{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-521","native_reference":{"book_number":690,"chapter_from":3,"chapter_to":3,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":21,"verse_to":21},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: \"Beloved, if our heart think not ill of us, we have confidence towards God:\" - What meaneth, \"If our heart think not ill\"? If it make true answer to us, that we love and that there is genuine love in us: not feigned but sincere; seeking a brother's salvation, expecting no emolument from a brother, but only his salvation - \"we have confidence toward God: and whatsoever we ask, we shall receive of Him, because we keep His commandments.\" - Therefore, not in the sight of men, but where God Himself seeth, in the heart - \"we have confidence,\" then, \"towards God: and whatsoever we ask, we shall receive of Him:\" howbeit, because we keep His commandments. What are \"His commandments\"? Must we be always repeating? \"A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another.\" It is charity itself that he speaks of, it is this that he enforces. Whoso then shall have brotherly charity, and have it before God, where God seeth, and his heart being interrogated under righteous examination make him none other answer than that the genuine root of charity is there for good fruits to come from; that man hath confidence with God, and whatsoever he shall ask, he shall receive of Him, because he keepeth His commandments.<br/><i>— Ten Homilies on 1 John 6</i></p><p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: Here a question meets us: for it is not this or that man, or thou or I that come in question, - for if I have asked any thing of God and receive it not, any person may easily say of me, \"He hath not charity:\" and of any man soever of this present time, this may easily be said; and let any think what he will, a man of man: - not we, but those come more in question, those men of whom it is on all hands known that they were saints when they wrote, and that they are now with God. Where is the man that hath charity, if Paul had it not, who said, \"Our mouth is open unto you, O ye Corinthians, our heart is enlarged; ye are not straitened in us:\" who said, \"I will myself be spent for your souls:\" and so great grace was in him, that it was manifested that he had charity. And yet we find that he asked and did not receive.<br/><i>— Ten Homilies on 1 John 6</i></p><p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: The saints are in all things heard unto salvation: they are always heard in that which respects their eternal salvation; it is this that they desire: because in regard of this, their prayers are always heard. But let us distinguish God's different ways of hearing prayer. For we find some not heard for their wish, heard for salvation: and again some we find heard for their wish, not heard for salvation. Mark this difference, hold fast this example of a man not heard for his wish but heard for salvation. Hear the apostle Paul; for what is the hearing of prayer unto salvation, God Himself showed him: \"Sufficient for thee,\" saith He, \"is my grace; for strength is perfected in weakness.\" Thou hast besought, hast cried, hast thrice cried: the very cry thou didst raise once for all I heard, I turned not away mine ears from thee; I know what I should do: thou wouldest have it taken away, the healing thing by which thou art burned; I know the infirmity by which thou art burdened.<br/><i>— Ten Homilies on 1 John 6</i></p><p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: Agreeably with this, we ought to understand that God, though He give not to our will, doth give for our salvation. For suppose the thing thou have asked be to thine hurt, and the Physician knows that it is to thine hurt; what then? It is not to be said that the physician does not give ear to thee, when, perhaps, thou askest for cold water, and if it is good for thee, he gives it immediately, if not good, he gives it not. Had he no ears for thy request, or rather, did he give ear for thy weal, even when he gainsaid thy will? Then let there be in you charity, my brethren; let it be in you, and then set your minds at rest: even when the thing ye ask for is not given you, your prayer is granted, only ye know it not.<br/><i>— Ten Homilies on 1 John 6</i></p><p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: Many have been given into their own hands, to their own hurt: of whom the apostle saith, \"God gave them up to their own hearts' lusts.\" Some man hath asked for a great sum of money; he hath received, to his hurt. When he had it not, he had little to fear; no sooner did he come to have it, than he became a prey to the more powerful. Was not that man's request granted to his own hurt, who would needs have that for which he should be sought after by the robber, whereas, being poor, none sought after him? Learn to beseech God that ye may commit it to the Physician to do what He knows best. Do thou confess the disease, let Him apply the means of healing. Do thou only hold fast charity. For He will needs cut, will needs burn; what if thou criest out, and art not spared for thy crying under the cutting, under the burning and the tribulation, yet He knows how far the rottenness reaches. Thou wouldest have Him even now take off His hands, and He considers only the deepness of the sore; He knows how far to go. He does not attend to thee for thy will, but he does attend to thee for thy healing.<br/><i>— Ten Homilies on 1 John 6</i></p><p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: Be ye sure, then, my brethren, that what the apostle saith is true: \"For we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered: for He maketh intercession for the saints.\" How is it said, \"The Spirit itself intercedeth for the saints,\" but as meaning the charity which is wrought in thee by the Spirit? For therefore saith the same apostle: \"The charity of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.\" It is charity that groans, it is charity that prays: against it He who gave it cannot shut His ears. Set your minds at rest: let charity ask, and the ears of God are there. Not that which thou wishest is done, but that is done which is advantageous. Therefore, \"whatever we ask,\" saith he, \"we shall receive of Him,\" - If thou understand it to mean, \"for salvation,\" there is no question: if not for salvation, there is a question, and a great one, a question that makes thee an accuser of the apostle Paul. \"Whatever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do these things that are pleasing in His sight:\" within, where He seeth.<br/><i>— Ten Homilies on 1 John 6</i></p><p><b>Bede</b>: Beloved, if our heart does not reproach us, etc. If it truthfully answers us that we love, and that genuine love is in us, and not feigned, but sincere, seeking the brother's salvation, expecting no gain from the brother except his salvation; likewise, if our heart does not reproach us, notably when we say in prayer: Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors (Matthew VI), we have confidence towards God, not in the sight of men, but where God Himself sees in the heart.<br/><i>— Commentary on the Catholic Epistles</i></p><p><b>Cyril of Alexandria</b>: As long as you are in this life (for this life is nothing other than the way which we all take), do not ignore or reject the warnings of your conscience. For if you do so, when you have run your course, your conscience will rise up against you and accuse you before your judge, and thrust you in front of the judge's sentence and turn you over to eternal punishment. You will not have to endure this if along the way you show yourself kind toward this adversary and accept his well-intended rebukes with gratitude.<br/><i>— CATENA</i></p><p><b>Oecumenius</b>: Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God; and whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.<br/>Therefore, after we have prepared ourselves in such a way, beloved, that we are not condemned by ourselves, namely in being truthful with one another, we will have confidence towards God: through which confidence, whatever we ask, we will receive entirely from Him. Why?<br/>because we keep His commandments: for this is of utmost importance for obtaining what is requested, namely the obedience of those who ask, when it has been without any hesitation, towards Him to whom the request is directed.<br/>Since therefore we also keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight, let us trust that we shall not suffer rejection in our requests: since the affection that is in both parties greatly desires to repay the service that comes to the use of the other.<br/><i>— Commentary on 1 John</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"0149024663051a805d815013e94e1c47af58e3b3142bcdf90f9f6a404b025085","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":521,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"769af15055f1b9d33f25bb85e095a6c990b82b96db4f69a8106b7952242e1b71","translator":null,"work":null}