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1. Following upon yesterday's lesson from the Gospel is that of
today, upon which this day's discourse is due to you. When that
miracle was wrought, in which Jesus fed the five thousand with five
loaves, and the multitudes marveled and said that He was a great
prophet that came into the world, then follows this: "When Jesus
therefore knew that they came to seize Him, and to make Him king,
He escaped again unto the mountain alone." It is therefore given to
be understood that the Lord, when He sat on the mountain with His
disciples, and saw the multitudes coming to Him, had descended from
the mountain, and fed the multitudes on its lower parts. For how can
it be that He should escape thither again, if He had not before
descended from the mountain? There is something meant by the Lord's
descending from on high to feed the multitudes. He fed them, and
ascended.
2. But why did He ascend after He knew that they wished to seize
Him and make Him a king? How then; was He not a king, that He
was afraid to be made a king? He was certainly not such a king as
would be made by men, but such as would bestow a kingdom on men. May
it not be that Jesus, whose deeds are words, does here, too,
signify something to us? Therefore in this, that they wished to seize
Him and make Him a king, and that for this He escapes to the
mountain alone, is this action in His case silent; does it speak
nothing, does it mean nothing? Or was this seizing of Him perhaps an
intention to anticipate the time of His kingdom? For He had come
now, not to reign immediately, as He is to reign in the sense in
which we pray, Thy kingdom come. He ever reigns, indeed, with the
Father, in that He is the Son of God, the Word of God, the
Word by which all things were made. But the prophets foretold His
kingdom according to that wherein He is Christ made man, and has made
His faithful ones Christians. There will consequently be a kingdom
of Christians, which at present is being gathered together, being
prepared and purchased by the blood of Christ. His kingdom will at
length be made manifest, when the glory of His saints shall be
revealed, after the judgment is executed by Him, which judgment He
Himself has said above is that which the Son of man shall execute.
Of which kingdom also the apostle has said: "When He shall have
delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father." In reference to
which also Himself says: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, receive
the kingdom which is prepared for you from the beginning of the
world." But the disciples and the multitudes that believed on Him
thought that He had thus come immediately to reign; hence, they
wished to seize Him and to make Him a king; they wished to anticipate
the time which He hid with Himself, to make it known in due time,
and in due time to declare it in the end of the world.
3. That ye may know that they wished to make Him a king, that is,
to anticipate, and at once to have manifest the kingdom of Christ,
whom it behoved first to be judged and then to judge, when He was
crucified, and they who hoped in Him had lost hope of His
resurrection, having risen from the dead, He found two of them
despairingly conversing together, and, with groaning, talking with
one another of what had been done; and appearing to them as a
stranger, while their eyes were held that He should not be recognized
by them, He mixed with them as they held discourse: but they,
narrating to Him the matter of their conversation, said that He was a
prophet, mighty in deeds and in words, that had been slain by the
chief priests; "And we," say they, "did hope that it was He that
should have redeemed Israel."
Rightly you hoped: a true thing you hoped for: in Him is the
redemption of Israel. But why are ye in haste? Ye wish to seize
it. The following, too, shows us that this was their feeling,
that, when the disciples inquired of Him concerning the end, they
said to Him, "Wilt Thou at this time be made manifest, and when
will be the kingdom of Israel?" For they longed for it now, they
wished it now; that is, they wished to seize Him, and to make Him
king.
But saith He to the disciples (for He had yet to ascend alone),
"It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father hath
put in His own power: but ye shall receive virtue from on high, the
Holy Spirit coming upon you, and ye shall be witnesses to me in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the ends of the
earth." You wish that I should manifest the kingdom now; let me
first gather what I may manifest; you love elevation, and you shall
obtain elevation, but follow me through humility. Thus it was also
foretold of Him, "And the gathering of the peoples will surround
Thee, and for this cause return Thou on high;" that is, that the
gatherings of the peoples may surround Thee, that Thou mayest gather
many together, return Thou on high. Thus He did; He fed men, and
ascended.
