See, for example, how He Himself, the insulted one, discourses with us, both in the Old Testament, and in the New; in the one saying, "O my people, what have I done unto thee?" [1244] in the other, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me." [1245] And Paul too bids, "In meekness instruct those that oppose themselves." [1246] And Christ again, when His disciples had come to Him, requiring fire to come down from heaven, strongly rebuked them, saying, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." [1247]
And here again He said not, "O accursed, and sorcerers as ye are; O ye envious, and enemies of men's salvation;" but, "Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?"
We must, you see, use gentleness to eradicate the disease. Since he who is become better through the fear of man, will quickly return to wickedness again. For this cause He commanded also the tares to be left, giving an appointed day of repentance. Yea, and many of them in fact repented, and became good, who before were bad; as for instance, Paul, the Publican, the Thief; for these being really tares turned into kindly wheat. Because, although in the seeds this cannot be, yet in the human will it is both manageable and easy; for our will is bound by no limits of nature, but hath freedom of choice for its privilege.
Accordingly, when thou seest an enemy of the truth, wait on him, take care of him, lead him back into virtue, by showing forth an excellent life, by applying "speech that cannot be condemned," [1248] by bestowing attention and tender care, by trying every means of amendment, in imitation of the best physicians. For neither do they cure in one manner only, but when they see the wound not yield to the first remedy, they add another, and after that again another; and now they use the knife, and now bind up. And do thou accordingly, having become a physician of souls, put in practice every mode of cure according to Christ's laws; that thou mayest receive the reward both of saving thyself and of profiting others, doing all to the glory of God, and so being glorified also thyself. "For them that glorify me," saith He, "I will glorify; and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed." [1249]
Let us, I say, do all things unto His glory; that we may attain unto that blessed portion, unto which God grant we may all attain, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might forever and ever. Amen.
[1211] [R.V., accepting the same Greek text with Chrysostom, "thy sins are forgiven."--R.]
[1212] John v. 1.
[1213] [R.V., accepting the same Greek text with Chrysostom, "thy sins are forgiven."--R.]
[1214] John v. 6.
[1215] t t okonoma lg. ["Incarnation" expresses better the technical sense of the Greek term, as here used. Comp. Homily XIII. 2, p. 81, note.--R.]
[1216] Mark ii. 4; Luke v. 19.
[1217] Matt. viii. 3.
[1218] Matt. viii. 8.
[1219] [ethorubonto; a stronger word than the Gospel narratives suggest. The translator tones it down, as above.--R.]
[1220] Matt. viii. 3. Comp. Mark ii. 7 [from which the latter part of the citation is taken.--R.]
[1221] Matt. viii. 3.
[1222] Matt. viii. 10.
[1223] Matt. viii. 6. ["Upon the earth" is placed in this peculiar position by Chrysostom here. In the next reference to the passage the correct order is followed.--R.]
[1224] John x. 33.
[1225] John x. 37, 38.
[1226] Matt. ix. 3, 4.
[1227] montato.
[1228] 2 Chron. vi. 30.
[1229] Ps. vii. 9.
[1230] Jer. xvii. 9, LXX.
[1231] 1 Sam. xvi. 7.
[1232] t nepachths.
[1233] Matt. ix. 4.
[1234] [R.V., margin, "authority;" compare the next paragraph. On the order, see note 7, p. 196.--R.]
[1235] Matt. viii. 4.
[1236] Matt. ix. 5, 6.
[1237] dikismnon, literally, "distributed into different habitations;" as when the population of Mantinea was broken up by the Lacedæmonians, diksthe Mantinea: see Xen. Hellenic, v. 2, 7; comp. Dem. de Pace, i. 59, ed. Reiske; de Fals. Leg. i. 366.
[1238] lsai.
[1239] [to tuphon.]
[1240] [The reference here seems to be to God, but a reflexive sense is not improbable; "indicates that He Himself is," etc.--R.]
[1241] Matt. ix. 8. [R.V., "they were afraid," for "they marvelled" (A.V.). But Chrysostom's text agrees with that of the received, followed by the A.V.]
[1242] prosstato ato.
[1243] John ix. 16.
[1244] Micah vi. 3.
[1245] Acts ix. 4.
[1246] 2 Tim. ii. 25.
[1247] Luke ix. 55. [This clause is not found in the oldest Greek mss. of the New Testament. Comp. R.V. text and margin.--R.]
[1248] Tit. ii. 8.
[1249] 1 Sam. ii. 30. ["Shall be despised," according to the form given in the text. But in the LXX. the last verb is not the same as the preceding one.--R.]