part chang'd your Mind, as to the things that do

appear, and have withdrawn from the World,

* The Manufcript inftcad of iiWftH&t, as it is in the
Printed Copies Reads, d<* )»•/*« ire.

f The Particle si which is in the Editions of Taltkenhis,
the Folio of Picus, and Dr. Pntins, is omitted both in the Edi-
tion of Moreliits, and in the Manufcript.

C c 3 and

390 The Spiritual Homilies

and from Flefhly Commerce : So ought you for
that very reafon to proceed on to a Further Change
in your Mind from the Flefhly Wifdom to the
Heavenly. After this do you Begin to have a
diftinct Infight into the very Leifon you have
Heard, nor yet do you Reft here, but are Con-
cenfd and Labour to be in Poffeilion of what
you have Heard, f And when you think
you have Performed every thing in having made
your Renunciation, the Lord Talks the Cafe
over with you, Why do you Boaft ? Have not 1
Created your Soul and Body ? {Have # not I made
fi Haggai, your Gold * and ^ Silver? ) What have you, pray,
**• 8- Done? Whereupon the Soul begins with an open
rConfider Confefiion r to Befeech the Lord, and to fay,
Job. xlH. j£n things I own are Thine 5 This Houfe in which
1" ' I am is thine ; My very C loath s are Thine -y By
'Thee am I nourijh'd •, And by thy Difpenfation am
I appointed to every thing that is for my Advantage.
In Reply to All thefe Acknowlegments doth the
Lord then begin anew to fay, / Thank you ; The
Goods are your own ; Tour Good Will is your own ;
And becaufe out of Love to me you have Fled
to ?ne, Come hither^ I will give you be fides the things
which hitherto not Even you have been Pofiefs'd
°U nor yet the Men which are upon Earth : Take
Me, thy Lord together with thy own Soul, that
thou mayeft ever be Joyful and Glad with me.

For as a Woman, which is Efpous'd to a
Man, out of her Great Affection, offers him
All her Goods, and her whole Dowry, Throw-
ing them into the Hands of her Hufband, and
makes this Speech, / have Nothing that is pro-?

f The Manufcript and Dr. Pritius begin here a new Period,
and the Manufcript inferts >C.

* The Manufcript here inferts toy x^vrtr k} tov agyvgov hk

perty

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 391

perly my Own ; "The Goods that belong to me, are
yours ; And my Dowry is yours, and my very Soul
and Body yours : Thus alfo is the Compos'd
Soul, the Virgin that holds f Communion with ''J0*1-'- 3
his Holy Spirit. But as He, when He came
upon Earth, SurTer'd, and was Crucified 5 So
ought you alfo to Suffer with Him your fclf.
For when you fhall have withdrawn from the
World, and Begun to Seek God, and to have
t Difcernmcntj the next thing you have to Do,' Heb. v.
is to Fight with your own Nature, in its old H-
Habits, and Propensities that are grown up to-
gether with you. And when you are Engaging
with Cufrom and Prefcription, you meet with
Thoughts that Oppofe you, and Hurry you
back into that which is External, whence you
came out. Thereupon you Begin a Conflict.,
and a War, Pufhing on Reafonings again It Rea-
fonings, Mind againfl Mind, Soul againft Soul,
and Spirit againft Spirit. And in the Event the
Soul is There in a perfect * Agony. For there
is Difcover'd to be a certain Hidden and Subtle
Power of Darknefs feated in the Heart. And
the Lord alfo is near thy Soul and Body, Be-
holding thy Battle, and Initils fecret Heavenly
Reflections into thee in the Hidden Man. But he
leaves them to your felf till fuch Time as you
have been Difciplin'd, and Grace it is, which
Conducts thee in thy very Afflictions. And
when you do arrive at Reft, She makes her Self
known to you, and plainly fhews you that it
was for your u Advantage that She Suffer'd you u Pr oIx.

* The Printed Copies read every one of theraA to the
i ^w\ which though never Co True is yet Nothiui *lmi*
Purpofe here. The Manuscript on the other hand reads «y&>v<«,
which is Good $enfi3 and Agreeable to the reft ot the Para-
graph.

Cc 4 to

67.

3J?i The Spiritual Ho mil ies

to be Exercis'd. As when a Rich Man has a
Son, and that Son a Tutor, who Corrects him
with * Rods fo long, that the Correction, and
the Wounds, and the Stripes Teem very Grievous,
till fuch Time as he grows up to Man -, But then
does he Begin to Return his Tutor Thanks : So
alfo does even Grace Chaftife ~f thee by a fpecial
Difpenfation, till iuch time as you come to a
*1$\*£xr.± prffB Man.

I5' The Hu (landman Throws his Seed all about,

and he that Plants a Vine, is defirous that every
Branch of it fhou'd Bear. At lair therefore he
brings his Pruning Hook, and if he find No
Fruit, he is Griev'd. So is even the Lord de-
yLuk. viii. firous that his Word friou'd be y Sown in the
.II— Hearts of Mankind. But as the Hufbandman is
Griev'd at an empty^iece of Ground : So is the
Lord alio Griev'd with the Heart that is Barren
and beareth No Fruit.

As the Winds Blow every where upon all the
Creatures > and as the Sun Shines out upon the
Pfalm whole Habitable World : So is the Godhead eve-
exxxix— . ry where, and every where is it Found. If you
feck Him in the Heavens, He is there Found in
* tfie Thoughts of the Angels \ If you Look for
him upon Earth, He is met with here alfo in
the Hearts of Men. But out of a Great Num-
ber there are but Few Chrijlians, that are Welh
pleafing to Him. Glory be to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit for ever !
Amen.

f In the Original it is Thor.gs, bagets,
* The Manuicript here inferts <r;.

HOMILJ

a/Macarius the Egyptian, 393

Homily XXXIII.

It behoves us to Tray to God without Ceaf-
ing and with Attention.

ffpSlgp E ought to Pray, not # after any me-
j chamcal Habit of the Body, nor in
the uiual wav of Lifting up the Voice,
nor yet in the Cuftoc&ary wa^r of Si-
leflce, nor even with the Bending of
the Knees : yii g a irrict Regard to the

Mind, to Wail for God, when He will be with
lis, and n upon the Soul, thro' all her

a Outgoings and Paths, and the Avenues cf Senfe 5 a Pfalm
And Inihuclus, when it becomes us to be b Silent, CXXXiX- 2*
and when it may be proper to Speak aloud and b p/xxx{
to Pray with c Crying, provided only, that the
Mind be Sti a . ds God . c Hcb. v. 7,

For as the Body, when Working any thing IsHof.xii.4.
all of it entirely Taken up and Bent upon the Work,
and all the Members of it are mutually Ail: fting to
each other : So let the Soul alfo be All of it whol-
ly Given up to the Lord in Prayer and in Chari-
ty : Not Hurried away at Rovers, nor Carried
about with the Workings of her own Reafbn;
(j But as far as floe is Able^ Taking true Pains^
and Collecling her felf with all her Thoughts) and
Attending upon Chrift with Expectation.

* All This muft be underftood with a Grain of Salt. Our
Author, if I rniftake not, is here Treating of Private Prayer,
not Public Devotion. And he Alludes to the feveral Infi,
of Failure in the youvger Monks of Egypt, Labouring if pofli-
ble to Hinder them from Miftaking what is only C'trcm ,
tial at beft, for that which is Effential.

t The Manufcript inferts here «AA* earn Jitxpic^xrcc cjra^d
y^ trvidfuTU Iccvrlu) gvjj ZtccTi ro7$ Xo[i<rp.olq ■ ■

And

3<?4 The Spiritual Homilies

And Thus will He Shine forth, Teaching her
the True Method of Petitioning, Giving her the
Pure, Spiritual Prayer, Worthy of God, and

* John iv.the ^TVorfhip which is in Spirit and in 'Truth.
24. But as he that has made Ghoice of Merchan-

dize for his Vocation, has not merely one manner
of Projecting Gain : But is Obliged to Improve
every manner of way, and to Multiply his Increafe
of Gain pafTing off from one Adventure to ano-
ther, and thence again haftening to fome freili
Expedient, and in fhort ever Shifting from that
which is of No Advantage to what is more Gain-
ful. So let us alfo Set off our Souls with as much
Variety and Art, that we too may Gain the True
and Great Gain of All God himfelf, to Inftruct
us of a truth how to Pray. For Thus will the
Lord Reft upon the Good intention of the Soul,
Working her up into the Throne of his Glory,
Seating and Reiting himfelf upon her. For thus
have we heard from the Prophet Ezekiel concern-
ing the Spiritual hiving Creatures that were Yok'd
in the Lord's Chariot. For thefe does he Prefent
to us as all-over Eye; as the Soul is that Carries
God, but rather that, ftrictly fpeaking, is Carried
. of God. For fTie becomes All Eye.

And as an Houfe that has the Prefence of its
Mafler, is full of Ornament, and Beauty, and De-
cency : So even the Soul that has her Lord with
her, and Taking up his Manfion in her, is Full
of All Beauty and Grace. For fhe has the Lord
together with his fpiritual Treafures to Refide in
her, and to Govern her. But Wo to that Houfe
whofe Mailer is Gone from home, and whofe
Lord is not at hand ! For it is Defolate, being
Dug down, full of Uncleannefs, and Diforder.
There do the Syrens and Devils, according to the

eIf.xxxiv.e Prophet, Dwell. For in the Houfe that is laid
14, ij-. wafle, are Cats and Dogs, and all Uncleannefs.

Wo

a/Macarius the Egyptian, 395

Wo to that Soul thatRifes not from her grievous
Fall ("f nor Receives the good Mafter of the Houfe,
Christ, Dwelling in her, but Abides in her Un-
cleannefs) and has them within her that Perfuade,
and Neceflkte her to Bear enmity againft her
Bridegroom, and that arc Defirous to Corrupt
her Sentiments in Chrift's Disfavour !

But when the Lord fhall Behold that fhe Re-
collects her felf to theutmoft of her Power, Ever
feeking the Lord, (and * waiting) for Him night
and day, and crying to Him, as he hath Com-
manded her to {Pray without Ceafing, upon eve- fLuke
ry Emergency, will Average her, as he hath pro-xvlli- J>7*
mis'd, having Purg'd her from the Corruption
that was in her, and Himfelf 8 Prefent her to him- g Ephef. v.
felf, a Blamelefs, Spotlefs Bride. " r(>> 27-

But if you Believe thefe things to be True, as
they certainly are, Look well to your felf, whe-
ther your Soul hath found the Light to Guide
her, and the True Meat and Drink, which is the
Lord. But if thou haft it not, Seek for it night
and day, that thou may 'ft Receive it. When
therefore you fhall Behold the Sun, fearch for
the h True Sun : For thou art { Blind. When you h Mai. iv.z.
fee the Light, look upon thy Soul, if thou' haft1 lia.lix.
found the c True and Good Light. For all things that j°;
appear, area Shadow o£ the True things done in the -*° 'l'9'
Soul. For there is befides the vtfible Man, another
Man within y And there are Eyes which Satan
hath Blinded, and Ears, which he hath Deafned.
And this inward Man hath Chrift Come to make
Whole. To whom be Glory and Power with the
Father, and the Holy Spirit for ever! Amen.

f The Manufcript here inferts £ ^ ^^x^xv^s-r, r xxXoi
p)icoaeaxroTUo ^g^roy St»tZ9Tt xXXx (Atvx<rY\ cv ttj xkx6x^ticc

60UTK;

* The Manufcript and Both the Editions of Virus infert
here zr^rSoKarx in the Text : But Palthenius and after him
Dr. Fritius only in the Tranjlation.

Homily

396 The Spiritual Homilies

Homily XXXIV.

Concerning the Glory of Chriftians, which

pall be voitchfaf'd to their Bodies in

the Re/urreBioUy and with which they

pall be Irradiated together with the

Soul.

Rev. xxi.
*3-

f: S the Eyes of the Body See all things
Clearly : So to the Souls of the
Saints are the Beauties of the God-'
head Manifeft and Villble, with
which Chriftians being mix'd, be-
come Wife. But that Glory is Hid from the
Corporeal Eyes : But ReveaFd clearly to the
Soul that Believes, whom the Lord Raifeth
from the Death of Sin, as he alfo Raifeth up
the Dead Bodies, Preparing for her a New
zl&u lx. Heaven, and a New Earth, and the Sun ayof
'?• . Righteoufnefs, Bellowing every thing upon her
^out of his own Godhead. He is the True
* World, and the Living Earth, and the Fruitful
Vine, and the Bread of Life, and the Living
bPf.xxvii. Water, as it is b written, / Believe to fee
J3- the Goodnefs of the Lord in the Land of the
c Md.iv.z. giving. And again, c there f jail Arife to them
that Fear the Lord the Sun of Righteoufnefs and
Healing in his Wings. And the Lord hath alfo
d John xv. faicJ3 / d am t]oe <frue J7"ine. And again, / e am
*• .the Bread of Life. And again, he that { Brinks
4s! V1 °f the Water which I will give him^ it fall be in
f~W. 1 4. him a Well of Water fpringing up into everlafling
Life.

For the Coming of the Lord was wholly up-
on Man's account, who had lain Dead in the

Grave

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 3 97

Grave of Darknefs, of Sin, of the # Unclean
Spirit, and the wicked Powers, to the intent
that now in this prefent Life He might Raife
and Quicken Man, and Purifie him from all
Blackncfs, and Enlighten him with his own
Light, and Cloath him with his own Heavenly
Cloathing of the Divine Nature. But in the
RefuiTccrJon of the Bodies^ to them whofe Souls
had beforehand been Rais'd and Glorified, their
Bodies alfo then are Glorified together, and en-
lightned by the Soul that has been Enlightned
and Glorified in this pre/ent Life. For their
very Houfe, and Tabernacle, and City, is § the8Rcv,XXI-

Lord. They are Cover'd with an Houfe from ,~x!j

Heaven^ b not made with Hands, the Glory of h 2 Cor. v.
the Divine Light, being made as the Sens of *> 2.
the Light. They will not Look upon one ano-
ther with a wicked Eye. For Wickednefs is
Taken away. There is there neither Male ■ nor\ Gaj> j»-
Female, Bond nor Frec\ for they are all Changed 28.
into the Divine Nature, becoming Kind, and
Gods themfelves, and the Sons of God. There
without the lcait Confufion will the Brother
fpeak Peace to the Sifter. For they are All, of
both -f- Sexes, One^ in Chrift, Refrefh'd with
One common Light 3 Every one will have a
Regard to the other, and in the Payment of it,
they will prefently Shine out again in Truth,
in the True Contemplation of the Light which
is Incxprcflible. Thus do they Behold each o-
ther in many Forms, and in great variety of Di-
vine Glories j And every one is Smitten, and

* This unclean Spirit feems here to be the Oppofite or Re-
verse of that Spirit, to which is Afcrib'd the Refy.rreciion from
the Dead. ( See R.em.'\. 4.) and which is there call'd the Spirit
of Hd'tnefs,

f The Manufcript reads «•«'«•#< ft) txsc.i,

I Rejoyces

398 The Spiritual Homilies

Rejoyces with Joy Ineffable, in Obferving one
another's Glory.

You fee how the Glories of God are part all
Utterance and Comprehension, being thofe of
the Inexpreffible Light, and of Eternal Myfte-
ries, and Good Things without Number.

For as in Things that fall under the Eye, the
Plants of the Earthy or Seeds, or various Flow-
ers, it is not poflible for any one to Determine
the Number of -, And as Impracticable is it for
any to Compute, or to Know All the Wealth
of the Earth ; Or as it is Impoflible for any
Man to Comprehend the Living Creatures in the
Sea, or their Number, or the Kinds, or their
Difference, or the Quantity of its Water, or the
Compafs of its Bafin j Or as in the Air it is im-
poflible to know the Number of Things that
Fly, or their Kinds, or Variety > or as there is
No Comprehending the Greatnefs of Heaven,
or the Politions of the Stars, or their Courfe :
So is it impoflible to Speak, or to Declare the
Ephef. i. Riches of Christians, which are without
7,-5. # j\4ea{ure5 without End, and beyond all Com-
prehenfion. For if thefe Creatures are fo
'Boundlefs and Incomprehensible to Mankind,
how much more He that Made and Prepar'd
them?

One ought therefore to be exceeding Glad,
and to Rejoyce that the Riches and Inheritance
Prepar'd for Chrittians is fo Great, that no Man
is Able to Speak or Declare it. With the ut-
most Application -f therefore, and Humility of
Mind, ought he to Come to the Conflict of

* The Manufcript and Morelius omit here the Word d^iT^.n-
?•>■ ; But the Senfe of the Paragraph requiring it, I Tranllate
after the other Copies which have it in.

t The Manufcript reads xu

Chriftiansy

of Mac arius the Egyptian. 399

Chriftians, and to Receive thofe Riches. For

the Inheritance and Portion of Chriftians is .

God himfelf. For the Lord, faith the Pfalmift, Pf* XVL

is the Portion of mine Inheritance, and of my Cup.
Glory be to Him who Giveth Himfelf, and
mixes his Holy Nature with the Souls of
Chriftians for ever ! Amen.

Homily XXXV.

