Слово 44. О сокрушении, терпении и пожелании будущих благ; и о втором пришествии Господа нашего Иисуса Христа.

I exhort you, brothers, to make a decision about God’s Providence not only for the present, but also for the future, because the present is a struggle, a place of competition and a field, and the future is rewards, crowns, rewards. And just as a wrestler at the place of competition must fight in sweat, in dust, in great heat, in labor and in bodily tension, so the righteous person here must endure a lot and endure everything courageously if he wants to receive brilliant crowns there. Therefore, Paul constantly turns to us the word about the resurrection, and, as you heard, he cries out and says: “We believe... that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us up through Jesus and set us before Him with you... Therefore we do not lose heart” (2 Cor. 4:13-16); says, having the greatest consolation in his exploits is hope for the future. He did not say to them, “Therefore do not lose heart,” but what? “Therefore we do not lose heart,” showing that he himself is constantly engaged in exploits. “Even if our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). How is it updated? Faith, hope, zeal, courageous enduring of adversity. After all, the more innumerable the calamities endured by the body, the more good hopes the soul receives and becomes brighter, like gold that has passed abundantly through fire. And see how he overthrows the sorrows of this life. “For our momentary light affliction,” he says, “produces eternal glory in an exceeding abundance, when we look not at what is seen, but at what is unseen” (2 Cor. 4:17-18), putting the whole matter in hope. And what he says in another place ("We are saved in hope" and: "Hope, when it sees, is not hope") (Rom. 8:24), explaining the same here, he compares the present with the future, the momentary with the eternal, the light with the heavy, sorrow with glory. And he is not even satisfied with this, but adds another saying, aggravating the meaning of the previous one: “produces in immeasurable abundance,” he says. Then he shows the way, saying how suffering becomes “easy.” How? “When we look not at the visible, but at the invisible.” Thus, both this (the present) is easy, and that (the future) is great, if we withdraw ourselves from what is visible, because the visible is temporary - therefore, such are sorrows, and the invisible is eternal - therefore, such are the crowns. And he did not say only: “such are sorrows,” but: “everything that is visible,” at least it was punishment, at least peace, so that here we would not boast, and there we would not be embarrassed. That’s why he didn’t say about the future: “The eternal kingdom,” but: “the invisible eternal,” even if it were a kingdom, even if it were again punishment, so that here they would not be afraid, and there they would not be hopeful. So, if the visible is temporary, and the invisible is eternal, then we will look at the latter, at the eternal. What excuse, indeed, will we have for preferring the temporary to the eternal? After all, although the present is pleasant, it is nevertheless impermanent, and what is painful in it is constant and unforgivable. What excuse can there be for those who, having been awarded the Holy Spirit and enjoying such a gift, became zealots of vile things and fell to the earth? And indeed, I hear many people uttering such funny words: “Give me today and take tomorrow. If, they say, things there existed in the form you imagine, then it would be one against one, and if there is nothing like that at all, then two against nothing.” What is more reckless than these words? What's more vulgar? We are talking about heaven and about those unspeakable blessings, and you put on stage for us what is customary on the lists, and are not ashamed, do not shut up, saying this, which is characteristic of fools? Don't you blush, being so pinned down to the present? Don't you get tired of acting crazy, going crazy and saying stupid things like a baby? When the Hellenes said this, nothing would be surprising; and when these are believers chatting, what kind of leniency will there be? So you suspect those immortal hopes? So you think this is doubtful? How can this be worthy of leniency? But don't you see what's there? You don’t see God either; So, because you don’t see God, you don’t recognize God as existing? “And quite,” you say, “I admit.” In this case, if someone asks you again: “Who came from heaven and told this?” – what do you say? How do you know that God exists? “From what is visible,” you say, “from the good order in all creation, from the fact that it is obvious to everyone.” Therefore, talk about the Judgment in the same way. How, you ask? I will ask you, and you answer me. Is God Himself righteous and rewards everyone according to their dignity, or, on the contrary, does He want the wicked to prosper and enjoy, and the good to be in the opposite position? Not at all, you say; Even a person would not tolerate this. Where will those who do good here enjoy benefits, and where will the evil ones receive the opposite, if after this there is not some kind of life and reward? Do you see that one is against one, and not two against one; it is better to say: for