i. e. those who do His Will, in lowliness.

395

VI. 38.

himself, gold in his chest, the other hath God in his con- JOHN science. Compare now gold and God, chest and conscience! The one hath that which perisheth, and hath it in a place whence it perisheth: the other hath God Who cannot perish, and hath Him in a place whence He cannot be taken away: howbeit, only if he be upright in heart; for then he entereth in, and goeth not out. Accordingly, what said he? For with Thee is the fountain of life: not with us. Therefore we

11. 12.

must enter in, that we may live; not, as it were, suffice for ourselves, that we may perish; not, as it were, wish to be satisfied from our own, that we may be dried up: but put our mouth to the Fountain itself, where water faileth not. Because Adam wanted to live by his own counsel, he also fell through him who had first fallen through pride, who challenged him to drink of the cup of his own pride. Then since with Thee is the fountain of life, and in Thy light shall Ps. 36, we see light: let us drink within, let us see within. For wherefore did any go out thence? Hear wherefore; let not the foot of pride come to me. Consequently, he went out, to whom came the foot of pride. Shew that it was for that cause he went out. And let not the hands of sinners move me: because of the foot of pride. Why sayest thou this? There are they fallen, all that work iniquity, Where fallen? In their pride. They were driven out, neither were able to stand. If then pride expelled them which were not able to stand; humility sendeth them in, who may be able to stand for ever. For therefore he which said, The bones which were Ps.51,8. brought low shall rejoice, said before, To mine hearing shalt Thou give joy and gladness. What is, to mine hearing? By hearing Thee, I am happy; by Thy voice, I am happy; by drinking within, I am happy. Therefore I fall not: therefore, the bones which were brought low shall rejoice; therefore, the friend of the Bridegroom standeth and heareth Him; therefore standeth, because heareth. Of the fount within he drinketh, therefore standeth. They who would not drink of that within, there are they fallen; they were driven out, neither were able to stand.

18. The Teacher, then, of humility came not to do His own will, but the will of Him that sent Him. Let us come to Him, let us enter in unto Him, let us be incorporated

396

Christ, Teacher and Pattern of lowliness.

28. 29.

HOMIL. into Him, that we, too, may not do our own will, but the XXV. will of God; and He will not cast us out, seeing we are His members, seeing He willed to be our Head in teaching Mat.11, humility. Lastly: hear Himself preaching; Come unto Me, ye that labour and are heavy-laden; take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart; and, when ye shall have learned this, ye shall find rest for your souls, from which ye may not be cast out: for I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me: humility I teach; to come unto Me is impossible, but for the humble. It is only pride that casteth out; how should he go out, who keepeth humility and slideth not back from the truth? We have spoken as much as could be spoken concerning the hidden sense, my brethren for this sense is not a little latent, and I know not whether it has been by me in suitable words drawn out and shaped forth to you, why the reason that He casteth not out him that cometh unto Him is this, that He came not to do His own will, but the will of Him that sent Him.

14.

v. 39.

ib. 4.

19. And this, saith He, is the will of Him that sent Me, that of all that He hath given Me I should lose nothing. To Him was given he which keeps humility; him He receiveth: whoso keeps not humility, is far from the Master of humility. That of all which He hath given Me, I should Mat.18, lose nothing. So is it not the will of your Father that one of these little ones should perish. Of them that are puffed up, there may perish; of the little ones nothing perisheth: since, if ye become not as this little one, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Of all that the Father hath given Me, shall I lose nothing; but I will raise it up at the last day. See how here also He doth trace out this double resurrection. He that cometh to Me, doth now rise again, being made lowly in My members: but, withal, I will raise him up at the last day, in the flesh. For this is the will of My Father Who sent Me, that every one who seeth the Son and believeth on Him may have eternal life; and I will John 5, raise Him up at the last day. Above, He said, Whoso heareth My word and believeth Him that sent Me; but now, Who seeth the Son, and believeth Him. He said not, Seeth the Son, and believeth on the Father: for, to believe on the

24.

Fa

The lowly given to Him for eternal life.

397

VI. 39.

ib. 26.

Son is all one as to believe on the Father. Because, As the JOHN Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son also to have life in Himself. That every one who seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have eternal life; by believing and passing to life, as by that first resurrection. And to shew that this is not the only resurrection, And I will raise him up, saith He, at the last day.

HOMILY XXVI.

JOHN vi. 41-59.

The Jews then murmured at Him, because He said, I am the Bread Which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the Son of Joseph, of Whom we know father and mother? how is it then that He saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save He Which is of God, He hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life. I am that Bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and died. This is the Bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living Bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this Man give us His flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood,

The Bread of Heaven requires spiritual hunger.

399

VI.

dwelleth in Me, and I in him. As the living Father hath JOHN sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, 41-59. even he shall live by Me. This is that Bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and died: he that eateth of this Bread shall live for ever. These things said He in the synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum.

30.

1. WHEN Our Lord Jesus Christ, as we heard when the Gospel was read, had said that He was the Bread which came down from heaven, the Jews murmured and said, Is not this Jesus Son of Joseph, of Whom we know father and mother? How then saith He, I came down from heaven? These men were far from the Bread of heaven, and knew not how to hunger after it. Having jaws to eat with, they list not to stir them; with their ears open, they were deaf; they saw, and stood there blind. For that Bread requireth hungering of the inner man: of which He saith in another place, Blessed are they that hunger and Matt. 5, thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Now that 6. Christ is unto us righteousness, the Apostle Paul declareth. 1 Cor. 1, And, therefore, whoso hungereth after this Bread, let him hunger after righteousness; only it must be that righteousness which cometh down from heaven, the righteousness which God giveth, not that which man maketh for himself. For were there not a righteousness which man would make for himself, the same Apostle would not say, as he doth, of the Jews, For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, Rom. and wishing to set up their own, they are not subject to the 10, 3. righteousness of God. Of them were these, who understood not the Bread which came down from heaven, because, being filled with their own righteousness, they hungered not for the righteousness of God. What meaneth this, Righteousness of God and righteousness of man? The righteousness of God here means, not that by which God is righteous, but that which God giveth to man, that man may be righteous through God. Now what was the righteousness of those Jews? One upon which they presumed, as by their own strength, and spoke of themselves as if they were men that fulfilled the Law by a virtue of their own. Now no man