Concerning the Old Sabbath, and the New,

N the a Shadow of the Law, which aHeb.x.
was given by Mofes hath God Com-
manded that every one fhou'd on the
Sabbath Reft, and do No Work. But
this was a Type and Shadow of the True Sabbath,
that is given to the Soul by the Lord. For the
Soul which is thought worthy to be # Set free
from Impure and Filthy Thoughts, both Keeps
the True Sabbath, and Enjoys the True Reft,
being at leifure, and fet at liberty from all the
Works of Darknefs. For there in the Typical
Sabbath, though they Re fled as to their Bodies,
yet were their Souls however Bound down to Sin
and Wickednefs. But this True Sabbath is the
True Reft of the Soul, Difengag'd and Cleansed
from the Suggestions of Satan, and is Re-
frejhed with the Everlafting Reft and Joy of the
Lord.

* In all the Printed Copies tXtvQegaQtiistt is wanting in
the Text, though not in the Tr (inflation* ; But in the Margin
©f the Manufcript it is Reftor'J.

For

4oo The Spiritual Homilies

For as then He exprefiy enjoin'd that the
J Deut. v. very brute Creatures alfo fliou d b Reft on the
14. Sabbath : That the Ox might not be brought
under the Yoke on a work of Neceflity, nor the
Afs be made to Carry Burdens ( for even thofe
very Creatures were eas'd from hard Work :) In
like manner hath the Lord himfelf at his Com-
ing granted both the True and Eternal Sabbath ;
hath Rcfrefh'd the Soul that before was Bur-
den'd and Heavy laden, with the Burdens of Ini-
quity, of Unclean Thoughts, and was Imploy'd
in the Works of Unrighteoufnefs of mere Ne-
J I&i.xxvi. ceflity, as being in Bondage to Hard * Matters,
J3- and hath Eas'd it from its intolerable Burdens,
its Vain and Filthy Thoughts. And he hath
taken from it the Bitter Yoke of the Works
of Unrighteoufnefs, and Refrefh'd it, when
Labouring under the Thoughts of Unclean-
nefs.

For the Lord calleth Man to Reft in thefe
Matt. xi. a Words, Come unto me all ye that Labour and
are Heavy laden^ and I 'will give you Reft. And
as many Souls as are Obedient to this Call, and
come unto him, He gives them Reft from thefe
Heavy, Burdenfome and Unclean Thoughts,
and they are Releas'd from all Iniquity, Keep-
ing the True, Delightful, Holy Sabbath. And
they Celebrate the FeftrVal of the Holy Spirit,
of Joy, and Gladnefs Inexpreilible ; And the
Service they Perform, is Pure and Acceptable to
God, out of a Pure Heart. This is the True
and Holy Sabbath.

Wherefore let us alfo Bcfeech God that we
may Enter into this Reft, and be Releas'd from
wicked and vain Thoughts, that thus we
may be in a Capacity to Serve God out of
a Pure Heart, and to Celebrate the Fefti-
Val of the Holy Spirit, Bleffed therefore is

the

23.

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 401

the Man that is entred into that Reft ! Glory be
to Him, who has thus thought , Fit to Deal
with his Creatures, the Father, and the Son,
and the Holy Spirit for ever ! Amen.

Homily XXX VI.

Concerning the double ReftirreElion of Souls
and Bodies ', and the different Glory of
them that Rife again.

B|HE Refurreclion of a Dead Souls is inaEphef. ii.

|fS this prefent Life. But the Refurreclion f* 6-
of the Bodies, in that Day. But as the
Stars, which are Fix'd in Heaven,
are not All Equal 5 But one differs from another l

in

Brightnefs

and in Magnitude : So even

41

among Spiritual Perfons, according to the Pro-
portion of Faith, are every one's Advances in the
Spirit -y one Richer than another. And the
Scripture b iaith, He that fpeaketh in an unknown bi Cor. xiv,
Tongue, fpeaketh by the Spirit of God. This is a »«
Spiritual Perfon that fpeaketh to God. But
c he that Prophefieth, Edifieth the Church. This' v- 4>
Perfon had Abundance of Grace. The other on-
ly Edifies himfelf : But This both Himfelf and
his Neighbour.

But This is as a Grain of JVheat Sown into the
Earth, and the very fame Grain from one fingle
Heart produceth many Grains, and thofe in great
variety. And again, among the very Ears of
Corn, fome are longer, others f mailer ; But All

Dd

together

40 2 The Spiritual Homilies

together are Gather'd into One Floor, and One
Granary : Though different in themfelves, there
d i Cor. x. is but d One Bread made out of them.

17 ' Or as in a City there are Multitudes of Men,

and fome of them are Infants, but other Men
full grown or Youths : But All Drink Water
from one Spring, and are Fed with one Bread,
and Breathe one Air -, Or as it is with Lights,
where one has 7^0 Branches, and another Sevens
But where there is Abundance of Light, it En-
lightens after quite another manner : So as many
* John, v. as are in the e Fire and in the Light cannot be
3T- in Darhiefs ; But there is a Great Difference.

As if one that is a Father mou'd have Two
Sons, one indeed a Child, but the other a Youth $
And Him it is true he fends Abroad to Cities
and Foreign Countries : But the young Child he
always keeps . under his own Protection, becaufe
he is Able to Do juft Nothing. Glory be to
God ! Amen.

Homily XXXVII.
Concerning Taradife and the Spiritual Law.

S from the Works which are Manifefl,
we perceive the Deftgns which were
ConceaPd: So from what pajjes in the
Soul may wc underftand the Relations of
Scripture. But "This all are not Appriz'd of^
but fuch as through Affliction have Obtain'd a
Freedom from Vile Affe&ions. For as the
Scripture Relates things to come : So alfo the
7ranfaclions of the Soul. For all Things Future

are

of M a c a r i u s the Egyptian. 40 5

are Spiritually wrapt up m it, which whofoever
partakes of, becomes thereby Partaker both of
T/jcfe and of Them. When therefore you {hall
Hear the Scripture giving an Account of Para*
dife, and of Adam, and of the Serpent, Look
with attention to your own Heart, without ai y
Byafs of Affection ; And you fhall find that Pa*
radife is indeed the Word of God : But that the
Enjoyments in it, is the Participation of the
Holy Spirit. But the Serpent is that Peiiflj of
Pleafure which is Tiuifed about, and creeps upon
us by rcafon of its being Bred up v. itfi us, i.rd
Seduces us to Tajlc of the' Tree, that is, of the
Cares of this Life, and Slayeth us by Difokedience. a
For /^/c? ;/0 a thought for the Morrow. God is M*tt« V1*»
alike the Author of Both thefe Sayings, iv';z.b G5e^ if
In b /fo D^7 f&atf ye eat of the Tree ye Jbati Die T 7 ,
the Death : Androf This, c viz. See that your cLuke xxi.
Hearts be not overcharged with Drunkenncfs. For 34-
the Darknefi, which arifeth out oi Care and Z><?-
hauchery is the Death of the 6W, Caflirg her out
of the Spiritual Word, and Depriving her of
the Divine Vertue. From this Tree therefore
doth the Lord drive us out, when he fays,
d Be careful for nothing, but the Kingdom. For d Compare
as many as have Entred into the e Paradife ofY'^;lY\6'
God, and have f kept this Commandment, arewi* , u
not cart out : But in proportion as they havecRev^i'7.
* Refrain* d from that which is Earthly, havef — xxii.
they Enjoy'd that which is Spiritual nn Hundred !4«
i7^ for it, Grace adminiftrir.g Confolations ef-
fectually and alter an Uniform Manner.

* Vicus renders this PafTage, by quantum Taradifo potiti funt
primi Farentes, Sxc. No mention of whom is made either in
the Text or Paragraph. And the Rendrirg I here give is
more Tcrtinent and Serif tural, ifCompar'd with Mattb.xix. 20,

D d 2. Let

404 The Spiritual Homilies

Let us therefore Pray that we alfo may Keep

it, that having Continued in the Word of the

Lord, we may Enjoy the Delights of the Spirit

both Here and in that World to come. For as

Adam is Caft out for having fafled the free of

Knowledge : So neither can they Continue in the

« Phil. Hi. Word of Chrift that Relijh 8 Earthly fhings, ac-

I0; cording as it is written, # /^ h Friendship of the

Tam.iv.4. jp-Qrid is Enmity with God. Upon which ac-

' Tj! F count the Scripture f commands every one to

keep his Heart with all Diligence; that fo a Man,

by Keeping the Word in that, as his Paradife,

may Enjoy Grace^ not giving Ear to the Serpent^

which is Infolded within, and jointly Counfelling

things that tend to Pleafure^ by which that

* Compare Wrath is Begotten which k Slayeth the Brethren ,

Mat. v. 2i,anc[ tne Soul that brings it forth, Dies : But

.*?• ... Hearkning to the Lord, when Requiring f to?

1 jo n in. ^^ ^ Special care of i*W/£ and i^/tf, of which

Jam.i. if, Charity is Begotten, the Friend of GW and of

20. Ate, which1 AfFordeth Eternal Life.
John vni. jnto t^-s paracijfe did Ar!?#/6 Enter by Keeping
'Compare ^ Commandment^ and putting it in Executions
Luke x. • And through Love was he Redeemed from
25"- Wrath. By Keeping this Paradife^ Abraham
Rom- xm- heard the ^JwVe 0/ GW. By Keeping this, did
Mofes Receive a G/0/7 upon his Countenance.
rPf.xviii. In like manner what m David wrought, was by
Keeping this 3 whence he gaiiVd the Dominion

* The whole Beginning of this Homily to thefe very
Words is neither in the Manufcript, nor in Paltbenius, nor
consequently in Dr. Pritius, nor in the Greek Text of the
Firlt Edition of Picas by Morelius : But only in the Folio.
And in the Margin of that, as alfo in the Verjion of Picas by
Morelius, are we advis'd that the whole Homily is in Mark
the Hermit-, when yet in the Margin of the Bibl. PP. Gr.
Lett, this very Piece of Mark the Hermit is Rcftor'd to our
'Author .

f The Manuscript and Picas reads In t ***&<%.

over

21 —

^Macarius the Egyptian. 405

over his Enemies. Nay, and even Saul, fo long
as he kept his Heart, Succeeded well. But in the
clofewhenheTranfgrefs'd, he wasCircum vented.
For the Word of the Lord cometh to every one
by Meafure, and by Proportion : As much as a
Man Holds 1 fo much is a Man Upheld -> And as
much as a Man Preferves, fo much is he Pre-
fervid himfelf.

For this Reafon the whole Quire of Holy
Prophets, Apoftles, and Martyrs have l Kept the1^0"*-
Word in their Hearts, foliicitous for nothing elfe, ^^ 1'
but Overlooking Earthly Things, and Abiding jJm
in the Commandment of the Holy Spirit, and
Preferring the Love of God Suggefted by his
Spirit, and the Good of All ; Not only m inmi]oh. Hi.
Word, or mere Knowledge, but in Word and l8-
in Deed by Aclions themfelves> chufing Poverty
inftead of Riches, Difionour before Glory, and
Mifery rather than Pleafure, and (even * an
habitual Want of Health before Enjoyment )
whence alio they meet with Love inftead of
Wrath. For having an Hatred for the Plea-
furable Things of this Life, they rather Lov'd
thofe that wou'd take them away, as working
together with themfelves, for that which was
their Aim, Forbearing to n Know Good and Evil.* Gen- "♦
For neither did they Deny them that were Good, *7'
nor Accufe the Wicked, Efteeming All as Legates
of their Lord's Difpenfation. Towards All
therefore they Bore a well affected Mind. For
when they Heard the Lord's ° faying, Forgive, ° Luke vi,
and ye Jhall be Forgiven, they then Efteem'd 37-
thofe that Injured them Benefaclors, as Beholden
to them for giving Opportunities of Forgive-
nefs. But when they heard again, As p ye wou'd* Mat. vil

* The Manufrript here inferts dvr) ct7roXetvtreas xctKx-
D d 3 that

40 6 The Spiritual Homilies

that Men fhoud do unto you, do ye alfo to them :
Then did they Love fiich as were Good, accord-
ing to their Confidence. For dropping their own
Righteoufnefs, and Seeking the Righteoufnefs of
God, they found o' Coune that even Love was
! Ro. xiii. naturally Hid s in Her. For when the Lord had
I0- given feveral Commands concerning Charity, he
gave in Charge to Seek the Righteoufnefs of
v^Ecdus. God. For he knew this to be r the Mother of
xxiv. iS. ■■£jjfvem por tnere js nootner way of being Sav'd,
but by means c~ our Neighbour, as Chrift hath
*Luke vi. Commanded, * Forgiw, and it fib all be For given-
37' you. This is that Spiritual Law that is written
in Faithful Hearts, the very Fulnefs of the Firft
•v taw- For I cam? not, faith he, to t Dcftroy the
Law, hut to Fulfil. '■ But Learn how it is Ful-
i. The Firft Law through the plaufible oc-
ion of him that had Sinn'd, Condemn'd more
v01- ndantly him that was Injui^d For " where-

*' h'ou Judge ft another^ faith the Apoflle, thou

'r:n.ic' thy (elf. But wherein he Remiiteth,
pMatt.vi.it (hall be w RemHted xxfto him. For thus faith
-1*' the Law3 /// the midft of Judgment, there is
Judgment : But in the mid ft of Remiffton, there is
R°m[ilion. * For the Fulfilling of the Law is
Rcm'Jft.n.

But we call'd it the Firft Law, not that God

had PubiihYd to Mankind Two Laws > but

One : Spiritual indeed as to its Nature, but in

refpect of Retribution, Bringing juft Re com-

pence upon every one, Forgivenefs to him that

xRo. ii. %. For gives, and* Indignation to him that beareth

yPf. x\mJ4rath. For faith the >' Pfalmift, With the Pure

2.6. wilt thou fts cw thy Self Pure, but with the Fro-

d wilt thou learn Fnwardnefs. For thisRea-

fon they that Fulfil the Law Spiritually, and in

* The Manufcript for x, reads y«f .

proportion,

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 407

proportion, partake of Grace, not only Lov'd
them that did them Good, but even thole alio
that Reproach" d and Perfecnted them •, Receiving
the Spiritual Love as the Reward of their Good
Deeds. Good I fay, not becaufe they Forg
Injuries, but becaufe they did Good to the Souls
of thole that Injur' d them. For thus they Offered
them to God, as by whole means themfelvxs
pbtain'd the Blefling, as it is laid in the z Gof-zMatth.v.
pel, Bleffed are ye when Men JJjall Revile you, ll-
and Perfecuie you ( and * fay all manner of Evil
-J- again ft you falfly for my Sake.)

But from the Spiritual 'Law it was that they
were Taught thus to Think. For while they
were waiting with Patience, and Preferring the
Meek a Difpoiition of their Mind, the Lord a^Ecclus.
Beholding the Patience of their Heart, Moleiled x- *8*
as it was with War, and their Love in the
mean time not x^bating, Broke through the
Middle b TVall of Partition, and they threw a- bEphef.ii.
way Perfect Hatred, and the Charity they had I4"
was no longer Forc'd, but as it were an Auxilia-
ry. For the Lord afterwards c % Reftrain'd the c Compare
Waving Sword that ffirreth up the Thoughts, Gcn" m'
and they enired within the d Veil, whither the r chron.
Lord, the Fore-runner is for us Entred. And xxi. 27.
they were delightfully Entertain'd with theHeb- iv-
Fruits of the Spirit. And having Contemplated d J?' .
Things future with Firmnefs of heart, and ac- i9) 20/
cording to the e Apoftle, no longer through a Glafs,c\i
and in a Riddle, fpoke of Things, which Eye f hath ll-_
not feen, nor Ear heard, neither have they entred lCor'11'9'

* Thefe Words are not in the Manufcript.

f Nor ku6m i/po* in the Morel. Edition. The Folio reads it
xx6' sjftais wrong. But the whole being" the very Letter of
the Evangelift, excepting afmall variation of kz< !//*«», I chofe
to Retain it with Paltheniusj^d Dr. Pritius.

$ The Manufcript inlteaJ ot *«7«fy« reads tuilfeyit.

D d 4 intA

408 The Spiritual Homilies

into the heart of Man, 'which God hath Prepared
for them that Love him. But I will put to you
this Surprizing QuefHon.

Queft. If they have not Entred into the heart
of Man, how came you to Know them ; you hav-
'A&s xiv. ing efpecially made this open Confefjion in the Adts,
!?- we are Men of like Pafftons with your felves?

Anfw. But hear what Anfwer St. Paul makes

fiCor. ii.t0 thefe Matters 5 But God, s faith he, hath Re-

1 °- veaVd them unto us by his Spirit. For the Spirit

fearcheth all things, even the Deep Things of

God. But left any one fhou'd fay that the Spirit

was Given to them, as they were Apoftles, but

that naturally it is not Attainable by us > He elfe-

f,Ephef.iii. where Prays, that God wou'd h grant * you

1 6, 17. ^ according to the Riches of his Glory) to be

Strengthned with might ( by his \. Spirit) in the

inner Man, that Chrifi might Dwell in ^# your

■'iCoT.m. Hearts by Faith. And again, i But the Lord

17 ' is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is,

* Ro. vm. there is Liberty. And again, k But if any one

9- have not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of His.

Let even us therefore Pray with the Full Af-

furance of Faith and Scnfe to Partake of his

** Holy Spirit, and to Enter thither whence we

came out $ and that for the Remainder of our

JJoh. viii. Time, that ("ft Parent l of Murderous Refent-

44- ment ) the Serpent, and that vain-glorious Coun-

feller, the Spirit of Carking and Debauchery,

* The Manufcript reads vpiv.

