John — Chapter 11

But Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives . On the last day of the Feast Jesus had taught in the temple, and confuted the Pharisees, while they, after their wont, returned home to a sumptu- ous banquet But no one showed hospitality to Jesus for fear of the rulers and Pharisees. He went therefore probably to Geth- semane, to continue there all night in prayer (see xviii. 1, 2, and Matt xxvi. 36). Food was either secretly sent Him by Martha from Bethany, or bought by the disciples at Jerusalem. He selected this spot as His nightly refuge, or rather His place of prayer, six months before His death, and used to retire there to pray by night PUNISHMENT OF ADULTERY. 293 (see Matt. xxvi. 36). The Mount of Olives was a type of Christ's sorrow, when He there prayed for the pardon of sinners : as the feast of tabernacles signified that He and His people are but strangers and pilgrims here, on their way to their heavenly country, travelling from the wealthy and splendid dty Jerusalem, to the mountain of heavenly refreshment Yer. 2 . — And early in the mornings &c. He gave the night to prayer, the day to teaching, setting an example to apostolic men, as S. Paul, S. Francis Xavier, and others.

And as Jesus passed by, &c. Passing through the midst of His enemies and the crowd of the people. This signifies (though some deny it) that this cure took place immediately after Christ had withdrawn from the temple. As soon as He had escaped His enemies, He became visible again, and His disciples VOL IV. Y 338 S. JOHN, C. IX. followed Him. “ He mitigated their anger by His withdrawal, and softened their hardness by working a miracle ” says S. Chrysostom. He looked upon him tenderly and fixedly, as pitying him, and intending to restore his sight. And this intent look caused the disciples to inquire the cause of his blindness. “ He Himself*’ (says S. Chrysostom) “ saw that he was blind. The blind man did not come to Him, but He looked on him so stedfastly, that the disciples asked the question which follows.” Mystically, sinners and unbelievers are blind, and are thus unable to see and seek for Christ. So that Christ must needs look on them first and enlighten them with the eyes of His grace. His blindness was congenital and incurable. If it had been accidental, surgeons could have cured it But when a man is cured who is blind from his birth, “ it is not a matter of skill,” says S. Ambrose, “ but of power. The Lord gave him soundness, but not by the exercise of the medicinal art The Lord healed those whom none could cure.” His name is said to have been Cedonius or Celedonius (see ver. 38). Mystically, this man is a type of mankind, blinded by original sin, which Jesus, “passing along the road of our mortality” (says the Gloss), “looked upon, pitied and enlightened.” “For blindness befel the first man through sin, and as we spring from him, the human race is blind from its birth.” And Bede, “The way of Christ is His descent from heaven to earth. But He beheld the blind man, when He beheld mankind with pity.” Again: “This blind man denotes the Gentiles born and brought up in the dark- ness of unbelief and idolatry, to whom Christ passed over, when expelled from the hearts of the Jews, and enlightened them with the light of faith and His Gospel,” says Bede. And Christ wished to designate this in type by the enlightenment of this blind maa So S. Cyril, Rupert, and Bede.

8 . — But the Jews did not believe , &c. They hoped to elicit something from them to refute either the blind man or Christ, “ by finding that he was not born blind,” says S. Chrysostom, or was not quite blind but dim-sighted, or that he regained his sight by magic, and not by the miracle wrought by Christ. “ They sought,” says S. Augustine, “ how they might accuse him, that they might cast him out of the synagogue,” as they shortly afterwards did. Theophylact states that this was their dilemma. It is either false that your son now sees, or that he was blind at first But it is admitted that he sees, it was therefore false that he was, as he says, previously blind. His parents reply cautiously. They knew him to be their son, and that he was bom blind. But how he gained his sight they knew not They speak with prudence so as not to deny the truth, nor yet incur the peril of excommunication. And hence they say, “ He is of age,” meaning, says S. Augustine, “ we should justly be compelled to speak for an infant, for it could not speak for itself. But he is a man who can speak for himself, therefore (say they) ask him. n

Verily, verily (that is in truth, most truly and most assuredly), I say unto you , He that entereth not , &c. He puts forth this parable to show who He is, and who are His rivals and adversaries. The occasion for it was because the Pharisees had cast out of the THE SHEEPFOLD THE CHURCH. 357 synagogue for his confession of Christ the blind man whom He had healed. By doing this they signified that Jesus was not the Messiah, but a false prophet ; and consequently that they who believed in Him, as the blind man who had been cured did, erred in their belief, and wandered away from the synagogue, and were apostates from their own Church. Christ therefore puts forth the parable of the door of the sheepfold ; to show by it, that so far from His being a false prophet, all others who enter not by Him as the door of the sheepfold into the Church of God, are deceivers and counterfeits. And that consequently the synagogue of the Pharisees was not the synagogue of God, but of Satan. Whereas the true Church of God is the Christian Church which Christ founded and substituted for the Jewish Church, and consequently the blind man when excommuni- cated from the synagogue, entered by faith in Christ into the true, £&, the Christian Church. In order that the reader may easily comprehend the whole parable, I will here give a summary of it (i.) The sheepfold is the Church of God. (2.) The owner is God the Father. (3.) The door is Christ, or faith in Him, who is inclosed by the Scriptures of the Law and the Prophets as by a door firm-fastened with its bolts. (4.) The porter is the Holy Spirit. (5.) The sheep are not merely the predestinated, as S. Augustine held, but all the faithful that are within the Church. (6.) The true Pastors and Prelates are those who enter through Christ. (7.) To these the porter, the Holy Spirit, openeth, because faith in Christ, by the which they enter, is the gift of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit gives them true and lawful power, so that what they do is ratified by God. (8.) They lead out the sheep, the faithful, into the pastures of sound doctrine, grace, and virtues, go before them by their own example of a good life, and call them by their names, because they have a care for them severally, and exhort, stimulate, and compel them one by one to better things. (9.) He who enters not into the sheepfold through Christ, but by leaping over the wall, or breaking through a window or wall, is a thief and robber of the sheep, that is, of the faithful : for he is busy in killing and destroying them. The other 358 S. JOHN, c. X. matters are mere ornamental additions, and are not to be applied in illustration of the subject. Let us consider these points one by one, and review them again. He that entereth not by the door , &c. Such were Judas of Galilee and Theudas (Acts v. 36, 37), and others who pretended that they were the Messiah, or endeavoured to arrogate to themselves that which specially belonged to the Messiah. And such, too, the Scribes and Pharisees were beginning to be, who before this had received legitimate authority from God through the merits of Christ, to teach and govern His people; and were therefore His true Pastors and Teachers. But by opposing themselves to Christ, now present among them, and by turning away the people from Him, they became wolves, nay thieves and robbers of the faithful. So S. Augustine, and from him the Gloss. Against the arrogance of the Pharisees, who boasted they could see, He brings forward this similitude, which shows that neither wisdom nor a good life can avail aught except through Him. And S. Chrysostom says : “ By the phrase, another way , He signifies the Scribes who taught the doctrines and commandments of men, and transgressed the law.” Such were the false prophets of old, and heretics now, of whom Jeremiah writes (xxiii. 21). Hear S. Augustine, “Let pagans, or heretics, or Jews say, ‘ We live well;* if they enter not by the door, what does it profit them ? And they are to be said not to live well who either know not the end of good living through blindness, or else contemn it through pride of heart.” Tropologically ; — S. Augustine, “ Lowly is the door, even Christ. He who enters by this door must needs be humble, in order that he may be able to enter without hurting his head by striking it against the linteL But he who humbleth not himself, but wishes to climb up by the wall, is exalted only that he may falL” And the same S. Augustine (Serm. xlix., de Verb . Horn.) says, “He enters by the door who imitates Christ and His humility. He is a ‘ thief' who strives to steal away the sheep from Christ, and claim them for himself. He is also a ‘ robber,' because he kills the souls of the faithful, and hands them over to hell.” And so S. Augustine WAYS OF GAINING BENEFICES. 359 (in toe.), “ He is a thief who calls c his own ' that which is another's." “ By making the sheep of God his own,” says the Gloss. “ He is a ‘robber’ because he kills what he has stolen/' says S. Augustine. Tropologically ; — Salmeron says humorously (Tract, p. 88), “ Men enter ecclesiastical benefices by various means, (i.) By the royal gate, courtiers as recommended by great men. (a.) By the golden gate. (3.) By the gate of consanguinity. (4.) By the gate of gifts (simony). (5.) By the gate of doing service, those who by their obsequiousness are promoted by bishops to benefices. They lie in sickness and wait for the moving of the waters, that is for the vacant post For he who is first gains favour with the successor, and obtains the benefice."

Lazarus , a man honourable and rich, and therefore another person than the Lazarus who lay full of sores at the doors of the rich glutton (Luke xvi.) Bethany , the town of Mary and her sister Martha, , in which, they dwelt as honoured residents, and as disciples and hostesses of Christ Mystically, Bethany is in the Hebrew the house of affliction^ accord- ing to the Syriac version, and this agrees to the circumstances ; for the sickness and death of Lazarus afflicted both him and his sisters. Secondly, Bethany is house of obedience. Thirdly, Bethany, says Pagninus, is the same as the house of reply , or of the Lord's hearing , because there Christ heard the prayer of Martha and Mary, interceding for the life of Lazarus. THE SISTERS’ PRAYER. 387 John passes from what Christ did in the Feast of the Dedication, as appears from x. 22, to the doings of Christ a little before the last Passover, as appears in v. 55 ; that is, he leaps from December to March : he omits therefore the doings of Christ in January and February, because Luke relates those at length from chapters xv. to xix.

1. — These things said He, &c, He calls death sleep, because Lazarus was soon to be aroused and awakened from it Hear S. Augustine : To the Lord, who called him from the sepulchre with as much ease as thou callest one sleeping from his bed, he was merely asleep ; to men, who were not able to raise him up, he was dead. So Paul calls the dead who are to rise again, sleepers (i Thess. iv. 14).

3. — Howbeit Jesus spake of his death, &c. Because they took the “ sleepeth ” simply, not symbolically, of death, as Christ meant it

And His disciples , &c This question sprang out of the opinion of the ignorant multitude, who think that diseases are the punishments of sin, and, as S. Ambrose says, “They ascribe weak- nesses of body to the deserts of their sins.” But they are wrong in this ; SOULS NOT PRET-EXI STENT. 339 for though it is often the case, yet not always. For Job, though innocent, was afflicted in order to try his patience, as Tobias also, and many others. S. Chrysostom and Theophylact say that this question was out of place and absurd. Others think that the disciples were led to ask this question by what Christ said (v. 14), “Sin no more, lest a worse thing happen to thee.” A man’s own fault, and not that of another, seems to be the cause of his own blindness, by way of punishment Original sin is in truth the cause of all the evils and punishments which befal us in this life, and of the diseases of infants especially as S. Augustine teaches us ( Contr . Julian iii. 4). But this was not the special reason why this man, above all other infants, was bom blind. Whence S. Augustine says, " This man could not have been bora without original sin ; nor yet have added nothing to it by his life. He therefore and his parents had sin, but the sin was not the cause of his being bora blind.” S. Cyril supposes that the disciples were imbued with the error of Pythagoras and Plato, who thought that souls existed before their bodies, and that for their sins they were thrust down into bodies, as Origen afterwards held. But Leontius considers that the disciples did not speak of the sin of the blind man which took place before his birth, but after it As if God, foreseeing what would happen punished him beforehand with blindness. But whatever might be the opinion of the disciples (and it is hard to conjecture), it is certain they were wrong. For souls did not exist before their bodies, and God only punishes past and not future sins. God, it is true, punishes the sins of parents in the persons of their children. And children are frequently born weak, blind, and deformed, &c, or soon die, in consequence of the vices of their parent (see 2 Sam. xii. 14, and Exod. xx. 5).

But he that entereth , &c. By the door S. Chrysostom understands the Holy Scriptures. “For these," he says, “lay open the knowledge of God, protect the sheep, drive away wolves, by pre- cluding access to heretics." So also Theophylact, Leontius, and Euthymius. And also Theodorus of Heraclea (in Cat.), who gives also a further reason. “Scripture is the door, because he is a true pastor to whom the door gives ingress, that is on whom Scrip- ture confers authority, and thus secures his acceptance.” Other fathers regard Christ as the door , as He Himself says expressly. But you will say, Christ is the shepherd of the sheep, therefore He cannot be a door. For the shepherd enters by the door, therefore He cannot Himself be the door. S. Augustine replies; “The Lord Himself is the pastor and the door. He opens Himself who expounds Himself, and the porter is the Holy Spirit, of whom the Lord says, ‘ He will teach you all truth/ Christ therefore, who is the truth, is the door, and He who teacheth the truth openeth the door.” And the Gloss says, “ All who hold and teach the truth are one shepherd in Christ the Shepherd.” Christ retained for Himself alone the name of door , for the sheep to enter in to God. But the shepherd entereth the door. For Christ Himself and other preachers preach Christ. But you may say more simply with Maldonatus, that Christ the shepherd enters by the door, by Himself, into the Church, because He enters by His own authority, but others S. JOHN, C. X. 360 by authority derived from Him. But it is not possible in a parable to make all expressions fit in exactly. Moreover, Syrians and Hebrews delight in parables, heaping them up one on another, and running them into each other. As Christ in this place mixes up the similies of the door and the shepherd.

It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment , and wiped His feet with her hair (Luke vii. 37). I have shown that the Mary who twice, or as some say, three times, anointed Christ, was with- out doubt the same as Mary Magdalene ; although some think that there were two, and others three. Whose brother Lazarus was sick . John adds this, to suggest a cause for the raising of Lazarus, namely, that he was the brother of the Magdalene, who was wholly devoted to Jesus, and besought of Him the raising up of her brother Lazarus. Therefore his sisters sent f &c. Cyril, Theophylact, and Leontius think that these are words of astonishment and as of a person wondering, How is it possible that one should be stricken down by disease whom Thou lovest, Lord, who hast the power of life and death ? how can sickness have dared to attack one who is filled with love of Thee ? and how can weakness hold him in whom Thy love dwells ? Others, more simply, think the sisters to have spoken that out of faith and confidence. As S. Augustine, and from him Bede : They did not say, Come, for to one who loved it was enough only to announce the fact. They did not dare to say, Come and heal ; they did not dare to say, Give the command there, and here it shall come to pass, for why shall it not be so with them, if the faith of that cen- turion is praised by speaking thus? For he said, Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof, but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. None of these things said they ; but only, Lord > he whom Thou lovest is sick ; it is enough that Thou knowest it ; for Thou wilt not love and leave uncared for ! This then is the prayer implied, but hidden and implicit, because it signifies the necessity and the desire for help ; which is often more efficacious than an open solicitation, because it is more humble, 388 S. JOHN, C. XL modest, relying, and trustful So out of S. Thomas Suarez* Treatise on Prayer. Therefore this petition of the sisters shows, First, great faith ; for they do not say, Come, hasten, lest death be beforehand with Thee. For they believe that Christ is able to cure even when absent ; yea, even to raise again the dead. So Cyril, Theophylact, Rupertus. Secondly, great trustfulness, in that they confided that Christ, at the mere hearing of the sickness, would bring a remedy to it, whence they do not multiply words and petitions. Thirdly, great love : Behold^ he whom Thou lovest; as if they would say, Thou lovest us, and we Thee : it is sufficient for one who loves to announce the danger of the loved one. For love outweighs all prayers. Fourthly, resignation ; for they resign themselves wholly to the providence of Christ, that concerning the disease and the sufferer, He should order and dispose as should befit His providence and love. There- fore this their prayer was efficacious, and is to be frequently used and imitated by us. Figuratively, Rabanus and from him the Gloss : Lazarus, he says, is a sinner and is loved by the Lord ; for He has not come to call the righteous, but sinners ; the sisters are holy men, or good thoughts, who pray for the loosing of sins. Lastly, the sisters did not themselves come to Jesus, but only sent messengers, both because they were women, to whom the care of the house pertained, and to whom a long journey would have been unfitting ; and because their brother Lazarus, who was nigh unto death, needed their assistance ; and because, trusting in the good- ness and love of Christ, they thought a messenger sufficient So S. Chrysostom, Cyril, and Euthymius.

4, 5 . — But the Scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery , &c. Now Moses in the Law commanded us that such should be stoned. This story is not found in the Greek Fathers, but as it is found in the Vulgate and thus approved by the Council of Trent, Cornelius \ Lapide regards it as canonical. Here note that the Mosaic law ordered adulteresses to be killed. But the rulers ordered them to be stoned, according to the Rab- binical tradition. For the Law ordered a betrothed woman should be stoned, if she had committed adultery, and thence the Scribes extended this punishment to an adulterous wife. But the punish- ment of stoning (Lev. xx. 10) is to be extended to all the cases mentioned in that chapter. (See also Ezek. xvi. 38, 40.) And this is clear from the History of Susanna, where, by the law of requital, her false accusers were stoned. This was also the punish- ment of adulteresses in many heathen nations. (See notes on Gen. xxxviiL 24, and Num. v. ad fin.) Yer. 6 . — This they said \ tempting Him , that they might have to accuse Him 9 as being opposed to the law, if He said that she was not to be stoned, but as cruel and harsh if He said otherwise. But they rather supposed He would not order her to be stoned, “in order to keep up His appearance of gentleness, and not to lose the favour of the people.” So Rupertus, Bede, and S. Augustine, who says, “ They saw that He was very gentle ; they said therefore among themselves, If He rules that she be let go, He will not observe that righteousness which the Law enjoins. But not 2Q4 S. JOHN, C. VIII. to lose His (character for) gentleness, by which He has already won the love of the people, He will say that she ought to be released. And we shall hence find occasion to accuse Him. But the Lord in His answer both observed justice, and did not forego His gentle- ness.” They thought to accuse Him of violating the law by her acquittal, and would say to Him, says S. Augustine, “ Thou art an enemy of the law, thou judgest contrary to Moses, or rather against Him who gave the law. Thou art guilty of death, and must be stoned together with her.' But Jesus stooped down , and with His finger wrote on the ground. To turn away His face, not so much from the adulteress as from her accusers, as if to say, “Why do ye bring her before Me, who am not a civil judge, but the physician and Saviour of sinners?” So S. Augustine. Some Greek MSS. add pil cfowo/ofyuioc, not attending to them and their accusations . Though Toletus and others translate, “ not pretending, but really writing on the ground.” Either mean- ing is suitable. (2.) Christ refers to Jer. xvii. 1. “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond,” and as S. Augustine, S. Jerome and others say more fittingly on verse 13, “They that depart from thee, shall be written in the earth.” Jeremiah has here painted you, O Scribes, to the life. Ye accuse this adulteress, but ye have committed greater sins than hers ; ye deserve punishment rather than she doth ; ye deserve to be stoned more than she does, even to be cast into hell For your sins of rebellion, unbelief, obstinacy, and persecution against Me are indelible, written as it were with a pen of iron, and the point of a diamond, because ye have forsaken the Lord and turned your back upon Him, there- fore has He in His turn turned His back upon you.” (See Jer. xviii. 17.) Ye have neglected heavenly, and followed after worldly goods, and therefore ye will speedily pass away with them, just as that which is written in the earth soon comes to nothing by a breath of wind, and by the foot passing over it. Ye have departed from God, and therefore ye will not be written in Heaven, but on the earth, yea in its very centre, in hell itself. (See S. Augustine Lib. iv. de. w WHAT CHRIST WROTE ON THE GROUND. 295 Comm. Evang.y cap 10.) And S. Ambrose (Ep. lxxvi. ad Studitem . ) says, M He wrote on the ground, for sinners are written on the earth, the just in heaven.” Symbolically, S. Augustine (as above) gives two other reasons. (1.) To show that He worked miracles on earth, for, though God, He humbled Himself to become man, for miracles are signs which are wrought on earth. (2.) To point out that the time had now come for His law to be written on the fruitful earth, not on barren stones. (3.) He adds here (Tract, xxxiil) a third reason, that it was to signify that it was He who had written the old law on tables of stone, but that the new law was to be written on the productive earth. But what did Christ write ? He could not in the paved court of the temple cut out the shape of the letters, but merely delineate them with His finger. But He seems to have marked out something to put them to shame, or to expose their sin. For He added, in explanation of what He had done, “ He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” S. Jerome even says that He wrote the mortal sins of the Scribes and of all men (Lib. ii. Contra Pelag.\ S. Ambrose (Ep. lvl) that He wrote Jer. xxii. 29 ; and (Epist. lxxix.) that He wrote among other words, Thou secst the mote in thy brothers eye , but seest not the beam in thine own. Others think that He wrote “Afene, Mene ” (Dan. v. 25). But nothing certain can be stated.

Jesus answered , , &c. Christ denies not that he and his parents had sinned both by original and actual sin. But He denies that he was condemned to blindness for these sins, beyond other people, who had committed the same and even greater sins. So S. A 340 S. JOHN, C. IX. Augustine. In vain therefore do the Pelagians misuse this passage to do away with original sin. The reason why God inflicted blindness on this man was that the miraculous power of Christ should be made manifest in his case, and thus Christ be acknowledged as the true Messiah. So the Fathers quoted above. The Gloss gives the mystical meaning, that it was to signify what Christ would do in enlightening mankind in like manner by His grace, and the doctrine of the Gospel. And accordingly the man himself was enlightened not only in his body, but in his mind, as will be seen below. And therefore he suffered no wrong, but gained a benefit by his blindness (says S. Chrysostom), for in consequence of it he beheld with the eyes of his mind, Him who from nothing brought him into being, and received from Him enlightenment both in body and in mind.

To him the porter openeth. (1.) That is Moses, as bearing testimony to Christ, says S. Chrysostom and others. (See chap. v. 46.) (2.) S. Cyril thinks that it means the angel who presides over the whole Church (S. Michael, as is supposed). (3.) The genuine meaning (according to S. Augustine, Chrysostom, and many others) is, that it means the Holy Ghost, “for the Scriptures opened by Him point out Christ as the Shepherd,” says Theophylact Or rather the Holy Ghost opened a door for Christ into the Church, when He constituted Him the Pastor of the Church, confirmed His m authority by His testimony, His grace, and miracles, as when He descended on Him in the form of a dove at His baptism, and after- wards through Him gave sight to the blind, healed the sick, and raised the dead. And He also places over the Church all other Pastors whatsoever, the lawful successors of Christ, and causes them to be acknowledged and accepted, and by them brings in all the other faithful into the Church. He also exposes the frauds of heretics, and causes them to be expelled from the Church. And the sheep hear his voice. Just as sheep when they hear the call of the shepherd, so do Christian people acknowledge the true pastor (and those whom He substitutes as His deputies), listen to His voice, and follow Him in all things. S. Augustine, and Bede after him, understand by the sheep only the predestinated, for they are called sheep, and are distinguished from the goats (Matt xxiii 33). But this relates to the judgment when the elect and saved are separated from the reprobate. But the present passage relates to the Church militant, where the elect are mingled with the reprobate, and cannot be separated. Both then are called sheep. The sheep then are all the faithful. For they are all of them in the Church, and acknowledge, love, and worship Christ as their Shepherd. And calleth His own sheep by name , one by one. For the GoogI e MARKS OF A TRUE PASTOR. 361 shepherd looks after them singly, and calls them, both in a body and separately, to follow Him to the pasture. And if any of them be sick He takes it out by itself, gives remedies, and if necessary carries it on His shoulders. Moreover, skilful shepherds commonly give names to their sheep and other animals, and call to them by their names. And in like manner Christ and every pastor give names to Christians at their baptism, and call them by them. He also takes care of them one by one, so as to feed them by His ex- ample and the Holy Sacraments, and thus leads them to salvation and heavenly glory. Leontius observes that Christ here sets forth eight signs and duties of a true pastor ; that he enters by the door, that the Porter opens to him, that he can address his sheep by their several names, that he leads forth his sheep, that he goes before them, that his sheep follow him, and that he lays down his life for the sheep. Such was S. Chrysostom, who, speaking on his banishment, thus addresses his people {Horn, xi.), “Ye are my father, ye are my mother, ye are my life, ye are my grace. If ye make progress, I am delighted. Ye are my crown, my riches, my treasure. I am pre- pared to be offered a thousand times for you ; nor need you thank me for this. I am only discharging a debt For a good pastor ought to lay down his life for his sheep. For to such an one death brings immortal life.” And leads them forth to the pastures, which are not without, but within the fold, that is in the Church itself. For in the Church the pastor teaches the people, celebrates Mass, baptizes, administers the Sacraments, &c Besides, the Church is the assembly of the faithful, and therefore where the faithful are there also is the Church, or a part thereof

I must work , &c. S. Chrysostom, Theophylact, and others understand by the word “day" the present life, and by “ night " the future life. But this is what is common to all mea But Christ speaks of this day as specially relating to Himself and His own work. And therefore S. Augustine, Cyril, and Bede put a better and closer meaning on the word day, as speaking of the life of Christ on earth, and night as referring to His absence, mean- ing by this, that just as men cannot work at night on account of the darkness, so after death shall I no longer work as I do now for the salvation and redemption of men. “ My day ” (viii 56) means in like manner My birth and My life r amongst men. He says this, as preparing the way for the healing of the blind man. “ I am sent into the world to do good to men : this blind man presents himself and I will restore his sight." Symbolically : Night , says the Interlinear Gloss, is the persecution of the Apostles, especially by antichrist Tropologically : The time of life given to every one to gain eternal glory is his “day." Night is his death (see Eccles. ix. 10). And S. Augustine (in loc.) says, “Night is that of which it is said, ‘ Cast him into outer darkness.’ Then will be the night, when no man can work, but only receive for what he hath wrought Work while thou art alive, lest thou be prevented by that night.” It was com- THE TRUE EYE- SALVE. 34 * mon among poets and philosophers to call life day, and death night, and many instances and authorities are given from Fagan writers to this purpose. But to take some Christian ones, Messodamus, a very holy man, was once asked by a friend to dine with him on the morrow. “ I have had no morrow,” he replied, “ for many years : every day have I looked for the coming of death.” And this is what S. Anthony ( apud S. Athanasius) and Barlaam advised every devout and “ religious ” man to do. S. Jerome wisely says, “One who is ever thinking that he will die, easily makes light of everything,” for he regards each day as his last “ Fixed is the day of death alike to all, Brief life's short hours soon pass beyond recal." — Virg. jEiu x.

