Chapter 19
IV. Spirit, ind made Partaker of the Divine
i but its iour not iuffi-
c , Dcommon (hare of Know-
ire in proportion that
r Chriil theHeaven-
.; /.:. is : Caft off
. out fro;:: the L ore it
in lull get up and
rtage even t againft
And againft
lie his : Giacc
■ . , doesSin yet make Head our
: inks
- . . : . :. . • ...
- I
K-.- ... c:: r. irx,
g/Macarius the Egyptian. 217
We mufl therefore Strive, and with the ut-
3 ft Prudence take due Care that we alio Work
out our and * Trembling.' *
Whofoever therefore you are, that I2-
made Partakers of the Spirit of Chrift, Lock up-
on your -felves in no cafe whate er
Small, or Great, to be above Advice 3 Neither
do any Deipite to the Spin: of Grace, tha: you
mav never be Excluded from the Life, which
have been made to Partake of.
But I will Repeat this udj Bocot Cha-
racter. As a Servant that :s taken into a Pa^
to take care fuppofe of the Plate in daily □ ■*,
of the King's Gooes, for : , _ . -
thing with him, and ferves the King in
Royal Platen . he need of gr-
and Judgment, that he may be gouty c " NoW -
takes in Waiting, by Confounding Danes, and
~g down one upon the Sovereign's Table in-
ftead of another, but Place both the Firil and
Lail Courfe in the Exact Order. But if thro'
Ignoranc. of Judgment h not
the King in nice Order, it is as much /.ace
:h. Thus alio the Soul that
Miniilers to God in Grace and the Spirit, ltands
in need of no lmall Difcretion and Knowle:
that it be not Miflakcn about the jrod,
or in the Ser Spirit, as not havir.r
own Will Harmonizing with Grace For
fometimes known, that in : hftratior. :
the Spirit, which is performed after an hidden
manner by th
Lord own, that is, with
own S ithont H:f
J race, it is Impouible for any one
Serve God -s \ mean, to Perform .
2i8 The Spiritual Homilies
God Acceptably in all Refpe&s. And when a
Man has even Receiv'd Grace, even then is there
. Need of much Underftanding and Difcernment
«jame$ i-(wjjich too themfelves are the i Gifts of God,
which He beftows upon the Soul that Seeks
them of Him) that he may Minifter Acceptably
to Him in the Spirit which he Receives, and in
no one Inftance be [ * Surpriz'd ] by Sin, and
Supplanted thro' Ignorance, Raihnefs, or Neg^
left, having Turn'd afide, and Perform'd the
Lord's Will in any other manner than what is
Fitting 5 fince Punifhment, and Death, and Sor-
row are fure to be the Confequence to fuch a
* i Cor. ix. Soul, which the Divine r Apoftle alfo mentions,
*7- Left that by any means when I have Preached to
other s^ I my felf Jhould be a Caft-away. You fee
what Apprehenfion he was in, tho' an Apoftle
of God.
Let us therefore Beg of God, that We, as
many of us as have been Partakers of his Grace,
may Minifter Acceptably in the Service of the
Spirit, according to his Will, and not live toge-
ther with Thoughts of mutual Contempt for
each other : That thus having our Converfation
fo as to be Accepted of Him, and Serving him
according to his Will with a Spiritual Service,
we may Inherit Eternal Life.
A Man is CompaJJed with Infirmity ^ and yet
happens to have fome Members of his Body per-
fectly Sound, the Eye perhaps for Sight, or any-
other Member, but all the reft are Seniibly De-
cay'd. So alfo is it in the Spiritual State. It is
very likely that a Man may have three Members
of the Spirit Sound, but he is not therefore Per-
* The Printed Copies read k^*?, Seiz'd, or Heldfafi ; but
the Manufcript rXccn-r,, Surpri&d, which ieems to Suit beft with
the Author's Intention.
feft.
a/Macarius the Egyptian. 219
feft. You fee what different Meafurcs and De-
grees there are of the Spirit, and how Sin does
by Piece-meal both Grow and Decreafe, and not
all at once. The Whole Providence and Dif-
penfation of the Lord, both the Riling of the
Sun, and All the Creatures, were All made for
the fake of the Kingdom, which the Elect are to
Inherit, that it may be a Kingdom made up of
Peace and Concord.
Chriftians therefore ought to Strive for the
Maftery in all things, and never pafs a Judgment
upon any one, not even a Common Proflitute,
nor Notorious Sinners, or the Diforderly j but
to look upon all Mankind with a Simplicity of
Intention, and an Eye of Purity, that it may be-
come Natural to a Man, and Riveted into him,
to fet No man at Nought, neither to Condemn,
or Abhor any one, nor even to make a Diffe-
rence between thePerfons of Men. Should you
fee a Man with but One Eye, don't you except
againft him in your Heart, but pay the very fame
Regard to him as if he had no Blemifh at all.
Look upon a Man that is Maim'd in his Hand,
as if he was not # Maim'd $ upon the Lame, as
if he went Upright ; and upon the Paralytic, as
if he were in perfect Health. For this is true
Purity of Heart, when you behold the Sinful,
or Infirm, to Sympathize with them, and mew
Mercy towards them. For it fo fills out, that
even the Saints of the Lord Sit down in the
r Watch-Towers, and view the [^ Error and~\ 'Compare
Deceit of the World, and they do after the In- Hab- "• \ ■ •
ward man Speak with God, but in the Out- Z'lJ,;
* ■ AAAVll. I 4*
* The Manufcript reads KvMdffyo*.
t The Manufcript here inferts arA** «}.
ward
220 The Spiritual Homilies
ward do they Appear to % Mankind but as Spec-
tators of what pailes in the World.
The Men of the World therefore derive one
kind of Influence from the Spirit of Error, tq
Relifh the things of the Eart^. But Chriftians
have quite a different Inclination, and a Mind as
different , they belong to another World, and
another City. For the Spirit of God holds
*", John i.f Communion with their Souls, and they * Tread
3- . down the Adverfary under their Feet. For it is
•PR xci.v written, The Laft Enemy that is Deftroyed is
*iCor\xv.Death- F°r tney that Worfhip God are Lords
26. of AIL But then again, they that are SluggifTi in
Faith, and the downright Sinners, are .the Slaves
of # All , and the Fire Burns them, and the
"Compare11 Stone y and the w Sword Slay them, and in the
Ecclef. yi.upiliot of All fhall the Devils have the Domi-
21 with njon oyer them#
ij. \T.' Queft.' In the Refurreclion jhall All the Mem-
*Heb. iv. bers Rife?
12. Anfw. With God All things are Eafie, and
He has fo Promis'd. But to the Weaknefs and
*A&sxvii.x Reafoning of Man does this appear as a thing
18. -|- Impoflible. For as God taking from the y Dull
rGen.ii7.and the Earth, Erected as it were another kind of
Nature, Not refembling the Earth at all, and Dif-
* Inftead of 0 dtaX^toJg, as in the Printed Copies, the Manu-
fcript reads a-v^-^Vg/s.
* The Manuscript «A»s for reads 'ixuu
f It is very well known, that in Fa£t Perfons of the very
Firft Character fcr Senfe and Wifdom among the Heathens,
have not only pronounc'd the KeJurreB'ton a thing Impoflible
eiren for Divine Power to Effect, but concluded that the Body-
in Reality was no True Part of Man, but only the Priibn of
Lapsd Souls. And when once fome fubtleDifputants had per-
piex'd the Egyptian Reclufes with their Objections againft this
Article of Faith, which none of them could Solve, our Author
was Forc'd to put an End to the Conteft by Raifing one a&u-
ally from the Dead. See the Introduction, p. f ^
tinguifli'd
a/Macarius the Egyptian. in
tinguinYd it into feveral Sorts, fuch as Hair, and
Skin, and Bones, and Nerves. And in the fame
manner as the Needle thrown into the Fire, Al-
ters its Colour quite, and is Chang'd into Fire -y
(the Nature indeed of the Iron is not taken a-
way, but Retains its former Confiftency : ) So
alfo in the Refurrection, the Members are Rais'd
entire, neither does the Hair PeriJJ^ as it is
2 written. And they have All the Appearance of7' Compare
Light j they are Drench'd in Light and a Fire, ^f^jj^l
and Chang'd indeed funiciently, but not fo taken xxi- l8
to pieces, as fome maintain, and fo perfectly be- a Marl: i:.\
come Fire, that there fhould be no Remains of 49-
their Proper Nature. For Peter is Peter ftill, and
Paul Paul^ and Philip as much Philip as ever.
Every one remains in his Proper Nature and Per-
fon Fill'd with the Spirit.
But if you fay, that Nature is quite diflblv'd,
that Peter and Paul are no more, but that Alto-
gether and Every where is Gcd -, and that nei-
ther they th:;t are gone into Keli are Senflble of
their * Puniihrnent, nor they that are entred into
the Kingdom of the f Benefit : A.s if we mould
fuppofe a Garden that had Fruit-Trees of all
Kinds, and there was the Pear, or the Apple,
and the Vine, bearing both Fruit and Leaves,
but it mould fo fall cut that the Garden, and all
the Trees and Leaves mould be Chang'd, and
Turn'd into a different Nature, and whatever
they were before., they have now one common
* This is plainly an Objection, which is Anfwer'd, if at all,
but fomething Abruptly (for want, I fufpeft, of fome more
Antient Copy.) But it may be Softned perhaps by faying,
that at the RefurrefVJon the Milery of the Damn'd, and the
Happinefs of the BiefTed will both be fuch, that by a Common
andUniverfal Sympathy, Pcrfons mail not be fenfible of their
own particular Lot or Portion, as Divided from that of the
Community. But this perhaps may feem too Loofe and Wide
to fignify very Much at the Beit.
i Appear^
221 The Spiritual Homilies
Appearance of Light : Even Thus are Men
Chang'd in the Refurrection, and their Members
are Holy, and in the Form of Light.
The Men of God ought therefore to Prepare
themfelves for the Battle and the Fight. And
as the Brave Youth that Endures the Scuffle and
the Blows that are laid thick upon him, and Re-
turns them every one : So ought Chriflians alfo to
b2Cor.vii.Bear Affliffcions, both thofe ^from Without, and
the b Interiour Wars ; that however Beaten, they
may thro' Patience come off with Victory. For
the Beaten Track of Chriflianity is exactly Thus.
For wherever the Holy Spirit is, there prefently
c Compare follows [as a # Shadow to it] Perfecution and
Eccle£ 11. a Fight. You fee the Prophets, how they were
Mat.Tii Perfecuted by their Kindred from flrft to laft }
I7.* when yet the Holy Spirit Operated in them.
— iv. i. You fee how the Lord, who is the ^ Way and the
djohnxiv. Truths was Perfecuted, not by a Foreign Nation,
6' but by his Own, by his own Peculiar Tribe in
Ifrael {Judalo] was He Perfecuted and Crucified.
And in like manner the Apoflles. For from the
time of the Crofs, the Spirit of Comfort \ De-
fended, and came upon Chriflians. No Jews ever
after Suffer'd Perfecution, nor were there any but
Chriftian Martyrs. Wherefore Chriflians ought
• i Pet. iv. mt to e think it Strange. But there is an abfolute
I2- Neceflity for it, that the Truth mould Suffer
Perfecution.
Quefl. Some maintain^ that Sin enters from
Without y and that Man, // he pleafeS) Admits
it not) but Rejects it.
* The Paris Edition omits thefe Words h«v cita. But fince
both the Manufcripts and all the other Printed Copies have it, I
thought it Beft to Retain them.
t The Printed Copies, and the running Text of the JVIanu-
fcript read mtHjX^, but the Margin of the Manufcript <cxt*x6u
Anpw,
a/Macarius the Egyptian. 223
Anfw. As the Serpent that ipoke to Eve Out-
wardly, by her Ready Obfervance gain'd Admif-
fion Within > fo even naw, by the Compliance
of Man, is Sin Introduc'd, tho' Foreign to him.
For Sin has Full Commiflion and Liberty to En-
ter the Heart. For neither are the Thoughts
from Without, but from the Heart Within. For
faith the Apoitle, f I will that Men Pray without* iTim.ii.
Wrath and IVicked Reafonings. For xhz ?> Thought s^% Mat*xv
according to the Gofpel, proceed out of the Heart. ,^
Get thee then to Prayer, and Examine well thy
Heart and Mind, and be thou Defirous to Send up
thy Prayer to God Pure, and Watch * Narrow-
ly, if there be nothing to Hamper jfo whether
thy Prayer be Pure, whether thy Mind be Per-
fectly Intent upon the Lord, as that of the Huf-
bandman h upon his Hufbandry, and that of ahLuk.xhr;
Married Man upon his Wife, and the Merchant lS— :2°*
upon his Merchandize; Whether thou Bend thy^^im"
Knees in Prayer, and Others do not ' Snatch ^
away thy Thoughts.
But fay you, the Lord is Come, and by his Crofs
hath Condemn'd Sin, and it is now Within no lon-
ger. But yet as a Soldier that has put up his Chariot
in any one's Houfe, has Power at Will to Come
In and Out at that Houfe : fo even Sin has Hill
the Liberty of Reaibning in thy Heart. For it
is written, k Satan entrcd into the Heart rfJuQass Lu.xxii.
