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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom254commandment, and do not forge 1944 anything; so neither is it possible for Me to say or do anythingexcept as My Father willeth. For what I do He doeth, because He is with Me, and ‘the Father hathnot left Me alone.’” ( c. viii. 29 .) Seest thou how everywhere He showeth Himself connectedwith Him who begat Him, and that there is no separation? 1945 For when He saith, “I am not comeof Myself,” He saith it not, as depriving Himself of power, but as taking away all alienation oropposition. 1946 For if men are masters of themselves, much more the Only-begotten Son. And toshow that this is true, hear what Paul saith, 1947 “He emptied Himself, and gave Himself for us.” (Philip. ii. 7 .) But, as I said, a terrible thing is vainglory, very terrible ( Eph. v. 2 ); for this madethese men not to believe, and others to believe ill, so that the things which were said for the sakeof those men, through lovingkindness, they turned to 1948 impiety.[3.] Let us then ever flee this monster: various and manifold it is, and everywhere sheds itspeculiar venom, in wealth, in luxury, in beauty of person. Through this we everywhere go beyondneedful use; 1949 through this arises extravagance in garments, and a great swarm of domestics;through this the needful use is every where despised, in our houses, our garments, our table; andextravagance prevails. Wilt thou enjoy glory? Do alms-deeds, then shall Angels praise thee, thenshall God receive thee. Now the admiration goes no farther than the goldsmiths and weavers, andthou 1950 departest without a crown, often seeing that thou receivest curses. But if thou put not thesethings about thy body, but expend them in feeding the poor, great will be the applause from allsides, great the praise. Then shalt thou have them, when thou givest them to others; when thoukeepest them to thyself, then thou hast them not. For a house is a faithless treasury, but a suretreasury are the hands of the poor. Why adornest thou thy body, while thy soul is neglected, possessedby uncleanness? Why bestowest thou not so much thought on thy soul, as thy body? Thou oughtestto bestow greater; but anyhow, beloved, 1951 we ought to bestow equal care upon it. For tell me, ifany one asked thee which thou wouldest choose, that thy body should be fresh and of good habitand surpassing in beauty, and wear mean raiment, or having the body deformed and full of diseases,to wear gold and finery; wouldest thou not much prefer to have beauty depending on the nature ofthy person, than on the raiment with which thou art clothed? And wilt thou choose this in the caseof thy body, but the contrary in the case of thy soul; and, when thou hast that ugly and unsightlyand black, dost thou think to gain anything from golden ornaments? What madness is this! Shiftthis adorning within, put these necklaces about thy soul. The things that are put about thy bodyhelp neither to its health nor to its beauty, for it will not make black white, nor what is ugly eitherbeautiful or good looking. But if thou put them about thy soul, thou shalt soon make it white insteadof black, instead of ugly and unsightly, thou shalt make it beautiful and well-favored. The wordsare not mine, but those of the Lord Himself, who saith, “Though thy sins be as scarlet, I will makethem white as snow” ( Isa. i. 18 , LXX.); and, “Give alms—and all things shall be clean unto you”( Luke xi. 41 ); and by such a disposition thou shalt beautify not thyself only, but thy husband.1944παραχαράττωσι1945οὐδὲν τὸ μέσον1946i.e. between Himself and the Father.1947al. “ yet this is true, for Paul showeth by what he saith. ”1948al. “ drew to. ”1949χρείαν1950addressed to women.1951al. “ we might be content if ye did but. ”383