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| The Irksomeness and the Enemies of Virginity.
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Chapter V.—The Irksomeness and the Enemies of
Virginity.
Thou desirest, then, to be a virgin? Knowest
thou what hardship and irksomeness there is in true
virginity—that which stands constantly at all seasons before God,
and does not withdraw from His service, and “is anxious
how it may please its Lord with a holy body, and with its
spirit?”324
Knowest
thou what great glory pertains to virginity, and is it for this that
thou dost set thyself to practise it? Dost thou really
know and understand what it is thou art eager to do? Art thou
acquainted with the noble task of holy virginity? Dost thou know
how, like a man, to enter “lawfully” upon325
this contest and
“strive,”326
that, in the
might of the Holy Spirit,327
| 327 The words,
“in the might of the Holy Spirit,” appear to obscure the
sense.—Beelen. | thou choosest
this for thyself, that thou mayest be crowned with a crown of light,
and that they may lead thee about in triumph through “the
Jerusalem above”?328
If so be,
then, that thou longest for all these things, conquer the body; conquer
the appetites of the flesh; conquer the world in the Spirit of God;
conquer these vain things of time, which pass away and grow old, and
decay, and come to an end; conquer the dragon;329
conquer the lion;330
conquer the
serpent;331
conquer
Satan;—through Jesus Christ, who doth strengthen thee by the
hearing of His words and the divine Eucharist.332
| 332 Lit.
“the Eucharist of the Godhead.” This is an evidence
of later date than the sub-apostolic age.—R.] | “Take up thy cross and
follow”333
Him who makes
thee clean, Jesus Christ thy Lord. Strive to run straight forward
and boldly, not with fear, but with courage, relying on the promise of
thy Lord, that thou shalt obtain the victor-crown334
of thy “calling on
high”335
through Jesus
Christ. For whosoever walks perfect in faith, and not fearing,
doth in very deed receive the crown of virginity, which is great in its
toil and great in its reward. Dost thou understand and know how
honourable a thing is sanctity?336
| 336 i.e.
continency. [The use of the terms “sanctity,”
“holy,” etc., in the limited sense of
“continency,” “chaste,” etc., is strong
evidence of the later origin.—R] | Dost thou
understand how great and exalted and excellent is the glory of
virginity?337
| 337 The last two
sentences properly belong to chap. vi. |
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