But if you ftand in it, that by the Coming of 3-
Chrift, Sin was Condemn'd., ana that what is
Evil after Baptifm has no farther Pafture to Sup-
ply it with Rcr.foning in the Heart : Are you ig-
norant ( let me a(k you ) how Many from the
Coming of our Lord to this very nne have been
Baptiz'd, and yet at times been Troubled with
Wicked Thoughts ? Or have not fome of them
* The Manufcript indeed and P^mGopy omit i^ai^'iras.
i Turn'd
224 The Spiritual Homilies
Turn'd afide to Vain-Glory, or Fornication, or
Gluttony ? But are all the Men of the World^
that are within the Pale of the Church, of a
Heart Pure and Blamelefs ? Or do we find that
after Baptifm many Sins are Committed, and
that actually Many do Sin? The Thief therefore,
even after Baptifm, meets with Encouragement to
Break into and do what he pleafes. For it is writ*
[ Deut. ?i. ten, l Thou Jbalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy
f\ Heart. But thou fay'ft, I do Love Him, and I
have the Holy Spirit. Have you Him then, pray,
frefh in your Mind ? and have you a Love in
good Earneft, and a Burning Defire after the
Lord ? And does This hold you Night and Day ?
For if you really have a Love like This, then are
You Pure. But if you have it not, be you ftill
Enquiring on, whenever any thing of Earthly
matters, or Bafe wicked Thoughts comes in
your way, whether your Inclinations do not Lean
towards it, but that your Soul is ever forcibly
mjohn vi.m Drawn to the Love and Defire of God. For
44- the Thoughts of the World Drag the Mind
down to Earthly and Corruptible things, and
Suffer it not to Love God, or Keep the Lord in
Memory. And often again an Illiterate Perfon
goes to Prayer, and Bends his Knee, and his
Mind enters into Reft, and in proportion as he
Digs and goes Deeper, the Wall of Sin that
ftands in his Way is Broken down, and he is Ad-
n i Cor. i. mitted to Vifion and Wifdom, where the n Migh-
z6- ty, and the Wife, and the Men of Eloquence, are
• i Cor. ii. not able to ° Comprehend or Know the Subli-
14. mated State of his Mind, becaufe he is wholly
taken up with Divine Myfteries. For fo too he
that is UnfkilPd in Pearls, knows not how to
Rate them, for want of Experience in them.
Wherefore Chriftians alfo have their Averfion
* Phil. Hi. for the Glittering things of the Earth, and v Count
3- them
a/Macarius the Egyptian. 22 j
them but as Dung in Comparifon of the Majefty
whofe Influence they feel within them.
Quefl. Can a Man Fall that has the Gift of
Grace ?
Anfw. If he grow Carelefs, he certainly Falls.
For his Enemies are7 never Idle, or Backward* lPet-v-
in the War. How much more then ought you
never to Dcfift from Seeking after God? For the
Damage which you Suitain by your Neglect is
exceeding Great, tho' you may Seem to be Even
Approv'd in the Myftery of Grace.
Quell. Does Grace continue after a Man has
TalVn?
Anfci. God is defirous to Brings Man back
again to Life, and Exhorts him to Return
^gain to Weeping and Repentance. But if it
even continues, it is again to [make * thee
a more fecure Labourer^ by Repenting of thofe
things in which -f- you have formerly Tranf*
grefs'd.
Queft. Are the Perfect liable to Affliction or
JVar^ or are they Entirely Free from Care ?
Anfiu. An Enemy never Refpites any from the
War. And Satan is perfectly void of Mercy,
and a downright Hater of Mankind. Where-
fore neither is he Backward to Set upon any
Man whatever, but he does not appear how-
ever to Attack all in the fame Meafure and De-
gree. For even the Head Officers and Lieu-
tenants pay their refpective Tributes to the
Sovereign. But He himfelf trading to his
Wealth, and to his Gold, and to his Sit
* In the Manufcript thefc Words ■sryo-x.XewrxA fCtctrxron-
9-eu 7tv ccvSgairot are Blotted out by a Hand Something diffe-
rent, and inftead of them are thefe inferted, viz. <rt •srotys-cti
f The Manufcript reads irXtufteXr,? x$.
CL verj
li6 The Spiritual Homilies
ver, Levies Contributions, as it'Tvere out of his
Superfluities, and thinks it No Injury. For as
he that giveth x^lms, never thinks it any Lofs to
him : So Satan alfo looks upon all this as a kind
of Overplus. But there is a poor Man, that
is even deftitute of daily Food, this Man is
Beaten and Tormented, as not able to Anfwer
the Demands made upon him. There- is alfo
one that is hard Prefs'd and Tormented, but yet
does not die neither. And there is another, that
even for a flngle Expreilion is order'd to lofe his
Head, and Dies. So among Chriftians alio are
there Some that are Warr'd upon with Vigour,
and Diftrefs'd by Sin. And yet they are Hardned
to the War, and grow Wife, defpifmg the Ad-
verfc Power 5 nor have they on this fide any
Danger, becaufe they are pail Falling, and Se-
eur'd of their Salvation, as having been often
Exercis'd in the War of Sin, and gain'd Ample
Experience. Having withal God with them,
they are under his Guidance, and are at Reft.
But others that have never yet been Exer-
cis'd, if they Fall but into One" Affliction, and
a warlike Commotion once begins, they imme-
diately Fall into Ruin and Perdition. As they
that are Travelling to a City, with Intention
to Vifit their intimate Friends and Acquaintance,
tho' they fliou'd meet with feveral in the Places
of Concourfe, yet are they not Stop'd by them.
For their Defign is to meet their Friends. And
when they knock at the Door without and Call,
their Beloved open to them with Joy. But if
they lofe their Time in every public Place, and
are Impos'd upon, or Detain'd by thole they
meet, the Door is lhut, and no Man Opens to
them. Thus alio they that are Soilicitous to
Cant.ii.p.come to Our Lord Chrift the True a Beloved,
ought to Defpile and Overlook all others.
1 And
of Mac arius the Egyptian. 227
And after the fame manner that they do,
that come into the Palace to the King, be they
Lieutenants or Head Officers, they are under no
fmall Apprehcnfion, how to make their Anfwers,
and that in the Defence they make for them-
felves they may be guilty of no Miftakes, for
fear of a Reprimand and Animadverfion. But
the Ruttics and common People that never had
a Sight of their Ruler, Live without any Con-
cern at all. So is it with this Sublunary World,
being All from the Crown'd Head to the mean-
eft Subject, unacquainted with the Glory of
Chrift, their Concern is Confin'd to the Things
of this Life $ nor is there a Man^among them
all, that in hair will Call to Mind the Day of
Judgment.
But they that by Meditation come before the
Judgment Seat of Chrift, where his Throne is,
and are continually in his Prefence, they are un-
der a Conftant Fear and Trembling, not to Swerve
in any thing from his Holy Commandments.
And as the Rich Men of the Earth when they
have brought home great Stores of its Fruits
into their Granaries, have more work again Day
after Day, how to Improve their Stocks,, and
not to be Behind hand. But if they ill ill Truft
to that Wealth they have already in their Store-
houfes, and take no firther Care to Add a new,
but live upon what they have already got, they
quickly link into Want and Poverty. Whence
it is plain they ought to take true Pains in taking
account, and bringing ftill in what they have,
that they may not Run behind-hand. Thus is
it in the Buiinefs of Chriitianitv, that a Man
Avail Tafte of the Grace of God. For fafte,
b fiiith he, and fee that the Lord is Good. bPf.xxxir.
Now this Tailing is the very Vertue of the 8.
Spirit exerting its Influence in the Full AfTu-
Q_ z ranee
2 28 The Spiritual Homilies
ranee of Faith, which miniftreth in the Heart.
For as many as are the Children of Light^ and of
fe2Cor.iii. the c Miniftration of the New Covenant in the
9. Holy Spirit, thefe Learn Nothing from d Men.
d Compare por they are Taught of God. For Grace it felf
Te^xxxi3' writes m tne*r Hearts tne Laws of the Spirit.
jer. . ^ykerefore t^ey OUght not t0 piace their Entire
John vi. Confidence upon the Scriptures # only which are
45*-. written with Ink; the Grace of God does more-
* Thef. iv. oyer write the Laws of the Spirit, and the Hea-
venly Myfteries upon the Tables of the Heart al-
fo. For the Heart Governs and Reigns Supreme
over the whole Machine of the Body. And
when Grace has once got the Paftures of the
Heart into its Hands, it is Abfolute over all the
Members, and the very Th ughts. For There
is the Mind and all the Thoughts of the Soul,
an j ir. s Expectation. Wherefore Grace alfo paf-
fes thro' all the Members of the Body.
Thus again as many as are the Children of
Darknefs, Sin Reigns over their Hearts, and Pe-
*-Matt.xv.netrates into all the Members > (for e out of the
' 19. Heart proceed Evil "Thoughts) and being thus Dif-
fus'd throughout it Darkens the Man. But they
that Deny Sin to be Bred up and Grown toge-
ther with the Man, will make No Proviflon Tor
the Morrow, nor be Troubled with Concupif-
cence. For for a certain Period the Evil Princi-
ple has ceas'd to Caufe any Difturbance within
them by any Suggestion of Concupifcence, fo
that a Man dare even Aver upon his Oath, that
he has no fuch Affection flirring within him.
"iCoiwii.But yet in a very little Time is he even f Burnt
9' up with Concupifcence, infomuch that he is
found over and above to be Perjured in Averring
lb. For as Water paiTeth thro' a Pipe, fo does
* See Tko. a Kemfis. Book III. Chap. II.
I Sin
a/Macarius the Egyptian. up
Sin as Freely thro' the Hearts, and the Thoughts.
But whoever Deny this, they are Subltantially
Confuted and Impos'd upon by that very Sin,
which [is # unwilling to] Triumph over them.
For the Evil in us is very Indultrious to lie hid,
and be quite conceal'd in the Mind of Man.
If any Man therefore Loveth God, he alio
infufes 8 his own Love into him. And being8Rom-v.
once generoufly Confided in, he h Superadds theh f* .
Heavenly Faith to him, and there becomes of ,-• '
Both a Double Man. As \ many therefore of
your Members as you offer • up to God, He alfo1 Rom. xii.
intermingles of his own Something like them, i.
that you may Perform every things in Purity,
both Loving and Praying to Him. For Man
is of Great Value. Coniider how Great the
Heavens, and the Earth, the Sun and the Moon
are, and yet it pleas'd not the Lord to take up
his Reft in them, but in k Man only. The Ex-k Prov.
cellency of Man therefore far exceeds all thevin- 3!-
Creatures. Perhaps I mall venture to Affirm {f^il
that he is above All not only the Vifible * Crea- Eccl.xxiv,
tion, but even the m Invisible alfo, meaning the 3—8.
very # Spirits that n Miniiter in the Divine Pre- ,pi'- v.iH-
fence. For it was not of Michael or Gabriel .the 2r0/" •
Archangels that he faid, Let us make0 them after x'6u '
our Image and Likenefs: But of the Intellectual ■ Luke I.
Subftance of Man, I mean his Immortal Soul. l9-m
For it is alfo written, that the Encampments1 of°Gen'u
P Angels are round about them that Fear him. ButPp£XXxiv>
the Creatures which are Vifible are Tied up bv an 7.
Unalterable kind of Nature. Heaven wTas ap-
* The printed Copies read /*:AA»W, but the Manufcript
^oj ffcJUwiff. The Reafbn follows, <&c.
f The Manufcript inftead of ottox; reads ?«•*.
* Concerning this Superiority of Man above the Angelic
Orders, fee the Introduction. Object. II. /7.3 a
Q^ 3 pointed
230 The Spiritual Homilies
pointed for good and all, the Sun, the Moon, the
Earth : But the Lord took no Pleafure in them.
But neither are they capable of being Changed
from what they were firft Created, nor have they
any Will But thou (O Man) art therefore
made after the Image and Likeneis of God, be-
caufe as God has the fole Power of Controul
within himfelf, and does juft as he pleafes : (Shou'd
he but have the Will, he cou'd by his Pre-
rogative Power fend the Righteous into Hell,
and Sinners into the Kingdom of Heaven.)
But this is neither any Choice of His, nor
does He admit of it. For the Lord is a Righte-
ous Judge.
Thus even thou alfo art in thy own Difpofal.
And if thou haft a mind to Perifn, thy Nature
admits of a Change. If thou haft a mind to
Blafpheme, to make up Poifons, and take ano-
ther's Life away, there is none that withftands
or hinders thee. If a Man Will, he is in Sub-
jection to God, and walks in the Path of Righ-
teoufnefs, and Mailers his Lufts. For this Mind
(of his) is an Aiitagonift Able by the confum-
mate Strength of Reafon to Overcome the Vio-
lent Aflaults, and Shameful Lufts of Sin.
For if in a Great Houfe, where there are
VerTels of Gold, * and VefTels of Silver, and
Variety of Ciothes, both Gold and Silver, the
Youth of both Sexes that are up and down there
put a very Great Reitraint upon their Mind (tho*
Nature too by reafon of its Innate Sin covets
every thing) and became they are in Fear as
Men are or their M afters, they Check the Out-
rages of Concupifcence : How much more then,
* All the printed Copies here add xfvcriyp*. But the
Manufcript omits it3 which accordingly I follow.
where
of Mac arius the Egyptian. 231
where the Fear of God is, ought * it to Fight and
make the utmoitOppofition to the Evil -hat <\ /jqRom.vii.
