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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostommany sins, and we shall do many good things, being fair and moderate; and shall enjoy all thepromises to them that love God: to which may all attain, by the grace and lovingkindness of ourLord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Ghost, be glory, power, honor,now and for ever and world with end. Amen.465Homily XXII.Hebrews xi. 3, 4“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God; so that thingswhich are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God amore excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness 3200 that he was righteous,God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.” 3201[1.] Faith 3202 needs a generous and vigorous soul, and one rising above all things of sense, andpassing beyond the weakness of human reasonings. For it is not possible to become a believer,otherwise than by raising one’s self above the common customs [of the world].Inasmuch then as the souls of the Hebrews were thoroughly weakened, and though they hadbegun from faith, yet from circumstances, I mean sufferings, afflictions, they had afterwards becomefaint-hearted, and of little spirit, and were shaken from [their position], he encouraged them firstindeed from these very things, saying, “Call to remembrance the former days” ( c. x. 32 ); nextfrom the Scripture saying, “But the just shall live by faith” ( c. x. 38 ); afterwards from arguments,saying, “But Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” ( c. xi. 1.) And now again from their forefathers, those great and admirable men, as much as saying; If wherethe good things were close at hand, all were saved by faith, much more are we.For when a soul finds one that shares the same sufferings with itself, it is refreshed and recoversbreath. This we may see both in the case of Faith, and in the case of affliction: “that there may becomfort for you 3203 it is said through our mutual faith.” ( Rom. i. 12 .) For mankind are verydistrustful, and cannot place confidence in themselves, are fearful about whatever things they thinkthey possess, and have great regard for the opinion of the many.3200“ was testified of. ”3201λαλεῖ , with the most approved mss. of the Epistle; the editions have λαλεῖται ; which is the reading of the commontexts of the N.T.3202τὸ τῆς πίστεως3203ὥ στε εἶναι παράκλησιν ὑμῖν : the common editions follow mss. in which the very words of Rom. i. 12 have beensubstituted.673