And when he leadeth forth his sheep (to the pastures) he goeth before them, to lead the way, to defend them from the wolf and the spoiler, and to lead those that follow him by a direct and con- venient road to better pastures. And so in like manner Christ and every true pastor ( 1) go before the faithful in their way to heaven by the example of a holy life. Let a pastor therefore consider 3^2 S. JOHN, C. X. that he ought to be the leader and guide of the faithful in sanctity, to surpass them all, to give to all a bright pattern of virtues, so that looking on him, they may follow him to greater heights, as S. Peter says (i Epist chap. v. 3). (2.) A pastor by his vigilance and energy protects the faithful from heretics, scandals, and other evils. (3.) He points out the straight way to heaven, and feeds and nurtures them with the best advice he can. Anagogically. St Augustine says, He who went before the sheep is He who being raised from the dead, dieth no more, and who said to the Father, “ I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where lam” ^John xvii. 24). And the sheep follow him , for they know his voice. They distinguish his voice from that of others, and therefore follow it

When Jesus heard that He said \ This sickness is not , & c. First, because this death of Lazarus shall not be so much death, as sleep ; for he shall wake again and rise from it Whence (ver. 1 1) He saith : Our friend Laxarus sleepeth, but I go that / may awake him out of sleep* Secondly, as if He said : The end and object of the sickness of Lazarus is not death, but the glory of God ; for God did not send it on him in order that it should deprive him of life THE GLORY OF GOD. 389 by death, but rather that it should restore life to him in greater measure, and thus be to the greater glory of God. So S. Augustine : “ It is not to death,” he says, “ because death itself is not to death, but rather to the giving occasion for a miracle, by the performing of which men may believe in Christ, and avoid the true death.” Thirdly, it is not to deaths that is, to such a death as is usually common to men, namely, that man should remain in it nor return any more to this life and this world : for although death might separate the soul of Lazarus from his body, yet it did not end this world [for him] so that he should not return to it ; which is the thing death does. For he was speedily raised up again by Christ, and returned to life more living and vigorous than before. So S. Chrysostom, Cyril, Theophylact, Euthymius, and others. Whence Nonnus renders, it is not to everlasting death. But for the glory of God. By glory, first, Andreas Cretensis under- stands the Cross and death of Christ; for this the envious Jews determined upon because of His raising up Lazarus, and this greatly glorified Christ. Secondly, Theodorus takes it of the glory which was to come to Christ because of the publicity and fame throughout all Judea, and indeed through the whole world, of this raising of Lazarus performed by Him. Thirdly, and rightly, take the glory of God, because men seeing Lazarus raised up by Christ, believed on Him as the Messiah and Son of God, and therefore glorified both Christ and God the Father. For so John explains this glory in

As long as I am in the world, &c. And therefore I will give light to this blind man, to show that I am the Light of this world.

But a stranger will they not follow , for they know not the voice of strangers^ /.*, of heretics, Jews, heathen, and all wicked and deceitful men, for the genuine sheep of Christ fly from them as from wolves.

Now Jesus loved Martha, &c. Because of the singular love, devotion, and liberality with which they used to provide for Jesus and His disciples, for Martha had hospitable care for Jesus. Mary having been healed and converted by Christ, devoted herself wholly to Him, and indeed used to accompany Him when He went from town to town preaching, and ministered to Him of her substance (S. Luke viii. 2, 3). Lazarus imitated his sisters. John here inserts the mention of the love of Jesus, not so much that he 390 S. JOHN, C. XI. may assign that cause for the sickness of Lazarus, as Cyril thinks, as if Jesus sent the sickness to Lazarus, because He loved him and his sisters, according to Rev. iii. 19, “As many as I love I rebuke and chasten but to signify that Jesus, after He had received the news of the sickness of Lazarus, plainly had a fixed purpose to heal him, but in suitable time and way. For His love made Him anxious respecting the welfare of Lazarus, and therefore He did all things which John narrates in order. Finally, Jesus so loved Lazarus and his sisters, that on their account He raised Lazarus from death, even although He knew that the raising of Lazarus would be to Himself the cause of the Cross and death. The life therefore of Lazarus was the death of Christ

And when He had thus said , &c. He used clay, which naturally closes up the eyes, to show that He healed the man super- naturally. The symbolical reason was (S. Chrysostom says) to signify that He was the self-same (God) who formed man out of clay, and that it was His work to form and fashion again (by restoring his sight) a man who was formed by Him, but deformed by blindness. He showed thus that He was the Lord of all things, and of the Sabbath also, so as to work His cure on that day whatever outcry the Pharisees might make. So Cyril, Leontius, Theophylact. Accordingly the Interlinear Gloss says, “See, here is the eye-salve with which mankind is anointed, the thought, namely, of its own vileness, as being made of clay, so as to be cured of the pride which had blinded it According to the saying, * Remember, O man, that thou art dust, and into dust thou wilt return.* ” Christ used His spittle, says Cyril, to show that even His Flesh had a supernatural power of healing, (a.) Because spittle is a symbol of recuperative power (several derivations of “saliva” are here sug- gested which are of no value, and several instances of cures by its use). (3.) He used it that no virtue should be ascribed to the pool 34 * S. JOHN, c. IX of Siloam, but to the power of His own mouth from whence it came ; for by the bidding of His own mouth He drove away the blindness. (4.) That thus this miracle might be the more fully attested. (5.) To test the faith and obedience of the blind man (see S. Chry- sostom). Why did He send him to Siloam, that all men might see him going with the clay on his eyes ? But there was no reason to fear that the cure would be attributed to Siloam, because many had washed there without being cured. But the faith of the blind man was shown by his not saying a word or having a thought against it, but he simply obeyed. Allegorically. S. Augustine says, “ Christ made clay of the spittle because the Word was made flesh.” He anointed the eyes of the blind man, but yet he did not see, for when He anointed him He most likely made him a catechumen. He sends him to the pool of Siloam. For being baptized in Christ he is illuminated. The Gloss says, “ The spittle is the wisdom which came forth from the mouth of the Most High ; the earth is the flesh of Christ, to anoint the eyes is to make a catechumen. He that believeth in the Word made flesh is sent to wash, that is to be baptized in Siloam, that is in Him that was sent, i.e ., in Christ But he who is baptized receives the light of the mind through faith, hope, and charity, which are infused into him by God in baptism.”

This parable spake Jesus unto them % but they knew not what things they were which he spake unto them. In the Greek a similitude , proverb . (See note on Prov. L 5.) The Pharisees and Jews, against whom He launched it (and the apostles also), did not understand it, as being involved and obscure.

When he had heard , &c. He remained therefore in the same place for two days, during which Lazarus died, because He willed not to cure a sick man, but to raise one dead, and even four days buried and decaying ; which was a far greater benefit and miracle, and was not open to the calumnies of the Jews, who might say that Lazarus was not truly dead, and therefore not raised, but only in a swoon or faint, from which he recovered, not by the help of Christ, but by the force of nature and youth.

When therefore they continued asking Him. Because they did not see clearly what He had written, or pretended they did not. They therefore urge Him to reply explicitly to their captious question, believing that He could not escape from the horns of a dilemma by going against the law if He acquitted the woman or against His own compassion, were He to condemn her. He lifted up Himself and said \ He that is without sin among you t let him first cast a stone at her. Ye Scribes and Pharisees have com- mitted greater sins than this woman, as your conscience testifies ; do not therefore so rigidly and importunately urge her condemns tion, but rather have pity for her, as sinners for a sinner, as guilty for a guilty one, as criminals for a criminal For otherwise, if ye condemn her, ye ought to condemn yourselves ; if ye wish to stone 296 S. JOHN, C. VI1L her, ye yourselves ought to be stoned, nay more, to be burned. Observe Christ’s prudence. He maintains the law in conceding that an adulteress was guilty of death, but adds that the Scribes should not so pertinaciously urge her death, but rather have com- passion on her, since outwardly professing sanctity, but inwardly conscious of greater sins, they should wish indulgence to be shown to themselves both by God and man. So S. Augustine. “Ye have heard, Let the law be fulfilled, let the adulteress be stoned. But in punishing her must the law be fulfilled by those who deserve punishment?” And again, “Jesus said not, Let her not be stoned ; lest He should seem to speak against the law. But be it far from Him to say, Let her be stoned ; for He came not to destroy that which He had formed, but to save that which had perished. What then answered He ? * He who is without sin of you, 1 &c. O answer of wisdom ! How did He make them look unto themselves 1 They brought charges against others, they did not carefully search out themselves within.” “What more divine,” says S. Ambrose, “than that saying, that He should punish sin who is Himself devoid of it ? For how couldest thou endure one who punishes another’s sin, and defends his own? For does he not condemn himself the more, who condemns in another what he himself commits ? ” But thou wilt say Christ here seems to do away with the use of tribunals of justice, and their strictness. But I answer, Christ launched not this sentence against judges, but only against the Scribes, who as private persons contended that Christ should take on Himself to judge the adulteress, and condemn her according to law. This He refused to do, and having been sent to save, and not to condemn sinners, He retorted it upon themselves, as follows ; “If ye are not judges, and yet are so desirous of punishing this adultery, take it upon yourselves, stone the adulteress, if ye are so pure and holy as not to have committed adultery, or any other sin ; * for if the Scribes had condemned her to be stoned, Jesus would not have freed her from the punishment she justly deserved. More- over, it is the judge’s duty to condemn a criminal, when convicted, though conscious that he is himself guilty of the same or a similar THE VOICE OF CONSCIENCE. Itfl offence And yet, if guilty himself it is unseemly in him to con- demn another for a like offence. Christ then in these words quietly advises judges to lead innocent lives themselves. As a moral rule, Christ teaches us that we ought to judge ourselves before we judge others. S. Gregory {Moral, Lib. 13. cap. iv.) gives the reason. “ For he who judges not him- self in the first place, knows not how to pass right judgment on another. For his own conscience supplies no rule to go by. These Scribes then are summoned first to look within, and find out their own faults, before reproving others.” On which head there are well- known proverbs. “ First prune thy own vineyards,” &c.

And said unto Him, &c. Siloam is a stream at the foot of Mount Sion, which does not flow continuously, but at uncertain times of the day; it bursts forth (says S. Jerome) with a loud noise, and is then silent It hides itself under the earth, and by channels runs into the pool of Siloam, and hence is conveyed silently and gently into the royal gardens, which it waters. (See S. Jerome on Is. viil) Epiphanius thus gives its history. “God made the fount of Siloam at the request of the Prophet (Isaiah), who shortly before his death prayed that He would grant the waters to flow from that place, and He immediately poured down from heaven living waters ; whence the place obtained the name Siloam, which means sent dawn. And under king Hezekiah, before he built the pool, a small stream sprang up at the prayers of Isaiah (for they were hard pressed StLOAld A TYPE OF CHRIST. 34 ^ by the enemy), that the people might not perish for lack of water. The soldiers searched everywhere for water and could not tell where to find it But when the poor Jews went to seek water it burst out for them in a stream. But strangers could not find it, for the water withdrew itself. And even up to the present time it bursts forth secretly, thus signifying a mystery.” Epiphanius records this in his life of the Prophet. Baronius compares it to a stream in Palestine called Sabbaticus, because it flowed only on the Sabbath. (See Baronius a.d. 33, cap. xxvi, and Josephus, de Bello Jud. cap. xiv.) S. Irenseus (iv. 19) says that Siloam effected its cures very frequently on the Sabbath. (a.) From Siloam, flowing as it did at intervals, and in a country where there was a want of water, the water was drawn gently and noiselessly into the pool, or bath, and thence passed into the gardens. From this letting in and letting out of the waters it was called Siloam from the root schalack* But why did Christ send the blind man to this particular pool ? (1.) Because it was a type of Himself who was sent into the world, to enlighten it (See S. Chrysostom and S. Irenaeus, iv. 19.) (a.) Because Christ was meek and gentle like its waters, and because He was secretly and silently sent forth by the Father, as God in heaven, and on earth by His birth from the Virgin. He is also, like Siloam, a fountain of water, “springing up into eternal life.” (3.) He is the Fount of graces, who distributes His gifts to the faith- ful by channels. (See Is. xiL 3, and Zech. xiii. 1, and notes thereof) And Isaiah, who was an express type of Christ both in his life and martyrdom, caused this pool to be built (4.) Solomon was anointed to be king near the spot Hence the waters of Siloam signify the royal race of David. And Christ sent the blind man there to show that He was the Son of David. (5.) He sent the blind man to Siloam to recall the prophecy of Jacob (Gen. xlix. 10), as indicating that he was the messenger and ambassador sent from the Father. (6.) Siloam was the type of Christian Baptism, whereby we are spiritually enlightened. Baptism is called in Greek (See S. Ambrose, Epist. lxxv., and S. Augustine in loc.) And hence & 344 S. JOHN, C. IX. Irenaeus (v. 15) thinks that this man was enlightened both in body and mind by the waters of Siloam. (7.) There is great affinity between water and light, ablution and illumination. The Hebrew word ain signifies both a fountain and light. Cicero and Quinctilian speak of the lights of wisdom, and floods of oratory, &c. And even the Psalmist uses both terms, “ For with Thee is the well of life, and in Thy Light shall we see light” And here too Christ connects light with a fountain. For after having said, “ I am the Light of the world,” He sent the blind man to Siloam to recover his sight Water washes away the noxious humours of the eyes, and thus gives them light Adrichomius describes Siloam and the virtue of its waters, speaking of the value Saracens and Turks put upon them, especially for restoring the sight. And no wonder. For as Christ, by being baptized in Jordan, sanctified the waters, and gave them the power of washing away sins in baptism ; in like manner by giving sight to the blind man by the waters of Siloam, He seemed to have conferred on them a somewhat similar power of giving sight to others, and accordingly S. Helena (says Nicephorus, viil 30) erected some magnificent works about the pool S. Chrysostom (in loc.) says that in Siloam was the virtue of Christ which cured the blind man. For as the apostles called Christ " a spiritual door,” so was He a spiritual Siloam. (So too S. Cyril, and S. Basil on Isaiah viil 6, and Eusebius, Demonst. Evang. vil 2.) Which is by interpretation. “Sent,” because it was a type of the Messiah, whose name was Siloach (£*., sent, or to be sent, by God). For unless He had been sent, none of us (says S. Augustine) would have been delivered from his guilt He went therefore, &c. Not by the virtue of the waters of Siloam, but by that of Christ, who used these waters for the enlightenment of the blind man, as He uses the waters of Baptism for the purification and enlightenment of the souL “ In Siloam,” says S. Chrysostom, “was the virtue of Christ, which cured the blind man.” But the faith and obedience of the blind man merited this, not of condignity, but of congruity. For he believed that he THE POOR THE SPECIAL CARE OF B.V.M. 345 would recover his sight by washing away in the waters of Siloam the clay which Christ had put on his eyes. For had he not believed this, he would not have kept the clay on his eyes, to the ridicule of those who saw him ; nor would he have gone to Siloam, nor have there washed away the clay from his eyes. The Gloss says with less truth, “ How was this man healed without faith, when nobody is said to have been healed outwardly by Christ without being healed within?” This is said of those who were sick on account of their sins, but he was suffering for the glory of God ; for as I have shown, his faith and obedience were great, and by them was he alike justified, as we shall hear at the end of the chapter. So Elisha cleansed from his leprosy Naaman the Syrian by means of the waters of Jordan. And he also made sweet the bitter waters by the salt which was thrown into them. S. Augustine remarks that Christ was “ the day who divided the light from the darkness, when He took away his blindness and restored him his sight”

Then said Jesus unto them again , Verily, verily , I say unto you , I am the door of the sheep. Maldonatus thinks that Christ here speaks of two doors, the door of the house, i.e., Holy Scriptures, and the door of the sheepfold, which is Christ. He believes that the word door is used in two senses, one by which the shepherds themselves, and the other by which the sheep enter. But this dis- tinction is more subtil than solid For Christ speaks in both cases of one and the same door, that is of the sheepfold What He said obscurely and parabolically (ver. 1) He explained in the parable. “ He opened,” says S. Augustine, “ that which was closed. He is the door. Let us enter that we may rejoice in having so done.” This distinction evades indeed one difficulty, how Christ enters as a shepherd through the door ; that is, how He enters the door of THE PROPHETS PRECURSORS OF CHRIST. 363 the Church by Scripture witnessing to Him. But it does not escape the other difficulty — how the same person is both the shepherd and the door. We must say, therefore, that He united together two parables (as was said above, ver. 2). For Christ intended to teach two things. First, that no one could enter into the Church, and afterwards into heaven, that is be justified and sanctified, except through Him. This He shows by the parable of the door. For as there is no ingress into the fold except through the door, so there is no entrance into the Church, militant and triumphant, except through Christ; and secondly, that He is the true Shepherd, as laying down His life for the sheep; but that the others were hirelings, whom the sheep ought not to follow. This He sets forth by the parable of the shepherd. But because this latter subject is con- nected with the former, He mixes up the two parables together. V er. 8 . — All that ever came before me were thieves and robbers. What then 1 were all the prophets thieves and robbers ? S. Augustine (con- tra Faustum , xvi. 12, and S. Jerome, lib. il contra Felag.) replies that the prophets came not of their own accord, but were sent by God. And again they were not sent in addition to Christ, but with Christ, as His precursors, and announcing His advent They were there- fore not contrary to Christ, but counted as one with Him, as having come for His sake, and by His order and guidance. “ They came with the Word of God. He sent them as the heralds of Him who was to come, and He possessed the hearts of those whom He had sent” Euthymius adds, “ They came indeed before Christ, but they entered through the door.” He speaks specially of those impostors who claimed to be the long-expected Messiah. They were thieves and robbers, such as Judas of Galilee, Theudas, and afterwards Simon Magus, Barchochebas, and many others, who claimed for themselves the name and title of the Christ So S. Cyril, Chrysos- tom, Theophylact, Euthymius, and others. But the sheep did not hear them. Because they discovered that they did not bring the token of the Messiah, as predicted by the prophets, but wished to steal away the faithful from Christ, to claim them for themselves, and to cast them into hell. 364 S. JOHN, C. X.

Then after that saith He to His disciples , Let us go into Judea again. By thus forewarning, Christ calms the fears of His timid disciples ; for they feared to return with Him into Judea, because the Jews had a little before sought to stone Him (x. 31). So S. Chrysostom : “ Never at any other time did the Lord announce to His disciples whither He was about to go; but here they were greatly afraid of being harassed should He set out without warning. They feared both for Him and for themselves, for they were not strong in the faith.” S. Augustine says : “ Christ departed, as a man, from Judea, that He might not be stoned : but in returning, forgetful of His weakness, He showed His power.”

And again stooping down He wrote on the ground. Both to inspire them with shame, and also to give the Scribes time to with- draw creditably. So S. Jerome {Lib. ii. contra Pelag.), and Bede, who adds, “ He saw that they were staggered, and would be more likely to retire at once than to put any more questions.”

The neighbours therefore , &c, and they that saw him, that he was a beggar , &c. {Vulg.) “ The greatness of the deed brought about incredulity,” says S. Chrysostom. “ And the opening of the eyes had changed the appearance of the blind man,” says & Augustine, “so that looking on him they doubted whether he who saw was the one who aforetime was blind ; but carefully watching him as he walked along the long way, they acknowledged him to be the same, and that it could not be denied.” So S. Chrysostom. The wondrous mercy of God healed most carefully those who were beggars, counting those who were mean of birth to be worthy of His providential care ; for He came for the healing of all Thus many poor people and of slender means obtain of the Blessed Virgin miracles of healing, at her shrines at Loretto and Sichem, both because they are in greater need than the rich, and are more innocent in their lives, also exhibit greater faith and devotion, and because she specially cares for them, as being destitute ; just as it is said, “ The poor committeth himself to Thee [is left to Thy care] ; Thou art the helper of the orphan ” (Ps. x. 14).

His disciples say, &c. The disciples say this, because they feared the Jews on account of Christ, and still more for them- selves.

But on hearing this they went out one by one. Some Greek copies add, 44 Convicted by their own conscience ,” as being adulterers, or even worse. For what Jesus said was true, and ought to strike home to them. And hence S. Augustine says {Epist. liv.) 9 “ Methinks that even the husband himself who had been wronged, would on hearing these words have shrunk back from his desire for punishment.” 44 Went out. 44 By their very withdrawal, 1 * says S. Augustine, 44 confessing that they were guilty of like offences. For they were smitten with a keen sense of justice on looking within, and finding themselves guilty.” They feared also lest Christ should proceed still further to expose their crimes. Beginning at the eldest. As being more inveterate sinners, like the false accusers of Susanna, or because they first felt the force of His words. As says S. Ambrose, 44 They first felt the strength of His answer, which they could not reply to, and being quicker of appre- hension, they were the first to go away.” And He was left alone , &c. 44 Two were left,” says S. Augustine, 44 misery and commiseration ; ” deep calling upon deep, the depth of 298 S. JOHN, C. VIIL her misery on the depth of His compassion. But she fled not, as having experienced His grace, and hoping for more.

I am the door % &c. Rupertus thinks that this relates to a different door and a different sheepfold from the other, according to what b said (ver. 16), “Other sheep I have,” &c But there is only one fold of Christ ; one Church, that is. As He subjoins, “ There shall be one fold and one shepherd.” The meaning of the door already spoken of, Christ partly confirms, partly explains when He adds, “ By Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” That is, if any man believe in Me, and therefore through faith in Me and by My grace enters the Church, “ he shall be saved,” £*., shall be justified and blessed, if he continues, that is, in My faith, grace and charity even unto death. So S. Gregory ( EpisL lib . vii. 49). “ He enters through the door into the sheepfold who enters through Christ But he enters through Christ who believes and teaches the truth concerning Him — the Creator and Redeemer of mankind, and abides by what he preached.” And will go in and out . Will go out to the pastures, and after having fed will return to the resting-place, as sheep do. For the faithful will, when well fed, enter the fold of the Church, and again when hungry will go forth to the pastures of the soul, without any peril, for I will guide them to and fro. So Maldonatus. But to go in and out signifies among the Hebrews to act with freedom, do one's own work, &c., and b connected with what follows. It means, the faithful man will move about everywhere without fear ; will do hb duty, and whatever he does, whether at home or abroad, will everywhere find food for hb soul. The phrase denotes security, confidence, and freedom of converse; and of doing everything, everywhere, for and through Christ. So Cyril, Chrysostom. Symbolically and tropologically, S. Gregory ( Horn . xiv.) “ The faithful withdraws within himself by contemplation, and comes forth in action to do good works.” “ He will enter in,” says S. Augustine, “for inward meditation, he will go forth for outward action.” The author of De spiritu et anima, says, “ He will enter within to con- template My Godhead, he will go forth to contemplate My Man- hood, and in either case will find wondrous pastures.” And in WHO IS A THIEF. 365 another place S. Gregory writes, “ Within, they have the pastures of contemplation ; without, the pastures of good works ; inwardly they enrich their mind with devotions, outwardly they satiate themselves with good works.” And lastly, Theophylact says, “ He will enter in who has a care for the inward man ; he will go out who mortifies his members upon earth.” Anagogically, Rupertus says, “He enters the Church by faith, to find therein pastures ; he will go out when at death he migrates therefrom into heaven.” “He enters,” says S. Augustine, “into the Church through the door of faith, and goes forth through the same door of living faith into eternal life, where he will find pasture.” And S. Gregory, “He will enter into faith, he will go forth to hope, and will find pasture in eternal satiety.”

Jesus answered ^ Are there not twelve hours in the day t MEANING OF THE “TWELVE HOURS.” 391 Lyra and those who follow him expound thus, as if it were “ As the twelve hours change through the day, and the breezes change with them, so the minds of the Jews may easily be changed, that those who before hated Me may now love and receive Me ! 99 Secondly, S. Augustine, Bede, and Rupertus : “As the twelve hours follow the day, that is, the course of the sun, so that they succeed each other in turn, so it is your duty to follow Me ; for I am as it were your sun and day, but ye accompany Me as the twelve hours.” And the Gloss: “Christ calls Himself the day , in which they ought to walk, that they may not stumble, and without whom if they walk they stumble; as the disciples just now did in being unwilling that He should die, who came to die for men; but them He calls hours, because these follow the day.” Thirdly, S. Cyril, as if : “ Some hours of My day, that is, of My life, shall remain, in which it behoves Me to preach and to benefit the Jews : the night will come, that is, My Passion and Death ; because of which I shall encompass them in the shades of slaughter and calamity : for night is the symbol of wrath and calamities.” Fourthly and rightly : Certain and fixed is the period of day, that is, of twelve hours, within which any one may walk without stumbling, because he has the light by which he sees and avoids obstacles : so and with equal certainty the time of My life is fixed by God the Father, in which I have to live and do the works which I have been sent to perform. This therefore I call the day ; and in this I have no danger to fear from the Jews for Myself or for you, nor can I be slain before the time foreordained for Me by My Father ; that is, before the setting and night of My life shall come. If any man walk, &c. Ver. io. — But if a man walk in the night, &c. While it is day , that is, while the time of life remains to Me, ye will not stumble, O disciples, while following Me into Judea; but when the night shall have come, that is, death and the close of My life, then the Jews will persecute and kill you as My disciples, as they have persecuted and killed Me. So Rupertus. Mystically, he who 392 S. JOHN, C. XT follows the day, that is, the sun and light of faith and grace, does not stumble, does not fall into offences ; but he who walks in the night, that is, in the darkness of ignorance and concupiscence, he falls into various faults and penalties. Eph. v. 8.

When Jesus had lifted up Himself See. Lifting up on her His eyes of gentleness, as He had repulsed His adversaries with the words of righteousness, as saith S. Augustine. He spoke to her, (1.) to show that He had driven away her accusers, and that she could acknowledge what Jesus had, in His mercy, done for her, ind ask pardon from Him of her sin. (2.) That He might the more readily absolve her, because her accusers had withdrawn their charge, and had fled away, as doubting the justice of their cause.

Therefore said they unto him , &c. “The man,” says 346 S. JOHN, c. IX. Euthymius and Theophylact, “knew not as yet that Jesus was God.” The blind man had learned the name of Jesus from common report, or from asking the bystanders. That he called Him not Rabbi, must be ascribed partly to his simplicity and candour, and partly to his truthfulness. For in order that he might not give any weight to his own opinion respecting Christ, he spake only the bare truth, and merely called Him Jesus. Perhaps he did it, likewise, in order not to excite the Jews, who were opposed to Christ, the more against Him.

