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"And God was mindful of Noe and of all the beasts, all the cattle, all the birds and all the reptiles that were with him in the ark. And God sent a wind upon the earth, and the water subsided." a3) REAT [229] AND INDESCRIBABLE beyond all telling is
| the loving kindness of God revealed in the verses e A just now, along with the extraordinary degree of his goodness, which he manifests not only in regard to this rational being—namely, the human being—but also in regard to the species of irrational beings. I mean, being in fact Creator of them all he extends his characteristic goodness to everything created by him, showing us through everything how much care he takes of the human race and the fact that he undertook everything from the beginning and the very outset for our salvation. Accordingly, even if he chastises and punishes, he does both from his very goodness. You see, far from inflicting punishment in rage and anger, it is his wish to put a stop to evil lest it get entirely out of hand. In the present case also, as you have heard, he had no other motive in bringing on the deluge than his concern for the people who had abandoned themselves to such terrible wickedness.
(2) What kind of concern is that, someone will say, that annihilates everyone under the waters? Don't speak rashly, o man [230]; instead, accept with grateful mind what is done by the Lord, and realize in that instance how much concern is evidenced by that happening in particular. I mean, to separate from their wickedness people who have sinned irreparably, who have daily aggravated their wounds and rendered their ulcers incurable—isn't that a mark of the greatest con1. Gen 8.1, the LXX elaborating the point with the inclusion of birds and reptiles as well.
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cern? Isn't the very recourse to punishment replete with loving kindness? After all, for people who in any case are due to discharge the debt of nature to lay aside their life in this fashion painlessly by way of punishment and feel no effect of the events—isn't this a mark of great wisdom and goodness?
Further, if anyone were to learn through reverential consideration what in fact happened, that not only did God treat the punished with kindness but that those destined to follow them would reap from it two particular benefits—namely, not being ensnared in the same troubles, and being rendered wiser by these events—how much thanks ought they pay to God for this grace of being brought to their senses afterwards both through the others' punishment and by the fear of suffering the same chastisement, as well as by the removal of the leaven of all wickedness and evil and the survival of no one to instruct them in evil and wickedness? Do you see how his punishments and chastisements are rather kindnesses, and demonstrate in particular his concern for the human race?
(3) If anyone were interested in enumerating them from the very outset, he would find God inflicting punishments in every instance with this very same purpose. Even in the case of Adam, when he fell, he did not simply punish him but out of kindness drove him from the garden. What sort of kindness was that, some one will say, to be expelled from life in the garden? Don't simply pay attention to the events, dearly beloved, nor take a casual interest in what is done by God; instead, gain an insight into the depths of his goodness and you will find it is this that has motivated him in all his doings.
I mean, tell me, if even after the Fall Adam had continued to enjoy the same privileges, to what depths would he not have descended? After all, if he fell a victim to the serpent's deceit so as to heed all his lavish promises and accept the advice the devil offered him to make them vain and lead them to hope for equality with God, drawing them into the sin of disobedience; and if despite that he had continued in the same position of esteem and the same lifestyle, how could he have failed to consider the wicked demon more trustworthy than the Creator of all, and have formed extravagant ideas of his
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own importance? This, you see, is what human beings are like: when their sin leads them to get the bit between their teeth and feel no fear, they go ahead and fall headlong over the precipice. There are other ways as well, however, by which I can show that it was an example of his loving kindness that God directed him to leave the garden and rendered him liable to the punishment of death, bringing him to his senses and making him more careful in future both by the expulsion and by locating him nearby, and teaching him through these events the deceiver's duplicity. Now the punishment of death he likewise inflicted with this end in view, that in future he might not through disobedience become addicted to sin and commit sins that did not end with death. So does all this not strike you as a mark of the greatest love, both the expulsion from the garden and the imposition of the punishment of death?
