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ST. AUGUSTINE

SERMONS (81-90) ON SELECTED LESSONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

[Translated by Rev. R. G. MacMullen.
Edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D.]

SERMON XXXI.

[LXXXI. BENEDICTINE EDITION.]

ON THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL, MATT. XVIII. 7, WHERE WE ARE ADMONISHED TO 
BEWARE OF THE OFFENCES OF THE WORLD.

  1. THE divine lessons, which we have just heard as they were being read, 
warn us to gather in a stock of virtues, to fortify a Christian heart, 
against the offences which were predicted to come, and this from the mercy 
of the Lord. "For what is man," saith Scripture, "saving that Thou art 
mindful of him? "(1) "Woe unto the world because of offences,"(2) saith the 
Lord; the Truth says so; He alarmeth and warneth us, He would not have us 
to be off our guard; for surely He would not make us desperate. Against 
this "woe," against this evil, that is, which is to be feared, and dreaded, 
and guarded against, Scripture counsels, and exhorts, and instructs us in 
that place, where it is said, "Great praise have they who love Thy law, and 
nothing is an offence to them."(3) He hath shown us an enemy to be guarded 
against, but He hath not omitted to show us also a wall of defence. Thou 
wast thinking, as thou heardest, "Woe unto the world because of offences," 
whither thou mightest go beyond the world, that thou mightest not be 
exposed to offences. Therefore to avoid offences, whither wilt thou go 
beyond the world, unless thou fly to Him who made the world? And how shall 
we be able to fly to Him who made the world, unless we give ear to His law 
which is preached everywhere? And to give ear to it is but a small matter, 
unless we love it. For divine Scripture in making thee secure against 
offences doth not say, "Great peace have they who" hear "Thy law. For not 
the hearers of the law are just before God.(4) But" because" the doers of 
the law shall be justified," and, "faith worketh by love: "(5) it saith, 
"Great peace have they who love Thy law, and nothing is an offence to 
them." To this sentiment also agrees the passage which we have chanted in 
course; "But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves 
in the abundance of peace."(6) Because, "great peace have they who love Thy 
law." For these" meek "ones are they who "love the law of God." For, 
"Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of 
Thy law, that Thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until 
the pit be digged for the sinner."(7) How diverse seem those words of 
Scripture, yet into one meaning do they so flow and meet together, that 
whatsoever out of that most rich fountain thou canst hear, so that thou 
acquiesce therein, and art in loving harmony with the truth, thou will be 
at once filled with peace; glowing with love, and fortified against 
offences.

  2. It is our place then to see, or seek, or learn, how we must be "meek;" 
and we are guided by that which I have just brought forward out of the 
Scriptures, to find what we are in quest of. Be attentive then, Beloved, 
for a little while; it is a weighty matter that is in hand, that we may be 
meek; a necessary thing in the adversities of life. But it is not the 
adverse circumstances of this life which are called offences; but mark what 
"offences" are. A man, for instance, under some hard necessity is weighed 
down by a press of trouble. That he is weighed down with a press of 
trouble, is no offence. By such pressure were even Martyrs pressed, but not 
oppressed. Of an offence beware, but of a press of trouble not so much. The 
last presseth thee, an offence oppresseth thee. What then is the difference 
between the two? In the press of trouble thou didst make ready to maintain 
patience, to hold fast constancy, not to abandon faith, not to consent to 
sin. This if thou maintain, or shall have maintained, the trouble that 
presseth thee shall not be thy fall; but that press of trouble shall avail 
to the same end as in the oil press, not to destroy the olive, but to 
extract the oil. In a word, if in this trouble that presseth thee thou 
ascribe praise unto God, how useful will the press be to thee, whereby such 
oil is pressed out! Under such a press the Apostles sat in chains, and in 
that press they sang a hymn to God. What precious oil was this that was 
pressed and forced out! Beneath a heavy press did Job sit on the dunghill, 
without resource, without help, without substance, without children; full, 
but of worms only, as far, that is, as concerned the outward man, but 
because he too was full of God within, he praised God, and that press was 
no "offence" to him. Where then was the "offence "? When his wife came to 
him and said, "Speak a word against God, and die."(8) When all had been 
taken from him by the devil, an Eve was reserved for the exercised 
sufferer, not to console but to tempt her husband. See then where the 
offence was. She exaggerated his miseries, and her miseries too with his, 
and began to persuade him to blaspheme. But he who was "meek," because "God 
had taught him out of His law, and given him rest from the days of 
adversity;" had "great peace" in his heart as "loving the law of God, and 
nothing was an offence to him." She was an offence, but not to him. In a 
word, behold the meek man, behold one taught in the law of God, the eternal 
law of God I mean. For that law on tables was not yet given to the Jews in 
the time of Job, but in the hearts of the godly there remained still the 
eternal law, from which that which was given to the people was copied. 
Because then by the law of God he had "rest given him from the days of 
adversity," and "had great peace as loving the law of God," behold how 
"meek" he is, and what he answers. Learn hereby what I propose to enquire; 
who are the meek. "Thou speakest," he says, "as one of the foolish women 
speaketh. If we have received good from the hand of the Lord, shall we not 
bear the evil?"(9)

 3. We have heard by an example who the meek are: let us, if we can, define 
them in words. The meek are they, to whom in all their good deeds, in all 
the things they do well, nothing is pleasing but God; to whom in all the 
evils they suffer, God is not displeasing. Now, Brethren, attend to this 
rule, to this pattern; let us stretch ourselves out to it, let us seek for 
increase, that we may fill it. For what does it profit, that we plant, and 
water, except God shall give the increase? "For neither is he that planteth 
anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."(1) 
Give ear, whosoever thou art, that wouldest be "meek," who wouldest have 
"rest from the days of adversity, who lovest the law of God," that there 
may be "no offence unto thee," and that thou mayest "have great peace," 
that thou mayest "possess the earth, and delight in the multitude of 
peace;" give ear, whosoever thou art that wouldest be "meek." Whatsoever 
good thou doest, be not pleased with thyself. "For God resisteth the proud, 
but giveth grace unto the humble."' So then whatever good thou doest, let 
nought but God be pleasing to thee; whatever evil thou sufferest, let not 
God be displeasing to thee. What needest thou more? Do this, and thou shalt 
live. The days of adversity shall not overwhelm thee; thou shall escape 
that which is said, "Woe unto the world because of offences." For to what 
world is there woe because of offences, but to that of which it is said, 
"And the world knew Him not?"(3) Not to that world of which it is said, 
"God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself."(4) There is an evil 
world, and there is a good world; the evil world, are all the evil men in 
this world; and the good world, all the good in this world. As we observe 
frequently with a field. This field is full: of what? Of wheat. Yet we say 
also, and say truly too, This field is full of chaff. So with a tree, it is 
full of fruit. Another says, it is full of leaves. And both he who says it 
is full of fruit, says true; and he who says it is full of leaves, says 
true. Neither has the full display of leaves taken away the room for the 
fruit, nor the full display of the fruit driven off the abundance of 
leaves. It is full of both; but the one the wind searcheth out, the other 
the husbandman gathereth in. So therefore when thou dost hear, "Woe unto 
the world because of offences," be not afraid; "love the law of God, 
nothing shall be an offence to thee."

  4. But thy wife comes to thee advising thee to some evil thing. Thou dost 
love her as a wife should be loved; she is one of thy members. "But if 
thine eye offend thee, if thine hand offend thee, if thy foot offend thee," 
thou hast just heard the Gospel, "cut them off, and cast them from 
thee."(5) Whosoever he be that is dear to thee, whosoever he be that is 
held in high estimation by thee, let him be so long of high esteem with 
thee, so long thy beloved member, as he shall not begin to offend time, 
that is, to advise thee to any evil. Hear now how that this is the meaning 
of "offence." I have brought forward the example of Job and his wife; but 
there the word "offence" did not occur. Hear the Gospel: when the Lord 
prophesied of His Passion, Peter began to persuade him not to suffer. "Get 
thee behind Me, Satan, thou art an offence to Me."(6) Here undoubtedly the 
Lord who hath given thee an example of life, hath taught thee both what an 
"offence" is, and how an offence is to be avoided. Him to whom He had a 
little while before said, "Blessed 'art thou, Simon Barjona;"(7) He had 
shown to be His member. But when he begins to be an offence, He cuts off 
the member; only He restored the member, and put it into its place again. 
He then will be an "offence" to thee, who shall begin to persuade thee to 
any evil thing. And here, Beloved, take heed; this takes place for the most 
part not through any evil will, but through a mistaken good will. Thy 
friend who loves thee, and is loved by thee again, thy father, thy brother, 
thy child, thy wife, sees thee in an evil case, and would have thee do what 
is evil. What do I mean by "sees thee in an evil case"? Sees thee in some 
press of trouble. This pressure it may be thou art suffering for 
righteousness' sake; art suffering it because thou will not give false 
witness. I would speak merely by way of illustration. Examples abound; for 
"woe to the world, because of offences." See, for instance, some powerful 
person, to cover his rapine and plunder, asks of you the service of a false 
witness. You refuse: refuse the false oath, lest thou shouldest deny Him 
that is true. That I may not dwell long on this, he is angry, he is 
powerful, he oppresses thee: a friend comes who would not have thee in this 
press of trouble, in this evil case; "I pray thee, do what is told thee; 
what great matter is it?" And then perhaps as Satan with the Lord, "It is 
written of Thee, He shall give His Angels charge concerning Thee, that Thou 
dash not Thy foot against a stone."(8) Perhaps too this friend of thine, 
because he sees thou art a Christian, wishes to persuade thee out of the 
Law to do what he thinks you ought to do. "Do what the other tells." "What? 
Do what the other wishes." "But it is a lie, it is false." "Well, have you 
not read, ' All men are liars'?"(9) Now is he an "offence." He is a friend, 
what will you do? He is an eye, he is a hand: "Cut it off, and cast it from 
thee." What is, "cut it off, and cast it from thee"? Consent not to him. 
For members in our body make up unity by consent, by consent they live, by 
consent are joined together one with the other. Where there is dissent, 
there is disease, or a sore. He is then one of thy members; thou wilt love 
him. But he is an offence to thee; "Cut him off, and cast him from thee." 
Consent not to him; drive him off from thine ears, it may be he will return 
amended.

  5. And how wilt thou do this that I say, "Cut him off, and cast him from 
thee," and so, it may be, amend him? answer me, how thou art going to do 
it? He wished to persuade thee out of the Law to tell a lie. For he said, 
"speak." And perhaps he did not dare to say, "speak a lie;" but thus, 
"speak what the other wishes." Thou sayest, "But it is a lie." And he to 
excuse it, says, "All men are liars." Then do thou, my brother, say against 
this, "The mouth that lieth slayeth the soul."(1) Mark, it is no light 
thing thou hast heard, "The mouth that lieth slayeth the soul." What can 
that powerful enemy, who oppresseth me, do to me, that thou pitiest me, and 
my condition, and wouldest not have me be in this evil case; whereas thou 
wouldest that I should be evil? What can that powerful man do to me, and 
what can he oppress? The flesh. He can oppress thy body, thou wilt say: I 
grant he may oppress it to destruction.(2) Still how much more mildly does 
he deal with me, than I should with myself were I to lie !He kills my 
flesh; I kill my soul. He in his power and anger slays the body; "the mouth 
that lieth slayeth the soul." He slays the body; and die it must, though it 
should not be slain; but the soul which iniquity slayeth not, the truth 
receiveth for ever. Preserve then what thou canst preserve; and let that 
perish which must perish sometime or other. Thou hast given an answer then, 
but thou hast not solved the "All men are liars." Make answer to him to 
this too, that he may not fancy that he has said anything to persuade to 
lying, in bringing a testimony out of the Law; so urging thee out of the 
Law against the Law. For it is written in the Law, "Thou shalt not bear 
false witness;"(3) and it is written in the Law, "All men are liars." Recur 
then to that which I just lately suggested, when I defined in words as best 
I could the "meek" man. He is "meek" to whom in all things that he does 
well, nothing but God is pleasing, and in all the evils which he suffers, 
God is not displeasing. Make answer then to him who says, Lie, for it is 
written,' "All men are liars:" I will not lie, for it is written, "The 
mouth that lieth slayeth the soul." I will not lie, because it is written, 
"Thou shalt destroy them that speak lying."(4) I will not lie, because it 
is written, "Thou shalt not bear false witness." Though he whom I displease 
by the truth harass my body with oppressions, I will give ear to my Lord, 
"Fear not them which kill the body."(5)

  6. "How then are all men liars? What! Thou art not a man, I suppose ?" 
Answer quickly and truly. "And O that I may not be a man, that so I may not 
be a liar." For see; "God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, 
to see if there were any that did understand, and seek after God. They are 
all gone out of the way, they are all together become unprofitable: there 
is none that doeth good, no not even one."(6) Why? Because they wished to 
be sons of men. But in order that he might deliver them from these 
iniquities, cure, heal, change, the sons of men; "he gave them power to 
become the sons of God."(7) What marvel then !Ye were men, if we were the 
sons of men; ye were all men, and were liars, for, "All men are liars." The 
grace of God came to you, and "gave you power to become the sons of God." 
Hear the voice of My Father saying, "I have said, Ye are gods; and ye are 
all the children of the Most High."(8) Since then they are men, and the 
sons of men, if they are not the children of the Most High, they are liars, 
for, "all men are liars." If they are the sons of God, if they have been 
redeemed by the Saviour's grace, if purchased with His precious Blood, if 
born again of water and of the Spirit, if predestinated to the inheritance 
of heaven, then indeed are they children of God. And so thereby are gods. 
What then would a lie have to do with thee? For Adam was a mere man, 
Christ, man and God; God, the Creator of all creation. Adam a mere man, the 
Man Christ, the Mediator with God, the Only Son of the Father, the God- 
man. Lo, thou, O man, art far from God, and God is far above man; between 
them the God-man placed Himself. Acknowledge Christ, and by Him as Man 
ascend up to God.

