{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/107/1070028.htm","path":"chr/ecf/107/1070028.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/107/1070028.htm","text":"1. Following upon yesterday\u2019s lesson from the Gospel is that of to-day, upon which this day\u2019s discourse is due to you. When that miracle was wrought, in which Jesus fed the five thousand with five loaves, and the multitudes marveled and said that He was a great prophet that came into the world, then follows this: \u201cWhen Jesus therefore knew that they came to seize Him, and to make Him king, He escaped again unto the mountain alone.\u201d It is therefore given to be understood that the Lord, when He sat on the mountain with His disciples, and saw the multitudes coming to Him, had descended from the mountain, and fed the multitudes on its lower parts. For how can it be that He should escape thither again, if He had not before descended from the mountain? There is something meant by the Lord\u2019s descending from on high to feed the multitudes. He fed them, and ascended.\n2. But why did He ascend after He knew that they wished to seize Him and make Him a king? How then; was He not a king, that He was afraid to be made a king? He was certainly not such a king as would be made by men, but such as would bestow a kingdom on men. May it not be that Jesus, whose deeds are words, does here, too, signify some p. 161 thing to us? Therefore in this, that they wished to seize Him and make Him a king, and that for this He escapes to the mountain alone, is this action in His case silent; does it speak nothing, does it mean nothing? Or was this seizing of Him perhaps an intention to anticipate the time of His kingdom? For He had come now, not to reign immediately, as He is to reign in the sense in which we pray, Thy kingdom come. He ever reigns, indeed, with the Father, in that He is the Son of God, the Word of God, the Word by which all things were made. But the prophets foretold His kingdom according to that wherein He is Christ made man, and has made His faithful ones Christians. There will consequently be a kingdom of Christians, which at present is being gathered together, being prepared and purchased by the blood of Christ. His kingdom will at length be made manifest, when the glory of His saints shall be revealed, after the judgment is executed by Him, which judgment He Himself has said above is that which the Son of man shall execute. Of which kingdom also the apostle has said: \u201cWhen He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father.\u201d 487 In reference to which also Himself says: \u201cCome, ye blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom which is prepared for you from the beginning of the world.\u201d 488 But the disciples and the multitudes that believed on Him thought that He had thus come immediately to reign; hence, they wished to seize Him and to make Him a king; they wished to anticipate the time which He hid with Himself, to make it known in due time, and in due time to declare it in the end of the world.\n3. That ye may know that they wished to make Him a king,\u2014that is, to anticipate, and at once to have manifest the kingdom of Christ, whom it behoved first to be judged and then to judge,\u2014when He was crucified, and they who hoped in Him had lost hope of His resurrection, having risen from the dead, He found two of them despairingly conversing together, and, with groaning, talking with one another of what had been done; and appearing to them as a stranger, while their eyes were held that He should not be recognized by them, He mixed with them as they held discourse: but they, narrating to Him the matter of their conversation, said that He was a prophet, mighty in deeds and in words, that had been slain by the chief priests; \u201cAnd we,\u201d say they, \u201cdid hope that it was He that should have redeemed Israel.\u201d 489 Rightly you hoped: a true thing you hoped for: in Him is the redemption of Israel. But why are ye in haste? Ye wish to seize it. The following, too, shows us that this was their feeling, that, when the disciples inquired of Him concerning the end, they said to Him, \u201cWilt Thou at this time be made manifest, and when will be the kingdom of Israel?\u201d For they longed for it now, they wished it now; that is, they wished to seize Him, and to make Him king. But saith He to the disciples (for He had yet to ascend alone), \u201cIt is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father hath put in His own power: but ye shall receive virtue from on high, the Holy Spirit coming upon you, and ye shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the ends of the earth.\u201d 490 You wish that I should manifest the kingdom now; let me first gather what I may manifest; you love elevation, and you shall obtain elevation, but follow me through humility. Thus it was also foretold of Him, \u201cAnd the gathering of the peoples will surround Thee, and for this cause return Thou on high;\u201d 491 that is, that the gatherings of the peoples may surround Thee, that Thou mayest gather many together, return Thou on high. Thus He did; He fed men, and ascended.