Accumulation of His Promises.

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XVI. 23.

Nay, Is. 58,

shalt call upon Me, and I will give ear unto thee; whilst MATT. thou art yet speaking, I will say, Lo! here I am1. And who is able to do all this? it may be asked. who is unable, I pray thee? For which is difficult of the things I have mentioned? Which is laborious? Which not easy?

Why, so entirely are they not possible only, but even easy, that many have actually overshot the measure of those sayings, not only tearing in pieces unjust contracts, but even stripping themselves of all their goods; making the poor welcome not to roof and table, but even to the sweat of their body, and labouring in order to maintain them; doing good not to kinsmen only, but even to enemies.

But what is there at all even hard in these sayings? For neither did He say, "Pass over the mountain, go across the sea, dig through so many acres of land, abide without food, wrap thyself in sackcloth;" but, " Impart to the poor, impart of thy bread, cancel the contracts unjustly made."

What is more easy than this? tell me. But even if thou account it difficult, look, I pray thee, at the rewards also, and it shall be easy to thee.

For much as our emperors at the horse races heap together before the combatants crowns, and prizes, and garments, even so Christ also sets His rewards in the midst of His course, holding them out by the Prophet's words, as it were by many hands. And the emperors, although they be ten thousand times emperors, yet as being men, and the wealth which they have in a course of spending, and their munificence of exhaustion, are ambitious of making the little appear much; wherefore also they commit each thing severally into the hand of the several attendants, and so bring it forward. But our King contrariwise, having heaped all together, (because He is very rich, and doeth nothing for display,) He so brings it forward, and what He so reaches out is indefinitely great, and will need many hands to hold it. And to make thee aware of this, examine each particular of it carefully.

Then, saith He, shall thy light break forth as the morning. Doth not this gift appear to thee as some one thing? But it is not one; nay, for it hath many things in it, both prizes, and crowns, and other rewards. And,

6-9.

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Light breaking forth in the Morning.

LIV.

HOMIL. if ye are minded, let us take it to pieces and shew all its wealth, as it shall be possible for us to shew it; only do not ye grow weary.

9.

And first, let us learn the meaning of It shall break forth. For He said not at all, "shall appear," but shall break forth; declaring to us its quickness and plentifulness, and how exceedingly He desires our salvation, and how the good things themselves travail to come forth, and press on; and that which would check their unspeakable force shall be nought; by all which He indicates their plentifulness, and the infinity of His abundance. But what is the morning? It means, "not after being in life's temptations, neither after our evils have come upon us;" nay, it is quite beforehand with them. For as in our fruits, we call that early, which has shewn itself before its season; so also here again, declaring its rapidity, he has spoken in this way, much as above He said, Whilst thou art yet speaking, I will say, Lo! here I am.

But of what manner of Light is He speaking, and what can this Light be? Not this, that is sensible; but another far better, which shews us Heaven, the Angels, the Archangels, the Cherubim, the Seraphim, the Thrones, the Dominions, the Principalities, the Powers, the whole Host, the Royal Palaces, the Tabernacles. For shouldest thou be counted worthy of this Light, thou shalt both see these, and be delivered from hell, and from the venomous worm, and from the gnashing of teeth, and from the bonds that cannot be broken, and from the anguish and the affliction, from the darkness that hath no light, and from being cut asunder, and from the river of fire, and from the curse, and from the abodes of sorrow; and thou shalt depart, where 1 Is. 35, sorrow and woe are fled away, where great is the joy, and the peace, and the love, and the pleasure, and the mirth; where is life eternal, and unspeakable glory, and inexpressible beauty; where are eternal tabernacles, and the untold glory of the King, and those good things, which eye hath not seen, nor 21 Cor.2, ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man2; where is the spiritual bridechamber, and the apartments of the heavens, and the virgins that bear the bright lamps, and they who have the marriage garment; where many

10.

9.

Fulness of the Prophetical Benediction.

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are the possessions of our Lord, and the storehouses of the MATT. King.

Seest thou how great the rewards, and how many He hath set forth by one expression, and how He brought all together?

So also by unfolding each of the expressions that follow, we shall find our abundance great, and the ocean immense. Shall we then still delay, I beg you; and be backward to shew mercy on them that are in need? Nay, I entreat, but though we must throw away all, be cast into the fire, venture against the sword, leap upon daggers, suffer what you will; let us bear all easily, that we may obtain the garment of the Kingdom of Heaven, and that untold glory; which may we all attain, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory and might, world without end. Amen.

XVI. 23.

HOMILY LV.

23.

MATT. XVI. 24.

Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him renounce himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

THEN; when? When Peter said, Be it far from Thee, this shall not be unto Thee; and was told, Get thee behind Iv. 22, Me, Satan1. For He was by no means satisfied with the mere rebuke, but, willing also more abundantly to shew both the extravagance of what Peter had said, and the benefit of His Passion, He saith, " Thy word to Me is, Be it far from Thee, this shall not be unto Thee:" but My word to thee is, "Not only is it hurtful to thee, and destructive, to hinder Me and to be displeased at My Passion, but it will be impossible for thee even to be saved, unless thou thyself too be continually prepared for death."

Thus, lest they should think His suffering unworthy of Him, not by the former things only, but also by the events that were coming on, He teaches them the gain thereof. Thus in John first, He saith, Except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it 2 John bringeth forth much fruit 2; but here more abundantly work12, 24. ing it out, not concerning Himself only doth He bring forward the statement that it is meet to die, but concerning them also. "For so great is the profit thereof, that in your case also unwillingness to die is grievous, but to be ready for it, good."

This however He makes clear by what follows, but for the

Christ will be served by our Freewill.

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XVI. 24.

present He works it out on one side only. And see how He Matt. also makes His discourse unexceptionable: not saying at all," whether you will, or no, you must suffer this," but how? If any man will come after Me. "I force not, I compel not, but each one I make lord of his own choice; wherefore also I say, If any man will. For to good things do I call you, not to things evil, or burdensome; not to punishment and vengeance, that I should have to compel. Nay, the nature of the thing is alone sufficient to attract you."

Now, thus saying, He drew them unto Him the more. For he indeed that uses compulsion often turns men away, but he that leaves the hearer to choose attracts him more. For soothing is a mightier thing than force. Wherefore even He Himself said, If any man will. "For great," saith He, 66 are the good things which I give you, and such as for men even to run to them of their own accord. For neither if one were giving gold, and offering a treasure, would he invite with force. And if that invitation be without compulsion, much more this, to the good things in the Heavens. Since if the nature of the thing persuade thee not to run, thou art not worthy to receive it at all, nor if thou shouldest receive it, wilt thou well know what thou hast received."

Wherefore Christ compels not, but urges, sparing us. For since they seemed to be murmuring much, being secretly disturbed at the saying, He saith, "No need of disturbance or of trouble. If ye do not account what I have mentioned to be a cause of innumerable blessings, even when befalling yourselves, I use no force, nor do I compel, but if any be willing to follow, him I call.

"For do not by any means imagine that this is your following of Me; I mean, what ye now do attending upon Me. Ye have need of many toils, many dangers, if ye are to come after Me. For thou oughtest not, O Peter, because thou hast confessed Me Son of God, therefore only to expect crowns, and to suppose this enough for thy salvation, and for the future to enjoy security, as having done all. For although it be in My Power, as Son of God, to hinder thee from having any trial at all of those hardships; yet such is not My will, for thy sake, that thou mayest thyself too contribute something, and be more approved."