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ROM. V. 12.
"Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by
sin, and so death passed upon (dihlqen 6 Mss. eis . . . ) all
men, for that all have sinned."
As the best physicians always take great pains to discover the source
of diseases, and go to the very fountain of the mischief, so doth the
blessed Paul also. Hence after having said that we were justified,
and having shown it from the Patriarch, and from the Spirit, and
from the dying of Christ (for He would not have died unless He
intended to justify), he next confirms from other sources also what he
had at such length demonstrated. And he confirms his proposition from
things opposite, that is, from death and sin. How, and in what
way? He enquires whence death came in, and how it prevailed. How
then did death come in and prevail? "Through the sin of one." But
what means, "for that all have sinned?" This; he having once
fallen, even they that had not eaten of the tree did from him, all of
them, become mortal. [
Ver. 13. "For until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is
not imputed where there is no law."
The phrase "till the Law" some think he used of the time before the
giving of the Law--that of Abel, for instance, or of Noah, or of
Abraham--till Moses was born. What was the sin in those days, at
this rate? some say he means that in Paradise. For hitherto it was
not done away, (he would say,) but the fruit of it was yet in
vigor. For it had borne that death whereof all partake, which
prevailed and lorded over us. Why then does he proceed, "But sin is
not imputed when there is no law?" It was by way of objection from
the Jews, say they who have spoken on our side, that he laid this
position down and said, if there be no sin without the Law, how came
death to consume all those before the Law? But to me it seems that
the sense presently to be given has more to be said for it, and suits
better with the Apostle's meaning. And what sense is this? In
saying, that "till the Law sin was in the world," what he seems to
me to mean is this, that after the Law was given the sin resulting
from the transgression of it prevailed, and prevailed too so long as
the Law existed. For sin, he says, can have no existence if there
be no law. If then it was this sin, he means, from the transgression
of the Law that brought forth death, how was it that all before the
Law died? For if it is in sin that death hath its origin, but when
there is no law, sin is not imputed, how came death to prevail? From
whence it is clear, that it was not this sin, the transgression, that
is, of the Law, but that of Adam's disobedience, which marred all
things. Now what is the proof of this? The fact that even before the
Law all died: for "death reigned" he says, "from Adam to Moses,
even over them that had not sinned."
How did it reign? "After the similitude of Adam's transgression,
who is the figure of Him that was to come." Now this is why Adam is
a type of Christ. How a type? it will be said. Why in that, as
the former became to those who were sprung from him, although they had
not eaten of the tree, the cause of that death which by his eating was
introduced; thus also did Christ become to those sprung from Him,
even though they had not wrought righteousness, the Provider of that
righteousness which through His Cross He graciously bestowed on us
all. For this reason, at every turn he keeps to the "one," and is
continually bringing it before us, when he says, "As by one man sin
entered into the world"--and, "If through the offence of one many
be dead:" and, "Not as it was by one that sinned, so is the
gift;" and, "The judgment was by one to condemnation:" and
again, "If by one (or, the one) man's offence death reigned by
one;" and "Therefore as by the offence of one." And again, "As
by one man's disobedience many (or, the many) were made sinners."
And so he letteth not go of the one, that when the Jew says to thee,
How came it, that by the well-doing of this one Person, Christ,
the world was saved? thou mightest be able to say to him, How by the
disobedience of this one person, Adam, came it to be condemned? And
yet sin and grace are not equivalents, death and life are not
equivalents, the Devil and God are not equivalents, but there is a
boundless space between them. When then as well from the nature of the
thing as from the power of Him that transacteth it, and from the very
suitableness thereof (for it suiteth much better with God to save than
to punish), the pre minence and victory is upon this side, what one
word have you to say for unbelief, tell me? However, that what had
been done was reasonable, he shows in the following words.
Ver. 15. "But not as the offence, so is also the free gift.
For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of
God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ,
hath abounded unto the many."
For what he says is somewhat of this kind. If sin had so extensive
effects, and the sin of one man too; how can grace, and that the
grace of God, not the Father only, but also the Son, do otherwise
than be the more abundant of the two? For the latter is far the more
reasonable supposition. For that one man should be punished on account
of another does not seem to be much in accordance with reason. But for
one to be saved on account of another is at once more suitable and more
reasonable. If then the former took place, much more may the latter.
Hence he has shown from these grounds the likelihood and reasonableness
of it. For when the former had been made good, this would then be
readily admitted. But that it is even necessarily so, he makes good
from what follows. How then does he make it good?
