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554

Christ's Yoke easy, compared with Sin's.

HOMIL. called it easy; both named a burden, and added that it was 3-5. light; that thou shouldest neither flee from them as toilsome,

XXXVIII.

nor despise them as over easy.

But if even after all this, virtue seem to thee an irksome thing, consider that vice is more irksome. And this very thing He was intimating, in that He said not first, Take My yoke upon you, but before that, Come, ye that labour and are heavy laden; implying that sin too hath labour, and a burden that is heavy and hard to bear. For He said not only, Ye that labour, but also, "that are heavy laden." This the Prophet too was speaking of, when in that description of her nature, As an heavy burden they weighed heavy 1 Ps. 38, upon me1. And Zacharias too, describing her, saith she is A talent of lead 2.

4.

2 Zech.

5, 7.8.

And this moreover experience itself proves. For nothing so weighs upon the soul, and presses it down, as consciousness of sin; nothing so much gives it wings, and raises it on high, as the attainment of righteousness and virtue.

And mark it: what is more grievous, I pray thee, than to have no possessions? to turn the cheek, and when smitten not to smite again? to die by a violent death? Yet nevertheless, if we practise self-command, all these things are light and easy, and pleasurable.

But be not disturbed; rather let us take up each of these, and enquire about it accurately; and if ye will, that first which many count most painful. Which then of the two, tell me, is grievous and burdensome, to be in care for one belly, or to be anxious about ten thousand? To be clothed with one outer garment, and seek for nothing more; or having many in one's house, to bemoan one's self every day and night in fear, in trembling, about the preservation of them, grieved, and ready to choke about the loss of them; lest one should be moth-eaten, lest a servant purloin and go off with them?

[4.] But whatever I may say, my speech will present no such proof as the actual trial. Wherefore I would there were present here with us some one of those who have attained unto that summit of self-restraint, and then you would know assuredly the delight thereof; and that none of those that are enamoured of voluntary poverty would accept wealth, though ten thousand were to offer it.

The Cases of voluntary Poverty and Martyrdom. 555

XI. 37.

But would these, say you, ever consent to become poor, MATT. and to cast away the anxieties which they have? And what of that? This is but a proof of their madness and grievous disease, not of any thing very pleasurable in the thing. And this even themselves would testify to us, who are daily lamenting over these their anxieties, and accounting their life to be not worth living. But not so those others; rather they laugh, leap for joy, and the wearers of the diadem do not so glory, as they do in their poverty.

Again, to turn the cheek is, to him that gives heed, a less grievous thing than to smite another; for from this the contest hath beginning, in that termination: and whereas by the former thou hast kindled the other's pile too, by the latter thou hast quenched even thine own flames. But that not to be burnt is a pleasanter thing than to be burnt, is surely plain to every man. And if this hold in regard of bodies, much more in a soul.

And whether is lighter, to contend, or to be crowned? to fight, or to have the prize? and to endure waves, or to run into harbour? Therefore also, to die is better than to live. For the one withdraws us from waves and dangers, while the other adds unto them, and makes a man subject to numberless plots and distresses, which have made life not worth living in thine account.

And if thou disbelievest our sayings, hearken to them that have seen the countenances of the martyrs in the time of their conflicts, how when scourged and flayed, they were exceeding joyful and glad, and when exposed upon hot irons, rejoiced, and were glad of heart, more than such as lie upon a bed of roses. Wherefore Paul also said, when he was at the point of departing hence, and closing his life by a violent death, I joy and rejoice with you all; for the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me1. Seest thou with what' Phil.2, exceeding strength of language he invites the whole world to partake in his gladness? So great a good did he know his departure hence to be, so desirable, and lovely, and worthy of prayer, that formidable thing, Death.

[5.] But that virtue's yoke is sweet and light, is manifest many other ways also; but to conclude, if you please, let us look also at the burdens of sin. Let us then bring forward the covetous, the retailers and second-hand dealers in shameless

17. 18.

XXXVIII.

556

Sinful Habits, a grievous Yoke.

