do not wish to believe in virtue of signs: the centurion, an alien, believed me able to work by a word, and believed before I did it; you, " except ye see signs and wonders, believe not.'" Therefore, if it be so, let them be broken off as proud branches, and let the humble wild olive be grafted; nevertheless, let the root remain, while those are cut off, and these received in their place. Where does the root remain? In the patriarchs. For the people Israel is Christ's own country, since it is of them that He came according to the flesh; but the root of this tree is Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the holy patriarchs. And where are they? In rest with God, in great honor; so that it was into Abraham's bosom that the poor man, on being promoted, was raised after his departure from the body, and in Abraham's bosom was he seen from afar off by the proud rich man. Wherefore the root remains, the root is praised; but the- proud branches deserved to be cut off, and to wither away; and by their cutting off, the humble wild olive has found a place.
6. Hear now how the natural branches are cut off, how the wild olive is grafted in, by means of the centurion himself, whom I have thought proper to mention for the sake of comparison with this ruler. "Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith in Israel; therefore I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and from the west." How widely the wild olive took possession of the earth! This world was a bitter forest; but because of the humility, because of this " I am not worthy — many shall come from the east and from the west." And grant that they come, what shall become of them? For if they come, they are cut off from the forest; where are they to be ingrafted, that they may not wither? " And shall sit down," saith He, "with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob." At what banquet, in case thou dost not invite to ever living, but to much drinking.'' Where, ' ' shall sit down? In the kingdom of heaven. ' ' And how will it be with them who came of the stock of Abraham? What will become of the branches with which the tree was full? What but to be cut off, that these may be grafted in? Show us that they shall be cut off: " But the children of the kingdom shall go into outer darkness." ' 7. Therefore let the Prophet have honor among us, because He had no honor in His own country. He had no honor in His country, wherein He was formed; let Him have honor in the country which He has formed. For in that country was He, the Maker of all, made as to the form of a ser- vant. For that city in which He was made, that Zion, that nation of the Jews He Him- self made when He was with the Father as the Word of God: for " all things were made by Him, and without Him was nothing made." Of that man we have to-day heard it said: " One Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus." ^ The Psalms also foretold, saying, " My mother is Sion, shall a man say." A certain man, the Mediator man be- tween God and men, says, " My mother Sion.'' Why says, " My mother is Sion''? Because from it He took flesh, from it was the Virgin Mary, of whose womb He took upon Him the form of a servant; in which He deigned to appear most humble. ' ' My mother is Sion," saith a man; and/this man, who says, " My mother is Sion," was made in her, became man in her. For He was God before her, and became man in her. He who was made man in her, " Himself did found her; the Most High 3 was made man in her most low." Because "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." "He Himself, the Most High, founded her." Now, because He founded this country, here let Him have honor. The country in which He was born rejected Him; let that country receive Him which He regenerated.
3 Ps. Ixxxiv. 7.
Tractate X\'II.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
Chapter V. 1-18.
I. It ought not to be a matter of wonder that a miracle was wrought by God; the won- der would be if man had wrought it. Rather ought we to rejoice than wonder that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was made man, than that He performed divine works among men. It is of greater importance to our sal- vation wliat He was made for men, than what He did among men: it is more important that He healed the faults of souls, than that He healed the weaknesses of mortai bodies. But as the soul knew not Him by whom it was to be healed, and had eyes in the flesh whereby to see corporeal deeds, but had not yet sound eyes in the heart with which to recognise Him as God concealed m the flesh, He wrought what the soul was able to see, in order to heal that by which it was not able to see.
He entered a place where lay a great multi- tude of sick folk — of blind, lame, withered; and being the physician both of souls and bodies, and having come to heal all the souls of them that should believe, of those sick folk He chose one for healing, thereby to signify unity. If in doing this we regard Him with a commonplace mind, with the mere human understanding and wit, as regards power it was not a great matter that He per- formed; and also as regards goodness He performed too little. There lay so many there, and yet only one was healed, whilst He could by a word have raised them all up. What, then, must we understand but that the power and the goodness was doing what soilils might, by His deeds, understand for their everlasting salvation, than what bodies might gain for temporal health? For that which is the real health of bodies, and which is looked for from the Lord, will be at the end, in the resurrection of the dead. What shall live then shall no more die; what shall be healed shall no more be sick; what shnll be satisfied shall no more hunger and thirst; what shall be made new shall not grow old. But at this time, however, the eyes of the blind, that were opened by those acts of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, were again closed in death; and limbs of the paralytics that re- ceived strength were loosened again in death; and whatever was for a time n\ade whole in mortal limbs came to nought in the cm\: but the soul that believed jiasscd to eternal life. Accordingly, to the soul that should believe, ' whose sins He had come to forgive, to the ' healing of whose ailments He had humbled ; Himself, He gave a significant proof by the ' healing of this impotent man. Of the pro- found mystery of this thing and this proof, so far as the Lord deigns to grant us, while you are attentive and aiding our weakness by prayer, I will speak as I shall have ability. And whatever I am not able to do, that will be supplied to you by Him by whose help I do what I can.
