the Churches of Judæa which were in Christ. But they heard only that he which persecuted
us in times past, now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed, and they glorified God
in me.” 2897 So again Christ is called the “Corner Stone who made both one.”2898 For a
corner joins two walls which come from different sides together. And what was so different
as the circumcision and uncircumcision, having one wall from Judæa, the other from the
Gentiles? But they are joined together by the corner stone. “For the stone which the builders
rejected, the same is become the head of the corner.”2899 There is no corner in a building,
except when two walls coming from different directions meet together, and are joined in a
kind of unity. The “two blind men” then crying out unto the Lord were these two walls ac-
cording to the figure.
11. Attend now, dearly Beloved. The Lord was “passing by,” and the blind men “cried
out.” What is “was passing by”? As we have already said, He was doing works which “passed
by.” Now upon2900 these passing works is our faith built up. For we believe on the Son of
God, not only in that He is the word of God, by whom all things were made; for if He had
always continued “in the form of God, equal with God,” and had not “emptied Himself in
taking the form of a servant,” the blind men would not even have perceived Him, that they
might be able to cry out. But when He wrought passing works, that is, “when He humbled
Himself, having become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross,” the “two blind
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men cried out, Have mercy on us, thou Son of David.” For this very thing that He David’s
Lord and Creator, willed also to be David’s Son, He wrought in time, He wrought “passing
by.”
12. Now what is it, Brethren, “to cry out” unto Christ, but to2901 correspond to the grace
of Christ by good works? This I say, Brethren, lest haply we cry aloud with our voices, and
in our lives be dumb. Who is he that crieth out to Christ, that his inward blindness may be
driven away by Christ as He is “passing by,” that is, as He is dispensing to us those temporal
sacraments, whereby we are instructed to receive the things which are eternal? Who is he
that crieth out unto Christ? Whoso despiseth the world, crieth out unto Christ. Whoso
despiseth the pleasures of the world, crieth out unto Christ. Whoso saith not with his tongue,
but with his life, “The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world,”2902 crieth out unto
Christ. Whoso “disperseth abroad and giveth to the poor, that his righteousness may endure
for ever,”2903 crieth out unto Christ. For let him that hears, and is not deaf to the sound,
2897 Gal. i. 22–24.
2898 Eph. ii. 14, 20.
2899 Ps. cxviii. 22.
2900 Secundum.
2901 Congruere.
2902 Gal. vi. 14.
2903 Ps. cxii. 9.
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On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xx. 30, about the two blind men sitting…