LXXXV. HOMIL. passing farther in, looked at every thing carefully, and saw 'somewhat more, and then the other too was summoned to the sight. For he entering after Peter, saw the graveclothes lying, and separate. Now to separate, and to place one thing by itself, and another, after rolling it up, by itself, was the act of some one doing things carefully, and not in in a chance way, as if disturbed. I al. sense less' [5.] But do thou, when thou hearest that thy Lord arose naked, cease from thy madness about funerals; for what is the meaning of that superfluous and unprofitable' expense, which brings much loss to the mourners, and no gain to the departed, or (if we must say that it brings any thing) rather harm? For the costliness of burial hath often caused the breaking open of tombs, and hath caused him to be cast out naked and unburied, who had been buried with much care. But alas for vainglory! How great the tyranny which it exhibits even in sorrow! how great the folly! Many, that this may not happen, having cut in pieces those fine clothes, and filled them with many spices, so that they may be doubly useless to those who would insult the dead, then commit them to the earth. Are not these the acts of madmen? of men beside themselves? to make a show of their ambition, and then to destroy it? "Yea," saith some one, "it is in order that they may lie safely with the dead that we use all these contrivances." Well then, if the robbers do not get them, will not the moths get them, and the worms? Or if the moths and worms get them not, will not time and 2 ixup the moisture of putrefaction destroy them? But let us suppose that neither tomb-breakers, nor moths, nor worms, nor time, nor any thing else, destroy what lies in the tomb, but that the body itself remains untouched until the Resurrection, and these things are preserved new and fresh and fine; what advantage is there from this to the departed, when the body is raised naked, while these remain here, and profit us nothing for those accounts which must be given ? 66 Wherefore then," saith some one, "was it done in the case of Christ ?" First of all, do not compare these with human z Ver. 8, 9. Then went in also that other disciple which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead, N. T. XX. 8, 9. His 35. matters, since the harlot poured even ointment upon His holy JOHN Feet. But if we must speak on these things, we say, that they were done when the doers knew not the word of the Resurrection; therefore It saith, As was the manner of the Jews. For they who honoured Christ' were not of the 1i. e. in twelve, but were those who did not honour Him greatly. burial. The twelve honoured Him not in this way, but by death and massacre and dangers for His sake. That other indeed was honour, but far inferior to this of which I have spoken. Besides, as I began by saying, we are now speaking of men, but at that time these things were done with relation to the Lord. And that thou mayest learn that Christ made no account of these things, He said, Ye saw Me an hungred, Mat. 25, and ye fed Me; thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; naked, and ye clothed Me; but no where did He say, "dead, and ye buried Me." And this I say not as taking away the custom of burial, (that be far from me,) but as cutting short its extravagance and unseasonable vanity. "But," saith some one, "feeling and grief and sympathy for the departed persuade to this practice." The practice doth not proceed from sympathy for the departed, but from vainglory. Since if thou desirest to sympathise with the dead, I will shew thee another way of mourning, and will teach thee to put on him garments which shall rise again with him, and make him glorious. For these garments are not consumed by worms, nor wasted by time, nor stolen by tomb-breakers. Of what sort then are these? The clothing of almsdoing; for this is a robe that shall rise again with him, because the seal of almsdoing is with him. With these garments shine they who then hear, "Hungering ye fed Me." These make men distinguished, these make them glorious, these place them in safety; but those used now are only something for moths to consume, and a table for worms. And this I say, not forbidding to use funeral observance, but bidding you to do it with moderation, so as to cover the body, and not commit it naked to the earth. For if living He biddeth us have no more than enough to cover us, much more when dead; since the dead body hath not so much 2 al. need of garments as when it is living and breathing. when alive, on account of the cold, and for decency's For body of the sake, dead' LXXXV. 