King of Israel," by "in the name of the the Jews. Jesus, then, "found a young ass, Lord" we are rather to understand "in the and sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, name of God the Father," although it might daughter of Zion: behold, thy King cometh, also be understood as in His own name, inas- sitting on an ass's colt.' Among that peomuch as He is also Himself the Lord. As ple, then, was the daughter of Zion to be we find Scripture also saying in another place, found; for Zion is the same as Jerusalem. "The Lord rained [upon Sodom fire] from Among that very people, I say, reprobate the Lord." But His own words are a better and blind as they were, was the daughter of guide to our understanding, when He saith, Zion, to whom it was said, "Fear not, daugh"I am come in my Father's name, and ye ter of Zion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting receive me not: another will come in his own on an ass's colt." This daughter of Zion, name, and him ye will receive." For the who was thus divinely addressed, was amongst true teacher of humility is Christ, who hum- those sheep that were hearing the Shepherd's bled Himself, and became obedient unto voice, and in that multitude which was celedeath, even the death of the cross.3 But He brating the Lord's coming with such religious does not lose His divinity in teaching us hu- zeal, and accompanying Him in such warlike mility; in the one He is the Father's equal, array. To her was it said, "Fear not:" acin the other He is assimilated to us. By that knowledge Him whom thou art now extolling, which made Him the equal of the Father, He and give not way to fear when He comes to called us into existence; and by that in suffering; for by the shedding of His blood which He is like unto us, He redeemed us is thy guilt to be blotted out, and thy life refrom ruin. stored. But by the ass's colt, on which no r man had ever sat (for so it is found recorded in the other evangelists), we are to understand the Gentile nations which had not received the law of the Lord; by the ass, on the other hand (for both animals were brought to the Lord), that people of His which came of the nation of Israel, and was already so far subdued as to recognize its Master's crib. 4. These, then, were the words of praise addressed to Jesus by the multitude, "Hosanna: blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel." What a cross of mental suffering must the Jewish rulers have endured when they heard so great a multitude proclaiming Christ as their King! But what honor was it to the Lord to be King of Israel? What great thing was it to the 6. "These things understood not His disKing of eternity to become the King of men? ciples at the first; but when Jesus was gloriFor Christ's kingship over Israel was not for fied," that is, when He had manifested the the purpose of exacting tribute, of putting power of His resurrection, "then remembered swords into His soldiers' hands, of subduing they that these things were written of Him, His enemies by open warfare; but He was and they had done these things unto Him,' King of Israel in exercising kingly authority that is, they did nothing else but what had over their inward natures, in consulting for been written concerning Him. In short, mentheir eternal interests, in bringing into His tally comparing with the contents of Scripture heavenly kingdom those whose faith, and what was accomplished both prior to and in hope, and love were centred in Himself. Ac- the course of our Lord's passion, they found cordingly, for the Son of God, the Father's equal, the Word by whom all things were made, in His good pleasure to be King of Israel, was an act of condescension and not of promotion; a token of compassion, and not any increase of power. For He who was called on earth the King of the Jews, is in the heavens the Lord of angels. this also therein, that it was in accordance with the utterance of the prophets that He sat on an ass's colt. 7. "The people, therefore, that was with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb, and raised him from the dead, bare record. For this cause the crowd also met Him, for that they heard that He had done this mir5. "And Jesus, when He had found a acle. The Pharisees, therefore, said among young ass, sat thereon." Here the account themselves: Perceive ye that we prevail nothis briefly given: for how it all happened may ing? Behold, the whole world is gone after be found at full length in the other evangel- Him." Mob set mob in motion.5 But why ists. But there is appended to the circum- art thou, blinded mob that thou art, filled stance itself a testimony from the prophets, with envy because the world has gone after to make it evident that He in whom was ful- its Maker?" filled all they read in Scripture, was entirely misunderstood by the evil-minded rulers of 1 Gen. xix. 24. 