  7. Being then now reformed, and, if my words have been so blessed, 
"meek," let us "hold fast our profession without wavering." Let us love the 
law of God, that we may escape that which is written, "Woe unto the world 
because of offences." Now I would say a few words about "offences," of 
which the world is full, and how it is that offences thicken, pressing 
troubles abound. The world(9) is laid waste, the winepress is trodden. Ah 
!Christians, heavenly shoot, ye strangers on the earth, who seek a city in 
heaven, who long to be associated with the holy Angels; understand that ye 
have come here on this condition only, that ye should soon depart. Ye are 
passing on through the world, endeavouring to reach Him who created it. Let 
not the lovers of the world, who wish to remain in the world, and yet, 
whether they will or no, are compelled to move from it; let them not 
disturb you, let them not deceive nor seduce you. These pressing troubles 
are not offences. Be ye righteous, and they will be only exercises. 
Tribulation comes; it will be as ye choose it, either an exercise, or a 
condemnation. Such as it shall find you to be, will it be. Tribulation is a 
fire; does it find thee gold? it takes away the filth: does it find thee 
chaff? it turns it into ashes. The pressing troubles then which abound are 
not" offences." But what are "offences"? Those expressions, those words in 
which we are thus addressed. "See what Christian times bring about;" lo, 
these are the true offences. For this is said to thee, to this end, that if 
thou love the world, thou mayest blaspheme Christ. And this he saith to 
thee who is thy friend, and counsellor; and so "thine eye." This he saith 
to thee who ministereth to thee, and shareth thy labours, and so "thine 
hand." This he saith to thee it may be who supporteth thee, who lifteth 
thee up from a low earthly state; and so "thy foot." Cast them all aside, 
cut them off, throw them all away from thee; consent not unto them. Answer 
such men, as he who was advised to give false witness answered. So do thou 
answer too say to the man who saith to thee, "See, it is in Christian times 
that there are such pressing troubles; that the whole world is laid waste;" 
answer him, "And this Christ foretold me, before it came to pass."

  8. For wherefore art thou disturbed? Thine heart is disturbed by the 
pressing troubles of the world, as that ship was, in which Christ was 
asleep. Lo! what is the cause, stout- hearted man, that thy heart is 
disturbed? That ship in which Christ is asleep,(1) is the heart in which 
faith is asleep. For what new thing, what new thing, I ask, is told thee, 
Christian? "In Christian times is the world laid waste, the world is 
failing." Did not thy Lord tell thee, the world shall be 'laid waste? Did 
not thy Lord tell thee, the world shall fail? Why when the promise was 
made, didst thou believe, and art disturbed now, when it is being 
completed? So then the tempest beats furiously against thine heart; beware 
of shipwreck, awake up Christ. The Apostle says, "that Christ may dwell in 
your hearts by faith."(2) Christ dwelleth in thee by faith. Present faith, 
is Christ present; waking faith, is Christ awake; slumbering(3) faith, is 
Christ asleep. Arise and stir thyself; say, "Lord, we perish." See what the 
Heathen say to us; and what is, worse, what evil Christians say !Awake up, 
O Lord, we perish. Let thy faith awake, and Christ begins to speak to thee. 
"'Why art thou troubled? I told thee beforehand of all these things. I 
foretold them, that when evils came, thou mightest hope for good things, 
that thou mightest not faint in the evil." Wonderest thou that the world is 
failing? Wonder that the world is grown old. It is as a man who is born, 
and grows up, and waxes old. There are many complaints in old age; the 
cough, the rheum, the weakness of the eyes, fretfulness, and weariness. So 
then as when a man is old; he is full of complaints; so is the world old; 
and is full of troubles. Is it a little thing that God hath done for thee, 
in that in the world's old age, He hath sent Christ unto thee, that He may 
renew thee then, when all is failing? Dost thou not I know that He notified 
this in the seed of Abraham? "The seed of Abraham," says the Apostle, 
"which is Christ. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of One, 
And to thy seed, which is Christ."(4) Therefore was there a son born to 
Abraham in his old age, because in the old age of this world was Christ to 
come. He came when all things were growing old, and made them new. As a 
made, created, perishing thing, the world was now declining to its fall. It 
could not but be that it should abound in troubles; He came both to console 
thee in the midst of present troubles, and to promise thee everlasting 
rest. Choose not then to cleave to this aged world, and to be unwilling to 
grow young in Christ, who telleth thee, "The world is perishing, the world 
is waxing old, the world is failing; is distressed by the heavy breathing 
of old age. But do not fear, "Thy youth shall be renewed as the 
eagle's."(5)

  9. See, they say, in Christian times it is that Rome perishes. Perhaps 
Rome is not perishing; perhaps she is only scourged, not utterly destroyed; 
perhaps she is chastened, not brought to nought. It may be so; Rome will 
not perish, if the Romans do not perish. And perish they will not if they 
praise God; perish they will if they blaspheme Him. For what is Rome, but 
the Romans? For the question is not of her wood and stones, of her lofty 
insulated(6) palaces, and all her spacious walls. All this was made only on 
this condition that it should fall some other day. When man built it, he 
laid stone on stone; and when man destroyed it, he removed stone from 
stone. Man made it, man destroyed it. Is any injury done to Rome, because 
it is said, "She is falling"? No, not to Rome, but to her builder perhaps. 
Do we then its builder any injury, because we say, Rome is falling, which 
Romulus built?

This world itself will be burnt with fire, which God built. But neither 
does what man has made fall to ruin, except when God wills it; nor what God 
has made, except when He wills. For if the work of man fall not without 
God's will, how can God's work fall by the will of man? Yet God both made 
the world that was one day to fall for thee; and therefore made He thee as 
one who was one day to die. Man himself, the city's ornament, man himself, 
the city's inhabitant, ruler, governor, comes on this condition that he may 
go, is born on this condition that he may die, entered into the world on 
this condition that he may pass away; "Heaven and earth shall pass 
away:"(1) what wonder then if some time or other there should be an end of 
a single city? And yet peradventure the city's end is not come now; yet 
some time or other come it will. But why does Rome perish amid the 
sacrifices of Christians? Why was her mother Troy burnt amid the sacrifices 
of Heathens? The gods in whom the Romans have placed all their hope, yea 
the Roman gods in whom the Heathen Romans placed their hope, removed from 
the flames of Troy to found Rome. These very gods of Rome were originally 
the gods of Troy. Troy was burnt, and Aeneas took the fugitive gods; yea 
rather himself a fugitive he took away these senseless gods. For they could 
be carried by the fugitive; but they could not flee away themselves. And 
coming with these gods into Italy, with these false gods, he founded Rome. 
It is too long to go through the whole story; yet would I briefly mention 
what their own writings contain. An author of theirs well known to all 
speaks thus; "As I have received the account, the Trojans who under the 
guidance of Aeneas were wandering about as fugitives without any settled 
abode, originally built and inhabited Rome."(2) So they had their gods with 
them, they builded Rome in Latium, and there they placed the gods to be 
worshipped, which before were worshipped in Troy. Juno is introduced by 
their poet, incensed against AEneas and the fugitive Trojans, saying,

    "A race of wandering slaves abhorred by me,
    With prosperous passage cuts the Tuscan sea,
    To fruitful Italy their course they steer,
    And for their vanquished gods, design new temples there."(3)

Now when these vanquished gods were carried into Italy, was it as a 
protecting deity, or(4) as a presage s of their future fall? "Love" 
therefore "the law of God, and nothing shall be an offence to you." We pray 
you, we beseech you, we exhort you; be meek, sympathize with the suffering, 
bear the weak; and on this occasion of the concourse of so many strangers, 
and needy, and suffering people, let your hospitality and your good works 
abound. Let but Christians do what Christ enjoineth, and so will the 
Heathen blaspheme only to their own hurt.

SERMON XXXII.

[LXXXII. BEN]

ON THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL, MATT. XVIII. 15, "IF THY BROTHER SIN AGAINST 
THEE, GO, SHEW HIM HIS FAULT BETWEEN THEE AND HIM ALONE;" AND OF THE WORDS 
OF SOLOMON, HE THAT WINKETH WITH THE EYES DECEITFULLY, HEAPETH SORROW UPON 
MEN; BUT HE THAT REPROVETH OPENLY, MAKETH PEACE.

1. OUR Lord warns us not to neglect one another's sins, not by searching 
out what to find fault with, but by looking out for what to amend. For He 
said that his eye is sharp to cast out a mote out of his brother's eye, who 
has not a beam in his own eye. Now what this means, I will briefly convey 
to you, Beloved. A mote in the eye is anger; a beam in the eye is hatred. 
When therefore one who has hatred finds fault with one who is angry, he 
wishes to take a mote out of his brother's eye, but is hindered by the beam 
which he carries in his own eye. A mote is the beginning of a beam. For a 
beam in the course of its growth, is first a mote. By watering the mote, 
you bring it to a beam; by nourishing anger with evil suspicions, you bring 
it on to hatred.

  2. Now there is a great difference between the sin of one who is angry, 
and the cruelty of one who holds another in hatred. For even with our 
children are we angry; but who is ever found to hate his children? Among 
the very cattle too, the cow in a sort of weariness will sometimes in anger 
drive away her sucking calf; but anon she embraces it with all the 
affection of a mother. She is in a way disgusted with it, when she butts at 
it; yet when she misses it, she will seek after it. Nor do we discipline 
our children otherwise, than with a degree of anger and indignation; yet we 
should not discipline them at all, but in love to them. So far then is 
every one who is angry from hating; that sometimes one would be rather 
convicted of hating, if he were not angry. For suppose a child wishes to 
play in some river's stream, by whose force he would be like to perish; if 
you see this, and patiently suffer it, this would be hating; your patient 
suffering him, is his death. How far better is it to be angry and correct 
him, than by not being angry to suffer him to perish! Above all things then 
is hatred to be avoided, and the beam to be cast out of the eye. Great is 
the difference indeed between one's exceeding due limits in some words 
through anger, which he afterwards wipes off by repenting of it; and the 
keeping an insidious purpose shut up in the heart. Great, lastly, the 
difference between these words of Scripture; "Mine eye is disordered 
because of anger."(1) Whereas of the other it is said, "Whosoever hateth 
his brother is a murderer."(2) Great is the difference between an eye 
disordered, and clean put out. A mote disorders, a beam puts clean out.

  3. In order then that we may be able well to do and to fulfil what we 
have been admonished of to-day, let us first persuade ourselves to this, 
above all things to have no hate. For when there is no beam in thine own 
eye, thou seest rightly whatever may be in thy brother's eye; and art 
uneasy, till thou cast out of thy brother's eye what thou seest to hurt it. 
The light that is in thee, doth not allow thee to neglect thy brother's 
light. Whereas if thou hate, and wouldest correct him, how dost thou 
improve his light, when thou hast lost thine own light? For the same 
Scripture, where it is written, "Whosoever hateth his brother is a 
murderer," hath expressly told us this also. "He that hateth his brother is 
in darkness even until now."(3) Hatred then is darkness. Now it cannot but 
be, that he who hateth another, should first injure himself. For him he 
endeavours to hurt outwardly, he lays himself waste inwardly. Now in 
proportion as our soul is of more value than our body, so much the more 
ought we to provide for it, that it be not hurt. But he that hateth 
another, doth hurt his own soul. And what would he do to him whom he 
hateth? What would he do? He takes away his money, can he take his faith 
away? he wounds his good fame, can he wound his conscience? Whatever injury 
he does, is but external; now observe what his injury to himself is? For he 
who hateth another is an enemy to himself within. But because he is not 
sensible of what harm he is doing to himself, he is violent against 
another, and that the more dangerously. that he is not sensible of the evil 
he is doing to himself; because by this very violence he has lost the power 
of perception. Thou art violent against thine enemy; by this violence of 
thine he is spoiled, and thou art wicked. Great is the difference between 
the two. He hath lost his money, thou thine innocence. Ask which hath 
suffered the heavier loss? He hath lost a thing that was sure to perish, 
and thou art become one who must now perish thyself.

  4. Therefore ought we to rebuke in love; not with any eager desire to 
injure, but with an earnest care to amend. If we be so minded, most 
excellently do we practise that which we have been recommended to-day; "If 
thy brother shall sin against thee, rebuke him between thee and him 
alone."(4) Why dost thou rebuke him? Because thou art grieved, that he 
should have sinned against thee? God forbid. If from love of thyself thou 
do it, thou doest nothing. If from love to him thou do it, thou doest 
excellently. In fact, observe in these words themselves, for the love of 
whom thou oughtest to do it, whether of thyself or him. "If he shall hear 
thee, thou hast gained thy brother." Do it for his sake then, that thou 
mayest "gain" him. If by so doing thou "gain" him, hadst thou not done it, 
he would have been lost. How is it then that most men disregard these sins, 
and say, "What great thing have I done? I have only sinned against man." 
Disregard them not. Thou hast sinned against man; but wouldest thou know 
that in sinning against man thou art lost. If he, against whom thou hast 
sinned, have "rebuked thee between thee and him alone," and thou hast 
listened to him, he hath "gained" thee. What can "hath gained thee," mean; 
but that thou hadst been lost, if he had not gained thee. For if thou 
wouldest not have been lost, how hath he gained thee? Let no man then 
disregard it, when he sins against a brother. For the Apostle saith in a 
certain place, "But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their 
weak conscience, ye sin against Christ;"(5) for this reason, because we 
have been all made members of Christ. How dost thou not sin against Christ, 
who sinnest against a member of Christ ?

