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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom“Knowing” (he says) “that ye have for yourselves in heaven a better and an enduring substance”;instead of saying, firm, not perishing like this.[3.] In the next place, having praised them, he says, ( ver. 35 ) “Cast not away therefore yourconfidence, which hath great recompense of reward.” What meanest thou? He did not say, ‘ye havecast it away, and recover it’: but, which tended more to strengthen them, “ye have it,” he says. Forto recover again that which has been cast away, requires more labor: but not to lose that which isheld fast does not. But to the Galatians he says the very opposite: “My children of whom I travailin birth again, till Christ be formed in you” ( Gal. iv. 19 ); and with reason; for they were moresupine, whence they needed a sharper word; but these were more faint-hearted, so that they ratherneeded what was more soothing.“Cast not away therefore” (he says) “your confidence,” so that they were in great confidencetowards God. “Which hath” (he says) “great recompense of reward.” “And when shall we receivethem (some one might say)? Behold! All things on our part have been done.” Therefore he anticipatedthem on their own supposition, saying in effect, If ye know that ye have in heaven a better substance,seek nothing here.“For ye have need of patience,” not of any addition [to your labors], that ye may continue inthe same state, that ye may not cast away what has been put into your hands. Ye need nothing else,but so to stand as ye have stood, that when ye come to the end, ye may receive the promise.( Ver. 36 ) “For” (he says) “ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God,ye might receive the promise.” Ye have need of one thing only, to bear with the delay; not that yeshould fight again. Ye are at the very crown (he means); ye have borne all the combats of bonds,of afflictions; your goods have been spoiled. What then? Henceforward ye are standing to becrowned: endure this only, the delay of the crown. O the greatness of the consolation! It is as if oneshould speak to an athlete who had overthrown all, and had no antagonist, and then was to becrowned, and yet endured not that time, during which the president of the games comes, and placesthe crown [upon him]; and he impatient, should wish to go out, and escape as though he could notbear the thirst and the heat.He then also hinting this, what does he say? ( Ver. 37 ) “Yet a little while and He that shallcome will come, and will not tarry.” For lest they should say, And when will He come? He comfortsthem from the Scriptures. For thus also when he says in another place, “Now is our salvation nearer”( Rom. xiii. 11 ), he comforts them because the remaining time is short. And this he says not ofhimself but from the Scriptures. 3186 But if from that time it was said, “Yet a little while, and Hethat shall come will come, and will not tarry,” it is plain that now He is nearer. Wherefore alsowaiting is no small reward.( Ver. 38 ) “Now the just” (he says) “shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, My soulshall have no pleasure in him.” This is a great encouragement when one shows that they havesucceeded in the whole matter and are losing it through a little indolence. ( Ver. 39 ) “But we arenot of them that draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”3186It is to be observed that the words “ He that cometh will come and will not tarry, ” are from the prophet Habakkukii. 3 : where the LXX. has, ἐ ὰ ν ὑστερήσῃ ὑπόμεινον αὐτὸν ( “ Him ” not “ it. ” ) ὅ τι ἐρχόμενος ἥξει, καὶ οὐ μὴ χρονίσῃ , &c.The Apostle interprets this by adding the article: ὁ ἐρχόμενος , the well-known designation of the Messiah.669