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Colossians III. 16, 17.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in
all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another
with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to God. And
whatsoever ye do in word or in deed, do all in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God the Father through Him."
HAVING exhorted them to be thankful, he
shows also the way, that, of which I have
lately discoursed to you. And what saith he?
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly"; or rather not this way alone, but
another also. For I indeed said that we ought
to reckon up those who have suffered things more
terrible, and those who have undergone
sufferings more grievous than ours, and to give
thanks that such have not fallen to our lot; but
what saith he? "Let the word of Christ dwell
in you"; that is, the teaching, the
doctrines, the exhortation, wherein He says,
that the present life is nothing, nor yet its
good things. If we know this, we shall yield
to no hardships whatever. (Matt. vi. 25,
&c.) "Let it dwell in you," he saith,
"richly," not simply dwell, but with great
abundance. Hearken ye, as many as are
worldly, and have the charge of wife and
children; how to you too he commits especially
the reading of the Scriptures and that not to be
done lightly, nor in any sort of way, but with
much earnestness. For as the rich in money can
bear fine and damages, so he that is rich in the
doctrines of philosophy will bear not poverty
only, but all calamities also easily, yea,
more easily than that one. For as for him, by
discharging the fine, the man who is rich must
needs be impoverished, and found wanting, and
if he should often suffer in that way, will no
longer be able to bear it, but in this case it
is not so; for we do not even expend our
wholesome thoughts when it is necessary for us to
bear aught we would not choose, but they abide
with us continually. And mark the wisdom of
this blessed man. He said not, "Let the word
of Christ" be in you, simply, but what?
"dwell in you," and "richly."
"In all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one
another." "In all," says he. Virtue he
calls wisdom, and lowliness of mind is wisdom,
and almsgiving, and other such like things, are
wisdom; just as the contraries are folly, for
cruelty too cometh of folly. Whence in many
places it calleth the whole of sin folly. "The
fool," saith one, "hath said in his heart,
There is no God" (Ps. xiv. 1); and
again, "My wounds stink and are corrupt from
the face of my foolishness." (Ps. xxxviii.
5, Sept.) For what is more foolish, tell
me, than one who indeed wrappeth himself about
in his own garments, but regardeth not his
brethren that are naked; who feedeth dogs, and
careth not that the image of God is famishing;
who is merely persuaded that human things are
nought, and yet clings to them as if immortal.
As then nothing is more foolish than such an
one, so is nothing wiser than one that achieveth
virtue. For mark; how wise he is, says one.
He imparteth of his substance, he is pitiful,
he is loving to men, he hath well considered
that he beareth a common nature with them; he
hath well considered the use of wealth, that it
is worthy of no estimation; that one ought to be
sparing of bodies that are of kin to one, rather
than of wealth. He that is a despiser of glory
is wholly wise, for he knoweth human affairs;
the knowledge of things divine and human, is
philosophy. So then he knoweth what things are
divine, and what are human, and from the one he
keeps himself, on the other he bestoweth his
pains. And he knows how to give thanks also to
God in all things, he considers the present
life as nothing; therefore he is neither
delighted with prosperity, nor grieved with the
opposite condition.
Tarry not, I entreat, for another to teach
thee; thou hast the oracles of God. No man
teacheth thee as they; for he indeed oft
grudgeth much for vainglory's sake and envy.
Hearken, I entreat you, all ye that are
careful for this life, and procure books that
will be medicines for the soul. If ye will not
any other, yet get you at least the New
Testament, the Apostolic Epistles, the
Acts, the Gospels, for your constant
teachers. If grief befall thee, dive into them
as into a chest of medicines; take thence
comfort of thy trouble, be it loss, or death,
or bereavement of relations; or rather dive not
into them merely, but take them wholly to thee;
keep them in thy mind.
This is the cause of all evils, the not knowing
the Scriptures. We go into battle without
arms, and how ought we to come off safe? Well
contented should we be if we can be safe with
them, let alone without them. Throw not the
whole upon us! Sheep ye are, still not without
reason, but rational; Paul committeth much to
you also. They that are under instruction, are
not for ever learning; for then they are not
taught. If thou art for ever learning, thou
wilt never learn. Do not so come as meaning to
be always learning; (for so thou wilt never
know;) but so as to finish learning, and to
teach others. In the arts do not all persons
continue for set times, in the sciences, and in
a word, in all the arts? Thus we all fix
definitely a certain known time; but if ye are
ever learning, it is a certain proof that ye
have learned nothing.
This reproach God spake against the Jews.
"Borne from the belly, and instructed even to
old age." (Isa. xlvi. 3, 4, Sept.)
If ye had not always been expecting this, all
things would not have gone backward in this way.