2. Of this pool, which was surrounded with five porches, in which lay a great multitude of sick folk, I remember that I have very often treated; and most of you will with me recol- j lect what I am about to say, rather than gain the knowledge of it for the first time. But it is by no means unprofitable to go back upon : matters already known, that both they who know not may be instructed, and they who do know may be confirmed. Therefore, as being already known, these things must be touched upon briefly, not leisurely inculcated. That pool and that water seem to me to have sig- nified the Jewish people. For that peoples are signified under the name of waters the { Apocalypse of John clearly indicates to us, I where, after he had been shown many \yaters, and he had asked what they were, was answer- ed that they were peoples.' That water, then — namely, that people- -was shut in by the five books of Moses, as by five porches. But those books brought forth the sick, not healed them. For the law convicted, not acquitted sinners. Accordingly the letter, without grace, made men guilty, whom on confessing grace delivered. For this is what the apostle saith: "For if a law had been given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law." Why, then, was the law given? He goes on to say, " P)Ut the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." - What more evident > Have not these words expounded to us both the five porches, and also the multitude of sick folk? The five porches are the law. Why did not the five porches heal the sick folk? Because, "if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have ' Rev. xvii. 15.
2 Gal.
111. 21, 23.
I 12 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate XVII.
been by the law." Why, then, did the porches contain those whom they did not heal? Because " the Scripture hath conchided all under sin, that tne promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."
3. What was done^ then, that they who could not be healed in the porches might be healed in that water after being troubled? For on a sudden the water was seen troubled, and that by which it was troubled was not seen. Thou mayest believe that this was wont to be done by angelic virtue, yet not without some mystery being implied. After the water was troubled, the one who was able cast himself in, and he alone was healed: whoever went in after that one, did so in vain. What, then, is meant by this, unless it be that there, came one, even Christ, to the Jewish people; and by doing great things, by teach- ing profitable things, troubled sinners, troubled the water by His presence, and rous- ed it towards His own death? But He was hidden that troubled. For had they known Him, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory.' Wherefore, to go down into the troubled water means to believe in the Lord's death. There only one was healed, signifying unity: whoever came thereafter was not healed, because whoever shall be outside unity cannot be healed.
4. Now let us see what He intended to sig- nify in the case of that one whom He Him- self, keeping the mystery of unity, as I said before, deigned to heal out of so many sick folk. He found in the number of this man's years the number, so to speak, of infirmity: " He was thirty and eight years in infir- mity." How this number refers more to weakness than to health must be somewhat more carefully expounded. I wish you to be attentive; the Lord will aid us, so that I may fitly speak, and that you may sufficiently hear. The number forty is commended to our attention as one consecrated by a kind of perfection. This, T suppose, is well known to you, beloved. The Holy Scriptures very often testify to the fact. Fasting was conse- crated by this number, as you are well aware. For Moses fasted forty days, and Elias as many; and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ did Himself fulfill this number of fasting. By Moses is signified the- law; by Elias, the prophets; by the Lord, the gospel. It was for this reason that these three appeared on that mountain, where He showed Himself to His disciples in the brightness of His coun- tenance and vesture. For He appeared in the middle, between Moses and Elias, as the I I Cor. ii. 8.
gospel had witness from the law and the pro- phets.^ Whether, therefore, in the law, or in the prophets, or in the gospel, the number forty is commended to our attention in the case of fasting. Now fasting, in its large and general sense, is to abstain from the iniquities and unlawful pleasures of the world, which is perfect fasting: " That, denying ungodhness and worldly lusts, we may live temperately, and righteously, and godly in this present world." What reward does the apostle join to this fast? He goes on to say: " Looking for that blessed hope, and the appearing of the glory of the blessed God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. "3 In this world, then, we celebrate, as it were, the forty days' absti- nence, when we live aright, and abstain from iniquities and from unlawful pleasures. But because this abstinence shall not be without reward, we look for " that blessed hope, and the revelation of the glory of the great God, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ.'" In that hope, when the reality of the hope shall have come to pass, we shall receive our wages, a petmy {denarius). For the same is the wages given to the workers laboring in the vine- yard," as I presume you remember; for we are not to repeat everything, as if to persons wholly ignorant and inexperienced. A dena- rius^ then, which takes its name from the number ten, is given, and this joined with the forty makes up fifty; whence it is that before Easter we keep the Qi/adragesinia with labor, but after Easter we keep the Quinquagesima with joy, as having received our wages. Now to this, as if to the wholesome labor of a good work, which belongs to the number forty, there is added the denarius of rest and happi- ness, that it may be made the number fifty.
