this condition and that—or if he were to be dragged all of a sudden to the royal throne. A But not even thus have we attained an accurate image. For here, however many good things a man may receive, even if you say the kingship itself, at the first day he possesses a vigorous affection and desire, and even at the second and third; but as time proceeds, the pleasure indeed remains, but not as great: for it is always diminished by custom, whatever kind it may be; but there, it not only is not diminished, but it increases. Think how great a thing it is, that the soul which has departed there no longer expects an end to those good things, nor a change, but an increase, and a life having no end, free from every peril, every sorrow and anxiety, full of joy and infinite goods. For if, when we go out into the field, where we see the soldiers' tents fixed with screens, and their spears, and helmets, and the gleaming umbos of their shields, we remain suspended from the spectacle; but if it happens that we see the king running in the middle, or driving a horse with golden armor, we think we have attained everything: what do you think it will be when you see the B eternal tabernacles of the saints fixed in heaven? For he says, Receive you into their eternal tabernacles (Luke xvi. 9): when you see each of them shining more than the solar rays; not of bronze and iron, but of that glory, the splendor of which the human eye cannot see? And these things indeed are among men. But what can be said about the so many thousands of angels, archangels, Cherubim, Seraphim, Thrones, Dominations, Principalities, Powers, whose beauty is incomprehensible and surpasses every mind? But until when shall I pursue those things which cannot be touched? For neither has the eye seen, he says, nor the ear heard, nor have they entered into the heart of man, those things which God has prepared for them that love him (1 Cor. ii. 9). Therefore, there is nothing more miserable than those who do not attain this, nor more blessed than those who do attain it. But may we be of the number of the blessed, that we may attain the eternal good things in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom with the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, empire, honor, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
HOMILY XLII.
That it does not behoove us to be troubled when we see the good acting unprosperously, but the wicked in an abundance of goods; and that he who lives in sin differs nothing from a dead man.
Let no one, beloved, seeing the wicked acting prosperously, be troubled: C there is no retribution here, neither of malice nor of virtue. But if sometimes it happens that either wickedness is punished or virtue is rewarded, that is not done according to merit, but simply, and it is as it were a taste or indication of judgment, so that those who do not believe in the resurrection, even from the things which happen here, might be brought back to a sound mind. When, therefore, we see an evil man abounding in delights, let us not be cast down; when we see a good man suffering ill, let us not be troubled: for there are the crowns, there are the torments. And besides, a bad man cannot be evil in all things, but he may have some good things; nor can a good man be good in all things; but he may have some sins. When, therefore, the evil man acts prosperously, it turns into the evil of his own head: for as if having received the reward of a few good things which he did, he might be punished there at last, for this reason he received it here. That man is most blessed D who is punished here, that having put aside all sins, approved, pure and innocent, he may depart. And teaching us this, Paul says: Therefore among you are many infirm and weak, and many sleep; and again, I have delivered such a one unto Satan (1 Cor. xi. 30 and v. 5). And the prophet says: He has received from the hand of the Lord double for his sins (Isa. xl. 2): and again David, See my enemies, that they have multiplied above the hairs of my head, and have hated me with an unjust hatred; and, Forgive all my sins (Ps. xxiv. 18, 19). And another again, Lord, give us peace: for all things you have given to us (Isa. xxvi. 12). But these things show that the good receive punishments for their sins here: but where is it said that the wicked receive their good things here, and are there completely punished? Hear Abraham saying to the rich man, You have received your good things in your life, and Lazarus evils (Luke xvi. 25). What good things? For here, saying You have received, not You have accepted, he shows that both have suffered according to debt, and one was in prosperity, the other in hardships: and he says, Therefore he receives consolation here; for you see him clean from sins; and you are tormented. So let us not take it ill when we see sinners acting prosperously here; but when we ourselves suffer evils, let us rejoice: for that is the expiation of sins. Let