And again we receive the Holy Spirit by baptism, |286 that it may be unto us the first-fruits of the perfect intercourse which is about to come unto us in the Mysteries of the Spirit, and how great is the affinity of the pledge with that which maketh it perfect the very name itself testifieth; for two spirits are mentioned by the word of the Book. And again, concerning Christ it is written, "He was to us the first-fruits of the good things "which are to come",9 and Christ the first-fruits hath an affinity with us, and with the good things which are to come unto us, for He became man, and with the good things which are about to be unto us, which by the fore-knowledge of the Father were prepared aforetime for us, for He was God, and He Himself together with God, by His will, which nothing preceded, prepared aforetime these good things for us. So likewise the joy of this world which is born of the freedom from passions hath an affinity with that joy which is about to be given unto those who are worthy [p. 300] thereof, and again the Gehenna of tribulation and sorrow which is born in this world of the ministration of the evil passions is akin unto that Gehenna which is to come. Let us then be earnest to put off the world, and to put off therewith also the passions which spring up in us therefrom, and let us put off also the evil passions, and let us clothe ourselves after them with the living motions of joy and love. And if thou wishest to know, O disciple, that without the going forth from the world thou art not able to draw nigh unto the rule and life of perfection, thou mayest learn it from the things which are written in the Holy Books, and thou mayest be mindful also of the lives of the spiritual men which |287 are written in the Holy Books. And who of all the ancients, who were accounted worthy of the sublime and wonderful gift, was like unto John the Baptist? According to the testimony, which Christ spake concerning him, "He was the greatest of all the Prophets"; and again He said, "Verily I say unto you, among those born of women there is none greater than John the Baptist." 10 Now let us understand and [see how and what was the rule and conduct of life of this marvellous man who arrived at such greatness as this, and why he was accounted worthy of all this gift, and with what increase and with how great labours, and after what asceticism, and for how long a time he lived a solitary life away from human intercourse; and when we have seen and have understood these matters of his life, let us consider the greatness [p. 301] of the things which, were unto him, and let us understand first of all the things which concern the will, and afterwards the things which concern grace, for until the will shewed its fruits the Spirit gave not its gift.
Observe then the life of this marvellous man, who from the time of his childhood was set apart from dwelling in the world, and from intercourse with the children of men; and he was not first of all denied and polluted, and afterwards cleansed and purified, but his youth passed in purity before it arrived at the motions of nature which distinguish between good and evil things. And he was brought up in the wilderness, and he had not in him any worldly care whatsoever; and he did not taste by experience the wickedness of the children of men, and then cast it away, neither |288 was he first moved by lusts and by passions, and afterwards came to peace of the thoughts by the labours of his freewill. Now that a man, who would stand in this rule of life, should depart from his own wickedness before he receiveth the taste of the wickedness of the world helpeth the purity of the soul of those who are worthy thereof in no slight degree, even as Adam remained for a very short time in purity of soul before he transgressed the commandment. And John, because he was about to be set apart for the ministration of Divine mysteries, and because a gift which had not been [hitherto] given to the children of men was about to come unto him, separated himself from his childhood and went forth into the desert, that being untempted by evil things, and his mind receiving not the impress of the likeness of the remembrances of the body, and being neither disturbed nor troubled by the cares and anxieties of the world, he might receive spiritual revelations and the doctrines of Divine mysteries in purity of spirit, and might feel that to which the whole race of mortal beings arriveth not; [p. 302] and for this reason he received also the Holy Spirit while he was in his mother's womb, in order that the thoughts of his soul, by the instigation of the Spirit, might be stirred up in a spiritual manner. That he should be born without the union of his parents was not right, for this belonged to Jesus God alone, but because he was about to receive visions and revelations which were above the old nature, he received the Spirit while he was in the womb, after he had been conceived by the union of his parents. That it would have been easy for God to have created him newly, like Adam and Eve, there can be no doubt, but by this [act] He |289 would have made him a stranger to the old creation, and the Creator did not desire to do this, lest it might be thought that He was rejecting the former creation. And it hath been said that it befitted Christ only to be conceived out of the old nature without carnal union, and that being brought up moreover in the world, and receiving experience of the wickedness thereof, He might be suddenly worthy of the grace which is above the world, by election after the manner of the Apostles, which was to be given after the Crucifixion, when the old nature was dead, and sin also and all the evil passions had died therewith.
Now because John was to be worthy of the knowledge of the Apostles before the dissolution of the curse, and the abrogation of sin, and the matter of the Cross, he rightly received the Spirit in the womb, and he had the growth which was outside the world in order that by these means [p. 303] he might attain unto the natural innocency which the first man possessed before he transgressed the commandment, and that by this innocency of soul he might receive the knowledge of Divine mysteries; for where through grace these marvellous things took place, by these marks and means sufferings took place. And when in the unspeakable depth of the love of God the Redemption was completed, the Person of God Himself stood in the midst like a freeman with power, and with His own hand He annulled the things which were old, and inaugurated those which were new, and the old man died upon the Cross, according to that which is written by Paul, "Our old man "was crucified with Him",11 and the new man was revealed, |290 and made known, and became visible, and not only that which was worthy of the dwelling of Paradise, after the manner of the first Adam, but that which was worthy to dwell also in heaven, and to go round about among spiritual beings, and to be like unto them in every thing. And therefore after this those who are experienced in all wicknessess, and tax-gatherers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and thieves, and worshippers of creatures, Grace seizeth suddenly, and without either plans or preparations maketh them worthy of the wealth of its mysteries, as in a new nature, it work-eth in whomsoever it pleaseth, because the old man hath been crucified, and is dead, according to the word of Paul.12 And again that Apostle saith from the whole person of his human nature, "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death"? 13 And after he has asked questioningly who is able to deliver him, [p. 304] he revealeth, and confesseth and teacheth by his word Who He is that shall deliver him from the old and mortal nature, saying, "I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ Who hath delivered me from this body of death".
