all that are truly taught by the ministry of the Word. 1137 II. 8.9. many will go from this place untaught! I, for my part, have 1 JOHN spoken to all; but they to whom that Unction within speak- 26. 27. eth not, they whom the Holy Ghost within teacheth not, those go back untaught. The teachings of the master from without are a sort of aids and admonitions. He that teacheth the hearts, hath His chair in heaven. Therefore saith He also Himself in the Gospel: Call no man your master upon Mat.23, earth; One is your Master, even Christ. Let Him therefore Himself speak to you within, when none of mankind is there: for though there be some one at thy side, there is none in thine heart. Yet let there not be none in thine heart": let Christ be in thine heart: let His unction be in the heart, lest it be a heart thirsting in the wilderness, and having no fountains to be watered withal. There is then, I say, a Master within that teacheth: Christ teacheth; His inspiration teacheth. Where His inspiration and His unction. is not, in vain do words make a noise from without. So are the words, brethren, which we speak from without, as is the husbandman to the tree: from without he worketh, applieth water and diligence of culture; let him from without apply what he will, does he form the apples? does he clothe the nakedness of the wood with a shady covering of leaves? does he do any thing like this from within? But Whose doing is this? Hear the husbandman, the Apostle: both see what we are, and hear the Master within: I have planted, 1 Cor.3, Apollos hath watered; but God gave the increase: neither 6.7. he that planteth is any thing, neither he that watereth, but He that giveth the increase, even God. This then we say to you: whether we plant, or whether we water, by speaking, not we are any thing; but He that giveth the increase, even God: that is, His unction which teacheth you concerning all things. HOMILY IV. 1 JOHN ii. 27.—iii. 8. And it is true, and lieth not. Even as it hath taught you, abide in it. And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be put to shame by Him at His coming. If ye know that He is righteous, know ye that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called and should be the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew not Him, us also the world knoweth not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it is not yet manifested what we shall be. We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure. Whosoever committeth sin committeth also iniquity. Sin is iniquity. And ye know that He was manifested to take away sin; and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him. Little children, let no man seduce you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 1. YE remember, brethren, that yesterday's Lesson was brought to a close at this point, that ye have no need that any man teach you, but the very unction teacheth you con II. None that abide in His unction are put to shame. 1139 cerning all things. Now this, as I am sure ye remember, 1 JOHN we so expounded to you, that we who from without speak to 27, 28. your ears, are as workmen applying culture from without to a tree, but we cannot give the increase nor form the fruits : but only He that created and redeemed and called you, He, dwelling in you by faith and the Spirit, must speak to you within, else vain is all our noise of words. Whence does this appear? From this: that while many hear, not all are persuaded of that which is said, but only they to whom God speaks within. Now they to whom He speaks within, are those who give place to Him: and those give place to God, who give not place to the devil. For the devil wishes to Eph. 5, inhabit the hearts of men, and speak there the things which make for seduction. But what saith the Lord Jesus? The John12, prince of this world is cast out. Whence cast? out of heaven and earth? out of the fabric of the world? Nay, but out of the hearts of the believing. The invader being cast out, let the Redeemer dwell within: because the Same redeemed, Who created. And the devil now assaults from without, not conquers Him that hath possession within. And he assaults from without, by casting in various temptations: but that person consents not thereto, to whom God speaks within, and the unction of which ye have heard. 31. 2. And it is true, namely, this same unction; i. e. the very Spirit of the Lord Which teacheth men, cannot lie: and is not false. Even as it hath taught you, abide ye in v. 27.28. the same. And now, little children, abide ye in Him, that when He shall be manifested, we may have boldness in His sight, that we be not put to shame by Him at His coming. Ye see, brethren: we believe on Jesus Whom we have not seen: they announced Him, that saw, that handled, that heard the word out of His own mouth; and that they might persuade all mankind of the truth thereof, they were sent by Him, not dared to go of themselves. And whither were they sent? Ye heard while the Gospel was read, Go, preach the Gospel Mark to the whole creation which is under heaven. Consequently, unithe