The thief cometh not , &c. He shows what is the end and aim of him whom before He called a thief, and what on the contrary was His own. The thief and robber of the sheep, — as for instance a heretic or schismatic, a Scribe or Pharisee, or especially a false-Christ, — comes to carry off the sheep (/>., the faithful) from God and the Church, whose property they are, to hand them over to the synagogue of Satan, and there kill them by heresy and sin, and cast them into hell. But I who am the true Shepherd of the sheep (/>., of the faithful) came down from heaven, not for My own sake, but for that of the faithful, that being freed by Me, they may have the life of grace, even yet more abundantly. The word viyMbf may be taken either as an adverb (abundantly), or as an adjec- tive (abundant), that is, surpassing, exceeding all measure, that is, that they may abound in My doctrine and grace, and may live thereby, quick in spirit, enriched with spiritual gifts both in this world by grace, and in the world to come by glory. So S. Cyril and others. Rupertus adds, “ that Christians may have more abun- dant grace than the Jews under the old law.” This abounding life of the spirit, inspired by Christ, you may see in S. Peter and the other Apostles, in Martyrs, Confessors, Virgins, &c. Hence the glowing language of S. Paul, “ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ,” &c. (Rom. viii.) 366 & JOHN, C. X. Ver. ii . — I am the good Shepherd t Sec. I, the one only Prince of Shepherds, who will lay down My life for My sheep, to redeem them by My death from death, and confer on them both present and eternal life. Neither prophets, nor apostles, nor any one else could do this. For though they were slain for the sake of the faithful, yet they did not redeem them, sanctify, or beatify them. So Rupertus, Chrysostom, &c. S. Augustine adds that the prophets and apostles are counted as one and the same shepherd with Christ, as being under Him, sent also and guided and protected by Him. Christ therefore is that special and singular Pastor foretold by Ezekiel xxxiv. 23. (See notes in loc.) Christ passes from the parable of the door to the more striking parable of the Shepherd . He is the door by which the sheep enter, and also the Shepherd of the sheep : that is not any ordinary one, but the chief, special, and Divine Shepherd And He enters through the door, that is, by Himself and His own authority. Besides this Christ rejoices in the title of Shepherd, as being most appropriate and most sweet He used to be thus represented in very ancient pictures, at Rome, as carrying a sheep on His shoulders. Many of the patriarchs, who were types and ancestors of Christ, were shepherds, learning thereby (says Philo) to be shep- herds of men, See. “ If therefore thou wishest to know and to dis- charge the office of a true Pastor, see how a shepherd treats his sheep. Be so eminent in doctrine and sanctity among thy faithful ones, as to appear like a rational pastor among the irrational sheep, and as an angel among men ” (S. Chrysostom). He attends to his sheep one by one; let him lead them into richer pastures. He goes before them by his virtuous example, as S. Paul exhorts Titus (Tib ii. 7). As a parish priest he drives away all heretics and hurtful persons. And let him feed his flock with sound doctrines and sacraments, and not fatten himself on the milk of his flock (Ezek. xxxiv. 2). Let him not be mercenary, seeking his own profit, paying court to the well-to-do and noble, and despising the rustics and mean of his flock. For Christ went about villages and towns, preaching the Gospel to the poor (Matt xi.) Fisher, Bishop of EXAMPLE OF BISHOP FISHER. 367 Rochester, was a noble example of this ; he refused to exchange his poor bishoprick for a wealthier one, saying that he could render a better account at the day of judgment for his few sheep and small gains than he could for greater ones. For he said, “ If men did but know how exact an account would be required, they would not seek to obtain great and wealthy bishoprics ” (Sanders in Schism. Angl.) A good shepherd tenderly feeds and fosters the lambs and delicate ones of his flock (see Ezek. xxxiv. 4). And so does a parish priest and a bishop. (See the life of S. Abraham written by S. Ephrem.) He came from being an anchoret to be the pastor of a wild and barbarous people, and though cruelly entreated by them, brought them by his indomitable patience, gentleness, and charity, to submit to the laws of Christ Jacob, like a true shepherd, watched over his flock by day and night (Gen. xxxi. 40); and shepherds were watching over their flocks by night when Christ was bom. So too should a parish priest or a bishop vigilantly watch over his flock, as his first duty. A shepherd risks his own life in guarding his sheep. So should a parish priest, when persecution or pestilence threatens ; as did SS. Athanasius, Chrysostom, Basil, Ambrose. Lastly, S. Peter, the chief pastor of the Church, lays down notes for the pastors under him (1 Pet v. 2). See also S. Gregory (in Pastorali ), S. Bernard ( de Consider . ad Eugenium\ and S. Augustine ( Tract de Pastoribus it Ovibus). All these duties are summed up in charity, for charity supremely loves God, and for His sake the faithful committed to its care by God. (See also chap. xxi. 15.) The good Shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep . This does not relate so much to the parable itself, as to that which is signified by it. For the natural Shepherd ought to count his own life of greater value than the lives of his sheep. And yet he ought to protect his sheep even at the risk of his life. But the shepherd of souls is bound, by his duty, to expose his bodily life to danger, for the spiritual life of the faithful committed to his charge. And hence he is bound to stand by them in the time of the plague, or provide 368 S. JOHN, C. X. some other qualified person to administer the sacraments to the sick, as did S. Charles Borromeo : and for this reason was canonised. And so also all the apostles, excepting S. John, suffered martyrdom for the sake of the faithful committed to their care. And so also nearly all the Roman Pontiffs down to S. Sylvester. But the leader of them all was Christ, who alone, as the best of Shepherds, laid down His life as a ransom, while all the others did so merely to manifest their faith, and as a pattern of virtue.

She said. Ho man, Lord , &c. I who am alone free from all sin, and appointed by God to judge the world, might most justly condemn thee. But I do not, because I came not to judge, but to save the world. Thus S. Ambrose ; “ See how He moderated His answer, so that the Jews could not accuse him for acquitting her ; but rather throw it back on themselves, if they chose to complain. For she is dismissed, not absolved ; inasmuch as no one accused her, she was not acquitted as innocent Why then should they com- plain who had already withdrawn from prosecuting the charge and from enforcing the punishment ? Moreover Christ by these words absolved the woman not only in open court before the people, but in the court of heaven, before God, as is plain from what He subjoins. Go, as being certain that I have forgiven thy adultery. As He said to the Magdalene, “ Go in peace ” ( Luke vii. 50). But Christ says not that openly, but secretly ; lest the Pharisees should have something to carp at Christ therefore inspired in her secret sorrow for her sins and an act of contrition, and then pardoned her sins, condoning her sin and its punishment together. “ He condemns not,” says S. Ambrose, “ as being our Redemption, but reproves her as our life, and cleanses her as our fountain.” And Euthymius, “ Such an exposure and shame before so many adversaries was a sufficient punishment, more especially when He knew that she was heartily penitent” So Jansen and others. And sin no more. Returning as a dog to its vomit For thou wilt thus in thy ingratitude sin more grievously, and wilt defile thy soul ; + THE UNCREATED LIGHT. 2 & and though I do not condemn thee, yet will I certainly condemn thee in the day of judgment Hear S. Augustine. “ What means, I will not condemn thee 9 Dost Thou, O Lord, favour sin ? Assuredly not ; for listen to what follows, Go and sin no more . The Lord there- fore condemned the sin, but not the person. For else He would have said, Go and live as thou wilt, being sure of my forgiveness." To which Bede adds, 44 Since He is pitiful and tender He forgives the past; but as just, and loving justice, He forbids her sin any more."

Then said Jesus again unto them , 1 am the Light of the world The Gloss connects these words with what had immediately preceded, in this way : — 44 He adds what His Divinity could effect, in order that no one should doubt His power of forgiving sin." Marvel not that I set free the adulteress from the darkness of sin, for I am the uncreated Light of the world, *>., God. And He adds below (ver. 15), 44 I judge no one; " I neither sentence nor acquit the woman in a human court, but in the court of heaven. But others refer back His words to verse 2, where His discourse had been broken off by the Scribes. Having put them to shame, He resumes His teach- ing. So S. Chrysostom and others. S. Chrysostom adds, 44 The Jews objected to Christ that He was a Galilean ; He shows that He was not merely one of the Prophets, but the Lord of heaven and earth." I am the Light of the world ; and hence the Manicheans thought that He was the sun. And S. Augustine, being a Platonist, at one time had his doubts about it (see Euchir . lviiL) But commenting on this passage He mentions and confutes their folly. 44 Christ the Lord was not the sun which was made, He was its Maker, 4 For all things were made by Him &c. He therefore is the Light, which made this light of ours. Let us love It, let us long to understand It, let us thirst for It, that so at length we may attain to the Light Itself, and so live therein that we may never die. For He is the Light, of whom the Psalmist foretold, 4 Thou shalt save both man and beast, so multifold is Thy mercy.* ” And further on, 44 By this Light was the light of the sun made, and the Light which made the sun (beneath which He; made us also) was made beneath the sun for our sakes. He, I say who made the sun. Despise not 300 S. JOHN, C. VIII. the veil ( nubeni ) of His flesh. The sun is covered by a cloud, not to obscure, but to temper its rays. Speaking then through the veil of His flesh, the Light which never fails, the Light of knowledge, the Light of wisdom says to men, 1 am the Light of the world." But how Christ as God is the boundless and uncreated Light, and as man the created “ light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,” I have shown at length on chap. L 4, and also on Is. xlv. 1, that Christ is the Sun of His Kingdom. Of this world. And not, like the Prophets, merely the light of Israel and Judah. He tacitly here foretells the conversion of the Gentiles. So S. Cyril, who adds that He here alludes to the pillar of the cloud in the wilderness. For Christ as a brilliant light shines before us in the darkness and sin of the world, and guides us to heaven. He that followeth Me, by believing in Me as the Christ, and obeying My commands, walketh not in darkness , in which the wise men of this world walked, but liveth without error and sin, in the light of true faith and virtue. But shall have the light of life. " Now by faith, hereafter by sight,” says S. Augustine, who adds : “ These words agree with those of the Psalmist, ‘ In Thy Light shall we see light, for with Thee is the fount of life.*” In things of the body the light is one thing, the fountain another. But with God the Light and the Fount are one and the same. It shines for thee, that thou mayest see ; It flows for thee, that thou mayest drink. If thou followest this sun which thou seest, it leaves thee when it sets ; but if thou fallest not away from God, He will never set to thee. The light of life, therefore, according to Augustine and Bede, the light of glory, giving blessing to the faithful and saints which they themselves will obtain from Him in heaven. Others understand by it the light of faith, leading us to glory and very blessedness. For faith is a torch, guiding the faithful through the darkness of the world, showing them the true way of life, by which they can without stumbling attain to eternal blessedness. So S. Cyril, “He will attain to that revelation of the mysteries in Me, which will bring him to eternal life.” But (3) the light of life can be explained as THE IMITATION OF CHRIST. 301 the quickening life, for faith, conjoined with the grace of God and charily, is the Divine and supernatural light, which quickens the soul, breathing into it the life of grace here, and the life of glory hereafter. Hence learn that the doctrine and life of Christ must be imitated by every man who wishes to be truly enlightened, and to be purged from all blindness of mind. S. Thomas k Kempis lays this down as an axiom in his golden book (De imitatione Chrislt ), which contains as many axioms as sentences, which I study daily with much delight and profit I know many who are striving after perfection, and who strive to conform their several actions to some one action, doctrine, or saying of Christ, ever looking at it as their ideal, and endeavouring to set it forth in all their actions. This is a pious and profitable means of attaining perfect holiness. For Christ was specially given as a mirror of sanctity. For what is more holy than the Saint of saints ? What brighter than the Sun, and Light Itself? what wiser than Wisdom Itself?

And they said to him. Where is He t He said \ I know not For Jesus had withdrawn Himself, as shrinking from praise ; for He did not, says S. Chrysostom, “seek for glory, or self- display.”

But he that is an hireling , &c. An hireling seeks not the good of the sheep but merely his own profit “ Hirelings are they, 19 says S. Augustine, “ who seek their own things, and not the things of Christ and of the sheep." So too S. Basil But the apostles, though they fed not their own sheep, but the sheep of Christ, were not hirelings, because they sought not their own temporal gain, but the spiritual and eternal gain of the faithful “ He is called a hireling, and not a shepherd,” says S. Gregory {Horn, xiv.), “who feeds the Lord’s sheep, not from deepest love, but for worldly gain. The hireling is he who holds the post of a shep- herd, but seeks not to gain souls ; is eager for earthly advantages, rejoices in the honour of the prelacy, feeds on temporal gains, delights in the reverence paid to him by men.” Seeth the wolf earning. “ For in a time of tranquillity,” says S. Gregory, “very often the hireling, as well as the true shepherd, stands on guard over the flock. But the approach of the wolf shows the temper of mind with which they did so. The wolf attacks the sheep when the violent and the spoiler oppress those who are faithful and humble. But he who seemed to be a shepherd and was not, leaves the sheep and runs away, because through fear for himself he does not venture to withstand his injustice.” Fleeth : “ Not by change of place,” says S. Gregory, “ but by with- drawing support He flies, because he saw injustice and held his peace : he flies, because he conceals himself by silence. To whom the prophet well says, “Ye have not gone up against him, nor raised up a wall for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord” (Ezek. xiii. 5). WHO IS THE HIRELING. 3^9 And the wolf cafcheth them , ie. A heretic, or any wicked man, who strives to pervert the faithful by word or example, or (as S. Gregory says) “the devil, who seizes them when he draws away this man to luxury, inflames another with avarice, puffs up another with pride, parts asunder others through anger, stimulates another with envy, supplants another by deceit The devil therefore scatters the flock when he kills the faithful by temptations. But the hire- ling is not inflamed by zeal against such attacks, is not enkindled by any warmth of love. Because by looking after mere outward advantages, he carelessly takes no account of the inward injury which is done to the flock.” And hence, Christ leaves it to be gathered by contrast that the good shepherd when he sees the wolf coming neither flies nor for- sakes his sheep, but stands firm and fights for them even to death, and in this way lays down his life for them. But when it is allow- able for a pastor to fly when persecuted, and when not, see notes on S. Matt. x. 23. Also S. Augustine (Epis. clxxx. ad Honoratum). I use on this matter the words of S. Gregory the more freely, because he had full experience of those things in his own person.

Then said His disciples. Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well \ For in the sick sleep is usually the sign and forerunner, and often the cause, of health. The sense is as if it were said, Let us suffer him to sleep, that he may the more quickly recover : wherefore there is no reason that we should go to him. So S. Augustine and Cyril

The Pharisees therefore, &c. That is, is not worthy of credit For no one is accepted as a witness in his own case, but must produce other witnesses (see above, v. 31). These were not the same Pharisees as those who had accused the adulteress, but others, who wished to avenge the disgrace of their fellows, and in their malevolence against Christ, brought this charge against Him, to put Him to shame. “ Being nurtured in ignorance," says S. Cyril, “and not knowing Him to be Emmanuel, they sus- pected Him of aiming at His own glory, and attack Him, as though one of ourselves.”

They brought to the Pharisees , &c. They brought him to the Pharisees, that they might examine the matter. This was done by the purpose of God, that the miracle might be fully attested and made widely known, so that the Pharisees could not deny it Whence S. Augustine says, “The blind man confessed, the heart of the wicked was broken.” “They bring him to the Pharisees, as being judges, and therefore assembled in their house of judgment” This house seems to have been a synagogue, close to the temple ; for a question of religion and belief was at stake, which the Pharisees had to decide by examining the miracle, and to judge accordingly whether He who wrought it was the Messiah or not It was the Sabbath day . This is added to show their evil dis- position ; for they sought occasion against Jesus, and wished to detract from the miracle in consequence of its seeming violation of the law. For in truth to make clay in order to give sight to the blind, is not a breaking but a sanctification of the Sabbath.

The hireling fleeth because he is an hirelings and careth not for the sheep . As though it were said directly, he who loves not the sheep, but worldly gain, cannot stand firm when the sheep are in danger. For while he is aiming at honour, and rejoicing in worldly gain, he is afraid of exposing himself to danger, lest he should lose that which he loves. For no one takes such diligent care for that which is another’s as he does for his own. And therefore the hire- ling cares more for his own life than for the sheep which are not his ; and flies when the wolf comes, as caring more for his own life than for the sheep.

Jesus answered \ &c. Not only true in itself, but such as ought to be accepted and believed. This testimony of the Light is true, whether it show or hide Itself says S. Augustine. The light itself needs no other witness. It shows itself clearly by its own light to be bright and shining. And thus is Christ the Light of the world, showing Itself to the world by Its miraculous works. Christ needed not any other witness, and yet He brings forward the highest and most indisputable witness, even God the Father. 302 S. JOHN, C. VIII. For I know whence I came , and whither 1 go. And therefore My testimony is true, as being confirmed by the testimony of God the Father, says the Gloss. This I know, but ye do not, because ye will not know, though ye ought to know it both from My miracles and My words. But I know that I was sent from heaven, as the Messenger of the Father, being the Son of God, and Very God, from Very God. And when My ministry is over I shall return to Him again. So S. Augustine and Leontius. But He speaks obscurely, lest He should seem to boast, and for fear of kindling the more the anger of the Jews against Him. He might else have spoken more plainly. I am the Son of God, and therefore My testimony is true and legitimate, for the testimony of God, Who is the chief and irrefragable truth, is indisputable. “ He wished the Father to be understood,” says S. Augustine, “from Whom He departed not, when coming to us, as Le left not us when He returned to heaven. But as the Sun shines on those that see and those that are blind, though the one sees and the other does not, so the wisdom of God is everywhere present, even to unbelievers, though they have not the eyes to behold Him,” distinguishing thus His friends and enemies.

I am the good shepherd, \ and know My sheep . Christ knows His sheep not merely with the watchful and tender eyes of His Godhead (as S. Cyril says), but also with the eyes of His man- hood (for it is as man that He is the Pastor of His Church). He knows who are His faithful ones, what are their gifts, and also what are their weaknesses, that He may increase the one, and heal the VOL. iv. 2 A 37o S. JOHN, C. X. other. He knows them therefore not merely speculatively, but practically, and heaps on them all His gifts, benefits, and graces. And am known of Mine, with the eyes of faith, hope, and charity, because they believe in Me, hope in Me, and love Me above all things. “ Because I love them, they love Me in return, for love is the loadstone of love : if thou wishest to be loved, thou thyself must love. Love is the powerful allurement of love.” So Theophylact And besides this His love of us, He inspires in us love for Him in return. And this love is our highest good, leading us to heaven and making us blessed.

Then said Jesus unto them plainly , Lazarus is dead. He showed Himself to be a prophet, yea, the Son of God, inasmuch as He reveals things secret and distant : for such was this death of Lazarus, which He here clearly declares, to take away the disciples’ error as to his sleep. For the messenger had announced to Christ only his sickness, not his death.

Ye judge after the flesh. (1.) Ye judge of Me, not according to truth and equity, but from the carnal hatred ye have against Me ; as living according to the flesh is to live ill, so judging according to the flesh is to judge unjustly. (2.) From My Body, which ye see, ye count Me a mere man ; because I am in the flesh ye count Me mere flesh, judging wrongly. And thus ye rule that Truth can lie. For I am the Truth (S. Cyril). (3.) Ye judge by your senses alone, by that which ye see of Me ; that I am a mean, poor, abject man, not the Messiah, not God who hides Himself in My flesh ; and therefore ye condemn Me as a proud blasphemer for asserting Myself to be the Son of God. And this ye would not do, if ye judged of Me by reason and the spirit of truth. For this would declare to you that I am what I assert, Messiah, the Son of God. “They saw the man,” says S. Augustine, “but did not believe Him to be God.” And the Gloss, "they CHRIST'S JUDGMENT JUST. 30S thought Him to be a man, who was not to be believed when praising Himself” “ Moreover,” says S. Cyril, “ He acts like a phy- sician who heeds not the insults of his patients who are mad, but applies to them the fitting remedies ; fighting against disease, but not against the patient, whom he wishes to restore to health of body and mind.” I judge no man , not as ye do, by outward appearance, but accord- ing to reason and the spirit (4.) S. Chrysostom says, “ Because the Jews might make this objection to Christ, ‘ If we judge wrongly of Thee, why dost not thou convince us ? ’ Christ replies, I judge no one. It is not My business. Were I now to judge you, I should assuredly condemn you. But this is not the time for doing so.” (5.) To judge in this place, means to perform a kind of judicial act, and hence it means to testify, or bear witness, for witnesses force as it were the judge to give sentence in accordance with their testi- mony. And hence a witness is a kind of judge (see Is. lv. 4). For the whole question between Christ and the Jews was with reference to His testimony, whether it could be lawfully accepted. And He maintains that it can be, as He was not alone, but the Father was with him (see S. Ambrose, Lib . v. Epist. 20). And this is plain from what Christ says, verses 17 and 18, “I am He that bear wit- ness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me.” But He uses the word “judge” because He seemed just before to have judged the adulteress, which the Pharisees resented. But He meant thereby that He had not judicially acquitted her, though He might have done so, as the Son of God. For I am not a mere man, as ye suppose, nor am I alone, for God the Father is with Me. And in this sense “I fudge” is understood in its own proper sense, “ I pass not a judicial sentence.”

As the Father knoiveth Me, &c. By this comparison Christ points out both the origin and also the greatness of the love which He bestows on His sheep. The boundless knowledge and love which exists between the Father and Myself, is the source of the love which exists between Myself and My faithful ones. Both because divine and uncreated love is the source of all human and created love ; and also because it is the Father’s will that I should love My faithful ones with great and special love, as He loves Me, and I love Him with boundless affection ; for He wishes to adopt My faithful ones through Me who am His Son by nature, and He therefore loves them supremely as His children. And I do the same, because I submit in all things to the love and will of the Father ; nay more, My love is the same as the Father’s, as our will, our nature, and our Godhead is the same. But here note the word “as” signifies similarity, not equality. For the Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the Father with uncreated, and therefore infinite love. But the Son, as man, loves His own with a created and finite love, and is loved with a like love by them in return. But there will be here also a kind of equality, if with Maldonatus you explain it thus : When Christ says, 1 know My sheep , He speaks as God; but when He says, The Father knoweth Me , and I know My Father, He speaks of Himself as man. For just as Christ (as God) knows His sheep, and His sheep as men know Him in return ; so the Father, as God, knows the Son as man, and the Son, as man, acknowledges His Father, and calls Hinr CHRIST'S OTHER SHEEP. 371 Father, as we do ourselves. ‘I ascend to My Father, and your Father* ” (John xx. 17). And I lay down My life for My sheep . This refers back to verse 14. “I know My sheep,” I love them, most ardently, and therefore I lay down, t\e., I will shortly lay down, My life for them. He put in the words, “ as the Father knoweth Me,” to represent the source and the intensity of His love for His people, by His love for the Father, for it was this love which urged Him to lay down His life for His sheep. But the words “ I lay down ” signify that the death of Christ was not compulsory, but voluntary, self-chosen, and even loved for their salvation. So Leontius. And Christ thus expresses Himself below (ver. 18). “No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.” And the words also signify, “ I lay it down for a time, in order to take it again.” The death of Christ therefore was not so much a death as the placing His soul for three days in Limbus.

And I am glad for your sokes that I was not there. Christ therefore declaring his death, showed that He knew it not in a human manner, but in a Divine. For how, says Augustine, should the thing be hidden from Him who had created the man who was dying ? and into whose hands his soul had gone forth ? Nevertheless let us go unto him. Christ speaks of the dead as though he were living, because He was about to make him so, by raising him from the dead. So Cyril.

And yet if I judge (Le., bear witness of Myself) My judgment (Le., witness) is true , Le., fit to be taken in court, for I am not alone , &c. S. Chrysostom explains, “ If I judge, I should justly condemn you, because I should not judge by Myself, but I and the Father together.” But the true meaning is that given in verse 15. I and the Father that sent Me. “ For I took the form of a servant, 3<>4 S. JOHN, C. VIII. but lost not the form of God,” says S. Augustine ; " Thy Incarnation was Thy mission.” And the Interlinear Gloss, “Though I am a man, yet I left not the Father ; though sent in the flesh, yet I and the Father are ever One by Our Godhead ; the judgment of both and the will of both are alike One.” As He says elsewhere, *" I do nothing of Myself,” for I have never proceeded to any punishment, which was not in the mind of the Father. “ For whatever thoughts the nature of the Father entertains, the same are completed in Me also, for I shine forth from His bosom, and am the true offspring of His substance,” says S. Cyril.

And other sheep 1 have , &c. Other sheep , i.e , 9 those who will be My sheep. This is spoken by anticipation. He means the Gentiles, and thus predicts their call and conversion, to show that He was to be the King and Shepherd of all nations, just as up to this time He had been of the Jews : and that, con- sequently, He did not care (comparatively) whether the Jews (few as they were in number) would be unbelieving and rebellious, since He was about to put countless Gentiles in their place. So Rupertus, who adds, “ and they will hear My voice,” striking quietly at the Jews. And there will be one fold, and one shepherd. Some suppose that in the end of the world, God will convert all the Jews by Elias, and all the Gentiles by Enoch, and thus there will become one Church, made up of them both, and one Pastor, Christ, and His Vicar the Supreme Pontiff, who will be called the Angelic Pastor. (See the list of Popes, described symbolically, in the life of S. Malachi.) But they are in error. For neither will Elias convert all the Jews, nor Enoch all the Gentiles. For there will be then many unbelievers and followers of antichrist But this is far from being the meaning 372 S. JOHN, C. X. of Christ It was, that after His death and resurrection His apostles would be dispersed among all nations, and convert them, so that both Jews and Gentiles would be gathered into one Church of believers, under one Shepherd, Christ, and His Vicar, the Roman PontifE This is not to be looked forward to as something future, for it took place in the time of Constantine the first Christian emperor, who christianised nearly all the nations which were subject to him. The Apostle graphically sets this before us (Eph. iL)

Then said Thomas, &c. Thomas was not doubly named, as if his first name had been Thomas, his second Didymus ; but they were one and the same : for the Hebrew word Thomas is the same as the Greek Didymus, that is, a twin. CHRIST’S SOLDURII, OR SOLDIERS. 393 Let us also go, that we may die with Him. Not with Lazarus, as some will have it, for this seems foolish ; but with Christ, who a little before had said, Let us go to him. Thomas, says Bede, exhorts his companions beyond all, that they should go and die with Christ, in which his great constancy appears. (And the Interim.) Behold the true* disposition of loving souls, either to live with Him or to die with Him ; such as were the Soldurii among the Gauls, whose law and covenant in war was, either to conquer together or to die together, as Julius Caesar bears witness in his Commentaries (De Bell. Gall. III. 22), whom S. Paul seems to have alluded to when he says, in 2 Cor. viL 3, Ye are in our hearts to live and to die with you. Furthermore, that which S. Thomas says, Let us also go, that we may die with Him, is as if he had said, “ If we go with Jesus, we must die with Him, because of the violent hatred of the Jews towards Him. If then He goes, let us also go, as brave dis- ciples and soldiers, and die with Him courageously as our Leader ; if He disregards death, and even advances to meet it, let us also dis- regard it and meet it.” For he had not sufficiently understood what Christ (ver. 9) intimates, that no danger threatened Him yet from the Jews. So Cyril. Therefore he offers himself for Christ to cer- tain death, for he considered it was impending ; which was a remark- able proof of his great bravery, and singular love for Christ

It is also written in your Law (Deut xvii. 6, xix. 5), that the testimony of two men is true: that is to be admitted by the judge, who can base on it a legal sentence, though the testimony may as a matter of fact be false. But a judge must go by the evi- dence ; and so his sentences may be legally right, but in reality wrong. If then the testimony of two men be true, how much more must the sentence of two Divine Persons, the Father and the Son, be accepted as most true, most equitable, and most just ? Christ applies this to His own case. For that the Father is with Him, and witnesses to Him, and that He is the Son of the Father, He had more than sufficiently proved, and therefore assumes it “ It is,” says v . Augustine, “a grand and roost mysterious question when God says ‘ in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established ; ’ for Susanna was accused by two false witnesses, and all the people witnessed falsely against Christ But in this way is the Trinity represented as in mystery; for therein is the ever- enduring firmness of truth. If thou wishest to have a good cause, have three witnesses, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost”

They say unto the blind man again , What sayest thou of Him who hath opened thine eyes t He said \ He is a Prophet That is a specially holy man, a wonder-worker. So Abraham (Gen xx. 7) is called a Prophet (see what is said on 1 Cor. xiv. ad rem 9 and Ecdus. xlviii. 12, on the various meanings of the word Prophet). “ Being at present not anointed in heart, he did not confess Christ to be the BITTERNESS OF THE JEWS. 347 Son of God. But yet he did not speak falsely of Him. For the Lord said of Himself, “ A prophet is not without honour, save in His own country .” They asked the blind man the same question again and again, out of bitter hatred of Christ, and also to involve him in the same guilt with Christ They wished also to elicit something out of his mouth to make him contradict himself, that so they might convict him of a lie. But God caught them in their own craftiness. For by this frequent examination, the consistent confession of the blind man, and consequently the glory of Christ, shone forth. S. Chrysostom wisely says, “It is the nature of truth to become stronger by the snares laid against it.” And that was now the case, for the parents are brought forward, who fully acknowledged their son, and confirmed his words.