HOMIL. bargains. What now could be a heavier burden than such 5. transactions? how many sorrows, how many anxieties, how many disappointments, how many dangers, how many plots and wars, daily spring up from these gains? how many troubles and disturbances? For as one can never see the sea without waves, so neither such a soul without anxiety, and despondency, and fear, and disturbance; yea, the second overtakes the first, and again others come up, and when these are not yet ceased, others come to a head.

Or wouldest thou see the souls of the revilers, and of the passionate? Why, what is worse than this torture? what, than the wounds they have within? what, than the furnace that is continually burning, and the flame that is never quenched?

Or of the sensual, and of such as cleave unto this present life? Why, what more grievous than this bondage? They live the life of Cain, dwelling in continual trembling and fear at every death that happens; the kinsmen of the dead mourn not so much, as these do for their own end.

What again fuller of turmoil, and more frantic, than such as are puffed up with pride? For learn, saith He, of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Because long-suffering is the mother of all good things.

Fear thou not therefore, neither start away from the yoke that lightens thee of all these things, but put thyself under it with all forwardness, and then thou shalt know well the pleasure thereof. For it doth not at all bruise thy neck, but is put on thee for good order's sake only, and to persuade thee to walk seemly, and to lead thee unto the royal road, and to deliver thee from the precipices on either side, and to make thee walk with ease in the narrow way.

Since then so great are its benefits, so great its security, so great its gladness, let us with all our soul, with all our diligence, draw this yoke; that we may both here find rest unto our souls, and attain unto the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory and might, now and ever, and world without end. Amen.

HOMILY XXXIX.

MATT. xii. 1.

At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and His disciples were an hungred, and began to

pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.

BUT Luke saith, On a double Sabbath'. Now what is a 'drigodouble Sabbath? When the cessation from toil is twofold, πρώτη both that of the regular Sabbath, and that of another feast 1. coming upon it. For they call every cessation from toil, a Sabbath.

But why could He have led them away from it, Who foreknew all, unless it had been His will that the Sabbath should be broken? It was His will indeed, but not simply so; wherefore He never breaks it without a cause, but giving reasonable excuses: that He might at once bring the Law to an end, and not startle them. But there are occasions on which He even repeals it directly, and not with circumstance: as when He anoints with the clay the eyes of the blind man 2.2 John 9, 6. 14. as when He saith, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work3.3 John 5, And He doth so, by this to glorify His own Father, by the other to soothe the infirmity of the Jews. At which last He is labouring here, putting forward as a plea the necessity of nature; although in the case of acknowledged sins, that

XXXIX.

1, 2.

558 Christ's Plea for His Disciples about the Sabbath.

HOMIL. Could not of course ever be an excuse. For neither may the murderer make his anger a plea, nor the adulterer allege his lust, no, nor any other excuse; but here, by mentioning their hunger, He freed them from all blame.

v. 2.

But do thou, I pray thee, admire the disciples, how entirely they control themselves, and make no account of the things of the body, but esteem the table of the flesh a secondary thing, and though they have to struggle with continual hunger, do not even so withdraw themselves. For except hunger had sorely constrained them, they would not have done so much as this.

When they saw it, it is said,

What then do the Pharisees? they said unto Him, Behold, Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day.

Now here indeed with no great vehemence, (yet surely that would have been consistent in them,)-nevertheless they are not vehemently provoked, but simply find fault. But when Matt. He stretched out the withered hand and healed it1, then they 12, 10. were so infuriated, as even to consult together about slaying 14. and destroying Him. For where nothing great and noble is done, they are calm; but where they see any made whole, they are savage, and fret themselves, and none so intolerable as they are: such enemies are they of the salvation of

v. 3. 4.

men.

How then doth Jesus defend His disciples? Have ye not read, saith He, what David did in the temple, when he was an hungred, himself and all they that were with him? how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shew bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

Thus, whereas in pleading for His disciples, He brings John 5, forward David; for Himself, it is the Father".

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And observe His reproving manner: Have ye not read what David did? For great indeed was that Prophet's glory, so that Peter also afterwards pleading with the Jews, spake on this wise, Let me freely speak unto you of the Patriarch 3 Acts 2, David, that he is both dead and buried3.

29.

But wherefore doth He not call him by the name of his rank, either on this occasion or afterwards? Perhaps because He derived His race from him.

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