  5. Let no one therefore say, "I have not sinned against God, but against 
a brother. I have sinned against a man, it is a trifling sin, or no sin at 
all." It may be, thou sayest it is a trifling sin, because it is soon 
cured. Thou hast sinned against a brother; give him satisfaction, and thou 
art made whole. Thou didst a deadly thing quickly, but quickly too hast 
thou found a remedy. Who of us, my Brethren, can hope for the kingdom of 
heaven, when the Gospel says," Whosoever shall say to his brother, Thou 
fool, shall be in danger of hell fire ?"(6) Exceeding terror! but behold in 
the same place the remedy: "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there 
rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift 
before the altar."(7) God is not angry that thou deferrest to lay thy gift 
upon the Altar. It is thee that God seeketh more than thy gift. For if thou 
come with a gift to thy God, bearing an evil mind against thy brother, He 
will answer thee, "Thou art lost, what hast thou brought Me? Thou bringest 
thy gift, and thou art thyself no proper gift for God. Christ seeketh him 
whom He hath redeemed with His Blood, more than what thou hast found in thy 
barn." So then, "Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, 
first be reconciled to thy brother, and so thou shall come and offer thy 
gift." Lo that "danger of hell fire," how quickly dissolved it is !When 
thou wast not yet reconciled, thou wast "in danger of hell fire;" once 
reconciled, thou offerest thy gift before the altar in all security.

  6. But men are easy and ready enough to inflict injuries, and hard to 
seek for reconciliation. Ask pardon, says one, of him whom thou hast 
offended, of him whom thou hast injured. He answers, "I will not so humble 
myself." But now if thou despise thy brother, at least give ear to thy God. 
"He that humbleth himself shall be exalted."(1) Wilt thou refuse to humble 
thyself, who hast already fallen? Great is the difference between one who 
humbleth himself, and one who lieth on the ground. Already dost thou lie on 
the ground, and wilt thou then not humble thyself? Thou mightest well say, 
I will not descend; if thou hadst first been unwilling to fall.

  7. This then ought one to do who hath done an injury. And he who hath 
suffered one, what ought he to do? What we have heard to-day, "If thy 
brother shall sin against thee, rebuke him between thee and him alone."(2) 
If thou shall neglect this, thou art worse than he. He hath done an injury, 
and by doing an injury, hath stricken himself with a grievous wound; wilt 
thou disregard thy brother's wound? Wilt thou see him perishing, or already 
lost, and disregard his case? Thou art worse in keeping silence, than he in 
his reviling. Therefore when any one sins against us, let us take great 
care, not for ourselves, for it is a glorious thing to forget injuries; 
only forget thine own injury, not thy brother's wound. Therefore "rebuke 
him between thee and him alone," intent upon his amendment, but sparing his 
shame. For it may be that through shamefacedness he will begin to defend 
his sin, and so thou wilt make him whom thou desirest to amend, still 
worse. "Rebuke him" therefore "between him and thee alone. If he shall hear 
thee, thou hast gained thy brother;" because he would have been lost, hadst 
thou not done it. But "if he: will not hear thee," that is, if he will 
defend his sin as if it were a just action, "take with thee one or two 
more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be 
established; and if he will not hear them, refer it to the Church; but if 
he will not hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a 
publican."(3) Reckon him no more amongst the number of thy brethren. But 
yet neither is his salvation on that account to be neglected. For the very 
heathen, that is, the Gentiles and Pagans, we do not reckon among the 
number of brethren; but yet are we ever seeking their salvation. This then 
have we heard the Lord so advising, and with such great carefulness 
enjoining, that He even added this immediately, "Verily I say unto you, 
Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever 
ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven."(4) Thou hast begun to 
hold thy brother for a publican; "thou bindest him on earth;" but see that 
thou bind him justly. For unjust bonds justice doth burst asunder. But when 
thou hast corrected, and been "reconciled to thy brother," thou hast 
"loosed him on earth." And when "thou shalt have loosed him on earth, he 
shall be loosed in heaven also." Thus thou doest a great thing, not for 
thyself, but for him; for a great injury had he done, not to thee, but to 
himself.

  8. But since this is so, what is that which Solomon says, and which we 
heard first to- day out of another lesson, "He that winketh with the eyes 
deceitfully, heapeth sorrow upon men; but he that reproveth openly, maketh 
peace"?(5) If then "he that reproveth openly, maketh peace;" how "rebuke 
him between him and thee alone"? We must fear, lest the divine precepts 
should be contrary to one another. But no: let us understand that there is 
the most perfect agreement in them, let us not follow the conceits of 
certain vain ones,(6) who in their error think that the two Testaments in 
the Old and New Books are contrary to each other; that so we should think 
that there is any contradiction here, because one is in the book of 
Solomon, and the other in the Gospel. For if any one unskilful in, and a 
reviler of the divine Scriptures, were to say, "See where the two 
Testaments contradict each other. The Lord saith, 'Rebuke him between him 
and thee alone.' Solomon saith, 'He that reproveth openly maketh peace.'" 
Doth not the Lord then know what He hath commanded? Solomon would have the 
sinners' hard forehead bruised: Christ spareth his shame who blushes for 
his sins. For in the one place it is written, "He that reproveth openly 
maketh peace;" but in the other, "Rebuke him between him and thee alone;" 
not "openly," but apart and secretly. But wouldest thou know, whosoever 
thou art that thinkest such things, that the two Testaments are not opposed 
to each other, because the first of these passages is found in the book of 
Solomon, and the other in the Gospel? Hear the Apostle. And surely the 
Apostle is a Minister of the New Testament. Hear the Apostle Paul then, 
charging Timothy, and saying, "Them that sin rebuke before all, that others 
also may fear."(7) So then not the book of Solomon, but an Epistle of Paul 
the Apostle seems to be at issue with the Gospel. Let us then without any' 
prejudice to his honour lay aside Solomon for a while; let us hear the Lord 
Christ and His servant Paul. What sayest Thou, O Lord? "If thy brother sin 
against thee, rebuke him between him and thee alone." What sayest thou, O 
Apostle? "Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear." What 
are we about? Are we listening to this controversy as judges? That be far 
from us. Yea, rather as those whose place is under the Judge, let us knock, 
that we may obtain, that it be opened to us; let us fly beneath the wings 
of our Lord God. For He did not speak in contradiction to His Apostle, 
seeing that He Himself spoke "in" him also, as he says, "Would ye receive a 
proof of Christ, who speaketh in me ?"(2) Christ in the Gospel, Christ in 
the Apostle: Christ therefore spake both; one by His own Mouth, the other 
by the mouth of His herald. For when the herald pronounces anything from 
the tribunal, it is not written in the records, "the herald said it;" but 
he is written as having said it, who commanded the herald what to say.

  9. Let us then so give ear to these two precepts, Brethren, as that we 
may understand them, and let us settle ourselves in peace between them 
both. Let us but be in agreement with our own heart, and Holy Scripture 
will in no part disagree with itself. It is entirely true, both precepts 
are true; but we must make a distinction, that sometimes the one, sometimes 
the other must be done; that sometimes a brother must be "reproved between 
him and thee alone," sometimes a brother "must be reproved before all, that 
others also may fear." If we do sometimes the one, and sometimes the other, 
we shall hold fast the harmony of the Scriptures, and shall not err in 
fulfilling and obeying them. But a man will say to me, "When am I to do 
this one, and when the other? lest I 'reprove between me and him alone,' 
when I ought to 'reprove before all;' or 'reprove before all,' when I ought 
to reprove in secret."

  10. You will soon see, Beloved, what we ought to do, and when; only I 
would we may not be slow to practise it. Attend and see: "If thy brother 
sin against thee, rebuke him between him and thee alone." Why? Because it 
is against thee that he hath sinned. What is that, "hath sinned against 
thee"? Thou knowest that he hath sinned. For because it was secret when he 
sinned against thee, seek for secresy, when thou dost correct his sin. For 
if thou only know that he hath sinned against thee, and thou wouldest 
"rebuke him before all," thou art not a reprover, but a betrayer. Consider 
how that "just man" Joseph spared his wife with such exceeding kindness, in 
so great a crime as he had suspected her of, before he knew by whom she had 
conceived; because he perceived that she was with child, and he knew that 
he had not come in unto her. There remained then an unavoidable(3) 
suspicion of adultery, and yet because he only had perceived, he only knew 
it, what does the Gospel say of him? "Then Joseph being a just man, and not 
willing to make her a public example."(4) The husband's grief sought no 
revenge; he wished to profit, not to punish the sinner. "And not willing to 
make her a public example, he was minded to put her away privily." But 
while he thought on these things, "behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared 
unto him,"(5) in sleep; and told him how it was, that she had not defiled 
her husband's bed, but that she had conceived of the Holy Ghost the Lord of 
them both. Thy brother then hath sinned against thee; if thou alone know 
it, then hath he really sinned against thee alone. For if in the hearing of 
many he hath done thee an injury, he hath sinned against them also whom he 
hath made witnesses of his iniquity. For I tell you, my dearly beloved 
Brethren, what you can yourselves recognise in your own case. When any one 
does my brother an injury in my hearing, God forbid that I should think 
that injury unconnected with myself. Certainly he has done it to me also; 
yea to me the rather, to whom he thought what he did was pleasing. 
Therefore those sins are to be reproved before all, which are committed 
before all; they are to be reproved with more secresy, which are committed 
more secretly. Distinguish times, and Scripture is in harmony with itself.

  II. So let us act; and so must we act not only when the sin is committed 
against ourselves, but when the sin is so committed by any one as that it 
is unknown by the other. In secret ought we to rebuke, in secret to reprove 
him; lest if we would reprove him publicly, we should betray the man. We 
wish to rebuke and reform him; but what if his enemy is looking out to hear 
something that he may punish? For example, a Bishop knows of some one who 
has killed another, and no one else knows of him. I wish to reprove him 
publicly; but thou art seeking to prosecute him.(6) Decidedly then I will 
neither betray him, nor neglect him; I will reprove him in secret; I will 
set the judgment of God before his eyes; I will alarm his bloodstained 
conscience; I will persuade him to repentance. With this charity ought we 
to be endued. And hence men sometimes find fault with us, as if we do not 
reprove; or they think that we know what we do not know, or that we hush up 
what we know. And it may be that what thou knowest, I know also i but I 
will not reprove in thy presence I because I wish to cure, not to act 
informer. There are men who commit adultery in their own houses, they sin 
in secret, sometimes they are discovered to us by their own wives, 
generally through jealousy, sometimes as seeking their husband's salvation; 
in such cases we do not betray them openly, but reprove them in secret. 
Where the evil has happened, there let the evil die. Yet do we not neglect 
that wound; above all things showing the man who is in such a sinful state, 
and bears such a wounded conscience, that that is a deadly wound which they 
who suffer from, sometimes by an unaccountable perverseness despise; and 
seek out testimonies in their favour, I know not whence, null certainly and 
void, saying, "God careth not for sins of the flesh."(1) Where is that then 
which we have heard to-day, "Whoremongers and adulterers God will 
judge"?(2) Lo !whosoever thou art that labourest under such a disease 
attend. Hear what God saith; not what thine own mind, in indulgence to 
thine own sins, may say, or what thy friend, thine enemy rather and his own 
too, bound in the same bond of iniquity with thee may say. Hear then what 
the Apostle saith; "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled. 
But whoremongers and adulterers God will judge."

  12. Come then, Brother, be reformed. Thou art afraid lest thine enemy 
should prosecute thee; and art thou not afraid lest God should judge thee? 
Where is thy faith? Fear whilst there is the time for fear. Far off indeed 
is the day of judgment; but every man's last day cannot be far off; for 
life is short. And since this shortness is ever uncertain, thou knowest not 
when thy last day may be. Reform thyself today, because of to-morrow. Let 
the reproof in secret be of service to thee now. For I am speaking openly, 
yet do I reprove in secret. I knock at the ears of all; but I accost(3) the 
consciences of some. If I were to say, "Thou adulterer, reform thyself;" 
perhaps in the first place I might say what I had no knowledge of; perhaps 
suspect on a rash hearsay report. I do not then say, "Thou adulterer, 
reform thyself;" but "whosoever thou art among this people who art an 
adulterer, reform thyself." So the reproof is public; the reformation 
secret. This I know, that whoso feareth, will reform himself.

 13. Let no one say in his heart, "God careth not for sins of the flesh." 
"Know ye not," saith the Apostle, "that ye are the temple of God, and the 
Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him 
will God destroy."(4) "Let no man deceive himself." But perhaps a man will 
say, "My soul is the temple of God, not my body," and will add this 
testimony also, "All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the 
flower of grass." s Unhappy interpretation !conceit meet for punishment 
!The flesh is called grass, because it dies; but take thou heed that that 
which dies for a time, rise not again with guilt. Wouldest thou ascertain a 
plain judgment on this point also? "Know ye not," says the same Apostle, 
"that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye 
have of God?"(6) Do not then any longer disregard sins of the body; seeing 
that your "bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which 
ye have of God." If thou didst disregard a sin of the body, wilt thou 
disregard a sin which thou committest against a temple? Thy very body is a 
temple of the Spirit of God within thee. Now take heed what thou doest with 
the temple of God. If thou weft to choose to commit adultery in the Church 
within these walls, what wickedness could be greater? But now thou art 
thyself the temple of God. In thy going out, in thy coming in, as thou 
abidest in thy house, as thou risest up, in all thou art a temple. Take 
heed then what thou doest, take heed that thou offend not the Indweller of 
the temple, lest He forsake thee, and thou fall into ruins. "Know ye not," 
he says, "that your bodies" (and this the Apostle spake touching 
fornication, that they might not think lightly of sins of the body) "are 
the temples of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye 
are not your own?" For "ye have been bought with a great(7) price." If thou 
think so lightly of thine own body, have some consideration for thy price.

