John Chrysostom, Letters

The furnace of successive temptations produces like-minded men, brighter and more precious than all gold, with great abundance. For this very reason, even though sitting at so great a distance, we do not cease continually to count you blessed. For you know, you know clearly, how great is the gain from such plots, and how the prosperity of the present life is only a bare name, devoid of substance, but the good things to come are firm, immovable, permanent, immortal. And this is not the only marvel of virtue, that it provides us with such prizes, but that even before the prizes its contests become prizes, and not only when the theatre is dissolved does it come bearing the rewards to the victors, but even in the very midst of the arena it weaves brilliant crowns for the contestants. For this reason Paul not only rejoices and is glad at the rewards for afflictions, but also glories in the afflictions themselves, saying thus: Not only so, but we also glory in tribulations. Then, enumerating the chain of rewards of affliction, he says that it brings forth patience, the mother of good things, the waveless harbor, the life in tranquility, that which is stronger than rock and harder than adamant, more powerful than any weapon and safer than walls. And this, when perfected, makes its nurslings approved and noble, and exceedingly unconquerable. For it does not allow them to be troubled by any of the sorrows that befall them, nor to be tripped up; but just as the rock, by as many waves as it is struck, is itself cleaned the more, not being moved even a little, and easily destroys the mass of the waters dashing against it, destroying them not by striking, but by being struck; so indeed also the approved man who has come from patience, stands superior to every plot. And the wonderful thing is this, that he becomes stronger, not by doing evil, but by suffering evil, easily overcoming those who do it. I have sent these things not as to those needing to learn from us; for I know your understanding, which you have also demonstrated through your very works; for what we have now philosophized through words, these things you have proclaimed through what you have suffered. Therefore I have not sent these things as to those needing to learn from us, but since you have been silent for a long time, or rather, we have kept a long silence together, I wanted the letter also to be long. And in writing to such noble athletes of patience, about what else should one discourse, than about these things through which you have appeared so brilliant and glorious? But the fruit of the contest does not stop even here, but it goes further, gushing forth. For experience, he says, brings forth hope; a hope that will in every way come to pass in reality, not like this human one, which often, having exhausted with labors those who have gaped for it, has not been able to render to them the fruits of their labors, but along with the loss, has enveloped them in both shame and dangers. But it is not such, since it is not human. Which Paul, making clear in one word, said: And hope does not put to shame. For it not only does not harm the one contending in such things, nor does it only not put to shame, but it also comes bearing to him much more wealth and glory than his labors and sweats. For such is the hand that graciously gives the rewards of these labors. Perhaps we have exceeded the measure of a letter, but not in your eyes, who are such ardent lovers of us. For not judging such things by the rule of epistolary writings, but by the law of friendship, I know well that you will consider even this letter to be brief. But nevertheless, even if it seems brief to you, I will not cease demanding from you the wages for this too, not to be loved by you; for you do not need for this one to demand it, since from your own selves you are always both paying and owing it with great abundance; nor to write back to us; for I know that for this too you do not need anyone else to remind you; But what is the wage? To make it clear to us, that you leap for joy, that

