Commentary on the Gospel of John

BooK_4. Life of Life: and as God the Father lighteneth things lacking Light by His Own Light, His Son, and gives wisdom to things recipient thereof, through His Own Wisdom, and strengtheneth things needing strength, through again His Own Strength, so too He quickeneth things whatever lack the Life from Him, by His Own Life which floweth

2 jrpox«o- forth - from Him, His Son. When then He says, I live because of the Father, do not suppose that He confesses that He lives because He receives Life from the Father, but asserted that because He was begotten of a Living Father, that therefore He also lives. For it were impossible that He who is of a Living Father, should not live. As though any of us were to say, I am a reasonable man on account of my father, for I was born the child of a reasonable man: so do thou conceive in respect of the Only-Begotten also. I live (He says) because of the Father. For since the Father who begat Me is Life by Nature, and I am His Natural and Proper Offspring, I gain by Nature what is His, i. e., being Life: for this the Father too is. For since He is conceived to be and is One of One (for the

^ ^t Son is from ^ the Father, even though He were with Him eternally); He with reason glories in the Natural Attributes of Him That begat Him, as His Own.

58 This is the Bread Which came down from heaven, not as your fathers ate the manna and died; he that eateth of This My Dread shall live for ever.

• Great (saith He) ought to be the effects of great things, and the gifts of the Grace from above, should appear God-befitting and worthy of the Divine Munificence. For if thou have wholly received in faith that the Bread came down from heaven, let it produce continous life in them that long after it, and have the unceasing Operation of immortality. For this will be a clear proof of its being the Bread from, heaven, that is from God: since we say that it befits the Eternal to give what is eternal, and not the enjoyment of temporary food, which is barely able to last for just the least moment. For one will no longer wisely suppose that that was the bread from God and from above^ Chap. 3. which our forefathers eating, were overcome by death, and repelled not the evil of corruption, and no wonder; for that was not the Bread which availeth to render immortal. Hence neither will i* be rightly conceived and said by any to be from heaven. For it was a work befitting that which came down thence, to render the partakers of It superior to death and decay. By undoubted proof again will it be confirmed, that this was the Bread from Heaven, that to wit through Christ, i. e.. His Body. For It makes, him that tastes thereof to live for ever. Herein too is seen a great pledge of the Divine Nature, Which vouchsafes not to give a little thing, but everything wonderful, even surpassing our understanding, so as for the greatness of the Grace, to be even disbelieved by the more simple. For with so wealthy a Hand how should not the Will to give largely be present? Wherefore Paul too says in amazement. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have l Cor. entered into the heart of man, the things which God prepared for them that love Him. By little examples was the Law typifying great ones, haviyig the shadow of the good Heb. x. 1. things to come, not the very image of the things, as it is written: as in the food of manna is seen the Blessing that is through Christ. For the shadow of the good things to come was prefigured to them of old.

59 These things said He in the Synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

The most wise Evangelist introducing to us the exposition of marvellous mysteries, with reason attributes to our Saviour Christ, the commencement of the doctrine thereof, by the clear view of His Person shaming the gainsayer, and scaring off beforehand those who should come with a view to gainsay: for sometimes the renown of the teachers makes the hearer more ready to believe, and demands a more earnest assent on the part of the learners. Full well too does he add, In the Synagogue. For the expression wellnigh shews that not one chance person, or two, heard

Book i. Christ say tliese things: but He is seen teaching openly ' in the synagogue to all, as Himself saith by the Prophet

Isa. xlv. Isaiah too. Not in secret have I spoken nor in a darlc place of the earth. For He was discoursing openly of these things, rendering their judgment without excuse to the Jews, and rendering the charges of not believing on Him heavier to the disobedient. For they, if not yet instructed in so dread Mystery, might reasonably have deprecated punishment, and pleading utter ignorance, have undergone a lighter sentence from the Judge: but since they knowing, and often initiated, still outraged Him with their unbelief, how will they not reasonably be punished, all mercy at last taken away, and pay most bitter penalty to Him that was dishonoured of them? some such thing hath the says) and spohen unto them, they had not had sin, hut now they have no clohe for their sin.

We must then guard against, yea rather renounce, disobedience, as the bringer in of death, and look upon faith in what Christ teaches, as the giver of life. For thus shall we escape being punished with them. But he adds that Christ had spoken these things in Capernaum, that he may be proved to have remembered accurately. For he that kuoweth both place and village, how shall he fail in the relation of the things taught?

60 Many therefore of His disciples, when they had heard this,

61 saith, Hard is this saying, tvho can hear it? When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples are murmuring at it. He said unto tlieni.

This is the custom of the simple: they ever find fault with the more subtle doctrines and foolishly tear in pieces any thought that is above them, because themselves understand it not: although they ought rather to have been * ffvvavo- eager to learn, and to have loved to search dilia-entlv * the ardai thmgs spoken, not on the contrary to rise up against so wise words, and call that hard, which they ought to have marvelled at. For they are somewhat in the same plight.

as one may see those in wlio have lost tlieir teeth. For Chap. 3. the one hurrying to the more delicate food^ often reject ' ' the more wholesome^ and sometimes blame the more excellent, not acknowledging the disease, whereby they are compelled to decline it: and these, the foster-brethren of unlearning and bereft of sound mind, shrink from knowledge, which they ought to have pursued with exceeding much toil, and to have attained by intent zeal. The spiritual man then will delight himself in the words of our Saviour, and will justly cry out, Kow sweet are Thy ^^o^^^^' words unto my throat, yea, above honey and the comb to my mouth; while the carnal Jew ignorantly esteeming the spiritual Mystery to be foolishness, when admonished by the Words of the Saviour to mount up to the understanding befitting man, ever sinketh down to the folly which is his foster-brother, calling evil good, and good is. v. 20. evil, according to the Prophet^s voice. He follows again his fathers, and herein too is he detected imitating the unlearning of his forefathers. For the one on receiving the manna from God, and being made partakers of the blessing from above, were dragged down to their wonted coarseness, and sought for the unsavourinesses of Egypt, desiring to behold onions, leeks, and kettles of fish: and these on being exhorted to receive the life-giving Grace of the Spirit, and taught to feed on the Very Bread, which cometh from God the Father, turn aside after their own error, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of Ood: and as 2 Tim.iii. their forefathers used to find fault with the very food of manna, daring to say. And our soul is dried away with this Num. xi. manna: so do these too again reject the Very Bread, and blush not to say. Hard is this saying.

The hearers therefore of the Divine Mysteries must be wise, they must be approved exchangers, so as to know the approved and counterfeit coin, and neither unseasonably to bring inextricable questioning on those things which are to be received in faith, nor to lavish a faith sometimes harmful upon those things that require investigation, but to render to every thing that is said its due, and to advance as it

Book 4. Avcro by a straight path, refusing to turn aside on either ' "" hand. For by a royal road beseems it him to travel who runneth to uprightness of faith which is in Christ.

C2 Doth this offend you? ivhat and if ye shcdl see the Son of Man ascend np ivhere He was before? From utter ignorance, certain of those who were being taught by Christ the Saviour, were offended at His words.

Supra p^j, v/hcu they heard Him saying, Verilij, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the Flesh of the So7i of man and drinh His Blood, ye have no life in you, they supposed that they were invited to some brutish savageness, as though they were enjoined to eat flesh and to sup up blood, and were constrained to do things which are dreadful even to hear. For they knew not the beauty of the Mystery, and that fairest economy devised for it. Besides this, they full surely reasoned thus with themselves. How can the human body implant in us everlasting life, what can a thing of like nature with ourselves avail to immortality? Christ

Heb. iv. therefore understanding their thoughts (for all things are nahed and hared to His eyes), heals them again, leading them by the hand manifoldly to the understanding of those things of which they were yet ignorant. Very foolishly, sirs, (saith He) are ye offended at My Words. For if ye cannot yet believe, albeit oftentimes instructed, that My Body will infuse life into you, how will ye feel (He saith) when ye shall see It ascend even into heaven? For not only do I promise that I will ascend even into heaven itself, that ye may not again say. How? but the sight shall be in your eyes, shaming every gainsayer. Jf then ye shall see (saith He) the Son of Man ascending into heaven, what will ye say then? For ye will be convicted of no slight folly. For if ye suppose that My Flesh cannot put life into you, how can It ascend into heaven like a bird? For if It cannot quicken, because its nature is not to quicken, how will It soar in air, how mount up into the heavens? for this too is equally impossible for flesh. But if it ascends contrary to nature, what is to hinder it from quickening also, even though its nature be not to quicken, of its own nature? For He Who made That heavenly which is from Chap. 3. earth, will render it Lifegiving also, even though its nature be to decay, as regards its own self?

We must observe how He doth not endure to be divided into two christs, according to the uncounsel of some. For He keepeth Himself every way undivided after the Incarnation. For He says that the Son of man ascendeth up where He tvas before, although the earthly Body was not above before this, but only the Word by Itself before His Concurrence with flesh. Well then hath Paul put in his epistles, One Lord Jesus Christ. For He is One Son, both ^.P^r. '^,. viu. 6.

before the Incarnation and after the Incarnation, and we do not reckon His own Body as alien from the Word. Wherefore He says that the Word which came down from above from heaven is also Son of Man. For He was made Flesh, as the blessed Evangelist saith, and did not pass into Supra i. flesh by change (for He is without turning and Unchangeable by Nature as God) but as it were dwelling in Hisown Temple, I mean that from the Virgin, and made Man in very deed. But by saying that He will ascend wp where Re was before also. He gives His hearers to understand that He hath come down from heaven. For thus it was like that they understanding the force of the argument, should give heed to Him not as to a man only, but should at length know that He is God the Word in the Flesh, and believe that His Body too is Life-giving. 63 It is the Spirit That quickeneth, the flesh projiteth nothing.