  14. I know, and as I do every one knows, who has used a little more than 
ordinary consideration, that no man who has any fear of God omits to reform 
himself in obedience to His words, but he who thinks that he has longer 
time to live. This it is which kills so many, while they are saying, "To-
morrow, To-morrow ;" and suddenly the door is shut. He remains outside with 
the raven's croak,(8) because he had not the moaning of the dove. "To-
morrow, To-morrow;" is the raven's croak. Moan plaintively as the dove, and 
beat thy breast; but whilst thou art inflicting blows on thy breast, be the 
better for the beating; lest thou seem not to beat thy conscience, but 
rather with blows to harden it, and make an evil conscience more unyielding 
instead of better. Moan with no fruitless moaning. For it may be thou art 
saying to thyself, "God hath promised me forgiveness, whenever I reform 
myself I am secure; I read the divine Scripture, "In the day that the 
wicked man turneth away from his wickedness, and doeth that which is lawful 
and right, I will forget all his iniquities."' I am secure then, whenever I 
reform myself, God will give me pardon for my evil deeds." What can I say 
to this? Shall I lift up my voice against God? Shall I say to God, Do not 
give him pardon? Shall I say, This is not written, God hath not promised 
this? If I should say ought of this, I should say falsely. Thou speakest 
well and truly; God hath promised pardon on thy amendment, I cannot deny 
it; but tell me, I pray thee; see, I consent, I grant, I acknowledge that 
God hath promised time pardon, but who hath promised thee a to-morrow? 
Where thou dost read to me that thou shalt receive pardon, if thou reform 
thyself; there read to me how long thou hast to live. Thou dost confess, "I 
cannot read it there." Thou knowest not then how long thou hast to live. 
Reform thyself, and so be always ready. Be not afraid of the last day, as a 
thief, who will break up thy house as thou sleepest; but awake and reform 
thyself to-day. Why dost thou put it off till to- morrow? If thy life is to 
be a long one, let it be both long and good. No one puts off a good dinner, 
because it is to be a long one, and dost thou wish to have a long evil 
life? Surely if it is to be long, it will be all the better if it be good; 
if it is to be short, it is well that its good be as long as possible.(2) 
But men neglect their life to such a degree, as that they are unwilling to 
have anything bad except it. You buy a farm, and you look out for a good 
one; you wish to marry a wife, you choose a good one; you wish for the 
birth of children, and you long for good ones; you bargain for shoes, and 
you do not wish for bad ones; and yet a bad life you (3) do love. How hath 
thy life offended thee, that thou art willing to have it only bad; that 
amid all thy good things thou shouldest thyself alone be evil ?

  15. So then, my Brethren, if I should wish to reprove any of you 
individually in secret, perhaps he would listen to me. I reprove many of 
you now in public; all praise me; may some give attentive heed to me !I 
have no love for him who praises me with his voice, and with his heart 
despises me. For when thou dost praise, and not reform thyself, thou art a 
witness against thyself. If thou art evil, and thou art pleased with what I 
say, be displeased with thyself; because if thou art displeased with 
thyself as being evil, when thou dost reform, thou wilt be well pleased 
with thyself, which if I mistake not I said the day before yesterday. In 
all my words I set a mirror before you. Nor are they my words, but I speak 
at the bidding of the Lord, by whose terrors I refrain from keeping 
silence. For who would not rather choose to keep silence, and not to give 
account for you? But now I have undertaken the burden, and I cannot, and I 
ought not to shake it off my shoulders. When the Epistle to the Hebrews was 
being read, my Brethren, ye heard, "Obey them that have the rule over you, 
and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as they that must 
give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is 
unprofitable for you."(4) When do we it with joy? When we see man making 
progress in the words of God. When does the labourer in the field work with 
joy? When he looks at the tree, and sees the fruit; when he looks at the 
crop, and sees the prospect of abundance of corn in the floor; when he sees 
that he has not laboured in vain, has not bowed his back, and bruised his 
hands, and endured the cold and heat in vain. This is what he says, "That 
they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for 
you." Did he say, "unprofitable for them "? No. He said, "unprofitable for 
you." For when those who are set over yon are saddened at your evil deeds, 
it is profitable for them; their very sadness is profitable for them; but 
it is unprofitable for you. But we do not wish that anything should be 
profitable for us, which for you is unprofitable. Let us then, Brethren, do 
good together in the Lord's field; that at the reward we may rejoice 
together.

SERMON XXXIIL

[LXXXIII. BEN]

ON THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL, MATT. XVII 21, "HOW OFT SHALL MY BROTHER SIN 
AGAINST ME," ETC.

  1. YESTERDAY the holy Gospel warned us not to neglect the sins of our 
brethren: "But if thy brother shall sin against thee, rebuke him between 
him and thee alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 
But if he shall refuse to hear thee, take with thee two or three more; that 
in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established. And 
if he shall neglect to hear them too, tell it to the Church. But if he 
shall neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man 
and a publican."(5) To-day also the section which follows, and which we 
heard when it was read, relates to the same subject. For when the Lord 
Jesus had said this to Peter, he went on to ask his Master, how often !he 
should forgive a brother who had sinned against him; and he enquired 
whether seven times would be enough. "The Lord answered him, Not only seven 
times, but seventy times seven.(6) Then he added a parable very full of 
terror: That the "kingdom of heaven is like unto an householder, which took 
account with his servants; among whom he found one that owed ten thousand 
talents. And when he commanded all that he had, and all his family, and 
himself to be sold, and the debt to be paid, he fell down at his lord's 
feet,"(1) and prayed for delay, and obtained(2) entire remission. For as we 
have heard, "His lord was moved with compassion, and forgave him all the 
debt." Then that man free from his debt, but a bondslave of iniquity, after 
he had gone out from the presence of his lord, found in his turn a debtor 
of his own, who owed him, not ten thousand talents, the sum. which had been 
remitted to him, but a hundred denarii; and "he began to drag him by the 
throat, and say, Pay me that thou owest."(3) Then he besought his fallow- 
servant as he had done his lord; but he did not find his fellow-servant 
such a man as the other had found his lord. He not only would not forgive 
him the debt; but he did not even grant him a delay. He hurried him along 
with great violence(4) to make him pay, he who had been but just now set 
free from his debt to his lord. His fellow- servants were displeased; and 
"went and told their lord what was done;" and the lord summoned his servant 
to his presence, and said to him, "O thou wicked servant, when thou didst 
owe me so great a debt, in pity to thee I forgave thee all. Shouldest not 
thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on 
thee ?"(5) And he commanded that all which he had forgiven him should be 
paid.

  2. It is then for our instruction that He put forth this parable, and by 
this warning He would save us from perishing. "So," said He, "shall My 
heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every 
one his brother their trespasses."(6) Lo, Brethren, the thing is plain, 
useful is the admonition, and a wholesome obedience is by all means due, 
that what hath been bidden may he fulfilled. For every man is at once God's 
debtor, and hath also some brother a debtor to himself. For who is there 
who is not God's debtor, but he in whom there can be found no sin? And who 
is there who hath not a brother his debtor, but he against whom no one hath 
sinned? Think you that any one among mankind can be found, who is not 
himself bounden to his brother by some sin? So then every man is a debtor, 
yet having himself his own debtors too. The righteous God therefore 
appointeth a rule for thee toward 'thy debtor, which He also will observe 
with His. For two works of mercy are there, which deliver l us, which the 
Lord hath Himself briefly laid down in the Gospel: "Forgive, and ye shall 
be forgiven: give, and it shall be given unto you."(7) "Forgive, and ye 
shall be forgiven," relates to pardoning. "Give, and it shall be given unto 
you," relates to doing kindnesses. As to what He saith of pardoning, thou 
both wishest thy sin to be pardoned thee, and thou hast another whom thou 
mayest pardon. Again, as to the doing kindnesses; a beggar asks of thee, 
and thou art God's beggar. For we are all when we pray God's beggars; we 
stand, yea rather we fall prostrate before' the door of the Great 
Householder, we groan in supplication wishing to receive something; and 
this something is God Himself. What does the beggar ask of thee? Bread. And 
what dost thou ask of God, but Christ, who saith, "I am the living Bread 
which came down from heaven "?(8) Would you be forgiven? Forgive. "Forgive, 
and it shall be forgiven you." Would you receive? "Give, and it shall be 
given unto you."

  3. But now hear what in so plain a precept I may cause a difficulty. In 
this question of forgiveness when pardon is asked, and it is due from him 
who should grant it, it may be a difficulty to us as it was to Peter. "How 
often ought I to forgive? Is up to seven times sufficient ?" "It is not 
sufficient," saith the Lord, "I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, 
Until seventy times seven."(9) Now reckon up how often thy brother hath 
sinned against thee. If thou canst reach the seventy-eighth fault, so as to 
get beyond the seventy times seven, then set about revenge. Is this then 
what He really means, and is it really so, that if he shall sin "seventy 
times seven," thou shouldest forgive him; but if he shall sin seventy times 
and eight, it should then be lawful for thee not to forgive? Nay I am bold 
to say, that if he should even sin seventy-eight times, thou must forgive. 
Yea, as I have said, if he shall sin seventy-eight times, forgive. And if 
he sin a hundred times, forgive. And why need I say, so and so often? In 
one word,(10) as often as he shall sin, forgive him. Have I then taken upon 
me to overpass the measure of my Lord? He fixed the limit of forgiveness in 
the number seventy-seven; shall I presume to overleap this limit? It is not 
so, I have not presumed to go at all beyond. I have heard the Lord Himself 
speaking in His Apostle where there is no measure or number fixed. 'For He 
says, "Forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any, as God 
in Christ hath forgiven you."(11) Here you have the rule. If Christ have 
forgiven thee thy sins "seventy times and seven" only, if He have pardoned 
up to this point, and refused to pardon beyond it; then do thou also fix 
this limit, and be loth to forgive beyond it. But if Christ hath found 
thousands of sins upon sins, and hath yet forgiven all; withdraw not then 
thy mercy, but ask the forgiveness of that large number. For it was not 
without a meaning that the Lord said "seventy times seven;" forasmuch as 
there is no trespass whatever which thou oughtest not to forgive. See this 
servant in the parable, who being a debtor was found to have a debtor, owed 
ten thousand talents. And I suppose that ten thousand talents are at least 
ten thousand sins. For I will not say how but one talent will include all 
sins. But how much did the other servant owe him? He owed a hundred 
denarii. Now is not this more than "seventy and seven"? And yet the Lord 
was wroth, because he did not forgive him. For not only is a hundred more 
than "seventy-seven;" but a hundred denarii, perhaps are a thousand" 
asses." But what was this to ten thousand talents ?

  4. And so let us be ready to forgive all the trespasses which are 
committed against us, if we desire to be forgiven. For if we consider our 
sins, and reckon up what we do in deed, what by the eye, what by the ear, 
what by thought, what by numberless movements; I know not whether we so 
much as sleep without a talent. And therefore do we daily beg, daily knock 
at the ears of God by prayer, daily prostrate ourselves and say, "Forgive 
us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."(1) What debts of thine? All, or a 
certain part? Thou wilt answer, All. So then do thou with thy debtor. This 
then is the rule thou layest down, this the condition thou speakest of; 
this the covenant and agreement thou dost mention when thou prayest, 
saying, "Forgive us, as we forgive our debtors."

  5. What then, Brethren, is the meaning of "seventy times seven"? Hear, 
for it is a great mystery, a wonderful sacrament. When the Lord was 
baptized, the Evangelist St. Luke has in that place commemorated His 
generations in the regular order, series, and line in which they had come 
down to that generation in which Christ was born. Matthew begins at 
Abraham,(2) and comes down to Joseph in a descending order; but Luke begins 
to reckon in an ascending order. Why does the one reckon in a descending, 
and the other in an ascending order? Because Matthew set forth the 
generation of Christ by which He came down to us; and so he began to reckon 
when Christ was born in a descending order.(3) Whereas, because Luke begins 
to reckon when Christ was baptized; in this is the beginning of ascension, 
he begins to reckon in an ascending order, and in his reckoning he has 
completed seventy-seven generations.(4) With whom did he begin his 
reckoning ?

Observe with whom? He began to reckon from Christ up to Adam himself, who 
was the first sinner, and who begat us with the bond of sin. He reckoned up 
to Adam, and so there are reckoned seventy-seven generations; that is, from 
Christ up to Adam and from Adam up to Christ are the aforesaid seventy-
seven generations. So then if no generation was omitted, there is no 
exemption of any trespass which ought not to be forgiven. For therefore did 
he reckon up his seventy-seven generations, which number the Lord mentioned 
as to the forgiveness of sins; since he begins to reckon from the baptism, 
wherein all sins are remitted.

6. And, Brethren, observe in this a yet greater mystery.(5) In the number 
seventy-seven is a mystery of the remission of sins. So many are the 
generations found to be from Christ to Adam. Now then, ask with somewhat 
more careful diligence for the secret meaning of this number, and enquire 
into its hidden meaning; with more careful diligence knock, that it may be 
opened unto thee. Righteousness consists in the observance of the Law of 
God: true. For the Law is set forth in ten precepts. Therefore it was that 
the servant in the parable "owed ten thousand talents." This is that 
memorable Decalogue written by the finger of God, and delivered to the 
people by Moses, the servant of God. He "owed" then "ten thousand talents;" 
which signifies all sins, with reference to the number of the Law. And the 
other "owed a hundred denarii;" derived equally from the same number. For a 
hundred times a hundred make ten thousand; and ten times ten make a 
hundred. And the one "owed ten thousand talents," and the other ten times 
ten denarii. For there was no departure from the number(6) of the law, and 
in both numbers you will find every kind of sin included. Both are debtors, 
and both implore and beg for pardon; but the wicked, ungrateful servant 
would not repay what he had received, would not grant the mercy which had 
been undeservedly accorded to him.

