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034 - Homily 18 Part 2 - Romans 1014-15 · Homilies on Romans

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  Speaker 1: Section thirty four of Homilies on Romans by John Chrysostom,
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  Speaker 1: translated by J. B. Morris. This LIBRIVARX recording is in
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  Speaker 1: the public domain. Homily eighteen, Part two, Romans ten, Verses
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  Speaker 1: fourteen and fifteen, verse six. And if by grace, then
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  Speaker 1: it is no more of works. Otherwise grace is no
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  Speaker 1: more grace. But if it be of works, then is
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  Speaker 1: it no more grace? Otherwise work is no more work.
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  Speaker 1: He again springs upon the disputatiousness of the Jews in
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  Speaker 1: what has just been quoted, And on this point he
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  Speaker 1: opposes it, and from it bereaves them of excuse. For
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  Speaker 1: you cannot he means so much as say that the
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  Speaker 1: prophets called indeed, and God invited, and the state of
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  Speaker 1: things cried aloud, and the provoking to jealousy was enough
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  Speaker 1: to draw us to him. But what was enjoined was grievous.
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  Speaker 1: And this is why we could not become proselytes, since
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  Speaker 1: we had a display of works demanded of us and
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  Speaker 1: laborious well doings. For you cannot even say this, for
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  Speaker 1: how should God have demanded this of you when this
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  Speaker 1: would just throw his grace into the shade. And this
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  Speaker 1: he said out of a wish to show that he
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  Speaker 1: was most desirous that they might be saved, For not
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  Speaker 1: only would their salvation be easily brought about, but it
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  Speaker 1: was also God's greatest glory to display his love towards man.
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  Speaker 1: Why then, are you afraid of coming over, since you
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  Speaker 1: have no works demanded of you? Why are you bickering
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  Speaker 1: and quarrelsome when grace is before you? And why I
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  Speaker 1: keep putting me the law forward to no purpose whatsoever?
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  Speaker 1: For since you will not be saved by that and
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  Speaker 1: will mild this gift. Also since if you pertinaciously insist
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  Speaker 1: on being saved by it, you do away with this
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  Speaker 1: grace of God. Then that they might not think this strange.
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  Speaker 1: Having first taken those seven thousand, he said that they
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  Speaker 1: were saved by grace. For when he says even so,
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  Speaker 1: then at this present time also there is a remnant
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  Speaker 1: according to the election of grace, he shows that they
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  Speaker 1: also were saved by a grace. Nor does this only
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  Speaker 1: show it, But likewise the saying I have reserved unto myself,
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  Speaker 1: For this is the language of one who showeth that
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  Speaker 1: he himself was the chief contributor. And if by grace
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  Speaker 1: it will be said, how came we all not to
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  Speaker 1: be saved? Because ye would not? For grace? Though it be,
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  Speaker 1: grace saves the willing, not those who will not have it,
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  Speaker 1: who persist in fighting against it and turning aside from
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  Speaker 1: it and opposing themselves to it. Observe how throughout the
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  Speaker 1: point he is proving is that it is impossible the
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  Speaker 1: word of God should have failed, by showing that the
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  Speaker 1: worthy were those to whom the promise came, and that
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  Speaker 1: these few, though they be, may yet be the people
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  Speaker 1: of God. And indeed he had stated it in the
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  Speaker 1: beginning of the epistle with much force, where he says,
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  Speaker 1: for what if some did not believe and did not
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  Speaker 1: even stop at this, but proceeded, yea, let God be true,
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  Speaker 1: and every man a liar. And here again he confirms
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  Speaker 1: it another way and shows the force of grace, and
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  Speaker 1: that always the one were being saved, the other perished.
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  Speaker 1: Let us then give thanks that we belong to them
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  Speaker 1: that are being saved, and not having been able to
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  Speaker 1: save ourselves by works, were saved by the gift of God.
