378 Night was made not for sleep only, HOMIL. splendid than that Church. Let us imitate these, let us XXVI. emulate them. Not for this was the night made, that we νομίαν should sleep all through it and be idle. To this bear witness the artisans, the carriers, and the merchants, (to this) the Church of God rising up in the midst of the night. Rise thou up also, and behold the quire of the stars, the deep oiko silence, the profound repose: contemplate with awe the 'order of thy Master's household. Then is thy soul purer: it is lighter, and subtler, and soaring disengaged: the darkness itself, the profound silence, are sufficient to lead thee to compunction. And if also thou look to the heavens studded with its stars, as with ten thousand eyes, if thou bethink thee that all those multitudes who in the day time are shouting, laughing, frisking, leaping, wronging, grasping, threatening, inflicting wrongs without number, lie all one as dead, thou wilt condemn eye all the self-willedness of man. Sleep hath invaded and 'defeated nature: it is the image of death, the image of the end of all things. If thou (look out of window and) lean over into the street, thou wilt not hear even a sound: if thou look into the house, thou wilt see all lying as it were in a tomb. All this is enough to arouse the soul, and lead it to reflect on the end of all things. [4.] Here indeed my discourse is for both men and women. Bend thy knees, send forth groans, beseech thy Master to be merciful: He is more moved by prayers in the night, when thou makest the time for rest a time for mourning. RePs. 6,6. member what words that king uttered: I have been weary with my groaning: every night will I wash my bed, I will water my couch with my tears. However delicate a liver thou mayest be, thou art not more delicate than he: however rich thou mayest be, thou art not richer than David. And again the same Psalmist saith, Al midnight I rose to give thanks unto Thee for the judgments of Thy righteousness. No vainglory then intrudes upon thee: how can it, when all are sleeping, and not looking at thee? Then neither sloth nor drowsiness invades thee: how can they, when thy soul is aroused by such great things? Ps. 119, 62. Mod. t. adds, "thou wilt enjoy all pleasure, being led forthwith to reflect on the Creator. * *Αν διακύψῃς εἰς τὸν στενωπόν. The After such vigils come sweet σTevwTol, angiportus or vici are the lanes or alleys in the quarters formed by intersection of the broad streets, πλατείαι. but for meditation and prayer. 379 XII. » Ecclus. slumbers and wondrous revelations. Do this, thou also the Acrs man, not the woman only. Let the house be a Church, 1-17. consisting of men and women. For think not, because thou art the only man, or because she is the only woman there, that this is any hindrance. For where two, He saith, ure Mat. 18, gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of 20. them. Where Christ is in the midst, there is a great multitude. Where Christ is, there needs must Angels be, needs must Archangels also and the other Powers be there. Then ye are not alone, seeing ye have Him Who is Lord of all. Hear again the prophet also saying, "Better is one that comp. doeth the will of the Lord, than ten thousand transgressors." Nothing more weak than a multitude of unrighteous men, nothing more strong than one man who lives according to the law of God. If thou hast children, wake up them also, and let thy house altogether become a Church through the night: but if they be tender, and cannot endure the watching, let them stay for the first or second prayer, and then send them to rest: only stir up thyself, establish thyself in the habit. Nothing is better than that storehouse which receives such prayers as these. Hear the Prophet speaking: If IPs. 63,7. remembered Thee upon my bed, I thought upon Thee in the dawn of the morning. But you will say: I have laboured much during the day, and I cannot. Mere pretext this and subterfuge. For however much thou hast laboured, thou wilt not toil like the smith, who lets fall such a heavy hammer from a great height upon the (metal flying off in) sparks, and takes in the smoke with his whole body: and yet at this work he spends the greater part of the night. Ye know also how the women, if there is need for us to go into the country, or to go forth unto a vigil, watch through the whole night. Then have thou also a spiritual forge, to fashion there not pots or cauldrons, but thine own soul, which is far better than either coppersmith or goldsmith can fashion. Thy soul, waxen old in sins, cast thou into the smelting-furnace of confession: let fall the hammer from on high: that is,' the condemnation of thy words: pnlight up the fire of the Spirit. Thou hast a far mightier craft μárov (than theirs). Thou art beating into shape not vessels of gold, Táyvwbut the soul, which is more precious than all gold, even as the "". smith hammers out his vessel. For it is no material vessel τὴν και XXVI.. 105. στενω πῶν 380 Then the dew descends upon the parched soul. HOMIL. that thou art working at, but thou art freeing thy soul from all imaginations belonging to this life. Let a lamp be by thy side, not that one which we burn, but that which the proPs. 