleasure from a soft touch; now because all these things belong to the body, and it hath enjoyment in them bodily and actually, a man is able to describe this gratification with words, and because corporeal things give enjoyment unto the body, and it is pleased with a material and embodied voice, so long as he pleaseth a man may speak of the gratification which may be derived from them.
Now because the enjoyment of the soul is not derived from substances, nor from the action of corporeal things [p. 591] and the corruptible things thereof, and because its enjoyment is derived from the spiritual contemplation of everything which it is able to feel when it hath acquired the health of its nature, it is unable to describe the gratification which cometh to it in words, but it hath enjoyment inwardly, and it rejoiceth invisibly, |564 because its joy is not of itself. For as the soul which, by its power, maketh the body to feel the enjoyment of everything is within the body, even so also is the contemplation of the spirit which is wont to give enjoyment unto the soul within the soul, and when the soul hath enjoyment thus, its enjoyment is natural, and according to the order of its nature it receiveth gratification, because the world of the soul is within the soul, even as the world of the body is outside the body; but when the soul hath enjoyment which is outside its nature, it deriveth it either from the body or from the world. And thus doth it happen unto such pleasure; it resteth satisfied either with the lusts of the body which can be fulfilled----either the lust of the belly, or the ministration unto the passion of fornication, or with those which it receiveth from the world ----praisings, and glorifyings, and sounds of singing, and the gratification of the bodily appearance of the things which are visible, in all of which, either through the body or through the world, hath the soul enjoyment---- and these give it enjoyment outside its nature, and it dependeth not upon its healthiness [p. 592] but upon its unhealthiness, for there are lusts which minister unto the health of the soul and body, and likewise there are lusts which minister unto their sickness.
Now therefore it is evident when the soul hath enjoyment in evil lusts that its enjoyment is outside its nature, and that it doth not enjoy quietly that which is seemly thereto, but that which is alien unto its natural health. For behold, when the body committeth adultery and performeth this act of transgression of the law, according to what it thinketh, the soul hath gratification therefrom; and again, when the soul fighteth |565 and overcometh the lust of its body, it completeth by God the victory with a fair aim and by the power of the discernment which it receiveth. And after this victory it also receiveth gratification as from the fulfilment of the lust, and from the victory over lust it receiveth gratification from both at once; but that gratification which it receiveth from the body----as I have said already so very many times----is outside of the order of nature, but that which accrueth unto it from the victory over lust, is natural gratification, and it feeleth this enjoyment like a healthy being, and lawfully and naturally it hath enjoyment in this gratification. And those who overcome the war of lust with a spiritual aim perceive what I say, and though they feel their enjoyment they utter not words concerning it; for how can they describe that in which they have enjoyment in an incorporeal manner? But since all the things of the spirit are not of the body, we must seek them in their proper place, and there will they be found, and where [p. 593] they are found there must they be enjoyed, and where their enjoyment is, there also is the joy thereof, the joy which maketh glad and is invisible, and with which also there is power.
And as in the former case when lust overcometh the soul it sheweth itself a weak and miserable thing clothed with shame, even so also in this case when the soul overcometh lust, it is after the victory filled with strength, and joy, and freedom of speech, and it possesseth an enlightened eye that it may see with full power the knowledge of the spirit which is mingled in all things visible; but as the things which fulfil the lusts of the body feel the gratification thereof, even so |566 also have the things which minister unto the spiritual lusts of the soul enjoyment of spiritual gratification. And as the sickness of the soul feeleth the enjoyment which ariseth from the lusts of the body, even so also doth the health of the soul feel the gratification thereof, and if a man seeketh to feel by words which can be written down what hath been said, he seeketh a thing which is both out of place and unseasonable, and the fruit which he seeketh he shall not find, because he seeketh not to pluck it from its proper tree; for as every fruit is found upon its own tree, and must be plucked therefrom, even so also must spiritual things be seen in their proper places, and these fruits which are the rational and spiritual gladdeners of nature are found upon their proper trees. Therefore after the victory over the passion of fornication the soul plucketh that spiritual fruit which gladdeneth [p. 594] and enlighteneth it, and whosoever seeketh it findeth it after his victory over this passion, a victory which must take place not only in the body, but also in the soul; for sometimes this lust fighteth against the body, and sometimes it wageth war with the thoughts of the soul, and so long as the fire thereof kindleth in the members, it fighteth not against the thoughts, for how can it fight against that which contendeth not with it? So long as the thoughts are subject unto lust and minister unto the will thereof, like a mistress doth it give commands unto all the members, and it fulfilleth all its pleasures absolutely in the country of the body with which it dwelleth. But if the mind becometh a spectator of itself and perceiveth that an alien rule dwelleth within the domain of its body, and that thievish and plundering passions dwell in its members, it straightway maketh |567 ready to expel them, and it beginneth to stir up a war to expel the strangers which are found in its house; and because unto the lusts their habitation is pleasant, they also fight that they may not be expelled, whence is set in notion the war of the thoughts against the thoughts, and with which side the strength is the greatest victory is found.
Now therefore, the lust which is in the members would accomplish the act thereof, but it cannot be fulfilled at all seasons, as it seeketh; but the lust which is hidden in the thoughts hath nothing to restrain it from being actually wrought except the appearance of God only, and therefore the prophet ascribeth "Woe" unto those who pollute themselves on their couches, and he exposeth the foolish thoughts of those who imagine and say, "The walls of my house surround [p. 595] me, and the shadow of my house hideth me, and he knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun, and that He seeth all the reasonings of the children of men."11 And although outwardly these words may be thought to have been spoken of the man who doeth iniquity upon his couch secretly within his house, and of those who fulfil their lusts in the dark in their habitations, being hidden from the sight of man, yet the words of the prophet rebuke especially that thought which committeth fornication inwardly within the soul, for instead of walls, the members of the body surround it, and instead of a roof, the vessel of the heart hideth him, and dwelling in this secret and hidden place he fulfilleth his adultery, thinking that he is seen by no man; and he fleeth not from |568 sin, but from the sight of man, and he understandeth not that there is nothing hidden from before the bright vision of God, for the sight of God who looketh upon hidden things is "ten thousand times brighter than the light of the sun". And as from the light of the sun nothing is hidden, for everything upon which he shineth he revealeth, and maketh to be seen by the sight, even so also doth the seeing Eye of the knowledge of God look upon the secret things of the children of men, and It looketh upon the thoughts which are concealed within the mind, and although the thought may not commit adultery actually, yet the Eye accounteth it an adulterer in will, and It judgeth it by its gratification, and not by its acts.
