Cure for pride, discontent, and despondency. 459 15,10-13 8. 16. 15. 18. have we not forgotten Thee. And if thy well-doings make Roм. thee high, thou wilt hear him say, Enter not into judgment Ps. 143, with thy servant, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no man 2. living be justified, and thou wilt be straightway made lowly. And if thou be a sinner, and hast despaired of thyself, thou wilt hear him continually singing, To-day, if ye will hear His Ps. 95, voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation; and thou wilt be stayed up speedily. And if thou have a crown even on thy head, and art high-minded, thou wilt learn that A king is not saved by a great host, neither shall a giant be Ps. 33, saved by the greatness of his might; and thou wilt find thyself able to be reasonable. If thou be rich, and in reputation, again thou wilt hear him singing, Woe to them Ps. 49, that trust in their own might, and boast themselves in the7. multitude of their riches. And, As for man, his days are as Ps. 103, grass, and as a flower of the field, so shall his prime be over. And, His glory shall not go down with him, after him; and Ps. 49, thou wilt not think any of the things upon the earth are great. For when what is more splendid than all, even glory and power, is so worthless, what else of things on earth is worth accounting of. But art thou in despondency? Hear him saying, Why art thou so sorrowful, O my soul, and why dost Ps.42,6. thou so disturb me? Trust in God, for I will confess unto Him. Or dost thou see men in honour who deserve it not? Fret not thyself at them that do wickedly. For as the grass Ps. 37, shall they be dried up, and as the green herb shall they soon fall away. Dost thou see both righteous and sinners punished? be told that the cause is not the same. For many, he says, are the plagues of sinners. But in the case Ps. 32, of the righteous, he does not say plagues", but, Many are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them out of 20. them all. And again, The death of the sinner is evil. And, Ps. 34, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Ps. 116, These things do thou say continually: by these be instructed. 15. For every single word of this has in it an indiscoverable ocean of meaning. For we have been just running over them only: but if you were minded to give these passages a real1 investi-1 so Ms. Ms. adds Take this remedy.' h Orig. in Rom. 5, 4. Tribulatio proprie sanctorum est impiorum autem... flagella appellantur. Tribulation pro- 1.2. 10. Ps. 34, 22. Sav. ac curate XXVIII. 460 Use of the Psalms frees us from passions. HOMIL. gation, you will see the riches to be great. But at present it is possible even by what I have given, to get cleared of the passions that lie on you. For since he forbids our envying, or being grieved, or despondent out of season, or thinking that riches are any thing, or tribulation, or poverty, or fancying life itself to be any thing, he frees thee from all passions. And for this let us give thanks to God, and let us have our Rom. treasure always in hand, that by patience and comfort of the Scriptures we may have hope, and enjoy the good things to come. Which God grant that we may all attain, by the grace and love toward man of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whom, &c. 15, 4. To HOMILY XXIX. ROM. XV. 14. 15. 14. And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that Roм. ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another'. 1 so most S.Chrys. others Gen- Rom. Rom. Rom. 12, 16. 14, 10. He had said, Inasmuch as I am the Apostle of the tiles, I magnify mine office. He had said, Take heed lest 11, 13. He also spare not thee. He had said, Be not wise in your 11, 21. own conceits; and again, Why dost thou judge thy brother? And, Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? Rom. And several other like things besides. Since then he had Rom. often made his language somewhat harsh, he now heals the 14, 4. wound. And what he said in the beginning, that he doth in the end also. At the beginning he said, I thank my God for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. But here he says, I am persuaded that ye are full of goodness, being able also to admonish others; and this is more than the former. And he does not say, I have heard, but, I am persuaded. And not, I enquire of others to know, but, I myself, that is, I that rebuke, that accuse you. And that ye are full of goodness, this applies to the exhortation lately given. As if he said; it was not as if you were cruel, or haters of your brethren, that I gave you that exhortation, to receive, and to suffer2, and not to destroy the work of God. Mar. For I am aware that ye are full of goodness. But he seems and Ms. to me here to be calling entire virtue by this name. And he neglect' 6 not to 462 St. Paul treats the Romans with gentleness. HOMIL. does not say ye have, but ye are full of, goodness. And the XXIX. sequel is with the same intensitives: filled with all know 9. 