§24Eius est in mundo diu uelle remanere quem mundus oblectat, quem saeculum blandiens adque decipiens inlecebris terrenae uoluptatis inuitat.
It is characteristic of him to wish to remain long in the world whom the world delights, whom the world, flattering and deceiving, invites with the allurements of earthly pleasure.
porro cum mundus oderit christianum, quid amas eum qui te odit et non magis sequeris Christum qui te et redemit et diligit? Iohannes in epistula sua clamat et loquitur et ne carnalia desideria sectantes mundum diligamus hortatur.
Furthermore, since the world hates the Christian, why do you love him who hates you, and why do you not rather follow Christ, who both redeemed and loves you? John in his epistle cries out and speaks, and exhorts us not to love the world by following carnal desires.
nolite, inquit, diligere mundum neque ea quae in mundo sunt.
"Love not," he says, "the world, nor those things which are in the world.
si qui dilexerit mundum, non est caritas patris in illo: quia omne quod in mundo est concupiscentia carnis est et concupiscentia oculorum et ambitio saeculi quae non est a patre sed ex concupiscentia mundi.
If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of the world, which is not of the Father, but of the lust of the world.
et mundus transibit et concupiscentia eius: qui autem fecerit uoluntatem Dei manet in aeternum, quomodo et Deus manet in aeternum. potius, fratres dilectissimi, mente integra, fide firma, uirtute robusta parati ad omnem uoluntatem Dei simus, pauore mortis exclusi immortalitatem quae sequitur cogitemus.
And the world shall pass away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever, even as God also abideth forever." Rather, beloved brethren, with an upright mind, a firm faith, and robust virtue, let us be prepared for every will of God; and having excluded the fear of death, let us think upon the immortality that follows.
hoc nos ostendamus esse quod credimus, ut nec carorum lugeamus excidium et cum arcessitionis propriae dies uenerit incunctanter et libenter ad Dominum ipso uocante ueniamus.
Let us show ourselves to be what we believe, so that we may not mourn the death of our dear ones, and when the day of our own summons comes, we may come without delay and willingly to the Lord at His own calling.
§25Quod cum semper faciendum fuerit Dei semis, nunc fieri multo magis debet corruente iam mundo et malorum infestantium turbinibus obsesso, ut qui cernimus coepisse iam grauia et scimus inminere grauiora lucrum maximum conputemus, si istinc uelociter recedamus.
And since this was always to be done by the servants of God, it ought to be done much more now that the world is already collapsing and is beset by the tempests of attacking evils, so that we, who see that grievous things have already begun and know that more grievous things are imminent, may reckon it the greatest gain if we quickly depart from here.
si in habitaculo tuo parietes uetustate nutarent, tecta desuper tremerent, domus iam fatigata, iam lassa aedificiis senectute labentibus ruinam proximam minaretur, nonne omni celeritate migrares? si nauigante te turbida et procellosa tempestas fluctibus uiolentius excitatis praenuntiaret futura naufragia, nonne portum uelocius peteres? mundus ecce nutat et labitur et ruinam sui non iam senectute rerum sed fine testatur: et tu non Deo gratias agis, non tibi gratularis quod exitu maturiore subtractus ruinis et naufragiis et plagis imminentibus exuaris?
If in your dwelling the walls were tottering with age, the roofs above were shaking, and the house, now worn out, now weary with its collapsing structures through old age, threatened immediate ruin, would you not move with all speed? If, while you were sailing, a turbid and stormy tempest with more violently raised waves foretold future shipwreck, would you not more quickly seek the harbor? Behold, the world is tottering and falling, and testifies to its own ruin, no longer by the old age of things but by its end; and do you not give thanks to God, do you not congratulate yourself that, withdrawn by a more timely departure, you are stripped of ruins and shipwrecks and imminent plagues?
§26Considerandum est, fratres dilectissimi, et identidem cogitandum renuntiasse nos mundo et tamquam hospites et peregrinos hic interim degere.
We must consider, beloved brethren, and reflect again and again that we have renounced the world and are living here in the meantime as guests and strangers.
amplectamur diem qui adsignat singulos domicilio suo, qui nos istinc ereptos et laqueis saecularibus exsolutos paradiso restituit et regno.
Let us embrace the day which assigns each to his own dwelling, which, having snatched us from here and loosened us from secular snares, restores us to paradise and to the kingdom.
quis non peregre constitutus properet in patriam regredi? quis non ad suos nauigare festinans uentum prosperum cupidius optet, ut uelociter caros liceat amplecti? patriam nos nostram paradisum conputamus, parentes patriarchas habere iam coepimus: quid non properamus et currimus, ut patriam nostram uidere, ut parentes salutare possimus? magnus illic nos carorum numerus expectat, parentum, fratrum, filiorum frequens nos et copiosa turba desiderat iam de sua incolumitate secura, adhuc de nostra salute sollicita.
Who, established abroad, would not hasten to return to his homeland? Who, speeding to sail to his own, would not more eagerly desire a prosperous wind, so that he might quickly embrace his dear ones? We reckon paradise as our homeland; we have already begun to have the patriarchs as our parents. Why do we not hasten and run, so that we may see our homeland and salute our parents? A great number of our dear ones awaits us there; a dense and abundant crowd of parents, brothers, and children longs for us, already secure of their own safety, still anxious for our salvation.
ad horum conspectum et conplexum uenire quanta et illis et nobis in commune laetitia est, qualis illic caelestium regnorum uoluptas sine timore moriendi et cum aeternitate uiuendi quam summa et perpetua felicitas! illic apostolorum gloriosus chorus, illic prophetarum exultantium numerus, illic martyrum innumerabilis populus ob certaminis et passionis gloriam et uictoriam coronatus, triumphantes uirgines quae concupiscentiam carnis et corporis continentiae robore subegerunt, remunerati misericordes qui alimentis et largitionibus pauperum iustitiae opera fecerunt, qui dominica praecepta seruantes ad caelestes thesauros terrena patrimonia transtulerunt.
To come to the sight and embrace of these, how great a common joy is it for both them and us! What kind of pleasure of heavenly kingdoms is there there, without the fear of dying and with the eternity of living—how supreme and perpetual a happiness! There is the glorious chorus of the apostles; there is the number of exulting prophets; there is the innumerable multitude of martyrs, crowned for the glory and victory of their struggle and passion; triumphing virgins who, by the strength of continence, subdued the concupiscence of the flesh and body; rewarded merciful ones who performed works of justice with food and bounties for the poor, who, keeping the Lord's precepts, transferred their earthly patrimonies to heavenly treasures.
ad hos, fratres dilectissimi, auida cupiditate properemus, ut cum his cito esse, ut cito ad Christum uenire contingat optemus.
To these, beloved brethren, let us hasten with eager desire, and let us wish that it may happen to us to be with them quickly, and quickly to come to Christ.
hanc cogitationem nostram Deus uideat, hoc propositum mentis et fidei Christus aspiciat daturus eis caritatis suae ampliora praemia quorum circa se fuerint desideria maiora.
May God see this thought of ours, may Christ look upon this purpose of our mind and faith, who will give more ample rewards of His love to those whose desires for Him have been greater.