Now some gratify their lust in very deed, and some gratify it by a phantom; there is the adultery which taketh place in the body, and that which is fulfilled in the soul. [p. 596] It is manifest then, that whosoever driveth adultery out from the heart will not leave it in the body, for the thoughts are the roots of deeds, and as, if a tree be shaken from the roots. and the growth thereof which is embedded in the ground be loosened, its leaves wither immediately and its fruit drieth up, and its whole appearance is changed. even so also is it with the root of lust, for if it be shaken and loosened from the heart the external actions also begin to dry up immediately, because, like a root in the ground, the thought in the heart is also the nurse of external actions, whether of good, or whether of evil. And as trees grow and flourish in the water, even so also do actions grow through the moisture of the thoughts, and as plants which are set by the side of a spring dry up if it happen that the spring dry |569 up, even so also do the works of the lusts which are planted by the fountain of the heart, and which drink and grow therefrom, become parched, if a man blocketh up the fountain of the evil thoughts; for a man to cut off lust from the thought is a complete victory over the actions. To the lust of the thoughts no seasons are known, but at all seasons is it set in motion, and at all times it can be fulfilled, especially when it hath material from without to minister unto it, wherefore we must the more take good heed, and must look with wise discernment, and from whatever side lust looketh upon us there must we shut the door before it.
For lust is mingled in the motion of our life, and so long as life hath motion in our body, so long hath lust motion [p. 597] and movement therein; but as death putteth a stop to the motion of natural life, even so also doth it silence the motions of lust by the slaughter of the old man. If then through the natural motions of the body lust attacketh us, we must know that the suppression and subjugation thereof are necessary for the body, and we must remember the helpful words of the Apostle which he spake unto us concerning his own person, saying, "I subdue my body, and I bring it into subjection". 12 And looking at this example let us also bring our body into subjection, and let us subdue the beastly lust which hath its motion and leapeth up therein, and let us lay upon it the weight of protracted fasting, and of little meat, and of little drink, and if these, when applied unto the body, are sufficient to subdue it, [well,] and if not, let us double and increase them; and if these also are not sufficient of themselves to bring it into |570 subjection, let us look for other things which are more severe than these, and let us apply them thereto. But the most necessary thing for this war is little drink, because lust----and especially the lust of fornication----is fed by moisture, and if moisture feedeth it, then the dryness which ariseth from little drink drieth and parcheth it up, even also as Gideon the warrior turned back from the war those who had knelt down and drunk their fill of water, and took with him to the war against the Midianites those who had drunk little, and who had lapped water into their mouths from their hands, [p. 598] And these things were not discovered and wrought by him only, but God commanded him to do thus, for when he had gathered together much people for the war to go up against the camp of Midian----which symbolizeth the passion of fornication ---- God commanded him to blow a horn to warn the people, and to say before them, "Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return;" 13 and by reason of this cry a multitude of the people who were with him returned. And from this it appeareth that not every man who was called to the war was fit for the war, and because there were still among them those who lusted after victory with ardent mind, although they were afraid of the labour which it involved, God told him to try these also, and after he had performed their trial by water he turned back from the war those who kneeling upon their knees had taken a long, full drink of water, because the satiety of water is useless in the war against lust; but the few who had drunk little in haste, lapping the water from their hands into their mouths, he took with him to the |571 fight against that camp which symbolizeth fornication, and that this is so, according to what is said, the history which Moses wrote testifieth, saying, "The people committed fornication with the daughters of Midian, and they took part in the sacrifices of their gods". 14 Now all the things which happened unto them are a type of our own spiritual life, and everything which is written concerning them indicateth that which belongeth to us, even as Paul also saith, [p.
599] "Let us not commit fornication, as some of them committed, and there fell in one day four and twenty thousand". 15 For when the war of fornication came against this sluggish generation which went forth from Egypt, it was not able to stand before it, but was conquered by the beauty of the daughters of Midian, and committed fornication with them, and in the track of this fornication a sudden pestilence had dominion over them at that time. Now in the case [of the Israelites] of old, the fornicators perished through a punishment which came upon them suddenly, and the passion of fornication was not destroyed in a regular way; but in the case of Gideon the governor, he did not destroy the fornicators, but only the fornication. And that he might do this when he was about to destroy this camp which had made the people of old to sin----in which, as I have said, a type of fornication is indicated----he took with him to the war against this passion the few men who had drunk a little water in haste, whereby they shewed concerning themselves that they were able to engage in the battle, which actually happened; and when he made them ready for the fight he made them take pitchers, |572 and horns, and torches, and they hid the torches inside the pitchers, and they took the horns in their right hands and the pitchers in their left, and immediately they blew the horns, the pitchers were broken, and the light of the torches appeared.