1 Cor. 11, 2. 10. ledge. For suppose they had been affectionate, but yet did not know how to treat those they loved properly. This was why he added, all knowledge. Able also to admonish others, not to learn only, but also to teach. Ver. 15. Nevertheless, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort. Observe the lowly-mindedness of Paul, observe his wisdom, how he gave a deep cut in the former part, and then when he had succeeded in what he wished, how he uses much kindliness next. For even without what he has said, this very confession of his having been bold were enough to unstring their vehemency. And this he does in writing to Heb. 6, the Hebrews also, speaking as follows, But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things which belong unto salvation, though we thus speak. And to the Corinthians again in like manner. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. And in writing to the Galatians he Gal. 5, says, I have confidence in you, that ye will be none otherwise minded. And in all parts of his Epistles one may find this to be frequently observed. But here even in a greater degree. For they were in a higher rank, and there was need to bring down their fastidious spirit, not by astringents only, but by laxatives also. For he does this in different ways. Wherefore he says in this place too, I have written the more boldly unto you, and with this even he is not satisfied, but has added, in some sort, that is, gently; and even here he does not pause, but what does he say? As putting you in mind. And he does not say as teaching, nor simply putting Java in mind', but he uses a word2 which means putting you in μνήσκων mind in a quiet way. Observe the end falling in with the - introduction. For as in that passage he said, that your faith Rom. 1, is made known in all the world. So in the end of the Epistle also, For your obedience hath reached unto all. And as in the beginning he said, For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end that ye may be established; that is, that I may be comforted together with you; so here also he said, As putting you in mind. · έπανα 8. Ministers to offer the people as a pure sacrifice. 463 And having come down from the seat of the master, both Rom. there and here, he speaks to them as brethren and friends 15, 16. and of equal rank. And this is quite a Teacher's duty, to give his address that variety which is profitable to the hearers. See then how after saying, I have written the more boldly, and, in some sort, and, as putting you in mind, he was not satisfied even with these, but making his language still more lowly, he proceeds: 14. Because of the grace that is given me of God. As he said at the beginning, I am a debtor. As if he had said, I have Rom. 1, not snatched at the honour myself, neither was I first to leap forward to it, but God commanded this, and this too according unto grace, not as if He had separated me for this office because I deserved it. Do not ye then be exasperated, since it is not I that raise myself up, but it is God that enjoins it. And as he there says, whom I serve in the Gospel of His Son, so also here, after saying, because of the grace given unto me by God, he adds, Ver. 16. That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering1 the Gospel of God. I ingove ingove For after his abundant proof of his statements, he draws his your ta discourse to a more lofty tone, not speaking of mere service, as in the beginning, but of service and priestly ministering. 2aurougFor to me this is a priesthood, this preaching and declaring. γίαν καὶ This is the sacrifice I bring. Now no one will find fault yav with a priest, for being anxious to offer the sacrifice without blemish. And he says this at once to elevate3 their thoughts,3rigāv and shew them that they are a sacrifice, and in apology for his own part in the matter, because he was appointed to this office. For my knife, he says, is the Gospel, the word of the preaching. And the cause is not that I may be glorified, not that I may appear conspicuous, but that the offering up1 of goodothe Gentiles may be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. That is, that the souls of those that are taught by me, may be accepted. For it was not so much to honour me, that God led me to this pitch, as out of a concern for you. And how, he means, are they to become acceptable? In the Holy Ghost. For there is need not only of faith, but also of a spiritual way of life, that we may keep the Spirit that was |