Marriage of the Son that was slain. The Jews how bidden. 929

XXII.

Hereby He proclaimed the resurrection also. For since MATT. in what went before He had spoken of the death, He shews 1-14. that even after the death, then is the marriage, then the Bridegroom.

But not even so do these become better men, nor more gentle, than which what can be worse? For this again is a third accusation. The first that they killed the Prophets; then the Son; afterwards that even when they had slain Him, and were bidden unto the marriage of Him that was slain, by the very One that was slain, they come not, but feign excuses, yokes of oxen, and pieces of ground, and wives. And yet the excuses seem to be reasonable; but hence we learn, though the things which hinder us be necessary, to set the things spiritual at a higher price than all.

And He bids not suddenly, but a long time before. For, Tell, He saith, them that are bidden; and again, Call them that were bidden; which circumstance makes the charge against them heavier. And when were they bidden? By all the Prophets; by John again; for unto Christ he would pass all on, saying, He must increase, I must decrease1; by John 3, the Son Himself again, Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you; and again, If any? Matt. man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink3.

30.

11, 28.

3 John 7,

But not by words only, but also by actions did He bid 37. them, and after His Ascension by Peter, and those with him. For He that wrought effectually in Peter, it is said, to the Apostleship of the Circumcision, was mighty also in me towards the Gentiles".

4 Gal. 2,

For since on seeing the Son, they were wroth and slew 8. Him, He bids them again by His servants. And unto what doth He bid them? Unto labours, and toils, and sweat ? Nay but unto pleasure. For, My oxen, He saith, and My fatlings are killed. See how complete His banquets, how bon ἡ πανgreat His munificence. δαισία.

And not even this shamed them, but the more long-suffering He shewed, so much the more were they hardened. For not for press of business, but from 'making light of it,' they did not come.

"How then do some bring forward marriages, others yokes of oxen? these things surely are of want of leisure."

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Vanity of excuses.

Fulfilment of the Prophecy.

HOMIL. By no means, for when spiritual things call us, there is no LXIX. press of business that has the power of necessity.

1.

And to me they seem moreover to make use of these excuses, putting forward these things as clokes for their negligence. And not this only is the grievous thing, that they came not, but also that which is a far more violent and furious act, to have even beaten them that came, and to have used them despitefully, and to have slain them; this is worse than the former. For those others came, demanding produce and fruits, and were slain; but these, bidding them to the marriage of Him That had been slain by them, and these again are murdered.

What is equal to this madness? This Paul also was laying 11Thess. to their charge, when he said', Who both killed the Lord, and their own Prophets, and have persecuted us.

2, 15.

Moreover, that they may not say, "He is an adversary of God, and therefore we do not come," hear what they say who are bidding them; that it is the Father Who is making the marriage, and that it is He Who is bidding them.

What then did He after these things? Since they were not willing to come, yea and also slew those that came unto them; He burns up their cities, and sent His armies and

slew them.

And these things He saith, declaring beforehand the things that took place under Vespasian and Titus, and that they provoked the Father also, by not believing in Him; it is the Father at any rate Who was avenging.

And for this reason let me add, not straightway after Christ was slain did the capture take place, but after forty years, that He might shew His long-suffering, when they had slain Stephen, when they had put James to death, when they had spitefully entreated the Apostles.

Seest thou the truth of the event, and its quickness? For while John was yet living, and many others of them that were with Christ, these things came to pass, and they that had heard these words were witnesses of the events.

See then care unutterable. He had planted a vineyard; He had done all things, and finished; when His servants had been put to death, He sent other servants; when those had been slain, He sent the Son; and when He was put to

Even after the Crucifixion the Jews were first called. 931 death, He bids them to the marriage. They would not MATT. come. After this He sends other servants, and they slew 1-14. these also.

Then upon this He slays them, as being incurably diseased. For that they were incurably diseased, was proved not by their acts only, but by the fact, that even when harlots and publicans had believed, they did these things. So that, not by their own crimes alone, but also from what others were able to do aright, these men are condemned.

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XXII.

But if any one should say, that not then were they out of the Gentiles called, I mean, when the Apostles had been beaten and had suffered ten thousand things, but straightway after the Resurrection, (for then He said to them, 'Go ye, Matt. and make disciples of all nations.) We would say, that both 28, 19. before the Crucifixion, and after the Crucifixion, they addressed themselves to them first. For both before the Crucifixion, He saith to them, 2 Go to the lost sheep of the Matt. 10, 6. house of Israel; and after the Crucifixion, so far from forbidding, He even commanded them to address themselves to the Jews. For though He said, Make disciples of all nations, yet when on the point of ascending into Heaven, He declared that unto those first they were to address themselves; For ye shall receive power, saith He, after that the Acts 1, 8. Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and unto the uttermost part of the earth; and Paul again, He that Gal. 2, wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the Circumcision, was mighty in me also toward the Gentiles. Therefore the Apostles also went first unto the Jews, and when they had tarried a long time in Jerusalem, and then had been driven away by them, in this way they were scattered abroad unto the Gentiles.

