66 13, 14.) Yea, God saith by the prophet, tempt; and when the threat alone is sufficient to Because of sin for some little season I grieved cause fear in us, He doth not suffer us to him, (Is. lvii. 17, 18. Sept.) and I saw that undergo the actual trial. See, for instance, (eloo or not in Sept.) he was grieved and what He saith unto Jeremiah, (Jer. vii. 17, 18. went sorrowful, and I healed his ways" (taná- Sept. transposing the first and second clauses.) abro, Sept.) What is there equal to this Seest thou not what they do? Their fathers loving-kindness? On condition (bastován. light a fire, their children gather sticks together, See St. John viii. 56. ba lầy tùy népar) of his their women knead dough." It is to be feared "being but sorrowful," so he speaks, "I for- lest the same kind of thing be said also concerngave him his sins." But we do not even this: ing us. "Seest thou not what they do? No wherefore we especially provoke God to wrath. one seeketh the things of Christ, but all their (For he, who by little things even is made own. Their children run into uncleanness, propitious, when He meets not with so much as their fathers into covetousness and rapine, their these, is of course indignant and exacts of us wives so far from keeping back their husbands the last penalty; for this comes of exceeding from the pomps and vanities of life, do rather contempt.) Who is there, for instance, that sharpen their appetites for them." Just take hath ever become melancholy for his sins? your stand in the market place; question the Who hath bemoaned himself? Who hath comers and goers, and not one wilt thou see beaten his breast? Who hath taken anxious hastening upon a spiritual errand, but all runthought? Not one, to my thinking. But days ning after carnal things. How long ere we without number do men weep for dead servants; awake from our surfeiting? How long are we to for the loss of money: while as to the soul keep sinking down into deep slumber? Have we which we are ruining day by day, we give it not had our fill of evils? not a thought. How then wilt thou be able to render God propitious, when thou knowest not even that thou hast sinned? [9.] And yet one might think that even without words experience itself is sufficient to teach you the nothingness of things present, and their utter meanness. At all events, there have been men, who, exercising mere heathen wisdom and knowing nothing of the future, because they had proved the great worthlessness of present things, have left them on this account alone. What pardon then canst thou expect to obtain, grovelling on the ground and not despising the little things and transient for the sake of the great and everlasting: who also hearest God Himself declaring and revealing these things unto thee, and hast such promises from Him? For that things here have no sufficient power to detain a man, those have shewn who even without any promise of things greater have kept. away from them. For what wealth did they expect that they came to poverty? There was none. But it was from their knowing full well that such poverty is better than wealth. What sort of life did they hope for that they forsook luxury, and gave themselves up unto severe discipline? Not any. But they had become aware of the very nature of things; and perceived that this of the two is more suitable, both for the strict training of the soul, and for the health of the body. "Yea," saith some one, "I have sinned." "Yea," is thy word to me with the tongue say it to me with thy mind, and with the word mourn heavily, that thou mayest have continual cheerfulness. Since, if we did grieve for our sins, if we mourned heavily over our offences, nothing else could give us sorrow, this one pang would expel all kinds of dejection. Here then is another thing also which we should gain by our thorough confession; namely, the not being overwhelmed (Banties0at) with the pains of the present life, nor puffed up with its splendors. And in this way, again, we should more entirely propitiate God; just as by our present conduct we provoke Him to anger. For tell me, if thou hast a servant, and he, after suffering much evil at the hands of his fellow-servants, takes no account of any one of the rest, but is only anxious not to provoke his master; is he not able by this alone to do away thine anger? But what, if his offenses against thee are no manner of care to him, while on those against his fellow-servants he is full of thought; wilt thou not lay on him the heavier punishment? So also God doeth: when we neglect His wrath, He brings it upon us more heavily; but when we regard it, more gently. Yea, rather, He lays it on us no more at all. He wills that we should exact vengeance of ourselves for our offences, and thenceforth He doth not exact it Himself. For this is why He at all threatens punishment; that by fear He may destroy con These things then duly estimating, and revolving with ourselves continually the future blessings, let us withdraw from this present world