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CHAPTER I. VERSES II-14.
"In whom also we were made a heritage, having
been foreordained according to the purpose of
Him who worketh all things after the counsel of
his will."
Paul earnestly endeavors on all occasions to
display the unspeakable loving-kindness of God
towards us, to the utmost of his power. For
that it is impossible to do so adequately, hear
his own words. "O! the depth of the riches
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God; how
unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways
past tracing out." (Rom. xi: 33.)
Still, notwithstanding, so far as it is
possible, he does display it. What then is
this which he is saying; "In whom also we were
made a heritage, being predestinated?" Above
he used the word, "He chose us;" here he
saith, "we were made a heritage." But
inasmuch as a lot is a matter of chance, not of
deliberate choice, nor of virtue, (for it is
closely allied to ignorance and accident, and
oftentimes passing over the virtuous, brings
forward the worthless into notice,) observe how
he corrects this very point: "having been
foreordained," saith he, "according to the
purpose of Him who worketh all things." That
is to say, not merely have we been made a
heritage, as, again, we have not merely been
chosen, (for it is God who chooses,) and so
neither have we merely been allotted, (for it
is God who allots,) but it is "according to a
purpose." This is what he says also in the
Epistle to the Romans, (Rom. viii:
28-30.) "To them that are called
according to His purpose;" and "whom He
called, them He also justified, and whom He
justified, them he also glorified." Having
first used the expression, "to them that are
called according to a purpose," and at the same
time wishing to declare their privilege compared
with the rest of mankind, he speaks also of
inheritance by lot, yet so as not to divest them
of free will. That point then, which more
properly belongs to happy fortune, is the very
point he insists upon. For this inheritance by
lot depends not on virtue, but, as one might
say, on fortuitous circumstances. It is as
though he had said, lots were cast, and He
hath chosen us; but the whole is of deliberate
choice. Men predestinated, that is to say,
having chosen them to Himself, He hath
separated. He saw us, as it were, chosen by
lot before we were born. For marvellous is the
foreknowledge of God, and acquainted with all
things before their beginning.
But mark now how on all occasions he takes pains
to point out, that it is not the result of any
change of purpose, but that these matters had
been thus modeled from the very first, so that
we are in no wise inferior to the Jews in this
respect; and how, in consequence, he does
every thing with this view. How then is it that
Christ Himself saith, "I was not sent, but
unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel?"
(Mat. xv: 24.) And said again to his
disciples, "Go not into any way of the
Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the
Samaritans." (Mat. x: 5.) And Paul
again himself says, "It was necessary that the
word of God should first be spoken to you.
Seeing ye thrust it from you and judge
yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we
turn to the Gentiles." (Acts xiii: 46.)
These expressions, I say, are used with this
design, that no one may suppose that this work
came to pass incidentally only. "According to
the purpose," he says, "of Him who worketh
all things after the counsel of His will."
That is to say, He had no after workings;
having modeled all things from the very first,
thus he leads forward all things "according to
the counsel of His will." So that it was not
not merely because the Jews did not listen that
He called the Gentiles, nor was it of mere
necessity, nor was it on any inducement arising
from them.
Ver. 12, 13. "To the end that we should
be unto the praise of His glory, we who had
before hoped in Christ. In whom ye also having
heard the word of the truth, the Gospel of your
salvation."
That is to say, through whom. Observe how he
on all occasions speaks of Christ, as the
Author of all things, and in no case gives Him
the title of a subordinate agent, or a
minister. And so again, elsewhere, in his
Epistle to the Hebrews, he says, "that
God, having of old time spoken unto the
Fathers in the prophets, hath at the end of
these days spoken unto us in His Son,"
(Heb. I, 1) that is "through" His Son.
"The word of truth," he says, no longer that
of the type, nor of the image.
"The Gospel of your salvation." And well
does be call it the Gospel of salvation,
intimating in the one word a contrast to the
law, in the other, a contrast with punishment
to come. For what is the message, but the
Gospel of salvation, which forbears to destroy
those that are worthy of destruction.
Ver. 14. "In whom having also believed,
ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of
promise, which is an earnest of our
inheritance."
Here again, the word "sealed," is an
indication of especial forecast. He does not
speak of our being predestinated only, nor of
our being allotted, but further, of our being
sealed. For just as though one were to make
those who should fall to his lot manifest, so
also did God separate them for believing, and
sealed them for the allotment of the things to
come.
You see how, in process of time, He makes
them objects of wonder. So long as they were in
His foreknowledge, they were manifest to no
one, but when they were sealed, they became
manifest, though not in the same way as we are;
for they will be manifest except a few. The
Israelites also were sealed, but that was by
circumcision, like the brutes and reasonless
creatures. We too are sealed, but it is as
sons, "with the Spirit."
