A

COMMENTARY
UPON

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

S.

LUKE,

BY
S.

CYRIL,

PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA.

NOW

FIRST TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH

FROM AN ANCIENT SYRIAC VERSION

BY
R.

PAYNE SMITH,

M.A.,

SUBLIBRARIAN OF THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY.

PART

I.

OXFORD

AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

M.DCCt .LIX.

REFA

WHEN

E.

undertook the task of preparing for the

of S. Cyril s Commentary
press the Syriac Version
the
upon the Gospel of S. Luke, discovered among
manuscripts lately obtained from Egypt, and depo
I

sited in the British

labours
also

Museum,

would be of

made

it

little

was aware that

my

unless
practical benefit,

accessible to theologians generally

by

In the performance
chief assistance has been derived

means of an English

translation.

of this duty, my
from the Nova Bibliotheca Patrum of Cardinal Mai,

for so miserably
published in 1844-58 at Rome:
defective is even the best Syriac Lexicon, that it has

been able to
repeatedly happened that I have only
arrive with something like certainty at the meaning
of a passage, by waiting until I found in some ex
tract in Mai the equivalent in Greek of the word or
has failed,
phrase in question. Wherever this help
I have
examined the use of words in other
carefully

Semitic dialects, or in the numerous Syriac works

which during the last few years have issued from the
in the habit of noting
press, and in which I had been
the occurrence of

all

new and unusual

A 2

terms.

To

PREFACE.

iv

have discussed these

difficulties in notes,

would have

been only to crowd my pages with matter not gene

rally interesting, and for which, I trust, I shall here
have a more

after

fitting opportunity.

ever, that I can safely say, that in

come
and

I think,

how

no case have

upon reasonable grounds,

due allowance made for possible errors,

to a conclusion except

that, after

found to convey a correct and

adequate representation of the original work.

my

translation will be

Of

the value of the Commentary, I shall probably

not be considered an impartial judge: still my con
is, that it can scarcely fail of being regarded as
an important addition to our means of forming an
accurate judgment of what was the real teaching of
one of the most famous schools of thought in the early

viction

Church.

not indeed gained entire acceptance

philosophy was too deep, its creed too mysterious,
longings too fervently fixed upon the supernatural,

its
its

It has

for the practical

doctrines which

mind
mock

of the West readily to assent to

rather than exercise the powers

of even the subtlest reason.

its

doctors have

we owe

tory

is

while the names of

become household words with

us,

and

to their labours the establishment of the

trine of the Trinity in

we hold

And

it

at present,

Unity

still

aware, that in

in its

doc
main outlines as

the student of Church His

many

minor, though

still

im

portant particulars, the teaching of the Alexandrine

school was in excess of what we at present hold. The

Athanasian Creed does not embody the actual tenets

of Athanasius, nor of the other great masters of Alex

which they were modi

by the influence of rival schools: and

andria, except in the

fied

and altered

form

in

PREFACE.
in like

manner

S. Cyril,

and of

nasius throne,

the inheritor at once of Atha

his views, often uses

arguments

which the Monophysites could fairly claim as giving

a colour to their belief, that after the union of the

two natures

in Christ

it

was no longer lawful to

dis

limits.
tinguish their separate
It was the Nestorian controversy which called out

the argumentative powers and the fiery zeal of S. Cyril

and it is certainly true that in that controversy lie
used Nestorius unfairly, taxing him with deduc
;

which, however logically they might seem to

s teaching, yet Nestorius
follow from his

tions,

opponent

himself expressly denied hut it is not true that the

of doctrine beyond
controversy led him into statements
:

what

his predecessors in the see of

Alexandria had

For constantly what he opposed to his

views was the very doctrine of S. Athanasius

taught.
rival s

and the passage which he

recta Fide, ad Imperatrices,

on the Incarnation of
any of

his

as follow:
KOI

6/J.o\oyoviJ.ev,

is

never exceeded

statements.

Its

TOV

Va

aXXa

Kvvt]TOv

VIOV,
/atai/

/X/CtJ/

Kal elvai avrov vtov TOV

S.

Athanasius

ov Svo

TOV Oeov \oyov

Trpoa-KvvovfjLevqv /xera rrjs arapKO?

This was

Oeou

KO.I

TTpO(TKVVr]Tr]V

(pvcrtv

in

words are

Oeov Kara Tn/ev/xa, vtov avOpwirov Kara crapKa

(f)U(Tt9

Kcii

Christ,

own dogmatic

De

quotes in his treatise

from that father s treatise

avrov

/mia

doctrine, this

also

was

S.

only a falsification of the facts of

the Alexandrine school
history to endeavour to bring
into verbal accordance with the decrees of the general

Cyril

and

it

is

The

doctrine which prevailed

there was that of the rival school of Antioch, which

council of Chalcedon.

had always firmly stood by the

literal

interpretation of

PREFACE.

vi

the plain letter of Scripture

a sound, judicious,

com

mon-sense school, which had never depth enough to

have fought the battle of the Arian heresy with the
profoundness of conviction which gave such undyingenergy to the great chiefs of Alexandria but which
had under Providence its due place in
;

nevertheless

the Church, and corrected the tendency of Athanasius

and Cyril to a too immoderate love of the super
natural and mysterious.

That

S. Cyril

however

that there

felt

was no insu

perable barrier between the two schools is shown by

his reconciliation with John of Antioch, and their
signing

common

articles

of

faith.

For

essentially

both Cyril and John of Antioch held the mean be

tween the extremes of Nestorius and Eutyches only
;

Cyril

leaning was towards Eutyches,

Nestorius.

John

towards

And when

subsequently the council of

A.
D.
Chalcedon,
451, modified, happily and wisely,
the decrees of the previous general council of Ephesus,
A. D. 431, and adopted as their standard of faith the
teaching of the Antiochian school as embodied in the

famous Epistola Flaviana of Leo, Pope of Rome, they

acknowledged this substantial agreement between
Antioch and Alexandria, between themselves and
the council of Ephesus,
Aew errre TO. rov KvpiXXov,

the same that Cyril

they were right this

by

their declaration that

what Leo wrote was

And that in the main
taught.
present Commentary will shew

for S. Cyril s doctrine in

that

essentially moderate.
There are indeed passages in which he apparently
confounds the limits of the two natures in Christ, but

many more
tributes,

in

it

is

which he gives to each

and bears witness

its

proper at

to the existence of both

PREFACE.
the godhead and the

manhood

vii

in the

one person of

our Lord, inseparable, yet unconfused.

But when Mai would go further, and deny that

the Monophysites had any ground for claiming S.
Cyril

of

uncritical turn
authority in their favour, his

mind

at

once betrays him:

for

he

rests

chiefly

Incarnatione Domini, Nov. Bib.

upon the treatise
Pat. ii. 32-74, ascribed by him to S. Cyril upon the

De

But indepen
testimony of a MS. in the Vatican.
this
that
piece was
dently of other internal evidence
written subsequently to the council of Chalcedon, it
is

could ever have

absolutely impossible that Cyril
the very keystone and centre of Nestorius

adopted

teaching, the doctrine

mean

of a o-wdfata (pp. 59,

mere juxtaposition, or mechanical conjunction

of the two natures in Christ, in opposition to a real
71), a

union
In the West, under the guiding minds of Augustine
and Ambrose, the council of Chalcedon met at once
It
with ready acceptance ; but not so in the East.
was there that the controversy had been really waged

the reaction from his teaching led

against Arius, and
many of the fathers into overstrained arguments

which ended in* heresies, ejected one after another

from the Church. As in the process of fermentation

scum upon the surface while the

work of purification is going on below, so each ex
there

is

a thick

traneous element, after mingling for a time with the

was at length rejected

great mass of Christian truth,
with an ease or difficulty proportioned to the intenseness of

its

admixture with sounder doctrines.

And

invaluable services of

thus the general orthodoxy and

the Alexandrine school caused whatever there was of

PREFACE.

viii

exaggeration in their views long and violently to

resist this purifying process in those parts of the

world which had been the nearest witnesses of their

struggles in defence of the doctrine of the consubstantial nature of

the Son.

to the time also of

Up

the council ofChalcedon the language of the Fathers

had been vague and confused and the expression of
:

the Word was made flesh

John i. 14, that
as
it had led the Arians to affirm that the
Logos was a
created being, so it had led orthodox Fathers to speak
"

S.

;"

And
very God."
thus the Monophysites could count up a long array
of all the great names in the Church, Ignatius, Polyas if Christ s

carp,

human body was

Clemens of Rome,

Felix and Julius of

"

Irenseus, Melito of Sardes,

Rome, the

Gregories, Athanasius,

and many more, who had confounded in Christ

the human with the divine. With such authorities
Basil,

on

was long and dubious, and

time they seemed likely to gain the
for the Pope then was the mere crea

their side the conflict

in Justinian

ascendancy
ture of simony, and consequently there was nothing
to balance the tendencies of the Eastern Church.
:

Accordingly in A. D. 533 Justinian, though nominally

one of the
opposed to their tenets, decreed that
"

holy and consubstantial Trinity was crucified

twenty years after, the fifth general council of

:"

stantinople authoritatively ratified the

and

Con

same doctrine.

But
weak reign of Justin, the Pa
triarch of Constantinople, John the Jurist, thwarted by
in the subsequent

the Monophysite monks whom Theodora had planted

in the capital, took such vigorous measures against the
leaders of the party, that their principles have since
exercised no appreciable influence in the Church.

PREFACE.

ix

Mo nophy sites

As the

had only pushed to excess

and it
the tendencies of the Alexandrine school
no
means
to
are
that
remembered
must be
by
they
be confounded with the Eutychians, according to the
fashion of Church histories in general, whereas really
the above sketch may
they anathematized them
the
in
reader
a
place
position to judge of the state

ments of
after all

a doctrine
regarding this doctrine,
of metaphysical rather than of practical im
S. Cyril

But, as a general rule, he will find the

Commentary written in a tone of moderation, as

portance.

might be expected

own

to his

homilies addressed by a teacher

people, far from the baleful -atmosphere of
in

controversy, and in a place where his views were in

full and
hereditary possession of the teacher s chair.

There

is

too a practical tone throughout, and while

Old Testament he follows

in his interpretation of the

the usual tendencies of the fathers to see nothing

there but types and allegories, in the New he chiefly
follows

the

obvious meaning,

and considers each

parable or narrative or discourse as a whole, the

key of which he generally finds in the occasion which
it.
He even warns us against pushing
the minutia? of parables into too prominent a posi
tion, by means of which the machinery to enforce

gave

rise to

becomes the medium

a moral

lesson

ing some

cabbalistic mystery

as

for

convey

when, instead of in

ferring the certainty of our having to give an account

of the use of our
of
means from the

worldly
parable
Dives and Lazarus, commentators use it to unveil the
secrets of the future world
or discover the two sa
;

craments in the pence given by the Samaritan to the

host at the inn.
b

PREFACE.

Like many other

patristic

Commentaries,

it

was

delivered in a course of short Sermons, preached ex

temporaneously for so we may conclude, not only

from the opening sentences of Sermon III, and the
:

reiteration

of favourite texts,

but also from their

evidently being quoted from memory.

Repeatedly
S. Cyril s reading agrees neither with the
Septuagint

nor with any other Greek version of the Old Testa

ment, though occasionally he (apparently) purposely
follows Theodotion.

In the

New

Testament he was
most
familiar
with
S.
s
Matthew
evidently
Gospel,
and not only does he make his ordinary quotations
from it, but even introduces its readings into the

Commentary, after correctly giving S. Luke s text

at the head of the Sermon.
And as increased at
is
now being paid to the collection of
the various readings of Holy Scripture contained in
the works of the fathers, the caution may not be out

tention

of place, that certainly in S. Cyril, and probably in

the patristic writings generally, no
importance is to
be attached to the substitution of the words and
phrases of one Gospel for those of another.
In the headings however placed before each Ser

mon, we have

most valuable addition to our mate

rials for biblical criticism

for evidently they give us

the received Alexandrine text as

it

was read

in the

beginning of the fifth century ; and that S. Cyril was

fully aware of the importance of correctness on this

head

is

evident from his constant allusions to the

readings of the other Gospels.

Its value

will best

between

appear by

a comparison

it

however

and the

chief extant authorities, and I have therefore collated

it

in the

margin, 1. with the readings of the great

PREFACE.
Vatican

xi

MS. published posthumously by

Mai, and which

have marked

as B.

now

Cardinal

2. with the

process of
with
with Griesbach, G.; and,
publication, T.; 3.
I have not however consi
the textus receptus, 9.

seventh edition of Tischendorf,

in

4".

necessary to notice unimportant transposi

tions in the order of words, and where Griesbach is

dered

it

have usually
have done with the Sy-

equally in favour of two readings,

name

omitted his
riac,

as also I

represented by

corresponds as

S., in

much

Greek reading.

the few cases in which

it

with the one as with the other

be noticed that

It will

in all cases

have represented the Syriac by

equivalent
followed
wherever
I
have
also
rule
which
Greek,
its

in
it

has appeared expedient to give in the margin the

original word ; often however of course the Greek is
actually taken from the remains in Mai.

The most

cursory glance at the margin will shew

that the high expectation naturally formed of the

probable value of so ancient a text is fully carried out

in fact.
Its readings are almost always supported by

one or other of the chief

those of B.

itself.

And

authorities, far

even where

it

more

seems

so than
to stand

alone, an examination of the readings in Tischendorf

is a
will almost universally shew that
strong
tljere
array of evidence in its support among the most

contains nothing which mo

dern criticism has definitely condemned. One obser

valued MSS., while

vation

is

it

however necessary, namely, that the Syriac

language indulges in a fuller use of pronouns even

than our own; and though I have noticed in the
margin their addition wherever they might possibly

b2

PREFACE.

xii

exist in the

Greek, yet,

like those in italics in

our

own

version, they are really not to be regarded as varise

lectiones, but only as the necessary result of the idiom

of the language.

may however be asked, whether the Syriac trans

may be depended upon in his rendering of the
To this I can answer unhesi
original Greek text.
It

lator

tatingly in the affirmative

extant in

Mai

wherever the Greek

collection, the exactness with

is

which

reproduced in the Syriac without the slightest

alteration of tense and number, and with the most

it

is

curious

expedients for rendering those

compound

words in which Greek

delights, is marvellous. Wher
ever also Mai has misunderstood a
passage, or wrongly
punctuated a sentence, it is as a usual rule correctly
given in the Syriac, and though
it has
occasionally

erred, as in rendering

whereas

it

extremely

really

(T

means

X oa/o?,

in Jer.

"pen,"

still

viii. 8,

by

"cord,"

such instances are

rare.

At
one

the same time the translator has been

guilty of
fault, which I am the more anxious to
mention,

as otherwise

it

might be

laid to

my own

charge,

namely, that he has taken no care to render each quo

tation always in the same words.
The most glaring
instance of this occurs in Is. i. 23, where no less than
three different
renderings are given of Thy princes
are disobedient" one
only of which is the exact equi
valent of the Greek aveiOovn,
though none deviate
far from it ; while the Peschito
gives a fourth
"

"

word,

the equivalent of the

the words

Hebrew

"

rebellious."

in

Amos

crwr^/ous eTri<paveias
greatly puzzled the Syriac translator,

v.

who

Similarly
22, have

renders

PREFACE.
them sometimes by
sometimes

"

xiii

"

your appearances

the salvation of your

for

salvation,"

appearances,"

the

on ac
language not admitting of a literal rendering
count of its scanty use of adjectives. And though the
same Greek text naturally suggested to the translator
the same Syriac rendering, still he has not troubled
maintaining verbal identity in the
For
various places in which the same text occurs.
my own part, originally I made an entry of each text
himself about

upon translating

much

it,

puqwse of retaining as
but when I found
possible

for the

verbal accuracy as

these variations in the

Syriac, I

and following the same plan

as

gave up the attempt,

my predecessor, have

contented myself with carefully rendering each text

as it occurred, without comparing it with previous
translations,

and

think

it

will

be found that neither

of us have gone far astray from the exact sense of the

original.
I

need scarcely mention

after the above, that the

Syriac translator does not take his quotations from

the Peschito.
Of course in the Old Testament this

was impossible,

as that version

represents,

not the

For the same rea

Septuagint, but the Hebrew.
son, the use of our own version was equally an im
the
possibility to myself, since, as is well known,
considerably from the Masoretic
text, of which ours is a translation, for one to be

Greek

differs

too

I am by no
the equivalent of the other.
the
in
means however prepared to join
general con
demnation of the Septuagint, stamped as it is by the

at

all

approval of our Lord and His apostles ; and though

parts of it are done far less efficiently than the rest,

PREFACE.

xiv

yet whoever neglects

it

throws away one of the most

important means for attaining to a knowledge of the

original Scriptures

and

know

of no more difficult

question than the adjudication between the vocalising

and arrangement of the Hebrew text as represented

by the Septuagint, and that which gives us the sub

sequent tradition of the Jewish schools. Not that
there is the slightest room for
doubting the authenti

and genuineness in all substantial points of the

Scriptures of the Old Testament for the question
city

only the vowels and the division of words and

the vowels in Semitic
languages are not so important
affects

of the Indo-Germanic
To the
family.
no
Jewish author ever expresses them in
present day
as in those

though they have so

customs as no longer to
string
writing,

far

adopted modern

their consonants to

gether in one unbroken line. Necessarily, however,

under such circumstances
reading in ancient times was
a matter of no
slight difficulty, and hence the
dignity
of the profession of the scribe, and the wonder of the

Jews

at

our Lord and His

apostles possessing the

The Septuagint

therefore pos
both
the
first
being
attempt
at fixing the
meaning of the uncertain elements in
the Hebrew language, and as
dating prior to the
establishment of Christianity: and
Jewish
requisite

knowledge.

sesses especial value, as

though
more
and elimi
exact,
subsequently grew
nated many mistakes into which the authors of the
Septuagint had fallen, still the fact that these subse
tradition

quent labours of the Jewish schools first found their

expression in the version of Aquila, who had deserted
Christianity,

and published

his translation as a

rival

PREFACE.

xv

and certainly with no kindly in

tention towards the religion which he had abandoned,
may well make us hesitate before we so unceremoni

to the Septuagint,

can be
ously decry a version, the mistakes of which
ascribed to nothing worse than simple inefficiency.

That from such hands and under such auspices the

Masoretic text is so trustworthy, and so free from any
ground of suspicion, entirely as regards its con
sonants, and to a great extent as regards its vowels, is
the result, under God s Providence, of the extreme

real

reverence of the Jews for the letter of those ordi

nances which had been entrusted to their keeping,

since the Christian Church was by no means aware
of the importance of an exact inquiry into the true
meaning of the earlier Scriptures, and contented

with receiving what the Jews provided for its

use even Jerome himself scarcely giving us more
than what his Jewish masters taught him, and Ori-

itself
;

knowledge of Hebrew being about as much

could be expected from the time it took him

gen

acquire it.
In the New Testament the case was different

as

to

for

was just possible there to have used the

words of our authorized Version. But so to have

of course

it

done would have brought me into constant opposition

to my text ; for I had not the Greek before me, but
a Syriac rendering of

it,

punctuated to an extreme

degree of nicety, and fixing the meaning to one defi

nite sense. It seemed therefore my only honest course
to reproduce as exactly as I could the version of the

Whether I should myself in all

have given the same meaning to the original

Syriac translator.
cases

PREFACE.

xvi

Greek

an entirely distinct thing for the duty of

is not to
give his own views, but those
of his author. Still, as the memory naturally
sug
is

a translator

gested the language of the authorized Version, it will

no doubt be found to have exercised no little in

upon the words which I have used.

But it seemed to me expedient for another reason

fluence

to reproduce as
exactly as possible the renderings of
the Syriac translation.
For the
of the

perfecting

Word is one of
man can under

English translation of the Inspired

the noblest tasks which the mind of
take

and though there may be

evils

attendant upon

interfering with our present noble Saxon Version,

still none can be so
great as its being regarded by
a gradually
increasing proportion of the community
as deficient in correctness.

To commission however

any body of scholars, however competent, to under

take a completely new version, or at
present even a
general revision of what we have, would be, in

my

The controversy ought

opinion, at least premature.
to be carried on in a
distinct
from the book
region
which we use in our worship and devotion and such
:

at present

is

the case, the attempts at improvement

individuals, and not by any consti

being made by
tuted

When, however, there has been

authority.
gained a sufficient mass of results generally received,
the time will have

come for the proper steps to be

taken for admitting them into the authorized version.
And possibly in the New Testament the labours of
so

many

scholars

and commentators may

years bring matters to such a pass as

proper authorities in undertaking

its

in a

may justify

revision

few
the

but in

PREFACE.

xvii

Old Testament the case is very different, and a

lengthened period of far more profound study of He
brew literature than at present prevails, carried on
the

by many different minds, is required before anything

more could be done than to bring the translation in
a few unimportant particulars nearer to the Masoretic text.

In the present translation, therefore, I have used

the utmost exactness in rendering all quotations from

hope that it might not be

value to shew in what way the New Tes

Scripture, in the

Holy

without

its

tament was understood and rendered by so compe

tent and ancient an authority as the Syriac translator
of this present work.

now

only to mention the relation in

which the Syriac Version of the Commentary stands
to the Greek remains collected by Mai, and of which
I have given a translation wherever the MS. of the
It

remains

Syriac was unfortunately defective.

As early then as the year 1838 Mai had shewn the
great value of this Commentary by the extracts pub
lished in the tenth volume of his Auctores Classici

and from that time he laboured assiduously

his collection as

2nd

complete

in

making

as possible, until at length

of his Bib. Pat. Nova, the fragments

gathered by him from twelve different Catenae, toge
ther with a Latin translation, occupy more than 300
in the

vol.

quarto pages.
But the critical acumen of

commensurate with
fault

Mai was by no means

his industry.

With the

of collectors, the smallest amount

usual

of external

PREFACE.

xviii

evidence was sufficient to override the strongest in

nor apparently did his reading
ternal improbability
:

much beyond

extend

those

Manuscripts,

among

which he laboured with such splendid results. At

all events,
though Cyril was an anthor whom he
greatly valued, not only does he ascribe to the Com
mentary a vast mass of matter really taken from
Cyril

other works, but even numerous extracts from

Theophylact, Gregory Nazianzen, and other writers,

whose style and method of interpretation are entirely

opposed to the whole tenor of Cyril

Although

it

scarcely belonged to

mind.

my

undertaking

these extracts, yet, as it might have thrown a

suspicion upon the genuineness of the Syriac Version
to find it unceremoniously rejecting nearly a third

to

sift

gathered, I have in most cases in

dicated the work or author to whom the rejected

of what

Mai had

few still remain unaccounted

passages belong.
for; but as the principle of Niketas, the compiler
of the chief Catena upon S. Luke, confessedly was
to gather

from

all

Cyril

lustrate the Evangelist

works whatever might il

meaning, and as in so do

ing he often weaves two, or even three distinct ex

one connected narrative, it is no wonder

was more easy to gather such passages than to

tracts into
if it

restore the disjecta

membra

to their original position.

Several extracts also which escaped me at the time

have since met my eye, of which the only one of

the remarkable explanation of the two

birds at the cleansing of the leper, conf. Com. on

importance

Luke

v.

14,

to Acacius,

is

and which

is

taken from a letter of Cyril

PREFACE.

xix

But the value of the Commentary does not arise

simply from the uncertainty attaching to what Mai
has gathered, but also from the superior form in
which it gives what really is Cyril s own. As a ge
neral rule, the Catenists give conclusions without pre
misses, striking statements separated

from the context

which defines their meaning, results as true generally

which are only true particularly, or which at least are
which led to them.
greatly modified by the occasion
moreover the manner of the Catenists often
to introduce extracts by a summary of what precedes
them, or where their length precluded their admis

As

it

is

sion to give an abstract of them in briefer words, it

often happens that a passage really Cyril s is followed

Mai by an

in

of

abstract

itself

taken from

some

and thus an amount of confusion

and repetition is occasioned which contrasts unfa
and
vourably with the simplicity of arrangement
smaller Catena

easiness of

comprehension which prevail throughout

the

Commentary itself.
Nevertheless Mai probably took the

best course in

of mate
confining himself to the simple collection
and at all events his works are carefully edited,
rials
:

punctuated

intelligibly,

and translated with very con

No

one, in using his very vo

luminous works, however much he may be inclined
to regret his want of critical ability, will accuse him
of an inefficient treatment of the materials before
siderable correctness.

The

very reverse is the case with the other

Catena which I have used, and which was edited by
him.

Dr. Cramer.
In

itself

it is

of considerable intrinsic value, but

is

PREFACE.

xx

entirely untranslateable, except

by one who

will take

the trouble of restoring the text, and entirely altering

Dr. Cramer s punctuation.

In conclusion, I have to return

my

thanks to the

Delegates of the University Press for undertaking

both the publication of the Syriac Version of S. Cyril s

Commentary, and

also of the present English trans

lation.

Oxford, Jan. 1859.

COMMENTARY OF

S.CYRIL,

PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA,
TPON

THE GOSPEL OF
CHAP.
Who

IN
tial

ST.

LUKE.

I.

from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers

of the Word.

v>r.

saying that the Apostles were eyewitnesses of the substan- From Mai
living Word, the Evangelist agrees with John, who says,

and

that

"the

Word was made

flesh,

and tabernacled

in us,

and John

His glory was seen, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the

Father."
For the Word became capable of being seen by
reason of the flesh, which is visible and tangible and solid
"

"^

"

whereas

in

"

"

He

Himself
"

Epistle
"

says,

is

And John

invisible.

again in his

That which was from the beginning, That

which we have heard, That which we have seen with our

eyes, and our hands have handled around the Word of
Hearest thou not that
Life, and the Life became manifest."

he speaks of the Life as capable of being handled? This he

does that thou mayest understand that the Son became man,

and was

visible in respect of

the flesh, but invisible as regards

His divinity.*
a
this

2.

There can be

little

doubt that

passage does not belong to the

Commentary, but as
been unable to find
Collected

Works,

best to retain

it.

have hitherto
in S. Cyril s

it

have thought

Mai

it

next extract

on

v. 32. is from the tenth Book

against Julian, Op. VI. 331.; the
following on v. 37. is the thirteenth

chapter against the Anthropomorand the third exphites, VI. 380.

tract on v. 42. is the Commentary
;

Joh

i.

14.

COMMENTARY UPON
v.

He hath shewed

51.

the

strength with His arm : He hath scattered

proud in the imagination of their heart.

The arm

enigmatically signifies the Wqrd that was born of

and by the proud, Mary means the wicked demons who
with their prince fell through pride: arid the Greek
sages,
who refused to receive the folly, as it seemed, of what was
preached and the Jews who would not believe, and were scat

her

tered for their unworthy imaginations about the Word of God.

And by the mighty she means the Scribes and Pharisees, who
It is nearer the sense, however, to
sought the chief seats.
refer it to the wicked demons
for these, when
openly claim
over
the
the
Lord by His
world,
ing mastery
scattered,
:

coming

upon Issachar
"

s
name, signifying
in the Glaphyra, I. 227.
All these I have omitted.

reward,"

(Ed. Aub.)

The remaining extracts, forming a

continuous Commentary upon the
hymns of the blessed Virgin and
have retained, since it
Zacharias,
is
scarcely probable that S.Cyril en
tirely passed them over; and, though
the homilies, as proved by the
Syriac, commenced with the first verse
of chap, ii., yet possibly he
may
have prefaced them by an Exposi
I

tion

of these

hymns.

Cramer

Catena, nevertheless, contains por

of several of these extracts

Syriac numbering apparently is also

with that of the Greek.

identical

For in

my

earliest

588.,

the

numbering of the quotations

from S. Cyril

is still identical with

that of the other Codices. This MS.
contains a translation of two trea
tises of Severus of Antioch
against
Julian, and is probably at least a
century anterior to the Syriac ver
sion of S. Cyril ; so that its

agree

ment with

it,

both in this and more

material points,

is of considerable
Evidently S. Cyril s

tions

importance.

The proof from the

Syriac that the homilies began with
the second chapter is decisive.
Of
the nine MSS. in which more or

Commentary upon

anonymously.

less of this

Commentary is preserved,
eight constantly mention the num
ber of the homily, which

they quote
in one of

either in part or entire :

these,
12, 154., a MS. probably
of the eighth century, a series of
extracts
occurs occupying
forty

N.

pages,

beginning with the first

ending with the hundred

and
and eighteenth homily ; and the
of
this
Codex is
numbering
identical

with

that

two or
contain the same
wherever

of

more

the

rest,

of

them
The

passage.

authority, Cod.

12, 158, transcribed, as the Copyist

states, in the year of our Lord

the Gospel was

the beginning of
brief

much more

than it became
for
subsequently
whereas the twenty-first homily car
ries us down to the end of the fifth
:

chapter, those that follow average

ten homilies each.
In like manner

the concluding chapters of St. Luke

were passed over by him very ra
pidly.
Finally, as the Syriac, from

time to time, does not

recognise
some of the passages collected by
Mai from the Catenae, it is worth
notice, that of his four first extracts,
not less than three have been dis

covered in the published works of

S.Cyril, in complete as Aubert s edi
tion

is.

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

and transferred those whom they had made captive unto His
own dominion. For these things all came to pass according to
her prophecy, that

hath put down, rulers from their thrones, and exalted

the humble.

He

Great used
scattered,

to

v.

52.

be the haughtiness of these demons whom He

devil, and of the Greek sages, as I said,

and of the

and of the Pharisees and Scribes. But He put them down, and
exalted those who had humbled themselves under their mighty
Luke
having given them authority to tread upon serpents
and
of
the
and scorpions, and upon all the power
enemy
-

hand,
"

x. 19.

:"

made the
none

plots against us of these

effect.

haughty-minded beings of

The Jews, moreover, once

gloried in their empire,

for their unbelief; whereas the Gentiles,

but were stripped of it

who were obscure and of no note, were for their faith

sake

exalted.

He hath filled

hungry unth good things, and

hath sent empty away.

the

the rich

He

V. 53.

By the hungry, she means the human race for, excepting

The Jews,
the Jews only, they were pining with famine.
however, were enriched by the giving of the law, and by the
For "to them belonged the Rom.
teaching of the holy prophets.
:

"

ix. 4

the progiving of the law, the adoption of sons, the worship,

mises."
But they became wanton with high feeding, and
and having refused to draw near
too elate at their dignity
to
the
Incarnate
One, they were sent empty away,
humbly
"

carrying nothing with them, neither faith nor knowledge, nor

For verily they became both outcasts
the hope of blessings.
from the earthly Jerusalem, and aliens from the glorious life
to be revealed, because they received not the Prince of
even crucified the Lord of Glory, and abandoned the
but
Life,
fountain of living water, and set at nought the bread that

that

is

came down from heaven. And for this reason there came upon
them a famine severer than any other, and a thirst more bitter
than every thirst
for it was not a famine of the material
:

bread, nor a thirst of water,

"

but a famine of hearing the Amos

f

"

Word

of the

Lord."

But the heathen, who were hungering

B 2

viii.

COMMENTARY UPON

and

and with their soul wasted away with

misery, were
with spiritual blessings, because
received
the Lord.
they
For the privileges of the Jews passed over unto them.
athirst,

filled

He

54

hath taken hold of Israel His child

He

hath taken hold of

to

remember mercy.

not of the Israel

according

Israel,

and who prides himself on the bare name, but of

him who is so after the Spirit, and
according to the true
to the flesh,

even such as look unto God, and

meaning of the appellation
Him, and obtain through the Son the adoption of
sons, according to the Word that was spoken, and the
promise
made to the prophets and patriarchs of old. It has,
however,
;

believe in

a true application also to the carnal Israel for

;
sands and ten thousands of them believed.
But
"

"

Gen.

xxii.

membered His mercy

He

has accomplished what

"

as

many thou

He

has re-

He

and
promised to Abraham
in thy seed
spake unto him, that
:"

"

shall all the tribes of the earth

be

For

blessed."

this

pro

now in the act of fulfilment

by the impending birth
of our common Saviour Christ, Who is that seed of
Abraham,
mise was

Heb.

ii.

,6.

in
"

Whom

seed of

fulfilled

the Gentiles are blessed.

He hath

6 9-

For

He

according to the Apostle

the promise made unto the fathers.
Abraham,"

raised up

The word horn

took on

words

a horn of salvation for

Him
:

the

and

so

us. b

used not only for power, but also for

is the Saviour that hath risen for
Christ,
royalty.
us from the family and race of
David, is both for He is the
is

Who

But

King of kings, and the

invincible

power of the Father.

To perform mercy.
Christ

is
mercy and justice for we have obtained mercy
and been justified, having washed
Him,
through
away the
stains of wickedness
through faith that is in Him.
:

The oath which He swore

C
derias

"

But

let

to

our father Abraham.

ne accustom himself to swear from

hearing that
For just as anger, when spoken of

God sware unto Abraham.

b

Referred by Corderius to Victor.

THE GOSPEL OF
God,

is

ST.

LUKE.

not anger, nor implies passion, but signifies power ex

so neither is an
punishment, or some similar motion

ercised in

oath an act of swearing. For God does not swear, but indicates
that that which He says will ne
the certainty of the event,
s oath is His own word, fully
For
God
to
come
pass.
cessarily

each one the conviction

persuading those that hear, and giving
will certainly come to
and
said
that what He has promised
pass.

And

thou, child,

shah

be called

Prophet of the Highest.

the Highest,

V.

76.

Whose From

Mai.

Observe, I pray, this also, that Christ

forerunner John was both in his birth, and in his preaching.
What remains, then, for those to say, who lessen His divinity?
is

And why will they not understand,

And thou shalt be called Prophet
"

"

thereby

of

God,"

of

Whom

also

that

when Zacharias

of the

Highest,"

were the

said,

he meant

rest of the pro

phets.

To give

light to

them that

sit

in darkness,

and

the

shadow

v.

79.

of death.
For those under the law, and dwelling

in Judea, the Baptist

were, a lamp, preceding Christ and God so spake
p*
I have
before of him
prepared a lamp for My Christ." And

was, as

it

"

cxxxii.

the law also typified him in the lamp, which in the first taber
nacle it commanded should be ever kept alight. But the Jews,
after being for a short time pleased with him, flocking to his
him
baptism, and admiring his mode of life, quickly made

sleep in death, doing their best to quench the ever-burning

lamp. For this reason the Saviour also spake concerning him ;
"

a burning and shining lamp, and ye were willing a Jolm

to rejoice for a season in his light."

He was

"

little

"

He means

said the
*

nevertheless
ther

the Arians,

who

Son was indeed God, but

inferior

as Eusebius,

to

the Fa-

who was an

Arian writer, especially in his interpretation of the ;8th Psalm."

Mai.
This charge against Eusebius, the late Professor Lee has
endeavoured to disprove in the pre-

face to his translation of the

Theo-

phania, a Syriac version of which

was discovered among the Nitrian

MSS.

His translation is, however,

inaccurate to the last degree; and
the treatise in question leaves no

doubt that Euaebius was the precursor of Arian doctrines,

v 35
-

fi

COMMENTARY UPON
To guide our feet

79.

into the

ST.

LUKE.

way ofpeace.

For the world, indeed, was wandering in error, serving the

creation in the place of the Creator, and was darkened over
by the blackness of ignorance, and a night, as it were, that
had fallen upon the minds of all, permitted them not to see
Him, Who both by nature and truly is God. But the Lord of
all

rose for the Israelites, like a light and a sun.

CHAP.

"

From

Commentary upon the Gospel of

Luke, Sermon the First:

From

S. CyriFs
"

And
(CHRIST

II.

St.

it

came

pass in those days,

to

MS.i2,i 5 4.

8fc.

therefore was born in Bethlehem at the time

the

Luke

ii.

Gen.

xlix.

i.

when

Augustus Caesar gave orders that the first enrolment should be

made. But what necessity was there, some one may perhaps
say, for the very wise Evangelist to make special mention of
this ? Yes, I answer it was both useful and necessary for him
:

mark the period when our Saviour was born for it was said
The head shall not depart
by the voice of the Patriarch

to

"

"

"

from Judah, nor a governor from his thighs

for

Whom

"

Gentiles."

until

He

come,
it is laid
up and He is the expectation of the
That we therefore might learn that the Israelites
:

had then no king of the tribe of David, and that their own na
tive governors had failed, with good reason he makes mention
of the decrees of Ca>sar, as now having beneath his sceptre
Judaia as well as the rest of the nations for it was as their
:

ruler that he

commanded the census

to

be made.

Because he was of the house and lineage of David.

v. 4

The book of the sacred Gospels referring the genealogy to From

Joseph, who was descended from David s house, has proved

Mai.

through him that the Virgin also was of the same tribe as
David, inasmuch as the Divine law commanded that marriages
should be confined to those of the same tribe and the inter
:

preter of the heavenly doctrines, the great apostle Paul, clearly

declares the truth, bearing witness that the Lord arose out of Heb.

The

natures, however, which combined unto this real

union were different, but from the two together is one God

Juda.

I4>

vii.

COMMENTARY UPON

the Son, d without the diversity of the natures being destroyed

by the union. For a union of two natures was made, and

Son, One Lord. And it

with reference to this notion of a union without confusion

therefore
is

that

we

confess

One

Christ,

One

we proclaim the holy Virgin to be the mother of God, be

God the Word was made flesh and became man, and by

cause

the act of conception united to Himself the temple that He re

For we perceive that two natures, by an in
ceived from her.
separable union, met together in Him without confusion, and
For the flesh is flesh, and not deity, even though
indivisibly.

became the flesh of God and in like manner also the Word
God, and not flesh, though for the dispensation s sake He
made the flesh His own. But although the natures which con
curred in forming the union are both different and unequal to
one another, yet He Who is formed from them both is only
One nor may we separate the One Lord Jesus Christ into
man severally and God severally, but we affirm that Christ
Jesus is One and the Same, acknowledging the distinction of
the natures, and preserving them free from confusion with one
it

is

another.

With Mary,

5-

his betrothed wife, being great with child.

The sacred Evangelist

says that Mary was betrothed to

shew that the conception had taken place upon her
betrothal solely, and that the birth of the Emanuel was mira
For
culous, and not in accordance with the laws of nature.
the holy Virgin did not bear from the immission of man s seed.
And what was the reason of this ? Christ, Who is the first-fruits

Joseph, to

of all, the second Adam according to the Scriptures, was born

of the Spirit, that he might transmit the grace (of the spiritual
for we too were intended, no longer to bear
birth) to us also
the name of sons of men, but of God rather, having obtained
:

the
Col.

"

i.

15.

new

birth of the Spirit in Christ first, that he might be

among all," as the most wise Paul declares.

foremost

And

the occasion of the census most opportunely caused the

holy Virgin to go to Bethlehem, that we might see another
d Geo? KOI
vl6i, God the Son ; as
Qeos Kal rraTTjp is used by S. Cyril
for God the Father.
In the more

ancient Syriac

MSS.

the conjunc-

tion in these phrases is constantly

retained, while in those of a later

date the tendency

is

to

omit

it.

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

For it is written, as we have already men

thou Bethlehem, house of Ephratah, art very Mich.
small to be among the thousands of Judah from thee shall
come forth for Me to be Ruler in Israel
prophecy

fulfilled.

"And

tioned,

v.

2.

I"

But

in

answer

to those

who argue

that, if

He were

brought

and if she were

forth in the flesh, the Virgin was corrupted
not corrupted, that He was brought forth only in appear
the
declares, "the Lord, the God ofEzek.
ance, we
:

prophet
say;
remaineth
Israel, hath entered in and gone out, and the gate
flesh
without
made
was
Word
the
closed."
moreover,
If,

xiiv.

sexual intercourse, being conceived altogether without seed,

then was He born without injury to her virginity.

And

In what sense then her firstborn?

means, not the

both her

first

first

among

and only son

who was

some such sense as this exists

For sometimes also
firstborn."

for

the significations of
the Scripture calls that the first which
"

the First, and with

7.

she here

firstborn

By

several brethren, but one

among

am God,

Ver.

she brought forth her firstborn Son.

Me

there

is
is

the only one

no

as

"

I !

xiiv. 6.

To shew

other."

then that the Virgin did not bring forth a mere man, there is
added the word firstUorn for as she continued to be a virgin,
;

she had no other son but

Him Who

is

of the Father

concerning
the Father also proclaims by the voice of David,
I will set Him Firstborn high among the kings of theP.lxxxix.
:

Whom God
And

Of Him also the all-wise Paul makes mention, saying,

u But when He
brought the First-begotten into the world, HeHeb.
How
saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him."

earth."

then did

not so
that

He

much

He

enter into the world

For

He

in respect of place as of nature

it

separate from it,

it is in nature

for

from the inhabitants of the world: but He

by being made man, and becoming a portion of

For though He
iTjby the incarnation.
as regards His divinity, yet as having
has also the name of Firstborn

fruits as it were- of the

;iU<>

differs

entered into

He

is

is

the Only-begotten

become our brother,

that, being

adoption of men,

made

the

first-

He might make

us

the sons of God.

Consider therefore that

He

is

called the Firstborn in respect

of the economy: for with respect to His divinity

c

He

is

the

i.

6.

COMMENTARY UPON

10

Only-begotten.
Again, He is the Only-begotten in respect of
His being the Word of the Father, having no brethren by
nature, nor being co-ordinate with any other being for the
:

Son of God, consubstantial with the Father, is One and Alone

but He becomes the Firstborn by descending to tha, level of
:

When

created things.

He

gotten,
Johni.

18.

therefore

He

so with no cause assigned

is

called the Only-be

by reason of which He

is

the Only-begotten, being

the Only-begotten God e into the
bosom of the Father
but when the divine Scriptures call Him
"

is

:"

Firstborn, they immediately also add of whom He is the first

born, and assign the cause of His bearing this title for they
Firstborn among many brethren
and Firstborn from
say,
:

Rom.
Col

"

viii.

"

:"

^ e ^ad

^ie

"

one

His own
the

flesh

He

ecau se
>

things except sin

and the

was made

like unto us in all

He first
Moreover, He has

other, because

unto incorruption.

raised

up

ever been

by nature, as being the Sole begotten

of God, and Sole of Sole, having shone
forth God of God, and Light of Light but He is the Firstborn
Only-begotten

of the Father,

God

for our sakes, that

by His being called the Firstborn of things

whatever
Him may be saved through Him
resembles
created,
for if He must of necessity be the Firstborn, assuredly those
:

whom He is the Firstborn. But

f
Eunomius
if,
argues, He is called God s Firstborn, as born
the first of many and He is also the Virgin s Firstborn then
as regards her also, He must be the first as preceding another
must

also continue to exist of

as

child

but

if

He

is

called

Mary

Firstborn, as her only child,

and not as preceding others, then is He also God s Firstborn,

not as the first of many, but as the Only One born.
Moreover if the first are confessedly the cause of the second,
but

God and the Son of God

who have the name

of those

Him
who
e

translates contrary to the

"

Unigenitus Dei." S. Cyril s

reading ecdy, agrees as usual
with the Vatican MS., and is also
supported by

many

of the fathers,

and by the Oriental versions.

Eunomius taught, that the Father and Son are unequal, both in
f

first,

then

is

the Son the cause

it is

through

that they have obtained the appellation.

He therefore
is the cause of the second sons
may justly be called the

Mai

Greek

are

of sons, inasmuch as

degree and kind, whence his followers were called di/d/Aoiot.

He

flou-

rished about A. D. 360, and was a

St. Athanasius
disciple of Aetius.
often refers to

him

against the Arians.

account of him, cf.
ans,

c. iv. sect. 4.

in his treatise

For a

Newman

fuller
s

Ari-

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

11

Firstborn, not as being the first of them, but as the first

And just as
cause of their receiving the title of sonship.
"for
the Father being called the first
I, He saith, am the

am after
regard Him as

and

first,

us to

Him

Is. xli.

assuredly will not compel

things"
similar in nature to those that are after
these

though the Son be called the first of creation, or

all creation, it by no means follows that
I
one of the things made but just as the Father said
so also

the Firstborn before

He
am

"

is

the

first,"

to

He

shew that

is

the origin of

all

things, in the

same sense the Son also is called the first of creation. "For John
all things were made by Him/ and He is the beginning of all
created things, as being the Creator and Maker of the worlds.

i.

11

And
is

she laid

him

He

found

He

placed like fodder in a

our bestial

life,

to the level of the beasts

might mount

Ver.

therefore

manger, that we, having left off

up to that degree of intelligence

and whereas we were brutish in

nature
His own table, we
the
now
approaching
by
manner, even

which
soul,

man reduced

in the manger.

befits

man s

no longer fodder, but the bread from heaven, which

the body of life.

find

* For a very

full

and accurate
in which
p.ovoy(vr)t and

discussion of the sense

our Lord

is

both

TrpwrdroKo?, the reader

may

S. Cyril s eighth Paschal

C 2

is

consult

Homily,

7.

SERMON
From

the

SERMON OF

Syriac,

S. CYRIL,

II.

ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA, FROM THE

COMMENTARY UPON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

MS. 1 2, 165.

UPON THE

BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOUR IN THE FLESH.

c. ii.

om.

^8-18.
iSov,

cum B.
56a Qeo

And

there were shepherds in that

country, ivatching and
keeping guard by night over their flock : and the angel of

Lord came unto

them, and they luere

the

sol.

them, Fear not

them,

and

the glory

And

sore afraid.

for

lo !

I brine/

of God shone upon

the angel said unto

unto you good tidings of

great joy, which shall be to all the people : that there is

born unto you to-day in the city of David a Saviour, Who
is Christ the Lord.
And this is your sign ; ye shall find
KU.I

KflfJLWOV

curn B.

a babe wrapped
manger.

And

in swaddling-clothes, and laid in a

suddenly there was with the angel a multi

tude of the heavenly hosts, praising God and

saying, Glory
God in the highest, and on earth peace, and among men
good will. And it came to pass that when the angels had

ovpavtvv,

to

sol.

gone from them unto heaven, the shepherds said unto one
another, Let us go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing
ivhich hath come to pass, ivhich the

Lord hath made known

and found Mary and
And when
Joseph, and the babe laid in the manger.
they had seen, they made known the word that was spoken
unto them concerning the child. And all that heard won
dered at what was told them by the shepherds.
unto us.

LET me
Ps. xcv.

i.

written in

And

they

came with

haste,

begin my discourse to you with that which is

the book of Psalms,
Come let us praise the
"

for He is the Head of

Lord, and sing unto God our Saviour
our feast-day, and therefore let us tell His noble
doings, and
:"

COMMENTARY ITON

ST.

KK.

the manner of that beautifully contrived dispensation, by

means of which He has saved the world, and having placed on
each one of us the yoke of His kingdom, is justly the object of
The blessed David therefore says in the
our admiration.
and again adds p s xKH.
Psalms,
ye people clap your hands
.

"All

;"

God hath

king over
thereto, "Sing
For this holy mystery was wrought with
all the heathen."
a wisdom most befitting Christ, if it be true, as true most cer
with understanding,

set a

I<7

that the Lord, though He is God, appeared unto

us, and though He is in the form of God the Father, and pos
sesses an incomparable and universal preeminence, took the

tainly

it is,

But even so He was God and Lord for

He did not cease to be that which He had been.
The company of the holy prophets had before proclaimed
both His birth in the flesh, and His assumption of our likeness
and inasmuch as this
as about in due time to come to pass

likeness of a slave.

hope had now reached

rational powers of
heaven bring the glad tidings of His manifestation and appear
ance in this world, to shepherds first of all at Bethlehem, who
were thus the earliest to receive the knowledge of the mystery.
answers to the truth for Christ reveals Himself
And the
its

fulfilment, the

type

to the spiritual shepherds, that they may preach Him to the

rest, just as the shepherds also then were taught His mystery
to their
by the holy angels, and ran to bear the glad tidings
to preach Him, and
Angels therefore are the first
in a wonderful
flesh
in
the
born
God
as
declare His glory

fellows.

manner of a woman.
But perchance some one may object to this; "that He Who
was now born was still a child, and wrapped in swaddlinghow then did the powers above
clothes, and laid in a manger
:

stands firm.
Against such our argument
praise
was in
God
man, the depth of the mystery
Understand,
of a
likeness
in
the
the Lord of all
visible form like unto us
Him.
from
slave, albeit the glory of lordship is inseparable

Him

as

God

?"

Understand that the Only-begotten was made flesh that He

endured to be born of a woman for our sakes, to put away the
curse pronounced upon the first woman for to her it was said,
forth children:" for it was asGen.
shalt thou
"In
;

bring

pains

bringing forth

unto

death, that they endured the sting of

Ui.i6.

COMMENTARY UPON

14
death

But because a woman has brought forth in the flesh

Who is Life, the power of the curse is loosed,

11
.

the Immanuel,

Rom.viii.s.

and along with death have ceased also the pains that earthly
mothers had to endure in bringing forth.
Wouldst thou learn also another reason of the matter?
Remember what the very wise Paul has written of Him. For
"

as to the powerlessness of the law, wherein it was weak

through
the flesh, God having sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,

and because of

1
sin, has condemned the sin in His flesh, that
the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who
k
walk not according to the flesh, but
according to the Spirit
."

What
"

then

the meaning of his saying that the Son was sent

in the likeness of sinful flesh
It is this. The law of sin lies
is

I"

hidden in our fleshly members,

together with the shameful
but when the Word of God be
stirring of the natural lusts
:

came flesh, that is man, and assumed our likeness, His flesh
was holy and perfectly pure so that He was indeed in the
likeness of our flesh, but not
according to its standard. For
He was entirely free from the stains and emotions natural to
our bodies , and from that inclination which leads us to what is
;

not lawful.

When

therefore thou seest the child

wrapped in swaddlingclothes, stay not thy thought solely upon His birth in the flesh,
but mount up to the
contemplation of His godlike glory:
elevate thy mind aloft : ascend to heaven
so wilt thou behold
:

Mai more

reads
1

rrjs

The

dvias

correctly perhaps

wrpov.

Peschito has also this read-

though manifestly wrong.

k The
passage which follows occurs also in MS. 12, 154, with no
ing,

varies lectiones

as does also the

subsequent explanation of
1

Is. viii. 3.

The

Syriac translator has here

misinterpreted S. Cyril, who does
not say that our Lord was free from

with great force in his treatise De

Incarnat. Dom. c. xi., wherein he
shews, that our Lord took the flesh
to conholy and perfectly pure,
vict sin of injustice, and to de"

"

stroy the
guilty to

with
it

had

when
cent,

that corruption of our nature which

suggests sin to us, and inclines us
to seek it. (James i.
14.) S. Cyril s

ice,

is

used by him

death, no

was

interference

possible, seeing that

justice
it

only the

on

subjected

its

to

side.

the

But
same

punishment Him Who was innoand guiltless, and worthy of

crowns of honour and hymns of

the emotions natural to bodies, but

/cat
TTS
a fj.f) Offjus, that is, from

main argument here

it

For as

power of death.

long as sin sentenced

praise, being convicted of injust

it was
by necessary conse
quence stripped of its power."

THE GOSPEL OF
Him
thou

LUKE.

ST.

15

in the highest exaltation, possessed of transcendent glory ;

set upon a throne high and lifted up;"
wilt see

Him

"

Is. vi. i.

hear the Seraphim extolling Him in hymns, and

Yea!
full of His glory.
saying that heaven and earth are
of
God
the
for
come
to
this
has
even upon earth
glory
pass
of
multitude
the
a
was
and
there
the shepherds,
shone
thou wilt

upon

it was which was

glory. And this
the voice of Moses,
Eejoice, ye heavens,

heavenly armies telling Christ

"

proclaimed of old hy
with Him, and let all the sons m of

God worship

ForDeut.

Him."

from time to time, but

very many holy prophets had been born
never had any one of them been glorified by the voice of
to the same measure
angels for they were men, and according
as ourselves, the true servants of God, and bearers of His
But not so was Christ for lie is God and Lord, and
words.

30

the Sender of the holy prophets, and, as the Psalmist says,

Who in the clouds shall be compared unto the Lord, and who
"

shall be likened

unto the Lord

the sons of

among

God

PS. ixxxi

For

?"

the appellation of sonship is bestowed by Him as of grace upon

but
us who lie under the yoke, and are by nature slaves
:

Christ

the true Son n that

is

is,

He

Son of God the

the

is

Father by nature, even when He had become flesh for He

continued, as I have said, to be that which He had ever been,
:

though

And

He

took upon

that what

sures us, saying,

"

I
"

Him

say

that which

He

had not been.

true, the prophet Isaiah again as

is

Behold the virgin

shall conceive

and bearls.

butter
a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel
and honey shall He eat before He knoweth or chooseth
;

"

"

"

"

the

evil,

He

shall prefer the

tinguisheth good or evil,

He chooseth the good."

good

He

is

And

for before the Child dis-

not obedient to evil in that

how

yet

is

that a new-born babe, as yet unable, from

derness, to understand anything,

And

for

because

He
He

This reading is supported by

MSS., two Scholia, and S.
but is rejected by
Augustine

several

all,

youth and ten

unequal to the task of distin

For he knows absolutely no

it was a
great and extraordinary
ate while yet a babe both butter and honey.
was God, ineffably made flesh, He knew only

guishing between good and evil

thing. But in our Saviour Christ
miracle

is

not plain to

it

its

St. Paul,

Heb.

Mai reads

ality.

i.

17

6.
d\r)d(ia,

the re-

vii.

14

COMMENTARY UPON

16

the good, and was exempt from that depravity which belongs
to man. And this too is an attribute of the supreme Substance;

which

for that

Luke

xviii.

good by nature, firmly and unchangeably,

for there is none good,
and It only

is

"

belongs specially to It,

but one

"

God,"

as the Saviour has Himself said.

Wouldst thou see another virtue of the Child

Is. viii. 3.

Wouldst thou

by nature God, Who in the flesh was of woman ?

Learn what the prophet Isaiah says of Him
And I drew

He

see that

is

"

near unto the prophetess, and she conceived, and bare a

male; and the Lord said unto me, Call His name, Quick
take captive, and spoil hastily.
For before the Child shall

"

"

"

know

"

to call father or

mother,

He

shall take the strength of

For contemporaneously with the birth of Christ

the power of the devil was spoiled.
For in Damascus he had
been the object of religious service, and had had there
very
"

Damascus."

but when the holy Virgin brought forth,

the power of his tyranny was broken ; for the heathen were
won unto the knowledge of the truth and their firstfruits and

many worshippers

leaders were the Magi,

who came from

the East to Jerusalem

whose teacher was the heaven, and their schoolmaster a star.
Look not therefore upon Him Who was laid in the
manger
as a babe
see Him Who as God is
merely, but in our

poverty
measure of our humanity
inhabitants of heaven, and Who therefore
rich,

and

in the

Him Who
is

excels the

glorified

the holy angels.

And how noble was the hymn,
God in the highest, and on earth
peace, and

"

even by

Glory to

"

"good

among men

For the angels and

archangels, thrones and
and high above them the
Seraphim, preserving their

will

lordships,
settled order, are at
peace with

God for never in any way

do they transgress His
good pleasure, but are firmly established
D

The Fathers

constantly refer

name, Maher-shalal-hash-baz,
to our Lord, and
explain it of the
overthrow of Satan. Another ini

of S. Cyril s use of it will be

his i 7 th Paschal
Homily, as

jtance
found
in

The prophetess is the

holy
gin and the name given tolhe
hUd suiteth not man, but God
:

for,

With He,

(juickly

His name, Spoil

For at
hastily plunder.
call

His birth the heavenly and

supernatural infant, while yet in svvaddling bands and on His mother s
bosom, because of His human nature, stripped forthwith Satan
his goods by His ineffable

God

for

East to worship Him, &c.

above I correct f *i

and

7ro P/

of

might as
the Magi came from the

(W

[In the

T1TK

GOSPEL OF

ST.

LURK.

17

and holiness. But we,wretched beings, by having

own
in opposition to the will of our Lord, had put
our
lusts
up
ourselves into the position of enemies unto Him. But by Christ
in righteousness

set

this has

been done away: for

He

is

our peace; for

He

has Eph.

ii.

14.

i.

10.

united us by Himself unto God the Father, having taken away

from the middle the cause of the enmity, even sin, and so jus

us by faith, and makes us holy and without blame, and

Him those who were afar off: and besides this,

tifies

calls

near unto

He

has created the two people into one new man, so making
For it Eph.
peace, and reconciling both in one body to the Father.
form
new
all
the
Father
to
into
one
whole
God
pleased
things

Him, and to bind together things below and things above,

and to make those in heaven and those on earth into one flock.
Christ therefore has been made for us both Peace and Good
will
by Whom and with Whom to God the Father be glory
and honour and might with the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever,
in

Amen. p
P Several passages referred

by Mai

to this homily are not found in the

Syriac, as was to be expected, the
Catenists having made use not only

of the

Commentary, but

also

of

S. Cyril s other works, especially

the Julian books, besides the possi
bility of interpolations, and passages

The

erroneously ascribed to him.

first omitted extract from B.

shew

that

the

is

to

shepherds typified

the pastors of the Church, as also

Christ the chief shepherd, Who

came

to seek the lost

Hock

while

Bethlehem, the house of bread, His

where
birthplace, is the Church,
daily the mystical bread of life is
sacrificed."
The second passage
"

"

"

(from what

MS.

is

from B., to the effect that probably

was an archangel who brought
the message, accompanied by his

it

The first passage

remarkable, both as speaking of
a daily communion, and for its ap

usual attendants.
is

plication of the

as St. Paul, Rom.

the discharge of any re
ligious duty, and in this sense it
will be found to occur more than
xv.

y((i>

of

is

(Ed. Aub.)

And,

II. 134.

lastly,

200.

an extract

its

worthy of Cyril, and

Commentary

manner

6., for

once in the course of the Commen

Other examples may be seen
tary.
in Suicer s Thesaurus under Itpovpand the only instance he gives
per

taken chiefly from the

on Isaiah. Conf. Vol.

iepovpyflrai to

"

the same

uncertain) gives
a physical interpretation of the but
ter which the Emmanuel ate, un
at variance
with the spiritual interpretation of
the prophecy given above.
Thirdly,
there are a series of extracts from I

word

mystical bread of life." The

Fathers generally use this word in

the

is

application to the Lord s sup

from Zonaras, a writer of the

twelfth century. It occurs, however,

in Philostorgii Hist. Eccl. ix. 4., and

there referred by Valerius to the

Lord

supper, but this interpreta

far from certain.
For the
historian is speaking of the heretic
tion

is

Eunomius, who, he

says, retired to

a small estate situated on the sea

shore near Chalcedon, oi^e Itpnvp-

COMMENTARY UPON

18

SERMON

c.ii.ai-4,

VERY

From

hearer

IILi

the assembly, and earnest the

but the teacher is but
for we see the Church full

numerous indeed

is

mouth and tongue,

poor. He nevertheless Who giveth to man a
For He somewhere
will further supply us with good ideas.
"

Ps. Ixxxi.

Since
says Himself,
Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill
therefore ye have all come together eagerly on the occasion of
this joyous festival 5 of our Lord, let us with cheerful torches
"

it."

brightly celebrate the feast, and apply ourselves to the consi

deration of what was divinely fulfilled, as it were, this day,
gathering for ourselves from every quarter whatsoever may

confirm us in foith and piety.

But recently we saw the Immanuel lying as a babe in the
manger, and wrapped in human fashion in swaddling bands,
but extolled as God in hymns by the host of the holy angels.

For they proclaimed

to the shepherds

His

birth,

God

the

Fa

ther having granted to the inhabitants of heaven as a special

And to-day too we
privilege to be the first to preach Him.

have seen
have seen

Him obedient to the

Him Who as God is

ov TTJS KV&KOV /uereo-n; ov

yias f
pev ovv fs oa-ov evfftia) \povov fj-^aTo.
This Valesius translates by
ne saera quidem mysteria unquam ce"

laws of Moses, or rather

that this

is,

extract

is

incorrectly

referred to S. Cyril.
1

The

"

"

we

the Legislator, subject to His

third

original Greek of both the

and fourth Sermons has been

but it rather means, that

he entirely abstained from all the

preserved in the Imperial Library

at Paris; and that of the fourth

duties of his sacred office." In

support of his rendering Valesius quotes
from Eusebius Life of Constantine,
Lib. IV. 45. ffva-iats
dvaipots ical pvn-TiKms itpovpyiais TO ddov IXdffKov-

only at Trinity College, Cambridge,

printed by
Aubert in his collected edition of
S. Cyril s Works, Vol. V.
part ii.

lebravit;"
"

"

where, however, as Wernsdorf

shews, by a comparison with other

TO,

passages of Eusebius, that historian,

his usual rhetorical
style, thus
described the prayers for the
safety
the Emperor, and the Church
L

htant

which, as in our service,

preceded the celebration of the Eucharist.

1 he probability, therefore,

The former has been

p. 385., where the two Sermons are

incorporated into one.
r
^op^o-ei nd\iv folv evvoias
From this it appears that
dya6d s
these homilies were delivered ex.

temporaneously, which accounts for

a certain

amount of

repetition in

them, especially of favorite

The

texts,

feast of circumcision,

THE GOSPEL OF
own

And

decrees.

ST.

LUKE.

19

the reason of this the most wise Paul

teaches us, saying,

When we were babes we were enslaved
under the elements of the world ; but when the fulness of
"

Gal.

iv. 3.

"

"

"

the time came, God sent forth His Son, born 1 of a woman,
born under the law, to redeem them that were under the
Christ therefore ransomed from the curse of the law

"

law."

those

who being

subject to

it,

had been unable

to

its

keep

And in what way did He ransom them ? By ful

it.
And
to put it in another way
in order that He
filling
the
of
Adam
s
might expiate
guilt
transgression, He showed
enactments.

Himself obedient and submissive

Father
"

"

"

our stead: for

in

in

every respect to God the

as through the Rom.

were
made sinners,
many
so also through the obedience of the One, the
many shall be
made just." He yielded therefore His neck to the law in

disobedience of the

it is

written,

One man,

"That

the

company with us, because the plan of salvation so required

u For
it became Him to fulfil all
righteousness.
having as
sumed the form of a slave, as being now enrolled by reason of
:

for

His human nature among those subject to the yoke, lie once
even paid the half shekel to the collectors of the tribute, al
though by nature free, and as the Son not liable to pay the tax.
*

Mai has the

received reading
have not noticed the
yevofifvov.
many verbal discrepancies between
I

him and Aubert, as the Catenists

naturally had to make many slight

"

(oiKoi/o/xt a)
"

v.

1.
yfvv^vov, though received by
some of the Fathers, is unsupported

by MS. authority.
u This
passage, as
"

"

shall find

the payment of the

"

plan of

salvation,"

Mai

"

the

for the

present omits, but afterwards gives

it in so different a form, and with
such additions, that I think it bet-

append a separate translation.

Again He paid the half shekel to

ter to
"

"

"

"

the collectors of the tribute, although not bound to pay, as bebut

ing in very truth the Son
:

"

"

He

paid as being

law.

For

"

according

made under

He must
to

the

the

verily act fully

dispensation

in

half shekel

a Saviour
Avrpo>ri)i/

and Refor Xu-

For the half shekel was a

"

TTJV.)
"

Him, moreover, even

marked out as
deemer (? read
coin

"

stamped with the royal

and it was paid according
the law for two persons.
Be-

image
to

far as

He had underAnd we

"

alterations in

forming their extracts

into a connected discourse.
The

which

taken for our sakes.

"

hold therefore again Christ repre-

"

sented in the

"

being the image of the Father,

the impress of His substance, the
coin that came from heaven, He
offered Himself as the ransom for

"

"

"

half shekel.

For

the two people, the Jews, I mean,

and the Gentiles." This fanciful
style of interpretation seldom appears in the Syriac, and is equally
"

"

rejected in the present case

bert s MS.

by An-

v. 19.

COMMENTARY UPON

20

When

therefore thou seest

Him

keeping the law, be not of

fended, nor place the free-born among the slaves, but reflect
rather upon the profoundness of the plan of salvation.
v
the arrival, therefore, of the eighth day, on which it

Upon

for the circumcision in the flesh to be

was customary

performed
enactment of the law, He receives His Name,
even Jesus, which by interpretation signifies, the Salvation of
For so had God the Father willed that His Son.
the
according to the

people.

should be named,

when born

in the flesh of

For

a woman.

then especially was He made the salvation of the people, and

not of one only, but of many, or rather of every nation, and of
He received His name, therefore, on the
the whole world.

same occasion on which He was circumcised.

But come, and let us again search and

see,

what

is

the

what mysteries the occurrence directs us. The

Circumcision is nothing, and uncirblessed Paul has said,
To this it is probable that some may
curncision is nothing.

riddle,

and

to

"

"

"

object,

Did the God of

all

then

command by

the all-wise Moses

a thing of no account to be observed, with a punishment de

creed against those that transgressed it ? Yes, I say : for a&
far as regards the nature of the
thing, of that, I mean, which

done in the flesh, it is absolutely nothing, but it is pregnant

with the graceful type of a mystery, or rather contains the hid
den manifestation of the truth. For on the eighth x day Christ
arose from the dead, and gave us the
spiritual circumcision,

is

He commanded

For
Mat.

u. ((

"

the holy Apostles:

"

Having gone, make

na ti ons? baptizing them into the Name of

the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost." And

^G

we
v

cjj sc

ip] es O f a ||

affirm that the

spiritual circumcision takes place chiefly in
This passage exists among the

Syriac fragments, and is important

in so far establishing the
accuracy
of Aubert s text, as it
agrees with it

an interpolation of the
Catenist, found in Mai.

in omitting

So Justin Martyr
Trypho.

(p. 201.

Dial, with

Sylburgii,

The ordinance of
which commanded in-

leidelb. 1793.)

circumcision,

ed. F.

ness by means of the resurrection

from the dead of our Lord Jesus
Christ on the first day of the week.
For the first day of the week, while

remaining the

first of all the days,

nevertheless, in its relation to
the whole circle of the week, called
is,

fants to be circumcised on the

eighth
day only, was a type of the true cir-

cumcision from error and wicked-

and yet continues to be

So again, p. 288.
The
which were eight persons,

the eighth,

"

the

"

first."

ark, in

symbolizes by that number tbe

eighth day, on which Christ arose
from the dead."

THE GOSPEL OF
the season of holy baptism,
takers of the Holy Ghost.

when

And

ST.

LUKE.

also Christ

21

makes us par

of this again, that Jesus of Aub.

&px<-

For he first
captain after Moses, was a type.
jjjjj^
and then Aub. om.
led the children of Israel across the Jordan

who was

old,

of all

"

knives
having halted them, immediately circumcised them with
So when we have crossed the Jordan, Christ cir
of stone.

cumcises us with the power of the Holy Ghost, not purifying

the flesh, but rather cutting off the defilement that is in our
souls.

the eighth day, therefore, Christ is circumcised, and

for then, even then, were we
receives, as I said, His Name

On

in Whom, it saith, ye were col. ii. n.

saved by I limy and through Him,
circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands in the From Mai.
"

"

"

"

with Christ s circumcision,

putting off of the fleshly body,
Him in baptism, wherein
with
been
buried
together
having

was
ye were raised with Him." His death, therefore,
-His
circumand
resurrection
His
also
were
sakes.
as
for our
For lie died, that we who have died together with Him
for which
in His dying unto sin, may no longer live unto sin
"

also

ci>i<n.

reason
"

it is

said,

"If

we

have died together with Him,

also live together with

unto

sin,

not because

Him."

He had

And He
"

sinned,

is

said to

for lie did

we

shall

have died

no

sin, nei- iPet. 11.22.

but because of our

ther was guile found in His mouth,"

Like as therefore we died together with

"

Him when He

sin.

died,

we also rise together with Him.

nature
Again, when the Son was present among us, though by
God and the Lord of all, He does not on that account despise
our measure, but along with us is subject to the same law, al

so shall

though as God

He

is

He was

circumcised

Himself the

when

Like the Jews,

prove His descent

legislator.
old, to

eight days
from their stock, that they may not deny Him. For Christ
was expected of the seed of David, and offered them the proof
of His relationship. But if even when He was circumcised they
said,

"As

for This

man, we know not whence

The next two or three paragraphs

are not found in Aubert, but as they

are in Mai s same MS. E, which

contains most of the foregoing, and

as it is possible that the Copyist of

Aubert

MS.

in

He

is;"

there John

reducing two Ser-

into one, made large omisBions to avoid the too great length,
I have received them into the text,

mons

ix. 29.

COMMENTARY UPON

og

would have been a show of reason in their denial, had

flesh, and kept the law.

He

not

been circumcised in the

But

after

His circumcision, the rite was done away by the

had been signified by it, even bap

introduction of that which

which reason we are no longer circumcised. For

circumcision seems to me to have effected three several ends
tism

for

in the first place,

sort of sign

and

it

separated the posterity of

seal,

Abraham by a

and distinguished them from

all

other

prefigured in itself the grace and

for as in old time he that was
efficacy of Divine baptism
circumcised, was reckoned among the people of God by that
In the second,

nations.

it

seal,

so also

thirdly,

it

is
baptized, having formed in himself
enrolled into God s adopted family. And,

he that

Christ the seal,

is

is

the symbol of the faithful

when

established in

grace, who cut away and mortify the tumultuous risings of

carnal pleasures and passions by the sharp
surgery of faith,
and by ascetic labours not cutting the body, but

purifying
the heart, and being circumcised in the spirit, and not in the
letter
whose praise, as the divine Paul testifies, needs not the
;

Rom.

ii.

29.

sentence of any
from above. 2

human

tribunal, but

depends upon the decree

After His circumcision, she next waits for the time of her
purification and when the days were fulfilled, and the fortieth
:

Word, Who sitteth by the Father s

Jerusalem, and brought into the Father s
up
in
human
nature
like unto us, and
presence
by the shadow of
the law is numbered
among the firstborn. For even before the
Incarnation the firstborn were
holy, and consecrated to God,
was the

full

time,

side, is carried

From Aub.
Kom.xi.33.

God

the

to

being sacrificed to Him according to the law.

and wonderful is the plan of salvation

how great
the depth of the
riches both of the wisdom and
He
knowledge of God
Who is in the bosom of the Father, the Son Who shares
!

"

"

!"

His throne, and is coeternal with Him

by Whom all things
are divinely
brought into existence, submitted nevertheless to
:

the measure of

human nature, and even offered a sacrifice to

His own Father,
although adored by all, and glorified with
Mai s next extract is from the
5th book of the De Ador. Spir.
l
is omitted.
553 a
1

Aubert beging again here ffhe

is also in the Aurea
Catena,
upon Luke ii. 24.
passage

THE GOSPEL OF
Him.

And what

He

ST.

As the

LUKE.

23

and a male a
what
the law
young
But
what
does
the
?
turtle
And
what
too
signify
prescribed.
and
us
let
examine
the other, the dove ?
this.
then,
Come,
The one, then, is the most noisy of the birds of the field but
And such did the
the other is a mild and gentle creature.
did

offer?

pair of turtles, or two

firstborn

doves, according to

Saviour of

all

gentleness, and

become towards us, shewing the most perfect

like a turtle moreover soothing the world, and

His own vineyard, even us who believe in Him, with the

For it is written in the Song of
sweet sound of His voice.
filling

Songs, "The voice of the turtle has been heard in our land."
For Christ has spoken to us the divine message of the Gospel,
which is for the salvation of the whole world.
Turtles, therefore, and doves were offered, when He pre
sented Himself unto the Lord, and there might one see simul
And
taneously meeting together the truth and the types.

Christ offered Himself for a savour of a sweet smell, that

offer us

by and

in

He

Himself unto God the Father, and so

might
do away with His enmity towards us by reason of Adam s
transgression, and bring to nought sin that had tyrannized
For we are they who long ago were crying,
over us all.
"

Look upon me, and

pity

me."

b A
passage follows in Mai, either
from E. or H., going over ground
already traversed, and probably only
a summary gathered from S. Cyril,
It is valuable, nevertheless, as shewing how little idea the ancients had

of the immaculate conception of the

blessed Virgin Mary: for it testifies
that

all

(eV

the Virgin,
conceived in sin,

women, except

(at liXXaiyvvaiKfs,)

Cant.ii. 12.

COMMENTARY UPON

SERMON

c. 11.25-35.

Is. Hi.

THE

7.

"

prophet Isaiah says,

IV.
Beautiful are

the feet of

and what could

tidings of good
there be so sweet to learn as that God has saved the world by

them that bring good

"

:"

the mediation of the Son, in that

i

Tim.

ii.

5.

He was made

like unto us

one God, and one Mediator of

For it is written, "that there
God and men, the Man Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself a
ransom for
For of His own accord He descended to our
is

"

"

us."

poverty, that

Behold

His.

He might make us rich by our gaining what is

Him therefore as one in our estate presented

unto the Father, and obedient to the shadows of the law, offer
ing sacrifice moreover according to what was customary, true
though it be that these things were done by the instrumentality

mother according to the flesh. Was He then unrecog

by all at Jerusalem, and known to none dwelling there ?
could this be the case ?
For God the Father had before

of His

nised

How
T. aylwv.

Aub. OT

i.

ixli.

i.

proclaimed by the holy prophets, that in due season the Son

would be manifested to save them that were lost, and to
give
light to them that were in darkness.
By one too of the holy
prophets
"

and

He

"

said,

My

righteousness approacheth quickly,

mercy to be revealed, and My salvation shall burn

as a torch." But the
mercy and righteousness is Christ for
through Him have we obtained mercy and righteousness, hav
ing washed away our filthy vileness by faith that is in Him.

My

"

And that which a torch going before them is to those in

night
and darkness, this has Christ become for those who are in
mental gloom and darkness,
implanting in them the divine
For this reason also the blessed
light.
prophets prayed to be
Ps. Ixxxv.

made partakers
"

Lord, and grant us

mercy,
c

The

Tr. Coll.
the

text

of His great
grace, saying,

is

MS.

now taken from

B. Q.

2th century.

the

apparently of
is a volume of
them has one

7.

It

sermons, and among

with the following

superscription

is

rov diVmop

Ka

CK

Thy

Shew

us

Thy

salvation."

pp.rjvfias

\iov

"

Ke

owe

TOV Kara

\ov<av

tvayye-

evXo-f

my

transcript to a friend,

himself engaged in collecting and

editing the Greek remains of this
Father.

THE GOSPEL OF
hrist d therefore

was carried

child at the breast

LUKE.

ST.

25

into the temple,

being yet a

and the blessed Symeon being en

dowed with the grace of prophecy, takes Him in his arms, and
filled with the
highest joy, blessed God, and said
Lord,
little

"

now

"

lettest

Thou Thy servant depart

in peace
according to

Thy Word,

"

for mine eyes have seen

Thy Salvation, Which
hast prepared before the face of all the nations, the
Gentiles light for revelation, and a
glory of Thy people

Thon

"

"

"

Israel."

For the mystery of Christ had been

prepared even

before the very foundation of the world, but was manifested in

the last ages of time, and became a
light for those who in dark
ness and error had fallen under the devil s hand.
These were

who

"

serve the creation instead of the Creator/ wor- Rom

moreover
the dragon, the author of evil, and the im- fx
shipping
of
devils, to whom they attach the honour due unto
pure throng
Ood yet were they called by God the Father to the acknow

they

i.

25.

ledgment of the Son

He

said

Who

by the voice of

is

the true light.

"

Isaiah,

make

I will

Of them

in sooth

signs unto them,

and receive them, because I will ransom them, and

they shall
be multiplied, as
and I will sow them
they were many
among the nations, and they who are afar off shall reinember Me." For very many were
they that were astray, but
were called through Christ and again
are
as thcv
"

"

"

"

many

they

Mai, whose extracts begin again

impossible to say which

MS.

con-

at this clause, has admitted at the

tains this interpolation, as the let-

end of the

ters

first

sentence an interpo-

lation so curious, that

.

and offered what

is

append

appointed

in the law, a pair of turtles

"

it

and

two young pigeons, the type of

temperance and gentleness, as
well as also of each kind of life,
marriage, namely, and celibacy,
of both of which He is the LawFor you may say that the
giver.
active and more spiritual, who

in

that those

more

MSS.

or less of

severally contain

what follows.

Im-

mediately afterwards he has another

passage, the false philosophy and

bad Greek of which confirm its reby the two trustworthy

jection

MSS.

the effect, that Syfrom tho

leaping-ground of life for life is a
It is to

meon was

to be set free
:

have taken upon themselves the

but
single life, are the pigeons
that those who
occupy themselves
with a family and other domestic

O-^T^PLOV.)
Upon the offering of
the turtle doves, the reader

cares

the

put by Mai at the commencement of each extract merely mean

are the turtle

doves."

As

the unworthy interpretation of

the butter, referred to in the note
at the end of the 2nd
Sermon, it is

ransom and prison, (XvTpa

KOI

6>

may

compare

S. Cyril s

De Ador.

which

explanation

in

Spir. Ed. Aub. I. 531.

agrees with the present Com-

mentary.

Zech.

x. s

COMMENTARY UPON

26

have been received and ransomed, hav

the
as the token of peace from God the Father,
ing obtained
is by faith in
that
the
and
His family
grace
adoption into
And the divine disciples were sown widely
Jesus Christ.

were before

for they

what

the

Those

consequence
among the nations and
who in disposition were far from God, have been made near.
To whom also the divine Paul sends an epistle, saying, Now
afar off have been made near in the
ye who some time were
:

is

"

Eph.

ii.

13.

"

"

blood of

And having been brought near, they make

the Father has said of
glorying for again, God

Christ."

Christ their
Zech.x.

12.

and
them, "And I will strengthen them in the Lord their God,
the
also
This
in His Name shall they glory, saith the Lord."
blessed Psalmist teaches, speaking as it were unto Christ the
"

PR. ixxxix.

"

"

"

Jer. xvi.ip.

and saying,
Lord, they shall walk in the light
of Thy countenance, and in Thy Name shall they exult all
the day, and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted for

Saviour of

"

all,

Thou

art the glorying of their

strength."

And we

shall find

al so the prophet Jeremiah calling out unto God, "Lord, my

of my evils,
strength and my help, and my refuge in the day
"

to Thee shall the heathen come from the end of the earth,
and say, Our fathers took unto themselves false idols, in
which there is no help."
Christ therefore became the Gentiles light for revelation
For even granting that some
but also for the glory of Israel.
"

"

"

of

them proved

insolent,

and disobedient, and with minds

void of understanding, yet is there a remnant saved, and ad

mitted unto glory through Christ. Arid the firstfruits of these

were the divine

disciples, the brightness of

whose renown

light

ens the whole world.

And
Rom.

ix. 5.

came
"

all,

in

another sense Christ

is

the glory of Israel, for He

He be God over

them according to the flesh, though

and blessed for evermore, Amen."

of

And Symeon

"

blesseth also the holy

Virgin as the handmaid
and the instrument of the birth that sub

of the divine counsel,

mitted not

itself to

human nature. For being a

and that not by man, but by the
having come upon her.

the laws of

virgin she brought forth,

power of the Holy Ghost
Also

And what

in the
"

M&ia,i54.

does the prophet

hold This child is set for the

"

Israel,

and

Symeon say
fall

for a sign that shall

and

of Christ

"

rising again of

be spoken

against."

Be-

many

in

For the

THE GOSPEL OF
Immanuel

is

set

LUKE.

ST.

27

for the foundations of Sion,

by God the Father

and honourable.
being a stone elect, chief of the corner,
but
Those then that trusted in Him were not ashamed
to
those who were unbelieving and ignorant, and unable
per

Pet.

"

ii.

6.

broken in
mystery regarding Him, fell, and were
Be- Is. xxviii.
For God the Father again has somewhere said,
pieces.
hold I lay in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, L uke xx
and He that believeth on It shall not be ashamed; but on 18.
whomsoever It shall fall, It will winnow him." But the pro
bade the Israelites be secure, saying,
Sanctify the Lord Is. viii. 13.
ceive the

"

"

"

"

"

phet
"

"

"

He shall be thy fear and if thou trust upon

shall
be thy sanctification, nor shall ye strike
He
Him,
on
a stone of stumbling, and a rock of ofas
Him
against
Himself, and

Because however Israel did not sanctify the Emmanuel

Lord
and God, nor was willing to trust in Him, having
Who
in
as
stumbled
upon a stone because of unbelief, it was broken
"

fence."

is

But many rose again, those, namely, who

embraced faith in Him. For they changed 6 from a legal to a
from having in them a slavish spirit, they
spiritual service
were enriched with That Spirit Which maketh free, even the

pieces

and

fell.

Holy Ghost they were made partakers of the divine nature

and live in
they were counted worthy of the adoption of sons
:

Pet.

i.

4.

hope of gaining the

wit, the

city that is above,

even the citizenship, to

kingdom of heaven.

the precious Also in the

sign that is spoken against, he means
to the Jews it is a stumCross, for as theTnost wise Paul writes,
^12,154.

And by the

"

"

"

And again, "To iCor.

blingblock, and foolishness to the heathen."
them that are perishing it is foolishness but to us who are iCor.
salvation." The sign
being saved, it is the power of God unto
:

"

therefore

is

be

while to those

folly

tion

and

spoken against,

if to

those that perish

who acknowledge

its

power

seem

it

it is

to

salva

life.

And Symeon

"

further f said to the

go through thy own

holy Virgin,

Yea, a

meaning by the
sword the pain which she suffered for Christ, in seeing Him
"

sword

shall

Aubert

s reading here, jzfrf^uTcvdrja-av, for /ifTf^oirr/o-ai/, is worthy of notice. It is possibly, never-

theless, only the correction of

scribe, not

some

aware that $otrdco, and

soul

also,"

its compounds, occur in S. Cyril

constantly in the sense of
f The Tr. MS. has
rrpos TOVS TOL/3aiVo>.

OVTOVS, but the Syriac

which

have adopted.

i.

23.

i.

18.

COMMENTARY UPON
Whom

she brought forth crucified; and not knowing at all

be more mighty than death, and rise again
from the grave.
Nor mayest thou wonder that the Virgin

He would

that

knew

this

not,

when we

themselves with

little

even the holy Apostles

shall find

faith

thereupon

for verily the blessed

Thomas, had he not thrust his hands into His side after the
resurrection, and felt also the prints of the nails, would have
disbelieved the other disciples
telling him,

The very wise Evangelist

all

that Christ

was

and had shewed Himself unto them.

risen,

therefore for our benefit teaches us

things whatsoever the Son,

when He was made

flesh,

and

consented to bear our

poverty, endured for our sakes and in
our behalf, that so we
may glorify Him as our Redeemer, as
our Lord, as our Saviour, and our God
Whom and with
:

Whom

gby

God

the Father and the

Holy Ghost be the glory
and the power for ever and ever, Amen. h
to

The doxology

taken from

is

Aubert, and is identically the same

with that which concludes
every

homily

in the Syriac.

Mai does not contain the above

explanation of the sword that was
to pierce the
holy Virgin, but in its
place has the following adaptation
of it
But to
more
"

speak

"

"

"

"

we

"

"

"

"

ness of the Jews.

Symeon seems

"

filii

seeing
"

"

was that

said

Such
by Zechariah

also
(xiii.

My
let

cum

nee

habeant,

nee pietas Christiana admittat,

baud immerito preetermisirnus :

quamquam eadem legitur sub finem predictse homilia? in hypa-

and

born of her

Awake, O sword, against

Shepherd, that is, forthwith
7.):

"

Him That was

in the flesh crucified.

sui resurrectionem

ceteri codices in
Cyrillo

so the just

even to say. For the

holy Virgin
was all but killed by a sword in

"

"

And

to understand,

et

"

briefly,

or even the passion itself

brought
the madupon the Immanuel

"

additur, KCU a^iyvooixra

ye KOI Bavarov Kparrja-fi Qavara)Gets
quam particulam de B. Virginis dubitatione circa futuram
crapKa

by

"

let

"

sword here sigtemptation like a knife,

"

and

"

affirm that the

nifies the

the

saving passion be enacted,

the time of the
shewing
forth of good
things come." To
this Mai appends the
following
note
In codice B. f. 31. post
"

pantem,"

&c.

The danger

of such

method of treating MS.

authority
is shewn
by the additional authority
of the Tr. Cod., which
completely
agrees with Aubert, some slight
a

verbal differences
excepted.

And

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

SERMON

V.

LUKE.

and waxed strong in spirit, being filled c. 11.40-52.

From
*
rom Mai
And and
and
the grace of God was upon Him.
with wisdom,
Cramer.
and
again ; But Jesus increased in stature and wisdom
grace with God and men.
the Child grew,

TO

say that the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit,

with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him,
being
must be taken as referring to His human nature. And examine,
filled

pray you, closely the profoundness of the dispensation the

endures to be born in human fashion, although in His
He
divine nature He has no beginning nor is subject to time
I

Word

Who

God

the In
perfect, submits to bodily growth
to
advance
of
limbs
that
manhood
has
the
ripeness
corporeal
He is filled with wisdom Who is Himself all wisdom. And what
as

is

all

say we to this? Behold by these things Him Who was in the form
of the Father made like unto us: the Rich in poverty the High
:

Him

receive," Whose is the fulness as

did
God
the Word empty Himself
For
God. So thoroughly
Him
as
a
of
man
shew
the manner of
what things are written

in humiliation

said to

"

For it were a thing impossible for the Word

the emptying.
begotten of God the Father to admit ought like this into
His own nature
unto

and

us,
is

then

He

said also to

but when

He became

born according
have been subject

is

flesh,

even a

to the flesh of

man

like

a woman,

to the things that

belong

man s state and though the Word as being God could have
made His flesh spring forth at once from the womb unto the
to

measure of the perfect man, yet this would have been of the
nature of a portent and therefore He gave the habits and
laws of human nature power even over His own flesh.
:

Be not

therefore offended, considering perchance within thy- From the

can God increase? or how can He Who gives grace
self,
151,
Rather reflect
to angels and to men receive fresh wisdom ?

How

upon the great skill wherewith we are initiated into His mys
For the wise Evangelist did not introduce the Word in
tery.
His abstract and incorporeal nature, and so say of Him that

^^

COMMENTARY UPON

30

He

increased in stature and wisdom and

grace, but after hav
shewn
that He was born in the flesh of a woman, and took
ing

our likeness, he then assigns to Him these human

attributes,
calls Him a child, and
says that He waxed in stature, as

and

His body grew

And

so

He

little

by

in obedience to
corporeal laws.
have increased in wisdom, not as re

little,

said also to

is

for God is
ceiving fresh supplies of wisdom,
perceived by the
understanding to be entirely perfect in all things, and altoge
ther incapable of
being destitute of any attribute suitable to
the Godhead
but because God the Word
gradually mani
fested His wisdom
to
the
which
the body
proportionably
age
:

had
From Mai.

attained.

The body then advances

for the divine nature

in stature,

and the

soul* in

wisdom:

capable of increase in neither one nor

the other
that
the
Word of God is all perfect. And
seeing
with good reason he connected the
increase of wisdom with
the growth of the
bodily stature, because the divine
is

revealed

its

own wisdom

in

nature
proportion to the measure of the

bodily growth.
r-

42-

And when He was

twelve years old,

they went

salem according

to the

to

up

Jeru

custom of the feast.

After the

Evangelist had said, that Jesus advanced in wis

grace with God and men, he next shews that what
he says is true for he carries Him
to Jerusalem in

dom and

the holy
Virgin, upon the
then he
says that He remained
ith

company

summons

of the feast

and

behind, and was afterwards

Hind in the
temple sitting in the midst of the doctors both

iskmg and answering questions

regarding those things, as we
sure, which were spoken of old
by the law and that
was wondered at
by all for His questions and answers.
Him advancing in wisdom and
grace, by reason of
mng known unto many as being what He was.
1

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

31

Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing.

His mother certainly knew that He was not the child
1*

v.

48.

49

of

of the Jews.

Joseph, but she so speaks to avoid the suspicions

And upon her saying, that Thy father and I have sought
Thee sorrowing," the Saviour answers
"

"

Did ye

know

not

that

I must

My

be at

Father

s ?

first He makes more open mention of Him Who

and lays bare His own divinity for when
His
Father,
truly
the holy Virgin said, Child, why hast Thou so done unto us ?

Here then

is

then at once shewing Himself to transcend the measure of hu

man things, and teaching her that she had been made the

handmaid of the dispensation in giving birth to the flesh, but

that lie by nature and in truth was God, and the Son of the
Father That is in heaven, He says, Did ye not know that I
must be at My Father s? mere let the Valentinians, when
they hear that the temple was God s, and that Christ was now

Who

at His own,

long before also was so described in the law,

and types, feel shame in affirm

of
the world, nor the God of the
Maker
neither
the
that
ing,
111
of
the
law, nor the God
temple, was the Father of Christ.
as in shadows

and represented

k
TO>V

Cramer

26.) adds, vo^i(6v-

(ii.

e* Tropveias avrov

The

style of the

that follows

Mai

ril s.

ascribe

it

short extract

entirely unlike Cysays, that the Catenae

is

to

well

as

Orjgen

as

Cyril,

m Mai

may

serve

manner

next extract upon v. 52.

as an instance of the

which the Catenists

joined with the utmost neatness
It
passages from various works.
in

commences with
mentary on John

S. Cyril s
i.

14,

Op.

Comiv.

Him

increase of admiration on the part

of all who beheld Him, and daily

witnessed a fuller manifestation of

His glory or, as the two latter extracts teach, it refers to the human
As I have not been able
nature.
:

S. Cyril s
it entire
:

"

"

which there follow a few lines,

which may possibly be from the
Commentary on Luke and finally,
we have the 28th assertion of the
after

"

"

"

The
v. pt. i. 253.
doctrine of these extracts is nearly

"

"

Thesaurus, Op.
identical,

Lord

all

affirming

increase in

that

wisdom and

ture and grace cannot be

"

our

"

sta-

"

said of

the

find

to

"

96

Word, but
must be understood of the

considered as the

either

ytyev^aOm.

second

extract

in

collected works, I give

And observe, that that

"

which increases in any thing

different from that in which it
If therefore

said to increase.
is

said to increase in

was

not

the

creased, but the

that increased in

that

human

is

He

wisdom,

wisdom

is

it

in-

nature

For as the
Godhead day by day unveiled and
it.

manifested Itself in Him, He ever

became an object of greater admiration to those that

saw

Him."

COMMENTARY UPON

CHAPTER
SERMON
As

From Mai.

it is

III.

VI.

ivHttcn in the look of the words

of Isaiah
the prophet.

THE

blessed Isaiah was not

ignorant of the scope of John s
preachings, but of old, even long before the time, bearing witness
of it, he called Christ Lord and God but John he
styled His
minister and servant, and said that he was a
:

lamp advancing

before the true

the morning star

heralding the sun,
the
foreshowing
coming of the day that was about to shed its
rays upon us: and that he was a voice, not a word,
forerunning
Jesus, as the voice does the word. n

Prepare ye

light,

the ivays

of the Lord, make His paths straight.

John, being chosen for the Apostleship, was also the last of
the holy
prophets for which reason, as the Lord was not
yet
come, he says, Prepare ye the way of the Lord.
And what is
:

Fr

th<

Ms. I2 .i 54 the meaning of

Prepare ye the way of the Lord

reception of whatever Christ
withdraw your hearts from the shadow of

for,
.o

Make ready

enact

cease from the

types
paths of our God

think no more

"

good
F

Ma,,

ps

is

It is

?"

for the

perversely.

may

put
wish

the law

Make

For every path that leadeth

and smooth and
easy but the other is

straight."

straight

crooked that leadeth down to

wickedness them that walk
herein
For of such it is
- Whose
written,
paths are crooked
and the tracks of their wheels
awry."
Straightforwardness
fore of the mind is as it
were a straight
path, having no
crookedness.
Such was the divine
Psalmist s character, who
sm S s
A crooked heart hath not cleaved
unto me." And
"

JOB.

xxt.

the

>

son of Nun, in
exhorting the people, said,

-Make

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

God of Israel
while John
And
this
means, that the
your ways."

straight your hearts unto the

"

Make

"

cries,

straight

33
:"

soul must be straight, displaying its natural intuition as

created and it was created beautiful and
very straight.
:

when

turns aside, and

it

natural state

its

is

it

was
But

perverted, this

is

and the perversion of the soul. The matter there

not very difficult for if we continue as we are made, we

called vice,

fore

is

shall be virtuous. P

But when some one, as

How

shall

it

were, exclaims against us, saying,

of the Lord ? or how make His

we prepare the way

paths straight ? for there are many impediments in the way of

those that will live well,
Satan, who hates all that is beauti
the
of
wicked spirits, the law of sin itself
ful,
unholy throng
that

in

is

our fleshly members, and which arms

itself
against
good, and many other
passions besides, that have mastery over the mind of man
what then shall we do, with so great difficulty
pressing upon

the inclinations of the mind to what

is

us

The word

"

Every
"

and every mountain and hill

and the crooked way shall become
and the rough ways shall become smooth and all

be brought low

shall

"

straight,
"

of prophecy meets these objections,

saying,

valley shall be filled up,

And
for

God."

all flesh shall see the salvation

of God.

V.

6.

did see the salvation of God, even of the Father

sent the Son to be our Saviour.
And in these words

all flesh

He
"

by

flesh shall see the salvation of

And

Is. xl. 4

fiesh,"

man

generally is to be understood, that is, the

For thus all flesh shall see the salvation

whole human race.

God no longer Israel only, but

ness of the Saviour and Lord of all

of

all

flesh.

For the gentle

not limited, nor did He

save one nation merely, but rather embraced within His net
the whole world, and has illuminated all who were in dark

And

is

what was celebrated by the Psalmist s lyre,

hast made shall come and wor- ps
Lord." While at the same time the rem- 9ship before Thee,
nant of the Israelites is saved, as the great Moses also
long
ness.
"

this is

All the nations

whom Thou

ixxxvi.

"

ago declared, saying,

"

Rejoice ye nations with His

The style of this comment, so

unlike Cyril s, and the extraordinary
conclusion, both suggest caution in
attributing to him the latter part of
P

Deut.xxxii.
people."

this extract.
1 The next extract is from the
Commentary on Isaiah, Op. ii. 506,

and

is

therefore omitted.

COMMENTARY UPON

34

SERMON
MS. 12,
C.

iii.

VII.

54.

7-9.

The Baptist therefore said to the multitudes that came to be

baptized of him, Generation of vipers, who hath ivarned
you to flee from the coming wrath ?

WE

affirm therefore that the blessed

Baptist, as being full

of the

Holy Ghost, was not ignorant of the daring acts that

Jewish wickedness would venture
against Christ. For he fore

knew

that they would both disbelieve in

their

envenomed tongue, would pour forth

tions against
X1

5.

Him

accusing

Him

fornication; at another, as one

Him, and wagging

railings and accusa

at one time of
being

born of

who wrought His

miracles by
and again, as one

the help of Beelzebub,

prince of the devils
that had a devil, and was no whit better
than a Samaritan.
Having this therefore in view, he calls even those of them who
:

From Mai. repent wicked, and

reproves them because, though they had the
law speaking unto them the
mystery of Christ, and the

pre

dictions of the
prophets relating thereunto, they nevertheless
had become dull of
hearing, and unready for faith in Christ

the Saviour of
the

all.

coming wrath

"

For who hath warned

you

Was

to flee

from

not the inspired

Scripture, which
tells the
happiness of those who believe in Christ, but fore
warns those who believe not, and are
ignorant, that they will
be condemned to severe and
inevitable
?
?"

it

punishment

Briny forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.

Moreover, the
faith in Christ
111

fruit of

and next

is, in the highest

degree,
the evangelic mode of life, and
of righteousness in contradis

repentance
to

it,

general terms

the works
which the penitent must
bring forth as fruits
worthy of repentance. And he has added
Begin not to say
within yourselves, We have
Abraham for our father for I
tinction to sin,

11

you that God

able of these stones to raise

up children
unto Abraham."
You see how most
he
humbles
skilfully
their foolish
pride, and shews that their
born of Abra

ham

is

being

according to the flesh

is

useless for their

profit

For of

THE GOSPEL OF
what

benefit

is

nobility of birth, if

LUKE.

ST.

men

35

practise not the like

earnest deeds, nor imitate the virtue of their ancestors

For

if ye were Abraham s children, John

the Saviour says unto them,
1
The relation- 39works
of Abraham/
ye would have done the
<(

"

and manners : so
ship which God requires is one in character
and
of
boast
to
that it is a vain tiling
good parents, while
holy

we

fall,

far short of their virtue.

the* Jew, if this be so, in what way is the seed of

Abraham still to be multiplied, and the promise made to him
He will mulof God hold true, of which the terms are, that

But, says

"

"

stars of
tiply his seed as the

heaven

?"

the calling of

By

the GentileSi
Jew for it was said to Abraham himself, that
I have
and that
in Isaac shall a seed for thee be called
:

"

"

:*"

"

set thee as a father of

many

nations."

But the phrase

"

Gen.xxi.i2.

in id.

xvii. 4

Isaac" means,
According to promise. He is set therefore as
a father of many nations by faith, that is to say, in Christ.
And of these it was that God spake also by the voice of Eze"

take away out of their flesh the heart of

stone,
give them a heart of flesh, that they may
know Me, that I am the Lord."

kiel
"

"

"And

and

I will

Ezek.xi.iQ.

will

the blessed Baptist apparently calls them stones, be- From the
knew not Him Who is by nature God, but Ms!r2, r54
were in error, and in their great folly worshipped the creation

And

cause they as yet

instead of the Creator

but they were called, and became the

sons of Abraham, and acknowledged, by believing in Christ,

Him Who is by nature God.

But that he may benefit in a still higher degree those that

hear him, the blessed Baptist brings forward something more
But already even the axe is laid at the root of the trees."
:

"

But by the axe in this passage he signifies the sharp wrath

which God the Father brought upon the Jews for their wick
edness towards Christ, and audacious violence: for the wrath From Mai
like an axe.
And this the prophet
Zecharias has explained to us, saying.
The wailing of Jerusalem shall be as the wailing of a grove of pomegranate trees
cut down in the plain."
And Jeremiah also addressing her,

was brought upon them

"

Zech.xii.n.

"

"

"

The Lord

called thy name a beautiful olive tree, very

to
behold
at the sound of its felling, a fire was kindled
leafy
"

said,

"

upon

it

great was the lamentation over

F 2

it

its

branches

Jer.

xi. i*.

COMMENTARY UPON

have been made unserviceable and the Lord of

hosts That
planted thee hath uttered evils against thee."
And to this
thou mayest add also the
parable in the Gospels about the figtree.
As being therefore a plant
unfruitful, and no longer of
generous kind, it was cut down by God. He does
not, how
ever, say that the axe was laid into the
root, but at the root,
that is, near the root.
For the branches were cut
off, but the
plant was not dug up by its root for the remnant of
Israel
was saved, and did not
perish
"

"

utterly.