•j- This in the Manufcript is left out.
\ This alfo is omitted both in the Manufcript, and the
Tar is Edition of Morelius.

** The Manufcript here again reads vpav.

* The Printed Copies Read all <ra between uyls and
mevfvfloi: But the Manufcript leaves it out.

ft The Printed Copies read all SvtMKrim tyt*, but the
Manufcript SvporvKov: Which I follow.

may

a/Macarius /^Egyptian. 409

may be Turn'd away from us : Whence having
been Stedfaft in the Fa$tb9 we may Keep the
Commandments of the Lord, and grow up in Ephef. W.
Him into a perfeel Man, to the Meafure of our 13-
Stature ; that fo we may no longer be Lorded
over by the Deceit fiilnefs of this prefent World,
but may be in the Full Afjurance of the Spirit -y
and not be in Diftruft, becaufe the Grace of God
vouchfafes a Kind Reception of Sinners that Re-
pent. For that which is Given in the way of
Grace, is no longer Meafur'd by any Refem-
blance of its antecedent "^Veaknels. For then
Grace wou'd be no longer Grace. But having
Believed in God, who is All Powerful, let us
Come with an Heart that is Simple and Difin-
tangled from Works, to Him, who through
Faith vouchfafes the Communion of the Spirit^
and not by any AfUmilation of the Works of
Nature. For it is faid, Ye received the Spirit, Gal. iii. 2.
not by the Works of the Law, but by the Hearing
of Faith.

Queft. (9 Tou faid that all Things are Spi-
ritually Hid in the Sou I J what then is the Mean-
ing of that Paffage, I had rather fpeak Five
Words in the Church with my Under ft anding ?

Anfw. The Church is Taken in a double Per-
fonality, viz. for the Collection of the Faithful ; Or
as complicated with the Soul. When therefore it
is Spiritually taken, as in the Jingle Perfon of a
Man, by the Church then is meant his whole
Frame. But the Five Words are the Vertues
that Comprize and m Build up the whole Man, ."Compare
however varioufly Divided . For as he that fpeak- f" XV*
tih in the Lord, in Five n Words hath Com- \ CcaTiij

9.
n 1 Cor, iv.

* Thefe Words arc entirely wanting both in the Manufcript, 10.
and in the Greek Text of the firft Vara Edition by Morelius.

priz'd

^io The Spiritual HomiliEvS

priz'd All * Wifdom : So he that followeth af-
ter the Lord by the means of the Five Vertues ,
"f mightily Advances Godlinefs. For being Five,
they Comprehend ## All. The firfl is Prayer -y
After that Continence ', Ahnfgiving, Poverty, Longz
Suffering. Thefe Performed out of Defire and
Choice, are the Words fpoken by the Lord, and
Heard by the Heart. For the Lord worketh
them. And then the Spirit fpeaketh Intellectu-
ally, and as much as the Heart defireth, fo much
' alfo doth it Openly Perform. And thefe Ver-
tues in proportion as they Contain All, fo are
they Productive of each other. For when the
Firft is wanting, there is an End of All. In
like manner thro' the Abfence of the Second,
All the Following. And fo On. For how
fhall any Man Pray without the Influence of the
»iCorxii. Spirit ? And the ° Scripture witnefTes to me,
3* when it fays, No Man can fay that Jefus is the
Lord, but by the Holy Ghofi. But how mall a Man
Perfevere in Continence without Prayer, without
Ajjiftance ? And he that is not Continent in every
thing, how fhall he have Mercy upon him that
is Hungry, or Injur 'd ? But he that jloeweth no
" Mercy, neither does he willingly take up with
Poverty. But Anger is the Fofter Sifter of Co-
vetoufnefs, whether it has Money, or hath it
not. But the Vert nous Soul is thus Built up
adjoining to the Church : not became it hath
Done any thing, but hath had a Defire for it.
For it is not a Man's own Work that faves him :
But He that granted him the Ability. Where-

* The Manufcript and Paris Edition by Morelius omit
e-o<piotv. '

f The Manufcript for ttoXXw reads reXv in the Margin.

**The Printed Copies before octrees read Mmm^ which
clogs the Senfe : But the Manufcript omits it.

fore

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 411

fore if a Man bearcth the p Marks of the Lord^ p Gal- vi.
let* him not entertain any opinion of it, tho' I?'
he hath even Atled thereupon, but only that
he hath Lov'd, and done his Endeavour, to Exert
himfelf. Do not therefore at any cirue imagine
that you have by your Vei i the

Lord, For according to tb it ij- Phil.ii.13.

thai worketh in you both to Wilt a ,f his

Good P leaf ure.

Qucii. What is it then that the St , pre-
fcribes to a Man to Do ?

Anfw. We (aid Before,, that Man has 1 jR a-
dinefs by Nature^ and mote it is which f it
Requires. It Prefcribes therefore firft that you
fhou'd underirand, and having undcrftood, that
you fhou'd Love, and Employ your Witt. But
that the Mind fhou'd be Exeras'd, or Undergo
Labour ■, or Bring any Work to PerfecJi on; This
the Grace of God affords to him that hath b^en
willing for it, and withal had Faith. The Will
of Man therefore is as an innate Auxiliary. But
-when the Will is not 1 Prefent, neither doth q Rom. vii.
God himfelf Do any thing, tho' never fo Able \ l8-
by reafon of its own proper Power. The Com-
pletion therefore of the Work of the Spirit^
plainly lies upon the Will of Man. Again, if
we give Him our whole Will^ He Afcribes the .
whole Work to us, who is a God wonderful in
all things, and entirely above 'all Comprehen-
fion.

But we Men endeavour to Pro clam fome part
of his Works, fupported by Scripture -, but ra- Rom. xi.
ther Inftrucled by it. For who^ faith that, hath 34-
Known the Mind of the Lord ? But He himfelf1 C™' 1L
faith, How often wou'd I have Gathered thy Chil- ifai. xf. 13 :

Wifd. ix. '
* All the Printed Copies read here 0 3-As, but the Manu* mf' I^.*..

r • , , . „,. , , . . Mat. XXlli;

fcript and the Pans Edit, by Morel, omit "•

1 dren

4ri The Spiritual Homilies

dren together, and ye wou'd not ? So that from
hence do we believe, that He it is that Gathers
us together, and Requires nothing of us, but
our Will. But now what Manifestation of that
Will can there be, but Voluntary Labour ?

For as the Iron, when it Saws, Cleaves, Ploughs,
or Plants, it felf Imparts fomething by being
Worn , but yet it is another, that Moves, and
Draws it, and when it is worn, puts it into the
Fire and Renews it again : So even Man, tho' he
be Hard put to it, and take great Pains, when
working that which is Good : yet it is the Lord
that after an hidden manner worketh in him, and
in the midft of all his Labour and Diftrefs, Com-
x mi. xl. forts and r Renews his Heart y As alfo faith the
*9 — 3 f • Prophet, <SW/ the f >f#£ 5o^ /> felf againft him
l*' that Heweth therewith ? Or fhall the Saw Mag-
nifie it felf, without Him that Jhaketh it ? After
the fame manner is it in that which is Evil.
When a Man is Obfequious and Prepared > then
does Satan fir him up and Whet him, as a Rob-
ber does his Sword. But when we Compar'd the
Heart to Iron y it was for its Want of a due
Senfe of things, and its great Hardnefs. But it
*no way Became us to be Ignorant of Him that
has Hold of us, as if we were Iron indeed,
Void of Senfe : ( for neither did we fall off very
foon from the mention of the Hufbandman to
the Thoughts of * War, ) But rather like the
Oxe and the Afs we ought to Know him that
Drives and f Directs us in the way, by his Im-
l£mh\.i.preffion upon the Mind. For faith he, the Oxe

* The Printed Copies read here none** but the Manufcript

\Pcdthmius, and after Dr. Pritius, reads ^aySvTet, and even
the Folio: But the Manufcript and the hxft Paris Edition

\ * knowetb

#/ Macarius the Egyptian. 413

knoweth his Owner, and the Afs his Maftefs Crib :
But Ifrael hath not known me.

Let us therefore Pray that we may Receive the
Knowledge of God, and be Inftrufled in the Spiri-
tual Law, to the Obfervance of his Holy Com-
mandments : Giving Glory to the Father, and to
the Son, and to the Holy Spirit for ever. Amen,

^m

1

M

mi

1
1

Homily XXXVIIL

There is need of great Exattnefs and Un-
derftanding in TUfcerning True Chriftians 7
and who they are.

ANY that are Righteous in Appearance
are thought to be Chriftians. But it be-
longs to Men of Art and Experience
to Try whether flich as thefe have in
Reality the a Sign and Image of the King •> Oracompare
whether the Works of fome Artificers may not John xiii.
have a Falfe Stamp, and the Artificers Admire, if>
and * Cry it up. But if there be No Men of Art,l*m™ iL
then is there No Proof to be made of them that jud * viii>
make Counterfeits -> for as much as they alio Bear i%.
the Habit of Reclufes, or f Chriftians. For even
the ivz//<? A pottles b Suffer d for thrift, and them- blCor x-
felves c Preach' 'd the Kingdom of Heaven. For 3.

c Phil. i.
* The Printed Copies read -^eyaa-iv; But the Manufcript lS> 1&*
Jity&Tiv.

f A Rrclufe and a Chriflian might be Reciprocal Terms in a'
Time of Perfcurion 5 which was the firfi Occaiion of thefe
Retir t meats; But now the Cafe is Alter 'd.

414 The Spiritual Homilies

this reafon doth the Apoffle lay, In Dangers mor*

* 1 Cor. xi.d Abundantly, in Afflictions above Me a fur e, in Pri-

**• fons more Frequent : Willing to ihew that he had
Aa.ix.K>.Suffer,d beyond them

Gold is eafy to be Found: But Pearls and Pre-
cious Stones, that go to the Making up of the
Royal Diadem, are Rarely found : for very often
among them feveral are found t+iat will not do.
So alio even Chrifiians are # Built up .into the
e Compare e Crown otChrift, that thofe Souls maybe in Com-
Ifai.lxn. z*munion with the Saints. Glory be to Him who
ec2^ 1X* hath Lov'd this Soul of ours, and hath Suffer'd
for her fake, andRais'd her from the Dead! But
f Exodus as the i Veil was put overMofes his Face, that the
xxxiv. 3 3 'People might not Behold his Countenance : So at
3^' this prefent time does there lie a Veil upon thy
^ Cor. m.Heatt^ that you cannot Behold the Glory of God.
16, 18. But when This jhall be Taken away, then doth
He Appear, and fhew Himfelf to Chriftians, and
to them that Love Him, and that Seek -j- Him in
johnxiv. truth, as he faith, I will mam f eft my felf unto
ll> 23- Him, and make my Abode with Him.

Let us therefore do what we can to Come to
Chrift who cannot Lie, that we may Obtain the
^Wth.vm.Promife, and the § New Covenant which the Lord
10. hath Renewed by his Crofs. and Death, having
Broken thro'' the Gates of Hell and Sin, and
Brought out the Faithful Souls, and Given them
the Comforter within, and Brought them back
into his own Kingdom.

Therefore let us alio Reign together with Him
in Jerufalem, his own City, in the Church in
Heaven, in the Quire of the Holy Angels. But

* The Manufcript inftead of l^ctKo^o^yTs^, as it is in the
Printed Copies, reads e7roiKo$op.£v^.

t The Manufcript here adds cci/t^j which is wanting in
all the Printed Copies.

the

o/Macarius the Egyptian. 41 y

the Brethren that have a long time been Exercised
and 7n<?*/, thefe mav Succour and Sympathize with
the Unexperienced. For ibme having Secured them-
felves, and been greatly I nfluene'd by Grace, have
found their Members To Sanctified, that they have
reckon'd Concupifcence cou'd »*wr light where
Chrifiianity was, but have Poffefs'd a St^r and a
G&df/te Mind. And the Inward Man is in other
refpefts Taken up with Divine and Heavenly things,
fo as to /£/#£ abfolutely fuch a one hath already
b'd the Heights of Perfection. And as he was
reckoning Himfclf to havr ArrivVl at the Calm
Haven, the Tempeftuous Waves have Rifen upon
Him, that Now ago in He is in the mid ft of the
Deep, and is Carried out where the Sea\ and Hea-
ve z, and Death are Ready for him. Thus hath
Sin, having gain'd Admiilion, hlVrought all man- »> Rom.vii,
ner of Evil Concupifcence. But fuch Perfons as 8.
thefe again who have been Favoured with fome
degree of Grace, and, as I may fo fay, have Re-
ceiv'd fome fmali Sprinkling from the Full Depth
of the Sea , find this very thing , every Hour,
and every Day fo wonderful a Working, that he
that is under the Influence of it, is by reafon of
the Unexpected, Strange, and Divine Operation
Aftonifh'd and llruck with Amazement to think
how he was Impos'd upon. For the future Grace
Enlightens him, Conducts, and Calms him, and
makes him Good, being in all refpc£ts Divine
and Heavenly. So that in companion of him,
Kings and Potentates, Men of Wifdom and Digni-
ty are Etteem'd as moft Inconfiderable and Defpi-
cable: But after a little Space and Hour things
are Changed > fo that of a truth fuch an one thinks
himfelf more a Sinner than All Mankind befides.
And again, another Hour mall he Behold himfelf
as a King of the Fir ft Magnitude, above the Com-
mon Rank, or elfe a Powerful Friend of the Kings.

Again

416 tte Spiritual Ho mil ies

Again another Hour mall he look upon himfelf
as Weak and Poor.

Afterwards the Mind falls into a Diftrefs of
Thought, Why it jhould be one while thus, and
another while Otherwife ? Why, even becaufe Sa~
tan, the Sworn Foe to Good, Suggefls wicked
things to them that follow after Vertue, and
Struggles all he can to Overcome them. For
this is his Employment.

But don't you ever be Subject to him, but Work

the Righteoufnefs which is Accomplim'd in the

Inner Man, wherein is Plac'd the "throne of Chrift.

together with his Unpolluted Sanbluary, that the

' Gal. vi. TelHmony of thy Confcience may * Glory in the

*4" Crofs of Chrift, who hath Purgd thy Confcience

from Dead Works, that thou may'fl Worjloip God

in Spirit, that thou Know what thou Worfhipeft,

ft John iv. according to him that faid, We k Know what we

lz' Worjhip. Be RuPd by God who Conducts thee.

'ijohni.j. Let thy Soul have l Pellowfhip with * Chrift, as

the Bride hath with the Bridegroom. For this is

Ephef. v. a Great My fiery, faith the Apoftle, But I fpeak

32* concerning Chrift and the Immaculate Soul. To

t whom be Glory for ever ! Amen.

* The Manufcript for $-£$, as it is in all the Printed
Copies, reads %^$£*

Homily

o/Macarius the Egyptian. 417

Homily XXXIX.

Upon what account the Scriptures were Given
us by God.

S a King that has written Letters to them,
upon whom he has a Mind to Beftow
Codicils and lpecial Gifts^ lignifies to
them All, Ye mufl make hafie to Come
to Me, that ye may- Receive from Me Royal
Gifts , And if they will not Go, and Receive
them, they fhall be Nothing the Better for
having Read the Letters -y But rather are worthy of
Death for not having the Will to Go, and Ac-
cept of the Honour from the King's own Hand:
In like manner alfo hasGW the a King fent his Z)/-*pf- xc^
vine Writing, as his h Letter s^ fignifying by them, i,mmm '
that with Calling upon God, and Believing bRev.\.^:
in Him, they ihou'd Ask and Receive the Hea-
venly Gift from the Subftance of his Godhead. ci Pet. 1.4
For it is written, c Yhat we may be Partakers of
the Divine Nature. But if Man will not Come
to Him, and Afk, and Receive : He will be
a Nothing the Better for having Read the Scrip- d John ri
tures -, But rather will be in e Danger of Death, e 4<>-
becaufe he wou'd not Receive the Gift of Life' Joh8n XI'-
from the Heavenly King, without which it is 4
Impoflibie to Obtain the Life Immortal^ which f John xi,
is f Christ himfelf. To whom be Glory 2J-
for ever ! Amen.

E c Homily

4i 8 The Spiritual Homilies

Homily XL,

That All the Vertues> and All the Vices
are fajl Bound to each other, and even as
a Chain, whereof one Link hangs upon
another.

Oncerning Outward Exercife, and
what Sort of Undertaking is Greater
and before other, Know ye this,
Beloved, that All the Vermes are
Link'd together. For, as it were a
Spiritual Chain, one Link is Hung upon ano-
ther : Prayer upon Charity ; Charity upon Joy ->
Joy upon Meeknefs -•> Meeknefs upon Humility,
Humility upon Miniftration> Miniftration upon
Hope , Hope upon Faith 3 Faith upon Hearing 5
Hearing upon Simplicity. Juft as even on the
contrary Side the Vices are Faftned with Links
one upon another: Hatred upon Anger -y Anger
.upon Pride y Pride upon Vain-Glory y Vain-
Glory upon Infidelity y Infidelity upon Hardnefs of
Heart y Hardnefs of Heart upon Negligence 5
Negligence upon Sloth y Sloth upon Liftlefnefs 5
Liftlefnefs upon Impatience y Impatience upon
Love of Pica fur e y And all the other Members of
Sin are Hung upon each other. Thus alfo
exactly on the Good Side are the Vertues mu-
tually Hung upon and Faftned to each other.

