John Chrysostom, On the Acts of the Apostles

painful. Neither do I forbid rejoicing in the Lord, but I even strongly encourage it. The apostles were scourged, and they rejoiced; they were bound, and they gave thanks; they were stoned, and they preached. This is the joy I also want; it does not have its origin in anything bodily, but from spiritual things. It is not possible for one who rejoices according to the world to rejoice also according to God; for everyone who rejoices according to the world, rejoices in wealth, in luxury, in glory and power, in arrogance; but he who rejoices according to God, rejoices in dishonor for His sake, in poverty, in having no possessions, in fasting, in humility. Do you see that the premises are opposite? As many as are without joy here, are also without sorrow; and as many as are without sorrow here, are also without pleasure. And indeed these are the things that produce true joy, since those other things have only the name of joy, but the whole reality lies in sorrow. How much vexation the arrogant man has! How he is torn apart in the very act of being arrogant, devising countless insults for himself, much hatred, great enmity, much envy, much malice! For if he is insulted by his superiors, he suffers; if he does not rise up against everyone, he is tormented. But the humble man is in much pleasure, expecting honor from no one; if he is honored, he is pleased, but if he is not honored, he does not suffer, but loves the fact that he was not honored. Therefore, from not seeking honor and being honored, there is much pleasure. But in the other case, it is the opposite: he both seeks honor and is not honored. The one who seeks honor and the one who does not seek it are not pleased in the same way. 60.133 This one, however much he receives, considers it as having received nothing; that one, even if you give a little, receives it as having received everything. Again, the one who lives in luxury has countless troubles; even if his revenues flow to him with ease and as if from springs, he dreads the terrible things that come from luxury, and the uncertainty of the future; but this one is always in safety and in pleasure, having accustomed himself to a simple diet. For he does not count himself so miserable for not partaking of a luxurious table, as he delights in not fearing the uncertainty of the future. And how many terrible things come from luxury, no one is ignorant; but it is necessary to speak of them now. The war is twofold, of the body, I say, and of the soul; the storm is twofold, the diseases are twofold; and not only this, but they are also incurable; and these bring great misfortunes. But simplicity is not like this, but health is twofold, the good things are twofold. The sleep of health, it says, is in a moderate stomach. For everywhere what is moderate is desirable, but what is immoderate is no longer so. For see: place a great heap of wood on a small spark, and you will see no longer a shining fire, but very unpleasant smoke. Place on a very strong and large man a burden that exceeds his strength, and you will see him lying and cast upon the ground with his burden. Put