2 Chap. v. 43. 3 Phil. ii. 8. 4 Matt. xxi. 1-16; Mark xi. 1-11; Luke xix. 29-48. 66 8. "And there were certain Gentiles among them that had come up to worship at the feast: 5 Turba turbavit turbam. 66 66 64 66 the same came therefore to Philip, who was otherwise, He that loveth his life shall lose of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, say it." Do not love for fear of losing; love it ing, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh not here, lest thou lose it in eternity. But and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and what I have said last seems better to corresPhilip tell Jesus." Let us hearken to the pond with the meaning of the Gospel, for Lord's reply. See how the Jews wish to kill there follow the words, And he that hateth Him, the Gentiles to see Him; and yet those, his life in this world shall keep it unto life too, were of the Jews who cried, "Blessed is eternal." So that when it is said in the preHe that cometh in the name of the Lord, the vious clause, He that loveth," there is to be King of Israel." Here, then, were they of understood in this world, he it is that shall the circumcision and they of the uncircumcis- lose it. 'But he that hateth," that is, in/ ion, like two house walls running from differ- this world, is he that shall keep it unto life ent directions and meeting together with the eternal. Surely a profound and strange deckiss of peace, in the one faith of Christ. Let laration as to the measure of a man's love us listen, then, to the voice of the Corner- for his own life that leads to its destruction, stone: And Jesus answered them, saying, and of his hatred to it that secures its preserThe hour is come that the Son of man should vation! If in a sinful way thou lovest it, be glorified." Perhaps some one supposes then dost thou really hate it; if in a way achere that He spake of Himself as glorified, cordant with what is good thou hast hated it, because the Gentiles wished to see Him. then hast thou really loved it. Happy they Such is not the case. But He saw the Gen- who have so hated their life while keeping it, tiles themselves in all nations coming to the that their love shall not cause them to lose it. faith after His own passion and resurrection, But beware of harboring the notion that thou because, as the apostle says, "Blindness in mayest court self-destruction by any such unpart has happened to Israel, until the fullness derstanding of thy duty to hate thy life in of the Gentiles should be come in." Taking this world. For on such grounds it is that occasion, therefore, from those Gentiles who certain wrong-minded and perverted people, desired to see Him, He announces the future who, with regard to themselves, are murfullness of the Gentile nations, and promises derers of a specially cruel and impious charthe near approach of the hour when He should acter, commit themselves to the flames, suffobe glorified Himself, and when, on its con- cate themselves in water, dash themselves summation in heaven, the Gentile nations against a precipice, and perish. This was no should be brought to the faith. To this it is teaching of Christ's, who, on the other hand, that the prediction pointed, "Be Thou ex- met the devil's suggestion of a precipice with alted, O God, above the heavens, and Thy the answer, "Get thee behind me, Satan; for glory above all the earth." Such is the full- it is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord ness of the Gentiles, of which the apostle saith, “Blindness in part is happened to Israel, till the fullness of the Gentiles come in." 9. But the height of His glorification had to be preceded by the depth of His passion. Accordingly, He went on to add, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." But He spake of Himself. He Himself was the grain that had to die, and be multiplied; to suffer death through the unbelief of the Jews, and to be multiplied in the faith of many nations. 66 10. And now, by way of exhortation to follow in the path of His own passion, He adds, "He that loveth his life shall lose it," which may be understood in two ways: He that loveth shall lose," that is, If thou lovest, be ready to lose; if thou wouldst possess life in Christ, be not afraid of death for Christ. Or thy God." To Peter also He said, signifying by what death he should glorify God, "When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not;"4_ where He made it sufficiently plain that it is not by himself but by another that one must be slain who follows in the footsteps of Christ. And so, when one's case has reached the crisis that this condition is placed before him, either that he must act contrary to the divine commandment or quit this life, and that a man is compelled to choose one or other of the two by the persecutor who is threatening him with death, in such circumstances let him prefer dying in the love of God to living under His anger, in such circumstances let him hate his life in this world that he may keep it unto life eternal. 