But the Head of every Good Purpofe, and
the very Crown of all Good Regulations, is to
Per fever e in Prayer^ by Means of which we
may alfo daily Obtain the other Vertues, if
A flung them of God. For hence does there
Commence in them that are thought worthy,

the

of "Mac akivs the Egyptian. 419

the Communion of the Holinefs of God and of his
Spiritual Energy, and a Contaft of the Difpofi-
tion of the Mind * towards the Lord, in Love
furpaffing utterance. For he that daily Forces
himfelf to Per fever e in Prayer, to Divine Love,
and a Burning Defire : He is Inflamed with a Spi-
ritual Love for God, and he Receives the Grace
of the Sanctifying Perfection of the Spirit.

Quert. Since fome Sell indeed their Goods, and
fet their Servants Free, and Obferve the Com-
mandments -y but feek not to Receive the Spirit in
this World : Do not they that Live thus, Go into
the Kingdom of Heaven ?

Anjw.. This Matter is Nice. For fome Af-
firm that there is but One Kingdom, and but
One Hell. But we Aver a Plurality of Degrees,
and of Differences and Meafures, both in the
fame Kingdom, and in the fame Hell. But as
there is but One Soul in all the Members •> and
that Exerts itfclf in the Brain Above, and Be-
neath moves the Feet herfelf : So does even the
Godhead Contain all Creatures, both the Heaven-
ly, and thofe under the Abyfs, and is every vuhere
Taken up with the Creatures 5 though at the
fame time it is Exterior to them AH, by reafon
of its Exceeding AllMeafure andComprehenfion.
This Godhead therefore has a particular Regard
to Mankind, and Difpenfes all Things in due
Proportion. And becaufe fome indeeci Pray,
without Knowing what they wou'd . have, but
fome again Fafl, and others continue in their
Minifiration : God being the Righteous Judge,
giveth a Reward to every one according to his
proportion of Faith. For what they do, they
do in the Fear of God. But thefc are not All

* The Manufcript omits «$, which is in ail tLe Printed
Copies.

Ee 2 Sons,

420 The Spiritual Homilies

Sons, nor Kings, nor Heirs. But in the World
here fome are guilty of Murder -y others are
Whoremongers ; And others take to Rapine. On
the other hand again fome Diftribute their Goods
among the Poor. The Lord has an Eye both up-
on the one^ and upon the other > And to them ■
that do Good, does he Beftow Reft and a Re-

'Matxu.i.tyard, For there are Extraordinary a Meafures$
and there are the Lefs. Both in the Light and
Glory there is a Difference. Nay, and in Hell it
felf, and in Puniihment do there appear to be
IVizzards and Robbers, and others whohave^i/ZW
up the Meafure of their Iniquities, though in
Matters comparatively Small and Trivial.

But they that Affirm * that there is but One
Kingdom, and One Hell -, and that there are No
Degrees in either, fay very 111. For how many
of this World are there at prefcnt (landing at
the Publick Shews, and other diforderly Doings ?
And how many are there at this time Praying
and Fearing God? God therefore has a fpecial Re-
gard both to T'hefe, and to "Them. And as one

«» Mat.xxv. that Judges Right, does He Prepare b Reft for
34. the one, and c Punijhment for the other.

•— v. 41. * But as Men that Harnefs Horfcs, and Guide
their Chariots, and Drive againit. each other (for
eveiy one docs his Utmofl how to Throw and
Overcome his Adverfary :) So is there in the
Heart of them that Strive in good Earneft, a
perfect Theatre of wicked Spirits JVreftling with
the Soul, both God and his Angels Behold-
ing the Struggle. What follows? But that every
Hour there are variety of Frcfli Thoughts ftrack
out by the Soul, by Sin alfo in like manner
within. For the Soul hath many hidden
Thoughts which at that time She produces and

* The Manufcript here inferts «t;.

Begets.

0/Macarius the Egyptian. 421

Begets. Even Sin it felf hath variety of Re-
flections and Devices, and at a proper Seafon
Hutches frcfh Thoughts againft the Soul. For
the Mind is the Charioteer, which puts the
Chariot of the Soul together, Holding the Reins
of the Thoughtss And here doth it Run againft
the Chariot of Satan, where he alfo has Fitted
his againft the Soul.

Qiieft. If * Prayer is Reft : How fay fme} we
are not Able to Pray -y neither do they Per fever e in
Prayer ?

Anfw. This very Reft, where it Abounds,
gives Bowels of Companion, and Supplies other
good Offices, fuch as to Viftt the Brethren, and
to Attend the Word. And this very Nature is
willing to Depart, and to See the Brethren, and
to Speak the IVord, For nothing that is
Thrown into the Fire, can Abide in its own
Nature : But there is a Ncceffity, that it felf
fhou'd become Fire. Juft as if you throw fmall
Stones into the Fire, the* Stone becomes Chalk.
And if any one has a -f Mind to Go into the
Sea, 'for the mod part he Sinks, and goes into
the middle of the Sea, is Drown'd, and Difap-
pears. But he that goes in Step by Step, is de-
firous to come up again, and to Swim on, and
to get out into the Haven, and to Vifit Man-
kind that are upon dry Land. So alfo in the
Bufinefs of the Spirit, a Man enters into the
very Depth of Grace, and again he calls to

* Valtheritus, and Ticus both in the Octavo and Folio Edit.

read.-^y^jj And fo does Dr. Pritius, but with this Advice ±.yt[ r-.

in the Margin, viz. ivy* kgi debet. His Author for this Li "- ^

Emendation is \ Cottelerius. But mine is the Baroccian Ma- v i

c • . num. tcci.

nurcrlPt- G>,. T.2.

** All the Printed Copies read •Aiy>-, but the Manu-/>. f6c.c.

fcript 0 A/0©",

f The Manufcript here inferts i $«A«j.

£c 3 Mind

28.

4 1 z 7$£ Spiritual Homilies

Mind that there are \ others befides himfelf.
And Nature it felf is willing to Gt> to one's Bre-
thren^ to Fulfil the Law of Charity , and to
Confirm the Word.

QuefL /i&q? £## Two Perfons be in the Heart
at once, both Grace and Sin ?

Anftu. As when Fire is Applied to the Out-
fide of a brazen VefTel, if after that you put
Wood under, Behold it is on Fire , And the
Infide of the Vefiel Boils, and is Hot, Fire
Burning underneath on the Outfide. But if any
one will be Negligent, and not put Sticks un-
der, the Fire begins to Abate, and in a manner
to go out : So alfo is Grace, the Heavenly
, even without thee. If hereafter you mall
Pray, and give up your Thoughts to the Love
of Chrift, See how you have put the Sticks un-
der, and your Thoughts are become Fire, and
Ting'd with the Deiire of God. But though
the Spirit withdraws, as being without thee,
neverthelefs it is both within thee, and Mani-
fested without thee too. But if any one will
be Carelefs, having Applied himfelf, though but
little, either to Worldly Matters, or to Refyc-
ries, Sin Returns again, and Puts that Soul on
as a Garment, and begins to Afflict the whole
Man. The Soul therefore Remembers her for-
mer Reft, and begins to be Afflicted, and to
be Miferable for a longer Continuance.

Again has the Mind Attended to God ; its for-
mer Reft hath Begun to Approach it, and it
Begins to Seek after God with greater Earneft-

t All the Printed Copies here read Irsti^att , but the Manu-
script which I follow reads r'egar. The Senfe is much the
But there is an Advantage in the Manufcripr, as
giving a more Open and Enlarg'd View of the Author's Ua-
boundU Charity.

nefij

of Mac arius the Egyptian. 423

nefs, faying, Lord^ I Befeech Thee. By Little
and * Little is Fire added to it, Enkindling and
Refreshing the Soul: As an Hook bringeth up
a Fifh from the Bottom of the Sea by little and
little. For unlefs This were Done, and Man
were made to Tafte of Bitterneis and Death : How
cou'd he be Able to difcern Bitter from Sweet,
and Death from Life, and to Give Thanks to
the Life-giving Father, and to the Son, and to
the Holy Spirit for ever ! Amen.

iiS

— ^— — -— • ~" III. I II < ■ II <T

mm

Homily XLI.

The inward Apartments of the Soul are
very "Deep, She by little Increafing to-
gether with Grace or Sin.

H E Precious VefFel of the Soul is of a
great Depth : As the Wife Man fays,

He Seeketh out the Deep, and the Heart. Ecclus.

For when Man was turn'd off from thexlil- l8<
Commandment, and had Fali'n under the Sen-
tence of Wrath, Sin took him into her Hands,
and She as a Great Deep of Bitterneis, Subtil
and Profound in its Penetration, having once
Entred in, Seiz'd the Failures of the Soul, even
to the Deepen: of her Receptacles.

* The Manufcript both here and Below repeats ^t^lv,
whereas in the Printed Copies it is but once.

Ee 4 Let

424 The Spiritual Homilies

Let f us Refemble the Soul, and Sin that was
mix'd with it after fome litch manner as this,
vfc. As if we fhou'd fuppofe a Tree of the
largeft Size, that has many Branches, and has
its Roots in the deepeil: Parts of the Earth :
Thus Sin having made its Approaches, and
Sciz'd the Paftures of the Deepen: Receptacles of
the Soul, hath grown into Familiarity and Pre-
pofTeflion, Growing up with every one from his
InEmcy, aud # Converting together, and Teach-
ing him All that is Bad.

When therefore the Energy of Divine Grace
Luk.i.3j-.f!iall Overfhadow the Soul in proportion to eve-
ry Man's Faith, and he Receive Succours from
Above: Verily that Overfhadowing is but in
Part. Don't you therefore think a Man is En-
lightned in his whole Soul. There is Hill a ve-
ry Large Paflure of Wickcdnefs within 3 And a
IVTan has need of much Labour and Pains to Aft
in concert with the Grace Beftow'd upon him.
For for this very reafon hath the Divine Grace Be-
gun but in Part to Come into the Soul, when
yet it is Able in a Minute of an Hour to Cleanfe
and (Perfect him. But it is Done with this
view, that fhe may put Man's Intention to the
Trial, whether he Preferves an entire Love for
God : Not AfTociating with the wicked one, in
any one Inftance, but Devoting himfelf entirely
to Grace. And thus the Soul being Approv'd
after Repeated Times and Seafons of Trial, and
neither Grieving nor Injuring Grace in any pne
particular, is foon Succour'd. And Grace it
ielf finds Patturc in the SdliI, and takes Root,

f The Manufcript reads Trot^Hy.dra^f.
* The Printed Copies read <rv u ctrpepoify't) , all but the
l'aris of the Firfl; Edition j But that and the Manufcript read

as

0/Macarius the Egyptian. 42^

as Low as her greateft Depths and Kxafonings :
She being found after many Trials to be Ac-
cepted, and to Harmonize with Grace •, till
fuch time as the whole entire Soul mail be
Swallow'd up of the Heavenly Grace, which
for the future Reigns in the Veflel it felf.

But if any one is not greatly Humble, thisPer-
fon is Deliver'd up to Satan, and Stript of that
Divine Grace which was come to him, and is
Tempted with variety of Afflictions. And then is
his own Opinion made Manifeft, that he is
Naked and Wretched. He therefore that is
Rich in the Grace of God, ought to Keep in
much- Lowlinefs of Mind, and Contrition of
Heart, and to Efteem himfelf as Poor, and
having Nothing. What he has, is not his own ;
It was both Another that a Gave it him, and1 Job i. 21",
when he will, He taketh it again.

He that thus Humbleth himfelf before God,
and Men, is Able to Preferve the Grace Com-
mitted to him, as the # Lord faith, He that hum-
bleth himfelf, Jhall be Exalted. Though he be
even the Elect of God, yet in himfelf let him
be as one Reprobated -y And though Faithful,
think himfelf as Unworthy. For fuch Souls as
thefe are well-pleafing to God, and Quickned in
Chrift. To whom be Glory and Dominion for
ever ! Amen.

f The Manufcript here inferts 0 kz.

Homily

q.z6 The Spiritual Homilies

Homily XLIL

They are not the things External, but In-
ternal, which Advance, or 'Prejudice
the Man, as the Spirit of Grace for In-
fiance, or the Spirit of JVickednefs.

Zech. ii

S a Great City, which we may fup-
pofe to be Forfaken, its Walls being
Tumbled down, and to be Taken
by the Enemy, its Magnitude is of
no Service to it. Care muft be taken
therefore that in * proportion to its Bignefs, it
have Walls that are Firm, that the Enemy may
find no Entrance. So verily even Souls that are
Adorn'd with Knowledge and Understanding,
and mod Acute Apprehenflon, are as Great Ci-
ties. But Enquiry fhou'd be made whether they
. are a Fenc'd with the Power of the Spirit, left
the Enemy fhou'd at any time get in, and lay them
Wade. For the wife Men of the World,
tAriftotle^ Plato^ f Ifocrates^ being Great Profi-
cients in Knowledge, were as the Great Cities:
But yet they were made Defolate by their Ene-
mies, becaufe the Spirit of God was not in
them.

But as many of the Unlearned as are Partakers
of Grace, are as little Cities that are Skreen'd
by the Power of the Crofs. But they Fall from

* Fdtfonius and Picus in Both Editions read ^ to piyefos.
But Dr. Vr'itius in the Margin adds alii y.xtx, The Emenda-
fMonum.tion he had from \ Cottelerius ; Cottelerius made it from the
Ecci. Grae. French King's Manufcript^ And to this agrees the Bodleian
T.2. p. Manufcript, which I follow.
5-89. B. f The Manufcript reads Itox^t^,

Grace

of Macarius the Egyptian. 427

Grace upon two accounts, and arc Undone : Ei-
ther they do not bear the inflictions brought
upon them 5 Or becaufe they have Continued
their \ Relifh for the Vleufurcs of Sin. For
Paflcngers can never Gj thro- without Tempta-
tions".

But as in Childbearing r and a Queen

Endure the fame Pangs 3 In like manner alio the
Ground of the Rich -:,nd the Poor, unlets they
have been * 'd, as they ought to be, can

never Produce Fruits of any Value: So in the
Culture of the Soul, nei nor

the Rich Reign h in Grace/ unlets tlu • L: - %b iCcr.iV,
and Afflictions, and frequent Labours. Foi the 8.
Life of Chriftians ought to be of this kind.

For as Honey being Sweet, admits of Nothing
that is Bitter or Poiibnous to mix with it : So
are They Kind to All that come to them, whe-
ther Good or Bad, as the Lord faith, c Be ye^Matth.v.
Kinds as your Father, which is in Heaven, For 45-.
that which Hurtcth and Dcfileth the Man is from
within. For out of the Heart proceed Evil Thoughts,
as the Lord lakh, d That the things that Pollute6— -xv.u.
the Man, are within him.

There is therefore within in the Soul, Creep-
ing and Marching about, a Spirit of IVickednefs,
Rational, and Impulfive, which is the Veil of
Darknefs, the Old Man, which it Behoves them

f Talthcriiusy and both the Editions of Plcus, read cvnivv-
3«<r*4 \s&if*Hix$. But Dr. Prrtius advifes, that others read
c*« »»3<m« iW/^va*.- Meaning by others, Cotteleruts from
the French King's Manufcripts (See\Monum. Ecclefa Grscs.
T. 2. p. 60 j-.) The Baroccian Manufcript reads x-riuavw. j and
fo docs Dr. Fritius in his Text contrary to all the Printed Co-
pies I have feen.

* The Manufcript inferts here hyccriccy, whicli was want-
ing in the Printed Copies.

that

428 The Spiritual Homilies

that Fly to God to Put off, and to Put on, in
the room of that, the Heavenly and the New
Man, which is Chrift. Not one of the things
therefore that are without can Hurt a Man, un-
lefs it be that Living, Active Spirit of Dark-
nefs that dwelleth in the Heart. So that Every
one ought to Experience this Struggle in his
Thoughts, that Chrift may Shine out in his Heart.
To whom be Glory for Ever ! Amen.

Homily XLIII.

Concerning theTrogrefs of a Chrift ian Man,
the Full Tower of which depends upoyi
the Hearty as it is here cDefcrib'd with
no fmall Variety.

S many Lights and Burning La?nps are
Kindled by the Fire, but all the Lamps
and Lights are Lighted up from one
Nature, and Shine: Thus Chrift ians
alfo are Lighted up from One Nature, and Shine,
from the Divine Fire the Son of God -y and have
th cfe Lamps Flaming in their Hearts and Shine
before Him while on Earth, even as He him-
apffXiv.7.felf. For, faith He, a Therefore hath God, even
thy God, Anointed thee with the Oil of Gladncfs.
For this reafon was He call'd Christ, that we
being our felves Anointed with the fame Oil which
himfelf was Anointed with, might become Chrift' *s
i alfo :

a/Macarius ^Egyptian. 419

alfo : Of * One Subftancc, as I may Co fry, and
o£> One Body. Again he lays, h Both he thatbHcb.ii.
Sanclifieth, and they that are Sanclified are All "•
of Ope.

Chriftians therefore bear in fome meafure a
Refemblancc to thefe Lights that have the Oil in
themfelves, that is, the Fruits of Right eoufnefs.
But if They \ are not * Lighted up from the
Light c of the Godhead in themfelves, they are cRev.iv.
Nothing. The Lord was a Burning Light thro' f*
the Spirit, of the Godhead Abiding Subftantially
in Him, and Inflaming his Heart according to
his Humane part.

