On Jeremiah (Homilies 12-20) On And you shall say to this people: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Every wineskin will be filled with wine up

 Therefore He here named the punishments unmixed wine, which they drink who are worthy of unmixed wine, that is, of unmixed punishment. But there are a

 to have the preeminence of a more honorable name than the people, God spares him so that he might not be punished when he sins. But the things written

 that God, sparing many, does not spare one. I will also take the example of a physician, showing that in sparing the whole body he does not spare one

 Then after this he commands them not to be lifted up, and teaches what must be done. What then is it to hear and what is it to give ear, let us unders

 does darkness not happen? Work while the light is in you. <The light is in you>, if you have in you the one who said: I am the light of the world

 glory to God those who do things contrary to the glory of God through their sins. 12.12 “Give glory to the Lord our God before it grows dark, before y

 the prophets, lest we fall under the prophecy that says: but if you do not listen secretly, your soul will weep because of insolence. As many of you

 to cast a vote against the one who has sinned, each of the onlookers does not spare, does not look sad, does not pity, does not return to intercede fo

 What follows also fits: You have turned me away, says the Lord, you will go backward. Because you have turned away from the Son of God, and because

 but not of pains that bring health to those being treated. 14.2 That people, therefore, was sick various diseases were among the people who were call

 spiritual riches, but they turned away from what was being said and did not present themselves receptive so that they might be indebted for this reas

 how often I wanted to gather your children together» and what follows. And these things are also clearly spoken by the Savior in the passage, “Woe is

 of the double-minded is judged. If you bear the image of the heavenly one having put off the image of the earthly one, you are not earth condemnin

 of their affliction, he says, that is against the enemy, I stood by you on their behalf. And who is the enemy but our adversary the devil, who affli

 to a land which he did not know. For a fire is kindled from my wrath, it will be burned against you. After this, <ὁ> he who prayed above completes t

 In the present case, it was necessary † for such a thing to happen in the church of God. The one who was condemned has been condemned, so-and-so † whi

 becomes inimitable, so that I become so great that no one is like me in character, in speech, in deeds, in wisdom, then I am able to say, because I al

 a limb, the physician tries to make a restoration of the dislocated part. When someone is outside his fatherland, whether justly or unjustly, and rece

 my Savior and Lord is about to stand before the Father, being judged with all of us men. And he is judged with all men. I say: he is judged, he himsel

 my dispensation did this and that, and for your salvation I endured. When the Savior says these things, what shall we do? For he is about to be judged

 uncleanness.” Having put these things to death, “he does not rely on the flesh of his own arm.” “Cursed is he who has his hope in man.” And at the sam

 to take the souls that are on the hills, those not lying below? And see if the prophet did not cry out mystically saying these things and presenting t

 my ‘Soul, you have good things laid up for many years rest, eat, drink, be merry.’” You see the one below the mountains, the one below the hills, th

 what awaits us, must be understood. If, then, we depart this life having sins, but also having virtues, will we be saved on account of the virtues, bu

 that the gentiles who sin receive their sins simply, but we receive our offenses doubly. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge

 it is written with an iron pen, with a diamond point, engraved upon the breast of the heart ” but again, the word 'their' does not follow in that case

 simpler than the believers. “The partridge called,” therefore, “it gathered what it did not hatch, making its wealth not with judgment.” The partridge

 your names are written in the heavens”. Therefore one must rejoice, if one becomes such a person, so that his name may be inscribed in the heavens. Bu

 for “there shall be trouble in Jacob, nor shall toil be seen in Israel.” There is no labor for one following Jesus the very act of following removes

 has ascended far above the earthen vessels. Below are the earthen vessels, and the nature that administers the earthen vessels, condescending to the t

 into the potter's house and he recounts what he saw, saying: and behold, he was doing a work with his hands, and the vessel which he was making in th

 to be planted,” a whole nation and since this <the> nation being built up and planted has a good promise, but is able to sin, he says after speaking

 Christ, the mystery of the church, the one who comes to the synagogue and does not bear fruit. 18.6 At last I will speak against a nation or even aga

 speaking to the child in a childish way, or that I may speak more emphatically, in an infantile way, that you have borne with the manners of your son

 of the Lord saying through the prophet: And the Lord spoke to them. And to <us> now the Lord says through the scriptures, Let each one turn from hi

 Jews but since they did not thirst for Christ and the Holy Spirit, they cannot drink even from God. Those from the heresies seemed to have thirsted f

