The Twentieth Sunday after Trinity
Augustine homily on Matt. xxii
Home, 20th Sunday after Trinity
O ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, of thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things which thou commandest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Source: Sacrementary of Bishop Gelasius of Rome [494]. Much minor reworking from the Latin. [Barbee and Zalh]
Ephesians v. 15 & St. Matthew xxii. 1
Augustine on Matt. xx etc.
Ephesians v. 15
SEE then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
St. Matthew xxii. 1
JESUS said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding-garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.
Scripture from 1928 Book of Common Prayer
The Collects of Thomas Cranmer, Barbee and Zahl
Homily
Augustine on Matt. xxii.
>
Sermon XL.
[XC. Ben.]
On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xxii. 2, etc., about the marriage of the king’s son; against the
Donatists, on charity. Delivered at Carthage in the Restituta. [2985]
1. All the faithful [2986] know the marriage of the king’s son, and his feast, and the spreading [2987]
of the Lord’s Table is open to them all [2988] who will. But it is of importance to each one to see how
he approaches, even when he is not forbidden to approach It. For the Holy Scriptures teach us that
there are two feasts of the Lord; one to which the good and evil come, the other to which the evil
come not. So then the feast, of which we have just now heard when the Gospel was being read, has
both good and evil guests. All who excused themselves from this feast are evil; but not all those
who entered in are good. You therefore who are the good guests at this feast do I address, who have
in your minds the words, “He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to
himself.” [2989] All you who are such do I address, that ye look not for the good without, that ye bear
with the evil within.
2. I do not doubt that ye wish to hear, Beloved, who they are of whom I have spoken in my
address, that they should not look for the good without, and should bear with the evil within. If all
within are evil, whom do I address? If all within are good, whom did I advise them to bear with
being evil? Let me first then with the Lord’s assistance get out of this difficulty as best I can. If
you consider good perfectly and strictly [2990] speaking, none is good but God Alone. Ye have the
Lord saying most plainly, “Why callest thou Me good? there is none Good but One, that is, God.” [2991]
How then can that marriage feast have good and bad guests, if “none is good but God Alone”? In
the first place ye ought to know, that after a certain sort we are all evil. Yes, doubtless after a certain
sort are we all evil; but after no sort are we all good. For can we compare ourselves with the Apostles,
to whom the Lord Himself said, “If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your
children?” [2992] If we consider the Scriptures, there was but one evil one among the twelve Apostles,
with reference to whom the Lord said in a certain place, “And ye are clean, but not all.” [2993] But yet
in addressing them all together, He said, “If ye being evil.” Peter heard this, John heard this, Andrew
heard this, all the rest of the eleven Apostles heard it. What did they hear? “If ye being evil know
how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Father which is in heaven
give good things to them that ask Him?” When they heard that they were evil, they were in despair;
but when they heard that God in heaven was their Father, they revived. “Ye being evil;” what then
is due to the evil, but punishment? “How much more shall your Father which is in heaven?” What
is due to children but reward. In the name of “evil” is the dread of punishment; in the name of
“children” is the hope of heirs.
3. According to a certain respect then they were evil, who after another respect were good. For
to them to whom it is said, “Ye being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children;” is
added immediately, “How much more shall your Father which is in heaven?” He is then the Father
of the evil, but not of those who are to be left so; because He is the Physician of them who are to
be cured. According to a certain sort then they were evil. And yet those guests of the Householder
at the King’s marriage, were not I suppose of that number of whom it was said, “they invited good
and bad,” [2994] that they should be reckoned among the number of the bad, who we have heard were
shut out in his person who was found not to have a wedding garment. According to a certain respect,
I repeat they were bad, who yet were good; and according to a certain respect they were good, who
yet were bad. Hear John according to what respect they were bad: “If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” [2995] Behold after what respect they were bad: because
they had sin. According to what respect were they good? “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” [2996] If then we should say,
on the principle of this interpretation which ye have now heard me bring, as I think, out of the
sacred Scriptures, viz. that the same men are both after a certain manner, good, and after a certain
manner bad; if we should wish to receive according to this sense the words, “they invited good and
bad,” the same persons, that is, at once good and bad; if we should wish so to receive them, we are
not permitted so to do, by reason of that one who was found “not having a wedding garment,” and
who was not merely “cast forth,” so as to be deprived of that feast, but so as to be condemned in
the punishment of everlasting darkness.
