Source: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf107.iv.vii.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 06:29:11+00:00

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1. Ye remember, brethren, that yesterday’s lesson was brought to a close at this point, that “ye have no need that any man teach you, but the unction itself teacheth you concerning all things.” Now this, as I am sure ye remember, we so expounded to you, that we who from without speak to your ears, are as workmen applying culture from without to a tree, but we cannot give the increase nor form the fruits: but only He that created and redeemed and called you, He, dwelling in you by faith and the Spirit, must speak to you within, else vain is all our noise of words. Whence does this appear? From this: that while many hear, not all are persuaded of that which is said, but only they to whom God speaks within. Now they to whom He speaks within, are those who give place to Him: and those give place to God, who “give not place to the devil.”21852185 Eph. v. 27. For the devil wishes to inhabit the hearts of men, and speak there the things which are able to seduce. But what saith the Lord Jesus? “The prince of this world is cast out.”21862186 John xii. 31. Whence cast? out of heaven and earth? out of the fabric of the world? Nay, but out of the hearts of the believing. The invader being cast out, let the Redeemer dwell within: because the same redeemed, who created. And the devil now assaults from without, not conquers Him that hath possession within. And he assaults from without, by casting in various temptations: but that person consents not thereto, to whom God speaks within, and the unction of which ye have heard.
2. “And it is true,” namely, this same unction; i.e. the very Spirit of the Lord which teacheth men, cannot lie: “and is not false.21872187 Mendax. Gr. ψεῦδος. Vulg. Mendacium. In the following clause et om. as καὶ in Cod. Alex. In ipsa, Gr. ἐν αὐτῷ, taken as referred to χρίσμα, “in the unction” (Lat. two mss. in ipso.) Vulg. in eo, “in Christ.” Even as it hath taught you, abide ye in the same. And now, little children, abide ye in Him, that when He shall be manifested, we may have boldness in His sight, that we be not put to shame by Him at His coming.”21882188 1 John iii. 27, 28. Ye see, brethren: we believe on Jesus whom we have not seen: they announced Him, that saw, that handled, that heard the word out of His own mouth; and that they might persuade all mankind of the truth thereof, they were sent by Him, not dared to go of themselves. And whither were they sent? Ye heard while the Gospel was read, “Go, preach the Gospel to the whole creation which is under heaven.”21892189 Mark xvi. 15. Universæ, creaturæ. Consequently, the disciples were sent “every where:” with signs and wonders to attest that what they spake, they had seen. And we believe on Him whom we have not seen, and we look for Him to come. Whoso look for Him by faith, shall rejoice when He cometh: those who are without faith, when that which now they see not is come, shall be ashamed. And that confusion of face shall not be for a single day and so pass away, in such sort as those are wont to be confounded, who are found out in some fault, and are scoffed at by their fellowmen. That confusion shall carry them that are confounded to the left hand, that to them it may be said, “Go into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”21902190 Matt. xxv. 31. Let us abide then in His words, that we be not confounded when He cometh. For Himself saith in the Gospel to them that had believed on Him: “If ye shall abide in my word, then are ye verily my disciples.”21912191 John viii. 3l, 32. And, as if they had asked, With what fruit? “And,” saith He, “ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” For as yet our salvation is in hope, not in deed: for we do not already possess that which is promised, but we hope for it to come. And “faithful is He that promised;”21922192 Heb. x. 23. He deceiveth not thee: only do thou not faint, but wait for the promise. For He, the Truth, cannot deceive. Be not thou a liar, to profess one thing and do another; keep thou the faith, and He keeps His promise. But if thou keep not the faith, thine own self, not He that promised, hath defrauded thee.
