WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY V. rather that he calls "the enmity in the flesh," a middle wall, in that it is a common barrier, cutting us off alike from God. 1 As the Prophet says, Your iniquities separate between you and Me; " (Isa. lix : 2.) for that enmity which He had both against Jews and Gentiles was, as it were, a middle wall. And this, whilst the law existed, was not only not abolished, but rather was strengthened; "for the law," saith the Apostle, "worketh wrath." (Rom. iv: 15.) Just in the same way then as when he says in that passage, "the law worketh wrath," he does not ascribe the whole of this effect to the law itself, but it is to be understood, that it is because we have transgressed it ; so also in this place he calls it a middle wall, because through being disobeyed it wrought enmity. The law was a hedge, but this it was made for the sake of security, and for this reason was called "a hedge," to the intent that it might form an inclosure. For listen again to the Prophet, where he says, "I made a trench about it." (Isa. v: 2.) And again, "Thou hast broken down her fences, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her." (Ps. Ixxx: 12.) Here therefore it means -security and so again, "I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be trodden down." (Isa. v: 5.) And again, "He gave them the law for a defence." (Isa. viii : 20.) And again, "The Lord executeth righteous acts and madeknown His ways unto Israel. " (Ps.ciii : 6, 7.) It became, however, a middle wall, no longer establishing them in security, but cutting them off from God. Such then is the middle wall of partition formed out of the hedge. And to explain what this is, he subjoins, "the enmity in His flesh having abolished, the law of com mandments." How so ? In that He was slain and dissolved the enmity therein. And not in this way only but also by keeping it. But what then, if we are released from the former transgression, and yet are again compelled to keep it? Then were the case the same over again, whereas He hath destroyed the very law itself. For he says, " Having abolished the law of commandments contained in ordinances." Oh ! amazing lov ing-kindness ! He gave us a law that we should keep it, and when we kept it not, and ought to have been punished, He even abrogated the law itself. As if a man, who, having committed a child to a schoolmaster, if he should turn out disobedient, should set him at liberty even from the schoolmaster, and take him away. How great loving-kindness were this ! What is meant by, 1 [ "The only mode of taking exSpav in harmony with the con text is not as Chrysostom, " but of theenmity which existedbetween Jews and Gentiles." Meyer. " Ev rfi o-apici, in the flesh, does not belong to TT/IV evOpav.^as Chrysostom construes it but to caTap-)"j(7aj, having abolished. " So Meyer and Rev. Ver. G. A.J " Having abolished by ordinances ? " 2 For he makes a wide distinction between "commandments" and "ordinances." He either then means " faith," calling that an " ordinance," (for by faith alone He saved us,) or he means "precept," such as Christ gave, when He said, " But I say unto you, that ye are not to be angry at all." (Matt, v: 22.) That is to say, If thou shalt believe that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. x: 6-9.) And again, "The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thine heart. Say not, Who shall ascend into heaven, or who shall descend into the abyss?" or, who hath " brought Him again from the dead ? " Instead of a certain manner of life, He brought in faith. For that He might not save us to no purpose, He both Himself underwent the penalty, and also required of men the faith that is by doctrines. "That he might create in Himself of the twain, one new man." Observe thou, that it is not that the Gentile is become a Jew, but that both the one and the other are entered into another condition. It was not with a view of merely making this last other than he was, but rather, in order to create the two anew. And well does he on all occa sions employ the word " create," and does not say " change," in order to point out the power of what was done, and that even though the creation be invisible, yet it is no less a creation than that is, and that we ought not hencefor ward start away from this, as from natural things. " That He might in Himself of the twain." That is, by Himself.3 He gave not this charge to another, but Himself, by Himself, melted both the one and the other, and pro duced a glorious one, and one greater than the first creation ; and that one, first, was Himself. For this is the meaning of "in Himself." He Himself first gave the type and example. Lay ing hold on the one hand of the Jew, and on the other of the Gentile, and Himself being in the midst, He blended them together, made all the estrangement which existed between them to disappear, and fashioned them anew from above by fire and by water ; no longer with water and earth, but with water and fire. He became a Jew by circumcision, He became accursed, He 2 [The order of the Greek is as follows : -rov vofiov riav evro\S>v ev 86yna<T(.v KOTapy>)(Tas. Chrysostom has because of the order joined ev S6yfj.a.(Tiv with (carapyrjcra?, as its modal definition. But ev Sbynaaiv belongs to evTO\tav meaning the law of commandments consisting in ordinances, " ev-ro\lav denoting the contents of thelaw and iv SoyiMaa-iv the form in which they were given " so Meyer. G. A.ja [ tv avTio : " This is not equivalent to 5i eovroO, as Chrysostom, but it affirms that the unity to be brought about was to be founded in Christ Himself, was to have the basis of its existence and con tinuance in Him and not in any other unifying principles what ever." Meyer. G. A.]