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Present and future Prospects of the Covetous.

HOMIL. declares to those who are at work below the end of the XXIII. day.

Do ye not shudder when ye hear all this? Let us see now, whether there be not things more grievous than these in the case of the covetous. For these too, in the first place, have a severer jailor, viz. avarice, and so much severer, as that together with their body he chains also their soul. And this darkness also is more awful than that. For it is not subject to sense, but producing it within, whithersoever they go, they carry it all about with themselves. For the eye of their soul is put out which is the reason why more than all Christ calls them wretched, saying, But if the light that is in thee be S.Mat. darkness, how great is that darkness'. And they for their 6. 23. part have at least a lamp shining, but these are deprived even of this beam of light; and therefore every day they fall into countless pitfalls. And the condemned, when night overtakes them, have a respite, sailing into that calm port which is common to all the unfortunate, I mean the night: but against the covetous even this harbour is blocked up by their own avarice: such grievous thoughts have they even at night, since then, without disturbance from any one, at full leisure they cut themselves to pieces.

Such are their circumstances in this world; but those in the next, what discourse shall exhibit? the intolerable furnaces, the rivers burning with fire, the gnashing of teeth, the chains never to be loosed, the envenomed worm, the rayless gloom, the never-ending miseries. Let us fear them, beloved, let us fear the fountain of so great punishments, the insatiate madness, the destroyer of our salvation. For it is impossible at the same time both to love money, and your soul. Let us be convinced that wealth is dust and ashes, that it leaves us when we depart hence, or rather that even before our departure it oftentimes darts away from us, and injures us both in regard of the future, and in respect of the present life. For before hell fire, and before that punishment, even here it surrounds us with innumerable wars. and stirs up strifes and contests. For nothing is so apt to cause war, as avarice: nothing so apt to produce beggary, whether it shew itself in wealth, or in poverty. For in the souls of poor men also this grievous disease ariseth, and wears their poverty still barer.

Money, a Snare to Rich and Poor alike.

323

an one 1 Cor.

And if there be found a poor covetous man, such
suffers not punishment in money, but in hunger. For he
allows not himself to enjoy his moderate means with comfort,
but both racks his belly with hunger, and punishes his whole
body with nakedness and cold, and every where appears more
squalid and dirty than any prisoners; and is always wailing
and lamenting, as though he were more wretched than all,
though there be ten thousand poorer than he. This man,
whether he go into the market-place, goes away with many a
stripe; or into the bath, or into the theatre, he will still be
receiving more wounds, not only from the spectators, but also
from those upon the stage, where he beholds not a few of the
unchaste women glittering in gold. This man again, whether
he sail upon the sea, regarding the merchants, and their
richly-freighted ships, and their enormous profits, will not
even count himself to live: or whether he travel by land,
reckoning up the fields, the suburban farms, the inns, the
baths, the revenues arising out of them, his own life will
thenceforth seem to him not to be endured as life; or
whether thou shut him up at home, he will but rub and
fret the wounds received in the market, and so by himself do
greater despite to his own soul: and he knows only one con-
solation for the evils which oppress him; death and deliver-
ance from this life.

And these things not the poor man only, but the rich also, will suffer, who falls into this disease, and so much more than the poor, inasmuch as the tyranny presses more vehemently on him, and the intoxication is greater. Wherefore also he will account himself poorer than all; or rather, he is poorer. For riches and poverty are determined not by the measure of the substance, but by the disposition of the mind: and he rather is the poorest of all, who is always hankering after more, and is never able to stay this wicked lust.

On all these accounts then let us flee covetousness, the maker of beggars, the destroyer of souls, the friend of hell, the enemy of the kingdom of heaven, the mother of all evils together; and let us despise wealth that we may enjoy wealth, and with wealth may enjoy also the good things promised to us; unto which may we all attain, &c.

10. 12.

HOMILY XXIV.

2.3.

1 COR. X. 13.

There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

THUS, because he hath terrified them greatly, relating the ancient examples, and thrown them into an agony, saying, Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall; though they had borne many temptations, and had exercised themselves many times therein; for I was with you, saith he, 1 1 Cor. in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling1: lest they should say, "Why terrify and alarm us? we are not unexercised in these troubles, for we have been both chased, and persecuted, and many and continual dangers have we endured:" repressing again their pride, he says, there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, small, brief, moderate. For he uses the expression common 2 ¿végé- to man2, in respect of what is small; as when he says, I speak after the manner of men, because of the infirmity of your 3 Rom. flesh. "Think not then great things," saith he, " as though ye 6. 19. had overcome the storm. For never have ye seen a danger threatening death, nor a temptation intending slaughter:" which also he said to the Hebrews, ye have not yet resisted 4 Heb. unto blood, striving against sin1.

