11. That he who has attained to trust, having put off the former man, ought to regard only celestial and spiritual things, and to give no heed to the world which he has already renounced.

In Isaiah: “Seek ye the Lord; and when ye have found Him, call upon Him. But when He hath come near unto you, let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him be turned unto the Lord, and he shall obtain mercy, because He will plentifully pardon your sins.”430 Isa. lv. 6, 7. Of this same thing in Solomon: “I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; and, lo, all are vanity.”431 Eccles. i. 14. Of this same thing in Exodus: “But thus shall ye eat it; your loins girt, and your shoes on your feet, and your staves in your hands: and ye shall eat it in haste, for it is the Lord’s passover.”432 Ex. xii. 11. Of this same thing in the Gospel according to Matthew: “Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewith shall we be clothed? for these things the nations seek after. But your Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”433 Matt. vi. 31–33. Likewise in the same place: “Think not for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for itself. Sufficient unto the day is its own evil.”434 Matt. vi. 34. Likewise in the same place: “No one looking back, and putting his hands to the plough, is fit for the kingdom of God.”435 Luke ix. 62. Also in the same place: “Behold the fowls of the heaven: for they sow not, nor reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of more value than they?”436 Matt. vi. 26. Concerning this same thing, according to Luke: “Let your loins be girded, and your lamps burning; and ye like unto men that wait for their lord, when he cometh from the wedding; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him. Blessed are those servants, whom their lord, when he cometh, shall find watching.”437 Luke xii. 35–37. Of this same thing in Matthew: “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven have nests; but the Son of man hath not where He may lay His head.”438 Matt. viii. 20. Also in the same place: “Whoso forsaketh not all that he hath, cannot be my disciple.”439 Luke xiv. 33. Of this same thing in the first to the Corinthians: “Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a great price. Glorify and bear God in your body.”440 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. Also in the same place: “The time is limited. It remaineth, therefore, that both they who have wives be as though they have them not, and they who lament as they that lament not, and they that rejoice as they that rejoice not, and they who buy as they that buy not, and they who possess as they who possess not, and they who use this world as they that use it not; for the fashion of this world passeth away.”441 1 Cor. vii. 29–31. Also in the same place: “The first man is of the clay of the earth, the second man from heaven. As he is of the clay, such also are they who are of the clay; and as is the heavenly, such also are the heavenly. Even as we have borne the image of him who is of the clay, let us bear His image also who is from heaven.”442 1 Cor. xv. 47–49. Of this same matter to the Philippians: “All seek their own, and not those things which are Christ’s; whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and their glory is to their confusion, who mind earthly things. For our conversation is in heaven, whence also we expect the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall transform the body of our humiliation conformed to the body of His glory.”443 Phil. ii. 21; iii. 19–21. Of this very matter to Galatians: “But be it far from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”444 Gal. vi. 14. Concerning this same thing to Timothy: “No man that warreth for God bindeth himself with worldly annoyances, that he may please Him to whom he hath approved himself. But and if a man should contend, he will not be crowned unless he fight lawfully.”445 2 Tim. ii. 4, 5. Of this same thing to the Colossians: “If ye be dead with Christ from the elements of the world, why still, as if living in the world, do ye follow vain things?”446 Col. ii. 20. Also concerning this same thing: “If ye have risen together with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting on the right hand of God. Give heed to the things that are above, not to those things which are on the earth; for ye are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ your life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.”447 Col. iii. 1–4. Of this same thing to the Ephesians: Put off the old man of the former conversation, who is corrupted, according to the lusts of deceit. But be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, him who according to God is ordained in righteousness, and holiness, and truth.”448 Eph. iv. 22–24. Of this same thing in the Epistle of Peter: “As strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; but having a good conversation among the Gentiles, that while they detract from you as if from evildoers, yet, beholding your good works, they may magnify God.”449 2 Pet. ii. 11, 12. Of this same thing in the Epistle of John: “He who saith he abideth in Christ, ought himself also to walk even as He walked.”450 1 John ii. 6. Also in the same place: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loveth the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Because everything which is in the world is lust of the flesh, and lust of the eyes, and the ambition of this world, which is not of the Father, but of the lust of this world. And the world shall pass away with its lust. But he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, even as God abideth for ever.”451 1 John ii. 15–17. Also in the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: “Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new dough, as ye are unleavened. For also Christ our passover is sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not in the old leaven, nor in the leaven of malice and wickedness, but in the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”452 1 Cor. v. 7, 8.

CAP. XI.---EUM QUI FIDEM CONSECUTUS EST, EXPOSITO PRIORE HOMINE, COELESTIA TANTUM ET SPIRITALIA COGITARE DEBERE, NEC ATTENDERE AD SAECULUM, CUI JAM RENUNTIAVIT.