Therefore doth My Father love me, &c. Lest the Jews should despise Him as a mere man who would die on the Cross, He meets the objection by saying that His death would be glorious, and an object of desire, because He could of His own accord sub- mit to it from love of, and obedience to the Father, and therefore to be loved, honoured, and exalted, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, &c. (Phil ii. 10). I lay down My life , t'.e. My soul. So S. Augustine and others, who from this passage prove that Christ had a human soul, in opposition to Apollinarius, who maintained that His Divinity was in the place of a soul. But others understand by it “ life ,” which is caused by the union of soul and body. It comes to the same thing. That 1 may take it again, I do not destroy it but only lay it aside for a short time, that I may rise and take it again. S. Cyril refers back to the words u My Father loveth Me.” He loves Me not merely because I set My sheep free by My death, but also because I quicken them by My rising again. As S. Paul says, Rom. iv. 25.

Then when Jesus came [to Bethany, as some Greek Codices add] He found that he had lain in the grave four days already. That is, he had been buried four days ago. For the messenger respecting the illness of Lazarus came from the sisters to Jesus (says Chrysostom) on the day on which Lazarus died ; the two following days Jesus remained in Bethabara; on the fourth day He went at length to Bethany. Therefore Lazarus seems to have died and been buried on the same day on which the sisters sent a messenger to Jesus ; for otherwise Lazarus would not have been four days dead and buried when Christ came, as is here said. More probably, Euthymius and Maldonatus think that Lazarus died indeed on the day on which the messenger came to Christ, but was buried on the following day, lest perhaps there might remain in 394 S. JOHN, C. XI. him some signs of hidden life ; that Christ remained two days in Bethabara, and on the fourth day departed thence towards Bethany ; but because this journey was one of about ten hours, it could scarcely have been traversed by Christ and the apostles in one day on foot ; hence Christ reached Bethany on the following morning, which was the fifth from the burial of Lazarus and then raised him from the dead ; for neither was it becoming that he should be raised in the evening (lest it might seem a fancied and illusive raising), but in the morning, or in full day. Wherefore Lazarus had already been four complete days in the tomb or sepulchre, and the fifth from his burial was begun ; so that it might well appear to all that he was not only dead, but decaying and devoured by worms. Hence the raising of Lazarus performed by Christ was a most certain and wonderful miracle, which could in no way be hidden, or carped at by the scribes. Typically, one buried four days is a sinner having the habit of sin- ning, who is dead in sin and as it were buried in it, and lies past cure, without hope of forgiveness and spiritual life. For the first day is that in which any one sins by the consent of the wilL The second, on which any one completes the sin in act. The third, on which he repeats it again and again, and brings upon himself a custom and habit of it The fourth, on which this habit becomes obstinate, and is, as it were, turned into nature; according to S. Augustine (Confess., Lib. viii.), “Out of the perverted will a lust is formed; and when the lust is served, it becomes a custom; and when the custom is not resisted, it becomes a necessity, and thus being connected together by certain (as it were) cramps, they formed what I have called a chain, and a hard slavery held me bound. Such a sinner, then, is by the great and rare grace of Christ to be raised from this sepulchre again ; which, that Christ might signify, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus , come forth.” So also S. Augustine (On the Sermon of the Lord on the Mount ) : “As we come to sin by three degrees, by suggestion, by delectation, by consent ; so also of the sin itself there are three differences ; in heart, in action, in custom — three deaths, as it were. One, so to DIFFERENT KINDS OF DEAD. 395 speak, in the house, when in the heart consent is given to the desire ; a second, now carried forth, as it were, beyond the door, when consent goes on into action ; a third, when the mind, being weighed down by the force of evil custom, as it were by a mass of earth, is, so to speak, already decaying in the grave. And whosoever has read the Gospels recognises that the Lord has raised up these three kinds of dead. And he perhaps considers what differences there were in the word itself of Him who raised them : in one place, “ Maiden, arise,” and in another, “ Young man, I say unto thee, Arise ; ” and in another, He groaned in spirit, and wept, and again He groaned, and then afterwards He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus , come forth ! Thirdly, the Gloss, out of S. Augustine and Bede. The first day of death is that in which we are born with original sin. The second, that in which, coming to years of discretion, we transgress the natural law. The third, in which we despise the written law. The fourth, in which we disdain also the Gospel of Christ and His grace. Contrariwise, S. Bernard takes the four days for the four motives and actions of a penitent ; the first of fear ; the second of conflict against sins ; the third of grief ; and the fourth of shame for the same.

I am one that bear witness of Myself &c. But thou wilt say, no one’s testimony is accepted in his own case, and there- fore Christ’s testimony to Himself ought not to be accepted. But the answer is, that Christ as God witnesses to Himself as man. But God and man are two beings, and in Christ God was different from man : in nature, I mean, not in person. And from this very passage the Fathers gather against both Nestorians and Eutycheans, THE FATHER'S WITNESS. 305 that in Christ there was one Person, the Divine, but two natures, the Divine and the human. So Cyril, Chrysostom, and S. Ambrose (de Fide v. a). Besides this, God the Father and God the Son bore witness that Jesus was the Christ by the miracles which they wrought both through Him and for Him (see chap. v. 31, 32). And especially when the Father spake in thunder out of heaven, This is My beloved Son. So Bede.

No one taketh it from Me, but 1 lay it down of Myself For though the Jews are about to slay Me by force, yet this force of theirs would not avail against Me, unless I allow it of My own accord. And again, u Though I allow it, yet it is still in My power to die, or not to die. For by My Godhead I can impart such strength to My manhood, that it cannot be destroyed by any nails, blows, scourg- ings, or wounds which I suffer by My own will ; just as I support the bodies of the beatified, and render them impassible.” So Toletus. And hence Christ on the Cross cried aloud and gave up the ghost to show that He died without compulsion, and of His own accord, CHRIST’S WILLING OBEDIENCE. 373 when He might, had He so willed, have lived on. For He who had strength to cry aloud, had strength also to live, so that the centurion beholding this said, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matt xxvii. 54). I have power y &c. By My mighty and glorious Resurrection, which My soul will effect through the Power of My Divinity, hypostati- cally united to it He here signifies that He is God as well as man ; ns man He lays down His life, as God He resumes it So S. Cyril. This commandment have I received from My Father, This was the reason for laying down His life. He was so ordered by the Father, lest the Jews should object, “ You have taken this duty on yourself, that Thou mightest be worshipped, as the Mediator, Messiah, and Saviour of the world.” It is hence clear that it was a weighty com- mandment He received, that of suffering and dying on the Cross. “He became obedient” (to the commandment of the Father, for obedience properly so called presupposes a command, and is in fact its correlative ; for obedience is that which is ordered, and a com- mand implies obedience, for it is the formal object of obedience) " even to the death of the cross.” So S. Cyril, S. Ambrose (de Fide , v. 5), S. Thomas, Suarez and others. But this command did not physically compel the will of Christ to obey it It left it free. But it pertained to the Person of the Word to “ prevent ” the will of Jesus by supplies of grace, to which It foresaw it would willingly consent, and obey the command. And it was in this respect, that is in consequence of the continual keeping (custodtam) of the Word, that the manhood of Christ was said to be extrinsically impeccable, not because the Word predetermined It, but because It supplied It with fitting aids, with which It foresaw it would freely obey the command. For by this foreknowledge of future conditional events the freedom of Christ’s will is fully preserved (see Suarez, part iii. Quest, xviii.) And by this generous obedience in so difficult a matter, Christ obtained salvation for us, and glory for Himself. Set then, O Religious, this command of the Father, and this obedience of Christ before thine eyes, when any difficult task is imposed on thee by thy Superior. R. Juda says admirably (Firke 374 S. JOHN, C. X. Avoth, cap. v.), “ Be daring as a leopard, swift as an eagle, nimble as a deer, courageous as a lion, to do the will of thy Father which is in heaven.”

Now Bethany was nigh , &c. A stadium is the eighth part of an Italian mile, and contains therefore 125 paces. John adds this to signify that many had come to Bethany from Jerusalem, inasmuch as it was so near, that they might comfort Martha and Mary, who were sorrowing for the death of Lazarus. And many of the Jews came , & c. Many, especially relations, connections, friends ; for these sisters were rich, noble, honoured, such as are accustomed to have many, either friends or dependent followers. Besides, the grief for a brother’s death is very keen, and many, even strangers, and not known, are accustomed to assemble for the purpose of comforting persons under such a loss. For the grief for death is common to all ; and in it the consolation of all is common also.

Then said they unto Him , Where is Thy Father t They said this, in order to elicit from Him a clear statement that God was His Father, in order to accuse Him of blasphemy, as they did, chap. v. 18, xix. 7. So Chrysostom and others. But Cyril and Leontius less probably think that the Pharisees spoke contemptuously and sarcastically, as if He were the Son of some unknown father. S. Augustine and Bede think that they referred to Joseph, as being His father in the flesh. But the first is the best meaning. Jesus answered , &c. Christ did not wish to answer clearly and directly, u My Father is in heaven,” because He knew that the question was put in order to ensnare Him. He therefore, though answering their question directly, yet spoke so guardedly that the Pharisees could not bring any charge against Him. As if He said, Ye think that I am a man, and that I have only an earthly father. But ye are wrong, for ye know not that I am God as well as man. And therefore ye understand not that I have no other Father than God in heaven, though I hare proved this by so many miracles. But how does this agree with what Christ said (vii. 28), Ye both know Me y and know whence I amt I answer, Christ then spoke of Himself as man, but here He speaks of Himself as God. Origen adds that then Christ spoke to the people of Jerusalem who knew Him, but here to the Pharisees who knew Him not, and were more- over His enemies. The word “ if ” is here equivalent to assuredly. See Leontius. As Christ says to Philip (xiv. 9), He that seeth Me seeth My Father also . S. Augustine explains it somewhat differently ; “ Ye ask, who is vol. iv u 30 6 S. JOHN, c. VIII. My Father, because ye know Me not, for ye think not that I am God eternal in heaven/’ (2.) Cyril speaks more profoundly and to the point “ The names of Father and Son imply each other,” Christ therefore is the gate (as it were) leading to the Father. “ Let us learn then,” he adds, “what He is by nature, and then we shall rightly understand as in an express image the Antitype Itself.” For the Father is mani- fested in the Son, as in a mirror, in the proper nature of His offspring. (See Wisdom vii. 26 and Heb. L 3.) Origen considers that “know” means to “love.” If ye loved Me ye would surely love My Father. For evil livers practically know not God, as is said of Eli’s sons.

These words , &c. ... in the temple (i e. f the Court of the Temple). Rupertus thinks that the reason why no man laid hands on Him was because the treasury was a remote spot, frequented only by the Priests who wished to take money out, and the lay people who wished to pay it in* But it was in fact a public and much- frequented place, being a large portico close to the court of the temple, and in it were preserved all the treasures of the temple. Christ then spake all these things openly and boldly in a place where He could easily have been taken. But He by His Divine power restrained their hands and their resolve, because the destined hour had not yet come. Adrichoniuus ( Descript . Hieros. 103) describes the treasury as a chest wherein all requisites were kept foi the sacrifices, the support of the poor, repair of the temple, &c. When Heliodorus attempted to plunder it, he was said to have been scourged by angels, and Pilate was prevented by a popular tumult from applying its contents to bringing water into the city. It was afterwards plundered by the Romans. Here also the poor woman cast in her two mites. It was from this chest that the whole porch where it stood was called the treasury. The other reason why Christ spoke thus in the treasury was of a more hidden kind. Because it was the dark hiding-place of the Pharisees, where they wrought all those evil devices which Christ recounts, Matt. v. and xxiil In this very spot He condemns their MYSTICAL MEANING OF TREASURY. 307 dark deeds by saying, “ I am the Light of the world,” the true Light of wisdom and holiness, who teach men to despise earthly riches, as mean and perishing, and to aim at heavenly riches, as being great and eternal. Follow not the Pharisees who are blindly intent on these earthly riches, for Vespasian will speedily carry them all away ; but rather follow Me, the Light of the world, for I preach to you poverty of spirit as the way to gain boundless riches in heaven. And on the other hand, u Woe to you rich,” &c (Luke vi. 24). This then was the cause of the intense hatred they felt against Christ, which led them to persecute Him even to death on the cross. It was out of this treasury that they sacrilegiously took the thirty pieces of silver which they gave to Judas to betray Jesus. And therefore in the very same spot He willed that He would by that means be lifted up on the cross, and draw all men unto Him. Origen gives a mystical reason. “ Christ,” he says, “ spake these things in the treasury, because the treasury, or rather the treasures, are His divine discourses, impressed with the image of the great King. Coins (he says) are divine words. Let every one then con- tribute to the treasury, />., for the edification of the Church, what- ever he is able for the honour of God, and the common benefit” And Bede, “ Christ speaks in the treasury, because He spake to the Jews in parables which were covered and kept close. But the treasury then began (as it were) to be opened, when He explained them to His disciples, and unlocked the heavenly mysteries therein conceived.” For His hour was not yet come. " Not the fated, but the opportune and self-chosen hour,” says the Interlinear Gloss. “ Some,” says S. Augustine, “ on hearing this, believe that Christ was subject to fate. But how can He be under fate, by whom the heaven and the stars were made, when Thy will, if Thou thinkest aught, transcends even the stars ? The hour therefore had not come, not 1 the hour in which He should be forced to die, but in which He deigned to be slain.* ”

And many of them said , &c.

Then Martha , as soon as she heard , &c. At leisure for silence, grief, and prayer, according to her custom ; wherefore the 39<5 S. JOHN, C XL news of the coining of Christ reached not Mary but Martha} for Martha was the senior, and was over the house, and was active and busy, wherefore all letters and messengers were first brought to her, not to Mary. But why did not she herself signify the coming of Christ to Mary? I reply, first, because the near approach of Christ did not allow of any delay. For Christ seems to have been near the house when Martha met Him. Secondly, because Martha wished to confer secretly with Christ, that she might find out from Him whether there were any hope of raising up or helping her brother. Thirdly, because Mary, as I have said, was given to quiet and prayer. Fourthly, because, if she had called out Mary, all the Jews would have followed her, and a tumult would have arisen; they would have contended and disputed with Christ So Leontius. Finally, her joy at the approach of Christ drew her at once to meet Him, so that she did not think of calling her sister. I prefer to say this, rather than what some suppose, that she desired to deprive her sister of this commendation, viz. [of going to meet] the coming of Christ, for this appears to me too foolish and womanish, and unworthy of so holy a heroine.

Jesus therefore said to them again. (1.) Some think that “ therefore ” only indicates the beginning of a new discourse. (2.) Origen thinks it indicates that what follows was spoken by Christ at 308 S. JOHN, C. VIII. the same time and place. (3.) Maldonatus refers it to verse 19, Ye neither know Me nor My Father. The time therefore will come for you to know Me as Cod, but ye will not find Me, for ye will die in your sins. (4.) Rupertus and Toletus refer it more appositely to the words immediately preceding. Because He saw that the Pharisees understood, and were angered at His words, He adds, / go My way , &c. He had said the same before (see vii. 33), first to the officers, and then to the Pharisees. I go My way , that is out of this life to My Father by My cross and death. “Death was to Christ,” says S. Augustine, “a going forth, for He abode not in the world, but passed through it to heaven and immortal life.” And ye shall seek Me, i.e., ye shall seek another Messiah, and will not find him, says Toletus, for there is none other but Me. More simply : Ye shall seek Me, to crucify Me again (see viL 34). So Origen and S. Augustine, who says, “Ye shall seek Me, not from desire but from hatred.” For after He had withdrawn from sight, they who hated and they who loved Him alike sought Him, the one to persecute, and the other from desire to hear Him. For He adds, And ye shall die in your sins. Your obstinate sins of unbelief and hatred. Ye will therefore seek Me in vain, for I shall ascend to heaven, ye will be thrust down to hell. Euthymius explains “ in your sin,” in consequence of your sin, for which ye will be slain by the Romans. But the first explanation is the plainest and most forcible. For Christ frequently alarms the Pharisees with the terrors of the last judgment Whither I go ye cannot come. Ye cannot, because ye will not, says Origen, for every sin is a voluntary and free act S. Augustine thinks that these words were spoken to the disciples, “ Whither I go ye cannot go now,” not depriving them of hope, but predicting its postponement But the words which follow were evidently addressed to the Pharisees.

Others said, &c. For he is proud as Lucifer, and insti- gated by him, He calls God His Father and makes Himself the Son of God. He is thoroughly mad in saying that he lays down His life of Himself, though we see that He is alive, and no one does so except by compulsion. Moreover, Christ did not reply to these calumnies, as not being worthy of an answer, and also because He allowed those who supported Him to answer, for we give greater credit to others than to one who testifies of himself. Ver. 2i. — And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication . When the first temple was dedicated, as S. Cyril holds, or rebuilt by Zerubbabel, as S. Chrysostom and others suppose, or what is more probable its rededication, after its profanation by Antiochus Epiphanes. The feast was held on the 25th of the month Casleu. It was celebrated with great rejoicing, and was called the feast of Lights (see Josephus, Ant xii. 2, and 2 Macc. L 18). All which S. John records from chap vii. 2 to this point took place in the two months between the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of the Dedication : and in the three following months up to the Feast of the Passover there occurred the events which are recorded here to the end of the Gospel, and also in S. Luke from chap. xv. onwards. Tropologically : — These Enccenia set forth the renewal of a mind polluted by sin, and sanctified and consecrated anew to God by repentance. And it was winter. This was stated, says Theophylact, to signify the approaching time of the Passion which took place the following spring. S. Cyril adds that it was said in order to give the reason why Jesus walked in the Porch, so as to be under cover from the cold. Mystically there is here signified (says the Gloss) the cold- ness of the Jews, who draw not near to the fire, i.e. who believe not in Christ S. Augustine says, “ The Jews were cold in charity SOLOMON’S PORCH. 375 and love, and were burning with eagerness to do hurt; they approached Him not as followers, but pressed on Him as perse- cutors.” " Do thou also,” says Theophylact, “ while it is winter, that is while this present life is shaken with the whirlwinds of iniquity, keep the spiritual dedication feast, by daily renewing thyself, and by ordering the ascensions of thy heart” Christ will be present to thee in Solomon’s Porch, making for thee a peaceable resting-place.

Then said Martha unto Jesus , &c. Because I know Thee to be so powerful, that Thou art able to drive away death, and to love both him and us so well, that Thou wouldest not have per- mitted him to die. In her grief, says Chrysostom, she silently, but reverently, seems to blame Christ for coming too late. But rather in fact she accuses herself, that she had not sent the messenger sooner to Christ ; or generally, she bewails and laments His absence, as we lament a casual absence of the physician, if, while he is absent, death takes place.

Then said the Jews , &c. The officers made a wiser inquiry (vii. 35), Will He go to the dispersion of the Gentiles 1 But the Pharisees, blinded by their hatred, thought He had no way of THE PHARISEES FROM BENEATH. 309 escape but by killing Himself. Wherever He may go, we will follow Him up. If He goes to the Gentiles, we will drag Him back. He must therefore mean that He will kill Himself, so as to escape our hands. A presumptuous and foolish thought, suggested, how- ever, by their malice. He might have withdrawn Himself from them in various ways, as He had already done. But He meant that He would go up to heaven, whither the Pharisees could not come. But His words, says S. Augustine, referred not to His going to death, but to where He was going afterwards.

For the Jews t &c “ But it was no evil to be put out of the synagogue,” says S. Augustine, “ for they expelled, but Christ received him.” “ But the parents said this, because they were less 348 s. JOHN, c. tX. firm than their son, who stood forth as an intrepid witness of the truth,” says Theophyiact.

But 1 know that even now , whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God \ God will give it Thu And consequently, if Thou shouldest beg of God the raising again of Lazarus, although he has been four days in the tomb, God will give it Thee. “ She thought,” says Cyril, “that Christ came, not that He might raise up Lazarus, but that He might comfort her and Mary ; and therefore she begs of Him that He will raise Lazarus, but indirectly, and with a modest and humble GOD HELPS THE HELPLESS. 397 resignation of her will to His.” Whence, as S. Augustine notes, she did not say : But now I pray Thee to raise my brother ; for whence should she know whether it were good for her brother to rise again ? This only she said, I know that Thou art able ; do this, if Thou wilt ; but whether Thou wilt do it or not is a matter for Thy judg- ment, not for my presumption to determine. Hence learn by way of moral, that God often suffers us to fall into tribulations, and allows them to increase unto the utmost, and then powerfully helps us, that He may show His Omnipotence and pro- vidential mercy. Wherefore the faithful Christian must not then despair, but increase in hope, and pray the more earnestly. For when every human help fails, then the Divine help approaches and is very near. For so God helped Abraham when placed in diffi- culties (Gen. xx.), and Joseph, forgotten in prison (Gen. xll 14). Also when the Hebrews were oppressed by Pharaoh (Exod. L), and especially when the same people were everywhere surrounded ; on one side by the sea, on the other by the mountains, and elsewhere by the army of Pharaoh. Then He divided the Red Sea and led them safely through, while Pharaoh, pursuing them through the bed of the sea, was overwhelmed with his whole army (Exod. xiv.) So in the time of the Judges, He permitted the same people to be oppressed, now by the Midianites, now by the Moabites, now by the Ammonites, now by the Philistines, that He might bring them to fervent prayer, and to appeal to Him ; and when they did this, He sent them Gideon, Ehud, Samson, and other Judges to free them. So He freed, by means of Judith, the Jews destined to death by Holofernes, and those by Haman He freed through Mordecai, and those by Antiochus through the Maccabees. So He freed David besieged in the cave by Saul, a messenger being sent to Saul that the Philistines were laying waste Judea (1 Sam. xxiiL 24). It is therefore the proper attribute of God to supply the defect of nature, and so also to help the lost and hopeless, according to the saying : u The poor committeth Himself unto Thee ; Thou art the helper of the fatherless” (Ps. x. 14). Ver. 2$.— Jesus saith unto her , Thy brother shall rise again. Jesus 39 » S. JOHN, C. XI. solaces Martha sorrowing for the death of her brother, by a hope of his resurrection, but an ambiguous one, that He might raise her by degrees to faith and hope of so great a miracle as that by which He was soon to raise him, so that she might dispose herself to it, and, as it were, merit it So Leontius.

And (therefore) He said unto them , &c Ye cleave to your sins and will go to the lowest depth, while I shall return to heaven, and therefore ye will seek Me and will not find Me. For I am like the soaring eagle, dwelling in the loftiest mountains of eternity, while ye are as worms and insects creeping on the earth. So Rupertus and S. Augustine, who says, u Ye are from beneath ; ye savour of the earth; serpent-like, ye eat the earth. But what is meant by eating the earth ? Ye feed on things of earth, ye delight in things of earth, are greedy for things of earth, ye lift not up your hearts above.” S. Chrysostom and others, and S. Augustine and Bede among the Latins, think that the Pharisees misunderstood the words of Christ by reason of their earthly minds. Morally: — Ye are from beneath, as descended from Adam, and deriving from him your earthly desires, and inflamed by evil passions, thus hankering only after worldly things. But / am from above , because as God I am begotten of the Father* and as man am incarnate of the Holy Spirit And therefore My feelings, My love, My desires are all heavenly. And to these ye cannot attain, unless ye are bom again; and thus from earthly become heavenly and spiritual, as I said to Nicodemus. Physically : — Christ here teaches us that our birth-place, training, &c., impart to each one their qualities. And just as fishes could not live out of water, nor birds excepting in the air, so the Pharisees, bom in Canaan or Judaea, could not but be earthly both in body and mind, as Ezekiel said (xvi. 3), “ Thy birth was of the land of 3*0 S. JOHN, C. VIII Canaan, and thy mother a Hittite.” But Christ, as born and dwelling in heaven, was heavenly. Metaphysically : — Ye are of your father the devil, because as he killed Adam by the forbidden fruit, so do ye wish to kill Me. But I am from above, as being the Son of the Most High God. Hear S. Augustine (Tract, xxxvii.) : “ He was from above . But how was He from above? From the air? By no means. For there the birds do fly. From the heaven we see ? By no means. For there the sun, the moon, and stars go their rounds. From the angels ? Do not imagine it, for they too were made by Him, by Whom all things were made. How then was He from above? From the Father Himself. For there is nothing above Him, who begat the Word equal to Himself, co-eternal with Himself, His only Begotten before time, by Whom He would create the times. Understand, therefore, this word ‘from above/ as transcending in Thy concep- tion everything that was made, the whole creation, every body, every created spirit, everything that is in any way subject to change." Ye are of this world, I am not of this world: ye are of this earth, or more closely to the point, ye are worldly. Ye aim at worldly favours, wealth, and honours. Ye live as do worldlings. Ye possess the very qualities of the world, says Toletus. Listen to S. Augustine (Tract, xxxviii.) : “Let no one say, I am not of the world ; whoso- ever thou be, O man, thou art of the world. But He who made the world hath come to thee, and hath freed thee from the world. But if the world delight thee, thou wishest for ever to be unclean ; but if this world no longer delight thee, thou art clean. But if through some infirmity the world still delights thee, let Him who cleanseth dwell in thee, and thou shalt be clean ; but if thou art clean thou wilt not abide in the world, nor hear that which the Jews heard said, ‘Ye shall die in your sins/”

And Jesus walked in the temple In the Porch (or Portico), the outer part of the temple. In Solomon's porch . The temple of the Jews had two parts. The first, the Sanctuary, fre- quented only by the Priests, who discharged three functions, burning morning and evening incense on the altar of incense, lighting the lamps and replacing the shew-bread every Sabbath. The inner part, the Holy of Holies, which the High Priest alone entered once every year on the day of expiation. But since Christ was not descended from the tribe of Levi, He could not enter either of these parts of the temple. But in front of the temple there was a Court or Vestibule ; the upper part was the court of the Priests, the outer part, adjoining the inner court, was the court of the people, where they prayed and witnessed the sacrifices which were offered in the Court of the Priests. It was in this Court that Christ went to and fro and taught, and it had porticoes all round it, in which the people took shelter from the weather. Ribera (de Templo , 1. 6) and others think that this was called Solomon’s Porch. Others with Villalpandus, Maldona- tus, &c., think more probably that this particular portico was called Solomon’s as having been built by him long after the building of the temple, when the slope of the hill was levelled, and the portico was built at the eastern side of the temple. (See Josephus, B. Jud. vi. 6.) It was called Solomon’s to distinguish it from the other porticoes which others added to the temple. Or else, as Baronius thinks, when the temple was burnt by the Chaldeans this portico alone remained, or else was rebuilt in the same form as that in which it had been erected by Solomon. (See on Acts iii. 11.)

