My LORD’s Bible2 Clement 6
1Now the Lord declares, “No servant can serve two masters.” If we desire, then, to serve both God and mammon, it will be unprofitable for us. “For what will it profit if a man gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” This world and the next are two enemies. The one urges to adultery and corruption, avarice and deceit; the other bids farewell to these things. We cannot therefore be the friends of both; and it behoves us, by renouncing the one, to make sure of the other. Let us reckon that it is better to hate the things present, since they are trifling, and transient, and corruptible; and to love those [which are to come,] as being good and incorruptible. For if we do the will of Christ, we shall find rest; otherwise, nothing shall deliver us from eternal punishment, if we disobey His commandments. For thus also saith the Scripture in Ezekiel, “If Noah, Job, and Daniel should rise up, they should not deliver their children in captivity.” Now, if men so eminently righteous are not able by their righteousness to deliver their children, how can we hope to enter into the royal residence of God unless we keep our baptism holy and undefiled? Or who shall be our advocate, unless we be found possessed of works of holiness and righteousness?
ΝΙ. Δέγει δὲ ὁ Κύριος" Oyaeic οἰκέτης λύνδτδι Ayci κγρίοις δογλεΐειν. ἐὰν ἡμεῖς θέλωμεν καὶ Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ, 5" ake ἀσύμφορον ἡμῖν ἐστίν. τί γὰρ τὸ ὄφελος, ἐάν τις τὸν ΣΥ- 13: KOCMON ὅλον κερδήςη τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν ζημκοθᾷ; ὄστιν δὲ ee οὗτος ὁ αἰὼν καὶ ὁ μέλλων δύο ἐχθροί: οὗτος λέγει μοι- iis μόν χείαν καὶ φθορὰν καὶ φιλαργυρίαν καὶ ἀπάτην, ἐκεῖνος δὲ τούτοις ἀποτάσσεται. οὐ δυνάμεθα οὖν τῶν δύο φίλοι εἶναι: δεῖ δὲ ἡμᾶς τούτῳ ἀποταξαμένους ἐκείνῳ χρᾶσθαι. οἰώμεθα ὅτι βέλτιόν ἐστιν τὰ ἐνθάδε μισῆσαι, ὅτι μικρὰ καὶ ὀλυγοχρόνια καὶ φθαρτά ἐκεῖνα δὲ ἀγαπῆσαι, τὰ ὡγαθὰ 46 AN ANCIENT HOMILY [νι τὰ ἄφθαρτα. ποιοῦντες γὰρ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐρήσομεν ἀνάπαυσιν" εἰ δὲ μήγε, οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς ῥύσεται ἐκ τῆς αἰωνίου κολάσεως, ἐὰν παρακούσωμεν τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ. Néyes δὲ καὶ ἡ γραφὴ ἐν τῷ ᾿Ιεζεκιὴλ, ὅτε ᾿'Εὰν ἀνδετῇ Νῶε 4 1B καὶ Ἰὼδ καὶ Δανιήλ, οὐ piconras τὰ τέκνδ ὐτῶν ἐν τῇ αἰχμα- λωσίᾳ. εἰ δὲ καὶ οἱ τοιοῦτοι δίκαιοι οὗ δύνανται ταῖς δαντῶν δικαιοσύναις ῥύσασθαι τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν ἡμοῖς, δὰν μὴ τηρήσωμεν τὸ βάπτισμα dyvdr καὶ dulavrov, ποίᾳ wrewos- θήσει εἰσελευσόμεθα εἰς τὸ βασίλειον τοῦ Θωθ; ἣ τίς ἡμῶν παράκλητος ὅσται, ἐὰν μὴ εὑρεθῶμεν ἔργα ἔχοντες ὅσια καὶ δίκαια" ᾿