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ACTS II. 22.
"Ye men of Israel, hear these my words."
["YE men of Israel"]: it is not for
flattery that he uses this term; but, as he has
borne hard upon them, he relaxes a little, and
puts them in mind of their great ancestor
[Israel]. Here again he begins with an
introduction, that they may not become excited,
now that he is going to make express mention to
them of Jesus: for in what preceded, there was
no reason why they should be excited, while the
Prophet was the subject of discourse: but the
name of Jesus would have given offence at the
very outset.--And he does not say, "Do as
I bid you," but, Hear; as being not at all
exacting. And observe how he forbears to speak
of the high matters, and begins with the very
low: "Jesus," he says: and then straightway
mentions the place He belonged to, being one
which was held in mean estimation: "Jesus of
Nazareth": and does not say anything great
about Him, nor even such as one would say about
a Prophet, so far: "Jesus," he says, "of
Nazareth, a man proved (to be) from God
among you." Observe; what great matter was
this, to say that He was sent from God? For
this was the point which on all occasions both
He and John and the Apostles were studious to
show. Thus hear John saying: "The same said
unto me On whom thou shalt see the Spirit
descending, and abiding on him, this is He."
(John i. 33.) But Christ Himself does
this to an extreme; Of Myself I am not come,
He sent Me. (ib. vii. 28.) And
everywhere in the Scriptures this seems the
point most studiously insisted upon. Therefore
also this holy leader of the blessed company,
the lover of Christ, the good shepherd, the
man put in trust with the keys of heaven, the
man who received the Spiritual Wisdom, when he
has first subdued the Jews by fear; and has
shown what great things have been vouchsafed to
the disciples, and what a right they have to be
believed, then first proceeds to speak
concerning Him. Only think what boldness it
was to say it, in the midst of the
murderers--that He is risen! And yet he does
not all at once say, He is risen; but
what?--" He came," says he, "from God:
this is manifest by the signs which"--he does
not yet say, Jesus Himself wrought: but
what?--"which God wrought by Him in the
midst of you." He calls themselves as
witnesses. "A man proved (to be sent) from
God among you, by miracles and wonders and
signs, which God wrought by him in the midst of
you, as also ye yourselves know." Then,
having fallen upon the mention of that their
sacrilegious outrage, observe how he endeavors
to quit them of the crime: "Him," he says,
"being by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God delivered up": (v.
23) [adding however,] "ye have taken, and
by wicked hands have crucified and slain:" for
though it was predetermined, still they were
murderers. ["By the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God:"] all but using the
same words as Joseph did; just as he said to
his brethren; "Be not angry one with another
by the way: God sent me hither." (Gen.
xlv. 5, 24.) It is God's doing.
"What of us, then?" (it might be said,)
"it was even well done on our part." That
they may not say this, therefore it is that he
adds, "By wicked hands ye have crucified and
slain." Here then he hints at Judas; while
at the same time he shows them that it was not
from any strength of theirs, and would not have
been, if He had not Himself permitted it: it
was God that delivered Him up. He has
transferred the evil entire upon the head of
Judas, now already parted from them; for he it
was that delivered Him over to them by the
kiss. Or, "By wicked hands," refers to the
soldiers: for neither is it simply, "Ye have
slain," but, By wicked men ye have done
this. And observe how everywhere they make it
of great importance that the Passion should
first be confessed. WHOM GOD RAISED
UP (v. 24), says he. This was the great
thing; and observe how he sets it in the middle
of his discourse: for the former matters had
been confessed; both the miracles and the signs
and the slaying--"Whom God," says he,
"raised up, having loosed the pains of death,
because it was not possible that He should be
kept in its power." It is something great and
sublime that he has hinted at here. For the
expression, "It was not possible," even
itself is that of one assigning something. It
shows that death itself in holding Him had pangs
as in travail, and was sore bestead: whereas,
by pains, or, travail-pangs, of death, the
Old Testament means danger and disaster: and
that He so rose as never more to die. For the
assertion, "Seeing that it was not possible
that He should be holden of it," means this,
that His rising was not common to the rest.
Then, however, before their thoughts can enter
at all into his meaning, he brings David upon
them, an authority which sets aside all human
reasoning. "For David saith (with
reference) to Him." (v. 25.) And
observe how, once more, the testimony is
lowly. For therefore he begins the citation
further up, with the matters of lowlier import
therefore was death not in the number of grievous
things [because], says he, "I foresaw the
Lord always before my face, that He is on my
right hand that I should not be moved:" (v.
