Now bearing all this in mind, let us not, I exhort you, carelessly pass by Christ's words, but enquire closely into them all, everywhere considering the reason of what has been said; and let us not deem that ignorance and simplicity will be sufficient to excuse us, for He hath bidden us not merely to be "harmless," but "wise." ( Matt. x. 16.) Let us therefore practice wisdom with simplicity, both as to doctrines and the right actions [1084] of our lives; let us judge ourselves here, that we be not condemned with the world hereafter; [1085] let us act towards our fellow-servants as we desire our Master to act towards us: for (we say), "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." ( Matt. vi. 12.) I know that the smitten soul endureth not meekly, but if we consider that by so doing we do a kindness not to him who hath grieved us but to ourselves, we shall soon let go the venom of our wrath; for he who forgave not the hundred pence to him who had transgressed against him, wronged not his fellow-servant but himself, by rendering himself liable for the ten thousand talents of which he had before received forgiveness. ( Matt. xviii. 30-34.) When therefore we forgive not others, we forgive not ourselves. And so let us not merely say to God, "remember not our offenses"; but let each also say to himself, "let us not remember the offenses of our fellow-servants done against us." For thou first givest judgment on thine own sins, and God judgeth after; [1086] thou proposest the law concerning remission and punishment, thou declarest thy decision on these matters, and therefore whether God shall or shall not remember, rests with thee. For which cause Paul biddeth us "forgive, if any One hath cause of complaint against any" ( Col. iii. 13 ), and not simply forgive, but so that not even any remnants be left behind. Since Christ not only did not publish our transgressions, but did not put us the transgressors in mind of them, nor say, "in such and such things hast thou offended," but remitted and blotted out the handwriting, not reckoning our offenses, as Paul hath also declared. ( Col. ii. 14.) Let us too do this; let us wipe away all [trespasses against us] from our minds; and if any good thing hath been done to us by him that hath grieved us, let us only reckon that; but if anything grievous and hard to bear, let us cast it forth and blot it out, so that not even a vestige of it remain. And if no good has been done us by him, so much the greater recompense and higher credit will be ours if we forgive. Others by watching, by making the earth their bed, by ten thousand hardships, wipe away their sins, but thou by an easier way, I mean by not remembering wrongs, mayest cause all thy trespasses to disappear. Why then thrustest thou the sword against thyself, as do mad and frantic men, and banishest thyself from the life which is to come, when thou oughtest to use every means to attain unto it? For if this present life be so desirable, what can one say of that other from which pain, and grief, and mourning, have fled away? There it needs not to fear death, nor imagine any end to those good things. Blessed, thrice blessed, yea, and this many times over, are they who enjoy that blessed rest, while they are miserable, thrice miserable, yea, ten thousand times miserable, who have cast themselves forth from that blessedness. "And what," saith some one, "is it that maketh us to enjoy that life?" Hear the Judge Himself conversing with a certain young man on this matter. When the young man said, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" ( Matt. xix. 16 ) Christ, after repeating to him the other commandments, ended with the love of his neighbor. Perhaps like that rich man some of my hearers will say, "that we also have kept these, for we neither have robbed, nor killed, nor committed adultery"; yet assuredly thou wilt not be able to say this, that thou hast loved thy neighbor as thou oughtest to have loved him. For if a man hath envied or spoken evil of another, if he hath not helped him when injured, or not imparted to him of his substance, then neither hath he loved him. Now Christ hath commanded not only this, but something besides. What then is this? "Sell," he saith, "that thou hast, and give to the poor; and come, follow Me" ( Matt. xix. 21 ): terming the imitating Him in our actions "following" Him. What learn we hence? First, that he who hath not all these things cannot attain unto the chief places in "that" rest. For after the young man had said, "All these things have I done," Christ, as though some great thing were wanting to his being perfectly approved, replied, "If thou wilt be perfect, sell that thou hast, and give to the poor: and come, follow Me." First then we may learn this; secondly, that Christ rebuked the man for his vain boast; for one who lived in such superfluity, and regarded not others living in poverty, how could he love his neighbor? So that neither in this matter did he speak truly. But let us do both the one and the other of these things; let us be eager to empty out our substance, and to purchase heaven. Since if for worldly honor men have often expended their whole possessions, an honor which was to stay here below, and even here not to stay by us long, (for many even much before their deaths have been stripped of their supremacy, and others because of it have often lost their lives, and yet, although aware of this, they expend all for its sake;) if now they do so much for this kind of honor, what can be more wretched than we if for the sake of that honor which abideth and which cannot be taken from us we will not give up even a little, nor supply to others those things which in a short time while yet here we shall leave? What madness must it be, when it is in our power voluntarily to give to others, and so to take with us those things of which we shall even against our will be deprived, to refuse to do so? Yet if a man were being led to death, and it were proposed to him to give up all his goods and so go free, we should think a favor was conferred upon him; and shall we, who are being led on the way to the pit, shall we, when it is allowed us to give up half and be free, prefer to be punished, and uselessly to retain what is not ours even to the losing what is so? What excuse shall we have, what claim for pardon, who, when so easy a road has been cut for us unto life, rush down precipices, and travel along an unprofitable path, depriving ourselves of all things both here and hereafter, when we might enjoy both in security? If then we did not so before, let us at least stop now; and coming to ourselves, let us rightly dispose of things present, that we may easily receive those which are to come, through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Ghost be glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
[1035] bebelountai
[1036] ten phusin apasan
[1037] al. "since men being benefited are not so sensible of it, He saith hath given all judgment to ' Him, in order that," &c.
[1038] al. "to punish and honor all whomsoever He will."
[1039] al. "all things which belong to the Father, belong also to the Son."
[1040] parallagen
[1041] al. "high Birth."
[1042] a kerato
[1043] oikonomias tinos
[1044] al. "folly."
[1045] al. "Besides."
[1046] dia mesitou
[1047] ton aition
[1048] noson
[1049] For from their extreme senselessness He was counted among them an enemy of God. Morel.
[1050] al. "not that He might by this show any lessening," &c.
[1051] al. "absolute power."
[1052] kirna, generally of mixing wine with water.
[1053] al. "correcting."
[1054] pachutera
[1055] Morel. reads: "for this reason He doth not decline to use a more earthly expression, declaring," &c.
[1056] tote
[1057] su legeis, G. T.
[1058] Morel. reads: "He spake those great things in words, afterwards He desireth to prove them by works also."
[1059] al. "truth."
[1060] 1 Thess. iv. 16 [not verbally quoted].
[1061] to aparallakton kai heni mono ten diaphoran emphainon
[1062] a no kai kato
[1063] touto
[1064] As in our Auth. Version.
[1065] touto, G. T.
[1066] pantes, G. T.
[1067] ta mere
[1068] gennaios
[1069] dikasterion
[1070] ta ek tou biou
[1071] tou Patros, G. T.
[1072] sphinxas
[1073] al. "even thus too gross."
[1074] al. "shamelessness."
[1075] al. "I am [He] who judge."
[1076] parellagmenon
[1077] So Morel. and ms. in Bodl. Savile reads, "having shown that they," &c.
[1078] According to Savile's conjectural reading, para to tou P. in place of para tou P. for which there is also ms. authority.
[1079] al. "each sentence."
[1080] e kerase
[1081] al. "brings forward."
[1082] kataskeuazei
[1083] e k procheirou
[1084] katorthomaton
[1085] tote
[1086] he petai