and received the crown which the other lost.
Likewise Judas, the impious, who betrayed the Saviour,
hung himself straightway in a snare;
and Matthias the humble was exalted afterward,
and chosen as apostle after Christ's resurrection,
and hath the worship which that atrocious man lost
through his own treachery, when he sold his Creator.
We know not if the warder were ever baptized,
but we know, however, what wise doctors have said,
that every one of those who are killed for the faith of Christ
is truly baptized when he dieth for God,
and is washed in his own blood from the stains of his sins,
and liveth with the Lord for Whom he gave up his life;
God hath no need that we should do good works,
neither commandeth He anything for His own need,
but it profiteth ourselves, whatsoever He biddeth us,
and we are happy if we obey our Creator,
and if we love Him alone above all things.
He who forsaketh Him, verily he shall perish;
nevertheless it liketh our dear Lord
that we should perform His will by our works,
and thereby merit eternal life with Him.
The Apostle Paul set down in his Epistle [i Cor. iii. ]
that we are verily our Creator's helpers,
so that our Lord doth, through His chosen (ones),
many things in the world, and notwithstanding ever helpeth them;
wherefore men may not think in their minds
[that there is] any goodness except it come from God,
nor [may they] do anything good without God's help.
He is so mighty a worker that He can turn
evil to good through His goodness.
Great evilness was there in Jewish men
when they laid snares, with dark thought,
how they might kill Christ; and that turned to our healing