Prefont with it. ForG^d hath commanded the 2I-
thing 'offible. The Nature of Crea*
tures void of Rcafon is verily Coofirfd : As the
Nature of a Serpent is Bitter and Venomous. All
Serpents therefore are of this fort. The Wolf
was ever Ravenous. All Wolves arc of the fame
Nature. Th? Lamb, that the Wolf preys upon,
is Gentle. All Lambs are naturally fo. The
Dove is Void of Guile and Harmlefs. The Na-
ture of all Doves is the Same. But Man is
not fo. One is a mere devouring r Wolf, and r Matth. x\
another like the Lamb is made his. Prey. Both l6'
however come of the fame Stock of Humane
Nature. There is One that is not Satisfied with
his own Wife, but mull: alio turn Adulterer. And
another does not Suffer even Concupifcence to
Rife up in his Heart. There is that violently
Siezes what is his Neighbours : And there is a-
gain another that out of Regard to God, gives
even what he has away. You fee how very
Changeable this Nature (of Man) is. It warps
towards Evil, and again Inclines to that which
is Good. And between them both it is in rea-
dinefs for Action, of one kind or other, juft as
it will. Nature therefore is capable both of
Good and Evil, either of Divine Grace, or the
Oppofite Power : But Acts by no Ncccfllty>
becaufe from the very firft, Adam when in a
State of Purity controul'd his Thoughts abfolutc-
ly, but from the Time that he Trangrefs'd the
Commandment, Infupportablc Mountains (of Dif-
ficulty) lie (heavy) upon his Mind. And Thoughts
* The printed Copies read here o ȣ$. The Paris Edition
indeed is an Exception, which omits the Words. And This
Omiflion is Confirm 'd by the Manufcript. And Both are Fol-
lowed here.
Q.4 of
23 % The Spiritual Homilies
of Malice being intermixed are become Entirely
as his own, and yet not one of them is genuine,
becaufe Ingrofs'd by Sin.
For the future then, you ought to Seek out
f Compare for a f Candle, that you may Light it up, and
2.ephan. i. Find out your Pure Thoughts. For thefe are
hu^xv NLLtural wnich tne Lord hath made. * They
g> ' that have been Bred up at Sea, have learnt to
Swim, and whenever the Tern pefts Rife, and the
Waves Swell, they are not Amaz'd at it. [But
■j" they that have not been us\d to thefe things^ if
there Come but a moderate Storm, they are Over*-
whelm* d with Fear , and very fairly Drown' d^\
Thus alfo are the Chriftians. As the Underftand-
ing of a Child of three Years old cannot perfue
nor comprehend the Mind of a complete So-
phift, the Difference of Years between them
being considerable : So Chriftians alfo like mere
Infants take very little notice of the World, Fix-
ing their Eyes upon the Meafure of Grace af-
forded them. For they are Strangers to this pre-
fent World. And their own City and Place of
Reft is quite and clean another. For Chriftians
have the Confolation of the Spirit, with Tears,
and Grief, and Sighing. And even their Tears
*F£xlii. ;.are a delicious c Repaft to them. They have too
' a Fear upon them amidft their Joy and Glad-
nefs. And they are for all the world like Men
vjU(j that carry their very v Life in their Hands, not
xii. 3. putting any Confidence in themfelves, nor think-
ing thernfelves to be any thing, but are Set at
nought and Rejected by all the reft of Man*
kind
* The Latin Verfions here are not Senfe, which make the
Author fpeak, as if the Thoughts were Bred up at Sea, 8cc.
t The Manufcript here adds, c't $*rvw&-6*6 vxtMi *j ^j-
As
<?/Macarius the Egyptian. 233
As if wc fhou'd fuppofe a King, that fhou'd
leave his Treafure with ibme poor Man or other,
he that has Taken it into his Cuftody, never
looks upon it as his own, but always acknow-
ledges his Poverty, not daring to Squander away
any Part of another's Treafure -, for This he al-
ways keeps in Mind, not only that the Treafure
is another's, but that it was a King and Man of
Power that left it with me, and whenever he
pleafes he takes it from me. So ought they al-
io to think of themfelves, that have the Grace
of God , to be of an Humble Mind , and to
Confefs their Poverty. For as the poor Man that
lias Received theTreafure the King left with him in
his Hands, if he Depends upon this Foreign Trea-
fure, is Lifted up as if it were his Own Wealth,
and his Heart Swells with the Imagination > the
Royal Owner takes back his Treafure from him,
and then he that had it in his Keeping, conti-
nues Poor, juft as he was before this hapned.
Thus they alfo that have Grace, if they are Ex-
alted, and their Hearts conceive a Pride upon it,
the Lord taketh away his Grace from them, and
then they remain the very fame they were be-
fore they hadReceiv'd that Grace of the Lord.
But there are Numbers, who, tho' Grace be
even Prefent with them, are yet Encroach'd up-
on by Sin, and are not Senfible of it. For let
us but Suppofe, that in a certain Houfe there
lives a young Maiden, and likewife a young Fel-
low, and this young Creature being Wheedled
jby him, confents to his Will, is Debauch'd and
Turn'd out of Doors. So alfo is that dreadful
Serpent of Sin continually Prefent with the Soul
* Enticing and Provoking it ^ and if it come to
any Agreement, the very incorporeal Soul par-
* The Manufcript for y«£y«6*{"i reads y££y*Ai£#y.
takes
234 The Spiritual Homilies
takes with the Sin of the Spirit which is without
* iCovM.11 the Body > that is to fay, Spirit communicates
2b- with Spirit, and he that Confents, and Admits
of the Suggeition of the wicked One, com-
mits Adultery in his Heart. The Rule then of
the Conflict is This, viz. Not to commit this
Adultery in your very Thoughts, but Set your
Mind againft it and to make an inward War and
Fight of it, and not to give way, or make
the leaft * Co?npliance to Sin in thy Thoughts.
And if the Lord find this Ready Difpoiition in
thee, He certainly takes thee at the laft Day to
Himielf in his Kingdom.
For there are fome things which the Lord dif-
penfes that he may not leave himielf without
iome Witnefs of his Divine Grace and Calling.
And fome things there are, which He fo Con-
duces by giving way to them, that Man may
be Tried and Exercis'd, that the Liberty of Man
may be made Manifeft. For they that are in
Afflictions and Temptations, if they Hold out,
are no way Difappointed of the Kingdom of
Heaven. Chriflians therefore are not Difturb'd
or Griev'd under Afflicting Circumftances. Nor
ought they to think it Strange if they are Tried
with Poverty or 111 Uiage : But rather to take
Pleafure in that Poverty, and Efleem that as
fHcb.xi. w Riches, Failing as a Banquet, and Difhonour,
z6' and the Abfence of Glory for Glory it felf.
And, on the other hand, if they fhou'd fall in-
* The common Reading, viz. bwrM. is very wrong. Dr.
jMonu- Vritius indeed reads e-wmJW^iK, which f Cottelerius informs us
mentaEc-is the Reading of the Manufcript in the French King's Li-
c^lxGr3e~brary, and others he thinks might read *&*$%$. This by an
, ' l~**eafy Miftake in Tranfporting one Letter might be chang'd
into the common Reading 6 vrfiy,^ The Baroccian Manufcript
however reads tw^SuuB-^s,
to
a/Macarius the Egyptian. 235
to Circum (lances which in this Life .are Splen-
did, and which Tempt them to a Refrefhment
that is Carnal, or Riches, or Glory, or Plcafure,
they ought not to take Delight in thefe, but Fly
from them, as from Fire.
In the vifible World, if an Inconfiderable Na-
tion is ftirr'd up to make War upon a Crown'd
Head, He is at no Trouble to Fight Himfelf,
but Sends his Soldiers only with their Com-
manders, and they manage the War. But if the
Nation that is Provok'd be a Great One, fuf-
ficient to make Havock of his Dominions, the
King is under a downright Neceffity then to
take the Field in Perfon, and with bis Houfhold
and Prime Forces to Invigorate the War. Be-
hold then thy Dignity, that God hath been
Mov'd with his own x Guards, of the Angels "Compare
I mean, and his Holy Spirits, to take an Em- Dan. vii.
bafly Himfelf upon thy account, that He might IO-
Redeem thee from Death. Fortify thy fclf there- ^ithHeb'
fore, and confider how Great a Providence hasi. 6.
been Shewn in thy behalf.
And having made ufe of an Illuftration taken
from the World as living in it, let us go on to
Suppofe a King that fliou'd chance to light up- -,-.-.
on a Perfon that is Indigent, and has had feveral t'^
Stabbs, and ihou'd not be y Afham'd of him, » Luke x.
but Heal his z Wounds with wholefome Medi-33, 34-
cines, and Bring him off to his own Palace, and Matt- viii-
Put him on the Purple a Robe and Diadem, andaReJ7j 6
make him Partner of his own Table: Thus alfo b , ?^' »*
Chrift the Heavenly King, when He came to 24!
Man that was wounded, He b HeaPd him, and "Compare
hath made him c Partaker of the Royal Table^EPhef- iL
And This not by any Force done upon his Will, ^'^
but by way of Imitation and Entreaty does He 2I.
bring him to fo Great Honour. For it is writ — xix.o.
ten alfo in the Gofpel, that the Lord Cent forth Luk xxii-
bis 30.
z$6 The Spiritual Homilies
rf Matth. his d Servants to call them that are willing, anct
xxii. %>?-declafd to them, my Supper is now Ready. But
Luke^xiv.they that wa.e caU,d defir,d tQ be Excusid) al.
ledging, / have bought, fays one, fome Yoke of
Oxen, and another I have Married a Wife, &c.
You plainly fee ttie Perfon that lent the Invita-
tion was Ready 5 but they that were Call'd, Re-
fus'd it. No doubt on't they are themfelves
guilty of their own Mifcarriage. So very Great
then is the Worth of Chriitians!
0 Matth. Confider it well that the Lord hath e Prepar'd
xxv. 34. the Kingdom for them, and Invites them to come
John xiv. ^ DUt they themfelves are not willing, with re-
'Rom. vi. fpeft to the £ Gift, which they are to Receive by
%$. Inheritance: This a Man may juftly fay, That
if every one from the Time when Adam was
Created to the very End of the World, fhou'd
Fight again Satan, and undergo Afflictions, what
he wou'd do in all this, wou'd be No great
* Rom matter ^ § compar'd with the Glory which he
vui 18* is to Inherit. For he Reigns h together with
kviii. i7.Chrift to Endlefs Ages. Glory be to Him who
compared j^^ Lov'd fuch a S^ul as this, becaufe He hath
™hRcv- Given his » own felf, and his Grace to it, and
Entrufted the Soul with them ! Qlory be to His
Majefty !
As to Outward Appearances, Behold, All we
Brethren that are now Sitting here, have One
Image and One Face, that of Adam. But is
there alfo in our hidden State, and inward Cir-
* John cumftances but One * Will among us All ? And
xvii. ir. Dut k One Heart? Are we All One, Good
* A^1V- anG| Godly ? Or are there Some of us, that have
1 Fellowmip with Chrift and his Angels, and o-
thers with Satan and the Devils ? And yet we
fit together, as if we were All but One ? We
have One Face of Adam in common. Do you not
* The Manufcript reads ieutxov*
fee,
1 i Cor. x
a/Macarius the Egyptian. 137
fee, how that the Intellectual Subitancc, the
Inner Man, is quite a different thing from the
Outward? For we all appear to be but One,
when yet fome of us are in reality with Chrift
and his Angels, but others with Satan and un-
clean Spirits. The * Heart therefore hath a
Depth not to be Fathom'd. There are Rooms
of Reception,and Couches, m Doors, and Porches, m Rev. iiL
with Variety of Offices and Pailages. There is 2°-
the Work-houfe both of Righteoufnefs and Un-^ov;vlu-
righteoufnefs. There is Death, and There is Life.
There is the Good n Mcrchandize,and its Contrary. "Matt.xiii.
As a Palace fuppofe of the Firft Magnitude, 45>. 4^
and this too become Defolate and JFull of all**}^£
manner of Unfavoury Smells and Dead Bodies in ,-£
great Abundance : Thus alfo is the Palace of
Chrift, the Heart, and it is ° Full of All Unclean- « Matth.
nefs, and great Crouds of wicked Spirits. It xxuL 27*
ought therefore to be Repair'd, and Built anew,
the Store-rooms, and the Bed-chambers to be
Fitted up in good Order. For there the Sove-
reign, Chrift Himfelf, together with his Angels
and Holy Spirits comes to take up his p Reft, andp j0imxjr;
to Dwell, and to Walk up and down, and even 23.
to Eftablith his Kingdom. pf- Mt
I Aver moreover, that as a Ship that is Great-
ly Laden, where the Governour orders All the
Perfons, and Difpenfes every thing, chiding fome
indeed, but only Directing others : Thus alfo is
the Heart, having the Mind for the Governour,
the Confcience convicting us, the Thoughts Ac-
cufing and Excufing. For, (aith the 1 Apoftle, the q Rom a
thoughts be nve c a them/elves Accufing or clfe Excu- i$,
fing. You fee that the Confcience will not f Con-
* The Manuscript reads only ' §1 nx^Uy without «', which
is in all the printed Copies.
t The Manufcript for o-w/x.eivH, which is the Reading of
the printed Copies, reads Tvy^vQa by an Emendation, mean-
ing I fuppofe 7 vy *? vQ -f .
ceal
238 The Spiritual Homilies
ceal fuch Thoughts as are obedient to Sin, but
immediately Reproves them. For it Lies not,
but Witnefles what Anfwer it fhall make before
God at the Day of Judgment, as if it were con-
tinually Reproving us.
