Ye Have Not Yet Resisted Unto Blood, Striving Against Sin. And Ye Have Forgotten The Exhortation Which Speaketh Unto You
HOMILY XXIX
HEB. 12:4–6.
YE HAVE NOT YET RESISTED UNTO BLOOD, STRIVING AGAINST SIN. AND YE HAVE FORGOTTEN THE EXHORTATION WHICH SPEAKETH UNTO YOU AS UNTO CHILDREN, MY SON, DESPISE NOT THOU THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN THOU ART REBUKED OF HIM. FOR WHOM THE LORD LOVETH, HE CHASTENETH: AND SCOURGETH EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVETH.
THERE are two kinds of consolation, apparently opposed to one another, but yet contributing great strength each to the other; both of which he has here put forward. The one, I mean, is, when we say that persons have suffered much: for the soul is greatly refreshed, when it has many witnesses of its own sufferings, and this was the very thing that he introduced above, saying, Call to mind the former days, in which, after ye had been illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions. The other is when we say, ‘Thou hast suffered no great thing.’ The former, when [the soul] has been exhausted refreshes it, and makes it recover breath: the latter, when it is becoming indolent and supine, turns it again and pulls it down from its pride. Thus in order that no pride may spring up in them from that testimony [to their sufferings], see what he does. Ye have not yet (he says) resisted unto blood, combating against sin. And he did not at once go on with what follows, but after having shewn them all those who had stood [their ground] unto blood, and next brought in the glory of Christ, His sufferings, he then easily pursued his discourse. This he says also in writing to the Corinthians, There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man, that is, small. For this is calculated to arouse and raise up the soul, when [I mean] it considers that it has not reached the entire height [of trial], and encourages itself from the things which have already befallen it.
What he means is this: Ye have not yet submitted to death; your loss has extended only to money, to reputation, to being driven from place to place. Christ however shed His blood for you, while you have not [done it] even for yourselves. He contended for the Truth even unto death, fighting on your behalf; while ye have not yet entered upon dangers that threaten death.
And ye have forgotten the exhortation. That is, And ye have slackened your hands, ye have become faint. (Ye have not yet, he said, resisted unto blood, combating against sin. Here he indicates that sin is both very vigorous, and is itself armed. For the [expression] Ye have resisted [stood firm against], is used with reference to those who stand [in fight].
[2.] Which (saith he) speaketh unto you as unto sons, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him. He has drawn his encouragement from the facts themselves; over and above he adds also that which is drawn from arguments, from this testimony.
Faint not (saith he) when thou art rebuked of Him. It follows that these things are of God. For this too is no small matter of consolation, when we come to know that it is God’s work that such things have power, He allowing [them], even as also Paul says; He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. He it is who allows [them].
For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. Thou canst not affirm that there is any righteous man without affliction: even if he appear to be so, yet we know not his other afflictions. So that of necessity every righteous man must pass through affliction. For it is a declaration of Christ, that the wide and broad way leads to destruction, but the strait and narrow one to life. If then it is possible to enter into life by that means, and is not possible by any other, it follows that all have entered in by the narrow [way], as many as have departed unto life.
ver. 7. Ye endure for chastisement (he saith); not for punishment, nor for vengeance, nor that we may [simply] suffer affliction. See, from those very things from which they supposed they had been deserted [of God], from these he says they may be confident, that they have not been deserted. It is as if he had said, Because ye have suffered so many evils, do you suppose that God has left you and hates you? If ye did not suffer, then it were right to suspect this. For if He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth, he who is not scourged, perhaps is not a son. What then, you say, do not bad men suffer distress? They suffer indeed, for how should they not? He did not say, Every one who is scourged is a son, but every son is scourged. For in all cases He scourges His son: what is wanted then is to shew, whether any son is not scourged. But thou wouldest not be able to say: why, there are many wicked men also who are scourged, for instance, Murderers, Robbers, Sorcerers, Plunderers of tombs. These however are paying the penalty of their own peculiar wickedness, and are not scourged as sons, but punished as being wicked: but ye as sons.
[3.] Then next, [he] again [argues] from the general custom. Thou seest how he brings up arguments from all quarters, from facts in the Scripture, from its words, from our own notions, from examples in ordinary life. ver. 8. But if ye be without chastisement [&c.] Thou seest that he said what I just mentioned, that it is not possible to be a son without being chastened. For just as in families, fathers care not for bastards, though they learn nothing, though they be not distinguished, but fear for their legitimate sons, lest they should be indolent, [so here]. If then not to be chastised is [a mark] of bastards, we ought to rejoice at chastisement, if this be [a sign] of legitimacy. God dealeth with you as with sons; for this very cause.
ver. 9. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Again, [he reasons] from their own experiences, from what they themselves suffered. For as in that other place he says, Call to mind the former days, so here also, God (he saith) dealeth with you as with sons, and ye could not say, We cannot bear it: yea, as with sons tenderly beloved. For if those others reverence their fathers of the flesh, how shall not you reverence your heavenly Father?
