dding money to money, and never to curb the passion for it,
but insatiably to covet more and more, betokeneth the extreme of
poverty. But those who despise the present for love of the eternal and
count it but dung, if only they win Christ, who have laid aside all
care for meat and raiment and cast that care on the Lord, and rejoice
in penury as no lover of the world could rejoice, were he rolling in
riches, who have laid up for themselves plenteously the riches of
virtue, and are fed by the hope of good things without end, may more
fitly be termed rich than thou, or any other earthly kingdom. But, God
working with thee, thou shalt lay hold on such spiritual abundance
that, if thou keep it in safety and ever rightfully desire more, thou
shalt never wish to dispend any part of it. This is true abundance: but
the mass of material riches will damage rather than benefit its
friends. Meetly therefore called I it the extreme of poverty, which
the lovers of heavenly blessings utterly renounce and eschew, and flee
from it, as a man fleeth from an adder. But if I take from thee and so
bring back to life that foe, whom my comrades in discipline and battle
have slain and trampled under foot, and carry him back to them, and so
be the occasion of wars and lusts, then shall I verily be unto them an
evil angel, which heaven forfend!

"Let the same, I pray thee, be thy thoughts about raiment. As for them
that have put off the corruption of the old man, and, as far as
possible, cast away the robe of disobedience, and put on Christ as a
coat of salvation and garment of gladness, how shall I again clothe
these in their coats of hide, and gird them about with the covering of
shame? But be assured that my companions have no need of such things,
but are content with their hard life in the desert, and reckon it the
truest luxury; and bestow thou on the poor the money and garments which
thou promisedst to give unto our monks, and lay up for thyself, for the
time to come, treasure that cannot be stolen, and by the orisons of
these poor folk make God thine ally; for thus shalt thou employ thy
riches as an help toward noble things. Then also put on the whole
armour of the Spirit, having thy loins girt about with truth, and
having on the breast-plate of righteousness, and wearing the helmet of
salvation, and having thy feet shod with the preparation of the gospel
of peace, and taking in thine hands the shield of faith, and the sword
of the sp