John Chrysostom, On Ecclesiastes

knowing the time at which the works happen, it is not possible to comprehend. I have known that there is no good in them, except to rejoice and to do good in his life. This is a good deed, to have mercy.

For being about to exhort to well-doing, he first lays down the law, to be well-treated; for he who is good to himself will also be so to another. This is a gift of God. And if he says a gift of God, God has determined this alone to be good, wishing to lead us away from the toil of the present life and from toiling in these things. I have known <that> all things, that God has made, they shall be for ever; it is not possible to add to them and it is not possible to take away from them. Here again he marvels at His wisdom, that His work is so sufficient and unfailing as to be enough everywhere. And God has done it, that they should fear before His face. See these things also; not only that they might be shaken, but that they might also marvel at him; it is likely therefore that the things that have come into being for the hypothesis of the knowledge of God are some great and wonderful things. That which has been is now, and whatever is to be has already been. But the things of men are not so, but are always becoming. And God will seek the persecuted.

See how in the midst of philosophy he puts words and does not say here "vanity" concerning those who suffer evil; for since he said that he made the works for our sake, so that he might be known, this is also a cause of the knowledge of God. What then? he says, how does he overlook injustices? He comes then also to the argument of providence, that this also shows that God exists. God will seek the persecuted; even if not now, but after these things; from experience I know these things, he says. And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, there the ungodly, and the place of the righteous, there the godly. I saw also those being punished; which also his father says. And I said in my heart: God will judge both the righteous and the ungodly. And that one will receive the prize of virtue and this one of wickedness. I saw the place; he does not say a place of punishment; for he says, under the sun; I do not tell you the things to come, I have seen these things happen in many places. For there is a time for every matter and for every deed. So do not seek; God knows the times, when and when those must be punished. There I said in my heart concerning the talk of the sons of men, that God will judge them. There I said: do not take these things as doctrines, which he said while being thus perplexed, since David also introduces someone saying: and I said: Surely in vain I have justified my heart and washed my hands in innocency, and: I said in my ecstasy: I am cast away from before your eyes, and: I said in my prosperity: I shall never be moved. Concerning the talk of the sons of men that God will judge them; since many accuse God and mock idly, then he will discipline them, then he will teach them. And to show that they are beasts and even to themselves. See therefore what also now happens. Many accuse God, many say he is unjust, many that he does not exercise providence; how do these differ from the beasts? When therefore God renders to each according to his worth, when the time calls, then he will show their foolishness, then he will judge them. For the fate of the sons of man and the fate of the beast; as is the death of this one, so is the death of that one. He shows that there is one death for both, one body, one creation; and if they are ignorant of this they are rightly beasts, for there is one spirit for all. And who knows the spirit of the sons of man [and the fate of the beast; as is the death of this one, so is the death of that one. And who knows the spirit of the sons of man] if it goes upward, and the spirit of the beast if it goes downward to the earth? But he says this concerning those, that they are beasts. For if they saw these things and philosophized about resurrection, he would not have uttered these things, he would not have said: since indeed he himself was not so disposed is clear from what comes after; that God will bring them into judgment. For who will bring him to see in what will be after him? Since many wish to leave behind wealth, who him

τὸν χρόνον εἰδότες καθ' ὃν γίγνεται τὰ ἔργα, οὐ δυνατὸν συνιδεῖν. Ἔγνων ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς, εἰ μὴ τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι καὶ τοῦ ποιεῖν ἀγαθὸν ἐν ζωῇ αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτό ἐστιν ποίημα ἀγαθόν, ἐλεῆσαι.

Μέλλων γὰρ ἐπὶ εὐποιΐαν παρακαλεῖν, πρότερον αὐτὸ νομοθετεῖ, πάσχειν εὖ· ὁ γὰρ ἑαυτῷ χρηστὸς καὶ ἑτέρῳ ἔσται. Τοῦτο δόμα θεοῦ ἐστιν. Κἂν λέγῃ δόμα θεοῦ, τοῦτο ὥρισεν ὁ θεὸς μόνον εἶναι καλόν, ἀπὸ τοῦ μόχθου βουλόμενος ἡμᾶς ἀπαγαγεῖν τοῦ παρόντος βίου καὶ τοῦ ἐν τούτοις μοχθεῖν. Ἔγνων <ὅτι> πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, αὐτὰ ἔσται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· ἐπ' αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔστιν προσθεῖναι καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀφελεῖν. Ἐνταῦθα πάλιν αὐτοῦ τὴν σοφίαν θαυμάζει, ὅτι οὕτως διαρκὲς καὶ ἀνελλιπὲς αὐτοῦ τὸ ἔργον ὡς πανταχοῦ ἀρκεῖν. Καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν, ἵνα φοβηθῶσιν ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ. Ὅρα καὶ ταῦτα· οὐχ ἵνα παρασαλευθῶσιν μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα αὐτὸν καὶ θαυμάζωσιν· εἰκὸς οὖν τὰ πρὸς ὑπόθεσιν θεογνωσίας γεγενημένα, μεγάλα τινὰ καὶ θαυμαστά. Τὸ γενόμενον ἤδη ἐστίν, καὶ ὅσα τοῦ γίνεσθαι ἤδη γέγονεν. Τὰ δὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐ τοιαῦτα, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ γίγνεται. Καὶ ὁ θεὸς ζητήσει τὸν διωκόμενον.

