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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom127God even desired it, but thou enduredst it not. Therefore He placed thee to work in the garden,marking out employment, but joining with it no labor. For had man labored at the beginning, Godwould not afterwards have put labor by way of punishment. For it is possible to work and not tobe wearied, as do the angels. To prove that they work, hear what David saith; “Ye that excel instrength, ye that do His word.” ( Ps. ciii. 20 , LXX.) Want of strength causeth much labor now,but then it was not so. For “he that hath entered into His rest, hath ceased,” saith one, “from hisworks, as God from His” ( Heb. iv. 10 ): not meaning here idleness, but the ceasing from labor.For God worketh even now, as Christ saith, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” ( c. v. 17.) Wherefore I exhort you that, laying aside all carelessness, you be zealous for virtue. For thepleasure of wickedness is short, but the pain lasting; of virtue, on the contrary, the joy grows notold, the labor is but for a season. Virtue even before the crowns are distributed animates 976 herworkman, and feeds him with hopes; vice even before the time of vengeance punishes him whoworks for her, wringing and terrifying his conscience, and making it apt to imagine all (evils). Arenot these things worse than any labors, than any toils? And if these things were not so, if there werepleasure, what could be more worthless than that pleasure? for as soon as it appears it flies away,withering and escaping before it has been grasped, whether you speak of the pleasure of beauty,or that of luxury, or that of wealth, for they cease not daily to decay. But when there is besides (forthis pleasure) punishment and vengeance, what can be more miserable than those who go after it?Knowing then this, let us endure all for virtue, so shall we enjoy true pleasure, through the graceand lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Ghost be glory,now and ever, and world without end. Amen.Homily XXXVII.John v. 6, 7“Jesus saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered Him, Yea, Sir, butI have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool.”[1.] Great is the profit of the divine Scriptures, and all-sufficient is the aid which comes fromthem. And Paul declared this when he said, “Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were writtenaforetime for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, that we through patienceand comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” ( Rom. xv. 4, 1 Cor. x. 11 .) For the divine oraclesare a treasury of all manner of medicines, so that whether it be needful to quench pride, to lull desireto sleep, to tread under foot the love of money, to despise pain, to inspire confidence, to gainpatience, from them one may find abundant resource. For what man of those who struggle withlong poverty or who are nailed to 977 a grievous disease, will not, when he reads the passage before976or, “ releases. ”977al. “ held by. ”195