7. Consider then, Brethren; every man begins from Baptism; he goes out 
free, the "ten thousand talents" are forgiven him; and when he goes out, he 
will soon find some fellow-servant his debtor. Let him note then, what sin 
itself is;(7) for the number eleven is the transgression of the law. For 
the law is ten, sin eleven. For the law is denoted by ten, sin by eleven. 
Why is sin denoted by eleven? Because to get to eleven, there is the 
transgression of the ten.(8) But the due limit is fixed in the law; and the 
transgression of it is sin. Now when you have passed beyond the ten, you 
come to eleven. This high mystery was figured out when the tabernacle was 
commanded to be built. There are many things mentioned there in number, 
which are a great mystery.(1) Among the rest, curtains of haircloth were 
ordered to be made not ten, but eleven;(2) because by haircloth is 
signified the confession of sins. Now what do you require more? Would you 
know how that all sins are contained in tiffs number "seventy-seven"? Seven 
then is usually put for a whole; because in seven days the revolution of 
time is completed, and when the seventh is ended, it returns to the first 
again, that the same revolution may be continued. In such revolutions whole 
ages pass away: yet there is no departure from the number seven. For He 
spoke of all sins, when He said "seventy times seven;" for multiply that 
eleven seven times, and it makes seventy-seven. Therefore would He have all 
sins forgiven, for He marked them out by the number" seventy-seven." Let no 
one then retain against himself by refusing to forgive, lest it be retained 
against him, when he prayeth. For God saith, "Forgive, and thou shalt be 
forgiven." For I have forgiven thee first; do thou at least forgive after 
that. For if thou wilt not forgive, I will call thee back, and put upon 
thee again all that I had remitted to thee. For the Truth doth not speak 
falsely; Christ neither deceiveth, nor is deceived, and He hath said at the 
close of the parable, "So likewise shall your Father which is in heaven do 
unto you."(3) Thou findest a Father, imitate thy Father. For if thou wilt 
not imitate Him, thou art devising(4) to be disinherited. "So likewise" 
then "shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts 
forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." Say not with the 
tongue, "I forgive," and put off to forgive in the heart; for by His threat 
of vengeance God showeth thee thy punishment. God knoweth where thou 
speakest. Man can hear thy voice; God looketh into thy conscience. If thou 
sayest, I forgive; forgive. Better is it that thou shouldest be violent in 
words, and forgive in the heart, than in words be soft, and in the heart 
relentless.

  8. Now then unruly boys will beg, and take it(5) hard to be beat taking 
exception against(6) us when we wish to chastise them after this fashion. 
"I have sinned, but forgive me." Well, I have forgiven, and he sins again. 
"Forgive me," he I cries, and I have forgiven him. He sins a third time. 
"Forgive me," he cries, and a third time I have forgiven him. Now then the 
fourth time let him be beat. And he will say, "What! have I tired you out 
to seventy-seven times?" Now if by such exceptions the severity of 
discipline sleep, upon the suppression of discipline wickedness will rage 
with impunity. What then is to be done? Let us reprove with words, and if 
need be with scourges; but let us withal forgive the sin, and cast away the 
remembrance of it from the heart. For therefore did the Lord add, "from 
your hearts," that though through affection discipline be exercised, 
gentleness might not depart out of the heart. For what is so kind and 
gentle as the surgeon with his knife? He that is to be cut cries, yet cut 
he is; he that is to be cauterized cries, but cauterized he is. This is not 
cruelty; on no account let that surgeon's treatment be called cruelty. 
Cruel he is against the wounded part that the patient may be cured; for if 
the wound be softly dealt with, the man is lost. Thus then would I advise, 
my Brethren, that we love our brethren, howsoever they may have sinned 
against us; that we let not affection toward them depart out of our hearts, 
and that when need is, we exercise discipline toward them; lest by the 
relaxation of discipline, wickedness increase, and we begin to be accused 
on God's behalf, for it has been read to us, "Them that sin rebuke before 
all, that others also may fear."(7) Certainly, if one, as is the only true 
way, distinguishes the times, and so solves the question, all is true. If 
the sin be in secret, rebuke it in secret. If the sin be public and open, 
rebuke it publicly that the sinner may be reformed; and "that others also 
may fear."

SERMON XXXIV.

[LXXXIV. BEN.]

ON THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL, MATT. XIX. I7, "IF THOU WOULDEST ENTER INTO 
LIFE, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS."

  1. THE Lord said to a certain young man, "If thou wilt enter into life, 
keep the commandments."(8) He did not say, "If thou wilt enter into life 
eternal," but "If thou wilt enter into life;" laying down that as life, 
which is to be life eternal. Let us first then set forth the value of the 
love of this life. For even this present life, under whatever 
circumstances, is loved; and men fear and dread to end it of whatever kind 
it be; however full of trouble and misery. Hence may we see, hence 
consider, how the life eternal should be loved; when this life so 
miserable, and which must sometime come to an end, is loved so much. 
Consider, Brethren, how greatly should that life be loved, where thou wilt 
never end life. Thou dost love, it seems, this present life, where thou 
dost labour so much, hastest to and fro, art busy, sufferest fatigue; yea 
scarcely to be enumerated are the necessities of this miserable life; 
sowing, ploughing, clearing the ground, sailing, grinding, cooking, 
weaving; and after all these things thou hast to end thy life. See the 
evils thou dost suffer in this miserable life, which thou lovest; and dost 
thou think that thou shalt always live, and never die? Temples, stones, 
marbles, joined so strongly together with iron and lead, fall into ruin for 
all their strength; and does a man suppose that he shall never die? Learn 
then, Brethren, to seek for eternal life, where you will not endure all 
this, but will reign with God for ever. "For he who wisheth life," as the 
Prophet says, "loveth to see good days." ' For in evil days death is rather 
wished for than life. Do we not hear and see men when they are involved in 
some tribulations and distresses, in law-suits or sicknesses and they see 
that they are in travail, do we not hear them saying nothing else but, "O 
God, send me death, hasten my days"? Yet when sickness comes, they run 
about, and physicians are fetched, and money and rewards are promised. 
Death himself says to thee, "Lo, here I am, whom but a little while ago 
thou wert asking of the Lord, why wouldest thou fly from me now? I have 
found thee to be a self-deceiver, and a lover of this miserable life."

  2. But as concerning these days which we are passing now, the Apostle 
says, "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."(2) Are not these 
days indeed evil which we spend in this corruptible flesh, in or under so 
heavy a load of the corruptible body, amid so great temptations, amid so 
great difficulties, where there is but false pleasure, no security of joy, 
a tormenting fear, a greedy covetousness, a withering sadness? Lo, what 
evil days !yet no one is willing to end these same evil days, and hence men 
earnestly pray God that they may live long. Yet what is it to live long, 
but to be long tormented? What is it to live long, but to add evil days to 
evil l days? When boys are growing up, it is as if days are being added to 
them; whereas they do not know that they are being diminished; and their 
very reckoning is false. For as we grow in up, the number of our days 
rather diminishes than increases. Appoint for any man at his birth, for 
instance, eighty years; every day he lives, he diminishes somewhat of that 
sum. Yet silly men rejoice at the oft-recurring birthdays, both of 
themselves and their children. O sensible man !If the wine in thy bottle is 
diminished, thou art sad; days art thou losing, and art thou glad? These 
days then are evil; and so much the more evil, in that they are loved. This 
world is so alluring, that no one is willing to finish a life of sorrow. 
For the true, the blessed life is this, when we shall rise again, and reign 
with Christ. For the ungodly too shall rise again but to go into the fire. 
Life then is there  again, but that which is blessed. And blessed life 
there can be none but that which is eternal, where are "good days;" and 
those not many days, but one day. They are called "days" after the custom 
of this life. That day knows no rising, it knows no setting. To that day 
there succeeds no to-morrow; because no yesterday precedes it. This day, or 
these days, and this life, this true life, have we in promise. It is then 
the reward of a certain work. So if we love the reward, let us not fail in 
the work; and so shall we reign with Christ for ever.

SERMON XXXV.

[LXXXV. BEN>]

ON THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL, MATT. XIX. 17, "IF THOU WOULDEST ENTER INTO 
LIFE, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS."

1. THE Gospel lesson which has now sounded in our ears, Brethren, requires 
rather an attentive hearer and a doer, than an expositor. What is more 
clear than this light, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the 
commandments"?(3) What then have I to say but, "If thou wilt enter into 
life, keep the commandments"? Who is there that does not wish for life? and 
yet who is there that does wish to keep the commandments? If thou dost not 
wish to keep the commandments, why seekest thou after life? If thou art 
slow to the work, why dost thou hasten to the reward? The rich young man in 
the Gospel said that he had kept the commandments; then he heard the 
greater precepts, "If thou wilt be perfect, one thing is lacking to thee, 
go sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor;" thou shalt not lose 
them, but "thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me."(4) 
For what shall it profit thee, if thou shalt do all the rest, and yet not 
follow Me?" But as ye have heard, "he went away" sad and "sorrowful; for he 
had great riches." What he heard, have we heard also. The Gospel is 
Christ's voice. He sitteth in heaven; but He doth not cease to speak on 
earth. Let us not be deaf, for He is crying out. Let us not be dead; for He 
is thundering. If thou wilt not do the greater things, do at least the 
less. If the burden of the greater be too much for thee, at least take up 
the less. Why art thou slow to both? why settest thyself against both? The 
greater are, "Sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and follow 
Me." The less are, "Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit 
adultery, Thou shall not steal, Thou shall not bear false witness. Honour 
thy father and thy mother; and, Thou shall love thy neighbour as 
thyself."(1) These do; why do I call to thee, to sell thy possessions, from 
whom I cannot gain, that thou wouldest keep from plundering what is 
another's? Thou hast heard, "Thou shalt not steal;" yet thou dost plunder. 
Before the eyes of so great a Judge, I find thee not a thief only, but a 
plunderer. Spare thyself, have pity on thyself. This life yet allows thee 
respite, do not refuse correction. Yesterday thou wast a thief; be not so 
to-day too. Or if peradventure thou hast been so to-day already, be not so 
to-morrow. Put a stop sometime to thy evil doing, and so require good for a 
reward. Thou wouldest have good things, and wouldest not be good; thy life 
is a contradiction to thy desires. If to have a good country-seat, is a 
great good: how great an evil must it be to have an evil soul!

  2. The rich man "went away sorrowful;" and the Lord said, "How hardly 
shall he that hath riches enter into the kingdom of heaven!"(2) And by 
putting forth a comparison He showed the difficulty to be such that it was 
absolutely impossible. For every impossible thing is difficult; but not 
every difficult thing is impossible. As to how difficult it is, take heed 
to the comparison; "Verily I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go 
through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom 
of God."(3) A camel to go through the eye of a needle! If He had said a 
gnat, it would be impossible. And then when His disciples heard it, they 
were grieved and said, "If this be so, who then can be saved?"(4) What rich 
man? Give ear then to Christ, ye poor, I am speaking to the people of God. 
Ye are more of you poor than rich, do ye then at least receive what I say, 
yet give heed. Whosoever of you boast of your poverty, beware of pride, 
lest the humble rich surpass you; beware of impiety, lest the pious rich 
surpass you; beware of drunkenness, lest the sober rich surpass you. Do not 
glory of your poverty, if they must not glory of their riches.

  3. And let the rich give ear, if indeed they are rich; let them give ear 
to the Apostle, "Charge the rich of this world,"(5) for there are who are 
the rich of another world. The poor are the rich of another world. 'The 
Apostles are the rich of another world, who said, "As having nothing, and 
yet possessing all things."(6) So that ye may know of what poor he is 
speaking he added, "of this world." Let the "rich" then "of this world" 
give ear to the Apostle, "Charge," he says, "the rich of this world, that 
they he not proud in their conceits." The first worm of riches is pride.(7) 
A consuming moth, which gnaws the whole, and reduces it even to dust. 
"Charge them," therefore, "not to be proud in their conceits, nor to trust 
in the uncertainty of riches" (they are the Apostle's words), "but in the 
living God." A thief may take away thy gold; who can take away thy God? 
What hath the rich man, if he hath not God? What hath the poor man not, if 
he have God? Therefore he says, "Nor to trust in riches, but in the living 
God, who giveth us all things richly to enjoy;" with which all things He 
giveth also Himself.

  4. If then they ought not to "trust in riches," not to confide in them, 
"but in the living God;" what are they to do with their riches? Hear what: 
"Let them be rich in good works."(8) What does this mean? Explains, O 
Apostle. For many are loth to understand what they l are loth to practise. 
Explain, O Apostle; give none occasion to evil works by the obscurity of 
thy words. Tell us what thou dost mean by, "let them be rich in good 
works." Let them hear and understand; let them not be suffered to excuse 
themselves; but rather let them begin to accuse themselves, and to say what 
we have just heard in the Psalm," For I acknowledge my sin."(9) Tell us 
what this is, "let them be rich in good works. Let them easily distribute." 
And what is "let them easily distribute"? What !is this too not understood? 
"Let them easily distribute, let them communicate." Thou hast, another hath 
not: communicate, that God may communicate to thee. Communicate here, and 
thou shalt communicate there. Communicate thy bread here, and thou shalt 
receive Bread there. What bread here? That which thou dost gather with 
sweat and toil, according to the curse upon the first man. What Bread 
there? Even Him who said, "I am the Living Bread which came down from 
heaven."(10) Here thou art rich, but thou art poor there. Gold thou hast, 
but thou hast not yet the Presence of Christ. Lay out what thou hast, that 
thou mayest receive what thou hast not. "Let them be rich in good works, 
let them easily distribute, let them communicate."(11)

  5. Must they then lose all they have? He said, "Let them communicate," 
not "Let them give the whole." Let them keep for themselves as much as is 
sufficient for them, let them keep more than is sufficient. Let us give a 
certain portion of it. What portion? A tenth ?(12) The Scribes and 
Pharisees gave tithes for whom Christ had not yet shed His Blood. The 
Scribes and Pharisees gave tithes; lest haply thou shouldest think thou art 
doing any great thing in breaking thy bread to the poor; and this is 
scarcely a thousandth part of thy means.

