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270 He rested on the seventh day, in the tomb.

HOMIL. Me also, for of Me he wrote? See then whether Moses did not XVII. mean it to be significant of something, that God rested on

the seventh day. For it cannot be that God was spent in doing the work of His creation, and needed rest like a man. How can it be said that He was spent Who had made with a word? Yet is both that saying true, that God rested from His works on the seventh day; and this true which Jesus saith, My Father even until now worketh. But who can unfold it in words, a man to men, weak to weak, unlearned to them that fain would learn, and haply if he have any savour of knowledge, yet unavailing to draw it forth and unfold it to men who perchance with difficulty take it, even if that be possible of unfolding which is taken? Who, I say, my brethren, may unfold in words, how God both at rest doth work, and working doth rest? I pray you, until ye be come farther on your way defer this matter; for this vision craveth the temple of God, craveth the holy place: bear ye your neighbour and walk; there shall ye see Him where ye shall require no words of men.

15. This, perchance, we are better able to declare, that, in the saying, God rested on the seventh day, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself, Who spake these words and said, My Father even until now doth work, and I work, is by a great mystery signified. Because the Lord Jesus too is, of course, God. For He is the Word of God, and ye have heard that In the beginning was the Word; and not any word, indifferently, but The Word was God; and All things were made by Him. It may be, He was signified, that He should rest on the seventh day from all His works. For, read the Gospel and see what great works Jesus wrought. He wrought our salvation on the cross, that in Him might be fulfilled all things foretold of the Prophets: He was crowned with thorns, hanged upon the tree, said, I thirst, received vinegar on a sponge, that it might be fulfilled which Ps. 69, is said, And in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink. But, when all His works were fulfilled, on the sixth day of the week He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost, and in the sepulchre on the sabbath rested from all His works. John 19. Therefore it is as if He said to the Jews, 'Why look ye,

22.

that

I should not work on the sabbath? The sabbath-day was

The Jews understood, what Arians will not,

271

V.1-18.

enjoined you in signification of Me. Ye mark the works of JOHN God: I was there when they were made, by Me were they all made, I know them: My Father even until now doth work. The Father made the light; but He spake that there should be light: if He spake, then by His Word He made it; His Word I was, I am: by Me was the world made in those works, by Me is the world governed in these works. My Father both then worked when He made the world, and even until now worketh while He ruleth the world: therefore both by Me made He when He made, and by Me ruleth while He ruleth.' He said these things, but to whom? To deaf, blind, lame, impotent, not acknowledging the Physician, and like as if in a frenzy they had lost their wits, wishing to put Him to death.

9.

Is. 63,

Father, 16; and
64, 8.

Lo, the
Arians

16. Accordingly, what does the Evangelist go on to say? For this cause therefore sought the Jews the more to kill v. 18. Him, because He not only broke the sabbath, but said that God was His Father-not in any common way, but what?— making Himself equal with God. For we all say to God, Our Father, Which art in heaven: we read also that the Matt. 6, Jews said, Though Thou be our Father. Therefore they were angry, not at this, that He said God was His but that He said it in quite another way than men. Jews understand what Arians do not understand. affirm the Son to be not equal to the Father, and for that was their heresy driven from the Church. Lo, even the blind, even the slayers of Christ, yet understand the words of Christ. They did not understand Him to be Christ, not understand Him to be Son of God: but for all that, they did understand in these words that such a Son of God was betokened as was equal with God. Who He was they knew not yet that such an one was declared they knew at once; in that He said God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then was He not equal with God? It was not that He made Himself equal, but God had begotten Him equal. If He made Himself equal, He would fall by robbery. For he who wanted to make himself equal with God, not Is. 14, being so, fell, and of angel became devil: and pledged man in the cup of that pride, whereby himself was cast down. For he said this to man, envious that man stood, himself

14. 15.

272 that Christ affirmed Himself to be the coequal Son.

HOMIL. fallen, Taste, and ye shall be as gods: that is, ' By usurpation

XVII. rob ye to yourselves that which ye are not made, because

Gen. 3,

5.

6.