SERMONS
And

THE

t1i e

VIII

AND

IX.

multitudes asked him.

Luke has introduced three

making inquiry of John,-the multitudes, the
blessed

classes

of

men

publicans, and,
physician applies to each
malady a suitable and fitting remedy, so also the
Baptist gave
to each mode of life useful
and becoming
counsel, bidding the
multitudes
their course towards
repentance practise mutual
kindness: for the
publicans, he stops the
way to unrestrained
thirdly, the soldiers

and as a

skilful

and very
wisely tells the soldiers to
oppress no one,
but be content with their
wages.
tions

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

SERMON

X.

LUKE.

37

From

SERMON THE TENTH, FROM S CYRIL S COMMENTARY UPON LUKE,

UPON JOHN THE BAPTIST.

But when

the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether he were not

the

Syriac

c. Hi.
I

5~

7-

John answered, and said to them all, I indeed

baptize you in water, but there cometh He Who is mightier
than I : Whose shoe s latchet I am not worthy to unloose :
He shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and injire, Whose
fan is in His hand, and He shall purge His floor, and
gather His wheat into stores, but the chaff He ivill burn
the Christ,

in unquenchable fire. 5

IT

written, that

is

"

excellently."

"a

just father will bring

For those who are clad

up

(his children)

in the glory of the

righteousness that is by Christ, and are acquainted with His

sacred commands, will train up excellently and piously those

who

are their sons in the faith, giving them not the material

bread of earth, but that which is from above, even from hea
ven.
Of which bread the admirable Psalmist also makes men
tion,

where he

"

says,

Bread established! man

and P.

heart,

wine rejoiceth man s heart."

Let us therefore now also
establish our hearts
let our faith in Christ be assured, as we
"

correctly understand the meaning of those evangelic writings

now read unto us.
For when the people, it says, were in
"

"

"

"

expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts of John, whether he were not the Christ, he answered them in the words

which we have just heard

read."

Although the preposition eV is

occasionally used for the instrument
or means, yet this is only admissible
where the sense can still be traced
back to its proper signification of
local presence.
"

make

to

evidently

so here

"

literally in

baptize," is
"

And

to

"

to
Syriac
by a metaphor

stand,"

drawn from what was

ac-

tually the practice of John and the

to he baptized"
early Church and
"

is

the simple verb

v. 21.
"

"

is literally

"

stand."

Thus

came

to

pass, when all the people stood,

that Jesus also stood."
And so

the passage above

"

to

"And it

indeed

"

"

water;"

is

make you

He

shall

"

exactly;
to

stand

make you

in

to

stand in the Holy Ghost," &c.

And I have therefore in the transla"

tion retained

"

in,"

as

most closely

representing the Syriac.

civ.

15.

COMMENTARY UPON

38

of

They had beheld with admiration the incomparable beauty

John s mode of life the splendour of his conduct the un
:

paralleled and surpassing excellence of his piety. For so great

and admirable was he, that even the Jewish
populace began to
conjecture whether he were not himself the Christ, Whom the
law had described to them in shadows, and the

holy prophets

had before proclaimed. Inasmuch therefore as some ventured

on this conjecture, lie at once cuts
away their surmise, de
clining as a servant the honours

due to the Master, and trans

ferring the glory to Him Who transcends all, even to Christ,
For he knew that He is faithful unto those that serve Him.

And what

John

iii.

2 8.

he
acknowledges is in very deed the truth for hetween God and man the distance is immeasurable. "Ye
yourselves, therefore, he says, bear me witness that I said I
:

"

"

am

not the Christ, but that I

where

shall

we

am

sent before

Him."

But

the

find

In
holy Baptist thus speaking?
the Gospel of John, who has thus
him
spoken concerning
;
And this is the testimony of John when the scribes and Pharisees at Jerusalem sent to ask him
whether he were the
"

9-

"

And lie confessed, and denied not, and said, that I

not the Christ, but am he that is
sent before Him."
Great therefore and admirable in
deed
is the forerunner,
very
who was the
before
the
Saviour
s
meridian
dawning
splendour,
the precursor of the
spiritual daylight, beautiful as the morn
ing star, and called of God the Father a torch.
Christ,

"

am

Having therefore thus declared himself not to be the Christ,

now brings forward
proofs, which we must necessarily con
sider, and by which we
may learn how immeasurable the dis
tance
evidently is between God and man, between the slave
and the Master, between the
minister and Him Who is min
istered unto, between him
who goes before as a
and
lie

servant,

ho shines forth with divine

dignity. What, therefore,
the proof?
I indeed
baptize in water: after me shall come
V

Vho

is

He

is

mightier than

:oop

down and

I,

Whose shoe

unloose."

As

latchet I

I said,

am

not worthy

therefore, the dif-

incomparable, the superiority immeasurable, if, as is

the blessed
Baptist, being so great in virtue, declare.
that he is not
worthy even, as it were, to touch His shoes.
se,

his declaration

is

true

for if the rational

powers above,

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

39

and thrones, and lordships, and the holy Sera

phim themselves, who stand around His godlike throne, hold
ing the rank of ministers, unceasingly crown Him with praises
as the Lord of all, what dweller upon earth is worthy even to
For though He be loving unto man, and
be nigh unto God ?
and
gentle, and mild, yet must we, as being of slight account,
principalities,

children of earth, confess the weakness of our nature.

And
"

ing,
"

after this, lie again brings forward a second proof, say

indeed baptize you in water but He shall baptize you
:

in the

Holy Ghost and

in

And

fire."

this too

of great

is

and demonstration that Jesus is God

and Lord.
For it is the sole and peculiar property of the
Substance That transcends all, to be able to bestow on men
importance for the proof

the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, and make those that draw
near unto It partakers of the divine nature. But this exists in
Christ, not as a thing received, nor by communication from
another, but as His own, and as belonging to His substance
:

for

"

He

baptizes in

That became man

Father

who

as

is,

But

substance.

the Holy

The Word

Ghost."

therefore

appears, God, and the fruit of the

it
may be, those will ol>ject

it

to this,

divide the one Christ into two sons,

those

mean who,

as Scripture says, are "animal, and dividers, and

having not Jude
the Spirit,"
that He Who baptizes in the Holy Ghost is
"

Word of God, and not lie Who is of the seed of David.

What answer shall we make, then, to this ? Yes we too
affirm, without fear of contradiction, that the Word being God
the

as of His

own

fulness bestows the

Holy Ghost on such as are

worthy but this He still wrought, even when He was made

man, as being the One Son with the flesh united to Him in an
ineffable and incomprehensible manner.
For so the blessed
:

Baptist, after first saying,

"and
loose the thong t of

"

The

serted

in Mai has ina parenthesis a curious

Catenist

in

i
<r$aipo>T7p

"

meant

"

am

not worthy to stoop

gint,

Gen.

down

immediately added,

shoes,"

whence Cyril

word

is

taken,

by the

23, the right reading is

a thong for the ankles,"
o-QvpwTrjp,

the tip of the

whereas o-cpmpeor^p, from oxpcupn,

namely, that

observation,
"

His

shoe, ending in a point, such as

the barbarians wear." The word,

however, used by the Evangelist is

and there
ipds, simply a
thong
can be no doubt that in the Septua-

xiv.

"

"

ball,"

"

:"

is

the

granates, used
of the golden

xxv. 31.)

word
in

for the

the

pome-

adorning
candlestick.
(Ex.

19.

COMMENTARY UPON

40

He

shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and in fire

plainly
while having feet for shoes. For no one whose mind was awake
would say, that the Word, while still incorporeal, and not as
"

;"

had feet and shoes, but only when He

Inasmuch, however, as He did not then
cease to be God, He wrought even so works
worthy of the
Godhead, by giving the Spirit unto them that believe in Him.
For He, in one and the same person, was at the same time
yet

made

like unto us,

had become a man.

God and also man.

But yes, he objects, the Word wrought the works of
Deity
by means of Him Who is of the seed of David. If so then thou
both

we will repeat to thee in answer the words of John

he somewhere said unto the Jews,
There cometh after
me a man Who was before me, because He is before me and

arguest,
John

i.

30.

for

"

knew Him

He

not, but

He

That sent me

to baptize in water,

Upon Whom thou seest the Spirit descend

from
heaven, and abiding upon Him, This is He That
ing
in
the Holy Ghost and I saw, and bare
baptizeth
witness,
said unto me,

that This

the Son of

is

Behold, therefore, while

plainly calling Him a man, he says that
is
prior to him,
and was before him, in that He is
first, evidently in His divine
God."

He

nature
according to what was plainly said by Himself to the
Jewish populace,
I
"Verily
say unto you, before Abraham
;

Johnviii.

"

was,

am."

Next, he says as well, that the

Spirit also came down from
heaven upon Him. Do
they pretend that the Holy Ghost came
down upon the Word of God while still abstract and incor
and represent Him Who bestows the
poreal
as made
if

Spirit

partaker of His own Spirit ?

Or rather
that
having received the Spirit in His
s

is

this their

human

meaning,

nature,

He

in

divine nature
baptizes in the

Himself singly, and

alone,

Holy Ghost ? For He is

and verily the Son of God the Fa

ther, as the blessed

Baptist, being taught of God, himself bare
witness, saying, "And I saw, and bare witness that

This

Son of

"

>

In the above defence of

catholic
tnne agamst the heresies of
K*.
y
,h
8

>

is

the

God!" v

,"

natUra ,

1
teaching
te

take

""""

,s

V^

"

**
f

to divide the

one Christ into two sons, and not

expressly so taught. For in
SCTen
quaternion he says,
G d the Wold CTen <*fre the
incarnation, was Son, and God

that he
""

"

"

THE GOSPEL OF
Wouldst thou have

also

have already been given ?

and He shall purge His

"

in

"

floor,

He

stores, but the chaff

4-1

a third proof, in addition to what Also

His fan," he says, is in His hand,

"

"

LUKE.

ST.

shall

and gather His wheat into His

burn with fire unquenchable."

For he compares those upon earth

to ears of corn, or rather to

the threshingfloor and the wheat upon it for each one of us has
grown like an ear of corn. And our Lord once, when speaking
:

made a similar comparison of our state

The harvest indeed is great but the labourers are few

to the holy Apostles,

"

"

pray therefore the

"

ers into

His

Lord of the harvest

We

this harvest

all.

But behold

send forth labour-

who are upon the

and wheat, and the harvest.
God over all for He is Lord of

harvest."

therefore,

of corn

earth, are called ears

And

to

belongs to
says the blessed Baptist, the threshing floor
to
Christ
as
for as such He purges it, re
its owner
belongs
and
chaff
the
from the wheat.
For the
moving
separating
:

wheat

"

"

"

"

is

the just, whose faith

is

and coexistent with the Father :

but in these last times assumed
the form of the slave. But while,
before

He was

Son, and so called

assumption of the flesh,

He cannot be called Son separately, lest we should infer two
The doctrine of NestoSons
rius, as briefly sketched
by the
He
Council of Ephesus, was, that
Who for our sakes became man,
must not be called God," ov fifl

"

after the

"

"

"

."

"

"

"

\(yeo~dai 0fbv TOV 01

>%ui;

Hence

avdpconov

his

objection
to the title dforoxos, applied to the
Virgin, and so valued by the fathers
as expressing the inseparable union
ycy(vr)p.(vov.

of the Divine and

human

natures in

the one person of Christ.

Hence

established and assured

T<U

but

rravTOKpaTOpi Gfai

pevov uvdpomov. (Quat. xv. Conf.

Hardtiin. Concil. I. 1414, 1442.)
In drawing these subtle conclu
sions, Nestorius (Ep. ad Cyrilliun

Hard. Cone. I, 1281.) also made

that distinction between the Son of

David and God the Word, so often

attacked by Cyril in this Commen
God the Word, he says,
tary
"

w*s not the Son of David

and
as Cyril would fairly judge of his
"

;"

doctrine by this letter addressed to

no wonder he attributes to

himself,

him, both here and elsewhere, a

conclusion which follows apparent
In
ly so directly from these words.
his seventeenth quaternion occurs

Christ absolutely, 8ia TOV (popovvra

8ia rov Kf<popovp.(vov

most exact
and from it equally
S. Cyril would draw this conclu
sion
7rei$r)7T(p 6 vibs TOV Qcov 81-

KpVfJ.p.VOV TTpCHTKVVto) TOV

7T\OVS

his

against

protest

TOV

worshipping

<7f/3ci>"

(f>Uv6f*tVOV

ax&purTos TOV <ati/o/iVou Qtos.

(Quat. xvi.) and such expressions
:

as,

6/joAoyof /if j/ TOV cv

TOV TTJ dtiq
(Tf/3u>[i(v

ai/$po)7r<i>

o~vva<fi(

iq

Nestorius

probably

statement,

iy(vvT)(r

O~Tl

ptv

6eoC, aXX

KOTO.
r)

TOS

rycWi}<7*

TTjTd, fJTLf ffTTlV VtOS

p.fVOV VIOV.

<pl>O~flf,

OVK

-napBtvos TOV vlbv TOV

TTJV

5m

dv0pa)ir6-

TOV

O~Vl>T}fJ.-

LuUe

x. 2.

COMMENTARY UPON
the chaff signifies those whose mind is weak, and their heart
easy to be ensnared, and unsafe and timorous, and blown about
by every wind. The wheat, then, he says, is stored up in the

granary is deemed worthy, that is, of safety at God s hand,

and mercy, and protection and love but the chaff, as useless
:

consumed

is

in the fire.

matter,
In every way, therefore,

we may perceive that the Word of

even
when
He
was
God,
man, nevertheless continued to be one
Son. u For He performs those works that
belong to Deity,
possessing the majesty and glory of the

from Him.

we

He

Godhead inseparable

crown us with His grace

by Whom and with Whom to God the Father be glory and
dominion with the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever, Amen. x
If so

believe,

u In these words S.
Cyril most
accurately sums up the Catholic
doctrine of the inseparable union of
the two natures in Christ; which

union Nestorius denied, anathema

tizing all who said that the Emma
nuel was very God, and teaching

instead

God
quis

that

Emmanuel was

the

indwelling in our nature.

Bum

Qui

Deum verum

esse

potius nobiscum
inhabitasse earn

nosmet

est

Si

est

Emmanuel,
dixerit, et non

Deum; hoc
qua?

est,

secundum

naturam, per id quod

quam de Maria

unitus est nostrae,

Virgine suscepit ; anathema sit.

(An. I. Hard. Con. I. 1298.)
To
which it might well be replied, that
the Emmanuel is "God with
us,"

will

God and man,

not

similar doctrine

God

is

in

man.

contained in

his fifteenth
quaternion, as quoted

above.
x The most
importanif passages
in the above
homily have been pre
served by the Catenists, but with
the connection and course of the

argument more than once broken.

They

ascribe, however, to S. Cyril,

at the end

two short passages

(cf.

not belonging to the

Commentary; and there are some

Mai,

p. 146.)

slight verbal differences in the in

On the other
tervening extract.
hand, two passages, preserved
by

Thomas Aquinas,

tained in the Syriac.

are

both

con

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

SERMON

XI.

LUKE.

43

>mth.

oynao

MS. 12,165.

THE ELEVENTH SERMON OF THE COMMENTARY UPON THE GOSPEL

OF LUKE BY THE HOLY CYRIL, ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA,
UPON THE MANIFESTATION OF OUR LORD.

And

pass, that tvhen all the people were baptized,

also was baptized : and as He was praying, the hea-

came

it

Jems

to

C.

iii.

11-

vens were opened, and the Holy Ghost descended upon Him
And there was a voice from
in bodily form like a dove.
heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son : in Thee I am
well pleased. And Jesus Himself was beginning to be about
thirty years old.

come, that fixing our mind intently upon the Evan

behold the beauty of the truth. Come
gelic Scriptures, we may
mind unto
us
the
let
direct
penetrating and accurate eyes of the
admirable
wonder
the
view
with
the mystery of Christ ; let us
His
see
we
so
shall
for
skill of the divine economy
glory.

AGAIN

And

thus to act

is

for our life

as

He

Himself assures

These things are

God the Father in heaven,
and Jesus
to know Thee Who alone art true
life eternal
He sent?
was
How therefore
Christ, Whom Thou hast

speaking unto
"

"

when

us,

"

Johnxvii.3.

sent."

and what was the manner of His coming unto us ? For being
by nature God That filleth all, how, as the blessed John the
was He in the world," Himself being Lord ? John
Evangelist said,
"

And how was He

sent

i.

10.

i.

14.

by the Father, when as God He is the

all things ? for all things were esta

Creator and Sustainer of

by Him.
John the P>angelist then teaches us, saying,
And the Word was made flesh." But perchance some one John
will say,
What then ? Having ceased to be the Word, did

blished

The

wise

"

y It

is

to

be observed, that S.

Cyril often omits several verses in

In one of Mai s
his Commentary.

MSS. some one

has written the

fol-

omission here of vv. 18-20. 6 p.atv rfj

Kapios KvptXXor rov Hpo>8ov
:

tpp.Tjvda OVK $tttpvr\<r&r\

ceeds to give a reason for

lowing anonymous note upon the

O 2

and proit.

COMMENTARY UPON

44

He change into being flesh ? Did He fall from His Majesty,

having undergone a transformation unto something which
He was not ? Not so, we say. Far from it. For
He is unchangeable and immutable. In saying,
that the Word became flesh, the
Evangelist means

previously

by nature
therefore,

man

a
*

l.

5-

"

of

For we

like unto us.

For

selves.

it is

"

written,

also are often called flesh our-

And

all flesh shall

see the salvation

meaning thereby that every man shall see it. While

therefore He immutably retains that which He
was, yet as
having under this condition assumed our likeness, He is said
to have been made flesh.
Behold Him, therefore, as a man,
with us the
God,"

enduring

things that belong to man s estate, and fulfilling all righteous

ness, for the plan of salvation s sake.
And this thou learnest
from what the
And it came to pass that
Evangelist says
when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was
baptized,
and prayed." Was He too then in need of
holy baptism ?
"

"

"

But what
le. vi. 3

benefit could accrue to

Him

from

it ?

Vhe

Only-

Word of God is Holy of the

Holy so the Seraphim
name Him in their praises so
every where the law names
Him and the company of the
holy prophets accords with the
What is it that we gain by
writings of Moses.
?
begotten

holy baptism

Plainly the remission of our sins.

But in Jesus there was
iPet.ii.. nought of this; "for He did no sin:
neither was guile found
in His mouth," as the
He was holy, harmScripture saith.
<

separate from sins, and made higher than the

heavens/ according to the words of the divine Paul.
But yes ! perchance some one will
say, who has been ill
instructed in the faith, Was it then
God the
less, undefiled,

Word

Was He

that was

need of being made

partaker of the
Holy Ghost ? Not at all. Therefore it is that we
affirm, that
the man who was of the seed of
and united
baptized?

in

David,

by
*

was baptized and received the

conjunction",

By

imagine the

translator |Zc2x^j
means Nestorius favourite
rd
vwafaa, as he uses it for in-

stance in his xvnth

quaternion
TO
aftmpa

Xtorfc

rJipr*p

AiA

rf,s viorrjTos, icat

>TO,^C.

Adyoy bofulfrm,
ex

(Tvvdfaiav

TT)I>

rrpos

Therefore

is

unto

Spirit,

Him
The

with respect,
namely, to the
dignity of the Sonship, that God
the Word is also called
Christ,
inasmuch as He has a perpetual
it,

<

conjunction with the Christ

I. 1414.
Conf. also
note in page 41
"

Hard. Con.

THE GOSPEL OF
Indivisible therefore

ST.

LUKE.

divided by you into two sons

is

He was baptized when

45
:

and because

He was made

holy, as
therefore not holy until
Who will assent to you,

thirty years old,

Was He

by being baptized.
arrived at His thirtieth year ?
when thus you corrupt the right and blameless faith? For

you

say,

He

there
affirm

is

one Lord Jesus

He was

that

Christ,"

not separate

as
a

written.

But

this

we

iCor.viii.6.

from Him, and by Himself

of the Holy Ghost for we

when baptized and made partaker

He

it is

God, and without stain, and Holy of the

that "of His fulness have all we re- John
for
we
confess
Holy:
For the Holy Spirit indeed proceedeth from God the
ceived."

know, both that

is

It is even often called

Father, but belongeth also to the Son.
the Spirit of Christ, though proceeding from God the Father.
And to this Paul will testify, saying, at one time, They that
"

"

i.

16.

Rom.viii.8.

are in the flesh cannot please God but ye are not in the
flesh, but in the spirit, if so be the Spirit of God dwelleth
But if any one have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
in you.
:

"

"

V none of
41

"

Father, our

Word,

But because ye are sons, God

Son into your hearts, crying,

said

verily Son, and resplendent

ministereth It to the creation, and

by nature and

dignities,

on those that are worthy. Yea verily

All things that the Father hath are mine."

But

iv. 6.

The Holy Spirit therefore proceedeth

from God the Father, but His Only-begotten

as being both

bostoweth

Gal.

Father."

with the Father

It

He

said,

John xvi

let us retort upon those who pervert the right belief this
k
received the Spirit, if lie be,
can He

question;
*

"

again,
hath sent the Spirit of His

indeed as

"

And

His."

Who

How

and
your phrase, a man, and the Son separately
Himself give
and
with
the
Ghost,
Himself,
Holy
baptize
by
the Holy Spirit to them who are baptized? For to be able to

according to

impart the Spirit to

men

suiteth not

created, but, together with

God

any one whatsoever of things

other attributes,

is

the distinct

But He Who gave It was

property of Almighty God alone.
man for the wise John said, "After me cometh a Man, Who John
:

"

"

was before

and with

me

fire."

...

He

As therefore

This refers to the doctrine of

Who

you with the Holy Ghost

unbefitting God the Word,

shall baptize

was bapNestorius, that He

tized was the man Christ, regarded

it is

His human nature, and distinguished from God the Word,

in

i.

30.

COMMENTARY UPON

46

regarded as God the Word, to draw near unto holy baptism,

and be made partaker of the Spirit, so in like manner it is
to believe that the
altogether incredible, or rather impossible
is the act of a
with
the
men
to
Ghost,
Holy
baptize
ability

mere man with nothing in Him superior to ourselves.

How then will the mystery be true ? In that for our aid He
assumed a kind of adaptation b The divine Word became man,
even "He Who was in the form of God the Father, and thought
.

Phil.

ii.

6.

"

not robbery to be equal unto God," as most wise Paul says,

but took the form of a slave, being made in the likeness of

it
"

men, and humbling Himself to poverty." Enquire therefore

Who He was that was first in the likeness of God the Father,
"

and could be regarded as on an equality with Him, but took

the form of a slave, and became then a man, and besides this

made Himself

poor.

Was

it

He

of the seed of David, as they

argue, Whom they specially regard separately and by Himself

as the other Son, distinct from the Word of God the Father ?

them shew that He ever was on an equality with the

Let them shew how He assumed the form of a slave.
Or what shall we say was that form of a slave ? And how did

If so, let

Father.

lie

empty Himself?

He

therefore

Who

For what

is

human nature?

poorer than

the exact image of God the Father, the

likeness, and visible expression of His
person, Who shines re
in
unto
Who
Him,
splendent
equality
by right of nature is free,
is

and the yoke of Whose kingdom is put upon all creation, He

Who took the form of a slave, that is, became a man, and

it is

made Himself poor by consenting

to

endure these human

things, sin only excepted.

But how then, they object, was He baptized, and received

? To which we
reply, that He had no need of
holy baptism, being wholly pure and spotless, and holy of the
Nor had He need of the Holy Ghost for the Spirit
holy.
That proceedeth from God the Father is of Him, and
equal to
also the Spirit

Him

in substance.

what

is

We

must now therefore at length hear

the explanation of the
economy. God in his love to
man provided for us a way of salvation and of life. For be
lieving in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and making this
confession before
all the filth
many witnesses, we wash

away

Economy.

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

47

of sin, and are enriched

by the communication of the Holy

and made partakers of the divine nature, and gain the
grace of adoption. It was necessary therefore that the Word
of the Father, when He humbled Himself unto emptiness, and
deigned to assume our likeness, should become for our sakes
For it follows, that
the pattern and way of every good work.
He Who in every thing is first, must in this also set the example.
In order therefore that we may learn both the power itself of
holy baptism, and how much we gain by approaching so great
a grace, He commences the work Himself; and, having been
Spirit,

baptized, prays that you,

is

my

beloved,

a thing most

learn that never-

may

fitting for those

ceasing prayer
been counted worthy of holy baptism.

And

who have once

thafc the heavens were opened, as

closed.
For
been
Christ said, "Forthwith shalUohni.
having long
heavens
see
the
and
the angels of God ascending
opened,
ye

the Evangelist says

"

and descending upon the Son of man." For both the flock
above and that below being now made one, and one chief
Shepherd appointed for all, the heavens were opened, and
"

And the
earth brought near to the holy angels.
came down as at a second commencement of

man upon

also again
Spirit

and upon Christ

His own sake as for ours

our race

first,

for

Who

received

by Him and

it

in

not so

Him

much for
we en

are

all things. Most

suitably therefore to the economy
of grace does He endure with us the things of man s estate
for where otherwise shall we see Him emptied, Whose in His
divine nature is the fulness ? How became He poor as we are,

riched with

if

He

were not conformed

if

Himself,

He

to our poverty

refused

to

How

did

He empty

endure the measure of human

littleness ?

Having taken therefore Christ

as our pattern, let us

draw

we may gain bold

up holy hands to God the

near to the grace of holy baptism, that so

ness to pray coastantly, and lift

Father, that He may open the heavens also unto us, and send

down upon

For
us too the Holy Ghost, to receive us as sons.
as
at
of
unto
Christ
the
time
though
spake
holy baptism,
having by Him and in Him accepted man upon earth to the

He

"

sonship,
pleased."

This

For

is

the Only-begotten,

beloved

My

He Who

when

Son,

in

Whom

am

well

the Son by nature and in truth, and

He became like unto us, is specially

is

51.

COMMENTARY UPON

48

declared to be the Son of God, not as receiving this for Him

but that He
for He was and is, as I said, very Son
self
:

might ratify the glory unto

iCor.v. 17.

He
Adam

For

us.

has been

made our

for which reason it

firstfruits, and firstborn, and second
have
become
for
new
in Him all things
is said, that
having
:

"

:"

put

off

the oldness that was in

ness that

is

in Christ

by

Adam, we have gained the new

Whom

and with

Father, be glory and dominion with the

and

ever,

not found in the Syriac, probably

from being taken from S. Cy

either

or

other works,

erroneously
(from B.)
contradicts the doctrine maintained
ascribed to him.

The

first

this Commentary, viz.

Lord submitted to baptism
as the pattern and type of humanity,
and refers His baptism to His hu

"

"

justified the delay of

own

for its

sake, I append entire;

great and beyond expectation is the harm that is done
by

Thus

deferring the grace that is by baptism for a long and unseasonable

*

time chiefly because no one can

look forward with certainty to the
:

nature, Kaff o ntyvKfv avBpwBut Christ s human nature

needed no baptism, as having no

The second (from E.
stain of sin.
and F.) is a refutation of Paul of
Samosata, drawn from the Evange
list s words, that
Jesus was beginning to be about thirty years
and shewing that though
old,"
He had a beginning as man, as God
He had no beginning. And the
"

the

reproof addressed to those

holy bap
tism by our Lord s example, and
which being referred to S. Cyril by
four MSS. (A. E. F. H.), as well as

who

throughout

Troy.

God

for ever

last is a

that our

man

to

Amen. c

c As
frequently is the case, the
short extracts in Mai at the end are

ril s

Whom,

Holy Ghost,

accomplishment of his plans, and

also because, though his purpose
arrive at its fulfilment, he

is

sanc-

indeed, but receives only the

forgiveness of his past transgressions, while his talent he brings
tified

back to his Lord bare, having had

no time to gain by trading any
thing to add thereunto.

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

CHAPTER
SERMON

LUKE.

49

IV.

XII.

THE TWELFTH SERMON OF THE COMMENTARY UPON THE GOSPEL From the
OF LUKE, BY S. CYRIL, UPON THE FAST OF OUR LORD
MS T ~^~
IN

But Jesus being full of

Jordan, and continued

THE FLESH.

the

Holy

G/tost,

returned

from

the u.

iv. i, 2.
~

in the Spirit in the wilderness forty

And he ate nothing
days, being tempted of the Devil.
those
and
ivlien
were
;
days
during
they
accomplislied He

hungered.

fpr]
"Us 5

*v

TV

retinent

iWepoi^G

THE

blessed prophets, when speaking of the Only-begotten

of Him Who is equal unto God in glory, and
the sharer of His throne, and radiant in perfect equality unto

Word

of God,

Him, lead us to the persuasion that lie was manifested as a

Saviour and Deliverer for those upon earth, by saying,

O Lord, help me." He arose therefore and helped, p H

taken
the form of a slave, and being made in the like- ~
having
ness of men for so did He as one of us set Himself as an
"

Arise,

r>

n\

our stead, against that murderous and rebellious

avenger
who
had brought sin upon us, and thereby had caused
serpent,
in

corruption and death to reign over the dwellers upon earth, that
we by His means, and in Him, might gain the victory, whereas

we were vanquished, and

of old

fallen in

Adam.

Come therefore and let us praise the Lord, and sing psalms
unto God our Saviour let us trample Satan under foot let
us raise the shout of
victory over him now he is thrown and
:

us exult over the crafty reptile, caught in an inex

let us too say of him in the words of the pro
How is the hammer of all the earth broken
phet Jeremiah,
and beaten small ! Thou art found and hast been taken,

fallen

let

tricable snare

"

"

because thou stoodest against the Lord."

For of old, that is
before the time of the advent of Christ the Saviour of all, the
"

universal

enemy had somewhat grand and

terrible

notions

Jer.

I.

?.$.

COMMENTARY UPON

50

about himself: for he boastfully exulted over the infirmity of

I will hold the world in
the inhabitants of the earth, saying,
"

is. x. 14.

and as eggs that are left I will take it up

and no one shall escape from me or speak against me." And
in very truth there was no one of those upon earth who could
rise up against his power ; but the Son rose up against him,
and contended with him, having been made like unto us. And

my

hand as a

nest,

"

therefore, as I said,

human

nature, as victorious in

Him, wins

And this in old time the Son Himself proclaimed,

the crown.
where by one of the holy prophets He thus addresses Satan ;
Jer. H.

"

2.5.
"

am

Behold,

corrupting mountain, that cor-

against thee,

ruptest the whole earth."

Come therefore and let us see

what the blessed Evangelist

to
battle in our behalf with
now
was
when
Christ
going
says,
But Jesus being full of
him who corrupted the whole earth.
7
Here behold,
the Holy Ghost, returned from the Jordan."
"

"

I pray,

Ghost

man

nature anointed with the grace of the Holy

and crowned with the highest
For of old indeed the God of all promised, saying,

honours.
Joel

ii.

28.

"

it

shall

come

"

Spirit

Christ
Gen.

vi. 3.

upon

first.

restraint
"

in Christ as the firstfruits,

to pass in those days, that I will

all

And

gave way

to fleshly lust,

Spirit shall not dwell in these

now because

pour out of

My

And

the promise is fulfilled for us in

whereas of those in old time who without

flesh."

God somewhere

"

said,

men, because they are

My

flesh

:"

things have become new in Christ, and we

are enriched with the regeneration that is by water and
for no longer are we children of flesh and blood, but
Spirit
all

rather call

God our Father

therefore

it is,

and very

justly,

that as being now in honour, and

possessing the glorious privi
lege of adoption, we have been made partakers of the divine

nature by the communication of the Holy Ghost. But

is the Firstborn
among us, when He became so

He Who

among many

brethren, and yielded Himself to emptiness, was the first to

receive the Spirit,
although Himself the Giver of the Spirit,
that this dignity, and the
grace of fellowship with the Holy

Ghost might reach us by His means.

Something like this Paul
where speaking both of Him and us, he says,
For both He that sanctifieth, and
they that are sanctified,
are all of One for which reason He is not ashamed to call
them His brethren, saying, 1 will declare
name to

also teaches us,

Heb.ii.

12.

"

"

"

Thy

My

THE GOSPEL OF
c<

brethren.""

For as being

in

ST.

LUKE.

51

no degree ashamed

to call us

He took, therefore, having transferred

Himself our poverty, He is sanctified with us, although Him

brethren, whose likeness

to

of all creation
that thou mightest not see
the
measure
of
human
nature, Who consented
refusing
for the salvation and life of all to become man.

self the Sanctifier

Him

When

But
wise Evangelist says of Him,
of the Spirit returned from the .Jordan/ be

therefore the

"

Jesus being full

not offended, nor err from the

"

mark

thy inward thoughts,

in

and wander from the doctrine of the truth, as to the way and
manner in which the Word, Who is God, was sanctified: but
rather understand the wisdom of the economy, by reason of
which also He is the object of our admiration. For He was

made flesh and became man, not to avoid whatever belongs to

man s estate, and despise our poverty, but that we might
enriched with what is His, by His having been made like unto
l>r

He is sanctified
us in every particular, sin only excepted.
for being by nature
therefore as man, but sanctifies as God
:

God, He was made man.

He was led therefore,

(1
wildersays, in the Spirit in tinWhat there
ness forty days, being tempted of the devil/"
fore is the meaning of the word led ? It signifies not so much
"

it

that

He

was conducted thither, as that He dwelt and con

For we are ourselves also accustomed to say of

tinued there.

any one who lives religiously, So and so, whoever it may be, is
a well-conducted 6 person. And we give the title of pedagogue,
not to signify, according to the literal interpretation, that they
of
actually lead and conduct boys, but that they take care

them, and well and laudably train them, educating and teaching
them to conduct themselves with propriety.

He

dwelt therefore in the wilderness in the Spirit, that is

for He fasted, granting no food whatsoever to the
spiritually
;

But to this I imagine some one may

And what harm then did it do Jesus to
immediately object
be constantly dwelling in cities ? And in what way could it
benefit Him to choose to inhabit the wilderness ? For there is
necessities of the body.
i

d Mai reads
ds rfjv tprjfjiov, which
would render this interpretation of

his
"

ffytTo impossible.

The Syriac

own term

so and so

H2

translator explains
Greek is that
"

the

l-eads a

good

life."

COMMENTARY UPON

52

Cor.

no good

tiling of

also fast

What

He

which

is

And why

in want.

necessity was there

for

Him

too did

to labour,

He

Who

knows not what it is to feel the rising of any depraved desire ?

For we adopt the practice of fasting as a very useful expedicnt, by which to mortify pleasures,, and buffet the law of
sin that is in our members, and
extirpate those emotions
which lead on to fleshly lust. But what need had Christ of
the sin in the
fasting ? For He it is by Whom the Father

ix.

slays

Kom.

And knowing

flesh.

viii.

the divine Paul wrote,

For as to
the powerlessness of the law,
by reason of its weakness because of the flesh, God
sent His Son in the likeness

"

"

"

this,

having

of sinful flesh,

"

and because of

sin,

condemned the

sin in the

that the righteousness of the law

may be fulfilled in
who
walk not in the flesh, but in the
"us,
He
Spirit/
therefore, who even in us miserable
mortifies the
"flesh,

beings

motions
1

could

He

need

flesh,

in

and has abolished

sin,

what fasting

ought that concerns Himself?

undefiled by nature

He

is

wholly pure, and without blemish.

He cannot experience even the shadow of a
change.
Why
therefore did He make His abode in the
wilderness, and
fast, and endure, being
tempted ? The type has regard to us,
holy

of the

my

beloved

He sets before us His acts as our

example, arid
model of the better and more admirable mode of

establishes a
life

practised

whence was

among

it

us, I

possible for

mean, that of the holy monks.

For
men on earth to know that the habit

of

dwelling in deserts was useful for them, and

highly advan
tageous for salvation? For they retire from waves and storms
as

were

from the utter turmoil, and vain distractions f of

this
and so to speak like the blessed
off
and
Joseph, they strip
give back to the world all that
And something
belongs to it.
like this the wise Paul too
of
those
who
are
wont so to live.
says
But those who are Jesus Christ s have
it

Gen.xxxix. world,

Gal.

v.

24

crucified the flesh with

this

affections

mode

of

and

life

lusts."

And he shews

that abstinence

is

to those

who choose

necessary, of which the fruit

fasting and the power of endurance, and of abstaining from
or
For so will Satan, when he
taking but little food.
tempts.
be overcome.

reading anoQoiTwTfs yap

THE GOSPEL OF
But observe

this especially

LUKE.

ST.

that he was

53

first

baptized and

filled with the Holy Spirit, and withdrew

and made abstinence, that is, fasting, as it were His armour
and being thus equipped, when Satan drew near, and He had
overcome him, He has so set before us Himself as our pattern.
Thou therefore too must first put on the armour of God, and

into the wilderness,

;

the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation.

first

Thou

too must

be clothed with power from on high, must be made, that

of precious baptism,
i^partaker of the Holy Ghost by means
and then mayest thou undertake to lead the life well beloved
and honourable with God then with spiritual courage thou
:

then shalt thou keep

and
and
vanquish Satan when he
mortify pleasures,
holy fast,
we
In
have
therefore
Christ
gained all things s.
tempts.
shalt take for thy habitation the deserts

Lo
He appears among the combatants, Who as God From Mai.
bestows the prize among those who wear the chaplet of vic
us behold
tory is He Who crowns the heads of the saints. Let
!

therefore the skilfulness of His wrestlings

When

the devirs wickedness.

"

fasting,

He

afterwards

food to the hungry, and

things consist.
necessary that He

But

how He overthrows
had been spent

He

it is

Who

in

gives

Himself the bread that came down

the world, as being That whereby

But because, on the other hand, it was

from heaven, and gives

all

forty days

hungered."
is

life to

Who

refused not our poverty should with

draw from nothing whatsoever that belongs to man s condition,

He consented for His flesh to require its natural supplies and
He hungered." It was not however till He
hence the words,
had fasted sufficiently, and by His Godlike power had kept His
flesh unwastcd, though abstaining from meat and drink, that
;

"

natural sen
scarcely at length He permitted it to feel its
And for what reason !
sations for it says, that He hungered.
:

That skilfully by means of the two h He

and Man, might be recognised as such
,

Who
in

is

at once

person, both as superior to us in His divine nature,

human nature as our equal.
*

The MS.

is

here abruptly.
h The
two,

imperfect, and ends

His fasting

for

and

in

His

His body wastand His permitting it to feel

hunger afterwards.
forty days without

ing

viz.

God

one and the same

COMMENTARY UPON

54

Ver.

And

3.

the devil said unto him.

the devil draweth near to tempt Him

expecting that
the feeling of hunger would aid him in his innate wickedness

Then

for oftentimes

he prevails over us by taking our

infirmities to

and enterprizes. He thought that He would

at
the wish of seeing bread ready for His use
readily jump
and therefore he said, If Thou be the Son of God, bid this
aid his

plots

"

stone become bread."

He approaches Him therefore as an
ordinary man, and as one of the saints yet he had a suspicion,
that possibly He might be the Christ. In what
way then did he
wish to learn this ? He considered, that to
the nature
"

of any thing into that which

deed of a divine power for
:

and transforms them

He

tainly

it

but

power
a man, and
:

danger.

if

is

if

Who

is

He

ster s artifice,

was

it is

not,

change
would be the act and

God Who makes

these things

therefore, says he, this be done, cer

looked for as the subverter of

my

refuse to

work

this

change,

have to do with

fear, and am delivered from my

was that Christ, knowing the mon
neither made the
change, nor said that He was

cast

And

it

away my

therefore

it

either unable or
unwilling to make
off as
importunate and officious,

it,

but rather shakes him

man shall not

saying that
live by bread alone
by which He means, that if God grant
a man the power, he can subsist without
eating, and live as
Moses and Elias, who by the Word of the Lord
passed forty
"

"

;"

days without taking food. If therefore it is possible to live

without bread, why should I make the stone bread ? But He
purposely does not say, I cannot, that He may not deny His
own power nor does He
lest the other,
say, I can
knowing
that He is God, to Whom alone such
things are possible, should
:

depart from Him.

And
off

observe, I pray,
the faults of Adam

the nature of

man

in Christ casts

gluttony by eating we were con

abstinence
we conquered in Christ.
Adam, by
the food that
springeth up from the earth our earthly

quered

By

how
s

in

supported, and seeks for its sustenance that which is

congenerate with it: but the rational soul is nourished unto

body

is

The

parallelism in the original

cannot be preserved in a translation: ^VXT) fie 17

XoyiKr) Xo yo) TW

6cii$

npos (vtgiav ddpvvfrm

rfjv TTVCV-

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

by the Word of God.

healthiness

spiritual

ST.

55

For the food that

the earth supplies nourishes the body that is akin to it but

that from above and from heaven
strengthens the spirit. The
food of the soul is the Word that cometh from God, even the
:

what

is

man s
And

bread which strengthened

spiritual

sung

in the

Book

of Psalms.

heart, according to
such also we affirm

PS. civ. 15.

to be the nature of the food of the

holy angels.

He
But
didst

shelved

Him

all the

thou malignant, and wicked, and accursed

being, how
thou dare to shew the Lord all the
kingdoms of the

whole creation, and say,

"

if

Thou

"

Thee."

Who made
of

All these are mine

"

down and worship me,

Now

therefore

give them
dost thou promise that which is not thine ?
thee heir of God s kingdom ? Who made thee lord

wilt fall

I will

How

under heaven

all

kingdoms of the world.

Thou

hast seized these things by fraud.

Restore them therefore to the incarnate Son, the Lord of all.

Hear what the prophet Isaiah says respecting thee
Hath it
been prepared for thee also to
? a
fire, and
deep
"

"

"

reign
gulf,
the anger of the Lord as
brimstone, and wood laid in order
a gulf burning with brimstone." How then dost thou, whose
;

"

lot is

the inextinguishable flame, promise to the

King of all
is His own ?
Didst thou think to have Him as thy

that which

Whom all things tremble, while the Seraphim,

the angelical powers hymn His
glory ? It is written,
Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt
thou serve k
Seasonably He made mention of this com

worshipper at

and
"

"

all

."

mandment, striking as it were his very heart. For before His

advent, Satan had deceived all under heaven, and was himself
but the law of God, ejecting him
everywhere worshipped
from the dominion he had usurped by fraud, has commanded
:

men
and

"

"

"

"

to

worship

Him

only

to offer service to

k T.

Aquinas here

how

is

the

heretics say,

What

inserts

Son adored,

He

is

Who

Him
"

if,

But

as the

a creature

can

"

in truth is

God,

the creature instead of the Crea-

"

tor,
"

be brought
against those, who have served
charge

by nature and

alone.

"

if

we worship

as

Son Who, according

a creature

?"

to

God, the
them,

is

COMMENTARY UPON

56

Ver.

If Thou be

9.

Son of God, cast Thyself down

the

hence.

third temptation which the devil employs is that of

down hence/ as a proof of
vain-glory, saying, "Cast Thyself
make Him fall by means of
he
did
neither
But
Thy divinity.

The

also shot wide of the mark. For He

vanity, but himself in this
It is said, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

answers,

"

For God grants not His aid to those who tempt Him, but to
who believe in Him nor ought we, because He deigns
us mercy, therefore to make a vain display.
Moreover, Christ
never gave a sign to those who tempted Him a for a wicked
generation, He saith, seeketh after a sign, and a sign shall
those

Mat.xii.39.

"

not be given

"

who conquered

And

it."

We

the same.

therefore
in

19.

and he
victory in Christ
that
we
ashamed,
might
:

Conqueror handed on
to us also the power to conquer,
saying, "Behold I have
granted you to tread upon serpents, and scorpions, and all
"

Ver.

Satan now when tempting hear

won the

Adam went away

have him under our feet

Lukex.

let

the power of the

For

ro.

it is

for Christ as

enemy."

written, that

He

His angels charge

guard Thee.

shall give

concerning Thee

to

But see how maliciously he endeavours by the use of the

Scriptures to humble the glory of the Lord, as if in need of
angelic aid

angels help

and as though it would stumble, did not the

For the application of the Psalm refers not to

it.

As for the pin

the
side of the
erected
at
lofty building,

Christ, nor does the Sovereign

nacle,

it

was a very

need angels.

temple.
1

Some however wrongly refer

the Psalm to the person of the

Because
Lord, and taking the verses together thus read
Thou,
Lord, art my hope, Thou has made the Most High
"

"

Thy refuge." They say therefore that the Lord had as His
refuge the Most High, even the Father Who is in heaven.
And their pretext for such a way of understanding it is, that
"

Satan so took the verses,

saying,
"

cast Thyself
1

Mai

down

for

it is

notices that this passage

either taken

is

from the Commentary

on the Psalms, or vice versa.

Cf.

"

If

Thou be the Son

written, that

Mai

He

of God,

shall give

Patrum Nov.

His

Bibl. vol.

pp. 419. 420. on Ps. xc. 9.

iii.

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

57

"

angels charge concerning Thee." For Satan being false and

a deceiver, applies what is said of us to the
person of Christ
the Saviour of us all.
But we do not understand it in Satan s
fashion
though if the Arians have so understood it, there is
no cause for astonishment for
they follow their own father,
who is a liar, and the truth is not in him/
according to the John
44
Saviour s words. For if the truth be as
they say, and we have
made Christ our help, and He has the Father for His
refuge,
then have we fled to one Who Himself has need of aid, and call
;

"

Him

our Saviour

Heaven
think,

Ye

tell

Who

is

saved by another.

This cannot be

We

say therefore to those who arc wont so to

us another of your errors ye are
travelling out

forbid.

of the royal and

straight path

ye are falling into thorns and

have
wandered
from
the truth.
The Son is in all
pitfalls
ye
to
the
Father:
the
mark
and
things equal
impress of His
substance the Most High, as also the Father is Most
High.
:

Satan then made use of these verses, as

though the Saviour
were a common man. For being entirely darkness, and
having

mind blinded, he understood not the force of what was said,

that the psalm is spoken in the person of
every just man who is
aided by the Highest, even the God of heaven.
And besides
his

this,

He knew

not that the

Word

being God, was made man,

in accordance with the
plan

and was Himself now being tempted

of salvation.

He

spoken as of a

common man,

therefore, as

I said,

supposed the words were

or even as of one of the

holy pro
monstrous for us, who accurately know the

But it is
mystery, and believe that He is God and the Son of God, and
that for our sakcs He became man like unto us, to imagine that
o
the verses were spoken of Him.
To say then, Thou hast
made the Most High thy refuge," befits not the person of
the Saviour.
For He is Himself the Most High the refuge
phets.

"

"

of

all

Father
shall

the all-powerful right hand of the

and whosoever has made Him his defence, no evil

the hope of

approach him.

all

For

He

shall

command

the angels,

who

are ministering spirits, to guard the just.

For just as our
fathers in the flesh, when they see the path
rough and unpassable, catch up their infants in their hands, lest perchance their

tender feet should be hurt, being as yet unable to walk over

the hard road, so also the rational powers do not permit those,
who are as yet unable to labour, and whose understanding is
i

COMMENTARY UPON

58
still

childish, to toil

beyond

them out

their strength, but snatch

of every temptation.
Ver.

14.

And

Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit unto Galilee.

Having

the habitations of

cities,

He

dwelt in deserts

tempted of Satan there He gained

He crushed the heads of the draThe swords of the
there, as the blessed David says,
that is,
cities were destroyed/
and
failed,
utterly

He

there

left

fasted, being

victory in our behalf

there

"

Ps. ix. 6.

gons
"

enemy
who were

towers and cities.

Having therefore
and
over
Satan,
having crowned in His
mightily prevailed
own person man s nature with the spoils won by the victory
over him, He returned unto Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
like

those

both exercising might and authority, and performing very many

miracles, and occasioning great astonishment. And He wrought
miracles, not as having received the grace of the Spirit from
without and as a gift, like the company of the saints, but

rather as being by nature and in truth the Son of

Father, and taking whatever is His as His own

ance.
For He even said unto Him, That all that

God

the

proper inherit-

John

"

xvii.

is

Mine

is

Thine, and Thine Mine, and I am glorified in them." He is

glorified therefore by exercising as His own proper might and
"

power that of the consubstantial

Ver.

6.

And He came

Nazareth

to

Since therefore
fest

Himself

it

Spirit.

and

entered into the synagogue.

was now necessary that He should mani

and that the mystery of His in

to the Israelites,

carnation should

now

and inasmuch as

He

shine forth to those

who knew Him

not,

was now anointed of God the Father

for

the salvation of the world, He very wisely orders this also,

And this fa
[viz. that His fame should now spread abroad.]

vour

He

grants

first to

the people of Nazareth, because, hu

He had

been brought up among them.

manly speaking,
the
Having entered, therefore,
synagogue, He takes the book
to read
and having opened it, selected a passage in the pro
And by
phets, which declares the mystery concerning Him.
these words He most plainly Himself tells us by the voice of
the prophet, that He both would be made man, and come to
save the world.
For we affirm, that the Son was anointed in
no other way than by having become
to the flesh
:

according

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

59

such as we are, and taken our nature. For being at once God
and man, He both gives the Spirit to the creation in His di
vine nature, and receives it from God the Father in His human

He Who

whole creation, both

as having shone forth from the Holy Father, and as bestowing
the Spirit, Which He Himself pours ra forth, both upon the
nature

while

it is

sanctifies the

powers above as That Which is His own, and upon those

moreover who recognised His appearing.

Me

The Spirit of the Lord is upon

anointed Me : He hath sent Me

to

therefore He hath V.
preach the Gospel to
;

18.

the poor.

He

plainly shews

He

by these words that

Him

took upon

the humiliation and submission to the emptying (of His glory),

and both the very name of Christ and the reality for our

which by nature is in Me by
the sameness of Our substance and deity, also descended upon
Me from without. And so also in the Jordan It came upon Me in
sakes

for the Spirit,

He

says,

the form of a dove, not because It was not in Me, but for the
reason for which He anointed Me. And what was the reason

which

for

He

chose to be anointed

It

was our being

desti
shall Gen.

My Spirit

tute of the Spirit by that denunciation of old,

not abide in these men, because they are flesh."
"

"

As

the Greek

Church denies

the procession of the Spirit from

the Son, and says that it is not
taught by their Fathers ; and as
S. Cyril in a previous passage, (cf.
c. iii. v. 21.), speaks as if he held,

that

though the

Spirit is the

Son

s,

yet that It proceeds from the Father

only, this passage is of great value,
and therefore I append the original.

To

avrov npo^fofifvov

Tri/fC/za

avu) dvvap.((nv eViety cos eauroC.

"

"

"

The

Spirit, therefore, is

own, and from

Him

word

of knowledge

to

an

and
other the gift of healings
this is, I think, the meaning of
:

those thus endowed having the

power by measure. But our Lord

Jesus

Spirit of His own fulness, even

as doth also the Father, gives it,

Nestorius, vol. vi. pp. 98, 99, where

S. Cyril thus comments on Luke x.
:

the

rais

other passage to the same effect

found in the treatise against

19.

grace of the Spirit, giving to one

the word of wisdom ; to another

An

will be

"

measure, as the blessed Evangelist

For the supreme God has
measured out to the saints the
says.

His

of which a

plain proof is, that He can give

It to others also, and that not by

Christ,

pouring

out

not as by measure to those

the

who

more
are worthy to receive
full account of the teaching of the
it."

Fathers upon the procession of the

Holy Ghost, may be seen in Owen s
Introduction to Dogmatic Theology,
pp. 169-178.

vi. 3.

COMMENTARY UPON

CO

Word of God speaks for being

and having become for our
of
the
God
God
Father,
very
very
sakes man without undergoing change, with us He is anointed
These words the incarnate

with the

Him

oil

at the

of gladness, the Spirit having descended upon

For in old time
in the form of a dove.

Jordan

both kings and priests were anointed symbolically, gaining

thereby a certain measure of sanctification but He Who for our
:

sakes became incarnate, was anointed with the spiritual oil of

sanctification, and the actual descent of the Spirit, receiving It
not for Himself, but for us.
For inasmuch as the Spirit had
taken its flight, and not made His abode in us because of our

being

flesh,

the earth was

full

of grief, being deprived of the

participation of God.

And He

proclaimed also deliverance to captives, which also

accomplished by having bound the strong one, Satan, who
in tyrant fashion lorded it over our race, and
having torn

He

away from Him us his goods.

As the words "He anointed
is

not the divine nature which

to us

words

so also the

that which

Those

is

"

is

He

Me"

befit

the

manhood

anointed, but that which

sent

Me"

is

for

it

akin

are to be referred to

human.

whose heart was of old obscured by the darkness

He has illuminated by rising as some Sun of
Righteousness, and making them the children no longer of
also

of the devil,

and darkness, but of light and day, according to Paul s

And those who were blind, for the Apostate had
blinded their hearts,
have recovered their sight, and acknow-

iThes.v.5. night

word.

s.

xlii. 16.

lodged the truth

"

become

light

:"

Their darkness has

and, as Isaiah says,
the
have
become wise those
is,
ignorant
"

that

that once were in error, have known the

paths of righteous
ness. And the Father also
says somewhere unto the Son HimI have
self,
given Thee for a covenant of kindred, for a light
of the Gentiles, to
the
of the
to
out
"

Is. xlii. 6.

"

"

"

open
blind,
eyes
bring
the prisoners from their bonds, and from the
guard-house
those that sit in darkness."
For the
came

into

this

Only-begotten
world and gave a new covenant to His kindred,

the Israelites, of whom He was

sprung according to the flesh,
even the covenant
long before announced by the voice of the
But the divine and heavenly
prophets.
light shone also upon
the Gentiles: and He went and
to the

preached

spirits in

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

61

Hades, and shewed Himself to those who were shut up in the

guard-house, and freed all from their bonds and violence. And

how do not these things plainly prove that Christ is both God,
and of God by nature ?
And what means the sending away the broken in freedom ?
It is the letting those go free whom Satan had broken by the
rod of spiritual violence. And what means the preaching the
acceptable year of the Lord ? It signifies the joyful tidings of
His own advent, that the time of the Lord, even the Son, had
arrived. For that was the acceptable year in which Christ was
we then were made acceptable
unto God the Father, as the fruit borne by Him. Wherefore
He said, When I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw Jolmxii.32.

crucified in our behalf, because

"

all men unto Myself."

And verily He returned to life the
third day, having trampled upon the power of death
after
which He said to His disciples, "All power has been given Mat. xxviii.
"

That too

every respect an acceptable year

in which, being received into His family, we were admitted
unto Him, having washed away sin by holy baptism, and been
"

Me,

&c."

is

in

made partakers of His divine nature by the communion of the

Holy Ghost. That too is an acceptable year, in which He
manifested His glory by ineffable miracles for with joy have
we accepted the season of His salvation, which also the very
wise Paul referred to, saying, "Behold, now is the acceptable
the day, when the
time, behold now is the day of salvation
who
erewhilc
were
sick
the
of every blessing,
absence
poor
by
no
and
in
without
the
God
world, such as
hope
having
being
were the gentiles, were made rich by faith in Him, gaining
:

2Cor.vi.

2.

"

:"

the divine and heavenly treasure of the Gospel message of sal

vation
by which they have been made partakers of the king
dom of heaven, copartners with the saints, and heirs of bless
;

mind can conceive nor language tell.

For eye, it saith, hath not seen, and ear hath not heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the things that
God hath prepared for them that love Him." Though it
may also be true, that the text here speaks of the abundant

ings such as neither the

"

"

"

supply of graces bestowed by Christ upon the poor in spirit.

But by the bruised in heart, He means, those who have a
weak and yielding mind, unable to resist the attacks of their

Cor.

ii.

9.

COMMENTARY UPON

62
passions,
tives

to

who are blind, He gives the recovering of

serve the creature instead of the Creator,
sight. For those who
and say to the wood, Thou art my father, and to the stone,
without recognising Him Who is
Thou hast begotten
how can they be ought else than
in
and
truth
nature
God,
by

And

Jer.

and so carried along by them, as to seem to be cap

these He promises both healing and forgiveness.

to those

"

ii.

27.

"

me,"

they have a heart devoid of the light that is di

vine and spiritual ? And on these the Father bestows the light
of the true knowledge of God for they are called through
faith, and acknowledge Him, or rather are acknowledged of
blind, seeing

Him, and whereas they were children of night and darkness,

they have been made children of light. For the day has shone
upon them, and the sun of righteousness has arisen, and the
bright morning star has dawned.

There

is

no objection, however, to any one

referring

all

For they were poor, and

crushed in heart, and, so to speak, prisoners, and in darkness.
F or there was not upon earth that was doing good, not even
one.
But all had turned aside, together they had become
But Christ came, preaching to the Israelites
unprofitable."

these declarations to the Israelites.

PS. xiv.

3.

"

"

before

all

others, the glories of

His advent.

maladies were those of the Gentiles

And

like to their

but they have been re

deemed by Him, having been enriched with His wisdom, and
endowed with understanding, and no longer is their mind weak
;

and broken, but healthy and strong, and ready to receive and
For in their error they
practise every good and saving work.
had need of wisdom and understanding, who in their
great folly
worshipped the creature instead of the Creator, and inscribed
and stones with the name of Gods. But those who
long
ago lived in gloom and darkness, because they knew not Christ,
stocks

now acknowledge Him

as their God.
These words having been read to the assembled
people, He
drew upon Himself the eyes of all,
wondering perhaps how He
knew letters Who had not learnt. For it was the wont of the
Israelites to say, that the
prophecies
either in the persons of some

fulfilled,

kings, or, at all events, in

concerning Christ were

of"

their

more glorious

the holy prophets.

For not cor
what
was
written of Him, they missed the
rectly understanding

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

63

true direction, and travelled on another path.

But that they
not
thus
the
again
might
misinterpret
present prophecy, He
error
carefully guards against
by saying, This day is this
"

prophecy fulfilled in your ears," expressly setting Himself

before them in these words, as the person spoken of in the
prophecy. For it was He Who preached the kingdom of
to the heathen, who were poor, having nothing, neither
God, nor law, nor prophets or rather, He preached it unto all
who were destitute of spiritual riches the captives He set free,

heaven

having overthrown the apostate tyrant Satan, and Himself

Bhed the divine and spiritual light on those whose heart was

darkened for which reason He said, I am come a light into John

this world
it was He Who unbound the chains of sin from 4
those whose heart was crushed thereby Who clearly shewed
"

xii.

"

:"

that there

is

was

life

to

come, and denounced the

just judgment.

He Who

preached the acceptable year of the

in
even
that
which
the Saviour s proclamation was made
Lord,
for by the acceptable year I think is meant His first coming
and by the day of restitution the day of judgment.
Finally,

it

And

all bare

Him

witness

and wondered.

For not understanding Him Who had been anointed and

sent, and Who was the Author of works so wonderful, they
returned to their usual ways, and talk foolishly and vainly
For although they had wondered at the
concerning Him.
words of grace that proceeded out of His mouth, yet their
wish was to treat them as valueless for they said,
Is not
"

"

this the son of

Joseph

the glory of the

Him from being

He been, as was

?"

Worker

But what docs

this diminish

of the miracles?

What

from

prevents

both to be venerated and admired, even had

supposed, the son of Joseph ? Seest thou not

the miracles? Satan fallen, the herds of devils vanquished,
multitudes set free from various kinds

of maladies

Thou

praisest the grace that was present in His teachings ; and then
dost thou, in Jewish fashion, think
lightly of Him, because He
accounted Joseph for His father ?
great senselessness ! True is

it

Lo

a people

to say of

them,

standing

they have eyes and see

"

"

foolish,

and without under- J

and hear not."

not, ears,

r. v.

21.

COMMENTARY UPON

64

Ye will altogether say unto Me this parable...

This was a common saying among the Jews, and had
for when physicians were themselves
in a witticism

Ver. 23.

origin

its
ill,

Christ therefore,
heal thyself.
say, Physician,
as it were this proverb, said unto them, Ye
them
before
setting
wish for many signs to be wrought by Me among you espe
but I know the
I was brought up
in whose

men would

country

cially,

common feeling to which all men are liable for always, some
how or other, even the choicest things are despised when there
is no scarcity of them, and people have them in abundance.
And so too is the case with men for his acquaintance will
oftentimes refuse one with whom they are familiar, and who is
:

among them, even the honour which

rebuked them therefore for asking so foolishly,
constantly

the son of

"

"

phet
Ver

is

For

due.

He

Is not this

and still keeping to the object of His

Verily, verily, I say unto you, that no pro-

acceptable in his

There were

25.

"

Joseph?"

teaching, says,
"

is

since, as I

country."

many widows

in the days of Elias.

have mentioned, certain of the Jews affirmed

that the prophecies relating to Christ had been accomplished

either in the holy prophets, or in certain of their own more
111
men, He for their good draws them away from
distinguished
such a supposition", by saying that Elias had been sent to a

single widow,

and that the prophet

ElisaBus

had healed but one

leper, Naaman the Syrian

by these signifying the church
the heathen, who were about to accept Him, and be healed
:

their leprosy,
1

by reason

Cr. dcnrao-p.ov.

Mai

of Israel remaining impenitent.

"

doretoyiov.
"

Aq. improperium.

Cr.

roil/

Trap

avrols

"

pfpa<n\ev-

KOTWV. Mai,

Teal/ cv86a>v
nap avrois
yeyovorav, and so Aq.
n In Cramer s
Catena, in which

this passage occurs

anonymously,
as is often the case with extracts

from

S. Cyril, the

"

conclusion

is

as

Convicting them of disbelieving and denying, that these

follows

"

of
of

f<

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

prophecies chiefly apply to Him,

by saying that Elias had been

sent to a single widow, though
there were

many

at that time in

and that the prophet Elisseus had healed one leper, NaaIsrael

-,

man the Syrian, though there

were very many of them in Israel ;
because of all the widows she
alone was found faithful, and he
in like

manner

of

all

the

lepers."

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

65

Aiid all in the synagogue were filled with anger.

They then were inflamed with anger, because he

Ver. 28.

had
branded their wicked thought; and also because He had said,
The Spirit
To-day is this Scripture fulfilled, namely, that
of the Lord is
for they considered that He
upon Me
"

"

;"

made Himself equal

Moreover, they cast Him

out of their city, decreeing
thereby their own condemnation,
and confirming what the Saviour had said for they themselves
to the prophets.

were banished from the

city

that

above, for not having

not
convict them of im
might
is

And that He
He permitted

received Christ.

their audacity against Him

proceed even unto deeds for their violence was unrea
sonable, and their envy untamed.
Leading Him therefore to

piety in words merely,

self to

the brow of the

crags

any

but

He

hill,

the

so to say, of their attempt

not as refusing to
for for this reason He had even come,
but as awaiting

notice,

suffer,

Him from

they endeavoured to throw

went through the midst of thorn without taking

:

a suitable time.
preaching, and
fered before

depended on

For
it

it

was now the commencement of His

would have been unseasonable

He had proclaimed
Him to suffer, or not
And

to

have suf

the word of truth.

to suffer

for

He

is

For it
Lord of

a proof, that when He

suffered He suffered voluntarily, and that neither then could
He have suffered, had He not yielded Himself thereto.
times as well as of things.

And
Those

he went

down

to

whom argument

this

is

Capernaum, a

city

of Galilee.

Cr.
rrfr*

ov&
M.orn.

Ver. ^t.

cannot bring to the sure knowledge

Him Who by

nature and in truth is God and Lord, may Mai

Cr *
won
be
perhaps
by miracles unto a docile obedience. And
therefore usefully, or rather
necessarily, He oftentimes com
of

?<TT/,

<7Ta<

pletes His lessons

by proceeding to the performance of some

mighty work. For the inhabitants of Judaea were unready to
believe, and slighted the words of those who called them to
salvation,

character

and
:

especially the people of Capernaum had this

for which reason the Saviour
reproved them,

saying, "And thou Capernaum, that art exalted unto heaven, Luke
shalt be brought down unto hell."
He knows
But
"

although

them

He

and hard of heart, nevertheless

them as a most excellent physician would those who
K

to be both disobedient,

visits

x. 15.

COMMENTARY UPON
were suffering under a very dangerous
to rid them of their malady.
For
Luke

v. 31.

"

those

"

those

disease,

and endeavours

He says Himself, that

health have no need of a physician, but
He taught therefore in their syna
sick."

who are in
who are

gogues with great freedom of speech for this He had foretold

I have not
by the voice of Isaiah, saying,
spoken in secret,
:

Js. xiv.

"

19.

"

Mat.

x. 27-

nor

a dark place of the earth."

The holy apostles more
even commanded to publish their words concerning

in

over

He

Him

with

"

boldness of speech, saying,

What I tell you in
darkness, speak ye in the light and what ye have heard
"

full

On
(whispered) into the ear, proclaim upon the housetops."
the Sabbath also, when
were
at
leisure
from
He
labour,
they
conversed with them.
They therefore wondered at the power
"

of His
teaching,

and at the greatness of His authority

For
the word, it says, was with
for
He
used
not
flat
authority
For the Jews indeed
teries, but urged them to salvation.
that
Christ
was
more
than
one of the saints,
thought
nothing
and that He had appeared among them in prophetic rank
"

"

;"

but that they might entertain a

higher opinion and idea
concerning Him, He exceeds the prophetic measure; for He
only

never said, Thus saith the Lord, as of course was their custom,
but as being the Lord of the law He
spake things that surpass
the law.
Is. Iv. 3.

Acts

xiii.

God moreover said by Isaiah, And I will make with them

an everlasting covenant, even the
holy, the sure things of
David behold I have given Him as a
testimony among the
gentiles, a ruler and commander of the gentiles."
For it
was fitting that Moses, as a servant, should be the minister
"

"

34-

"

"

of the

shadow that endureth not

but Christ, I affirm, was
the eternal publisher of a
and
And
lasting
abiding worship.
what is the eternal covenant ? It means the sacred
prophecies
of Christ, Who is of David s seed
according to the flesh, and
which produce in us holiness, and sureness
just as also the
fear of God is
and the word
pure, because it makes us
:

pure

Cr. reads dvafiaivei for

e*/3mWt,
for neither
;
did He ever speak these
things in
the way of
argument, but as one

and proceeds thus

"

enunciating law, He spake things

that surpass the law, and with
godlike authority rebuked the im-

"

clean

"

"

Aq. agrees with

spirits."

M., but adds,

"changing

to the truth,

the spiritual

and the

M.

the letter
figures to

with which
next extract

meaning,"

the conclusion of
agrees.

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

61

for the words, Jolmvi.6.^.

of the Gospel is life, because it produces life
He says, that I have spoken unto you are spirit and life,"
and life-giving. But mark well the exactness
that is,
"

"

spiritual

of the prophecy.

Isaiah, speaking as in the person of

God

the

Father concerning Christ, says,

Lo, I have given Him as a
unto
testimony unto the Gentiles," that is, to bear witness
them, that these tilings are acceptable; that no one may
"

"

imagine Him to be one of the holy prophets, but that all man
kind may rather know, that He is radiant with the glory of
and so ho
for being God, He appeared unto us
lordship,
;

goes on

merely that He was given for a testimony,

For
a ruler and commander of the gentiles."

to say, not

but also as

"

the blessed prophets, and before them even Moses, holding the
Thus
of servants, ever called out to their hearers,
"

station
"

saith

the

being so much commanders, as

But our Lord Jesus Christ
words.

not as

Lord,"

ministers of the divine

spake words most worthy of God; and was therefore admired

even by the Jews themselves, because His word was with

and because He taught them as one that had

For His word was not of
and
not as their scribes.
authority,
the lawgiver, He
Himself
the shadow of the law, but as being
changed the letter into the truth, and the types into their
For He was a ruler, and possessed a
spiritual meaning.

authority,

ruler s authority to

command.

And

Ver

Jesus rebuked him.

.**

With godlike power He rebuked the unclean spirits, making

the miracle follow immediately upon His words, that we might
not disbelieve.

Him

We

have seen the guilty Satan overcome by

and broken by three falls: we havr

in the wilderness,

seen his might again shaken, and the power that was against
us falling we have seen ourselves rebuking the wicked spirits
:

in Christ as our firstfruits.

the ennoblement of

Saviour

own words.

glory, and even

For that

this also

has reference to

human
"

said,

nature, thou mayest learn from the

For the Jews indeed maligned His

This

man

casteth not out devils except Matt.

but He in answer, hav

Beelzebub, prince of the devils
first
said
much
and
to
the
ing
purpose, ended by declaring
But if I in the Spirit of God cast out devils, then has the
"

in

:"

"

"

kingdom of God come upon you

K 2

unawares."

For

if,

says He,

xii.

COMMENTARY UPON

68

Who

man

have become a

unto you, chide the un

and
spirits
godlike power
majesty, it is your
nature which is crowned with this great glory
for ye are
seen both through Me and in Me to have gained the king
I,

like

with

clean

dom of God.
The evil demons therefore were cast
over to feel how invincible is His might

and made more

and being unable to

out,
;

bear the conflict with Deity, they exclaimed in imperious and

Let us alone what is there between us and
"

crafty terms,

Thee

<e

?"

Why

meaning thereby,

dost

Thou

not permit us to

keep our place, whilst Thou art destroying the error of im

But they further put on the false appearance of wellpiety ?
sounding words, and call Him the Holy One of God. For they
this specious kind of
language they could ex
the desire of vainglory, and thereby prevent His
rebuking
them, returning as it were one kindness for another.
But

supposed that by
cite

God is not
though he be crafty, he will fail of his prey for
mocked
and so the Lord stops their impure
tongues, and
commands them to depart from those possessed by them.
"

"

;"

And

made

the bystanders being

witnesses of so great deeds,

were astonished at the power of His word. For He

wrought
His miracles, offering up no
prayer, to ask of any one else at
the power of
accomplishing them, but being Himself the
living and active Word of God the Father, by Whom all
all

and in Whom all things arc, in His own

person
crushed Satan, and closed the
profane mouth of impure
demons,
things exist,

He

He

entered into

s house.

He Who endured

Observe therefore how

for our sakes, that

Simon

voluntary poverty

we by His poverty might become rich,

His disciples, a man poor, and
living in

lodged with one of

-that we
might learn to seek the company of the
humble, and not to boast ourselves over those in want and

obscurity,

affliction.

Jesus arrives at Simon

sick of a fever
left
"

fs?:

her.

Now

and
in

the fever left hcr

He

what

house, and finds his wife

s mother
and rebuked the fever, and it
said by Matthew and Mark, that

stood,
is

"

thcre

is

no hint of an J

active cause of the fever: but in

Luke

livin g thi
ng as

phrase that

"

He

the

stood

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.
1

over her, and rebuked the fever, and it left her, I do not
11
j
J.T_
j.1,
i,* u omitted just
know whether we are not compelled to say that that which before.
"

was rebuked was some living thing unable to sustain the influ
ence of Him Who rebuked it: for it is not reasonable to rebuke
a thing without

certain
astonishing for there to exist

anything

Nor

and unconscious of the rebuke.

life,

is it

powers that in
necessarily think

harm on the human body nor must we

evil of the soul of those who thus suffer for being harmed by
For neither, when the Devil obtained authority
these beings.
-to tempt Job by bodily torments, and struck him with painful
flict

was Job therefore to be found fault with, for he man

contended, and nobly endured the blow. God grant, how

ulcers,

fully

ever, that
"

pains,

it

are possessed.

^rv\r] in Greek signifies

and
vital principle of the body
:"

as there

is

no equivalent
it.

"sensation;"

call

Sometimes

it

signifies

so St. Paul andSt.Jude

those ^VXIKOVS, sensuous,

live a

mere animal

means

rich

in English,
arises in

occasionally

difficulty

translating

it

who

The word

"the

any time we are tempted by bodily

p
The Lord then by a rebuke Job
soul."

at

if

but touch not his

heals those
P

be said,

man

"

life.

a person

said to his

who

Sometimes
self

:"

\Jx7

so the
or se ^

thou hast much goods, &c.

and such is the meaning of its He
Self,

|^<^

"

;"

the
opposition to the body, because
life is something better than the

frame which it vivifies ; and

S. Cyril seems to understand it in
so

though doubtless

is

"

state,

saying, that
the
evil of

to the

Tri/tC/za,

we must

soul of
not think
those who suffer from bodily mala
T
}S ra ~
In all cases the
dies.
}
^t>x

ther the mortal than the immortal,

al

word, as in
is taken
Spiritus, the original idea
from the physical act of breathing.
Possibly,

this

however, we often take

the A.V. in a
soul" in
the word
sense not intended by the transla
"

tors. For by the gradual change of

term
language, the meaning of the
has been limited since their time to
its higher signification, and a dif

passages of Scripture
"

stance, as,
"

"

if

lose his

life.

What

is

many

such, for in

man

profited

he gain the whole world, and

own

soul

(Mat. xvi. 26.)

?"

So

that
"to

is,

his

deliver

soul from death, and to

keep them alive in famine." (Ps.
xxxiii. 19.) Wicklif uses soul-haver
Thou
as equivalent to animal
shalt be cursed among alle the
soul-hauers and beestis of the

"

their

"

"

"

"

"

it

rightly translated in our version,

But save his life." Certainly just
above he had used it for man s

moral

is opposed
though even in

ferent sense thereby given to

brew and Syriac equivalent

that which exists by breathing
and so one s self: still even here
there may be an allusion to man s
animal nature, which was the sole
part of him which the rich man
Sometimes it is used in
valued.

this place,

and

erthe."

(Gen.

iii.

14.)

From

not

attending to this gradual alteration

in the meaning of words, curious

misunderstandings often arise; as,

for instance, in an emended Book of

Common Prayer lately put

forth, the

wealth, which signifies our

is expunged as
general well-being,
being supposed to signify money.

word

ii.

6.

COMMENTARY UPON

70

He laid also His hands upon the sick one by one, and freed
them from their malady, so demonstrating that the holy flesh,
which He had made His own, and endowed witli godlike power,
possessed the active presence of the might of the Word in
tending us thereby to learn that though the Only-begotten
Word of God became like unto us, yet even so is He none the
:

less

God, and able

even by His own

easily,

flesh, to

accomplish

things for by it as His instrument He wrought miracles.

Nor is there any reason for great wonder at this; but consider,
on the contrary, how fire, when placed in a brazen vessel, com.-.
all

municates to

the power of producing the effects of heat.

So
Word of God also, having joined by
a real union unto Himself the
living and intelligent temple
it

therefore the all-powerful

taken from the holy Virgin, endowed

tively exerting His

John

x. 37.

fore, the
"

Jews,

believe

Me

He

it

with the power of ac

to shame, there-

own godlike might. To put

"

says,

not: but

if I

If

do not the works of

My

Father,

though ye believe not Me, believe

works."
We
My
may, therefore, see, with the Truth Itself
that
the Only-begotten gave not His
witnessing thereto,
glory
do,

"

tauTfo
Trap^

as to a

man taken q separately and apart, by himself, and re

woman s offspring but as being the One only

garded as the

Son, with the holy body united to Him, He

wrought the mi
racles, and is worshipped also by the creation as God.

He

entered, then, into Peter

S. Cyril refers in these words

the doctrine of Nestorius, who
taught that in the one person of
Christ the two natures existed separately, so as to energize ava pepos
turn, or rather apart from one
<i

to

another, sometimes one nature ex-

rtmg

its

influence,

and sometimes

the other.

In explaining,
therefore,
uracle such as that before
us, in

which the

flesh of

our Lord perthe proper act of

Deity, Nesnus must have used some such

argument as S. Cyril here brings

ionvard, and to conjecture from the
solute use of 6
Movoyerfs, and
other technical Nestorian
terms, it
was a quotation. The catholic
trine

docrespecting the nature of our

house, where a

woman was

Lord has been thus defined by the

Council of Chalcedon
(

^v

o^oXoyou-

____ eva K al TOV avrov Xpurrbv,

vlbv,

wpiov, povoyev?),

o-ecoi/

do-vyxvrus, arpeVrcos-, uStat-

<u-

peYeoy,
yvupi&pevov:
(Hard. Cone. ii. 456.): that the two
natures in our Lord remain distinct
and unaltered, and not blended and
dxa>pitrra>s

confused, as the Eutychians taught,

some new third nature ; but,
on the other hand, that they are in-

into

separable in their action, and while

each preserves

its

own proper

attri-

butes,, the two united form but one

person and substance, (ds

Kal ^lav wrooraow

UTTOV

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

71

lying stretched upon a bed, exhausted with a violent fever

He might as God have said, Put away the disease,

and when
"

arise,"

"

He

adopted a different course of action.

For, as a

^rpof that His own flesh possessed the power of healing, as

being the flesh of God, He touched her hand, and forthwith,
it

says, the fever left her. Let us, therefore, also receive Jesus

when He has entered into

into mind and heart, then He
for

and

fitting pleasures,

raise

and we have received Him

will quench the fever of unbe
us up, and make us strong, even in
us,

things spiritual, so as for us to minister unto

Him, by perform

ing those things that please Him.

But observe again, I pray, how great is the efficacy of the
touch of His holy flesh.
For It both drives away diseases of
various kinds, and a crowd of demons, and overthrows the

and heals a very great multitude of people?

And though able to perform these
miracles by a word and the inclination of His will,
yet to teach
us something useful for us, He also lays His hands upon tho
sick.
For it was necessary, most necessary, for us to learn,
that the holy flesh which He had made His own was endowed

power of the

devil,

one moment of time.

in

with the activity of the power of the Word by His having

Let It then take hold of
implanted in it a godlike might.
or rather let us take hold of It by the mystical
usj,
Giving
of thanks," that It may free us also from the sicknesses of
"

"

the soul, and from the assault and violence of demons.

And

rebukiny them,

He would
for

suffered them not to speak.

not permit the unclean demons to confess Him ;

fitting for them to usurp the glory of the Apo

was not

it

stolic

office,

From

He

St.

nor with impure tongue to talk of the mystery of

Paul

words

in

Cor.

evXoyia came to be applied

generally to the Lord s Supper, of
x.

6.,

which use several instances, besides

the present, occur in this treatise,
Like fv^apio-ria, the term is taken

while tvKoyia has special reference

to the opening words,
Blessed be
"

Thou, O Jehovah," of which the

Greek translation is, Kvptf, evXo-

"

In process of time, pieces of

the consecrated bread, sent to other
churches as marks of communion,
yrja-ov.

from the Jewish Grace before meat,

which we find our Lord always

or to the sick, came to be called

using

(v\oyiat.

the

only fu^aptoria expresses

general

act

of

thanksgiving,

Cf. Suiceri

Th.

Ver. 41

COMMENTARY UPON

72

Yea though they speak ought that is true, let no one

aid of
put credence in them for the light is not known by the
Christ.

2Cor.vi.i5.

darkness, as the disciple of Christ teaches us, where he says,

por w hat communion hath light with darkness? or what con"

sent hath Christ with

Beliar?"*

the reading of most of

Fathers. The Hebrew

the ordinary Hebrew use of

son,"
worthless persons." Barsignifies

and signifies worthlessfrom fa, without, and ^,

Sons of Belial, therefore,
utility.
as in i Sam. ii. 12., according to

bahlul says, that the word Beliar is

derived from j^j, dr)p, and means

BeXiap

the

is

MSS. and

"

is

Belial,

ness,"

"

"

Lord of

the air.

THE GOSPKL OF

ST.

CHAPTER
And He saw

LUKE.

73

V.

two ships standing by the lake, but the fisherout of them, and were washing their nets.

Ver.

2.

men were gone

LET

us admire the skilfulness of the

making them a prey who were

earth

method employed

make prey

to

"

"

send

many

them as
they

also,

of the Apostolic preachings, might

the inhabitants of the whole world.
For ve

Him
He somewhere

"

they

down the drag-net

gather unto
rily

ol

even the holy Apostles, who, though themselves well

skilled in fishing,
yet fell into Christ s meshes, that

letting

in

of the whole

fish

shall

Behold
by one of the holy prophets,
saith the Lord, and they shall catch

said

"

fishers,

and afterwards

hunt them as

I will

send

By

game."

many

Jer.xvi.i6.

hunters, and

He means

the fishers

the holy Apostles and by the hunters, those who

successively
became the rulers and teachers of the holy churches. And
observe, I pray, that He not only preaches, but also displays
;

thereby pledges of His power, and confirming His

words by the display of miracles
for after He had suffi
conversed
with
the
multitudes, He returns to His usual
ciently
and
means
of their pursuits as fishers catches
mighty works,
by

signs, giving

the disciples as fish that men may know that His will is al
mighty, and that the creation ministers to His most godlike
:

commands.

And

ivhen

He

ceased speaking, He said unto Simon,

out into the deep.

Launch

As He had now taught them sufficiently, and it was fitting

add some divine work to His words for the benefit of
the spectators, He bade Simon and his
companions push off a
little from the land, and let down the net for a
But
draught.
they replied, that they had been labouring the whole night,

also to

and had caught nothing in the name, however, of Christ, they

let down the net, and
immediately it was full of fish in order
:

that

by a

and by a type and representation, mira

culously enacted, they might be fully convinced that their la
bour would not be unrewarded, nor the zeal fruitless which
visible fact,

Ver. 4

COMMENTARY UPON

74

they displayed in spreading out the net of the Gospel teach

within it the
ing for that most certainly they should catch
;

shoals of the heathen.

But observe

this,

der had made them mute

partners, those, that

is,

come and help them

Simon

that neither

nor his companions could draw the net to land

being speechless from fright and astonishment:

and therefore,
for their

won

they beckoned, it says, to their

who shared their labours in fishing, to
:

For many have

in securing their prey.

taken part with the holy Apostles in their labours, and still do
is writ
so, especially such as search into the meaning of what
the
even
besides
and
others
in
the holy Gospels
ten
them,
;

are skilled
pastors and teachers and rulers of the people, who
net
is
the
For still
drawn, while
in the doctrines of truth.
r.s.

ixix.i

Christ

fills it,

and summons unto conversion those

in the depths

of the sea, according to the Scripture phrase

those, that
of worldly things.
say, who live in the surge and waves
;

Yor.

And when Simon

8.

For

this

Peter saw

is to

it.

reason also Peter, carried back to the

of

memory

afraid, and as being impure

sins,
is
Him
Who
receive
not
to
ventures
pure and his fear was
law to distinguish bethe
laudable for he had been taught by

his

trembles and

former

is

Ez.xxii.26.

Yer.

tween the holy and the profane.

And

12.

behold a

man full

of leprosy.

however, of him who drew near is worthy of all

he
testifies that the Emmanuel can successfully
praise
His godlike
all
things, and seeks deliverance by
accomplish
for leprosy
commands, although his malady was incurable
I see, however, he
to the skill of physicians.
will not

The

faith,

for

yield

demons expelled by a godlike authority I

from many diseases I recognise that such
are
wrought by some divine and resistless force I see,
things
further, that He is good, and most ready to pity those who
draw near unto Him what therefore forbids His taking pity
on me also ? And what is Christ s answer ? He confirms His
For
faith, and produces full assurance upon this very point.
He accepts His petition, and confesses that He is able, and
says, the unclean
see others set free

be thou cleansed." He grants him also the

I will
touch of His holy and all-powerful hand, and immediately the
"

says,

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

75

leprosy departed from him, and his affliction was at an end.

in this join with me in wondering at Christ thus exer

And

cising at the same time both a divine and a bodily power. For
it was a divine act so to will, as for all that He willed to be

present unto Him but to stretch out the hand was a human
Christ therefore is perceived to be One* of both, if, as is
:

act

Word was made

the case, the

And He

cJtaryed

him

to tell

Even though the leper had been

the fact was enough to proclaim to
great was His power

him

tell

no man

Who

and why

*fs e

a^u-

Ver.

14.

flesh.

no man.

silent,
all

the very nature of

who knew him how

had wrought the cure. But He bids

?
That they who receive from God

the gift of working cures may hereby learn not to look for the
applause of those whom they have healed, nor indeed any one s
praises whatsoever, lest they

fall

a prey unto pride, of

all vices

the most disgraceful.

He

purposely, however, bids the leper offer unto the

For it was
the
priests
gift according to the law of Moses.
indeed "confessedly His wish to put away the shadow, and

As the Jews,
transform the types unto a spiritual service.
on Him, at
believe
did
not
because
as
however,
yet they
tached themselves to the commands of Moses, supposing
their ancient customs to be still in force, He gives leave to

make the offering for

And what was His object in granting

a testimony unto them.

the leper to

this permission

It

was

because the Jews, using ever as a pretext their respect for the
law, and saying that the hierophant Moses was the minister of

a commandment from on high, made

their endeavour to

it

treat with contempt Christ the Saviour of us

said plainly,
know that God spake unto
"

We

They even

all.

Mose*

but This johnix.sy.

It was necessary, there

man, we know not whence lie
fore, for them to be convinced by actual facts that the measure
For he indeed as Heb.
of Moses is inferior to the glory of Christ
a servant was faithful over his house but the other as a Son
"

is."

"

"

"

From this very healing, then, of

s house."
is incomparably
most
may
plainly see that Christ

over His Father

the leper, we
*

That

is,

One

of both natures.
ferred to

by Mai,

person consoling

The passage

re-

extract

in

Thesaurus,

aa preceding this

L 2

Aquinas,

is

from the

Hi. 5.

COMMENTARY UPON

76

superior to the Mosaic law. For Mariam," the sister of Moses,

was herself struck with leprosy for speaking against him
:

and

unable to

Num.

Moses was greatly distressed and when he was

remove the disease from the woman, he fell down

at this

before God, saying,

God, I beseech Thee, heal her." Ob
serve this, then, carefully on the one hand, there was a re
"

xii.

quest ; he sought by prayer to obtain mercy from above but

the Saviour of all spake with godlike authority,
I will
be
thou cleansed." The removal therefore of the leprosy was a
:

"

"

testimony to the priests, and by

rank

to

truth.

Gal.

iii.

19.

it

who

those

assign the chief

Moses may know that they are straying from the

For it was fitting, even highly fitting, to regard Moses

with admiration as a minister of the law, and servant of the

grace that was spoken of angels but far greater must be our
;

Him

admiration of the Emmanuel, and the glory we render

very Son of God the Father.

And whoever
Lev.

xiii. 8.

will

may

see the profound

as

and mighty mystery

For the law of

of Christ written for our benefit in Leviticus.

Moses declares the leper

defiled,

and gives orders

for

him

to

be put out of the camp as unclean: but should the malady ever
be alleviated, it commands that he should then be capable of
readmission.
Lev. xiv.

2.

he
"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

i.

e. fresh.

is

to be

Moreover

pronounced

it

clearly specifies the

clean, thus saying

"

manner
This

is

in

which

the law of

the leper on whatsoever day he shall have been cleansed,

and shall be brought unto the priest. And the priest shall
go out of the camp, and the priest shall see him, and behold,
the touch of the
leprosy

healed from the leper and the

command, and they shall take for him who
high
is cleansed two
living clean birds ; and the high priest shall
is

priest shall

command, and they shall kill the one into an earthen vessel
over living water and he shall take the
living bird, and dip
it into the blood of the bird that was killed over the
living
water, and shall sprinkle it seven times over the man cleansed
of the leprosy, and he shall be cleansed and he shall send
:

"

"

"

"

away the

living bird into the

The

birds then are two

number, both without stain, that is, clean, and liable to no
fault on the part of the law
and the one of them is slain over
field."

in

u As the Masoretic
punctuation
word as Miriam, is apparently of very modern date, I have
of this

retained the spelling of the

LXX.

Even Jerome apparently had never

heard of

it.

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

77

saved from slaughter, and

further baptized in the blood of that which died, is let loose.
This type, then, represents to us the great and adorable
living water, but the other, being

mystery of our Saviour. For the Word was from above, even
from the Father, from heaven for which reason He is very
;

fitly

compared

to a bird

for

He came down

though

for the

dispensation s sake to bear our likeness, and took the form of

a slave, yet even so He was from above. Yea, He even, when

speaking to the Jews, said so plainly,

I am from above.
And again,

"

"

into heaven, but the

"

up

As therefore

"

heaven."

"

Ye

are from beneath

No one

hath ascended

John

\-iii.

23

Son of man That came down from

I
just now said, even when He be

is, perfect man, lie was not earthy, not made

are, but heavenly and superior to things worldly
in respect of that wherein lie is perceived to be God. \Ve may
see, then, in the birds (offered at the cleansing of the leper),

came

flesh, that

of clay as

we

Christ suffering indeed in the flesh according to the Scripand

tures, but remaining also beyond the power of suffering

Pet.

iv. i.

dying

in

Word

is

His

human

nature, but living in His divine; for the

that He
very wise disciple said,
"

too, the

Life.

Yea,
was put to death in the flesh, but made to live in the spirit."
But though the Word could not possibly admit the suffering

iPet.iii.i8.

"

own

of death into His

flesh suffered

in the blood of the

all

nature, yet

He

appropriates to Himself

was baptized
and thus stained with blood, and
but made partaker of the passion, it was sent forth into the

that which His

dead one

for the living bird

wilderness. And so did the Only-begotten Word of God return

unto the heavens, with the flesh united unto Him. And strange
was the sight in heaven, yea, the throng of angels marvelled
when they saw in form like unto us the King of earth, and

Lord of might: moreover they said, Who is This that cometh Is.
from Edom ? meaning thereby the earth
the redness of
"His
is from Boson" * the
garments
interpretation of which
is flesh, as
Then too they
a
and
pressing.
being
narrowing
"

"

*lS

cuit,"

"

Its derivatives

and n^Vl,
"

cohibuit,

signifies

and thence

a fortified

"itfl,

Is.

Dent.

Ixiii.

town."

ar-

Piel munivit.

in

i..

iv.

43.,

signify

The mean-

ings therefore of "narrowing" and

are correct. In thence
pressing"
"

however deriving
flesh," there is
a confusion between it and
originally ion, flesh, which has the
same sound as Bosor, and only differs from iyn by having another
"

1U>H,

sibilant.

Ixiii.

i.

COMMENTARY UPON

78
Zech.xiii.6.

Are

"

inquired,
"hands
"

/"

in the

such the wounds in the

and He answered,

house of

My

"With

beloved."

middle

of

these was I

For just as

Thy

wounded

after

His re

turn to life from the dead, when shewing, with most wise purJohnxx.s;. pose, His hands unto Thomas, He bade him handle both the

and the holes bored

prints of the nails,

when

arrived in heaven,

blood,

and the wounds

He

in Ills side

so also,

proof to the holy angels,

that Israel was justly cast out and fallen from being of His fa
For this reason, He shewed His garment stained with
mily.
could not put them

He
He

in

away

gave

full

His hands, and not as though He

for when He rose from the dead,

off corruption, and with it all its marks and attributes

retained them therefore, that the manifold wisdom of God,

put

which

He

wrought

in Christ,

might now be made known by

the Church, according to the plan of salvation, to principalities

and powers.
But perhaps some one will say, How can you affirm that
Jesus Christ is one and the same Son and Lord, when there
were two birds offered ?
Does not the law very plainly
hereby shew that there are certainly two Sons and Christs ?
Yes, verily, men y have ere now been brought to such a pitch
of impiety, as both to think and say, that the Word of God
the Father is one Christ separately by Himself, and that He

Who

But we reply to those

such
to
be the case, what the
who,
imagine
divine Paul writes,
One Lord, one faith, one baptism." If,
therefore, they affirm that there are two Sons, necessarily
is

of the seed of

David

is

another.

in their ignorance,

Eph.

iv. 5.

2 Cor.xiii.3.

"

there must be two Lords, and two faiths, and the same number
o f baptisms
and therefore, though he has Christ speaking
:

him, as he himself affirms, yet will his teaching be

We
false.
But this cannot be away with such a thought
therefore acknowledge one Lord, even the Only -begotten in
within

carnate

Word

of

God

not putting apart the

manhood and the

Godhead, but earnestly affirming that the Word of God the

Father Himself became man while continuing to be God.

And
y

The

doctrine

next, let those

who hold a contrary

Nestorians, to whom this

is several times expressly

assigned by S. Cyril in this Comone and

The phrase,
mentary.
"

"

the

opinion

same Son and

be the

Lord,"

was

afterwards formally enacted by the

Council of Chalcedon. Cf. above,

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

79

4
2
If, they say, there are two Sons, one specially of
speakers.
*
the seed of David, and the other again separately the Word
r
*
of God the Father; must not the
ord of God the Father be

superior in

we do

shall

nature to him of the seed of David

two

in seeing the

What, then,

birds, not distinct in nature from

one another, but, on the contrary, of the same kind, and in no

But
point, as regards specific difference, unlike one another.
they gain nothing by their argument for great is the distance
between the Godhead and the manhood and in the explana
tion of examples, we are to understand them according to their
of the truth, and often
fitting analogy; for they fall short
;

but a partial demonstration of the things signified by

WT e say, moreover, that the law was a sort of shadow

effect

them.

and type, and a painting, as

it were, setting things forth before

the view of the spectators: but in the pictorial art, the shadows
are the foundations for the colours ; and when the bright hues T ^
of the colours have been laid upon them, then at length the rut

beauty of the painting

since

it

was

fitting for

will flash forth.

the law of

And

Mo>es

in

like

manner,

to delineate clearly

the mystery of Christ, it docs not manifest Him as both dying

and at the same time living in one and the same bird, lest what

but it
a theatrical juggle
contained Him, as suffering slaughter in the one bird, and in
the other displayed the same Christ as alive and set free.

was done should have the look of

But

I will

endeavour

shew that

to

my

argument here does

not go beyond the bounds of probability by means of another

For were any one of our community to wish to see
history.
the history of Abraham depicted as in a painting, how would
the artist represent him ? as doing every thing at once ? or as
in turn, and variously acting in many different modes, though
the while the same one person ? I mean, for instance, as at
one time sitting upon the ass with the lad accompanying him,
and the servants following behind then again the ass left with

all

the servants, Isaac laden with the wood, and himself carrying
then in another compart
in his hands the knife and the fire
:

ment, the same Abraham

very different attitude, with the

lad bound upon the wood, and his right hand armed with the
in a

z The
to
Monophysites, whose doctrines Eutyches subsequently pushed
an extreme.

COMMENTARY UPON

80

knife ready to strike the blow.

Abraham

Yet

it

would not be a different

each place, though represented in very many dif

ferent forms in the painting, but one and the same everywhere,
the painter s art conforming itself constantly to the require
in

For

it would be
impos
one representation to see him performing all the abovementioned acts. So therefore the law was a painting and type
of things travailling with truth, and therefore even though

ments of the things

to be represented.

sible in

there were two birds, yet was He Who was represented in

both but One, as suffering and free from suffering, as dying

and mounting up unto heaven as a sort

human nature renewed unto incorruption. For He has made a new pathway for us unto that which
That the one
is above, and we in due time shall follow Him.

and superior

to death,

of second firstfruits of

bird then was slain, and that the other was baptized indeed in
its blood, while itself exempt from slaughter, typified what was
really to happen.

have been

For Christ died

baptized into His death,

in

He

our stead, and we,

has saved by His

who
own

blood.
Ver.

And He Himself iv as

17.

teaching,

and

were

the Pharisees

sitting.

Around Him

verily was a company of the envious, scribes,

and
is,
pharisees, who were spectators of His wonderful
and the power of God
as He taught
and
listened
works,
Is
this spoken as though
was present, it says, to heal him."
God gave Him the ability to perform the miracles ? Did He

that

"

atT<*/,

with

"

borrow of another the power ? But who would venture to

?
Rather it was He Himself, working by His own

affirm this

God and Lord, and not as partaker of some divine

For
men indeed often, even after being counted worthy
grace.
power, as

of spiritual gifts, yet sometimes occasionally prove infirm, ac

distributes these
cording to the proportion known to Him

Who

divine graces.

But

in the case of the Saviour of us all, there

was nought such as this but His power to heal him was not
a human power, but rather one divine and irresistible for He
was God and the Son of God.
;

From

Christ alone teaches as being the (true) teacher, and the

wisdom of the Father. For all the rest teach as receiving from
Him.
And there was also, it says, the power of the Lord
"

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

81

which means that His power to heal

upon Him to heal all
was not human, but divine and irresistible. For the rest of the
"

;"

saints at

one time receive the power to work cures, and at an

other time, not

but Jesus, as being God, and the power of
the Father, ever healed all.
:

And

behold certain bringing on a bed a

man who

wa-s

v<

r.

18.

paralytic.
then, no small number, as it says, of scribes and pha- From
D
were assembled together, behold certain
bringing upon

When,
risees,

c<ul

a bed a man who was paralytic and not

being able to come
the
carried
him
to
the
door,
by
roof, to attempt a
they
up
;

in

b
strange and novel deed. For having pulled up the tiling, they
removed the wood laid there and still, while this was
being
done, both Jesus waited patiently, and those who were present
kept silenCe, watching for the result, and wishing to see what
He would say and do. Having uncovered, therefore, the roof,
:

let

they

What

down

the bed, and lay the paralytic in the midst.

the Lord do ?
Having seen their faith.

then does

not that of the paralytic, but of the bearers; for it is

possible
be healed by the faith of others; or, perceiving that

for one to

the paralytic also believed, He healed him. It is

possible, how
ever, that the place into which they let down the bed of the
paralytic through the tiles was open to the air, so that they
would not have at all to break up the roof. But when the

Saviour says to him,

Man, thy sins are forgiven thee," He
addresses this generally to mankind for those who believe in
."

Him, being healed of the

diseases of the soul, will

receive

forgiveness of the sins which formerly they had committed.

Or He may mean this I must heal thy soul before I heal thy
;

body

for if this be not done,

them dost but sin the more

by obtaining strength to walk,

and even though thou hast not

This passage being evidently

out of the preceding,
shews that the writers of the smaller

the difficult reading of the old MSS.

avrov into Travras.
b Mai has
hut translates as

Catena? rather gave an epitome in

their own words than an exact
transcript of the Fathers. It changes

if

collected

*<j/<,

the

MS. had

KO.IVW.

Cr. reads

COMMENTARY UPON

82

which
yet I as God see the maladies of the soul,
disease.
this
thee
brought upon
And as it was necessary, now that so large a number of

asked for

this,

and pharisees had assembled, that some

scribes

especially di
for their benefit, because of

vine miracle should be wrought

the scorn with which they regarded Him, well does the Saviour
provide again for them a most wonderful deed. For there was
stretched upon a bed a paralytic, overcome with an incurable
disease and as the art of the physicians had proved altogether
:

unavailing, he was carried

Who

his relatives to the Physician

And when he was in

by

from above, even from heaven.

is

the presence of Him Who is able to heal, his faith was ac

and that faith can take away sin, Christ immediately
cepted
:

shews; for

He

proclaims to him as he lay there,

Now some

"

forgiven

What

thee."

one, I imagine,

"

may

Thy

sins are

say to this

he wanted was to be delivered from his disease

and why,

then, does Christ announce to him the forgiveness of his sin ?

