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"Now, Noe had three sons, Shem, Cham, Japheth. Now, the earth was corrupt in God's eyes, and was filled with lawlessness."
HE [206] BENEFIT THAT CAME to us from the good man Noe's genealogy yesterday was not by chance: we
#4) recognized the unusual style of a genealogy, and we saw the good man's praise sung not for the celebrity of his forebears but for the virtue of his own behavior, because of which he also received such a wonderful testimony from Sacred Scripture. "Noe was a just person," it said, remember;
"he was faultless by comparison with his contemporaries. Noe pleased God."? We concentrated all yesterday's instruction, you recall, on those brief words. It is, after all, the nature of the divine sayings to reveal great riches of thought in a few words, and to bestow untold treasure on those endeavoring to make a precise study of them. Hence, of course, I beseech you, let us never pass heedlessly by the contents of Sacred
Scripture, but even if it is a list of names or an outline of history let us descry carefully the treasure hidden there. For this reason, after all, Christ himself said, "Search the Scriptures."* The sense of what is written cannot be discovered on the surface at any point but requires of us careful study if nothing of what is concealed in its depths is to escape our
1. Gen 6.10-11.
2. Gen 6.9.
3. John 5.39—something of a manifesto for Chrysostom and his school, who, unlike the Alexandrian tendency to use the scriptural text as a point of departure, instead stay with the text and subject it to close scrutiny, going below the surface to see what is concealed in its depths, as Chrysostom so often claims. For the difference between the two schools, see D. S. WallaceHadrill's essay, "The Interpretation of the Biblical Record" in his Christian
Antioch (Cambridge, 1982), ch. 2.
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notice. Now, if the mere naming of our nature—I mean the word "human being" (Gvdewsmos)—provided the occasion of so much benefit yesterday, how much advantage will we gain if we approach the matters in Scripture with attention and alert mind?
(2) We have, you see, a loving Lord, and when he sees us anxious to learn and demonstrating a keen appetite for understanding the divine sayings, he doesn't allow us to want for anything; instead, he immediately enlightens our thinking, bestows illumination from himself, and in his inventive wisdom he implants in our soul the whole of his trustworthy instruction. Hence, to encourage us to this practice and render us more enthusiastic, he declared worthy of blessing those who give evidence of such keen appetite when he said,
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, because they shall have their fill."* See the wisdom in the instruction: he did not merely encourage through the blessing, but also in the phrase, "those who hunger and thirst after righteousness," he taught his listeners the great degree of enthusiasm with which they ought proceed to the study of the spiritual sayings. In other words, he is saying, just as those under the impulse of hunger hurry to food with unheard of enthusiasm, and those burning with great thirst come to drink with alacrity, in just the same way ought we, like people starving and thirsting, come to spiritual instruction. [207]
Such people, you see, not only prove worthy of blessing but also secure the object of their desire. "They will have their fill," Scripture says, after all—that is, they will be filled: they will fulfil their spiritual desire. Since, therefore, we have such a Lord, so good, so generous, come now, let us have recourse to him and win favor from him so that he may out of fidelity to his own loving kindness enlighten our thinking with a view to discerning the force of the Holy Scriptures, while you for your part should with great enthusiasm, like people starving and thirsting, receive the spiritual teaching. After all, even though we are lowly and of no account, perhaps the good
4. Matt 5.6.
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Lord, anxious as he is to help, will take steps for your sake and for your salvation to provide us with a sermon in opening our mouth for his glory and your edification. Accordingly let us direct all our effort to securing grace from on high, invoke the one who gives understanding to the blind and helps the tongue of the mute speak distinctly, and expound the text read just now so that whatever he supplies out of fidelity to his own loving kindness we may be able to put before your good selves.