4. But why is it said, He escaped? For He could not be held
against His will, nor seized against His will, since He could not
be recognized against His will. But that you may know that this was
done mystically, not of necessity, but of express purpose, you will
presently see in the following: that He appeared to the same
multitudes that sought Him, said many things in speaking with them,
and discoursed much about the bread of heaven; when discoursing about
bread, was He not with the same people from whom He had escaped test
He should be held of them? Then, could He not have so acted at that
time that He should not be seized by them, just as afterwards when He
was speaking with them? Something, therefore, was meant by His
escaping. What means, He escaped? His loftiness could not be
understood. For of anything which thou hast not understood thou
sayest, "It has escaped me." Wherefore, "He escaped again unto
the mountain alone, the first-begotten from the dead, ascending above
all heavens, and interceding for us."
5. Meanwhile, He, the one great High Priest being above (He
who has entered into that within the veil, the people standing
without; for Him that priest under the old law, who did this once a
year, did signify): He then being above, what were the disciples
enduring in the ship? For that ship prefigured the Church while He
is on high. For if we do not, in the first place, understand this
thing which that ship suffered respecting the Church, those incidents
were not significant, but simply transient; but if we see the real
meaning of those signs expressed in the Church, it is manifest that
the actions of Christ are a kind of speeches. "But when it was
late, saith he, His disciples went down to the sea; and when they
had entered into a ship, they came over the sea to Capernaum." He
declared that as finished quickly, which was done afterwards, "They
came over the sea to Capernaum." He returns to explain how they
came; that they passed over by sailing across the take. And whilst
they were sailing to that place to which He has already said they had
come, He explains by recapitulation what befell them. "It was now
dark, and Jesus had not come to them." Rightly he said "dark,"
for the light had not come to them "It was now dark, and Jesus had
not come to them." As the end of the world approaches, errors
increase, terrors multiply, iniquity increases, infidelity
increases; the light, in short, which, by the Evangelist John
himself, is fully and clearly shown to be charity, so much so that he
says, "Whoso hateth his brother is in darkness;" that light, I
say, is very often extinguished; this darkness of enmity between
brethren increases, daily increases, and Jesus is not yet come. How
does it appear to increase? "Because iniquity will abound, and the
love of many will begin to wax cold." Darkness increases, and Jesus
is not yet come. Darkness increasing, love waxing cold, iniquity
abounding, these are the waves that agitate the ship; the storms arid
the winds are the clamors of revilers. Thence love waxes cold; thence
the waves do swell, and the ship is tossed.
6. "And a great wind blowing, the sea rose." Darkness was
increasing, discernment was diminishing, iniquity was growing.
"When, therefore, they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty
furlongs." Meanwhile they struggled onward, kept advancing; nor did
those winds and storms, and waves and darkness effect either that the
ship should not make way, or that it should break in pieces and
founder; but amid all these evils it went on. For, notwithstanding
iniquity abounds, and the love of many waxes cold, and the waves do
swell, the darkness grows and the wind rages, yet the ship is moving
forward; "for he that perseveres to the end, the same shall be
saved." Nor is that number of furlongs to be lightly regarded. For
it cannot really be that nothing is meant, when it is said that,
"when they had rowed twenty-five or thirty furlongs, Jesus came to
them." It were enough to say, "twenty-five," so likewise
"thirty;" especially as it was an estimate, not an assertion of the
narrator. Could the truth be aught endangered by a mere estimate, if
he had said nearly thirty furlongs, or nearly twenty-five furlongs?
But from twenty-five he made thirty. Let us examine the number
twenty-five. Of what does it consist? of what is it made up? Of
the quinary, or number five. That number five pertains to the law.
The same are the five books of Moses, the same are those five porches
containing the sick folk, the same are the five loaves feeding the five
thousand men. Accordingly the number twenty-five signifies the law,
because five by five that is, five times five make twenty-five, or
the number five squared. But this law lacked perfection before the
gospel came. Moreover, perfection is comprised in the number six.
Therefore in six days God finished, or perfected, the world, and
the same five are mul-plied by six, that the law may be completed by
the gospel, that six times five become thirty. To them that fulfill
the law, therefore. Jesus comes. And how does He come? Walking
upon the waves, keeping all the swellings of the world under His
feet, pressing down all its heights. Thus it goes on, so long as
time endures, so long as the ages roll. Tribulations increase,
calamities increase, sorrows increase, all these swell and mount up:
Jesus passeth on treading upon the waves.