It was that thou mayest learn that God silently and noiselessly
Prov. v.2i.

observes the affairs of men, and watches the course of each

one s life and so it is written, "The paths of a man are be;

"

as

fore the eyes of

He

is

God

good, and

and

He

looks at

willeth that all

men

all his

tracks."

And

should be saved,

He

often purifies those who are entangled in sins by inflicting sick

ness upon their body. For so He somewhere says by the voice
Jer.

vi. 8.

of Jeremiah,
"

"

Thou

And

and the scourge."

has somewhere said,

Prov.iii.n. also
"

"

the writer of the book of Proverbs

"My

son, despise not thou the teach-

ing of the Lord, nor faint when thou art convicted by Him,
whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth, and scourgeth

for

every son whom

announce that He
"

Jerusalem, by labour

shalt be taught,

He

Well, therefore, does Christ

the cause of the disease, and

accepteth."

will cut

away

the very root, as it were, of the malady, even sin for if this
be removed, necessarily must the disease which sprung from it
be also at the same time taken away.
:

c This extract from

D., which I
had previously marked as suspi-

cious,

find assigned in

Cramer

Catena to Titus Bostrensis.

THE GOSPEL OF
Ami

the scribes

LUKE.

ST.

and pharisees began

83

to reason,

Ver. 21.

saying.

He

then, as was said, being endowed with a most godlike

But the declara
authority, declared the forgiveness of sins.
tion disturbs again the ignorant and envious
for they said one to another,

risees

"

But thou wouldest not have

"

speaketh blasphemies

gang of the Pha

is This That

Who

?"

of

thou hadst

known

said

the divine

Him,
Pharisee,
and borne in mind the words of prophecy, and
understood the adorable and mighty mystery of the incarna
tion.
But now they involve Him in a charge of blasphemy,
determining against Him the uttermost penalty, and condemn
whoing Him to death for the law of Moses commanded that
ever spake blasphemies against God, should suffer death. But
this

if

Scriptures,

Lev. xxiv.
l6

no sooner have they arrived at this height of daring, than He

shews forthwith that He is God, to convict them once more of
For what, saith He, reason ye in your
intolerable impiety.
"

"

hearts

?"

give sins

If thou, therefore,

but One,

God

Pharisee, sayest,

I will also

say to thee,

and see the thoughts hidden

For He
standing, but God only?

hearts,

in the

saith

who can for

can know

Who

depth of the under

Himself somewhere

I am the Lord that searcheth

by the voice of the prophets,
David also said somewhere
And
reins."
and
trieth
hearts,
Who singly formed their
He
Him
and
both
us,
concerning
hearts."
He therefore Who as God knows both the hearts
"

Jcr.xvii.io.

"

"

Ps. xxxiii.
If

"

and

reins, as

But

God

also forgives sins.

may know

that ye

that the

But inasmuch as a place

"

saying,

Thy

sins

remains open for

still

be forgiven thee

it

man

and the paralytic

rising up
a clear demonstration of a godlike

disease,

carries with

for

:"

Ver. 24.

disbelief, in

sees not the

body, whereas the putting

forgiven sins with the eyes of the

of the

Son of man hath power.

off

and walking
power

He

Rise up and carry thy bed, and go to thine house

and this was -done, for he returned unto his house, delivered
"

adds,

:"

It is
from the infirmity under which he had so long suffered.
d of man has
the
Son
that
therefore
the
fact,
proved
very
by
"

d In

guage

Syriac, the ordinary

of Palestine when our

Ian-

Lord

was upon
"man,"

M 2

is

son of
earth, the phrase
equivalent to man simply:
"

COMMENTARY UPON

84
"

power on earth

to forgive

But of whom says He this ?

Both the one and the other are

sins."

Is it of Himself, or also of us

For He forgives sins as being the Incarnate God, the

Lord of the law and we too have received from Him this
For He hath crowned
splendid and most admirable grace.
man s nature with this great honour also, having even said to
true.

Mat.

xviii.

the holy apostles, (t Verily I say unto you, whatsoever things

ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever
"

"

John

things ye loose on earth shall be loosed in

And

heaven."

Whosesoever sins ye remit, they shall be remitted unto

them and whosesoever ye bind shall be bound."
And
"

xx.

again,
"

what

John

xx.

the occasion on which

is

we

find

Him

thus speaking unto

them ? It was after He had trampled upon the power of death,

and risen from the grave, when He breathed upon them, and
Receive the Holy Ghost." For having made them
said,
partakers of His nature, and bestowed upon them the in
"

He also made them sharers of His

them
glory, by giving
power both to remit and to bind sins.
And as we have been commanded to perform this very act,
how must not He much more Himself remit sins, when He
dwelling of the Holy Ghost,

giveth unto others authority to enable them to do so

And He saw a publican named

Ver. 27.

Levi.

For Levi was a publican, a man insatiable after filthy lucre,

of unbridled covetousness, careless of
justice in his eagerness
after

what was not

his

own

for such

was the character of the

publicans: yet was he snatched from the very workshop of

iniquity, and saved beyond hope, at the call of Christ the

Saviour of us
"

he

left

all

He

For

all.

and followed

and the word etoj

"any," "some,"

man

said unto him,

Him."

signifies

we even find
Deus homo,

so that

c^.j( |oulj, literally

as the translation of Qcos ns.

In

Hebrew ttflJN is seldom found, except in poetry, but men are called
"sons of Adam," and Adam is even
used simply for
Lev,

i.

2.

signifies

"

man

Son

"

any
of

one,"

man"

absolutely,

as in

therefore

and so even

"

Follow

Me

and

Seest thou that most wise

Adam

is

called [*
jj.o, son of

in the Syriac version of

man,

Cor. xv.

45. This sometimes leads to an ambiguity in Scripture, as that noticed

in the text by
S.Cyril: and again,

Luke

vi. 5, where some

interpret
our Saviour is Lord of the
Sabbath day, whereas the sense re-

that

quires us to understand
kind generally.

it

of

man-

THE GOSPEL OF
Paul truly says, that

ST.

came

"Christ

LUKE.

to save

85

sinners?"

Secst

Tim.

1.15.

thou how the Only-begotten Word of God, having taken

upon
Him the flesh, transferred unto Himself the devil s goods?

FROM SERMON XXL

From

the

Syriac

EXPLANATION OF WHAT FOLLOWS.

"

"

"

Or how can a man

MS. 12, 154.

enter the house of the strong man, and Matt.

have bound the strong man,

spoil his vessels, unless first lie

and then he

will

his

spoil

vessels."

For just as we

call

is

who

the house of the

By

He means

of Satan,
and
his
vessels
are those
earth,

strong man, that

xii.

2(>

this

country upon
are likeminded with him.

the saints holy vessels, so there is nothing

name of vessels of the devil to

to prevent our giving the

cf.

Kom.

1X

"

who are the contrivers of all wickedness. The Onlybegotten Word therefore of God at His incarnation entered
into the strong man s house, even into this world, and
having
those

bound him, and

"sunk

him

in

fetters of

darkness,"

as

it

is

1>ci -

"

written, spoiled his goods.

Lcvi verily was saved, while in us the deed suggests From Mai
happy hopes for by the very fact we are taught that repent
ance will save.
Yea, moreover, God Himself, Who is Lord of

And

be our surety, where He says by the voice of the

Return unto Me, and be ye saved, even from the
prophet,
ends of the earth."

all,

shall

"

is. xlv. 22.

"

FROM THE SAME SERMON.

From

the

Syriac, as

EXPLANATION OF WHAT FOLLOWS.

Which of you that has a hundred sheep, and has lost one Mat.
of them, will not leave the ninety -nine in the mountain, and
go and seek that which has gone astray ? And if he chance
"

"

"

"

he rejoices more in
For
the ninety-nine which went not astray."
it, than
s
form
Christ
which
the multitude of rational created beings
"

to

find

"

flock in
i

it,

verily I say unto you, that

in

heaven and on earth

is

innumerable, and so great as

xviii.

COMMENTARY UPON

86

even to mount up unto a perfect number. For this is what is

term one hundred." The companies
signified to us by the
"

then of the holy angels are the ninety-nine; for, as I said,

but yet useful to
they are many but the flock on earth is one,
Did He
complete the number, and sought for also by Christ.
:

was lost, or as that which had not

But it is plain that that which is lost is
sought for. In what manner then had it been lost ? By being
and
brought down into sin by wandering from the divine will,
then seek

it

as that which

yet suffered this?

going
From Mai.

far astray

from the universal Shepherd.

But none of these things moved the Pharisees

to the disciples
trary, they find fault with them
;

And

Ver. 30.

their scribes

on the con

for listen,

and pharisees murmured, saying unto

His disciples
:

who endeavour

There are however some

to deprive those

do not
entangled in sin of the divine gentleness
for
the
Saviour
admit of repentance, but as it were rebuke
which
that
seeking His own, and gathering from every quarter
was scattered and to these we say, The pharisees set you the
:

for they

example of murmuring, when they

crowd of publicans gathered together,

saw Levi called, and a

and feasting with Christ

And going up

to the holy apostles, they

do
Why
ye eat and drink with
for
had
T
But
answer, "They that are
the publicans
they
For
the Saviour of all, as
need not a physician.
""whole
not withdraw from
does
being the physician of spirits,
those in need of Him, but as being able to cleanse them,

the Saviour of us

all.

vented their blame, saying,

"

"

Cr. arpoincur.

of their
purposely conversed with those not as yet purified
of
But let us see,
sins.
pharisee, the overweening pride
to Whom all
thy disposition for let us take Christ Himself,
:

of the great blame that

things are known, as the expounder
thou broughtest upon thyself by thy overbearing treatment of
For speaking of a Pharisee who vaunted himself
sinners.

when praying, and

Luke
14

xviii.

He

"

said,

his

to

of a certain publican who accused himself,

say unto you, that he went down justified

Verily
house rather than that

The Novatians are probably

who subsequently are more

meant,

Pharisee."

The

publican

than once referred to in the course

of the

Commentary.

THPT GOSPEL OF ST. LUKE.

who

therefore,

confessed his

87

rather than the

sin, is justified

what reason do the Pharisees

for eating with sinners ? Because it was
the law to put a distinction between the holy and the profane
that is, that whatever was hallowed was not to be brought into

But

haughty Pharisee.
blame the Saviour

for

contact

with

things

They made the

profane.

Lev.

x. 10.

accusation

but really it was

therefore as vindicating the law forsooth
find
But He
fault.
readiness
to
envy against the Lord, and
as a
a
but
as
shews them that He is present now, not
judge,
:

physician

and performs the proper duty of the physician

in being in the company of those in need of healing.

But no sooner had they received an explanation of their first

office,

accusation, than they bring forward another, finding fault

because His disciples did not fost, wishing to obtain hereby an
f.

opportunity against Himself

But observe their perseverance in malice

for no

sooner

have they received an explanation of their first accusation,

than they change from one thing to another, in the hope of
and
finding an opportunity of convicting the holy disciples,

But they arc told in

Jesus Himself, of disregard of the law.
now
is the bride-chamber, the time of calling, the time
reply,
of instruction
the children are being nursed up those who
:

are called are being fed with milk

fasting

is

not yet season

say they, you feast with publicans and sinners,

hold
although the law commands that the pure should not
for
intercourse with the impure and your pretext
transgressing

For yes

able.

your love for mankind. But why fast ye not

according to the custom of the just, and those who wish to live
according to the law ? But in answer to such objections one

the

law

may

say,

is

Do you

method of
"

"

"

"

fasting

days of your fasts

are subject unto you.

and

in

the
cf.

all
yourself, O Jew, the proper
On the
For as the prophet Isaiah says,
all who
and
own
find
wills,
goad
ye
your

understand at

If

ye

strike the lowly with

fast for lawsuits

fists,

why

fast

ye

and contentions,
for

Me

This

is

Ca

This extract, and some sentences

xxxiii. in the Bodleian, that the

the next, apparently belong to

that Evangelist is to be
assigned to S. Cyril, rather than to
Victor of Antioch; who possibly

St. Mark,
and confirm

Commentary upon
c.

ii.

vv. 17, 18,

Cramer s opinion, upon the authority of the Laudian Greek Codex

tena

upon

nevertheless compiled it, as in

codices it bears his name.

many

Is. Iviii. 3.

COMMENTARY UPON

88
not the fast

"

then,

And

have chosen, saith the Lord."

thyself knowest not how to

when thou

fast,

holy apostles for not fasting after thy fashion ?

And to view it in another light, those who are

dost thou

blame the

made

wise

by

the new covenant in Christ, fast rationally that is, by humbling

themselves in the eyes of God, and imposing upon themselves
;

were a voluntary sentence of labour and abstinence, that

they may obtain forgiveness of their offences, or win some
fresh spiritual gift, or even to mortify the law of sin that is in

as

it

ignorant

But

members.

their fleshly

Pharisee

of,

this

mode

of fasting thou art

to receive the

For thou hast refused

heavenly Bridegroom, Who is the planter and teacher of every

virtue, even Christ.
Moreover, the saints indeed fast that
the
they may quell
passions of the body by exhausting it but
:

Christ needed not to fast for the perfecting of virtue, because,

He was free from all passion ; nor did His com

as being God,

panions, because they received of His grace, and were made

And even
strong, and wrought virtue even without fasting.
though He fasted for the forty days, it was not to mortify

but to set an example for men in His

With good reason there

any passions

in Himself,

own conduct

of the law of abstinence.

fore

He

defends Himself by the words which the Evangelist

goes on to record.

Ver. 34.

But He said unto them. Can ye make the sons of the bridechamber fast, ivhile the bridegroom is ivith them?
Observe, I pray again, the manner in which Christ shews
that they have no share in the feast, but are altogether
strangers to the joy felt on His account, and without part in
the world

great

festival.

For the revelation of our Saviour

was nothing else than a general festival, at which

He spiritually united to Himself the nature of man, to be as it
were His bride that she who had been long barren might be

to the world

fruitful,

and blessed with a numerous

offspring.

All therefore

by Him
new message of the Gospel but not the scribes
and Pharisees, who attached themselves solely to the shadow
of the law.
But as He had once granted permission to the

are the children of the bridechamber

through the

children of the bridechamber not to

who are

called

afflict

themselves, as a

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

89

a concession suitable to the season, inasmuch as

they were
keeping a spiritual feast, that fasting might not be entirely
rejected by us, He adds most suitably,

But

days will come, when also the bridegroom shall be v e r.

away from them ; then shall they fast in those days.

the

taken

35.

For

all
But what is the
things are good in their season.
meaning of the bridegroom being taken away from them ? It
is His
being taken up into heaven.

And

lie spake also

But that the

those

who

a parable unto them.

institutions of Christ cannot

live

to

Ver. 36.

be received by

the law, nor admitted into the

according
hearts of such as have not as
yet received the renewing by
the Holy Ghost, the Lord shews by
tattered
saying, that
cannot
be
a
new
nor
can
old
skins
patch
put upon
garment,
"a

"

"

hold

was

new

wine."

from

For the

first

covenant has grown old, nor

Those therefore who adhere to it, and

at
heart
the
keep
antiquated commandment, have no share in
the new order of things in Christ
For in Him all things are
become new
but their mind being decayed, they have no
concord nor point of mutual agreement with the ministers of
it

free

fault.

"

Cor. v.

"

:"

new covenant. The God of all accordingly somewhere

said of them by one of the holy
a new heart
prophets, that
and a new spirit will I put into them." And David also

I7>

fpov pyoit.

the

"

"

"

sings,
"

"

me

me."

a clean heart,

off

"

"

to Col.

li.

ro.

iii.

new man, renewed

it."

"

also

And Paul

also

Be ye

not conformed to this world, but Rom.xii.z,

be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds, that
ye
may prove what is the good and acceptable, and perfect will
of God."
Those therefore who have not as yet received the
"

gives counsel, saying,

"

26-

God, and renew a right p s

And we have been commanded

the old man, and to put on the

after the image of Him that created

put

"

Create in

spirit within

EZ. xxxvi.

renewing of the

spirit,

are also unable to prove the

good and

acceptable, and perfect will of God.

COMMENTARY UPON

cjo

From

FROM SERMON XXIL

the

Syriac, is
before.

EXPLANATION OF THAT WHICH

"

And no man

new wine

into old

BELOW.

skins."

The

heart of

the Jews then is an old skin, and therefore cannot hold the
new wine for this is the saving commandment of the Gospel,
Christ hath filled us with
making glad the heart of man. But
these great blessings, by bountifully endowing us with spiritual
and opening the pathway wide unto all virtue.
gifts,
:

Ps. civ. 15.

puts

IS

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

CHAPTER
do ye that which

Why

is

91

VI.

not lawful to do on the sabbaths?

Yet a new covenant God promiseth

hath waxed old and is near to vanish

"

LUKE.

us,

now

away,"

that

"

the

Vor.

first

according to the

2.

From Mai.
eb

V1

Yea, He even says by one of the

Jer.
the
Behold
days come, saith the Lord, when I
holy prophets,
3
will perfect with the house of Israel, and with the house of
Judah, a new covenant not according to the covenant which

words of the divine Paul.

"

xxxi.

"

"

made with their fathers in the day when I took hold of

If
their hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt."
from
and
different
is
the
covenant
therefore the new
second,
the first, there is every necessity for those who wish to live
I

<{

"

abandon the old laws, and conform to those

which will guide them into the newness of the gospel polity.
But of all this we can see that the Scribes and Pharisees com

according to

it,

to

for being altogether destitute of know

of
the
sacred
they had but one sole purpose,
Scriptures,
ledge
on every occasion to find fault with the divine and heavenly

prehended nothing

They lie in wait therefore for the holy apostles in

preaching.
their constant attendance upon our common Saviour Christ,
Behold we see those who are
and tell Him concerning them
under Thy instruction acting contrary to the precepts of the
law for they do what it is not lawful to do on the sabbaths
for while the law enjoins men to do no work on the sabbath,
"

"

"

"

and

"

"

meddle with no labour whatsoever, the

rubbing ears of corn with their hands." But
to

disciples are
tell

me, dost

not thou thyself, when setting thy sabbath meal, break the
bread ? Why then dost thou blame others ? But that we may
use against thee the bulwark of the Saviour s words, listen

And

Jesus answered

and said unto them. Have ye

read what David did

Now

not even

...?

even though David thus acted contrary to what the

law approves, yet he is rightly and justly esteemed by us as

Ver.

3.

COMMENTARY UPON

92
worthy of
phet.
Deut.

i.

16.

admiration

for

he was in truth a saint and pro

Moses expressly commands,

just judgment, and regard not the person in judghow, saith He, condemn ye
disciples, while ye

"

"

all

Since, therefore, the law of

Judge
ment

My

;"

admire as a saint and prophet the blessed David, although

he did not keep Moses command ?
still

But by the loaves (of the shewbread), there is clearly indi

cated to us the bread that cometh down from heaven to be set
forth

upon the holy

tables of the churches

and

all

the furni

ture of the table, used for the performance of its mystical ser
vice, was a plain type of the divine treasures. 11 But spiritually
[the bread signifies] the twelve Apostles: of

whom we

shall

speak in due order, when our discourse reaches the disciples

themselves.

From

FROM SERMON

the

Syriac, as
before

EXPLANATION OF WHAT FOLLOWS.

Hos.

vi. 6.

XXIII.

BU Q

d sa id l require mercy and not sacrifice : and the

acknowledgment of God, and not whole burnt offerings.
I

What
then

is

which

>

meant by mercy ? and what by sacrifice ? By mercy

and grace in Christ even that
by faith. For we have been justified, not by the works

is

signified, Justification

is

we have done, but by His great mercy.

means the law of Moses.

of the law that

sacrifice

Ver.

6.

And He was

teaching
right

From

Mai.

: and there was a man

hand was withered.

And

there whose

But His teaching was ever of things too high for reason, and
such as made plain to His hearers the pathway of salvation
h This

summary

extract

Adorat., where in
says,

is

probably

of the doctrine in the

o-77/imWi

TTpodtcriv

pfv

e^owa
Bvo-iav,

I.

459. S. Cyril

rj
TU>V

fit

a*

De

rpdirc^a,

aprw,

TTJV

TTJV

cv\oyovpe6a, TOV aprov fcrOlovrfs rov e oupavov, TotTeo-n Xpicrro i/. And speakdvaifj,aKTov

rjs

ing of the table, with its coverings

of purple and hangings of blue, he

says,

on

0ev KOI
dia

de TVTTOI Xpiorou rov

ovpavov

paicpw ^Iv

TO,

fjdr)

ava>-

O-KCVTJ TO. ifpa,

TrpocnrodedeKTai

Xo yeoi/. The whole extract wears the

appearance of a summary, especially
towards the end. With the next
passage maybe compared De Ador.
p. 345. aprois votivQai (papev rovs
ayiovs diroo-roXovs.

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

93

opened through Him and immediately after His teaching He

displayed His godlike power, having first by words smoothed,
as it were, the road to belief.
For the miracle sometimes con
:

verts unto faith those

who had

Pharisees watched Him, to see

bath

for such

disbelieved the word.

He would

if

the nature of an envious man, that he

is

own

makes

and wickedly is
And what once more said He

the praises of others food for his

maddened by

But the

heal on the sab

their reputation.

disease,

knoweth all things, Who searcheth the hearts,

and understandcth whatever is therein ? "For with Him is
He spake to him that
the light," as Scripture declares.
to this,

Who

"

"

Dan.

ii.

Ver.

9.

"

had the withered hand, Stand forth

why

did

He

do

this

It

into the

midst."

And

might perhaps be to move the cruel

and unpitying Pharisee to compassion the man s malady per

haps might shame them, and persuade them to allay the flames
:

of envy.

/ will ask you something

to

Most wise
most suitable

Is

deed

meet

lawful on the sabbath days

it

do (joody or

in very
to

to

do

evil f

this question,

is

For

their folly.

and a statement

if it

be lawful

to

do

good on the sabbath, and nothing prevents the sick being

pitied by God, cease thus picking up opportunities for fault
finding against Christ, and bringing down on thy own head
the sentence which the Father has decreed against those who
dishonour the Son for thou hast heard Him where He says of
Him by the voice of David, And I will cut off His enemies p 8
:

"

and put to flight those that hate Him." 2 3But if it be not lawful to do good on the sabbath, and the law
forbids the saving of life, thou hast made thyself an accuser of
the law, thou hast slandered the commandment, for which the
"

from before His

face,

ministry of Moses is regarded with admiration. No, he replies,

the God of all did not enact the law of the sabbath for Him
self,

well
free

but for us rather, whose neck

;

I assent to

thy words

is

bowed

from the compulsion of the law.

blame Christ

and benefit a

to

it.

therefore that which

Why,

Thou
is

sayest
divine is

then, dost thou

shew mercy on the sabbath,

And were it our wish to examine

for wishing also to

living soul

closely the law enacted for the sabbath, we should find it or

dained by God for purposes of mercy.
For He commanded to

22.

COMMENTARY UPON

94

Deut.v.

i 4.

do no work on the sabbath, and entirely to abstain from labour,

and even to give rest at the same time to the irrational animals.
For He said, that its purpose was,
that thy manservant may
"

and thy maidservant, thy ox, and thy beast of burden,

But He Who has mercy on the ox and
thy cattle/
other animals, how would not He pity on the sabbath
day a
man who was attacked by a severe and irremediable malady ?
"

rest,

"

^ er

and

all

And

"

they were filled tvith madness.

enough to produce faith ? Thou seest Him

with
working
godlike dignity, and with supreme power healing
the sick, and travaillest thou with murder, bred of
envy and
malice ?
Is not the miracle

Ver.

He

12.

went out into the mountain

to

pray.

All that Christ did was for our edification, and for the be
nefit of those who believe in Him ; and
to us His
by

proposing

own conduct as a sort of pattern of the spiritual mode of life,

He would make us true worshippers. Let us see, therefore, in
the pattern and example provided for us
by Christ s acts, the
in which we
to
make
our
ought
supplications unto

manner

God. We must pray secretly and in concealment, and with no

one seeing us for this is the signification of Jesus
going into
the mountain alone, and
as
it were,
And
praying,
leisurely.
this He has Himself
But thou, when thou
taught us, saying
:

Mat.

vi. 6.

"

For we ought to pray, not

after
seeking
glory, but
lifting up holy hands," while the
soul, as it were, mounts aloft to the contemplation of God,
withdrawing from all tumult, and quitting worldly anxiety.
And this we must do not with fickleness, nor with a listless
feebleness
but, on the contrary, with earnestness and zeal,
and a patience worthy of admiration for thou hast heard that
"

Tim.

ii.

8.

prayest, enter into thy

closet."
"

Jesus did not merely pray, but that

He

also passed the night

in this duty.

But possibly the enemy of the truth

Anus,

thus speaking

for

he says,

endure us when
and
prays
requests from the

He

1
This extract, which is taken
from the same MSS. A. and H.,
which contained the dubious pas-

will not

sage in page 92, [conf. note h.J, is

assigned by Cramer s MS. to Titus
of Bostra.

THE GOSPEL OF
r

Father what

He

hath not

ST.

how then do ye

both consubstajitial and equal to

no way whatsoever unlike Him ?

Him

is

"

versy the less

who

is

gives

LUKE.

"

still

95
say, that

and

in all things,

For without

all

He
in

coutro- Heb.

and decidedly he
than
lie
who
makes
greater
request to receive
Let then those who pervert the right faith teach
is

blessed of the greater

:"

something.
us first of all, of what they imagine the Son to be in need I
And what did He seek to obtain as not as yet possessing it ?
He is the true light He is in His own nature life, and the
;

cause of

life

He

righteousness

the Lord also of powers; He is wisdom and

the Creator and framer of the universe supe
is

been brought into being is the

the dispenser of heaven and earth
the

rior to every thing that has

King of the universe

God

the Father, of every blessing.

And this tliou
wilt learn by what the blessed Paul has somewhere written
Grace be to you, and peace from God our Father, and our R om
giver, with

"

Lord Jesus Christ." He is conspicuous on the throne fur

above, and is glorified by the whole rational creation. Accord
"

ingly

He

is

by substance the heir of

all

the divine dignities of

God
"

the Father: and therefore spake He unto Him, that

that is Mine is Thine
and Thine Mine and I am
:

"

all

IC

glorified

in them." But lie Who has

every thing that belongs to God
the Father as His very own, of what is He still in need ?
But
if, in fine, He is in need of any thing, and they affirm that this
"

true, there is nothing to prevent our saying, that there are

certain things of which the Father Himself is in need.
For if
all that the Son has is the Father s, but there is
of

is

which the Son

is

ther

But the Father

s.

something
must the Father too be
that the Son hath is the Fa

in need, therefore

similarly circumstanced

for all
is

all

perfect,

and

is

deficient of

no

good whatsoever that is suitable to Deity therefore is the

Son all perfect, as having all that the Father hath, and being
His image and the impress of His substance: but in the impress
:

there

is

displayed entirely the original form, and in the original

And thus much then as

form there exists entirely the impress.

respects them.

And

those too

who have been caught by

the

empty declama

tions of Xestorius, say that it is entirely unbefitting the Son,

considered as God by nature, to pray and rather belongs to
:

John

COMMENTARY UPON

96

the man, k coupled with Him by way of connexion, to him, that

He it was therefore who offered up
is, of the seed of David.
the prayer.
What reply, then, shall we make to this ? That
are
ye
utterly ignorant of the mystery of the incarnation of
John

i.

Heb.

ii.

the Only-begotten. Remember the blessed Evangelist John,

And the Word was made flesh." And of this the
who says
"

14.

all-wise
16.

Him
"

"

"

Paul has given us a plain proof by saying concerning

For He taketh not hold at all of the angels, but taketh

hold of the seed of

made

Abraham

whence

His brethren in

like unto

it

became Him

all things,

that

He

to

be

might

become a merciful and

faithful high priest in things pertainto

make
unto
God,
propitiation for the sins of the people."
ing
On what account therefore does Nestorius eject from the mea
"

"

sure of

human nature Him Who, though

divinely begotten as
the Father, yet humbled Himself unto emp
tying, even to becoming our brother, by being made like unto
us, and similar in all things to the inhabitants of the earth,

the

Word by God

For having become like unto us from His

exceeding gentleness and love to mankind, He disdains not hu
man things but sets before us His conduct as a type of good
sin only

excepted

ness unto the end, that as I said

we may be earnest

in follow

ing His footsteps.

Ver.

13.

And when

it

was day. He

called

His

disciples,

and of them

having chosen twelve.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, having spent the night in prayer,

and having conversed with His Father and God in heaven in
a way ineffable and beyond our powers of understanding, and
such as

is

known

even therein making

solely to Himself,

Himself an example unto us of that which

is

necessary for sal

He

taught us in what way we too may rightly and

comes down from the moun
blamelessly offer our prayers
tain, and appoints those who were to be the world^s teachers,
vation

for

k
<Twa(j)dcvTi

Kara

a-vvdfaiav,

word

Nestorius

favourite

his use of

which Cyril observes

his
"

"

Commonitorium

upon
in

to Posidonius

Therefore he always avoids the

word union, o/wo-iy, and calls it

instead
like

(rvvdfaia,

one who

is

connection,

from without,

and as God said to Jesus, As I

was with Moses, so will I also be
with thee." Hard. Cone. i. 1319.

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

97

He spake, "Ye are the light of the Mat.

of this appointment of the
holy Apostles, the

according to the words

And

"

world."

v.

blessed David also

makes mention, addressing himself, as it

Thou shalt make them rulers over all the
they shall make mention of Thy name in every suc

were, to Christ:
"

earth

cessive

"

generation."

For

verily, while

Ps.xlv. 16.

they were in the body,

they made mention

of the glory of Christ,

telling His mystery
both in cities and villages and now that
they have been called
:

to the mansions that are above,

none the less do they still even

thus converse with us about Him,
by the most wise history
which they have written
And those, indeed,
concerning Him.

who were appointed priests according to the law of Moses,

even Aaron and his company, were made beautiful to the
senses by vestments suitable to their
priestly dignity
divine disciples,
adorned with

but the

being
spiritual gifts, had en
trusted to them the
ministry of the Gospel oracles. For it was
said unto them, "Heal the sick: cast out da3mons: cleanse Mat.
lepers: raise the dead." And being thus invested with Christ s

8.

"

power, they have

filled the whole world with astonishment. But

the extreme moderation of the
Evangelist for he does
not simply say that the
holy Apostles were appointed, but ra

mark

ther, by introducing the record of these chief ones each by

name, takes care that no one should venture to enrol himself
in the

"

company of those that were chosen.

For as Paul

saith,

man

taketh this honour upon himself, but he that is Heb.

called by God."
And though the holy Apostles were called

"Xo

by name

to this great

time some

v. 4

and splendid dignity, yet from time to

to such a pitch of madness and au

men have gone

name themselves Apostles of Christ, and to

usurp an honour not granted unto them. Of these the divine
disciples have made mention; for they say, "Such are false
dacity, as even to

"

"

apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into angels

of righteousness. And no wonder for Satan even transforms
:

"

"

himself into an angel of

It is no great
light.
thing, therefore, if his ministers also transform themselves into
angels of

"

righteousness."

But we neither acknowledge nor

one, except those only so

named

will receive

any
Evangelic writings,
and him who was appointed after them, the most wise Paul
to whom also the Saviour Himself bore
witness, saying, that
in the

2<Jor.xi.i

COMMENTARY UPON

98
Actsix.

"

15.
"

is

all

the

My name

a vessel of election for Me, to carry

he

heathen."

before in type, and the

As, for instance, it is written

The law indeed pointed them out

prophets also proclaimed them.

And ye shall take fine
the Mosaic record,

Lev.xxiv.5. in
"

before

and make
and he shall put them in two rows
it into twelve loaves
the Lord. And ye shall put upon
before
table
the
pure
upon
the row frankincense and salt and they shall be for loaves,
For the bread that
set before the Lord for a memorial."
"

flour,

"

"

"

came down from heaven, and giveth

to the world,

life

Who

Conf.

be but Christ the Saviour of the universe ? And in

else can
imitation too of Him, the blessed disciples also are named
upon loaves for having been made partakers of Him Who nourishes
us unto life eternal, they also nourish by their own writings
and thirst after righteousness. And as the
those who

Mat.

the true light called the disciples also light

so also being Himself
for ye are the light of the world
the bread of life, He has bestowed upon His disciples to be

it

hunger

Who

Saviour

is

"

v. 14.

:"

loaves."

of the law
"

And

ranked as

"

for

incense and

ye

salt."

observe, I pray, the marvellous art

frankit
says, upon the loaves

shall put,

Now

the frankincense

is

the symbol of a

understanding and good

in
existed
the
which
both of
sense
highest degree in the holy
For their life was one of a sweet savour, as they
Apostles.

sweet odour; and the

salt 11 that of

2 Cor. 11.15.

also said, that

"we

are a sweet savour of Christ unto

God:"

and they were moreover also full of understanding, so that I

hear the prophet David even singing of them in the Psalms
There is Benjamin in enhancement the princes of Judah are
:

Ps. Ixvlil.

"

"

their leaders: the princes of Zebulon, the princes of Nephtha-

For the blessed disciples were chosen out of almost

to the
every tribe of Israel, and were the bearers of light
indeed
wonder
the
And
world,
holding up the word of
"

lim."

Phil.

li.

16.

"

life."

Mai

difficulty

from finding

that this passage is quoted in two

codices as from a homily of S. Cyril,
and also that occasionally direct ad-

dresses are

made

sent, is cleared

as to persons pre-

up by the

Syriac,

which shews that the whole commentary was delivered in a course

of sermons.

m
means

In
"

the original apros both

and a loaf:" but
"

bread,"

this identity of the terms cannot

preserved in the translation,

be

n
Similarly on Mat. v. 13. the
Catenist quotes from S. Cyril, a\as
KaXel TTJV

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

99

that the sages of the Greeks possess a splendid copious

but the
ness of speech, and an admirable beauty of language
and
and
mere
were
of
our
Saviour
boatmen,
artificers,
disciples
is this,

of picked phrases,
having no boast of words, no fluency
indeed were simple men, but rich in know
with its sonorous
ledge yet is the literature of the Greeks,
of
the
while
the
Evangelic preaching
power
phrases, silent;
God also makes mention of them
has possession of the world.

fishers,

and

in expression
:

by the
Satan
"

"

is

voice of Jeremiah, saying of the

"

not

Woe

his,

who
and maketh his
to him,

enemy

of

all,

even

Habac.ii.6.
multiplieth for himself that which
for sudcollar thick and heavy
:

adversadenly shall they arise that shall bite him, and thy

and thou shalt be their prey." For Satan

had gathered unto him all the inhabitants of the earth,
though they were not his, and had caused them to be his
worshippers, making his collar heavy but those who were to
"

ries shall

wake

up,

plunder his

goods woke up

for the net of the apostolic teach

ing caught all those that were in error, and brought back unto
God the whole world.

FROM SERMON XXV.

EXPLANATION OP THE SAYING OF THE APOSTLE THAT FOLLOWS.

From

the

Syriac.

Be

AND

ye like unto me, as

how was

I also am

the wise Paul like unto Christ

establish the heavens, as did the

the earth upon

its

and moon, and the

Him

Word

firm foundation,
stars,

and

light

of

He

God

human

virtue,

and a crowd of His

and a great multitude of the people.

stood upon level ground,

Did he
?
Did he set

xi. i.

Pa.xxxiii.6.

and bring forth the sun

How therefore was ho

By

But observe,

iCor.

being an imitator of that

Christ shewed forth for our example.

like

unto Christ.

which

disciples

Ver.

17.

For the From Mai.

pray, the manner of the election.
it was not done in a corner and

most wise Evangelist says that

when many

were gathered toge

the
ther,
country of the Jews, and
from the sea-coast of Tyre and Sidon. These latter were
o 2

secretly, but rather

and a vast crowd from

all

disciples

COMMENTARY UPON

100
lame

the hollow of both knees. in part

observing
the customs of the Jews, but yet not
altogether abandoning
their idolatrous practices. The election, therefore, was held in
the presence of all these spectators, and teachers
appointed for
all beneath the heaven
and this duty they also fulfilled, sum
idolaters,

in

moning the Jews from

their legal worship, and those who

served demons, from Grecian? error to the
acknowledgment

of the truth.

And when He had appointed the holy Apostles, He per

formed very many wonderful miracles,
rebuking demons, deli
vering from incurable diseases whosoever drew near unto Him,
and displaying His own most godlike power: that both the
Jews, who had run together unto Him, and those from the
country of the Greeks, might know, that Christ, by Whom
they were honoured with the dignity of the Apostolate, was
not some ordinary man of those in our
but, on the
degree,

Word That was made man,

contrary, God, as being the

Lukev.

17.

Conf. p.8i.

retained, nevertheless, His

own

forth from

For

glory.

but

went

"power

For Christ did not borrow

Him, and healed
strength from some other person, but being Himself God by
nature, even though He had become flesh, He healed them all,
all."

by the putting forth of power over the sick.

If further
you wish to learn the interpretation of the
Apostles

names, know that Peter

"

or

loosing,"
"

"

explained as meaning

is

Andrew as comely strength," or

one who takes labour by the heel
"

knowing
James as

:"

"

answering
John, "the grace of the Lord:" Matthew, "given:" Philip,
the opening of the hands," or
the mouth of a lamp
Bar
:"

:"

"

"

:"

the son suspending water

tholomew,
Thomas, an abyss,"
or
a twin
the supplanting
James, the son of Alphaeus,
"

"

:"

"

"

:"

The lyvva is the hollow of the

knee, where Jacob s sinew shrank.
The Jews thus were lame of one
knee,

the

Sidonians

of

having mingled up Judaic

their heathenism.
Conf.

both,
rites
i

as

with

Kings,

xvni. 21.

and

heathen.

So

"

the

so

Horn. cxxi. T.

S.

v.

Chrysostom,

p. 792.,

who preceded

Abraham, rives
dAX ov a-vyx^pfl.

TT KTTLS.

dmo-Tia

j?

crvvefro-av,

ir\avg
ov Svvavrai
777

^crav

"EXAqi/fs ;

above means
the chief writers of heathenism ge-

(eo-tfat.

ov yap
OVK

8aifj.o<nv

^oavois OVK VTrfTayrjcrav,

T>V

Saipovow

roivvv

avreo-rrjo-av

eXX^es

"

Greeks"

says,

speaking of those

8ov\cvo~ai>,

P Grsecian in the Fathers is often

equivalent to
sages of the

nerally

[Ed. Sav. 1612.]

OW/LUZ-

THE GOSPEL OF
"

"

of the passage of

life

Judas,

:"

LUKE.

ST.

The explanation given by S.

names of the Apostles

thanksgiving

:"

mon name in the East, as being

that of the great conqueror s fa

corresponds in great measure with

that in S.Jerome. Peter, which is the
Greek translation of the title given to

ther,

Simon by our Lord of

rived from

Kipha,
interpreted by Je

is

stone,"

\2t\2,

rome from the Hebrew

scens, sive

Gen.

interpret,
is

which

agno-

The

first

may come from in 5,

knowing,"

cond

"

as

dissolvens."

"

to

and Simon,

"

obedience." 4

Cyril of the

"

101

from

xl. 8.

"itDG,

the se

to set

free that

shut up, Prov. xvii. 14.

whence also the passages of Scrip
is

ture, read just before the conclu

sion of the service in the Jewish

are

synagogue,

called

Ilaftarot,

"

dismissals,"
answering to the
Latin term Missa. Andrew is also
a Greek name, unknown to the
Jews before the time of the Alex

andrian

from

The

ain]p.

therefore,
"

first

correct

is

from
own words

answering,"

rome

and

conquests,

His addition of

derived

explanation,
the second,

n;i?, is

in Je

violentum."
"

pabulo"

re-

cf.

>5,

)Arr>a>

Tab

or
jjj?,

mew,

and Bartholo

>S;

the son of

"

Ptolemy," is

CTE

nbn.

de

Thomas,

a twin from CDND, is further in

correctly connected with CD inn,
In James, the son

Ps. Ixxi. 20.

of

Alphaeus, the Fathers have

joined the two names together in
their

Alphaeus,

interpretation.

Heb.

>s!?n,

from

whence the form Cle-

possibly taken by S. Cyril

which in Is. xxiv. 5.

is

ophas,

F|^n,

means

"

migravit

while farjs

:"

is

an attempt to connect atoy with

In the edition, however, of
rrn.
S.

Jerome by

Vallarsius, vol.

iii.

543. the Vat. Cod. contains what

is

possibly

the right reading here.

fiadrja-fu):

TTTfpvio-fjios

from

fafjf,

t\b&, in Syriac of constant occur

rence, as t2u\^> docuit t and
T

toi\|
of

didicit ;

while

j3adiWa>s

from the Hebrew

"

"

C5N

becomes

the

In Jerome

cult.

derivation

own

is diffi

interpreta

spondens pabulo," is an instance

of the primary error, scarcely yet
expelled from philology, of giving a

it is wonderful that he should

have so neglected the initial gut
It is really n, but his first
tural.

meaning (other than a grammatical

explanation is supplantator millesimus, from tfitf, his second, sup

one) to terminations. It supposes

ptas in \\v8ptas to be derived from
(liT),

to feed.

The same

error appears

in S. Cyril s explanation of James;

but in this case it is avoided by
S. Jerome.
Supplantans, from
3 pi?, to take by the heel, is right ;

Gen. xxv. 26.

but the deriva
is
/Soj, from
utterly
wrong. John, from mrr and pn,
:

tion of

is

Jn>

rightly interpreted

Matthew, from fni

as also is

The two next

are as absurd, as the derivation of

Greek

terms

from

the

Hebrew-

might naturally be expected to

Philip, the

"

horselover,"

be.

com

tion

plantator

Judah

giving"

from

super os,

rightly rendered

is

or

"

praise."

"a

"

Gen.

The other explanation,

bi?.

thanks
xlix. 8.

confessio,

from the ambiguous meaning

So also Symeon,
has been ren
literally
hearing,"
arises

of

0/10X07770-19.
"

dered

by the

compound

the term in the

S.

ence."

LXX

Jerome,

for

uTraKor/,
"

obedi

still

attaching
a meaning to the termination, ex
it

as

"

pone
from pi? CDlUy, and
tiam," from
pi?
plains

mcerorem,"
"

audi

tristi-

COMMENTARY UPON

102

FROM SERMON

XXVII.

EXPLANATION OF WHAT FOLLOWS.

Blessed are ye poor

Ver. 20.

for yours

is the

kingdom of God.

These are the Saviour s words, when directing His disciples

newness of the Gospel life after their appointment to

into the

From

the

Syriac.

Mat,

v. 3.

But we must see of what poor it is that He

the apostolate.
Matsuch
speaks
great things for in the Gospel according to
:

thew

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs

written,
is the
of
heaven
wishing us to understand by the
kingdom
in spirit the man who entertains .JLowly thoughts_of Jbimpoor
self, and whose mind, so to speak, is closely reefed, and his
and ready to yield, and entirely free from the
heart
"

it is

"

:"

gentle,
of
pride.
guilt

From Mai.
Is. Ixvi. i.

Such a one

is

worthy of admiration, and the friend of God

even said by one of the holy prophets

Upon whom
yea,
will I look but upon the humble and peaceable, and that
And the prophet David also said,
trembleth at my words

He

"

"

"

?"

and humbled heart God

will

not

set

at

Ps. 11.17.

that

Mat. xi.29-

Learn
Moreover, the Saviour Himself also says,
nought."
of Me, for I am meek and humble in heart." In the lessons,
however, now set before us, He says, that the poor shall be

"a

contrite

"

"

"

But the
blessed, without the addition of its being in spirit.
as
Evangelists so speak, not as contradicting one another, but
dividing oftentimes the narrative among them and at one time
they recapitulate the same particulars, and at another that
:

which has been omitted by one, another includes

in his narra

that nothing essential for their benefit may be hidden

from those who believe on Christ. It seems likely, therefore,
fa^ jj e j^g means by the poor, whom He pronounces blessed,
tive,

From

the

Syriac.

such as care not for wealth, and are superior to covetousness,

and despisers of base gifts, and of a disposition free from the
love of money, and who set no value upon the ostentatious dis
play of riches.

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

103

most wise Paul manifestly guides us into the best

Let your disposition be free from Heb.xiii.s.
where
he says,
doctrines,
and to
the love of money, being contented with what it has
the means of iTim.vi. 8.
and
nourishment
this he has added, that
having
was necessary,
shelter, we will be therewith content." For it

And

so the

"

"

:"

"

"

business it would be to
absolutely necessary, for those whose
of
the
the saving message
Gospel to have a mind

proclaim

careless about wealth,

and r occupied

The argument,

better things.

desire of
solely with the
all
affect
not
does
however,

whose means are abundant, but those only whose desire is set
our Saviour s
upon riches and who are these ! All to whom
:

words apply

"

Store not up for yourselves treasures upon the Mat.vi.

19.

"

earth."

Ver. 21.

Blessed are ye that hunger now; for ye shall be filled.

Blessed arc they Mat.

In Matthew, however, again He says
that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be
"

"

"

"

filled

shall

:"

be

but here
filled."

He

We

those that hunger

simply says, that
it is a
that
therefore,
great and
say,
"

noble thing to hunger and thirst after righteousness that is,

for
after piety
habitually to take part in earnest endeavours
:

as if it were our meat

the meaning of righteousness
and drink. And inasmuch as we ought to give to this passage
also a meaning, in accordance with the foregoing explanations,

such

is

we say again as follows: The Saviour pronounced those blessed

who love a voluntary poverty, to enable them honourably, and
without distraction, to practise the apostolic course of life. For
it is in plain keeping with the having neither gold nor silver
in their purses, nor two coats, to endure also very great hard

and scarcely obtain food for their

need. But this is a burdensome thing for those who are suffer
He That knoweth
ing poverty and persecutions, and therefore

ness in their

way

of

life,

hearts, very suitably does not permit us to be dispirited be

cause of the results of poverty for He says, that those who
:

hunger now

for their piety s sake towards

that

shall enjoy the intellectual

is,

they

Him

and

shall

he

filled

spiritual blessings

that are in store.

"

literally

having abundant

being

signifies,

leisure for

as

"

things."

unoccupied

with

other

v. 6.

COMMENTARY UPON

104

Blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh.

P ronounces

^em

that weep blessed, and says that they

But by those who weep, we say that those are
not meant who simply shed tears from their eyes for this is a
thing common to all without exception, whether believers or un
shall laugh.

believers, if

who shun a
From Mai.

ought happen of a painful nature but those rather

life of merriment and
vanity, and carnal pleasures.
;

For of the one we say, that they live in enjoyment and

whereas believers abandoning luxury and the care
laughter
;

less life of carnal

pleasures,

and

all

but weeping because of

their abhorrence of
worldly things, are, our Saviour declares,
blessed ; and for this reason, as
commanded us to

choose poverty,

He

also

having
crowns with honours the things which

necessarily accompany poverty: such, for instance, as the want

of things necessary for enjoyment, and the lowness of
spirits
Ps. xxxiv.

caused by privation for it is written, that

many are the
privations of the just, and the Lord shall deliver them out
"

"

"

of

them

all."

Blessed are ye when

Ver. 22.

men

shall hate you.

Lord mention persecution, even before the

The Gospel antici
Apostles had been sent on their mission.
Already did the

pated what would happen.

For it was altogether to be ex

pected that those who proclaimed the Gospel message, and
made the Jews abandon their legal mode of worship to learn
the Gospel way of virtuous
living, while too they won over
idolaters to the
acknowledgment of the truth, would come in
contact with

many impious and unholy men. For such are

in
their
who,
they
enmity against piety, excite wars and per
secutions against those who
preach Jesus. To prevent them,
from
into
unreasonable distress whenever the
therefore,
falling
time should arrive at which such events were sure to befal
them from some quarter or

other,

He

forewarns them for their

even the assault of things grievous to bear will

reward and advantage to them. For they shall re

benefit, that

bring

its

He says, as deceivers, and as trying to mislead

they shall separate you from them, even from their friendship
and society but let none of these things trouble
you, He says
proach you,

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

105

what harm

for

will their
intemperate tongue do a well-estab
For the patient suffering of these
things, will not
be without fruit, He says, to those who know how to endure 8

lished

mind

but

the pledge of the

And be
highest happiness.
sides,
points out to them for their benefit, that nothing
strange will happen unto them, even when suffering these
things but that, on the contrary, they will resemble those
who before their time were the bearers to the Israelites of the
Jously,

is

He
:

words that came from God above.

They were persecuted, they
were sawn asunder, they perished slain
by the sword, they en
dured reproaches unjustly cast
them.
He would there
upon
fore have them also understand that
shall
be partakers
they
with those whose deeds
have
imitated
nor
shall
fail
they
;

they

in winning the
prophet s crown, after having travelled
same road.

"

Literally,

to

philosophize

;"

but from the philosophers

affecting
an austere life, it came to bear the

by the

And again Horn. 55.

Matth. eon *at no\iv oiKovvra
TTJV TUV fiova^cav
^Xcoo-cu.
In the middle ages its mean
ing further altered, and philosophy
KOI fjLfyd\ov.

in

<pi\o<ro(j)iav

endurance."
general meaning of
So Greg. Nanz. of the martyrs, KOI
"

TO.VTO.

KOI TOVTtoV fTC

0aVfJ.a(Tla)T(pa

^iXocro^crafTay.

So he records of

Cyprian, -yiVrai *ai vcvicopos, iva

<pi\oo-o(pr)arr)

sost.

TO rarrfivov.

Horn. 80.

in

So Chry-

Joan. TO 8ia

prj-

was

equivalent to monkery ; so
Luitprand, v. 9. Et ad vicinam insulam, in qua Coenobitarum multi
tude philosophabatur, tonso ei ut
moris est capite ad philosophandum

transmittunt.

tpyuv

e7ri 8eiiy,

yewaiov nvos

COMMENTARY UPON

106

******
SERMON

c.vi* 4 ...

From

MS

the

14 551

Mat.

receive those things that will lead you unto life

For it is written, that man doth not live by bread
"

eternal.

alone, but

iv. 4.
"

of

XXIX.

by every word that goeth forth from the mouth

All Scripture, indeed,

God."

Moses the law that consisted

the very same having become

Heb.

i.

i.

Gospels for
by the min

"

iThes.iv.9.
"

and shadows,

unto us, as the wise

God, Who in divers manners spake

writing;
the
fathers
in old time to
by the prophets, hath in these last
we are taught of
His
Son:" and
days spoken unto us by

Paul
"

in types

man spake

but

He Who
istry of

God

inspired of

is

this is especially true of the proclamations in the

in old time delivered unto the Israelites

"

testifies,

"

God

:"

for Christ

is

in truth

God

Let

and the Son of God.

upon what He

and
For

fix our careful attention

says
scrupulously examine the very depth of His meaning.
Woe, He says, unto you rich, in that ye have received your

us therefore

"

"

consolation."

is this added to His previous discourse for having

shewn
that poverty for God s sake is the mother of
already
and weeping of
every blessing, and said that the hungering

Very

fitly

the saints would not be without a reward,

He

proceeds to

that
speak of the opposite class of things, and says of them,
He
blames
For
and
condemnation.
of
are
they
productive
grief
indeed the rich, and those who indulge immoderately in plea

and are ever in merriment, in order that He may leave

no means untried of benefitting those who draw near unto
Him, and chief of all the holy Apostles. For if the endurance
of poverty for God s sake, together with hunger and tears
sures,

by which

is

meant the being exposed

to pain

and

afflictions in

the cause of piety

be profitable before God, and He pro
nounce a threefold blessedness on those who embrace them as
:

11

liable to the

a necesary consequence, those are

principal Syriac MS. comhere, but the first leaf is in
part illegible, and the three follow*

The

mences

utmost blame,

ing sermons are entirely

u
ger,

One
and

for poverty,
one for tears.

lost.

one

for

him-

THE GOSPEL OF
who have

LUKE.

ST.

107

prized the vices, that are the opposites of these

virtues.

In order therefore that

men may be won by

the desire of

the crowns of reward unto willingness to labour, and voluntary

poverty for God s sake and, on the other hand, by fear of the
;

threatened punishment,
in

may

flee

luxury and merriment, that

from
is

and from

riches,

to say, in worldly

living

amuse

ments, He says that the one are heirs of the kingdom of heaven,
but that the others will be involved in the utmost misery
:

"

for

ye have received,

And

this truth

He

says,

consolation."

your

we are permitted

to behold beautifully deli

in the Gospel parables like as in a

For we
painting.
have heard read that there was a rich man decked in purple

neated

and

fine linen", at whose

gate Lazarus was cast, racked with
poverty and pain and the rich man felt no pity for him.
But Lazarus, it says, was carried to Abraham s bosom while
he was in torments and in flame. And when ho saw Lazarus
;

in happiness in Abraham s bosom, he besought Luke

2
Father Abraham have mercy on me, and send Lazarus ^

and

at rest

"

saying,
that he
"

may

"

tongue

dip the tip of his finger y in water, and cool

am

for t

Abraham s

blessed

things in thy

"

here

in

"

reply

in this

my

But what was

flame."

Son, thou hast received thy good

but now he is
;

life, and Lazarus evil things

happiness, and thou art tormented."

"

what

tormented

True therefore

here said by Christ of those who live in wealth and

and
merriment, that "ye have received your consoluxury
lation
and of those who now are full, that they shall
is

is

"

:"

x After scholars

had

satisfactorily

decided on philological evidence that

the byssus was cotton, the microscope has proved it to be linen. The

main points of the argument were

that the Hebrew word shesh,
sS
*

ever says, that the

mummies were

enveloped

PVO-O-IVTJS

/zwo-i

(ii.

2ii/8oi>oy

86.),

rfXa-

and Mr. Thompson

mummy cloth of Egypt, as

quoted in Wilkinson s Ancient Egyptians, iii. 113.) has shewn, that
(on the

always rendered
byssus by the
Septuagint, is the Arabic modern
term for fine muslin and that cotton garments are mentioned on the
Rosetta stone as supplied by govern-

the wrappers are invariably of linen,

though occasionally so fine as not

ment for the use of the temples,

being in great request, according to
Pliny s account (xix. 8.), by the

y The
Syriac makes the smallness
of the request more apparent, by
using a term peculiar to the little

Egyptian

priests.

Herodotus how-

to be distinguishable
until the microscope

from muslin,
revealed

the

different texture of the filaments,

finger.

P 2

xvi.

COMMENTARY UPON

108
hunger,

and that those who

now

laugh

shall

and

weep

lament.

Lukexviii.

But come and let us examine the matter among ourselves.

Two men
Our Saviour in His parables has thus spoken
"

"

"

"

"

"

went up unto the temple

to

pray

the one a Pharisee, and

And

the Pharisee forsooth prayed

the other a publican.
I am not as the rest of manI
Thee
that
thank
saying, God
kind, extortioners, unjust, adulterers ; or like this publican.
and I pay tithes of all that I
I fast twice in the week
:

But the publican,

"

possess.

u
"

up

He

says, did not venture to

lift

and

his eyes unto heaven, but stood smiting his breast

Verily I say unto

saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner.
his
house
this
man
went
down
that
to
justified rather
you,

t(

than the other." For the proud Pharisee was boasting over
the publican, and indecently assuming the rank of a lawgiver,
would have condemned one, on whom it was rather his duty to

have shewn pity but the other was the accuser of his own
infirmity, and thereby aided in his own justification; for it is
u Declare thou
written,
thy sins first, that thou mayest be
us
Let
therefore
unloose, that is, set free those
"justified."
:

Is. xliii. 26.

who

are suffering sicknesses from having been condemned by

for
us, in order that God may also unloose us from our faults
:

He condemneth

but rather sheweth mercy.

Closely neighbouring, so to speak, upon the virtues which we
have just mentioned is compassion, of which He next makes men

For

tion.

and

it is

not,

a most excelling thing, and very pleasing to God,

degree becoming to pious souls and concern

in the highest

ing which it may suffice for us to imprint upon our mind that it
is an attribute of the divine nature. "For be
ye, He says, iner"

as also your heavenly Father is merciful/

But that we
be recompensed with bountiful hand by God, Who giveth
things abundantly to them that love Him, He has given us

ciful,

shall
all

assurance by saying, that

good measure, and squeezed
down, and running over shall they give into your bosom
for with what measure ye mete, it shall be
adding this too,
"

full
"

:"

"

"

measured

patibility
"

"

"

to

you."

There

is

however an apparent incom

between the two declarations

for if

we are

to receive

good measure, and squeezed down, and running over," how

shall we be paid back the same measure wherewith we
mete?" for this
implies an equal recompense, and not one of

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

What say
far-surpassing abundance.
Paul frees us from our difficulties, by

109

we then ? The

all

wise

bringing us the solution

For he says, that he that soweth

of the matters in question.

"

LUKE.

"

2 Cor. ix. 6.

sparingly, meaning thereby, that he who distributed the

necessaries of life to those who are in
penury and affliction

"

moderately, and so to speak, with contracted hand, and not

"

and he
plentifully and largely/ shall also reap sparingly
that soweth in blessings y, in
shall
also
blessings
reap."
By
which is meant, he who bountifully
So that if any From Mai.
"

"

*****

one hath not, he has not sinned by not

giving it for a man
is
to
that
which
he
acceptable according
hath, and not according
to that which he hath not.
And this the law of the very wise From the
Moses has taught us in type for those that were under the Svriac
law brought sacrifices to God
according to what they severally
and
were
able
to
afford
some for instance bullocks,
possessed,
;

and some rams, or sheep, or doves, or

pigeons, or meal mingled
with oil, but even he who offered this * *, because he had no
calf to offer, though so little and to be
procured so cheaply, was
equal to the other as regards his intention.

FROM SERMON
,

XXIX.

From

EXPLANATION OF WHAT

is

BELOW.

MS.i2,i54.

Woe unto you rich ; For ye have received your consolation.

This too we must discuss
among ourselves For is it the
case, that every one who is rich, and possesses abundant Avealth,
:

Or

In

bountifully,

(Syr.

valent of the
rally,

present

blessings,

i.

Jacob

Kings

to

e.

v. 15,

"Take

thy servant

mil

applied to the
the presents sent by
is

propitiate

tfoa

:"

Esau

so

a blessing of

and

signifies

in Prov.

xi.

anima mu-

a liberal man.
It is important to bear in mind this meaning of ei-Xoyia, as the fathers often

nifica,

make an unexpected

use

e. g.
"

of

fulness

"

gospel of

of

the

ing by almsgiving

of the

blessing

Christ,"
;

explains blessAui/ao-cu cv\o-

yiav TTJV eAeq/zoo-ui/rji/ i/or/o-ai so that

the sense, he says is, I shall find
:

perfect in almsgiving and mutual love.

In the Western Church

you

benedictio frequently means bounmay be seen in Du Cange,

ty, as

who
"

explains

it

thus

Benedictio-

"

nes, eulogise, munera maxime ea

xenia quee a sacerdotibus et cleri:

"

c is mitti solebant,
"

it,

Theoph ylact on Rom. xv. 29.

that I shall come in the

know

"

lite-

a blessing, but implying a

; cf. for instance Gen. xxxiii.
the term

25.

fvXoyiais.

Hebrew nmn,

n, where

"

eV

and similar passages euAo-yia

|A^;co,) is used as the equi-

this

tione sua

the

Syriac.

ab

iis

sanctificata."

benedic-

Ver. 24.

COMMENTARY UPON

110

of God s grace ?
determinately cut off from the expectation
saints ? Has he
of
the
Is he entirely shut out from the hope
crowned ? Not
are
neither inheritance nor part with them that

is

but rather on the contrary, that the rich man

and so have been made
might have shewn mercy on Lazarus,
For the Saviour pointed out a
partaker of his consolation.
to those who possess earthly wealth, saying,
salvation
of
way
Make unto yourselves friends of the unrighteous mammon,
that when ye depart this life they may receive you into
so,

we

say,

"

"

"

their tents/

Love your enemies.

Ver. 27.

The

From Mai.
i Cor. v.

t(

an y

if
blessed Paul speaks the truth where he says, that
for
all
creation
one k e i n Christ, he is a new
things
"

:"

have become new, both

and law, and mode of

in

Him and by Him,

But look

life.

both covenant,

closely

and see how

becomes those holy

thoroughly the mode of life here described
of salvation
the
to
were
about
who
message
teachers,
proclaim
to every quarter of the world and yet from this very fact they
must expect that their persecutors would be beyond num
:

them in many different

bering, and that they would plot against
that the disciples had be
been
had
result
If
the
then
ways.
come indignant at these vexations, and wished for vengeance on
those that annoyed them, they would have kept silence and
them the divine message,
passed them by, no longer offering
It was necesnor calling them to the knowledge of the truth.
teachers
the mind of the holy
by so
sary therefore to restrain
bear
them
solemn a sense of the duty of patience, as to make

men insulted
And such was

with fortitude whatever might befal, even though

them, yea and plotted against them impiously.

the conduct of Christ Himself above all others for our example
for while still hanging upon the precious cross, with the Jewish
He put up unto God the
populace making Him their sport,
Father prayers in their behalf, saying,
Forgive them, for
the blessed Stephen
and
what
not
Yea,
know
they
they
knelt down, and prayed,
too, while the stones were smiting him,
And the blessed
them."
sin
this
not
Lord,
upon
:

"

Luke

xxiii.

34

"

do."

"

Act3vii.6o.
i

Cor.

I2

iv.

lay

saying,

Paul also says,

"

reviled we
being reproached we bless, being

"

entreat."

The

exhortation of our Lord therefore was necessary for the

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

Ill

holy apostles, and most useful for us also, to oblige us to live

for it is full of all philosophy z
But
rightly and admirably
our mistaken preconceived ideas, and the fierce tyranny of our
.

passions, render it a thing difficult for our minds to accomplish

and therefore knowing that the natural a man does not admit
of these things, regarding as folly and mere impossibilities the
:

oracles of the Spirit, lie separates such from those able to

I speak unto
hear, and says,
you that hear and are prepared Ver.
"

For the gloriousness of

perform My
readily
is
in
fortitude
temptations and labours.
spiritual
displayed
Who when lie was
Imitate therefore in these things Christ,
"

to

"

"

"

27.

words."

iPet.ii. 23.

reviled, reviled not again, suffering He threatened not, but

committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously." But

perhaps thou^wilt object, saying within thyself, Christ was

God, but I a frail man, having but a feeble mind, and one
Thou
unable to resist the attack of covetousness and pain.

mind of man easily slides into wrong

Nevertheless, I say, The Lord has not left thee desti
doing.
thou hast Him by thee, yea
tute of His compassion and love
within thee, by the Holy Ghost for we arc His abode, and
He lodgeth in the souls of them that love Him. He gives thee
strength to bear nobly whatever bcfals, and to resist manfully
speakest rightly

for the

Be not overcome therefore by

the attacks of temptations.
u the b
evil, but overcome the evil in the good."
"

To him

that striketh thee on the cheek, offer also the other.

m.

xii.

Ver. 29.

That Christ is the end of the law and the prophets, is declared Rom.
by the most wise Paul for the law served as a schoolmaster to
But now that faith has come, Gal.
guide men unto His mystery.

x. 4.

"

"

"

iii.

25.

as the blessed Paul has again himself said, we are no longer

under a guide for no longer are we children in mind, but, SMywyfo,
:

an error for

"

"

on the contrary, have grown up to the perlect man, to the

measure of the mature age of the fulness of Christ." We do

z On the
meanir1| of philosophy,
consult the note on ver. 22.

^VXIKOS, having a

Cf. note
b

on

soul

only,

iv.

38.
Although the article might suggest, as in the Lord s prayer, that

Satan, the evil one,

is

signified,

who

be overcome in the good One,

second
yet the gender in the
clause proves this idea to be incoris

to

God,

The meaning

rect.
"

Overcome

ever

it

be,

evil of

therefore

is,

every kind, what-

by whatever

is good."

^aiSa^w-

COMMENTARY UPON
not therefore require milk, but rather, food of a more solid
nature, such as Christ bestows upon us, by setting before us
Mat.

v. 20.

the pathway of that righteousness which surpasses the power

of the law. For He said Himself to the holy apostles,
Verily
1 say unto you, except your righteousness be over and above,
"

"

"

"

more than

of the Scribes

the kingdom of

heaven."

This then

meant by the

is

what, namely,

and Pharisees, ye cannot enter

"

it is

over

into

necessary to discuss,
and above" in the

of the
righteousness in accordance with the saving message

Gospel.

The law spoken by Moses

for like

and while

commanded
Ex. xx.

15.

it

those

to

them of old time enacted like

it
by no means

forbade the doing a wrong,

who had already been

bear

to

injured

For it^says, "Thou

patiently, as the Gospel law requires.
thou shalt not forswear
shalt not kill: thou shalt not steal
"

Ex. xxi.

But

"

24.

thyself."
"

to this

hand, foot for foot,

for eye, hand for

for bruise."
bruise
for wound,

added,

is

wound

"Eye

Such an enactment required a man not to injure others and

supposing him to have sustained an injury, that his anger at the
wrong doer must not go beyond an equal retribution. But
the general bearing of the legal mode of life was by no means
;

God

was even given to those of old time as a

them by little and little to a fitting
and
righteousness,
leading them on gently to the possession of
To do what is just is the
the perfect good. For it is written,

pleasing to

it

schoolmaster, accustoming

"

Prov.xvi.s.

but finally, all perfection is in

beginning of the good way
For
to him that striketh thee, He
His
and
Christ,
precepts.
"

:"

"

"

saith,

on the cheek,
us

pointed out to

offer also the

the

pathway

to

other."

In this there

the highest

degree

is

of

But He wills besides, that we pay no regard to

patience.
riches
so that even if a man have but one outer garment, he
;

a thing unendurable to put off with it also his

But this is a virtue possible only
so befal.

must not count

it

undergarment,

if it

for a
"

not,

mind

He

away from covetousness for do

ask back whatever any one talj^th away that is

entirely turned

says,

"

thine: but even give to every one that asketh of thee:" a

proof indeed of love and willingness to be poor; and the
"

compassionate
so as to

man must

shew friendly

necessarily also be ready to forgive,

acts even to his enemies.

THE GOSPEL OF
As

ST.

LUKE.

113

ye wish that men should do unto you, even so do ye

unto them.

Ver. 31.

It was probable however that the holy apostles would

per
chance think these things difficult to put into practice He
:

Who

knoweth all things takes the natural law of selfthe arbiter of what any one would wish to obtain from

therefore
love as

Shew

another.

wishest them

to

thyself,

He

them harsh and unfeeling,

ill-disposed, shew thyself

fierce

others

to

says,

be towards thee.

If

such

as

thou

thou wouldest have

and wrathful, revengeful and

but if on the contrary

also such

thou wouldst have them kind and forgivin^,

o
O do not think it a
intolerable
to
be
so.
in
And
the case of those
thing
thyself
so disposed, the law is perchance unnecessary, because God
writes upon our hearts the knowledge of His will
for in j er
"

"

"

those days, saith the Lord, I will surely give My laws into
their mind, and will write them on their heart/

Be
Great
that
t(

is

"man

xxxi.

33-

Ver. 36.

ye therefore merciful.

the glory of compassion, and so verily it is written,

Prov.xx.6.
is a
great thing, and the merciful man an honour-

For virtue restores us to the form_pf God, and

on
our
souls certain characters as it were of the
imprints
able

thing."

supreme nature.

Judye

not,

and

\je

Ver. 37.

shall not be Judy ed.

He cuts away from our minds a very unmanageable passion,

the commencement and begetter of pride.
For while it is
men s duty to examine themselves, and to order their conduct
according to God s will, they leave this alone to busy them
selves with the affairs of others
and if they see any in
:

firm, forgetting

as

it

seems their own

frailties,

they make

an excuse

for faultfinding, and a handle for calumny.

For they condemn them, not knowing that being equally
afflicted with the same infirmities as those whom
they censure,
they condemn themselves. For so also the most wise Paul
for wherein thou
writes,
judgest the other, thou condemncst Rom.
for
thou
that
thyself:
judgest doest the same things." And
it were rather our
yet
duty to have compassion on the infirm,

it

"

"

as those

who have been overcome by the

Q

assaults of thejmssions,

ii.

r.

COMMENTARY UPON

114

James

and entangled without hope of escape in the meshes of sin,

and to pray in their behalf, and exhort them, arid rouse
them up unto soberness, and endeavour ourselves not to fall
For he that judgeth the brother, as the
into similar faults.
of
Christ
saith,
speaketh against the law, and judgeth
disciple
"

iv.

"

"

"

the

For the lawgiver and judge

law."

is

One

for the

judge of the sinning soul must be higher than that soul but
since thou art not so, the sinner will object to thee as judge,
:

But if thou venture to

judgest thou thy neighbour
no
condemn him. having
authority thereto, it is thyself rather
that w ill be condemned, inasmuch as the law permits thee not
"

why

?"

to

judge others.

Whoever

therefore

is

guided by good sense, does not look at

the sins of others, nor busies himself about the faults of his
Such was
neighbour, but closely scans his own misdoings.
the blessed Psalmist, falling down before God, and saying on
Ps. cxxx.

3.

account of his

own

"

offences,

If

Thou,

Lord,

Lord, closely

And once again,

regardest iniquities, who can endure
as an excuse, he
nature
of
human
forward
the
infirmity
putting
"

?"

Ts. dii. 14-

supplicates for a not unreasonable pardon, saying, "Remember

that we are earth/
"

And

Ver. 39.

he spake a parable unto them.

This parable He added as a most necessary appendage to

what had been said. The blessed disciples were about to be
the initiators and teachers of the world it was necessary for
:

them therefore

to prove themselves possessed of every thing re

they must know the pathway of the evangelic

and
be workmen ready for every good work, and
life,
bestow upon well-instructed hearers such correct and

quisite for piety

mode

of

able to

This they
saving teaching as exactly represents the truth.
must do, as having already first received their sight, and a

mind illuminated with the

blind leaders of the blind.

divine light, lest they should be

For

it

is

not possible for

men

enveloped in the darkness of ignorance, to guide those who

are afflicted in the same way into the knowledge of the truth
:

for should they attempt

it,

they

will

both

roll into

the ditch

of licentiousness.

Next, overthrowing the vaunting passion of boastfulncss, to

which most men give way, that they may not emulously strive

THE GOSPEL OF
to surpass their teachers in honour,
and
is not above his teacher
"

;"

attain

progress, as to
teachers,
level,

they

will

and be their

to

ST.

LUKE.

He added
even

if

115
"

The

disciple

some make such

a virtue that rivals that of their

range themselves no higher than their

And Paul shall again be our
imitators.

Be ye imitators of me, as I also am of

warrant, saying,
the Teacher as yet judgeth not,
therefore
Since
Christ."
He
came not to judge the world, but
For
thou?
why judgeth
"

"

shew

And

according to the foregoing explanation, if

But if
I, He says, judge not, neither must you the disciple.
for
which
thou
thou art guilty of worse crimes than those
to

pity.

from shame when

judgest another, how canst thou keep thyself
thou art convicted of it? And this the Lord made plain by
another parable.

Cor.

xi.

COMMENTARY UPON

116

From

SERMON

the

XXXIII.

Syriac.

MS.]

Ver. 4

"

i.

And why,

brother

"

own

saith

He, beholdest thou the mote that

eye, but considerest not the

beam

that

is

is

in

thy

in thine

Having previously shewn us that the judging

utterly wicked and dangerous, and the cause of final
for
condemnation
Judge not, He said, and ye shall not be
condemn
and
not, and ye shall not be condemned."
judged
"

others

eye?"

is

"

"

He now by

conclusive arguments persuades us to avoid the

very wish of judging others

and rather

to

examine our own

and try to free them from the passions that dwell

within them, and their frailties, by asking it of God for He it

hearts,

Who

healeth the broken in heart, and freeth us from the

maladies of the soul.
For if thou, He says, art thyself sick

is

with maladies more dangerous and severe than those of others,

why, neglecting thy own, dost thou find fault with them, and
whilst thou hast a

beam

accusation against those

in thine own eye, commencest a hot

who have a mote ? Tell me by what

The Commentary, like similar

works of S. Chrysostom and others,
was delivered in a course of Homilies; these however the Syriac

this title I had made use of until I

met with the following heading to a
sermon contained in MS. 12, 165,
in the
British Museum, which

translator terms

shews that the verb signified also

Targums,

literally

Interpretations or Expositions

and

to

"

preach."

pdrn.i

oa

A OA cu

Sermon upon
*

the death of Meletius the Great, bishop of Antioch.

S.
Gregory, bishop of Nyssa, preached it before one hundred and fifty
bishops at Constantinople/ This sermon is also extant in Greek.

Upon

the authority therefore of this

Sermons.

heading

have called them

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

117

?
Deliver thyself first from thy great
rebellious passions, and then thou mayest set
is
guilty of but trifling faults.

boldness doest tliou this

crimes,

and thy

him right who

Wouldst thou see the matter clearly and

plainly,

and that

a very hateful thing for men to give way to this feeling ?

Our Lord was once walking on the sabbath day among the

it

is

and the blessed disciples plucked some ears, and

But some Pha
in their hands, ate the grains.
them
rubbing
drew
and
risees
Behold, Thy disciples do that
near,
say,
cornfields,

"

And yet they

which is not lawful to do on sabbath days
themselves in manifold ways were guilty of disregarding the
law altogether. For even the prophet Isaiah cried out against
"

"

them, saying,
"

"

"

"

"

lot

It

"How

was

has the faithful city Zion become a bar-

of judgment

full

but now murderers. Your

mix the wine with water

righteousness lodged in

it

Is.

i.

21.

thy merchants
arc
the
contentious,
thy princes

silver is reprobate;
;

partners of thieves, loving bribes, pursuing after recompense;

they judge not the orphans, and to the widow s suit they
1

Yet these very men, themselves liable to

have no regard.
these most severe reproaches, accused the disciples of breaking
"

the sabbath

But they met with just rebuke from Christ, Who said unto
them
Woe unto you, scribes and pharisces, hypocrites who
"

"

"

mint and cummin, and have neglected the weighty

matters of the law, judgment, and mercy, and faith."
tithe

And
"

"

again,

down a

Ye

camel."

Mat.

xxiii.

23

are they who strain out a gnat, but gulp Mat.

For while their teaching was of mere 74-

xxiii.

and they condemned the people under them for the

most contemptible matters, they had the hardihood, as I said,
to treat as of no consequence those weighty crimes.
For this
trifles,

reason the Saviour called them

"

outside

"

are

And

full

"

whitened sepulchres, which Mat.

appear indeed to men to be beautiful, but inside

of the bones of the dead, and of all uncleanness."

every hypocrite and whenever they would cast

an imputation upon others, who have yielded to infirmity in
any particular, deservedly will they have it said to them, First
cast out the beam from thine own eye, and then thou wilt
see to cast out the mote from thy brother s eye."
such

is

"

"

"

The commandment,

therefore,

is

indispensable for every one

"

xxiii.

COMMENTARY UPON

118

live piously but, above all, for those who have been
For if they are good
intrusted with the instruction of others.

who would

and sober-minded, and enamoured of the

elect

and not

life,

merely acquainted with, but also practisers of virtuous arts,

and setting in their own conduct the pattern of a holy life,
they can with open countenance rebuke those who will not do
the same, for not having imitated their example, nor imprinted
their virtuous manners on themselves but if they are careless,
:

and quickly snared by pleasures

to

do

how can they blame

evil,

when similarly affected? Wisely, therefore, did the

Let there not be many teachblessed disciples write, saying;
for ye know that we shall
ers among 6 you, my brethren

others
Jamesiii.i.

"

"

For as Christ, Who is the

receive greater condemnation."
Distributor of the crowns, and the Punisher of those who do
"

Mat,

v.

19.

wrong, Himself says;

"

"

"

called great in the

"

He who

kingdom

shall

do and teach, shall be

but he who hath not

of heaven

done, but hath taught, shall be called least in the kingdom

of

heaven."

can imagine some one saying, How are we to dis

tinguish the man who has a beam in his eye, but finds fault
with those who have a mote, and are infirm only in part ? But

But

He says for any one who will,

not
a good tree that brings forth
may
easily
evil fruit
nor a good tree that brings forth good fruit for
u
Each man s actual life,
every true is known by its fruit."

there

is

nothing

see

difficult in this,
"

it

for

it is

"

therefore,

is

that which decides what are his morals

for

it is

not by mere outside adornments, and fictitious virtues that the

beauty of the truly honourable life is delineated, but by the

deeds a

man

does

for they are the fruits of a

the love

of piety chooses a blameless life.

therefore, and not by outside shew, that we

the
Mat.vii.T5.

man

truly approved,

and who

is

not

mind that

for

It
by deeds,
must see who is
is

so.

Again, Christ

says, "Beware of those who come to you in the

likeness d of sheep, but within are ravenous wolves."
See

somewhere
"

The reading

"

among

you,"

is

an error probably of the translator,

as there is no such varia lectio, nor
is it in the Greek of Mai.
d

The reading Aalc r o,

likeness

of,"

is

"

in the

not confirmed bv

the Greek of Mai, which has ev

wSvp-ao-i, as have all the MSS. of
the N. T., and so the Syriac just

below has

I^Q^^

"

by
^c.

their

clothing"

THE GOSPEL OF
again, Christ

commands

distinguished not
"

are.

For by

its

that those

ST.

LUKE.

119

who come unto

their clothing, but

fruit, He says, the tree

by

us must be
by what they really
is known
and just
:"

ignorance and folly for us to expect to find the choicer

kinds of fruits on thorns, grapes for instance, and figs so it is
as

it is

ridiculous for us to imagine that we can find in

hypocrites and
the profane ought that is admirable, the nobleness, I mean, of
virtue.

Wouldst thou see the truth of

who

this again ? Wouldst thou see

the wolves are that clothe themselves in the sheep s skin ?

Examine the writings

say of certain
"

"

"

men

of the holy Apostles

"

hear what they

For they who are such are

false

Apo-

deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into angels
:
and
no
wonder, for Satan even transrighteousness

sties

of

forms himself into an angel of

"

therefore,

if

light.

It

is

no great thing,

his ministers also transform themselves into an-

These one may well call thorns and

gels of righteousness."
in such there is no
briars
particle of sweetness, but every
is bitter and of an evil nature
that
for the tig grows
thing
"

not on thorns; nor

one find any thing pleasant in them,

for grapes are not produced on briars.
We must decide, then,
will

the character of the teacher, not

acts of each one s

This

by appearances, but by the

life. c

made

by another declaration of our Lord

for the good man, He says, as out of a good treasure,
f
but he who is
poureth forth from the heart good things
differently disposed, and whose mind is the prey of fraud and
wickedness, necessarily brings forth what is concealed deep
is

also

clear

"

"

:"

For the tilings that are in the mind and heart boil
and are vomited forth by the outflowing stream of speech.
The virtuous man, therefore, speaks such things as become his

within.

over,

few lines follow in Mai not

recognized by the Syriac, but probably taken from the Commentary

on Matth.

18, as they give an

^explanation of the different bearing
of the interpretation of the two pasvii.

Lest

"

I
may here observe,
that the punctuation of
the Syriac is exact to the last deand in this
gree of minuteness
treasure,"

once for

should be thought to

all,

and

sages.
f

have separated this word wilfully

from it
usual dependance upon

all

similar places

pulously adhered to

it.

have scru-

Cor. xi. 13.

120

COMMENTARY UPON

character, while he

who

is

worthless and wicked vomits forth

his secret impurity.

Every thing, therefore, that is to our benefit, Christ teaches

us, and requires His disciples to be on their guard against de
For this reason He shews them
ceit, and vigilant and careful.
the straight way, and discloses the snares that lead down to
wickedness, that thus escaping from offences, and being stead
fast in mind beyond risk of sin, they may quickly reach the
mansions that are above by Christ s blessing by Whom and
with Whom to God the Father & be praise and dominion with
the Holy Ghost for ever and ever, Amen.
:

Syriac,

God and

Father.

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON

ST.

LUKE.

XXXIV.

Me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which C.vi. 4 6- 49

Every one that cometh unto Me, and heareth My 6 *? B.
words, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like. GTsT
He is like a man building a house, who dug and made it
deep, and laid a foundation upon the rock : and when
there ivas a flood, the river beat
against that house, and

But luhy

I say

call ye

could not shake it, because

hath heard and not done,

it

was well

is like

built.

man who

But he
built

that

a house

5<

T\>

Ka IKO *

[j.e<.<TVat

upon

the earth without

foundation, ayainst

beat,

and

was

great.

THERE

moment

that

and

it fell,

which

av-

the river rfa BST.

the fall oft/tat house

"//rfrV
irtrpav Gs.

one Lord, one faith, one baptism," for so the Eph.

For both the name of lordship, and also
are appropriate
solely to that nature Which tran
"

is

iv. 5.

wise Paul writeth.

the reality,

scends

and

all,

is

supreme; even That Which

is

divine,

and

to

be worshipped, as
possessing and governing all things. For so
Paul again somewhere says of Him; "For even, if there be
Gods many and Lords many, in heaven or in earth yet for
"

"

"

"

one God, the Father, from Whom is all, and we

and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by Whom is all, and
we by Him." As therefore we acknowledge God the Word
us there

by Him

"

"

is

Who

reigneth with God the Father, as by nature

Lord, we accordingly give this name to Him.
But why, He asks, call ye Me indeed Lord, but do not the
things which I say?" For if He possess no real authority, nor

alone,

and

verily

glory of lordship, but, on the contrary, it is conferred upon

Him from without, and bestowed by favour, do not offer Him
thy obedience refuse His service consent not to be
:

unto Him.
Lord, and

subject
lie be verily, and in its
precise meaning
the whole nature of things created bow beneath His
c5

But

if

and as a thing set under the feet of its Lord, then

pay
due accept the yoke and as being due, offer Him
thy obedience ; that thou maycst not hear Him blaming thec in
words spoken by one of the holy prophets to them of old time
sceptre,

what

is

iCor.viii.5.

COMMENTARY UPON

122
Mai.

son honoureth his father, and a servant his lord if I then

am a father, where is My honour ? and if I am a lord, where

"

i.

6.
"

(t

Lord Almighty
For come, and let us see by what takes place among us the
blame to which we become liable by disobedience. We are
is

My

fear

"

saith the

ourselves accustomed to require of our servants 11 obedience

throw
mingled with fear and when they plan rebellion, and
:

make them humble by bonds and

When therefore we, who are of
of those who are bowed be
the
brethren
nature
and
earth,
by
when rebellious, how will
tolerate
them
cannot
neath the yoke,
He Whom principalities, thrones, and lord
God endure it
in Whose presence the high-exalted Seraphs
ships worship
the yoke of servitude, we
tortures and the scourge.

off

Pe.

ciii.

20.

stand, readily rendering their service ?

somewhere says of them in the Psalms

For the divine David

Bless the Lord, all

of His words.
to
the
voice
who
hearken
His
angels,
ye
Bless the Lord, all ye His hosts His ministers, who do all
of them His pleasure."

"

"

"

"

is
dangerous, therefore, and merits final condemnation,
be unwilling to submit to Christ the Almighty but those
who prize His service, shall receive the most excellent bless

It

to

Is. ixv. 13.

He

has said by one of the holy prophets to those

who run away from His yoke, and will not submit to be set
under His authority; "Behold, they that serve Me shall eat;

For

ings.

"

but ye shall suffer hunger behold, they that serve Me shall

drink but ye shall suffer thirst
behold, they that serve
:

"

h Domestic service in old time

by
freemen was all but unknown, and

therefore
"

slave."

Luke

"

equivalent to
the full force of

servant" is

Hence

xvi. 13.,

xvii.

such expressions as
"

(Rom.

sin."

vii.

9.,
*

and
sold under
&c.

14.)

Of

their

treatment, S. Chrysostom (Horn.

in

iv.

Titum) complains that masters

generally

their

neglected

morals,

and thought only of their service;

it was a diffiand that therefore
"

"

"

cult thing for a slave to be a good

man for being left without edu:"

cation,

and not admitted

into the

society of freemen, there was nothing to counteract the debasing

associations of his degraded position.

That Christianity gradually,

led to the ame-

though very slowly,

lioration of their state,

we may

see

by the acknowledgment in the text

that the slave was by nature his
master s brother; and by S. Chrysostorn s

appeals

as, for instance,

in
If

their

behalf,

Paul was not

ashamed to call a slave his son,

and his own bowels, and brother
and beloved, why should we be
And what say I ?
ashamed ?
Paul s Lord was not ashamed to
call our slaves His brothers, and
are we ashamed thereat ?
(Horn,
ii.

in Phil.)

THE GOSPEL OF
Me

ST.

LUKE.

123

but ye shall mourn

behold, they that obey
be merry with joy but ye shall cry out for the
grief of your heart, and howl for contrition of your spirit."
Thou seest that the crown of those who bear the yoke of ser
"

"

shall exult

Me,

shall

"

vitude
cious

is

very beautiful, worthy of being acquired, and pre

severe and manifold condemnation is decreed

while

against the rest.

And

yet again in another place thou mayest see that the

true servant is adorned with
surpassing honour, while the dis
obedient and careless is rejected with
disgrace, or rather is

banished to the outer darkness.

For they who received the

and doubled for the owner what had been given
them,
O
were honoured by him with praises for he said to each one
talents,

of them,

"

good and

thou hast been faithful Mat.

*
over a few things; I will set thee over
many things: enter
the joy of thy lord."
But him who hid in the ground what

"

"

faithful servant,

had been given him, as not loving service and indolent, he con
demned to severe and inevitable punishment.
Elsewhere too He has said,
Who then is that faithful and
"

wise servant,

"

whom

his lord

shall set over his

household to

xxv.

Mat. xxiv.
45

give them meat at its season ? Blessed is that servant, whom

his lord shall come and find so
doing. Verily I say unto you,
that he will set him over all that he hath."

"

"

(t

Those therefore who keep our Saviour s will are made glo
and worthy of emulation, and adorned with praises for

rious,

their fidelity
yea, moreover, they have a name given them,
for He has said again of them in a certain
On them j.
place,
:

"

"

"

that serve

Which

And

is

Me, there

shall be called a

blessed upon

there

new name, k even That

earth."

yet another point which I think must be added

to what has been
already said, namely, that by being willing
is

As servant meant slave, so the

8f 0-7TOT/7S was the master
or owner of the household.
Hence

"

lord,"

the well-known

Romans

objection of the
to the title of Dominus, as

implying the relation between master

and

slave.

Each

ally a

slave

had usu-

monthly allowance of food,

which one of them was commissioned to distribute.

The name

of Christ, fulfilled
of which
;

in the title of Christians

S. Gregory of Nyssa, (de perf. Chr.

forma, iii. 277.) says, "The goodness of God has granted us to
share in that great and most di"

"

"

"

vine and chief of names, being

honoured with Christ s own title,
and so called Christians."

ixv. 15.

COMMENTARY UPON
words and serve Him, we shall gain
return the honour of freedom by His decree.
For He said
submit to our Saviour

to

in

John

viii.

to those that believe in

"

"

Mai

Mfftv.

viii.

Him,
and ye

"

are truly My disciples,

and the truth shall make you

If

ye abide

shall

in My Word, ye
acknowledge the truth,

We

free."
gain therefore the
glory of freedom by subjection that is, by servitude under
Him. This makes us sons and heirs of God, and fellow heirs
:

of which He again shall be thy proof,

saying ;
that every one that doeth sin is the servant of sin
but the
servant abideth not in the house for ever. 1
If therefore the

with Christ
John

"

"

Son make you

ye are really free."

therefore
to serve is that which invites us
willing
to freedom, and the honour which is the especial
prerogative of
sons but disobedience humbles us to a base and
"

free,

The being
:

ignominious

servitude, if
"

be true, as true certainly

it

that doeth sin

the servant of

is

it

is,

that

"

every one

sin.""

But yes I says some one, obedience unto Christ s service is a

most excellent thing, and highly to be appreciated ; but it is
by no means an easy matter for there is much that stands in
the way, and is able to exhaust our zeal.
so say I too
for
first of all Satan resists whatever is excellent
and the flesh,
:

Y"es,

Gal. v. 17.

in its fondness for

pleasure, strives against the Spirit,
are contrary one to the other,"
to the

expression

and the law of

members,

"

for they

"

according

of the wise Paul

sin that is in the

savagely and very bitterly makes opposition. For I know that

Paul, who was instructed in the law, excellently discusses these
Rom.

vii.

For he

questions.
"

"

the inner

man

said,

but

u For

I rejoice in the

law of God in

another law warring against the

law of the mind, and
bringing me into captivity to the law of

"

sin,

that

is

in

my

I see

And

I therefore in
again
mind serve indeed the law of God, but in
my flesh the

"

my

"

law of

And

sin."

members."

"

besides this, there

is

a certain powerful

mind of man, which makes the will wander

and engenders the delights of worldly lusts,

inclination of the
after pleasures

and leads
tue.

away from the wish to labour in the cause of vir

Shall we, therefore, on this account, refuse our service ?
it

1
The omission of 6 vibs pcvei els
TOV al&va, is probably an error of
the translator, or some
copyist the
:

Greek

text retains

ever, omitted in
of the N. T.

it.

It is,

one or two

how-

MSS.

THE GOSPEL OF
He

ST.

LUKE.

125

command ought that is impossible, and that

Does He demand of us anything that exceeds
the limits of our nature ? And who would venture to say this ?
For certainly He adapts to our minds whatever is commanded.
Is

ever seen to

cannot be done

me of the difficulty of obedience,

those things that are great and excellent
come of themselves? or do those who seek to win them succeed
When,

therefore, thou tellest

I tell thee also

without

Do

toil? or,

on the contrary, are they attained

ness and labours

Who

are the

men

to

by earnest

that in the conflicts of the

win the crown

palestra are accustomed to

Is

it

those

who

have entirely devoted themselves to skill in the art of wrest

bitter toils? for
they endure all
ling, and have gone through
"

iCor.ix.35.

to the expression of St. Paul

or, on the
things," according
is it the indolent and luxurious, and those entirely
contrary,
"

unacquainted with what

is

suitable for athletes?

Who

of those

the ground have their threshing-floor full of sheaves ?

Is it such as neglect ploughing, and will not undertake the se
vere toil of the mattock or, on the contrary, is it tho diligent
that

till

and industrious, and such as apply themselves to the labours

necessary for ensuring a prolific crop ? The answer is known,
no one speak it that it is with those who are willing
to labour, and not with those whose wont it is to be at ease,
even

if

life of happiness is to be found, and nothing wanting for

a tranquil existence. The Psalmist also bears witness, in a pas
of the ground as
sage where he makes mention of the tillers
an exemplification of something else, They went out, and that

that a

"

"

Ps.cxxvi.6.

with tears, carrying their seed but they shall surely come
with joy bringing their sheaves." Joy therefore is the fruit
:

"

of labour.

Moreover, the Lord Himself somewhere quickens us for the

love of exertion in
"

"

every praiseworthy pursuit, by saying,

and
gate: because narrow is the gate,
wide
and
broad
life
but
unto
strait the way that leadeth
is that which leadeth down those that run thereon unto de-

Enter at the

strait

"

Observe therefore that the end of that strait

of the broad way
path leadeth unto life, while the easy descent
torments.
sends men to the flame and never-ending
"

struction."

If therefore

we

call Christ,

the Saviour of us

He

all,

Lord,

let

teaches us Himself

us do the things which He says.

what the benefit is of our being willing to do that which

For

is

Mat.vii.i3.

COMMENTARY UPON

126

commanded

and what the

loss of our refusing to obey

for
heareth
words
and
one
that
doeth
them,
My
says,
Every
is like a man who builds a house, and firmly places its foundations upon the rock
while he who does not obey, he also

He
"

"

"

:"

man

building a house, but who has taken no care for

For he who is obedient and tractable holds a
its stability.
thoroughly firm position in every thing that is honourable and
is

like a

good, by reason of his being not so much a hearer of the law,

its works
he resembles therefore a house firmly

as a doer of

and having a foundation that cannot be shaken, so that

even though temptations press upon him, and the savageness

settled,

of the passions that dwell within us assail him like some winter
torrent, or a waterflood, he will sustain no serious loss. But he

who merely

inclines his ear to

what Christ

saith,

but stores no

thing up in his mind, nor performs anything that is commanded,

For
he, on the other hand, is like a house just ready to fall.
he will be led away at once into things unseemly whenever
pleasure allures him, and leads him into the pitfalls of sin.
The service therefore of Christ invites us, as we affirm, unto

every blessing and if we will blamelessly fulfil it, Christ will

crown us with His grace ; by Whom and with Whom to God
the Father be praise and dominion with the
Holy Ghost, for
ever and ever, Amen. m
:

"

m The

Cramer

greater part of the above

homily has perished in the Greek,
but Mai has among his fragments
one from his second Catena B. not

in

recognized in the Syriac its style,

however, differs from Cyril s; and

by name almost immediately

Catena a part of

it

is

quoted eg dvemypcKpov, \. e. as given

without the author s name, whereas
Cyril had been very largely quoted
before,

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

127

SERMON XXXV.
And when He had ended all His words in the hearing of the c. vii. i-io.
BT.
people, He entered into Capernaum. And a certain centu5e GSs.
nons servant who ivas dear unto him was sick, and near
And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto Htm
to die.
elders of the Jews, beseeching Him to come and save his
And when they came unto Jesus, they besought
servant.
<=8^

Him

earnestly,

saying,

that

unto him

lie

7ret

Thou

worthy that

is

shouldst grant this

for he lovcth our nation,
us
and hath also built
himself a synagogue. And Jesus
:

And when He was now

far distant
Him,
I
am
not
not
trouble
unto
Lord,
Him,
for
Thyself;
saying
there
under
enter
Thou
shouldest
that
roof:
my
sufficient
fore neither thought I myself wort/iy to come unto Thee
but speak only with a word, and my child will be healed.
.For / also am a man set under authority, having under
me soldiers ; and I say to this one, Go, and he goeth and
to another, Come, and he cometh : and to my servant, Do
And when Jesus heard these things,
this, and he doeth it.
He marvelled at him, and turned Himself, and said to the
multitude that followed Him, I say unto you, that I have
ivent with them.

from

not

the house, the centurion sent his friends unto

om. vpbs
ai

11

BT.

m0rjT
QQ,."

found so great faith even in Israel. And ivhen they

who had been sent returned unto the house, they found the

not

-,

servant whole.

THE
sons,

wise Evangelist

and endeavours

to

fillcth

our minds with sacred

throw abundant
:

light

les

upon what

the object of his

he
appropriately therefore

for this

is

Very
tidings concerning Christ.
introduces Him as at one time teaching the holy Apostles

domestic servant was con-

stantly styled irais, child.

in Hebrew,
Joseph was

So ir:

"

"

"

serving
boy, (in charge of the sheep probably,) with the sons of Bilhah."

(Gen.

xxxvii. 2.)

a<r0e~

vowraGTs.

om BS

ever makes our faith assured

add.

and very

fre-

quently it is rendered
the A. V. as i Sara.

"

servant"
ii.

15.

in

The

term was also applied to females, as

when Boaz bade Ruth continue
with his
young women" during
"

the gleaning.

COMMENTARY UPON
to the service enacted in the law, and pointing
things superior
of old time of
out to them a path new and untrodden by them
at
and
saints:
another, he very
the conversation that becometh

to us the manifestation of a godlike power,

beautifully displays
known that the Onlyin order that in every way it may be

begotten

Word

of the Father

is

very

God even though He

be-

and produces every thing by the

came flesh, that is, man,
as is proved unto us by the examina
word of his power
"

Heb.i.

3.

"

:"

tion of

what

is

Him.

written concerning

he had satiated the holy Apostles

When
them a
with the most perfect doctrines, and had set before
wine
the
had
and
mingled
banquet of evangelical commands,
them
told
and
of
man,
very clearly
that maketh glad the heart
the means by which they would become triumphant and praise
then, so to speak,

And there also He

to Capernaum.
worthy, He goes down
works a great and wonderful deed, worthy of the greatness
with
of His majesty -..there a glorious theatre was moved
astonishment, in which angels and
Israel

is

for faith

men were

spectators.

For

and unready
rebuked, and is dull of understanding,
while the multitude of the heathen, in mind at least,

so that
to understand and believe
ready thoroughly both
while
servant
His
Israel,
decree
seen
Christ is
rejecting
just
:

is

by

and crowns by His grace those who

accepts and honours
who were
of old served the creature apart from the Creator
the
and darkness, and without
in
knowledge of God

He

gloom
and had bowed the neck of their

slavish

mind

wicked

to the

ness of demons.

What, then, was that which was accomplished, or what was

There was a pious man, distinguished for the
the miracle?
excellence of his conduct, and the commander of a body of sol
diers,

naum.

who was a

fellow inhabitant with the people of

faithful servant of his as it

chanced

fell sick,

Caper
and, so

had already reached the gates of death, and to all

And he was dear to
appearance was now at his last gasp.
What remedy,
with
was
he
so
that
him,"
anguish.
pierced
aid can he
what
or
has
for
what
find
he
can
then,
happened,

to speak,

"

"

procure for him

who

is

lying

Cr. contains several fragments

of this exposition, but anonymously,

ill ?

"

He

heard,

it

says, the

and probably on this account, not

included by Mai in his collection.

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

and so he sends unto Him, asking of Him

things of Jesus
as
of
God
manifestly
things that exceed the nature and power
"

;"

one who was laid prostrate

delivered from the bands
of
be
in the last stage
sickness might
And whence, then, did he know Jesus, since he was
of death.

For

of man.

his request was, that

not as yet of the number of those who believed on Him

hitherto he had been one of the mass wandering in error.
heard,

says, the things concerning

it

Him. And

for

He

since certainly

he had never heard His personal instruction, nor seen any of

His miracles, nor had met with the writings of Moses, nor
searched the divine Scriptures, he could only have attained

Him from

But as
simple rumours and hearsays.
His
of
will lie could
act
the
mere
that
assured
by
being fully
accomplish his request, he sends as supplicants in his behalf
to faith in

the principal

Upon

men

of the

Jews

and these were the

elders.

their arrival they offer their request, saying,

"

that he

worthy that Thou shouldest grant this unto him."

marvellous act! They who slandered Christ s glory, request
Him to work a miracle ! Those who refused to believe in Him,
"

is

ask

Him

men who had not yet believed

Tell me in what character
faith
thy request? Dost thou know and

to display before

such acts as lead on to

dost thou approach with

believe that He is able to perform things that are the preroga
tive of God ? Art thou fully convinced that it belongs solely to

the supreme Substance,

alive,

and

to deliver

Who

is

men from

above

all,

make
so, how

to be able to

the snares of death

If

then didst thou say when thou sawest Jesus working miracles,
This man casteth not out devils but by Beelzebub, Prince of Mat.
24
the devils?" And when that man who had been blind from
"

xii.

