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The Divine Institutes

Lactantius

Book 7 · Chapter 27

About this work

A large Latin presentation of Christian teaching that criticizes pagan religion and philosophy while treating justice, God, creation, Christ, worship, ethics, and the final destiny of humanity.

Author: Lactantius
Date: c. AD 303–311
Origin: North Africa and Nicomedia
Genre: Apology

Chap. XXVII.—An Encouragement and Confirmation of the Pious.

Since we have completed the seven courses of the

‹ Book 7 · Chapter 26

work

which

we

undertook

,

and

have

advanced

to

the

goal

,

it

remains

that

we

exhort

all

to

undertake

wisdom

together

with

true

religion

,

the

strength

and

office

of

which

depends

on

this

,

that

,

despising

earthly

things

,

and

laying

aside

the

errors

by

which

we

were

formerly

held

while

we

served

frail

things

,

and

desired

frail

things

,

we

may

be

directed

to

the

eternal

rewards

of

the

heavenly

treasure

.

And

that

we

may

obtain

these

,

the

alluring

pleasures

of

the

present

life

must

as

soon

as

possible

be

laid

aside

,

which

soothe

the

souls

of

men

with

pernicious

sweetness

.

How

great

a

happiness

must

it

be

thought

,

to

be

withdrawn

from

these

stains

of

the

earth

,

and

to

go

to

that

most

just

Judge

and

indulgent

Father

,

who

in

the

place

of

labours

gives

rest

,

in

the

place

of

death

life

,

in

the

place

of

darkness

brightness

,

and

in

the

place

of

short

and

earthly

goods

,

gives

those

which

are

eternal

and

heavenly

:

with

which

reward

the

hardships

and

miseries

which

we

endure

in

this

world

,

in

accomplishing

the

works

of

righteousness

,

can

in

no

way

be

compared

and

equalled

.

Therefore

,

if

we

wish

to

be

wise

and

happy

,

not

only

must

those

sayings

of

Terence

be

reflected

upon

and

proposed

to

us

,

“That we must ever grind at the mill, we must be beaten, and put in fetters;”

but things much more dreadful than these must be endured, namely, the prison, chains, and tortures: pains must be undergone, in short, death itself must be undertaken and borne, when it is clear to our conscience that that frail pleasure will not be without punishment, nor virtue without a divine reward. All, therefore, ought to endeavour either to direct themselves to the right way as soon as possible, or, having undertaken and exercised virtues, and having patiently performed the labours of this life, to deserve to have God as their comforter. For our Father and Lord, who built and strengthened the heaven, who placed in it the sun, with the other heavenly bodies, who by His power weighed the earth and fenced it with mountains, surrounded it with the sea, and divided it with rivers, and who made and completed out of nothing whatever there is in this workmanship of the world; having observed the errors of men, sent a Guide, who might open to us the way of righteousness: let us all follow Him, let us hear Him, let us obey Him with the greatest devotedness, since He alone, as Lucretius says,

“Cleansed men’s breasts with truth-telling precepts, and fixed a limit to lust and fear, and explained what was the chief good which we all strive to reach, and pointed out the road by which, along a narrow track, we might arrive at it in a straightforward course.”

And not only pointed it out, but also went before us in it, that no one might dread the path of virtue on account of its difficulty. Let the way of destruction and deceit, if it is possible, be deserted, in which death is concealed, being covered by the attractions of pleasure.

And the more nearly each one, as his years incline to old age, sees to be the approach of that day in which he must depart from this life, let him reflect how he may leave it in purity, how he may come to the Judge in innocency; not as they do, to whose dark minds the light is denied, who, when the strength of their body now fails, are admonished in this of the last pressing necessity, that they should with greater eagerness and ardour apply themselves to the satisfying of their lusts. From which abyss let everyone free himself while it is permitted him, while the opportunity is present, and let him turn himself to God with his whole mind, that he may without anxiety await that day, in which God, the Ruler and Lord of the world, shall judge the deeds and thoughts of each. Whatever things are here desired, let him not only neglect, but also avoid them, and let him judge that his soul is of greater value than those deceitful goods, the possession of which is uncertain and transitory; for they take their departure every day, and they go forth much more quickly than they had entered, and if it is permitted us to enjoy them even to the last, they must still, without doubt, be left to others. We can take nothing with us, except a well and innocently spent life. That man will appear before God with abundant resources, that man will appear in opulence, to whom there shall belong self-restraint, mercy, patience, love, and faith. This is our inheritance, which can neither be taken away from any one, nor transferred to another. And who is there who would wish to provide and acquire for himself these goods?

Let those who are hungry come, that being fed with heavenly food, they may lay aside their lasting hunger; let those who are athirst come, that they may with full mouth draw forth the water of salvation from an ever-flowing fountain. By this divine food and drink the blind shall both see, and the deaf hear, and the dumb speak, and the lame walk, and the foolish shall be wise, and the sick shall be strong, and the dead shall come to life again. For whoever by his virtue has trampled upon the corruptions of the earth, the supreme and truthful arbiter will raise him to life and to perpetual light. Let no one trust in riches, no one in badges of authority, no one even in royal power: these things do not make a man immortal. For whosoever shall cast away the conduct becoming a man, and, following present things, shall prostrate himself upon the ground, will be punished as a deserter from his Lord, his commander, and his Father. Let us therefore apply ourselves to righteousness, which will alone, as an inseparable companion, lead us to God; and “while a spirit rules these limbs,” let us serve God with unwearied service, let us keep our posts and watches, let us boldly engage with the enemy whom we know, that victorious and triumphant over our conquered adversary, we may obtain from the Lord that reward of valour which He Himself has promised.

____________________

General Note.

For remarks on the dubious passages which bear upon that of p. 221, supra, see the General Note suffixed to the tractate on the Workmanship of God, p. 300, infra.

Notes

1
Decursis septem spatiis,—an expression borrowed from the chariot race: here applied to the seven books of this treatise.
2
Terent., Phorm., ii. 1. 19.
3
De Nat. Rer., vi. 24.
4
Quorum cæcis mentibus lux negatur. Others read, “Quidam cæcis mentibus viri.”
5
[This evident quotation from Rev. xxi. 7 and xxii. 17 is noteworthy as proof of the currency of the Apocalypse in North Africa.]
6
Rationem hominis.
7
Virg., Æneid, iv. 336.