wickedness and unbelief. Addressing himself just as the structures made here are the work then to the faithful he said, "The night is far of extreme folly. For if a man were to bring spent, the day is at hand," since they should you into the land of Persia, to behold what is enjoy that light; and he calleth the old life, there and to return, and were then to bid you night. "Let us put away," he saith, "the works build houses there, would you not condemn him of darkness." Seest thou that he telleth them for excessive folly, as bidding you spend unseathat it is " night"? wherefore he saith, "Let us sonably? How then dost thou this very same walk honestly as in the day," that we may enjoy thing upon the earth which thou shalt shortly that light. For if this light be so good, consider leave? "But I shall leave it to my children," what that will be; as much as the sunlight is saith some one. Yet they too shall leave it soon brighter than the flame of a candle, so much and after thee; nay, often even before thee; and far more is that light better than this. And their successors the same. And even here it is signifying this, Christ saith, that "the sun shall a subject of melancholy to thee that thou seest be darkened." Because of the excess of that not thine heirs retain their possessions, but there brightness, not even the sun shall be seen. thou needest apprehend nothing of the sort; the possession remaineth immovable, to thee, to thy children, and to their descendants, if they imitate the same goodness. That building Christ taketh in hand, he who buildeth that needs not to appoint care-takers, nor be thoughtful, nor anxious; for when God hath undertaken the work, what need of thought? He bringeth all things together, and raiseth the house. Nor is this the only thing wonderful, but also that He so buildeth it as is pleasing to thee, or rather even beyond what is pleasing, beyond what thou desirest; for He is the most excellent Artist, and careth greatly for thy advantage. If thou art poor, and desirest to build this house, it brings thee no envy, produces against thee no malice, for none of those who know how to envy behold it, but the Angels who know how to rejoice at thy blessings; none will be able to encroach upon it, for none dwell near it of those who are diseased with such passions. For neighbors thou hast there the saints, Peter and Paul with their company, all the Prophets, the Martyrs, the multitude of Angels, of Archangels. For the sake then of all these things, let us empty our substance upon the poor, that we may obtain those tabernacles; which may we all obtain through the grace and lovingkindness 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.

If now in order to have here well-lighted and airy houses, we expend immense sums, building and toiling, consider how we ought to spend our very bodies themselves, that glorious houses may be built for us in the heavens where is that Light ineffable. Here there are strifes and contentions about boundaries and walls, but there will be nothing of the kind there, no envy, no malice, no one will dispute with us about settling boundaries. This dwelling too we assuredly needs must leave, but that abideth with us forever; this must decay by time, and be exposed to innumerable injuries, but that must remain without growing old perpetually; this a poor man cannot build, but that other one may build with two mites, as did the widow. Wherefore I choke with grief, that when so many blessings are laid before us, we are slothful, and despise them; we use every exertion to have splendid houses here, but how to gain in heaven so much as a little restingplace, we care not, we think not. For tell me, where wouldest thou have thy dwelling here? In the wilderness, or in one of the smaller cities? I think not; but in some of the most royal and grand cities, where the traffic is more, where the splendor is greater. But I will lead thee into such a City, whose Builder and Maker is God; there I exhort thee to found and build, at less cost [with less labor 1]. That house the hands of the poor build, and it is most truly "building,"

2

"for all these reasons."

3

al." those [things]."

HOMILY LVII.

JOHN ix. 6, 7.

"When Jesus had thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and said, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam."

count the Evangelist addeth for us the interpretation of the name; for having said, “in Siloam," he addeth,

"Which is, Sent."

That thou mayest learn that there also it was Christ who healed him. As Paul saith, "They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ." (1 Cor. x. 4.) As then Christ was the spiritual Rock, so also was He the spiritual Siloam. To me also the sudden coming in of the water seems to hint an ineffable mystery. What is that? The unlooked for (nature) of His appearance, beyond all expectation.

3

But observe the mind of the blind man, obedient in everything. He said not, “If it is really the clay or the spittle which gives me eyes, what need of Siloam? Or if there be need of Siloam, what need of the clay? Why did he anoint me? Why bid me wash?" But he entertained no such thoughts, he held himself prepared for one thing only, to obey in all things Him who gave the command, and nothing that was done offended him. If any one ask, "How then did he recover his sight, when he had removed the clay?" he will hear no other answer from us than that we know not the manner. And what wonder if we know it not, since not even the Evangelist knew, nor the very man that was healed? What had been done he knew, but the manner of doing it he could not comprehend. So when he was asked he said, that "He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see"; but how this took place he cannot tell them, though they ask ten thousand times.