It is not unreasonably (He says) that ye have clothed the flesh in no power of giving life. For when the nature of the flesh is considered alone and by itself, plainly it is not life-giving. For never will ought of things that are, give life, but rather it hath itself need of Him who is mighty to quicken. But when the Mystery of the Incarnation is carefully considered, and ye then learn who it is who dwelleth in this Flesh, ye will then surely feel (He says) unless you would accuse the Divine Spirit Itself also, that It can impart life, although of itself the flesh i^roflteth not a whit. For since it was united to the Life-giving Word,

Book 4. it liath become wholly Life-giving, hastening up to the power of the higher Nature, not itself forcing unto its own nature Him who cannot in any wise be subjected. Although then the nature of the flesh be in itself powerless to give life, yet will it inwork this, when it has the Lifeworking Word, and is replete with His whole operation. For it is the Body of that which is by Nature Life, not of any earthly being, as to whom tJiat might rightly hold, TJie fiesh profiteth nothing. For not the flesh of Paul (for instance) nor yet of Peter, or any other, would work this in us; but only and specially that of our Saviour Christ in Col. ii. 9. whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead hodily. For verily it would be a thing most absurd that honey should infuse its own quality into things which naturally have no sweetness, and should have power to transfer into itself that wherewith it is mingled, and that the Lifegiving Nature of God the Word should not be able to elevate to Its own good that Body which It indwelt. Wherefore as to all other things the saying will be true, that the flesh ]jrofi,teth nothing; but as to Christ alone it holdeth not, by reason that Life, that is the Only-Be- Supra gotten, dwelt therein. And He calls Himself Spirit, for God 2 Cor. is a Spirit and as the blessed Paul saith. For the Lord '"■ is the Spirit. And we do not say these things, as taking away from the Holy Ghost His Proper Existence; but as He calls Himself Son of man, since He was made Man, so again He calls Himself Spirit from His Own Spirit. For not Other than He is His Spirit.

He filleth whole His Own Body with the Life-giving operation of the Spirit. For He now calls the Flesh Spirit, not turning It aside from being Flesh: but because by reason of Its being perfectly united to Him, and now endued with His whole Life-giving Power, It ought to be called Spirit too. And no wonder, for be not ofiended 1 Cor. vi. at this. For if he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit, how shall not His Own Body rather be called One with

Him? Something of this kind then He means in the Chap. 3. passage before us: I perceive from your reasonings within you (saith He) that ye foolishly imagine that I am tolling you, that the body of earth is of its own nature life-giving: but this is not the drift of My words. For My whole exposition to you was of the Divine Spirit and of Eternal Life. For it is not the nature of the flesh which renders the Spirit life-giving, but the might of the Spirit maketh the Body life-giving. The words then ivhicli I have discoursed with you, are spirit, that is spiritual and of the Spirit, and are life, i. e., life-giving and of that which is by Nature Life. And not as repudiating His Own Flesh does He say these things, but as teaching us what is the truth. For what we have just said, this will we repeat for profit sake. The nature of the flesh cannot of itself quicken (for what more is there in Him That is God by Nature?) yet will it not be conceived of in Christ as Alone and by Itself: for it has united to it the Word, Which is by Nature Life. When therefore Christ calls it life-giving. He does not testify the Power of quickening to It so much, as to Himself, or to His Spirit. For because of Him is His Own Body too Life-giving, since He re-elemented It to His Own Power. But the 'how,' is neither to be apprehended by the mind, nor spoken by the tongue, but honoured in silence and faith above understanding.

But that the Son too is often called by the name of Spirit by the God-inspired Scriptures, we shall know by what is subjoined. The blessed John then writes of Him, TJiis i s. John is He That came hy ivater and Spirit, Jesus Christ, not hy ivater only, hut hy water and the Spirit '^: and it is the Spirit That heareth ivitness, because the Spirit is truth. Lo, he calleth the Spirit Truth, albeit Christ openly crieth out, Ip'^'a I a7n the Truth. Paul again writes to us saying, They tJiat Rom.viii. are in the flesh cannot please God: hut ye are not i^i the flesh, hut in the Spirit, if so he that the Spirit of God divelleth in c So both our remaining MSS. of S. en'd of the books against Nestorius, S. Cyril here read, cf. supra p. 145 note Cyril has the usual reading, c: in a fuller citation however in the of sin, the Sjnrit is life hecause of righteousness. Lo again herein having proved that the Spirit of God dwelleth in us, he hath said that Christ Himself is in us. For inseparable from the Son is His Spirit, according to the count of Identity of Nature, even though He be conceived of as having a Personal Existence. Therefore He often names indifferently, sometimes the Spirit, sometimes Himself.

64 Yet there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they are that believe not, and who

65 should betray Him: and said, Tlierefore have I said unto you, that no mayi can come unto Me, except it have been given unto him of My Father. Herein again one may clearly see fulfilled that which

Is. vi. 9, was fore-heralded by one of the holy Prophets, With your

^^ ' hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and looking shall hole and shall not see. For the heart of this people is waxen fat, and they have weighed down their ears and dosed their eyes, lest they should at all see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and should convert, ' and I should heal them. For they being themselves earwitnesses of the doctrines of the Saviour, and from none other of the saints learning them, but rather instructed in the mysteries by the Voice of the Lord of all, yea even seeing Him with their bodily eyes, waxed gross in their folly, and having closed the eyes of their understanding, turned them away from the Sun of Righteousness, not admitting the illumination of the gospel instruction. For evil were they, and guilty of many past offences. Where-

Rom. xi. fore also the wise Paul testified to us that hardness in part is happened unto Israel. But since it was the work of no common wisdom to acknowledge that He Who was veiled in human form is God, Ho saith that he cannot come to Him who has not yet received, i. e., understanding from

S.James Q-od the Father, and with reason. For if every good gift and every perfect gift is from ahovo and cometh down from the Father of lights, how much more will not the ac- knowledgement of Christ, be a gift of the Father's Eight Chap. 3. Hand, and the apprehension of the truth how will it not be ^'' ^^' ^^' conceived to be beyond all grace? For in proportion as it is shewn to be the Giver of the highest goods, so much the more befits it that it depend upon the Divine Munificence. But not to the unclean does the Father grant the knowledge of Christ, nor to those accustomed to stray unto extravagant unbelief doth He infuse the most helpful grace of the Spirit: for not on mud is it right that the precious ointment be poured forth. And verily the blessed prophet Jeremiah commands that they be first purged by desire unto every good work, who desire to draw near unto Christ through faith, crying out, SeeTt, ye God, and when ye find Isa. iv. c, Him call on Him; when He shall ho nigh to you, let the ungodly man forsake his ivay, and the unriglitcons man his counsel, and let him return unto the Lord, and He tvill have mercy upon him, for He will ahiindantly pardon your sins. Thou seest how he says that he must fi^rst depart from his old way, and remove from unlawful devices, that he may obtain remission of sins, i. e., through faith in Christ. ' For we are justified not by the ^vorhs of ihe Gal. ii. law, but by the grace that is from Him, and the forgive- ^^' ness^ granted us from above. ^ afivv(n-

But some one may say. Therefore what hindered Him from pardoning the Jews also, and from pouring out remission on Israel together with us? for this too would befit Him That was perfectly good. And how too (says he) will He speak truly when He saith to us, I came not to call the s. Matth. righteous, hut sinners to repentance?

What shall we say then to these things? For them of Israel alone at the first was the grace of the Saviour devised. For He was sent, as Himself affirmed, only to the ib. xv. lost sheep of the house of Israel. And in truth they who * will believe may yet attain unto life everlasting. But some, living in a nobler course of life, and searchers of the truth, received the grace of God the Father co-working with them unto salvation through faith and were saved: but the haughty Pharisee, and the hard-hearted high-priests

Book 4. with them, and the elders of the people, would not believe, though fore-instructed by Moses and the Prophets. But since through their own ill-counsel, they at length shewed i

Acts xiii. themselves unworthy of everlasting life, they received not { the illumination which is from God the Father. And you) have the type of this too in the elder writings. For as to i them who disbelieved God in the wilderness, entry into the i land of promise was not given; so to these who by their unbelief dishonour Christ, entrance was not granted into the kingdom of heaven, whereof the land of promise was

Rom. iii. the type. And God is not iinrighteous Who hringetli His wrath upon each. For He being Just by Nature, will discriminate altogether rightly, and will direct His Own Judgment agreeably to His Own Nature, even though WE understand not the mode of the economy which is above us.

Profitably does the blessed Evangelist tell us that Jesus knew all things, and was not ignorant ivho should disbelieve, and who was the minister of impiety against Him, that He

Hist. Sus. might again be conceived of as God, as hnoiving all things before they are.

66 From that time many of His disciples went hack, and walked no more ivith Him.

Hard indeed is ever wisdom to the unwise, and what one thinks will yield them no slight profit, is often seen to be even hurtful. For as to them who are diseased in their bodily sight, the light of the sun is an enemy, and it is pleasant to them to sit in dark places; so to the sick in mind, the more difficult doctrines are hateful, and those that are obscured by hard meanings are an abomination, even though the benefit be great: and petty things are pleasant, and more acceptable, even though sometimes no advantage accrue. Shall we not find this true in the present case? when Christ was laying before them the great and Divine Mystery, and through varied thought was laying open the understanding of it, and all but gathering up now the veil of the temple, and unveiling the inner tabernacle, they loath the so wise and heavenly word, they

Him. For this is in truth; falling back. Wherefore by the Prophet Jeremiah He says again to the senseless and obstinate Jerusalem, the nurse of unbelievers. Thou for- Jer. xv.

6 LXX sooJcest Me, saith the Lord, and shalt go backward. For of a truth backward falling follows the rejection of good things: and God is All Good. Therefore the miserable men went hack, and have fallen backwards, not walking with the Saviour any more, but turning as it were to other paths, and dragged down to their wonted passions.