Now the sound of the horn is the mark of the commandment of God, Who crieth out against this passion of fornication in all His Books, saying, "Let us not commit fornication, as some of them committed";16 and "Let there be no [p. 600] man found among you who is a fornicator or a slothful, like Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his birthright";17 and, "Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor idolaters, nor corrupt men, nor those who lie with men, nor thieves, nor gluttons, nor drunkards, nor plunderers, shall inherit the kingdom of God";18 and, "Every man who is a fornicator, or unclean, or oppressor, or who is an idolater, hath no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God".19 And our Lord spake, saying, "Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath straightway committed adultery with her in his heart";20 and again James the Apostle said in his Epistle, "Whence come wars and strifes among you, except from the lusts which war in your members?"21 And again Peter saith, If a murderous lust come upon you, think ye that anything strange hath happened unto you? now ye are to be tried [therewith]";22 and again God with His voice cried out to the Jewish people, saying, "Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbour's wife." 23 |573
"21 And again Peter saith, If a murderous lust come upon you, think ye that anything strange hath happened unto you? now ye are to be tried [therewith]";22 and again God with His voice cried out to the Jewish people, saying, "Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbour's wife. " 23 |573
Now the blasts of the horns which cried out against the camp of Midian were a type of these holy words which were uttered against the passion of fornication, and together with the sound of the horns there was straightway the breaking of pitchers, for all the people were commanded by Gideon, saying, "When ye hear me blow [p. 601] the horn, blow ye also the horns, and break the pitchers, and let the light of the torches which are hidden in the pitchers appear",24 and all these things are a type of our own spiritual life. For by the sound of the horns were made known the Divine commandments, by which immediately a man maketh use of them with his own voice, and crieth out with power against the passion of fornication, this lust will be driven away, and be brought to nought by the Divine voice, and as in the case of Gideon when the trumpets sounded the pitchers were broken, even so also here at the hearing of the commandment is this lust of fornication broken and brought to nought. And as in the case of Gideon with the breaking of the pitcher the light which was hidden in it appeared, even so also here with the abatement of fornication the light of the knowledge of Christ riseth in the soul, and the three parts may be recognized thus: by the sound of the horn is symbolized the commandment of God; and by the pitcher which was broken the passion of fornication, the breaking of which is also as easy and simple; and by the torch which appeared at the breaking of the pitcher the light of the divine knowledge which riseth in the soul on the abatement of fornication; and these things will be readily accepted, especially by those who have had experience thereof. |574
Now this is the doctrine which Gideon's war sheweth unto us, and these are the types which it maketh known to us, and because of this lust, those who went forth to the ending of the war drank little water, and looking at them let us be like unto them. And whosoever fighteth this fight let him not drink water to the fill, neither let him fill his belly with food, [p. 602] and let him not be overcome even by the lust for common meats; and let him not be in the habit of filling his belly, but let him remember Esau, against whom an accusation was brought by the word of Paul, and he was called a "fornicator" and "slack," because he sold his birthright for one mess of meat.25 Now in this place Esau was not blamed by reason of the rarity and great costliness of the food, for the meat was of lentiles; but because of his laxity and because he was overcome by his lust and ate greedily thereof, he was called "fornicator" and "slack"; and very rightly did Paul call this being overcome "fornication", for how much more would the man who was overcome by the sight of a mess of lentiles be overcome by fair beauty?
Moreover, let us consider the word of God which was spoken unto the Jewish nation, that not only was adultery in very deed prohibited, but also the lust of the thoughts, for He did not say, "Thou shalt not commit adultery with thy neighbour's wife", but "Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbour's wife",26 and although their choice was according to that of youth, the commandment which He spake to them was perfect and full, for He warned them against the lust of the thoughts more than against the act of adultery. "Thou shalt |575 not lust, for unless I had lusted I had not committed adultery";27 and our Lord said, "Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath straightway committed adultery with her in his heart".28 For one looketh, and it is not for the sake of adultery, but he looketh and seeth in the ordinary way, but whosoever looketh that he may lust, this man is, in respect of his will and lust, an adulterer. And the two sayings, [p. 603] "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife", and that which was spoken by our Lord, against the adultery of the thoughts, agree, each with each; for in old time He said, "Thou shalt not lust", and here He saith, "Thou shalt not look to lust", for it is not the looking alone which maketh to sin unless it agree also with the will which is within.
For one man looketh to lust, and another looketh to see; now the ordinary sight of nature is of the eye, but the sight of lust is not only of the eye, but also of the will and thought; for if David had not looked, he would not have lusted; and if he had not lusted, he would not have committed adultery, for "He went up to the roof of his royal house, and saw a woman washing, and he lusted after her, and he sent and brought her, and committed adultery with her".29 If he had looked simply, he would not have lusted; and if he had not lusted, he would not have committed adultery.
Let us, then, shut the door of sight before lust, that the sight may not in the smallest degree depict phantoms within the soul, for for this reason lust setteth |576 itself in motion in our members in various ways, and it lusteth after various persons, and this happeneth unto it when the vision of God is not placed before the eyes of the soul; for if the remembrance" of God be found therein, all the memorials of the evil lust vanish swiftly therefrom, and it is not severed from the sight of that all-satisfying beauty in order to look upon corruptible beauty. For it will help us greatly to suppress lust if we consider the corruptibility of nature, and the other [p. 604] foul and loathsome things by which the conscience is polluted, which cling unto the nature of the body; and if a man look at their impurities they will quench the ardour of lust in no slight degree. And as the prophet of God, David, in suppressing the pride of human nature said unto it, "Man is like to vanity: and his days pass like a shadow";30 and again, to abate man's confidence in man, that no man, whoever he be, should bind his hope to his fellow man, he said, "Ye shall put no confidence in man, nor in a ruler, for there is no redemption in his hand. His spirit goeth forth, and he returneth to his earth, and on that day all his thoughts perish".31 And, moreover, let us act thus in respect of this passion of fornication: when it becometh hot in us, and disturbeth our thoughts, let us set against it either the remembrance of God and the fear of His judgment, or let us make use towards it of the repetition of the words of the Scriptures, or let us look at its corruptibility and weakness, and upon the diseases of human nature; for when a man looketh upon these wisely, and considereth the end thereof by the power of his soul, and he observeth the emission of seed and |577 the impurity, and the diseases which come upon the body, and especially the filth and corruption which exist in the members, and such like things which cleave to the body, he will be able through these to quench lust, and he will despise it, and treat it with contempt, because he seeth of what manner of things it hath need.
