90 How the devil wurketh. Regeneration in the Later.

HomIL, exposed to the devil, and are under his dominion. And ye '-—that are initiated know this well. For call to mind, for

'rufimii,instance, those words wherein ye renounced" his usurped1

rule, and bent the knee, and deserted to The King, and

»fpxilit, uttered those awfula words whereby we are taught in nothing

whatever to obey him. But he calleth him adversary and

devil (accuser), because he both accuseth God to man and

us to God, and us again one to another. For at one time he

Job 1,9. accused Job to God, saying, Doth Job serve the Lord for

ver 16 noughl * at another time God to Job, Fire came down from

Gen. 3, heaven. And again, God to Adam, when He said that their

'" eyes would be opened. And to many men at this day, saying,

that God taketh no care for the visible order of things, but

'imlfurnhaXh delegated your affairs to demons3. And to many of

the Jews he accused Christ, calling Him a deceiver and a

sorcerer. But perchance some one wisheth to hear in what

manner he worketh. When he findeth not a godly mind,

findeth not a sound understanding, then, as into a soul left

empty, he leads his revel thither'; when one remembereth

not the commandments of God, nor keepeth His judgments,

then he taketh him captive, and departeth. Had Adam, for

Gen. 2, instance, remembered the commandment which said, Of

every tree thou mayest eat; had he kept the judgment

ver. 17. which said, In the day in which ye eat thereof, then' shall

om.rirt.ye surely die; it had not fared with him as it did.

"That He would count them worthy in due season of the regeneration of the laver, of the remission of sins." For we ask some things to come now, some to come hereafter; and »f/*.»..we expound the doctrine5 of the laver, and in asking int—f"' struct them to know its power. For what is said thenceforth familiarizes them to know already, that what is there done is a regeneration, and that we are born again of the waters, just as of the womb; that they say not after Nicodemus, How' can one be born when he is old? Can he enter into his mother's womb, and be born again? Then, because he had spoken of " remission of sins," he confirmeth this by the words next following, " of the clothing of inconuption;" Catechumens, «s babes, may ask bodily goods. 31

for he that putteth on sonship plainly becometh incor- 2 Cor. ruptible. But what is that " in due season?" When any -—'-—; is well disposed, when any cometh thereto with earnestness and faith; for this is the " due season" of the believer.

[10.] "That He would bless their comings in, and their goings out, the whole course of their life." Here they are directed to ask even for some bodily good, as being yet somewhat weak. "Their houses and their households," that is, if they have servants or kinsfolk, or any others belonging to them. For these were the rewards of the old Covenant; and nothing then was feared so much as widowhood, childlessness, untimely mournings, to be visited with famine, to have their affairs go on unprosperously. And hence it is, that he alloweth these also to fondly1 linger over petitions of' lupixt. too temporal3 a nature, making them mount by little and *"«"' little to higher things. For so too doth Christ; so too doth *»,**{»( Paul, making mention of the older blessings: Christ, when He saith, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Mutt. 5, earth; Paul, when he saith, Honour thy father and lhy^b6 mother .... and thou shalt live long on the earth. "That 2.3. He would increase their children and bless them, and bring them to full age, and teach3 them wisdom." Here again is both (8.) a bodily and spiritual thing, as for persons yet but too much3 "*"* babes in disposition. Then what follows is altogether spiritual, "that He would direct all that is before them unto good;" * ri r(, for he saith not simply, "all that is before them," but, "aL\\"ii"" that is before them unto good." For often a journey is before a man, but it is not good; or some other such thing, which is not profitable. Hereby they are taught in every thing to give thanks to God, as happening all for good. After all this, he bids them stand up during what follows. For having before cast them to the ground, when they have asked what they have asked, and have been filled with confidence, now the word5 given raiselh them up, and biddeth5ixiy». them during what follows engage, for themselves even, in supplication to God. For part we say ourselves, and part we permit them to say, now opening unto them the door of prayer, (exactly as we first teach children (what to say], and then bid them say it of themselves,) saying, "Pray ye, Catechumens, for the angel of peace;" for there is

32 Completeness of this prayer. God blesses, not the priest.

Homil. an angel that punisheth, as when He saith, A message by 'evil angels, there is that destroyeth. Wherefore we bid

49. 'them ask for the angel of peace, teaching them to seek that

LXX' which is the bond of all good things, peace; so that they may be delivered from all fightings, all wars, all seditions. "That all that is before you may be peaceful;" for even if a thing be grievous, if a man have peace, it is light. Wherefore

JohnH,Christ also said, My peace I give unto you; for the devil hath no weapon so strong as fighting, and enmity, and war.