But let us see again, whether we do not find the type of this too in the books of Moses. When then they had travelled through long ways and traversed that wild desert and were now at the very land of promise, Joshua the son of Nun and certain others with him were sent by Divine command to espy it. But when they had spied out the whole land and were returned again to Moses, some of them began speaking bitter things to the synagogue. For the land (said they) which we spied hath fierce inhabitants, and we saw the sons of the giants there, and concluded by adding such things as would strike terror into the hearers. But Joshua after them tried to adorn the land with many praises, and besought them saying, The Num. land ivhich ive searched is an exceeding good land: if the ^^''' ^' ^' Lord delight in us, He will bring us thereinto. But the forefathers of the Jews maintained that they ought to stone Joshua: and having condemned of powerlessness God Who is mighty to all things, they sat down and wept, as it is lb. xi. written, and hereby with reason provoke the Lord of all. * But since they were thus faithless and outrageous, they fell from the promise: for He says. As I sivare in My wrath, Ps. xcv. that they shoidd not enter into My rest. And what besides? * God commands them to return and go back again. For He saith to Moses, To morroiv do ye strike your tents and return Num. by the ivay of the Red sea. For since they would not enter ^'^' ' into the land whereinto they were called, they are sent to turn round, and are compelled to retrace the same way

Joshua, nor on hearing of the good land, did they honour the adviser with their assent. What therefore those then suffered, this do these too now. For taught the way of everlasting life, and exhorted to hasten unto the kingdom of heaven, they outrage Him with their unbelief: wherefore justly did they go hack, losing by their own perversity the proceeding onward with their Guide unto salvation.

Our Lord Jesus Christ doth not exhort the holy Apostles to leave Him, nor doth He offer them free and unfettered liberty of doing so, nor yet doth He permit them readily to turn aside as though they would get no harm from doing so: yea, rather He threatens them well, that if they be not found superior to the undisciplined conduct of the Jews, they too shall be sent away, and go no more with Him, but depart unto perdition. For it is not at all the number of worshippers that is precious in the sight of God, but the excellent in the right faith, though they be few.

s. Matth. Therefore the Divine Scripture says that many are they that have been called, but that only the chosen will be received, and those that are approved, being very few. And this the Divine Word Himself testified to us. It is therefore as though the Saviour said to His disciples. If ye unhesitatingly believe My words, if letting go wavering in ought, ye with simple faith receive the Mystery, if it seem bitter to you and full of intolerable infamy that My Words are accused of being hard, if ye refuse to say in

Supra Jewish fashion, How can This Man give us His Flesh to eat, I will gladly see you with Me, and will rejoice in living with you, and will love you as Mine Own, but if ye choose to think with them who have fallen back, I both enjoin you to run away with them, and do justly drive you away. For worshippers will not fail Me, seeing the Gospel message shall be spoken not in Judeea alone, but now goeth about into the whole world, and callcth men together from all parts as it were into one company, and ment of the truth. Behold therefore the goodness and se- Rom. xi.

verity of God, as Paul saith; severity towards the unbelievers, goodness again towards them who shall acknowledge Him, if they continue in His goodness, as Paul again aflfirmeth, else they too shall he cut off. For He That spared lb. 21. not the natural branches, neither shall He spare them that were graffed in. Let him then that of folly halteth concerning the faith know and be taught by these things, that if he will not cease from such a disease, ho will go back, and having no longer any Guide unto eternal life, will go down wretched into hell, and there bewail his own miscounsel. For there (He saith) shall he weeping and gnash- S-. Matth. ing of teeth.

It is probable however that some other profitable lesson is conveyed to us, by Jesus saying to His disciples. Would YE also go away? for lest they too should be thought to have been carried off by Jewish folly, and to have stumbled together with the unbelievers, or in any other way to cry out against Him with them, as though He taught hard things and tried to instruct His hearers in the knowledge of impossibilities, profitably did He enquire of them if they desired to depart with them, that hereby He might invite them to confession of the right and untaint faith, which indeed also came to pass.

That a type of Christ was the holy Tabernacle which led the people in the wilderness, and that the ark that was in it and the lamp and the altar, as well that of incense as that of sacrifice, signified Christ Himself.

68 Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall ive go away? TJioii hast the words of eternal life.

By the mouth of one the chief do all speak, preserving the knowledge that is in truth most well befitting saints, that in this too they might be found an ensample to those who should come after them, to wit of sober and admirable reasoning. For it was meet that they should speak in the ears of their Master, not all confusedly hurrying to get before the rest, and unmeetly seize on speech, but wisely to be ready to give way to those who had the first place, both in wisdom and rank. Wherefore Paul

29. ' For not because they were honoured with the grace of prophecy, was it therefore decreed that they should speak in a disorderly manner; but because they were wise, therefore were they cornmanded to speak the more wisely to their hearers. It was then an act of wisdom befitting saints, to leave it to him alone to answer for all, who had the preeminence in place. To ivhoni therefore shall we go away (he says) instead of, who shall instruct us in like wise? or, to whom shall we go, and find what is better? Thou hast the words of eternal life: not hard words, as those say, but words which bring us up to the chiefest of all, to unceasing, endless life, and removed from all decay. It is (I suppose) perfectly clear to us from these words that kxCol?' ^® must sit by ^ One only Teacher, Christ, and cleave uncf. si/ at ceasingly and indissolubly to Him, and make Him our

In cleaving to Christ, endless Life. Olden type of this. 446 Master, who kuowotli well to ffuide our feet into tlie un- Chap. 4.

ending life. For thus, thus shall we mount up to the Divine and heavenly courts, and hastening into the church Heb. xii. of the first-born, shall feast on the good things that pass "^' man^s understanding. For that it is a good thing and salutary to desire to follow Christ Alone and ever to be with Him, the very nature of the thing will indubitatively prove: yet no less shall we see it from the elder Scriptures.

When therefore they of Israel having put ojQf the tyranny of the Egyptians were pressing forward to the land of promise, God suflFered them not to make disorderly marches, nor did the Law-giver let each go where he would. For there is not a doubt that having no leader they would have gone utterly astray. Wherefore it is written again for our ensample, in the book called Numbers, And on the day Num. ix. that the tahernacle ivas reared up, the cloud covered the lxx. tabernacle, namely the tent of the testimony; and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. So it ivas alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. And when the cloud went itp from tlie tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents: at the commandment of the Lord shall they set forth, and the ib. 19. children of Israel shall keep the charge of God and shall not rise up. By the voice of the Lord shall they pitch and by the ib. 20 command of the Lord shall they journey. Thou seest how ^•^^• they are bidden to follow, and to journey with the journeying of the cloud, and to halt again with it and with it to rest. For the being with their guide was salvation both then of them of Israel, and to us now the not departing Christ is so. For He was with them of old under the form of tabernacle and cloud and fire. But the order of the narrative shall be transferred (as far as we are able) to the spiritual interpretation, for when Wisdom, as it is Prov. ix. wi'itten, builded her an house, and pitched the truer tabernacle, that is, the Temple of the Virgin, God the Word,

Book 4. "WTio is in the Bosom of God tlie Father, came down there- C. VI. 68.... >,.

into in a manner incomprehensible and God-befitting, and was made Man, that to those who are already enlightened, Rom. and walk as in the day, as Paul saith. He might be a cloud overshadowing them, and put an end to the heat of our passions from infirmity: but to those who are still ignorant, and straying, and living as it were in night and darkness, a fire to give light and transform to fervency of spirit. For we believe that those who are good are warm through the Spirit. For I think that for no other cause did the cloud appear over the tabernacle by day and the fire by night, than for that given above by us. But He enjoined those who were appointed to follow, not to set out of their own accord on their journey, but to set out with the tabernacle and with it to halt, that in type again you may understand what is said by Christ, '"^'"L He that ministereth to Me, let him follow Me: and where I am, there shall My minister also he. For steadfastness in following, and constancy in cleaving, is signified by his accompanying Him, uninterruptedly. And the accompanying the Saviour Christ and following Him, is not to be understood at all of the body, but is attained rather by virtue in action, in regard whereof the most wise disciples having fast fixed their mind, and having refused as leading to destruction, to go back with them that believed not, with reason cry out. Where can we go? as though they said, With Thee will we abide and will ever cleave to Thy commands, and will receive Thy words, not finding fault with ought, nor with the uninstructed ones, think that hard which Thou sayest in Thine instruction, but Ps. cxix. think rather. How sweet are Thy Words unto mil throat,

Such then is the meaning of this passage. But that the tabernacle was to them of old a type of Christ we shall know, by applying a subtle mind to the things said respecting it unto the holy Moses. Our discourse on these matters may haply seem discursive to some, but it will produce no slight advantage. For we ought (I deem)

zealously to refine on tliese points, repudiating tlie ceu- Chap. 4. soriousness of those who unreasonably blame us. The Divine oracle then is on this wise: for we will set it forth in order, refining* the shadow of the letter, as far as we can. And tlie Lord spalce (it says) tmto Moses, saying, On ^^^- ^'• one day of the first month at new moon, sJtalt thou rear the LXX. tabernacle. What induced the Lord of all (one more diligent in learning may reasonably ask) to order the tabernacle to be set up in one day, and not in two, or three, and in the new moon, and that not simply of any month, but of the first. Such things may reasonably cause us a long investigation, since nought of the things said in the Scriptures is for nothing. Therefore (for we will follow up our own discourse on these things) the tabernacle that was reared signifies the Holy Body of Christ and (so to say) the pitching of His Precious Tabernacle, wherein it was Col. i. 19, well pleasing that all the fulness of the Godhead shoidd dwell hodily. Moreover He commands it to be pitched in one day, and this most wisely and economically, in order that by the one day you might understand the existing life, in which alone He became Man. It is fit that we understand by the new moon, nothing else save the sojourn of our Saviour which reneweth us, by which old thmgs are 2 Cor. v. passed away, all things are become new. For a new season was manifested to us in Christ, thrusting away the oldness of the legal worship, and re-ordering us unto a new and fresh life through the Gospel teachings, yea and renewing unto the beginning of righteousness them which had waxen old from sin, and were ready to vanish away, and undoing the Heb, vHi. oldness of the corruption that had been brought in, and ' beautifying with the newness of incorruption those that through faith had hastened unto eternal life. For if any 2 Cor. v, tnan be in Christ, he is a new creature, as it is written.

But He commands the Divine tabernacle to be reared in the first month, when the beauty of spring-time shines forth, washing away (as it were) the dejection of winter, and the earth is softly cherished by now brighter and g^^^ ~ purer suns, and the vines bloom, and the husbandman revels Sol. ii.

