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It is a base soul that despises not wealth.
HOMIL. him. But now, you know that covetousness is of the devil;
VII. you know that it is the cause of ten thousand evils; you

see him flinging out, like filth, his noisome imaginations;
and do you not see that you are receiving on your bare
head his nastiness, when it needed but to turn aside a
little to escape it altogether? Just as our man by shifting his
position would have escaped; so, do you refuse to admit such
imaginations, ward off the lust. And how am I to do this?
you will ask. Were you a Gentile, and had eyes for things
present alone, the matter perhaps might be one of considerable
difficulty, and yet even the Gentiles have achieved as much;
but you-a man in expectation of heaven and heavenly bliss-
and you to ask, How am I to repel bad thoughts? Were I
saying the contrary, then you might doubt: did I say, covet
riches, 'How shall I covet riches, you might answer, 'seeing
such things as I do?" Tell me, if gold and precious stones
were set before you, and I were to say, Desire lead, would
there not be reason for hesitation? For you would say,
How can I? But if I said, Do not desire it; this had been
plainer to understand. I do not marvel at those who despise,
but at those who despise not riches. This is the character
of a soul exceeding full of stupidity, no better than flies
and gnats, a soul crawling upon the earth, wallowing in filth,
destitute of all high ideas. What is it you say? Are you
destined to inherit eternal life; and do you say, how shall
I despise the present life for the future? What, can the
things be put in competition'? You are to receive a royal
vest; and say you, How shall I despise these rags? You are
going to be led into the king's palace; and do you say, How
shall I despise this present hovel? Of a truth, we ourselves
are to blame in every point, we who do not choose to let
ourselves be stirred up ever so little. For the willing have
succeeded, and that with great zeal and facility. Would
that you might be persuaded by our exhortation, and succeed
too, and become imitators of those who have been successful,
through the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with
Whom to the Father and the Holy Ghost together be glory,
and power, and honour, now and ever, and world without
end. Amen.

HOMILY VIII.

Acts iii. 1.

Now Peter and John went up together into the temple, at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

EVERY where we find these two Apostles in great harmony together. To him Simon Peter beckoned. These two also John13,

24.

came together to the sepulchre. And concerning John, Ib. 20, Peter said unto Christ, And what shall this man do? Now 3 et sqq. Ib. 21, as for the other miracles, the writer of this book omits them; 21. but he mentions the miracle by which they were all put in commotion. Observe again that they do not come to them purposely; so clear were they of ambition, so closely did they imitate their Master. Why now did they go up to the temple? Did they still live as Jews? No, but for 'ex-1 χρησίpediency. A miraculous sign again takes place, which both ws confirms the converts, and draws over the rest; and such, as they were a sign for having wrought. The disease was in the nature of the man, and baffled the art of medicine. He had been forty years lame, as the writer says afterwards, and ch.4,20. no one during all that time had cured him. And the most obstinate diseases are those which are born with men. It was a great calamity, insomuch that even to provide for himself his necessary sustenance was impossible for him. The man was conspicuous both from the place, and from his malady.

VIII.

v. 2.

110 The first miracle, a type and proof of the Resurrection.

HOMIL. Hear how the matter is related. And a certain man, lame -from his mother's womb, was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple. He sought to

v. 3, 4. receive alms, and he did not know who the men were.

Who

seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked an alms. And Peter fastening his eyes upon him, with John, said, Look on us. Yet, not even so were the man's thoughts elevated, but he persisted in his importunity. For such is poverty; upon a refusal, it compels people still to persist. Let this put us to shame who fall back in our prayers. But observe, I pray you, Peter's gentleness: for he said, Look on us. So truly did their very bearing, of itself, betoken their

v. 5, 6. character. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have I give thee. He did not say, I give thee something much better than silver or gold: but what? In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up. Such was also the way of Christ. Often He healed by word, often by an act, often also

v. 7.

He stretched forth the hand, where men were somewhat weak in faith, that the cure might not appear to be spontaneous. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up. This act made manifest the Resurrection, for it was an image of the Resurrection. And immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked. Perhaps it was by way of trying himself that he put it thus to further proof, whether perchance the thing done might not be to no purpose. His feet were weak; it was not that he had lost them. Some say that he did not even know how to walk. And entered with them into the temple. Of a truth it was marvellous. The Apostles do not urge him; but of his own accord he follows, by the act of following pointing out his benefactors. And leaping and praising God; not admiring them, but God that wrought by them. The man was grateful.

The lame man, also a type of the Jews.

111

[Now Peter and John went up together into the temple, Acts etc.] You observe how they continued in prayer. The ninth hour: there they prayed together. [And a certain Recapiman, etc.] The man was in the act of being carried at that tulation instant. [Whom they laid daily:] (his bearers carried him 1-8. away:) [at the gate, etc.] just when people went into the temple. And that you may not suppose that they carried him for some other purpose, but that it was in order that he might receive alms, hear what the writer says: so that he might receive alms of those entering into the temple. And this is the reason why he also makes mention of the places, to give evidence of what he relates. 'And how was it,' you may ask, 'that they did not present him to Christ? Perhaps they were certain unbelieving men, that haunted the temple, as in fact neither did they present him to the Apostles, when they saw them entering, after having done such great miracles. He asked, it is written, to receive an v. 3. alms. Their bearing marked them as certain devout and righteous men. [And Peter fastening his eyes upon him, v. 4. 5. with John, said, etc.] / And observe how John is every where silent, while Peter makes excuse for him also: Silver v. 6. and gold, he says, have I none. He does not say, I have none here, as we are wont to speak, but absolutely, I have none. 'What then?" he might say, 'do you take no notice of me, your suppliant?" Not so, but of what I have, receive thou. Do you remark how unassuming Peter is, how he makes no display even to the object of his beneficence? [In the v. 7. name, etc. And he took him by the hand, etc.] And the mouth and the hand did all. Such sort of persons were the Jews; lame, and the right thing being to ask for health, these same ask for money, grovelling on the ground: for this it was that

ἐκεῖνον

v. 8.

112

Gratitude of the man when healed.

HOMIL. they beset the temple-to get money. What then does Peter? VIII. He did not despise him; he did not look about for some 1 εἰς rich subject; he did not say, If the miracle is not done1 to some great one, nothing great is done: he did not look for some honour from him, no, nor heal him in the presence of people; for the man was at the entrance, not where the multitude were, that is, within. But Peter sought no such object; nor upon entering did he proclaim the matter: no, it was by his bearing that he attracted the lame man to ask. And the wonder is, that he believed so readily. For those who are set free from diseases of long standing, hardly believe their very eye-sight. Once healed, he remains with the Apostles, giving thanks to God. And he entered, it is said, with them into the temple, walking, and [2.] leaping, and praising God. Observe how restless he is, in the eagerness of his delight, at the same time shutting the mouths of the Jews. Also, that he leaped, was to prevent the suspicion of hypocrisy; for after all, this was beyond the possibility of deception. For if previously he was totally unable to walk, even when hunger pressed hard, (and indeed he would not have chosen to share with his bearers the proceeds of his begging, if he had been able to manage for himself,) this holds still more in the present case. And how should he have feigned in behalf of those who had given him no alms? But the man was grateful, even after his recovery. And thus on either side his faith is shewn, both by his thankfulness, and by the recent event.

He was so well known to all, that they recognised him. And all the people, it says, saw him walking and praising 2 ἐπεγί- God; and they recognised that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple. It is well said, they recognised, inasmuch as he was one unknown now by reason of what had happened: for we use this term with regard