However it is not from this alone, that the difference arises, nor from the persons, but also from the cause itself, and from the fact. For it is not on the same grounds that He and they inflict chastisement: but they [did it] with a view to what seemed good to them, that is, fulfilling [their own] pleasure oftentimes, and not in all cases looking to what was expedient. But here, it is not possible to say that. For not for any interest of His own does He do this, but for you, and for your benefit alone. They [did it] that ye might be useful to themselves also, yea oftentimes too without any reason; but here there is nothing of this kind. Thou seest that this also brings consolation? For we are most closely attached to those [earthly parents], when we see that it is not for any interests of their own that they either command or advise us: but that their earnestness is, wholly and solely, on our account. For this is genuine love, and love in reality, when we are beloved though we be of no use to him who loves us, [when he loves us] not that he may receive, but that he may impart. He chastens, He does every thing, He uses all diligence, that we may become capable of receiving His benefits. (ver. 10) For they verily (he saith) for a few days chastened us according to what seemed [good] to them, but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.
What is, of His holiness? It is, of His purity, so as to become worthy of Him, to the utmost of our capacity. He earnestly desires that ye may receive, and He does all in order that He may give you: do ye not earnestly endeavour that ye may receive? I said unto the Lord (saith one) Thou art my Lord, for of my good things Thou hast no need.
Furthermore, he saith, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? (To the Father of spirits, that is, either of spiritual gifts, or of prayers, or of the incorporeal powers.) If we die thus, then we shall live. For they indeed for a few days chastened us according to what seemed [good] to them, for what seems is not always profitable, but He with a view to what is profitable.
[4.] It follows therefore that chastisement is profitable; that chastisement is a participation of holiness. Yea and this in a very eminent degree: for when it casts out sloth, and evil desire, and love of the things of this life, when it makes the soul collected, when it causes us to condemn all things here (for this is [the character of] affliction), is it not holy? does it not draw down the grace of the Spirit?
Let us consider the righteous, from what cause they all shone brightly forth. Was it not from affliction? and, if you will, let us enumerate them from the first and from the very beginning: Abel, Noah himself; for it is not possible that he who was the only one in that so great multitude of the wicked, should not be afflicted; for it is said, Noah being alone perfect in his generation, pleased God. For consider, I beseech you, if now, when we have innumerable persons whose virtue we may emulate, fathers, and children, and teachers, we are thus distressed, what must we suppose that he suffered, alone among so many? But should I speak of the circumstances of that strange and wonderful rain? or should I speak of Abraham, his wanderings coming one upon another, the carrying away of his wife, the dangers, the wars, the famines? Should I speak of Isaac, what fearful things he underwent, driven from every place, and labouring in vain, and toiling for others? Or of Jacob? for indeed to enumerate all his [afflictions] is not necessary, but it is reasonable to bring before you the testimony, which he himself [gave] when discoursing with Pharoah; Few and evil are my days, and they have not attained to the days of my fathers. Or should I speak of Joseph himself? or of Moses? or of Joshua? or of David? or of Elijah? or of Samuel? Or wouldest thou [that I speak] of all the prophets? wilt thou not find that all these were made illustrious from their afflictions? Tell me then, dost thou desire to become illustrious from ease and luxury? but this would be impossible.
Or should I speak of the Apostles? Nay but they even went beyond all men [in sufferings]. Even Christ saith this, In the world ye shall have tribulation. And again, Ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice. And, Strait and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life. The Lord of the way hath said, that it is narrow and strait; and dost thou seek the broad [way]? How is this not unreasonable? In consequence thou wilt not arrive at life, seeing thou goest another [way], but at destruction, for thou hast chosen the [path] which leads thither.
Wouldst thou that I mention and bring before you those [that have lived] in luxury? Let us ascend from the last to the first. The rich man who is burning in the furnace; the Jews who lived for the belly, whose god is their belly; those who were ever seeking ease in the wilderness, were destroyed, as also those in Sodom, on account of their gluttony; and those in the time of Noah, was it not because they chose this soft and dissolute life? For they luxuriated, it saith, in fulness of bread. It speaks of those in Sodom. But if fulness of bread wrought so great evil, what could we say of all other delicacies? Esau, was not he in ease? And what of those who being of the sons of God, looked on women, and were carried down precipitately [to ruin]? and what of those who were maddened by inordinate lust? and all the kings of the nations, of the Babylonians, of the Egyptians, did they not come to an evil end? Are they not in torment?
[5.] And as to things now, are they not of the same character? Hear Christ saying, They that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses, but they who do not [wear] such things, are in Heaven. For the soft garment relaxes even the austere soul, breaks it and enervates it: yea, even if it meet with a body rough and hard, it speedily by such delicate treatment makes it soft and weak.
For, tell me, from what other cause do you suppose it is, that women are so weak? Is it from their sex only? By no means: but from their way of living, and their bringing up. For their avoiding exposure, their inactivity, their baths, their unguents, their multitude of perfumes, the delicate softness of their couches, makes them in the end such as they are.
