Sending The Paraclete

Φιλάνθρωπος δὲ ὤν ὁ Κύριος, πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν τῆς ἀληθείας παρακλεῖ, ὁ τὸν Παράκλητον ἀποστέλλων. Τίς οὖν ἡ ἐπίγνωσις; θεοσέβεια· θεοσέβεια δὲ πρὸς πάντὰ ὠφέλιμος, κατὰ τὸν Παῠλον, ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχουσα ζωῆς, τῆς νῦν καὶ τῆς μελλούσης. Πόσου ὁμολογήσαιτε, ὦ ἄνθρωποι, εἰ ἐπιπράσκετο σωτερία ἀϊδιος, ὠνήσασθαι ἄν; οὐδὲ εἰ τὸν Πάκττωλόν τις ὅλον, τοῦ χρυσίου τὸ ῥεῦμα τὸ μυθικὸν, ἀπομετρήσειε, ἀντάξιον σωτηρίας μισθὸν ἀριθμήσει. Μὴ οὖν ἀποκάμητε· ἔξεστιν ὑμῖν, ἤν ἐθέλητε, ἐξωνήσασθαι τὴν πολυτίμητον σωτηρίαν οἰκείῳ θησαυρῷ, ἀγάπῃ καὶ πίστει ζωῆς· ὅς ἐστιν ἀξιόλογος μισθός. Ταύτην ἡδέως τὴν τιμὴν ὁ Θεὸς λαμβάνει· Ἠλπίκαμεν γὰρ ἐπὶ Θεῷ ζῶντι, ὅς ἐστι σωτὴρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, μάλιστα πιστῶν. Οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι, περιπεφυκότες τῷ κόσμῳ, οἵα φύκιά τινα ἐνάλοις πέτραις, ἀθανασίας ὀλιγωροῦσιν· καθάπερ ὁ Ἰθακήσιος γέρων, οὐ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ τῆς ἐν οὐρανῷ πατρίδος, πρὸς δὲ καὶ τοῦ ὄντως ἰμειρόμενος φωτὸς, ἀλλὰ τοῦ καπνοῦ. Κλήμης ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, Προτρεπτικός Πρὸς Ἑλληνας, Κεφ. Θ' Source: Migne PG 8.197a-c

But the Lord, being a lover of men, calls them all to the knowledge of the truth, sending out the Paraclete. And what is this knowledge? Piety, and according to Paul, 'Piety is profitable for all things, having the promise of life now and to come.' 1 How much would you propose to purchase it for, O men, if eternal salvation were to be sold? Not even if some fellow reckoned up all the gold of the fabled Pactolus, would he have counted out a price equivalent to salvation. But do not despair, for you are allowed, if you choose, to purchase priceless salvation from your own treasure house, that is, with love and living faith. Such is an acceptable price. This recompense God cheerfully accepts; 'For we have hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially the faithful.' 2 But the rest, around whom the world has grown, like rocks on the shore covered with seaweed, account immortality a small thing, like the old man of Ithaca, eagerly longing to see, not the truth, not the homeland in heaven, not the true light, but smoke. Clement of Alexandria, The Exhortation to the Heathen, Chap 9 1 1 Tim 4.8 2 1 Tim 4.10