too much cargo into the ship, and you will have caused a difficult shipwreck. Such a thing, indeed, is luxury. For just as on ships that are taking on too much water, there is great clamor from the sailors, the pilot, the lookout, the passengers, some throwing things overboard from above into the sea, others from below; so indeed here also, vomiting things from above, and things from below, and corrupting themselves, they perish. And what is most shameful of all, is that the mouth itself takes on the function of the rear parts, and becomes more dishonorable than they. If there is such indecency in the mouth, consider what is in the soul. For there everything is gloom, everything is storm, everything is darkness, great confusion of thoughts, being pressed, being afflicted, the soul itself crying out from the abuse. Hence also those who indulge their stomachs blame each other, are vexed, and hasten to cast off the dung within. Yet even after it is cast off, not even so does the agitation cease; but from this come fevers and diseases. Yes, he says, they are sick and act disgracefully; a speech idly recounting these things, and listing diseases for us; for I am sick, and I am in convulsions, and I act disgracefully, I who have nothing to eat; but these who live in luxury can be seen faring well, being vigorous, rejoicing, being carried on horses. Alas! for these words are worthy of lamentations. But those with gout, those carried on litters, those who are bound up, where do we see them from, tell me? And if they did not consider the matter an insult, and did not think I was saying these things 60.134 reproachfully, I would have already also

λυπηρά. Οὐδὲ ἐγὼ κωλύω χαίρειν κατὰ Κύριον, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα παραινῶ. Ἐμαστίζοντο οἱ ἀπόστολοι, καὶ ἔχαιρον· ἐδέδεντο, καὶ εὐχαρίστουν· ἐλιθάζοντο, καὶ ἐκήρυττον. Ταύτην καὶ ἐγὼ βούλομαι τὴν χαράν· ἀπ' οὐδενὸς σωματικοῦ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχει, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ πραγμάτων πνευματικῶν. Οὐκ ἔστι τὸν κατὰ κόσμον χαίροντα ὁμοῦ καὶ κατὰ Θεὸν χαίρειν· πᾶς γὰρ ὁ κατὰ κόσμον χαίρων, ἐπὶ πλούτῳ χαίρει, ἐπὶ τρυφῇ, ἐπὶ δόξῃ καὶ δυναστείᾳ, ἐπὶ ἀλαζονείᾳ· ὁ δὲ κατὰ Θεὸν, ἐπὶ ἀτιμίᾳ τῇ δι' αὐτὸν, ἐπὶ πενίᾳ, ἐπὶ ἀκτημοσύνῃ, ἐπὶ νηστείᾳ, ἐπὶ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ. Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι ἐναντίαι αἱ ὑποθέσεις; Ὅσοι ἔξω χαρᾶς εἰσιν ἐνταῦθα, καὶ λύπης· καὶ ὅσοι ἔξω λύπης ἐνταῦθα, καὶ ἡδονῆς. Καὶ ὄντως ταῦτά ἐστι τὰ ποιοῦντα ἀληθῆ χαρὰν, ἐπεὶ ἐκεῖνα ὄνομα μόνον ἔχει χαρᾶς, τὸ δὲ πᾶν ἐν λύπῃ κεῖται. Πόσην ἀνίαν ὁ ἀλαζὼν ἔχει! πῶς διακόπτεται ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ἀλαζονεύεσθαι, μυρίας ἑαυτῷ μηχανώμενος ὕβρεις, πολὺ τὸ μῖσος, μεγάλην τὴν ἀπέχθειαν, πολὺν τὸν φθόνον, πολλὴν τὴν βασκανίαν! κἂν γὰρ παρὰ τῶν μειζόνων ὑβρισθῇ, ἀλγεῖ· κἂν μὴ πάντων κατεξαναστῇ, δάκνεται. Ὁ δὲ ταπεινὸς ἐν πολλῇ ἐστι τῇ ἡδονῇ, παρ' οὐδενὸς προσδοκῶν τιμήν· ἂν μὲν οὖν τιμηθῇ, ἥσθη, ἂν δὲ μὴ τιμηθῇ, οὐκ ἤλγησεν, ἀλλ' ἀγαπᾷ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐτιμήθη. Ἄρ' οὖν ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ζητεῖν τιμὴν καὶ τιμᾶσθαι, πολλὴ ἡ ἡδονή. Ἐκεῖ δὲ τοὐναντίον, καὶ ζητεῖ τιμὴν, καὶ οὐ τιμᾶται. Οὐχ ὁμοίως δὲ ἥδεται τιμὴν ὁ ζητῶν, καὶ ὁ μὴ ζητῶν. 