I.

8

God gives Grace to the humble.

HOMIL. God's sight, though he suffer ten thousand horrors, feareth none; I say not only, no man, but not even the devil himself; but he that hath offended God suspects all men, though he seem to be in security. For human nature is unstable, and not friends only and brethren, but fathers also, before now, have been altogether changed; and often for a little thing he whom they begat, the branch of their planting, hath been to them, more than all foes, an object of persecution. Children too have cast off their fathers. Thus, if ye will mark it, (2.) David was in favour with God, Absalom was in favour with men. What was the end of each, and which of them is in most honour, ye know. Abraham was in favour with God, Pharaoh with men; for to gratify him they gave up the just I See S. man's wife1. Which then of the two was the more illustrious, Chrys and the happy man? Every one knows. And why speak I 12. 17. of righteous men? The Israelites were in favour with God,

on Gen.

4. 6.

17.

but they were hated by men, the Egyptians; but nevertheless they prevailed against their haters, and vanquished them, with how great triumph, is well known to you all.

For this therefore let all of us labour earnestly; whether one be a slave, let him pray for this, that he may find grace with God rather than with his master; or a wife, let her seek grace from God her Saviour rather than from her husband; or a soldier, in preference to his king and commander let him seek that favour which cometh from above. For thus among men also wilt thou be amiable.

[4.] But how shall a man find grace with God? How else, 2 S. Jas. except by lowliness of mind? For God, saith one, 2 resisteth the 3 P. 51. proud, but giveth grace unto the humble; and, the sacrifice of God is a broken spirit, and a heart that is brought low God will not despise. For if with men humility is so lovely, much more with God. Thus both they of the Gentiles found 4 Rom. grace, and the Jews no other way fell from grace; for they 10. 3. were not subject unto the righteousness of God. The lowly man

πεινωμέ

of whom I am speaking, is pleasing and delightful to all men, and dwells in continual peace, and hath in him no ground for contentions. For though you insult him, though you abuse him, whatsoever you say, he will be silent, and will bear it meekly, and will have so great peace towards all men as one

Moses, an Example of Humility.

1. 1-3.

18. 27.

2 Numb.

18.24.

.9 cannot even describe. Yea, and with God also. For the 1 COR. commandments of God are to be at peace with men: and thus our whole life is made prosperous, through peace one with another. For no man can injure God: His nature is imperishable, and above all suffering. Nothing makes the Christian so admirable as lowliness of mind. Hear, for instance, Abraham saying, 1But I am but dust and ashes; and1 Gen. again, God [saying] of Moses, that he was the meekest of all, men. For nothing was ever more humble than he; who 12. 3. being leader of so great a people, and having overwhelmed in the sea the king and the host of all the Egyptians, as if they had been flies; and having wrought so many wonders both in Egypt, and by the Red Sea, and in the wilderness, and received such high testimony, yet felt exactly as if he had been an ordinary person, and as a son-in-law, was humbler than his father-in-law3, and took advice from him, and was not 3 Exodus indignant, nor did he say, "What is this? After such and so great achievements, art thou come to us with thy counsel?" This is what most people feel; though a man bring the best advice, despising it, because of the lowliness of the person. But not so did he: rather through lowliness of mind he wrought all things well. Hence also he despised the courts of kings, since he was lowly indeed: for the sound and the 4 Heb. high spirit are the fruit of humility. For of how great noble-26. ness and magnanimity, thinkest thou, was it a token, to despise the kingly palace and table? since kings among the Egyptians are honoured as gods, and enjoy wealth and treasures inexhaustible. But nevertheless, letting go all these, and throwing away the very sceptres of Egypt, he hastened to join himself unto captives, and men worn down with toil, whose strength was spent in the clay and the making of bricks, men whom his own slaves abhorred, (for, saith he, The Egyptians abhorred them ;) unto these he ran, 5 ¡ß1and preferred them before their masters. From whence it λύσσοντο, Sept.

5

11.24

is plain, that whoso is lowly, the same is high and great of Ex. 1.2. soul. For, as pride cometh of an ordinary mind and an ignoble spirit, so moderation, of a temper meet for high purposes and high thoughts.

[5.] And if you please, let us try both by certain examples. (?

10

Abraham's Example; true and false Magnanimity.

HOMIL. For tell me, what was there ever more exalted than Abraham?

Gen.

24.

i. e. per

Elam."