"

un
wonderfully healed, and gained an
the
God
"Give
John ix. 24
thou
advisedst
glory,
him, saying,
light,
we know that this man is a sinner." Dost thou then ask

his

mother

womb was

wonted
"

thou calledst Him, to perform an act of Deity ?

madness, and sheer stupidity ? Are not those who
had
hitherto
not believed far better than those who had been

this sinner, as

Is not this

taught by the law and the prophets ?

Wouldst thou see the fact that such

is

the case and such

had now set out

only ? Observe what follows The Saviour
the centurion
but
man
sick
upon His way to restore the
;

sent unto

Him, saying,

"

Lord, trouble not Thyself; but speak

COMMENTARY UPON

130
"

with a word, and

my

that these elders of the

child will be

Consider then,

healed."

Jews begged Jesus

to the house of

to

go
him who requested His aid, as not being able in any other way
to raise him up who was lying ill, except by going to his side
:

whereas the other believed that

tance,

and

by the

effect it

He

could do

it

even at a

inclination of His will.

for the saving word, the loving assent, the all

dis

He

asked
mighty utter

and

justly therefore did he win a sentence of surpassing

worth for Jesus said,
Verily I say unto you, that not even
in Israel have I found so great faith."
The
then and

ance

"

"

proof
demonstration, follows closely and immediately from what we
have now said. Finally, He delivered that same hour from his
sickness

him who a

little

before had been the prey of death

He Who willed

the undoing of what had happened was God.

As I said then at the beginning of this discourse,
God s

for

by

holy decree Israel fell from his relationship unto Him, and in
his stead the heathen were called and admitted, as
having a
heart better prepared for that faith in Him, which
is
justly
of this the divine Psalmist shall
again be our
proof, where he says concerning them; at one time, "Thou

required.
Ps. x. 17.

"

Ps. xvi. 4

hast inclined Thine ear because of the

preparation of their

and at another, Many were their infirmities, and

afterwards they went
For many indeed were the
quickly."
offences laid to their
to
which
he gently gives the
charge,
"

And

heart

"

;"

"

name

of infirmities: for
they

were wandering

in error,

and

guilty of abominable crimes,

not merely in one way, but in

many but they went quickly to the faith, that is, they were
not slow in
accepting the commands of Christ, but very readily
embraced the faith. For that
they were to be caught in
Christ s net, He teacheth thee where He saith
one of the
:

z ep b.iii.8.

by

For

wait for Me, saith the Lord, until

My rising up to bear witness, because My judgment is for the
For when
congregations of the heathen."
Christ rose from the dead, He bestowed on those that were in
holy prophets,
the day of

this

"

"

error that
judgment which
Mat.xxviii.

For

He

"

for their happiness

of

all

disciples,

and

salvation.

Go make

disci-

baptizing them in the name of the

Father, and of the Son, and of the
and
Holy Ghost
teaching them to observe all those things that I have commanded you."
pies

"

is

even commanded the

holy
nations,

"

t(

THE GOSPEL OF
By

ST.

LUKE.

the holy decree therefore, and just

131
of our

sentence

common Saviour Christ, the heathen were honoured; but

Israel we see rejected from His love and affection.
For what
do we find the chief Shepherd of
the holy prophets ?
And T have

all

saying to them by one of

"

"

"

"

not feed you, and that which

which

is

dying

He

Zech.
says, that I will
shall die : and that

declared,,

xi. 9.

and those that are left shall

fainting shall faint
devour every one the flesh of his neighbour v And again
is

rejected them, because they have not heard Him llos. ix. 17.
and they shall be wanderers among the heathen.
And
of
the
voice
the
Thus
saith
Ezechiel,
prophet
again by
my EZ. xii. 15.
xx 2 3Lord, the Lord; that I will drive them amon^ the heathen,
"

God hath

"

"

"

"

:.

xxn. 15.

"

and disperse them over the whole

earth."

Take the

actual

your persuasion and faith in what is here

For they are vagabonds and strangers in every land and
neither preserving in its purity the worship enjoined by

result of facts for

said.
city,

the law, nor submitting to accept the gloriousness of the excel

while we, who have received the
lency of the Gospel life
faith are fellow-citizens with the saints, and called the sons of
:

the Jerusalem that

which crowneth

us.

is

above, in heaven, by the grace of God

affirm to be the completion of

And Him we

we confess His glory we admire

the law and the prophets
and with Whom, to
Him as He worketh miracles by
:

God

Whom

the Father be praise and dominion with the Holy Ghost,

for ever

and ever, Amen.

3 2

COMMENTARY UPON

SERMON
C. vii.

XXXVI.

He was going to a city

pass the day after,
were
going with Him,...*
called Nair, and His disciples

And

n.

it

came

to

******

Gr. Nafr.

From Mai
andCra-

But observe how He joins miracle to miracle and in the

He
former instance, the healing of the centurion s servant,
without
near
draws
He
was present by invitation but here
For no one summoned Him to restore the dead
being invited.
man to life, but He comes to do so of His own accord. And
:

have purposely made this miracle also

For there was nothing improbable in
follow upon the former.
or other some one might rise up
supposing that at some time
and say, in opposition to the Saviour s glory, What is the
For
of the centurion s son?
prodigy wrought in the case
even
of
no
in
was
death,
he
was
he
danger
ailing,
though

He

o.

K&V

M^om

seems

me

to

to

his narrative
though the Evangelist has so written, shaping
to what was
than
what
was
to
a
view
rather with
pleasant,
therefore the intemperate tongue of such de
To
true.

et

stop

he says, that Christ met the dead young man, the

able to arouse
only son of a widow. It was a pitiable calamity,
and
one s lamentation, and make one s tears gush forth
with her misfortune, and all but
the woman follows,

tractors,

stupified

From

the

Syriac.

and many with her.

*
for that dead man was being buried, and many
friends were conducting him to his tomb. But there meets him
the Life and Resurrection, even Christ: -for He is the De-

fainting,
*
*

folium

is

here

lost,

and appa-

some

distant time, as the

ornamental writing of the title has
rently at

Civ. Dei, 1. xxii. c. 10.) Gentiles talibus diis suis, sc. qui antea ho-

mines fuerant,

et

templa sedificave-

marks on the opposite side,

In the margin is a note,
Fit to be
read at the commemoration of the
departed." To depart was a com-

runt, et statuerunt aras, et sacerdotes instituerunt, et sacrificia fe-

mon euphemism

memorias sicut hominibus mortuis,

left its

"

"

cerunt.

"

nostris

in

the

ancient

church for death ; cf. Suiceri Th.

sub drro&jj/it a and of the Comme:

morations, St. Augustin says (De

Nos autem martyribus

non templa sicut diis, sed

quorum apud Deum vivunt

fabricamus.

spiritus,

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LW

LUKE.

He it is "in Whom we live Actaxvii.

stroyer of death and of corruption
u and move and are
He it is Who has restored the nature of 2l
:

:"

man

to that

death-fraught

which
flesh

has set free our

it
originally was; and
from the bonds of death. He had mercy

He
upon the woman, and that her tears might be stopped,
the
cause
And
not."
immediately
commanded, saying, Weep
of her weeping was done away
how, or by what method ? He
"

touched the bier, and by the utterance of his godlike word,

made him who was lying thereon return again to life: for

and immedi
Young man, I say unto thee, Arise
accom
actual
the
was done
ately that which was commanded
dead
And that
man, it
plishment attended upon the words,

He

"

said,

;"

"

says, sat up,

"

and began

to speak,

and He gave him

to his

"

mother."

too, I pray you, the accuracy of the ex

the divine Evangelist not only says, that the
sat up, but lest any one should by false arguments

Observe here
pression

dead man

for

attack the miracle, saying, What wonder

artifice or other the body was set upright
!

to

be

if

by means of some

it is not as
yet
tho bonds of
from
or
delivered
alive,

for

clearly proved
for this reason he very skilfully notes down two proofs
one after the other, sufficient to produce the conviction that he

death f

For he began, he
did in very truth arise and was restored.
cannot
an
inanimate
but
speak "And
body
says, to speak"
but
him to his mother
He
assuredly the woman
*

"

"

gave
would not have taken her son back
:"

dead, and had breathed his

Those

pei-sons therefore

to her

house

if

he had been

last.

who were

restored to

life

by the

as a pledge of the hope prepared for

us of a resurrection of the dead and these were, this young
man, and Lazarus of Bethany, and the daughter of the chief of

power of

Christ,

we take

the synagogue.

And

this truth the

company

of the holy pro

The
Isaiah said,
phets proclaimed before for the blessed
dead shall arise, and those in the graves shall be restored to
"

Is.

xxvi.

"

"

And by
for the dew from Thee is healing to them."
life
dew he means the life-giving operation of Christ, which is by

"

And the Psalmist

the instrumentality of the Holy Ghost.
bears witness, thus speaking concerning them in words ad
When Thou turnest
dressed to God the Saviour of us all.
"

"

away Thy

face they are troubled,

and

return to their dust.

PS. civ.

COMMENTARY UPON

134

Thou

"

sendost

rcnewest the face

"

Adam s
Gen.

Spirit,

that we, having our

from God, returned to our dust: for the

transgression

faces turned
iii.i

and they are created, and Thou

For it was by reason of
of the ground."

Thy

sentence of

away

of the

commandment

God upon human

nature was,

"

Dust thou

art,

and

but at the time of the conunto dust thou shalt return

the earth shall be renewed
of
face
the
this
summation of
world,
"

:"

the

for

God

all

those

Son

the Father by
who are laid within

in the Spirit will give life to

it.

death that has brought men to old age and corruption

death therefore has made old, that is to say, has corrupted
corand is
that which is made
aged, is near
:

It is

Heb.viii.

"

for

growing

old,

"

ruption,"

as Scripture saith

but Christ renews, in that

He

able

For He Who in the beginning created,

For one may well
unto
renew
incorruption and life.
again
same energy and
the
and
one
of
office
is
the
it
affirm that
"

is

is

the

Life."

to

and the other. As therefore the

power, to effect both the one
swallowed up death, having
hath
He
prophet Isaiah says,
1
Lord hath taken away all
The
And again,
become mighty.
He hath taken away the
weeping from every countenance.
the earth/ By the reproach
reproach of the people from all
of the people he means sin, which disgraces and depraves
"

Is.

xxv.

8.

"

"

"

and which, together with destruction, shall be slain, and

sorrow and death shall perish, and the tears cease which are

men

shed on

its

account

Disbelieve not therefore the resurrection of the dead

for long

And
ago Christ wrought it among us with a Godlike majesty.
let no man say, that He Who raised two, for instance, or three,
sufficient for the life
and effected thus much, is not

thoroughly
foul with utter ignorance, are
is it for us to understand, that
ridiculous.
rather
simply
Right
And how can
nature.
He is the Life, and the

also

of us

all.

Such words,

Life-giver

by

the Life be insufficient for making all alive ? It would be the

same thing as to say in one s excessive folly, that the Light also
is sufficient

He

indeed for

therefore arose

little

who

not for the Universe.

things, but
was descending to his grave. And

the manner of his rising is plain to see ; "for He touched, it says,

the bier, and said, Young man, I say unto thee, arise." And
was lying
yet how was not a word enough for raising him who
"

there?

For what

is

there

difficult

to

it,

or past accomplish-

THE GOSPEL OF
What

merit?

He

then did

LUKE.

ST.

135

is more
powerful than the Word of God / Why
not effect the miracle by a word only, but also

touched the bier? It Avas, my beloved, that thou

mightest
learn that the holy body of Christ is effectual for the salvation
of man.
For the flesh of the Almighty Word is the body of

and was clothed with His might.

life,

when brought
fire,

the

and

fulfils

Word,

of giving
1

ruption

".

For consider, that

iron,

into contact wjth fire, produces the effects of

jts functions

so,

because

became the

it

flesh of

Who
life,

gives life to allji therefore also has the power

and annihilates the influence of death and cor

May

our

Lord Jesus Christ

also touch

that

us,

delivering us from evil works, even from fleshly lusts, He may

unite us to the assemblies of the saints ; for He is the
giver of
all

good, by

Whom, and

with

Whom,

to

God

praise and dominion, with the Holy Ghost,

the Father, be

for ever

and

ever,

Amen.
r Two
passages follow in Mai, not
recognised by the Syriac. The first
from Cod. A. is as follows
for
"

we believe that the body of Christ

makes alive, because It is both the
temple and dwelling-place of the
living Word, and possesses all Its
It was not enough thereactivity.
fore for Him only to command,
though accustomed by a word to
accomplish whatsoever He wished,
but He laid also His hands on the
bier, shewing that His body also

power of making
The second from Codd. A

possesses
alive."

the

and C. is referred also by Aquinas

and Cramer s MS. to Cyril
That
fear fell upon all, and they glorified
God, was indeed a great thing on
the part of the senseless and un"

grateful people (Cr. reads Xo yw for

:

Xa&>)

regard

for shortly afterwards they

neither as a prophet,

Him

nor as having appeared

of the people
to death Him

not knowing

He
own

for the

good

yea they deliver

up

Who

destroys death,
that at that very time

destroyed death, when in His

person He wrought the resur-

rection."

COMMENTARY UPON

136

SERMON
1

vii.

17-

A na

John of all

these

^s disciples,

GSs.

and

sent

them unto Jesus, saying, Art Thou

we for another ? When the men

that cometh, or look

came

&PO.

Him went forth in all Judaea, and

And his disciples told
round about.
:
and
John
called certain two of
things

wor(i concerning

thjg

in all the region

He

XXXVII.

Him, they said, John the Baptist sent us to Thee*

Art
Thou He that cometh, or look we for another ?
saying,
But in that same hour he healed many of sicknesses and
scourges, and of evil spirits: and unto many that ivere
blind He gave sight.
And He answered and said to
them, Go tell John ivhat things ye have seen and heard :
^iat ^le Miiul see,- and the lame walk; and the lepers are
cleansed ; and the deaf hear
the dead arise, and the
P oor are preac/ied unto ; and blessed is he who is not
to

om.

tin

B.

,-

quater

BGT*.

offended in Me.

Ox

the present occasion also the Word about to be ad

you,, and the investigation of the sacred doctrines

dressed to

cannot but be most

Come then,
certainly for your benefit.
that together with the
holy angels we may praise the universal
Saviour for He is
worshipped, as in heaven so also in earth
:

Phil.

ii.

10.

and

to

Him

every knee shall bow, as

it

is

written.

Be

it

known

therefore

to people everywhere, that the Lord is God,

He appeared in fashion like unto us, yet has
given us the indications of a godlike power and majesty on

and even though

He

and

a multitude of ways by driving away

by rebuking unclean spirits; by bestowing on the
blind their
sight; and finally, even by expelling death itself

many

occasions,

in

diseases;

Rom.

v. 14.

from

th e

bodies of

men

had tyrannized from

-death which cruelly

Adam

and mercilessly

even unto Moses, according to the

That widow s son then at Nain s

expression of the divine Paul.

8

In the preceding sermon this

place was called Nair, in the same

way as Beliar has occurred for Belial,

and as no Gr. MS. recognises

this form,

Syriac

possible that it is a
provincialism, in the same
it

is

way

as in Sanscrit certain final let-

ters are regularly

changed into r,
from the ease with which the voice

rests

upon that

a word.

letter at

the close of

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

J37

arose unexpectedly and wonderfully, and the miracle remained

unknown to no one throughout the whole of Juda?a, but was
noised abroad as a divine sign, and admiration was upon
every
And some of his intimate friends, that is, his disci
tongue.
it also to the blessed
Baptist and he chose out and
selected two persons from the rest, and sends them to Jesus
to ask Him, if it is He
cometh, or whether they must
wait for another.
What hast thou done, O excellent

ples, tell

Who

Bap

tist

Dost thou not know

Him Whom

thou preachcdst, being

thyself the precursor of this rising, as the morning star pro

claims the coining sun ? Thou wcntcst before Him like a torch.

Thou

pointedst
"

plainly,
"

Him

Behold the

of the world

!"

out to the holy apostles, saying very

of God, Who takcth away the sin John

Lamb

Elsewhere also we heard Thee saying

after me comctli the man who John

He is before inc. And I knew Him
not
but He Who sent me to baptize in water, lie said
unto me, On Whom thou sccst the Holy Ghost descend from
u
heaven, and remain upon Him, He it is Who baptizeth in
the Holy Ghost.
And I saw, and bore witness, that This is

multitudes of the Jews, that

"

"

"

the Son of

God."

How

then dost thou ask,

if it is

He

that

comctli? For thou saidst,

saw and bore witness, that
is the Son of God."
But the blessed Baptist did not
"I

He

"

to recognise the

Word

of

God Who had become man.

fail

Do

Well and very clearly was he persuaded

He that cometh but what He did was something
wise and well-contrived, and tit in no slight degree to benefit

not imagine
that He was

so.

For they indeed, because they did not yet

inasmuch as His glory and all-excelling majesty
was concealed from them, were even silently stung at His

his

disciples.

know

Christ,

working miracles, and surpassing the Baptist in the greatness

For on one occasion they
of the deeds wrought by Him.
even drew near to him, pining with envy and vexation, and with
their heart

still

requiring to set free from Jewish maladies,

said to the blessed Baptist concerning Christ the universal

was with thee on the other side of
Saviour,
Rabbi, He

and

Who

"

"

Jordan, to

Whom

29.

i.

30.

"

was before me, because

"

"

i.

to the

thou bearest witness,

He

baptizeth,

and

every man cometh to Him." For they did not wish any one
else to baptize at all, and exalt himself against the honour of
"

John. They learnt however from him the superiority of Christ

COMMENTARY UPON

138

and the incomparable greatness of His splendour for

Ye arc yourselves my withim say in answer,
heard
they
nesses that I said, that I am not the Christ, but that I
:

glory,,

John

"

ill.

"

He who

have been sent before Him.

**

hath the bride

is

the bridegroom but the bridegroom s friend, who standeth

and heareth his voice, joyfully rejoiceth because of the

"

"

"

bridegroom

voice

this therefore,

which

is

my joy,

com-

is

He must grow great, but I must be made small."

plete.
We do not however say that the blessed Baptist in any respect
whatsoever decreased in dignity, himself of himself, during the
"

time that Christ

glory was constantly receiving addition from

Him but inasmuch as the blessed

believed on

those that

John continued

in the

measure of human nature

for

not possible for him ever to advance to any

thing beyond
the incarnate Word, being in His nature God, and

it

was
but

ineffably be

God

the Father, advancing continually to His

proper
was
admired
of all men
for this reason it was he said,
glory,

gotten of

He must grow

"

who remains

great, but 1

in exactly the

comparison with one who

must be made

same
is

state

For he

small."

seems to grow small, in

continually advancing.

But that

was right that as being by nature God, He should surpass in

might and glory human things, he explained to them saying
He Who cometh from above is above all: and he who is of
it

Jolmiii.ar.

the earth, belongeth to the earth, and

speaketh of the

"

Who

then

God?

being

Who

is

was

He Who cometh from

above, and

Plainly the only-begotten

is

Word

earth."

above

all

as

of the Father,

His likeness, and on an

but
equality with Him
unto the world, humbled Himself to our
As being such therefore, He must
sur
in

for the love

estate.

He had

necessarily

pass one

who was

of the earth

one, that

is

to say,

num

bered among the things of earth, and their like in

nature, such
as was the Baptist. For he was indeed
praiseworthy in virtue,

and incomparable
of

in

piety,

and had attained

righteousness, and was honourable

Mat.xi.ii. ration: for the Lord bore him
witness
"

"

all

not risen

the sons of

to the perfection

and worthy of admisaying,

"There

hath

women one

among
greater than John
1
the Baptist,
But he was not from above not of the Sub
;

stance,

mean, that

below, a son of earth,

this

is

set

above

and one of

digression, as their heart

all:

rather he was from

us. Therefore, to return, from

was not free from Jewish mala-

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

the blessed Baptist of the Saviour

tell

dies,

they

and

he, as thoroughly

knowing

Who

miracles, exulted indeed in himself,

it

in

139
s

divine signs

was That wrought the

seeing the Saviour

but to produce a firm and steadfast faith

in Him, in those, who as yet were halting, nor thus far con
vinced that He is the Christ, he puts on the appearance
glory spread abroad

of ignorance, and so sends to

Him

certain to ask

Him, saying,

Thou He That comcth, or do we wait for another?"

Cometh whither perhaps some will say for there are men
who think that we ought to understand something of this sort
"Art

that as the Baptist was about before the precious cross to

of Herod, and, so to speak,
undergo death by the wickedness

and as His forerunner, pre

anticipate Christ s departure,
whether He will come there
he
asks
in
His
arrival
cede
Hades,
and the shadow of death,
in
darkness
those
to redeem

also,

and entangled

in

inevitable bonds.

But such an opinion

is

for nowhere do we find that the Scrip

utterly to be rejected
ture inspired of God has declared that the divine Baptist
in Hades the coining of the
preached beforehand to the spirits
And this also we may truly say, that inasmuch as
Saviour.
:

once for

he knew the whole

all

effect of the dispensation in tho

in addition to
Only-begotten, he of course knew,
the other particulars, that He will redeem those in Hades, and
shine forth even upon them, as
by the grace of God tasting Heb.

flesh of the

"

"

"

"

death for every man," that as Paul says,

both of the dead and of the living."

"

He may

ii.

9.

be Lord Rom.xiv. 9

What then does he wish to understand by asking,

Thou He that cometh, or do we wait for another?"

"

Art

I said

then, that he puts on the appearance of ignorance purposely,

for as being the
not so much that he might himself learn
:

forerunner he

be convinced,
as the

He

is

but that his disciples might

knew the mystery
how great is the Saviour s superiority, and that,
:

word of the inspired Scripture had announced before,

God, and the Lord That was to come. All the rest then

were servants, sent before a master, preceding Him Who is

as it is written.
beyond all, and preparing the way of the Lord,
Lord of all is
and
therefore the Saviour
the

By

Is. xi. 3.

holy prophets

"

called,

declares

He
"

"

Lord."

that

cometh."

Blessed be

He

And what means

For the prophet David in a psalm

That cometh in the Name of the P S
that expression

T 2

"

in the

Name

of

2(

cxviii.

COMMENTARY UPON

140
"

the

means

It

Lord?"

in godlike glory,

and

and

lordship,

all

in what
again he has signified
transcending majesty.
forth
shone
hath
and
is
upon
God,
follows: "The Lord
his
For Moses indeed came, and appeared in his season, and by
then
and
Israelites
the
to
was spoken
instrumentality the law
him Jesus the son of Nun commanded the host, and then

And

this

us."

p*.cxviii.

after

And

in order the blessed prophets.

men, honourable beyond comparison,

and all-excelling splendour:
spiritual

they were indeed Jiolj_

and endowed with a

but no one of them

shone forth upon the inhabitants of earth in the name of the
But the
dominion.
Lord, in the glory that is of Godhead and
of God shone forth upon us as being in
only-begotten Word
God and Lord. So God the Father
His nature and
verily

Habac.ii.3.

named Him by the prophet Habakuk, thus saying

"

Zech.

little

He That cometh

will

come, and

will

"

not tarry/

Yet a

And

the only-begotten Word of God

again also by another prophet
be glad,
and
thus spcaketh
daughter of Zion
Rejoice,
midst of thce,
the
in
will
for behold! I come, and
lodge
"

ii.

"

"

"

"

Lord on that day; and

shall

one

be to

may

see

Me

nations shall find refuge in the

And many

saith the Lord.

be to them a God, and they

And that this has come to pass,

I will

a people/

by actual

been caught in the

His people.

facts

net,

for a multitude of nations has

and Christ

is

their

God, and they are

the
Having therefore taken from the inspired Scripture
of "He That cometh/ the divine Baptist sent certain
And
if He were He that cometh/
of his friends to ask,
is
truth
in
and
nature
as
Christ
?
Inasmuch
what follows
by

name

"

God, the purpose of John did not escape Him, but as well
He especially
knowing the cause of his disciples coming,
miracles
divine
at that particular time began accomplishing
hitherto
had
He
many times more numerous than those which
For so the wise Evangelist has told us, saying, In
wrought.
that same hour He healed many of sicknessess and of
"

"

and gave sight to many that

were blind." Having then been made spectators and eye
witnesses of His greatness, and gathered into them a great

"

scourges, and of evil spirits

"

admiration of His power and ability, they bring forward the

whether He
question, and beg in John s name to be informed,
is He Who cometh.
Here see I pray the beautiful art of the

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

141

For He does not simply say, 1 am

Saviour s management.
though had He so spoken, it would have been true but He
rather leads them to the proof given by the works themselves,
;

order that having accepted faith in Him on good grounds,

and being furnished with knowledge from what had been done,
For go, He
they might so return to him who sent them.
and
heard."
seen
that
have
the
John
tell
ye
things
says,
For ye have heard indeed, He says, that I have raised the
dead by the all-powerful word, and by the touch of the hand
in

"

"

that those
ye have seen also, while ye yourselves stood by,
the
of
old
time
were
that
holy prophets are
by
spoken
things

the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are

the dumb hear, and the dead arise, and the
and
cleansed,

accomplished

the blessed pro

poor are preached unto. All these things
in
due time to be
as
about
had
before
announced,
phets
I bring to pass those things
If
then
hands.
wrought by My
that were prophecicd long before, and ye arc yourselves spec
tators of them, return and tell those things which ye have

seen with your

own eyes accomplished by

My

might and

which at various times the blessed prophets fore

ability, and
And
And then He added necessarily to these things
told.
"

"

blessed

is

he who

is

not offended in

Me

!"

For the Jews

indeed were offended, either as not knowing the depth of the

For though
did not seek to know.
mystery, or because they
of
the inspired Scripture announced beforehand, in every part
that the Word of God would humble Himself to emptiness,
it,

and be seen upon earth,

such as we arc, and would

to
plainly referring

justify

by

faith

when He was

every thing under

struck against
heaven, yet they stumbled against Him, and
l
the rock of offence, and fell, and were ground to powder.
For though they plainly saw Him invested with ineffable dig- fj
means of the wondrous deeds Luke
nity and surpassing glory, by
1

at Him and said

Why dost Jo n
wrought, they threw stones
to these
answer
In
God
make
a
man,
Thou, being
thyself
of their
immeasurable
the
infirmity
Christ reproved

He
"

i,

X B33
.

?"

things,

intellect,

"

xx.

"

and said;

believe

Me

believe

My

"If

do not the works of

My

Father, John

believe not Me,

not but
do, then though ye
is he, who doth not
therefore
Blessed
works/
:

if I

in Him.
stumble against Christ that is, who believeth
from
this, and
derived
is
that
is
And what the advantage
;

x.

37

COMMENTARY UPON

142

what way we are benefitted by attaining to jaith in Him,

every one knows nothing however forbids our enumerating a
few particulars. For first indeed we obtain the
light of the true
:

knowledge of God and next, when by the aid of holy baptism~~

we have washed away the stains of sin, being purified that we
:

may

serve

Him

divine nature,

purely,

and gain

we are

Him

made partakers .of His

by hayingjhg
And we are made also sons of
also

to dwell within us

communion of the Holy Ghost.

God, and win for ourselves brotherhood with Him Who by
nature and verily is the Son.
Moreover, in addition to these
we
are
exalted
to
the
inheritance of the saints, and
things,
dwell in bliss in the
enjoyment of those blessings which are
bestowed on those who love Him, and which the divine Paul
Cor.

ii.

declares surpass
understanding
"

and description
for eye hath
not seen, nor ear heard, and into the heart of man have
entered the things that God hath
prepared for them that
love Him."
Of those
we also be
"

"not

"

"

the grace and love of

may
Him Who

thought worthy by

giveth to every one bounti

fully all good things, even of Christ, by Whom and with Whom,
to God the Father, be
praise and dominion with the Holy
Ghost, for ever and ever, Amen.*
1
Mai from Cod. A. contains a
few lines here and there not ac-

knowledged by the Syriac, but apparently only intended to convey

the general sense of the
passages
omitted ; though even these
may

possibly be from other works of S.

Cyril, as Niketas acquaintance with

them was evidently most

complete,

and instances

will
subsequently be
pointed out of his having thus introduced single sentences into the
body
of the
naturalCommentary,

ly

though
such intrusions
generally escape

The subject of this seragain treated of by S. Cyril

in his Thesaurus, c. xi.
discovery.

mon

is

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON

ST.

LUKE.

143

XXXVIII.

And

ivhen the messengers of John had departed, He

began to
speak unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out
into the wilderness to see? A reed, shaken luith the wind?

But what went ye

A man

out to see ?

clad in soft gar-

c.

vii.

24-

f^cm^

Kal
Behold they ivho wear soft clothing, are in the eV5
abodes of kings. Bnt what went ye out to see? A Pro- BGTs.
Tea, I say unto you : and more than a prophet :
phet ?
is
this
he of whom it is written, Behold I send My rnes- om. yap
for

ments ?

Tpv<f>rj

Thy
I say unto

senger before
Verily

face, to prepare
you,

Among

before Thee. MaY

ivomen
there *w v
of

Thy way

those born

no one greater than John : but he who

kingdom of God is greater than he.

is

YE

who

thirst for the

is least

knowledge of the divine

open once again the treasure-house ot your minds:

selves with the sacred words or rather, give way
:

doctrines,

satiate your-

no feeling

to

for gluttony in things that tend to edification

a quality worth the gaining. Let us approach, then, the

Saviour s words, not carelessly, and without due preparation,
but with that attentiveness and vigilance which befits those
is

For so alone can those subjects for contem

of comprehension, be rightly under
which
are
difficult
plation,
ask
of Christ that light, which He
stood.
Let us, therefore,

who

wouldTlearn.

sends

down upon the mind and

heart, that thus being enabled

is said,
correctly to understand the force of what
admire the beautiful skill of the management.

we may again
For

He had
He that

been asked by the disciples of John, whether He

cometh? When then^He had answered them in a suitable
manner, and commanded them to return to him that sent them,
is

He began
"

"

went ye

What
to say unto the multitudes concerning him,
out into the wilderness to see ? a reed shaken by

this,

ence,

"

which we gain from

or what the end to which our Saviour s words have refer
how must it not be worth our while to inquire ? Let us

the wind

?"

And what

the instruction

examine, therefore, the meaning of what

is

is

said

let

iii.

i.

A 7w

in the \^y(a y dp

of satiety herein

^"s

us search

^
Ia afj/ov T.
Tr

po

iw.
<f>.

COMMENTARY UPON

144
it

]Tbes.v.2i.

us spy into its secrets and fixing our

upon the profundity of the mystery, let us be like careful
proving every thing, as Scripture says.

as a

mind

treasure

let

11

moneychangers,
There were then certain who prided themselves upon their
performance of what was required by the law the Scribes
who were
namely, and Pharisees, and others of their party
:

exact observers of
regarded according to their professions as
the law, and claimed on this score, that their heads should be

adorned with honours. This too is the reason why they neither
accepted faith in Christ, nor paid due honour to that mode of
life which
truly is praiseworthy and blameless even that which
:

The purpose,
regulated by the commands of the Gospel.
therefore, of Christ the Saviour of all, was to shew them that
is

the honours both of the religious and moral service that are
by the law, were of small account, and not worthy of being at
tained to, or even perhaps absolutely nothing, and unavailing

while the grace that is by faith in Him is the

pledge of blessings worthy of admiration, and able to adorn
with incomparable honour those that possess it.
Many, then,
for edification

as I said,

were observers of the law, and greatly puffed up on

they even gave out that they had attained to the

this account

perfection of all that is praiseworthy, in the exact perform

ance of the righteousness that consisted in shadows and types.

In order, then, that, as I said,

He

might prove that those who

Him

are better and superior to them, and that the

of
the
followers of the law are evidently but small in
glories
comparison with the evangelic mode of life, He takes him who
believe in

was the best of their whole

woman,

class,

mean the

but nevertheless was born of

blessed Baptist
arid having affirmed that
he is a prophet, or rather above the measure of the prophets,
and that among those born of women no one had arisen greater
:

than he in righteousness, that

namely, which is by the law, He
declares, that he who is small, who falls short, that is, of his
measure, and is inferior to him in the righteousness that is by
the law, is greater than he
not greater, in legal righteous
ness, but in the kingdom of God, even in faith, and the excel
:

lencies

receive

which result from

it

faith.

For

faith

crowns those that

with glories that surpass the law.

u For this
quotation, consult the note at the

And

commencement

this

thou

of Serm. 39.

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

145

learncst, and wilt thyself affirm to be the case, when thou

meetest with the words of the blessed Paul: for
having de
clared himself to be free from blame in the
righteousness that
is
"

"

"

by the law, he added forthwith,

"

But those things that were

gain unto me, those I have counted

and do count them but dung, that

having my own righteousness which

loss for Christ s

I

may
is

sake

win Christ

Phil.

m.

7.

not

by the law, but the

And the
righteousness that is of the faith of Jesus Christ,"
Israelites he even considers deserving of great blame, thus
say
For being ignorant of God s righteousness, that namely Rom.
ing
"

"

"

which

is

by

Christ,

and seeking

to establish their

own

"

that which

"

selves to the righteousness of God.

For Christ is the completion of the law for righteousness unto every one that be-

"

they have not submitted thcm-

he says,

"

Gentiles,

"

"

lieveth."

"

by the law

And again, when speaking of these things

We,
who by nature are Jews, and not sinners of the
knowing that a man is not justified by the works

"

"

is

of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, we also have believed in Jesus Christ, that we may be justified in Him."

The being

justified, therefore,

by

Christ, that

is

to say,

by

faith

in

Him, surpasses the glories of the righteousness that is by

the law.
For this reason the blessed Baptist is brought for
ward, as one who had attained the foremost place in legal
And yet
righteousness, and to a praise so far incomparable.
even thus he is ranked as less than one who is least
for
"

He says, is greater than he in the kingdom of

But the kingdom of God signifies^ as we affirm, the
grace^hat js by faith, by means of which we are accounted
worthy of every blessing, and of the possession of the rich gifts
which come from above from God. For it frees us from all
blame and makes us to be the sons of God, partakers of the
Holy Ghost, and heirs of a heavenly inheritance.
"

the least,

"

God."

Having prefaced therefore thus much by way of preparation,

and to explain the connection of the ideas, come now, and let

As

us examine the actual words.

He

have already said then,

and crowns the

exalts the divine Baptist to a great height,

that thou
Forerunner with surpassing honours purposely
which
that
as
faith
admire
the
more
mayest
thoroughly
makes believers to have a grandeur far surpassing even that
;

of

men

thus illustrious.

x. 3.

even

He

asks
tr

the Jews,

then,

saying,

Gal.

ii.

15.

COMMENTARY UPON

146

out into the wilderness to see ? a reed shaken

Now He compares to a reed, a thing tossed
wind?"
the
by
shaken to and fro by the
so
to
about, and,
speak, reeling and
in worldly honours and
lives
who
man
the
violence of the winds,
"

What went yc

"

pleasures,

there

and

in the

For

grandeur of temporal sovereignty.

unshaken with such persons,

nothing stable or firm or
in
an
unexpected manner, and to
frequently

is

but things change

that which they did not anticipate, and their prosperity lightly
i

Pet. 1.24-

passes away.
the glory of
"

"

For true

man

and the flower

is

is,

that

"all

flesh is grass,

as the flower of grass

falleth."

the desert to see a

he

it

man

and

all

the grass withereth,

into
says, go out

Did ye then, He

like a reed

not. but of a different character

This, however, possibly

one of those who live in

are wont to be clad in beautiful garments, and

And yet one does not see persons such

pleasures, and
value childish honour.

and

as these dwelling in the desert, but at the courts of kings:

as for the blessed Baptist s raiment, it was of camel s hair,

and

his loins.

a leathern girdle upon

What then did yc go out to see ? Perhaps ye say, A Pro
For he is a saint and a
Yea, I also say as well as you.
phet.
for
prophet nay, he even surpasses the dignity of a prophet
not only did he announce before that I am coming, but pointed
;

John

i.

29.

"

Mai.

iii.

i.

Behold the Lamb of God,

out close at hand, saying ?
That beareth the sin of the world." Moreover, he was tes-

Me

"

by the prophet

tilled of

s voice,

"as

My

sent before

face, to

And 1 bear him witness that

prepare the way before Me/
there hath not arisen among those born of women one greater
"

mean according to
he. How and
than
greater
kingdom
what manner? x ln that the blessed John, together with as

than he

the law
in

but he that

The passage

from B.

is

f.

least

of

in the

in Mai,

72. agrees,

p. 213,
as far as it

It is pregoes, with the Syriac.

ceded, however, by two passages,
the second of which from B. f. 71.
is

much

too rhetorical to be really

given by Cramer
anonymously, following one taken
from Titus of Bostra, whose style
it much more resembles.
It exS. Cyril

plains,

s,

and

in the life I

God

is

however, more fully what

Cyril very shortly refers to, viz. that

is

John was more honourable than

the prophets, as being himself the
and guards
object of prophecy
:

against a misinterpretation of the

word angel in the prediction, Be"

hold

send

My

angel before Thy

The otber passage from
face/
A.
8. has the appearance of being
"

"

summary of S. Cyril s argument

respecting John being the greatest
of those born of women, though it
includes new matter in an important
a

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

147

but they who

as preceded him, was born of woman
have received the faith, are no more called the sons of women,
are born of God.
For to John
but as the wise Evangelist said,

many

"

"

i.

n.

he says, who received Him, that is, Christ, He gave

power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe
on His Name who have been born, not of blood, nor of the

all,
"

"

"

will of the flesh,

nor of the

we have been born again

corruptible

abiding

seed,"

Word

of

man, but of

God."

For

God."
"

not of

iPet.i. 23.

by the living and

are not of corrupt
"

but, as Scripture saith,

"

"

will of

to the adoption of the sons,

Those then who

ible seed, but, on the contrary, have been born of God, are
woman.
superior to any one born of
There is also another respect in which they surpass those

For they have earthly fathers but we Him

Who is above in heaven. For we have received this also of
Christ, Who calleth us to the adoption of sons and brotherhood
Ye shall not call any one on
For He has said,
with Him.

born of women.

"

"

earth father

for

One

is

your Father,

Who

is in

Mat.

xxiii.

heaven.

And most wise Pauls,

of you, are brethren."
ye,
4
Fur because ye Gal.
follows
as
of
us
this,
writing
surety
gives
are sons, God hath sent the Spirit of His Son into your
all

"But

iv. 6.

"

For when Christ rose,

hearts, calling Father, our Father."
then given to them
was
of
the
adoption
spirit
spoiled hell,
for
that believed on Him, and first of all to the holy disciples
"

and

breathed upon them, saying. Receive ye the Holy Ghost. John

22.
and if
If ye remit the sins of any, they are remitted them
For inasmuch
retained."
ye retain the sins of any, they are
divine
the
of
nature,
as they have become part^Hers
by being

"

He

"

"

"

and all-governing Spirit

richly endowed with that lordly
of remit
the
therefore lie has also given them
godlike power
of
and
whomsoever they will,
retaining those
ting the sins of
;

interpretation of
the effect that
"

Luke
"

the

1 .:

to

kingdom

of

xvii. 2

the
signifies the gift of
Ghost,"
according to the

heaven

"

Holy
"

words,

The kingdom

of heaven

is

Soon after this quoyou."

runs into the Syriac, at the
sentence with which B. 72. ends,
with some verbal differences. This
sentence will be found in my trans-

"

within

tation

it

lation at the

commencement

of the

"Even
paragraph in page 148:
infethough, therefore, we be
But soon
rior to them, &c."
"

"

afterwards

it

diverges again to ex-

than the Syriac

plain more fully
that
does, that our Lord s words
from the days of John the kingdom
is taken by force, would
not justify the conclusion, that the
saints of the old dispensation did
not gain admission therein.

of heaven

xx.

COMMENTARY UPON

148

But that previously to the resurrection of Christ

from the dead, and His ascent to heaven, there was not among
men the spirit of adoption, the most wise Evangelist John
For the Spirit was not as yet
makes plain where he says
because that Jesus was not yet glorified." And yet cer
how can the Spirit be unequal in eternity to God the

of all others.

"

John

vii.

39

"

tainly,

Father, and the Son

For He
before all ?
"

the Son.

And when

did

He

not exist,

Who

is

the Father, and

equal in substance to
inasmuch as Christ, he says, was not yet glo-

But

is

had not yet risen from the dead, and

did not as^yet exist
the
ascended to heaven,
spirit of adoption
of God ascended
Word
the
But when
for men.
Only -begotten
that

"

rified,"

Who

forter,

Johnxvi.

He

into heaven,

np

to say,

is

sent

in us

is

down

for us in

by Him.

And

this

He

taught

It is expedient for you that I go away

saying
not away, the Comforter will not come unto you
I have departed, I will send Him unto you."
"

7.

Com

His stead the

us,

"

thus

for if I

but

go

when

"

Even though,

therefore,

we be

inferior to

them who have

the righteousness that is by the law inferior, I mean,

in righteousness of life, yet are we who have received faith in
fulfilled

We must, however,
with greater privileges.
the
blessed
bear in mind, that although
Baptist was thus great
he
stood in need of holy
in virtue, yet he plainly confessed that
for he somewhere said, speaking to Christ, the Sa-

Him endowed

baptism

Mat.iii. 14.

be baptized of Thee." But he

would have had no need of holy baptism, nor have requested
leave to have it granted him, had there not been in it some
viour of us

thing
law.

"

all,

more and

have need

better,

to

than the righteousness that

by the

is

Christ therefore does not contend against the honours of the

nor is it His purpose to diminish and strip of their re

saints

men who had before

but as
attained to victory
of
life is su
mode
the
that
Gospel
prove
ho
perior to the legal worship, and to crown with surpassing
For
in
believe
Him.
all
nours the glory of faith, that we
may

nown

those holy
I said, it rather

is

to

we enter by Him, and with Him, into the kingdom of hea

ven by Whom and with Whom to God the Father be praise
and dominion, with the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever, Amen.

so

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON
To what therefore
and to what are

shall

men of this

They are

generation,

like to children sit-

calling one to another,

c.

vii.

31-

35<

and

We

have played unto you, and ye have not danced:

have wailed unto you, and ye have not wept. For John

saying,
u>e

the

and

tiny in the market-place,

149

XXXIX.

I liken

they like ?

LUKE.

ST.

the Baptist came, neither eating bread, nor

drinking wine,

and ye say, that he hath a devil. The Son of man came

eating and drinking and ye say, Behold a man glutton
ous, and a wine drinker : a friend of publicans and sinners.
And wisdom is justified of her children.
:

THOSE

who have a sound mind examine everything,

false,

"7

y
Concerning this
which very frequently

quotation,

met with

is

sostom, Theodoret,
brosiaster,

(sacc.

iii.

in S. Cyril, three different opinions

Q^cumenius, (saa c.

have been held: i. that of Archbp.

Usher, who contended that it be

tic

(srec. v.),

vel

The

xi.)

authority for this

Amand

iv.),

patris

opinion

is,

was collected by the Fathers from

however, really far greater, as it oc

curs frequently in their works, in
connection with the two other main
portions of St. Paul s command.
Thus Basil the Great (ssec. iv.), in

Christ s

his

longed to some apocryphal Gospel,

as that of the

of Crojus,

who

Hebrews

2.

that

considered that

parable of

it

the Talents

and 3. that of Sylburgius, who re

ferred it to St. Paul s Epistle to the
Thessalonians, I. v. 21. That the last
alone
far

is

true, the Syriac here goes

to

homily on the beginning of the

book of Proverbs, says us doKip.os
:

TpaTTf&TrjS, TO fJLCV doKlfJLOV KO.6f%(l,

tiTTo 8e navros c idovs novrjpov a0e e-

And

TCII.

Mat.

Athanasius,

xxi. 8.

prove, quoting it expressly

from St. Paul, as also do S. Cyril s
Greek remains, as his Commentary

r6

on

lar quotations

Is.

To^BGTs.

reject

but receiving and praising that which is without

And srfch the wise Paul also requires us to be, where
Be ye wise money-changers; prove all
writing he said:

ing the
blame.

add. vdv-

iii.,

on Job.

the previous

vii. 12.,

Sermon

&c.

also the

In

quo

tation has already occurred, coupled

with a portion of the same text,

And Tischenprove all things/
dorf gives it as a different reading
"

of the passage in Thes. from

Chry-

i\()v

a>s

SOKI/J-OI

K\^o)fjL(da,

(tiro

8ovs novTjpov aTTf^o /zfi/ot.

indefinitely.

Horn, in
Tparrf^lrai

navTos

And

fi-

simi-

might be multiplied

On

the contrary,

how

ever, Origen, in the Latin version

of his Commentary in Johannem,

ad

Minerium,
our Lord s
there can, however, be little doubt

and

quote

Jerome,
it

Ep.

as a saying of

iThes.v.ai.

COMMENTARY UPON

150
"

things,

and hold that which

"

kind."

We

is

good

therefore also, as

abstain from every evil

must

I said,

closely

examine

with the discerning eye of the mind whatever is done, and

search into the nature of actions, that so we may approve of
that which

without blame, while we reject that which is

But if, making no distinctions, we run the risk of

is

counterfeit.

and
passing an evil sentence upon things highly praiseworthy
of deeming that which is evil fit for commendation and ap
:

is, v. 20.

s
plausc, the prophet
that call evil good,
"

"

sweet bitter

"

light."

words

will

and good

apply to us

evil

who

"

Woe

unto them

call bitter

sweet,

and

who put

Such was

light for darkness, and darkness for

the character of the Israelites, and espe

lot it was to be their chiefs, the Scribes

cially of those whose
of whom Christ said,
and
Pharisees
To what shall I
namely
"

"

liken the

men

There was

of this generation ? and so on."

perchance a sort of game among the Jewish chil

A troop of youths was divided

two parts
who, making sport of the confusion in the
world, and the uneven course of its affairs, and the painful
dren, something of this kind.
into

and rapid change from one extreme to the other, played some
of them on instruments of music
while the rest wailed.
But neither did the mourners share the merriment of those
who were playing music and rejoicing nor again did those
:

with the instruments of music join in the sorrow of those who

were weeping and finally, they reproached one another with
:

want of sympathy, so to speak, and absence of affection.

For the one party would say, We have played unto you, and
to which the others would rejoin,
ye have not danced
We have wailed unto you, and ye have not wept." Christ

their

"

"

:"

"

declares, therefore, that both the Jewish populace,

rulers, were in some such state of feeling as this z

"

that the majority of the Fathers of

the fourth and fifth centuries re-

garded it as a genuine portion of

St. Paul s Epistle, though
probably
it was not extant in
many of the
MSS., and so was occasionally
quoted as a saying attributed by
tradition to our Lord.

B.

f.

passage follows in Mai from

73, interpreting the

mourners

and

their

For John

by the prophets, and the players by

the Apostles, the predictions of the
former being generally of woe and

punishment, while the

latter prograce of repentance."

alien both to the general tenor

claimed

As

of the

"the

Commentary, and the

close-

ness with which S. Cyril confines

himself to the text, it is most pro-

bably an interpolation.

THE GOSPEL OF
"

"

came,

He

ST.

LUKE.

151

says, neither eating bread nor drinking wine,

they say, that he hath a devil

and

man came eating

man gluttonous, and

the Son of

and they say, Behold a

a wine drinker, a friend of publicans and sinners." By what
foolish Pharisee, when
then wilt thou be won unto the faith,
"

and drinking

"

all things indifferently, nor countest any

of
thy praise ? The blessed Baptist was the fore
thing worthy
runner of the Saviour, saying,
Repent ye, for the kingdom Mat.

thou thus blamest

l<

God

is

and able

to

"

of

that his

life

iii.

For he was a man lit to win confidence,

as
having even from them the testimony
persuade,
was noble, and worthy of admiration. For he dwelt

at

hand."

poor and rough clothing, and scarcely

of the body with locusts and wild ho
necessities
the
allaying
out
to see him as one who was holy, and
wentest
Thou
ney.

in the deserts, clad in

And dost thou

to the perfection of all virtue.
of one who
one
?
ill
of
a
such
venture afterwards to speak

had attained

ought rather to be counted worthy of all admiration ( Dost

thou say that he hath a devil, who by fastings is mortifying
the law of sin that lurks in our fleshly members, and wars Rom.

What is greater than a life of

against the law of our mind?
For the very fact of being able to rebuke wisely
abstinence ?
those pleasures that lead to evil, and to cast over them as a
bridle the laboriousness of a

life

of abstinence,

how

is

vii.

~*

not this

a great and excellent thing ! The blessed Baptist was entirely

devoted to piety unto Christ nor was there in him the very

11

for fleshly lusts, or for the things of this

slightest regard either

world.

Having altogether abandoned,

unprofitable distractions of this world,

therefore, the vain

and

he laboured at one, and

that a very urgent task, of blamelessly fulfilling the ministry

For he was commanded to preach, saying
entrusted to him.
:

Tell me, dost thou think

Prepare ye the way of the Lord."

one over
that this man hath a devil ?
"

whom

the tyranny of
no evil lusts
of
Satan had no power who was the captive
who had overleapt the pitfalls of the base love of the flesh
;

who had commanded

the herds of demons to be

still,

and man

For verily he could not have at

Who is exglory and virtue but through Christ,

fully resisted their attacks.

tained to this

a Mai,

who has

sage, reads, 6S6r

part of this pas-

771;

naKapws Ban-

TKTTTJS T^S els Xpioroi/

ev<rc@fias t

which the Syriac has oXos.

for

I*, xl. 3.

COMMENTARY UPON

152

above Satan, who tempts and gnashes his teeth at the

Art thou not ashamed, then, of slan
prosperity of the saints.
altecl

who had attained to so great patience and endu

and
had
wound chaplets of manly virtue round his head ?
rance,
Hast thou whetted thy tongue even at him, and ventured
basely to calumniate him, by affirming that he is a madman,
and contemptible, and not in his right mind ?
Let us, then, see what b is on the other side, and which seems,
dering one

as

it were, to follow a different course from the

Baptist s conduct.
Christ was not in the wilderness, but rather made the
city His
habitation in company with the
He
did
not eat
holy Apostles
locusts and wild
His
was
not
of
camel
s hair,
honey
clothing
:

nor had

He

a leathern girdle
upon his loins. His mode of life
is usual in towns, with no such hardness in
as that practised
by the holy Baptist. Dost thou, then,

rather was such as

it

Him

at least ?
Dost thou approve of His easiness of
and
His
approach,
freely mixing with others, and entire care
lessness about His diet ?
By no means. Thy censoriousness

praise

extended even unto Christ

for thou saidst,

"

Behold a man

"

gluttonous, and drinking wine ! a friend of publicans and

sinners !
Because thou hast occasionally seen Jesus
faring
luxuriously, does He appear to thee a drinker of wine, and a
"

carouser,

and gluttonous

How

canst thou prove this

For

when once upon a time

Mary and Martha received Him at
Bethany, and one of them was distracted with overmuch ser
Christ

Luke x.

4 i.

seen preventing excess, and

vice,
reducing us to a
bare sufficiency.
For He said, "Martha, Martha: thou art
careful, and hurried about many
are
things but few
is

"

SicetiamB.

required, or

one."

And

such

He was

things
constantly and every

where.

But dost thou accuse Him because He went about with

pub
and sinners ? And is this the cause of thine offence ?
But what detriment can it be
imagined that Christ suffered,
from His willingness to be with sinners ? He was not liable at
licans

be taken by their sins,

being entirely beyond the reach
He even said, at one time
The prince of this
world cometh, and will fmd c
in
Me?" at
nothing
another,

all to

John

xiv.

of fault.

"

<e

?-

reads in the masc. rov

^Mai
pov os, K.T. X.
Him Who is on the
other side, &c."
"

"

The Syriac may either represent efip^w, which is Griesbach s

reading, supported by Athanasius,

THE GOSPEL OF
"Who

again:

of

Me

you rebuketh

LUKE.

ST.

153

because of

He

sin?"

could in no respect therefore be contaminated by being with

John vm.
46>

sinners.

But thou
"

Moses commanded that

we
Let us, howwicked."

sayest, the law of

"

should not hold converse with the

Ex.
32

let us see for what cause

ever, study the object of the law
intercourse
with the wicked,
it forbade the Israelites holding
:

and mingling with the

tainly

Now

deceivers.

the truth most cer

that the law of Moses ordained these things, not so

that thou mightest vaunt thyself over others, and make
is,

much
commandment a reason

the

for boasting

but rather, because

weak, and readily drawn aside into folly, and be

cause thy heart runs willingly after evil pleasures, it would free
thce from the wish to be with those whose life is culpable,
thy mind

lest

in mind, and foolishly be

communications corrupt good

thou shouldst become like them

caught
"

is

"

in their snare.

manners."

Thou

For

evil

receivcdst

commandment

the

For

as_4L safeguard for thy infirmity.

if

therefore

Cor. xv.

33>

thou hadst been

and thy mind steadfast in the fear of

not
have hindered thee from holding use
would
law
the
God,
ful intercourse with those who were weak, in order that tlfey
might become imitators of thy piety, and learn to emulate thy
ad
doings that walking in the steps of thy zeal, they might
established in virtue,

vance to that which

is

more

excellent.

Conceive, therefore, no
of Moses,

proud imaginings, since, even in the commandment

thou art accused of infirmity. Thou blamest Christ

for

going

because thou art afraid

about with sinners and publicans. Is it

lest He should suffer from their contamination

Tell me, then,

dost thou imagine that He also shares thy frailness? Art thou
Him ? That the
entirely ignorant of the mysteries respecting
Word being God was with us that is, was incarnate for our
not to condemn the world, John
sakes? That the Father sent Him
:

"

but that the world through Him might be saved." Now it

of such
belongs to one who condemns, to avoid the company
as are still in their sins: but it is the part of him who wishes
"

and admonish them, and prevail upon

and instead of
from
their
disgraceful courses,
change

to save to be with them,

them

to

Theodoret, and others, and by Cyril himself elsewhere; or evpiVjcct,

which also has considerable

authority.

patristic

Hi. 17.

COMMENTARY UPON

154

Luke

Luke

the path of wickedness, to choose the way that leadeth to

He came not to call the righteous, but sinners,
eternal life.
And as He said Himself, They that are
to repentance."
"

v. 32.

"

"

.31.

whole need not a Physician

"

but they that are

Him

therefore dost thou blame

for loving

man

Why

sick."

so well,

and

find

His godlike gentleness? Why reproach Him for

being kind to us, and healing our sickness ? And yet every
fault with

body praises physicians, not when they avoid those who are
sick, but when they are constantly with them, and by the re
sources of their art bring them gradually back to sound health.

And why then, since Jesus is the Physician of souls and spirits,
dost thou blame Him for saving sinners ? He could sustain no

it

even though

He

ate with sinners: for

yon bright sun
radiance upon, and visits every
thing under heaven
chances, then, that impurities also are found lying exposed to

pollution,

sheds

its

but that which pours down this radiance is not in the least
defiled, even though it shed it on matters so abominable. d

it

Our Lord Jesus

Christ

the

is

Sun

man, then, in no way whatsoever

His side, and eating with Him.

And

thus much, then,

Saviour of us

some may

all.

object,

of Righteousness

defiles

we have

It is not,

and say

<

a wicked

Him, though

close at

said respecting Christ the

however, perhaps unlikely, that

Does not

also the

new and saving

of the Gospel
"preaching
plainly command us to withdraw
from the communications of
impure men ? For most wise
i

Cor. v.

<

9.

Paul also wrote to some

"

"

"

"

"

have written unto you in the

epistle, that ye hold no intercourse with fornicators

one called a brother be a fornicator, or a

vetous, or

not to

If

any

drunkard, or cowith such a one no

an extortioner, or idolater
It had been
fitting, therefore, for Christ to
:

eat."

have been the type to us of this behaviour/

Thou hast
missed thy measure,
Thou wishest to vie with
my beloved
!

S. Cyril uses a similar meta

phor in his 1 5th paschal homily, to
shew that the divine nature of our
Lord suffered no corruption
by its
union with the human nature.
(Ed.
Aub. V. pt. 2. 205.) "The sun re"

"

"

the divine nature, which

ruptible,

even though

it

it

shed
:

its

rays

upon

how, then, could

incor

rior nature, and,

illuminating it
its own excellencies, elevate

with

slime

is

no change
sustain harm by con
liable to

or injury,
sorting with the inferior ? Would
it not rather
overpower the infe

tains its brightness

untarnished,

mud and

and

to

something

better?"

incomparably

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

155

Thou catchest at that

thy Master s sovereign dignity
which is above thy nature. Consider the infirmity of thy
Christ was God but thou art a man, tyrannized over
mind.
:

by fleshly pleasures, with a mind easily beguiled into error,

and readily made the prey of sins. If, however, thou feelest
confident of thy ability manfully to maintain a blameless course
o_conduct, and also to admonish others, there is nothing to
hinder even thee from wishing to be with the wicked and sin-

For often the admonitions of spiritually-minded 6 men

have profited those who are in sin. If, on the contrary, thou
from
thyself art scarcely saved, even when keeping far away
loving.

the company of the

who

Proverbs,
"

evil,

"

says
become wise but he
;

He

filed."
"

"

And

known."

"

And

that walketh with the wise, shall

who walketh with

"

maintain thy carefulness in this re

of the book of

remembrance the writer

Call to thy

spect.

"

again,

He

fools, shall

become

p r0 v.
20

that toucheth pitch shall bo dcWith the holy,

David

again also the blessed

"

and with the pure, thou wilt become

wilt become elect ; and with the
with
thou
the
elect,
pure
that Prov.
In order, then,
crooked."
be
made
thou
wilt
crooked,

thou wilt become holy

xiii.

"

"

thou mayest be delivered like a roe from the nets," flee from
wicked men keep apart from those who cannot be restrained
"

from pollution

and supplicate Christ

to purify

thy corruptions,

For the Word that came

from God is God, even though He became flesh, that is, man
by Whom and with Whom to God the Father, be praise and
or rather

all

thy

human

weaknesses.

dominion, with the

e

Holy Ghost,

The Grammar shews

construction of j.i

*^

have taken

if

to

"

it;

those in

j.i^iA.

for
sin,"

otherwise

it

it

that the
is

as

belonged
be

would

its

meaning,
like that of the Greek ^v^xos, is
belonggenerally an inferior one,
"

for ever

and

ever,

Amen.

ing to the soul," and therefore

placed by St. James, c. iii. 15., half
way between the earth, which is
"

neither

who

good nor

evil,

and the

devil,

only. Here, however, it

seems used as equivalent to spiis evil

ritual.

vi. 5.

COMMENTARY UPON

156

SERMON

XL.

And a certain Pharisee desired Him to eat with him.

And having entered the Pharisees house, He reclined at his
Ae table.
And, behold, a woman who was a sinner in the city,
tv r$
a M apAo
w jien s]ie jmew that He was reclining at table in the PhariC.vii.

36-

a/J eV

TT.

T77

Kal -into

K\alovcra

brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood

behind Him at His feet, and, weeping, began to wash His
with tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head,

see s house,

S.feet

and anointed them with ointment. When

the Pharisee who had bidden Him saw it, he said in himself,
If this were a prophet, He would have known who and of
what sort the woman is who toucheth Him, that she is a
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Simon, I
sinner.
have somewhat to say unto thee. And he said, Teacher, say
ffe sa ith to him; A certain money-lender had two
on
debtors ; the one owed five hundred denarii, the other fifty :
and whan they could not repay, he forgave them both. Which
therefore of them will love him most ? and Simon answered
and said, I suppose he that had most forgiven him. And He
said to him, Thou hast rightly judged. And turning to the
woman He said to Simon, Thou seest this woman. I entered
and

om. \iyuv,

fy-n s.

udd.

AeV*

CLUTCV rv

om.
add
om.

Se

BT.
s

7r

Jv

5e

tS,
BT.

kissed His feet,

into thine house

hath ivashed

TT)S

thou gavest no water for

My feet

Thou gavest

hair.

Me

with tears,

no

kiss,

My feet;

but she

and wiped them with her

but she from the time I came in

hath not ceased kissing My feet.

My head ivith oil thou
didst not anoint ; but she hath anointed My feet with oint
ment.

For

given her,
KO.I

OA.

addTo-oi

this reason, I tell thee, her many sins are for

because she hath loved much : but he to whom

forgiven, loveth
are forgiven thee.

little is

Ps. xivii.

little.

And

And He

said unto her,

Thy

who were

reclining with
Him at table began to say in themselves, Wlio is This That
forgiveth sins also ? But He said to the woman, Thy faith
hath made thee live : go in peace.
s ^ns

i.
"

those

"ALL
ye people, clap your bands, and praise God with
the voice of thanksgiving."
And what is the cause of

the festival?

It is

for us a

of salvation, untrodden

way

that the Saviour hath newly constructed

by them of old timeA

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

157

For the law, which the all-wise Moses ordained, was for
but
the reproof of sin, and the condemnation of offences
the very wise Paul
For
one.
no
it
justified absolutely
the law of Moses, was put Heb.
Whosoever
:

"

rejected

writes,

x. 28.

two or three
to death without mercy at the mouth of
removed
Jesus
Lord
our
Christ,
But
having
witnesses."

"

commandment which

the curse of the law, and proved the

mer
condemns to be powerless and inoperative, became our
blessed Paul.
of
the
words
the
to
ciful High Priest, according
faith, and sets free those held
the wicked
He
For

by

justifies

He proclaimed to us by one of
In
those days, and at that time,
the holy prophets, saying,
for the sin of Israel, and
seek
shall
saith the Lord, they
sin of Judah, and thou
the
for
and
there shall be none
to those that have
merciful
be
for I will
shalt not find it
captive

And

their sins.

by

Heb.ii. 17.

this

"

Jer.

1.

20.

"

"

"

been

the land, saith the

left in

But

Lord."

lo

the fulfilment

to pass for us at the time of His Incar

of the promise came

nation, as we arc assured

by the purport of the holy Gospels.

one of the Pharisees, and being kind

For he was invited by

should bciTim.ii.
and loving unto man, and "willing that all men
of the truth," He con
saved, and come to the knowledge
him who requested it. And
sented, and granted the favour to
and immediately there
entered, He reclined at table

"

having
entered a

woman

defiled with filthy lewdness:

who,

from wine and intoxication, and made

like

one

sensible

scarcely roused
unto
of the guilt of her transgressions, offered supplication
and deliver her from all
Christ, as able to cleanse her,
not remem- Heb.
free her from her former sins, as
"

fault,

and

"

bcring

iniquities."

And

this

she did, washing His feet with

them
and anointing them with ointment, and wiping
been
had
lewd,
beforetime
who
with her hair. Thus a woman,
missed
and guilty of sensuality, a sin difficult to wash away,

tears,

not the path of salvation

knowcth how

to save,

and

for she fled for refuge to

is

able to raise

impurity.
failed not in

She then
risce,

the blessed Evangelist

within himself,
"

who and
that she

of

is

"

If this

what

tells us,

foolish 1 ha-

was offended, and said

He would have known

were a prophet,

sort the

sinner."

But the

her purpose.

Him Who

from the depths

The

woman

is

that toucheth

Him,

Pharisee therefore was boastful,

viii.

COMMENTARY UPON

158

and utterly without

For it was his duty ra
understanding.
ther to regulate his own life, and
earnestly adorn it by all vir
tuous pursuits ; and not to
sentence
pass
upon the infirm, and
condemn others. But we affirm of him, that
been
having
customs of the law, he
gave too wide an
institutions, and required the
Legislator Him

brought up

in the

influence to

its

self to

be subject to the commandments of Moses.

For the
law commanded the
holy to keep apart from the impure and
God also blamed those whose lot it was to be the chiefs of
the
congregation of the Jews, for their unwillingness in this re:

Ez. xxii.

spect.

For He thus spake

by one of the holy prophets
distinction between the
holy and the

make no

"

Christ arose for us,

Gal.

iii.

I9

"

they
profane/ But
not to subject our state to the curses that
:

are by the law, but to redeem those

subject to sin by a mercy
For the law was instituted because of
superior to the law.

"

-transgressions,"

as Scripture
declares,

every mouth
might be stopped, and all the world become
guilty before
God, because by the works of the law no flesh is
justified."
For there was no one so far advanced
in
"that

<

"

virtue,

virtue I mean, as to be able to

fulfil

all

that

spiritual

had been com

manded, and that blamelessly. But the

grace that is by Christ
doing away with the condemnation of the
law, it frees us by means of faith.
That proud and foolish Pharisee therefore
did not even
deem Jesus to have attained to the
measure of a prophet
but He made the woman s tears an
opportunity for clearly
instructing him in the mystery.
For He taught the Pha
risee, and all who were assembled
that
justifieth, because,

John

iii.

the Word
there,
the world in our likeness, not to
condemn the world, but that the world
might be saved

came

into

He came

that

being God,
"

Him."

"

He

by

might forgive the debtors much

nd little, and shew
mercy upon small and great, that there
might be no one whatsoever who did not
participate in His
And as a pledge and plain
goodness.
example of His grace,
Ic freed that
unchaste woman from her
many iniquities by

Thy sins are forgiven thee." Worthy indeed of God

a declaration such as this
It is a word
joined with supreme
For since the law condemned those that were in
authority.
who, I ask, was able to declare
things above the law,
xcept Him only Who ordained it ?
Immediately therefore He
saying,
s

>

THE GOSPEL OF
both set the

woman

Pharisee, and those

free,

ST.

LUKE.

159

and directed the attention of that

dining with him, to more ex

who were

things
they learned that the Word being God,
was not as one of the prophets, but rather far
beyond the
measure of humanity, even though He became man. And
one may say to him who invited Him, Thou was trained
up, O
cellent

for

thou knowest I suppose of

Pharisee, in the sacred Scriptures
course the commands given by most wise Moses thou hast
examined the words of the holy prophets Who then is This
;

That walking in a path contrary to the sacred commands

hath delivered from guilt ? Who That hath
pronounced them

who have boldly broken the things ordained ? Recognise

therefore by the facts themselves One
superior to the prophets
and the law: remember that one of the
holy prophets pro
claimed these things in old time of Him, and .said,
They

free

"

"

"

shall

Who

"

gressions,
"

Mic.vii.iy.

be in wonder at our God, and shall be afraid of Thee.

is a God like unto Thee, That
forgiveth the trans-

and passeth over the

iniquities of the

remnant of

His inheritance, nor rctaineth His anger unto the end, be-

He willeth mercy
Those therefore who were at meat with the Pharisee, were
astonished and wondered at seeing Christ the Saviour of all
possessed of such godlike supremacy, and using expressions
above the right of man. For they said,
Who is This That
"

cause

\"

"

"

forgiveth sins

He

brought

the bosom of

God

nature

Whom

by

to tell thee

Who

the Father, and was

every thing was

Who

possesses supreme sovereignty, and is

every thing in heaven and in earth. He sub

into being

worshipped by
mitted Himself

Dost thou wish me

also?"

He Who is in
begotten of Him by
is ?

to

our estate, and became our High Priest, in

present us unto God, pure and clean,

order that

He might

having put

off

the

ill

savour of

sin,

and having Him instead

Col.

i.

22.

in

us as a^weet savour. For, as most wise Paul writes,

We are
a sweet savour of Christ unto God." This is He Who spake
"

"

by the voice of the prophet Ezechiel, "And I will be to you a

God, and I will save you from all your uneleannesses." See

2 Cor.

j^"

X xxvi.

"

what
had before been promised by the holy prophets. Acknowledge
Him as God Him so gentle and loving unto men. Seize upon

therefore, that the actual accomplishment agreed with

the

way

of salvation

flee

from the law that

killeth

:"

accept

ii.

28, 29.

COMMENTARY UPON

160
aCor.iii. 6.

the faith which

For

above the law.

is

is

it

even the law

written,

"That

but the spirit

killeth,"
is in Christ.
that
the
even
spiritual purification
givcth life,"
cords of
with
the
of
earth
inhabitants
the
Satan had bound

11

which

written

is

"

"

sin

Ps. cvii. 42.

Rom.

viii.

Christ has loosed them

"

shall stop its

mouth

u he that condemneth

Ps. civ. 35.

He

has made us free, has abo

lished the tyranny of sin, has driven away the accuser of our
infirmities; and the Scripture is fulfilled, that "all iniquity
for

"

;"

it is

God That justifieth

Who

is

This the divine Psalmist also prayed

might be accomplished, when thus addressing Christ the
Let sinners perish from off the earth and the
Saviour of all.
?"

"

wicked, so that they may not be found." For verily we must

not say of one clothed with the Spirit, that he curseth those
"

who

are infirm and sinful

for

not fitting for the saints to

it is

curse any
but rather that he prays this of God. For before
the coming of the Saviour we all were in sin there was no one
:

who acknowledged Him Who by nature and

Rom.

verily

is

God.

There was no one doing good, no not one but they all had
turned aside together, and become reprobate." But because
the Only-begotten submitted Himself to emptiness, and became
flesh, and was made man, sinners have perished, and exist no
"

iii.

"

Phil.

ii.

7.

longer.

For the dwellers upon earth have been

justified

by

have washed away the pollution of sin by holy baptism,

have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost, have sprung out
of the hand of the enemy
and having bidden as it were the
faith,

hosts of devils to depart, dwell under the yoke of Christ.

Christ s gifts therefore raise men to a hope long looked for,

most dear joy. The woman who was guilty of many

impurities, and deserving of blame for most disgraceful deeds,
was justified, that we also may have confidence that Christ

and

to a

certainly will have

to Him, and

edness.

i.

5.

us,

when He

sees us hastening
the pitfalls of wick

endeavouring to escape from

Let us too stand before Him let us shed the tears of
:

repentance
Joel

mercy upon

let

us anoint

Him

with ointment

for the tears of

him that repenteth are a sweet savour to God. Call him to

mind wno sa ith, "Awake, they who are drunken with wine:
weep and howl all they who drink wine to drunkenness."
For Satan intoxicates the heart, and agitates the mind by
"

wicked pleasure,
leading
suality.

But while there

men down
is

to the pollutions of sen

time, let us

awake

and as most

THE GOSPEL OF
wise Paul says,
"

ST.

LUKE.

161

Let us not be constantly

engaged in revels Rom.
and drunkenness, nor in chambering and wantonness; but
rather let us work what is
good for we are not of the night,
nor of darkness, but children of
Let
light and of the day.
us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and clothe ourselves with the works of
Be not troubled when thou
light."
"

I3>

"

"

"

"

meditatest upon the greatness of thy former sins but rather

know, that still greater is the grace that justifieth the sinner,
and absolveth the wicked.
:

Faith then in Christ is found to be the

pledge to us of these
great blessings for it is the way that leadeth unto life that
bids us go to the mansions that are above
that raises us to the
:

inheritance of the saints

dom

of Christ

by

Whom

makes us members of the king

and with Whom, to God the Father

that

be praise and dominion with the Holy Ghost, for ever and
ever,

Amen.

COMMENTARY UPON

1G2

SERMON XL!
c.

viii.

4-8.

And when a

birds of heaven devoured it. And other fell upon the rock,
and ivhen it had sprung up, it withered away because it
had no moisture. And other fell among the thorns, and
the thorns grew up with it, and choked it.
And other fell
upon the good ground, and it greiv up, and brought forth
Wliile saying these things He cried
fruit a hundredfold.
out, He that hath ears to hear let him hear.

yutf ST.
(

T
,

and some

of every city were come to Him, He spake by a parable.

The Sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed,
some fell by the way side, and, was trampled upon, and the

pev fw f

large multitude ivas (fathered together,

y-

avr6 GTS*,

THE

blessed prophets have spoken to us in manifold

For some
respecting Christ the Saviour of us all.

ways

proclaimed

Him as a Light that was to come and others as One of royal

rank and greatness. For ono of them even
Blessed is
says,
he who hath seed in Zion, and kinsmen in Jerusalem for
lo
her just king shall
reign, and princes shall bear rule
:

is.

xxxi. 9

"

"

"

And That Man shall be One That hideth

For the word of the Saviour is constantly, so
to speak, hidden.
So also the blessed Psalmist has brought
Him before us saying, I will open My mouth in parables."
See therefore that that which was
spoken by Him in old time
has come to pass.
For a large multitude was assembled round
Him of people from all Judaea, and He spake to them in para
bles.
But inasmuch as they were not
worthy to learn the
mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, the word was wrapt for
them in darkness for
they had killed the holy prophets, and
"

"

Ps. Ixxviii.

with judgment.

His

words."

"

being guilty of
Acts

vii.

much

blood of the righteous, heard themselves

thus plainly addressed
Which of the prophets have not
ur
fatliers
killed
And again,
y
Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
that killeth the
prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto
her how often would I have
as a
"

"

"

Luke

xiii.

?"

"

34-

"

gathered thy children,

hen gathereth her chickens under her
wings, and ye would
not.
Behold your house is left unto you f
;

"

"

."

desolate, though reby both the Peshito and Phi-

"Epijfios,

tained

loxenian versions, and our own textus receptus, is most probably an

THE GOSPEL OF
But

their

wicked acts did not extend merely

prophets, but even mounted up to

prophets

that

LUKE.

ST.

is

Him Who

For being

Christ.

insolent,

163
to the holy

Lord of the
and setting up
is

against Him, so to speak, their haughty neck, they gave not

the slightest heed to the duty of receiving faith in Him and
:

even wickedly resisted His public teaching, and rebuked those

to be constantly with Him, and thirsted for His

who wished

He hath a devil and is mad

why hear ye Him?" To them therefore it was not granted to
know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but rather unto
For He hath
us, who are more ready to embrace the faith.

John

to ungiven unto us, as being perfect wisdom, the ability

derstand parables, and the dark saying, the words of the

Pruv.

"

instruction, impiously saying,

"

i.

6.

"

and their riddles." For parables we may say are the

not
of visible objects, but rather of those cognizable by
images
For that which it is impossible to
the intellect and spiritual.
"

wise,

see with the eyes of the body, the parable points out unto
the eyes of the mind, beautifully shaping out the subtilty of
which
things intellectual, by means of the things of sense, and

are as

what

it

were palpable

to

benefit the Saviour

The Sower, He

says,

"

forth."

Concerning

Let us see therefore

the touch s.

word weaves
went out

whom

to

for us.
"

then did

sow

He

For He verily
dently concerning Himself.
that is good, and we are His husbandry

his

seed,

and

so

thus speak ? Evi

the Sower of all

is
:

and by Him and

the whole harvest of spiritual fruits. And this He

John
us
Without Me ye can do nothing."
when
taught
saying,
In the imaginations therefore of the mind, see, I pray, a
husbandman walking along, and everywhere casting seed in
the fields: of which some falls on the pathways, and some on

from

Him

is

"

the rocks

good, that

and some on thorny places and again some on

That however on the pathis, on fertile ground.
:

from Mat. xxiii. 38,

and is rejected in all modern edd.
In Mat. it is retained by all except
Lachmann, who follows B. The A. V.

in which
parable to those allegories
the actors are rational beings, as
that of the ten virgins, of the unjust
steward, &c. This of the sower, the

follows the Vulgate in the mistranssent unto thee."

lation,

tares, &c., they call

interpolation

"

The Syrians

confine the

word

litudes.

lator adopts the

J^Aic,

<simi

Here, however, the trans-

Greek usage.

xv. 5.

COMMENTARY UPON

164

when it had
ways was snatched away and that on the rocks,
shot
and
up, quickly withered of
scarcely
just sprouted,
choked but that which
was
thorns
and
that
among
drought
fell on good ground prospered, for it bore fruit, He says, a
:

hundredfold.

Now

what the aim

of the discourse,

is

we

and what the profrom Him Who

shall learn

founder teaching of the parable,

framed it. Before us even the blessed disciples found these
Revealer
things hard to understand, and drew near unto the

What is the
The seed is the
And what was Christ s reply ?
God those on the way are they who have heard,

of mysteries,

parable
"

"

aKofoavres

supplicating

Him and

"

saying,

"

"

?"

word of

an ^ after wards the devil cometh, and taketh away the word
from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.
7

BS.

And as to the cause of the seed on the pathways being

snatched away, we see in a moment that it is the hardness of
the ground.
A pathway always is hard and untilled, because
exposed to every one s feet, nor is any seed admitted into
but lies rather upon the surface, ready for any birds that

it is
it,

snatch

will to

it

All those therefore,

away.

whose mind

is

hard and unyielding, and so to speak, pressed together, do not

for the divine and sacred admonition
receive the divine seed
:

no entrance into them, nor do they accept the words that

would produce in them the fear of God, and by means of
which they could bring forth as fruits the glories of virtue.
finds

They have made themselves a beaten and trampled pathway

for unclean

demons, yea, and for Satan himself, such as never

fruit.
Let those therefore awake, whose heart

can bear holy

is

and

sterile

open your mind, receive the sacred

and well-tilled soil, bring forth unto
that will raise you to an incorruptible life

unfruitful

seed, be like productive

God

the fruits

guard your mind, shut the entrance against the thief, drive
away from your hearts the flocks of birds, in order that the
seed

may

in corn,

abide with you

and very

fertile,

that ye may be ground luxuriant

and rich abundantly in bringing forth
;

fruit.
h This

Cramer

passage

is

contained

in

66, and as generally is

the case, his MS. agrees more closely with the Syriac than Mai s, but
ii.

is

rendered comparatively valueless

by the extreme carelessness and

accuracy with which it is edited,

in-

THE GOSPEL OF
And

LUKE.

next, let us also consider those others of

165

whom

Christ

those upon the rock are they who, when they hear,
receive the word with joy, and they have no root these for

said,
"

ST.

"And

a while believe, and in time of temptation depart away."

For there are verily men whose faith has not been proved,
depending on words simply, and not applying their mind to the
"

examining of the mystery of such the piety is sapless and with

out root. For when they enter the churches, they feel pleasure
:

often in seeing so

assembled, and joyfully receive in

many

struction in the mysteries from

teach,

him whose business

and laud him with praises

it is

to

they do with no

but this

and when
discretion or judgment, but with unpuriiied wills
at once they forget the
of
the
have
out
churches,
gone
they
:

sacred doctrines, and proceed in their customary course not

future benefit.
having stored up within them any thing for their
And if the affairs of Christians go on peacefully, and no trial dis
even then scarcely maintain in them the faith,
turb them,
;

they

and tottering state. But

the enemies of the truth
and
trouble
them,
persecution
attack the churches of the Saviour, their heart loves not the

and

that, so to speak, in a confused

Cf. 131,- 14.

if

mind throws away the shield and flees, being

and destitute of love towards God, and ready
one may well say,
But
for desertion.
ye fearful and infirm,
be
would
which
that
your glory ? and
whjlo_yje flee from
trained? For
been
have
which ye
escape_ from conflicts to
battle,

and

their

devoid of zeal,

themselves the trophy of

hereby those who wish may win for

Do ye

victory.

also struggle:

twine the

the rewards of perseverance,

liness, thirst for

chaplet of man
for the honours

of_patiencc.
I think too that I

they who

argument:

earthly things,
desire

is

forward the following

rightly bring
on lofty thrones, and govern
glitter

may

set

when

on victory

the din of arms

soldier, whose
they see the steadfast
and
Is it in times when peace smiles,
Or is it rather when he goes courage

is it
?

is still ?

who are marshalling for the attack ? As I

ously against those
former.
case that is true rather than the
imagine, it is the latter
Therefore as the prophet Jeremiah has
"

and

as the right
Especially
wise Paul has
in
the
battle, and as most
invincible
than they can
does not permit men to be tried more

shields."

Saviour
saidT"

is

He

Take up arms
hand ot God our
"

said,

jerem.

COMMENTARY UPON

166

make

bear, but with the trial will

"

"

they

may

But even

be able to endure
if it

of egress, that

patiently."

when contending
towards Christ, then altogether and in every

we worthy

are

way

possibly be our lot to suffer

in defence of piety

way

also the

and

of envy,

and possessed of

glorious,

Moreover, a praised death

splendid hopes.
better than an ignominious

For

life.

is

incomparably

so also the Saviour said to

Fear not them who kill the body, but are

holy apostles,
not able to kill the soul.
But rather fear Him Who is able

Lukexii. 4 the
.

"

"

to destroy both soul

"

command
Avhile

He

He

laid

and body

in

hell."

Did He therefore

us thus entirely to disregard these extreme

dangers,
Himself remained aloof from similar trials ? But lo !

down His

the world.

We

life

for us,

and with His blood purchased

Who

are therefore not our own, but His

bought and redeemed

and

Whom

we owe our

For
For this reason Christ died and lived,
that He might be Lord of the dead and the
We
living."
ought therefore to possess a mind incapable of being shaken,
that especially whenever
temptation arrive, we may shew our^
selves approved and victorious in the
power of patience and
us,

as the divine Paul said,

to

lives.

"

"

ready with joy

to

undergo

conflicts,

and

seize the
opportunity

of suffering for
piety s sake towards Christ.
Thus much then being disposed of and explained, let us next

consider the thorns

What
"

"

"

among which

the divine seed

is

choked.

But that which fell among the

again says the Saviour ?
thorns are they who have heard, and
cares, and wealth,
"

by
and pleasures of the world,
go and are choked, and yield no
fruit/
For the Saviour scatters the seed, which
having

obtained a firm hold in the souls that have received

it,

ready, so to say, shot up, and just begun to be visible,

is

and

al

choked

by worldly cares, and dries up, being overgrown by empty occuand as the prophet Jeremiah said, it becomes a handthat
can produce no meal." In these
ful,
things therefore we
must be like skilful husbandmen who
having perseveringly
cleansed away the thorns, and torn
up by the root whatever
[

pations,

"

"

injurious, then scatter the seed in clean furrows; and therefore one can
that doubtless they shall
say with confidence,
come with joy,
their
sheaves."
But if a man cast his
bearing
is

PH. cxxvi.

"

"

One or two similar instances will

subsequently be found of incorrect
quotations probably from memory.
1

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

167

seed in ground that is fertile in thorns, and fruitful in

briars,
and densely covered with useless stubble, he sustains a double
loss
of his seed first, and also of his trouble.
In order there
:

fore that the divine seed

may blossom well in us, let us first cast

out of the mind worldly cares, and the
unprofitable anxiety
which makes us seek to be rich, For we
brought nothing into iTim.vi.
the world, nor can we take
any thing out." For what profit
is there in
Treasures profit not the Proov. x.
possessing superfluities ?
"

7.

"

"

"

as Scripture saith,
from death.
For

but righteousness dclivereth

immediately upon the possession of afflu

wicked,"

"

"

ence, there run up, and, so to speak, forthwith hem us in, the
basest wickednesses
profligate banquets, the delights of glut
;

tony,

and carefully prepared sauces

and the

pitfalls of

wantonness

music, and drunkenness,

pleasures and sensuality, and

as the disciple of the Saviour has said,
;

pride hateful to God. But

k
Every thing that is in the world
"

"

"

is the lust of the flesh, and

the lust of the eye, and the
pride of the world; and the
world passcth away, and its lust but he that docth the will

""

"

of

God

abideth for

ever."

This

is the
good seed, and worthy of admiration the land
and well productive, that
bringcth forth fruit a hundred
fold.
For men say, that the best soils do sometimes under cul
:

rich

tivation

produce a hundredfold

fertile

every

and productive

so that this

spot.

And

is

of such

mark

of

has been

it

very justly said by one of the holy prophets at the mouth of

God, And all nations shall congratulate you because ye are Malach.
a desirable land."
For when the divine word falls
a
"

ii

*"

"

upon

mind pure and

then fixes

its

cleansing itself from things hurtful, it

root deeply, and shoots up like an ear of corn, and
skilful in

so to speak,
being strong in blade,
fruit to perfection.

But

think

it

may

wish to learn what

and

well flowered, brings

its

be useful to mention this to you, who

For Matthew, when relating this

good ground brought forth fruit in
For one, he says, brought forth a hundred,
is

good.

chapter to us, said that the

three degrees.

"

In this quotation, which repeatedly occurs in this Commentary,

the latter clause of v. 16 is
always
omitted, viz. OVK (O~TIV CK TOV irarpoy, aXAci fK TOV Koo-fiov fa-Tiv
:

next, TOV KOO-^OV is substituted after

d\aoveia for TOV @iov and lastly,
:

f)

by the insertion of the copula

previous clause, the sense
I

have translated

it.

is

in the

fixed as

Matt,
*
;

xiii,

COMMENTARY UPON

168
"

and one

sixty,

and one

thirtyfold."

Observe therefore, that

three degrees of loss, so similarly the

just as Christ described
For those seeds that
are
success
of
equal in number.
degrees

upon the pathway are snatched away by the birds and

those upon the rocks, having merely shot up, within a little
while wither away and those among the thorns are choked.

fall

But that desirable land brings forth

fruit in three

several

and thirtyfold. For as

degrees, as I said a hundred, sixty,
Each one severally of us has his own
most wise Paul writes,
:

"

iCor.vii.

7.

one in one manner, and another in another."

gift from God,
For we do not at all find that the successes of the saints are in
On us however it is incumbent to emulate
equal measure.
"

these things that are better and superior to those of meaner

kind for so will Christ bountifully bestow happiness upon us
:

by Whom

God

the Father be praise and

dominion with the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever, Amen.

and with Whom,

to

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON
And

came

there

were not able

But

it

was

to

to

Him His

Him, Thy

told

LUKE.

169

XLll.

mother,

and His

brethren,

and

Him

because of the multitude.

mother, and Thy brethren stand

luith

speak

ST.

But He answered and said

without, wishing to see Thee.

unto them, My mother and

tear the word of God and do

My

brethren,

are these icho

C. viii 1921

Add.

A*1

QrJJ*

it.

ONCE again let the words of praise in the book of Psalms

What shall I render unto the Lord for all p 8
be quoted by us
For what can we otter Him I2
He hath rendered unto me
"

"

C xvi.

?"

equal to His love towards us ? Shall we choose for our

guidance the commands of the law, and honour Him with
that

is

blood

bullocks and goats

sacrifices of

unto Him.
declared to
"

"

"

I hate,

festivals

and

Does

No

He

pleasure in the slaughter of

for they are an abomination

feel

certainly

For by one of His holy prophets He even plainly

those who were rendering Him the legal service,
abominate your feast days nor will I smell at your Amosv.si
because though ye bring Ale whole burnt offerings
:

sacrifices, I will

not accept them

nor regard your

dis-

What therefore ought to be the spi

plays for salvation."
ritual sacrifice which we offer Him, the wise Psalmist again

"

I said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord;

teaches us saying,
because my good things Thou ncedest not." AVhen thus we
approach Him, He will accept us if this be the offering we
"

PS. xvi.

2.

"

make Him

it

will

be dear and agreeable

sacrifice, according as
"

"

"

"

it is

written,

this

is

the spiritual

Hath the Lord

delight in

whole burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in our hearkening to

His voice? Behold! to hearken is better than sacrifices; and
to listen than the fat of

hearkening unto God,

sent lesson teaches us.

is

rams."

For that obedience and the

the cause of every blessing, the pre

For some entered and told Christ re

specting His holy mother and His brethren.

answered in these words,
My mother and
"

And He,

My

it

says,

brethren are

the word of God and do

not any one imagine that Christ spurned the honour
due to His mother, or contemptuously disregarded the love owed

"

they

Now

who hear
let

it."

Sam. \v.

COMMENTARY UPON

170

Dout.v.

He

Who

spake the law by Moses,

and clearly said, Honour thy father and thy mother, that it
may be well with thee." And how I pray could He have
the love due to brethren, Who even commanded us to

to

His brethren

for

it

was

"

16.

"

Mat.

rejected
love not merely our brethren, but those who stand in the relaLove your enemies." What
tion to us of foes ? For He says,
"

v.

44.

His object then is highly

His love towards those who are willing to bow the neck

therefore does Christ wish to teach?

to exalt

way I will explain. The greatest

we all
most
the
honours, and
complete affection is that which
He
If
therefore
brethren.
and
owe to our mothers
says that
mother
and
His
are
it
and
do
brethren,
they who hear His word
to

His commands and in what

:

not plain to every one, that He bestows on those who

follow Him a love thorough and worthy of their acceptance ?
is

it

He

For so

would make them readily embrace the desire of

and of submitting their mind

yielding themselves to His words,
to His yoke, by means of a complete obedience.
But that God greatly rejoices in those whose minds are, thus
He assures us by one of the holy prophets, thus
disposed,

is. ixvi.

2.

"And

saying,
"

whom

on

upon the humble

For just as
words
My
sons whose
in
those
pleasure

shall I look, except

and meek, and that trembleth at

our

fathers after the flesh feel

it is to
perform the things that are good and agreeable
them, and who wish to accord with them in mind, so also the
God of all loves the obedient, and deigns His mercy to him

choice
to

who thoroughly hearkens

to

Mai.

i.

6.

"A

saying,
"if

"

then

John

iv.

Is. ixv. 13.

am

the converse also

is

disobedient and untractable.

who

a father, where
is

we ought

Him

honour
i

is

fell

into this wickedness,

son honoureth his father, and a servant his master

master, where

either

And

Him.

that he rejects him who

For He also blamed the Jews

true

My

fear

to fear the

is

My

honour? and

saith the

Lord

Lord of

all

if I

am

For

Almighty."

as a master, or to

a thing which is far greater

for love casteth out fear.

at least as a father,

and better than the former

For that there is no obedience without reward, and on the
other hand, no disobedience without penalty, is made plain by
what God spake by His holy prophet to those who disregarded
:

Him:
"

"

ye

they who serve

"Behold,

suffer

hunger

shall

suffer

behold, they
thirst

Me

who

shall

serve

behold, they

eat,

Me

but ye shall
but

shall drink,

who obey Me

shall

THE GOSPEL OF
"

"

171

but ye shall lament behold, they who serve Me

but ye shall groan, and wail from
For let us see, if you will, even
contrition of your heart."

rejoice,
"

LUKE.

ST.

shall exult in happiness,

from the writings of Moses, the grief to which disobedience has

brought us. We have been driven from a paradise of delights,

and have

also fallen

under the condemnation of death

and

while intended for incorruption

for so God created the uni
verse
we yet have become accursed, and subject to the yoke
:

And how then have we escaped from that which betel us

is He that aided us, when we had sunk into this
great
? It was the
misery
Only-begotten Word of God, by submitting

of sin.

>

or

Who

Himself to our

estate,

and being found

in fashion as

Phil.

s.

ii.

a man, and

becoming obedient unto the Father even unto death. Thus has
the guilt of the disobedience that is by Adam been remitted
:

thus has the power of the curse ceased, and the dominion of
death been brought to decay.
And this too Paul teaches,

For as by the disobedience of the one man, the many Kom.v.

sinners, so by the obedience of the One, the many
became righteous." For the whole nature of man became
"

saying,
"

"

i<>

became

guilty in the person of

him who was

in

Christ.

first

For

formed

but

He became

now

it is

for us the

wholly justified again

second commencement of our race after that primary one; and
therefore all things in Him have become new.
And Paul as

Therefore every man who is in Christ 2

a new creation; and the former things have passed away
om.
behold, they have become new."

sures of this, writing,

"

"

is
"

In order then that Christ

may

win us

all

unto obedience,

He

v.

word of God and do

For who among men is so obdurate
and ungentle, as to refuse to honour, and accord the most com
plete love to his mother and brethren ? For the all-powerful
"

it."

law of nature, even without our will, obliges us to this. When

therefore, bowing our neck to the Saviour s commands, we be

come His

followers,

and

so arc in the relation of a

mother and

brethren to Him, how does He regard us before God s judgment

seat ? Is it not with gentleness and love ? What doubt can there

be of this

And what

is

comparable

to this

honour and good

there worthy of being matched with a gift thus

and
? For He takes us unto Him, that where
desirable
splendid
?

What

is

z 2

TO

*<

re ti n ent

GTy
promises us surpassing honours, and deigns us the highest love,
hear
the
who
those
mother
brethren
are
and My
saying,
My

ness

>

COMMENTARY UPON

TO
He
Johnxiv.3.

is,

there

we

place for you

where

with Him.

For

He

this

even

and make ready a

and return again and take you with Me, that

deigned to promise
"

may be

also

us, saying,

"I

will go,

am, there ye also may be with Me."

Servitude, therefore, is a thing worth our gaining, and the

"

And this, we say, is fulfilled not by

pledge of noble honours.
our merely hearing the words of God, but by our endeavouring
to perform what is commanded.
This thou learnest from what
James
om.

i.

22.

gi-isol.

one of the holy Apostles declares

But become doers of the
law and not hearers only.
If any be a hearer of the law,
and not a doer, he is like a man regarding his natural face,
in a mirror.
For he has regarded himself, and gone away
"

"

"

"

"

"

"

tpywv

sol.

and at once forgotten what manner of person he was. But

he who hath looked into the perfect law of liberty, and
m
wrought not being a forgetful hearer, but an active doer,
:

"

he shall be blessed

in his

doing."

Now

though the argument already brought forward is suffi

cient for the persuasion of
right-thinking men, yet I will add
advantage that also which is correctly said in the
words of the blessed Paul
For the land that hath drunk in

for their

Heb.

vi. 7.

"

"

"

"

"

come oft upon it, and bringeth forth the root

them for whose sake it is tilled, receiveth a
But if it bring forth thorns and thistles,
blessing from God.
it is
and its end is to be
rejected, and is nigh unto cursing
the rain that hath

serviceable for

"

burnt."

For

hearts of those

like rain, the Saviour

who

hear, the

sendeth down upon the

word of

even the sacred doctrine of salvation.

If

spiritual consolation

then a

man

be pos

sessed of
understanding, he will bring forth the fruits of an
abundant intellectual harvest but if he be careless and negli
gent, he of course has no claim to the praises of virtue, and
:

instead of grapes will

And what his end
bring forth thorns.
will be, we learn from the words of Isaiah.
For he says
:

this

The reading vopov

and

for

\6yov in

the

following verse is
found in very few even of the inferior MSS., but occurs in the ^Ethiopic and Arabic versions.
m Owing to the
paucity of adjectives in Syriac, an attribute is
generally expressed by the addition of
a substantive, and this idiom is fre-

quent in the Greek of the N. T.,

but nowhere more so than in St.
James. As, therefore,
the mam"

mon

of unrighteousness"

is

"

and

the

a
unrighteous
a forhearer of forgetfulness,"
so a
doer of
getful hearer
is
an active doer."
doings"
mammon,"

"

"

;"

"

"

THE GOSPEL OF
"

ST.

LUKE.

173

For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the man of Judah

a plant new and well-beloved and I looked that it would
bring forth grapes, but it brought forth iniquity, and not
:

"

is. v. 7.

"

righteousness, but a cry." And that Israel was thus punished

for its neglect of that fruitfulness which was both
for
"

fitting

and well pleasing to God having neither obeyed His

commands, nor consented to perform them we learn again
But now I will shew you
from His words, where He says
itself

"

"

"

Is. v. 5.

what I will do to My vineyard. I will take away its fence,

and it shall be wasted and I will rend its wall, and it shall
And I will abandon My vineyard
be trampled under foot.
and it shall not be pruned, nor tilled and thorns shall grow
up in it as on waste ground and I will command the clouds
:

"

"

"

"

to rain no rain

that

upon

God hath no

It is

it."

plain, therefore, to every

respect for the

man,
wicked soul that bcarcth

unprotected, and without a wall, and ex

posed to the depredations of whoever will a place for thieves
and wild animals ; and sharing in no spiritual consolation. For

For

thorns.

it is left

this I consider,

upon

it

no rain.

and

this only, is the

When

meaning of there

falling

Israel suffered these things, the Psalmist

so to speak wailed over him, and said to the God of all

The vine that Thou broughtest out of Egypt, Thou castedst
And again thus proceeds
out the nations and plantedst
:

"

PS. ixxx.

"

it."

"

its

shade covered the mountains; and its boughs were as the

God it sent forth its branches to the sea, and its

"

cedars of

"

foliage to the

"

"

lie

river."

made

too supplications for

what

Thou broken down her w.

suffered, saying
Why
The boar out of
and
all the wayfarers pluck her
hedges,
the wood destroyed! hgr and the ass of the desert feedeth
For the soul that is undefended, and deemed

they had

"

hast

"

upon
a pasture
unworthy of protection from on high, becomes
and his
Satan
For
it is
for
evil
beasts.
plundered by
ground
her."

angels.

In order, therefore, that we may not fall into such severe

the Sa
tribulations, let us bow the neck of our mind to Christ
for it
it
do
and
of
God
viour of all. Let us receive the Word
:

our choice be so to act, He will crown us with lofty honours

with
for He is the distributor of the crowns
by Whom and
the
with
dominion
and
to God the Father be praise
;

Whom

Holy Ghost,

for ever

and ever, Amen.

12, 13.

COMMENTARY UPON

174

SERMON
c.

viii.

2-

But

it

came

to

XLIII.

pass on a certain day that

He went

into

And He said unto them, Let us

ship with His disciples.
go over to the other side of the lake : and they went. But
as they were sailing, He fell asleep: and there came
down a storm of wind upon the lake, and the ship was
And they drew near,
filled and they were in danger.
and awoke Him, saying, Master, Master, we perish.
Then He arose, and rebuked the ivinds, and the raging
f ^ e waters, and they luere still and there ivas a great
ca im
But He said to them) where is your faith? And
they were afraid, and wondered among themselves, saying,

KOI ffwe-

T&TIoToj/
sol.

rots

ai>ffj.ots,

/*e-

sol.

lrpbs^\^-

Who, then, is This, that He commandeth even

ana wa ters, and they obey Him ?

\ovt, sol.

KoJov
aura?,

i"

the winds,

B.

ONCE

Pa.xxxiv.i.

again draw near, that as with the Psalmisfs harp we

and at all
I will bless the Lord at all times
may cry aloud
times shall His praise be in my mouth." For He ever doeth
"

"

wonderful things; and giveth occasions thick and closely press

and every word falls

ing one upon another for His praise
short of His power, and of His majesty far exalted above all.
For true is it that the glory of the Lord covereth over the
:

Prov. xxv.

