2. Since we are thus circumstanced, my brethren, let us never loiter in the path of virtue; for hereto he counsels us, saying, Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ [4272] .' For he gave this advice not to the Corinthians only, since he was not their Apostle only, but being a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity [4273] ,' he admonished us all through them; and in short, the things he wrote to each particular person are commandments common to all men [4274] . On this account in writing to different people, some he exhorted as, for instance, in the Epistles to the Romans, and the Ephesians, and Philemon. Some he reproved, and was indignant with them, as in the case of the Corinthians and Galatians. To some he gave advice, as to the Colossians and Thessalonians. The Philippians he approved of, and rejoiced in them. The Hebrews he taught that the law was a shadow to them [4275] . But to his elect sons, Timothy and Titus, when they were near, he gave instruction; when far away, he put them in remembrance. For he was all things to all men; and being himself a perfect man, he adapted his teaching to the need of every one, so that by all means he might rescue some of them. Therefore his word was not without fruit; but in every place it is planted and productive even to this day.
3. And wherefore, my beloved? For it is right that we should search into the apostolic mind. Not only in the beginning of the Epistles, but towards their close, and in the middle of them, he used persuasions and admonitions. I hope therefore that, by your prayers, I shall in no respect falsely represent the plan of that holy man. As he was well skilled in these divine matters, and knew the power of the divine teaching, he deemed it necessary, in the first place, to make known the word concerning Christ, and the mystery regarding Him; and then afterwards to point to the correction of habits, so that when they had learned to know the Lord, they might earnestly desire to do those things which He commanded. For when the Guide to the laws is unknown, one does not readily pass on to the observance of them. Faithful Moses, the minister of God, adopted this method; for when he promulgated the words of the divine dispensation of laws, he first proclaimed the matters relating to the knowledge of God: Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one Lord [4276] .' Afterwards, having shadowed Him forth to the people, and taught of Him in Whom they ought to believe, and informed their minds of Him Who is truly God, he proceeds to lay down the law relating to those things whereby a man may be well-pleasing to Him, saying, Thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not steal;' together with the other commandments. For also, according to the Apostolic teaching, He that draweth near to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that seek Him [4277] .' Now He is sought by means of virtuous deeds, as the prophet saith; Seek ye the Lord, and when ye have found Him, call upon Him; when He is near to you, let the wicked forsake his ways, and the lawless man his thoughts [4278] .'
4. It will also be well if a man is not offended at the testimony of the Shepherd, saying in the beginning of his book, Before all things believe that there is one God, Who created and established all these things, and from non-existence called them into being [4279] .' And, further, the blessed Evangelists--who recorded the words of the Lord--in the beginning of the Gospels, wrote the things concerning our Saviour; so that, having first made known the Lord, the Creator, they might be believed when narrating the events that took place. For how could they have been believed, when writing respecting him who [was blind] from his mother's womb, and those other blind men who recovered their sight, and those who rose from the dead, and the changing of water into wine, and those lepers who were cleansed; if they had not taught of Him as the Creator, writing, In the beginning was the Word [4280] ?' Or, according to Matthew, that He Who was born of the seed of David, was Emmanuel, and the Son of the living God? He from Whom the Jews, with the Arians, turn away their faces, but Whom we acknowledge and worship. The Apostle therefore, as was meet, sent to different people, but his own son he especially reminded, that he should not despise the things in which he had been instructed by him,' and enjoined on him, Remember Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my Gospel [4281] .' And speaking of these things being delivered to him, to be always had in remembrance, he immediately writes to him, saying, Meditate on these things: be engaged in them. [4282] ' For constant meditation, and the remembrance of divine words, strengthens piety towards God, and produces a love to Him inseparable and not merely formal [4283] ; as he, being of this mind, speaks about himself and others like-minded, saying boldly, Who shall separate us from the love of God [4284] ?' For [4285] such men, being confirmed in the Lord, and possessing an unshaken disposition towards Him, and being one in spirit (for [4286] he who is joined to the Spirit is one spirit'), are sure as the mount Sion;' and although ten thousand trials may rage against them, they are founded upon a rock, which is Christ [4287] . In Him the careless take no delight; and having no continuous purpose of good, they are sullied by temporal attacks, and esteem nothing more highly than present things, being unstable and deserving reproof as regards the faith. For either the care of this world, or the deceitfulness of riches, chokes them [4288] ;' or, as Jesus said in that parable which had reference to them, since they have not established the faith that has been preached to them, but continue only for a time, immediately, in time of persecution, or when affliction ariseth through the word, they are offended. Now those who meditate evil we say, [think] not truth, but falsehood and not righteousness, but iniquity, for their tongue learns to speak lies. They have done evil, and have not ceased that they might repent. For, persevering with delight in wicked actions, they hasten thereto without turning back, even treading under foot the commandment with regard to neighbours, and, instead of loving them, devise evil against them, as the saint testifies, saying, And those who seek me evil have spoken vanity, and imagined deceit all the day [4289] .' But that the cause of such meditation is none other than the want of instruction, the divine proverb has already declared; The son that forsaketh the commandment of his father meditateth evil words [4290] .' But such meditation, because it is evil, the Holy Spirit blames in these words, and reproves too in other terms, saying, Your hands are polluted with blood, your fingers with sins; your lips have spoken lawlessness, and your tongue imagineth iniquity: no man speaketh right things, nor is there true judgment [4291] .' But what the end is of such perverse imagining, He immediately declares, saying, They trust in vanities and speak falsehood; for they conceive mischief, and bring forth lawlessness. They have hatched the eggs of an asp, and woven a spider's web; and he who is prepared to eat of their eggs, when he breaks them finds gall, and a basilisk therein [4292] .' Again, what the hope of such is, He has already announced. Because righteousness does not overtake them, when they waited for light, they had darkness; when they waited for brightness, they walked in a thick cloud. They shall grope for the wall like the blind, and as those who have no eyes shall they grope; they shall fall at noon-day as at midnight; when dead, they shall groan. They shall roar together as a bear, or as a dove [4293] .'