Vet. 16. "And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift.
For the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of
many offences unto justification."
And what is this that he is speaking of? It is that sin had power to
bring in death and condemnation; but grace did not do away that one sin
only, but also those that followed after in its train. Lest then the
words "as" and "so" might seem to make the measure of the blessings
and the evils equal, and that you might not think, upon hearing of
Adam, that it was only that sin which he had brought in which was done
away with, he says that it was from many offences that an indemnity was
brought about. How is this plain? Because after the numberless sins
committed after that in paradise, the matter issued in justification.
But where righteousness is, there of necessity follows by all means
life, and the countless blessings, as does death where sin was. For
righteousness is more than life, since it is even the root of life.
That there were several goods then brought in, and that it was not
that sin only that was taken away, but all the rest along with it, he
points out when he says, that "the gift was of many offences unto
justification." In which a proof is necessarily included, that death
was also torn up by the roots. But since he had said, that the second
was greater than the first, he is obliged to give further grounds again
for this same thing. For, before, he had said that if one man's sin
slew all, much more will the grace of One have the power to save.
After that he shows that it was not that sin only that was done away by
the grace, but all the rest too, and that it was not that the sins
were done away only, but that righteousness was given. And Christ
did not merely do the same amount of good that Adam did of harm, but
far more and greater good. Since then he had made such declarations as
these, he wants again here also further confirmation of these. And
how does he give this confirmation? He says, Ver. 17. "For if
by one man's offence death reigned by one, much more they which
receive abundance of grace and of the gift and (so Field with most
Mss.) of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus
Christ."
What he says, amounts to this nearly. What armed death against the
world? The one man's eating from the tree only. If then death
attained so great power from one offence, when it is found that certain
received a grace and righteousness out of all proportion to that sin,
how shall they still be liable to death? And for this cause, he does
not here say" grace," but "superabundance of grace." For it was
not as much as we must have to do away the sin only, that we received
of His grace, but even far more. For we were at once freed from
punishment, and put off all iniquity, and were also born again from
above (John iii. 3) and rose again with the old man buried, and
were redeemed, justified, led up to adoption, sanctified, made
brothers of the Only-begotten, and joint heirs and of one Body with
Him, and counted for His Flesh, and even as a Body with the
Head, so were we united unto Him! All these things then Paul calls
a "superabundance" of grace, showing that what we received was not a
medicine only to countervail the wound, but even health, and
comeliness, and honor, and glory and dignities far transcending our
natural state. And of these each in itself was enough to do away with
death, but when all manifestly run together in one, there is not the
least vestige of it left, nor can a shadow of it be seen, so entirely
is it done away. As then if any one were to cast a person who owed ten
mites (obolous) into prison, and not the man himself only, but wife
and children and servants for his sake; and another were to come and
not to pay down the ten mites only, but to give also ten thousand
talents of gold, and to lead the prisoner into the king's courts, and
to the throne of the highest power, and were to make him partaker of
the highest honor and every kind of magnificence, the creditor would
not be able to remember the ten mites; so hath our case been. For
Christ hath paid down far more than we owe, yea as much more as the
illimitable ocean is than a little drop. Do not then, O man,
hesitate as thou seest so great a store of blessings, nor enquire how
that mere spark of death and sin was done away, when such a sea of
gifts was brought in upon it. For this is what Paul intimated by
saying that "they who have received the abundance of the grace and
righteousness shall reign in life." And as he had now clearly
demonstrated this, he again makes use of his former argument,
clenching it by taking up the same word afresh, and saying that if for
that offence all were punished, then they may be justified too by these
means. And so he says, Ver. 18. "Therefore as by the offence
of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the
righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification
of life."
And he insists again upon it, saying, Ver. 19. "For as by one
man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One
shall many be made righteous.
What he says seems indeed to involve no small question: but if any one
attends to it diligently, this too will admit of an easy solution.
What then is the question? It is the saying that through the offence
of one many were made sinners. For the fact that when he had sinned
and become mortal, those who were of him should be so also, is nothing
unlikely. But how would it follow that from his disobedience another
would become a sinner? For at this rate a man of this sort will not
even deserve punishment, if, that is, it was not from his own self
that he became a sinner. What then does the word "sinners" mean
here? To me it seems to mean liable to punishment and condemned to
death. Now that by Adam's death we all became mortals, he had shown
clearly and at large. But the question now is, for what purpose was
this done? But this he does not go on to add: for it contributed
nothing to his present object. For it is against a Jew that the
contest is, who doubted and made scorn of the righteousness by One.
