John Chrysostom, Sermon on the Captive Eutropius

does not hear, I dig, I plow. Hearken, O daughter, and see, and forget your people, and your father's house, and the king will desire your beauty. Here the Jew speaks of perceptible beauty, not intellectual, but bodily. 17. Pay attention, let us learn what bodily beauty is, and what is intellectual. There is a soul, there is a body, they are two substances; there is beauty of body, and there is beauty of soul. What is beauty of body? A well-defined eyebrow, a smiling eye, a blushing cheek, crimson lips, an upright neck, waving hair, long fingers, an upright stature, a blooming fairness. Does this bodily beauty come from nature, or from choice? It is agreed, that it comes from nature. Pay attention that you may learn the thoughts of philosophers. This beauty, that of the face, of the eye, of the hair, of the forehead, does it come from nature, or from 52.413 choice. It is clear that it comes from nature. For the uncomely woman, even if she should preen herself countless times, cannot become comely in body; for the things of nature are unchangeable, bound by limits, not transgressing. The beautiful woman, therefore, is always beautiful, even if she does not preen; but the uncomely woman cannot make herself comely, nor the comely woman uncomely. Why? Because these things are of nature. Have you seen, then, bodily beauty? Let us go within to the soul; the handmaid to the mistress. To the soul let us go. Behold that beauty, or rather hear of it; for you cannot see it; for it is invisible. Hear of that beauty. What then is beauty of soul? Temperance, gentleness, almsgiving, love, brotherly love, affection, obedience to God, fulfillment of the law, righteousness, contrition of mind. These are the beauties of the soul. These things, therefore, are not of nature, but of choice. And he who does not have them, can receive them, but he who has them, if he becomes negligent, has lost them. For just as I said concerning the body, that the uncomely cannot become comely; so also concerning the soul I say the opposite, that the uncomely soul can become comely. For what was more uncomely than the soul of Paul, when he was a blasphemer and an insolent man; and what was more comely than it, when he said, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith? What was more uncomely than the soul of the thief? and what became more comely than it, when he heard, Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise? What was more uncomely than the publican, when he extorted? and what was more comely, when he gave his own judgment? You see that you cannot change the comeliness of the body; for it is not of choice, but of nature. But the comeliness of the soul is provided to us from choice. You have received the definitions. Which ones? That the beauty of the soul is from obedience to God. For if 52.414 the uncomely soul obeys God, it puts off its uncomeliness, and becomes comely. Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? And he: And who are you, Lord? I am Jesus. And he obeyed, and obedience made the uncomely soul comely. Again to the publican he says, Come, follow me. And the publican arose, and became an apostle; the uncomely soul became comely. From where? From obedience. Again to the fishermen he says, Come after me, and I will make you become fishers of men; and from obedience their mind became comely. Let us see here what kind of beauty he speaks of. Hearken, O daughter, and see, and forget your people, and your father's house, and the king will desire your beauty. What beauty will he desire? That of the soul. From where? Because she forgot. He says, Hearken therefore, and forget. These things are of choice. Hearken, he said. An uncomely person hears, and this uncomeliness of the body is not undone. Say to the sinful woman, Hearken, and if she obeys, see what comeliness there is. Since therefore the uncomeliness of the

