XIV. 8. 254 The Saints suffered for the people's benefit. HOMIL. and led them to repentance, so He doth here also, both to rouse them, and to render the prophet more venerated, that in this way at least they may hear him. Then, since they kept on in a state of incurable madness, and were not to be sobered even by the rest being carried away, he first exhorts them to remain there. But when they kept not up to this, but deserted to Egypt, this indeed He allowed them, Jer. 44, but requires of them not to desert to irreligion as well as to Egypt. But when they did not comply in this either, He sendeth the Prophet along with them, so that they might not ver. 28. after all suffer total wreck. For since they did not follow Him when He called, He next followeth them to discipline them, and hinder their being hurried further into vice, and as a father full of affection does a child who takes all treatment in the same peevish way, conducting him about every where with himself, and following about with him. This was the reason why He sent not Jeremiah only into Egypt, but also Ezekiel into Babylon, and they did not refuse to go. For when they found their Master love the people exceedingly, they continued themselves to do so likewise. Much as if a right minded servant were to take compassion upon an intractable son when he saw his father grieving and lamenting about him. And what was there that they did not suffer for them? They were sawn asunder, they were driven out, they were reproached, they were stoned, they underwent numberless grievances. And after all this they would run back to 1 Sam. them. Samuel, for instance, ceased not to mourn for Saul, 15, 35. miserably insulted as he was by him, and injured irreparably. Still he held none of these things in remembrance. And for the people of the Jews, Jeremiah has composed Lamentations in writing. And when the general of the Persians had given him liberty to dwell securely, and with perfect Jer. 40, freedom, wherever he pleased, he preferred above dwelling at home the affliction of the people, and their hard durance in a strange land. So Moses left the palace and the sort of living therein, and hasted to be among their calamities. And 1 so 5 Daniel abode for twenty days following1 without food, pinchSav. 26 ing himself with a very severe fast, that he might reconcile days. God to them. And the three Children too, when in the furnace, and so fierce a fire, put up a supplication for them. 5. Mss. Dan. 10, 2. Mercifulness of the Saints, our hardness to the poor. 255 6. 8, 25. 12. For it was not on their own account that they were grieved, ROM. as they were saved; but since they considered that then was the time for the greatest boldness of speech, they consequently prayed in their behalf: hence too they said, In Song 16. a contrite heart and an humble spirit let us be accepted. For them Joshua also rent his garments. For them Ezekiel Josh. 7, too wailed and lamented when he saw them cut down. And Ez. 9, 8. Jeremy said, Let me alone, I will weep bitterly. And before I8. 22,4. this, when he did not venture openly to pray for a remittance of their sad estate, he sought for some limited period, when he says, How long, O Lord? For full of affectionateness is the whole race of the saints. Wherefore also St. Paul saith, Put on therefore, as the elect saints of God, bowels of Col. 3, mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind. You see the strict propriety of the word, and how he would have us continually merciful. For he does not say, shew mercy only, but put it on, that like as our garment is always with us, so may mercy be. And he does not say merely mercy, but bowels of mercies, that we may imitate the natural affection of relations. But we do just the contrary, and if any one comes to ask a single penny of us, we insult them, abuse them, call them impostors. Dost thou not shudder, man, and blush to call him an impostor for bread? Why even supposing he is practising imposture, he deserves to be pitied for it, because he is so pressed with famine as to put on such a character. This then is a reproach to our cruelty. For since we had not the heart to bestow with readiness, they are compelled to practise a great many arts, so as to put a cheat off upon our inhumanity, and to soften down our harshness. Now if it was gold and silver that he asked of thee, then there would be some reason in thy suspicions. But if it is necessary food that he comes to thee for, why be shewing wise so unseasonably, and take so over exact an account of him, accusing him of idleness and sloth? For if we must talk in this way, it is not others, but ourselves that we ought to address. When therefore thou art going to God to ask forgiveness for thy sins, then call these words to mind, and thou wilt know thou deservest to have these things said to thee by God, much more than the poor man by thee. And yet God hath never said such words to thee as Stand off, XIV. Η επιθυ μίαν 256 Our prayers too much like the begging of impostors. HOMIL. Since thou art an impostor, always coming to church, and hearing My laws, but when abroad, setting gold, and pleasure', and friendship, and in fact any thing above My commandments. And now thou makest thyself humble, but when thy prayers are over, thou art bold, and cruel, and inhuman. Get thee hence, therefore, and never come to Me any more." Yet this, and more than this, we deserve to have said to us; but still He never did reproach us in any such way, but is longsuffering, and fulfils every thing on His own part, and gives us more than we ask for. Calling this to mind then, let us relieve the poverty of those that beg of us, and if they do impose upon us, let us not be over exact about it. For such a salvation is it that we ourselves require, one with 2- pardon, with kindness, with much mercy along with it. For θρωπίας it is not possible, it certainly is not, if our estate were searched into strictly, that we should ever be saved, but we must needs all be punished and brought to ruin. Let us not then be as bitter judges of others as we can', lest we also get a strict account demanded of us. For we have sins that are too great to plead any excuse. And therefore let us shew