(3) But give me your full attention, I beseech you, and attend carefully to what is said, putting aside all your worldly concerns so that we may be able to sow our spiritual seed, as it were, in a rich and productive pasture, all weeds and thorns uprooted. "Now, these are the generations of Noe," the text reads. "Noe was a just man; he was faultless by comparison with his contemporaries. Noe pleased God."® Yesterday the presentation of our teaching came to a close at this point; so we need to put what remains before you. "Now, Noe had three sons, Shem, Cham, Japheth."® It was not without purpose that Sacred Scripture indicated to us both the period of time and the number of the good man's sons: in this case too it wanted obliquely to bring out the extraordinary degree of his great virtue. Having said above that "Noe was five hundred years old,"" it then added, "He had three sons," teaching us the surpassing greatness of his continence, and this despite the fact that all the people of the time gave themselves up to such incontinence and gave evidence of much lechery, and all his contemporaries rushed headlong into evil. I mean, listen to the words of Sacred Scripture: "Now, the Lord saw that the vices of human beings were multiplied on the earth, and everyone gave themselves up wholly to pondering evil from their youth,"® clearly showing us that young people surpassed
5. Gen 6.9.
6. Gen 6.10.
7. Gen 5.32.
8. Gen 6.5, with an individual final phrase replacing "day in day out" as in Chrysostom's previous quotation of the standard LXX text of this verse in Homily 22—hardly a surprising "lapse" for a preacher in such a lengthy quotation, but index again that these homilies were in fact delivered and not simply composed for delivery.
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their superiors in age and the elderly proved by no means inferior to the young in folly, and that the age of innocence demonstrated strong inclination to evil.
(4) So Scripture's purpose is that we may learn how the good man remained alone in fighting the battle of temperance, not to mention his other virtues, while all others displayed great frenzy and fury, until he reached the age of five hundred. You see, after saying, "Noe was five hundred years old," it then adds, "Noe had three sons." Do you see, dearly beloved, the good man's extraordinary temperance? I mean, surely we won't heedlessly pass these matters by; let us instead consider that period of time and the wickedness that surfaced in the whole human race on account of extreme indifference, and notice the degree of virtue and reverence for God that distinguished him in restraining the impulse of desire over such a long period of time, [208] going contrary to everyone else and refraining not only from illicit association but also from what was customary and in fact above reproach. Scripture says, "Noe had three sons, Shem, Cham and Japheth.
Now, the earth was corrupt in God's eyes, and was filled with lawlessness." It seems to me the good man was responding to God's plan in both refraining from association at this time and also having these children. I mean, since disaster was about to overwhelm the world on account of the extent of wickedness and the surpassing evil, the loving God by contrast wanted to let the good man survive like some root or leaven so that in the wake of the world's destruction he might be the beginning of people destined to appear later. For this reason he had three children after five hundred years and stopped at that, showing through this conduct that he had acted in accord with the loving kindness which God would show to the human race.
(5) For proof that these words are no idle conjecture, consider the precision of Scripture: when it said that the good man had three sons, it immediately added, "Now, the earth was corrupt in God's eyes, and was filled with lawlessness."
Do you see the important distinction being made, beyond all telling, between people of the same nature? I mean, while in
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the case of the good man Scripture said, "Noe was a just man, faultless by comparison with his contemporaries," in the case of all the rest it said, "Now, the earth was corrupt in God's eyes, and was filled with lawlessness." It calls the crowd of human beings by the name of the earth. You see, since all their doings were in fact earthly, consequently he implies their lowliness and the excess of their wickedness by the name of the earth. I mean, just as in the case of the firstformed, after his Fall and the loss of the glory that enveloped him previously, God said in submitting him to the punishment of death, "'Earth you are, and to earth you are to return,'"® in just the same way here too, since the intensity of their wickedness was extreme, the text says, "Now, the earth was corrupt."
It did not simply say, "Now the earth was corrupt," but, "in God's eyes, and it was filled with lawlessness." By saying, "It was corrupt," it suggested all their wickedness. I mean, we can't say that they rendered themselves guilty of one or two sins; rather, they committed every crime with reckless abandon—hence it added, "and the earth was filled with lawlessness." Not idly or by chance did they make evil their practice; instead, they gave evidence of every sin with utter fanaticism.
See how for the future it refuses to allow them even the slightest memory but calls them by the name of the earth, highlighting both the excess of their evil and also the magnitude of God's anger. "Now, the earth was corrupt," the text says, "in God's eyes," that is, their whole behavior was at variance with God's directions, going contrary to God's commands and betraying through their own indifference the teaching implanted in their human nature. "And the earth was filled with lawlessness," the text says.
