John Chrysostom, On John

This is especially the one who is ignorant of God. Knowing these things, therefore, let us remain, holding fast with security what was handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word, and let us not be meddlesome about anything further. For two terrible things will befall those who suffer from this disease: both toiling in vain, seeking things which it is impossible to find; and provoking God, by attempting to subvert the boundaries set by Him. How much anger this stirs up, there is no need for you to learn from us, since you all know. Therefore, abandoning their madness, let us tremble at His words, so that He may continually wall us in. For on whom will I look, He says, but on him who is meek and humble, and quiet, and trembles at my words? Therefore, letting go of this destructive meddlesomeness, let us break our hearts, let us mourn for what we have sinned, as Christ commanded, let us be contrite for our offenses, let us consider with exactness all the things we have dared to do in the time before, let us hasten to wipe them away in every way possible. For God has opened many ways for us to this end. For tell, He says, your sins first, that you may be justified. And again, I said, I will confess my transgression against myself, and you forgave the ungodliness of my heart. For not a little does their constant accusation and remembrance contribute to lessening the magnitude of our sins. There is also another way, more effective than this, not to bear a grudge against any who have sinned against us, to forgive the offenses of all who have offended against us. Do you want to learn a third? Hear Daniel saying: Therefore, redeem your sins by almsgiving, and your iniquities by compassion for the poor. And there is another after this, the continuance of prayers, and the 59.65 persevering with endurance in entreaties to God. Fasting likewise brings us no small comfort and release from our sins, when it is done with philanthropy toward others, and it quenches the vehemence of God's wrath. For water will quench a flaming fire, and by alms sins are purified. Let us, therefore, travel all these roads. For if we are always in these things, if we spend our leisure on these things, not only will we wash away our past offenses, but we will also gain the greatest things for the future. For we will not give the devil leisure to attack us, 59.66 neither for a life of sloth, nor for destructive curiosity. For these things too, along with the others, and from there he brings on foolish questionings and harmful disputes, from seeing people at leisure and idle, and taking no thought for virtue in their lives. But let us block this way of entry for him, let us watch, let us be sober, that having toiled a little in this short time, we may obtain immortal goods in the endless ages, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

59.65 HOMILY 8. He was the true Light, which enlightens every man

coming into the world. 1. For nothing prevents us from taking up the same words today, since

previously we were prevented by the explanation of the doctrines from going through all that was read. Where, then, are those who say He is not true God? For here He is called true light; and elsewhere, truth-itself, and life-itself. But that saying, when we get there, we will discuss more clearly; for the present, it is necessary for now to say this to your charity: If He enlightens every man coming into the world, how have so many remained un-enlightened? For not