 Immer, and that he was a priest, and what rank he held among the people, that he was appointed leader of the house of the Lord at the time when Jeremi

 God will do it». And such a high priest is superficially beautiful and a whitewashed wall, full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness on the ins

 of the disciples, as they were asking him, Where do you want us to prepare the Passover for you?, he said, As you are going, a man will meet you ca

 the sons of Jerusalem have departed and the city has been destroyed. But if you examine the matter and see the city not as stones, but as people, you

 burning in my bones, and I am weary on all sides and cannot bear it, because I heard the reproach of many gathering together round about,” and “saying

 For not only the adulterer is liable to the gehenna of fire, but also the one who says to his brother, fool. But if the one who says to his brothe

 you should think that his repentance has some kinship with the repentance of those who repent. For just as his word was something exceptional, his ang

 to the people, he hears God saying according to the scriptures: Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people? And he, it says, answered: Behol

 And I have insults as wood, I have drunkennesses as wood, thefts as wood, and I have built upon my structure ten thousand other pieces of wood. Do you

 to despise», see if it is not truly for this reason, since they did not think they were deceived, they stored up for themselves «wrath in the day of w

 a laughingstock, all the day I was derided”? What am I saying, Jeremiah? and my Jesus was mocked for it says, “the Pharisees, who were lovers of mone

 the unrighteous man “for it will be,” he says, “when you call upon me, I will not listen to you.” There, then, the unrighteous and it is clear that

 to discipline the body with fasts and to enslave it» «by abstaining from such foods,» and in every way «by the spirit to put to death the deeds of the

 in my bones, and I am exhausted on all sides and cannot bear it.” I fear lest such a thing is what is reserved for us, becoming a fire, as happened in

 let us all, his friends, conspire against him watch his intention, and he will be deceived.” They wanted to deceive him with another deadly deception

 let him examine. Nevertheless, what awaits us are tormentors and one who examines hearts and reins for our sins from which sins if we are not quickly

does darkness not happen? "Work while the light is in you." <"The light is in" you>, if you have in you the one who said: "I am the light of the world." As long as this rises for you, glorify God; but know that a certain darkness can come, and this darkness must not remain, but before it grows dark, give glory to God. 12.10 Perhaps we will understand what is written by using a saying from the gospel 12.10 spoken by the Savior, which goes like this: "Work while it is day; night is coming when no one can work." There he called this age day (but I necessarily added "there"; for I know that in other places other things are again indicated) so he called this age day, and the consummation darkness and night because of the punishments. For "why do you desire the day of the Lord? It is darkness and not light," says Amos the prophet. If you see what is gloomy after the consummation of the world, that which follows for nearly the whole race of humanity being punished for their sins, you will see that the surrounding world then grew dark and no one is any longer able to glorify God, if indeed the word of God also commanded the righteous, saying: "Go, my people, enter into your chamber, shut your door, hide yourself for a very little while, until the fury of my wrath passes by." At the same time, in these things, if anyone is able, let him observe that it has said: "a very little while." But that "little while" is little for God, it is not little for man; for one must see that for each there is something small and something great. And I will show from an example that for each there is something small or great. For each living creature, a certain amount of food is small in comparison to its constitution, and a certain amount of food <is> much in comparison again to its structure. And so what is small for a man is great for another living creature. What is small, say, for a man is much for a child. Thus the whole time of human life is short and that of a long-lived person in relation to the whole of the entire present age. So indeed also what is small for God is much in relation to us, and a whole age is what is small for God. If therefore it is said: "Go, my people, enter into your chambers, shut your door, hide yourself for a very little while," that "little" must be understood to be spoken not in relation to the one who is commanded to go and enter into his chambers, but in relation to the one who commands these things, for whom what is much for this one is small. For if "until the fury of the wrath" of God passes by, some must enter into their chambers, and there are those whose "sins are not forgiven not only in this whole age but also in the whole age to come," it is clear that the "little" is extended for those who have been mentioned. 12.11 "Give," therefore, "glory to the Lord our God." How do we give glory to the Lord our God? I do not seek the giving of glory to the Lord our God in voices and little words, but in deeds does the one who gives glory to the Lord our God give glory to him. In self-control glorify God, in righteousness, in beneficence glorify God; give glory to God in courage and endurance, give glory to God in piety and holiness and in the other virtues. And if these things are so and thus one glorifies God, if I say the opposite things, do not think me to be blaspheming; for I will present scripture as a witness for those things too. The self-controlled man glorifies God, the licentious man dishonors God. For like Nebuchadnezzar he destroys the temple of God and "destroys the temple of God" and "through the transgression of the law dishonors God" (this is also an apostolic saying). Therefore the sinner brings dishonor upon God. And questions are raised concerning providence, so that some doubt whether there is providence [providence], for no other reason than because of wickedness. Take away wickedness, and you do not stumble at providence. But those who stumble at providence say these things upside down: why "so many adulterers and so many effeminate," why so many godless and so many impious? And they are the ones who have begotten the dishonor to providence, the stumbling blocks to God, the blasphemy to the creator of the world—the sinners. <So some give glory to God>, but they do not give

