with a view to marriage; it was given with a view to the procreation of children, not with a view to adultery and corruption. The laws, too, know how to make allowance for those sins which are of necessity,-or rather nothing is sin when it arises from necessity but all sin rises from wantonness. God hath not so framed man's nature as that he should have any necessity to sin, since were this the case, there would be no such thing as punishment. We ourselves exact no account of things done of necessity and by constraint, much less would God, so full of mercy and loving-kindness. Again, what is stealing? is it matter of necessity? Yes, a man will say, because poverty causes this. Poverty, however, rather compels us to work, not to steal. Poverty, therefore, has in fact the contrary effect. Theft is the effect of idleness; whereas poverty produces usually → not idleness, but a love of labor. So that this sin is the effect of indolence, as you may learn from hence. Which, I ask, is the more difficult, the more distasteful, to wander about at night without sleep, to break open houses, and walk about in the dark, and to have one's life in one's hand, and to be always prepared for murder, and to be shivering and dead with fear; or to be attending to one's daily task, in full enjoyment of safety and security? This last is the easier task; and it is because this is easier, that the majority practise it rather than the other. Thou seest then that it is virtue which is according to nature, and vice which is against nature, in the same way as disease and health are. What, again, are falsehood and perjury? What necessity can they possibly imply? None whatever, nor any compulsion; it is a matter to which we proceed voluntarily. We are distrusted, it will be said. True, distrusted we are, because we choose it. For we might, if we would, be trusted more upon our character, than upon our oath. Why, tell me, is it that we do not trust some, no, not on their oath, whilst we deem others trustworthy even independently of oaths. Seest thou that there is no need of oaths in any case? When such an one speaks,' we say, 'I believe him, even without any oath, but thee, no, not with thy oaths.' Thus then an oath is unnecessary; and is in fact an evidence rather of distrust than of confidence. For where a man is over ready to take his oath, he does not leave us to entertain any great idea of his scrupulousness. So that the man who is most constant in his use of oaths, has on no occasion any necessity for using one, and he who never uses one on any occasion, has in himself Vid. also Hom. ad Pop. Antioch, vii. fin. However, in Act Apost. Hom. x. fin. he considers oaths allowable in order to con the full benefit of its use. Some one says there is a necessity for an oath, to produce confidence; but we see that they are the more readily trusted who abstain from taking oaths. But again, if one is a man of violence, is this a matter of necessity? Yes, he will say, because his passion carries him away, and burns within him, and does not let the soul be at rest. Man, to act with violence is not the effect of anger, but of littleness of mind. Were it the effect of anger, all men, whenever they were angry, would never cease committing acts of violence. We have anger given us, not that we may commit acts of violence on our neighbors, but that we may correct those that are in sin, that we may bestir ourselves, that we may not be sluggish. Anger is implanted in us as a sort of sting, to make us gnash with our teeth against the devil, to make us vehement against him, not to set us in array against each other. We have arms, not to make us at war amongst ourselves, but that we may employ our whole armor against the enemy. Art thou prone to anger? Be so against thine own sins: chastise thy soul, scourge thy conscience, be a severe judge, and merciless in thy sentence against thine own sins. This is the way to turn anger to account. It was for this that God implanted it within us. But again, is plunder a matter of necessity? No, in no wise. Tell me, what manner of necessity is there to be grasping: what manner of compulsion? Poverty, a man will say, causes it, and the fear of being without common necessaries. Now this is the very reason why you ought not to be grasping. Wealth so gotten has no security in it. You are doing the very same thing as a man would do, who, if he were asked why he laid the foundation of his house in th sand, should say, he did it because of the fro and rain. Whereas this would be the very rear why he should not lay it in the sand. The the very foundations which the rain, and ' and wind, most quickly overturn. So thou wouldest be wealthy, never be ra if thou wouldest transmit wealth to ren, get righteous wealth, at least, be that is such. Because this al mains firm, whereas that which quickly wastes and perishes. Tell a mind to be rich, and dost th of others? Surely this is no consists in possessing what that is in possession of the never can be a wealthy man even your very silk vend goods as a consignment the wealthiest and the ri for the time, indeed, it is vince the weak. St. Augustine says the same, de Serm. Dom. i.call them wealthy. And 51. thus accounting for St. Paul's expressions, Rom. i: 9. 1 Cor. xv; 31. 