Seest thou of one sin how many different forms? one that before the law, another that after the law, another that of him who bears the priest's office; that of the rich woman, and that of the poor woman, of her that is a catechumen, and of the believing woman, of the daughter of the priest.
And from the knowledge again great is the difference; "For he which knew his Lord's will, and did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes." [2766] And to sin after examples bringeth greater vengeance. Therefore He saith, "But ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterwards," [2767] though ye had had the advantage of much care. Therefore He upbraids Jerusalem likewise with this saying, "How often would I have gathered thy children together, and ye would not!" [2768]
And to sin being in luxury, this is shown by the history of Lazarus. And from the place also the sin becomes more grievous, which He Himself indicated when He said, "Between the temple and the altar." [2769]
And from the equality of the offenses themselves, "It is not marvellous if one be taken stealing;" [2770] and again, "Thou didst slay thy sons and thy daughters; this is beyond all thy whoredoms, and thine abominations." [2771]
And from the persons again: "If one man sin against another, they shall pray for him; but if he sin against God, who shall entreat for him?"
And when any one surpasses in negligence those who are far inferior; wherewith in Ezekiel He doth charge them, saying, "Not even according to the judgments of the nations hast thou done." [2773]
And when one is not sobered even by the examples of others, "She saw her sister," it is said, "and justified her." [2774]
And when one has had the advantage of more abundant care; "For if," He saith, "these mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago; but it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for that city." [2775]
Seest thou perfect exactness, and that all for the same sins are not paying the same penalty? For moreover when we have had the benefit of long-suffering, and profit nothing, we shall endure worse things. And this Paul shows, where he says, "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou treasurest up for thyself wrath." [2776]
Knowing then these things, let us not be offended, neither let us be confounded at any of the things that happen, nor bring in upon us the storm of thought, but giving place to God's providence, let us give heed to virtue, and flee vice, that we may also attain to the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom and with whom be glory unto the Father together with the Holy Spirit, now and always, and world without end. Amen.
[2737] [R.V., "and was going on his way," to bring out the force of the imperfect tense.--R.]
[2738] Matt. xxiv. 3.
[2739] Luke xxi. 6, 7.
[2740] See Mark xiii. 3.
[2741] [R.V., "lead you astray," and "shall lead many astray."]
[2742] Matt. xxiv. 4-6.
[2743] [The Oxford translator renders "Take heed," but orte is rendered "See" above; so A.V. and R.V.--R.]
[2744] [R.V., "lead you astray."]
[2745] [R.V., "lead you astray."]
[2746] Matt. xxiv. 7.
[2747] Matt. xxiv. 8. [R.V., "travail," birth pangs.--R.]
[2748] Matt. xxiv. 9. [R.V., "unto tribulation."]
[2749] Matt. xxiv. 9-13. [In verse 9, "all men" is substituted for "all the nations" (tn thnn omitted); in verse 11"many false Christs and" occurs (taken from verse 24). The R.V. represents, in other details, the Greek text of the Homily. In verse 12, "the many" is the necessary rendering.--R.]
[2750] 2 Cor. vii. 5.
[2751] 2 Cor. xi. 26.
[2752] 2 Cor. xi. 13.
[2753] Matt. xxiv. 14. ["Of the kingdom" omitted.]
[2754] Rom. x. 18.
[2755] Col. i. 23.
[2756] Col. i. 6. [Combined with Col. i. 23.]
[2757] Col. i. 23.
[2758] Matt. xxiv. 15. [Instead of on the particle d (as in Mark and Luke) is found here.]
[2759] Acts xviii. 2.
[2760] Ps. cvi. 2.
[2761] [Only one ms. inserts tn polln here. Field rejects it. If accepted, it should be rendered "of the many," as in the R.V. But internal reasons are against it. It would naturally be supplied from the New Testament passage. Moreover, the briefer reading yields a better sense: "Love shall wax cold, the cause of all these ills."--R.]
[2762] 2 Sam. xii. 7-9.
[2763] Rom. ii. 12.
[2764] Rom. ii. 12. [The article does not occur, either here or in the text of the New Testament. R.V., "under law" and "by law."--R.]
[2765] Heb. x. 28, 29. [The last phrase is altered, as indicated in the above rendering.--R.]
[2766] Luke xii. 47.
[2767] Matt. xxi. 32.
[2768] Luke xiii. 34.
[2769] Matt. xxiii. 35.
[2770] Prov. vi. 30. [Most editors supply the remainder of the verse.--R.]
[2771] Ezek. xvi. 20, 21. LXX.
[2772] 1 Sam. ii. 25. [LXX. The Hebrew differs: for the clause "they shall pray for him," the R.V. has, "God shall judge him."--R.]
[2773] Ezek. v. 7.
[2774] Ezek. xvi. 51. [First half freely cited.]
[2775] Matt. xi. 21, 22.
[2776] Rom. ii. 5.