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003 - Homily III · Three Homilies on the Devil

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Speaker 1: Homily three from Three Homilies on the Devil by Saint
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Speaker 1: John Crusostom. The Sleebrivox recording is in the public domain.
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Speaker 1: That evil comes from sloth, and virtue from diligence, and
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Speaker 1: that neither wicked man nor the devil himself are able
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Speaker 1: to do the wary man any harm. The proof of
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Speaker 1: this is from many passages, and amongst others, from those
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Speaker 1: which relate to Adam and to job. The day before
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Speaker 1: yesterday we set on foot our sermon concerning the Devil,
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Speaker 1: out of love for you, but others. The day before yesterday,
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Speaker 1: while these matters were being set on foot, here took
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Speaker 1: their places in the theater and were looking on the
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Speaker 1: devil's show. They were taking part in lavacious songs. Ye
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Speaker 1: were having a share in spiritual music. They were eating
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Speaker 1: of the devil's garbage. Ye were feeding on spiritual ungents.
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Speaker 1: Who pray decoyed them, who pray separated them from the
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Speaker 1: sacred flock to the devil, pray deceive them? How did
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Speaker 1: he not deceive you? You and they are men alike.
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Speaker 1: I mean, as regards to your nature, you and they
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Speaker 1: have the same soul. You have the same desires. So
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Speaker 1: far as nature is concerned. How is it then that
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Speaker 1: you and they were not in the same place, because
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Speaker 1: you and they have not the same purpose. On this account,
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Speaker 1: they indeed are under deception, but you beyond deception. I
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Speaker 1: do not say these things again as discharging the devil
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Speaker 1: from accusation, but as desiring earnestly to free you from
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Speaker 1: your sins. The devil is wicked, I grant this indeed,
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Speaker 1: but he is wicked for himself, not towards us. If
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Speaker 1: we are wary, For the nature of wickedness is of
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Speaker 1: this kind. It is destructive to those alone who hold
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Speaker 1: to it. Virtue is the contrary. It is not only
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Speaker 1: able to profit those who hold it, but those near
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Speaker 1: at hand to and in order that thou mayst learn
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Speaker 1: that evil is evil in itself, but good is also
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Speaker 1: good to others. I provide thee with proverbial evidence. My
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Speaker 1: son saith he, if thou art become evil, thou shalt
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Speaker 1: bear thine evils alone. But if wise, for thyself and
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Speaker 1: thy neighbor. They were deceived in the theater, but ye
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Speaker 1: were not deceived. This is the greatest proof of things,
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Speaker 1: a clear testimony and unquestionable reasoning that in every case,
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Speaker 1: the purpose is master. Do thou accordingly use this method
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Speaker 1: of proof. And if thou seest a man living in
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Speaker 1: wickedness and exhibiting all kinds of evil, then blaming the
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Speaker 1: providence of God, and saying that by the necessity of
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Speaker 1: fortune and fate, and through tyranny of demons, he give
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Speaker 1: us our nature and on all sides, shifting the cause
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Speaker 1: from himself, indeed, and transferring it to the creator, who
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Speaker 1: provides for all silence his speech, not by word, but
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Speaker 1: by deed, showing him another fellow servant living in virtue
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Speaker 1: and forbearance. There is no need of long speeches, no
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Speaker 1: need of complex plan, nor even of syllogems. By means
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Speaker 1: of deeds, the proof is brought about. He said to him,
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Speaker 1: thou art a servant, and he is a servant. Thou
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Speaker 1: art a man, and he is a man. Thou livest
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Speaker 1: in the same world thou art nourished with the same
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Speaker 1: nourishment under the same heaven. How is it that thou
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Speaker 1: art living in wickedness he in virtue? On this account,
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Speaker 1: God allowed the wicked to be mingled with the good,
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Speaker 1: and did not give one law to the wicked, indeed,
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Speaker 1: and appointed another world as a colony for the good.
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Speaker 1: But mix these and those conferring great benefit for the
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Speaker 1: good appear more thoroughly approved when they are in the
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Speaker 1: midst of those who try to hinder them from living rightly,
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Speaker 1: and who entice them to evil. And yet keep hold
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Speaker 1: of virtue. For there must he saith be also heresies
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Speaker 1: among you, that they which are approved may be manifest
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Speaker 1: among you. Therefore, also on this account, he has left
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Speaker 1: the wicked to be in the world in order that
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Speaker 1: the good may shine the brighter. Dost thou see how
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Speaker 1: great is the gain. But the gain is not owing
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Speaker 1: to the wicked, but owing to the courage of the good.
