Cornelius's religious care for his household. 323 22. X. See how great the virtue of alms, both in the former Acrs discourse, and here! There, it delivered from death temporal; 1-24. here, from death eternal; and opened the gates of heaven. Such are the pains taken for the bringing of Cornelius to the faith, that both an angel is sent, and the Spirit works, and the chief of the Apostles is fetched to him, and such a vision is shewn, and, in short, nothing is left undone. How many centurions were there not besides, and tribunes, and kings, and none of them obtained what this man did! Hear, all ye that are in military commands, all ye v. 2. and that stand beside kings. A just man, it says, fearing God; devout; and what is more than all, with all his house. Not as we (who,) that our servants may be afraid of us, do every thing, but not that they may be devout. And over the domestics too, so * * Not so this man; but [he was one that feared God] with all his house, for he was as the v. 2. common father of those with him, and of all the others (under his command). But observe what (the soldier) says himself. For, fearing, he adds this also: well reported of by all the nation. For what if he was uncircumcised? Nay, but those give him a good report. Nothing like alms: great is the virtue of this practice, when the alms is poured forth from pure stores; for it is like a fountain discharging mud, when it issues from unjust stores, but when from just gains, it is as a limpid and pure stream in a paradise, sweet b feared God with all his house, as being HOMIL. to the sight, sweet to the touch, both light and cool, when XXII. given in the noon-day heat. Such is alms. Beside this 10. 14. 44. fountain, not poplars and pines, nor cypresses, but other plants than these, and far better, of goodly stature: friendship with God, praise with men, glory to Godward, goodwill from all; blotting out of sins, great boldness, contempt of wealth. [This is the fountain] by which the plant of love is nourished: for nothing is so wont to nourish love, as the being merciful: it makes its branches to lift themselves on Gen. 2, high. This fountain is better than that in Paradise; a fountain, not dividing into four heads, but reaching unto John 4, heaven itself: this gives birth to that river which springeth up into eternal life: on this let Death light, and like a spark it is extinguished by the fountain: such, wherever it drops, are the mighty blessings it causes. This quenches, even as a spark, the river of fire: this so strangles that Mark 9, worm, as nought else can do. He that has this, shall not gnash his teeth. Of the water of this, let there be dropped upon the chains, and it dissolves them: let it but touch the fire-brands, it quenches all.-A fountain does not give out streams for a while and anon run dry,―else must it be no more a fountain, but ever gushes: so let our fountain give out more copiously of the streams of mercy (in alms). This cheers him that receives: this is alms, to give out not only a copious, but a perennial, stream. If thou wouldest that God rain down His mercy upon thee as from fountains, have thou also a fountain. And yet there is no comparison (between God's fountain and thine): for if thou open the mouths of this fountain, such are the mouths of God's Fountain as to surpass every abyss. God does but seek to get an opportunity on our part, and pours forth from His storehouses His blessings. When He expends, when He lavishes, then is He rich, then is He affluent. Large ε κἂν εἰς τὰς λαμπάδας (Ε. Εdd., καμίνους) ἅψηται (ἐμπέσῃ, E. D. F. Edd.) In the next sentence, Aurn πηγή κ. τ. λ. the pronoun must be omitted.-E. D. F. Edd., "As therefore the fountain in Paradise (or, in a garden) does not give out streams, &c." « Καίτοιγε οὐδὲν ἴσον. Αν γὰρ σὺ ταύτης κ. τ. λ. Edd., Οὐδὲν ταύτης ἴσον. "Αν σὺ ταύτης κ.τ.λ. “ Nothing like this fountain. If then, &c."Below, Ὅταν ἀναλίσκῃ, ὅταν δαπανᾷ, K.T.A. in itself, may perhaps be better referred to the giver of alms: " when (one) expends, when one lavishes (alms), &c." but in that case the connexion is obscure. Like a fountain planted round with goodly trees, 325 X. is the mouth of that fountain: pure and limpid its water. ACTS If thou stop not up the fountain here, neither wilt thou 1-24. stop up that fountain.