g, just as each prophet has
also. He has hitherto been firmly laying down his foundation of the
christian faith, which may serve as his text. Now he proceeds and
teaches how we should conduct ourselves toward all men. This is the
true method of preaching, that faith should be first set forth,--what
it does, and what its power and nature are, even that it gives fully
to us everything that is necessary to holiness and salvation,--that
we can do nothing except by faith, and through this we have all which
God has. God has thus proceeded with us and given to us all that is
His, and has Himself become our own, so that we have, through faith,
all things that are good and needful for us. What then are we to do?
Are we to live in indolence? It were far better that we should die,
though we had all. But while we live here we should act in our
neighbor's behalf, and give ourselves to him for his own, as God hath
given Himself to us. Thus faith saves us, but love leads us to give
to our neighbor whenever we have enough to give. That is, faith
receives from God; love gives to our neighbor. This matter is spoken
of in few words, yet much may easily be preached thereon, and it may
be further extended than it has here been by St. Peter.

This is now the sense of the Apostle, when he says, Dear brethren, I
admonish you as strangers and as pilgrims. Since, then, you are one
with Christ, form one household, and His goods are yours, your injury
is His injury, and He takes as His own all that you possess;
therefore you are to follow after Him, and conduct yourselves as
those who are no more citizens of the world. For your possessions lie
not upon the earth, but in heaven; and though you have already lost
all temporal good, you still have Christ, who is more than all else.
The devil is the prince of this world and rules it; his citizens are
the people of this world; therefore, since you are not of the world,
act as a stranger in an inn, who has not his possessions with him,
but procures food, and gives his gold for it. For here it is only a
sojourning, where we cannot tarry, but must travel further. Therefore
we should use worldly blessings no more than is needful for health
and appetite, and therewith leave and go to another land. We are
citizens in heaven; on earth we are pilgrims and guests.

_Abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul._ I will not
determine, here, whether St. Peter speaks of outward impurity,--or as
St. Paul