(4) I have other means, however, of improving on this explanation. What, precisely? The fact that in venting his anger against him in this way he was not simply investing him with acts of kindness but also intending to bring future generations to a better frame of mind through what was done to him. You see, even if after these events [231] his son (I mean
Cain) saw with his own eyes the expulsion of his father from the garden, his fall from that ineffable glory, the magnitude of that curse in the words, "'Dust you are and to dust you are to return,'"? and yet did not come to his senses through this but even involved himself in worse evils; if he had not seen what happened to his father, to what depth of folly would he not have plunged? The remarkable thing surely is that in punishing the very person who had committed such terrible sins and besmirched his right hand in execrable slaughter, God tempered the punishment with loving kindness. To learn the magnitude of God's goodness from what happened to Cain: when he insulted God and displayed great disregard for him by intending to make an offering without properly choosing but making his approach casually and as 2. Gen 3.9.
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if by chance, God said nothing harsh or severe to him; the sin, at any rate, far from being casual, was extremely heinous.
You see, if people wish to show regard for their peers, human beings though they are, by offering them the foremost and most select gifts and are concerned to present them with things that seem to them the most precious of all, how is it that Cain, human being that he was, did not feel it necessary in his offering to God to offer him the most precious and most select gifts? Accordingly, even though he was committing such a grave sin and displaying such extreme disregard,
God did not exact vengeance nor did he inflict punishment for what was done; instead, like one friend conversing with another in all gentleness, he thus addressed these words to him, ""Though you have sinned, be at peace.'"* He only showed him his sin and urged him not to go any further.
Since, however, that unfortunate man not only gained nothing from such wonderful forbearance but even added worse crimes to the previous ones and rushed headlong to the slaughter of his brother, God was thus showing extreme longsuffering in his regard by first questioning him and giving him the opportunity for explanation; but as he persisted in his shamelessness, then for the sake of bringing him to his senses God inflicted the punishment that had mingled with it great love on his part.
(5) Do you see how, while in the one case he made allowance for Cain when he sinned against him, even though the sin was not casual, in the other case when he raised his hand against his brother he then applied the punishment and the curse. This is what we too should do in our life, in imitation of our Lord: we should discount sins committed against us and make allowance for those who offend us, whereas when someone makes God the object of attack, then we should invoke punishment. Instead—how, I know not—we do everything in the contrary manner: sins affecting God we are not at all concerned to punish, whereas if some chance offense is committed against us, we turn exacting avengers and prosega Geneasa:
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cutors of that, unaware that by so doing we rather provoke the loving Lord the more so against ourselves. You see, for proof that it is customary with God to make allowance frequently for sins committed against himself but to punish with exceeding severity those sins we commit against our neighbor, listen to the words of blessed Paul: "If someone has a nonbelieving wife, and she is happy to be living with him, let him not set her aside. And if a woman has a non-believing husband, and he is happy to be living with her, let her not set him aside." Do you see the extent of the considerateness?
Even if he is a pagan, even if he is a non-believer, yet accepts the marital situation, she is not to reject him. Further, "Even if your wife happens to be a pagan, even if she is a nonbeliever and yet wants to live with you, [232] don't drive her off.
After all," he says, "how do you know, woman, if you will save your husband, and how do you know, husband, if you will save your wife?"® See how there is no problem about a person's accepting an unbelieving husband or wife in a marital partnership. Listen further, however, to Christ's words to his disciples: "I say to you that everyone who puts aside his wife except on the score of infidelity causes her to commit adultery."° What an extraordinary degree of loving kindness!
Even if the wife is a non-believer, he is saying, or a pagan, yet accepts the marital situation, accept her; but if she sins against you and forgets her marriage vows and prefers association with others, you may send her away and reject her.
(6) So with these thoughts in mind let us for our part make a return to the Lord for his favor to us, and as he is prepared to make allowances for offenses against him while exacting vengeance for those against us, and with great severity, in just the same way let us, too, behave; let us pass over what offenses our neighbor commits against us, but what he directs
4. 1 Cor 7.12—13.
5. 1 Cor 7.16, with an introduction of Chrysostom's own, perhaps in place of v. 15 stating the 'Pauline privilege,' without which v. 16 fails to have the force intended by Paul. Yet Chrysostom then goes on to quote Christ in support of that dispensation, somewhat against the sense of the gospel passage.
6. Matt 5.32.
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against God let us take great pains to exact vengeance for.
This, after all, will bring us, too, the greatest benefit, and will be of no little help to those undergoing correction.