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  Speaker 1: But in giving thanks, let us not do this in
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  Speaker 1: words only, but in works and thanksgivings and actions. For
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  Speaker 1: this is the genuine thanksgiving when we do those things
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  Speaker 1: whereby God is sure to be glorified, and flee from
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  Speaker 1: those from which we have been set free. For if we,
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  Speaker 1: after insulting the King, instead of being punished, have been honored,
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  Speaker 1: and then go and insult him afresh, since we are
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  Speaker 1: detected in the utmost ingratitude, we should, with justice have
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  Speaker 1: to suffer the utmost punishment, one greater father than the former,
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  Speaker 1: for the former insolence. Do not show us so ungrateful
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  Speaker 1: as that committed after honor and much attention shown us.
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  Speaker 1: Let us then flee those things from which we have
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  Speaker 1: been set free, and not give thanks with our mouths
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  Speaker 1: only lest it be said of us also this people
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  Speaker 1: honor me with their lips, but with their heart is
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  Speaker 1: far from me. For how is it ills then unseemly
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  Speaker 1: when the heavens declare the glory of God, and Thou
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  Speaker 1: for whom the heavens were made, that glorify Him, dost
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  Speaker 1: such things that through thee, the God that may thee
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  Speaker 1: is blasphemed. It is for this that not only he
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  Speaker 1: that blasphemeth, but thyself also will be liable to punishment.
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  Speaker 1: For the heavens also do not glorify God by sending
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  Speaker 1: forth a voice, but by putting others upon doing it
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  Speaker 1: at the sight of them. And yet they are said
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  Speaker 1: to declare the glory of God. Thus too, they that
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  Speaker 1: furnish a life to be wondered at, even though they
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  Speaker 1: hold their peace, yet glorify God when others through them
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  Speaker 1: glorify Him. For He is not so much reverence because
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  Speaker 1: of the heaven as of a spotless life. When then
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  Speaker 1: we are discoursing with the gentiles, we cite not the
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  Speaker 1: heavens before them, but the men, whom, though they were
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  Speaker 1: in worse plight than brutes, he hath persuaded to be
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  Speaker 1: the Angel's competitors. And we stop their mouths by speaking
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  Speaker 1: of this change. For far better than the heaven is man,
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  Speaker 1: and a soul brighter than their beauty may he possess.
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  Speaker 1: For yet, though visible for so long a time, did
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  Speaker 1: not persuade much. But Paul, after preaching a short time,
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  Speaker 1: drew the whole world unto him. For he possessed a
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  Speaker 1: soul no less than the heaven, which was able to
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  Speaker 1: draw all men unto him. Our soul is not a
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  Speaker 1: match even for the earth, but his is equal to
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  Speaker 1: the heaven it stood, indeed, keeping to its own boundary
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  Speaker 1: and rule. But the loftiness of his soul transcended all
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  Speaker 1: the heavens and conversed with Christ himself. And the beauty
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  Speaker 1: of it was so great that even God heraldeth at
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  Speaker 1: fort for the stars to the angels marvel at when
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  Speaker 1: they were made. But this he marveled at when he saith,
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  Speaker 1: he is a chosen vessel unto me. And this heaven
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  Speaker 1: doth a cloud many times over shadow. But Pole's soul
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  Speaker 1: no temptation overshadowed. But even in storms he was clearer
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  Speaker 1: to the sight than the hard sky at noon, and
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  Speaker 1: shone nevertheless, as it had done before the clouds came on.
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  Speaker 1: For the Sun, who shone in him, sent not forth
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  Speaker 1: such rays as to be overclouded by the concourse of temptations,
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  Speaker 1: but even then shone forth the more. Wherefore he says,
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  Speaker 1: my grace is sufficient for the for my power is
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  Speaker 1: made perfect in weakness. Let us then strive to be
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  Speaker 1: like him. And then even to what we are, this
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  Speaker 1: heaven will be as nothing if we wish it, Nor
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  Speaker 1: yet the sun nor the whole world. For these are
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  Speaker 1: for us, and not we for them. Let us show
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  Speaker 1: that we are worthy of having had these made for us.
