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ACTS VII. 35.
"This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who
made thee a ruler and a judge over us? the same
did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by
the hand of the Angel which appeared to him in
the bush."
This is very suitable to the matter in hand.
"This Moses," he says. "This," the man
who had been in danger of losing his life; the
man who had been set at naught by them; "this"
the man whom they had declined: "this" same,
God having raised up, sent unto them. "Whom
they refused, saying, Who made thee a
ruler?" just as they themselves (the hearers)
said, "We have no king, but Caesar."
(John xix. 15.) He here shows also, that
what was then done, was done by Christ. "The
same did God send by the hand of the Angel,"
who said unto him, "I am the God of
Abraham." "This" same Moses, he
says,--and observe how he points to his
renown--"this" same Moses, he says,
"brought them out, after that he had showed
wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in
the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty
years. This is that Moses, which said unto
the children of Israel, A prophet shall the
Lord your God raise up unto you of your
brethren, like unto me" (v. 36, 37):
set at naught like me. Him, likewise, Herod
wished to kill, and in Egypt He found
preservation just as it was with the former,
even when He was a babe, He was aimed at for
destruction. "This is he, that was in the
Church in the wilderness with the Angel which
spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our
fathers: who received the lively oracles to give
unto us." (v. 38.) Again no mention of
temple, none of sacrifice. "With the
Angel," it says, "he received the lively
oracles to give unto the fathers." It shows,
that he not only wrought miracles, but also gave
a law, as Christ did. Just as Christ first
works miracles, and then legislates: so did
Moses. But they did not hear him, keeping
their disobedience, even after the miracles:
"To whom," he says, "our fathers would not
obey:" (v. 39) after the wonders done in
those forty years. And not only so, but just
the contrary: "but thrust him from them, and
in their hearts turned back again into Egypt.
Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before
us; for as for this Moses, which brought us
out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is
become of him. And they made a calf in those
days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and
rejoiced in the works of their own hands. Then
God turned, and gave them up to worship the
host of heaven; as it is written in the book of
the Prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye
offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the
space of forty years in the wilderness? Yea,
ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the
star of your god Kemphan, figures which ye made
to worship them: and I will carry you away
beyond Babylon." (v. 40, 43.) The
expression, "gave them up," means, He
suffered. "Our fathers had the tabernacle of
witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed,
speaking unto Moses, that he should make it
according to the fashion he had seen." (v.
44.) Even when there was a Tabernacle, yet
there were no sacrifices. "Did ye offer unto
Me slain beasts and sacrifices?" (Amos v.
25.) There was "the tabernacle of
witness," and yet it profired them nothing,
but they were consumed. But neither before,
nor afterwards, did the miracles profit them
aught. "Which also, our fathers that came
after brought in." Seest thou, how the holy
place is there wherever God may be? For to
this end also he says, "in the wilderness,"
to compare place with place. Then the benefit
(conferred upon them): And our fathers that
came after brought it in with Jesus into the
possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out
before the face of our fathers, unto the days of
David; who found favor before God, and
desired to find a tabernacle for the God of
Jacob. (v. 45, 46.) David "desired
to find favor:" and he builded not, he, the
wonderful, the great; but the castaway,
Solomon. "But Solomon," it says, "built
Him an house. Howbeit the Most High dwelleth
not in (places) made with hands. (v.
47-50.) This was shown indeed already by
what had been before said: but it is shown also
by the voice of a prophet; "What house will ye
build for Me? saith the Lord God. As saith
the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is
my footstool: what house will ye build for me?
saith the Lord: or what is the place of my
rest? Hath not my hand made all these
things?" (Is. Ixvi. 1, 2.)
Marvel not, he says, if they on whom Christ
confers His benefits refuse His kingdom,
seeing in the case of Moses it was just the
same. (Recapitulation). "He brought them
out;" and rescued them not in a general way,
but also while they were in the wilderness.
"Wonders and signs," etc. (v.
35-50.) Do you mark that they themselves
(Stephen's hearers) are concerned in those
old miracles also? "This is that Moses:"
(v. 37) he, that conversed with God; he,
that had been saved out of situations so strange
and wonderful; he, that wrought so great
works, and had so great power. [" Which said
unto the children of Israel, A prophet,"
etc.] He shows, that the prophecy must by all
means be fulfilled, and that Moses is not
opposed to Him. "This is he that was in the
Church in the wilderness, and, that said unto
the children of Israel." (v. 38.) Do
you mark that thence comes the root, and that
"salvation is from the Jews?" (John iv.