But what is meant by, "with the Spirit of
promise?" Doubtless it means that we have
received that Spirit according to promise. For
there are two promises, the one by the
prophets, the other from the Son.
By the Prophets.-Hearken to the words of
Joel; "I will pour out My spirit upon all
flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your
young men shall see visions," (Joel ii:
28.) And hearken again to the words of
Christ; "But ye shall receive power, when
the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall
be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea, and Samaria, and unto the uttermost
part of the earth." (Acts. i: 8.) And
truly, the Apostle means, He ought, as
God, to have been believed; however, he does
not ground his affirmation upon this, but
examines it like a case where man is concerned,
speaking ranch as he does in the Epistle to the
Hebrews; (Heb. vi: 18.) where he says,
"That by two immutable things in which it was
impossible for God to lie we may have a strong
encouragement." Thus here also he makes the
things already bestowed a sure token of the
promise of those which are yet to come. For
this reason he further calls it an "earnest,"
(Cf. also 2. Cot. i: 22.) for an
earnest is a part of the whole. He hath
purchased what we are most concerned in, our
salvation; and hath given us an earnest in the
mean while. Why then did He not give the whole
at once? Because neither have we, on our
part, done the whole of our work. We have
believed. This is a beginning; and He too on
His part hath given an earnest. When we show
cur faith by our works, then He will add the
rest. Nay, more, He hath given yet another
pledge, His own blood, and hath promised
another still. In the same way as in case of
war between nation and nation they give
hostages: just so hath God also given His Son
as a pledge of peace and solemn treaties, and,
further, the Holy Spirit also which is from
Him. For they, that are indeed partakers of
the Spirit, know that He is the earnest of our
inheritance. Such an one was Paul, who
already had here a foretaste of the blessings
there. And this is why he was so eager, and
yearned to be released from things below, and
groaned within himself. He transferred his
whole mind thither, and saw every thing with
different eyes. Thou hast no part in the
reality, and therefore failest to understand the
description. Were we all partakers of the
Spirit, as we ought to be partakers, then
should we behold Heaven, and the order of
things that is there.
It is an earnest, however, of what? of Ver.
14. "The redemption of God's own
possession."
For our absolute redemption takes place then.
For now we have our life in the world, we are
liable to many human accidents, and are living
amongst ungodly men. But our absolute
redemption will be then, when there shall be no
sins, no human sufferings, when we shall not be
indiscriminately mixed with all kinds of people.
At present, however, there is but an earnest,
because at present we are far distant from these
blessings. Yet is our citizenship not upon
earth; even now we are out of the pale of the
things that are here below. Yes, we are
sojourners even now. Ver. 14. "Unto the
praise of His glory." This he adds in
immediate connection. And why? Because it
would serve to give those who heard it full
assurance. Were it for our sake only, he means
to say, that God did this, there might be some
room for misgiving. But if it be for His own
sake, and in order to display His goodness, he
assigns, as a sort of witness, a reason why
these things never possibly could be otherwise.
We find the same language everywhere applied to
the case of the Israelites. "Do Thou this
for us for Thy Name's sake;" (Ps. cix:
21.) and again, God Himself said, "I do
it for Mine own sake;" (Isa. xlviii:
II.) and so Moses, "Do it, if for
nothing else, yet for the glory of Thy
Name." This gives those who hear it full
assurance; it relieves them to be told, that
whatever He promises, for His own goodness'
sake He will most surely perform.
Moral. Let not the hearing, however, make us
too much at our ease; for although He doth it
for His own sake, yet notwithstanding He
requires a duty on our part. If He says,
"Them that honor Me I will honor, and they
that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed,"
(I SAM. II, 30) let us reflect that
there is that which He requires of us also.
