XXIII.

Passover. Awful and terrible mysteries, and of vast depth; HOMIL. and if so terrible in the type, how much more in the reality? They come forth out of Egypt, they eat the passover. Attend, their guise is that of wayfarers; for their having shoes, and staves in their hands, and their eating standing, declares nothing else than this. Will ye hear the history first, or the mystery? Better the history first. What then avaɣwis the design of the history? The Jews were ungrateful, and were continually forgetting God's benefits to them. He therefore, designing that they should be brought even against their will to a recollection of them, ordains this form of eating the Passover. And why so? In order that having at every recurring period a necessity to keep the ordinance, they might of necessity recollect also the God who brought them out of Egypt. Accordingly then, God tied the sense of these His benefits not only to the time, but also to the very habit of them that were to eat. For this is why they were to eat girded and sandalled, that when they were asked the reason, they might say, we were ready for our journey, we were just about to go forth out of Egypt to the land of promise.' This then is the historical type. But the reality is this; we too eat a Passover, even Christ; for, saith he, Christ our Passover is sacri-1 Cor. 5, ficed for us. Surely then we too eat a Passover, and one far greater than that of the Law. And therefore we ought to eat it, both sandalled and girded. And why? That we too may be ready for our Exodus, for our departure hence.

7.

26.

Let not any one of them that eat this Passover look towards MORAL. Egypt, but towards Heaven, towards Jerusalem that is above. Gal. 4, For this thou eatest with thy loins girded, this thou eatest with shoes on thy feet, that thou mayest know, that from the moment thou first beginnest to eat the Passover, thou oughtest to set out upon thy far journey, and to be upon thy pilgrimage. And this implies two things, both that we must depart out of Egypt, and that, whilst we stay, we must stay henceforth as in a strange country; for our citizenship, Phil. 3, saith he, is in Heaven; and that all our life long we should πολίτουever be prepared, so that when we are called we may not μ hesitate, but say, Our heart is ready. Yes, but this Paul Ps. 108,

20.

1.

366

Explanation of the types of the Law.

3.

EPHES. indeed could say, who was conscious to himself of nothing; VI. 14.1 but I, who require a long time for repentance, I cannot say it.' Yet that thou mayest see that to be girded is the part of a waking soul, hearken to what God says to that righteous Job 38, man, Gird up now thy loins like a man, for I will demand of thee, and answer thou Me. This He says also to all Saints, and this He says again to Moses. And He Himself also Ezek. 9, appears to Ezekiel girded. Nay more, and the Angels too 11.Sept. appear to us girded, as being soldiers. As from standing, it comes that we are girded, so from our being girded about, it comes that we also stand bravely.

comp. 1, 27.

Rev. 15,

6.

Gen. 32,

1.

vid. O then, let us too gird ourselves about; for we also have to depart, and many are the difficulties that intervene. When we have crossed this plain, straightway the devil is upon us, doing every thing, contriving every artifice, to the end that those who have been saved out of Egypt, those who have passed the Red Sea, those who are delivered at once from the evil demons, and from unnumbered plagues, may be taken and destroyed by him. But, if we be vigilant, we too have a pillar of fire, the grace of the Spirit. The same both enlightens and overshadows us. We have manna; yea rather not manna, but far more than manna. Spiritual drink, not water, springs forth from the Rock. So have Rev. 20, we too our encampment, and we dwell in the desert even now; for a desert indeed without virtue, is the earth even now, even more desolate than the wilderness. Why was that desert so terrible? Was it not because it had scorpions Deut. 8, in it, and asps? In which, it is said, no man passed through. Yet is not that wilderness, no, it is not so barren of fruits, as is this human nature. At this instant, how many scorpions, how many asps are in this wilderness, how many serpents, how many generations of vipers are these through whom we at this instant pass! Yet let us not be afraid; for the leader of this our Exodus is not Moses, it is Jesus.

9.

15.

Jer. 2, 6.

How then shall we not fear? Let us not entertain the same passions, let us not commit the same acts, and then shall we not suffer the same punishment. They murmured, they were ungrateful; let us therefore not cherish these Ps. 106, passions. How was it that they fell all of them? They thought scorn of that pleasant land. 'How thought scorn

24.

We have, the Jews had not, the promised land without warfare. 367

XXIII.