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Speaker 1: On this account we admire Noah not because he was righteous,
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Speaker 1: nor yet because he was perfect alone, but because in
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Speaker 1: that the perverse and wicked generation he preserved his virtue
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Speaker 1: when he had no pattern of virtue, when all men
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Speaker 1: invited him to wickedness, and he went his whole way
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Speaker 1: contrary to them, like some traveler pursuing his way while
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Speaker 1: the great multitude is being borne along vehemently. On this account,
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Speaker 1: he did not simply say Noah was just and perfect,
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Speaker 1: but added in his generation, in that perverse, that desperate generation,
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Speaker 1: when there was no acquisition of virtue to the good. Indeed,
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Speaker 1: then this was the gain from the wicked. Thus, at
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Speaker 1: all events, also trees tossed about by contrary winds become stronger,
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Speaker 1: and there is a gain to the wicked from their
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Speaker 1: mixing with the good. They feel confusion, they are ashamed,
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Speaker 1: they blush in their presence. And even if they do
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Speaker 1: not abstain from evil, yet nevertheless they dare what they
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Speaker 1: dare with secrecy. And this is no small thing not
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Speaker 1: to have transgression publicly committed, for the life of the
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Speaker 1: others becomes the accuser of the wickedness of these. Here
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Speaker 1: at least what they say about the righteous man. He
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Speaker 1: is grievous to us even when beheld. And it is
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Speaker 1: no small beginning of amendment to be tormented at his presence.
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Speaker 1: For if the sight of the righteous Man did not
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Speaker 1: torment them, this word would not have been uttered. But
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Speaker 1: to be stung and pinched in conscience at his presence
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Speaker 1: would be no little hindrance to indulging in wickedness with pleasure.
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Speaker 1: Dost thou see how great is the gain both to
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Speaker 1: the good from the wicked and to the wicked from
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Speaker 1: the good. On this account, God has not set them apart,
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Speaker 1: but allowed them to be mingled together. Let her argument
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Speaker 1: also about the devil be the same, For on this
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Speaker 1: account he hath left him also to be here, an
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Speaker 1: order that he might render thee the stronger, an order
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Speaker 1: that he may make the athlete more illustrious, an order
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Speaker 1: that the contests may be greater. When therefore, anyone says,
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Speaker 1: why has God left the devil here, say these words
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Speaker 1: to him, because he does no harm to the wary
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Speaker 1: and the heedful, but even profits them, not owing to
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Speaker 1: his own purpose, for that is wicked, but owing to
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Speaker 1: their courage, who have used that wickedness. Aright, since he
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Speaker 1: even fixed upon job, not on this account that he
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Speaker 1: might make him more illustrious, but in order that he
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Speaker 1: might upset him. On this account he is wicked, both
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Speaker 1: because of such an opinion and such a purpose. But notwithstanding,
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Speaker 1: he did no harm to the righteous man, but rather
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Speaker 1: rejoiced in the conflict, as we accordingly showed. Both the
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Speaker 1: demon showed his wickedness, and the righteous man his courage.
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Speaker 1: But he does upset, many, says one, owing to their weakness,
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Speaker 1: not owing to his strength. For this too has been
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Speaker 1: already proved by many examples direct thine own intention aright, then,
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Speaker 1: and thou shalt never receive harm from any but shall
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Speaker 1: get the greatest gain, not only from the good, but
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Speaker 1: even from the wicked. Or on this account, as I
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Speaker 1: have before said, God has suffered men to be with
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Speaker 1: one another, and especially the wicked, with the good, in
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Speaker 1: order that they may bring them over to their own virtue.
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Speaker 1: Here at least, what Christ saith to his disciples the
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Speaker 1: Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a woman who took
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Speaker 1: leaven and hid in it three measures of meal, so
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Speaker 1: that the righteous have the power of leaven, in order
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Speaker 1: that they may transfer the wicked to their own manner
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Speaker 1: of conduct. But the righteous are few, for the leaven
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Speaker 1: is small. But the smallness in no way injures the lump.
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Speaker 1: But that little quantity converts the whole of the meal
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Speaker 1: to itself, by means of the power inherent in it.
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Speaker 1: So accordingly, the power also of the righteous, has its
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Speaker 1: force not in the magnitude of their number, but in
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Speaker 1: the grace of the spirit. There were twelve apostles. Dost
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Speaker 1: thou see how little is the leaven. The whole world
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Speaker 1: was an unbelief. Dost thou see how great is the lump,
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Speaker 1: but those twelve turn the whole world to themselves. The
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Speaker 1: leaven and the lump had the same nature, but not
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Speaker 1: the same manner of conduct. On this account, he left
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Speaker 1: the wicked in the midst of the good, that since
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Speaker 1: they are of the same nature as the righteous, they
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Speaker 1: may also become of the same purpose. Remember these things.
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Speaker 1: With these stop the mouths of the indolent, the dissolute,
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Speaker 1: the slothful, the indisposed towards the labors of virtue. Those
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Speaker 1: who accuse their common master. Thou hast sinned, he saith be, still,
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Speaker 1: do not add a second more grievous sin. It is
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Speaker 1: not so grievous to sin as after the sin to
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Speaker 1: accuse the Master. Take knowledge to the cause of the sin,
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Speaker 1: and thou wilt find that there is none other than
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Speaker 1: thyself who has sinned everywhere there is need of a
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Speaker 1: good intention. I have shown you this not from simple
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Speaker 1: reasoning only, but from the case of fellow servants living
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Speaker 1: in the world itself. Do thou also use this proof? Thus, too,
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Speaker 1: are common Master. Will judge us. Learn this method of proof,
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Speaker 1: and no one will be able to reason with you.
