THE GOSPEL. Luc. 7. V. 11.
Jesus went unto the City Naim and there wet with him his disciples, and a great multitude of people. And when he came nigh to the gates of the City, Behold a dead body was a carrying out to be buried, the only Son of his Mother, and she a widow : and a great company of the City with her. Whom when our Lord saw, being moved with pity over her, he said unto her : Do not weep, and he went and touched the Coffin, and those that carried the corpse, stood still. And he Said: Young man, I say to thee arise, and he sat up that was dead, and began to speak, & he gave him to his Mother. And all the company were stricken with fear and magnified God. Saying; That a great Prophet was risen amongst them, & that God did visit his people.
Monday.
Great company went with Christ to the City Naim, a great company went with the dead Corpse, who meeting all together saw this great miracle of raising the young man from death, and seeing it magnified God for the same.
Hereby we may learn, that as it is good sometimes, to do our good works secretly, and so secretly, as Christ counsels us, that our left hand know not Mat.6.v.3 what our right hand doth, for avoiding of vainglory and losing the merit of our works: yet if we do not our good works principally for vainglory, and praise of men, it is good also sometimes that others see them, or know thereof, and the more the better, that they seeing our good works, done for the love of God, and for his sake, and by his grace, without which we cannot ſo much as think a good thought, they may glorify and magnify, not vs, but, God so 2 Cor. 3. much the more, as this multitude of people did: to which purpose no doubt Christ did this miracle, and work, so publicly as he did: and if we see the people to magnify and glorify us for our good works, we may transfer the glory thereof unto God, by some speech to that purpose, as S. Peter did, who viz. when Mat. V 16. when he saw the people to admit and magnify him for making a lame Cripple that could not stand on his feet more then he was carried by others, to go, and leap, and skip for joy, the people admiring them, he said unto them: See men of Israel, Why do yee admire, and gaze upon us (S. John being with him) as if we had made this man to walk of our own power or virtue?
It is in the name and power of Jesus, whom God hath glorified, & whom you have crucified, that we have done this famous miracle, that you should believe in him the sooner; and thus he put of the glory of this miracle from himself unto God, and the edification of the beholders.
And moreover S.Peter did put of from himself, as much as he could, even the very doing thereof, as the instrument of God, & joined S.John with him, because he was in his company, saying to the company, Why do yee behold and admire us, in the plural number, as if S.John and he had done it both together, whereas S.Peter did it alone; an excellent example both for doing our good deeds as ſecretly as we can from vainglory, and yet as publicly as we can to the glory of God, & edification of the people, as this miracle was done at the gate of the Temple where there was a very great concourſe of people.
This example of Christ, and of S. Peter, and the ample reward of our good deeds (which is so much the more by how much the more they do shine unto others, that they may glorify God thereby) is enough to induce us not to care how much our good works be known to others, so we do them not principally for vainglory, or praise of men, or so we transfer the glory thereof, as much as we can, unto God as S. Peter did, and as the honor of holy Images is transferred of its own nature, to them whom they represent, saying unto ourselves Psal.113. with the Prophet David; not unto us.
O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name give the glory, as holy Images would ſay of their own nature of they could speak, & much more we, that be the living and underſtanding Images of God.
Fr. Thomas Hill 1637
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