[4.] And wherefore,' saith one, doth he not punish here?' That He may display that longsuffering of His, and may offer to us the salvation that cometh by repentance, and not make our race to be swept away, nor pluck away those who by an excellent change are able to be saved, before that salvation. For if he instantly punished upon the commission of sins, and destroyed, how should Paul have been saved, how should Peter, the chief teachers of the world? How should David have reaped the salvation that came by his repentance? How the Galatians? How many others? For this reason then He neither exacts the penalty from all here, (but only from some out of all,) nor yet there from all, but from one here, and from another there; that He may both rouse those who are exceedingly insensible by means of those whom He punishes, and may cause them to expect the future things by those whom He punishes not. Or seest thou not many punished here, as those, for instance, who were buried under the ruins of that tower; (Luke xiii. 4, 7.) as those whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices; as those who perished by an untimely death amongst the Corinthians, because they partook unworthily of the mysteries (1 Cor. xi. 30.); as Pharaoh; as those of the Jews who were slain by the barbarians; as many others, both then, and now, and continually? And yet others too, having sinned in many things, departed without suffering the penalty here; as the rich man in the story of Lazarus; as many others. (Luke xvi.) Now these things He does, both to arouse those who quite disbelieve [645] in the things to come, and to make those who do believe and are careless more diligent. "For God is a righteous Judge, and strong, and longsuffering, and visits not with wrath every day." (Ps. vii. 11. LXX.) But if we abuse His longsuffering, there will come a time when He will no more be longsuffering even for a little, but will straightway inflict the penalty.
Let us not then, in order that for a single moment (for such is this present life) we may live luxuriously, draw on ourselves punishment through endless ages: but let us toil for a moment, that we may be crowned for ever. See ye not that even in worldly things most men act in this manner; and choose a brief toil in order to a long rest, even though the opposite falls out unto them? For in this life indeed there is an equal portion of toils and reward; yea, often, on the contrary, the toil is endless whilst the fruit is little, or not even a little; but in the case of the kingdom conversely, the labor is little whilst the pleasure is great and boundless. For consider: the husbandman wearieth himself the whole year through, and at the very end of his hope of times misses of the fruit [646] of those many toils. The shipmaster again and the soldier, until extreme old age, are occupied with wars and labors; and oftentimes hath each of them departed, the one with the loss of his wealthy cargoes, the other, along with victory, of life itself. What excuse then shall we have, tell me, if in worldly matters indeed we prefer what is laborious in order that we may rest for a little, or not a little even; (for the hope of this is uncertain;) but in spiritual things do the converse of this and draw upon ourselves unutterable punishment for a little sloth? Wherefore I beseech you all, though late, yet still at length to recover from this frenzy. For none shall deliver us in that day; neither brother, nor father, nor child, nor friend, nor neighbor, nor any other: but if our works play us false, all will be over and we must needs [647] perish. How many lamentations did that rich man make, and besought the Patriarch and begged that Lazarus might be sent! But hear what Abraham said unto him: "There is a gulf [648] betwixt us and you, so that they who wish to go forth cannot pass thither." (Luke xvi. 26.) How many petitions did those virgins make to their fellows for a little oil! But hear what they also say; "Peradventure there will not be enough for you and for us;" (Matt. xxv. 9.) and none was able to bring them in to the bridal chamber.
Thinking then on these things let us also be careful of that which is our life. For mention what toils soever and bring forward besides what punishment soever; all these combined will be nothing in comparison of the good things to come. Instance therefore, if thou wilt, fire and steel and wild beasts, and if there be aught sorer than these; but yet these are not even a shadow compared with those torments. For these things when applied in excess become then especially light, making the release speedy [649] ; since the body sufficeth not unto intensity at once and long continuance of suffering; but both meet together, both prolongation and excess, alike in the good and the grievous. Whilst we have time then, "let us come before His presence with confession," (Ps. xcv. 2, LXX.) that in that day we may behold Him gentle and serene, that we may escape altogether those threat-bearing Powers. Seest thou not how this world's soldiers who perform the bidding of those in authority drag men about; how they chain, how they scourge them, how they pierce their sides, how they apply torches to their torments, how they dismember them? Yet all these things are but plays and joke unto those punishments. For these punishments are temporal; but there neither the worm dieth nor is the fire quenched: for that body of all is incorruptible, which is then to be raised up. But God grant that we may never learn these things by experience; but that these fearful things may never be nearer unto us than in the mention of them [650] ; and that we be not delivered over to those tormentors, but may be hence made wise [651] . How many things shall we then say in accusation of ourselves! How many lamentations shall we utter! How many groans! But it will thenceforth be of no avail. For neither can sailors, when the ship hath gone to pieces and hath sunk, thereafter be of any service; nor physicians when the patient is departed; but they will often say indeed that so and so ought to have been done; but all is fruitless and in vain. For as long indeed as hopes remain from amendment, one ought both to say and do every thing: but when we have no longer any thing in our power, all being quite ruined, it is to no purpose that all is said and done. For even then Jews will then say, "Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord:" (Matt. xxiii. 39.) but they will be able to reap none advantage of this cry towards escaping their punishment; for when they ought to have said it, they said it not. That then this be not the case with us in respect to our life, let us now and from this time reform that we may stand at the tribunal of Christ with all boldness; whereunto may all of us attain through the grace and love toward men of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory and might for ever and ever. Amen.
[620] perikrouomenoi, a term especially used of striking upon vessels, to sound them.
[621] halogoumetha. The Ben. Ed. has halgoumen in defiance of mss.
[622] i.e., the Apostles'.
[623] hanenenkontes.
[624] So Chrysostom: Rec. text "always," [which is correct. C.] Just below he inserts, as will be seen, "in us," [without authority. C.]
[625] Literally, the death.
[626] Knowing that &c. Rec. Text [which is well sustained. C.]
[627] philosophian.
[628] aleiphein.
[629] diorthousthai.
[630] [It is singular that the preacher in citing this verse omitted a clause of great importance, found in all the chief mss., viz., with Jesus, words which teach that believers are raised up in union with Christ and by virtue of that union, and therefore in his fellowship and likeness. This it is that made the resurrection the one great, all-absorbing object of anticipation and desire to the early Christians. They were to be with their Lord and like him. C.]
[631] phronematos.
[632] Our, A.V., [the true text.]
[633] Worketh for us, A.V., [the true text.]
[634] kath huperbolen eis huperboeln.
[635] biazesthai.
[636] lerodesteron.
[637] hippodromion. Vid. Field Ann.
[638] "For one." Bened., against most mss.
[639] promnestoiais.
[640] hai pastades.
[641] elenchomena.
[642] apoteganizesthai.
[643] taxin. The Ben. translate "ordinem Dei aut sententiam."
[644] ei kai me homoios.
[645] diapistountas.
[646] Or, "at the very end ofttimes misses of his hope, the fruit, &c."
[647] Or, utterly.'
[648] chaos, Chrys. who varies from the text in other respects. [Not, however, so as to affect the sense of the passage. Perhaps in quoting he took only that portion which suited his purpose. The word he uses for gulf or chasm is employed in the LXX. in the same sense. C.]
[649] Si gravis, brevis: si longa, levis: Cic. Tusc. Disp.
[650] mechri rhematos stenai.
[651] enteuthen sophronisthenai. Ben. entautha against the mss.