On the other hand, let him take heed unto [his] thoughts, lest when he looketh upon the corruption and foulness of nature it be not rejected in his sight, for he must not set these things in motion in him that he may despise them, [p. 605] but that he may suppress his lust. Moreover, if a fortifying example, and an encouraging sight be necessary unto him, let him remember the righteous men of old, not only those who have lived from [the time of] the revelation of our Redeemer onwards, but especially those who lived before His coming; for although perfection was not, as yet, delivered unto the children of men, and they were not worthy of the rule of the life of the world which is to come, yet even thus in their edifices chastity was esteemed more precious than marriage, and each one of them honoured holiness (i. e. , an ascetic life) more than carnal union. And it seems that Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, who were the patriarchs of a race of believers, and [were] the mansions who received all the righteous, and who strove zealously in their faith and lovingkindness, lusted more after purity and the remoteness from carnal intercourse than after the marriage which continueth the offspring of the children of men. And again, after them Joseph the chaste, who although he was but a few years old, shewed by his forbearance the discretion of aged men, and having no teacher to admonish him, and no schoolmaster to enlighten, and no |578 father to protect, and no good example to help, the remembrance of God took the place of all these things for him, and he himself in deed fulfilled beforehand that which was spoken by the word, "I have set the "Lord before me at all times, that I might not be moved. " 32 And although his master's wife was led captive by lust for him by reason of the beauty of his body, and was continually importuning him,33 to stir him up to the deed of sin, he learned beforehand the philosophy of the doctrine of Christ, [p. 606] and he resisted, that he might not be overcome by his lust, even though a twofold war was attacking him from within and without; for without, his master's wife was fighting against him with her beauty, and her words, and the incitement of her near presence, and within, the lust of the body was waging war mightily with him. And though standing between these two mighty contests, he overcame both by the power of his patient endurance, yet consider in what dire straits his soul stood at that season with the billows of lust, wave after wave, which had been stirred up by the blandishments from without beating upon it, but they overturned not the mighty rock of his patient endurance, for like a ship which is beaten about and shaken by the waves which dash upon it, even so also did the ship of Joseph's soul tremble and shake; but because the anchor of his soul was fixed above, in the heaven ---- according to the word of Paul 34 ---- and was not cast into the depth beneath, his thought was at all times lifted up to heaven, and was against the lust which was roused up against him.
And he stirred up also the remembrance of God, and he was terrified at the |579 of His judgment, and he said unto her who incited him corruptly, "My master hath made me ruler of all his house, and hath kept back from me nothing, except thee who art his wife; how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? " 35 For to sin against God was more serious unto him than all harsh judgments, and all severe and cruel punishments, hence he was not prevented from sinning because of the judgment of God, but because he would not sin against God.
[p. 607] For what beating can make the soul to suffer----if it hath in it the perception of divine life----like the sinning against God? That a man should sin against God Joseph calleth "great wickedness," and in very truth the fall is great; the sin of a man against God hath no healing except by the Grace of God, even as the divine Book hath said, "If a man sin against the "Lord, of whom shall he entreat?" 36 Now the wise and chaste Joseph considered sin against his master----even though it were committed with his wife----to be sin against God, because the commandment of God would be undone by the transgression of the law of nature; for although the words, "Thou shalt not lust," and, "Thou shalt not commit adultery with thy neighbour's wife," had not yet been heard, yet the essence of the words was mingled in nature, because the words, "That which is hateful unto thyself, do not unto thy neighbour," were written in nature, and were inscribed by signs and by the act of creation of God upon the conscience of every man, that the law of every man might be within himself, and that he might not be able to say, "I have not as yet learned instruction, and I have not read and become |580 acquainted with the signs of the letters which were cut on the tablets of the heart by the act of the creation of God," and that as a man grew in his bodily stature he might meditate upon this instruction. And Joseph also, being only twenty years of age----now he was in this period of life when this war was stirred up against him----meditated upon these letters inwardly, [p. 608] and the instruction which he had received from them he proclaimed to his master's wife, saying, "How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? 37 How can I condemn myself to do that thing from which I have separated myself aforetime? How can I condemn myself with that which hath appeared to me beforehand to be condemnation?"
608] and the instruction which he had received from them he proclaimed to his master's wife, saying, "How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? 37 How can I condemn myself to do that thing from which I have separated myself aforetime? How can I condemn myself with that which hath appeared to me beforehand to be condemnation? "
Now that blessedness, which was ascribed by Paul 38 unto whomsoever should not condemn himself by that which he had set apart, Joseph fulfilled in very deed, and being [only] a few years old, he shewed forth a victory which was beyond his years; hence from him Moses took that which he spake, "Every one who passeth over in the number, from twenty years old and upwards, shall give the offering of separation unto the Lord. " 39 Behold a helpful and encouraging proof for the disciple who fighteth against the lust of the flesh! although the cases are neither equal nor similar, for the promise of Joseph resembleth not thine own, and the divine dispensation had not set him apart to be a virgin and a solitary dweller, but a father unto a great nation, even as the issue of events shewed. And, moreover, he had not there before him an example, nor the pattern |581 of another man whereby he might be helped, nor the written law to restrain him therefrom----for Moses was not as yet named----and none of the prophets had spoken, and the commandments which teach the perfection of Christ our Redeemer had not, as yet, been heard in the world, and the ascetic life----which is itself a mighty subduer of lust----had not been discovered therefor, and he had not been prohibited from the sight of and converse with women,----which itself inflameth lust, but he, so to speak, waged war with the lust which was free, [p. 6og] that is to say, he fought with an unchained and destroying lioness, and by the new fight which is in the contest of patient endurance he obtained the victory. Now, therefore, to the coenobite, or solitary dweller, or whomsoever it may be who hath set himself apart by vow to God, to whom these things are spoken, there are many things which are helpful, and first and foremost is the covenant which he has made with God, for the remembrance of this alone is sufficient to teach us Divine philosophy; and together with these things is the dwelling in the wilderness remote and free from all disturbing occupations; and if moreover, to that dwelling of many or few there be walls which surround it, they preserve the recluse from the distraction of the world. So therefore, it is necessary for him that would shew himself conqueror in the war against this passion to keep himself free from converse with women, and from the sight of persons which move him to lust, for as the lust of the belly lusteth after various kinds of meats, even so also doth this impure passion of fornication lust after persons fair of face, and the lust thereof is fettered unto beautiful flesh; and in proportion as such a sight is remote from him, the remembrance thereof dieth within him, |582 and when he hath forgotten the forms he doth not henceforth commit fornication with them in himself. Therefore the habitation of recluses, and the dwellings of anchorites, and the [abode] of a society are not built merely that they may be guarded from the sight and converse of women, but that by reason of the absence of these things the mind may be purified, and find its strength, and that when it standeth in its own might it may engage in the war of fornication with [p. 610] fortitude; and if it happen that the war attack it, either by the incitement of nature, or by the instigation of devils, what then?