(6) Do you see, dearly beloved, how great an evil sin is, how it even renders human beings unworthy of being called by their own name in future? Listen further to what follows:
"The Lord God saw that the earth was utterly corrupt."!? See again their being called earth. Then, after calling them earth once, twice and a third time, lest anyone make the mistake of 9. Geni3 10:
10. Gen 6.12.
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thinking this was said of the material earth the text goes on, "because all flesh had utterly corrupted their ways upon earth." Even here it did not deign to call them human beings; rather, its intention is by using only the name "flesh" to indicate to us that these remarks are not made about the earth but about people, clad as they are in flesh and expending their energies in earthly pursuits. You see, it is the habit of Scripture, as we often say to your good selves, [209] to give the name "flesh" to those who exhibit a carnal way of thinking and never set their sights on anything lofty, as Paul also says,
"Now, those who are in the flesh are incapable of pleasing God."'! Why is that? Is not the speaker himself clad in flesh?
He doesn't mean, however, that those clad in flesh are incapable of pleasing God—rather, those who put no store by virtue but whose thoughts are totally carnal and who are caught up in pleasures of that kind, paying no attention to their soul, incorporeal and intellectual as it is. Sacred Scripture therefore taught us through these words the great number of their sins, the excess of their wickedness, the awful degree of God's anger, and the fact that on account of their studious attention to illicit behavior Scripture called them earth once, twice and a third time and gave them the name flesh, removing from them the name of the nature they shared in common, and demonstrating through the sequel God's ineffable love for us and the extraordinary degree of his considerateness. What in fact does it say? "God said to Noe."!?
(7) See the surpassing extent of his goodness; like one friend with another he now shares with the good man word of the punishment he is about to inflict on the human race, and says, "'In my view the whole human race has reached its limit, in so far as the earth is filled with lawlessness on their account. Lo, I am going to destroy them and the earth.'"
What does that mean, "'In my view the whole human race has reached its limit'"? I have shown extreme longsuffering, he is saying, not wanting to inflict the punishment I have in mind to inflict; but since the great excess of their sins brought
11. Rom 8.8.
12. Gen 6.13.
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them to the very limit, a stop must now be put to it and their wickedness halted lest it get right out of hand. The text says, remember, "'In my view the whole human race has reached its limit.'
See here too how, as he said before, "everyone ponders,'"'!3 so too in this case, " 'the whole human race.'" In other words, everyone is in agreement, they were hell-bent on lawlessness, he is saying, and it is impossible to find in all that crowd anyone setting any value on virtue. "'In my view,'" the text says, remember, "'the whole human race has reached its limits.'" "'The limit,'" that is, the limit has been passed when the blow had to fall and the spread of the ulcer had to be checked. "'In my view the whole human race has reached its limits,'" just as if there were no one taking notice, and no one likely to require an account of their sins, they gave themselves up to illicit behavior, not considering that it is impossible to escape my notice, the one who has bestowed upon them their existence, favored them with body and soul, and supplied them with an abundance of so many good things. Accordingly, "'in my view the whole human race has reached its limits.' "
(8) Then, as if to offer the good man an explanation and show that the excess of their sins provokes him to such anger, he says, "'in so far as the earth is filled with lawlessness on their account.'" That is to say, surely they've neglected nothing, he means, that could induce them to wickedness? They had given evidence of such extremes that their wickedness then erupted and filled the whole earth with evil. This, to be sure, is the reason I am destroying them and the earth. "'Lo,
I am going to destroy them and the earth," he says. Since they had anticipated their own destruction through their lawless behavior, accordingly I call down on them utter ruin and bring into effect their disappearance and the earth with them, so that the earth may be able to gain some purification and be cleared of the filth of so many sins.
(9) Consider, I ask you, [210] the kind of spirit this good man was probably in at that point as he heard this from the 13. Gen 6.5.
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Lit Lord. I mean, even if he was aware of his own great virtue, nevertheless he did not receive the news without sorrow.
After all, good people are a kindly lot, and they would readily put up with anything for the sake of other people's salvation.
So how could it be otherwise than that this remarkable man was distressed at these words to ponder already in his mind the universal destruction and the annihilation of the whole of creation, perhaps even without a suspicion of some brighter prospect for himself? You see, at this stage nothing was yet clear to him. Lest therefore his thoughts be completely disturbed and he be unable to pluck some little comfort from amidst all this immensity of depression, God, after teaching him the excess of their wickedness and that the time was now fast approaching for requiring them to undergo a profound setback, said to him, Whereas ruin will overtake them all alike, "'you, on the contrary, make for yourself an ark.'""