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Speaker 1: Is any a fornicator, show him another who is self restrained.
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Speaker 1: Is any covetous and rapacious? Show him one who gives alms?
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Speaker 1: Does he live in jealousy and envy? Show him one
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Speaker 1: clean from passion? Is he overcome by anger? Bring into
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Speaker 1: the midst one who is living in wisdom. For we
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Speaker 1: must not only have recourse to ancient example, but take
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Speaker 1: our models from present times. For even to day, by
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Speaker 1: the grace of God, good deeds are done not less
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Speaker 1: than of old. Is a man incredulous and does he
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Speaker 1: think that the scriptures are false? Does he not believe
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Speaker 1: that job was such as he was? Show him another
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Speaker 1: man emulating the life of that righteous person. Thus will
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Speaker 1: the Master also judge us he places fellow servants with
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Speaker 1: fellow servants, Nor does he give sentence according to his
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Speaker 1: own judgment, in order that no one may begin to
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Speaker 1: say again, as that servant said, who was entrusted with
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Speaker 1: the talent, and who instead of a talent, brought the accusation,
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Speaker 1: thou art an hosteer man, For he ought to mourn
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Speaker 1: because he did not double the talent, but rendered his
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Speaker 1: sin the more grievous by adding to his own idleness
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Speaker 1: his accusation against the Master. For what saith he I
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Speaker 1: knew thee that thou art an austereer man, a miserable
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Speaker 1: and wretched, ungrateful and lazy man. Thou oughtest to have
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Speaker 1: accused thine own idleness, to have taken away somewhat from
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Speaker 1: thy former sin. But thou, in bringing an account against
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Speaker 1: the Master, hast doubled thy sin instead of doubling thy talent.
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Speaker 1: On this account, God places together servants and servants, an
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Speaker 1: order that the one set may judge the other, and
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Speaker 1: that some being judged by others, may not be able
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Speaker 1: for the future to accuse the Master. On this account,
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Speaker 1: he saith. The son of Man cometh in the glory
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Speaker 1: of his father, see the equality of the glory. He
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Speaker 1: does not say in glory like to the glory of
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Speaker 1: the Father, but in the glory of the Father, and
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Speaker 1: will gather together all the nations. Terrible is the tribunal
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Speaker 1: terrible to the sinful and the accountable, since to those
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Speaker 1: who are conscious to themselves of good works, it is
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Speaker 1: desirable and mild. And he will place the sheep on
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Speaker 1: his right hand and the kids on his left. Both
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Speaker 1: these and those are men. For what reason, then, are
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Speaker 1: those indeed sheep, but these kids not that thou mayest
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Speaker 1: learn a difference in their nature, but the difference in
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Speaker 1: their purpose. But for what reason are they who did
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Speaker 1: not show compassion kids? Because that animal is unfruitful, is
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Speaker 1: not able to contribute services, either by its milk or
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Speaker 1: by progeny, or by its hair, to those who possess it,
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Speaker 1: being on all sides destitute of such a contribution as
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Speaker 1: this on account of the immaturity of its age. On
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Speaker 1: this account he has called those who bear no fruit
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Speaker 1: by comparison kids, But those on the right hand sheep,
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Speaker 1: For from these the offering is great, both of their
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Speaker 1: natural wool, their progeny, and their milk. What then does
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Speaker 1: he say to them, Ye saw me hungering, and ye
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Speaker 1: fed me naked, and ye clothed me a stranger, and
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Speaker 1: ye took me in Again to those, he says the contrary.
