We can create a fresh enmity, though Christ has slain the old. 153 V. afresh, indicating that heretofore human nature had been HOMIL. easily reconciled, as, e. g. in the case of the saints and before ἀποκατ the Law. In one body, saith he, and that His own, unto God. How is this effected? By Himself, he means, suffering the penalty incurred upon the Cross. Having slain the enmity thereby. αλλάξη. Nothing can be more direct, nothing more significative, than these expressions. His death, saith the Apostle, hath slain the enmity. He hath wounded and killed it, not by giving charge to another, nor by what He wrought only, but also by what He suffered. He does not say having dissolved, he does say having cancelled, but what is stronger than all, having slain, so that it never should rise again. How then is it that it does rise again? From our exceeding depravity. For as long as we abide in the body of Christ, as long as we are united, it rises not again, but lies dead; or rather that former enmity never rises again at all. But if we breed another, it is no longer because of Him, who hath destroyed and put to death the former one. It is thou, forsooth, that travailest with a fresh one. For the carnal mind, saith he, Rom. 8, is enmity against God; if we are in nothing carnally-minded, there will be no fresh enmity produced, but that peace we were speaking of shall remain. 6. Think then, how vast an evil is it, when God hath em- MORAL. ployed so many methods to reconcile us, and hath effected it, that we should again fall back into enmity! This enmity no fresh Baptism, but hell itself awaits; no fresh remission, but searching trial. The carnal mind is luxury and indulgence, igíravis. the carnal mind is covetousness and all kinds of sin. Why is it said the carnal mind, the mind of the flesh? Whereas the flesh could do nothing without the soul. He does not say this to the disparagement of the flesh, any more than when he says the natural man, he uses that expression to fuxinós. the disparagement of the soul, but he means, that neither body 14. nor soul in themselves, if they receive not the impulse which is from above, are able to achieve any thing great or noble. Hence he calls those acts which the soul performs of herself, 1 Cor. 2, natural;" and those which the body performs of itself, "car-xá. II. 16. φυσικά. 154 The body is not sinful by nature, if he have not skill. EPHES. nal." Not because these are natural, but because, inasmuch as they receive not that direction from heaven, they perish. So the eyes, we know, may be good, but without light, will commit innumerable errors; this, however, is the fault Quá. of their weakness, not of nature. Were the errors natural, then should we never be able to use them aright at all. Nothing which is evil is natural. What then are carnal purixóv. affections? They are sins. For whenever the flesh exalts herself, and gets the mastery over her charioteer, she produces ten thousand mischiefs. The virtue of the flesh is, her subjection to the soul. It is her vice to govern the soul. Just in the same way then, as a horse may be good and nimble, and yet this is not shewn without a rider; so also the flesh will then shew her goodness, when we curtail her prancings. But neither again is the rider shewn, Nay he himself without skill will do mischief yet more fearful than that before named. So that on all hands we must have the Spirit at hand to guide us, that Spirit standing to guide will impart new strength to the rider; that Spirit will give beauty both to body and soul. For just as, while the soul dwells in the body, she gives it its beauty, but when she leaves it destitute of her own native energy and departs, like a painter confounding his colours together, the greatest loathsomeness ensues, every one of the several parts hastening to corruption, and falling back into the elements of which it is composed:so is it also when the Spirit forsakes the body and the soul, the loathsomeness which ensues is greater and more desperate. Do not then, because the body is inferior to the soul, do not therefore revile it, for neither do I endure to revile the soul because it hath no strength without the Spirit. If one need say any thing at all, the soul is deserving of greater censure than the body; for the body indeed can do no grievous harm without the soul, whereas the soul can do much without the body. Because, we know, when the one is even wasting away, and has no wantonness, the other is busily employed. As, e. g. those sorcerers (we hear of), magicians, envious persons, enchanters, most especially emaciate the body. But besides this, not even luxury is the effect of the craving of the body, but rather of inatten but sins when left to itself, because its virtue lies in subjection. 155 V. tiveness of the soul; for food, not feasting, is the object of the HOMIL. craving of the body. For if I have a mind to put on a strong curb, I stop the horse; whereas the body, on the other hand, is unable to check the soul in her evil courses. Wherefore then does he call it the carnal mind? Because it is wholly of the flesh, for when she has the mastery, then she goes wrong, as soon as ever she has deprived herself of reason, and of the supremacy of the soul. The virtue therefore of the body consists in this, in its submission to the soul, since of itself the flesh is neither good nor evil. For what could the body ever do of itself? It is then by its connection that the body is good, good because of its subjection, but of itself neither good nor evil, with capacity both for the one and for the other, and having an equal tendency either way. The body has a natural desire, not however of fornication, nor of adultery, but simply of pleasure; the body has a desire not of feasting, but of food; of drink, not of drunkenness. For in proof that it is not drunkenness that is the natural desire of the body, mark how, whenever you exceed the measure, when you surmount the boundary-lines of the body, it cannot hold out a moment longer. Because all the rest of the excesses, as e. g. when she is hurried away into sensualities, when she becomes stupified, these are not of the body, but of the soul. For suppose the body to be even good, still it is vastly inferior to the soul. In the same way then as lead is of less value than gold, and yet gold needs of lead to solder it, just so has the soul need also of the body. Or in the same way as a noble child requires a conductor, so again does the soul stand in need of the body. And you must not be surprised that I have adduced such examples as these: for, as we speak of childish things, not to the disparagement of childhood, but only of those acts which are done childishly; so also are we now speaking of the body. Yet it is in our power, if we will, no longer to be in the flesh, no, nor upon the earth, but in heaven, and in the Spirit. For our being here or there, is not determined so much by our position and place, as by our temper and disposition. Of many people, at least, who are in some particular place, we say they are any where but there, when we say, Thou art II. 16. 156 Christians may live not in the flesh but in heaven. EPHES. absent. And why do I say this? We often say, Thou art not thyself, I am not myself, and yet what can be more material (a stronger instance of corporal locality) than this, near as a man is to himself? And yet, notwithstanding, we say that he is not in himself. Let us then be in ourselves, in heaven, in the Spirit. Let us abide in the peace and in the grace of God, that we may be set at liberty from all the things of the flesh, and may be able to attain to those good things which are promised in Jesus Christ our Lord, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, and might, and honour, now and henceforth, and for ever and ever. Amen. HOMILY VI. VI. CHAP. ii. v. 17-22. And came and preached peace to you HOMIL. which were afar off, and unto them that were nigh. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner-stone. In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. He sent not, saith the Apostle, by the hand of another, nor did He announce these tidings to us by means of any other, but Himself came, and in person told us of them. He sent not Angel nor Archangel on the mission, because to repair so many and vast mischiefs was in the power of none other, (nor even to declare what had been wrought,) but required His own coming. The Lord then took upon Himself the rank of a servant, nay, almost of a minister, and came, diaxórov. and preached peace to you, saith he, which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. To the Jews, he means, who as compared with ourselves were nigh. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. 27. ib. 17, ib. 14, Peace, saith he, that peace which is towards God, forasmuch as He hath reconciled us. And besides, the Lord Himself also saith, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give John14, unto you. And again, Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. And again, Whatsoever things ye shall ask in my 33. name, ye shall receive. And again, For the Father loveth 14. you. These are so many evidences of peace both towards ib. 17, the one and the other, Gentiles and Jews. How towards the Gentiles? Because through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father, not ye less, and they more, but all 27. |