8, 27.

To relieve Christ's Poor an office of high honour. 261 his soul, wherever he appears, appears with all this wealth. ROM. And how is this possible to be effected? one may ask. It is possible, and that with the utmost ease. For if you transfer them to Heaven by the poor man's hand, you will transfer them entire into your own soul. And if death should afterwards come upon thee, no one will take them from thee, but thou wilt depart to be rich in the next world too. This was the kind of treasure Tabitha had. Hence it was not her house that proclaimed her wealth, nor the walls, nor the stones, nor the pillars, but the bodies of widows furnished with dress, and their tears that were shed, and death that played the runaway, and life that came back again. Let us also make unto ourselves such-like treasures, let us build up for ourselves. such-like houses. In this way we shall have God for our Fellow-worker, and we ourselves shall be workers together with Him. For Himself brought the poor from not being into being, and you will prevent them, after they have been brought into life and being, from perishing with hunger and other distress, by tending them and setting them upright, and staying up the Temple of God in every quarter. And what can be equal to this in respect of utility and creditableness? Or if as yet you have not gained any clear notion of the great adornment He bestowed upon thee when He bade thee relieve poverty, consider this point with thyself. If He had given thee so great power, that thou wert able to mend the breaches even of Heaven if it were falling, wouldest thou not think the thing an honour far too great for thee? See now He hath held thee worthy of a greater honour. For that which in His esteem is more precious than the Heaven, He hath trusted thee to repair. For of all things visible there is nothing in God's esteem equal to man. For Heaven and earth and sea did He make for Him, and finds more pleasure in dwelling with him than in the Heaven. And yet we, though with a knowledge of this, bestow no attention nor forethought upon the temples of God; but leaving them in a neglected state, we provide houses splendid and large for ourselves. This is why we are devoid of all good things, and greater beggars than the poorest poor, because we pride ourselves in these houses which we cannot take away with us when we go hence, and leave those alone which we

14 Mss.

ELTUL

262 The bodies of the Poor will rise again. Cure for our souls.

HOMIL. might move away along with our own selves. For the bodies XIV. of the poor after dissolution must needs rise again; and1 om. for God, Who hath given this change, will bring them forth, and praise those who have taken care of them, and treat such 2 davuú with regard, because when they were on the point of falling to ruin at one time by starvation, at another by nakedness and cold, these repaired them by all means in their power. But still, even with all these praises set before us, we loiter yet, and decline undertaking this honourable charge. And Christ indeed hath not where to lodge, but goeth about a stranger, and naked, and hungry, and you set up houses out of town, and baths, and terraces, and chambers without number, in thoughtless vanity; and to Christ you give not even a share of a little hut, while for daws and vultures you deck out upper chambers. What can be worse than such insanity as this? What more grievous than such madness? for madness it is in the last stage of it, or rather one has no name to suit it, use whatever one may. Yet still if we be so minded, it is possible to beat off the disorder, tenacious as it is; and not possible only, but even easy; and not easy merely, but even easier is it to get rid of this pest than of the sufferings of the body, since the Physician is so much greater. Let us then draw Him to ourselves, and invite Him to aid us in the attempt, and let us contribute our share, good will, I mean, and energy. For He will not require any thing further, but if He can meet with this only, He will confer all that is His part. Let us then contribute our share, that in this world we may enjoy a genuine health, and may attain to the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man, &c.

HOMILY XV.

ROм. viii. 28.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.

HERE he seems to me to have mooted this whole topic Rom. with a view to those who were in danger; or, rather, not this 8, 28. only, but also what was said a little before this. For the words, the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us; and those, that the whole creation groaneth; and the saying, that we are saved by hope; and the phrase, we with patience wait for; and that, that we know not what we should pray for as we ought; are all of them said to these. For he instructs them not to choose just what they may think, themselves, to be useful, but what the Spirit may suggest; for many things that seem to one's self profitable, do sometimes even cause much harm. Quiet, for instance, and freedom from dangers, and living out of fear, seemed to be advantageous for them. And what wonder if they did to them, since to the blessed Paul himself this seemed to be so: still he came afterwards to know that the opposite to all these are the things advantageous, and when he came to know it, he was content. So he that besought the Lord thrice to be freed from hazards', when once he heard Him say, My grace 1 Cor. 12, 8. 9. is sufficient for thee, for My Power is perfected in weakness, was afterwards delighted at being persecuted, and insulted,

a See p. 251. and on 2 Cor. 12, 7. Hom. 26.

