XLVIII. 662 The true Use and Honour of Dependent Friends. HOMIL. children? Let these be joint fathers to them, let them divide thy charge with thee, let them yield thee such profits as God loveth. Engage them in a spiritual traffic. And if thou see one needing protection, bid them succour, command them to minister. By these do thou track the strangers out, by these clothe the naked, by these send to the prison, put an end to the distresses of others. Let them give thee, for their food, this requital, which profits both thee and them, and carries with it no condemnation. Hereby friendship also is more closely rivetted. For now, though they seem to be loved, yet for all that they are ashamed, as living without object in thy house; but if they accomplish these purposes, both they will be more pleasantly situated, and thou wilt have more satisfaction in maintaining them, as not spending thy money without fruit; and they again will dwell with thee in boldness and due freedom, and thy house, instead of a theatre, will become to thee a church, and the devil will be put to flight, and Christ will enter, and the choir of the Angels. For where Christ is, there are the Angels too, and where Christ and the Angels are, there is Heaven, there is a light more cheerful than this of the sun. And if thou wouldest reap yet another consolation through their means, command them, when thou art at leisure, to take their books and read the Divine Law. They will have more pleasure in so ministering to you, than in the other way. For these things add respect both to thee and to them, but those bring disgrace upon all together; upon thee as an insolent person and a drunkard, upon them as wretched and gluttonous. For if thou feed in order to insult them, it is worse than if thou hadst put them to death; but if for their good and profit, it is more useful again than if thou hadst brought them back from their way to execution. And now indeed thou dost disgrace them more than thy servants, and thy servants enjoy more liberty of speech, and freedom of conscience, than they do; but then thou wilt make them equal to the Angels. Set free therefore both them and thine own self, and take away the name of parasite, and call them companions of thy Mischief and Shame of unworthy ones. 663 XIV. meals'; cast away the appellation of flatterers, and bestow on MATT. them that of friends. With this intent indeed did God make 6-9. our friendships, not for evil to the beloved and loving, but for uri their good and profit. But these friendships are more grievous than any enmity. For by our enemies, if we will, we are even profited; but by these we must needs be harmed, no question of it. Keep not then friends to teach thee harm; keep not friends who are enamoured rather of thy table than of thy friendship. For all such persons, if thou retrench thy good living, retrench their friendship too; but they that associate with thee for virtue's sake, remain continually, enduring every change. And besides, the race of the parasites doth often take revenge upon thee, and bring upon thee an ill fame. Hence at least I know many respectable persons to have got bad characters, and some have been evil reported of for sorceries, some for adulteries and corrupting of youths. For whereas they have no work to do, but spend their own life unprofitably; their ministry is suspected by the multitude as being the same with that of corrupt youths. τους. Therefore, delivering ourselves both from evil report, and above all from the hell that is to come, and doing the things that are well-pleasing to God, let us put an end to this devilish custom, that both eating and drinking we may do all things to the glory of God, and enjoy the glory that 21 Cor. cometh from Him; unto which may we all attain, 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. 10, 31. HOMILY XLIX. I Matt. 4, 12. MATT. xiv. 13. But when Jesus heard of it, He departed thence by ship into a desert place apart; and when the multitudes had heard thereof, they followed Him on foot out of all the cities. SEE Him on every occasion departing, both when John was delivered up', and when he was slain, and when the John Jews heard that He was making more disciples. For it is 4, 1-3. His will ordinarily to conduct things after the manner of a man, the time not yet calling Him to reveal His Godhead plainly. Wherefore also He bade His disciples tell no man 3 Matt. that He is the Christ; for His will was that this should be 16, 20. better known after His resurrection. Wherefore upon those of the Jews that were for a time obstinate in their unbelief He was not very severe, but even disposed to be indulgent to them. And on retiring, He departs not into a city, but into a wilderness, and in a vessel, so that no man should follow. But do thou mark, I pray thee, how the disciples of John had now come to be more attached to Jesus. For it was they that told Him of the event; for indeed they have left all, and take refuge henceforth in Him. Thus, besides their 11, 2. calamity, His provision before made in that answer did no small good. 4 Matt. But wherefore did He not retire before they brought Him the tidings, when yet He knew the fact before they reported it? To signify by all means the reality of His Economy". For not by His appearance only, but by His actions He Preparation for the miraculous Feast. 665 XIV. would have this confirmed, because He knew the Devil's MATT. craft, and that he would leave nothing undone to destroy 14, 15. this doctrine. He then for this end retires; but the multitudes not even so withdraw themselves from Him, but they follow, rivetted to Him, and not even John's tragical end alarmed them. So great a thing is earnest desire, so great a thing is love; in such wise doth it overcome and dispel all dangers. Therefore they straightway also received their reward. For Jesus, it is said, went forth, and saw a great multitude, v. 14. and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick. For great as their assiduity was, yet nevertheless His doings exceeded what any diligence could earn. Wherefore He sets forth also His motive for so healing them, His mercy, intense mercy: and He healeth all. And He requires not faith here. For both by coming to Him, and by leaving their cities, and by diligently seeking Him, and by abiding with Him even when hunger was pressing, they display their own faith. But He is about to feed them also. And He doth not this of Himself, but waits to be entreated; on every occasion, as I have said, maintaining this rule, not to spring onward to His miracles, preventing them, but upon some call. And why did none of the multitude come near and speak for them? They reverenced Him exceedingly, and felt not even their hunger, through their longing to stay with Him. Neither indeed do His disciples, when they were come to Him, say, "Feed them;" for as yet they were rather in an imperfect state; but what? And when it was evening, it is said, His disciples came to v. 15. Him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now passed; send the multitude away, that they may go and buy themselves victuals. For if even after the miracle they forgot what had been done, and after the baskets, supposed Him to be speaking of loaves, when He gave the name of leaven to the doctrine of the Pharisees1; much less, when they had never yet had ex- 1 Matt. perience of such a miracle, would they have expected any 16, 6. such thing. And yet He had made a beginning by actually 666 Why our Lord prayed in some of His Works, not all. HOMIL. healing many sick; but nevertheless, not even from this did 1,2. they expect the miracle of the loaves; so imperfect were they XLIX. v. 16. v. 17. as yet. But mark thou, I pray, the Teacher's skill, how distinctly He summons them on towards believing. For He said not at once, "I feed them;" which indeed would not have been easily received; but what? But Jesus, so it is written, said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. He said not, "I give them," but, Give ye them; for as yet their regard to Him was as to a man. But they not even so are awakened, but still reason as with a man, saying, We have but five loaves, and two fishes. Wherefore Mark also saith, They understood not the Mark saying, for their heart was hardened1. 6, 52. 2 John 6, 9. 3 See They continuing therefore to crawl on the ground, then at length He brings in His own part, and saith, Bring them hither to Me. For although the place be desert, yet He that feeds the world is here; and although the time be now past, yet He that is not subject to time is discoursing with you. But John saith also, that they were barley loaves2, not mentioning it without object, but teaching us to trample under foot the pride of costly living. Such was the diet of the Prophets also3. [2.] He took therefore the five loaves, and the two fishes, and commanded the multitude, it is said, to sit down upon the grass, and looking up to Heaven, He blessed, and brake, and gave to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat and were filled, and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets' full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. Wherefore did He look up to Heaven, and bless ? It was to be believed of Him, both that He is of the Father, and that He is equal to Him. But the proofs of these things seemed to oppose one another. For while His equality was indicated by His doing all with authority, of His origin from the Father they could no otherwise be persuaded, than by His doing all with great lowliness, and with reference to Him, and invoking Him on His works. Wherefore we see |