An Exhortation to Christian Living

Now I teach thee as one shall do a beloved one.
If thou wilt attain that blooming realm,
Then be thou humble, and bountiful,
Wise in words, and love watchfulness.
In holy thought, in the present time,
Kind of disposition, and abundant in prayers,
Continually when thou art alone.
Because holy prayer, and pure love
Of God and man, and almsgiving, and the great trust
In thy Saviour, that he thy sins
Will erase, and likewise many other
Good works adorn and bring
The upright soul to rest
In heavenly happiness.
Work what thou workest, word or deed;
Have fear of the Creator, in the midst,
That is assuredly the beginning of wisdom,
That thou the everlasting light all do not lose.
This world is fleeting, and we are yet poor
Of heaven's kingdom. That is a heavy burden.
And though thou after thine end give everything
That thou on earth before acquiredst
Of each good, will it please God?
Nor might thou, with the whole, thy soul
Release, if it become among
Fiends captured, of comfort bereft,
Of wealth deprived. But do thou the God of glory,
The eternal almighty, constantly pray
That he let thee not fall into the hands of evil ones,
To the gain of fiends. But flee thou from thence,
Give alms, oft and repeatedly, in secret,
That is the exhortation of the Lord,
For each man that believes in God.
Buy for thyself eternal light with thy possessions,
The less wilt thou be undone, when thou the power over them
Hast not to give. It is very evil
To every man that he have much,
If he fear not God
Much more than his own will.
Take thou good heed against gluttony,
For it assembleth all the bad qualities
Which most destroy the soul,
That is, drunkenness and secret fornication,
Undue longing for food and sleep.
These man may with fasting
And continence drive away,
And with church going in cold weather.
Humbly always [take care] to pray
The Lord of heaven, that he give thee health,
The kind protector, as to him seems fit;
And be thou afraid of secret plans,
Of troublesome thoughts, that arise at night,
Sinful desires oftentimes greatly to produce.
With trouble therefore thou in terror shalt
Thy offences greatly mourn.
Grey-haired warrior, heavy seem to thee
Thy sins. Therefore do thou thyself understand
That thou shalt leave thy gifts unharmed,
Land and country. Unknown to thee then will be
Whither thy lord will assign thee;
When thou no longer mayest enjoy life
In earth's region, as thou didst before
Exulting in bliss. Now oughtest thou to save thyself,
And against every enemy hold fast
Thy soul. Ever they labour around,
By day and night, against the lord's life.
Thou mightest put them to flight, if thou wilt follow
My teaching, as I teach thee —
Secretly that thou in the early morn
Oft for thy soul's advantage earnestly meditate
How thou the eternal light ever mayest attain;
With pains to seek, thou shalt gladly eagerly labour
After the heavenly kingdom;
By day and night, thou shalt drunkenness flee,
And gluttony all forego.
If thou wilt that heavenly land choose.
Then shalt thou on earth before think on it,
And earnestly restrain thyself,
And forego all bad habits
Which thou in life formerly didst love and cherish.