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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostomthou mayest know this certainly, hear what the prophet says, “Thou satest and spakest against thybrother.” ( Ps. l. 20 .)But it is not I, you say, but the other [who told me]. Nay rather, it is thyself; for if thou hadstnot spoken, another would not have heard: or even if he should hear it, yet thou wouldest not havebeen to blame for the sin. We ought to shade over and conceal the failings of neighbors, but thouparadest them under a cloak of zeal for goodness. Thou becomest, not an accuser, but a gossip, atrifler, a fool. O what cleverness! Without being aware of it, thou bringest disgrace upon thyself aswell as on him.And see what great evils which arise from this. Thou provokest the wrath of God. Dost thounot hear Paul saying about widows, “they not only” (these are his words) “learn to be idle, buttattlers also and busybodies, wandering about from house to house, and speaking things which theyought not.” ( 1 Tim. v. 13 .) So that even when thou believest the things which are said againstthy brother, thou oughtest not even in that case to speak of them; much less, when thou dost notbelieve them.But thou [forsooth] lookest to thine own interest? Thou fearest to be called to account by God?Fear then, lest even for thy tattling thou be called to account. For here, thou canst not say, ‘O God,call me not to account for light talking’: for the whole matter is light talking. Why didst thou publishit? Why didst thou increase the evil? This is sufficient to destroy us. On this account Christ said,“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” ( Matt. vii. 1 .)But we pay no regard to this, neither are we brought to our senses by what happened to thePharisee. He said what was true, “I am not as this Publican” ( Luke xviii. 11 ), he said it too in noman’s hearing; yet was he condemned. If he were condemned when he said what was true, anduttered it in no man’s hearing, what fearful [punishment] shall not they suffer, who like gossipingwomen, carry about everywhere lies which they do not even themselves believe? What shall theynot endure?[8.] Henceforward let us set “a door and a bolt before the mouth.” ( Ecclus. xxviii. 25 .) Forinnumerable evils have arisen from tattling; families have been ruined, friendships torn asunder,innumerable other miseries have happened. Busy not thyself, O man, about the affairs of thyneighbor.But thou art talkative and hast a weakness. Talk of thine own [faults] to God: thus the weaknesswill be no longer a weakness, but an advantage. Talk of thy own [faults] to thy friends, those whoare thorough friends and righteous men, and in whom thou hast confidence, that so they may prayfor thy sins. If thou speak of the [sins] of others, thou art nowise profited, neither hast thou gainedanything, but hast ruined thyself. If thou confessest thy own [sins] to the Lord, thou hast greatreward: for one says, “I said, I will confess against myself mine iniquity to the Lord, and Thouforgavest the impiety of my heart.” ( Ps. xxxii. 5 .)Dost thou wish to judge? Judge thine own [sins]. No one will accuse 3199 thee, if thou condemnthyself: but he will accuse if thou do not condemn; he will accuse thee, unless thou convict thyself;will accuse thee of insensibility. Thou hast seen such an one angry, irritated, doing something elseout of place? Think at once, even thou on thy own [faults]: and thus thou wilt not greatly condemnhim, and wilt free thyself from the load of thy past transgressions. If we thus regulate our ownconduct, if we thus manage our own life, if we condemn ourselves, we shall probably not commit3199ἐ γκαλεῖ672