Opening the library…

Home Bible Corpus Discover You

Search the Bible

On the Dress of Virgins

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 7

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

7. But there are some rich women, and wealthy in

‹ Section 6 Section 8 ›

the

fertility

of

means

,

who

prefer

their

own

wealth

,

and

contend

that

they

ought

to

use

these

blessings

.

Let

them

know

first

of

all

that

she

is

rich

who

is

rich

in

God

;

that

she

is

wealthy

who

is

wealthy

in

Christ

;

that

those

are

blessings

which

are

spiritual

,

divine

,

heavenly

,

which

lead

us

to

God

,

which

abide

with

us

in

perpetual

possession

with

God

.

But

whatever

things

are

earthly

,

and

have

been

received

in

this

world

,

and

will

remain

here

with

the

world

,

ought

so

to

be

contemned

even

as

the

world

itself

is

contemned

,

whose

pomps

and

delights

we

have

already

renounced

when

by

a

blessed

passage

we

came

to

God

.

John

stimulates

and

exhorts

us

,

witnessing

with

a

spiritual

and

heavenly

voice

.

“

Love

not

the

world

,

”

says

he

,

“

neither

the

things

that

are

in

the

world

.

If

any

man

love

the

world

,

the

love

of

the

Father

is

not

in

him

.

For

all

that

is

in

the

world

,

is

lust

of

the

flesh

,

and

the

lust

of

the

eyes

,

and

the

pride

of

life

,

which

is

not

from

the

Father

,

but

is

of

the

lust

of

the

world

.

And

the

world

passeth

away

,

and

the

lust

thereof

:

but

he

that

doeth

the

will

of

God

abideth

for

ever

,

even

as

God

also

abideth

for

ever

.

”

Therefore

eternal

and

divine

things

are

to

be

followed

,

and

all

things

must

be

done

after

the

will

of

God

,

that

we

may

follow

the

divine

footsteps

and

teachings

of

our

Lord

,

who

warned

us

,

and

said

,

“

I

came

down

from

heaven

,

not

to

do

my

own

will

,

but

the

will

of

Him

that

sent

me

.

”

But

if

the

servant

is

not

greater

than

his

lord

,

and

he

that

is

freed

owes

obedience

to

his

deliverer

,

we

who

desire

to

be

Christians

ought

to

imitate

what

Christ

said

and

did

.

It

is

written

,

and

it

is

read

and

heard

,

and

is

celebrated

for

our

example

by

the

Church’s

mouth

,

“

He

that

saith

he

abideth

in

Christ

,

ought

himself

also

so

to

walk

even

as

He

walked

.

”

Therefore

we

must

walk

with

equal

steps

;

we

must

strive

with

emulous

walk

.

Then

the

following

of

truth

answers

to

the

faith

of

our

name

,

and

a

reward

is

given

to

the

believer

,

if

what

is

believed

is

also

done

.

Notes

21
1 John ii. 15–17.
22
John vi. 38.
23
1 John ii. 6.