Is not the remembrance of Joseph, who was young and in early manhood, and who was incited by his mistress to the abominable act of adultery, sufficient to make strong any disciple with whom lust fighteth? And in this case, if it happen that there be [to him] a victory, the praise thereof must be less than that of Joseph, because his helpers are many, and in proportion as the helpers of him that fighteth are numerous, so is made known his weakness.
And after the history of Joseph, the holy life of Moses was written, and the chastity of Joshua, and the abstinence of Samson and the fall which enfeebled his strength, and the rearing of Samuel, and the sin of David and the chastisement thereof, and the virginity of Elijah, and the poverty and purity of Elisha, and [the histories of] the famous companies of the sons of the prophets, who used to dwell in the mountains after the manner of monks, and who lived in patient endurance a life which wras alien to the world. And every example which was a teacher of chastity and virginity, was written down after the matter of Joseph so that he, who without an example had waged war and had vanquished, |583 might appear as the triumphant conqueror; but we are feeble folk and deserve all punishments, if after all these examples we stumble and fall.
Now the passion of fornication is, according to the teachings of the Fathers, a covering before the sight of the mind that it may not look upon Divine things, and as when a man spreadeth a garment over writing it will not be visible unto the eye to read, even so also doth this passion become a covering before the understanding so that it cannot perceive spiritual things, and not only when it is performed in very deed [p. 611] doth it darken the mind, but even when it abideth in the thought it deadeneth the soul therewith; so then it is right that we should first of all cleanse: the place of the mind, and then the members which are without will be preserved. For the lust of the members holdeth a middle place, and within is the power of discernment of the mind, and without is the sight which inciteth; if lust be obedient and subject unto the mind, it changeth it into the order of spiritual lust, but if it receive remembrances and grow from without, war is stirred up and it troubleth the purity of the thoughts, and in proportion as it weakeneth the mind, it is itself enfeebled, and all the carnal and sensual things which are of the world, and which make it to grow become the things which strengthen it.
Now there are some who fight and are defeated, and there are some who never wage war at all, for he that fulfilleth his lusts fighteth not, nor he that hath conquered his lust completely; the former because he never began, and the latter because he hath accomplished it; for it is wholly a war [which happeneth] between [these two things], and for this reason Paul calleth those |584 who had ended this fight, "dead," saying, "Ye are dead unto the law in the body of Christ, that ye might be married unto Another, Who hath risen from the dead, that ye might bring forth fruit unto God."40 And shewing forth the cause of the war which occupieth a middle place, he saith, "While we were in the flesh, the passions of the sins which were in the law were working zealously in our members that we might bring forth fruit unto death,"41 that is, "Those who live in the flesh are at all season overcome by lust, and bring forth fruit unto death, but those who are led by the law stand in the place of the war, [p. 612] and the law in which they stand is made a helper and a strengthener unto them." But when, in this intermediate place, they perfect the law and gain the victory, Paul saith unto them, "Now we have been discharged from the law, and we are dead unto that which held us fast; so that we serve henceforth in newness of the "spirit, and not in oldness of the letter."42 For in the new life there is no lust; and where there is no lust, there is no war; and where there is no war, there is made known that peace which our Redeemer brought into the world; so then the new peace appeareth with the new man, for it is this that is brought into the new life, and in this country there is no war of lusts, but as he who liveth in the flesh is without the perception of sin, even so also doth he who is led by the spirit stand in the impassibility of sin, for want of perception knoweth not that it hath sinned, but impassibility remembereth not sin. |585
Now the old man hath cast off his lusts in two places; in baptism, and in the grave. Whosoever casteth off his lusts in baptism is called unto the adoption of sons, but whosoever serveth them during the whole period of his life, and putteth them away by war in haste for the resurrection, is called unto judgment; and whosoever after his baptism is led in the life of the spirit, is in very truth a new man, for he hath not put on the oldness which he cast off by baptism. And this man hath no war with lust, because he is dead unto the world, for Paul said, "I had not known lust if the law had not said unto me, Thou shalt not lust".43 [p. 613] Whosoever, then, is led by the new man knoweth not lust, and he liveth not in the persistence, but in the impassibility of lust, even as did Adam before [the time of] the law which was laid down for him, for he knew not lust because it was not alive in motion, and the commandment brought lust into motion, and motion received the law, and the law said, "Thou shalt not lust"; now because he heard the words "Thou shalt not lust", he recognized lust, and he learned sin by the commandment which prohibited him from sin, which happeneth unto those who are overcome by the lust of the body. For when the words which are directed against lust and which recite its disgraceful forms, and its wanton ways, and its mighty motion are spoken, through these very words which are uttered to destroy lust, it blazeth the more, because by the tilings which are contrary thereunto they are led unto its help, and they are inflamed by its passion; and this also happened unto Adam----and happeneth unto every man who hath been |586 vanquished by lust----when "Thou shalt not lust" was said unto him, for the thoughts are wont to receive memories, and memories set lust in motion.
Now therefore, it is necessary that the disciple should be remote from conversations and sights that he may not receive memories, and that memories may not set the lusts in motion and disturb the thoughts; for when the mind is disturbed it is not able henceforth to see God. "Let not sin reign in your dead body, that ye may be obedient unto it in the lusts thereof";44 for if, according to the teaching of Paul, ye are dead----I mean those [p. 614] who live in the spirit----it is evident that the lust also which is in you is dead, and it is a disgrace to the understanding, not that it should be overcome, but even that it should wage war, and how can that which is dead wage war?
