The cure of mental blindness slow and painful. 285

V. 19.

while they were blind: and, as the eyesight in some degree JOHN returns, they are brought forth to the light; and, having seen it, are by the very glare beaten back as it were, and reply to the physician as he points out the object, 'Even now for an instant I did see, but now I cannot.' Then what does the physician? He has them back to their usual ways, and applies a fresh salve, to increase the longing for the object which the patient for a moment saw, and then was unable to see, that by very longing he may be cured more completely; and, if any biting unguents are applied for recovery of perfect soundness, let him bear them bravely, and, kindled with love of that light, say to himself,' When will it be, that I shall with strong eyes see, what with sore and weak eyes I could not?' He urges the physician, and begs him to go on with the cure. Well then, brethren; if haply ought such hath taken place in your hearts; if, in some measure, ye have lifted up your heart to see the Word d; and, beaten down by His light, have fallen back on your customary ways, beg ye the Physician to apply biting salves, the precepts of righteousness. There is That thou mayest see, but there is not yet wherewith thou mayest see. Thou didst not believe me erewhile, that there is That thou mayest see led as it were by the guidance of reason, thou hast been brought towards it, hast drawn near, hast exerted thy power of vision; hast thrilled, hast shrunk back from the light. Thou knowest that there is assuredly What thou mayest see, but that thou art not yet in a condition to see. Therefore seek curing. What are the eyesalves? Do not lie, do not forswear thyself, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not defraud. But thou art used to these, and it costs thee a pang to part with thy customary habits: this is what biteth, but healeth. For I tell thee frankly, of fear both for me and for thee: if thou give over the cure, and neglect to bring thyself into condition to enjoy this light, through weakness of thine eyes; thou wilt love darkness; and by loving darkness, in darkness wilt thou remain; and by remaining in darkness, wilt also be cast into outer dark- Mat.22, ness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. If love of light wrought nothing with thee, let fear of darkness work something.

13.

HOMIL.

286

The peril of giving over the cure.

12. Methinks I have spoken at sufficient length, and yet have I not brought to an end the Gospel Lesson. Should I speak what remains, I shall burthen you, and I fear lest even what has been drawn should be spilt; therefore, beloved, let thus much for the present suffice. We be debtors, not now, but always, so long as we live; because for you we live. But then, this our life, so weak, laborious, and full of peril, be it yours to console in this world, by your good living; do not sadden us and wear us out with your evil manners. For if, offended with your evil life, we should recoil from you and separate ourselves from you, and no more resort unto you, will ye not complain, and say, ‘And if we were sick, ye might tend us for cure, and if ill, might visit us'? Lo, we do tend you, lo, we do visit you: but let Gal. 4, it not fare with us like as ye have heard from the Apostle, fear lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

11.

I

HOMILY XIX.

JOHN V. 19-30.

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 do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son in like manner. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth Him all things that Himself doeth and He will shew Him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; so too the Son quickeneth whom He will. For the Father judgeth not any man, but all judgment hath He given unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. Whoso honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father Which hath sent Him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whoso heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment; but is passed from death into life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. I can of Mine own Self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.

XIX.

288

Carnal ideas, idols to be cast out of the heart.

HOMIL. In the past discourse, so far as we were moved to feel the matter and so far as our poverty of understanding could reach, we have spoken, by occasion of the Evangelic words, The Son cannot do any thing but what He seeth the Father doing, in what sense the Son, that is to say, the Word, since the Son is the Word, is said to see: and, since all things. were made by the Word, in what sort it may be understood, that the Son first seeth the Father doing, then, and not before, Himself also doeth what things He hath seen done; whereas yet the Father hath all the while done nothing save by the Son for all things were made by Him, and without Him was nothing made. Yet have we not given you any thing clearly unfolded in words; howbeit, because neither have we gotten any thing clearly unfolded to our understanding. For indeed there are times when speech is deficient, even where the understanding is proficient; how much more doth speech suffer defect, when the understanding hath nothing perfect? Now therefore, in so far as the Lord granteth, let us briefly run through the Lesson, and even to-day complete the task which is owing. Should there be haply aught either of time or of strength to spare, we will reconsider if we be able (so much as may be done whether by us or with you) in what sense the Word is said to see, and to have somewhat shewn to Him. For all the expressions here used are such, that if they be understood according to man's sense, carnally, our soul, filled with a phantom show, doth but make to us certain images or pictures representing the Father and the Son like as two men, the one shewing, the other seeing; the one speaking, the other hearing; all which are idols of the heart; and if idols be already cast down from their temples, how much more ought they to be cast down from Christian hearts?

ye

2. The Son, saith He, cannot of Himself do any thing but what He seeth the Father doing. True is this; hold this: while yet ye let not go what in the very opening of the Gospel ye took and held, that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was John 1, God: and chiefly, that all things were made by Him. Namely, what ye have now heard, join ye to that hearing, and let both heartily agree in your hearts. While then the

1.3.

The Father does all through the Son.

V. 20.

289 Son cannot of Himself do (or make) any thing but what He JOHN seeth the Father doing, this is in such sort, however, that what the Father doeth (or maketh), He doeth not save by the Son, because the Son is His Word; and in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; and all things were made by Him. For whatsoever He doeth, these also the Son in like manner doeth: not other, but these; not in unlike manner, but in like

manner.

3. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth Him all v. 20. things that Himself doeth. To this which He said above, but what He seeth the Father doing, seems to belong this also, that He sheweth Him all things that Himself doeth. But, if the Father sheweth what He doeth, and the Son cannot do unless the Father have shewn, and the Father cannot shew unless He have first done, it will follow, that it is not by the Son that the Father doeth all things: furthermore, if we hold it fixed and unshaken that the Father doeth or maketh all things by the Son, then before He doeth He sheweth to the Son. For, if so be that the Father first doeth and then sheweth, that the Son may do the things shewn, which things when shewn were already done; then there is something, undoubtedly, that the Father doeth without the Son. But the Father doeth or maketh nothing without the Son, because the Son of God is the Word of God, and all things were made by Him. It remaineth then, belike, that what the Father is about to do, these He sheweth when about to be done, that it may be by the Son that they are made or done. For if the things the Son doeth are those which the Father first does then shews, why those things which the Father first does then shews, He cannot be said to have done by the Son. For in that case there could be no shewing of them to the Son unless they were first done; there could be no doing of them by the Son unless they were first shewn: consequently there must be things done or made without the Son. But it is a truth, all things were made by Him; consequently, the shewing was before the doing. This, however, we have said, must be deferred, to be returned to when we have run through the Lesson, if, as we said, there shall be any either time

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