Homilies on Second Corinthians

⁵ Let us then not sink down when tempted. For no self-indulger has fellowship with Christ, nor sleeper, nor supine [person], nor any of these lax and dissolute livers. But Whoso is in affliction and temptation, this man stands near to Him, whoso is journeying on the narrow way. For He Himself trode this; whence too He says, “the Son of Man has not where to lay His head.” So then grieve not when you are in affliction; considering with Whom you have fellowship, and how you are purified by trials; and how great gain is yours. For there is nothing miserable save the offending against God; but this apart, neither afflictions nor conspiracies, nor any other thing has power to grieve the right-minded soul: but like as a little spark, if you cast it into a mighty deep, thou presently puttest it out, so does even a total and excessive sorrow if it light on a good conscience easily die away and disappear.

Such then was the spring of Paul's continual joy: because in whatever was of God he was full of hope; and did not so much as take count of ills so great, but though he grieved as a man yet sank not. So too was that Patriarch encompassed with joy in the midst of much painful suffering; for consider, he forsook his country, underwent journeyings long and hard; when he came into a strange land, had “not so much as to set his foot on.” Then again a famine awaited him which made him once more a wanderer; after the famine again came the seizure of his wife, then the fear of death, and childlessness, and battle, and peril, and conspiracies, and at the last that crowning trial, the slaying of his only-begotten and true son, that grievous irreparable [sacrifice.] For think not, I pray you, that because he readily obeyed, he felt not all the things he underwent. For though his righteousness had been, as indeed it was, inestimable, yet was he a man and felt as nature bade. But yet did none of these things cast him down, but he stood like a noble athlete, and for each one was proclaimed and crowned a victor. So also the blessed Paul, though seeing trials in very snow-showers assailing him daily, rejoiced and exulted as though in the mid-delights of Paradise. As then he who is gladdened with this joy cannot be a prey to despair; so he who makes not this his own is easily overcome of all; and is as one that has unsound armor, and is wounded by even a common stroke: but not so he who is well encased at all points, and proof against every shaft that comes upon him. And truly stouter than any armor is joy in God; and whoso has it, nothing can ever make his head droop or his countenance sad, but he bears all things nobly. For what is worse to bear than fire? What more painful than continual torture? truly it is more overpowering in pain than the loss of untold wealth, of children, of any thing; for, says he, “Skin for skin, yea, all that a man has will he give for his life.” So nothing can be harder to bear than bodily pain; nevertheless, because of this joy in God, what even to hear of is intolerable, becomes both tolerable and longed for: and if you take from the cross or from the gridiron the martyr yet just breathing, you will find such a treasure of joy within him as admits not of being told.

6. And does any one say, What am I to do; for now is no time of martyrdom? What do you say? Is now no time of martyrdom? Never is it not a time; but ever is it before our eyes; if we will keep them open. For it is not the hanging on a cross only that makes a Martyr, for were this so, then was Job excluded from this crown; for he neither stood at bar, nor heard Judge's voice, nor looked on executioner; no, nor while hanging on tree aloft had his sides mangled; yet he suffered worse than many martyrs; more sharply than any stroke did the tale of those successive messengers strike, and goad him on every side: and keener the gnawings of the worms which devoured him in every part than thousand executioners.

Against what martyr then may he not worthily be set? Surely against ten thousand. For in every kind [of suffering] he both wrestled and was crowned; in goods, and children, and person, and wife, and friends, and enemies, and servants, (for these too even did spit in his face,) in hunger and visions and pains and noisomeness; it was for this I said he might worthily be set, not against one nor two nor three, but against ten thousand Martyrs. For besides what I have mentioned, the time also makes a great addition to his crown; in that it was before the Law, before Grace, he thus suffered, and that, many months, and each in its worst form; and all these evils assailed him at once. And yet each individual evil by itself intolerable, even that which seems most tolerable, the loss of his goods. For many have patiently borne stripes, but could not bear the loss of their goods; but rather than relinquish any part of them were content even to be scourged for their sake and suffer countless ills; and this blow, the loss of goods, appeared to them heavier than all. So then here is another method of martyrdom for one who bears this loss nobly. And does any ask, How shall we bear it nobly? When you have learned that by one word of thanksgiving you shall gain more than all you have lost. For if at the tidings of our loss we be not troubled, but say, “Blessed be God,” we have found far more abundant riches. For truly such great fruit you shall not reap by expending all your wealth on the needy, by going about and seeking out the poor, and scattering your substance to the hungry, as you shall gain by the same word. And so neither Job do I admire so much in setting wide his house to the needy, as I am struck with and extol his taking the spoiling of his substance thankfully. The same in the loss of children it happens to see. For herein, also, reward no less than his who offered his son and presented him in sacrifice shall you receive, if as you see yours die you shall thank the God of love. For how shall such an one be less than Abraham? He saw not his son stretched out a corpse, but only looked to do so. So if he gain in the comparison by his purpose to slay and his stretching forth his hand to take the knife, yet does he lose in that the child is lying dead here. And besides, he had some comfort in the prospect of a good work done, and the thought that this so excellent achievement was the work of his own fortitude, and that the voice he heard came from above made him the readier. But here is no such thing. So that he had need have a soul of adamant, who can bear with calmness to see a child, his only one, brought up in affluence, in the dawn of fair promise, lying upon the bier an outstretched corpse. And should such an one, hushing to rest the heavings of nature, be strengthened to say the words of Job without a tear, “The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away;” for those words' sake alone, he shall stand with Abraham himself and with Job be proclaimed a victor. And if, staying the wailings of the women and breaking up the bands of mourners, he shall rouse them all to sing glory [to God], he shall receive above, below, rewards unnumbered; men admiring, angels applauding, God crowning him.