Book 4. in the sweet odours of the flowers, and the plains bear grass, and whole fields bristle with the ears of corn, as

12LXX.' as it is written, the rain is over and gone, when the time of pruning is come on. All these you will understand spiritually, that the winter at its end and the rain passing away, are the temptations that fall on us of devilish tyranny, and his ambitious usurpations over all; for the might of the devils was brought to an end in the days of Christ, and the bright Sun rose upon us, to wit, that whereof God the

Mai. iv. Father says. And the 8un of Righteousness shall arise upon you, warming with fervency of the Spirit, those who were swooned in sin, unto righteousness. The spiritual vines again and flowers and ears of corn, you will understand to be the Saints which excel in manifold piety towards God, and shoot forth the many-hued fruit of virtue. And (we must speak briefly) the spring brings forth flowers and prepares the whole earth to bear grass, and crowns the meadows with new bloom, and brings into fresh youth the trunks long dry with the intolerable violence of the winter, and brings them to a goodlier appearance^ and makes them bud around with their wonted leafage, and prepares the husbandman who owns them to glory in their natural fruits. Some such thing shall we find happen as regards ourselves too. For we who have long been withered by reason of the sin that reigneth over us, and destitute of fruit unto virtue, have revived unto righteousness through Christ, and do now yield the fresh and new fruit through faith to the Dresser of our spirits. And thus do we fitly understand that which is spoken by one

7^f xx^' ^^ *^® ^°^^ Prophets as in the Person of Christ, I who speah, am at hand as the spring upon the mountains. But what the spring, i. e., the season of spring, worketh upon the mountains, we have already spoken of.

Profitably then does He command that the tabernacle be set up in one day, holding out a type of Christ, that you may understand thereby His Death once for all in this one present time. For He will not be born again hereafter, nor vet will die, havina; once for all been born and died and Chap. 4. ''.,.,. c. VI. 68.

risen from tlie dead. For the Resurrection, wnicn is as it were, a pitching of the holy tabernacle, must of necessity follow His Death. But it is in the new moon, because in Christ we have a new age: for what is in Him, are a new creature. And the first month is taken, signifying the renewal of human nature from death and decay to life and incorruption, and its passing at length from barrenness to fruitfulness, and its escape from the tyranny of the devil, like the winter now passed away and come to its close. Again in another way does he shew us Immanuel in type and figure saying. And thou shalt place the arh of the testi- Ex. xl. 3. mony, and cover the ark with the vail. For in the preceding the Word was limned in the complete tabernacle (for it was the House of God indwelling therein, to wit, the Holy Body of Christ) but no less is the same signified to us by the ark individually''. For it was constructed of undecaying wood, that you might understand His Body incorruptible: it was overlaid with pure gold within and ivithout, as it is written^; lb. xxv. for all belonging to Him is Precious and royal, both the Divinity and the Humanity, and in all things He hath the Col. i. 18. preeminence as Paul saith. And the gold is taken as a type of honour and excellence above all things. The ark then was fashioned of undecaying wood, and overlaid with gold, and had the Divine law deposited therein, for a type of God the Word indwelling in, and united to. His Holy Flesh (for the Law too was the Word of God, although not the Hypostatic Word, as the Son is). And it is covered by the veil. For God the Word Incarnate was unseen of the many, having His Own Body as a covering, and lying hid within His Own Flesh as with a veil, so that thence certain not knowing His God-befitting Dignity, at one time endeavoured to stone Him, imputing it to Him, as a crime, that He being Man, said He was God, at another time, they Infra blushed not to say. Is not this Jesus the Son of Joseph, ivhose s'upra a /caret /iepos as contrasted with the riac) fragm. a (p. 543 and 658 O. T.) ^^^' 6K6K\-npos (TK7]v^, the tabernacle com- and in S. Cyril in his Scholia on the plete with all its appurtenances. Incarnation chapter xi, de Adoratione

^' ^'' ■ doivnfrom heaven? The veil then cast upon the ark, signifieth that Jesus will not be known by the many. The ark too was therefore a type of Him, wherefore also did it precede them of Israel in the wilderness, filling the place of God: for He was the leader of the people. And the Psalmist

Ps. Ixviii. is a witness of this, saying, 0 God, when Thou wentest forth

' ' ■ before Thy people, when Thou didst march through the ivilderness, the earth shooh, the heavens also distilled. For in that the ark ever marched before and preceded, God is openly declared to have gone before. You may have a clearer proof of this, considering this. God once commanded to them of

Deut.i.7, Israel by Moses to go up boldly unto mount Seir, and to besiege the Amorite, but they who were so commanded having fallen into feeble cowardice, and attributing success to their own strength, and not rather trusting to the succour from lb. 45. above, sat and began weeping by the mountain, as it is written, whereat the Law-giver was justly provoked, and threatened that He would not bring them into the land of promise. They cut at last by the threat, and urged to an unseasonable repentance, attempted to go up, by a second disobedience, and snatched up arms against the Amorites. But God foretold them the result by Moses: for He said lb. 43, unto them Ye shall not go up (it says) and ye shall not fall before your enemies for I am not among you. But they every way diseased with disobedience, forced themselves and went

Num.xiv. up unto the mountain, as it is written. Nevertheless (it says) the arh of the covenant of the Lord went not up with them, for it remained in the camp. Seest thou that upon God's saying, I am not among you, the ark goeth not up with the disobedient, shewing clearly to them of more understanding that it held the place of their leader God?

Josh. vi. Yea and it was borne around Jericho by the priests, and the lofty wall thereof fell down, not by applying engines and rams, but rather by trumpets and shouting: and this again we shall find to be true in Christ. For He it is Who is borne by saints and holy men and overturns the whole might of the devil, not by arms, but by a shout and a

trumpet, that is by AjDostolic and Evangelic preaching, and Chap. 4. the assent of all the people, confessing their own Lord in uprightness of faith. This too we see accomplished in the Mystic doxologies, the priestly trumpet, that is, the voice of the minister, preceding the people, and thus falls and is shattered the power of the adversaries, for our weapons are 2 Cor. x. not carnal, as Paul saith, hut mighty to God. That Christ is after a sort borne and rests on His saints, both thq prophet Habakkuk will declare saying. Thou wilt ride upon thine Hab. iii. horses and Thy chariots are salvation, and the Saviour Himself no less will teach us, saying to Ananias concerning Paul, Oo thy ivay, for this man is a chosen vessel unto Me, to ^^^^ '^• hear My Name hefore all the Gentiles.

Yea and thou shall bring in the tahle (it says moreover) Ex. xl. 4. and set in order ivhat layeth thereon^ and thou shall bring ^-r^v-KpSin the candlestick, and set thereon his la/mps. You will un- ^^^^^ derstand Christ by both, for He is co-figured under the form of a table having bread set upon it, because in Him are all nourished unto life Eternal, according as He says, I Supra am the Bread Which came down from heaven and giveth life ^^^" ^^* unto the ivorld: if any man eat of This Bread, he shall live for ever; and the Bread that I will give is My Flesh for the life of the world. That then, which is set forth ^ upon the 'ttJs rpatable, i. e,, the loaves, signifies the Holy Body of Christ, VpdQeffis which nourisheth all men unto Eternal Life. But since the blessed David, and they that were with him, being an, g^^^ hungred, as it is written, did eat the shewbread, let us see ^^i- 6. whether something mystical be not hereby too recorded. It was not lawful to taste of the shewbread, save by the Priests alone, by appointment of the Law: but David and they that were with him, being not of the priestly tribe, took of the most holy food, that hereby again might be signified the faith of the Gentiles, and in part of them of Israel. For Christ was due to them of Israel, as to them who were more holy by reason of the fathers, and the Law: but the multi- Rom. xi. tude of the Gentiles although they were, by reason of their straying, profane, somehow entered in too, and did eat the Bread of life, David accompanying them and as it were

Book 4. filling up a type of the preserved of Israel, which the Is. X, 22. blessed Isaiah too calls a remnant. For many of them have believed on Christ.

Thus therefore will Christ be conceived of through the holy Table: but He is again the candlestick, as giving ^'.'.('■'^ ^ light to the whole house, that is, the world (for I am the Num. Light of the tvorld, He says) but it holdeth seven lamps LXX. and not one: for manifoldly doth He illumine and by diverse graces enlighten the souls of the faithful: again it is of pure gold, in that it is above all and Precious: moreover it has a solid stem (for so is wi'itten) for there is nothing empty nor yet light in Christ. It has lilies too by reason Song of of its good savour of holiness, according to, I am ajloiver ^ sirap'vai of ^^''^ plain, a lily of the vallies. Its feeders '^ again signify The pipes ^^® ministrations of Divine graces. Moreover the prophet winch Zechariah testified that two oHve branches are round about the ofl. it, that you may understand that the people compassionated 3. " ' are two, whom he called sons also of fatness and says that they stand hy the Lord of the whole earth, although in that the olive branches are seen by the lamp, he hereby gives the clearest demonstration that Christ is the candlestick. Who through obedience and faith set by Himself both the people of the Gentiles and that of the Jews. G^LXX^' "^^ proceeds, manifoldly pointing Him out to us. And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the arh and put the hanging of the veil at the door of the tabernacle of witness, and the altar of burnt offerings thou shalt set at the door of the tabernacle of witness and s-halt cover the tabernacle, and all things that are therein shalt thou hallow all round. For we must observe how Christ is represented to us in both altars. For after He had ordered the golden altar to be laid by % whereon was the incense before the ark, and had said that hangings should be put across before the doors of the tabernacle, that the interior might not be seen. He commands the altar of burnt-offerings to stand at the door of the tabernacle of testimony, not in- visible, nor hidden: for it was without the veil. Behold Chap. 4. Him then, by the altar of incense ascending up as an odour of a sweet smell to God the Father (for this the incense signifies), by the altar of burnt offering, offered up as an Offering and a Sacrifice in our behalf. But the golden altar was hidden by the veil (for hidden was the glory of Christ), the other, that of burnt offerings, whereon are the sacrifices, was visible, for manifest was the Death of Christ and known to all. Their position is not without a distinction, for the one was over against the ark, the other by the doors of the tabernacle. And the position of the golden altar in front of the ark, as it were in the Presence of God the Father, darkly hints that marvellous is the glory of the Son, as it is said. No man hnoweth who the Son s. Luke is, hut the Father. But the position of the altar of burnt ^" ^^' offering at the very doors of the tabernacle, holding out a type of His Death and of His Sacrifice for all, again signifies, that no otherwise can we come to God the Father, save by the Sacrifice of Christ, as He says, I am the Door, Infra x. and No man cometh unto the Father bid by Me. Further, infi-a He commanded the tabernacle to be pitched round about, ^^'''^' comprehending all things that were therein, that it might be seen to be one, and not many. For One is Christ among us, even though He be manifoldly conceived of, a tabernacle by reason of the veil of Flesh, an Ark holding the Divine law as the Word of God the Father, a table again as Life and Food, a candlestick as spiritual Light, both altar of incense, as an odour of a sweet smell in sanctification, and altar of burnt offering, as a Sacrifice for the Life of the world. And all things that are therein are sanctified; for Christ is holy All of Him and howsoever He be conceived of.

