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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom508[5.] For he who repents ought not to be angry, nor to be fierce, but to be contrite, as onecondemned, as not having boldness, as one on whom sentence has been passed, as one who oughtto be saved by mercy alone, as one who has shown himself ungrateful toward his Benefactor, asunthankful, as reprobate, as worthy of punishments innumerable. If he considers these things, hewill not be angry, he will not be indignant, but will mourn, will weep, will groan, and lament nightand day.He that is penitent ought never to forget his sin, but on the one hand, to beseech God not toremember it; while on the other, he himself never forgets it. If we remember it, God will forget it.Let us exact punishment from ourselves; let us accuse ourselves; thus shall we propitiate the Judge.For sin confessed becomes less, but not confessed worse. For if sin add to itself shamelessness andingratitude, how will he who does not know that he sinned before be at all able to guard himselffrom falling again into the same [evils]?Let us then not deny [our sins], I beseech you, nor be shameless, that we may not unwillinglypay the penalty. Cain heard God say, “Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not; am Imy brother’s keeper?” ( Gen. iv. 9 .) Seest thou how this made his sin more grievous? But hisfather did not act thus. What then? When he heard, “Adam, where art thou?” ( Gen. iii. 9 ), hesaid, “I heard Thy voice, and I was afraid, because I am naked, and I hid myself.” ( Gen. iii. 10.) It is a great good to acknowledge our sins, and to bear them in mind continually. Nothing soeffectually cures a fault, as a continual remembrance of it. Nothing makes a man so slow towickedness.[6.] I know that conscience starts back, and endures not to be scourged by the remembrance ofevil deeds; but hold tight thy soul and place a muzzle on it. For like an ill-broken 3414 horse, so itbears impatiently [what is put upon it], and is unwilling to persuade itself that it has sinned: but allthis is the work of Satan. 3415 But let us persuade it that it has sinned; let us persuade it that it hassinned, that it may also repent, in order that having repented it may escape torment. How dost thouthink to obtain pardon for thy sins, tell me, when thou hast not yet confessed them? Assuredly heis worthy of compassion and kindness who has sinned. But thou who hast not yet persuaded thyself[that thou hast sinned], how dost thou think to be pitied, when thou art thus without shame for somethings? 3416Let us persuade ourselves that we have sinned. Let us say it not with the tongue only, but alsowith the mind. Let us not call ourselves sinners, but also count over our sins, going over them eachspecifically. 3417 I do not say to thee, Make a parade of thyself, nor accuse thyself before others: butbe persuaded by the prophet when he saith, “Reveal thy way unto the Lord.” ( Ps. xxxvii. 5 .)Confess these things before God. Confess before the Judge thy sins with prayer; if not with tongue,yet in memory, and be worthy of mercy.If thou keep thy sins continually in remembrance, thou wilt never bear in mind the wrongs ofthy neighbor. I do not say, if thou art persuaded that thou art thyself a sinner; this does not avail soto humble the soul, as sins themselves [taken] by themselves, and examined specifically. 3418 Thou3414δυσήνιος3415σατανικόν3416ἐ πί τίσιν3417κατ̓ εἶδος , see above, p. 412.3418κατ̓ εἶδος736