-Let no unfruitful tree stand beside it, that it may not waste its spray. Hast thou wealth? Plant not poplars there for such is luxury it consumes much, and shews nothing for it in itself, but spoils the fruit. Plant not a pine-tree-such is wantonness in apparel, beautiful only to the sight, and useful for nothingnor yet a fir-tree, nor any other of such trees as consume indeed, but are in no sort useful. Set it thick with young shoots plant all that is fruitful, in the hands of the poor, all that thou wilt. Nothing richer than this ground. Though small the reach of the hand, yet the tree it plants starts up to heaven and stands firm. This it is to plant. For that which is planted on the earth will perish, though not now, at any rate a hundred years hence. Thou plantest many trees, of which thou shalt not enjoy the fruit, but ere thou canst enjoy it, death comes upon thee. This tree will give thee its fruit then, when thou art dead.-If thou plant, plant not in the maw of gluttony, that the fruit end not in the draught-house: but plant thou in the pinched belly, that the fruit may start up to heaven. Refresh the straitened soul of the poor, lest thou pinch thine own roomy soul.— See you not, that the plants which are overmuch watered at the root decay, but grow when watered in moderation? Thus also drench not thou thine own belly, that the root of the tree decay not: water that which is thirsty, that it may bear fruit. If thou water in moderation, the sun will not wither them, but if in excess, then it withers them: such is the nature of the sun. In all things, excess is bad; wherefore let us cut it off, that we also may obtain the things we ask for.-Fountains, it is said, rise on the most elevated spots. Let us be elevated in soul, and our alms will flow with a rapid stream: the elevated soul cannot but be merciful, and the merciful cannot but be elevated. For he that despises wealth, is higher than the root of evils.-Fountains are oftenest found in solitary places: let us withdraw our soul from the crowd, and alms will gush out with us. Fountains, the more they are cleaned, the more copiously they flow so with us, the more we spend, the more all good XXII. HOMIL. grows. He that has a fountain, has nothing to fear: then neither let us be afraid. For indeed this fountain is serviceable to us for drink, for irrigation, for building, for every thing. Nothing better than this draught: it is not possible for this to inebriate. Better to possess such a fountain, than to have fountains running with gold. Better than all goldbearing soil is the soul which bears this gold. For it advances us, not into these earthly palaces, but into those above. The gold becomes an ornament to the Church of Eph. 6, God. Of this gold is wrought the sword of the Spirit, the sword by which the dragon is beheaded. From this fountain come the precious stones which are on the King's head. Then let us not neglect so great wealth, but contribute our alms with largeness, that we may be found worthy of the mercy of God, by the grace and tender compassion of His only-begotten Son, with Whom to the Father and Holy Ghost together be glory, dominion, honour, now and ever, world without end. Amen. 17. HOMILY XXIII. ACTS x. 23, 24. Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. And the morrow after they entered into Cæsarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. [HE called them in, and lodged them.] Good, that first he gives the men friendly treatment, after the fatigue of their journey, and makes them at home with him; [and on the morrow, sets out with them]. And certain accompany him this too, as Providence ordered it, that they should be witnesses afterwards when Peter would need to justify himself. And Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. This is the part of a friend, this the part of a devout man, that where such blessings are concerned, he takes care that his near friends shall be made partakers of all. Of course (his near friends), those in whom he had ever full confidence; fearing, with such an interest at stake, to entrust the matter to others. In my opinion, it was by Cornelius himself that both friends. and kinsmen had been brought to a better mind. And as Peter v. 25. was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. This, both to teach the others, and by way of giving thanks to God, and shewing his own humility thereby making it plain, that though he had been commanded, yet in himself he had great piety. What then did Peter? But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; Iv. 26. myself also am a man. Do you mark how, before all else, |