Violent passions of Children, simple lessons suit them. 233 'Such and such an one is a bad man, and let us hate him.' Hoм. IV. So also doth God say, I will be their enemy that are thine Exod. enemies, and I will hate them that hate thee. And again, 23, 32. when Balaam prayed, the condescension which was used towards them was childish. For as with children, when they see any thing not fearful, such as either a lock of wool, or any other thing of like sort, they are presently afraid; but that their fear continue not in them, we bring the thing up to their hands, and make their nurses shew it them: so also did God; for seeing that the Prophet was a terror to them, he turned their terror into confidence. And as 'al. 'the children who are under weaning have all manner of things. in little baskets, so also did He give them every thing, and supply them with many dainties. Still the child longs for the breast, so did these also for Egypt and the flesh that was there. terror of him.' 16, 3. · διδάσ 4 παιδα 23, 13. So that one would not be wrong in calling Moses both a Exod. teacher, and a nursing-father3, and a conductor; for great Numb. was the man's wisdom. Howbeit it is not the same thing to 11, 4. 5. guide men who are come now to be able to philosophize, 5. and to rule unreasoning children. And, if you are inclinedreps. ye shall hear yet another particular. As the nurse says to yayos γωγός the child, When thou easest thyself, take up thy garments, and for as long as thou sittest, so also did Moses. And as Deut. all the passions are tyrannous in children, (for as yet they have not that which is to bridle them,) vainglory, desire, irrationality, anger, envy; so also in the Jews all these prevailed; they spat upon, they beat, Moses. And as a child takes up a stone, and we all exclaim, O do not throw it; so did they also take up stones against their father; and he fled from them. And as, if a father have any ornament, the child, being fond of ornament, asks him for it, in like manner, truly, did the party of Dathan and Abiram act, Numb. when they rebelled for the priesthood. And besides, they 16. were of all people the most envious, and little-minded, and in all respects imperfect. Ought then Christ, tell me, to have appeared at that time, at that time to have given them these precepts of true wisdom, when they were raging with lust, when they were as horses mad for the mare, when they were the slaves of 234 Christ came not till men were prepared. 1, 24. comp. Mark 2, 22. COLOS. money, of the belly? Nay, He would but have wasted' His lessons of wisdom in discoursing with those of no under1 ἐξέχειν, spilled. standing; and they would have neither learnt one thing nor the other. And as he who teaches to read before he has taught the alphabet, will never teach even so much as the alphabet; so indeed would it then have been also. But not so now, for by the grace of God much moderation, much virtue, hath been planted every where. Let us give thanks then for all things, and not be over curious. For, we know not the due time, but He, The Maker of the time, and The 3dove-Creator3 of the ages. 2 iκεία. γός. 21. In every thing then yield we to Him: for this is to glorify God, not to demand of Him an account of what He doeth. In this way too did Abraham give glory to God, being fully Rom. 4, persuaded, that what He had promised, He is able to perform. He did not ask about the future even; but we scrutinize the account even of the past. See how great folly, how great ingratitude, is here. But let us for the future have done, for no gain comes of it, but much harm even; and let our minds be gratefully disposed towards our Master, and let us send up glory to God, that making for all things an offering of thanksgiving, we may be counted worthy of His lovingkindness, through the grace and love toward man, &c. 1 HOMILY V. COL. i. 26-28. Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 19 HAVING said what we have come to1, and shewed the vicúlovingkindness of God and the honour, by the greatness of the X. things given, he introduces yet another consideration that heightens them, namely, that neither before us did any one know Him. As he doth in the Epistle to the Ephesians, saying, neither Angels, nor principalities, nor any other cre- Ephes. ated power, but only the Son of God knew. Wherefore also 10. 3, 5. 9. he said, not simply hid, but quite hid,' and that even if it woxsκρυμμέ hath but now come to pass, yet it is of old, and from the beginning God willed these things, and they were so planned out, but why, he saith not yet. From ages, he means from the beginning. And with reason he calleth that a mystery, which none knew, save God. And where hid? In Christ; as he saith in the Epistle to the Ephesians, or as Ephes. when the Prophet saith, From everlasting even to everlast- Ps.90,2. ing Thou art. But now is made manifest, he saith, to His saints. So that it is altogether of the dispensation of God. One Ms. has Eph. 3, 10. To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God. 9. 