that we may obtain that other which is to come; through the favor and loving kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father and the Holy Ghost &c., &c. HOMILY IX. I COR. iii., 12—15. ment. If any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, costly"They shall go away into everlasting punishstones, wood, hay, stubble; each man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire shall prove each man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire. THIS is no small subject of enquiry which we propose, but rather about things which are of the first necessity and which all men enquire about; namely, whether hell fire have any end. For that it hath no end Christ indeed declared when he said, "Their fire shall not be quenched, and their worm shall not die. [Mark viii. 44, 46, 48.] [2.] And say not unto me, "where is the rule of justice preserved entire, if the punishment hath no end?" Rather, when God doeth any thing, obey His decisions and submit not what is said to human reasonings. But moreover, how can it be any thing else than just for one who hath experienced innumerable blessings from the beginning, and then committed deeds worthy of punishment, and neither by threat nor benefit improved at all, to suffer punishment? For if thou enquire what is absolute justice; it was meet that we should have perished immediately from the beginning, according to the definition of strict justice. Rather not even then according to the rule of justice only; for the result would have had in it kindness too, if we had suffered this also. For when any one insults him that hath done him no wrong, according to the rule of justice he suffers punishment: but when it is his benefactor, who, bound by no previous favor, bestowed innumerable kindnesses, who alone is the Author of his being, who is God, who breathed his soul into him, who gave ten thousand gifts of grace, whose will is to take him up into heaven;-when, I say, such an one, after so great blessings, is met by insult, daily insult, in the conduct of the other party; how can that other be thought worthy of pardon? Dost thou not see how He punished Adam for one single sin? Well I know that a chill comes over you (apzar) on hearing these things; but what am I to do? For this is God's own command, continually to sound these things in your ears, where He says, "Charge this people; (Fors. Exod. xix. 10. 20. diapapripat, Sept. here dátut,) and ordained as we have been unto the ministry of the word, we must give pain to our hearers, not willingly but on compulsion. Nay rather, if you will, we shall avoid giving you pain. For saith He, (Rom. xiii. 3, in substance.) "if thou do that which is good, fear not:" so that it is possible for you to hear me not only without ill-will, but even with pleasure. As I said then; that it hath no end, Christ has declared. Paul also saith, in pointing out the eternity of the punishment, that the sinners "Yes," you will say; "but He had given "shall pay the penalty of destruction, and that him Paradise and caused him to enjoy much for ever" (2, Thes. i. 9.) And again, (i Cor. favor." Nay, surely it is not all as one, for a vi. 9.) "Be not deceived; neither fornicators. man to sin in the enjoyment of security and nor adulterers, nor effeminate, shall inherit the ease, and in a state of great affliction. In fact, the kingdom of God." And also unto the this is the dreadful circumstance that thy sins Hebrews he saith, (Heb. xii. 14.) "Follow are the sins of one not in any Paradise but amid peace with all men, and the sanctification with- the innumerable evils of this life; that thou art out which no man shall see the Lord." And not sobered even by affliction, as though one in Christ also, to those who said, "In thy Name prison should still practise his crime. However, we have done many wonderful works," saith, unto thee He hath promised things yet greater Depart from Me, I know you not, ye workers than Paradise. But neither hath He given them of iniquity" (St. Matt. vii. 22.) And the now, least He should unnerve thee in the season virgins too who were shut out, entered in no of conflicts; nor hath He been silent about And also about those who gave Him them, lest He should quite cast thee down with xxv. 46.) thy labors. As for Adam, he committed but food, He saith, (St. Matt. xxv. 46.) thy labors. more. no one sin and brought on himself certain death; (Sirac. xvi. 12.) "For as His mercy is great, whereas we commit ten thousand transgressions so also is His reproof." When therefore thou daily. Now if he by that one act brought on himself so great an evil and introduced death; what shall not we suffer who continually live in sins, and instead of Paradise, have the expectation of heaven? 