|
ACTS II. 1, 2.
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully
come, they were all with one accord in one
place. And suddenly there came a sound from
heaven."
DOST thou perceive the type? What is this
Pentecost? The time when the sickle was to be
put to the harvest, and the ingathering was
made. See now the reality, when the time was
come to put in the sickle of the word: for
here, as the sickle, keen-edged, came the
Spirit down. For hear the words of Christ:
"Lift up your eyes," He said, "and look on
the fields, for they are white already to
harvest." (John iv. 35.) And again,
"The harvest truly is great, but the laborers
are few." (Matt. ix. 38.) But as the
first-fruits of this harvest, He himself took
[our nature], and bore it up on high.
Himself first put in the sickle. Therefore
also He calls the Word the Seed. "When,"
it says, "the day of Pentecost was fully
come" (Luke viii. 5, 11): that is,
when at the Pentecost, while about it, in
short. For it was essential that the present
events likewise should take place during the
feast, that those who had witnessed the
crucifixion of Christ, might also behold
these. "And suddenly there came a sound from
heaven." (v. 2.) Why did this not come to
pass without sensible tokens? For this reason.
If even when the fact was such, men said,
"They are full of new wine," what would they
not have said, had it been otherwise? And it
is not merely, "there came a sound," but,
"from heaven." And the suddenness also
startled them, and brought all together to the
spot. "As of a rushing mighty wind:" this
betokens the exceeding vehemence of the Spirit.
"And it filled all the house:" insomuch that
those present both believed, and (Edd.
toutous) in this manner were shown to be
worthy. Nor is this all; but what is more
awful still, "And there appeared unto them,"
it says, "cloven tongues like as of fire."
(v. 3.) Observe how it is always, "like
as;" and rightly: that you may have no gross
sensible notions of the Spirit. Also, "as it
were of a blast:" therefore it was not a wind.
"Like as of fire." For when the Spirit was
to be made known to John, then it came upon the
head of Christ as in the form of a dove: but
now, when a whole multitude was to be
converted, it is "like as of fire. And it sat
upon each of them." This means, that it
remained and rested upon them." For the
sitting is significant of settledness and
continuance.
Was it upon the twelve that it came? Not so;
but upon the hundred and twenty. For Peter
would not have quoted to no purpose the testimony
of the prophet, saying, "And it shall come to
pass in the last days, saith the Lord God, I
will pour out of My spirit upon all flesh: and
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and
your young men shall see visions, and your old
men shall dream dreams." (Joel if. 28.)
"And they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost." (v. 4.) For, that the effect
may not be to frighten only, therefore is it
both "with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.
And began to speak with other tongues, as the
Spirit gave them utterance."' (Matt. iii.
11.) They receive no other sign, but this
first; for it was new to them, and there was no
need of any other sign. "And it sat upon each
of them," says the writer. Observe now, how
there is no longer any occasion for that person
to grieve, who was not elected as was
Matthias, "And they were all filled," he
says; not merely received the grace of the
Spirit, but "were filled. And began to speak
with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance." It would not have been said,
All, the Apostles also being there present,
unless the rest also were partakers. For were
it not so having above made mention of the
Apostles distinctively and by name, he would
not now have put them all in one with the rest.
For if, where it was only to be mentioned that
they were present, he makes mention of the
Apostles apart, much more would he have done so
in the case here supposed. Observe, how when
one is continuing in prayer, when one is in
charity, then it is that the Spirit draws
near. It put them in mind also of another
vision: for as fire did He appear also in the
bush. "As the Spirit gave them utterance,
apofqeggesqai" (Exod. ii. 2.) For the
things spoken by them were apofqegmata profound
utterances. "And," it says, "there were
dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men."
(v. 5.) The fact of their dwelling there
was a sign of piety: that being of so many
nations they should have left country, and
home, and relations, and be abiding there.
For, it says, "There were dwelling at
Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every
nation under heaven. Now when this was noised
abroad, the multitude came together, and were
confounded. (v. 6.) Since the event had
taken place in a house, of course they came
together from without. The multitude was
confounded: was all in commotion. They
marvelled; "Because that every man heard them
speak in his own language. And they were
amazed," it says, "and marvelled, saying one
to another, Behold, are not all these which
speak Galileans?" (v. 7-13.) They
immediately turned their eyes towards the
Apostles. "And how" (it follows) "hear we
every man in our own tongue, wherein we were
born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites,
and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in
Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and
Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt,
and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene:" mark
how they run from east to west: "and strangers
of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and
Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues
the wonderful works of God. And, they were
all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to
another, What meaneth this? Others mocking
said, These men are full of new wine." O the
excessive folly! O the excessive malignity!
