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Awfulness of the Christian Mysteries.

401

VI. 52.

side of this fountain and cool his burning. For it quencheth JOHN drought, and comforteth' all things that are burnt up, not by the sun, but by the fiery darts. For it hath its beginnings 'cooleth' from above, and its source is there, whence also its water floweth. Many are the streams of that fountain which the Comforter sendeth forth, and the Son is the Mediator, not holding mattock to clear the way, but opening our minds. This fountain is a fountain of light, spouting forth rays of truth. By it stand the Powers on high looking upon the beauty of its streams, because they more clearly perceive the power of the Things set forth, and the flashings unapproachable. For as when gold is being molten if one should (were it possible) dip in it his hand or his tongue, he would immediately render them golden; thus, but in much greater degree, doth What here is set forth work upon the soul. Fiercer than fire the river boileth up, yet burneth not, but only baptizeth that on which it layeth hold. This Blood was ever typified of old in the altars and sacrifices of righteous men, This is the price or, of the world, by This Christ purchased to Himself the Church, ings. by This He hath adorned Her all. For as a man buying servants giveth gold for them, and again when he desireth to deck them out doth this also with gold; so Christ hath purchased us with His Blood, and adorned us with His Blood. They who share this Blood stand with Angels and Archangels and the Powers that are above, clothed in Christ's own kingly robe, and having the armour of the Spirit. Nay, I have not as yet said any great thing: they are clothed with the King Himself.

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Now as this is a great and wonderful thing, so if thou approach it with pureness, thou approachest for salvation; but if with an evil conscience, for punishment and vengeance. For, It saith, he that eateth and drinketh unworthily of the 1 Cor. Lord, eateth and drinketh dumnation to himself; since if11, 29. they who defile the kingly purple are punished equally with those who rend it, it is not unreasonable that they who? al. receive the Body with unclean thoughts should suffer the what is same punishment as those who rent it with the nails. Observe at least how fearful a punishment Paul declareth, when he saith, He that despised Moses' law dieth without mercy Heb. 1, under two or three witnesses; of how much sorer punishment,

there'

28.

XLVI.

402

The danger of unworthy receiving.

HOMIL. Suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the Blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing? Take we then heed to ourselves, beloved, we who enjoy such blessings; and if we desire to utter any shameful word, or perceive ourselves hurried away by wrath or any like passion, let us consider of what things we have been deemed worthy, of how great a Spirit we have partaken, and this consideration shall be a sobering of our unreasonable passions. For how long shall we be nailed to present things? How long shall it be before we rouse ourselves? How long shall we neglect our own salvation? Let us bear in mind of what things Christ has deemed us worthy, let us give thanks, let us glorify Him, not by our faith alone, but also by our very works, that we may obtain the good things that are to come, through the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom and with Whom, to the Father and the Holy Ghost be glory, now and ever and world without end. Amen.

HOMILY XLVII,

JOHN vi. 53, 54.

Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His
Blood, ye have not eternal life in yourselves. Whoso eateth no life,
My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, hath life2 in himself.

a

4

N. T. 2 eternal

life,

WHEN We converse of spiritual things, let there be nothing secular in our souls, nothing earthy, let all such thoughts retire, and be banished, and let us be entirely given up to the hearing the divine oracles only. For if at the arrival of a king3 all confusion is driven away, much more when the 3 Ben. Spirit speaketh with us do we need great stillness, great adds, in a city.' awe. And worthy of awe is that which is said to-day. al. we How it is so, hear. Verily I say unto you, Except a needs man eat My Flesh, and drink My Blood, he hath not hear, eternal life in him. Since the Jews had before asserted that this was impossible, He sheweth not only that it is not impossible, but that it is absolutely necessary. Wherefore He addeth, He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, hath eternal life.

must

with'

v.50. not

And I will raise him up at the last day. For since He had said, He that eateth of this bread shall not die for ever, and it was likely that this would stand in their way, (just as quoted. they before said, Abraham is dead, and the Prophets are c. 8, 52,

verbally

not

al. but having renounced all these things, and having banished all these verbally quoted. things from our minds, let us &c.'