3. “If ye know that He is righteous, know ye21932193 Scitote Vulg. γινώσκετε as imperative, “hence learn ye to know that, &c.” Were it indicative, “to know that He is righteous is to know that, &c.” probably οἴδατε would have been repeated as in 5, 15, ἂν οἴδαμεν—οἴδαμεν. that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him.”21942194 1 John ii. 29. The righteousness which at present is ours is of faith. Perfect righteousness is not, save only in the angels: and scarce in angels, if they be compared with God: yet if there be any perfect righteousness of souls and spirits which God hath created, it is in the angels, holy, just, good, by no lapse turned aside, by no pride falling, but remaining ever in the contemplation of the Word of God, and having nothing else sweet unto them save Him by whom they were created; in them is perfect righteousness: but in us it has begun to be, of faith, by the Spirit. Ye heard when the Psalm was read, “Begin21952195 Incipite, LXX. ἐξάρξατε. Vulg. præcinite. ye to the Lord in confession.”21962196 Ps. cxlvii. 7. “Begin,” saith it; the beginning of our righteousness is the confession of sins. Thou hast begun not to defend thy sin; now hast thou made a beginning of righteousness: but it shall be perfected in thee when to do nothing else shall delight thee, when “death shall be swallowed up in victory,”21972197 1 Cor. xv. 24. when there shall be no itching of lust, when there shall be no struggling with flesh and blood, when there shall be the palm of victory, the triumph over the enemy; then shall there be perfect righteousness. At present we are still fighting: if we fight we are in the lists;21982198 Stadium. we smite and are smitten; but who shall conquer, remains to be seen. And that man conquers, who even when he smites presumes not on his own strength, but relies upon God that cheers him on. The devil is alone when he fights against us. If we are with God, we overcome the devil: for if thou fight alone with the devil, thou wilt be overcome. He is a skillful enemy: how may palms has he won! Consider to what he has cast us down! That we are born mortal, comes of this, that he in the first place cast down from Paradise our very original. What then is to be done, seeing he is so well practised? Let the Almighty be invoked to thine aid against the devices of the devil. Let Him dwell in thee, who cannot be overcome, and thou shalt securely overcome him who is wont to overcome. But to overcome whom? Those in whom God dwelleth not. For, that ye may know it, brethren; Adam being in Paradise despised the commandment of God, and lifted up the neck, as if he desired to be his own master, and were loath to be subject to the will of God: so he fell from that immortality, from that blessedness. But there was a certain man, a man now well skilled, though a mortal born, who even as he sat on the dunghill, putrifying with worms, overcame the devil: yea, Adam himself then overcame: even he, in Job; because Job was of his race. So then, Adam, overcome in Paradise, overcame on the dunghill. Being in Paradise, he gave ear to the persuasion of the woman which the devil had put into her: but being on the dunghill he said to Eve, “Thou hast spoken as one of the foolish women.”21992199 Job ii. 10. There he lent an ear, here he gave an answer: when he was glad, he listened, when he was scourged, he overcame. Therefore, see what follows, my brethren, in the Epistle: because this is what it would have us lay to heart, that we may overcome the devil indeed, but not of ourselves. “If ye know that He is righteous,” saith it, “know ye that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him:” of God, of Christ. And in that he hath said, “Is born of Him,” he cheers us on. Already therefore, in that we are born of Him, we are perfect.
