XVI.

HOMIL. do, pining all his time with hunger, yet if ever he should chance one night to see a dream of good fortune, filled with conceit because of it?

O wretched and miserable! when thy soul is perishing by a most grievous disease, when thou art poor with utter poverty, art thou high minded because thou hast such and such a number of talents of gold? because thou hast a multitude of slaves and cattle? Yet these are not thine; and if thou dost not believe my words, learn from the experience of 1 or re- those who have gone before thee. And if thou art so drunken, that thou canst not be instructed even from what has befallen others, wait a little, and thou shalt know by what befals thyself that these things avail thee nothing, when gasping for life, and master not of a single hour, not even of a little moment, thou shalt unwillingly leave them to them on those who are about thee, and these perhaps those whom

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thou wouldest not. For many have not been permitted even to give directions concerning them, but have departed sudafgov denly, desiring to enjoy them, but not permitted, dragged from them, and forced to yield them up to others, giving place by compulsion to those to whom they would not. That this be not our case, let us, while we are yet in strength and health, send forward our riches hence to our own city, for thus only and in no other way shall we be able to enjoy them; so shall we lay them up in a place inviolate and safe. For there is nothing, there is nothing there that can A dans take them from us; no death, no attested wills, no successors διαθήκαι to inheritances, no false informations, no plottings against us, *λ but he who has departed hence bearing away great wealth with

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him may enjoy it there for ever. Who then is so wretched as not to desire to revel in riches which are his own throughout? Let us then transfer our wealth, and remove it thither. We shall not need for such a removal asses, or camels, or carriages, or ships, (God hath relieved even us from this difficulty,) but we only want the poor, the lame, the crippled, the infirm. These are entrusted with this transfer, these convey our riches to heaven, these introduce the masters of such wealth as this to the inheritance of goods everlasting. Which may it be that we all attain

and how to make them lasting.

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through the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus JOHN Christ, by Whom and with Whom, to the Father and the I.26,27, Holy Ghost, be glory, now and ever, and world without end.

Amen.

HOMILY XVII.

JOHN i. 28, 29.

These things were done in Bethany beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Eamb of God, Which taketh away the sin of the world.

A GREAT virtue is boldness and freedom of speech, and the making all things second in importance to the confessing of Christ; so great and admirable, that the Only-begotten Son Luke 12, of God proclaims such an one in the presence of the Father. Yet the recompense is more than just, for thou confessest upon earth, He in heaven, thou in the presence of men, He before the Father and all the Angels.

8.

Such an one was John, who regarded not the multitude, nor opinion, nor any thing else belonging to men, but trod all this beneath his feet, and proclaimed to all with becoming freedom the things respecting Christ, And therefore the Evangelist marks the very place, to shew the boldness of the loud-voiced herald. For it was not in a house, not in a corner, not in the wilderness, but in the midst of the multitude, after that he had occupied Jordan, when all that were baptized by him were present, (for the Jews came upon him as he was baptizing,) there it was that he proclaimed aloud that wonderful confession concerning Christ, full of those sublime and great and mysterious doctrines, and that he was not worthy to unloose the latchet of His shoe. Wherefore he saith', These things were done in Bethany, or, as all the more correct copies have it, in Bethabara. For Bethany

aal. how then doth he this? adding and saying.'

Different periods dwell on by the Evangelists.

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was not beyond Jordan, nor bordering on the wilderness, but JOHN somewhere nigh to Jerusalem.

He marks the places also for another reason. Since he was not about to relate matters of old date, but such as had come to pass but a little time before, he makes those who were present and had beheld, witnesses of his words, and supplies proof from the places themselves. For confident that nothing was added by himself to what was said, but that he simply and with truth described things as they were, he draws a testimony from the places, which, as I said, would be no common demonstration of his veracity.

The next day he seeth Jesus coming to him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, Which taketh away the sin of the world.

I. 29.

13.

The Evangelists distributed the periods amongst them; and Matthew having cut short his notice of the time before John the Baptist was bound, hastens to that which follows, while the Evangelist John not only does not cut short this period, but dwells most on it. Matthew, after the return of Jesus from the wilderness, saying nothing of the intermediate circumstances, as what John spake, and what the Jews sent and said, and having cut short all the rest, passes immediately to the prison. For, saith he, Jesus having heard that John Mat.14, was betrayed, departed thence. But John does not so. He is silent as to the journey into the wilderness, as having been described by Matthew; but he relates what followed the descent from the mountain, and after having gone through many circumstances, adds, For John was not yet cast into prison. c. 3, 24. And wherefore, says one, does Jesus now come to him? why does He come not merely once, but this second time also? For Matthew says that His coming was necessary on account of Baptism: since Jesus adds, that thus it becometh Matt. 3, us to fulfil all righteousness. But John says that He came again after Baptism, and declares it in this place, for, I saw, saith he, the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and It abode upon Him. Wherefore then did He come to John? for He came not casually, but went expressly to him. John, saith the Evangelist, seeth Jesus coming unto him. Then wherefore cometh He? In order that since John had baptized Him with many (others), no one might suppose

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XVII.

redeem'

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Why Christ came to be baptized.

HOMIL. that He had hastened to John for the same reason as the rest, to confess sins, and to wash in the river unto repentance. For this He comes, to give John an opportunity of setting this opinion right again, for by saying, Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world, he removes the whole suspicion. For very plain it is that One so pure as to 1 al.' to be able to wash away1 the sins of others, does not come to confess sins, but to give opportunity to that marvellous herald to impress what he had said more definitely on those who had heard his former words, and to add others besides. The word Behold is used, because many had been seeking Him by reason of what had been said, and for a long time. For this cause, pointing Him out when present, he said, Behold, this is He so long sought, this is the Lamb. He calls Him Lamb, to remind the Jews of the prophecy of Isaiah, and of the shadow under the law of Moses, that he may the better lead them from the type to the reality. That lamb of Moses took not at once away the sin of any one; but This took away the sin of all the world; for when it was in danger of perishing, He quickly delivered it from the wrath of God.

Ver. 30. This is He of Whom I said, He that cometh after me is preferred before me.

[2.] Seest thou here also how he interprets the word before? for having called Him Lamb, and that He taketh away the sin of the world, then he saith that He is preferred before me, for He was before me; declaring that this is the before, the taking upon Him the sins of the world, and the baptizing with the Holy Ghost. "For my coming had no farther object than to proclaim the common Benefactor of the world, and to afford the baptism of water; but His was to cleanse all men, and to give them the power of the Comforter." He is preferred before me, that is to say, has appeared brighter than I, because He was before me. Let those who have admitted the madness of Paul of Samosata be ashamed when they withstand so manifest a truth.

Ver. 31. And I knew Him not, he saith.

Here he renders his testimony free from suspicion, by shewing that it was not from human friendship, but had been caused by divine revelation. I knew Him not, he saith. How then couldest thou be a trustworthy witness? How