And after these things then in which it hath been made known unto us that there are the death, and dissolution, and abrogation, and destruction of the old man, and the vivification, and the renewal, and the appearance, and the revelation of the new man, Divine Grace worketh mightily all things which are efficacious, and all powers, and all knowledge, and all mysteries and revelations, and all the dispensation of the spirit, and the work which is above nature, in whomsoever it pleaseth. |291 These things which have been spoken by us briefly are [intended] to shew the cause of the going forth of John as a preacher in the wilderness, and why he received the Spirit from the womb, and why he was brought up in the desert from his childhood. Do thou then, O disciple, at the hearing of these things be strenuous to cast off the world, and draw nigh unto the freedom of a pure rule and conduct of life; and love perpetual converse with God, and flee earnestly from all human speech, and take heed unto the good things of this rule of life through that which happened unto John the Baptist. For if some time before the Crucifixion He, through Whom old things were dissolved and abrogated, and new things were made to appear, and [Who] discovered the solitary life, and the freedom and alienation from the world, gave unto John the Baptist the knowledge of the Apostles, through which things he possessed the wisdom which is above human nature, how much more now can this [p. 365] spiritual life stablish thee in the knowledge of the mysteries of Christ, and render thee unspeakably happy in the feeling of spiritual revelations! Accept thou as a proof [of this] the life of this righteous man, and learn also therefrom that a man cannot become a perfect disciple of Christ unless he make himself a stranger to the whole world after the manner of this righteous man, even as the word of Christ also hath taught us openly, "Except a man renounce the whole world, and his brethren, and his kinsfolk, and his family, and his father, and his mother, and everything that he hath, and that which is greater than them all, even his own life, he cannot be My disciple". 14 And again in another |292 place He restrained that man who wished to perform two things in one, that is, honour to [his] parents and discipleship to Himself, and told him that it was impossible that two things which were the opposites of each other could happen at the same time: "Teacher, suffer me to go and bury my father and my mother, and I will come after Thee",15 that is to say, "I will keep the first commandment which God commanded me, Honour thy parents and be obedient unto them, and then I will come after Thee and minister unto Thee". And what answer did Jesus return to this? "Leave the dead to bury their own dead; and go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 16 It is not necessary [p. 306] for thee to keep the law, for it hath been kept and is dissolved, neither hast thou any need to minister unto natural parents, because I have been obedient unto parents according to the body, and I have ministered unto them on behalf of everyone.
The yoke of the law and nature is henceforth lifted from off thee, and thou art left a free man unto thyself, there being no worldly power that can subdue thee, for thou art dead unto the world, and thou art dead unto it. Dead bodies have not service paid unto them, they are only wrapped in shrouds and buried; leave the dead then to bury their dead, and do thou go and preach the kingdom of God".
Behold also we learn from this testimony that the man who becometh a disciple of Jesus hath not even power to minister unto [his] natural parents, because he hath a true Father, Who by His grace hath enrolled him for Himself [as] a son, and Who hath set |293 him apart for the ministration of His will. Hear also again another proof, which like the preceding will bring instruction nigh unto thee, and the example of the testimony of which will urge thee to deny thyself everything, and to go forth after Jesus. "And one of His disciples drew nigh and said unto Jesus, Suffer me to bid farewell to them that are at my house, and I will come after Thee". 17 Hear also in this case what the Master answered the disciple, and receive it as if it had been spoken unto thee by that disciple: "No man, having put his hand upon the ploughshare, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God",18 [that is to say]," Whosoever fulfilleth this work in nature, and who guideth the plough with oxen according to the custom [p. 307] of man, and who suffereth himself to look behind him instead of in front----now in this manner the work would never be completed----is not able to advance, nor are his furrows cut straight, and the oxen also do not travel forwards; and although this work be visible, and one which can be seen, and it taketh place in the very earth itself, yet if the ploughman look behind him, his labour is spoiled. Now as concerning My own discipleship, one labour differeth from another, even as world differeth from world, and life from life, and immortal from mortal beings, and God from the children of men; if then thou takest the yoke of My discipleship upon thy soul and body, thou must perform the service of My commandments, and thou must turn thyself back to the world, and it must not be a care to thee to make peace with thy kinsfolk, and thou must not be anxious to pay unto them the |294 obligation of honour according to the body, and to fulfil unto them the law of the fulness of the world, and then to come after Me. For if thou wouldest pay the obligations of the world, those which are due unto Me cannot be paid; and if thou art anxious not to offend the world in anything, why then shouldst thou set thyself to provoke Me? Let there be no peace between thee and the world, in order that thou thyself mayest have peace with Me; thou hast neither house nor household, why then shouldst thou hasten to bid them farewell? For enmity is set between thee and them, why then shouldst thou be anxious to be a friend unto them? I have not come to cast peace upon the earth,19 [p. 308] why then dost thou hasten to have peace with the children of the earth? I cry War, and yet thou hastenest to peace; I preach Division, and thou hastenest to strengthen concord. I have come to set a man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the bridegroom against the bride, and thou hastenest to salute the children of thy house, and to sew together with thy folly the rent which I have made in the world.
I have rent this garment of concord because it was woven wholly of error, and in its place I have woven another garment of heavenly peace; do thou also weave this garment, and hasten not to sew an old garment. I have put an end to the world which was wont to increase wickedness in every man, and I have scattered that brotherhood which was assembled for the gathering together of sins; hasten thou not to become a companion of those who work iniquity". [The disciple said], "I will go and bid |295 farewell to the children of my house," but Christ said unto him, "Thou hast no peace with them", [for] "Ye shall salute no man by the way";20 and the meaning of this speech is that Christ thereby denied His disciples also that salutation of the peace of the world. These things were said in the person of one disciple unto every man, that is to say, unto [all] those who have dedicated themselves unto discipleship, for it is better that a man should not be a disciple unto God in name, being in truth a disciple of the world, and that he should not hire himself unto One, and serve the other.
It is not necessary that the world should arrive at perfection, because its habit [p. 309] and its life are not dedicated unto perfection; but the disciple by the very mark of his garb preacheth perfection concerning himself, and in the things according to which he appeareth openly unto the children of men he hath given the promise concerning himself to appear also inwardly unto God. The marks of discipleship which are inscribed upon thee outwardly urge that all virtues should be written for thee upon thy soul, and in the manner in which thou appearest unto the children of men outwardly is it necessary for thee to appear also unto God inwardly. Thou hast put off the care for the apparel of the world, put off also the love of adornment inwardly from thy soul. Thou art remote from the marriage which is manifest, make thyself to be remote also from the secret lust of the thoughts. Thou abstainest from the eating of flesh, and from the pleasures and rewards which are visible, abstain thou also in thy soul from the wish that would desire meats. Thou |296 hast removed the hair of the secular life of the world from off thy head, and this is a proof that thou shalt neither be fettered by the cares thereof, nor bound in its anxieties, and that thou shalt not be held fast by any of its passions, which are many and without number. Thou hast gone out from the world, and thou hast made thyself a stranger unto it by [thy] outward garb, go forth then from it, and be unto it a stranger also in thy innermost thoughts. Thou hast in outward appearance made thyself destitute of riches, be thou also destitute of the love of riches in thy innermost mind. Thou hast rejected the sounds of song and the pleasures of the world, delight thyself then diligently, and with all [p. 310] thy soul in the sounds of the psalms of the Spirit of God. Let thy discipleship be known more from within than without, and as the children of men discern that thou art a disciple of Christ by thy outward appearance, even so let Christ know thee to be His disciple from thy inward appearance.
