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IF then through the desire of perfection you have forsaken all things
and followed Christ who says to thee, "Go sell all that thou hast, and give
to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come follow
me," why, having put your hand to the plough, do you look back, so that
you will be declared by the voice of the same Lord not to be fit for the
kingdom of heaven? When secure on the top of the gospel roof, why do you
descend to carry away something from the house, from those things, namely,
which beforetime you despised? When you are out in the field and working at
the virtues, why do you run back and try to clothe yourself again with what
belongs to this world, which you stripped off when you renounced it? But
if you were hindered by poverty from having anything to give up, still less
ought you to amass what you never had before. For by the grace of the Lord
you were for this purpose made ready that you might hasten to him the more
readily, being hampered by no snares of wealth. But let no one who is
wanting in this be disappointed; for there is no one who has not something
to give up. He has renounced all the possessions of this world, whoever has
thoroughly eradicated the desire to possess them.
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