(7) Perhaps our introduction today had been extended to great length. What is to become of me? It wasn't deliberately that I went to this extreme; I was carried away with the flow of the sermon. Since, however, all our talk has been concerned with the deluge, we needed to show your good selves that even the punishments sent by God are rather acts of loving kindness than punishments, and so too therefore was the deluge. I mean, like a kind father he arranges everything in his care for our kind. But for you to learn both from what has now been proposed to you and from what was read today the magnitude of his loving kindness, listen to the very words of the Holy Scriptures: after blessed Moses taught us yesterday in these words, that "the water was at flood level on the earth for a hundred and fifty days'"' (that being the point, remember, our instruction had reached), he says today, "God was mindful of Noe, and of all the wild animals, all the cattle, all the birds and all the reptiles that were with him in the ark."® (8) Notice once again, I ask you, the considerateness of Sacred Scripture: "God was mindful," it says. Let us take what is said, dearly beloved, in a sense befitting God, and not interpret the concreteness of the expressions from the viewpoint of the limitations of our human condition. I mean, as far as that ineffable essence is concerned, the word is improper; but as far as our limitations are concerned, the expression is made appropriately. "God was mindful of Noe," the text says. You see, since it had narrated to us in what was said already, as we taught your good selves previously, that the rain fell for forty days and forty nights, and for a hundred and fifty days it remained at the same level reaching fifteen cubits above the mountains, and that while this was happening, the just man happened to be in the ark, unable even to enjoy a breath of fresh air, with all the brute beasts living with H. Gen 7.24.
8. Gen 8.1.
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him, consequently it says, "God was mindful of Noe." What is the meaning of "mindful"? It means God took pity on the just man living in the ark, had mercy on him for the straitened conditions in which he found himself, reduced as he was to such helplessness and uncertain as to what extreme his difficulties would extend. I mean, consider, I ask you, what thoughts he was entertaining after [233] the forty days and forty nights during which the flood of water poured down, seeing as he did the waters remaining at the same level for a hundred and fifty days and not subsiding' in the slightest; what was even more distressing, the fact that he was unable to see what was happening with his own eyes, since he was shut in, and because unable to gauge with his eyesight the extent of the disaster he suffered the greater distress and imagined worse things each day. I for my part, however, am amazed how he wasn't overwhelmed by coming to a realization of the destruction of the human race, his own isolation and that difficult style of existence. Still, the cause of all these advantages he enjoyed was his faith in God, through which he kept up his spirits and bore everything without resentment, so that he was nourished by hope and felt no effect of these troubles.
(g) So, since he had made whatever effort he was capable of, had given evidence of endurance, and brought his faith to bear in generous measure in displaying great bravery, notice the good God's great love for him. "God was mindful of Noe," the text says. It did not simply say, "He was mindful;" instead, since Sacred Scripture had previously made clear to us the testimony to the just man paid by God in the words,
""Board the ark, because I have found you to be law-abiding by comparison with your contemporaries, "? consequently it now says, "God was mindful of Noe." That is to say, he remembered the testimony he had paid him and did not long neglect the just man; rather, he showed his longsuffering as long as Noe could bear, and then regaled him with favor from himself. You see, he knows the limitations of our nature, and 9, Geniqas
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when he lets us endure some trial, he allows it to continue for as long as he knows we can endure it so that he may also grant us reward commensurate with our fortitude and give evidence of his characteristic love, as Paul too says, "God, however, is faithful in not allowing you to be tested beyond your capabilities but in providing also with the trial a way out of it so that you can endure it."!° Since therefore this just man too displayed fortitude and endurance, putting up with confinement in the ark through faith in God, "God was mindful of Noe," the text says. Then, as index of the depths of his loving kindness Sacred Scripture added, "and of all the wild beasts, all the cattle, all the birds and all the reptiles that were with him in the ark."
(10) See how he did everything out of his esteem for the human being: as in the case of the destruction of human beings in the flood he destroyed also along with them the whole range of brute beasts, so in this case too, when he intends to show his characteristic love for the good man out of his regard for him, he extends his goodness to the animal kingdom as well, the wild beasts, the birds and the reptiles.
