Discourse against those who abuse the apostolic saying: “However they preach Christ, in pretense or in truth” (Phil. 1:18), and on humility

“A discourse against those who abuse the apostolic saying: “However they preach Christ, feignedly or sincerely” (Phil. 1:18), and about humility” (13 chapters) was delivered by St. John Chrysostom in Antioch at the end of 386. The reason for this conversation was the abuse that some heretics made of the above words of St. Paul, proving that they mean that it matters little whether doctrines are true or false, so long as Christ is preached in them. St. John examines the circumstances under which the apostle uttered these words - he was in chains, and his enemies preached the Gospel in order to arouse the wrath of Nero and force him to kill the apostle. Pavel. “It is in vain and in vain that this saying applies to heresies, since those who preached... did not preach corrupt teaching, but a sound and right faith. If they... had taught differently, next to Paul, they could not have achieved what they wanted.” And they wanted, with the growth of faith and the multiplication of Paul’s disciples, to induce Nero to a greater war. Thus, the apostle is not talking about the spread of heresy, but about the unrighteous reason for such preaching. In his conversation, St. John Chrysostom also speaks of humility as the basis of our salvation. At the conclusion of his speech, the saint calls for constancy and persistence in prayer: “Indeed, one must pray always and unceasingly, in sorrow and in peace, in adversities and in blessings.” *The title of the essay in Latin is De profectu evangelii. This discourse was delivered in Antioch a few days before the fifth discourse against the Anomeans (Volume I), i.e. in the last days of 386. In this fifth conversation against the Anomeans there is an explanation of the parable of the publican and the Pharisee, which is mentioned at the beginning of this conversation. The reason for this conversation was the abuse that some heretics made of the words of St. Paul: “No matter how Christ is preached, whether in pretense or sincerity,” proving that these words mean that it matters little whether doctrines are true or false, if only Christ is preached in them. The introduction mentions the fifth conversation against the Anomeans. – Humility is the only rock on which the building of our salvation must be based. - Simplicity, purity, unity of faith, which are demanded by the apostle. Paul and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. - Circumstances under which ap. Paul spoke the words in question; he was in chains, and his enemies preached the Gospel in order to arouse the wrath of Nero and force him to kill the apostle; nevertheless, the sermon was a success, which is why the ap. Paul said the words in question. – Detailed explanation of the words themselves. - Exhortation to prayer. 1. Having recently mentioned the Pharisee and the publican and equipped with a word two chariots of virtue and evil, we showed how much benefit there is in humility, and how much harm there is in pride. This, being associated even with righteousness, fasting and tithes, fell behind; and she, being associated even with sin, forestalled the chariot of the Pharisee, although she had a bad charioteer. And really, what is worse than a publican? But since he crushed his soul and called himself a sinner, which he was, he surpassed the Pharisee, who could point to his fasts and tithes and was free from all evil. Why and why? Because, although he was free from greed and robbery, the mother of all evils - vanity and pride - was rooted in his soul. Therefore, Paul offers this admonition: “Let each one test his own work, and then he will have praise only in himself, and not in another” (Gal. 6:4). And he began to condemn the entire universe and called himself the best of all people. If he put himself above only ten or five or two or one person, even that would be unbearable; but he not only preferred himself to the universe, but also condemned everyone. That's why he fell behind while running. Just as a ship, having passed through countless waves and avoided many storms, then at the very entrance to the pier, hitting some rock, loses all the treasures in it, so this Pharisee, who endured the labors of fasting and other virtues, but did not master the language, suffered a serious shipwreck in the pier itself. Coming out of a prayer from which one should have benefited, on the contrary, with such harm to oneself, means nothing more than being shipwrecked in a pier. 2. So, knowing this, beloved, even if we have ascended to the very pinnacle of virtue, let us consider ourselves the last of all, having learned that pride can cast down the inattentive from heaven itself, and humility can raise one who knows how to be moderate from the very abyss of sins to the heights. This one placed the publican ahead of the Pharisee; and she - I’m talking about madness and pride - surpassed the power of the incorporeal devil; humility and consciousness of one’s own sins brought the thief into Paradise before the apostles. If those who admit their sins give themselves such boldness, then those who recognize a lot of good in themselves and, however, humble their souls, what crowns will they not prepare for themselves? If sin, being united with humility, flows with such ease that it surpasses and forestalls