"

"

Word."

that

is

But we must not on

His due and

this
:

account forget the glory

but rather must hasten

fitting right
joyfully to offer such fruits as are proportionate to our power.
For certainly there is nothing whatsoever that a man can af

firm to be better than

praise, even though

we can

Come, therefore, and

offer.

Saviour of

let

it

be but

little

that

us praise Christ the

let us behold the supremacy of His might, and

the majesty of His
godlike dominion.
For He was sailing, together with the holy Apostles, across
the sea, or rather lake of Tiberias, and an
and vio
all

unexpected

lent tempest arose

upon the vessel and the waves, piled up

high by the gusts of the winds, filled the disciples with the fear
of death.
For they were terrified not a little, although well
;

acquainted with seamanship, and by no means inexperienced

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

175

But inasmuch as the greatness

in the tumults of the waves.

now unendurable, as having

no other hope of safety except Him only Who is the Lord
of powers even Christ, they arouse Him, saying, Master,

made

of the danger

we

Master, save us,

their terror

perish

for the Evangelist says that

He

With most wise purpose, as it seems to me, was

asleep.
For some one, I imagine, may say, Why did
also done.

was
this

He fall asleep at all ? To which we reply, that the event was

so arranged as to be good and profitable. For that they might
not ask aid of Him immediately when the tempest began to
the ship, but when, so to speak, the evil was at its
dash
upon

heigh th, and the terrors of death were troubling the disciples
that so the might of His godlike sovereignty might be more
;

manifest, in calming the raging sea, and rebuking the savage

blasts of the wind, and changing the tempest to a calm, and

that the event might thus become a means of improvement to

them that were sailing with Him, He purposely fell asleep.

But they, as

said,

wake Him, saying: Save

me,

We

here, I pray, smallness of faith united with faith.

See
For they believe that He can save; and deliver from all evil
For had they not so far had a firm
those who call upon Him.
faith in Him, they certainly would not have asked this of Him.
as having but little faith, they say, Save me, we
And
perish.

yet

For

perish.
n

Mai here

was not a thing

it

inserts

two passages,

possible,

rally the

or that could hap-

Apostles were only eye-

referring to our Lord s

austerity of manners ((pi\oa-o<pia) in
sleeping with only a pillow under

witnesses, and in danger, therefore,

of not really appreciating them : it

and the second at the

His head
end of the paragraph, enlarging
upon the economy but as the first

to experience in their
their Master s divine

the

first

of these

is

contained in Cramer en-

and the beginning of the second, in the extracts in his Catena

from S. Cyril s Commentary on
S. Mark, (cf. c. iv. v. 35.), we have

tire

another proof that the passages not

the

are

Syriac
acknowledged by
often taken from other works of
this father.

there
that

In the second extract

a remark so worthy of Cyril

append it it is to the effect,

is
I

that in our

Lord

miracles gene-

therefore, for

was necessary,

own

them

persons

power, that
with
they might he fully impressed

His majesty: and thus, therefore,

He did not save them till they were
in the

very terrors of death,

was here probably

S. Cyril

quoting from
o-oxroi/ is

memory

read in some

for

though

MSS.,

it

is

as an interpouniversally regarded
in Cylation, and does not appear
while the pronoun
ril s own text
Save me," has no MS. aume,"
:

"

"

thority whatsoever,

COMMENTARY UPON

176

pen, for them to perish

when they were with Him Who

is

Almighty.

was severely tossed by the violence of the

and along with the
of the waves
tempest, and the breaking
the faith of the disciples also was tossed, so to speak, by

The

vessel, then,

ship
similar agitations.

But

Christ,

Whose

authority extends over

once appeased the storm, re

all, immediately arose, and at
strained the blasts of wind, quieted their fear, and yet further

Sic etiam
cod. Gr,

Whom all created things

proved by deeds that He is God, at
tremble and quake, and to Whose nods is subject the very
For He rebuked the tempest and
nature of the elements.
of the rebuke was with godlike
manner
the
that
Matthew
:

says

For he

authority.
"

Markiv.39.

Peace, be thou

tells

is

our Lord said to the sea

What

can there be more grand

or what can equal its sublimity ?

Right
the word, and the might of the command

than this in majesty

worthy of God

us, that

still."

ment, so that we too may utter the praise written in the book
Thou rulest the power of the sea and stillest
of Psalms
the turbulence of its waves." He too has Himself said some"

Ps. ixxxix.

"

9-

Jer. v. 12.

where by one of the holy prophets

Why fear ye not Me,
I Who have
saith the Lord ? nor tremble at My presence ?
set the sand as the bound of the sea, a commandment for
For the sea is subject to the
ever, and it hath not passed
"

"

"

"

it."

will of

Him Who made

all

creation,

and

is,

as

it

motions at

were, placed
times ac

under the Creator s feet, varying

cording to His good pleasure, and yielding submission
its

lordly

all

to

His

will.

When,

therefore, Christ

had calmed the tempest,

He

into confidence the faith of the holy disciples,

also

which

changed
had been shaken along with the ship, no longer permitting it
to be in doubt
and wrought in them, so to say, a calm,
For He said,
the
waves
of their weak faith.
smoothing
;

"Where

Mat.

viii.

firms of
"little

is

Him,

faith?"

"

"

faith

that

Another Evangelist, however, afsaid,

Why are ye fearful, ye of

?"P

He

"

"

For when the fear of death unexpectedly

Mai adds a passage enlarging

upon the idea,

"

your

and with the tempest

of the waves does away with the

tempest of their soul, rehuking

them, and at the same time ad-

"

"

monishing them, that

was caused not by the

"

befel them, but

"

of their

faith."

their fear
trials

that

hy the weakness

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

177

befals, it troubles sometimes even a well-established mind, and

exposes it to the blame of littleness of faith and such also is
the effect of any other trouble too
great to bear upon those
who are tried by it. For this reason there once drew near cer
;

tain unto Christ,

who
of

is

still

and

exposed

him who

is

so also

is

said

to

"

Increase our

blame for

For

perfect in faith.

faith."

For the man Luke

littleness of faith falls short

just as gold

is

xvii.

5>

tried in the

by temptations. But the mind of man is

weak, and altogether in need of strength and help from above,
in order that it
may be well with him, and that he may be able
to maintain a steadfast course, and be
strong, manfully to en
dure whatsoever befal. And this our Saviour
us,
fire,

faith

taught

saying

Me

Without

ye can do nothing." And the wise Paul also John xv. 5.

confesses the same, where he writes;
I am able to do all Phil. iv. 13.
things through Christ, That strengthened! me."
"

"

"

The

Saviour, therefore, wrought miracles, changing by His

nod the tempest into a calm, and smoothing the

all-prevailing

raging storm into a settled peace. But the disciples wondering

at the divine sign, whispered one to another,
Who,
saying
ft
then, is This, that He commands even the winds and the
"

"waters,

and they obey

then, thus say

knowing Him

to

But how

they knew Jesus

to be

Did the blessed

Him?"

one another,

"

Who

is

This?"

disciples,

from not

not this utterly incredible ?

For
and
the
of
Son
God.
For also
God,
is

Nathaniel plainly confessed, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, John
Thou art the King of Israel." Yes, and Peter too, that
"

i.

49

"

chosen one of

all

the Apostles, when they were in the neigh

bourhood of Ca?sarea Philippi, and Christ put a question to

them all, and said,
Whom do men say that the Son of man
is
and certain had answered, Some, indeed, Elias but
"

"

?"

"

others, Jeremiah, or one of the

prophets"

made

a correct

and blameless confession of faith in Him, saying, Thou art the

Christ the Son of the living God."
And Christ praised him
"

"

honoured him with crowns, and counted the

of
Blessed
worthy
surpassing honours for He said,
art thou, Simon, son of Jonah for flesh and blood hath not
v
revealed it to thee, but
And how
Father in heaven.

for thus
speaking,

"

disciple
"

"

My

of God, not know Him Whom he

was the Son of the living God ? It was not then
ignorant of His glory, that the wise disciples say,

could Peter,

who was taught

plainly said
as being

A a

M.it.xvi.i 3.

COMMENTARY UPON

178

Who

but rather as wondering at the immensity of

His power, and at the lofty and incomparable greatness of His
For the wretched Jews, either as being entirely
sovereignty.
of
the
mystery of Christ, or as not deigning Him, in
ignorant
is

This

their great wickedness, any regard, rebuked Him,

stones at Him, when He called God His Father.

John

x. 33.

and threw
For they

Why dost Thou, being a man, make

For
they did not comprehend in their mind
Thyself
God was in visible form like unto
the depth of the mystery.
He Who is
us the Lord of all bore the likeness of a slave
and
He
who
in
lowliness
surpasses all in
high exalted was
tellectual comprehension, and transcends every created being,
ventured even to say,

"

"

God?"

was

in the

And

measure of us men.

as the disciples

they wonder at the glory of the Godhead

present in Christ, and yet see that
visible in the flesh, they say,
Who
"

great

He

is

this,

is This?"

instead of,

How

and with how great power,

commands even the waters and

and of what nature

and authority, and majesty. He

the wind, and they obey Him

He

knew

and as they view It

was like unto us^ and
;

There is also in this much for the admiration and improve

ment of those who hear for creation is obedient to whatsoever
And what excuse can avail us, if
Christ chooses to command.
we do not submit to do the same ? or can deliver from the fire
and condemnation him who is disobedient and untractable, set
ting up, so to speak, the neck of his haughty mind against
:

commands, and whose heart

impossible to soften ?
It is our duty, therefore, understanding that all those things
that have been brought into existence by God entirely agree
Christ

with His

ourselves to

will,

become

it is

like the rest of creation,

and

Let us
avoid disobedience as a thing that leads to perdition.
and
us
to
summons
Him
Who
submit
to
salvation,
rather, then,
to the desire of living uprightly and lawfully, that
for so Christ will fill us with the gifts that
lically
:

is,

evange

come from

above, and from Himself: by Whom and with Whom to God

the Father be praise and dominion, with the Holy Ghost, for

ever and ever,

Q

Mai from A.

Amen q
f.

126. appends a

passage containing two allegorical

interpretations, the first explaining
the lake as

signifying Judsea, in

which a tempest rose against the

disciples, appeased by Christ, when

His resurrection He said,

Peace be unto you and the second
the more ordinary one of the ship
after

being the Church, the saints the

rowers, &c.

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON

ST.

LUKE.

179

XLIV.

c.viii.,6.
36.

And

Fepao Tjj

they went to the country of the Gferasenes, which

is

over BTS

And when He went out on land, there

Him a certain man who had devils, and for a lonaJ

against Galilee.

met

time had

not luorn clothing, nor abode in a Iwuse, but in

the tombs.
And when he
Jesus, he cried out, and fell

aSapwa

"

^
01

TS

*K

1!

TT

S.

*<&

sau>

down

wj/

"5!^

BS.

Him, and with a loud voice said, What is

there between me and 7
Jesus, /Son of God Most SL/Tdl
?
/ beseech Thee, Torment me not. But He had 2J s^ a
///*//
commanded the unclean spirit to go out of the man: for fpd^asGTs.
from a long time it had seized him, and he ivas kept bound UH^&.
with chains and fetters, and ivas watched and breaking Kei 8 s
his bonds, he was driven by the devil into the wilderness.
And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name ? And lie om. \4ywv
because tliat many devil* had entered into
said, Legion
him. And they besought Him not to command them to go
into the abyss.
But there was there a herd of many swine
feeding on the mountain and the*/ besought Him to suffer POO-KO^^
them to enter into them. And He suffered them. But when
__^VO)V
the devils had gone out of the man, they entered into Ae GTy
swine.
And the herd rmhed over the precipice^ into the
and
ivas drowned.
When then the keepers saw what
lake,
had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and vil- a(ia. ^ nf \.
And they went out to see what had happened, and
lages.
came to Jesus, and found the man out of whom the devils
had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed, and soberminded. And they were afraid. But they who saw it told ol
them in what manner the demoniac had been saved.
5
Ka {
before

//<r,

!>""

TJ^J

jj

GTs.

THE

prophet Ilabakkuk foresaw the glory of the Saviour,

and, overcome by His wonderful deeds, he offered up praises
unto Him, saying
O Lord, I have heard Thy hearing, and Hah.
"

"

been afraid
r

The

"

its
"

have considered Thy doings, and been asto-

literal translation is,

own impulse

"

And

carried the herd

over the precipice

;"

but this

is

nothing more than a periphrasis for

for which the Syriac 1ms

wp^aev,

no direct equivalent.
A a 2

iii.

2.

COMMENTARY UPON

180

For of which of the deeds wrought by our common

"

nished."

Saviour Christ can any one say, that it is not worthy of all
admiration? which of them is not great, and highly to be
And this we
of His godlike authority ?
praised, and a proof
can very clearly see in what has been here read to us from the
Let us behold, then, the tyranny of the
evangelic Scriptures.

enemy shaken by
by Him,

Christ,

and the earth

set free

from the wick

us see the heads of the serpent bruised

and the swarm of venomous reptiles driven away over

edness of demons

let

in old time had been full

powered and in terror: and those who
had
held
who
of cunning and audacity
subject to their sway
had
who
all that lies beneath the heavens
prided themselves
upon their temples of vast cost, and on their beautifully sculp
who had been honoured with sacrifices and
tured altars
;

crowned with universal praises fall from their former glory,

and as though retaining sovereignty over no one single man,
A very plain proof is this of the
beg for a herd of swine
that
had
befallen them, and of their being
unexpected misery
;

broken utterly.
But no more

for I perceive that in

my

discourse I have

taken a leap, as it were, from what we began with, and have

hurried to the latter part of the lesson.
Come, therefore,
that, like a fleet and strong-limbed horse, we may as with a
bridle, turn

it

back to the beginning. For the Saviour,

in

com

landed in the country of the

pany with the holy disciples, had

Gerasenes and immediately a man met them, in whom dwelt
many unclean spirits and he was void of mind and under
;

those already dead,

standing, and in no respect different from
and laid in the earth or rather, perhaps, even in a more
For they, carefully wrapped in their gravemiserable state.
in
the earth, like one on his mother s bosom
laid
are
clothes,
:

but he, in great misery and nakedness, wandering among the

a dis
graves of the dead, was in utter wretchedness, leading
life and so was a proof of the cruelty
and
ignominious
graceful
:

of the demons, and a plain demonstration of their impurity.

And besides this, it is a charge and accusation against them of
hatred unto mankind for they would have no man whatsoever
:

upon earth sober, but wish them

crazed, to

know nothing

rance even of

Him Who

like

one intoxicated, and

be left in igno

to their profit, but

is

the

Maker

of

all.

For of whomso-

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

181

ever they have possession, and have subjected to their power,

him at once they make an example of great misery, deprived
of every blessing, and destitute of all sobriety, and bereft
over entirely even of reason itself.

But why, say some, have they possession of men

more

To

such, then, as wish to have this explained, I answer, that

the reason of these things is very deep for so somewhere
:

God

addressed by one of His saints,

Thy judgments are
a vast abyss." But as long as we bear this in mind, we shall
"

is

The God

perchance not shoot beside the mark.

purposely permits some to
that they
in

may

fall

suffer, as that

what way the demons

we may

treat us,

learn

and

so

But the Gerasene, or rather the herd

by

may

their

then,

much

example

avoid the wish

of

demons lying con

What
me and Thee, Jesus, Son of God Most High ?
Here observe, I pray,
Thee, torment me

cealed within him,

"

all,

For by the suffering of one, many

of being subject to them.

are edified.

"

of

into their power, not so

fell

is

there between

beseech

down

before Christ

s feet,

"

saying,

not."

the mixture of fear with great audacity, and overweening

as it were, to
pride and that the words which he is forced,
:

ejaculate, are coupled with inflated haughtiness

For

is

it

a proof of the pride of the enemy, that he ventures to say,

What is there between me and Thee, Jesus, Son of God
"

Most High r Thou knowest, then, for certain, that He is

the Son of God Most High thou therefore confessest that He
is also God, and Lord of heaven and earth, and of all things
"

and how, then, having usurped that which is not

a
thine, or rather that which is His, and assumed to thyself
claimfor thou
glory which in no possible way is thy right
didst thou affirm that He had nothing
edst to be worshipped
therein

to do with thee,

Whom,

as far as thy endeavours went, thou

causedst to be expelled from that dignity which most fitly is

and these thou
His alone ? All men upon earth are His
;

the knowledge
wickedly corruptedst, removing them far from
of Him Who truly is the Lord and Maker of all, and plungedst
them into the mire of sin, making them thy worshippers
What is there between me and
and afterwards dost thou
:

"

say,

What

endure to have those

earthly king would

barbarians
his
under
placed
sceptre harrasscd by
"

Thee

?"

Or what

Ps.xxxvi.6.

COMMENTARY UPON

182

is so unfeeling and indifferent, as when savage beasts

attack his flocks, to take no heed of the calamity, nor endeavour

shepherd

to aid his sheep

who

Confess, even though against thy will,

Whom

Utter words such as

thou speakest.
thou art,
me not." "For
torment
I
such
befit thee
pray Thee,
namely as,
of the man."
to
out
the
it
He had commanded, says,
spirit
go

and

to

"

"

Observe, I pray again, the incomparable majesty of Him

Who transcends all, even of Christ. With irresistible might
and unequalled authority He crushes Satan by simply willing

He does not permit him to venture to

it should be.
Fire and flames
to His commands.
of
look
one
opposition
give
unto him was Christ s will so that it is true as the blessed
that so

the

melted like wax before the face

Ps.xcvii.5.

Psalmist said, that

PS. civ. 32.

Touch the hills, and they

For he compares to the hills those high and
which nevertheless, as though
boastful powers of wickedness
in contact with fire, melt like wax before the might and
And besides this they smoke
sovereignty of our Saviour.
of

"

"

And

God."

shall

"

hills

"

again elsewhere,

smoke."

now smoke

is

an indication of fire about to burst into a blaze

and this it is the lot of the impure spirits to suffer.

But Christ asked him, and commanded him to tell, What
was his name. And he said, "Legion, because that many
Did Christ then ask because
devils had entered into him."
"

He

did not

know

and

it,

like one of us,

wished to learn

it

as

something that had escaped Him ? But how is it not perfectly

absurd for us to say or imagine any thing of the kind ? For as
Ps.

vii. 9.

being God,
"

and

"

reins."

He knoweth all things, and searcheth the hearts

He asked therefore for the plan of salvation s

sake, that we might learn that a great multitude of devils

shared 5 the one soul of the man, engendering in him a wretched
and impure madness. For he was their work, and they indeed
Jer.

iv. 22.

are

wise to do evil/ as the Scripture saith, but to do

they have no

"

Ps. cxviii.
Ps. xlvii.

"

And

"

Let

all

"

said,

a general rule, the Syriac is a

very exact translation of the Greek,
to judge by the fragments in Mai
:

here, however, the

TO,

word

which he renders

"

shared,**

has

"

let

us keep the feast with

the people clap their

As

good

knowledge."

Ag therefore the Psalmist

i. flowers*."

"

Karevfipaor

divided"

probably only the

meaning of

signification

land with
t
"

possessed,"

being to

the proper

"

graze off

"

cattle,"

Jj^j^ may

thick

For

hands."

"

boughs,"

depasci."

perhaps

mean

as evidently

intended to represent the

LXX

it

is

ver-

THE GOSPEL OF
let

LUKE.

ST.

183

us bear in mind what was the character of our enemies

and who were those princes of

all

beneath the heavens before

the coming of our Saviour bitter were they, impure, mur

But Christ setteth us free
derers, and full of all immorality.
:

from the hatred of these noxious beings. Let us therefore with

exultation and gladness in our great joy exclaim,
We will
"

"

cut asunder their cords, and cast

For we have been

away

set free, as I said,

The Hebrew most probably

ov<riv.

Rind ye the festival with

boughs," and is
rightly re

thick

LXX

(apparently) to
the feast of tabernacles the word
ferred

by the

which has led the

"

bind,"

inter

preters into error, having reference

to one of its ceremonies. The noun
311,

with the corresponding words

and Syriac, never means

in Arabic

but a festival the in

stances which Gesenius and Winer
give to the contrary notwithstand
Of these the first is Ex. xxiii.
ing.
"

victim,"

^n~^f PT,

8.

TT)S

Ol>8e

fJirj

KOlfJLT)6f)

<TT((lp

fwv eW Trpcot, as the

render it, the meaning being

eoprrjs

LXX

not that the

fat

of one

particular

victim was to be carefully consumed

before the next morning broke, but
that of

all

the victims throughout

the feast day,

the fat of the feast
The other instance is exactly
day."
"

Mai. ii. 3. D D^M U71Q,

rendered by the LXX fwa-rpov eopTWV and very strong reasons in my
judgment are required to counter
similar,

weigh upon a point

testimony of the

LXX

the

like this

ing

the

general

ignorance of

even the elements of Hebrew

The Vulgate from the
cism.
gives the literal rendering
"

"

criti

LXX

"

Con-

:"

in

"

"

des

And

Altars."

this translation

LXX

agreeing in the main with the

and Jerome, has been retained by
Tholuck, and defended by Stier.

very interesting discussion upon

Psalm, proving that it was com
posed for the Festival of Taberna

this

cles,

may

be read in Lakemaker,

ed. 1799, who shews

that victims neither were nor could
vol.

i.

p. 197.

be bound to the horns of the altar,

but that a fence of willow wands
was formed on one of the days of
the feast round
fore

it.

should there

rendering [j^na, as
boughs," the word being of very
rare occurrence.
Golius however
prefer

"

renders

^\jij

floruit,

pec.

comoso

and in the only

capite talive spica
other place in which I have met
:

with it, viz. Serm. 126, the Syriac

translator puts it for avBos in Is.
If therefore we render it, ac
xi. i.

cording to Golius, let us keep the

festival with clusters of flowers,"
still have reference to the
it will
"

"

sort of rustic

which was a

holyday-keeping in

the fields, but the particular refer

ence of the Hebrew will be lost.
The Syriac version in the London
no light upon the
Polyglott throws
festivals
text, being, "Bind our
with chains, even up to the horns
"

condenstituite diem solennem

and
sis, usque ad cornu altaris
in

Christ,

who

Luther the sense,

Schmiicket das
Fest mit Maien bis an die Hb rner

feast of tabernacles,

interpreters,

whose authority has been unfairly

depreciated in modern times, ow
to

iniquitous beings,

us."

"

"

means,

yoke from

by the might of

and delivered from those bitter and

old time had the dominion over us.
sion, (TvaTTj(Ta(r6f (opn}v tv TO LS TTVKO.-

their

"

of the

altar."

Pa. H.

COMMENTARY UPON

184

The herd then

of

of and like itself

He

impure

of swine

asked for a herd

spirits

And

worthy

Christ purposely gave

knew what they would

And

them

can
though
He
did
their
one
some
grant
request? To
saying, Why
imagine
which we answer, That He gave them the power, in order that
leave,

well

do.

His other conduct, might be a means of benefit to

But perhaps thou
inspire us with the hope of safety.

this, like all

us,

and

wilt say,

How, and

in

what manner

Listen therefore.

They

ask for power over swine plainly as something which they do

not possess.
For what possible doubt can there be, that they
:

would not have asked

it

it,

without hindrance?

if it had been in their

power to take
But those who have no power over

things thus trifling and valueless,

of those whom Christ has sealed,

Him ? Comfort
rified at

how can they injure any one

and who place their hope on

therefore thy heart for perhaps thou wast ter

hearing that a crowd of wicked spirits dwelt in one
:

man, and made him wander among the graves of the dead in
shame and nakedness, and bereft of mind and understanding.
Inasmuch as thou too art a man exposed to temptations, thou
fearedst a misery thus bitter and unendurable, should Satan
Rouse therefore thy heart to confidence do not
that
suppose
any such thing can happen while Christ sur

attack thee.

rounds us with protection and love. It is certain that

they
power even over swine. So great is the providence
which the Almighty Governor of our affairs deigns to bestow
on human things. For He even said to the
holy apostles, Are
not two sparrows sold for a farthing ? and not one of them
falleth to the
ground without your Father. And even the
possess no

Mat.

x. 29.

"

"

"

"

hairs of your head are all

are of more value than

numbered.

Fear not therefore, ye

many sparrows." For if He bestow
His protection upon things thus
trifling and valueless, how will
He not deem us worthy of all regard, for whose sake He Who
by nature is God, even became man, and endured the contu
"

melies of the Jews? Away therefore with fear for God

aids,
and encircles with the armour of His
good pleasure those
whose wish it is to live for Him, and who seek to
perform
:

those things that are pleasing in His

sight.
And this too we may learn, from what befel the herd of

demons are cruel, and mischievous, and

and treacherous to those who are in their
power.

swine, that wicked

hurtful,

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

185

This the fact clearly proves, that they hurried the swine over
a precipice and drowned them in the waters. Christ therefore

granted their request, that we might learn from what hap

is ruthless and bestial,
incapable
intent
on doing evil to those whom
solely
they can get into their power.
If therefore there be any one among us wanton and

pened, that their disposition

of being softened,

and

swinish, filth-loving

and impure, and

willingly contaminated

such a one by God s permission

falls into their power, and sinks into the
abyss of perdition.
But it can never happen to those who love Christ, to become

with the abominations of

subject unto

them

nor to

sin,

us, as

long as

steps, and, avoiding negligence in the

we walk

in

His foot

performance of

what

is

right, desire those things which are honourable, and belong to

that virtuous and laudable conversation, which Christ has

by the precepts of the Gospel by Whom

God the Father be praise and dominion
Whom,
with the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever, Amen.

marked out
and with

for us

to

Bb

COMMENTARY UPON

186

C.

viii.

40

SERMON

XLV.

48.

Jesus returned, the multitude received Him ; for

And behold there came a
they were all waiting for Him.
ruler of the synagogue :
a
and
he
was
man named Jairus,
and he fell down at Jesus feet, and besought Him to come

And when

TW

tv 5e

S. (-(peii/B.
^yei/ero 5e
eV rw GTs.

OVTOS BS.
avTos GTs.

to his

for he had an only daughter, about twelve

and she was dying. And as He went, the mul

house

years old,
om.

titudes thronged

KCU

ante

om. avGTs.

Him, and touched

rr,s

BST.

ivere luith

Afyeis, TIS
S.

BST.
<

issue

of

hem of His garment: and immedi

him

said, Master, the

and

multitudes press

Me

for

when the
she
came
woman saw that she ivas not hid from Him,
trembling, and fell down before Him, and declared before
all the people, for what cause she had touched Him, and
And He said unto her,
that she was healed immediately.

6 a^/djj.fv6s
}

the

throng Thee. But Jesus said, Some one touched

I know that power has gone forth from Me. And

om. Ka

[AOV

A woman who had had an

And Jesus said, Who

ately her issue of blood staunched.
touched Me? And when all denied; Peter and they that

Gs.

ovS.

Him.

blood twelve years, and had spent all her substance upon
physiciansj and could be healed of none, came near behind

S.
S.

aTr.

Gs.

My

daughter, thy faith hath saved thee: go in peace.

yartp Gs.

Ps. xcvi.

Those who are skilful in elucidating the mystery of the dis

pensation of the Only-begotten in the flesh, and whose minds
are illuminated with divine light, the Spirit commanded,
Declare His praise among the Gentiles, and His
saying,
"

3.

"

miracles

among

all

nations."

Did He then command them

to declare the praise of our universal Saviour Christ

the multitudes of the Gentiles, to the inhabitants, that

is,

among
of the

whole world, for no other reason than that He might be ad

mired, or was it not that He might also be believed on by all

men ?

I verily affirm

that

it

was both

in order that

He might

John

1.14.

be admired, and also that we might believe that the Word of

God the Father is very God, even though, as John says, He
was made flesh. For He also somewhere declares unto the

John

x. 37.

Jews,

"If

do not the works of

Mv

Father, believe

Me

not:

THE GOSPEL OF
"

"

but

if

ST.

LUKE.

187

do them, though ye believe not Me, believe the

works/
Let us then once again behold

the miracles

He wrought
O

Him

for their

benefiting multitudes

good.

c5

by
For there was a

and teacher of the synagogue of the Jews, called Jairus

and him the Gospel narrative here announces to us. For he
ruler

fell

down before

the feet of Christ our

common

Saviour, to ask

for the unloosing of death, and the annulling of corruption.

For his daughter was, so to speak, at the very gates of the

grave.

Come

then,

and

let

us ask Jairus to

tell

us in what

Whom he offers his request. For if

light he regards Him to
thou drawest near regarding Him as a mere man, and like unto
one of us as one, that is, Who possesses no power superior to
;

ourselves, thou missest thy mark, and hast wandered from the
road, in asking of a man that which requires the power

right
of God.

dead.

The supreme nature

It

alone has immortality

alone
:

is

able to give

and from

It

life

to the

every thing that

and motion. Ask therefore

unto
that
men
of
the things
men, and of God the things
belong
unto
God.
that belong
Moreover thou worshippcst Him as the Almighty God and

is

called into being borrows

its life

He is able to
What argument

doest so, as certainly knowing and

give thee the accomplishment of thy requests.
therefore is sufficient for thy defence, that once thou stonedst
testifying that

Christ the Saviour of

all

and with the

and impiously

rest didst persecute

a good
say, "For
Him, and most foolishly
work we stone Thee not, but for blasphemy because that
Thou being a man, makest Thyself God."
And not only must we wonder at this, but at the following as
well. For Lazarus indeed arose from the dead at the summons
of Christ, Who made him come forth from the very grave,
when he had been there four days, and corruption had already
"

John

x. 33.

"

And those indeed who were spectators of the miracle

begun.
But the rulers of
at the majesty of the deed.
astonished
were
for
the
made
Jews
of
the
the synagogue
very miracle food
excellent was stored up in
envy, and an act thus great and
of murder.
whence
a
seed
as
their memory
sprung the guilt
For when they had assembled, they took counsel one with
one rather that
another, certainly for no lawful deed, but for
John
What
For
doom.
final
their
they said,
brought upon them
B b 2
/

-.-IT-I

47<

xi.

COMMENTARY UPON

188
do we

"

man

for This

doeth

many

miracles.

If

we

let

Him

thus alone, the Romans will come, and take away both our
What then sayest thou to this, O
nation and our place."

"

"

Jairus

Thou sawest death

abolished in the case of Lazarus

death which always and to every one before had been stern
and unyielding. Thou sawest destruction lose its power, from
which no one on earth had escaped. And how then dost thou

imagine thou canst

supreme over death
Giver of

life?

How

make Him

subject unto

He Who

can

so to do for the plan of salvation s sake.

concerning them

is

is

delivered others from the

snares of death, Himself be liable to suffer

Jer. iv. 22.

Who

death

the Overthrower of destruction, and the

true,

"that

it,

unless

The

He

wills

text therefore

they are foolish children, and

"

unwise."

But the fate of the damsel was not without profit

For just as sometimes the violence of the reins

father.

the spirited steed that has bounded

to

her

brings

away from the road back

to its proper

of

man

course, so also trouble often compels the soul

to yield obedience to those
things which are for its

good, arid are commanded.

To

David

over

also

God

this effect

we

find the blessed

concerning those men

who, not being as yet willing to walk uprightly, were led on,
addressing

all,

so to speak,
Pe.xxxii. 9

by the disorderly impulses of their mind to the pit

With bridle and bit Thou shalt restrain the
of
those
who
draw not near to Thee." For the force of
jaws

of destruction.
"

"

circumstances brings men, as I said, even

against their wills to
the necessity of
bowing their neck to God, as we may see indi
For Christ somewhere
rectly shewn in the Gospel parables.
said, that
call

them

when the banquet was ready, a servant was

to the
supper,

sent to

and gather those that were bidden

but they,
employing fictitious excuses of various kinds, would
not come.

Then

the Lord, it
says, spake to that servant
highways and hedges, and compel them to come
:

Luke

Go

xiv.
"

into the

My house may be filled." What then is the meaning

being invited from the hedges, and that as it were by
if it be not what is here referred
force,
to ? For sometimes
misfortunes beyond the
of
endurance
men into
power
of

in that

men

hedge
extreme misery and
meeting, it may be, with care and assist
ance from those who fear Christ,
are thus led on unto
:

they

faith in

Him and

love

and being weaned from their former

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

189

error received by tradition from their fathers, they accept the

And such we may well affirm
saving word of the Gospel.

who are called from the hedges. It is indeed more

and
excellent
praiseworthy, when the withdrawal from former
hasten
to the truth is the fruit of freewill
and such
error to
to be those

converts gathering the confirmation of their belief from the

sacred Scriptures, and enjoying the instruction of such as are
skilful in

initiating

men

into the mysteries, will advance on

wards to a correct and blameless

we may

faith.

But those

others,

who

by force and the troubles they

meet with to the acknowledgment of the truth, are not upon an
equality with the former, but when admitted must be careful
for it is
to maintain constancy, and flee from a fickle levity

are kindled,

if

so speak,

their duty to preserve an unwavering faith, lest they be found

u cow
reprobate and feeble workers, deserters after the scal
,

Let them not hasten

ards and traitors after taking up arms.
back to their former deeds, lest that be said of them which was

For it had been better

spoken by one of the holy apostles
known
not
to
have
the
them
for
way of truth, than having
from
the
back
known it to turn
holy commandment that was
"

"

"

"

delivered unto them.

The

case of the true proverb has

them the dog that returns to his vomit, and the

sow that was washed to wallowing in the mire."
Not however to make this digression too long, let us return
but we deny
Jairus then drew near
to our original subject.
that his coming was the fruit of freewill; rather it was the
for it
fear of death which made him thus act against his will
and she was
so to speak, assailed his daughter
had
"

befallen

"

already,

u S.
Chrysostom also speaks of
having a seal, at the end of

soldiers

Horn.
"

"

"

iii.

in

Ep.

ii.

ad Cor.

"

For

like the seal that soldiers have, so

He also gives the Spirit to the
faithful, that

shouldest thou de-

thou mayest be detected by

For the Jews indeed had
circumcision as a seal, but we
have the earnest of the Spirit,"
And in the Martyrdom of S. Maxi-

when he was required

military oath, he
"

Non

accipio

to take the

refused, saying,

signaculum

sseculi,

signaveris, rumpo illud, quia

nihil valeo. Ego Christianus sum

et, si

non

licet

mihi

plumbum

collo por-

salutare

Domini

sert,

tare post

all.

Jesu Ghristi, Quern tu ignoras

"

"

"

"

milian,

we

learn

that this

was a

stamped piece of lead, worn profor

bably only by new recruits
:

Du

signum

"

Cange Glos.
word
"

By

the fathers,

generally apto baptism or ordinaplied either

tion but it has several less frequent

the

seal"

meanings,

is

2 Pet.

ii.

COMMENTARY UPON

190
his only one.

He

consistency in his

nought then the reputation of

wicked words and thoughts. For he who

set utterly at

had ofttimes made the attempt to slay Christ, for raising the
dead from the grave, asks of Him the unloosing of death. In
order then that his character may be seen to be harsh and
abominable, and that he may be convicted of being such by the
facts, Christ accompanied him, and yielded to his request.
But there was also a sort of wise management in what was
done.
For had He not yielded to his request for grace, both
himself and whosoever else suffered under the same
ignorance,
or rather, want of common sense, would have said forsooth,
that He was not able to raise the damsel, nor drive death

very

that being
her, even if He had gone to the house
then without power, and unequal to the accomplishment of the
divine miracle, He made His
displeasure at Jairus a pretext

away from

for keeping away.

To put a stop therefore to the impure and
unbridled calumny of the Jews, and restrain the tongues of the
numerous persons ever ready for fault-finding, He consents

immediately, and promises to raise up her who was in danger.

And the promises were followed by the fulfiment, in order that

on their part might be without excuse, and that this

disbelief

John

xv.

For
them
the works which none other man did,
they had not had sin
but now they have both seen and hated both Me and My

miracle, like the rest, might be for their condemnation.

Christ also said of them,
If I had not done among
"

"

"

"

Father."

The Saviour then went

in the dwellers

to raise the damsel, and to implant

earth
the sure hope of the resurrection of
upon

But as He was midway on His road, another

not
unlike the former, was wonderfully wrought. For
miracle,
there was a woman afflicted with an issue of blood, the
prey of
the dead.

a severe and violent malady, which refused to

yield to the
skill

of physicians, and set at

nought all the appliances of
remedies.
For she could not be healed, it says, by

human
"

any,"

"

even though she had unsparingly lavished

all

her sub

stance upon those who promised to deliver her from her

disease.
When therefore the unhappy woman had given up
all
from
men, and now survived only for utter misery, she
hope

conceived in her a wise plan.

Physician

Who

is

For she had recourse

from above, from heaven, as One

Who

to the
is

able

THE GOSPEL OF
readily

and without

our power, and

LUKE.

ST.

191

effort to effect those things that are

Whose

decrees, whatever

it

be

He

beyond
would ac

complish, nothing can oppose.

Her

was perhaps occasioned by seeing Jairus

house, to prove Himself mightier than
leading
death, by delivering his daughter from its inevitable bonds.
For she thought perchance within herself, that if He be
faith in this

Him

to

his

mightier than death, and the destroyer of corruption, how

much more can He also alleviate the malady that afflicts her,
staunching by ineffable power the fountains of her issue of
blood

She draws near therefore and touches the hem of His

for she hoped to be
but secretly and not openly

garment

able to escape notice, and, as it were, to steal healing from One

Who knew not of it. But why, tell me, was the woman careful
to escape notice t For why should she not draw near to Christ

with more boldness than that leper, and ask for the remission
of her incurable pain ? For he said,
Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou Luke
not she act like those
should
canst make me clean."
Why

v. 12.

who when Christ passed by called out and said,

Have mercy upon us, Lord Jesus, the Son of David ? What Matt.
then was it made that sick woman wish to remain hid ? It was 3-

xx.

"

"

blind men,

"

"

because the law of the all-wise Moses imputed impurity to any

woman who was

of blood, and every

suffering from an issue
called her unclean
and whoever was unclean, might

where

neither touch any thing that was holy, nor approach a holy
man. For this reason the woman was careful to remain con
cealed, lest as having transgressed the law, she should have to

bear the punishment which it imposed. And when she touched,

she was healed immediately and without delay.

But the miracle did not remain hid;

knowing

all

things, asked as

if

for the Saviour,

He knew

though
l

it

not, saying,

Who

Me? And when the holy apostles with good reason

He sets
The multitudes throng Thee and press Thee

touched
"

said,

before
"

Me
x

them what had been done, saying, Somebody touched

Was
for 1 know that power has gone forth from Me."
"

Of

this portion of the commentary Mai has recovered but very

this passage, however,
found by him in one Catena A.

little

is
f.

130, but with three or four slight

additions ; of which the most im-

"which

portant is, that it inserts here,

was a very great sign of the reality
of His flesh, and of His trampling
down pride; for they did not follow
Him at a distance, but closed Him

round on

all

sides."

COMMENTARY UPON

192

then for love of glory that the Lord did not allow this
the miracle, I mean, that
instance of His godlike working

it

had happened to the woman to remain concealed ? By no

means do we say this, but rather, that it was because He ever
keeps in view the benefit of those who are called to grace
through faith. The concealment then of the miracle would

have been injurious to many, but being made known, it bene

fited them in no slight degree ; and especially the ruler of the
synagogue himself. For it gave security to the hope to which
he looked forward, and made him firmly trust that Christ
would deliver his daughter from the bonds of death.

But

For that
subject for our admiration.
saved
from
a
of
state
delivered, being
suffering
and thereby we again obtain the
thus bitter and incurable
it

is

itself

fit

woman was

firm assurance, that the

what manner

Emmanuel

is

very God.

Both from the miraculous event

How

itself,

and in
and from

the words which with divine dignity He spake.

For, I
know, He said, that power has gone forth from Me." But it
"

"

transcends our degree, or probably that even of the angels, to

send forth any power, and that of their own nature, as some
thing that

is

Such an act

of themselves.

priate solely to the

Nature That

is

is

above

an attribute appro
all, and supreme.

For every created being whatsoever that is endued with

power, whether of healing, or the like, possesses it not of
but as a thing given it by God.
For to the creature all
things are given, and wrought in it, and of itself it can do
itself,

As God therefore
nothing.
gone forth from Me."

He

said

"

knew

that power has

"

And the woman now made confession and inasmuch as with

her malady, with the disease, I mean, which had afflicted her, she
had put off the fear, which made her wish to remain concealed,
;

she proclaimed the divine miracle

deemed worthy

and therefore was very

fitly

of His tranquillizing words, and received secu

rity that she should suffer

from her malady no more for our

Daughter, thy faith hath saved

Saviour Christ said unto her,

thee go in peace."

"

And

this too

was

for the benefit of Jairus,

indeed a hard lesson.

For he

though

it

was

learns, that neither the legal

worship, nor the shedding of blood, nor the slaying of goats

and calves, nor the circumcision of the flesh, nor the rest of the

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

193

sabbaths, nor ought besides of these temporary -and typical

faith only in
matters, can save the dwellers upon earth
means of which even the blessed Abraham
Christ can do so,
;

by

was

justified,

and

called the friend of

God, and counted worthy

the blessing of God has been given

also to those, who according to the terms of the promise were
For they are not all Israel, Rom.
even unto us.
to be his sons

of especial honours.

And

"

ix. 6.

are of Israel, neither because they are the seed of Abrau

ham, are they all sons but the children of the promise are
accounted as the seed." To us then this grace belongs for

"

who

"

we have been adopted as Abraham s sons, being justified not

so much by the works of the law, as by faith in Christ
by
"

"

;"

the Father be praise and

Whom, and with Whom,
and ever, Amen>.
for
ever
dominion with the Holy Ghost,
to

Mai adds from H.

f.

God

30. an

allegorical interpretation of the

two

given there under the

names both of Origen and Cyril,
and in Corderius under those of
In the apCyril and Geometra.

miracles

pendix however to
liibliotheca vet.

vol. xiv. of the

Patrum

Gallandii,

found in Origen s Cornmentaries, and to him therefore it

should be assigned.

p. 95,

it

is

o c

Uai.

ii.

16.

COMMENTARY UPON

194

SERMON
c.

viii.

om.

49-

And

while

He

is

XLVI.

speaking, there cometh one

from

tJie

ruler

of the synagogue s house, saying, Thy daughter is dead :

But when Jesus heard it,
trouble no more the Teacher.

yuTj/ceVi

He

answered and said, Fear not

believe only,

and

she

And when He came

unto the house, He suffered

no one to go in luith Him, save Peter, and James, and
Joh n an d the father and the mother of the maiden. And
shall

live.

>

wept and beivailed her. But He said, Weep not : for

aamse l { s no t dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed at
Him, knowing that she ivas dead. But He made them all
hand, and called, saying,
^ Q Qu ^ an ^
arise.
And
her
Maid,
spirit returned, and she arose im: and He commanded to
mediately
give her somewhat to
all

rb Kopda-iov

f/ie

ave0. s.

^^

o^yapa^Q.
OVK

air4e.

om. ej8a-

And her parents

eat
idWafieai

them

BT.

^^^

to tell

ivere astonished.

And He commanded

no one what was done.

all
ye who love the glory of the Saviour, and
weave
crowns
for your heads, come once again, that
thereby
we may rejoice in Him, and as we extol Him with endless

COME,

Is.

xxv.

i.

praises, let us say in the

"

"

"

my

Lord,

name

God,

for

I will

words of the prophet Isaiah

and I will laud
praise Thee
;

"

Thy

Thou

hast wrought wonderful works, even a

counsel true from the
What then is the counsel
beginning."
;

and purpose of God the Father, which was from the

beginning,
and was true ? Plainly that
For Christ fore
respecting us.
knew, even before the foundations of the world, His mystery
but it was in the last ages of the world that He arose for the
:

inhabitants of earth, that

having borne the sin of the world, He
abolish
both
it
and
might
death, which is its consequence, and

was brought upon us by

Johnxi.25. said,

Johnv.

am
on

its

means.

For so

the resurrection and the

life

He

:"

Himself plainly
he that be-

and

"

Me

hath everlasting life, and shall not come into

but
hath passed from death unto
And this
judgment,
then we shall see fulfilled in actual facts. For the ruler of the
"

24.

"

lieveth

"

life."

synagogue of the Jews drew near, and embracing the Saviour

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

195

knees, besought Him to deliver his daughter from the bonds

of death
for lo ! already she had been brought down unto
:

And the Saviour con

and was in extreme danger.
sented, and set out with him, and was even hastening onward
to the house of him who asked the favour, as well knowing
that what was being done would profit many of those who fol

this,

lowed Him, and would also be for His own glory. And thus
on the way the woman was saved, who was the victim of a
For she had an issue of blood,
severe and incurable malady.

which no one could stanch, and which set at nought the art of
physicians but no sooner had she touched the hem in faith,
:

than she was forthwith healed; and a miracle thus glorious

and manifest was,

so to speak, the

work merely

of Christ

journey.
And afterwards there met them from the ruler of the syna
Thy daughter is dead
gogue s house a messenger, saying
"

"

trouble not the

Teacher."

What, then, was Christ

answer,

that He is
seeing that He possesses universal sovereignty ;
determination
Lord of life and death and by the all-powerful
He saw the
of His will accomplishes whatsoever He desires ?
man oppressed with the weight of sorrow, swooning, and stu
;

and all but despairing of the possibility of his daughter

rescued
from death. For misfortunes are able to disturb
being
even an apparently well-constituted mind, and to estrange it

pefied,

from

its

settled convictions.

To

aid him, therefore,

He

gives

him a kind and saving word, fit to sustain him in his fainting
Fear
state, and work in him an unwavering faith, saying,
not only believe, and she shall
And having now come to the house of His supplicant, He
and stops the
quiets their lamentations, silences the musicians,
"

"

live."

tears of the weepers, saying,

"

The damsel

is

not dead, but

Ob

says, laughed at Him.

they,
sleepeth."
For
serve here, I pray, the great skill of the management.
He
was
damsel
that
the
said,
He
well
knew
dead,
though

"

rather

And

it

She is not dead, but rather sleepeth." For what reason ?

That by their laughing at Him, they might give a clear and
manifest acknowledgment that the damsel was dead. For pro

"

who always resist His

bably there would be some of that class
and say, that the
glory, who would reject the divine miracle,
damsel was not yet dead and that in being delivered from
;

COMMENTARY UPON

196

was nothing done by Christ very extraordinary.

have, therefore, the acknowledgment of many that the
damsel was dead, He said, that she was rather
And
sleeping.
sickness, there

To

le

tno

man

affirm that Christ

spake untruly.

For

to

Him, as

And this is the

being Life by nature, there is nothing dead.
reason why we, having a firm hope of the resurrection of the
dead, call them

Rom.

vi.

"

those that

For

sleep."

and, as the blessed Paul says,

that they are about to live.
arise

8.

But observe

For as

this also.

in Christ

"

They

if to

they

live to

will

Him,"

in

teach us to avoid vain

though certainly no such admirable deeds can be

when He came to the house in which the
wrought by us
damsel was lying dead, He took in with Him but three of the
glory

holy Apostles, and the father and the mother of the damsel.
And the manner in which He wrought the miracle was wor

For having taken her, it says,

by the hand, He
and she arose immediately.
said, Damsel,
the power
of a word, and the
might of commands that nothing can resist
thy of God.

arise

the life-producing touch of the hand, that abolishes

death,
and corruption
These are the fruits of faith, for the sake of
!

which the law

also

was given

to those of old time

by the hand

of Moses.

But perhaps some one may say to this ( But lo

any one
can see that the ceremonial ordained
the law is unlike and
:

by

at variance with faith in Christ

commands us to
use of bloody sacrifices but faith
rejects every thing
of the kind, and has
brought in for mankind a worship to be
:

for the law

make

<

offered in spirit and in truth.

For even Christ is somewhere
found thus
speaking by the harp of the Psalmist to God the
Father in heaven
Sacrifices and
Thou didst not
"

"

desire

offerings

whole burnt offerings, and for sins, Thou hadst no

pleasure in but a body hast Thou framed for Me.
Then
:

"

"

said

I,

Lo

written of

Me

come
I

for in the
chapter of the books
to
do
delight
Thy will, God,"
:

it

is

Offerings

therefore by blood are

unavailing

but the sweet savour of

worship is very acceptable to God. And this no man

can present unto Him, unless first he
possess that faith which
is
by Christ, And the blessed Paul bears witness to
spiritual

this,

Heb.

xi. 6.

where he writes
Without
which is well pleasing."
"

"

faith,

no man can ever do that

THE GOSPEL OF
It

is

LUKE.

ST.

197

necessary, therefore, for us to explain in what sense

we say that the law was given because of faith. The blessed
Abraham then was justified by obedience and faith. For it is
That Abraham believed God ; and he was called Jam.
the friend of God, and faith was counted to him for

written
"

"

cousness."

the father of

him

blessed in

One can

that

to say,

is

see, therefore, that the

to the ceremonial
enjoined

tained unto

rightthat he should be

And God promised him both

many nations, and that all

"

while

it

nations should be

by the imitation of his

grace that

by the law,

is

by

in that

uncircumcised.

still

,3

ii.

faith.

faith is prior

Abraham

at

And

afterwards, in
process of time, the law entered by the hand of Moses. Did
it then thrust
away the justification that is by faith, that I

mean which God promised to those who follow the

steps
our father Abraham, which he had while still
cumcised ? But how can this be true ?
The blessed
faith of

therefore, writes:

of the

uncir
Paid,

say then, that the covenant, which

was confirmed of old by God, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years afterwards, does not disannul, so as to
make the promise given to the fathers of no effect. 1 And

"

"

"

again:
"

may

"Is

not

"This

the law then against the promises of God?

It
And the same divine Paul further teaches us

Gal.

iii.

17.

Gal.

iii.

21.

be."

the reasons for which the law at

length entered by the minis
and the manner in which it confirms the

tration of angels,
faith in Christ,

by having been brought

in before the time of

the incarnation of the

Only-begotten, saying at one time, that
the law entered that sin
and at another Rom.
might abound
"

:"

"

again,

that the Scripture hath included

and again,

"

The

all

things under

v. 20.

sin:"

Gal.

iii.

22.

law, therefore, was added, because of trans-

Gal.

iii.

19.

"

grcssions."

Do you
under

sin

wish to learn
?

how

the Scripture included all thi-ngs

it to the best of
my ability.

If so, I will
explain

The heathen, then, as those who were without God, and desti
tute of hope, were in this world as men
imprisoned in the pit
falls of
in the
of
without
baseness, and
escape
entangled
hope
the other hand, the Israelites possessed in
deed the law as a schoolmaster but no man could be justified

cords of

sin.

On

means.

For there

no profit to them that are in their

sins in an
And to this Paul again bears
offering by blood.
For the blood of bulls, and of goats, cannot Heb.
witness, saying ;

by

its

"

is

x.

COMMENTARY UPON

198
"

Cor.

iii. 7.

take away sins." The law is the proof of the infirmity of all
the ministry of
anc therefore the blessed Paul calls it

men
"

"

Sin abounded by

condemnation."

its

means

and

that, not

made any man sin, but rather because it declared

though
It was
the condemnation of him who was subject to offences.
of
enacted, therefore, because
transgressions, that as now no
as

it

man was able to attain to a blameless life, the bringing in of

the justification that is by Christ might be altogether neces
For there was no other way by which the inhabitants
sary.
of earth could escape from the tyranny of sin.
The law, then,
entered first for the sake of faith, to declare the guilt of those

who were

liable to infirmities, and prove them to be sinners.

men, therefore, so to speak, to the cleansing that is in
Christ by faith.
And for this reason the blessed Paul again

It sent

Gal.

iii.

24.

wrote
"

"

Therefore the law was our schoolmaster unto Christ.

But now that

faith

has come,

For we are

"

schoolmaster."

we

all

are no longer under a

God by

sons of

faith in

Christ Jesus.
Faith, then, in every way,

is

the cause of

life,

as that which

slays sin, the mother and nurse of death.

fore, said Christ to the ruler of the

Excellently, there
synagogue of the Jews,

when
"

Acts

xvii.

his

daughter was dead

she shall

Him by

52.

:"

only believe, and

makes those

He is life
and He will raise

faith, in that

approach
live and move, and are
ft

Fear not

For, as I said, Christ

live."

"

Cor. xv.

"

"

for in

live

who

Him we

the dead

"

sud-

an eye, at the last trump," as it is

written.
And having this hope in Him, we shall both attain
to the city that is above, and
reign as kings with Him by
Whom and with Whom, to God the Father be praise and do
denly, in the twinkling of

minion, with the

Holy Ghost,

for ever

and

ever,

Amen.

THK GOSPEL OF

SERMON

LUKK.

ST.

199

c.fc.i- 5

XLVII.

airo<TT6\ovs

And when He had

called the twelve Apostles,

power and authority over

*

And He

all the devils,

them

and
.

He gave them
to
i

y^V

Olll. VT-L.

the

kingdom oj troa,
Take nothing
iwto
He
said
And
sick.
them,
the
heal
to
and
nor money
bread
neither
:
no
: no
the
scrip
staff:
way
for
nesses.

sent

to

preach

Bs.

heal sick-

M*

0111

T0 j, s

nor shall ye have two coats.

And

into whatsoever house

and thence depart. And whosoever

ye enter, there abide,
shake
when
will not receive you,
ye depart from that city,
their
testimony.
off the dust from your feet for
IT

able.

far as

is honour
a true saying, that the fruit of good deeds
as
undefiled
For those who wish to lead lives pure and
and
His
gifts,
for men, Christ will adorn with
is

is

possible

an abundant recompense for all their saintly deeds,

grant them
it is impossible
and make them partakers of His glory. For
I live, saith the Lord,
As
who
lie
ever
that He should
says
:

"

OV KOV.

those

As a

who honour Me,

plain

and

I will

honour.""

clear proof of this,

take the glorious and

Behold them highly dis

noble company of the holy Apostles.
human glory, by this
than
more
crowned with
tinguished, and
it
He
For
says,
gave them,
fresh gift bestowed by Christ.
sickheal
to
and
the
devils,
over all
power and authority
Word
Incarnate
the
that
Observe again, I pray,
nesses."
and is radiant with
of God exceeds the measure of humanity,
the limits o
transcends
For it
of the Godhead.
the
"

"

"

dignities

unclean spirits to whom

nature, to give authority over
them to deliver from
soever He will as does also the enabling
For God, indeed,
sicknesses such as were afflicted with them.
and on His
kind
of this
bestows on whom He will

human

powers

are able, according to His good

depends that any
of t
divine miracles, and act as ministers
pleasure, to work
the
others
gift
but to impart to
grace that is from above
For the
stowed on them, is altogether an impossibility.
nature is found existing ess
jesty and glory of the supreme
and It only.
that has being, except in Itself,
tially in nothing
cree alone

it

iSam.ii.

COMMENTARY UPON

200

Be it, therefore, angel or archangel, that any one mentions, or

thrones and dominions, or the seraphim, which again are
higher
in, dignity, let him wisely understand this: that
they indeed
possess pre-eminent authority by the powers given them from
above, such as language cannot describe, nor nature bestow
:

but reason altogether forbids the supposition of their

imparting
these powers to others. But Christ bestows them, as
being God

and as out of His own

therefore,

fulness

for

He

is

Himself

the Lord of glory and of powers.

The grace then bestowed upon the holy Apostles is
worthy
of all admiration
but the bountifulness of the Giver
surpasses
all
praise and admiration: for He gives them, as I said, His own
;

Man receives authority over the evil spirits, and re

duces unto nothingness the pride that was so
high exalted, and
his wickedness he renders
arrogant, even that of the .devil
glory.

by the might and efficacy of the Holy Ghost,

him
as
with
fire, he makes him come forth with
burning
groans
and weeping from those whom he had possessed. And
yet in
old time he had said:
I will hold the whole world in
my
ineffectual, and,

Is. x. 14.

"

"

"

hand

as a nest,

there

is

and

take it as eggs that are left and

no one that shall escape from me, or
speak against
will

He

"

missed, then, the truth, and fell from his hope,

proud and audacious though he was, and vaunting himself
over the infirmity of mankind.
For the Lord of powers mar
me."

him the ministers 2 of the sacred proclamations.

And this verily had been foretold by one of the
holy prophets
when speaking of Satan and the holy teachers
That sudshalled against

Hab.

ii.

7.

"

"

denly they shall arise that bite thee and they shall awake
that afflict thee, and thou shalt be their
For, so
prey."
:

"

to speak,

his

they bit Satan by attacking his glory, and making

goods a spoil, and bringing them unto Christ by means of

Ministers, iepovpyovs

and again,

occurs in the same

sense as one occupied with or enlittle

gaged

below,

in

it

any religious duty,

ministers of the divine

"

the

preaching."

See also Rom. xv. 16. And at the

end of the sentence
teachers" in
the Greek is
^uoraywyoi, properly

to such as had the office of

initiating
the catechumens ; but in
process of

time
teach
p.

it
:"

came simply

to

so Cyril, Glaph.

even

252.

complete

the

adds

mean
i.

"

in

to

Ex.

^va-rr^pLov,

sense; napa T^ S

to
f

"

"

the mysteries," and

so applied in the Church
originally
initiators in

c6vS>v

TWV

/c/cXqo-ias

louSaiW

dfgerai Xpicrrbv

o-vvayuyr)

yov^vrj TO cV aura

f)

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

201

Him: for so they attacked Satan himself. Great there

was the power given unto the holy Apostles by the decree
and will of Christ, the Saviour of us all.
For He gave them

faith in

fore

"

"

power and authority over the unclean

We

spirits."

the next place, also inquire, if it seem good,

whence a grace, thus illustrious and famous, descended upon
will, in

The Only-begotten Word therefore of God crowned

nature with this great honour by becoming flesh, and
taking upon Him our likeness. And thus, without in one single
for He
particular departing from the glories of His majesty
mankind.

human

wrought deeds worthy of God, even though He became, as I

He broke the
said, like unto us, and was of flesh and blood;

And by His rebuking

power of Satan by His almighty word.

the evil

them

also.

And

that what

say

is

true,

For the Saviour, as

certain.
spirits

the inhabitants of earth became able to rebuke

spirits,

will

I said,

endeavour to make quite

was rebuking the unclean

but the Pharisees, opening their mouth to deride His

to say, "This man casteth not out

glory, had the effrontery

"

devils,

but by Beelzebub, prince of the

viour rebuked

them

for so speaking, as

But the Sa

devils."

men prone

to

mockery,

thus say
ill-disposed, and utterly without understanding,
whom
do your
out
If
I
cast
Beelzebub
devils, by
ing ;
by
Therefore shall they be your judges."
sons cast them out ?
For the blessed disciples, who were sons of the Jews by their
to the flesh, were the terror of Satan and
descent

and

"

"

according

his angels

for they

broke their power in the Name of Jesus

But if I by
And our Lord further said
"

Christ of Nazareth.

kingdom of God is
come upon you." For He, as the Only-begotten Son of the
Father, and the Word, both was and is omnipotent, and there

"

the Spirit of

God

cast out devils, then the

"

not easy to Him but inasmuch as He re

buked evil spirits while He was man, human nature was tri

is

nothing that

umphant

in

is

Him, and crowned wih godlike glory

for

it

was

evil spirits with power.

By
capable of rebuking even the
Christ s casting out devils, therefore, the kingdom of God
came unto us for one may affirm that it is the perfection of
:

godlike majesty to be able to beat

resistance.

Dd

down Satan

in spite of his

Mat.xii.24,

COMMENTARY UPON
He

glorified therefore

His disciples by giving them authority

and power over the evil spirits, and over sicknesses. Did He
then thus honour them without reason, and make them illus
But how can this be true ?
trious without any cogent cause ?
For

was necessary, most necessary, that having been publicly

it

appointed ministers of the sacred proclamations, they should

be able to work miracles, and by means of what they wrought

men of their being the ministers of God, and mediators

beneath the heaven, inviting them all to reconciliation
and justification by faith, and pointing out the way of salvation
convince
of

all

and of

that

life

is

thereby.

For the devout and

intelligent

need generally only reasoning to make them understand the

truth but those who have wandered without restraint into re
:

and are not prepared to receive the sound speech of

him who would win them for their true profit
such require
and scarcely even so are
miracles, and the working of signs
bellion,

they brought to thorough persuasion.

For we often find that the discourse of the holy Apostles
prospered in this way. For, for example, Peter and John deli

vered from his malady that lame man who lay at the beautiful
And upon his entering the temple, they had his aid, as
gate.
were, in testimony of the great deed that had been wrought,
and spake with great boldness concerning Christ, the Saviour
of us all
even though they saw that those whose lot it was to
it

Acts

iii.i2.

be rulers of the synagogue of the Jews, were still travailling

with bitter ill-will against Him. For they said: "Ye men of Israel,
tf

why wonder ye

"

our

"

"

"

"

"

at this, or why gaze ye at us, as though by

own might or righteousness we made this man to walk ?
The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus,

Whom

you.
"

11

in the presence of Pilate,

Him

But ye denied the Holy

go.
and
the
and
asked
for
a
to be granted
murderer
Just,
One,

"

"

ye delivered up and denied

when he would have

And Him

let

the Prince of Life ye killed ; Whom God

And of Him we are witnesses and

raised from the dead.

His Name, through faith in His Name, hath made this man
strong whom ye see and know and faith in Him hath given
:

"

him

many

this

soundness in the presence of you

But although
Jews were embittered at a loftiness of speech such

of the

all."

THE GOSPEL *OF

ST.

LUKE.

203

as this, yet against their will they put, so to speak, a bridle

ashamed because of the greatness of
their wrath,

being

upon

the miracle.

For having
there is another point we must not omit.
invested the holy Apostles with powers thus splendid, He

And
first

then bids them depart with speed, and commence their office
of proclaiming His mystery to the inhabitants of the whole

For just as able generals, having equipped their bravest

of
soldiers with weapons of war, send them against the phalanxes
and
Saviour
common
Lord,
our
so too does Christ,
the
earth.

enemy

send the holy teachers of His mysteries, clad as it were in the

and fully equipped in spiritual armour,
grace that He bestows,
and his angels that so they may be unconquer
against Satan
For they were about to do battle
combatants.
able and
;

hardy

mastery over the inhabitants

even against the wicked and opposing powers, who
of earth
had divided among them all under heaven, and had made

with those

who

in old time held

of
those their worshippers who had been created in the image
God. These, then, the divine disciples were about to vex, by
of the truth those that were in
to the

knowledge
summoning
that were
error, and giving light to them

in

darkness

while

earnest
those who in old time worshipped them, they rendered
saints.
become
as
followers of such pursuits
He bade them take nothing with

For this reason very fitly

from all worldly care, and
them, wishing them both to be free
that worldly things occa
labours
so entirely exempt from the
sion, as

even to pay no regard

sable food.

But manifestly

and indispen
them abstain even

to their necessary

One Who

bids

of

the love
from things such as these, entirely cuts away
He said,
their
For
glory,
riches and the desire of gain.
and, so to speak, their crown,

is

to possess nothing.

And He

are necessary for

withdraws them even from such things as
whatsoever, nei
their use, by the command to carry nothing

two coats,
nor scrip, nor bread, nor money, nor
from vain
them
that He withdraws
serve, therefore, as I said,
have
them
bids
and
the body,
distractions, and anxiety about
that
it
as
were,
pas
no cares about food, repeating to them,
and He
Cast thy care upon the Lord,
Psalm
in
the
sage
said
For true also is that which Christ

ther

staff,

shall feed

thec."

P.. iv

COMMENTARY UPON

204

Ye

Lukexvi.
"

Mat.

vi. 21.

are not able to serve God and Mammon."

And again;
For where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also."
That they may lead, therefore, a consistent and simple life,

and, being free from vain and superfluous anxiety, may devote
themselves entirely to the duty of proclaiming His

mystery,

and labour without ceasing

in

men everywhere

publishing to

the tidings of salvation, He commands them to be indifferent

both as regards clothing and food. And to the same effect the
Luke

xii.

For let your loins, He says, be

and
your lights burning." But by their loins being
girt,
means
He
the readiness of the mind for every
girt,
good work
Saviour elsewhere spake

"

"

and by

Ex.

xii. ii.

their lights burning, that their heart be filled with di

vine light.
And in like manner the law also of Moses plainly
commands those who ate of the lamb i( Thus shall ye eat it
:

your loins shall be girt and your staves in your hands

and your sandals on your feet." Observe, therefore, that

"

"

those in
Eph.

vi. 15.

men

whom

girt for a

Christ,

journey

the true
for

Lamb,

they must

"

dwells,

must be

like

shoe their feet with the

readiness of the. Gospel of peace," as blessed Paul wrote unto

us
and be clad as becometh wayfarers. For it is not
"

fitting

for those

charged with the divine message, if they would pros

in
their
office, to remain stationary
per
but, as it were, they
must constantly be moving forward, and run, not for an uncer
For even those who once
tainty, but to win a glorious hope.
;

had

fallen

under the hand of the enemy,

for Christ, the Saviour of us

all, will

if

by

inherit

faith

they fight

an incorruptible

crown.

But I can imagine some one

Lord, Thou hast
saying,
commanded thy ministers to carry with them no
supply what
soever of necessaries for food and raiment
whence, then, will
they obtain what is essential and indispensable for their use ?
This too He at once
Into whatsoever
points out, saying
:

"

house ye enter, there abide, and thence

depart."
He says, which you will obtain from those
"

be

sufficient.

The

fruit,

you instruct, shall

For those who receive from
you things spiritual,

and gain the divine seed

for their souls, shall take care of

your

And this no one can blame for the wise Paul

bodily needs.
also sent word as follows
If we have sown unto
:

iCor.ix.ii.

"

"

things,

is it

a great thing

you

if

we

shall

spiritual

reap your bodily things

THE GOSPEL OF
"

So the Lord
Gospel

"

205

commanded, that those who preach the

And that this same truth
Gospel."

shall live of the

"

is

also

LUKE.

ST.

signified

by the command of Moses, he

Thou

It is written,

clearly shews, saying,

shalt not muzzle the trampling ox." And Deut. xxv.

what the intention of the law is he again showed, saying,

Doth God care for oxen ? or sayeth He it altogether on our
account, because it is fit that he who plougheth should

4-

"

"

"

plough in hope arid he who trampleth the corn as having

hope to share in it?" For the teachers, therefore, to re
:

"

ceive from those taught these trifling and easily procurable

matters

is

in

no respect injurious.

But He commanded them both

from
those

to take their departure. 8

it

one house, and

to abide in

For

it

was

right, both that

who had once received them should not be defrauded

of

and that the holy Apostles themselves should not

place any impediment in the way of their own zeal and earn
estness in preaching God s message, by letting themselves be
carried off to various houses by those whose object was, not to
learn of them some necessary lesson, but to set before them a
the gift

luxurious table, beyond what was moderate and necessary.

And that it is by no means without its reward to honour the
saints,

them
"

we learn from our Saviour s words. For He said unto

Whosoever receiveth you receiveth Me, and whoso"

ever receiveth

Me

receiveth

Him That

sent

Me."

For

He

purposely makes His own, and takes unto Himself, the honours
have
paid to the saints, in order that on every side they may
For
is there better, or what is comparable unto
what
security.

God ? But this is rendered by

And if he who receiveth them is right
converse
hope, how must not also the

the honour and love due unto

giving honour
blessed,

to the saints.

and of glorious

be entirely and absolutely true

misery,

For
"

who

this

is

reason

house, shake

For he must be

indifferent to the duty of

He

"

said,

that

full

of utter

honouring the saints.

out from that

when ye go

the very dust from your feet for their

off

testi-

mony."

a Mai here inserts

in the
Greek, which equally with the Syriac has no negative
but certainly
without reason, as the meaning is,
:

when they took their final deit was to be

parture from the city,
from the same house which they

that

had

first

entered.

Mat.

x. 40.

COMMENTARY UPON

206

And

next,

we must

see

what

And

this signifies.

That from those who would not receive them, nor

it is

this

set store

by

the charge confided to them, nor obey the sacred message,

nor receive the faith; from such they should refuse to re
For it is unlikely that those who
ceive any thing whatsoever.
despise the master of the house, will shew themselves generous
and that those who impiously disregard the
to the servants
:

heavenly summons, will ask a blessing of its preachers, by of

fering them things of no value, and such as the disciples could
without trouble obtain from their
P3. cxii. 5.

"

Let not the

they ought
love

"

own

of the wicked anoint

to feel that their love

and praise Christ

and avoid

my

head."

was due
all

For

people.

it is

And

written,

besides

to those only

who

others of a different cha-

Have I not hated, O Lord, them

Thee and been hot exceedingly at Thy enemies ?
I have hated them with a perfect hatred
they have become
my enemies." So is the love proved of earthy soldiers for

Ps cxxxix. racter
"

oil

for

it

that hate

is

written

"

"

not possible for them to love foreigners, while paying a

due regard to their king s interests.
learn this too by

it

is

We

Mat.xii.3o.

what Christ says: "that he who is not with Me is against

Me and he that gathereth not with Me altogether scat-

"

"

tereth."

Whatsoever, therefore, Christ commanded his holy Apostles

was exactly fitted for their use and benefit by Whom and
:

Whom

God the Father be praise and dominion, with

the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever, Amen.
with

to

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON

ST.

LUKE.

207

XLVIII.

And

the day began to decline: and the twelve drew near, c.ix.
17-17.
and said unto Him, Send the multitudes away, and let
them go into the villages, and fields round about, and
lodge, and find victuals : for we are here in a desert place.
But He said unto them, Give ye them to eat. But they
said, We have no more than five loaves and two fishes
unless we go and buy food for all this people.
But they flow 8 s.
were about five thousand men. And He said to His disciples, Make them sit down in companies of fifty each.
And tliey did so, and made them all sit down. And when
He had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, He looked
up to heaven and blessed them, and brake, and gave to His
:

disciples to set before the multitudes.

And

they did eat,

and were all filled : and that which remained over unto
tliem was taken up, even twelve baskets offragments.

THE Jews, in my opinion, have not a single argument that

can serve before the tribunal of God as a defence for their dis
obedience

on

its side.

dows and

had no appearance of reason

Because the law of Moses, by sha

for their opposition

And why
figures, led

so

them unto the mystery of

Christ.

For

the law, or rather the things it contained, was symbolical, and

in it the mystery of Christ was depicted by type and shadow
as in a painting.
And the blessed prophets also foretold long
before that in due time there should come

One

to

redeem

all

beneath the heaven, and further proclaimed the very place of

His birth in the flesh, and the signs that He would accomplish.

But they were so obdurate, and their mind so indiscriminately

set upon that alone which agreed with their prejudices, that
nor be brought
they would not receive the words of instruction,
and
to obedience even by miracles so splendid
glorious.
Such then was their conduct but let us, who have acknow
:

Him our praises for

ledged the truth of His appearing, offer
His godlike works ; such as that which the passage before us
that our Saviour from time to
For we learn bv
records.
it,

COMMENTARY UPON

208
time went

out from Jerusalem

and other

cities and towns,

by multitudes, some seeking deliverance from the

followed

tyranny of

devils, or

recovery from sickness

but others de

from Him, and constantly with

great earnestness, remaining with Him, that they might be
made fully acquainted with His sacred doctrines. When then
siring to receive instruction

the day was declining, as the

Evangelist says, and evening had
all but arrived, the
disciples had care of the multitudes, and

drew near, offering requests on their behalf. For they said,

Send them away, that they may go into the
neighbouring
for we are
villages and fields, and lodge and find victuals
"

"

"

in a desert

But

let
"

pression

place."

us carefully inquire what

Send them

away."

is

For we

the meaning of the ex

shall see by it both the

admirable faith of the holy apostles, and also the

supernatural
and wonderful power of Christ the Saviour of us all, in what
soever He willeth to perform.
For, as I said, some of them
followed beseeching Him to deliver them from the evil
spirits
that oppressed them, while others
sought recovery from various
Since, therefore, the disciples knew that by the

maladies.

mere assent of His will he could

accomplish for those sick per
sons what they wanted,
Send them away
not so
they say
as
were
themselves
at all
and
speaking
though
"

:"

they
annoyed,
considered that the proper time had
gone by but seized with
love toward the multitudes, and
beginning to have a concern
for the
people, as being already intent upon their pastoral
office
so that we
may even take pattern by them ourselves.
;

For

draw near, and make supplication on the

people s be
an act becoming to the saints, and the
duty of spiritual
fathers, and the proof of a mind that has
regard not to selfish
to

half, is

objects alone, but already considers as its own the interests of

others
of which
evi
surpassing love this is a clear and
:

very

dent instance.

And

we may be permitted to carry our

argument above the level of human things, we say, for the
benefit of such as meet with it, that when in earnest
prayer
we continue with Christ, whether
of Him
if

asking
healing
the maladies of our souls, or deliverance from other
sicknesses,
or desiring to obtain
anything whatsoever for our

"for

advantage

there
is

is

good

no doubt that when we ask

for us, there
supplicate in

in

prayer any thing that

our behalf both the intelli-

THE GOSPEL OF
gent powers, and those holy
unto Him.

ST.

LUKE.

209

men who have freedom

of access

But observe the incomparable gentleness of Him Whom they

For not only docs He grant all that they ask
supplicate.

Him

bestow on those who followed Him, but also adds

thereto of His own bountiful right hand ; refreshing in every
way those that love Him, and nurturing them unto spiritual
to

And this we may see from what has now been read.
courage.
For the blessed disciples besought Christ that those who were
following Him, having had their requests granted them, might
be sent away, and disperse as they best could. But He com

manded them

to supply

was impossible

them with

food.

The

thing, however,

eyes of the disciples, for they had brought

and this
but five loaves and two fishes

in the

nothing with them

they drew near and confessed to Him.

To magnify, there
and make it in every way

fore, the greatness of the miracle,

is in His own nature
evident that

He

little

many

times,

and looks up

to

God,
heaven

He

multiplies that

to

ask a blessing

from above, being intent in this also upon our good. For He
b
is Himself That which filleth all things, being the blessing
But that we may
that cometh 7rom above from the Father.
about to break
are
and
meal
learn that when we commence a
,

our duty to offer it to God, placing it, so to speak,

down a blessing
upon our stretched out hands, and calling
our precedent, and
upon it from above, He purposely became
bread,

it is

and example in the matter.

But what was the result of the miracle

type,

It

was the

satisfy

for there were as many as

ing a large multitude with food
five thousand men besides women and children, according
o to
:

what another of the holy Evangelists has added to the narra- Mat
21.
Nor did the miracle end here; but there were also
tive.
And what do we infer
twelve baskets of fragments.

gathered
from this

that hospitality receives a rich

plain assurance
The disciples offered five loaves but

recompense from God.

b

Ev\fryia,

upon which word

the note in p. 71 .
c In the
margin there

is

conf.

the fol-

lowing note ; Upon the duty, when

we are about to approach the table,
"

The

upon it from above."

same hand has marked with a cross
in the first volume
all the

blessing

passages

of the

MS. which

of the Son.

of offering the bread, and invoking a

E c

affirm the divinity

1 1

COMMENTARY UPON
a multitude thus large had been satisfied, there was
Let
gathered for each one of them a basketful of fragments.
after

nothing therefore prevent those who are willing from receiving

strangers, whatever there may be likely to blunt the will and
readiness of men thereunto
and let no one say,
I do not
"

"

possess suitable

means

what

I can do

is

altogether trifling

and insufficient for many." Receive strangers, my beloved

overcome that unreadiness which wins no reward
for the
"

Saviour

Cor. ix.6.

thy little many times beyond expectation,

and though thou givest but little, thou wilt receive much.
For he that soweth blessings shall also reap blessings d ac
will multiply

"

,"

cording to the blessed Paul

words.

The

feeding, therefore, of, the multitudes in the desert by

worthy of all admiration but it is also profitable in
another way.
For we can plainly see that these new miracles

Christ

PS. ixxvili.

is

accord with those in old time, and that

they are the acts of
one and the same power.
He rained manna in the desert
"

"

upon the

Israelites

did eat angels

in the Psalms. But lo

"

man

He

gave them bread from heaven ;

food," according to the words of
praise
again in the desert

He

has abundantly

supplied those in need of food, bringing it down, as it were,

from heaven. For His
multiplying that little many times, and
feeding, so to speak, with nothing so large a multitude,

not unlike that former miracle.

And to address myself
once again to the throng of the Jews, Thou wast in need of
the natural water, when thou wast
walking in that long wilder
ness; and God gave thee thy desire beyond thy hopes, and from
is

F*. ixxviii.

an unlooked-for quarter. For, as the Psalmist

He clave
says,
the rock in the desert
He gave them drink as from the
vast abyss
and He brought forth water out of the rock,
"

"

"

and made water flow like rivers." Tell me then, when thou
hadst drunk, didst thou
praise the Worker of the miracle ?
Didst thou raise thy
tongue for thanksgiving ? or wast thou
induced by what had happened to
acknowledge the ineffable
"

power of God ? Not so for thou murmuredst against God,

Can God prepare a table in the wilderness ? If He
smote the rock, and the waters flowed, and He made the
:

"

Pa. Ixxviii.

saying,
"

"

streams overflow

d For the

can

He

meaning of

also

give bread, or prepare a

"

blessings,"

see p. 109.

THE GOSPEL OF
the

flint

LUKE.

211

His people
Thou wast not astonished at seeing
rock the source of copious rivers
fountains issuing

table for

"

ST.

?"

marvellously from stones, and streams running with rapid

And
force, but imputedst weakness to Him Who is Almighty.
He
is the
that
to
was
it not rather
how
perceive
thy duty
yet

Lord of powers
table,

Who made

How
the

over for that multitude

But

He be unable to prepare a
rock a fountain and a stream, flowing

indeed could

flint
?

brought thyself to so great folly as to

is
there
that
anything impossible with God, and with
imagine
said
hast
that He cannot prepare a table for His
babble
empty
since thou hast

we now put to
people in the wilderness, answer the question
now
that
seest a table
the
faith
thou
embrace
Wilt
thou
thee
in the wilderness, and an innumerable mul
Christ
by
:

prepared

titude so abundantly supplied with food that twelve baskets of

remnants were collected ? or wilt thou still refuse to believe,

and ask another sign

When

When,

therefore, wilt thou be found

thou cease from finding fault with the

ineffable power of Christ? When wilt thou put a door and
bolt to thy tongue ? and delivering it from the language of
so that
blasphemy, change it to a better use by praising Him,
thou also mayest be a partaker of the blessings He bestows ?
For His mercies are revealed upon those who love Him, and

believing

He

wilt

them from

delivers

all

He

sickness.

supplies

them

also

with spiritual food, by means of which each one attains to

But upon the
manliness in every thing that is praiseworthy.
no such gifts, but
bestows
lie
and
contemptuous
unbelieving
rather brings upon them that condemnation which they fitly
*
For by one of His holy prophets He as it were said
deserve.
but ye shall
unto them,
Behold, they who serve Me shall eat,
shall
Me
serve
drink, but
who
suffer hunger.
Behold, they
to Me
themselves
submit
who
ye shall thirst. Behold, they
sorrow
from
lament
shall
while
in
shall
"

Is. ixv. 13.

"

"

"

"

is
"

ye
happiness,
rejoice
And again it
of heart, and wail from contrition of spirit,"
soul with Prov.
the
not
The Lord killeth
righteous
written,
"

hunger, but wastcth the

For the

life

of the

wicked."

flocks of the believers have, as

it

were, a pasture

which
of divers plants and flowers, in the holy Scriptures,
the
at
glo
are their wise guides and filled with spiritual joy
full

rious doctrines

and instructions which they

E e 2

contain, they fre-

x. 3-

COMMENTARY UPON
J.

xx.\. 25.

quent the sacred courts. And this it is which long ago was
"And there shall be
upon
proclaimed in the words of Isaiah
:

"

Joeliii. 18.

"

"

every high mountain, and upon every high

hill,

running

And again; And the mountains

waters upon that day."
and the hills flow with milk." For it
shall drop sweetness
"

the custom of divine Scripture to compare to mountains and

hills those set over others, and whose office it is to teach, inas
is

much

as they are high exalted, in respect, I

mean, of their
thoughts being occupied with elevated subjects, and withdrawn
from things earthly while the waters and the sweetness and
:

the milk are the instructions which flow from them as from
fountains.
"

"

There

shall

be then,

He

every high mountain, and from

waters, and sweetness and milk."

says, at that time

every high

from

hill,

flowing
these are the spiri
tual consolations of holy instructors, oifered to the people
under their charge.
Of these the Jewish congregations are
because
deprived,
they did not receive Christ, the Lord of the
"

and mountains, the Giver of

hills

Johnvi. 33, offers

Him

Himself as the bread of

He

And

spiritual consolation,

life

Who came down

to those

who

Who

believe in

from heaven, and gave life

and
with
Whom, to God the Father
by Whom,
be praise and dominion with the Holy Ghost, for ever and
for

to the

ever,

world

Amen.

it is

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON

ST.

LUKE.

XLIX.

pass that as He was alone, praying, His diswith Him : and He asked them, saying, Whom
do the multitudes say of Me that I am ? And they answered

And

it

came

to

c.

ix.

18

ciples ivere

and others,
John the Baptist
in old time
those
Elijah : and others, that some prophet of
do ye
whom
But
has risen again. And He said unto them ;
that I am ? And Peter answered and said, The Christ

and

said, Some, indeed,

&\\OL

say

them to tell
of God. And He charged and commanded
this to no man, saying, The Son of man is about to suffer
many things, and to be rejected of the elders, and chief
:
and be slain, and rise again the a^aa-T^
priests, and scribes
third day.

WELL

tyeps^a

may we

sacred Scriptures,

"

call

out to those

Arouse

and

ye,

who would search

awake."

the B

For it is a thing
of the mystery of

the exact meaning

impossible to perceive
and an under
Christ, if we use for this end a debauched mind,
is there
rather
Need
in sleep.
standing drowned, so to speak,
is
of a wakeful mind, and a penetrating eye; for the subject

one

difficult to

apparent now

that our

of the passage before

"

And

it

"

ciples
"

And

this is
in the highest degree.
discourse has come to the explanation

comprehend

came

us.

to pass that as

were with Him; and

do the multitudes say of

Me

what

we have

For what says the Evangelist?

He was alone, praying, His dis-

He

asked them, saying;

that I

am T Now

the

Whom

first

thing

was which led our Lord Jesus

to .examine is,
or inquiry.
Christ to propose to the holy apostles this question,
time
unseasonable
an
For no word or deed of His is cither at
all
docs
He
things
reason but rather,
or without a
fitting

it

What therefore do we say, or

season.
wisely and in their
He
what suitable explanation do we find for His present acts?
had fed

thousand

in the desert a vast multitude of five

men

with
and how had He fed them ? With five loaves breaking
out
them into morsels two small fish And these so multiplied
even were taken
of nothing, that twelve baskets of fragments
as well as
astonished
were
The blessed disciples therefore
up.
that He is
the multitudes, and saw by what had been wrought.,
!

COMMENTARY UPON
God and the Son of God. And afterwards, when they
had withdrawn from the multitude and He was alone, He occu
in truth

pied Himself in prayer, in this too making Himself our ex

ample, or rather instructing the disciples how to discharge effi
For it is, I think, the duty of
ciently their office as teachers.
those

who are

Christ

set over the people,

and whose

lot it is to

guide

constantly to occupy themselves with their

necessary business, and openly practise those things with which
God is well pleased even that saintlike and virtuous conduct
s

flocks,

which gains great admiration, and is certain to profit the

For they ought either to be
people under their charge.
in
those
duties
which are to the glory of God
actively engaged
:

or such as in their retirement

bring upon

Thess.

blessing,

and

down upon them power from on high of which latter, one

and the most excellent is prayer. Knowing which the divine
Paul said,
Pray without ceasing."
As I said, then, the Lord and Saviour of all made Himself
call

them a
:

"

an example

to the disciples of saintlike conversation,

by pray

But His doing so

ing alone, with them only in His company.
might perchance trouble the disciples, and beget in them dan
gerous thoughts.

For they saw Him praying

in

human

Whom

yesterday they beheld working miracles with

It would not therefore have been entirely
godlike dignity.
without reason, had they said among themselves
Oh, strange
fashion,

Whom

must we consider Him to be ? God, or man ?

If we say man, and like one of us
like one, that is, of the,
we
see
miracles which He
from
the
ineffable
holy prophets

conduct!

He

human nature for

ways He doeth wonders as God. If we say He is
God, surely to pray is unbefitting One Who is God by nature.
For of whom can God ask what He wishes to receive ? And of
what can God at all be in want ? To chase away therefore
works, that

far transcends the limits of

in manifold

such confusing thoughts, and to calm their faith, which, so to

not as
speak, was tempest-tossed, He makes this inquiry
though He were at all ignorant of what was commonly said of
;

Him,

either

by those who did not belong

to

the synagogue

of the Jews, or by the Israelites themselves

His object rather
was to rescue them from the general mode of thinking, and
implant in them a correct faith,
Whom, therefore, He asks,
:

"

"

do the multitudes say that

am

?"

THE GOSPEL OF
Thou

LUKE.

ST.

seest the skilfulness of the question.

215
lie did not at

Whom

do ye say that I am ? but refers

rumour of those that were without, that having rejected
once say,

shewn

it

"

true opinion.

had

ples

He may

to be unsound,

to the

and

it,

then bring them back to the

Which also happened for when the disci

Some John the Baptist, and others Elijah, and
:

"

said,

some prophet of those in old time has risen up

But ye, whom do ye say that I am?" Oh!
them,

others, that

"

He

said to

;"

"

He

them from all

and not con
ceive an unworthy idea of Him, nor entertain confused and
wavering thoughts, themselves too imagining that John had

how

full

of

meaning

others, that they

that

is

may

!"

"ye

separates

also avoid their opinions,

Ye therefore, He says,
who have been chosen who by My decree have been called
who are the witnesses of My miracles
to the apostlcship

risen again, or one of the prophets.

;

whom

do ye say that

am ?

First before the rest Peter again springs forth, and makes
himself the mouthpiece of the whole company, pouring forth
the expression of love to God, and giving utterance to a correct
and faultless confession of faith in Him, saying, The Christ of
"

The

God."

disciple is

unerring

a thoroughly intelligent

For he does not simply say, that

explainer of the mystery.
the Christ" rather for there
but
He is a Christ of God ;
"

Christ," from
are many who have been
having in
been
have
some
For
of
God.
various ways been anointed

called

"

anointed as kings; and some as prophets; while others, having

received salvation by That Christ Who is the Saviour of all,
even we ourselves, obtain the appellation of christ, as having

been anointed by the Holy Ghost.

For

it

is

words

said in the

before the coming

of the Psalmist, of those in old time, that is,

Touch not
christs, and do
of our Saviour

My

"

"

"

"

so

no

harm."

But the words of Habakkuk

My

prophets
"

refer to us

Thou

to save

Thy
hast gone forth to the salvation of Thy people
have
Christs therefore there are many, and they
christs."
been anointed] but He
called from the fact
:

been

Who

having
Christ is One, and One only
[of

God the Father s

and
though we indeed are christs,
is

longing to

some other person

not

God

but because

not as

christs, but be

He and He

alone

Since therefore
is in heaven.
and without
faith
the
correctly
most wise Peter, confessing

has as His Father

Him

that

PS. cv. 15.

Hab.iii.i3-

COMMENTARY UPON

216
error, said,

Him

Christ of

"The

from those

to

God," it is plain, that distinguishing

the appellation generally belongs, he

whom

Him to God, as being His sole (Christ). For though

be by nature God, and shone forth ineffably from God the
Father as His only begotten Word, yet He became flesh ac

referred

He

cording to the Scripture.

The

blessed Peter therefore pro

Him, lending, as I before said, his words to the

whole company of the holy apostles, and acting as spokesman

fessed faith in

them

for

And
Mat.

xvi.

count

as being

all,

we ought

this too

we

more accurate than the

to observe

rest.

Matthew

that in

find that the blessed disciple said,

Thou

"

ac-

art the

but the wise Luke, sum

living God
speak the purport, agrees with him in the
The
thoughts, but using fewer words, tells us that he said,
Christ of God."
Moreover no mention is here made of that
Christ, the

"

ming up

Son of the

:"

so to

"

"

which the Saviour spake to him

Id. v. 17.

find that
"

"

He

son of Jonah
thee, but

but in Matthew again we

Blessed art thou, Simeon,
plainly
for flesh and blood hath not revealed it to

said to
:

My

Him

"

in heaven."
The disciple therefore
God nor did he make this profession of
own thoughts merely, but because the

Father

was

verily taught of
faith for us of his

divine light shone

upon his understanding, and the Father led

knowledge of the mystery of Christ. What
therefore do those mistaken innovators 6
say to this, who un
him

to a correct

warrantably pervert the great and adorable mystery of the

incarnation of the Only Begotten, and fall from the
right way,

walking in the path of crookedness? For the wise Peter ac

knowledged one Christ while they sever that One into two,
in opposition to the doctrines of truth.
But yes, he replies,
:

the disciple acknowledged one Christ

and so do we also
affirm that there is one Christ,
Whom
we mean the Son,
by
even the Word that is from God the Father f
To this then
;

The

These words contain the sup-

Nestorians.

appellation,

posed defence of Nestorius, confining the appellation "Christ" to

the divine Person, the Word, and
denying it to the human person, the

Son of man," or Son of David."

But they require some modification

"

"

for

Nestorius did not confine the

Christ,

to

the

divine

Person, but said that it was a title

common to both. So in his letter
to Cyril,

Harduin

having quoted

Cone.

the words

I.

1278,
of the

"We believe in Jesus Christ,

our Lord, His only-begotten Son,"
he says,
Observe, I pray, how,

Creed,

"

having

laid

do\vn as foundations

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

what do we reply ? Is it not plain then,

that Christ asks the holy apostles, not,

LUKE.
we

217

say, to every one,

do men say that

Whom

the

Word

of

God

hut,

is ?

who

"

man

is

?"

and that

terms Lord, Jesus, Christ,

Only-begotten, and Son, as coramon both to the Godhead and the
manhood, they proceed to build

he affirmed that these titles were

used differently of the two natures

upon them the tradition of the Incarnation, and the Passion, and

the

the

the Son of

And

the Resurrection.

for while they belonged to the divi

nity absolutely, they belonged to

one may imagine God the Word

to be capable of suffering, uses the
term Christ, as significative of the
Substance incapable of suffering
and of that capable of suffering in
So again he
a

<JJ00VW

TT)S

$0>J/T??

Tfi

ment

XplO-TOTOKO)

or for it
correctly called QCOTOKOS,
to be orthodox to affirm the di
as the
vinity of our Lord considered

Quat. xvi,

Because God
he says,
p. 1415,
*
was present in that which was as-

sumed, viz., human nature, that

which was assumed, as being
Which assumed
joined with That
because of
it, is also called God,
the Assumer.
ETrfiS^TTfp cv rat

\r)(f)6tvri

Qtos, (* rov Xaftovros

But in this
Qeos.
that Christ
very quaternion he says
is a title applicable to either nature
The
Christ, like that of
:

appellation

Son, and Lord, as used in the

Scriptures of the Only- Begotten,
expresses the two natures, signithe Godhead, at
fying at one time
another the manhood, and at another both together.

(rvvdfaiav.

of the doctrine sanctioned by

one Son and Lord Jesus Christ,

not putting them apart and disbetween man and God,

tinguishing

nor regarding them as joined to

one another by oneness of dignity
and command nor again giving
the name of Christ in one special
sense to the Word of God, and in
:

another special sense to the seed

of the woman: but acknowledging
one Christ only, even the Word of
God the Father, with the flesh
which He made His own." This

shews with what

quotation
less
modification we are to take the
an
exact statement in the text ; in

last

S. Cyril
swering which, however,

the title,
refutes, not the confining
but the
the
to
divinity,
Christ,

the natures, shewing

separation of
Him
acknowledged
Peter
that
he saw present before him
the
as "the Son of God the Father,
forth from His
Word That

Whom

Nevertheless

sprang

"

"

rrjpwp-fv

<rvvfj<l>6ai

our Lord as for the Virgin to be

in

(frvo-ftov

the council of Ephesus, and con

firmed subsequently at Chalcedon;
Confessing that the Word was
yvcoo-dai not
substantially united
to the flesh, we worship

Thus

o-vvdfaiav,

two natures

In Cyril s answer to his letter pre

served in Harduin I. 1286, we have
a most temperate and exact state

2. What
1
rrapGfvy Quat. xxi. p. 41
he denied was that there was any
such union of the two natures in

Son of man.

for the

well said in Quat. xv. aa-vyx vTOV T *l v

TO>I>

single person.
does not object to the title of XprTOTOKOS being applied to the Virgin;

OV

were not united but coupled, each

energizing separately and apart.
And this crvvdfaia was the very
keystone of his doctrine, so that he

soon af

terwards commenting upon Phil.

St. Paul being about
ii. 5, he says,
*
to speak of the Passion, that no

manhood only Kara

by conjunction

substance."

F f

COMMENTARY UPON

218
it

was of

"

God?"

Him

that Peter confessed, that

Let them also explain

this to us

He
:

is

How

"

the Christ of

Peter

is

con

contain nothing profound

and hidden, and, so to speak, not apparent to the generality ?
For what verily did God the Father reveal to him ? That the

fession

worthy of admiration,

Son of man

is

for this that

he

passing honours
"

man
is

Is this the

God-taught mystery ? Is it
and
deemed
admired,
worthy of such sur
For thus he was addressed,
Blessed art
?

"

thou, Simeon, son of

The

if it

Jonah."

reason, however, for which he was thus admired

is

very just one for it was because he believed that He Whom

he saw as one of us, that is, in our likeness, was the Son of
;

God

the Father, the Word, namely, That sprang forth from

His substance, and became

and was made man.

flesh,

See

here, I pray, the profundity of the thoughts, the import

ance of the confession, the
For
and

high

He Who

was there

weighty mystery.
mankind, and as a por

in the likeness of

was God, Who transcends all created things !

dwells in the high and lofty place was abased from
His glory to be in poverty like unto us ! And He Who, as

tion of creation,

He Who

Lord of all, and King of all, was in the likeness of a

This is the faith the
slave, and in the measure of a slave
Saviour crowns to those thus minded He extends His bounti
ful right hand.
For when He had praised Peter, and said
that he was taught of God, as one who had obtained the reve
lation from above, from God the Father, He makes him more
assured and more abundantly confirmed in the faith he had
And I say unto thee,
professed concerning Him, by saying
that thou art a stone ; and
this
I will build My
stone
upon
God,

is

Mat.

"

xvi.

"

"

"

church

and I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of

heaven. Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound
:

"

in heaven,

"

loosed in

and whatsoever thou

shalt loose

on earth

shall

be

heaven."

For observe how

heaven and of earth.

He makes Himself at once the Lord of

For He promises things that exceed our

nature, and surpass the measure of humanity; yea, rather,

even that of the angelic rank and are suitable for that nature
:

only to bestow,
For,

first

He

Scriptures

Whose glory and

sovereignty transcend

all.

the sacred
says that the church belongs to Him
nevertheless distinctly ascribe it rather to God,
;

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

219

and to Him only, saying that it is

the church of God."
For they say that
Christ presented it to Himself,
having
"neither
spot nor stain, but holy rather, and blameless."
"

Tim.

iii.

"

As being God therefore He says

moreover

to

found

it,

granting

that
it

is

it

His,

J^

and promises

be unshaken, as
being

to

Himself the Lord of powers.

And next He says that He gives him the keys of heaven.
Who is it then that thus pours forth language appropriate to
God ? Is it an angel ? or some other intelligent power, whether
principality, or throne, or dominion ? or those holy seraphs ?

Not

at all

but, as I said before, such language belongs to

alone, Whose is the sovereignty of earth and

Almighty God

heaven. Let not, then, these innovators divide the one Christ,
so as to say that one Son is the Word of God the
Father,
an3" that
He
is of the seed of David is another Son.

Who

For Peter made mention of one Christ

even the Only-be
gotten Who became man and was made flesh and for this con
fession was counted
worthy of these extraordinary honours.
;

When, however,
charged them,

man

it

the disciple had professed his faith,

says,

and commanded them

to tell

it

to

He
no

Son of man," He said,

is about to suffer
many things, and be rejected, and killed, and the third day
He shall rise again." And yet how was it not rather the
duty of disciples to proclaim Him everywhere ? For this was
"

for the

"

"

"

the very business of those appointed

by
But as the sacred Scripture saith,
ship.
"

everything."

There were things yet

Him
"

to the apostle-

There

unfulfilled

also be included in their

preaching of Him
cross ; the passion ; the death in the flesh

is

a time for

which must

such as were the

the resurrection

from the dead

that great and truly glorious sign by which

;
is borne
Him that the Emanuel is truly God,
testimony
and by nature the Son of God the Father. For that He

and effaced destruction, and spoiled

and
overthrew
the tyranny of the enemy, and took away
hell,
the sin of the world, and
opened the gates above to the
dwellers upon earth, and united earth to heaven these things
utterly abolished death,

proved
e

Him

to be, as I said, in truth

The Copyist has

here appar-

ently omitted a line to the

effect

God.

He commanded

that the Scriptures also ascribe the

church to Christ.

pfg

Eccle-s.
*

iii.

COMMENTARY UPON

220

them, therefore, to guard the mystery by a seasonable silence

whole plan of the dispensation should arrive at a

until the

He arose from the dead,

that the mystery should be revealed
the inhabitants of the earth,
man
setting before

suitable conclusion.

He

For then, when

gave commandment

to all

every

by faith, and the cleansing efficacy of holy baptism.

For He said, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in
earth
Go ye, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
ini the Name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy
Ghost, and teaching them to observe all those
which

justification
Mat.xxviii.

"

"

"

"

things

have commanded you. And lo I am with

you always,
even unto the end of the world." For Christ is with us
and in us by the Holy Ghost, and dwells in the souls of us all
"

"

Whom

and with Whom to God the Father be

praise and
dominion and honour with the
for
ever
and ever,
Holy Ghost,
Amen.
by

As

position

both

fls

the Syriac has but one pre-

with which to express

and eV, the translation may
<>

either be

the

"into"

Name,

the

Name, or

"in"

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

SERMON

L.

LUKE.

FlT TO BE KEAD AT A TIME OF PERSECUTION.