\n4. But why is it said, He escaped? For He could not be held against His will, nor seized against His will, since He could not be recognized against His will. But that you may know that this was done mystically, not of necessity, but of express purpose, you will presently see in the following: that He appeared to the same multitudes that sought Him, said many things in speaking with them, and discoursed much about the bread of heaven; when discoursing about bread, was He not with the same people from whom He had escaped lest He should be held of them? Then, could He not have so acted at that time that He should not be seized by them, just as afterwards when He was speaking with them? Something, therefore, was meant by His escaping. What means, He escaped? His loftiness could not be understood. For of anything which thou hast not understood thou sayest, \u201cIt has escaped me.\u201d Wherefore, \u201cHe escaped again unto the mountain alone,\u2014the first-begotten from the dead, ascending above all heavens, and interceding for us.\u201d 492\n5. Meanwhile, He, the one great High Priest being above (He who has entered into that within the veil, the people standing without; for Him that priest under the old law, who did this once a year, did signify): He then be p. 162 ing above, what were the disciples enduring in the ship? For that ship prefigured the Church while He is on high. For if we do not, in the first place, understand this thing which that ship suffered respecting the Church, those incidents were not significant, but simply transient; but if we see the real meaning of those signs expressed in the Church, it is manifest that the actions of Christ are a kind of speeches. \u201cBut when it was late, saith he, His disciples went down to the sea; and when they had entered into a ship, they came over the sea to Capernaum.\u201d He declared that as finished quickly, which was done afterwards,\u2014\u201cThey came over the sea to Capernaum.\u201d He returns to explain how they came; that they passed over by sailing across the lake. And whilst they were sailing to that place to which He has already said they had come, He explains by recapitulation what befell them. \u201cIt was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them.\u201d Rightly he said \u201cdark,\u201d for the light had not come to them. \u201cIt was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them.\u201d As the end of the world approaches, errors increase, terrors multiply, iniquity increases, infidelity increases; the light, in short, which, by the Evangelist John himself, is fully and clearly shown to be charity, so much so that he says, \u201cWhoso hateth his brother is in darkness;\u201d 493 that light, I say, is very often extinguished; this darkness of enmity between brethren increases, daily increases, and Jesus is not yet come. How does it appear to increase? \u201cBecause iniquity will abound, and the love of many will begin to wax cold.\u201d Darkness increases, and Jesus is not yet come. Darkness increasing, love waxing cold, iniquity abounding,\u2014these are the waves that agitate the ship; the storms and the winds are the clamors of revilers. Thence love waxes cold; thence the waves do swell, and the ship is tossed.\n6. \u201cAnd a great wind blowing, the sea rose.\u201d Darkness was increasing, discernment was diminishing, iniquity was growing. \u201cWhen, therefore, they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty furlongs.\u201d Meanwhile they struggled onward, kept advancing; nor did those winds and storms, and waves and darkness effect either that the ship should not make way, or that it should break in pieces and founder; but amid all these evils it went on. For, notwithstanding iniquity abounds, and the love of many waxes cold, and the waves do swell, the darkness grows and the wind rages, yet the ship is moving forward; \u201cfor he that perseveres to the end, the same shall be saved.\u201d 494 Nor is that number of furlongs to be lightly regarded. For it cannot really be that nothing is meant, when it is said that, \u201cwhen they had rowed twenty-five or thirty furlongs, Jesus came to them.\u201d It were enough to say, \u201ctwenty-five,\u201d so likewise \u201cthirty;\u201d especially as it was an estimate, not an assertion of the narrator. Could the truth be aught endangered by a mere estimate, if he had said nearly thirty furlongs, or nearly twenty-five furlongs? But from twenty-five he made thirty. Let us examine the number twenty-five. Of what does it consist? of what is it made up? Of the quinary, or number five. That number five pertains to the law. The same are the five books of Moses, the same are those five porches containing the sick folk, the same are the five loaves feeding the five thousand men. Accordingly the number twenty-five signifies the law, because five by five\u2014that is, five times five\u2014make twenty-five, or the number five squared. But this law lacked perfection before the gospel came. Moreover, perfection is comprised in the number six. Therefore in six days God finished, or perfected, the world, and the same five are multiplied by six, that the law may be completed by the gospel, that six times five become thirty. To them that fulfill the law, therefore, Jesus comes. And how does He come? Walking upon the waves, keeping all the swellings of the world under His feet, pressing down all its heights. Thus it goes on, so long as time endures, so long as the ages roll. Tribulations increase, calamities increase, sorrows increase, all these swell and mount up: Jesus passeth on treading upon the waves.