[2418] 1 Cor. xv. 44-49.
[2419] 1 Cor. vii. 7.
[2420] 1 Cor. xiii. 3.
[2421] Sævit.
[2422] Matt. v. 6.
[2423] Matt. ix. 12.
[2424] Odis.
[2425] Luke xxiii. 34.
[2426] Heb. xii. 6.
[2427] Ferramentum.
[2428] 1 John. iv. 12.
[2429] 1 John iv. 13.
[2430] Rom. v. 5.
[2431] 1 John iv. 14.
[2432] 1 John viii. 24.
[2433] 1 Cor. xv. 53.
[2434] 1 John iv. 15. [Life; "the Life eternal."--The Epistle begins and ends with Life, announced and promised (the word occurs thirteen times in the one hundred and ten verses). The intermediate presentation of Love, as the grand efflux from the inner, spiritual life, gives the main theme of St. John, and it is of this that Augustin delights to speak in these discourses. The life of an intelligent being is in conscious dependence on God. In the fullest sense, "in Him we live." Death and life are among the striking contrasts named in the epistle: "the death," "the life,"--"the death that is truly death, the life that is truly life." This life is in Christ. He not only brings it and imparts it, but He is "our Life." The living and life-giving Christ is manifested in this epistle, and also the death that exists where there is no union, by love, to Him. The Life, eternal (to distinguish it from the life that now is, the life bounded by sense and time), is not mere prolongation of existence. We must use sensuous images in order to apprehend the idea, but we are to remember that they are not realities in the spiritual order. The life which Christ gives, enabling men to have life in Him, cannot exist apart from Himself; His seal remains in them, and He abides in them. The "life eternal," while future as to its full realization, is present, is begun here and now. "He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life," and its possession is matter of actual knowledge to those who have this life; "we know that we abide in Him and He in us" (1 John v. 13). It is a life which unites heaven and earth, bringing into this stage of being "the powers of the world to come." A life that satisfies, while it enkindles desire and aspiration: it gives strength to bear present ills in the joyous and assured hope of "a life beyond life."]--J.H.M.
[2435] 1 John iv. 16.
[2436] Hom. in Ev. xi. 5.
[2437] Ps. xvi. 2.
[2438] Luke xv. 4, 5.
Homily IX.
1 John IV. 17-21
"Herein is love made perfect in us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. Let us love Him, because He first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not? And this commandment have we from Him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."
1. Ye remember, beloved, that of the epistles of John the apostle the last past remains to be handled by us and expounded to you, as the Lord vouchsafes. Of this debt then we are mindful: and ye ought to be mindful of your claim. For indeed this same charity, which in this epistle is chiefly and almost alone commended, at once maketh us most faithful in paying our debts, and you most sweet in exacting your rights. I have said, most sweet in exacting, because where charity is not, he that exacts is bitter: but where charity is, both he that exacts is sweet, and he of whom it is exacted, although he undertakes some labor, yet charity makes the very labor to be almost no labor, and light. Do we not see how, even in dumb and irrational animals, where the love is not spiritual but carnal and natural, with great affection the mother yields herself to her young ones when they will have the milk which is their right: and however impetuously the suckling rushes at the teats, yet that is better for the mother than that it should not suck nor exact that which of love is due? Often we see great calves driving their heads at the cow's udders with a force that almost lifts up the mother's body, yet does she not kick them off; nay, if the young one be not there to suck, the lowing of the dam calls for it to come to the teats. If then there be in us that spiritual charity of which the apostle saith, "I became small in the midst of you even as a nurse cherishing her young ones;" [2439] we love you the more when ye are exacting. We like not the sluggish, because for the languid ones we are afraid. We have been obliged, however, to intermit the continuous reading of this epistle, because of certain stated lessons coming between, which must needs be read on their holy days, and the same preached upon. Let us now come back to the order which was interrupted; and what remains, holy brethren, receive ye with all attention. I know not whether charity could be more magnificently commended to us, than that it should be said, "Charity is God." [2440] Brief praise, yet mighty praise: brief in utterance, mighty in meaning! How soon is it said, "Love is God!" This also is short: if thou count it, it is one: if thou weigh it, how great is it! "Love is God, and he that dwelleth," saith he, "in love, dwelleth in God, and God dwelleth in him." Let God be thy house, and be thou an house of God; dwell in God, and let God dwell in thee. God dwelleth in thee, that He may hold thee: thou dwellest in God, that thou mayest not fall; for thus saith the apostle of this same charity, "Charity never falleth." [2441] How should He fall whom God holdeth?