"God was mindful of Noe," the text says, "and of all the wild beasts, all the cattle and all the reptiles that were with him in the ark. God sent a wind upon the earth, and the water subsided." Being mindful of Noe, the text says, and of those with him in the ark, he directed the flood of water to halt so that little by little he might show his characteristic love and now give the good man a breath of fresh air, free him from the turmoil of his thoughts and restore him to a state of tranquility by granting him the enjoyment of daylight and a breath of fresh air. "God sent [234] a wind upon the earth, and the water subsided. The torrents of the depths and the sluice gates of heaven were shut off."!!
(11) See how it narrates everything to us in human fashion:
"The fountains of the deep and the sluice gates of heaven were shut off," the text says, "and the rain from heaven stopped," as if to say that the Lord decided and once again
10.
1 Cor 10.13.
We Gen! O12:
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the waters kept to their own limits, there was no further flooding, and instead they gradually subsided. "The water gave way and flowed off the earth; the water diminished after a hundred and fifty days."!? What reasoning could ever manage to grasp that? Let it be (God says); the rain stopped, the fountains no longer yielded a flood, and the sluice gates of heaven were shut—how did all this great amount of water subside? Mighty depths were everywhere—so how could this huge flood of water suddenly become less? Who could ever manage to solve this by human reasoning? So what can you say? It was God's direction that achieved it all. Accordingly, let us not pry into the secret; let us simply take it on faith that he gave the command and the depths became shallow, he issued his direction and once again they checked their onset and respected their own limits which the Lord alone knew.
"On the twenty seventh day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. The water continued to diminish until the tenth month; on the first day of the tenth month the mountain peaks became visible."!* Notice how suddenly the change took place and how far the waters subsided so that the ark could come to rest on the mountains.
Previously, you remember, Scripture had said that the water level reached fifteen cubits above the mountains, whereas now it says that the ark came to rest upon Mount Ararat, and then the water gradually diminished until the tenth month, and then in the tenth month the mountain peaks became visible.
(12) Consider, I ask you, the just man's equanimity, how he managed to keep his head for so many months, shut in though he was as if in complete darkness. "After the forty days," the text goes on, "Noe opened the window in the ark he had made and sent out the raven to see if the water had
12. Gen 8.3. Despite his insistence on akribeia, Chrysostom does not risk entering into discussion of the divergent statements of the duration of the Flood—being unable, of course, to envisage diversity of sources in one narrative.
13. Gen 8.4—5; not unexpectedly in this composite narrative, discrepancies emerge in the texts of Chrysostom, other LXX and Hebrew MSS in the time references, here and elsewhere.
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subsided."!* See the good man not yet daring to see for himself; instead, he sent out the raven with the intention of finding out through it whether some encouraging transformation could be expected. "It flew off," the text goes on, "but did not come back before the water was dried up from the earth."! Sacred Scripture added the word "before," not because it did come back later, but because this is a peculiarity of Sacred Scripture. You would often come across this feature, and we could locate many such examples and bring them to your attention; lest, however, you learn everything from us and become slack in your interest, we will leave it to you to study Scripture and discover where it employs these peculiar usages. But for the present we need to explain the reason why the bird didn't come back. Perhaps, with the waters subsiding, the bird, being unclean, happened upon corpses of men and beasts and, finding nourishment to its liking, stayed there—something that proved to be no little sign of hope and encouragement for the just man. I mean, if that weren't the case and he didn't gain any comfort, it would have come back.
(13) For proof of this, at this point the just man, with expectation enkindled, next sends out the dove, a tame yet friendly bird characterized by great gentleness, with no other diet than seeds, [235] being numbered as it is among the clean birds. "He sent out the dove from him," the text says,
"to see if the water had subsided from the face of the earth.
The dove found no rest for its feet and came back to him in the ark, because water covered the whole face of the earth."!®
It is worth examining at this point how previously Sacred Scripture said that the mountain peaks had become visible, but now says that the dove found nowhere to rest and came back to him in the ark, because water covered the whole face of the earth. Let us read the verse with precision, and we will know the reason. It did not simply say, remember, "It found no rest," but added, "for its feet," to teach us that even if the 14. Gen 8.6—7.
