{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/106/1060277.htm","path":"chr/ecf/106/1060277.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/106/1060277.htm","text":"On the words of the Gospel, Luke xii. 35, \u201cLet your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; and be ye yourselves like,\u201d etc. And on the words of the Psa. 34.12, \u201cwhat man is he that desireth life,\u201d etc.\n1. Our Lord Jesus Christ both came to men, and went away from men, and is to come to men. And yet He was here when He came, nor did He depart when He went away, and He is to come to them to whom He said, \u201cLo, I am with you, even unto the end of the world.\u201d 3417 According to the \u201cform of a servant\u201d then, which He took for our sakes, was He born at a certain time, and was slain, and rose again, and now \u201cdieth no more, neither shall death have any more dominion over Him;\u201d 3418 but according to His Divinity, wherein He was equal to the Father, was He already in this world, and \u201cthe world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.\u201d 3419 On this point ye have just heard the Gospel, what admonition it has given us, putting us on our guard, and wishing us to be unencumbered and prepared to await the end; that after these last 3420 things, which are to be feared in this world, that rest may succeed which hath no end. Blessed are they who shall be partakers of it. For then shall they be in security, who are not in security now; and again then shall they fear, who will not fear now. Unto this waiting, and for this hope\u2019s sake, have we been made Christians. Is not our hope not of this world? Let us then not love the world. From the love of this world have we been called away, that we may hope for and love another. In this world ought we to abstain from all unlawful desires, to have, that is, \u201cour loins girded;\u201d and to be fervent and to shine in good works, that is, to have \u201cour lights burning.\u201d For the Lord Himself said to His disciples in another place of the Gospel, \u201cNo man lighteth a candle and putteth it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that it may give light unto all that are in the house.\u201d 3421 And to show of what He was speaking, He subjoined and said, \u201cLet your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.\u201d 3422\n2. Therefore He would that \u201cour loins should be girded, and our lights burning.\u201d 3423 What is, \u201cour loins girded\u201d? \u201cDepart from evil.\u201d 3424 What is to \u201cburn\u201d? What is to have our \u201clights burning\u201d? It is this, \u201cAnd do good.\u201d What is that which He said afterwards, \u201cAnd ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when He will return from the wedding:\u201d 3425 except that which follows in that Psalm, \u201cSeek after peace, and ensue it\u201d? 3426 These three things, that is, \u201cabstaining from evil, and doing good,\u201d and the hope of everlasting reward, are recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, where it is written, that Paul taught them of \u201ctemperance and righteousness,\u201d 3427 and the hope of eternal life. To temperance belongs, \u201clet your loins be girded.\u201d To righteousness, \u201cand your lights burning.\u201d To the hope of eternal life, the waiting for the Lord. So then, \u201cdepart from evil,\u201d this is temperance, these are the loins girded: \u201cand do good,\u201d this is righteousness, these are the \u201clights burning;\u201d \u201cseek peace, and ensue it,\u201d this is the waiting for the world to come: therefore, \u201cBe ye like unto men that wait for their Lord, when He will come from the wedding.\u201d\n3. Having then these precepts and promises, why seek we on earth for \u201cgood days,\u201d where we cannot find them? For I know that ye do seek them, when ye are either sick, or in any of the tribulations, which in this world abound. For when life draws towards its close, the old man is full of complaints, and with no joys. Amid all the tribulations by which mankind is worn away, men seek for nothing but \u201cgood days,\u201d and wish for a long life, which here they cannot have. For even a man\u2019s long life is narrowed within so short a span to the wide extent of all ages, as if it were but one drop to the whole sea. What then is man\u2019s life, even that which is called a long one? They call that a long life, which even in this world\u2019s course is short; and as I have said, groans abound even unto the decrepitude of old age. This at the most is but brief, and of short duration; and yet how eagerly is it sought by men, with how great diligence, with how great toil, with how great carefulness, with how great watchfulness, with how great labour do men seek to live here for a long time, and to grow old. And yet this very living long, what is it but running to the p. 441 end? Thou hadst yesterday, and thou dost wish also to have to-morrow. But when this day and to-morrow are passed, thou hast them not. Therefore thou dost wish for the day to break, that that may draw near to thee whither thou hast no wish to come. Thou makest some annual festival with thy friends, and hearest it there said to thee by thy well-wishers, \u201cMayest thou live many years,\u201d thou dost wish that what they have said, may come to pass. What? Dost thou wish that years and years may come, and the end of these years come not? Thy wishes are contrary to one another; thou dost wish to walk on, and dost not wish to reach the end.\n4. But if, as I have said, there is so great care in men, as to desire with daily, great and perpetual labours, to die somewhat later: with how great cause ought they to strive, that they may never die? Of this, no one will think. Day by day \u201cgood days\u201d are sought for in this world, where they are not found; yet no one wishes so to live, that he may arrive there where they are found. Therefore the same Scripture admonishes us, and says, \u201cWho is the man that wisheth for life, and loveth to see good days?\u201d 3428 Scripture so asked the question, as that It knew well what answer would be given It; knowing that all men would \u201cseek for life and good days.