5. Ye have heard instances of a literal expression, and a literal action, and of a figurative expression; ye are waiting for an instance of a figurative action. There are many such, but meanwhile, as is suggested by this mention of the corner-stone, when Jacob anointed the stone which he had placed at his head as he slept, and in his sleep saw a mysterious [2975] dream, ladders rising from the earth to heaven, and Angels ascending and descending, and the Lord standing upon the ladder, [2976] he understood what it was designed to figure, and took the stone for a figure of Christ, to prove to us thereby that he was no stranger to the understanding of that vision and revelation. Do not wonder then that he anointed it, for Christ received His Name from "the anointing." Now this Jacob was said in the Scripture to be "a man without guile." [2977] And this Jacob ye know was called Israel. Accordingly in the Gospel, when the Lord saw Nathanael, He said, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile." And that Israelite not yet knowing who it was that talked with him, answered, "Whence knewest Thou me?" And the Lord said to him, "When thou wast under the fig-tree I saw thee;" [2978] as though he would say, When thou wast in the shadow of sin, I predestinated thee. And Nathanael, because he remembered that he had been under the fig-tree, where the Lord was not, acknowledged His Divinity, and answered, "Thou art the Son of God, Thou art the King of Israel." He who had been under the fig-tree was not made a withered fig-tree; he acknowledged Christ. And the Lord said unto him, "Because I said, When thou wast under the fig-tree I saw thee, believest thou? thou shall see greater things than these." What are these "greater things"? "Verily I say unto you" (for he "is an Israelite in whom is no guile;" remember Jacob in whom was no guile; and recollect of what he is speaking, the stone at his head, the vision in his sleep, the ladder from earth to heaven, the Angels ascending and descending; and so see what it is that the Lord would say to "the Israelite without guile"); "Verily I say unto you, Ye shall see heaven opened" (hear, thou guileless Nathanael, what guileless Jacob saw); "ye shall see heaven opened, and Angels ascending and descending" (unto whom?) "unto the Son of Man." Therefore was He, as the Son of Man, anointed on the head; for "the head of the woman is the man, and the Head of the man is Christ." [2979] Now observe, He did not say, "ascending from the Son of Man, and descending to the Son of Man," as if He were only above; but "ascending and descending unto the Son of Man." Hear the Son of Man crying out from above, "Saul, Saul." Hear the Son of Man from below, "Why persecutest thou Me?" [2980]
6. Ye have heard an instance of a literal expression, as "that we shall rise again;" of a literal action, as that, according as it is said, "Paul went up to Jerusalem to see Peter." [2981] "The stone which the builders refused," is a figurative expression; "the anointed stone" which was at Jacob's head, is a figurative action. There is now due to your expectation an example made out of both together, something which is at once a literal fact, and which also signifies something else figured by it. "We know that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free-woman;" [2982] this was literally a fact, not only a story, but a fact; are ye looking for that which was figured in it? "These are the two Testaments." That then which is spoken figuratively, is a sort of fiction. But since it has some real event represented by it, and the very figure itself has its ground of truth, it escapes all imputation of falsehood. "The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell by the way side, some fell upon stony places, some fell among thorns, and some fell upon good ground." [2983] Who went out "to sow," or when went he out, or upon what "thorns," or "stones" or "way side" or in what field did he sow? If we receive this as a fictitious story, we understand it in a figurative sense; it is fictitious. For if any sower really went out, and did cast the seed in these different places, as we have heard, it were no fiction, and so no falsehood. But now though it be a fiction, yet it is no falsehood. Why? Because the fiction has some further signification, it deceives thee not. It requires only one to understand it, and does not lead any one into error. And thus Christ wishing to convey this lesson to us, sought for fruit, and hereby set forth to us a figurative, and no deceiving fiction; a fiction therefore worthy of praise, not of blame; not one by the examination of which we might run into what was false; but by the diligent investigation of which we might discover what is true.
7. I see that one may say, Explain to me; what did that signify, that "He made a pretence of going further"? For if it had no further meaning, it is a deceit, a lie. We must then according to our rules of exposition, and distinctions, tell you what this "pretence of going further," signified; "He made a pretence of going further," and is kept back from going further. In so far then as the Lord Christ being as they supposed absent in respect of His Bodily presence, was thought to be really absent, He will as it were "go further." But hold Him fast by faith, hold Him fast at the breaking of Bread. What shall I say more? Have ye recognised Him? If so, then have ye found Christ. I must not speak [2984] any longer on this Sacrament. They who put off the knowledge of this Sacrament, Christ goeth further from them. Let them then hold It fast, let them not let Him go; let them invite Him to their home, and so they are invited to heaven.
[2949] Matt. xxi. 19.
[2950] Meruit.
[2951] Matt. xxi. 9.
[2952] Matt. xv. 24.
[2953] Acts ii. 4.
[2954] Luke xix. 10.
[2955] Acts ii. 37.
