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854 Our Lord's teaching of the rich young man.

HOMIL. Victed him plainly, or at least would have intimated it, so that he should not seem to have deceived Him, and to be hidden, and thereby have suffered hurt.

1.2.

v. 20.

If he had come unto Him tempting, he would not have departed sorrowing for what he heard. This was not at any rate ever the feeling of any of the Pharisees, but they grew fierce when their mouths were stopped. But not so this man; but he goeth away cast down, which is no little sign that not with an evil will he had come unto Him, but with one too feeble, and that he did indeed desire life, but was held in subjection by another and most grievous feeling.

Therefore when Christ said, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments, he saith, Which? Not tempting, far from it, but supposing there were some others besides those of the Law that should procure him life, which was like one who was very desirous. Then since Jesus mentioned those out of the Law, he saith, All these things have I kept from my youth up. Aud neither at this did he stop, but again asks, What lack I yet? which itself again was a sign of his very earnest desire.

What then saith Christ? Since He was going to enjoin something great, He setteth forth the recompenses, and saith, If thou will be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven, and come, and follow Me.

[2.] Seest thou how many prizes, how many crowns He appoints for this race? If he had been tempting, He would not have told him these things. But now He both saith it, and in order to draw him on, He also shews him the reward to be great, and leaves it all to his own will, by all means throwing into the shade that which seemed to be grievous in His advice. Wherefore even before mentioning the conflicts and the toil, He shews him the prize, saying, If thou wilt be perfect, and then saith, Sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and straightway again the rewards, Thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come, and follow Me. For indeed to follow Him is a great recompense. And thou shalt have treasure in Heaven.

For since his discourse was of money, even of all did He advise him to strip himself, shewing that he loses not what

Excessive power of the love of riches.

855

XIX.

he hath, but adds to his possessions, He gave him more than MATT. He required him to give up; and not only more, but also as 22. 23. much greater as Heaven is greater than earth, and yet more so.

But He called it a treasure, shewing the plenteousness of the recompense, its permanency, its security, so far as it was possible by human similitudes to intimate it to the hearer. It is not then enough to despise wealth, but we must also maintain poor men, and above all things follow Christ; that is, do all the things that are ordered by Him, be ready for slaughter and daily death. For if any man will come after Matt. Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. So that to cast away one's money is a much less thing than this last commandment, to shed even one's very blood; yet not a little doth our being freed from wealth contribute towards this.

16, 24.

But when the young man heard it, he went away sorrowful. v. 22. After this the Evangelist, as it were to shew that he hath not felt any thing it was unlikely he should feel, saith, For he had great possessions. For they that have little are not equally held in subjection, as they that are overflowed with great affluence, for then the love of it becomes more tyrannical. Which thing I cease not always saying, that the increase of acquisitions kindles the flame more, and renders the getters poorer, inasmuch as it puts them in greater desire, and makes them have more feeling of their want.

See, for example, even here what strength did this passion exhibit. Him that had come to Him with joy and forwardness, when Christ commanded him to cast away his riches, it so overwhelmed and weighed down, as not to suffer him so much as to answer touching these things, but silenced and become dejected and sullen to go away.

What then saith Christ? How hardly shall the rich enter v. 23. into the Kingdom of Heaven! blaming not riches, but them that are held in subjection by them. But if the rich man hardly, much more the covetous man. For if not to give one's own be an hindrance to entering the Kingdom, even to take of other men's goods, think how much fire it heapeth up.

Why can it have been, however, that He said to His disciples, that hardly shall a rich man enter in, they being poor men, and having no possessions? Instructing them not to be

LXIII.

856 The Apostles perplexed how others could be saved.

HOMIL. ashamed of their poverty, and, as it were, excusing Himself 2. 3. to them for suffering them to have nothing.

But having said it was hard; as He proceeds, He shews that it is even impossible, and not merely impossible, but even in the highest degree impossible; and this He shewed Bexó by the comparison concerning the camel and the 'needle.

την

V. 24.

Y. 26.

It is easier, saith He, for a camel to enter in by the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whence it is shewn, that there is no ordinary reward for them that are rich, and are able to practise self command. Wherefore also He affirmed it to be a work of God, that He might shew that great grace is needed for him who is to achieve this. At least, when the disciples were troubled, He said, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

And wherefore are the disciples troubled, being poor, yea exceedingly poor? Wherefore then are they confounded? Being in pain about the salvation of the rest, and having a great affection for all, and having already taken upon themselves the tender bowels of teachers. They were at least in such trembling and fear for the whole world from this declaration, as to need much comfort.