And He

said to them

Whosoever will come after Me,

all,

let C.ix.23-26.

himself, and take up his cross every day, and

come after Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose
lose his life for My sake shall save it.
it, and ivhosoever will
For what is a man profited, who hath gained the whole world,
but hath lost himself, or fallen short? For whosoever shall
be ashamed of Me, and of My words, of him shall the Son
of man be ashamed when He shall come in His glory, and
in His Father s, and of His holy angels.

him deny

MIGHTY

warriors to
generals encourage their trained
honours
the
them
deeds of courage, not only by promising
the
that
of victory, but even by telling them
very fact of

them all praise. For

fame in battle not some
from their opponents. But

and gains
suffering brings them glory,
it is impossible for those who would win
times to have to endure wounds also

for

reward, for they are praised as

and the very wound
those who bravely assaulted the enemy
bears witness to the courage and valour of their mind. And
we see our Lord Jesus Christ also
much the same

their suffering

is

not without

its

arguments

He
of which was as follows
using in a discourse, the occasion
had just shewn the disciples that it was altogether necessary
be
for Him to endure the wicked enterprizes of the Jews, and
;

mocked by them, and spit upon in the face, and put to death,
and the third day rise again. To prevent them, therefore,
from imagining that

He

indeed for the

life

of the world would

cruelties
suffer the scorn of those murderers, and the other
be per
would
that
but
Him
which they inflicted upon
they
suffer
the
avoid
blame
without
mitted to live quietly, and might
death
of
even
endurance
the
and
for their piety s sake,
;

ing readily
a

few passages occur in the

Aurea Catena, ascribed

to S. Cyril,

not contained in the Greek, and

such are generally also not recog-

by the
mencement of

nised

Syriac.
this

The com-

homily

is,

how-

an instance to the contrary,

it being very coras also another pasrectly given;
which occurs towan

ever,

the purport of

sage
end.

om. \6yovs

COMMENTARY UPON

222

the flesh, should it so befal, and by so doing would incur

no disgrace, He of necessity, so to speak, testifies that those
who would be thought worthy of the glory He bestows, must
itself in

by proportionate acts of bravery, saying, He that

will come after Me, let him
deny himself, and take up his
cross every day, and come after Me."
Here, too, we must wonder at the love of Christ the Saviour

attain to
"

"

of us

"

it

towards the world

all

to suffer

for

He

not only consented Himself

and bear

to the cross

so great ignominy, humbling Himself even

death for our sakes, but also rouses His chosen

and

followers to the

same excellent desire

be the instructors of

even those who were to

men every where, and

hold the post of

commanders-in-chief over the people committed to their care.

For those who were appointed to so great a ministry must in

very deed be thoroughly brave and valiant, armed with an

unshaken mind and invincible courage, so as to dread no diffi
culties,

and even

if

death befal, to deride

its

terrors,

and

set at

nought every fear. He who thus acts denies himself, since, so

to speak, he
resigns this temporal life, and deems its concerns
worthy of no regard, inasmuch as his choice is to suffer for the
blessedness and love that

is in Christ.
So does a man follow
For the company of the holy Apostles is, as it were,
set before us by the Psalmist s
harp, as crying out unto Christ
the Saviour of all
For Thy sake we are killed every day we
have been counted as sheep for the slaughter." For in this

Christ.

Ps.xliv.22.

"

"

Heb.xii.2. also
"

they are like unto the Emmanuel,

for the joy that

"Who

He

had, endured the cross, having despised the shame."

He would have those, therefore, who were to be the teachers

of all beneath the sun

superior to timidity and the base love of
the world, laying it down as their
duty to suffer for love of

Him.

And He

has Himself taught us what

the character

is

of those of His apostles who love Him, where he said to

John xxi. the blessed Peter,
Simeon, son of Jonah, lovest thou Me ?
Feed
lambs
feed
shee P"
He was the good
y
x. n.
"

"

Mv

"

Shepherd He laid down His life for -the sheep." For He

was not a hireling
rather, those that were saved were His
own He saw the wolf coming He made no attempt to flee
"

He

despised not the flock ; but, on the contrary, yielded Him

self to be torn
by it, that He might deliver and save us
"

Is.

liii.

5.

For by His bruises we have been

"

healed,"

and

He was

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

223

Those, therefore, who would follow

Him, and earnestly desire to be like Him, and are set over
For
His intelligent flocks, must undergo similar labours.
"

afflicted for

our sins/

numerous savage beasts encircle them, violent, and implacable,

and that slay cruelly, and hurry souls to the pit of destruction.
For the more learned and skilful of the heathen possess great
their false doctrine with beautiful lan
eloquence, and adorn
and thus they pervert some simple-minded men,

guage
and depart
making them often wish to share their malady,
from the God Who is over all, to worship others in His stead
which are no gods. These heaped upon the holy Apostles
unendurable persecutions, and exposed them again and again
For the blessed Paul commemorates the things
to dangers.
he had been seen to suffer at Iconium and Lystra, and at
In DaFor at one time he says,
Ephesus and Damascus.
the
watched
the
Arctas
of
city
mascus the chief captain
king
of the Damascenes wishing to seize me, and from a window they
was delivered from
let me down from the wall in a basket, and I
:

Tim

iii.

xi.

"

^Cor.
3

"

"

"

"

"

his

hands."

caused

And

me much

Alexander the smith a Tim.

again at another time,
M
What then is the testimony of this
evil."
"

who
courageous and valiant champion,
to
For
me," he
?
everywhere despised the utmost dangers

mighty Evangelist,

this

"

"

says,
I
"

"

"

am

that

I live is

Christ

and that

crucified with Christ

but Christ liveth in

flesh, 1 live

by

me

I die is

and that which

faith in the

gain."

but henceforth

Son of God,

no more
here

I live

Who

Phil.

And again,

live, Gal.

in the

loved me, and

my
yielded up Himself
But the violence of the Jews broke forth frequently against
for

sake."

them they sum

the other apostles also
they persecuted
moned them before their synagogues they scourged them
;

keep
wickedly, commanding them
for they said,
their sacred preachings
to

and desist from

Did we not strictly

silence,

"

"

even the

command you not to speak to any man in this Name?

and behold ye have

Name
after the disciples
But
doctrine."
filled Jerusalem with your
love they had to
firm
the
for
had borne their violent accusation
counted
that
they were
rejoicing
Christ, they went out
been
had
But
they
the Name."
worthy to suffer shame for
and
at
overpowered
words,
timid, and abject, and frightened
would they have been proved c
how
of
terrors
the
death,
by
their
how have offered as fruits to God those who were called by
"

iv.

of Christ, the Saviour of us

all

"

"

*.

ii.

10

COMMENTARY UPON
means ? For,

also,

the wise Paul

whom

no

difficulty

whatsoever

could overpower, when on his way to Jerusalem the prophet

Agabus loosed his girdle, and bound his own feet, and said,
Acts

"

xxi.

So

shall the

Jews

"

girdle
"

"

belongs,"

weep and break

man to whom this

What do ye, that ye

at Jerusalem bind that

answered and

my

"

said,

am ready not only to be

Name of our Lord Jesus
therefore, did He command them

heart

for I

bound, but also to die for the

"

Christ."

Excellently,

manfully to prevail over every persecution, and boldly to

undergo trials, as being well assured that if thus they will be
zealous in His cause, they will

His

therefore, a

become His

friends,

man be ready

to

and share

endure and

If,
glory.
despise the terrors of death, has he lost himself and departed,
and is there nothing more in store for him ? By no means : for

he

in that

to bring
saints

loses his

life,

upon himself

now

feel, if

he especially

finds

it

while to find

What fear, therefore,

destruction.

it is

can the

that which seemed to be hard proves rather

it
while that which is dear to men, as

joyous to them that bear

being exempt from pain, leads them especially downwards to

destruction and the snare of hell, according to the Scripture.

But b that it is incomparably better, far above the splendour

and pleasure of the world, to excel in the love of Christ, He
shews us by saying,
For what is a man profited who hath
the
whole
world, but hath lost himself, or fallen
gained
short
For when a man looks chiefly to that which is
"

"

"

t"

pleasant and profitable for the moment, and therefore avoids

suffering,

Prov.

x. 2.

iCor.vii.3i.

and

though he have

desires to live joyously, even

wealth and abundance of possessions, yet what profit hath he

therefrom when he has lost himself?
Treasures profit not
"

"the wicked,"

but

"

the fashion of this world passeth

away

:"

and like clouds those pleasures recede," and riches flies away
from those that possess it
but righteousness delivereth from
"

Wisd.
Prov.

v. 9.
x. 2

"

xi>
4>

"

death."

And
b

further, to set plainly before us the

Aquinas (Ed. Ven. 1775, vol. v.

"Quod autem incompara-

134), has
"

"

"

biliter

exercitium pacis Christi su-

peret delicias et pretiosa mundi,

insinuat subdens ; Quid proficit

"

impossible to conjeeture what can have been the read&c."

It is

ing of the translator in the Library

the

of

Fathers,

reward of our
who

renders

But that incomparable

it,

exercise

of the passion of Christ, which

surpasses the delights and precious

things of the world, is alluded to

adds, What is a man

when He

"

advantaged,

&c.

THE GOSPEL OF
being willing to labour,
"

"

ashamed

at

Me

and

at

He

ST.
"

says

My

man be ashamed when He

For whosoever

words, at

come

shall

LUKE.
Him
in

shall be

shall the

Sou of

His glory, and of

His Father, and of His holy angels." Much that is both

and necessary does Ho effect by these words. For in
the first place He shews that entirely and altogether it follows
that those who are ashamed c at Him and at His words will

"

useful

meet with the reward they merit. And what could so give us
some in whose presence the
joy as this ? For if there are
the reward of obedience,
them
as
owing
Judge feels shame,
love and affection for
to
their
crown
due
and the dignities and
Him, and the honours won by their bravery, how may we not
without fear of contradiction say that they most certainly will
henceforth live in never-ending honours and praises who have
attained to such splendid blessings
But, next,

He

also begets in

them

fear as well, in that he says

descend from heaven, not in His former lowliness

and humiliation, like unto us, but in the glory of His Father
that

He

shall

even in godlike and transcendent glory, with the holy angels

Most miserable, therefore, and
keeping guard around Him.
ruinous would it be to be condemned of cowardice and indo
lence

when the Judge has descended from

above, and the

But great and most blessed,

His side.
angelic ranks stand at
is it to be able to rejoice in
blessedness
final
of
and a foretaste
labours already accomplished, and await the recompense of
For such as these shall be praised, Christ Himself
past toils.
Mat.
Come, yo blessed of My Father, inherit
saying unto them
^
the
of
foundation
the
from
the kingdom prepared for you
we also be deemed worthy of these rewards
world."
"

"

"

May

Christ the Saviour of us

by the grace and lovingkindness of
the Father be praise
all
by Whom and with Whom to God
:

and dominion, with the Holy Ghost,

c

In this argument S. Cyril takes

the being ashamed

as "feeling reverence

in a

it

is

for ever

and

ever,

Amen.

schameth Me and My wordis,

rnannes Sone shall schame him,"
And the sense in which he
&c.

"

"

good

at."

sense,

Similarly

understood by the Vulgate

Qui enim erubuerit Me,

et

Meos

sermones, hunc Filius hominis erubescct. This Wiclif renders, "Whoso

uses

shame we may see

Luke xviii. 2

in his ver-

"

sion of
"

"

a juge in a

citee, that

drede not

men.
God, neither scharnede of

COMMENTARY UPON

SERMON
c. ix. 27-

8e

8.

LI.

But I say unto you truly, there are some of those standing
here who shall not taste of death, until they have seen the
about
kingdom of God. And there were after these things
and
and
and
He
took
and
James,
Peter,
John,
eight days,
was
He
while
And
to
mountain
the
to
went up
pray.
His
and
was
countenance
His
altered,
praying, the look of
!
two
and
behold
raiment was white, shining like lightning
who
and
men talked with Him, who were Moses
Elijah
He
having appeared in glory, spake of His departure, that
and
was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter
with sleep: but having
they that were with him were heavy
roused themselves, they both saw His glory, and the two
men that stood with Him. And it came to pass, that when
:

nu.1

e?8ov S.

they were separating

from Him, Peter said unto

Jesus,

Master,
good for us to be here : and let us make three
one
tabernacles,
for Thee : and one for Moses : and one
While he spake
:
not
knowing what he said.
Elijah
it is

for

these things, there

6 o

GSy.
d 6KA.eA.e7-

Hwos BGT.

came a cloud, and overshadowed them ;

and they feared as they entered the cloud. And there was
a voice from the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son,
hear Him. And when there was the voice, Jesus ivas found
alone ; and they kept silence, and told no man in those
days ought of the things they had seen.

THOSE

are skilful in the combat rejoice when the

to a glorious height
spectators clap their hands, and are roused
of courage by the hope of the chaplets of victory: and so those

who

whose desire

it is

to

be counted worthy of the divine

gifts,

and

made partakers of the hope prepared for the

combats for piety s sake towards
undergo
joyfully
Christ, and lead elect lives, not setting store by a thankless

who

thirst to be

saints,

indolence, nor indulging in a

fully resisting

mean

every temptation, and

timidity, but rather

setting at

man

nought the vio

lence of persecutions, while they count it gain to suffer in His

For they remember that the blessed Paul thus writes,
behalf.

THE GOSPEL OF
44

glory
Observe, therefore,

227

LUKE.

worthy of the Rom.

time are not

sufferings of this present
that is about to be revealed in us."

The

"

ST.

viii.

beautiful is the method ol K0 ^ia.

perfectly
the benefit and
which our Lord Jesus Christ uses here also for
For He had said unto them,
edification of the holy Apostles.
let him deny himself and Lukeix.7 3
after
come
will
Me,
Whosoever
For he that
his cross every day, and follow Me.
take

how

"

up

"

will

for

save his

My

life

shall lose

sake shall find

it

it."

and he that

will lose his life

The commandment

is

indeed

the saints, and the cause

both for the salvation and honour of
for the
of perfect joy
means
the
and
of the highest glory,
:

for the sake of Christ is not a thankless

choosing to suffer
life,
the contrary makes us sharers in everlasting
duty, but on

the disciples had not

and the glory that is prepared. But as
it
from on high,
probably occasionally hap
yet obtained power
and when
also fell into human weaknesses,

pened, that they

themselves any such saying as
thinking over with

have asked

how does a man deny

himself?"

or

this, may
how having

reward

And what
?
lost himself does he find himself again
who thus suffer ? Or of what gifts will they
compensate those
therefore from such timid
be made partakers? To rescue them
unto manliness, by
to speak, to mould them
thoughts, and, so
be bestowed
a desire of the glory about to
begetting in them
of those
some
are
I say unto you, there
upon them, He says,
have
shall not taste of death until they
standing here, who
measure
Does He mean that the
- seen the
kingdom of God/
as even to reach tc
so
of their lives will be
greatly prolonged
heaven at the consummation
time when He will descend from
the kingdom prepares
saints
the
of the world, to bestow upon
will

for He
omnipo
them? Even this was possible for Him
or difficult to His
and there is nothing impossible
tent
He means
But by the kingdom of God
powerful will.
manifesto
His
at
in which He will appear
light of the glory
of God
the
m
come
He will
glory
:

is

for

to the inhabitants of earth: for

us.
and not in low estate like unto

How

there

the Father,
did

He make

those

who had

received the promise spectato

ti
into the mountain

of a thing *o wonderful ? He goes up

and
with Him three chosen disciples

transformed to
even
a brightness, that His garments
passing and godlike
:

s<

is

glil

COMMENTARY UPON

228

tire, and seemed to flash like lightning.

And
Moses and Elijah stood at Jesus side, and spake with
one another of His departure, which He was about, it
says, to

tered with rays of

besides,

accomplish at Jerusalem by which is meant the mystery of

the dispensation in the flesh
and of His precious suffering
the
cross.
For
is
it
also
true
that the law of Moses, and
upon
:

the word of the holy prophets, foreshowed the

mystery of
Christ the one by types and shadows,
painting it, so to speak,
as in a picture ; while the rest in manifold
ways declared before
hand, both that in due time He would appear in our likeness,
:

and

for the salvation

and

life

of us

all,

consent to suffer death

upon the tree. The standing, therefore, of Moses and Elijah

before Him, and their
talking with one another, was a sort of
representation, excellently displaying our
having the law and the prophets for His

Lord Jesus

Christ, as

body guard, as being

the Lord of the law and the
prophets, and as foreshewn in
them by those things which in mutual agreement
they before
For
the
words
of
the
are
not
at variance
proclaimed.
prophets
with the teachings of the law.
And this I imagine was what
Moses the most priestly and
Elijah the most distinguished of
the prophets were
talking of with one another.
But the blessed disciples
sleep awhile, as Christ continued
for He performed these human duties as be
long in prayer
to
the dispensation
and afterwards on awaking they
longing
became spectators of changes thus
splendid and glorious
and the divine Peter, thinking perchance, that the time of the
kingdom of God was even now come, proposes dwellings
on the mountain, and
says that it is fitting there should be
three tabernacles, one for Christ, and the others for the other
:

two, Moses and Elijah

"

Phil.

iii.2 1.

was

saying."

For

but he knew not," it says,

what he
was not the time of the consummation
"

"

it

of the world, nor for the saints to take

possession of the hope
to
for
as
Paul
"He
them;
will
our
promised
says,

change

"

humble body

into the
likeness, of His,

that

is,

Christ

glo-

As therefore the dispensation was still at its

and
not yet fulfilled, how would it have been
commencement,

"

rious

body."

for Christ to have abandoned His love to the

world,
and have departed from His purpose of
in
its
behalf?
suffering
For He redeemed all under heaven,
by both undergoing death

fitting

THE GOSPEL OF
in the tfesh,

and by abolishing

Peter therefore

dead.

knew

it

ST.

LUKE.

229

by the resurrection from the

not what he said n

the wonderful and ineffable sight of Christ s

else was done, useful and necessary for the

But besides

glory, something
confirmation of their faith in
for us too.
only, but even
the cloud above, as from

Him

and not for the disciples

For a voice was given forth from
:

God

This
the Father, saying
is
My beloved Son, hear Him. And when there was the
Jesus was found alone." What then will he
voice," it

"

"

"

"

says,

and whose heart is incur

disputatious and disobedient,
is there, and does the
!
Moses
Lo
?
these
to
able, say
things

who

is

Father command the holy apostles to hear him ? Had it been

His will that they should follow the commandments of Moses,
He would have said, I suppose, Obey Moses keep the law.
;

But this was not what God the Father here said, but in the
the prophets, He commands them rather
presence of Moses and
And that the truth might not be subverted by
to hear Him.
that the Father rather bade them hear Moses,
any,
affirming

and not Christ the Saviour of us all, the Evangelist has

When there was the voice, Jesus
clearly marked it, saying,
"

"

was found

alone."

When

therefore

God

the Father, from

cloud overhead, commanded the holy apostles, saying,

Hear Him; Moses was far away, and Elijah too was no

the

"

longer nigh

commanded them
For

He

also

which reason

Him

but Christ was there alone.

He

to obey.

is

He

therefore

the end of the law and the prophets for

cried aloud to the multitudes of the Jews
:

Me

John
would have believed
ye had believed Moses, ye
But as they persevered even unto the
for he wrote of
end in despising the commandment given by most wise Moses,
and in rejecting the word of the holy prophets, they have justly
were
been alienated and expelled from those blessings that

"

If

also

"

Me"."

n Mai adds a
passage from B,
giving a completely distinct reason
for the transfiguration, namely, that
it was to teach the disciples that at

the

the body is not

but a sort of light-like

resurrection

put

off,

glory envelopes

it."

o
Again Mai ascribes a passage
from B and F to Cyril, remarking

upon the

terror

with which

the ground
disciples fell to
that
ing the Father s voice,

the necessity of Christ

ship in human form,
the glory of

God would

the

on hear-

it proves
mediator-

otherwise

have been unendurable to mankind.

The passage fo lowing the quotation from St. John he omits.

v. 4 6.

COMMENTARY UPON

230
Sam. xv.

For
obedience
promised to their fathers.
hearken
than
the
fat of
sacrifices, and to
"

is

better than

"

And

thus

much then

rams,"

as the

of the Jews: but

upon us
who have acknowledged the revelation, all these blessings have
necessarily been bestowed, by means of and as the gift of the
Scripture saith.

same Christ by Whom and with Whom, to God the Father

be praise and dominion, with the Holy Ghost, for ever and
Amen.
ever.
:

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON
But

came

LUKE.

ST.

LII.

day after, as they came down from c. x 37a great croivd met Him. And, behold, a *$
man cried out from the crowd, saying, Teacher, I beseech
Thee to regard my Son, for he is my only one. And lo, a
spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out, and it convulseth and teareth him, and he foameth ; and
having GST.
bruised him scarcely departeth from him.
And I besought ^iT
Thy disciples to cast him out, and they could not. And BGT*.
Jesus answered, and said
faithless and perverse ge
neration, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you?
Bring thy son hither. And when he was yet coming, the
devil threw him down, and convulsed him.
But Jesus
rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the child, and gave
him to his father. And all ivondered at the majesty of
it

to pass, the

the mountain,

God.

ALL
cially

For

but espe
Scripture is inspired of God and profitable
all besides this is the case with the holy Gospels.
Who in old time spake the law to the Israelites by the
:

above

He

ministry of angels, has in person spoken unto us, when having

taken our likeness, He appeared upon earth, and went about
That while in old Heb.
among men. For most wise Paul writes
"

"

"

"

i.

God spake

to the fathers by the prophets in manifold

and
manifold manners. He hath in these latter days
parts,
spoken unto us by the Son." And by one of His holy pro

time

He somewhere Himself saith, I Who speak am near as

M the
of him that
brightness upon the mountains, as the feet
proclaimeth tidings of peace as one that proclaimeth good
He frees us from the tyranny of the
For lo
things."
"

phets,

Is. Hi. 6.

"

"

in purity follow Him ; and that having

world rulers of this darkness," even Eph.vi.i
the
brought
nought
wicked spirits, He may present us unharmed unto God the
Father.
Him that we have gained deliverance from
For that it is

enemy, that we may

"

to

by

the power of unclean spirits, this lesson proves. For we heard

read that a man ran towards Him from among the multitude,

and related the intolerable malady of

his son.

For he said

COMMENTARY UPON
that he was
cruelly torn by an evil spirit, and suffered violent
convulsions.
But the manner of his approach was not free

from fault for he made loud outcries

against the company of
the holy apostles,
saying that they could not rebuke Satan
Avhereas it would have been more
had he honoured
:

fitting,

Jesus when asking His aid, and

For He
imploring grace.
us
our
when
we
honour
and confide in Him, as
grants
request
being the Almighty, Whose power nothing can withstand. For
verily is the Lord of powers P, and nothing can offer re
sistance to His will.
Yea rather, everything whatsoever that

He

capable of possessing power obtains entirely from Him the~

For just as He sheds His light
possibility of being what it is.
upon those who are capable of being illuminated, as being
Himself the true light
and
as in like manner He is the
is

just

bestower of wisdom upon those who are

capable thereof, as
being Himself Wisdom, and perfect understanding so, inas
much as He is Power, He bestows
power on those capable of
receiving it. When then by our disbelief we
His
:

despise

James

i.

6.

glory,

and wickedly scorn His

supreme majesty, we can receive nothing from Him for "we must ask in faith,
:

nothing

as His disciple said.

And that this

saying

what takes place

among
those

who

is

true,

us.

preside over affairs

wavering,"

we may perceive even from

For such as present petitions to

upon earth, and govern mighty

thrones, preface their requests with suitable

praises, and con
fess their universal
rial

they present,

power and majesty; addressing the memo

the Lords of earth, and sea, and of

"To

P This title of
Deity, which is of
very frequent occurrence in S. Cyril s works, is the Greek translation
of "Jehovah Sabaoth," the Lord of
Hosts, Ps. xxiv. 10 and this again
the Latins render,
Dominus vir;

By

"tutum.

"powers"

the Sy-

nans understood an order of the

angelic hierarchy, inferior only to
the Cherubs and
Seraphs. Among
the MSS. obtained
by the late Dr.
Mill from the
Syriac Christians of

have found two lists of

and angelic dignities,
which they are ranked as follows
Players on musical instruments,

Malabar,

ecclesiastical

m
i.

2.

Singers. 3. Doorkeepers. 4. Read-

ers. 5.

Priests.

Subdeacons.
8.

6.

Visitors.

Deacons.

7.

Chorepiscopi. 10. Bishops. 1 1. Metropolitans.

12. Patriarchs.
13. Angels,
14. Archangels.
15. Principalities,
16. Dominions.
18.
17. Thrones.
20. CheLordships. 19. Powers.
rubs.

21. Seraphs.

though the

title

is

Peschito version of

9.

By

visitors,

taken from the

i

Pet.

ii.

25,

imagine the nepio^vral of the Greek

Canons to be meant; and the Chorepiscopi, or Village-bishops, had no
power to ordain any one above a
subdeacon.

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

233

and afterwards
every people and race among mankind
add
an
of
ask.
account
would
The father
what
they
they
therefore of the demoniac was rude and uncourteous: for he
"

:"

did not simply ask the healing of the child, and in so doing
crown the healer with praises, but, on the contrary, spake
contemptuously of the disciples, and found fault with the

For I brought him, he says, to Thy

And yet it was
not cast it out."
and
could
they
disciples,
the
of
faith
that
own
want
grace availed not.
owing to thy

grace given them.

"

"

Dost thou not perceive that thou wast thyself the cause that the
child was not delivered from his severe illness ?

For that we must have faith when we draw near to Christ,

and whosoever have obtained from Him the grace of healing,

He

by everywhere requiring faith of those

of any of
desiring to be counted worthy
For, for instance, Lazarus died at Bethany, and
When then one of his sisters
to raise him.

teaches us Himself,

who approach Him,

His

gifts.

Christ promised

this, and had no expectation that the miracle would

am the resurrection and the life. John xi. 25.
take place, Christ said,
He that believeth in Me, even though he die, shall live."
And we find elsewhere a similar occurrence. For Jairus, a

doubted of

"I

"

ruler of the synagogue of the Jews,

when

his only

daughter

was now breathing her last, being caught, so to speak, in the

Jesus to deliver the damsel from
meshes of death,
besought

and Christ accordingly promised so to do

But as He was
upon arriving at the house of the supplicant.
of
the ruler of
relatives
on His way, a man met Him from the

what had happened

the synagogue, saying, "Thy daughter

And what was Christ
the Teacher."
"

"

only believe,

and she

shall

is

dead: trouble not Luke

"

reply?

Fear not

viii.

49

live."

was the duty therefore of the father of the lad rather to

his own unbelief, than upon the holy
lay the blame upon
faithless
reason Christ justly called out,
apostles. For this
with
you, and
and perverse generation how long shall I be
It

"

"

"

suffer

you

and those

?"

like

He justly
him

in

therefore calls both the

mind a

man

wretched malady, and whosoever

is

seized

by

himself,

For

faithless generation.
it

is,

it is

as

He

to walk up
utterly without knowledge
of such
therefore the sacred Scriptures say

shews, perverse, and

rightly.

And
"

persons,

that their

and
ways are crooked,
H h

their paths per- Prov.ii.is.

COMMENTARY UPON
order that he
Ps.

"

iii.

3.

tlie
"

me

cleaved unto

that

:"

To such the

right course.
Mat.

also benefit us,

may

mind thereupon, saying,

of his

ci. 4.

he reveals the

"A

set purpose
crooked heart hath not

one that cannot walk in an up

blessed Baptist, as the forerunner of

Saviour, cried, saying,

is,

"

Prepare ye the way of the Lord,

make His paths straight.*

The man therefore was thoroughly an

unbeliever,

and per

from the mark, and

verse, refusing the straight paths, straying

And Christ deigns not to

ways<l.
be with such as are thus minded, and have fallen into this
wickedness and if one may speak in the manner of men, He
wandering from the right
:

is
"

tired

and weary of them.

How

long shall I

And

this

He

teaches us saying,

be with you, and suffer you?" For he

who says, that those were powerless for the expulsion of evil
spirits,

who by

finds

out,

Christ

s will

fault with

receivers of

It

it.

had received power

the grace

itself,

to cast

them

rather than with the

was wicked blasphemy therefore

for if

grace be powerless, the fault and blame is not theirs who have
received it, but rather belongs to the
For any
grace itself.
who will may see that the grace which wrought in them was
Christ

Acts iii.

16.

man at the beautiful gate

but Peter ascribed the miracle

For, for instance, the lame

s.

of the temple

was made whole

"For Him Whom

ye crucified,
even by Him this man stands before you whole
and the
which
He
bestows
hath
him
this
soundness."
grace
given
Elsewhere the same blessed Peter proclaimed to one of those
w ho were healed by Him, ^Eneas, Jesus Christ hcaleth thee."

to Christ, saying to the Jews,

"

"

Acts

ix. 34.

"

It

is

plain therefore in every

found fault with Christ

"

they could not cast

And

it

power

man wickedly
saying of the holy apostles,

way
in

that the

out."

is
angry when wrong is done unto the
who have been entrusted with the word of His

besides, Christ

holy preachers

Gospel, and appointed to teach it to all under heaven, inasmuch

witness is borne them by His grace, that
they are His

as

Aquinas

<i

translates

correctly,

Nescientes procedere rectis incessibus

for though incessus is properly the act of walking, yet as early

path.
"

as Tacitus

it

began

to

be used for a

The

translator of the

Catena nevertheless renders

knowing how

"

not

to continue in the

"

right

Aurea

it,

beginnings."

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

235

and they shed the light of the true knowledge of God

on those who everywhere were convinced by their doctrines,
and the wonderful miracles they wrought. For the miracle
It would have been
leads on to faith.
constantly, so to speak,
deserved therefore, had the father of the demoniac gone away

disciples,

been refused the bounteous gift. But that

disappointed, and
was unable to work the
no man
imagine that Christ also

might
He rebuked the unclean spirit, and forthwith deli
and gave him to his father.
the
vered
youth from his malady,
his father s, but the pro
been
not
had
he
time
this
For up to
but being now deli
him
that
of the
possessed

miracle,

spirit
perty
vered from his violence, he became once again his father

Who

s gift
gave the holy apostles
property, as Christ
rebuke with irresistible
and
divine miracles,
authority to work
Satan.
and crush
spirits,
:

also

might impure

And

the multitudes, the blessed Evangelist says, wondered

When Christ then works miracles, it
of God.

at the majesty
is

God Who

is

glorified,

and God only and

For

solely.

He

is

His
incomparable, and

His majesty is
by nature God, and
a rival, resplendent with the sovereignty
without
supremacy

God
and
"

the Father.
let

He

is

us say unto him,

unto Thee

of

therefore to be extolled with praises,

"

Lord God

Powerful art Thou,

of powers,

Lord, and

Who

Thy

is

like

truth

is

to Him, and
things are possible
or
and nothing whatsoever is too difficult
easy to accomplish,
be
praise
with Whom, to God the Father

round about

high

by

Thee."

Whom

For

all

and

and dominion, with the Holy Ghost,

for ever

and

ever,

Amen.

COMMENTARY UPON

236

SERMON
c. ix.

43-

And

while every one wondered at all things which He did,

sa id unto
disciples. Lay ye these words to your
ears : For the Son of man is about to be delivered
up into

**olci

BGST.

<rovs

add. 6

^ie hands

irj-

BGs.

of men.

was hid from them

they feared to ask

Tim.

LIII.

PROFOUND

iii.

in

But they knew not this saying, and it

that they should not understand it : and

Him of this
very deed

saying.

is

the mystery of godliness,

Paul: but God the

according to the expression of the wise

John vi.

43.

Father reveals it to such as are

worthy of receiving it. For
the Saviour Himself also, when
speaking to the Jews, said,
Murmur not among yourselves no man can come unto Me,
unless the Father Who sent Me draw him."
When then the
:

"

blessed Peter had been counted

worthy of a grace thus glorious
and wonderful, being in the neighbourhood of Caesarea Philippi,

Mat.

he made a correct and

"

xvi.

saying,

Thou

faultless confession of faith in him,

art the Christ, the

Son of the

living

God."

And what was

the reward of which he was

thought worthy ?
It was to hear Christ
Blessed
art
thou, Simeon, son of
say,
"

"

"

Jonah

My

honours

and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but

And he further received surpassing
he was entrusted by Him with the
of the

for flesh

Father
for

in

heaven."

keys

kingdom of heaven, and the confession of his faith was

1
the firm foundation for the Church. "For
thou/ He

made
"

says,

"

"

a stone

and upon

this stone I will build

My

Church

art

and

the gates of hell shall not

overpower
That those therefore who were to teach the whole world
it."

might know exactly His mystery, He usefully and necessarily

explains it clearly to them beforehand, saying, u Lay ye
these words to your hearts r ; for the Son of man is about
"

to be delivered into the hands of men."

The reason then
which led Christ so to speak is, I think, a
subject both useful
"

In the text S.Cyril has the right

ears," but both here and
reading
afterwards he changes it to "hearts,"
"

possibly through inadvertence, as

no MS.coritains this
reading, though
the more obvious
expression.

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

237

and necessary for our consideration. He had then led up into

been trans
the mountain Peter, and James, and John, and
as the sun
shone
countenance
His
and
figured before them,
time He
due
in
which
with
and He shewed them the glory,
:

will come, not in humiliation

upon the world. For He
but in the
such as ours nor in the meanness of man s estate,
in
transcendent
and
of the Godhead,
glory.
and

will arise

splendour

majesty

And again, when He came down from the mountain, He delivered

Yet was He certainly
a man from a wicked and violent spirit.
and endure the
about to bear for our sakos His saving passion
His mysteries
of
wickedness of the Jews and, as the minister
for
to taste death
every man." Heb.
by the grace of God
says,
in sup
But when this came to pass, there is nothing unlikely
;

"

the disciples would be

posing that
secret thoughts perhaps even say,

and

troubled;

How

is

One

in

ii.

9-

their

so glorious;

Who raised the dead by His godlike power Who rebuked

word crushed Satan;
the seas and the winds; Who by a
in the snares of
and
seized as a
;

how

is

He now

these murderers?

prisoner,

caught

He
Him ?

in thinking that

Were we then mistaken

Have we fallen from

For that those who knew not

the true opinion regarding

the mystery, that our Lord Jesus
would find therein an
Christ would endure the cross and death,

is

God

even from what t

occasion of stumbling, is easy to perceive,
not as yet beei
had
he
blessed Peter said to Him. For though
that it
beforehand
heard
witness of His passion, but only had
be far Mat.
-That
would befal Him, he interrupted Him, saying,

from Thee, Lord

this shall not be unto

Thee."

know what certainly

In order, therefore, that they might
store up the mystery
would happen, He bade them, so to speak,
He says, to your hearts
-For lay ye
in their mind.
them from all oth
distinguishes
In which words, the
themselves know wn
For He wished indeed that they should
communicate
would happen, but not that they should
to be taught
For it was not right for the unlearned
others.
convince
but far better, to
simplv His future passion,
from the grave,
His
of
having risen divinely
at the same time
the danger of their
abolished death, and so avoid
it,"

"ye"

and

offended.

must

When

suffer,

therefore the time comes,

ask not,

How

it is

that

One

He

says

so glorious,

tj

Who

pei

*vi,

COMMENTARY

238
formed

UPOtf

these signs, has fallen like one of us unawares into

all

the hands of His enemies

but,

on the contrary, be assured,

when reflecting upon the dispensation, that I am not led

by
human compulsion, but go willingly thereunto. For what is
there to hinder one

Who

knows beforehand and

clearly pro
happen, to refuse to suffer, if He so will ?
But I submit to suffer, in order that I
may redeem all beneath

claims what

the heavens.
Johnx.

T
JN o

8.
"

<(

man

own
"

it

For

this

taketh

My

He
life

plainly teaches us elsewhere, saying,

from Me, but I lay it down of

have power

will.

to take

to

is

My

to lay

it

down

and

have power

again."

But they,

it

says,

knew

not this saying

from them, that

they might not perceive
one
any
may justly wonder, when

"

it."

and

it

was hid

Now

naturally
meditating with himself,
not the mystery of Christ.

how

it was that the

disciples knew
For though they belonged to the
companies of the Jews, yet
but on the con
they were neither slothful nor

contemptuous,
For though reckoned as
trary most earnest and diligent.
handicraftsmen, whoso trade was fishing in the lake, yet, as I
said, they had been
soberly educated, and were far from igno
rant of the Mosaic
Scriptures for for this very reason Christ
had chosen them. How then were
they ignorant of the mys
tery of Christ, when it had been shadowed forth for them in
:

various places
as in a

by the

painting

law,

and beautifully foreshewn in its types

shew my meaning by an example,

For, to

they were not able to flee away from the bondage of Egypt,
nor escape from the hand that
oppressed them, until they had
sacrificed a lamb
according to the law of Moses and when
they had eaten its flesh, they anointed the lintels with its
;

blood; and so put the destroyer to shame.

But it was not
the mere sacrifice of a
sheep that made them superior to
death and the
destroyer.
Types travail with the truth and
this act of theirs
was, as I said, a foreshowing, by means of
what was done in shadows, of the
saving efficacy of the death
of Christ., and of the abolition of destruction
His blood
:

Who

by

also further drives

away our cruel tyrant, Satan, and

delivers from the

mastery of

impure spirits those whom they

had enslaved, and who, like the Israelites made to serve in
bricklaying, had become the victims of earthly cares, and pol-

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

luted fleshly lusts, and the unprofitable

world.

The mystery

239

distractions of this

of the passion may be seen also in another

to the Mosaic law two goats were Lev. xvi.

For according

instance.

nothing from one another, but alike in size

and the
Of these, one was called the lord

offered, differing in

and appearance.

:"

other, the

sent-away."

This translation of Lev.

And when

"

xvi. 8.

was apparently adopted by S. Cyril

to escape from an objection brought
as
against the passage by Julian,

Deus

of a

proving the existence

an evil-averting deAverruncus,
For the text is rightly
mon."
"

"

translated
TO)

Kupua,

one

"

Trai a)

by the Sept. K\^pov tva

ccai

K\ijpov (vu. rep dironofj.lot for the Lord, and

the other lot for the

as the A. V. renders
"

scapegoat,"

anoTTo^-rralos in classical

nifies

"

demon who

Julian inferred from

it

But as
Greek sig

it.

averts

evil,"

the existence

of these inferior powers, unto one

of which he supposed the second

and therefore
goat was offered
with
Cyril, not being acquainted
Hebrew, gives it another meaning,
:

of which the Greek

may

possibly

were
written for the goats, inscribed with
these two names, conf. Lib. ix.
admit: namely, that two

contra Jul.
his

lots

in
301. E. So again
to Acacius, V. pt. ii.
who
against a faction,

vi.

Epistle

224. arguing

had adopted the same opinions, he

"

says,
"

"

lots to

"

for the

"

"

"

He commanded

two goats

to be offered,

therefore

and two

be written for them, so as

one goat to be called Lord,

and the other goat aTroTrofiTrmo?.

These therefore were the names
In modern times,
of the goats."

Bochart, Suicer, and Gesenius,

all

s view, that dnoTrop.equivalent to d-rroTpoTralos,

adopt Julian
iraios is

draws but slight confir

though
mation from Josephus, who says,
it

the

had been

lot

cast for

indeed, that the goat was an OTTO-

an averting of evil, but

to v. 21. where
referring
evidently
Aaron is commanded to lay the sins

rpo7aaorp.oy,
is

upon the goat

of the people

head.

That Cyril had never heard of this

meaning of airoTTo^iraios is plain ;
for

he

to-cos

calls

it

OVK

vofjiois

oi/o/za

roiy p.fv ifpois

yva)(Tfj.fvov,

eaur&i,

i.

e.

fVTpifies

to Julian

oe

and no

than to
thing could be more unsafe
of the Sept.
the
language
interpret
classical Greek usage. That the

hy
Jews of the second century under
stood

it

in a passive sense is plain

from Aquila, who renders it aTroXewho gives

\vpevos, and Symmachus
while the Greek fa
Vi6J 0?
:
a7Tfpx (
thers always

treat

aTTOTTf/iTrdjuei/os-,

it

as

equal to

and the Latins as

the goat sent away.

to
quite impossible
the Sept., or
suppose that either
and the other Greek trans

Emissarius,
Besides,

it

i.

e.

is

Aquila

lators of the O.T.,

meant

their ren

of the He
derings as an equivalent
brew btWtybf any more than our
own translators their word scape
for there is not the most
goat
distant connection between the Hehrew and any of these significa
"

:"

tions.

They

are

mere substitutions

of the general sense of the passage

for a word confessedly untranslat

the
for Jonathan, Onkelos,
;
Samaritan, and most other versions,
as does
retain the original word,

able

margin: or
have

also the A. V. in the

supposed
perhaps, they may
as it
it to be explained by nVttf,

8.

COMMENTARY UPON

240

that which was called

was

"

was sent away from the

lord,"

it

sacrificed: while the other

and therefore had the name

of the
And Who was signified by this ? The
sent-away."
Word, though He was God, was in our likeness, and took the
form of us sinners, as for as the nature of the flesh was con
cerned. The goat, then, male or female, was sacrificed for sins.
But the death was our desert, inasmuch as by sin we had fallen
under the divine curse. But when the Saviour of all Himself,
so to speak, undertook the
charge, He transferred to Himself
what was our due, and laid down His life, that we
might be
sent away from death and destruction.
sacrifice

"

The mystery,

was revealed to the Jews, by what

the law, had they only been
acquainted
with the sacred Scriptures.
But, as the blessed Paul wrote,
was shadowed
Rom.xi.25.

"

therefore,

in

Blindness in part hath happened unto Israel

and even
to this day, when Moses is read, the veil is laid
upon their
"

;"

"

2Cor.iii.i5.

nor is it unveiled, because in Christ it is done

away."
then
boast indeed of the law, but its purpose is
They
entirely
hidden from them for it leads us to the
mystery of Christ.
"

heart

John

v. 39.

But that they were without

understanding our Saviour shews,
Search the Scriptures
for in them ye think
saying
ye
have eternal life and they it is that testify of Me. And
ye
desire not to come unto Me, that
For
ye may have
the divinely-inspired
Scriptures conduct him who has under
to
an
accurate
standing
knowledge of the doctrines of the
"

"

"

life."

occurs in vv. 10. 21. 22.

the

meaning

of

As regards

b?Ni}?,

Azazel,
to be the name of a

some consider it
mountain Bochart,

"

the wastes

:"

others, one of the four chiefs of the

devils,

whose names Menachem on

a

Upon

the whole,

trot

xop^yti

"

is

the

means

total separation or removal;" for

Gesenius objection, that Moses

would not have used so hard a

word

when

simpler

Azael, and Machazeel

that

it

cion

cited

expressions

others,

Satan s lieutenant, so
called in the hymn against Maris

Irenaeus

cros rraTrjp

think Ewald

opinion, Krit. Gr. p. 243,

most defensible, that Azazel

Lev. assures us are Sammael, Azazel,

2arai>

were

by

Epiphanius

aet

hand, has

at

from

little

force, since

Moses may have preserved

in this rite some patriarchal observance and nothing is so retentive of
possibly
:

ancient words,

customs and
of a nation.

as well as also of

ideas,

as the ritual

THE GOSPEL OF
truth

and the

ST.

LUKE.

241

but they do not at all benefit the unwise, the ignorant,

Not because they cannot do so, but because
careless.

the infirmity of their mind renders them incapable of receiving

For just as the light of
the light which the Scriptures give.
the solar radiance is useless to those deprived of sight; not
as though it cannot shine, but because their eyes are inca
pable of admitting and receiving it; so the holy Scriptures,

though inspired by God,

profit

nothing the unlearned and

foolish.

Our
"

duty, therefore,

is

Open mine eyes and

So He
of Thy law."
:

"

Whom

to

draw near unto God, and say

perceive the wondrous things
;

I shall

will reveal

Christ to us

by

Whom

the Father be praise and dominion

and ever, Amen.
ever
for
with the Holy Ghost,

and with

to

God

Ps.cxix.i8.

COMMENTARY UPON

SERMON
<J.

ix.

46-

And

a thought among them, which of them

Jesus, knowing the thought of their
greatest.
a
took
and
set him by Him, and said unto
heart,
child,
Whosoever
shall
receive
this child in My name, rethem,
ceiveth Me : and whosoever receiveth Me, receiveth Him
Who sent Me. For he that is least among you all, shall be
there entered

*s

<5<W

LIV.

BGTs.

And

tfie

the chief.

YE who

are zealous after spiritual skilfulness, and thirst for

the communication of the sacred doctrines, receive once ap-ain

o
the things ye love.
Arid it is no earthly teacher Who leads
obtain
you to the gainful booty, nor one like unto us Whom

ye

as your guide, but the

Word

above, even from heaven, and

is

Who

came down from

the true light of heaven and

of God,

For the whole rational creation is illuminated

by His
means, inasmuch as He is the giver of all wisdom and under
earth.

Is. liv. 13.

From Him we receive all knowledge of virtue, and

standing.
the perfect ability to perform good works such as become
saints. For, as Scripture saith,
we are taught of God." And
"

the passage just laid before us bears witness also to what I

have said.
For there entered," it says,
a
"

"

them:"
"

is

that

"

is,

among

the holy Apostles,

thought among
which of them

"

chief."

And now

him who thinks that Jesus was a mere man

and far gone from the truth. For let
him know, that though God the Word became flesh,
yet that
it was not
possible for Him to cease to be that which He was,
and that He continued to be God. For to be able to search
learn that he

let
is

in error,

the hearts and reins, and know their secrets, is the attribute
of the supreme God alone, and besides Him of no other
being
whatsoever.
But behold, Christ searcheth the thoughts of the

holy Apostles, and fixeth the eye of Godhead upon their hid
den feelings. Therefore He too is God, as
being adorned with
honours thus glorious and divine.

THE GOSPEL OF
But

us just

let

ST.

LUKE.

now investigate this question, whether all the

common were seized with this malady ?

blessed disciples in

whether

thought entered

this

all at

once

But

opinion, altogether incredible to suppose that

moment became

the same

but when, as
gelist,

I imagine,

that he

it is,

all

of

in

them

common prey

the

my
at

of one malady
to one, the wise Evan

it

happened
might not be found framing an accusation

against an individual among his fellow disciples, expresses

himself indefinitely, saying,
There entered a thought among
"

them, who of them is chief." By this, however, we are per

mitted to see how very wily Satan is in doing evil. For most
versatile and full of contrivance is this snake for mischief,
"

ways against those whose love is fixed

upon an honourable life, and who earnestly seek after more
and if by fleshly pleasures he can prevail
excellent virtues
over any one s mind, he savagely makes the assault, and
sharpens the goad of voluptuousness, and by the very audacity
plotting in a diversity of

of his attacks, humbles to base lusts even a well-confirmed

But if any one be manly, and escape from these snares,

he then uses other artifices, contriving baits to tempt him
For he sows some seed or other dis
unto mental maladies.

mind.

God and in those in whom there is something

he excites the pas
and
the
noble,
praise of an excellent life,
sion of vainglory, exciting them by little and little to an
For just as those who in warlike
abominable haughtiness.

pleasing to

battle with invaders, use many

guise are equipped to do
cither drawing bows, which dis
contrivances against them
from slings, or manfully
charge arrows, or hurling stones
them with drawn swords so also Satan uses every
;

charging
artifice

in

manifold

The

the saints by means of

carrying on war against

sins.

passion, therefore,

one of the holy Apostles

is

the chief,

is

the

mark

and

lust of vainglory attacked

who

of

some
them

more disputing
of an ambitious person, eager to

for the

But lie slept not Who knoweth

even Christ He saw in the disciple s mind this
in the words of Scripture, like some

stand at the head of the rest,

how

to deliver,

thought, springing up,

He saw the tare, the work of the wicked sower
bitter plant
struck its root down
and before it
up high ; before it
:

grew

i i

Heb.xii.i5-

COMMENTARY UPON
deep ; before it grew strong, and took possession of the heart
He, so to speak, tears up the evil by the very root. He saw
the barbarian s arrow that had found entrance
and before
;

it

and pierced through the mind, He contrives a

For when passions are but beginning in us, and, so

prevailed,

medicine.

to speak, as yet in their

infancy, and not full grown, nor firmly
rooted, they are easily overcome.
But when they have in

creased,

and grown strong, they are hard to put off, and bear
little
For this reason one of the
audacity.

themselves with no
Eccles.x. 4

wise said:

If the spirit of the ruler rise

up against thee, leave
not thy place for yielding heals
many sins."
In what way, then, does the
Physician of souls amputate the
of
?
How
does He deliver the beloved dis
passion
vainglory
"

"

ciple

from being the prey of the

enemy, and from a thing
God and man ?
He took a child, it says, and set

hateful to

"

and made the event a means of benefiting both

by Him
the holy Apostles themselves, and us their successors for this
malady as a general rule preys upon all those who are in any
"

it

;"

respect superior to other men.

But of what did He make the child

He had taken a type

and representation ? Of an innocent and unambitious life. For
the mind of a child is void of fraud, and his heart sincere his
;

thoughts are simple he covets not rank, and knows not what
is meant
by one man being higher in station than another he
has even no unwillingness to be
regarded as the least, nor sets
himself above any other
person whatsoever and though he be
;

of

he does not quarrel about dignity

even with a slave nor
though he have rich parents, is he
aware of any difference between himself and
poor children.
On the contrary, he likes being with them, and talks and

good family by

birth,

Mat.

xviii.

In his mind and heart

laughs with them without distinction.
there is great frankness
from
arising
simplicity and innocence.
For even the Saviour once said to the
holy Apostles, or rather
to all those who love Him
Verily I say unto you, that unless
"

ye be converted, and become like these children, ye cannot

enter the kingdom of God."
And at another time again,
when the women were bringing to Him their infants, and the
"

"

Luke

xviii.

disciples
l<

prevented them,

and forbid them

not, to

He

"

said,

come unto

Suffer the

Me

little

children,

for of such as
they

is

THE GOSPEL OF
the

"

kingdom

sires that those

of

in understanding,

"

And

heaven."

who

holy Apostles said

LUKE.

ST.

again the most wise Paul de

believe in Christ should be

but in malice
"

245

And

babes."

"

grown men

pure milk, that ye may

ye have tasted that the Lord

"

Cor. xiv.

Pet.

just born, love the rational and

As babes

grow thereby unto salvation,

"

another of the

is

if

ii.

a.

be

so

kind."

then, Christ brought forward the child as a pattern

v
shew
and set him also by Him
of simplicity and innocence,
who
those
and
loves
He
that
in
a
as
accepts
figure,
ing by him,
of
so
to
them
deems
and
are such,
standing
speak,
worthy,
like-minded with Him, and anxious to
at His side, as

As Lsaid

"

being

He

For

tread in His steps.

"

said,

Learn of Me:

am

for 1

Mat.

all,
meek, and lowly in heart." And if He Who
and is crowned with such surpassing glories, is lowly in heart,
how must it not bring upon such as we are, yea, even upon
i
our very selves, the blame of utter madness, if we do not bear
ourselves humbly towards the poor, and learn what our nature

transcends

"

is,

but love to vaunt ourselves ambitiously above our

sure

"

"

mea

And He further says

name ruceiveth Me
Him that sent Me."

that honour the saints

honoured be, if it
tion and dignity

"

He

My

that rccciveth this child in

and he that receiveth Me receiveth

Since, therefore, the reward of those

is

one and the same, whether he who

is

so chance, of modest rank, or of exalted sta

he receiveth Christ, and by Him and in

how was it not utterly foolish for them to
Him the Father
and aim at pre-eminence, and be
quarrel among themselves,
inferior to others, when they were to
unwilling to be thought
be accepted on equal terms
But He makes the purport of this declaration even still more
;

for

t S.
must have
Cyril apparently
used in the original some such

word

as ppovrnats, or Kfpavvaxris,
the translator has literally

which
rendered l^So^c ;
term he explains in the margin as
madness ; as it were
">,,

"

signifying
the headache,
"by

thunder."

j-o.,

produced

CasteL

explains

j-j

as nausea,

for

= ^^^

an er -

t hi s

he ren-

an(j

(Pita.

an intense pun m
xx. 13. S i.) tat

signifies

the temple, (conf.

<

ders

pAte

the head
as

inv

,"

Buxtorf s Rah. Lex.), I have no

doubt that its exact meaning is,
a pain in the

temples."

xi. 29.

COMMENTARY UPON

246

For he that

among you all, the same

who is regarded as the
least ? Is the comparison in point of virtue ? But how can this
be ? The foremost place is not assigned to him who is chief in
virtue above him who is otherwise.
In what way, then, is he
chief who is least ?
He calls him least whom
then,
Probably,
"

plain
"

is

by saying

And how

chief."

is

is

he the

least

chief,

lowly things please, and who, from modesty, does not think
highly of himself. Such a one pleases Christ for it is written,
:

Luke

xiv.

"

"

Mat.

v. 3.

that every one that exalteth himself shall be abased and he

that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
And Christ Him-

self

somewhere

says,

the kingdom of
soul that is sanctified
"

is

"Blessed
heaven."

is

are the poor in spirit: for their

The ornament,

therefore, of a

a poor and humble mind: but the wish

and to be at strife with the brethren

to think
highly of oneself,

honour and dignity, and foolishly to quarrel

manner a disgrace. Such conduct sepa
and makes even those perhaps great enemies

for the sake of

with them,

is

rates friends,

in like

whose

It overpowers the law of na

dispositions are similar.
and subverts that innate affection which we owe our bre
thren. It divides lovers, and sometimes makes even those ene

ture,

mies of one another,

who

are united by being born from one

and
resists the blessings of peace.
against
Miserable is it, and a malady invented by the wickedness of the
devil.
For what is there more delusive than vainglory ? Like
smoke it is dispersed like a cloud it passeth away, and like

womb.

It fights

the vision of a dream changeth into nothingness.

It
scarcely
equalleth the herbage in endurance, and withereth like grass.
i

Pet. 1.24.

For

and all the glory of

a weakness, therefore, de
spised even among us, and numbered among the greatest evils.
For who does not reckon a vainglorious man, inflated with
"

it is

man

written, that

as the flower of

"all

flesh is grass,

grass."

It is

an annoyance ? Who does not regard with con

and
tempt,
give the name of boaster," to one who refuses to
be on an equality with others, and thrusts himself forward as

empty

airs,

"

Let, then, the

claiming to be accounted their superior ?
of
be
far
from
those
who
love Christ
vaingloriousness
malady
if

and

rather consider our companions as better than we

are. and be anxious to adorn ourselves with that humility of
let us

mind, which

is

well-pleasing to God.

For being thus simple-

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

minded, as bccometh saints, u we shall be with Christ, Who

honoureth simplicity by Whom and with Whom, to God the
Father, be praise and dominion with the Holy Ghost, for ever
:

and ever, Amen.

u
"

is

The MS.

reads,

"as

becometh

but as the argument

not addressed to them in parti-

the rich

;"

cular,

imagine that the .translator

60-1015 for TrXouaiW, and

have translated accordingly.

mistook

COMMENTARY UPON

248

SERMON

c.ix.49,5o.

LV,

BGTs.
8<5a<r/ca\eS.

And John

answered and said

Teacher, we saw one casting

Thy Name, and we forbade him because he
But Jesus said unto him Forbid
followeth not with us.
him not for he is not against you. For whosoever is not
:

out devils in

& v 6p.

against you,

is

on your part.

B.
?7rej/_&

BS.

af>

<TTt

PAUL

requires us to "prove every thing," and says, "Be

wise money-changers."
But an exact and scrupulous knowl ec
te e f ea h particular matter we can obtain from no other
"

GTs.
Ka9^

source than from divinely-inspired Scripture.

For David in
Psalms, addressing as it were Christ, the Saviour of all,

^ ie

Thy law is a lamp to my feet, and a light unto my

And
Solomon also writes, that the commandment
paths."
O f }ie j aw j s a am p an(j a light."
For just as this sensible

declares

"

"

Thess.

Ps. cxix.

Prov

vi -23

light that is in the world, by falling on our bodily eyes, dispels

*ke darkness so also the law of God, when admitted into the
;

mind and heart of man, illuminates

it

thoroughly, and does not

nor

to fall against the stumblingblocks of ignorance,

be caught in the wickednesses of sin.

suffer

it

And this I say from admiration of the skilfulness here also

displayed in the lessons from the Gospel just set before us, and
the purport of which ye doubtless wish to be taught, seeing ye
have assembled here from love of the sacred doctrines, and
with eagerness have formed the present meeting. What there
fore do the wise disciples say, or what do
they wish to learn

Him Who endoweth them with all wisdom, and revealeth

them the understanding of every good work ?
Teacher,
we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and we forbade
him."
Has the sting of envy troubled the holy disciples ?

from
to
"

"

"

Do

they grudge those highly favoured ? Have even they ad

mitted within them a passion so abominable and hateful to
,

God ?
"

"

We

saw one, they say, casting out

and we forbade

name

him."

Thy name,

was

not thy duty rather to reflect,

who

in

demons ? How
that he was not the doer

troubles Satan, and crushes evil

Christ
it

devils in

Tell me, dost thou forbid one

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

249

of these wonders, but that the grace which was in him wrought
the miracle by the power of Christ / How therefore dost tliou

he saith
Yes,"
him who in Christ wins the victory ?
For what
blind
Oh
for he followeth not with
speech
crowned
is
who
the
he be not numbered among
holy Apostles,
"

forbid
"

us."

if

with Christ

is

grace, yet

he equally with you adorned with

diversities of Christ s gifts,

There are

many
apostolic powers.
as the blessed Paul tcachcth, saying

"

that to one

the word of wisdom, but to another the word

and to another faith and to another gifts of

"

"

What

the meaning of his

the force of the expression ?

therefore

or what

is

you as

tell

is

well as I can.

"

is
given
of knowledge

healings."

not walking with

Look then

The Saviour gave

us,"

for I will

the holy Apo- Mat.

x.

i.

to cast them out, and to

authority over unclean spirits,
so
sickness
all
heal all disease and
among the people. And

sties

them ineffectual. For they

they did nor was the grace given
Lukcx
Lord, even the devils are subject
returned with joy, saying;
;

"

17.

that leave
to us in Thy name."
They imagined, therefore,
to bo
alone
themselves
to
but
not to any one else
was
"

given
invested with the authority which

He had

For

granted them.
whether others

want
they draw near, and
been ap
exercise
they had not
it, even though
might
teacher.
of
office
nor even to the
pointed to the apostleship,
to learn,

this reason

also

We

the ancient sacred Scrip

in

something like this also

Choose Num. xi.i 6.
For God once said to the hierophant Moses
tures.
of
will
take
I
thee seventy men of the ciders of Israel, and
them."
to
He says,
the Spirit that is upon thee, and give
at the former
assembled
had
chosen
were
who
when
those
And
who had remained in the
two men
find

"

"

"

"

it,"

tabernacle,

camp, and the

only excepted,
not
of prophecy descended upon them,
were assembled in the holy tabernacle pro

spirit

only those who

also
phesied, but those
"

Jeshua,

it

says,

who had remained

who

in

the camp.

But

and
stood before Moses, said, Eldad
lord

Moses

My
camp.
Enviest thou mei
forbid them. And Moses said unto Jeshua,
the Lord
Would that all the Lord s people were prophets,
Who at
Christ
was
it
But
them."
putting His Spirit upon
1
the
thus
speak by
that time made the hierophant Moses

"

Midad,

lo

they prophesy

in the

"

and here also

Forbid not him who

Ghost

in
is

person

He

crushing
K k

saith to the holy Apostles

Satan,"

that

is,

in

His name,

COMMENTARY UPON
He says; for he who is not
For on the part of us who
against you is on your part."
love Christ, are all who wish to act to His glory, and are
crowned by His grace. And this is a law to the churches con
"for

he

is

not against you, x

"

For we honour only those who lift

and
hands,
up holy
purely and without fault or blame, in
Christ s name, rebuke unclean spirits, and deliver multitudes
tinuing even to this day.

from various diseases

worketh

we know

for

that

it

is

Christ

Who

in them.

We

For
must, however, examine such things carefully.
there are verily men, who have not been counted worthy of
Christ s grace, but make the reputation of being saints and
honourable an opportunity of gain. Of such one may say, that
they are bold and shameless hypocrites, who seize honours for
themselves, even though God has not called them thereto
;

Jer. xxiii.

they praise themselves, and imitate the bold doings of the

fa] se prophets of old, of whom God said
I have not sent the
"

prophets, yet they ran

"

And

"

have not spoken unto them, yet

may lie say of these, I have

so too

they prophesied."
not sanctified them, but they falsely assume the gift for them
selves
they have not been counted worthy of My grace, but
:

wickedly seize those things which I bestow on such alone as

are worthy to receive them. These, making a show of fasting,
walk sadly with downcast looks, while full of fraud and base

And

ness.

often they pride themselves on

letting their nails

grow long and are especially fond of their complexion being

sallow
and though no one compel them, they delight in en
:

during such misery as men have to bear in prison, hanging

collars on their necks, and
putting fetters sometimes on their

hands and
Mat.vii. 15. to avoid,

Such persons the Saviour has commanded us

Beware of those who come to you in sheep s
saying;
feet.

"

"

clothing

but within are ravening wolves.

To this, however, some one may object, But who,

Lord,
knows the heart of man ? Who sees what is concealed within
us, but Thou alone, AVho by Thyself didst form our hearts,
and tryest hearts and reins?
Yes, He says: "By their
fruits ye shall know them
not by appearances, not by out
ward show, but by fruits. For what is the object of their hy<

Mat.vii. 20.

"

:"

x This
reading

is

also

found

in

most copies of the Philoxenian Version.

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

251

For they gape

them and if they see them
empty, they are greatly distressed, and stung with annoyance.
For piety is with them merchandize. If, however, thou lovest
wealth, and lusteth after base gains, and hast given a place in
looks to the love of gain.

it

pocrisy

at the

hands of those who

Plainly

visit

thy mind to that most base passion,

the love of money,

put
in vain, by making a
thou
labourcst
the sheep s skin
why
Abandon this
pretence of an austere and unworldly conduct ?

off

excessive rigour of

ness:

"Cast

life,

and aim instead

Ask

God

at being one

who

is

seek His righteous

and
He shall nourish
the
Lord:
thy care upon

contented with

little.

this of

Ps.

iv. 22.

"

thec."

But
tions

there<ire

even some who use from time

to time incanta

and certain abominable mutterings, and wickedly make

But
of amulets.
?, and command the use

certain fumigations
(

yet/ savs one,

who has without thought taken

they use the

practices, in their incantations

part in these
of the

Name

Arc we, then, to acquit them of blame

Lord of Sabaoth.
because they bestow on a wicked and impure devil an ex
suitable to God only, and call the wicked Satan the
pression
Lord of Sabaoth

reward of blasphemy,
asking of him as the
that he really aids
Not
?
him
of
aid in the things they request
rather
but
brings down to the pit
them, for he is powerless
For the Lord speakhim.
of destruction those that call upon
;

eth not untruly where

Satan

He

casteth not out Mark iii. 23.

says that Satan

2.

our salvation and well-pleasing

But when thou
far from every thing like this.
has been brought up in the church, innocent,

It is necessary, therefore, for

to

God,

to flee

seest one

who

whose mode of life is worthy of

simple, without hypocrisy,
of holy
emulation, who is known of many as the companion
of
fond
is
monks, who flees from the arts of the city, who
desert places, who loves not gain, nor schisms, and, besides all
the grace
this, has a correct faith, and is made honourable by

of Christ, through the operation of the Holy Ghost, so as to

unto
be even able to work those things that are by Christ
;

by

In the margin this is explained

make fumigations, like

"they

"

"

"

persons burning

In the margin this passage is

against the sor-

said to be spoken
cerers.

spices."

K k

"

Miracles.

COMMENTARY UPON
such a one draw near with confidence

he shall pray for thee

his
and
shall
minister
unto thec.
For the
purely,
grace
Saviour and Lord of all grants the requests of those who
ask

by Whom and with whom to God the Father be

and dominion, with the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever,

Him

praise

Amen.

TILE

GOSPEL OF

SERMON

ST.

LUKE.

LVI.

And

it came to
pass that when t/te days were fulfilled for
His being taken up, that He set Hi* face to
to Jerusalem : and sent messengers before His face, and
they went
GSy
and entered into a village of the Samaritans to make
ready
for Him. And they did not receive Him, because His face B.
was as thowjh He would
to Jerusalem.
And when His p a
disciples James and John saw it, they said, Witt Thou om. v.
that we bid fire come down from heaven to consume them ?
But He turned and rebuked t/tem, and went to another
<jo

11

"

T r

<jo

Add., U;-

village.
/

TTtV OVK

01-

Thosc who are abundantly endowed with vast wealth, and vjf fy6s
themselves on their ample riches, asscmhle lit persons to i T T 6 ?,
pride
1
Gs. et add.
their banquets, and set before them a
sumptuously furnished t yap vlos
1

table, producing by a diversity of dishes and sauces of various

^MA0e
kinds a pleasure superior to the mere satisfying of hunger. $ u x s
V.
T,
epdmwv airoBut from this no benefit arises, but rather great injury to the A rc,
*"-

,.

For more than a

banqueters.

hunger have been

satisfied

is

sufficiency
J after the

always

of

fftu *
.,

lieoptiifh) S.

But those who

hurtful.

know the sacred

possess heavenly riches, and

calls

doctrines,

and

have been illuminated with divine

light, nourish their souls by

them
on
instructive
discourses, in order that they may
feasting
become both fruitful towards God, and skilled in the pathway

unto

all virtue, and earnest in

accomplishing those things by
means of which a man attains to a happy issue. To this in
tellectual and holy table, therefore, the sacred Word invites

us; for

Eat and drink, and be drunken, my friends."

?
evidently of God. And it is worthy of note
be drunken with these things,
O and that we can
"

it

says,

But friends of whom

we are

that

to

never be satiated with that which

see, therefore,

what kind of

is to

our edification.

profit the lesson

Let us

from the Gospel

sets before us
"For

upon the present occasion.

when," it says, "the days were

The Greek

fulfilled

sermon

for

His

partially preserved in Cr. s Catena,

and very

p. 80.

Corderius and Aquinas have

some fragments in the
Latin, but Mai has found no por-

in his Catenae,
of those that precede, except of that upon the trans-

also each

figuration.

of this passage

is

tion of this

little

Cant.

v.

i.

COMMENTARY UPON

254
"

being taken up,

which

He

set

His face to go to

Jerusalem."

By

meant, that as the time had now come when at length

borne
for us His saving passion, He should ascend to
having
heaven, and dwell with God the Father, He determined to
is

proceed

to

His having

For

Jerusalem.
set

His

this

I think, the

is,

He sends,
Him and His

face.

meaning of

therefore, messengers to

And when
prepare a lodging for
companions.
they came to a village of the Samaritans, they were not re
ceived.
At this the blessed disciples were indignant, not so
much on their own account as because they did not honour
Him Who is Saviour and Lord of all. And what followed?
They murmured greatly and as His majesty and power was
unknown to them, they said, "Lord, wilt thou that we
bid fire come down from heaven, and consume them
But
:

not
"

?"

Christ rebuked them for so

speaking. And in these last words
lies the
of
the
lesson
and therefore let us accurately
purport
Prov. xxx. examine the whole
For it is written,
Churn milk,
passage.
:

"

"

and

it

becomes

butter."

would be untrue, then, to affirm that our Saviour did not

know what was about to happen for as He knows all
things,
He knew, of course, that His messengers would not be received
It

by the Samaritans.
then, did

Of

this there

He command them

to

can be no doubt.

precede

Him

Why,

The reason

of

it

was His custom assiduously to benefit the

holy Apostles in every
and
for
this
end
His
possible way
practice sometimes was to
As for instance, He was
once
put them to the proof.
:

sailing

upon the lake of Tiberias with those named above ; arid while
so doing he fell
and a violent wind having
asleep purposely
risen upon the lake, a
rough and unusual storm began to rage,
and the boat was in
For He
danger, and the crew in alarm.
:

and the fury of the tempest

rage against the ship, to try the faith of the disciples, and
to make manifest the
And this, also,
greatness of His power.
intentionally permitted the storm
to

was the
Mat.

viii.

result.

For they,

in the littleness of their faith, said,

Master, save us, we

And He at once arose and

perish."
shewed that He is Lord of the elements for Tie rebuked the
sea and the tempest, and there was an
exceeding great calm.
And so also on this occasion: lie knew, indeed, that those
;

who went forward

to announce that he would

lodge with them
would not be received by the Samaritans but He
permitted
;

THE GOSPEL OF
them

to go, that this again

ST.

LUKK.

255

might bo a means of benefiting

the holy Apostles.

What, then, was the purpose

going up

of this occurrence

to Jerusalem, as the time of His passion

was

lie

was already

endure the contumelies of

drawing near. He was about to
He was about to be set at nought by the scribes
the Jews
and Pharisees and to suffer those things which they inflicted
;

to the accomplishment of all

upon Him when they proceeded
In
order, therefore, that they
wicked
violence and
audacity.

when they saw Him suffering, as under

might not be offended
have them also to be patient, and not
would
standing that He
them with con
to murmur greatly, even though men treat
the
made
so to
contempt they met with

speak,
tumely, He,
matter
from the Samaritans a preparatory exercise in the
the
was
It
duty of
They had not received the messengers.
bear
to
their
of
Lord,
the disciples, treading in the footsteps
of
to
not
becometh saints, and
say anything
it
patiently as
but
so
disposed
them wrathfully. But they were not yet
;

too hot indignation, they would have called

being seized with
them from heaven, as far as their will went,
down fire

upon
But Christ rebuked them for so speaking.
between
See here, I pray, how great is the difference
and God

for the distance

is

For

immeasurable.

He

is

slow

to anger, and long-suffering, and of incomparable gentleness

are quick unto
and love to mankind but we children of earth
and refuse with indignation t
anger, hasty unto impatience,
we are found out in committing any
bejudged by others when
to find fault with others.
wrongact \vhile we are most ready
all
affirms, saying
of
And therefore God the Lord
nor
ways as
My thoughts are not as your thoughts, the your so arc
earth,
from
far
is
My ways* but as the heaven
from your
My ways from your ways, and My thoughts
but we,
all
of
Lord
is
Such, then, is He Who
:

"

thoughts."

into anger, take

easily led
those

as I said, being readily vexed, and

sometimes severe and intolerable vengeance upon

have occasioned us some

manded
practice

-Eye

trifling

to live according to

commanded by

annoyance

the Gospel, we

the law.

and though comshort ot the

fall

For the law indeed

com-

for hand:" and

eve; tooth for tooth; hand
but we, ab
suffice
that an equal retribution should

for

manded

Ex. xx,

COMMENTARY UPON

256

though perhaps we have suffered but a

said,

Mat.
i

Pet.

x. 24.
ii.

"

"

"

retaliate very harshly,

The disciple is
slave than his master;"

said

23.

reviled not again

when

treading this
it is

Who

"when

also,

judgeth

path much-enduring Job

written of him,

"

He was

suffering, threatened not

Him Who

mitted His cause to

Job. xxxiv. for

wrong,

trilling

not remembering Christ, who

not greater than his teacher, nor the

would

What man

righteously."

also

is

As

justly admired

like Job,

is

reviled,

but com-

who drinketh

For their benefit, therefore, He

wrongs like a draught
rebuked the disciples, gently restraining the sharpness of their
wrath, and not permitting them to murmur violently against
"

?"

those

who

fering,

and

sinned, but persuading them rather to be long-suf

to cherish a mind immovable
by ought of this.

It benefited

them

also in another

instructors of the whole world,

and

way

they were to be the

to travel

through the

cities

and

villages, proclaiming everywhere the good tidings of sal

vation.
Of necessity, therefore, while seeking to fulfil their

mission, they must fall in with wicked men, who would reject
the divine tidings, and, so to speak, not receive Jesus to lodge
with them b
Had Christ, therefore, praised them for wishing
.

that

fire

should come

down upon the Samaritans, and

that so

painful a torment should be inflicted upon them, they would have

been similarly disposed

in

many

other instances, and

when men

disregarded the sacred message, would have pronounced their

condemnation, and called down fire upon them from above

And what would have been

the result of such conduct

The

would have been innumerable, and no longer woulc

the disciples have been so much
physicians of the sick, as tor
sufferers

turers rather,

and

men

intolerable to

For

everywhere.

their

own good,

therefore, they were rebuked, when thus cnragec

measure
at the contumely of the Samaritans
in ordei
beyond
:

that they might learn that as ministers of the divine

tidings,
not
they must rather be full of long-suffering and gentleness
not given to wrath, nor
those
revengeful
savagely attacking
;

who offend them.

And that the ministers
b

This

of

God

apparently

very simple
occurs also in
metaphor, though
Rev.iv. 20, has not heen understood
it

by the

translator of

1843),
"

"

who

"

renders,

quasi

non

concedentes secum commorari Jeallowing not that Jesus

sojourned on earth with them
"

sum,"
"

Aquinas (Oxf.

message were longsuffering,

!"

THE GOSPEL OF
Paul teaches
"

"

us, saying,

For

ST.

LUKE.

think that

257

God hath

set forth

Cor.

-2

Cor. v. 10.

iv. 9.

us the apostles last, as it were, condemned to death for we

are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to
;

"

"

"

"

men.

Being

we

bless

day."

He

reviled,

we have become the

all

men up to
who had

this

being defamed, we persuade

offscouring of the world ; the refuse of
:

wrote also to others, or rather

not yet received Christ in them, but, so to

still afflicted with the
were
pride of the Samaritans
speak,
in
Christ
s
be
We pray you
stead,
ye reconciled to God."
to all

"

Great, therefore,

the benefit of the gospel lessons to those

truly perfect in mind ; and may

ourselves, benefit our souls, ever

who are
unto

is

we

also,

praising

taking them
Christ the

Saviour of all by Whom and with Whom to God the Father

be praise and dominion, with the Holy Ghost, for ever and
:

ever,

Amen.

L!

COMMENTARY UPON

258

SERMON
C.

ix. 5 7,58.

as they were going in the ivay, a certain man said unto

Him * will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest. And

And

PU

BGST

fywero

LVII.

>

Jesus said unto

8e

Him

The foxes have

holes,

and

the birds

of heaven a place to lodge in: but the Son of man hath not
where to lay His head.

add. rip*
Gs.

TO

covet the gifts that

come from above from God

very deed a state of mind worthy of being attained

that wins for us

all

good.

But though the Lord of

to,
all

is

in

and
be a

bountiful Giver, yet giveth He not simply to all men without

distinction, but to such rather as are worthy of His bounty.

For just as those invested with the glory of royalty bestow

their honours, and the various offices of state, not upon rough
and ignorant men, who have nothing in them worthy of
admiration, but crown those rather, who have hereditary
nobility, and have been proved by trial worthy of receiving
them, and likely to be successful in the discharge of their duties;
so also God,

Who

knoweth

all

things, bestoweth not a share in

His bounties upon souls careless and pleasure seeking, but

upon such as are in a fit state rightly to receive them. If
then any one would be accounted worthy of these great
honours, and of being accepted by God, let him first free himself
from the pollutions of evil, and the guilt of indifference for so
;

he

become capable of receiving them but

disposed in mind, let him depart far away.
will

if

he be not so

And this the purport of the passage from the Gospels just
placed before us teaches us for a certain man drew near to
Christ the Saviour of us all saying,
Teacher, I will follow
:

"

Thee whithersoever Thou goest." But He rejected the man,

The foxes have holes, and the birds of heaven a place
saying,
to lodge in
but that He had not where to lay His head."
And yet perchance some one may say, that he who promised
"

"

"

Him had attained to the desire of what was honourand good, and profitable. For what is comparable to
being with Christ, and following Him ? Or how must it not aid
to follow

able,

in his salvation

Why

therefore did

He

reject

one who was

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

259

to follow Him constantly ? For one may

eagerly promising
learn from His own words, that to follow Him leads on to every
He that folio weth Me, walketh not in John
for He said,
"

blessing

viii.

What therefore
darkness, but possesseth the light of
in order to
follow
to
in
Him,
was there improper
promising
4
to
this? That
answer
our
is
then
What
T
life
of
gain the light
it is
For
be?
it
could
How
his
easy for
this was not
object,

life."

"

examine such matters accurately, to perceive

in his manner
that in the first place there was great ignorance
of excessive
full
was
it
that
and secondly,
of drawing near
not
was
wish
For his
simply to follow
presumptuousness.
multitude
Jewish
did, but
of the
Christ, as so many others
was
then
This
honours.
thrust himself into

any who

will

rather to

apostolic

he was seeking for, being self -called

following which
Heb.
whereas the blessed Paul writes, that no man taketh
thereto
Aaron
as
of
God,
the honour unto himself unless he be called

the

"

v. 4

"

"

also

of
For Aaron did not enter upon the priesthood
of
And
every
but on the contrary was called of God.
we find, that lie did not promote him

was."

himself,

one of the holy apostles

honour from
the apostleship, but rather received the

self to

Christ,
"

For

become

He

said,

fishers of

upon himself

gifts

Come

men."

after

Me

and

I will

make you

to

Mark

But this man, as I said, boldly took

honourable, and, though no

thus altogether

which was above his

one called him, thrust himself into that
Now were any one to draw near to an earthly king,
rank.
thou grantest
and say, 1 shall promote myself, even though
it would
it may be
whatever
it no t, to this or that honour,
him the
be a dangerous act, and one that would bring upon
Who can doubt that certainly this
loss often even of his life.
matter we must await th
would be the result? For in every
"

;"

"

decision of

could

it

be

disciples,

him who possesses sovereign authority,

fitting

for this

man

among

to appoint himself

and crown himself with

apostolic

powers,

tJ

wit!

at all by Christ
being called thereunto
And there is another reason for which
?

He justly rejected
an honour.
ulustrious
so
of

him, and deemed him unworthy

^
For earnestly to follow Christ is confessedly profitable
of so g r a
be coun ted w orthy
vation: but he who wishes to
And what is i to beai the
I say, bear his cross.
glory must,
disdenying its empty
It is to die unto the world, by
?
,

Ls

i.

17

COMMENTARY UPON

260
i

John

ii.

and manfully abandoning a carnal and

pleasure-loving
it is written
Love not the world neither the
things that are in the world for every thing that is in the
world is the lust of the
body, and the lust of the eyes, and

tractions,
life.
"

For

"

"

Jwnesiv.4.
"

the pride of life."... And

again,
of the world is
enmity unto

"Know

God

ye not that the love

Whosoever therefore

would be a friend of the world is found God s

The
enemy."
man therefore, whose choice it is to be with Christ, loves that
which is admirable and profitable unto salvation but let him
"

hearken to our words withdraw

thyself far from fleshly
wash away the pollution of wickedness cleanse off the
:

lusts;

stains

caused by the base love of

pleasure; for these keep thee away,
and permit thee not to be with Christ. Remove that which
separates thee; break down the enmity; burst open the hedge
that is between ; for then thou wilt be with Christ.
But if the

hedge which keeps thee from communion with Him be not yet
destroyed, in what manner canst thou follow Him ?
That such then was the case with the man before
us, He
shews by the indirect rebuke which He
gave him, not in order to
reproach him, but rather for his correction, that he might of
his own accord
grow better, and become earnest in following the
virtue. Therefore He
The foxes have holes, and
says,
the birds of heaven a
place to lodge in but the Son of man
hath not where to
And the simple meaning
lay His head."
of the passage, and that
to
hand, is as follows that the
ready
beasts and birds have dens and
dwellings ; but I have nothing
to offer of those
which
are
the objects of general
things
pursuit

ways of

"

"

have no place where to dwell, and rest

Myself, and lay
head. But the inner and secret
signification of the

for I

My

passage

attained to by more
profound thoughts. For He seems to
mean by the foxes and birds of
heaven, those wicked, and cun
ning, and impure powers, the herds of demons.
For they are
so called in
many places in the inspired Scripture. For the
blessed Psalmist
says of certain men, "They shall be the portions of foxes."
And in the Song of Songs it is written
again: "Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that
destroy
the vines."
And Christ Himself somewhere
says of Herod,
is

Ps.lxiii.ro.

"

Cant.ii

15.

"

Luk.

xiii.

who was a bad man, and

"

fox."

Luk.vii.5.

And

pathways,

elsewhere

"the

crafty in his wickedness

said of the seeds that

He

birds of heaven

"

Tell that

upon the
came and devoured them."
fell

THE GOSPEL OF
And

this

we

He

affirm that

said,

ST.

LUKE.

not of the material and visible

who oftbirds, but rather of those impure and wicked spirits,

of
hearts
the
has
fallen
seed
upon
times, when the heavenly
men, remove and, so

to speak, carry it

away, that they

may

not bring forth any fruit. As long therefore as the foxes and birds
have holes and dens in us, how can Christ enter ? Where can

He

rest?

What communion

is

there between Christ and Belial?

and dwelleth in them that love

lodgeth in the saints,
Him: but withdraws from the impure and the unclean. Expel
the beasts hunt out the foxes drive away the birds free thy

He

For

heart from their impurity, in order that the Son of man may
even the Word of God
find a place in thce to lay His head
Who was incarnate and became man. For light has no con
:

is a
cord with darkness, nor the impure with the holy. It
in
one
for there to be stored up
thing altogether incredible
be
to
for a man
and filthiness. It is

impossible
for his virtues,
and
honour,
with
conspicuous
invested
apostolic
if he have not admitted
and
vessel

perfume

and every good

Or

manly

quality,
so most wise Paul has taught us saying
But he
in us
of Christ,

And

Christ into him.

seek ye a proof

Who

?"

speaketh
X1
^Cor.
a temple, not of one of those gods
but of Him Who by nature, and in truth is
falsely so named,
we are the aCor.vi.i6.
For we have been taught to say, that
God.
But to a divine temple incense
God."
temples of the living
virtue
such as is of a most sweet scent and every
is

"

in

whom

Christ dwells

is

"

"

suitable,

is

to the

God

of

all.

a rational incense, altogether acceptable

stain of the
Let us therefore cleanse ourselves from every
memthose
death
to
us
Let
put
flesh, and of the

"

<

"

"

spirit."

Let us close the entrance

bers which are upon the earth."
Let not reprobate and wicked birds lodge
to

"

impure

within us.

spirits.

as far as
Let our heart be holy and unpolluted,

is

For so shall we
be.
possible and may
will dwell joyfully in us.
as He giveth us the grace, and He
and rest in us
For then He will have where to lay His head,
follow Christ, according

holy, because
And devoting ourselves to these earnest pur
I am holy."
the aid
to the city that is above, by
suits, we shall also attain
"

as in saints.

For

it

is

written;

Become ye

"

with Whom, to God the

same Christ
by Whom, and
Ghost, ft
Father be praise and dominion with the Holy

of the

and ever, Amen.

Pet.

i. 1

COMMENTARY UPON

SERMON
C.ix. 59,60.

And He

WT

suffer
7

om.

aovs

h*

to

said unto another, Folloiv

me

Me:

but he said, Lord,

And Jesus said

go first and bury my father.

^ et t1ie C^eac^ ^ ury tiie * r d ea d
to

m>

preach

I??-

LVIII.

the

b ut (jo thou

and

kingdom of God.

BT.

IN

we have the head and teacher of every virtue.

we are taught of God/ as the prophet declares, and

Christ

Is. liv. 13.

For

Heb.

moreover the wise Paul bears witness saving

God, Who in
manifold parts and manifold manners
spake in old time to the
fathers by the prophets, hath in these last
days spoken unto

i.

i.

"

"

"

"

us by the Son."
And what spake He by the Son ? Plainly
the gospel message of salvation,
by means of which we are
successfully guided into every kind of virtue, and advance in
"

the praiseworthy and admirable

pathway of the better life,
that by following His
footsteps we gain the treasure of

so

His

gifts.

The manner,

we

then, in which

follow

Him, and

are counted worthy of those perfect aud

surpassing honours
which were first bestowed upon the apostles, the lesson
just
laid before us
clearly teaches us.
"

unto another, Follow Me."

Now the first point to consider

passage we
"

Teacher, I

learnt, that
will follow

one

is

"

For

this

He

said,

it

tells us,

that in the preceding-

drew near

to Him, and
Thee whithersoever Thou goest

said,
:"

but

was rejected with scorn by Christ first as

being self called, and
thrusting himself into honours which God bestows upon those
;

only who are fit to receive them, and who as being announced
by every excellent quality, and skilful in practising every good
work and deed, are crowned by Christ, and inscribed in the
companies of the holy teachers. But inasmuch as this man
was not so disposed, he met with rebuke
for his mind
was the dwelling of evil spirits, and full of all
For
impurity.
;

the Saviour, indirectly touching his case, said

have holes, and the birds of heaven a place to

"

The

foxes

"

"

the Son of

man hath

not where to lay His

lodge in

head.*"

but

THE GOSPEL OF
Now
ner

in

our

at

which

LUKE.

ST.

268

this

man

meeting we sufficiently discussed

But here it was
is to be understood by us.
who came, nor one presumptuously forward
the

last

no

self-called disciple

in

promises of deeds thus praiseworthy

but, on the contrary,

was one called by Christ to the apostleship, as not unfitted

For he was honoured by the divine decree, and was
for it.
and able to conform himself to
doubtless holy, and venerable
But he did not as yet
the intention of the evangelic message.

it

what way he ought to conduct himself in so

for he had perchance a father bowed down
matter
a
great
in a manner highly
and
with old age
thought himself acting

know

clearly in

God

pleasing to

in anxiously

and fit
shewing him tenderness
it in the books

of course, as meeting with

He

knew,
ting love.
of die law, that the God of

all

has provided also for

this,

say

and thy mother: that it may be Ex.

ing; "Honour thy father,
the earth."
thou
well with thee and that
mayest live long upon
the
sacred
the
to
ministry, and to
On being, therefore, summoned
was
what
is
this
for
the
"

office

of proclaiming
by Christ s

Gospel message:

command

to follow

signified
in his human understanding,

of
enough to tend the old age
first to go and bury
he said,
"

is,

Him

he

is

troubled

and asks for a delay of time

For

his parent.

my

father."

"

Suffer

me,"

And what wo

say

al
not that he asked permission to bury his father, being
forbidden
have
not
dead and laid out: for Christ would

ready
this
"

he used the word

Ibut

"

bury"

instead of

take care of his old age till his burial."

What, then, was the Saviour s answer

"

"

that

may

Leave the dead

kingdom of
rela
For there were, no doubt, other guardians and
God."
because they had
tives of his father: but as I consider dead,
nor been able to receive the new
c

"burying

the
their dead: but go thou, preach

"

not yet believed in Christ,

the
birth
holy baptism unto

by

He
c

says,

bury their dead,

Although

this

the

literal

translation of the verse, I have not

marked the use of the participle for

the infinitive as a different reading,

construction
considering it only as a
verb
required by the Syriac

Let them,

life

incorruptible.
because they also have wit]

is
meaning of which
do
but which has a so to

;<to

the literal
leave,"

duty for
suffer,"

"to

P*

retaining, however,

per conBtruction.

xx

COMMENTARY UPON

264

them a dead mind, nor

we
Deut.

vi. 5 .

as yet have

been numbered among

who

From this, then,

possess the life that is in Christ.
learn, that the fear of God is to be set even above the re

those

verence and love due to parents.

For the law of Moses also,
w hile it commanded, in the first place, that thou shalt love
the Lord God with all thy soul, and all
thy might, arid all
heart
as
second
to
it
the
honour
due to parents,
thy
put
"

"

"

:"

Ex. xx.

12.

thy father and thy mother/

For come, and let us examine the matter in dispute, and
inquire what is the reason why we consider the honour and
love due to parents, not a
thing to be neglected, but, on the
saying,

"Honour

to. One
may say, then, that
we have our being by their means. But the God of
all
exist.
brought us into being, when we absolutely did
He is the Creator and Maker of all and, so to speak, the

contrary, carefully to be attended

is

because

not"

principle
existence

and radical essence of everything. For to everything

is His
The father, then, and mother, were the
gift.

means by which

their offspring

came

into existence.

Ought
more

not, therefore, the primary Author justly to be loved

than the secondary and subsequent ? And will not He

Who

gave the more precious gifts require of us the more marked

honour ? Our endeavours, therefore, to please our
parents
must give way to our love to God, and human duties must

And this the Saviour

has Himself taught us, saying,
He who loveth father or
mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me and he who
loveth son or daughter more than Me, is not
worthy of Me."
He does not say that they are condemned for simply loving,

yield precedence to those which are divine.

Mat.

x. 37.

"

"

"

but for loving them more than Me.

He

permits sons and

more than
When therefore any thing which concerns
they do Him.
God s glory has to be done, let no impediment stand in the

daughters, therefore, to love their parents, but not

way

let

thy earnestness be without pretext thy zealous ex

and irrepressible. Forthwith let father and
:

ertions ardent

mother and children be disregarded, and the power of natural

affection towards them cease, and
yield the victory to the love
of Christ.

So was that thrice-blessed Abraham tried so was he jus

and called the friend of God and counted worthy of
:

tified,

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

265

For what can equal in the balance the

surpassing honours.
a
friend
of
God?
What can this world offer
being

compa

rable

a grace

with

so

glorious

and admirable

He had

one only-begotten and beloved son, who, after

long delay,
and scarcely, and in his old age had been given him.
Upon

him too rested all his hope of offspring: for it was said to
him
In Isaac shall thy seed be called."
But as the sacred
God tried Abraham, saying Take thy beScripture saith,
loved son, even him whom thou lovest, Isaac, and go to the
high land, and offer him to Me for a whole burnt-offering,
"

Gen.xxi.i2.

"

Gen.xxii.z.

"

"

upon one of the mountains that I will tell thee." Was God
trying Abraham, as not foreknowing what would happen, and
waiting to learn the result ? But how can this be true ? For
He knows all things before they happen. Why therefore
"

He

did

man s

That we by the fact might learn the old

and ready obedience, and unchanging earn

try him ?
love of God,

estness in the dutiful performance of God s will.

And observe
how God made him, so to speak, unready for the act, that the

patriarch might obtain the

ferring nothing to his
Isaac, but

more worthy admiration,

as pre
not
"Take,"
simply
says,
him whom thou hast
the beloved one

Lord

He

s will.

thy son
This strengthened in his case the sting of natural
Oh how mighty a turmoil of bitter thoughts rose

"

"

loved."

affection.

man

For the force of innate affection naturally

be a
compassion for the child. He had wished to
father
for he had even lamented his childlessness unto God,
when He promised to give him all that land which had been

up

in the old

called

him

to

told him,

and

childless."

him

"

said,

The

"

Lord, what givest Thou

me

and

dwell Gen.

xv.

2.

law, therefore, of natural affection urged

of love towards God
while the

to spare the lad

power

was like some tree,

ready obedience and he
driven to and fro by the violence of the winds; or like a
and staggering by the beat
ship at sea, reeling, so to speak,
one true and powerful
was
there
But
of
the
waves.
ing
to which he held fast. For he considered, that though
called

him

to

thought

the lad were slain, and became the

aT being a whole
was not
that He
"

work and

victim of the

burnt-offering, well-pleasing

to

fire,

God: yet

Heb.
unable to raise him up again, even from the

"

dead."

in

xi.i 9 .

COMMENTARY UPON

266

was taught him by this event. For,

he learnt that ready obedience leads on to
every blessing, and is the pathway to justification, and the
pledge of friendship with God and secondly, that God is able
therefore, at once

Much,

in the first place,

from the dead.

And, moreover, he learnt

more important, and more worthy of account, I mean
the mystery of Christ: that for the salvation and life of the world
God the Father was about to yield His own Son to the sacri
to raise again, even

Rom.

viii.

what

is

fice

even Him,

Who

by nature was beloved, that

is,

Christ.

He That
the blessed Paul confirms this, saying of Him
spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us
The patriarch Abraham therefore learnt what kind of and
And

"

"

all."

how great a thing it is, not to spare his own son, the onlybegotten and beloved. He then was found approved, because
he set nothing above those things that are well-pleasing to
God. Such Christ requires us to be, so as to love and prize
what concerns His glory far above the ties of fleshly rela
tionship.

Mat.

And once more to look at it in another light. It was right

that the power of love towards Him should outweigh with us
even that of those who begat us in the flesh. He has given
us God as a Father; for He said:
Call not any one father
<f

xxiii.

"

John

i.

u.

upon earth

"ye
"

((

"

are

came

who

for

One

all brethren."

to

is

your Father

And

Who

His own, and His own received

Him He gave power

received

is

in

heaven

the wise John said of Him,

to

Him

not

and

"

but to

He
all

become the sons of

Ought they therefore who have Him as Father Who

Lord of heaven and earth
Who transcends all created

God.""

is

things:

Who

is

guarded by mighty cherubim:

Who

excels

thrones and dominions, principalities and powers;

ought such,
I say, to fall into so
great folly, as not to set Him above all
natural relationship ?
Can it be that we shall be guilty if we
the
honour
due
to parents and children and bre
disregard
thren but free from guilt, if we pay not the honour due to
:

Mai.

i.

6.

the Father of
"

all ?

Hear what He

plainly saith

"

The son

honoureth his father, and the servant his master if I am a

Father, where is My honour ? and if I am a Master, where is
:

"

"

My

fear

saith the

Lord

Almighty."

Fitly therefore did Christ

make him who was

called to the

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

apostleship acquainted with apostolic

LUKE.
conduct, and the

ritual manliness required for its discharge,

"

267
spi

Leave
saying,
the dead burying their dead but go thou, preach the kingdom of God." For such must the ministers of the divine

by

"

"

message

be.

To whose

wise teaching let us also in

everything

adhere, advancing onwards unto Christ

by Whom and with
Whom to God the Father be praise and dominion, with the
:

Holy Ghost,

for ever

and ever, Amen.

111

COMMENTARY UPON

268

SERMON
FIT

c.ix. 61,62.
i^bs wur&v

om. avrov

TO BE READ WHEN ANY ONE RECEIVES

THE TONSURE a.

And another also said, I will follow Thee, Lord; but first let
me ^^ farewell to the members of my house. But Jesus
said to him, No man who putteth his hand to the
plough,
an(l looketh back,

6ri0oAAi/
C*

LIX.

OF

zeal in virtuous pursuits

The marginal

means,
when any one

terally
"

"

note,,

is

which

li

be

read

shaven,"

refers

Fit

to

to the rite

of admission into the

monastic order, and is of course of
the date, not of the original work,
but of its translation into Syriac,
or even its transcription, that is, of
the seventh or eighth century.
In
the Syriac historian, John of Ephethe phrase is of frequent oc
currence, and always in the sense
of becoming a monk. Thus in p.
sus,

47,

we

read that Photius, son of

Antonina, the wife of Belisarius, for

some reason or other, left the
army, and shaved his hair, and
but
put on the monastic habit
being unable to submit to monastic rule, he went to Justin II.,
:

clad in the monkish stole,

and was by him made governor of
Samaria
where for twelve years
he gave free licence to his ungoverned temper and avarice: as an
still

instance of which, the historian

mentions, that he hung the bishop
of Ascalon up by one arm, ordering
him not to be loosed for three days,

unless upon payment of three ta

lents of gold.
Again, in p. 55 he
mentions, that at the time when the
great

kingdom of God.

we

say, that it is worthy of all

to this state of mind

But those who have attained

praise.
d

is fit for the

eunuch Narses received or

ders to proceed on his last expe

he was occupied in
building a monastery in Bithynia,
to retire thither, and
intending
shave his hair, i. e. become a
dition to Italy,

monk.

Even

to this rite

had

ladies

for in p.

submit

to

88 he

tells us,

that in the severe persecution car

ried on in Justin s latter
years by

the

patriarch,

John

of Sirmium,

against the Monophysites, two noble

ladies, Antipatra, whose daughter
was married to the consul John,
and Juliana, the emperor s own

sister-in-law, having refused to re

ceive the holy communion from a

bishop who accepted the council of

Chalcedon, were sent to a nunnery,
with strict orders that their hair
should be shorn, and that they
*
should wear the black habit of the
nuns, and be compelled to perform the most menial labours
:

which these

found so painful,
that they submitted, and were al
lowed to return to their families.
ladies

Similar testimonies have

already
been collected from Greek and La
tin authors, as, e.
g.
c. i.

Socrates, 1. 3.
says of the apostate Julian, eV
TOV ro)V fjiova^wv uTre-

Kpivero fiiov.

To

was peculiar

to the

shave the head

monks ;

for of

THE GOSPEL OF
must be strong

mark

that

ST.

LUKE.

269

purpose, and not feebly disposed towards the

in

set before them.

Rather they must plainly possess

an unwavering and inflexible mind for so,
starting impetuously
as from the barriers of the race-course,
they will reach the
goal, and gain the victory, and twine around their hair the
is

And to this heartiness of purpose the

conqueror s crown.
Saviour of all encouraged us, as being a
quality worth the
where
He
Who
of
gaining,
says,
you wishing to build a Luke
tower, sitteth not down first and counteth whether he have
"

xiv.

"

2<s>

"

sufficient to finish

it

lest, saith

laid the founda-

He, having

tion, and not being able to finish it, the passers by say, This
man began to build, and was not able to finish." One who
so acts becomes an object merely of ridicule for
upon every
honourable and virtuous undertaking a fitting conclusion ought
"

"

And to teach this truth the law of Moses com

who were building a house to erect upon it also
a battlement.
For he who is not perfect in good, is not free
to follow.

manded

those

from blame.

Just then as discredit was of course attached to

a house that had no battlements, so the passage just read

from the Gospel teaches us a similar lesson.
"

"

For one drew near saying,

me go and bid farewell

first let

I will

follow thee,

to those in

my

Lord

to us

but

The

house."

promise then that he makes is worthy of emulation, and full of

praise but the fact of his wishing to bid farewell to those
at home shews him, so to speak, divided, and that he had not
For
as yet entered upon the course with unshackled mind.
look how, like some colt eager for the race, there holds him
back as with a bridle, the stream of worldly things, and his
all

wish in part still to take interest in this world s occupations.

For no one hinders him from hastening, if he will, to the wished
But
for mark, according to the free inclinations of his mind.
the very wish to consult first with his relatives, and to make
those his counsellors
the clergy nothing

who were

more was

re-

quired than that modesty of dress

and apparel which became the gravity of their office; so
iv. c.

"

44.

"

triat,

Cone. Carth.
comam nu-

Clericus nee

nee barbam

radat,"

letting

and shaving the

beard, being equally marks of luxury
the hair

grow

long,

not likely to entertain sentiand effeminacy.

So Morinus Com.

de Sac. Eccles. Ordin. P.

grants

that

the

clergy

iii.

for

266,

many

centuries did not shave the head;

and Jerome bears witness to the

same effect in his Commentary on
Ezech.

xliv. 20.

Deut.
8<

xxii.

