{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p>Further, the Lord shows very clearly of Himself, when, describing\r\nfiguratively His manifold and in many ways serviceable culture,—He\r\nsays, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.” Then He\r\nadds, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and\r\nevery branch that beareth fruit He pruneth, that it may bring forth\r\nmore fruit.”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_294\" id=\"FNanchor_294\">[294]</a> For the vine that is not pruned grows to wood.\r\nSo also man. The Word—the knife—clears away the wanton shoots;\r\ncompelling the impulses of the soul to fructify, not to indulge in\r\nlust. Now, reproof addressed to sinners has their salvation for its\r\naim, the word being harmoniously adjusted to each one’s conduct; now\r\nwith tightened, now with relaxed cords. Accordingly it was very plainly\r\nsaid by Moses, “Be of good courage: God has drawn near to try you,\r\nthat His fear may be among you, that ye sin not.”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_295\" id=\"FNanchor_295\">[295]</a> And Plato, who\r\nhad learned from this source, says beautifully: “For all who suffer\r\npunishment are in reality treated well, for they are benefited; since\r\nthe spirit of those who are justly punished is improved.” And if\r\nthose who are corrected receive good at the hands of justice, and,\r\naccording to Plato, what is just is acknowledged to be good, fear\r\nitself does good, and has been found to be for men’s good. “For the\r\nsoul that feareth the Lord shall live, for their hope is in Him who\r\nsaveth them.”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_296\" id=\"FNanchor_296\">[296]</a> And this same Word who inflicts punishment is judge;\r\nregarding whom Esaias also says, “The Lord has assigned Him to our\r\nsins,”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_297\" id=\"FNanchor_297\">[297]</a> plainly as a corrector and reformer of sins. Wherefore\r\nHe alone is<span class=\"pagenum\" id=\"Page_159\">[159]</span> able to forgive our iniquities, who has been appointed\r\nby the Father, Instructor of us all; He alone it is who is able to\r\ndistinguish between disobedience and obedience. And while He threatens,\r\nHe manifestly is unwilling to inflict evil to execute His threatenings;\r\nbut by inspiring men with fear, He cuts off the approach to sin, and\r\nshows His love to man, still delaying, and declaring what they shall\r\nsuffer if they continue sinners, and is not as a serpent, which the\r\nmoment it fastens on its prey devours it.</p>","headings":["THE WRITINGS OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA.","THE INSTRUCTOR.","BOOK I.","CHAPTER VIII. AGAINST THOSE WHO THINK THAT WHAT IS JUST IS NOT GOOD."],"marker_anchor":"FNanchor_297","paragraph_id":"pg71937-paragraph-290"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"63195fd1ee5d9b7ad42b896a9f17f00c6f51c4f422023a54815fd1855e778813","edition_title":"The writings of Clement of Alexandria, Vol. 1 (of 2)","edition_translators":["William Wilson"],"edition_year":1867,"explicit_reference_candidates":[{"book":"ISA","chapter":53,"kind":"unreviewed","source_notation":"Isa. liii. 6","verse":6,"verse_end":6}],"headings":[],"id":"pg71937-Footnote_297","license_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"original-editor-translator-note","review_required":["work and recension attribution","original-work chronology","Bible reference numbering and citation kind","English edition rights and attribution"],"review_status":"needs_review","rights_evidence":"Project Gutenberg metadata: Public domain in the USA. Existing 1867 English translation; translator died 1875. Electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"Footnote_297","source_ebook":71937,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\">\n<p><a class=\"label pginternal\" href=\"#FNanchor_297\" id=\"Footnote_297\">[297]</a> Isa. liii. 6.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"8e5c5bc39922dbad2626ac7651c2eb2e3d94cdcbd721f781e9792143ebb1cd03","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/71937/pg71937-images.html#Footnote_297","text_sha256":"01237eff869d76dee6ad5dcb9f0f8d706c411c24f536e478fc09c9fd5c039687","verified":false,"work_id":null}