And for this reason after showing that the punishment too was brought
in by one upon all, the reason why this was so he has not added. For
he is not for superfluities, but keeps merely to what is necessary.
For this is what the principles of disputation did not oblige him to
say any more than the Jew; and therefore he leaves it unsolved. But
if any of you were to enquire with a view to learn, we should give this
answer: That we are so far from taking any harm from this death and
condemnation, if we be sober-minded, that we are the gainers even by
having become mortal, first, because it is not an immortal body in
which we sin; secondly, because we get numberless grounds for being
religious (filosofias). For to be moderate, and to be temperate,
and to be subdued, and to keep ourselves clear of all wickedness, is
what death by its presence and by its being expected persuades us to.
But following with these, or rather even before these, it hath
introduced other greater. blessings besides. For it is from hence
that the crowns of the martyrs come, and the rewards of the Apostles.
Thus was Abel justified, thus was Abraham, in having slain his
son, thus was John, who for Christ's sake was taken off, thus were
the Three Children, thus was Daniel. For if we be so minded, not
death only, but even the devil himself will be unable to hurt us. And
besides there is this also to be said, that immortality awaits us, and
after having been chastened a little while, we shall enjoy the
blessings to come without fear, being as if in a sort of school in the
present life, under instruction by means of disease, tribulation,
temptations, and poverty, and the other apparent evils, with a view
to our becoming fit for the reception of the blessings of the world to
come.
Ver. 20. "Moreover the Law entered: that the offence might
abound."
Since then he had shown that the world was condemned from Adam, but
from Christ was saved and freed from condemnation, he now seasonably
enters upon the discussion of the Law, here again undermining the high
notions of it. For it was so far from doing any good, he means, or
from being any way helpful, but the disorder was only increased by its
having come in. But the particle "that" again does not assign the
cause, but the result. For the purpose of its being given was not
"in order that" it might abound, for it was given to diminish and
destroy the offence. But it resulted the opposite way, not owing to
the nature of the Law, but owing to the listlessness of those who
received it. But why did he not say the Law was given, but "the
Law entered by the way?" It was to show that the need of it was
temporary, and not absolute or imperative. And this he says also to
the Galatians, showing the very same thing another way. "For before
faith came," he says, "we were kept under the Law, shut up unto
the faith which should afterwards be revealed." And so it was not for
itself, but for another, that it kept the flock. For since the Jews
were somewhat gross-minded, and enervated, and indifferent to the
gifts themselves, this was why the Law was given, that it might
convict them the more, and clearly teach them their own condition, and
by increasing the accusation might the more repress them. But be not
thou afraid, for it was not that the punishment might be greater that
this was done, but that the grace might be seen to be greater. And
this is why he proceeds, "But where sin abounded, grace did much
more abound."
He does not say did abound, but "did much more abound." For it was
not remission from punishment only that He gave us, but that from
sins, and life also. As if any were not merely to free a man with a
fever from his disease, but to give him also beauty, and strength,
and rank; or again, were not to give one an hungered nourishment
only, but were to put him in possession of great riches, and were to
set him in the highest authority. And how did sin abound? some will
say. The Law gave countless commands. Now since they transgressed
them all, trangression became more abundant. Do you see what a great
difference there is between grace and the Law? For the one became an
addition to the condemnation, but the other, a further abundance of
gifts. Having then mentioned the unspeakable munificence, he again
discusses the beginning and the root both of death and of life. What
then is the root of death? It is sin. Wherefore also he saith,
Ver. 21. "That as sin reigned unto death, even so might grace
reign through righteousness unto eternal life, through our Lord Jesus
Christ."
This he says to show that the latter ranks as a king, the former,
death, as a soldier, being marshalled under the latter, and armed by
it. If then the latter (i.e. sin) armed death, it is plain enough
that the righteousness destructive hereof, which by grace was
introduced, not only disarms death, but even destroys it, and undoes
entirely the dominion thereof, in that it is the greatest of the two,
as being brought in not by man and the devil, but by God and grace,
and leading our life unto a goodlier estate, and to blessings
unlimited. For of it there will never be any end (to give you a view
of its superiority from this also). For the other cast us out of our
present life, but grace, when it came, gave us not the present life,
but the immortal and eternal one. But for all these things Christ is
our voucher. Doubt not then for thy life if thou hast righteousness,
for righteousness is greater than life as being mother of it.
