Tertullian — Against Marcion 2.19
But also in the very commerces of life and human conduct at home and abroad he distinguished even to the care of vessels in every way, so that with those legal disciplines meeting everywhere they would not be vacant from regard of God at any moment. For what would make a human blessed more than: in the law of the Lord his will, and in the law of the Lord he will meditate day and night? Which law the author’s hardness did not promulgate, but the reason of highest kindness, rather taming the people’s hardness and hewing a faith rude in obedience with laborious duties—not to touch the hidden significances of the law, spiritual of course and prophetic and figured in almost all arguments. For it is enough for the present if it simply bound the human to God, so that no one ought to reject it except one to whom it does not please to serve God.
To this benefit—not burden—of the law the same goodness of God also ordained prophets, teaching things worthy of God: to remove iniquities from the soul, to learn to do well, to seek judgment, to judge for the orphan and justify the widow, to love inquiries, to flee contact of the wicked, to dismiss a whole controversy, to scatter an unjust writing, to break bread for the hungry and bring into your house one who has no roof, if you see the naked, to cover him and not despise the household of your seed, to restrain the tongue from evil and the lips lest they speak deceit, to turn from evil and do good, to seek peace and pursue it, to be angry and not sin—that is, not to persist in anger or rage—not to go into the council of the impious nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat of the pestilent. But where? See how good and pleasant for brothers to dwell in one, meditating day and night in the Lord’s law, because it is good of course to trust in God rather than trust in a human and to hope in God rather than hope in a human.
For what reward for a human with God? And he will be like a tree planted beside the exits of waters, which will give its fruit in its time, and its leaf will not fall, and all whatever he does will prosper for him. But the innocent and pure in heart, who will not take God’s name in vain and will not swear to his neighbor in deceit—this one will receive blessing from the Lord and mercy from God his savior. For the Lord’s eyes are over those who fear him, hoping in his mercy, to deliver their souls from death—eternal of course—and to nourish them in famine—of eternal life of course. For many are the pressures of the just, and from all the Lord will free them. Honorable is the death in the Lord’s sight of his saints. The Lord will guard all their bones and they will not be broken. The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants. We have brought in these few from such great scriptures of the Creator, and nothing, I think, is now lacking for testimony of the best God—which both precepts of goodness and promises sufficiently seal.
Latin
Sed et in ipsis commerciis uitae et conuersationis humanae domi ac foris adusque curam uasculorum omnifariam distinxit, ut istis legalibus disciplinis occurrentibus ubique nec ullo momento uacarent a dei respectu. quid enim faceret beatum hominem quam: in lege domini uoluntas eius et in lege domini meditabitur die ac nocte? quam legem non duritia promulgauit auctoris, sed ratio summae benignitatis, populi potius duritiam edomantis et rudem obsequio fidem operosis officiis dedolantis, ut nihil de arcanis adtingam significantiis legis, spiritalis scilicet et propheticae et in omnibus paene argumentis figuratae. sufficit enim in praesenti, si simpliciter hominem deo obligabat, ut nemo eam reprobare debeat, nisi cui non placet deo deseruire. ad hoc beneficium, non onus, legis adiuuandum etiam prophetas eadem bonitas dei ordinauit, docentes deo digna: auferre nequitias de anima, discere benefacere, exquirere iudicium, iudicare pupillo et iustificare uiduam, diligere quaestiones, fugere improborum contactum, dimittere conflictam integram, dissipare scripturam iniustam, infringere panem esurienti et tectum non habentem inducere in domum tuam, nudum si uideris, contegere et domesticos seminis tui non despicere, compescere linguam a malo et labia, ne loquantur dolum, declinare a malo et facere bonum, quaerere pacem et sectari eam, irasci et non delinquere, id est in ira non perseuerare siue saeuire, non abire in concilium impiorum nec stare in uia peccatorum nec in cathedra pestilentium sedere. sed ubi? uide quam bonum et iocundum habitare fratres in unum, meditantes die ac nocte in lege domini, quia bonum scilicet fidere in deum quam fidere in hominem et sperare in deum quam sperare in hominem. qualis enim apud deum merces homini? et erit tamquam lignum, quod plantatum est iuxta exitus aquarum, quod fructum suum dabit in tempore suo, et folium eius non decidet et omnia, quaecumque faciet, prosperabuntur illi. innocens autem et purus corde. qui non accipiet in uanum nomen dei et non iurabit ad proximum suum in dolo, iste accipiet benedictionem a domino et misericordiam a deo salutificatore suo. oculi enim domini super timentes eum, sperantes in misericordiam ipsius, ad deliberandas animas eorum de morte, utique aeterna, et nutricandos eos in fame, utique uitae aeternae. multae enim pressurae iustorum, et ex omnibus liberabit eos dominus. honorabilis mors in conspectu domini sanctorum eius. dominus custodibit omnia ossa eorum et non comminuentur. redimet dominus animas seruorum suorum. pauca ista de tantis scripturis creatoris intulimus, et nihil, puto, iam ad testimonium dei optimi deest. quod satis et praecepta bonitatis et promissa consignant.