If we fuppofe a Chariot, and Reins, and
Horfes, and the whole Equipage to be at the
Difpolal of him that Drives, confequently when
he has a mind to it, the Chariot carries him at
the fwifteft Rate, but when he plcafes too, he
Stops it. Again, which way foever he has a
mind it fhou'd Turn, it turns with him accord-
ingly. The whole Chariot therefore is perfect-
ly in the Power of Him that holds the Reins.
"So alfo has the Heart Variety of Thoughts from
Nature, which are Bound faft to it -y and it is
the Mind, and the Confcience that Reprimands
and Directs the Heart, and Awakens the Na-
tural Thoughts that fpring up in the Heart.
For the Soul hath many Members, tho' it is but
One. For from the Time that Adam tranfgrefs'd
the Commandment the Serpent Entred in, and
r Compare became r Matter of theHoufe, and is as another
If. xxvi. Soul to the Soul. For, faith the Lord, TVhofo
l3' .. f Denieth not him/elf, and Hateth not his own Soul,
Matth.xn.^ mt my Difciplet An(j joe tjoat Lowth his Soul
Epkii. i.floall Loje it : Becaufe Sin having Entred in up-
fLuke ix. on the Soul, is become a Member of it, and is
2 3' H\ Stuck fait to the Corporeal Man, and Multitudes
Johnxii. Q^ thoughts, and thofe Unclean, Spring up in
the Heart. He therefore that does the Will of
his Soul, does the W ill of his Heart : Becaufe
the Soul is Blended and Mix'dwith it. Where-
fore he that brings his Soul into Subjection, and
is Angry with himfelf and the Lulls that are
£Rom.vii.t Prefent with him, is as one that Subdues the
2I- City u of his Enemies, and is thought worthy to
xvi.°?2. Attain to Good Degrees of the Spirit, and he
Regains
of Mac arius the Egyptian. 239
Regains thro' the Divine Power, the Pure Man,
and is Greater than Himfelf. For fuch a one
as this is afterwards * Deified, and becomes the
Son of God, Receiving the Heavenly Seal up-
on his Soul. For his Elecl are Anointed with
the Oil of Confecration, and become Highly
Dignified, and even Kings.
For Man is of fuch &£ a Nature, as even
when in the Depth of Wickednefs, and actual-
ly in the Service of Sin, to be Converted to
that which is Good. And he that is Bound to
the Holy Spirit, and \ Inebriated with Heaven-
ly Things, has it in his Power to Return to that
which is Evil. As if we fhou'd fuppole a Wo-
man that is Cloath'd with Rags, Famifh'd with
Hunger, and all over Dirty, merely with Abun-
dance of Application to Arrive to Royal Digni-
ty, and to Wear the Purple and the Crown, and
to become the Spoufe of a King-, She however
ftill retains in Memory her former Filthy State, and
has an Inclination to go back again to her old
Way, But does not indeed deflre the Difgrace
ihe had Before, for that wou'd be downright
Folly. But even they too that have w Tafted * Heb. vi,
of the Grace of God, and are become Partakers 4.
of the Spirit, unleis they keep a Uriel: Guard
upon themfelves, liiffcr a total Eclipfe, and be- ■ 2 Pet. ii.
come x Woifethan they were before, when they 20.
were worldly. Not that God is liable to J Change yTamjtI7;
or Infirmity, or that the Spirit is Extinct j But
the Perfons themfelves don't Correipond with
Grace, for which reafon are they Gait off, and
Fall into Mifchiefs without Number. For they
that have Tailed of that Gift, have Joy and
* Concerning this Expreflion, fee the Introduction. $4Ll{U>'?irtJt>o*~> § 1
t See the Introduction, $«. ill* ?rU*< f -^ •
I Comfort,
140 The Spiritual Homilies
Comfort , Fear and Trembling, Gladnefs and
Grief, Both Prefent with them. For they La-
ment both themfelves, and the Entire Adamr
(the Nature of Men being but One). And the
Tears of fuch Perfons are their very Bread, and
their very Grief is even Sweetnefs and Refrefh-
ment to them.
But if you ever fee one Lifted up, and
Swoln with Pride, upon his being made Partaker
of Grace, thisPerfon, tho' he fhou'd Do Won-
ders and Raife the Dead, yet unlefs he fets No
'Pfcxxxi.z Value or Efleem upon his Soul, but is a Poor
2- in Spirit, and Self-Abhorr'd, he is Circumvent-
' 'ed by Sin and knows it not. Tho' he does
Signs, yet is he not to be Believ'd. For the
Token of ChrifHanity is This, to be Approv'd
of God, and Induftrioufly to lie conceal'd from
Men : And if he has All the Treafures of the
King's in his Hands, to Conceal them and ever
to fay, It is None of mine, it was Another that
left this Treafure in my Hands 5 for I am but
bRev.ii.9.b Poor my f elf, and whenever he pleafes, he 'Takes
c Rev |y# it from me. But if any one fays, I am c Rich,
i7. / have Enough, I am in Pojfeffion^ I want No-
iCor.iv. thing farther: Such a one is No Chriftian,
8- but the Veflel of Error, and of the Devil. For
d Ecclef. the Enjoyment of God is d Infatiable, and the
xxiv. 21. more any one Tafleth or Eateth of it, fo much
epf^j the more does he e Third after it. And fuch
' Perfons have fuch an Ardour, and Love of God,
as is not to be Reflrain'd. And the more they
Endeavour to Advance and Perfue their Progrefs,
fo much null the more do they look upon them-
felves to be but Poor, as directly in Want, and
PofTeis'd of Nothing. For This is what they
fay, / am not worthy that this Sun Jhotfd ftrine
upon me'. This is the very Sign of Chriftianity,
thi*
of Mac arJus the Egyptian. 241
this very Humility. But if any one fay, / am Sa-
tisfied, I am Full > this is a Deceiver and a Liar.
As the Body of our Lord was v Glorified when
he went up into the Mount, and Transformed vMat.xviL
into a Divine v Glory, and an Immenfe Lights 2.
fo alio are the Bodies of the Saints Cover'd over
with Glory, and Flafh like Lightning. For as
the Glory of Chrilt, which # was within him,
Difplay'd it felf upon his Body, and Shone out
Bright , after the fame manner in the Saints alfo
will the Vertue w of Chriit which is within them,
be Pour'd forth in that Day outwardly upon their w Ro. viii*
Bodies. For from this very Moment do they II*
partake of his x Subftance and Nature in their
Mind. For it is i written, Both He that Sanfti- x 1 Pet. f.
fieth, and they that are Sanctified, are All of One. 4-
And the z Glory which thou gave ft me, have I given * -
them. As from one Fire many Tapers are lighted Moh.xviL,
up, fo is there a Neceflity that the Bodies of the 21.
Saints, being Members of Chrift, mould become
the very lame with that which Chriir, is himfelf.
Quell. What Advantage tew Chrif Hans above
the Firlt Adam ? For He was Immortal, and both
in Soul and Body Incorruptible \ but theje Die
and Turn to Corruption.
Anfw. The True Death is Inward in the Heart,
and lies Concealed •, and the Inner Man it is that
is a Dead. If therefore any one has pa (ft d h from* £rt gi
Death to Life in the hidden way, this Perfon 3,i7_T£
Trulv Lives for ever, and Dieth not. But tho' Jo 0 %
the Bodies of fuch as thele are Diffolved for a 2+-
Seafon, yet are they Raifed again in Glory , for R^f^
they are c Sanctified. We therefore call the Death with ' viii!
of ChritHans their d Sleep and Repofe. But ifn.
Man were now incapable of Dying, and not Cor- d John X1,
ruptible as to his Body, the whole World Be-JJft~!^'
Rev. xiv,
* The Manufcript for *tm reads *<ra, 13.
R holding
.24 } 7%e Spiritual Homilies
holding a Fa£t fo exceeding all Imagination^ as
that the Bodies of Chriftians know No Corrup-
tion, it would Drive them to that which is
(S-ood by a kind of Neceffity then, and not any
Free Choice of their own. But that the Princi-
ple of Liberty, which God gave to Man from
the Beginning may Appear once for all, and
continue Unfhakcn 3 for this very * reafon are
things Order'd by a Special Difpenfation, and
there is a Diflblution of the Bodies fettled, that
it may be at the Will of Man to Turn him either
to Good or Evil. For neither is he that is Per-
fect in that which is -f Evil, and is Deep in Sin,
and makes himfelf the Veflel of the Devil; who
« Compare ]ias | Lorded e it over All, Tied down to that
A& wn^ch ls Evil by any fort of Neceffity ; but has
xix. 16. tne Liberty of becoming the f VelTel of f Election
Eph.ii. 2, and of Life. In like manner again, they that are
'Rom. ix. g Inebriated with the Godhead, tho' even Fill'd
%1y'Tz\' and Bound to the Holy Ghoit, are not Held
^ v' however by any Neceffity, but have a Full Pow-
er of their own to Turn themfelves, and do juft
what they will themfelves in this prefent World.
Queft. Is it by Piece- meal that Sin is LeJJen-
cd and Rooted out of us > And that a Man Ad-
vances in Grace? Or, Is Sin Rooted out immedi-
h Pf xvn. ateiy VJ]oen a j\/[an joa5 once Stained to the h Vifi*
Pf. cvi. ^.tatlon'\'\ of the Spirit?
liik.i.^8. Anfiv. As the Embryo in the Womb is not
job.x. . 2. immediately Built up into Man 5 but by little and
little there Commences an Image and a Birth ;
nor even then is there a Complete Man, but it
* The Manufcript here adds evettev.
f The Manufcript inftead of dyx6ot £, as it is in all the Print-
ed Copies, reads kkkm tg*
J The Manufcript for ««7f«e^'^ reads Kctjex-v&tJjfa.
tt The Printed Copies indeed read zryKoirw, but the Ma-
nufcript IKHTY.t'XV)^
is
of Macarius the Egyptian. 243
is growing up for fcveral Years, and at lad be-
comes Man. Nor is it unlike the Seeds of
Wheat or Barley, which do not frrike out their
Roots lb focn as they arc Call into the Ground,
but the Winters and the Winds firft pais over
them, and then in the proper Seafon Spring up
the Ears. And he that Plants a Pear-Tree, does
not inftantly Receive the Fruit of it. After the
fame manner alfo in Spiritual Matters, where
there is fo Great Wifdom and Subtiltv, by very
Small Degrees docs Man grow, and Shoot up into
his Perfect! Stature and Maturity of .^gc : And'1 EpB.iV
not asfome expreis it, Put on (the Man) and Put J 3-
off (the Child.)
He that is dellrous of Learning, goes and
Learns his [I Letters, and when he is at theTop||Gr.Signs.
there, from thence he goes off to the La-
tin School, and becomes the very Laft of All.
Again, when he comes to the Uppermoft in
that, away goes he to the Law* School, and in
that again he is Undermoit, a very Novice. Af-
ter this, when he is AccompliiTfd in f Harangue,
among the Gentlemen of the Bar he is the No-
vice again, and Laft of All. Again, when he
has rifen to be Firft there, then is he made the
Prefident \ and when he is come to be in Autho-
rity, he takes to himfelf an Affeffor to Aftift him.
If then in Outward Things there are fo many
Afcents, how much rather have the % Heavenly
* The Reading in the Printed Copies here isygtfifcctrti, for
which the Manufcript reads ^jit.MTiw'ir. But in the Folia
Edition there is a Conjecture in the Margin tl;;.t it ought to be
■zs- yuMTtxHt. And all the Vcrfions render it by Scholatn Forcn-
fem, the Initiatory Lavp-Schcol, or School of Pleat/a.^, where only
Pretended Suits commenced, to prepare theyoung Advocates for
Real ones in the Courts of Jultice. See Suictr. in voce %oAcls-i-
&* & K ,01. "A . f ZZ,6*X-IY-C .
J SeeHeb. vi. I. and Hein<lns on the Place, in hisExercita-
tiones in NwumTeflammtum.
R % Myftc-
244 Tloe Spiritual Homilies
Myfteries their proper Advancements, and en-
large the Number of Degrees? And then at laft,
when a Man has pafled thro' much Trial, and
many Temptations, does he Commence Perfect.
For Chriftians that of a Truth have Tafted of
1 Compare Grace, and carry the * Sign of theCrofs in their
EZ'hGal4 Mind an(* ^eartr Thefe from the Prince to the
™ I7 ' Beggar Efteem all things here as meer k Dung
k Phil. iii. and Unfavourinefs. And thefe are able to know,
8. that the whole Earthly World, and the Trea-
fures of a Crown'd Head, and the Wealth and
•^King.x. Glory of it, and the LefTons * of Wifdom, are
*• only in anOutfide Shew, having No Solid Foun-
dation, but pairing actually away. And what-
ever there be under the Sun, by Thefe it is eafiLy
Defpifed.
But why fo ? Becaufe the things above the-
Heavens are Foreign to this Place, and Worthy
of their Admiration^ which are not to be met
with in theTreafures of Princes, nor in the Wif-
i Cor. iv. $om m 0f Words, nor in Worldly Glory : And
the Dignities, or j Wealth, which they are Pof-
feffed of, who carry the Lord and Maker of All,
in the Inmoft Man, are a PorTeffion that pafTeth
not away, but conftantly endures. For Chrifti-
ans know very well, that the Soul is Precious
above all the Creatures. For Man only was
Made after the Image and Likenefs of God. Be-
hold Heaven, how Exceeding Great the Compafs
of it is ! And the Earth, and the Valuable Crea-
tures in it, and the VefTels of them are Great.