Therefore, having first beheld them, He said unto them, The things which are impossible with men, are possible with God. For with a mild and meek look, having soothed their shuddering mind, and having put an end to their distress, (for this the Evangelist signified by saying, He beheld them,) then by His words also He relieves them, bringing before them God's power, and so making them feel confidence.

But if thou wilt learn the manner of it likewise, and how what is impossible may become possible, hear. For neither for this end did He say, The things which are impossible with men, are possible with God, that thou shouldest give it up, and abstain, as from things impossible; but that having considered the greatness of the good work, thou shouldest hasten to it readily, and having besought God to assist thee in these noble contests, shouldest attain unto life.

[3.] How then should this become possible? If thou cast away what thou hast, if thou empty thyself of thy wealth, if thou refrain from the wicked desire. For in proof that He does

Renouncing wealth, though difficult, possible by Grace. 857

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not refer it to God alone, but that to this end He said it, that MATT. thou shouldest know the vastness of the good work, hear what 27-29. follows. For when Peter had said, Behold, we have forsaken v.27-29. all, and followed Thee, and had asked, What shall we have therefore? having appointed the reward for them; He added, And every one who hath forsaken houses, or lands, or brothers, or sisters, or fathers, or mothers, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit eternal life. Thus that which is impossible becometh possible. But how may this very thing be done, one may say, to forsake these? how is it possible for him that is once sunk in such lust of wealth, to recover himself? If he begin to empty himself of his possessions, and cut off what are superfluous. For so shall he both advance further, and shall run on his course more easily afterwards.

Do not then seek all at once, but gently, and by little and little, ascend this ladder, that leads thee up to Heaven. For like as those in fevers having acrid bile abounding within them, when they cast in thereon meats and drinks, so far from quenching their thirst, do even kindle the flame; so also the covetous, when they cast in their wealth upon this wicked lust more acrid than that bile, do rather inflame it. For nothing so stays it, as to refrain for a time from the lust of gain, like as acrid bile is stayed by abstinence and evacuations.

But this itself, by what means will it be done? one may say. If thou consider, that whilst rich, thou wilt never cease thirsting, and pining with the lust of more; but being freed from thy possessions, thou wilt be able also to stay this disease. Do not then encompass thyself with more, lest thou follow after things unattainable, and be incurable, and be more miserable than all, being thus frantic.

For answer me, whom shall we affirm to be tormented and pained? him that longs after costly meats and drinks, and is not able to enjoy them as he will, or him that hath not such a desire? It is quite clear one must say, him that desires, but cannot obtain what he desires. For this is so painful, to desire and not to enjoy, to thirst and not to drink, that Christ desiring to describe hell to us, described it in this way, and introduced the rich man thus tormented. For longing for a drop of water, and not enjoying it, this was his punishment. So then he that despises wealth quiets the

858 Wrong desires are best cured by starving them.

HOMIL. desire, but he that desires to be rich hath inflamed it more,

LXIII.

3. 4.

and not yet doth he stay; but though he have got ten thou sand talents, he desireth as much more; though he obtain these, again he aims at twice as much more, and going on he desires even the mountains, and the earth, and the sea, and all to become gold for him, being mad with a kind of new and fearful madness, and one that can never thus be extinguished.

And that thou mightest learn, that not by addition but by taking away this evil is stayed; if thou hadst ever had an absurd desire to fly and to be borne through the air, how wouldest thou extinguish this unreasonable desire? By fashioning wings, and preparing other instruments, or by convincing the mind that it is desiring things impossible, and that one should attempt none of these things? It is quite plain, that by convincing the mind. But that, thou mayest say, is impossible. But this again is more impossible, to find a limit for this desire. For indeed it is more easy for men to fly, than to make this lust cease by an addition of more. For when the objects of desire are possible, one may be soothed by the enjoyment of them, but when they are impossible, one must labour for one thing, to draw ourselves. off from the desire, as otherwise at least it is not possible to recover the soul.

Therefore that we may not have superfluous sorrows, let us forsake the love of money that is ever paining, and never endures to hold its peace, and let us remove ourselves to another love, which both makes us happy, and hath great facility, and let us long after the treasures above. For neither is the labour here so great, and the gain is unspeakable, and it is not possible for him to fail of them who is but in any wise watchful and sober, and despises the things present; even as on the other hand, as to him that is a slave to these last, and is utterly given up to them, it is altogether of necessity that he fail of those better riches.

[4] Considering then all these things, put away the wicked desire of wealth. For neither couldest thou say this, that it gives the things present, though it deprive us of the things to come, albeit even if this were so, this were extreme punishment, and vengeance. But now not even this may be. For besides hell, and before that hell, even here it casts.