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Speaker 1: And yet both these and those were like men. Both
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Speaker 1: these and those received the same promises, the same rewards
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Speaker 1: were assigned to both. On doing right. The same person
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Speaker 1: came both to these and to those with the same nakedness,
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Speaker 1: And to these and to those with the same hunger
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Speaker 1: and in the same way and a stranger. All things
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Speaker 1: were alike to those and to these. How then was
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Speaker 1: the end not the same, because the purpose did not
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Speaker 1: permit it. For this alone made the difference. On this account,
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Speaker 1: the one sent went to Gehenna, and the other to
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Speaker 1: the kingdom. But if the devil were the cause to
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Speaker 1: them of their sins, these would not be destined to
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Speaker 1: be chastened when another sin and drove them on. Dost
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Speaker 1: thou see here both those who sin and those who
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Speaker 1: do good works. Dost thou see how on seeing their
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Speaker 1: fellow servants, they were silenced. Come and let us bring
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Speaker 1: our discourse to another example for thy benefit. There were
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Speaker 1: ten virgins. He says, here again there are purposes which
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Speaker 1: are upright, and purposes which are sinful, in order that
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Speaker 1: thou mayest see side by side both the sins of
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Speaker 1: the one and the good works of the other. For
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Speaker 1: the comparison makes these things the plainer. And these and
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Speaker 1: those were virgins, And these were five, and also those
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Speaker 1: all awaited the bridegroom. How then did some enter in
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Speaker 1: and others did not enter in, because some, indeed were churlish,
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Speaker 1: and others were gentle and loving. Dost thou see again
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Speaker 1: that the purpose determined the nature of the end, not
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Speaker 1: the devil. Dost thou see that the judgments were parallel,
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Speaker 1: and that the verdict given proceeds from those who are
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Speaker 1: like each other. Fellow servants will judge fellow servants. Dost
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Speaker 1: thou wish that I should show thee a comparison arising
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Speaker 1: from contrasts. For there is one also from contrasts, so
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Speaker 1: that the condemnation may become the greater. The men of Nineveh,
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Speaker 1: he saith, shall rise up and shall condemn this generation.
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Speaker 1: The judged are no longer alike, for the one are barbarians,
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Speaker 1: the others are Jews, enjoyed prophetic teaching. The others were
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Speaker 1: never partakers of a divine instruction. And this is not
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Speaker 1: the only difference, but the fact that in that case
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Speaker 1: the servant went to them. In this the master, and
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Speaker 1: that man came and proclaimed an overthrow. But this man
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Speaker 1: declared the glad tidings of a kingdom of heaven. Which
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Speaker 1: of these was the more likely would believe? The barbarians
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Speaker 1: and ignorant, and they who had never partaken of divine teaching,
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Speaker 1: or they who had from their earliest age been trained
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Speaker 1: in prophetic books. To everyone, it is plain that the
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Speaker 1: Jews would be more likely to believe. But the contrary
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Speaker 1: took place, and these disbelieved the Master when he preached
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Speaker 1: a kingdom of heaven, and those believed their fellow servants
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Speaker 1: when he threatened an overthrow. In order that their goodness
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Speaker 1: and these men's folly might be manifested to a greater degree.
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Speaker 1: Is there a demon, a devil, chance, or fate, as
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Speaker 1: not each become the cause to himself both of evil
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Speaker 1: and the virtue. For if they themselves were not to
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Speaker 1: be liable to account, you would not have said that
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Speaker 1: they shall judge this generation. Nor would he have said
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Speaker 1: that the Queen of the South would condemn the Jews.
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Speaker 1: For then, indeed, not only will one people condemn another people,
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Speaker 1: but one man will often judge a whole people. When
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Speaker 1: they who it is allowed, might readily have been deceived,
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Speaker 1: are found to remain undeceived, and they who ought in
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Speaker 1: every way to have the advantage turn out to be worsted.
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Speaker 1: On this account we made mention of Adam and of Job,
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Speaker 1: for there is necessity to revert to that subject, so
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Speaker 1: as to put the finish to our discourse. He attacked
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Speaker 1: Adam indeed by means of mere words, but Job by
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Speaker 1: means of deeds. For the one he denuded of all
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Speaker 1: his wealth and deprived of all his children. But from
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Speaker 1: this man he took not away anything great or little
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Speaker 1: of his possessions. But let us read examine the very
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Speaker 1: words and the method of the plot. The serpent came
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Speaker 1: saith he and said to the woman, what is it
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Speaker 1: that God has said, ye shall not eat of every
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Speaker 1: tree which is in the garden. Here it is a serpent,
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Speaker 1: there a woman in the case of job. Meanwhile, great
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Speaker 1: is the difference between the counselors. The one is a servant,
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Speaker 1: the other is a partner of the man's life. She
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Speaker 1: is and helpmate, But the other is under subjection. Dost
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Speaker 1: thous see how unpardonable this is? Eve. Indeed, the servant
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Speaker 1: in subjection deceived, but him, not even his partner and
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Speaker 1: helpmate could overthrow. But let us see what he saith.
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Speaker 1: What is this that God hath said, thou shalt not
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Speaker 1: eat of every tree? Assuredly, indeed, God did not say this,
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Speaker 1: but the opposite. See the villainy of the devil. He
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Speaker 1: said that which was not spoken, in order that he
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Speaker 1: might learn what was spoken. Once then did the woman
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Speaker 1: she ought to have silenced him. She ought not to
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Speaker 1: have exchanged a word with him. In foolishness, she declared
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Speaker 1: the judgment of the Master. Thereby she afforded the devil
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Speaker 1: a powerful hand. See what an evil it is to
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Speaker 1: commit ourselves rashly to our enemies and to conspirators against us.
