to use the bath daily! I would not myself cease to frequent the baths,1395 if it made us pure, and cleansed us from our sins! But these things are trifling and ridiculous, the toys of children. It is not the filth of the body, but the impurity of the soul, to which God is averse. For He says, “Blessed are the pure”—does He say in body? No—“in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matt. v. 8.) And what says the Prophet: “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” (Ps. li. 10.) And again, “Wash my heart from wickedness.” (Jer. iv. 14.) It is of great use to be in the habit of doing good actions. See how trifling and unprofitable these washings are. But when the soul is prepossessed by a habit, it does not depart from it, nor does it venture to draw nigh in prayer, till it has fulfilled these ceremonies. For instance, we have brought ourselves to a habit of washing and praying, and without washing we do not think it right to pray. And we do not willingly pray with unwashed hands, as if we should offend God, and violate our conscience. Now if this trifling custom has so great power over us, and is observed every day; if we had brought ourselves to a habit of almsgiving, and had determined so constantly to observe it, as never to enter a house of prayer with empty hands, the point would be gained. For great is the power of habit both in good things and in evil, and when this carries us on, there will be little trouble. Many are in the habit of crossing1396 themselves continually, and they need no one to remind them of it, but often when the mind is wandering after other things, the hand is involuntarily drawn by custom, as by some living teacher, to make the sign. Some have brought themselves into a habit of not swearing at all, and therefore neither willingly nor unwillingly do they ever do it. Let us then bring ourselves into such a habit of almsgiving. What labors were it worth to us to discover such a remedy. For say, were there not the relief of almsgiving, while we still by our numberless sins rendered ourselves liable to Divine vengeance, should we not have lamented sadly? Should we not have said, O that it were possible by our wealth to wash away our sins, and we would have parted with it all! O that by our riches we could put away the wrath of God, then we would not spare our substance? For if we do this in sickness, and at the point of death we say, “If it were possible to buy off death, such an one would give all his possessions”; much more in this matter. For see how 500 great is the love of God for man. He has granted us power to buy off not temporal but eternal death. Do not purchase, He says, this short life, but that life that is everlasting. It is that I sell thee, not the other: I do not mock thee. Didst thou gain the present life, thou hadst gained nothing. I know the worth of that which I offer thee. The bargainers and traffickers in worldly goods do not act thus. They, when they can1397 impose on whom they will, give a little to receive a great deal. It is not so with God. He gives the greater by far for the less. 1395 This was thought too luxurious for persons of devout life. See Euseb. ii. 23, and St. Clem. Al. Pædag. iii. 9, who recommends providing for cleanliness by other means. 1396 σφραγίζειν. 1397 B. ἐξῇ for ἐξῆν. 864 2 Timothy 2:20,21