We shall be affected as those who desire gold, but receive clay. Let not any one praise thee,
for it profits nothing; and if he blame thee, it harms thee not. But with God praise and blame
are attended with real gain and loss, whilst all is vain that proceeds from men. And herein
we are made like unto God, that He needs not glory from men. “I receive not,” said Christ,
“honor from men.” (John v. 41.) Is this then a light thing, tell me? When thou art unwilling
to despise glory, say, “By despising it, I shall resemble God,” and immediately thou wilt
despise it. But it is impossible that the slave of glory should not be a slave to all, more servile
than slaves in reality. For we do not impose upon our slaves such tasks, as glory exacts from
her captives. Base and shameful are the things she makes them say, and do,1469 and suffer,
and when she sees them obedient, she is the more urgent in her commands.
Let us fly then, I entreat you, let us fly from this slavery. But how shall we be able? If we
think seriously1470 of what is in this world, if we observe that things present are a dream, a
shadow, and nothing better; we shall easily overcome this desire, and neither in little nor
in great things shall be led captive by it. But if in little things we do not despise it, we shall
easily be overcome by it in the most important. Let us therefore remove far from us the
sources of it, and these are, folly, and meanness of mind, so that, if we assume a lofty spirit,
we shall be able to look beyond honor from the multitude, and to extend our views to
heaven, and obtain the good things there. Of which God grant that we may all be partakers,
by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom, &c.
1469 So Old Lat. and as it seems two mss., but the reading of the mss. is not fully stated.
1470 φιλοσοφήσωμεν.
912
Titus 1:5,6