the righteous it is two against nothing, but for sinners and those who live here in pleasure, everything is the opposite? In fact, those who indulged in pleasure here and then were punished there did not receive one against one, but those who spend their lives in virtue receive two against nothing. Who exactly is at peace - those who abuse this life or those who live wisely? You, perhaps, name the first, and I point to the last, calling as witnesses those very ones who have tasted real blessings and will not act shamelessly about what I intend to talk about. Thus, some often condemn pre-nuptial rites and the very day when the marriage bed is prepared, and consider those who are not married to be blessed; many turn away from marriage for no other reason than because of the burden of this matter. And I say this not as a reproach for marriage, which is honest (Heb. 13:4), but meaning those who use it badly. If those who were married often found life unbearable, then what would we say about those who fell into the abyss of fornication and experience a situation more servile and miserable than the situation of any captive? What about those who rot in voluptuousness and plunge their bodies into countless diseases? But, they will say, it’s nice to enjoy fame. Meanwhile, there is nothing more bitter than this slavery. And indeed, a vain person who wants to please anyone is more a slave than any slave; on the contrary, the one who tramples on this glory, not caring about the opinions of others, stands above everyone else, he alone is free. Or is it desirable to have money? But we have shown many times that those who are constrained by them are in greater abundance and peace, and even more so are those who have nothing. Or get drunk sweetly? But who would say that? So, not being rich is more pleasant than being rich, not getting married is more pleasant than getting married, not being vain is more pleasant than being vain, not indulging in voluptuousness is more pleasant than indulging in voluptuousness; and here those who are not seduced by real blessings own more. And besides, I still do not say that this one, even if he was subjected to a thousand torments, has a good hope that supports him, and that one, even if he tasted a thousand pleasures, is subject to fear for the future, which disturbs his pleasure and confuses him, because the latter is an important way of punishment, just as the former is of joy and peace. There is, in addition, a third way. Which one is it? The one that worldly pleasure, when it exists, does not manifest itself, being exposed by nature and time, but that (non-worldly) not only exists, but also remains unshakable. You see that we will be able to be not only two for nothing, but also three, and five, and ten, and thousands for nothing. And so that you can learn the same thing from an example, listen. The rich man and Lazarus - one used the present, the other the future; Doesn’t it seem to you that one thing is both to be tormented all the time and to work in a short time? To endure illness in a corruptible body, and endure cruel torture ad infinitum? To be crowned and receive eternal pleasure after this small weakness, and to be subjected to infinite torment after a short-term pleasure of the present? Who would say that? What do you want us to talk about - about quantity, quality, about the Divine verdict according to the merits of both? How long will you keep making the sounds of beetles constantly burrowing in manure? Indeed, it is not a sign of reasonable people to risk such a precious soul for nothing, while they should have obtained heaven with a little effort. Would you like me to teach you in another way that there is a Last Judgment Seat there? Open the doors of your conscience and look at the judge who sits in your soul. If you, with all your selfishness, condemn yourself and do not allow an unjust judgment, then will God really not make a great Providence for the righteous, put an impartial verdict on everything and allow everything to happen simply and somehow? Who will say this? There is no such thing. Hellenes and barbarians, poets and philosophers, the entire human race agrees with us on this, although not in the same way, but still they say that there is some kind of judgment in hell: to such an extent this matter is known and generally accepted. But why, you say, are we not immediately punished here? By this, God shows His long-suffering, provides us with salvation through repentance, does not make our race subject to violent capture, and does not deprive those who, after a change for the better, can be saved, of salvation in advance. If immediately after the very sins he punished and destroyed, then how would Paul be saved, like Peter - the supreme teachers of the universe? How would David receive the fruit of salvation from repentance? How are the Galatians? Like many others? That is why He here does not demand retribution in relation to all, but from all only in relation to some; and not everyone there, but punishes one here, another there, in order, through those whom he punishes, to arouse the extremely insensitive, and through the agency of those whom he does not punish, to force them to wait for the future. Don’t you see that many here are being punished, such