For what is the
garment of the soul? Virtue, of course. And what its
nakedness? Vice. .. What is the gain of your costly
garments? how long shall we continue agape for this
attire? Let us put on the glory of Christ: let us array
ourselves with that beauty, that both here we may be
praised, and there attain unto the eternal good things,
by the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with
Whom, to the Father and the Holy Ghost together, be
glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, world without end.
Amen
Clothed with virtue
Ecf 19. They walk naked
up and down the city, for they have no garment of
virtue. But if this doth not seem to them to be a
disgrace, this again is of their exceeding madness,
for that they have no feeling of the unseemliness, but
while they are ashamed of having their body naked,
they bear about the soul naked, and glory in it. St
Chrysostom
And have put on the new
[man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of
him that created …. Put on therefore, as the elect of
God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; … And
above all these things [put on] charity, which is the
bond of perfectness. Colossians 3:10 -13
Ode XXI (odes of solomon)
I raised my arms high
to the grace of the Lord,
for he had cast off my bonds.
My helper had lifted me to his grace and salvation.
I discarded darkness
and clothed myself in Light.
My soul acquired a body
free from sorrow,
affliction or pain.
The thought of the Lord restored me.
I fed on his incorruptible fellowship.
And I was raised in the Light
and went to him,
near him,
praising and proclaiming him.
He made my heart flood into my mouth,
made it shine on my lips.
On my face the exultation of the Lord increased,
and his praise.
One of the clearest
pictures is in the Shepherd of
Hermas
"And these virgins, who
are they?" "They," said he, "are
holy spirits; and no man can otherwise be found in the
kingdom of God, unless these shall clothe him with their
garment. For if you receive only the name, but do
not receive the garment from them, you profit nothing.
For these virgins are powers of the Son of God.
Consequently if you bear the Name, but do not bear His
power, you bear His Name to no effect.
The Shepherd goes on to say that the
stones which bore His Name but did not clothe themselves
with the clothing of the virgins were cast away
"What sort of clothing do
they have, Sir?" I asked,
"The names themselves," he said, "are
their clothing. Whoever bears the Name of the Son of
God, should bear the names of these also; for even the
Son Himself bears the names of these virgins.
As many stones," he said, "as you saw enter
into the building of the tower, being given in by their
hands and waiting for the building, they have been
clothed in the power of these virgins.
For this cause you see the tower made a single stone
with the rock. So also they that have believed in the
Lord through His Son and clothe themselves in these
spirits, shall become one spirit and one body, and their
garments all of one colour. But such persons as bear the
names of the virgins have their dwelling in the
tower."
"The stones then, Sir," I asked, "which
are cast aside, why were they cast aside? For they
passed through the gate and were placed in the building
of the tower by the hands of the virgins."
"Since all these things interest you," said
he, "and you enquire diligently, listen as touching
the stones that have been cast aside. "
"These all, received the name of the Son of God,
and also received the power of these virgins. When then
they received these spirits, they were strengthened, and
were with the servants of God, and they had one spirit
and one body and one
garment; for they had the same mind, and they wrought
righteousness. "
"After a certain time then they were persuaded by
the women whom you saw clothed in black raiment, and
having their shoulders bare and their hair loose, and
beautiful in form. When they saw them they desired them,
and they clothed themselves with their power, but they
stripped the power of the virgins off themselves. "
"They then were cast away from the house of God,
and delivered to these women. But those who were not
deceived by the beauty of these women remained in the
house of God. So you have," he said, "the
interpretation of those who were cast aside."
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