For as a Rotten Bag that is FilVd with Pearls :
So are Chriftians alfo, who Outwardly ought to
be Lowly and Dcfpicable in Circum fiances, have
in the inward man within d the Pearl of great* Mat. xiif
Price. But others are like to e JVhited Sepulchres, 46.
without indeed they are Painted, and Beautiful:' — xx»i-
But within are they Full of Bead Mens Bones, 27#
and much 111 Savour, and Unclean Spirits. They
are Dead before God, and Cloath'd with all man-
ner of Shame, and Filth, and the Darknefs of
the Enemy.

The Apoftle faith, that the Child, fo long' as
he is Little, is under the f Tutelage and Government rGal. fv. i,
of wicked Spirits, which Spirits arc by no means2- com-
willing that the Child iliou'd grow $ left when Par>d with
it becomes a perfect man, it begin to Enquire °* u *4*
into the Affairs of his Family, and Aflat his

* The Printed Copies read mrh : but the Manufcri'pt
P.10L'.

f Talthenius, Dr. Tritius, and the Folio read here Av'^v^,
as well as the Manufcript. But the Octavo Edition of Tichs
leaves it out.

* All the Printed Copies read eiptBri , but the Manufcript

own

430 The Spiritual Homilies

own Authority. The Chriftian ought at all
times to be mindful of God. For it is written,

BDeut. vi.g Thou jhalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy

fm .. Heart -> that he may Love the Lord, not only

a"'xxll'when he goes into his Oratory, but even when

hDcut. vi. Walking, and in Company, and when h Eating he

7. may Retain the Memory of God, and the Love

of Him, and even a Natural * Affeclion £oi'H.im.

Matth. vi.For, faith he, where your Mind is, there alfo is
21 - your Treafure. For to what thing foever the
Heart of any one is Link'd Fart, and his Defire
draws him to it, 'that is his God. If the Heart
at all times Defireth God, He is the Lord of the
Heart. But ^# if any one that has Renounc'd All,
and is Stript of his Poffeffions, is Deltitute even
of a City, and gives in to Fairing > If this Per-
lon is Wedded to himfelf, or to Worldly things,
or to his Houfe, or the -f Love of his Parents :
wherefoever his Heart is Chain'd, and his Mind
is Captivated by it 3 T'hat is his God. And he is
found to have come out of the World indeed thrtf
the Broad Gate, but thro* a Wicket to have Gone
in again, and Plung'd into it.

As the Sticks which are Thrown into the Fire
'cannot withftand the Force of the Fire, but im-
mediately are Burnt : Thus alfo the Devils, when
willing to War upon the Man whom God has
thought Worthy of the Spirit, are * Burnt and
Confum'd by the Divine Power of the Fire, pro-

* The Word V«£y* properly Signifies that Generality of
Affection, which a Parent has for his Child. And how it is
Applied here to' God and Chrift, may foon appear by confi-
dering well that Aflertion of Chrifr, Matth. xii. j-o.

** The Printed Copies read here 0 $s "i^iiT^oit^oq. But the
Manufcript « & ■ ■ ■
f Gr. (pikr^v.

* Compare this with p. 375-. Horn. xxx. Note*.

i vided

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 431"

vided only that the Man at all times Cleave fa ft
unto the Lord, and place his Confidence and Hope
upon Him. And tho' the Devils arc Strong as
the Strong Mountains, they are Burnt by Prayer,
as Wax k by Fire. But in the mean time Great "Compare
is the Struggle and Fight that lies upon the Soul Pf.lxviii.
againiL them. There arc the \ Rivers of Dra- 2-
gons, and the Mouths m of Lions. The Fire T^f^'f-
Burnetii in the Soul. 1V*

As a Man that is a complete Worker of Mif- m ?£. ixil
thief 1 Inebriated with the Spirit of Error, whe- 2I-
ther it be Murder or Adultery he is given to, He
is Infatiable after Mi/chief: Thus alfo Chriftians
that have been Baptized into the Holy Spirit, have
not the leaft Experience of what is Evil. But
they that have Grace, and have yet a Mixture
of Sin, Thefe are under n Fears, and Travel thro' n VCM.f.
° Frightful * Places. °P£xU-

For as Merchants, tho' they have found a
Wind for their Turn, and a Smooth Sea, but
are not yet come into Haven, are Ever in Fear,
left on a Sudden there fhou'd a contrary Wind
be Rais'd, the Sea grow Tempeftuous, and the
VelTel be in Danger : Thus alfo Chriftians, tho'
they have in themfelves the Favourable p Wind pjoh.iii.S.'
of the Spirit Blowing 3 yet are they in a Con- q Ephef iv.
cern, left at any time the Wind <i of the Adverfe I4*
Power fhou'd Rife upon them, and Stir up a
Difjrder and a Tempeft in their Souls.

There is need therefore of Great Induftry, that
we may, come to the Haven of Reft, to the Per-
/eWorld, to Eternal Life andPleafure, to the
City of the r Saints, to the Heavenly J erufalem, to'Heb.xii.
the Church of the Firft-Bcrn. But unlefs a Man Z1> 23-
get beyond thofe Degrees, he is under a great

* The Manufcript reads <pofo%Sii vo*vt.

deal

43 £ The Spiritual Homilies

deal of Fear, left, in the midft of all, the Evil
Power ihou'd work fome kind of Fall.

But as a Woman that has Conceiv'd, carries
her Babe within in the Dark, as I may fo fay,
and in a Covert Place. But if it happens after
that the Child fhall come out at the proper
time , It fees a new Creation, which before it
never faw, of Heaven and Earth, and the Sun.
And immediately the Friends and the Relations
Receive it with a ch earful Countenance into
their Arms. But if it happens, thro' any Dis-
order, that the Child is Torn within, there is
then a Necemty, that the Men of Axt appoint-
ed for this purpofe fhou'd ufe an Inciiion Knife.
And the Confequence of that is found to be that
the Child pafTes from Death to Death, and from
Darknefs to Darknefs. Take it thus alfo in the
Bufinefs of the Spirit. As many as have re-
ceiv'd the Seed of the Divine Nature, Thefe
have it after an Invifible manner, by reafon of
its Inmate Sin, and Hide it in Dark and * Gloomy
Places. If therefore they fhall Secure themfelves,
and -j- Preferve the Seed, thefe at the proper time
are vifibly 4- Regenerated, and afterwards at the
'Diffolution of the Body, the Angels and all the
Quires Above Receive them with chearful Coun-
tenances. But if he that hath Taken the Armour
of Chrift upon him in order to Fight manfully,
fhall be Remifs, fuch a one is immediately De-

* Both the Printed Copies, and the Manufcript in the run-
ning Text, read (po^s^fi-,, but the Margin of the Manufcript

f Paltbenius, Dr Pritius, and the Folio read here tv^tuq-i.
But the Paris O&avo, and the Manufcript t^c-wo-/,

-I- All the Printed Copies read d.xfyw/Tss, but the Mjl
nufcript siva^jvmj,

liver'd

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 433

livcr'd up to his Enemies, and when his Body
comes to be DifTolv'd, he partes from the Dark- •
nefs that at preient furrounds him into another
more Troublefome fort of Darkneis, and into
Deftruciion.

But as a Garden fuppofe that is fet with
Fruit Trees, and other Sweet-fmelling Plants,
and fhou'd #J* All be well laid out and Con-
trivM with Beauty, and fliou'd have withal a
little Wall for an Hedge, to Keep it ; But if
it lhou'd fo fall out that there fhou'd a Rapid Ri-
ver Run thro' it, tho' it be but a little Water
that wafhes the Wall in Its Paflage, it # both
Spoils the Foundation, Takes its own Courfe,
and by little and + f little DifTolves the Foundation*
And having once gain'd Entrance, it Breaks thro'
and Roots up all that was Planted, and Disfigures
the whole Defign, and makes it Unfruitful. Even
thus is the Heart of Man > It has good thoughts :
But there are even Rivers of Corruption ever Ap- * pf. xviii.
proaching to the Heart, with intent to Caft it 4*
down, and to Force it to its own Side. The
Confequence is, that if the Mind be but a little
Given to Levity, and give ~j~ way to Unclean
thoughts: Lo, the Spirits of Error have taken
Pafture, and Entred in, and Overturn'd all the
Beauties that were there, and * Effac'd its good
thoughts, and Laid the Soul Waite.

As the Eye is Little beyond all the Members,
and the Pupil of that Eye, which is Little, is

** Whether we read «Aa>; with the Printed Copies, or
with the Manufcript i'Aos, the Senfe is the fame.

* The Manufcript here inferts *£,

ft The Manufcript here reads (juk^ ptxojM.

f All the Printed Copies read i'fri , but the Manufcript

* The Manufcript here inferts xj.

F f a Great

434 The Spiritual Homilies

a Great Veflel , for it fees under one the Heaven,
the Stars, the Sun, the Moon, Cities, and o-
ther Creatures : In like manner alio the very •
things which are Seen under one, are Form'd
and Imaged in that Little Pupil of the Eye. Thus
alfo is the Mind in the Heart, and the Heart it
felf a little k;nd of VeiTel. And There are Dra-
gons ^ and There are Lions, the Poifonous Beafts,
and All the Treafures of JVickednefs \ And there
Mfai.xl.4. are Rugged and b Cragged Ways; There are Pre-
cipices. In like manner again There is God, There
alio are the Angels, There is the Life and ' the
Kingdom, There is the Light and the Apofiles,
cLuk.xix. (There f are c the Heavenly Cities;) There are
J7- the Treafures of Grace > There are All things.

For as a Cloud that is Spread over the whole
d Wifd. World, and Man fees d not Man : Thus alfo is
xvii.21. t[ic Darknefs of this prefent World lying upon
all the Creatures, and upon all Humane Nature
from the Time of the Tranfgreffion. Where be-
ing Overihadow'd with Darknefs they are in the
Night, and they lead their Lives in Places of
Horror j And as in a certain Houfe there is Plen-
ty of Smoak : So is there Sin together with its
Filthy imaginations, Taking up her Refidence, and
Creeping into the very Thoughts of the Heart, and
an Endlefs Croud of Devils.

But as in things that fall under the Eye, When
the Alarm of War is Sounding, they are not
the Wifemen, that go to it, neither are the
Great ones there 5 But being Afraid of Death
they Keep away : Whereupon the Raw, the
Poor, and the Unlearned are fent forth 3 and it

* The Manufcript inierts here, wh di voXem eci l-xa^ncu.
Which Words- are wanting in the GreekTcxt of all the Printed
Copies : tho' the Verfion of Fjcus evidently Suppofes the Words
to be in the Greek Text.

hap-

of Mac akivs the Egyptian. 43 j

happens that they work a Victory over their Ene-
mies, and Perfue them beyond their own Terri-
tories y and they Receive from the King the Re-
wards of their Victory, and Crowns, and they
come to Promotions, and to Dignities -y and thofe
Great ones are found in the Event to be Diftanc'd
by thefe. Thus alfo is it in the Bufinefs of the
Spirit. It is the Illiterate that Hearing the Word
from the Beginning, with e Thoughts difpos'd c2Thefr.ii.
to Love the Truth, who Do what that Requires, *••
and Receive from God the Grace of his Spirit.
But the Wife, and fuch as Endeavour after Sub-
til and Refind Speech, tliefe Fly the War-, nei-
ther do they make any Progrefe 5 and confequently
are found to be Behind thenf, who have Fought
and Overcome.

But as the Winds when Blowing Vehement-
ly, Shake every Creature under Heaven, and
make a very great Noife : So does the Power of
the Enemy Beat and Drive the Thoughts about
and Shakes the Depths of the Heart at pleafure,
and Scatters its Thoughts in its own Service.

As there are Publicans that Sit in the narrow
ways, and Sieze them that pafs by, and Shake
them : Thus alfo do the Devils narrowly watch,
and Take hold of Souls, as they are going out of
the Body > Unlefs they are perfectly Purified,
they Suffer them not to Afcend up to the Man-
fions of Heaven, and to Meet their Lord, for
they are Driven down by the Devils of the Air.
But * if whilft they are yet in the Flefh, they
mail with Great Labour and Struggle Obtain
from the Lord the Grace which is from on
High : Verily thefe together with them that thro*
a Vertuous Converfation have Attained to their
Reft, fhall Go from hence to the Lord, as

* The printed Copies read el; but the Manufcript «.

Ffi He

43 6 The Spiritual Homilies

'John xii. He hath Promised, -f that, f Where lam, there

l6- alfo Jhall my Servant be. And to Endlefs Ages

fhall they Reign together with the Father, and

with the Son, and with the Holy Spirit, Now

and Ever even to Ages of Ages ! Amen.

Homily XLIV.

What kind of Change and Renovation Chrift
worketh in the Chrifiian Man> who hath
Heatd the T>iforderly jiffe£iions and 1) if
eafes of the Soul.

|plll||E that cometh to God, and defires to
'Rev. iii. ||Tj| be in truth the Perfon that a Sitteth with
Bgjglil Chrift upon his Throne, ought to Come
to Him upon this very View, that he may
be Changed, and pafs off from * his former State
. and Converfation -y and to give Proof of his be-
ing a Good and a New Man, that carries No-
thing of the Old Man about him: For if any
b 2 Cor. v. hMan, faith the ApofHe, be in Chrift, he is a New
1 7 • Creature. For our Lord Jefus Chrift Came for
this very reafon, that He might x^lter, and Change,
cPf.li. io.and Renew, and c Create afrejh this Soul that had
been Perverted by Vile Affections thro' the Tranf-
greflion, Tempering it with his own Divine Spi-
rit . He came to Work a New Mind, and a New
Soul, and New Eyes, New Ears, a New Spiritual

t The Manufcript here inferts on.
* The Manufcript here inferts cwi5<

Tongue,

o/Macakivs the Egyptian. 437

Tongue, and to fpeak all at once, to make them

that Believe in Him New Men, or New Bottles,

having Anointed them with his own Light, that

He might Pour into them the New Wine,

which is his Spirit. For the New Wine, faith Matth. ix.

he, muft be Put into New Bottles. ■>•

For as the Enemy, when he had Gotten Man
into his own Hands, wrought him anew for
himfelf, having Cloath'd rrim with vile Af-
fections, and Anointed him with the Spirit of
Sin> He Infus'd into him the Wine of All
Tranfgreflion, and * Cojrupt Doctrine : Thus
alfo the Lord having Redeemed him from the
Enemy, wrought him anew, having Anointed
him with his own Spirit, and Poured the New
Wine of Life, the New Doctrine of the Spirit
into him. For He that Chang'd the Nature of
the Five Loaves into the Nature of a Multitude,
and to the Nature of the Afs void of Reafon,
Gave a Voice, and Converted the Harlot to Gha- John viii.
ftity, and Prepared the Nature of the Burning J—
Fire to Bedew them that were in the Furnace ->
and for Daniel's fake Tam'd the Nature of the
Lions, Beads otherwife Wild and Savage :. He
can alfo Transform the Soul that was Wafte, and
grown Wild by Sin into his own Goodne/s and
Clemency, and Peace by the Holy and Good Spirit
of Promife.

For as the Shepherd can Heal a Scabbed Sheep,
and Keep him from the Wolves : After the very
fame manner was the True Shepherd, when He
came, Alone able to Heal and to Convert the
Sheep that was f Loft and Scabbed, even M a n f Luke xv,
from the Scab and Leprofy of Sin. For the 4- .
Priefts and Levites, and the Teachers that were ' Jj*1*'

* All the Printed Copies read x*x<V, but the Manufcripr. '

Ff 3 Before,

43 8 The Spiritual Homilies

Before, were never able to Heal the Soul by

8Heb.ix — their Oblations of Gifts and Sacrifices, s the
Sprinklings of Blood, when indeed they were not
Able to Heal themfelves. For even they were

hHeb.v.2. Compafs'd about with h Infirmity. For it is not

? — .x.4. » Poflible, faith he, that the Blood of Bulls and
of Goats fhou'd take away Sin. But the Lord
faid, when mewing the Weaknefs of the Phyfl-

* Luke iV. cians of that time, k Ye will fur ely fay unto me this

2 3' Proverb, Phyfician, Healthy Self. As if He had

faid, I am not as They who are not Able to

J x,II-Heal themfelves. I am the True Phyfician, and
the Good Shepherd, who lay down my Life for the
Sheep, who can Heal every Difeafe, and every
Sicknefs of the Soul. I am the Lamb without
Spot that was once Offer 'd, and am Able to Heal
them that Come unto me. For the true Healing
of the Soul is from the Lord only. For Behold,

Joh. i. 29, fo^ tne Baptiil, the Lamb of God that taketh a-
way the Sin of the World, namely of the Soul
that hath Believed in Him, and Lov'd him with
the whole Heart.

