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Life and Conduct of the Holy Women, Xanthippe, Polyxena, and Rebecca

Unknown

Section 20

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Author: Unknown

XX. The great Paul was teaching thus,

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Let

those

that

burn

in

the

flesh

observe

lawful

marriage

,

avoiding

fornication

,

especially

that

with

another’s

wife

,

and

let

those

that

are

united

keep

to

one

another

.

Probus

heard

this

teaching

with

delight

,

and

said

,

O

Paul

,

how

excellently

and

wisely

thou

employest

this

teaching

.

Why

then

has

Xanthippe

withdrawn

from

me

?

And

Paul

said

,

My

son

Probus

,

they

that

foresee

that

the

works

of

men

shall

be

tried

with

fire

,

and

that

have

always

in

their

mind

the

inexorableness

of

death

,

cast

out

all

desire

that

cleaves

to

the

flesh

.

But

woe

when

the

desire

shall

judge

him

that

desired

,

then

he

shall

gnash

his

teeth

to

no

effect

and

in

vain

,

for

the

amendment

of

repentance

is

past

.

Hearing

this

Probus

went

up

into

his

house

marvelling

,

and

tasted

nothing

that

day

,

but

went

and

lay

down

upon

his

bed

.

And

about

the

third

hour

of

the

night

he

arose

and

said

,

Alas

,

how

wretched

was

the

day

in

which

I

was

wedded

to

Xanthippe

.

Would

that

I

had

died

and

not

seen

her

.

Saying

this

he

arose

and

said

,

I

shall

pray

to

the

God

of

Paul

.

Perchance

he

will

do

to

me

also

what

is

fitting

,

that

I

may

not

become

a

reproach

in

the

world

,

being

rejected

by

her

.

And

straightway

falling

upon

the

ground

he

said

,

O

God

of

Paul

,

if

,

as

I

have

heard

from

Xanthippe

,

thou

dost

seek

after

the

ignorant

and

turn

back

those

that

are

astray

,

do

to

me

also

what

is

fitting

;

for

thou

art

the

king

of

life

and

death

,

as

I

have

heard

,

and

hast

dominion

over

things

in

heaven

and

on

earth

and

under

the

earth

,

and

over

all

the

thoughts

and

desires

of

men

,

and

to

thee

alone

belongs

glory

to

all

eternity

.

Amen

.