John Chrysostom, Fragments on Proverbs

It is necessary to show great philanthropy, so that we may be trained towards our fellow man; since God did not simply command us to help raise up those who have fallen, and to bring back those who have strayed, and not to muzzle the ox; but he wishes us to be sparing in all things towards the irrational creatures; first, for our own sake; and second, so that it may suffice for our bodily needs; nevertheless, it is the same exercise of both philanthropy and care; for he who pities what is another's, how much more his own? He who pities the one who serves him, how much more his brother. But that one provides you the service from its ministry, but what does this one provide? A much greater one, that which comes from God. Do you see what servitude we serve to the beasts, and we do not consider it a dishonor? For we do not serve them, but ourselves. He who works his own land will be filled with bread; but those who pursue vain things are wanting in sense. [ξοδ. φ. 57 β.] It encourages an agricultural and philosophical life, and work with righteousness; for idleness introduced wickedness; and to pursue vain things is to be fluttered about things that profit nothing. For what, he says, if you were idle, but you wastefully spend what is well-gathered, being drunk or glut 64.693 tonous? He did not say, Work and be greedy; work with righteousness is good. From the fruit of a man's mouth his soul shall be filled with good things. [ξοδ. φ. 58 α.] Do not think that virtue is in deeds only, for it is more so in words; for from the fruit of a good mind comes a good word; and the fruit of a good word is the practice of virtue, which produces good things; the word of a courageous soul leading to virtue is good, and productive of good things. The ways of fools are right in their own eyes. What he says is this: that the fool is considered unassailable; a double evil, both to be a fool, and when sinning not to think one is sinning; for just as one whose vision is distorted thinks he sees correctly, and one whose senses are damaged thinks he is of sound mind; so this is the first proof of punishment, that even the perception has been destroyed; for this reason he does not even accept counsel. A wise man listens to counsel. That is, he who has begun to be wise; so that this which you think is a mark of prudence, to listen to no one, is foolishness; but what you think is foolishness, this is wisdom, to have need of another. A fool makes known his anger the same day, but a prudent man conceals his own dishonor. [ξοδ. φ. 58 α.] That is, the faint-hearted and fickle man is impatient, he does not bear his anger, he immediately reveals his wrath out of faint-heartedness; but the prudent man, even if he is angry, conceals his anger within himself; for dishonor reveals anger; He has an unjust tongue. [ξοδ. φ. 58 β.] You see a tongue there and a tongue here; but the results from it are not equal; but there are medicines, here are wounds; what could be more contrary than this? Do you see that evil is not in nature, whenever its use for either side is manifest? Nothing unjust will please the just man. [ξοδ. φ. 59 α.] And just as nothing unjust pleases the just man, so also what is just does not please the unjust man; therefore evils are not only contrary to the nature of things, but also contrary to the judgment of those who are justified; do not tell me that so-and-so was scandalized, that so-and-so disbelieves; for all these things come from them, not from the facts; for just as, even if the sun appears, it is of no more benefit to one whose eyes are diseased, so also even if the truth is manifest, there is no gain for one whose soul is perverted. A man of understanding is a throne of perception. [ιβιδ.] For all his perception, because of his understanding, rests in him; that is, a resting-place, a seat, it rests in him, it does not depart, but reigns in him; or that understanding is the chief point and kingdom of perception; or on the contrary, he who understands all things might be called a throne of perception; just as on the contrary a throne of iniquity is spoken of; but the foolish encounter curses; for they walk the road that is under a curse. The hand of the chosen will rule with ease. [ιβιδ.]