What is the meaning of "'you, on the contrary'"? Since you have had no part in their evil but have rather pursued your whole life in a virtuous way, accordingly I direct you to build an ark for yourself "'of hewn timber, freshly cut. You will make cabins in the ark, and you will cover it with pitch inside and out. It is to be three hundred cubits long, five hundred wide and three hundred high. You will gather material to make the ark, and round it off a cubit from the top, making a door on the sides and building two or three decks below the waterline.' "!° (10) Notice God's considerateness, his ineffable power and his love beyond all telling. His care for the good man emerges in various ways—in directing him to build the ark for himself, in instructing him how to build it, its breadth, its height; he lavishes upon him the greatest encouragement, suggesting to him his hopes of salvation in building the ark and wanting those guilty of such awful sins to be brought by the building
14. Gen 6.14.
15. Gen 6.1416, with some departures from the Hebrew by the LXX in places, resulting in at least one nonsense phrase, as if the unusual Hebrew word was mistaken for another. The LXX ship is a hundred times the Hebrew one (which Speiser estimates at 43,000 tons), a veritable super-tanker.
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of the ark to an awareness of their conduct and to come to a change of heart without experiencing his anger. I mean, it was no brief time that was offered them on this further occasion for a change of heart by means of the building of the ark; it was very lengthy, sufficient (had they not been unresponsive) for them to stoop to a correction of their faults. You see, the chances were that each of them, on seeing the good man constructing the ark, would be ashamed of his responsibility for the work; then, on realizing God's anger, they would come to an awareness of their own sins, provided they were ready to do so. But these people did not even gain anything from the incident, not because it was beyond them but because their wills were set against it.
(11) Accordingly, after God had given the good man instructions about building the ark, he shared with him also the secret of the kind of punishment he was due to inflict on them, and said, You build it as I have directed, while I for my part will arrange things securely in your regard when you complete the building. "'For my part, however—lo, I am about to bring a flood of water upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which there is a breath of life under heaven: whatever is on earth will perish.'"!® See how through this threat, too, he shows them the magnitude of their sins by saying, I will inflict this punishment on rational and irrational creatures alike. I mean, since they had forfeited their preeminence and had reverted to the behavior of brutes, there would be no difference in the punishment: "'I am about to bring [211] a flood of water to destroy all flesh in which there is a breath of life under heaven.'" Cattle, birds, beasts, fourfooted creatures—everything under heaven will be destroyed. That you may learn that nothing would be spared, he says, " 'Whatever is on the earth will perish.'" The world now needs purifying, you see, but don't let this disturb you or unsettle your mind; seeing the incurable condition of the ulcer, I must stem the flow of evil lest they render themselves liable to worse punishments. Hence even in this instance, out of fidelity to my own
16. Gen 6.17.
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loving kindness and tempering my anger with goodness, I am applying this punishment in a way that will be painless and not felt by them. You see, it is not that I am ignoring the magnitude of their sins nor what they in fact deserve; rather,
I am looking ahead to later developments, and thus I want to impose a fitting punishment on these people and _ protect from harm those who follow in the future.
(12) So don't be downcast or be afraid when you hear this; even if they are overtaken by a penalty suited to their crime, yet "'I will make my covenant with you.'"!" Since all your predecessors rendered themselves unworthy and did not prove to have the right attitude to my commands, it is with you I will now make my covenant. The first formed human being, despite so many kindnesses, fell victim to deceit and broke my commands, and the son born to him fell in turn into the same abyss of wickedness, so he too received everlasting punishment in the curse imposed on him. Yet not even his punishment brought those coming after him to their senses; instead, they sinned with such wild abandon as to be declared unworthy of their forebears. Later, of course, I found Enoch preserving the features of virtuous living, and so on account of the great satisfaction he achieved in my sight I took him away elsewhere while still living so as to show others who practice virtue the extent of the rewards they are accorded, and out of a wish that people in future would be imitators of him and follow in his footsteps. So, since everyone is now wholly involved in wickedness and I have found you alone amidst all this throng capable of reversing the transgression of your first parents, it is with you I will make my covenant. After all, the conduct of your life shows you to be trustworthy in regard to respect for the commands I have given.
