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PHILIPPIANS ii. 5-8.
"Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who,
being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality
with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being
made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, He
humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death
of the cross."
OUR Lord Jesus Christ, when exhorting His disciples to great
actions, places before them Himself, and the Father, and the
Prophets, as examples; as when He says, "For thus they did unto
the Prophets which were before you" (Matt. v.
12; Luke vi. 23); and again, "If they persecuted Me, they
will also persecute you" (John xv. 20); and, "Learn of me,
for I am meek" (Matt. xi. 29); and again, "Be ye merciful,
as your Father which is in heaven is merciful." (Luke vi. 36.)
This too the blessed Paul did; in exhorting them to humility, he
brought forward Christ. And he does so not here only, but also when
he discourses of love towards the poor, he speaks in this wise. "For
ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was
rich, yet for your sakes He became poor." (2 Cor. viii. 9.)
Nothing rouses a great and philosophic soul to the performance of good
works, so much as learning that in this it is likened to God. What
encouragement is equal to this? None. This Paul well knowing, when
he would exhort them to humility, first beseeches and supplicates
them, then to awe them he says, "That ye stand fast in one
Spirit"; he says also, that it "is for them an evident token of
perdition, but of your salvation." (Phil. i. 27, 28.) And
last of all he says this, "Have this mind in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, counted it not a
prize to be on an equality with God, but emptied Himself, taking
upon Him the form of a servant." (Phil. ii. 5-7.) Attend,
I entreat you, and rouse yourselves. For as a sharp two-edged
sword, wheresoever it falls, though it be among ten thousand
phalanxes, easily cuts through and destroys, because it is sharp on
every side, and nought can bear its edge; so are the words of the
Spirit. (Heb. iv. 12; Rev. i. 16.) For by these words
he has laid low the followers of Arius of Alexandria, of Paul of
Samosata, of Marcellus the Galatian, of Sabellius the Libyan, of
Marcion that was of Pontus, of Valentinus, of Manes, of
Apollinarius of Laodicea, of Photinus, of Sophronius, and, in
one word, all the heresies. Rouse yourselves then to behold so great
a spectacle, so many armies falling by one stroke, lest the pleasure
of such a sight should escape you. For if when chariots contend in the
horse race there is nothing so pleasing as when one of them dashes
against and overthrows whole chariots with their drivers, and after
throwing down many with the charioteers that stood thereon, drives by
alone towards the goal, and the end of the course, and amid the
applause and clamor which rises on all sides to heaven, with coursers
winged as it were by that joy and that applause, sweeps over the whole
ground; how much greater will the pleasure be here, when by the grace
of God we overthrow at once and in a body the combinations and devilish
machinations of all these heresies together with their charioteers?
And if it seem good to you, we will first arrange the heresies
themselves in order. Would you have them in the order of their
impiety, or of their dates? In the order of time, for it is
difficult to judge of the order of their impiety. First then let
Sabellius the Libyan come forward. What does he assert? that the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are mere names given to one
Person. Marcion of Pontus says, that God the Creator of all
things is not good, nor the Father of the good Christ, but another
righteous one, and that he did not take flesh for us. Marcellus, and
Photinus, and Sophronius assert, that the Word is an energy, and
that it was this energy that dwelt in Him who was of the seed of
David, and not a personal substance.
Arius confesses indeed the Son, but only in word; he says that He
is a creature, and much inferior to the Father. And others say that
He has not a soul. Seest thou the chariots standing? See then their
fall, how he overthrows them all together, and with a single stroke.
How? "Have the same mind in you," he says, "which was in Christ
Jesus, who being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on
an equality with God." And Paul of Samosata has fallen, and
Marcellus, and Sabellius. For he says, "Being in the form of
God." If "in the form" how sayest thou, O wicked one, that He
took His origin from Mary, and was not before? and how dost thou say
that He was an energy? For it is written, "The form of God took
the form of a servant." "The form of a servant," is it the energy
of a servant, or the nature of a servant? By all means, I fancy,
the nature of a servant. Thus too the form of God, is the nature of
God, and therefore not an energy. Behold also Marcellus of
Galatia, Sophronius and Photinus have fallen.
Behold Sabellius too. It is written, "He counted it not a prize
to be on an equality with God." Now equality is not predicated,
where there is but one person, for that which is equal hath somewhat to
which it is equal. Seest thou not the substance of two Persons, and
not empty names without things? Hearest thou not the eternal
pre-existence of the Only-begotten?