This is the fruit of wickedness, these rewards are given to its familiars, for perverseness does not deliver its own. But in truth, against them it sets itself, and it tears them first, and on them especially it summons ruin. Woe to them against whom these are brought; for it is sharper than a two-edged sword [4294] ,' slaying beforehand and very swiftly those who will lay hold of it. For their tongue, according to the testimony of the Psalmist, is a sharp sword, and their teeth spears and arrows [4295] .' But the wonderful part is that while often he against whom men imagine [harm] suffers nothing, they are pierced by their own spears: for they possess, even in themselves, before they reach others, anger, wrath, malice, guile, hatred, bitterness. Although they may not be able to bring these upon others, they forthwith return upon and against themselves, as he prays, saying, Let their sword enter into their own heart.' There is also such a proverb as this: The wicked is held fast by the chain of his sins [4296] .'
5. The Jews in their imaginings, and in their agreeing to act unjustly against the Lord, forgot that they were bringing wrath upon themselves. Therefore does the Word lament for them, saying, Why do the people exalt themselves, and the nations imagine vain things [4297] ?' For vain indeed was the imagination of the Jews, meditating death against the Life [4298] , and devising unreasonable things against the Word of the Father [4299] .' For who that looks upon their dispersion, and the desolation of their city, may not aptly say, Woe unto them, for they have imagined an evil imagination, saying against their own soul, let us bind the righteous man, because he is not pleasing to us [4300] .' And full well is it so, my brethren; for when they erred concerning the Scriptures, they knew not that he who diggeth a pit for his neighbour falleth therein; and he who destroyeth a hedge, a serpent shall bite him [4301] .' And if they had not turned their faces from the Lord, they would have feared what was written before in the divine Psalms: The heathen are caught in the pit which they made; in the snare which they hid is their own foot taken. The Lord is known when executing judgments: by the works of his hands is the sinner taken [4302] .' Let them observe this, and how that the snare they know not shall come upon them, and the net they hid take them [4303] .' But they understood not these things, for had they done so, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory [4304] .'
6. Therefore the righteous and faithful servants of the Lord, who are made disciples for the kingdom of heaven, and bring forth from it things new and old;' and who meditate on the words of the Lord, when sitting in the house, when lying down or rising up, and when walking by the way [4305] ;'--since they are of good hope because of the promise of the Spirit which said, Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of corrupters; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night [4306] ;'--being grounded in faith, rejoicing in hope, fervent in spirit, they have boldness to say, My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.' And again, I have meditated on all Thy works, and on the work of Thy hands has been my meditation.' And, If I have remembered Thee on my bed, and in the morning have meditated on Thee [4307] .' Afterwards, advancing in boldness, they say, The meditation of my heart is before Thee at all times [4308] .' And what is the end of such an one? He cites immediately; The Lord is my Helper and my Redeemer [4309] .' For to those who thus examine themselves, and conform their hearts to the Lord, nothing adverse shall happen; for indeed, their heart is strengthened by confidence in the Lord, as it is written, They who trust in the Lord are as mount Sion: he who dwelleth in Jerusalem shall not be moved for ever [4310] .' For if at any time, the crafty one shall be presumptuously bold against them, chiefly that he may break the rank of the saints, and cause a division among brethren; even in this the Lord is with them, not only as an avenger on their behalf, but also when they have already been beaten, as a deliverer for them. For this is the divine promise; The Lord shall fight for you [4311] .' Henceforth, although afflictions and trials from without overtake them, yet, being fashioned after the apostolic words, and being stedfast in tribulations, and persevering in prayers [4312] ' and in meditation on the law, they stand against those things which befall them, are well-pleasing to God, and give utterance to the words which are written, Afflictions and distresses are come upon me; but Thy commandments are my meditation [4313] .'