us not seek rest: for Christ promised hardships to his disciples; and Paul says: All who wish to live piously in Christ will suffer persecution. Now one seeks baths, or a table full of dishes and wine; this would not be of an athlete, but of a soft man. For the athlete fights in dust, in oil, in the scorching heat of the sun's rays, with much sweat, hardship, anguish: for this is the time of contests and fighting; therefore also of receiving wounds with blood and pain. Hear what the blessed Paul says: So I fight, not as beating the air (1 Cor. ix. 26). Let us consider the whole life to be in a contest, and we will never seek quiet, we will never take it ill when afflicted in hardships: for indeed not even a boxer, when he is in the contest, thinks he is suffering anything strange. There is another time for quiet; through hardships we must be made perfect. Even if there is no persecution, nor tribulation, yet there are other tribulations which happen daily: for if we do not bear these, we could hardly bear those. Temptation has not apprehended you, he says, except human (1 Cor. x. 13). It is of prudent men not to throw themselves into dangers; this is for the noble and the philosophers. Therefore let us neither throw ourselves in rashly; for this would be a matter of excessive audacity, nor, when led to it, and when things themselves call, let us yield; [/cont]
but in such a way, A you must prepare yourself, like a brave soldier in arms, as one always sober, keeping watch, always expecting the enemy. Yet do not stir up wars; for this is not the act of a soldier, but of an insurgent. But if the trumpet of piety calls, go out at once, despise your soul, and enter the contests with great eagerness; break the phalanx of the adversaries, shatter the face of the devil, set up the trophy. But if piety is in no way harmed, and no one is ravaging our dogmas—I speak of the soul—nor compelling us to do any of the things that are not pleasing to God, do not be excessive. The life of a Christian must be full of blood; [741] not, however, in the sense of shedding the blood of others, but in being ready to shed one’s own. With as much eagerness, therefore, as one would pour out water, let us pour out our own blood, when it is for Christ’s sake; for the blood flowing around the body is like water; and with as much ease let us strip off our body as one would a garment. This will be so, if we are not attached to money, if we are not attached to houses, if we are not attached to passions, if we are not tethered to all things. For if those who live this military life renounce all things, and wherever the war calls, there they appear and march, and endure all things with eagerness; much more ought we, the soldiers of Christ, to be so prepared and arrayed against the war of the passions. There is no persecution now, and may there never be; but there is another war, that of the desire for money, that of envy, that of the passions. Describing this war, Paul says: *Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood* (Eph. 6. 12). This war is always present; for this reason he wishes us to stand always armed. *Stand, therefore*, he says, *having girded your loins*—which is itself also for the present time; and he showed that one must always be armed. For great is the war through the tongue, great through the eyes—let us therefore restrain these; great is that of the desires. For this reason, he begins to arm the soldier of Christ from there: *Stand, therefore, having girded*, he says, *your loins*, and he added, *in truth*. Why, *In truth*? For desire is a mockery and a lie; wherefore the prophet says: *My loins have been filled with delusions* (Ps. 37. 7). The thing is not pleasure, but a shadow of pleasure. *Having girded*, he says, *your loins in truth*. That is to say, with true pleasure, with temperance, with modesty. For this reason he gives this advice, knowing the absurdity of sin, and wishing all our members to be fenced about; for *unjust anger*, he says, *will not be justified* (Eccl. 1. 22); and he wishes us to be clothed with a breastplate, and a shield. For anger is a beast B that easily leaps upon us, and we shall need many fences and barriers in order to overcome and restrain it. And for this reason, God has built this part of us, as if from certain stones, namely the bones, placing support around it, so that it might not be easily broken or divided, and thereby destroy the whole animal. For it is fire, he says, and a great storm; and no other member could withstand this violence. And students of medicine also say that for this reason the lung is placed under the heart, so that, being soft, it might receive the heart like a sponge, allowing it to rest C as it leaps, and that it might not be harmed by hitting against the resistant and hard chest due to the force of its bounds. We therefore have need of a strong breastplate, so as to keep this beast in constant quiet; we have need also of a helmet. For since the faculty of reason is situated there, and it is from this that it is possible either to be saved, when right things are done, or to be lost, for this reason he says, *And the helmet of salvation* (Eph. 6. 