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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostomhe who commands all men to worship the image, 3307 manifold and of various colors, and who adoresthe dragon. 3308Moreover the Babylonians were much more foolish than those at Lystra. Wherefore it was notpossible at once to lead them on to this. And many [more] things one might say: but thus far thesesuffice.If therefore we wish to obtain all good things, let us seek the things of God. For as they whoseek the things of this world fail both of them and of the others, so they who prefer the things ofGod, obtain both. Let us then not seek these but those, that we may attain also to the good thingspromised in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Ghost, be glory,power, honor, now and for ever and world without end. Amen.487Homily XXVII.Hebrews xi. 28–31“Through faith, he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the first-bornshould touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea, as by dry land; which the Egyptiansassaying to do, were drowned. 3309 By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had beencompassed about seven days. By faith, the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believednot, when she had received the spies with peace.”[1.] Paul is wont to establish many things incidently, and is very full 3310 of thoughts. For suchis the grace of The Spirit. He does not comprehend a few ideas in a multitude of words, but includesgreat and manifold thought in brevity of expressions. Observe at least how, in the midst 3311 ofexhortation, and when discoursing about faith, of what a type and mystery he reminds us, whereofwe have the reality. “Through faith” (he says) “he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood,lest he that destroyed the first-born should touch them.”But what is “the sprinkling of blood”? 3312 A lamb was slain in every household, and the bloodwas smeared on the door-posts, and this was a means of warding off the Egyptian destruction. Ifthen the blood of a lamb preserved the Jews unhurt in the midst of the Egyptians, and under sogreat a destruction, much more will the blood of Christ save us, who have had it sprinkled 3313 noton the door-posts, but in our souls. For even now also the Destroyer is going about in this depth of3307Dan. iii. 1 , &c.3308 Bel and the Dragon 243309κατεποντίσθησαν is the reading adopted by Mr. Field, but κατεπόθησαν , “ swallowed up, ” seems to be the reading ofhis mss. See his annotation.3310πυκνὸς3311ἐ ν τάξει3312πρόσχυσις3313ἐ πιχριομένους , “ been anointed with it. ”705