Why it was not even the season for that; for it
was Pentecost. For this was what made it
worse: that when those were confessing--men
that were Jews, that were Romans, that were
proselytes, yea perhaps that had crucified
Him--yet these, after so great signs, say,
"They are full of new wine!"
But let us look over what has been said from the
beginning. (Recapitulation.) "And when the
day of Pentecost," etc. "It filled," he
says, "the house." That wind pnoh was a very
pool of water. This betokened the copiousness,
as the fire did the vehemence. This nowhere
happened in the case of the Prophets: for to
uninebriated souls such accesses are not attended
with much disturbance; but "when they have well
drunken," then indeed it is as here, but with
the Prophets it is otherwise. (Ez. iii.
3.) The roll of a book is given him, and
Ezekiel ate what he was about to utter. "And
it became in his mouth," is is said, "as
honey for sweetness." (And again the hand of
God touches the tongue of another Prophet; but
here it is the Holy Ghost Himself: (Jer.
i. 9) so equal is He in honor with the
Father and the Son.) And again, on the
other hand, Ezekiel calls it "Lamentations,
and mourning, and woe." (Ez. ii. 10.)
To them it might well be in the form of a book;
for they still needed similitudes. Those had to
deal with only one nation, and with their own
people; but these with the whole world, and
with men whom they never knew. Also Elisha
receives the grace through the medium of a mantle
(2 Kings xiii.); another by oil, as David
(2 Sam. xvi. 13); and Moses by fire,
as we read of him at the bush. (Exod. iii.
2.) But in the present case it is not so;
for the fire itself sat upon them. (But
wherefore did the fire not appear so as to fill
the house? Because they would have been
terrified.) But the story shows, that it is
the same here as there. For you are not to stop
at this, that "there appeared unto them cloven
tongues" but note that they were "of fire."
Such a fire as this is able to kindle infinite
fuel. Also, it is well said, Cloven, for
they were from one root; that you may learn,
that it was an operation sent from the
Comforter.
But observe how those men also were first shown
to be worthy, and then received the Spirit as
worthy. Thus, for instance, David: what he
did among the sheepfolds, the same he did after
his victory and trophy; that it might be shown
how simple and absolute was his faith. Again,
see Moses despising royalty, and forsaking
all, and after forty years taking the lead of
the people (Exod. ii. 11); and Samuel
occupied there in the temple (1 Sam. iii.
3); Elisha leaving all (1 Kings xix.
21); Ezekiel again, made manifest by what
happened thereafter. s In this manner, you
see, did these also leave all that they had.
They learnt also what human infirmity is, by
what they suffered; they learnt that it was not
in vain they had done these good works. (1
Sam. ix. and xi. 6.) Even Saul, having
first obtained witness that he was good,
thereafter received the Spirit. But in the
same manner as here did none of them receive.
Thus Moses was the greatest of the Prophets,
yet he, when others were to receive the
Spirit, himself suffered diminution. But here
it is not so; but just as fire kindles as many
flames as it will, so here the largeness of the
Spirit was shown, in that each one received a
fountain of the Spirit; as indeed He Himself
had foretold, that those who believe in Him,
should have "a well of water springing up into
everlasting life." (John iv. 14.) And
good reason that it should be so. For they did
not go forth to argue with Pharaoh, but to
wrestle with the devil. But the wonder is
this, that when sent they made no objections;
they said not, they were "weak in voice, and
of a slow tongue." (Exod. iv. 10.) For
Moses had taught them better. They said not,
they were too young. (Jer. i. 6.)
Jeremiah had made them wise. And yet they had
heard of many fearful things, and much greater
than were theirs of old time; but they feared to
object.--And because they were angels of
light, and ministers of things above
["Suddenly there came from heaven," etc.]
To them of old, no one "from heaven"
appears, while they as yet follow after a
vocation on earth; but now that Man has gone up
on high,. the Spirit also descends mightily
from on high. "As it were a rushing mighty
wind;" making it manifest by this, that
nothing shall be able to withstand them, but
they shall blow away all adversaries like a heap
of dust. "And it filled all the house." The
house also was a symbol of the world. "And it
sat upon each of them," [etc.] and "the
multitude came together, and were confounded."