righteousness, united with pride, then if you connect it with righteousness, where will it not reach, how long will it not pass through heaven? He will certainly appear before the very Throne of God, among the Angels, with great boldness. Again, if pride, being associated with righteousness, the excess and weight of its evil, was able to overthrow its boldness, then, being united with sin, into what kind of Gehenna can it not overthrow those possessed by it? I say this not so that we do not care about righteousness, but so that we avoid pride; not so that we sin, but so that we may be moderate. Humility is the foundation of our philosophy. Even if someone has built countless things from above - be it alms, prayers, fasting, or any virtue, but if he has not laid this as the foundation first, then everything will be built in vain and in vain and will easily collapse, like a building built on sand. There is nothing, nothing of our just deeds, that does not need it; there is not one that can stand without him. Whether you point to chastity, virginity, contempt for money, or anything else, everything is unclean, burdened with a curse and disgusting if there is no humility. So, let us begin with it everywhere, in words, in deeds, in thoughts, and build everything with it. 3. But enough has been said about humility, not for the merits of this virtue - no one can sing of its merits - but for the admonition of your love. I know well that even after saying a little, you will attract this virtue to yourself with great zeal. But since it is necessary to make clear and obvious the apostolic saying, read today and, apparently, giving many a pretext for frivolity, so that some, drawing from this an empty justification, do not become negligent about their own salvation, we will now turn our speech to it. What is this saying? “However Christ is preached, in pretense or in truth” (Phil. 1:18). Many repeat this simply and as it happens, without reading either the previous or the subsequent one, and, separating it from connection with other members, they offer it to the most careless to destroy their own soul. Trying to distract them from sound faith and then seeing that they are timid and afraid of this matter, as if it is not safe, and wanting to dispel their fear, they cite this apostolic saying and say: Paul conceded this, saying: “No matter how they preach Christ, feignedly or sincerely,” it is not so, not so. And firstly, the apostle did not say: let us preach, but: “However they preach Christ”; and there is a great difference between the one and the other. To say: let us preach is characteristic of one who commands; but to say, “No matter how Christ is preached,” is fitting for one who proclaims. And that Paul lays down the law for heresies, but rejects from them all who listen to him, listen to what he says: “Whoever preaches to you any gospel other than what you have received, let him be accursed...even if we or an angel from heaven” (Gal. 1:9, 8). I would not have anathematized both myself and the Angel if I had recognized this matter as safe. And again: “For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God; because I have betrothed you to one husband, in order to present you to Christ as a pure virgin. But I am afraid, lest, just as the serpent deceived Eve with his cunning, so your minds too may be corrupted, straying from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2, 3). So he pointed out simplicity, and yet did not recognize this as excusable. If it were excusable, there would be no danger; and if there had been no danger, Paul would not have been afraid; and Christ would not have commanded that the tares be burned if it were an indifferent matter to pay attention to this and that, and to everyone in general. 4. What do the spoken words mean? I wish to tell you the whole story, starting a little higher, because it must be known in what circumstances Paul was when he wrote this. So, what were his circumstances then? In prison, in chains, in unbearable dangers. Where can you see this? From his very message. Above, he says: “I desire, brethren, that you know that my circumstances contributed to the greater success of the gospel, so that my bonds in Christ became known to the whole praetorium and to everyone else, and most of the brothers in the Lord, encouraged by my bonds, began to preach the word of God with greater boldness, without fear” (Phil. 1:12-14). Nero then threw him into prison. Just as some robber entered a house when everyone was sleeping, and quietly took everything for himself, when he saw someone lighting a lamp, he extinguished the light and killed the one who had the lamp, so that he could fearlessly and quietly rob and rob, so then Nero, like some kind of robber and demolition of walls, when everyone was sleeping in some deep and senseless sleep, robbed everyone, tore apart marriages, destroyed houses, showing off in himself in general, every kind of evil; but when he saw that Paul was lighting a lamp in the universe - the word of teaching, and exposing its depravity, he tried to extinguish the sermon and kill the teacher so that he himself could do everything freely, and, having tied up this saint, he threw him into prison. Then Blessed Paul wrote this. Who won't be amazed? Who wouldn't be surprised? Or better yet, who will be truly amazed and amazed at this noble and heaven-reaching soul of one