15. Gen 8.7b. The LXX differs from the Hebrew of v. 7.
16. Gen 8.8—9.
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water had partly subsided and the mountain peaks had become visible, still from the abundance of water even the very mountain peaks were muddy or were covered with a muddy slime. Hence the dove was neither able to perch anywhere nor successful in finding food to its liking, so it turned back, teaching the just man by its return that there was still a great flood. "Stretching out his hand," the text goes on, "he grasped it and pulled it in to him in the ark." Do you see the extent of the bird's gentleness, how it returned and by its coming taught the just man to display still some little patience?
Hence, the text goes on, "he contained himself for seven days more before sending out the dove from the ark: the dove came back to him towards evening carrying a dry olive twig in its mouth." It is not idly or to no purpose that the phrase
"towards evening" occurs here; instead, it is for us to learn that the bird, that had been feeding all day and had found some suitable food, came back in the evening carrying a dry olive twig in its mouth. That is the kind of creature it is, you see, tame and always looking for company—hence, of course, it turned back and by means of the dry olive twig brought the just man great consolation.
(14) But perhaps someone might say: where did it find the olive twig? While the whole incident happened through God's design, both its discovery and the dove's taking it.in its mouth and going back again to the just man, yet in this particular case as well that tree is evergreen and it is likely that with the subsidence of the waters the tree still had the foliage on its branches. "He contained himself," the text says, "a further seven days before sending out the dove, which did not proceed to return to him again."!* See the just man through every event receiving sufficient encouragement; just as he had sound hopes at the bird's return, bringing the olive twig in its mouth, so now too its departure to return no more pro17. Gen 8.10-11Aa.
18. Gen 8.12, in the LXX's literal rendering of the Hebrew idiom (cf. 4.2).
It is noteworthy that Chrysostom has thus omitted v. 11b of the LXX and Hebrew, "Noe knew that the water had subsided from the earth," perhaps to avoid a suggestion of superfluity in v. 12.
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vided him with a forceful proof of its finding great satisfaction and of the complete subsidence of the waters.
(15) The text goes on, "In the first month of the six hundred and first year of Noe's life the water left the face of the earth. Noe opened the roof of the ark he had made and saw that the water had left the face of the earth."!* Here once again I am forced to marvel and be amazed at the just man's virtue and God's loving kindness; how could it be, tell me, that in exposing himself to the fresh air and raising his eyes to the sight of heaven he was not blinded and did not lose the sight of his eyes? You are well aware, of course, that this is a particularly common affliction [236] with people who live in dark and gloomy places, if only for a-short time in the day, and suddenly decide to look up at the source of light. This just man, on the contrary, lived in the ark as if in complete darkness for an entire year and so many months, and now suddenly looked at the source of light without suffering any such affliction. God's love, you see, came with the endurance granted him, also supplying strength to the body's senses and making them superior to bodily needs. "By the twenty seventh day of the tenth month the land had dried."*° It is not idly that Sacred Scripture shows such precision: it is for us to learn that by the stage of one day of that year when the just man's endurance was demonstrated the purpose had been fulfilled and the purification of the whole world had been achieved.
(16) Then, when all creation was cleansed as if of some blemish, removing all defilement caused in it by people's wickedness, and its countenance was made resplendent, then finally he directed the just man to disembark from the ark and freed him from that awful prison in the words, "Then the Lord God said to Noe, 'Disembark, you and your sons, your wife and your sons' wives with you, as well as all flesh, from birds to cattle; take off with you every reptile that crawls upon the earth, and increase and multiply on the earth.'"?! ig. Gen 8.13, with a further instance of disparity in counting.
20. Gen 8.14.
21. Gen 8.15-17.
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Notice God's goodness, how in everything he encourages the good man: after ordering him to disembark from the ark along with his sons, his wife, his sons' wives and all the wild animals, then lest great discouragement should gradually overtake him by this further development and he become anxious at the thought that he would be on his own, dwelling alone in such a vast expanse of earth, with no one else existing, God first said, Disembark from the ark, and take off everything with you, and then added, "'Increase and multiply on the earth.'" See how once again this good man receives that former blessing which Adam had received before the Fall: just as he heard when he was created, "'God blessed them in the words, 'Increase and multiply, and gain dominion over the earth,'"?? so too this man now hears the words, "'Increase and multiply on the earth.'" In other words, just as the former man became the beginning and root of all creatures before the deluge, so too this just man becomes a kind of leaven, beginning and root of everything after the deluge.
