For, as to miracles, they oftentimes, while they profited another, have injured him who had the power, by lifting him up to pride and vainglory, or haply in some other way: but in our works there is no place for any such suspicion, but they profit both such as follow them, and many others.
These then let us perform with much diligence. For if thou change from inhumanity to almsgiving, thou hast stretched forth the hand that was withered. If thou withdraw from theatres and go to the church, thou hast cured the lame foot. If thou draw back thine eyes from an harlot, and from beauty not thine own, thou hast opened them when they were blind. If instead of satanical songs, thou hast learnt spiritual psalms, being dumb, thou hast spoken.
These are the greatest miracles, these the wonderful signs. If we go on working these signs, we shall both ourselves be a great and admirable sort of persons through these, and shall win over all the wicked unto virtue, and shall enjoy the life to come; unto which may we all attain, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might forever and ever. Amen.
[1334] [R.V. (and Chrysostom), "Have mercy on us, thou Son of David."]
[1335] [R.V., "be it done."]
[1336] parlkei.
[1337] Perhaps Isa. xxxvii. 35.
[1338] hepipdn.
[1339] Matt. ix. 2. ["Thy sins are forgiven." Comp. Homily XXIX. 1.--R.]
[1340] Matt. ix. 30, 31.
[1341] Mark v. 19; Luke viii. 39.
[1342] Matt. ix. 32. ["Demon" is more correct, here and throughout the passage.--R.]
[1343] Matt. ix. 33.
[1344] Matt. ix. 34. [R.V., "By (or, in) the prince of the devils (Greek, demons) he casteth out devils."]
[1345] Matt. ix. 35. [R.V., "all manner of disease and all manner of sickness." In the Homily, as in the best New Testament mss. eu t la is not found.--R.]
[1346] eskulmnoi, vexati, the reading of the Vulgate, and of most mss. and Fathers: adopted by Griesbach into the text. [The R.V. renders this "distressed."]
[1347] Matt. ix. 36-38. ["will" is unnecessary.--R.]
[1348] John iv. 38.
[1349] Matt. xii. 23, 24. [See on verse 34, in sec. 2.]
[1350] [Omit "would."]
[1351] Matt. iii. 12.
[1352] [R.V., "authority over."]
[1353] Matt. x. 1. ["Sickness" and "disease" should be transposed. Comp. on chap. ix. 35, and R.V.--R.]
[1354] John vii. 39. [Chrysostom accepts the reading sustained by our best authorities; but the literal rendering given above does not represent his view. In Homily LI., in John, he distinctly says: "For the Holy Ghost was not yet, that is, was not yet given.'"--R.]
[1355] Matt. x. 2.
[1356] Matt. x. 3.
[1357] [R.V., "Thaddæus." The longer reading arose quite early. Tischendorf accepts "Lebbæus," though it is not strongly supported, mainly because Mark has "Thaddæus."--R.]
[1358] Luke vi. 16.
[1359] Matt. x. 4.
[1360] koruphao.
[1361] Acts iv. 13.
[1362] Matt. x. 5.
[1363] [R.V., "any way."]
[1364] Matt. x. 5, 6.
[1365] Acts xi. 3.
[1366] Matt. x. 7.
[1367] See Exod. iv. 10-14; Jerem. i. 6.
[1368] [axiopstou, worthy of the confidence of those to whom they preached.--R.]
[1369] Matt. x. 8. "Raise the dead," is added in our copies. [There is some authority for omitting this clause in the New Testament, but recent critical editors retain it.--R.]
[1370] katrthoma; nearly answering, perhaps, both here and in other places, to meritum.
[1371] 1 Tim vi. 10.
[1372] Matt. x. 9, 10. [R.V., "Get you no gold nor silver, nor brass in your purses (Greek, girdles); no wallet for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff."]
[1373] Luke xxii. 35. [The passage is paraphrased by Chrysostom.--R.]
[1374] Matt. x. 19. [R.V., "Be not anxious," etc.]
[1375] Matt. vi. 26.
[1376] epidexasthai.
[1377] Matt. x. 10. [R.V., "For the laborer is worthy of his food."]
[1378] See Luke x. 7.
[1379] Matt. x. 11. [R.V., "Search out who," etc.]
[1380] ekola.
[1381] Luke x. 7.
[1382] Matt. x. 12, 13.
[1383] Matt. x. 14, 15.
[1384] philosophan .
[1385] 2 Cor. xi. 12.
[1386] Isa. lii. 7; Rom. x. 15.
[1387] John xiv. 27.
[1388] See Bingham 13, 10, 8, quoting St. Chrys. Hom. in eos qui primum Pascha jejunant, P. vi. 383. Sav. "There is nothing like peace and harmony. Therefore our Father (the Bishop) mounts not up to this throne, until he have invoked peace upon you all: nor when he stands up, doth he begin his instruction to you, until he have given peace to all; and the priests, when about to consecrate, first make this prayer for you, and so begin the blessing: and the deacon also, when he bids you pray, joins this with the rest as matter of your prayer, that you should ask for the angel of peace, and that all the things set before you should be for your peace: also in dismissing you from this assembly, this is what he implores for you, saying, Depart in peace.' And in a word, we may not say or do any thing without this peace." See also Bingham, 14, 4, 6; 4, 14; 15, 3, 1, 2; and the authors quoted by him, especially St. Chrysostom in various places: from which it is evident that "the table" here means the holy table, and that his argument is, "We should receive our brethren's salutations as home and elsewhere with a brotherly mind, that we may be fit to impart to him the kiss of peace in the holy mysteries: the one is a type of, and a preparation for, the other: as was the salutation here enjoined to the apostles. Especially ought we to be ready and attentive at the many salutations which the ministers offer to us in the earlier part of the service, that we may lose none of the benefit of that mysterious salutation which we know will come in the end and most awful part of it."
[1389] [t gnm.]
[1390] t Trapze.
[1391] i.e., to refuse the kiss of peace, which was always a part of the altar service.
[1392] metoro.
[1393] i.e., than the common tables in your own houses.
[1394] See James v. 14, 15. Tertull. ad Scapul. c. 4. "Severus sought out one Proculus, a Christian, who had cured him at a certain time with oil, and kept him in his court until he died." St. Jerome, vit. St. Hilarion, c. 32. "Very many, wounded by serpents, having had recourse to Hilarion, indeed all the husbandmen and shepherds, upon touching their wounds with consecrated oil, recovered lasting health." Other cases occur in church history, and illustrate the importance which the early writers attribute to the sacred oil in the church ritual, and the account of the miracle of St. Narcissus in Euseb. E. H. vi. 9. This statement of St. Chrysostom should be borne in mind, as qualifying what he so often seems to affirm or imply, that miraculous gifts had been withdrawn.
[1395] Acts ii. 41.
[1396] Acts iv. 4.
[1397] Acts iv. 32.
[1398] See St. Chrys. on Coloss. Hom. III. (as quoted by Mr. Field). "When the bishop enters the church, immediately he says, Peace be to all;' when he exhorts, Peace to all;' when he consecrates, Peace to all,' when he enjoins the salutation, Peace to all;' when the sacrifice is ended, Peace to all;' and at intervals again, Grace to you and Peace.'"
[1399] 2 Cor. vii. 2.
[1400] 2 Cor. xii. 15. [R.V., "Am I loved the less?" The reading accepted by Chrysostom agrees better with this interpretation.]
[1401] 1 Cor. xii. 31.
[1402] Luke x. 20.
[1403] Matt. vii. 22, 23.
[1404] John xiii. 35.
[1405] John xvii. 23, 22.