25-27) and," that Thou wilt not leave my
soul in hell." Then, having finished the
citation from the Prophet, he adds; "Men and
brethren." (v. 29.) When he is about to
say anything great, he uses this opening
address, to rouse and to conciliate them.
"Let me be allowed," he says, "to speak
freely to you of the patriarch David."
Remarkable lowliness, in a case where he was
giving no hurt, nor was there any reason why the
hearers should be angry. For he did not say,
This is not said concerning David, but
concerning the Christ. But in another point of
view: by his reverential expression towards the
blessed David, he awed them; speaking of an
acknowledged fact as if it were a bold thing to
say, and therefore begging them to pardon him
for saying it. And thereupon his expression is
not simply "concerning David," but
"concerning the patriarch David, that he is
both dead and buried:" he does not also say,
"and is not risen again," but in another way
(though this too would have been no great thing
to say), "And his sepulchre is with us unto
this day," he has said what comes to the same
thing.
Then--and even so he does not come to the
mention of Christ, but what next?--he goes
on with his encomium upon David, "Being
therefore a prophet, and knowing that with an
oath God had sworn unto him." (v. 30.)
But this he says, that were it but on account
of the honor shown to David, and the descent
from him, they may accept what is said
concerning Christ's resurrection, as seeing
that it would be an injury to the prophecy, and
a derogating from (ths eis autous timht) their
honor, if this were not the fact. "And
knowing," he says, "that with an oath God
had sworn unto him"--he does not say simply
"promised"--"of the fruit of his loins after
the flesh to raise up Christ, to seat Him upon
his throne." Observe how he has again only
hinted at what is sublime. For now that he has
soothed them with his expression, he confidently
adds this: The prophet [saith it] "of His
resurrection, that neither was His soul left in
hell, nor did His flesh see corruption."
(v. 31.) This again is wonderful: it
shows that His resurrection was not like that of
other men. For though death laid hold on Him,
yet it did not its own work then.--And, as
regards the sin, he has spoken of that,
covertly and darkly; of the punishment, he
forbore to add anything; but that they had slain
Him, this he has spoken out; for the rest he
now comes to the sign given by God. And when
it is once proved, that He, the slain, was
just, was dear to God, then, though thou be
silent of the punishment, be sure that he which
did the sin will condemn himself more than ever
thou canst condemn him: So then, that he
refers all to the Father, is in order that they
may receive what is said: and that assertion,
"Not possible," he fetches in from the
prophecy. Well then, let us again look over
what has been said.
"Jesus of Nazareth, a man proved (to be
sent) from God unto you." (Recapitulation
of v. 22-31): one, of whom, by reason
of His works, there can be no doubt; but who,
on the contrary, is demonstrated. Thus also
Nicodemus said, "No man can do these miracles
which Thou doest--By miracles, and wonders,
and signs which God wrought by Him in the midst
of you" (John iii. 2): not secretly.
Setting out from facts notorious to those whom
he was addressing, he then comes to things
hidden. Thereupon [in saying, "By the
determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God,"] (v. 23) he shows that it was not
because they had the power to do it, and that
there was a wisdom and a Divine arrangement in
the event, seeing it was from God He rapidly
passes over the unpleasant part, [adding,
"Whom God raised up," etc.] (v. 24).
For it is always a point of great importance
with them to show that He was once dead.
Though ye should deny it, says he, (ekeinoi)
those (present) will bear witness to the fact.
["Having loosed the pangs of death."] He
that gives Death trouble, may much more give
trouble to them that crucified Him: however,
nothing of the kind is here said, as that He
had power to slay you. Meanwhile, let us also
learn thus to hold. For one that is in pain
like a woman in travail, does not hold the thing
held, and is not active but passive; and makes
haste to cast it off. And it is well said:
"For David saith in reference to him" (v.
25); that you may not refer that saying to
the Prophet.- ["Therefore being a
Prophet, and knowing," etc.] (v. 30,
31.) Do you observe how he now interprets
the prophecy, and does not give it bare of
comment? How did He "seat Him upon"
David's "throne?" For the kingdom after the
Spirit is in heaven. Observe how, along with
the resurrection, he has also declared the
kingdom in the fact of His rising again. He
shows that the Prophet was under constraint:
for the prophecy was concerning Him. Why does
he say, not, Concerning His kingdom (it was
a great matter), but "Concerning His
resurrection?" And how did He seat Him upon
his (David's) throne? Why, He reigns as
King over Jews also, yea, what is much more,
over them that crucified Him. "For His flesh
saw no corruption." This seems to be less than
resurrection, but it is the same thing.