From this point on, what is comprised in the make-up of human beings takes its beginning, and the whole of creation recovers its proper order, both the soil reawakening to productivity as well as everything else that had been created for the service of human beings.
(17) The text goes on, "Noe disembarked along with his wife, his sons and his sons' wives; and all the animals, all the cattle, every species of bird and reptile crawling upon the earth disembarked from the ark."*5 According to the Lord's direction, the text says, he disembarked from the ark with everything else after receiving the blessing in the words, "'Increase and multiply.'" From then on the just man was living alone in the whole earth along with his wife, his children and their wives. As soon as he disembarks he expresses his own gratitude, and offers thanks to his Lord both for what had happened and for what lay ahead. But if you don't mind, to avoid the risk of lengthening this sermon, let us put off till next time [237] the account of the just man's gratitude and 22Gelmeo2s:
23. Gen 8.18-19.
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bring the sermon to a close at this point, exhorting your good selves to keep this just man constantly in mind, get to know precisely the beauty of his virtue and become imitators of him. After all, consider, I ask you, how great was the wealth of his virtue from the fact that now for so many days we have been telling his story without even now being able to bring to a close our treatment of him. Why do I say bring to a close?
No matter how much we say, we can never reach an end; rather, even if we could say a great deal, even if those coming after could, we would never be in a position to say the last word—such is the nature of the virtue! You see, provided we are willing, this man will be able to instruct all our fellows and lead us all on to the imitation of virtue. I mean, since this just man, even despite living his life amongst such wicked people and being unable to find any soul-mate, was still found to have attained such an extraordinary measure of virtue, what excuse would there be for us who have had no such obstacles and yet are so indifferent about its practice? In other words, don't quote me only his life for those five hundred years and the fact that he lived as the object of scorn and ridicule by the practitioners of evil, but also his existence in the ark. That year, after all, seems to me equivalent to all the previous time; the just man was obliged to endure such terrible hardship there, finding himself in such straitened circumstances, unable to get a breath of fresh air, putting up with life amongst brute beasts and wild animals, and demonstrating through it all the firmness of his resolve, the resoluteness of his decision, and the faith in God he displayed, by means of which he bore everything without resentment or complaint."* It was, of course, because of the fact that he brought all his own resources to bear that he enjoyed also the assistance coming from God in abundance. You see, even if he had to put up with the claustrophobia of life in the ark, nevertheless he escaped the terrible flood and that utter devastation.
24. It is for his moral value that Noe is such a significant figure for Chrysostom, monopolizing the Genesis commentary for nine homilies. See
FOTC 74, Introduction (13) and (17).
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(18) Hence, after that confinement and intolerable imprisonment, he enjoyed both security and freedom from care, and was accorded commendation by God; in turn he discharged his debt of gratitude in deed, and everywhere you will find the first fruits offered by him. As he had made virtue his practice all his life and steered clear of the wickedness of others, and thus did not feel with them the effects of punishment but was alone preserved when all others drowned, so likewise, since he had brought to bear great faith and endured his life in the ark with thankfulness, blessings from God followed in great abundance: once he disembarked from the ark and was restored to his former lifestyle, immediately he was accorded commendation and in turn demonstrated his own gratitude by giving thanks as far as possible, and thus he was granted further blessings from the loving God. You see, this is God's way, when some trifling menial offering has been made by us, yet because we have made it, he showers upon us gifts in abundance. To learn both the extent of human niggardliness and your Lord's prodigality, give your attention, I ask you, to this present case. I mean, if we want to offer anything, what can we do so worthwhile as to give thanks through words? What comes from him he discharges in actions for our benefit. So what comparison is there between [238] actions and words? After all, our Lord, being protected from need, has no need of anything from us except words; he requires this very expression of thanks in words, not because he personally needs it but to teach us to be grateful and recognize the provider of good things.
