Chapter L.—Let Us Pray to Be Thought Worthy of Love.

Ye see, beloved, how great and wonderful a thing is love, and that there is no declaring its perfection.  Who is fit to be found in it, except such as God has vouchsafed to render so?  Let us pray,269    I. gives indicative mood. therefore, and implore of His mercy, that we may live270    I. εὑρεθῶμεν (may be found). blameless in love, free from all human partialities for one above another.  All the generations from Adam even unto this day have passed away; but those who, through the grace of God, have been made perfect in love, now possess a place among the godly, and shall be made manifest at the revelation271    Literally, “visitation.” of the kingdom of Christ.272    I. θεοῦ (God).  For it is written, “Enter into thy secret chambers for a little time, until my wrath and fury pass away; and I will remember a propitious273    Or, “good.” day, and will raise you up out of your graves.”274    Isa. xxvi. 20.  Blessed are we, beloved, if we keep the commandments of God in the harmony of love; that so through love our sins may be forgiven us.  For it is written, “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not impute to him, and in whose mouth there is no guile.275    Ps. xxxii. 1, 2.  This blessedness cometh upon those who have been chosen by God through Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Ν’. Ὁρᾶτε, ἀγαπητοί, πῶς μέγα καὶ θαυμαστόν ἐστιν ἡ ἀγάπη, καὶ τῆς τελειότητος αὐτῆς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐξήγησις. Τίς ἱκανὸς ἐν αὐτῇ εὑρεθῆναι, εἰ μὴ οὓς ἂν καταξιώσῃ ὁ θεός; ∆εώμεθα οὖν καὶ αἰτώμεθα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐλέους αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ἐν ἀγάπῃ εὑρεθῶμεν δίχα προσκλίσεως ἀνθρωπίνης, ἄμωμοι. Aἱ γενεαὶ πᾶσαι ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ ἕως τῆσδε τῆς ἡμέρας παρῆλθον· ἀλλ' οἱ ἐν ἀγάπῃ τελειωθέντες κατὰ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ χάριν ἔχουσιν χῶρον εὐσεβῶν· οἳ φανερωθήσονται ἐν τῇ ἐπισκοπῇ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Γέγραπται γάρ· «Eἰσέλθετε εἰς τὰ ταμεῖα μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον, ἕως οὗ παρέλθῃ ἡ ὀργὴ καὶ ὁ θυμός μου· καὶ μνησθήσομαι ἡμέρας ἀγαθῆς καὶ ἀναστήσω ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῶν θηκῶν ὑμῶν.» Μακάριοί ἐσμεν, ἀγαπητοί, εἰ τὰ προστάγματα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐποιοῦμεν ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ ἀγάπης, εἰς τὸ ἀφεθῆναι ἡμῖν δι' ἀγάπης τὰς ἁμαρτίας. Γέγραπται γάρ· «Μακάριοι, ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι, καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι· μακάριος ἀνήρ, οὗ οὐ μὴ λογίσηται κύριος ἁμαρτίαν, οὐδέ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ δόλος.» Oὗτος ὁ μακαρισμὸς ἐγένετο ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐκλελεγμένους ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν· ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.