\n7. And yet so great are the tribulations, that even they who have trusted in Jesus, and who strive to persevere unto the end, greatly fear lest they fail; while Christ is treading the waves, and trampling down the world\u2019s ambitions and heights, the Christian is sorely afraid. Were not these things foretold him? Justly \u201cthey were afraid,\u201d too, at seeing Jesus walking on the waves; like as Christians, though having hope in the world to come, are frequently disquieted at the crash of human affairs, when they see the loftiness of this world trampled down. They open the Gospel, they open the Scriptures, and they find all these things there foretold; that this is the Lord\u2019s doing. He tramples down the heights of the world, that He may be glorified by the humble. Concerning whose loftiness it is foretold: \u201cThou shalt destroy strongest cities,\u201d and \u201cthe spears of the enemy have p. 163 come to an end, and Thou hast destroyed cities.\u201d 495 Why then are ye afraid, O Christians? Christ speaks: \u201cIt is I; be not afraid.\u201d Why are ye alarmed at these things? Why are ye afraid? I have foretold these things, I do them, they must necessarily be done. \u201cIt is I; be not afraid. Therefore they would receive Him into the ship.\u201d Recognizing Him and rejoicing, they are freed from their fears. \u201cAnd immediately the ship was at the land to which they went.\u201d There is an end made at the land; from the watery to the solid, from the agitated to the firm, from the way to the goal.\n8. \u201cOn the next day the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea,\u201d whence the disciples had come, \u201csaw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto His disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples were gone away alone; but there came other boats from Tiberias, nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, giving thanks to the Lord: when, therefore, the multitudes saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus.\u201d Yet they got some knowledge of so great a miracle. For they saw that the disciples had gone into the ship alone, and that there was not another ship there. But there came boats also from near to that place where they did eat bread; in these the multitudes followed Him. He had not then embarked with His disciples, and there was not another ship there. How, then, was Jesus on a sudden beyond the sea, unless that He walked upon the sea to show a miracle?\n9. \u201cAnd when the multitudes had found Him.\u201d Behold, He presents Himself to the people from whom He had escaped into the mountain, afraid that He should be taken of them by force. In every way He proves to us and gives us to know that all these things are said in a mystery, and done in a great sacrament (or mystery) to signify something important. Behold, that is He who had escaped the crowds unto the mountain; is He not speaking with the same crowds? Let them hold Him now; let them now make Him a king. \u201cAnd when they had found Him on the other side of the sea, they said unto Him, Rabbi, when camest Thou hither?\u201d\n10. After the sacrament of the miracle, He introduces discourse, that, if possible, they who have been fed may be further fed, that He may with discourse fill their minds, whose bellies He filled with the loaves, provided they take in. And if they do not, let that be taken up which they do not receive, that the fragments may not be lost. Wherefore let Him speak, and let us hear. \u201cJesus answered and said Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me, not because ye saw the signs, but because ye have eaten of my loaves.\u201d Ye seek me for the sake of the flesh not for the sake of the spirit. How many seek Jesus for no other object but that He may bestow on them a temporal benefit! One has a business on hand, he seeks the intercession of the clergy; another is oppressed by one more powerful than himself, he flies to the church. Another desires intervention in his behalf with one with whom he has little influence. One in this way, one in that, the church is daily filled with such people. Jesus is scarcely sought after for Jesus\u2019 sake. \u201cYe seek me, not because ye have seen the signs, but because ye have eaten of my loaves. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto eternal life.\u201d Ye seek me for something else, seek me for my own sake. For He insinuates the truth, that Himself is that meat: this shines out clearly in the sequel. \u201cWhich the Son of man will give you.\u201d Thou didst expect, I believe, again to eat bread, again to sit down, again to be gorged. But He had said, \u201cNot the meat which perisheth, but that which endureth unto eternal life,\u201d in the same manner as it was said to that Samaritan woman: \u201cIf thou knewest who it is that asketh of thee drink, thou wouldest perhaps have asked of Him, and He would give thee living water.\u201d When she said, \u201cWhence hast thou, since thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep?\u201d He answered the Samaritan woman: \u201cIf thou knewest who it is that asketh of thee drink, thou wouldst have asked of Him, and He would give thee water, whereof whoso drinketh shall thirst no more; for whoso drinketh of this water shall thirst again.\u201d And she was glad and would receive, as if no more to suffer thirst of body, being wearied with the labor of drawing water. And so, during a conversation of this kind, He comes to spiritual drink. Entirely in this manner also here.\n11. Therefore \u201cthis meat, not that which perisheth, but that which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you; for Him hath God the Father sealed.\u201d Do not take this Son of man as you take other sons of men, of whom it is said, \u201cAnd the sons of men will trust in the protection of Thy wings.\u201d 496 This Son of man p. 164 is separated by a certain grace of the spirit; Son of man according to the flesh, taken out from the number of men: He is the Son of man. This Son of man is also the Son of God; this man is even God. In another place, when questioning His disciples, He saith: \u201cWhom do men say that I, the Son of man, am? And they answered, Some John, some Elias, some Jeremias, or one of the prophets. And He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answered, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.\u201d 497 He declared Himself Son of man, Peter declared Him the Son of the living God. Most fitly did He mention that which in mercy He had manifested Himself to be; most fitly did the other mention that which He continues to be in glory. The Word of God commends to our attention His own humility: the man acknowledged the glory of his Lord. And indeed, brethren, I think that this is just. He humbled Himself for us, let us glorify Him. For not for Himself is He Son of man, but for us. Therefore was He Son of man in that way, when \u201cthe Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.\u201d For to that end \u201cGod the Father sealed Him.\u201d What is to seal, but to put some particular mark? To seal is to impress some mark which cannot be confounded with the rest. To seal is to put a mark on a thing. When thou puttest a mark on anything, thou doest so lest it might be confused with other things, and thou shouldst not be able to recognize it. \u201cThe Father,\u201d then, \u201chath sealed Him.\u201d What is that, \u201chath sealed\u201d? Bestowed on Him something peculiar, which puts Him out of comparison with all other men. For that reason it is said of Him, \u201cGod, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.\u201d 498 What is it then to seal, but to have Him excepted? This is the import of \u201cabove Thy fellows.\u201d And so, do not, saith He, despise me because I am the Son of man, but seek from me, \u201cnot the meat that perisheth, but that which endureth to eternal life.\u201d For I am the Son of man in such manner as not to be one of you: I am Son of man in such manner that God the Father sealed me. What does that mean, He \u201csealed me\u201d? Gave me something peculiarly my own, that I should not be confounded with mankind, but that mankind should be delivered by me.\n12. \u201cThey said therefore unto Him, What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?\u201d For He had said to them, \u201cLabor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto eternal life.\u201d \u201cWhat shall we do?\u201d they ask; by observing what, shall we be able to fulfill this precept? \u201cJesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He has sent.\u201d This is then to eat the meat, not that which perisheth, but that which endureth unto eternal life. To what purpose dost thou make ready teeth and stomach? Believe, and thou hast eaten already. Faith is indeed distinguished from works, even as the apostle says, \u201cthat a man is justified by faith without the works of the law:\u201d 499 there are works which appear good, without faith in Christ; but they are not good, because they are not referred to that end in which works are good; \u201cfor Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.\u201d 500 For that reason, He willeth not to distinguish faith from work, but declared faith itself to be work. For it is that same faith that worketh by love. 501 Nor did He say, This is your work; but, \u201cThis is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He has sent;\u201d so that he who glories, may glory in the Lord. And because He invited them to faith, they, on the other hand, were still asking for signs by which they might believe. See if the Jews do not ask for signs. \u201cThey said therefore unto Him, What sign doest thou, that we may see and believe thee? what dost thou work?\u201d Was it a trifle that they were fed with five loaves? They knew this indeed, but they preferred manna from heaven to this food. But the Lord Jesus declared Himself to be such an one, that He was superior to Moses. For Moses dared not say of himself that ge gave, \u201cnot the meat which perisheth, but that which endureth to eternal life.