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Speaker 1: On this account, Christ used to say, give not holy
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Speaker 1: things to the dogs, Neither cast ye your pearls before
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Speaker 1: the swine, lest they turn and rend you. And this
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Speaker 1: happened in the case of Eve. She gave the holy
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Speaker 1: things to the dog. To the swine, he trod underfoot
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Speaker 1: the words, and turned and rent the woman. And see
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Speaker 1: how he works evil. Ye shall not die the death? Saith,
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Speaker 1: he give me your attention on this point that the
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Speaker 1: woman was able to understand the deceit, for he immediately
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Speaker 1: announced his enmity and his warfare against God. He immediately
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Speaker 1: contradicted him. Let it be so before this thou declarest
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Speaker 1: the judgment to one who wished to learn it. After this,
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Speaker 1: why didst thou follow one who said the opposite? God said,
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Speaker 1: ye shall die the death? The devil made answer to
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Speaker 1: this and said, ye shall not die the death. What
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Speaker 1: could be clearer than this warfare from one other quarter
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Speaker 1: ought one to learn the enemy and the foe. Then
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Speaker 1: from his answer returned to God. She ought then immediately
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Speaker 1: to have fled from the bait. She ought to have
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Speaker 1: started back from the snare. Ye shall not die the
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Speaker 1: death saith he. For God knoweth that on the day
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Speaker 1: on which ye eat, your eyes shall be opened, and
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Speaker 1: ye shall be as gods. In hope of a greater promise,
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Speaker 1: she cast away the goods of her hand. He promised
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Speaker 1: that he would make them gods and cast them down
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Speaker 1: to the tyranny of death. Whence, then, a woman, didst
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Speaker 1: thou believe the devil? What good didst thou discern? Was
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Speaker 1: not the trustworthiness of the law giver sufficient to prove
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Speaker 1: that the one was God, both creator and framer of
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Speaker 1: the world, and the other the devil and an enemy.
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Speaker 1: And I do not say the devil thou, thoughtest that
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Speaker 1: he was a mere serpent, ought a serpent to claim
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Speaker 1: such equality. That thou shouldst tell him the master's judgment
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Speaker 1: and seest that it was possible to perceive the deceit.
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Speaker 1: But she would not. And yet God gave many proofs
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Speaker 1: of his own beneficence, and showed forth his care of
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Speaker 1: his works, for he formed man who had not existed before,
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Speaker 1: and breathed the soul into him, and made him according
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Speaker 1: to his image, making him ruler of all things upon
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Speaker 1: the earth, and granted him a helpmate, planted paradise, and
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Speaker 1: having committed to him the use of the rest of
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Speaker 1: the trees, refused him the taste of one only, And
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Speaker 1: this very prohibition he made for man's advantage. But the
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Speaker 1: devil manifested no good thing by his deed, whether small
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Speaker 1: or great, but exciting the woman with mere words and
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Speaker 1: puffing her up with vain hopes. Thus he deceived her.
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Speaker 1: But nevertheless she considered the devil to be more worthy
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Speaker 1: of credit than God. Although God showed forth his goodwill
22:21
Speaker 1: by his works, the woman believed in one who professed
22:25
Speaker 1: mere words and nothing else. Dost thou see how from
22:29
Speaker 1: folly alone and sloth, and not from force the deceit happened,
22:33
Speaker 1: And in order that thou mayst learn it more clearly,
22:37
Speaker 1: hear how the scripture accuses the woman, for it does
22:40
Speaker 1: not say being deceived, but seeing the tree that it
22:44
Speaker 1: was fair, she ate, so that the blame belongs to
22:47
Speaker 1: her uncontrollable vision, not to the deceit. Alone, which comes
22:51
Speaker 1: from the devil. For she was defeated by yielding to
22:54
Speaker 1: her own desire, not by the wickedness of the damon.
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Speaker 1: On this account she did not have the benefit of pardon.
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Speaker 1: But though she said the sapront deceived me, she paid
23:05
Speaker 1: the utmost penalty, for it was in her power not
23:08
Speaker 1: to have fallen. And in order that thou mayst understand
23:11
Speaker 1: this more clearly, come, let us conduct our discourse to
23:14
Speaker 1: the case of Job, from the defeated to the vanquisher,
23:19
Speaker 1: from the conquered to the conqueror. For this man will
23:22
Speaker 1: give us greater zeal, so that we may raise our
23:24
Speaker 1: hands against the devil. There he who deceived and conquered
23:29
Speaker 1: was a serpent. Here the tempter was a woman, and
23:32
Speaker 1: she did not prevail. And yet at least she was
23:35
Speaker 1: far more persuasive than he. For to Job, after the
23:39
Speaker 1: destruction of his wealth, after the loss of his children,
23:42
Speaker 1: after being stripped bare of all his goods, her wiles
23:46
Speaker 1: were added. But in the other case there was nothing
23:49
Speaker 1: of this kind. Adam did not stuffer the destruction of
23:52
Speaker 1: his children, nor did he lose his wealth. He did
23:55
Speaker 1: not sit upon a dunghill, but inhabited a paradise of luxury,
23:59
Speaker 1: and enjoyed all manner of fruits and fountains and rivers,
24:03
Speaker 1: and every other kind of security. Nowhere was their labor,
24:07
Speaker 1: or pain, or despair, and cares, or reproaches and insults,
24:11
Speaker 1: or the countless ills which assailed Job. But nevertheless, when
24:15
Speaker 1: nothing of this kind existed, he fell and was overthrown.
