564

Counsels of Perfection, a Rebuke to Sinners.

HOMIL. laborious works? If He saved thee, doing nothing, will He 4. not much more help thee, working?

XXXIX.

Above indeed I was saying, that from the impossibilities thou oughtest to take courage about the difficulties also; but now I add this, that if we are vigilant, these will not be so much as difficult. For mark it: Death is trodden under foot, the Devil hath fallen, the law of sin is extinguished, the grace of the Spirit is given, life is contracted into a small space, the heavy burdens are abridged.

And to convince thee hereof by the actual results, see how many have overshot the injunctions of Christ; and art thou afraid of that which is just their measure? What plea then wilt thou have, when others are leaping beyond the bounds, and thou thyself too slothful for what is enacted?

Thus, thee we admonish to give alms of such things as thou hast, but another hath even stripped himself of all his possessions: thee we require to live chastely with thy wife, but another hath not so much as entered into marriage: and thee we entreat not to be envious, but another we find giving up even his own life for charity: thee again we entreat to be lenient in judgments, and not severe to them that sin, but another, even when smitten, hath turned the other cheek also.

What then shall we say, I pray thee? What excuse shall we make, not doing even these things, when others go so far beyond us? And they would not have gone beyond us, had not the thing been very easy. For which pines away, he who envies other men's blessings, or he who takes pleasure with them, and rejoices? Which eyes all things with suspicion and continual trembling, the chaste man, or the adulterer? Which is cheered by good hopes, he that spoils by violence, or he that shews mercy, and imparts of his own to the needy?

Let us then bear in mind these things, and not be torpid in our career for virtue's sake; but having stripped ourselves with all readiness for these glorious wrestlings, let us labour for a little while, that we may win the perpetual and imperishable crowns; unto which may we all attain, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory and might for ever and ever. Amen.

HOMILY XL.

MATT. xii. 9, 10.

And when He was departed thence, He went into their synagogue: and, behold, a man which had his hand withered.

AGAIN He heals on a Sabbath day, vindicating what had been done by His disciples. And the other Evangelists indeed say, that He set the man in the midst, and asked them, If it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath days1.

1 See

3. 4. and

8.9.

See the tender bowels of the Lord. He set him in the Mark 3, midst, that by the sight He might subdue them; that over- Luke 6, come by the spectacle they might cast away their wickedness, and out of a kind of shame towards the man, cease from their savage ways. But they, ungentle and inhuman, choose rather to hurt the fame of Christ, than to see this person made whole in both ways betraying their wickedness; by their warring against Christ, and by their doing so with such contentiousness, as even to treat with despite His mercies to other men.

And while the other Evangelists say, He asked the question, this one saith, it was asked of Him. And they asked v. 10. Him, so it stands, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days? that they might accuse Him. And it is likely that both took place. For being unholy wretches, and well assured that He would doubtless proceed to the healing, they hastened to take Him beforehand with their question,

XL.1,2.

566 Christ's Reasonings with the Scribes on the Sabbath.

HOMIL. thinking in this way to hinder Him. And this is why they asked, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days? not for information, but that they might accuse Him. Yet surely the work was enough, if it were really their wish to accuse Him; but they desired to find a handle in His words too, preparing for themselves beforehand an abundance of arguments.

v.11.12.

1 John 9, 6.

But He in His love towards man doth this also; He answers them, teaching His own meekness, and turning it all back upon them; and points out their inhumanity. And He setteth the man in the midst; not in fear of them, but endeavouring to profit them, and move them to pity.

But when not even so did He prevail with them, then was He grieved, it is said, and wroth with them for the hardness of their heart, and He saith,

What man is there among you that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the Sabbath days, will he not lay hold of it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days.

Thus, lest they have ground of obstinacy, and of accusing him again of transgression, He convicts them by this example. And do thou mark, I pray thee, how variously and suitably in each case, He introduces His pleas for the breaking of the Sabbath. Thus, first, in the case of the blind man1, He doth not so much as defend Himself to them, when He made the clay and yet then also were they blaming Him; but the manner of the creation was enough to indicate the Lord and Owner of the Law. Next, in the case of the paralytic, when he 2 John carried his bed, and they were finding fault2, He defends Himself, now as God, and now as man; as man, when He saith, If a man on the Sabbath day receive circumcision, that the Law should not be broken; (and He said not "that a man should be profited;") are ye angry at Me, because I have made a 3 John7, man every whit whole on the Sabbath day? As God again, when He saith, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work1.