1 sayest unto me, "God is loving unto men," then thou tellest me of so much the greater reason for punishing: namely, our sinning against such a Being. Hence also Paul said, (Heb. x. 31.) "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Endure I beseech you, the fiery force of the words, for perhaps-perhaps you will have some consolation from hence! Who among men can punish as God has punished? when He caused a deluge and entire destruction of a race so numerous; and again, when, a little while after, He rained fire from above, and utterly destroyed them all? What punishment from men can be like that? Seest thou not that the punishment even in this world is almost eternal? Four thousand years have passed away, and the punishment of the Sodomites abideth at its height. For as His mercy is great, so also is His punishment. The argument is irksome and pains the hearer were it only by my own feelings, I know this. For indeed my heart is troubled and throbs; and the more I see the account of hell confirmed, the more do I tremble and shrink through fear. But it is necessary to say these things lest we fall into hell. What thou didst receive was not paradise, nor trees and plants, but heaven and the good things in the heavens. Now if he that had received less was comdemned, and no consideration exempted him, much more shall we who have sinned more abundantly, and have been called unto greater things, endure the woes without remedy. Consider, for example, how long a time, but Again: if He had imposed any burdensome for one single sin, our race abides in death. or impossible things, one might perhaps have Five thousand years and more have passed, been able to urge difficulty of the laws: but if and death hath not yet been done away, on they be extremely easy, what can we say account of one single sin. And we cannot even for our not regarding even these? Suppose say that Adam had heard prophets, that he had thou art unable to fast or to practice virginity; seen others punished for sins, and it was meet although thou art able if thou wilt, and they that he should have been terrified thereby and who have been able are a condemnation to us. corrected, were it only by the example. For he But, however, God hath not used this strictwas at that time first, and alone; but never- ness towards us; neither hath He enjoined theless he was punished. But thou canst not these things nor laid them down as laws, but have anything of this sort to advance, who left the choice to be at the discretion of the after so many examples art become worse; to hearers. Nevertheless, thou art able to be chaste whom so excellent a Spirit hath been vouch-in marriage; and thou art able to abstain from safed, and yet thou drawest upon thyself not drunkenness. Art thou unable to empty thyone sin, nor two, nor three, but sins without number! For do not, because the sin is committed in a small moment, calculate that therefore the punishment also must be a matter of a moment. Seest thou not those men, who for a single theft or a single act of adultery, committed in a small moment of time, oftentimes have spent their whole life in prisons, and in mines, struggling with continual hunger and every kind of death? And there was no one to set them at liberty, or to say, "The offence took place in a small moment of time; the punishment too should have its time equivalent to that of the sin." self of all thy goods? Nay surely thou art able; and they who have done so prove it. But nevertheless He hath not enjoined this, but hath commanded not to be rapacious, and of our means to assist those who are in want. But if a man say, I cannot even be content with a wife only, he deceiveth himself and reasoneth falsely; and they condemn him who without a wife lives in chastity. But how, tell me, canst thou help using abusive words? canst thou not help cursing? Why, the doing these things is irksome, not the refraining from them. What excuse then have we for not observing precepts so easy and light? We cannot name any at all. That the punishment then is eternal is plain from all that hath been said. [3] But, "They are men," some one will say, "who do these things; as for God, He is loving unto men.” Now, first of all, not even [4.] But since Paul's saying appears to some men do these things in cruelty, but in humanity. to tell the other way, come let us bring it forAnd God Himself, as He is loving unto men," | ward also and search it out thoroughly. For in the same character doth He punish sins. having said, "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereon, he shall receive a reward; and if any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss," he adds, "but himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire." What shall we say then to this? Let us consider first what is these sayings, the thing affirmed is not reason"the Foundation, " and what " the gold," and able. For in the faith all ought to be equal, what the precious stones, and what the since there is but one faith;" (Eph. iv. 5.) hay," and what the "stubble. but in goodness of life it is not possible that all "The Foundation," then, he hath himself should be the same. Because the faith is not plainly signified to be Christ, saying, "For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which," he