Apud Esaiam: Quaerite Dominum; et cum inveneritis, invocate eum. Cum autem appropinquaverit vobis, relinquat impius vias suas, et vir facinorosus cogitationes suas, et convertatur ad Dominum, et misericordiam consequetur, quia in multum remittet peccata vestra (Isa. LV, 6). De hoc ipso apud Salomonem: Vidi universa opera quae facta sunt sub sole, et ecce omnia vanitas (Eccle. I, 14). De hoc ipso in Exodo: Sic autem comedetis eum. Lumbi vestri praecincti, et 0738C calciamenta vestra in pedibus vestris, et bacula vestra in manibus vestris, et edetis eum festinanter. Pascha est enim Domini (Exod. XII, 11). De hoc ipso in Evangelio cata Matthaeum: Nolite cogitare dicentes: Quid edemus, aut quid bibemus , aut quid vestiemur? Haec enim nationes inquirunt . Scit autem Pater vester quia horum omnium indigetis. Quaerite primum regnum Dei et justitiam ejus, et omnia ista apponentur 0739A vobis. Item illic: Nolite cogitare in crastinum. Crastinus enim dies ipse cogitabit sibi. Sufficit diei malitia sua (Matth. VI, 31-34). Item illic: Nemo retro attendens et superponens manum suam super aratrum aptus est regno Dei (Luc. IX, 62). Item illic: Aspicite volatilia coeli, quoniam non seminant, neque metunt, neque colligunt in horrea, et Pater vester coelestis pascit illa . Nonne vos pluris estis illis (Matth. VI, 26)? De hoc ipso cata Lucam: Sint lumbi vestri accincti, et lucernae ardentes , et vos similes hominibus exspectantibus dominum suum quando veniat a nuptiis, ut cum venerit et pulsaverit aperiant illi. Beati servi illi quos adveniens dominus invenerit vigilantes (Luc. XII, 35-37). De hoc ipso apud Matthaeum: Vulpes foveas habent, et volucres coeli diversoria , Filius autem hominis 0739B non habet ubi caput suum inclinet (Matth. VIII, 20). Item illic: Qui non renuntiat omnibus quae sunt ejus, non potest meus discipulus esse (Luc. XIV, 33). De hoc ipso ad Corinthios prima: Non estis vestri. Empti enim estis pretio magno. Clarificate et portate Deum in corpore vestro (I Cor. VI, 19). Item illic: Tempus collectum . Superest ergo ut et qui habent uxores, quasi non habentes sint, et qui plangunt , quasi non plangentes, et qui gaudent, quasi non gaudentes, et qui emunt, quasi non ementes, et qui possident, quasi non possidentes, et qui hoc mundo utuntur , quasi non utantur . Praeterit enim figura hujus mundi (Ibid. VII, 29-31). Item illic: Primus homo de terrae limo , secundus homo de coelo . Qualis ille e limo, tales et qui de limo; et qualis coelestis, tales et coelestes. Quomodo 0739C portavimus imaginem ejus qui de limo est, portemus et imaginem ejus qui de coelo est (Ibid. XV, 47-49). De hoc ipso ad Philippenses: Omnes sua quaerunt, et non quae sunt Christi (Philip. II, 21); Quorum finis est interitus, quorum deus venter est, et gloria in confusionem eorum qui terrena sapiunt. Nostra autem conversatio in coelis est; unde et salvatorem exspectamus Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, 0740A qui transformabit corpus humilitatis nostrae conformatum corpori claritatis suae (Phil. III, 19-21). De hoc ipso ad Galatas: Mihi autem absit gloriari nisi in cruce Domini nostri Jesu Christi, per quem mihi mundus crucifixus est, et ego mundo (Gal. VI, 14). De hoc ipso ad Timotheum: Nemo militans Deo obligat se molestiis saecularibus, ut possit placere ei cui se probavit. Sed et si certaverit quis, non coronabitur, nisi legitime pugnaverit (II Tim. II, 4). De hoc ipso ad Colossenses: Si mortui estis cum Christo ab elementis mundi , quid tamquam viventes in mundo vana sectamini (Coloss. II, 20)? Item de hoc ipso: Si consurrexistis cum Christo, quae sursum sunt quaerite, ubi Christus est in dextera Dei sedens; quae sursum sunt sapite, non quae terrena sunt . Mortui enim estis, 0740B et vita vestra abscondita est cum Christo in Deo. Cum autem Christus apparuerit, vita vestra, tunc et vos cum eo apparebitis in gloria (Ibid. III, 1-4). De hoc ipso ad Ephesios: Exponite prioris conversationis veterem hominem, qui corrumpitur secundum concupiscentias deceptionis . Innovamini autem spiritu sensus vestri, et induite novum hominem , eum qui secundum Deum constitutus est in justitia et sanctitate et veritate (Ephes. IV, 22-24). De hoc ipso in Epistola Petri: Quasi hospites et peregrini, abstinete vos a carnalibus desideriis, quae militant adversus animam, conversationem autem habentes inter Gentes bonam, ut dum detrectant de vobis quasi de malignis , bona opera vestra aspicientes magnificent Deum (I Pet. II, 11). De hoc ipso in Epistola Joannis: Qui dicit se in 0740C Christo manere debet quomodo ille ambulavit et ipse ambulare. Item illic: Nolite diligere mundum neque ea quae in mundo sunt. Si quis dilexerit mundum, non est charitas Patris in illo: quoniam omne quod in mundo est concupiscentia carnis est, et concupiscentia oculorum, et ambitio saeculi, quae non est a Patre, sed ex concupiscentia saeculi ; et mundus transibit, et concupiscentia ejus. Qui autem fecerit voluntatem Dei manet 0741A in aeternum, quomodo Deus manet in aeternum (I Joan. II, 6, 15-17). Item in Epistola Pauli ad Corinthios prima: Expurgate vetus fermentum, ut sitis nova conspersio, sicut estis azymi. Nam et Pascha nostrum immolatus est Christus. Itaque festa celebremus, non in fermento veteri, neque in fermento malitiae et nequitiae, sed in azymis sinceritatis et veritatis (I Cor. V, 7, 8).