no Ood seen in Christ. Paul, Christ's servant, and theirs.

Homil. only, as it were, a little shining of the Spirit. Therefore, also ——-^-above as indicating this, he spoke of savour; and again, o! \\ ^.earnest, shewing that the greater part remaineth there. But nevertheless all these things have been hidden from them; but have been hidden because they disbelieved first. Then to shew that they are not only ignorant of the glory of Christ, but of the Father's also, since they know not His, he added, Who is the Image of God? For do not halt at Christ only. For as by Him thou seest the Father, so if thou art ignorant of His Glory, neither wilt thou know the Father's.

[3.] Ver. 5. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. (3.) And what is the nature of the connexion there? What hath this in common with what has been said? He either hints

* se.the at them1 as exalting themselves, and persuading the disciples f "f to namo themselves after them: as he said in the former

ADO"

sties. Epistle, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos; or else another 3 4. • thing of the gravest character. What then is this? Seeing that they waged fierce war against them, and plotted against them on every side;' Is it,' he says, 'with us, ye fight and war? [Nay but] with Him that is preached by us, for we preach not ourselves. I am a servant, I am (but) a minister even of those who receive the Gospel, transacting every thing for Another, and for His glory doing whatsoever I do. So that in warring against me thou throwest down what is His. For so far am I from turning to my own personal advantage any part of the Gospel, that I will not refuse to be even your servant for Christ's sake; seeing it seemed good to Him so to honour you, seeing He so loved you, and did all things for you.' Wherefore also he saith, and ourselves your servants for Christ's sake. Seest thou a soul pure from glory ?' For in

* "N" truth,' saith he,' we not only do not take to ourselves* aught

"• of our Master's, but even to you we submit ourselves for His sake.'

Ver. 6. For God, Who commanded the light to shine out > " our" of darkness, hath shined in your3 hearts. Text Seest thou how again, to those who were desirous of seeing that surpassing glory, I mean that of Moses, he shews it

* r'T* flashing with added lustre *? 'As upon the face of Moses, so *l" also hath it shined unto your hearts,' he saith. And first, he The Three Persons. Glory said of each. Earthen Vessels. Ill

puts them in mind of what was made in the beginning of the 2 Con. Creation, sensible light and darkness sensible, shewing that IV'7' this creation is greater. And where commanded He light to shine out of darkness? In the beginning, and in prelude to the Creation; for, saith he, Darkness was upon the face of the deep. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. Howbeit then indeed He said, Let it be, and it was: but now He said nothing, but Himself became Light for us. For he' said not, 'hath also now commanded,' but /ta//tltbe Himself shined. Therefore neither do we see 'sensible ob- ^ie°. jects by the shining of this Light, but God Himself through Christ. Seest thou the invariableness" in the Trinity? For***■<of the Spirit, he says, But we all with open face beholding r„ as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the 3,18, same image from glory to glory even as by the Lord the Spirit. And of the Son; Lest the light of the glorious v. 4. Gospel of Christ, Who is the Image of God, should shine unto them. And of the Father; Who commanded the Light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in your hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. For as when he had said, Of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, he added, Who is the Image of God, shewing that they were deprived of His3 glory also. So after saying, t/ie* God's. knowledge of God, he added, in the face of Christ, to shew that through Him we know the Father, even as through the Spirit also we are brought unto Him.

Ver. 7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

For seeing he had spoken many and great things of the unspeakable glory, lest any should say, ' And how enjoying so great a glory remain we in a mortal body?' he saith, that this very thing is indeed the chiefest marvel, and a very great example of the power of God, that an earthen vessel hath been enabled to bear so great a brightness, and to keep so high a treasure. And therefore as admiring this, he said, That the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us; again alluding to those who gloried in themselves. For both the greatness of the things given, and the weakness of them that receive, sheweth His power; in that He not only gave great things, but also to those who are little. For he 112 God by vile things works mighty. The world converted.

HoMil.used the term earthen in allusion to the frailty1 of our mortal .^j1!" nature, and to declare the weakness of our flesh. For it is tfmumi.nothing better constituted than earthenware; so is it soon damaged, and by death, and disease, and variations of temperature, and ten thousand other things easily dissolved. And he said these things both to take down their inflation, and to shew to all that none of the things we hold* is human. 4/^4l For then is the power of God chiefly conspicuous, when, by vile, it worketh mighty things. Wherefore also in another 2 Cor. place He said, For My strength is made perfect in weakness. 12, 9" And indeed in the Old [Testament] whole hosts of barbarians were turned to flight by gnats and flies, wherefore also He Joel2, calleth the caterpillar His mighty force3; and in the beginning, by only confounding tongues, He put a stop to that Lxx. E. great tower in Babylon. And in their wars too, at one time, GenTM!. He routed innumerable hosts by three hundred men; at HbriXtSt another He overthrew cities by trumpets; and afterwards by a little and poor stripling, David, He turned to flight the whole array of the barbarians. So then here also, sending forth twelve only, He overcame the world; twelve, and those, persecuted, warred against.