(13) Then, in case that good man should still have misgivings despite hearing all this, being as he would be the only one to survive, God said further, as though to encourage him,
"*You, however, are to board the ark, and with you your sons, your wife and your sons' wives.'" You see, even if these peo17. Gen6:18;
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ple were much inferior to the good man in virtue, nevertheless they did not show the excessive wickedness of the others.
They enjoyed the benefit of salvation on two grounds in particular. Firstly, for their esteem for the good man: it is the loving God's way to show regard for his own servants and in many cases to grant them the favor of other people's salvation, something he did also in the case of blessed Paul, the world's teacher, who spread everywhere the rays of his own teaching. Remember when he was sailing to Rome, a great storm at sea blew up and all on board were afraid of their lives and despaired of any secure hope because of the violence of the deluge; Paul called on them all in these words:
"*Take courage, sirs: there will be no loss of life among you, only the ship. You see, a messenger of the God whom I serve appeared to me this night, [212] saying, Don't be afraid, Paul,
God has done you the favor of saving all your company.'"!® Do you see how the man's virtue had the effect of achieving the salvation of those associates of his? However, it was not merely virtue but also the Lord's loving kindness. In just the same way in the present case also this happened on one account; but it was also on another account, as God wanted some leaven and root to be left of the race that would exist in the future—not because it was impossible for God to fashion humanity all over again and build up the race from a single person, but because he decided in this direction out of fidelity to his own goodness.
(14) Now, notice God's goodness also in the sequel. I mean, as he said in threatening punishment that cattle, reptiles, birds and wild beasts would also perish along with the human race, so too in this instance for the good man's sake he instructed that a pair of each species of these creatures be taken on board the ark so that there would be some seed and foundation for the colonies that would exist later. "'Of all cattle,'" he says, "'of all wild beasts and of all flesh you shall bring two by two into the ark to keep them alive with you; they will include male and female. Of every species of birds
18. Acts 27.22-24.
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of all kinds, of every species of cattle, and of every species of reptiles of all kinds on earth, two by two of them all will come aboard to you, male and female, to be kept alive with you.'"!9
Don't pass this by heedlessly, dearly beloved: have a thought for the great apprehension he caused in the good man at the thought of caring for all these creatures. After all, it wasn't sufficient for him to think of his wife, his sons and their wives; rather, he was also given in addition care and nourishment of so many animals. Wait a while, however, and you will see God's goodness and the way he relieves the concern besetting the good man. "'Now, for your part,'" he says, " 'take a quantity of all the foods you will eat and load them on board with you; they will serve as food for you and them.'"?°
Don't think, he is saying, you have been left uncared for; see, I have given directions for everything necessary for your nourishment and the beasts' fodder to be put on board the ark to save you feeling the effect of hunger, and want, and the beasts perishing through not having suitable fodder.
"ee (15) For proof of the wonderful commendation he was accorded on this account by the Creator of all, listen to what follows: "The Lord God said to Noe, 'Board the ark, you and your household.'"?! Then in order that we may learn that he not only saves the good man but also recompenses him for his efforts and rewards him for his virtue, he says, On that account I direct you to board the ark with your household
"because I have found you to be law-abiding in my view by comparison with your contemporaries.'" A wonderful testimony and worthy of trust: what could be better than when the Creator himself, he who brings everything into being, delivers such a verdict [213] on the just man? "'Because,'" he says, "'I have found you to be law-abiding in my view.'" This is true virtue when one gives evidence of it in the view of God, when that eye that is proof against deceit delivers its verdict. Then the loving God teaches us the criterion of virtue that he applied in that case to the just man (not that he in19. Gen 6.19—20, with minor discrepancies in listing between Hebrew,
LXX and Chrysostom's text.
20. Gen 6.21.
21, Gen7au.