\u201d In accordance with their desire It asked the question, as if the answer would be given It from the heart of all, \u201cI wish it;\u201d It said thus, \u201cWho is the man that wisheth for life, and loveth to see good days?\u201d Just as even at this very hour in which I am speaking to you, when ye heard me say, \u201cWho is the man that wisheth for life, and loveth to see good days?\u201d ye all answered in your heart, \u201cI.\u201d For so do I too, who am speaking with you, \u201cwish for life and good days;\u201d what ye seek, that do I seek also.\n5. Just as if gold were necessary for us all, and we all, I as well as you, were wishing to get at the gold, and there was some anywhere in a field of yours, in a place subject to your power, and I were to see you searching for it, and were to say to you, \u201cWhat are ye searching for?\u201d ye were to answer me, \u201cGold.\u201d And I were to say to you, \u201cYe are searching for gold, and I am searching for gold too: what ye are searching for, I am searching for; but ye are not searching for it where we can find it. Listen to me then, where we can find it; I am not taking it away from you, I am showing you the spot;\u201d yea, let us all follow Him, who knows where what we are seeking for, is. So now too seeing that ye desire \u201clife and good days,\u201d we cannot say to you, \u201cDo not desire \u2018life and good days;\u2019\u201d but this we say, \u201cDo not seek for \u2018life and good days\u2019 here in this world, where \u2018good days\u2019 cannot be.\u201d Is not this life itself like unto death? Now these days here hasten and pass away: for to-day has shut out yesterday; tomorrow only rises that it may shut out to-day. These days themselves have no abiding; wherefore wouldest thou abide with them? Your desire then whereby ye wish for \u201clife and good days,\u201d I not only do not repress, but I even more strongly inflame. By all means \u201cseek\u201d for \u201clife, seek for good days;\u201d but let them be sought there, where they can be found.\n6. For would ye with me hear His counsel, who knoweth where \u201cgood days\u201d and where \u201clife\u201d is? Hear it not from me, but together with me. For One says to us, \u201cCome, ye children, hearken unto Me.\u201d And let us run together, and stand, and prick up our ears, and with our hearts understand the Father, who hath said, \u201cCome, ye children, hearken unto Me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord.\u201d 3429 And then follows what he would teach us, and to what end the fear of the Lord is useful. \u201cWho is the man that wisheth life, and loveth to see good days?\u201d We all answer, \u201cWe wish it.\u201d Let us listen then to what follows, \u201cRefrain thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile.\u201d 3430 Now say, \u201cI wish it.\u201d Just now when I said, \u201cWho is the man that wisheth for life, and loveth to see good days?\u201d we all answered, \u201cI.\u201d Come then, let some one now answer \u201cI.\u201d So then, \u201cRefrain thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile.\u201d Now say, \u201cI.\u201d Wouldest thou then have \u201cgood days\u201d and \u201clife,\u201d and wouldest thou not \u201crefrain thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile\u201d? Alert to the reward, slow to the work! And to whom if he does not work is the reward rendered? I would that in thy house thou wouldest render the reward even to him that does work! For to him that works not, I am sure thou dost not render it. And why? Because thou owest nothing to him that does not work! And God hath a reward proposed. What reward? \u201cLife and good days,\u201d which life we all desire, and unto which days we all strive to come. The promised reward He will give us. What reward? \u201cLife and good days.\u201d And what are \u201cgood days\u201d? Life without end, rest without labour.\n7. Great is the reward He hath set before us: in so great a reward as is set before us, let us see what He hath commanded us. For enkindled by the reward of so great a promise, and by the love of the reward, let us make ready at once our strength, our sides, our arms, to do His bidding. Is it as if He were to command us to carry heavy burdens, to dig something it may be, or to raise up some machine? No, no such p. 442 laborious thing hath He enjoined thee, but hath enjoined thee only to \u201crefrain\u201d that member which amongst all thy members thou dost move so quickly. \u201cRefrain thy tongue from evil.\u201d It is no labour to erect a building, and is it a labour to hold in the tongue? \u201cRefrain thy tongue from evil.\u201d Speak no lie, speak no revilings, speak no slanders, speak no false witnesses, speak no blasphemies. \u201cRefrain thy tongue from evil.\u201d See how angry thou art, if any one speaks evil of thee. As thou art angry with another, when he speaks evil of thee; so be thou angry with thyself, when thou speakest evil of another. \u201cLet thy lips speak no guile.\u201d What is in thine heart within, be that spoken out. Let not thy breast conceal one thing, and thy tongue utter another. \u201cDepart from evil, and do good.\u201d For how should I say, \u201cClothe the naked,\u201d to him who up to this time would strip him that is clothed? For he that oppresses his fellow-citizen, how can he take in the stranger? So then in proper order, first \u201cdepart from evil,\u201d and \u201cdo good;\u201d first \u201cgird up thy loins,\u201d and then \u201clight the lamp.\u201d And when thou hast done this, wait in assured hope for \u201clife and good days.\u201d \u201cSeek peace, and ensue it;\u201d and then with a good face wilt thou say unto the Lord, \u201cI have done what Thou hast bidden, render me what Thou hast promised.\u201d\nThe troubles through the incursions of the barbarian tribes, as heralds of the end. See St. Cyprian, Ad Demetr. 2, p. 201, Oxf. tr.; De Mort. v. 2, p. 216, 7.\n440:3421 440:3422 440:3423 440:3424 440:3425 440:3426 440:3427 441:3428 441:3429 441:3430","title":"Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. VI: Sermons on Selec...","type":"page"}