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1 TIMOTHY ii. 1--4.
"I exhort therefore that, first of all, supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings,
and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to
be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." [R. V.:
who willeth that all men should be saved, &c.]
THE Priest is the common father, as it were, of all the world; it
is proper therefore that he should care for all, even as God, Whom
he serves.
For this reason he says, "I exhort therefore that, first of all,
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made
for all men." From this, two advantages result. First, hatred
towards those who are without is done away; for no one can feel hatred
towards those for whom he prays: and they again are made better by the
prayers that are offered for them, and by losing their ferocious
disposition towards us. For nothing is so apt to draw men under
teaching, as to love, and be loved. Think what it was for those who
persecuted, scourged, banished, and slaughtered the Christians, to
hear that those whom they treated so barbarously offered fervent prayers
to God for them. Observe how he wishes a Christian to be superior to
all ill-treatment. As a father who was struck on the face by a little
child which he was carrying, would not lose anything of his affection
for it; so we ought not to abate in our good will towards those who are
without, even when we are stricken by them. What is "first of
all"? It means in the daily Service; and the initiated know how
this is done every day both in the evening and the morning, how we
offer prayers for the whole world, for kings and all that are in
authority. But some one perhaps will say, he meant not for all men,
but for all the faithful. How then does he speak of kings? for kings
were not then worshipers of God, for there was a long succession of
ungodly princes. And that he might not seem to flatter them, he says
first, "for all men," then "for kings"; for if he had only
mentioned kings, that might have been suspected. And then since the
soul of some Christians might be slow at hearing this, and reject the
exhortation, if at the celebration of the holy Mysteries it was
necessary to offer prayers for a heathen king, he shows them the
advantage of it, thus at least to reconcile them to the advice, "that
we may lead a quiet and peaceable life"; as much as to say, Their
safety is a security to us; as also in his Epistle to the Romans, he
exhorts them to obey their rulers, "not for wrath but for conscience'
sake." (Rom. xiii. 5.)
For God has appointed government for the public good. When therefore
they make war for this end, and stand on guard for our security, were
it not unreasonable that we should not offer prayers for their safety in
wars and dangers? It is not therefore flattery, but agreeable to the
rules of justice.
For if they were not preserved, and prospered in their wars, our
affairs must necessarily be involved in confusion and trouble; and if
they were cut off, we must either serve ourselves, or be scattered up
and down as fugitives. For they are a sort of bul warks thrown up
before us, within which those who are inclosed are in peace and
safety.
He says, "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of
thanks." For we must give thanks to God for the good that befalls
others, as that He maketh the sun to shine upon the evil and the
good, and sendeth His rain both upon the just and the unjust.
Observe how he would unite and bind us together, not only by prayer
but by thanksgiving. For he who is urged to thank God for his
neighbor's good, is also bound to love him, and be kindly disposed
towards him. And if we must give thanks for our neighbor's good,
much more for what happens to ourselves, and for what is unknown, and
even for things against our will, and such as appear grievous to us,
since God dispenses all things for our good.
MORAL. Let every prayer of ours, then, be accompanied with
thanksgiving. And if we are commanded to pray for our neighbors, not
only for the faithful, but for the unbelieving also, consider how
wrong it is to pray against your brethren. What? Has He commanded
you to pray for your enemies, and do you pray against your brother?
But your prayer is not against him, but against yourself. For you
provoke God by uttering those impious words, "Show him the same!"
"So do to him!" "Smite him!" "Recompense him!" Far be such
words from the disciple of Christ, who should be meek and mild. From
the mouth that has been vouch-safed such holy Mysteries, let nothing
bitter proceed. Let not the tongue that has touched the Lord's Body
utter anything offensive, let it be kept pure, let not curses be borne
upon it. For if "revilers shall not inherit the kingdom of God"
(1 Cor. vi. 10), much less those who curse. For he that
curses must be injurious; and injuriousness and prayer are at variance
with each other, cursing and praying are far apart, accusation and
prayer are wide asunder. Do you propitiate God with prayer, and then
utter imprecations? If you forgive not, you will not be forgiven.
(Matt. vi. 15.) But instead of forgiving, you beseech God not
to forgive; what excessive wickedness in this! If the unforgiving is
not forgiven, he that prays his Lord not to forgive, how shall he be
forgiven? The harm is to yourself, not him. For though your prayers
were on the point of being heard for yourself, they would never be
accepted in such a case, as offered with a polluted mouth. For surely
the mouth that curses is polluted with all that is offensive and
unclean.
When you ought to tremble for your own sins, to wrestle earnestly for
the pardon of them, you come to move God against your brother--do
you not fear, nor think of what concerns yourself? do you not see what
you are doing?
Imitate even the conduct of children at school. If they see their own
class within giving account of their lessons, and all beaten for their
idleness, and one by one severely examined and chastised with blows,
they are frightened to death, and if one of their companions strikes
them, and that severely, they cannot have while to be angry, nor
complain to their master; so is their soul possessed with fear. They
only look to one thing, that they may go in and come out without
stripes, and their thoughts are on that time. And when they come
out, whether beaten or not, the blows they have received from their
play-fellows never enter their minds for the delight. And you, when
you stand anxiously concerned for your own sins, how can you but
shudder at making mention of others' faults? How can you implore
pardon of God? For your own case is made worse on the terms of your
imprecations against another, and you forbid Him to make allowance for
your own faults. Might He not say, "If thou wouldest have Me so
severe in exacting offenses against thee, how canst thou expect Me to
pardon thy offenses against Me?" Let us learn at last to be
Christians! If we know not how to pray, which is a very simple and
easy thing, what else shall we know? Let us learn to pray like
Christians. Those are the prayers of Gentiles, the supplications of
Jews. The Christian's are the reverse, for the forgiveness and
forgetting of offenses against us. "Being reviled," it is said,
"we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we
entreat." (1 Cor. iv. 12, 13.) Hear Stephen saying,
"Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." (Acts vi. 60.)
