23.  But some one present will say, “I am a poor man,” or again, “I shall perhaps be found at that time sick in bed;” or, “I am but a woman, and I shall be taken at the mill:  shall we then be despised?”  Be of good courage, O man; the Judge is no respecter of persons; He will not judge according to a man’s appearance, nor reprove according to his speech Is. xi. 3:  (R.V.) He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, nor reprove after the hearing of his ears..  He honours not the learned before the simple, nor the rich before the needy.  Though thou be in the field, the Angels shall take thee; think not that He will take the landowners, and leave thee the husbandman.  Though thou be a slave, though thou be poor, be not any whit distressed; He who took the form of a servant Phil. ii. 7. despises not servants.  Though thou be lying sick in bed, yet it is written, Then shall two be in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other left Luke xvii. 34..  Though thou be of compulsion put to grind, whether thou be man or woman Ib. v. 35.; though thou be in fetters The Jerusalem ms. (A) alone has the true reading πέδας, which is confirmed by πεπεδημένους in the quotation following, instead of παῖδας, which is quite inappropriate, and evidently an itacism., and sit beside the mill, yet He who by His might bringeth out them that are bound Ex. xi. 5., will not overlook thee.  He who brought forth Joseph out of slavery and prison to a kingdom, shall redeem thee also from thy afflictions into the kingdom of heaven.  Only be of good cheer, only work, only strive earnestly; for nothing shall be lost.  Every prayer of thine, every Psalm thou singest is recorded; every alms-deed, every fast is recorded; every marriage duly observed is recorded; continence ᾽Εγκράτεια.  “Id est viduitas” (Ben. Ed.).  This special reference of the word to widowhood is to some extent confirmed by 1 Cor. vii. 9:  εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἐγκρατεύονται, and is rendered highly probable by Cyril’s separate mention of marriage and virginity. kept for God’s sake is recorded; but the first crowns in the records are those of virginity and purity; and thou shalt shine as an Angel.  But as thou hast gladly listened to the good things, so listen again without shrinking to the contrary.  Every covetous deed of thine is recorded; thine every act of fornication is recorded, thine every false oath is recorded, every blasphemy, and sorcery, and theft, and murder.  All these things are henceforth to be recorded, if thou do the same now after having been baptized; for thy former deeds are blotted out.