[“καί ἐσμεν,” Westcott and Hort, “and such we are,” Rev. V. These closing words of ch. iii. 1, wanting in Auth. V.—J.H.M.] For whoso are called sons, and are not sons, what profiteth them the name where the thing is not? How many are called physicians, who know not how to heal! how many are called watchers, who sleep all night long! So, many are called Christians, and yet in deeds are not found such; because they are not this which they are called, that is, in life, in manners, in faith, in hope, in charity. But what have ye heard here, brethren? “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, and should be, the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it hath not known Him, us also the world knoweth not.”22022202 Et nos non cognoscit mundus: a reading of which there are no traces in the mss.: it seems to be an expository gloss: “therefore (because we are sons of God) the world knoweth us not. Namely, because the world knew not Him, it knows not us.” There is a whole world Christian, and a whole world ungodly; because throughout the whole world there are ungodly, and throughout the whole world there are godly: those know not these. In what sense, think we, do they not know them? They deride them that live good lives. Mark well and 484see: for haply there are such also among you. Each one of you who now lives godly, who despises worldly things, who does not choose to go to spectacles, who does not choose to make himself drunken as it were by solemn custom, yea, what is worse, under countenance of holy days to make himself unclean: the man who does not choose to do these things, how is he derided by those who do them!22032203 Supra: add Ep. 29, ad Alypium. Would he be scoffed at if he were known? But why is he not known? “The world knoweth Him not.” Who is “the world”? Those inhabiters of the world. Just as we say, “a house;” meaning, its inhabitants. These things have been said to you again and again, and we forbear to repeat them to your disgust. By this time, when ye hear the word “world,” in a bad signification, ye know that ye must understand it to mean only lovers of the world because through love they inhabit, and by inhabiting have become entitled to the name. Therefore the world hath not known us, because it hath not known Him. He walked here Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh; He was God, He was latent in weakness.22042204 Ed. Ben. places the colon before in carne: “in the flesh He was God, &c.” But [Aug. several times uses ambulare, without an object.—J.H.M.] ambulabat seems to require an object to complete the sense, and the antithesis between erat and latebat is more emphatic when in carne is given to the former clause. So Bodl. 150, Laud. 116. And wherefore was He not known? Because He reproved all sins in men. They, through loving the delights of sins, did not acknowledge the God: through loving that which the fever prompted, they did wrong to the Physician.
5. For us then, what are we? Already we are begotten of Him; but because we are such in hope, he saith, “Beloved, now are we sons of God.” Now already? Then what is it we look for, if already we are sons of God? “And not yet,” saith he, “is it manifested what22052205 Quid erimus. Vulg. τί ἐσόμεθα. Enarr. in Psa. xxxvii. 2, § 8, quod erimus, ὅ τι: so St. Jerome in Epist. Epiphan. “the thing which we shall be is not yet made manifest.” we shall be.” But what else shall we be than sons of God? Hear what follows: “We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.” Understand, my beloved. It is a great matter: “We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” In the first place mark, what is called “Is.” Ye know what it is that is so called. That which is called “Is,” and not only is called but is so, is unchangeable: It ever remaineth, It cannot be changed, It is in no part corruptible: It hath neither proficiency, for It is perfect; nor hath deficiency, for It is eternal. And what is this? “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”22062206 John i. 1. And what is this? “Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.”22072207 Phil. ii. 6. To see Christ in this sort, Christ in the form of God, Word of God, Only-Begotten of the Father, equal with the Father, is to the bad impossible. But in regard that the Word was made flesh, the bad also shall have power to see Him: because in the day of judgment the bad also will see Him; for He shall so come to judge, as He came to be judged. In the selfsame form, a man, but yet God: for “cursed is every one that putteth his trust in man.” 22082208 Jer. xvii. 5. A man, He came to be judged, a man, He will come to judge. And if He shall not be seen, what is this that is written, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced?”22092209 John xix. 37. For of the ungodly it is said, that they shall see and be confounded. How shall the ungodly not see, when He shall set some on the right hand, others on the left? To those on the right hand He will say, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom:”22102210 Matt. xxv. 41. to those on the left He will say, “Go into everlasting fire.” They will see but the form of a servant, the form of God they will not see. Why? because they were ungodly; and the Lord Himself saith, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”22112211 Matt. v. 8. Therefore, we are to see a certain vision, my brethren, “which neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor hath entered into the heart of man:”22122212 1 Cor. ii. 9. a certain vision, a vision surpassing all earthly beautifulness, of gold, of silver, of groves and fields; the beautifulness of sea and air, the beautifulness of sun and moon, the beautifulness of the stars, the beautifulness of angels: surpassing all things: because from it are all things beautiful.
