[3.] A great blessing truly is faith, great, and one which makes great those who hold it rightly with (good) living. [1746] By this men (are enabled) to do the things of God in His [1747] name. And well did Christ say, [1748] "If ye have faith ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove, and it shall remove" ( Matt. xvii. 20 ); and again, "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do." ( c. xiv. 12.) What meaneth He by "greater"? Those which the disciples are seen after this to work. For even the shadow of Peter raised a dead man; and so the power of Christ was the more proclaimed. Since it was not so wonderful that He while alive should work miracles, as that when He was dead others should be enabled to work in His name greater than He wrought. This was an indisputable proof of the Resurrection; nor if (that Resurrection) had been seen by all, would it have been equally believed. For men might have said that it was an appearance, but one who saw that by His name alone greater miracles were wrought than when He conversed with men, could not disbelieve unless he were very senseless. A great blessing then is faith when it arises from glowing feelings, great love, [1749] and a fervent soul; it makes us truly wise, it hides our human meanness, and leaving reasonings beneath, it philosophizes about things in heaven; or rather what the wisdom of men cannot discover, [1750] it abundantly comprehends and succeeds in. Let us then cling to this, and not commit to reasonings [1751] what concerns ourselves. For tell me, why have not the Greeks been able to find out anything? Did they not know all the wisdom of the heathen? [1752] Why then could they not prevail against fishermen and tentmakers, and unlearned persons? Was it not because the one committed all to argument, the others to faith? and so these last were victorious over Plato and Pythagoras, in short, over all that had gone astray; and they surpass those whose lives had been worn out in [1753] astrology and geometry, mathematics and arithmetic, and who had been thoroughly instructed in [1754] every sort of learning, and [1755] were as much superior to them as true and real philosophers are superior to those who are by nature foolish and out of their senses. [1756] For observe, these men asserted that the soul was immortal, or rather, they did not merely assert this, but persuaded others of it. The Greeks, on the contrary, did not at first know what manner of thing the soul was, and when they had found out, and had distinguished it from the body, they were again in the same case, the one asserting that it was incorporeal, the other that it was corporeal and was dissolved with the body. Concerning heaven again, the one said that it had life and was a god, but the fishermen both taught and persuaded that it was the work and device [1757] of God. Now that the Greeks should use reasonings is nothing wonderful, but that those who seem to be believers, that "they" should be found carnal, [1758] this is what may justly be lamented. [1759] And on this account they have gone astray, some saying that they know God as He knoweth Himself, a thing which not even any of those Greeks have dared to assert; others that God cannot beget without passion, not even allowing Him any superiority over men; [1760] others again, that a righteous life and exact [1761] conversation avail nothing. But it is not the time to refute these things now. [4.] Yet that a right faith availeth nothing if the life be corrupt, both Christ and Paul declare, having taken the more care for this latter part; Christ when He teacheth, [1762] "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven" ( Matt. vii. 21 ); and again, "Many will say unto Me in that day, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy Name? And I will profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity" [1763] ( Matt. xxii. 23 ); (for they who take not heed to themselves, easily slip away [1764] into wickedness, even though they have a right faith;) and Paul, when in his letter to the Hebrews he thus speaks and exhorts them; "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." ( Heb. xii. 14.) By "holiness," meaning chastity, so that it behooved each to be content with his own wife, and not have to do with [1765] any other woman; for it is impossible that one not so contented should be saved; he must assuredly perish though he have ten thousand right actions, since with fornication it is impossible to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Or rather, this is henceforth [1766] not fornication but adultery; for as a woman who is bound to a man, if she come together with [1767] another man, then hath committed adultery, so he that is bound to a woman, if he have another, hath committed adultery. Such an one shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven, but shall fall into the pit. Hear what Christ saith concerning these, [1768] "Their worm shall not die, [1769] and the fire shall not be quenched." ( Mark ix. 44.) For he can have no pardon, who after (possessing) a wife, and the comfort of a wife, then acts shamelessly towards another woman; since this is henceforth wantonness. [1770] And if the many abstain even from their wives when it be a season of fast or prayer, how great a fire doth he heap up for himself who is not even content with his wife, but mingleth with another; and if it is not permitted one who has put away and cast out his own wife to mingle with another, (for this is adultery,) how great evil doth he commit who, while