"With all prayer and supplication," saith he, that is, "through virtue."1 Because all sin "for all the saints, and for me," placing himself is corruption. And in the same way as we last. What doest thou, O blessed Paul, in thus say a virgin is corrupted, so also do we placing thyself last? Yea, saith he, "that utter-speak of the soul. Hence Paul says, "Lest by ance may be given unto me, in opening my any means your minds should be corrupted." mouth, to make known with boldness the mys- (2 Cor. xi. 3.) And again elsewhere, he says, 112 tery of the gospel, for which I am an ambas-"In doctrine, showing uncorruptness.' For sador in chains.' And where art thou an what, tell me, is corruption of the body? Is ambassador? "To mankind," saith he. Oh! it not the dissolution of the whole frame, and amazing lovingkindness of God! He sent from of its union? This then is what takes place also Heaven in His own Name ambassadors for in the soul when sin enters. The beauty of peace, and lo, men took them, and bound them, the soul is temperance, and righteousness; the and reverenced not so much as the law of health of the soul is courage, and prudence; nations, that an ambassador never suffers any for the base man is hideous in our eyes, so is hurt. "But, however, I am an ambassador in the covetous, so is the man who gives himself bonds. The chain lies like a bridle upon me, up to evil practices, and so the coward and unrestraining my boldness, but your prayer shall manly man is sick, and the foolish man is out open my mouth" in order that I may speak all of health. Now that sins work corruption, is things I was sent to speak. evident from this, that they render men base, "But that ye also may know my affairs, how and weak, and cause them to be sick and disI do; Tychicus, the beloved brother, and faithful eased. Nay, and when we say that a virgin is minister in the Lord, shall make known to you corrupted, we say so, strictly speaking, on this all things." If "faithful," he will tell no false-account also, not only because the body is dehood, he will in everything speak the truth:— filed, but because of the transgression. For the 'whom I have sent unto you for this very pur- mere act is natural; and if in that consisted the pose, that ye might know our state, and that he "corruption," then were marriage corruption. may comfort your hearts." Amazing, transcend- Hence is it not the act that is corruption, but ent affection!" that it may not be in the power," the sin, for it dishonors and puts her to shame. he means, "of them that would, to affright you." And again, what would be corruption in the For it is probable that they were in tribulation; case of a house? Its dissolution. And so, for the expression, "may comfort your hearts," universally, corruption is a change which takes intimates as much; that is, “may not suffer you place for the worse, a change into another to sink under it." state, to the utter extinction of the former one. For hear what the Scripture saith, "All flesh had corrupted his way" (Gen. vi. 12); and again, "In intolerable corruption "3 (Ex. xviii. 18); and again, "Men corrupted in mind." (2 Tim. iii. 8.) Our body is corruptible, but our soul is incorruptible. Oh then, let us not make that corruptible also. This, the corruption of the body, was the work of former sin; but sin which is after the Laver, has the power also to render the soul corruptible, and to make it an easy prey to "the worm that dieth not." For never had that worm touched it, had it not found the soul corruptible. The worm touches not adamant, and even if he touches it, he can do it no harm. Oh then, corrupt not the soul; for that which is corrupted Ver. 23. "Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." He invokes upon them, "peace and love with faith." He saith well: for he would not that they should have regard to love by itself, and mingle themselves with those of a different faith. Either he means this, or that above described, namely, that they should have faith also, so as to have a cheerful confidence of the good things to come. The "peace" which is towards God, and the "love." And if there be peace, there will also be love; if love, there will be peace also. "With faith," because without faith, love amounts to nothing; or rather love could not exist at all without it. 113 who saith, "My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness." (Ps. xxxviii. 