66 66 but just, let him imitate me? "Because implies, and not rather see its disclosure in Christ suffered for us," says the Apostle the words themselves? for when He said, "If Peter, "leaving us an example that we should any man serve me, let him follow me," He follow His steps." Here you have the mean- wished it to be understood just as if He had ing of the words, "If any man serve me, let said, If any man doth not follow me, he servhim follow me. But with what result? what eth me not. And those, therefore, are the wages? what reward? "And where I am,' servants of Jesus Christ, who seek not their He says, there shall also my servant be." own things, but the things that are Jesus Let Him be freely loved, that so the reward Christ's. For "let him follow me" is just of the service done Him may be to be with this: Let him walk in my ways, and not in Him. For where will one be well apart from his own; as it is written elsewhere," He that'! Him, or when will one come to feel himself in saith he abideth in Christ, ought himself also an evil case in company with Him? Hear it so to walk, even as He walked." For he still more plainly: "If any man serve me, ought, if supplying food to the hungry, to do him will my Father honor. And what will it in the way of mercy and not of boasting, be the honor but to be with His Son? For seeking therein nothing else but the doing of of what He said before, "Where I am, there good, and not letting his left hand know what shall also my servant be,' we may under- his right hand doeth; in other words, that stand Him as giving the explanation, when all thought of self-seeking should be utterly He says here, him will my Father honor." estranged from a work of charity. He that For what greater honor can await an adopted serveth in this way serveth Christ, and will son than to be with the Only-begotten; not, have it rightly said to him, “Inasmuch as ye indeed, as raised to the level of His God- did it unto one of the least of those who are head, but made a partaker of His eternity? mine, ye did it unto me."7 And thus doing 12. But it becomes us rather to inquire not only those acts of mercy that pertain to what is to be understood by this serving of the body, but every good work, for the sake Christ to which there is attached so great a of Christ (for then will all be good, because reward. For if we have taken up the idea" Christ is the end of the law for righteousthat the serving of Christ is the preparation ness to every one that believeth ''),' he is of what is needful for the body, or the cook-Christ's servant even to that work of special ing and serving up of food, or the mixing of love, which is to lay down his life for the drink and handing the cup to one at the supper table; this, indeed, was done to Him by those who had the privilege of His bodily presence, as in the case of Martha and Mary, when Lazarus also was one of those who sat at the table. But in that sort of way Christ was served also by the reprobate Judas; for it was he also who had the money bag; and although he had the exceeding wickedness to steal of its contents, yet it was he also who provided what was needful for the meal. And so also, when our Lord said to him, "What thou doest, do quickly," there were some who thought that He only gave him orders to make some needful preparations for the feast-day, or to give something to the poor.3 In no sense, therefore, was it of this class of servants that the Lord said, "Where I am, there shall also my servant be," and "If any man serve me, him will my Father honor;" for we see that Judas, who served in this way, became an object of reprobation rather than of honor. Why, then, go elsewhere to find out what this serving of Christ brethren, for that were to lay it down also for Christ. For this also will He say hereafter in behalf of His members: Inasmuch as ye did it for these, ye have done it for me. And certainly it was in reference to such a work that He was also pleased to make and to style Himself a servant, when He says, "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto [served], but to minister [serve], and to lay down His life for many." Every one, therefore, is the servant of Christ in the same way as Christ also is a servant. And he that serveth Christ in this way will be honored by His Father with the signal honor of being with His Son, and having nothing wanting to his happiness for ever. 66 13. Accordingly, brethren, when you hear the Lord saying, Where I am, there shall also my servant be," do not think merely of good bishops and clergymen. But be yourselves also in your own way serving Christ, by good lives, by giving alms, by preaching His name