But these things will be understood with difficulty by those who have had no experience, and we do not write these things from our own experience, but by the power of the teaching of Paul [who said], "The law hath dominion over a man, so long as he liveth. For the woman is bound unto her husband by law so long as he liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is free from the law of her husband. But if, while her husband be alive, she live with another man she becometh an adulteress; but if her husband die, she is free from the law, and she is not an adulteress if she be [united) unto another man".45 What then doth the power of this proof seek? and what doth the Apostle teach us by these things? "Ye yourselves arc also dead unto the law in the body of Christ, that ye may be |587 [united] unto Another Who hath risen from the dead".46 [That is to say,] "So long as ye were members of the first Adam, who received the first commandment, ye were subject unto the law, but now that ye have become members of Another, that is to say of Christ, Who hath risen from the dead, the law hath no dominion over you, because He, Whose members ye are, is not subject unto the law, for, like God, He is above the law. When He was a man Who was subject unto the law, He kept the law, and fulfilled all the commandments thereof, and He went forth to that freedom which is above the law, according to that which was said by our Lord, If the Son shall make you free, [p. 615] ye shall be free indeed.47 But now that we have been discharged from the law, and we are dead unto that wherein we were holden, henceforth let us serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."48
615] ye shall be free indeed. 47 But now that we have been discharged from the law, and we are dead unto that wherein we were holden, henceforth let us serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. "48
Now, according to my opinion, these words of the Apostle are evident and clear unto him that standeth in the life of the new man, and whosoever liveth this life is not a hearer of words, but a spectator of the power thereof, for the sight is more credible for being seen, and deeds are better understood by the doing thereof; for the things which are seen by the eye we recognize clearly, and so also those who are found to live the life of the new man become spectators of the words of the Apostle, and not hearers only, for he himself wrote not from the report of others, for he did not receive this doctrine from a man, or through a man, but even, as he said, ''By the revelation of Jesus Christ",49 |588 and it is well known that a revelation maketh plain things which are hidden. For as the sight of the eye seeth that which is manifest, even so also doth the pure mind see spiritual things, but purity of mind----as I have said many times----is [only] acquired by putting to death all the works of the old man. And well did Paul say, "The woman, so long as her husband liveth, is bound by the law",50 and as in a type, he calleth the soul which is not free from the works of the old man "woman", and the law to which she is subject "her husband", by union and obedience to which it is preserved [p. 616] from adulteries with strangers. But if it happen that its husband dieth----to whom it is holden by the law of bodily union----it is free to be [united) unto whomsoever it wisheth, even also as it hath happened unto the law through the freedom of Christ, for every soul which was subject unto it, being holden by the works of sin, was freed by the rule of Christ, and not because it kept the law doth it not sin, but because it hath intercourse with Christ, just as it is not prevented from wickedness by the fear of the penalty, but through the love of that which is good doth it serve it in very deed; because the power of the law is not as strong to restrain the soul from wickedness as a beautiful thing which hath power to bind it unto itself when it hath perceived the pleasantness of its task.
"Ye are dead unto the law in the body of Christ",51 or as if one should say, "Because ye are placed in another body, ye are free from the subjection of the law, for the dominion of the law is over the old man, |589 who had his beginning from [the time of] the transgression of the commandment by the first Adam, even as Paul said, The first Adam [became] a living soul. The last Adam [became] a life-giving spirit." 52 Therefore, since, according to the teaching of Paul, there are two Adams, the one who is led in the living soul and over whom the law hath dominion, and the other belonging to the life-giving spirit, who is above the law, well did Paul say, "The woman, so long as her husband liveth, [p. 617] is bound [to him] in the law".53 Hence the soul which is led after the manner of the soul is subject unto the law, but the soul which is moved by the living spirit is above the law, because the spirit which is the giver of the law is not subject unto the law, and those who are worthy to be led by the spirit are above the thoughts, and motions, and deeds of sin, and it is not because they fear the law that they do not work sin, but because they are dead unto sin.
"Ye are dead unto the law in the body of Christ, that ye may be [united] unto Another, Who hath risen from the dead". 54 For as the members which are bound in the natural body feel only the pain or suffering which ariseth in their body, and if their body be healthy they enjoy the health thereof, and they neither feel the sickness which is in the body of others, nor suffer pain thereat, even so also the new members which are placed in the body of Him that rose from the dead, Christ our Lord, feel the spiritual life, and the true health which that body, unto which they are bound, hath acquired naturally, and they do not feel the passion of the sins which are in the body of the old man, even |590 as the body of each man doth not feel the sicknesses and diseases of another body. And although all the works of the old man prevent the mind from perceiving the life and rule of the new man, yet the passion of fornication [doeth this] more than all, and for this reason Paul said, "Every sin that a man doeth [p. 618] is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body". 55 And here he calleth "body" the body of Christ, of which he hath been esteemed worthy to be a member, even as he said, "Ye are dead unto the law in the body of Christ, that ye may be members unto Another Who hath risen from the dead";56 and again he said, "The body is not for fornication, but for our Lord; and our Lord for the body". 57 So then the body of him that liveth the life of the new man, according to the words of Paul, belongeth to our Lord, and as in the body of our Lord's Person there was no passion of fornication, even so also in him whose body hath become a member in the body of Christ it is not right that the passion of fornication should be set in motion, because it belongeth to the body of our Lord, which it hath become through a new composition, whence it cometh that the body should not be for fornication, but for our Lord, and our Lord for the body, [as Paul] said, for God raised up our Lord, and He raised us up by His power. For as God the Father raised up His Son from death to the immortality of another life, even so also have we all risen by His might, for as He after His resurrection no longer led our life, even so also we, who have risen with Him by His might do not live the life subject unto |591 the passions of the old man; and where it is not right for us to be led in the new life he bringeth straightway the words which are full of rebuke and teaching, saying, "Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? " 58 Now here [p.
619] Paul not only teacheth us, but he blameth us, and sheweth that there are no means whereby the member may live outside His body, for all the members which are set in the natural body are established thereby, and live therein, even as ye also whose bodies have become members in the body of Christ receive all your support from Him----life, joy, purity, holiness, chasteness from all wickednesses, impassibility unto sin, happiness, rest, peace, love, motion towards all things of the spirit, and finally all those things which the body hath to give unto its members.