5, 9. 10.

23.

4 John5, 17.

But when blamed for His disciples, He said, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungered, himself and they that were with him, how he entered into the house of 5 Matt. God, and did eat the shew bread 5? He brings forward the 12, 3. 4. Priests also.

Their Conspiracy: Christ's Retirement.

567

XII.13.

And here again; Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath MATT. days, or to do evil? Which of you shall have one sheep? For He knew their love of wealth, that they were all taken up with it, rather than with love of mankind. And indeed the other Evangelist saith', that He also looked about upon 'Mark3, them when asking these questions, that by His very eye He Luke 6, might win them over; but not even so did they become 10. better.

And yet here He speaks only; whereas elsewhere in many cases He heals by laying on of hands also. But nevertheless none of these things made them meek; rather, while the man was healed, they by his health became worse.

5.

For His desire indeed was to cure them before him, and He tried innumerable ways of healing, both by what He did in their presence, and by what He said: but since their malady after all was incurable, He proceeded to the work. Then saith He to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. v. 13. And he stretched it forth, and it was restored whole like the other.

6.

[2.] What then did they? They go forth, it is said, and take counsel together to slay Him. For the Pharisees, saith the v. 14. Scripture, went out and held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him. They had received no injury, yet they went about to slay Him. So great an evil is envy. For not against strangers only, but even against our own, is it ever warring. And Mark saith, they took this counsel with the Herodians. Mark3, What then doth the gentle and meek One? He withdrew, on being aware of it. But when Jesus knew their devices, v. 15. He withdrew Himself, it is said, from them. Where now are they who say, miracles ought to be done? Nay, by these things He signified, that the uncandid soul is not even thereby persuaded; and He made it plain that His disciples too were blamed by them without cause. This however we should observe, that they grow fierce especially at the benefits done to their neighbours; and when they see any one delivered either from disease or from wickedness, then is the time for them to find fault, and become wild beasts. Thus did they calumniate Him, both when He was about to save the harlot, and when He was eating with publicans, and now again, when they saw the hand restored.

HOMIL.

2, 3.

v.15,16.

568

Isaiah's Prophecy of Christ's Reserve:

But do thou observe, I pray thee, how He neither desists XL. from His tender care over the infirm, and yet allays their envy. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all; and He charged them that were healed, that they should make Him known to no man. Because, while the multitudes every where both admire and follow Him, they desist not from their wickedness.

1 cf.

1 Cor. 2,

11.

v. 1721.

2 See

Isa. 42, 1-4.

Then, lest thou shouldest be confounded at what is going on, and at their strange frenzy, He introduces the Prophet also, foretelling all this. For so great was the accuracy of the Prophets, that they omit not even these things, but foretel His very journeyings, and changes of place, and the intent with which He acted therein; that thou mightest learn, how they spake all by the Spirit. For if the secrets of men cannot by any art be known, much more were it impossible to learn Christ's purpose, except the Spirit revealed it1.

What then saith the Prophet? Nay, it is subjoined: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the Prophet, saying, Behold My Servant, Whom I have chosen; My Beloved, in Whom My soul is well pleased. I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive nor cry, neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory. And in His name shall the Gentiles trust'.

The Prophet celebrates His meekness, and His unspeakable power, and opens to the Gentiles a great door and effectual; he foretels also the ills that are to overtake the Jews, and signifies His unanimity with the Father. For behold, saith He, My Servant, Whom I have chosen, My Beloved, in Whom My soul is well pleased. Now if He chose Him, not as an adversary doth Christ set aside the Law, nor as being an enemy of the Lawgiver, but as having the same mind with Him, and the same objects.

Then proclaiming His meekness, he saith, He shall not strive nor cry. For His desire indeed was to heal in their presence; but since they thrust Him away, not even against this did He contend.

And intimating both His might, and their weakness, he