"This Jesus"--observe how he does not call
Him otherwise--"hath God raised up; whereof
all we are witnesses. Being therefore by the
right hand of God exalted" (v. 33,
34): again he takes refuge with the Father,
and yet it had been enough to say what precedes:
but he knows what a great point this is.
Here he has hinted at the Ascension also, and
that Christ is in heaven: but neither does he
say this openly. "And having received," says
he, "the promise of the Holy Ghost."
Observe how, in the beginning of his
discourse, he does not say that Jesus Himself
had sent It, but the Father: now, however,
that he has mentioned His signs and the things
done to Him by the Jews, and has spoken of
His resurrection, he boldly introduces what he
has to say about these matters, again adducing
themselves as witnesses by both senses: ["He
hath shed forth this, which ye do see and
hear."] And of the resurrection he has made
continual mention, but of their outrageous deed
he has spoken once for all.
"And having received the promise of the Holy
Ghost," This again is great. "The
promise," he says; because [promised] before
His Passion. Observe how he now makes it all
His ["He hath poured forth this"],
covertly making a great point.
For if it was He that poured it forth, it is
of Him that the Prophet has spoken above,
"In the last days I. will pour forth of My
Spirit on My Servants, and on Mine
handmaids, and I will do wonders in the heaven
above.
(supra, v. 17.) Observe what he secretly
puts into it! But then, because it was a great
thing, he again veils it with the expression of
"His having received of the Father." He has
spoken of the good things fulfilled, of the
signs; has said, that He is king, the point
that touched them; has said, that it is He
that gives the Spirit. (Arist. Rhet. 1,
3.) (For, however much a person may say,
if it does not issue in something advantageous,
he speaks to no purpose.) Just as John:
"The same," says he, "shall baptize you
with the Holy Ghost." (Matt. iii.
11.) And it shows that the Cross not only
did not make Him less, but rendered Him even
more illustrious, seeing that of old God
promised it to Him, but now has given it. Or
fit may be], "the promise" which He promised
to us. He so foreknew it about to be, and has
given it to us greater after the resurrection.
And, "hath poured it out," he says; not
requiring worthiness: and not simply gave, but
with abundance. Whence does this appear?
Henceforth after the mention of His giving the
Spirit, he confidently speaks also of His
ascension into heaven; and not only so, but
again adducing the witness, and reminding them
of that Person concerning Whom Christ once
spake. (Matt. xxii. 43) "For not
David," says he "ascended into the heavens.
(v. 34.) Here he no longer speaks in lowly
phrase, having the confidence which results from
the things said nor does he say, "Be it
permitted me to speak," or the like: "But he
saith himself; The Lord said unto my Lord,
Sit Thou on My right hand, until I make
Thine enemies Thy footstool." Now if He be
David's Lord, much more shall they not
disdain Him. "Sit thou on My right hand;"
he has set the whole matter here; "until I
make Thine enemies Thy footstool:" here also
he has brought upon them a great terror, just as
in the beginning he showed what He does to His
friends, what to his enemies. And again, as
to the act of subjugation, not to provoke
unbelief, he ascribes it to the Father. Since
then these are great things that he has uttered,
he again brings his discourse down to lowly
matters. "Let therefore," he says, "the
whole house of Israel know assuredly: i.e.
question ye not, nor doubt ye: then also in the
tone of command it follows; "that God hath
made Him both Lord--" this he says from
David-- "and Christ," (v. 36), this
from the Psalm: For when it would have been
rightly concluded, "Let therefore the whole
house of Israel know assuredly that" He
sitteth on the right hand of God, this, which
would have been great, he forbears, and brings
in a different matter which is much more humble,
and the expression "Hath made;" i.e. hath
ordained: so that there is nothing about
(ousiwsis) communication of substance here,
but the expression relates to this which has been
mentioned. "Even this Jesus, Whom ye
crucified." He does well to end with this,
thereby agitating their minds. For when he has
shown how great it is, he has then exposed their
daring deed, so as to show it to be greater,
and to possess them with terror. For men are
not so much attracted by benefits as they are
chastened by fear.
