158

feeding and clothing continually; so that from here also you may depart with a good hope, and having arrived there you may enjoy eternal goods; may it be that all of us attain these, by grace and love for mankind, and the rest.

HOMILY 19.

What then? That which Israel seeks for, this he did not obtain, but the election obtained it; and the

rest were hardened. 1. He said that God has not cast away His people, and showing how He has not cast them away, he again had recourse to the prophets; and having declared through them that the greater part of the Jews was lost, lest he should seem again to bring forward the accusation from himself, and make his discourse burdensome, and attack them as an enemy, he has recourse to David and Isaiah, saying: As it is written: God has given them a spirit of stupor. But rather we must begin the discourse from an earlier point. For after speaking of the things concerning Elijah, and showing what grace is, he added: What then? That which Israel seeks for, this he did not obtain. And this is not so much of one asking, as of one accusing. For the Jew, he says, fights against himself, seeking a righteousness which he is unwilling to receive. Then, depriving them of pardon again, he shows their ingratitude from those who did receive it, saying thus: For the election has obtained it. And those will condemn these. Just as Christ also said: But if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. For lest anyone should find fault with the nature of the thing, but with their disposition, he shows also those who did obtain it. For this reason he uses the word very emphatically, indicating both the grace from above and their own earnestness. For he does not say that they obtained it in order to take away free will, but to declare the greatness of the good things, and that the greater part was of grace, not the whole. For we too are accustomed to say, So-and-so obtained, so-and-so found, when the gain that comes is great. For the greater part has come not by human labors, but by a divine gift. But the rest were hardened. See when he dared to speak in his own voice of the casting out of the rest. For he has indeed already said it, but by introducing the prophets as accusers; but here he himself at last makes the declaration. But nevertheless, not even here is he content with his own declaration, but again introduces the prophet Isaiah; for having said, They were hardened, he added: As it is written: God has given them a spirit of stupor. And whence is this hardening? He has indeed already stated the causes, and has turned the whole matter back upon their own heads, showing that they suffered this from unseasonable contentiousness. And he says it now also. For when he says, Eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, he slanders nothing other than their own contentious disposition. For having eyes to see the miracles, and possessing ears to hear that wonderful teaching, they used none of these things for what was needful. And here, do not think that "He gave" means an action, but a permission. And here by stupor 60.584 he means the disposition of the soul toward what is worse, which is incurable and unchangeable; since elsewhere David also says: That my glory may sing praise to You, and not be pierced with sorrow; that is, I may not be changed. For just as one who is pierced with godly sorrow would not easily be moved; so also one who is pierced in wickedness would not easily change back again; for to be pierced is nothing else than to be fixed somewhere and nailed to it. Therefore, indicating the incurable and unchangeable nature of their disposition, he said, A spirit of stupor. Then showing that they will pay the ultimate penalty for this unbelief, he again brings forward the prophet threatening the same things, which also came to pass and were fulfilled. For let their table, he says, be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling-block; that is, let their luxury, all their good things, be changed and perish, and let them become an easy prey to all. And declaring that

158

τρέφων καὶ ἐνδύων διηνεκῶς· ἵνα καὶ ἐντεῦθεν μετὰ χρηστῆς ἀπέλθῃς ἐλπίδος, καὶ ἐκεῖ γενόμενος τῶν αἰωνίων ἀπολαύσῃς ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΘʹ.