22.) "With the Angel," it says, "which
spake unto him." (Rom. xi. 16.) Lo,
again he affirms that it was He (Christ) that
gave the Law, seeing Moses was with "Him"
in the Church in the wilderness. And here he
puts them in mind of a great marvel, of the
things done in the Mount: "Who received
living oracles to give unto us." On all
occasions Moses is wonderful, and when need was
to legislate. What means the expression,
"Living oracles" (loUia)? Those, whereof
the end was shown by words (dia loUwn): in
other words, he means the prophecies. Then
follows the charge, in the first instance,
against the patriarchs [after], the "signs
and wonders," after the receiving of the
"lively oracles: To whom," he says, "our
fathers would not obey." (v. 39.) But
concerning those, Ezekiel says that they are
not "living;" as when he says, "And I gave
you statutes that are not good." (Ezek. xx.
25.) It is with reference to those that he
says, "Living. But thrust him from them,
and in their hearts turned back to
Egypt"--the place where they groaned, where
they cried, whence they called upon God.
"And said unto Aaron, Make us gods which
shall go before us." (v. 40.) O the
folly! "Make," say they; "that they may go
before us." Whither? "Into Egypt." See
how hard they were to tear away from the customs
of Egypt! What sayest thou? What, not wait
for him that brought thee out, but flee the
benefit, and deny the Benefactor? And mark
how insulting they are: "For as for this
Moses," they say:--"which brought us out
of the land of Egypt" nowhere the name of
God: instead of that, they ascribed all to
Moses. Where they ought to give thanks (to
God), they bring Moses forward: where it
was, to do as the Law bade them, they no
longer make account of Moses. "We know not
what is become of him." And yet he told them
that he was going up to receive the Law: and
they had not patience to wait forty days.
"Make us gods"--they did not say, "a
God."--And yet one may well wonder at
this, that they do not even know.--"And
they made a calf in those days, and offered
sacrifices unto the idol, and rejoiced in the
works of their own hands" (v. 41): for
which they ought to have hid their faces. What
wonder that ye know not Christ, seeing ye knew
not Moses, and God Who was manifested by such
wonders? But they not only knew Him not: they
also insulted in another way, by their idol
making. "Then God turned, and gave them up
to worship the host of heaven" (v. 42.)
Hence these same "customs" date their origin,
hence the sacrifices: they were themselves the
first that made sacrifices to their idols! For
that is why it is marked, "They made a calf in
Horeb, and offered sacrifices to the idol:"
seeing that, before this the name of sacrifice
is nowhere mentioned, but only lively
ordinances, and "lively oracles. And
rejoiced"--that is the reason for the feasts.
Exod. xxxii. 5, 6.) "As it is written
in the Book of the Prophets"--and observe,
he does not cite the text without a purpose, but
shows by it that there is no need of sacrifices;
saying: "Did ye offer slain beasts and
sacrifice to Me?"--He lays an emphasis on
this word (to Me?). "Ye cannot say that it
was from sacrificing to Me, that ye proceeded
to sacrifice to them:--"by the space of forty
years:" and this too, "in the wilderness,"
where He had most signally shown Himself their
Protector. "Yea, ye took up the tabernacle
of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan:
images which ye made to worship them. The cause
of sacrifices! "And I will carry you away
beyond Babylon." (v. 43.) Even the
captivity, an impeachment of their wickedness!
"But a Tabernacle," say you, "there was
(the Tabernacle) 'of Witness.'" (v.
44.) (Yes,) this is why it was: that
they should have God for Witness: this was
all. "According to the fashion," it says,
"that was shown thee on the mount:" so that on
the mount was the Original. And this
Tabernacle, moreover, "in the wilderness,"
was carried about, and not locally fixed. And
he calls it, "Tabernacle of witness:" i.e.
(for witness) of the miracles, of the
statutes. This is the reason why both it and
those (the fathers) had no Temple. "As He
had appointed, that spake unto Moses, that he
should make it according to the fashion that he
had seen." Again, it was none other than He
(Christ) that gave the fashion itself.
