7. But God, willing to show even by this that sin had not quenched His tenderness, nor disobedience taken away His favor toward him, and that He still exercised His Providence and care for the fallen one, said, "Adam, where art thou?" [1356] not being ignorant of the place where he was, but because the mouth of those who have sinned is closed up; sin turning the tongue backward, and conscience taking hold of it; so that such persons remain speechless, held fast in silence as by a kind of chain. And God wishing therefore to invite him to freedom of utterance, and to give him confidence, and to lead him to make an apology for his offences, in order that he might obtain some forgiveness, was Himself the first to call; cutting off much of Adam's distress by the familiar appellation, and dispelling his fear, and opening by this address the mouth that was shut. Hence also it was that he said, "Adam, where art thou?" "I left thee," saith he, "in one situation, and I find thee in another. I left thee in confidence and glory; and I now find thee in disgrace and silence!" And observe the care of God in this instance. He called not Eve;--He called not the serpent,--but him who had sinned in the lightest degree of all, he brings first to the tribunal, in order that beginning from him who was able to find some degree of excuse, He might pass a more merciful sentence, even against her who had sinned the most. And judges, indeed, do not deign to make inquiry in their own person of their fellow-servants, and those who are partakers of a common nature with them, but putting forward some one of their attendants to intervene, they instruct him to convey their own questions to the criminal; and through him they say and hear whatever they wish, when they examine the offenders. [1357] But God had no need of a go-between in dealing with man; but Himself in His own person at once judges and consoles him. And not only this is wonderful, but also that he corrects the crimes that had been committed. For judges in general, when they find thieves and grave-robbers, [1358] do not consider how they may make them better, but how they may make them pay the penalty of the offences committed. But God, quite on the contrary, when He finds a sinner, considers not how He may make him pay the penalty, but how He may amend him, and make him better, and invincible [1359] for the future. So that God is at the same time a Judge, a Physician, and a Teacher; for as a Judge He examines, and as a Physician He amends, and as a Teacher He instructs those who have sinned, directing them unto all spiritual wisdom.
8. But if one short and simple speech thus demonstrates the care of God, what if we should read through this whole judgment, and unfold its entire records? Seest thou how all Scripture is consolation and comfort? But of these records we will speak at a befitting season; before that, however, it is necessary to state at what time this Book was given; for these things were not written in the beginning, nor at once when Adam was made, [1360] but many generations afterwards; and it were worth while to enquire for what reason this delay took place, and why at length they were given to the Jews only, and not to all men; and why written in the Hebrew tongue; and why in the wilderness of Sinai? For the Apostle doth not mention the place merely in a cursory manner; but shews that in that circumstance too there was a great subject of contemplation for us, when he saith to us: "For these are two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage."
9. Other things too besides these it were to our purpose to enquire into. But I see that the time doth not permit us to launch our discourse upon so wide a sea; wherefore prudently reserving these to a fit season, we would again address you on the subject of abstinence from oaths; and we would entreat your Charity to use much diligence respecting this matter. For what is it but an absurdity, that not even a servant dares to call his master by name, nor to mention him unceremoniously, and casually, but that he should everywhere bandy about the name of the Lord of Angels familiarly with much irreverence! And if it be necessary to take the book of the Gospel, thou receivest it with hands that have been first washed; and fearfully and tremblingly, with much reverence and devotion; and dost thou unceremoniously bandy about upon thy tongue the Lord of the Gospel? Dost thou desire to learn how the Powers above pronounce that Name; with what awe, with what terror, with what wonder? "I saw the Lord," saith the prophet, "sitting upon a throne, high, and lifted up; around Him stood the Seraphim; and one cried unto another, and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth; the whole earth is full of His glory!" [1362] Perceivest thou, with what dread, with what awe, they pronounce that Name, whilst glorifying and praising Him? But thou, in thy prayers and supplications, callest upon Him with much listlessness; when it would become thee to be full of awe, and to be watchful and sober! But in oaths, where it is wholly unsuitable that this wonderful Name should be introduced, there thou makest a long string of divers forms of imprecation! What pardon then, or what excuse shall we have, howsoever we may plead this "custom"? It is said, that a certain heathen orator, by a kind of foolish habit, was continually moving his right shoulder as he went along. [1363] He conquered this habit, however, by fastening sharp knives on each side over his shoulders, so that the fear of being cut controlled the member in its unseasonable movement by fear of the wound! Do thou too, then, act thus with regard to thy tongue, and instead of the knife, suspend over it the fear of God's chastisement, and thou wilt assuredly get the better! For it seems impossible, utterly impossible, that those should ever be overcome, who are solicitous and earnest about this, and really make it their business.