I also for robbery am cast down.' He did not betray this meaning, but this was the meaning of his suggestion. But Christ was begotten equal with the Father, not made: Whence the begotten of the substance of the Father. Phil. 2, Apostle thus bespeaketh Him: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. What meaneth, Thought it not robbery? Usurped not equality with God, but was in it, because therein begotten. And we, how were we to come unto the equal God? He made Himself of no reputation, taking to Himself the form of a servant. Not then, made Himself of no reputation by losing what He was, but by taking to Him what He was not. This form of a servant the Jews despised, and therefore could not understand the Lord Christ equal with the Father: albeit that He affirmed this concerning Himself, they had no manner of doubt, and therefore were enraged: and yet He still bore with them, and sought the healing of them that raged against Him.

HOMILY XVIII."

JOHN V. 19.

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son cannot of Himself do any thing, but what He seeth the Father doing: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son in like manner.

25.

1. JOHN the Evangelist, among his fellows and partners the other Evangelists, received this chief and peculiar gift from the Lord, (on whose breast he lay at the board, hereby John 13, to signify that he drank deeper secrets from His inmost heart,) that he should speak those things concerning the Son of God, which may rouse, belike, to earnest attention the minds. of the little ones, but cannot fill them, not yet being capable: while to all of somewhat greater growth, and attaining to a certain inner manhood, he gives somewhat in these words, whereby they may be both exercised and fed. Ye heard it when it was read, and remember what this discourse came of. Yesterday, namely, it was read, that therefore John 5, wished the Jews to kill Jesus, because He not only broke the sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. What displeased the Jews, the same pleased the Father Himself. The same, without doubt, pleases also them which honour the Son as they honour the Father; because if it be not pleasing to them, they will be themselves displeasing. Not that God will be any the greater for pleasing thee, but thou wilt be the less, if He be

Comp. S. Aug. Serm. 126, on the same text: also Contra Sermonem Arianorum, §. 14, 15. and de Trin. ii. 3. S. Hilar. de Trin. vii. 15-18. ix.

T

43-46.

b hæc, Hilar. eadem. Aug. de Trin. hæc eadem: and so in Hom. xx.

18.

274

Mysteries must be approached with awe :

HOMIL. displeasing to thee. Now against this idle accusation of XVIII. theirs, coming either of ignorance or of malice, the Lord

speaketh not at all what they may take, but what they may be agitated and troubled by, and perchance, even because troubled, may seek the Physician. He spake, moreover, what should be written, that it might by us also be afterwards read. Enough, then, that we have seen what took place in the Jews' hearts at hearing these words: what takes place in ourselves when we hear them, let us more fully bethink us. For there has been no springing up of heresies and certain doctrines of perversity, which ensnare men's souls, and cast them headlong into the deep, but only because good Scriptures are understood in a sense that is not good; and because this ill-taken sense is also rashly and daringly asserted. And therefore, my beloved, we ought very cautiously to hear these things, which we are yet small to receive; and to hear them with pious heart and with trembling, as it is written, holding this rule of soundness, that, what according to the faith we are imbued withal, we be able to understand, we rejoice in, as it were food: while, whatever according to the sound rule of faith we be not yet able to understand, we put away doubting at the present, put off the understanding to a future time; that is, that though we know not what it is, yet we doubt not at all that it is good and true. Moreover, as regards me, my brethren, who have undertaken to speak to you, it behoves you to bear in mind who I am that have undertaken, and what I have undertaken: that I have undertaken to treat of the things of God, being man; things of His Spirit, being carnal; things of eternity, being mortal. Also from me, beloved, far be vain presumption, if I wish to have a sound conversation 1 Tim.3, in the house of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of the truth: after my measure I take what I put before you; where it is opened, I feed with you, where shut, I knock with you.

15.

2. Well then, the Jews were moved, and had indignation; with reason indeed, because a man dared to make himself equal with God; but herein without reason, that in the man they wist not the God. The flesh they saw; the God they knew not the habitation they perceived; the Inhabiter

• dubitationem auferamus, intelligentiam differamus.

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