XXIV. 8. 4. 372 The Persecuted happier than the Persecutors, HOMIL. and refreshment, and instead thereof undergoing punishment? For that they too, who follow after wickedness, do labour, is surely manifest to every one: since both the extortioner, and the adulterer, and the false accuser, toil and weary themselves much to bring their wickedness to effect; but so far from reaping any profit from these their labours, they rather undergo great loss. For Paul too intimated this when he said, He that soweth to his flesh, shall of his flesh reap 1 Gal. 6, corruption'. To this man are they like also, who build on the sand; as those that are given up to fornication, to wantonness, to drunkenness, to anger, to all the other things. Such an one was Ahab, but not such Elijah: (since when we have put virtue and vice along side of one another, we shall know more accurately the difference :) for the one had built upon the rock, the other on the sand; wherefore though he were a king, he feared and trembled at the Prophet, at him that had only his sheepskin. Such were the Jews, but not the Apostles; and so though they were few and in bonds, they exhibited the stedfastness of the rock; but those, many as they were, and in armour, the weakness of the sand. Acts For so they said, What shall we do to these men2? Seest thou those in perplexity, not who are in the hands of others, and bound, but who are active in holding down and binding? And what can be more strange than this? Hast thou hold of the other, and art yet in utter perplexity? Yes, and very naturally. For inasmuch as they had built all on the sand, therefore also were they weaker than all. For this cause also they said again, What do ye, seeking to bring this man's 3 Acts blood upon us3? What saith he? Dost thou scourge, and art thou in fear? entreatest thou despitefully, and art in dismay? Dost thou judge, and yet tremble? So feeble is wickedness. 4, 16. 5, 28. But the Apostles not so, but how? We cannot but speak Acts the things which we have seen and heard1. Seest thou a 4, 20. noble spirit? seest thou a rock laughing waves to scorn? seest thou a house unshaken? And what is yet more marvellous; so far from turning cowards themselves at the plots formed against them, they even took more courage, and cast the others into greater anxiety. For so he that smites adamant, is himself the one smitten; and he that kicks against the pricks, is himself the one pricked, the one on even here; by their own Confession. 373 VII.26. whom the severe wounds fall: and he who is forming plots MATT. against the virtuous, is himself the one in jeopardy. For wickedness becomes so much the weaker, the more it sets itself in array against virtue. And as he who wraps up fire in a garment, extinguishes not the flame, but consumes the garment; so he that is doing despite to virtuous men, and oppressing them, and binding them, makes them more glorious, but destroys himself. For the more ills thou sufferest, living righteously, the stronger art thou become; since the more we honour self-restraint, the less we need any thing; and the less we need any thing, the stronger we grow, and the more above all. Such a one was John; wherefore him no man pained, but he caused pain to Herod; so he that had nothing prevailed against him that ruled; and he that wore a diadem, and purple, and endless pomp, trembles, and is in fear of him that is stripped of all, and not even when beheaded could he without fear see his head. For that even after his death he had the terror of him in full strength, hear what He saith, This is John, whom I slew'. Now1 Matt. 14, 2. the expression, I slew, is that of one not exulting, but Luke 9, soothing his own terror, and persuading his troubled soul to 9. call to mind, that he himself slew him. So great is the force of virtue, that even after death it is more powerful than the living. For this same cause again, when he was living, they that possessed much wealth came unto him, and said, What shall we do2? Is so much yours, and are ye minded to learn? Luke 3,10.14. the way of your prosperity from him that hath nothing? the rich from the poor? the soldiers from him that hath not even a house? Such an one was Elias too: wherefore also with the same freedom did he discourse to the people. For as the former said, Ye generation of vipers3; so this latter, How long will ye halt upon both your hips? And the one said, Hast thou killed, and inherited? the other, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother Philip's wife". Matt. 3, 7. 