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An Address to Demetrianus

20.

There flourishes with us the strength of hope and the firmness of faith. Among these very ruins of a decaying world our soul is lifted up, and our courage unshaken: our patience is never anything but joyous; and the mind is always secure of its God, even as the Holy Spirit speaks through the prophet, and exhorts us, strengthening with a heavenly word the firmness of our hope and faith. "The fig-tree," says He, "shall not bear fruit, and there shall be no blossom in the vines. The labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat. The flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls. But I will rejoice in the Lord, and I will joy in the God of my salvation." ¹ He says that the man of God and the worshipper of God, depending on the truth of his hope, and founded on the stedfastness of his faith, is not moved by the attacks of this world and this life. Although the vine should fail, and the olive deceive, and the field parched with grass dying with drought should wither, what is this to Christians? what to God's servants whom paradise is inviting, whom all the grace and all the abundance of the kingdom of heaven is waiting for? They always exult in the Lord, and rejoice and are glad in their God; and the evils and adversities of the world they bravely suffer, because they are looking forward to gifts and prosperities to come: for we who have put off our earthly birth, and are now created and regenerated by the Spirit, and no longer live to the world but to God, shall not receive God's gifts and promises until we arrive at the presence of God. And yet we always ask for the repulse of enemies, and for obtaining showers, and either for the removal or the moderating of adversity; and we pour forth our prayers, and, propitiating and appeasing God, we entreat constantly and urgently, day and night, for your peace and salvation.

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Ad Demetrianum [CSEL]

§ 20

Viget aput nos spei robur et firmitas fidei et inter ipsas saeculi labentis ruinas erecta mens est et inmobilis uirtus et numquam non laeta patientia et de Deo suo semper anima secura, sicut per prophetam Spiritus sanctus loquitur et hortatur spei ac fidei nostrae firmitatem caelesti uoce corroborans. ficus, inquit, non adferet fructum et non erunt nascentia in uineis. mentietur opus oliuae et campi non praestabunt cibum. deficient a pabulo oues et non erunt in praesepibus boues. ego autem in Domino exultabo, gaudebo in Deo salutari meo. Dei hominem et cultorem Dei subnixum spei ueritate et fidei stabilitate fundatum negat mundi huius et saeculi infestationibus commoueri. uinea licet fallat et olea decipiat et herbis siccitate morientibus aestuans campus arescat, quid hoc ad christianos, quid ad Dei seruos quos paradisus inuitat, quos gratia omnis et copia regni caelestis exspectat? exultant semper in Domino et laetantur et gaudent in Deo suo et mala adque aduersa mundi fortiter tolerant, dum bona et prospera futura prospectant. nam qui exposita natiuitate terrena spiritu recreati et renati sumus nec iam mundo sed Deo uiuimus, non nisi cum ad Deum uenerimus. Dei munera et promissa capiemus. et tamen pro arcendis hostibus et imbribus impetrandis et uel auferendis uel temperandis aduersis rogamus ¹²[P. 366] semper et preces fundimus et pro pace ac salute uestra propitiantes et placantes Deum diebus ac noctibus iugiter adque instanter oramus.