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Speaker 1: Is it not evidence that it was on account of sloth?
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Speaker 1: Even so, therefore, as the other, when all things beset
24:26
Speaker 1: him and weighed upon him, stood nobly and did not fall,
24:31
Speaker 1: is it not evident that his steadfastness was owing to
24:34
Speaker 1: his vigilance of soul. On both sides, beloved, reap the
24:38
Speaker 1: utmost gain, and avoid the imitation of adam, knowing how
24:42
Speaker 1: many ills are begotten of indolence, and imitate the piety
24:45
Speaker 1: of Job, learning how many glorious things spring from earnestness.
24:50
Speaker 1: Consider him the conqueror throughout, and thou shalt have much
24:54
Speaker 1: consolation in all pain and peril, For as it were
24:59
Speaker 1: in the life common theater of the world, that blessed
25:02
Speaker 1: and noble man stands forth, and by means of the
25:05
Speaker 1: suffering which happened to him, discourses to all to bear
25:10
Speaker 1: all things which befall them nobly, and never give in
25:13
Speaker 1: to the troubles which come upon them. For verily there
25:16
Speaker 1: is no human suffering which cannot receive consolation from dense
25:21
Speaker 1: For the sufferings which are scattered over the whole world,
25:24
Speaker 1: these came together and bore down upon one body, even his.
25:29
Speaker 1: What pardon, then shall there be for him who is
25:32
Speaker 1: unable to bear with thankfulness his spare of the troubles
25:35
Speaker 1: which are brought upon him, since he appears not bearing
25:39
Speaker 1: a part only, but the entire ills of all men.
25:43
Speaker 1: And in order that thou mayst not condemn the extravagance
25:45
Speaker 1: of my words, come and let us take in hand
25:49
Speaker 1: severally the ills that came upon him, and bring forward
25:53
Speaker 1: this fulfillment of them. And if thou wishest, let us
25:57
Speaker 1: first bring forward that which seems to be the most
26:01
Speaker 1: unendurable of all. I mean poverty and the pain which
26:05
Speaker 1: arises from it. For everywhere all men bewail this. What
26:10
Speaker 1: was poorer then than job, who was poorer than the
26:13
Speaker 1: outcasts at the bath, and those who sleep in the
26:17
Speaker 1: ashes of the furnace, poorer in fact than all men,
26:20
Speaker 1: For these indeed have one ragged garment but he sat
26:24
Speaker 1: naked and had only the garment which nature supplies, the
26:28
Speaker 1: clothing of the flesh, And this the devil destroyed in
26:31
Speaker 1: all sides with a distressing kind of decay. Again, these
26:34
Speaker 1: poor folk are at least under the roof of the
26:37
Speaker 1: porches at the baths, and are covered with a shelter.
26:41
Speaker 1: But he continued always to pass his nights in the
26:43
Speaker 1: open air, not having even the consolation of a bare roof.
26:47
Speaker 1: And what is still greater the fact that these are
26:50
Speaker 1: conscious of their terrible evils within themselves. But he was
26:54
Speaker 1: conscious of nothing against himself. For this is to be
26:58
Speaker 1: noticed in each of the things which happen to him,
27:01
Speaker 1: a thing which caused him greater pain and produced more
27:03
Speaker 1: perplexity the ignorance of the reason of what took place.
27:07
Speaker 1: These persons, then, as I said, would have many things
27:13
Speaker 1: with which to reproach themselves. And this contributes no little
27:16
Speaker 1: to the consolation in calamity to be conscious of one's
27:21
Speaker 1: self of being punished justly. But he was deprived of
27:25
Speaker 1: this consolation, and while exhibiting a conversation full of virtue,
27:29
Speaker 1: endured the fate of those who had dared to do
27:32
Speaker 1: extreme wickedness and these folk who are with us are
27:36
Speaker 1: poor from the outset, and from the beginning are versed
27:39
Speaker 1: in calamity. But he endured calamity in which he was unversed,
27:44
Speaker 1: experiencing the immense change from wealth. As then, the knowledge
27:49
Speaker 1: of the cause of which takes place is the greatest consolation.
