|
MOSES. I did not say that the reward for a good work would be taken
away, as the Lord Himself says: "Whosoever shall give to one of the least
of these, a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say
unto you, he shall not lose his reward:" but I maintain that the doing
of a thing, which either bodily necessity, or the onslaught of the flesh,
or the inequalities of this world, compel to be done, will be taken away.
For diligence in reading, and self-denial in fasting, are usefully
practised for purifying the heart and chastening the flesh in this life
only, as long as "the flesh lusteth against the spirit," and sometimes
we see that even in this life they are taken away from those men who are
worn out with excessive toil, or bodily infirmity or old age, and cannot be
practised by them. How much more then will they come to an end hereafter,
when "this corruptible shall have put on incorruption," and the body
which is now "a natural body" shall have risen "a spiritual body" and
the flesh shall have begun to be such that it no longer lusts against the
spirit? And of this the blessed Apostle also clearly speaks, when he says
that "bodily exercise is profitable for a little: but godliness (by which
he certainly means love) "is profitable for all things, having the promise
of the life that now is and of that which is to come." This clearly
shows that what is said to be useful for a little, is not to be practised
for all time, and cannot possibly by itself alone confer the highest state
of perfection on the man who slaves at it. For the term "for a little" may
mean either of the two things, i.e., it may refer to the shortness of the
time, because bodily exercise cannot possibly last on with man both in this
life and in the world to come: or it may refer to the smallness of the
profit which results from exercising the flesh, because bodily austerities
produce some sort of beginnings of progress, but not the actual perfection
of love, which has the promise of the life that now is and of that which is
to come: and therefore we deem that the practice of the aforesaid works is
needful, because without them we cannot climb the heights of love. For what
you call works of religion and mercy are needful in this life while these
inequalities and differences of conditions still prevail; but even here we
should not look for them to be performed, unless such a large proportion of
poor, needy, and sick folk abounded, which is brought about by the
wickedness of men; viz., of those who have grasped and kept for their own
use (without however using them) those things which were granted to all by
the Creator of all alike. As long then as this inequality lasts in this
world, this sort of work will be needful and useful to the man that
practises it, as it brings to a good purpose and pious will the reward of
an eternal inheritance: but it will come to an end in the life to come,
where equality will reign, when there will be no longer inequality, on
account of which these things must be done, but all men will pass from
these manifold practical works to the love of God, and contemplation of
heavenly things in continual purity of heart: to which those men who are
urgent in devoting themselves to knowledge and purifying the heart, have
chosen to give themselves up with all their might and main, betaking
themselves, while they are still in the flesh, to that duty, in which they
are to continue, when they have laid aside corruption, and when they come
to that promise of the Lord the Saviour, which says "Blessed are the pure
in heart for they shall see God."
|
|