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How? Because for God's sake he established a decree, acknowledging His sovereignty; so that he did not diminish the honor. But they did not do so, but thought they themselves were the gods; for this reason they were rejected. Besides, having worshipped here, he then does these things; for he did not worship him as a god, but as a wise man. It is not even clear that he offered a libation; and if he did offer a libation, still Daniel did not accept it. What of the fact that he also called him Baltasar, the name of his god? Thus they thought nothing wonderful of their gods, seeing that he who commanded all to worship the image of all kinds and various sorts, and who revered the dragon, called the captive so; and the Babylonians were much more foolish than those in Lystra; wherefore it was not possible to lead them immediately to this. And one could say many things; but for now these are sufficient. If, therefore, we wish to obtain all good things, let us seek the things of God. For just as those who seek the things of the world lose both these and those; so those who prefer the things of God, obtain both. Let us then no longer seek these things, but those, that we may obtain the promised good things in Christ Jesus our Lord.

HOMILY 27.

By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. 1. Paul is accustomed to construct many things in between, and is dense in his thoughts. For such is the grace of the Spirit; it does not contain few thoughts in a multitude of words, but in brevity of speech it puts great and much meaning. See then how, in the order of exhortation and while discoursing on faith, he reminds us of such a type and mystery, of which we have the reality. By faith, he says, he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. What then is, The sprinkling of blood? A lamb was sacrificed according to each household, and its blood was smeared on the doorposts, and this was a defense against the destruction of the Egyptians. If then the blood of a lamb in the midst of the Egyptians and in so great a destruction kept the Jews unharmed; much more will the blood of Christ smeared, not on the doorposts but on our souls, save us; for even now the destroyer goes about in this deep night. But let us arm ourselves with that sacrifice. He calls the anointing a 'sprinkling'; for God led us out of Egypt, out of darkness, out of idolatry. And yet what was done was nothing, but what was accomplished was great; for what was done was blood, but what was accomplished was salvation and a blockage and a prevention of destruction. The angel feared the blood; for he knew of what it was a type; he shuddered, thinking of the Lord's death; for this reason he did not touch the doorposts. Moses said, Anoint; and they anointed, and having anointed they took courage. But you who have the blood of the Lamb Himself, do you not take courage? By faith they passed through the Red Sea, as by dry land. Again he compares a whole people to a people, lest they should say, We cannot be like the saints. By faith, he says, they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. Here he also brings them to remembrance of the sufferings in Egypt. How by faith? Because they hoped to pass through the sea, and for this reason they prayed; or rather, it was Moses who was praying. Do you see that everywhere faith surpasses human reasonings and weakness and lowliness? do you see, at the same time they both believed, and feared the punishment in the blood

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Πῶς; Ὅτι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἕνεκεν διάταγμα τέθεικεν, ὁμολογῶν αὐτοῦ τὴν δεσποτείαν· ὥστε οὐκ ἠκρωτηρίαζε τὴν τιμήν. Ἐκεῖνοι δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλ' αὐτοὺς ἐνόμιζον εἶναι τοὺς θεούς· διὰ τοῦτο διεκρούοντο. Ἄλλως δὲ, καὶ προσκυνήσας ἐνταῦθα, τότε ταῦτα ποιεῖ· οὐδὲ γὰρ ὡς θεῷ προσεκύνησεν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ σοφῷ. Οὐ δῆλον δὲ οὐδὲ ὅτι ἔσπεισεν· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔσπεισεν, ἀλλ' οὐ δεχομένου τοῦ ∆ανιήλ. Τί δὲ, ὅτι αὐτὸν καὶ Βαλτάσαρ ἐκάλεσεν, τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ τὸ ὄνομα; Οὕτως οὐδὲν θαῦμα ἡγοῦντο αὐτῶν τοὺς θεοὺς, ὅπου γε καὶ τὸν αἰχμάλωτον οὕτως ἐκάλει ὁ πάντας κελεύων τὴν εἰκόνα προσκυνεῖν τὴν παντοδαπὴν καὶ ποικίλην, καὶ τὸν δράκοντα σέβων· καὶ ἐκείνων πολὺ ἦσαν ἀνοητότεροι οἱ Βαβυλώνιοι τῶν ἐν Λύστρᾳ· διὸ οὐκ ἐνῆν εὐθέως ἐνάγειν αὐτοὺς εἰς τοῦτο. Καὶ πολλὰ ἄν τις εἴποι· τέως δὲ ταῦτα ἀρκεῖ. Ἂν τοίνυν βουλώμεθα πάντων ἐπιτυχεῖν τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τὰ κατὰ Θεὸν ζητῶμεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου ζητοῦντες, καὶ τούτων καὶ ἐκείνων ἐκπίπτουσιν· οὕτως οἱ τὰ κατὰ Θεὸν προτιμῶντες, ἀμφοτέρων ἐπιτυγχάνουσι. Μὴ δὴ ταῦτα λοιπὸν ζητῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνα, ἵνα καὶ τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΚΖʹ.