6 LXX. 51 Kings LXX. Seest thou the rock? Seest thou the sand; how easily it sinks down, how it yields to calamities? how it is overthrown, Mark though it have the support of royalty, of number, of nobility? For them that pursue it, it makes more senseless than all. 374 Present Burthen and Penalty of Sin. XXIV. HOMIL. And it doth not merely fall, but with great calamity: for great indeed, He saith, was the fall of it. The risk not being of trifles, but of the soul, of the loss of Heaven, and those immortal blessings. Or rather even before that loss, no life so wretched as he must live that follows after this; dwelling with continual despondencies, alarms, cares, anxieties; which a certain wise man also was intimating when he said, The 1 Prov. wicked fleeth, when no man is pursuing1. For such men tremble at their shadows, suspect their friends, their enemies, their servants, such as know them, such as know them not; and before their punishment, suffer extreme punishment here. And to declare all this, Christ said, And great was the fall of it; shutting up these good commandments with that suitable ending, and persuading even by the things present the most unbelieving to flee from vice. 28, 1. For although the argument from what is to come be vaster, yet is this of more power to restrain the grosser sort, and to withdraw them from wickedness. Wherefore also he ended with it, that the profit thereof might make its abode in them. Conscious therefore of all these things, both the present, and the future, let us flee from vice, let us emulate virtue, that we may not labour fruitlessly and at random, but may both enjoy the security here, and partake of the glory there: unto which God grant we may all attain, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be the glory and the might for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Why the Multitudes followed our Lord. HOMILY XXV. 375 MATT. vii. 28. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine. YET was it rather natural for them to grieve at the unplea- HOMIL. santness of His sayings, and to shudder at the loftiness of XXV. His injunctions; but now so great was the power of the Teacher, that many of them were even caught thereby, and thrown into very great admiration, and persuaded by reason of the sweetness of His sayings, not even when He ceased to speak, to depart from Him at all afterwards. For neither did the hearers depart, He having come down from the mountain, but even then the whole auditory followed Him; so great a love for His sayings had He instilled into them. But they were astonished most of all at His authority. For not with reference to another, like the Prophet and Moses, did He say what He said; but every where indicating Himself to be the person that had the power of deciding. For so, when setting forth His laws, He still kept adding, But I say unto you. And in reminding them of that Day, He declared Himself to be the Judge, both by the punishments, and by the honours. And yet it was likely that this too would disturb them. For if, when they saw Him by His works shewing forth His authority, the Scribes were for stoning and persecuting Him; XXV. 1, 2. 376 How He alternates His Miracles with His Doctrine. HOMIL. While there were words only to prove this, how was it other than likely for them to be offended? and especially when at first setting out these things were said, and before He had given proof of His own power? But however, they felt nothing of this; for when the heart and mind is candid, it is easily persuaded by the words of the truth. And this is just why one sort, even when the miracles were proclaiming His power, were offended; while the other on hearing mere words were persuaded and followed Him. This, I would Matt. 8, add, the Evangelist too is intimating, when he saith, great multitudes followed Him, not any of the rulers, nor of the Scribes, but as many as were free from vice, and had their judgment uncorrupted. And throughout the whole Gospel thou seest that such clave unto Him. For both while He spake, they used to listen in silence, not making any intrusion, nor breaking in upon the connexion of His sayings, nor tempting Him, and desiring to find a handle like the Pharisees; and after His exhortation they followed Him again, marvelling. 1. v. 2. But do thou mark, I pray thee, the Lord's consideration, how He varies the mode of profiting His hearers, after miracles entering on words, and again from the instruction by His words passing to miracles. Thus, both before they went up into the mountain, He healed many, preparing the way for His sayings; and after finishing that long discourse to the people, He comes again to miracles, confirming what had been said by what was done. And so, because He was teaching as One having authority, lest His so teaching should be thought boasting and arrogant, He doth the very same in His works also, as having authority to heal; that they might no more be perplexed at seeing Him teach in this way, when He was working His miracles also in the same. [2.] For when He was come down from the mountain, there came a leper, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. Great was the understanding and the faith of him who so drew near. For he did not interrupt the teaching, nor break through the auditory, but awaited the proper time, and approaches Him when He is come down. And not at random, but with much earnestness, and at His knees, he |