Take heed that thy discipleship be not be unto thee for trafficking and for buying and selling, and do not place upon thyself the noble garb of discipleship, neither for vainglory, nor for the pleasures which pass away. Thou shalt not sell spiritual for carnal things, and thou shalt not exchange heavenly things for the corruptible treasures which are laid up on earth; to Him only to Whom thou wast promised [by] thy covenant be thou a disciple. For God taught thee of old, and He removed from before thy sight this deceitful expectation, [say ing], "A servant cannot serve two masters",21 and again by another testimony He warned thee if thou couldst |297 not become a perfect disciple to remain in the life of the world, and it is better for thee, lest when thou hast begin to build, thou art not able to finish, and thou becomest a mockery unto every man. "What man beginneth to build a tower, and doth not first sit down and count the cost, whether he have [wherewith] to finish it? Lest haply, having begun to build, and being unable to finish, every man who passeth by and seeth him shall laugh and mock at him, saying, This man began [to build], but was not able to finish. Or what king who goeth to war to fight [p. 311] with a fellow king, [doth not sit down first and take counsel whether] he can meet with ten thousand [men] him that cometh against him with twenty thousand, or who doth not send ambassadors and seek for peace if he be unable to meet in war the multitude of his forces?" 22
Or what king who goeth to war to fight [p. 311] with a fellow king, [doth not sit down first and take counsel whether] he can meet with ten thousand [men] him that cometh against him with twenty thousand, or who doth not send ambassadors and seek for peace if he be unable to meet in war the multitude of his forces? " 22
And behold, by these things He Who called thee to be His disciple hath taught thee that thou shouldst not begin in this path unless thou art determined to finish in it, and that thou shouldst not lay the foundations to build a tower, if thou hast it not in thy mind to finish it, and that thou shouldst not go forth to war against Satan, unless the hosts of mighty thoughts be gathered together about thee, lest having gone forth to war the Enemy overcome thee, and [thy] discipleship be blasphemed. Whosoever hath not made a promise is not required by the word of rectitude to do the things which he hath not promised [to do]; for until the promise [hath been made, the matter] is voluntary, but from [the time of] the promise and onwards [the matter] becometh a law. So long as the yoke of |298 promise hath not been laid upon the freewill of thy soul, thy service is voluntary, but if thou takest the sign of discipleship, and the promise of the . covenant of Christ, thy life is no longer according to thine own will, but it must be according as the law demandeth, which of thine own freewill thou hast laid upon thyself. Now if whilst thou wast in the world thou didst the things which belong unto a disciple, this is a matter for praise in thee, but if [being] in discipleship thou doest the things which befit it, thou only payest [thy] obligation, and thou only fulfillest that which is incumbent upon thee. And observe unto what height the tower shall rise, and of what stones and slabs [p. 312] its building shall be composed when thou layest the foundation. Thou shalt not begin a building which will make thee the laughingstock of those who see thee, and thou shalt not construct for thyself a mark of contempt and of mockery in the sight of many, and thou shalt not give a cause for those who pass by to speak against thee, if thou hast determined to become a disciple according to what the will of thy Lord demandeth; and if not, remain in the world. Seek not to be honoured by a name of which thou art not worthy, and lay not hold upon the pure pearl with unclean hands; and put not on the purple of discipleship so long as thou possessest not the knowledge which will keep it [unspotted]. Consider in thy soul what things discipleship requireth thee to do, and then lay the yoke thereof upon thyself. Many become disciples that they may be honoured by the name of Christ, and not that they may honour Him. and that they may enjoy carnal pleasures they hire themselves unto Him, and not that they may bear the afflictions of His commandments. And others [have |299 become disciples] because of their lust for mammon, and they have drawn nigh unto this life which demandeth poverty, in order that that which they have not been able to acquire from the world, they may go forth and acquire outside the world. And by the hand of that one feeble disciple, [concerning whom] it is written in the Gospel of our Redeemer, Jesus hath rebuked this wicked thought in all [His] foot-soldiers. "And one came and drew nigh and said unto Him, Master, I will follow Thee whithersoever thou goest. Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of heaven have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head.
23 Depart thou from me, O disciple of iniquity, for I have not that to give [p. 313] unto thee which thou desirest, and that which I can give thee thou dost not wish to receive. I know that which thy desire asketh, and that which thou seekest, but I will not give [them unto thee], for through the love of the thought of riches thou hast been pleased to come after Me, and [being] in the light thou hast come forth to seek darkness, and having the true possession [to seek] poverty, and having life [to seek] death. That which I command every man, to forsake [the world] and to cleave unto Me, I desire that thou shouldst possess in thy coming unto Me. By the door through which I desire to bring thee out, by that same door thou pressest to come in unto Me, and therefore I will not receive thee. For in My outward appearance I am poor, and for this reason I have not things which are manifest to give in the world into which I have come. I am in appearance |300 a stranger, for I have neither house nor roof, and whosoever seeketh to be My disciple must inherit poverty from Me. Why dost thou wish to inherit from Me that of the possession of which I have made thee destitute? "
Now therefore, many go forth after Jesus with thoughts of the love of mammon, and they put on the honourable garb of His discipleship like a profession. And He hath exposed of old this deceitful thought in His word, and by the hand of that one hath rebuked all the disciples of falsehood, and prevented them from being His disciples by His saying, "I possess nothing, but I will give unto you that which ye desire," and "I have not even [p. 314] a house or a roof." And those who were slack, and slothful, and feeble, either through the love of pleasure, or through the labour of the building, He kept back by saying, "If thou hast money sufficient for [building] the tower, [build it], but if not, it is better that thou shouldst not begin, than that thou shouldst begin and not finish."
And the perfection which Jesus demandeth He shewed us here by all the disciples who went forth after Him, because this tower which mounteth up to heaven is completed by perfection, and it is finished by the gathering together [into it] of all virtues. And Jesus Himself said, "If thou canst finish it, begin [to build], and if not, do not begin," which is as if a man were to say, "If thou canst be a perfect disciple, and complete in all triumphs, [well]; but if not, remain in the world, and work that other righteousness of justice which is inferior to spirituality."