2 Cor. ii: 31. Gal. i. 20, cause they are in possession o others. For though the piece itself happens to Where is the good of ten thousand changes of be theirs, still the money it is worth is not theirs. raiment, and those moth-eaten? The stomach Nay, and even if the money is in their hands, has its appointed bound, and any thing given still this is not wealth. Now, if consignments beyond this, will of necessity destroy the whole thus given render not men more wealthy be- man. Where then is the use of your herds, and cause we so soon resign them, how can those flocks, and cutting up of flesh? We require which arise from rapine render them wealthy? but one roof to shelter us. Where then is the However, if at any rate thou desirest to be use of your vast ground-plots, and costly buildwealthy, (for the matter is not one of neces-ings? Dost thou strip the poor, that vultures sity,) what greater good is it that thou wouldest fain enjoy? Is it a longer life? Yet, surely men of this character quickly become shortlived. Oftentimes they pay as the penalty of plunder and rapaciousness, an untimely death; and not only suffer as a penalty the loss of the enjoyment of their gains, but go out of life having gained but little, and hell to boot. Oftentimes too they die of diseases, which are the fruits of self-indulgence, and of toil, and of anxiety. Fain would I understand why it is that wealth is so eagerly pursued by mankind. Why surely for this reason hath God set a limit and a boundary to our nature, that we may have no need to go on seeking wealth beyond it. For instance He hath commanded us, to clothe the body in one, or perhaps in two garments; and there is no need of any more to cover us. and jackdaws may have where to dwell? And ng heard of the faith in his prayers, giving thanks to God for them all "Wherefore," he says, i. e., because of what is to come,2 because of the good things that are laid up in store for them who rightly believe and live. And it is meet then to give thanks to God both for all the things which mankind have received at His hands, both heretofore and hereafter; and meet to give Him thanks also for the faith of them that believe. "Having heard," saith he, "of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and which ng like the sympa-ye show3 toward all the saints." the blessed Paul, He on all occasions knits together and combines faith and love, a glorious pair; nor does he mention the saints of that country only, but all. ["On the contrary this 'wherefore. 8tà TOUTO, refers to what precedes ver. 13, 14, because this is the case that ye too are in Christ and have been sealed with the Spirit. So Theophylect."Meyer.-G. A.1 [The word 'love, ayárny, which the Auth. Ver, from W. and H. Rev. vailed for, as one might say, that He might be able to reveal to us the mystery. What mys tery? That He would have man seated up on high. And this hath come to pass. Ver. 10. "Unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth, even in Him." Heavenly things, he means to say, had been severed from earthly. They had no longer one Head. So far indeed as the system of the creation went, there was over all One God, but so far as management of one household went, this, amid the wide spread of Gentile error, was not the case, but they had been severed from His obedience. "Unto a dispensation," saith he, "of the fulness of the times." it was well nigh come to this, that man had been made in vain, brought into the world in vain, nay, rather to his ruin; when all were absolutely perishing, more fearfully than in the deluge, He devised this dispensation, that is by grace; that it might not be in vain, might not be to no purpose that man was created. This he calls "the fulness of the times," and "wisdom." And why so? Because at that time when they were on the very point of perishing, then they were rescued. That "He might sum up" he saith. What is the meaning of this word, "sum up?" It is "to knit together." Let us, however, endeavor to get near the exact import. With ourselves then, in common conversation, the word means the summing into a brief compass things spoken at length, the concise account of matters described in detail. And it has this meaning. For Christ hath gathered up in Himself the dispensations carried on through a lengthened period, that is to say, He hath cut them short. For "by finishing His word and cutting it short in righteousness." (Romans ix: 28.) He both comprehended former dispensations, and added others beside. This is the meaning of "summing up." : The fulness of the times, he calls it. Observe with what nicety he speaks. And whereas he points out the origination, the purpose, the will, the first intention, as proceeding from the Father, and the fulfillment and execution as effected by the agency of the Son, yet no where does he apply to him the term minister1. "He chose us," saith he, "in Him, having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself; " and, "to the praise It has also another signification; and of what of the glory of His grace, in whom we have nature is this? He hath set over all one and the redemption through His blood,-which He pur- same Head, i. e., Christ according to the flesh, posed in Him, unto a dispensation of the alike over Angels and men. That is to say, fulness of the times, to sum up all things in He hath given to Angels and men one and the Christ; and no where hath he called Him same government; to the one the Incarnate, to minister. If however the word "in" and the the other God the Word. Just as one might word "by" implies a mere minister, look what say of a house which has some part dethe matter comes to. Just in the very beginning cayed and the other sound, He hath rebuilt of the Epistle, he used the expression "through the house, that is to say, He has made the will of the Father." The Father, he means, willed, the Son wrought. But neither does it follow, that because the Father willed, the Son is excluded from the willing; nor because the Son wrought, that the Father is deprived of the working. But to the Father and the Son, all things are common. "For all Mine are Thine," saith He, "and Thine are Mine." (Jo. xvii: 10.) The fullness of the times, however, was His coming. After, then, He had done everything, by the ministry both of Angels, and of Prophets, and of the Law, and nothing came of it, and it stronger, and laid a firmer foundation. So also here He hath brought all under one and the same Head. For thus will an union be "A distinction at variance with Scripture."