κατὰ διάνοιαν ἐοικότας ἀνθρώπους, χρυσίου παντὸς φαιδροτέρους καὶ πολυτελεστέρους μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς περιουσίας ἡ τῶν ἐπαλλήλων πειρασμῶν ἐργάζεται κάμινος. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο, καὶ ἐκ τοσούτου καθήμενοι διαστήματος, οὐ παυόμεθα διηνεκῶς μακαρίζοντες ὑμᾶς. Ἴστε γὰρ, ἴστε σαφῶς, ὅσον τῶν τοιούτων ἐπιβουλῶν τὸ κέρδος, καὶ πῶς ἡ τοῦ παρόντος εὐημερία βίου ὄνομα μόνον ἐστὶ ψιλὸν, πράγματος ἔρημον, τὰ δὲ μέλλοντα ἀγαθὰ, πεπηγότα, ἀκίνητα μόνιμα, ἀθάνατα. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ θαῦμα τῆς ἀρετῆς, ὅτι τοιαῦτα ἡμῖν τὰ ἔπαθλα παρέχεται, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἐπάθλων οἱ ἀγῶνες αὐτῆς ἔπαθλα γίνονται, καὶ οὐ μόνον τοῦ θεάτρου λυθέντος τὰ βραβεῖα τοῖς νενικηκόσιν ἔρχεται φέρουσα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ μέσῳ τῷ σκάμματι λαμπροὺς τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις πλέκει τοὺς στεφάνους. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος οὐκ ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀντιδόσεσι τῶν θλίψεων χαίρει καὶ εὐφραίνεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπ' αὐταῖς ταῖς θλίψεσι καλλωπίζεται, οὕτω λέγων· Οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν. Εἶτα ἀπ52.666 αριθμούμενος τὸν ὁρμαθὸν τῶν βραβείων τῆς θλίψεως, φησὶν, ὅτι ὑπομονὴν αὕτη τίκτει, τὴν μητέρα τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τὸν ἀκύμαντον λιμένα, τὴν ἐν γαλήνῃ ζωὴν, τὴν πέτρας ἰσχυροτέραν, καὶ ἀδάμαντος στεῤῥοτέραν, τὴν ὅπλου παντὸς δυνατωτέραν, καὶ τειχῶν ἀσφαλεστέραν. Αὕτη δὲ κατορθωθεῖσα δοκίμους καὶ γενναίους ποιεῖ τοὺς αὐτῆς τροφίμους, καὶ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ἀχειρώτους. Οὐδενὶ γὰρ ἀφίησι τῶν προσπιπτόντων αὐτοῖς θορυβεῖσθαι λυπηρῶν, οὐδὲ ὑποσκελίζεσθαι· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἡ πέτρα ὅσῳπερ ἂν ὑπὸ πλειόνων παίηται κυμάτων, αὕτη μὲν ἐκκαθαίρεται μειζόνως, οὐδὲ μικρὸν κινουμένη, τῶν δὲ προσρηγνυμένων αὐτῇ τὸν ὄγκον ὑδάτων διαφθείρει ῥᾳδίως, οὐ τῷ παίειν, ἀλλὰ τῷ παίεσθαι ἀφανίζουσα· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ δόκιμος ἐξ ὑπομονῆς γενόμενος, πάσης ἀνώτερος ἕστηκεν ἐπιβουλῆς. Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι ἰσχυρότερος γίνεται, οὐ τῷ ποιεῖν κακῶς, ἀλλὰ τῷ πάσχειν κακῶς τοὺς ποιοῦντας διαλύων ῥᾳδίως. Ταῦτα οὐχ ὡς δεομένοις παρ' ἡμῶν μανθάνειν ἐπέσταλκα· οἶδα γὰρ ὑμῶν τὴν σύνεσιν, ἣν καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν ἐπεδείξασθε· ἃ γὰρ διὰ ῥημάτων ἐφιλοσοφήσαμεν νῦν ἡμεῖς, ταῦτα ὑμεῖς δι' ὧν ἐπάθετε ἀνεκηρύξατε. Οὐ τοίνυν ὡς δεομένοις μανθάνειν παρ' ἡμῶν ταῦτα ἐπέσταλκα, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ μακρὸν ἐσιγήσατε χρόνον, μᾶλλον δὲ κοινῇ μακρὰν ἐσιγήσαμεν σιγὴν, ἐβουλήθην καὶ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν γενέσθαι μακράν. Ἀθληταῖς δὲ ὑπομονῆς οὕτω γενναίοις ἐπιστέλλοντα, περὶ τίνος ἑτέρου διαλέγεσθαι ἐχρῆν, ἢ περὶ τούτων, δι' ὧν οὕτως ἀνεφάνητε λαμπροὶ καὶ εὐδόκιμοι; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἵσταται τῆς ἀθλήσεως ὁ καρπὸς, ἀλλὰ πρόεισι περαιτέρω βρύων. Ἡ γὰρ δοκιμὴ, φησὶν, ἐλπίδα τίκτει· ἐλπίδα πάντως ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐκβησομένην, οὐ κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ταύτην, ἣ κατατείνασα πολλάκις τοῖς πόνοις τοὺς πρὸς αὐτὴν κεχηνότας, οὐκ ἴσχυσε τοὺς καρποὺς ἀποδοῦναι τῶν πόνων αὐτοῖς, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῆς ζημίας, καὶ αἰσχύνῃ καὶ κινδύνοις αὐτοὺς περιέβαλεν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ αὐτὴ τοιαύτη, ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲ ἀνθρωπίνη. Ὅπερ ἑνὶ ῥήματι δηλῶν ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον οὐ ζημιοῖ τὸν τὰ τοιαῦτα ἀγωνιζόμενον, οὐδὲ οὐ μόνον οὐ καταισχύνει, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ πλείονα καὶ πλοῦτον καὶ δόξαν αὐτῷ τῶν πόνων καὶ τῶν ἱδρώτων ἔρχεται φέρουσα. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ χαριζομένη χεὶρ τούτων τῶν πόνων τὰς ἀμοιβάς. Τάχα ὑπερέβημεν τὸ μέτρον τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, ἀλλ' οὐ παρ' ὑμῖν τοῖς οὕτω σφοδροῖς ἡμῶν ἐρασταῖς. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπιστολιμαίων γραμμάτων νόμῳ, ἀλλὰ θεσμῷ φιλίας τὰ τοιαῦτα κρίνοντες, εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι καὶ βραχεῖαν εἶναι ταύτην ἡγήσεσθε τὴν ἐπιστολήν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως εἰ καὶ βραχεῖα ὑμῖν εἶναι δοκεῖ, οὐ παύσομαι καὶ ταύτης ἀπαιτῶν ὑμᾶς τοὺς μισθοὺς, οὐ τὸ φιλεῖσθαι παρ' ὑμῶν· οὐ γὰρ δεῖσθε εἰς τοῦτο τοῦ ἀπαιτήσοντος, οἴκοθεν αὐτὸ μετὰ πολλῆς ἀεὶ τῆς δαψιλείας καὶ κατατιθέντες καὶ ὀφείλοντες· οὐδὲ τὸ ἀντιγράψαι ἡμῖν· οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι οὐδὲ εἰς τοῦτο ἑτέρου τινὸς ὑμῖν δεῖ τοῦ ἀναμνήσοντος ὑμᾶς· ἀλλὰ τίς ὁ μισθός; Τὸ δῆλον ἡμῖν ποιῆσαι, ὅτι σκιρτᾶτε, ὅτι