5.) Ver. 24. "Grace be with all them that love is full of foul stench; for hearken to the Prophet our Lord Jesus Christ in uncorruptness." Why does he separate the two here, placing "peace" by itself, and "grace" by itself? "In uncorruptness," he concludes. What is this, "in uncorruptness"? It either means, "in purity"; or else, "for the sake of those things which are incorruptible," as, for example, not in riches, nor in glory, but in those treasures which are incorruptible. The "in " means, "through." "Through uncorruptness," 1 ["ev here expresses the manner, and the expression means those who love our Lord in imperishableness,' i.e. ' so that their love does not pass away. Comp. Tit. iii. 15." - Meyer. — G. A.] 2 [Tit. ii. 7, where ap@opia is used, which, according to Meyer, does mean uncorruptedness, while ap@apoía in our passage means imperishableness.-G. A.] 3 [φθορᾷ καταφθαρήσῃ ἀνυπομονήτῳ for Hebrew 520 551, Rev. "Thou wilt surely wear away.”— G. A.] Ver., 4 [Comp. Rom. v. 12: "As through one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed unto all men." G. A.] However, "this corruption" of the body then is there no longer season for repentance. "shall put on incorruption" (1 Cor. xv. 53), but How many things did the rich man bewail then? the other of the soul, never; for where incor- (Luke xvi. 23.) And yet it availed him nothruption is, there is no corruption. Thus is it ing. Thus is it ing. How many things did they say who had a corruption which is incorruptible, which hath neglected to feed Christ? (Matt. xxv. 41.) no end, a deathless death; which would have Yet were they led away notwithstanding into the been, had the body remained deathless. Now everlasting fire. How many things had they if we shall depart into the next world having then to say: "that had wrought iniquity"; corruption, we have that corruption incorrupti- "Lord, did we not prophesy by Thy Name, and ble and endless; for to be ever burning, and by Thy Name cast out devils?" And yet notnot burnt up, ever wasted by the worm, is cor- withstanding, they were not owned. All these ruption incorruptible; like as was the case with things therefore will take place then; but it will the blessed Job. He was corrupted, and died be of no avail, if they be not done now. Let us not, and that through a lengthened period, and fear then, lest ever we should have to say then, "wasted continually, scraping the clods of dust "Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered, and from his sore.' ."2 Some such torment as this shall fed Thee not?" (Matt. xxv. 44.) Let us feed it undergo, when the worms surround and devour Him now, not one day, nor two, nor three days. it, not for two years nor for three, nor for ten," For let not mercy and truth," saith the Wise nor for ten thousand, but for years without end; Man, "forsake thee." (Prov. iii. 3.) He saith for "their worm,” saith He, "dieth not." not "do it once, nor twice." The Virgins, we MORAL. Let us take the alarm then, I entreat know, had oil, but not enough to last out. you, let us dread the words, that we meet not (Matt. xxv. 3, 8.) And thus we need much oil, with the realities. Covetousness is corruption, and thus should we be "like a green olive tree corruption more dangerous than any other, in the house of God." (Ps. lii. 8.) Let us reand leading on to idolatry. Let us shun flect then how many burdens of sins each of us the corruption, let us choose the incorrup- has about him, and let us make our acts of tion. Hast thou in covetousness overreached mercy counterbalance them; nay rather, far and defrauded some one? The fruits of thy exceed them, that not only the sins may be covetousness perish, but the covetousness re- quenched, but that the acts of righteousness mains; a corruption which is the founda- may be also accounted unto us for righteoustion of incorruptible corruption. The enjoy-ness. For if the good deeds be not so many in ment indeed passes away, but the sin remains number as to put aside the crimes laid against imperishable. A fearful evil is it for us not us, and out of the remainder to be counted unto to strip ourselves of everything in this pres- us for righteousness, then shall no one rescue ent world; a great calamity to depart into us from that punishment, from which God grant the next with loads of sins about us. "For in that we may be all delivered, through the grace Sheol," it is said "who shall give Thee thanks?" and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Ps. vi. 