as those who were crushed by the tower, or those whose blood Pilate mixed with the victims, or those who among the Corinthians died an unexpected death for unworthy acceptance of the Mysteries, or the Jewish people exterminated by the barbarians, or many others, both then and now, constantly? And others, who sinned a lot, departed without suffering punishment here, such as, for example, the rich man who lived at the same time as Lazarus, and many others. He does this in order to excite those who do not believe in the future, to give courage to believers, and to transform the lazy into diligent ones. After all, God is a Righteous, Strong and Long-suffering Judge, who does not inflict wrath every day. If we use long-suffering for the sake of laziness, then the time will come when He will finally not endure long and for a short time, but will immediately allow punishment. So, let us not, for the sake of pleasure for one moment (and this is real life), incur punishment for endless centuries, but let us work instantly in order to be crowned forever. Don't you see that in everyday affairs many people act in the same way, taking on little work for the sake of long rest, even if the opposite happens to them? Here there is precisely a correspondence between work and profit, and often vice versa; but in that Kingdom it is different: the labor is small, but the pleasure is great and endless. Look: a farmer works for a whole year, and often at the very end he loses hope of fruit from his many labors; again, the helmsman and the warrior spend their lives in wars and labors until old age, and often both of them leave with nothing, one is deprived of wealth in goods, and the other of life itself before victory. What excuse, tell me, will we have when in everyday things we prefer to endure great labor in order to get little rest, or even not get little, because the hope for this is wrong, but in spiritual things we do the opposite and for a little negligence we bring upon ourselves unspeakable torment? Therefore, I beg you all - finally, somehow free yourself from this extravagance. After all, at that time no one will deliver us: neither brother, nor father, nor children, nor friends, nor relatives, nor anyone else; if our deeds betray us, then everything will be removed from us and we will completely perish. How long did that rich man cry, cry out to the patriarch, and beg him to send Lazarus? But listen to what Abraham said to him: “Between us and you there is a great gulf, so that those who want to cross from here to you cannot cross, nor can they cross from there to us” (Luke 16:26). How many virgins did they ask their peers for some oil? But listen to what the latter say: “so that there will be no shortage for both us and you” (Matthew 25:9) - and no one was able to bring them into the palace. By thinking about this, we will also take care of our lives. After all, no matter what labors you indicate, no matter what torments you imagine, all this is nothing compared to future benefits. Put, if you like, fire, iron, animals or something even heavier: compared to the torment there, this is not even a shadow. This, when applied more strongly, is then especially easy, because it entails a quick outcome due to the fact that the body is not able to withstand the tension of punishment for a long time; but there it is not so, but both are combined, both strengthening and excess, both in the useful and in the painful. So, while there is time, let us hasten to confess before His face, so that we may then see this face meek and bright and so as to avoid those formidable forces. Don’t you see here the soldiers who are at the disposal of their commanders, how they drag, how they tie, how they flog, how they tear their sides, how they use torches for torture? But all these are children's toys and laughter compared to those torments: these torments are temporary, and for those the worm does not die, and the fire does not go out, since the body that will then rise will be completely incorruptible. But let us never have to learn this from experience, let these horrors be limited to words for us, so that we do not be given over to those torments, but come to our senses here. How many accusations will we then make against ourselves, how many screams will we make, how many complaints will we make? But nothing will help in the end. Likewise, shipbuilders cannot be of any use after the ship is destroyed and sank, nor can doctors after the patient has died; They often say that they should do this or that, but everything is in vain and in vain. Everything must be said and done as long as there is hope for correction; and when there is no longer anything in our power, when everything has perished, everything is said and done in vain. So the Jews then said: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (John 12:13), but they could not use this cry to get rid of punishment, because they did not say it when they needed to say it. Therefore, so that we do not suffer the same thing, let us make a change in ourselves here and try to enter into that peace, as the apostle said. But really there is this calm, from where illness, sadness and sighing have fled, where there are no worries, no labors, no struggle, no fear that shakes and