XLII.

592

The Trial and Judgment of the Soul.

HOMIL. [3.] Wouldest thou however be a judge? Thou hast a court of 3. judgment which hath great profit, and bears no blame. Make Consideration, as judge, to sit down upon thy conscience, and bring before it all thy transgressions, search out the sins of thy soul, and exact with strictness the account thereof, and say, "wherefore didst thou dare to do this and that?" And if she shun these, and be searching into other men's matters, say to her," Not about these am I judging thee, not for these art thou come here to plead. For what, if such a one be a wicked man? Thou, why didst thou commit this and that offence? Answer for thyself, do not accuse; look to thine own matters, not to those of others." And be thou continually urging her to this anxious trial. Then, if she have nothing to say, but shrink back, wear her out with the scourge, like some restless and unchaste handmaid. And this tribunal do thou cause to sit every day, and picture the river of fire, the venomous worm, the rest of the torments.

And permit her not to be with the devil any more, nor bear with her shameless sayings," he comes to me, he plots against me, he tempts me;" but tell her, "If thou wert not willing, all that would be to no purpose." And if she say again, "I am entangled with a body, I am clothed with flesh, I dwell in the world, I abide on earth;" tell her, "All these are excuses and pretexts. For such an one too was encompassed with flesh, and such another dwelling in the world, and abiding on earth, is approved; and thou thyself too, when thou doest well, doest it encompassed with flesh." And if she be pained at hearing this, take not off thine hand; for she will not die, if thou smite her, but thou wilt save her from death. And if she say again, "Such an one provoked me;" tell her, "But it is in thy power not to be provoked; often at least thou hast restrained thine anger." And if she say, "The beauty of such a woman moved me;" tell her, "Yet wast thou able to have mastered thyself." Bring forward those that have got the better, bring forward the first 1 Gen. 3, woman, who said, The serpent beguiled me1, and yet was not acquitted of the blame.

13.

And when thou art searching out these things, let no man be present, let no man disturb thee; but as the judges sit under curtains to judge, so do thou too, instead of curtains,

Common Abuse of Leisure for Meditation.

593

XII.37.

seek a time and place of quiet. And when after thy supper MATT. thou art risen up, and art about to lie down, then hold this thy judgment; this is the time convenient for thee, and the place, thy bed, and thy chamber. This the Prophet likewise commanded, saying, For the things which ye say in your hearts, be ye moved to compunction upon your beds1. And for small 'Ps.4,4. offences require great satisfaction, that unto the great thou mayest never even approach. If thou do this every day, thou wilt with confidence stand at that fearful judgment-seat.

LXX.

11, 31.

In this way Paul became clean; therefore also he said, For if we judged ourselves, we should not be judged 2. Thus 21 Cor. did Job cleanse his sons 3. For he that offered sacrifices for 3 Job 1, secret sins, much more did he require an account of such as were manifest.

[4.] But we do not so, but altogether the contrary. For as soon as we are laid down to rest, we rather think over all our worldly matters; and some introduce unclean thoughts, some usuries, and contracts, and temporal cares.

And if we have a daughter, a virgin, we watch her strictly; but that which is more precious to us than a daughter, our soul, her we suffer to play the harlot and defile herself, introducing to her innumerable wicked thoughts. And whether it be the love of covetousness, or that of luxury, or that of fair persons, or that of wrath, or be it what you will else that is minded to come in, we throw open the doors, and attract and invite it, and help it to defile our soul at its leisure. And what can be more barbarous than this, to overlook our soul that is more precious than all, abused by so many adulterers, and so long companying with them, even until they are sated? which will never be. So it is, therefore, that when sleep overtakes us, then only do they depart from her; or rather not even then, for our dreams and imaginations furnish her with the same images. Whence also, when day is come, the soul stored with such images often falls away to the actual performance of those fancies.

And thou, while into the apple of thine eye thou sufferest not so much as a grain of dust to enter, dost thou pass unnoticed thy soul, gathering to itself a heap of so great evils? When shall we then be able to clear out this filth, which we are daily laying up within us? when to cut up the thorns?

5.

4.

594

Urgent Reasons for Self-Examination.

