road, how shall they go after Him, who have on His return He will repay you. Think of
OF HOLY VIRGINITY. eae of heart."* '* Blessed are they that mourn;'' imitate Him, Who '' wept over" Jerusalem.' 'Blessed are they, who hunger and thirst after righteousness:'' imitate Him, Who said, before you, and will not depart from them, when God shall be all in all.2 And they, who shall have less, shall not turn away in dislike from you: for, where there is no envying, difference exists with concord. Take to you," then, have trust, be strong, continue, ye who vow and pay unto the Lord your God vows of perpetual continence, not for the sake of this present world, but for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven.
My meat is to do the will of Him Who sent Me."3 '* Blessed are the merciful; '' imitate Him, Who came to the help of him who was wounded by robbers, and who lay in the way half-dead and despaired of.4 '' Blessed are the pure in heart;" imitate Him, '' Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth."'s 'Blessed are the peace-makers;'' imitate Him, Who said on behalf of His persecutors, **Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."® '* Blessed are they, who suffer
30. Ye also who have not yet made this vow, who are able to receive it, receive it.™ Run with perseverance, that ye may obtain." Take ye each his sacrifices, and enter ye into the courts ¥ of the Lord, not of necessity, having power over your own will." For not as, *"Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill,'' 5 can it so be said, Thou shalt not wed. The former are demanded, the latter are offered. If the latter are done, they are praised: unless the former are done, they are condemned. In the former the Lord commands us what is due; but in the latter, if ye shall have spent any thing more, on His return He will repay you. Think of (whatever that be) within His wall 'Sa place named, much better than of sons and of daughters." " Think of "' an eternal name'" there.** Who unfolds of what kind that name shall be? Yet, whatever it shall be, it shall be eternal. By believing and hoping and loving this, ye have been able, not to shun marriage, as forbidden, but to fly past it, as allowed, persecution for righteousness sake;'' imitate Him, Who "'suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye follow His steps.''' These things, whoso imitate, in these they follow the Lamb. But surely even married persons may go in those steps, although not setting their foot perfectly in the same print, ® yet walking in the same paths.
29. But, lo, That Lamb goeth by a Virgin road, how shall they go after Him, who have lost what there is no way for them to reCover: -Do. ye, therefore): "do 'ye: go 'after Him, His virgins; do ye thither also go after Him, in that on this one account whithersoever He shall have gone, ye follow Him: for unto any other gift whatsoever of holiness, whereby to follow Him, we can exhort married persons, save this which they have lost beyond power of recovery. Doye, therefore, follow Him, by holding with perseverance what ye have vowed with ardor. Go when ye can, that the good of virginity perish not from you, unto which ye can do nothing, in order that it may return. The rest of the multitude of the faithful will see you, which cannot unto this follow the Lamb; it will see you, it will not envy you: and by rejoicing together with you, what it hath not in itself, it will have in you. For that new song also, which is your own, it will not be able to utter; but it will not be unable to hear, and to be delighted with your so excellent good: but ye, who shall both utter and hear, in that what ye shall say, this ye shall hear of yourselves, will exult with greater happiness, and reign with greater joy. But they will have no sorrow on account of your greater joy, to whom this shall be wanting. Forsooth That Lamb, Whom ye shall follow whithersoever He shall have gone, will not desert those who cannot follow Him, where you can. Almighty is the Lamb, of Whom we speak. He both will go
31. Whence the greatness of this service," unto the undertaking of which we have according to our strength exhorted, the more excellent and divine it is, the more doth it warn our anxiety, to say something not only concerning most glorious chastity, but also concerning safest humility. When then such as make profession of perpetual chastity, comparing themselves with married persons, shall have discovered, that, according to the Scriptures, the others are below both in work and wages, both in vow and reward, let what is written straightway come into their mind, '' By how much thou art great, by so much humble thyself in all things: and thou shalt find favor before God." " 'The measure of humility for each hath been given from the measure of his greatness itself: unto which pride is full of danger, which layeth the greater wait against persons the greater they be. On this followeth envying, as a daughter in her train; forsooth pride straight-
1m Matt. xix. 12. 10 '' Presumtite."' : i 14 1 Cor. vil. 3713 Ps. xcvi. 8. 91x Cor. xv. 28. 12 y Cor. ix. 24. IS Ex. XX: Td, 13: 16 ** Supererogauveritis. 17 Luke x.-35: See §'48. 78 Is. lvi.'5.\ 19 Muneris. 20 Ecclus. iil. 18.
t Matt. xi. 29. 2 Luke xix. 41. 3 apEe iv. 34. 4 Luke x. 30-35. 5 1 Peter ii. 22. 6 Luke xxiil. 34. 7x Peter ii. 21. 8 Forma.