: Therefore, is there need not only that we pray without ceasing," but also, that we should do so "watching; and watching," saith he, "thereunto." Whether he is here speaking of vigils; or of the wakefulness of the soul, I admit both meanings. Seest thou how that Canaanitish woman watched unto prayer? and though the Lord gave her no answer, nay, even shook her off, and called her a dog, she said, "Yea, Lord for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table (Matt. xv. 27), and desisted not until she obtained her request. How, too, did that widow cry, and persist so long, until she was able to shame into yielding that ruler, that neither feared God, nor regarded man (Luke xviii. 1-7)? And how, again, did the friend persist, remaining before the door in the dead of night, till he shamed the other into yielding by his importunity, and made him arise. (Luke xi. 5-8.) This is to be watchful. tire, my first-born, the son of my prayer." Truly here was a daughter of Abraham. He gave when it was demanded of him. She offers even before it is demanded. But observe even after this her deep reverence. "Only her lips moved, but her voice," it saith, "was not heard." (1 Sam. i. 13.) And thus does he who would gain his request draw nigh unto God; not consulting his ease, nor gaping, nor lounging, nor scratching his head, nor with utter listlessness. What, was not God able to grant, even without any prayer at all? What, did He not know the woman's desire even before she asked? And yet had He granted it before she asked, then the woman's earnestness would not have been shown, her virtue would not have been made manifest, she would not have gained so great a reward. Sc that the delay is not the result of envy or of witchcraft, but of providential kindness. When therefore ye hear the Scripture saying, that "the Lord had shut up her womb" (ver. 5, 6), and that, "her rival provoked her sore"; consider that it is His intention to prove the woman's seriousness. For, mark, she had a husband devoted to her, for he said (ver. 8), “Am I not better to thee than ten sons?" "And her rival," it saith, "provoked her sore," that is, reproached her, insulted over her. And yet did she never once retaliate, nor utter imprecation against her, nor say, " Avenge me, for my rival reviles me." The other had children, but this woman had her husband's love to make amends. With this at least he even consoled her, saying, “Am not I better to thee than ten sons? Wouldest thou understand what watchfulness in prayer is? Go to Hannah, hearken to her very words, "Adonai Eloi Sabaoth." (1 Sam. i. 11.) Nay, rather, hear what preceded those words; "they all rose up," says the history, "from the table (1 Sam. i. 9), and she, forthwith, did not betake herself to sleep, nor to repose. Whence she appears to me even when she was sitting at the table to have partaken lightly, and not to have been made heavy with viands. Otherwise never could she have shed so many tears; for if we, when we are fasting and foodless, hardly pray thus, or rather never pray thus, much more would not she ever have prayed thus after a meal, unless even at the But let us look, again, at the deep wisdom of meal she had been as they that eat not. Let us this woman. "And Eli," it says, "thought she be ashamed, us that are men, at the example of had been drunken." (Ver. 13.) Yet observe this woman; let us be ashamed, that are suing what she says to him also, "Nay, count not thine and gasping for a kingdom, at her, praying and handmaid for a daughter of Belial, for out of weeping for a little child. "And she stood," it the abundance of my complaint and my provosays, "before the Lord” (1 Sam. i. 10); and cation have I spoken hitherto." (Ver. 16.) what are her words? Adonai, Lord, Eloi Here is truly the proof of a contrite heart, when Sabaoth!" and this is, being interpreted, "O we are not angry with those that revile us, when Lord, the God of Hosts." Her tears went be- we are not indignant against them, when we fore her tongue; by these she hoped to prevail reply but in self-defense. Nothing renders the with God to bend to her request. Where tears heart so wise as affliction; nothing is there so are, there is always affliction also: where afflic- sweet as "godly mourning." (2 Cor. vii. 10.) tion is, there is great wisdom and heedfulness. "Out of the abundance," saith she, "of my "If thou wilt indeed," she continues, "look on complaint and my provocation have I spoken the affliction of thine handmaid, and wilt give hitherto." Her let us imitate, one and all. unto thine handmaid a man child, then will I Hearken, ye that are barren, hearken, ye that give him unto the Lord all the days of his life." desire children, hearken, both husbands and (1 Sam. i. 11.) She said not, "for one year," wives; yes, for husbands, too, used oftentimes to or," for two," as we do; nor said she, "if thou contribute their part; for hear what the Scripwilt give me a child, I will give thee money"; ture saith, "And Isaac intreated the Lord for but, "I give back to Thee the very gift itself en- Rebekah his wife, because she was barren." (Gen. xxv. 21.) For prayer is able to accomplish great things. 66 1 avvvxidas. St. Chrysostom often speaks of vigils, which were Church Services extending past midnight into the morning; vid. Hom. in Esai. i. 1, iv. 1, etc.; vid. Bingham, Antiqu. xiii. 9, § 4. · φιλοσοφίαν. 112 For "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, tery of the gospel, for which I am an ambas-"In doctrine, showing uncorruptness." 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, and weak, and cause them to be sick and diseased. Nay, and when we say that a virgin is corrupted, we say so, strictly speaking, on this account also, not only because the body is defiled, but because of the transgression. For the mere act is natural; and if in that consisted the "corruption," then were marriage corruption. Hence is it not the act that is corruption, but the sin, for it dishonors and puts her to shame. And again, what would be corruption in the case of a house? Its dissolution. And so, universally, corruption is a change which takes place for the worse, a change into another 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 " (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 "But that ye also may know my affairs, how I do, Tychicus, the beloved brother, and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things." If "faithful," he will tell no falsehood, he will in everything speak the truth: "whom I have sent unto you for this very purpose, that ye might know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts." Amazing, transcendent affection! "that it may not be in the power," he means, "of them that would, to affright you." For it is probable that they were in tribulation; for the expression, "may comfort your hearts," intimates as much; that is, may not suffer you to sink under it." 66 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. 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." who saith, "My wounds stink and are corrupt Why does he separate the two here, placing because of my foolishness." (Ps. xxxviii. 5.) "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 aplapoía in our passage means imperishableness.-G. A.] Ver., Thou wilt surely wear away."-G. A.] " 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. 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.' 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; for "their worm," saith He, "dieth not." 112 Man, "forsake thee." (Prov. iii. 3.) He saith 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 ἔστιν. — G. A.] 2 [Job vii. 5, Sept.: púperaι de μov To σwμа ev σaпpia σxwAn 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 and Tractarians for establishing their views, and it is no wonder the 3 [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. |