COMMENTARY UPON

270

raents similar to his own, nor to share at all in his resolution,

sufficiently

proves him infirm and halting, and not as yet fully

inclined to act

upon his desire of following Christ.

were by gentle reproofs, corrected him, and
No
practise a more determined zeal, saying,
man putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit
for the kingdom of God."
For just as the husbandman, who
has begun to break up his land
by the plough, if he grow
weary, and leave his labour half done, sees not his field thick set

But He, as
taught him to

it

"

"

"

with ears, nor his

threshing-floor full of sheaves, and suffers of
course the loss which is the natural result of idleness; the
absence, I mean, of produce, and the consequent penury, and
incurs also the ridicule of those that see him
so he who
:

wishes to cleave unto Christ, but does not bid farewell to the
things of the world, and abandon all love of the flesh, and even

deny

his

earthly relatives

for

by

so doing

he attains to a

resolute courage in all

praiseworthy pursuits ; is not fit for the
of
God:
One
who cannot attain to this resolution,
kingdom

because his mind

is fettered with indolence, is not

acceptable
unto Christ, nor fit for His
company, and necessarily is refused
permission to be with Him.

Mat.

xxii.

Such were those of whom Christ spake, when

forming that
similitude in the
For He said, A rich man made a
Gospels.
banquet for his son and sent therefore his servants to call
them that were bidden, saying, My oxen and my
fatlings are
killed, and every thing is ready
come to the banquet. But
"

"

"

"

"

they,
says, would not come but one said, I have bought a
And another, I have bought a
field, and I cannot come.
of
oxen
and
yoke
another, I have taken a wife, hold me
it

"

"

"

excused."

was

in their

Thou

seest that they

were

called,

and while

it

power
partake of the feast, they excused them
and
themselves
selves,
gave
up without restraint to those tem
to

poral and earthly matters, which rapidly fade, and the pos

which must quickly be abandoned. And

yet surely
was their duty rather to have understood, that a wife and
lands, and those other possessions, are but finite
session of

it

pleasures,

short in duration, and

fleeting like the shadows, and, as it
were, a bitterness mingled with honey.
But to be members of
the church of God, from which
I
know
not how, foolishly
they,
fled, would have procured for them an eternal and
unchanging

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

<m

Whoever would

follow Christ, let him be

thoroughly
and intent solely upon this end; let him not be
divided; let him not be possessed by timidity and slothfulness
;
let him be free from all carnal
lust, and prefer nothing to his
love unto Him. But if he be not so
disposed, nor so affected in

joy.

constant,

draw near, he will not be

accepted.
of
this
sort
the law of Moses also has
Something
taught us

his will, even if he do

For whenever, as
indirectly in figure.
emergencies arose, the
children of Israel went out to battle
against their enemies,
before they engaged in the combat, the herald of the host

made
"

"

Whosoever hath betrothed a wife, and

proclamation,
hath not taken her, let him return to his house, that he die
not in battle, and another man take her.
AVhosoever hath
"

a new house, and hath not dedicated

"

built

"

to his house, that he die not in battle,

"

Deut.xx.y.

Whosoever

it, let him return

and another dedicate it.
heart, let him return to his

is

"

house, that he

"

as his

own."

frightened in his
make not the heart of his brother frightened
Thou scest that the man who loves the world,

or wealth, and whosoever

in his place

is full of excuses, is not

every where
but we shall find the holy apostles verv different

For when they heard Christ saying, Mark

make you to become fishers of men

from such as these.

"

Follow Me, and

"

they,
"

"

"

lowed

it

I will

says, at once left the ship

Him."

And

not with flesh and

and their

the wise Paul also writes,

willed to reveal unto

and folBut when God

me His

blood."

I counselled

Son, immediately
Thou seest the valiant mind, and

must they be who would follow Christ: not looking behind

them, not walking, that is, so to speak, backwards, and turning
their faces from that manly virtue which becometh saints, and
excusing themselves from the duty of labouring not loving
onwards
things temporal, not of a double mind, but hastening
to
Christ
with perfect zeal to that which is well pleasing
by
:

7.

father,
"

the brave and hearty purpose, not subject to the bonds of

indolence, but superior to all cowardice and fleshly lust. Such

i.

Whom and with hom, to God the Father be praise and

dominion, with the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever, Amen.

Gal.

1.

15.

COMMENTARY UPON

SERMON
C. x. 1-3.

LX.

Lord appointed seventy others, and

them two and two before His face, unto every city and
P lace whither He was about to enter. And He said unto
them, The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers few.

After these things the

sent

->

repxeri

Pray

therefore

the

Lord of

the harvest

to

send forth

labourers into the harvest.

-L

y,

ol V

manded the ministers of the saving word of the gospel, saying,

Sound the trumpet on the new moon on the solemn day of
your feast." And to the new moon we may compare the
time of our Saviour s coming.
For a new world arose for us,
"

r)

GS.

"

Ps.lxxxi.3.

v.

^Cor.

in which all
things have become new, as the very wise Paul
assures us in his writings.
For he says, The former things
"

"

have passed away

By

the

new moon

all

behold,

therefore,

things have become

and solemn

the time of the incarnation of

new."

we understand
the Only-begotten,, when a
feast,

trumpet sounded loudly and

clearly,, even that which pro

claimed the saving message of the
For is not that a
gospel.
time which invites us to keep festival, when we were

justi

and washed from the pollutions of sin, and death

abolished, which had tyrannized over us, and Satan ejected
from his mastery over us all and in which
by sanctification
and justification we have been united to our common Saviour
fied

by

faith,

and enriched with the hope of unending life and

glory.
These are the loud trumpet s sounds, and
they run not only
through JudaBa, like that law which was of old, but throughout
the whole earth.
Christ,

Ex. xix.i6.

And this is pictured for thee in the writings of Moses. For

the ^rod of all came down in the likeness of fire on Mount
Sinai, and there was a cloud, and darkness, and gloom, and
the voice of the trumpet with a loud
ringing sound, according
But the notes of the trumpet were, it says,
but afterwards they waxed longer, and became louder
and louder continually. What then was it which the shadow of
the law signified to us
by these things ? Was it not this that

Ex.xix. 19. to the

few at

Scripture.

first,

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

273

there were but few to publish the Gospel

but
tidings
afterwards they became many ? And Christ
began the work
and having first chosen the twelve apostles, He afterwards
;

And that, not as though

appointed, it says, seventy others.
those who had been already called to the honour of the
apostleship had been guilty of any neglect, or been led into any
thing unbecoming, but because a great multitude was about to
Him. For not Israel only was caught in the net,
but also the crowds of the Gentiles.
For that the message of

believe in

salvation would take possession of the whole world, the

all declared
by one of the holy prophets, saying of it,
"

of

Judg-

merit springeth up like couch-grass 6 in the furrows of the

e

In
is

plant

the original Hebrew this

called c*n, and nothing can

be more uncertain than its signifi

cation.
In the A. V. it is every

where translated
xx. 1 6, where it

"

gall,"

except Job

rendered

is

"the

and in this place,

where we find hemlock but as it
gives the same explanation of nir-b
in Amos vi. 12, which everywhere
"

God
"

poison of

asps,"

wormwood/ probably

"

else is

translators did not intend

any

the

stress

be laid upon their rendering.

Celsus considers that the hemlock
is really the plant meant ; but (Kl-

to

mann
as

takes

it

The

poppy.

as the aloe, Michaelis

and Gesenius

darnel,

latter

as

rendering

the

con

sider quite indefensible, as the idea

that it takes its name from TTN-I,

caput,
that

is

a mere fancy, and his view

\c>n

a, in Jer.

14, ix. 14,

viii.

warranted
neither by the language, nor by anyknown use of this drug, which is

xxiii.

15,

is

opium,

is

rather vrjmvdfjs, the killer of sor

row, than its aggravator. The Chaldee paraphrase generally follows the
rendering in Job, and explains as
"the
while the
poison of serpents
:"

LXX.
xtfto

almost constantly translate

by ^0X17, and n:rS by niKpia.

In opposition to their rendering we

have only
dently

this passage,

where

some fast-growing

evi

plant

signified, but where they make no

attempt to connect it with its pre
vious meaning, but render
by a-

ypcoo-n?, a word apparently used by

them simply for grass, as they so
translate NHH Deut. xxxii. 2, and
ncs- Mich. v. 7
and in like manner
:

the Syriac version, passing by its

rendering in all other places, as
"bitterness,"

and

in Jer. as

"

waters"

tum,

gives j.^f^

"asathicket."

"bitter

ut vepre-

-.^j

Jerome takes

MJN-I

as signifying here also

amaritudo,
but gives an exact account of ciypa(TTIS, which he translates by
gra-

men,

these words

in

Est genus

herbse calamo simile, quse per singula genicula, fruticem sursum, et

radicem

que

deorsum

mittit

frutices

ipsi

rius herbac seminaria

in

ita

rursus-

et virgulta

brevi tempore,

sunt
si

alte-

atque
non imis
:

radicibus effodiatur, totos agros veprium similes facit. Denique etiam

si

sicca ejus aliqua pars,

habeat,

geniculum

terrain ceciderit,

dummodo

super

omnia

cultam

replet gra-

mine. This explanation exactly tal

with the meaning given in Liddell and Scott from the Interpp. ad

lies

Theophrastum, as triticum repens,

and I have there
or couch-grass
;

fore so rendered the Syriac

used here,

viz.

is

N n

word

Hos.

x. 4

COMMENTARY UPON

274
For

"

field."

like

furrows that are

left

as the couch-grass springs up in the

without cultivation, and takes possession

of them, and spreads everywhere,, constantly advancing on

wards, so in an exactly similar manner has judgment, that is
to say, the grace that justifieth the world as declared in the
and
tidings of the Gospel, taken possession of every city

saving

place.

Num.

xi.

Besides these twelve therefore, there were also seventy

And again a type of this was
others appointed by Christ.
in
For at God s command he
the
words
of
Moses.
prefigured

and God sent the Spirit upon those who

had been chosen. And yet again, we find the twelve disciples,
and these seventy also, indicated to us by the shadow of the
For it is thus written in the Exodus concerning the
law.
And they came to Marah f and the
children of Israel;
could
drink
the waters of Marah for they were
not
people
And Moses cried unto the Lord, and the Lord
bitter.
lt
shewed him a tree and he cast it into the waters, and the
also chose seventy,

Ex. xv. 23.

"

"

"

"

waters were

made

means bitterness
For the law was
Heb.

x. 28.

of this Paul
"

Actsxv.io.

law

is

sweet."

and

bitter,

Marah, when translated,

He

that hath despised Moses"

mercy at the mouth of two or

"

witness, saying,

put to death without

is

Now

taken by us as a type of the law.

in that it punished with death.
And

is

It was bitter therefore, and unendurable

and was unacceptable on this account, just
as were also those bitter waters.
But it also was sweetened
of
which
the
that
tree there shewn by God
by
precious cross,
to the blessed Moses was a type.
For now that the shadow
"

three

witnesses."

to those of old time,

eewpia.

has changed to the spiritual contemplation, we behold with the

eyes of the mind the mystery of Christ, that lay hid in the

Although therefore the law was bitter,

types of the law.
has now ceased to be so any longer.
Ex. xv. 27.

it

Marah, they came, it says, to Elim." And Elim

means an ascent or increase.
And
what again was there at Elim ?
Twelve wells of water, it
For as we ascend to more
says, and seventy palm trees."
and
hasten
onward to spiritual increase, we
perfect knowledge,

And

after

again when

translated

"

"

Although the translator genehe

rally takes the Septuagint text,

has here preserved the name of this

place as found in the Syriac version,

and

calls

it

Morat.

THE GOSPEL OF
find twelve wells, that
trees,

those, namely,

is,

LUKE.

ST.

the holy Apostles

and seventy

who were appointed by

very excellently the disciples s are compared to

seventy, who were subsequently chosen, to
all

so to speak, call
and firm of root,

good while we
them palms for
:

palin

And

Christ.

and the
For as

wells,

palm

from holy wells we draw from the

knowledge of

275

trees.

disciples of our Saviour the

praise the seventy also, and,
this tree is

strong-hearted,

and very fruitful, and constantly grows besides

And
such we affirm the saints to be for their
tjiejvaters.
mind is pure, and steadfast, and fruitful, and
habitually
:

delights

the waters of knowledge.

o
Therefore, to return again to what

itself in

the Lord

we were

at first saying,

appointed other seventy." But some may per

chance imagine that the former had been dismissed, and de
"

prived of the honours of the apostleship

and that these were

in their stead, as
being better able to teach

promoted

To remove

they were.

than

such thoughts from our

minds, lie Who knoweth hearts, and is acquainted with things
to come, even as it were
The harvest
apologized, saying,
therefore

"

"

indeed

great but the labourers are few pray therefore

the Lord of the harvest to send forth labourers into His

"

is

For just as lands covered thick with produce, and

harvest."

broad and long, require numerous and able labourers so the

whole earth, or rather the company of those about to believe
in Christ, being
great and innumerable, required not a few
;

teachers, but as

many

And

as would suffice for the work.

for

reason Christ appointed those who were to be the allies,

so to speak, and assistants of the twelve disciples.
They went
this

therefore on their mission, being sent two and two to every city
Prepare Mat.
village, crying, as it were, in the words of John,

and
"

"

ye the way of the Lord."

But observe this that while
:

"

He

"

said,

iii.

3-

Pray ye the Lord of

His harvest," He

the harvest to send forth labourers into

did

it

that

is,

truly

of the harvest,
yet Who besides is Lord
of the dwellers on earth, but He Who by nature and
For to Him belongs the whole earth and its
God.

is

"

"

fulness,"

its

And

Himself.

and He is
But inasmuch as it belongs

as Scripture says

Fashioner.

The

ready noticed

has probably alhow constantly S.

reader

the Creator of

Cyril uses

raous with

N n

to the

all,

and

supreme God

"

disciples,"
"

apostles."

as synony-

PS. xxiv.i.

COMMENTARY UPON
how was it that Christ appointed
not therefore the Lord of the harvest, and God

alone to send forth labourers,

them

He

Is

the Father, by Him and with Him, the Lord of all ? All things
therefore are His, and there is nothing of all things which are
named that belongs to the Father, which is not also the Son s.
John

xvii.

He also said to the Father, Those whom Thou gavest

Me out of the world, Thine they were, and Thou gavest them

For
"

"

unto Me.

11

For, as I said, all those things that belong to

the Father are declared to be, and are, the property of the
"

Son, and

He

is

radiant with His Father

dignities.

And

the

Godhead belongs to Him, not as a thing conferred

and given Him by another but rather He subsists in honours
which are His by nature, as He also doth Who begat Him. Arid
the wise John also affirms that we all are His, thus
saying of
glory of the

Mat.iii.ii.

Him:
He Who
"I

"

"

"

indeed baptize you in water but after me cometh

h
is
mightier than I He [Who ] shall baptize you in
:

the

Holy Ghost, and

He

will cleanse

His

Whose

fan is in His hand, and

gather the wheat into His
burn with unquenchable fire."

in fire.

floor,

and

will

garner, but the chaff He will

May it be our lot then as rational wheat, to be carried into
God s treasure house, even into the mansions that are above
"

company with the rest of the saints, we may enjoy

the blessings which God bestows in Christ
by Whom, and
with Whom, to God the Father be praise and dominion with
that there, in

the

Holy Ghost,

for ever

and

ever,

The pronoun ()

is
probably an
being supported by any
authority, nor read elsewhere

error, not

MS.

in the Syriac.
1

The passage

1
.

both editors.
Mai puts one
between the verb rrpoeypdfa, and TO. aKoXovda its nominative case
but Cramer puts two
full stops, and begins the verb with
zled

full stop

in

which

S. Cyril
compares the seventy disciples to
the palm trees in Elim, is contained
brief form both in Mai and
Cramer, but ascribed by the latter
to Titus of Bostra.
Another pas-

in a

sage, rightly assigned by

Cyril, but at the end of

Cramer

to

which the

Catenist has referred his readers to

collections
on St. Matthew s
Gospel for the explanation of Luke
x. 2, 7, and 16, has evidently puzhis

Amen

a capital letter.
Nor is this
means a solitary instance

part

of this

latter

editor,

by any
on the
of

his

punctuation rendering his text un

intelligible.

(Cf.

ii.

p. 85, last three

In his next page, he again

contains a passage belonging to
Cyril, but given under the name
of Titus of Bostra
followed by one

lines.)

which
writer.

really

does belong to this

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON

LUKE.

277

LXI.

TO BE READ AT THE COMMEMORATIONS

OF THE APOSTLES.

FIT

Go:

ALL
rectly,

ST.

behold,

those

who

I send you as

sheep

among

wolves.

c. x.

and sacred Word

praise the divine

and without error, arc, we affirm, the

and its best teachers well

trines of truth,

allies of

cor-

3.

^r.^

the doc

knowing how

to

guide whosoever wish to advance in Christ, rightly unto every

good work, and to the life incorruptible, and to participation
in the
Of these most wise Paul
blessings bestowed upon us.
also declares, that
they are
"

the word of

"

the lights of the world, holding

life."

Now of these illustrious and famous men the divine disciples

were the commencement, and stand foremost in order
for
had
as
a
schoolmaster
Him
Who
is
the
of
all
under
Giver
they
standing; and Who richly bestoweth His light upon those who
:

Him.

love

He

For

is

Who

the true light

illumineth the

heavens, even the powers who are above and delivereth from
ignorance and darkness those also upon earth. And observe
how He made the appointed teachers of all beneath the sun to
;

be ready workmen, conspicuous for their earnest zeal, and able

to win the glory of apostolic victories
preferring none of this
;

to the duty of proclaiming their sacred message,

so bravely disposed in their manly mind as to be superior

world

and

s affairs

to all fear,

death

and no whit

itself,

terrified at hardships,

when brought upon them

nor alarmed at

For
them
encourages

for Christ s sake.

He
in this word
makes them eagerly desirous of saintly vic
tories establishes them in the steadfast resistance of all tempt
ation
and permits them not to shrink from the violence of
For just as valiant generals, when the battle
persecutions.
those
begins, and the enemy discharge their shafts, encourage
"

go,"

to

He

says

and

be courageous

"

go,"

under their command bravely to resist the attacking foe, and

to bear themselves manfully against the enemy; using such
words as these
Fellow soldiers, let none of these things that
;

Phil.

ii.

15.

COMMENTARY UPON

278

ye see trouble your mind we are not weak and inexperienced

know well the ways of battle we have coats
;

in warfare, but

of mail strongly made ; armour and swords

bows too and
shall
the
stoutdarts
exertion
we
victory
purchase
by
so does
heartedriess will win for us a right glorious renown
;

all, if we may so speak, send forth the disciples

the
of unbelievers, saying,
hosts
Go behold, I send
against

the Saviour of

"

fe

as sheep

among
What sayest Thou

you

wolves

When

wolves."

Lord ?

How

can sheep converse with

was a wild beast ever at peace with the sheep

Scarcely can the shepherds protect their flocks by gathering

them

and shutting them up in enclosures, and fright

the
beasts
of prey by the barking of dogs, yea, and even
ening
themselves fighting in their defence, and running risks to pro
tect the more weakly members of their flock.
How then does
into folds,

He command the holy Apostles, who are guileless men, and if

we may so speak, sheep, to seek the company of wolves, and
go to them of their own accord ? Is not the danger manifest ?
Are they not set as a ready prey for their attacks ? How can

How can one so peaceful vanquish

the savageness of beasts of prey ? Yes, He says, for they all
have Me as their Shepherd
small and great
people and
I will be with you and aid you,
princes ; teachers and taught.
a sheep prevail over a wolf?

and

you from

I will tame the savage beasts ;

all evil.
wolves
into
change
sheep ; I will make the persecutors
become the helpers of the persecuted and those who wrong

deliver

I will

My

make to be sharers in their pious designs.

make and unmake all things, and there is nothing that

ministers I will

For

can

resist

And

My

will.

that this was the actual result,

we may

see in instances

which really occurred.

For the divine Paul was a blasphemer,

and cruel than any wolf against
those who
Did he then persist in this con
duct ? Did he continue to be a wolf even unto the end ? Far
from it
for he was called by Christ, and experienced an
unlocked for change. He who in old time was a wolf became

and persecutor, more

injurious
believed in Christ.

more gentle than a lamb

And

persecuted.
the wonder of

all

and preached the

faith

men, and Christ was

changed him from a beast of prey

which once he

manner was
had
glorified, Who

a change so unexpected in

into a lamb.

its

And

this the

THE GOSPEL OF
had

divine Jacob

him

"

ST.

LUKE.

279

in his blessings before announced concerning

is a
ravening wolf : in the morning he shall Gen.

Benjamin
and in the evening divide victual." For the wise
Paul was of the tribe of Benjamin, and, at first, he resisted
:

eat flesh

"

xlix.

believed in Christ like a ravening wolf ; but when a

short time had elapsed, a space, so to speak, as from morning

those

who

to evening,

he divided

victual.

For he taught and preached

and to those that as yet were babes in intellect he

Jesus
but set before the full grown strong meat. In
offered milk
therefore he eats flesh, and in the evening divides
the
:

morning

victual.

And

thus

much then

the blessed
briefly respecting

Paul:

but let us next discuss from a similar point of view the calling
too also were not at one
Let us see whether
of nations.

they
time beasts of prey, and fiercer than wolves against the min
isters of the gospel message of salvation, but were transformed
unto the gentleness and guilelessness which are by Christ s
not so much like
They too persecuted the holy apostles,
help.
of prey, raging
beasts
like
as
with
men struggling
wolves,

And though they wronged them not,

savagely against sheep.
to
salvation, they stoned them, they
but rather called them
them from city to city. And
imprisoned them, they persecuted
acted at first, afterwards became gentle
yet those, who thus
and guileless, and like the sheep which once they persecuted.
all these things but Jesus Christ
And who else
accomplished
Who hath broken down the
For He also it is
law of comfence wall that was in the middle, abolishing the

our Lord
"

"

"

Eph.

ii.

14.

two
mandments contained in doctrines Who hath made the
reand
made
Who hath
peace,
nations into one new man
;

"

"

conciled both in one

For that there

concord and unity of mind

body unto the

Father."

ha ^ been joined unto the faith in

the impure
and will, the savage in company with the gentle
the herds
of
and sin-stained with the saints those, that is,
;

the prophet
of the Gentiles with those of Israel who believed;
And the wolf shall
Isaiah shews, thus speaking in the Spirit
the kid
lamb ; and the leopard rest with
graze with the
the ox
and
and the bear and the cow shall graze together
and their young ones
"and the lion eat provender together,
and
Consider, my beloved,
shall be with one another."
connot
did
faith
derstand that those who were sanctified by
:

"

"

Is.

6.

COMMENTARY UPON

280
form

to the habits of the heathen,

who were

called of the

but on the contrary those

For such

heathen conformed to them.

beasts as the wolf and lion, the bear

and leopard, are eaters of

but those animals which are of a gentle nature, kids and

But those beasts of prey,
lambs, and steers, feed upon grass.
he says, shall graze with these gentle ones, and eat their food.
flesh

It is not therefore the gentle ones who have conformed to the

habits of the savage
but, on the contrary, as I said, the
savage who have imitated them. For they have abandoned
:

their cruel disposition for the gentleness that becometh saints,

and been changed by Christ, so that the wolves have become
lambs ; for He it is Who hath made them gentle, and united,
as I said, the two nations unto a mind full of the love of God.

And

Deut.
!

43-

Rehierophant Moses cried out, saying,

i
His
e
with
ascribe
unto
God."
j
people
y nations,
majesty
Let us therefore exalt Him and honour Him with praises
this of old the

"

tt

ce>

because of the Saviour and Lord of

all

by

Whom

and with

the Father be praise and dominion, with the

Whom
Holy Ghost, for ever and ever, Amen.
to

God

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON

ST.

LUKE.

281

LXII.

FIT TO BE READ AT THE COMMEMORATIONS OF THE

APOSTLES.

Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes ; and ask not the
peace of any one by the way. And into whatsoever house
ye enter, first say, Peace to this house. And if there be
there one k ivorthy of peace, your
peace shall rest upon
him ; but if not, it shall return to you. And in that

C. x. 4-7.

**

eiWp

BG T

house remain, eating and drinking of their things : for O m.

the labourer is worthy of his hire.
Change not from house

| GST.

to house.

THE

prudent and skilful bee visits the flowers in every field

and meadow, and gathering the dew that has settled upon
them, so makes sweet honey. Arid Solomon leads us to imitate
her conduct, saying, Draw near to the bee, and learn how in"

"

dustrious

she

is,

and how excellent

is

Prov.

vi. 8.

her workmanship.

She is beloved, therefore, and praised by every man, and

her labours kings and private persons employ for their
health."
Come, therefore, and let us also, wandering, as it
some intellectual meadow, gather the dew let fall
around
were,
"

"

"

by the Holy Ghost upon the divine message of the Gospel,

that so being enriched in mind we may bring forth the spi
ritual honey, even the word profitable and useful to all who
thirst after the communication of the divine doctrines, whether
they be noble and illustrious, or obscure and private persons
Good words are
For it is written,
in a humble rank of life.
"

"

as

honeycomb
"

Literally,

the Syriac with

and their sweetness

a son of peace
all the best MSS.

;"

It is, morerejecting the article.

over, written in one word (vj\ *-o.

Sirnilar instances of this

Uo^O

man,

literallv,

idiom are,
a son of

immediately,
malrrV^O
So also
of the hour.

liter-

ally,

son

is a son of counsel; a
ecretary, a son of the secret ; like,

counsellor

is

healing to the

a son of likeness

soul."

connatural, a son

of his nature ; brought up together,

a son of his bringing up;
avvTpo<pos,
a fellow-heir, a son of his inheritThe translators of the
ance, &c.

A.V. do not seem

to

have under-

stood this as they translate

"

jour
the
rest upon it,
peace shall
whereas Christ s peace rests

house

upon the man who

is

worthy of

it.

Prov. xvi.

COMMENTARY UPON

282

Now these

fair and good words, what else are

they than those
which
Christ
unto
certainly
us, making those who love
spake
Him skilful by repeated teaching in virtuous pursuits? For
take here also as a proof of what I have said the sense of the
it
neither purse,
passage just read to us.
Carry,"
says,
"

nor

"

nor

"

Consider, I pray you, here again the

scrip,
nature of the pathway of apostolic virtue set before them.
For it was right that they who were to be the lights and

teachers of

shoes."

beneath the heaven, should learn

all

other than from

Him Who

Word

it

from no

came down from

above from heaven the fountain of wisdom and intellectual
from Whom cometh all understanding, and the know
light
is

the

that

is
What, then, He requires
good.
that in preaching to men everywhere the Word
spake, and in calling the inhabitants of the whole

ledge of every thing that

of

them

that

He

is,

earth to salvation, they should travel about without

purse, or
scrip, or shoes; and journey rapidly from city to city, and
from place to place. And let no man on any account
say that
the object of His teaching was to make the
holy Apostles re
fuse the use of the ordinary articles of
For what

equipment.
do them, or what harm, to have shoes on their
But what He does wish them
feet, or go without them ?
to learn by this command, and to endeavour to
practice is cer

good would

Ps.

lv.

22.

it

tainly this, that they must lay all thought of their sustenance
call to remembrance the saint who said,
Cast

upon Him, and

"

"

thy care upon the Lord, and

giveth the saints what

Mat.vi. 25.
falsely
"

"

as to

is

where He saith,
what ye shall eat,

He

shall feed

thee."

For

He

life, nor speaketh He

Be ye not anxious for yourselves
and what drink nor for your body,

needful for

"

what clothing ye shall wear for

your Father knoweth that
have
need
of
all
these
But seek first His rightye
things.
and
all
these
shall
be added unto you."
eousness,
things
For verily it was fitting and necessary that those who were
:

"

"

adorned with apostolic honours, should have a mind free from

covetousness, and altogether averse from the
of
receiving

Tim.

vi.

and content, on the contrary, with what God provides.

"

the love

declares.

of

money

is

the root of

all

evils"

gifts,

"

For

as Scripture
be free and

They, therefore, in every way must

exempt from that which is the root and nourisher of all evils,
and must expend, so to say, all their zeal upon their
necessary

THE GOSPEL OF
duties, not being

exposed

to

LUKE.

ST.

Satan

283

attack, as taking w ith

of the flesh,

them no worldly wealth, but

despising the things
and desiring only what God wills.
For just as brave soldiers when
out to

they go
nothing with them but such equipments only as
for war, so also it was
right that those who were
Christ to carry aid to the world, and
war

wage

all

who were

in

battle
carry
are suitable

sent out

by

in behalf of

world-rulers of this darkdanger against the

ness," yea, and
against Satan himself, should be free from
the distractions of this world, and from all
worldly anxiety
that being tightly girt, and clad in
spiritual armour,
"

Eph.vi.r*.

"

they

might contend mightily with those who resisted the glory of

Christ, and had made all beneath the heaven their
For
prey.
the creature instead
they had caused its inhabitants to
worship

of the Creator, and to offer

religious service to the elements of
the world.
Armed, therefore, with the shield of faith, and the Eph.
which
breastplate of righteousness, and the sword of the
Spirit,

the

Word

of God, they must prove themselves invincible

antagonists to their enemies ; and not drag after them a heavy
load of things worthy of blame arid condemnation such as are
is

the love of wealth and hoards of base

gains, and eagerness
after them
for these things turn aside the mind of man from
:

that behaviour which pleaseth God, and permit it not to mount

upward to Him, but humble it rather to feelings set upon dust,

and earthly things.

In enjoining them, therefore, to take neither scrip nor purse,
nor, moreover, to trouble themselves about shoes, He clearly
teaches them that his
all

commandment

carnal wealth, and that His wish

requires them to abandon

that they should be free

is

from every impediment in entering upon the duty to which

they were especially called, of preaching, namely, His mystery
to men everywhere, and of winning unto salvation those who

were entangled

And

to this

in the nets of destruction.

He

adds that

This is not a different reading

from the Greek text, but the substitution of the customs of the East
for those of Greece.
In Greece
when friends met they embraced
one another, and therefore their
1

"

the

word

were not
for

to ask of the

salutation

is

Rome

they said Salve,

Be well, whence Saluto and in the
East they asked of one another s
amplecti

in

ix. 22 ; whence the

peace, 2 Kings
In the present
phrase in the text.

002

vi. 16.

COMMENTARY UPON

284

would this
peace of any one by the way." But what harm
have done the holy apostles ? Come, therefore, come, and
let us see the reason why it was not right for them to offer
"

that
greeting to those that met them. Thou doubtless wilt say
it was because it might sometimes happen that those who met
them were not believers and that therefore it would not
:

have been right

nature and verily

fore,

Mat.ix.

13.

who were ignorant of Him Who by

by them. What, there

for those

do we say to

is

God

this

to be blessed

Does

it

not then seem an incredible

com
supposition that this was the reason why they were
manded not to ask of the peace of any one by the way ? For
they were sent forth "not so much to call the righteous as
"

sinners to

And how,

repentance."

was

therefore,

not

it

they who were about to enlighten all who were in

darkness, and to bring them unto the acknowledgment of the
truth, should rather use gentleness and great kindliness in
stead of roughly withdrawing themselves from associating with

fitting that

them, and even refusing to ask of their health ? For certainly

with other good qualities, gentleness of address becometh
the saints, and greetings, provided they are made in a fitting
manner.
And, moreover, those who met them would, of
course, sometimes not be unbelievers, but

men

of their

own

or m who had

persuasion,
already been enlightened, and to
whom it would even be their duty to offer an acknowledgment

by a kindly greeting.
What, therefore, does Christ teach by this ? He does not
enjoin them to be rude, nor command them to lay stress upon
the not making salutation such conduct He rather teaches them
to avoid. But it is not a thing unbefitting to suppose that when

of love

day Orientals greet by saying, Peace

be to you ; to which the answer is,

to look favourably

And

have publicly acknowledged their

convictions, and been received into
the church by baptism. That (^ta

to

you peace

Cf. also

John

thus that the word for

peace, Salaam, has become equivalent with us to salutation.

xx. 26

it is

m The

use of this conjunction

leads to the conclusion that
by
having been enlightened" is meant
having been baptized and thus two
stages of feeling would be marked
in those who might meet them
they might either be men disposed
"

"

upon the labours

of the Apostles, or they might even

ri

oo

well

constantly has this meaning is

known, and the Peschito,

which often

is rather a paraphrase
than a translation, renders (^con-

o-devras

in

Heb.

vi.

4.

by

"who

have gone down to baptism

and
in Heb. x. 32. by "ye have received
"

;"

"

baptism."

THE GOSPEL OF
the disciples were
travelling about
lages, to instruct

might wish

to

ST.

LUKE.

among

the

285
cities

and

vil

men everywhere

do

this,

in the sacred
doctrines, they
perhaps, not with haste, but, so to

speak, in a loitering manner, making deviations from the

road,
and permitting themselves to
pay visits, because they wished
to see some one or other as
being an acquaintance or friend,
and so would waste
matters the
prodigally in

unnecessary
time for
With great industry, therefore,
preaching.
says He, be zealous in delivering your sacred message
grant
not to friendship an unprofitable
delay, but let that which is
well pleasing to God be
to all other
preferred
fitting

and

so

practising an irresistible

by you
and unhampered

things

diligence,

hold fast to your apostolic cares.

Besides this He further commanded them
not to give Mat.
holiness to dogs, nor
again to cast the pearls before swine,"
by bestowing upon unbelievers their society in lodging with
them they were rather to grant it to such as were
of
"

vii. 6.

"

worthy
having it deigned them, by being sons of peace, and yielding
obedience to their message.
For it would have been a most
disgraceful act for them to wish to be intimate with

who were

still

resisting Christ s glory,

of ungodliness.
the unbeliever?"
"

"

any
and guilty of the charge

For what part hath the believer with

For how could those who had not as

sCor.vi.is.

yet

even listened to their words, but made their

instruction, how
ever worthy it was of being embraced, an occasion sometimes
even of ridicule, receive them as
their admiration?
meriting

So too at Athens some once ridiculed the divine Paul. For he

indeed taught them that God dwelleth not in
temples made
with hands," being incorporeal and infinite, and That Which
filleth all, but is contained
by none: and declared that he
Him Whom though they knew Him not,
preached unto them
"

"

"

"

But they being

worshipped."
and greatly priding themselves on
What would this seedtongue, said in their folly,
For
he
to
seemeth
be a setter forth of
say?

they imagined they rightly

given up

to superciliousness,

their fluent
"

picker"

n S.

C yril

in almost the

"

explains a-nfp^.o\6yos

same terms

as

Theo-

phylact, and others of the Fathers,

Casaubon, however, from Eustathius, has shewn that the word was

applied by the Athenians contemptuously to the worthless fellows who

hung about the market-place to pick

up any thing that might fall and
:

hence the explanations given

in Sui-

Acts
*4

xvii.

COMMENTARY UPON

286
"

foreign gods."
Seed-picker was the name they gave to a
worthless bird, whose habit it was to pick
up the seeds scat
tered on the roads
and in comparing to it the divine Paul,
:

men were

these foolish

ridiculing the

word of

salvation then

offered them.

Christ therefore

commanded them

to lodge with the sons of

peace, and to eat at their cost, affirming that this was by a just
decree
for a labourer, He says, is
worthy of his hire." And
"

any of those who acknowledge the truth, dis

or
be
careless
of the duty of
for
regard
honouring the saints
iCor.ix.n.
bless
when
to
us
us,
they
sowing
things spiritual, they reap
of us things carnal
and the Lord also commanded that
therefore, let not

"

"

"

:"

"

those

who preach

the gospel shall live of the gospel

since
also
to
the law of Moses,
those who offered sacriaccording
tices shared with the altar."
And let those who are careless
"

"

"

of honouring the saints, and

illiberally close the hand, be as
sured that they are deprived of their blessing.
But
it be

may

our

be partakers of the blessing -prepared for them with

God, by offering to them as fruit whatever we possess; and by

Cor.

ix. 7.

lot to

feeling pleasure in so doing

giver:"

Amen

and with

for Christ

Whom

to

of evpo\6yos and
das^and Hesychius
<j)\vapos.

And

in this sense

it

is

the Catenist has

interpolated an
lustration of our

taken in the A. V.

to

Scarcely any of this part of the

commentary has been discovered by

Elisha

hazi to salute

Mai

when

he has however a very short

summary of this sermon, in which
;

loveth a cheerful

God

the Father be
dominion with the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever,

by

praise arid

Whom

"

the

Lord

il-

command

by referring to
similar instruction to Ge-

disciples
s

no one by the way,

sent to visit the Shunamite s

dead son, 2 Kings

iv.

29.

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON
He

that heareth you, heareth

rejecteth

That

287

LXIII.

Me

Me: and whosoever

LUKE.

ST.

and he

that rejecteth yov,

Me,

rejecteth

rejecteth

Him

MeP.

sent

THOSE

who adorn thrones of earthly royalty, and possess

supreme authority, when they wish to render fitting men
illustrious with this

world

s dignities,

on which the decree commanding

send them in the missives

their

appointment is in
a
declaration
of
And this we
their
scribed,
praiseworthiness.
find that Christ did.
For consider how great was the authority

He

gave the holy apostles, and in what manner He declared

to be praiseworthy, and adorned with the highest ho

them

For

nours.

let

us search the sacred Scripture, even the trea

let us there see

sure of the written words of the Gospel
He that
them.
unto
the greatness of the authority given
:

"

"

heareth

you,"

"

you. rejecteth
"

That sent

He
Me

Me."

"

says,
:

heareth

Me

and he that

rejecteth

and he that rejecteth Me, rejecteth Him

what great honour What incomparable
!

worthy of God Though but men,

dignities
the children of earth, He clothes them with a godlike glory
He entrusts to them His words, that they may be condemned
who in ought resist, or venture to reject them for when they
!

what a

gift

are rejected He assures them that He it is Who suffers this

and then again He shews that the guilt of this wickedness, as
to God the Father.
being committed against Him, mounts up
to how vast a
of
the
the
mind,
with
see
See, therefore,
eyes
sin committed by men in rejecting the
the
raises
He
height
saints
What a wall He builds around them How great secu
He contrives for them He makes them such as must be
;

rity

feared,

and

in

uninjured.
And there

is

for their being

every way plainly provides

yet another

way

P S. Cyril has passed over withcontaining the

out notice, vv.

815,

denouncement of the woes upon

Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Caper-

naum,

for

not

having

received

in

which thou mayest attain

to

Christ s teaching. On several

occasions he has similarly omittc

other-

passages, probably

him
explained by
mentanes.

as

having been

in his othei

c. x. 16.

COMMENTARY UPON
the meaning of what is said
For he," He says,
by Christ.
who heareth you, heareth Me." He
gives those who love
instruction the assurance, that whatsoever is said
respecting
Him hy the holy apostles or evangelists, is to he received neces
sarily without any doubt, and to be crowned with the words of
"

"

truth.
2Cor.xiii. 3

"

Mat.

x. 20.

For he who heareth them, heareth

blessed Paul also said;

speaketh in

Me

And

!"

Christ.
For the
seek ye proof of Christ That
moreover Christ Himself somewhere

"Or

said to the holy

For it is not ye that speak, but
disciples ;
the Spirit of your Father that
For Christ
speaketh in
"

"

you."

speaketh in them by the consubstantial

Spirit.

And

if it

be

and plainly it is true, that they

speak by Christ, how can
that man err from what is
who
affirms, that he who doth
fitting
true,

not hear them, doth not hear Christ, and that he

who

re-

jecteth them rejecteth Christ, and with Him the Father.

Inevitable therefore is the
Against
guilt decreed against the wicked
the Anans.
}ieret i CS) W h
rej ect t h e wor( j s O f fo G
j^ty a p OS tl es and evangelists, and pervert them to that meaning only which without

due examination seems to them

2Tim.iii.i3-

Jer. xxiii.

be right.

These

fall

from

"

"

John

to

the straight way, and wander from the doctrines of

piety,
For while, so to speak,
deceiving, and being deceived."
they
have bidden farewell to the sacred
Scriptures,
they speak of
their

own

heart,

and not out of the mouth of the Lord/ as

Scripture saith. For though the blessed evangelist John wrote

to us, that
in the
beginning was the Word, and the Word
"

i.

i.

was with God, and the Word was God

they drag to the
exact opposite both the tenet
concerning Him, and the quota
tion which proves it
that
the only begotten Word of
saying
God was not in the beginning, nor very God, and that He was
"

;"

not even with

inasmuch as

God;

He Who

that

is,

in union with

Him by

nature,

incorporeal cannot be imagined to be

These most audacious men even
say that He

in

is

any place.
was made, and measure out

for Him such

glory as they for
sooth please for they elevate Him above created
things, as
far as the language goes of
And in inventing for Him
praise.
this mere and naked
majesty, they imagine that they are doing
that if in
something wise, or even pious not
:

any respect
i

He

understanding
be regarded as a created
being, iti avails

Namely, the position invented

for our Lord by the Arians, who

Him

considered Him greater than all

created beings, but less than God.

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

289

nothing for the proof of His being really God and that if in
any respect He be made, and His nature similar to that (of
:

things which are made), that then it follows, as they (virtually)

He was not in the beginning. For one who is

affirm, that

made

is

not without beginning.

By Him the Father

How

therefore does the wise

worlds?"
For if He
were created, He had, as I said, a beginning of existence, and
and
there must have been a time previous to His existence
there must have been a time also, in which even the Father

Paul say,

"

made

the

Heb.

1.2.

apparently was not that which the name signifies, but on the
The word therefore
contrary, not a Father at all by nature.
us concerning Him is untrue, as also is
that respecting the Son ; and both forsooth are falsely so
that has

come

to

called.

And how

am

I Joimxiv.6.
pray, can we believe the Son in saying,
His
for how is He the truth, Who is not what
"

then,

the Truth

;"

name implies ? Or how must not Paul be false in his words,

when he thus writes, For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, Who

2 Cor. 1.19.

"

was preached unto you by me, and Sylvanus, and Timotheus,

For how was He not yea and nay, if
was not yea and nay
He is said to be God, and is not God by nature ? if He is
called a Son, and was not begotten of the Father? if the
saith, that the worlds were made

"

"

?"

divinely inspired Scripture

He existed ? if all things

by Him, and there was a time before
were brought into being by His means, and He is Himself one
of them, in that He is regarded as a thing made ? if He is
and is not so in truth ? For the things
called the
only begotten,
that have been made, those,

mean, which have been brought

into existence from non-existence by having been created, are,
I

so to speak, akin to one another.

But we follow not the vain words of these men, in disregard

of the declarations of the holy apostles and evangelists.

and with
not them, that we may not reject Christ,

We

Him

reject

and by Him the Father. We believe that the Only-begotten

nature
Word of God is God, and was begotten of God by
:

virSubsequently, I have inserted,

/ tt // ,becauseS.Cyrildoesnotmean
y
Arians rented the Scripthat
ture absolutely, but that the legitimate deductions from their doc-

trines

are

in

to

cilable

^^

meaning Ihis mu*

mind all through &"***

plain

Q
be borne

"he

as otherwise

it is

unintelligible.

COMMENTARY UPON

290

He

that

not created; not made; but. the Creator of all:

is

and not so much

John

i.

14.

in all things, as rather

supreme above

all

And when ^again we hear

substantially with the Father.
John saying, And the Word became flesh/ we do not falsify
"

the expression
the declarations
:

we do not use violence to the freeness of the

we do not pervert the mystery of Christ to

is not
We believe that the Word, though
right.
was God, became flesh, that is, man and not that He
joined some man unto Him in equal honour: for this some ven
ture to say and think, so that the Word from God the Father

that which

He

to be regarded by us as one Son

by Himself and He Who
sprang from the holy virgin as another beside Him, separately
and by Himself for such are the impure inventions of these
men. We however agree with the divine Paul, who
says

is

E P h.

iv. 5.

There
not

is

one Lord

Him Who

Who

one baptism
for we divide
but confess one Christ, the Word,

one faith

is indivisible,

:"

from God the Father, Who was made man, and incar
Whom
the heavens worship, and the
nate,
angels honour and
is

we

too with

we

shall also

them praise Him, crowning Him with divine

not
so
much as a man Who was made God, but as God
honour,
Who became man. And holding this opinion respecting Him,

Whom, and

by His means enter the kingdom

with

Whom,

God

of heaven

by

the Father be praise and

dominion, with the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever, Amen.
to

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON

ST.

LUKE.

291

LXIV.

And

tJie seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the

And He said
devils are subject unto us in Thy Name.
unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

C. x. 17-20.

Behold I have given you

Se Sowa

the authority to tread

upon

ser-

the enemy, s ^ u
penis and scorpions, and upon all the power of
^
and nothing shall hurt you. But in this rejoice not, that

unto you

sjnrits are subject

the

but rejoice that your

names

Gy

add. ^n\\ov By.

are written in heaven.

IT is somewhere said by one of the holy prophets, Will the Amosiii.

Lord God do anything without revealing the teaching thereof
For the God of all made
to His servants the
"

"

"

prophets?"

the holy prophets those things which were here

after to take place, in order that they might previously declare
not be disbelieved, when in due time
that so

known

to

them,

they might
what had been foretold arrived at its fulfilment. And those
who will may see that what we have now affirmed is true, even
For the seventy" it says, returned
from the present lessons.
"

"

"

"

to us
with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject
twelve
the
disciples had
For first of all
Name."
in

Thy

of all admi
been appointed, holy and elect men, and worthy
s
declaration,
Christ
But inasmuch as, according to
ration.

He Luke x
the harvest indeed was great, but the labourers few,"
first chosen,
appointed seventy
further, in addition to those

"

"

"

"

others,

and sent them

before His

face,"

to every village

to be, that

is

and

city of

Judea

and
to say, His forerunners,

Him.
to preach the things that belonged to
them with the grace o
ennobled
He
in
them,
And
sending
with the power of working
the Holy Ghost, and crowned them
nor be
not be disbelieved by men,
miracle^, that they might
as of old
to the apostleship just
supposed to be self-called
it
not
though they spake
who
there were some
prophesied,
rather
but
saith
of the mouth of the Lord, as Scripture
:

J.

vomited forth

lies

from their own heart.

For God by

I have Je,
also said, at one time
voice of Jeremiah somewhere
not
I have
spoken unto
ran
not sent the prophets, yet they
n 7
:

<

i>

sxiii.

COMMENTARY UPON

292
"

Jer.xiv.i4.
"

and again at another;

The
prophets prophesied lies in My name I sent them not, neither spake I unto them neither had I commanded them."
them, yet they

"

prophesied:"

"

men might not subject to such a sus

who were commissioned by Christ, He gave them

In order, therefore, that

picion those

power over unclean spirits, and the ability to perform signs.

For when the divine miracle followed close upon their word,
no form, either of calumny or of Jewish
false-speaking, could
For they were convicted of accusing

find a place against them.

them without reason, or rather of choosing to fight against

God. For to be able to work miracles is possible for no man,
unless God give him the power and
The
authority thereunto.
grace of the Spirit therefore witnessed of those who had been
sent, that they were not persons who ran of themselves, nor
self-called to the

duty of speaking concerning Christ but that,

on the contrary, they had been appointed to be the ministers
of His message.
o
;

The

authority, however, which they bore to reprove evil

and the power of crushing Satan, was not given them
that they might themselves so mucli be
regarded with admi
ration, as that Christ might be glorified by their means, and
be believed on by those whom they
taught, as by nature God,
and the Son of God and invested with so great
and su
spirits,

glory

premacy and might, as to be even able to bestow upon others

the power of trampling Satan under their feet.
But they, it says, in that they were counted worthy of so great
returned rejoicing, and saying, Lord, even the devils
grace,
are subject to us in Thy name."
For they confess the au
thority of Him Who honoured them, and wonder at the
"

"

supre

macy and greatness of His power. But they seem to have re

joiced, not so much because they were ministers of His mes
sage,

and had been counted worthy of

because they had wrought miracles

better for
to

work

them

to

have

reflected, that

apostolic honours, as

but

He

it

would have been

gave them the power

miracles, not that they

might be regarded by men

with admiration on this account, but rather that what
they
preached might be believed, the Holy Ghost bearing them
witness by divine signs.
It would have been better, there
fore,

ther

had they manifestly rejoiced on account of those ra

their moans, and had made this

who had been won by

THE GOSPEL OF
a cause of exultation.

who had been

in those
"

and

my

And what

is

LUKE.

293

Just as also the

very wise Paul gloried
called by his means,
saying,
My joy Phii.

iv

r.

But they said

nothing at all of this kind,
that they had been able to crush Satan.

crown."

but rejoiced only in

Christ

reply

"

ning from heaven." That is, I

inasmuch as ye set out upon this

"

ST.

saw Satan

am

fall

like light-

not unaware of this

for

journey, so to speak,

by My
I saw him fall like
ye have vanquished Satan.
lightning
from heaven." And this means that he was cast down from
on high to earth: from
overweening pride to humiliation: from
from great power to utter weakness. And
glory to contempt
"

will,
"

the saying is true

possessed the world

for before the

coming of the Saviour, he

was subject to him, and there was no
man able to escape the meshes of his
overwhelming might he
was worshipped by every one
everywhere he had temples and
altars for sacrifice, and an innumerable multitude of
worship
:

all

But because the Only-begotten Word of God has come

pers.

down from heaven, he has

old was bold

and

fallen like
lightning

supercilious,

who

for he

of

and who vied with the glory of

he who had as his worshippers all that were in error,

is
under
the feet of those that worshipped him.
Is it not
put
then true, that he has fallen from heaven to earth,
by having
Deity

suffered so great and terrible an overthrow

Who

He That

hath destroyed his might, and hum

bled him to this misery ?
And this
Plainly it was Christ.
then

is

He announced
"

"

Behold, I have given you

the authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon
all the
power of the enemy and nothing shall hurt you."
to us in the words,

"

But,

may reply, behold already we rejoice

bestowed upon us by Thee for we have

Lord, some one

in the
glory and grace
acknowledged that even the devils are subject to us in Thy
name. And how then dost Thou proclaim to those who know
:

and have openly acknowledged it, Behold I have given you

"the
authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions?"
Yes, He saith, I have carefully on purpose called you to the
remembrance of those things which lo already ye know, that
"

it,

ye may not be carried away with the ignorance of the Jews,

who, not understanding the mystery of My incarnation, ap
proach
"

Me

as a

mere man, and persecute Me, saying,

dost Thou, being a man,

make Thyself God

?"

And

"

yet

Why
it

was

John

x. 33.

COMMENTARY UPON

294

rather their duty, He

as being
says, to have known, that not
a man," to use their words, I affirm of
Myself that I am
"

"

God

but rather that being by nature God, I have

put on the
slave, and appear on earth as a man like unto you.

form of a

And what

the proof of these things ?

Behold, I have given
you the authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions." But
it was not the act of a mere
man, nor of one such as we are,
is

"

"

to

for

bestow on others an authority so glorious and admirable, as

them to be able to tread upon all the power of the
enemy
:

rather

over

it

all,

was a deed suitable to God alone, Who

and crowned with surpassing honours.

is

supreme

It is

For
capable also of being explained in another way.
He leaves them no excuse for giving way to cowardice,
but rather requires of them to be
very hearty and courageous.
For such ought those to be who are ministers of the divine

thus

word

Actsiv. 33.

not subject to timidity, nor overpowered by sloth, but

with great power," as Scripture saith, and bold in
preaching
after
those who are drawn up in array against them,
pursuing
:

"

and bravely struggling against the enemy; as

having Christ to
help them, Who will also humble the impure powers of evil
under their feet, and with them even Satan himself. What man

more powerful than

Eph.vi.i2. is there

Ps. kxiv.

"the

world-rulers of darkness/

or than that wicked serpent and prince of evil ?

He therefore
vvho
brake the heads of the dragons," how can He be too
"

weak
to
"

them from the attacks of any of this world s in

Not without benefit, therefore, did Christ proclaim

to -save

habitants

His disciples

Behold I have granted you to tread on serand

pents
scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy."
But He also further benefits them by immediately adding
But in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you
"

"

"

Ps. ixxxix.

<

but rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

Dost Thou not,
Lord, permit those who have been honoured
by Thee to rejoice in their honours ? And yet it is written of
those
"

who were appointed

"

They

shall

Lord, in the light of Thy countenance, and in Thy

name shall they exult all the day, and in Thy righteousness
walk,

"

to the apostleship

For Thou art the glory of their

Thy good pleasure shall our horn be exalted."
How then didst Thou command them not to rejoice
in the honour and
glory which Thou didst Thyself bestow?
"

"

"

shall

they be exalted.

strength, and

in

THE GOSPEL OF
What can we

say to this

ST.

LUKE.

answer, that Christ raises them

to

something greater, and commands them to account

For
glory that their names were written in heaven.
the saints that
"

are

to

to

God

is

295

thus addressed,

"

And

in

it

their

it

is

of

Thy book they

But besides, to rejoice solely in the fact that

they were able
work miracles, and crush the herds of demons, was
likely
and
produce in them possibly the desire also of vainglory
:

the neighbour, so to speak, and kinsfellow of this

passion con
Most usefully, therefore, does the Saviour of
stantly is pride.

rebuke the

boasting, and quickly cuts away the root,

had sprung up in them of the base love of
glory, imitating good husbandmen, who, immediately that they
see a thorn springing up in their
pleasure grounds or gardens,
tear it up with the teeth of the mattock, before it strike its
all

first

so to speak, that

"

root deep.

Even though, therefore, we receive some gift from Christ

not unworthy of admiration, we must not think too highly of
it, but rather make the hope prepared for us our cause of re
and that our names are written

joicing,
saints,

love to

by Christ

man

gift,

companies of the
the Saviour of us all, Who, from His

bestows, with

all

in the

besides that

we

have, this also

by Whom, and with Whom, to God the Father

be praise and dominion with the Holy Ghost, for ever and
ever, Amen.
upon us

"

word borrowed from the Persian

language, and exactly signifying

"

"

Literally,

the

Ps. cxxxix.

l6

written/

all

paradise,"

the pleasure ground immediately

attached to a house."

COMMENTARY UPON

296

SERMON
TS

~
w"

ayltp

cj

BS.
OS?"

om. T

M H

In that Same hour Jesus r Ji ced in

e
oty Ghost, and
said, I thank Thee,
Father, Lord of the heaven and the
earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and
prudent, and revealed them unto babes.

ay.

for so

ONE

Is. lv. i.

ye
Prov. xxv.

LXV.

it

was good

in

Thy

Even

so,

Father ;

sight.

of the holy prophets has said ;

Whoever thirst, come
waters."
For he sends us to the writings of the holy
"

to the

For just as waters are

Evangelists as to fountains of water.
pleasant to the thirsty soul," as Scripture saith, so to the
mind that loveth instruction is the
of the
"

"

life-giving

knowledge

Let us, therefore, draw from the

mysteries of our Saviour.
sacred springs the
living and life-giving waters, even those that
are rational and
and weary not
spiritual. Lot us take our fill
:

in thy
drinking
for edification

for in these
things

more than enough

is

still

and greediness is great praise. What then it

was the Saviour said
That fountain which came down from
heaven, That river of delight,
we learn from what has here
:

been read to

In that same hour, Jesus

rejoiced in the
and
Whosoever then loveth instruction,
said,"
Holy Ghost,
must approach the words of God not
and without
us.

"

"

carelessly,

on the contrary, with eagerness for it is

That for every one that taketh care, there is somewritten,
thing over." Let us, therefore, examine them, and especially

earnestness
Prov. xiv.

but,

"

"

what

is

meant by the expression, that He

"

rejoiced in the

"

Holy

Ghost."

The Holy Ghost then proceedeth from God the Father as

from the fountain ; but is not
for every
foreign from the Son
property of the Father belongeth to the Word, Who by nature
and verily was begotten of Him. Christ saw therefore that
many had been won by the operation of the Spirit, Whom He
:

bestowed on them that were worthy, and

commanded

to

whom He had also

He saw

be ministers of the divine

message

that wonderful signs were wrought

by their hands, and that
the salvation of the world by Him,
I mean
had
faith,

by

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

297

now begun: and

therefore He rejoiced in the

Holy Ghost,
works
and miracles wrought by means of the
mjthe
For He had appointed the twelve
Holy Ghost.
disciples,
whom He also called apostles, and after them again
seventy
that

is,

others, whom He sent as His forerunners to go before Him

unto every village and city of Judaea,
preaching Him, and
the things concerning Him.
And He sent them, nobly
adorned with apostolic dignities, and
the

distinguished by
For He
operation of the grace of the Holy Ghost.
^ve
them power over unclean spirits to cast them out."
"

"

They

wrought many miracles, returned saying, Lord,

even the devils are subject unto us in Thy Name.
And
therefore as I have already said, well knowing that those
who had been sent, by Him had benefited many, and that
above all others, they had themselves learned by experience
"

then, having
"

"

His glory,

He

was

full

of joy, or rather of exultation.

For
all should

being good and loving unto men, and wishing that

be saved, He found His cause of rejoicing in the conversion of

those that were in error, in the enlightenment of those that
were in darkness, and in the answer of the understanding
to the

acknowledgment of His glory, of those who had been

without knowledge and without instruction.

What then does He say ? Father, I confess Thee, Lord of
I confess
And these words,
the heaven and the earth.
"

"

"

"

Thee,"

He

of men, instead
says after the manner

Thee

"I

of,

For

is
is,
praise
accept Thy kindness,"
the custom of the divinely inspired Scripture to use the word

that

"

As

"I

"

I
the English translation
has already obviated the difneticulty in the original, it may be
cessary to say, that it literally means

thank

"

as rendered above,
"

"

make
ther

:"

"

"

I confess,"

Faconfession to Thee,
but as the Greelt language

to
has no word strictly meaning
verb to
thank," the Sept. use this

express the

Hebrew min,

gratias

and hence its use in

Greek in this sense. The
Syriac periphrasis is also remark-

egit, laudavit,

biblical

"

able, being,
"

kindness,"

or
I
accept thy grace
the acceptance of it as

it

a favour being supposed to convey

an acknowledgment of gratitude,
The Latin of Corderius gives the

general sense of the passage very

Confiteor Tibi, Pater, di:

correctly

more

agnosco,

hominum, pro gratiam

quare laudo Te, gratias

tibi.

Solet enim divinitus in-

cit

"

"

."

ago

nomen
secundum talem aliquem modum
sumere. Scriptura est enim; Conconfessionis
spirata scriptura

fiteantur

iterum

nomini Tuo magno:

Confitebor Tibi,

in toto corde

meo.

not been preserved.

Qq

et

Domme,

Ihe Greek has

COMMENTARY UPON

298
confession in
Ps. xcix. 3.

Ps. Ixxxvi.

some such way as

they shall confess,

"

and

"

all

And

holy."

my

But

heart,

and

"

again,

For

this.

Thy

Lord,

great

I will confess

I will tell all

Thy

it

name

written, that

is

for

it is

Thee,

terrible

Lord, with

wonders."

mind of these perverted men

departs not from its depravity and some of them perhaps will
Lo
the Son makes
object to us the following argument
confession of gratitude to the Father and how must He not
But whosoever is skilful in defending
be^inferior to Him ?
I perceive again, that the
;

the doctrines of truth

ders,

And what hinmay well reply to this

the Son, though equal in substance, from
:

worthy
thanking and praising His Father, for saving by His means
all beneath the heaven ? But if thou thinkest that because of
this

sir,

"

He

thanksgiving

which follows
heaven and the

also

Almighty God

is

is

inferior to the Father, observe that

He

Lord of the
But of a certainty the Son of
equally with Him Lord of all, and above all
;

for

calls

the Father

"

earth."

not as being inferior, or different in substance, but as God of

God, crowned with equal honours, and possessing by right of
His substance equality with Him in all
And thus
things.

much then
But

in

let us

answer to them.

"

He

consider the words which

Father respecting us and

our behalf.

addresses to His

Thou

hast hid, He
these things from the wise and
prudent, and revealed them unto babes: Yea,
Father, that so it seemed
in

"

says, all

."

good in thy sight." For God the Father has revealed unto
us the mystery, which before the foundations of the world was
hidden and reserved in silence with Him even the Incarnation
of the Only-begotten, which was foreknown indeed before the
"

Eph.

iii.

8.

foundations of the world, but revealed to its inhabitants in the

last ages of the world.
For the blessed Paul writes, that to
me who am the least of all saints, has this grace been
given,
that I should preach
the Gentiles the unsearchable
"

<

"

among

"

Cf

and clearly teach them all, what is the dis-.

*
pensation of the mystery that for ages has been hid m God
Who created
The great and adorable
mystery of our

riches of Christ;

all."

textus^
ship,

The reading of the

fellowreceptus Kowwia,
has scarcely any MS. au-

thority,

and

is

rejected in

all

modern

edd.

There is considerably more

support for its addition of dia
Xpurrov, but far outweighed by the
evidence for its rejection.
lr)<rov

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

^99

Saviour was hidden therefore even before the foundations of the

world, in the knowledge of the Father.
And in like manner we
also were foreknown and foreordained to the
adoption of sons.

And this again the blessedPaul teaches us, thus

writing, "Blessed E P h.
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has

i.

"

"

"

"

"

"

blessed us with every spiritual

blessing in heaven in Christ,
as
He
has
chosen
us
in Him before the foundaaccording
tions of the world, that we should be
holy and without blame
before Him, having foreordained us in love to the
adoption
To us therefore, as
of_SQjns by Jesus Christ unto Himself/

unto babes, the Father has revealed the mystery that for
ages
had been hidden and reserved in silence.

And

yet multitudes of

men have preceded

us in the world

past numbering, who, as far as words went, were wise, who

had a practised and skilful tongue, and beauty of style, and

grandeur of expression, and no mean reputation for wisdom

but as Paul said,
They had become empty in their reasonwhile professing
ings, and their foolish heart was darkened
:

"

iiom.

i.

21.

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

they had made themselves

to be wise,

beasts

and

to be folly

and changed the

this world, let

"

wise

for the

truly

this cause

God made

"and

they were given up to a

the wisdom of this world iCor.

shew unto them the mystery.

Whosoever seemcth to be wise in
him become foolish, in order that he may become
written,

wisdom of

this

world

is

foolishness with

therefore be affirmed, that he

merely and by itself the wisdom

without understanding before God

of the world,

men

be a fool to the wise

mind and heart the

before
"

"

"

"

God.

Christ sent

light

And Paul
me not to

1.20.

He

"

it is

"

may

;"

neither did

:"

to us too

For

reptiles.

reprobate mind

And

It

fools,

glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the imago

of corruptible man, and into that of birds, and four-footed

but that he

who
is

Cor.

Hi.

God."

possesses

foolish

and

who seems

to

of the world, but possesses in his

of the true vision of God, is wise

For
again confirms this, saying,
not with
to preach
but
baptize,
"

iCor.i. 17.

wisdom of speech, lest the cross of Christ be made ineffectual.

For the speech of the cross is to them who are perishing
is the power
foolishness but to us who are being saved, it
of the
wisdom
the
T
will
For it is written,
of God.
destroy
;

"

"

wise,

And

to

and take away the understanding

others also he

sent,

saying,

Q q 2

-For

of the

J*

nix.i 4

prudent."

sec your calling, iCor.i.,6.

COMMENTARY UPON

300
brethren

"

"

u
among you many wise men
nor many mighty, nor many of high birth

that there are not

after the flesh

God hath chosen

but

"

"

the foolish things of the world, that He

confound the wise."
To those therefore who seemed to

may

foolish, by which is meant, men of an innocent and guileless

mind, and simple as a child in wickedness, the Father hath
revealed His Son, as being themselves also foreknown and
foreordained to the adoption of sons.

be

Nor

my opinion unreasonable to add also the fol

Scribes
and Pharisees, who held high rank
lowing.
the
as
Jews,
among
having the reputation of legal learning,
is

it

in

The

were regarded as wise men.

Jer.

viii. 8.

But they were convicted by the

very result of not being so in reality. For even the prophet
Jeremiah thus somewhere addressed them
How say ye,
"

"

"

"

we are

that

wise,

and the word of the Lord

is

with us

The

x
The wise men
lying cord of the scribe is for emptiness.
are ashamed ; they fear and are taken what wisdom is in
them, because they have rejected the word of the Lord ?
:

"

"

Because then they rejected the word of the Saviour, that is,
the saving message of the Gospel, or in other
language, the
Word of God the Father, Who for our sakes became man,
they

have themselves been rejected.

u

With

schito, I

the exception of the Penot aware of any other

am

authority for the reading

among
which otherwise however
"you,"
"

makes

good sense, Observe

that in your company, forming the
Christian church at Corinth, ye do
a very

not find

many men

distinguished
wealth, power, or lineage, but principally the poor
and ignoble.
Most probably the
translator, though not quoting it
either

for

had the Peschito in his

mind, as otherwise he would scarcely have used the obsolete plural
for
nor have
literally,

^4*^0)

changed the

into the

of the

emphatic
in

the

many mighty,
tamer nor. Add also,

that

repetition

Greek,

m^jB,
much more

"not

negative

&c.,"

they concur, as does however the

Philox., in making 0foy the nom.

For again the prophet Jerecase to Karat^x^vrj.

x i h ave no doubt that the

LXX.

by er^oti/os meant "the writing reed,"

pen," though literally it means a
rush
and from cords being generally formed of twisted rushes,
o-^oTi/oy gradually became equivalent to a
cord," in which sense the
"

"

:"

"

In the
Syriac erroneously takes it.
Polyglott the Syriac has
correctly ULO, and the Targum

London

calamus.

The prophet

meaning

that the scribe s reed, Heb. TQS,

the insignia of his office, ought to
i s,

indicate a learned

man; but so erroneous and mistaken were their

doctrines, that it had become un-

meaning, and was no longer a proof

of the bearer possessing any knowIn Rost s ed. of Passow,
ledge.
1857,

find o-xoivos, das Schreibviii. 8.

Aquil. Ps. xliv. 2.

rohr, Jer.

THE GOSPEL OF
miah

said of them,

"

Call

Lord hath rejected

also hid from them
:

"

teries

of the
"

"

given."

them."

And

To you

silver,

301
because the

even said to his

kingdom

To you/ that is,

those who have

to

to

given to

whom ?

Plainly to those

who

of the previous revelation of the prophets, who acknowledge

that He is God and the Son of God, to them the Father is

pleased to reveal His Son by Whom and with Whom, to God

the Father be praise and dominion, with the Holy Ghost,
Amen.
for ever and ever.
:

vi.

30.

disci

know

the mys- Mat.

11
of heaven; but to them it is not
it is

recognised His appearing, who

understand the law spiritually, who can perceive the meaning

believed

Jer.

the mystery of Christ was

He somewhere

for
"

LUKE.

ye them reprobate

"

ples concerning them,

ST.

xiii.

COMMENTARY UPON

302

SERMON

Him.

reveal

olicovo-

6U

LXVI.

Every thing hath been delivered unto Me of My Father; and

no one knoweth Who the Son is but the Father ; and Who
the Father is but the Son ; and to whomsoever the Son will

C. x. 12.

"

OUR Lord Jesus Christ again reveals unto us His glory,

and the dignity of His godlike
majesty, and the skilful method
f *k e
and plainly shews how great
dispensation in the flesh
is the benefit which the dwellers
upon earth derive from it. Let
;

us ask of Him wisdom let us seek

understanding, that we
be able to perceive the exact
meaning of His words. For
:

Job

xii. 12.

He

"

may
it is

Who

revealeth deep things out of darkness, and

bringeth
to light those
and giveth wisdom to the
things that are hid
blind, and maketh the brightness of the truth to shine forth
these are we
upon those that love Him. And
for lo
"

;"

among

ye have again come, as being, so to speak, athirst, and the

church is full of men
loving to hear and all are true wor
Come there
shippers, and searchers into the doctrines of
;

piety.

and

us approach the Saviour s words,

opening wide
the eye of the mind.
And His words are, Every thing hath
been delivered unto Me of
Father."
fore,

let

"

"

For

He

My

was and

Lord of heaven and earth, and sits

with the Father on His throne, and
equally shares His govern
ment over all. But inasmuch as,
by humbling Himself to our
estate, He became man, He further
speaks in a manner not
still is

unbefitting the dispensation in the flesh, nor refuses to use

such expressions as suit the measure of His
state, when He had
as
emptied Himself, that He might be believed
be

upon

having

come like unto us, and put on our

poverty. He therefore
was Lord of heaven and earth, and, in a word, of all

Who

things,

says, that

For

He

everything was delivered unto Him of the Father."

has been made ruler of all under heaven since of old
"

only the Israel after the flesh bowed the neck to His laws
but God the Father willed to make all
things new in Him, and
by His means reconcile the world unto Himself. For u He
:

iTim.ii.

5.

"

Eph.

ii.

14.

became Mediator between God and

men,"

and

"

was made

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

303

our peace/ in that He united us by Himself to God the

Father for He is the door and the way whereby this is done
for He has even plainly said, "No man cometh unto the John xiv.6.
Father but by Me." He then Who of old delivered Israel
"

"

by the hand of Moses from the tyranny

of the Egyptians, and

appointed the law to be their schoolmaster, has now called the
whole world, and Himself has spread for it the net of the

Gospel message, according to the good-will of God the Father.

this then is the reason why He says,
Every thing has
been delivered unto Me of My Father."

And

"

"

But though we may

affirm that these things are thus rightly

understood and explained by us, the heretic will not submit to

the conditions of the dispensation, but betakes himself, it may
be, to his usual audacity,

and makes what

speak, for the wickedness of his

mind

is

said food, so to

and, forsooth, proceeds

Lo the Father giveth every thing to the Son but
to say,
the Son would not have needed to receive any thing, had it
;

been lawful for

He

Him

to obtain

equal to the Father, as

Him

authority over what

it

of Himself.

ye say,

He

when He

How,

then,

is

receives from

did not previously possess?

inferior
see, therefore, whether in any thing at all He is
to the glory and supremacy of the Father, as ye in your folly

Let us

say.

use when wishing

on
the
but
to defend the doctrines of truth,
present occasion
set before us,
now
lessons
the
from
let us enquire what is true
after
For
words.
even from His own
Every
having said,

Now

many arguments one might

there are

"

Me of My Father," honouring
thing hath been delivered unto
and using expressions
thereby the mystery of His Incarnation,
"

mounts at once, as I said, to His

own. glory and supremacy, and shews that He is in no way
whatsoever inferior to His Father. For what were the words
No one knoweth Who the Son is
which He next spake ?
and Who the Father is but the Son, and to
but the
suitable to the

manhood,

He

"

"

"

Father,

whomsoever the Son

those

who have

will reveal

resisted His

Him."

glory,
true ?

and
For

Let us ask, then,

still

resist

it,

Does

if He speak falsely,
Christ speak falsely, or is He
of all un
affirm that this is verily the case, ye are void

and ye

from your senses, having drank

derstanding, ye have fallen
like
the vine of Sodom," and stumbled
of the wine of
"

COMMENTARY UPON

304

Johnxiv.6.

drunkards upon unrighteous courses. But if

ye believe that
He speaketh truth, for He is the Truth/ how do
ye, while He
no one knoweth the Son but the Father
says that
ven
"

only,"

He is inferior to the Father,

exactly know Who He is ? And yet how must not

ture both to think and

say that
as

though ye
He, Who is known of His Father only, far transcend all under
standing and all powers of speech
just as also the Father
:

Himself doth, as being known of His Son

only

?
For the holy
and consubstantial
alone
knoweth
Itself, being far
Trinity
above all speech and
How
understanding.
sayest thou then
that He is inferior to the Father,
that
no one knoweth
seeing

Who He
And

but the Father alone

is

I will

add

this too

the Father as
being
is

"

very

created

the thing

"very God,"

God and Father

If,

pare them

Who

Him ?
He is

inferior to

but yet inferior to

Him Who

begat

Dost thou say that

or as being something made and

as
indeed,
something made, thou canst not com

at all

made

;"

between the Maker and

for the interval

between the Lord and the slave

between Him Who is by nature God, and him who has been
brought into existence. For whosoever is made is not merely
inferior to God, but
altogether different, both in nature, and
is

infinite

glory, and in every attribute that appertained to the divine

substance.
But if He be made, as ye affirm, how can no one
know Who He is
For He would not be above all under
in

"

"

?"

standing, even though it may surpass the mind of man to be

able to know the nature of a created
If, on the other
thing.

He is very God, and being

He is inferior to the Father,

hand, thou affirmest that

nature, yet sayest that

understand how this can be.

Tell me, I pray, in

such by
cannot

what

this

those who
mean,
are of the same nature and substance
are, of course, equal
to one another in all those
qualities which belong to them
inferiority

as

consists.

for instance, thus

as, for instance, one man

no respect inferior to another man with
regard to the
manhood which is common to them both and so neither is
one angel to another
How, then, can very God be
angel.
inferior to very God ?
For come, if you will, and let us raise ourselves to the investi
is

pertaining to their substance

in

gation

of the Father s

prerogatives

namely, which specially belong to

and attributes

Him

as

God.

those,

God

the

THE GOSPEL OF
Father

ST.

LUKE.

305

by nature Lite, Light, and Wisdom. But the Son

manner the same, as the divinely inspired
Scrip
ture everywhere testifies.
For He is Light, and Wisdom, and
Life.
But if lie be inferior to the Father, then of course He

also

is

is

is in

like

indebted to

but

Nor

in
is

Him

for

and that not

it,

in

one particular only,

every attribute that appertained! to His substance.

He perfectly Life nor Light perfectly nor Wisdom
;

And

perfectly.

if this

be true, then there

exists in

Him some

and some
thing of corruption something also of darkness
But who will assent to you in thus
thing also of ignorance.
arguing ? For if He be a creature, then, as I said, ye must
;

not compare

down His

Him

with the Creator and Lord of

place to the level of creation, while

ye

all.

Bring

extol to in

comparable supremacy that Nature Which created all, and

But if He be very God, as sprung from Him
transcends all.
Who is very God and Father, perhaps, forsooth, the Father
hath begotten one not equal to Himself in nature, and His
nature alone hath suffered this, while certainly of all created
beings there
chance. For

not one that hath endured so strange a mis

man is born of man, the definitions of his father s

is

and all the other animals in

substance existing fully in him
like manner are regulated by the law of their own nature. And
;

how then can the

which even we do

that
all-transcending nature of God suffer
has
which
not suffer, nor any other being

the power of generation

Let those, therefore, hear who think scorn of the greatness

let those that are drunken awake from
of the glory of the Son
;

Him Who is equal in substance

with the Father, and crowned with equal praises, and undistiriFor to Him every knee shall bow,
guishable preeminence.
their wine

worship with us

"

"

"

of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under

the earth and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ
:

is

Lord, to the glory of

God

the

Father,"

n r

Amen.

Phil.

ii.

10.

COMMENTARY UPON

306

SERMON
(

:.x. 2$, 24.

a.Kov<rai

LXV1I.

And He

turned Himself unto the disciples when they ivere

alone, and said. Blessed are the eyes ivhich see the things
that ye see.
For I say unto you, that many prophets and

kings have desired to see the things which ye see, and have
not seen them ; and to hear the things whicli ye hear, and
have not heard them.

IJLOV

THE
lead
to

shows which the world

offers (in its games and theatres)

often to the sight of things unprofitable, or rather,
constantly does them great injury. For the frequenters

men

what

of such places either give themselves

up

to the admiration of

dancers, and yielding to the soft langour they produce, are

dissolved in effeminate emotions ; or they extol the declaimers
of frigid sentiments
or delight themselves in the sounds and
vibrations of pipes and harps.
But vain and altogether unpro
;

such things, and able to lead the mind of man astray

But us, who practise a virtuous course of life,
good.

fitable are

from

all

and are earnest

in upright deeds, Christ

gathers in His holy
that
in
ourselves
courts,
delighting
singing His praise, we may
be
made
His
sacred
words and doctrines, which
again
happy by

invite us unto eternal

Let

life.

us, therefore., see

here too what

gifts

He

has deigned to

who have been called by faith in Him to the

And He turned Himself," it says,
knowledge of His glory.
unto the disciples when they were alone, and said, Blessed
bestow upon

us,

"

"

are the eyes which see the things that ye see."

Now, per
chance, some one may object, Why did He not address to all
"

who were assembled there His words describing these blessings?

and what made Him turn Himself to the disciples, so as to say
to them when they were alone,
Blessed are the eyes which
"

"see

the things that ye

That

see?"

What

then shall be our

right to communicate matters of a more

secret nature, not to any chance person, but to the most in

reply

it

timate friends.

is

But those are His

friends,

whosoever have

THE GOSPEL OF
been deemed by

For
"

He

Him worthy

307

is

also

longer do

LUKE.

of disciples!) ip
and the eye of
and
their
ear
enlightened,
ready for obedience.
said on one occasion to the holy apostles,
ISTo Joh.xv.

whose mind
"

ST.

"

15.

you
ye are My friends for the
servant knoweth not what his lord docth
but I have called
I call

servants

have made known unto you all things

which I have heard of My Father.
There were, no
assembled
there
and
doubt, many
standing in His presence
"

you friends, because

"

"

besides His chosen followers, but they were not all believers
and how then could He with truth say to them all, without
;

"

distinction,

see,

Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye

and who hear the things that ye hear

?"

It

was, therefore,

with good reason that, having turned Himself to the disciples,

neither
having, that is, averted His face from those who would
see nor hear, but were disobedient, and their mind darkened,
Himself entirely to those who loved Him, and, looking
He

gave
upon them,

said, Blessed are the eyes which see, or rather,

before all
those
things which they were the first,
gaze upon,
behold.
others, to
Now the expression which is here used is taken from the
common custom of men, and we must bear in mind that in
such passages seeing" docs not refer to the action of our bodily
the enjoyment of those things which are
eyes, but rather to
"

bestowed by Christ on such as fear God. Just, for instance, as

u So and so saw
of
if
happy times," instead
any one say,
the
in
it
Or you may understand
enjoyed happy times."
same way as that which is written in the book of Psalms,
on
addressed to those who constantly fixed their thoughts
And thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem,"
things above
"

"

PS. cxxviii.

instead

thou shalt partake of the happiness of Jerusalem,"

wise Paul
is above, in heaven, which the
there
For what doubt
the mother of all saints."
can^
"

of,

even of that which

calls

"

of the godlike miracles

be that those
spectators
works He performed,
admirable
the
of
and
wrought by Christ,
For all the Jews saw
?
blessed
cases
in
all
were not necessarily
not be right
Christ working with divine majesty, yet it would
believed,
means
no
for
they by
to account them all as blessed
mind.
Truly,
the
of
the
with
eyes
nor did they see His glory

who were

therefore, they were only the

more

guilty,

and cannot

prc

Gal.

iv.

6,

COMMENTARY UPON

308

perly be regarded as blessed, for though they saw Jesus pos

sessed of divine glory by the ineffable deeds which he wrought,
yet they did not accept faith in Him.

But come, in what way has blessedness befallen our eyes ?

and what have they seen ? and for what reason did they attain
to this blessino- ? Thev saw that God the Word, Who was in the
form of God the Father, had become flesh for our sakes they
saw Him Who shares the Father s throne, dwelling with us,
in our form,, that by justification and sanctification He might
e>

t/

own

fashion us after His

Cor. xv.

likeness,

imprinting upon us the

beauty of His Godhead in an intellectual and spiritual manner,

And of this Paul is witness, who thus writes u For as we have
:

"

been clothed with the image of the earthy, we shall also be

clothed with the image of the heavenly":"

meaning by the
first
created
but
the
by the heavenly,
earthy man, Adam,
the Word Who is from above, and Who shone forth from the
"

substance of
likeness.

God

He

the Father, but was made, as I said, in our

Who by nature is a Son took the form of a slave,

not that by taking upon Him our state, He might continue in

the measure of slavery, but that He might set us free, who

were chained

to the yoke of slavery,

for every thing that is
nature
a
slave,
by
enriching us with what is His.
For through Him and with Him we have received the name of

made

is

sons, being ennobled, so to speak, by His

was rich shared our poverty, that

Who

nature to His riches

He

tasted death

bounty and grace.

He might

raise

He

man s

upon the tree and the

He

might take away from the midst the offence in

curred by reason of the tree (of knowledge), and abolish the
guilt that was thereby, and strip death of his tyranny over us.

cross, that

AVe have seen Satan

fall
that cruel one broken that haughty
him who had made the world submit to the
yoke of His empire, stripped of his dominion over us him
in contempt and scorn, who once was
worshipped him who
seemed a God, put under the feet of the saints him who re

one laid low

belled against Christ s glory, trampled upon by those who love

Him.
For they received power to rebuke the unclean spirits,
"

and to cast them out." And this power is a very great honour,
and too high for human nature, and fit only for the supreme
God.

THE GOSPEL OF
And
the

of this too the

Word

ST.

LUKE.

manifested in

309

human form was

us the example for lie also rebuked the

impure
But
the
wretched Jews again vomited forth
spirits.
against
Him their envious calumnies; for they said, This man casteth
not out devils, but by Beelzebub, the
prince of the devils."
But these wicked words of theirs the Lord refuted,
saying
first to set

"

Mat.xii.s 4

"

by Beelzebub cast out

them out ? But if I by the
If I

"

devils,

by whom do your sons

cast

Spirit of God cast out devils, then

has the kingdom of God come
upon you." For if I, He says,
being a man like unto you, can thus exercise a divine power,
this great and excellent
for
blessing has come upon you
human nature, lie says, is ennobled in Me, by trampling down
"

Satan.

the

Upon

us, therefore,

Word

flesh

the kingdom of God has come, by

like unto us, and working in the

having been made

deeds worthy of God.

He

also

gave the holy Apostles po\ver and might even

and cleanse lepers and heal the sick, and

raise the dead,

call

down upon whomsoever they would

to
to

the Holy Ghost from

heaven by the laying on of hands. He gave them power to

bind and to lose men s sins; for His words are,
say unto
you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in
"1

"

heaven

Mat.
l8

xviii.

and whatsoever ye shall lose on earth, shall be

Such are the things of which we see
ourselves possessed
and blessed are our eyes, and those of all
who love Him. We have heard His ineffable teaching He
has given us the knowledge of God the Father He has shewn
"

"

"

loosed in heaven.

Him

to us in

His own nature.

were but types and symbols

things that were by Moses

Christ has revealed the truth to

The

He

has taught us that not by blood ^md smoke, but rather

by spiritual sacrifices, we must honour Him Who is incorporeal
and immaterial, and above all understanding. Many holy pro

us.

for
phets desired to see these things yea, and many kings
we find them at one time saying, Shew me Thy mercy,
:

"

"

Lord

and,

Lord, grant us

Thy

salvation."

For they

call

ReMercy and Salvation. At another time again

and
member me, O Lord, with the favour of Thy people
that we may behold the happivisit me with Thy Salvation
"

the Son
"

"

"

ness of

And who

with Thy people.

rejoice in gladness
the people are, that are chosen in Christ by God the

Thy chosen, and

Ps. bcxxv.
7

Ps. cvi. 4

COMMENTARY UPON

310

Pet.

ii.

Father, the wise Peter tells us, when

saying to those who
have been ennobled by faith "But
are
a chosen generaye
tion
a royal priesthood a
a
redeemed multiholy people,
:

"

"

tude

"

you

And

that ye

may

tell

forth His virtues,

out of darkness into His marvellous

Who

hath called

light."

by Christ by Whom and

with Whom, to God the Father be
praise and dominion, with
the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever, Amen.
to this

we have been

called

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON

ST.

LUKE.

LXVIII.

And

behold, a certain lawyer stood up, tempting Him,

saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal

and
life ?

c.x.zs-tf.
om Ka B

And He

said unto Him, What is written in the law ? how

readest thou ? And he answered and said, That thou shalt

Lord thy God from all thy Iteart, and from a^eVcumdat.
soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: j^ g
^

love the

thy

and thy neighbour as thyself. And He said unto him, cum gen.^
qua
Thou hast answered rightly this do, and thou shalt live.
But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus; And
who is my neighbour ? And Jesus answered, and said ; om. te B.
A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and
had stripped and beaten
fell among thieves, who, when they
him
went
half dead. And by chance add. rvyxdhim,
away, leaving
and when |^ v B
there came down a certain priest that way
he saw him, he passed him by. And in like manner also
a Levite, when he came to the place, and saiv him, passed ad
him by. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came
to him; and when he satu him, his bowels yearned: and om.
he went to him, and bound up his wounds, and poured
him on his
upon them oil and wine. And having mounted
care
took
and
to
an
him
of him.
inn,
own beast, he brought
and
two
out
denarii,
gave them add.
And the day after he took
:

s>

to the host,

and said

to

him, Take care of him: and if

thou spendest any thing more, when

I come again I will

5^. B.^

these three thinkest thou

Which therefore of
repay thee.
was neighbour of him that fell among the
said ; He that wrought mercy with him.
unto him, Go, and do thou also likewise.

A MOST base
crisy in

pest,

my

beloved,

our actions and conduct

is

thieves ?

And

And

he

Jesus said

|
j. O iv

double-dealing and hypo

for a man to make pre

and

anointed, so to
tence of pleasant-spoken words, and of a tongue
is full ot
of deception, while the heart
speak, with the honey
of the
one
Of such we say, in the words of
utter bitterness.
arrow: the words Je,
holv prophets, -Their tongue is a piercing

i:

312
"

P.

lv.

21.

COMMENTARY UPON

of their

mouth are

deceitful
he speaketh peacefully to his
neighbour, and enmity is in his heart." And again; "Their
words are smoother than oil,
yet are they arrows
by which
is meant that
they have the force of darts falling violently and
shot forth from bows.
:

"

:"

The proof of my assertion is close at hand for let us exa

mine the lawyer s words let us
strip off his borrowed counte
nance let us lay bare his
scheming let us view his pleasant
words sprung from deceit, and the
guile which they conceal.
For behold/ it says, a certain
lawyer stood up, and tempted
Him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal
:

"

"

"

life?"

a lawyer, the blessed

evangelist here
the custom of the Jews, one
acquainted
least
having the reputation of knowing it,
knew it not. This man
imagined that he

By

and

what way

in

tomed

I will

mention.

meant, according to
with the law, or at

though

in

reality

he

could entrap Christ;

Certain tale-makers, accus

to talk at

random, went about everywhere in Judcea and

Jerusalem itself,
accusing Christ, and saying, that He taught
that the

commandment given by Moses was of no avail, and

refused to pay any attention to the law
given of old to the fa
thers, while He Himself introduced new
and
doctrines,

to all

who would

fear

spake

God

things out of His own mind, which

were not in accordance with the law that was
given of old.

There were even then

believers, who resisted the words of

these men,
everywhere accepting the saving tidings of the
gospel. The lawyer therefore wishing, or even
expecting to be
able to
entrap Christ, and get Him to say something against
Moses, and affirm that His own doctrine was far better than
the commandment of which Moses was the
minister, drew near

tempting Him, and saying,

"

What

shall I

do to inherit eternal

"

life

?"

But any one who

thoroughly understands the mystery of

tupla.

the Incarnation

may

in the law,

in the

and

well say to him, If thou hadst been skilful

meaning of

its

hidden teaching,

it

had

not escaped thee Who He is thou venturest to

tempt. For thou
thoughtest that He was a mere man, and that
only; and not
rather God, Who
in human
and
eth what

is

approach Him.
to thee

Who knowappeared
likeness,
and can look into the hearts of those who

secret,

In manifold
ways is the Emmanuel depicted
by the shadowing of Moses. Thou sawest Him there

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

313

sacrificed as a lamb,
yet vanquishing the destroyer, and abo
Thou sawest Him in the
lishing death by His blood.

arrange

ment of the ark, in which was

deposited the
He was in His holy flesh like as in an

Him

sawest

for

ark, being the Word

begotten of Him by nature.

of the Father, the Son that was

Thou

divine law

as the
mercy-seat in the holy tabernacle,

around which stood the

Seraphim [Cherubim] for He is our
mercy-seat for pardon of our sins. Yea and even as man,
:

He

glorified by the Seraphim, who are the intelligent and

for they stand around His divine and
holy powers above
exalted throne.
Thou sawest Him as the candlestick with se
is

ven lamps

in the

Holy of Holies
who hasten into

light to those

sawest

Him

for

abundant

is

the Saviour

the inner tabernacle.

as the bread placed

upon the table

living bread, that

the world.

He

for

came down from heaven, and giveth

Thou sawest Him

Thou
is

the John vi. 51.

life

to

as the brazen serpent that was

raised on high as a sign, and

being looked upon healed the
for though He was like us, in the form

bites of the serpents

therefore of that which

less

is evil, as
being in our form, neverthe
nature
and
continues
to be that which He
by
good,
For the serpent is the type of wickedness but yet, by

He

was.

is

being

lifted up,

and enduring the

cross for us,

He

rendered

powerless the bites of those rational serpents, who are no other

than Satan, and the wicked powers under his command.

But though the lawyer was invested with the reputation of

being instructed in the law, nevertheless He Who is marked
out by the shadowing of the law was completely unknown to
him, even though He was proclaimed of old by the words of
the holy prophets. For had he not been sunk in utter ignorance,
how could he have drawn near unto Him as to a mere man ?

Or how have ventured

and

reins,

and

to

Whom

to

tempt God,

nothing that

is

Who

trieth the hearts

in us

is

hid

For he

Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life

Callest thou Him Teacher, when thou wilt not submit to learn ?
Makest thou a show of honouring Him, Whom thou hopest to
"

saith,

?"

bait upon thy hook the plea

entrap, and placest thou as the
santness of words ?

But what wouldst thou learn ?

"

do

lawyer

words.

For what, he

Observe again,
For he might have

to inherit eternal life

in the

"

?"

s s

says, shall I

pray, the malice

said,

What

shall I

COMMENT AH Y UPON

314

do to be saved, or to please God, and receive reward of Him ?

But this he passes by, and uses rather the Saviour s ex

For as it was the

pressions, pouring ridicule upon His head.
custom of our common Saviour Christ to speak constantly of
eternal

life

lawyer

to ridicule

to as

as drew near unto Him, the haughty

Him, as I said, makes use of His own

many

expressions.

Now hadst thou

have heard from

been truly desirous of learning, thou wouldst

the things that lead on to eternal life

Him

but as thou wickedly temptest Him, thou wilt hear nothing

more than those commands only which were given to them of
old time
"

law

what

saith,

What,"

saith

He,

"is

written in the

And on

readest thou T

enacted in the law, as

if

the lawyer s repeating

to punish his wickedness, and

his malicious
purpose, Christ, as

reprove
"

"

How

is

r
For
by Moses

knowing

all

things,

Thou hast answered rightly this do, and thou shalt

The lawyer has missed his prey he has shot wide of
:

"

live."

the mark, his wickedness

ceased, the net of deceit

no

is
is

unsuccessful, the sting of envy has

torn asunder, his sowing bears no

and like some ship that mis

fortune has overwhelmed, he has suffered a bitter wreck.
Let
us therefore cry out against him in the words of Jeremiah,
fruit,

Jer.

"

i.

24.
"

his toil gains

Thou

and caught, because thou hast stood up

art found,

against the

profit:

Lord."

But having, as I said, missed his prey, he falls headlong into

vanity he is hurried from one pitfall to another, from snare
;

to snare,

from deceit

to pride

vices, so to speak, lend

him

to

one another, and he is tossed about everywhere, one wicked

ness as soon as it has seized him
thrusting him on unto
another, and carrying

him whithersoever it may chance, and

making him wander from destruction to destruction.
For he does not ask in order that he may learn, but as the
easily

"

Evangelist said,

wishing to justify

how from self-love as well as

And who is my neighbour s
"

himself."

For observe

pride he shamelessly called out,

And is there no one, lawyer,

?"

Mai adds from

141, an interpolation to the effect that the writings of Moses plainly did not con-

and the possession of some blessings ; and bringing forward Lev.

xxvi. in proof,

tain as their sanction the promise of

eternal life, but merely of the life

Again Mai inserts, apparently

from A 143, though possibly from

here, with deliverance

F, a rhetorical dilation of S. Cyril s

from

evils,

THE GOSPEL OF
like thec

ST.

LUKE.

315

Dost thou

supercilious

raise thyself above

every one ? Be less
Remember what the author of the book of Pro
that those who know themselves are wise/
He Prov.

verbs says,
exalts himself therefore, and breathes forth
proud things, and
boasts himself in vain
imaginations but he learnt of
"

Christ,

that as he was destitute of love towards his

neighbours, the
bare profession only of
being learned in the law profited him
in no
way whatsoever. For God over all looketh at works
rather, arid giveth not praise to bare

and merely

fictitious

professions.

Very

skilfully therefore does the Saviour of all

weave the
hands of thieves, saying, that
when he was lying half dead, and in the last
extremity of evil,
a priest passed by, and in like manner a Levite, without

who

parable of him

into the

fell

feeling

towards him any sentiment of humanity, or

dropping upon him
the oil of compassionate love but rather, their mind was un;

sympathizing and cruel towards him. But one of another race,

a Samaritan, fulfilled the law of love. Justly therefore He
asked, which of these three he thinks was the sufferer s neigh
bour.

And

And

he

"He

said,

that wrought

Christ added,

"Go

Thou has

to this

"

manner."

by the parable, that

seen,

thou

mercy with him."

and act in like

also,

lawyer, and

it

has been proved

of no avail whatsoever to any man, to

names, and to pride himself upon un

it is

be set up by empty
meaning ;m J ridiculous

titles,

so long as the excellence of deeds

For the dignity of the priesthood

owners, and equally so is the being called

does not accompany them.

is
unavailing to its
learned in the law, to those

idea, as follows
"

"

"

"

"

me

Who

"

there for

is

to love as myself?

"

and

better than

all

I need no one
neighbour, that

all

as

myself?"

from Proverbs
sage of some
that the old
to

need me, but

who

"

surpass

I judge all,
I am a lawyer
am judged of none I decide
for all, and am liable to no man s
I am
I differ from all
decision
all

"

who are

then is my
should love him

And

the quotation
followed by a paslength, to the effect
is

commandments

God and our neighbour

of love

so reputed, unless they

changed by the Gospel, but extended, so that the latter embraces not

only our countrymen, but all who

share our nature and these we are
to love more than ourselves, follow:

example, who laid

His friends. As
it concludes however with a repetition in slightly different words of
the charge brought against the lawit is not probable that
yer of pride,
ing our Lord

down His

for

life

the passage belonged to the corn-

mentary.

are not

S 8

I0>

xm.

COMMENTARY UPON

316

For

excel also in deeds.

him who loveth

for

Nor

Samaritan.

is

lo

a crown of love

his

neighbour
he rejected on

was foremost among the

Acts

x. 34.

is

being twined
to be a

and he proves

this

account

even the

for

he who

blessed

Peter,
disciples,
In truth I perceive that God is not
thus writing,
a respecter of persons
but in every nation, whosoever
"

testified,
"

feareth

"

"

Him."

Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of

For Christ, Who loveth our virtues, accepteth all who

are diligent in good pursuits by Whom and with Whom, to

God the Father be praise and dominion with the Holy Ghost,
for ever and ever, Amen.*
:

As

S. Cyril in this Homily has

chiefly confined himself to unmask
ing the lawyer s motives, and has
devoted but few words to the pa
*

itself, the Catenists have en

deavoured to supply this omission
from other sources, and thus already
we have had in Mai three passages

rable

But
not recognised by the Syriac.
besides these, on v. 30 he has an

179, of which only

the latter part is in the Syriac, and
which is to the effect that the ques
extract

tion,

be

from

Who

settled,

our neighbour, is to
not by a man s acts or

is

merits, but by his having the same

nature as ourselves adding thereto
:

the remark that the neighbour

is

easily found by him who is

humble, than by one who is proud
and lastly, on v. 34, a very long ex
tract from A B and E, contains an
allegorizing exposition of the whole

more

The wounded man is hu

parable.
man nature, which Christ assumes,
and carries to the inn, the church,
the Travdoxe iov, or common recep
the
tacle of all, because no longer
"

"

Ammonite and Moabite

are ex-

"

eluded,"

the

command

being to

There his
wounds meet with fuller care than
they could by the way side, and for
the supply of all his wants Christ
gives unto the chief pastors of the
church two denarii, which are the
two testaments, both stamped with
the image of the same heavenly
"

teach

all

nations."

King, as being inspired by the Holy

Ghost. And to these the pastors of
the church are to add their own la
bours, which will not be without
their reward, "for whatsoever thou
spendest more, I, at My second
"

"

advent, will repay thee."

Since writing tha^bove,

I have
found that not only these two latter
extracts are from Theophylact, with
some verbal differences, but also the
previous one respecting the exten

command
God and our neigh

sion in the gospel of the

ments of love

to

bour. Cf. Theoph. in Quat. Evang.

Comm. ed. Paris, 1631. pp. 384,
Of these Cramer con
385* 387.
tains that of the two denarii being
the two testaments, anonymously.

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON
And

LUKE.

ST.

817

LXIX.

came to pass as they

journeyed, that he entered into a c.x. 3 8- 4 a
certain village, and a certain woman named
Martha re- om
ceived Him into her house.
And she had a sister called 3E&
Mary, who also sat at our* Lords
and heard His
it

*"

feet,

wordJ : out Martha

~n/r

Z,

And

standing

not care that

if}ffov

ivas

before

my

sister

distracted ivith

Him,

much

she said, Lord,

hath

left

me

service.

dost

alone ?

to serve

Thou
Bid

K^

om. ofo

s.

But our Lord answered and said unto her, ^a-ovsGs.

B ST.
Martha, Martha, t/tou art anxious and busied about many K
:
but
things
few things are required, or one and Mary &\tyuv &
her help me.

<V

f
hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken
away F/yJ/Bg"

from

her.

oe

CO-HI/ x/aeia

YE

who

love the virtues which adorn piety, and carefully

practice every art which becometh the saints, again come and
listen to the sacred doctrine,

and

let

GTs>

not the method of hospi

be unknown to you. For it is a great and valuable

quality, as the wise Paul testifies, where he writes,
Forget
not hospitality for thereby some have entertained angels
tality

"

"

"

Let us learn therefore of Christ, the Saviour of

all other things. For it would be a dis

unawares."

all, this also,

as well as

grace to us, that while those who desire worldly wisdom, and
gather written learning, select the best teachers for their in
structors; we who are encouraged to pay earnest heed to
doctrines of such surpassing value, and may have as our in
structor and teacher Christ the Giver of all wisdom, do not
imitate

who

this

woman

sat at the

in

Saviour

her

love

s feet,

and

of

learning,

filled

even Mary,

her heart with the

He taught, feeling as if she could never have enough

of what so profited her.
For the Saviour lodged with the holy women, but Mary, it
doctrines

11

Both here and

the

Syriac

has

in

j.^,

v. 41 the
our Lord:

have not marked it as a different reading, because it is the

but

to
usage of the Syriac Scriptures
6 Kvpins, whenever it
put .-Jo for
signifies Christ,

Heb.xiii. i.

