Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews
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Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews

Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews

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NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostomelse but only to minister to the present life; but this cannot be said of us; our best condition is thatwhich follows on our departure hence; and we must do all that we may shine there, that we mayjoin the choir of Angels, and stand before the King continually, through endless 824 ages. Andtherefore the soul is immortal, and the body shall be immortal too, that we may enjoy thenever-ending blessings. But if, when heavenly things are proffered thee, thou remainest nailed toearth, consider what an insult is offered to thy Benefactor, when He holdeth forth to thee thingsabove, and thou, making no great account of them choosest earth instead. And therefore, as despisedby thee, He hath threatened thee with hell; that thou mayest learn hence of what great blessingsthou deprivest thyself. God grant that none make trial of that punishment, but that having beenwell-pleasing to Christ, we may obtain everlasting blessings, through the grace and lovingkindnessof our Lord Jesus Christ; to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be glory, now and ever, andworld without end. Amen.Homily XXXII.John iv. 13, 14“Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: butwhosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that Ishall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting Life.”[1.] Scripture calls the grace of the Spirit sometimes “Fire,” sometimes “Water,” showing thatthese names are not descriptive of its essence, but of its operation; for the Spirit, being Invisibleand Simple, cannot be made up of different substances. Now the one John declares, speaking thus,“He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with Fire” ( Matt. iii. 11 ): the other, Christ, “Outof his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” ( John vii. 38 .) “But this,” saith John, “spake Heof the Spirit, which they should receive.” So also conversing with the woman, He calleth the Spiritwater; 825 for, “Whosoever shall drink of the water which I shall give him, shall never thirst.” Soalso He calleth the Spirit by the name of “fire,” alluding to the rousing and warming property ofgrace, and its power of destroying transgressions; but by that of “water,” to declare the cleansingwrought by it, and the great refreshment which it affordeth to those minds which receive it. Andwith good reason; for it makes the willing soul like some 826 garden thick with all manner of treesfruitful and ever-flourishing, allowing it neither to feel despondency nor the plots of Satan, andquenches 827 all the fiery darts of the wicked one.824al. “ incorrupt. ”825al. “ saith the same now. ”826al. “ some flourishing. ”827al. “ as quenching easily. ”170

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom111And observe, I pray you, the wisdom of Christ, 828 how gently He leads on 829 the woman; forHe did not say at first, “If thou knewest who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink,” but whenHe had given her an occasion of calling Him “a Jew,” and brought her beneath the charge of havingdone so, repelling the accusation He saith, “If thou knewest who it is that saith to thee, Give Me todrink, thou wouldest have asked of Him”; and having compelled her by His great promises to makemention 830 of the Patriarch, He thus alloweth the woman to look through, 831 and then when sheobjects, “Art thou greater than our father Jacob?” He saith not, “Yea, I am greater,” (for He wouldhave seemed but to boast, since the proof did not as yet appear,) but by what He saith He effecteththis. For He said not simply, “I will give thee water,” but having first set that given by Jacob aside,He exalteth that given by Himself, desiring to show from the nature of the things given, how greatis the interval and difference between the persons of the givers, 832 and His own superiority to thePatriarch. “If,” saith He, “thou admirest Jacob because he gave thee this water, what wilt thou sayif I give thee Water far better than this? Thou hast thyself been first to confess that I am greaterthan Jacob, by arguing against Me, and asking, ‘Art thou greater than Jacob, that thou promisestto give me better water?’ If thou receivest that Water, certainly thou wilt confess that I am greater.”Seest thou the upright judgment of the woman, giving her decision from facts, both as to thePatriarch, and as to Christ? The Jews acted not thus; when they even saw Him casting out devils,they not only did not call Him greater than the Patriarch but even said that He had a devil. Not sothe woman, she draws her opinion whence Christ would have her, from the demonstration affordedby His works. For by these He justifieth Himself, saying, “If I do not the works of My Father,believe Me not; but if I do, if ye believe not Me, believe the works.” ( c. x. 37, 38 .) And thus thewoman is brought over to the faith.Wherefore also He, having heard, “Art thou greater than our father Jacob,” leaveth Jacob, andspeaketh concerning the water, saying, “Whosoever shall drink of this water, shall thirst again”;and He maketh His comparison, not by depreciating one, but by showing the excellence of theother; for He saith not, that “this water is naught,” nor “that it is inferior and contemptible,” butwhat even nature testifies that He saith: “Whosoever shall drink of this water shall thirst again; butwhosoever shall drink of the Water which I shall give him, shall never thirst.” The woman beforethis had heard of “living Water” ( v. 10 ), but had not known its meaning. Since because that wateris called “living” which is perennial and bubbles up unceasingly from uninterrupted springs, shethought that this was the water meant. Wherefore He points out this more clearly by speaking thus,and establishing by a comparison the superiority (of the water which He would give). What thensaith He? “Whosoever shall drink of the Water that I shall give him, shall never thirst.” This andwhat was said next especially showed the superiority, for material water possesses none of thesequalities. And what is it that follows? “It shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlastinglife.” For as one that hath a well within him could never be seized by thirst, so neither can he thathath this Water.828al. “ of God. ”829al. “ leads up. ”830or, “ to remember. ”831or, “ see clearly. ”832al. “ things given. ”171