Πίστει πεποίηκε τὸ Πάσχα καὶ τὴν πρόσχυσιν τοῦ αἵματος, ἵνα μὴ ὁ

ὀλοθρεύων τὰ πρω τότοκα θίγῃ αὐτῶν. Πίστει διέβησαν τὴν Ἐρυ θρὰν θάλασσαν ὡς διὰ ξηρᾶς γῆς· ἧς πεῖραν λαβόντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι, κατεπόθησαν. Πίστει τὰ τείχη Ἱεριχὼ ἔπεσε, κυκλωθέντα ἐπὶ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας. Πίστει Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐ συναπώλετο τοῖς ἀπειθήσασι, δεξαμένη τοὺς κατασκόπους μετ' εἰρήνης. αʹ. Πολλὰ μεταξὺ κατασκευάζειν ὁ Παῦλος εἴωθε, καὶ πυκνός ἐστι τοῖς νοήμασι. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρις· οὐκ ἐν πλήθει λόγων ὀλίγα περιέχει νοήματα, ἀλλὰ βραχύτητι ῥημάτων μεγάλην καὶ πολλὴν διάνοιαν ἐντίθησιν. Ὅρα γοῦν πῶς ἐν τάξει παρακλήσεως καὶ περὶ πίστεως διαλεγόμενος, οἵου ὑπομιμνήσκει τύπου καὶ μυστηρίου, οὗ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἔχομεν. Πίστει, φησὶ, πεποίηκε τὸ Πάσχα καὶ τὴν πρόσχυσιν τοῦ αἵματος, ἵνα μὴ ὁ ὀλοθρεύων τὰ πρωτότοκα θίγῃ αὐτῶν. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Ἡ πρόσχυσις τοῦ αἵματος; Ἀρνίον ἐθύετο κατὰ οἰκίαν, καὶ τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ ἐπεχρίετο ταῖς φλιαῖς, καὶ τοῦτο ἦν ἀποτείχισις τῆς ἀπωλείας τῆς Αἰγυπτιακῆς. Εἰ τοίνυν αἷμα ἀρνίου ἐν μέσοις Αἰγυπτίοις καὶ ἐν ὀλέθρῳ τοσούτῳ ἀσινεῖς διεφύλαττε τοὺς Ἰουδαίους· πολλῷ μᾶλλον διασώσει ἡμᾶς, οὐκ ἐν ταῖς φλιαῖς, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ ταῖς ψυχαῖς τὸ αἷμα ἐπιχριόμενον τοῦ Χριστοῦ· καὶ γὰρ καὶ νῦν ὁ ὀλοθρεύων ἐν τῇ βαθείᾳ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ περιέρχεται. Ἀλλ' ὁπλιζώμεθα ἐκείνῃ τῇ θυσίᾳ. Πρόσχυσιν τὴν χρίσιν καλεῖ· ἀπὸ γὰρ Αἰγύπτου ἐξήγαγεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς, ἀπὸ τοῦ σκότους, ἀπὸ τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας. Καίτοι τὸ γενόμενον οὐδὲν ἦν, τὸ δὲ κατορθούμενον μέγα· τὸ μὲν γὰρ γενόμενον αἷμα, τὸ δὲ κατορθούμενον σωτηρία καὶ ἔμφραξις καὶ κώλυμα ἀπωλείας. Ἐφοβήθη τὸ αἷμα ὁ ἄγγελος· ᾔδει γὰρ τίνος ἦν τύπος· ἔφριξε, τὸν ∆εσποτικὸν θάνατον ἐννοήσας· διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔθιγε τῶν φλιῶν. Εἶπε Μωϋσῆς, Χρίσατε· καὶ ἔχρισαν, καὶ ἐθάῤῥησαν χρίσαντες. Ὑμεῖς δὲ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀμνοῦ ἔχοντες τὸ αἷμα, οὐ θαρσεῖτε; Πίστει διέβησαν τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν θάλασσαν, ὡς διὰ ξηρᾶς γῆς. Πάλιν λαὸν ὁλόκληρον παραβάλλει λαῷ, ἵνα μὴ λέγωσιν, ὅτι Οὐ δυνάμεθα κατὰ τοὺς ἁγίους γενέσθαι. Πίστει, φησὶ, διέβησαν τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν θάλασσαν ὡς διὰ ξηρᾶς γῆς· ἧς πεῖραν λαβόντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι κατεπόθησαν. Ἐνταῦθα αὐτοὺς καὶ εἰς ὑπόμνησιν ἄγει τῶν παθημάτων τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ. Πῶς πίστει; Ὅτι ἤλπισαν διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης διαβήσεσθαι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ηὔχοντο· μᾶλλον δὲ Μωϋσῆς ἦν ὁ εὐχόμενος. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι πανταχοῦ ἡ πίστις τοὺς λογισμοὺς ὑπερβαίνει τοὺς ἀνθρωπίνους καὶ τὴν ἀσθένειαν καὶ τὴν ταπεινότητα; ὁρᾷς, ὁμοῦ καὶ ἐπίστευον, καὶ τὴν κόλασιν ἐδεδοίκεσαν ἔν τε τῷ αἵματι