"Until the days of David" (v. 45): and
there was no temple! And yet the Gentiles also
had been driven out: for that is why he mentions
this: "Whom God drave out," he says,
"before the face of our fathers. Whom He
drave out," he says: and even then, no
Temple! And so many wonders, and no mention
of a Temple! So that, although first there is
a Tabernacle, yet nowhere a Temple. "Until
the days of David," he says: even David,
and no Temple! "And he sought to find favor
before God" (v. 46): and built
not:--so far was the Temple from being a
great matter! "But Solomon built Him an
house." (v. 47.) They thought Solomon
was great: but that he was not better than his
father, nay not even equal to him, is
manifest. "Howbeit the Most High dwelleth
not in temples made with hands; as saith the
prophet, Heaven is My throne, and earth is
My footstool." (v. 48, 49.) Nay,
not even these are worthy of God, forasmuch as
they are made, seeing they are creatures, the
works of His hand. See how he leads them on by
little and little (showing) that not even these
are to be mentioned. And again the prophecy
says openly, "What house will ye build Me?"
etc. (v. 50.)
What is the reason that at this point he speaks
in the tone of invective (kataForikps)?
Great was his boldness of speech, when at the
point to die: for in fact I think he knew that
this was the case. "Ye stiffnecked," he
says, "and uncircumcised in heart and ears."
This also is from the prophets: nothing is of
himself. "Ye do always resist the Holy
Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." (v.
51.) When it was not His will that
sacrifices should be, ye sacrifice: when it is
His will, then again ye do not sacrifice: when
He would not give you commandments, ye drew
them to you: when ye got them, ye neglected
them. Again, when the Temple stood, ye
worshipped idols: when it is His will to be
worshipped without a Temple, ye do the
opposite. Observe, he says not, "Ye resist
God," but, "the Spirit:" so far was he
from knowing any difference between Them.
And, what is greater: "As your fathers
did," he says, "so do ye." Thus also did
Christ (reproach them), forasmuch as they
were always boasting much of their fathers.
"Which of the prophets have not your fathers
persecuted? and they have slain them which
showed before of the coming of the Just One:"
he still says, "the Just One," wishing to
check them: "of Whom ye have been now the
betrayers and murderers"--two charges he lays
against them--"who have received the Law by
the disposition of Angels, and have not kept
it." (v. 52.) How, "By the
disposition of Angels?" Some say (The
Law), disposed by Angels; or, put into his
hand by the Angel Who appeared to him in the
bush; for was He man? No wonder that He who
wrought those works, should also have wrought
these. "Ye slew them who preached of Him."
much more Himself. He shows them disobedient
both to God, and to Angels, and the
Prophets, and the Spirit, and to all: as
also Scripture saith elsewhere: "Lord, they
have slain Thy Prophets, and thrown down
Thine altars." (1 Kings xix. 10.)
They, then, stand up for the Law, and say,
"He blasphemeth against Moses:" he shows,
therefore, that it is the), who blaspheme,
and that (their blasphemy is not only against
Moses, but) against God; shows that "they"
from the very beginning have been doing this:
that "they" have themselves destroyed their
"customs," that there is no need of these:
that while accusing him, and saying that he
opposed Moses, they themselves were opposing
the Spirit: and not merely opposing, but with
murder added to it: and that they had their
enmity all along from the very beginning. Seest
thou, that he shows them to be acting in
opposition both to Moses and to all others, and
not keeping the Law? And vet Moses had said,
"A Prophet shall the Lord raise up unto you:
and the rest also told of this (Christ) that
He would come: and the prophet again said,
"What house will ye build Me?" and again,
"Did ye offer to Me slain beasts and
sacrifices" those "forty years?" (Deut.
xviii. 18.)
Such is the boldness of speech of a man bearing
the Cross. Let us then also imitate this:
though it be not a time of war, yet it is always
the time for boldness of speech. For, "I
spake," says one, "in Thy testimonies before
kings, and was not ashamed." (Ps. cxix.
