3 John i, 14.
Tractate VII.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
49 feast of God, and let our joy be His word. For He has invited us to His gospel, and He IS our food, than whom nothing is sweeter, if only a man have a healthy palate in his heart.
3. But I imagine, beloved brethren, that you remember that this Gospel is read in order in suitable portions; and I think that it has not escaped you what has lately been treated of, specially the recent matters con- cerning John and the dove. Concerning John, namely, what new thing he learned con- cerning the Lord by means of the dove, although he had already known the Lord. And this was discovered by the inspiration of the Spirit of God, that John indeed already knew the Lord, but that the Lord Himself was to baptize, that the power of baptizing He would not transfer from Himself to any one, this he learned by means of the dove, because it was said to him, " On whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him, this is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." ' What is " This is He "? Not another, although by means of another. But why by means of a dove? Many things were said, and I am not able, nor is there need that I should go over all; — principally, however, to denote peace, because also the trees which were baptized outside, because the dove found in them fruit, it brought to the ark, as you remember the dove sent out by Noah from the ark, which floated on the flood and was washed by baptism, was not submerg- ed. When, then, it was sent forth, it brought an olive branch; but it had not leaves alone, it had also fruit.- This, then, we ought to wish for our brethren who are baptized out- side, that they may have fruit; the dove will not permit them to remain outside, but bring them back to the ark. For the whole of fruit is charity, without which a man is nothing, whatever else he have. And this, which is most fully said by the apostle, we have men- tioned and recounted. For he says, " Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sound- ing brass or a tinkling cymbal; and though I should have all knowledge, and know all mys- teries, and have all prophecy, and should have all faith '' (but in what sense did he say all faith?), "so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I should distribute all my goods to the poor, and though I should give my body to be burned, and have not chnrity, it profiteth me nothing." ^ But in no manner are they able to say that they have charity who divide unity. These things were said: let us see what follows.
4. John bare record because he saw. What record did he bear? " That this is the Son of God." It behoved, then, that He should baptize who is God's only Son, not His adopt- ed son. Adopted sons are the ministers of the only Son: the only Son has power; the adopted, the ministry. In the case that a minister baptizes who does not belong to the number of sons, because he lives evilly and acts evilly, what is our consolation? " This is He which baptizeth."
5. " The next day, John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! " Assuredly, in a special sense, the Lamb; for the disciples were also called lambs: " Behold, I send you as lambs in the midst of wolves.''* They were also called light: "Ye are the light of the world; "5 but in another sense is He called so, concerning whom it was said, " That was the true light, which lighteth every m.an that cometh into the world." ^ In like manner was He called the dove in a special sense, alone without stain, without sin; not one whose sins have been washed away, but One who never had stain. For what? Because John said concerning the Lord, "Behold the Lamb of God," was not John himself a lamb? Was he not a holy man? Was he not the friend of the Bridegroom? Wherefore, with a special meaning, said John of Him, " This is the Lamb of God;" because solely by the blood of this Lamb alone could men be redeemed.
6. My brethren, if we acknowledge our price, that it is the blood of the Lamb, who are they who this day celebrate the festival of the blood of I know not what woman? and how ungrateful are they! The gold was snatched, they say, from the ear of a woman, and the blood ran, and the gold was placed on a pair of scales or on a balance, and the advantage was much on the side of the blood. If the blood of a woman was sufliciently weighty to outweigh the gold, what power to outweigh the world has the blood of the Lamb by whom the world was made? And, indeed, that spirit, I know not who, was pacified by the blood that he should depress the weight. Impure sjiirits knew that Jesus Christ would come, they had heard of His coming from the angels, they had heard of it from the prophets, and they expected it. For if they were not exiiecting it, why did they exclaim, " Wliat have we to do with Thee? art Tliou come before the time to destroy us?
' John i. 33.
^ O en. viu. B-i I.
3 I Cor.
4 Matt. X. 16.
5 Matt.
V. 14.
6 John i. 9.
50 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate VII.
