How to use all things for God.

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c. 6, 34.

Never then let us flee from poverty as an evil, for it is the HOM. procurer of heaven. Again, let us never follow riches as a good; for they are the ruin of such as walk unwarily, but, in every thing directing our eyes to God, let us, as occasion requires, use those gifts which He has vouchsafed us, both strength of limbs, and abundance of money, and every other gift; for it is unnatural that we, who have our being from Him, should make these things serviceable to others, yet not to Him, Who has made us. He formed thine eyes: make them serviceable to Him, not to the devil. But how serviceable to Him? By contemplating His creatures and glorifying Him, and by withdrawing them from all gaze at women. But thine hands did He make? Preserve them for His use, not for the devil, not putting them out for robbery and rapine, but for His commandments and for good deeds, for earnest prayers, for holding out help to the fallen. Hath He made thine ears? Give these to Him, and not to effeminate" strains nor to disgraceful tales. Let all thy communication, he says, Ecclus. be in the law of the Most High. And again he says, Stand 9, 15, in the multitude of the elders, and cleave unto him that is wise. Has He made thy mouth? Let it do nought that is displeasing to Him, but sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your Eph. 4, mouth, says the Apostle, but that which is good for the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers; for edification and not for subversion, for fair words and not for evil speaking and plotting against other, but the very opposite. He hath made thy feet, not that thou shouldest run to do evil, but to do good. He made thy belly, not that thou shouldest cram it to bursting, but to practise lessons of wisdom. For the production of children, He implanted desire in thy mind, not for fornication, nor for adultery. He gave thee understanding, not to make of thee a blasphemer or a reviler, but that thou mightest speak fair words. He gave us both money to be used on fitting occasion, and strength likewise to be used on fitting occasion. He instituted arts, that our present state of existence might be held together by them, not that we should withdraw ourselves from spiritual things,

m diaxınλaopívais, 'broken,' so called from using the chromatic scale to excess.

29.

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Value of Jewels imaginary.

PHIL not that we should devote ourselves to the base arts but to 3, 7. the necessary ones, that we might minister to one another's good, and not that we should plot one against another. He gave us a roof, that it might afford shelter from the rain, and no more, not that it should be decked out with gold, while the poor man perishes with hunger. He gave clothing to cover us, not to make a display withal, not that things like these should have much gold lavished upon them, and that Christ should perish naked. He gave you a place of shelter, not that you should keep it to yourself, but to offer it to others also. He gave thee land, not that, cutting off the chief portion of it, you should spend the good gifts of God upon harlots, and dancers, and actors, and flute players, and harp players, but upon those that hunger and are in want. He gave you the sea to sail on, that you might not be wearied with journeying, not that you should pry into its depths, and bring up thence precious stones and all the other things of the same kind, nor that thou shouldest make this thy business.

'Why then are there precious stones?' he says. Nay, do you rather tell me, why there are precious stones, and how these become so valuable? Is it by their strength? Is it by their use? Nay, for that matter, those that are not of this kind are rather more for use, for those may be conducive to building, but these to no purpose, and those are stronger than the other. But these,' he says, ' produce a fine effect. How so? it is a matter of fancy. Are they whiter? No, they are not whiter than pure white marble, nor nearly equal to it. But are they stronger? Not even this can be said for them". Well then, are they more useful? are they larger? Not even this. Whence then are they so admired? From no other cause than fancy. For if they are neither more beautiful, (for we shall find others more shining and more white,) nor more° useful, nor stronger, whence came they to be so admired? Was it not from mere fancy? Why then did God give them? They were not His gift, but it is your own imagination that they are any thing great. How is it, then,' he answers,

' that even the Scripture shews admiration of them?" So far

Jewels and purple not the true ornaments.

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it addresses itself to your fancy. As a master too in talking HOM. to a child often admires the same object as it does, when he desires to attract and engage it.

10.