μὴ ἀκούῃ, ἐγὼ σκάπτω, ἐγὼ ἀροτριῶ. Ἄκουσον, θύγατερ, καὶ ἴδε, καὶ ἐπιλάθου τοῦ λαοῦ σου, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου, καὶ ἐπιθυμήσει ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ κάλλους σου. Κάλλος ἐνταῦθα τὸ αἰσθητὸν λέγει ὁ Ἰουδαῖος, οὐχὶ τὸ νοητὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ σωματικόν. ιζʹ. Πρόσχες, μάθωμεν τί ἐστι σωματικὸν κάλλος, καὶ τί ἐστι νοητόν. Ἔστι ψυχὴ, ἔστι σῶμα, δύο οὐσίαι εἰσίν· ἔστι κάλλος σώματος, καὶ ἔστι κάλλος ψυχῆς. Τί ἐστι κάλλος σώματος; Ὀφρὺς ἐκτεταμένη, ὀφθαλμὸς μειδιῶν, παρειὰ ἐρυθραινομένη, χείλη φοινικίζοντα, τράχηλος ἀνεστηκὼς, κόμη κραδαινομένη, δάκτυλοι εὐμήκεις, ἡλικία ἀνεστηκυῖα, λευκότης ἐπανθοῦσα. Τοῦτο τὸ κάλλος τὸ σωματικὸν ἀπὸ φύσεως γίνεται, ἢ ἀπὸ προαιρέσεως; Ὡμολόγηται, ὅτι ἀπὸ φύσεως. Πρόσεχε ἵνα μάθῃς φιλοσόφων νοήματα. Τοῦτο τὸ κάλλος, τὸ τῆς ὄψεως, τὸ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ, τὸ τῆς κόμης, τὸ τοῦ μετώπου, φύσεως γίνεται, ἢ ἀπὸ 52.413 προαιρέσεως. Εὔδηλον ὅτι ἀπὸ φύσεως γίνεται. Ἡ γὰρ ἄμορφος, κἂν μυρία φιλοκαλήσῃ, εὔμορφος γενέσθαι οὐ δύναται κατὰ τὸ σῶμα· τὰ γὰρ τῆς φύσεως ἀκίνητα, ὅροις πεπέδηται, μὴ μεταβαίνοντα. Ἡ τοίνυν καλὴ, ἀεὶ καλὴ, κἂν μὴ ἔχῃ φιλοκαλίαν· ἡ δὲ ἄμορφος εὔμορφον ποιῆσαι οὐ δύναται, οὐδὲ ἡ εὔμορφος ἄμορφον. ∆ιὰ τί; Ἐπειδὴ φύσεώς ἐστι ταῦτα. Εἶδες οὖν σωματικὸν κάλλος; Ἄγωμεν ἔσω εἰς τὴν ψυχήν· ἡ δούλη πρὸς τὴν δέσποιναν. Πρὸς τὴν ψυχὴν ἄγωμεν. Βλέπε ἐκεῖνο κάλλος, μᾶλλον δὲ ἄκουε ἐκεῖνο· οὐ γὰρ δύνασαι αὐτὸ ἰδεῖν· ἀόρατον γάρ ἐστιν. Ἄκουε ἐκεῖνο τὸ κάλλος. Τί οὖν ἐστι κάλλος ψυχῆς; Σωφροσύνη, ἐπιείκεια, ἐλεημοσύνη, ἀγάπη, φιλαδελφία, φιλοστοργία, ὑπακοὴ Θεοῦ, νόμου πλήρωσις, δικαιοσύνη, συντριβὴ διανοίας. Ταῦτα κάλλη ψυχῆς. Ταῦτα τοίνυν οὐκ ἔστι φύσεως, ἀλλὰ προαιρέσεως. Καὶ ὁ μὴ ἔχων, δύναται ταῦτα λαβεῖν, ὁ δὲ ἔχων, ἐὰν ῥᾳθυμήσῃ, ἀπώλεσεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἔλεγον ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος, ὅτι ἡ ἄμορφος εὔμορφος γενέσθαι οὐ δύναται· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ ἐναντίον λέγω, ὅτι ἡ ἄμορφος ψυχὴ εὔμορφος γενέσθαι δύναται. Τί γὰρ ἀμορφότερον τῆς ψυχῆς Παύλου, ὅτε βλάσφημος ἦν καὶ ὑβριστής· τί δὲ εὐμορφότερον αὐτοῦ, ὅτε ἔλεγε, Τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα; Τί ἀμορφότερον τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ λῃστοῦ; τί δὲ εὐμορφότερον αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, ὅτε ὑπήκουσεν, Ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, σήμερον μετ' ἐμοῦ ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ; Τί ἀμορφότερον τοῦ τελώνου, ὅτε ἥρπασε; τί δὲ εὐμορφότερον, ὅτε τὴν οἰκείαν ἔδωκε γνώμην; Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὴν εὐμορφίαν τοῦ σώματος οὐ δύνασαι μεταλλάσσειν· οὐ γάρ ἐστι προαιρέσεως, ἀλλὰ φύσεως. Ἡ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς εὐμορφία ἐκ τῆς προαιρέσεως ἡμῖν πορίζεται. Ἔλαβες τοὺς ὅρους. Ποίους; Ὅτι τὸ κάλλος τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπὸ ὑπακοῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐὰν γὰρ 52.414 ὑπακούσῃ, τῷ Θεῷ ἡ ἄμορφος ψυχὴ, ἀποτίθεται τὴν ἀμορφίαν, καὶ γίνεται εὔμορφος. Σαῦλε, Σαῦλε, τί με διώκεις; Ὁ δέ· Καὶ τίς εἶ, Κύριε; Ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς. Καὶ ὑπήκουσε, καὶ ἡ ὑπακοὴ τὴν ἄμορφον ψυχὴν εὔμορφον ἐποίησε. Πάλιν τῷ τελώνῃ λέγει, ∆εῦρο, ἀκολούθει μοι. Καὶ ἀνέστη ὁ τελώνης, καὶ ἐγένετο ἀπόστολος· ἡ ἄμορφος ψυχὴ ἐγένετο εὔμορφος. Πόθεν; Ἀπὸ ὑπακοῆς. Πάλιν τοῖς ἁλιεῦσι λέγει, ∆εῦτε ὀπίσω μου, καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς γενέσθαι ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων· καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπακοῆς ἐγένετο εὔμορφος αὐτῶν ἡ διάνοια. Ἴδωμεν ὧδε ποῖον λέγει κάλλος. Ἄκουσον, θύγατερ, καὶ ἴδε, καὶ ἐπιλάθου τοῦ λαοῦ σου, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου, καὶ ἐπιθυμήσει ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ κάλλους σου. Ποῖον κάλλος ἐπιθυμήσει; Τὸ ψυχικόν. Πόθεν; Ὅτι ἐπελάθετο. Λέγει, Ἄκουσον οὖν, καὶ ἐπιλάθου. Ταῦτα προαιρέσεώς ἐστιν. Ἄκουσον, εἶπεν. Ἄμορφος ἀκούει, καὶ ἡ ἀμορφία αὕτη οὑ λύεται ἡ τοῦ σώματος. Εἰπὲ τῇ ἁμαρτωλῷ, Ἄκουσον, καὶ εἰ ὑπακούσει, βλέπει οἵα ἡ εὐμορφία. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἡ ἀμορφία τῆς