\u201d Jesus promised something greater than Moses gave. By Moses indeed was promised a kingdom, and a land flowing with milk and honey, temporal peace, abundance of children, health of body, and all other things, temporal goods indeed, yet in figure spiritual; because in the Old Testament they were promised to the old man. They considered therefore the things promised by Moses, and they considered the things promised by Christ. The former promised a full belly on the earth, but of the meat which perisheth; the latter promised, \u201cnot the meat which perisheth, but that which endureth unto eternal life.\u201d They gave attention to Him that promised the more, but just as if they did not yet see Him do greater things. They considered therefore what sort of works Moses had done, and they wished p. 165 yet some greater works to be done by Him who promised them such great things. What, say they, doest thou, that we may believe thee? And that thou mayest know that they compared those former miracles with this and so judged these miracles which Jesus did as being less; \u201cOur fathers,\u201d say they, \u201cdid eat manna in the wilderness.\u201d But what is manna? Perhaps ye despise it. \u201cAs it is written, He gave them manna to eat.\u201d By Moses our fathers received bread from heaven, and Moses did not say to them, \u201cLabor for the meat which perisheth not.\u201d Thou promisest \u201cmeat which perisheth not, but which endureth to eternal life;\u201d and yet thou workest not such works as Moses did. He gave, not barley loaves, but manna from heaven.\n13. \u201cThen Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, not Moses gave you bread from heaven, but my Father gave you bread from heaven. For the true bread is He that cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world.\u201d The true bread then is He that giveth life to the world; and the same is the meat of which I have spoken a little before,\u2014\u201cLabor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto eternal life.\u201d Therefore, both that manna signified this meat, and all those signs were signs of me. Ye have longed for signs of me; do ye despise Him that was signified? Not Moses then gave bread from heaven: God gives bread. But what bread? Manna, perhaps? No, but the bread which manna signified, namely, the Lord Jesus Himself. My Father giveth you the true bread. \u201cFor the bread of God is He that cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world. Then said they unto Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.\u201d Like that Samaritan woman, to whom it was said, \u201cWhoso drinketh of this water shall never thirst.\u201d She, immediately understanding it in reference to the body, and wishing to be rid of want, said, \u201cGive me, O Lord, of this water;\u201d in the same manner also these said, \u201cO Lord, give us this bread;\u201d which may refresh us, and yet not fail.\n14. \u201cAnd Jesus said unto them, I am the Bread of Life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.\u201d \u201cHe that cometh to me;\u201d this is the same thing as \u201cHe that believeth on me;\u201d and \u201cshall never hunger\u201d is to be understood to mean the same thing as \u201cshall never thirst.\u201d For by both is signified that eternal sufficiency in which there is no want. You desire bread from heaven; you have it before you, and yet you do not eat. \u201cBut I said unto you, that ye also have seen me, and ye believed not.\u201d But I have not on that account lost my people. \u201cFor hath your unbelief made the faith of God of none effect?\u201d 502 For, see thou what follows: \u201cAll that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will not cast out of doors.\u201d What kind of within is that, whence there is no going out of doors? Noble interior, sweet retreat! O secret dwelling without weariness, without the bitterness of evil thoughts, without the solicitings of temptations and the interruptions of griefs! Is it not that secret dwelling whither shall enter that well-deserving servant, to whom the Lord will say, \u201cEnter thou into the joy of thy Lord?\u201d 503\n15. \u201cAnd him that will come to me, I will not cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me.\u201d Is it for that reason that Thou wilt not cast out him that shall come unto Thee, because Thou hast descended from heaven, not to do Thine own will, but the will of Him that sent Thee? Great mystery! I beseech you, let us knock together; something may come forth to us which may feed us, according to that which has delighted us. That great and sweet secret dwelling-place: \u201cHe that will come to me.\u201d Give heed, give heed, and weigh the matter: \u201cHe that will come unto me, I will not cast out.\u201d Why? \u201cBecause I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me.\u201d Is it then the very reason why Thou castest not out him that cometh unto Thee, that Thou camest down from heaven, not to do Thy own will, but the will of Him that sent Thee? The very reason. Why do we ask whether it be the same? The same it is; Himself says it. For it would not be right in us to suspect Him to mean other than He says, \u201cWhoso will come to me, I will not cast out.\u201d And, as if thou askedst, wherefore? He answered, \u201cBecause I came not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me.