8. After this again, they seem to begin afresh, but they are keeping to the same argument. As Paul also in the beginning of an epistle, having closed with a doxology, where he says, "According to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever. Amen;" [2154] begins the subject again on which he was writing. And again in another place when he had said, "They worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever: Amen;" [2155] he completed not his discourse, but begins again.
Therefore neither let us blame these our angels, as acting disorderly, for that having closed with a doxology they begin again the sacred hymns. For they follow apostolical laws, beginning from a doxology, and ending therein, and after that end making a commencement again.
Wherefore they say, "Glory be to Thee, O Lord; glory be to Thee, O Holy One; glory be to Thee, O King; that Thou hast given us food to make us glad."
Since not for the greater things only, but also for the lesser, we ought to give thanks. And they do give thanks for these also, putting to shame the heresy of the Manichæans, and of as many as affirm our present life to be evil. For lest for their high self-command, and contempt of the belly, thou shouldest suspect them as abhorring the meat, like the heretics aforesaid, who choke themselves [2156] to death; they by their prayer teach thee, that not from abhorrence of God's creatures they abstain from most of them, but as exercising self-restraint.
And see how after thanksgiving for His past gifts, they are importunate also for the greater things, and dwell not upon the mat ters of this life, but mount above the heavens, and say, "Fill us with the Holy Ghost." For it is not even possible to approve one's self as one ought, not being filled with that grace; as there is no doing anything noble or great, without the benefit of Christ's influences.
As therefore when they had said, "That we may abound unto every good work," they added, "In Christ Jesus;" so here also they say, "Fill us with the Holy Ghost, that we may be found to have been well-pleasing before Thee." [2157]
Seest thou how for the things of this life they pray not, but give thanks only; but for the things of the Spirit, they both give thanks and pray. For, "seek ye," saith He, "the kingdom of heaven, and all these things shall be added unto you." [2158]
And mark too another kind of severe goodness in them; their saying, namely, "That we may be found to have been well-pleasing in Thy sight, not being ashamed." For "we care not," say they, "for the shame that proceeds from the many, but whatever men may say of us, laughing, upbraiding, we do not so much as regard it; but our whole endeavor is not to be put to shame then." But in these expressions, they bring in also the river of fire, and the prizes, and the rewards.
They said not, "that we be not punished," but, "that we be not ashamed." [2159] For this is to us far more fearful than hell, to seem to have offended our Lord.
But since the more part and the grosser sort are not in fear of this, they add, "When Thou renderest to every man according to his works." Seest thou how greatly these strangers and pilgrims have benefitted us, these citizens of the wilderness, or rather citizens of the Heavens? For whereas we are strangers to the Heavens, but citizens of the earth, these are just the contrary.
And after this hymn, being filled with much compunction, and with many and fervent tears, so they proceed to sleep, snatching just so much of it as a little to refresh themselves. And again, the nights they make days, spending them in thanksgivings and in the singing of psalms.
But not men only, but women also practise this self-denial, overcoming the weakness of their nature by the abundance of their zeal.
Let us be abashed then at their earnestness, we who are men, let us cease to be fastened to the things present, to shadow, to dreams, to smoke. For the more part of our life is passed in insensibility.
For both the first period of our life is full of much folly, and that again which travels on to old age, makes all the feeling that is in us wither away, and small is the space between, that is able feelingly to enjoy pleasure; or rather, not even that hath a pure participation thereof, by reason of innumerable cares and toils, that harrass it.
Wherefore, I pray, let us seek the unmovable and eternal goods, and the life that never has old age.
For even one dwelling in a city may imitate the self-denial of the monks; yea, one who has a wife, and is busied in a household, may pray, and fast, and learn compunction. Since they also, who at the first were instructed by the apostles, though they dwelt in cities, yet showed forth the piety of the occupiers of the deserts: and others again who had to rule over workshops, as Priscilla and Aquila.
And the prophets too, all had both wives and households, as Isaiah, as Ezekiel, as the great Moses, and received no hurt therefrom in regard of virtue.
These then let us also imitate, and continually offer thanksgiving to God, continually sing hymns to Him; let us give heed to temperance, and to all other virtues, and the self-denial that is practised in the deserts, let us bring into our cities; that we may appear both well-pleasing before God, and approved before men, and attain unto the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be unto the Father, glory, honor, and might, together with the holy and life-giving Spirit, now and always and world without end. Amen. [2160]
[2131] [R.V., "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself," etc. The Oxford translator substitutes "renounce" to bring out the distinction between aparnesthai and arnesthai, which is pointed out in the Homily, sec. 2.--R.]
[2132] Matt. xvi. 22, 23.
[2133] John xii. 24.
[2134] arnesstho.
[2135] aparnesstho. [Comp. note, p. 338.]
[2136] Matt. x. 5, 16, 18.
[2137] [R.V., "shall a man be profited;" so the Homily here, against rec. text.--R.]
[2138] Matt. xvi. 25. 26. [Chrysostom inserts hupr, and takes psuch in ver. 26as "soul," but in his comment in ver. 25recognizes the obvious contrast between lower and higher life.--R.]
[2139] Prov. xxiii. 13, 14.
[2140] Ecclus. xxx. 7.
[2141] [The word "God" is supplied by the translator, but this is not necessarily the sense; the subject may be the man himself.--R.]
[2142] [Here the citation agrees with the rec. text.--R.]
[2143] [Here hupr does not occur, the text agreeing with the received.--R.]
[2144] Matt. xvi. 37. [Some mss. of the Homily omit hagon, and read tn prxin for t rga (see note 1, p. 342). So R.V.--R.]
[2145] 1 Cor. xv. 41.
[2146] [tn prxin, the reading accepted in R.V.--R.]
[2147] Deut. xxxii. 15 [LXX.]
[2148] Deut. vi. 11, 12.
[2149] Colos. iii. 17.
[2150] Luke xii. 7. [Very freely cited.]
[2151] Deut. viii. 3; Matt. iv. 4.
[2152] Gal. v. 22.
[2153] 2 Cor. ix. 8.
[2154] Gal. i. 4, 5.
[2155] Rom. i. 25.
[2156] apanchoniznton, a strong figurative expression, as it seems, for the unhallowed self-tormenting of the Manichæans. In Hom. XLII., the word is applied to Saul, "choking with envy" towards David.
[2157] [In some mss. the two paragraphs which follow are omitted, "and not be ashamed" being joined with this clause.--R.]
[2158] Matt. vi. 33. [Here, also, the peculiar reading "Kingdom of Heaven" occurs. Comp. Homily XXII. 4.--R.]
[2159] [See above, note 1.--R.]
[2160] The grace here commented on is in its commencement the same with one still used before meat in collegiate bodies: e.g. in Oriel College, Oxford. "Benedicte Deus qui pascis nos in juventute nostra, et præbes cibum omni carni: reple gaudio et lætitia corda nostra, ut nos affatim quod satis est habentes, abundemus ad omne opus bonum: Per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum: Amen." The conclusion of St. Chrysostom's grace seems to be referred to by St. Just Mart. Apol. 1. p. 83 C. and p. 50 E. as quoted by Mr. Field here.