and girls, males and females, unmarried men virgins, in whom it hath been already brought
426 THE WORKS OF
ST. AUGUSTIN.
Lord, the whole earth''?: but such as no one shall be able to utter but you. For thus there saw you in the Apocalypse a certain one ® beloved above others by the Lamb, who had been wont to lie on His breast, and who used to drink in, and burst? forth, the Word of God above wonders of heaven. He saw you twelve times twelve thousand of holy harpers, of undefiled virginity in body, of inviolate truth in heart; and he wrote of you, that ye follow the Lamb whithersoever He shall go. Where think we that This Lamb goeth, where no one either dares or is able to follow save you? Where think we that He goeth? Into what glades and meadows? Where, I think, the grass are joys; not vain joys of this world, lying madnesses; nor joys such as shall be in the kingdom of God itself, for the rest that are not virgins; but distinct from the portion of joysofallthe rest. Joy of the virgins of Christ, of Christ, in Christ, with Christ, after Christ, through Christ, for Christ. The joys peculiar to the virgins of Christ, are not the same as of such as are not virgins, although of Christ. For there are to different persons different joys, but to none such. Go (enter) into these, follow the Lamb, because the Flesh of the Lamb also is assuredly virgin. For this He retained in Himself when grown up, which He took not away from His kingdom, and in the same house. For on this account also, perhaps, it is called a zame, that it distinguishes those, to whom it is given, from the rest.
26. What then, say they, is the meaning of that penny, which is given in payment to all alike when the work of the vineyard is ended? whether it be to those who have labored from the first hour, or to those who have labored one hour?! What assuredly doth it signify, but something, which all shall have in common, such as is life eternal itself, the kingdom of heaven itself, where shall be all, whom God hath predestinated, called, justified, glorified? '' For it behoveth that this corruptible put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality.'"'* This is that penny, wages for all. Yet '' star differeth from star in glory; so also the resurrection of the dead." These are the different merits of the Saints. For, if by that penny the heaven were signified, have not all the stars in common to be inthe heaven? And yet, °' Thereis one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, another of the stars." If that penny were taken for health of body, have not all the members, when we are well, health in common; and, should this health continue even unto death, is it not in all alike and equally? And yet, ''God hath set the members, each one of them, in the body, as He would;'' ' that neither the whole be an eye, nor the whole hearing, nor the whole smelling: and, whatever else there is, it hath its own property, although it have health equally with all. Thus because life eternal itself shall be alike to all, an equal penny was assigned to all; but, because in that life eternal itself the lights of merits shall shine with a distinction, there are '' many mansions'? in the house of the Father:5 and, by this means, in the penny not unlike, one lives not longer than another; but in the many mansions, one is honored with greater brightness than another.
Mother by His conception and birth. Follow Him, as ye deserve," in virginity of heart and flesh, wheresoever He shall have gone. For what is it to follow, but to imitate? Because *' Christ hath suffered for us,' * leaving us an example, as saith the Apostle Peter, 'that we should follow His steps."? Him each one follows in that, wherein he imitates Him: not so far forth as He is the only Son of God, by Whom all things were made; but so far forth as, the Son of Man, He set forth in Himself, what behoved for us to imitate, And many things in Him are set forth for all to imitate: but virginity of the flesh not for all; for they have not what to do in order to be virgins, in whom it hath been already brought to pass that they be not virgins.
27. Therefore go on, Saints of God, boys and girls, males and females, unmarried men and women; go on and persevere unto the end. Praise more sweetly the Lord, Whom ye think on more richly: hope more happily in Him, Whom ye serve more instantly: love more ardently Him, whom ye please more attentively. With loins girded, and lamps burning, wait for the Lord, when He cometh from the marriage.© Ye shall bring unto the marriage of the Lamb a new song, which ye shall sing on your harps. Not surely such as the whole earth singeth, unto which it is said,
28. Therefore let the rest of the faithful, who have lost virginity, follow the Lamb, not whithersoever He shall have gone, but so far as ever they shall have been able. But they are able every where, save when He walks in the grace of virginity. "* Blessed are the poor in spirit;'' * imitate Him, Who, ''whereas **He was rich, was made poor for your sakes,' ''Blessed are the meek;'' imitate Him, Who said, '' Learn of Me, for Iam meek and lowly
Sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the
7ePSaxCyvic 1 8 Rev. xiv. 1-5. 9" Eructuabat."' cf. Ps. xlv. 1. Vulg. 1° Merzto. 11 x Peterii. 21. 12 Matt, v. 3-10. 13 2 Cor. vili. 9.
i Matt. xx. 9, Io. a xx 9 Io 6 Luke xii, 35) 36.
27 Cor, xvai53. 3 x Cor. xv. 41, 42. 5 John xiv. 2.
41 Cor. xi, 18,