We know who Thou art; the Holy One of God." ' They expected that He would come, but they were ignorant of the time. But what have you heard in the psalm regarding Jerusalem? " For Thy servants have taken pleasure in her stones, and will pity the dust thereof. Thou shalt arise," says he, "and have mercy upon Zion: for the time is come that Thou wilt have mercy upon her."^ When the time came for God to have mercy, the Lamb came. What sort of a Lamb whom wolves fear? What sort of a Lamb is it who, when slain, slew a lion? For the devil is called a lion, going about and roaring, seek- ing whom he may devour.^ By the blood of the Lamb the lion was vanquished. Behold the spectacles of Christians. And what is more: they with the eyes of the flesh behold vanity, we with the eyes of the heart behold truth. Do not think, brethren, that our Lord God has dismissed us without spectacles; for if there are no spectacles, why have ye come together to-day? Behold, what we have said you saw, and you exclaimed; you would not have exclaimed if you had not seen. And this is a great thing to see in the whole world, the lion vanquished by the blood of the Lamb; members of Christ delivered from the teeth of the lions, and joined to the body of Christ. Therefore some spirit or other con- trived the counterfeit that His image should be bought for blood, because he knew that the human race was at some time to be re- deemed by the precious blood. For evil spirits counterfeit certain shadows of honor to themselves, that they may deceive those who follow Christ. So much so, my brethren, that those who seduce by means of amulets, by incantations, by the devices of the enemy, mingle the name of Christ with their incanta- tions: because they are not now able to seduce Christians, so as to give them poison they add some honey, that by means of the sweet the bitter may be concealed, and be drunk to ruin. So much so, that I know that the priest of that Pilleatus was sometimes in the habit of saying, Pilleatus himself also is a Christian. Why so, brethren, unless that they were not able otherwise to seduce Christians?
7. Do not, then, seek Christ elsewhere than where Christ wished Himself to be preached to you; and as He wished Himself to be preached to you, in that fashion hold Him fast, in that manner write Him on your heart. It. is a wall against all the assaults, and against all the snares of the enemy. Do not fear, he does not tempt unless he has been permitted; it is certain that he does nothing unless permitted or sent. He is sent as an I Mark i. 24.
2 Ps. cii. 13, 14.
3 I Pet. V. 8.
evil angel by a power holding him in control: he is permitted when he asks anything; and this, brethren, does not take place unless that the just may be tried, the unjust punished. Why, then, dost thou fear? Walk in the Lord thy God; be thou assured, what He does not wish thee to suffer thou dost not suffer"; what He permits thee to suffer is the scourge of one correcting, not the punishment of one condemning. We are being educated for an eternal inheritance, and do we spurn to be scourged? My brethren, if a boy were to refuse the punishment of cuffs or stripes from his father, would he not be called proud, in- corrigible, ungrateful towards paternal dis- cipline? And for what does an earthly father educate his son? That he may not lose the temporal things which he has acquired for him, which he has collected for him, which he does not wish him to lose, which he who leaves them cannot retain eternally. Fie does not teach a son with whom he is to possess, but one who is to possess after him My brethren, if a father teaches a son who is to succeed him, and teaches him also that he will have to pass through all these things, in same way as he who is admonishing him is destined to pass through them, how do you wish that He educate us, our Father to whom we are not to succeed, but to whom we are to approach, and with whom we are to abide eternally in an inheritance which does not decay nor die, and which no storms can desolate? He is Himself both the inheritance and the Father. Shall we possess Him, and ought we not to undergo training? Let us hear the instruction of the Father. When our head aches, let us not have recourse to the superstitious inter- cessor, to the diviners and remedies of vanity. My brethren, shall I not mourn over you? Daily do I find these things; and what shall I do? Not yet have I persuaded Christians that their hope ought to be placed in God. Behold, if one dies to whom one of these remedies has been given (and^how many have died with remedies, and how many have lived without them!), with what confidence does the spirit go forth to God? He has lost the sign of Christ, and has received the sign of the devil. Perhaps he may say that he has not lost the sign of Christ. Thou canst have, then, the sign of Christ along with the sign of the devil. Christ does not desire commu- nity of ownership, but He desires to possess alone what He has purchased. He has bought at so great a price that He may possess alone: thou makest Him the partner of that devil to whom thou didst sell thyself by thy sin. " Woe to the double-hearted,"'* to those who in 4 Ecclus. ii. 12.
Tractate VII.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
51 their hearts give part to God and part to the devil. God, being angry that the devil has part there, departs, and the devil will possess the whole. Not in vain, therefore, says the apostle, "Neither give place to the devil."' Let us know the Lamb, then, brethren; let us know our price.
8. " John stood, and two of his disciples.'' Behold two of John's disciples: since John, the friend of the Bridegroom, was such as he was, he sought not his own glory, but bore witness to the truth. Did he wish that his disciples should remain with him and not fol- low the Lord? Rather he himself showed his disciples whom they should follow. For they accounted of him as though he were the lamb; and he said, " Why do you give heed to me? I am not the lamb; behold the Lamb of God," of whom also he had already said. Behold the Lamb of God. And what benefit does the Lamb of God confer upon us? " Behold, ' ' he says, " who taketh away the sin of the world.-" The two who were with John followed Him when they heard this.
