Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IX/The Epistles of Clement/The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians/Chapter 33

Chapter XXXIII.&#8212;But Let Us Not Give Up the Practice of Good Works and Love.&#160; God Himself is an Example to Us of Good Works.

What shall we do, then, brethren?&#160; Shall we become slothful in well-doing, and cease from the practice of love?&#160; God forbid that any such course should be followed by us!&#160; But rather let us hasten with all energy and readiness of mind to perform every good work.&#160; For the Creator and Lord of all Himself rejoices in His works.&#160; For by His infinitely great power He established the heavens, and by His incomprehensible wisdom He adorned them.&#160; He also divided the earth from the water which surrounds it, and fixed it upon the immovable foundation of His own will.&#160; The animals also which are upon it He commanded by His own word into existence.&#160; So likewise, when He had formed the sea, and the living creatures which are in it, He enclosed them [within their proper bounds] by His own power.&#160; Above all, with His holy and undefiled hands He formed man, the most excellent [of His creatures], and truly great through the understanding given him&#8212;the express likeness of His own image.&#160; For thus says God:&#160; &#8220;Let us make man in our image, and after our likeness.&#160; So God made man; male and female He created them.&#8221; &#160; Having thus finished all these things, He approved them, and blessed them, and said, &#8220;Increase and multiply.&#8221; &#160; We see, then, how all righteous men have been adorned with good works, and how the Lord Himself, adorning Himself with His works, rejoiced.&#160; Having therefore such an example, let us without delay accede to His will, and let us work the work of righteousness with our whole strength.