27, 41. 572 Expostulation with our own envious Thoughts. HOMIL. wealthy, and enjoy unnumbered blessings; while he himself XL.4,5. both became an outcast from his father's house, and wandered 1 Gen. in a strange land, after that plot of his'? And wherein did Jacob's sons again make Joseph the worse, and this, though they proceeded even unto blood? had not they to endure famine, and encounter peril to the utmost, whereas he became king of all Egypt? For the more thou enviest, the more dost thou become a procurer of greater blessing to the object of thine envy. For there is a God Who beholds these things; and when He sees him injured, that doeth no injury, him He exalts the more, and so makes him glorious, but thee He punishes. For if them that exult over their enemies, He suffer not to go unpunished; (For rejoice not, it is said, when thine enemies fall, lest at any time the Lord see it, and it 2 Prov. displease Him2;) much more such as envy those who have done no wrong. 24, 17. 18. 3 Matt. 5, 46. Let us then extirpate the many-headed wild beast. For in truth many are the kinds of envy. Thus, if he that loves one that is a friend to him hath no more than the publican3, where shall he stand who hates him that doeth him no wrong? and how shall he escape Hell, becoming worse than the heathens? Wherefore also I do exceedingly grieve, that we who are commanded to copy the Angels, or rather the Lord of the Angels, emulate the devil. For indeed there is much envy, even in the Church; and more among us, than among those under authority. Wherefore we must even discourse unto ourselves. [5.] Tell me then, why dost thou envy thy neighbour? Because thou seest him reaping honour, and words of good report? Then dost thou not bear in mind how much evil honours bring on the unguarded? lifting them up to pride, to vainglory, to arrogance, to contemptuousness; making them more careless? and besides these evils, they wither also lightly away. For the most grievous thing is this, that the evils arising therefrom abide immortal, but the pleasure at the moment of its appearing, is flown away. For these things then dost thou envy? tell me. "But he hath great influence with the Ruler, and leads and drives all things which way he will, and inflicts pain on them Why high Places are not to be envied. 573 XII.24. that offend him, and benefits his flatterers, and hath much MATT. power." These are the sayings of secular persons, and of men that are riveted to the earth. For the spiritual man nothing shall be able to hurt. For what serious harm shall he do to him? vote him out of his office? And what of that? For if it be justly done, he is even profited; for nothing so provokes God, as for one to hold the Priest's office unworthily. But if unjustly, the blame again falls on the other, not on him; for he who hath suffered any thing unjustly, and borne it nobly, obtains in this way the greater confidence towards God. Let us not then aim at this, how we may be in places of power, and honour, and authority, but that we may live in virtue and self denial. For indeed places of authority persuade men to do many things which are not approved of God; and great vigour of soul is needed, in order to use authority aright. For as he that is deprived thereof, practise; self restraint, whether with or against his will, so he that enjoys it is in some such condition, as if any one living with a graceful and beautiful damsel were to receive rules never to look upon her unchastely. For authority is that kind of thing. Wherefore many, even against their will, hath it induced to shew insolence; it awakens wrath, and removes the bridle from the tongue, and tears off the door of the lips; fanning the soul as with a wind, and sinking the bark in the lowest depth of evils. Him then who is in so great danger dost thou admire, and sayest thou he is to be envied? Nay, how great madness is here! Consider, at any rate, (besides what we have mentioned,) how many enemies and accusers, and how many flatterers this person hath besieging him. Are these then, I pray thee, reasons for calling a man happy? Nay, who can say so? "But the people," you say, "hold high account of him." And what is this? For the people surely is not God, to Whom he is to render account: so that in naming the people, thou art speaking of nothing else than of other breakers, and rocks, and shoals, and sunken ridges. For to be in favour with the people, the more it makes a man illustrious, the greater the dangers, the cares, the despondencies it brings with it. For such an one has no power at all to take breath or stand still, having so severe a master. And why say I, "stand still XL. 5. 