πολλὴν χρὴ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, ἵνα ἐγγυμναζώμεθα πρὸς τὸν ὁμόφυλον· ἐπεὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐκέλευσεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τὰ καταπίπτοντα συνδιεγείρειν, καὶ τὰ πεπλανημένα ὑποστρέφειν, καὶ τὸν βοῦν μὴ φιμοῦν· πάσης δὲ φειδοῦς ἡμᾶς εἶναι βούλεται τοῖς ἀλόγοις· πρῶτον μὲν, δι' ἡμᾶς αὐτούς· δεύτερον δὲ, ἵνα καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς σωματικὰς ἡμῖν ὑπηρεσίας ἀρκῇ· ὅμως τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ φιλανθρωπίας γυμνάσιον καὶ θεραπείας· ὁ γὰρ τὸ ἀλλότριον ἐλεῶν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸ οἰκεῖον; ὁ τὸν διακονούμενον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸν ἀδελφόν. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνό σοι χρείαν τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς διακονίας παρέχει, οὗτος δὲ ποίαν; πολλῷ μείζονα, τὴν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ. Ὁρᾷς δουλείαν οἵαν δουλεύομεν τοῖς κτήνεσι, καὶ οὐχ ἡγούμεθα ἀτιμίαν; οὐ γὰρ ἐκείνοις δουλεύομεν, ἀλλ' ἑαυτοῖς. Ὁ ἐργαζόμενος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γῆν, ἐμπλησθήσεται ἄρτων· οἱ δὲ διώκοντες μάταια, ἐνδεεῖς φρενῶν. [ξοδ. φ. 57 β.] Πρὸς γεωργικὸν καὶ φιλόσοφον προτρέπεται βίον, καὶ τὴν μετὰ δικαιοσύνης ἐργασίαν· ἡ γὰρ ἀργία τὴν κακίαν εἰσήνεγκεν· ἀποδιώκειν δὲ μάταιά ἐστι, τὸ περὶ τὰ μηδὲν ὀνοῦντα διεπτοῆσθαι. Τί γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰ ἀργὸς μὲν ἦς, τὰ δὲ καλῶς συλλεγόμενα κακῶς ἐκφορεῖς, μεθύων ἢ γα 64.693 στριζόμενος; Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐργάζου καὶ πλεονέκτει· καλὸν ἡ ἐργασία ἡ μετὰ δικαιοσύνης. Ἀπὸ καρποῦ στόματος ψυχὴ ἀνδρὸς πλησθήσεται ἀγαθῶν. [ξοδ. φ. 58 α.] Μὴ νομίσῃς ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις εἶναι μόνον τὴν ἀρετὴν, καὶ ἐν λόγοις τὸ πλέον ἐστίν· ἀπὸ γὰρ καρποῦ διανοίας ἀγαθῆς, λόγος ἀγαθός· λόγου δὲ ἀγαθοῦ καρπὸς, πρᾶξις ἀρετῆς, ἀγαθῶν ἐμποιητική· ὁ λόγος τῆς ἀνδρείας ψυχῆς εἰς ἀρετὴν ἄγων ἀγαθὸς, καὶ ἀγαθῶν ἐμποιητικός. Ὁδοὶ ἀφρόνων ὀρθαὶ ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν. Ὃ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· ὅτι ὁ μωρὸς νομίζεται ἄληπτος εἶναι· δύο κακὰ, καὶ τὸ μωρὸς εἶναι, καὶ τὸ ἁμαρτάνοντα μὴ νομίζειν ἁμαρτάνειν· ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ διεστραμμένος νομίζει ὀρθὰ βλέπειν, καὶ ὁ τὰς αἰσθήσεις βλαβεὶς νομίζει σωφρονεῖν· οὕτω τοῦτο πρῶτον τιμωρίας τεκμήριον, τὸ καὶ τὴν αἴσθησιν ἀνῃρῆσθαι· διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ συμβουλίας δέχεται. Εἰσακούει συμβουλίας σοφός. Τουτέστιν ὁ σοφίας ἀρξάμενος· ὥστε τοῦτο, ὃ νομίζεις φρονήσεως εἶναι τὸ μηδενὸς ἀκούειν, μωρίας ἐστίν· ὃ δὲ νομίζεις μωρίαν εἶναι, τοῦτο σοφίας, τὸ δεῖσθαι ἑτέρου. Ἄφρων αὐθημερὸν ἐξαγγέλλει ὀργὴν ἑαυτοῦ, κρύπτει δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀτιμίαν ἀνὴρ πανοῦργος. [ξοδ. φ. 58 α.] Τουτέστιν ὁ μικρόψυχος καὶ κοῦφος, ἀκαρτέρητός ἐστιν, οὐ φέρει τὸν θυμὸν, φανεροῖ τὴν ὀργὴν αὑτοῦ εὐθέως ἐκ μικροψυχίας· ὁ δὲ φρόνιμος κἂν ὀργίλος ᾖ, συγκαλύπτει ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὴν ὀργήν· ἡ γὰρ ἀτιμία τὴν ὀργὴν δηλοῖ· Γλῶσσαν ἔχει ἄδικον. [ξοδ. φ. 58 β.] Ὁρᾷς καὶ ἐκεῖ γλῶσσαν καὶ ἐνταῦθα· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἴσα τὰ ἀπ' αὐτῆς· ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ μὲν φάρμακα, ἐνταῦθα δὲ τραύματα· τί τούτου γένοιτ' ἂν ἐναντιώτερον; Ὁρᾷς μὴ ἐν φύσει τὸ κακὸν, ὁπόταν ἡ χρῆσις ἐφ' ἑκάτερα φανερὰ ᾖ; Οὐκ ἀρέσει τῷ δικαίῳ οὐδὲν ἄδικον. [ξοδ. φ. 59 α.] Ὥσπερ δὲ οὐκ ἀρέσκει τῷ δικαίῳ οὐδὲν ἄδικον, οὕτως οὐδὲ τῷ ἀδίκῳ τὸ δίκαιον· οὐκ ἄρα παρὰ τὴν φύσιν τῶν πραγμάτων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τὴν κρίσιν τῶν δικαιουμένων τὰ κακά· μή μοι λέγε, ὅτι ὁ δεῖνα ἐσκανδαλίσθη, ὁ δεῖνα ἀπιστεῖ· παρὰ γὰρ αὐτῶν ταῦτα πάντα, οὐ παρὰ τῶν πραγμάτων· ὥσπερ γὰρ, κἂν φανῇ ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ οὕτως οὐδὲν πλέον τῷ νοσοῦντι τὰς ὄψεις, οὕτως κἂν φανερὰ ἀλήθεια ᾖ, κέρδος οὐδὲν τῷ τὴν ψυχὴν διεστραμμένῳ. Ἀνὴρ συνετὸς θρόνος αἰσθήσεως. [ιβιδ.] Πᾶσα γὰρ ἡ αἴσθησις αὐτοῦ διὰ τὴν σύνεσιν αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ ἀναπαύεται· τουτέστιν ἀνάπαυσις, καθέδρα, ἐναναπαύεται αὐτῷ, οὐκ ἀναχωρεῖ, ἐμβασιλεύει δὲ αὐτῷ· ἢ ὅτι κεφάλαιόν ἐστι καὶ βασιλεία τῆς αἰσθήσεως ἡ σύνεσις· ἢ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου, ὁ πάντα συνιεὶς, κληθείη ἂν θρόνος αἰσθήσεως· ὥσπερ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου θρόνος ἀνομίας λέγεται· ἀραῖς δὲ συναντῶσιν οἱ ἄφρονες· τὴν γὰρ ὑπὸ κατάραν οὖσαν βαδίζουσιν ὁδόν. Χεὶρ ἐκλεκτῶν κρατήσει εὐχερῶς. [ιβιδ.]