confuses the soul, but there is only the fear of God, filled with delight. There, bread is not eaten by the sweat of the brow, there are no thorns and thistles, children are not born in illness, there is no expression expressed in the words: “Your desire is for your husband, and he will rule over you” (Gen. 3:16); all peace, joy, cheerfulness, sweetness, goodness, meekness. There is no rivalry, envy, illness, death - neither physical nor mental; there is neither darkness nor night - all is day, all is light, all is brilliance. There will be no need to work, no need to eat food, we will constantly be in the lust of goods. Would you like me to present you with some image of the peace there? This is impossible, but still, as best as I can, I will try to give you some image. Let us look at the sky when, unobscured by any cloud, it reveals its crown; then, having spent a lot of time contemplating its beauty, we will think that we too will have a seat, and not only that, but as much more beautiful as a golden roof is more excellent than a clay roof; and behind this roof there is another one - higher, and then Angels, Archangels, endless faces of ethereal forces, the very palace of God, the Throne of the Father. But, as I said, words cannot express everything; experience and knowledge gained from experience are needed. I ask you: how do you think Adam was in Paradise? And this stay in Heaven is much better than how far the sky is from the earth. However, let's look for another image. If it happened that the king now took possession of the whole earth and then was not disturbed by wars or worries, but only enjoyed honor, spent time in pleasures, had large incomes, gold would flow to him from everywhere and he would be amazed: what do you think would be in his soul if he saw that wars had ceased everywhere on earth? Here's something similar; however, even with this image we did not achieve the goal; so you need to look for something else. Imagine this: the royal child, while he is in his mother’s womb, does not feel anything; but he had to leave there and ascend to the royal throne, and not gradually, but suddenly receive everything: such is this very peace. Or if some prisoner who had endured countless disasters suddenly found himself on the royal throne. But even so we did not draw an exact image, because here if someone achieves good things, even, say, even royal power, then on the first day he enjoys complete satisfaction, also on the second and third, and as time goes forward, although the pleasure remains, it is no longer the same: whatever it was, it weakens from habit. And there the pleasure not only does not diminish, but even increases. Think, in fact, what it is like when a soul going there does not expect the end of these blessings, nor a change, but awaits their intensification and a life that has no limit, a life free from all danger, all anxiety and care, filled with joy and countless blessings. If here, going out to the camp and seeing in it broken military tents made of cloth, spears, helmets and shiny bulges of shields, we stop in amazement, and if in the middle we happen to see the king walking in golden armor, we consider ourselves the owners of everything, then what will you think when you see the eternal tabernacles of the saints located in Heaven? “They will receive you,” it is said, “into eternal abodes” (Luke 16:9). What will you think when you see how each of them shines brighter than the rays of the sun, not with copper and iron, but with that glory, the brilliance of which the human eye is not able to contemplate? And this is in people's reasoning. What would you say about thousands of Angels, Archangels, Cherubim, Seraphim, Principalities, Powers, whose beauty is incredible, surpassing any mind? But how long will I not stop catching the elusive? After all, “eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and the things that God has prepared for those who love Him have not entered into the heart of man” (1 Cor. 2:9). Therefore, what is more blessed than those who have achieved this glory? What is more pity than those who have not achieved? If someone expelled from his fatherland arouses universal pity and the one who has lost his inheritance seems deserving of compassion to everyone, then the one who has lost Heaven and the blessings prepared for him should not shed tears? Some people cry when they suffer something undeserved, which they did not cause; when someone plunges into vice of his own free will, he is worthy not of tears, but of cries, even lamentations. So our Lord Jesus Christ groaned and mourned Jerusalem, although wicked. Indeed, we deserve countless sobs, countless laments. If the whole universe cried out, if stones, forests, trees, animals, birds, fish rebelled over us, who were deprived of these blessings, their groaning and crying would not at all correspond to the loss. What word, what mind is able to imagine that bliss, that valor, that glory, that joy, that brilliance, which “the eye has not seen, the ear has not heard, and has not entered the heart of man” - he did not simply say: “surpassing,” but: “which no one has ever imagined” - “what God has prepared for those who love Him.” If God arranges and prepares good things, then what kind of good things