But Man is Priz'd above all thofe Great Bodies,
becaufe in Him alone is the Lord well pleafed.
The Whales again of the Sea, and the Moun-
tains, and the Great Bealts, Thefe are to Ap-
pearance Greater than Man.
* All the Copies read w-Aaray, but All tranflatcit as wASr^.
Confi-
20.
c?/Macarius the Egyptian. 245
Confider therefore well thy Dignity, how Va-
luable thou art \ that God hath made thee Above
the Angels, when He came alfo of his own ac-
cord in Perfon upon Earth, on thy Errand and
Redemption. * God n Himfelf and his Angels" John i.
came to thy Salvation. For the King, the ° King's o M* 5" ! •
Son, held a p Confuk with his Father, and the confider
Word was *i Sent., and took Flefh upon him, and p&i. lxxii.
concealing his Divine Nature, laid down his Life 1 . and the
upon the r Crofs that he might Save Like by p^JJLr
Like. So Great is the Love of God towards ^fc
Man ! For thy fake, He that cannot Die, chofe? % Cor.r-
to be Crucified. See therefore to what degree 10.
^ God Lav" d the World^ that He Gave his f Qnty-?BL fi- 7-
begotten Son for it. How can he with Him not TT^ '%£
t Give us all things? And again v el fe where he I7.
faith, Verily I fay unto you, that he will make' Philip, ii-
him Ruler over All his Goods. But elfe where too f ~; 8\..
he plainly {hews, that Angels are but Minifters 1°™ m*
to the Saints. For vrhctiElias was in the Mount, rRom.viii.
and there came Strangers againft him, his Ser- 52.
vants faid, n Here are Many come againft us^ andVMaXJXX'iy»
we are by our f elves. Then Ellas anfwer'd him,, K^ -
Don't you fee the Camps and Multitudes of Angels {?
ail around Succouring us? Do not you fee that
the Lord himfelf, and Multitudes oi: Angels are
Prefent with his Servants? How great therefore
is the Soul, and how Highly Honour'd of God !
For God himfelf and his Angels feek her out for
his own Fellowfhip and Kingdom j but Satan
and his Forces endeavour all they can to Bring
her over to their Side.
For as in things Vifible the Sovereign is not
Waited on by thofe that Feed Cattle, but bv
Men of Prefence and Ingenuous Alpcct, and that
* All the Printed Copies read •«, by miftakc perhaps for
9 B-ioif which in the Manuscript is iic.
R 5 have
24.6 The Spiritual Homilies
have had a Liberal Education -> fo alfo in the
* Matt. iv. Heavenly Palace, they w Minifter to the Heaven-
IJ- ly Monarch, that are Free from Blaine, and
Unexceptionable, the Pure in Heart. And as in
a Palace, they are the Comely Virgins that are
admitted for Companions to Princes, that have
not fo much as one Biemiih upon them, the
*Eft.i.n.Handfomeit. that can be x met with : So in the
_u. 2. Spiritual alfo, the Souls that are Adorn'd With
all manner of good Behaviour, thefe are they that
have Fellowship with the Heavenly King.
In the Viiible World, wherevc* a Prince goes
to make any Stay, and it happens chat the Houfe
he comes to has any Uncleannefs in it, it is put
to Rights, and is fet off with Variety of Orna-
ment, and Scented with Rich Odours : How
much more does the Houfe of the jSouI, which
the libra comes to take up his Reft in, Hand in
need of much Adorning, that He may be able to
Enter in and Dwell there, who is Himfelf per-
fectly Free from either Spot or Blame? For luch
is the Heart, where both God and the whole
Heavenly * Church doth Reft ?
In things Vifible, if a Father has PofTeflions,
and Diadems alfo, and Precious Stones, thefe he
lays up in private Repertories, and Commits
them to his Beloved Son, and makes aPrefent of
them to him. So has God alfo Entrufted the
Soul with the Poifeflion of Himfelf and his own
Precious things.
In what we meet with Outwardly, if there
mould a War arifc, and a King come with his
Army to Engage, and His Side is Inferiour, or
* As the Corrupt Soul is in the upfhot Inhabited by Numbers
o: Devils, according to oar Author and Scripture, Marhv. o»
v here is the Spiritual Communion cf the Church expreilcd
after much the fame manner by Him, who perhaps had an eye
0 the fi&llow.ng Texts, viz.. johnxvii. 21.— .24. Rev. iii. 20
Weaker,,
o/Macakius the Egyptian. 247
Weaker, He forthwith Scndeth an >' AmbaJTage1 Xuk.xiv.
defiringConditions of Peace. But if one very Great 3,2-
Nation cometh out againft another that is Equal
to it, and King againft King, the King of the
Perjlans and the King of the Romans, there is
then an Abfolute Neceility for the Two Kings
to March out in Perfon with their utmoft For-
ces. See then how Great thy Dignity is, that
God with his own Troops, thote I mean of
Angels and Spirits, was Mov'd to Engage the
2Adverfary, that he might Redeem thee from zi Pet. v.
Death ! God therefore Came upon thy Account. 8;
As a King, fuppofe, that mould meet with a 0fU'lff
certain Beggar that has the Leprofy in every
Part of his Body, and mould not be Afham'd of
him, but Himfelf Apply proper Medicines to his
Wounds, and Heal his Sores, and then carry him
off to his own Royal Table, and then put the
Purple aon him, and make him a King. Thus*Luk-xiv-
hath God alfo done for Mankind. He has Warn- 22-
ed their Sores, and Healed them, and Brought
them into his Heavenly Chamber. Great there-
fore is the Dignity of Chriltiansj fo Great, as not
even to admit of a # Competition. But if it be
once Elated, and Circumvented by Sin, I' can
Liken him to Nothing fo well, as to a City that
has no b Wall to it, and the Robbers come intobpro-x:ar<
it from what Corner they pleafe, without any z8,
thing to Hinder them, and lay it Wade, and fet
it on Fire. Thus whilft thou art perfectly void
c of Care, and not looking to thyfelfat all, docPro.x.\h.
the Spirits of Wickedneis come in upon thee, 3°' S1-
and Darken and lay Wafte thy Mind, Scattering
their Thoughts about upon this prcfent World.
For there are feveral very f iMquifitive about the
* The Manufcript for ryy*s>:Wv reads xvyy^Ttv.
J- The Manufcript for 9K£cC«^u«j reads it&iSeva-dpe'.
R 4 things
248 7$^ Spiritual Homilies
things without, and Cultivate their Knowledge,
and are Careful about the Regulation of their
Life, who take this for % Perfection, never
ftooping lower to look into the Heart at all,
and there to view the Evils that involve the
Soul, becaufe from the Interiour Mind of Sin,
is there a Root in the Members. And the Thief,
that is, the Adverfe Power, is within Doors.
The Power therefore that makes the Refiftance,
is an Intellectual one. And unlefs a Man enters
into an actual Fight againft Sin, the inward Cor-
ruption being gradually difFufed, gets fuch a
Head, as to bring a Man to Open Sins and Com-
miffions. For the Evil Principle is as the Spring-
Head of a Fountain, ever * Bubbling up. Be
thou therefore Employed in Stopping the Cour-
fes of Sin, left when falling into endlefsMifchiefs,
thou become as one in Aftonifhrnent. As if we
fhould fuppofe, forlnftance, a Perfon of Quality
that is Wealthy and Free from Care, and the
-f- King's Officers and Serjeants Sieze and Bring
him to their Mafter, acquainting their Prifoner
to this Effect, Tou are Impeach" d of High Crimes
and Mif demeanours^ and are in danger of your
H?ad ; whereupon He with very Fear at the Re-
lation is under a complete Abfence of Thought,
and as one that is perfectly Amaz'd.
Do but fuppofe therefore with your felf, that
this is actually done by the Spirits ofWickednefs.
For the whole Vifible World, from the Prince
to the Beggar, are all in a Hurry, and Diforder,
and a Scuffle, and yet not a Man of them knows
the Reafon why ; which is neither More nor
Lefs than that flagrant Mifchief which came in
* The Manufcript for tS™ reads rSn.
f The Manufcript reads few, agreeing with kxko »
thro'
a/Macarius the Egyptian. 249
thro' the Difobedience of Adam, the d Sting o/diCor.xv.
Death, For Sin which has gain'd AdmifTion, be- *6,
ing a certain Rational Power of Satan, and a
f Subftance, has Sown all thefe Evils inwardly -y
for as much as it Operates privately in the In-
ward Man, and in the Mind, and e Wars with e Rom. vif.
the Thoughts. But Mankind is not fenfible, that 23.
in doing all this they are Hurried on by a Fo-
reign Power > but take All to be Natural, and
that they do it merely from their own Delibera-
tion. But they that Enjoy the Peace of Chriff,
in their Mind, and His Illumination, Know fuf-
flciently whence all thefe Commotions fpring.
For the World Suffers under the Preflures of Sin,
and Knows it not. And it is an Impure Fire that
Kindles up the Heart, and fo paffes into all the
Members, and Pufhcs Mankind upon Lafcivious
Acts and Crimes without Number. They there-
fore that are agreeably Affected and r Delighted, f Matt. v.
Complete the Sin f inwardly in the Heart -, and i8\
thus, by Cherifhing the Mifchief, do they fall James u
lower into Open Fornication. And the very I+>
fame are you to think of the Love of Money,
Vain-Glory, Pride, Envy, Anger.
As if we mould fuppofe a Man to be Invited
to an Entertainment, and there mould be Vari-
ety of Difhes fet before him, Sin thereupon Sug-
gefts that he mould Tafte of All. And thus is
the Soul Overcharg'd merely with Pleafure. For
the vile Affections are (as fo many) infupportable
Mountains, in the midfl of which are Rivers of
g Dragons, and Poifonous Beaits, and Creeping gp^i. ciY.
Mifchiefs. 25-, 26.
As if we mould fuppofe a Whale to Swallow
up a Man into h his Belly j fo alfo does SinSwal-hj0n.i.i7.
f This is one of thefc PafTages in this Author that have
given Offence. But in what fenfeSi/i is here call d aSubjiaace,
&e the LntrotlHttion, p. 60, 6 1 .
low
sjo The Spiritual Homilies
low up our Souls. (The Affections abovenamed)
are Confuming Flames of Fire, and the very Fiery
*Ephef. vi. Darts of the Wicked One. For faith the ■ Apof-
j6\ com"tle, that ye '■may be able to Quench the Fiery Darts
PfLxdV.^ t/7ye Wi^d. For Sin is Cherifhed, and the
' Foundation of it is laid in the Soul.
But fuch as are Wife, whenever the Affections
make any Infurrec"tion, do by no means Yield,
but conceive an Indignation again ft the Evil
Lufts, and become the open Enemies of thefe
(fecond) felves. For Satan mightily deiires to
take up his Reft in the Soul, and to be Co-
extended with it, and is Afflicted and Diitreffed
upon the Soul's refilling to Comply. But fome
there are entirely under the Command of the Di-
vine Power, and if they fhould at any time fee a
Young Man with a Woman, tho' they can't be
Free from all manner of Thought upon the Oc-
callon, yet is their Mind however not Derll'd,
nor does it inwardly Commit Sin. But yet neither
k Phil. iii. ought fuch a one to kPrefume. But others there
i2 — 14. are m whom (the Evil Root) is perfectly at an
End, and Burnt up, and Dried away. But* thefe
are Degrees of fuch as are Great indeed.
And as the Merchants that go down Naked
into the D:pth of the Sea, into the very t Grave
of the Water, that there they may find Pearls to
make up the Royal Crown and Purple with 5 fo
do they alfo that Devote themfelves to a Single
Life, Go Naked out of the World, and Defcend
into the Depth of the Sea of Sin, and into the
Abyfs of Darkncfs, and from thofe L Deeps do
they take and bring up Pretious ] Stones proper
for the Crown of thrift, for the Heavenly
XiT.
* The Manufcript here inferts tovjtx,
t The Original is Death, dmam.
Church,
of M a c a r i u s the Egyptian. 2 j i
Church, for the New World, for the City of
Light, and for the Angelical Community.
As in a Net, Fifh of feveral kinds arc taken,
and the worfer fort are flung back into n the Sea : n Mat. xiil
So alfo is the Net of Grace extended over all, 47 > 48.
and Seeketh Reft. But Mankind are not Obfe-
quious. Wherefore They are again Flung back
into the Deep of0 Darknefs. °Mat.xxif.
For as Gold is found being wafti'd from much 13, 14.
Sand, and that too in the Smaller!: Grains -y fo
even out of p Many, but Few are Approv'd. ?—~xxiu
For they that have not the ? Work of the King- J4
(torn, are Manifeft, and they that^ Adorn the J ^m-
Word are r Viiible. In like manner are they alfo par*-a with
as Viflbly Manifeft that are Seafon'd with theMat.iii. 2.
Heavenly f Salt, and they that fpeak from the r Matth- v-
* Treafures of the Spirit. The v VefTels that God f M^ ix>
v Delights in are Manifeft, and he giveth them 49.
his Grace. And there are others that with much Ro.xii. 1.
