{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/106/1060243.htm","path":"chr/ecf/106/1060243.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/106/1060243.htm","text":"On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xiii. 52, \u201cTherefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of Heaven,\u201d etc.\n1. The lesson of the Gospel reminds me to seek out, and to explain to you, Beloved, as the Lord shall give me power, who is \u201cthat Scribe instructed in the kingdom of God, who is \u201clike unto an householder bringing out of his treasure things new and old.\u201d 2524 For here the lesson ended. \u201cWhat are the new and old things of an instructed Scribe?\u201d Now it is well known who they were, whom the ancients, after the custom of our Scriptures, called Scribes, those, namely, who professed the knowledge of the Law. For such were called Scribes among the Jewish people, not such as are so called now in the service 2525 of judges, or the custom of states. For we must not enter school to no purpose, but we must know in what signification to take the words of Scripture; lest when anything is mentioned out of it, which is usually understood in another secular use of the term, the hearer mistake it, and by thinking of its customary meaning, understand not what he has heard. The Scribes then were they who professed the knowledge of the Law, and to them belonged both the keeping and the studying, as well as also the transcribing and the expounding, of the books of the Law.\n2. Such were they whom our Lord Jesus Christ rebukes, because they have the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and \u201cwould neither enter in themselves, nor suffer others to enter in;\u201d 2526 in these words finding fault with the Pharisees and Scribes, the teachers of the law of the Jews. Of whom in another place He says, \u201cWhatsoever they say, do, but do not ye after their works, for they say and do not.\u201d 2527 Why is it said to you, \u201cFor they say and do not?\u201d but that there are some of whom what the Apostle says, is clearly exemplified, \u201cThou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the Law, through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you.\u201d 2528 It is surely plain that the Lord speaks of these, \u201cFor they say and do not.\u201d They then are p. 336 Scribes, but not \u201cinstructed in the kingdom of God.\u201d\n3. Peradventure some of you may say, \u201cAnd how can a bad man speak what is good, when it is written, in the words of the Lord Himself, \u2018A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things. Ye hypocrites, how can ye being evil speak good things?\u2019\u201d 2529 In the one place He says, \u201cHow can ye being evil speak good things?\u201d in the other He says, \u201cWhat they say, do, but do ye not after their works. For they say, and do not.\u201d If \u201cthey say and do not,\u201d they are evil; if they are evil, they cannot \u201cspeak good things;\u201d how then are we to do what we hear from them, when we cannot hear from them what is good? Now take heed, Holy and Beloved, 2530 how this question may be solved. Whatever an evil man brings forth from himself, is evil; whatever an evil man brings forth out of his own heart, is evil; for there is the evil treasure. But whatever a good man brings forth out of his heart, is good; for there is the good treasure. Whence then did those evil men bring forth good things? \u201cBecause they sat in Moses\u2019 seat.\u201d 2531 Had He not first said, \u201cThey sit in Moses\u2019 seat;\u201d He would never have enjoined that evil men should be heard. For what they brought forth out of the evil treasure of their own heart, was one thing; another what they gave utterance to out of the seat of Moses, the criers so to say of the judge. What the crier says, will never be attributed to him if he speak in the presence of the judge. What the crier says in his own house is one thing, what the crier says as hearing it from the judge is another. For whether he will or no, the crier must proclaim the sentence 2532 of punishment even of his own friend. And so whether he will or no, must he proclaim the sentence of the acquittal even of his own enemy. Suppose him to speak from his heart; he acquits his friend, and punishes his enemy. Suppose him to speak from the judge\u2019s chair; he punishes his friend, and acquits his enemy. So with the Scribes; suppose them to speak out of their own heart; thou wilt hear, \u201cLet us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die.\u201d 2533 Suppose them to speak from Moses\u2019 seat; thou wilt hear, \u201cThou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shall not steal, Thou shall not bear false witness. Honour thy father and mother; thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself.\u201d 2534 Do then this which the official seat 2535 proclaims by the mouth of the Scribes; not that which their heart utters. For so embracing both judgments of the Lord, thou wilt not be obedient in the one, and guilty of disobedience in the other; but wilt understand that both agree together, and wilt regard both that as true, \u201cthat a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things;\u201d and that other also, that those Scribes did not speak good things out of the evil treasure of their heart, but that they were able to speak good things out of the treasure of Moses\u2019 seat.\n4. So then those words of the Lord will not disturb you, when He says, \u201cEvery tree is known by his own fruit. Do men gather grapes of thorns, and figs of thistles?\u201d 2536 The Scribes and Pharisees of the Jews therefore were thorns and thistles, and notwithstanding, \u201cwhat they say do, but do ye not after their works.\u201d So then the grape is gathered from thorns, and the fig from thistles, as He has given thee to understand according to the method I have just laid down. For so sometimes in the vineyard\u2019s thorny hedge, the vines get entangled, and clusters of grapes hang from the brambles. Thou hadst no sooner heard the name of thorns, than thou wert on the point of disregarding the grape. But seek for the root of the thorns, and thou wilt see where to find it. Follow too the root of the hanging cluster, and thou wilt see where to find it. So understand that the one refers to the Pharisee\u2019s heart, the other to Moses\u2019 seat.\n5. But why were they such as they were? \u201cBecause,\u201d says St. Paul, \u201cthe vail is upon their heart. And they do not see that the old things are passed away, and all things are become new.\u201d 2537 Hence it is that they were such, and all others who even now are like them. Why are they old things? Because they have been a long while published. Why new? Because they relate to the kingdom of God. How the vail then is taken away, the Apostle himself tells us. \u201cBut when thou shalt turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.\u201d 2538 So then the Jew who does not turn to the Lord, does not carry on his mind\u2019s eye to the end. Just as at that time the children of Israel in this figure did not carry on the gaze of their eyes \u201cto the end,\u201d 2539 that is, to the face of Moses. For the shining face of Moses contained a figure of the truth; the vail was interposed because the children of Israel could not yet behold the glory of his countenance. \u201cWhich figure is done away.\u201d 2540 For so said the Apostle; \u201cwhich is done away.\u201d Why done away? Because when the emperor comes, the images of him are taken away. The image is looked upon, when the emperor is not present; but where he is, whose image it is, there the image is removed. There were then p. 337 images borne before Him, before that our Emperor the Lord Jesus Christ came. When the images were taken away, the glory of the Emperor\u2019s presence is seen. Therefore, \u201cWhen any one turneth to the Lord, the vail is taken away.\u201d For the voice of Moses sounded through the vail, but the face of Moses was not seen. And so now the voice of Christ sounds to the Jews by the voice of the old Scriptures: they hear their voice, but they see not the face of Him that speaketh. Would they then that the vail should be taken away? \u201cLet them turn to the Lord.\u201d For then the old things are not taken away, but laid up in a treasury, that the Scribe may henceforth be \u201cinstructed in the kingdom of God, bringing forth out of his treasure\u201d not \u201cnew things\u201d only, nor \u201cold things\u201d only. For if he bring forth \u201cnew things\u201d only or \u201cold things\u201d only; he is not \u201ca scribe instructed in the kingdom of God, bringing forth out of his treasure things new and old.\u201d If he say and do them not; he brings forth from the official seat, not from the treasure of his heart. And (we speak the truth, Holy Brethren) what things are brought out of the old, are illustrated by the new. Therefore do \u201cwe turn to the Lord, that the vail may be taken away.\u201d\nRom. ii. 21, etc.\n336:2529 336:2530 336:2531 336:2532 336:2533 336:2534\nExod. xx. 12, etc.\n336:2535 336:2536 336:2537 336:2538 336:2539\n2 Cor. iii. 13. \u03b5\u1f30\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03c4\u03ad\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2.\n336:2540\n\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03c1\u03b3\u03bf\u03c5\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd\u03bf\u03c5. Quod evacuatur.","title":"Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. VI: Sermons on Selec...","type":"page"}