2. "Herein is our love made perfect in us that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world." [2442] He tells how each may prove himself, what progress charity has made in him or rather what progress he has made in charity. For if charity is God, God is capable neither of proficiency nor of deficiency: that charity is said to be making proficiency in thee, means only that thou makest proficiency in it. Ask therefore what proficiency thou hast made in charity, and what thine heart will answer thee, that thou mayest know the measure of thy profiting. For he has promised to show us in what we may know Him, and hath said, "In this is love made perfect in us." Ask, in what? "That we have boldness in the day of judgment." Whoso hath boldness in the day of judgment, in that man is charity made perfect. What is it to have boldness in the day of judgment? Not to fear lest the day of judgment should come. There are men who do not believe in a day of judgment; these cannot have boldness in a day which they do not believe will come. Let us pass these: may God awaken them, that they may live; why speak we of the dead? They do not believe that there will be a day of judgment; they neither fear nor desire what they do not believe. Some man has begun to believe in a day of judgment: if he has begun to believe, he has also begun to fear. But because he fears as yet, because he hath not yet boldness in the day of judgment, not yet is charity in that man made perfect. But for all that, is one to despair? In whom thou seest the beginning, why despairest thou of the end? What beginning do I see? (sayest thou.) That very fear. Hear the Scripture: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." [2443] Well then, he has begun to fear the day of judgment: by fearing let him correct himself, let him watch against his enemies, i.e. his sins; let him begin to come to life again inwardly, and to mortify his members which are upon the earth, as the apostle saith, "Mortify your members which are upon the earth." [2444] By the members upon earth he means spiritual wickedness: [2445] for he goes on to expound it, "Covetousness, uncleanness," [2446] and the rest which he there follows out. Now in proportion as this man who has begun to fear the day of judgment, mortifies his members which are upon the earth, in that proportion the heavenly members rise up and are strengthened. But the heavenly members are all good works. As the heavenly members rise up, he begins to desire that which once he feared. Once he feared lest Christ should come and find in him the impious whom He must condemn; now he longs for Him to come, because He shall find the pious man whom He may crown. Having now begun to desire Christ's coming, the chaste soul which desires the embrace of the Bridegroom renounces the adulterer, becomes a virgin within by faith, hope, and charity. Now hath the man boldness in the day of judgment: he fights not against himself when he prays, "Thy kingdom come." [2447] For he that fears lest the kingdom of God should come, fears lest his prayer be heard. How can he be said to pray, who fears lest his prayer be heard? But he that prays with boldness of charity, wishes now that He may come. Of this same desire said one in the Psalm, "And thou, Lord, how long? Turn, Lord, and deliver my soul." [2448] He groaned at being so put off. For there are men who with patience submit to die; but there are some perfect who with patience endure to live. What do I mean? When a person still desires this life, that person, when the day of death comes, patiently endures death: he struggles against himself that he may follow the will of God, and in his mind desires that which God chooseth, not what man's will chooseth: from desire of the present life there comes a reluctance against death, but yet he takes to him patience and fortitude, that he may with an even mind meet death; he dies patiently. But when a man desires, as the apostle saith, "to be dissolved and to be with Christ," [2449] that person, not patiently dies, but patiently lives, delightedly dies. See the apostle patiently living, i.e. how with patience he here, not loves life, but endures it. "To be dissolved," saith he, "and to be with Christ, is far better: but to continue in the flesh is necessary for your sakes." Therefore, brethren, do your endeavor, settle it inwardly with yourselves to make this your concern, that ye may desire the day of judgment. No otherwise is charity proved to be perfect, but only when one has begun to desire that day. But that man desires it, who hath boldness in it, whose conscience feels no alarm in perfect and sincere charity.
3. "In this is His love perfected in us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment." Why shall we have boldness? "Because as He is are we also in this world." Thou hast heard the ground of thy boldness: "Because as He is," saith the apostle, "are we also in this world." Does he not seem to have said something impossible? For is it possible for man to be as God? I have already expounded to you that "as" is not always said of equality, but is said of a certain resemblance. For how sayest thou, As I have ears, so has my image? Is it quite so? and yet thou sayest "so, as." If then we were made after God's image, why are we not so as God? Not unto equality, but relatively to our measure. Whence then are we given boldness in the day of judgment? "Because as He is, are we also in this world." We must refer this to the same charity, and understand what is meant. The Lord in the Gospel saith, "If ye love them that love you, what reward shall ye have? do not the publicans this?" [2450] Then what would He have us do? "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you." If then He bids us love our enemies, whence brings He an example to set before us? From God Himself: for He saith, "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven." How doth God this? He loveth His enemies, "Who maketh His sun to rise upon the good and the bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust." If this then be the perfection unto which God inviteth us, that we love our enemies as He loved His; this is our boldness in the day of judgment, that "as He is, so are we also in this world:" because, as He loveth His enemies in making His sun to rise upon good and bad, and in sending rain upon the just and unjust, so we, since we cannot bestow upon them sun and rain, bestow upon them our tears when we pray for them.