Chap. vi. ver. 1. "What then? shall we continue in sin, that
grace may abound? God forbid."
He is again turning off to exhortation, yet introducing it not
directly, lest he should seem to many to be irksome and vexing, but as
if it rose out of the doctrines. For if, even so diversifying his
address, he was afraid of their being offended at what he said, and
therefore said, "I have written the more boldly unto you in some
sort," (Rom. xv. 15) much more would he have seemed to them,
had he not done so, to be too. harsh. Since then he showed the
greatness of the grace by the greatness of the sins it healed, and
owing to this it seemed in the eyes of the unthinking to be an
encouragement to sin (for if the reason, they would say, why greater
grace was shown, was because we had done great sins, let us not give
over sinning, that grace may be more displayed still), now that they
might not say this or suspect it, see how he turns the objection back
again. First he does it by his deprecation. "God forbid." And
this he is in the habit of doing at things confessed on all hands to be
absurd. And then he lays down an irrefragable argument. And what is
it?
Ver. 2. "How shall we," he says, "that are dead to sin, live
any longer therein?"
What does "we are dead" mean? Does it mean that as for that, and
as far as it goes, we have all received the sentence of death? or,
that we became dead to it by believing any being enlightened. This is
what one should rather say, since the sequel makes this clearly right.
But what is becoming dead to it? The not obeying it in anything any
more. For this baptism effected once for all, it made us dead to it.
But this must of our own earnestness thenceforth continually be
maintained, so that, although sin issue countless commands to us, we
may never again obey it, but abide unmovable as a dead man doth. And
indeed he elsewhere saith that sin itself is dead. But there he sets
that down as wishing to show that virtue is easy, (Rein. vii.
87) But here, as he earnestly desires to rouse the hearer, he puts
the death on his side. Next, since what was said was obscure, he
again explains, using what he had said also in the way of reproof.
Ver. 3, 4. "Know ye not," he says, "my brethren, that so
many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into His death?
therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death."
What does being "baptized into His Death" mean? That it is with a
view to our dying as He did. For Baptism is the Cross. What the
Cross then, and Burial, is to Christ, that Baptism hath been to
us, even if not in the same respects. For He died Himself and was
buried in the Flesh, but we have done both to sin. Wherefore he does
not say, planted together in His Death, but in the likeness of His
Death. For both the one and the other is a death, but not of the
same subject; since the one is of the Flesh, that of Christ; the
other of sin, which is our own. As then that is real, so is this.
But if it be real, then a what is of our part again must be
contributed. And so he proceeds, "That as Christ was raised up
from the dead by the Glory of the Father, even so we also should walk
in newness of life."
Here he hints, along with the duty of a careful walk, at the subject
of the resurrection. In what way? Do you believe, he means, that
Christ died, and that He was raised again? Believe then the same of
thyself. For this is like to the other, since both Cross and Burial
is thine. For if thou hast shared in Death and Burial, much more
wilt thou in Resurrection and Life. For now the greater is done away
with, the sin I mean, it is not right to doubt any longer about the
lesser, the doing away of death.
But this he leaves for the present to the conscience of his hearers to
reason out, but himself, after the resurrection to come had been set
before us, demands of us another, even the new conversation, which is
brought about in the present life by a change of habits. When then the
fornicator becomes chaste, the covetous man merciful, the harsh
subdued, even here a resurrection has taken place, the prelude to the
other. And how is it a resurrection? Why, because sin is
mortified, and righteousness hath risen again, and the old life hath
been made to vanish, and this new and angelic one is being lived in.
But when you hear of a new life, look for a great alteration, a wide
change. But tears come into my eyes, and I groan deeply to think how
great religiousness (filosofian) Paul requires of us, and what
listlessness we have yielded ourselves up to, going back after our
baptism to the oldness we before had, and returning to Egypt, and
remembering the garlic after the manna. (Num. xi. 5.) For ten
or twenty days at the very time of our Illumination, we undergo a
change, but then take up our former doings again. But it is not for a
set number of days, but for our whole life, that Paul requires of us
such a conversation. But we go back to our former vomit, thus after
the youth of grace building up the old age of sins. For either the
love of money, or the slavery to desires not convenient, or any other
sin whatsoever, useth to make the worker thereof old. "Now that
which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." (Heb.
viii. 13.) For there is no body, there surely is none, to be
seen as palsied by length of time, as a soul is decayed and tottering
with many sins. Such an one gets carried on to the last degree of
doting, yielding indistinct sounds, like men that are very old and
crazed, being surcharged with rheum, and great distortion of mind,
and forgetfulness, and with scales upon its eyes, and disgustful to
men, and an easy prey to the devil. Such then are the souls of
sinners; not so those of the righteous, for they are youthful and
well-favored, and are in the very prime of life throughout, ever
ready for any fight or struggle. But those of sinners, if they
receive even a small shock, straightway fall and are undone. And it
was this the Prophet made appear, when he said, that like as the
chaff which the wind scattereth from the face of the earth (Ps. i.
