Chapter V.—Death is the fate of all such.
Seeing, then, all things have an end, these two things are simultaneously set before
us—death and life; and every one shall go unto his own place. For as there are two kinds of
coins, the one of God, the other of the world, and each of these has its special character
stamped upon it, [so is it also here.]184 The unbelieving are of this world; but the believing
have, in love, the character of God the Father by Jesus Christ, by whom, if we are not in
readiness to die into His passion,185 His life is not in us.
Seeing, then, all things have an end, and there is set before us life upon our observance
[of God’s precepts], but death as the result of disobedience, and every one, according to the
choice he makes, shall go to his own place, let us flee from death, and make choice of life.
For I remark, that two different characters are found among men—the one true coin, the
other spurious. The truly devout man is the right kind of coin, stamped by God Himself.
The ungodly man, again, is false coin, unlawful, spurious, counterfeit, wrought not by God,
but by the devil. I do not mean to say that there are two different human natures, but that
there is one humanity, sometimes belonging to God, and sometimes to the devil. If any one
is truly religious, he is a man of God; but if he is irreligious, he is a man of the devil, made
such, not by nature, but by his own choice. The unbelieving bear the image of the prince of
wickedness. The believing possess the image of their Prince, God the Father, and Jesus
Christ, through whom, if we are not in readiness to die for the truth into His passion,186
His life is not in us.
184 The apodosis is wanting in the original, and some prefer finding it in the following sentence.
185 Or, “after the likeness of His passion.”
186 Or, “after the likeness of His passion.”
Chapter V.—Death is the fate of all such.
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Chapter V.—Death is the fate of all such.