disciples were sent every where: with signs and wonders versæ • Mendax. Gr. yeûdos. Vulg. Mendacium. In the following clause et om. as kal in Cod. Alex. În ipsa, Gr. év avrŷ, taken as referred to xploua, 16, 15. cre atura 1140 The righteousness of faith never perfect in this life. HOMIL. to attest that what they spake, they had seen. And we 31. IV. believe on Him Whom we have not seen, and we look for Him to come. Whoso look for Him by faith, shall rejoice when He cometh: those who are without faith, when that which now they see not is come, shall be ashamed. And that confusion of face shall not be for a single day and so pass away, in such sort as those are wont to be confounded, who are found out in some fault, and are insulted over by their fellow-men. That confusion shall carry them that are Mat.25, confounded to the left hand, that to them it may be said, Go into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Let us abide then in His words, that we be not confounded when He cometh. For Himself saith in the Gospel to them John 8, which had believed on Him: If ye shall abide in My word, 31. 32. then are ye verily my disciples. And, as if they had asked, With what fruit? And, saith He, ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free. For as yet our salvation is in hope, not in deed: for we do not already possess that Heb.10, which is promised, but we hope for it to come. And faithful is He that promised; He deceiveth not thine expectation only do thou not faint, but wait for the promise. For He, the Truth, cannot deceive. Be not thou a liar, to profess one thing and do another; keep thou the faith, and He keeps His promise. But if thou keep not the faith, thine own self, not He that promised, hath defrauded thee. 23. v. 29. 3. If ye know that He is righteous, know ye' that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him. The righteousness which at present is ours is of faith. Perfect righteousness is not, save only in the Angels: and scarce in Angels, if they be compared with God: yet if there be any perfect righteousness of souls and spirits which God hath created, it is in the Angels, holy, just, good, by no lapse turned aside, by no pride falling, but remaining ever in the contemplation of the Word of God, and having nothing else sweet unto them save Him by Whom they were created; in them is perfect righteousness: but in us it has begun to be, of faith, f Scitote Vulg. Gr. ywwσKETE as imperative," bence learn ye to know that &c." Were it indicative, "to know that He is righteous is to know that &c." probably ofdare would have been repeated as in 5, 15. àv oldauer — oldaμer. The devil a practised foe, to be overcome only in Christ. 1141 II. 29. by the Spirit. Ye heard when the Psalm was read, Begin ye 1 JOHN to the Lord in confession. Begin, saith it; the beginning of Ps. 147, our righteousness is the confession of sins. Thou hast begun 7. not to defend thy sin; now hast thou made a beginning of righteousness: but it shall be perfected in thee when nothing else shall delight thee to do, when death shall be swallowed 1 Cor. up in victory, when there shall be no itching of lust, when 15, 24. there shall be no struggling with flesh and blood, when there shall be the palm of victory, the triumph over the enemy; then shall there be perfect righteousness. At present we are still fighting if we fight we are in the lists'; we smite and are 1stadium smitten; but who shall conquer, remains to be seen. And that man conquers, who even when he smites presumes not on his own strength, but relies upon God that cheers him on. The devil is alone when he fights against us. If we are with God, we overcome the devil: for if thou fight alone with the devil, thou wilt be overcome. He is a practised enemy: how many palms has he won! Consider to what he has cast us down! That we are born mortals, comes of this, that he in the first place cast down from Paradise our very original. What then is to be done, seeing he is so well practised? Let the Almighty be invoked to thine aid against the practised devil. Let Him dwell in thee, Who cannot be overcome, and thou shalt securely overcome him who is wont to overcome. But to overcome whom? Those in whom God dwelleth not. For, that ye may know it, brethren; Adam being in Paradise despised the commandment of God, and lifted up the neck, as if he desired to be his own master, and were loath to be subject to the will of God: so he fell from that immortality, from that blessedness. But there was a certain man, a man now well practised, though a mortal born, who even as he sat on the dunghill, putrifying with worms, overcame the devil: yea, Adam himself then overcame; he, in Job; because Job was of his race. So then, Adam, overcome in Paradise, overcame on the dunghill. Being in Paradise, he gave ear to the persuasion of the woman which the devil had put into her: but being on the dunghill he said to Eve, Thou hast Job 2, spoken as one of the foolish women. There he lent an ear, here he gave an answer: when he was glad, he listened, Incipite. LXX. ¿¿áptare. Vulg. præcinite. 10. |