and doctrine as you can; and every father of a family also, be acknowledging in this name the affection he owes as a parent to his family. For Christ's sake, and for the sake of life eternal, let him be warning, and teaching, and exhorting, and correcting all his household; let him show kindliness, and exercise discipline; and so in his own house he will be filling an ecclesiastical and kind of episcopal office, and serving Christ, that he may be with Him for ever. For even that noblest service of suffering has been rendered by many of your class; for many who were neither bishops nor clergy, but young men and virgins, those advanced in years with those who were not, many married persons both male and female, many fathers and mothers of families, have served Christ even to the laying down of their lives in martyrdom for His sake, and have been honored by the Father in receiving crowns of exceeding glory. 66 TRACTATE LII. 66 1. AFTER the Lord Jesus Christ, in the words hour cometh that the Son of man should be of yesterday's lesson, had exhorted His serv- glorified: if a corn of wheat die, it bringeth ants to follow Him, and had predicted His forth much fruit." I hear this also, He own passion in this way, that unless a corn that hateth his life in this world shall keep it of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abid- unto life eternal." Nor am I permitted eth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much merely to admire, but commanded to imitate, fruit; and also had stirred up those who wished and so, by the words that follow, "If any to follow Him to the kingdom of heaven, to man serve me, let him follow me; and where hate their life in this world if their thought I am, there shall also my servant be," I am was to keep it unto life eternal,-He again all on fire to despise the world, and in my toned down His own feelings to our infirm- sight the whole of this life, however lengthity and says, where our lesson to-day com- ened, becomes only a vapor; in comparison menced, Now is my soul' troubled." with my love for eternal things, all that is Whence, Lord, was Thy soul troubled? He temporal has lost its value with me. And had, indeed, said a little before, "He that now, again, it is my Lord Himself, who by hateth his life [soul] in this world shall keep such words has suddenly transported me from it unto life eternal." Dost thou then love the weakness that was mine to the strength thy life in this world, and is thy soul troubled that was His, that I hear saying, "Now is as the hour approacheth when thou shalt leave my soul troubled." What does it mean ? this world? Who would dare affirm this of How biddest Thou my soul follow Thee if I the soul [life] of the Lord? We rather it was behold Thine own troubled? How shall I enwhom He transferred unto Himself; He took dure what is felt to be heavy by strength so us into His own person as our Head, and as- great? What is the kind of foundation I can sumed the feelings of His members; and so seek if the Rock is giving way? But meit was not by any others He was troubled, but, thinks I hear in my own thoughts the Lord as was said of Him when He raised Lazarus, giving me an answer, saying, Thou shalt fol"He was troubled in Himself." For it be- low me the better, because it is to aid thy hoved the one Mediator between God and power of endurance that I thus interpose. men, the man Christ Jesus, just as He has Thou hast heard, as addressed to thyself, the lifted us up to the heights of heaven, to de- voice of my fortitude; hear in me the voice scend with us also into the lowest depths of of thy infirmity: I supply strength for thy runsuffering. ning, and I check not thy hastening, but I transfer to myself thy causes for trembling, and I pave the way for thy marching along. 2. I hear Him saying a little before, "The 1 The word anima used here, and frequently elsewhere, and corresponding to the Greek xn, denotes "human life," in reference to its internal principle or substance; and differs from "vita" (Gr. Swn), as in the words following above, "unto eternal life" (vitam), which expresses rather the general idea of life in its ex soul, istence, aggregate qualities, and duration. Our English word which best corresponds with anima, is, however, more restricted in the idea which it popularly suggests; and hence, as in our English version of the Scriptures, the apparent confusion, which is unavoidable, in translating anima sometimes by "soul" and sometimes by "life."-TR. 2 Chap. xi. 33: literally, as in margin of English Bible, "He troubled Himself." Lord our Mediator, God above us, man for us, I own Thy mercy! For because Thou, who art so great, art troubled through the good will of Thy love, Thou preservest, by the richness of Thy comfort, the inany in Thy body who are troubled by the continual experience of their own weakness, from perishing utterly in their despair. the dead;-" and I will glorify it again;" when He shall rise from the dead; when death shall have no longer dominion over Him; and when He shall be exalted over the heavens as God, and His glory over all the earth. 