HOMILIES OF S. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. HOMILY I. PREFACE. 1. THEY that are spectators of the heathen games, when Again; those who are skilled in rhetoric do just the same And if in the case of rhetoricians, musicians, and athletes, B 2 Of the manner of St. John's appearing. HOMIL. Voice plainer than thunder? for he has pervaded the whole earth I. with the sound; and occupied and filled it, not by the loud σίας πολλῆς τος Rom. 13, 14. 27. ness of the cry, but by moving his tongue with the grace of God. And what is wonderful, this sound, great as it is, is neither a harsh nor an unpleasant one, but sweeter and more delightful than all harmony of music, and with more skill to soothe; and besides all this, most holy, and most awful, and full of mysteries so great, and bringing with it goods so great, that if men were exactly and with ready mind to receive and keep them, they could no longer be mere men nor remain upon the earth, but would take their stand above all the things of this life, and having adapted themselves to the condition of angels, would dwell on earth just as if it were heaven. 2. For the son of thunder, the beloved of Christ, the pillar of the Churches throughout the world, who holds the keys of heaven, who drank the cup of Christ, and was baptized with His baptism, who lay upon his Master's bosom with much 1 rapin. confidence', this man comes forward to us now; not as an actor of a play, not hiding his head with a mask, (for he hath xgißar another sort of words to speak,) nor mounting a platform2, nor striking the stage with his foot, nor dressed out with apparel of gold, but he enters wearing a robe of inconceivable beauty. For he will appear before us having put on Gal. 3, Christ, having his beautiful feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; wearing a girdle not about his waist, Eph. 6, 15. but about his loins, not made of scarlet leather nor daubed 3 vay outside with gold, but woven and composed of truth itself. ἠλειμμέν Now will he appear before us, not acting a part, (for with him there is nothing counterfeit, nor fiction, nor fable,) but with unmasked head he proclaims to us the truth unmasked; not making the audience believe him other than he is by carriage, by look, by voice, needing for the delivery of his message no instruments of music, as harp, lyre, or any other the like, for he effects all with his tongue, uttering a voice which is sweeter and more profitable than that of any harper or any music. All heaven is his stage; his theatre, the habitable world; his audience, all angels; and of men as many as are angels already, or desire to become so, for none Why men should be earnest hearers. 3 but these can hear that harmony aright, and shew it forth by PREF. their works; all the rest, like little children who hear, but what they hear understand not, from their anxiety about sweetmeats and childish playthings; so they too, being in mirth and luxury, and living only for wealth and power and sensuality, hear sometimes what is said, it is true, but shew forth nothing great or noble in their actions through fastening themselves for good to the clay of the brickmaking. gornBy this Apostle stand the powers from above, marvelling at the beauty of his soul, and his understanding, and the bloom of that virtue by which he drew unto him Christ Himself, and obtained the grace of the Spirit. For he hath made ready his soul, as some well-fashioned and jewelled lyre with strings of gold, and yielded it for the utterance of something great and sublime to the Spirit. λοῦν 1 Cor. 10. [3.] Seeing then it is no longer the fisherman the son of (2.) Zebedee, but He who knoweth the deep things of God, 2, 10. the Holy Ghost I mean, that striketh this lyre, let us hearken accordingly. For he will say nothing to us as a man, but what he saith, he will say from the depths of the Spirit, from those secret things which before they came to pass the very Angels knew not; since they too have learned by the voice of John with us, and by us, the things which we know. And this hath another Apostle declared, saying, To Eph. 3, the intent that unto the principalities and powers might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God. If then principalities, and powers, and Cherubim, and Seraphim, learned these things by the Church, it is very clear that they were exceedingly earnest in listening to this teaching; and even in this we have been not a little honoured, that the Angels learned things which before they knew not with us; I do not at present speak of their learning by us also. Let us then shew much silence and orderly behaviour; not today only, nor during the day on which we are hearers, but during all our life, since it is at all times good to hear Him. For if we long to know what is going on in the palace, what, for instance, the king has said, what he has done, what counsel he is taking concerning his subjects, though in truth these things are for the most part nothing to us; much more is it desirable to hear what God hath said, especially 4 That it is The Holy Spirit Who speaketh. HOMIL. when all concerns us. And all this will this man tell us 1. exactly, as being a friend of the King Himself, or rather, as having Him speaking within himself, and from Him hearing John 15, all things which He heareth from the Father. I have called you friends, He saith, for all things that I have heard of My Father, I have made known unto you. 15. Eus. H. 29. 