-Meyer.-G. A.] "This illustration has been again employed by Harless whose has in the restoration of one member restored the whole body; and view of this passage is that the apostle speaks thus: The Lord and back of the harmony of the universe. This concedes to the ra Here we may E. G. of the Angels by way of contrast, "Are they not all min-iii: 8; James ii: 19; 2 Peter ii: 4) thence it came to earth (2 Cor. istering spirits, sent forth to minister," eis diakovíav. Hebr. i: 14. However S. Irenæus says, " Ministral ei ad omnia sua progenies et figuratio sua, id est Filius et Spiritus Sanctus." Har iv 17. And St. Justin Martyr applies to our Lord the word vanperelv. Tryph. 61, as scripture does the word Angel or Messenger. The distinction is obvious; our Lord may be named the Minister or Instrument of the Father in the sense in which our reason may be called the instrument of our mind, as being one with it and in it. In this sense St. Hilary calls the Son obedientem dictis Dei Deum, de Trin. v. vid. Petav. De Trin. ii. 7. §. 7. 2 Which he purposed in him' (i. e. Christ' according to Rev. Ver. and W. and H.; but God' according, to Meyer and Ellicott, who have aura) "with a design to the dispensation of the fullness of the times, i. e., the dispensation to be established at the setting in of the fulness of the times. Gal. iv: 4. Mark. i: 15."-Meyer.G. A.] effected, thus will a close bond be effected, if one and all can be brought under one and the same Head, and thus have some constraining bond of union from above. Honored then as we are with so great a blessing, so high a privilege, so great loving-kindness, let us not shame our Benefactor, let us not render in vain so great grace. Let us exemplify the life of Angels, the virtue of Angels, the conversation of Angels, yea, I entreat and conjure you, that all these things turn not to our judgment, nor to our condemnation, but to our enjoyment of those good things, which may God grant we may all attain, in Christ Jesus, our Lord, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Ghost, be glory, strength, &c. &c. HOMILY II. CHAPTER I. VERSES II-14. ways of deliberate choice. But mark now how on all occasions he takes "In whom also we were made a heritage, having been their privilege compared with the rest of manforeordained according to the purpose of Him who kind, he speaks also of inheritance by lot, yet worketh all things after the counsel of his will." so as not to divest them of free will. That PAUL earnestly endeavors on all occasions to point then, which more properly belongs to display the unspeakable loving-kindness of God happy fortune, is the very point he insists upon. towards us, to the utmost of his power. For For this inheritance by lot depends not on virthat it is impossible to do so adequately, hear tue, but, as one might say, on fortuitous circumhis own words. "O! the depth of the riches stances. It is as though he had said, lots were both of the wisdom and knowledge of God; how cast, and He hath chosen us ; but the whole is unsearchable are His judgments, and His Men predestinated, that past tracing out." (Rom. xi: 33.) Still, not- is to say, having chosen them to Himself, He withstanding, so far as it is possible, he does hath separated. He saw us, as it were, chosen display it. What then is this which he is say the foreknowledge of God, and acquainted with by lot before we were born. For marvellous is ing; "In whom also we were made a heritage, the foreknowledge of God, and acquainted with being predestinated ?" Above he used the all things before their beginning. word, "He chose us;" here he saith, we were made a heritage.' But inasmuch as a lot is a matter of chance, not of deliberate choice, nor of virtue, (for it is closely allied to ignorance and accident, and oftentimes passing over the virtuous, brings forward the worthless into notice,) observe how he corrects this very point: "having been foreordained," saith he, "according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things." That is to say, not merely have we been made a heritage, as, again, we have not merely been chosen, (for it is God who chooses,) and so neither have we merely been allotted, (for it is God who allots,) but it is " according to a purpose." This is what he says also in the Epistle to the Romans, (Rom. viii: 28-30.) "To them that are called according to His pur" and "whom He called, them He also justified, and whom He justified, them he also glorified." Having first used the expression, "to them that are called according to a purpose," and at the same time wishing to declare pose : [Meyer against the Rev. Version and many scholars makes the meaning here to be: "In whom we were allotted the inheritance." He shows that as Tevel may take as subject when in passive voice the dative of the active construction, so also may λnpouv which takes in the active a dative.