9. Let us see what follows: "Behold the Lamb of God." This John said, and the two disciples heard him speak, and followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned and saw them following, and saith unto them, "What seek ye? " And they said, " Rabbi (that is to say, being interpreted. Master), where dwellest Thou?" They did not follow Him in such manner as that they should cleave to Him; for it is plain when they clave unto Him, for He called them from the ship. For one of the two was Andrew, as you have just heard, and Andrew was the brother of Peter; and we know from the Gospel that the Lord called Peter and Andrew from the ship, saying, "Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men." "^ And from that time they clave unto Him, so as not to go away. On the present occasion these two followed Him, not as those who were not again to leave Him, but to see where He dwelt, and to fulfill the Scripture: "Let thy foot wear out the threshold of His doors; arise to come to Him continually, and be instructed in His pre- cepts." ^ He showed them wliere He dwelt: they came and remained with Him. What a blessed day they spent, what a blessed night! Who can make known to us those things which they heard from the Lord? Let us also build in our heart, and make a house into which He may come and teach us, and have converse with us.
10. "What seek ye?" They said unto Him, " Rabbi (which is to say, being interpreted, INLaster), where dwellest Thou? He says to them, Come and see. And they came and saw where He dwelt, and abode with Him that day: and it was about the tenth hour." Do we think that it did in no wise pertain to the evangelist to tell us what hour it was? Is it possible that he wished us to give heed to nothing in that, to inquire after nothing? It was the tenth hour. That number signifies the law, because the law was given in ten commandments. But the time had come for the law to be fulfilled by love, because it could not be fulfilled by the Jews by fear. Hence the Lord says, " I am not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill."'' Suitably, then, at the tenth hour did these two follow Him, at the tes- timony of the friend of the Bridegroom, and that He at the tenth hour heard " Rabbi (which is interpreted. Master)." If at the tenth hour the Lord heard Rabbi, and the tenth number pertains to the law, the master of the law is no other than the giver of the law. Let no one say that one gave the law, and that an- other teaches the law: for the same teaches it who gave it; He is the Master of His own law, and teaches it. And mere}' is in His tongue, therefore mercifully teacheth He the law, as it is said regarding wisdom, " The law and mercy doth she carry in her tongue, "s Do not fear that thou art not able to fulfill the law, flee to mercy. If thou canst not fulfill the law, make use of that covenant, make use of the bond, make use of the prayers which the heavenly One, skilled in the law, has ordained and composed for you.
II. For those who have a cause, and wish to supplicate the emperor, seek for some one skilled in the law, and trained in the schools, to compose their petition for them; lest per- chance, if they ask in an unbecoming manner, they not only do not obtain what they seek, but get punishment instead of a benefit. When, therefore, the apostles sought to peti- tion, and could not fincl how to approach the Emperor God, they said unto Christ, " Lord, teach us to pray;" that is to say, "O thou who art our skilled One in the law, our As- sessor, yea, the Concessor of God, compose for us prayers." And the Lord taught them from the book of the celestial law, taught them how to pray; and in that which He taught. He laid down a certain condition: " Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our j debtors." * If thou seekest not according to the law, thou becomest guilty. Dost tliou not tremlile before the Emperor, having be- come guilty? Offer the sacrifice of humility, offer the sacrifice of mercy; pray, saying.
Eph.
27- 2 Matt. iv. 19.
4 Miitt. V. 17.
5 Prov. x.xxi. 26.
6 Luke xi. 1-4.
52 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate VIT.
Forgive me, for I also forgive. But if tiiou sayest, do. For what wilt thou do? whither wilt thou go if thou hast lied in thy prayers? Not as it is said in the forum, thou shalt lose the benefit of the rescript; but thou shalt not obtain a rescript. For it is the law of the forum that he who shall have lied in his peti- tion shall derive no benefit from that which he has obtained. But this among men, be- cause a man can be deceived: the emperor might have been deceived, when thou didst address to him thy petition; for thou saidest what thou wouldest, and he to whom thou didst speak knew not whether it was true or false; he sent thee away to thy adversary to be confuted if possible, so that if before the judge thou shouldest be convicted of false- hood (because he was not able not to grant the rescript, not knowing whether thou hadst lied), thou shouldest lose the benefit of the rescript, in the place to which thou hadst taken it. But God, who knows whether thou liest or speakest the truth, does not cause thee to lose in the judgment the benefit, but does not permit thee to obtain it, because thou hast dared to lie to the Truth.