And Jesus Himself said, "If thou canst finish it, begin [to build], and if not, do not begin," which is as if a man were to say, "If thou canst be a perfect disciple, and complete in all triumphs, [well]; but if not, remain in the world, and work that other righteousness of justice which is inferior to spirituality. "
Now each of those who did not seek [Him] with noble purpose He kept back by an answer which |301 befitted them. To the man who had compunction about grieving his folk, and who, wishing to pay unto them human love, asked Him that he might go and bid farewell unto his household, and [then] follow Him, He said, "No man, putting his hand upon the ploughshare, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." 24 And unto the man who sought to honour his parents according to the body, so long as they were alive, and after their death to become His disciple, He said, "Let the dead bury their dead." 25 And unto another, who by the perfection of the doctrine of Christ wished to satisfy his lust for oppression [p. 315], He answered, "Who hath made Me a judge and a ruler over you?" 26 And unto another who, in His name, wished to gather together riches, and who was scheming that by the mighty deeds, and the signs, and the wonders, which he wrought by His power, he might become the owner of possessions, He said, "I am poor, and I have not where to lay my head." And unto another, who sought to draw nigh to this service with the skin of outward appearance only, He said, "Do not begin the tower if thou hast not the money to finish it." And unto yet another who was weak and feeble, who, though he had not yet gained purity of thoughts and innocency of soul, wished to fight against the powers which opposed him, He said, "No king goeth forth to war against a fellow king unless he hath gathered together hosts which will be sufficient to meet the enemy which opposeth him."
" And unto yet another who was weak and feeble, who, though he had not yet gained purity of thoughts and innocency of soul, wished to fight against the powers which opposed him, He said, "No king goeth forth to war against a fellow king unless he hath gathered together hosts which will be sufficient to meet the enemy which opposeth him. "
Now therefore by these Jesus rebuked all diseased |302 thoughts, and He made the disciple to lay hold upon the true healing of discipleship, and upon the body of the spiritual life. And as in worldly matters, if a man cannot perform properly the piece of work which he wisheth to do without setting himself free from all other work, and occupying himself with that alone, how much less can a man finish this spiritual labour [p. 316] unless he set himself free from the service of everything which is visible? even as the blessed Paul also saith, "Every man who maketh a contest, keepeth his mind from everything;" 27 and of what contest did he speak except the exercising of the body in the world? And if to a contest in which the body is engaged the service of carnal things is a hindrance, how much more will it be so to a spiritual contest? For in the one case, as regards the contest of the world, the contest, and the struggling therein, and the conquest therein, and also the things which retard the conquest therein, are one in nature, and they are all the children of one country, and although all these things are related to each other, the world with its cares and anxieties becometh an obstacle unto those who maintain, the strife, How can a man fulfil the life here, then, which is a spiritual contest, and a service, and a life which is above the world, if he be tied unto and held fast by the things of the world? And again Paul himself saith, "No soldier on service who entangleth himself in the affairs of the world is able to please Him Who elected him. And if he contendeth, he is not crowned, except he have contended lawfully." 28 What then? If the soldiers of the kingdom of the world empty |303 themselves of everything that they may learn the arts of their service, and may thereby please the king who elected them, what disciple who hath been elected to the [p. 317] spiritual service, is able to become captain if he be bound by the things of the world?
And, moreover, let us also see from the speech of Simon to our Lord, and let us also learn from the first disciple how it is meet for us to become disciples. "Behold we have left everything, and have come after thee." 29 What then shall we have? Thou hast heard what this disciple said, and how he hath revealed unto thee the truth of his absolute poverty, and that they (i.e., the disciples) possessed nothing besides Jesus. "We have left everything, and have come after thee." Behold the definite law of discipleship. They did not have one thing and not the other, and they did not renounce one thing and hold fast to the other; but they left everything, and followed Jesus. Do thou then forsake everything and go forth after Him, and observe, immediately the might of the Apostles clotheth thee, that thou wilt feel and know in very deed that the Word is not a lie; for thou canst not ask Him to make thee worthy of the sight of His hidden and spiritual riches whilst thou hast not made thyself destitute of everything which is visible. So long as thou boldest fast that which is thine own, He will not shew thee the things which are His. Give everything that thou hast for the love of Him only, being in thy gift watchful against the thought that seeketh human praise, and go forth and travel along the road a little, bearing afflictions and labours with purity of the thoughts; and observe, |304 immediately His glory riseth in thy soul, and He mingleth the spirit in thee, how thy whole being will be smitten with the love of Him, and thou wilt also forget the weight of thy afflictions, and He will suddenly change thee from one being into another, that is to say, from the old into the new. And if [p. 318] [thou wilt] not [do this], what dost thou desire? Thy purse being full perhaps it may happen that thou demandest also discount and interest, and thou wouldst spare that which is thine own, and wouldst eat of His bounty. Or perhaps thou wishest to become a disciple unto Him that He may place thee in authority over the treasures of His wealth; far be it from Him to cast the knowledge of His revelations into the soul which is not worthy thereof! What then? Since those who are held fast by the trafficking and cares of human riches are retarded in many things by the knowledge of the world, wouldst thou desire to possess the knowledge of the spirit, together with the cares of riches in the worn out vessel of thyself which is pierced with passions and lusts? Wouldst thou desire to pour in the new wine of the wisdom of His mysteries, and wouldst thou not pour upon the ground this knowledge if it had come into thee? I mean, thy old vessel is unable to receive it.
Now this our Redeemer Himself shewed aforetime in His luminous teaching, saying, "No man poureth new wine into old bottles, lest the wine burst the skins, and the wine be poured out, and the skins be destroyed; but they pour new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. " 30 So long as sin liveth or is wrought in thee by deed or in thought, or a carnal |305 wish belonging to the world ariseth in thee, thou art still an old vessel, and thou art not able to receive the new wine of the wisdom of Christ. Make new thyself then by the dismissal of thy passions, and thou shalt be able to take within thee immediately the new wine of the doctrine of Christ. Forsake everything, even as the Apostles forsook everything, [p. 319] and then thou mayest seek boldly to be set to rule over the treasures of the spirit. Turn not thy face backwards, and behold the furrows shall be straight before thee, and let thy hand be put upon the ploughshare of the service of difficult and laborious commandments. Turn not thy face backwards to the sight of pleasures, [and] if thou hast [once] denied a thing, do not again confess that which thou hast denied. And again, do not look before thee at one time, and behind thee at another, but let there be unto thee one straight look before thee; for the man who looketh behind and in front of him is like unto a man who steppeth forwards and backwards, and he returneth to the same place, and departeth not from the place upon which he standeth; and no man can say concerning this man either that he travelleth along the road, or that he completeth his journey by his steps. And thus also is the disciple who at one time looketh in front of him, and at another turneth his face backwards; who is at one time filled with suffering, and at another with laughter; who at one time cleanseth his thoughts, and at another fouleth them with the cares of iniquity; who at one time beareth the weight of affliction, and at another enjoyeth pleasures; who at one time fasteth much, and at another eateth immoderately; who at one time occupieth himself with the conversation ot prayer, and at another |306 with the speech which breaketh forth in empty things; who at one time hath in him the remembrance of God, and at another hath his soul dead unto the memorial of Him; who at one time desireth to put off his life and to be with Christ, and at another is clothed with carnal delights, and they are pleasant unto him; whose whole mind at one time is moved by the Spirit, and at another he quaketh with empty cares; who at one time is filled with admiration of God, [p.