Lastly, What shall we say against Arius, who asserts the Son is of
a different substance? Tell me now, what means, "He took the form
of a servant"? It means, He became man. Wherefore "being in the
form of God," He was God. For one "form" and another "form"
is named; if the one be true, the other is also. "The form of a
servant" means, Man by nature, wherefore "the form of God"
means, God by nature. And he not only bears record of this, but of
His equality too, as John also doth, that he is no way inferior to
the Father, for he saith, "He thought it not a thing to seize, to
be equal with God." Now what is their wise reasoning? Nay, say
they, he proves the very contrary; for he says, that," being in the
form of God, He seized not equality with God." How if He were
God, how was He able "to seize upon it"? and is not this without
meaning? Who would say that one, being a man, seized not on being a
man? for how would any one seize on that which he is? No, say they,
but he means that being a little God, He seized not upon being equal
to the great God, Who was greater than He. Is there a great and a
little God? And do ye bring in the doctrines of the Greeks upon
those of the Church? With them there is a great and a little God.
If it be so with you, I know not. For you will find it nowhere in
the Scriptures: there you will find a great God throughout, a little
one nowhere. If He were little, how would he also be God? If man
is not little and great, but one nature, and if that which is not of
this one nature is not man, how can there be a little God and a great
one?
He who is not of that nature is not God. For He is everywhere
called great in Scripture; "Great is the Lord, and highly to be
praised." (Ps. xlviii. 1.) This is said of the Son also, for
it always calls Him Lord. "Thou art great, and doest wondrous
things. Thou art God alone." (Ps. lxxxvi. 10.) And again,
"Great is our Lord, and great is His power, and of His greatness
there is no end." (Ps. cxlv. 3.)
But the Son, he says, is little. But it is thou that sayest this,
for the Scripture says the contrary: as of the Father, so it speaks
of the Son; for listen to Paul, saying, "Looking for the blessed
hope, and appearing of the glory of our great God." (Tit. ii.
13.) But can he have said "appearing" of the Father? Nay,
that he may the more convince you, he has added with reference to the
appearing "of the great God." Is it then not said of the Father?
By no means. For the sequel suffers it not which says, "The
appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ." See, the
Son is great also. How then speakest thou of small and great?
Listen to the Prophet too, calling him "The Messenger of great
counsel." (Isa. ix. 6.) "The Messenger of great counsel,"
is He not great
Himself? "The mighty God," is He small and not great? What
mean then these shameless and reckless men when they say, that being
little He is a God? I repeat ofttimes what they say, that ye may
the more avoid them. He being a lesser God seized not for Himself to
be like the greater God! Tell me now (but think not that these words
are mine), if he were little, as they say, and far inferior to the
Father in power, how could He possibly have seized to Himself
equality with God? For an inferior nature could not seize for himself
admission into that which is great; for example, a man could not seize
on becoming equal to an angel in nature; a horse could not, though he
wished it, seize on being equal to a man in nature. But besides all
that, I will say this too. What does Paul wish to establish by this
example? Surely, to lead the Philippians to humility. To what
purpose then did he bring forward this example? For no one who would
exhort to humility speaks thus; "Be thou humble, and think less of
thyself than of thine equals in honor, for such an one who is a slave
has not risen against his master; do thou imitate him." This, any
one would say, is not humility, but arrogance. Learn ye what
humility is, ye who have a devilish pride! What then is humility?
To be lowly minded. And he is lowly minded who humbles himself, not
he who is lowly by necessity. To explain what I say; and do ye
attend; he who is lowly minded, when he has it in his power to be high
minded, is humble, but he who is so because he is not able to be high
minded, is no longer humble. For instance, If a King subjects
himself to his own officer, he is humble, for he descends from his
high estate; but if an officer does so, he will not be lowly minded;
for how? he has not humbled himself from any high estate. It is not
possible to show humble-mindedness except it be in our power to do
otherwise. For if it is necessary for us to be humble even against our
will, that excellency comes not from the spirit or the will, but from
necessity. This virtue is called humble-mindedness, because it is
the humbling of the mind.
