the Lord at once graft the wild olive into the good olive tree. He did it then when He said,
“Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”
13. Lastly, mark what follows. “Therefore,”—that is, because “I have not found so great
faith in Israel,” that is, so great humility with faith,—“Therefore I say unto you, that many
shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob
in the kingdom of heaven.”2634 “Shall sit,” that is, “shall rest.” For we must not form notions
of carnal banquets there, or desire any such thing in that kingdom, as to change not vices
for virtues, but only to make an exchange of vices. For it is one thing to desire the kingdom
of heaven for the sake of wisdom and life eternal; another, for the sake of earthly felicity, as
though there we should have it in more abundant and greater measure. If thou think to be
rich in that kingdom, thou dost not cut off, but only changest desire; and yet rich thou wilt
really be, and in none other place but there wilt thou be rich; for here thy want gathers to-
gether the abundance of things. Why have rich men much? Because they want much. A
greater want heaps together as it were greater means; there want itself shall die. Then thou
shalt be truly rich, when thou shalt be in want of nothing. For now thou art not surely rich,
and an Angel poor, who has not horses, and carriages, and servants. Why? Because he does
not want any of these: because in proportion to his greater strength, is his want the less.
Therefore there there are riches, and the true riches. Figure not to yourselves then banquets
of this earth in that place. For the banquets of this world are daily medicines; they are neces-
sary for a kind of sickness we have, wherewith we are born. This sickness every one is sensible
of, when the hour for refreshment is passed. Wouldest thou see how great a sickness this is,
that as an acute fever would be fatal in seven days? Do not fancy thyself then to be in health.
Immortality will be health. For this present is only one long sickness. Because thou dost
support thy disease by daily medicines; thou fanciest thyself in health; take away the medi-
cines, and then see what thou canst do.
14. For from the moment we are born, we must needs be dying. This disease must needs
bring us to death. This indeed physicians say when they examine their patients. For instance,
“This man has the dropsy, he is dying; this disease cannot be cured. This man has the lep-
rosy:2635 this disease too cannot be cured. He is in a consumption. Who can cure this? He
must needs die, he must perish.” See, the physician has now pronounced that he is in a
consumption; that he cannot but die; and yet sometimes the dropsical patient does not die
of his disease, and the leprous does not die of his, nor the consumptive patient of his; but
now it is absolutely necessary that every one who is born should die of this. He dies of it, he
cannot do otherwise. This the physician and the unskilled both pronounce upon; and though
he die somewhat more slowly, does he on that account not die? Where then is there true
2634 Matt. viii. 11.
2635 Elephantiosus.
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On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xv. 21,’Jesus went out thence, and withdrew…