And that thou mayest understand [that it is so], attend to what I say. Tell me; take from a garden only one of the trees that stand in the uncultivated part and are beaten by the winds, and plant it in a moist and shady place, and thou wilt find it very unworthy of that [stock] from which thou didst originally take it. And that this is true, [appears from the fact that] women who are brought up in the country are stronger than men who live in towns: and many such would they overcome in wrestling. For when the body becomes more effeminate, it follows of necessity that the soul also shares the fruits of the evil, since, for the most part, the condition of its energies is in accordance with that of [the body]. For in illnesses we are different persons owing to our bodily weakness, and when we become well, we are different again. For just as in the case of a string when the tones are weak and relaxed, and not well stretched out, the excellence of the art is also destroyed, being obliged to subserve to the ill condition of the strings: so in the case of the body also, the soul receives from it many hurts, many necessities. For when it needs much nursing, the other endures a bitter servitude.
[6.] Wherefore, I beseech you, let us make it strong by work, and not nurse it as an invalid. Not to men only but to women also have I to address my discourse. For why dost thou, O woman, continually enfeeble [thy body] with luxury and make it exhausted? Why dost thou ruin thy strength with fat? this fat is flabbiness not strength. Whereas, if thou break off from these things, and manage thyself in a different way, then will thy personal beauty also improve according to thy wish, when strength and a good habit of body are there. If however thou beset it with ten thousand diseases, then will there not be any bloom of complexion, nor good state of health. For thou wilt always be in low spirits. And you know that as when the air is smiling it makes a beautiful house look splendid, so cheerfulness of mind also when added to a fair countenance, makes it still better: but if [a woman] is in low spirits and in pain of any kind, she becomes more ill-looking. Low spirits however are produced by diseases and pains; and diseases are produced from the body being made too delicate by your great luxury. So that even on this account you will flee from luxury, if you take my advice.
‘But, you will say, luxurious living is attended with pleasure.’ Yes, but not so great as the annoyances that attend it. And besides, the pleasure extends no further than the palate and the tongue. For when the table has been removed, or the food swallowed, thou wilt be like one that has not partaken [of it], or rather much worse, in that thou bearest thence heavy loads, and distention, and headache, and a sleep like death; nay oftentimes too, sleeplessness from repletion, and obstruction of the breathing, and eructation. And thou heapest perhaps ten thousand imprecations on thy belly, when thou oughtest to curse thy immoderate eating.
[7.] Let us not then fatten the body, but listen to Paul saying, Make not provision for the flesh, for lusts. Just as if one should take food and throw it into a drain, so is he who throws it into his belly: or rather it is not so, but much worse. For in the one case he uses the drain without harm to himself: but in the latter the diseases which he generates besides are innumerable. For what nourishes is a sufficiency which also can be digested: whereas what is over and above our need, not only does not nourish, but even spoils the other. But no man sees these things, owing to a sort of prejudice and unseasonable pleasure.
Dost thou wish to nourish thy body? Take away what is superfluous; give what is sufficient, and as much as can be digested. Do not load it, lest thou overwhelm it. A sufficiency is both nourishment and pleasure too. For nothing is so productive of pleasure, as food well digested: nothing so [productive of] health: nothing [so productive of] acuteness of the faculties, nothing tends so much to keep away disease. For a sufficiency is both nourishment, and pleasure, and health; but what is more than that is injury to the health, and unpleasantness and disease. For the same [evils] which famine produces, those also does repletion cause; or rather, evils more grievous. For the former indeed within a few days carries a man off and sets him free; but the other eating into and putrefying the body, gives it over to long disease, and then to a most painful death. But we, while we account famine a thing greatly to be deprecated, yet run eagerly after repletion, which is more distressing than it.
Whence is this disease? whence this madness? I do not say that we should waste ourselves away, but that we should take so much food as also gives us a pleasure, that is pleasure indeed; and so much as can nourish the body, and make it in good order for us, and well adapted for the energies of the soul, well joined and fitted together. But when it comes to be waterlogged by luxury, it cannot when the flood-wave comes on, keep fast the very nails themselves, as one may say, and joints which hold the frame together. For the flood-wave coming in upon it breaks up and scatters away the whole.
Make not provision for the flesh (he says) for lusts. He said well. For luxury is fuel for unreasonable lusts; even should a luxurious person be the most philosophical of all men, of necessity he must be somewhat affected by wine, by eating, he must needs be relaxed, he must needs make the flame greater. Hence [come] fornications, hence adulteries. For a hungry belly cannot generate lustful desire, or rather that which has had just a sufficiency. But that which generates unseemly lusts, is that which is relaxed by luxury. And just as land which is very moist and a dung-hill which is thoroughly wetted and retains much dampness, generates worms, while that which has been freed from such moistness bears abundant fruits, when it has nothing immoderate: even if it be not cultivated, it yields grass, and if it be cultivated, fruits: [so also do we.]
Let us not then make our flesh useless, or unprofitable, or hurtful [to us], but let us plant in it useful fruits, and fruit-bearing trees; let us not enfeeble them by luxury, for they too put forth worms instead of fruit when they are become rotten. So also implanted desire, if thou moisten it above measure, generates unreasonable pleasures, yea the most exceedingly unreasonable possible. Let us then by all means remove this pernicious evil, that we may be enabled to attain to the good things which have been promised us in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory now and ever and world without end. Amen.