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  Speaker 1: For if we be found unworthy of these, how shall
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  Speaker 1: we be worthy a kingdom? For indeed, all that lives
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  Speaker 1: so as to blaspheme God are unworthy to see the sun.
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  Speaker 1: They who blaspheme Him are unworthy to enjoy the creatures
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  Speaker 1: who glorify him. Since even a son who insulteth his
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  Speaker 1: father is unworthy to be waited upon by the approved servants.
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  Speaker 1: Hence these will enjoy glory and that great glory. But
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  Speaker 1: we shall have to undergo punishment and vengeance. How miserable
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  Speaker 1: then will it be for the creation, which was made
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  Speaker 1: for thee to be fashioned according to the glorious liberty
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  Speaker 1: of the children of God, But for us, who are
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  Speaker 1: made children of God, through our much listlessness, to be
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  Speaker 1: sent away to destruction and hill for whose sake the
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  Speaker 1: creation shall enjoy that great festal time. Now to keep
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  Speaker 1: this from coming to pass, that such an us as
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  Speaker 1: have a pure soul, keep it still such, or rather
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  Speaker 1: let us make its lamp more intense, and that those
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  Speaker 1: of us that have a soiled one not to spare.
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  Speaker 1: For if he says your sins be as purple, I
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  Speaker 1: will make them white as snow, And if they be
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  Speaker 1: a scarlet, I will make them white as wool. But
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  Speaker 1: when it is God that promiseth, doubt not. But do
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  Speaker 1: those things whereby thou mayst draw to thee these promises
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  Speaker 1: are they unnumbered the fearful and outrageous acts done by THEE.
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  Speaker 1: And what of this? For hitherto thou art not gone
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  Speaker 1: away into the grave where no man shall confess. Hitherto
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  Speaker 1: the arena is not broken up for THEE. But thou
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  Speaker 1: art standing within the line, and thou art able, even
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  Speaker 1: by a struggle at the last, to recover all thy defeats.
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  Speaker 1: Thou art not yet come to where the rich man
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  Speaker 1: was for THEE to hear it said, there is a
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  Speaker 1: gulf betwixt you and us. The bridegroom is not yet
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  Speaker 1: at hand that one should fear to give you of
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  Speaker 1: our oil. Still canst thou buy and store up? And
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  Speaker 1: there is not one yet to say, not so lest
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  Speaker 1: there be not enough for us and you. But there
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  Speaker 1: are many that sell the naked, the hungry, the sick,
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  Speaker 1: the imprisoned. Give food to these, clothing to those visit
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  Speaker 1: the sick, and the oil will come more than from fountains.
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  Speaker 1: The day of account is not here. Use the time
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  Speaker 1: as need be, and make deductions from the debts. And
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  Speaker 1: to him that oeth an hundred measures of oil, say,
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  Speaker 1: take thy bill and write fifty. And with money, and
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  Speaker 1: with words, and with every other thing, do in like manner,
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  Speaker 1: imitating that steward, and advise this to thyself and also
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  Speaker 1: to thy relatives. For thou hast still the power of
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  Speaker 1: saying so, thou art not yet come to the necessity
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  Speaker 1: of calling in another in their behalf. But thou hast
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  Speaker 1: power to give advice at once to thyself and to them.
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  Speaker 1: But when thou art gone away thither neither of these
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  Speaker 1: things wilt thou have it in thy power to do
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  Speaker 1: it need and with good reason. For thou who hast
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  Speaker 1: had so long a period fixed thee and neither done
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  Speaker 1: thyself good nor any else. How, when thou art under
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  Speaker 1: the Judge's hands, shalt thou be able to obtain this grace.