3. In a word, let the man who would fol. he should glorify God." Therefore in him, low learn the road by which he must travel. too, did God glorify His name, because thus Perhaps an hour of terrible trial has come, also does He glorify Christ in His members. and the choice is set before thee either to do 4. “Then came there a voice from heaven, iniquity or endure suffering; the weak soul is [saying], I have both glorified it, and will troubled, on whose behalf the invincible soul glorify it again." "I have both glorified it,” [of Jesus] was voluntarily troubled; set then before I created the world," and I will glorify the will of God before thine own. For notice it again," when He shall rise from the dead what is immediately subjoined by thy Creator and ascend into heaven. It may also be and thy Master, by Him who made thee, and otherwise understood. "I have both gloribecame Himself for thy teaching that which fied it," when He was born of the Virgin, He made; for He who made man was made when He exercised miraculous powers; when man, but He remained still the unchangeable the Magi, guided by a star in the heavens, God, and transplanted manhood into a better bowed in adoration before Him; when He was condition. Listen, then, to what He adds to recognized by saints filled with the Holy the words, "Now is my soul troubled." Spirit; when He was openly proclaimed by "And what shall I say? Father, save me from the descent of the Spirit in the form of a this hour: but for this cause came I unto this dove, and pointed out by the voice that hour. Father, glorify Thy name. He has sounded from heaven; when He was transfigtaught thee here what to think of, what to ured on the mount; when He wrought many say, on whom to call, in whom to hope, and miracles, cured and cleansed multitudes, fed whose will, as sure and divine, to prefer to so vast a number with a very few loaves, comthine own, which is human and weak. Imag-manded the winds and the waves, and raised ine Him not, therefore, as losing aught of His own exalted position in wishing thee to rise up out of the depths of thy ruin. For He thought it meet also to be tempted by the devil, by whom otherwise He would never have been tempted, just as, had He not been willing, He would never have suffered; and the answers He gave to the devil are such as thou also oughtest to use in times of temptation.' And He, indeed, was tempted, but not endangered, that He might show thee, when in danger through temptation, how to answer the tempter, so as not to be carried away by the temptation, but to escape its danger. But when He here said, "Now is my soul troubled;" and also when He says, My soul is sorrowful, even unto death; and "Father, if it be possible, let this cup <pass from me;" He assumed the infirmity of 6. Look at what follows: "Now," He says, man, to teach him, when thereby saddened "is the judgment of the world." What, and troubled, to say what follows: "Never- then, are we to expect at the end of time? theless, Father, not as I will, but as Thou But the judgment that is looked for in the wilt." 2 For thus it is that man is turned end will be the judging of the living and the from the human to the divine, when the will dead, the awarding of eternal rewards and of God is preferred to his own. But to what punishment. Of what sort, then, is the judgdo the words "Glorify Thy name" refer, but ment now? I have already, in former lesto His own passion and resurrection? For sons, as far as I could, put you in mind, bewhat else can it mean, but that the Father loved, that there is a judgment spoken of, should thus glorify the Son, who in like man- not of condemnation, but of discrimination; + ner glorifieth His own name in the similar as it is written, "Judge me, O God, and sufferings of His servants? Hence it is re- plead [discern, discriminate] my cause corded of Peter, that for this cause He said against an unholy nation." And many are concerning him, "Another shall gird thee, the judgments of God; as it is said in the and carry thee whither thou wouldest not," be- psalm, "Thy judgments are a great deep." cause He intended to signify “by what death 66 5. "The people therefore that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to Him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes." He thereby showed that the voice made no intimation to Him of what He already knew, but to those who needed the information. And just as that voice was uttered by God, not on His account, but on that of others, so His soul was troubled, not on His own account, but voluntarily for the sake of others. |