4 8.

[2.] And see thou even herein His bounty; As many as ye shall find, saith He, bid to the marriage. For before this, as I said, they addressed themselves both to Jews and Greeks, tarrying for the most part in Judæa; but since they continued to lay plots against them, hear Paul interpreting this parable, and saying thus, It was necessary that the word of Acts God should first have been spoken to you, but since ye judge yourselves unworthy, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

13, 46.

HOMIL.

LXIX.

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932 The calling in of grace. Standing requires our will.

Therefore Christ also saith, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

He knew this indeed even before, but that He might leave them no pretext of a shameless sort of contradiction, although He knew it, to them first He both came and sent, both stopping their mouths, and teaching us to fulfil all our parts, though no one should derive any profit.

Since then they were not worthy, Go ye, saith He, into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid; both the common sort, and the outcasts. For because He had said or re- in every way', The harlots and publicans shall inherit peated¡y.' heaven; and, The first shall be last, and the last first; He shews that justly do these things come to pass; which more than any thing stung the Jews, and goaded them far more grievously than their overthrow, to see those from the Gentiles brought into their privileges, and into far greater than theirs.

Then in order that not even these should put confidence in their faith alone, He discourses unto them also concerning the judgment to be passed upon wicked actions; to them that have not yet believed, of coming unto Him by faith, and to them that have believed, of care with respect to their life. For the garment is life and practice.

And yet the calling was of grace; wherefore then doth He take a strict account? Because although to be called and to be cleansed was of grace, yet, when called and clothed in clean garments, to continue keeping them so, this is of the diligence of them that are called.

The being called was not of merit, but of grace. It was fit therefore to make a return for the grace, and not to shew forth such great wickedness after the honour. "But I have not enjoyed," one may say," so much advantage as the Jews." Nay, but thou hast enjoyed far greater benefits. For what things were being prepared for them throughout all their time, these thou hast received at once, not being worthy. 2 Rom. Wherefore Paul also saith, And that the Gentiles might 15, 9. glorify God for His mercy. For what things were due to them, these thou hast received.

Wherefore also great is the punishment appointed for them that have been remiss. For as they did despite by not

The Outer Darkness.

The Wedding Garment. 933

XXII.

coming, so also thou by thus sitting down with a corrupt MATT. life. For to come in with filthy garments is this, namely, to 1-14. depart hence having one's life impure; wherefore also he was speechless.

Seest thou how, although the fact was so manifest, He doth not punish at once, until he himself, who has sinned, has passed the sentence? For by having nothing to reply he condemned himself, and so is taken away to the unutterable torments.

For do not now, on hearing of darkness, suppose he is punished by this, by sending into a place where there is no light only, but where there is also weeping and gnashing of v. 13. teeth. And this He saith, indicating the intolerable pains.

Hear ye, as many as having partaken of the Mysteries, and having been present at the Marriage, clothe your souls with filthy deeds. Hear whence ye were called. From the highway. Being what? Lame and halt in soul, which is a much more grievous thing than the mutilation of the body. Reverence the love of Him, Who called you, and let no one continue to have filthy garments, but let each of you busy himself about the clothing of your soul.

Hear, ye women; hear, ye men; we need not these garments that are bespangled with gold, [that adorn our outward parts,] but those others, that adorn the inward. Whilst we have these former, it is difficult to put on those latter. It is not possible at the same time to deck both soul and body. It is not possible at the same time both to serve mammon, and to obey Christ as we ought.

Let us put off us therefore this grievous tyranny. For neither if any one were to adorn thy house by hanging it with golden curtains, and were to make thee sit there in rags naked, wouldest thou endure it with meekness. But lo, now thou doest this to thyself, decking the house of thy soul, I mean the body, with curtains beyond number, but leaving the soul itself to sit in rags. Knowest thou not that the king ought to be adorned more than the city? so therefore while for the city hangings are prepared of linen, for the king there is a purple robe and a diadem. Even so do thou wrap the body with a much meaner dress, but the mind do thou clothe in purple, and put a crown on it, and set it on a