The Joys of a good Conscience, inexhaustible.

307

23.

as he cannot obtain his desire, is like unto men beside them- 1COR.9. selves and frantic; but after that he hath obtained it, he hath quenched his appetite. If therefore neither at the beginning doth he feel pleasure, (for the affair is madness,) nor in the end, (for by the indulgence of his lust he cools down his wild fancy,) where after all are we to find it? But our doings are not such, but both at the beginning they are freed from all disturbance, and to the end the pleasure remains in its bloom: nay rather there is no end of our pleasure, nor have our good things a limit, nor is this pleasure ever done away.

Upon all these considerations, then, if we love pleasure, let us lay hold on virtue, that we may win good things both now and hereafter: unto which may we all attain, through the grace and mercy, &c.

HOMILY XXIII.

Know

1 COR. ix. 24.

ye not, that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize?

HAVING pointed out the manifold usefulness of condescension, and that this is the highest perfectness, and that he himself having risen higher than all towards perfection, or rather having gone beyond it by declining to receive, descended lower than all again; and having made known to us the times for each of these, both for the perfectness and for the condescension; he touches them more sharply in what follows, covertly intimating that this which was done by them, and which was counted a mark of perfectness, is a kind of superfluous and useless labour. And he saith it not thus out clearly, lest they should become insolent; but the methods of proof employed by him makes this evident.

And having said that they sin against Christ, and destroy the brethren, and are nothing profited by this perfect knowledge, except charity be added; he again proceeds to a common example, and saith,

to use.

Know ye not, that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Now this he saith, not as though here also one only out of many would be saved; far from it; but to set forth the exceeding diligence which it is our duty For as there, though many descend into the course, not many are crowned, but this befals one only; and it is not enough to descend into the contest, nor to have anointed one's self and wrestled: so likewise here it is not sufficient to have believed, and to have contended in any way; but unless we have so run, as unto the end to shew ourselves unblameable, and to come near the prize, it will profit us

St. Paul's Appeal to the Heathen Games.

309

25, 26.

nothing. For even though thou consider thyself to be perfect 1COR.9. according to knowledge, thou shalt not yet attain the whole; which hinting at, he said, so run, that ye may obtain. They had not then yet, as it seems, attained. And having said thus, he teaches them also the manner.

Ver. 25. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.

What is, all things? He doth not abstain from one, and err in another, but he masters entirely gluttony, and lasciviousness, and drunkenness, and all his passions. "For this," saith he, "takes place even in the heathen games. For neither is excess of wine permitted to those who contend at the time of the contest, nor wantonness, lest they should weaken their vigour, nor yet so much as to be busied about any thing else, but separating themselves altogether from all things, they apply themselves to their exercise only." Now if there these things be so, where the crown falls to one, much more here, where the incitement to emulation is more abundant. For here neither is one to be crowned alone, and the rewards also far surpass the labours. Wherefore also he puts it so as to shame them, saying, Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.

[2.] Ver. 26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly.

Thus having shamed them from those that are without, he next brings forward himself also, which kind of thing is a most excellent method of teaching: and accordingly we find him every where doing so.

But what is, not as uncertainly? "Looking to some mark," saith he," not at random and in vain, as ye do. For what profit have ye of entering into idol-temples, and exhibiting forsooth that perfectness? None. But not such am I, but all things, whatsoever I do, I do for the salvation of my neighbour. Whether I shew forth perfectness, it is for their sake; or condescension, for their sake again: whether I surpass Peter in declining to receive, it is that they may not be offended; or descend lower than all, being circumcised and shaving my head, it is that they may not be subverted. This is, not uncertainly. But thou, why dost thou eat in idoltemples, tell me? Nay, thou canst not assign any reasonable cause. For meat commendeth thee not to God; neither if

HOMIL. thou eat art thou the better, nor if thou eat not art thou the XXIII. worse'. Plainly then thou runnest inconsiderately, and at

11 Cor.

8. 8.

6. 13.

random: for this is, uncertainly.

So fight I, not as one that beateth the air. This he saith, again intimating that he acted not at random, nor in vain. "For I have one at whom I may strike, i. e. the devil. But thou dost not strike him, but rashly throwest away thy strength."

Now so far then, altogether bearing with them, he thus speaks. For since he had dealt somewhat vehemently with them in the preceding part, he now on the contrary keeps back his rebuke, reserving for the end of the discourse the deep wound of all. Since here he only says, that they act at random and in vain; but afterwards signifies, that it is at the risk of no less than utter ruin to their own soul, and that even apart from all injury to their brethren, neither are they themselves guiltless, in daring so to act.

Ver. 27. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-a-way.

Here he implies that they are subject to the very lust of the belly, and give up the reins to it, and under a pretence of perfection fulfil their own greediness; a thought which before also he was travailing to express, when he said, meats 21 Cor. for the belly, and the belly for meats2. For since both fornication is caused by luxury, and it also brought forth idolatry, he naturally oftentimes inveighs against this disease; and pointing out how great things he suffered for the Gospel, he sets this also down among them. "As I went," saith he, "beyond the commands, and this when it was no light matter for me;" (for we even endure all things, it is said,) "so also here I submit to much labour, in order to live soberly. Stubborn as appetite is, and the tyranny of the belly, nevertheless I bridle it, and give not myself up to the passion, but endure all labour not to be drawn aside by it."

3

(2.)

παγ

κράτιον.

For do not, I pray you, suppose, that by taking things easily I arrive at this desirable result. For it is a race, and a manifold struggle3, and a tyrannical nature continually rising up against me, and seeking to free itself. But I bear not with it, but keep it down, and bring it into subjection with many

If Paul feared, what can we say?

311

10. 1.

struggles." Now this he saith, that none may despairingly with- 1 COR. draw from the conflicts in behalf of virtue, because the undertaking is laborious. Wherefore he saith, I keep under and bring into subjection. He said not, "I kill:" for the flesh is not to be hated, but, I keep under and bring into subjection; which is the part of a master not of an enemy, of a teacher not of a foe, of a schoolmaster not of an adversary.

Lest by any means, having preached to others, I myself should be a cast-a-way.

Now if Paul feared this, who had taught so many, and feared it after his preaching and becoming an angel, and undertaking the patronage of the whole world; what can we say?

For "think not," saith he, "because ye have believed, that this is sufficient for your salvation: since if to me neither preaching nor teaching, nor bringing over innumerable persons, is enough for salvation, unless I exhibit my own conduct also unblameable, much less to you."

[3.] Then he comes to other illustrations again. And as above he alleged the examples of the Apostles, and those of common custom, and those of the priests, and his own, so also here those of the Olympic games. And having set down his own conduct, he again proceeds to the histories of the Old Testament. And because what he has to say will be somewhat unpleasing, he makes his exhortation general, and discourses not only concerning the subject before him, but also generally concerning all the evils among the Corinthians. And in the case of the heathen games, Know ye not? saith he: but here,

Chap. 10. Ver. 1. Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant.

Now this he said, implying that they were not very well instructed in these things. And what is this, which thou wouldest not have us ignorant of?

Ver. 1-5. That all our fathers, saith he, were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat, and drink the same spiritual záviis drink; for they drank of a spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. But with the more part2 2 Tois of them God was not well pleased.

om.

πλειόσιν.