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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom504He speaks as to runners, and boxers, and warriors. 3400 Seest thou how he arms them, how heencourages them? “Walk straight,” he says. Here he speaks with reference to their thoughts; thatis to say, not doubting. For if the chastisement be of love, if it begin from loving care, if it end witha good result (and this he proves both by facts and by words, and by all considerations), why areye dispirited? For such are they who despair, who are not strengthened by the hope of the future.“Walk straight,” he says, that your lameness may not be increased, but brought back to its formercondition. For he that runs when he is lame, galls the sore place. Seest thou that it is in our powerto be thoroughly healed?[2.] Ver. 14 . “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see theLord.” What he also said above, “Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together” ( c. x. 25), he hints at in this place also. For nothing so especially makes persons easily vanquished andsubdued in temptations, as isolation. For, tell me, scatter a phalanx in war, and the enemy will needno trouble, but will take them prisoners, coming on them separately, and thereby the more helpless.“Follow peace with all men, and holiness” 3401 (he says). Therefore with the evil-doers as well?“If it be possible,” he says, “as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” ( Rom. xii. 18.) For thy part (he means) “live peaceably,” doing no harm to religion: but in whatever thou artill-treated, bear it nobly. For the bearing with evil is a great weapon in trials. Thus Christ also madeHis disciples strong by saying, “Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be yetherefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves,” ( Matt. x. 16 .) What dost Thou say? Are we“among wolves,” and dost Thou bid us to be “as sheep,” and “as doves”? Yea, He says. For nothingso shames him that is doing us evil, as bearing nobly the things which are brought upon us: andnot avenging ourselves either by word or by deed. This both makes us more philosophical ourselvesand procures a greater reward, and also benefits them. But has such an one been insolent? Do thoubless [him]. See how much thou wilt gain from this: thou hast quenched the evil, thou hast procuredto thyself a reward, thou hast made him ashamed, and thou hast suffered nothing serious.[3.] “Follow peace with all men, and holiness.” What does he mean by “holiness” 3402 ? Chaste,and orderly living in marriage. If any person is unmarried (he says) let him remain pure, let himmarry: or if he be married, let him not commit fornication, but let him live with his own wife: forthis also is “holiness.” How? Marriage is not “holiness,” but marriage preserves the holiness which[proceeds] from Faith, not permitting union with a harlot. For “marriage is honorable” ( c. xiii. 4), not holy. Marriage is pure: it does not however also give holiness, except by forbidding thedefilement of that [holiness] which has been given by our Faith.“Without which” (he says) “no man shall see the Lord.” Which he also says in the [Epistle] tothe Corinthians. “Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor idolaters, nor effeminate,nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor covetous persons, nor thieves, nor drunkards, norrevilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” ( 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10 .) For how shall hewho has become the body of a harlot, how shall he be able to be the body of Christ?3400These words refer to ver. 13 , “ Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straightpaths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed, ” which is inserted in the textof the common editions.3401“ the sanctification. ” [It is the same word as above and is rendered in the R.V. “ the sanctification. ” —F.G.]3402“ sanctification, ” as 1 Thess. iv. 3 , &c.730