Observe their piety; they pronounce no hasty
judgment, but are perplexed: whereas those
reckless ones pronounce at once, saying,
"These men are full of new wine." Now it was
in order that they might have it in their power,
in compliance with the Law, to appear thrice in
the year in the Temple, that they dwelt there,
these "devout men from all nations." Observe
here, the writer has no intention of flattering
them. For he does not say that they pronounced
any opinion: but what? "Now when this was
noised abroad, the multitude came together, and
were confounded." And well they might be; for
they supposed the matter was now coming to an
issue against them, on account of the outrage
committed against Christ.
Conscience also agitated their souls, the very
blood being yet upon their hands, and every
thing alarmed them. "Behold, are not all
these which speak Galileans?" For indeed this
was confessed. ["And how hear we"] so much
did the sound alarm them. [" Every man in our
own tongue," etc.] for it found the greater
part of the world assembled there.
["Parthians and Medes," etc.] This
nerved the Apostles: for, what it was to speak
in the Parthian tongue, they knew not but now
learnt from what those said. Here is mention
made of nations that were hostile to them,
Cretans, Arabians, Egyptians, Persians:
and that they would conquer them all was here
made manifest. But as to their being in those
countries, they were there in captivity, many
of them: or else, the doctrines of the Law had
become disseminated [among] the Gentiles in
those countries. So then the testimony comes
from all quarters: from citizens, from
foreigners, from proselytes. "We do hear them
speak in our tongues the wonderful works of
God." For it was not only that they spoke
(in their tongues), but the things they spoke
were wonderful. Well then might they be in
doubt: for never had the like occurred.
Observe the ingenuousness of these men. They
were amazed and were in doubt, saying, "What
meaneth this?" But "others mocking said,
'These men are full of new wine'" (John
viii. 48), and therefore mocked. O the
effrontery! And what wonder is it? Since even
of the Lord Himself, when casting out devils,
they said that He had a devil! For so it is;
wherever impudent assurance exists, it has but
one object in view, to speak at all hazards, it
cares not what; not that the man should say
something real and relevant to the matter of
discourse, but that he should speak no matter
what. [" They are full of new wine."]
Quite a thing of course (is no, it?), a
that men in the midst of such dangers, and
dreading the worst, and in such despondency,
have the courage to utter such things! And
observe: since this was unlikely; because they
Would not have been drinking much [at that
early hour], they ascribe the whole matter to
the quality (of the wine), and say, "They
are full" of it. "But Peter, standing up
with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said
unto them." In a former place you saw his
provident forethought, here you see his manly
courage. For if they were astonished and
amazed, was it not as wonderful that he should
be able in the midst of such a multitude to find
language, he, an unlettered and ignorant man?
If a man is troubled when he speaks among
friends, much more might he be troubled among
enemies and bloodthirsty men. That they are not
drunken, he shows immediately by his very
voice, that they are not beside themselves, as
the soothsayers: and this too, that they were
not constrained by some compulsory force. What
is meant by, "with the eleven?" They
expressed themselves through one common voice,
and he was the mouth of all. The eleven stood
by as witnesses to what he said. "He lifted up
his voice," it is said. That is, he spoke
with great confidence, that they might perceive
the grace of the Spirit. He who had not
endured the questioning of a poor girl, now in
the midst of the people, all breathing murder,
discourses with such confidence, that this very
thing becomes an unquestionable proof of the
Resurrection: in the midst of men who could
deride and make a joke of such things as these!
What effrontery, think you, must go to that!
what impiety, what shameless ness! For
wherever the Holy Spirit is present, He
makes' men of gold out of men of clay. Look,
I pray you, at Peter now examine well that
timid one, and devoid of understanding; as
Christ said, "Are ye also yet without
understanding?" (Matt. xv. 16) the man,
who after that marvellous confession was called
"Satan." (Ib. xvi. 23.) Consider
also the unanimity of the Apostles. They
themselves ceded to him the office of speaking;
for it was not necessary that all should speak.
