Homilies on the Epistle to the Hebrews

⁴ Next he adds testimony, saying, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.” “For” it is written: “Vengeance [belongs] unto Me, I will recompense, says the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people.” “Let us fall,” it is said, “into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of men.” But if you repent not, you shall “fall into the hands of” God: that is fearful: it is nothing, to “fall into the hands of men.” When, he means, we see any man punished here, let us not be terrified at the things present, but shudder at the things to come. “For according to His mercy, so is His wrath.” And, “His indignation will rest upon sinners.”

At the same time too he hints at something else. For “Vengeance [belongs] unto Me,” he says, “I will recompense.” This is said in regard to their enemies, who are doing evil, not to those who are suffering evil. Here he is consoling them too, all but saying, God abides for ever and lives, so that even if they receive not [their reward] now, they will receive it hereafter. They ought to groan, not we: for we indeed shall fall into their hands, but they into the hands of God. For neither is it the sufferer who suffers the ill, but he that does it; nor is it he who receives a benefit that is benefited, but the benefactor.

5. Knowing then these things, let us be patient as to suffering evil, forward as to kindnesses. And this will be, if we think lightly of wealth and honor. He that has stripped himself of those affections, is of all men most generous, and more wealthy even than he who wears the purple. Do you see not how many evils come through money? I do not say how many through covetousness, but merely by our attachment to these things. For instance, if a man has lost his money, he leads a life more wretched than any death. Why do you grieve, O man? Why do you weep? Because God has delivered You from excessive watching? Because thou dost not sit trembling and fearful? Again, if any one chain you to a treasure, commanding you to sit there perpetually, and to keep watch for other people's goods, you are grieved, you are disgusted; and do you, after you have bound yourself with most grievous chains, grieve when you are delivered from the slavery? Truly sorrows and joys are [matters] of fancy. For we guard them as if we had another's.

Now my discourse is for the women. A woman often has a garment woven with gold, and this she shakes, wraps up in linen, keeps with care, trembles for it, and has no enjoyment of it. For either she dies, or she becomes a widow. Or, even if none of these things happen, yet from fear lest wearing it out by continual use, she should deprive herself of it, she deprives herself of it in another way, by sparing it. But she passes it on [you say] to another. But neither is this clear: and even if she should pass it on, the other again will also use it in the same way. And if any one will search their houses, he will find that the most costly garments and other choice things, are tended with special honor, as if they were living masters. For she does not use them habitually, but fears and trembles, driving away moths and the other things that are wont to eat them, and laying most of them in perfumes and spices, nor permitting all persons to be counted worthy of the sight of them, but oftentimes carefully putting them in order herself with her husband.

Tell me: did not Paul with reason call covetousness “idolatry”? For these show as great honor to their garments, their gold, as they to their idols.

6. How long shall we stir up the mire? How long shall we be fixed to the clay and the brickmaking? For as they toiled for the King of the Egyptians, so do we also toil for the devil, and are scourged with far more grievous stripes. For by how much the soul surpasses the body, by so much does anxiety the weals of scourging. We are scourged every day, we are full of fear, in anxiety, in trembling. But if we will groan, if we will look up to God, He sends to us, not Moses, nor Aaron, but His own Word, and compunction. When this [word] has come, and taken hold of our souls, He will free from the bitter slavery, He will bring us forth out of Egypt, from unprofitable and vain zeal, from slavery which brings no gain. For they indeed went forth after having at least received golden [ornaments], the wages for building, but we [receive] nothing: and would it were nothing. For indeed we also receive, not golden ornaments, but the evils of Egypt, sins and chastisements and punishments.

Let us then learn to be made use of, let us learn to be spitefully treated; this is the part of a Christian. Let us think lightly of golden raiment, let us think lightly of money, that we may not think lightly of our salvation. Let us think lightly of money and not think lightly of the soul. For this is chastised, this is punished: those things remain here, but the soul departs yonder. Why, tell me, do you cut yourself to pieces, without perceiving it?

7. These things I say to the overreaching. And it is well to say also to those who are overreached. Bear their overreachings generously; they are ruining themselves, not you. You indeed they defraud of your money, but they strip themselves of the good will and help of God. And he that is stripped of that, though he clothe himself with the whole wealth of the world, is of all men most poor: and so he who is the poorest of all, if he have this, is the wealthiest of all. For “the Lord” (it is said) “is my shepherd, and I shall lack nothing.”

Tell me now, if you had had a husband, a great and admirable man, who thoroughly loved you and cared for you, and then knew that he would live always, and not die before you, and would give you all things to enjoy in security, as your own: would you then have wished to possess anything? Even if you had been stripped of all, would you not have thought yourself the richer for this?

Why then do you grieve? Because you have no property? But consider that you have had the occasion of sin taken away. But is it because you had [property] and have been deprived of it? But you have acquired the good will of God. And how have I acquired it (you say)? He has said, “Wherefore do ye not rather suffer wrong?” He has said, “Blessed are they who bear all things with thankfulness.” Consider therefore how great good will you will enjoy, if you show forth those things by [your] works. For one thing only is required from us, “in all things to give thanks” to God, and [then] we have all things in abundance. I mean, for instance: have you lost ten thousand pounds of gold? Forthwith give thanks unto God, and you have acquired ten times ten thousand, by that word and thanksgiving.

8. For tell me when do you account Job blessed? When he had so many camels, and flocks, and herds, or when he uttered that saying: “The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away”? Therefore also the devil causes us losses, not that he may take away our goods only, for he knows that is nothing, but that through them he may compel us to utter some blasphemy. So in the case of the blessed Job too, he did not strive after this only, to make him poor, but also to make him a blasphemer. At any rate, when he had stripped him of every thing, observe what he says to him through his wife, “Say some word against the Lord, and die.” And yet, O accursed one, you had stripped him of everything. 'But' (he says) 'this is not what I was striving for; for I have not yet accomplished that for which I did all. I was striving to deprive him of God's help: for this cause I deprived him of his goods too. This is what I wish, that other is nothing. If this be not gained, he not only has not been injured at all, but has even been benefited.' You see that even that wicked demon knows how great is the loss in this matter?