320] and at another maketh dark his mind with carnal meditation; who at one time purifieth his thoughts from the motion of lust, and at another lusteth for the act of adultery; who at one time fasteth without measure, and at another eateth immoderately; who at one time scattereth his possessions in the love of God, and at another is held fast by grief because he hath scattered them; who at one time is filled with the love of man, and at another burneth because he is not able to take vengeance upon his enemies; in whom at one time the light of knowledge dawneth, and at another his thoughts are dark through the error of the world; who at one time travelleth onwards uprightly: and at another walketh backwards; who at one time is mingled wholly and entirely with the spirit, and at another wholly and entirely with the body. Now therefore if a man in this manner goeth, and then cometh; and travelleth on, and then turneth back; and marcheth forward, and then cometh back; and goeth up, and then cometh down; and groweth meagre, and then becometh gross; and becometh clean, and then defileth himself; and purifieth himself, and then becometh polluted; and washeth himself white, and then becometh covered with dust and ashes; and maketh himself chaste, and then becometh wanton; and maketh |307 himself destitute, and then waxeth greedy; and denieth, and then confesseth; and embraceth abstinence, and then lusteth; through these and such like things the path of discipleship is not perfected; but whosoever liveth in these things remaineth in his place and he advanceth not from the spot on which he standeth, and by reason of this also he doth not attain unto that after which he hasteneth, for how can he attain unto it since he runneth not? And even though this man who set out to go forward may travel on and march forward, and may have spent the half of his life, so to say, in the rule and conduct of discipleship, since he served hath two things he is not [p. 321] able to lay hold upon one; and how can the man who hath not wholly and entirely sought after good, except in name, find it? and how can the man who hath not experienced, even for a short time, the love of Christ, obtain the mastery over the limit of love? If then the man who walketh as a living man is found to be dead, what shall become of the man who is absolutely dead?
Thou hast gone forth after Jesus, follow Him then and turn not back, and remember Lot's wife,31 who, because the love of her kinsfolk and the outcries of her beloved ones constrained her, turned and looked back behind her, and became a pillar of salt, even as is written concerning her;32 and because her soul had not been salted with the fear of the Highest she became a destructible salted thing. Remember then this woman who was in doubt, and who perished, and be thou not in doubt like unto her, and turn not thyself backwards, lest thou remain in the place where thou art, |308 and thou wilt arrive at this condition, although not in thy body, yet in thy soul. For the soul that turneth and looketh backward after it hath gone forth on the journey in this path becometh a senseless pillar, and as in the case above, the wife of Lot ceased from bodily feeling, and thereby became a pillar of salt, even so also here the mind, which looketh behind it always at corruptible things, ceaseth to feel, and becometh stupefied at spiritual things; because the remembrance of the world maketh us to possess dulness of heart, and it defileth the purity and innocency of the soul, and this carnal mind blackeneth and [p. 322] darkeneth that pure sight which worked for the understanding by the constant vision of God. And if the thought which is [set] upon carnal things removeth us from the sight of spiritual things, how much more will the possession of them absolutely remove us? And if, in looking upon them whilst they are in the hands of others, they bind us to them, how much more shall we be bound so long as they are found in our hands?
Go forth then from the world, O disciple, in the manner in which the Apostles went forth, in deed, and not in word; in thought, and not in borrowed guise; in will, and not in form (or garb); with desire, and not delay; with discretion, and not through tradition; in freedom, and not in the law. Renew in thee from day to day the desire of this spiritual life, and taste life, all deadness being dead unto thee. Be of good courage and pass over this terrible country which is set in the midst, for it is fearful and deep, and it is a ravine which is filled with evil beasts, and noxious and murderous reptiles. And if thou hast determined in thy mind to pass over this terrible country, and thy desire be wholly |309 ready, straightway grace will receive thee, and will accompany thee. Thou must not consider that the soul and body are linked together, and that the one is mingled with the other by nature, [p. 323] for there is much room between them, and it is a terrible depth which not every man is able to search out and to pass over; but if thou wilt constrain the body with its lusts, and suffering, and prayer, and lovingkindness accompany thee, thou wilt be able to pass over this terrible country. But since our discourse is upon the going forth from the world, and not upon the going forth from indwelling passions, we will not speak upon this subject. "We have left everything, and have followed Thee;" 33 behold the words which are the instruction common unto all disciples! Take them perpetually into the remembrance of thy soul, and at the beginning of thy discipleship let them be the subject of thy meditation, and in remembrance of their exhortation go forth from the world; and when thou travellest along the path of the going forth, they shall accompany thee. And meditate upon them at all times, and if anything of riches entice thee to let it abide with thee, or the love of friends and family bind thee thereunto, remember the word of Simon, who forsook everything, and do thou also like him forsake everything; for Jesus is as near to thee as to Simon, and nearer to thee than to him when He spake the word, because they had not as yet received the power to be mingled spiritually with the love of Jesus, but in the simplicity of their faith they went forth after the sight of His works, and after the sweetness of His speech. And while He linked them unto Himself by word, they clung |310 fast unto Him in very deed, for [His] words were, [p. 324] "Follow Me," and immediately they heard the word they began to do so in very deed. Now thy own union with Jesus to-day is in deed, because He hath mingled thee in the life of the spirit by baptism; and while He brought the Apostles unto Him at that time by word, He hath to-day mingled thee with Himself in deed, because He hath made thee a spiritual limb through baptism. And however much thou wouldst cleave unto Him in thy works, He hath already cleaved unto thee; and if thou wouldst hasten unto Him, He hath already been dwelling in thee; and if thou wouldst go unto Him in thy prudence, He first cometh unto thee.