"And he lifted up his voice," and spoke out
to them with great boldness. Such a thing it is
to be a spiritual man I Only let us also bring
ourselves into a state meet for the grace from
above, and all becomes easy. For as a man of
fire falling into the midst of straw would take
no harm, but do it to others: not he could take
any harm, but they, in assailing him, destroy
themselves. For the case here was just as if
one carrying hay should attack one bearing fire:
even so did the Apostles encounter these their
adversaries with great boldness.
For what did it harm them, though they were so
great a multitude? Did they not spend all their
rage? did they not turn the distress upon
themselves? Of all mankind were ever any so
possessed with both rage and terror, as those
became possessed? Were they not in an agony,
and were dismayed, and trembled? For hear what
they say, "Do ye wish to bring this man's
blood upon us?" (Acts v. 28.) Did they
(the Apostles) not fight against poverty and
hunger: against ignominy and infamy (for they
were accounted deceivers): did they not fight.
against ridicule and wrath and mockery?--for
in their case the contraries met: some laughed
at them, others punished them;--were they not
made a mark for the wrathful passions, and for
the merriment, of whole cities? exposed to
factions and conspiracies: to fire, and sword,
and wild beasts? Did not war beset them from
every quarter, in ten thousand forms? And were
they any more affected in their minds by all
these things, than they would have been at
seeing them in a dream or in a picture? With
bare body they took the field against all the
armed, though against them all men had arbitrary
power [against them, were]: terrors of
rulers, force of arms, in cities and strong
walls: without experience, without skill of the
tongue, and in the condition of quite ordinary
men, matched against juggling conjurors,
against impostors, against the whole throng of
sophists, of rhetoricians, of philosophers
grown mouldy in the Academy and the walks of the
Peripatetics, against all these they fought the
battle out. And the man whose occupation bad
been about lakes, so mastered them, as if it
cost him not so much ado as even a contest with
dumb fishes: for just as if the opponents he had
to outwit were indeed more mute than fishes, so
easily did he get the better of them! And
Plato, that talked a deal of nonsense in his
day, is silent now, while this man utters his
voice everywhere; not among his own countrymen
alone, but also among Parthians, and Medes,
and Elamites, and in India, and in every part
of the earth, and to the extremities of the
world. Where now is Greece, with her big
pretentions? Where the name of Athens? Where
the ravings of the philosophers? He of
Galilee, he of Bethsaida, he, the uncouth
rustic, has overcome them all. Are you not
ashamed--confess it--at the very name of the
country of him who has defeated you? But if you
hear his own name too, and learn that he was
called Cephas, much more will you hide your
faces. This, this has undone you quite;
because you esteem this a reproach, and account
glibness of tongue a praise, and want of
glibness a disgrace. You have not followed the
road you ought to have chosen, but leaving the
royal road, so easy, so smooth, you have
trodden one rough, and steep, and laborious.
And therefore you have not attained unto the
kingdom of heaven.
Why then, it is asked, did not Christ
exercise His influence upon Plato, and upon
Pythagoras? Because the mind of Peter was
much more philosophical than their minds. They
were in truth children shifted about on all sides
by vain glory'; but this man was a
philosopher, one apt to receive grace. If you
laugh at these words, it is no wonder; for
those aforetime laughed, and said, the men were
full of new wine. But afterwards, when they
suffered those bitter Calamities, exceeding all
others in misery; when they saw their city
falling in ruins, and the fire blazing, and the
walls hurled to the ground, and those manifold
frantic horrors, which no one can find words to
express, they did not laugh then. And you will
laugh then, if you have the mind to laugh, when
the time of hell is close at hand, when the fire
is kindled for your souls. But why do I speak
of the future? Shall I show you. what Peter
is, and what Plato, the philosopher? Let us
for the present examine their respective habits,
let us see what were the pursuits of each. The
one wasted his time about a set of idle and
useless dogmas, and philosophical, as he says,
that we may learn that the soul of our
philosopher becomes a fly. Most truly said, a
fly! not indeed changed into one, Gut a fly
must have entered upon possession of the soul
which dwelt in Plato; for what but a fly is
worthy of such ideas! The man was full of
irony, and of jealous feelings against every one
else, as if he made it his ambition to introduce
nothing useful, either out of his own head or
other people's. Thus he adopted the
metempsychosis from another, and from himself
produced the Republic, in which he enacted
those laws full of gross turpitude. Let the
women, he says, be in common, and let the
virgins go naked, and let them wrestle before
the eyes of their lovers, and let there also be
common fathers, and let the children begotten be
common. But with us, not nature makes common
fathers, but the philosophy of Peter does
this; as for that other, it made away with all
paternity. For Plato's system only tended to
make the real father next to unknown, while the
false one was introduced. It plunged the soul
into a kind of intoxication and filthy
wallowing. Let all, he says, have intercourse
with the women without fear. The reason why I
do not examine the maxims of poets, is, that I
may not be charged with ripping up fables. And
yet I am speaking of fables much more ridiculous
than even those. Where have the poets devised
aught so portentous as this? But (not to enter
into the discussion of his other maxims), what
say you to these--when he equips the females
with arms, and helmets, and greaves, and says
that the human race has no occasion to differ
from the canine! Since dogs, he says, the
female and the male, do just the same things in
common, so let the women do the same works as
the men, and let all be turned upside down.