7. “And every one that hath this hope in Him.” Ye see how he hath set us our place, in “hope.” Ye see how the Apostle Paul agreeth with his fellow-apostle, “By hope we are saved. But hope that is seen, is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he hope for? For if what we see not, we hope for, by patience we wait for it.”22192219 Rom. viii. 24, 25. This very patience exerciseth desire. Continue thou, for He continueth: and persevere thou in walking, that thou mayest reach the goal: for that to which thou tendest will not remove. See: “And every one that hath this hope in Him, purifieth22202220 Castificat. himself even as He is pure.”22212221 Castus. See how he has not taken away free-will, in that he saith, “purifieth himself.” Who purifieth us but God? Yea, but God doth not purify thee if thou be unwilling. Therefore, in that thou joinest thy will to God, in that thou purifiest thyself. Thou purifiest thyself, not by thyself, but by Him who cometh to inhabit thee. Still, because thou doest somewhat therein by the will, therefore is somewhat attributed to thee. But it is attributed to thee only to the end thou shouldest say, as in the Psalm, “Be thou my helper, forsake me not.”22222222 Ps. xxvii. 11. If thou sayest, “Be thou my helper,” thou doest somewhat: for if thou be doing nothing, how should He be said to “help” thee?
8. “Every one that doeth sin, doeth also iniquity.”22232223 1 John iii. 4. Lawlessness. Let no man say, Sin is one thing, iniquity another: let no man say, I am a sinful man, but not22242224 Iniquus. a doer of iniquity. For, “Every one that doeth sin, doeth also iniquity. Sin is iniquity.” Well then, what are we to do concerning sins and iniquities? Hear what He saith: “And ye know that He was manifested to take away sin; and sin in Him is not.”22252225 1 John iii. 5. He, in Whom sin is not, the same is come to take away sin. For were there sin in Him, it must be taken away from Him, not He take it away Himself. “Whosoever abideth in Him, sinneth not.”22262226 1 John iii. 6. In so far as he abideth in Him, in so far sinneth not. “Whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him.” A great question this: “Whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him.” No marvel. We have not seen Him, but are to see; have not known Him, but are to know: we believe on One we have not known. Or haply, by faith we have known, and by actual beholding22272227 Specie. have not yet known? But then in faith we have both seen and known. For if faith doth not yet see, why are we said to have been enlightened? There is an enlightening by faith, and an enlightening by sight. At present, while we are on pilgrimage, “we walk by faith, not by sight,”22282228 2 Cor. v. 7. 486or, actually beholding. Therefore also our righteousness is “by faith, not by sight.” Our righteousness shall be perfect, when we shall see by actual beholding.22292229 Per speciem. Only, in the meanwhile, let us not leave that righteousness which is of faith, since “the just doth live by faith,”22302230 Rom. i. 17. as saith the apostle. “Whosoever abideth in Him, sinneth not.” For, “whosoever sinneth, hath not seen Him, neither known Him.” That man who sins, believes not: but if a man believes, so far as pertains to his faith, he sinneth not.
9. “Little children, let no man seduce you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous.”22312231 1 John iii. 7. What, on hearing that we are “righteous as He is righteous,” are we to think ourselves equal with God? Ye must know what means that “as:” thus he said a while ago, “Purifieth himself even as He is pure.” Then is our purity like and equal to the purity of God, and our righteousness to God’s righteousness? Who can say this? But the word “as,” is not always wont to be used in the sense of equality. As, for example, if, having seen this large church, 22322232 Basilica. a person should wish to build a smaller church, but with the same relative dimensions: as, for example, if this be one measure in width and two measures in length, he too should build his church one measure in width and two measures in length: in that case one sees that he has built it “as” this is built. But this church has, say, a hundred cubits in length, the other thirty: it is at once “as” this, and yet unequal. Ye see that this “as” is not always referred to parity and equality. For example, see what a difference there is between the face of a man and its image from a mirror: there is a face in the image, a face in the body: the image exists in imitation, the body in reality. And what do we say? Why, “as” there are eyes here, so also there; “as” ears here, so ears also there. The thing is different, but the “as” is said of the resemblance. Well then, we also have in us the image of God; but not that which the Son equal with the Father hath: yet except we also, according to our measure, were “as” He, we should in no respect be said to be like Him. “He purifieth us,” then, “even as He is pure:” but He is pure from eternity, we pure by faith. We are “righteous even as He is righteous;” but He is so in His immutable perpetuity, we righteous by believing on One we do not see, that so we may one day see Him. Even when our righteousness shall be perfect, when we shall be equal to the angels, not even then shall it be equalled with Him. How far then is it from Him now, when not even then it shall be equal!