more mercy towards those who have committed inexcusable sins, that we also may lay up for ourselves the like mercy beforehand. And yet be as large-hearted as we may, we shall never be able to contribute such love toward man as we stand in need of at the hand of a God that loveth man. How then is it other than monstrous, when we are in need of so many things ourselves, to be over exact with our fellow servants, and do all we can against ourselves? For thou dost not in this way so much prove him unworthy of thy liberality, as thyself of God's love toward man. For he that deals over exactly with his fellow servant, will be the more sure to find the like treatment at God's hand. Let us not speak against ourselves, but even if they come out of idleness or wilfulness", let us bestow. For we also do many sins through wilfulness, or rather we do them all through wilfulness, and yet God * Mar. Igorara, Sav. and Mss. πικροί. a 5 Mss. read xâv di' ägyiav xặv dià paluuiar, which order agrees with the stronger sense here given to paluuía: 'listlessness' is generally too little ex pressive of that readiness to yield to temptations which this word implies. See p. 53. n. but 1 Ms. reads rather all through vice,' xaxíav, which tends to give the other word a lighter sense. 8, 25. Attempt to illustrate Future Glory by comparison. 257 doth not presently call us to punishment, but gives us a set RoM. time for penance, nurturing us day by day, disciplining us, teaching us, supplying us with all other things, that we too may emulate this mercy of His. Let us then quell this cruelty, let us cast out this brutal spirit, as benefitting thereby ourselves rather than others. For to these we give money, and bread, and clothing, but for ourselves we are laying up beforehand very great glory, and such as there is no putting into words. For we receive again our bodies incorruptible, and are glorified together and reign together with Christ. How great this is we shall see from hence-or rather there is no means of making us see it clearly now. But to start from our present blessings, and to get from them at least some kind of scanty notice of it, I will endeavour so far as I may be able to put before you what I have been speaking of. Tell me then, if when you were grown old, and were living in poverty, and any one were to promise suddenly to make you young, and to bring you to the very prime of life, and to render you very strong, and preeminently beautiful, and were to give you the kingdom of the whole earth for a thousand years, a kingdom in a state of the deepest peace, what is there that you would not choose to do and to suffer to gain this promise1? See then Christ promises not this, but much Mar. more than this. For the distance between old age and youth 1 Ms. is not to be compared with the difference of corruption and object. incorruption, nor that of a kingdom and poverty to that of the future glory and the present, but the difference is that of dreams and a reality. Or rather I have yet said nothing to the purpose, since there is no language capable of setting before you the greatness of the difference between things to come and things present. And as for time, there is no place for the idea of difference. For what mode is there for a man to compare with our present state a life that hath no end. And as for the peace, it is as far removed from any present peace, as peace is different from war; and for the incorruption, it is as much better as a clear pearl is than a clod of clay. Or rather, say as great a thing as one may, nothing can put it before you. For were I even to compare the b 4 Mss. pres. Savile's conjecture can hardly be construed, the use of the S present tense is either rhetorical, or like and 258 Men will make sacrifices for earthly rank and office. HOMIL. beauty of our bodies than to the light of the sunbeam, or the XIV. brightest lightning, I shall not yet be saying ought that is worthy of that brilliancy. Now for such things as these, what money so much that it were not worth the while to give up? what bodies, or rather, what souls is it not worth one's while to give up? At present if any one were to lead thee into the palace, and in the presence of all were to give thee an opportunity of conversing with the king, and make thee sit at his table, and join in his fare, thou wouldest call thyself the happiest of men. But when you are to go up to Heaven, and stand by the King of the universe Himself, and to vie with angels in brightness, and to enjoy even that unutterable glory, do you hesitate? And suppose one must need give up property, or put off even life itself, one ought to leap and exult, and mount on wings of pleasure. But you, that you gx may get an office', as a place to pillage from, (for call a thing of this sort gain, I cannot,) put all you have to hazard, and after borrowing of others, will, if need be, pawn your wife and children too without hesitation. But when the kingdom 2 axis of Heaven is set before you, that office2 which hath none to supersede you in it, and God bids you take not a part of a corner of the earth, but the whole of Heaven entirely, are you hesitating, and reluctant, and gaping after money, and forgetful that if the parts of that Heaven which we see are so fair and delightful, how greatly so must the upper Heaven be, and the Heaven of Heaven? But since we have as yet no means of seeing this with our bodily eyes, ascend in thy thought, and standing above this Heaven, look up unto that Heaven beyond this, into that height without a bound, into that Light surcharged with awe, into the crowds of the Angels, into the endless ranks of Archangels, into the rest of the incorporeal Powers. And then lay hold again of the image thereof we have, after coming down from above, and make a sketch of the estate of a king with us, as his men in gold armour, and his pairs of white mules proudly decked with gold, and his chariots set with jewels, and his snow-like d Or lives, but see above, p. 221. where the spirit seems to be considered apart from the soul. See Augustine's Confessions, p. 250. Trans. Clem. Recog. iii. 75. Aristot. Metaph. p. 997. 15. p. 1072. 23. Bekker. © Aiboxóλanra, v. Jungerm. ad Polluc. x. 145. |