Chapter VI.—The Present and Future Worlds are Enemies to Each Other.

Now the Lord declares, “No servant can serve two masters.” 4360   If we desire, then, to serve both God and mammon, it will be unprofitable for us.  “For what will it profit if a man gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” 4361   This world and the next are two enemies.  The one urges 4362 to adultery and corruption, avarice and deceit; the other bids farewell to these things.  We cannot, therefore, be the friends of both; and it behoves us, by renouncing the one, to make sure 4363 of the other.  Let us reckon 4364 that it is better to hate the things present, since they are trifling, and transient, and corruptible; and to love those [which are to come,] as being good and incorruptible.  For if we do the will of Christ, we shall find rest; otherwise, nothing shall deliver us from eternal punishment, if we disobey His commandments.  For thus also saith the Scripture in Ezekiel, “If Noah, Job, and Daniel should rise up, they should not deliver their children in captivity.” 4365   Now, if men so eminently righteous are not able by their righteousness to deliver their children, how 4366 can we hope to enter into the royal residence 4367 of God unless we keep our baptism holy and undefiled?  Or who shall be our advocate, p. 253 unless we be found possessed of works of holiness and righteousness?

Footnotes

Matt. 6:24, Luke 16:13.

Matt. xvi. 26.  I. omits ὅλον (whole).

Literally, “speaks of.”

Or, “enjoy. ”

The ms. has, “we reckon.”

Ezek. 14:14, 20.

Literally, “with what confidence shall we.”

Wake translates “kingdom,” as if the reading had been βασιλείαν ; but the ms. has βασίλειον, “palace.”