(19) Hence Paul too said in his letter, "Be thankful;'25 our Lord looks for nothing from us so much as this practice. Accordingly, let us not be ungrateful, nor allow ourselves to be beneficiaries of his action while showing reluctance to offer thanks to the Lord in word; after all, once more it is to us that the benefit accrues. You see, if we prove thankful in the first instance, we will guarantee a surge of confidence about gaining for ourselves even greater benefits. Only, I beseech
hess se
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boo you, each day and hour, if it is possible, let us set our minds not only on the common benefits granted by the Creator of all to the whole human race but also those supplied to us privately and individually. Why say those supplied to us privately and individually? Even for those benefits conferred on us in our ignorance let us be thankful. You see, since he is concerned for our salvation, he blesses us in many ways of which we are unaware, often rescues us from perils and confers other blessings upon us. In other words, he is a spring of loving kindness and never ceases providing streams from that source for mankind. So if we keep this in mind and show zeal both in offering thanks to the Lord for his original favors and in preparing ourselves for future favors in such a way that we do not seem to be unworthy of blessings from him, we will be in a position to give evidence of an impeccable lifestyle and avoid the experience of evil. The memory of his blessings will be a sufficient instructor for us in a lifestyle characterized by virtue, and will never allow us to fall victim to indifference and forgetfulness and slip into wickedness.
You see, the soul that is alert and on the lookout demonstrates its gratitude not only when things go swimmingly but also when some unfavorable turn of events develops; then it offers equal thanks, not at all enervated by the change in circumstances but rather strengthened by it in the thought of the unspeakable love of God, who having no lack of resources or inventiveness is able even in unfavorable circumstances to demonstrate his concern, even if we are unable to come to a precise understanding of the situation.
(20) Accordingly, let us manage the affairs that affect us. in such a way, no matter how things work out, that we make it our one concern to thank him constantly for everything. This is the reason, after all, that we have been made rational creatures and in this we differ from the irrational, that we should offer to the Creator of everything praise, honor and constant glory. His purpose in breathing life into us and giving us the power of speech was that we might have an awareness of the favors done us by him, recognize his lordship, demonstrate our gratitude and offer thanks to the Lord according to our
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ability. You see, if people who share the same nature as ourselves render us some mean and paltry favor and frequently require thanks for the trouble they have gone to, not for the sake of our gratitude but that they themselves may gain greater recognition from the affair, so much the more ought we show gratitude to a greater extent in the case of the loving
God, whose only interest in this being done is our benefit.
[239] I mean, just as in the case of human beings the thanks offered to benefactors redounds to their credit, so in the case of the loving God whenever we make such an offering it redounds to our credit, not because he wants the offering to be made out of a need of praise from us but with a view to the gain accruing to us once again and our rendering ourselves eligible for greater assistance. You see, even if we are unable to do this worthily—how could we, after all, invested as we are with such natural limitations? Why speak of human nature? Not even the incorporeal and invisible powers themselves, the powers and authorities, the Cherubim and the Seraphim are able to offer praise and thanksgiving worthily.
(21) Stull, it would be proper to offer thanks according to our ability and constantly glorify our Lord by means of both praise in word and a virtuous lifestyle. This, you see, is the kind of praise that would be particularly telling, when we offer our worship on countless tongues. I mean, the virtuous person leads all of those seeing him to sing the Lord's praises; and praise from them wins for the person providing the occasion great favor beyond all telling from the Lord. So what could be a more fortunate lot than our own if we were in a position of not simply glorifying the good God ourselves with our own tongue but also of stirring many of our fellows to his praise in addition to ourselves? Such, you see, is the force of virtue, that it is able to praise the Creator with countless tongues. In other words, dearly beloved, nothing could be compared with a virtuous lifestyle. Hence the Lord too said,
"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.'"26 Do
26. Matt 5.16.
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you see how, just as the light by shining dispels the darkness, so too virtue, when seen, puts evil to flight and by dispelling the darkness of deceit moves the minds of onlookers to praise? Accordingly we ought to exert ourselves to let our good works shine so as to give glory to our Lord. Christ said this, however, not for us to do something by way of display—
God forbid—but that we may by a lifestyle characterized by exactness and meeting with his approval provide no occasion of blasphemy to anyone but may through the performance of good deeds encourage onlookers to glorify the God of all.
Then, you see, then we will win favor from him to a greater extent and be in a position both to avoid evil and to come into possession of those ineffable blessings, thanks to the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power and honor, now and forever, for ages of ages. Amen.