Why do you aim at finery in your clothing? Clothe yourself with a garment and with sandals. But where is there any reason for these things? David declares, that the judg- Ps. 19, ments of the Lord are more to be desired than gold, yea than much fine gold. With these adorn thee! With these content thee! But where is any reason for these things? These, beloved, are of no use. Had they been of use, he would not have bidden us despise them. And for Holy Scripture, it speaks with reference to our notion, and this too is an instance of God's lovingkindness. Why then,' he asks, ' did He give purple and the like?' These are things that come of God's majesty. For He has willed by other things also to shew forth His own riches. As He gave you corn too by itself; but from this you make many things, cakes and sweetmeats, of every sort and variety, having much enjoyment; but besides this, vain-glory also gave rise to all these inventions. For it pleased you to set them before every thing. For if a foreigner or a rustic, who was ignorant of them, should put the question, and, seeing your admiration, were to say, 'Why do you admire these?' What have you to say? that they are fair to look at? But it is not the case. Let us then give up such notions, and lay hold of the things that are truly real. These are not, but simply pass away, only flowing past like a river. Wherefore I charge you, let us take our stand upon the rock, that we may both escape being easily turned about, and that we may obtain the good things to come, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom, &c.

P Thus Sav. Ben. and B. place this clause after' sandals,' omitting there 'But where is any reason,' &c.

HOMILY XI.

PHIL. iii. 7-10.

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God, by faith: That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection.

IN our contests with heretics, we must make the attack with minds in vigour, and that incessantly, for thus giving them no leisure for taking breath, we can throw into confusion their array, and easily obtain the mastery. Wherefore, willing to prepare you, from the Scriptures, for such contests as these, that hence too ye may be able to put to silence the gainsayers, I will begin my present discourse where the last ended. And what was its end? one will say. Having enumerated every Jewish boast, both those from his birth, and those that were from choice, he added, But what things were gain to me, all these I count to be but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. Here the heretics make their attack: for even this comes of the wisdom of the Spirit, to suggest to them hopes of victory, that they may undertake the fight.

For if it had been spoken plainly, they would have acted here as they have done in other places, they would have

Heretics entrapped by St. Paul's words on the Law. 129

But as

XI.

blotted out the words, they would have denied the Scripture, HOM. when they were unable at all to look it in the face. in the case of fishes, that which can take them is so concealed that they may swim up, and does not lie open to view; this in truth hath come to pass here too, in that the Law hath been called loss by Paul. The Law, they say, is called dung by Paul, it is called loss. It was not possible to gain Christ except I counted this as loss. All these things induced the heretics to accept this passage, thinking it to be favourable to them: but when they had taken it, then did he enclose them on all sides with his nets. Lo what? say they, when they make their attack. Lo! the Law is called loss, is called dung; how then do ye say, that it is of God?

But these very words are favourable to the Law, and how they are so, shall be hence manifest. Let us attend accurately to his very words. He said not, The Law is loss: but I counted it loss. But when he spake of gain, he said not, I counted them, but they were gain. But when he spake of loss he said, I counted: and this rightly; for the former was naturally so, but the latter became so, from my opinion. 'What then? Is not the Law loss?' It is: but for Christ.

'But now it hath become gain.' It was not counted gain, says he, but was so: as if he had said, Consider how great a thing it was to bring men, brutalized in their nature, to the shape of men. If the law had not been, grace would not have been given. 'Wherefore?' Because it became a sort of bridge; for when it was impossible to mount on high from a state of great abasement, a ladder was formed. And if he who has ascended has no longer need of the ladder, he does not for this reason despise it, but is grateful to it. For it has placed him in such a position, as no longer to require it. And yet for this very reason, that he doth not require it, it is just, he means, that he should acknowledge his obligation, for without it he could not have ascended. And thus is it with the Law, it hath led us up on high; wherefore it was gain, but for the future we esteem it loss. 'How?' Not because it is loss, but because grace is far greater. For as a poor man, that was in hunger, as long as he has silver, escapes hunger, but when he finds gold, and is unable to keep both, considers

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