The Good Shepherd therefore Healeth the
Scabbed Sheep. But the Sheep it felf can never
Heal the Sheep. And unlefs the Rational Sheep,
Man, be HeaVd, there is no Entrance for him
into the Congregation of the Lord in Heaven.
For thus alfo was it faid even in the Law thro'
a Shadow and an Image. For this is no more
than the Spirit Intimates, though but Obfcurely
concerning him that is a Leper, and that hatji a
Blemijh. A Leper, faith he, or one that hath a,
Blemijh, jhall not Enter into the Congregation of

Lev. xxi. the Lord. But He commanded the Leper to

j 7— -ii. q0 t0 tfoe prieji^ and with much Intreaty to

Bring him into the Houfe of his Tabernacle, and

that there he wou'd put his Hands upon the

Leprofy^

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 439^

Lcprofy, the Place Mark'd with the Infection
and Healit. After the fame manner even Chrifl,
the True High Prieft of good things to come, in
Condefcention to Leprous Souls, Troubled with
the Leprofy of Sin, Enters into the m Tabernaclemsee]o\\n i.
of their Body, Takes care of their Difordcrs, and *4-
Healeth them. And thus will the Soul be Able In *****-
to Enter into the Heavenly Church of the gU1
Saints of the True Ifrael. For every Soul that Rom. W.
bears the Leprofy of Sin in her Affections, and ll> I2,
will not Come to the True Lligh Prieft, and be
taken Care of now, finds no Admifjion into the
Camp of the Saints, "into the Heavenly Church. "Cant. vi.
For being her felf without ° Blemifto, and Pure, lo: f and
She feeks Immaculate and Pure Souls. F^ on -the
p Blejjed, faith Chriif, are the Pure m heart, for place.
they ftoall fee God. ° Ephef. v.

For it behoveth the Soul that truly Believeth 27-
in Chrift, to be i Tranflated, and Changed from , \q^\ '
her prefent corrupt State into another Good
State, and from its prefent Abject Nature into
another Nature which is Divine, and to be
wrought new her felf through the Power of the
Holy Spirit. And thus may it become Fit for
the Kingdom of Heaven. But to Obtain thefc
things will be Allow'd to us who Believe and
Love Him in truth, and walk in all his Holy
Commandments.

For if the Wood, which is by Nature light,
when in the Days of Elifha Call into the Wa- aKJngsvi."
ters, Brought up the Iron Which is by Nature 6-
Heavy : How much rather will the Lord fend
hither his light, and volatile, and Go^ and
Heavenly Spirit > And by means of that Bring
up the Soul that has been Plung'd in the Wa-
ters of Iniquity, and make it lightinme, and
Mount it on the Wing towards the Heights of
Ff 4 Heaven,

<l

440 The Spiritual Homilies

Heaven, and Alter it quite from its own Na-
ture ?

And as in Things which are vifible, no Man
can of himfelf Go over and Crofs the Sea, un-
lefs he have a light and nimble VefTel, Built of
Wood, which alone is Able to Go upon the
Waters 3 for he is Drown'd and Loft that pre-
tends to Tread upon the Sea : After the felf-
iame manner is it impoftible for the Soul of it
felf to Go through, to Ride upon, and to Pafs
over the Bitter Sea of Sin, and the Difficult
Abyfs of the wicked Powers of Darknefs in the
Affections 5 unlefs it mall receive the Subtile and
Heavenly, and volatile Spirit of Chrift that
r Compare r Walketh, and makes its way over all Wicked-
Matt. xi7.nefS5 by means of which Spirit he will be Able
with Pfal t0 Arrive by a Quick and Straight Paffage at the
xti. 15. 'Heavenly Port of Reft, and even unto the Me-
and Am/- tropolis of the Kingdom.

*wtb on But ^ they that are jn the Ship neither Draw
ame* nor Drink out of the Sea 3 (* neither have they
their Cloathing^ and then Food from it) but they are
Brought from without : Thus alfo the Souls of
Christians Receive the Heavenly Food^ and the
Spiritual Cloathing not from this World, but
from Above out of Heaven ; And living from
thence, and being Imbark'd in the Ship of his
Good and Quickening Spirit, they Pafs over
the Adverfe wicked Forces of Principalities and
Powers. And as all Ships are Built out of one
Common Nature^ that of fFood^ by Means of which
Men will be Enabled to Sail over the BrackiiTi
Sea: So from the One Divine Nature of the
Heavenly Lights all the Souls of Chriftians being

* Thefe Words though they are in AH the Printed Copies,
are not in the running Text of the Manufcript, but only in
the Margin.

Corro-

a/Macarius /^Egyptian. 441

Corroborated by the different Gifts of One Spirit,
Fiy above # over all Iniquity.

Bat fince a Ship (lands in need of both a
P/Atf, and a moderate and £?#//£ IVind in order
to iSW/ /^W/ : y/// theft does the Iw^ himfelf
Be come i by being /# /fo Faithful Soul, and con-
veying it through the Dreadful Tem pells and
Fierce Waves of Wickednefs, and the Storms
of the Strong Winds of Sin, with a llrong
hand, and with *# Experience, and Under-
(landing, as he knows how, making the f Storm r Compare.
to Ceaje. For without, the Heavenly Pilot, p^- cvii.
Chrift, it is Impofjible for any one to get over the ?*' ™lth
wicked Sea of the Powers of Darknefs, and the."^"
Thwarting Blafis of Bitter 'Temptations. They Luke viii.
Mount up) faith the c Pfalmift, /# /£* Heavens, 24.
rt/z^ g# dW# 0g0/# /0 /#* Depths. But He is' p^* cvil-
well Acquainted with the whole Art of a Pilot,
and of JVar, and of Temptations, Trampling up-
on their Fierce Waves. For He, faith theHeb.ii.iS.
Apoflle, having himfelf been Tempted, is Able to
Succour them that are Tempted.

It therefore Behoves our 'Souls to be Convert-
ed, and Tranflated from the State they are in at
prefent, to quite another State (and -\ into the Di-
vine Nature, and of Old to become New Men )
that is Good, and Kind, and Faithful, of Bitter
and of Unbelieving -, And by becoming thus
fuitable, to be Replaced in the Heavenly Kingdom. -
For the BlefTed Paul writes thus concerning his

* Paltbenius, Dr. Fritius, the Manufcript, and the Folio
read ^iVtasvJ > But the Fans Edit, by Morel, reads

** All the Printed Copies read here l^Tv^at; ; But the
Manufcript with greater Advantage reads ly-TtH^a^.

f Theie Words which are in all the Printed Copies are
only in the Margin of the Manufcript.

own

44^ The Spiritual Homilies

Phil. iii. own Converfion and Affumption, by which the
,"• Lord took him, / Prefs forward, if that I may
"t"t* alfo Apprehend that for which alfo I am Ap-
prehended of Chrift. How \ therefore is he Ap-
prehended of God ? Why, juft as we may fup-
pofe a Tyrant to have Seized upon them that
have been taken Captive by him, and to Lead
them off -9 But they fhou'd afterwards be Re-
cover'd by their True Sovereign : So Paul,
when he was Actuated by the Tyrannical Spirit
of Sin, Perfecuted the Church, and Plunder d it ;

°Phil.iii.6.But * Seeing that he did it with a II Zeal for God

fiTim.i. through x Ignorance, as Contending for the Truth,
13. he was not Overlooked -, "But the Lord Appre-
hended him, the Heavenly and True King

y Atts ix. y Shone round about him after an unfpeakable
3— S- manner, having thought him worthy of the
Voice, and having *# Struck him as a Servant
he fet him Free. Behold the Goodnefs and
the Change of the Lord -y How Able he is to
Convert the Souls that had been Int angled in Sin
and grown Wild, and in a Moment of an Hour
to Bring him to his own Goodnefs and Peace.

fMarkxiv.For all things are z PoJJible with God; As it

36- -prov'd in the Cafe of the Thief, who was

Chang' d by Faith in a Moment of an Hour, and

Reftor'd to Paradife. For this very reafon did

the Lord Come, that he might Convert our

ft The Manufcript here inferts «,, which is in no Printed
Copy.

f The Printed Copies read all of them nut rl oi%ct 5 but
the Manufcript directs in the Margin to read rather 7r*>s

TOifVJ etqot.

* The Printed Copies, and the Manufcript in the Text
read «r« f*#- But the Greek that Copied it, propofes his
Conjecture, that it fhou'd be eV«*jj.

** This is thought to Allude to the Romm Cuflom of
making Slaves Free by a Box on the Ear.

Souls,

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 443

Souls, and a Create them anew, and make them,8 Ifti.xliii.
as it is written, b Partakers of the Divine Na- *9'
ture, and Beftow upon our Souls the Heavenly '
Soul, that is the Spirit of the Godhead, Lead- Rev. xxi.
ing us into All Vertue, that we may be Able to b s-
Live the Life Eternal. bz Pet. 1.4.

We # ought therefore to c Believe with our c Afts viii.
whole Heart his unfpeakable Promifes, becaufe 37-
He is True that d Promised. It Becomes us thend Heb. x.
to Love the Lord, and to be Induftrious every 23 •
manner of way in all the Vertues, and to Beg
continually, and without, any Intermiilion, that
we may Receive the Promife e of his Spirit en- e Afts if.
tirely and Perfectly j that fo our Souls might be 39-
Quickned whilit, we are yet in the Flejh. For
unlefs the Soul mall in this World Receive the
Sanclification of the Spirit through much Faith
and Prayer, and be made Partaker of the Di-
vine Nature, being mix'd with Grace, (through
which it will be Able without f Blame and mfLukei. &
Purity to Perform every Commandment -,) It is
Unfit for the Kingdom of Heaven. For whatever
Good a Man hath Poffefs'd in this World, that
very fame fhall in that Day be his Life, through
the Father {and **the Son) and the Holy Ghoit
for ever. Amen.

* All the Printed Copies and the Manufcript too read here
« jj roivvv ; which however from the Translations feems ra-
ther to be &? roviiv, an ExpreJJion more ufual with Macartus .

** The Manufcript and both the Editions of Picus infert
here f£ r* if£, which is wanting in the Text of Palthenius
and of Dr. Pritius, though Both thefe at the fame time Tran-
slate it as if it were in the Greek Text.

H O M I L V

444 The Spiritual Homilies

Homily XLV.

No Art or Wealth of this World, but the
Manifeftation of Chrift Alone, is Able
to Heal Man, whofe neareft Affinity
with him is fet forth in this Homily.

E that hath made the Solitary Life his
Choice ', ought to look upon all things
he meets with in this World, as out
of his way and Foreign to him. For
he that truly Follows after the Crofs
of Chrift) having Renounced all things, and further
yet, * even his own Soul, ought to have his Mind
Fix'd upon the Love of Chrift : Preferring the
Luk*6xw' Lord before Parents, Brethren, Wife, Children^
Matth. x. Kindred, Friends, and Poftejftons. For this hath
37. ** Chrift plainly Declared in thefe Words, Every
one that hath not Left Father, or Another, or
Brethren, or Wife, or Children, or Lands, and
followeth not me, is not worthy of me. For in no
"other is there found Salvation and Reft for Man-
kind, as we have heard.

For how many Kings have there fprung from
the Race of Adam, that have Monopoliz'd the
whole Earth, whofe Thoughts have been
•\ lifted up by their Royal Power ? Yet not one

* The Manufcript inferts here jg, which is in none of the
Printed Copies.

** The Printed Copies Ail read here *»£ <«?, but the Ma-
nufcript XfMt.

f Cr&fut might be mention'd as an Injlance of what is
here laid down. But from the Univerfality of the affirmation
•y. I fhou'd rather think the Jour JTiuverfal Monarchies here in-
tended, &c. v

of

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 44 j

of thefe with all this fort of Sufficiency has
been Able to Difclofe that Corruption which
from the Tranfgrejfion of the Fir ft Man Broke
in upon the Soul, and quite Darkned it, that it
fhou'd not acknowledge any Change. For the
Mind, Before, when Retaining its Purity, Be-
held her Lord being it felf in Honour : but now
is Cloth" d with Shame by reafon of her Fall,
the Eyes of the Heart having been Blinded, that
it cannot Behold that Glory which our Father
Adam 'law be f ore his Tranfgrejfion^.

But there have alfo been ieveral wife Men in
the World, of whom lome by the Help of Phi-
lojophy have given Proof of their Vertue , others
have been Admir'd for their Dexterity in So-
phiftry > Others have Taught the Force of Ora-
tory : Others being Grammarians and Poets have
purpofcly fet themfelves to writing Hiftory.
But there have alfo been Variety of Artificers
who have Exercis'd themfelves in the Arts of
the World. Some of whom by Turning in Wood
feveral Kinds of Birds, and Fijhes, and Images
of Men, have taken Pains to fhew their Excel-
lency that way. Others have undertaken to
make the Refemblance of Nature in Statues, and
fome other things in Brafs. Others have Rais'd
Stately and Beautiful Structures. Others by
Digging the Earth Bring up the Corruptible Gold iPct.i.iS,
and Silver y but others Precious Stones. Others
again Set off with the Beauties of the Body, and
Elated with the Comelinefs of their Perfons, have
been the more eafily Entic'd by Satan, and have
Fain into Sin. Now all thefe aforefaid Artifi-
cers being Held faft by the Serpent Dwelling
within, and being Infenfible of the Sin that Co-
habited with them, Became the Captives and
Slaves of the wicked Power, without Gaining
any Advantage from their Knowledge and Skill.

The

44<S The Spiritual Homilies

The World therefore thus Stor'd with all
manner of Varieties, is like a Rich Man that is
Poffefs'd of Great and Splendid Houfes, Gold
alfo and Silver, and feveral PofTeffions, and has
All manner of Attendance in great Plenty 5 But
being Diftrefs'd with Pains and Diftempers, his
whole Tribe of Relations flood by him, Unable
with all that Wealthy to Releafe him of his i»-
firmity. No Application it feems of any thing
relating to this -£//*, neither Brethren, nor
Riches, nor Strength, nor any of thofe other
particulars before mention'd, Refcue the 3W
from &#, that has once been Plungd in it, and
Difabled from y£*/»g Clearly : Nothing lefs than
the Appearance of Chrift j That ^ftee is able to
Clean fe both Soul and Jfa^. Wherefore having
Luke xxi, Difengag'd our felves from the Cares of this Life,
J4« let us Devote our felves to the Lord, Crying to
him Night and Day. For this mfibh World,
and the Reft which it affords, the more they
feem to Cherijh the Body, fo much the more do
they Sharpen the Diforders of the Soul, and /#-
£raz/<? her Blnefs.

But there was, it feems, a certain Perfon of
good Character for Senfe, that had a Mind to
fpare no Pains in his Enquiry, made it his Bufi-
nefs to Experience every thing that fhou'd occur
in this Life, if poffibly he might find any Ad-
vantage from it. He had Recourfe to Crowrfd
Heads, to Perfons of Power and Authority, and
found No falutary Cure from any of them, that
he cou'd Apply to his Soul So that after he
had fpent fome confiderable time among them y
It flood him in no manner of flead. From
thefe again went he to the Wife Men of the
World, and the Men of Eloquence : Them too
gave he over in like manner, without carrying
off the leaft Gain. In his Tour he took the

Painters,

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 447

Painters, and them that bring up Gold and
Silver out of the Earthy he March' d through
the whole Circle of Artificers, without being
Able to find out the leafr. Remedy for his own
Wounds. At laft having taken his Leave of
them, he fought after God, who Heals the Cor-
ruption and Difeafes of the *SW/. And as he was
Reflecting upon himfelf and Running over
thefe things in his Thoughts, his Mind, that
us'd to be fo Taken up with the things he had
vifibly gone off from, wTas found to have a
fettled Hatred for them. #

But as a certain Woman that in this World
is Rich, and has both a great deal of Money, and
a Splendid Houfe, is yet Deftitute of Protection -y
And they that come upon her to Hurt her, and
lay her Buildings wafte, are many ; And fhe not
Brooking the Injury, goes about in queft of an
Hufband that is a Man of Power, a fufficient
Perfon and well Inftrubled in every thing ,
And when after much Conflict, fhe Obtains
fuch a fort of an Hufband, fhe is exceeding
Glad of him, and Has him for a Strong Wall or
Fence to Her : After the very fame manner the
Soul after the Tranfgreflion having been much
Harafd by the Adverfe Power, and FalVn into
Great Deflation, and become a Widow, De-
folate and Forfaken by her Heavenly Spoufe
through her Tranfgrefion of the Commandment,
and become a mere Make-Game to All the Ad-
verfe Powers ( for they have Bereaved her of her

* The Author here feems to have an Eye to the whole
Book of Ecclejiajles , which Begins and Ends much in this
manner ■, And to a Celebrated Piece among the Heathens,
Known by the Name of Cebes his Table. Both which Com-
par'd with this Homily may {erve for an Excellent Com-
ment, &c.

.Senfes,

448 The Spiritual Homilies

Senfes, Frightning her out of her Heavenly
Underftanding, that She cannot fee what Out-
rages they commit upon her, but Imagines
things were ever Thu s with her from the Begin-
» Compare ning. ) But having Learnt afterwards by a the
Job xlii. f. Hearing of the Ear her folitary and de folate
with # Condition, and Reprefented them with Groans
\i before the Tender Love of God to Man, She
hath found Life and Salvation. Wherefore ?
Why, Becaufe She is Returned again to her
proper Kindred. For there is no other Familiari-
ty or Ailiftance comparable to that of the Soul
with God) or God with the Soul.