But the admirable and great ones, and beloved
of God, need none of these motives: men, such
as was Paul: not of the kingdom, not of hell,
made he account. For this is indeed to love
Christ, this to be no hireling, nor to reckon
it a matter of trafficking and trading, but to
be indeed virtuous, and to do all for the love
of God. (Rom. ix. 3.) Then what tears
does it not deserve, when, owing so large a
measure, we do not even like traders seek the
kingdom of heaven! He promises us so great
things, and not even so is He worthy to be
heard? What can come up to this enmity! And
yet, they are mad after money-making, though
it be with enemies, though it be with slaves,
though it be with persons most hostile to them,
that they come in contact, though it be with
persons utterly evil, if only they expect that
they shall be enabled by their means to make
money, they will do everything, will flatter,
and be obsequious, and make themselves slaves,
and will esteem them more to be revered than all
men, to get some advantage out of them: for the
hope of money does not allow them to give a
thought to any such considerations as these.
But the Kingdom is not so powerful as money
is; nay, rather, not in the smallest
proportion as powerful. For it is no ordinary
Being that promises: but this is greater than
even the Kingdom itself that we receive it
'from such a Giver! But now the case is the
same as if a king, wishing, after ten thousand
other benefits, to make us his heirs and coheirs
with his son [should be despised]: while some
captain of a band of robbers, who has done ten
thousand wrongs to us and to our parents, and is
himself fraught with ten thousand wickednesses,
and has utterly marred our honor and our
welfare, should, on presenting a single penny,
receive our worship. God promises a Kingdom,
and is despised: the Devil helps us to hell,
and he is honored! Here God, there Devil.
But let us see the difference of the tasks
enjoined. For if there were none of these
considerations in the case: if it were not,
here God, there Devil; not, here one helping
to a kingdom, there to a hell: the nature
itself of the tasks enjoined were sufficient to
induce us to comply with the former For what
does each enjoin? The one, the things which
make glorious; the other the things which put to
shame: one, the things which involve in ten
thousand calamities and disgraces; the other,
the things which have with them abundant
refreshment. For look: the one saith,
"Learn ye of Me, for I am meek and lowly of
heart, and ye shall find rest unto your
souls." (Matt. xi. 29): the other
saith, Be thou savage, and ungentle, and
passionate, and wrathful, and more a wild beast
than a man. Let us see which is more useful,
which, I pray you, more profitable. "Speak
not of this," say you. * * * But consider
that he is the devil: above all indeed, if that
be shown: there is need also to undergo toils,
and, on the other hand, the prize of victory
will be greater. For not he that enjoins easy
tasks is the kind (khsemwn)benefactor, but he
that enjoins what is for our good. Since
fathers also enjoin disagreeable tasks; but for
this they are fathers: and so again do masters
to slaves: but kidnappers and destroyers
(lumepnes) on the other hand, do just the
reverse. And yet that the commands of Christ
are attended with a pleasure, is manifest from
that saying. For to what sort do you take the
passionate man to belong, and to what the
forbearing and meek? Does not the soul of the
(ekeinou) one seem to be in a kind of solitary
retreat, enjoying exceeding quiet; while that
of (toutou) the other is like a market-place
and tumult and the midst of cities, where great
is the clamor of those :going out, the noise of
camels, mules, asses: of men shouting loud to
those that meet them, that they may not be
trodden under foot: and again, of
silver-beaters, of braziers, of men thrusting
and pushing this way and that and some
overborne, some overbearing? But the soul of
(toutou) the former is like some
mountain-top, with its delicate air, its pure
sunshine, its limpid gushing fountains, its
multitude of charming flowers, while the vernal
meads and gardens put on their plumage of shrubs
and flowers, and glance with rifling waters:
and if any sound is heard there, it is sweet,
and calculated to affect the ear with a sense of
much delight. For either the warbling birds
perch on the outermost spray of the branching
trees, and cicadas, nightingales and swallows,
blended in one harmony, perform a kind of
concerted music; or the zephyr gently stirring
the leaves, draws whistling tones from pines and
firs, resembling oft the notes of the swan: and
roses, violets, and other flowers, gently
swayed, and (kuanizonta) dark-dimpling, show
like a sea just rippled over with gentle
undulations. Nay, many are the images one
might find. Thus, when one looks at the
roses, one shall fancy that he beholds in them
the rainbow; in the violets a waving sea; in
the lilies, the sky. But not by the spectacle
alone, and the beholding, does such an one then
cause delight: but also in the very body of him
that looks to the meadow, rather it refreshes
him, and causes him to breathe freely, so that
he thinks himself more in heaven than on earth.
