130

Covetousness akin to Sensuality.

HOMIL. that pursues. He honours not so much his pursuer as his IX. 9. despiser; no one doth he so laugh to scorn, as them that desire him; nor doth he only laugh them to scorn, but wraps round them also innumerable bonds.

Be it ours then, however late, to loose these grievous chains. Why bring thy reasonable soul into bondage to brute matter, to the mother of those untold evils? But, O the absurdity! that while we are warring against it in words, it makes war with us by deeds, and leads and carries us every where about, insulting us as purchased with money, and meet for the lash; and what can be more disgraceful and dishonourable than this?

Again; if we do not get the better of senseless forms of matter, how shall we have the advantage of the incorporeal Powers? If we despise not vile earth and abject stones, how shall we bring into subjection the Principalities and Authorities? How shall we practise temperance? I mean, if silver dazzle and overpower us, when shall we be able to hurry by a fair face? For, in fact, some are so sold under this tyranny, as be moved somehow even at the mere show of the gold, and in playfulness to say, that the very eyes are the better for a gold coin coming in sight. But make not such jests, whoever thou art; for nothing so injures the eyes, both those of the body and those of the soul, as the lust of these things. For instance; it was this grievous longing that put out the lamps of those Virgins, and cast them out of the bride-chamber. This sight, which (as thou saidst) "doeth good to the eyes," suffered not the wretched Judas to hearken unto the Lord's voice, but led him even to the halter, made him burst asunder in the midst; and, after all that, conducted him on to Hell.

What then can be more lawless than this? what more horrible? I do not mean the substance of riches, but the unseasonable and frantic desire of them? Why, it even drops human gore, and looks murder, and is fiercer than any wild beast, tearing in pieces them that fall in its way, and what is much worse, it suffers them not even to have any sense of being so mangled. For reason would that those who are so treated should stretch forth their hand to them that pass by, and call them to their assistance; but these are even thankful for such rendings of their flesh, than which what can be more wretched?

Prayer against Covetousness.

131

Let us then, bearing in mind all these things, flee the MATT. incurable disease; let us heal the wounds it hath made, and withdraw ourselves from such a pest: in order that both here we may live a secure and untroubled life, and attain to the future treasures; ['unto which God grant that we may all attain,] by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom unto the Father together with the Holy Ghost be glory, might, honour, now and ever, and world without end. Amen.

f Om. in one or two manuscripts.

132

Meaning of the Phrase, In those Days.

HOMILY X.

HOMIL.

X.

1, 2.

24, 3.

MATT. iii. 1, 2.

In those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa, and saying, Repent ye: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

How in those days? For not then, surely, when He was a child, and came to Nazareth, but thirty years after, John cometh; as Luke also testifies. How then is it said, in those days? The Scripture is always wont to use this manner of speech, not only when it is mentioning what occurs in the time immediately after, but also of things which are to come to pass many years later. Thus also, for example, when His disciples came unto Him as He sat on the mount of Olives, and sought to learn about His coming, and the taking 1 Matt. of Jerusalem1: and yet ye know how great is the interval between those several periods. I mean, that having spoken of the subversion of the mother city, and completed His discourse on that subject, and being about to pass to that on the consummation, he inserted, "Then shall these things also come to pass2;" not bringing together the times by the word then, but indicating that time only in which these things were to happen. And this sort of thing he doth now also, saying, In those days. For this is not put to signify the days that come immediately after, but those in which these things were to take place, which he was preparing to relate.

2 Matt. 24, 23.

"But why was it after thirty years," it may be said, "that Jesus came unto His Baptism?" After this baptism He was thenceforth to do away with the Law: wherefore even until this age, which admits of all sins, He continues fulfilling it

Why our Lord came to St. John's Baptism.

133 all; that no one might say, that because He Himself could MATT. II. 1, 2. not fulfil it, He did it away. For neither do all passions assail us at all times; but while in the first age of life there is much thoughtlessness and timidity, in that which comes after it, pleasure is more vehement, and after this again the desire of wealth. For this cause he awaits the fulness of His adult age, and throughout it all fulfils the Law, and so comes to His Baptism, adding it as something which follows upon the complete keeping of all the other commandments.

To prove that this was to Him the last good work of those enjoined by the Law, hear His own words; For thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness1. Now what He saith Matt. is like this: "We have performed all the duties of the Law, 3, 15. we have not transgressed so much as one commandment. Since therefore this only remains, this too must be added, and so shall we fulfil all righteousness." For He here calls by the name of righteousness, the full performance of all the commandments.

[2.] Now that on this account Christ came to His Baptism, is from this evident. But wherefore was this Baptism devised for Him? For that not of himself did the son of Zacharias proceed to this, but of God who moved him, this Luke also declares, when he saith, The word of the Lord came unto him2, that is, His commandment. And he himself too 2 Luke saith, He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said3, 2. to me, Upon Whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending like a dove, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. Wherefore then was he3 1 John sent to baptize? The Baptist again makes this also plain to us, saying, I knew Him not, but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water1.

1, 33.

4 John

And if this was the only cause, how saith Luke, that he 1, 31. came into the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins? And yet it had s Luke not remission, but this gift pertained unto the Baptism that 3, 3. was given afterwards; for in this we are buried with Him, ,6 Col. and our old man was then crucified with Him, and before 2, 12. the Cross there doth not appear remission any where; for 6, 4. every where this is imputed to His Blood. And Paul too

Rom.

X.

2.

134 Relation of St. John's Baptism to Remission of Sins.

HOMIL. Saith, But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, not by the Baptism of John, but in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 11 Cor. and by the Spirit of our God'. And elsewhere too he saith, 6, 11. John verily preached a Baptism of repentance, (he saith not "of remission,") that they should believe on Him that should come after him2. For when the Sacrifice was not yet offered, neither had the Spirit yet come down, nor sin was put away, nor the enmity removed, nor the curse destroyed; how was remission to take place?

2 Acts 19, 4.

What means then, for the remission of sins?

The Jews were senseless, and had never any feeling of their own sins, but while they were justly accountable for the worst evils, they were justifying themselves in every respect; and this more than any thing caused their destruction, and led them away from the faith. This, for example, Paul himself was laying to their charge, when he said, that they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own, had not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God3. And What shall we say then? again : That the Gentiles, 9, 30- which followed not after righteousness, have attained to 5aari righteousness; but Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained unto the law of righteousness, Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works,

3 Rom. 10, 3.

4 Rom.

32.

λαβε

ϋ ἔφθασε

3, 8.

Since therefore this was the cause of their evils, John cometh, doing nothing else but bringing them to a sense of their own sins. This, among other things, his very garb declared, being that of repentance and confession. This was indicated also by what he preached; for nothing else did he 7 Matt. say, but bring forth fruits meet for repentance. Forasmuch then as their not condemning their own sins, as Paul also hath explained, made them start off from Christ, while their coming to a sense thereof would set them upon longing to seek after their Redeemer, and to desire Remission; this John came to bring about, and to persuade them to repent; not in order that they might be punished, but that having become by repentance more humble, and condemning themselves, they might hasten to receive remission.

But let us see how exactly he hath expressed it: how,