And however earnestly thou rnayest work, and run, and although thy love and service should surpass the love and service of the Apostles----which is not possible----thou wouldst fall behind them in many things, and thou couldst not attain unto the measure of the mingling of their love with Jesus; but although thine own works cannot attain thereunto, He by His grace will make thee to attain unto it. The love of the Apostles was a wonderful thing, for while as yet the Holy Spirit was not mingled in their nature, they accompanied Jesus in all fervour, and without His stimulating or flattering them---- as He to-day flattereth thee with all manner of entreaties----but He spake unto them haughtily, and from outward signs it might be thought that He was driving them away from Him. "If ye wish to go away, depart", He once said unto them, and by reason of the hardness of His word many left him and departed. Simon saith unto Him, "Unto whom shall we go? " 34 We have once and for all gone forth after |311 Thee, [p. 325] and we have no place to go away from following Thee. "For Thou hast the words of eternal life," 35 that is to say, "Thy words are life, and how shall we forsake life and go after death? For we have forsaken everything and come after Thee, because we believe and know that Thou art the Son of the Living God. " Therefore then, O disciple, if thou believest as Simon believed, go thou also forth even as Simon went forth; forsake everything and follow after thy rich Lord. He Himself lacketh nothing, therefore thou needest not provisions from the riches of a strange country, and His riches are not by measure that thou shouldst support Him by the superfluities of thy wealth lest He should want; for this reason be thou strenuous to leave everything. For it belongeth unto Him to give thee everything, even as He promised thee by the hand of Simon. What then? Perhaps Simon became a disciple to one Lord, and thou to another, that thou dost not go forth after thy Lord as he went forth? If now thou dost not go forth like him, it is evident that thou hast become a disciple to another Lord, although thou imaginest concerning thyself that thou art a disciple unto Jesus. And behold both the manner of thy going forth, and the wages thereof are inscribed in one place; and as to how thou shouldst go forth, thou mayest learn from the words, "We have left everything, and come after Thee. " And what the wages of this going forth are the word of our Lord sheweth thee, saying, "Verily I say unto you, that in the new world, when the Son of Man sitteth upon the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, [p. 326] and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. " 36 Behold the wages of going forth is participation with |312 Jesus in sublime honour! For He will set the thrones for the disciples opposite to His own throne; and that which with nature is impossible He shewed by His word that it cometh to pass. For He did not promise those disciples who loved His word to honour them like servants and like men who were in subjection, but to make them worthy of the majesty of thrones like unto friends and like unto those who were similar unto Him in His glory.
And this which is written concerning the angels also is a marvel of unspeakable love: "A thousand thousand stand before Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand minister unto Him;" 37 now this concerneth the Seraphim who stand above Him, having their wings spread out to fly, and this one crieth to this, saying, "Holy, Holy, Holy. "38 And concerning the Cherubim it is written that they were yoked unto a chariot, and while their faces looked downwards, the motions of their spiritual natures were directed whither was the Most High, and they likewise were crying out, "Blessed be the honour of the Lord from His country. "39 And spiritual beings stand in this service, and the hosts and ranks of heaven are obedient unto the word of Jesus, even as Paul said, "They are ministering spirits, who are sent to minister unto those who are about to inherit life. "40
And concerning the Apostles it is written, "They shall sit upon thrones", and this indicateth to us the greatness of their honour, [p. 327] and [their] equality with Him in inheritance, even as Paul saith, "If we suffer with Him, we shall also be glorified with |313 Him."41 And again he saith, "Heirs of God, and children of the inheritance of Jesus Christ."42 And again he saith, "If we endure with Him, we shall reign with Him." 43 And again he saith, "He shall change the body of our humility, and shall make it like unto His glorious body, according to His great power through which all things are subject unto Him."44 Now therefore unto this greatness will the disciple attain if he travelleth completely in his Master's footsteps, but in order that thou mayest not think that this portion of honour came only to the Apostles, Paul said, "If we suffer with Him, we shall also be glorified with Him, and if we endure we shall also reign with Him." And our Lord Himself said unto the Apostles, "Not ye only, but every man who leaveth houses, or family, or brethren, or sisters, or children, for My sake, and for My Gospel's sake, shall receive an hundred-fold in this world, and in the world to come life everlasting."45
" And our Lord Himself said unto the Apostles, "Not ye only, but every man who leaveth houses, or family, or brethren, or sisters, or children, for My sake, and for My Gospel's sake, shall receive an hundred-fold in this world, and in the world to come life everlasting. "45
What sleeper would not wake up at the sound of these promises? What dead man would not come to life at this breath of spiritual life? And what sluggard would not be quickened at the pointing out of this path which goeth up to heaven? And who would not wish to despise himself and to make himself of no account at the hearing of His incomparable promise? Who would not deny the whole world----[p. 328] even if it happened that he possessed it----to become a consort of God upon the throne? And who would not be willing to exchange the things of time for those of eternity? For |314 even if the things which we leave were equal in value unto those which shall be given unto us, since it is God who commandeth, it is right that we should leave them. Leave then the things which should be rejected and despised, and though we renounce them not through the word of Christ, it is for us to make ourselves strangers by nature unto them, and to be beyond them, and to exchange the things which are useless for that which is of value. Who would not hasten to the fair at which this exchange is to be made? For behold rags are exchanged for purple, and worthless pebbles for pearls, and common stones for beryls, and unending poverty for immeasurable riches, and the dross which is rejected for fine gold, and darkness for light, and death for life, and bitter for sweet, and sickness for health, and the place of the despised one for power, and a lowly condition for dominion, and the things which are corruptible for those which are beyond corruption, and that which is transitory for that which passeth not away, and shadows for the substance, and hunger for fulness, and error for knowledge, and the life of beasts for the life of angels, and the things of the body for the things of the spirit, and unending misery for happiness without measure. And moreover, if we had the words wherewith to describe these things as they deserve, [p. 329] who would not exchange the things which are here for those which are there, and who would not give all the neediness of this world for that kingdom? For the word of the Spirit, even when it speaketh in a simple way, is exalted above all the wisdom of the world, and Paul revealed unto us the greatness of this exchange in one little word, and shewed us how inferior are the things which |315 we have, and how great are those of God in one short verse, saying. "The things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are unseen are eternal."46 Who then would not exchange the things of time for those of eternity, except ourselves, and fools like unto us?
"The things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are unseen are eternal. "46 Who then would not exchange the things of time for those of eternity, except ourselves, and fools like unto us?
Do not thou then, O thou who hast denied the things which are seen, ask what kind of riches thou wilt receive in exchange for thy poverty, but be thou in earnest only to forsake thy poverty, and to hasten to possess them. Now what these riches are, and unto what they are like, Paul explaineth not unto thee, nor of what kind they are, for there is nothing which can be compared with them, nor how much they are, because they cannot be measured. ''That which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, and what hath not gone up in the heart of man, [is] what God hath prepared for them that love Him;"47 and the greatness of the reward is made manifest by these and such like words.