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tends to apply the same criterion of virtue to everyone but rather looks for a different standard of virtue according to different situations), and says, "'because I have found you to be law-abiding in my view by comparison with your contemporaries'" who have reverted to such terrible evil, those wicked contemporaries of yours, who have given evidence of such dreadful ingratitude. "'I have found you to be law-abiding," I have discovered you alone to be grateful, I have found you alone putting much store by virtue; you alone are seen to be law-abiding in my view, all the others going to perdition; you I direct to board the ark with all your household; you I bid to take on board the clean beasts seven by seven. Since he had previously given imprecise directions about taking on board a pair of every creature, he consequently now says, ""The clean beasts seven by seven, the unclean two by two, male and female;'" then to teach us the purpose of this he added, "'to continue life throughout the earth:"** (16) Now, it is worth investigating in this instance and seeing how the good man came to know which animals are clean and which are unclean. I mean, to this point this distinction had never been made which Moses later prescribed for the Jews. So how did he come to know of it? By himself, under the impulse of the teaching implanted in his own nature, and later at the dictate of reason as well. You see, nothing of what was made by God is unclean. I mean, how could we call unclean any of God's creatures, once approval had been bestowed on them from above and Sacred Scripture had declared that "God saw all that he had made and, behold, it was very good."??3 Now, however, nature under its own impulse gave evidence of this distinction. For proof that this is true, consider even now, I ask you, how in some places people abstain from some things as unclean and not customary, while others in their turn partake of them, custom leading them to do so. So in this way in the present case also innate awareness taught the good man what was useful for nourishment, on 22. Gen 7.2-3.
23. Gen 1.31.
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the one hand, and what was unclean, on the other—not in fact but in people's opinion. On what basis, tell me, do we regard the ass as unclean, even though it feeds on nothing but hay, whereas we consider the other kinds of animals suitable for eating even though their food includes unclean items? This is the way the knowledge endowed by God on our nature becomes a teacher in these matters. Otherwise, however, you would have to say that God in giving him the direction also gave him a clear knowledge of these matters.
(17) But we have said enough about clean and unclean things. Now another question raises its head for us: why on earth was he to take the unclean animals two by two, but the clean seven by seven? Why not six or eight, but seven? Perhaps our sermon is being extended to great length; but if your strength hasn't failed and you're still willing, we will also give your good selves a brief instruction on these matters as far as God's grace allows. You see, many people give many fanciful interpretations of these matters and take occasion from them to make observations about numbers. You will very quickly realize, however, that it is a case not of close observation but of [214] men's inopportune meddling endeavoring to come up with things which have formed the basis of most heresies. I mean, for the most part (so that we may be seen from the abundance of evidence to put paid to those adducing arguments from their own reasoning) we find in Sacred Scripture a combination of two retained as the preferred number: when, for instance, he sent the disciples, he sent them two by two, there were twelve of them, the Gospels are four in number. But there is no need for me to go over this ground with your good selves, since you've been taught once before to block your ears to such matters.*4 It is necessary now, however, to say why he ordered the beasts to be embarked seven by seven. While his direction to embark more of the clean beasts was given with a view to encouraging the good man and those with him by reason of their sharing
24. De Montfaucon notes at this point that Chrysostom had good reason to warn his readers against extravagant theories about numbers by people like Philo, Clement of Alexandria, and even Eusebius.
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in the enjoyment of these creatures, the fact of their going seven by seven would likewise have been a wonderful demonstration of the good man's filial reverence for God, if you were ready to study it. I mean, since the loving God was aware of the man's virtue and the fact that being a just man and the recipient of so much loving kindness from the Lord, including his escape from the effects of this terrible deluge, he intended to show his gratitude after being spared that fate and being set free from the constraints of life on the ark by offering sacrifice in thanksgiving for these events and what had happened to him and thus run the risk in so doing of losing a pair of animals, accordingly in his foreknowledge of the good man's attitude of thanksgiving God bade him put on board seven of every species of bird so that once the catastrophe had reached its end he might implement his purpose without impairing the even number of a species or all the birds together.
(18) You will learn this, of course, when the instruction advances further and we arrive at that part of the text; you will then see the good man has done this. As it is, you have learnt the reason why he was directed to embark the animals seven by seven. In future have no patience with those coming up with fanciful interpretations, contradicting Sacred Scripture and setting up notions out of their own head in opposition to the divine teachings. So, after he had given his directions clearly about the birds, about the clean animals and the unclean animals and their feed, he said to the just man, "'After seven more days, behold, I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe off the face of the earth all the life I have made, from human beings to cattle.'"®> Notice, I ask you, in the words spoken at this point the extraordinary degree of his goodness, how in addition to his great longsuffering he now also delivers this forecast seven days ahead out of a wish to bring them to their senses through fear and to lead them to a change of heart.