60.133 Οὗτος ὅσον ἂν λάβη, οὐδὲν ἡγεῖται εἰληφέναι· ἐκεῖνος κἂν τὸ μικρὸν δῷς, ὡς τὸ πᾶν εἰληφὼς δέχεται. Πάλιν ὁ τρυφῶν μυρία πράγματα ἔχει, κἂν ἐξ εὐκολίας καὶ ὥσπερ ἀπὸ πηγῶν αὐτῷ τὰ τῶν προσόδων ἐπιῤῥέῃ, τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς τρυφῆς δεινὰ δέδοικε, καὶ τὸ ἄδηλον τοῦ μέλλοντος· οὗτος δὲ ἀεὶ ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ ἐστὶ καὶ ἐν ἡδονῇ, ἐθίσας ἑαυτὸν ἐν λιτότητι διαίτης. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἑαυτὸν ταλανίζει, ὅτι μὴ μετέχει τραπέζης πολυτελοῦς, ὡς τρυφᾷ, τὸ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἄδηλον μὴ δεδοικώς. Τὰ δὲ ἐκ τῆς τρυφῆς ὅσα δεινὰ, οὐδεὶς ἀγνοεῖ· ἀναγκαῖον δὲ καὶ νῦν εἰπεῖν. ∆ιπλοῦς ὁ πόλεμος, τοῦ σώματος, λέγω, καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς· διπλοῦς ὁ χειμὼν, διπλᾶ τὰ νοσήματα· καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ ἀνίατα· καὶ μεγάλας φέρουσι ταῦτα τὰς συμφοράς. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡ εὐτέλεια τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ διπλῆ ἡ ὑγεία, διπλᾶ τὰ ἀγαθά. Ὕπνος ὑγείας, φησὶν, ἐν ἐντέρῳ μετρίῳ. Πανταχοῦ γὰρ τὸ μὲν σύμμετρον ποθεινὸν, τὸ δὲ ἄμετρον οὐκέτι. Ὅρα γάρ· Σπινθῆρι μικρῷ πολὺν ξύλων ἐπίθες φορυτὸν, καὶ οὐκέτι πῦρ τὸ λάμπον, ἀλλὰ καπνὸν ὄψει σφόδρα ἀηδῆ. Ἀνδρὶ λίαν ἰσχυρῷ καὶ μεγάλῳ φορτίον ἐπίθες τὸ τὴν ἰσχὺν ὑπερβαῖνον, καὶ ὄψει μετὰ τοῦ φορτίου χαμαὶ κείμενον καὶ ἐῤῥιμμένον. Πολὺν τὸν φόρτον ἔμβαλε τῷ πλοίῳ, καὶ χαλεπὸν εἰργάσω τὸ ναυάγιον. Τοιοῦτο δή τι καὶ ἡ τρυφή ἐστι. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ὑπεράντλων πλοίων, πολὺς ὁ θόρυβος τῶν ναυτῶν, τοῦ κυβερνήτου, τοῦ πρωρέως, τῶν ἐπιβατῶν, τὰ μὲν ἄνωθεν ῥιπτούντων εἰς τὸ πέλαγος, τὰ δὲ κάτωθεν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα, τὰ μὲν ἄνωθεν ἐμοῦντες, τὰ δὲ κάτωθεν, καὶ ἑαυτοὺς διαφθείροντες, ἀπόλλυνται. Καὶ τὸ δὴ πάντων αἰσχρότερον, ὅτι αὐτὸ τὸ στόμα τὴν χρῆσιν ἀναλαμβάνει τῶν ὄπισθεν μορίων, καὶ γίνεται ἐκείνων ἀτιμότερον. Εἰ δὲ ἐν τῷ στόματι τοσαύτη ἀσχημοσύνη, ἐννόησον ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ πάντα γνόφος, πάντα θύελλα, πάντα σκότος, πολλὴ τῶν λογισμῶν σύγχυσις, πιεζομένων, θλιβομένων, τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς τὴν ἐπήρειαν βοώσης. Ἐντεῦθεν καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ γαστριζόμενοι ἀλλήλους αἰτιῶνται, δυσχεραίνουσι, σπεύδουσι τὴν ἔνδον ἀποῤῥίψασθαι κόπρον. Ὅμως καὶ μετὰ τὸ ῥιφῆναι, οὐδὲ οὕτως ὁ σάλος παύεται· ἀλλὰ καὶ πυρετοὶ ἐντεῦθεν καὶ νόσοι. Ναὶ, φησὶ, νοσοῦσι καὶ ἀσχημονοῦσι· λόγος εἰκῆ ταῦτα διεξιὼν, καὶ νόσους ἡμῖν καταλέγων· νοσῶ γὰρ ἐγὼ, καὶ σπῶμαι ἐγὼ, καὶ ἀσχημονῶ ἐγὼ, ὁ μὴ ἔχων φαγεῖν· τούτους δὲ τοὺς τρυφῶντας ἔστιν εὐπαθοῦντας ἰδεῖν, σφριγῶντας, χαίροντας, φερομένους ἐφ' ἵππων. Οἴμοι! θρήνων γὰρ ἄξια ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα. Τοὺς δὲ ποδαλγοῦντας, τοὺς ἐπὶ δίφρων φερομένους, τοὺς καταδεσμουμένους, πόθεν ὁρῶμεν, εἰπέ μοι; Καὶ εἰ μὴ τὸ πρᾶγμα ὕβριν ἐνόμιζον, καὶ ὀνειδιστικῶς με ταῦτα 60.134 λέγειν ἡγοῦντο, ἤδη ἂν καὶ