17). For the brain is naturally soft; for which reason it is covered from above as if by a certain shell, the skull; and it is the cause to us of all goods and evils, whether it has known what is right, or what is not such. And the feet also and the hands need armor for us; not these hands, nor these feet, but again those of the soul; the former [742] practicing what is right, the latter, that they may walk where they ought. Let us therefore, beloved, do all things for that life which is to come; let us work while looking toward that. Vice is darkness, my beloved; it is death, it is night; we see none of the things we ought, we do none of the things that are proper. Just as the dead are unsightly and stinking; so also the souls of those in vice are full of much impurity; their eyes are closed, their mouth is sealed, they remain motionless in the bed of vice; or rather, they are more pitiable than those who suffer these things. For the dead are dead in both respects; but these are senseless to virtue, yet alive to vice. If one strikes a dead man, he does not feel, nor defend himself, but is like dry wood; so also the soul is truly dry, having cast off life; it receives countless wounds every day, and does not feel, but is kept insensible to all things. One would not err in comparing them to those who are mad, to those who are drunk, to those who are delirious. And vice has all of these, and is more grievous than all. The madman has much excuse from those who see him; for the malady is not of the will, but of nature alone; but he who lives in vice, whence shall he be excused? Whence then is vice? Whence are the majority evil? Tell me, whence is the vice of diseases, whence is frenzy? Whence is deep sleep? Is it not from inattention? If natural diseases have their beginning from the will, those involving the will do so much more. Whence comes drunkenness? Is it not from the incontinence of the soul? Is not frenzy from an excess of fever? And is not the fever from the elements that abound within us? And is not the excess [pleonexia] of the elements within us from inattention? For when we bring one of the things within us to excess, either by deficiency or by superfluity, we kindle that fire. Again, if once the flame is kindled we persist in neglecting it, we are building a pyre for ourselves, which we are not even able to extinguish. So also it happens in the case of vice: when we do not restrain it once it has begun, nor interrupt it, we are no longer able to reach the end, but it becomes greater than our strength. Therefore, I entreat you, let us do everything so as never to drowse. Do you not see the guards, that by giving themselves to sleep for a little while, they often derived no benefit from their long watch? For through that little bit they ruined the whole, giving free license to anyone who wished to steal. For just as we do not see thieves as clearly as they see us; so also the devil stands over us most of all, and lies in wait, and gnashes his teeth. Let us not drowse, therefore; let us not say
A From this there is nothing, from that there is nothing to fear; for from those things from which we expected nothing to fear, we have often been despoiled. So also in the case of iniquity, from where we did not expect it, we perish. Let us scan all things accurately. Let us not get drunk, and we will not drowse; let us not live in luxury, and we will not nap; let us not be madly carried toward external things, and we will be vigilant; let us compose ourselves on all sides. And just as those who walk upon a stretched rope are unable to indulge in even a minimum of neglect—for a small error works a great evil; for by having been overturned, one is immediately thrown down and perishes—so it is not permitted for us to be neglectful. We walk a B narrow way, one that has precipices on both sides, which does not receive two feet together. Do you see how much accuracy is required of us? Do you not see those who travel along such roads, how they secure not only their feet, but also their eyes? For if one seems to pay attention to another side, even if his foot stands firmly, the eye, being darkened by the depth, throws the whole person down. But one must pay attention to walking. And for this reason he says, Neither to the right, nor to the left. Great is the depth of malice, great the precipices, much the darkness below. Let us pay attention to the narrow way with fear; let us walk in it with trembling. No one traveling such a road carries anything superfluous; for it is desirable to be able to run it untrammeled. No one hinders his own feet, but he lets them loose. But we, binding ourselves with a thousand cares, and carrying a thousand secular burdens, gaping and poured out, how do we expect to walk the narrow way? It did not say C simply that it is narrow, but with admiration: *How narrow is the path* (Matt. 7:14)! That is, very narrow. We do this also in things that are worthy of admiration. *And restricted is the way,* he says, *which leads to life.