John Chrysostom, On Psalm 118

of your righteousness. For not only by day, but also by night, at the very middle of the night, in which sleep comes upon men with greater pleasure, I continually praised you in hymns, and acclaimed your just decrees. Therefore it was said before, when all have their rest, when they are resting the body in sleep, I arose to give thanks to you for the judgments of your righteousness. And what are these? That Christ our God will judge each according to his works in his second coming. For this is righteousness; and it teaches us, that we too both by day and by night should confess and implore God for our sins. For Luke the evangelist also says: And Jesus was spending the night in the prayer of God, teaching us to do this. This the divine apostle also did with Silas. For being bound with Silas, and fastened in the stocks after torture and scourging, he mixed hymnody with prayer, and reaped the fruit of the good vigil; for they enjoyed the divine generosity. I am a partaker with all who fear you, and with those who keep your commandments. But Symmachus instead of Partaker, said Joined; and the Syrian, Friend. For turning away from those who choose the things contrary to yours, I had as companions and familiars those who held your fear in high regard and chose to live according to the law. This he also said in another psalm, But to me your friends were greatly honored, O God. Therefore we have heard proverbially: He who walks with the wise, will be wise; but he who walks with the foolish, will be known. As many, therefore, as possess the hospitality of Abraham, have become partakers of this; likewise of Elijah's zeal, of Moses' and David's meekness; since as many as have become imitators of evil works, hear: If you saw a thief, you ran with him, and you cast your lot with an adulterer. Let us not, therefore, brethren, become partakers with these, but with those who have done good things. For in many ways some have perished by committing sins, and destroying others with them. But when someone calls you to sin, answer him: I have not sat with the council of vanity, and with transgressors I will not enter; and, I have hated those who commit transgressions. The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord; teach me your statutes. ιʹ. Upon all, he says, you richly pour out the fountains of your mercy, and you make your sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and send rain on the just and on the unjust, and you do not bring on wrath each day, but you bear with those who break into others' marriages, and those who are stained with unjust blood, and others who usurp what is not theirs, and who pollute their tongue with blasphemies, and others who dare some other of the lawless things. Using such great love for mankind, therefore, deem me also worthy of this, O Master, granting the knowledge of your statutes. Likewise therefore also the prophet Isaiah says: The whole earth shall know the Lord. For indeed when Christ our God came upon the earth, all its ends were filled with his grace, and his statutes were taught by his disciples. And the saying has another meaning, that we all enjoy his mercy. For he sends rain on the just and on sinners, and he bears with our sins long-sufferingly, and does not bring on wrath. You have dealt graciously with your servant, O Lord, according to your word. I have had experience of your goodness, wherefore I ask to enjoy it again, and I beseech you to live according to your laws. And since the earth has been filled with your mercy, you have dealt graciously with the human race, as you promised through your prophets.