4), thus are they that live in sin whirled to and fro, and exposed
to every sort of harm. For they neither see like a healthy person,
nor hear with simplicity, they speak not articulately, but are
oppressed with great shortness of breath. They have their mouth
overflowing with spittle. And would it were but spittle, and nothing
offensive! But now they send forth words more fetid than any mire,
and what is worst, they have not power even to spit this saliva of
words away from them, but taking it in their hand with much lewdness,
they smear it on again, so as to be coagulating, and hard to perspire
through. Perhaps ye are sickened with this description. Ought ye
not, then to be more so at the reality? For if these things when
happening in the body are disgustful, much more when in the soul.
Such was that son who wasted out all his share, and was reduced to the
greatest wretchedness, and was in a feebler state than any imbecile or
disordered person. But when he was willing, he became suddenly young
by his decision alone and his change. For as soon as he had said,
"I will return to my Father," this one word conveyed to him all
blessings; or rather not the bare word, but the deed which he added to
the word. For he did not say, "Let me go back," and then stay
there; but said, Let me go back, and went back, and returned the
whole of that way. Thus let us also do; and even if we have gotten
carried beyond the boundary, let us go up to our Father's house, and
not stay lingering over the length of the journey. For if we be
willing, the way back again is easy and very speedy. Only let us
leave the strange and foreign land; for this is what sin is, drawing
us far away from our Father's house; let us leave her then, that we
may speedily return to the house of our Father. For our Father hath
a natural yearning towards us, and will honor us if we be changed, no
less than those that are unattainted, if we change, but even more,
just as the father showed that son the greater honor. For he had
greater pleasure himself at receiving back his son. And how am I to
go back again? one may say. Do but put a beginning upon the
business, and the whole is done. Stay from vice, and go no farther
into it, and thou hast laid hold of the whole already. For as in the
case of the sick, being no worse may be a beginning of getting better,
so is the case with vice also. Go no further, and then your deeds of
wickedness will have an end. And if you do so for two days, you will
keep off on the third day more easily; and after three days you will
add ten, then twenty, then an hundred, then your whole life. (Cf.
Hom. xvii. on St. Matt. p. 267, O. T.) For the further
thou goest on, the easier wilt thou see the way to be, and thou wilt
stand on the summit itself, and wilt at once enjoy many goods. For so
it was when the prodigal came back, there were flutes, and harps, and
dancings, and feasts, and assemblings: and he who might have called
his son to account for his ill-timed extravagance, and flight to such
a distance, did nothing of the sort, but looked upon him as
unattainted, and could not find it in him even to use the language of
reproach, or rather, even to mention barely to him the former things,
but threw himself upon him, and kissed him, and killed the calf, and
put a robe upon him, and placed on him abundant honors. Let us then,
as we have such examples before us, be of good cheer and keep from
despair. For He is not so well pleased with being called Master, as
Father, nor with having a slave as with having a son. And this is
what He liketh rather than that. This then is why He did all that
He has done; and "spared not even His Only-begotten Son"
(Rom. viii. 32), that we might receive the adoption of sons,
that we might love Him, not as a Master only, but as a Father.