συσκοτασμὸς οὐ γίνεται; «ἐργάζεσθε ὡς τὸ φῶς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστιν». <«τὸ φῶς ἐν» σοί «ἐστιν»>, ἐὰν ἔχῃς ἐν σοὶ τὸν εἰπόντα· «ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου». ὅσον τοῦτό σοι ἀνατέλλει, δόξαζε τὸν θεόν· ἴσθι δὲ ὅτι δύναται γενέσθαι σκοτασμός τις, καὶ χρὴ μὴ μεῖναι τὸν σκοτασμὸν τοῦτον, ἀλλὰ πρὸ τοῦ σκοτάσαι τὴν δόξαν διδόναι τῷ θεῷ. 12.10 Τάχα νοήσομεν τὸ γεγραμμένον χρησάμενοι λέξει εὐαγγελικῇ 12.10 εἰρημένῃ ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος οὕτως ἐχούσῃ· «ἐργάζεσθε ὡς ἡμέρα ἐστίν· ἔρχεται νὺξ ὅτε οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐργάζεσθαι». ἡμέραν ἐκεῖ ὠνόμασε τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦτον (ἀλλὰ ἀναγκαίως προσέθηκα τὸ ἐκεῖ· οἶδα γὰρ ἐν ἄλλοις ἄλλα πάλιν δηλούμενα) ἡμέραν οὖν ὠνόμασε τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦτον, σκότος δὲ καὶ νύκτα τὴν συντέλειαν διὰ τὰς κολάσεις. «ἵνα τί» γὰρ «ὑμῖν ἐπιθυμεῖν ἡμέραν κυρίου; καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶ σκότος καὶ οὐ φῶς» φησὶν Ἀμὼς ὁ προφήτης. ἐὰν ἴδῃς τί τὸ σκυθρωπὸν μετὰ τὴν συντέλειαν τοῦ κόσμου, τὸ ἐπακολουθοῦν ὡς σχεδὸν παντὶ τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων κολαζομένων ἐπὶ τοῖς ἡμαρτημένοις, ὄψει ὅτι συνε σκότασε τότε τὸ περιέχον καὶ οὐκέτι οὐδεὶς δύναται δοξάζειν τὸν θεόν, εἴγε καὶ τοῖς δικαίοις προσέταξεν ὁ λόγος θεοῦ λέγων· «βάδιζε, λαός μου, εἴσελθε εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖόν σου, ἀπόκλεισον τὴν θύραν σου, ἀποκρύβηθι μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον, ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ὁ θυμὸς τῆς ὀργῆς μου». ἅμα δὲ ἐν τούτοις, εἴ τις δύναται, τηρείτω ὅτι εἴρηκε· «μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον». ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο τὸ «μικρὸν ὅσον» μικρόν ἐστι θεοῦ, οὐκ ἔστι μικρὸν ἀνθρώπῳ· χρὴ γὰρ βλέπειν ὅτι ἑκάστῳ ἐστί τι μικρὸν καὶ μέγα. καὶ ἀπὸ παραδείγματος παραστήσω ὅτι ἑκάστῳ ἐστί τι μικρὸν ἢ μέγα. ἑκάστῳ ζώῳ μικρὰ τροφὴ ἡ τοσήδε ὡς πρὸς σύγκρισιν τῆς συστάσεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ πολλὴ τροφὴ <ἡ> τοσήδε ὡς πρὸς τὴν σύγκρισιν πάλιν τῆς κατασκευῆς αὐτοῦ. καὶ οὕτως τὸ μικρὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἄλλῳ ζώῳ μέγα ἐστί. τὸ μικρόν, φέρ' εἰπεῖν, ἀνδρὶ πολύ ἐστι παιδίου. οὕτως μικρὸς χρόνος ἐστὶν ὁ τῆς ζωῆς τῆς ἀν θρωπίνης πᾶς καὶ ὁ τοῦ πολυχρονίου ὡς πρὸς ὅλον τοῦ παντὸς ἐνεστηκότος αἰῶνος. οὕτω δὴ καὶ τὸ μικρὸν τοῦ θεοῦ πολύ ἐστιν ὡς πρὸς ἡμᾶς, καὶ αἰών ἐστιν ὅλος τὸ μικρὸν τοῦ θεοῦ. ἐὰν λέγηται οὖν· «βάδιζε, λαός μου, εἴσελθε εἰς τὰ ταμιεῖά σου, ἀπόκλεισον τὴν θύραν σου, ἀποκρύβηθι μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον», τὸ μικρὸν ἐκεῖνο νομιστέον λέγεσθαι οὐ πρὸς τὴν σχέσιν τοῦ κελευομένου βαδίζειν καὶ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὰ ταμιεῖα ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν σχέσιν τοῦ αὐτὰ προστάσσοντος, ᾧ μικρόν ἐστι τὸ τούτῳ πολύ. εἰ γὰρ «ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ὁ θυμὸς τῆς ὀργῆς» τοῦ θεοῦ, δεῖ τινας εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὰ ταμιεῖα ἑαυτῶν, εἰσὶ δὲ οἷς «οὐκ ἀφίεται τὰ ἁμαρτήματα οὐ μόνον παρ' ὅλον τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦτον ἀλλὰ καὶ παρ' ὅλον τὸν μέλλοντα», δῆλον ὅτι τὸ μικρὸν τοῖς εἰρημένοις παρεκτείνεται. 12.11 «∆ότε» οὖν «κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν δόξαν». πῶς δίδομεν κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν δόξαν; οὐκ ἐν φωναῖς καὶ λεξιδίοις ζητῶ τὸ διδόναι κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν δόξαν, ἀλλ' ἐν πράξεσιν ὁ διδοὺς δόξαν κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ δίδωσι δόξαν αὐτῷ. ἐν σωφροσύνῃ δόξασον τὸν θεόν, ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, ἐν εὐποιίᾳ δόξασον τὸν θεόν· δὸς δόξαν τῷ θεῷ ἐν ἀνδρείᾳ καὶ ὑπομονῇ, δὸς δόξαν τῷ θεῷ ἐν εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ ὁσιότητι καὶ ταῖς λοιπαῖς ἀρεταῖς. εἰ δὲ ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει καὶ οὕτω δοξάζει τις τὸν θεόν, ἐὰν εἴπω τὰ ἐναντία, μὴ δόξητέ με βλασφη μεῖν· μάρτυρα γὰρ παραστήσω κἀκείνων τὴν γραφήν. ὁ σώφρων δοξάζει τὸν θεόν, ὁ ἀκολασταίνων ἀτιμάζει τὸν θεόν. τὸν γὰρ ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς Ναβουχοδονόσορ καταστρέφει καὶ «φθείρει τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ» καὶ «διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου τὸν θεὸν ἀτι μάζει» (λέξις ἐστὶ καὶ αὕτη ἀποστολική). οὐκοῦν ἀδοξίαν περιτίθησι τῷ θεῷ ὁ ἁμαρτωλός. καὶ τὰ περὶ προνοίας ζητεῖται, ὥς τινας διστάζειν εἰ ἔστι πρόνοια [πρόνοια], δι' οὐδὲν ἄλλο ὡς διὰ τὴν κακίαν. ἄνελε τὴν κακίαν, καὶ οὐ προσκόπτεις· τῇ προνοίᾳ. ἄνω δὲ κάτω οἱ προσκόπτοντες τῇ προνοίᾳ ταῦτα λέγουσι· διὰ τί «τοσοῦτοι μοιχοὶ καὶ τοσοῦτοι μαλακοί», διὰ τί τοσοῦτοι ἄθεοι καὶ τοσοῦτοι ἀσεβεῖς; καί εἰσιν οἱ γεννήσαντες τὴν ἀδοξίαν τῇ προνοίᾳ, τὰ προσ κόμματα τῷ θεῷ, τὴν βλασφημίαν τῷ κτίσαντι τὸν κόσμον οἱ ἁμαρτάνοντες. διδόασιν <μὲν οὖν τινες δόξαν τῷ θεῷ>, οὐ διδόασι δὲ