Had it been so, that some had finished
learning, and others were about to have
finished, our work would have been forward; ye
would both have given place to others, and would
have helped us as well. Tell me, were some to
go to a grammarian and continue always learning
their letters, would they not give their teacher
much trouble? How long shall I have to
discourse to you concerning life? In the
Apostles' times it was not thus, but they
continually leaped from place to place,
appointing those who first learned to be the
teachers of any others that were under
instruction. Thus they were enabled to circle
the world, through not being bound to one
place. How much instruction, think ye, do
your brethren in the country stand in need of,
[they] and their teachers? But ye hold me
riveted fast here. For, before the head is set
right, it is superfluous to proceed to the rest
of the body. Ye throw everything upon us. Ye
alone ought to learn from us, and your wives
from you, your children from you; but ye leave
all to us. Therefore our toil is excessive.
"Teaching," he saith, "and admonishing one
another with psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs." Mark also the considerateness of
Paul. Seeing that reading is toilsome, and
its irksomeness great, he led them not to
histories, but to psalms, that thou mightest at
once delight thy soul with singing, and gently
beguile thy labors. "Hymns," he saith,
"and spiritual songs." But now your children
will utter songs and dances of Satan, like
cooks, and caterers, and musicians; no one
knoweth any psalm, but it seems a thing to be
ashamed of even, and a mockery, and a joke.
There is the treasury house of all these evils.
For whatsoever soil the plant stands in, such
is the fruit it bears; if in a sandy and salty
soil, of like nature is its fruit; if in a
sweet and rich one, it is again similar. So
the matter of instruction is a sort of fountain.
Teach him to sing those psalms which are so full
of the love of wisdom; as at once concerning
chastity, or rather, before all, of not
companying with the wicked, immediately with the
very beginning of the book; (for therefore also
it was that the prophet began on this wise,
"Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the
counsel of the ungodly"; Ps. i. 1, and
again, "I have not sat in I.the council of
vanity", Ps. xxvi. 4, Sept., and
again, "in his sight a wicked doer is
contemned, but he honoreth those that fear the
Lord," Ps. xv. 4, Sept.,) of
companying with the good, (and these subjects
thou wilt find there in abundance,) of
restraining the belly, of restraining the hand,
of refraining from excess, of not overreaching;
that money is nothing, nor glory, and other
things such like.
When in these thou hast led him on from
childhood, by little and little thou wilt lead
him forward even to the higher things. The
Psalms contain all things, but the Hymns again
have nothing human. When he has been instructed
out of the Psalms, he will then know hymns
also, as a diviner thing. For the Powers
above chant hymns, not psalms. For "a
hymn," saith one, "is not comely in the month
of a sinner" (Ecclus. xv. 9); and again,
"Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the
land, that they sit together with me" (Ps.
ci. 6, 7, Sept.); and again, "he that
worketh haughtiness hath not dwelt in the midst
of my house"; and again, "He that walketh in
a blameless way, he ministered unto me."
(Ps. ci. 6, Sept.)
So that ye should safely guard them from
intermixing themselves, not only with friends,
but even with servants. For the harm done to
the free is incalculable, when we place over
them corrupt slaves. For if when enjoying all
the benefit of a father's affection and wisdom,
they can with difficulty be preserved safe
throughout; when we hand them over to the
unscrupulous hess of servants, they use them
like enemies, thinking that they will prove
milder masters to them, when they have made them
perfect fools, and weak, and worthy of no
respect.
More then than all other things together, let
us attend seriously to this. "I have loved,"
saith he," those that love thy law." (Ps.
cxix. 165, not exact.) This man then let
us too emulate, and such let us love. And that
the young may further be taught chastity, let
them hear the Prophet, saying, "My loins are
filled with illusions" (Ps. xxxviii. 7,
Sept.); and again let them hear him saying,
"Thou wilt utterly destroy every one that goeth
a whoring from Thee." (Ps. lxxiii. 27,
Sept.) And, that one ought to restrain the
belly, let them hear again, "And slew," he
saith, "the more part of them while the meat
was yet in their mouths." (Ps. Ixxviii.
30, Sept.) And that they ought to be above
bribes, "If riches become abundant, set
[not] your heart upon them" (Ps. lxii.
10); and that they ought to keep glory in
subjection, "Nor shall his glory descend
together after him." (Ps. xlix. 17.)
And not to envy the wicked, "Be not envious
against them that work unrighteousness."
(Ps. xxxvii. 1.) And to count power as
nothing, "I saw the ungodly in exceeding high
place, and lifting himself up as the cedars of
Libanus, and I passed by, and lo! he was
not." (Ps. xxxvii. 35.) And to count
these present things as nothing, "They counted
the people happy, that are in such a case;
happy are the people, whose helper is the Lord
their God." (Ps. cxliv. 15, Sept.)
That we do not sin without notice, but that
there is a retribution, "for," he saith,
"Thou shalt render to every man according to
his works." (Ps. lxii. 12, Sept.)
But why doth he not so requite them day by day?
"God is a judge," he says; "righteous, and
strong, and longsuffering." (Ps. vii.
11.) That lowliness of mind is good,
"Lord," he saith, "my heart is not lifted
up" (Ps. cxxxi. 1): that pride is evil,
"Therefore," he said, "pride took hold on
them wholly" (Ps. lxxiii. 6, Sept.);
and again, "The Lord resisteth the proud";
and again, "Their injustice shall come out as
of fatness." That almsgiving is good, "He
hath dispersed, he hath given to the needy, his
righteousness endureth for ever." (Prov.
iii. 34.) And that to pity is
praiseworthy, "He is a good man that pitieth,
and lendeth." (Ps. lxxiii. 7, Sept.)
