Considering Salvation

Frequenter admonui vos, fratres, ut, dum licet, dum in spatio est, saluti vestrae omnibus modis consuleretis, et in hac vita brevi vitam vobis provideretis aeternam. Sapiens enim quisque intelligit quod haec vita hominum non ad quietem data, sed ad laborem, hoc est, ut hic laboret et in posterum requiescat. Hic autem requies nulla: tantis enim malis haec vita repleta est, ut comparatione ejus mors remedio putetur esse, non poena; nam ideo brevem illam fecit Deus, ut molestiae ejus, quia prosperitate non poterant, temporis exiguitate finirentur. Denqiue sanctus Job dicit: Piraterium est vita hominis super terram; hoc est, sive quod homines in hac vita omnia experiantur mala; piraterium enim Latine experimentum dici potest; seu certe piraterium, quod in hac vita circa homines diabolus, tanquam pirata desaeviat; piraterium enim habitaculum piratarum est. Tandiu ergo in piraterio sumus, quandiu in hac carne positi praedonum spiritualium tentationibus subjacemus; quamvis in hac ipsa vita etiam carnales nobis, qui sunt barbari, piratae non desunt; minus tamen eos timeo qui, etsi auferunt partimonia, non possunt auferre justitiam; si aurum tollunt, Christum certe tollere non possunt; si diripiunt argentum non possunt diripere Salvatorem. Quis igitur non festinat habere sibi Christum, quem non possit ab eo nec praedo diripere, nec hostis auferre, nec captivitas separare? Qui enim habet Christum, hominem non veretur inimicum. Quid enim facturus savienti? Pecora ejus abducet? Hoc etiam morbi lues facere consuevit. Armenta diripiet? Istud damnum abactores tolerando jam didicit. Ipsum fortassis non illi admovet taedia, sed removet; hoc enim illi intulit, quod majore cum molestia febris afferret, praesertim cum dicat Dominus: Nolite timere eos qui occidunt corpus, animam autem non possunt occidere. Illi igitur spirituales plus metuendi piratae sunt, qui non solum corpora hominum, sed et animas spoliare consueverunt; qui non tam aurum mundi quam aurum fidei auferre nituntur; qui non tam saeculi substantiam quam Christi sapientiam depraedantur. Nam ipsi nobis spirituales hostes hos carnales immittuntur, ut probemur in tribulatione positi quam simus confidentes in Deo, qui de solo ipso remedium postulemus. Sunt enim quidam qui, in tribulatione positi, dicant malis artibus hostes vincere, iisdem eos artibus debere superari, desperantes de Deo, a daemonibus victoriam flagitantes; miseri homines nesciunt quid faciunt, quid loquantur. Dum enim rebus suis metuunt, obliti sunt religionis ac fidei, qui res quidem suas forte non perdunt, sed quod est amplius suas animas perdiderunt. Sanctus Maximus Taurinensis, Homilia LXXXVIII, De non timendis hostibus carnalibus Source: Migne PL 57.453b-455b

I have frequently admonished you, brothers, that while it is permitted, while there is time, that you consider your salvation in every way, and that in this brief life you look toward eternal life. Wise is he who understands that this life of man is not given to leisure, but to toil, that is, that here a man labours and in the end he has rest. Here there is no rest, for this life is full with such evils, so that in comparison with it death may be thought a remedy, not a punishment; therefore God makes it short, so that its troubles which permit no prosperity have an end after a small time. Job says that life is a lair of bandits on the earth, 1 that is, that all men in this life experience evil, for the trial is to be understood as experience, for certainly a trial it is that in this life the devil surrounds men, and as a bandit rages against them, for indeed this is a dwelling place of bandits. Therefore, as long as we are in the lair, as long as we are in this flesh, so we are subject to the spiritual trials of brigands, and in this life which is carnal to us, we are not spared those who are barbarians and bandits. However I fear them less, who even if there are able to bear off possessions, are not able to carry off righteousness, who if they take away gold, certainly are not able to take away Christ, who if they steal silver are not able to steal the Saviour. Who, then does not hurry to have Christ, He who is not able to be taken by a brigand or borne off by an enemy, nor is He separated by captivity? Indeed he who has Christ does not fear any hostile man. What savagery will be done? Will cattle be driven away? This indeed is the custom of a plague. A herd will be seized? He has already taught that those who take must be suffered. And this perhaps does not drive one to weariness but removes it, for this instilled takes away a far worse trouble than sickness, certainly when the Lord says: 'Do not fear those who kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul.' 2 Therefore the spiritual bandits are more to be feared, who not only kill the bodies of men but are accustomed to despoil the soul, who do not so much exert themselves for the gold of the world, but to bear off faith, who do not so much destroy the things of this age, but ruin the knowledge of Christ. Yet these carnal foes do give admittance to our spiritual enemies, so that being placed in tribulation, rather than being confident in God, we seek a remedy from ourselves. They are those who when placed in tribulation would speak of conquering foes with evil deeds, that they should be overcome with their same arts, despairing of God, counseled by demons to victory, wretched men not knowing what they do, nor what they say. For while they fear for their own things, they have forgotten their religion and faith, they who would perhaps not lose their own things, but have already lost their souls. Saint Maximus of Turin, from Homily 88, That One Should Not Fear Carnal Enemies 1 Job 7.1 2 Mt 10.28