True, it is the praise of His glory to save
those that are enemies, but those who, after
being made friends, continue His friends. So
that if they were to return back to their former
state of enmity, all were vain and to no
purpose. There is not another Baptism, nor is
there a second reconciliation again, but "a
certain fearful expectation of judgment which
shall devour the adversaries" (Heb. x:
27). If we intend at the same time to be
always at enmity with Him and yet to claim
forgiveness at His hand, we shall never cease
to beat enmity, and to be wanton, to grow in
depravity, and to be blind to the Sun of
Righteousness which has risen. Dost thou not
see the ray that shall open thine eyes? render
them then good and sound and quicksighted. He
hath showed thee the true light; if thou
shunnest it, and runnest back again into the
darkness, what shall be thy excuse? What sort
of allowance shall be made for thee? None from
that moment. For this is a mark of unspeakable
enmity. When indeed thou knewest not God,
then if thou wert at enmity with Him, thou
hadst, be it how it might, some excuse. But
when thou hast tasted I the goodness and the
honey, if thou again abandonest them, and
turnest to thine own vomit, what else art thou
doing but bringing forward evidence of excessive
hatred and contempt? 'Nay,' thou wilt say,
'but I am constrained to it by nature. I love
Christ indeed, but I am constrained by
nature.' If thou art under the power and force
of constraint, thou wilt have allowance made;
but if thou yield from indolence, not for a
moment.
Now then, come, let us examine this very
question, whether sins are the effect of force
and constraint, or of indolence and great
carelessness. The law says, "Thou shalt not
kill." What sort of force, what sort of
violence, is there here? Violence indeed must
one use to force himself to kill, for who
amongst us would as a matter of choice plunge his
sword into the throat of his neighbor, and stain
his hand with blood? Not one. Thou seest then
that, on the contrary, sin is more properly
matter of violence and constraint. For God
hath implanted in our nature a charm, which
binds us to love one another. "Every beast
(it saith) loveth his like, and every man
loveth his neighbor." (Ecclus. xiii.:
15.) Seest thou that we have from our nature
seeds which tend to virtue; whereas those of
vice are contrary to nature? and if these latter
predominate, this is but an evidence of our
exceeding indolence.
Again, what is adultery? What sort of
necessity is there to bring us to this?
Doubtless, it will be said, the tyranny of
lust. But why, tell me, should this be?
What, is it not in every one's power to have
his own wife, and thus to put a stop to this
tyranny? True, he will say, but a sort of
passion for my neighbor's wife seizes hold on
me. Here the question is no longer one of
necessity. Passion is no matter of necessity,
no one loves of necessity, but of deliberate
choice and free will. Indulgence of nature,
indeed, is perhaps matter of necessity, but to
love one woman rather than another is no matter
of necessity. Nor is the point with you natural
desire, but vanity, and wantonness, and
unbounded licentiousness. For which is
according to reason, that a man should have an
espoused wife, and her the mother of his
children, or one not acknowledged? Know ye not
that it is intimacy that breeds attachment.
This, therefore, is not the fault of nature.
Blame not natural desire. Natural desire was
bestowed with a view to marriage; it was given
with a view to the procreation of children, not
with a view to adultery and corruption. The
laws, too, know how to make allowance for those
sins which are of necessity,-or rather
nothing is sin when it arises from necessity but
all sin rises from wantonness. God hath not so
framed man's nature as that he should have any
necessity to sin, since were this the case,
there would be no such thing as punishment. We
ourselves exact no account of things done of
necessity and by constraint, much less would
God, so full of mercy and loving-kindness.
Again, what is stealing? is it matter of
necessity? Yes, a man will say, because
poverty causes this. Poverty, however, rather
compels us to work, not to steal. Poverty,
therefore, has in fact the contrary effect.
Theft is the effect of idleness; whereas
poverty produces usually not idleness, but a
love of labor. So that this sin is the effect
of indolence, as you may learn from hence.
Which, I ask, is the more difficult, the
more distasteful, to wander about at night
without sleep, to break open houses, and walk
about in the dark, and to have one's life in
one's hand, and to be always prepared for
murder, and to be shivering and dead with fear;
or to be attending to one's daily task, in full
enjoyment of safety and security? This last is
the easier task; and it is because this is
easier, that the majority practise it rather
than the other. Thou seest then that it is
virtue which is according to nature, and vice
which is against nature, in the same way as
disease and health are.
What, again, are falsehood and perjury? What
necessity can they possibly imply? None
whatever, nor any compulsion; it is a matter to
which we proceed voluntarily. We are
distrusted, it will be said. True, distrusted
we are, because we choose it. For we might,
if we would, be trusted more upon our
character, than upon our oath. Why, tell me,
is it that we do not trust some, no, not on
their oath, whilst we deem others trustworthy
even independently of oaths. Seest thou that
there is no need of oaths in any case? 'When
such an one speaks,' we say, 'I believe
him, even without any oath, but thee, no, not
with thy oaths.' Thus then an oath is
unnecessary; and is in fact an evidence rather
of distrust than of confidence. For where a man
is over ready to take his oath, he does not
leave us to entertain any great idea of his
scrupulousness. So that the man who is most
constant in his use of oaths, has on no occasion
any necessity for using one, and he Who never
uses one on any occasion, has in himself the
full benefit of its use. Some one says there is
a necessity for an oath, to produce confidence;
but we see that they are the more readily trusted
who abstain from taking oaths.