404

Need of eating the Body of Christ.

HOMIL. dead; and how sayest Thou, that he shall not taste of death?) XLVII. He bringeth forward the Resurrection to solve the question,

and to shew that (the man who eateth) shall not die at the eis Té last'. He continually handleth the subject of the Mysteries, shewing the necessity of the action, and that it must by all means be done.

λος.

2 truly, N. T.

3 al.'but

true meat?'

Ver. 55. For My Flesh is true meat, and My Blood is true drink.

What is it that He saith? He either desireth to declare what is that this is the true meat which saveth the soul, or to assure the, is them concerning what had been said, that they might not suppose the words to be a mere enigma or parable, but might know that it is by all means needful to eat the Body. Then He saith,

&c.

4 àva

κιρνᾶται

3 ένερ

γείας

Ver. 56. He that eateth My Flesh, dwelleth in Me.

4

This He said, shewing that such an one is blended with Him. Now what follows seems unconnected, unless we enquire into the sense; for, saith some one, after saying, He that eateth My Flesh, dwelleth in Me, what kind of a consequence is it to add,

Ver. 57. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father?

Yet the words harmonize perfectly. For since He continually spake of eternal life, to prove this point He introduceth the expression, dwelleth in Me; for, "if he dwelleth in Me, and I live, it is plain that he will live also." Then He saith, As the living Father hath sent Me. This is an expression of comparison and resemblance, and its meaning is of this kind, "I live in like manner as the Father liveth." And that thou mayest not deem Him unbegotten, He immediately subjoineth, by the Father, not by this to shew that He needeth, in order to live, any power working in Him, for He said before, to remove such a suspicion, As the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son also to have life in Himself; now if He needeth the working of another, it will be found that either the Father hath not given Him so to have it, and so the assertion is false, or if He hath so given it, then He will need no other one to support Him. What then means the, By the Father? He here merely hinteth at the cause, and what He saith is of

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VI. 58.

μον.

this kind: "As the Father liveth, so I live, and he that JOHN eateth Me shall live by Me." And the "life" of which He speaketh is not life merely, but the excellent life; for that1 evðókiHe spake not simply of life, but of that glorious and ineffable life, is clear from this. For all men "live," even unbelievers, and uninitiated, who eat not of that Flesh. Seest thou that the words relate not to this life, but to that other? And what He saith is of this kind: "He that eateth My Flesh, when he dieth shall not perish nor suffer punishment;" He spake not of the general resurrection, (for all alike rise again,) but concerning the special, the glorious Resurrection, that which hath a reward.

Ver. 58. This is that bread which came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead; he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

Continually doth He handle the same point, so as to imprint it on the understanding of the hearers, (for the teaching on these points was a kind of final teaching,) and to confirm the doctrine of the Resurrection and of eternal life. Wherefore He mentioneth the Resurrection since He promiseth eternal life, shewing that that life is not now, but after the Resurrection. "And whence," saith some one, 66 are these things clear?" From the Scriptures; to them He every where referreth the Jews, bidding them learn these things from them. And by saying, Which giveth life to the world, He inciteth them to jealousy, that from very vexation that others should enjoy the gift, they may not stay without. And continually He remindeth them of the manna, shewing the difference (between it and His Bread,) and guiding them to the faith; for if He was able to support their life for forty years without harvest, 2 al. 'it or corn, or other things in course; much more now will He sible.' be able to do so, as having come for greater ends. Moreover, akoλOVif those things were but types, and yet men collected what came down without sweat or labour; much more shall this be the case, where the difference is great both in the never dying, and in the enjoying the true life. And rightly hath He spoken often of "life," since this is desired by men, and nothing is so pleasing to them as not to die. Since even under the old Covenant, this was the promise, length of h Ben.' both because He had said eternal life, and also shewing.'

was pos

θίας.

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