Commodian — Instructiones 31
If place or time favors or a person advances, be judge of yourself. Why are you lifted from that? You blaspheme, untaught: from whose bounty you live, in such frailty you never look back. By rank and greedy gains you presume on fortune; you have no law, nor count yourself worthy in prosperity — though you dine in gold with a piping crowd always. If you have not adored the crucified Lord, you have perished. Place and time and person are granted you — now if you believe; but if not, you will fear for that. Temper yourself to Christ and lay your neck down to him: that honor remains and the whole trust of things. When time now flatters you, be more wary, not foreseeing the last of the fates that must meet you. Without Christ you never even manage to have lived.
Latin
31 SIBI PLACENTIBUS. Si locus aut tempus fauet aut persona prouenit, Iudex esto tuus. Quod nunc extolleris inde? Blasphema<s>, indocilis: de cuius praestantia uiuis, In fragilitate tanta non respicis umquam. Per gradu<m> et lucra auidus fortunae praesumis, Lex tibi non ulla est, nec te in prosperitate dignos Auro licet cenes cum turba choraulica semper Cruciarium Dominum si non adorasti, peristi. Et locus et tempus et persona tibi donatur, Nunc si tamen credis; sin autem, pro eo timebis. Tempera te Christo et ceruicem illi depone: Isti honor remanet et tota fiducia rerum. Blanditur quando tibi tempus nunc, cautior esto, Ultima fatorum non prouidens, quae te oportet. Sine Christo nec uixisse te conpotis unquam.