John Chrysostom, On Psalm 50

the Church, now believing in it; he who once cut down the vines, now having become a planter; he who once was lead, now having become gold.

And you, beloved, cry out that great is the clamor of sins, and immediately you hear: But great is the love for mankind of the Master. For God became man, and entered a virgin's womb, and dwelt there. And whom did he call? Magi. After them, whom? A prosti 55.531 tute. After her, whom? A robber. After him, whom? A blasphemer. O new and strange things! The first fruits of the calling, the tyranny of sin. Because the affairs of the world were in a bad state, men were held fast by the sleep of sin, and by Judaism, and by much despair. For this reason, therefore, having come, from the very beginning he called the first fruits of the Church, so that no one after this might despair of his own salvation. Are you impious? Think of the robber. Are you unclean? Think of the prostitute. Are you a blasphemer? Think of Paul, the blasphemer. Are you an unbeliever? Think of the magi. I too know what the despair of sin is. The devil stands by, sharpening a sword, and saying these words to you:

You have lived your whole life with prostitutes, after this you have committed perjury, you have committed adultery throughout your present life. These are the words of the devil. But you, dare the opposite. Have you fallen? But rise up. Have you fornicated? Repent. Have you committed adultery? Repent. Your repentance is small; but great is the love for mankind of the Master. As long as you breathe, and lie on your very bed, 55.532 repent; the urgency of the moment draws out God's love for mankind. Anoint these medicines, and you would soothe the inflammation. For I know, beloved, that the wounds of the soul are many, but each wound has its own and fitting medicine prepared. You have the Church which accomplishes the presence of the Spirit. You have the assembly of martyrs, and many other things that are able to call you back from sin to righteousness.

You have heard the paltry sins of the righteous; see the swiftness of their repentance through words and tears. For David himself cries out, saying: With my tears I will wet my bed. And Paul said: But I received mercy, because I persecuted Christ in ignorance. Therefore, let us not despair of our own salvation, having the memory of those who sinned before and were deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, for to him is the glory and the power, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

Ἐκκλησίαν, νῦν πιστευόμενος αὐτήν· ὅ ποτε τὰς ἀμπέλους ἐκκόπτων, νῦν φυτουργὸς γενόμενος· ὅ ποτε μόλυβδος, νῦν χρυσὸς γενόμενος.

Καὶ σὺ βόησον, ἀγαπητὲ, ὅτι μέγας ὁ θόρυβος τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ εὐθέως ἀκούεις· Ἀλλὰ πολλὴ ἡ τοῦ ∆εσπότου φιλανθρωπία. Ἐγένετο γὰρ Θεὸς ἄνθρωπος, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς μήτραν παρθενικὴν, καὶ ᾤκησεν. Καὶ τίνας ἐκάλεσεν; Μάγους. Μετ' ἐκείνους, τίνα; Πόρ 55.531 νην. Μετ' ἐκείνην, τίνα; Λῃστήν. Μετ' ἐκεῖνον, τίνα; Βλάσφημον. Ὢ καινῶν καὶ παραδόξων πραγμάτων! Τὰ ἀκροθίνια τῆς κλήσεως ἡ τυραννὶς τῆς ἁμαρτίας. ∆ιότι κακῶς διέκειτο τὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης πράγματα, ἄνθρωποι μὲν ὕπνῳ ἁμαρτίας, καὶ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ, καὶ ἀπογνώσει πολλῇ κατείχοντο. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τοίνυν ἐλθὼν, ἐκ προοιμίων τὰ ἀκροθίνια τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐκάλεσεν, ἵνα μηδεὶς μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπογινώσκῃ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίας. Ἀσεβὴς εἶ; Ἐννόησον τὸν λῃστήν. Ἀκάθαρτος εἶ; Ἐννόησον τὴν πόρνην. Βλάσφημος εἶ; Ἐννόησον τὸν Παῦλον, τὸν βλάσφημον. Ἄπιστος εἶ; Ἐννόησον τοὺς μάγους. Οἶδα κἀγὼ ὁποία ἐστὶν ἡ ἀπόγνωσις τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Ἐφέστηκεν ὁ διάβολος ξίφος ἀκονῶν, καὶ λέγων σοι τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα·

Ὅλον τὸν βίον σου ᾤκησας μετὰ πορνῶν, μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπιώρκησας, ἐμοίχευσας παρ' ὅλους τοὺς τοῦ παρόντος βίου. Ταῦτα τοῦ διαβόλου τὰ ῥήματα. Ἀλλὰ σὺ τόλμα ἐναντία. Ἔπεσας; Ἀλλ' ἀνάστηθι. Ἐπόρνευσας; Μετανόησον. Ἐμοίχευσας; Μετάγνωθι. Μικρὰ ἡ μετάνοιά σου· ἀλλὰ μεγάλη ἡ τοῦ ∆εσπότου φιλανθρωπία. Ἕως ἐμπνέεις, καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ κλίνῃ κατάκει 55.532 σαι, μετανόησον· ἡ τοῦ καιροῦ στενοχωρία ἄγει τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν. Ταῦτα τὰ φάρμακα ἐπάλειψον, καὶ τὴν φλεγμονὴν καταστέλλοις. Οἶδα γὰρ, ἀγαπητὲ, ὅτι πολλὰ τὰ τραύματα τῆς ψυχῆς, ἀλλ' ἕκαστον τραῦμα ἴδιον ἔχει καὶ κατάλληλον φάρμακον κατεσκευασμένον. Ἔχεις Ἐκκλησίαν ἐπιτελουμένην Πνεύματος παρουσίαν. Ἔχεις συναθροισμὸν μαρτύρων, καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ τὰ δυνάμενά σε ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας εἰς δικαιοσύνην ἀνακαλέσασθαι.

Ἠκούσατε τὰ εὐτελῆ ἁμαρτήματα τῶν δικαίων· ἴδετε τὸ τάχος τῆς μετανοίας διὰ λόγων καὶ δακρύων. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ ∆αυῒδ βοᾷ λέγων· Ἐν δάκρυσί μου τὴν στρωμνήν μου βρέξω. Καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Ἀλλ' ἠλεήθην, ὅτι τὸν Χριστὸν ἀγνοῶν ἐδίωκον. Τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς μὴ ἀπογνῶμεν τῆς σωτηρίας ἑαυτῶν, τὴν μνήμην τῶν προημαρτηκότων καὶ βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν καταξιωθέντων ἔχοντες, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅτι αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, ἅμα τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.