And if He obtained this of us He taketh delight therein as one that
has glory given him, and proclaimeth it to all though He needeth
nothing of ours. This is what, in Abraham's case for instance, He
everywhere does, using these words, "I am the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob." And yet it was the), of His household who
should have found an honor in this; but now it is the Lord evidently
who does this; for this is why He says to Peter, "Lovest thou Me
more than these?" (John xxi. 17) to show that He seeketh
nothing so much as this from us. For this too He bade Abraham offer
his son to Him, that He might make it known to all that He was
greatly beloved by the patriarch. Now this desire to be loved
exceedingly comes from loving exceedingly. For this cause too He said
to the Apostles, "He that loveth father or mother more than Me, is
not worthy of Me." (Matt. x. 37.) For this cause He bids us
esteem that even which is in the most close connection with us, our
soul (or, life, v. 39, and John xii. 25), as second to the
love of him, since He wisheth to be beloved by us with exceeding
entireness. For we too, if we have no strong feelings about a
person, have no strong desire for his friendship either, though he be
great and noble; whereas when we love any one warmly and really,
though the person loved be of low rank and humble, yet we esteem love
from him as a very great honor. And for this reason He Himself also
called it glory not to be loved by us only, but even to suffer those
shameful things in our behalf. (ib. 23.) However, those things
were a glory owing to love only. But whatever we suffer for Him, it
is not for love alone; but even for the sake of the greatness and
dignity of Him we long for, that it would with good reason both be
called glory, and be so indeed. Let us then incur dangers for Him as
if running for the greatest crowns, and let us esteem neither poverty,
nor disease, nor affront, nor calumny, nor death itself, to be heavy
and burdensome, when it is for Him that we suffer these things. For
if we be right-minded, we are the greatest possible gainers by these
things, as neither from the contrary to these shall we if not
right-minded gain any advantage. But consider; does any one affront
thee and war against thee? Doth he not thereby set thee upon thy
guard, and give thee an opportunity of growing like unto God? For if
thou lovest him that plots against thee, thou wilt be like Him that
"maketh His Sun to rise upon the evil and good." (Matt. v.
45.) Does another take thy money away? If thou bearest it nobly,
thou shalt receive the same reward as they who have spent all they have
upon the poor. For it says, "Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your
goods, knowing that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring
substance." (Heb. x. 34.) Has any one reviled thee and abused
thee, whether truly or falsely, he weaves for thee a very great crown
if thou bearest meekly his contumely; since he too, who calumniates,
provides for us an abundant reward. For "rejoice," it says, "and
be exceeding glad, when men say all manner of evil against you
falsely, because great is your reward in Heaven." (Matt. v.
12, 11.) And he too that speaketh truth against us is of the
greatest service, if we do but bear meekly what is said. For the
Pharisee spake evil of the Publican, and with truth, still instead
of a Publican he made him a righteous man. (Luke xviii. 11.)
And what need to go into particular instances. For any one that will
go to the conflicts of Job may learn all these points accurately. And
this is why Paul said, "God for us, who against us?" (Rom.
viii. 31.) As then by being earnest, we gain even from things
that vex us, so by being listless, we do not even improve from things
that favor us. For what did Judas profit, tell me, by being with
Christ? or what profit was the Law to the Jew? or Paradise to
Adam? or what did Moses profit those in the wilderness? And so we
should leave all, and look to one point only, how we may husband
aright our own resources. And if we do this, not even the devil
himself will ever get the better of us, but will make our profiting the
greater, by putting us upon being watchful. Now in this way it is
that Paul rouses the Ephesians, by describing his fierceness. Yet
we sleep and snore, though we have to do with so crafty an enemy. And
if we were aware of a serpent nestling by our bed, we should make much
ado to kill him. But when the devil nestleth in our souls, we fancy
that we take no harm, but lie at our ease; and the reason is, that we
see him not with the eyes of our body. And yet this is why we should
rouse us the more and be sober. For against an enemy whom one can
perceive, one may easily be on guard; but one that cannot be seen, if
we be not continually in arms, we shall not easily escape. And the
more so, because he hath no notion of open combat (for he would surely
be soon defeated), but often under the appearance of friendship he
insinuates the venom of his cruel malice. In this way it was that he
suborned Job's wife, by putting on the mask of natural
affectionateness, to give that wretchless advice. And so when
conversing with Adam, he puts on the air of one concerned and watching
over his interests, and saith, that "your eyes shall be opened in the
day that ye eat of the tree." (Gen. iii. 5.) Thus Jephtha too
he persuaded, under the pretext of religion, to slay his daughter,
and to offer the sacrifice the Law forbade. Do you see what his wiles
are, what his varying warfare? Be then on thy guard, and arm thyself
at all points with the weapons of the Spirit, get exactly acquainted
with his plans, that thou mayest both keep from being caught, and
easily catch him. For it was thus that Paul got the better of him,
by getting exactly acquainted with these. And so he says, "for we
are not ignorant of his devices." (2 Cor. ii. 11.) Let us
then also be earnest in learning and avoiding his stratagems, that
after obtaining a victory over him, we may, whether in this present
life or in that which is to come, be proclaimed conquerors, and obtain
those unalloyed blessings, by the grace and love toward man, etc.
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