And yet I am not finding fault with this; do even this. So hungry and 
thirsty am I, that I am glad even of these crumbs. But yet I cannot keep 
back what He who died for us said whilst He was alive. "Except your 
righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye 
shall in no case enter into the kingdoms of heaven."(1) He does not deal 
softly with us; for He is a physician, He cuts to the quick. "Except your 
righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye 
shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." The Scribes and 
Pharisees gave the tenth. How is it with you? Ask yourselves. Consider what 
you do, and with what means you do it; how much you give, how much you 
leave for yourselves; what you spend on mercy, what you reserve for luxury. 
So then, "Let them distribute easily, let them communicate, let them lay up 
in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that 
they may hold on eternal life."

  6. I have admonished the rich; now hear, ye poor. Ye rich, lay out your 
money; ye poor, refrain from plundering. Ye rich, distribute your means; ye 
poor, bridle your desires. Hear, ye poor, this same Apostle; "Godliness 
with sufficiency is a great getting."(2) Getting is the acquiring of gain. 
The world is yours in common with the rich; ye have not a house in common 
with the rich, but ye have the heaven in common, the light in common. Seek 
only for a sufficiency, seek for what is enough, and do not wish for more. 
All the rest is a weight, rather than a help; a burden, rather than an 
honour. "Godliness with sufficiency is great gain." First is Godliness. 
Godliness is the worship of God. "Godliness with sufficiency. For we 
brought nothing into this world."(3) Didst thou bring anything hither? Nay, 
not even did ye rich bring anything. Ye found all here, ye were born naked 
as the poor. In both alike is the same bodily infirmity; the same infant 
crying, the witness of our misery. "For we brought nothing into this world 
"(he is speaking to the poor)," neither can we carry anything out. And 
having food and covering, let us be therewith content."(4) "For they who 
wish to be rich." "Who wish to be," not who are. For they who are so, well 
and good. They have heard their lesson, that they be "rich in good works, 
that they distribute easily, that they communicate." They have heard 
already. Do ye now hear who are not yet rich. "They who wish to be rich, 
fall into temptation and a snare, and into many hurtful and foolish lusts." 
Do ye not fear? Hear what follows; "which drown men in destruction and 
perdition."(5) Dost thou not now fear? "for avarice is the root of all 
evil"?(6) Avarice is the wishing to be rich, not the being rich already. 
This is avarice. Dost thou not fear to be "drowned in destruction and 
perdition"? Dost thou not fear "avarice the root of all evil "? Thou 
pluckest up out of thy field the root of thorns, and wilt thou not pluck up 
out of thy heart the root of evil desires? Thou cleansest thy field from 
which thy body gets its fruit, and wilt thou not cleanse thy heart where 
thy God indwelleth? "For avarice is the root of all evil, which while some 
coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and entangled themselves in 
many sorrows."

  7. Ye have now heard what ye must do, ye have heard what ye must fear, ye 
have heard how the kingdom of heaven may be purchased, ye have heard by 
what the kingdom of heaven may be hindered. Be ye all of one mind in 
obeying the word of God. God made both the rich and poor. Scripture says, 
"The rich and the poor meet together, the Lord is the Maker of them 
both."(7) The rich and the poor meet together. In what way, except in this 
present life? The rich and the poor are born alike. Ye meet one another as 
ye walk on the way together. Do not thou oppress, nor thou defraud. The one 
hath need, the other hath plenty. But "the Lord is the Maker of them both." 
By him who hath, He helpeth him that needeth; by him who hath not, He 
proveth him that hath. We have heard, we have spoken; let us fear, let us 
take heed, let us pray, let us attain.

SERMON XXXVI.

[LXXXVI. BEN.]

ON THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL, MATT. XIX. 21, "GO SELL THAT THOU HAST, AND 
GIVE TO THE POOR," ETC.

  1. THE Gospel by the present lesson has reminded me to speak to you, 
Beloved, of the heavenly treasure. For our God hath not, as unbelieving 
covetous men suppose, wished us to lose what we have: if what hath been 
enjoined us be properly understood, and piously believed, and devoutly 
received; He hath not enjoined us to lose, but rather shown a place where 
we may lay up. For no man can help thinking of his treasure, and following 
his riches in a kind of journeying of the heart. If then they are buried in 
the earth, his heart will seek the lowest earth; but if they are reserved 
in heaven, his heart(8) will be above. If Christians therefore have the 
will to do what they know that they also make open profession of (not that 
all who hear know this;(9) and I would that they who have known it, knew it 
not in vain); if then they have the will to "lift up the heart" above, let 
them lay up there, what they love; and though yet in the flesh on earth, 
let them dwell with Christ in heart; and as her Head went before the 
Church, so let the heart of the Christian go before him. As the members are 
to go where Christ the Head hath gone before, so shall each man at his 
rising again go where his heart hath now gone before. Let us go hence then 
by that part of us which we may; our whole man will follow whither one part 
of us is gone before. Our earthly house must fall to ruin; our heavenly 
house is eternal. Let us move our goods beforehand, whither we are 
ourselves getting ready to come.

  2. We have just heard a certain rich man seeking counsel from the "Good 
Master" as to the means of obtaining eternal life. Great was the thing he 
loved, and of little value was that he was unwilling to renounce. And so in 
perverseness of heart, on hearing Him whom he had but now called "Good 
Master," through the overpowering love of what was valueless, he lost the 
possession of what was of great price. If he had not wished to obtain 
eternal life, he would not have asked counsel how to obtain eternal life. 
How is it then, Brethren, that he rejected the words of Him whom he had 
called "Good Master," drawn out for him as they were from the doctrine of 
the faith? What? Is He a Good Master before He teacheth, and when He hath 
taught, a bad one? Before He taught, He was called "Good." He did not hear 
what he wished, but he did hear what was proper for him; he had come with 
longing, but he went away in sadness. What if He had told him, "Lose what 
thou hast "? when he went away sad, because it was said, "Keep what thou 
hast securely." "Go," saith He, "sell all that thou hast, and give to the 
poor."(1) Art thou afraid, it may be, lest thou shouldest lose it. See what 
follows; "And thou shall have treasure in heaven." Before now it may be 
thou hast set some young slave to guard thy treasures; thy God will be the 
guardian of thy gold. He who gave them on earth, will Himself keep them in 
heaven. Perhaps he would not have hesitated to commit what he had to 
Christ, and was only sad because it was told him, "Give to the poor;" as 
though he would say in his heart, "Hadst Thou said, Give it to Me, I will 
keep it in heaven for thee; I would not hesitate to give it to my Lord, the 
'Good Master;' but now thou hast said, 'Give to the poor.'"

  3. Let no one fear to lay out upon the poor, let no one think that he is 
the receiver whose hand he sees. He receives it Who bade thee give it. And 
this I say not out of mine own l heart, or by any human conjecture; hear 
Him Himself, who at once exhorteth thee, and giveth thee a title of 
security. "I was an hungred," saith He, and ye gave Me meat." And when 
after the enumeration of all their kind offices, they answered, "When saw 
we Thee an hungred?" He answered, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of 
the least of these of Mine, ye have done it unto Me."(2) It is the poor man 
who begs, but He that is Rich receives. Thou givest to one who will make 
away with it, He receiveth it Who will restore it. Nor will He restore only 
what He receiveth; He is pleased to borrow upon interest, He promiseth more 
than thou hast given. Give the rein now to thy avarice, imagine thyself an 
usurer. If thou wert an usurer indeed, thou wouldest be rebuked by the 
Church, confuted by the word of God, all thy brethren would execrate thee, 
as a cruel usurer, desiring to wring gain from other's tears. But now be an 
usurer, no one will hinder thee. Thou art willing to lend to a poor man, 
who whenever he may repay thee will do it with grief; but lend now to a 
debtor who is well able to pay, and who even exhorteth thee to receive what 
he promiseth.

  4. Give to God, and press God for payment.(3) Yea rather give to God, and 
thou wilt be pressed to receive payment. On earth indeed thou hadst to seek 
thy debtor; and he sought too, but only to find where he might hide himself 
from thy face. Thou hadst gone to the judge, and said, "Bid that my debtor 
be summoned;" and he on hearing this gets away, and cares not even to wish 
thee well,(4) though to him perhaps in his need thou hadst given wealth by 
thy loan. Thou hast one then on whom thou mayest well lay out thy money. 
Give to Christ; He will of His own accord press thee to receive, whilst 
thou wilt even wonder that He hath received ought of thee. For to them who 
are placed on His right hand He will first say, "Come, ye blessed of My 
Father." "Come" whither? "Receive the kingdom prepared for you from the 
foundation of the world." For what? "For I was an hundred, and ye gave Me 
meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me 
in; naked, and ye clothed Me; I was sick and in prison, and ye visited Me." 
And they will say, "Lord, when saw we Thee?"(5) What doth this mean? The 
debtor presses to pay,(6) and the creditors make excuses. But the trusty 
debtor will not let them suffer loss thereby. "Do ye hesitate to receive? I 
have received, and are ye ignorant of it?" and He makes answer how He has 
received; "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these of 
Mine, ye have done it unto Me." "I received it not by Myself; but by Mine. 
What was given to them came to Me; be secure, ye have not lost it. Ye 
looked to those who were little able to pay on earth; ye have One who is 
well able to pay in heaven. I," He saith, "have received, I will repay."

  5. And what have I received, and what do I repay? "'I was an hungred,' He 
saith, 'and ye gave Me meat;' and the rest. I received earth, I will give 
heaven; I received temporal things, I will restore eternal; I received 
bread, I will give life." Yea, we may even say thus, "I have received 
bread, I will give Bread; I have received drink, I will give Drink; I have 
received houseroom, I will give a House; I was visited in sickness, I will 
give Health; I was visited in prison, I will give Liberty. The bread which 
ye gave to My poor is consumed; the Bread which I will give both 
recruiteth(1) the failing and doth not fail." May He then give us Bread, He 
who is the living Bread which came down from heaven. When He shall give 
Bread, He will give Himself. For what didst thou intend when thou didst 
lend on usury? To give money, and to receive money; but to give a smaller 
sum, and to receive a larger. "I," saith God, "will give thee an exchange 
for the better for all that thou hast given Me. For if thou weft to give a 
pound of silver, and to receive a pound of gold, with how great joy 
wouldest thou be possessed? Examine and question avarice. "I have given a 
pound of silver, I receive a pound of gold !" What proportion is there 
between silver and gold !Much more then, what proportion is there between 
earth and heaven !And thy silver and gold thou wert to leave here below; 
whereas thou wilt not abide thyself for ever here. "And I will give thee 
something else, and I will give thee something more, and I will give thee 
something better; I will give thee even that which will last for ever." So 
then, Brethren, be our avarice restrained, that another, which is holy, may 
be enkindled. Evil altogether is her counsel, who hinders you from doing 
good. Ye are willing to serve an evil mistress, not owning a Good Lord. And 
sometimes two mistresses occupy the heart, and tear the slave asunder who 
deserves to be in slavery to such a double yoke.

  6. Yes, sometimes two opposing mistresses have possession of a man, 
avarice and luxuriousness. Avarice says, "Keep;" luxuriousness, says, 
"Spend." Under two mistresses bidding d and exacting diverse things what 
canst thou do? They have both their mode of address. And when thou dost 
begin to be unwilling to obey them, and to take a step towards thy liberty; 
because they have no power to command, they use caresses. And their 
caresses are more to be n guarded against than their commands. What t, says 
avarice? "Keep for thyself, keep for thy children. If thou shouldest be in 
want, no one will give to thee. Live not for the time present only; consult 
for the future." On the other hand is luxuriousness. Live whilst thou 
mayest. Do good to thine own soul. Die thou must, and thou knowest not 
when; thou knowest not to whom thou shalt leave what thou hast, or who 
shall possess it. Thou art taking the bread out of thine own mouth, and 
perhaps after thy death thine heir will not so ranch as place a cup of wine 
upon thy tomb; or if so be he place a cup, he will drink himself drunk with 
it, not a drop(2) will come down to thee. Do well therefore to thine own 
soul, when and whilst thou canst." Thus avarice did enjoin one thing; "Keep 
for thyself, consult for the future." Luxuriousness another, "Do well to 
thine own soul."

  7. But O free man, called unto liberty, be weary, be weary of thy 
servitude to such mistresses as these. Acknowledge thy Redeemer. thy 
Deliverer. Serve Him, He enjoineth easier things, He enjoineth not things 
contrary one to another. I am bold further to say; avarice and 
luxuriousness did enjoin upon thee contrary things, so that thou couldest 
not obey them both; and one said, "Keep for thyself, and consult for the 
future;" the other said, "Spend freely, do well to thine own soul." Now let 
thy Lord and thy Redeemer come forth, and He shall say the same, and yet no 
contrary things. If thou wilt not, His house hath no need of an unwilling 
servant. Consider thy Redeemer, consider thy Ransom. He came to redeem 
thee, He shed His Blood. Dear He held thee whom He purchased at so dear a 
price. Thou dost acknowledge Him who bought thee, consider from what He 
redeemeth thee. I say nothing of the other sins which lord it proudly over 
thee; for thou wast serving innumerable masters. I speak only of these two, 
luxuriousness and avarice, giving thee contrary injunctions, hurrying thee 
into different things. Deliver thyself from them, come to thy God. If thou 
wast the servant of iniquity, be now the servant of righteousness. The 
words which they spake to thee, and the contrary injunctions they gave 
thee, the very same thou hearest now from thy Lord, yet are His injunctions 
not contrary. He doth not take away their words, but he taketh away their 
power. What did avarice say to thee? "Keep for thyself, consult for the 
future." The word is not changed, but the man is changed. Now, if thou 
wilt, compare the counsellors. The one is avarice, the other righteousness.