Since the holy tabernacle then was their leader, they of Israel are commanded with it to set out and with it to rest; God again instructing us and teaching us to our profit, to take as our Leader and Guide in the way unto salvation, God the Word Who for our sakes was Incarnate, and by obeying unhesitatingly His Commands, to mount

Book 4. up imto eternal life. And this they wlio had been instructed in the mysteries in many words not chusing to do,

Supra went hade and ivalked no more with Him. But most wisely does the blessed Peter say to the Saviour, Where can we depart? for in no way to go astray from God, but rather to strive to be with Him spiritually, is in truth most comely for saints.

69 And WE have believed and know that Thou art the Christ, the Holy One of God ^.

Marvellous is the faith of the holy Apostles, fervent their manner of confession, most loveable and pre-eminent their understanding. For not hke certain of the more ignorant, or like them who used to call the Word of the Saviour hard, did they rightly go back and fall, nor of lightness readily caught were they called to belief, but being fully assured beforehand and persuaded of a truth that their Instructor was full of life-giving Words, the Teacher of heavenly doctrines. Exceeding stable is such faith, but that which is not so, is (as is like) easily spurned, and having no root as its assurance, is very readily worn away out of the mind of man. And verily the Saviour Himself in Parables, when S. Luke Ho was discoursing of the sower, that which fell upon the rock (He says) and hath no root withered away, darkly say- & aTTiff. ing that the mind which is dried up ^ and can in no wise receive the Word once cast mto it, is a rock. For the wretched Jews being now in this case from their utter Joel ii, ignorance, were being taught by the Prophet's voice. Bend your hearts and not your garments. For as before the casting in of the seed, the custom of husbandry advises that the ground should first be cleft with the plough: so I deem ought they who approach to receive the Divine d The words the Holy One of God as the MS. gives it. The Rev. J, W.

Holdfast in faith yet search. Force of article. 455 Words in some sort to open out aforehand their hearts by Chap. 4.

desires thereunto: and thus receiving it, do they render the soul travailing like fruitful soil. Therefore in full assurance of faith do the most wise disciples say that they know and are confident that He is Christ the Son of the Living God. And with great wisdom will you find their speech constructed as to this again. For they say they believe and know, joining both together. For one must both believe and understand: nor, because the more Divine things are to be received in faith, ought we therefore completely to depart from all investigatiou respecting them, but rather we should try to attain even so unto a moderate knowledge, as in a glass and a riddle, as Paul saith. Well again do they l Cor. not say first that they know, then believe, but putting faith first, they bring in knowledge, and not before faith, as it is written, If ye will not believe, neither shall ye understand. Is. vii. 9 For simple ^ faith having been fore-laid in us, as a kind ^ direpieof foundation, knowledge is afterwards built up upon it by ^jJi^Jhr" degrees, and brings us up to the measure of the mature ago ^ P<*, that is in Christ, to a i^erfect and spiritual man. Wherefore God also somewhere says. Behold I will lay for the Is. xxviii. foundations of Sion a stone, choice, a corner stone, precious. For Christ is to us a Beginning and foundation unto sanctification and righteousness, through faith, that is, and not otherwise: for thus He dwelleth in us.

But observe how they say throughout in the singular number, and with the article prefixed. Thou art the Christ, the 8on of the Living God, removing from the many who are called in grace unto sonship, as One and Special, Him who is truly Son, in Whoso likeness we too are sons. Again they call Him the Christ as One: but we must know that He is not called Christ on His own account, or as being so Essentially just as He is Son, yet is He One in truth and specially (for none among anointed ones is as Ho is) yet in respect of His likeness to us is He called Christ. For His Own Proper and specially distinct Name and Reality ^ in truth, is Son; but that which is common with ® ^""f^"' us is Christ. For since He was anointed in that He was Trpay/xa,

' ' the being anointed to the need of human nature. He will be conceived of as Christ in respect of His likeness to us, and not in the same way as He is Son, nevertheless One Only by Nature and Specially, both before Flesh and with Flesh, and not two, as some suppose, who (it seems) understand not the depth of the Mystery. For not into a man hath the Word of God the Father come down, as the grace of the Spirit upon one (for example) of the holy Prophets,

Indivisible therefore is He after the Union, and is not severed into two Persons, even though we conceive of the

"""^ Son of God, we shall not, if we deem aright, admit those who shrink not of their folly from making innovations on

71 of you is a devil 9 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon, for he it ivas that should betray Him, being one of the

He continues His reproach, and clenches them with severer words, cutting oflf that which is slack and fallen into negligence in their desire to be wise. For He almost seems to say somewhat of this sort, " 0 My disciples, this is the time for heed and wit and a mind braced unto the desire of salvation. For most slippery is the way of perdition, which drags downwards not only the feeble mind, but also that which already thinketh it standeth fast. Very perilous and of many forms is sin, which bewitches the mind of man by its manifold pleasures and most smooth lusts, dragging it to what it ought not. Your own case (He saith) shall be an example of what I say. For I will tell you; none of those who from lightness have now fallen back, did I choose as I have done you who were good (for as God, I knew what was in you) yet did Satan get hold of one of you tlirougli greed of gain, and My Judgment Chap, 4. was surely not deceived. For in man is free-will and choice ^^' ' to go to both, either to the right hand, or to the left, i. e., to virtue or vice/^ Therefore at once by His severer chiding, does He both rouse unto becoming watchfulness, and render each one more steadfast regarding himself, for He does not yet say clearly who shall betray Him, but laying the burden of iniquity upon one alone and indefinitely. He was bringing them all to the contest, and inviting them to more careful circumspection, each one dreading the loss of his own soul, and at the same time was He working another thing for the benefit of His disciples' faith. For when they confessed that they knew, and firmly believed, that He is the Son of God, He shews that He Supra fore-tnows things to come, by this too shewing as it were ^^^' that their confession regarding Him was sure. For the knowledge of things to come befitteth none save One Alone, Him That is by Nature God, of Whom it is also written, Who hnoweth all things before they he. But He ^^^^'m, called the worker of the Devil's will a devil, and not untruly. For as he that is joined unto the Lord is one S;pirit, i Cor. so is the reverse also true.

On the feast of Tabernacles, that it signifies the restitution of the hope due to the Saints, and the resurrection from the dead; on the words, Now the feast of the Jews, that of Tabernacles was at hand.

Chap. vii. And after these things Jesus used to ivalk in Galilee, for He would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews ivere seekingto kill Him.

After these botli words and deeds (he says) Christ again more gladly made His sojournings in Galilee: for this, I suppose, is the meaning of used to ivalk, yet he shews that His being with them was not of His Own choice, but rather happened of necessity, adding the reason. For tlie Jews (he says) wished to hill Him. Wherefore He gave Himself over for a long time to the aliens, refusing to tvalh in Jewry. But I suppose again that in these words no less is Israel found fault with for its extreme perverseness, if indeed the being found among the Gentiles was shewn to be far better than living with it. And this it

Jer. xii. was that was uttered by the prophet Jeremiah, I have forsaken Mine House, I have left Mine heritage; I gave My loved 8oul into the hand of her enemies. For Christ^s being made an outcast because of the impiety of them that persecute Him, and going away among the Galileans, how is it not plainly the giving up of His Own Soul into the hands of her enemies? For the Gentiles are Christ^s enemies, in that they do service to another and worship the creature instead of the Creator, because they had not yet received the faith in Him. And this Himself

S. Luke will teach us clearly, sayiug, He that is 7iot with Me is against Me, But I suppose every one will say that the

Gentiles were not with Christ, previous to their true know- Chap. 5. ledge of God and faith; they were therefore against Him, and hence in the rank of His enemies. This being so and clearly acknowledged, so great abomination was practised among them of Israel, that He was in better case, living among His enemies, and making His abode with them with whom He least ought was pleasanter, than what was meeter far and more congenial, to be among them who are His kinsmen after the flesh and, on this ground, bound to love Him. With greatest reason then did Christ depart unto the Gentiles, and by the very act of doing so did He in a manner say, that if they did not desist from persecuting Him, and from destroying with their mad folly their Benefactor, Christ would wholly give Himself to those without, and remove unto the Gentiles. As then we said that He hinted this by this act, so again we shall find that by a figure of old did He threaten His departure from Jerusalem.