If he who has it not in his power to snatch at another's goods,
continues in the possession of his own; should we praise him, think
you, for his justice? I trow not, and why? The praise of free
choice is taken away by the necessity. If he, who has it not in his
power to usurp and be a king, remains a private citizen, should we
praise him for his quietness? I trow not. The same rule applies
here. For praise, O ye most senseless ones, is not given for
abstaining from these things, but for the performance of good deeds;
for the former is free indeed from blame, but partakes not yet of
praise, while eulogy of the other is meet. Observe accordingly that
Christ gives praise on this principle, when He says, "Come, ye
blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world. For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me
meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink." (Matt. xxv. 34,
35.) He did not say, Because ye have not been covetous, because
ye have not robbed; these are slight things; but because "ye saw Me
an hungered, and fed Me." Who ever praised either his friends or
his enemies in this sort? No one ever praised even Paul. Why say
Paul? no one ever praised even a common man, as thou dost praise
Christ, because he did not take that rule which was not his due. To
admire for such things as this, is to give evidence of much evil. And
why? because with evil men this is a matter of praise, as of one that
stealeth, if he steal no more; but it is otherwise among good men.
(Eph. iv. 28.) Because a man has not seized on a rule and an
honor which was not his due, is he praiseworthy? What folly is this?
Attend, I entreat you, for the reasoning is long. Again, who
would ever exhort to humility from such grounds as this? Examples
ought to be much greater than the subject, to which we are exhorting,
for no one will be moved by what is foreign to the subject, For
instance, when Christ would lead us to do good to our enemies, He
brought a great example, even that of His Father, "For He maketh
His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just
and the unjust." (Matt. v. 45.) When He would lead to
endurance of wrong He brought an example, "Learn of Me, for I am
meek and lowly in heart." (Matt. xi. 29.) And again, "If
I your Lord and Master do these things, how much more should ye"?
(John xiii. 14.) Seest thou how these examples are not distant,
for there is no need they should be so distant, for indeed we also do
these things, especially as in this case the example is not even near.
And how? If He be a servant, He is inferior, and subject to Him
that is greater; but this is not lowliness of mind. It was requisite
to show the contrary, namely, that the greater person subjected
himself to the lesser. But since he found not this distinction in the
case of God, between greater and lesser, he made at least an
equality. Now if the Son were inferior, this were not a sufficient
example to lead us to humility. And why? because it is not humility,
for the lesser not to rise against the greater, not to snatch at rule,
and to be "obedient unto death."
Again, consider what he says after the example, "In lowliness of
mind, each counting other better than themselves." (Phil. ii.
3.) He says, "counting," for as ye are one in substance, and in
the honor which cometh of God, it follows that the matter is one of
estimation. Now in the case of those who are greater and lesser, he
would not have said "counting," but honor them that are better than
yourselves, as he says in another place, "Obey them that have the
rule over you, and submit to them." (Heb. xiii. 17.) In that
instance subjection is the result of the nature of the case, in this of
our own judgment. "In lowliness of mind," he says, "each counting
other better than themselves," as Christ also did.
Thus are their explanations overthrown. It remains that I speak of
our own after I have first spoken of theirs summarily. When exhorting
to lowliness of mind, Paul would never have brought forward a lesser
one, as obedient to a greater. If he were exhorting servants to obey
their masters, he might have done so with propriety, but when
exhorting the free to obey the free, to what purpose could he bring
forward the subjection of a servant to a master? of a lesser to a
greater? He says not, "Let the lesser be subject to the greater,"
but ye who are of equal honor with each other be ye subject, "each
counting other better than themselves." Why then did he not bring
forward even the obedience of the wife, and say, As the wife obeys
her husband, so do ye also obey. Now if he did not bring forward that
state in which there is equality and liberty, since in that the
subjection is but slight, how much less would he have brought forward
the subjection of a slave? I said above, that no one so praises a man
for abstaining from evil, nor even mentions him at all; no one who
desires to praise a man for continence would say, he has not committed
adultery, but, he has abstained from his own wife; for we do not
consider abstinence from evil as a matter of praise at all, it would be
ridiculous.
I said that the "form of a servant" was a true form, and nothing
less. Therefore "the form of God" also is perfect, and no less.
Why says he not, "being made in the form of God," but "being in
the form of God"? This is the same as the saying, "I am that I
am." (Ex. iii. 14.) Form" implies unchangeableness, so far
as it is form. It is not possible that things of one substance should
have the form of another, as no man has the form of an angel, neither
has a beast the form of a man. How then should the Son?
Now in our own case, since we men are of a compound nature, form
pertains to the body, but in the case of a simple and altogether
uncompounded nature it is of the substance. But if thou contendest
that he speaks not of the Father, because the word is used without the
article, in many places this is meant, though the word be used without
the article. Why say I, in many places? for in this very place he
says, "He counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God,"
using the word without the article, though speaking of God the
Father.