  8. Examine these contrary injunctions. "Keep for thyself," says avarice. 
Suppose thou art willing to obey her, ask her where thou art to keep? Some 
well-defended place she will show thee, walled chamber, or iron chest. 
Well, use all precautions; yet peradventure some thief in the house will 
burst open the secret places; and whilst thou art taking precautions for 
thy money, thou wilt be in fear of thy life. It may be whilst thou art 
keeping up thy store, he whose mind is set to plunder them, has it even in 
his thoughts to kill thee. Lastly, even though by various precautions thou 
shouldest defend thy treasure and thy clothes against thieves; defend them 
still against the rust and moth. What canst thou do then? Here is no enemy 
without to take away thy goods, but one within consuming them.

  9. No good counsel then has avarice given. See she has enjoined thee to 
keep, yet has not found a place where thou mayest keep. Let her give also 
her next advice, "Consult for the future." For what future? for a few and 
those uncertain days. She says, "Consult for the future," to a man who, it 
may be, will not live even till to-morrow. But suppose him to live as long 
as avarice thinks he will, not as long as she can prove, or assure him, or 
have any confidence about, but suppose him to live as long as she thinks, 
that he grow old and so come to his end: when he is even now bent double 
with old age, and leaning on his stick for support, still is he seeking 
gain, and hears avarice saying still, "Consult for the future." For what 
future? When he is even at his last breath she speaks.  She says, "for thy 
children's sake." Would that at least we did not find the old men who had 
no children avaricious. Yet to these even, to such as these even, who 
cannot even excuse their iniquity by any empty(1) show of natural 
affection, she ceases not to say, "Consult for the future." But it may be 
that these will soon blush for themselves; so let us look to those who have 
children, whether they are certain that their children will possess what 
they shall leave? Let them observe in their lifetime the children of other 
men, some losing what they had by the unjust violence of others, others by 
their own wickedness consuming what they possessed; and they remain in poor 
estate, who were the children of rich men. Cease then to be the home-born 
slaves of avarice. But a man will say, "My children will possess this." It 
is uncertain; I do not say, it is false, but at best, it is uncertain. But 
now suppose it to be certain, what dost thou wish to leave them? What thou 
hast gotten for thyself. Assuredly what thou hast gotten was not left thee, 
yet thou hast it. If thou hast been able to get possession of what was not 
left to thee, then will they also be able to get what thou shalt not leave 
to them.

  10. Thus have the counsels of avarice been refuted; but now let the Lord 
say the same words, now let righteousness speak: the words will be the 
same, but not the same the meaning. "Keep for thyself," saith the Lord, 
"consult for the future." Now ask Him, "Where shall I keep?" "Thou shalt 
have treasure in heaven, where no thief approacheth, nor moth 
corrupteth."(2) Against what an enduring future shalt thou keep it! "Come, 
ye blessed of My Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the 
foundation of the world."(3) And of how many, days this kingdom is, the end 
of the passage shows. For after He had said of those on the left hand, "So 
these shall go away into everlasting burning;" of those on the right hand 
He saith, "but the righteous into life eternal."(4) This is "consulting for 
the future." A future which has no future beyond it. Those days without an 
end are called both "days," and "a day." For one when he was speaking of 
those days, saith, "That I may dwell in the house of the Lord for length of 
days."(5) And they are called a day, "This day have I begotten thee."(6) 
Now those days are one day; because there is no time, in it; that day is 
neither preceded by a yesterday, nor succeeded by a to-morrow. So then let 
us "consult for the future:" the words indeed which avarice said to thee 
are not different in terms from this, yet by them is avarice overthrown.

  11. One thing may yet be said," But what am I to do about my children?" 
Hear on this point also the counsel of thy Lord. If thy Lord should say to 
thee, "The thoughts of them concern Me more who did create, than thee who 
didst beget them,"(7) peradventure thou couldest have nothing to say. Yet 
thou wilt look upon that rich man who went away sorrowful, and was rebuked 
in the Gospel, and wilt say to thyself perhaps, "That rich man did evil in 
not selling all and giving to the poor, because be had no children; but I 
have children; I have those for whom I should be keeping something. In this 
weakness too the Lord is ready to advise with thee. I would be bold to 
speak through His mercy; I would be bold to say something, not of mine own 
imagining, but of His pity. Keep then for thy children too, but hear me. 
Suppose (such is man's condition) any one should lose one of his children; 
mark, Brethren, mark how that avarice has no excuse, either as respects 
this world or the world to come. Such, I say, is man's condition; for it is 
not that I wish it, but we see instances. Some Christian child has been 
lost: thou hast lost a Christian child; not that thou hast indeed lost him, 
but hast sent him before thee. For he is not gone(1) quite away, but gone 
before. Ask thine own faith: surely thou too wilt go thither presently, 
where he hath gone before. It is but a short question I ask, which yet I 
suppose no one will answer. Does thy son live? Ask thy faith. If he live 
then, why is his portion seized upon by his brothers? But thou wilt say, 
What, will he return and possess it? Let it then be sent to him whither he 
is gone before; he cannot come to his goods, his goods can go to him. 
Consider only with Whom he is. If any son were serving at the Court, and 
became the Emperor's friend, and were to say to thee, "Sell my portion, 
which is there, and send it to me;" wouldest thou find what to answer him? 
Well, thy son is now with the Emperor of all emperors, with the King of all 
kings, with the Lord of all lords; send to Him. I do not say thy son is in 
need himself; but his Lord with whom he is, is in need upon the earth. He 
vouchsafes to receive here, what He gives in heaven. Do what some 
avaricious men are wont to do, make out a conveyance,(2) bestow upon those 
who are in pilgrimage, what thou mayest receive in thine own country.

  12. But now I am not speaking at all of thyself, but of thy child. Thou 
art hesitating to give what is thine own, yea, rather art hesitating to 
restore what is another's; surely thou art hereby convicted, that it was 
not for thy children that thou wast laying up. See, thou dost not give to 
thy children, seeing thou wilt even take away from thy children. From this 
child at all events wilt thou take away. Why is he unworthy to receive his 
part, because he is living with One worthier than all? There would be 
reason in it, if he with whom thy son is living, were unwilling to receive 
it. Rich shalt thou now be for thine house, but that the house of God. So 
far it is then from me to say to thee, "Give what thou hast;" that I am 
saying to thee," Pay that thou owest." But thou wilt say, "His brothers 
will have it." O evil maxim, which may teach thy children to wish for their 
brother's death. If they shall be enriched by the property of their 
deceased brother, take heed how they may watch for(3) one another in thine 
house. What then will thou do? Wilt thou divide his patrimony, and so give 
lessons of parricide?

  13. But I am unwilling to speak of the loss of a child, lest I seem to 
threaten calamities, which do befall men. Let us speak in some more happy 
and auspicious tone. I do not say then, thou wilt have one less; reckon 
rather that thou hast one more. Give Christ a place with thy children, be 
thy Lord added to thy family; be thy Creator added to thy offspring, be thy 
Brother added to the number of thy children. For though there is so great a 
distance, yet hath He condescended to be a Brother. And though He be the 
Father's Only Son, He hath vouchsafed to have coheirs. Lo, how bountifully 
hath He given! why wilt thou give in such barren sort? Thou hast two 
children; reckon Him a third: thou hast three, let Him be reckoned as a 
fourth: thou hast five, let Him be called a sixth; thou hast ten, let Him 
be the eleventh. I will say no more; keep the place of one child for thy 
Lord. For what thou shalt give to thy Lord, will profit both thee and thy 
children; whereas, what thou dost keep for thy children wrongly, will hurt 
both thee and them. Now thou wilt give one portion, which thou hast 
reckoned as one child's portion. Reckon that thou hast got one child more.

  14. What great demand is this, my Brethren? I give you counsel only; do I 
use violence?(4) As saith the Apostle, "This I speak for your own profit, 
not that I may cast a snare upon you."(5) I imagine, Brethren, that it is a 
light and easy thought for a father of children to suppose that he has one 
child more, and thereby to procure such an inheritance as thou mayest 
possess for ever, both thou and thy children. Avarice can say nothing 
against it. Ye have cried out in acclamation at these words. Turn your 
words rather against her; let her not overcome you; let her not have 
greater Dower in your hearts, than your Redeemer. Let her not have greater 
power in your hearts, than He who exhorteth us to "lift up our hearts." And 
so now let us dismiss her.

  15. What says luxuriousness? What? "Do well to thine own soul." See also 
the Lord says the same, "Do well to thine own soul." What luxuriousness was 
saying to thee, the same saith Righteousness to thee. But consider here 
again in what sense the words are used. If thou wouldest do well to thine 
own soul, consider that rich man who wished to do well to his soul, after 
the counsel of luxuriousness and avarice. His "ground brought forth 
plentifully, and he had no room where to bestow his fruits; and he said, 
What shall I do?" I have no room where to bestow my fruits; I have found 
out what to do; "I will pull down my" old "barns, and build new," and will 
fill them, "and say to my soul, Thou hast much goods; take thy pleasure." 
Hear the counsel against luxuriousness; "Thou fool, this night thy soul 
shall be required of thee; and whose shall those things be which thou hast 
provided?"(6) And whither must that soul which shall be required of him go? 
This night it shall be required, and shall go he knows not whither.

  16. Consider that other luxurious, proud, rich man. He "feasted 
sumptuously every day, and was clothed in purple and fine linen;" and "the 
poor man laid at his gate full of sores, and desired" in vain "the crumbs 
from the rich man's table;"(1) he fed the dogs with his sores, but he was 
not fed by the rich man. They both died; one of them was buried; of the 
other what is said? "He was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosom." 
The rich man sees the poor man; yea rather it is now the poor man sees the 
rich; he longs for a drop of water on his tongue from his finger, from him 
who once longed for a crumb from his table. Indeed their lot was changed. 
The dead rich man asks for this in vain: O let not us who are alive hear it 
in vain, For he wished to return again to the world,(2) and was not 
permitted; he wished one of the dead to be sent to his brethren, neither 
was this granted him. But what was said to him? "They have Moses and the 
Prophets;" and he said, "They will not hear except one go from the dead." 
Abraham said to him, "If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will 
they believe though one go from the dead."

  17. What luxuriousness then said in a perverted sense concerning the 
giving of alms, and procuring rest for our souls against the time to come, 
that so we may "do well to our souls," Moses also and the Prophets have 
spoken. Let us give ear while we are alive. Because there he will desire in 
vain to hear, who has despised these words when he heard them here. Are we 
expecting that one should rise even from the dead, and tell us to do well 
to our own souls? It has been done already: thy father hath not risen 
again, but thy Lord hath risen. Hear Him, and accept good counsel. Spare 
not thy treasures, spend as freely as thou canst. This was the voice of 
luxuriousness: it has become the Lord's Voice. Spend as freely as thou 
canst, do well to thy soul, lest this night thy soul be required. Here then 
ye have in Christ's Name a discourse as I think on the duty of almsgiving. 
This your voice now applauding, is then only well-pleasing to the Lord, if 
He see withal your hands active in works of mercy.

SERMON XXXVII.

[LXXXVII. BEN.]

DELIVERED ON THE LORD'S DAY, ON THAT WHICH IS WRITTEN IN THE GOSPEL, MATT. 
XX. I, "THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE UNTO A MAN THAT WAS A HOUSEHOLDER, 
WHO WENT OUT EARLY IN THE MORNING TO HIRE LABOURERS INTO HIS VINEYARD."

  1. YE have heard out of the Holy Gospel a parable well suited to the 
present season, concerning the labourers in the vineyard. For now is the 
time of the material(3) vintage. Now there is also a spiritual vintage, 
wherein God rejoiceth in the fruit of His vineyard. For we cultivate God, 
and God cultivateth us.(4) But we do not so cultivate God as to make Him 
any better thereby. For our cultivation is the labour of the heart, not of 
the hands.(5) He cultivateth us as the husbandman doth his field. In then 
that He cultivateth us, He maketh us better; because so doth the husbandman 
make his field better by cultivating it, and the very fruit He seeketh in 
us is, that we may cultivate Him. The culture He exerciseth on us is, that 
He ceaseth not to root out by His Word the evil seeds from our hearts, to 
open our heart, as it were, by the plough of His Word, to plant the seed of 
His precepts, to wait for the fruit of piety. For when we have so received 
that culture into our heart, as to cultivate Him well, we are not 
ungrateful to our Husbandman, but render the fruit wherein He rejoiceth. 
And our fruit doth not make Him the richer, but us the happier.

  2. See then; hear how, as I have said, "God cultivateth us." For that we 
cultivate God, there is no need to be proved to you. For all men have this 
on their tongue, that men cultivate God, but the hearer feels a kind of 
awe, when he hears that God cultivates man; because it is not after the 
ordinary usage of men to say, that God cultivateth men, but that men 
cultivate God. We ought therefore to prove to you, that God also doth 
cultivate men; lest perchance we be thought to have spoken a word contrary 
to sound doctrine,(6) and men dispute in their heart against us, and as not 
knowing our meaning, find fault with us. I have determined therefore to 
show you, that God doth also cultivate us; but as I have said already, as a 
field, that He may make us better. Thus the Lord saith in the Gospel, "I am 
the Vine, ye are the branches, My Father is the Husbandman."(7) What doth 
the Husbandman do? I ask you who are husbandmen. I suppose he cultivates 
his field. If then God the Father be a Husbandman, He hath a field; and His 
field He cultivateth, and from it He expecteth fruit.

