To the very utmost of thy power
keep thy soul chaste. Do not open thine hand to receive, and close it
against giving. Thou shalt love as the apple of thine eye every one who
speaketh to thee the word of the Lord. Call to remembrance the day of
judgment, night and day. Thou shalt search out every day the persons of
the saints [23]; both meditating by the word, {76} and proceeding to
exhort them, and anxiously caring to save a soul by the word. Thou shalt
preserve what thou hast received, neither adding thereto, nor taking
therefrom. Thou shalt not come with a bad conscience to thy prayer."
[Footnote 23: There is much obscurity in the phraseology of this
passage: [Greek: ekzaetaeseis kath hekastaen haemeran ta prosopa
ton hagion kai dia logou skopion kai poreuomenos eis to
parakalesai, kai meleton eis sosai psuchaen to logo]. In the
corresponding exhortation among the Apostolical Constitutions
(book vii. ch. 9), the expression is, "Thou shalt seek the
person ([Greek: prosopon]) of the saints, that thou mayest find
rest (or find refreshment, or refresh thyself) ([Greek: in
epanapanae tois logois auton]) in their words." The author seems
evidently to allude to the reciprocal advantage derived by
Christians from religious intercourse.]
The closing sentences contain this blessing: "Now God, who is the Lord
of all the world, give to you wisdom, skill, understanding, knowledge of
his judgments, with patience.
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