saith is Jesus Christ. " 66 in one case less, in another more excellent, but the same in all those who truly believe. But in life there is room for some to be more diligent, others more slothful; some stricter, and others more ordinary; that some should have done well in greater things, others in less; that the errors of some should have been more grievous, of others less notable. On this account he saith, "Gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble,-every man's work shall be made Next, the building seems to me to be actions. Although some maintain that this also is spoken concerning teachers and disciples and concerning corrupt heresies: but the reasoning doth not admit it. For if this be it, in what sense, while "the work is destroyed," is the "builder" to be "saved, though it be manifest: "-his conduct; that is what he "through fire?" Of right, the author ought rather of the two to perish; but now it will be found that the severer penalty is assigned to him who hath been built into the work. For if the teacher was the cause of the wickedness, he is worthy to suffer severer punishment: how then shall he be "saved?" If, on the contrary, he was not the cause but the disciples became such through their own perverseness, he is no whit deserving of punishment, no, nor yet of sustaining loss: he, I say, who builded so well. In what sense then doth he say, "he shall suf-ing is about actions. fer loss?" speaks of here:-"If any man's work abide which he built thereupon, he shall receive a reward; if any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss." Whereas, if the saying related to disciples and teachers, he ought not to "suffer loss" for disciples refusing to hear. And therefore he saith, "Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor" not according to the result, but according to "the labor." For what if the hearers gave no heed? Wherefore this passage also proves that the say Now his meaning is this: If any man have an ill life with a right faith, his faith shall not shelter him from punishment, his work being burnt up. The phrase, "shall be burned up,' means, shall not endure the violence of the From this it is plain that the discourse is about actions. For since he means next in course to put out his strength against the man who had committed fornication, he begins high up and long beforehand to lay down the pre- fire." But just as if a man having golden liminaries. For he knew how while discussing one subject, in the very discourse about that thing to prepare the grounds of another to which he intends to pass on. For so in his rebuke for not awaiting one another at their meals, he laid the grounds of his discourse concerning the mysteries. And also because now he is hastening on towards the fornicator, while speaking about the "Foundation," he adds, "Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God? and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man destroy (00sipn, rec. version, but he himself shall be saved, but so as by "defile.") the Temple of God, him will God destroy." Now these things, he said, as beginning now to agitate with fears the soul of him that had been unchaste. armor on were to pass through a river of fire, he comes from crossing it all the brighter; but if he were to pass through it with hay, so far from profiting, he destroys himself besides; so also is the case in regard of men's works. For he doth not say this as if he were discoursing of material things being burnt up, but with a view of making their fear more intense, and of shewing how naked of all defence he is who abides in wickedness. Wherefore he said, "He shall suffer loss:" lo, here is one punishment : fire;" lo, again, here is a second. And his meaning is, "He himself shall not perish in the same way as his works, passing into nought, but he shall abide in the fire.1 [5.] Ver. 12. "If any man build upon this [6.] He calleth it, however, "Salvation," foundation, gold, silver, costly stones, wood, you will say; why, that is the cause of his hay, stubble." For after the faith there is need adding, "so as by fire:" since we also used to of edification: and therefore he saith elsewhere, say, "It is preserved in the fire," when we "Edify one another with these words." (per- speak of those substances which do not immehaps I Thess. v. 11; iv. 5.) For both the arti-diately burn up and become ashes. For do ficer and the learner contribute to the edifying. not at sound of the word fire imagine that Wherefore he saith, "But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereon." (I Cor. iii. 10.) But if faith had been the subject of [Few accept this singular explanation. The common view of the clause is that it means that the man is saved, but as if through the very flames, i. e., with the greatest difficulty. 