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VIII.

Sins like Cain's, Achan's, Eli's, have wrath in store. 423 the land, and I shall be hidden from Thy face, then it will Hoм. happen that every one who findeth me will slay me. Tell me then, do not many even now do the same things that he did? For when thou slayest not thy brother according to the flesh, but thy spiritual brother, dost thou not do the same? For what, though not by the sword? yet by some other means. When being able to relieve his hunger, thou neglectest him. What then? Has no one now envied his brother? has no one plunged him into dangers? But here they have not suffered punishment, yet they will suffer it. Then did he, who never heard the written laws, nor the prophets, nor saw great miracles, suffer such great vengeance, and shall he, who has done the same things in another way", and was not rendered wise by so many examples, shall he go unpunished? Where then is the justice of God, and where His goodness.

Again, a certain one for having gathered sticks on the Sabbath was stoned, and yet this was a small commandment, and less weighty than circumcision. He then who gathered sticks on the Sabbath was stoned; but those who have perchance committed ten thousand things contrary to the Law go off unpunished! If then there be not a hell, where is His justice, where His impartiality, that respects not persons? And yet He lays to their charge many such things, that they did not observe the Sabbath.

Again, another, the son of Charmi, having stolen a devoted thing', was stoned with all his family. What then? Has no 1ává. e one from that time committed sacrilege? Saul, again, having spared contrary to the command of God, suffered so great punishment. Has no one from that time spared? Would indeed that it were so! Have we not rather devoured one another contrary to the command of God? And yet no one has fallen in war". Again, the sons of Eli, because they ate before the incense was offered, suffered the most severe punishment together with their father. Has no father then been neglectful with respect to his children? and are there

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4, 18.

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Some are still punished here. Natural fears.

1 THES. no wicked sons? But no one has suffered punishment. Where then will they suffer it, if there be no hell?

5, 24.

Again, numberless other instances one might enumerate. Were not Ananias and Sapphira immediately punished, when they kept back part of what they had offered? Has no one then since that time been guilty of these things? How was it then that they did not suffer the same punishment?

Do we then persuade you that there is a hell, or do you need more examples? Therefore we will proceed also to things that are unwritten, such as now take place in life. For it is necessary that this notion should be gathered by us from every quarter, that we may not, by vainly gratifying ourselves, do ourselves harm. Do you not see many visited by calamities, maimed in their bodies, suffering infinite troubles, but others in good repute? For what reason do some suffer punishment for murders, and others not? Hear 1 Tim. Paul saying, Some men's sins are open beforehand... and some men they follow after. How many murderers have escaped! how many violators of the tombs! But let these things pass. How many do you not see visited with the severest punishment? Some have been delivered to a long disease, others to continued tortures, and others to numberless other ills. When therefore you see one who has been guilty of the same things as they, or even much worse-and yet not suffering punishment, will you not confess, even against your will, that there is a hell? Reckon those here who before you have been severely punished, consider that God is no respecter of persons, and that though you have done numberless wickednesses, you have suffered no such thing, and you will have the notion of hell. For God has so implanted that notion within us, that no one can ever be ignorant of it. For poets and philosophers and fabulists, and in short all men, have philosophized concerning the retribution that is there, and have said that the greater number are punished in Hades. And if those things are fables, yet what we have received are not so.

I say not these things as wishing to terrify you, nor to lay a burden on your souls, but to make them wise, and render . B. and L. read' suspect.'

A Pastor's responsibility.

Use of the fear of Hell. 425

VIII.

them easier. I could wish also myself that there were no punish- HOM. ment-yes, myself most of all men. And why so? Because whilst each of you fears for his own soul, I shall have to answer for this office in which I preside over you. So that most of all it is impossible for me to escape. But it cannot be that there is not punishment and a hell. What can I do? Again, they repeat their doubts, and say, Where then is the mercy of God? Every where! But on this subject I will rather discourse at some other season, that we may not confuse this discourse concerning hell. In the mean time let not that slip, which we have gained from what has been said. For it is no small advantage to be persuaded concerning hell. For the recollection of such discourses, like some bitter medicine, will be able to clear off1 every vice, if it be constantly settled 1àμ... in our mind. Let us therefore use it, that having thence a pure heart, we may so be thought worthy to see those things, which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man. Which God grant that we may obtain by the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom, &c.

HOMILY IX.

1 THESS. v. 1, 2.

But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

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NOTHING, as it seems, is so curious, and so fondly prone to pry into things obscure and concealed, as the nature of men. And this is wont to happen to it, when the mind is unsettled and in an imperfect state. For the simpler sort of children cease teasing their nurses, and tutors, and parents, with their frequent questions, in which there is nothing else but when will this be?' and when that?' And this comes to pass also from living in indulgence, and having nothing to do. Many things therefore our mind is in haste to learn and to comprehend, but especially concerning the period of the consummation; and what wonder if we are thus affected, for those holy men, the Apostles themselves, were most of all affected in the same way? And before the Passion, coming Mat.24, to Christ they said, Tell us when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world. And after the Passion and the Resurrection from the dead, they said to Him, Tell us, wilt Thou at this time Acts 1, restore again the kingdom to Israel? And they asked Him nothing sooner than this.

23.

From

6.

But it was not so afterwards. For when they had been vouchsafed the Holy Ghost, not only do they not themselves inquire, nor complain of this ignorance, but they

Men too curious about the end of the world.

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repress those who labour under this unseasonable curiosity. HOM. Hear for instance what the blessed Paul now says, But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. Why has he not said that no one knows? why has he not said, that it is not revealed, instead of saying, Ye have no need that I write unto you? Because in that case he would have grieved them more, but by speaking thus he comforted them. For by the expression, Ye have no need, as if it were both superfluous, and inexpedient, he suffers them not to inquire.

For tell me, what would be the advantage? Let us suppose that the end would be after twenty or thirty or a hundred years, what is this to us? Is not the end of his own life the consummation to every individual? Why art thou curious, and travailest about the general end? But the case is the same with us in this, as in other things. For as in other things, leaving our own private concerns, we are anxious about things in general, saying, Such an one is a fornicator, such an one an adulterer, that man has robbed, another has been injurious; but no one takes account of what is his own, but each thinks of any thing rather than his own private concerns; so here also, each omitting to take thought about his own end, we are anxious to hear about the general dissolution. Now what concern is that of yours? for if you make your own a good end, you will suffer no harm from the other; be it far off, or be it near. This is nothing to us.

b

For this reason Christ did not tell it, because it was not expedient. But how, you say, was it not expedient? He Who concealed it knows wherefore it was not expedient. For hear Him saying to His Apostles, It is not for you to Acts 1, know the times and the seasons, which the Father hath put7. in His own power. Why are you farther curious? Peter, the chief of the Apostles, and his fellows', heard this said, as1igi if they were seeking things too great for them to know. True, you say. But it were possible to stop the mouths of the Greeks in this way. How? tell me. Because they

aal. is not each one's consummation, &c. But L. (and B. very nearly) substitute for this clause, ' But then is the

end of consummation.' Which agrees
with the next page.

b so Par. and 3 Mss.

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