4. But one will say, What of one man? what strange, what great matter is it, if one among the
crowd “not having a wedding garment” crept in unperceived to the servants of the Householder?
Could it be said because of that one, “they invited good and bad”? Attend therefore, my Brethren,
and understand. That one man represented one class; for they were many. Here some diligent hearer
may answer me, and say, “I have no wish for you to tell me your guesses; I wish to have it proved
to me that that one represented many.” [2997] By the Lord’s present help, I will prove it clearly; nor
will I search far, that I may be able to prove it. God will assist me in His own words in this place,
and will furnish you by my ministry with a plain proof of it. “The Master of the house came in to
see the guests.” [2998] See, my Brethren, the servants’ business was only to invite and bring in the good
and bad; see that it is not said, that the servants took notice of the guests, and found among them
a man which had not on a wedding garment, and spoke to him. This is not written. The Master of
the house saw him, the Master of the house discovered, the Master of the house inspected, the
Master of the house separated him out. It was not right to pass over this. But I have undertaken to
establish another point, how that that one signifies many. “The Master of the house” then “came
in to see the guests, and He found there a man which had not on a wedding garment. And He saith
unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was
speechless.” [2999] For He who questioned him was One, to whom he could give no feigned reply. The
garment that was looked for is in the heart, not on the body; for had it been put on externally, it
could not have been concealed even from the servants. Where that wedding garment must be put
on, hear in the words, “Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness.” [3000] Of that garment the Apostle
speaks, [3001] “If so be that we shall be found clothed, and not naked.” [3002] Therefore was he discovered
by the Lord, who escaped the notice of the servants. Being questioned, he is speechless: he is bound,
cast out, and condemned one by many. I have said, Lord, that Thou teachest us that in this Thou
dost give warning to all. Recollect then with me, my Brethren, the words which ye have heard, and
ye will at once discover, at once determine, that that one was many. True it was one man whom
the Lord questioned, to one He said, “Friend, how camest thou in hither?” It was one who was
speechless, and of that same one was it said, “Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer
darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” [3003] Why? “For many are called, but few
chosen.” [3004] How can any one gainsay this manifestation of the truth? “Cast him,” He saith, “into
outer darkness.” “Him,” that one man assuredly, of whom the Lord saith, “for many are called, but
few chosen.” So then it is the few who are not cast out. He was it is true but one man “who had not
the wedding garment. Cast him out.” But why is he cast out? “For many are called, but few chosen.”
Leave alone the few, cast out the many. It is true, that man was but one. Yet undoubtedly that one
not only was many, but those many in numbers far surpassed the number of the good. For the good
are many also; but in comparison of the bad, they are few. In the crop there is much wheat; compare
it with the chaff, and the grains of corn are few. The same persons considered in themselves are
many, in comparison with the bad are few. How do we prove that in themselves they are many?
“Many shall come from the East and from the West.” Whither shall they come? To that feast, into
which both good and bad enter. But speaking of another feast, He subjoined, “and shall sit down
with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” [3005] That is the feast to which the
bad shall not approach. Be that feast which now is, received worthily, that we may attain to the
other. The same then are many, who are also few; in themselves many; in comparison with the bad
few. Therefore what saith the Lord? He found one, and said, “Let the many be cast out, the few
remain.” For to say, “many are called, but few chosen,” is nothing else than to show plainly who
in this present feast are accounted to be such, as to be brought to that other feast, where no bad men
shall come.
