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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom153him? Then art thou worse than he; his poverty affords him an excuse though not a reasonable one,but thou art stripped even of this defense. If I ask him, “Why hast thou left other arts and come tothis accursed and impure one?” he will reply, “because I can with little labor gain great profits.”But if I ask thee why thou admirest one who spends his time in impurity, and lives to the mischiefof many, thou canst not run to the same excuse, but must bow down thy face and be ashamed andblush. Now if when called by us to give account, thou wouldest have nothing to reply, 1207 whenthat terrible and inexorable Judgment cometh where we shall render account of thoughts and deedsand everything, how shall we stand? with what eyes shall we behold our Judge? what shall we say?what defense shall we make? what excuse reasonable or unreasonable shall we put forward? shallwe allege the expense? the gratification? the perdition of others whom by means of his art we ruin?We can have nothing to say, but must be punished with a punishment having no end, knowing nolimit. That this come not to pass, let us henceforth guard all points, that having departed with agood hope, we may obtain the everlasting blessings; to which may we all attain through the graceand lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom and with whom to the Father and the HolyGhost be glory, now and ever and world without end. Amen.Homily XLIII.John vi. 16–18“And when even was now come, His disciples went down unto 1208 the sea and entered 1209 into aship, and went over 1210 the sea toward Capernaum. And it was 1211 now dark, and Jesus was notcome unto them. And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.”[1.] Christ provideth for the good of his disciples not only when He is present in the body, butalso when far away; for having abundance of means and of skill, He effecteth one and the sameend by contrary actions. Observe, for instance, what He hath done here. He leaveth His disciples,and goeth up into a mountain; and they, 1212 when even was come, went down unto the sea. Theywaited for Him until evening, expecting that He would come unto them; but when even was come,they could no longer endure not to seek their Master; 1213 so great a love possessed them. They saidnot, “It is now evening, and night hath overtaken us, whither shall we depart? the place is dangerous,the time unsafe”; but, goaded 1214 by their longing, they entered into the ship. For it is not without1207al. “ couldest reply nothing. ”1208ἐ πὶ [ εἰς , G. T.].1209ἀ ναβάντες [ ἐ μβ . G. T.].1210πέραν [ εἰς τὸ π . G. T.].1211ἐ γένετο [ ἐ γεγόνει , G. T.].1212Ben. “ they having been left behind by their Master, when, ” &c.1213Ben. “ not to go to seek Him. ”1214al. “ inflamed. ”235