27:54
Speaker 1: So it is not less than this to have been
27:58
Speaker 1: versed in poverty from the beginning, and so to continue
28:01
Speaker 1: in it. Of both these consolations, that man was deprived,
28:06
Speaker 1: and not even then did he fall away? Dost thou
28:11
Speaker 1: see him indeed come to extreme poverty, even in comparison
28:15
Speaker 1: with which it is impossible to find a fellow. For
28:19
Speaker 1: what could be poorer man the naked who has not
28:23
Speaker 1: even a roof over him? Yea, rather, not even was
28:27
Speaker 1: it in his power to enjoy the bare ground, but
28:29
Speaker 1: he sat upon the dunghill. Therefore, whenever thou seest thyself
28:34
Speaker 1: come to poverty, consider the suffering of the just one,
28:37
Speaker 1: and straightway thou shalt rise up and shake off every
28:41
Speaker 1: thought of despondency. This one calamity, therefore seems to men
28:45
Speaker 1: to be the groundwork of all sufferings together. And the
28:48
Speaker 1: second after it, yea, rather before it is the affliction
28:52
Speaker 1: of the body, who then was ever so disabled, who
28:56
Speaker 1: endured such disease, Who received or saw any one else
29:01
Speaker 1: receive so great an affliction? No one. Little by little
29:05
Speaker 1: his body was wasted, and a stream of worms on
29:08
Speaker 1: every side issued from his limbs. The running was constant,
29:12
Speaker 1: and the evil smell which surrounded him was strong, And
29:15
Speaker 1: the body, being destroyed little by little and decaying with
29:19
Speaker 1: such putrification, used to make food distasteful, and hunger was
29:24
Speaker 1: to him strange and unusual. For not even was he
29:28
Speaker 1: able to enjoy the nourishment which was given to him.
29:32
Speaker 1: For saith, he I see my food to be lonesome.
29:36
Speaker 1: Whenever then thou fall'st into weakness. O man, remember that
29:40
Speaker 1: body and that saintly flesh, for it was saintly impure,
29:45
Speaker 1: even when it had so many wounds. And if anyone
29:48
Speaker 1: belonged to the army, and then, unjustly and without reasonable pretext,
29:53
Speaker 1: be hanged upon the pillory and has his sides rasped
29:57
Speaker 1: to pieces, let him not think the matter to be
30:00
Speaker 1: a reproach, nor let him give way to the pain
30:03
Speaker 1: when he thinks upon this saint But this man says,
30:07
Speaker 1: one has much comfort and consolation, and knowing that God
30:10
Speaker 1: was bringing these sufferings upon him. This indeed especially troubled
30:15
Speaker 1: and disturbed him to think that the just God, who
30:18
Speaker 1: had in every way been served by him, was at
30:22
Speaker 1: war with him, and he was not able to find
30:24
Speaker 1: any reasonable pretext for what took place. Since when at
30:28
Speaker 1: last he afterwards learned the cause, see what piety he showed.
30:33
Speaker 1: For when God said to him, dost thou think that
30:37
Speaker 1: I have had dealings with THEE in order that thou
30:39
Speaker 1: mayst appear righteous conscience stricken, he says, I will lay
30:44
Speaker 1: my hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken, But
30:48
Speaker 1: to a second word I will not proceed. And again,
30:52
Speaker 1: as far as the hearing of the ear, I have
30:55
Speaker 1: heard THEE before, But now mine eye hath seen THEE.
31:00
Speaker 1: Wherefore I have held myself to be vile and am
31:03
Speaker 1: wasted away, and I consider myself to be earth and ashes.
31:10
Speaker 1: But if thou thinkest that this is sufficient for consolation,
31:14
Speaker 1: thou wilst thyself also be able to experience this comfort.
31:18
Speaker 1: And even if thou dost not suffer any of these
31:21
Speaker 1: misfortunes at the hand of God, but owing to the
31:25
Speaker 1: insolence of man, and yet give us thanks and does
31:28
Speaker 1: not blaspheme him who is able to prevent them, indeed,
31:32
Speaker 1: but who permits them for the sake of testing THEE.
31:35
Speaker 1: Just as they who suffer at the hands of God
31:37
Speaker 1: are crowned, so also thou shalt obtain the same reward.
31:42
Speaker 1: Because thou hast borne nobly the calamities which are brought
31:46
Speaker 1: upon THEE from men, and didst give thanks to him
31:50
Speaker 1: who was able indeed to hinder them, but not willing behold.
31:54
Speaker 1: Then thou hast seen poverty and disease, and both in
31:58
Speaker 1: the extremest degree brought upon this just man. Dost thou
32:02
Speaker 1: wish that I should show THEE the warfare at Nature's
32:05
Speaker 1: hands in such successive degree waged. Then upon this noble
32:10
Speaker 1: man he lost ten children, the ten at one fell swoop,
32:15
Speaker 1: the ten in the very bloom of youth, ten who
32:18
Speaker 1: displayed much virtue, and that not by the common law
32:22
Speaker 1: of nature, but by a violent and pitable death. Who
32:26
Speaker 1: could be able to recount so great a calamity, no one. Whenever. Therefore,
32:31
Speaker 1: thou losest son and daughter together have recourse to this
32:35
Speaker 1: just man, and thou shalt find altogether much comfort for thyself.
32:40
Speaker 1: Were these then the only misfortunes which happened to him.
