Christ And The End

Fratres, finis legis Christus est ad justitiam omni credenti. Qui autem ad finem pervenit nondum consummatus est: Quidquid enim est quandsiu finis non est, nondum totum est. Curris viam? Quantumvis pergas si ante finem subsistis, non pervenis. Facis opus? Si non finis, non perficis. Ergo finis consummatio est, finis perfectio est, finis perventio est; et nihil plenum sine fine. Nihil ergo tibi sufficiat ante finem; nigil sufficiat praeter Christum, quoniam Christus est finis. Donec Christum habeas non requiescas, non deficias donec ad Christum pervenias. Christus veritas est, et Christus sapientia est. Si habitum virtutis et similitudinem foris assumpsisti, coepisti. Si veritatem intus habes, perfecisti, et habes finem Christum, quia Christus veritas est, Si vere sapis, et quod sapiendum est sapis, Christum habes et sapientiam habes, quoniam Christus sapientia est, et ad finem pervenisti, quoniam Christum invenisti. Christus enim lumen tuum est, quo illuminaris ad virtutem diligendam et ad veritatem cognoscendam. Non est autem vera sapientia aliena investigae, sua ignorare. Et propterea nec sapientia mundi, nec prudentia saeculi veram sapientiam contingit, quoniam illa aliena inquirit, ista non profutura colligit; quod non probat veritas Christi, nec docet sapientia Christi. Propterea, fratres, illam sapientiam quaerite quae vera est, ut eam sciatis quae ad salutem vestram pertinet, quonaim in illa Christus est, et illa in Christo est, et qui habet illam, Christum habet. Studere ergo veritatem habere, et sapientiam veram habere; et habebitis Christum finem vestrum in quo vos consummari oportet. Totum bonum vestrum Christus est, ipse virtus vestra, ipse sapinetia vestra, ipse exemplum, ipse adjutorium, ipse victoria, ipse corona. Ipsum diligite, ipsum desiderate, ipsum amplectimini animo dilectionis, et recompensate vicem retributionis. Quantumcunque feceritis minus erit quam quod ipse pro vobis sustinuit. Nondum enim restitistis usque ad sanguinem. Recordamini passionis ejus, recordamini patientiae ejus, recordamini mansuetudinis et humilitatis ejus: Cum malediceretur, non maledicebat; cum pateretur, non criminabatur; cum laudabatur, non gloriabatur: cum contemnebatur, non indignabatur. Haec ergo considerate, fratres, et si non potestis aequare, studere imitari. Firmate animum vestrum ad patientiam. Magnum est pati cum Christo, et gloriosum pati pro Christo. Audite quid promittat patientibus pro se: Vos estis, inquit, qui permansistis mecum in tentationibus meis. Et ego dispono vobis, sicut disposuit mihi Pater meus regnum, ut edatis et bibatis super mensam meam in regno meo. Has, igitur, fratres, promissiones ante oculos habete, quoties grave aliquid vel molestum patimini, quoties aliqua vos tentatio sollicitat, quoties aliqua molestia gravat; ut non deficiatis animo in tribulatione, quia si nunc permanetis cum Christo in tentatione, eritis cum Christo postea in glorificatione. Hugo De Sancte Victore, Miscellanea, Liber I, Tit CXIV, Quod finis legis Christi est, et de bono finis Source: Migne PL 177.541d-542d

Brothers, the end of the law is Christ, giving justification to believers. 1 He who is yet coming to the end is not yet complete. Whatever does not yet have its end is not whole. You run on the way? As much as you travel, if you are yet before the end, you have not arrived. You are making something? If it is not finished, it is not yet done. Therefore the end is consummation, the end is perfection, the end is arrival, and nothing is whole without the end. Nothing therefore suffices before the end, nothing suffices apart from Christ, because Christ is the end. Until you have Christ, you shall have no rest, nor should you become weary until you come to Christ. Christ is the truth, and Christ is wisdom. If you have taken up the outward custom and likeness of virtue, you have begun. If you have the truth within, you are complete, and you have the end that is Christ, because Christ is the truth. If truly you know, if you know what should be known, you have Christ and you have wisdom, because Christ is wisdom and you have come to the end, because you have found Christ. For Christ is your light, by which you are enlightened to the love of virtue and to the knowledge of the truth. It is not true wisdom to investigate needless things, but rather to dismiss them. And therefore neither the wisdom of the world, nor the cleverness of the age is true wisdom, because it seeks needless things, which gather nothing for the future age, which the truth of Christ does not approve, nor does the wisdom of Christ teach it. Therefore, brothers, seek that wisdom which is true, that you might know what pertains to salvation, because in that is Christ, and he who has that, has Christ. Exert yourself, then, to have the truth and true wisdom, and you shall have Christ your end in which you must be perfected. All your good is Christ, He is your virtue, He is your wisdom, your example, your helper, your victory, your crown. Love him, desire Him, embrace Him with a loving soul, and you will be rewarded for it. As much as you may do, you have done less than He endured. You have not yet endured to bloodshed. Remember His passion, remember His suffering, remember His meekness and His humility: 'When He was maligned, He did not speak ill; when he suffered, he did not accuse;' 2 when He was praised, He did not exult, when He was condemned, He was not indignant. Therefore consider these things, brothers, and if you cannot equal them, strive to imitate them. Strengthen your soul with patience. It is a great thing to suffer with Christ, and glorious to suffer for Christ. Hear what is promised to those who suffer for Him: 'You are those who have remained with me in my trials, and as my father allots a kingdom to me, I allot to you that you shall eat and drink at my table in my kingdom.' 3 Brothers, have these promises before your eyes as often as you suffer difficult trials, as many times as some temptation vexes you, as many times as some burden presses down upon you, so that your soul does not sink down in trial, because if you now remain with Christ in trial, you shall be with Christ in glory after. Hugh Of Saint Victor, Miscellanea, Book 1, Chap 114, That the end of the law is Christ and on the good of the end 1 Rom 10.4 2 1 Pet 2.23 3 Lk 22.28-29