HOMIL. When to sow the seed? Knowest thou not that henceforth XLII. the time of harvest is at hand? But we have not yet so much as ploughed our fields. If then the Husbandman should come and find fault, what shall we say? and what answer shall we make? That no man gave us the seed? Nay, this is sown daily. That no man, then, hath cut up the thorns? Nay, every day we are sharpening the sickle. But do the necessary engagements of life distract thee? And why hast thou not crucified thyself to the world? For if he that repays that only, which is given him, is wicked, because he did not double it; he that hath wasted even this, what will be said to him? If that person was bound, and cast out where is gnashing of teeth, what shall we have to suffer, who, when numberless motives are drawing us toward virtue, shrink back and are unwilling?

For what is there, that hath not enough in it to persuade thee? Seest thou not the vileness of the world, the uncertainty of life, the toil, the sweat, for things present? What? is it the case that virtue must be toiled for, but may vice be had without toil? If then both in the one and in the other there is toil, why didst thou not choose this, which hath so great profit?

Or rather, there are some parts of virtue, which are free even from toil. For what kind of toil is it, not to calumniate, not to lie, not to swear, to lay aside our anger against our neighbour? Nay, on the contrary, to do these things is toilsome, and brings much anxiety.

What plea then shall we have, what excuse, not doing right even in these matters? For hereby it is plain, that out of remissness and sloth the more toilsome duties also altogether escape us.

All these things let us consider; let us flee vice, let us choose virtue, that we may attain both unto the good things that are present, and unto those that are to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory and might for ever and ever. Amen.

HOMILY XLIII.

MATT. xii. 38, 39.

Then certain of the Scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, Master, we would see a sign from Thee. But He answered and said, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the Prophet Jonas.

COULD then any thing be more foolish than these men, (not more impious only,) who after so many miracles, as though none had been wrought, say, We would see a sign from Thee? With what intent then did they so speak? That they might lay hold of Him again. For since by His words He had stopped their mouths, once and twice and often, and had checked their shameless tongue, they come to His works again. At which also the Evangelist marvelling again, said,

Then certain of the Scribes answered Him, asking a sign. Then, when? When they ought to be stooping before Him, to admire, to be amazed and give way, then they desist not from their wickedness.

And see their words too, teeming with flattery and dissimulation. For they thought to draw Him towards them in that way. And now they insult, now they flatter Him; now calling Him a demoniac, now again Master, both out of an evil mind, how contrary soever the words they speak.

Wherefore also He rebukes them severely. And when they were questioning Him roughly and insulting Him, He reasoned with them gently; when they were flattering,

596 How the Jews were an adulterous Generation :

HOMIL. reproachfully, and with great severity; implying that He is 1.2. superior to either passion, and is neither at the one time moved

XLIII.

1 See Ezek. 16, 23. &c.

to anger, nor at the other softened by flattery. And see His reproach, that it is not merely hard words, but contains a demonstration of their wickedness. For what saith He?

An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign. Now what He saith is to this effect: What marvel if ye behave so to Me, who have been hitherto unknown to you, when even to the Father, of whom ye have had so much experience, ye have done the very same? forsaking Him, ye have run unto the devils, drawing to yourselves wicked lovers. With this Ezekiel too was continually upbraiding them'.

No wby these sayings He signified Himself to be of one accord with His Father, and them to be doing nothing new; He was also unfolding their secrets, how with hypocrisy and as enemies they were making their demand. Therefore He called them an evil generation, because they have been always ungrateful towards their benefactors; because upon favours they become worse, which belongs to extreme wickedness.

And He called it adulterous, declaring both their former and their present unbelief; whereby He implies Himself again to be equal to the Father, if at least the not believing Him makes it adulterous.

[2.] Then, after His reproach, what saith He? There shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of Jonas the Prophet. Now is He striking the first note of the doctrine of His resurrection, and confirming it by the type.

What then? one may say; was no sign given it? None was given to it on asking. For not to bring in them did He work His signs, (for He knew them to be hardened,) but in order to amend others. Either then this may be said, or that they were not to receive such a sign as that was. For a sign did befal them, when by their own punishment they learnt His power. Here then He speaks as threatening, and with this very meaning obscurely conveyed: as if He said, Innumerable benefits have I shewed forth, none of these hath drawn you to Me, neither were ye willing to adore My power. Ye shall know therefore My might by the contrary tokens, when ye shall see your city cast down to the ground,