Patience receive the Sanctifying Power in vari-tp^-cxvl-
ous Manners, as the Lord himfelf pleafes. He 2 c^* .
therefore that fpeaketh, unlefs he be under the T,'.
Direction of the Heavenly Light and Wifdom, v Ads ix.
cannot fully Satisfy the Mind of every one, be- Jv
caufe of the Variety of Inclinations : fome* for
War, others for Reft.
As a City, fuppofe, that is laid wafte, and any
one mould have a mind to Rebuild it anew, he
prefently Beats down the Ruins that ftand in a
Tottering and Falling Condition. And fo he be-
gins Digging, and where he has Dug to Lay the
Foundations, and to Raifc the Building upon it.
But as yet there is no Houfe. And he too that would
make a Garden in a defert and unfavoury place, Be-
gins with Cleanfing, and making an Hedge, and
Preparing the Canals 5 and then lie plants, and the
Plantation thrives lb well, . that after fome confi-
4erable time the Garden will bear Fruit. Thus
alio
zj2 The Spiritual Homilies
alfo the Inclinations of Mankind after the Fall
are grown Wild and Defolate, and full of Thorns.
■ Gen. iii. For laid God to u Man, "thorns and Thiftles jhall
the Earth bring forth unto thee.
There is therefore need of much Pains andLa-
« Mat. vii. bour, that a Man may w Seek and Lay the x Foun-
7. dations, till fuch time as the f Fire fhall come in-
*Hebr.vi.to tne Hearts of Men, and begin to Purge a-
. '• ... way the Thorns. And thus do they begin to be
'nfii^Sandified, giving Glory to the Father, and to
Luke xii. the Son, and to the Holy Ghoft, for ever.
49- Amen.
Homily XVI.
That Spiritual Men are liable to Temptations
and Afflictions, that Spring up from the
Firft: Sin.
L L intelligent Subftances, thofe I mean
of Angels, and Souls, and Devils, were
* Eccl. vii. BjSjgjfl by the Creator made at firft a Sincere and
*?• in Perfect Simplicity. But that Some
Wif.i.i4.Qf them Were turn'd away to Evil, happened to
them from their own Free Will. For it was by
b Eccl. vii. their own b Free Will, that they wc nt back from
29- Right Reafon. And if we offer to fay, that
they were thus made by the Creator, we pro-
nounce God an Unrighteous Judge, in Senten-
cing Satan to the Fire. For there are fome He-
retics that hold that Matter is Eternal, and that
Matter is the Root (of All things,) and that
that
Wif.i. 16.
a/Macarius the Egyptian. 253
that Root is Power, and that Power Self-fufflci-
ent. # To this you may Reply with very good
Reafon, Which then is the Victorious Power ?
Without all queftion the Power of God. Confe-
quently he that is defeated, is no way Equal as to
Time or Power. They that Affirm that Evil has
a Real Sub fi Hence, Know Nothing. For in God
Evil has no manner of Subfiftence, by reafon of
his ImpafTibility and Divine Prerogative. In us,
it is true, it Operates with full Power and Sen-
fation, fuggefting all Unclean Defircs. But nei-
ther is it io Blended with our Nature, as fome
tell us Wine is mix'd with Water. But as in one
common Ground there is the Corn by it felf^
and the Tares by themfclves 5 as in an Houfe
there is a Thief in one part, and the Mafler of
the Family by himfelf in another.
A Well of it felf fendeth out clear Water -, but
there is Mud underneath. Let any one but Stir
the Mud, the whole Well is Fourd. So alfo the
Soul, when Troubled, is DenTd and Mix'd with
Sin. And Satan becomes one with that Soul -,
Both Spirits unite in the way of Fornication, or
Murder. For this Reafon, he that is joined to an
Harlot, is One c Body. But at another time the° lC^VI"-
Soul Sublilts apart by it felf, Repenting of wThat
it has done > and Weeps, and Prays, and calls
God to Mind. For if the Soul were continually
thus Sunk in Sin, how could it poilibly do any
thing of this Nature, Satan never contenting
that Men fhould come to Repentance ? For he
is abfolutely void of Mercy.
And fo a Woman, as in Covenant with her
Hufband, becomes One with him, but at ano-
ther Seafon they are Parted : it often happening
that one of the Parties Dies, and the other Sur-
* The Marmfcript for •*£$ ru?* reads «?$<, thro.
vives.
16.
2J4 The Spiritual Homilies
vives. There is fomething much the fame in
the Fellowiliip of the Holy Spirit > they become
■ i Cor. vi. One Spirit. cFor he that is joined to the Lord is
J7- One Spirit. This happens when a Man is Ab-
forpt of Grace.
But fome there are, who tho' arriv'd to a
f Hebr. vi. * tfafte of God^ are yet Actuated by the Enemy,
4> S% and think it Strange -y not knowing by Experi-
ence, that after the Viiitation of God, their
Thoughts run out with full Bent upon the My-
ileries of Chriftianity. But fuch as have grown
Old in them, are no way Surpriz'd.
And as the Experienced Hufbandmen, that by
long Ufe are not perfectly thoughtlefs of Futu-
rity in a Year of Plenty, but expect fome time
or other both a Dearth and Barren Seafon ; nei-
ther on the other hand, when Dearth and Diffi-
culties overtake them, are they overmuch De-
jected: as. well knowing there will come a
Change. So alfo in the Spiritual State, when
e James i. the Soul falls into divers e Temptations, it is not
2- Surpriz'd as at a Strange or Unufual thing, nei-
ther does it Defpond, becaufe it knows that they
come by Permiffion, that it felf may be Tried
and Difciplin'd by the Evil that befals it. Nei-
ther again, when it abounds in Wealth and Eaie,
f Job iii. is it free from Apprehenflon, but f Expects a
' *f- Change.
The Sun alfo that is a Body and a Creature,
when mining out upon Places that are Noifome,
where there is Mire and Variety of Uncleannef-
fes, is no way Hurt or Polluted. How much
. rather does the Pure and Holy Spirit that is prefent
with the Soul, even when under the Influence of
the Wicked One, contract nothing to its Preju-
sjolmi.y. dice therefrom ? For the Light %Shineth in the
Darknefs- and the Darknefs Comprehendcth it
not.
And
6/Macarius the Egyptian. 2jj
And therefore when a Man is in the * Depth,
and is Rich in Grace, there is yet a -f Remnant
of Corruption with him ; He has one however
that taketh his part, and that cometh to his Af-
filtance. Whenever therefore any one is in
Afflictions, and the h Storm of corrupt Affr§sjor$ h PCttiLy'.
thicken upon him, yet ought he not to Quit h*s '- 3f3^™->-
*Hope. For Sin elfe grows but the Harder, ana' Hdr-*i
gains ground upon him. But when a Man Re- *9'
tains his Hope in God without Intermifnon, Sin.
Crumbles as it were, and Dries away. Where-
fore that fome arc Paralytic, others Mairn'd,
burning with a Fever, or languishing with -Sick-
nefs y all this arofe from Sin. For that is the
Root of all our Miferies. And the Affections of
All Concupifcence in the Soul, and of our Evil
Thoughts, are owing to it.
As a Well that Runs, and has all about it no-
thing but Moift and Soggy Grounds, when the
Heat comes on, both it feif, and its adjacent
Bogs are Dried up : Thus is it with the Servants
of God, in whom Grace Abounds > That Dries
up the Concupifcence, not only that which is
from the Wicked One, but even that aifo which.
is Natural : Becaufe that now the Men of God
are Greater than the Firfi Adam.
God is no where Circumfcrib'd or Compre-
hended 'f He appears every k where, both in the* Rom. i.
Mountains, and in the Sea, and under the Abyfs: 20*
But yet not in the way of Local Motion, after
the manner of Angels that defcend from Heaven
* Palther.ius interprets c* /3*4« by be?hg Drowned or Plunged
in Temptations, alluding perhaps toPjC?/.lxix. i, 2. Picus per-
fectly drops it in his Tranllation. Dr. Pritius renders the Words
literally as I have done. And poilibly it may be Explained from
Ezehiel xlvii. f.
f The Printed Copies read >u©#w»», which is hardly Sooie \
but the Manufcript A«-f a-.ov, a Remnant.
to
256 The Spiritual HoMiLtEs
*pfaxxix.to Earth. For He is in heaven, and He is alfo
7>— IO- here.
But you will fay to me, How can God be in
Hell, or how is it poflible for Him to be in
Darknefs, or in Satan^ or in Noifome Places?
I alfo anfwer thee, that he is Impaflible, and Con-
tains all things ; for he cannot be Circumfcrib'd.
And Satan being but a Creature, is Bound. But
Goodnefs it felf is no way liable either to Pollu*
tion or Darknefs. But if you don't allow him
to contain All things, even Hell and Satan^ you
put Bounds to Him, as to that place where the
Wicked One abides, fo that we are to Seek for
another, fuperiour to him. For there is an ab-
folute Neceffity that God fhould be every * where.
But the Godhead is of fo Retir'd and Subtle a
Nature, that the Darknefs which it even con-
tains in it felf, comprehendeth it not. Neither
can that which is Evil partake of his Purity,
"}■ tho' it be even in Him. In God therefore
Subfifts no manner of Evil, He being no way
to be Prejudiced. But with us, Evil is
prefent, by reafon of its Dwelling in the Heart,
and Exerting its Influence there, Su'ggefting
wicked and unclean Thoughts, and not fuffer-
ing us to Pray in Purity, but bringing the Mind
into Captivity to this prefent World. It cloaths
it felf with the Souls of Men, as with Raiment,
and reaches by a Vital Touch the Bones and
J Marrow.
* All the Printed Copies add here uvdrc^v ewrvv, Him/elf
Suprtour ; but the Manufcript much better leaves it out.
f The Folio Edition here reads j>, or ; All the other Printed
Copies read , which, agreeing with xuOotyrys ; but the Ma-
nufcript reads tS *£, tho', which certainly is Senfe.
J The Printed Copies read all here Wim peXaiv, which they
render by OJfea Membra, which is hardly Senfe. The Manu-
fcript inftead of peA*n reads *£ ptvshSt, alluding toHehiv. 12.
As
o/Macarius the Egyptian. 257
As therefore Satan is in the Air, and God who
is prefcnt there, is no way Injur'd by it ; Co alfb
is Sin in the Soul, and the "Grace of God in
like manner is prefent with it, without iufrering
the leaft Detriment.
As a Servant that is near his Mailer, by being
continually as near to him as pofTible, is under
Apprehenllon, doing Nothing without him •, fo
ought we alfo to Devote our Thoughts, and lay
them open to Chrift our m Mailer, the Searcher mPf.cxxiii.
of Hearts, and to place our Hope and Confidence Mar£'xiii<
in Him [with this Acknowledgement] He is my ,-
Glory, He is my Father, and He is my Wealth. Col.iv. i.
At all times oughteif, thou to have a Concern
and Fear upon thy Confcience. But if any one
fhould not even have the Grace of God Implant-
ed and Fix'd within himfelf, *fo as Night and
Day to have that Fattened to his Soul as a Se-
cond Nature, which for a feafon may Conduct
and Excite, and Direct him to the things that
are Good : Thus at leaft may he keep up a Con-
cern, and Fear, and Diligence, as Natural and
Unalterable, that very Contrition of Heart,
which is for ever Fallned to him.
And as the Bee fecretly Works its Comb in
the Hive -, fo does Grace alfo after as hidden a
manner Work in the Heart the Love of it felf,
and Changes from Bitternefs to Sweetncfs, and
from Ruggednefs to that which is Smooth.
And as the Silverfmith and Engraver^ when
Cutting a Plate, Hides in part the Variety of
Figures he Engraves * but when he hasFinifh'd,
then does he produce it Burnifhing with Light :
So alfo does the Lord, the True Artiit, make
his Engravings upon our Hearts, and Renews us
* The Printed Copies read en»t but the Manuscript u<$.
The Senfe feems Something Imperfecl.
S in
258 The Spiritual Homilies
in a My fiery, till flich time as they go out of the
Body > and then does the Beauty of the Soul
appear.
For they that are minded to Make VefTels, and
in them to Reprefent Living Creatures, firfl
make their Defign in Wax, and then cafl the
Metal after the Likenefs of that, fo that the
Workrnanfhip is Finiih'd according to that very
Draught. Thus Sin alfo being a Spirit, hath its
Image, and is Chang'd into variety of Forms. In
like manner alfo the Inward Man is a kind of
Living Creature, that hath its Image and Figure.
For the Inward Man is the Exact Refemblance
of the Outward. He is therefore a Great and
Precious VefTel, forafmuch as in Him alone of all
the Creatures hath the Lord Delighted. And
the Good Thoughts of the Soul are like to Pre-
tious Stones and Pearls. But the unclean
Thoughts are Full of Dead Bones, and all man-
ner of Uncleannefs and Unfavourinefs.
Chriitians therefore belong to another World,
are the Sons of the Heavenly Adam, a New Ge-
neration, the Children of the Holy Spirit, the
Bright and Glorious Brethren of Chrift, perfect-
ly like their Father, the Spiritual and Glorified
Adam, of that very City, of the fame Kind, and
of the felf-fame Power. They are not of This
World, but quite and clean of Another. For
oh.xvii.he himfelf fays, n Te are not of this World, even
l6, as I am not of this PForM.