I would add our own explanation, but I fear that I shall overwhelm
your minds. Meanwhile remember what has been said for their
refutation; meanwhile let us root out the thorns, and then we will
scatter the good seed after that the thorns have been rooted out, and a
little rest has been given to the land; that when rid of all the evil
thence contracted, it may receive the divine seed with full virtue.
Let us give thanks to God for what has been spoken; let us entreat
Him to grant us the guarding and safe keeping thereof, that both we
and ye may rejoice, and the heretics may be put to shame. Let us
beseech Him to open our mouth for what follows, that we may with the
same earnestness lay down our own views. Let us supplicate Him to
vouchsafe us a life worthy of the faith, that we may live to His
glory, and that His name may not be blasphemed through us. For,
"woe unto you," it is written, "through whom the name of God is
blasphemed." (Isa. lii. 5, LXX. nearly.) For if, when we
have a son, (and what is there more our own than a son,) if
therefore when we have a son, and are blasphemed through him, we
publicly renounce him, turn away from him, and will not receive him;
how much more will God, when He has ungrateful servants who blaspheme
and insult Him, turn away from them and hate them? And who will take
up him whom God hates and turns away from, but the Devil and the
demons? And whomsoever the demons take, what hope of salvation is
left for him? what consolation in life?
As long as we are in the hand of God, "no one is able to pluck us
out" (John x. 28), for that hand is strong; but when we fall
away from that hand and that help, then are we lost, then are we
exposed, ready to be snatched away, as a "bowing wall, and a
tottering fence" (Ps. lxii. 3); when the wall is weak, it will
be easy for all to surmount. Think not this which I am about to say
refers to Jerusalem alone, but to all men. And what was spoken of
Jerusalem? "Now will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my
beloved touching His vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a
very fruitful hill, and I made a fence about it, and surrounded it
with a dike, and planted it with the vine of Sorech, and built a
tower in the midst of it, and also dug a wine press in it, and I
looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth thorns.
And now, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, judge
between Me and My vineyard. What should have been done to My
vineyard, that I have not done to it? Wherefore, when I looked
that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth thorns? Now
therefore I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will
take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be for a prey, and I will
break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down. And I
will leave My vineyard, and it shall not be pruned or digged, but
thorns shall come up upon it, as upon a desert land. I will also
command the clouds, that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard
of the Lord of Sabaoth is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah
His pleasant plant. I looked that it should do judgment, but it did
iniquity, and a cry instead of righteousness." (Isa. v.
1-7, LXX.) This is spoken also of every soul. For when God
who loveth man hath done all that is needful and man then bringeth forth
thorns instead of grapes, He will take away the fence, and break down
the wall, and we shall be for a prey. For hear what another prophet
speaks in his lamentations: "Why hast thou broken down her fences,
so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her? The boar out of
the wood doth ravage it, and the wild beasts of the field feed on
it." (Ps. lxxx. 12, 13.) In the former place He speaks of
the Mede and the Babylonian, here nought is said of them, but "the
boar," and "the solitary beast" is the Devil and all his host,
because of the ferocity and impurity of his disposition. For when it
would show us his rapacity, it saith, "As a roaring lion he walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. v. 8): when his
poisonous, his deadly, his destructive nature, it calleth him a
snake, and a scorpion; "For tread," saith He, "upon serpents
and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy" (Luke x.
19): when it would represent his strength as well as his venom, it
calleth him a dragon; as when it says, This dragon "whom thou hast
formed to take his pastime therein." (Ps. civ. 26.) Scripture
everywhere calleth him a dragon, and a crooked serpent, and an adder
(Ps. lxxiv. 13, 14); he is a beast of many folds, and varied
in his devices, and his strength is great, he moves all things, he
disturbs all things, he turns all things up and down. (Isa. xxvii.
1; li. 9; Ezek. xxix. 3; xxxii. 2.) But fear not,
neither be afraid; watch only, and he will be as a sparrow; "for,"
saith He, "tread upon serpents and scorpions." If we will, He
causes him to be trodden down under our feet.
See now what scorn is it, yea, what misery, to see him standing over
our heads, who has been given to us to tread down. And whence is
this? it is of ourselves. If we choose, he becomes great; and if we
choose, he becomes of small power. If we take heed to ourselves, and
take up our stand with Him who is our King, he draws himself in, and
will be no better than a little child in his warfare against us.