When then He was ordering the laws about sacrifices, as is written also in Leviticus, having fore-appointed, as for an image of Christ, that a bullock should be brought as a gift and a whole burnt -offering to the Lord, he again outlines Him in another way, saying. If his gift to the Lord Lev. i. he of the sheep, of the lambs and of the lads, for a ivhole lxx. hurnt sacrifice, he shall bring a male without blemish, and shall lay his hand upon the head thereof and they shall Icill it on the side of the altar northivard before the Lord. How then the Mystery of Christ is shaped unto us by these things, we must needs enquire. And first I think we ought tp speak of the situation both of the Temple itself at Jerusalem and of the Divine altar, that so we may understand, what is the meaning of that the sheep is not to look straight before it, but rather to be turned toward the north. The territory of the Jews therefore lies in the more southern quarters of the earth, and the temple faces eastward and opens its doors toward the first rays of the sun; yea and the Divine altar itself, reared over against the holy, as it were in the sight of God, shewed its front to those who

Book 4. enter from the Bast^ its two sides looking one south, the other north. That it actually is as we have said, you may have full proof from the passage of the Prophet Ezekiel. For when he was being taught about the death of Phaltias*,

Ezek. i, e.j in spiritual vision, he says thus, And I saw, and la about Jive and twenty men, their hacks towards the temjple of the Lord and their faces right aivay, and they ivere worshipping the sun toward the east. But if a man worshiping the rising sun have the temple behind him, how must one not suppose that the front of the temple was turned eastward? But in the same position was the Divine altar

» rh irpoa- itself, as WO have said. Therefore the front giving entry ^ both of the temple itself and of the Divine altar was to the east: the two sides, one to the south, the other to the north; and the side yet remaining, which is conceived of as the back, looking westward. The things therefore we have said being thus, we shall find that north of it lies the neighbour of Judaea, Galilee, that is, the country

S. Matth. of the Gentiles, as it is written, Galilee of the Gentiles, ex Isa. Since then our Lord Jesus Christ was about, after His

'*■ ^' saving Passion, to depart out of the country of the Jews, and go into Galilee, that is, to the church of the Gentiles, the sheep that was taken in type as a sacrifice, was slain at the side of the Altar so as to look northward, according

Ps. Ixvi. as it is spoken by the Psalmist of Christ, His eyes look

But since the blessed Evangelist says that He refused His Presence to the Jews, because they were plotting to kill Him, we will add this to what we have said, that we do not consider the withdrawal of Christ as an imputation of cowardice, nor yet will we therefore accuse of weakness Him That is mighty unto all things, but we will accept the mode of the economy. For it beseemed Him not before His time, but in His own time to endure the Cr5ss for all.

3 His brethren therefore said unto Him, Depart hence and go Chap. 5. into JudcBu, that Thy disciples also may see the ivorks that ^"" " '

4 Thou doest (for no man doeth anything in secret, and himself seeketh to be known openly); if Thou do these things, mani-

5 fest Thyself to the world. For neither did His brethren believe on Him.

The reputed brethren of the Saviour not yet recognizing God the Word indwelling in His Holy Flesh, nor knowing at the time when they are saying these things, that He was made Man, have still petty conceptions of Him and think far too little of the grace and excellence that is in Him, seeing nothing more than the rest, deluded by the common opinions of Him, thinking that He too was in truth begotten of their father Joseph, and not seeing the hidden provision of the Mystery. For when many (as is like) miracles were being wrought secretly by Christ in Galilee, they persuade Him to seek after vain glory, and advise Him to receive the wonder of the spectators, as though it were some great thing, as though for the sake of this alone. He were willing to perform the several miracles He had -wrought, in order that He might just seem an object of wonder to the beholders, and might revel in the praise of men, after the fashion of some whose habit is to seek for glory. For see how they counsel Him to go up to Jtidcea. and to work miracles there rather, not in order that His disciples might believe on Him, but that they might see the ivorJcs which He doeth. For (say they) if Thou wilt be known (for this is the meaning of " openly ^") be not a worker of marvels in secret, nor, since ^ eV^a- Thou art preeminent in Thy Power of doing all things, shun publicity^: for so shalt Thou be renowned to the ^ -^app-natvorld, and more illustrious among beholders. This then is their address here. And profitably does the most wise Evangelist note that not yet had His hrethren believed on Him. For it would indeed have been one of the strangest things, that they who through faith had already taken hold of God-befitting acknowledgment of Him, should be guilty of such cold expressions. But at that time having not as yet

Book 3,. believed tliey speak wisely, but when tliey understanding tlie great mystery concerning Him bad believed^ tbey hasten on to such a height of piety and virtue, as both to be called Apostles, and to attain illustrious piety. This too you have, fore-sung by the voice of Prophets. And verily the blessed Jeremiah says, as to our Lord Jesus

Jer. xii. Christ, For both thy brethren and the house of thy father, • they too despised Thee, and they cried out; of thy followers were they gathered together: believe them not, for they luill speah fair words unto Thee. For His brethren who before the faith thought little of Him, and in the words just spoken, all but attempt to cry out against Him, were gathered together through faith, and have spoken fair words unto Him, both aiding others, and striving with words in behalf of the faith. Very watchfully did the Prophet, having named His brethren, profitably add. The house of Thy father, lest they too should be supposed to have been of the blessed Virgin, rather than of His father Joseph alone.

0 Jesus saith therefore unto them, My time is not yet come, hut your time is always ready.

The Saviour's discourse is always overshadowed, for so is jg^ it written of Him, And He shall be a Man That hideth His t'yx ^ Words. And that this too was contrived to their profit, who that is wise will not say? Not yet therefore is the time (He says) for unrestrained publicity, nor yet of manifestation unveiled unto all, since the mind of the Jews is not yet ripe unto understanding, so as to be able to receive My words without wrath and anger: nor yet doth fit opportunity summon Me now to be altogether made known unto the world, since the Jews have not yet wholly fallen from grace, nor yet so raged against Me, that I must needs at length depart unto others. For this reason then does He say that not yet is His time come, but says that theirs is come, and is always ready. For we say that men of the world may do as they list, no necessity hampering them, or calling them to an opportune economy which avises them whether they ouglit to do any thing or not^ as was the case with Christ. On Cuap. 5. the contrary, the manner of living of those who have chosen ^' ^"' hfe in the world, is remiss and free from more laborious care, bringing in opportunity ever ready and unfolded * * virxw^ii. unto what likes them best and readily permitting those who practise it, to go whithersoever they list.

When therefore things are necessarily subjected to economies, not every time is fit for doing what has to be done, but that which fits each several duty, according as the nature of the thing demands: but on one who has chosen to live unbound ^ is no such thing imposed: but rather, ^ aim. the path to wherever they would go, is ever most ready and wholly unlet.

7 The world cannot hate you, hut Me it hateth, because I testify of it that its icorks are evil.

Very kindly now also doth the Saviour reprove His brethren, who are still too worldly-minded and disposed, and brings forward a second defence, mingled with skill, whereby He shews that not only are they ignorant Who He is by Nature, but are still so far removed from love to Him, as to choose to live in a way not unconformed to them who admire living in the world, and not rather in virtue. For it would have been verily most absurd to say to everybody else what would be of use, having laid aside all disguise about it, yet not to bestow on His reputed brethren, in far greater measure, things wherewith they, having now the Giver of wisdom, might learn with no slight profit. And this is the custom of our Saviour Christ. For He sometimes seizing favourable opportunity fashioneth great instruction unto His hearers. Ever dear therefore (saith He) to each is that which is akin to it, and identity of habit wondrously bringeth together unto agreement. The world doth not hate you (for ye savour yet that which is of it) hut Me it hateth, taking not kindly its being accused by Me for its unseemly deeds. Therefore with safety will ye go up to the feast, I not. For I shall surely dispute and being present tell them what is for their good j but

Book 4. bitter to lovers of pleasure is reproof, and taeet for kindc. vu. 7. ji^^ ^j^^^ wrath him that receives it not in due sobriety of mind.

But in these words again doth the Lord profit us too. For it is profitable not to make one's reproofs inconsiderately, nor to give to all instruction through reproof, but to Prov. ix. know what is written, Rebitke not the had lest they hate thee (for hatred is not unharmful to us) but rather to be zealous to Ecclus. speak in the ears of ihem that hear, as it is written. For the world loveth sin, the Lord is a corrector of them that act not rightly: and correction must often be attained by reproof. For the mere enumeration of sin, is a rebuke to those who love it, and the reproof of iniquity, is blame to those who have it. When therefore necessity calls the teacher to administer reproof, and the mode of cure requires this to be gone through, and he that is being against his will instructed by rebuke is exceeding angry, then must the ills of hatred surely arise. Therefore does the Saviour say He is hated by the world, in that it cannot yet bear exhortation with rebuke, when it ought to do so for profit sake. For the mind that is in bondage to evil pleasures, is quite angry with the advice that would persuade it to due sobriety. And these things the Saviour says, not altogether saying that He will not go to Jerusalem, nor refusing to give the reproofs which may be profitable to the sinners, but minded to do this too and every thing else at the fit time. And we must observe that He says something of the same kind to His own disciples also. For when He was encouraging them, and teaching them not to be too indignant at the things that should come to pass, when they should preach Him to the world, and fall into a thousand trials in con- Infra XV. sequence. He says. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own, hut hecause ye are not of tJie ivorld, therefore the ivorld hateth you; calling the world here not the visible creation, but rather they who savour the things of the world, by whom one who loves not the same as they and that exceedingly is deemed an hard man and an adverse and an enemy: but akin and dear is he who consents with them, and by sameness of life is entangled together with them in Chap. 5..,.., c. vii. 8.