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  Speaker 1: Putting all these things together, then thou let us cling
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  Speaker 1: fast to our own salvation, and not lose the opportunity
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  Speaker 1: of this life present. For it is possible, it is
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  Speaker 1: even at our last breath, to please God. It is
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  Speaker 1: possible to gain approval by thy last will not indeed
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  Speaker 1: in such way as in our lifetime. Still it is possible,
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  Speaker 1: how and in what way, if thou leavest him among
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  Speaker 1: thine heirs, and givest him also a portion of thine
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  Speaker 1: whole estate, as thou not fed him in thy lifetime
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  Speaker 1: at all events, when departed, when thou art no longer owner,
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  Speaker 1: give him a share of thy goods. He is loving
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  Speaker 1: unto man. He doth not deal niggardly by THEE. It
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  Speaker 1: is a mark to be sure of a greater desire,
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  Speaker 1: and so it will be more rewarded to feed him
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  Speaker 1: in thy lifetime. But if thou hast not done this
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  Speaker 1: at all events, do the next best thing leave him
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  Speaker 1: joint heir with thy children. And if thou art dilatory
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  Speaker 1: over this, bethink thyself that his father may THEE joint
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  Speaker 1: heir with him, and break down thy inhuman spirit. For
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  Speaker 1: what excuse wilt thou have if thou dost not even
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  Speaker 1: make him a share of with thy te children, who
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  Speaker 1: made THEE share the heaven, and was slain for THEE.
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  Speaker 1: And yet all that ever he did, he did not
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  Speaker 1: in repayment of a debt, but as bestowing a favor,
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  Speaker 1: but you, after so great benefits, have been made a
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  Speaker 1: debtor as well. And yet though things are so, it
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  Speaker 1: is as if receiving a favor, not as demanding payment
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  Speaker 1: of a debt, that he crowneth THEE. And this too,
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  Speaker 1: when what he is to receive is his own. Give
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  Speaker 1: then thy money, which is now no longer of any
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  Speaker 1: use to THEE, and of which thou art no longer owner,
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  Speaker 1: And he will give THEE a kingdom which shall be
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  Speaker 1: of service to THEE perpetually, and with it will bestow
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  Speaker 1: also the things of this life. For if he be
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  Speaker 1: made joint heir of thy children, he doth lighten their orphanage.
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  Speaker 1: For them do away with tyrannizings, beat off plottings, stop
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  Speaker 1: the mouths of pettifoggers. And if they themselves are unable
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  Speaker 1: to stand up for their bequeathments, he will himself stand
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  Speaker 1: up and not let them be broken through. But if
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  Speaker 1: he do even allow this, then he makes up of
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  Speaker 1: himself all that was ordered in the Will with still
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  Speaker 1: greater life berality. Because he has been but mentioned in it.
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  Speaker 1: Leave him, then, thine heir, for it is to him
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  Speaker 1: that thou art, upon the point of going he will
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  Speaker 1: be thy judge himself in the trial for all that
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  Speaker 1: hath been done here. But there are some so miserable
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  Speaker 1: and pinched, that, though they have no children, still they
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  Speaker 1: have not the courage to do this, but approve of
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  Speaker 1: giving that they have to hangers on and to flatterers,
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  Speaker 1: and to this person and to that sooner than to Christ,
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  Speaker 1: who hath done them so great benefits. And what can
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  Speaker 1: be more unreasonable than this conduct? For if one were
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  Speaker 1: to compare men of this caste to asses I or
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  Speaker 1: to stones, one shall not still be saying anything tantamount
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  Speaker 1: to their unreasonableness and senselessness. Nor could one find a
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  Speaker 1: similitude to put before you their madness and dementedness. For
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  Speaker 1: what pardon shall they obtain for not having fed him
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  Speaker 1: in their lifetime, Who, even when they are on the
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  Speaker 1: point of departing to him, have not the inclination to
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  Speaker 1: give him but a trifle out of those goods of
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  Speaker 1: which they are no longer the owners, but are of
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  Speaker 1: such an inimical and hostile disposition as not even to
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  Speaker 1: give him a share in what is useless to themselves.