δικαιοσύνης σου. Οὐ γὰρ μεθ' ἡμέραν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ νύκτωρ, κατ' αὐτὸ τὸ μεσαίτατον τῆς νυκτὸς, ἐν ᾧ μετὰ πλείονος ἡδονῆς ὁ ὕπνος τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐπέρχεται, ὑμνῶν σε διετέλουν, καὶ τὰς δικαίας σου ψήφους ἀνευφήμουν. Προείρηται οὖν, ὅταν πάντες τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν ἔχωσιν, ὅταν τῷ ὕπνῳ τῷ σώματι ἀναπαύωνται, Ἐξηγειρόμην τοῦ ἐξομολογεῖσθαί σοι ἐπὶ τὰ κρίματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης σου. Ποῖα δέ εἰσι ταῦτα; Ὅτι μέλλει κρίνειν ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ αὐτοῦ παρουσίᾳ Χριστὸς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ δικαιοσύνη· καὶ διδάσκει ἡμᾶς, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ ἐξομολογώμεθα καὶ παρακαλῶμεν τὸν Θεὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν. Λέγει γὰρ καὶ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς Λουκᾶς· Καὶ ἦν Ἰησοῦς διανυκτερεύων ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἡμᾶς δι δάσκων τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος μετὰ τοῦ Σίλα πεποίηκε. Πεπεδημένος γὰρ σὺν τῷ Σίλᾳ, καὶ τῇ ποδοκάκκῃ προσδεδεμένος μετὰ αἰκίας καὶ μάστιγας τῇ προσευχῇ τὴν ὑμνῳδίαν ἐκέρασε, καὶ τῆς καλῆς ἀγρυπνίας ἐτρύγησε τὸν καρπόν· τῆς θείας γὰρ φιλοτι μίας ἀπέλαυσαν. Μέτοχος ἐγώ εἰμι πάντων τῶν φο βουμένων σε, καὶ τῶν φυλασσόντων τὰς ἐντολάς σου. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος ἀντὶ τοῦ Μέτοχος, Συνημμένος εἴρηκεν· ὁ δὲ Σύρος, Φίλος. Ἀποστρεφόμενος γὰρ τοὺς τἀναντίᾳ τοῖς σοῖς προαιρουμένους, κοινωνοὺς εἶχον καὶ συνήθεις τοὺς τὸν σὸν φόβον περὶ πολλοῦ ποιουμένους καὶ βιοτεύειν ἐννόμως προαιρουμένους. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ ἔφη ψαλμῷ, Ἐμοὶ δὲ λίαν ἐτιμήθησαν οἱ φίλοι σου, ὁ Θεός. Παροιμιακῶς οὖν ἠκούσαμεν· Ὁ συμπο ρευόμενος σοφοῖς, σοφὸς ἔσται· ὁ δὲ συμπορευόμε νος ἄφροσι, γνωσθήσεται. Ὅσοι οὖν τὴν φιλοξενίαν τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ κέκτηνται, μέτοχοι τούτου γεγόνασιν· ὡσαύ τως τοῦ Ἠλίου τὸν ζῆλον, Μωϋσέως καὶ ∆αυῒδ τὴν πρα ότητα· ἐπεὶ ὅσοι μιμηταὶ κακῶν γεγόνασιν ἔργων, ἀκούουσιν· Εἰ ἐθεώρεις κλέπτην, συνέτρεχες αὐτῷ, καὶ μετὰ μοιχοῦ τὴν μερίδα σου ἐτίθεις. Μὴ οὖν γενώμεθα, ἀδελφοὶ, συμμέτοχοι τούτων, ἀλλὰ τῶν τὰ ἀγαθὰ πραξάντων. Πολλαχῶς γὰρ ἀπολώλασί τινες ἁμαρτίας ποιοῦντες, καὶ ἑτέρους μετ' αὐτῶν συναπολ λύντες. Ἀλλ' ὅταν τις προσκαλῆται ὑμᾶς πρὸς ἁμαρτίαν, ἀποκρίθητε αὐτῷ· Οὐκ ἐκάθισα μετὰ συνεδρίου μα ταιότητος, καὶ μετὰ παρανομούντων οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθω· καὶ, Ποιοῦντας παραβάσεις ἐμίσησα. Τοῦ ἐλέους Κυρίου πλήρης ἡ γῆ· τὰ δικαιώματά σου δίδαξόν με. ιʹ. Ἐπὶ πάντας, φησὶ, πλουσίως ἐγχέεις τὰς τοῦ ἐλέους σου πηγὰς, καὶ ἀνατέλλεις τὸν ἥλιόν σου ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς, καὶ βρέχεις ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους, καὶ οὐκ ἐπάγεις τὴν ὀργὴν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, ἀλλὰ φέ ρεις μὲν τοὺς διορύττοντας γάμους ἀλλοτρίους, καὶ τοὺς αἵματι μιαινομένους ἀδίκῳ, καὶ ἄλλους σφετεριζομένους τὰ μὴ προσήκοντα, καὶ ταῖς βλασφημίαις τὴν γλῶτταν μολύνοντας, καὶ ἄλλους ἄλλο τι τῶν παρανόμων τολμῶν τας. Τοσαύτῃ τοίνυν φιλανθρωπίᾳ χρώμενος, κἀμὲ ταύ της ἀξίωσον, ∆έσποτα, τῶν σῶν δικαιωμάτων παρέχων τὴν γνῶσιν. Ὅμοιον τοίνυν καὶ ὁ προφήτης Ἡσαΐας λέγει· Γῆ σύμπασα γνώσεται τὸν Κύριον. Καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς Χριστοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐλθόντος, πάντα τὰ πέρατα τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ ἐνεπλήσθη, καὶ τὰ δικαιώ ματα αὐτοῦ ἐδιδάχθησαν παρὰ τῶν αὐτοῦ μαθητῶν. Ἔχει δὲ καὶ ἑτέραν ἔννοιαν ὁ λόγος, ὅτι τοῦ ἐλέους αὐ τοῦ πάντες ἀπολαύομεν. Βρέχει γὰρ ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὺς, καὶ μακροθύμως φέρει ἐπὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἀπάγει ὀργήν. Χρηστότητα ἐποίησας μετὰ τοῦ δούλου σου, Κύριε, κατὰ τὸν λόγον σου. Πεῖραν τῆς σῆς ἔλαβον ἀγαθότητος, διόπερ αὖθις ταύτης ἀπολαῦσαι παρακαλῶ, καὶ κατὰ τοὺς σοὺς διαβιῶναι νόμους ἀντιβολῶ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦ ἐλέους σου πεπλήρωται ἡ γῆ, Χρηστότητα ἐποίησας μετὰ τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου γέ νους, καθὼς ἐπηγγείλω διὰ τῶν προφητῶν σου.