Early Church Fathers Scripture Index : Texts
Proverbs 2:20
There are 2 footnotes for this reference.
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 5, page 151, footnote 10 (Image)
Augustine: Anti-Pelagian Writings
A Treatise on Nature and Grace. (HTML)
God Enjoins No Impossibility, Because All Things are Possible and Easy to Love. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 1356 (In-Text, Margin)
... and then it is not grievous. But he possesses love if he does what is there enjoined on Israel, by returning to the Lord his God with all his heart and with all his soul. “A new commandment,” says He, “do I give unto you, that ye love one another;” and “He that loveth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law;” and again, “Love is the fulfilling of the law.” In accordance with these sayings is that passage, “Had they trodden good paths, they would have found, indeed, the ways of righteousness easy.”[Proverbs 2:20] How then is it written, “Because of the words of Thy lips, I have kept the paths of difficulty,” except it be that both statements are true: These paths are paths of difficulty to fear; but to love they are easy?
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 11, page 542, footnote 3 (Image)
Sulpitius Severus, Vincent of Lerins, John Cassian
The Works of John Cassian. (HTML)
The Conferences of John Cassian. Part III. Containing Conferences XVIII.-XXIV. (HTML)
Conference XXIV. Conference of Abbot Abraham. On Mortification. (HTML)
Chapter XXIV. Why the Lord's yoke is felt grievous and His burden heavy. (HTML)
... with thee, saith the Lord.” How then is it that the wondrous sweetness of the Lord’s yoke is felt to be bitter, but because the bitterness of our dislike injures it? How is it that the exceeding lightness of the Divine burden becomes heavy, but because in our obstinate presumption we despise Him by whom it was borne, especially as Scripture itself plainly testifies to this very thing saying: “For if they would walk in right paths, they would certainly have found the paths of righteousness smooth”?[Proverbs 2:20] It is plain, I say, that it is we, who make rough with the nasty and hard stones of our desires the right and smooth paths of the Lord; who most foolishly forsake the royal road made stony with the flints of apostles and prophets, and trodden down ...