5. What is it then? I would not that ye all who approach the Lord’s Table which is in this life,
should be with the many who are to be shut out, but with the few who are to be reserved. And how
shall ye be able to attain to this? Take “the wedding garment.” Ye will say, “Explain this ‘wedding
garment’ to us.” Without a doubt, that is the garment which none but the good have, who are to be
left at the feast, reserved unto that other feast to which no bad man approaches, who are to be
brought safely thither by the grace of the Lord; these have “the wedding garment.” Let us then, my
Brethren, seek for those among the faithful who have something which bad men have not, and this
will be “the wedding garment.” If we speak of sacraments, ye see how that these are common to
the bad and good. Is it Baptism? Without Baptism it is true no one attaineth to God; but not every
one that hath Baptism attaineth to Him. I cannot therefore understand Baptism, the Sacrament itself
that is, to be “the wedding garment;” for this garment I see in the good, I see in the bad. Peradventure
it is the Altar, or That which is received at the Altar. But no; we see that many eat, and “eat and
drink judgment to themselves.” What is it then? Is it fasting? The wicked fast also. Is it running
together to the Church? The wicked run thither also. Lastly, is it miracles? Not only do the good
and bad perform them, but sometimes the good perform them not. See, among the ancient people
Pharaoh’s magicians wrought miracles, the Israelites did not; among the Israelites, Moses only and
Aaron wrought them; the rest did not, but saw, and feared, and believed. [3006] Were the magicians of
Pharaoh who did miracles, better men than the people of Israel who could not do them, and yet that
people were the people of God. In the Church itself, hear the Apostle, “Are all prophets? Have all
the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues?” [3007]
6. What is that “wedding garment” then? This is the wedding garment: “Now the end of the
commandment,” says the Apostle, “is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of
faith unfeigned.” [3008] This is “the wedding garment.” Not charity of any kind whatever; for very
often they who are partakers together of an evil conscience seem to love one another. They who
commit robberies together, who love the hurtful arts of sorceries, and the stage together, who join
together in the shout of the chariot race, or the wild beast fight; these very often love one another;
but in these there is no “charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.
The wedding garment” is such charity as this. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of
Angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal.” [3009] Tongues
have come in alone, and it is said to them, “How came ye in hither not having a wedding garment?”
“Though,” said he, “I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge,
and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.”
See, these are the miracles of men who very often have not “the wedding garment.” “Though,” he
says, “I have all these, and have not Christ, I am nothing.” Is then “the gift of prophecy” nothing?
is then “the knowledge of mysteries” [3010] nothing? It is not that these are nothing; but “I,” if I have
them, “and have not charity, am nothing.” How many good things profit nothing without this one
good thing! If then I have not charity, though I bestow alms freely upon the poor, though I have
come to the confession of Christ’s Name even unto blood and fire, these things may be done even
through the love of glory, and so are vain. Because then they may be done even from the love of
glory, and so be vain, and not through the rich charity of a godly affection, he names them all also
in express terms, and do thou give ear to them; “though I distribute all my goods for the use of the
poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” [3011]
This then is “the wedding garment.” Question yourselves; if ye have it, ye may be without fear in
the Feast of the Lord. In one and the same man there exist two things, charity and desire. Let charity
be born in thee, if it be yet unborn, and if it be born, be it nourished, fostered, increased. But as to
that desire, though in this life it cannot be utterly extinguished; “for if we say that we have no sin
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us;” [3012] but in so far as desire is in us, so far we are
not without sin: let charity increase, desire decrease; that the one, that is, charity, may one day be
perfected, and desire be consumed. Put on “the wedding garment:” you I address, who as yet have
it not. Ye are already within, already do ye approach to the Feast, and still have ye not yet the
garment to do honour to the Bridegroom; “Ye are yet seeking your own things, not the things which
are Jesus Christ’s.” [3013] For “the wedding garment” is taken in honour of the union, the union, that
is, of the Bridegroom to the Bride. Ye know the Bridegroom; it is Christ. Ye know the Bride; it is
the Church. Pay honour [3014] to the Bride, pay honour to the Bridegroom. If ye pay due honour to
them both, ye will be their children. Therefore in this make progress. Love the Lord, and so learn
to love yourselves; that when by loving the Lord ye shall have loved yourselves, ye may securely
love your neighbour as yourselves. For when I find a man that does not love himself, how shall I
commit his neighbour whom he should love as himself to him? And who is there, you will say,
who does not love himself? Who is there? See, “He that loveth iniquity hateth his own soul.” [3015]
Does he love himself, who loves his body, and hates his soul to his own hurt, to the hurt of both
his body and soul? And who loves his own soul? He that loveth God with all his heart and with all
his mind. To such an one I would at once entrust his neighbour. “Love your neighbour as yourselves.”
