LIII.

5, 6.

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Alternation of Joy and Sorrow in Life:

HOMIL. to be permanent, nor our adversities to be by themselves. Yea, as now it is night, now day, and now winter, now summer; so also within us, now pain, now pleasure, now sickness, and now health. Let us not then marvel when we are sick, since rather when we are in health we should marvel. Neither let us be troubled when we are in sorrow, since when we are glad rather it is reasonable to be troubled; all coming to pass according to nature and in order.

And why marvel, if in thy case so it be, when even in regard of those old saints one may see this happening?

And that thou mayest learn it, the life which thou accountest to be most full of pleasure and free from troubles, that let us bring forward. Wilt thou that we examine Abraham's life from the beginning? What then at the very first was said to him? Get thee out of thy 1 Gen. country, and from thy kindred'. Didst thou see what a 1. painful thing is enjoined him? But look also on the good

12,

1, 4.

coming after it; And come hither unto a land that I will shew thee, and I will make thee a great nation.

What then? after he had come to the land, and reached the harbour, did his troubles cease? By no means; but others again, more grievous than the former, succeed, a famine, and a removal, and a violent seizure of his wife ; and after these other prosperities befel him, the plague upon Pharaoh, and her liberation, and the honour, and those many gifts, and the return to his house. And the subsequent events too all form the same kind of chain, prosperities and troubles entwined together.

And the like befel the Apostles too. Wherefore also Paul said, Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that 22 Cor. we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble2. "What then is this to me," some one will say, 66 who am always in sorrow?" Be not uncandid, nor unthankful; nay, it is out of the question for one to be in troubles always, nature being unequal to it; but because we want to be always in joy, therefore we account ourselves always in sorrow. Not however on this account alone, but because we presently forget our advantages and blessings, but are always remembering our troubles, therefore we say we are in sorrow. Whereas it is impossible, being a man, to be always in sorrow.

proved by some extreme Cases.

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12.

[6.] And if ye will, let us examine both the life of luxury, MATT. so delicate and dissipated, and the other, so grievous and XVI. galling, and painful. For we will shew you that both the former hath sorrows, and the latter refreshments. Nay, be not disturbed. Let there be set before us a man who is in bonds, and another who is a king, youthful, an orphan, having succeeded to a great substance; and let there also be set before us one toiling for hire through the whole day, and another living in luxury continually.

Wilt thou then that we tell first the vexations of that one, who lives in luxury? Consider how his mind must naturally be rocked as with a tempest, when he longs for a glory beyond him, when he is despised by his servants, when he is insulted by his inferiors, when he hath ten thousand to accuse him, and to blame his costly living. And all the rest too, which is likely to occur in such wealth, one cannot even tell; the vexations, the affronts, the accusations, the losses, the devices of the envious, who, because they cannot transfer his wealth to themselves, drag and tear in pieces the young man on every side, and excite against him storms without end.

Wilt thou have me tell also of the pleasure of this other, the hired labourer? From all this he is free; though one insult him, he grieves not, for he counts not himself greater than any; he is not in fear about wealth, he eats with pleasure, he sleeps with great comfort. Not so luxurious are the drinkers of Thasian wine, as he in going to fountains, and enjoying those springs. But the state of the other is not such.

Now if what I have said suffice thee not, to make my victory more complete, come let us compare the king and the prisoner, and thou wilt often see the latter in pleasure and sporting and leaping, while the former with his diadem and purple robe is in despair, and hath innumerable cares, and is dead with fear.

For we may not, we may not find any one's life without sorrow, nor again without its share of pleasure; for our nature would not have been equal to it, as I have already said. But if one joys more, and another grieves more, this is due to the person himself that grieves, being mean of soul, not

726

Sources of Comfort in our last Hour.

HOMIL. to the nature of the case. For if we would rejoice continually, we have many means thereto.

LIII. 6, 7.

4, 7.

Since, had we once laid hold on virtue, there would be nothing to grieve us any more. For she suggests good hopes to them that possess her, and makes them well pleasing to God, and approved among men, and infuses unspeakable delight. Yea, though in doing right virtue hath toil, yet doth it fill the conscience with much gladness, and lays up within so great pleasure, as no speech shall be able to

express.

