XLVIII.

642 Christ's Hand and the Father's, One, because one Power.

HOMIL. members as it were of a body, but, that by the Son were all things made. Thus men also use to call other men their hands, namely, those by whom they do what they will. Sometimes also a man's work is called the man's hand, because made by his hand: as one is said to acknowledge his own hand when he acknowledges what he has written. Since then there are many ways of speaking of the hand even of a man, who hath, literally, a hand among the members of his body, how much rather is it to be taken not merely in one way when we read of the hand of God, Who hath no form of body? And consequently, we do better in this place to understand by the hand of the Father and the Son the power of the Father and the Son; lest haply when we have taken the hand of the Father here to mean the Son, the carnal thought begin to seek even of the Son Himself a Son, whom it may in like manner believe to be the hand of Christ. Therefore, No man plucketh out of My Father's hand, is this; No man plucketh from Me.

v. 30.

v. 31.

8. But lest haply thou yet stumble, hear what follows; I and My Father are One. Thus far the Jews were able to tolerate they heard, I and My Father are One, and they could not bear it; and as usual, stony-hearted, flew to the stones. They took up stones to stone Him. The Lord, because it was not for Him to suffer what He was unwilling to suffer, and He did not suffer save what He willed to suffer, still speaks v.31-33. to them while they are desiring to stone Him. The Jews took up stones to stone Him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from My Father; for which of those works do ye stone Me? The Jews answered Him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. This they said in answer to that He had said, I and My Father are one. Lo, the Jews understood what Arians understand not! For that they were wroth, it was because they felt that it could not be said, I and My Father are One, unless where is equality of the Father and the Son.

v. 34.

9. But see how the Lord answered these men of slow hearts. He saw that they could not bear the brightness of Truth, and He tempered it in words. Is it not written in d Quia non patiebatur quod nolebat pati, et non est passus nisi quod voluit pati.

The Deity of the Word shewn by Its deifying Power. 643

16.

X.

your Law, i. e. in the Law given to you, I have said, Ye are JOHN Gods? God speaking by the Prophet in the Psalm, saith to 35, 36. men, I have said, Ye are Gods. And by the appellation, Ps.82,6. Law, the Lord denoted generally all the old Scriptures, although elsewhere He speaks of the Law specially, distinguishing it from the Prophets; as is that saying, The Law Luke 16, and the Prophets until John; and, On these two commandMat. 22, ments hang all the Law and the Prophets. Sometimes, 40. however, He distributes the same Scriptures into three, where He saith, Needs must all things be fulfilled which are Luke24, written in the Law and Prophets and Psalms concerning Me. 44. But now He has named even the Psalms by the term, Law, where it is written, I have said, Ye are Gods. If he called v.35,36. them Gods, unto whom the speech1 of God was made, and1 sermo the Scripture cannot be broken; say ye of Him, Whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If the speech of God was made unto men, that they should be called Gods, the Very Word of God Which is with God, how should It not be God? If by the speech of God men are made gods, if by participating they are made gods, shall not That whereof they participate be God? If lights lighted are gods, shall not the Light that lighteth be God? If they that are in some sort warmed by the Fire of Salvation are made gods, shall that whereby they are warmed be not God? Thou comest to the Light and art enlightened, and thou art numbered among the sons of God: if thou turnest back from the Light, thou becomest dark, and art reckoned among the darkness: whereas that Light goeth not back from Itself, and therefore neither cometh It to Itself. If then the speech of God makes even you gods, how shall the Word of God not be God? The Father, then, sanctified His own Son, and sent Him into the world. Perhaps some one may say: If the Father sanctified, i. e. made Him holy, was there then a time when He was not holy? So'sanctified,' as He begat. For by begetting, He gave to Him that He should be holy, because He begat Him holy. If because a thing is sanctified,' it follows that it was not holy before, in what sense say we to God the Father, Hallowed (or, Matt. 6, sanctified) be Thy Name?

9.

HOMIL.

v. 37,38.

644 The Father in the Son, the Son in the Father, by Equal Godhead:

10. If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not. XLVIII. But if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in Him. Not in such sort saith the Son, The Father is in Me, and I in Him, as men may say it. Namely, if we think good thoughts, we are in God, and if we live good lives, God is in us: as believers, participating His grace, enlightened by Him, we are in Him and He is in us. But not so the Only-begotten Son: He is in the Father and the Father is in Him, as the Equal in Him to Whom He is Equal. In short, we are sometimes able to say, We are in God, and God in us: but are we able to say, I and God are one? Thou art in God, because God containeth thee; God is in thee, because thou art made a temple of God: but because thou art in God and God in thee, canst thou say, John14, Whoso seeth me, seeth God, as the Only-Begotten said, He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father also; and, I and My Father are one? Acknowledge the property of the Lord, and the boon bestowed upon the servant. The property of the Lord is, Equality with the Father: the boon bestowed upon the servant is, participation of the Saviour.

9.

v. 39.

v.40,41.

11. They sought therefore to apprehend Him. Oh that they would apprehend, but with believing and understanding, not raging and killing! For at this moment, my brethren, while I speak such things-weak as I am, and small, and frail, and the things so strong, and great, and solid!—both ye, as being of the same lump that I am of, and I myself who speak to you, do together all of us wish to apprehend Christ. What is it to apprehend?" Thou hast understood; thou hast apprehended. But not so the Jews. Thou hast apprehended that thou mayest have, they wished to apprehend that they might not have. And because they wished thus to apprehend, what did He to them? He escaped out of their hands. They did not apprehend Him, because they had not hands of faith. The Word was made flesh: but it was no great matter for the Word to rescue His flesh from hands of flesh. To apprehend the Word with the mind, this it is to apprehend Christ aright.

12. And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there He abode. And

God in us, we in God, by grace.

645

X.

33. 35.

many resorted unto Him, and said, John did no sign. Ye JOHN remember it was told you concerning John, that he was a 41, 42. lamp, and bare witness to the Day. Then how said these among themselves, John did no sign? No miracle, they John 5, mean, was shewn by John: he did not put demons to flight, not cast out fever, not give sight to the blind, not raise the dead, not feed so many thousands of men with five or with seven loaves, not walk upon the sea, not command the winds and waves: none of these did John: and in all that he said, he did but bear witness to this Man. By means of the lamp let us come to the Day. John did no sign. But all things that John spake of this Man were true. Lo here men who have apprehended, not as the Jews! The Jews wished to apprehend Him while departing, these apprehended Him while abiding. In fine, what follows? And many believed v. 42. on Him.

HOMILY XLIX.

JOHN xi. 1-54.

Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore his sisters sent unto Him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, He said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When He had heard therefore that he was sick, then indeed He abode two days still in the same place. Then after that saith He to His disciples, Let us go into Judea again. His disciples say unto Him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone Thee; and goest Thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. These things said He: and after that He saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said His disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that He had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then therefore said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe: nevertheless let us go unto him. Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his