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Then, because he hath terrified them, see how again he raises them up, at the same time recommending moderation; in the words, God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be

St. Paul's Way of appealing to those whom he would convince. 325

10. 15.

tempted above that ye are able. There are therefore tempt- 1 COR. ations, which we are not able to bear. And what are these? All, so to speak. For the ability lies in God turning the scale; a power which we draw down by our own will. Wherefore that thou mayest know and see, that not only those which exceed our power, but not even these which are common to man, is it possible without assistance from God easily to bear, he added,

But will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

For, saith he, not even those moderate temptations, as I was remarking, may we bear by our own power: but even in them we require aid from Him in our warfare, that we may pass through them, and until we have passed, bear them. For He gives patience, and brings on a speedy release; so that in this way also, the temptation becomes bearable. This he covertly intimates, saying, will also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it: and all things he refers to Him.

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τοί.

[2.] Ver. 14. Wherefore, my brethren, flee from idolatry. 1adixφοί, rec. Again he courts them by the name of kindred, and urges them to be rid of this sin with all speed. For he did not yarn. say, simply, depart, but flee; and he calls the matter idolatry, and no longer bids them quit it merely on account of the injury to their neighbour, but signifies that the very thing of itself is sufficient to bring a great destruction.

Ver. 15. I speak as unto wise men: judge ye what I say. Because he hath cried out aloud, and heightened the accusation, calling it idolatry; that he might not seem to exasperate them, and to make his speech disgusting, in what follows he refers the decision to them, and sets his judges down on their tribunal with an encomium. For I speak as unto wise men, saith he: which is the mark of one very confident of his own rights, that he should make the accused himself the judge of his allegations.

Thus also he more elevates the hearer, when he discourses not as commanding, nor as laying down the law, but as advising with them, and as actually pleading before them. For with the Jews, as more foolishly and childishly disposed, God did not so discourse, nor did He in every

XXIV.

326 Why the Chalice is called the Cup of Blessing.

HOMIL. instance acquaint them with the reasons of the commands, but merely injoined them; but here, because we have the privilege of great liberty, we are even admitted to be counsellors. And he discourses as with friends, and says, "I need no other judges, do ye yourselves pass this sentence upon me, I take you for arbiters."

[3.] Ver. 16. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the Blood of Christ?

What sayest thou, O blessed Paul? When thou wouldest appeal to the hearer's reverence, when thou art making mention of awful mysteries, dost thou give the title of cup of blessing to that fearful and most tremendous cup? "Yea," saith he;" and no mean title is that which was spoken. For when I call it blessing, I unfold all the treasure of God's goodness, and call to mind those mighty gifts." Since we too, recounting over the cup the unspeakable mercies of God, and all that we have been made partakers of, so proceed to offer it, and to communicate; giving Him thanks, that He hath delivered from error the whole race of mankind; that being afar off, He made them nigh; that when they had no hope, and were without God in the world, He appointed them His own brethren and fellow-heirs. For these, and for all such things, giving thanks, thus we approach. "How then are not your doings inconsistent," saith he, "O ye Corinthians; blessing God, for delivering you from idols, yet running again to their tables ?"

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the Blood of Christ? Very persuasively spake he, and awfully. For what he says is this: "This which is in the cup, is that which flowed from His side, and of that do we partake." But he called it the cup of blessing, because holding it in our hands, we so proceed to exalt Him in our hymn, wondering, astonished at His unspeakable gift, blessing Him, among other things, for the pouring out of this self-same draught, that we might not abide in error; and not only for the

a "When we had fallen away, Thou didst raise us again, and didst not cease doing all things, until Thou hadst brought us up to Heaven, and given unto us freely Thy future Kingdom." Liturgy of St. Chrysostom. Ed. Savile. "When we had fallen from

vi. 996.

our eternal life, and were exiled from the Paradise of delight, Thou didst not cast us off to the end, but didst visit us continually," &c. Lit. of St. Basil, t. ii. 677: and so in all the old Liturgies: vid. Brett's Collection.

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