'tlpmnkr" Pray that this day, and all the days of your life, be full' of peace." Seest thou how he again insisteth, that the whole life be passed in virtue ?" That your ends be Christian;" your highest good, the honourable and the expedient"; for what is not honourable, is not expedient either. For our idea of the nature of expediency is different from that of the many. "Commend yourselves to the living God, and to His Christ;" for as yet we trust them not to pray for others, but

s«y«Tuit is a privilege' to be able to pray for themselves.

"' Seest thou the completeness of this prayer, both in regard

of doctrine and of conversation? for when we have mentioned the Gospel, and the clothing of incorruption, and the Laver of Regeneration,we havementioned all thedoctrines: when again we spoke of a Godly mind, a sound understanding, and the

3 f»<{«• rest of what we said, we suggested3 the conversation. Then

'"'" we bid themb bow their heads; regarding it as a proof of their prayers being heard, that God blesseth them. For surely it is not a man that blesseth; but by means of his hand and his tongue we bring unto the King Himself the heads of those that are present. And all together shout the "Amen."

Now why have I said all this? To teach you that we ought to seek the things of others, that the faithful may not think it no concern of theirs when these things are said. For not to the walls surely doth the Deacon says, " Let us pray for the Catechumens." But some are so without under

»Wi- standing, so stupid, so depraved', as to stand and talk, not

xi''" only during the time of the Catechumens, but also during Inattention during the prayers inexcusable. 3$

the time of the faithful. Hence all is perverted; hence all 2 Cor. is utterly lost: for at the very time when we ought most to :—'-—' propitiate God, we go away having provoked Him. So again in [the prayers of] the faithful', we are bidden to1 •*}«»» approach the God that loveth men, for Bishops, for Priests, for Kings, for those in authority, for earth and sea, for temperature * of seasons, for the whole world. When then' ,"*'« we who ought to have such confidence [toward God] as to pray for others, are scarce awake even whilst praying for ourselves, how can we excuse ourselves? how find pardon? Wherefore I beseech you, that laying all this to heart, ye would know the time of prayer, and be lifted up and disengaged from earth, and touch the vault itself of heaven; so that we may have power to make God propitious, and obtain the good things promised, whereunto may we all attain, through the grace and love towards men of our Lord Jesus Christ; with Whom unto the Father, together with the Holy Ghost, be glory, might, honour, now and for ever, and world without end. Amen.

A good conscience brings comfort in affliction.

HOMILY III.

2 Cor. i. 12.

For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and' sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world.

Here again he openeth to us yet another ground of comfort, and that not small, yea rather, exceeding great, and well </3am- fitted to upraise a mind sinking1 under perils. For seeing '"'" he had said, God comforted usb, and, God delivered us, and had ascribed all to His mercies and their prayers, lest he should thus make the hearer supine, presuming on God's mercy only and the prayers of others, he sheweth that they 'i.e. the themselves' had contributed not a little of their' own. And ties. indeed he shewed as much even before, when he said, For 3'&ufo. as the sufferings of Christ abound (in us,] so our consolation also aboundeth. But here he is speaking of a certain other <.W.» good work, properly their own4, besides. What then is this? "*"(*-. That, saith he, in a conscience pure and without guile, we have our conversation every where in the world: and this availeth not a little to our encouragement and comfort; yea, rather, not to comfort merely, but even unto somewhat else far greater than comfort, even to our rejoicing. And this he said, teaching them too not to sink down in their * 'ties afflictions; but, if so be they have a pure conscience, even ipiw. ' to glory therein, and at the same time quietly though4 gently