I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins. The sin of unbelief and all your other sins, for there is no forgive- ness of sin, save through faith in Christ, whom ye reject For if ye believe not that 1 am the Saviour of the world, as I constantly affirm and prove also by so many miracles. So Lyra. CHRIST FROM ETERNITY. But S. Augustine, Bede, and Toletus more ingeniously : “ Because 1 am that I am ; i.e., God. But Rupertus thus subtilly : “ Because I am from above.’’ Ye shall die in your sins, because there is no one but Myself, whom ye despise, who can pardon and take away sin.

Then again called they the man , &c. To give God the glory, is a form of obtestation or oath among the Jews (see Josh. vii. 19). Confess that this man is a sinner, and so wilt thou by this confession of the truth give glory to God, who is the chief and eternal truth. “ To give glory to God ” (says the Gloss) “ is to speak the truth as in the presence of God.” They wished to persuade him under the pretext of religion (says S. Chrysostom), to deny that he was cured by Christ, or if he were, it was by magic and sleight of hand. “ Deny,” says the Interlinear Gloss, “ the benefit thou hast received by Christ But this were to blaspheme, and not to give glory to God.” Whether He be a sinner. “ He answers prudently and cautiously, neither laying himself open to the charge, nor yet concealing the truth,** says the Interlinear Gloss. But S. Chrysostom objects, “How was it that just before he called Him a Prophet, and now he says, * Whether he be a sinner I know not ? * ” He does not say this by way of asser- tion, or through fear, but because he wished Jesus to be acquitted of the charges by the evidence of the fact. “I do not wish to argue the point with you. But I know for certain, that though once blind, now I see.” How opened He thine eyes t Just like hounds, says & Chrysostom, who track their prey now here, now there. Wherefore would ye hear it again ? “ Ye do not wish to learn, but merely to cavil,” says S. Chrysostom. Will ye also be His disciples ? “ As I now see and envy not,” says the Gloss, “ nay, I profess myself to be Jesus* disciple, even so I wish you to become His disciples also.” “ He speaks thus,” says S. Augustine, “as indignant at the hardness of the Jews, and as having been restored to sight, not enduring those who were blind (in heart).** Note here the heroic constancy and nobleness of the blind man in defending Jesus before the Pharisees, His sworn enemies. And hence he deserved to be taken up and exalted by Christ HOW FAR GOD HEARS SINNERS. 349

Then came the Jews , &c. How long dost thou keep us J76 S. JOHN, C. X. in suspense? We wish to see the Messiah, and hope that Thou wilt declare Thyself to be He. They pretend this, in order to draw a confession from Christ, on which to accuse Him. For as says S. Augustine, “They do not desire the truth, but are getting up a charge, to accuse Him of making Himself the Messiah.” So also S. Chrysostom, Theophylact, and Euthymius. But Christ so guarded His reply as not to give room for a false charge, and yet made it clear to the faithful that He was Christ the Son of God. If th<m art Christ , tell us plainly . That we may all be able to worship Thee openly as the Messiah. So did these hypocrites fulfil the predictions of David (Ps. xxiL 16 and Ps. cxviiL 12). For, as S. Chrysostom says, “ Christ spake everything openly, and said nothing secretly.” And S. Augustine, “ They sought to hear from Him that He was Christ, that so they might accuse Him of claiming kingly power.”

Martha saith unto Him , I know , & c. Christ had said that Lazarus should rise again, not explaining whether now, or in the day of judgment Martha, then, to elicit an explanation of this ambiguity from the mouth of Christ, adds, I know that he shall rise again in the day of judgment ; but this will not be any benefit peculiar to him, but the common lot of all men. But if he shall rise before that time, and be raised by Thee now, this will be a singular privilege to him and to us all ; and I would that Thou wouldest say the word openly. Learn hence, that the Jews, and especially the Pharisees, believed in the immortality of the soul, and from thence the resur- rection of the body ; and this appears from 2 Msec, xil 44, Job xix. 26.

They said therefore to Him, Who art Thou t Because they did not understand, or pretended they did not, they appositely ask, Who art Thou f Jesus said to them, the Beginning (Vulg.), I who am speaking to you . S. Augustine, Bede, Rupertus, and S. Ambrose (De Fide, iil 4), consider the word, the Beginning, to be in the nominative case, explaining it, I am the Beginning, the First and the Last, or the Beginning of all things, for all things were made by the Word of God. In the Greek the word is not o^xh, but in the beginning. S. Augustine and S. Ambrose explain it (2.) by supplying the word “ credits,” which is not in the text We must therefore con- sider it to be a Greek form of expression, a^ii* for x&r hgxpi, in the beginning. I am from the beginning, *>., from eternity {before Abraham, as He said Himself, verse 58), Very God of Very God. And therefore I am the beginning of time, and age, and of all things. And yet I am speaking to you ; that is, it is I who announce this to you, for I assumed flesh, and was made man in order to announce it, and save those who believe in it. I am from the beginning, which very thing I solemnly declare to you. Or rather, since I am the Word, which the Father spake from all eternity, I having been made man to announce to you the same truth. For the Son is the Word by whom the Father speaks, and the Son is also the Word which speaks to us. The word “ beginning,” therefore, is more appropriate to the Son than to the Holy Spirit, for the Son is together with the Father the source {principium ) of the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit is not the source of any other Divine Person, but only of creatures; and further, because He is the beginning ( principium ) proceeding from the beginning, that is to say, from the Father. And accordingly this word signifies His origin, as being begotten of the Father. This is clear from what is said below. 312 S. JOHN, C VIII.

Jesus answered them^ I told you , &c. I have told you plainly that 1 am the Messiah. But ye said, Thou bearest witness of Thyself Thy witness is not true (John viii 15). But what I have said I constantly confirm by miracles. For I do them in the name, that is by the authority, will, and supernatural Power of God the Father. But ye continue obstinately in your unbelief, and falsely state that they are the works of the deviL How then will ye believe My words ? So S. Chrysostom.

Jesus said unto her , lam the Resurrection and the Life. I am He who recalls to life, I am He who gives life ; by Me both the dead rise and the living live ; therefore I am able now, immediately, before the general resurrection, to raise up thy brother from death. Whence S. Augustine : She says, My brother shall rise again in the last day . Thou sayest truly ; but He by whom he shall then rise is able [to raise him] also now, because He is the Resurrection and the Life: that is, Christ saith, “ I am the cause of the Resurrection and Life , , so that all rise again by Me, and no one except by Me can rise. 19 Others explain thus, “ I am the resurrection to life, 1 ’ which is an hendiadys. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, To Martha asking that the life of the body should be restored to Lazarus, Christ replies more fully, and assigns assuredly life also to the soul ; so that his soul should live here a new life by greater grace, and in the future by glory. “ The soul shall live,” says Augustine, ‘‘until the body shall rise again, never afterwards to die ! n The sense then is, “Not only thy brother shall rise again by My FAITH REQUIRED. 399 power, but whosoever is faithful, who believes in Me with a living faith, working by love, shall live even though he were dead : as well because his soul shall live always by Me a life of love and grace, and of glory in heaven ; as because his body shall be raised by Me from death to a life blessed and eternal in the day of judg- ment to which Christ here chiefly alludes. Wherefore, although it (the body) may die, yet this will be for a short time only, so that death will seem not so much death as sleep and repose ; from which it shall awake and arise on the day of judgment S. Cyprian (De Mortality cites this place and explains : “ If we believe in Christ, let us have faith in His words and promises ; and since we shall not die for ever, let us come in glad security to Christ, with whom we shall live and reign for ever.”

I have many things, &c. I have many things to say against you, and to accuse you of. And in the day of judgment I will do so. As S. Cyril says, “ I will accuse you not of one thing but of many, and of nothing falsely. For I can condemn you as unbelieving, as arrogant, as insulting, as opposers of God, as impudent, as ungrateful, as malignant, as lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, as courting the praise of men, and not seeking the glory of God.” But He that sent Me, &c. I will omit many points and will merely say this, in refutation of your unbelief, that the Father who hath sent Me is true, and whatever therefore I say is true, and worthy of belief by all “I am true ” (says S. Augustine) 11 in judg- ment, because I am the Son of Truth, and the Truth Itself.” But others explain differently, (1.) Toletus : “I have many things to say against you. But I will not do so now, for the Father sent Me into the world, not to judge but to save it, and therefore, in obedience to Him, I say only those things which concern its salvation.” (2.) Maldonatus, as though it were, “ Because ” He that hath sent Me is true, not “but” He that sent Me, &c. (3.) Rupertus refers it to what He had said before, that He was the Beginning, “ These are not My own words, but what the Father bade Me say of Myself.” (4.) Ye do not believe in Me as the Messiah, but this is what the Father wishes Me to proclaim. (5.) Ye do not believe Me now, but My Father is true. He will fulfil His own word that I shall be your judge, and reward you according to your deeds. But the first meaning is the best. Which I have heard of Him, both as God and as man. The Interlinear Gloss says, “To hear from Him, is the same as though being from Him.” “ The co-equal Son gives glory to the Father, why then dost thou set thyself against Him, being only His servant?” So S. Augustine.

But ye believe noU &c. Ye will not submit to Me as your Shepherd, and accept Me as your Messiah. But ye rather wish Me to submit Myself to you, and to be My superiors, censors, and calumniators. It is ambition which makes you grudge Me the headship of the Church; and that ye refuse to believe Me. S. Augustine by “ sheep ” understands the elect But this is not the proper nor the adequate cause of their rejecting Christ For repro- bation is not the cause, but rather the result of unbelief and sin. It was not that God had cast off the Jews that they sinned by unbelief But it was because they chose to disbelieve and sin, that God cast them off. And it was not an adequate cause, because many of them who disbelieved in Him, believed in Him afterwards MAN’S cooperation. 377 through the preaching of the apostles. And again some then believed in Christ who were not predestinated, but afterwards fell away into sin, as Judas and others.

And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die . I, as I will raise up the faithful, though dead, to a new and blessed life, so those also who are still alive, who believe in Me, I will keep in life eternal, and I will provide that they shall not die for ever : for although from the debt of nature they shall die for a brief time, yet I will soon raise them up from death to life eternal, so that they shall seem not so much to die as to sleep. Wherefore I am the Resurrection and the Life of all the faithful whether dead or living, because I will bestow upon them eternal life through the resur- rection. Believest thou this t Christ requires faith in the Resurrection, not from Lazarus, inasmuch as he was dead, but from his sister Martha, so that she may be at once excited to greater trust in it and hope for it, and therefore may prepare herself for it with greater desire and reverence. So Christ required from the father who begged that his son should be freed from the evil spirit, that he should believe Him to be able to do this (S. Mark ix. 23) ; and from those who carried the paralytic He required a similar faith (S. Matt ix. 2).

The Vulgate does not translate it literally from the beginnings but the beginning, , signifying thereby the Eternal Word, which was from the beginning, and begotten of the Father, to be with the Father, the beginning both of the Holy Spirit and of all creatures. From the beginning signifies two things ; first from all eternity, and next as begotten of God the Father. It is the same thing to say I am from the beginning, or I am the beginning. (See John L 1 ; Rev. L 8, iil 14; and also Col i. 18.) And this is what SS. Augustine, Ambrose, and others above mentioned consider it to meaa So says the Gloss, “The Father is the Beginning, but not from the begin- ning : the Son is the Beginning, from the Beginning, that is, from the Father, who worketh all things by the Son, for He is the Right Hand, Strength, Wisdom, and Word of the Father.” But the Greek hggfi means also the Chief Rule {principatus\ meaning that to Christ belongs the dominion and rule over all things. (See Ps. cx. 3, Vulg., and Prov. viii. 22, sec lxx. See also S. Augustine, contra Max . cap. xviii., and S. Thomas, part 1, Quest xxxvi., art 4, who show that the Father and Son are not two , but the one principle of the Holy Spirit .) Morally : learn that Christ, as God and man, must be regarded as the beginning and the end of all our doings ; after the example of S. Paul and the other Apostles both in the beginning and end of their Epistles. S. Gregory Nazianzen begins his acrostics in this way, and Paulinus, “ In Thee my only hopes of life depend, Thou my beginning, Thou my goal and end.” As all numbers start from unity, and all lines run from the centre to the circumference, so should all the actions of a Christian begin and end in Christ (see CoL iii. 17). Nonnus and others explain, I am the same as I said to you at first ; that is, that I am the Messiah, the Light and the Salvation of the world, but ye believe Me not But this is a strange interpretation. Some others refer to what comes afterwards, Because ye do not believe Me, I have more to say to you, and to judge of you. But CHRIST THE SON OF TRUTH. 313 this is a mere evading of the question. As if Christ said, Ye are unworthy of an answer, but yet deserve My condemnation.

They knew not, &c. For Jesus spake covertly and obscurely, for fear of exciting the hatred of the Pharisees. But some of the more acute of them began to suspect the true meaning 3M S. JOHN, C. VIII. of His words, though they did not clearly understand them, and could not refute Him. None of them fully knew it And God so ordered it, that the Passion of Christ, and the consequent redemp- tion of the world, might not be hindered. (See i Cor. ii. 8.) “ I withhold the knowledge of Myself/’ says S. Augustine, “that My Passion may be effected ” by your hands.

My sheep hear my voice* He leaves the inference to them : but ye hear not my voice, and are therefore not My sheep. (See above, ver. 4.)

The Christy the Son of God \ that is, that Son , viz., the true and only Son by nature. Christ perfected the imperfect faith of Martha, saying, I am the Resurrection and the Life. ' Where- 400 . S. JOHN, C. XI. fore she, being thus enlightened by Christ, burst forth into a perfect act of faith, and said : I believe that Thou art Messiah, the true Son of God, and therefore God, the first cause of all life and resurrection. I believe that Thou, as God, art therefore able to raise up and give life to Lazarus and to whomsoever of the dead Thou wiliest

Then said Jesus , &c. When ye have lifted Me up on the Cross. He calls it His exaltation, for though it seemed to be His greatest degradation and disgrace, yet it was made to be, by God’s Providence, His greatest exaltation and glory, that all nations should adore Christ crucified, and hope for pardon from Him. For this Christ won for Himself by His great humility (see Phil. ii. 8 seq.) And thus does God deal with every follower of Christ who humbles himself for Christ’s sake, as He says, “ Every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled,” &c. Then shall you blow that lam Messiah, the Son of God, whom I declare Myself to be, and not a mere man, as ye now think Me. For many of the Jews, when they saw in the Cross, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, such patience, charity, zeal, and such great prodigies and miracles, were moved with compunction to believe in Him. Christ had obtained all this by His Cross, and obtained it from His Father (see Acts il 41). As S. Augustine says, “ He saw that many would believe after His Passion. And this He says that no one who is conscious of guilt should despair, when even His own murder was condoned.” See S. Cyril, and others. 1 do nothing of Myself, &c. Christ frequently inculcates the same truth, both in order to speak humbly of Himself and to gain authority for His doctrine from God the Father. “ But the Father,” says S. Augustine, “ did not so teach the Son, as though He were ignorant when He begat Him; but His teaching Him, was His begetting Him full of knowledge.” For with the Son His being is His knowledge. And therefore the Father by begetting gave Him both existence and knowledge.

They then reviled him , &c They cursed him, saying, Be thou accursed, or at all events heaped maledictions and reproaches upon him. But their curse was without effect, and was turned by Christ into a blessing. For it is an honour to the godly, to be cursed by the wicked. Whence S. Augustine says, “ It is a curse if thou look into the heart of the speakers, but not if thou weighest the words themselves. May such a curse be on us, and on our children.” But we know not this man whence he ix, whether sent by God, as was Moses, or by the deviL So Euthymius.

And I give unto them eternal life . The sheep of Christ are of two kinds: first, all Christians ; and secondly, those alone who are predestinated to glory. The words of Christ relate to the second class. And S. Augustine shows why they do not perish. For they are of those sheep of whom it is said, “ The Lord knoweth who are His.” They are specially the sheep of Christ, none of whom perish. And yet of the former class Christ also says, “ I give unto them eternal life,” that is, as far as I may. I make them the promise. I give them all necessary helps. I wish for their salva- tion. If then any of them perish it is not My fault but theirs, for they will not co-operate with My grace. For neither the devil nor any one else is able to pluck them out of My hand, if they resolve to abide in it, and will not be torn away. For My grace, if they cooperate with it, has power to keep them from being taken from Me. But if they leave Me of their own will, it is not a tearing away, but their own voluntary act. So S. Cryil, Leontius, Theophylact, and Maldonatus. Christ means to say that no power can take them away, but they have full liberty to go away from Christ I give unto them eternal life 9 that is if they abide in faith and obedience to Me. I give it in this world through grace by hope, and I will hereafter give it in glory. He invites the Jews by this promise to become His sheep, and reproves them for refusing to do so. The faithful are in the “hand,” that is under the protection and guardianship of Christ. This is signified by the handy which ministers to the whole body (see S. Isidore, Etym. xl 1).

And when she had so said 9 &c. Secretly , because Mary was surrounded with the Jews who were condoling with her. Martha therefore calls her in private, lest she might excite a tumult of the Jews, if she should call Mary openly and say that Jesus was there. Theophylact says somewhat differently : “ The presence of Christ constitutes a calling. For His presence in itself summoned Mary, as love calls the lover to the loved.” Vera 29, 30. — As soon as she heard that , &c. Because Jesus wished to go to the sepulchre of Lazarus, which, according to the manner of the Jews, was outside the village or town : hence He did not wish to enter Bethany, because He would have to quit it again to go to the sepulchre. Therefore He remained outside, and there awaited Mary.

And He that sent Me is with Me. He adds this (says S. Chrysostom) lest He should be accounted inferior to the Father MANY BELIEVE. 315 who taught Him. The one relates to the Incarnation (< dispensations ), the other to the Godhead. “ The Father,” says S. Augustine, “sent the Son, but did not leave Him.” Moreover, the Father is ever with the Son, not only by the inseparable essence of Deity, which continues ever in number the same, but also by the special provi- dence and guidance vouchsafed to the manhood which He assumed, the Godhead guiding and directing it in every work, to make all His work perfect and divine.

My Father which gave them Me is greater than all (the Vulgate and Latin fathers read “ majus the Greek fathers /£.t/£w), and no one is able to pluck them out of My Fathers hand. Because the Divine Nature which the Father gave Me, and its 378 S. JOHN, C. X. almighty power, is greater than all created beings, even angels and devils, and as no one can pluck them out of My Father’s hand, so can they not pluck them out of My own, for the hand and the power of the Father and Myself are one and the same. (So S. Augustine, Bede, Maldonatus; and see S. Ambrose, de Spit , Sancto, iii. 18. S. Hilary, de Trin, lib . vii., and Tertullian, contra Praxeam), He says this against the Jews who regarded Him as a mere man, “ Know then that the Eternal Father gave Me a Divine Nature and Per- sonality far higher than any created nature, whether angels or men.” Others explain it, that the sheep committed to Me by the Father must be more highly valued by Me than anything else ; and no one can pluck them either out of My Father’s hand, or out of My own hand. But the first explanation is both the most sublime, and most full of meaning. S. Cyril explains it thus, “ My Father has committed to Me, His Incarnate Son, the care of His sheep. As God I have equal power with Him, and as man My hand is strengthened by the Almighty Hand of the Father.” Whence the Interlinear Gloss explains the word " hand ” by “ Me, who am the Hand of the Father.” For as S. Augustine says, “ men call their ‘ hands ’ those persons through whom they do what they wish.” The two explanations come to the same thing.

As He spake these words many , &c. ; ie. , many of the simple-minded, candid and teachable people, but few or none of the proud Pharisees. And they believed, not only as convinced by the force of His arguments, but charmed by the grace and power of His words. “Never man spake like this man.”

The man answered \ &c. It was your business, as doctors and learned in the Law, to know that Jesus, who works so many miracles, must have been sent by God only. For it is God who works miracles by Him. “ He brings in everywhere the miracle of his recovery of sight,” says S. Chrysostom, “ because they could not gainsay that, but were convinced thereby.”

I and My Father are one, not only by agreement and consent of will, as the Arians hold, but also one in Essence and Godhead, the same in number,* not in species, for otherwise there would be more Gods than one. Christ speaks here as God and the Word of the Father. And from this the fathers prove His Godhead against the Arians. And the Jews understood the words in the same sense, and consequently sought to stone Him as a blasphemer. And Christ Himself explained them in the same sense, for He said, I am the Son of God. It is clear also from His line of argument, “ being one with the Father I have the same Almighty power.” For where the essence is the same, the power is also the same. So says S. Hilary (de Trinit, lib, viii.), “ The Father and the Son are One, * Used in a logical sense. HOW CHRIST ONE WITH THE FATHER. 379 not as He speaks of the faithful (in chap, xvii.), ‘That they may be one/ but one in nature, honour, and power.” “ He steers between Scylla and Charybdis,” says S. Augustine (in lac. ), “ between Arius and Sabellius; for by speaking of ‘One* He signifies Oneness of nature. But by saying ‘we are 1 He indicates a plurality of persons, which Sabellius denied, affirming that God was One in Person, as well as in Essence.” S. Augustine says the same (dc Trinit vi. 2). See Bellarmine (dc Christo , i. 6).

Then said Jesus , &c. He wished to confirm them in the faith they had accepted. If ye are so faithful and constant as to follow Me through persecutions and crosses, even to heaven itself ye will be worthy not only of the name and title of My disciples, but also of their deserts and reward.

Now we know , &c. How can this be? For if sinners penitently ask pardon God vouchsafes it, and frequently bestows on sinners temporal blessings, and spiritual blessings also, if they ask for them. But I reply (1.) God ordinarily does not hear sinners ; sinners, I mean, persisting in their sin. Yet sometimes, though rarely, He hears even them. So Jansen. This is plain from Scripture (seePs. lix. 1, 2 ; Prov. xxviii. 9 ; Ps. L 16 ; Mai. ii. a). But of the just it is said, “The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers ” (Ps. xxxil 16). And, “ The eyes of the Lord are on them that fear Him ” (Ecclus. xv. 20). (a.) Secondly, and more befittingly to the case in point, He hears not sinners, so as to work miracles to establish their sanctity as He did by Jesus, to testify that He was the Messiah. So Maldonatus on this passage. (See also Suarez, tom. ii de Beltg., lib. de Oral. cap. xxv.) “ God heareth not sinners if they pray with an evil intention,” as e.g. y to confirm their hypocrisy or lies. (3.) S. Augustine (De Bapt. contr. Don. iil ao) replies that this blind man spoke only generally, being still a catechumen, and not yet sufficiently instructed in the Faith. For generally it is not true* 350 S. JOHN, C. IX. nor the view of Scripture, which in this place only states what was said by the blind man. Hear S. Augustine, “ He speaks as one not yet anointed (/*&, a catechumen). For God does hear sinners also. For else the publican would say in vain, ‘ God be merciful to me, a sinner, 9 from which confession he obtained justification, as this blind man obtained enlightenment" From this passage S. Cyprian ( Ep . lxiv. and lxxx.) and the Donatists who followed his teaching inferred that Baptism by an heretical minister was invalid, and ought to be repeated ; because a heretic is a great sinner whom God hears not But quite wrongly. For in like manner, Baptism administered by a Catholic Priest living in sin would be void, and would require to be repeated. I say therefore that the efficacy of the Sacrament is one thing, the efficacy of prayer is another. For a sacrament derives its efficacy ex opere operato, but prayer ex opart operantis , from the sanctity and character of him who prays. And therefore if a sinner (a heretic, eg.) baptizes, this sacrament is valid, and derives its efficacy from the institution of Christ, who confers grace by the Sacrament For Christ is the original author of Baptism, who baptizes by His ministers as by instruments. Besides, though God hears not the prayers of a sinner, as a private person, yet He hears the prayers of the same person, in his public capacity, because he is a minister of the Church. For the Church is holy, as having Christ as its holy Head, and as having many faithful and holy members, to whose prayers God hearkens.

The Jetvs thertfore took up stones to stone Him , as a blasphemer. The Jews show in this their hypocrisy, malignity, and hatred of Christ, and that they did not honestly, but craftily and insidiously, ask Him whether He were the Christ But Christ as being God kept them from casting on Him the stones which they held in their hands. “ Hard as stones,” says S. Augustine, “they rushed to the stones.” Mystically, says S. Hilary (de Trinit . lib. vil), “ And now also heretics hurl the stones of their words, to cast down, if they can, Christ from His throne ; inspired, no doubt, by Lucifer, who aimed at obtaining this throne of Godhead, and therefore grudged it to Christ, and is active in taking it away by means of heretics.”

Followed her The Providence of God ordained that very many Jews following Mary should see Jesus raising Lazarus, and should therefore be irrefragable witnesses of his being raised from the dead ; and should thus believe in Jesus, and bring others to believe likewise. Then when Mary was come , &c. She fell at His feet from reve- rence and gratitude, inasmuch as once bedewing them with her tears and drying them with her hair, she had heard Him say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; go in peace (S. Luke vii. 38). But she says the same thing as her sister Martha, because they had the same sense of griefj the same faith, and therefore the same words ; yet she says less than Martha, who was not hindered by tears, had said. (Bede.)

And ye shall ktiow the truth , &c. The Greek Fathers understand by the Truth, Christ Himself; meaning ye shall know Me to be the Truth, shadowed forth by the figures of the old Law, from which I will set you free, that ye may serve God not with bodily ceremonies, but in the Spirit and truth of faith, hope, and charity (see above, iv. 23). (2.) Hence, in accordance with the mind of Christ, If ye abide in My doctrine, ye shall taste by experience how sweet it is, and it will free you from the yoke of sin (see below, verse 34). For faith in Me will lead you to penitence, contrition, and charity, which does away with all sin. “ If the Truth pleaseth thee not, let liberty please thee.” He clearly restored liberty, and took away iniquity. Analogically : My doctrine will deliver you from the corruption of this place of mortality, change, and exile, because it will bring you to the liberty of a blessed immortality, and the glory of the children of God. Thus S. Augustine on this passage : “ What doth He promise to those who believe? Ye shall know the truth. But did 3i6 S. JOHN, C. VIII. they not know it, when the Lord spake ? for if they knew it not, how did they believe ? They believed, not because they knew, but that they might know ; for what is faith but believing that we see not ? But the truth is, to see that which thou hast believed.” There is a fourfold bondage which Christ did away with, and a fourfold liberty which He bestowed, (i.) The bondage of the Law which Christ did away with by the liberty of the Gospel. (2.) Bondage under sin, which He took away by the liberty of righteousness. (3.) Bondage under the dominion of concupiscence, which He took away by the liberty of the Spirit, and the dominion of charity and grace. (4.) Bondage under death and mortality, which He will take away by the liberty and glory of the resurrection. It does not refer to the liberty of the will, as though sinners were so entirely the slaves of sin as not to have any free-will, and that Christ gives it them back when He justifies them. For a sinner sins by free-will, and a penitent repents and is justified only by his free-will, aided by the grace of God. Calvin foolishly denies free-will both to sinners and to the righteous. " Let us who are conscious of our own bondage glory only in Christ our deliverer." For he thinks that we are not intrinsically free, just as we are not intrinsically just by inherent righteousness, but only by the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. Each of which opinions is not only an impious, but also a foolish heresy.