Now if this be the life of the new man according to the law, it is not then by the power of the law which restraineth [from] wickedness that he worketh that which is good, but because he conformeth unto the order of Him that ordained it. For by the incarnation of Christ of the Virgin, He received the members of the body of His Person, and the fact that He became Man sheweth and maketh this plain; but in the birth from baptism which may be compared unto the birth from the Virgin, these members which were baptized came not unto Him by His incarnation, but by His dispensation, and each one of these which were baptized, being, in respect of his person, body and soul, and a man whose number is known, became a member in the body of Christ, even though this constitution is not so visible unto the children of men as was that which |592 took place by His incarnation of the Virgin. For in the former case the Son of God appeared openly out of concealment, and from being unembodied He shewed Himself as a constituted being; but in the latter case, from being men of the flesh they become men of the spirit, and each one of them from being in respect of his person a body [p. 620] of many members, is accounted in the body of Christ a [single] member which hath an invisible constitution, and is placed in the body in an indescribable manner, and he becometh a spiritual member in the body of God, according to the words of the Apostle, "Your bodies are members of Christ." 59
620] of many members, is accounted in the body of Christ a [single] member which hath an invisible constitution, and is placed in the body in an indescribable manner, and he becometh a spiritual member in the body of God, according to the words of the Apostle, "Your bodies are members of Christ. " 59
How then, can a member of Christ, through fighting, overcome lust? If the war of this lust [of fornication] existed in the holy body of Christ, there would be an excuse for them in that being members of that body they were disturbed by lust, but the Apostolic word doth not only command us that we shall not commit fornication, but that we shall not be receptacles of the passion of fornication, and that we shall be wholly and entirely undisturbed by lust and shall not fall in the war, for a dead person cannot fight, but life receiveth feeling, and feeling setteth lust in motion; but if there be no old life, there can be no feeling, and if there be no feeling, lust cannot be received, and therefore the war against lust cannot be. set in motion. For how can a man fight against that which existeth not? "Shall I take a member of Christ, and make it a member of fornication?"59 "Shall I take," he saith, as if one were to say, So long as it be placed in the natural body there are no means for it to become a member of fornication, |593 for so long as a member which is set in the natural body is in its place, it hath no means whereby it may receive life from another body, but only from its own body; but if a man cut it off from thence he is unable to [p. 621] join it unto another body even though that body be alive, for when it is cut off it leaveth its life with its body, and it remaineth dead and senseless in the hand of him that holdeth it. In this manner Paul saith, "Shall I take a member of Christ, and make it a member of fornication60?" as if one were to say, If it be taken from Christ, it cannot become a member of fornication, but if when it is in the body it committeth fornication----that is to say, if it become a receptable of this passion of fornication----it sinneth against all its body, that is to say, it maketh all its body to suffer. For as when one of the members of the body receiveth a blow the pain passeth unto all the other members of the body, even so also the member, which, being placed in the body of Christ, receiveth the passion of fornication, maketh the whole body to be sick and to suffer pain, and this is that which he saith, "He sinneth against his own body",61 as if one were to say, Not only because he causeth pain through the passion of fornication is it sin, but it also maketh the whole body suffer. For if the blow of him that smiteth the body of another placeth him under the obligation of sin, and the law commandeth that he shall be punished forthwith like a debtor, saying, "Blow for blow, burning for burning, stripe for stripe,"62 it is also manifest that if the member which is set in the body |594 of Christ be holden with the passion of fornication, it maketh sick the whole body, and for this reason Paul rightly said, "He sinneth against his own body."63
Now there is no other sin which knoweth so well [p. 622] how to defile the soul and body as the passion of fornication, and for this reason Moses also, in shewing the watchfulness which must be observed especially against this passion, said, "The man from whom shall go forth the seed of copulation shall be unclean;" 64 and he strengthened the blame to such a degree, that not only doth it defile him when it is set in motion voluntarily and he cometh unto the act of the adultery of fornication, but also by any way whatsoever, if it be that the seed of copulation go forth from him. And besides this there is another instance, for wherever he giveth commandments concerning the members of the beasts for sacrifice which are set apart to be offered unto God, he warneth them diligently that the two kidneys and the fat which is upon them shall be burned, and in no place doth he set apart these for the meat either of the priests or chief priests, but he committeth them unto the fire, together with the other members which are symbolized by the works of sin, [for he saith], "Take the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat thereof, and burn them all in the fire;" 65 but with them all, and before them all, the two kidneys and the fatty parts thereof, which are the two passions of fornication and adultery. "And they shall burn the kidneys, together with the fat thereof;" now the fat is a sign of the |595 grossness of the mind, which doth not allow the odious sight of these passions to be seen.
So then the dumb law burneth the passion of fornication in the fire, and setteth impurity upon every man from whom, for whatever cause, the seed of copulation hath gone forth, and burneth also the adulterer and the adulteress 66 [p. 623] in the fire; and our Lord in the teaching of His Gospel not only cut off adultery, but also the thought which bringeth [a man] unto adultery; and Paul said, "Neither fornicators nor adulterers shall inherit the kingdom of God," 67 and again, "Whosoever is joined unto a harlot becometh one body with her, and whosoever committeth fornication sinneth against his own body;" and again he saith, "Shall I take a member of Christ, and make it a member of fornication?" and besides the words of the Scriptures actual experience teacheth those who are witnesses of their passions.
What disciple, who wisheth to live righteously and holily, will not watch against the fall which cometh of this passion, and receive with a living and wakeful hearing the voice of God which crieth unto us, "He ye holy, even as I am holy?" 68 And there would not, then, have been required from us by the commandment of God the holiness which is comparable unto His if it were not that He hath given unto us the spirit which sanctifieth us, and which becometh a soul unto our soul, and which maketh it to be led by thoughts which are not its own, and not to descend unto the gratification of the lusts of the body, but to be exalted |596 unto its own purity and holiness, and to receive its glorious ray, the purifier and sanctifier of its thoughts. For if old age and sicknesses suppress and extinguish this lust of fornication, how very much more should the healthy will which loveth spiritual things, and which longeth for Divine holiness [do thus]? Old age and sickness do not eradicate lust, but they enfeeble it, and cause it to sleep; but the will [p. 624] which is perfected in the Spirit, in the Holy Spirit, eradicateth lust completely, and it stablisheth man in impassibility, and maketh him to be moved in all his thoughts, and in all spiritual things, while it not only abateth in him the disturbance of the passions, but all the feeling of things which can be perceived. And as whosoever is holden firmly by the love of this passion hath the love of other things quenched in him, even so also whosoever casteth it away wholly and is entirely bound by the love of spiritual things cannot receive the feeling of the things which set this passion in motion.