[4.] Let us then be amazed at the Power of God, admire, adore it. Let us ask Jews, let us ask Greeks, who persuaded the whole world to desert from their fathers' usages, and to go over to the ranks of another way of life? The fisherman, or the tentmaker? the publican, or the unlearned and ignorant? And how can these things stand with reason, except it were Divine Power which achieveth all by their means? And what too did they say to persuade them ?' Be baptized in the Name of The Crucified.' Of what kind of « mar; man4? One they had not seen, nor looked upon. But, nevertheless, saying and preaching these things, they persuaded them, that they who gave them oracles, and whom they had received by tradition from their forefathers, were no Gods: whilst this Christ, He Who was nailed [to the wood], drew them all unto Himself. And yet, that He was indeed crucified and buried, was manifest in a manner to all; but that He was risen again, none, save a few, saw. But still of this too they persuaded those who had not beheld; and not that He rose again only, but that He ascended also into Not of witchcraft, as the Rule of life introduced shews. 113

Heaven, and cometh to judge quick and dead. Whence 2 Cor. then the persuasiveness of these sayings, tell me? From

none other thing, but from the Power of God. For, in the first place, innovation itself" was offensive to all; but when too one innovates in such things, the matter becomes more grievous: when one tears up the foundations of ancient'bm/ucustom, when one plucks laws from their seat. And besides* tm>' all this, neither did the heralds seem worthy of credit, but they were both of a nation hated amongst all men, and were timorous and ignorant. Whence then overcame they the world? Whence cast they out you, and those your forefathers who were reputed to be philosophers, along with their very gods? Is it not quite evident, that it was from having God with them? For neither are these successes of human, but of some divine and unspeakable, power. 'No,' saith one,' but of witchcraft.' Then certainly ought the power of the demons to have increased, and the worship of idols to have extended. How then have they been overthrown, and have vanished, and our things the reverse of these? So that from this even it is manifest, that what was done was the decree of God; and not from the Preaching only, but also from the rule of life itself. For when was virginity so largely planted every where in the world? when contempt of wealth, and of life, and of all things besides? For such as were wicked, and wizards, would have effected nothing like this, but tho contrary in all respects: whilst these introduced amongst us the life of angels; and not introduced merely, but succeeded also in it in our own land, in that of the barbarians, in the very extremities of the earth. Whence it is manifest that it was the power of Christ every where that effected all, which every where shineth, and swifter than any lightning illumeth the hearts of men. All these things, then, considering and accepting what hath been done, as a clear proof of the promise of the things to come, worship with us the invincible might of The Crucified, that ye may both escape those intolerable punishments, and obtain that everlasting kingdom; of which may all we partake through the grace and love towards men of our Lord Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory world without end. Amen.

* So one MS. at any rate; Ben. " this innovation."

I

114 God's grace keeps even earthen vessels safe from harm.

HOMILY IX.

"2 Cor. iv. 8, 9.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken.

He still dwells upon proving, that the whole work is to be ascribed to the power of God, repressing the highmindcdness of those that glory in themselves. 'For not this only,' saith he, ' is marvellous, that we keep this treasure in earthen vessels, but that even when enduring ten thousand hardships, and battered ■ on every side, we [still] preserve and lose it not. Yet though there were a vessel of adamant, it would neither have been strong enough to carry so vast a treasure, nor have sufficed against so many machinations; yet, as it is, it both bears it, and suffers no harm, through God's grace.' For, we are troubled on every side, saith he, but not distressed. What is, on every side? 'In respect of our foes, in respect of our friends, in respect of necessaries, in respect of other needs, by them which be hostile, by them of our own household.' But we are not distressed. And see how he speaks contrarieties, that thence also he may shew the strength of God. For, we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed, saith he; we are perplexed, but not in despair; that is,' we do not quite fall off. For we are often, indeed, wrong in our calculations1", and miss our aim, yet not so as to fall away from what is set before us: for these things are permitted by God for our discipline, not for our defeat.'

• ri(i*(ivifimi, a term especially used b iliyeifiitx. The Tien. Ed. has of striking upon vessels, to sound them, i\yidpt, in defiance of Mss.