-See also verse 14, κλпpovoμía. -G. A.] How then is it that pains to point out, that it is not the result of "Why calls he the grace of God by the name of lot? because in a lot there is no choice, but the will of God; for when it is said, 'a man does, he does not,' merits are regarded; and then there is a choice, not a lot. But when God found no merits of ours, He saved us by the lot of His will, because He willed, not because we were worthy. This is a lot," &c. August. in Psalm xxx. Enar. iii. 13. vailed for, as one might say, that He might be able to reveal to us the mystery. What mystery? That He would have man seated up on high. And this hath come to pass. Ver. 10. "Unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth, even in Him.” Heavenly things, he means to say, had been severed from earthly. They had no longer one Head. So far indeed as the system of the creation went, there was over all One God, but so far as management of one household went, this, amid the wide spread of Gentile error, was not the case, but they had been severed from His obedience. "Unto a dispensation," saith he, fulness of the times." "of the it was well nigh come to this, that man had been made in vain, brought into the world in vain, nay, rather to his ruin; when all were absolutely perishing, more fearfully than in the deluge, He devised this dispensation, that is by grace; that it might not be in vain, might not be to no purpose that man was created. This he calls "the fulness of the times," and "wisdom." And why so? Because at that time when they were on the very point of perishing, then they were rescued. That "He might sum up" he saith. What is the meaning of this word, "sum up?" It is "to knit together." Let us, however, endeavor to get near the exact import. With ourselves then, in common conversation, the word means the summing into a brief compass things spoken at length, the concise account of matters described in detail. And it has this meaning. For Christ hath gathered up in Himself the dispensations carried on through a lengthened period, that is to say, He hath cut them short. For "by finishing His word and cutting it short in righteousness." (Romans ix: 28.) He both comprehended former dispensations, and added others beside. This is the meaning of "summing up." The fulness of the times, he calls it. Observe with what nicety he speaks. And whereas he points out the origination, the purpose, the will, the first intention, as proceeding from the Father, and the fulfillment and execution as effected by the agency of the Son, yet no where does he apply to him the term minister1. "He chose us," saith he, "in Him, having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself; " and, "to the praise It has also another signification; and of what of the glory of His grace, in whom we have nature is this? He hath set over all one and the redemption through His blood,-which He pur- same Head, i. e., Christ according to the flesh, posed in Him, unto a dispensation of the alike over Angels and men. That is to say, fulness of the times, to sum up all things in He hath given to Angels and men one and the Christ; and no where hath he called Him same government; to the one the Incarnate, to minister. If however the word "in" and the the other God the Word.3 Just as one might word "by" implies a mere minister, look what say of a house which has some part dethe matter comes to. Just in the very beginning cayed and the other sound, He hath rebuilt of the Epistle, he used the expression "through the house, that is to say, He has made the will of the Father." The Father, he means, it stronger, and laid a firmer foundation. willed, the Son wrought. But neither does it So also here He hath brought all under one and follow, that because the Father willed, the Son the same Head. For thus will an union be is excluded from the willing; nor because the Son wrought, that the Father is deprived of the working. But to the Father and the Son, all things are common. "For all Mine are Thine,' saith He," and Thine are Mine." (Jo. xvii: 10.) The fullness of the times, however, was His coming. After, then, He had done everything, by the ministry both of Angels, and of Prophets, and of the Law, and nothing came of it, and distinction at variance with This illustration has been again employed by Harless whose view of this passage is that the apostle speaks thus: The Lord and Creator of the whole body of which heaven and earth are members, This concedes to the Tà has in the restoration of one member restored the whole body; and E. G. of the Angels by way of contrast, "Are they not all min-iii: 8; James ii: 19; 2 Peter ii: 4) thence it came to earth (2 Cor. istering spirits, sent forth to minister," eis diakovíav. Hebr. i 14. However S. Irenæus says, " Ministral ei ad omnia sua progenies et figuratio sua, id est Filius et Spiritus Sanctus." Har iv 17. And St. Justin Martyr applies to our Lord the word unpereiv. Tryph. 61, as scripture does the word Angel or Messenger. The distinction is obvious; our Lord may be named the Minister or Instrument of the Father in the sense in which our reason may be called the instrument of our mind, as being one with it and in it. In this sense St. Hilary calls the Son obedientem dictis Dei Deum, de Trin. v. vid. Petav. De Trin. ii. 7. §. 7. 2 Which he purposed in him' (i. e. Christ' according to Rev. Ver. and W. and H.; but God according, to Meyer and Ellicott, who have aur) "with a design to the dispensation of the fullness of the times, i, e., the dispensation to be established at the setting in of the fulness of the times. Gal. iv: 4. Mark. i: 15.”—Meyer.—ments and spheres of nature. This summation is seen in the form G. A.] of government: Jesus is universal regent."—G. A.] |