119, phet had, when he said, Thy law is a lamp unto my feet. Bring thy soul to a red heat, by prayer: when thou seest it hot enough, draw it out, and mould it into what shape thou wilt. Believe me, not fire so effectual to burn off rust, as night prayer to remove the rust of our sins. Let the nightwatchers, if no one else, shame us. They, by man's law, go their rounds in the cold, shouting loudly, and walking TEV-through lanes and alleys, oftentimes drenched with rain and (all) congealed with cold, for thee and for thy safety, and the protection of thy property. There is he taking such care for thy property, while thou takest none even for thy soul. And yet I do not make thee go thy rounds in the open air like him, nor shout loudly and rend thy sides: but in thy closet itself, or in thy bedchamber, bend thy knees, and entreat thy Lord. Why did Christ Himself pass a whole night on the mountain? Was it not, that He might be an ensample to us? Then is it that the plants respire, in the night, I mean: and then also does the soul take in the dew even more than they. What the sun has parched by day becomes cool again at night. More refreshing than all dew, the tears of the night descend upon our lusts and upon all heat and fever of the soul, and do not let it be affected in any such way. But if it do not enjoy the benefit of that dew, it will be burnt up in the day-time. But God forbid (it should be so')! Rather, may we all, being refreshed, and enjoying the mercy of God, be freed from the burden of our sins, through the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, honour, now and ever, world without end. Amen. z Mod. t. ἀλλὰ μὴ γένοιτο μηδένα ὑμῶν ὑπέκκαυμα τοῦ πυρὸς ἐκείνου γε· νέσθαι: " God forbid that any of you should become the fuel of that fire." HOMILY XXVII. ACTS xii. 18, 19. Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Cæsarea, and there abode. SOME persons, it is likely, are at a loss how to explain it, that God should quietly look on while (His) champions are put to death, and now again the soldiers on account of Peter and yet it was possible for Him after (delivering) Peter, to rescue them also. But it was not yet the time of judgment, so as to render to each according to his deserts. And besides, it was not Peter that put them into his hands. For the thing that most annoyed him was the being mocked; just as in the case of his grandfather when he was deceived Matt. 2, by the wise men, that was what made him (feel) cut to the heart-the being (eluded and) made ridiculous". And having put them to the question, it says, he ordered them • περιεῖδεν τοὺς ἀθλητὰς ἀπολλυμévous: i. e. those (as St. Stephen, St. James) engaged in contending for the heavenly prize. The mod. t. substitutes, Many are quite at a loss, how God could quietly look on while His children (or, servants? Toùs maîdas, Ben. infantes) were put to death because of Him, and now again, &c.” After this sentence, the same inserts from the recapitulation: “ But—if the · μᾶλλον αὐτὸν ἐποίει διαπρίεσθαι (29 16. XXVII. 382 Herod's impiety, and speedy punishment. HOMIL. to be led away to execution. And yet he had heard from them-for he had put them to the question-both that the chains had been left, and that he had taken his sandals, and that until that night he was with them. [Having put them to the question :] but what did they conceal? Why then did they not themselves also flee? [He ordered them to be led away to execution:] and yet he ought to have marvelled, ought to have been astonished at this. The consequence is, by the death of these men, (the thing) is made manifest to all: both his wickedness is exposed to view, and (it is made clear that) the wonder (is) of God. [And he went down v.20-23. from Judæa to Cæsarea, and there abode] and Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country. And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man, And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. But see how (the writer) here does he not hide these things. Why does he mention this history? Say, what has it to do with the Gospel, that Herod is incensed with the Tyrians and Sidonians? It is not a small matter, even this, how immediately justice seized him; although not because of Peter, but because of his arrogant speaking. And yet, it may be said, if those shouted, what is that to him? Because he accepted the acclamation, because he accounted himself to be worthy of the adoration. Through him those most receive a lesson, who so thought ei. e. what was to be drawn from them by the torture? Had they let him out, they would have contrived appearances, or would themselves have fled. But the reporter's notes of what St. Chrys. said, seem to be very defective, and the arrangement much confused. ὰ ἀλλ ̓ ὅρα πῶς οὗτος οὐ κρύπτει Taura. In the recapitulation (see note h.) he says, that the death of Herod was regarded as a judgment for his having slain James and the soldiers. Here, it seems, he must have said something to that effect; then, "but observe how St. Luke does not conceal the true state of the case, viz. that he was punished not for this, but for the sin which he proceeds to mention." We have transposed the text vv. 20-23. Mss. and Edd. place it before οὐ μικρὸν οὐδὲ ToûTÓ OT, thus separating these words from their connexion with the preceding question. |