VII.

120

but foreknown, called, and justified.

HOMIL. was said to Nathanael? Thou sayest to Me, O Nathanael, Whence knowest thou me? That thou art even now speaking to Me, is because Philip called thee. Already whom He hath called by an Apostle, him saw He to belong to His Church. O thou Church, O thou Israel in whom is no guile, if thou art the people Israel in whom is no guile, thou hast even now known Christ by His Apostles, in like manner as Nathanael knew Christ by Philip. But His mercy saw thee, before thou knewest Him, even when thou wast lying under sin. For did we first seek Christ, and not He seek us? Did we come sick to the Physician, and not the Physician come to the sick? Was not that sheep lost, and leaving the ninety and nine the Shepherd sought and found it and joyfully brought it back upon His shoulders? Was not the piece of money lost, and the woman lighted a candle and sought her whole house through until she found it? Luke15, And when she had found it, Rejoice with me, she said to her neighbours, for I have found the piece of money which I lost. So we too were lost as the sheep, were lost as the piece of money and our Shepherd found the sheep, but sought the sheep: the woman found the piece of money, but sought the piece of money. What is the woman? The Flesh of Christ. Ps. 132, What the candle? I have prepared a candle for my Christ. So then we were sought, that we might be found; being found, we speak. Let us not be high-minded, for before we were found we were lost, had we not been sought. Let them not then say to us, whom we love, and whom we would fain gain to the peace of the Catholic Church, let them not say, What would ye with us? Why seek ye us if we are sinners? We seek you that ye may not be lost: we seek because we have been sought we would fain find you, because we have been found.

4-10.

17.

22. When therefore Nathanael had said, Whence knowest Thou me? the Lord said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee. O thou Israel without guile, whosoever thou art, O people living by faith, before I called thee by Mine Apostles, when thou wast under the shadow of death, and thou sawest not Me, I saw thee. The Lord proceeds to say unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, thou believest: thou shalt see a greater thing than these. What is

Christ's Preachers, as Angels, ascend and descend; 121

1.34-51.

this, Thou shalt see a greater thing than these? And He saith_JOHN unto him, Verily, Verily, I say unto you, Ye shall see heaven open, and angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. Brethren, in what I have now said, there is a something greater than in those words, Under the fig-tree I saw thee. For it is more, that the Lord justified us when called, than that He saw us lying under the shadow of death. For what better should we have been if we had remained where He saw us? Should not we be lying there? What is When have we seen angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man?

this greater thing?

124.

12-18.

23. I have already, on a former occasion, spoken of these Serm. angels ascending and descending; but lest you should have 123. & forgotten, I say a few words by way of recalling what I said. I should speak more fully were I bringing the subject before you for the first time, and not merely recalling it to your minds. Jacob in a dream beheld a ladder, and on the ladder Gen. 28, angels ascending and descending; and he anointed the stone which he had placed at his head. Ye have heard that Messias and Christ mean the same, and that Christ and Anointed mean the same. Jacob did not place the stone which he had anointed to the intent that he might come and adore it; that would have been idolatry, not a figurative representation of Christ. What was done was a figurative representation, so far forth as it behoved such representation to be made, and the thing represented was Christ. The stone was anointed, but not for an idol. The stone was anointed. Why a stone? Behold I lay in Sion a stone, elect, precious, Is. 28, and he that believeth on that stone shall not be confounded, 16. Why anointed? Because Christ (anointed), from Chrisma 6. (anointing). But what saw he then on the ladder? Angels ascending and descending. So likewise is the Church, brethren. The angels of God are good preachers, preaching Christ; this is the meaning of, they ascend and descend upon the Son of Man.How ascend, and how descend? We have in one an instance. Hear the Apostle Paul. What we find in him, let us believe also of the other preachers of the truth. Behold Paul ascending; I know that a man in 2 Cor. Christ, fourteen years ago, was caught up into the third heaven, 12, 2–4. whether in the body or whether out of the body I cannot tell, God knoweth, and that he heard unspeakable words, which

1 Pet. 2,

122 ascend by imitation of Christ, descend in preaching.