8 Go YE up unto this feast, I go not up unto this feast, for My time is not yet fulfilled.

The Lord now says clearly that He will not feast with the Jews, or go with them, to partake with them in their rejoicing in shadows. For that which is once said to a few, albeit reputed His brethren, will be extended in its force to the whole race of Israel. For no one will say that Jesus refused to be with His brethren on their own account in particular, seeing He was plainly with them in Galilee, and we must suppose that not without a purpose by reason of His generally supposed relationship after the flesh, did He also dwell with them ^. It is manifest then, ^bfieffnos that the whole multitude of the Jews being introduced in a type by His brethren, Christ dechnes feasting with them, according to that which is said by one of the holy Prophets, I have hated, I have thrust away your feast days, Amos v. and I will not smell in your solenui assemblies: for even though ye offer Me whole burnt offerings and sacrifices, I will not accept them, and will not hole at your assembly of thanksgiving'^: take '' o'wttjpthou away from Me the noise of thy songs and the psalm of thine instruments I will not hear. For God is a Spirit, and Supra they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth, as the Saviour Himself saith. But being a Spirit, He would (one may think) take pleasure in spiritual honours and offerings, for a type too whereof by command of the law, were the sacrifices of oxen and sheep, oblations moreover of frankincense, of fine ^our and wine and oil, duly appointed, signifying by more visible forms the many hues of the virtue of them that worship in spirit. Do ye then (He says) who still love the shadow, and are more grossly and Jewishly affected concerning these things, go up to the assembly that is in shadows and types; Me it pleaseth not so to feast; to this feast I go not up, that, namely, in type and outline: for I have no pleasure in it, but rather I await the time of the true assembly, which is not yet full come. For then, then (He says) shall I be together with

Book 4. My company rejoicing in the briglitness of the saints, in the glory of the Father, flashing forth extreme brilliance. But He says His and calls the time His own. For His is

Jeremiah ascribe it, saying to those who have neglected piety to God-ward, and held for nought the desire to excel in

Hos. ix. goodness, WJiat ivill ye do in the day of the Assembly, and in the days of the feast of the Lord? For ye (He says) who totally reject all toil for virtue, and have not the bright robe of the love of God, what ivill ye do in the day of the assemhly, how shall ye come in to the Divine and Heavenly Feast, or how shall not the master of the Feast with reason thrust you forth from the most glorious choir of them that s. Matth. were bidden, saying, Friend, how earnest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? Akin to this, and bringing us

Zech.xiv. the Same meaning, is that in the Prophet Zechariah, And it shall come to pass (he says) that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lokd of Hosts, and to heep the feast of tabernacles. He says that they which are left shall go up to worship the great King, and to ac-

9 awon\. complish^ the feast of tabernacles. For whereas many have TipoxTiv \)QQj^ called by grace, not many are they who go up to the s. Matth. city above; for few are the chosen, as the Saviour saith, ^^' ■ taken to wit out of every nation. But in saying that they shall go up to worship, he shews that they no longer perform the worship of the law, but rather that in spirit, and keep the feast of tabernacles in truth, well-nigh with clear Ps.xxviii. voice singing that verse of Ijhe Psalms, Blessed be the Lord, LXX. because He hath heard the voice of my supplication: on Him trusted my heart, and I was holpen, and my flesh revived. For the flesh revived, and will live again, and that not apart from Christ: for He hath been made to us the First-fruits of the resurrection, and the door of the truer feast of tabernacles. And this it was that was said by one Amos ix, of the holy Prophets, I ivill raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen. For the tabernacle that fell, of Christ Who is of the seed of David according to the flesh, was first raised inar Him, IViis Man delivered up by the determinate counsel Acts ii.

and crucified and slew: WJiom God raised u'p, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible that He should be holden of it, and again, This Jesus God raised up, whereof ih. Z2.

9 JVJien He had said these words unto them, He abode in Galilee:

10 but when His brethren were gone up, then went He also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

Christ dwells gladly in Galilee, and banished from the country of Judaea, takes up His Abode more peaceably and securely, that again the multitude of the Gentiles albeit exceedingly uninstructed, by reason of the error that yet holdeth them, might be shewn to be nobler than those who seemed to be skilled in the law. By this He shewed both His just love for them, and most reasonable hatred of them of Judaea. For how would not He WJio Icnow- Hist.Sus.

eth all things before they be, be so affected, as to deem the church of the Gentiles already worthy of the Divine Love, since it was so easily called to believe on Him; and at length to cast off and justly loathe Jerusalem as senseless. He who even before the times of His coming is said to have desired her beauty, according to the voice of the Psalmist, Ps. xlv. but called the stiff-necked Jerusalem an harlot and an adul- ' teress, and of the like of this what did He not call her? Most clearly in truth doth He by the Prophet Ezekiel say to her, Whey-efore, 0 harlot, hear the word of the Lord, Ezek. and by the voice of Jeremiah accuseth her as an adul- ^^'' teress, calling out. As a wife rejecteth her husband, so the Jer. iii. house of Israel rejected Me, saith the Lord, As having then according to the fore-knowledge of God-befitting Counsel, surveyed the beauty of the Church of the Gentiles, and the baseness of the synagogue of the Jews in its wicked ways. He already before-loveth the one and goeth in Tinto her,

468 He goes up secretly now, to Ills Passion openly. Book 4. as to a bride iu tlie chamber, but fore-hatetli tbe other, re-

' serving for the fit time what was due in full measure to each. For He neither brings wholly upon them of Israel punishment before the time^ nor gives Himself wholly to Galilee before the saving cross: for then He could with justice and on reasonable causes^ withdraw from His Love to them. Having then said that He would 7iot go up to this feast, and having permitted His brethren to do so, if they would; by Himself (for He affirmed that His time was not yet come) does He go up after them^ not saying one thing and doing the contrary to what He says (for that would be lying, i^-P*^*' albeit guile, that is, falsehood is said not to have been found at all in His Moiith) but minded to w^hat He promised. For He goeth not up to feast with them, but rather to admonish them, and (since He came to save) to say and teach the things which lead to life everlasting. For that this was His aim. His not wishing to go with them that were going up, and going up hardly and secretly, not openly and with the joy of those who go to a festival, will clearly shew.

And verily, when at length He was going up to his saving Passion, He went up not in secret, but oorne upon an ass's colt, as a type of the new people, with an almost innumerable company of children preceding Him, fulfilling the part of the people that should be born, of whom it is

S. Matth. And the children going before were shouting. Blessed is He Thai cometh in the Name of the Lord, Hosanna in the Highest. Therefore by coming up in secret. He shews that Christ came to Jerusalem by no means to feast with them, but rather to dispute against them: for as we have before said. He doth not wholly depart from Israel, till on being delivered up to death, it is clear that He deservedly did so.

But as to His saying that He would not go up, and afterwards not refusing to go up, you wiU find the type of it fulfilled long ago in the book called Exodus. For the Divine and most holy Moses was making long stay in the Mount witli God, awaiting tlie law that was to be given by Him. Chap. 5. And Israel disregai'dful of piety towards God, was making a " ' ' calf in the wilderness. But the Law-giver is justly angered at these things, and having cried out against the lightness of those who so readily turned aside to what they ought not, and having threatened to utterly destroy them at once, at last He says to the holy Moses, Depart and go up hence, Ex. THOU and thy people which thou hroughtest forth out 0/1,2. Egypt unto the land ivhich I sware to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying. Unto your seed will I give it: andj I tvill send an angel before thee. Then Moses says to Him, If Thyself \h.i5,i6. go not ivith me, bring me not up hence, and how shall it be truly known that I have found grace in Thy Sight, I and Thy people, is it not in that Thou goest with us? And the Lord lb- 17. said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoJcen, for thou foundest grace in My Sight. Seest thou how He, grieved at the apostacy of Israel, affirmed that He would not go up with them into the land of promise, but said that He would send an Angel, yet out of respect to Moses and the remembrance of their fathers. He granted them pardon and promised again to go with them.

Having then said that He would not feast with the Jews as being haughty and violent, as dishonouring God by their denial of Him, as these did by making the calf, yet being very slow to anger towards the offences of those who grieve Him, and rather fulfilling His Promise to the holy fathers, He goes up to teach and to set before them the doctrines of salvation, not committing such a ministry to an Angel, just as He did not then, but rather being Himself the worker ^ even for the salvation of the unthankful. l,""'^""''"

1 1 The Jews therefore were seeking Him at the feast, and said, Wliere is that Man?

The Jews seek Jesus, not that they may believe on Him when they have found Him (for surely would He preventing their search, have offered Himself, according as it is said of Him, I was found of them that sought Me not, I Is- Ix^. was made manifest unto them that ashed not after Me) but

Book 4. of tlieir exceeding transgression falling into the vain toil^ of the Greeks, and emulous of their habits rather than of those things whereby it was like that they should be enlightened by the grace from above. For those of the Greeks who seem to be wise, filled with worldly and devilish wisdom, expend long and subtle discourses, and revolve

Is. lix. 5. cycles of vain propositions, and weaving the spider's web, as it is written, make feint to investigate what is the nature of truth or goodness or justice, and, moulding to themselves a shadow only of the true knowledge, abide wholly untasting of the virtue that is in deeds, and remaining dess. James titute of the true wisdom which is from above, make their exercises about words alone to no profit. The Jews again, brothers and neighbours of their unlearning, seek for Jesus, not that they may believe on Him when they have found Him, as the nature of things proved, but that they hitting Him with their many revilings, might bring the fire unquenchable upon their own heads. And in another respect we shall suppose they made most idle search. For they only pretend to seek Him, because He is not present. For (says one) 'the Wonder-worker ought to be present with the feasters,^ seeking rather pleasure in the enjoyment of it, and not at all the profit from the marvel; but wrapped round in conceit of knowledge of the law, and thinking that they were to no slight degree instructed in the sacred writings, they are unmindful of the Prophet's voice thus speak-

7^' ^' ' ing. Seek ye God, and in finding Him call ujpon Him; when He shall draw nigh you, let the wicked man forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his counsel, and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy. Seest thou how it will not suffice unto salvation to seek only, but when wo have found, to turn to also, i. e., by obedience and faith? So might the foolish and refractory people of the Jews have been saved: but since in this too they are found exceedingly

Jer. viii. unwise, they will at length with reason hear, Hoiv do ye say. We are wise, and the Law of the Lord is with us? in vain to the scribes was their lying pen. The wise men were ashamed, dismayed, taken: what ivisdom is in them? because they rejected the Word of the Lord? For how did they not re- Chap. 5. ject It, who received It not? how did they not despise It, who in boorish wise refused not to say of It, Where is That Man ^? For the expression That Man, belongs to the ^ (K^tvos abandoned, and them who no longer deem fit to wonder at Him, although from His so marvellous working, they ought to have had the most exalted conception of Him.

12 And there was much murmuring of the people concerning Him. Some said, He is good, others said. Nay, but He deceiveth the jjeojile.