For God hath made feveral Kinds of Birds,
fome to lay their Nefis upon Earth 5 and to
Depend for both their Food and Reft on
that. But others hath he appointed to lay their
Gen. i. Nefts under the Waters. He hath alfo Framed
2°-r22*. Two Worlds : One Above for the Minifiring
2 47! VI* Op****** and Order'd them to have their Polity
Pf. civ. 4. there j But the other Below for Mankind under
this ^/ir we Breath. He hath Created alfo both
/#£ Heaven and ^ Earth -y the Sun and J^
Moon, the Waters, the f«w that #&zr 7r«/>,
-and all Kinds of living Creatures. But in none
Pf. cxlviii. of thefe doth God take up his Reft. The Crea-
Ecclus. ^^ js unc[er his Command, but he hath no
' where Fix'd his Throne, nor vouchfaf 'd Commu-
nion with Himfelf to any but M##, in whom
Alone He is well pleas' d, to whom he hath //«-
parted Himfelf, and in whom He hath Taken up
his Reft. Do you Behold here the w^r Relation
of Go J to Man, and of Afe to God ? Where-
fore the wife and fagacious Soul having made
the Tour of all the Creatures, hath not found

* The Printed Copies read All i^4f*Uu but the Manu_
Script Efvpi'*.

any

IS XVII,

of Mac akivs the Egyptian. 449

any Reft for her [elf but in the Lord Alone. J°'oxxvi if,
Nor hath the Lord found Pleafure in any vtbenJ/T"*?'

u ^/r 1 5Plal. viii.

but Man only. cx]iv

If you 0/>^« your Eyes towards the Sun, you i 3,

find his Difc in the Heaven, but his Zigfo and
j^^yj Glancing full upon the Earthy and the
whole jfyra of his Lights and his Bright nefs
fhooting r/0w> #/w# it. So likcwife doth our
Lord Sit in Perfon at the Right hand of the
Father above All Principality and Power : But
hath his b s%* extended to the Hearts of Men3 * Chron,
#000 Earth, that he may ARaife them that wait™' 9-
for his Help up to the c Pfce where He &g&- g115^
j^//7 is, fince He himfelf has (aid, d Where L am, — .xxxivC
there alfo Jh all my Servant be. And P##/ again, I(5-
e /& to/;? Rais'd as up together with Him, anaCo1' nl'
made us to fit together at his Right Hand in Hea-dr^2^
venly Places. 26.

But the Beafts that are without Reafon are e Ephe£ ii.
yet more f Cunning than T/7?. For every oneoffrr?\ ,
them is firmly Attach'd to its own Nature : g Mat !'x^'
The Wild to the JJPWj and the Sheep to their So.
own Kind. And yet 'Thoudoft not Return to thy John i. 12.
own Heavenly 8 Kindred, which is ftfo Z#t/ ; Rom- viii-
But doff. Surrender and AJfent to the Suggeftions ^' ^7t'6
that lead thee into the Sentiments of 37/z, Lend-
ing thy felf an Helping hand to Sin, and even
Siding with it in a /^r againft thy felf, and
thus making thy felf a h Morfel for the Enemy. hLuk.xxii.
As a jB/Vt/ that is /£/2,V by an Eagle, is lure to 31.
be Deftroy'd, or a Sheep by a //V/, or a Silly
Boy that ftr etches out his Hand towards a *5V; -
^7z/, and being Bitten by it, * Z)/<?j. For the

* All the Printed Copies read here ci7roK*vdv But the
Manufcript dvrqtfetifii. So too is the Reading in the
French King's Manufcripts . As Dr, Prit'ius notes in the Mar- | Monum "
gin of his Edition > for which he owns himfelf Oblig'd to e^cJ Grc^
Cot teler ius f . T 2 a *~

4 jo The Spiritual Homilies

Comparifons are as it were Related to the BufI-
nefs of the Spirit^ and bear its Stamp and Cha-
racter.

But as a Virgin that has a Good Fortune,
and is Betrothed to an Hufband^ whatever Pre-
fents {he may Receive before # his Accompanying
with her 5 whether they be Ornaments^ or
Charts^ or Vejfels of Great Value, fhe is not
fatisfy'd with them, till the IVedding-Day is
jj . Come, and fhe Enjoys his Company : Even fo

2* lT the t^ie ^0U^ r^at *s ' PrePar'd as a Bride for the

Original. Heavenly Spoufe Receives fome Earneft from the

Spirit 1 whether it be ## Gifts of Healings or of

Knowledge , or of Revelation 3 But yet is wo/ &&-

/«/W with thefe, till fuch time as me Arrives at

* J0*1* *• .?; the perfect k Communion, that is, Love, which

lC°roX111- not being liable either to1 Change or to Fall,

,— ver. s. makes them that have Defir'd it Free from All

irregular Paflion and Difturbance.

Or as a young Child that is Drefs'd up with
Pearls and Cloaths of Z7^/^ 3 whenever it is
Hungry 1 makes no account of what it Carries
on its Back , but Defpifeth them, being entirely
Sollicitous for the Br e aft of its Nurfe, how it
"may Come by the iV//7£ : Imagine it to be the
very fame in the Spiritual Gifts of God : To
whom be Glory for ever! Amen.

* The Manufcript here inferts uvryt

** Miracles were far enough from being Extincl in the
Fourth Century, at leail among the Monks of Egypt, who be-
ing Separated from the World, might be allowed to Judge of
other ChrifiUns by themfelves. See the Introduction*

Homily

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 45-1

Homily XLVI.

Concerning the 'Difference there is between
the Word of God, and the Word of the
Worlds and between the Children of God,
and the Children of the World.

HE Word of Gody a is God •> And theay0jini r^
Word of the World, b is the World.* Compare
JH But Great is the Difference, and Wide * Cor. iv.
the Diftance between the Word of God, 4- with
and the Word of the World, and between the l \n v'
Children of God, and the Children of the Woi'ld.
For every Off-fpring is Like its Parents. If
therefore that which is Bom of the Spirit, {hall
have the Will to give it felf up to the Word of
the World, and to the things of the Earth, and
to the Glory of this prefent time : It is Effectual-
ly put to Death, and Perifheth, not being Able
to Find the True Reft of Life. For its j£<?/? is
'There, whence it was Z?0/tz. For he is even
ChoaFd, as the Lord exprefTesit, c and becometh <Lukcviii.
Unfruitful in the /^V^ 0/ GW, who is taken up 14.
with the Cares of this Life, and Bound with
Earthly Fetters. In like manner * even he that
is Engrofs'd by a Carnal Difpohtion, that is,
is a nicer Worldling, lhou'd he have an Inclina-
tion to Hear the Word of God, is Choak'd, and
Becomes as one Uncapable of Reafon. For they
that have been Inur'd to the Deceits of Sin,
whenever they fliall happen to Hear of God,

* The Manufcript here inferts *\

Gg 2 they

i4«

452 The Spiritual Homilies

they are as Perfons Difobligd with Infipid Con-
vention, Not eafy in their Mind.
i Cor. 11. PaulzKo tells us, the Animal Man Receiveth
not the things of the Spirit -y for they are Foolijh-
nefs unto him. And the *# Prophet affirms alfo,
that the Word of God became to them as a Vomit.
You plainly fee that it is not Allow'd to Live
otherwife than after the manner in which a Man
was Born. But you are to hear of This another
way, viz. If the Carnal Man fhall Refign up
Himfelf, that he may come to ^Change, he firft
Dies There, and becomes Unfruitful with rela-
tion to that former Life, which he (pent in
Wickednefs. But as if any one fhou'd be taken
Ill? with fome Diftemper, or with a Leaver fup-
pofe, though his Body is Thrown upon the
Couch, quite Di fabled from Doing any Earthly
Bufinefs, yet is his Mind by no Means at Reft,
but Diftracled, and concerned about the Bufinefs
he fhou'd be Doing , And he feeks out for a
Phyfician, Difpatching his Friends to him :
After the very fame manner the Soul alfo, ever
iince the Tranfgreffion of the Commandment La-
bouring under the Infirmity of her Ajfeclions,
and being perfectly out of Sorts, by Coming to
the Lord, and Believing, Obtains his Help \ And
having Renounced her former moil Abandon' d
Life, though fhe may Lie down in her Old
weakly Condition, Not Able truly to Go through
the Duties of Life, fhe has it however fufficient-
ly in her Power to be diligently Careful about

** What F/'opbet is here meant I cannot fay. I had at
firft an Imagination that either in the Alex. Copy of the
Ixxii Veriion, or in Origerfs, Hexapla there might be fome
fuch Addition to Ifai. xlix. 4. But upon Examination finding
my felf miftaken, I fhall only propofe it to the Reader, whether
the Words may not feem to be a confus'd Allufion to thefc
Texts, viz. Heb. iy.z, Frov.xxvi. 11. zFet. ii. 22.

this

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 453

this prefent Life, to Pray to the Lord, and to
Seek the True Phyfician -, Directly contrary to
what fome maintain, being Drawn aiidc by cor-
rupt Documents, that Man is to All intents and
purpofes Dead) and utterly uncapable of Doing
any Good. For the Babe that may have No
Strength to Do any one kind of thing, and that
is not Able to Come to its Mother upon its own
Feet, yet does it Rowl about at the fame time j
and Roars and Weeps in Quell of its Mother :
Whereupon the Mother is Touched with Com-
pafjion, and Glad {he is op her Babe's Inquiring
after her with Labour and with Crying-, though
at the fame time the poor Child is not Able to
Come to Her. But withal, upon the Earneft En-
quiry of the Child, the Mother comes her felf to
it, being Captivated with the Love which fhe
has for her little one, and takes it up, and Cherifies
it, and Brings it Food in the Greatnefs of her
Affection. The very fame doth God alfo, who
has a d Tender Regard for Man, for the tSW'Tit.iii.^
that cometh to him, and is Deftrous of Him.
But he being * much rather Led by Love, by
his own innate Peculiar Benignity is He Joined to
her Intellect, and becomes e One Spirit with her, c J Cor.vi,
according to the Words of the Apoftle. For by >- I7>
the Soul's thus Cleaving to the Lord, and the
Lords having Mercy upon the Soul, and Loving
her, and Coming to her, and cleaving to her, and
the Mind ever after Per fevering without Inter-
miflion in the Grace of the Lord, the Soul and
the Lord become One Spirit, and One Mixture,
and One Intellect. And her Body is laid upon
the Earth, but her Intellect is all of it entirely
Engaged in the Heavenly Jerufalem, Mounting
upwards to the very "Third Heaven, and Cleaving

* The Manufcript here read; r«A^

454 ^je Spiritual Homilies

faft to the Lord) and there Mini firing to Him.
And He on the other hand Sitting upon the
throne of Majefty on High, in the Heavenly City,
is entirely with her in the Body. For he hath
Plac'd her * Image Above, in the Heavenly City
of the Saints, Jerufalem. But his own peculiar
f Compare Image f of the InexprefTlble Light of his Godhead
Wifd, vii hath He Plac'd in her Body. He ** Minifters to

Heb. Tt.her in the CitJ °f hCr B°dy' And She + Mni'
' fters to Him in the Heavenly City.

She hath Inherited Him in Heaven \ and /&

hath Inherited her on Earth. The .Lcr^ ff Be-

gPf.xvi.f. comes the % Inheritance of the Soul, and the Soul

*Pf. xxxiii. is become the h Inheritance of the Lord. For if

1 2 • . the Under ft anding and the Mind of 'Sinners that are

.*0 lv" in Darknefsj can be fo at fo great a Diftance from

the JWj>, and Ramble a very great Way, and

"Travel into more Remote Countries in a Moment

of an Hour, and very often whilft the Body is

laid upon the Ground, the Intellecl is in another

Country, with a Dear Friend, or with the

Miflrefs of his Affeblion, and Looks upon himfelf

as Boarding Theie : If, I fay, the Soul of a Sinner

is fo Light and Nimble, that her Mind is no way

Hamper' d by the Great diftance o£ Places; much

''.more docs that Soul (whofe Veil of Darknefs is

taken away by the Power of the Holy Spirit,

and whofe inteUetlual Eyes have been Enlight-

* It is faid of the wicked that God Knows them not, Matth.
vii. 23. and that he Defpifes their Image, Pf.lxxiii. 20. And as
it were in Oppofition to this, is it here faid, that the Image of
the Soul, when Righteous, is Plac'd by God Above, Coniider
Revel, iii. 12.

** As the Sun of Righteou fiefs, Compare Mai. iv. 2. with
Ifaiahlx. 19,20. Rev. xxi. 23. xxii. jv

f A's made by Chrift « #«£ and Priefi to Gw/, Rev. i. 6>

ft The Manufcript omits y** here, which is in the
Printed Copies.

ned

Cor.

t

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 455

ned by the Heavenly Lights and who has been
fet free from the Vilenefs of her Affections, and
been wrought Pure by Grace) entirely Miniiter
in Spirit to the Lord in the Heavens, and as
entirely Minifter to Him in the Body. And me r0< ^ I#
is Enlarged in her 'Thoughts to that degree, as to
be every where, and both when and where me
pleafes, to Minifter to Chrift.

This is what the Apoftle means in thofe
Words, Tto jy<? may be Able to Comprehend with Ephef. hi.
All Saints, what is the Breadth, and Lengthy 18, 19.
and Height^ and Depth, avd to know the Love of
Chrift which pajjeth Knowledge, that ye may be
Fiird with all the Fulnefs of God. Contemplate
the Unutterable Myfleries of that Soul, from
which the Lord taketh away the Darknefs that
hangeth about her, and both Revealeth her, and
is Himfelf Reveal'd to her : How he Dilates,
and Extends the Thoughts of her mind into the
Breadths and Lengths, and Depths, and Heights
of the whole Vifible and Invifibk Creation.
The Soul therefore is verily a Great and Divine
Work, and Full of Wonder. For when God
made her, he made her of fuch a Sort, as to
mix up no i Alloy of Corruption into her Na- ' wifl. i.
ture: But He made her after the Image of the lh H-
Vertues of the Spirit. He hath Put into her
the Laws of the Vertues, Difcretion, Knowledge,
Prudence, Faith, Love, and the other Vertues,
according to the Image of the Spirit. For fhe is
moreover found to be even at prefent in Khow-
ledge, and Prudence, and in Love and Faith •,
And the Lord is Manifefled to her. He hath
Put into her an Under/landing, a Sett of Thoughts,
a Will, and a Mind to Controul. He hath In-
thron'd in her a manifold Subtilty of another
Kind: He hath made her Moveable, 'Volatile, and
not Obnoxious to Fatigue. He hath Granted her
Gvl 4 the

4j6 The Spiritual Homilies

the Privilege to Come and Go in a Moment, and
in her Thoughts to Minifter to himfelf at the
Pleafure of tfie Spirit. And to fay All at once,
He hath Created her of fuch a Sort, as to be-
come his very Spoufe and Partner, that He
might be mix'd with her, and fhe become One
[i Cor. vi. Spirit with Him, ( as faith the # Apoille ) He that
17- is Joined to the Lord, is One Spirit. To whom
be Glory for ever ! Amen.

Homily XL VII.

An Allegorical Explanation of things 'Done
under the Law.

'The Glory of
Mofes.

~gg|jHE Glory of Mofes ', which he had upon
his Face, was a Type of the True Glory.
For whereas the Jews were not Able to
Fix their Eyes upon the Face of Mofes :
So at this very time do Chriftians Receive
that Glory of Light within their Souls 5 And the
Darknefs that beareth not the Splendor of the
Light, is Driven away Blindfold.

They too were Mamfefted by Circumcifion,

that they were the People of God. But here the

'ar a People of God, Receiveth the Sign of

For the

II.
C'trcumci-

Jion.
a Compare -
Tit. ii. 14. Circumcifion within, in 7 their Heart.

Ro. ii. z8

UP-

* The Manufcript inferts in the Margin 0 aVoVoAos.
| The Manufcript here inferts /»•.

Heavenly

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 457

Heavenly b Sword Cuttcth off the c Superfluity ofbc°mpare
theMW, that is, the Unclean F*^/*/* rf #* gp^^*1

Among them Baptifm Sanctified the Flejh : ^ *'
But with us is the Baptifm oi: the Holy G::ojl, with Rev.
and c£ Fire. For this did JohnV reach, < Hejhall y V6- '
Baptize you with the Holy Ghoft, and with Fire. lJa"1J-2F-

There was an Outward Tabernacle, and an In- R^Jrm,
ward. And into the Ftrft it is true the Priefts Mat. ii£.
went in at all times d Accomplifloing the Service of n.
God. But into the Second, Once in aYearw;// J,Y-
m the i7/gZ? Pn>/ only with i?/W j& e /A1/) J'^ uoer'
Ghofi this Signifying^ that the way into the Holieji d Heb. ix.
of All was not yet made Alanif eft. But here they 6.
that are thought worthy, Enter into the ftfrr-""-^-8-
»#f/£ not made with Hands , whither the £ Forerun- ■ — vi. i r.
»(?r jj Entered for w, Christ. 2 Cor-v- 1 •

It is written in the Law, that the Prieft Jball v.
take two Pigeons, and jhall Kill indeed the One,2he Sacri~
but Sprinkle the living one with her Blood, '^nd^jf the
let it go, that it may Fly away Free. But
what was fo Done, was a Type and Shadow of
the Truth. For Chrift was Slain, and his Blood
havings Sprinkled us, hath made us to Bear5 See Heb.
V/ings. For he hath given us of his Holy Spirit, x- ,22-
that we might Fly without Impediment i.nto the"""^"'^?'
Air h of the Godhead. hjoh.'iii.8."