7. And yet so great are the tribulations, that even they who have
trusted in Jesus, and who strive to persevere unto the end, greatly
fear lest they fail; while Christ is treading the waves, and
trampling down the world's ambitions and heights, the Christian is
sorely afraid. Were not these things foretold him? Justly "they
were afraid," too, at seeing Jesus walking on the waves; like as
Christians, though having hope in the world to come, are frequently
disquieted at the crash of human affairs, when they see the loftiness
of this world trampled down. They open the Gospel, they open the
Scriptures, and they find all these things there foretold; that this
is the Lord's doing. He tramples down the heights of the world,
that He may be glorified by the humble. Concerning whose loftiness it
is foretold: `Thou shalt destroy strongest cities," and "the
spears of the enemy have come to an end, and Thou hast destroyed
cities." Why then are ye afraid, O Christians? Christ speaks:
"It is I; be not afraid." Why are ye alarmed at these things?
Why are ye afraid? I have foretold these things, I do them, they
must necessarily be done. "It is I; be not afraid. Therefore they
would receive Him into the ship." Recognizing Him and rejoicing,
they are freed from their fears. "And immediately the ship was at the
land to which they went." There is an end made at the land; from the
watery to the solid, from the agitated to the firm, from the way to
the goal.
8. "On the next day the multitude that stood on the other side of
the sea," whence the disciples had come, "saw that there was none
other boat there, save that one whereinto His disciples were entered,
and that Jesus went not with His disciples into the boat, but that
His disciples were gone away alone; but there came other boats from
Tiberias, nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, giving thanks
to the Lord: when, therefore, the multitudes saw that Jesus was not
there, nor His disciples, they also took shipping, and came to
Capernaum seeking Jesus." Yet they got some knowledge of so great a
miracle. For they saw that the disciples had gone into the ship
alone, and that there was not another ship there. But there came
boats also from near to that place where they did eat bread; in these
the multitudes followed Him. He had not then embarked with His
disciples, and there was not another ship there. How, then, was
Jesus on a sudden beyond the sea, unless that He walked upon the sea
to show a miracle?
9. "And when the multitudes had found Him." Behold, He
presents Himself to the people from whom He had escaped into the
mountain, afraid that He should be taken of them by force. In every
way He proves to us and gives us to know that all these things are said
in a mystery, and done in a great sacrament (or mystery) to signify
something important. Behold, that is He who had escaped the crowds
unto the mountain; is He not speaking with the same crowds? Let them
hold Him now; let them now make Him a king. "And when they had
found Him on the other side of the sea, they said unto Him Rabbi,
when camest Thou hither?"
10. After the sacrament of the miracle, He introduces discourse,
that, if possible, they who have been fed may be further fed, that
lie may with discourse fill their minds, whose bellies He filled with
the loaves, provided they take in. And if they do not, let that be
taken up which they do not receive, that the fragments may not be
lost. Wherefore let Him speak, and let us hear. "Jesus answered
and said Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me, not because
ye saw the signs, but because ye have eaten of my loaves." Ye seek
me for the sake of the flesh not for the sake of the spirit. How many
seek Jesus for no other object but that He may bestow on them a
temporal benefit! One has a business on hand, he seeks the
intercession of the clergy; another is oppressed by one more powerful
than himself, he flies to the church. Another desires intervention in
his behalf with one with whom he has little influence. One in this
way, one in that, the church is daily filled with such people. Jesus
is scarcely sought after for Jesus' sake. "Ye seek me, not because
ye have seen the signs, but because ye have eaten of my loaves. Labor
not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto
eternal life." Ye seek me for something else, seek me for my own
sake. For He insinuates the truth, that Himself is that meat: this
shines out clearly in the sequel. "Which the Son of man will give
you." Thou didst expect, I believe, again to eat bread, again to
sit down, again to be gorged. But He had said, "Not the meat
which perisheth, but that which endureth unto eternal life," in the
same manner as it was said to that Samaritan woman: "If thou knewest
who it is that asketh of thee drink, thou wouldest perhaps have asked
of Him, and He would give thee living water." When she said,
"Whence hast thou, since thou hast nothing to draw with, and the
well is deep?" He answered the Samaritan woman: "If thou knewest
who it is that asketh of thee drink, thou wouldst have asked of Him,
and He would give thee water, whereof whoso drinketh shall thirst no
more; for whoso drinketh of this water shall thirst again." And she
was glad and would receive, as if no more to suffer thirst of body,
being wearied with the labor of drawing water. And so, during a
conversation of this kind, He comes to spiritual drink. Entirely in
this manner also here.