46.) if we chance to be among heathens, let
us thus stop their mouths. without wrath,
without harshness. (Comp. Horn. in 1
Cor. iv. 6; xxxiii. ness 4, 5; Col.
xi. s. (Comp. Horn. in 2.) For if we
do it with wrath, it no longer seems to be the
boldness (of one who is confident of his
cause,) but passion: but if with gentleness,
this is boldness indeed. For in one and the
same thing success and failure cannot possibly go
together. The boldness is a success: the anger
is a failure. Therefore, if we are to have
boldness, we must be clean from wrath that none
may impute our words to that. No matter how
just your words may be, when you speak with
anger, you ruin all: no matter how boldly you
speak, how fairly reprove, or what not. See
this man, how free from passion as he discourses
to them! For he did not abuse them: he did but
remind them of the words of the Prophets.
For, to show you that it was not anger, at the
very moment he was suffering evil at their
hands, he prayed, saying, "Lay not to their
charge this sin." So far was he from speaking
these words in anger; no, he spake in grief and
sorrow for their sakes. As indeed this is why
it speaks of his appearance, that "they saw his
face as it had been the face of an angel," on
purpose that they might believe. Let us then be
clean from wrath. The Holy Spirit dwelleth
not where wrath is: cursed is the wrathful. It
cannot be that aught wholesome should approach,
where wrath goes forth. For as in a storm at
sea, great is the tumult, loud the clamor, and
then would be no time for lessons of wisdom
(FilosoFein): So neither in wrath. If the
soul is to be in a condition either to say, or
to be disciplined to, aught of philosophy, it
must first be in the haven. Seest thou not
how, when we wish to converse on matters of
serious import, we look out for places free from
noise, where all is stillness, all calm, that
we may not be put out and discomposed?
But if noise from without discomposes, much
more disturbance from within.
Whether one pray, to no purpose does he pray
"with wrath and disputings :" (1 Tim. ii.
8) whether he speak, he will only make himself
ridiculous: whether he hold his peace, so again
it will be even then: whether he eat, he is
hurt even then: whether he drink, or whether he
drink not; whether he sit, or stand, or walk;
whether he sleep: for even in their dreams such
fancies haunt them. For what is there in such
men that is not disagreeable? Eyes unsightly,
mouth distorted, limbs agitated and swollen,
tongue foul and sparing no man, mind
distraught, gestures uncomely: much to
disgust. Mark the eyes of demoniacs, and those
of drunkards and madmen; in what do they differ
from each other? Is not the whole madness?
For what though it be but for the moment? The
madman too is possessed for the moment: but what
is worse than this? And they are not ashamed at
that excuse; "I knew not (saith one) what I
said." And how came it that thou didst not
know this, thou the rational man, thou that
hast the gift of reason, on purpose that thou
mayest not act the part of the creatures without
reason, just like a wild horse, hurried away by
rage and passion? In truth, the very excuse is
criminal. For thou oughtest to have known what
thou saidst. "It was the passion," say you,
"that spoke the words, not I." How should
it be that? For passion has no power, except
it get it from you. You might as well say,
"It was my hand that inflicted the wounds, not
I." What occasion, think you, most needs
wrath? would you not say, war and battle? But
even then, if anything is done with wrath, the
whole is spoiled and undone. For of all men,
those who fight had best not be enraged: of all
men, those had best not be enraged, who want to
hurt (tonsnbrizonGas. And how is it possible
to fight then? you will ask. With reason,
with self-command (tous ubrizontas): since
fighting is, to stand in opposition. Seest
thou not that even these (common) wars are
regulated by, definite law, and order, and
times? For wrath is nothing but an irrational
impulse: and an irrational creature cannot
possibly perform aught rational. For instance,
the man here spoke such words, and did it
without passion. And EIias said," How long
will ye halt on both your knees?" (1 Kings
xviii. 21) and spake it not in passion. And
Phinees slew, and did it without passion. For
passion suffers not a man to see, but, just as
in a night-battle, it leads him, with eyes
blind folded and ears stopped up, where it
will. Then let us rid ourselves of this demon,
at its first beginning let us quell it, let us
put the sign of the Cross on our breast, as it
were a curb. Wrath is a shameless dog: but let
it learn to hear the law. If there be in a
sheep-fold a dog so savage as not to obey the
command of the shepherd, nor to know his voice
all is lost and ruined. He is kept along with
the sheep: but if he makes a meal on the sheep,
he is useless, and is put to death. If he has
learnt to obey thee, feed thy dog: he is useful
when it is against the wolves, against robbers,
and against the captain of the robbers that he
barks, not against the sheep, not against
friends. If he does not obey he ruins all: if
he learns not to mind thee, he destroys all.
