John Chrysostom, On Lazarus

in that calm, as if sitting in a harbor, they enjoy great security; but we, who are tossed as if in the middle of the sea, and have the constraints of countless sins, always need the continuous and perpetual comfort from the Scriptures. Those sit far from the battle, and therefore do not receive many wounds; but you stand perpetually on the battle line, and receive continual blows; wherefore you also need more medicines. For a wife provokes, a son grieves, a servant casts into anger, an enemy plots, a friend envies, a neighbor insults, a fellow soldier trips up, often a judge threatens, poverty grieves, the loss of family members causes mourning, prosperity puffs up, adversity casts down, and many occasions and necessities for anger, many for cares, many for despondency and grief, many for vainglory and desperation surround us on all sides, and ten thousand arrows are borne from every direction; wherefore there is a perpetual need for the full armor of the Scriptures. For know, he says, that you are passing through the midst of snares, and walking upon the battlements of a city. For the desires of the flesh also rise up more grievously than those who are turning in our midst 48.993; for also a comely face and a splendid body struck through the eyes, and a shameful word, having entered through the hearing, disturbed our reasoning; and often also an effeminate song has softened the vigor of the soul. And why do I say these things? For what often seems to be the most trivial of all these things, the scent of perfumes wafting from some harlots in the street, has seized and carried away a captive from a mere encounter. 2. And there are many such things that besiege our soul; and we need divine medicines, so that we may both heal the wounds that have been inflicted, and prevent those that have not yet been, but are about to be, inflicted, extinguishing and repelling the devil’s darts from afar through the continual reading of the divine Scriptures. For it is not possible, it is not possible for anyone to be saved who does not continually enjoy spiritual reading; but indeed it is a thing to be desired, if, even while enjoying this perpetual remedy, we might be able to be saved at some point. But when we are struck every day, and enjoy no healing, what hope of salvation is there? Do you not see the coppersmiths, the goldsmiths, the silversmiths, those who pursue any craft, having all the tools of their craft fully furnished, and even if famine constrains or poverty presses, choosing to endure all things rather than sell any of the instruments of their craft to feed themselves? At least, many have often chosen rather to borrow money, and to support both their household and their children, than to sell even the smallest of the tools of their craft; and very reasonably so. For they know that, when those are sold, all things of their craft are useless to them, and the entire basis of their livelihood is destroyed. For while those remain, it is possible for them, by continually using their craft, to repay their loans in time; but if they were to go ahead and sell them to others, they will no longer be able to devise any comfort for their poverty and famine from anywhere. Thus, therefore, must we also be disposed. For just as to them the tools of the craft are hammer and anvil and tongs; so also to us the tools of the craft are the apostolic and prophetic books, and all Scripture inspired by God and profitable. And just as they through those tools shape all the vessels they receive; so also we through these forge our own soul, and correct what is crooked, and renew what has grown old. And they indeed display their craft only as far as the shapes; for they cannot change the material of the vessels, nor make silver into gold, but they only reshape their forms; but you are not so, but have something more than they, and taking a wooden vessel you will be able to make it golden. And Paul is a witness of this, saying thus: But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and

