2-25. _And purify your souls, through obedience of the truth in
the Spirit, to unfeigned love of the brethren, and have fervent love
toward one another, out of pure hearts, as those who have been born
again, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, namely, of the
living word of God, which endures forever. For all flesh is as grass,
and all the glory of man like the flower of grass. The grass
withereth and the flower thereof falleth away, but the word of the
Lord endureth forever; and this is the word which is preached unto
you._

Paul, in Gal. v., points out the fruits which follow faith. The
fruits of the Spirit, he says, are joy, peace, long-suffering,
kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. So St. Peter speaks
here of the fruit of faith,--to wit, that we should purify our souls,
through obedience to the truth in the Spirit. For where there is real
faith it brings the body in subjection to itself, and controls the
fleshly lust; and although it does not entirely destroy it, yet it
makes it subject and obedient to the Spirit, and holds it in check.
St. Paul implies the same thing when he speaks of the fruits of the
Spirit. It is a great achievement that the Spirit should attain
control over the flesh, and restrain the evil lust which descends to
us from our parents: for it is not possible that we should succeed
without grace in leading a chaste life in the married state, to say
nothing of the unmarried.

But why does he say then, purify your souls? He is well aware that
the desires of the flesh remain with us after baptism, even to the
grave. Therefore it is not enough that a person should refrain from
works and remain pure outwardly, while he permits evil lusts to
cleave to his heart, but must thereafter beware that the soul be
pure, as well as whatever proceeds out of the heart, and that the
soul be opposed to these wicked lusts and desires, and continually
contend therewith, until it is free from their power.

And here he adjoins an excellent provision: that we should purify our
souls,[3] _through obedience to the truth in the Spirit_. Much has
been preached on chastity, and many books have been composed on the
subject. They have said, we should fast for so long a time, we should
not eat flesh, we should not drink wine, etc., that we may be free
from temptation. These things may perhaps have aided somewhat to that
end, but it has not been enough, it has not subdued lust.

[Footnote 3: Make them c