768 How to shew true wisdom at funerals. HOMIL. We need the covering of garments, but when dead we require grave-clothes for none of these reasons, but that the body may not lie naked; and etter than grave-clothes we have the earth, fairest of coverings, and more suited for the nature of such bodies as ours. If then where there are so many needs we must not search for any thing superfluous, much more, where there is no such necessity, is the ostentation unseasonable. ment. [6.]" But the lookers on will laugh," saith some one. Most certainly if there be any laughter, we need not care much for one so exceedingly foolish; but at present there are many who rather admire and accept our true wisdom. For these are not the things which deserve laughter, but those which we do at present, weeping, and wailing, and burying ourselves with the departed; these things deserve ridicule and punishBut to shew true wisdom, both in these respects and in the modesty of the attire used, prepares crowns and praises for us, and all will applaud us, and will admire the power of Christ, and will say, "Amazing! How great is the power of the Crucified One! He hath persuaded those who are perishing and wasting, that death is not death; they therefore do not act as perishing men, but as men who send the dead before them to a distant and better dwelling-place. He hath persuaded them that this corruptible and earthy body shall put on a garment more glorious than silk or cloth of gold, the garment of immortality; therefore they are not very anxious about their burial, but deem a virtuous life to be an admirable winding-sheet." These things they will say, if they see us shewing true wisdom; but if they behold us bent down with grief, playing the woman, placing around troops of female mourners, they will laugh, and mock, and find fault in ten thousand ways, pulling to pieces our foolish expense, our vain labour. With these things we hear all finding fault; and very reasonably. For what excuse can we have, when we adorn a body, which is consumed by 1 given over to,' corruption and worms, and neglect Christ when thirsting, lit. going about naked, and a stranger? Cease we then from this upon vain trouble. Let us perform the obsequies of the departed, as is good both for us and them, to the glory of God: let us do much alms for their sake, let us send with them spent Alms-doing profits the dying and the dead. 1 769 39. XX. dress,' the best provision for the way. For if the memory of JoHN admirable men, though dead, hath protected the living, (for, 8, 9. I will defend, It saith, this city for Mine Own sake, and 2 Kings for My servant David's sake,) much more will alms-doing effect this; for this hath raised even the dead, as when the widows stood round shewing what things Dorcas had made al. while she was with them. When therefore one is about to 'stood by' die, let the friend of that dying person prepare the obse- Acts 9, quies, and persuade3 the departing one to leave somewhat? or, to the needy. With these garments let him send him to the burial grave, leaving Christ his heir. For if they who write kings à ÉVTÁamong their heirs, leave a safe portion to their relations, pa 93 i. e. by when one leaves Christ heir with his children, consider how persuading great good he will draw down upon himself and all his. These are the right' sort of funerals, these profit both those1 kaλà who remain and those who depart. If we be so buried, we shall be glorious at the Resurrection-time. But if caring for the body we neglect the soul, we then shall suffer many terrible things, and incur much ridicule. For neither is it a common unseemliness to depart without being clothed with virtue, nor is the body, though cast out without a tomb, so disgraced, as a soul appearing bare of virtue in that day. This let us put on, this let us wrap around us; it is best to do so during all our lifetime; but if we have in this life been negligent, let us at least in our end be sober, and charge our relations to help us when we depart by almsdoing; that being thus assisted by each other, we may attain to much confidence, through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father and the Holy Ghost be glory, dominion, and honour, now and ever and world without end. Amen. a Sav. reads, Kλnpovóμov åpiévai Tòv X. àpíevra may be conjectured. The Ben. ed. reads, πειθέτω καὶ κλ. κ. τ. λ. b Ben. leave very great safety.' One Ms. has a slight variety of sense: If they who write kings their heirs among their relations, leave that por- • ŠTITÚXWμEV, without any conjunc- HOMILY LXXXVI. 1 i. e. more than men. JOHN XX. 10, 11. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. But FULL of feeling somehow is the female sex, and more' inclined to pity. I say this, lest thou shouldest wonder how it could be that Mary wept bitterly at the tomb, while Peter was in no way so affected. For, The disciples, It saith, went away unto their own home; but she stood shedding tears. Because hers was a feeble nature, and she as yet knew not accurately the account of the Resurrection; whereas they having seen the linen clothes and believed, departed to their own homes in astonishment. And wherefore went they not straightway to Galilee, as had been commanded them before the Passion? They waited for the others, perhaps, and besides they were yet at the height of their amazement. These then went their way but she stood at the place, for, as I have said, even the sight of the tomb tended greatly to comfort her. At any rate, thou seest her, the more to ease her grief, stooping down, and desiring to behold the place where the Body lay. And therefore she received no small reward for this her great zeal. For what the disciples saw not, this saw the woman first, Angels' sitting, the one at the feet, the other at Ver. 11. latter part, And as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre. N. T. b Ver. 12. And seeth two Angels in white sitting, the one at the Head, and the other at the Feet, where the Body of Jesus had lain. N. T. |