2 Cor.

V. re

264 God is to be trusted for turning all things to good.

HOMIL. and having irreparable ills done him. For I glory, he says, XV. in persecutions, in insults1, in necessities. And this was his 12, 10. reason for saying, For we know not what we should pray for 1 Eng. as we ought. And he exhorted all to give up these matters proachesto the Spirit. For the Holy Spirit is very mindful of us, and this is the will of God. Having then cheered them by all methods, he proceeds to what we have heard to-day, putting forward a reason strong enough to reclaim them. For he says, we know that all things work together for good to them that love God. Now when he speaks of all things, he mentions even the things that seem painful. For should even tribulation, or poverty, or imprisonment, or famines, or deaths, or any thing else whatsoever come upon us, God is able to change all these things into the opposite. For this is quite an instance of His unspeakable power, His making things seemingly painful to be lightsome to us, and turning them into that which is helpful to us. And so he does not say, that them that love God, no grievance approacheth, but, that it even works together for good, that is to say, that He useth the grievous things themselves to make the persons so plotted against approved. And this is a much greater thing than hindering the approach of such grievances, or stopping them when they have come. And this is what He did even with the furnace at Babylon. 25 Mss. For He did not either prevent its approach2, or extinguish falling the flame after those saints were cast into it, but let it burn on, into it. and made them by this very flame greater objects of wonder,

their

and with the Apostles too He wrought other like wonders continually. For if men who have learnt to be philosophic can use the things of nature to the opposite of their intention, and appear even when living in poverty in easier circumstances than the rich, and shine through disgrace: much more will God work for those that love Him both these and also greater things by far. For one needs only one thing, a genuine love of Him, and all things follow that. As then things seemingly harmful do good to these, so do even things profitable harm those who love Him not. For instance,

4 καὶ ἐν τούτοις διαλάμπει τὸ καλόν, the noble character shines forth.” Eth. i. 2. " even in these (misfortunes)

Calling according to purpose. Conformity to Christ. 265

3 John

the exhibition of miracles and rightness of doctrine only ROM. 8, 29. injured the Jews, as did the wisdom in His teaching; and for the former they called Him a possessed person1, for the other' John 8, 48. one that would be equal to God2: and because of the 'John miracles they even went about to kill Him. But the 5, 18. crucified thief, when nailed to the Cross, and reviled, 11, 47. and suffering ills unnumbered, not only was not hurt, but 53. even gained the greatest good therefrom. See how for those who love God all things work together for good. After mentioning then this great blessing, one which far exceeds man's nature, since to many this seemed even past belief, he draws a proof of it from past blessings, in these words, To them who are called according to [His] purpose. Now consider, he means, from the calling, for instance, what 4 Mss. I have just said. Why then did He not from the first call all? or why not Paul himself as soon as the rest? This 5 Mss. case then, where the deferring seemed harmful, was still by the event shewn to be for the best. The purpose he here mentions, however, that he might not ascribe every thing to the calling; since in this way both Greeks and Jews would be sure to cavil. For if the calling alone were sufficient, how came it that all were not saved? Hence he says, that it is not the calling alone, but the purpose of those called too, that works the salvation. For the calling was not forced upon them, nor compulsory. All then were called, but all did not obey the call.

Ver. 29. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of His Son.

See what superb honour! for what the Only-begotten was by Nature, this they also have become by grace. And still he was not satisfied with this calling of them conformed thereto, but even adds another point, that He might be the first-born. And even here he does not come to a pause, but again after this he proceeds to mention another point, Among many brethren. So wishing to use all means

The word His, perhaps rightly inserted in our version, is not in the Greek, and Theodoret seems not to have taken it so; he says, "for he calleth not any as it may be, (arλs,) but those who have a purpose," (a predisposition,)

gibi. And so does St. Chrysostom below. And Ecumenius, see on Eph. i. 11. Rom. ii. Tr. p. 112. and note.

St. Aug. rejects this exposition, and adopts that of our version, Ad Bonif. 1. ii. §. 22. De Corr. et Gr. §. 23.