who, being bound and imprisoned in Rome, wrote to the Philippians from such a distant place? You know what the distance is between Macedonia and Rome, but neither the length of the journey, nor the length of time, nor the burden of affairs, nor danger and continuous disasters, nor anything else drove out in him the love and memory of the disciples, but he had them all in his soul, and his hands were not bound with bonds, as his soul was bound and captivated by a strong attraction to the disciples. Expressing this very thing at the beginning of the letter, he says: “Just as I ought to think about you all, because I have you in my heart in bonds for the defense and strengthening of the gospel” (Phil. 1:7). Just as a king, having ascended the throne at dawn and sat down in the royal palaces, immediately receives countless messages from everywhere, so he, sitting in prison, as if in the royal palaces, received and sent many more messages, since all nations related to all their affairs in his wisdom; and he arranged all the more affairs in comparison with the king, the greater the power was entrusted to him. God gave into his hands not only the inhabitants of the Roman region, but also all foreigners, both land and sea. Announcing this to the Romans, he says: “I do not want, brethren, to leave you in ignorance that I intended to come to you many times (but have encountered obstacles even until now) in order to have some fruit among you, as well as among other nations. I am indebted to Greeks and barbarians, to the wise and to the ignorant” (Rom. 1:13, 14). So, every day he cared first about the Corinthians, then about the Macedonians, in what state were the Philippians, in what state were the Cappadocians, in what state were the Galatians, in what state were the Athenians, in what state were the inhabitants of Pontus, in what state were all people in general. Moreover, having taken upon himself the care of the whole earth, he cared not only about entire nations, but also about one person, and sent messages either about Onesimus or about the Corinthian adulterer. He looked not at the fact that he alone was a sinner and needed protection, but at the fact that he was a man, a man - the most precious being for God, for whom the Father did not spare even His Only Begotten. 5. Don’t tell me that such and such is a fugitive, a robber, a thief and full of countless evils, or that he is poor and rejected, and of little value, and not worthy of any word; but think that Christ died for him, and this will be sufficient reason for you to take care of him in every possible way. Think about what he must be like, whom Christ honored so much that he did not even spare His Blood. If the king had undertaken to sacrifice himself for someone, we would not have looked for any other proof that he was great and desired by the king; I don't think; death would sufficiently demonstrate the love of the deceased for him. And now, not a man, not an Angel, not an Archangel, the Lord of heaven Himself, the Only Begotten Son of God Himself, having put on flesh, gave Himself for us. Shall we not do everything and work hard so that such respectable people will taste all our industry? Otherwise, what excuse will we have, what forgiveness? Expressing this very thing, Paul said: “Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died” (Rom. 14:15). Wanting to convert those who do not respect their brothers and despise them as weak, to incline them to trusteeship and to incline them to care for their neighbors, he, first of all, pointed to the death of the Lord. So, sitting in prison, he wrote to the Philippians from such a distant place. This is love according to God: it is not stopped by anything human, having roots and rewards in heaven. And what does he say? “I desire, brethren, that you may know” (Phil. 1:12). Have you seen industry about students? Did you see the teacher's care? Listen also to the tenderness of the students for their teacher, so that you will know that this affection for each other made them strong and irresistible. Indeed, if a brother being helped by a brother is like a strong city (Proverbs 18:19), then all the more could so many, bound by bonds of love, be able to repel from themselves every plan of a vicious demon. So, we do not need to give evidence or say that Paul was attached to the disciples, if he, even bound, cared for them and died every day for them, burned with a strong attraction. 6. And that the disciples were attached to Paul with all zeal, and not only men, but also wives, listen to what he says about Thebe: “I present to you Thebe, our sister, a deaconess of the church of Cenchrea. Receive her for the Lord, as is fitting for saints, and help her whatever she needs from you, for she has been a helper to many and to myself” (Rom. 16:1, 2). Here he testifies to her zeal, which extended to intercession; and Priscilla and Aquila were devoted to Paul even to death, as he writes about them: “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow servants in Christ Jesus, who laid down their lives for my soul,” i.e. went to their death (Rom. 16:3, 4). And about another thing in his letter to these same Philippians, he says: “For for the cause of Christ he was close to death, endangering his life, in order to make up for the lack of your services to me” (Phil. 2:30). Did you see how they loved the teacher, how they thought about his