11. Therefore "this meat, not that which perisheth, but that
which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give
unto you; for Him hath God the Father sealed." Do not take this
Son of man as you take other sons of men, of whom it is said, "And
the sons of men will trust in the protection of Thy wings." This
Son of man is separated by a certain grace of the spirit; Son of man
according to the flesh, taken out from the number of men: He is the
Son of man. This Son of man is also the Son of God; this man is
even God. In another place, when questioning His disciples, He
saith: "Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am? And they
answered, Some John, some Elias, some Jeremias, or one of the
prophets. And He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Peter answered, Thou art the Christ, the S n of the living
God." He declared Himself Son of man, Peter declared Him the
Son of the living God. Most fitly did He mention that which in
mercy He had manifested Himself to be; most fitly did the other
mention that which He continues to be in glory. The Word of God
commends to our attention His own humility: the man acknowledged the
glory of his Lord. And indeed, brethren, I think that this is
just. He humbled Himself for us, let us glorify Him. For not for
Himself is He Son of man, but for us. Therefore was He Son of
man in that way, when "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among
us." For to that end "God the Father sealed Him." What is to
seal, but to put some particular mark? To seal is to impress some
mark which cannot be confounded with the rest. To seal is to put a
mark on a thing. When thou puttest a mark on anything, thou doest so
test it might be confused with other things, and thou shouldst not be
able to recognize it. "The Father," then, "hath sealed Him."
What is that, "hath sealed"? Bestowed on Him something peculiar,
which puts Him out of comparison with all other men. For that reason
it is said of Him, "God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with
the oil of gladness above l Thy fellows." What is it then to seal,
but to have Him excepted? This is the import of "above Thy
fellows." And so, do not, saith He, despise me because I am the
Son of man, but seek from me, "not the meat that perisheth, but
that which endureth to eternal life." For I am the Son of man in
such manner as not to be one of you: I am Son of man in such manner
that God the Father sealed me. What does that mean, He "sealed
me"? Gave me something peculiarly my own, that I should not be
confounded with mankind, but that mankind should be delivered by me.
12. "They said therefore unto Him, What shall we do, that we
may work the works of God?" For He had said to them, "Labor not
for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto eternal
life." "What shall we do?" they ask; by observing what, shall we
be able to fulfill this precept? "Jesus answered and said unto them,
This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He has
sent." This is then to eat the meat, not that which perisheth, but
that which endureth unto eternal life. To what purpose dost thou make
ready teeth and stomach? Believe, and thou hast eaten already.
Faith is indeed distinguished from works, even as the apostle says,
"that a man is justified by faith without the works of the law:"
there are works which appear good, without faith in Christ; but they
are not good, because they are not referred to that end in which works
are good; "for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to
every one that believeth." For that reason, He willeth not to
distinguish faith from work, but declared faith itself to be work.
For it is that same faith that worketh by love. Nor did He say,
This is your work; but, "This is the work of God, that ye believe
on Him whom He has sent;" so that he who glories, may glory in the
Lord. And because He invited them to faith, they, on the other
hand, were still asking for signs by which they might believe. See if
the Jews do not ask for signs. "They said therefore rate Him,
What sign doest thou, that we may see and believe thee? what dost
thou work?" Was it a trifle that they were fed with five loaves?
They knew this indeed, but they preferred manna from heaven to this
food. But the Lord Jesus declared Himself to be such an one, that
He was superior to Moses. For Moses dared not say of Himself that
He gave, "not the meat which perisheth, but that which endureth to
eternal life." Jesus promised something greater than Moses gave.
