he is neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm, although I swallow him, I shall vomit him out of my mouth." He is warm, and not lukewarm, who zealously begins good, and also completes it. But he is cold who does not begin any good. And as that which is cold begins to be lukewarm before it becomes quite warm, so also that which is warm becomes lukewarm before it is altogether cold. So also he who relinquishes the coldness of unbelief, and becomes of lukewarm faith, and will not overcome his lukewarmness, and get warm till he boils. Without doubt, he who continues too long and fixedly in lukewarm faith, despairs of ever being able to boil, until he becomes completely cold; and although he believes when he is cold that he can be warm, he despairs when he is lukewarm, if he remains too long in that condition. So also he who still remains in sin has not relinquished the faith and hope of his conversion; but he who, after his conversion, remains too long lukewarm, has his hope diminished which he entertained when he was sinful. Therefore God requires every man to be either hot or cold, lest he be vomited up because of his lukewarmness. He who is cold thinks to become warm, and he who is warm boils with virtues, lest he be tepid from lukewarmness, and therefore be vomited up. Because all water is less sweet to drink after being warm, if it cools again, than it was before it ever began to be made lukewarm.
LIX. That in one way are to be admonished those who do evil secretly, and good openly; in another those who try to hide the good they do, and to a certain extent openly show that they wish men to think they are bad.
In one way are to be admonished those who do evil secretly, and good openly; in another those who hide the good they do, and do not care what men think of them. Those are to be admonished who do evil secretly, and good openly, to consider how quickly earthly fame passes away, and how firmly divine fame lasts. They are to be admonished to fix the eyes of their mind on the end of things, and see how human glory departs very quickly, and how the sublime and eternal Judge knows all secret sins, and is always ready to requite them.