7. One may say, “Who is my neighbour?” Every man is your neighbour. Had we not all the
same two parents? Animals of every species are neighbours one to the other, the dove to the dove,
the leopard to the leopard, the asp to the asp, the sheep to the sheep, and is not man neighbour to
man? Call to mind the ordering of the creation. God spake, the waters brought forth swimming
creatures, great whales, fish, birds, and such like things. Did all the birds come of one bird? Did
all vultures come of one vulture? Did all doves come of one dove? Did all snakes come of one
snake? or all gilt-heads of one gilt-head? [3016] or all sheep of one sheep? No, the earth assuredly
brought forth all these kinds together. But when it came to man, the earth did not bring forth man.
One father was made for us; not even two, father and mother: one father, I say, was made for us,
not even two, father and mother; but out of the one father came the one mother; the one father came
from none, but was made by God, and the one mother came out of him. Mark then the nature of
our race: we flowed out of one fountain; and because that one was turned to bitterness, we all
became from a good, a wild olive tree. And so grace came also. One begat us unto sin and death,
yet as one race, yet as neighbours one to another, yet as not merely like, but related to each other.
There came One against one; against the one who scattered, One who gathereth. Thus against the
one who slayeth, is the One who maketh alive. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all
be made alive.” [3017] Now as whosoever is born of the first, dieth; so whosoever believeth in Christ
is made alive. Provided, that is, that he have “the wedding garment,” and be invited as one who is
to remain, and not to be cast out.
8. So then, my Brethren, have charity. I have explained it to be this garment, this “wedding
garment.” Faith is praised, it is plain, it is praised: but what kind of faith this is, the Apostle
distinguishes. For certain who boasted of faith, and had not a good conversation, the Apostle James
rebukes and says, “Thou believest there is one God, thou doest well; the devils also believe and
tremble.” [3018] Call to mind with me whereupon Peter was praised, whereupon called blessed. Was
it because he said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”? [3019] He who pronounced Him
blessed, regarded not the sound of the words, but the affection of the heart. For would ye know that
Peter’s blessedness lay not in these words? The devils also said the same. “We know Thee who
Thou art, the Son of God.” [3020] Peter confessed Him to be “the Son of God;” the devils confessed
Him to be “the Son of God.” “Distinguish, my lord, distinguish between the two.” I do make a plain
distinction. Peter spake in love, the devils from fear. And again Peter says, “I am with Thee, even
unto death.” [3021] The devils say, “What have we to do with Thee?” So then thou who art come to
the feast, glory not of faith only. Distinguish well the nature of this faith; and then in thee is
recognised “the wedding garment.” Let the Apostle make the distinction, let him teach us; “neither
circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith.” [3022] Tell us, what faith? do not even
the devils believe and tremble? I will tell thee, he says, and listen, I will now draw the distinction,
“But faith which worketh by love.” What faith, then, and of what kind? “That which worketh by
love.” “Though I have all knowledge,” he says, “and all faith, so that I could remove mountains,
and have not charity, I am nothing.” Have faith with love; for love without faith ye cannot have.
This I warn, this I exhort, this in the name of the Lord I teach you, Beloved, that ye have faith with
love; for ye may possibly have faith without love. I do not exhort you to have faith, but love. For
ye cannot have love without faith; the love I mean of God and your neighbour; whence can it come
without faith? How doth he love God, who doth not believe on God? How doth the fool love God,
“who saith in his heart, there is no God”? [3023] Possible it is that ye may believe that Christ hath come
and not love Christ. But it is not possible that ye should love Christ, and yet say that Christ hath
not come.