10. “He that doeth sin, is of the devil, because the devil sinneth from the beginning.”22332233 1 John iii. 8. “Is of the devil:” ye know what he means: by imitating the devil. For the devil made no man, begat no man, created no man: but whoso imitates the devil, that person, as if begotten of him, becomes a child of the devil; by imitating him, not literally by being begotten of him. In what sense art thou a child of Abraham, not that Abraham begat thee? In the same sense as the Jews, the children of Abraham, not imitating the faith of Abraham, are become children of the devil: of the flesh of Abraham they were begotten, and the faith of Abraham they have not imitated. If then those who were thence begotten were put out of the inheritance, because they did not imitate, thou, who art not begotten of him, art made a child, and in this way shall be a child of him by imitating him. And if thou imitate the devil, in such wise as he became proud and impious against God, thou wilt be a child of the devil: by imitating, not that he created thee or begat thee.
12. The rest I commend to your thoughts, my beloved, that I may not burden you. For the question we labor to solve is even this—that we call ourselves sinners: for if any man shall say that he is without sin, he is a liar. And in the Epistle of this same John we have found it written, “If we say that we 487have no sin, we deceive ourselves.”22362236 1 John i. 8. For ye should remember what went before: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” And yet, on the other hand, in what follows thou art told, “He that is begotten of God sinneth not: he that doeth sin hath not seen Him, neither known Him.—Every one that doeth sin is of the devil:” sin is not of God: this affrights us again. In what sense are we begotten of God, and in what sense do we confess ourselves sinners? Shall we say, because we are not begotten of God? And what do these Sacraments in regard to infants? What hath John said? “He that is begotten of God, sinneth not.” And yet again the same John hath said, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us!” A great question it is, and an embarrassing one; and may I have made you intent upon having it solved, my beloved. Tomorrow, in the name of the Lord, what He will give, we will discourse thereof.
2188 1 John iii. 27, 28.
2189 Mark xvi. 15. Universæ, creaturæ.
2191 John viii. 3l, 32.
2193 Scitote Vulg. γινώσκετε as imperative, “hence learn ye to know that, &c.” Were it indicative, “to know that He is righteous is to know that, &c.” probably οἴδατε would have been repeated as in 5, 15, ἂν οἴδαμεν—οἴδαμεν.
2194 1 John ii. 29.
2195 Incipite, LXX. ἐξάρξατε. Vulg. præcinite.
2197 1 Cor. xv. 24.
2200 1 John iii. 1.
2203 Supra: add Ep. 29, ad Alypium.
2204 Ed. Ben. places the colon before in carne: “in the flesh He was God, &c.” But [Aug. several times uses ambulare, without an object.—J.H.M.] ambulabat seems to require an object to complete the sense, and the antithesis between erat and latebat is more emphatic when in carne is given to the former clause. So Bodl. 150, Laud. 116.
2212 1 Cor. ii. 9.
2216 Phil. iii. 13, 14.
2217 Secundum intentionem. Gr. κατὰ σκοπόν.
2218 1 Cor. ii. 9.
2219 Rom. viii. 24, 25.
2223 1 John iii. 4. Lawlessness.
2225 1 John iii. 5.
2226 1 John iii. 6.
2228 2 Cor. v. 7.
2231 1 John iii. 7.
2233 1 John iii. 8.
2236 1 John i. 8.

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