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. Do ye, 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 before you, and will not depart from them, when God shall be all in all.67    1 Cor. xv. 28 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,68    “Præsumite.” 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.

CAPUT XXIX.

29. Quo eum sequuntur solae virgines. Invidentia in coelis propter praemiorum differentiam 0412 nulla. Sed ecce ille Agnus graditur itinere virginali; quomodo post eum ibunt qui hoc amiserunt quod nullo modo recipiunt? Vos ergo, vos ite post eum, virgines ejus; vos et illuc ite post eum, quia propter hoc unum quocumque ierit sequimini eum: ad quodlibet enim aliud sanctitatis donum quo eum sequantur, hortari possumus conjugatos, praeter hoc quod irreparabiliter amiserunt. Vos itaque sequimini eum tenendo perseveranter quod vovistis ardenter. Facite cum potestis, ne virginitatis bonum a vobis pereat, cui facere nihil potestis ut redeat. Videbit vos caetera multitudo fidelium, quae Agnum ad hoc sequi non potest: videbit, nec invidebit; et collaetando vobis, quod in se non habet, habebit in vobis. Nam et illud canticum novum proprium vestrum dicere non poterit; audire autem poterit, et delectari vestro tam excellenti bono. Sed vos qui et dicetis et audietis, quia et hoc quod dicetis a vobis audietis, felicius exsultabitis, jucundiusque regnabitis. De majore tamen vestro gaudio nullus moeror erit quibus hoc deerit. Agnus ille quippe, quem vos quocumque ierit sequimini, nec eos deseret qui eum quo vos non valent sequi. Omnipotentem Agnum loquimur. Et vobis praeibit, et ab eis non abibit, cum erit Deus omnia in omnibus (I Cor. XV, 28). Et qui minus habebunt, a vobis non abhorrebunt. Ubi enim nulla est invidentia, concors est differentia. Praesumite itaque, fidite, roboramini, permanete, qui vovetis et redditis Domino Deo vestro vota (Psal. LXXV, 12) perpetuae continentiae, non propter praesens saeculum, sed propter regnum coelorum.