ἐκείνης γαλήνῃ, καθάπερ ἐν λιμένι καθήμενοι, πολλῆς τῆς ἀσφαλείας ἀπολαύουσιν· ἡμεῖς δὲ οἱ καθάπερ ἐν μέσῳ πελάγει σαλεύοντες, καὶ μυρίων ἁμαρτημάτων ἀνάγκας ἔχοντες, συνεχοῦς καὶ διηνεκοῦς ἀεὶ δεόμεθα τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν παρακλήσεως. Ἐκεῖνοι πόῤῥω τῆς μάχης κάθηνται, διόπερ οὐδὲ πολλὰ δέχονται τραύματα· σὺ δὲ διηνεκῶς ἐπὶ τῆς παρατάξεως ἕστηκας, καὶ συνεχεῖς δέχῃ τὰς πληγάς· διὸ καὶ πλειόνων σοι δεῖ τῶν φαρμάκων. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ γυνὴ παροξύνει, καὶ υἱὸς λυπεῖ, καὶ οἰκέτης εἰς ὀργὴν ἐμβάλλει, καὶ ἐχθρὸς ἐπιβουλεύει, καὶ φίλος βασκαίνει, καὶ γείτων ἐπηρεάζει, καὶ συστρατιώτης ὑποσκελίζει, πολλάκις καὶ δικαστὴς ἀπειλεῖ, καὶ πενία λυπεῖ, καὶ ἀποβολὴ τῶν οἰκείων πένθος ἐργάζεται, καὶ εὐημερία φυσᾷ, καὶ δυσπραγία συστέλλει, καὶ πολλαὶ μὲν ὀργῆς, πολλαὶ δὲ φροντίδων, πολλαὶ δὲ ἀθυμίας καὶ λύπης, πολλαὶ δὲ κενοδοξίας καὶ ἀπονοίας ἀφορμαὶ καὶ ἀνάγκαι πάντοθεν ἡμᾶς περιστοιχίζονται, καὶ μυρία πανταχόθεν τὰ βέλη φέρεται· διὸ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν πανοπλίας χρεία διηνεκῶς. Ἐπίγνωθι γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐν μέσῳ παγίδων διαβαίνεις, καὶ ἐπὶ ἐπάλξεων πόλεως περιπατεῖς. Καὶ γὰρ αἱ τῆς σαρκὸς ἐπιθυμίαι χαλεπώτερον τῶν ἐν μέσῳ στρεφομένων 48.993 κατεξανίστανται· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὄψις εὐπρεπὴς, καὶ σῶμα λαμπρὸν διὰ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἔβαλε, καὶ ῥῆμα αἰσχρὸν διὰ τῆς ἀκοῆς εἰσελθὸν ἐθορύβησεν ἡμῶν τὸν λογισμόν· πολλάκις δὲ καὶ μέλος κατακεκλασμένον τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς εὔτονον κατεμάλαξε. Καὶ τί λέγω ταῦτα; Τὸ γὰρ πάντων τούτων εὐτελέστατον εἶναι πολλάκις δοκοῦν, μύρων ὀσμὴ προσπεσοῦσά ποθεν παρὰ γυναικῶν ἑταιριζομένων ἐν τῇ παρόδῳ, λαβοῦσα ἀπῆλθεν αἰχμάλωτον ἀπὸ ψιλῆς τῆς συντυχίας. βʹ. Καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτά ἐστι τὰ πολιορκοῦντα τὴν ἡμετέραν ψυχήν· καὶ δεῖ τῶν θείων φαρμάκων ἡμῖν, ἵνα καὶ τὰ γινόμενα ἕλκη θεραπεύωμεν, καὶ τὰ μηδέπω μὲν γινόμενα, μέλλοντα δὲ γίνεσθαι, προαναστέλλωμεν, πόῤῥωθεν τοῦ διαβόλου τὰ βέλη κατασβεννύντες καὶ ἀποκρουόμενοι διὰ τῆς συνεχοῦς τῶν θείων Γραφῶν ἀναγνώσεως. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστι τινὰ σωθῆναι μὴ συνεχῶς ἀναγνώσεως ἀπολαύοντα πνευματικῆς· ἀλλ' ὄντως ἀγαπητὸν, εἰ καὶ διηνεκοῦς ταύτης ἀπολαύοντες τῆς θεραπείας, δυνηθείημεν σωθῆναί ποτε. Ὅταν δὲ καθ' ἑκάστην μὲν πληττώμεθα τὴν ἡμέραν, ἰατρείας δὲ μηδεμιᾶς ἀπολαύωμεν, ποία σωτηρίας ἐλπίς; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τοὺς χαλκοτύπους, τοὺς χρυσοχόους, τοὺς ἀργυροκόπους, τοὺς ἡντιναοῦν μετιόντας τέχνην, ἅπαντα τὰ τῆς τέχνης ἔχοντας ἀπηρτισμένα τὰ ἐργαλεῖα, κἂν λιμὸς ἀναγκάζῃ, κἂν πενία θλίβῃ, πάντα αἱρουμένους ὑπομεῖναι μᾶλλον, ἢ τῶν τῆς τέχνης ὀργάνων ἀποδόσθαι τι, καὶ διατραφῆναι; Πολλοὶ γοῦν πολλάκις δανείσασθαι μᾶλλον εἵλοντο, καὶ διαθρέψαι καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ τὰ παιδία, ἢ τῶν τῆς τέχνης ἐργαλείων κἂν τὸ μικρότατον ἀποδόσθαι· καὶ μάλα γε εἰκότως, Ἴσασι γὰρ ὅτι, πραθέντων ἐκείνων, ἄχρηστα τὰ τῆς τέχνης αὐτοῖς ἅπαντα, καὶ ἡ τῆς εὐπορίας ὑπόθεσις ἀνῄρηται πᾶσα. Ἐκείνων μὲν γὰρ μενόντων, δυνατὸν τὰ γινόμενα δανείσματα χρόνῳ ποτὲ διαλύσασθαι τῇ τέχνῃ συνεχῶς χρωμένους· εἰ δὲ φθάσαντες ἑτέροις αὐτὰ ἀπόδοιντο, οὐδεμίαν οὐκέτι παραμυθίαν τῇ πενίᾳ καὶ τῷ λιμῷ ποθεν ἐπινοῆσαι δυνήσονται. Οὕτως οὖν καὶ ἡμᾶς διακεῖσθαι χρή. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐκείνοις ἐργαλεῖα τῆς τέχνης ἐστὶ σφῦρα καὶ ἄκμων καὶ πυράγρα· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡμῖν ἐργαλεῖα τῆς τέχνης ἐστὶν ἀποστολικὰ καὶ προφητικὰ βιβλία, καὶ πᾶσα Γραφὴ θεόπνευστος καὶ ὠφέλιμος. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐκεῖνοι δι' ἐκείνων τὰ σκεύη πάντα, ἅπερ ἂν λάβωσι, διαπλάττουσιν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς διὰ τούτων τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν χαλκεύομεν, καὶ διεστραμμένην διορθοῦμεν, καὶ παλαιωθεῖσαν ἀνακαινίζομεν. Κἀκεῖνοι μὲν μέχρι τῶν σχημάτων τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἐπιδείκνυνται τέχνην· οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὴν ὕλην τῶν σκευῶν μεταβαλεῖν δύναιντ' ἂν, οὐδὲ τὸν ἄργυρον ποιῆσαι χρυσὸν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς τύπους αὐτῶν μεταῤῥυθμίζουσι μόνον· σὺ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλ' ἔχεις τι πλέον ἐκείνων, καὶ ξύλινον σκεῦος λαβὼν δυνήσῃ ποτὲ χρυσοῦν ποιῆσαι. Καὶ τούτου μάρτυς ὁ Παῦλος, οὕτω λέγων· Ἐν μεγάλῃ δὲ οἰκίᾳ οὐκ ἔστι μόνον σκεύη χρυσᾶ καὶ