HOMIL. it is not lawful for a man to utler. Ye have heard him VII. ascending, hear him descending; I could not speak unto you

1 Cor. 3, 1.2.

2, 7.

as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal: as babes in Christ I have fed you with milk, not with meat. Behold, he who had ascended now descends. Ask, whither had he ascended? To the third heaven. Ask, whither did he descend? To the 1 Thess. giving of milk to babes. Hear that he descended; I became a babe in the midst of you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children. For we see both nurses and mothers descend to babes: though they be able to speak Latin, they clip the words, and make a sort of clucking with their tongues, of purpose to shape a well-spoken tongue into a language of childish endearment: because if they speak correctly, the infant does not take it in, but therefore neither does the infant make progress in understanding. And if there be a father, an eloquent man, and an orator of such power that the courts ring, and the judgment-seats shake with his eloquence, and he have a little son, when he returns home, he lays aside the eloquence of the forum, whither he had ascended, and with the tongue of childhood descends to his little one. Hear in one place the Apostle himself ascending and descending in one and the same sentence; For whether, saith he, we be beside ourselves, it is to God; or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. What is, we are beside ourselves? That we see those things which it is not lawful for man to speak. What is, we are sober for your cause? Have I judged myself to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified? If the Lord Himself ascended and descended, it is manifest that His preachers ascend by imitation, descend by preaching.

24. And now if we have detained you somewhat beyond the usual time, it was of design, that the hours of temptation might pass by. We suppose the people yonder have now ended their vanity. For ourselves, brethren, now that we have regaled ourselves on the banquet of salvation, let us do what remains, that we may duly fill up the Lord's day with spiritual joys, and let us compare the joys of truth with the joys of vanity. And if we are shocked, let us grieve; if we grieve, let us pray; if we pray, may we be heard; if we are heard, we gain them likewise.

HOMILY VIII.

JOHN ii. 1-4.

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: and both Jesus was called, and His disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto Him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.

S. Aug.

and so

1. THE miracle, truly, of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which He made the water wine, is not marvellous to those who know that God wrought it. For He that made wine on that Comp. day at the marriage-feast in those six water-pots, which He de Trin. commanded to be filled with water, the Same every 3, 5. year does the like in vines. For as what the servants put Pg. 45. into the water-pots was changed into wine by the operation of the Lord, just so what the clouds pour forth is changed into wine by the operation of the same Lord. But at the latter we do not marvel, because it happens every year; by constant use it hath lost our wonder. For indeed it challenges greater consideration than that which was done in the water-pots. For who that considers the works of God, by which this whole world is governed and administered, is not amazed and overwhelmed with miracles? The force and virtue of a single grain of any sort of seed, it is a great thing, a thing that awes one while considering it. But, forasmuch as men, intent on another object, have lost the consideration of the works of God, by which they should Enarr. daily ascribe praise to Him as the Creator; therefore God in Psa. hath, as it were, reserved to Himself certain extraordinary and unwonted actions, that by marvels He might, so to speak, rouse men from their slumber to worship Him. A dead man rose again; men marvelled: so many are born Serm.

110, § 4.

242, § 1.

VIII.

124 Miracles are only more strange, not more mighty

HOMIL. every day, and no one marvels. If we consider more thoughtfully, it is a greater miracle for one to be who was not, than for one to come to life again who was. Yet the same God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, doth all these things by His Word, and not only did He create, He governs also. The former miracles He did by His Word, which was God with God: the latter miracles by the Same, His Word incarnate, and for our sakes made man. As we marvel at those things which have been done by the Man Jesus, let us marvel at those also which have been done by the God Jesus. By the God Jesus were made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all the garniture of the heaven, the plentifulness of the earth, the prolific fruitfulness of the sea: all these things which come within the eye's range were made by Jesus God. And we behold these, and if His Spirit is in us, they please us in such wise, that we praise the Author of them; not in such wise, that turning to the works we turn from their Author, turning our faces, after a sort, to the things made, and our backs to Him Who made them.

2. These things indeed we see, and they lie within the eye's range. What say we of those which we do not sce, such as Angels, Virtues, Powers, Dominions, and every inhabitant of this supercelestial fabric which is not within our eye's range? Howbeit, Angels too, when it hath been meet, have often shewn themselves to men. Did not God make all these also by His Word, that is, by His only Son our Lord Jesus Christ? What say we of the human soul itself, which is not seen, and yet by the works which it manifests in the flesh, raises great admiration in considerate persons? by whom was it made, but by God? and through whom, but through the Son of God? But not to speak as yet of the soul of man: the soul of any brute, think how this doth govern its proper mass, putting forth into exercise the several senses, the eyes to see, the ears to hear, the nostrils to smell, the taste to discern flavours, the members, lastly, to perform each its proper office! Is it the body, and not rather the soul, that is to say, the tenant of the body, that works these effects? Yet this soul is not visible to the eye, but it moves admiration by the effects which it works. Now proceed to the consideration of the human soul, which God hath endued with understand