5.) There is the place of judgment; with whom to the Father, &c. 1 [Field's text has ἔνθα γὰρ ἀφθαρσία, φθορά ἐστιν, which seems a contradiction, whereas Savile's text, with four MSS., has ouk ἐστιν. — G. Α.] " 2 [Job vii. 5, Sept.: púperaι de μov to owμa ev σampia own κων, τήκω δὲ βώλακας γῆς ἀπὸ ἰχῶρος ξύων; " My flesh is mingled with the filth of worms, and I pine away, scraping clods (or crusts) of earth from my sore' (discharge, matter, pus). The Rev. Ver. has: "My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust." nearly Zöckler in Lange: My flesh is clothed with worms and crusts of earth." — G. A.] So 3 and Tractarians for establishing their views, and it is no wonder the [Such passages as this in the Fathers are used by Romanists Tractarians were zealous in giving the Fathers to the English in English. But, as Jacob says (Eccl. Polity of N. T., pp. 28 and 29), from patristic literature to the New Testament; for it is not being "Our appeal is from the Nicene Fathers to the Apostles of Christ; near to the truth that makes men good and wise," but having the truth itself.-G. A.] THE HOMILIES OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, ON THE EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS, COLOSSIANS, AND THESSALONIANS. The Oxford Translation Revised, with Additional Notes, by REV. JOHN A. BROADUS, D.D., PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, LOUISVILLE, KY. PREFACE [TO THE OXFORD ED.]. THE present Volume completes the commentaries of St. Chrysostom on the shorter Epistles of St. Paul. It consists entirely of Homilies delivered at Constantinople, and one may perhaps remark some indications of a more matured and severe character than in earlier works. He refers several times to his responsibility as presiding in the Church, and sometimes threatens discipline as in that capacity, and from this it is that the date of the Homilies is chiefly to be gathered. The end of Hom. ix. on the Philippians, is sufficient for those Homilies. The close of Hom. iii. on Colossians, is still more express for them. Hom. viii. on 1 Thessalonians, and Hom. iv. on 2 Thessalonians, are to the like purpose. Hom. viii. on 1 Thessalonians, seems also to be that which is referred to in Hom. iii. on Ep. to Philemon, as it contains a promise to discuss at some future time the subject there taken up. Phil. ii. 6, and Col. i. 15, &c. give rise to doctrinal discussions. The readiness in argument, which they suppose in hearers, is greater than one would expect. Hom. v. on Colossians goes farther into the system of typical interpretation than is usual with St. Chrysostom; though the system is in fact acknowledged by him frequently, as in the passage on marriage, which closes the Homilies on the Colossians, and which, though scarcely admissible in modern taste, is one of great value, and of a saintly purity. The close of Hom. iv. on Colossians is most instructive with regard to the use of the Historical Books of the Old Testament, and Hom. ix. points out one great use of the Psalms, for moral impression, and at the same time draws the necessary distinction between that and the higher aim of Hymns. In these Homilies he is particularly severe on luxury and display, by his attacks on which he is known to have incurred the displeasure of the Empress Eudoxia, and much persecution from her. A passage on the Holy Sacraments at the end of Hom. vi. on Colossians, one on Prayers for the departed in Hom. iii. on Philippians, and one in which he urges persons at enmity to immediate reconciliation, Hom. vi. on 1 Thessalonians, as well as that in Hom. iii. in Colossians, on unworthiness of Ministers, and several hints that occur about the order of Divine service, are well worthy of remark. Savile's text, with some comparison of others, was used for the Homilies on the Philippians, and that of the new Paris Edition, with Savile always at hand, for the rest. Collations of one MS. in British Museum (Burney 48 here marked B [called C by Field]) were also in hand, but those of MSS. at Venice and Florence came too late for part of the work. The want of them is not however very material. The Bodleian MS. referred to, as well as the Catena published by Dr. Cramer, contain only extracts. It is hoped that the Homilies on 2 Cor. will have the benefit of a well-adjusted text before the Translation is published, as they are preparing for publication by Mr. Field, whom the Editor has to thank for infor |