For the devil has always endeavored by their
means to show that our race is not more honorable
than that of brutes; and, in fact, some have
gone to such a pitch of (kenodoxias absurdity,
as to affirm that the irrational creatures are
endued with reason. And see in how many various
ways he has run riot in the minds of those men!
For whereas their leading men affirmed that our
soul passes into flies, and dogs, and brute
creatures; those who came after them, being
ashamed of this, fell into another kind of
turpitude, and invested the brute creatures with
all rational science, and made out that the
creatures--which were called into existence on
our account--are in all respects more honorable
than we! They even attribute to them
foreknowledge and piety. The crow, they say,
knows God, and the raven likewise, and they
possess gifts of prophecy, and foretell the
future; there is justice among them, and
polity, and laws. Perhaps you do not credit
the things I am telling you. And well may you
not, nurtured as you have been with sound
doctrine; since also, if a man were fed with
this fare, he would never believe that there
exists a human being who finds pleasure in eating
dung. The dog also among them is jealous,
according to Plato. But when we tell them that
these things are fables, and are full of
absurdity, 'You do not enter (enohsate) into
the higher meaning,' say they. No, we do not
enter into this your surpassing nonsense, and
may we never do so: for it requires (of
course!) an excessively profound mind, to
inform me, what all this impiety and confusion
would be at. Are you talking, senseless men,
in the language of crows, as the children are
wont (in play)? For you are in very deed
children, even as they. But Peter never
thought of saying any of these things: he
uttered a voice, like a great light shining out
in the dark, a voice which scattered the mist
and darkness of the whole world. Again, his
deportment, how gentle it was, how considerate
(epieikes); how far above all vainglory; how
he looked towards heaven without all
self-elation, and this, even when raising up
the dead! But if it had come to be in the power
of any one of those senseless people (in mere
fantasy of course) to do anything like it,
would he not straightway have looked for an altar
and a temple to be reared to him, and have
wanted to be equal with the gods? since in fact
when no such sign is forthcoming, they are
forever indulging such fantastic conceits. And
what, pray you, is that Minerva of theirs,
and Apollo, and Juno? They are different
kinds of demons among them.
And there is a king of theirs, who thinks fit
to die for the mere purpose of being accounted
equal with the gods. But not so the men here:
no, just the contrary. Hear how they speak on
the occasion of the lame man's cure. "Ye men
of Israel, why look ye so earnestly on us, as
though by our own power or holiness we had made
him to walk? (ch. iii. 12.) We also are
men of like passions with you. (Ibid. xiv.
14.) But with those, great is the
self-elation, great the bragging; all for the
sake of men's honors, nothing for the pure love
of truth and virtue. (filosofias eneken) For
where an action is done for glory, all is
worthless. For though a man possess all, yet
if he have not the mastery over this (lust),
he forfeits all claim to true philosophy, he is
in bondage to the more tyrannical and shameful
passion. Contempt of glory; this it is that is
sufficient to teach all that is good, and to
banish from the soul every pernicious passion.
I exhort you therefore to use the most strenuous
endeavors to pluck out this passion by the very
roots; by no other means can you have good
esteem with God, and draw down upon you the
benevolent regard of that Eye which never
sleepeth. Wherefore, let us use all
earnestness to obtain the enjoyment of that
heavenly influence, and thus both escape the
trial of present evils, and attain unto the
future blessings, through the grace and
lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with
Whom to the Father and the Holy Ghost be
glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to all
ages. Amen.
|
|