5. The Lord Jesus Himself showed this also far more openly, when He companied on earth with His disciples during forty days after His resurrection; and having on the fortieth day ascended into heaven, did at the end of ten days send the^vages, the Holy Ghost. These were done in signs, and by a kind of signs were the very realities antici- pated. By significant tokens are we fed, that we may be able to come to the enduring reali- ties. "We are workmen, and are still labormg in the vineyard: when the day is ended and the work finished, the wages will be paid. But what workman can hold out to the receiving of the wages, unless he be fed while he labors?' Even thou thyself wilt not give thy workman only wages; wilt thou not also bestow on him that where with he may repair his strength in his labor? Surely thou feedest him to 2 Rom. iii. 21.
3 Tit. ii. 12, 13.
4 IMatt. x.\. 10.
Tractate XVII. ] ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
113 whom thou art to give wages. In Hke manner also doth the Lord, in those significant tokens of the Scriptures, feed us while we labor. For if that joy in understanding holy mysteries be withdrawn from us, we faint in labor, and there will be none to come to the reward.
6. How, then, is work perfected in the number forty? The reason, it may be, is, because the law was given in ten precepts, and was to be preached throughout the whole world: which whole world, we are to mark, is made up of four quarters, east and west, south and north, whence the number ten, multiplied by four, comes to forty. Or, it may be, because the law is fulfilled by the gospel, which has four books: for in the gospel it is said, " I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it." Whether, then, it be for this rea- son or for that, or for some other more pro- bable, which is hid from us, but not from more learned men; certain it is, however, that in the number forty a certain perfection in good works is signilied, which good works are most of all practised by a kind of abstinence from unlawful lusts of the world, that is, by fasting in the general sense.
Hear also the apostle when he says, " Love is the fulfilling of the law."' Whence the love? By the grace of God, by the Holy Spirit. For we could not have it from our- selves, as if making it for ourselves. It is the gift of God, and a great gift it is: for, saith he, "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given to us."- Wherefore love completes the law, and most truly it is said, " Love is the per- fecting of the law. ' ' Let us inquire as to this love, in what manner the Lord doth com- mend it to our consideration. Remember what I laid down: I want to explain the num- ber thirty-eight of the years of that impotent man, why that number thirty-eight is one of weakness rather than of health. Now, as I was saying, love fulfills the law. The number forty belongs to the perfecting of the law in all works; but in love two precepts are com- mitted to our keeping. Keep before your eyes, I beseech you, and fix in your memory, what I say; be ye not despisers of the word, that your soul may not become a trodden path, where the seed cast cannot sprout, " and the fowls of the air will come and gather it up.'' Apprehend it, and lay it up in your hearts. The precepts of love, given to us by the Lord, are two: " Thou slialt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind;'" and, " 'I'hou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all phets." 5 With sood the law and the pro- reason did the widow cast "two mites,'' all her substance, into the offerings host of God: take ''two' with pieces of money, for good reason did the the poor man that was wounded by the robbers, for his making whole: with good reason did Jesus spent two days with the Samaritans, to establish them in love. Thus, whilst a cer- tain good thing is generally signified by this number two, most especially is love in its two- fold character set forth to us thereby. If, therefore, the number forty possesses the per- fecting of the law, and the law is fulfilled only in the twin precepts of love, why dost thou' wonder that he was weak and sick, who was short of forty by two?
7. Therefore let us now see the sacred mystery whereby this impotent man is healed by the Lord. The Lord Himself came, the Teacher of love, full of love, "shortening," as it was predicted of Him, " the word upon the earth," •* and showed that tlie law and the prophets hang on two precepts of love. Upon these hung Moses with his number forty, upon these Elias with his; and the Lord brought in this number in His testimony. This im- potent man is healed by the Lord in person; but before healing him, what does He say to him? "Wilt thou be made whole?" The man answered that he had not a man to put him into the pool. Truly he had need of a " man '' to his healing, but that " man '' one who is also God. " For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. "^ He came, then, the Man who was needed: why should the heal- ing be delayed? "Arise," saith He; "take up thy bed, and walk." He said three things: "Arise, Take up thy bed, and AValk." But that "Arise" was not a command to do a work, but the operation of healing. And the man, on being made whole, received two commands: " Take up thy bed, and Walk.'' I ask you, why was it not enough to say, "Walk?" Or, at any rate, why was it not enough to say, "Arise "? For when the man had arisen whole, he would not have remained in the place. Would it not be for the pur- pose of going away that he would have arisen? My impression is, that He who found the man lacking two things, gave him these two pre- cepts: for, by ordering him to do two things, it is as if He filled up that which was lacking.
