X. 8. 494 Job's exceeding Moderation and Humbleness. HOMIL. furnace, that they stood up against a tyrant. But hear what they say, We serve not thy Gods, nor worship the image 1 Dan. which thou hast set up1. A thing which was the greatest 3, 18. encouragement to them, to know of a certainty that for God they are suffering all whatsoever they suffer. But this man knew not that it was all conflicts, and a wrestling; for had he known it, he would not have felt what was happening. At any rate, when he heard, Thinkest thou that I have uttered to thee mine oracles for nought, or that thou mightest be 2 Job 40, proved righteous?? consider how straightway, at a bare word, he breathed again, how he made himself of no account, how he accounted himself not so much as to have suffered what he had suffered, thus saying, Why do I plead any more, being admonished and reproved of the Lord, hearing Job 40, such things, I being nothing? And again, I have heard of Thee before, as far as hearing of the ear; but now mine eye hath seen Thee; wherefore I have made myself vile, and have *Job 42, melted away; and I account myself earth and ashes1. 3.LXX. 4.LXX. 5.6. LXX. This fortitude then, this moderation, of him that was before Law and Grace, let us also emulate, who are after Law and Grace; that we may also be able to share with him the eternal tabernacles; unto which may we all attain, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be the glory and the victory for ever and ever. Amen. HOMILY XXXIV. MATT. X. 23. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into the other; for verily I say unto you, ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of Man be come. HAVING spoken of those fearful and horrible things, enough to melt very adamant, which after His Cross, and Resurrection, and Assumption, were to befal them, He directs again His discourse to what was of more tranquil character, allowing those whom He is training to recover breath, and affording them full security. For He did not at all command them, when persecuted, to close with the enemy, but to fly. That is, it being so far but a beginning, and a prelude, He gave His discourse a very condescending turn. For not now of the ensuing persecutions is He speaking, but of those before the Cross and the Passion. And this He shewed by saying, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of Man be come. That is, lest they should say, "What then, if when persecuted we flee, and there again they overtake us, and drive us out?"—to destroy this fear, He saith, "Ye shall not have gone round Palestine first, but I will straightway come upon you." And see how here again He doeth not away with the terrors, but stands by them in their perils. For He said not, 66 I will snatch you out, and will put an end to the persecutions;" but what? Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of Man be come. Yea, for it sufficed for their consolation, simply to see Him. HOMIL. v. 26. 496 The Apostles trained to all sorts of Self Denial. 66 But do thou observe, I pray thee, how He doth not on 1, 2. every occasion leave all to grace, but requires something also to be contributed on their part. "For if ye fear," saith He, flee," for this He signified by saying, flee ye, and fear not. And He did not command them to flee at first, but when persecuted to withdraw; neither is it a great distance that He allows them, but so much as to go about the cities of Israel. v. 10. Then again, He trains them for another branch of selfcommand; first, casting out all care for their food: secondly, all fear of their perils; and now, that of calumny. Since from that first anxiety He freed them, by saying, The workman is worthy of his hire, and by signifying that many would receive them; and from their distress about their v.19.22. dangers, by saying, Take no thought how or what ye shall speak, and, He that endureth unto the end, the same shall be saved. v.24,25, 26. But since withal it was likely that they should also bring upon themselves an evil report, which to many seems harder to bear than all; see whence He comforts them even in this case, deriving the encouragement from Himself, and from all that had been said touching Himself; to which nothing else was equal. For as He said in that other place, Ye shall be hated of all men, and added, for My name's sake, so also here. And in another way He mitigates it, joining a fresh topic to that former. What kind of one then is it? The disciple, saith He, is not above his Master, nor the servant above his Lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his Master, and the servant as his Lord. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of His household? Fear them not therefore. See how He discovers Himself to be the Lord and God and Creator of all things. What then? Is there not any disciple above his Master, or servant above his Lord? So long as he is a disciple, and a servant, he is not, by the nature of that honour. For tell me not here of the rare instances, but take the principle from the majority. And He saith not," How much more His servants," but " them of His X. 26. Their Righteousness to be revealed at the Last Day. 497 household, to shew how very near He felt them to be to Him'. MATT. And elsewhere too He said, Henceforth I call you not, γνησι servants; ye are My friends. And He said not, If they have orna insulted the Master of the house, and calumniated Him; but νύμενος states also the very form of the insult, that they called Him 2 John 15, 15. Beelzebub. : Then He gives also another consolation, not inferior to this for this indeed is the greatest; but because for them who were not yet living strictly, there was need also of another, such as might have special power to refresh them, He states it likewise. And the saying seems indeed in form to be an universal proposition, nevertheless not of all matters, but of those in hand only, is it spoken. For what saith He? ἐπιδεικ 14. There is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; nor hid, v. 26. that shall not be known. Now what He saith is like this. It is indeed sufficient for your encouragement, that I also shared with you in the same reproach; I who am your Master and Lord. But if it still grieve you to hear these words, consider this other thing too, that even from this suspicion ye will soon be released. For why do ye grieve? At their calling you sorcerers and deceivers? But wait a little, and all men will address you as saviours, and benefactors of the world. Yea, for time discovers all things that are concealed, it will both refute their false accusation, and make manifest your virtue. For when the event shews you saviours, and benefactors, and examples of all virtue, men will not give heed to their words, but to the real state of the case; and they will appear false accusers, and liars, and slanderers, but ye brighter than the sun, length of time revealing and proclaiming you, and uttering a voice clearer than a trumpet, and making all men witnesses of your virtue. Let not therefore what is now said humble you, but let the hope of the good things to come raise you up. For it cannot be, that what relates to you should be hid. [2.] Then, having rid them of all distress, and fears, and anxiety, and set them above men's reproaches, then, and not till then, He seasonably discourses to them also of boldness in their preaching. For, What I tell you, saith He, in darkness, that speak ye v. 27. 498 Our Lord prophesies the Apostles' Boldness : HOMIL. in light; and what ye have heard in the ear, that preach ye 2. upon the housetops. XXXIV. Yet it was not at all darkness, when He was saying these things; neither was He discoursing unto them in the ear; but He used a strong figure, thus speaking. That is, because He was conversing with them alone, and in a small corner of Palestine, therefore He said, in darkness, and in the ear; contrasting the boldness of speech, which He was hereafter to confer on them, with the tone of the conversation which was then going on. "For not to one, or two, or three cities, but to the whole world ye shall preach," saith He, "traversing land and sea, the inhabited country, and the desert; to princes alike and tribes, to philosophers and orators, say1 you ing all with open face', and with all boldness of speech.' -Therefore, He said, On the house tops, and, In the light, without any shrinking, and with all freedom. λῃ. And wherefore said He not only, Preach on the housetops, and Speak in the light, but added also, What I tell you in darkness, and What ye hear in the ear? It was to raise up their spirits. As therefore when He said, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater 2 John works than these shall he do2; even so here too, to signify 14, 12. that He will do it all by them, and more than by Himself, He inserted this. For "the beginning indeed," saith He, "I have given, and the prelude; but the greater part it is my will to effect through you." Now this is the language of One not commanding only, but also declaring beforehand what was to be, and encouraging them with His sayings, and implying that they should prevail over all, and 3ogur. quietly also removing again their distress at the evil report. TOTOS. For as this doctrine, after lying hid for a while, shall overspread all things, so also the evil suspicion of the Jews shall quickly perish. 3 Then, because He had lifted them up on high, He again gives warning of the perils also, adding wings to their mind, and v. 28. exalting them high above all. For what saith He? Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Seest thou how He set them far above all things, persuading them to despise not anxiety only and calumny, dangers and |