Do thou then, O disciple, hearken unto the divine voices which exhort thee to go forth after Jesus, and to become [p. 330] absolutely destitute, and then thou wilt become a perfect disciple: "Whosoever denieth not everything that he hath cannot be My disciple. "48 After this what hast thou to say or to answer? for behold with one word all thy doubts and all thy obscure ideas are destroyed; and the word of truth is a sublime path for thee in which to tread. And again in another place He said, "Whosoever doth not forsake |316 everything that he hath, and doth not take up his cross and follow Me, cannot be My disciple. " 49 And again, teaching [us] that we should not only forsake our possessions for the sake of His glory, and deny the world for the sake of confessing Him, but also our transitory life, He said, "Except a man deny himself he cannot be My disciple. " 50 And again He saith, "Whosoever wisheth to save his soul shall destroy it; and whosoever [wisheth] to destroy his soul for My sake shall make it to live. "51 And again He saith, "Whosoever destroyeth his soul shall preserve it unto everlasting life; and whosoever ministereth unto Me the Father shall honour. "52 And again He said unto His disciples, "Arise, let us go hence,"53 and by this [speech] He shewed that this world was not the country either of Himself or of His disciples. Whither shall we go, O Lord? "Where I am there also shall My servant be. "54 If Jesus crieth unto us, "Arise, let us go hence," what fool would be persuaded to dwell with corpses in [p. 331] the graves, or to become a sojourner with the dead? Whensoever, therefore, the world wisheth to hold thee fast, or family, or kinsfolk, or friends, remember the word of Christ which said, "Arise, let us go hence," for this voice is sufficient to rouse thee up if thou art alive. Whensoever, therefore, thou wishest to sit down to rest thyself, or to delight thyself in the love of the country in which thou art, remember this word of exhortation, and say unto thyself, "Arise, let us go hence;" thou must go at all cost, only go as |317 Jesus went. Go because He hath told thee [to go], and not because it is nature which carrieth thee, whether thou wilt or no, being thyself unwilling. Thou standest on the path of travellers, set out on the way then because of thy Lord's word, and not by the force of necessity. "Arise, let us go hence," is a voice which will wake those buried in slumber; it is a horn the winding of which will drive away the sleep of slothfulness; it is a power and not a word; and whosoever perceiveth it, suddenly it clotheth him with new power, and with the swiftness of the twinkling of the eye it plucketh him away from thing to thing, and these words of God, "Arise, let us go hence," make the disciple to leap up, and he is not stupefied at the pleasure of the place wherein he dwelleth. And behold He also goeth with thee to prevent thee from being stupefied, for He did not say unto thee, "Arise, go thou," but, "Arise, let us go, thou and I together;" God calleth unto thee to go in company with Him, and who would not burn within himself, [p.
332] and be troubled lest he should be dazed at the company of his God Who called him? And in the way there is no fright, and no fear, neither injuries nor losses, nor plunderers, nor thieves, and if those who would restrain thee stand therein, so long as the Lord accompanieth thee they shall all flee before thee. For what robber will dare to shew himself in the garb of a robber in the way along which the king passeth? but when the workers of wickedness hear the rumour of him they either flee or hide themselves. And behold from this also thou mayest learn concerning the departure from the life of the world if thou wilt understand, and wilt attend with discretion unto the power of the word. |318
And to another, a teacher, who wished to follow Jesus, having the desire of a perfect rule of life and conduct in the manner of which He was worthy, He shewed this path of perfection, "And one drew nigh unto Him while He was teaching in the temple, and said unto Him, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit life?" Now what did Jesus say unto this man? "Why callest thou me 'Good'? There is none Good save One, [even] God. Thou knowest the commandments, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness. Behold I have taught thee restraint from wickedness, and to remove thy desire from the paths of sin; but if after this thou wishest to go forward, and also in addition to [the command] not to do [p. 333] wickedness thou wouldst come to the doing of good, and wouldst keep the commandments of the law, honour thy father and thy mother, and thou shalt keep all those which appertain unto this. But if also above the power of the law thou wishest to be in the dominion of thy righteousness, and of thy freewill to be led into fair deeds above the fear of the judgment, then love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and that which is hateful unto thee, do not unto thy neighbour. This is the rule of conduct of the righteous, which is above the power of the law, and Moses and the Prophets taught this righteousness. Whosoever observeth this [rule], the law by [its] threat hath no power over his righteousness. Go and keep these things which are written, and lift thyself up above them also unto the love of God, and unto the love of thy neighbour, which is above the fear of the law, |319 because it is of love. When thou hast kept these things, thou shalt inherit eternal life." 55
Whosoever observeth this [rule], the law by [its] threat hath no power over his righteousness. Go and keep these things which are written, and lift thyself up above them also unto the love of God, and unto the love of thy neighbour, which is above the fear of the law, |319 because it is of love. When thou hast kept these things, thou shalt inherit eternal life. " 55
These things Jesus taught that proud doctor to do, although he did not wish to be held in restraint by them, for with a boastful mind he sought things which were greater than these, but things which Jesus did not teach him. Now for us disciples it is right that we should possess true doctrine, and that we should know from the Word how we must depart from wickedness, and how, little by little, we must march on and grow in the service of the things which are good. The commandments which Jesus spake unto him, "Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not [p. 334] steal, and Thou shalt not bear false witness", agree with the words of David, who said, "Depart from evil, and do good;" 56 and with those which Paul spake, "Let not wickedness overcome you."57 And the commandments, "Honour thy father and thy mother", and, "That which is hateful unto thee, do not unto thy neighbour," agree with, "Do ye good,"58 and, "Overcome evil with good;" 59 and that commandment, "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbour as thyself,"60 is like unto the words, "The law is not ordained for the righteous," 61 because these commandments are above the fear of the law.
Now therefore Jesus laid down in these commandments the restrictions for conduct in life: firstly, a man must depart from evil, and restrain himself from |320 the service of all abominable things; and secondly, he must do the things which are laid down under the fear of the law; and thirdly, the service of good things, which is above the fear of the law; and fourthly, he must set out on the path of the discipleship of Christ, which is the perfect going forth from the world; and fifthly, he must bear labours and sufferings, with which we may make the old man sick; and sixthly, we must bear the cross upon our shoulders, and we shall arrive at the fulness of the perfection of Christ. Now in these, two rules of life have been distinguished for us, and we learn therefrom two kinds of righteousness, each of which con-sisteth of three degrees. We must restrain ourselves from [p. 335] wickedness, that we may obey and fear the law, and work the things which are good, in order that we may be above the law in the voluntary service of what is good, concerning which Paul taught us, saying, "The law is not ordained for the righteous," 62 and for this reason he exalted the doers thereof above the power of the law. Now the three degrees of righteousness are wrought in the world, and those who perform them are just and righteous, and are neither spiritual beings nor perfect; two degrees are set above the fear of the law, but the third is above both the power and the fear of the law, because it is fulfilled within the heart and inner mind, where the law can neither look nor see; for the eye of the law seeth matters which are external, and not the thoughts which are internal. Whosoever, then, loveth God with all his heart, and mind, and soul, his love is internal. He said particularly, "Love thy God"----which is above |321 the law----and not, "Thou shalt fear God ," for the law hath dominion over fear, and not over love. Love is above the commandment of the law, and over those who are ruled thereby the law hath no power. Now the third degree [of righteousness], which is superior to the law, and inferior to the rule of Christ, occupieth a middle place, and thou must see from this how perfect is the doctrine of our Life-giver, for that [p. 336] which is above the law is the end of His teaching.