574 Love of Applause, what a Snare it is. HOMIL. and take breath?" Though such an one have never so many good works, hardly doth he enter into the Kingdom. For izrea- nothing is so wont to overthrow1 men, as the honour which comes of the multitude, making them cowardly, ignoble, flatterers, hypocrites. χηλι άζειν Why, for instance, did the Pharisees say that Christ was possessed? Was it not because they were greedy of the honour of the multitude? And whence did the multitude pass the right judgment on Him? Was it not because this disease had no hold on them? For nothing, nothing so much tends to make men lawless and foolish, as gaping after the honour of the multitude. Nothing makes them glorious and immoveable, like despising the same. Wherefore also great vigour of soul is needed for him who is to hold out against such an impulse, and so violent a blast. For as when things are prosperous, he prefers himself to all, so when he undergoes the contrary, he would fain bury himself alive and this is to him both Hell, and the Kingdom, when he hath come to be overwhelmed by this passion. Is all this then, I pray thee, matter of envyings, and not rather of lamentations and tears? Every one surely can see. But thou doest the same, in envying one in that kind of credit, as if a person, seeing another bound and scourged and torn by innumerable wild beasts, were to envy him his wounds and stripes. For in fact, as many men as the multitude comprises, so many bonds also, so many tyrants hath he: and, what is yet more grievous, each of these hath a different mind: and they all judge whatever comes into their heads concerning him that is a slave to them, without examining into any thing; but whatever is the decision of this or that person, this they also confirm. What manner of waves then, what tempest so grievous as this? Yea, such a one is both puffed up in a moment by the pleasure, and is under water again easily, being ever in fluctuation, in tranquillity never. Thus, before the time of the assembly, and of the contests in speaking, he is possessed with anxiety and fear; but after the assembly he is either dead with despondency, or rejoices on the contrary without measure; a worse thing than sorrow. For that pleasure is Adversity better for the Soul than Prosperity. 575 XII.24. not a less evil than sorrow is plain from the effect it has MATT. on the soul; how light it makes it, and unsteady, and fluttering. And this one may see even from those of former times. When, for instance, was David to be admired; when he rejoiced, or when he was in anguish? When, the people of the Jews? groaning and calling upon God, or exulting in the wilderness, and worshipping the calf? Wherefore Solomon too, who best of all men knew what pleasure is, saith, It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of laughter1. Wherefore Christ also blesses Eccles. the one, saying, Blessed are they that mourn2, but the Matt. other sort He bewails, saying, Woe unto you that laugh, 5, 4. for ye shall weep3. And very fitly. For in delight the Luke soul is more relaxed and effeminate, but in mourning it is 6, 25. braced up, and grows sober, and is delivered from the whole swarm of passions, and becomes higher and stronger. Knowing then all these things, let us shun the glory that comes from the multitude, and the pleasure that springs therefrom, that we may win the real and everlasting glory; 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. 7,2. HOMILY XLI. MATT. xii. 25, 26. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself, shall not stand: and if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? EVEN before now they had accused Him of this, that by Matt. Beelzebub He casteth out the devils1. But whereas then He 9, 34. did not rebuke them, allowing them both to know His power by His more numerous miracles, and by His teaching to learn His Majesty now, since they continued saying the same, He proceeds also to rebuke them, shewing His Godhead by this first, that He made their secrets public; and secondly, by the very act of casting out the devils with ease. And indeed the accusation too was very shameless. Because, as I have said, envy seeks not what to say, but only that it may say somewhat. Yet for all that, not even so did Christ despise them, but defends Himself with the forbearance proper to Him, teaching us to be meek to our enemies; and though they say such things, as we are neither conscious of, nor have they any the least probability, not to be disturbed, nor troubled, but with all longsuffering to render them an account. This then He did most especially on that very occasion, affording the strongest proof, that the things were false that were said by them. For neither was it a demoniac's part to exhibit so much meekness; it was not a demoniac's part to know men's secrets. |