The rich poor within, the poor rich within.

193

I.

and art thou not ashamed to call this pleasure? If now it be HOM. allowed to have the full pleasure of them, the greater is the shame, and the discomfort which arises from the shame. And how? Is it not a grievous thing to make one's house a brothel, and to take delight like hogs in wallowing in the mire? But if so far only be allowed as to see them, lo! again the pain is greater. For to see is no pleasure, where to use is not allowed, but the lust becomes only the greater, and the flame the fiercer.

But wouldest thou learn the end? Those, indeed, when they rise up from the table, are like the madmen and those that have lost their wits; foolhardy, quarrelsome, laughingstocks for the very slaves; and the servants indeed return home sober, but these, drunk. O the shame! But with the other is nothing of this sort; but closing the table with thanksgiving, they so return to their homes, with pleasure sleeping, with pleasure waking, free from all shame and accusation.

If thou wilt consider also the guests themselves, thou wilt (6.) see that the one are within, what the other are without; blind, maimed, lame; and as are the bodies of these, such are the souls of those, labouring under dropsy and inflammation. For of such sort is pride; for after the luxurious gratification a maiming takes place; of such sort is surfeiting and drunkenness, making men lame and maimed. And thou wilt see too that these have souls like the bodies of the others, bright, ornamented. For they who live in giving of thanks, who seek nothing beyond a sufficiency, they whose philosophy is of this sort are in all brightness.

πιλία,

But let us see the end both here and there. There, indeed, is unchaste pleasure, loose laughter, drunkenness, buffoonery 1, 1 tùrgafilthy language; (for since they in their own persons are i, as Eph. ashamed to talk filthily, this is brought about by means of the 5, 4. harlots;) but here is love of mankind, gentleness. Near to him who invites those stands vainglory commanding him, but near λíthe other, love of man, and gentleness. For the one table, love You, arming. of man prepareth, but the other, vainglory, and cruelty, out of injustice and grasping. And that one ends in what I have said, in pride, in delirium, in madness; (for such are the

1, 8.

194

Future reward of hospitality to the Poor.

COLOS. offshoots of vainglory;) but this one in thanksgiving and the glory of God. And the praise too, which cometh of men, attendeth more abundantly upon this, for that man is even regarded with an envious eye; but this all men regard as their common father, even they who have received no benefit at his hands. And as with the injured even they who have not been injured sympathize, and all become in common enemies (to the injurer): so too, when any have received kindness, they also who have not received any; not less than they who have, praise and admire him that conferred it. And there indeed is much envy, but here much tender solicitude, many prayers from all.

And so much indeed here; but There, when Christ is come, this one indeed shall stand with much boldness, and shall Matt. hear before the whole world, Thou sawest Me an hungered, 25, 35. and didst feed Me; naked, and didst clothe Me; a stranger, and didst take Me in; and other like words: but the other Ib. 26. shall hear the contrary; Wicked and slothful servant ; Amos 6, and again, Woe unto them that luxuriate upon their LXX. couches, and sleep upon beds of ivory, and drink the d refined wine, and anoint themselves with the chief ointstrained ments; they counted upon these things as staying, and not

4. 5. 6.

διυλιστ

μένον,

as fleeting.

I have not said this without purpose, but with the view of changing your minds; and that you should do nothing that is fruitless. What then, saith one, if I do both the one and the other? This argument is much resorted to by all. And what need, tell me, when every thing might be done profitably, to make a division, and to expend part not only

on what is not wanted, but even without any purpose at all,

and part profitably? Tell me, hadst thou, when sowing, cast some upon a rock, and some upon very good ground; is it likely that thou wouldest have been contented so, and have said, Where is the harm, if we have cast some to no purpose, and some upon very good ground? For why not all into the very good ground? Why lessen the gain? And if thou have occasion to be getting money together, thou wilt not talk in that way, but wilt get it together from every quarter; but in the other case thou dost not so. And if to

No true friendship comes of feasting.

195

I.

lend on usury; thou wilt not say, "Wherefore? we will Hoм. give some to the poor, and some to the rich," but all is given to the former: but in the case before us; where the gain is so great; how is it that thou dost not thus calculate; and at length desist from expending without purpose, and laying out without return?

But,' saith one, this also hath a gain.' Of what kind? tell me. 'It increaseth friendships.' Nothing is colder than men who are made friends by these things, by the table, and surfeiting. The parasites! Nothing is more unsatisfactory than a friendship thus originated.

pare St.

ταμένην

Insult not a thing so marvellous as love', nor say that this Comis its root. As if one were to say, that a tree which bore Clem. gold and precious stones had not its root of the same, but Al. Pædag. 1. that it was gendered of rottenness; even so doest thou: for ii. c. 1. even though friendship should be produced in this way, nothing can possibly be colder. But those other tables produce friendship, not with man, but with God; and that an intense one, so thou be intent on preparing them. he that expendeth part in this way and part in that, even should he have bestowed much, hath done no great thing: but he that expendeth all in this way, even though he should have given little, hath done the whole. For what is required is that we give, not much or little, but not less than is in our power. Think we on him with the five talents, Matt. and on him with the two. Think we on her who cast in those two mites3. Think we on the widow in Elijah's days. 12, 41. 3 ὀβολοὺς She who threw in those two mites, said not, What harm if1 Kings I keep the one mite for myself, and give the other? but gave her whole living. But thou, in the midst of so great plenty, art more penurious than she. Let us then not be careless of our own salvation, but apply ourselves to almsgiving. For nothing is better than this, as the time to come shall shew: meanwhile the present shews it also. Live we then to the glory of God, and do those things that please Him, that we

Because their distress would make them willing to give a higher interest. This place may bear the sense here given, but it seems corrupt. The sense

requires, "shall we not give ?" or else,
"wilt thou not say?" interrogatively,
or the expulsion of διὰ τί.

25, 15.

Mark

17.

196

Almsgiving rewarded hereafter.

COLOS. may be counted worthy of the good things of promise; 1,8. which may all we obtain, through the grace and love toward man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be the glory and the power and honour, now and ever, and world without end. Amen.

HOMILY II.

COL. i. 9, 10.

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.

For this cause. What cause? Because we heard of your faith and love, because we have good hopes, we are hopeful to ask for future blessings also. For as in the games we cheer on those most who are near upon gaining the victory, so truly doth Paul also most exhort those who have achieved the greater part.

Since the day we heard it, saith he, we do not cease to pray for you. Not for one day do we pray for you, nor yet for two, nor three. Herein he both shews his love, and gives them a gentle hint that they had not yet arrived at the end. For the words, that ye might be filled, are of this significancy. And observe, I pray, the prudence of this blessed one. He no where says that they had been cut off from completeness, but, every where that they fell short; for the words, that ye might be filled, shew this. And again, unto all pleasing, in every good work, and again, strength- ver. 11. ened with all might, and again, unto all patience and longsuffering; for the word all is that of one bearing witness to their well doing in part, though, it might be, not in all. And, that ye might be filled, he saith; not, that ye might receive,' for they had received; but that ye might be filled

a Toũ TÁVTOS ÚTIierignola. It seems to mean this, rather than had lost all.'