But as a Merchant that is Returning Home
after a very long Abfence, and brings with him
a great Improvement of his Merchandize, Sends
to his own Domeftics to Provide him Houfes,
and Gardens, and NeceiTary Cloathing -, and when
he comes to his own, Then doth he Bring in
much Wealth ; but his Domeflics and Relations
Receive him with Great Joy : So alfo in Spiri-
tual
of Mac akivs the Egyptian. 259
tual Matters, they that by Merchandizing Ob-
tain the Heavenly Riches, their Fellow-Citizens
have immediate Intelligence of it, that is, the
Spirits of Saints and Angels -, and they lay with
Wonder, Our Brethren on Earth are come to
Great Wealth indeed. Thefc therefore at the
Difiblution of the Body, having the Lord with
them, Come with Great Joy to thoic Above,
and the Lord's Servants receive them according-
ly, having there bc'Vehand made Ready ror
them both Houfes, an< I Gardens, and Cioathir.g,
all over Bright and Colliy.
There is need theierbre of Sgbricty in all
things, that even the good things we feem to
have, may not turn to our Prejudice. For they
that are Naturally of a Kind Difpofition, unlcfs
they are much upon their Guard, are Infenfibly
hd afide by the Eadnefs of their Temper -y nny,
and Perfons that have Wifdem, are by mat vcrf
Wiidom Circumvented. Man ought there lore
in all refpects to be Reduc'd to a J uit Tempera-
ture of Kindnefs and Scvcritv, of Wifdom and
Difcretion, of Difcourfe and Practice, to Trull
entirely upon the Lord, and not upon himfelf.
For Vertue is Seafon'd with Variety of # Pprms,
in like manner as our NecefTary Food is with
Something that is Savoury, and that not only
with Honey, but even with Pepper upon Occa-
fion, and fo it becomes fit for Service,
They that Affirm there is no fuch thing as
Sin in Man, are in much the fame cafe with thole
that having been thoroughly Drench'd by the O-
verflowing of many\Vaters,and without acknow-
ledging fo much, barely fay, The ' Noife indeed of
the Waters we have Heard. Thus thofe alio that
* The Manufcript inferts here h$ui, which is wanting in
the Editions ofPaltbenius 3nd Dr. Vritius.
S z have
z6o The Spiritual Homilies
have been Plung'd over and over in the Deep
Waters of Sin, never own there is any Sin at all
in their Mind and Thoughts.
Others again there are that have indeed the
Word, and Utter it fufficiently -, but not having
0 Mark ix. been ° Seafood with the Heavenly Salt^ do even
f°- . Difcourfe at large about the Royal Table, with-
C° °6. 1V ollt cvcr Tailing or Enjoying it. But there is
withal Another that has a Sight of the King, and
having had the Royal Treafures Opened to him,
has gone in, and Inherited what he faw, both
Eating and Drinking of the coflly Dainties
there.
As a Mother that has one only Son, exqui-
fitely Beautiful, Wife, and Adorn'd with all
manner of good things, on whom fhe places all
her Hopes > and it happens that {he Buries him
after all, the Confequencc of that Misfortune is a
p Matt. ii. Continual Trouble, and p Grief which admits of
l8* no Confolation. So too ought the Mind, the
Soul being Dead as it were to God, to take up
a Wailing with Tears, to be under continual
Affliction, to have a Broken Heart, to Live in
Fear and Concern, and to have at all times an
Hunger and Third after that which k Good.
Such a one as this do the Divine Grace and Hope
take into their Protection -, fo that fuch an one
Grieves no longer, but Rejoices as one that hath
found a Treafure, and yet he Trembles too for
fear of Loiing it. For Thieves break in upon
him.
As a Man that has fallen into feveral Snares
and Dangers from Robbers, and with much ado
made a mift to get away, and fhould meet with
a Great Hoard and much Sub fiance, and then
have no more Dread upon him by reafon of
Wealth thus Abounding : So is it with Spiritual
Perfons, that have pafTed thro' many Temptations
and
of Mac arius the Egyptian. 161
and Frightful Places -y after they have once been
Fill'd with Grace, and been made to Abound in
Good things, they are no longer under any Ap-
prehenfion from thofe that might be inclin'd to
Rob them, by reafon that their Wealth is now
Confiderable. But a Fear they Hill have upon
them, not indeed that of Novices, that live in a
Conftant Dread of Wicked Spirits > but a Fear
however and Concern how they may Bcft Em-
ploy the Spiritual Gifts they are Intruftcd with.
But then, fuch a one as this looks upon himfelf
to be Defpicable beyond all Sinners. This Re-
flection is as deeply Rooted in him, as if it were
Bred in his very Nature. The more he Advan-
ces in the Knowledge of God, fo much ftill the
Lefs is he in his Own eyes. And tho' he learns
never fo Much, he is frill as one that knows No-
thing. But thefe things are wrought in the Soul
by the Miniftration of Grace, as the genuine Re-
mit of Nature. The Cafe is not unlike that or.
an Infant in the Arms of a Young Man -, the
Bearer carries it about whitherfoever he plcafes :
So does Grace alfo, difpenfing its Influence Deep,
cany the Mind about, and Bear it upwards into
the very Heavens, to the Perfect World, and
Eternal Reft.
And even in this very Grace are there Degrees
and Diitinctions of Honour. For one is a Cap-
tain General, that has Free Accefs to the Prince
at pleafure j and another is only a General Of-
ficer.
As an Houfe that is filled with Smoak, Dif-
charges it into the Open Air : lb in the very
Soul does Sin, when come to its full Maturity,
Difcharge it felf outwardlv, and Produce its
Fruits.
As thofe that have Received Commillions>
whether of Lieutennncv, or the Exc^qiier
S 3 Roya\
z6z The Spiritual Homilies
Royal, are all the time in a perfect Concern left
they mou'd offend the Prince : So they alfo,
who are Intrufted with the Work of the Spirit
are in continual Care, and even in the midft of
Reft, are yet as if they had never known any.
For the Kingdom of Darknefs which had come
in upon the City, that is to fay, the Soul, and
thofe Foreign Troops that were in Pofleflion of
its Failures, are Repuls'd again. For Chrift^ the
King, fends to Avenge the City, and Binds the
Uiurping Tyrants in Chains, and Quarters the
Heavenly Militia , and his Regiment of Holy
Spirits there, as in their proper Country. And
for the future does the Sun mine in the
Heart, and his Rays enter into all the Members,
fo that for ever after There does a Profound
Peace Reign.
But then does the Conflict, the Struggle, and
the Trial of Man, and his Good Will towards
God appear, when in the Moment that Grace
is withdrawn, he fhews himfelf a Man, and
a i Chron. a CY-ies t0 q0£ gut yoUj wnen you hear that
v-"'.r there are b Rivers of Dragons , and c Mouths of
' ' Lions , and d Dark Powers under Heaven, and
c Pf. xxii. e Fire that Burns and Roars in your Members,
i?>2.i- fuch as is not to be match'd upon Earth > don't
4 EPhef- know all this while that unlets you have Re-
epf 11' l ceiv'd the Earned: of the Holy Spirit, Thefe
sxi*i. 14, Sieze upon your Soul, as it goes out of the
*/• Body, not Suffering thee to go up into the
Heavens.
And in like manner when you hear of the
great Worth of the Soul, of how high a Price
an Intellectual Subftance is, neither do you Ap-
prehend that God fpoke not of the Angels, but
rGen.U6.of the Humane Nature, in thofe Words, f Let
us make Man after our own Image and Likenefs ->
As alio that Heaven and Earth pais indeed away,
but
o/Macakivs the Egyptian. 263
but that Thou art Call'd to Immortality : To be
the 8 Son, to be the h Brother, and to be the1 John i.
vei-y Spoufe of the Kino;. For in things that,. I2- ...
do appear, All that belongs to the Bridegroom, l6
becomes the Bride's, and All things that are thehKeb. ii.
Lord's, be they what they will, Them does he n.
Intruft thee with. For He came on this Em-Matth,xl1-
bruTy of thine on purpofe to Recal thee. But *°'
Thou neither Knoweft, nor art Senfible of thy
Noble Extraction. So juftly does the Infpir'd
Penman Bewail thy Fall, when he pronounces,
that ' Man being in Honour under flood it not, is ! Pf. xlix.
compared to the Be aft s that are without under ft and- 20*
ing, and made like to them. Glory be to the T ci-
ther, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghoft, for
evermore ! Amen.
Homily XVIL
Concerning the Spiritual Unffiion and Glory
of Chrifiians. And that without Chrift
it is Impojjible to be Saved, or to be made
'Partaker of Eternal Life.
HE perfect Chriftians, who have been
thought worthy to arrive at the Degrees
of Perfection, and to become the near-
eft: to the King -> thefe are at all times
Devoted to the Crofs of Chrift. For as in the
Days of the Prophets the Unclion was more
Precious than all things elfe put together, for
The Manufcript Copy for 'J Act, which is in all die print-
ed ones, reads a Aw.
S 4 I they
264 The Spiritual Homilies
they were Anointed to be Kings and Prophets:
So now the Spiritual Perfons that are Anointed
* 1 John ii. with the a Heavenly Unction, become * Chrifts
b p^7* b themfelves fo as to commence the c Kings and
if,lxx. Prophets of the Heavenly My fteries. Thefe are
cRev.i. 6. both Sons, and Lords, and Gods Bound, in Cap-
.Wifd. vii.tivity, Drown'd, Crucified and Devoted. For
.*7» if the Anointing Oil that came from an out-
- ward Plant, and Wood that isVifible, had fo much
Vertue that the Perfons Anointed with it, were
Dignified beyond all Contradiction (for it was
a Settled Rule that they were conftituted Kings
thereby j) which too when David had been A-
d 1 Sam. nointed with, he prefently d Fell into a Succeffion
xvi. 13. of Perfecutions and Afflictions, and Seven Years
aSam-n4- after was made King: How much more do they,
as many as are Anointed in the Mind and Inward
man with the Sanctifying and Chearing Oil of
f?i.xlv.j.( GladnefS) the Heavenly and Spiritual Oil, Re-
ceive the Sign of that Incorruptible Kingdom,
and Everlafting Power, the Earned of the Spi-
rit, the very Spirit of Holinefs and Comfort ? It
is "t calVd the Comforter, by reafon of that Com-
fort and Chearing Support it Beftows upon them
that are in Afflictions. Thefe being Anointed
«Prov. m.from the g Tree of Life5 yej.us chri^ frQm the
Rev. ii.7. Heavenly & Plant are thought worthy to come
— xxii. 2. to the Degrees of Perfection -y thofe I mean of
hIf.liii. 2. the Kingdom, and the Adoption, being Admit-
Joh.xv.i.tC(i in # reaiity to tne Secret Councils of the
Heavenly King, and having free Accefs to the
Almighty, Entring into his very Palace, where
* The printed Copies read indeed xgj?/*vo?, but the Ma-
nufcript #f<sV
f The printed Copies agree all here in Reading ««« J
*&%t*Ajj7fl» t$ ii. &c. But the Manufcript which I prefer,
Thus, U2. 'Akuh J 55^«xA«7oy hct TV 3^.*«*A«v, &c.
* The Manufcript read 0 7«$.
are
a/Macarius the Egyptian. 165
arc Angels, and the i Spirits of the HolyPerfons,'Heb-xii.
tho' at the fame time they live in this prefent 2>-
World. For tho' they have not actually received
the Inheritance Prepared for them in that World,
they are as Secure however from that k Earncft k Ephe£ i.
of the Spirit which they have Received at pre- ll> H-
fent, as if they were already Crown'd, and in
Poffefiion of the Kingdom. Nor does it Seem
a Strange thing to them that they mall l Reign' Rom. v.
together with Chrift, thro' the Overflowing I7~
# Prefence of the Spirit. For what reafon? Even m*""
becaufe when in the Flefh they had a complete Rcrxx.6.
m Reliih of its S weetnefs , and that effectual m Pf. xix. *
n Working of his Power. i°.
For as a Friend of the King's, that fpends hisf^V?3,
Time in the Palace, Acquaints himfelf with the i£ \\
Secrets of his Court, and is us'd to fee the Pur-
ple j and in time it fo fills out that he himfelf is
a King, and is Crown'd accordingly : He neither
thinks it Strange, nor is Surpriz'd, becaufe for a
long time has he been Exercis'd in the Methods
of the Palace. For it is never ufual for any one
that has ° to do with Cattle^ Perfons of no ac-0£cclcf"-
count, and utter Strangers to the Proceedings of xxxvm*
the Place, to Go in and Controul as Sovereign: 2j"' 33*
No. That is for Perfons of Long Experience,
that have been even Train'd up to it. So Chri-
tians that are to Reign in the World to come,
do by no means think it Strange, as having be-
forehand been acquainted with the Myflcries of
Grace. For fince Man Tranfgrefs'd the Com-
mandment, the Devil has Cover'd the whole Soul
with a p Dark Veil. Upon this cometh Grace/ 2C0r.1V.
and the H Veil is thrown off again 5 lb that forq t'
the future the Soul becoming Pure, and Regain- Hl If'nu
* The printed Copies read •srxojr.ri*.. but the Manufcript
which I follow, WX*itTix.
ing
2 66 The Spiritual Homilies
ing its proper Nature, a Creature Free from Blame
or Spot, for ever after Beholds with a Clear Sight
the Glory of the True Light, and the True Sun
of Righteoufnefs flafhing with his bright Beams
upon the Heart it felf.