But again, if one is a man of violence, is
this a matter of necessity? Yes, he will say,
because his passion carries him away, and burns
within him, and does not let the soul be at
rest. Man, to act with violence is not the
effect of anger, but of littleness of mind.
Were it the effect of anger, all men, whenever
they were angry, would never cease committing
acts of violence. We have anger given us, not
that we may commit acts of violence on our
neighbors, but that we may correct those that
are in sin, that we may bestir ourselves, that
we may not be sluggish. Anger is implanted in
us as a sort of sting, to make us gnash with our
teeth against the devil, to make us vehement
against him, not to set us in array against each
other. We have arms, not to make us at war
amongst ourselves, but that we may employ our
whole armor against the enemy. Art thou prone
to anger? Be so against thine own sins:
chastise thy soul, scourge thy conscience, be a
severe judge, and merciless in thy sentence
against thine own sins. This is the way to turn
anger to account. It was for this that God
implanted it within us.
But again, is plunder a matter of necessity?
No, in no wise. Tell me, what manner of
necessity is there to be grasping: what manner
of compulsion? Poverty, a man will say,
causes it, and the fear of being without common
necessaries. Now this is the very reason why
you ought not to be grasping. Wealth so gotten
has no security in it. You are doing the very
same thing as a man would do, who, if he were
asked why he laid the foundation of his house in
the sand, should say, he did it because of the
frost and rain. Whereas this would be the very
reason why he should not lay it in the sand.
They are the very foundations which the rain,
and blasts, and wind, most quickly overturn.
So that if thou wouldest be wealthy, never be
rapacious; if thou wouldest transmit wealth to
thy children, get righteous wealth, at least,
if any there be that is such. Because this
abides, and remains firm, whereas that which is
not such, quickly wastes and perishes. Tell
me, hast thou a mind to be rich, and dost thou
take the goods of others? Surely this is not
wealth: wealth consists in possessing what is
thine own. He that is in possession of the
goods of others, never can be a wealthy man;
since at that rate even your very silk venders,
who receive their goods as a consignment from
others, would be the wealthiest and the richest
of men. Though for the time, indeed, it is
theirs, still we do not call them wealthy. And
why forsooth? Because they are in possession of
what belongs to others. For though the piece
itself happens to be theirs, still the money it
is worth is not theirs. Nay, and even if the
money is in their hands, still this is not
wealth. Now, if consignments thus given render
not men more wealthy because we so soon resign
them, how can those which arise from rapine
render them wealthy? However, if at any rate
thou desirest to be wealthy, (for the matter is
not one of necessity,) what greater good is it
that thou wouldest fain enjoy? Is it a longer
life? Yet, surely men of this character
quickly become short-lived. Oftentimes they
pay as the penalty of plunder and rapaciousness,
an untimely death; and not only suffer as a
penalty the loss of the enjoyment of their
gains, but go out of life having gained but
little, and hell to boot. Oftentimes too they
die of diseases, which are the fruits of
self-indulgence, and of loft, and of anxiety.
Fain would I understand why it is that wealth
is so eagerly pursued by mankind. Why surely
for this reason hath God set a limit and a
boundary to our nature, that we may have no need
to go on seeking wealth beyond it. For instance
He hath commanded us, to clothe the body in
one, or perhaps in two garments; and there is
no need of any more to cover us. Where is the
good of ten thousand changes of raiment, and
those moth-eaten? The stomach has its
appointed bound, and any thing given beyond
this, will of necessity destroy the whole man.
Where then is the use of your herds, and
flocks, and cutting up of flesh? We require
but one roof to shelter us. Where then is the
use of your vast ground-plots, and costly
buildings? Dost thou strip the poor, that
vultures and jackdaws may have where to dwell?
And what a hell do not these things deserve?
Many are frequently raising edifices that
glisten with pillars and costly marbles, in
places which they never so much as saw. What
scheme is there indeed that they have not
adopted? Yet neither themselves reap the
benefit, nor any one else. The desolateness
does not allow them to get away thither; and yet
not even thus do they desist. You see that
these things are not done for profit's-sake,
but in all these cases folly, and absurdity,
and vainglory, is the motive. And this, I
beseech you to avoid, that we may be enabled to
avoid also every other evil, and may obtain
those good things which are promised to them that
love Him, in our Lord Jesus Christ, with
whom to the Father, together with the Holy
Ghost, be glory, strength, honor forever.
Amen.
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