Since the world began, &c. Granted that Moses and the Prophets wrought many miracles, yet they never restored sight to one who was bom blind. Jesus who has restored my sight must needs be a greater Prophet than they. He retorted the words of the Pharisees on themselves, “ Ye prefer Moses to Christ, but I prefer Christ. Ye choose to be Moses 9 disciples, I am ChristV 9

Jesus answered, , &c. He replied not to the words, for none had been spoken, but to the crafty intention of the Jews. He answered, He asked them for what cause do ye wish to stone Me ? By works He means the miracles which He had wrought by the authority and supernatural aid of God the Father. And He thus quietly reproves their ingratitude and malignity. I have healed, He would say, your blind, and lame, and sick, by My Divine power, when destitute of all human aid ; why do ye ungratefully repay My many kindnesses by evil treatment, and wish to stone Me ?

They answered Him , &c. Christ in what He had said indirectly charged the Jews with ignorance and bondage. But as glorying in their descent from Abraham, they felt wounded; and putting aside the charge of ignorance, they proudly deny the charge of bondage, and say that they had no need of the liberty of Christ We are slaves neither by birth, nor by condition. “ And in like manner,” says S. Chrysostom, “ men when charged with impurity and wicked- ness put it aside, but when their family and work are impugned, they start up, as if they were mad.” But the Jews did not understand Christ, for He spake not of civil, but of spiritual bondage, and that He would set them free from the bondage of sin by the liberty THE BONDAGE OF SIN. 317 of grace. But did the Jews say truly that they were never in bondage to any man ? S. Chrysostom and others say that they spoke too boastfully, but that they veiled their falsehood, because though often conquered they had never been sold as slaves. (a.) Cajetan, Toletus, Jansen, and others reply to the charge by saying that though the Jews had formerly been in bondage, yet that the present generation of Jews had never been so, for they were merely the subjects, not the slaves, of the Romans. And this seems to be the most satisfactory meaning ; for to say that their fathers had never been in bondage would have been a falsehood at which the sun itself would have blushed, and Christ would have at once confuted it. All they meant to say was that their race was a free and noble one, and that their subjection to the Romans was not slavery.

If this man were not of God, He could do nothing, ue., for curing my blindness. “ He says this freely, stedfastly, and truly 99 PRIDE OF THE PHARISEES, 351 (S. Augustine), “for to enlighten the blind is supernatural work, and specially belongs to God.” Ver, 34. — They answered, &c, in sins, both in mind and body, for thou wast bom blind by reason of thy sin. For they held the tenet of Pythagoras that the soul existed before the body, and that it was in consequence of its sins thrust down into a deformed (i.e., a blind) body. So Cyril, Leontius, and others. Maldonatus explains, “ Thou hast done nothing but sin from thy birth.” So S. Chrysostom and Theophylact. And dost thou teach us? Thou blind sinner, wilt thou teach us who have our sight, and are wise and righteous ? And they cast him out of the private house in which they were, as not deserving to be disputed with by such just teachers, says Maldonatus. Or out of the temple, as says S. Chrysostom, and consequently out of the synagogue, adds Leontius. That is, they excommunicated him. “ But the Lord of the temple found him,” says Chrysostom, “ and took him up.” Both statements are credible : that they drove him out of the house, and also excommunicated him, for this latter they had decided to do. As if they said, “ Begone, thou apostate, and go to thine own Jesus.” But this leads us to suppose that all this took place in the House of Judgment, a public place (see on verse 31). And that he was expelled from the syna- gogue appears more plainly from our Lord’s own words in the next chapter, I am the door.

The Jews answered, \ For a good work, &a “ The Jews” (says S. Augustine) “ understood that which the Arians understand not For they felt that it could not be said, ‘ I and the Father are one/ unless the Father and the Son were equal”

When Jesus therefore saw her weepings &c. You will ask, of what nature was the groaning and trouble of Christ ? First, Eusebius Emissenus, or rather Gallus : He groaned that He might teach us to groan over sinners. (Infremuit) that is, He groaned: SORROW OF JESUS. 401 But the groan is of one who pities, the murmur of one who is indig- nant. Nonnus translates agitated or disturbed by His fatherly mind. But this is too general, nor does it explain what or of what nature this trouble was. Secondly, Theophylact by spirit understands Divinity; as if it were said, Jesus by His Spirit, i.e. t by His Divinity, powerfully and as if by groaning, repressed His tears and the feeling of commise- ration which was aroused in Him because of the lamentation of Mary and of the Jews, lest bursting forth into tears, and sobbing like others, He might speak in a voice weak and tearful, such as would be unfitting one so grave and holy. To this agree S. Chrysostom and others, who by “ murmur ” understand the feeling of anger, indignation, and wrath which Christ, putting as it were a force upon Himself, mastered and repressed with a serene and firm countenance His feeling of commiseration and the tears ready to flow : as if it were said, Christ threatened and restrained His spirit and His human nature, that it should not yield to weeping. But against this is, first, that this feeling of compassion had plainly not yet been aroused when Christ groaned, but a little after, when He was troubled. Secondly, because in Christ these passions and affections were not involuntary and violent, but freely and voluntarily assumed, as I shall soon state. I say then, that Christ here displayed the feeling and act of murmuring (A. V. groaning ), that is, of indignation in spirit or mind and the innermost perceptions of the soul, when by sign and murmur, or indignant voice, He signified outwardly the grief which He felt arising from the death of Lazarus, and from the sobbing of Mary and the Jews : and that by this murmur He, as it were, prepared and animated Himself to the arduous combat with death, that He might signify how difficult would be the raising of Lazarus from the grave after four days’ dwelling there. Whence S. Augustine says : In the voice of indignation appears the hope of resurrection ; in truth Jesus foresaw that He because of the raising up of Lazarus would be crucified by the envious Pharisees ; yet not allowing this to stand in the way, He determined to raise him up ; which act of VOL. IV. 2 c 402 S. JOHN, C. XI. heroic fortitude He allowed to be manifested in this groan. So soldiers groan when battle is near, and excite and sharpen their anger for the difficult and perilous combat that is imminent; foi their anger is the whetstone of valour and bravery. Hence also we, when temptation, whether of the devil, the flesh, and the world, threatens, should sharpen our anger against them, that we may overcome the temptation ; for by anger is concupiscence overcome, though the difficulty of the task be great Further, this murmur, that is, indignation, was against death, and the devil, by whose envy death had entered into the world ; which had been the cause of such bitter sorrow and lamentation. And was troubled (Gr. and Vulg. He troubled Himself ). That is, He permitted freely and willingly to Himself the strong feeling both of indignation, as already mentioned, and of commiseration and tears, because of the common lamentation of Martha, Mary, and the rest ; for it woflld have been inhuman not to grieve and sympathise with them. For them therefore Jesus was troubled. Note these passions of indignation, sorrow, commiseration, and weeping, were in such a manner in Christ as not to overbear His reason and will, or to arise unbidden as they are aroused with us ; but rather to follow His reason, and to be ruled and excited by it On which account right reason always used to direct and regulate them. Therefore [S. John] says, He troubled Himself (turbavit Seipsum) ; not, He was troubled \ Wherefore these passions were in Christ not so much passions as feelings in place of passions, freely taken, as divines teach, out of Damascene. For Christ was able as He chose to excite them, to soften, to moderate, to rule, to direct, much more completely than a charioteer does his horses and his chariot. He troubled therefore himself: putting on the feeling of grief, anger, and compassion, and showing it by a change of voice and coun- tenance because of grief. Therefore the proper cause of this murmur and trouble of Christ was the death of Lazarus, and the weeping of Mary and the Jews, as appears from the verses them- selves. The misery therefore of Lazarus and of all men excited the CHRIST BECAME ALL THINGS TO ALL. 403 pity of Christ, the pity excited indignation against such troubles, the indignation increased the pity, and at the same time with it aroused zeal, and a purpose of taking away those troubles, even with the casting away of His own life by the death upon the Cross, by which so great a benefit was alone to be purchased, according to what Isaiah says (lxiii. 4), “The day of vengeance is in my heart . . . and my fury it upheld me.”

Verify, verily , &c Most assured, ie., the saying is, and specially commended to their notice. But our Lord speaks to them modestly and becomingly, using only general terms and the third person. He might have said, Ye commit many sins, and are there- fore the servants of sin, and from this bondage no one but Myself can deliver you. “ A miserable bondage,” exclaims S. Augustine in loc, and adds the reason. “ A man slave, when worn out by his master’s cruel treatment, can at length escape and be at rest But whither can the servant of sin flee ? He carries with him himself, whithersoever he flies. A wicked conscience cannot fly from itself ; it has no place to go to, it follows itself It cannot withdraw from itself; for the sin which causes it is within.” (2.) S. Peter (11. ii. 19) gives a further reason. (( Of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” (3.) He who committeth sin is the servant of the devil, who instigates to sin, and he is a cruel tyrant, who drives on sinners, as though they were his slaves, ever drawing them on from one sin to another, and in the end to hell. (4.) Every sin leaves behind it a desire and inclination to repeat the sin, and this concupiscence remains, even after the sin has been given up, for our punishment and temptation. Whence the Apostle says that he was sold under sin, that he did what he would not (as 3*8 S. JOHN, C. VIII. feeling against his will the motives of concupiscence), and that he cannot do the things he would. (5.) Because the sinner is bound by the chains of the sin he has committed, so that he cannot free himself, unless Christ sets him free by His grace, according to the saying (Prov. v. 22), “ His own iniquities take the wicked himself, and he is bound with the cords of his sins.” In these passages, to sin, which is inanimate, is ascribed the character of a master, or tyrant, to signify (1.) the tyrannical power of sin and concupiscence, and (2.) because by sin is understood the devil, who holds sway in the realm of sin, and holds stem dominion over sinners. St Ambrose, on the words of Psalm cxix. 94, “ I am thine, O save me,” says strikingly, “the worldling cannot say to Him, I am Thine, for he has many masters. Lust comes, and says, Thou art mine, for thou desirest the things of the body. Avarice comes, and says, Thou art mine, for the silver and gold thou hast is the price of thy bondage. Luxury comes and says, Thou art mine, for one day's feasting is the price of thy life. Ambition comes, and says, Thou art clearly mine, for knowest thou not that I have set thee over others that thou mightest serve me? knowest thou not that I have con- ferred power on thee, in order to subject thee to mine own power? All the vices come, and say severally, Thou art mine. What a vile bond-slave is he whom so many compete for ? And moreover the sinner who cannot say to God, I am Thine , hears from the devil, Thou art mine” For as S. Ambrose adds, “ Satan came and entered mto him, and began to say, he (Judas) is not thine, O Jesus, but mine. He thinks those things that are mine, he ponders my thoughts in his heart ; he feasts with Thee, and feeds with me ; he receives bread from Thee, and money from me ; he drinks with me, and sells me Thy Blood ; he is Thy Apostle, but my hireling.”

Jesus answered them % Is it not written in your law (Ps. lxxxii. 6), / said, \ Ye are gods t The word in Hebrew is plural 38 o S. JOHN, C. X. God is called Elohim , as ruling and governing the world, and as the judge and punisher of evil-doing. Whence angels and judges who share this power are called gods, not by nature or by hypostatical union (as Christ), but by participating in the Divine judgments (see Ex. vil i, xxii. 28 ; Ps. viii. 6, in the Hebrew Elohim). But there, as S. Hilary observes ( Lib . vii. de Trinity the word Elohim is limited by the context, so as to make it clear that the word does not signify God, but angels or judges. And so in Ps. lxxxiL, “ God standeth in the congregation of princes. He is the judge among gods.” The gods who are judged are men or angels, He who judges them is the One True God. “Just as Christ here,” says S. Augustine, “judges as God the Pharisees and rulers of the Jews, who were gods, so to speak, upon earth.” On this account He quotes this psalm which is in Hebrew Elohim, judges . Elohim, the highest of all, judges the earthly rulers who are under Him. This is supported by the Chaldee Targum, which explains, “Ye are gods, and are all the children of the Highest ; ” “ye are the angels of the high God.” And that which is properly said of angels is extended to all Israelites and the faithful, for they are the sons of God. But when the word “Elohim” is used “ absolutely ” (without limitation) it signifies the One and True God. Christ therefore, instead of overthrowing the opinion of the Jews, rather confirms it

And said \ Where have ye laid him , &c. Christ knew the place where Lazarus was buried : for, as S. Augustine argues, Didst thou know that he was dead, and art ignorant where he is buried ? Yet He asked the question ; because He acted with men after a human manner, and by the inquiry prepared Himself, and cleared the way for the raising up of Lazarus ; and excited the atten- tion at once of Mary, Martha, and the Jews, so that they should watchfully consider the words and actions of Christ, who was about to raise him. Symbolically, S. Gregory says: Christ recalling to the women the sin of Eve, says, “ I have placed the man in Paradise whom ye have placed in the tomb.” Came and see . Eagerly they invite Jesus to come and see, hoping that He who had raised up strangers’ dead, would raise up also Lazarus His intimate associate, who was so beloved by Him. Whence, mystically, the Gloss : “ See, that is pity ; ” for, as S. Augus tine says, the Lord sees when He pities, according to this, “ Look upon my adversity, and forgive me all my sins.” S. Chrysostom, and after him Theophylact : He seemed to them about to go thither that He might weep, not that He might raise up [the dead].

The servant abideth not, &c. He who is the servant of sin, like you Jews, has not the right of remaining in his Master's house (that is the Church of God) for ever : for after death he will be cast into the outer darkness of hell, as ye too will be cast out But the Son abideth for ever in His Father's house, that is, I ever abide with My Father in heaven. But if through Me and My grace THE TRUE SONS OF ABRAHAM. 319 ye have been delivered from the bondage of sin, ye will abide for ever with Me, as adopted children, in the house of God, that is in the Church militant by grace, and in the Church triumphant, for ever happy and glorious in heaven. So S. Augustine, Bede, and others.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out , &c Christ received him kindly, and rewards his constancy. Having given sight to his body, He now enlightens his mind. In giving him bodily sight, He had cast in some scattered seeds of faith, which He now particularly forms into perfect shape: so as to make him believe, that He whom he looked upon as a mere prophet, for having given him sight, was God also, and the Son of God. The Gloss says, “ The blind man had already a heart prepared to believe, but knew not in whom he had to believe.” This, in answer to his question, he learns from Christ Christ took trouble to find him in the place, where He knew he was. It is the part of a good shepherd to seek fora wandering 352 S. JOHN, C. IX. sheep, who cannot by itself come back into the right way. “ They expel,” says & Augustine (in loc .), “ the Lord receives, and he becomes a Christian, even the more because he was expelled.” Believest thou t Christ did not demand faith from the blind man for the healing of his body, but He does for the healing of his soul : for, as S. Augustine says (Serm. xv. de Verb. Apost .), “ He who made thee without thyself, doth not justify thee without thyself: He made thee without thy knowledge, He justifies thee through thy will”

If He called them gods unto whom the word of God came, whom the Word of God appointed judges and gave them authority by Moses and his successors, and commanded them to judge rightly as partaking His authority, making them (says Euthymius) gods, as it were, upon earth. And the Scripture cannot be broken : no one, ie. t can take from them the name of judges, which the irrevocable word of Scripture has given them.

-Jesus wept At seeing the sepulchre of Lazarus (although Chrysostom supposes that He wept when He groaned and was troubled, which is equally probable), to signify His love for him, and the grief He felt at his death. Secondly, that He might weep with the sisters and the Jews who were weeping, and teach us to do the same. So S. Augustine. Hear S. Ambrose : “ Christ became all things to all men ; poor to the poor, rich to the rich, weeping with the weeping, hungering 404 S. JOHN, C. XI. with the hungry, thirsting with the thirsty, full with the abounding ; He is in prison with the poor man, with Mary He weeps, with the Apostles He eats, with the Samaritan woman he thirsts. Thirdly, that adding tears to His speech, He might make it stronger and more efficacious ; for tears are a sign of vehement grief and affliction, and also of desire and longing : wherefore God is accus- tomed to hear and answer prayers seasoned, and as it were armed, with tears. So Christ on the [eve of the] Cross offering up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears, was heard in that He feared. [E. & Heb. V. 7, pro suA reJvrentiA, Vulg.] So Tobit (xiL 1 a) heard from S. Raphael, “ When thou didst pray with tears [the words “ with tears,” cum lacrymis , are not in the LXX Greek], and didst bring the dead, .... I brought thy prayer before the Lord.” So Jacob, wrestling with the angel, obtained a blessing (Gem xxxiL 29). Wherefore ? because he wept and besought him (Hosea xii. 4). “The tears of penitents,” says S. Bernard, “are the wine of angels.” For it is the anguish of the mind in prayer which influences, and as it were compels God to pity, according as it is said, “a contrite and humble heart God shall not despise” (Ps. 1 L 17) ; just as the tears of an infant influence the mother, and obtain from her what it asks ; for God shows toward us the heart of a mother. Other writers give different causes for the tears of Christ First, Cyril says that Christ wept for the miseries of the human race brought in by sin. Secondly, Andrew Cretensis says that He wept for the unbelief of the Jews, and because they would not believe in Christ, even after they had seen the miracle of the raising of Lazarus. Thirdly, Isidore of Pelusium and Rupertus think that Christ wept for the very reason that he was about to recall Lazarus out of Limbo, that is, from the haven and state of peace, to the storms, dangers, and sufferings of this life. Further, we read that Christ wept thrice : here at the death of Lazarus ; at the Cross (Heb. v. 7) ; at the sight of Jerusalem, and its impending ruin (Luke xix. 41). S. Bernard (Sermon 3, in Die Natrv.) says, “ The tears ot Christ cause me shame and grief. . . . WHY JESUS WEPT. 405 Can I still trifle, and deride His tears?” And soon after : “The Son of God sympathises (compatitur\ and He weeps ; man suffers ( patitur) 9 and shall we laugh ? ” And S. Augustine says : “ Christ wept — let man weep for himself : wherefore did Christ weep, unless to teach man to weep ? Wherefore did He groan and trouble Him self, except that the faith of man, rightly displeased with himself, should in a manner groan in accusation of his evil works, so that the habit of sinning should yield to the violence of repenting.”

If therefore the Son , &c. I alone can make you free, not Abraham or Moses, though most beloved servants of God. So S. Chrysostom and others.

Say ye of Him, &c. This is an argument from the less to the greater. “ If judges, who only participate in the power of God, are rightly called gods, much more can I be called God, who am the Very Word of God.” S. Augustine and Bede more acutely, but less to the point, main- HOW CHRIST WAS SANCTIFIED. 3«I tain that the force of the argument is this, if they who are merely partakers of the word of God are called gods, much more am I, who am not merely a partaker of the word of God, but the Word of God Itselfi Note here that the words, M He whom the Father hath sanctified,” have several meanings. (1.) He to whom the Father hath communi- cated the sanctity wherewith He is holy, whom the Father, when He begat Him, made to be holy, says S. Augustine. For God the Father who is holy begat the Son who is holy. So Bede, Toletus, and others. The Son is therefore holy in His generation and essence. (2.) The Father sanctified Christ as man, by means of the Hypostatical Union; for by this (speaking accurately) is the manhood of Christ sanctified in the highest degree. For by the very act wherewith the Person of the Word (Itself uncreated and infinite Sanctity) assumed the humanity, and united it hypostatically to Itself) It clearly sanctified it, and thus infused into its soul the pre-eminent sanctity of charity, grace, and all other virtues. And so S. Hilary says, “ Jesus was sanctified to be His Son, since S. Paul says, ‘ He was predestinated to be the Son of God with power, by the Spirit of sanctification.*” And so too S. Chrysostom, and S. Athanasius (de Incam. Verb. sub. init.) " Sanctified ” is therefore the same as “ sealed,” as I said chap, vl 27. (3.) Theophylact says, “ He sanctified, that is He sanctioned His sacrifice for the world, showing that He was not such a god as the others were ; for to save the world is the work of God, not of a man deified by grace. As Christ says (xvil 19), I sanctify Myself i.e., I sacrifice Myself, I offer Myself as a holy Victim.” (4.) Maldonatus says : “ He sanctified Me, t.e., He designated and destined Me to the office of Saviour,” referring to Jer. i. 5, though the truer meaning of the passage is dif- ferent, as I have there stated.

I know \ &c. By nature ye are Abraham’s children, but in your deeds ye are degenerate. Your descent from Abraham will not therefore profit you. It will increase your damnation, for he will say at the last day, I acknowledge you not as my children, for ye have crucified Christ, my son and your brother. Because My word, &c. Because ye will not take it ia Origen and S. Chrysostom think that these words were said to those who had before feebly believed in Christ, but who, on hearing themselves called “servants,” were incensed against Him and wished to kill Him. But it is more probable that they were addressed to unbelievers who had before that plotted His death.

And Jesus said \ &c. Thou seest him now for the first time, for he had been healed in the pool of Siloam, when Christ was not there. Christ therefore points out to him that it was He who restored his sight. He recalls his healing to his remembrance, says Theophylact, and that he had received the gift of sight from Him, so as to make him believe that He was not only the Son of man, but the Son of God.

If I do not the works of My Father , believe Me not. He appeals to the miracles which He wrought by the command and supernatural power of God the Father. For these, as being divine, proved Him to be the very Son of God.

And some of them said , Could not this man , &c. Cer- tainly He was able to do that, but would not, because He had determined to do something far greater, namely, to raise him up when dead and four days buried, which the Jews thought impossible, and therefore wondered that Christ had not hindered the death of Lazarus. Ver. $&.—ftsus therefore , again groaning in Himself &c. Note that Christ was here thrice greatly distressed, and wept First, when He sees Mary and the Jews weeping (ver. 33). Secondly, when He saw the sepulchre of Lazarus (ver. 34). Thirdly, here, when He came to it, to show how pitiable was the lot of Lazarus when dead, and typically of sinners spiritually dead by their sins, and here- after to die perpetually in the torments of helL For it was they who drew forth from Him in the agony of His Passion tears ot blood (Luke xxii. 44). Jt woe a eave 9 and a stone lay upon it For the more noble of the Jews were buried in caves or underground chambers, as appears in the case of the sepulchre of Abraham (Gen. xxiii. 9), Isaac and Jacob (Gen. xlix. 31), Joseph of Arimathea (Matt xxvil 60). Mystically, S. Augustine says : “ This stone denotes the Mosaic Law, which was written on tables of stone, and included all under sin.” Typically, the same says (Serm. 44, on S. John) : “ That mass placed on the sepulchre is the force of evil custom with which the soul is weighed down, nor permitted to rise up nor breathe.”

I speak, &c. Ye not only speak, but do that which ye have learnt from your father, the devil, especially in seeking to kill Me, implying that Abraham was not their father. See this more clearly declared verse 44.

And he said \ Lord \ I believe. And he worshipped Him , as the Son of God, and very God, to be worshipped as God with the worship due to Him (latria). Moreover, the blind man, inwardly enlightened (and moved to it by Christ), by saying, “ I believe,” brought out acts of hope, contrition, charity, devotion, and adoration towards Christ, and was by them cleansed from his sins and justified. He consequently became a holy and apostolic man. He was said to have been one of the seventy disciples, and to have become Bishop of Aix, in Provence, where he died and was buried by the side of Maximinus, to whom he had been coadjutor (see Peter de Natalis in Cat. Sanctorum , lib. v. cap. 102).

But if 1 do, &c., and I in the Father, working by the 382 S. JOHN, C. X. same Godhead and omnipotence which I have received from Him. Accordingly S. Augustine, Cyril, Leontius, &c., consider that the words, “ I in the Father and the Father in Me,” mean the same as “I and the Father are one.” S. Augustine says (in foe.), “We are in God, and God in us. But can we say, ‘I and God are one?* Thou art in God, because God containeth thee; God is in thee, because thou art made the temple of God. But because thou art in God, and God in thee, canst thou therefore say, ‘ He who seeth God seeth Me/ as the only Begotten said, ‘He that seeth Me, seeth the Father also, and I and the Father are one?’ Recognise what is proper to the Lord, and also the duty of the servant What is proper to the Lord is equality with the Father ; the duty of the servant is to be partaker of the Saviour.”

They answered \ &c Because Christ seemed to imply that they had another father, they wished to learn from Him who he was. We own Abraham, and none other as our father. Jesus saith unto them. If ye are the children of Abraham , do the works of Abraham. It is so in the Vulgate. But some Greek MSS. read as in the English version. He does not deny their extraction, but condemns their doings. Says S. Augustine, “Your flesh may be from Abraham, but not so your life.”

And Jesus said (not to him but to the Pharisees), Jor judgment , &c. “ That is for condemnation,” says S. Cyril, “ to convict and condemn the proud and worldly Pharisees of blindness who seem in their own sight to be wise.” But others explain it better, not of condemnation, but of inquiry and discrimination. I have come into the world to discriminate and separate believers from unbelievers, good from evil, godly from ungodly ; in order that the people, who before had lived in ignor- SECRET COUNSEL OF GOD. 353 ance of God and of salvation, and in darkness of mind, like this blind man, might by believing in Me be enlightened with the know- ledge of God, and of things which concern their salvation ; and that I might suffer the proud who refuse to believe in Me (like the Pharisees who are puffed up by their knowledge of the law) to be blinded, and might convict them of their blindness. (2.) Butjudgment might possibly here mean the secret counsel and mysterious decree of God, determined and fixed by His righteous decree, whereby God ordained that the Gentiles who knew not God, and consequently were blind, might behold the Light of Faith in Christ, and humbly and eagerly accept it; while the Scribes and Pharisees and wise men of the world, puffed up by their own know- ledge, might become darkened in unbelief, and reject the faith and enlightenment of Christ Humility, therefore, enlightened by faith the unlearned Gentiles, who submitted themselves to Christ, while pride darkened with unbelief the learned Scribes who rejected Him. So S. Cyril, or rather Clictoveus, who filled up what was wanting in his commentary. (See Rom. xi. 33.) “ His judgments are a great deep.” Theodoret applies this to Paul and Judas. For S. Paul having been blind received his sight, and Judas, after seeing, became blind. The words “that,” “therefore,” &c., frequently signify not the cause, but the result or consequence. For Christ came not in order that the Scribes should be made blind ; but their blindness was a result of Christ’s preaching, not from anything on His part, but from their own pride and fault So Cyril and others.