To them was Given the Law [ written upon vi.
Tables of Stone. But to us are the k Spiritual Laws Jhe Law-
written upon theFleflrfy Tables of thc\Hcart. For, leur* v'
faith he, L will put my Law into their Heart, and* ftr.Kxi;
in their Mind will L write them. And indeed all 33.
thofe things were Abolifoable and Temporary. But
now all things are of a Truth Accofnplijlfd in the
Inward Man. For the Teftamcnt was within,
( and the # IVar within -y ) And to fay All in a

* The Manufcript here Adds thefe Words, *) *LXHta$

Word,

458 The Spiritual Homilies

Word, Whatfoever things happened to them, were
\ 1 Cor. x. Done l in a Figure 5 But were written for our Ad-
11 - monition. For God Foretold to Abraham what
■ Gen. xv. wou'd come to pafs, as, Thy m Seed, for inftance,
.*?-.. Jloall be a Stranger in a Land that is not theirs, and
11 they Jloall Afflitt them, and Keep them in Bondage
Four hundred years. This Fulfilled the Image of
the Shadow. For the People were Strangers, and
in Bondage to the Egyptians, and Harafs'd out in
Exod.i.i4.C7#y and Brick. For Pharaoh fet # over them
~v. 6, 13. <rajfcmafter<s aild Officers to Urge on the Work,
that they might Perform their Talks by Com-
pulsion. And when the Children of IJrael Groan" d
to God under the Works Impos'd, then did he
Vifit them by the Hand of Mofes, in the Month
of Flowers, when the moft pleafant Seafon, that
of the Spring firft appear'd -, as the Dulnefs of
Winter was Going off, He brought them out of
Egypt.
vll. But the Lord fpake to Mofes, to take a Lamb
The Faffo- without Spot, and to Kill it, and with the Blood
'ilmbslain °f ** to Anoint the Threfholds and the Doors, that
Exod xi\Joe ^Jat Deftrotfd the Firftborn of the Egyptians,
3, 7~ ' jlooiCd not Touch them. For the Angel that was
fent, Beheld the Sign of the Blood from afar and
withdrew. But he went into the Houfes which
had not the Sign, andftezv every Firftborn. Be-
ver. 19. jldes He alfo Commanded that Leaven fhould be put
away out of every Houfe, and Appointed that they
—ver. 8. fJoou'd Eat it with Unleavened Bread, and with
Bitter Herbs. Moreover, He Commanded them
—ver. 1 1 . to £at it wifj0 their L0ins Girt, and with their
Feet mod with Sandals, and having Staves in
their Hands. And thus does he Command them
with all haft to Eat the Pajfover of the Lord at

* The Manufctipt for t?we Reads insm**.

Even,

a/Macarius /^Egyptian. 459

Even, and not to Break a Bone of it before # the
Lord. But he brought them out with Silver and ~w -If >l6-
Gold) having Given them a Command to Borrow
every one of his Egyptian Neighbour, Vefjels
of Gold and Vefjels of Silver.

But they came out of Egypt, as the Egyptians
were n Burying their Firftborn. And they had °wi*8-*ix.
Joy upon their Freedom from the Hard Bondage. 3-
But thefe had Grief and Flailing for the Defini-
tion of their Children. For which reafon Mofes
faith, "this is the Night, in which God hath Pro- Exod. xii.
mis'd that he will Redeem us. 4*«

But all thefe things are the Myftery of the
Soul) as Redeemed by the Coming of Chrift. Foro
Ifrael is by° Interpretation, the Mind that Behold-°?^^^F
eth God. It is Deliver' d therefore from the Bondage l ^^j
of Darknefs, and from the Egyptian p Spirits. Matt. v. 8.
For fince Man by Difobedience Died the grievous p Coniider
Death of the Soul, and Receiv'd Curfe upon Wifl.xvii.
Curfe, viz. Thorns alfo and Thiftles fioall the Ground Vc, 21.
bring forth unto thee. And again, Thou Jbalt Till xv'm.i 4—
the Earth, but it fioall not go on to yield thee her *7-
Fruits: There fhot up and fpruug out of theIr; .EccJ"s*
Earth of his Heart, Thorns and ThiftTcs. ■ His Qen '^ *
Enemies took away his Glory thro' Deceit, and 17—19.
Cloatlfd him with Shame. His Light was taken
from him, and he was Clad 'with Darknefs. They
«S7^ his q Soul, and Scattered and Divided his q Gcn- iv-
Thoughts, and r Dragged down his Mind /r0*» */jf n^'-a
///g& Eftate. And Ifrael became the Man Ser- 4]
vant of the True Pharaoh > And he fet over him
Tafkmafiers and Officers to Haften the Work :
the Spirits of Wickednefs compelling him, with or
againft his Will, to do his wicked works, and to

* The Words both in the Manufcript and the Printed Co- j- Monum.
pies, are «Vo tQ xv^ia. But Cottelerius f chufes to Read notEcc|ijg
xp$iv bur fltfii'tf, from Exod. xii. 46. Numb. ix. 12. Grar. T. 2.

4<£o The Spiritual Homilies

Fulfil what was Appointed of the Mortar and
the Brick. Who having even Separated him
from the Heavenly Wifdom ; Brought him down
to the Grofs, and Earthly, and Clayie, wicked
Works, and to Vain Difcourfes, and Conceptions,
and Reafonings. For the Soul, when it had Fain
from her proper Height, Found in Exchange, a
Kingdom Averfe to Mankind, and Hard Gover-
nors bringing her under a Neceffity of Building
for them Cities that are the Sink of Vice and
Sin.

But if the Soul Groan and Cry to God, He
Sendeth her the Spiritual Mofes, to Deliver her
from the Bondage of the Egyptians. But firfb it
Cries and Groans y And then does it obtain the

fLukexxi. Beginning f of its Redemption. And being Be-
- livefd in the Month of New Flowers, in the
Spring Seafon, when the Earth of the Soul can
fend forth Buds upon the Fair and Florid Branches
of Right eoufnefs, the Bitter Frofts of the Igno-
rance of Darknefs being pafs'd, together with
the Great Blindnefs anting from Filthy Actions
and Sins. But then does He Command withal,
that All the Old Leaven be Purg'd out of every
firfgle Houfe, to Cafe, out as much as Poiiible,
i Cor. v. All the Actions and t Devices of the Old Man
7- . which is Corrupt, his wicked Thoughts, and fordid
^ lz 1V* Conceptions.

The Lamb ought to be Slain and Sacrificed,

LuExod. xii. and the Blood of it to u Stain the Doors. For
7- Chrift the True, and Good, and Immacu-
late Lamb was Slain, and with his Blood were
the T'hrefJjolds of the Heart Anointed y that the
Blood of Chrift which was Shed upon the Crofs,
might become Life and Redemption to the Soul -,
But to the Egyptian Devils, Grief and Death.
For verily the Blood of the Immaculate Lamb,
is Grief to Them, but Joy and Gladnefs to the
Soul . Then

a/Macarius the Egyptian. 461

Then after the Anointing is over, He Com-
mandeth them at Even to Eat the Lamb, and
the Unleavetfd Bread with Bitter Herbs, being
Girt about with Girdles, and ££0^ with Sandals,
having Staves in their Hands. For unlefs the
*SW be firft every way Prepaid by Good Works,
as much as in her lies, She is not allowed to Eat
of the Lamb. But tho' the Lambbe Sweet, and
the Unleavened Cakes Good, yet are the Herbs
Bitter and tf/^rp. For with much Affliction and
Bin erne fs doth the *SW/ £dtf of the Lamb, and
the Good Unleaven'd Gakes, Sin Afflicling her
with its Prefence.

And <3£ jEw# does He bid them to Eat it. Now
the Hour about Even, is between Light and
Darknefs. Thusalfothe Soul, as it approaches to
this Redemption, is in the very Middle between
Light and Darknefs, the Power of God Uphold-
ing her, and not Suffering the Darknefs to Come
upon the Soul, and Swallow it up. And whereas
Mofes faid, 'This is the Night of God's Promife :
So alfo Chrift, when the Book was Put into his
Hands in the Synagogue, call'd it, as it is written,
the Acceptable Tear of the Lord, and the Day w of* Compare
Redemption. Luke \v.

There it was the Night of Redemption ; Here l7>*8>*&
the Day of Redemption. Neither without rea- ifa^^
fon. For all thofe things were a Type and Shadow 1, 2. '
of the Truth, and myftical Prefigurations that
Defcrib'd the True Salvation of the Soul Shut
up in Darknefs, and Fetter'd after an Hidden
manner in the loweft x Lake, and Shut in with xPfal.x].2."
Gates of Brafs, and not Able to be Set at Liberty
without y the Redemption of Chrift. He there- j Compare
fore Bringeth the Souls out of Egypt, and out of P&l. cvii.
the Bondage it was under in it, her Firftborn being l6' Ifaia*1
Slain in their Coming out. For fome Part of
the Power of the Spiritual Pharaoh is already

Fain.

j\6% The Spiritual Homilies

l. Luke x. 2 Fain, Grief pofTefTes the Egyptians ; For they

17, 18,19. Qroan with Grief at. the Salvation of the Captives ^
' 'He Commands them to Borrow of the Egyptians
VeJJels of Gold and of Silver ', and having Received
them to Come out. For the Soul after fhe is got
out of Darknefs, Receives VefTels of Silver and
of Gold) namely, her own Good thoughts, feven-

; Pfal. xii. fold more Fervent, a which God is Serv'd with,
6- and i\cquiefces in. For the Devils that Before
were Neighbours to her, had Scatter' d, and Seiz'd,
and Difpers'd her 'Thoughts. Bleffed is that Soul
which is Redeemed from Darknefs ! And woe be
to that Soul, which doth not Cry and Groan to
Him, who is Able to Deliver her from thofe
Hard and jB/Vter Exa&ors. The Children of
Ifrael having Kept the PajTover, Depart. The
Soul advances Forwards, having once Receiv'd
the Life of the Holy Spirit, and Tafied of the
Lamb, and been Anointed with his Blood, and
Fed upon the Th/e Bread, the Living Word.

Exo<L xiv. The P/7/tf r 0/ .FzV?, and the Pillar of the
}9> *°. Cta^ Go Before Protecting them. The Holy
Spirit Supports Thefe, Cheriihing them, and
Directing their Soul in a Senfible manner. Pha-
raoh having Knowledge of the Matter, and his
Egyptians, that the People were Fled, andthem-
felves Depriv'd of their Service : had the Confi-
dence even after the Slaughter of their Firftborn,
to Perfue after them. For having with all Ex-
pedition made his Chariots Ready, was He put
upon to Cut them off by the whole Body of
his People. And as they were upon Joining
them, the Cloud flood between them in the
midft, Obftrutling the one, and Overwhelming
them with Darknefs : But giving Light to, and
Preferving the other. And that I may not in
Running over the whole Hiflory, Lengthen out
my Difcourfe any further 5 Suppofe for me an

exacl

of M a c a r i u s the Egyptian. 463

exact Refemblance in all the Particulars of it,
with the Tranfaclions of the Spirit. For when
the Soul has firft made its Efcape from the Egyp-
tians^ the Power of God by its Approach Suc-
cours her. Leading her into the Truth. But when
the Spiritual Pharaoh, that King of the ZW£-
/K?/r of 5V#, has Notice that the Soul is Revolted,
and makes her Flight from the Suggeftions of
his Kingdom, by which formerly it was De-
tailed, ( For thefeare hisPofTeffions) that Dread-
ful King Suppos'd, and had Hopes that fhe
wou'd Return again to rum. But having Learnt
that the Soul is Fled for good and all from his
Tyranny : He Runs after her, with an Impudence
more Hardned, than in the Slaughter of the Firft-
born, and the Theft Committed upon the
Thoughts, as under an Apprehenfion left, when
the Soul has made fuch an Entire Efcape, there
fhou'd not one be found, that fhou'd Fulfil his
Word and Work. He Perfues her hard there-
fore with AffliclionS) and Temptations, and Wars
Invifible. Here is me Tried-, Here is fixe Tempt-
ed; Here is her Love towards him that Brought
her out of Egypt, made Manifeft. For fhe is
Deliver'd up to Undergo Trials and Temptations
every manner of way. For fhe Beholds the For-
ces of the Enemy defiring to Come upon her,
and to Put her to Death, and yet not having it
in their Power. For in the very midft, between
Her and the # Egyptians doth the Lord Stand.

* Palthenius, and after him Dodtor Prhius read here
fite<T6$ yccg oLvtvis k} ruv etlywrriaf Tievjustjae, eVajxfv x.v£io$>
which I fhou'd not render as they do, viz. Between them and
the Egyptian Spirits, 8cc. But perhaps between them and the Egypti-
ans hath the Lard Plac'd a Guard of Spirits. Compare Pfal . xxxiv.
7. Such Spirits perhaps as are faid to be Pillars in the Temple of
God, Rev. iii. 12. The Paris. Edit, by Morelius, reads not
rrvev/nccTX but TrvevLtccrav. But the Manufcript which I follow,
entirely omits irnvpxTx, in the Margin.

But

4(^4 The Spiritual Homilies

But withal me Beholds before her the Sea of
Bittemefs, and Affliction, and Defpair, and is
Unable to Retire backward, having on that Side
alfo as full a View of Enemies Ready and Pre-
paid -, Nor yet can fhe Advance forwards. For
the Fear of Death, and Heavy Afflictions of di-
vers kinds Hemming her in, Prefent Death be-
fore her Eyes. The Soul therefore Dcfpairs of
her [elf having the Sentence of Death in her by
reafon of the Throng of the wicked Spirits that
furrounds her. And feeing God has obferv'd the
Soul to be Dejected with the Terr our of Death,
and the Enemy ftanding Ready to Swallow her
up : Then verily doth He afford fome fmall Af-
Jiftance, bearing long with the Soul, and putting
her to the Trial : Whether fhe is fteady in the
Faith, and whether fhe has a Love for him. For
fuch is the way which God hath Appointed to
Lead to Life, viz. To be in Affliction, and in
Streights and Great Trials, and the moft Bitter
Temptations 3 that thence the Soul may afterwards
make her way (to the * True Land of the Glory of
the Sons of God. When therefore the Soul foall be
out of Conceit with and Renounce her f elf ) thro'
the Overbearing Affliction, and the Death before
her Eyes : in that very juncture doth fhe with
a Strong Hand, and an High Arm, through the
aP£xliv.3.a Shining forth of the Holy Spirit, Break through
kuk the Power of Darknefs -, And the Soul pafles
' through, efcaping out of the Frightful Places,
and having Shot through the Sea of Darknefs,
and of the All-Devouring Fire.

Thefe are the Myfteries of the Soul which are
brought to pafs in the Man who is Induftrious to

* The Manufcript inferts here «s th y*» dxrfiw t£$
^ofjJS tm TBKvav Seit. oWv M clntvdoK7}<ry *J ecvrctyogevtrvi

Come

in

Luke i.
7*.«

c/"Macarius //£<? Egyptian. 465

Ctftf^ /0 */&* Promife of Life, and who is Re-
deem"d out of the Kingdom of Death, and Re-
cciveth the Earneft from God, and is actually
Partaker of the Holy Spirit. Upon this the
Soul (being b Deliver'd out of the Hands of her
Enemies, and having Pafs'd by the Power of
God, through the Brackifh Sea, and Beholding
the Enemies Deitroy'd before her Eyes, whom
Before me was Inflav'd to) Rejoices with Joy
unfpeakable, being Glorified withal, being Com-
forted by God, and at Reft in the Lord. Then
doth the Spirit which ilie hath Receiv'd, Sing a
c New # Song to God through the a Trumpet* Ret. m\
for inlt-ance of the Body, and with the Rational d 3-
Strings of the Harp, or the Soul*, and its moft£^n 1 er
delicate Conceptions, and the Bow of Divine xxviii. i.%.
Grace, and fendeth up Praifes to Chrift, whoPf.cl.4,6.
maketh us e Alive. For as the Breath) by paf-11"3-3™;11-
fing through the Pipe fpeaketh : So is it the Ho-r^^'j1*
ly Spirit that through the Saints, and Men en- xs!
dued with the Spirit, Praifeth, and Singeth, and 1 John v,
Prayeth to God in a P^re Heart, to this Effect, 2°-
Glory be to Him who hath Delivered the Soul out
of the Bondage of Pharaoh, and hath Appointed
her to be his own Throne, and Houfe, and Tem->

* Among other reafons why this may be call'd a New Song
in the Place referred to in the Margin, Dr. H. More has offer 'd
what wonderfully falls in with our Author, viz. This Song,
faith he, of the Angelick 6)uire, which is the Joy th.it arifeth
from the New Nature, or the Divine Nature, fuperadded to the
Animal Nature, and is the fame in Men and Angels, I men
Regenerate Men, who thereby are made Part a for s of the Divine
Nature, as well as the Angels ; None cou'd learn tins Song, thn
is, none cou'd Know what belongs to the Joys of the New Birth or
Divine Life rais'd in us that State of Right eou fiefs, and Peace,
and Joy in the Holy Ghofl, but the Hundred forty four Thou-
fand redeem'd from the Earth, that is, from the EartiJy Senfe
find Wifd»m, that Savours only the things of this World, and of
the ~Pkfh. See his Apocalypfis Apocalypfeas, p. 137, 138.

H h p/e,

^66 The Spiritual Homilies

pie, and Immaculate Brick, and Brought her into

the Kingdom of Eternal Life, being yet in this

World!