32:43
Speaker 1: The desertion and treachery of his friends, the gibbs in raillery,
32:47
Speaker 1: and the mockery and derision, and the tearing in pieces
32:51
Speaker 1: of all was something intolerable. For the character of calamities
32:56
Speaker 1: was not of such a kind that they who reproach
33:00
Speaker 1: us about our calamities our wont to vex our souls.
33:03
Speaker 1: Not only was there no one to soothe him, but many,
33:06
Speaker 1: even on many sides, to beset him with taunts. And
33:10
Speaker 1: thou seest him, lamenting this bitterly and saying, but even
33:14
Speaker 1: you too fell upon me. And he calls them pitiless,
33:18
Speaker 1: and says, my neighbors have rejected me, and my servants
33:21
Speaker 1: spake against me, And I called the sons of my concubines,
33:25
Speaker 1: and they turned away from me, and others saith he
33:29
Speaker 1: sport upon me and became the common talk of all,
33:33
Speaker 1: And my very raiment, saith he abhorred me. These things,
33:37
Speaker 1: at least are unbearable to hear, still more to endure
33:41
Speaker 1: in their reality, extreme poverty and intolerable disease, new and strange,
33:47
Speaker 1: the loss of children, so many and so good, and
33:50
Speaker 1: in such a manner, reproaches and jibes and insults from men,
33:55
Speaker 1: some indeed mocked, and some reproached, and others despised. Not
33:59
Speaker 1: only enemies but even friends, not only friends, but even servants,
34:04
Speaker 1: And they not only mock and reproach, but even abhorred him.
34:08
Speaker 1: And this not for two or three or ten days,
34:11
Speaker 1: but for many months, and a circumstance which happened in
34:15
Speaker 1: that man's case alone. Not even had he comfort by night,
34:20
Speaker 1: but the delusions of terrors by night were a greater
34:24
Speaker 1: aggravation of his misfortunes by day, For that he endured
34:29
Speaker 1: more grievous things in his sleep. Hear what he says.
34:34
Speaker 1: Why dost thou frighten me in sleep and terrify me
34:37
Speaker 1: in visions? What man of iron, what heart of steel,
34:41
Speaker 1: could have endured so many misfortunes? For if each of
34:45
Speaker 1: these was unbearable in itself, consider what a tumult their
34:49
Speaker 1: simultaneous approach excited. But nevertheless he bore all these, And
34:53
Speaker 1: in all that happened to him, he sinned not, nor
34:57
Speaker 1: was their guile in his lips. Let the suffering of
35:01
Speaker 1: that man then be the medicines for our ills, and
35:05
Speaker 1: his grievous surging see the harbor of our sufferings. And
35:09
Speaker 1: in each of the accidents which befall us, let us
35:12
Speaker 1: consider this saint, and, seeing one person exhausting the misfortunes
35:16
Speaker 1: of the universe, we shall conduct ourselves bravely in those
35:20
Speaker 1: which fall to our share. And as to some affectionate
35:24
Speaker 1: mother stretching forth her hands on all sides, and receiving
35:28
Speaker 1: and reviving her terrified children, so let us always flee
35:32
Speaker 1: to this brook. And even if the pitable troubles of
35:35
Speaker 1: all men assail us, let us take sufficient comfort for all,
35:40
Speaker 1: and so depart. And if thou sayest he was job
35:43
Speaker 1: and for this reason bore all this, but I am
35:46
Speaker 1: not like him, Thou suppliest me with a greater accusation
35:51
Speaker 1: against thyself and a fresh praise of him. For it
35:54
Speaker 1: is more likely that thou shouldst be able to bear
35:57
Speaker 1: all this than he my pray, because he indeed was
36:02
Speaker 1: before the day of grace and of the law, when
36:05
Speaker 1: there was not much strictness of life, when the grace
36:09
Speaker 1: of the spirit was not so great, when sin was
36:12
Speaker 1: hard to fight against, when the curse prevailed, and when
36:15
Speaker 1: death was terrible. But now our restings had become easier,
36:20
Speaker 1: all these things being removed after the coming of Christ,
36:23
Speaker 1: so that we have no excuse when we are unable
36:25
Speaker 1: to reach the same standard as he, after so long
36:29
Speaker 1: a time, and such advantage, and so many gifts given
36:32
Speaker 1: to us by God. Considering therefore all these things, that
36:37
Speaker 1: misfortunes were greater for him, and that when the conflict
36:40
Speaker 1: was more grievous, then he stripped for the contest. Let
36:44
Speaker 1: us bear all that comes upon us nobly and with
36:47
Speaker 1: much thankfulness, in order that we may be able to
36:50
Speaker 1: obtain the same crown as he, by the grace and
36:52
Speaker 1: loving kindness of Jesus Christ, our Lord, with whom be
36:56
Speaker 1: glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit one always,
37:00
Speaker 1: forever and ever Amen. End of Homily three. End of
37:06
Speaker 1: three Homilies on the Devil by Saint John crusostem