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On Jealousy and Envy

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 15

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

15. For this is to change what you had been,

‹ Section 14 Section 16 ›

and

to

begin

to

be

what

you

were

not

,

that

the

divine

birth

might

shine

forth

in

you

,

that

the

godly

discipline

might

respond

to

God

,

the

Father

,

that

in

the

honour

and

praise

of

living

,

God

may

be

glorified

in

man

;

as

He

Himself

exhorts

,

and

warns

,

and

promises

to

those

who

glorify

Him

a

reward

in

their

turn

,

saying

,

“

Them

that

glorify

me

I

will

glorify

,

and

he

who

despiseth

me

shall

be

despised

.

”

For

which

glorification

the

Lord

,

forming

and

preparing

us

,

and

the

Son

of

God

instilling

the

likeness

of

God

the

Father

,

says

in

His

Gospel

:

“

Ye

have

heard

that

it

hath

been

said

,

Thou

shalt

love

thy

neighbour

,

and

hate

thine

enemy

.

But

I

say

unto

you

,

Love

your

enemies

,

and

pray

for

them

which

persecute

you

;

that

ye

may

be

the

children

of

your

Father

which

is

in

heaven

,

who

maketh

His

sun

to

rise

on

the

good

and

on

the

evil

,

and

sendeth

rain

upon

the

just

and

on

the

unjust

.

”

If

it

is

a

source

of

joy

and

glory

to

men

to

have

children

like

to

themselves

—

and

it

is

more

agreeable

to

have

begotten

an

offspring

then

when

the

remaining

progeny

responds

to

the

parent

with

like

lineaments

—

how

much

greater

is

the

gladness

in

God

the

Father

,

when

any

one

is

so

spiritually

born

that

in

his

acts

and

praises

the

divine

eminence

of

race

is

announced

!

What

a

palm

of

righteousness

is

it

,

what

a

crown

to

be

such

a

one

as

that

the

Lord

should

not

say

of

you

,

“

I

have

begotten

and

brought

up

children

,

but

they

have

despised

me

!

”

Let

Christ

rather

applaud

you

,

and

invite

you

to

the

reward

,

saying

,

“

Come

,

ye

blessed

of

my

Father

,

receive

the

kingdom

which

is

prepared

for

you

from

the

beginning

of

the

world

.

”

Notes

36
1 Sam. ii. 30.
37
“And engendering in the sons of God.”—Oxford ed.
38
Matt. v. 43–45.
39
Or, “successive.”
40
“Generositas.”
41
Or, “that one should be such;” or, “that thou shouldst be such.”
42
Isa. i. 2.
43
Matt. xxv. 34.