9. But attend to a more clear proof that the Church hath such as these. Lest any one
should say to us, “He spake entirely of the Pharisees, He spake of the Scribes, He spake of
the Jews; for the Church hath none such.” Who then are they of whom the Lord saith, “Not
every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven”?4100 And
He added, “Many shall say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy
Name, and in Thy Name done many mighty4101 works,4102 and in Thy Name have eaten
and drunken?” What! do the Jews do these things in Christ’s name? Assuredly it is manifest,
that He speaks of them who have the Name of Christ. But what follows? “Then will I say to
them, I never knew you; depart from Me, all ye that work iniquity.”4103 Hear the Apostle
sighing concerning such as these. He says that some preach the Gospel “through charity,”
others “by occasion;” of whom he says, “They do not preach the Gospel rightly.”4104 A right
thing, but themselves not right. What they preach is right; but they who preach it are not
right. Why is he not right? Because he seeketh something else in the Church, seeketh not
God. If he sought God, he would be chaste; for the soul hath in God her lawful husband.
Whosoever seeketh from God ought besides God, doth not seek God chastely. Consider,
Brethren; if a wife love her husband because he is rich, she is not chaste. For she loves not
her husband, but her husband’s gold. Whereas if she love her husband, she loves him both
in nakedness and poverty. For if she love him because he is rich; what if (as human chances
are) he be4105 outlawed and all on a sudden be reduced to need? She gives him up, mayhap;
because what she loved was not her husband, but his property. But if she love her husband
indeed, she loves him even more when poor; for that she loves with pity too.
10. And yet, Brethren, our God never can be poor. He is rich, He made all things,
heaven and earth, the sea and Angels. In the heaven, whatsoever we see, whatsoever we see
not, He made it. But notwithstanding, we ought not to love these riches, but Him who made
them. For He hath promised thee nothing but Himself. Find anything more precious, and
He will give thee this. Beauteous is the earth, the heaven, and the Angels; but more beauteous
is He who made them. They then who preach God, as loving God; who preach God, for
521
God’s sake, feed the sheep, and are no hirelings. This chastity did our Lord Jesus Christ re-
quire of the soul, when He said to Peter, “Peter, lovest thou Me”?4106 What is “Lovest thou
Me”? Art thou chaste? Is not thine heart adulterous? Dost thou seek not thine own things
4100 Matt. vii. 21.
4101 Virtutes.
4102 Matt. vii. 22.
4103 Matt. vii. 23.
4104 Phil. i. 16–18.
4105 Proscribatur.
4106 John xxi. 16.
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The tenth chapter of the Gospel of John. Of the shepherd, and the hireling,…