HOMILY V.] HOMILIES ON TIMOTHY. 425 be instructed. For that he had the power appears from other passages, " What will ye ? Shall I come unto you with a rod?" (i Cor. iv. 21.) And again, " Lest I should use sharp ness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruc tion." (2 Cor. xiii. 10.) Why did he then call upon Satan to punish them? That the disgrace might be greater, as the severity and the pun ishment was more striking. Or rather, they themselves chastised those who did not yet be lieve, but those who turned aside, they delivered to Satan. Why then did Peter punish Ananias? Because whilst he was tempting the Holy Ghost, he was still an unbeliever. That the unbelieving therefore might learn that they could not escape, they themselves inflicted punishment upon them ; but those who had learnt this, yet afterwards turned aside, they delivered to Satan ; showing that they were sustained not by theirown power, but by their care for them ; and as many as were lifted up into arrogance were delivered to him. For as kings with their own hands slay their enemies, but deliver their subjects to exe cutioners for punishment, so it is in this case. And these acts were done to show the authority committed to the Apostles. Nor was it a slight power, to be able thus to subject the devil to their commands. For this shows that he served and obeyed them even against his will, and this was no little proof of the power of grace. And listen how he delivered them : " When ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan." (i Cor. v. 4.) He was then immediately expelled from the common assem bly, he was separated from the fold, he became deserted and destitute ; he was delivered to the wolf. For as the cloud designated the camp of the Hebrews, so the Spirit distinguished the Church. If any one therefore was without, he was consumed, 1 and it was by the judgment of the Apostles that he was cast out of the pale. So also the Lord delivered Judas to Satan. For immediately " after the sop Satan entered into him." (John xiii. 27.) Or this may be said; that those whom they wished to amend, they did not themselves punish, but reserved their punishments for those who were incorrigible. Or otherwise, that they were the more dreaded for delivering them up to others. Job also was delivered to Satan, but not for his sins, but for fuller proof of his worth. Many such instances still occur. For since the Priests cannot know who are sinners, and unworthy partakers of the holy Mysteries, God often in this way delivers them to Satan. For 1 See Ex. xiy. 20. The converse is not stated here, but is im plied of the Christian Church in Zech. ii. 5. when diseases, and attacks,2 and sorrows, and calamities, and the like occur, it is on this account that they are inflicted. This is shown by Paul. " For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." (i Cor. xi. 30.) But how? saith one, when we approach but once a year ! But this is indeed the evil, that you determine the worthiness of your ap proach, not by the purity of your minds, but by the interval of time. You think it a proper cau tion not to communicate often ; not considering that you are seared by partaking unworthily, though only once, but to receive worthily, though often, is salutary. It is not presumptuous to- receive often, but to receive unworthily, though but once in a whole life. But we are so misera bly foolish, that, though we commit numberless offenses in the course of a year, we are not anxious to be absolved from them, but are satis fied, that we do not often make bold impudently to insult the Body of Christ, not remembering that those who crucified Christ, crucified Him but once. Is the offense then the less, because committed but once ? Judas betrayed his Mas ter but once. What then, did that exempt him from punishment? Why indeed is time to be considered in this matter? let our time of com ing be when our conscience is pure. The Mystery at Easter is not of more efficacy than that which is now celebrated. It is one and the same. There is the same grace of the Spirit, it is always a Passover.3 You who are initiated know this. On the Preparation, 4 on the Sab bath, on the Lord s day, and on the day of Martyrs, it is the same Sacrifice that is per formed. " For as often," he saith, " as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord s death." (i Cor. xi. 26.) No time is limited for the performance of this Sacrifice,why then is it then called the Paschal feast? 5 Be cause Christ suffered for us then. Let not the time, therefore, make any difference in your approach. There is at all times the same power, the same dignity, the same grace, one and the same body ; nor is one celebration of it more or less holy than another. And this you know, who see upon these occasions nothing new, save these worldly veils, and a more splendid attend ance. The only thing that these days have more is that from them commenced the day of our salvation when Christ was sacrificed. But with respect to these mysteries, those days have no further preeminence. 2 eVt/SouAai. He seems to mean those of Satan. Of affliction as a warning against sin, see on Stat. Horn. iii. and Horn. iv. 3 See Horn. iii. of St. Chrys. against the Jews, 4. Ben. t. i. p. 6n. 4 Trapacrireujj, Friday [preparation day for the Jewish Sabbath, Sabbath-eve] . 5 TrdtrxO: He seems to allude to the Greek word for " suffering," though the reason will hold otherwise. [^acr^a is not from the Greek naa\u>, to suffer, but from the Hebrew HCS> a passing over, a. sparing,]