170

HOMIL. be a shadow and a dream.

19.

4, 5.

Our Danger proportionate to our Privileges. For so, had any king among XII. those on earth, finding thee poor and a beggar, made thee suddenly his son, never wouldest thou have thought upon thy cottage, and thy cottage's mean appointments. Yet surely in that case the difference is not much. Do not then either in this case take account of any of the former things, for thou art called unto much greater. For both He who calls is the Lord of the Angels, and the good things that are given surpass all both word and thought. Since not from earth to earth doth He remove thee, as the king doth, but from earth to heaven, and from a mortal nature to an immortal, and to glory unspeakable, then only possible to be properly manifested, when we shall actually enjoy it.

Now then, having to partake of such blessings, do I see thee minding money, and clinging to the pomp which is here? And dost thou not esteem all that is seen to be more vile than beggar's rags? And how wilt thou appear worthy of this honour? And what excuse wilt thou have to plead? or rather, what punishment wilt thou not have to suffer, who after so great a Gift art running to thy former vomit? For no longer art thou punished merely as a man, but as a son of God that hath sinned; and the greatness of thy honour becomes a mean of bringing a sorer punishment on thee. Since we too punish not equally slaves that do wrong, and sons committing the same offence; and most of all when they have received some great kindness from us.

For if he who had Paradise for his portion, for one disobedience underwent such dreadful things after his honour; we, who have received Heaven, and are become joint heirs with the Only Begotten, what excuse shall we have, for running to the Serpent after the Dove? For it will be no 1 Gen. 3, longer, Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return1, and thou tillest the ground2, and those former words, that will be said to us; but what is far more grievous than these, the outer darkness", the bonds that may not be burst, the venomous worm, the gnashing of teeth; and this with great reason. For he that is not made better even by so great a benefit, would justly suffer the most extreme, and a yet more grievous punishment.

2 Gen. 4,

12.

3 Matt.

25, 30.

Elias once opened and shut Heaven, but that was to bring

Folly and Scandal of laying up Treasures here. 171

III. 16.

down rain, and restrain it; whereas to thee the Heaven is MATT. not so opened, but in order for thee to ascend thither; and what is yet more, not to ascend only, but to lead up others also, if thou wilt; such great confidence and power hath He bestowed on thee in all that is His.

[5.] Forasmuch then as our house is there, there let us store up all, and leave nothing here, lest we lose it. For here, though thou put a lock on it, and doors, and bars, and set thousands of servants to watch it; though thou get the better of all the crafty ones, though thou escape the eyes of the envious, the worms, the wasting that comes of time;-which is impossible;-death at any rate thou wilt never escape, but wilt be deprived of all those things in one moment of time; and not deprived of them only, but wilt have to transfer them into the hands often of thy very enemies. Whereas if thou wouldest transfer them into That House, thou wilt be far above all. For there is no need to apply either key, or doors, or bars; such is the virtue of that City, so inviolable is this place, and by nature inaccessible to corruption and all wickedness.

How then is it not of the utmost folly, where destruction and waste is the lot of all that is stored, there to heap up all, but where things abide untouched and increase, there not to lay up even the least portion; and this, when we are to live there for ever? For this cause the very Heathens disbelieve the things that we say, since our doings, not our sayings, are the demonstration which they are willing to receive from us; and when they see us building ourselves fine houses, and laying out gardens and baths, and buying fields, they are not willing to believe that we are preparing for another sort of residence away from our city.

"For if this were so," say they, "they would turn to money all they have here, and lay them up beforehand there;" and this they divine from the things that are done in this world. For so we see those who are very rich getting themselves houses and fields and all the rest, chiefly in those cities in which they are to stay. But we do the contrary; and with all earnest zeal we get possession of the earth, which we are soon after to leave; giving up not money only, but even our very blood for a few acres and tenements: while for the purchase of

172 Christian Men's Avarice, the Ruin of the Heathen.

HOMIL. Heaven we do not endure to give even what is beyond our

XII.

5.

wants, and this though we are to purchase it at a small price, and to possess it for ever, provided we had once purchased it.

