out for a lie. But hear still the same Evangelist John pouring forth what he had drunk in;
“And we beheld,” saith he, “His glory.” What did he behold? what glory beheld he? “The
glory as of the Only-Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”3986 See then, see, if we
ought not haply to restrain weak or rash disputings, and to presume nothing false of the
truth, to give to the Lord what is His due; let us give glory to the Fountain, that we may fill
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ourselves securely. “Now God is true, but every man a liar.”3987 What is this? God is full;
every man is empty; if he will be filled, let him come to Him That is full. “Come unto Him,
and be enlightened.”3988 Moreover, if man is empty, in that he is a liar, and he seeks to be
filled, and with haste and eagerness runs to the fountain, he wishes to be filled, he is empty.
But thou sayest, “Beware of the fountain, there is falsehood there.” What else sayest thou,
but “there is poison there”?
7. “You have already,” he says, “said all, already have you checked, already chastened
me. But tell me how He did not speak falsely who said, ‘I go not up,’ and went up?” I will
tell you, if I can; but think it no little matter, that if I have not established you in the truth,
I have yet kept you back from rashness. I will nevertheless tell you, what I imagine you know
even already, if you remember the words which I have set forth to you. The words themselves
solve the difficulty. That feast was kept for many days. On this, that is this present feast day,
saith He, this day, that is when they hoped, He went not up; but when He Himself resolved
to go. Now mark what follows, “When He had said these words, He Himself stayed in Ga-
lilee.” So then He did not go up on that feast day. For His brethren wished that He should
go first; therefore had they said, “Pass from hence into Judæa.” They did not say, “Let us
pass,” as though they would be His companions; or, “Follow us into Judæa,” as though they
would go first; but as though they would send Him before them. He wished that they should
go before; He avoided this snare, impressing His infirmity as Man, hiding the Divinity; this
He avoided, as when He fled into Egypt.3989 For this was no effect of want of power, but
even of truth, that He might give an example of caution; that no servant of His might say,
“I do not fly, because it is disgraceful;” when haply it might be expedient to fly. As He was
going to say to His disciples, “When they have persecuted you in this city, flee ye into anoth-
er;”3990 He gave them Himself this example. For He was apprehended, when He willed; He
was born, when He willed. That they might not anticipate Him then, and announce that He
was coming, and plots be prepared; He said, “I go not up to this feast day.”3991 He said, “I
3986 John i. 14.
3987 Rom. iii. 4.
3988 Ps. xxxiii. 6, Sept. (xxxiv. 5, English version).
3989 Matt. ii. 14.
3990 Matt. x. 23.
3991 John vii. 8.
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On the words of the Gospel of John vii. 6, etc., where Jesus said that He…