10. Ye applaud what is now said, but when ye have amended, ye will applaud in a greater degree not only us, but also yourselves; and ye will hear with more pleasure what is spoken; and ye will call upon God with a pure conscience, who is so sparing of thee, O man! that He saith, "Neither shalt thou swear by [1364] thy head." [1365] But thou so despisest Him as to swear even by His glory. "But what shall I do," saith one, "with those who impose necessity on me?" What kind of necessity can there be, O man? Let all men understand that thou wilt choose to suffer anything rather than transgress the law of God; and they will abstain from compelling thee. For as a proof that it is not an oath which rendereth a man worthy of credit, but the testimony of his life, the uprightness of his conversation, and his good reputation, many have often split their throats with swearing, and yet have been able to convince no one; whereas others by a mere expression of assent, have been esteemed more deserving of belief than they who swore never so much. Knowing, therefore, all these things, and placing before our eyes the punishment that is in store for those who swear, as well as for those who swear falsely, let us abstain from this evil custom, that advancing from hence to the correction of what remains, we may enjoy the blessedness of the life to come, which God grant that we may all be found worthy to obtain, by the grace and love toward man of our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom and with Whom to the Father with the Holy Ghost be glory, and power, and honour, now and ever, and world without end. Amen.
[1332] St. Greg. Nyss. de Beat. iii. t. i. 781.
[1333] Or. in funere Pulcheriæ, t. iii. 460.
[1334] diapheuxometha
[1335] Hos. xiii. 14, which, however, is less clear in LXX.
[1336] Ps. cvii. 16; Isa. xlv. 2.
[1337] Or, "defied death," katetolmesan tes teleutes.
[1338] See Isa. xl. 2, Heb. and LXX.
[1339] autothen.
[1340] Or, unfurnished, E.V., without form, and void. This rendering came in with the Genevan Bible. All the previous translations had void, and empty. Perhaps by the term void, was meant just the same as the Septuagint ?kataskeuastos. The word Bohu, which occurs Deut. xxxii. 10, and Ps. cvii. 40, is in both cases rendered a waste, or wilderness. See Dr. Buckland's Bridgewater Treatise, c. 2, and notes.
[1341] Gen. i. 12, LXX.
[1342] ?neken, "sent up," i.e., "caused to grow."
[1343] euphrosunen. Comp. Acts xiv. 17. Filling our hearts with food and gladness.
[1344] Gen. i. 26.
[1345] This of course does not exclude, but rather implies, an intrinsic resemblance. See St. Cyr. Cat. xii. (3), and xiv. (5); St. Aug. De C. D. xi. 26, xii. 23; Conf. xiii. 12; St. Greg. Nyss. on the text, t. ii. p. 22 sqq.
[1346] So "nature" was usually understood. Arist. Eth. ii. 1. "Nothing that is by nature is made otherwise by habit; e.g., a stone tends downwards by nature, and cannot be habituated to tend upwards."
[1347] Or, kind.
[1348] Gal. iii. 24.
[1349] 1 Tim. i. 9. St. Greg. Nyss. on the Beatitudes, Or. 3, t. i. p. 781, explains Blessed are they that mourn; first, of those whom the fear of hell causes to mourn for their sins; secondly, of those who mourn for their present exclusion from the good things they hope for hereafter. See on Rom. xiv. 13, Hom. XXV.
[1350] Heb. xii. 9.
[1351] monon pros monon. There being no third party present.
[1352] Thus Thetis, Il. i. 361, and throughout Homer ek t onomaze expresses affection; the scholiast, however, explains the word of merely speaking at length, which seems almost absurd.
[1353] 1 Kings xx. 27.
[1354] From this peculiar illustration it would seem, that St. Chrysostom supposed the term Christ to have been one of the familiar names by which our Saviour was known. But the term Jesus of Nazareth seems to have been His more general and distinctive appellation; though it by no means follows that He was not as familiarly known by the title of Christ among His followers, and addressed as such, especially after Peter's confession. (See John iv. 22; Matt. xxvii. 17, contrasted with verse 63.)
[1355] John vii. 11.
[1356] Gen. iii. 9, LXX.
[1357] What it was to be brought to the bar in those days may be seen in Hom. XIII.
[1358] A common crime then, probably from the richness of burials. See on Rom. vi. 18, Hom. XI.
[1359] ?cheiroton, i.e., to the adversary. See Hom. I, and euch?iroton, Hom. VIII. (2).
[1360] genom?nou. This seems the usual meaning, as Plut. Mor. p. 109 (cit. Steph.) ?ll oiei su diaphoran einai e me g?nesthas e g?nomenon ?pog?nesthai; but Luc. ix. 36, g?nesthai seems to mean the completion of an event. He is speaking, however, of the whole Bible, or at least the Pentateuch, not merely of the history of the Fall, as appears from the sequel. Hom. VIII. 2, and the general argument of those which follow.
[1361] Gal. iv. 24.
[1362] Is. vi. 3.
[1363] Demosthenes. Libanius says that it was in speaking he did this, and that he cured himself by hanging a sword before his shoulder in his private practice. Life of Dem. in Orat. Att. t. iv. and so Plutarch. St. Chrys. mentions him also on St. Matt. Hom. XVII. Ben. p. 232a., badizon may possibly be applied to the course of a speech.
[1364] kata, "against," and so on St. Matt. Hom. XVII., Ben. p. 228e., but Griesbach gives no reading except en.
[1365] Matt. v. 36.