9. So then, have faith with love. This is the “wedding garment.” Ye who love Christ, love one
another, love your friends, love your enemies. Let not this be hard to you. What then do ye lose
thereby, when ye gain so much? What? dost thou ask of God as some great favour, that thine enemy
may die? This is not “the wedding garment.” Turn thy thoughts to the Bridegroom Himself hanging
upon the Cross for thee, and praying to His Father for His enemies; “Father,” saith He, “forgive
them, for they know not what they do.”[3024] Thou hast seen the Bridegroom speaking thus; see too
the friend of the Bridegroom, a guest “with the wedding garment.” Look at the blessed Stephen,
how he rebukes the Jews as though in rage and resentment, “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in
heart and ears, ye have resisted the Holy Ghost. Which of the Prophets have not your fathers
killed?” [3025] Thou hast heard how severe he is with his tongue. And at [3026] once thou art prepared to
speak against any one; and I would it were against him who offendeth God, and not who offendeth
thee. One offendeth God, and thou dost not rebuke him; he offendeth thee, and thou criest out;
where is that “wedding garment”? Ye have heard therefore how Stephen was severe; now hear how
he loved. He offended those whom he was rebuking, and was stoned by them. And as he was being
overwhelmed and bruised to death by the hands of his furious persecutors on every side, and the
blows of the stones, he first said, “Lord Jesus Christ, receive my spirit.” [3027] Then after he had prayed
for himself standing, he bent the knee for them who were stoning him, and said, “Lord, lay not this
sin to their charge; let me die in my body, but let not these die in their souls. And when he had said
this, he fell asleep.” [3028] After these words he added no more; he spake them and departed; his last
prayer was for his enemies. Learn ye hereby to have “the wedding garment.” So do thou too bend
the knee, and beat thy forehead against the ground, and as thou art about to approach the Table of
the Lord, the Feast of the Holy Scriptures, do not say, “O that mine enemy might die! Lord, if I
have deserved ought of Thee, slay mine enemy.” Because if so be that thou sayest so, dost thou not
fear lest He should answer thee, “If I should choose to slay thine enemy, I should first slay thee.
What! dost thou glory because thou hast now come invited hither? Think only what thou wast but
a little while ago. Hast thou not blasphemed Me? hast thou not derided Me? didst thou not wish to
wipe out My Name from off the earth? Yet now thou dost applaud thyself because thou hast come
invited hither! If I had slain thee when thou wast Mine enemy, how could I have made thee My
friend? Why, by thy wicked prayers dost thou teach Me to do, what I did not in thine own case?”
Yea rather God saith to thee, “Let me teach thee to imitate Me. When I was hanging on the Cross,
I said, ‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ [3029] This lesson I taught My brave soldier.
Be thou My recruit against the devil. In no other way wilt thou fight at all unconquerably, unless
thou dost pray for thine enemies. Yet by all means ask this, yea ask this very thing, ask that thou
mayest persecute thine enemy; but ask it with discernment; distinguish well what thou askest. See,
a man is thine enemy; answer me, what is it in him which is at enmity with thee? Is it in this, that
he is a man, that he is at enmity with thee? No. What then? That he is evil. In that he is a man, in
that he is that I made him, he is not at enmity with thee.” He saith to thee, “I did not make man
evil; he became evil by disobedience, who obeyed the devil [3030] rather than God. What he has made
himself, is at enmity with thee; in that he is evil, he is thine enemy; not in that he is a man. For I
hear the word “man,” and “evil;” the one is the name of nature, the other of sin; the sin I cure; and
the nature I preserve.” And so thy God saith to thee, “See, I do avenge thee, I do slay thine enemy;
I take away that which makes him evil, I preserve that which constitutes him a man: now if I shall
have made him a good man, have I not slain thine enemy, and made him thy friend?” So ask on
what thou art asking, not that the men may perish, but that these their enmities may perish. For if
thou pray for this, that the man may die; it is the prayer of one wicked man against another; and
when thou dost say, “Slay the wicked one,” God answereth thee, “Which of you?”
10. Extend your love then, and limit it not to your wives and children. Such love is found even
in beasts and sparrows. Ye know the sparrows and the swallows how they love their mates, how
together they hatch their eggs, and nourish their young together, by a sort of free [3031] and natural
kindliness, and with no thought of a return. For the sparrow does not say, “I will nourish my young,
that when I am grown old, they may feed me.” He has no such thought; he loves and feeds them,
for the love of them; displays the affection of a parent, and looks for no return. And so, I know, I
am sure, do ye love your children. “For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the
parents for the children.” [3032] Yea upon this plea it is that many of you excuse your covetousness,
that ye are getting for your children, and are laying by for them. [3033] But I say, extend your love, let
this love grow; for to love wives and children, is not yet that “wedding garment.” Have faith to
Godward. First love God. Extend yourselves out to God; and whomsoever ye shall be able, draw
on to God. There is thine enemy: let him be drawn to God. There is a son, a wife, a servant; let
them be all drawn to God. There is a stranger; let him be drawn to God. There is an enemy; let him
be drawn to God. Draw, draw on thine enemy; by drawing him on he shall cease to be thine enemy.