Ever hard of attainment and difficult of acquirement is goodness, and the power of tracking the beauty of truth is hard of accomplishment to the many, specially the more unlearned and those who have no acuteness of understanding, who from most foolish swayings of thoughts without understanding turn aside to what seems to them easier, and not enduring to prove the nature of whatever offers itself, will never attain to the true quality of things, albeit Paul says, Be ye approved hankers, and persuades us to prove all things, so as by accurate investigation to arrive i Thess. at the attainment of what is profitable. Let them hear ^' ^^' then, who of their exceeding folly marvel not at Jesns but think that it is fit to condemn Him without enquiry. Taste Ps.xxxiv. and see that the Lord is good. For as they who prove choice honey by the taste, and from the merest taste perceive what they are in search of, so they who make even a little trial of the words of the Saviour, will acknowledge that He is good, and will marvel in learning it. The wiser then among the Jews plead Christ's cause, and give right judgment concerning Him, consenting to Him as Good, considering (as is like) this above all, that it would not be possible for one to accomplish the things which God evidently works, unless He were by Nature God, or partaker of God, and therefore Good, to Whom would befit the approval of all, and to be instrengthencd with grace from above, even though this were not so in Christ, for Christ is Himself the Lord of powers. But they wade in most

' shrink not from calling Him a deceive^', who directs unto the unerring path of righteousness. Let the foolish Jew

Is. T. 20. then hear, Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil, that put darkness for light and light for darkness. For along with approving wickedness, ranks the finding fault with good, and keeping back from evil its most deserved reproof, and casting upon them that are ranged on the side of good the blame which is no wise due unto them. But the charges against them for these their revilings were

Hos. viL foretold also, for Woe (He says) %into them, for they siverved from Me, loretched are they because they transgressed against Me: I redeemed them, they spake lies against Me. 13 Howheit no man was speaking openly of Him for fear of the

There was murmuring among the Jews, and for fear of the Jews, he says that no man could speak openly. The Divine Evangelist then is calling the rulers of the Jews emphatically Jeivs, not deigning (as seems to me) to call them elders or priests, or the like, kindled with pious jealousy unto grief to themward, whom with reason does God accuse of destroying His spiritual vineyard, saying in the prophets, Jer. xii. Many^pastors destroyed My vineyard, they defiled My por- LXX. tion, they gave My longed-for portion for an impassable 4 eh a(f)a. ivUdemess, it hath become a vanishing of perdition ^. For dTTwAeras ^"^^ shall WO not suppose that the Lord's vineyard hath in truth been destroyed by their abominations, when they shewed that even to agree with the good, and only to marvel at that which is worthy of marvel is hazardous? But that this too works a sorer punishment for the rulers of the Jews and the rest of them, what wise man will doubt? Lo, for lo, the whole people fear and tremble before them, yet are not instructed in the law, nor yet taught to live in a fitting manner, although very zealously subjected to their injunctions. For fear is a proof of the very highest subjection. They were compelled then to transgress rather than wisely to look into the purpose of the Law-giver, and (in that they dare not so much of Jews' rulers. God dwells specially in temples. 473 as praise what is good) to give by no means a voluntary, Chap. 5. but a constrained, judgment of eviP against whosoever the sV^^'eTri' others choose, and to condemn as base. Him That is worthv ^°'^^^- of praise and admiration. Just as a man therefore who has ^v^ov good skill in sea-faring matters, and sits at the ship's helm, that one and having her at his command dashes her against the '^ rocks, would be himself held guilty of the wreck: or as if. one accustomed to drive, were borne along by swiftest ponies, and being able by the checks of the reins to hold their easily-directed flight whithersoever he would, were to dash the wheels against a stone, not to the ponies would he reasonably attach the blame of the misfortune, but rather to himself: — in like manner, I deem, the rulers of the Jews, having the people of the Jews not only honouring them, but even serving them by fear as well, if they manage them contrary to Divine Commands, shall justly themselves incur responsibility for the loss of all. But that themselves were the cause of the perdition of the people, the prophet Jeremiah will testify, saying. For the pastors became brutish, Jer. x.2i. and sought not out the Lord: therefore the whole Jloch understood not and were scattered.

14 When it was now mid-feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. Temple-befitting^ is the teaching of our Saviour: for where ® 'i^ppelse should we rather hear the Divine Voice, save in the places where the Divinity is believed to dwell? For God tendeth all things, and will not be conceived of as circumscribed by space, in respect of His Own Nature, but is wholly uncontained by things that are, yet is it more meet that we should suppose that He dwells in the holy places, and we most reasonably deem that the will of the Divine Nature will specially be heard by us in sacred places. But what again was pictured to them of old in type and shadow this now Christ transforms into truth; for God says to the hierophant Moses, And thou shall set the mercy seat f-^'J^''- above upon the ark; and in the arh thou shalt put the testimonies that I shall give thee; and there ivill I be hnown to thee, and I will commune ivith thee from above the mercy seat.

Rook 4. from between the two cheruhini which are upon the arh of the ' testimony, in respect of all things which I shall command thee unto the children of Israel. But our Lord Jesus Christ, luhen it was now the middle of the feast, as it is written, having entered as God into the holy places dedicate unto God, there speaks to the multitudes, although He went up in secret. As therefore upon the mercy seat in the tabernacle, God's descent was secret, and then scarcely perceived, when the time for His speaking was come, and to one then also, to the blessed Moses, did God talk, speaking to none other: — so did Christ too instruct the one race of the Jews j and converse with one people, having not yet unfolded His grace as common to the Gentiles. And exceeding well does the blessed Evangelist say, not simply. Entered, but Went up into, the temple. For a high thing, and very far surpass- 7 rris ing our grovelling baseness''', was His entry into the Divine \ov (pav- school ^, and sojourn in the holy places. But the type of »Jai5(v. the act is true as to us. For it was Christ who sancti- TTjpwi/ gg^jj ^^Q temple, and of this Moses of old was a type anoint- Lev. viii. i^g t^^G tahemacle with the hallowed oil, and sanctifying ^^' it, as it is written: albeit it needed rather that man should be sanctified by the holy places, than sanctify them: but there is no account taken of things done in a type for the truth's sake, for the sake of which the things in shadows were moulded, as one may see in the holy Prophets also. Hos. i. 2. For one was commanded against his will to go in unto an E^zek!' harlot, another to walk naked, yea, also to lie upon his IV. 6. right side for many days. These things were performed words for the sake of their meanings, and not surely for their omitted owu sakcs. Thus then, the blessed Moses too was bidden MS.^^ to sanctify the tabernacle, albeit he needed rather to receive sanctification from it, that Christ again may be understood in him, sanctifying His Own Temple, although He lived with flesh among the Jews, and in it spake to the multitude, as did God of old from the mercy seat.

15 The Jews therefore ivere marvelling, saying, Hoio knoiceth This Man letters, having not learned?

Not unreasonable is the wonder of the Jews, but there is sometliiiig subtle ^ in their argument. For it was likely Chap. 5. that they would be astonished at seeing Him strangely 9 JceKo. excel both in word and knowledge, Who could not have ^^^^ "'^^^' been rich from instruction. For the mind of man is recipient of wisdom, and even though one do not as yet seem wise, yet is his nature exceedingly well adapted to the attainment of wisdom and knowledge on some subjects. But in the case of those who are not well exercised in learning, the natural advantage gets somehow stopped up and dulled ^; in that of those who are accustomed to go ^Kari^vm. through such toils, and to revel ^ m literary exercises, it is 2. very clear, and apt for good practice, and is found to <?>«'' have no mean store of letters ^ and wise contrivances *. ^ >^6yo>v^ The Jews then are astonished, giving heed to the Saviour twi* Christ, not yet as being by nature God, but still as a mere Man, and they marvel that He abounds in wisdom, not having the provider ^ hereof, i. e., practise in reading, ^ Trp6iivov for that He knows letters untaught. This too then with the rest is a charge of Jewish folly: for it should have seemed nothing wonderful to them, that Wisdom, the Artificer of all things, that is, the Only-Begotten Word of God, Which was among them lying hid in the form of a Man, should not need letters.

This again must be observed for our profit. For above when they were seeking for Jesus they say, Where is That Man? (as though they knew Him by His miracles alone: not yet knowing accurately. Who, or of Whom, or whence He was) but here not as though ignorant of ought respecting Him, but as knowing all things clearly, they say that He also hnoweth letters not having learned. The more obscure enquiry therefore respecting Him of the common people and of those who had no accurate knowledge of Him, uttered Where is That man contemptuously, that of those Supra who knew Him the other. More severe punishment then shall they undergo who were not ignorant than they who were: for to the one their ignorance is an excuse, to tha other their knowledge condemnation. Therefore is it said that to some it is bettor not to have known the ivay 0/ truth.?.^-^^^-

Book 4. For in knowledge there is greater punisliment^ because 2 Tim. * men are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of Ood. Jesus 6 eVaTrd- tlieu, accordiug to the diflBculty ^ of the Jews, knew letters, P^'f^".. having not learned, Moses was learned (as it is written) in 22. all the wisdom of the Egyptians: yet as kno^ying nothing at all, albeit exceeding wise among those, was he instructed unto better knowledge by the oracles from God, the wisdom of the world being convicted as feeble, through the Diviner and more excellent, in which or through which we are instructed in the things of Christ, receiving the understanding which is truly from above and from God. Christ then is the in all things perfectly Good, the one of all things both Wisdom and Understanding, in respect whereof He has the excellency not by teaching, but innate. And verily the isa. vii. Prophet Isaiah saith of Him, that before the Child shall 16 LXX. ^,,2,(5^y good or evil, He shall refuse evil to choose good. And let us not foolishly suppose, that the Divine and Heavenly Offspring, in discernment of reasonings or by the choice of the better turneth away from evil, and applies Itself rather to good: but as if one should say of fire, that it refuses cold; its not admitting the being cold does not indicate choice of wills in it, but rather most steady adherence of nature to what is its own, so is it in respect of Christ. For all good things are in God of Nature, and are not introduced from without; and so wisdom too was 'iibiKws in Him, yea rather. Himself is propei4y and specially''^ the Fount of wisdom, through which He gives wisdom in part to those in participation thereof, both Heavenly and earthly reasonable beings.

16 Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not Mine, but