Whensoever we stand apart from Him, he puffeth himself up greatly,
he uttereth terrible sounds, he grindeth his teeth, because he finds
us without our greatest help. For he will not approach to us, except
God permit him; for if he dared not to enter into the herd of swine,
except by God's permission, how much less into men's souls. But
God does permit him, either chastening or punishing us, or making us
more approved, as in the case of Job. Seest thou that he came not to
him, neither dared to be near him, but trembled and quaked? Why
speak I of Job? When he leaped upon Judas, he dared not to seize
on him wholly, and to enter into him, until Christ had severed him
from the sacred band. He attacked him indeed from without, but he
dared not enter in, but when he saw him cut off from that holy flock,
he leaped upon him with more than wolfish vehemence, and left him not
till he had slain him with a double death.
These things are written for our admonition. What gain have we from
knowing that one of the twelve was a traitor? what profit? what
advantage? Much. For, when we know whence it was that he arrived at
this deadly counsel, we are on our guard that we too suffer not the
like. Whence came he to this? From the love of money. He was a
thief. For thirty pieces of silver he betrayed his Lord. So drunken
was he with the passion, he betrayed the Lord of the world for thirty
pieces of silver. What can be worse than this madness? Him to whom
nothing is equivalent, nothing is equal, "before whom the nations are
as nothing" (Isa. xl. 15), Him did he betray for thirty pieces
of silver. A grievous tyrant indeed is the love of gold, and terrible
in putting the soul beside itself. A man is not so beside himself
through drunkenness as through love of money, not so much from madness
and insanity as from love of money.
For tell me, why didst thou betray Him? He called thee, when a man
unmarked and unknown. He made thee one of the twelve, He gave thee a
share in His teaching, He promised thee ten thousand good things,
He caused thee to work wonders, thou wert sharer of the same table,
the same journeys, the same company, the same intercourse, as the
rest. And were not these things sufficient to restrain thee? For
what reason didst thou betray Him? What hadst thou to charge Him
with, O wicked one? Rather, what good didst thou not receive at
His hands? He knew thy mind, and ceased not to do His part. He
often said, "One of you shall betray Me." (Matt. xxvi.
21.) He often marked thee, and yet spared thee, and though He
knew thee to be such an one, yet cast thee not out of the band. He
still bore with thee, He still honored thee, and loved thee, as a
true disciple, and as one of the twelve, and last of all (oh, for
thy vileness!), He took a towel, and with His own unsullied hands
He washed thy polluted feet, and even this did not keep thee back.
Thou didst steal the things of the poor, and that thou mightest not go
on to greater sin, He bore this too. Nothing persuaded thee. Hadst
thou been a beast, or a stone, wouldest thou not have been changed by
these kindnesses towards thee, by these wonders, by these teachings?
Though thou wast thus brutalized, yet still He called thee, and by
wondrous works He drew thee, thou wast more senseless than a stone,
to Himself. Yet for none of these things didst thou become better.
Ye wonder perhaps at such folly of the traitor; dread therefore that
which wounded him. He became such from avarice, from the love of
money. Cut out this passion, for to these diseases does it give
birth; it makes us impious, and causes us to be ignorant of God,
though we have received ten thousand benefits at His hands. Cut it
out, I entreat you, it is no common disease, it knoweth how to give
birth to a thousand destructive deaths. We have seen his tragedy.
Let us fear lest we too fall into the same snares. For this is it
written, that we too should not suffer the same things. Hence did all
the Evangelists relate it, that they might restrain us. Flee then
far from it. Covetousness consisteth not alone in the love of much
money, but in loving money at all. It is grievous avarice to desire
more than we need. Was it talents of gold that persuaded the traitor?
For thirty pieces of silver he betrayed his Lord. Do ye not remember
what I said before, that covetousness is not shown in receiving much,
but rather in receiving little things? See how great a crime he
committed for a little gold, rather not for gold, but for pieces of
silver.
It cannot, it cannot be that an avaricious man should ever see the
face of Christ! This is one of the things which are impossible. It
is a root of evils, and if he that possesses one evil thing, falls
from that glory, where shall he stand who bears with him the root? He
who is the servant of money cannot be a true servant of Christ.
Christ Himself hath declared that the thing is impossible. "Ye
cannot," He says, "serve God and Mammon," and, "No man can
serve two masters" (Matt. vi. 24), for they lay upon us
contrary orders. Christ says, "Spare the poor"; Mammon says,
"Even from the naked strip off the things they have." Christ says,
"Empty thyself of what thou hast"; Mammon says, "Take also what
thou hast not." Seest thou the opposition, seest thou the strife?