Ὅρα πῶς μεταξὺ φιλοσοφίας ἐντίθησιν ῥήματα καὶ οὐ λέγει ἐνταῦθα «ματαιότης» περὶ τῶν πασχόντων κακῶς· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν ὅτι δι' ἡμᾶς ἐποίησεν τὰ ἔργα, ὥστε αὐτὸν ἐπιγινώσκεσθαι, καὶ θεογνωσίας αἴτιον τοῦτο. Τί οὖν; φησίν, τὰς ἀδικίας πῶς περιορᾷ; Ἔρχεται λοιπὸν καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς προνοίας λόγον, ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο δείκνυσιν ὄντα τὸν θεόν. Ὁ θεὸς ζητήσει τὸν διωκόμενον· κἂν μὴ νῦν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ταῦτα· ἀπὸ τῆς πείρας οἶδα ταῦτα, φησίν. Καὶ ἔτι εἶδον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον τὸν τόπον τῆς κρίσεως, ἐκεῖ ὁ ἀσεβής, καὶ τὸν τόπον τοῦ δικαίου, ἐκεῖ ὁ εὐσεβής. Εἶδον καὶ κολαζομένους· ὅπερ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ φησιν. Καὶ εἶπα ἐγὼ ἐν καρδίᾳ μου· σὺν τὸν δίκαιον καὶ σὺν τὸν ἀσεβῆ κρινεῖ ὁ θεός. Καὶ ἐκεῖνος ἔπαθλον τῆς ἀρετῆς λήμψεται καὶ οὗτος τῆς κακίας. Εἶδον τὸν τόπον· οὐχὶ τόπον τῆς κολάσεως λέγει· ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, γάρ φησιν· οὐ λέγω σοι τὰ μέλλοντα, εἶδον πολλαχοῦ συμβάντα ταῦτα. Ὅτι καιρὸς τῷ παντὶ πράγματι καὶ ἐπὶ παντὶ τῷ ποιήματι. Ὥστε μὴ ζητεῖν· οἶδεν τοὺς καιροὺς ὁ θεός, πότε καὶ πότε ἐκείνους κολασθῆναι δεῖ. Ἐκεῖ εἶπα ἐγὼ ἐν καρδίᾳ μου περὶ λαλιᾶς υἱῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅτι διακρινεῖ αὐτοὺς ὁ θεός. Ἐκεῖ εἶπον· μὴ λάβῃς εἰς δόγματα ταῦτα, ἅπερ οὕτως διαπορῶν ἔλεγεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ εἰσάγει τινὰ λέγοντα· καὶ εἶπον· ἄρα ματαίως ἐδικαίωσα τὴν καρδίαν μου καὶ ἐνιψάμην ἐν ἀθῴοις τὰς χεῖράς μου, καί· εἶπον ἐν τῇ ἐκστάσει μου· ἀπέρριμμαι ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν σου, καί· εἶπον ἐν τῇ εὐθηνίᾳ μου· οὐ μὴ σαλευθῶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Περὶ λαλιᾶς υἱῶν ἀνθρώπου ὅτι διακρινεῖ αὐτοὺς ὁ θεός· ἐπειδὴ πολλοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ κατηγοροῦ σιν καὶ διαγελῶσιν εἰκῇ, τότε αὐτοὺς παιδεύσει, τότε αὐτοὺς διδάξει. Καὶ τοῦ δεῖξαι ὅτι αὐτοὶ κτήνη εἰσὶν καί γε αὐτοῖς. Ὅρα τοίνυν ὃ καὶ νῦν γίγνεται. Πολλοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ κατηγοροῦσιν, πολλοὶ αὐτὸν ἄδικον εἶναί φασιν, πολλοὶ αὐτὸν μὴ προνοεῖν· οὗτοι τῶν κτηνῶν τί διαφέρουσιν; Ὅταν οὖν ὁ θεὸς τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ἀπονέμῃ ἑκάστῳ, τοῦ καιροῦ καλοῦντος, τότε δείξει τὴν ἄνοιαν αὐτῶν, τότε διακρινεῖ αὐτούς. Ὅτι συνάντημα υἱῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ συνάντημα τοῦ κτήνους· ὡς ὁ θάνατος τούτου, οὕτως ὁ θάνατος τούτου. ∆είκνυσιν ὅτι θάνατος εἷς ἑκατέροις, σῶμα ἕν, πλάσις μία· καὶ εἰ τοῦτο ἀγνοοῦσιν εἰκότως κτήνη, ὅτι πνεῦμα ἓν τοῖς πᾶσιν. Καὶ τίς οἶδεν πνεῦμα υἱῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου [καὶ συνάντημα τοῦ κτήνους· ὡς ὁ θάνατος τούτου, οὕτως ὁ θάνατος τούτου. Καὶ τίς οἶδεν πνεῦμα υἱῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου] εἰ ἀναβαίνει ἄνω, καὶ πνεῦμα τοῦ κτήνους εἰ καταβαίνει κάτω εἰς τὴν γῆν; Τοῦτο δέ φησιν περὶ ἐκείνων, ὅτι κτήνη εἰσίν. Εἰ γὰρ ταῦτα ἑώρων καὶ περὶ ἀναστάσεως ἐφιλοσόφουν, οὐκ ἂν ταῦτα ἐφθέγξατο, οὐκ ἂν εἶπεν· ἐπεὶ ὅτι γε αὐτὸς οὐχ οὕτως διέκειτο δῆλον ἐκ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα· ὅτι ἄξει ὁ θεὸς αὐτοὺς εἰς κρίσιν. Ὅτι τίς ἄξει αὐτὸν τοῦ ἰδεῖν ἐν ᾧ ἂν γένηται μετ' αὐτόν; Ἐπειδὴ πολλοὶ βούλονται καταλεῖψαι χρήματα, τίς αὐτὸν