8. How. then, do we find the two jirecepts of love indicated in these two conmiands of tlie Lord? " 'I'ake up thy bed," saith He, " antl walk." AVhat the two precepts are, my ' Rom. X. 10.
= Koiii. V. 5.
114 THE WORKS OF ST AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate XVII.
brethren, recollect with me. For they ought to be thoroughly familiar to you, and not merely to come into your mind when they are recited by us, but they ought never to be blotted out from your hearts. Let it ever be your supreme thought, that you must love God and your neighbor: "God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself."' These must always be pondered, meditated, retained, practised, and fulfilled. The love of God comes first in the order of enjoying; but in the order of doing, the love of our neighbor comes first. For He who commanded thee this love in two precepts did not charge thee to love thy neighbor first, and then God, but first God, afterwards thy neighbor. Thou, however, as thou dost not yet see God, dost earn to see Him by loving thy neigh- bor; by loving thy neighbor thou purgest thine eye for seeing God, as John evidently says, " If thou lovest not thy brother whom thou seest, how canst thou love God, whom thou dost not see?"' See, thou art told, "Love God." If thou say to me, "Show me Him, that I may love Him;" what shall I answer, but what the same John saith: " No man hath seen God at any time "? And, that you may not suppose yourself to be wholly estranged from seeing God, he saith, "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God.""" Therefore love thy neighbor; look at the source of thy love of thy neighbor; there thou wilt see, as thou mayest, God. Begin, then, to love thy neigh- bor. " Break thy bread to the hungry, and bring into thy house him that is needy with- out shelter; if thou seest the naked, clothe him; and despise not those of the household of thy seed.'' And in doing this, what wilt thou get in consequence? " Then shall thy light break forth as the morning light. ' ' ^ Thy light is thy God, a " morning light " to thee, because Fie shall come to thee after the night of this world: for He neither rises nor sets, because He is ever abiding. He will -be a morning light to thee on thy return, He who had set for thee on thy falling away from Him. Therefore, in this " Take up thy bed," He seems to me to have said, Love thy neigh- bor.
9. But why the love of our neighbor is set forth by the taking up of the bed, is still shut up, and, as I suppose, needs to be expounded: unless, perhaps, it offend us that our neighbor should be indicated by means of a bed, a stolid, senseless thing. Let not my neighbor be angry if he be set forth to us by a thing ^ I John iv. 20.
2 1 John iv. 16.
3 Isa. Iviii. 7, 8.
without soul and without feeling. The Lord Himself, even our Saviour Jesus Christ, is called the corner-stone, to build up two in Himself. He is called also a rock, from which water flowed forth: "And that rock was Christ."'* What wonder, then, if Christ is called rock, that neighbor is called wood ^ Yet not any kind of wood whatever; as neither that was any kind of rock soever, but one from which water flowed to the thirsty; nor any kind soever of stone, but a corner-stone, which in itself coupled two walls coming from differ- ent directions. So neither mayest thou take thy neighbor to be wood of any kind soever, but a bed. Then what is there in a bed, pray? What, but that the impotent man was borne on it; but, when made whole, he carries the bed? What does the apostle say? "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so shall ye fulfill the law of Christ." = Now the law of Christ is love, and love is not fulfilled except we bear one another's burdens. " Forbear- ing," saith he, "one another in love, endeavor- ing to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." * When thou wast weak thy neigh- bor bore thee; thou art made whole, bear thy neighbor. So wilt thou fill up, O man, that which was lacking to thee. " Take up thy bed, then." But when thou hast taken it up, stay not in the place; "walk." By loving thy neighbor, by caring for thy neighbor, dost thou perform thy going. Whither goest thy way, but to the Lord God, whom we ought to love with the whole heart, and with the whole soul, and with the whole mind? For we are not yet come to the Lord, but we have our neighbor with us. Bear him, then, when thou walkest, that thou mayest come to Him with whom thou desirest to abide. Therefore, " take up thy bed, and walk."
10. The man did this, and the Jews were offended. For they saw a man carrying his bed on the Sabbath-day, and they did not blame the Lord for healing' him on the Sab- bath, that He should be able to answer them, that if any of them had a beast fallen into a well, he would surely draw it out on the Sab- bath-day, and save his beast; and so, now they did not object to Him that a man was made whole on the Sabbath-day, but that the man was carrying his bed. But if the heal- ing was not to be deferred, should a work also have been commanded? " It is not lawful for thee," say they, to do what thou art doing, " to take up thy bed." And he, in defence, put the author of his healing before his cen- sors, saying, " He that made me whole, the same said unto me. Take up thy bed, and 4 I Cor, X. 4.
S Gal. vi. 2.
6 Eph. iv. 2.
Tractate XVII.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
115 walk." Should I not take injunction from him from whom I received healing? And they said, "Who is the man that said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? ''