For as in the Clofe of the Heaven that is done
I Rev. xx. r away9 the Righteous for ever after Live in the
IX- Kingdom, and Light^ and Glory, Beholding no-
thing elfe but after what manner Chrift in Glo-
ry is evermore at the Right Hand of the Fa-
fiThef.iv.tner* So thefe alfo that are f Snatch'd away from
17. the prefent World into that other, and Capti-
vated by it, Behold all the Beauties and the
Wonders which are wrought there. For we that
1 Phil. iii. are upon Earth, have t our Indenization in He a-
20. ven$ all our Tranfac~Hons, and our whole Civil
Conduct is in that World as to our mind, and
the inner Man. For as the outward Eye, when
Clear, Ever perfectly Beholds the Sun : So alfo
the Mind that is perfectly Cleans'd, ever Beholds
the Glory of the Light of Chrift, and is Pre-
fent with the Lord Night and Day juft as the
Body of our Lord, being Join'd to the Godhead,
is Ever Prefent with the Holy Ghoft. But Thefe
are Heights Men don't Attain immediately to,
nor even without Labour and Affliction, and
much Conflict. For fome there are, with whom
J 1 Pet. iv. Grace is Prefent Exerting its Influence, and u Reft-
*4- ing upon them. But then Evil alfo is inwardly
as Prefent > and two Contending * Sprits of
Light
* All the printed Copies of the Homilies, as well as the
1 roitclm- Manufcnpr> read -z>o ■trjdjfifcj«. But this a Judicious f Perfon
us Monu- kas °kferv'c;, to be a Faulty Reading. The True Reading he
rnenta Ec-ta^es to ^e ^"^V4*?** which, feems to me to Suit perfe&ly
cleiix ^)0t'1 Wlt^ our Author's Sentiments, and the Running Senfe
Cixcx T °^ t^'s homily. The Foundation of this Criticifm is a Paral-
' "j'g "lelPaflage in the Opufc. of Macarius> <zSe* v-^a<r:a$ ra N»a$.
»•**" ' §. 13. which in the firit Publication, by ?cflimis> is the VIth.
But
of Mac arius the Egyptian. 267
Light and Darknefs w Operate Both upon thewRom-
Heart. vlhI^-
But you will certainly Afk mc, What Concord
hath Light 'with Darknefs ? For where can the Di-
vine Light be Darknefs * or Diforder'd ? And how
can That be Polluted, which is Free from all
Pollution, and Exactly Pure ? For it is written,
And the Light x Jhineth in the Darknefs^ and thex]olu If
Darknefs Comprehended it not.
We ought not therefore to underftand thefe
matters after one manner only, and in the fame
refpects. For fome Confide in the Grace of God
to that Degree, that they become Stronger than
the Sin that is Prefent with them, and are con-
fcious to themfelves of Prayer and Great De-
light in God. At another time are they Exer-
cised with wicked Thoughts, and Trepann'd by
Sin -, and yet not without the Grace of God
neither. But theUnfteady and Unfkilful, when-
ever Grace Operates, tho' but in part, Imagine
prefently they have no more Sin. Whereas they
that have Discretion and are Prudent, never have
the Confidence to Deny that we who even have
the Grace of God, are Molefled with Obfcene
and Filthy thoughts. For we have often had
instances of Some among the Brethren, that have
Experienced fuch a Degree of Joy and Grace, as
to Affirm that for Five or Six Years running,
Concupifcence had wither' d quite away 5 and yet
after all, when they thought themfelves Freed
entirely from it, the Corruption that Lurk'd
within, was Stirr'd r up anew, and they werey Rom#
even Burnt up with Concupifcence, fo as to be vii. o.
Afbonifh'd themfelves, and to cry out, From what
But in the Second Edition, by Dr. Pritius, is the Vth. The
Words are thefe, viz. Aaa« d e £vo •x\&j;.ci\x Wre t£ <£>#-
f The Manufcript for ^ reads jf,
Quarter
z6% The Spiritual Homilies
Quarter cou'd fuch a Recruit of Sin make Head
againft us?
Let No Man then that is but in his right
mind venture to fay, fince Grace is Prefent
with me, I am altogether Free from Sin -y Two
*Rom.vii.diftin6fc Perfons are then Trying t their Strength
23- upon his Mind. For they that have had No Ex-
perience ; let Grace make but a little Effort up-
on them, their Thoughts prefently are, that they
have Gain'd the Victory, and are Complete Chri-
tians. But for my own part, I affirm the Mat-
ter to be Thus, viz. As when the Sun Suppofe
in the Heaven, Shines out into the Clear Air,
and Clouds furround him and Cover him over,
and Thicken the Air, he is himfelf no way Pre-
judic'd, neither as to his Light, nor his proper
Subftance, as being within it all. Thus it is with
thofe that are not perfectly Cleans'd. The Grace
of God they have -, Sin however having fair, hold
of them in the Depth, they have their Natural
Emotions, and their very Thoughts firmly Bent
upon God, * tho' not entirely given up to that
which is Good. So again on the other hand,
they that in the Depth are PoiTefs'd by the
■ Rom.vii. Good Part, I mean by Grace, are yet the a Ser-
23' vants and even Tools to Evil Thoughts, and the
of Sin.
There is need therefore of Great Difcernment,
that a Perfon may by Experience Know that
things are Really Thus. I tell you moreover
that Even the Apoftles who had the Comforter
biCor.ix.were not altogether b without Apprehenfion.
27* For with that Joy and Gladnefs had they alfo
■ Philip, ii. a Fear and c Trembling, proceeding from Grace
12, 13. it felf, and not from Corrupt Nature. But that
very Grace was their Security, that they might
not Turn afide ever fo little.
• The printed Copies read £, but the Manufcript «*«>«*.
For
a/Macarius the Egyptian. 169
For as when any one has Flung a Bit of a
Stone againft a Wall, he has no way Hurt or
Mov'd the Wall 5 or as a Dart that is Shot a-
gainft a Pcrfon that wears a * Brealt-platc, does
no manner of Harm to either the Iron or the
Body, for it meets with Refi fiance, and it Re-
coils back : In like manner whatever Approaches
any one Part of Sin has made to the Apoftles,
it never Hurt them, becaufe they were cloath'd
with the Complete d Power of Chrift. And d EpMvi.
thefe being themielves Perfect, had the Full Li- I+» l6'
berty to work Righteoufnefs.
Since then fome will have it, that after Grace,
the Soul is entirely Freed from all Concern, God
let me tell you even in the Perfect Requires the
Will of the Soul for the Service of the Spirit,
that they may Harmonize together. For faith
the Apoftle, Quench e not the Spirit. SomeeiThdT.
therefore among them were not willing to be v' l9-
Burthenfome to others, and others again walk'd
by themielves. Others yet took of them that
live in the World and Diftributed it among
the Poor. This certainly is Preferable. For
fome that have Grace look only to themfelves :
But others are Induftrious to Benefit even o-
ther Souls befides. Thefe far Excel Thofe. O-
thers again that have Grace, for the Name of
God give up their Bodies to Injuries and Suf-
ferings. Thefe again are Above the other, that
do not. Some that have Compafs'd Vertue are
inclin'd to Boaft and receive Honours from Men,
giving out that they are Chriitians, and Partake
of the Spirit. But then others do all they can
to Conceal themfelves, fo as even not to meet
9
* All the printed Copies and the Manufcript it felf read
xbiZc.vov in the running Text. But in the Margin of the Ma-
nufcript are we directed to read ^d^r.tc.
with
tjo The Spiritual Homilies
with any Man. Thefe are far * before the
other.
You fee that even in Perfection it felf the
Good Will towards God that proceeds from
the Natural Will is Preferable and Abounds
more.
As if a Perfon clad like a Beggar, fhou'd in a
Vifion Behold himfelf Rich, but upon Waking
Find himfelf Poor again and Naked : So too they
that make a Spiritual Difcourfe feem to Deliver it
Roundly enough -, but not having the thing it felf,
which is the Subject of thofe Difcourfes, Rivet-
ed in their Mind with a fort of Talle and Pow-
er, and full Afliirancc of Faith, they Hand mere-
ly in the Imagination of it.
Or as a Woman that is all over Clad in Silks,
and Set off with Jewels, Proftitutes her felf in
the Public Stews : So alfo in fuch Men, their
very Heart is the Infamous Receptacle of Un-
clean Spirits ; and yet they are Forward to Dif-
courfe of Righteoufnefs, without ever looking
into the Works 'of it.
For as it is not poffible for a Fifh to Live
without Water, or any thing to Walk without
Feet, or without Eyes to See the Light, or to
Speak without a Tongue, or to Hear at all with-
out Ears : So without the Lord Jems, and the
ftrong Influence of his Divine Power, neither
is it Poffible to Know the Myfteries, and the
Wifdom of God, or to be Rich indeed and a
Chriftian. For thefe are f "Truly Wife, and War-
* This Smells Rank of the Cell, and wants to be Quali-
fied. We at leaft have not fo Learn'd Chrift. See the In-
troduction, concerning our Author's Aujlerity. /». A^«
f The Word «A>ji>»s is indeed neither in the Morelius Edi-
tion of Etcus, nor in the Manufcript. However it being in
all the other printed Editions, and being an Advantage to the
Senfe, I thought fit to Tranflate it,
. i riors.
a/Macarius the Egyptian. 271
riors, and Men of Fortitude, and the Philofo-
phers of God, that are Led and Govern'd in
the Inner Man by the Divine Power. For the
Philofophers of the Greeks Learn Words. And
others are Rude in Speech, but yet are Highly
Tranfported and Rejoice in the Grace of God,
being Men of Piety.
Let us Confider therefore which are Prefera-
ble. The { Kingdom of God, faith the Apoftle/ iCor.iv.;
is in fVork and in Power ', and not in JVord. For 20»
anyone to lay, that this Bread is made of Wheat,
is eafy enough. But he ought to tell us more
particularly how it is Prepar'd and ^ak'd. Where-
fore alfo to Difcourfe about the Freedom from
corrupt Affe6tions and Perfection, is * Eafy. But
the Experience of Coming to the very Work of Per-
fection, is not Common. For the Gofpel fpeaks
very concifely, s Be not Angry. Covet not. IfsMatth.v:
any one Smite thee on thy right Cheek* Turn the 22>3°>4°«
other alfo. If any Man will Sue thee at the Law,
and Take away thy Coat, Give him thy Cloak al-
fo. But the Apoftle that comes after Explains
at large, how the Work of Purgation ought by
little and little to be h Conducted, with Patience11 Compare
and Long-fuffering -, Feeding us firfl like ' Babes Rom* v-
with k Milk, then bringing us on to Increafe, CJ '/'
and to Perfection. For the Gofpd hath faid that _ i4'. 9s
our Cloathing is made l of Wool. But the A- Jam. 1.4.
pottle has given a minute Explanation how it is ^pet.i.4,S.
Made up. ! l Cior'iii-
kHeb.v.
* In all the printed Copies the Senfe is Imperfect, viz. .To *» 1 2.
>.x\rjTcu zse< ctTrccS-eixs xj t£Ahot))7<i{ oXlym en. Which I ' Matth.
think alfo bids fair for Contradicting our Author's Meaning vii. 15.
in this very Homily. The Manufcript feems to Re&ify
All Thus, viz, Toxv Aa^jfe- cutset ci7rct$Hct<; dC'xohot' sr«g$&
'j sA^ev «$ T»j» x,ctlcc<rxevrtr t?$ TfiA«<37>?7«?» oXtyvi Iff, which
accordingly I follow.
They
27* The Spiritual Homilies
They therefore that deliver Spiritual Truths
without a Tafte of what they fpeak, are much
like one that in the Burning Heat Travels in fome
WildDefcrt ; and being veryThirfty Delineates
in his Thoughts a Fountain cafting out Water,
and himfelf Drinking of it, when all the while
his Lips and Tongue are entirely Parch'd up
with the Thirft that has Seiz'd them. Or elfe
as if any one iTiou'd Prove that Honey is Sweet,
but having never Tailed it, Knows not the
Strength of that Sweetnefs. Juft fo are they
that Difcourfe about Perfection and Spiritual
Gladnefs, or Freedom from Corrupt Affections,
without having the Influence and Aflurance
which Faith gives of them. The things them-
felves are not all of them juft as they deTcribe.
For when once fuch a one fhall be thought
worthy to be found in the Work, tho' but Im-
perfectly, he difcovers as much of himfelf, Tru*
ly, fays he very frankly, / have not Found it to
be as I fuppos'd. For I Talked one way^ and the
Spirit Works quite and clean another.
For Chriftianity is Nothing Lefs in Short than
'Johniv. Meat and Drink. And the \ more anyone Eateth
. 34- of it, the more a great deal is the Mind En-
^P£3xix!'gag'd by its m Sweetnefs, fo as not to Contain it
i o. * felf, or be Satisfied, and without beng Fill'd n Afk-
cxix. 103. ing flill for more, and Eating on.
n Ecclef. as one tjiat js Xhirfty fuppofe, and there is
given him fomething to Drink that is Sweet, af-
ter he has once begun to Tafte it, the Clofer
does he keep to his Liquor, as being a great deal
more Inflam'd : Nay, and as Endlefs almoft it is
to Tafte of the Spirit, fo as to give fufficient
Grounds for the Comparifon. And thefe are
not mere Words neither. For this is the Opera-
tion of the Spirit miniftring to the Mind in a
Hidden way.
But