* And he rightly said, Narrow; for since we are going to render an account of words and thoughts and deeds and everything, it is truly narrow. But we make it narrower when we extend ourselves and sprawl our feet. For the narrow way is difficult to everyone, but most of all to the fat and obese; whereas he who macerates himself will not feel the narrowness. Therefore, he who studies to contract himself will not bear the narrowness with difficulty. Therefore let no one hope that he will see heaven with a relaxation of mind; for it cannot be; let no one hope, while living in luxury, that he will walk the narrow way; for it is not possible; let no one walking the wide way hope for life. When, therefore, you see someone giving himself to baths, to a luxurious table, or to a retinue, do not think yourself miserable, as one who does not enjoy such things, but lament for him, because he walks upon a pernicious way. For what utility is there from this way, when it ends in sorrows? What harm is there from that narrowness, D when it comes into rest? Tell me, if someone called to a palace were to walk through narrow places and precipices, while another, being led to death, were to be dragged through the middle of the forum—whom, I pray, shall we proclaim blessed? For whom shall we lament? Shall we not for him who walks along the wide way? Thus, not even now let us proclaim those happy who are given to luxuries, but those who abstain from them; these are hastening to heaven, those to hell. And perhaps many of them will mock the things we say; but I lament and wail for them most of all, because they know neither about what they should laugh, nor about what they should most of all lament; but they confuse and disturb and mix everything together. For this reason I lament for them. What do you say, O man? Since you are about to rise again, and to render an account of your deeds, and to undergo the ultimate vengeance, do you have no account of these things, but indulgence in the belly and in drunkenness, and do you laugh about these things? But I lament for you because I know the evils that await you, and the punishment you are about to receive; and for this reason I lament most of all because you laugh. Lament with me, wail with me for your evils. Tell me, if someone of your kin were to die in Christ, would you not turn away from those laughing about the death, and hold them as enemies, but love those who are weeping and lamenting with you? If, therefore, when a wife is dead and lying there, you turn away from laughter, but when your soul is dead, you turn away from the one weeping, and you yourself laugh? Do you see how the devil so affects us that we are enemies and foes to our very selves? Let us rouse ourselves at last, let us look back, let us be vigilant, let us attain eternal life, let us shake off much sleep. There is judgment, there is resurrection, an examination of deeds: the Lord comes in the clouds: *Fire will be kindled before him, and round about him a strong tempest* (Ps. 49:3): a river of fire is drawn before him, an immortal worm, inextinguishable fire, outer darkness, gnashing of teeth. Even if you are angry at these things a thousand times over, bearing them with difficulty, I will not make an end of speaking. For if the prophets were stoned and did not keep silent, much more does it behoove us to bear enmities, and not to address you for the sake of favor, lest by deceiving you we ourselves be cut asunder. There is the immortal, inconsolable punishment; there is no one who protects. *Who,* he says, *will pity a charmer who has been bitten by a serpent* (Eccl. 12:13)? When we do not pity ourselves, who, I pray, will pity us? If you saw anyone driving a sword against himself, could you spare him? By no means. Much more, when it is in our power to act rightly, and we do not do it, who will spare us? No one. Let us pity ourselves. When we pray to God saying, *Have mercy on me, O Lord*, let us say this to ourselves, that we may have mercy on ourselves. It is in our power that God might have mercy on us; he himself has granted this to us: if we do things worthy of mercy, if we perform things worthy of his kindness, God will have mercy on us; but if we do not have mercy on ourselves, who will spare us? Have mercy on your neighbor, and God will have mercy on you. How many daily approach saying, "Have mercy on me," and you do not listen? How many are naked, how many are maimed, and we are not moved, but we repel their supplications? How, therefore, do you ask for mercy, when you do nothing worthy of compassion? Let us, therefore, be merciful and compassionate, and thus we will be pleasing to God, and attain the promised goods to those who love him.