For proof that his purpose in foretelling was that his words 25. Gen 7.4.
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) might not take effect, consider, I ask you, the Ninevites and consider how great the difference was in the two cases: despite hearing after so many years that disaster was at hand, they did not refrain from wickedness as the Ninevites had.
We are, of course, inclined to be indifferent and to postpone reform when punishment lies in the future; but when we are on the verge of something that can cause us pain, then we are likely to humble ourselves and give evidence of change for the better. That in fact is what happened in the case of the Ninevites; when they heard that "after three days Ninevi will be demolished,"?® not only did they not lose heart but they responded to the warning and practiced such abstinence
[215] from evil and gave evidence of such scrupulous confession as to extend the matter of their confession even to wild animals—not that animals go to confession (how could they, after all, lacking speech as they do?) but with the purpose of winning the good Lord's love in their regard by means of these animals. What I mean is that, as the text says,?" the king's retinue proclaimed a fast and ordered that cattle, beasts and all wild animals should take no food or drink; instead, the whole human race of the time put on sack cloth, including the king seated on his throne, and made long and vehement confession, without being sure that they would escape punishment. They said, you see, ""Who knows if, in fact,
God will change his mind about the harm he said he would do us?'"?8
(19) Do you see pagans' gratitude? do you see how not even the shortage of time led them to be sluggish or made them lose heart? Notice also the people in the present text, who after so great a number of years heard that the deluge would come in seven days and yet were not converted like the Ninevites but rather were unaffected by any condition conducive to confessing that "our own choice was responsible for all
26. Jonah 3.4, where the LXX has three days in place of the Hebrew forty, perhaps (as De Montfaucon suggests) through confusion with the celebrated three day period Jonah spent earlier (2.1).
27. Cf. Jonah 3.7.
28. A paraphrase of Jonah 3.9.
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the wickedness." I mean, behold these people—and people they were, too, of the same species as the Ninevites but not of the same disposition. Consequently, they did not meet the same fate: whereas the Ninevites escaped the catastrophe, the good God being content with their conversion in his characteristic love, the others were submerged and overtaken by disaster. The text says, remember, "'After seven more days I will send rain on the earth.'" Then, in his wish to increase their fear, he added, " 'for forty days and forty nights.'" Why?
Wasn't it possible for him, if he wanted, to send all the rain in one day? But why say in one day? in one moment! He does this of set purpose, however, intending at the one time to instill fear and to provide them with the opportunity of escaping the punishment, even if it be at the very gates. "'I will wipe off the face of the earth," the text says, "'all the life I have made,'" from human beings to cattle. See how he makes this forecast once and again, and yet does not make any impact on them. He did all this, however, to teach us that it was just for him to inflict such a heavy punishment on them, and to avoid anyone's making ridiculous imputations by saying that if he had shown more longsuffering, doubtless they would have refrained from wickedness and returned to virtue. Hence he makes clear to us the number of years as well, and orders the building of the ark. After all this he also makes his forecast seven days ahead so as to stop the shameless mouths of those bent on speaking rashly. The text goes on, "Noe did everything the Lord God commanded him."?°
See how here too Sacred Scripture hails the just man's gratitude and obedience, teaching us that he neglected none of the commands but discharged them all, providing a demonstration in this way too of his characteristic virtue.
(20) Accordingly, let us in our turn imitate this good man and be zealous in the discharge of the commands [216] given us by God, and not despise the laws given us by God, but rather retain a lively memory of them and show haste in movying to their practice; let us not be indifferent in managing the 29. Gen 7.5.
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affairs of our salvation, especially as the greater measure of virtue is demanded of us the more we have enjoyed his help.
Hence Christ also said, "'If your goodness does not exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.'"*° So let us consider this in our own regard, and far from heedlessly passing the saying by, let us think of the degree of punishment that awaits those who not only do not exert themselves to surpass those people but even have less to show than they, who do not refrain from venting their spleen on their neighbor, who do not keep their tongue clean of imprecations, who have no interest in protecting their eyes from harmful prospects, and are unwilling not only to treat kindly the person injuring them but also to show him favor, despite the Lord's direction, "'Let the person anxious to sue you and take your coat have your cloak as well.'"*! We, on the contrary, often endeavor to wrong our neighbor and even revenge ourselves on the one wronging us, despite the instruction we receive not only to love those who love us (after all, "even the tax collectors do as much," Scripture says*?) but also to be well-disposed to those who hate us; nor do we show the same degree of love as those who love us.