And our Lord taught the righteous children of men who are in the world to do these three things, in which are gathered together all the fair things which are wrought by lovingkindness, and which are done unto the needy by those who have possessions by means of their wealth, and in them is laid the whole force of that commandment. "That which is hateful unto thee thou shalt not do unto thy neighbour; this," even as the Teacher Himself explained, "is the law and the prophets." Now His own righteousness is that which is above the law, [and concerning it] He said, "Enter in at the narrow gate." 63 In the one case, with the law, sometimes thou art afflicted, and sometimes thou hast ease, sometimes thou labourest, and sometimes thou restest, and by these and such like things all thy life of righteousness is woven; but as concerning the rule of Christ it is written, "Enter in at the narrow gate." For well did our Lord go step by step, and like a wise and good Teacher did He bring things from the Old Testament and things from the New Testament unto His disciples, that He might shew, firstly, that He was the Giver of that which was at the beginning and of that which was at the end, and secondly, that He might |322 make His disciples go step by step from lesser unto greater things, and from the command, "Thou shalt love [thy God] as thyself," unto the command, "Thou shalt love [Him] more than thyself;" and from the command, "Give of what thou hast," unto the command, "Give away everything that thou hast;" and from the command, "[Give] a little of thy possessions," unto the command, "Give away all thy possessions."
Now the easiest commandment of all, that a man should not do evil, He made the first, for to him [p. 337] that is not kept back from the service of evil things merely by the penalties of the law it is easy to draw nigh unto the service of fair deeds which the law commandeth because of the fear of the law itself; and whosoever restraineth his outward man and doeth that which is good, he also draweth nigh unto loving God and his neighbour with all his heart, not for appearance's sake, and not to boast thereof, and not through fear, but because it is seemly for a man to love God and his fellow man. And after He had laid down these limitations for us, and had explained unto us the various grades in the righteousness of the just, Jesus continued in His speech to teach us perfection, and said unto that learned man who asked Him, that is to say, in teaching him He taught all His disciples, "If thou wishest to be perfect, go, sell all thy possessions, and give [them] to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven." 64 And here even we have not as yet begun to walk in the path of righteousness, for that a man should take up his cross and go forth after Jesus is one rule of life----for as the dwelling in the womb is one thing, and the going forth of the child from the belly is another, and |323 the existence of a man in the world, after being born from the womb, is another, even so is it another thing for a man in the womb to gain form, and members and body, with all his senses and limbs, and it is another [p. 338] for him to be born, and it is another for him to exist in the world, for the righteousness which is in the world is like unto the substance of the child within the womb, and the commandment, "Go and sell all thy possessions, and give to the poor, and there shall be treasure for thee in heaven 65," is the belly from which is born out of the old womb the new creation, and it is that door through which he goeth forth from one world to the other----but that commandment, "Take up thy cross and come after Me," belongs to the perfect rule and conduct, and it is the path of spiritual life.
Now it may be thought that it is a great thing for a man to sell everything that he hath, and to give it to the poor, and to go forth from the world like an apostle, and yet it is natural, and it is that creation into which we enter at our first birth, and the first man also was thus created. And for this reason Job also, when everything that he had was taken away from him, and he was stripped of possessions and heirs----now it was thought that something new, and which was above nature, had happened unto him----mitigated the violence of his suffering by his speech, saying, "Naked came I forth from my mother's womb, and naked will I return.66 What hath come upon me except that condition in which I came forth from the womb?" For that a man should deny himself of everything that he hath, |324 and should appear in the world in his own person only, is still a natural thing, but it is exalted above nature if it come to pass through good will for God's sake, just as when we die in the ordinary way it is [a matter] of nature, but if we die for God's sake it is martyrdom. So likewise [p. 339] also is it a natural thing that a man should appear by himself in the world and possess nothing, because Adam was thus created, and Eve was thus formed, and they were not only destitute of the riches of the world, but also of the clothing and raiment of the world, and they were like unto the child who goeth forth naked from the womb into creation, even as Job said, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked will I return;" and as Paul also spake, "We brought nothing into the world, and it is evident that we are not able to take anything out from it." 67 And as the after-birth in the womb envelopeth the child after he hath been fashioned and hath taken form to keep him alive, and when he is born from the womb it is cut off and cast away from him, because it belongeth not unto his person, nor is reckoned with the man, so also do riches, and possessions, and all other human things cling unto a man after he hath been born like the after-birth, but when he cometh to be born from this world into the next by the hand of death, his possessions are cut off and cast away from him like the after-birth which is cut off from the body, and as the child appeareth in his own person without the after-birth, even so also man goeth forth from life, having cast off all his possessions. And as a man when he is born is wrapped round in his after-birth, and the |325 casting it off from him when he entereth the world, [p. 340] is natural, even so is it natural that a man should go forth naked from the world, and that he should become a stranger unto his possessions while he is in the world; and a man gaineth grace when he strippeth himself early of his riches, and before nature casteth them off, and when he forestalleth the time of his departure from this world by his own freewill.
What difficulty then existeth in the commandment that a man should renounce all his possessions? for behold it is a natural commandment. For let a man consider his beginning and his end, and let the time which is between these be taken [into consideration], that as he came in naked, and must go forth naked, even so let him strip himself of his riches the whole of the time of his sojourning in the world, and let him praise Him who decreed that that which was natural should be a matter of freewill. So, therefore, our Lord wisely did not make the renunciation of riches the beginning of the way of His discipleship, because it is a matter of nature, and His rule is above nature, even as our human death is not the beginning of the world which is to come, but the end of [our] path in [this] world, and our resurrection from the dead is the beginning of the path of the kingdom of heaven. And thus also being destitute of riches and of the possessions which are visible is the end of the path of the world, and likewise the casting away of the strange apparel which we put on in the world after we had entered therein. And if it be thought that [this] is difficult, it is not because it is above nature, for behold it is easy unto those [p. 341] who stand in the freewill of nature, but it is difficult unto those who are in subjection unto |326 passions, and who labour in bondage unto the lusts. And those who serve mammon as a lord are afraid to deny it, because of their own freewill they have already made it their god, and the children of men who have become subject unto this passion are not only afraid of it, but every passion under the power of which freewill is subdued is its master, and the strength of fear is cast over it and it is not able easily to cast it off. And from this thou mayest receive testimony that the passions do not of necessity bring us into subjection, but our freedom is brought into subjection under the passions, and they become masters thereof, for behold those, who stand in their own freedom and who cast off the garment of the care for wealth, if a man constrained them to be subject unto riches, would be more afraid of becoming its masters, than those who have possessions would be afraid to leave them. And if the being destitute of riches were a thing to be afraid of, or difficult, every man would fear it, and its power would naturally rule over everything, but behold the children of freedom are above its subjection, and it is esteemed by their dominant freedom to be bitter bondage.