Τί οὖν; ὃ ἐπιζητεῖ Ἰσραὴλ, τούτου οὐκ ἐπέτυχεν, ἡ δὲ ἐκλογὴ ἐπέτυχεν· οἱ δὲ

λοιποὶ ἐπωρώθησαν. αʹ. Εἶπεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπώσατο ὁ Θεὸς τὸν λαὸν αὑτοῦ, καὶ δεικνὺς πῶς οὐκ ἀπώσατο, πάλιν ἐπὶ τοὺς προφήτας κατέφυγε· καὶ δι' αὐτῶν δηλώσας, ὅτι τὸ πλέον μέρος τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀπόλωλεν, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ πάλιν οἴκοθεν ἐκφέρειν τὴν κατηγορίαν, καὶ ἐπαχθῆ τὸν λόγον ποιεῖν, καὶ ὡς ἐχθρὸς αὐτῶν καθάπτεσθαι, ἐπὶ τὸν ∆αυῒδ καὶ τὸν Ἡσαΐαν καταφεύγει, λέγων· Καθὼς γέγραπται· Ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς πνεῦμα κατανύξεως. Μᾶλλον δὲ ἄνωθεν ἡμῖν ἀρκτέον τοῦ λόγου. Καὶ γὰρ εἰπὼν τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἠλίαν, καὶ δείξας τί ποτέ ἐστι χάρις, ἐπήγαγε· Τί οὖν; ὃ ἐπιζητεῖ Ἰσραὴλ, τούτου οὐκ ἐπέτυχε. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἐρωτῶντος μᾶλλόν ἐστιν, ἢ ἐγκαλοῦντος. Ἑαυτῷ γὰρ μάχεται, φησὶν, ὁ Ἰουδαῖος, ζητῶν δικαιοσύνην, ἣν οὐ βούλεται λαβεῖν. Εἶτα ἀποστερῶν αὐτοὺς πάλιν συγγνώμης, ἀπὸ τῶν εἰληφότων δείκνυσιν αὐτῶν τὴν ἀγνωμοσύνην, οὕτω λέγων· Ἡ γὰρ ἐκλογὴ ἐπέτυχε. Κἀκεῖνοι τούτους κατακρινοῦσι. Ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἔλεγεν· Εἰ δὲ ἐγὼ ἐν Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια, οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν ἐν τίνι ἐκβάλλουσι; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο αὐτοὶ κριταὶ ὑμῶν ἔσονται. Ἵνα γὰρ μηδεὶς τῇ τοῦ πράγματος φύσει ἐγκαλῇ, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐκείνων γνώμῃ, δείκνυσι καὶ τοὺς ἐπιτυχόντας. ∆ιὸ καὶ σφόδρα ἐμφαντικῶς τῇ λέξει κέχρηται, καὶ τὴν ἄνωθεν χάριν καὶ τὴν αὐτῶν σπουδὴν ἐνδεικνύμενος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἵνα ἀνέλῃ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐπέτυχον, ἀλλ' ἵνα δηλώσῃ τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὸ μέγεθος, καὶ ὅτι τὸ πλέον τῆς χάριτος ἦν, οὐ τὸ πᾶν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμῖν ἔθος λέγειν, Ὁ δεῖνα ἐπέτυχεν, ὁ δεῖνα εὗρεν, ὅταν πολὺ τὸ κέρδος ᾖ τὸ γινόμενον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνοις πόνοις, ἀλλὰ θείᾳ δωρεᾷ τὸ πλέον γέγονεν. Οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ἐπωρώθησαν. Ὅρα πότε ἐθάῤῥησεν εἰπεῖν οἰκείᾳ φωνῇ τὴν τῶν λοιπῶν ἐκβολήν. Εἶπε μὲν γὰρ αὐτὴν καὶ ἤδη, ἀλλὰ τοὺς προφήτας εἰσάγων κατηγοροῦντας· ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς λοιπὸν ἀποφαίνεται. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἀρκεῖται τῇ οἰκείᾳ ἀποφάσει, ἀλλὰ πάλιν τὸν Ἡσαΐαν εἰσάγει τὸν προφήτην· εἰπὼν γὰρ, Ἐπωρώθησαν, ἐπήγαγε· Καθὼς γέγραπται· Ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς πνεῦμα κατανύξεως. Καὶ πόθεν μὲν ἡ πώρωσις αὕτη; Εἶπε μὲν καὶ ἔμπροσθεν τὰς αἰτίας, καὶ τὸ πᾶν εἰς τὴν αὐτῶν περιέστρεψε κεφαλὴν, δεικνὺς ὅτι ἐξ ἀκαίρου φιλονεικίας τοῦτο ὑπέμειναν. Λέγει δὲ καὶ νῦν. Ὅταν γὰρ εἴπῃ, Ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν, καὶ ὦτα τοῦ μὴ ἀκούειν, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ τὴν γνώμην αὐτῶν τὴν φιλόνεικον διαβάλλει. Καὶ γὰρ ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχοντες ὥστε ἰδεῖν τὰ θαύματα, καὶ ὦτα κεκτημένοι ὥστε ἀκοῦσαι τῆς θαυμαστῆς διδασκαλίας ἐκείνης, οὐδενὶ τούτων ἐχρήσαντο εἰς δέον. Τὸ δὲ, Ἔδωκεν, ἐνταῦθα μὴ ἐνέργειαν νόμιζε εἶναι, ἀλλὰ συγχώρησιν. Κατάνυξιν 60.584 δὲ ἐνταῦθα τὴν περὶ τὸ χεῖρον ἕξιν τῆς ψυχῆς φησι, τὴν ἀνιάτως ἔχουσαν καὶ ἀμεταθέτως· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν ὁ ∆αυΐδ· Ὅπως ἂν ψάλλῃ σοι ἡ δόξα μου, καὶ οὐ μὴ κατανυγῶ· τουτέστιν, οὐ μὴ μεταβληθῶ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἐν εὐλαβείᾳ κατανενυγμένος οὐκ ἂν εὐκόλως μετασταίη· οὕτω καὶ ὁ ἐν πονηρίᾳ κατανυγεὶς πάλιν οὐκ ἂν ῥᾳδίως μεταβάλοιτο· κατανυγῆναι γὰρ οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν ἢ τὸ ἐμπαγῆναί που καὶ προσηλῶσθαι. Τὸ τοίνυν ἀνίατον τῆς γνώμης αὐτῶν καὶ δυσμετάθετον δηλῶν, Πνεῦμα κατανύξεως, εἶπεν. Εἶτα δεικνὺς, ὅτι τῆς ἀπιστίας ταύτης τὴν ἐσχάτην δώσουσι δίκην, πάλιν ἐπάγει τὸν προφήτην τὰ αὐτὰ ἀπειλοῦντα, ἅπερ ἐξέβη καὶ τέλος ἔλαβε. Γενηθήτω γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ τράπεζα αὐτῶν εἰς παγίδα, καὶ εἰς θήραν καὶ εἰς σκάνδαλον· τουτέστιν, Ἡ τρυφὴ, τὰ ἀγαθὰ πάντα μεταβαλλέσθω καὶ ἀπολλύσθω, καὶ γενέσθωσαν εὐχείρωτοι πᾶσι. Καὶ δηλῶν, ὅτι