peace more than their souls? That's why no one surpassed them then. I say this not so that we only listen, but so that we imitate; I extend my word not only to subordinates, but also to those in authority, so that both students show great care for their teachers, and teachers have Pavlov’s tenderness for their subordinates, not only those present, but also those who are far away. Truly, living throughout the entire universe, as if in one house, Paul was so concerned about the salvation of everyone; and leaving all his own: bonds, sorrows, wounds and embarrassments, he daily learned and explored what the condition of the disciples was; and often only for this very purpose he sent either Timothy or Tychicus. About the latter he says: in order to know, “so that he may comfort your hearts” (Eph. 6:22); and about Timothy: “I could not bear it any longer, but I sent to find out about your faith, lest the tempter tempt you and our labor become in vain” (1 Thess. 3:5). He also sent Titus to another place, and another to another. Since he himself, being often, by necessity, kept by bonds in one place, could not be with those who constituted for him, as it were, his insides, he had communication with them through his disciples. 7. So, being then in bonds, he writes to the Philippians: “I desire, brethren, that you should know,” calling the disciples brothers (Phil. 1:12). That's how love is. She rejects all inequality, does not know advantage and dignity, but even whoever was even above all, descends to the lowest of all, as Paul did. Let us listen to what he wants to tell them. “My circumstances contributed to greater success of the gospel.” How, tell me, and in what way? Have you really been released from prison? Have you really laid off your chain and are preaching fearlessly in the city? Did you really, having entered the church, spread long and many words about faith, and having acquired many disciples, did you leave? Have you really awakened the dead and become amazing? Did you really cleanse the lepers, and they were all smitten? Have you really driven away the demons and been exalted? No, nothing like that, he says. How, tell me, did the success of the gospel occur? “So that my bonds in Christ became known to the whole praetorium and to everyone else” (Phil. 1:13). What are you saying? Is this success? Is this success? Is it because of the spread of the sermon that everyone knows that you are bound? Yes, he says. Listen, so that you will learn that the bonds not only did not become an obstacle, but also the basis of great boldness: “And most of the brothers in the Lord, being encouraged by my bonds, began to preach the word of God with greater boldness, without fear” (Phil. 1:14). What are you saying, Pavel? The bonds imposed not melancholy, but courage, not fear, but attraction? These words are inconsistent. And I know this, he says; but this did not happen in accordance with the sequence of human affairs, but was beyond nature and was accomplished by Divine grace. Therefore, what produced melancholy in others brought him courage. If someone takes and imprisons a military leader and makes it obvious, then the entire army puts to flight; equally, if someone removes the shepherd from the flock, then he drives away the sheep with complete fearlessness; but this did not happen with Paul, but quite the opposite. The military leader was tied up, and the warriors became more zealous and attacked their opponents with great boldness; the shepherd was imprisoned, and the sheep were not destroyed or scattered. 8. Who has seen or heard of students finding greater consolation even in the misfortunes of their teachers? How were they not afraid? How were you not afraid? How did they not say to Pavel: “Doctor! heal yourself” (Luke 4:23), free yourself from serious disasters, and then provide us with countless benefits? Why didn't they say this? Why? Because they were taught by the grace of the Spirit that all this happened not due to weakness, but by the permission of Christ, so that the truth would shine more clearly, through bonds, prisons, sorrows and oppressions, growing and achieving greatness. Thus, the power of Christ “is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). If the bonds had stumbled Paul and made him or those close to him fearful, then he should have been in difficulty; and if they produced great courage and brought them into great glory, then one should be amazed and surprised how a dishonorable deed created glory for the disciple, how a deed that brought timidity produced courage and consolation in all of them. Who then would not be amazed by him, seeing him surrounded by chains? Then the demons especially ran away when they saw him in prison. The diadem does not make the royal head as brilliant as the chain on his hands, not by its own nature, but by the grace blooming on his hands. That is why this was made a great consolation for the disciples. They saw his body bound, but his tongue untied, his hands chained, and his word freed and faster than a sunbeam, running around the entire universe. And this became a consolation for them when they actually learned that nothing of the present is terrible. When the soul is truly embraced by Divine attraction and love, then it does not turn to anything real; but just as those who are furious boldly dare to attack fire, and iron, and animals, and the sea, and everything, so these, raging with some of the most beautiful and spiritual fury that comes from chastity, despised everything visible. Therefore, seeing the teacher tied up, they rejoiced even more, admired the deeds even more, proving to their opponents that they were impregnable and invincible on all sides. 