And thou wilt find there many more doctrines
than these, full of true philosophy; such as,
that one ought not to speak evil, "Him that
privily slandereth his neighbor, him did I
chase from me." (Ps. cxii. 9.)
What is the hymn of those above? The Faithful
know. What say the cherubim above? What say
the Angels? "Glory to God in the highest."
(Ps. cxii. 5.) Therefore after the
psalmody come the hymns, as a thing of more
perfection. "With psalms," he saith, "with
hymns, with spiritual songs, with grace singing
in your hearts to God." (Ps. ci. 5,
Sept.) He means either this, that God
because of grace hath given us these things;
or, with the songs in grace; or, admonishing
and teaching one another in grace; or, that
they had these gifts in grace; or, it is an
epexegesis and he means, from the grace of the
Spirit. "Singing in your hearts to God."
Not simply with the mouth, he means, but with
heedfulness. For this is to "sing to God,"
but that to the air, for the voice is scattered
without result. Not for display, he means.
And even if thou be in the market-place, thou
canst collect thyself, and sing unto God, no
one hearing thee. For Moses also in this way
prayed, and was heard, for He saith, "Why
eriest thou unto Me?" (Ex. xiv. 15)
albeit he said nothing, but cried in
thought--wherefore also God alone heard
him--with a contrite heart. For it is not
forbidden one even when walking to pray in his
heart, and to dwell above.
Ver. 17. "And whatsoever ye do," he
saith, "in word or in deed, do all in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the
Father through Him."
For if we thus do, there will be nothing
polluted, nothing unclean, wherever Christ is
called on. If thou eat, if thou drink, if
thou marry, if thou travel, do all in the Name
of God, that is, calling Him to aid thee: in
everything first praying to Him, so take hold
of thy business. Wouldest thou speak somewhat?
Set this in front. For this cause we also
place in front of our epistles the Name of the
Lord. Wheresoever the Name of God is, all
is auspicious. For if the names of Consuls
make writings sure, much more doth the Name of
Christ. Or he means this; after God say ye
and do everything, do not introduce the Angels
besides. Dost thou eat? Give thanks to God
both before and afterwards. Dost thou sleep?
Give thanks to God both before and afterwards.
Launchest thou into the forum? Do the
same--nothing worldly, nothing of this life.
Do all in the Name of the Lord, and all shall
be prospered to thee. Whereonsoever the Name
is placed, there all things are auspicious. If
it casts out devils, if it drives away
diseases, much more does it render business
easy. And what is to "do in word or in
deed"?
Either requesting or performing anything
whatever. Hear how in the Name of God
Abraham sent his servant; David in the Name
of God slew Goliath. Marvelous is His Name
and great. Again, Jacob sending his sons
saith, "My God give you favor in the sight of
the man." (Gen. xliii. 14.) For he
that doeth this hath for his ally, God,
without whom he durst do nothing. As honored
then by being called upon, He will in turn
honor by making their business easy. Invoke the
Son, give thanks to the Father. For when the
Son is invoked, the Father is invoked, and
when He is thanked, the Son has been thanked.
These things let us learn, not as far as words
only, but to fulfill them also by works.
Nothing is equal to this Name; marvelous is it
everywhere. "Thy Name," he saith, "is
ointment poured forth." (Cant. i. 3.)
He that hath uttered it is straightway filled
with fragrance. "No man," it is said, "can
call Jesus Lord, but by the Holy Ghost."
(1 Cor. xii. 3.) So great things doth
this Name Work. If thou have said, In the
Name of Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost,
with faith, thou hast accomplished everything.
See, how great things thou hast done! Thou
hast created a man, and wrought all the rest
(that cometh) of Baptism! So, when used in
commanding diseases, terrible is The Name.
Therefore the devil introduced those of the
Angels, envying us the honor. Such
incantations are for the demons. Even if it be
Angel, even if it be Archangel, even if it be
Cherubim, allow it not; for neither will these
Powers accept such addresses, but will even
toss them away from them, when they have beheld
their Master dishonored. "I have honored
thee," He saith, "and have said, Call upon
Me"; and dost thou dishonor Him? If thou
chant this incantation with faith, thou wilt
drive away both diseases and demons, and even if
thou have failed to drive away the disease, this
is not from lack of power, but because it is
expedient it should be so. "According to Thy
greatness, he saith, "so also is Thy
praise." (Ps. xlviii. 10.) By this
Name hath the world been converted, the tyranny
dissolved, the devil trampled on, the heavens
opened. We have been regenerated by this
Name. This if we have, we beam forth; This
maketh both martyrs and confessors; This let us
hold fast as a great gift, that we may live in
glory, and be well-pleasing to God, and be
counted worthy of the good things promised to
them that love Him, through the grace and
lovingkindness,
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