By Moses indeed was promised a kingdom, and a land flowing with milk
and honey, temporal peace, abundance of children, health of body,
and all other things, temporal goods indeed, yet in figure spiritual;
because in the Old Testament they were promised to the old man. They
considered therefore the things promised by Moses, and they considered
the things promised by Christ. The former promised a full belly on
the earth, but of the meat which perisheth; the latter promised,
"not the meat which perisheth, but that which endureth unto eternal
life." They gave attention to Him that promised the more, but just
as if they did not yet see Him do greater things. They considered
therefore what sort of works Moses had done, and they wished yet some
greater works to be done by Him who promised them such great things.
What, say they, doest thou, that we may believe thee? And that
thou mayest know that they compared those former miracles with this and
so judged these miracles which Jesus did as being less; "Our
fathers," say they, "did eat manna in the wilderness." But what
is manna? Perhaps ye despise it. "As it is written, He gave them
manna to eat." By Moses our fathers received bread from heaven, and
Moses did not say to them, "Labor for the meat which perisheth
not." Thou promisest "meat which perisheth not, but which endureth
to eternal life;" and yet thou workest not such works as Moses did.
He gave, not barley loaves, but manna from heaven.
13. "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, not Moses gave you bread from heaven, but my Father gave you
bread from heaven. For the true bread is He that cometh down from
heaven, and giveth life to the world." The true bread then is He
that giveth life to the world; and the same is the meat of which I
have spoken a little before, "Labor not for the meat which
perisheth, but for that which endureth unto eernal life."
Therefore, both that manna signified this meat, and all those signs
were signs of me. Ye have longed for signs of me; do ye despise Him
that was signified? Not Moses then gave bread from heaven: God
gives bread. But what bread? Manna, perhaps? No, but the bread
which manna signified, namely, the Lord Jesus Himself. My Father
giveth you the true bread. "For the bread of God is He that cometh
down from heaven, and giveth life to the world Then said they unto
Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread." Like that Samaritan
woman, to whom it was said, "Whoso drinketh of this water shall
never thirst." She, immediately understanding it in reference to the
body, and wishing to be rid of want, said, "Give me, O Lord, of
this water;" in the same manner also these said, "O Lord, give us
this bread;" which may refresh us, and yet not fail.
14. "And Jesus said unto them, I am the Bread of Life: he
that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall
never thirst." "He that cometh to me;" this is the same thing as
"He that believeth on me;" and "shall never hunger" is to be
understood to mean the same thing as "shall never thirst." For by
both is signified that eternal sufficiency in which there is no want.
You desire bread from heaven; you have it before you, and yet you do
not eat. "But I said unto you, that ye also have seen me, and ye
believed not." But I have not on that account lost my people.
"For hath your unbelief made the faith of God of none effect?"
For, see thou what follows: "All that the Father giveth me shall
come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will not cast out of
doors." What kind of within is that, whence there is no going out of
doors? Noble interior, sweet retreat! O secret dwelling without
weariness, without the bitterness of evil thoughts, without the
solicitings of temptations and the interruptions of griefs! Is it not
that secret dwelling whither shall enter that well-deserving servant,
to whom the Lord will say, "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord?"
15. "And him that will come to me, I will not cast out. For I
came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him
that sent me." Is it for that reason that Thou wilt not cast out him
that shall come unto Thee, because Thou hast descended from heaven,
not to do Thine own will, but the will of Him that sent Thee?
Great mystery! I beseech you, let us knock together; something may
come forth to us which may feed us, according to that which has
delighted us. That great and sweet secret dwelling-place: "He that
will come to me." Give heed, give heed, and weigh the matter:
"He that will come unto me, I will not cast out." Why?
"Because I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the
will of Him that sent me." Is it then the very reason why Thou
castest not out him that cometh unto Thee, that Thou camest down from
heaven, not to do Thy own will, but the will of Him that sent
Thee? The very reason. Why do we ask whether it be the same? The
same it is; Himself says it. For it would not be right in us to
suspect Him to mean other than He says, "Whoso will come to me, I
will not cast out." And, as if thou askedst, wherefore? He
answered, "Because I came not to do my own will, but the will of
Him that sent me." I am afraid that the reason why the soul went
forth away from God is, that it was proud; nay, I do not doubt it.