13, 23.

of it? Surely they prized it highly.' By becoming indolent HOMIL. and cowardly, and not choosing to undergo any labours to obtain it. Let not us then think scorn of Heaven! This is what is meant by thinking scorn. Again, among us also has fruit been brought, fruit from Heaven, not the cluster of grapes borne upon the staff, but the earnest of the Spirit, the Numb. conversation which is in Heaven, which Paul and the whole 2 Cor. 1, company of the Apostles, those marvellous husbandmen, have 22. taught us. It is not Caleb the son of Jephunneh, nor Jesus the son of Nun, that hath brought their fruit; but Jesus the Son of the Father of mercies, the Son of the Very God, hath 2 Cor. 1, brought every virtue, hath brought down from Heaven all the fruits that are from thence, the songs, I mean, of heaven. For the words which the Cherubim above say, these hath He charged us to say also, Holy, Holy, Holys. He hath brought to us the life of the Angels. The Angels marry not, Mat. 22, neither are given in marriage; this fair plant hath He s.Cyril, planted here also. They love not money, nor any thing iv. 24. like it; and this too hath He sown amongst us. They never die; and this hath He freely given us also, for death is no longer death, but sleep. For hearken to what He saith, Our John 11, friend Lazarus sleepeth.

3.

30.

xii. 34.

11.

Seest thou then the fruits of Jerusalem that is above? And what is indeed more stupendous than all is this, that our warfare is not yet decided, but all these things are given us before the attainment of the promise! For they indeed toiled even when they had entered into the land of promise;― rather, they toiled not, for had they chosen to trust in God, they might have taken all the cities, without either arms or array. Jericho, we know, they overturned, more after the fashion of dancers than of warriors. We however have no warfare after we have entered into the land of promise, that is, into Heaven, but only so long as we are in the wilderness, that is, in the present life. For he that is Heb. 4, entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from His. Let us not then be weary in well- Gal.6,9. doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Seest thou how that just as He led them, so also He leads

c For the use of these words in the §. 10. also above, Hom. 3. p. 133. Service, vid. Bingham, Antiqu. xv. 3.

10.

Exod.

19.

v. 13.

34.

368

Our life a pilgrimage or campaign.

EPHES. US? In their case, touching the manna and the wilderness, it is said, He that gathered much had nothing over, and he 16, 18. that gathered little had no lack. And we have this charge Matt. 6, given us, not to lay up treasure upon the earth. But if we do lay up treasure, it is no longer the earthly worm that corrupts it, as was the case with the manna, but that which dwelleth with everlasting burnings. Let us then subdue all things, that we furnish not food to this worm. For he, it is said, who gathered much had nothing over. For this too happens with ourselves also every day. We all of us have but the same capacity of hunger to satisfy. And that which is more than this, is but an addition of senseless cares. For Matt. 6, what He intended in after-times to deliver, saying, Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, this had He thus been teachvada ing even from the very beginning, and not even thus did they receive it. But as to us let us not be insatiable, let us not be discontented, let us not be seeking out for splendid houses; for we are on our pilgrimage, not at home; so that if there be any that knows that the present life is a sort of journey, and expedition, and as one might say, it is what they Qword call an entrenched camp, he will not be seeking for splendid TOY, FUSbuildings. For who, tell me, be he ever so rich, would choose to build a splendid house in an encampment? No one, he would be a laughing stock, he would be building for his enemies, and will the more effectually invite them; and so then, if we be in our senses, neither shall we. The present life is nothing more nor better than a march and an encamp

satum.

43.

ment.

Wherefore, I beseech you, let us do all we can, so as to lay up no treasure here; for if the thief should come, we must vid. Mat. in a moment arise and depart. Watch, saith He, for ye know 24, 42. not at what hour the thief cometh, thus naming death. O then, before he cometh, let us send away every thing before us to our native country; but here let us be well girded, that we may be enabled to overcome our enemies, whom God grant that we may overcome, and thus at the day of crowning, be counted worthy of that glory which is incorruptible, through the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom together with the Holy Ghost, be unto the Father, &c.

HOMILY XXIV.

XXIV.

CHAP. vi. 14-17. Stand therefore, having your loins girt HoMII. about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of

the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Having your loins, saith he, girt about with truth. What can be the meaning of this? I have stated in the preceding discourse, that he ought to be so lightly accoutred, as that there should be no impediment whatever to his running.

And having on, he continues, the breastplate of righteousness. As the breastplate is impenetrable, so also is righteousness, and by righteousness here he means a life of universal virtue. Such an one no one shall ever be able to overthrow; it is true, many wound him, but no one cuts through him, no, not the devil himself. It is as though one were to say, 'having righteous deeds fixed in the breast;' of these it is that Christ saith, Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after Mat.5,6. righteousness, for they shall be filled. He that has this fixed in his breast, is firm, like a breastplate. Such a man will never be put out of temper.

And having your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. This is somewhat obscure in this expression. What then is its meaning? They are noble greaves, doubtless, with which he invests us; the preparation of the Gospel. Either then he means this, that we should be prepared for the Gospel, and should make use of our feet for

B b