12. What, then, wilt thou do? Tell me. To fulfill the law in every part, so as to offend in nothing, is difiicult: the condition of guilt is therefore certain; wilt thou refuse to use the remedy? Behold, my brethren, what a remedy the Lord hath provided for the sick- nesses of the soul! What then? When thy head aches, we praise thee if thou placest the gospel at thy head, instead of having recourse to an amulet. For so far has human weak- ness proceeded, and so lamentable is the estate of those who have recourse to amulets, that we rejoice when we see a man who is upon his bed, and tossed about with fevers and pains, placing his hope on nothing else than that the gospel lies at his head; not be- cause it is done for this purpose, but because the gospel is preferred to amulets. If, then, it is placed at the head to allay the pain of the head, is it not placed at the heart to heal it from sin? Let it be done then. Let what be done? Let it be placed at the heart, let the heart be healed. It is well, — well that thou shouldest have no further care regarding the safety of the body, than to ask it from God. If He knows that it will do thee good. He will give it thee; if He give it not to thee, it would not have profited thee to have it. How many are sick in bed, and for that reason are inno- cent! for if they were to recover, they would go forth to commit acts of wickedness. To how many is health an injury! The robber who goes forth to the narrow pnth to slay a man, how much better for him would it have been to have been sick! And he who rises by night to dig through his neighbor's wall, how much better for him to be tossed by fever! If he were ill, he would have been comparatively, innocent; being well, he is guilty of wickedness. It is known, then, to God what is expedient for us: let us make this only our endeavor, that our hearts be whole from sins; and when it happens that we are scourged in the body, let us pray to Him for relief. The Apostle Paul besought Him that He would take away the thorn in his flesh, and He would not. Was he disturbed? Was he filled with sadness, and did he speak of himself as deserted? Rather did he say that he was not deserted, because that was not taken away which he desired to be taken away, to the end that infirmity might be cured. For this he found in the voice of the Physi- cian, " My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness,"' Whence knowest thou, then, that God does not wish to heal thee? As yet it is expedient for thee to be scourged. Whence knowest thou how diseased that is which the physician cuts, using his knife on the diseased parts? Does he not know the measure, what he is to do, and how far he is to do it? Does the shrieking of him he cuts restrain the hands of the physician cutting according to his art? The one cries, the other cuts. Is he cruel who does not listen to the man crying out, or is he not rather merciful in following the wound, that he may heal the sick man? These things have I said, my brethren, in order that no one seek any other aid than that of God, when we happen to be under the reproof of God. See that ye perish not; see that ye do not depart from the Lamb, and be devoured by the lion. 13. We have declared, then, why it was at the tenth hour. Let us see what follows: "One of the two which heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew. Simon Peter's brother. He findeth his ovvn brother Simon, and saith unto him. We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ." Messias, in Hebrew; Christ, in Greek; in Latin, Anointed. Xplapa is anoint- ing in Greek; Christ, therefore, is the Anoint- ed. He is peculiarly anointed, pre-eminently anointed; wherewith all Christians are anointed. He is pre-eminently anointed. Hear how He speaks in the psalm: "Wherefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows." For all the holy ones are His fellows, but He in a pecu- liar sense is the Holy of Holies, peculiarly anointed, peculiarly Christ.
I 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9.
Tractate VII.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
14. "And he brought him to Jesus; and when Jesus beheld him, He said, Thou art Simon the son of Joannes: thou shalt be call- ed Cephas, which is, by interpretation, Peter." It is not a great thing that the Lord said whose son Peter was. What is great to the Lord? He knew all the names of His own saints, whom He predestinated before the foundation of the world; and dost thou wonder that He said to one man, Thou art the son of this man, and thou shalt be called this or that? Is it a great matter that He changed his name, and converted it from Simon to Peter.'' Peter is from petra, a rock, but the petra [rock]; is the Church; in the name of Peter, then, was the Church figured. And who is safe, unless he who builds upon the rock? And what saith the Lord Himself.'' "Lie that heareth these my words, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man building his house upon a rock" (he doth not yield to temptation). " The rain descended, the floods came, the winds blev/, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth my words, and doeth them not " (now let each one of us fear and beware), " I will liken him to a fool- ish man, who built his house upon the sand: the rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."' What profit is it to enter the Church for him who builds upon the sand? For, by hearing and not doing, he builds indeed, but on the sand. For if he hears nothing, he builds nothing; but if he hears, he builds. But we ask, Where? For if he hears and does, he builds upon the rock; if he hears and does not, he builds upon the sand. There are two kinds of builders, those building upon the rock, and those building upon the sand. What, then, are those who do not hear? Are they safe? Does He say that they are safe be- cause they do not build? They are naked beneath the rains, before the winds, before the floods; when these come, they carry away those persons before they overthrow the houses. It is then the only security, both to build, and to build upon the rock. If thou wilt hear and do not, thou bulkiest; but thou buildest a ruin: and when temptation comes it overthrows the house, and carries away thee with the ruin. But if thou dost not hear, thou art naked; thou thyself art dragged away by those temptations. Hear, then, and do; it is the only remedy. How many, per- chance, on this day, by hearing and not deling, are hurried away on the stream of this festi-