907. 1 236 The Gospel how a Mystery. Man how changed in it. COLOS. But now is made manifest, he saith. He saith not,' is come 2 ἐκ πολ Rom. 15, 9. to pass,' but, is made manifest to His saints. So that it is even now still hid, since it is made manifest to His saints alone. Let them not therefore deceive you, for they know not why it is so to them alone. To whom He willed, he saith. See how every where He stops the mouth of their questions. To whom God willed to make known, he saith. Yet His will is 20yo not without reason1. But he said this to make them accountable for grace, rather than allowing them to have high thoughts, as though it were of their own achieving. What is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles. He hath spoken loftily; and accumulated emphasis, seeking, out of his great earnestness, for amplification upon amplifiana- cation. For this also is an amplification, the saying indefiθέσεως. nitely, The riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles. For it is most of all apparent among the Gentiles, as he also says elsewhere, And that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. The great glory of this mystery is apparent among others also, but much more among those. For, on a sudden, to have brought men more senseless than stones to the dignity of Angels, simply through bare words, and faith alone, without any laboriousness, is indeed glory and riches of mystery: just as if one were to take a dog, quite consumed with hunger and the mange, foul, and loathsome to see, and not so much as able to move, but lying cast out, and make him all at once into a man, and to display him upon the royal throne. For observe, they were wont to worship stones and the earth; but they learned that themselves are better both than the heaven and the sun, and that the whole world serveth them; they were captives and prisoners of the devil: on a sudden they are placed above his head, and lay commands on him and scourge him: from being servants and slaves to demons, they are become the body of The Master of the Angels and the Archangels; from not knowing even what God is, they are become all at once sharers even in God's throne. Wouldest thou see the countless steps they overleaped? First, they had to learn that stones are not gods; secondly, that they not only are not gods, but inferior even to men; thirdly, to brutes even; αργωδίας Man raised above all in Christ. e 237 V. εσθαι. fourthly, to plants even; fifthly, they brought together the Hoм. extremes that not only stones but not earth even, nor animals, nor plants, nor man, nor heaven; or, to begin again, that not stones, not animals, not plants, not elements, not things above, not things below, not man, not demons, not Angels, not Archangels, not any other of those Powers above, ought to be worshipped' by the nature of man. Being drawn gamró'εραπεύ up, as it were, from some deep, they had to learn that the Lord of all, He is God, that Him alone is it right to worship; that the virtuous life is a good thing; that this present death is not death, nor this life, life; that the body is raised, that it becomes incorruptible, that it will ascend into heaven, that it obtains even immortality, that it standeth with Angels, that it is removed thither. But Him who was there below, having uliracleared at a bound all these steps, He has placed on high upon the throne, having made Him that was lower than the stones, higher in dominion than the Angels, and the Archangels, and the thrones, and the dominions. Truly he well said, What is the riches of the glory of this mystery? Just as if one should shew a fool to be all at once made a philosopher; yea rather, whatsoever one should say, it would be as nothing: for even the words of Paul are unlimited. What is the riches, he saith, of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you. Again, they had to learn that He Who is above all, and Who ruleth Angels, and hath dominion over all the other Powers, came down below, and was made Man, and suffered countless things, and arose again, and was received up. ται. 3i.e.that convey All these things were of the mystery; and he sets them (2) down together with promise, saying, Which is Christ in you. But if He be in you, why seek ye Angels for your ed in the teachers? Of this mystery. For there are other mysteries in you. besides. But this is really a mystery, which no one knew, which is marvellous, which is beside the common expecta words |