Therefore I say we shall suffer the utmost punishment, departing thither naked and poor; or rather it will not be for our own poverty that we shall undergo these irremediable calamities, but also for our making others to be such as ourselves. For when Heathens see them that have partaken of so great Mysteries earnest about these matters, much more will they cling themselves to the things present. Wherefore even from this we are heaping much fire upon our head. For when we, who ought to teach them to despise all things that appear, do ourselves most of all men urge them to the lust of these things; when shall it be possible for us to be saved, having to give account for the perdition of others? Hearest thou not Christ say, that He left us to be for salt and for lights in this world, in order that we may both brace up those that are melting in luxury, and enlighten them that are darkened by the care of wealth? When therefore we even cast them into more thorough darkness, and make them more dissolute, what hope shall we have of salvation? There is none at all; but wailing and gnashing our teeth, and bound hand and foot, we shall depart into the fire of Hell, after being full well worn down by the cares of riches.

Considering then all these things, let us loose the bands of such deceit, that we may not at all fall into those things, which deliver us over to the unquenchable fire. For he that is a slave to money, the chains both here and there will have him continually liable to them; but he that is rid of this desire will attain to freedom from both. Unto which that we also may attain, let us break in pieces the grievous yoke of avarice, and make ourselves wings toward Heaven; by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory and might for ever and ever. Amen.

Why the baptized must expect Temptations. 173

HOMILY XIII.

MATT. iv. 1.

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil.

A

MATT.

THEN. When? After the descent of the Spirit, after the Voice that was borne from above, and said, This is My Be- IV. 1. loved Son, in Whom I am well pleased. And what was marvellous, it was of the Holy Spirit: for This, he here saith, led Him up. For since with a view to our instruction He both did and underwent all things; He endures also to be led up thither, and to wrestle against the Devil: in order that each of those who are baptized, if after his baptism he have to endure greater temptations, may not be troubled as if the result were unexpected, but may continue to endure all nobly, as though it were happening in the natural course of things.

Yea, for therefore thou didst take up arms, not to be idle, but to fight. For this cause neither doth God hinder the temptations as they come on, first to teach thee that thou art become much stronger; next, that thou mayest continue modest, neither be exalted even by the greatness of thy Gifts, the temptations having power to repress thee; moreover, in order that that wicked demon, who is for a while doubtful about thy desertion of him, by the touchstone of temptations may be well assured that thou hast utterly forsaken and fallen from him; fourthly, that thou mayest in this way be made stronger, and better tempered than any steel; fifthly, that thou mayest obtain a clear demonstration of the treasures entrusted to thee.

HOMIL.

XIII.

1, 2.

174 Circumstances of our Lord's Temptation explained.

For the Devil would not have assailed thee, unless he had seen thee brought to greater honour. Hence, for example, from the beginning, he attacked Adam, because he saw him in the enjoyment of great dignity. For this reason he arrayed himself against Job, because he saw him crowned and proclaimed by the God of all.

How then saith He, Pray that ye enter not into tempta1 Matt. tion1. For this cause he doth not shew thee Jesus simply 26, 41. going up, but led up according to the principle of the * xarà Economy2; signifying obscurely by this, that we ought not of ourselves to leap upon it, but being dragged thereto, to stand manfully.

You Tus οίκονομίας

1, 13.

And see whither the Spirit led Him up, when He had taken Him; not into a city and forum, but into a wilderness. That is, He being minded to attract the Devil, gives him a handle not only by His hunger, but also by the place. For then most especially doth the Devil assail, when he sees men left alone, and by themselves. Thus did he also set upon the woman in the beginning, having caught her alone, and found her apart from her husband. Just as when he sees us with others and banded together, he is not equally confident, and makes no attack. Wherefore we have the greatest need on this very account to be flocking together continually, that we may not be open to the Devil's attacks.

[2.] Having then found Him in the wilderness, and in a pathless wilderness, (for that the wilderness was such, Mark 3 Mark hath declared, saying, that He was with the wild beasts3) behold with how much craft he draws near, and wickedness; and for what sort of opportunity he watches. For not in his fast, but in his hunger he approaches Him; to instruct thee how great a good fasting is, and how it is a most powerful shield against the Devil, and that after the Font, men should give themselves up, not to luxury and drunkenness, and a full table, but to fasting. For, for this cause even He fasted, not as needing it Himself, but to instruct us. Thus, since our sins before the Font were brought in by serving the belly: much as if any one who had made a sick man whole were to forbid his doing those things, from which the distemper arose; so we see here likewise that He Himself after the Font brought in fasting. For indeed both Adam by the incon