And how He made the Apostles witnesses: 875 XV. v. 27. 5. 69-74. 15. 2. And ye, saith He, shall bear witness, because ye have JOHN been with Me from the beginning. For, because ye have 26-28. been with Me from the beginning, ye are able to preach that which ye know and that ye do not this now, is because that Spirit's fulness is not yet with you. He, then, shall bear witness of Me, and ye shall bear it; for to give you confidence to bear witness, there shall be the love of God shed Rom. 5, abroad in your hearts by the Holy Spirit Which shall be given you. Which truly was lacking yet to Peter, when, frightened by the question of the woman-servant, he had not Mat.26, power to bear true witness; but, contrary to his own eager promising, was by great fear compelled thrice to deny Him. Now this fear is not in love, but perfect love casteth out 1 John fear. In fact, before the Lord's Passion, his servile fear was interrogated by the woman of servitude, but after the Resurrection his free love was interrogated by the Prince of ch. 21, liberty: and that is the reason why he there denied Whom he loved, and here loved Whom he had denied. Howbeit, even then this same love of his was still weak and straitened, until the Holy Spirit should strengthen and enlarge it. Which Spirit, when It was by abundance of larger grace infused into him, did so set on fire his once cold breast to bear witness of Christ, and so unlocked those aforetime trembling lips which had suppressed the truth, that, while all on whom the Holy Spirit came spake with tongues of all nations, among the crowds of Jews that stood around, he alone more promptly than the rest put himself forward to bear witness of Christ, and by testifying of His resurrection confounded His slayers. Whoso loves to look upon such a sweetly holy spectacle, let him read the Acts of the Apostles: there be amazed at blessed Peter preaching, for whom he had grieved in his denying; there see that tongue, translated to boldness from cowardice, and to liberty from servitude, turning so many tongues of enemies to the confessing of Christ, of which same tongues because it had not strength to bear a single one, itself had turned to the denying of Him! Such brightness of grace, such fulness of the Holy Spirit, appeared in him, such weight of most precious truth Tam suaviter sanctum: three Mss. tam suaviter sapidum: "so sweetly savoury." BEN. e Mus. 6. sapidum.' 876 is shewn by the example of Peter. HOMIL. proceeded from his mouth as he preached, that of that huge XCII. multitude he made Christ's slayers the Jews ready to die for Him, even them by whom he once dreaded with Him to be put to death. This did the Holy Ghost, then sent, aforetime promised. These His own great and marvellous benefits the Lord foresaw when He said, They have both seen and hated both Me and My Father: that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated Me without a cause. But when the Paraclete is come, Whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall bear witness of Me; and ye shall bear witness. For He, bearing witness and making most courageous witnesses, hath rid Christ's friends of their fear, and turned the hate of His enemies into love. ⚫ tunc missus, antea promissus. HOMILY XCIII. JOHN xvi. 1—4. These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me. But these things have I told you, that when their hour is come, ye may remember that I told you. 26, 27. 1. In the words which precede this portion of the Gospel, the Lord, strengthening His disciples to bear the hatred of their enemies, prepared them also by His example, that by imitating Him they might become the more courageous: further promising them, that the Holy Ghost should come to bear witness of Him; and adding, that they also should be made His witnesses, that is, by the Holy Ghost working this in them. For so He said: He shall bear witness of Me, and ch. 15, ye shall bear witness. Namely, because He shall bear witness, ye shall bear witness likewise: He in your hearts, ye by your voices; He by inspiring, ye by uttering: so may that be fulfilled, Their sound is gone out into all the earth. Ps. 19, It was not enough to cheer them on by His example, but He' must also fill them with His Spirit. Thus the Apostle Peter, though he had already heard His words where He had said, The servant is not greater than his Lord: if they have per- 20. secuted Me, they will also persecute you; and though he saw 4. ch. 15, XCIII. 878 Christ's example sufficed not without the Spirit's aid. HONIL, this already having its fulfilment in Him, wherein it was his duty to imitate, if example were enough, the patience of his Lord yet succumbed, and denied Him, because he could not bear what he saw Him bearing. When he indeed received the gift of the Holy Spirit, he preached Whom he had denied, and Whom he had feared to confess, he feared not to profess. For before, he was indeed taught by example, so that he knew the thing which was meet to be done; but he was not stayed up with virtue, so that he should do the thing which he knew: he was instructed that he might stand, but not strengthened that he might not fall. When this was done for him by the Holy Spirit, he preached even unto death Whom he had denied for fear of death. Therefore the Lord in this next ensuing portion, of which we are now to speak to you, saith, These things have I spoken unto you, that ye be not offended. Thus we sing in the Psalm, Ps. 119, Great peace have they that love Thy Law, and there is none offence to them. With reason then, after promising the Holy Spirit, by Whose operation in them they should be made His witnesses, He goes on to say, These things have I spoken Rom. 5, to you, that ye be not offended. For, when the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given us, great becomes their peace who love God's Law, so that there is none offence to them. v. 1. 165. 5. v. 2. 2. Thereupon, He now expressly tells them what they should suffer: They shall put you out of the synagogues. But what harm was it to the Apostles to be expelled from the Jewish synagogues, as if they were not about to separate themselves therefrom, even though none should expel them? True but He would apprise them of this, that the Jews would not receive Christ, Whom they themselves would not leave; and so it would come to pass that they would be cast out with Him, these who could not be without Him, by those who would not be in Him. For doubtless, seeing there was none other people of God than that seed of Abraham, if they would acknowledge and receive Christ, they would as natural Rom.11, branches remain in the Olive-tree, and there would not be the Churches of Christ as one body, the synagogues of the Jews as another: for indeed they would be the same, if they would be in the Same. Which because they would not, what 17. Self-righteousness and ignorant zeal made the Jews persecutors. 879 XVI. 42. 43. remained, but that, continuing out of Christ, they would needs JoHN put out of the synagogues those who would not forsake 1-3. Christ? For assuredly, having received the Holy Ghost and being thereby made His witnesses, they would not be such as those of whom it is said, Nevertheless among the chief ch. 12, rulers also many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God. Ye see, these believe on Him, but not so as He would have them believe, Who said, How can ye ch.5,44. believe, who look for glory one of another, and seek not the glory which is from God only? When therefore the disciples so believe on Him, that, being filled with the Holy Ghost, that is, with the gift of the grace of God, they are not of the number of them who, being ignorant of God's righte- Rom.10, ousness and going about to establish their own, are not subject to the righteousness of God; nor of those of whom it is said, They loved the glory of men more than the glory of God, then that prophecy accords with them, which in their persons is found fulfilled, Lord, in the light of Thy Ps. 89, countenance shall they walk, and in Thy name exult all day long, and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted; because Thou art the glory of their strength. With good reason is it said to them, They shall put you out of the synagogues: those, to wit, who have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge; for which cause being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own, they expel them, who not in their own but in God's righteousness are exalted, and when they are expelled by men are not ashamed, because He is the glory of their strength. 3. 15-17. 3. And then, having said this to them, He added, But v. 2. 3. the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service; and these things will they do to you, because they have not known the Father nor Me. That is, they have not known God nor His Son, to Whom in killing you they think they do service. Which words the Lord hath added, as if by this to console His own, who should be a Gloriam ab invicem expectantes: a reading peculiar to Augustine's copy. The concluding verses of ch. 5. are by some accident left unexpounded in these Homilies, but are the text |