The mildness in thee let not wrath consume, but
let it guard it, and feed it up. And it will
guard it, that it may feed in much security, if
it destroy wicked and evil thoughts, if it chase
away the devil from every side. So is
gentleness preserved, when evil works are
nowhere admitted: so we become worthy of
respect, when we learn not to be shameless.
For nothing renders a man so shameless, as an
evil conscience. Why are harlots without
shame? Why are virgins shamefaced? Is it not
from their sin that the former, from their
chastity that the latter, are such? For
nothing makes a person so shameless, as sin.
"And yet on the contrary," say you, "it
puts to shame." Yes; him who condemns himself
but him that is past blushing, it renders even
more reckless: for desperation makes daring.
For "the wicked," saith the Scripture,
"when he is come into the depths of evils,
despiseth." (Prov. xviii. 3.) But he
that is shameless, will also be reckless, and
he that is reckless, will be daring. See in
what way gentleness is destroyed, when evil
thoughts gnaw at it. This is why there is such
a dog, barking mightily: we have also sling and
stone (ye know what I mean): we have also
spear and enclosure and cattle-fold: let us
guard our thoughts unhurt. If the dog be gentle
(sainh) with the sheep, but savage against
those without, and keep vigilant watch, this is
the excellence of a dog: and, be he ever so
famished, not to devour the sheep; be he ever
so full, not to spare the wolves. Such too is
anger meant to be: however provoked, not to
forsake gentleness; however at quiet, to be on
the alert against evil thoughts: to acknowledge
the friend, and not for any beating forsake
him, and for all his caressing, to fly at the
intruder. The devil uses caressing full oft:
let the dog know at sight that he is an
intruder. So also let us caress (sainwmen)
Virtue, though she put us to pain, and show
our aversion to Vice, though she give us
pleasure. Let us not be worse than the dogs,
which, even when whipped and throttled, do not
desert their master: but if the stranger also
feed them, even so they do hurt. There are
times when anger is useful; but this is when it
barks against strangers. What means it,
"Whosoever is angry with his brother without a
cause?" (Matt. V. 22.) It means,
Stand not up in thine own quarrel, neither
avenge thyself: if thou see another suffering
deadly wrong, stretch out thy hand to help him.
This is no longer passion, when thou art clear
of all feeling for thyself alone. David had
gotten Saul into his power, and was not moved
by passion, did not thrust the spear into him,
the enemy he had in his power; but took his
revenge upon the Devil. (1 Sam. xxvi.
7.) Moses, when he saw a stranger doing an
injury, even slew him (Exod. ii. 22):
but when one of his own people, he did not so:
them that were brethren he would have
reconciled; the others not so. That "most
meek" (Num. xii. 3) Moses, as Scripture
witnesseth of him, see how he was roused! But
not so, we: on the contrary, where we ought to
show meekness, no wild beast so fierce as we:
but where we ought to be roused, none so dull
and sluggish. (Hom. vi. de laud. Pauli,
ad fin.) On no occasion do we use our
faculties to the purpose they were meant for:
and therefore it is that our life is spent to no
purpose. For even in the case of implements;
if one use them, one instead of other, all is
spoilt: if one take his sword, and then, where
he should use it and cut with it, uses only his
hand, he does no good: again, where he should
use his hand, by taking the sword in hand he
spoils all. In like manner also the physician,
if where he ought to cut, he cuts not, and
where he ought not, he does cut, mars all.
Wherefore, I beseech you, let us use the
thing (tp praUmati) at its proper time. The
proper time for anger is never, where we move in
our own quarrel: but if it is our duty to
correct others, then is the time to use it,
that we may by force deliver others. (Hom. in
Matt. xvi. 7.) So shall we both be like
unto God, always keeping a spirit free from
wrath, and shall attain unto the good things
that are to come, through the grace and
loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ,
with whom, to the Father and the Holy Ghost
together, be glory, dominion, and honor, now
and evermore, world without end. Amen.
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