COMMENTARY UPON

318
says, listened to

Him

as

He

was distracted with much

Him

taught

service.

while the other, Martha,

She therefore besought

that her sister might share her carefulness with her.

Christ
<

consented not, saying, "Martha,

anxious and busied about many
things
:

"

"

"

required, or but

But

Martha, thou art

only few things are

And He

further praised Mary, that

she had chosen the good part, which shall not be taken
away
from her." For the acquisition of spiritual
is never
one."

blessings

lost.

The
manner

thing however which we must examine is the

which the Saviour again benefits His
disciples, by
setting Himself before them as an example, in order that they
may know how and in what manner to behave in the houses of
such as receive them. For
they must not immediately on
first

in

themselves in relaxation, or suppose that

why they lodge with men, but rather that
them with every blessing, and the divine and

entering indulge

this is the reason

they

may

fill

sacred doctrines.
Rom.

i.

ii.

So somewhere the blessed Paul

message unto certain

also sends

I desire to see you, that I

may
give you some spiritual gift, that ye may be confirmed."
Observe therefore, that our Lord Jesus Christ, on
entering to
with
these
did
not
cease
from
lodge
holy women,
giving
instruction, but still grants them, without stint, the sober doc
:

"For

"

trines of salvation.

And

her love of hearing

one of these

women was

steadfast in

but Martha was distracted with

much

Does any one then blame her for being occupied

with careful service? By no means.
For neither does the

service.

Saviour chide her for having proposed to herself the

discharge
He blamed her, as one who was

of this duty; but rather

labouring in vain, by wishing to procure more than was neces

Arid this He did for our benefit, that He
sary.
might fix a
limit to hospitality.
For far better is that other part, of
earnestly desiring the divine doctrine.
do not then say that the wish to entertain
strangers,
when it does not aim at anything excessive, is to be despised,
and is no service. The saints especially are bound to be con

We

tent with

little,

draw near

and when they

eat,

and are prevailed upon

to

they do so, rather to appease the

of
in
the
accordance with the laws of na
infirmity
body,
than
as
about
ture,
When
caring
pleasure and relaxation.
to the table,

THE GOSPEL OF
we lodge with

therefore

corporeal things,

LUKE.

319

the brethren, in wishing to reap their

us

let

ST.

first

sow for them things

spiritual;

and imitating therein careful husbandmen, let us lay bare

their hearts, lest some root of bitterness spring up and injure
them lest the worm of human innovation attack them, and work
:

And if ought like this have happened,

secret decay.
then thrusting forthwith into their minds the saving word of
instruction, like the teeth of the mattock, let us eradicate the
root of ungodliness let us pluck up the heretical darnel from
in

them

us implant the knowledge of the truth

the
corporeal things of those who have
reap
the
receiving them as a matter of debt: for

the very bottom

thus

we may

a superfluity,

workman,

He

let

worthy of his hire. And the law of

same
the
truth, saith somewhere in like

saith, is

Moses, hinting at

manner, Thou shalt not muzzle the trampling

Doth God care for oxen ? Or saith
Paul said,
"

And

ox."

He

"

"

it

as

alto-

Thou

therefore wilt give things

more valuable than those thou receivest of men for things
for earthly things
eternal
temporal Thou wilt give things
of sense, things intellectual
for
the
things
things heavenly
for the things that perish, things that endure. And thus much
of those who receive hospitality.
"

our sakes

gether for

But

let

those

who open

to

them

their house,

meet them

and as their fellows and not so

cheerfully, and with alacrity,
much as those who give, but as those who receive as those
who gain, and not as those who expend. And the more so as
the in
doubly ; for in the first place they enjoy
:

they profit

whom they hospitably entertain: and se

win the reward of hospitality. Every way
When however they receive the
are

struction of those

condly, they also

therefore they

profited.

with much
brethren into their house, let them not be distracted
their
means, or
seek
not
Let them
service.
any thing beyond

more than

sufficient.

For every where and

For often

in every thing

hesitation in those

it

is injurious.
produces
and causes
otherwise would be glad to receive strangers,
while it
the
for
fit
found
purpose
but few [houses] to be
to those who are entertained.
proves a cause of annoyance
and in
For the rich in this world delight in costly banquets ;
with sauces
often
many kinds of viands, prepared curiously
scorned, while that
is

excess

who

and flavours

a mere sufficiency

utterly

Cor. ix.

COMMENTARY UPON
which

extravagant is praised, and a profusion beyond all

admired, and crowned with words of flattery. The
satiety
and the draining of
drinkings and revellings are excessive
is

is

cups, and courses of wines, the means of intoxication and glut

But when holy men are assembled at the house of one
tony.
who fears God, let the table be plain and temperate, the viands
but little to eat, and that
simple, and free from superfluities
and
and
a
scant:
limited sufficiency of drink.
In
meagre
:

every thing a small supply of such necessaries as will allay

the bodily appetite with simple fare.
So must men receive
strangers.

So too Abraham by the oak at Mamre, received

those three men, and won as the reward of his carefulness, the
So Lot in Sodom honoured
promise of his beloved son Isaac.

the angels, and for so doing, was not destroyed by fire with
nor became the prey of the inextinguishable flame.

the rest

is the virtue of
hospitality, and espe
of
the
saints
let
us
also practise it,
therefore
cially worthy
for so will the heavenly Teacher
rest
in our hearts,
and
lodge
even Christ ; by
and with Whom, to God the Father be

Very great therefore

Whom

praise and dominion, with the Holy Ghost,

Amen.

for ever

and ever.

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON
And

it

came

321

LXX.
He was

that as

to pass,

LUKE.

ST.

in

a certain place

praying, when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto

Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his dis
And He said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our
ciples.

c. xi. 1-4.

vdrtp

Father*, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy

^$ v
6 vr 5
ivill be done, as in heaven, so in earth ; give its every day
I
o^
the bread of our necessity ; and forgive us our sins, for we O m. y fv r.
also forgive every one that is indebted to us ; and bring us
.

J^^ JJj

not into temptation.

WARM and fervent in

we behold God s

r. 7775.

BGT.
spirit,

sacred court

now

also

ye have come, and

pose doubtless of your assembling

met together to be taught and

a pious one, and ye have

is

add.

The pur- |r^

of eager listeners.

full

s.

rnpov

Who

is the Dispenser of
He
;
the divine gifts, again satisfieth you with those things of which
and prepareth a spiri
ye wish to be accounted worthy,

and saying,
Come, eat
and drink the wine which I have mingled for
Bread strengthened man s
the Psalmist saith,
"

tual table, crying out

of

My

"

"

"

intellectual

wine gladdeneth

you:"

heart,

bread, p rov

and the p s

Let us therefore draw near

it."

before us, even unto the signification of

what advan
the gospel lessons: and let us attentively consider
these
of
us
in
it
qualities
what
and
begets
tage it brings us,
saints.
the
of
honour
the
for
which are necessary
fitting
and yet He is
was praying alone
Christ," it says,

now spread

to the table

"

:"

"

very God, and the Son

*

Though the

of

Syriac has

God

is not equivalent to ndrtp fo&v,

bat simply to Tmrep, the same rule
cf. note
;
applvini to it as to
i
c
v TTonr.tV.Pr il
to Serm. Ixix, of which another

above
"

Our

in

being
Lord."

the

Kvpr just

Syriac

^pc

S. Cyril in Sermon
mentions that 6

rols

thew

expressly

read
ovpavols was
s,

Luke

Mat-

Gospel
the Philoxeman ver-

but not

nevertheless

in St.

in St.

and Himself dispenses

which exactly represents the

at Alexprocurable
hav508, Polycarp
thither for the express
ing been sent
an exact repropurpose of obtaining

best Greek

andria in

MS.

A.D.

^^
.

Jf^

Our

rea(j s

heav

>

Ixxi

all

sion,

^oo)

it

lustration occurs here, the

over

rp est

sources,

Father, which art in

^^

/
ne ause s^<Thv
^
and

an d correctly expresses
It algo con t ains

W>

authentic

will

be

ix. 5.

and as

done,"

&c.,

civ. 15-

COMMENTARY UPON

322

by means of which it flourishes

and Himself is absolutely in need of
Of what
as He said Himself.

to the creation all those things

and
Is.

is

kept
nothing: for

i.u.

then,

in being

He

some one

is

"full,"

is

asks,

He

in need,

Who

John

"

xvi.
1

property of the Father to be

i.

16.

"

But

received."

if

He

of

full

and
prerogatives as befit Deity
And knowing this the saints say,
:

John

by right of nature
For He said
But it is the
good, and of such

that belongeth to the Father ?

possesses
All
that
the Father hath is mine."
plainly,
all

all

this too belongs to the Son.

"

Of His

fulness

have

all

give as from His own godlike

we
ful-

can one say that He is in need, or what does He

want to receive from the Father, as though He had it not
be full,
already ? And for what, forsooth, does He pray, if He
ness, of what,

and needeth nothing that is the Father s

To this we reply, that He permits Himself, in accordance
with the manner of the dispensation in the flesh, to perform
human actions whensoever He willeth, and as the season re
For if He
quires, without being liable to blame for so doing.
ate and drank, and is found partaking of sleep, what is there
absurd, if also having humbled Himself to our measure, and
!

fulfilled

And
as

human righteousness, He

yet certainly

we already

He

said.

not unfitly offered up prayer?

need of nothing for He is
For what reason therefore, and in the

is

"

in

full,"

performance of what necessary and profitable duty, did He

pray? It was to teach us not to be slack in this matter,
but rather to be constant in prayers, and very urgent; not
standing in the middle of the streets for this some of the Jews
;

used to do, the scribes namely and Pharisees

nor making
it an occasion of ostentation, but rather
praying alone and
;

with

He
Matt. vi.

5.

and by ourselves

and, so to speak, conversing alone

with
and
undistracted mind.
And this
alone,
pure
us
in
of
another
those
who
clearly taught
place, saying

silently,

were wont
"

to

God

pray

to

make a show

of their prayers

"

For they love

and in the

standing in the corners of the streets,

But thou, when thou prayest, enter thy

chamber, and shut thy door, and pray to thy Father Who
is in secret
and thy Father Who seeth in secret shall
reward thee."
For there are men who make a gain of the reputation of
piety, and while earnestly attending to outward appearances,
"

synagogues.

"

"

"

THE GOSPEL OF
within are

ST.

LUKE.

of the love of
vainglory.

full

These

323
often,

when

entering the church, first of all glance about in every direction,

to observe the number of those
standing there, and see whether
And as soon as the assembly
they have many spectators.
then
their
hand to their forehead, not
pleases them,
raising
once merely, but again and
again they make there the sign
of the precious cross.
And so spinning out a long prayer

according to their own fancy, they babble in a loud tone, as

though praying to the bystanders, rather than to God. To
such we say in the words of the Saviour,
Ye have received Mat.
"

vi. 5.

since ye pray as
your reward
hunting after the praises of
and
not
as
men,
seeking any thing of God.
Thy wish is
"

:"

thou hast been praised as

being religious thou hast
gained vainglory but thou hast traded in a fruitless labour; thou
hast sown emptiness, and thou shalt
reap nothing. Wouldst
fulfilled

thou sec the end of thy artifices? Hear what the blessed David
God hath scattered the bones of them that please
says that
"

And by

"men."

bones he here of course means not those of

the body
for there are no instances of
any men having suffered
this
but rather the powers of the mind and heart, by means
;

of which a

man

is

able to effect good.

The powers then

of the

soul are that earnestness which leads on

strenuously to perse

verance, spiritual manliness, patience and endurance.

qualities God will scatter in such as please men.

These

In order therefore that we, withdrawing far from these dis

graceful ways, and escaping from the snares to which they are

exposed who seek to please men, may

holy and blameless and

undefiled,

offer

Christ

unto God prayer,

made Himself our

example, by going apart from those who were with Him, and
praying alone. For it was right that our Head and Teacher
in every good and useful deed should be no other than He

Who

is

first

among

all,

and receives the prayers of

all,

and

who ask Him what

God the Father bestows on those

If therefore thou seest Him praying as a
soever they require.
man, that thou maycst learn how to pray, withdraw not from
the belief and conviction, that being by nature God Who
filleth
He became like unto us and with us on earth as a
with

all,

man, and fulfilled human duties as the dispensation required

but that even so He was seated in heaven with the Father,
to all, accepting the
dispensing of His own fulness all things
2
T t
:

Pa.

liii.

5.

COMMENTARY UPON

324

prayers of the dwellers upon earth, and of the spirits that are
by them with praises. For He ceased not
to be God by
becoming like unto us, but continued even so to

above, and crowned

be whatsoever

which
James

He had

He had

been.

been, since

He

For
is

it

became

Him

to be that

unchangeable, and, as Scrip-

ture declares, not subject even to a

shadow of turning/
But inasmuch as a long discourse is required for what re
mains, holding it in for the present, as it
were, with a bridle,
"

i.

17.

lest it

with

should become- tedious to the hearers,

God s

help explain it to you, when

Saviour of us all assembles us here:
by

we

will hereafter

next Christ the

Whom and with

the Father be praise and dominion with the
Holy Ghost for ever and ever, Amen.
Whom,

to

God

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

325

SERMON LXXL
"

Upon,

Our

OUll Lord Jesus

Who

Father,

arty in

Christ counted the

heaven"

C. xi. i.

desire of

insatiate

Blessed are Mat.

learning as worthy of all praise, thus saying
they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for
"

v. 6.

"

they

"

shall be

satisfied."

For

right constantly to hunger and

by means of which a man becomes a
glories, and earnest in every good work.
it is

thirst after those things,

warm lover of saintly

And to all who are thus minded,
which they can accomplish their
above all things besides for the

Christ reveals the

desire.

But

way by

serviceable

is it

religious unto salvation, that

they know how to pray, and offer not supplications displeasing

For as the wise Paul wrote to us, "We know Eom.
to Almighty God.

viii.

not what to pray for as we ought."

Let us therefore draw
Teach us to Luke
near unto Christ, the Giver of wisdom, and say,
all other
above
who
like
the
Let
us
bo
holy apostles,
pray."
"

"

xi.

i.

"

things asked of

Him

this profitable

and saving

lesson.

Now

at our last meeting wo heard the gospel read, which

it came to pass, that
of
Christ, the Saviour of us all, that
says
was in a certain place praying by Himself." And we
as
"

"

He

addressed you, explaining as well as we could the dispensation,

had carried
by reason of which Christ prayed and when we
:

our argument to this point, we reserved the rest for some fit
This has now arrived, and is present. Let us
ting occasion.
When
then proceed to what follows for the Saviour said,
the
of
another
And
holy evan
ye pray, say, Our Father."
Mat
who art in heaven."
gelists adds,
"

"

"

and that
O boundless liberality
incomparable gentleness,
own
His
us
bestows
He
glory:
befitteth Him alone!
upon
He raises slaves to the dignity of freedom He crowns man s
!

of nature
estate with such honour as surpasseth the power
old
of
by the voice
He brings that to pass which was spoken
:

y S. Cyril notices below that the

art in heaven,"
sentence,
"

Who

was not found

Its

in S.

Luke

Gospel,
is be-

insertion therefore here

cause the fuller form given by S.

Matthew was

that best

known, as

in the hturhaving been adopted

b Cyril
from
or
possibly
gies
s Goshabit of quoting S. Matthew
:

to b.
pel in preference

Luke

s.

Vlt 9-

COMMENTARY UPON

326
Ps. Ixxxii.

of the Psalmist
"

Most

of the

"

Ye

are gods and all of you children

For lol He rescues us from the mea

I said,

High."

sure of slavery, bestowing upon us by His grace that which by

nature we possessed not and permits us to call God Father,
Of Him have we re
as being admitted to the rank of sons.
:

and the
ceived this, together with all our other privileges
wise John the Evangelist witnesses thereto, thus writing of
:

John

i.

IT.

Him
"

"

"

(f

Pet. 1.23.

James i.i8.

"

He came

but to

all

who

to

His own, and His own received

received

Him He

sons of God, even to those

who

gave power

to

believe in His

Him

not

become the

Name

who

were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of
the will of man, but of God."
For we have been fashioned

unto the sonship by that birth which is spiritually wrought in

not by corruptible seed, but rather by the living and
us,
"

"

abiding

Word

of

God,"

as Scripture says.

By

willing

it

He

begat us by the Word of truth, that we might be a kind

for so one of the holy apo
of firstfruits of His creatures
stles declares.
And Christ Himself, in a certain place, clearly
"

<e

;"

John

Verily I
explained the manner of this birth by declaring
a
of
and
unto
that
unless
man
be
born
water
Spirit,
you,
say
"

iii.

5.

"

he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Or rather, for to

you it is right to speak even of those things that are mysteri
"

ous,

He

Himself became both the way and the door, and the

cause of a grace being bestowed upon us thus glorious and

worthy of our gaining by having taken upon Him our likeness.
Phil.

ii.

7.

For although in that He is perceived to be, and is God, He

freGj y e t He took the form of a slave, that He
might
bestow upon us those things which are His, and enrich the
slave with His own excellencies.
For He alone is by nature
free, because He alone is Son of the Father, even of Him
Who is supreme above all, and ruleth over all, and Who is by
nature and verily free. For whatsoever has been brought into
existence bows the neck of slavery to Him Who created it.
For the Psalmist singeth unto Him, saying, that
all things

is

"

Ps.cxix.gi.

"

are

Thy

slaves

:"

but inasmuch as in the dispensation He

He has given us what

transferred to Himself what was ours,

was His.

And most

wise Paul, the minister of His mysteries,

our proof, thus writing:

That when He was rich, He made
Himself poor, that we by His poverty might be rich." For
our things, by which is meant the condition of human nature,

2 Cor.viii.9- is
"

"

THE GOSPEL OF

LUKE.

ST.

327

is
poverty to God the Word while it is wealth to human na
ture to receive what things are His.
And of these one is the
a gift peculiarly
dignity of freedom,
befitting those who have
:

been called
gift
"

"

for

earth

are

all

to sonship.
And this, as I mentioned,
said unto us,
And call no man

He
for

One

is

brethren."

finite love to

also

is

His

"

your Father on
your Father, Who is in heaven and ye
And again, He Himself too, from His in

mankind,

Mat.

xxiii.

9>

is

not ashamed to call us brethren, thus

I will preach
saying
Thy name to My brethren." For because Jle became like unto us, we
thereby have gained bro
therhood with Him.
"

He commands
"

prayers,

Our

Ps.xxii.22.

us therefore to take boldness, and

say in our
children of earth and slaves, and

Father."

We

subject by the law of nature to Him Who created us, call Him
Who is in heaven Father. And most fittingly He makes those

who pray understand

this also
that if we call God Father,
and have been counted worthy of so distinguished an honour,
must we not necessarily lead holy and thoroughly blameless
lives, and so behave as is pleasing to our Father, and neither
:

think nor say anything unworthy or unfit for the freedom that
has been bestowed upon us ? And so one of the holy apostles
spake "If ye call Him Father, Who without respect of per:

"

"

sons judgeth according to every man s work, let your conversation during the time of your sojourning be in fear/

a most serious thing to grieve arid provoke a father,

by turning aside unto those things which are not right. How
do earthly fathers act, or what is their feeling towards their
sons ?
When they see them willing to conform themselves to

For

it is

and choosing that course of conduct which

them, they love and honour them they open

their wishes,

pleasing to

is

to

of whatsoever
they multiply their presents
But if they
heirs.
they wish, and acknowledge them as their
laws
no
are disobedient, and untractable, having
respect for the

them

their house

of nature, and indifferent to that affection which

is

implanted in

house, and deem them unworthy

they drive them from their

to
of any honour, or indulgence, or love
they even refuse
their
as
them
write
them as sons, and do not

us,

acknowledge
heirs.

Mount now,

as they are with us to those

pray, from things
Thou callest God Father honour Him with

that transcend us.

Pet. 1.17.

COMMENTARY UPON

328

yield submission as that which is His due

shew not thyself harsh or proud, but,
pleaseth

ready obedience
live so as

He

on the contrary, tractable and submissive, and ready without

delay to follow His directions, so that He may hono ur thee in
return,

Rom.

viii.

by

and appoint thee fellow-heir with Him Who is the Son

For if He gave Him for us, how will He not with

nature.

"

Him also give us all things/ according to the expression of

But if thou hast no regard for thyself, and
the blessed Paul.
"

therefore heedest not the bounteous gift that is bestowed, thou

art proved to be bold, and, so to speak, without salt, loving

Fear, therefore,
pleasure more than thou lovest the Father.
lest of thee also God say that which was
spoken of the
Is.

i.

i.

Israelites

by the word

of Isaiah;

earth, for the

"

give ear,

"

Hear,

heavens; and
I have be-

Lord hath spoken

gotten and brought up children, but they have rejected Me."

Heavy in every way, my beloved, is the guilt of those who
"

and most wicked the crime of rejecting (God). Very

as I said, does the Saviour of all grant us to
therefore,
wisely
rebel

God

Father, that we, well knowing that we are sons of

God, may behave in a manner worthy of Him Who has thus
honoured us for so He will receive the supplications which

call

we

offer in Christ

by

Whom

and with

Whom

to

God

the

Father be praise and dominion, with the Holy Ghost, for ever

and

ever,

Amen.

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON
"

Upon

ALL who
Isaiah
for

desire

Hallowed
the

commands, saying;

whosoever

ST.

LUKE.

LXXIL
be

Thy

Name."

sacred words of God, the

prophet
Ye who thirst come to the waters:"

0. xi.

2.

lm

"

Is

may draw from

will

the life-giving fountain.

And who is this fountain ? Plainly it is Christ, and His doc
trines.
For He has somewhere said unto us,
Whosoever
"

Johnvii.37.

him come unto Me and drink." Let us then

once again come as to a fountain let us fill our souls let us
satiate ourselves of the torrent 2 of
For the blessed
pleasure.
David somewhere in a psalm thus speaketh of Him unto God
"

thirsteth, let

the Father:
"

house

"

They

and Thou

shall be satisfied with the fatness of

shalt

make them

Thy

Ps.xxxvi.8.

drink of the torrent of

For with Thee is the fountain of life." For

pleasure.
the river of pleasure is richly poured forth for us, and the foun
Who also by one of
tain of life, even that which is in Christ
"

Thy

the prophets has thus spoken concerning us

Behold, I bend
a
down unto them as a river of peace, and as torrent flooding
"

"

them with the glory of the Gentiles/

For observe how Christ watereth us with rich streams of
what will He next teach us ? When ye
spiritual blessings. For
Our Father, Hallowed be Thy Name."
pray, He says, say,
Now behold already we have discoursed unto you not without
in what manner it is right for us to
profit, when explaining
Our Father." And ye, I think, remember my words,
"

"

"

say,
in that

ye

fore, that

are, as

In order, there
eager after learning.
for
that were te
not say the same things

I said,

we may

dious to attentive listeners,

z

I.X.KO

is

not a

river,

who

but a

torrent flowing after rain ; whence

cornea its other signification of a

only one noticed by

the bed of such
streams was often of considerable
breadth, and cultivated in the dry
br
season: cf. Deut. xxi. 4. ( ?
valley,

(the

Castellus,)

as

nK

store

up

in the treasure-house

but really a constantly-flowing

which
stream, the bed therefore of
could not be cultivated.) Ihese torIndia are called
rent beds are what
ley,

"

nallahs

:"

and

as generally being

the word is
rough and precipitous,
used by the Synac translator to re-

present

in
<j>apayt

translated in the A.V. a rough val-

U U

Luke

in. 5.

Is. ixvi. 12.

COMMENTARY UPON

330

of their heart whatever they have already understood, and

wish constantly to advance unto something further, let us pro
ceed to that which follows, namely, Hallowed be Thy Name:"
"

and

us consider in what

let

way

must be understood.

this also

Do we then pray that additional holiness may accrue unto the

And how would not this be absolutely absurd ?
all-holy God ?
For
Is.

i.

ii.

if

God

indeed there be anything wanting to

over

all,

in

order to his being perfect, and in need of nothing, He may

but if He be full, as He says, and in

need additional holiness

every respect perfect in and by Himself, and the Giver of ho

liness to the creation out of His own fulness; what addition

He receive ? For all things are His, and He has reached

the highest perfection in every good for this is also an attri
And besides it is a foolish and ridicu
bute of His by nature.
can

lous thing for those

who pray

to

imagine that they

supplications not on their own behalf but on His.

Hallowed be Thy Name
fore is the meaning of

offer their

What

there

"

We

say then, that

men do not supplicate for any addition of

God over all for who is greater than

holiness to accrue unto

Heb.

vii. 7.

He, and able

"

doubt

?"

to give

Him any

increase

"

For without

all

But they suppli

greater."
be granted unto them and all man

the less is blessed of the

cate rather that this

may

For when it is our settled conviction and belief, that He

by nature is God over all, is Holy of the Holies, then we
confess His glory and supreme majesty then we receive His
fear into our mind, and lead upright and blameless lives, that by

kind.

Who

Lev.

xi. 44.

Lev.

x. 3.

thus becoming ourselves holy, we may be able tp be near unto

For it is written; "Become ye holy: for I am
the holy God.
He
once also said to the hierophant Moses, I will
And
holy."
be hullowed in them that draw nigh unto Me."
The prayer
"

"

"

therefore

and
For
and

is,

May Thy Name

be kept holy in

us, in

our minds

the signification of the word

Hallowed."
who
one
suffers
as
under
a
in
disease
his
just
bodily sight,
is able to see but little, and with
difficulty; and prays,
wills

for this

"

is

Lord of all, grant that the light of the sun s radiance

saying,
may illuminate me also, does not, we affirm, make his suppli
cations on the sun s behalf, but, on the contrary, upon his own
Our Father, hallowed be Thy Name,"
so also if a man say,
:

"

he

is not
requesting any addition to be made to God s holiness,
but rather asks, that he may himself possess such a mind and

THE GOSPEL OF
faith, as to feel that

act therefore

ing

His

Name

the source of

is

ST.

LUKE.

331

honourable and holy.

and the cause of every

is

life,

God, how must

for to be thus affected towards

it

The
bless

not be a

thing worthy of the highest estimation, and useful for the sal
vation of the soul ?

But do not imagine, that when those who depend upon His
love are earnest in their supplications towards God, that they
ask these things of Him for themselves alone but know ra
:

ther, that their purpose is to intercede for all the dwellers

upon earth for those who already have believed ; and for
:

those

who have not

For

the truth.

that their faith

as yet received the faith, nor acknowledged

who already have believed, they ask

be established, and that they may be able

for those

may

while for
to practise the glories of the more excellent life
ask
that
not
are
those who as yet
believers, they
they may be
:

called,

footsteps of Christ,
"

even in this following the

according to the words of John is

their eyes be opened

and

Who

the Advocate with the Father for our sins

He

and not

therefore

Who

for our s

Johnii.i.

the In

whole
only, but for the
tercessor for the saints, and for the whole world, wills that His
When therefore men say to the
be like Himself.
"

world."

is

disciples

11

Hallowed be Thy Name, bear in mind, that among

those who have not as yet gained the light of truth, nor re
"

Father,

ceived the faith, the

Name

of

God

is

despised.

It

does not as

But
be holy, honourable, and adorable.
and
they
of truth risen upon them,

yet seem to them to

no sooner has the light

awoke as from some night and darkness, then

how great He is, they acknowledge Him as
learning Who and
have correspondent sentiments and
Holy of the Holies, and

have with

effort

belief.

But that the phrase, that God

is

hallowed by

us, is

a con

of Holies, and does

fession of our regarding Him as Holy
thou rnayost under
not bestow on Him any additional holiness,

stand hence.
"

"

Lord, and

Him, He

"Hallow the
of the holy prophets said,
trustest
thou
and if
shall be Thy fear

One

He

shall be holiness unto

tl?ee."

Do we

then make

ought on
God holy ? Is it the act of human
Does
Maker?
any
God? Does the thing made benefit the
his fulness richly distributes
of
Who
that
He,
man imagine
nature to bestow

unto the creature His

gifts,

will

Himself receive ought of

U U

us,

Is. viii.i 3 .

COMMENTARY UPON

332
whose place
i

Cor.

iv. 7.

What

"

it

is

to listen to the

fear,
*

is,

so
Is. xlix. 7.

"

;"

He

holy, for then ye will fear

will thus be to you the means of holiness.

Believe that

He

When, there

?"

Hallow the Lord, and He shall be thy

prophet said,
and holiness unto thee
we affirm that what he teaches

fore, the
"

words of the blessed Paul

hast thou that thou hast not received

is

Him and
And it is
;

written again of Christ the Saviour of us all

Hallow Him,
who despised Himself." For He did despise Himself, by
deeming His life of no account, and laying it down for our
"

sakes.

But

Him

be hallowed,

it
that is, let
says, by you
For such He is by nature, as
being very God, and the Son of God. For to be essentially
holy suits not any one whatsoever of those things, which from

Him

let

be acknowledged as holy.

nonexistence

have been brought into being: but only that

supreme nature which transcends all.

that He is by nature holy
for this
;

hallowing

Him

believing therefore
the meaning of our

By
is

we further acknowledge Him

to be very

God.
"

God let us pray, saying,

we are thus disposed, and
up prayers such as this, God the Father

For ourselves therefore and not

Name."
For

Hallowed be Thy

with free mind offer

will accept us,

and with

and Christ with

Whom

God

for

if

Him

will bless

us

by

Whom

the Father be praise and dominion,

with the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen.
to

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON
Upon

THOSE

who

ST.

LUKE.

333

DXIII.

"

Thy kingdom

C.

come."

XI. 2.

love riches, and whose

mind is set on wealth

and gain, gather by every means in their
power the wished for
ohject, and there is no labour they will not undertake.
But
their pursuit ends in no

issue

happy

For

what,"

as the Mat.

Saviour saith,
is a man
profited, if he gain the whole world,
but lose himself?" But those who love the Word of salva

xvi.

26

"

"

and

unrol the divine Scripture as a

treasure, and care
search
out the things therein concealed, find the
fully
lifegiving
tion,

knowledge which leads them on to every virtuous pursuit,

and makes them perfect in the
knowledge of the doctrines of
Let us search therefore into the sense of the
passage
And our object is intelligently to see what the

truth.

set before us.

For we must, He said, when we pray

Thy kingdom come." Nevertheless He reigns over all
with God the Father
nor can any addition be made to His
either
as
kingly glory,
accruing to Him from without, or as
given Him by another. Nor did it gather by the course of
time, but, so to speak, sprang up with Him without a beginning.
Saviour commanded.
"

say,

For He

was and is that which He was. Altogether

and in every way it follows upon His being God by
nature and verily, that He must be omnipotent, and that this
at all time

therefore,

glorious attribute is, so to speak, His without a beginning, and

without end.
For one also of the holy prophets said unto
"The
Lord
shall reign for ever and ever, and yet." Ex.
Him,

And

the divine Psalmist too says,

"

lasting kingdom."

the

"

And

Since, therefore,

worlds."

to

God
who

kingdom

God

an ever-

our king before

ever reigns, and is omniis

xv. 18.

Ps.cxlv.is,
Ps. ixxiv.
l<i

call God Father offer up

what view do those
?
and
their supplications,
say, Thy kingdom come

potent, with

Him

"Thy
"

again

is

They seem,

therefore, to desire to behold Christ the Saviour of

come
upon the world. For He will come, He will
in
nor
unto
like
estate
low
us,
and descend as Judge, no longer in
all

rising again

but in glory such as becometh

dwells in the unapproachable light, and with the

the meanness of

God, and as

He

human nature

iTim.vi.i6.

COMMENTARY UPON

334

Mat.

xvi.

For so He somewhere Himself said,

angels as His guards.
the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father,
that
"

with His holy

"

add

to

this too

And

angels."

I think, therefore, that I

that at the consummation of this world

ought

He

will

descend from heaven, but no longer to instruct those on earth, as

He did of old, nor again to shew them the way of salvation
;

but to judge the world.

the season for this has passed away
And the wise Paul also bears witness to what I say, declaring
;

2 Cor. v. 10.

that
"

"

"

"

we

must be revealed before the judgment seat of

all

Christ, that every man may be requited for those things

that were by means of the body, according to what he hath

done, whether

be good, or whether

it

Terrible, therefore,

is

it

be

bad."

that judgment seat ; without respect

it is a time of pleading, or rather

is the
Judge
The fire is prepared for the
and of retribution.
and
wicked, and enduring punishment, and eternal torments

of persons

of

trial,

how can men pray

to behold that time

Observe, I pray again,

the Saviour s skilfulness, and His admirable management in
every particular. For He commanded them to ask in prayer
?

may come, to make them know that they

not
live,
carelessly, nor dissolutely, nor moreover as be
into
but, on the con
guiled
laxity and the love of pleasure
that this dread time

must

and according to God s will that so

that time may prove the bestower upon them of crowns, and
not of fire and condemnation f
For for the wicked and impure,
trary, as

becometh

saints,

they lead base and lascivious lives, guilty of every

were in no way fit for them in their prayers to say,

in that
it

kingdom come.

Rather

let

them know that

vice,

Thy

in so

saying they,
as it were, charge God with blame, because the time of their
punishment does not quickly arise and manifest itself. Of them

Woe unto those that desire

Amos v.i 8. one of the holy prophets said,
the day of the Lord
What will the day of the Lord be unto
you ? For it is darkness, and not light and that thick dark"

"

"

"

ness in which
f

Aquinas,

who

is

no
has

passage, has added

assertion that the clause,

brightness."

preserved

cc.

an

its

to

this

be
St.

"

it

Thy

will

borrowed from
Matthew; but really we have

done,"

&c.,

is

seen that S. Cyril acknowledges it

as a part of St. Luke s Gospel,
S. Augustine in his Enchiridion,

xxv. xxvi., however, does affirm

absence, saying that two clauses

are wanting in the shorter form of
the Lord

s Prayer as given by St.

Luke; namely, "Thy will be done"
and
and
Deliver us from evil
all modern editors, except Lachmann, agree in rejecting both.
"

:"

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.
t.

The

therefore, ask

saints,

perfect reign

may

the time of the Saviour

that

come, because they have laboured

and have a pure conscience, and look

they have already wrought. For

for the requital of

who

just as those

dutifully,

what

are ex-

P^ctin^,a_Jestival and merriment about forthwith to

come,

and shortly to appear, thirst for its arrival, so also do

they.
For they trust that they shall stand
glorious in the presence of
the Judge, and hear Him
Come, ye blessed of My Mat.
say
"

"

"

the kingdom
Father,
foundations of the world."
inherit

when

stewards,

give them

their

prepared for you from the

They were wise and zealous

their

Lord

meat

in its season.

set

xxv.

34

them over His household, to

Well and wisely did they

distribute to their fellow servants those

things by the receiving
of which they had themselves before been made rich for
they
;

remembered Him
"

give."

bury

it

said

"

Freely ye have received, freely Mat.

they received of Him the talent, they did not

in the earth.
They were not like that slothful, and

and

careless servant,

who drew

"

near, saying,

knew Thee that Thou art a hard man

Thou sowedst not, and gathering whence thou

"

Lord, Mat.

reaping where

"

x. 8.

When

indolent,
"

Who

scatteredst not

xxv.

?4

and I was afraid, and hid the talent. Behold Thou hast
Thine own." They, on the contrary, traded and so they
!

"

"

it

brought

made

greatly multiplied, saying,

Lord,

Thy pound hath

and were admitted to yet further honours

pounds,"
an
and right hearty, and courageous
active,
They possessed
the breaston
had
the panoply of God
disposition
put
they
had
taken the
of
of
salvation
helmet
the
plate
righteousness
a war,
had
that
s
them
sword
It
did
not
they
Spirit
escape
"

Luke

xix

ten

Eph.vi.

13.

not against blood and flesh, but against magistracies, against

powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the
of wickedness

spirits

wove

in

the

heavenly regions.

For many

for themselves crowns of martyrdom, and by enduring

and blood, were made a spectacle to

the world, and to angels, and to men," and were accounted
who endured
worthy of all admiration. There were others
labours and persecutions, eagerly contending for His glory.
conflicts,

even unto

"

life

Cor.

iv. 9.

"

"

"

"

Cruel wolves sprang in upon Christ

declares.
flock," as the divine Paul
false

devil,

apostles,"

and

s flocks,
"

not sparing the Actsxx.^.

Deceitful

workers;" 2Cor.xi.i 3

of the malice of the

vomiting forth the gall
such as lead ignorant souls Actsxx. 3 o,

"speaking

perverse

things,"

COMMENTARY UPON

336
i

Cor.

viii.

to destruction,

and wound their weak conscience." These,

by
the
flattering
powers of this world, brought persecutions and
distresses upon the
champions of the truth. But they made no
great account of what they suffered, for they looked unto the
"

hope which they had

2Tim.ii.i 2

"

Phil.iii. 2 i.

in Christ.

For

it

was not unknown

knew

to

suffering for Him they would reign with Him."

that at the time of the resurrection,
He will

by

thaj;

"

them

They

change the

body of their humiliation into the likeness of His glorious body."

fully believed what He said about the consummation of

They

the world, that

Mat.

xiii.

heaven,

"

they

when He

shall

appear to them again from

sun in the kingdom of their

shall shine like the

"

Father."
"

kingdom

Justly, therefore, in their prayers they say, "Thy

For they feel confident that
they shall receive

come."

a recompense for their

bravery, and attain to the consumma
tion of the
hope set before them.
May it be our lot also to be counted worthy of this great

by Whom and with Whom to God the

Father be praise and dominion, with the
Holy Ghost, for ever

inheritance in Christ

and

ever,

Amen.

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON
"

Upon

Thy

ST.

LUKE.

337

LXXIV.

will be done; as in heaven, so on

earth."

c.

xi. i.

THE

prophet David made his supplications to Christ the

Saviour of all, saying,
Lead me unto Thy truth, and teach
me that Thou art God my Saviour." For all those are
"

Ps. xxv.

5.

"

taught of God who are in Christ by faith and among these

are we.
Of Him, therefore, let us ask the explanation of His
words for whosoever would understand correctly and without
;

error what

but

He

He

wishes to teach, are in need of divine light

all wisdom, and sheds His
light upon
:

the Giver of

is

the mind and heart of those that ask Him.

Psalmist said,
"

ders out of

For again the

Open mine eyes, and I shall behold Thy wonLet us, therefore, examine this part
Thy law.
"

Ps.cxix.i8.

also of the prayer

for

it

the salvation of the soul.

no

will profit us in

Why

then did

slight

degree to

He command

saints to say unto God the Father in heaven,

done ; as in heaven, so in earth

"

Thy

will

the

be

"

?"

of the saints, and full of all praise is this petition

For for them to ask that the good -will of God may
that all mankind
prevail on earth, what else is it but to ask
and
elect
and
lead
lives,
practise and know
may
praiseworthy

Worthy

also.

all

virtue

in glory in
"

By

so

heaven

His powers

we affirm, dwell
doing, the holy angels,
Bless the Lord all ye
for it is written;
"

His ministers who do His

will."

For by ad

that righteous
hering to the will of their Lord, and fulfilling
ness which transcends human things, they preserve their high
fell therefrom.
estate, whereas those who acted otherwise

But

to gather to a head, and, so to speak, collect briefly

the meaning of the words, we supplicate, that power may be

to do the will of God, and
given to the dwellers upon earth
above in heaven by the holy
imitate the conduct
practised

angels.

Let us

see, therefore, as well as

we

can, in

what way

the powers above and the ranks of the holy angels successfully
honour God? Is it by
perform their duty. How do they
sacrifices of blood

as for
by perfume and frankincense,
is
altoI
think
this
But
the flesh did ?
xx

Is

sooth the Israel after

it

Ps.

ciii.

u.

COMMENTARY UPON

338

For it is rather true

gether incredible both to think and say.
to affirm that they fulfil a
spiritual and not a material service,
ever crowning with lauds and praises the Creator of all, and
that righteousness which is suitable to holy spirits.

fulfilling

Those, therefore, who in their prayers ask that the will of

God may be done also on earth, ought necessarily themselves
to live
blamelessly, and to pay no regard to these earthly

from all impurity, and leap out of

the pitfalls of iniquity, and
perfect holiness in the fear of
God
that as Paul also saith, even while walking upon earth,

things, but free themselves

2 Cor. vii.

"

"

;"

Phil.

iii.

20.

their conversation
let

those

may

who belong

be in

to the

heaven."

And above

all

others

Jewish multitude, but have been

enriched with the righteousness that is in Christ by faith,

that it is altogether fitting for them if they would fulfil
the word of God, to cease from the shadows of the law, and

know

abandon the service that consists in semblances and types

and choose rather the service which is spiritual, and pure, and
immaterial.
For as the Saviour somewhere said,
God is a
:

John

iv.

24.

"

"

Spirit
"

spirit
"

and they that worship Him must worship Him in

and in truth. For such the Father also requireth

those to be

who worship Him."

legal manner of

For that the

is

quires,

phetic
Jer. vi. 20.

a thing in no respect

and

apostolic writings.

service

not what

is

He

re

see from the pro

the word of Jeremiah He

difficult to

For by

says,
Why bring ye unto Me the frankincense from Sheba ;
and cinnamon from a far country ? Your whole burnt-offering
"

"

"

not acceptable, and your sacrifices please Me not."

And
voice of David,
1 will not take bullocks from
thy
should I eat the flesh
house, nor he goats out of thy flocks
is

Ps.

l.

by the

9.

"

"

"

of bulls, or drink the blood of

also
Gal.

iii.

ii.

shows that the service that

goats?"

And

by the law
For that no man
is

justification, thus saying

law before God is evident."
"

the blessed Paul

is
is

powerless unto
justified by the

The will therefore of God, that

which we pray may be done upon earth, is not that we
should conform to the law, and live according to the grossness
"

will

of

its letter,

And

but that we should endeavour to

live

by the

gospel.

by a faith correct and free from error, and

a
by
holy life, possessed of the sweet savour of every virtue,
and proved by the testimony of good and noble conduct in
this is effected

every thing that

is

excellent.

THE GOSPEL OF
And

to explain also in another

way

LUKE.

the sense of what

is

laid

we

say, that those who utter unto God the petition

will be done, as in heaven so on earth,"
pray that they

before us,
"

ST.

Thy
may see

the cessation of

sin.

For the law of Moses was given

unto the Israelites to be their schoolmaster; but those who

received it paid but slight heed to its commands they were
lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God;" and turned
:

"

doctrines

"

"

people draweth near unto Me;

with their lips they honour Me, but their heart is far from
Me. But in vain fear they Me, while teaching the doctrines
"This

and commandments of

the word of Jeremiah

"

Tim.

iii.

where said of them;

"

own will for they wandered after the

and commandments of men.
For God also some

aside to follow their

this people evils

men."

And He

also said of

them by

earth, behold I bring upon

the fruit of their turning aside because
"

Is.xxix.i3.

Hear,

Jer.

vi. 19.

they have not regarded My Word, and have rejected My

But that
law."
Such then was the state of the Jews.
other multitude, spread over the whole earth, was in error in
"

"

For they served the creatures instead of the Rom.

and having humbled their mind to submission
"Creator:*"
unto unclean spirits, were led by them readily and without
and every kind of wick
understanding, into every thing base,

manifold ways.

"

edness was honoured

among them, and

"

they gloried in their

i.

25.

Phil.iii.ig.

shame," as Scripture saith.

The saints therefore supplicate, that both of these, as well
be counted worthy of peace froui
Israel as the Gentiles,
"

may

in that they were in misery, and

in the net of sin, without possibility of
so
to
speak,
caught,
in
that having received the righteousness which is
escape

on high, and be comforted

:

Christ by faith, they may become pure, and skilful in every good
For this reason they pray, Thy will be done, as in
work.
for as I said, the will of God over all
heaven, so in earth
earth should live holily, and piously,
is, that the dwellers
"

"

:"

upon
and without blame, being washed from

all

impurity, and

dili

of the spirits above in

gent in imitating the spiritual beauty
it were, the
on
church
earth, being, as
heaven so that the
firstborn" that Heb.
the
of
church
the
of
visible likeness and image
;

"

with Whom,
by Whom, and
the
with
Holy Ghost,
dominion
and
God the Father be praise
for ever and ever, Amen.

is

above,

may

to

please Christ;

x x

i.

COMMENTARY UPON

340

SERMON
c

xi 3-

"

Upon

THOSE

who

LXXV.

Give us every day our needful

bread"

possess earthly riches invite to their house

such of their friends as they wish to honour,, and setting before

them a costly banquet, make them enjoy themselves, though
providing for them nothing further than the satiating of the
But the Saviour and Lord of all, feasts us not with
appetite.
bodily enjoyments for this is profitless, and injurious even to
the body itself: rather He banquets with spiritual feasts the
hearts of those who would live virtuously, bestowing on them
;

man
And what

the saving doctrine of the gospel, by means of which a

becomes
I

full of all

have said

is

good, and an heir of eternal

clearly taught us in the passage

For when ye pray, He says, ye must say,

day the bread of our necessity."
But some, perchance, may think and even

us.
"

life.

now
"

set before

Give us every

say, that

it

is

unsuitable and not fitting for the saints to ask of God these
corporeal things ; and may therefore divert what is said to a

and affirm that they ask not earthly bread,

nor that for the body, but rather That Which came down
from above, from heaven, and gave life to the world. And I
too without all doubt would say, that it most becomes the saints
spiritual sense

earnestly to endeavour to be accounted worthy of spiritual

must, however, also understand, that though they ask
gifts.

We

simple bread, and this be what the Saviour bids them do, that
their address to God is nevertheless free from all blame, and
suitable to the piety of their lives.
For examine what is the
sense concealed in these words, and with what doctrines it is

For in that He commanded to ask for the bread,

pregnant.
that is, for the food of a day, it is evident, that He does not
permit them to possess any thing, but requires them rather
to practise a saintlike poverty.
For to ask is not the part
of those

who

have, but of those rather

what the body indispensably

Should then any one who is

who are

in

need of

and cannot do without.

requires,
want of nothing, say unto the

in

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

341

omniscient God,
Give us the bread of a day," he would of
course seem to wish to receive in derision, or
perchance even to
ridicule the meaning of the command, and to
imagine as some
That the Lord doth not see, neither the God of Jacob p a xc iv.
do,
"

"

7.

very command therefore, inasmuch as

ask
what
have
not, we may perceive, that He does
they
they
not wish His disciples to set their desire upon wealth. And
"

this

By

understand."

He is found elsewhere clearly enjoining "Be not anxious Mat.vi.25.

for yourselves, what ye shall eat, or what
ye shall drink
neither for your body what ye shall put on for all these

this
"

"

"

"

But seek ye chiefly the

things the Gentiles seek after.
of
and
His
God
kingdom
righteousness and all these things
shall be added unto you. For your heavenly Father knoweth
:

"

"

that

all

these things are needed by

The word

you."

applied here to the bread, some explain

as meaning that which is coming, and about to be given in the
future world, understanding it again spiritually while others
(TTLOVO-LOS

give the word a different sense. But if it be true, that the bread
men make mention of when they pray, is that which is to be
a

The meaning

of the

word

eVt-

has greatly troubled interbut the two explanations

preters
given by Cyril are the most imOIHTIOS

portant.

Of

these the

first

derives

from 7ret/u, to come upon, or rather from the participle eVtoOo-a,

which with foe pa understood, signiAnd Jerome even
fies tomorrow.
mentions that in the apocryphal
Hebrew gospel the reading was nnb

it

TO

tomorrow

bread; but

it

seems

row

possible

bread.

to

Nor

is

much

gained
by explaining that tomorrow s bread
life to come;
signifies that of the
for

it is

and which

from

r!

is quite untenable,
Cyril s second derivation
and ovcrm, which he supthe analogy of TTfptovo-ioy,

ports by
a word coined by the LXX, as eVtoixnos was by the Evangelists. And
this

analogy

is, I

for as ntpiovaios

think, conclusive;
means that which

exceeds our absolute needs, and so

even more improbable that

we

according to S. Luke s reading,

are to pray for this to be given us
s
every day." Passing by Jerome
own rendering of supersubstantialem, which he substituted for the

sufficient,^,
as Cyril renders it
Svriac version of thea.rap^gospels lately

J^

Dr. Cureton gives no

the Interpretation, being in

S Mat
-

ooi

PW

"Give

slant of the

I*-*!

^^

us our bread con-

day,"

and

in S.

Luke,
OT

}-L^c| fe-"-^ --*

Give us the constant bread of
The Peschito, howday."
<^

>ooJia!
"

"

quotidianum of the old Latin ver-

is

abundant; similarly emovo-ios means

that which just meets our absolute
* nd s is barelV
nee
^>

suppose that
our Lord commanded us to pray
unto God to give us today tomorscarcely

sion,

we have

every

and Philoxenian both agree

our
with S. Cyril in rendering it
ever,

"

"

necessary

bread."

COMMENTARY UPON
given them in the world to come,
"

us every

For by

this

why do they

"

add,

Give

it

we may

see, that what they

their daily provision,
not
as loving wealth,
asking
day?"

request is
but as free from

We

all

must explain there

necessary and sufficient.
The blessed Paul has somewhere
applied this phrase to Christ
the Saviour of us all, with a
for he said that
slight alteration
K- U"He has
prepared for Himself a people ire/wcrtW," using Trcptovo-ios instead of
imofoios, and meaning a people sufficient, and
not falling short of
When therefore they ask
perfectness.
food for the
day, understand, that they offer the request as
men free from the desire of riches, and who count it their boast
to be
entirely destitute of earthly things.
For it is fitting for those who are
appointed to the priest
hood, to be free from all worldly distraction and care,
whoring
after none of those
things which overwhelm men with necessary
cares, and cast them as in a
slough into the filth of worldly
Tim. vi. lusts.
For the love of
is the root of all evil."
And
fore

TTLovcnos as

earthly anxiety.
meaning that which

is

"

money

right that I should say to those who would renounce such

faults, that they must strip off for the world what
to it,
it is

belongs

and deny these

bodily things, and seek from God those things
only which are necessary for existence, protesting as it were
against the weakness of the body, which constantly
requires
food
and ready, were it lawful
from it, and
utterly to
;

escape
could so be
prolonged, even to accept this with great joy.
For just as those who know how to contend in
bodily strife,
and are skilled in the combats of the
games, strip off even their
life

garments, and stand up manfully against the

vigorous strength
so also the saints,
withdrawing from all
worldly anxiety, and bodily lusts and careless even of
having
of their
opponents

Tim.ii.4.

abundance of food, and

stripping as I said to oppose Satan and
the enemies of the
truth, apply themselves to the contests of
the
priestly office, and conquer as combatants. And the divine
Paul too somewhere said of those that war in the
flesh

"

"

"

man

"No

that

warreth entangleth himself with

worldly merchandise, that he may please him who hath chosen him for a
soldier."
For he goeth not forth to the combat laden with

superfluities,

but on the
contrary only taking with him such

equipments as are

fit

for warriors.

THE GOSPEL OF
It

LUKE.

ST.

343

becometh therefore the

saints, as having a combat to

wage, not only
against blood and flesh, but also against
magistracies and powers, and against the world-rulers of
"

Eph.vi.

12.

"

"

darkness, and against the spirits of

this

"

venly

open

regions,"

to the

be so well girt

to

grasp of those who

in

in the

evil

hea-

mind, as not to be

them, and who war

resist

And it is right also

against the message which they proclaim.
for them to be
that
to
think
is,
single-minded,
only of those
things which please the Lord, not being partly given up unto
worldly anxiety, but being all of them entirely holy and with
make

out blame, so to
it is

written that

their conduct a sacrifice unto God.

"every

"

sacrifice of the priest shall

For the

For

be a whole Lev.

the worldly are

divided b
to
the
of
the
blessed
Paul
but
of the
according
expression
saints not so: but
are
they
entirely consecrated, completely
holy, emitting a sweet savour unto God and this we say is a
burnt-offering."

lives of

"

vi.z?,,

Cor.

vii.

,"

33-

whole burnt-offering.
But when ought that is unsaintly is
found in any, it pollutes the sacrifice, alters and divides it or
:

rather

mingled with the ointment for its sweet savour

has utterly perished.
But the love of money is an unsavoury
thing and the being anxious for the things of the body for
filth is

God

has everywhere promised the saints that they shall not

If then we do not believe that He will grant this, we
want.
become partakers of the unbelief of the Jews. For when God

wonderfully and ineffably brought out for them water

from the rock, they murmured at Him saying; "Can God
prepare a table in the wilderness?" And why can He not,

over

all

"

not give what He has promised? For

and
all men of good character abide faithfully by their words
how shall God Who transcends all, be false in ought that He

and wherefore should

He

moreover, after having promised some

but He
good, are often too weak to fulfil their engagements
who knoweth no weakness, but rather is the Lord of powers,
Who doeth whatsoever He will without labour and with ease,
how shall not He accomplish whatsoever He promiseth unto

hath promised

Men

men
"

S. Cyril evidently punctuates

this verse in the same way as the

Vulgate;

"The

married

man

is

anxious about the things of the

world to please his wife, and

divided."

Pa. ixxviii.

COMMENTARY UPON

344
i

Pet.

"

v. 7.

what

Casting therefore upon

sufficeth for life

whatever

is

Him

food, that

our care/
is

let

to say,

sufficient for us,

all

avoiding
that which threatens us with destruction.
will, Christ will accept and bless us

us ask of

and

clothing,

Him
and

wish to be rich, as
For if such be our

by Whom, and with

the Father be praise and dominion with the
Holy Ghost, for ever and ever, Amen.
;

Whom,

to

God

THE GOSPEL OF

SERMON
And forgive

THE
salvation

"

LUKE.

345

LXXVI.

us our sins : for we also forgive every one that

indebted unto us.

is C.

xi. 4.

blessed prophet Isaiah, when revealing the way of

by the preaching of the Gospel, thus somewhere
"

speaks

ST.

There

shall

called the holy way.

be there a level way, and it shall be

For it leads those who walk thereon

Is.

xxxv. 8.

unto holiness by a spiritual service, and a righteousness supe

We

rior to the law.

remember

also Christ,

Who

says to those

unless your Mat.

who love Him; "Verily
say unto you, that
and
scribes
of
the
that
more than
pharisees,
righteousness be
13
And I say that it
the kingdom of God.
not
enter
shall
ye
I

v. -20.

"

"

ac
the duty of those who have been called by faith to the
Saviour
Christ,
our universal
knowledgment of the glory of
ac
and have Him for their head, to delight in imitating His
shine
in letting their light
by holy
tions, and be in earnest

is

conduct, such as was

things are become
"

unknown to them of old time.

new in Christ." He requires

"

For

all * Cor. v. 17.

therefore

that so they
His disciples to be gentle, and slow unto anger,
in their prayers,
Forgive us
may be able to say blamelessly
indebted
is
that
for we also forgive every one
our sins
what
saga
Oh what great and admirable skill
unto
"

"

us."

cious thought

the riches, both of

or rather, oh! the depth of

commands them

to

He first
the wisdom and knowledge of God
and then to confess
commit,
sins
the
of
they
ask forgiveness
and if I may so say,
others
that they also entirely forgive
the long suffering which they prac
they ask God to imitate
shew to their fellow
and that same gentleness which they
tise
in equal measure
that they may receive
!

servants, they pray

from God,

Who

giveth justly,

unto every man.

and knoweth how

to

shew mercy

to
let us endeavour
perceivea more
upon
entenng
the
by
of
prayer,
clearly the meaning
As
before us
the
of
passage
extended and exact consideration
t
near
diaw
we
He has commanded us when

Come,

I said,

therefore,

therefore,

and

COMMENTARY UPON

346
say

"Forgive

what the

us our sins.

benefit

is

And we will examine, if you

which we receive from

who

this.

please,

Those then

thus speak are not supercilious they do not think great

things of themselves do not vaunt themselves over the weak
:

Prov.

xiii.

but, as Scripture saith,

"

they know themselves/

For they

are not like that ignorant and

haughty Pharisee, who even
made the Lord his witness, according to the parable which

Luke

Two men went up into the temple to pray ; the one a

says
Pharisee and the other a publican and the Pharisee stood
"

xviii.

"

"

"

and said thus

God,

thank Thee that

am

not as the rest

of mankind, extortioners, unjust, adulterers

or as this pubI fast twice in the week
lican.
and tithe every thing I
;

"

"

But the publican stood afar off, smiting upon his

God, be merciful to me a sinner. I say
breast, and saying
unto you, that this one went down to his house justified ra-

possess.
"

"

"

ther than the

other."

Observe therefore how ruinous

to vaunt oneself over those

it

is

who

are weak, imagining that our

conduct is in no respect whatsoever worthy of blame.
ought rather to consider and reflect, that in many things we

We

Jamesiii.

2.

"

all of us are
so to speak, are always in sins,
guilty," and,
sometimes even involuntarily: for it is written;
Who can
understand his offences
find
We
also the blessed Psalmist
"

Ps. xix. 12.

"

"

?"

Ps. xix. 13.

very anxious in making his supplications to God, and plainly

Both cleanse me from my secret doings and from
saying
"

<(

"

the deeds of others spare Thy servant, lest they overpower

me tlien shall I be blameless, and purified from great sin."
:

And

Job

i.

5.

further also, the very patient Job offered sacrifices for the
unknown, or rather undiscovered sins of his sons, considering
and saying ; "It may be my sons have spoken evil in their
"

Cor.

iv. 4.

heart against

God."

We

who, when he had written,

"

"

remember also the very wise Paul,

For I am not conscious of any
"

but I am not hereby

myself
thoughtfully added,
but
He
me
is the Lord."
That
justified
judgeth
It is therefore greatly to our profit constantly to fall down
fault in

"

:"

Who

what is good, and say, Forgive us our

one
of the holy prophets,
Declare thou
by
first thy unlawfulnesses, that thou
mayest be justified." And
inasmuch as this was not unknown to the blessed David, he
before God,

Is. xliii.26.

sins.

For

He

loveth

said

"

"

Ps.xxxii.5.

I said that I will confess of

thus sings;
myself my iniquity
unto the Lord and Thou forgavest the wickedness of my
"

"

THE GOSPEL OF
"

heart/

For God readily

ST.

accepts,

LUKE.

347

and has mercy on those

who do

not forget their offences, but fall down before Him, and
ask of Him forgiveness but He is severe, and very justly so,
upon the obdurate and the proud, and on him who in his great
ignorance acquits himself of blame. For He said unto one thus
:

"

Behold,

disposed,
"

sayest,

have not

have a

suit against thee,

? or who can have confidence that he

The road then to salvation, and which

pure heart
sins

because thou

Jer.

ii.

35.

For who can boast that he has a

sinned."

is

undenled by

delivers those

who

earnestly walk thereon from the wrath of God, is the con

fession of offences, and to say in our prayers to Him Who purifieth the wicked, Forgive us our sins.

There

is

also another

way

which

in

For

benefits us.

it

those verily who own that they have sinned, and wish
as One Who
pardon from God, necessarily fear Him,

to obtain
is

about

to be the Judge they are not forgetful of God s terrible judg

shall all
ment-seat,
For, as the very wise Paul writes;
that
of
Christ,
seat
every
be manifested before the
:

We

"

"

"

"

Cor.v.io.

judgment

man may be

done by the body, acrequited for the things

whether it be good, or whether

cording to what he hath done,
Those in whose mind the conviction is present,
it be bad."

and
that they must stand before Him, and make their defence
bitter
suffer
will
punish
if they are accused of wicked conduct,
have well and wisely lead
if
be
;

ment
the

but

life

will

that

is

praised,

in the flesh

they
on earth

on the one hand,

thirst,

committed,
for the forgiveness of the sins they have already
eternal
and
pun
that they may escape the unending torment
live uprightly and
ishment and, on the other, they hasten to
receive the crown that becometh
blamelessly, that they may
For so will the Judge be gentle
the excellence of their lives.
:

He

the

for
iniquity,
towards them, nor remember evil
in the day that he
him
harm
not
shall
wicked
the
of
:

saath E.ech.
sh;

repent of his iniquity."

for men withou
And let not any one imagine that it is lawful
not
our iniquities." For it is
distinction to say,
Forgive us
wish
and
in wickedness,
"

t<

fitting for those

do so
ther,

who

still

continue

but for those ra-

us our
to the last, to say, Forgive
wicked deeds,
former
their
abandoned
who have
sins

Were

it

and now

not so no

to live as becometh saints.

earnestly desire
of their
men who are still wicked, outers
thing would prevent

Yy

COMMENTARY UPON

348

fathers, and matricides,, and adulterers, and sorcerers, and

whoever are guilty of these most abominable crimes, to con
tinue in the practice of them, and cherish their evil propen
sities
unchanged, and be polluted by the pursuit of every
thing that is base and nevertheless to draw near, and pre
;

sumptuously say,
Forgive us our sins." For with good rea
son the Saviour of all and Lord did not conclude this clause of
"

commanded us to add, For we

ourselves have forgiven every one who is indebted to
But this is fitting only for those to say, who have

the prayer at this point, but

"

also

"

us."

"

life, and are practising without remissness

Kom. xii.2. that will of God, which, as
Scripture saith, is "good and acceptable and perfect." These honour a long-suffering temper,
"and
and
acquit of all blame those who have wronged them

chosen a virtuous

"

even though any one afflict them, they think nothing of the
matter. To be slow then unto anger, is a virtue altogether
Eom.

xiii.

excellent,

and the

declares to be

And

fruit of that love

which the wise Paul even

the fulfilling of the law."

consider, I pray, the exceeding beauty of this virtue,
"

even from the deformity of the vice opposed to it. For irasci
bility is in truth a serious malady, and whoever is subject to
it in mind becomes irritable and morose, harsh and obdurate,

and this long

doth he
and
cannot
be
charmed
Ever
that
continued,
away.
he watches
behold with evil eyes whoever has wronged him
him sternly seeks for time and place in which to injure him
and that generally not in equal measure, but many times
Is not
greater than the wrong he is secret and plotting.
such a one full of all deformity, hateful to God, and rejected
For the ways of
by Him, and therefore in utter misery ?
the abode and habitation of wrath and vexation

Prov.

"

xii.

(piKoffoQia.

a fa e an r
g y ^ as
simple, and not

much

ft

js

"

written,

are to

the forbearance which

men

practise,

from above, and from God. His heart

of vexation

it

But he who is
and that not so
as that which cometh

death."

irascible, is full of forbearance,

masters

its

is

not subject to the fester

anger, and repels the

bitter feelings

which spring therefrom.

He is forgiving, kind to his com
and
affable, and humbles himself to the in
panions, gentle

Such was the character of the discifirmity of his neighbour.

for
of
the blessed Paul wrote; "Being
Saviour:
the
iCor.iv.T2.ples
"

reviled,

we

bless

being persecuted,

we bear

patiently

being

THE GOSPEL OF
"

"

"

"

defamed, we

entreat,"

Who, when He was

We

LUKE.

For they have grown

reviled, reviled not again

suffered, threatened not

that judgeth

ST.

34,9

like their
:

but committed His cause to

He

Him

righteously."

God the forgiveness of

we have committed, when we have ourselves first
must

Lord,

and when

ask, therefore, of

the sins
forgiven

whoever have offended in ought, provided that their sin is

against us, and not against the glory of the supreme God.

For over such

actions

we

are not lords, but only over those

which have been committed against ourselves. And by thus for

giving the brethren what they do unto us, we shall then cer
tainly find Christ, the Saviour of all, gentle and ready to shew
us mercy
by Whom and with Whom to God the Father be
:

praise and dominion, with the Holy Ghost,

Amen.

for ever

and ever,

iPet.ii.2 3

COMMENTARY UPON

350

SERMON
C. xi.

Ana

4.

O ALL

LXXVII.

lead us not into temptation.

ye who love the divine will, and are enamoured

life, draw near unto God over all, and say,

of a blameless
Ps. xxv. 4

Shew me Thy ways,

Lord, and teach me Thy paths/

wisdom and understanding is from Him; and the
knowledge of all good cometh unto us from above from the
supreme throne, as from a fountain and no man can accom
plish any thing praiseworthy, unless he receive the ability
from Him. And this He teacheth us Himself, saying, With-

For

all

John xv.

"

5.

out

"

Me

ye can do

every man

nothing."

He

therefore

Who

giveth to

things whatsoever wherein they can justly glory,

now leadeth us on to another of those things which are neces
all

For He commands us when we are instant

Lead
us not into temptation."
prayer
With these words Luke concludes the prayer but Matthew

sary to salvation.
in

to say,

"

Mat.vi.is. is

found to add,

"

but deliver us from

evil."

certain close connection in the clauses

from

And

there

for plainly

it

is

follows

men

not being led into temptation, that they are also

delivered from evil or perchance, were any one to say, that
;

the not being led into it is the same as the being delivered
from it, he would not err from the truth. But let us consider

Does the Saviour and Lord of all wish His friends to be

cowardly? Are they to be lazy and abject, and in earnest
rather in avoiding the contest than in winning renown ? And
Be strong, and let
yet the Spirit said in the book of Psalms,
this

Ps. xxxi.

"

"

Mat.

v. ro.

your heart be

firm, all

ye who trust

Saviour Himself somewhere saith,

persecuted for righteousness sake

"

"

of heaven/

If then

in the

Lord."

And

the

Blessed are they who are

for theirs is the kingdom

He crown

with such splendid honours

him who is persecuted, and to be persecuted is undeniably a
m in what sense does He command them to avoid
temptation
"

For certainly it is not inactivity, and an unprofit

able dilatoriness, and a thankless sloth, which render those train
temptation

ed for gymnastic contests successful, and worthy of honours, and

m Or

in

more modern language a

temptation, a derivative of tento.

trial,

which

is

the strict

meaning of

THE GOSPEL OF
the

of hands,

clapping

851

on the contrary, severe

toil.

not in time of peace that one sees the man

well acquainted with the tactics of war, and bold withal,

Moreover,

who

but,

LUKE.

ST.

is

is

it

he must have shewn himself a hardy

combatant against the enemy. And why then does Christ, so
to speak, even hamstring those who love Him, by making

and

tried in battle, but

them
To

Lead us not into temptation."

we reply, gathering after our manner

"

say,
this

which are

best,

that

He

does

not

wish

those ideas

His followers

to

that He
be abject, nor yet indolent in any other way
even incites them to courageousness in all things praise
strait door: for narrow is
worthy, saying, "Enter in at the
leadeth unto life, and
that
the
strait
and
the door,
way,
therefore be in us
must
There
find
who
few are they
and a mind
ardour:
of
and
an unchangeable
manly spirit
blessed
of
the
that
was
as
such
Paul, who
patient in endurance,
;

Mat.vii.is.

"

"

it."

"

said,
"

"

Who

shall separate

me from

the love of Christ

Shall Rom.

or famine, or nakedtribulation, or distress, or persecution,

even though we be
But
ness, or danger, or the sword

viii,

35

?"

thus minded, and attain to these measures of manliness, yet

Mat.
we must think humbly of ourselves, being poor in spirit/
that
not
and
always
imagine
according to the Saviour s word,
"

and necessarily we

For some

conquer all temptations.

of a man
times an unendurable" alarm falling upon the mind
whathates
fear as also does Satan, who
it into
terrifies

shall

abject

and the severity of the temptation unbends

the violent
sometimes even the most courageous mind. So do
a firmly
to
pieces
and unendurable blows of the waves dash
mass of
dense
a
and so does
built and well-manned ship
most
the
to flight
darts shot from the hands of the enemy put

^verTs good

one therefore ought to be over-confident,

he be brave
or rash in encountering temptations, even though
of our
but rather let us reflect upon the infirmity
in mind
cause
a
lest perchance we prove
mind, and fear with soberness,
the
bear
to
able
of ridicule to our tempters, by not being

steadfast soldier.

No

of the battle.

not be tempted for it is

Let us therefore pray that we may
men to
difficult to most
a thing difficult to escape from, and
us of
summons
endure unto the end. But when the conjuncture
we
all our strength,
then indeed, exerting
necessity thereto,
:

v. 3.

COMMENTARY UPON

352
must enter the

conflict,

and struggle

for

our souls, nothing

on the contrary, calling to mind what Christ the

Saviour of all said to us ;
Fear ye not them who kill the

fearing, but,
Mat.

x. 18.

body, but cannot

"

Jam.

i.

12.

kill

the soul; but rather fear

able to destroy both soul and

"

in

body

Him Who
As

hell."

is

also that

Blessed is the man that enholy apostle who thus wrote,

dureth temptation who, when he is proved, shall receive the
crown of life, which God hath promised to them that love
"

"

"

u Him/

There are however many kinds of temptation of which two

common and very general.
And what these are it behoves us to tell. There are in the
;

are of universal occurrence, and

world

many

heresies

false

apostles,

and

false teachers,,

who

gathering the wearisomeness of frigid inventions, and glorying

in the arts of
worldly wisdom, adulterate the language of the
sacred proclamations, and multiply blasphemous words against
own pates and as the Psalmist saith, they set up their

Ps. lxxv.5. their

"

horn on high, speaking iniquity against God

"

God

the

Word

the

Maker

:"

yea, and

of

all, Who, they say, is to

against
be reckoned among those things that were made by Him ; and
is a servant, and not a son ; and a creature, and not the Lord.

These, resisting the champions of the truth, persecute those

it is to hold sound doctrine, and who defend the

whose choice

divine glory, and endeavour to crown the only-begotten Word

God with incomparable praises. When therefore any tempta

of

who throws
from
nor an
who
runs
the
battle,
away
Wish not an un
athlete destitute alike of skill and courage.
seasonable peace, the cause of future ruin but remember that
tion arrive on this account, be not thou found one
his shield, nor a soldier

Mat.

x. 34.

Christ the Saviour of

"

bring peace upon earth I

a sword." And if perchance
;

"

Think not that I am come to

am not come to bring peace, but
"

all said,

it

happen that the persecutors

possess worldly power, fear not the harm they can do thee, nor
the danger even of blood, and the risk of life but remember
;

Thereagain the exhortation of the holy apostle, who says,

fore let those also who suifer according to the will of God
"

Pet.

iv.

"

I9>

"

"

Pet.

iv.
"

"

commend
For

let

their souls to a faithful

no one of you

suffer as

as one busy with other

let

men s

him not be ashamed, but

things
glorify

And again,
or as an evil doer, or

Creator."

thief,
;

but

if

God on

as a Christian,
this

account."

THE GOSPEL OF
For

we

ST.

LUKE.

353

follows as a matter of course upon having to suffer, that

shall justly be accounted worthy of eternal honours.
The
it

struggle

Paul

is

said,

not unrewarded the labour is not in vain for as

u God is not
unrighteous to forget your labour and

"

your

love,

which ye have shewed

His

in

Name."

Heb.

vi.io.

These then

all who fear God, to

give the
of
him
who
knoweth
how
to
endure
For the
patiently.
proof
blessed martyrs are crowned, as
a
having fought
good fight, iTim.iv.;.
and finished their running, and kept the faith."

are the conflicts ordained for

"

"

Furthermore, other kinds of temptations there are besides

common, so to speak, to every one, but which happen to

this,

each one differently. For as one of the holy apostles said,

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; James 1.13.
neither doth He tempt
for God doth not tempt with evils
he is drawn away
when
is
one
But
one.
tempted,
every
any
"

"

"

"

"

and enticed of

his

own

And

lust.

conceived, bringcth forth sin

mated bringcth forth death."

"

and

afterward
sin

when

lust,

it

is

having
consum-

struggle therefore and

he fall into sin, and

upon every
is
be led away from that which seemly, wandering into wrongful
deeds. Violent is the force of passions, and there wars against
great danger

is

laid

one, lest

the mind of every one a motley crowd and furious multitude

of base pleasures. For some humble men into fleshly lust and
while others lead
filthy lewdnesses;

them

to the desire of gain,

and

drawing
making their victims lovers of sordid hoards,
them on to every blameful crime. Well therefore does it
become us who arc exposed to such serious evils, even though
Lead us
as yet we have not fallen into them, to pray, saying,
"

For it were
not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
but if
evil:
from
course apart
good for a man to run his
rebuke
brave and unconquerable
temptation assail, then be
the safety
the flesh, put a bridle on the mind, ask aid of God,
and con
vouchsafed by power from on high. Be established
be cau
rather
not feeble, not easy to be ensnared
"

firmed,

more than a lover of pleasure

tious, and a lover of God
thee victory Who is
for then He will aid thee and grant
with Whom, to God
Saviour and Lord of all: by Whom and
:

with the Holy Ghost,

the Father be praise and dominion,
ever and ever, Ainen.

ft

COMMENTARY UPON

354

SERMON
C.

xi.

5-10.

LXXVIII.

And He

said unto them, Who of you shall have a friend,

shall go to him at midnight, and say unto him,
Friend, lend me three loaves : for my friend has come to

and

way, and I have nothing to set before him.

from within shall answer and say, Trouble me

me from

And
.

the

he

and the children are with me

and give thee. I say unto you, that
though he will not rise and give him, because he is his
friend ; because of his urgency he will rise and give him as
many as he needeth. And I also say unto you, Ask, and it
shall be given you
knock, and it
seek, and ye shall find
For every one that asketh reshall be opened unto you.
and whosoever
ceiveth ; and he that seeketh findeth
not

lo !

in bed

the door is shut,

I cannot

rise

knocketh,

it

shall be opened unto him.

THE

language of the divinely inspired Scripture is con

nor will it bend itself for those
so
to speak, profound
stantly,
to be able to understand it who merely wish to do so, but only
;

for those

who know how

to search

it

well,

and are enriched

with the divine light in their mind, by means of which they

Let us therefore
attain unto the meaning of hidden truths.

ask for the understanding which cometh from above, from God,

and the illumination of the Holy Ghost, that we may attain to

a correct and unerring method, whereby we may be enabled
to see the truth contained in the passage set before us.

We

have heard then what the Saviour said in the parable

to us, which if we understand we shall find to be

now read

laden with benefits.

And

the order of the ideas

is

very won

For the Saviour of all had taught at the request of

But it was
the holy apostles, in what way we ought to pray.
had
obtained
from
Him
this
who
that
those
precious
possible
derful.

lesson, might sometimes make indeed their suppli

cations according to the pattern given them, but would do so
11
And so, when not heard at their first or
wearily and lazily.

and saving

Neither the Syriac nor Aquinas

contain the negative found in the

Greek, which reads,

TOVTO dpav p?Se pa

p.rj

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

355

second prayer, would desist from their supplications, as

being
In order therefore that we may
unavailing to their benefit.
not experience this, nor suffer the injury that would result

from such

littleness of

mind,

He

teaches us that

we must

dili

gently continue the practice, and in the form of a parable plainly

shews that weariness in prayer is to our loss, while patience
therein is greatly to our profit for it is our duty to perse
:

vere, without giving

us by saying, that
"

because he

is

way
"

to indolence.

though he

And

will not rise

this

He

teaches

and give him

his friend, because of his importunity he will

and give him as many as he needeth."

And now come, and let us transfer to the truth what was
shewn in the form of a parable. Be urgent in prayer draw
near unto God Who loveth to be kind; and that very con
"

rise

And

thou seest that the

is delayed,
gift of grace
of
the
not
expected blessing
despair
yield not to weariness
abandon not the hope set before thee; nor further foolishly
I have
I have drawn near frequently
say within thyself,
not I
received
and
I
have
wept,
gained absolutely nothing
I
of
all
for
asked,
have supplicated, but not been accepted

stantly.

if

Rather think thus within

nothing has been accomplished.

thyself, that

He Who

is

the universal treasure house better

knoweth our state than we do, in that He weigheth to every

man what is duo and suitable to him. Thou askest sometimes
what is beyond thy measure thou wishest to receive those
The Giver Himself
of which thou art not yet worthy.
;

things

knoweth the time suitable

immediately and without

for

His

gifts.

discretion

Earthly fathers do not

fulfil

the desire of their

that not
but often delay in spite of their asking, and
because they have a grudging hand, nor again because they
to the petitioners, but as con
is
pleasant
regard (merely) what
and necessary for their good conduct.
sidering what is useful
due
And how will that rich and bounteous Giver neglect the

sons

men of what

unless of course,

they pray for,

that it would not be for their
knows
He
and without all doubt,
must therefore offer our
benefit to receive what they ask ? We
and
as well as with assiduity
prayers to God with knowledge,
continue
there be some delay in thy requests
even

accomplishment for

though

that what
as being well assured
patiently with the vintagers,
won, is usually despised:
is gained without toil, and readily
Z Z 2

COMMENTARY UPON

356

whereas that which

is

gathered with labour

a more pleasant

is

and abiding possession.

I draw near frequently,
But perchance to this thou sayest
has wandered
but
the
therefrom
making requests
vintage
;

far

am

away.

not slothful in supplications, but persevering

who will assure me that I shall

and very importunate

(

who

receive?

Therefore

"

security that I shall not labour in vain?

and it is the Bestower of
say unto you

my

I also

;"

Who

I also say unto

Himself enters, and speaks;
be opened
it
shall
shall
find
and
and
knock,
you, Seek,
ye
unto you for every one that asketh receiveth ; and he who

divine gifts
"

is

"

"

"

seeketh findeth

unto

and whosoever knocketh,

it

be opened
has the full

shall

I say unto you"

In these words,
not that God is false, even though the promise
be not accompanied with an oath but to shew that the little
"

"

him."

force of an oath

ness of their faith was groundless, He sometimes confirms His

For the Saviour is also found in many
hearers by an oath.
places prefacing His words by saying,
Verily, verily, I say
unto you." As therefore He makes this very promise on
oath, it is not a thing free from guilt to disbelieve it.
"

"

In telling us therefore to seek,

labour, that which

needed

He

bids us labour
so

for

by

to

say, found;
always,
He who
especially when it is something fit for us to possess.
not
once merely, but again and again, rattles the door
knocks,

with his hand,

it

is

may

is

be, or with a stone, so that the master of

the house, unable to endure the annoyance of the knocks, will

Learn therefore, even from what

which is to thy profit.
happens among
way
Knock, be urgent, ask. So must all act who ask any thing
open

it

even against his

us, the

iThess. v.
T

of

God:

for wise

will.

to gain that

Paul writes.

"Pray

without

ceasing."

We

are in need of urgent prayer, because many are the turmoils of

for that many
worldly matters which encircle us around

7-

headed serpent greatly distresses us, involving us sometimes in

unexpected difficulties, that he may humble us unto baseness and
manifold

Rom.

vii.

and, besides this, there is also the inbred law of vo

luptuousness lurking in our fleshly members, and warring, as
Scripture saith, "against the law of our mind:" and lastly,
sin:

the enemies of the doctrines of truth, even the impure and pol
luted gangs of heretics, oppose those who wish to hold correct
opinions.

Constant and earnest prayer therefore

is

necessary.

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

357

For arms and the implements of warfare are needed

for sol

they may be able to overcome those who are drawn

and for us prayer,
for our weapons/ as
up against them

diers, that

"

Scripture saith

And

"

this too

sufficient to

are not carnal, but mighty to

we ought

to add, as being in

Cor. x. 4

God."

my

opinion amply
of

The Saviour and Lord

quicken us unto prayer.

seen again and again passing the night in prayer. And

too He was about to undergo His saving passion upon
the precious cross, He knelt down and prayed, saying; "Father, Mat.
all is

when

be possible, let this cup pass from Me." Was this because
Life was afraid of death ? Was it because there was no escape
"

if it

Him from

the net, no deliverance from the snare, in that

the hand of the Jews was mightier than His power ? And how

for

not altogether abominable to think or speak thus?

is it

He was

by nature God, and the Lord of powers, even though He was

in form like unto us.
Of His own will He took upon Him the
suffering

upon the

What need was

cross, because

He was

there then of prayer

the helper of us all.

was that we might

It

learn that supplication is becoming and full of benefits, and

that we must be constant in it whenever temptation befal, and
the cruelty of enemies press upon us like a wave.
it in one more light ; for man to converse with
And to

God

is

put
a very great honour to human nature.

in prayer, being

Our

commanded

But

for

we

Ho

both loves and generously

say,

them of

course,

to address the

Father.

And
Lord

this

we do

as Father

He

bo a Father, necessarily
cherishes His sons, and honours
if

and counts them worthy of indulgence.

Draw

near therefore in faith with perseverance, as being well assured

that to those who ask urgently Christ bows His ear: by

Whom

and with Whom,

dominion, with the Holy

to

God

the Father be praise and

Ghost, for ever

and

ever,

Amen.

39

xxvi.

COMMENTARY UPON

358

SERMON
C. xi. Ti-

And

luhich of you that shall ask his father bread, will he

him a stone? or if he ask of him a fish, will he for a
a serpent? If lie ask an egg, will he offer
fi s h ffer hi
**..
a
T^
r
him a scorpion ? If ye therefore, who are evil, know how to
offer

rlste S.

..

^ ve # 00 ^

all V?7

om.WS.
Trvev/j-a

s<

aya-

V our children

ffffi 8 to

how much more

heavenly Father give a good spirit

a.vr6v s.

add. 1$

"

om. &prov
add

LXXIX.

to

shall the

them that ask

Him ?

TO love instruction and be fond of hearing becometh saints

but those who are thus minded must, I say, keep in remem:

brance, and store up in the treasure-house of their heart, what

soever has been spoken by those who are skilful in teaching
right doctrine, and whose study it is ably to initiate men in the
truth.
ritual

For

both profitable to themselves for their spi

improvement and besides, it rejoices the teacher, just,
this is

for instance, as the seed also gladdens the husbandman when

it
springs up, as having been well covered in the furrow, and

Ye therefore remember that

escaped being the food of birds.
at our last meeting we addressed you on the duty of praying
without ceasing, and making supplication continually in offering
our requests unto
littleness of soul,

what delay His

is

to our benefit,

God

nor at
gift,

and that we must not give way

to any
grow weary, even though He some
considering that He knoweth whatsoever
:

all

and that the

fitting

season for His bounties

is

not forgotten by Him.

And in to-day s lesson from the gospel, the Saviour again

And
teaches another point most useful for our edification.
what this is, come, that we may declare it as to sons. We
sometimes draw near to our bounteous God, offering Him
petitions for various objects, according to each one s pleasure
:

but occasionally without discernment, or any careful exami

nation what truly is to our advantage, and if granted by God
would prove a blessing; and what would be to our injury if we
received

we

fall

Rather, by the inconsiderate impulse of our fancy,

into desires replete with ruin, and which thrust the
it.

souls of those that entertain

the meshes of

hell.

When

them

into the snare of death

therefore

we ask

of

and

God ought

of

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

359

we shall by no means receive it on the

contrary, we
a petition fit only for ridicule. And
why shall we not
receive it? Is the God of all
weary of bestowing gifts upon us?
no
means.
some
one forsooth may say, will He
then,
By
Why
this kind,

offer

He is bounteous in giving? Let us learn of

Him or rather, thou hast already heard Him here saying,
What man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread,

not give, since

;

"

he give him a stone?" Understand, he says,

by an
or
image
plain example taken from what happens among you,
the meaning of what I say Thou art the father of children ;
"will

thou hast in thcc the sharp spur of natural affection towards

them; in every way thou wishest to benefit them: when there
fore, He says, one asks of thee bread, without delay and with
it, as knowing well that he seeks of thee
wholesome food.
But when, from want of understanding, a
little child that knows not yet how to distinguish what it sees,
nor moreover what is the service and use of the various objects

pleasure thou givest

our way, asks for stones to eat, dost thou, He says,

or
rather dost thou not make him desist from any
them,
give
such desire as would be to his injury ?
And the same reasoning holds good of the serpent and fish,

that

fall in

and the egg and

scorpion.

If

he ask a

fish,

thou wilt grant

he see a serpent, and wish to seize it, thou

hold back the child s hand. If he want an egg, thou wilt
it:

it

but

if

at once,

and encourage

wilt
offer

his desire after things of this sort,

scor
may advance to riper age but if he see a
it to be some
run
after
and
it,
imagining
pion creeping about,
of the harm it can do, thou
thing pretty, and as being ignorant
and not let him be injured
course
of
I
him,
wilt,
stop

that the infant

suppose,

by the noxious animal.

When

In quoting the text at the comof the sermon, S. Cyril

mencement
reads ris

fie

vpS>v

TOV Trarepa
by one or

mYiJcm aprov, supported

two of the best MSS. ; here however
he reads, ris fie ttrnv e ty&v Avdpaavrov ctprov ;
iroff, ov airiaei 6 vios
This however is not to be regarded
ae a different reading, but as a substitution of the words of S. Mat-

thew s Gospel for those of S. Luke

and I may notice here, that though
:

He

therefore

"

says,
S.

commenting upon
yet,

wherever there

Luke
is

Ye who
s

any

Gospel,
differ-

the
ence, S. Cyril constantly adopts
words of S. Matthew from which
I conclude that he knew that gospel
:

best,

and that

suggested

to

to

preference
therefore is

his

memory

him
any

therefore

readings in
Caution
other.
its

quoting
an authority for any
which
reading in the other Gospels
verbatim with S. Matthew.
S. Cyril

agrees

as

necessary

COMMENTARY UPON

360
"

are evil

"

children

He

by which

means, ye whose mind is capable of

and not uniformly inclined to good
ye know how to give good gifts to your
how much more shall your heavenly Father give a

;"

being influenced by
like the God of all ;
:

evil,

"

And by u a good spirit"

good spirit to them that ask Him
He means spiritual grace for this in every way is good, and
if a man receive it, he will become most blessed, and
worthy of
"

?"

admiration.

Most ready therefore is our heavenly Father to bestow gifts

upon us so that whosoever is denied what he asks, is himself
the cause of it for he asks, as I said, what God will not give.
For God wishes us to be holy and blameless, and to advance
:

uprightly and boldly in every good work ; walking apart from

every thing that denies, and from the love of fleshly pleasure,

and rejecting the anxieties of worldly pursuits

ourselves

not involving
not
worldly business;
living profligately and
not delighting in unruly pleasures nor moreover
;

in

carelessly
practising a dissolute
;

mode

of

life

but desiring to

live well

and

wisely, and in accordance with God s commands, making

the law which He gave us the regulator of our conduct, and

earnest in the pursuit of whatever tends chiefly to our edifi

cation. If therefore thou wishest to receive
ought of this kind,
for our Father Who is in heaven, because
loveth virtue, will readily incline His ear.
Examine therefore thy prayer for if thou askest ought by
receiving which thou wilt become a lover of God, God, as I

draw near with joy

He

said, will

grant

it

but

if it

be any thing unreasonable, or that

He
able to do thee an injury, He will withhold His hand
will not bestow the wished-for object; in order that neither
is

He may

give ought of an injurious nature,

for this

is

com

nor thou be harmed thyself by

explain how: for which purpose I shall bring
forward examples. When thou askest for wealth, thou wilt not
receive it of God and why ?
Because it separates the heart
pletely alien

ing

it.

And

from Him,

let

receiv

me
:

man from Him.

Wealth begets pride, voluptuousness, and

the love of pleasure, and brings men down to the pitfalls of
worldly lusts. And so one of the disciples of our Lord has
of

James iv. i, taught us, saying

"Whence

"

among you
your members

quarrels
"

war

in

are there wars, and whence

hence from your lusts, that

Is it not

Ye

lust,

and have not

ye seek, and

THE GOSPEL OF
"

find not

"

that ye

ye ask, and receive

may spend it on your
:

ST.

not,

LUKE.

361

because ye ask
wickedly,
When thou askest

pleasures."

worldly power, God will turn away His face for He knows
it is a most
For
injurious thing to those who possess it.
:

that

constantly, so to speak, charges of oppression attach themselves

to those who possess
worldly power and those are for the
:

most part proud, and unbridled, and

boastful,

who

are set in

When

thou askest for any to perish, or be

exposed to inevitable tortures, because they have annoyed or
molested thee in any way, God will not
grant it. For He willeth us to be long-suffering in mind and not to
requite any one
with evil for evil, but to pray for those who
to do
spoil us

temporal dignities.

who

and be imitators of His kindness.

good
For this reason Solomon was praised; for when offering up
And thou shalt give Thy servant
prayers unto God, he said
a heart to hear, and to judge Thy people righteously." And
to those

injure us,

"

"

And what
pleased the Lord that Solomon asked this thing.
did God, Who loveth virtue, say to him ?
Because thou hast

it

"

"

"

not asked for thee

nor hast asked the

lives of
many days
enemies
but
hast
asked
for
thee
thy
understanding, and to
hear judgment behold
I have done what thou spakest
:

"

"

Do

have given thee a heart prudent and wise."

thou therefore ask the bestowal without stint of spiritual

behold

Ask

strength, that thou mayest be able manfully to

Ask of God an uncovetous disposi
resist every fleshly lust.
tion; long suffering; gentleness; and the mother and nurse
of all good, I mean, patience. Ask calmness of temper; con
heart; and further, ask also the wisdom that
tinence; a
gifts.

pure
cometh from Him.

save the soul

in

it

God

hath never

These things

these

work

He

will give readily

these

that better beauty, and imprint

the spiritual wealth the riches that

in

image. This is
to be abandoned

it

these prepare for us the lot of

us members of the company of the holy
:

the saints, and make

us in piety, and rapidly lead us onward
angels these perfect
to the hope of eternal life, and make us heirs of the kingdom
by
the aid of Christ, the Saviour of us all
of heaven,
;

Whom,

by
and with

Whom,

to

God

the Father be praise and

Amen.
dominion, with the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever,

COMMENTARY UPON

362

SERMON LXXX.
C.

xi.

14

18.

Kwtfv BS.
teal

avr})

And He was

fa

when

dumb
was gone out,

casting out a

the devil

multitudes wondered
om. r$

devil
the

and

dumb

it

came

to pass,

And the
He casteth

spake.

but some of them said,

out devils through Beelzebub, the prince, of the, devils

others tempting, sought of Him a sign from heaven.

8.

and
But

He, knowing their thoughts, said unto them

; Every king
divided against itself is laid desolate: and a house
And if Satan also be divided
against a house falleth.

dom

how shall his kingdom stand ?

I cast out devils through Beelzebub.

against himself,
ye say that
"

Kings

xrx

I0

saith

HAVE
and

Because

been very jealous for the Lord," as Scripture

would say, fixing an accurate attention upon

I too

the lessons from the Gospel set before us, that the frantic
tongue of Israel was bold and unbridled in insult, tyrannized
over by harsh and unrestrainable wrath, and vanquished by

unappeasable envy. For consider how, so to speak, they were

even gnashing their teeth at Christ, the Saviour of all, because

He made

the multitudes wonder

by His many divine and

and because the very devils cried out at
His ineffable and godlike power and authority. And this, I
suppose, was what was celebrated by David when thus addressing Him
Through the greatness of thy power shall
enemies
be
found liars unto Thee."
Thy
But the reason for which those who warred against Hia
There was
glory thus acted, this lesson plainly teaches us.

astonishing miracles

Ps. ixvi.

"

3.

"

"

"

Him
Now dumb

brought unto

"

one who was possessed with a

dumb

devils are, so to speak, difficult for

any
and are more obstinate
than any other kind, and excessively audacious. But there was
devil."

one whatsoever of the saints to rebuke

nothing
of us
to

difficult to

all.

Him

For

He

the all-powerful will of Christ, the Saviour

immediately set the man who was brought

free from the wicked

tongue had before been

and impure

closed

devil

and he whose

by door and lock, once again

THE GOSPEL OF
poured forth
called

dumb

his

ST.

LUKE.

363

For we say that he is

as
without
passage
being
tongue, that is,
And upon the accomplishment of this won

customary speech.

in this

without speech. P
derful act, the multitude extolled Him with
praises, and has
tened to crown the worker of the miracle with
godlike honour.
But certain of them, it says,
being Scribes and Pharisees,
with hearts intoxicated with
found in the mi
pride and
envy,

racle fuel for their

and not only did they not

praise
Him, but betook themselves to the very opposite. For
having
stripped Him of the godlike deeds He had wrought, they as

malady

signed to the Devil almighty power, and made Beelzebub the

source of Christ s might.
For by him, they said, He casteth
out devils." Andq others
with
being afflicted, so to
"

"

speak,

a kindred wickedness, and

running without discernment into a
disgraceful forwardness of speech, and being stung by the like
goadings of envy, required,

heaven

calling out, as

it

says, to see of

Him

a sign from

were, and saying, Even if Thou hast

a bitter and malicious demon, that as yet
it

expelled from a man

is no such
great matter, nor worthy of admiration.
is

done

is

no proof of divine

What

as

We

see nothing as
ability.
Shew us some deed of which

yet
yet equal to the miracles of old.
there is no doubt of its being wrought by power from above.
Moses made the people pass over, having causedthe sea that

was bet ween to become capable of being walked upon the waters
were piled up like a wall. He smote the rock with his rod, and
:

made
*

the mother of rivers, so that fountains burst forth

it

from the

flinty stone.

of Arnon.

He

laid

Likewise also Jeshua, his successor,

and the moon in the valley

bonds on the streams of Jordan. But Thou

made the sun stand

still

in Gibeon,

Thou

shewest no such deed as these.

*

castest out a devil

this

even Beelzebub, grants to

authority the prince of the devils,
the
men. Of him Thou borrowest
power of doing those things,
P

Mai

inserts

the

MS.

here

however,

ascribed,
to

he

Chrysostom,

passage,
says, in
as well as

the
Cyril, to the effect that

man

dumbness was not owing to any phybut to the guile of the

And that as he could not

sical defect,

demon.

not
speak for himself, Christ does
ask of him a confession of faith, as

3 A

was His usual custom,

1 Again Mai inserts a few lines
from A., which break the order of
the construction, and apparently

only a heading gathered by

some Catenist from what precedes
are

to serve as

an introduction to the

following passage,

364

COMMENTARY UPON

which

in

were their

unlearned and ignorant

people beget wonder.
fro ward

to ask a
sign

For the

fault-findings.

Such

fact of their

from heaven proves

nothing

else

wishing
than that they

entertained such
thoughts as these respecting Him.
And what said Christ to these
First, indeed, He
things ?
proves Himself to be God, by knowing even that which was
secretly whispered among
And it is an act that

them

He knew

for

altogether belongs to

know what

in

is

mind and

the

spoken anywhere by men secretly.

from so obdurate a crime, He
"

vided against

house

itself is laid desolate

And

falleth.

to

God,

be able to

and even what is

To draw them away then

heart,

says, that

:(

their thoughts.

"

Every kingdom diand a house against a

Satan be divided against himself, how

For He well might have said to
those who babbled thus
foolishly about Him, Ye depart from
"

shall his

kingdom

the right way

of My nature.
of

My

am

glory,

Lord.

lator

for

is

if

stand?"

ye

verily

err,

and without doubt are

ignorant

The greatness of My might, and the

splendour
unperceived by you. Moses was a servant I
:

He was the minister of the law:

I am
by nature God. He was the

but I the legis

minister of the

signs; but I the doer of them, and the worker of the miracles.
I divided the sea
it was the work of

My power, that the

waters were divided, and the
people passed over I displayed
the flint stone as the mother of rivers.
I made the sun stand
still in Gibeon, and the
of
might
My commands stayed the
moon in the valley of Arnon. It was I Who laid bonds on the
streams of Jordan.
Had He, however, used words such as
:

these, it is perhaps not improbable to

imagine that they would
have conceived in them a
more
violent
flame of envy
yet
for
they would at once have said, He exalts Himself above the
:

<

<

glory of the saints

He

boasts Himself over the illustrious

He

He appropriates to
says, were nothing
Himself their glory/ And
they would have added to these
other words, which in unlearned
persons would have given oc
casion for wickedness towards Him.
patriarchs, who,

He

Very ^wisely therefore, omitting these things,

proceeds
to arguments, drawn indeed from common
things, but which
have the force of truth in them ;
For
"

every kingdom/

"

divided against

He

becomes desolate; and

every
house against a house, falleth
and if Satan be divided

says,

itself,

THE GOSPEL OF

ST.

LUKE.

365

against himself, how shall his kingdom stand?" For r that

which establishes kingdoms is the
fidelity of subjects, and the
obedience of those under the
royal sceptre and houses are
:

when those who belong

established

them

no way whatso
ever thwart one another, but, on the
contrary, accord both in
will

And

and deed.

kingdom

to

so I suppose

too of Beelzebub,

it

in

would

had he determined

establish

to abstain

the

from

every thing contrary to himself. How then does Satan cast

out Satan ? It follows then that devils do not
depart from men
of their

own

accord, but retire unwillingly.

Satan,

He

says,

does not fight with himself. He does not rebuke his own
satellites.
He does not permit himself to injure his own
armour-bearers.
On the contrary, he aids his kingdom. It

remains therefore for you to understand, that

I crush

Satan by

divine power.

So must we be persuaded who believe in Him, and have de

parted far away from the wickedness of the Jews. For what
is at all impossible to that
Almighty right hand ? Or what is
great and difficult to Him, Who can accomplish every thing by
His will alone ? He Who established the heavens, and founded
the earth,

Who

how can He be
be spoken
foolish

is

in

ears,

and without understanding

and hear

all,

need of Beelzebub

Oh, wickedness never

of the Israelites,
"

the Creator of

"

They have

not."

to

Who

eyes,

perfect power,

Oh, thoughts never to

A people
be endured
!

Very

is

and

justly may one say

see not they have Mark
:

For though they were spectators of

the wonderful deeds wrought by Christ, and by the holy pro

and heard of them, and knew them long before, never

phets,
Therefore
theless they continued obdurate and intractable.
But let
saith.
as Scripture
they eat the fruit of their way,"
for
thus
earnest in extolling Christ with endless praises;
us
of
the
the
gift
shall we be heirs of the kingdom of heaven, by
"

be"

same Christ by Whom, and with Whom, to God the Father

be praise and dominion with the Holy Ghost, for ever and
:

ever,

Amen.

Cramer has this passage, cf. p.

02 but says that it is referred in the
MS to AiwX., by whom he supmeant. As
Apollinarius to be
r

poses
it

follows, however, another passage

some con-

from Cyril, it is probably

o
traction of his name, with a for
Mai also contains
atofe prefixed.
but ascribes it to it
the
passage,

proper author.

viii.

O JL
COMMENTARY UPON

366

Here ends
gelist

Luke,

ST.

LUKE.

the first portion of the Explanation

by the holy Cyril, Patriarch of

of the Evan
Alexandria

containing eighty Sermons.

Blessed be

God for

ever

and praised

be

His

Name for

generations.

to the Father, and to

now and always, and for

Glory be
Ghost,

Amen.

the Son,

ever

and

and
ever,

to the

Holy

Amen and

gS.2595.3

.C9513V.1 SMC