9 . And then, as things were in such a situation, some of Paul’s enemies, wanting to provoke a cruel war and increase the tyrant’s hatred of him, pretended to be preachers themselves and preached the right and sound faith in order to spread the teaching; but they did this not because they wanted to sow faith, but so that Nero, having learned that the preaching was increasing and the teaching was spreading, would rather plunge Paul into the abyss. So, there were two schools - the disciples of Paul and the enemies of Paul - those preaching the truth and those preaching out of quarrelsomeness and enmity towards Paul. Expressing this, he says: “Some, however, out of envy and strife,” pointing to enemies; “others preach Christ with good disposition,” meaning here their disciples. Then again he says about those: “one because of ambition,” i.e. enemies, “not purely”, insincerely, but “thinking to increase the severity of my bonds; and others out of love”—here again he speaks of his brothers—“knowing that I am appointed to defend the gospel. But what about that? No matter how Christ is preached, feignedly or sincerely, I rejoice and will rejoice” (Phil. 1:15-18). Therefore, it is in vain and in vain that this saying applies to heresies, since those who preached then preached not a corrupt doctrine, but a sound and right faith. If they had preached what was corrupt and taught something else, side by side with Paul, they could not have achieved what they desired. What did they want? So that, with the growth of faith and the multiplication of Paul's disciples, he would incite Nero to a greater war. But if they had preached a different doctrine, they would not have multiplied Paul’s disciples; without multiplying them, they would not irritate the tyrant. So, Paul does not say that they introduced a corrupt teaching, but that the reason for which they preached was corrupt; since it is another thing to say about the fault of the sermon, and another thing about the sermon itself, that it is not sound. Preaching is unsound when the teaching is filled with error; and the guilt will be unhealthy when, although the preaching is sound, those preaching do not preach for God, but either out of enmity or to please others. 10. So, he does not say that they introduced heresies, but on an unjust pretext, and not out of piety, they preached what they preached. They did this not to spread the Gospel, but to excite war against it and expose it to greater danger; for this he blames them. And look how precisely he expressed it. “Thinking to increase the weight of my bonds” (Phil. 1:16). He didn’t say: “applying”, but: “thinking to increase”, i.e. “thinking” shows that although they think so, he himself is not in such a state, but, on the contrary, rejoices at the spread of the sermon. That’s why he added: “In this I rejoice and will rejoice” (Phil. 1:18). If their teaching contained errors and they introduced heresies, then Paul could not rejoice; but since their teaching was sound and genuine, he says: “In this I rejoice and will rejoice.” What if, by doing this out of enmity, they destroy themselves? But they even unwittingly revive my case. Have you seen how strong Paul is, how he is not caught by any tricks of the devil? And not only is he not caught, but he also takes it into his hands. The baseness of the devil and the depravity of his servants are truly great: under the guise of the same way of thinking, they wanted to extinguish the sermon. But “he catches the wise in their craftiness” (1 Cor. 3:19), he did not allow this to happen then. Expressing this very thing, Paul says: “But it is more necessary for you to remain in the flesh. And I know for sure that I will remain and abide with you all” (Phil. 1:24, 25). They are trying to deprive me of real life, and they are doing everything to achieve this; but God does not allow this for you. 11. Remember all this carefully, so that you, with all wisdom, can correct those who use the Scriptures thoughtlessly, as it happens, and to the destruction of their neighbors. And we will be able to both remember what was said and correct others when we constantly resort to prayer and call on God, who gives the word of wisdom, so that He will give both the understanding of what we heard and the preservation of this spiritual guarantee, accurate and irresistible. Often, what we are unable to accomplish through our own efforts, we can easily accomplish through prayers—constant prayers. Truly, one must pray always and unceasingly, in sorrow and in peace, in disasters and in blessings: in peace and many blessings, that they remain motionless and unchanging and never cease; and in sorrow and in many disasters, in order to see some useful change, and so that they give way to the silence of consolation. Are you in silence? Then ask God to keep this silence firm in you. Did you see the storm coming? Intensely ask God to carry away this excitement and bring silence after the storm. Are you heard? Give thanks for being heard. Not heard? Have patience so that you are heard, because although God sometimes delays alms, he does this not