  3. Again, He "planted a vineyard," as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself 
saith, "and let it out to husbandmen, who should render Him the fruit in 
the proper season. And He sent His servants to them to ask for the hire of 
the vineyard. But they treated them despitefully, and killed some,"(8) and 
contemptuously refused to render the fruits. "He sent others also," they 
suffered the like treatment. And then the Householder, the Cultivator of 
His field, and the Planter, and Letter out of His vineyard, said; "I will 
send Mine Only Son, it may be they will at least reverence Him." And so He 
saith, "He sent His Own Son also. They said among themselves, This is the 
heir, come, let us kill Him, and the inheritance shall be ours. And they 
killed Him, and cast Him out of the vineyard. When the Lord of the vineyard 
cometh, what will He do to those wicked husbandmen? They answered, He will 
miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out His vineyard unto 
other husbandmen, which shall render Him the fruits in their seasons." The 
vineyard was planted when the law was given in the hearts of the Jews. The 
Prophets were sent, seeking fruit, even their good life: the Prophets were 
treated despitefully by them, and were killed. Christ also was sent, the 
Only Son of the Householder; and they killed Him who was the Heir, and so 
lost the inheritance. Their evil counsel turned out contrary to their 
designs. They killed Him that they might possess the inheritance; and 
because they killed Him, they lost it.

  4. Ye have just heard too the parable out of the Holy Gospel; that "the 
kingdom of heaven is like unto a householder, which went out to hire 
labourers into His vineyard. He went out in the morning," and hired those 
whom he found, and agreed with them for a denarius as their hire. He "went 
out again at the third hour, and found others," and brought them to the 
labour of the vineyard. "And the sixth and ninth hour he did likewise. He 
went out also at the eleventh hour," near the end of the day, "and found 
some idle and standing still, and he said to them, Why stand ye here?" Why 
do ye not work in the vineyard? They answered, "Because no man hath hired 
us." "Go ye also," said He, "and whatsoever is right I will give you."(1) 
His pleasure was to fix their hire at a denarius. How could they who had 
only to work one hour dare hope for a denarius? Yet they congratulated 
themselves in the hope that they should receive something. So then these 
were brought in even for one hour. At the end of the day he ordered the 
hire to be paid to all, from the last to the first. Then he began to pay at 
those who had come in at the eleventh hour, and he commanded a denarius to 
be given them. When they who had come at the first hour saw that the others 
had received a  denarius, which he had agreed for with themselves "they 
honed that they should have received more:" and when their turn came, they 
also received a denarius. "They murmured against the good man of the house, 
saying, Behold, thou hast made us who have borne the burning and heat of 
the day, equal and like to those who have laboured but one hour in the 
vineyard." And "the good man," returning a most just answer to one of them, 
said, "Friend, I do thee no wrong;" that is, "I have not defrauded thee, I 
have paid thee what I agreed for with thee. "I have done thee no wrong," 
for I have paid thee what I agreed for. To this other it is my will not to 
render a payment, but to bestow a gift. "Is it not lawful for me to do what 
I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?" If I had taken 
from any one what did not belong to me, rightly I might be blamed, as 
fraudulent and unjust: if I had not paid any one his due, rightly might I 
be blamed as fraudulent, and as withholding what belonged to another; but 
when I pay what is due, and give besides to whom I will, neither can he to 
whom I owed find fault, and he to whom I gave ought to rejoice the more." 
They had nothing to answer; and all were made equal; "and the last became 
first, and the first last;" by equality(2) of treatment, not by inverting 
their order. For what is the meaning of, "the last were first, and the 
first last"? That both the first and last received the same.

  5. How is it that he began to pay at the last? Are not all, as we read, 
to receive together? For we read in another place of the Gospel, that He 
will say to those whom He shall set on the right hand, "Come, ye blessed of 
My Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the 
world."(3) If all then are to receive together, how do we understand in 
this place, that they received first who began to work at the eleventh 
hour, and they last who were hired at the first hour? If I shall be able so 
to speak, as to reach your understanding, God be thanked. For to Him ought 
ye to render thanks, who distributeth to you by me; for nought of my own do 
I distribute. If ye ask me, for example, which of the two has received 
first, he who has received after one hour, or he who after twelve hours; 
every man would answer that he who has received after one hour, has 
received before him who received after twelve hours. So then though they 
all received at the same hour, yet because some received after one hour, 
others after twelve hours, they who received after so short a time are said 
to have received first. The first righteous men, as Abel, and Noe, called 
as it were at the first hour, will receive together with us the blessedness 
of the resurrection. Other righteous men after them, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, 
and all of their age, called as it were at the third hour, will receive 
together with us the blessedness of the resurrection. Other righteous men, 
as Moses, and Aaron, and whosoever with them were called as it were at the 
sixth hour, will receive together with us the blessedness of the 
resurrection. After them the Holy Prophets, called as it were at the ninth 
hour, will receive together with us the same blessedness. In the end of the 
world all Christians, called as it were at the eleventh hour, will receive 
with the rest the blessedness of that resurrection. All will receive 
together; but consider those first men, after how long a time do they 
receive it? If then those first receive after a long time, we after a short 
time; though we all receive together, yet we seem to have received first, 
because our hire will not tarry long in coming.

  6. In that hire then shall we be all equal, and the first as the last, 
and the last as the first; because that denarius is life eternal, and in 
the life eternal all will be equal. For although through diversity of 
attainments(1) the saints will shine, some more, some less; yet as to this 
respect, the gift of eternal life, it will be equal to all. For that will 
not be longer to one, and shorter to another, which is alike everlasting; 
that which hath no end will have no end either for thee or me. After one 
sort in that life will be wedded chastity, after another virgin purity; in 
one sort there will be the fruit of good works, in another sort the crown 
of martyrdom.(2) One in one sort, and another in another; yet in respect. 
to the living for ever, this man will not live more; than that, nor that 
than this. For alike without end will they live, though each shall live in 
his own brightness: and the denarius in the parable is that life eternal. 
Let not him then who has received after a long time murmur against him who 
has received after a short time. To the first, it is a payment; to the 
other, a free gift; yet the same thing is given alike to both.

  7. There is also something like this in this present life, and besides 
that solution of the parable, by which they who were called at the first 
hour are understood of Abel and the righteous men of his age, and they at 
the third, of Abraham and the righteous men of his age, and they at the 
sixth, of Moses and Aaron and the righteous men of their age, and they at 
the eleventh, as in the end of the world, of all Christians; besides this 
solution of the parable, the parable may be seen to have an explanation in 
respect even of this present life. For they are as it were called at the 
first hour, who begin to be Christians fresh from their mother's womb; boys 
are called as it were at the third, young men at the sixth, they who are 
verging toward old age, at the ninth hour, and they who are called as if at 
the eleventh hour, are they who are altogether decrepit; yet all these are 
to receive the one and the same denarius of eternal life.

  8. But, Brethren, hearken ye and understand, lest any put off to come 
into the vineyard, because he is sure, that, come when he will, he shall 
receive this denarius. And sure indeed he is that the denarius is promised 
him; but this is no injunction to put off. For did they who were hired into 
the vineyard, when the householder came out to them to hire whom he might 
find, at the third hour for instance, and did hire them, did they say to 
him, "Wait, we are not going thither till the sixth hour"? or they whom he 
found at the sixth hour, did they say, "We are not going till the ninth 
hour"? or they whom he found at the ninth hour, did they say, "We are not 
going till the eleventh? For he will give to all alike; why should we 
fatigue ourselves more than we need?" What He was to give, and what He was 
to do, was in the secret of His own counsel: do thou come when thou art 
called. For an equal reward is promised to all; but as to this appointed 
hour of working, there is an important question. For if, for instance, they 
who are called at the sixth hour, at that age of life that is, in which as 
in the full heat of noon, is felt the glow of manhood's years; if they, 
called thus in manhood, were to say, "Wait, for we have heard in the Gospel 
that all are to receive the same reward, we will come at the eleventh hour, 
when we shall have grown old, and shall still receive the same. Why should 
we add to our labour?" it would be answered them thus, "Art not thou 
willing to labour now, who dost not know whether thou shalt live to old 
age? Thou art called at the sixth hour; come. The Householder hath it is 
true promised thee a denarius, if thou come at the eleventh hour, but 
whether thou shalt live even to the seventh, no one hath promised thee. I 
say not to the eleventh, but even to the seventh hour. Why then dost thou 
put off him that calleth thee, certain as thou art of the reward, but 
uncertain of the day? Take heed then lest peradventure what he is to give 
thee by promise, thou take from thyself by delay." Now if this may rightly 
be said of infants as belonging to the first hour, if it may be rightly 
said of boys as belonging to the third, if it may be rightly said of men in 
the vigour of life, as in the full-day heat of the sixth hour; how much 
more rightly may it be said of the decrepit? Lo, already is it the eleventh 
hour, and dost thou yet stand still, and art thou yet slow to come?

  9. But perhaps the Householder hath not gone out to call thee? If he hath 
not gone out, what mean our addresses to you? For we are servants of his 
household, we are sent to hire labourers. Why standest thou still then? 
Thou hast now ended the number of thy years; hasten after the denarius. For 
this is the "going out" of the Householder, the making himself known; 
forasmuch as he that is in the house is hidden, he is not seen by those who 
are without; but when he "goeth out" of the house, he is seen by those 
without. So Christ is in secret, as long as He is not known and 
acknowledged; but when He is acknowledged, He hath gone out to hire 
labourers. For now He hath come forth from a hidden place, to be known of 
men: everywhere Christ is known, Christ is preached; all places whatsoever 
under the heaven proclaim aloud the glory of Christ. He was in a manner the 
object of derision and contempt among the Jews, He appeared in low estate 
and was despised. For He hid His Majesty, and manifested His infirmity. 
That in Him which was manifested was despised, and that which was hidden 
was not known. "For had they known it, they would not have crucified the 
Lord of glory."(1) But is He still to be despised now that He sitteth in 
heaven, if He were despised when He was hanging on the tree? They who 
crucified Him wagged their head, and standing before His Cross, as though 
they had attained the fruit of their cruel rage, they said in mockery, "If 
He be the Son of God, let Him come down from the Cross. He saved others, 
Himself He cannot save."(2) He came not down, because He lay hid. For with 
far greater ease could He have come down from the Cross, who had power to 
rise again from the grave. He showed forth an example of patience for our 
instruction. He delayed His power, and was not acknowledged. For He had not 
then gone out to hire labourers He had gone out, He had not made Himself 
known. On the third day He rose again, He showed Himself to His disciples, 
ascended into heaven, and sent the Holy Ghost on the fiftieth day after the 
resurrection, the tenth after the ascension. The Holy Ghost who was sent 
filled all who were in one room, one hundred and twenty men.(3) They "were 
filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with the tongues of all 
nations;"(4) now was the calling manifest, now He went out to hire. For now 
the power of truth began to be made known to all. For then even one man 
having received the Holy Ghost, spake by himself with the tongues of all 
nations. But now in the Church oneness itself, as one man speaks in the 
tongues of all nations. For what tongue has not the Christian religion 
reached? to what limits does it not extend? Now is there no one "who hideth 
himself from the heat thereof;"(5) and delay is still ventured by him who 
stands still at the eleventh hour.

  10. It is plain then, my Brethren, it is plain to all, do ye hold it 
fast, and be sure of it, that whensoever any one turns himself to the faith 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, from a useless(6) or abandoned way of life, all 
that is past is forgiven him, and as though all his debts were cancelled, a 
new account is entered into with him. All is entirely forgiven. Let no one 
be anxious in the thought that there remains anything which is not forgiven 
him. But on the other hand, let no one rest in a perverse security. For 
these two things are the death of souls, despair, and perverse hope. For as 
a good and right hope saveth, so cloth a perverse hope deceive. First, 
consider how despair deceiveth. There are men, who when they begin to 
reflect on the evils they have done, think they cannot be forgiven; and 
whilst they think they cannot be forgiven, forthwith they give up their 
souls to ruin, and perish through despair, saying in their thoughts, "Now 
there is no hope for us; for such great sins as we have committed cannot be 
remitted or pardoned us; why then should we not satisfy our lusts? Let us 
at least fill up the pleasure of the time present, seeing we have no reward 
in that which is to come; Let us do what we list, though it be not lawful; 
that we may at least have a temporal enjoyment, because we cannot(7) attain 
to the receiving an eternal." In saying such things they perish through 
despair, either before they believe at all, or when Christians already, 
they have fallen by evil living into any sins and wickednesses. The Lord of 
the vineyard goeth forth to them, and by the Prophet Ezekial knocketh, and 
calleth to them in their despair, and as they turn their backs to Him that 
calleth them. "In whatsoever day a man shall turn from his most wicked way, 
I will forget all his iniquities."(8) If they hear and believe this voice, 
they are recovered from despair, and rise up again from that very deep and 
bottomless gulf, wherein they had been sunk.

  11. But these must fear, lest they fall into another gulf, and they die 
through a perverse hope, who could not die through despair. For they change 
their thoughts, which are far different indeed from what they were before, 
but not less pernicious, and begin again to say in their hearts, "If in 
whatever day I turn from my most evil way, the merciful God, as He truly 
promiseth by the Prophet, will forget all my iniquities, why should I turn 
to-day and not to-morrow? Let this day pass as yesterday, in excess of 
guilty pleasure, in the full flow of licentiousness, let it wallow in 
deadly delights; to- morrow I shall 'turn myself,' and there will be an end 
to it." One may answer thee, An end of what? Of mine iniquities, thou wilt 
say. Well, rejoice indeed, that to-morrow there will be an end of thine 
iniquities. But what if before to-morrow thine own end shall be? So then 
thou dost well indeed to rejoice that God hath promised thee forgiveness 
for thine iniquities, if thou art converted; but no one has promised thee