1 Pet. iv. 18. c.] 66 those who are burning pass into annihilation. brings back his discourse to the common fault, And though he call such punishment Salvation, saying, "If any man among you seemeth to Le be not astonished. For his custom is in things wise in this world, let him become a fool, that which have an ill sound to use fair expressions, he may become (réat. rec. vers. "be." and in good things the contrary. For example, wise." And this he doth afterwards with the word " Captivity" seems to be the name great boldness of speech, as having sufficiently of an evil thing, but Paul has applied it in a beaten them down2, and shaken with that fear good sense, when he says, "Bringing into cap- the mind not of that unclean person only, but tivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." of all the hearers also: so accurately does he (2 Cor. x. 5.) And again, to an evil thing he measure the reach of what he has to say. For hath applied a good word, saying, "Sin what if a man be rich, what if he be noble; he reigned," (Rom. v. 21.) here surely the term is viler than all the vile, when made captive by "reigning" is rather of auspicious sound. sin. For as if a man were a king and enslaved And so here in saying, "he shall be saved," to barbarians, he is of all men most wretched, he hath but darkly hinted at the intensity of so also is it in regard to sin: since sin is a barthe penalty as if he had said, "But himself barian, and the soul which hath been once shall remain forever in punishment." taken captive she knoweth not how to spare, but plays the tyrant to the ruin of all those who admit her. He then makes an inference, saying, [7.] Ver. 16. "Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God?" For since he had discoursed [9.] For nothing is so inconsiderate as sin : in the section before, concerning those who nothing so senseless, so utterly foolish and outwere dividing the Church, he thenceforward rageous. All is overturned and confounded and attacks him also who had been guilty of unclean- destroyed by it, wheresoever it may alight. ness; not indeed as yet in plain terms but in a Unsightly to behold, disgusting and grievous. general way; hinting at his corrupt mode of And should a painter draw her picture3, he life and enhancing the sin, by the Gift which would not, methinks, err in fashioning her had been already given to him. Then also he after this sort. A woman with the form of a pats all the rest to shame, arguing from these beast, savage, breathing flames, hideous, black ; very blessings which they had already for this such as the heathen poets depict their Scyllas. is what he is ever doing, either from the future For with ten thousand hands she lays hold of or from the past, whether grievous or encour-our thoughts, and comes on unexpected, and aging. First, from things future; "For the tears everything in pieces, like those dogs that day shall declare it, because it is revealed by bite slily. fire." Again, from things already come to pass; "Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" But rather, what need of the painter's art, when we should rather bring forward those who are made after sin's likeness? Whom then will ye that we should portray Ver. 17. "If any man destroy the Temple first? The covetous and rapacious? And what of God, him will God destroy." Dost thou more shameless than those eyes? What more mark the sweeping vehemence of his words? immodest, more like a greedy dog? For no dog However, so long as the person is unknown, keeps his ground with such shameless impuwhat is spoken is not so invidious, all dividing dence as he when he is grasping at all men's among themselves the fear of rebuke. "Him will God destroy," that is, will cause him to perish. And this is not the word of one denouncing a curse, but of one that prophesieth. "For the Temple of God is holy:" but he that hath committed fornication is profane. Then, in order that he might not seem to spend his earnestness upon that one, in saying, "for the Temple of God is holy," he addeth, "which ye are." [8.] Ver. 18. "Let no man deceive himself." This also is in reference to that person, as thinking himself to be somewhat and flattering himself on wisdom. But that he might not seem to press on him at great length in a mere digression; he first throws him into a kind of agony and delivers him over unto fear, and then goods. What more polluted than those hands? What more audacious than that mouth, swallowing all down and not satisfied? Nay, look not on the countenance and the eyes as being a a man's. For such looks belong not to the eyes of men. He seeth not men as men; he seeth not the heaven as heaven. He does not even lift up his head unto the Lord; but all is money in his account. The eyes of men are wont to look upon poor persons in affliction, and to be softened; but these of the rapacious man, at sight of the poor, glare like wild beasts'. The eyes of men do not behold other men's goods as if they were their own, but rather their 1 i. e. "reproving them for their common fault." 2 From this to the end of the sentence is not in Benedictine, but in Savile's margin, evidently from some MS. It seems to complete |