The Jews therefore sought again to take Him, but He escaped out of their hands. “That their anger might be appeased by His withdrawal,” says S. Chrysostom. S. Augustine, acutely but symbolically, “They took Him not, because they had not the hand of faith.” He escaped by His Divine Power, making Himself invisible. As He did, viii. 59. Ver. 4a — And went away again beyond Jordan, into the place where fohn at first baptized . In Bethabara, or Bethania, where Christ was baptized by him. He afterwards baptized in iEnon (see chap, iii 23), frequently shifting His abode. He went through other districts of Jordan, He withdrew to Bethabara, that the people who followed Him thither might call to mind the testimony which John had borne to Him on the very spot, and also the testimony of God the Father at His baptism, and might on this account believe in Him. So S. Chrysostom. And there abode: till the Passover and his own Passion drew nigh, when He returned to Jerusalem, and raised up Lazarus, which provoked the scribes and rulers against Him.

Jesus said : Take ye away the stone Jesus commanded this, first, that when the stone was taken away the Jews might both s. John, c. xt. 40 6 see the body of Lazarus, and smell that it was corrupted, and so think his raising a work of more power. Secondly, that He might speak in the presence of the body of Lazarus, and bringing it dead before God should obtain of Him that it be raised up. Typically, S. Bernard (Serm. 4, De Assump.) : “ Let the stone be taken away, but let penitence remain, no longer weighing down and burdening the mind, but confirming and rendering it living and strong ; yes, let its food be to do the will of the Lord, which before it knew not.” So also training does not now constrain him who is free, as it is said, “ The law is not made for the righteous ; but rules and directs one who pays it a voluntary obedience into the way of peace.” Martha, the sister of him that was dead, , &c Mystically, SL Augustine says : “ Lazarus four days dead signifies a sinner buried in the habit of sin, and as it were despaired of. The Lord then came, to whom in truth all things were easy, and yet made manifest a difficulty.” He groaned in spirit . He showed there was need of blame and loud reproof to those who have become hardened by custom. Yet at the loud voice of the Lord the bonds of necessity have been broken ; the tyranny of hell trembled ; Lazarus is restored living. Truly the Lord frees also those who are four days dead by evil habit ; for Lazarus was sleeping to Christ when He willed to raise him.

But now ye seek, &c. Abraham did not injure any one, but saved Lot, and as many as he could. But the Jews were eager to kill Christ The Jews ( Perke . Avoth. cap. v.) draw the same contrast between a disciple of Abraham and of Balaam. 320 S. JOHN, C. VIII.

And some of the Pharisees , &c. The Pharisees felt themselves sharply touched by our Lord’s words, which they under- stood to speak not of the blindness of the body, but of the mind. They knew that they were not bodily blind, and therefore if He had said this, they would have hooted Him down as a fool They said, Are we blind also l Hast thou come to give sight to those who are blind in body, and to make out that we who spiritually see, and are doctors of the law, are blind and foolish ? Show us our blindness and foolishness.

-Jesus said unto her, &c. This is the same as “ Thou shalt see My glory, I who am God and the Son of God.” So Leontius and Euthymius. But where did Christ say this to Martha ? We answer, Christ said that not in precise words, but virtually and in effect He said it when the messengers were sent by Martha (ver. 4), when He said, “ This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” So S. Chrysostom. Again, and more clearly, to Martha herself, in verses 23 and 25. Jf thou wou/dest believe. Christ arouses the wavering faith and hope of Martha ; for although she when she met Christ before had Martha’s faith totters. 40; said, “I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God” (vers. 22 and 27), yet when it came to the point, when I say, Christ, just about to raise up Lazarus, ordered the sepulchre to be opened, Martha began to totter ; wherefore she said, “ Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he hath been dead four days.” She had therefore alternate impulses of grace and nature, of faith and distrust, of hope and despair, concerning the resurrection of Lazarus, such as we experience in ourselves : when looking to God we hope that we shall overcome all things, however difficult ; but when looking to our own infirmity, when we ought to advance against some diffi- culty, we hesitate, we tremble, and almost disbelieve that it can be accomplished by us. So recruits before a battle show great bold- ness, but when the battle commences, at the first onset of the enemy they fear and fly. Whence it is said : “ In peace lions, in battle stags.” But veteran soldiers before the battle tremble as stags, but in the battle they stand and fight as lions. By this difference you may distinguish the veteran from the tyro.

Ye do the works of your father. He persists in saying that they were not Abraham’s children, but does not say whose children they were. Then said they unto Him, We be not bom of fornication, &c. Origen, Cyril, and Leontius think that in these words they implicitly reproached Him with His own birth. An atrocious statement, which the Pharisees studiously propagated, to detract from our Lord’s credit and authority. But it would have been atrocious blasphemy. (2.) Euthymius and Rupertus suppose it to be only an assertion of their descent from Sarah, and not from Hagar, and thus not spurious, or in a secondary rank. (3.) We are not born of spiritual fornication, £*., idolatry. We are not Hagarenes, who were idolaters. Rupertus objects that to make out this meaning the word 11 but” should have been inserted. But Maldonatus main- tains that such particles are often omitted, adding that fornication in the prophets means idolatry, as being spiritual fornication, draw- ing away the soul from its true Spouse (see Hos. L 2). Theophylact explains it to mean, “ We are not born of mixed marriages of Jews and Gentiles, which were forbidden, and counted illegitimate by the Jews.” (4.) The Jews reply in a straightforward manner, Abraham is our true earthly father; and one is our Father, even God in heaven. Your charge is therefore false. You unjustly claim the God of Abraham for thyself alone, and exclude us from sonship with Him, and hand us over to another father, the devil, making us spurious, and consequently infamous.

Jesus said to them , &c. (1.) S. Chrysostom, Theophy- vol. iv. z A 354 S. JOHN, G IX. lact, and Euthymius explain this of bodily blindness ; meaning, If ye wete blind in your bodies, ye would be less proud and sinful For bodily blindness would humble your mind. (2.) S. Augustine (in be.) is more to the point If ye were blind in your own opinion, if ye would acknowledge yourselves to be blind (/.*., ignorant and foolish) in things which concern your salvation, ye would not have sin, for ye would seek a remedy for it, and would obtain it from Mg (3.) Accurately and scholastically, If ye were blind through ignor- ance of Scripture and the law of nature, ye would not have sin, by acting according to this ignorance and not acknowledging Me as your Messiah. That is to say, If your ignorance were clearly without blame and invincible, ye would have some sin, but one which was less serious, and more excusable, and therefore ye might easily be enlightened and cured by Me, since My doctrine would dispel your ignorancG But now ye say to yourselves, u We see,” that is, ye think ye see, and are so wise as to be excellent judges of Christ’s advent and person. And therefore ye from your arrogant and evil thoughts continue in the sin of unbelief against Me ; ye obstinately set your mind against Me, and thus refuse to believe in Me as the Messiah, though I have demonstrated that I am by very many signs and miracles. And therefore, ye cannot by any possibility be enlightened and healed by Me, because ye obstinately refuse to hear Mg So Jansen and others. ( 355 )

And many resorted, See. And yet we believed him. Therefore we ought the more firmly to believe in Jesus, who proves that He is the Messiah by so many signs and miracles. So S. Chrysostom. MANY BELIEVED. 383 There was also another reason for their believing in Christ ; namely, that they found Him to be mightier than John in His miracles, in the power of His discourses, in His holiness of life, as John had foretold. And hence they inferred, If we see that the other things which John spake of Him are true, it is therefore equally true (as he said) that Jesus was the Messiah.

And many believed on Him, for doubtless, as S. Augustine says, 41 they apprehended Him when He was tarrying with them, and not as the Jews wished to apprehend Him, as He was going away. Let us therefore by the lamp attain to the day ; for John was a lamp, and bore witness to the day.”

Then they took away the stone . Which being taken away, the corpse of Lazarus, fetid and decaying, appeared ; so that it was evident to all that he was really dead, and that Christ brought his very body, just as it was, before God by prayers, and presented it to be raised up. And Jesus lifted up His eyes . To God the Father, that He might teach us to raise our eyes and still more hearts to God in heaven when we pray. S. John Damascene (in Catend) adds, that Christ looked up to heaven, as to His own land, to signify that He had come thence upon earth. And said \ Father , I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me . Hence some think that Christ when He groaned in spirit (ver. 33) besought the Father, mentally, to raise up Lazarus, and received an answer from Him that Lazarus was to be raised up by Him; and that therefore Christ says here, 1 thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me This is probable. But evidently it is as if He had said : I thank Thee, O Father, because Thou hast always and constantly hitherto heard Me when 408 S. JOHN. C. Xt. I prayed, and especially now, when, though silently and in the mind, I invoke and beseech Thee for the raising up of Lazarus; for Thou didst grant to Me, that soon I shall raise him up. Hence Christ teaches us how to pray, that in the beginning of prayer we should surely thank God for benefits received. This giving of thanks conciliates God’s favour to us, and inclines Him to bestow the new blessings which we beg for. For he who is grateful for the lesser gifts, merits to receive the greater. This is the faithful prayer of sons, whence Christ adds :

-Jesus said, &c. Put syllogistically, our Lord’s argument runs this, “ He who loves God, loves also the Son of God. But ye do not love Me, who am the Son of God. Therefore ye love not God. Just as the Arians, who by denying Christ to be the Son of God, deny the Father also ; for if He has not a Son, He cannot be called God the Father. For I proceeded forth (igtjMof) and came (ijxa), I am here. S. Augustine, S. Hilary (de Trin. vL), consider that the twofold generation of our Lord is here set forth. I came forth by eternal generation, I am come into the world by My Incarnation. u That the Word A WARNING TO HERETICS. 321 proceeded forth from God, is His eternal procession” (says S. Augustine), but He came to us, because He was made flesh ; His advent was His being made man. But Jansen, Maldonatus, and others refer both the expressions to the Incarnation, but yet as implying and presupposing His eternal generation. “I came forth from God, and came into the world, though I had before come forth from God, and was in heaven as God” (see chap. xvi. 27). For I came not of Myself but He sent Me. He teaches that He was not self-originate, says S. Hilary (de Trin. vi.) Origen adds, He says this on account of some who came of themselves, and were not sent of the Father (see Jer. xxxiii. 21). A warning to such as Lutherans, Calvinists, and others, who have no true mission. Ver. 43: — Why do ye not understand , &c. Because cleaving to your pride, avarice, hatred, and enmity against Me, ye will not hear Me and understand. “They could not hear,” says S. Augustine, “ because they refused to be corrected by what they heard ; * but (as says the Gloss) ye are of the devil, and have elected to go on with him. S. Gregory Nazianzen {Or at. iv., de Theol.) tells us that in Scripture “ I cannot ” sometimes means “ I will not” (See Matt xix. 12.) But secondly, and more properly and forcibly, “ Ye do not understand My words because ye cannot endure My teaching, and will not let My words enter your ears, so hateful am I to you, and so obstinately have you from hatred hardened your hearts against Me.” Thus Emmanuel Sa.

And I knew that Thou hearest Me always: but because , , &c., *.&, what I said aloud (ver. 41).

And when He had thus spoken , &c. First, to show this voice to have great and prevailing authority, by which He was raising up Lazarus from death, as God ruling nature and death. Whence Cyril says, His command is kingly, and worthy of God : Lazarus , come forth. For He said this not as praying, but as bidding and commanding. A loud voice % then, signifies the great force and power which recalled Lazarus from death to life. For this was a most difficult work, and therefore required supreme and Divine power, as also a fitting voice. Symbolically and mystically, the cause was, to represent with this loud voice the trumpet-voice of the Archangel in the day of judgment, by which all the dead shall be raised. Whence SS. Chrysostom, Cyril, Theophilus, Euthymius, assert that Christ here willed to show in action what He had said in v. 25, “The hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they who hear shall live.” Hear S. Ambrose (De Fide Resur.) : The Lord shows thee in what manner thou shalt rise. For He did not raise up one Lazarus only, but the faith of all ; and if, when thou readest, thou believest this, thy mind also, which was dead, receives life with that Lazarus. For what means it that the Lord drew near to the tomb, and cried with a loud voice : Lazarus , come forth , — unless that He might afford us a specimen, might give us an example, of the future resurrec- tion ? Why did He cry aloud with His voice, as if He were not accustomed by His Spirit alone to perform [mighty works], as if He THE LOUD VOICE OF CHRIST. 409 were not accustomed to command without speech? but that He might show what is written, “ In the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, the dead shall be raised incorruptible ” (1 Cor. xv. 52). Typically, the loud voice of Christ signifies the great impulse of arousing grace, by which the sinner needs to be called forth from the custom of evil in which he lies buried, to grace and a new life. So S. Augustine. Hence Eph. v. 14, “ Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee life.” Lazarus. He calls him by his proper name : lest, as says S. Ambrose, he might seem as one raised up for another, or his resurrection more by chance than by command. Again, He addresses the dead man as living, because all the dead live unto God, says S. Chrysostom. Come forth. Not as if thou wert already risen, and only now wast to show thyself beyond the sepulchre, as Origen wrongly infers from hence : but, Rise, return from the dark and hidden caves of death and Hades ; return, O soul of Lazarus, from the farthest limits of the Limbus Patrum into this body, and thence into the life, air, and light common to all living beings.

Ye are of your father the devil. “Not by descent but by imitation,” says S. Augustine, quoting Ezek. xvi 4 ; and adding, “The Jews, by imitating their impieties, found for themselves parents, not of whom to be born, but with whom they would be lost, by following their evil ways.” S. Epiphanius {Her. 38, 40) by the devil in this place understands Judas Iscariot, whom our Lord also calls a devil But the author of u Questions on the Old and New Testament ” {apud S. Augustine) understands Cain. But it is certain that it must be taken literally to mean Lucifer. For the Jews in persecuting Jesus followed him VOL. iv. x 322 S. JOHN, C. VIIL as their father ; “ not by succession in the flesh, but in sin,* says & Ambrose (Lib. iv. in loc .) Ye are of, &c. “ In order to kill Me.” He explains that they are of the devil, by following his suggestion. & Chrysostom says he speaks not of “ works,” but of desires (or lusts), showing that both he and they greatly delighted in murders. For the devil has an ardent desire to destroy all men, both because he grudges them the glory from which he himself fell, but also to injure God, whom he hates as his torturer, and wishes to tear away men from Him whom He created in His own image, and called and predestinated to His own eternal grace and glory. He was a murderer , &c. For as soon as Adam was created, Lucifer, the very same day through envy destroyed both him and all his posterity, by persuading him to eat of the forbidden fruit And in like manner does he endeavour through you, O Jews, to kill Me, by Whom all men are to be redeemed from dearth. For he ever persists in his eager desire to destroy men, as the leopard and wolf, which feed on human flesh. He urged on Cain to kill Abel, and Joseph’s brethren to destine him to death. And even now instigates all murderers to commit their murders. And much more does he thirst for the death and destruction of souls, though bodily death is here more properly meant, for this it was they plotted against Christ Euthymius and S. Augustine (Contra Petib. il 13). And abode not in the truth , *>., in the integrity and perfection, the grace, righteousness, and sanctity in which he was created. True means pure and unadulterated. As Nathaniel is called “a true Israelite, in whom is no guile.” Again “ in truth ” means in that which was his duty. In S. John, David, and Solomon “the truth” commonly means this (see John iiL 21). There is a threefold truth, in heart, word, and deed. The truth of the heart is opposed to error ; the truth of word is opposed to a lie, the truth of deed is when a man acts in accordance with what is practically right, and this is opposed to iniquity and sin. Now the devil did not stand in the truth because he did not persevere in what he ought to have done. THE FATHER OF LIES. 323 He refused to be under God. He claimed to be His equal, a kind of second god, and rose up against Him through pride. Hence he fell from his state of grace, and was cast down to hell (see Is. xiv. 12). And so S. Chrysostom (Horn. liv. ; S. Leo, Ser. de Quadr ., and others). Hence (1.) S. Augustine (contr. Adimantum iv. 4), understands by the “ truth,” the law, meaning that the devil did not abide in the Law of God. Others by u truth ” understand fidelity, or the obedience due to God as the Creator. (2.) S. Irenseus (v. 22, 23) understands it to mean " veracity,” as our Lord says below he is “ a liar, and the father of it” Christ seems to charge the Jews with two faults, which they had learned from the devil, murder, and mendacity, and calumny. (3.) Origen (Tom. xxiv.) understands it to mean “ truth in practical matters,” which Lucifer abandoned when he sinned by pride, which practically was a false step. This resulted from his not abiding in truth of act, and thus he departed from truth in heart and word, and thus by his lies deceived mankind. Hence S. Augustine (de Civ. xi. 13) rightly infers that he was created in grace and righteousness, and that the Manichees were wrong in asserting that he was naturally wicked or created by an evil god. They inferred this wrongly from 1 John iii, “The devil sinnethfrom the beginning.” The true meaning of this passage is explained in loco. Because there is no truth in him. Neither in thought, word, or deed, for those three kinds of truth have a sisterly relation to each other. But here “ truth ” rather signifies veracity. When he speaketh a lie> &c. When he fell from his original beauty as an angel and became a hideous demon, it was innate in him to deceive ; his special and proper business was to lie, and to this he entirely devotes himself. (2.) “ Of his own,” means of his own special invention. But men lie from imitating him, and by his suggestion. (3.) “ Of his own,” from his own inward delight in it He delights in it, as a thief in his thefts. For he is a liar. From his constant habit of lying, he is altogether 324 S. JOHN, C. VIII. made up of lies. And if he ever speaks truth, it is by compulsion, or else by means of truth to persuade men to what is false. And the father of it. “His father,” says Nonnus. The Caiman heretics understood the devil to mean Cain. But the Manicheans on S. Augustine’s authority (in loco) said that the devil had a father, even the evil god, and that both he and his son were liars. But I maintain that “ of it ” refers to the word “ lie,” which is understood in the term liar which occurs just before. And he is the father of a lie. (i.) Because he first invented the act of lying. (2.) Because he fashions and forms lies, as the potter moulds the clay. So S. Augustine and others. It is a Hebraism. Origen says, “The devil begot a lie. He was seduced by himself, and in this respect was worse, because others are deceived by him, whereas he is the author of his own deception.” And S. Augustine, “ Not every one that lies is a father of a lie, but he only who, like the devil, received it not from, any other quarter.” And hence the devil is the father and author of heresies, and therefore heresiarchs have had a devil at their side who suggested their heresies, as well as arguments to uphold them. So Luther con- fessed of himself. Such a suggester had Arius, Eunomius, Calvin, &c. The Apostle (1 Tim. iv. 1) speaks of heresies as “doctrines of devils ” (see notes in loco). 45. But if I speak the truths ye believe Me not. His argument stands thus, “ Whosoever believeth a lie is a son of the devil. And ye believe a lie, and are therefore sons of the devil” But “ if” may mean “because,” as some Greek and I^atin copies read. And so it would mean, “ Because I speak the truth in truly reproving your sins, and truly asserting myself to be the Messiah, and prove this by miracles, yet ye will not believe Me because ye will not give up your sins, and will not believe what I say and teach, but rather believe the devil who persuades you that I am a false prophet, and my miracles are mere sleight of hand.

And he that was dead came forth , &c. The power of the voice of Christ is made manifest, which instantly raised up the dead man, so that the things spoken might be done. Grave-clothes , bindings for the sepulchre, with which the hands and feet of the dead man are bound, so that they may be inserted and decently composed in a narrow receptacle. The Arabic trans- lates linen cloths ; Nonnus, “he had his whole body from foot to head bound with manifold wrappings for the grave.” And his face was bound about with a napkin : in the manner of the Jews, that the fact of death might be signified, and the pale and fearful visage of the dead might strike no one with horror. You will ask, Why did Christ, in raising the dead man, not at the same time unloose his bonds ? SS. Augustine, Chrysostom, Cyril, Leontius, and others reply that the Jews might see that the same Lazarus was raised up, who a little before had been swathed as dead, by themselves, with those 4io S. JOHN, c. XI. bands and napkin, and was not a phantom, or some other man hidden in the sepulchre, to make a feigned appearance. Secondly, that the miracle was twofold : that the first was the raising up the dead man ; the second that he when raised up should immediately walk with his feet bound and his face covered, and come forth from his sepulchre straight to Jesus. Typically, S, Gregory : Our Redeemer raised up a maiden in the house, a young man outside the gate [of the city], but Lazarus in the sepulchre. So he lies as it were still dead in the house, who is secretly sunk in sin. He is, as it were, brought outside the gate, whose iniquity reveals itself even to the shamelessness of public commission. But he is weighed down with the mound of the grave, who in the committing of wickedness is loaded with the weight of habit But these He pities and recalls to life, in that very often by Divine grace He enlightens with the brightness of His counte- nance those dead not only in secret but even in open sins, and oppressed by the weight of evil custom. S. Augustine says : I^azarus going forth from the sepulchre is the soul drawing back from carnal vices, but bound, that is, not yet freed from pains and troubles of the flesh, while it dwells in the body ; the face is covered with a napkin, for we cannot have full under- standing of things in this life ; but it is said, “ Loose him,” for after this life the veilings are taken away, that we may see face to face. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him and let him go . To his home. Jesus addressed this command to the Jews, that they, handling Lazarus, might as it were touch and handle with their hands the miracle that was wrought by Him, and [see] that he was raised up. Symbolically, Christ sends sinners bound with the bands of their sins to bishops and priests, that they may be released and absolved, saying, Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matt xviii. 18). So also S. Augustine. “ What is it,” he says, “ to loose and let him go? What ye shall loose on earth, shall be looked also in heaven.” Finally, there is no doubt (though John is silent upon it) that Malice of the jews. 4it Lazarus rendered great thanks to Christ ; and that he dedicated his life to Him from whom he had received it He became a disciple, a preacher, and the Bishop of Marseilles.

: Many of the Jews which came to Mary , and had seen the things which Jesus did 9 believed on Him. Whence S. Augustine, “ Such a glorifying did not exalt Him, but profited us.”

Then many of the Jews . . . believed on Him. For they were convinced by the evidence of the miraculous raising of Lazarus, so great and wonderful, that Jesus was a prophet, yea, more, the Messiah, as He professed.

Which of you, &c. This is to anticipate an objection of the Jews. For they might say, “We do not believe thee, because thou art a violater of our law, in healing the sick on the Sabbath-day.” SINLESSNESS OF CHRIST. 325 Produce any other charge against Me, and I will submit to your dis- believing Me. My healing on the Sabbath was not a violation, but a sanctification of the Sabbath. I leave any further charge to be decided by you who are my sworn enemies. So confident was Christ in His innocence that no one could lay anything to His charge which bore the slightest resemblance to sin. For He was Himself sinless, both on account of the Beatific Vision which He enjoyed, as the Blessed in heaven are incapable of sin for the same reason (for seeing God to be the Supreme Good, they necessarily love Him with all their strength, and hate whatever displeases Him) and likewise from the hypostatical union with the Word. For because His humanity existed in the Person of the Word, the Word kept His humanity free from all sin, and in perfect holiness. For if the humanity of Christ had sinned, the Person of the Word would have sinned ; which is impossible. For virtuous or vicious actions relate to persons, and are attributed to them. Hence S. Ambrose (on Ps. xl. 13) brings in God the Father thus addressing Christ, " Thou wert conversant with sinners, Thou didst take on Thee the sins of all, Thou wast made sin for all, but yet no practice of sin* could reach Thee. Thou didst dwell among men, as if among angels, Thou madest earth to be like heaven, that even there also Thou mightest take away sin.” Jf I say the truth, &c. He here shuts out another objection of the Jews. For they could have said, We believe Thee not, not for any sin which Thou hast committed, but because the things Thou sayest and teachest are not true.” Christ meets the objection by saying, “ I have proved to you My doctrine by so many arguments and miracles, that no prudent person who is not blinded by hatred could question its perfect truth. If then My life is most innocent, and My doctrine most true, why do ye not believe Me ? ” Receive then the truth not as a bare assertion, but as demonstrated by reason.

But some of them went their ways, &c. S. Augustine doubts whether they did this with good or evil intention ; whether to announce to them that they might believe, or to betray Him that they might use severity, as says the Gloss. For they might do this with a good intention, namely, in order that the Pharisees, if they could not bring themselves to believe in Christ, should at least have a milder disposition towards Him, as Origen is of opinioa But all others think that they did it with an evil intention. Theophilus and Leontius add that they intended to accuse Christ as being sac- rilegious, and even so far as that He had dug up the body of a dead person. Great then was their malice and malignity, with which they repaid Christ for so great a benefit, [inflicting on Him] so great an outrage — for a miracle blasphemy, for life death; since they denounced Him to the Pharisees to be condemned to the cross.

He that is of God, &c. He here assigns the true reason for the unbelief of the Jews, because they were born not of God, but of the devil ; that is, ye do not listen to the spirit and instinct of 326 s. john, c. vm. God, but of the deviL . For the devil has blinded your hearts with covetousness, hatred, and envy of Me. And ye therefore listen not to the words of God which I, who am sent from Him, announce to you, because ye will not hear and understand them. Because then ye are not the children of God who is true, but of the devil who is a liar, ye listen to his lying suggestions, but will not give a hearing to the true words of God which are uttered by Me. Moreover S. Augustine and S. Gregory {Horn, xviil) understand these words of the elect and reprobate. He who is predestinated and elected hears the words of God, ye hear them not because ye are reprobate. But this is not the literal and genuine sense of the word, but merely an adapted one. For as Toletus and Maldonatus observe, many of those who at that time did not believe in Christ afterwards believed at the preaching of S. Peter and the Apostles ; and on the other hand, some who then believed in Christ afterwards fell away from the faith, and became reprobates (see John vi. 67). Lastly, the Manichees inferred wrongly from the passage (as S. Augustine asserts) that some men are good by their own nature, as created by the good God, but others are naturally evil, as created by the evil principle. Morally : — S. Gregory infers thus from this saying of Christ : “ Let each one ask himself if he takes in the word of God with the ear of his heart, and he will understand whence it is. The truth bids us long for the heavenly country, to crush the desires of the flesh, to shun the glory of the world, not to covet others’ goods, to be liberal with one’s own. Let each one of you consider with himself if this voice of God has prevailed in the ear of his heart, and he will acknowledge that it is from God.” And just below, “There are some who willingly listen to the words of God so as to be moved by compunction even to tears, but who after their tears go back again to their sin. And these assuredly hear not the words of God, because they scorn to carry them out in deed.” Hence S. Gregory infers that it is a mark of divine predestination if a man obeys the holy inspirations of God, and of reprobation if he rejects them (see Prov. i. 24). And John x. 27, “ My sheep hear My voice.” They CHRIST REPROACHED. 327 who hear the voice of Christ their Shepherd are saved, they who hear not are devoured by the devil. So too Christ says plainly, “ Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it ” (Luke xi. 25). And S. Bernard ( Serm . 1, in Septuag.) tells his monks that the greatest proof of predestination is the profitable hearing of the word of God. For it was their constant food, by reading and meditation and prayer, to examine whatever proceeds from the mouth of God, and to fulfil it in their lives.

Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council ' &c. What do wet (What does it behove us to do? Syriac, What shall we do ?) For this man doeth many miracles. It behoved them to be con- vinced by so many signs and miracles of Jesus, and to believe Him to be Messiah, the Son of God ; but blinded by hate and envy, they say and do the contrary, and studiously avoid condescending even to name Him, but say, This man, as if He were a common and worthless person (“ They still call Him man,” says Chrysostom, “who had received so great a proof of His Godhead ”), and consult con- cerning His murder, and propose to bereave of life Him who had restored life to Lazarus, and from whom they ought to seek and hope for life eternal They did not say, “ Let us believe,” says S. Augustine, 412 S. JOHN, c. XI. “but, lost men as they were, thought more of how they might injure Him, ^nd destroy Him, than of how they might consult for their own safety, that they perish not Their foolish heart was darkened, so that they forced on the destruction, present and lasting, of them- selves and their whole nation.” “ What foolishness and blindness,” says Origen, “ that they should think themselves able to effect any- thing against Him whom they testify to have done many miracles, as if He were not able to deliver Himself out of their snares ! ”

The Jews answered and said 9 &c. They used to say it, though it is written nowhere else. But why did they call Him a Samaritan? (1.) Because He associated with the Samaritans. (2.) Because He came from Galilee, which was near Samaria. (3.) Because the Samaritans were partly Jews and partly Gentiles, and Christ seemed to them to be the same, as bringing in a new faith and religion ; and He thus seemed to be mixing up the traditions of the elders with the Gospel. (4.) And lastly, because He seemed to be making a schism, like the Samaritans. A Samaritan was, more- over, a term of reproach. And hast a devil. (1.) Because they said He cast out devils through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. (2.) Because He made Himself God, transferring to Himself the glory due to God, as Lucifer strove to do. So Leontius. Our Lord so understood it, and answered, “ I seek not My own glory.” (3.) Thou art mad, like lunatics, and those possessed with devils (see x. 20, and vil 20). This was an atrocious blasphemy. How wondrous, then, the patience of Christ 1 For He answered,

If we lei Him thus alone , &c le., the Romans will destroy Judea and the whole Jewish race. S. Chrysostom and Theophylact by place understand Jerusalem, , the metropolis of Judea, and thence the whole realm. But Maldonatus understands the Temple ; for the chief priests feared that this with its victims and temporal gains should be taken from them by the Romans. All will believe on Him. See here the genius of envy, and an effect worthy of it : the chief priests wishing to obscure the glory of Christ, display it the more, in saying that all men will believe on Him. And the Romans shall come and take away our place and nation. Some are of opinion that they thought this, viz., If all believe on Jesus, all will depart from us, our Judaism, synagogue, and state, to Him ; and so there will be none to contend for us against the Roman attempts to subjugate us. But others more probably, If all believe Jesus to be the King and Messiah of the Jews, they will irritate against us the Romans, the lords of Judea, because we have made for ourselves a new King and Messiah, and fallen away from Tiberius Caesar to Him ; where- fore armed men will come and take away, that is, capture, ravage, and destroy Jerusalem and Judea and the entire Jewish race and nation. So Chrysostom. “ They wished,” he says, “ to excite the people, so as to bring Him under the risk of being suspected to be a pretender to royalty ; if the Romans shall see Jesus heading throngs of people, they will suspect a pretender, and destroy the state. But what armed men and horsemen did Christ ever take about with Him ? Only envy and hate blinded them, so that they plainly erred, and reasoned wrongly. ” THE OFFICE OF HIGH PRIEST. 413

I have not a devil 9 &c. As loving truth He denies the false charge, but though all-powerful He returns not their reproach. u God, though receiving an injury, replies not with words of con- tumely ; and thou, when insulted by thy neighbours, shouldest abstain from their evil words, lest the exercise of just reproof should be turned into weapons of anger.” And Chrysostom, “When it was necessary to teach, and to inveigh against their pride, He was severe. But in bearing with those who reproached Him, He exercised great gentleness, to teach us to resent any wrongs done to 328 S. JOHN, C. VIII. God, to overlook the wrongs done to ourselves.” And S. Augustine, “ Let us imitate His patience, that we may attain to His powers.” Christ took no notice of the term Samaritan , , because it was a reproach directed only against Himself, and not against God. He refused therefore to avenge His own wrongs, but would defend the honour of God. All knew He was a Galilean, and not a Samaritan, and by saying that He had not a devil, He refuted at the same time the charge of being a Samaritan. For the Samaritans, as schismatics, were the bond slaves of the devil. S. Gregory (Horn, xviii.) gives a mystical reason for His silence. “ A Samaritan,” he says, “ means a guardian, and He is truly our guardian, of whom the Psalmist speaks, 1 Except the Lord keep the city, they watch in vain who guard it * (Ps. cxxvii. 2) ; to whom moreover it is said by Isaiah, ‘ Watchman, what of the night? * He would not therefore say, ‘ I am not a Samaritan, 1 lest he should deny also that He was our guardian.” I have not a devil . But ye have one. So far from detracting from the glory of God, or claiming it for Myself, as Lucifer did, I con- tinually honour the Father and say that I derive everything from Him, that I am sent from Him, that I obey Him in all things, that I refer everything I have to Him, and direct everything to His honour and glory. But ye rather dishonour God the Father, because ye dishonour Me, and assail Me with most bitter reproaches, though I am His Son, and His ambassador in the world. So Leontius. Others explain it more generally of sin — I honour My Father by good works, ye dishonour Him by your sins. So S. Augustine.

And one of them named Caiaphas , being the high priest that same year ; said unto them . While the rest were consulting and not grasping the case nor finding what it was needful to do, Caiaphas as high priest proffers advice, and clearly defines the matter. It is said, high priest that year, because, although according to the law in Exodus (xxix. 29) the high priesthood ought to last for life, and after that to devolve upon the eldest son, according to the law of birth, the Roman rulers used to change the high priests fre- quently, either according to their own will, or for a price received from those who sought the office ( Josephus , Antiq ., lib. xviii. cap. 2). When Tiberius succeeded Augustus Caesar in the empire, “ by him,” he says, “ Valerius Gratus was sent to succeed Annius Rufus as procurator of Judea. This man deprived Ananus of the high priesthood, and appointed Ismael the son of Tabus to be high priest He also deposed him in a little time, and transferred the honour to Eleazar the son of Ananus, the former high priest, and when he had held it for a year, Gratus deprived him of it, and assigned it to Simon the son of Camithus ; and he also having completed a year in the dignity, was made to yield it to Joseph, who was surnamed Caiaphas.” The high priesthood was not therefore an annual office among the Jews, as S. Augustine infers from this place ; but was changed sometimes in fewer years, sometimes in more, and sometimes in the course of the same year. Ye know nothing at ally &c. Ye, as if you were common and humble people, are foolish, ye do not understand the matter at all, ye do not grasp what it is needful to do, ye forward nothing, ye explain nothing, ye suggest no pertinent counsel; but I as high priest am enlightened by God, I set right the matter with a word, I give the best advice, and clear up the whole by saying: “It is expedient that one man, that is, Jesus, although He is accused of no crime, although He is innocent and a Prophet, and the doer of so great a miracle, should die (that is, be put to death by you) for the people, that is, so that the people because of Him should not be brought into suspicion with the Romans, nor that the Romans, S. JOHN, C. XL 4H because of Jesus regarded as Messiah and King of the Jews, should take away their place and nation ; and thus the entire race will not perish, but when He is taken away, will remain safe and entire.” This was therefore the impious, false, and unjust judgment of Caiaphas, that it was expedient for the safety of the people, that, though innocent, Christ should be put to death, so that the Romans might not use severity to Judea and the Jews on His account His reasoning was, that it was better for one Jesus to die than many; it is better that one should perish, than the whole com- munity; i>., why then do ye delay? why deliberate? It is not doubtful to me that it is expedient for one to die, Jesus, in place of all the Jews. Origen says, “ They had learned nothing who had not learned Jesus ; as it is said, If thou knowest Jesus, it suffices, though thou knowest not other things. If thou knowest not Jesus, it is nought, though thou knowest all things besides.”

I seek not , &c. It is God the Father who will most sharply punish those who seek not My glory, but in every way dishonour and discredit Me. S. Chrysostom. It may be said, “ This is contrary to what Christ says (v. 22), The Father judgeth no man .* 9 But there Christ speaks of the public and general judgment, here He speaks of the private and daily judgment with which He avenges the wrongs done to His Son and His saints, as by the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus for the death of Christ ; as He here seems to hint So Maldonatus and others. CHRIST KIND TO THE EVIL. 329 But the Gloss says, “ There is one that judgeth who distinguishes My glory from yours ; as David says, ‘Judge Me, O God, and distin- guish My cause from that of the ungodly people*” (Ps. xliiL 1, Vulg.)

Verily , verily , I say. He says this not from indignation but from pity of the Jews, showing that He is seeking not His own glory, but their salvation. “ I say in very truth,” and as S. Augustine thinks, he means 1 swear, “that if ye keep My commandments ye shall never die the death of the soul ; ye shall never sin, for sin is the death of the soul. But ye shall ever live, here in the grace of God, and in heaven in His glory. Ye shall die indeed in the body, but I will raise you up in the day of judgment, and ye shall live in happiness of body and spirit for all eternity.” So S. Augustine.

And this spake he . . . that Jesus should die for that nation : i.e., of the Jews. Note, that Caiaphas, with the other chief priests being most hostile to Christ, wished out of private hate towards Him to speak out distinctly the same thing which the others secretly hinted at, but did not expressly state ; namely, that Christ must be taken out of the way for the safety of the people, that they might not be attacked by the Romans, as I have said. But the Spirit turned the force of his words, when he wished to speak in this sense, as high priest and head of the Church, to others in which he should express the contrary meaning, and should describe and strengthen a very true faith in Christ ; namely, that it was expedient that Christ should die for the people, for the salvation of the people ; and by His death, as if by the payment of a price, should redeem them from sin, from the devil, from death, and from hell, those, I say, who would otherwise perish eternally. For the words of Caiaphas properly and precisely signify this. For otherwise, accord- ing to the wicked intention towards Christ in the mind of Caiaphas, he ought rather to have said thus : “ It is expedient that one man, FALL OF THE JEWISH CHURCH. 415 J esus, should die, rather than the whole people : ” but now he does not say rather than but for (in behalf of) the people ; which pro- perly signifies for the salvation of the people y that He may save the people : and although Caiaphas did not understand this, much less intend it, yet it being wonderfully suggested by the Holy Spirit, S. John here takes notice of it; and as he takes notice of it, so other sincere and honest men who were listening to Caiaphas might have noticed the same thing ; and just so may we. Learn from this the great care which God has of His Church, and how He assists the Pontiff who is her head, especially under the new Law, which Christ her Head and Spouse instituted, sanctioned, and rules, lest at any time the Church which is His bride should go astray from the true faith. Further, because Caiaphas did not understand this mystery he was not properly a prophet; and Origen observes that the Holy Ghost spoke through his mouth as the angel spoke to the dis- obedient Balaam by the mouth of the ass (Numb, xxii.) Caiaphas, then, most wickedly twisted the words of the Holy Spirit to the death of Christ. Wherefore S. Chrysostom says that the Holy Spirit moved the tongue of Caiaphas, not his heart. You will say, Then Caiaphas here erred in the faith. I reply by denying the consequence. Yea he formally declared the true faith, namely, that it was expedient that Christ should die for the salvation of the world, as I have said. And though it be that he himself did not understand this, nor mean to say it — for he intended that Christ should be cut off lest, because of Him, the people (of the Jews) should be destroyed by the Romans — yet herein was his error con- trary to justice and piety, and not in a matter pertaining to the faith. His error had to do with a political question, whether, namely, Christ should be put to death for the State, or not Besides, the Jewish High Priest had not that infallible assistance of the Holy Ghost which the Christian High Priests have from Christ and after Christ It is, moreover, especially to be borne in mind that at that time, Christ being come, the Jewish Synagogue was beginning to fall, and Cnrist’s Church to rise up in its place. For shortly after this 416 S. JOHN, c. XI. Caiaphas with the whole council of the Sanhedrim proclaimed Jesus to be guilty of death as a false Messiah. This was an error in the Faith. Wherefore their Synagogue then ceased to be the Church of God, and began to be the synagogue of Satan which denied and slew the Christ which was sent by God. * Ver. 52. — And not for that nation only , &c. It is expedient that Christ should die ; not only for His and our nation, that is, for the Jews, but also for all the nations dispersed throughout the whole world, and who should believe in Him. For these are called children of God, not in actual fact, but in the foreknowledge and predestination of God ; because, that is to say, they were hereafter to be, by the grace of God, faithful men and saints, and therefore sons of God. So SS. Augustine and Chrysostom. This is what Christ predicted in chap. x. ver. 16 : Other sheep I have , which are not of this fold (not of the Jewish synagogue) ; them also 1 must brings and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd

Now we know, &c. “The devil suggests to Thee such proud and absurd boasting, that Thy word will drive away death from those who believe in Thee, when we see that Prophets and holy men, as Abraham, all died. But as says S. Gregory {Horn, xviil), looking only to the death of the body, they were dark to the word of truth. For as Bede saith, “ Abraham, though dead in the body, was alive in his souL” Learn from this, thou Religious, thou Preacher, thou Christian, from thy Master to receive calumnies for thy good deeds, curses and ill-will for thy kindnesses. Learn also to be good to the ungrateful. For Christ, though unweariedly teaching the Jews, healing them, delivering them from evil spirits, yet patiently endured these contumelies and reproaches, ingratitude in return for kind- nesses, blasphemies for miracles, and for His teaching derision and reprehension, and yet did not cease to benefit those who were ungrateful, the very highest point of patience and charity. Abraham is dead, &c. Thou blasphemest then, in making thy- self greater than Abraham and the Prophets, yea, even greater than God Himself, since the word of God could not deliver Abraham and the Prophets from death. But yet the word of God, promulged by the lips of Christ, was more powerful than the word of God which was uttered to Abraham and the Proplfbts. And, moreover, Abraham and the Prophets were not dead in their souls, and 330 s. john, c. vm. though dead in the body were to be raised up by Christ to eternal life.

Art thou greater f &c They considered it most absurd, and even blasphemous, for Christ to prefer Himself to Abraham, as He really did ; for He was both God and man, though the Jews knew it not, or rather refused to believe it Ver. $4.— Jesus answered , &c. This was in answer to their ques- tion, Whom makest thou Thyself t He refers all His glory to His Father from whom He is, and who is God. What I say of Myself is of no value or weight, and that not only with you, as S. Chrysostom says, but with others. For in every court no one is believed on his own word but on the testimony of others, who witness for him (see chap. v. 31). Solomon also says, “Let another praise thee, and not thine own lips ” (Prov. xxvii. 2). The Arians objected that the Father glorifies the Son. He is therefore greater than the Son. S. Augustine replies, “Thou heretic, readest thou not that the Son Himself said that He glorifies His Father? But He also glorifies the Son, and the Son glorifies the Father. Put aside thy pernicious teaching, acknowledge their equality, correct thy perversity.*

Then from that day forth, &c. See here plainly appears the unrighteous disposition and meaning of Caiaphas and his asso- ciates. Ver. $4.— Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews , freely, openly, publicly. S. Cyril says: “As God He knew what the Jews bad determined on, though none of them declared it ; as man He withdrew Himself, because the hour of His death, decreed by His Father, had not yet come.” He did this to give an example to us, of avoiding peril to life by flight But went thence , &c. Leontius thinks Ephraim was Bethlehem, in which Christ had been bom ; but this seems unlikely, because Bethlehem was near to Jerusalem, and Jesus knew that He would be specially sought there by the chief priests. & Jerome, and after him Jansenius, think it was Ephron (2 Chron. xiii 19). Others think that Ephraim was situated above Jericho, and beside the desert there; but Adrichomius places it about five miles towards the east from Bethel, about seven hours' [journey] distant from Jerusalem, beside the desert of Hai, not far from the brook Cherith, to which Elijah, flying from Jezebel, withdrew, and was fed there by THE JEWS SEEK CHRIST. 417 ravens (1 Kings xvii. 5). Jesus withdrew thither, as well that He might avoid the rage of the chief priests for the time, as that He might have leisure in that retirement for prayer and contemplation, and thus strengthen and arm Himself for His approaching death, for the arduous contest with the chief priests — yea, more, with Lucifer — when He was upon the Cross. Ephraim is symbolically the type of the Gentile Church. So Origen says: 11 Jesus was lately dwelling among the Jews, the Divine Word, that is to say, through the prophets ; but He departed, He is not among them, Car He has entered a hamlet which is almost deserted, of which it is said, ‘ Many are the sons of the deserted one more than of the married : ’ for Ephraim is interpreted fertility. But Ephraim was the brother of Manasseh, of an elder people given over to forgetfulness; for after a people devoted to forgetfulness had been passed over, abundance has come forth from the Gentiles. The Lord then, departing from the Jews, came to a land nigh to the desert, a city called fruitful \ the Church of the whole earth, and there He tarries with His disciples even until now.” Typically, Ephraim, as situated beside the desert, is the symbol of a holy soul which has leisure for solitude and prayer ; for this becomes Ephraim — that is, fruitful in good works : wherefore Jesus tarries in it by His abundant grace.

Yet ye have not known Him, &c. (1.) Ye know not the true God whom ye worship ; ye know Him not to be one in essence and threefold in person, for ye think Him to be one in Person, as He is one in essence. Ye know not that God is a Father, and that He begat Me His Son, and that we two by our Breath produced the Holy Ghost For had ye known it, ye would certainly have known and believed Me to be the Messiah, the Son of God ; and conversely, “ if ye had known Me, ye would assuredly have known My Father,* says S. Chrysostom. (2.) S. Augustine says, Ye believe that there is one God, though ye neither see nor hear Him (see chap. v. 37). Ye ought there- fore equally to believe in Me His Son, on account of the many signs and wonders which I work, though ye see not the Godhead which is hid within. (3.) Ye have not known Him, ye have not believed His testimony, This is My beloved Son; for ye knew not, WHY THE JEWS LIARS. 331 or rather would not know, that this was the true voice of God (4.) Euthymius explains, “Ye have not shown that ye know Him, because ye live wickedly, not as worshippers of God, but like idolatrous Gentiles, professing, as S. Paul says, to know Him (Tit L 16), but in works denying Him.” And if I say, &c. Maldonatus thinks that Christ called the Jews “liars,” because they said to Him, “Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a deviL” For these were two most gross falsehoods, nay even blasphemies. But S. Chrysostom, Ammonius, and Theo- phylact are more to the point in asserting that they were called “liars,” because they lied in saying that they knew God. For they believed not that He had a Son, and was threefold in His personality. But I know Him , &c. Theophylact explains it thus, “ I show by my life and conduct that I know, reverence, and worship God, because I reverently observe and constantly fulfil His word. Or it may be explained, even better, in this way. Because I acknowledge God the Father, and clearly perceive His Majesty, Power, and Holiness; I therefore, as man, greatly reverence Him, and clearly and folly observe His precept, which ye Jews do not observe, because ye know not nor comprehend His Majesty, and therefore do not reverence it” So Theophylact. Moreover, S. Augustine says, “ He spake as the Son, the Word of the Father, and was the very Word of the Father Who spake to men.” And He fitly said the “ word,* not the “precept? because He Himself was the Word of the Father, and the Father had ordered Him to announce to men that very truth, that they should acknowledge, believe, and worship God the Father and God the Son.

And the Jew? Passover was nigh at hand: viz., the last Passover to Christ, at which He Himself as the Paschal Lamb, was sacrificed for the salvation of the world ; and therefore He eagerly waited for it The Syrians for Pascha say Peuho , which is interpreted gladness ; because this feast was more joyful than the others, even as to Christians it is so in the highest degree, because of our redemption made upon the Cross, and because of the resurrection. And many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the Pass - over y to purify themselves ; to cleanse themselves by sacrifices and ceremonies from all actual uncleanness, and to prepare them- selves by prayers and sacrifices to celebrate and eat the Passover rightly, as says S. Thomas and Jansen. Ver. $ 6 .— Then sought they for Jesus , and spake among themselves VOL. V. 2D 418 S. JOHN, c. XL as they stood in the Temple , What think ye, that He will not come to the feastt Wherefore did Jesus not come, according to His custom, to this common feast of the Passover? Certainly because as God He knew beforehand the snares prepared for Him there by the scribes. S. Augustine, Chrysostom, &c., think that this was the question of the chief priests, Pharisees, and of their adherents and assistants, who had determined to apprehend Jesus, and therefore began indignantly to demand: Why has Jesus not come to the feast of the Passover? Is this the way ye neglect the Passover? Will He be thus a contemner and violator at the law, the very charge which we bring against Him ? Then why does He not present Himself on these days before the Passover, and purify Himself as all others do, and so prepare Himself for so great a feast? END or VOL. V. alderman LIBRARY Usually books should £sr ars? «£■» ‘--stjs are charged books there are fl ve cents a day , forrwei^~ Booka mu st be presented* 4 ®* the dedftf renewal Is desired. L-l UX 001 0 44 ^77 -

Your father Abraham , &c. He longed for it with exulting mind ; “ He feared not, but exulted,” says S. Augustine. “ Believing he exulted with hope, that he might see by understand- ing.” It is a catachresis. But what day ? S. Augustine understands by it, that day of all eternity, wherein from all eternity the Son was begotten of the Father. “ He wished to know My eternal genera- tion and My Godhead, that he might believe in it, and be thereby 332 S. JOHN, C. VIII. saved.” “ He saw,” says S. Augustine, “ My day , because he acknow- ledged the mystery of the Trinity.” (Bede follows him, as usual.) S. Jerome (on Dan. viii.) and S. Gregory (in loci) say that it was the day when, by the three angels that appeared to him, only one of whom spoke to him, the mystery of the Trinity was by symbols revealed to him ; he saw three but adored one (Gen. xviii. 2). (1.) But others generally refer it to the day of His Humanity, and thus understand it of the day of His Passion, Crucifixion, and death. See S. Chrysostom, &c. (2.) It is more simple to under- stand it of the day of His Incarnation. For all the Prophets and Patriarchs earnestly longed for the coming of Christ, to free them from their sins and from their imperfect state (limbo). “To see” (says John Alba) “ is to enjoy the happiness and blessings brought by Christ” The word has often that meaning, as in the Psalm “to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living,” i.a, to enjoy it He saw it. By faith, and again in a figure when he was com- manded by God to offer up his son Isaac, which was a type of Christ's offering on the Cross. So S. Chrysostom and S. Augustine, and S. Bernard (Serm. vi de. Vigil Natalis) adds that by smiting on his thigh he signified that Christ was to come from his race. (2.) He knew by prophetical revelation. But this would not be “ seeing.” (3.) The genuine meaning is, he saw from his own place (in limbo). He knew the day when Christ was incarnate and was bom, not only from what Simeon told him, when he met him in the place below (in limbo\ but also from what Anna the Prophetess, Zacharias, Anna the Virgin’s Mother, and S. John the Baptist told him, but he saw it by intuitive perception. He saw all, just as the Blessed in heaven behold all things on earth and under the earth, and as S. Anselm saw with his eyes lifted up by God what was doing behind a wall. Abraham longingly desired to see this, as if present For the promise that Christ should be bom of him had been frequently made him by God. And it was due to him, in consequence of his faith, obedience, and many merits, that as the father of the faithful, who for so long a time, without any fault of his own, was so long ABRAHAM KNEW WHEN CHRIST WAS BORN. 333 detained in prison (limbo), most eagerly looking for Christ to deliver him, might for his own consolation, and that of his fellow-patriarchs, and in solace of their long and anxious expectation, know the very day when Christ was Incarnate and born. For two thousand years had he eagerly waited for Christ and sighed for His birth. And therefore God revealed it to him by His Spirit, and then Abraham and all the Saints in prison rejoiced and were glad. So Jansen, Maldonatus, and others. Lastly, the angels who comfort souls in Purgatory, much more consoled the souls of Abraham and the Patriarchs (in limbo), even as the same angels announced that much longed-for birth to the shepherds. Christ said this, (1.) To show that He was greater than Abraham, and that He was God, (2.) to show how highly He was valued; though absent, by Abraham, though the Jews despised Him when present among them. (3.) And also to prick their consciences indirectly in this way : “ Abraham had so great a longing for Me, but ye have rejected Me. Ye are therefore not true children of Abraham, but spurious and degenerate.” He says u Abraham your father,” whose children ye glory in being, though I do not glory in him, but he rather glories and exults in Me.

Thou art not yet, &c. So that Abraham on his part could have seen Thee, and rejoiced at the sight Irenaeus hence infers that Christ lived fifty years on earth (adv. Hcer. il 39, 40). But it is the common opinion that He was on earth for only thirty- four (and those not complete) years. S. Chrysostom and Euthymius read forty years, but the common reading is fifty. The Jews seem to have been thinking of the Jubilee. “ Thou hast not reached one Jubilee, how then canst Thou say that Thou hast seen Abraham, who lived forty Jubilees before ? ” (So Severus of Antioch in Catena .) But Euthymius thinks that Christ seemed to the Jews, by reason of the maturity of His judgment and the gravity of His bearing, and also from the labours He had undergone in journeying and preaching, to be fifty years old. But you may easily say that the Jews, in order to avoid exception or mistake, put His age much higher than they knew He had attained to. A 334 s. JOHN, c. VIII. Ver. 5%.— Jesus said, &c. That is, I am God . The word am denotes eternity, which is ever present, and has no past or future. I am eternal, immutable, and ever the same. So S. Augustine, Bede, S. Gregory. I as God exceed the age of Abraham not by fifty years, but by infinite durations of years. For as Tertullian (de Trinit .) says, unless He had been God, He could not, as being descended from Abraham, have been before him. Hear S. Augus- tine on this passage, “Before Abraham was made , that refers to human nature, but I am pertains to the Divine Substance ; was made (Vulg.), because Abraham was a creature. He said not, 1 Before Abraham was, I am/ but Before Abraham was made, I am. Nor did He say, • Before Abraham was made, I was made.’ For in the beginning God made heaven and earth ; for in the beginning was the Word. Before Abraham was made, I am. Acknowledge the Creator, distinguish the creature. He who spake was made of the seed of Abraham ; and in order that Abraham might be made, He was (existed) before Abraham.”

Then they took up, &c., as a blasphemer, who placed * Himself above Abraham, and made Himself equal to God. Blas- phemers were ordered to be stoned (Lev. xxiv. 16). It is clear that these Jews were not those who were said to have believed in Him (as Theophylact supposes), but the others who were opposed to Christ “And to what should such hardness betake itself but to stones?” says S. Augustine (in toe.) “They sought to crush Him, whom they could not understand,” says S. Gregory (Horn. xviiL) But Jesus hid Himself, &c. He made Himself invisible, and thus passed unharmed through the midst of them. So Leontius and others. S. Gregory says, “ Had He willed to exercise His power, He would have bound them in their sins, or would have plunged them into the pains of eternal death. But He who came to suffer, would not exercise judgment” And S. Augustine, “ He would rather commend to us His patience, than exercise His power. He forsakes them, since they would not accept His correction. He hides not Himself in a comer of the temple, as if afraid, or running into a cottage, or turning aside behind a wall or column : but by CHRIST FLIES AS MAN. 335 His Divine Power making Himself invisible, He passed through their midst As man He fled from the stones, but woe to them from whose stony hearts God flies away. Morally, we are taught by this example (says S. Gregory) humbly to avoid the anger of the proud, even when we have the power to resist them. ( 33 « )