For it is written, "Pride is the beginning of all sin; and the
beginning of man's pride is a failing away from God." It is
written, it is firm and sure, it is true. And hence what is said of
proud mortal man, clad in the tattered rags of the flesh, weighed down
with the weight of a corruptible body, and withal extolling himself,
and forgetting with what skin-coat he is cloth ed, what, I ask,
saith the Scripture to him?
"Why is dust and ashes proud?" Why proud! Let the Scripture tell
why. "Because in his life he put forth his inmost parts." What is
"put forth," but "threw afar off"? This is to go forth away.
For to enter within, is to long after the inmost parts; to put forth
the inmost parts, is to go forth away. The proud man puts forth the
inmost parts, the humble man earnestly desires the inmost parts. If
we are cast out by pride, let us return by humility.
16. Pride is the source of all diseases, because pride is the
source of all sins. When a physician removes a disorder from the
body, if he merely cures the malady produced by some particular cause,
but not the cause itself, he seems to heal the patient for a time, but
while the cause remains, the disease will repeat itself. For
example, to speak of this more expressly, some humor in the body
produces a scurf or sores; there follows a high fever, and not a
little pain; certain remedies are applied to repress the scurf, and to
allay that heat of the sore; the remedies are applied, and they do
good; thou seest the man who was full of sores and scurf healed; but
because that humor was not expelled, it returns again to ulcers. The
physician, perceiving this, purges away the humor, removes the
cause, and there will be no more sores. Whence doth iniquity abound?
From pride. Cure pride and there will be no more iniquity.
Consequently, that the cause of all diseases might be cured, namely,
pride, the Son of God came down and was made low. Why art thou
proud, O man?
God, for thee, became low. Thou wouldst perhaps be ashamed to
imitate a lowly man; at any rate, imitate the lowly God. The Son
of God came in the character of a man and was made low. Thou art
taught to become humble, not of a man to become a brute. He, being
God, became man; do thou, O man, recognize that thou art man.
Thy whole humility is to know thyself. Therefore because God teaches
humility, He said, "I came not to do my own will, but the will of
Him that sent me." For this is the commendation of humility.
Whereas pride doeth its own will, humility doeth the will of God.
Therefore, "Whoso cometh to me, I will not cast him out." Why?
"Because I came not to do my own will, but the will of Him that
sent me." I came humble, I came to teach humility, I came a
master of humility: he that cometh to me is made one body with me; he
that cometh to me becomes humble; he who adnereth to me will he
humble, because he doeth not his own will, but the will of God; and
therefore he shah not be cast out, for when he was proud he was cast
out.
17. See those inner things commended to us in the psalm: "But the
sons of men will put their trust in the covering of Thy wings." See
what it is to enter within; see what it is to flee for refuge to His
protection; see what it is to run even under the Father's lash, for
He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. "But the sons of men
shall put their trust under the cover of Thy wings." What is
within? "They shall be filled with the plenteousness of Thy
house," when Thou shalt have sent them within, entering into the joy
of their Lord; "they shall be filled with the plenteousness of Thy
house; and Thou shalt give them to drink of the stream of Thy
pleasure. For with Thee is the fountain of life." Not away without
Thee, but within with Thee, is the fountain of life. "And in Thy
light we shall see light. Show Thy mercy upon them that know Thee,
and Thy righteousness to them that are of upright heart." They who
follow the will of their Lord, not seeking their own, but the things
of the Lord Jesus Christ, they are the upright in heart, their feet
shall not be moved. For "God is good to Israel, to the upright in
heart. But, as for me, says he, my feet were almost moved."
Why? "Because I was jealous at sinners, looking at the peace of
sinners." To whom is God good then, unless to the upright in
heart? For God was displeasing to me when my heart was crooked. Why
displeasing? Because He gave happiness to the wicked, and therefore
my feet tottered, as if I had served God in vain. For this reason,
then, my feet were almost moved, because I was not upright of heart.