Instead of praying against them, he prayed for them. You, instead
of praying for them, utter imprecations against them. You then are
wicked in the degree that he was excellent. Whom do we admire, tell
me; those for whom he prayed, or him who prayed for them? Him
certainly! and if we, much more then God. Would you have your enemy
stricken? pray for him: yet not with such intention, not to strike
him. That will indeed be the effect, but let it not be your object.
That blessed martyr suffered all unjustly, yet he prayed for them: we
suffer many things justly from our enemies. And if he who suffered
unjustly durst not forbear to pray for his enemies, what punishment do
we deserve, who suffer justly, and yet do not pray for them, nay,
pray against them? Thou thinkest indeed that thou art inflicting a
blow upon another, but in truth thou art thrust ing the sword against
thyself. Thou sufferest not the Judge to be lenient to thy own
offenses, by this way of urging Him to anger against others. For,
"with what measure ye mete," He saith, "it shall be measured to
you again; and with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged."
(Matt. vii. 2.) Let us therefore be disposed to pardon, that
God may be so disposed towards us.
These things I wish you not only to hear, but to observe. For now
the memory retains only the words, and perhaps hardly those. And
after we are separated, if any one who was not present were to ask
you, what had been our discourse, some could not tell: others would
know merely the subject we had spoken of, and answer that there had
been a Homily upon the subject of forgiving injuries, and praying for
our enemies, but would omit all that had been said, as they could not
remember: others remember a little, but still somewhat. If therefore
you gain nothing by what you hear, I entreat you not even to attend at
the discourse. For of what use is it? The condemnation is greater,
the punishment more severe, if after so many exhortations, we continue
in the same course. For this reason God has given us a definite form
of prayer, that we might ask for nothing human, nothing worldly. And
you that are faithful know what you ought to pray for, how the whole
Prayer is common.
But one says, "It is not commanded there to pray for unbelievers."
This you would not say, if you understood the force, the depth, the
hidden treasure of that Prayer. Only unfold it, and you find this
also comprised within it. For it is implied, when one says in
prayer, "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven." Now,
because in heaven there is no unbeliever nor offender; if therefore it
was for the faithful alone, there would be no reason in that
expression. If the faithful were to do the will of God and the
unbelievers not to do it, His will were not done in earth as it is in
heaven. But it means; As there is none wicked in heaven, so let
there be none on earth; but draw all men to the fear of Thee, make
all men angels, even those who hate us, and are our enemies. Dost
thou not see how God is daily blasphemed and mocked by believers and
unbelievers, both in word and in deed? What then? Has He for this
extinguished the sun? or stayed the course of the moon? Has He
crushed the heavens and uprooted the earth? Has He dried up the sea?
Has He shut up the fountains of waters? or confounded the air?
Nay, on the contrary, He makes His sun to rise, His rain to
descend, gives the fruits of the earth in their seasons, and thus
supplies yearly nourishment to the blasphemers, to the insensible, to
the polluted, to persecutors; not for one day or two, but for their
whole life. Imitate Him then, emulate Him as far as human powers
admit.
Canst thou not make the sun arise? Abstain from evil speaking.
Canst thou not send rain? Forbear reviling. Canst thou not give
food? Refrain from insolence.
Such gifts from thee are sufficient. The goodness of God to His
enemies is shown by His works. Do thou so at least by words: pray
for thine enemies, so wilt thou be like thy Father who is in heaven.
How many times have we discoursed upon this subject! nor shall we
cease to discourse; only let something come of it. It is not that we
are drowsy, and weary of speaking; only do not you that hear be
annoyed. Now a person seems to be annoyed, when he will not do what
one says. For he who practices, loves often to hear the same thing,
and is not annoyed by it; for it is his own commendation. But
annoyance arises simply from not doing what is prescribed. Hence the
speaker is troublesome. If a man practices almsgiving, and hears
another speak of alms-giving, he is not wearied, but pleased, for he
hears his own good actions recommended and proclaimed. So that when we
are displeased at hearing a discourse upon the forgiveness of injuries,
it is because we have no interest in forbearance, it is not practiced
by us; for if we had the reality, we should not be pained at its being
named. If therefore you would not have us wearisome or annoying,
practice as we preach, exhibit in your actions the subject of our
discourses. For we shall never cease discoursing upon these things
till your conduct is agreeable to them. And this we do more especially
from our concern and affection for you. For the trumpeter must sound
his trumpet, though no one should go out to war; he must fulfill his
part. We do it, not as wishing to, bring heavier condemnation upon
you, but to avert it from ourselves. And besides this, love for you
constrains us, for it would tear and torture our hearts if that should
befall you, which God avert! It is not any costly process that we
recommend to you: it does not require the spoiling of goods, nor a
long and toilsome journey. It is only to will. It is a word, it is
a purpose of the mind. Let us only set a guard on our tongues, a door
and a bar upon our lips, that we may utter nothing offensive to God.
It is for our own advantage, not for theirs for whom we pray, to act
thus. For let us ever consider, that he who blesses his enemy,
blesses himself, he who curses his enemy, curses himself, and he who
prays for his enemy, prays not for him, but for himself. If we thus
act, we shall be able to reduce to practice this excellent virtue, and
so to obtain the promised blessings, through the grace and
lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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