For which of the things in our present life seems to thee pleasant? A sumptuous table, and health of body, and glory, and wealth? Nay, these delights, if thou set them by that pleasure, will prove the bitterest of all things, compared thereunto. For nothing is more pleasurable than a sound conscience, and a good hope.

[7.] And if ye would learn this, let us enquire of him who is on the point of departing hence, or of him that is grown old; and when we have reminded him of sumptuous banqueting which he hath enjoyed, and of glory and honour, and of good works which he hath some time practised and wrought, let us ask in which he exults the more; and we shall see him for the other ashamed, and covering his face, but for these soaring and leaping with joy.

So Hezekiah too, when he was sick, called not to mind sumptuous feasting, nor glory, nor royalty, but righteousness. For remember, saith he, how I walked before Thee in an 12Kings upright way1. See Paul again for these things leaping with 20, 3. joy, and saying, I have fought the good fight, I have finished 22 Tim. my course, I have kept the faith 2. "Why, what had he to speak of besides ?" one may say. Many things, and more than these; even the honours wherewith he was honoured, what attendance and great respect he had enjoyed. Hearest thou not him saying, Ye received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus? and, If it were possible, ye would 3 Gal. 4, have plucked out your eyes, and given them to me3? and that 4 Rom. Men had laid down their neck for his life? But none of 16, 4. those things doth he bring forward, but his labours, and perils, and his crowns in requital for them; and with much reason. For while the one sort are left here, the other

14. 15.

The Death Bed of the Unprepared.

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migrate with us; and for those we shall give account, but MATT. for these we shall ask reward.

Know ye not in the day of death how sins make the soul shrink? how they stir up the heart from beneath? At that time therefore, when such things are happening, the remembrance of good works stands by us, like a calm in a storm, and comforts the perturbed soul.

For if we be wakeful, even during our life this fear will be ever present with us; but, insensible as we are, it will surely come upon us when we are cast out from hence. Because the prisoner too is then most grieved, when they are leading him out to the court; then most trembles, when he is near the judgment-seat, when he must give his account. For the same kind of reason most persons may be then heard relating horrors, and fearful visions, the sight whereof they that are departing may not endure, but often shake their very bed with much vehemence, and gaze fearfully on the by-standers, the soul urging itself inwards, unwilling to be torn away from the body, and not enduring the sight of the coming Angels. Since if human beings that are aweful strike terror into us beholding them; when we see Angels threatening, and stern Powers, among our visitors; what shall we not suffer, the soul being forced from the body, and dragged away, and bewailing much, all in vain? Since that rich man too, after his departure, mourned much, but derived no profit therefrom.

All these things then let us picture to ourselves, and consider, lest we too suffer the same, and thus let us keep the fear thence arising in vigour; that we may escape the actual punishment, and attain unto the eternal blessings; unto which God grant we may all attain, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom be glory unto the Father, together with the Holy and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and world without end. Amen.

XVI. 12.

HOMILY LIV.

MATT. xvi. 13.

Now when Jesus had gone forth into the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

WHEREFORE hath he mentioned the founder of the city? Because there was another besides, Cæsarea Stratonis. But not in that, but in this doth He ask them, leading them far away from the Jews, so that being freed from all alarm, they might speak with boldness all that was in their mind.

And wherefore did He not ask them at once their own opinion, but that of the people? In order that when they had told the people's opinion, and then were asked, But whom say ye that I am? by the manner of His inquiry they might be led up to a sublimer notion, and not fall into the same low view as the multitude. Accordingly He asks them not at all in the beginning of His preaching, but when He had done many miracles, and had discoursed with them of many and high doctrines, and had afforded so many clear proofs of His Godhead, and of His unanimity with the Father, then He puts this question to them.

And He said not, "Whom say the Scribes and Pharisees that I am?" often as these had come unto Him, and discoursed with Him; but, Whom do men say that I am? enquiring after the judgment of the people, as unbiassed.