What then is upright in heart? Following the will of God. One man
is prosperous, another man toils; the one lives wickedly and yet is
prosperous, the other lives rightly and is distressed. Let not him
that lives rightly and is in distress be angry; he has within what the
prosperous man has not: let him therefore not be saddened, nor vex
himself, nor faint. That prosperous man has gold in his own chest;
this other has God in his conscience. Compare now gold and God,
chest and conscience. The former has that which perishes, and has it
where it will perish; the latter has God, who cannot perish, and has
Him there whence He cannot be taken away: only if he is upright in
heart; for then He enters within and goeth not out. For that
reason, what said he? "For with Thee is the fountain of life:"
not with us. We must therefore enter within, that we may live; we
must not be, as it were, content to perish, nor willing to be
satisfied of our own, to be dried up, but we must put our mouth to the
very fountain, where the water fails not. Because Adam wished to
live by his own counsel, he, too, fell through him who had fallen
before through pride, who invited him to drink of the cup of his own
pride. Wherefore, because "with Thee is the fountain of life, and
in Thy light we shall see light," let us drink within, let us see
within. Why was there a going out thence? Hear why: "Let not the
foot of pride come to me." Therefore he, to whom the foot of pride
came, went out. Show that therefore he went out. "And let not the
hands of sinners move me;" because of the foot of pride. Why sayest
thou this? "They are fallen, all they that work iniquity." Where
are they fallen? In their very pride. "They were driven out, and
they could not stand" If, then, pride drove them out who were not
able to stand, humility sends them in who can stand for ever. For
this reason, moreover, he who said, "The bones that were brought
low shall rejoice," said before, "Thou shall give joy and gladness
to my hearing." What does he mean by, " to my hearing"? By
hearing Thee I am happy; because of Thy voice I am happy; by
drinking within I am happy. Therefore do I not fall; therefore
"the bones that were brought low will rejoice;" therefore "the
friend of the Bridegroom standeth and heareth Him;" therefore he
stands, because he hears. He drinks of the fountain within,
therefore he stands. They who willed not to drink of the fountain
within, "there are they fallen: they were driven, they were not able
to stand."
18. Thus, the teacher of humility came not to do His own will,
but the will of Him that sent Him. Let us come to Him, enter in
unto Him, be ingrafted into Him, that we may not be doing our own
will, but the will of God: and He will not cast us out, because we
are His members, because He willed to be our head by teaching us
humility. Finally, hear Himself discoursing: "Come unto me, ye
who labor and are heavy laden: take my yoke upon you, and learn of
me; for I am meek and lowly of heart:" and when ye have learned
this, "ye shall find rest for your souls," from which ye cannot be
cast out; "because I am come down from heaven, not to do my own
will, but the will of Him that sent me;" I teach humility; none
but the humble can come unto me. Only pride casteth out; how can he
go out who keeps humility and falls not away from the truth? So much
as could be said about the hidden sense has now been said, brethren:
this sense is hidden enough, and I know not whether I have drawn out
and shaped in suitable words for you, why it is that He casteth not
out him that cometh unto Him; because He came not to do His own
will, but the will of Him that sent Him.
19. "And this," saith He, "is the will of the Father that
sent, that of all that He hath given me I should lose nothing." He
that keeps humility was given to Him; the same He receives: he that
keeps not humility is far from the Master of humility. "That of all
which He hath given me, I should lose nothing." "So it is not the
will of your Father that one of these little ones should perish." Of
the proud, there may perish; but of the little ones, none perisheth;
because, "if ye will not become as this little one, ye shall not
enter into the kingdom of heaven." "Of all that the Father hath
given me, I should lose nothing, but I will raise it up again on the
last day." See how here He delineates that twofold resurrection.
"He that cometh unto me" immediately rises again, being made humble
in my members; but I will raise him up again on the last day also
according to the flesh. "For this is the will of my Father that sent
me, that every one who seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may
have eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day." He
said above, "Whoso heareth my word, and believeth Him that sent
me:" but now, "Whoso seeth the Son, and believeth on Him." He
has not said, seeth the Son, and believeth on the Father; for to
believe on the Son is the same thing as to believe on the Father.
Because," even as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He
given also to the Son to have life in Himself. That every one who
seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have eternal life:" by
believing and by passing unto life, just as by that first
resurrection. And, because that is not the only resurrection, He
saith, "And I will raise him up at the last day."
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