οὗτος μάλιστά ἐστιν ὁ τὸν Θεὸν ἀγνοῶν. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, μένωμεν κατέχοντες μετὰ ἀσφαλείας ἃ παρέδοσαν ἡμῖν οἱ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς αὐτόπται καὶ ὑπηρέται γενόμενοι τοῦ Λόγου, καὶ μηδὲν περαιτέρω περιεργαζώμεθα. ∆ύο γὰρ τοῖς ταύτην νοσοῦσι τὴν νόσον περιέσται τὰ δεινά· τό τε εἰκῆ ταλαιπωρεῖσθαι, ζητοῦντας ἅπερ εὑρεῖν οὐ δυνατόν· τό τε παροξύναι τὸν Θεὸν, τοὺς παρ' αὐτοῦ τεθέντας ὅρους ἀνατρέπειν ἐπιχειροῦντας. Ὅσην δὲ τοῦτο κινεῖ τὴν ὀργὴν, οὐδὲν δεῖ παρ' ἡμῶν μαθεῖν, πάντας εἰδότας ὑμᾶς. ∆ιὸ τῆς ἀπονοίας αὐτῶν ἀφέμενοι, τρέμωμεν αὐτοῦ τοὺς λόγους, ἵνα διηνεκῶς ἡμᾶς τειχίζῃ· Ἐπὶ τίνα γὰρ ἐπιβλέψω, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν πρᾶον καὶ ταπεινὸν, καὶ ἡσύχιον, καὶ τρέμοντά μου τοὺς λόγους; Ἀφέντες τοίνυν τὴν ὀλεθρίαν ταύτην πολυπραγμοσύνην, συντρίψωμεν τὰς καρδίας, πενθήσωμεν τὰ ἡμαρτημένα ἡμῖν, καθὼς προσέταξεν ὁ Χριστὸς, κατανυγῶμεν ἐπὶ τοῖς πλημμεληθεῖσιν ἡμῖν, ἀναλογισώμεθα μετὰ ἀκριβείας τὰ κατὰ τὸν ἔμπροσθεν ἡμῖν ἅπαντα τολμηθέντα χρόνον, σπουδάσωμεν αὐτὰ ἀποτρίψασθαι παντοδαπῶς. Πολλὰς γὰρ εἰς τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς ἀνέῳξεν ἡμῖν ὁδούς. Λέγε γὰρ σὺ, φησὶ, πρῶτος, τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου, ἵνα δικαιωθῇς· καὶ πάλιν, Εἶπα, Τὴν ἀνομίαν μου ἐξαγορεύσω κατ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ σὺ ἀφῆκας τὴν ἀσέβειαν τῆς καρδίας μου. Οὐδὲ γὰρ μικρὸν ἡμῖν συντελεῖ πρὸς τὸ μειῶσαι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὸ μέγεθος ἡ συνεχὴς αὐτῶν κατηγορία καὶ μνήμη. Ἔστι καὶ ἑτέρα ταύτης ἐνεργεστέρα ὁδὸς, τὸ μηδενὶ τῶν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἡμαρτηκότων μνησικακεῖν, τὸ πᾶσι τοῖς εἰς ἡμᾶς πλημμεληθεῖσι συγχωρεῖν τὰ πλημμελήματα. Βούλει καὶ τρίτην μαθεῖν; Ἄκουσον τοῦ ∆ανιὴλ λέγοντος· ∆ιὸ τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου ἐν ἐλεημοσύναις λύτρωσαι, καὶ τὰς ἀνομίας σου ἐν οἰκτιρμοῖς πενήτων. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἑτέρα μετὰ ταύτης, ἡ τῶν εὐχῶν συνέχεια, καὶ τὸ 59.65 προσεδρεύειν μετὰ καρτερίας ταῖς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐντεύξεσι. Φέρει τινὰ παραμυθίαν ἡμῖν οὐ μικρὰν καὶ λύσιν τῶν ἡμαρτημένων καὶ νηστεία ὁμοίως, ὅταν μετὰ τῆς εἰς ἑτέρους φιλανθρωπίας γίνηται, καὶ σβέννυσι τὸ σφοδρὸν τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πῦρ γὰρ φλογιζόμενον σβέσει ὕδωρ, καὶ ἐλεημοσύναις ἀποκαθαίρονται ἁμαρτίαι. Ταύτας τοίνυν πάσας ὁδεύωμεν τὰς ὁδούς. Ἂν γὰρ ἐν τούτοις ὦμεν διαπαντὸς, ἂν εἰς ταῦτα τὴν σχολὴν ἀναλίσκωμεν, οὐ μόνον τὰ παρελθόντα ἀπονιψόμεθα πλημμελήματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ μέλλον τὰ μέγιστα κερδανοῦμεν. Οὐ γὰρ παρέξομεν τῷ διαβόλῳ σχολὴν προσβάλλειν ἡμῖν, 59.66 οὔτε εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν βίου, οὔτε εἰς τὴν ὀλεθρίαν περιεργίαν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν τὰς ἀνοήτους ζητήσεις καὶ τὰς λογομαχίας τὰς ἐπιβλαβεῖς ἐπάγει, ἐκ τοῦ σχολάζοντας ὁρᾷν καὶ ἀργοῦντας, καὶ μηδεμίαν τῆς κατὰ τὸν βίον ἀρετῆς πρόνοιαν ποιουμένους. Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς αὐτῷ ταύτην τὴν παρείσδυσιν ἀποφράξωμεν, γρηγορήσωμεν, νήψωμεν ἵνα ἐν τῷ βραχεῖ τούτῳ χρόνῳ καμόντες ὀλίγα, τῶν ἀθανάτων ἐν τοῖς ἀπείροις αἰῶσι τύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

59.65 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Ηʹ. Ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον

ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον. αʹ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ κωλύει καὶ τήμερον τῶν αὐτῶν ἅψασθαι ῥημάτων, ἐπειδὴ

πρώην ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν δογμάτων ἐξηγήσεως ἐκωλύθημεν ἅπασι τοῖς ἀναγνωσθεῖσιν ἐπεξελθεῖν. Ποῦ τοίνυν εἰσὶν οἱ μὴ λέγοντες αὐτὸν ἀληθινὸν Θεόν; Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ φῶς ἀληθινὸν εἴρηται· ἑτέρωθι δὲ, αὐτοαλήθεια, καὶ αὐτοζωή. Ἀλλ' ἐκείνῳ μὲν τῷ λόγῳ, ὅταν ἐκεῖ γενώμεθα, σαφέστερον ἐπεξελευσόμεθα· κατὰ δὲ τὸ παρὸν, ἀναγκαῖον τέως ἐκεῖνο πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην εἰπεῖν· Εἰ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον, πῶς ἀφώτιστοι μεμενήκασι τοσοῦτοι; Οὐ γὰρ