Homilies on First Corinthians

“Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”

Again, he casts down their pride who thought highly of their knowledge. For if they who had so great privileges suffered such things; and some for murmuring alone were visited with such punishment, and others for tempting, and neither their multitude moved God to repent, nor their having attained to such things; much more shall it be so in our case, except we be sober. And well said he, “he that thinks he stands:” for this is not even standing as one ought to stand, to rely on yourself: for quickly will such an one fall: since they too, had they not been high-minded and self-confident, but of a subdued frame of mind, would not have suffered these things. Whence it is evident, that chiefly pride, and carelessness from which comes gluttony also, are the sources of these evils. Wherefore even though thou stand, yet take heed lest you fall. For our standing here is not secure standing, no not until we be delivered out of the waves of this present life and have sailed into the tranquil haven. Be not therefore high-minded at your standing, but guard against your falling; for if Paul feared who was firmer than all, much more ought we to fear.

6. Now the Apostle's word, as we have seen, was, “Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall;” but we cannot say even this; all of us, so to speak, having fallen, and lying prostrate on the ground. For to whom am I to say this? To him that commits extortion every day? Nay, he lies prostrate with a mighty fall. To the fornicator? He too is cast down to the ground. To the drunkard? He also is fallen, and knows not even that he is fallen. So that it is not the season for this word, but for that saying of the prophet which he spoke even to the Jews, — “He that falls, does he not rise again?” For all are fallen, and to rise again they have no mind. So that our exhortation is not concerning the not falling, but concerning the ability of them that are fallen to arise. Let us rise again then, late though it be, beloved, let us rise again, and let us stand nobly. How long do we lie prostrate? How long are we drunken, besotted with the excessive desire of the things of this life? It is a meet opportunity now to say, “To whom shall I speak and testify?” So deaf are all men become even to the very instruction of virtue, and thence filled with abundance of evils. And were it possible to discern their souls naked; as in armies when the battle is ended one may behold some dead, and some wounded, so also in the Church we might see. Wherefore I beseech and implore you, let us stretch out a hand to each other and thoroughly raise ourselves up. For I myself am of them that are smitten, and require one to apply some remedies.

Do not however despair on this account. For what if the wounds be severe? Yet are they not incurable; such is our physician: only let us feel our wounds. Although we be arrived at the very extreme of wickedness, many are the ways of safety which He strikes out for us. Thus, if you forbear to be angry with your neighbor, your own sins shall be forgiven. “For if you forgive men,” says He, “your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” And if you give alms, He will remit you your sins; for, “break off your sins,” says He, “by alms.” And if you pray earnestly, you shall enjoy forgiveness: and this the widow signifies who prevailed upon that cruel judge by the importunity of her prayer. And if you accuse your own sins, you have relief: for “declare thou your iniquities first, that you may be justified:” and if you are sorrowful on account of these things, this too will be to you a powerful remedy: “for I saw,” says He, “that he was grieved and went sorrowful, and I healed his ways.” And if, when you suffer any evil, thou bear it nobly, you have put away the whole. For this also did Abraham say to the rich man, that “Lazarus received his evil things, and here he is comforted.” And if you have pity on the widow, your sins are washed away. For, “Judge,” says He, “the orphan, and plead for the widow, and come and let us reason together, says the Lord. And if your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow; and if they be as crimson, I will make them white as wool.” For not even a single scar of the wounds does He suffer to appear. Yea, and though we be come to that depth of misery into which he fell, who devoured his father's substance and fed upon husks, and should repent, we are undoubtedly saved. And though we owe ten thousand talents, if we fall down before God and bear no malice, all things are forgiven us. Although we have wandered away to that place whither the sheep strayed from his keeper, even thence He recovers us again: only let us be willing, beloved. For God is merciful. Wherefore both in the case of him that owed ten thousand talents, He was content with His falling down before Him; and in the case of him who had devoured his father's goods, with his return only; and in the case of the sheep, with its willingness to be borne.

7. Considering therefore the greatness of His mercy, let us here make Him propitious unto us, and “let us come before His face by a full confession,” that we may not depart hence without excuse, and have to endure the extreme punishment. For if in the present life we exhibit even an ordinary diligence, we shall gain the greatest rewards: but if we depart having become nothing better here, even though we repent ever so earnestly there it will do us no good. For it was our duty to strive while yet remaining within the lists, not after the assembly was broken up idly to lament and weep: as that rich man did, bewailing and deploring himself, but to no purpose and in vain, since he overlooked the time in which he ought to have done these things. And not he alone, but many others there are like him now among the rich; not willing to despise wealth, but despising their own souls for wealth's sake: at whom I cannot but wonder, when I see men continually interceding with God for mercy, while they are doing themselves incurable harm, and unsparing of their very soul as if it were an enemy. Let us not then trifle, beloved, let us not trifle nor delude ourselves, beseeching God to have mercy upon us, while we ourselves prefer both money and luxury, and, in fact, all things to this mercy. For neither, if any one brought before you a case and said in accusation of such an one, that being to suffer ten thousand deaths and having it in his power to rid himself of the sentence by a little money, he chose rather to die than to give up any of his property, would you say that he was worthy of any mercy or compassion. Now in this same way do thou also reason touching yourself. For we too act in this way, and making light of our own salvation, we are sparing of our money. How then do you beseech God to spare you, when you yourself art so unsparing of yourself, and honorest money above your soul?

Wherefore also I am greatly astonished to see, how great witchery lies hid in wealth, or rather not in wealth, but in the souls of those that are beguiled. For there are, there are those that utterly derided this sorcery. For which among the things therein is really capable of bewitching us? Is it not inanimate matter? Is it not transitory? Is not the possession thereof unworthy of trust? Is it not full of fears and? Dangers? Nay, of murders and conspiracy? Of enmity and hatred? Of carelessness and much vice? Is it not dust and ashes? What madness have we here? What disease?

“But,” say you, “we ought not merely to bring such accusations against those that are so diseased, but also to destroy the passion.” And in what other way shall we destroy it, except by pointing out its baseness and how full it is of innumerable evils?