\u201d I am afraid that the reason why the soul went forth away from God is, that it was proud; nay, I do not doubt it. For it is written, \u201cPride is the beginning of all sin; and the beginning of man\u2019s pride is a falling away from God.\u201d It is written, it is firm and sure, it is true. And hence what is said of proud mortal man, clad in the tattered rags of the flesh, weighed down with the weight of a corruptible body, and withal extolling himself, and forgetting with what skin-coat he is clothed,\u2014what, I ask, saith the Scripture to him? p. 166 \u201cWhy is dust and ashes proud?\u201d Why proud! Let the Scripture tell why. \u201cBecause in his life he put forth his inmost parts.\u201d 504 What is \u201cput forth,\u201d but \u201cthrew afar off\u201d? This is to go forth away. For to enter within, is to long after the inmost parts; to put forth the inmost parts, is to go forth away. The proud man puts forth the inmost parts, the humble man earnestly desires the inmost parts. If we are cast out by pride, let us return by humility.\n16. Pride is the source of all diseases, because pride is the source of all sins. When a physician removes a disorder from the body, if he merely cures the malady produced by some particular cause, but not the cause itself, he seems to heal the patient for a time, but while the cause remains, the disease will repeat itself. For example, to speak of this more expressly, some humor in the body produces a scurf or sores; there follows a high fever, and not a little pain; certain remedies are applied to repress the scurf, and to allay that heat of the sore; the remedies are applied, and they do good; thou seest the man who was full of sores and scurf healed; but because that humor was not expelled, it returns again to ulcers. The physician, perceiving this, purges away the humor, removes the cause, and there will be no more sores. Whence doth iniquity abound? From pride. Cure pride and there will be no more iniquity. Consequently, that the cause of all diseases might be cured, namely, pride, the Son of God came down and was made low. Why art thou proud, O man? God, for thee, became low. Thou wouldst perhaps be ashamed to imitate a lowly man; at any rate, imitate the lowly God. The Son of God came in the character of a man and was made low. Thou art taught to become humble, not of a man to become a brute. He, being God, became man; do thou, O man, recognize that thou art man. Thy whole humility is to know thyself. Therefore because God teaches humility, He said, \u201cI came not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me.\u201d For this is the commendation of humility. Whereas pride doeth its own will, humility doeth the will of God. Therefore, \u201cWhoso cometh to me, I will not cast him out.\u201d Why? \u201cBecause I came not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me.\u201d I came humble, I came to teach humility, I came a master of humility: he that cometh to me is made one body with me; he that cometh to me becomes humble; he who adhereth to me will be humble, because he doeth not his own will, but the will of God; and therefore he shall not be cast out, for when he was proud he was cast out.\n17. See those inner things commended to us in the psalm: \u201cBut the sons of men will put their trust in the covering of Thy wings.\u201d See what it is to enter within; see what it is to flee for refuge to His protection; see what it is to run even under the Father\u2019s lash, for He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. \u201cBut the sons of men shall put their trust under the cover of Thy wings.\u201d What is within? \u201cThey shall be filled with the plenteousness of Thy house,\u201d when Thou shalt have sent them within, entering into the joy of their Lord; \u201cthey shall be filled with the plenteousness of Thy house; and Thou shalt give them to drink of the stream of Thy pleasure. For with Thee is the fountain of life.\u201d Not away without Thee, but within with Thee, is the fountain of life. \u201cAnd in Thy light we shall see light. Show Thy mercy upon them that know Thee, and Thy righteousness to them that are of upright heart.\u201d They who follow the will of their Lord, not seeking their own, but the things of the Lord Jesus Christ, they are the upright in heart, their feet shall not be moved. For \u201cGod is good to Israel, to the upright in heart. But, as for me, says he, my feet were almost moved.\u201d Why? \u201cBecause I was jealous at sinners, looking at the peace of sinners.