[2956] Gal. v. 22.
[2957] Matt. xxi. 21.
[2958] Matt. xxi. 22.
[2959] John xv. 5.
[2960] The meaning of "facio" as "to do," and "to make," cannot be expressed in our language.
[2961] Isa. ii. 2.
[2962] Acts xiii. 46, etc.; Isa. xlix. 6.
[2963] Isa. v. 6.
[2964] Mark xi. 13.
[2965] Matt. xxi. 19.
[2966] Isa. vii. 9, Sept.
[2967] Luke xxiv. 28.
[2968] More humanitatis.
[2969] Probably in that Sermon which is marked as next before this in Posidonius' Catalogue, ch. 9, namely, "From the Epistle to the Galatians, where Paul reproved Peter." Ben ed. note.
[2970] Commendavimus.
[2971] Regulariter.
[2972] Cognitionem.
[2973] Matt. xxi. 42; Ps. cxviii. 22.
[2974] Eph. ii. 14.
[2975] Magnum.
[2976] Gen. xxviii. 11, etc.
[2977] Gen. xxv. 27.
[2978] John i. 47, etc.
[2979] 1 Cor. xi. 3.
[2980] Acts ix. 4.
[2981] Gal. i. 18.
[2982] Gal. iv. 22.
[2983] Matt. xiii. 3, etc.
[2984] See Serm. vi. (lvi. Ben.) 10 (vi.) note.
Sermon XL.
[XC. Ben.]
On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xxii. 2, etc., about the marriage of the king's son; against the Donatists, on charity. Delivered at Carthage in the Restituta. [2985]
1. All the faithful [2986] know the marriage of the king's son, and his feast, and the spreading [2987] of the Lord's Table is open to them all [2988] who will. But it is of importance to each one to see how he approaches, even when he is not forbidden to approach It. For the Holy Scriptures teach us that there are two feasts of the Lord; one to which the good and evil come, the other to which the evil come not. So then the feast, of which we have just now heard when the Gospel was being read, has both good and evil guests. All who excused themselves from this feast are evil; but not all those who entered in are good. You therefore who are the good guests at this feast do I address, who have in your minds the words, "He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself." [2989] All you who are such do I address, that ye look not for the good without, that ye bear with the evil within.
2. I do not doubt that ye wish to hear, Beloved, who they are of whom I have spoken in my address, that they should not look for the good without, and should bear with the evil within. If all within are evil, whom do I address? If all within are good, whom did I advise them to bear with being evil? Let me first then with the Lord's assistance get out of this difficulty as best I can. If you consider good perfectly and strictly [2990] speaking, none is good but God Alone. Ye have the Lord saying most plainly, "Why callest thou Me good? there is none Good but One, that is, God." [2991] How then can that marriage feast have good and bad guests, if "none is good but God Alone"? In the first place ye ought to know, that after a certain sort we are all evil. Yes, doubtless after a certain sort are we all evil; but after no sort are we all good. For can we compare ourselves with the Apostles, to whom the Lord Himself said, "If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children?" [2992] If we consider the Scriptures, there was but one evil one among the twelve Apostles, with reference to whom the Lord said in a certain place, "And ye are clean, but not all." [2993] But yet in addressing them all together, He said, "If ye being evil." Peter heard this, John heard this, Andrew heard this, all the rest of the eleven Apostles heard it. What did they hear? "If ye being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?" When they heard that they were evil, they were in despair; but when they heard that God in heaven was their Father, they revived. "Ye being evil;" what then is due to the evil, but punishment? "How much more shall your Father which is in heaven?" What is due to children but reward. In the name of "evil" is the dread of punishment; in the name of "children" is the hope of heirs.
3. According to a certain respect then they were evil, who after another respect were good. For to them to whom it is said, "Ye being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children;" is added immediately, "How much more shall your Father which is in heaven?" He is then the Father of the evil, but not of those who are to be left so; because He is the Physician of them who are to be cured. According to a certain sort then they were evil. And yet those guests of the Householder at the King's marriage, were not I suppose of that number of whom it was said, "they invited good and bad," [2994] that they should be reckoned among the number of the bad, who we have heard were shut out in his person who was found not to have a wedding garment. According to a certain respect, I repeat they were bad, who yet were good; and according to a certain respect they were good, who yet were bad. Hear John according to what respect they were bad: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." [2995] Behold after what respect they were bad: because they had sin. According to what respect were they good? "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." [2996] If then we should say, on the principle of this interpretation which ye have now heard me bring, as I think, out of the sacred Scriptures, viz. that the same men are both after a certain manner, good, and after a certain manner bad; if we should wish to receive according to this sense the words, "they invited good and bad," the same persons, that is, at once good and bad; if we should wish so to receive them, we are not permitted so to do, by reason of that one who was found "not having a wedding garment," and who was not merely "cast forth," so as to be deprived of that feast, but so as to be condemned in the punishment of everlasting darkness.