out of hatred and disgust, but wanting to keep you with Him constantly through the slowness of alms, just as gentle fathers do, who by deferring alms wisely arrange for the most negligent children to remain with them constantly. You have no need for intermediaries to God, nor much conversion and flattery of others; but, even if you were alone and without a representative, you yourself, by calling on God, will arrange everything completely. He usually bows down not so much when others call on Him for us, but when we ourselves ask, even if we are filled with many evils. If between people, when we offend someone a lot, but in the morning, at noon, and in the evening we appear to those saddened by us, by persistence and constant presence in their eyes we easily stop their enmity, then all the more can this be in relation to God. 12. But are you unworthy? Make yourself worthy through persistence. And that indeed even the unworthy can become worthy through persistence, that God bows down rather when we ourselves call upon Him than when through others, and that He often delays giving not in order to lead us into difficulties and send us away empty-handed, but in order to become the Author of greater benefits for us - I will try to explain these three truths to you in the parable I read today. A Canaanite woman came to Christ, begging Him for her demon-possessed daughter, and, crying with great power, said: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David, my daughter is cruelly possessed” (Matthew 15:22). Here is a woman of a foreign tribe, foreign and not belonging to Jewish citizenship. What is she other than a dog, and was she not worthy to receive what she asked for? “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (Matthew 15:26). However, she also became worthy through persistence; and she, who was a dog, He not only elevated her to the nobility of children, but also sent her away with many praises, saying: “Oh, woman! great is your faith; Let it be done to you according to your desire” (Matthew 15:28). When Christ says: “great is faith,” then do not look for any other proof of the greatness of this woman’s soul. Have you seen how an unworthy woman became worthy through persistence? Do you also want to know that we incline Him more by calling on ourselves than through others? When she cried out, the disciples came up and said: “Let her go, because she is screaming after us.” Christ tells them: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” And when she herself came up, continuing to cry, and said: “Yes, Lord! but even dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ tables,” then He gave her grace, saying: “Let it be done to you as you wish” (Matthew 15:23–28). Did you see how, when the disciples asked, He refused, and when she herself asked for a gift, crying out, he bowed to the request? To them He says: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”; and he said to her: “Great is your faith; let it be done to you as you wish.” Also, before, at the beginning of the petition, He did not answer anything; and after she had approached once, and twice, and thrice, He bestowed grace, convincing us by this ending that He delayed the alms not in order to push her away, but to show us all the patience of a woman. If He had delayed it in order to push it away, He would not have given it in the end; and since He wanted to show everyone her wisdom, He remained silent. If He had given immediately and at the very beginning, we would not have recognized the courage of this woman. “Let her go,” the students say, “because she’s screaming after us.” What about Christ? You hear a voice, He says, and I see her thoughts. I know what she has to say; I do not want to leave the treasure hidden in her thoughts unnoticed, but I wait and remain silent in order to open it, present it and make it obvious to everyone. 13. So, having learned all this, even if we were in sins and unworthy of receiving (goods), let us not doubt, having learned that through the persistence of the soul we will be able to become worthy of what we ask. And, even if we were without a representative, we will not refuse, having learned that great intercession is to approach God ourselves with great zeal. And if He hesitates and puts off alms, let us not fall, having learned that this slowness and delay is a sign of His care and love for mankind. If with such conviction, with a sorrowful and warm soul, and with a watchful intention and the same with which the Canaanite woman approached, we also approach Him, then, even if we were dogs, even if we did something terrible, we will be cleansed from our own evils and will receive such boldness that we will be able to intercede for others - just as this Canaanite woman not only herself received boldness and much praise, but was I have the power to save my daughter from unbearable disasters. No, truly there is nothing stronger than fiery and sincere prayer. It resolves present disasters and also relieves future punishments. Therefore, in order for us to spend our present life with pleasure and go there with boldness, let us continually pray with great zeal and zeal. In this way we will be able to receive both real benefits and enjoy good hopes; what may we all be worthy of, by the grace, love for mankind and generosity of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, power forever and ever. Amen.