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1. The Lord, beloved brethren, hath defined that fullness of love
which we ought to bear to one another, when He said: "Greater love
hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
Inasmuch, then, as He had said before, "This is my commandment,
that ye love one another, as I have loved you;" and appended to
these words what you have just been hearing, "Greater love hath no
man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends;" there
follows from this as a consequence, what this same Evangelist John
says in his epistle, "That as Christ laid down His life for us,
even so we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren;" loving
one another in truth, as He hath loved us, who laid down His life
for us. Such also is doubtless the meaning of what we read in the
Proverbs of Solomon: "If thou sittest down to supper at the table
of a ruler, consider wisely what is set before thee; and so put to thy
hand, knowing that thou art bound to make similar preparations." For
what is the table of the ruler, but that from which we take the body
and blood of Him who laid down His life for us? And what is it to
sit thereat, but to approach in humility? And what is it to consider
intelligently what is set before thee, but worthily to reflect on the
magnitude of the favor? And what is it, so to put to thy hand, as
knowing that thou art bound to make similar preparations, but as I
have already said, that, as Christ laid down His life for us, so we
also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren? For as the Apostle
Peter also says, "Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example,
that we should follow His steps." This is to make similar
preparations. This it was that the blessed martyrs did in their
burning love; and if we celebrate their memories in no mere empty
form, and, in the banquet whereat they themselves were filled to the
full, approach the table of the Lord, we must, as they did, be also
ourselves making similar preparations. For on these very grounds we do
not commemorate them at that table in the same way, as we do others who
now rest in peace, as that we should also pray for them, but rather
that they should do so for us, that we may cleave to their footsteps;
because they have actually attained that fullness of love, than which,
our Lord hath told us, there cannot be a greater. For such tokens of
love they exhibited for their brethren, as they themselves had equally
received at the table of the Lord.
2. But let us not be supposed to have so spoken as if on such grounds
we might possibly arrive at an equality with Christ the Lord, if for
His sake we have undergone witness-bearing even unto blood. He had
power to lay down His life, and to take it again; but we have no
power to live as long as we wish; and die we must, however unwilling:
He, by dying, straightway slew death in Himself; we, by His
death, are delivered from death: His flesh saw no corruption; ours,
after corruption, shall in the end of the world be clothed by Him with
incorruption: He had no need of us, in order to work out our
salvation; we, without Him, can do nothing: He gave Himself as
the vine, to us the branches; we, apart from Him, can have no
life. Lastly, although brethren die for brethren, yet no martyr's
blood is ever shed for the remission of the sins of brethren, as was
the case in what He did for us; and in this respect He bestowed not
on us aught for imitation, but something for congratulation. In as
far, then, as the martyrs have shed their blood for the brethren, so
far have they exhibited such tokens of love as they themselves perceived
at the table of the Lord. (One might imitate Him in dying, but no
one could, in redeeming.) In all else, then, that I have said,
although it is out of my power to mention everything, the martyr of
Christ is far inferior to Christ Himself. But if any one shall set
himself in comparison, I say, not with the power. but with the
innocence of Christ, and (I would not say) in thinking that he is
healing the sins of others, but at least that he has no sins of his
own, even so far is his avidity overstepping the requirements of the
method of salvation; it is a matter of considerable moment for him,
only he attains not his desire. And well it is that he is admonished
in that passage of the Proverbs, which immediately goes on to say,
"But if thy greed is too great, be not desirous of his dainties; for
it is better that thou take nothing thereof, than that thou shouldst
take more than is befitting. For such things," it is added, "have
a life of deceit," that is, of hypocrisy. For in asserting his own
sinlessness, he cannot prove, but only pretend, that he is
righteous. And so it is said," For such have a deceiving life."
There is only One who could at once have human flesh and be free from
sin. Appropriately are we commanded that which follows; and such a
word and proverb is well adapted to human weakness, when it is said,
"Lay not thyself out, seeing thou art poor, against him that is
rich." For the rich man is Christ, who was never obnoxious to
punishment either through hereditary or personal debt and is righteous
Himself, and justifies others. Lay not thyself out against Him,
thou who art so poor, that thou art manifestly to the eyes of all the
daily beggar that thou art in thy prayer for the remission of sins.
"But keep thyself," he says, "from thine own counsel" ["cease
from thine own wisdom" E. V.]. From what, but from this
delusive presumption? For He, indeed, inasmuch as He is not only
man but also God, can never be chargeable with evil. "For if thou
turn thine eye upon Him, He will nowhere be visible." "Thine
eye," that is, the human eye, wherewith thou distinguishest that
which is human; "if thou turn it upon Him, He will nowhere be
visible," because He cannot be seen with such organs of sight as are
thine. "For He will provide Himself wings like an eagle's, and
will depart to the house of His overseer," from which, at all
events, He came to us, and found us not such as He Himself was who
came. Let us therefore love one another, even as Christ hath loved
us, and given Himself for us. "For greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." And let us be
imitating Him in such a spirit of reverential obedience, that we shall
never have the boldness to presume on a comparison between Him and
ourselves.
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