John Chrysostom, On the Delights of Future Life

perilous and temporary, so that by this, having led them away from present things, he might bind them with great exactness to the love of things to come. Then, since those things were unseen and intelligible, and in faith and in hopes, see what he does. Having come here, and having taken our flesh, and having worked out that wondrous economy, he brings future things under our sight, thus assuring the more sluggish minds. For since he came bringing an angelic way of life, and making earth a heaven, and enjoining these things, which made those who practiced them like the bodiless powers, and he made men angels, and called them to the hopes above, and extended small contests, and commanded them to fly higher, and to ascend to the very vaults of the heavens, and to strip for battle against demons, and to be arrayed against the entire phalanx of the devil, while having a body, being entwined with flesh, and to mortify their bodies, and to banish the tumult of the passions, and to simply wear the flesh, but to stretch their contest towards the bodiless powers. 4. Since he commanded these things, see what he does, how he makes the contest easy. Or rather, if you please, let us first speak of the greatness of the commandments, and how high a wing he fashioned, and almost banishing them from human nature, he commanded all to be re-anchored in heaven. For while the law commanded an eye for an eye, he himself says: If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. He did not say, only bear the outrage nobly and meekly, but also, advance further in philosophy, and prepare to suffer greater things than he desires to inflict; by the abundance of your philosophy, conquer the insolence of his outrage, so that, ashamed of your surpassing gentleness, he may withdraw. And again he says: Pray for those who spitefully use you; pray for your enemies; do good to those who hate you. Again, he introduced the counsel concerning virginity, saying: He who is able to accept it, let him accept it. For since the practice had flown away from paradise, and departed after the disobedience, having come down from heaven, he brought it back again, as though bringing a fugitive back to its ancient homeland, and freeing it from its long exile; and coming, he was first born of a virgin, and he set in motion the laws of nature, honoring it from the very beginning, and showing the virgin to be a mother. Since, therefore, having come, he commanded such things, and established a lofty way of life, he also gave prizes worthy of the labors, or rather, much greater and higher ones. But these too were unseen, and in hopes and in faith and in expectation of things to come. Since, then, the commandments were arduous and lofty, and the prizes and rewards were in faith, see 51.351 what he does; how he makes the contest easy; how simple the contests. How and in what way? Indeed, in these two ways: first, by himself practicing them; and second, by himself showing the rewards and bringing them into sight. For of the things spoken by him, some were a commandment, and others prizes; a commandment, Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you; a prize, that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. Again, Blessed are you, when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. Do you see the one, a commandment, and the other, a prize? Again, If you want to be perfect, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and come, follow me, and you will have treasure in heaven. Do you see another commandment, and a prize? For the one thing he commanded them to do, the other he himself prepared, which was a reward and a recompense. And again, Whoever has left houses and brothers, and sisters; this is a commandment; he will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life; this is a prize and