his wife is in his house, brings in another. Let no one then allow this malady to dwell in his soul; let him tear it up by the root. He doth not so much wrong his wife as himself. For so grievous and unpardonable is this offense, that if a woman separate herself from a husband which is an idolater without his consent, God punisheth her; but if she separate herself from a fornicator, not so. Seest thou how great an evil this is? "If," It saith, "any faithful woman have [1771] a husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him." ( 1 Cor. vii. 13.) Not so concerning a harlot; but what? "If any man [1772] put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, he causeth her to commit adultery." ( Matt. v. 32.) For if the coming together maketh one body, he who cometh together with a harlot must needs become one body with her. How then shall the modest woman, being a member of Christ, receive such an one, or how shall she join to herself the member of an harlot. And observe the excess of the one (fornication) over the other (idolatry). The woman who dwelleth with an unbeliever is not impure; ("for," It saith, "the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife"-- 1 Cor. vi. 15 ;) not so with the harlot; but what? "Shall I then make the members of Christ the members of an harlot?" In the one case sanctification remains, and is not removed though the unbeliever dwelleth with his wife; but in the other case it departeth. A dreadful, a dreadful thing is fornication, and an agent for [1773] everlasting punishment; and even in this world it brings with it ten thousand woes. The man so guilty is forced to lead a life of anxiety and toil; he is nothing better off than those who are under punishment, creeping [1774] into another man's house with fear and much trembling, suspecting all alike [1775] both slave and free. Wherefore I exhort you to be [1776] freed from this malady, and if you obey [1777] not, step not on the sacred threshold. [1778] Sheep that are covered with the scab, and full of disease, may not herd with those that are in health; we must drive them from the fold until they get rid of the malady. We have been made members of Christ; let us not, I entreat, become members of an harlot. This place is not a brothel but a church; if then thou hast the members of an harlot, stand not in the church, lest thou insult the place. If there were no hell, if there were no punishment, yet, after those contracts, those marriage torches, the lawful bed, the procreation of children, the intercourse, how couldest thou bear to join [1779] thyself to another? How is it that thou art not ashamed nor blushest? Knowest thou not that they who after the death of their own wife, introduce another into their own house, are blamed by many? yet this action hath no penalty attached to it: but thou bringest in another while thy wife is yet alive. What lustfulness is this! Learn what hath been spoken concerning such men, "Their worm," It saith, "shall not die, and the fire shall not be quenched." ( Mark ix. 44.) Shudder at the threat, dread the vengeance. The pleasure here is not so great as the punishment there, but may it not came to pass that any one (here) become liable to that punishment, but that exercising holiness they may see Christ, and obtain the promised good things, which may we all enjoy, through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
[1723] ver. 31. "The Jews then which were with her, when they saw Mary that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there."
[1724] al. "any real wisdom."
[1725] e nteuthen
[1726] al. "good."
[1727] al. "senseless."
[1728] al. "but rising straightway went to meet Him."
[1729] al. "the place."
[1730] al. "being."
[1731] al. "speak to."
[1732] al. "perhaps it is proved."
[1733] Ver. 32, 33. "Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and troubled Himself."
[1734] al. "they were about to gain much."
[1735] ten theran
[1736] al. "showeth for a time."
[1737] Enebrimesato
[1738] Ver. 38. "Jesus therefore, again groaning in Himself, cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it."
[1739] al. "rebuked."
[1740] al. "all things more humble."
[1741] i.e. the other Evangelists.
[1742] Ben. omits "the trembling."
[1743] i.e. which raised the stone.
[1744] al. "garments."
[1745] al. "saith gently."
[1746] Ben. "great and causing many blessings."
[1747] "Jesus."
[1748] "if ye believe," It saith, &c.
[1749] philtrou
[1750] al. "discover, but slips off."
[1751] al. "strip off by."
[1752] ten exothen
[1753] al. "who were familiar with."
[1754] al. "had got together."
[1755] al. "these they cast as dust, and."
[1756] al. "so that these appeared henceforward to be truly philosophers, but those fools by nature and out of their senses."
[1757] al. "devices."
[1758] lit. "having only the natural life," psuchikos, opposed in G. T. to pneumatikos
[1759] al. "is the ridiculous thing."
[1760] al. "the many."
[1761] al. "right."
[1762] al. "Christ discourseth the more about this, and saith."
[1763] al. "I never knew you" : and again, "Rejoice not that the devils are subject to you" : for, &c.
[1764] al. "often turn aside."
[1765] al. "attend to."
[1766] i.e. after marriage.
[1767] al. "lie with."
[1768] al. "for of such saith God."
[1769] "dieth not," &c.
[1770] al. "stupidity."
[1771] "the woman which hath."
[1772] "whosoever shall."
[1773] proxenousa, al. e pagousa
[1774] al. "introducing himself."
[1775] al. "everywhere."
[1776] al. "give diligence to be."
[1777] al. "will."
[1778] al. "sanctuary."
[1779] al. "place."