So let charity be advanced, so be it nourished, that being nourished it may be perfected; so be “the
wedding garment” put on; so be the image of God, after which we were created, by this our
advancing, engraven anew in us. For by sin was it bruised, and worn away. How is it bruised? how
worn away? When it is rubbed against the earth? And what is, “When it is rubbed against the earth”?
When it is worn by earthly lusts. For “though man [3034] walketh in this image, yet is he disquieted
in vain.” [3035] Truth is looked for in God’s image, not vanity. By the love of the truth then be that
image, after which we were created, engraven anew, and His Own tribute rendered to our Cæsar.
For so ye have heard from the Lord’s answer, when the Jews tempted Him, as He said, “Why tempt
ye Me, ye hypocrites; show Me the tribute money,” [3036] that is, the impress and superscription of
the image. Show me what ye pay, what ye get ready, what is exacted of you. And “they showed
Him a denarius;” and “He asked whose image and superscription it had.” They answered, “Cæsar’s.”
So Cæsar looks for his own image. It is not Cæsar’s will that what he ordered to be made should
be lost to him, and it is not surely God’s will that what He hath made should be lost to Him. Cæsar,
my Brethren, did not make the money; the masters of the mint [3037] make it; the workmen have their
orders, he issues his commands to his ministers. His image was stamped upon the money; on the
money was Cæsar’s image. And yet he requires what others have stamped; he puts it in his treasures;
he will not have it refused him. Christ’s coin is man. In him is Christ’s image, in him Christ’s Name,
Christ’s gifts, Christ’s rules of duty. [3038]
Let us pray in the words of Augustine.
Turn we to the Lord God, the Father Almighty, and with pure hearts offer to him, so far as our
meanness can, great and true thanks, with all our hearts praying his exceeding kindness, that of
his good pleasure he would deign to hear our prayers, that by his Power he would drive out the
enemy from our deeds and thoughts, that he would increase our faith, guide our understandings,
give us spiritual thoughts, and lead us to his bliss, through Jesus Christ his Son our Lord, who
liveth and reigneth with him, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
[A prayer which he was wont to use after his Sermons and Lectures.]
NPNF v1-106 Philip Schaff
Notes:
2984 See Serm. vi. (lvi. Ben.) 10 (vi.) note.
2985 The great Church in Carthage where the bodies of the Martyr Sts. Perpetua and Felicitas lay. See Ben. ed. in Sermon xix.
note.
2986 Baptized fideles.
2987 Apparatus.
2988 Voluntati omnium.
2989 1 Cor. xi. 29.
2990 Liquido.
2991 Matt. xix. 17.
2992 Matt. vii. 11.
2993 John xiii. 10.
2994 Matt. xxii. 10.
2995 1 John i. 8.
2996 1 John i. 9.
3005 Matt. viii. 11.
3006 Exod. vii.
3007 1 Cor. xii. 29, etc.
3008 1 Tim. i. 5.
3009 1 Cor. xiii. 1.
3010 Sacramentorum.
3011 1 Cor. xiii. 3.
3012 1 John i. 8.
3013 Phil. ii. 21.
3014 Deferte.
3015 Ps. x. 5, Sept. (xi. 5, English version)
3016 Aurata.
3017 1 Cor. xv. 22.
3018 Jas. ii. 19.
3019 Matt. xvi. 16.
3020 Matt. viii. 29; Mark i. 24.
3021 Matt. xxvi. 35.
3022 Gal. v. 6.
3023 Ps. liii. 1.
3024 Luke xxiii. 34.
3025 Acts vii. 51, 52.
3026 Adhuc.
3027 Acts vii. 59.
3028 Acts vii. 60.
3029 Luke xxiii. 34.
3030 Zabulo; Lactant. De Mort. Pers. 16.
3031 Grata.
3032 2 Cor. xii. 14.
3033 Vid. Serm. xxxvi. (lxxxvi. Ben.) 11 (ix., x.).
3034 Serm. x. (lx. Ben.) 2, etc.
3035 Ps. xxxviii. 7, Sept. (xxxix. 6 English version).
3036 Matt. xxii. 18, 19.
3037 Monetarii.
3038 Officia.
Finis
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