NPNF (V1-14)<strong>St</strong>. Chrysos<strong>to</strong>melse but <strong>on</strong>ly <strong>to</strong> minister <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> present life; but this cannot be said <strong>of</strong> us; our best c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong> is thatwhich follows <strong>on</strong> our departure hence; <strong>and</strong> we must do all that we may shine <strong>the</strong>re, that we mayjoin <strong>the</strong> choir <strong>of</strong> Angels, <strong>and</strong> st<strong>and</strong> before <strong>the</strong> King c<strong>on</strong>tinually, through endless 824 ages. And<strong>the</strong>refore <strong>the</strong> soul is immortal, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> body shall be immortal <strong>to</strong>o, that we may enjoy <strong>the</strong>never-ending blessings. But if, when heavenly things are pr<strong>of</strong>fered <strong>the</strong>e, thou remainest nailed <strong>to</strong>earth, c<strong>on</strong>sider what an insult is <strong>of</strong>fered <strong>to</strong> thy Benefac<strong>to</strong>r, when He holdeth forth <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>e thingsabove, <strong>and</strong> thou, making no great account <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m choosest earth instead. And <strong>the</strong>refore, as despisedby <strong>the</strong>e, He hath threatened <strong>the</strong>e with hell; that thou mayest learn hence <strong>of</strong> what great blessingsthou deprivest thyself. God grant that n<strong>on</strong>e make trial <strong>of</strong> that punishment, but that having beenwell-pleasing <strong>to</strong> Christ, we may obtain everlasting blessings, through <strong>the</strong> grace <strong>and</strong> lovingkindness<strong>of</strong> our Lord Jesus Christ; <strong>to</strong> whom with <strong>the</strong> Fa<strong>the</strong>r <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Holy Ghost be glory, now <strong>and</strong> ever, <strong>and</strong>world without end. Amen.Homily XXXII.<strong>John</strong> iv. 13, 14“Jesus answered <strong>and</strong> said un<strong>to</strong> her, Whosoever drinketh <strong>of</strong> this water shall thirst again: butwhosoever drinketh <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but <strong>the</strong> water that Ishall give him, shall be in him a well <strong>of</strong> water springing up in<strong>to</strong> everlasting Life.”[1.] Scripture calls <strong>the</strong> grace <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Spirit sometimes “Fire,” sometimes “Water,” showing that<strong>the</strong>se names are not descriptive <strong>of</strong> its essence, but <strong>of</strong> its operati<strong>on</strong>; for <strong>the</strong> Spirit, being Invisible<strong>and</strong> Simple, cannot be made up <strong>of</strong> different substances. Now <strong>the</strong> <strong>on</strong>e <strong>John</strong> declares, speaking thus,“He shall baptize you with <strong>the</strong> Holy Ghost, <strong>and</strong> with Fire” ( Matt. iii. 11 ): <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r, Christ, “Out<strong>of</strong> his belly shall flow rivers <strong>of</strong> living water.” ( <strong>John</strong> vii. 38 .) “But this,” saith <strong>John</strong>, “spake He<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Spirit, which <strong>the</strong>y should receive.” So also c<strong>on</strong>versing with <strong>the</strong> woman, He calleth <strong>the</strong> Spiritwater; 825 for, “Whosoever shall drink <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> water which I shall give him, shall never thirst.” Soalso He calleth <strong>the</strong> Spirit by <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> “fire,” alluding <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> rousing <strong>and</strong> warming property <strong>of</strong>grace, <strong>and</strong> its power <strong>of</strong> destroying transgressi<strong>on</strong>s; but by that <strong>of</strong> “water,” <strong>to</strong> declare <strong>the</strong> cleansingwrought by it, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> great refreshment which it affordeth <strong>to</strong> those minds which receive it. Andwith good reas<strong>on</strong>; for it makes <strong>the</strong> willing soul like some 826 garden thick with all manner <strong>of</strong> treesfruitful <strong>and</strong> ever-flourishing, allowing it nei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>to</strong> feel desp<strong>on</strong>dency nor <strong>the</strong> plots <strong>of</strong> Satan, <strong>and</strong>quenches 827 all <strong>the</strong> fiery darts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wicked <strong>on</strong>e.824al. “ incorrupt. ”825al. “ saith <strong>the</strong> same now. ”826al. “ some flourishing. ”827al. “ as quenching easily. ”170

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