But do thou, O disciple, because as yet thou hast not arrived at these things, meditate upon what hath been written above, and fulfil them in very deed; shut up the entrances of lust, which are external sights and conversations; and block up the fountain thereof, which is the natural passion and health of the body; and cleanse also the thoughts, which so many times become helpers thereof and set it in motion within the members. And if thou canst cut it off through these three things----that the thought think not thereupon, that the members be not moved thereby, and that it have no means of entrance from without----thou wilt remain at peace and without disturbance, and the course of thy ship into the haven of peace will be without |597 waves and storms, and the other things of profit will also be preserved therein, and through this thou wilt become a counterpart of heavenly hosts. And though thou standest in the body thou wilt be moved by the spirit, and being in one world, thou wilt lead thy life in another, and thou wilt perceive the cause of the coming of Christ into the world which all those who live in the body do not know, on the contrary they only hear the sound [p. 625] concerning His Mysteries and perceive not the power thereof. And may we not be deprived of the knowledge which perceiveth the power of these Holy Mysteries; and may we not be aliens unto the service of the Divine commandments; and may we never be shut out from the spiritual contemplation of visible and spiritual things; by the Grace of Him Who came for the redemption, and freedom, and renewing of all, Jesus Christ, the Only One, God the Word, to Whom be glory from all those who have received His redemption, and have perceived His redemption, and have become the intermediaries of His gifts in all the generations of the worlds of light, and of the countries of the Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
Here endeth the Thirteenth Discourse: which is on Fornication and the Lust of the Body. |598
----------------------------------------
mN$ LK n)z )hL)L )XBw$ LK n)Xw
PRINTED BY W. DRUGULIN, LEIPZIG.
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
[Footnotes renumbered and moved to the end. Page numbers in brackets refer to the Syriac text in vol. 1 of the printed edition.]
1. 1 Compare Job xiv. 8, 9.
2. 1 St. Matthew v. 28.
3. 2 St Matthew v. 27.
4. 1 Proverbs xxx. 18-20.
5. 1 1 Corinthians vi. 19.
6. 1 Romans xii. 11.
7. 1 2 Corinthians iv. 16.
8. 1 Exodus xx. 14.
9. 1 Colossians iii. 5.
10. 2 1 Corinthians xv. 48.
11. 1 Ecclesiasticus xxiii. 19.
12. 1 1 Corinthians ix. 27.
13. 1 Judges vii. 3.
14. 1 Numbers xxv. 1.
15. 2 1 Corinthians x. 8.
16. 1 1 Corinthians x. 8.
1 St. Matthew v. 28. 3. 2 St Matthew v. 27. 4. 1 Proverbs xxx. 18-20. 5. 1 1 Corinthians vi. 19. 6. 1 Romans xii. 11. 7. 1 2 Corinthians iv. 16. 8. 1 Exodus xx. 14. 9. 1 Colossians iii. 5. 10. 2 1 Corinthians xv. 48. 11. 1 Ecclesiasticus xxiii. 19. 12. 1 1 Corinthians ix. 27. 13. 1 Judges vii. 3. 14. 1 Numbers xxv. 1. 15. 2 1 Corinthians x. 8. 16. 1 1 Corinthians x. 8.
17. 2 Hebrews xii. 16.
18. 3 1 Corinthians vi. 9.
19. 4 Ephesians v. 5.
20. 5 St. Matthew v. 28.
21. 6 St. James iv. 1.
22. 7 1 St. Peter iv. 12.
23. 8 Exodus xx. 17.
24. 1 Compare Judges vii. 17-20.
25. 1 Hebrews xii. 16.
26. 2 Exodus xx. 17.
27. 1 Romans vii. 7.
28. 2 St. Matthew v. 28.
29. 3 2. Samuel xi. 2.
30. 1 Psalm cxliv. 4.
31. 2 Psalm cxlvi. 3.
32. 1 Psalm xvi. 8.
33. 2 Genesis xxxix. 10.
34. 3 Hebrews vi. 19.
35. 1 Genesis xxxix. 8.
36. 2 1 Samuel ii. 25.
37. 1 Genesis xxxix, 9.
38. 2 Romans xiv. 22.
39. 3 Exodus xxx. 14.
40. 1 Romans vii. 4.
41. 2 Romans vii. 5.
42. 3 Romans vii. 6.
43. 1 Romans vii. 7.
44. 1 Romans vi. 12.
45. 2 Romans vii. 1-3.
46. 1 Romans vii. 4.
47. 2 St. John viii. 36.
48. 3 Romans vii. 6.
49. 4 Galatians i. 12.
50. 1 Romans vii. 2.
51. 2 Romans vii. 4.
52. 1 1 Corinthians xv. 45.
53. 2 Romans vii. 2.
54. 3 Romans vii. 4.
55. 1 1 Corinthians vi. 18.
56. 2 Romans vii, 4.
57. 3 1 Corinthians vi. 13.
58. 1 1 Corinthians vi. 15.
59. 1 1 Corinthians vi. 15.
60. 1 1 Corinthians vi. 15.
61. 2 1 Corinthians vi. 18.
62. 3 Exodus xxi. 25.
63. 1 1 Corinthians vi. 18.
64. 2 Leviticus xv. 16.
65. 3 Leviticus iii. 9.
66. 1 Leviticus xx. 10.
67. 2 1 Corinthians vi. 9, 15, 16.
68. 3 Leviticus xix. 2; 1 St. Peter i. 16.
----------------------------------------