How is it that a man cannot easily obey both, but must despise one?
Nay, does it need proof? How so? Do we not see in very deed, that
Christ is despised, and Mammon honored? Perceive ye not how that
the very words are painful? How much more then the thing itself? But
it does not appear so painful in reality, because we are possessed with
the disease. Now if the soul be but a little cleansed of the disease,
as long as it remains here, it can judge right; but when it departs
elsewhere, and is seized by the fever, and is engaged in the pleasure
of the thing, it hath not its perception clear, it hath not its
tribunal uncorrupt. Christ says, "Whosoever he be of you that
renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke
xiv. 33); Mammon says, "Take the bread from the hungry."
Christ says, "Cover the naked" (Isa. lviii. 7); the other
says, "Strip the naked." Christ says, "Thou shalt not hide
thyself from thine own flesh," (Isa. lviii. 7) and those of
thine own house; Mammon says, "Thou shall not pity those of thine
own seed; though thou seest thy mother or thy father in want, despise
them." Why say I father or mother? "Even thine own soul," he
says, "destroy it also." And he is obeyed! Alas! he who commands
us cruel, and mad, and brutal things, is listened to rather than He
who bids us gentle and healthful things! For this is hell appointed;
for this, fire; for this, a river of fire; for this, a worm that
dieth not.
I know that many hear me say these things with pain, and indeed it is
not without pain I say them. But why need I say these things? I
could wish the things concerning the kingdom to be ever my discourse,
of the rest, of the waters of rest, of the green pastures, as the
Scripture says, "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He
leadeth me beside the still waters" (Ps. xxiii. 2), there He
maketh me to dwell. I could wish to speak of the place, whence
"sorrow and sighing shall flee away." (Isa. li. 11.)
I could wish to discourse of the pleasures of being with Christ,
though they pass all expression and all understanding. Yet would I
speak of these things according to my power. But what shall I do? it
is not possible to speak concerning a kingdom to one that is diseased
and in fever; then we must needs speak of health.
It is not possible to speak of honor to one that is brought to trial,
for at that time his desire is that he be freed from judgment, and
penalty, and punishment. If this be not effected, how shall the
other be? It is for this cause that I am continually speaking of
these things, that we may the sooner pass over to those other. For
this cause does God threaten hell, that none may fall into hell, that
we all may obtain the kingdom; for this cause we too make mention
continually of hell, that we may thrust you onward towards the
kingdom, that when we have softened your minds by fear, we may bring
you to act worthily of the kingdom. Be not then displeased at the
heaviness of our words, for the heaviness of these words lightens our
souls from sin. Iron is heavy, and the hammer is heavy, but it forms
vessels fit for use, both of gold and silver, and straightens things
which are crooked i and if it were not heavy, it would have no power to
straighten the distorted substance. Thus too our heavy speech has
power to bring the soul into its proper tone. Let us not then flee
from heaviness of speech, nor the strokes it gives; the stroke is nor
given that it may break in pieces or tear the soul, but to straighten
it. We know how we strike, how by the grace of God we inflict the
stroke, so as not to crush the vessel, but to polish it, to render it
straight, and meet for the Master's use, to offer it glittering in
soundness, skillfully wrought against that Day of the river of fire,
to offer it having no need of that burning pile. For if we expose not
ourselves to fire here, we must needs be burned there, it cannot be
otherwise; "For the day of the Lord is revealed by fire." (1
Cor. iii. 13.) Better is it that ye be burned for a little space
by our words, than for ever in that flame. That this will indeed be
so, is plain, and I have ofttimes given you reasons which cannot be
gain-said. We ought truly to be persuaded from the Scriptures, but
forasmuch as some are contentious, we have also brought forward many
arguments from reason. Nothing binders that I now mention them, and
what were they? God is just. We all acknowledge this, both Greeks
and Jews, and Heretics, and Christians. But many sinners have had
their departure without punishment, many righteous men have had their
departure after suffering ten thousand grievous things. If then God
be just, where will He reward their good to the one, and their
punishment to the other, if there be no hell, if there be no
resurrection? This reason then do ye constantly repeat to them and to
yourselves, and it will not suffer you to disbelieve the resurrection,
and whoso disbelieves not the resurrection will take care to live with
all heed so as to obtain eternal happiness, of which may we all be
counted worthy, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus
Christ, with whom,
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