\u201d 505 To whom is God good then, unless to the upright in heart? For God was displeasing to me when my heart was crooked. Why displeasing? Because He gave happiness to the wicked, and therefore my feet tottered, as if I had served God in vain. For this reason, then, my feet were almost moved, because I was not upright of heart. What then is upright in heart? Following the will of God. One man is prosperous, another man toils; the one lives wickedly and yet is prosperous, the other lives rightly and is distressed. Let not him that lives rightly and is in distress be angry; he has within what the prosperous man has not: let him therefore not be saddened, nor vex himself, nor faint. That prosperous man has gold in his own chest; this other has God in his conscience. Compare now gold and God, chest and conscience. The former has that which perishes, and has it where it will perish; the latter has God, who cannot perish, and has Him there whence He cannot be taken away: only if he is upright in heart; for then He enters within and goeth not out. For that reason, what said he? \u201cFor with Thee is the fountain of life:\u201d p. 167 not with us. We must therefore enter within, that we may live; we must not be, as it were, content to perish, nor willing to be satisfied of our own, to be dried up, but we must put our mouth to the very fountain, where the water fails not. Because Adam wished to live by his own counsel, he, too, fell through him who had fallen before through pride, who invited him to drink of the cup of his own pride. Wherefore, because \u201cwith Thee is the fountain of life, and in Thy light we shall see light,\u201d let us drink within, let us see within. Why was there a going out thence? Hear why: \u201cLet not the foot of pride come to me.\u201d Therefore he, to whom the foot of pride came, went out. Show that therefore he went out. \u201cAnd let not the hands of sinners move me;\u201d because of the foot of pride. Why sayest thou this? \u201cThey are fallen, all they that work iniquity.\u201d Where are they fallen? In their very pride. \u201cThey were driven out, and they could not stand.\u201d 506 If, then, pride drove them out who were not able to stand, humility sends them in who can stand for ever. For this reason, moreover, he who said, \u201cThe bones that were brought low shall rejoice,\u201d 507 said before, \u201cThou shalt give joy and gladness to my hearing.\u201d What does he mean by, \u201cto my hearing\u201d? By hearing Thee I am happy; because of Thy voice I am happy; by drinking within I am happy. Therefore do I not fall; therefore \u201cthe bones that were brought low will rejoice;\u201d therefore \u201cthe friend of the Bridegroom standeth and heareth Him;\u201d therefore he stands, because he hears. He drinks of the fountain within, therefore he stands. They who willed not to drink of the fountain within, \u201cthere are they fallen: they were driven, they were not able to stand.\u201d\n18. Thus, the teacher of humility came not to do His own will, but the will of Him that sent Him. Let us come to Him, enter in unto Him, be ingrafted into Him, that we may not be doing our own will, but the will of God: and He will not cast us out, because we are His members, because He willed to be our head by teaching us humility. Finally, hear Himself discoursing: \u201cCome unto me, ye who labor and are heavy laden: take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart:\u201d and when ye have learned this, \u201cye shall find rest for your souls,\u201d 508 from which ye cannot be cast out; \u201cbecause I am come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me;\u201d I teach humility; none but the humble can come unto me. Only pride casteth out; how can he go out who keeps humility and falls not away from the truth? So much as could be said about the hidden sense has now been said, brethren: this sense is hidden enough, and I know not whether I have drawn out and shaped in suitable words for you, why it is that He casteth not out him that cometh unto Him; because He came not to do His own will, but the will of Him that sent Him.\n19. \u201cAnd this,\u201d saith He, \u201cis the will of the Father that sent, that of all that He hath given me I should lose nothing.\u201d He that keeps humility was given to Him; the same He receives: he that keeps not humility is far from the Master of humility. \u201cThat of all which He hath given me, I should lose nothing.\u201d \u201cSo it is not the will of your Father that one of these little ones should perish.\u201d Of the proud, there may perish; but of the little ones, none perisheth; because, \u201cif ye will not become as this little one, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.\u201d \u201cOf all that the Father hath given me, I should lose nothing, but I will raise it up again on the last day.\u201d See how here He delineates that twofold resurrection. \u201cHe that cometh unto me\u201d immediately rises again, being made humble in my members; but I will raise him up again on the last day also according to the flesh. \u201cFor this is the will of my Father that sent me, that every one who seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day.\u201d He said above, \u201cWhoso heareth my word, and believeth Him that sent me:\u201d but now, \u201cWhoso seeth the Son, and believeth on Him.\u201d He has not said, seeth the Son, and believeth on the Father; for to believe on the Son is the same thing as to believe on the Father. Because, \u201ceven as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given also to the Son to have life in Himself. That every one who seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have eternal life:\u201d by believing and by passing unto life, just as by that first resurrection. And, because that is not the only resurrection, He saith, \u201cAnd I will raise him up at the last day.\u201d\nSir. 10:14, 15.\n166:505 167:506 167:507 167:508","title":"Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. VII: Lectures or Tra...","type":"page"}