19. [4.] As then we should all run together if we saw one ǎtgoov, from above bend down on a sudden1 from the height of Comp heaven, promising to describe exactly all things there, even E. v. i. so let us be disposed now. It is from thence that this Man speaketh to us; He is not of this world, as Christ Himself John 15, declareth, Ye are not of the world, and He hath speaking within him the Comforter, the Omnipresent, Who knoweth the things of God as exactly as the soul of man knoweth what belongs to herself, the Spirit of holiness, the righteous Spirit, the guiding Spirit, which leads men by the hand to heaven, which gives them other eyes, fitting them to see things to come as though present, and giving them even in the flesh to look into things heavenly. To Him then let us 2 yield ourselves during all our life in much tranquillity. agix- Let none dull, none sleepy, none sordid, enter here and xiv. tarry; but let us remove ourselves to heaven, for there He μεν τὴν speaketh these things to those who are citizens there. And if we tarry on earth, we shall gain nothing great from thence. For the words of John are nothing to those who do not desire to be freed from this swinish life, just as the things of this world to him are nothing. The thunder amazes our 3 domov.souls, having sound without significance; but this man's voice troubles none of the faithful, yea, rather releases them from trouble and confusion; it amazes the devils only, and those who are their slaves. Therefore that we may know how it amazes them, let us preserve deep silence, both external and mental, but especially the latter; for what advantage is it that the mouth be hushed, if the soul is disturbed and full of tossing? I look for that calm which is of the mind, of the soul, since it is the hearing of the soul which I require. Let then no desire of riches trouble us, no lust of glory, no tyranny of anger, nor the crowd of other passions besides these; for it is not possible for the ear, except it be cleansed, to perceive as it ought the sublimity The necessity of preparation for hearing. 5 of the things spoken; nor rightly to understand the awful PREF. and unutterable nature of these mysteries, and all other virtue which is in these divine oracles. If a man cannot learn well a melody on pipe or harp, unless he in every way strain his attention; how shall one, who sits as a listener to sounds mystical, be able to hear with a careless soul? Matt. 7, [5.] Wherefore Christ Himself exhorted, saying, Give (3.) not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine. He called these words pearls, though in truth they be much more precious than they, because we have no substance more precious than that. For this reason too He is wont often to compare their sweetness to honey, not that so much only is the measure of their sweetness, but because amongst us there is nothing sweeter. Now, to shew that they very exceedingly surpass the nature of precious stones, and the sweetness of any honey, hear the prophet speaking concerning them, and declaring this superiority; More to be desired are they, he saith, than gold and Ps. 19, much precious stone; sweeter are they also than honey and 10. the honeycomb. But to those (only) who are in health; wherefore he has added, For thy servant keepeth them. And again in another place calling them sweet he has added, to my throat. For he saith, How sweet are thy words Ps. 119, unto my throat. And again he insisteth on the superiority, saying, Above honey and the honeycomb to my mouth. For he was in very sound health. And let not us either come nigh to these while we are sick, but when we have healed our soul, so receive the food that is offered us. 103. It is for this reason that, after so long a preface, I have not yet attempted to fathom' these expressions (of St. John),' xaña in order that every one having laid aside all manner of infirmity, as though he were entering into heaven itself, so may enter here pure, and freed from wrath and carefulness and anxiety of this life, of all other passions. For it is not otherwise possible for a man to gain from hence any thing great, except he have first so cleansed anew his soul. And let no one say that the time to the coming communion2 is vágtar short, for it is possible, not only in five days, but in one moment, to change the whole course of life. Tell me what is worse than a robber and a murderer, is not this the ex |