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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom408is a science which needs much wakeful attention. For that it too is an art which needs teaching,hear the prophet saying, “Come, ye children, hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”( Ps. xxxiv. 11 .) It follows therefore certainly that the fear of God needs teaching. Then he says,“What man is he that desireth life?” ( Ps. xxxiv. 12 .) He means the life yonder; and again, “Keepthy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile; de part from evil and do good, seek peaceand pursue it.” ( Ps. xxxiv. 13, 14 .)Do you know indeed who said these things, a prophet or a historian, or an apostle, or anevangelist? For my own part I do not think you do, except a few. Yea and these themselves again,if we bring forward a testimony from some other place, will be in the same case as the rest of you.For see, I repeat the same statement expressed in other words. “Wash ye, make you clean, put awayyour wickedness from your souls before Mine eyes, learn to do well, seek out judgment. Keep thytongue from evil, and do good: learn to do well.” ( Isa. i. 16, 17 .) Thou seest that virtue needs tobe taught? For this one says, “I will teach you the fear of the Lord,” and the other, “Learn to dowell.”Now then do you know where these words are? For myself I do not think you do, except a few.And yet every week these things are read to you twice or even three times: and the reader when hegoes up [to the desk] first says whose the book is, [the book] of such a prophet, and then says whathe says, so that it shall be more intelligible to you and you may not only know the contents of theBook, but also the reason of the writings, and who spake these things. But all in vain; all to nopurpose. For your zeal is spent on things of this life, and of things spiritual no account is made.Therefore not even those matters turn out according to your wishes, but there also are manydifficulties. For Christ says, “Seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added untoyou.” ( Matt. vi. 33 .) These things He said, shall also be given in the way of addition: but we haveinverted the order and seek the earth and the good things which are in the earth, as if those other[heavenly] things were to be given us in addition. Therefore we have neither the one nor the other.Let us then at last wake up and become coveters of the things which shall be hereafter; for so thesealso will follow. For it is not possible that he who seeks the things that relate to God, should notalso attain human [blessings]. It is the declaration of the Truth itself which says this. Let us notthen act otherwise, but let us hold fast to the counsel of Christ, lest we fail of all. But God is ableto give you compunction and to make you better, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Fathertogether with the Holy Ghost be glory, power, honor, now and for ever and world without end.Amen.Homily IX.Hebrews vi. 1–3588