ἐπίκηρον καὶ τὸ πρόσκαιρον, ἵνα ταύτῃ τῶν παρόντων ἀπαγαγὼν, τῷ ἔρωτι τῶν μελλόντων μετὰ πολλῆς αὐτοὺς προσδήσῃ τῆς ἀκριβείας. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ ἀόρατα ἦν ἐκεῖνα καὶ νοερὰ, καὶ ἐν πίστει καὶ ἐν ἐλπίσιν, ὅρα τί ποιεῖ. Παραγενόμενος ἐνταῦθα, καὶ τὴν σάρκα λαβὼν τὴν ἡμετέραν, καὶ τὴν θαυμαστὴν ἐκείνην οἰκονομίαν ἐργασάμενος, ὑπ' ὄψιν ἄγει τὰ μέλλοντα, τὰς παχυτέρας καὶ ταύτῃ πληροφορῶν διανοίας. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἦλθε κομίζων πολιτείαν ἀγγελικὴν, καὶ τὴν γῆν οὐρανὸν ἐργαζόμενος, καὶ ταῦτα ἐπιτάττων, ἃ τοῖς ἀσωμάτοις ἐξωμοίουν δυνάμεσι τοὺς μετιόντας, καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀγγέλους ἐποίησε, καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἐλπίδας ἐκάλει τὰς ἄνω, καὶ μικρὰ σκάμματα διέτεινε, καὶ ὑψηλότερα ἵπτασθαι ἐκέλευσε, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὰς ἀναβαίνειν τῶν οὐρανῶν τὰς ἁψῖδας, καὶ πρὸς δαίμονας ἀποδύεσθαι, καὶ πρὸς ἅπασαν τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν φάλαγγα παρατάττεσθαι, σῶμα ἔχοντας, σαρκὶ συμπεπλεγμένους, καὶ τὰ σώματα νεκροῦν, καὶ τῶν παθῶν ἐξορίζειν τὸν θόρυβον, καὶ τὴν σάρκα ἁπλῶς περικεῖσθαι, τὴν ἅμιλλαν δὲ πρὸς τὰς ἀσωμάτους δυνάμεις τείνασθαι. δʹ. Ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ἐπέταξεν, ὅρα τί ποιεῖ, πῶς εὔκολον τὸν ἀγῶνα ἐργάζεται. Μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰ δοκεῖ, πρότερον εἴπωμεν τῶν ἐπιταγμάτων τὸ μέγεθος, καὶ πῶς ὑψηλὸν τὸ πτερὸν κατεσκεύαζε, καὶ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης σχεδὸν ἐξοικίζων φύσεως, πρὸς οὐρανὸν μεθωρμίσθαι πάντας ἐκέλευσε. Τοῦ γὰρ νόμου κελεύοντος ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ, αὐτός φησιν· Ἐάν τίς σε ῥαπίσῃ εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν σιαγόνα, στρέψον αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην. Οὐκ εἶπε, φέρε γενναίως μόνον καὶ πράως τὴν παροινίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρόϊθι περαιτέρω τὴν φιλοσοφίαν, καὶ μείζονα παρασκευάζου πάσχειν, ἢ ἐκεῖνος ποιῆσαι ἐπιθυμεῖ· τῇ δαψιλείᾳ τῆς φιλοσοφίας νίκησον αὐτοῦ τὸ προπετὲς τῆς παροινίας, ἵνα αἰδεσθείς σου τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν ἐπιείκειαν, ἀναχωρήσῃ. Καὶ πάλιν φησίν· Εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων ὑμᾶς· εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑμῶν· καλῶς ποιεῖτε τοῖς μισοῦσιν ὑμᾶς. Τὴν περὶ τῆς παρθενίας πάλιν εἰσήγαγε συμβουλὴν λέγων· Ὁ δυνάμενος χωρεῖν, χωρείτω. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐκ παραδείσου τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀπέπτη, καὶ μετὰ τὴν παρακοὴν ἀνεχώρησε κατιὼν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, πάλιν αὐτὴν ἐπανήγαγε, καθάπερ φυγάδα πρὸς τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἐπαναγαγὼν πατρίδα, καὶ τῆς μακρᾶς ἐξορίας ἀπαλλάττων· καὶ ἐλθὼν πρῶτον ἐκ παρθένου ἐτίκτετο, καὶ τοὺς τῆς φύσεως ἐκίνει νόμους, ἐκ προοιμίων τιμῶν αὐτὴν, καὶ μητέρα τὴν παρθένον ἀποφαίνων. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν παραγενόμενος τοιαῦτα ἐπέταττε, καὶ ὑψηλὴν τὴν πολιτείαν εἰργάζετο, ἄξια καὶ τὰ ἔπαθλα τῶν πόνων ἐδίδου, μᾶλλον δὲ πολλῷ μείζονα καὶ ὑψηλότερα. Ἀλλ' ἦν καὶ ταῦτα ἀόρατα, καὶ ἐν ἐλπίσι καὶ ἐν πίστει καὶ ἐν προσδοκίᾳ τῇ τῶν μελλόντων. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ μὲν ἐπιτάγματα ἐπίπονα καὶ ὑψηλὰ, τὰ δὲ ἔπαθλα καὶ τὰ βραβεῖα ἐν πίστει, ὅρα 51.351 τί ποιεῖ· πῶς εὔκολον τὸν ἀγῶνα ἐργάζεται· πῶς ῥᾴδια τὰ σκάμματα. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; ∆ύο δὴ ταύταις ὁδοῖς· μιᾷ μὲν, τὸ αὐτὸν αὐτὰ μετελθεῖν· ἑτέρᾳ δὲ, τὸ αὐτὸν δεῖξαι τὰ βραβεῖα καὶ ὑπ' ὄψιν ἀγαγεῖν. Τῶν γὰρ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ λεγομένων τὰ μὲν ἐντολὴ ἦν, τὰ δὲ ἔπαθλα· ἐντολὴ μὲν, Εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων ὑμᾶς καὶ διωκόντων· ἔπαθλον δὲ, Ὅπως γένησθε υἱοὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Πάλιν, Μακάριοί ἐστε, ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ διώξωσι, καὶ εἴπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα καθ' ὑμῶν ψευδόμενοι. Χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Εἶδες τὸ μὲν, ἐντολὴν, τὸ δὲ, ἔπαθλον; Πάλιν, Εἰ θέλεις τέλειος εἶναι, πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς, καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι, καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ. Εἶδες ἄλλην ἐντολὴν, καὶ ἔπαθλον; Τὸ μὲν γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐκέλευσε ποιεῖν, τὸ δὲ αὐτὸς ἡτοίμασεν, ὅπερ ἦν μισθὸς καὶ ἀντίδοσις. Καὶ πάλιν, Ὅστις ἀφῆκεν οἰκίας καὶ ἀδελφοὺς, καὶ ἀδελφάς· τοῦτο ἐντολή· Ἑκατονταπλασίονα λήψεται, καὶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσει· τοῦτο βραβεῖον καὶ