(21) For this reason I am deeply distressed to see in us such a dearth of virtue, on the one hand, and the intensity of wickedness increasing day by day, on the other, not even the fear of hell arresting our decline into evil nor desire for the kingdom impelling us along the way of virtue. Instead, we are led by the nose, so to say, in the manner of cattle, and have no sense either of that fearful hour or of the laws given us by God, but rather go after people's opinion and seek praise from them, not heeding the words of the gospel, "'How can you believe, when you take credit from human beings and fail to seek that which is found with the only God?'"* On the other hand, just as those who seek the former lose the latter completely, so those who depend constantly on the latter don't lose the former either. He had previously promised this, re30. Matt 5.20.
31. Matt 5.40.
32. Matt 5.46.
33. John 5.44 with a slight textual variant.
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member, when he said, " 'Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be given you as well;'"** all these things come to the person who has a longing for that goal. You see, the person who fits his mind with wings to fly away there spurns all present prosperity as though it did not exist. I mean, whenever the eyes of faith descry those ineffable goods, they do not even take notice of visible things—such is the difference in the two kinds of realities. I see no one, however, who esteems unseen realities above visible ones. Hence it is a cause of grief to me and an unremitting ache in my heart that experience has not taught us this lesson, nor have
God's promises nor the greatness of his gifts had the effect of converting us to desire for the kingdom; instead, still clinging to the ground we prefer things of earth to those of heaven, the present to the future, those things that disappear before coming into view to those that endure, present pleasure to lasting pleasure, the brief prosperity [217] of this present life to those unending ages.
(22) I know that these words irritate your ears, but pardon me for that. I say this in my zeal for your salvation and my wish that by being a little irritated here you will escape everlasting punishment rather than be somewhat beguiled and suffer unremitting penalty. In other words, if you can put up with my talking and dispel the lethargy that had seized you previously, especially now that this short period of the holy season of Lent remains, you will be able to wipe away your sins and win much loving kindness from God. After all, the Lord has no need of many days or a long time: as long as we are willing, we will even in these two weeks achieve considerable correction of our faults. I mean, if he considered the Ninevites, when they had given evidence of a penance of three days, worthy of such loving kindness, so much the more will he be prepared not to overlook us—provided only that we give evidence of true repentance, give up evil and follow the way leading to virtue. After all, about them—I mean the Ninevites—Sacred Scripture testifies in these words: "God
34. Matt 6.33.
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123. saw that each of them had turned from his evil way."> Accordingly, if he sees us also changing course for virtue, turning away from evil and showing zeal for the performance of good works, he will accept our change of direction, rid us of the burden of our sins and lavish upon us gifts of his own. I mean, we are not so anxious for release from our sins or so long after our salvation as he shows enthusiasm for it and hastens to grant us release from them and to bring us to enjoyment of salvation.
(23) Hence, I beseech you, let us stir up our thinking, and let each person be his own examiner as to whether he has anything further to his credit in the time that has passed, whether he gained anything of advantage from this constant instruction, whether he reaped any benefit for strengthening his neighbor, whether he corrected any of his own faults, whether he gained any encouragement to philosophy from our daily exhortation. Let the good person direct attention to improving his good behavior and never relax this commendable performance. If, on the contrary, someone sees himself addicted to the same faults under the influence of a habit that rules his life, let him exert all his powers of reasoning, give an account of his sloth, and not hang back from making progress, but rather arrest the force of the evil habit at this point, stem its tide, put the spur to his powers of thought, apply himself to meditating on that dread day, imagine partaking of that fearful table, the brightness of the flame blazing from it, its searing intensity, the kind of attitude required of the guest, purified of every stain, of every defilement, and avoiding the onset of improper thoughts. Thus we may make ourselves ready in these intervening days and be able to purify ourselves as far as possible, partake of enjoyment there and be judged worthy of those ineffable goods promised to those who love him, thanks to the grace and love of our Lord
Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be [218] glory, power and honor, now and forever, for ages of ages. Amen.
35. Jonah 3.10, paraphrased.