I. And yet it was he that said, I am but dust and ashes; it was 1 Gen. he who said, 'Let there be no strife between me and thee. But 13.8. this man, so humble, despised 3 Persian spoils, and regarded 14.21-not Barbaric trophies; and this he did of much highmind3. Per- edness, and of a spirit nobly nurtured. For he is indeed sian," exalted who is truly humble; (not the flatterer nor the haps, "of dissembler ;) for true greatness is one thing, and arrogance another. And this is plain from hence: if one man esteem clay to be clay, and despise it, and another admire the clay as gold, and account it a great thing; which, I ask, is the man of exalted mind? Is it not he who refuses to admire the clay? And which, abject and mean? Is it not he who admires it and sets much store by it? Just so do thou esteem of this case also; that he who calls himself but dust and ashes is exalted, although he say it out of humility; but that he who does not consider himself dust and ashes, but treats himself lovingly and has high thoughts, this man for his part must be counted mean, esteeming little things to be great. Whence it is clear that out of great loftiness of thought the patriarch spoke that saying, I am but dust and ashes: from loftiness of thought, not from arrogance.

γῶντα,

For as in bodies it is one thing to be healthy and plump, and another thing to be swoln, although both and are betokened by a full habit of flesh, (but in this case of elastic. unsound, in that of healthful flesh;) so also here: it is one thing to be arrogant, which is, as it were, to be swoln, and another thing to be high-souled, which is to be in a healthy state. And again, one man is tall from the stature of his person; another, being short, by adding buskins" becomes taller; now tell me which of the two should we call tall and large? Is it not quite plain, him whose height is from himself? For the other has it as something not his own; and stepping upon things low in themselves, turns out a tall person. Such is the case with many men who mount themselves up on wealth and glory; which is not exaltation, for he is exalted

ibúdas; a leathern shoe coming half way up the leg, with high heels of cork; used especially by tragic actors to elevate their size. Eschylus, says

Horace, improving tragedy, "docuit magnumque loqui, nitique cothurno." A. P. 280.

Contempt of the World, the Root of Humility.

11

1. 1-3.

14. 11.

who wants none of these things, but despises them and has 1 Cor. his greatness from himself. Let us therefore become humble that we may become exalted; for he that humbleth himself S.Luke shall be exalted. Now the self-willed man is not such as this; rather he is of all characters the most ordinary. For the bubble too is inflated, but the inflation is not sound: wherefore we call these persons "puffed up." Whereas the sober-minded man has no high thoughts, not even in high fortunes, knowing his own low estate; but the vulgar even in his trifling concerns indulges a proud fancy.

[6.] Let us then acquire that height which comes by humility. Let us look into the nature of human things, that we may kindle with the longing desire of the things to come; for in no other way is it possible to become humble, except by the love of what is divine, and the contempt of what is present. For just as a man on the point of obtaining a kingdom, if instead of that purple robe one offer him some trivial compliment, will count it to be nothing; so shall we also laugh to scorn all things present, if we desire that other sort of honour. Do ye not see the children, when in their play they make a band of soldiers, and heralds precede them and lictors, and a boy marches in the midst in the general's place, how childish it all is? Just such are all human affairs; yea and more worthless than these: to-day they are, and to-morrow they are not. Let us therefore be above these things; and let us not only not desire them, but even be ashamed if any one hold them forth to us. For thus, casting out the love of these things, we shall possess that other love which is divine, and shall enjoy immortal glory. Which may God grant us all to obtain, through the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ; to Whom together with the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honour, now and for evermore, even unto everlasting. Amen.

HOMILY II.

6.

(1.)

1 Cor. i. 4, 5.

I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him.

[1.] THAT which he exhorts others to do, saying, 'Let your re1 Phil.4. quests with thanksgiving be made known unto God, the same also he used to do himself: teaching us to begin always from these words, and before all things to give thanks unto God. For nothing is so acceptable to God, as that men should be thankful, both for themselves and for others: wherefore also he prefaces almost every Epistle with this. But the occasion for his doing so is even more urgent here, than in the other Epistles. For he that gives thanks, does so, both as having received a blessing, and as in acknowledgment of a favour: now a favour is not a debt, nor an exchange, nor a repayment: which indeed every where is important to be said, but much more in the case of the Corinthians, who were gaping after the dividers of the Church.

4; 63.1.

[2.] Unto my God. Out of great earnestness he seizes on that which is common, and makes it his own; as the prophets 2 Ps. 43. also from time to time use to say, 2O God, my God; and by way of encouragement he incites them to use the same language also themselves. For such expressions belong to one who is retiring from all secular things, and moving towards Him whom he calls on with so much earnestness: since he alone can truly say this, who from things of this life is ever mounting upwards unto God, and always preferring Him to all, and giving thanks continually, not [only] for the grace already given, but whatever blessing hath been since at any time bestowed, for this also he offereth unto Him the

a This seems to mean the grace given in Baptism once for all.