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  Speaker 1: Do not know how many of mankind have not even
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  Speaker 1: been counted worthy to obtain an end of this kind,
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  Speaker 1: but have been snatched off suddenly. But thee doth God
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  Speaker 1: empower to give orders to thy kindred, and to speak
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  Speaker 1: with them about thy property, and set all that is
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  Speaker 1: in thy house in order. What defense then wilt thou
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  Speaker 1: have to set up, when, even after receiving this favor
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  Speaker 1: from Him, thou hast treacherously given up the benefit and outstanding,
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  Speaker 1: as it were, in diametrical opposition to thy forefathers in
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  Speaker 1: the faith. For they, even in their lifetime, sold all
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  Speaker 1: and brought it to the apostles feet. But thou, even
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  Speaker 1: at thy death, dost not give any share to them
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  Speaker 1: that need. What is the better part, and gives one
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  Speaker 1: much boldness, is to remedy poverty in one's lifetime. But
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  Speaker 1: if thou hast not been minded to do this at
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  Speaker 1: all events, do upon thy death bed some noble act.
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  Speaker 1: For this is not what a strong love for Christ
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  Speaker 1: would do. Yet still it is an act of love.
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  Speaker 1: For if thou wilt not have the high place with
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  Speaker 1: the lambs, still even to be with him at all
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  Speaker 1: is no light thing, and so not to be placed
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  Speaker 1: with the goats, nor on the left hand. But if
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  Speaker 1: thou wilt not do this. What plea is to rescue THEE,
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  Speaker 1: when neither the fear of God nor thy money having
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  Speaker 1: become henceforth of no use to THEE. Nor the leaving
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  Speaker 1: of safety behind thee to thy children, nor the laying
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  Speaker 1: up of much pardon there against the time to come,
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  Speaker 1: will make THEE merciful to man. Wherefore I advise as
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  Speaker 1: the best thing, that in your lifetime you give the
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  Speaker 1: larger share of your goods to the poor. But if
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  Speaker 1: there be any of so narrow a soul as not
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  Speaker 1: to have the heart to do so at all events,
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  Speaker 1: let them, by necessity become merciful. For when you are
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  Speaker 1: living as if there were no death, then you clung
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  Speaker 1: close to your goods. But now, since you have learned
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  Speaker 1: that you are to die at least, now give over
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  Speaker 1: your opinion and deliberate about your affairs as one that
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  Speaker 1: must die, or rather as one that ought to enjoy
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  Speaker 1: immortal life forever. For if what I am going to
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  Speaker 1: say be distasteful and big with horror, still it must
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  Speaker 1: be said, reckon with thy slaves. The Lord art thou
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  Speaker 1: giving thy slaves liberty, Give Christ liberty from famine, from distress,
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  Speaker 1: from imprisonment from nakedness? Art thou horrified at the words?
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  Speaker 1: Is it not then more horrible when thou dost not
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  Speaker 1: even thus much? And here the word makes thy blood coddle.
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  Speaker 1: But when thou art gone to that world and hast
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  Speaker 1: to hear things far more grievous than these, and seest
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  Speaker 1: the tortures which are incurable, what wilt thou say to
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  Speaker 1: whom wilt thou flee for refuge? Whom wilt thou call
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  Speaker 1: to thy alliance and assistance? Will it be Abraham? He
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  Speaker 1: will not hearken to THEE or those virgins. They will
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  Speaker 1: not give thee of their oil. Thy father, then, or
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  Speaker 1: thy grandfather. But none of these, even if he be
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  Speaker 1: ever so holy, will have it in his power to
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  Speaker 1: reverse that sentence. Weighing then all these things to him
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  Speaker 1: who alone is Lord, to blot out the bill against THEE,
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  Speaker 1: and to quench that flame. To him, make prayer and supplication,
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  Speaker 1: and propitiate him by now feeding him and clothing him continually,
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  Speaker 1: that in this world thou thou mayst depart with a
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  Speaker 1: good hope, And when thou art there, thou mayst enjoy
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  Speaker 1: eternal blessings, which may we all attain to by the
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  Speaker 1: grace and love towards Man, et cetera. End of Section
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  Speaker 1: thirty four