[1] THOSE who intend to gain any advantage. from what they read, must not pass by even any small portion of the words; and on this account we are bidden to "search" the Scriptures, because most of the words, although at first sight' easy, appear to have in their depth much hidden meaning. For observe of what sort is the present case. "Having said these words," It saith," He spat on the ground." What words? "That the glory of God should be made manifest," and that, "I must work the works of Him that sent Me." For not without a cause hath the Evangelist mentioned to us His words, and added that, "He spat," but to show that He confirmed His words by deeds. And why used He not water instead of spittle for the clay? He was about to send the man to Siloam: in order therefore that nothing might be ascribed to the fountain, but that thou mightest learn that the power proceeding from His mouth, the same both formed and opened the man's eyes, He "spat on the ground"; this at least the Evangelist signified, when he said, "And made clay of the spittle." Then, that the successful issue might not seem to be of the earth, He bade him wash. But wherefore did He not this at once, instead of sending him to Siloam? That thou mayest learn the faith of the blind man, and that the obstinacy of the Jews might be silenced for it was probable that they would all see him as he departed, having the clay spread upon his eyes, since by the strangeness of the thing he would attract to himself all, both those who did and those who did not know him, and they would observe him exactly. And because it is not easy to recognize a blind man who hath recovered sight, He first maketh by the length The strangeness of what had been brought to of way many to be witnesses, and by the strange-pass led them even to unbelief, though so much ness of the spectacle exact observers, that being had been contrived that they might not dismore attentive they may no longer be able to believe. They said, "Is not this he that sat say, "It is he: it is not he." Moreover, by and begged?" O the lovingkindness of God! sending him to Siloam, He desireth to prove Whither did He descend, when with great kindthat He is not estranged from the Law and the Old (Covenant), nor could it afterwards be feared that Siloam would receive the glory, since many who had often washed their eyes there gained no such benefit; for there also it was the power of Christ that wrought all. On which ac

1 αὐτόθεν.

Ver. 8, 9. "The neighbors therefore, and they which had seen him, that he was a beggar, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is he."

ness He healed even beggars, and so silenced the Jews, because He deemed not the illustrious, nor the distinguished, nor the rulers, but men

2" is being interpreted," N. T.

"which before," N. T.

3 τὸ ἀθρόον της παρουσίας.
"was blind," N. T. Vulgate, mendicus erat.
lit. "dispensed."

of no mark to be fit objects of the same Prov-14), in order to point out their wicked thoughts, idence. For He came for the salvation of all. and the cause for which they sought Him, as And what happened in the case of the para-though forsooth they had found a handle, and lytic, happened also with this man, for neither could disparage the miracle by means of what did the one or the other know who it was that appeared to be a transgression of the Law. healed him. And this was caused by the re- And this is clear from their saying immediately tirement of Christ, for Jesus when He healed on seeing him nothing but, "How opened he always retired, that all suspicion might be re-thine eyes?"" Observe also the manner of moved from the miracles. Since how could their speech; they say not, "How didst thou they who knew not who He was flatter Him, or receive thy sight?" but, "How opened he thine join in contriving what had been done? Neither eyes?" thus affording him an excuse for slanderwas this man one of those who went about, but ing Jesus, because of His having worked. But of those who sat at the doors of the Temple. he speaks to them shortly, as to men who had Now when all were doubting concerning him, already heard; for without mentioning His what saith he? name, or that "He said unto me, Go, wash," he at once saith, Ver. 15.

"I am he."

He was not ashamed of his former blindness, nor did he fear the wrath of the people, nor did he decline showing himself that he might proclaim his Benefactor.

Ver. 10, 11. "They said unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus.”

What sayest thou? Doth "a man" work such deeds? As yet he knew nothing great concerning Him.

"A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes."

[2.] Observe how truthful he is. He saith not whence He made it, for he speaks not of what he doth not know; he saw not that He spat on the ground, but that He spread it he knew from sense and touch.

"And said unto me, Go, wash in the pool Siloam."

on

of

This too his hearing witnessed to him. But how did he recognize His voice? From His conversation with the disciples. And saying all this, and having received the witness by the works, the manner (of the cure) he cannot tell. Now if faith is needed in matters which are felt and handled, much more in the case of things invisible.

Ver. 12. 66
They said unto him, Where is he?
He said, I know not."

They said, "Where is he?" having already murderous intentions against Him. But observe the modesty1 of Christ, how He continued not with those who were healed; because He neither desired to reap glory, nor to draw a multitude, nor to make a show of Himself. Observe too how truthfully the blind man maketh all his answers. The Jews desired to find Christ to bring Him to the priests, but when they did not find Him, they brought the blind man to the Pharisees, as to those who would question him more severely. For which reason the Evangelist remarks, that it was "the Sabbath" (ver.

1 τὸ ἀκόμπαστον.

"He put clay upon my eyes, and I washed, and do see."

Because the slander was now become great, and the Jews had said, "Behold what work Jesus doth on the Sabbath day, he anointeth with clay!" But observe, I pray you, how the blind man is not disturbed. When being questioned he spake in the presence of those others without danger, it was no such great thing to tell the truth, but the wonder is, that now when he is placed in a situation of greater fear, he neither denies nor contradicts what he had said before. What then did the Pharisees, or rather what did the others also? They had brought him (to the Pharisees), as being about to deny ; but, on the contrary, that befell them which they desired not, and they learned more exactly. And this they everywhere have to endure, in the case of miracles; but this point we will more clearly demonstrate in what follows. What said the Pharisees?

Ver. 16. "Some said," (not all, but the more forward,) "This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath day; others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles?"

Seest thou that they were led up by the miracles? For hear what they say now, who before this had sent to bring Him. And if all did not so, (for being rulers through vainglory they fell into unbelief,) yet still the greater number even of the rulers believed on Him, but confessed Him not. Now the multitude was easily overlooked, as being of no great account in their synagogue, but the rulers being more conspicuous had the greater difficulty in speaking boldly, for some the love of rule restrained, others cowardice, and the fear of the many. Wherefore also He said, "How can ye believe who receive honor from men?" (c. v. 44.) And these who were seeking to kill Him unjustly said that they

HOMILY LVIII.

JOHN ix. 17, 18.