sight of the combs invited them from without to relax the strain on their resolution. For the sweetness, as well as the present readiness of the table, and the difficulty of detecting the stealth, were sufficient to ensnare their utmost wisdom. If it had been flesh, which needed boiling or roasting, their minds would not have been so much bewitched; since while they were delaying in the cookery of these, and engaged in preparing them for food, they might expect to be discovered. But now there was nothing of this kind; there was honey only, for which no such labour was required, and for which the dipping of the tip of the finger sufficed to partake of the table, and that with secresy. Nevertheless, these persons restrained their appetite, and did not say within themselves, “What does it concern us? Hath any one of us sworn this? He may pay the penalty of his inconsiderate oath, for why did he swear?” Nothing of this sort did they think; but religiously passed on; and though there were so many enticements, they behaved themselves wisely. “The people went on talking.”1582 What is the meaning of this word “talking?” Why, that for the purpose of soothing their pain with words, they held discourse with one another. 434 7. What then, did nothing more come of this, when all the people had acted so wisely? Was the oath, forsooth, observed? Not even so was it observed. On the contrary, it was viol- ated! How, and in what way? Ye shall hear forthwith, in order that ye may also thoroughly discern the whole art of the devil. For Jonathan, not having heard his father take the oath, “put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and his eyes saw clearly.”1583 Observe, who it was whom he impelled to break the oath; not one of the soldiers, but the very son of him who had sworn it. For he did not only desire to effect perjury, but was also plotting the slaughter of a son, and making provision for it beforehand; and was in haste to divide nature against her own self. and what he had done aforetime in the case of Jephthah, that he hoped now again to accomplish. For he likewise, when he had promised that the first thing that met him, after a victorious battle, he would sacrifice,1584 fell into the snare of child-murder; for his daughter first meeting him, he sacrificed her and God did not forbid it. And I know, indeed, that many of the unbelievers impugn us of cruelty and inhumanity on account of this sacrifice; but I should say, that the concession1585 in the case of this sacrifice was a striking example of providence and clemency; and that it was in care for our race that He did not prevent that sacrifice. For if after that vow and promise He had forbidden the sacrifice, many also who were subsequent to Jephthah, in the expect- 1582 So LXX. Heb. , E.V. And behold the honey dropped. This difference has arisen in all prob- ability from their mss. having read instead of . This seems a probable conjecture: often, however, the variations of the LXX. can be accounted for as being paraphrastic. 1583 1 Sam. xiv. 27. 1584 Jud. xi. 31. 1585 He means the absence of interference, for it was against the law of Moses. Deut. xii. 31. 633 Homily XIV