Homilies on the Statues

^8. Thus also God acted towards the Jews. For wishing to infuse into them a desire of returning (to Canaan), and to persuade them to hate Egypt, He permitted them to be distressed by working in clay, and brick-making, that being oppressed by that weight of toil and affliction, they might cry unto God respecting their return. For if, indeed when they departed after these things had happened, they did again remember Egypt, with their hard slavery, and were urgent to turn back to that former tyranny; what if they had received no such treatment from these barbarians? When would they have ever wished to leave that strange land? To the end, therefore, that we may not be too closely attached to the earth, and grow wretched while gaping after present things, and become unmindful of futurity, God has made our lives here full of labour. Let us not then cherish the love of the present life beyond what is necessary. For what does it profit us? Or what is the advantage of being closely rivetted to the desire of this present state? Are you willing to learn in what respect this life is advantageous? It is so, inasmuch as it is the ground-work and starting point of the life to come; the wrestling-school and the arena for crowns of victory hereafter! so that if it does not provide these for us, it is worse than a thousand deaths. For if we do not wish to live so as to please God, it is better to die. For what is the gain? What have we the more? Do we not every day see the same sun, and the same moon, the same winter, the same summer, the same course of things? “The thing that has been, shall be; and that which is done, is that which shall be done.” Let us not then at once pronounce those happy, who are alive, and bewail the dead, but let us weep for those who are in their sins, whether they be dead or alive. And on the other hand, let us call those happy in whatsoever condition they be, who are in a state of righteousness. You, forsooth, fearest and lamentest “one” death; but Paul, who was dying daily, was so far from shedding a tear on that account, that he rejoiced and exulted!

9. “O that I did endure the peril for God,” says some one, “then I should have no anxiety!” But do not even now sink into despondency; for not only indeed is he well approved, who suffers in the cause of God: but he who is suffering any thing unjustly: and bearing it nobly, and giving thanks to God who permits it, is not inferior to him who sustains these trials for God's sake. The blessed Job is a proof of this, who received so many intolerable wounds through the devil's plotting against him uselessly, vainly, and without cause. Yet, nevertheless, because he bore them courageously, and gave thanks to God who permitted them, he was invested with a perfect crown. Be not sad then on account of death; for it is natural to die: but grieve for sin; because it is a fault of the will. But if you grieve for the dead, mourn also for those who are born into the world; for as the one thing is of nature, so is the other too of nature. Should any one, therefore, threaten you with death, say to him, “I am instructed by Christ not to 'fear them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul.'” Or should he threaten you with the confiscation of your goods, say to him, “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” “And though thou take me not, death will come and take me; and though thou slay me not, yet the law of nature will presently interfere and bring the end.” Therefore we should fear none of these things which are brought on us by the order of nature, but those which are engendered by our own evil will; for these bring forth our penalty. But let us continually consider this, that as regards the events which come upon us unexpectedly we shall not mend them by grieving, and so we shall cease to grieve.