15. Let us be assured that to do no
wrong To do no wrong.
etc. Clémencet quotes this as an aphorism from Demosth. de
Cor. is really superhuman, and belongs to God
alone. I say nothing about the Angels, that we may give no room
for wrong feelings, nor opportunity for harmful altercations. Our
unhealed condition arises from our evil and unsubdued nature, and from
the exercise of its powers. Our repentance when we sin, is a
human action, but an action which bespeaks a good man, belonging to
that portion which is in the way of salvation. For if even our
dust contracts somewhat of wickedness, and the earthly tabernacle
presseth down the upward flight of the soul, Wisd. ix. 15.
which at least was created to fly upward, yet let the image be cleansed
from filth, and raise aloft the flesh, its yoke-fellow, lifting it on
the wings of reason; and, what is better, let us neither need this
cleansing, nor have to be cleansed, by preserving our original dignity,
to which we are hastening through our training here, and let us not by
the bitter taste of sin be banished from the tree of life: though
it is better to turn again when we err, than to be free from correction
when we stumble. For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, Prov. iii. 12. and a rebuke is a fatherly action; while
every soul which is unchastised, is unhealed. Is not then freedom
from chastisement a hard thing? But to fail to be corrected by
the chastisement is still harder. One of the prophets, speaking
of Israel, whose heart was hard and uncircumcised, says, Lord, Thou
hast stricken them, but they have not grieved, Thou hast consumed them
but they have refused to receive correction; Jer. v. 3.
and again, The people turned not to Him that smiteth them; Isai. ix. 13. and Why is my people slidden back by a
perpetual backsliding, Jer. viii. 5. because of which it
will be utterly crushed and destroyed?