HOMILY LV.

1 v.

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 22, Me, Satan'. 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 fruit2; 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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24.

present He works it out on one side only. And see how He MATT. also makes His discourse unexceptionable: not saying at XVI. 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."

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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, 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.”

HOMIL.

1, 2.

For so, if one were a judge at the games, and had a friend LV. in the lists, he would not wish to crown him by favour only, but also for his own toils; and for this reason especially, because he loves him. Even so Christ also; whom He most loves, those He most of all will have to approve themselves by their own means also, and not from His help alone.

1 άρνησά

But see how at the same time He makes His saying not a grievous one. For He doth by no means compass them only with His terror, but He also puts forth the doctrine generally to the world, saying, If any one will, be it woman or man, ruler or subject, let him come this way.

[2.] And though he seem to have spoken but one single thing, yet His sayings are three, Let him renounce himself, and Let him bear his cross, and Let him follow Me; and two of them are joined together, but the one is put by itself.

But let us see first what it can be to deny one's self. Let us learn first what it is to deny another, and then we shall know what it may be to deny one's self. What then is it to deny another? He that is denying another,—for example, either brother, or servant, or whom you will,-should he see him either beaten, or bound, or led to execution, or whatever he may suffer, stands not by him, doth not help him, is not moved, feels nothing for him, as being once for all alienated from him. Thus then He will have us disregard our own body, so that whether men scourge, or banish, or burn, or whatever they do, we may not spare it. For this is to spare it. Since fathers too then spare their offspring, when committing them to teachers, they command not to spare them.

So also Christ; He said not, "Let him not spare himself," but very strictly, Let him renounce himself; that is, let him have nothing to do with himself, but give himself up to all dangers and conflicts; and let him so feel, as though another were suffering it all.

And He said not, "Let him deny," but Let him renounce2; σθω even by this small addition intimating again, how very far it For this latter is more than the former.

2 ἀπαρ·
vnoάola. goes.

And let him take up his cross. This arises out of the other. For to hinder thy supposing that words, and insults, and reproaches are to be the limits of our self-renunciation, He saith also how far one ought to renounce one's self; that

What it is to follow Christ.

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XVI.

is, unto death, and that a reproachful death. Therefore He MATT. said not, "Let him renounce himself unto death," but, Let 24. him take up his cross; setting forth the reproachful death; and that not once, nor twice, but throughout all life one ought so to do. Yea," saith He, "bear about this death continually, and day by day be ready for slaughter. For since many have indeed contemned riches, and pleasure, and glory, but death they despised not, but feared dangers; I," saith He, "will that my champion should wrestle even unto blood, and that the limits of his course should reach unto slaughter; so that although one must undergo death, death with reproach, the accursed death, and that upon evil surmise, we are to bear all things nobly, and rather to rejoice in being suspected."

And let him follow Me. That is, it being possible for one to suffer, yet not to follow Him, when one doth not suffer for Him; (for so robbers often suffer grievously, and violaters of tombs, and sorcerers ;) to hinder thy supposing that the mere nature of thy calamities is sufficient, He adds the occasion of these calamities.

And what is it? In order that, so doing and suffering, thou mayest follow Him; that for Him thou mayest undergo all things; that thou mayest possess the other virtues also. For this too is expressed by Let him follow Me; so as to shew forth not fortitude only, such as is exercised in our calamities, but temperance also, and moderation, and all selfrestraint. This being properly to follow, the giving heed also to the other virtues, and for His sake suffering all.

For there are who follow the devil even to the endurance of all this, and for his sake give up their own lives; but we for Christ, or rather for our own sakes: they indeed to harm themselves both here and there; but we, that we may gain both lives.

How then is it not extreme dulness, not to shew forth even the same fortitude with them that perish; and this, when we are to reap from it so many crowns? Yet with us surely Christ Himself is present to be our help, but with them no

one.

Now He had indeed already spoken this very injunction, when He sent them, saying, Go not into the way of the

18.

LV.

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Mercy of the Divine Severity.

HOMIL. Gentiles, (for, saith He, I send you as sheep in the midst of 2-4 wolves, and, ye shall be brought before kings and governors1,) 1 Matt. but now with more intensity and severity. For then He 10,5.16. spake of death only, but here He hath mentioned a cross also, and a continual cross. For let him take up, saith He, his cross; that is, " let him carry it continually and bear it." And this He is wont to do in every thing; not in the first instance, nor from the beginning, but quietly and gradually, bringing in the greater commandments, that the hearers may not count it strange.

v. 25.26.

[3.] Then, because the saying seemed to be vehement, see how He softens it by what follows, and sets down rewards surpassing our toils; and not rewards only, but also the penalties of vice: nay, on these last He dwells more than on those, since not so much His bestowing blessings, as His threat of severities, is wont to bring ordinary men to their See at least how He both begins here from this, and

senses.

ends in this.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, saith He, but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake, shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Now what He saith is like this; "not as unsparing towards you, but rather as exceedingly sparing you, I enjoin these things. For he who spares his child, ruins it; but he who spares it not, preserves." To which effect also a certain wise man said, If thou beat thy son with a rod, he shall not 2 Prov. die, but thou shalt deliver his soul from death. And again, He that refresheth his son, shall bind up his wounds3.

23, 13.

14.

3 Ecclus. 30, 7.

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This takes place in the camp also. For if the general, sparing the soldiers, commands them to remain within the place always, he will destroy with them the inhabitants too. In order then that this may not happen in your case also," saith He, "ye must be arrayed against continual death. For now too a grievous war is about to be kindled. Sit not therefore within, but go forth and fight; and shouldest thou fall in thy post, then hast thou obtained life." For if in the visible wars he that in his post meets slaughter, is both more distinguished than the rest, and more invin