There is withal a sound of a different kind,
when water from the mountain-steep, borne by
its own force through ravines gently plashes over
its pebbly bed with lulling noise, and so
relaxes our frame with the pleasurable
sensations, as quickly to draw over our eyes the
soft languor of slumber. You have heard the
description with pleasure: perhaps also it has
made you enamored of solitude. But sweeter far
than this solitude is the soul * of the
long-suffering. For it was not for the sake of
describing a meadow, nor for the sake of making
a display of language, that we have broached
this similitude: but the object was, that,
seeing how great is the delight of the long
suffering, and how, by converse with a long
suffering man, one would be far more both
delighted and benefited, than by frequenting
such spots, ye may follow after such men. For
when not even a breath of violence proceeds from
such a soul, but mild and engaging words, then
indeed does that gentle softness of the zephyr
find its counterpart: entreaties also, devoid
of all arrogance, but forming the resemblance to
those winged warblers,--how is not this far
better? For not the body is fanned by the soft
breeze of speech; no, it refreshes our souls
heated and glowing. A physician, by ever so
great attention, could not so speedily rid a man
of the fever, as a patient man would cool, by
the breath of his own words, a person who was
passionate and burning with wrath. And why do
I speak of a physician? Not even iron, made
red-hot and dipped into water, so quickly parts
with its heat, as does the passionate man when
he comes in contact with the soul of the
long-suffering.
But as, if it chance that singing birds find
their way into the market, they go for nothing
there, just so is it with our precepts when they
light upon souls addicted to wrathful passions.
Assuredly, sweeter is gentleness than
bitterness and frowardness. --Well, but the
one was God's bidding, the other the
devil's. Do you see that it was not for
nothing that I said, even if there were no
devil or God in the case, the things enjoined
would be enough in themselves to (aposthsai)
revolt us? For the one is both agreeable to
himself, and serviceable to others, the other
displeasing to himself, and hurtful to others.
Nothing is more unpleasant than a man in a
passion, nothing more noisome, more odious,
more shocking, as also nothing more pleasing
than one who knows not what it is to be in a
passion. Better dwell with a wild beast than
with a passionate man. For the beast, when
once tamed, abides by its law; but the man, no
matter how often you have tamed him, again turns
wild, unless however he should of himself settle
down into some such habit (of gentleness).
For as a bright sunny day and winter with all
its gloom, so are the soul of the angry and that
of the gentle. However, let us at present look
not to the mischievous consequences resulting to
others, but to those which affect the persons
themselves: though indeed it is also no slight
mischief (to one's self) to cause ill to
another, for the present, however, let that be
the consideration. What executioner with his
lash can so lacerate the ribs, what red-hot
lancets (obeliskoi) ever so pierced the body,
what madness can so dispossess a man of his
natural reason, as anger and rage do,? I know
many instances of persons engendering diseases by
giving loose to anger: and the worst of fevers
are precisely these. But if they so injure the
body, think of the soul. For do not argue that
you do not see the mischief, but rather
consider, if that which is the recipient of the
malignant passion is so hurt, what must be the
hurt sustained by that which engenders it! Many
have lost their eyes, many have fallen into most
grievous disease.
Yet he that bears bravely, shall endure all
things easily. But, however, both such are
the troublesome tasks the devil enjoins, and the
wages he assigns us for these is hell. He is
both devil and foe to our salvation, and we
rather do his bidding than Christ's, Saviour
as He is, and Benefactor and Defender, and
speaking as He does such words, which are both
sweeter, and more reverend, and more profitable
and beneficial, and are both to ourselves and to
those who live in our company the greatest of
blessings. Nothing worse than anger, my
beloved, nothing worse than unseasonable wrath.
It will not have any long delay; it is a
quick, sharp passion. Many a time has a mere
word been blurted out in anger, which needs for
its curing a whole lifetime, and a deed been
done which was the ruin of the man for life.
For the worst of it is this, that in a little
moment, and by one act, and by a single word,
full oft has it cast us out from the possession
of eternal good, and brought to nought a world
of pains. Wherefore I beseech you to do all
you can to curb this savage beast. Thus far,
however, I have spoken concerning meekness and
wrath; if one should take in hand to treat of
other opposites, as covetousness and the mad
passion for glory, contrasted with contempt of
wealth and of glory; intemperance with
sobriety; envy with benevolence; and to marshal
them each against its opposite, then one would
know how great the difference. Behold how from
the very things enjoined it is plainly shown,
that the one master is God, the other the
devil! Why then, let us do God's bidding,
and not cast ourselves into bottomless pits; but
while there is time, let us wash off all that
defiles the soul, that we may attain unto the
eternal blessings, through the grace and mercy
of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the
Father and Holy Ghost together be glory,
power, honor, now and ever, and world without
end. Amen.
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