should they be? If He, having created us instantly, without any preliminary merit on our part, provided such gifts - Paradise, conversation with Himself, immortality, a blessed and carefree life, then why will He not give so much to those who have worked and labored and suffered for Him? He did not spare the Only Begotten for us, but for us, the enemies, He gave up the True Son to death; Why doesn’t He honor friends? What will He not give to those who are reconciled to Him? He is rich beyond all measure, and desires and tries to acquire our friendship; We, beloved ones, just don’t try to do the same. And what am I saying: we’re not trying? We do not want to achieve His blessings the way He desires. And that He desires more than we do is evident from what He did. We barely sacrifice a small amount of gold for ourselves, but He gave His Son for us. Let us make proper use of the love of Christ; let us enjoy His friendship. “You,” He says, “are My friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:14). Alas! Enemies infinitely distant from Him, from whom He differs in incomparable superiority in everything, He made them friends and called them friends. So, what would not be desirable to endure for such friendship? We often run into danger for human friendship, but we will not spend money for the love of Christ? Truly our deeds are worthy of lamentation, tears and sobs, many lamentations and cries; We have lost our hope, descended from our heights, appeared unworthy of Divine honor, and after doing good deeds we have become ungrateful and undesirable; the devil has deprived us of all blessings; honored to be sons, brothers, heirs, we are no different from the enemies who insult Him. What consolation will remain for us after this? He called us to Heaven, and we pushed ourselves into Gehenna. Curse, lies, theft, debauchery are spread across the earth; Some mix blood with blood, others do things worse than blood. Indeed, many of the covetous would rather prefer thousands of deaths than suffer damage; if they were not restrained by the fear of God, they would commit suicide - to such an extent they long for their own death. Is this really no worse than blood? "Woe is me! For there are no more merciful on earth, no one who is truthful among people” (“Oh, my soul is sore! for the godly perished from the earth, and there is no one who corrects men”) (Mic. 7:2). Now we too will call first of all for ourselves. But you will join me in crying. Perhaps some are unhappy and laugh? But this is precisely why we should intensify our crying, because we are so mad and mistaken, and we do not realize that we are mad, but we laugh at what we should weep about. “O man, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:18). “Our God comes, and not in silence: before Him is a consuming fire, and around Him is a mighty storm” (Ps. 49:3). “The day... of the Lord is like a burning furnace” (Mal.4:1). And no one takes this into account, but neglects these terrible and terrible things more than fables; no one listens, everyone laughs and mocks. What is our solution? Where will we find salvation? “We are dying... we are all perishing” (“We perish, we are consumed”) (Num. 17:12), we have become a mockery for our enemies, a reproach for the Hellenes and demons. The devil now thinks a lot about himself, rejoices and rejoices in our shame; The angels to whom we are entrusted are all despondent; no one addresses us, everything is wasted in vain, and we appear to you as jesters. Now is the time, since no one is listening, to turn to heaven, to call the elements as witnesses: “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord speaks” (Is. 1:2). You, who have never drowned, will extend your hand to those perishing from drunkenness, the healthy to the sick, the awake to the mad, diligent and firm to those wavering. Let no one, I beseech you, prefer the pleasure of a friend to his salvation; and let grief and reproach be directed towards one thing - his benefit. When the fever takes over, then the servants command their masters, because when it burns, causing confusion in the soul, and a crowd of servants stands around, then the master's right is not recognized if it is to the harm of the master. Let's turn, I beg you! Everyday wars, drownings, gradual death without number and the wrath of God surround us everywhere, and we remain careless, as if enjoying prosperity; We all stretch out our hands to covetousness, and no one to help, all to robbery, and no one to intercession; everyone tries to increase their wealth, and no one tries to help those in need, everyone is very concerned about how to add money, and no one is concerned about how to save their soul; one fear engulfs everyone: “Lest,” they say, “we become poor,” but no one worries or worries that we won’t end up in Gehenna. This is worthy of tears, this is worthy of condemnation. I would not like to say this, but I am forced by grief. Therefore, forgive me: grief prompts me to say many things that I would not want to say. I see a cruel wound, an inexorable misfortune that has befallen us, calamities that exceed all consolation - we perish: “Who will give my head water and my eyes a source of tears?” (Jer.9:1). Let us lament, beloved, let us lament, let us lament. Perhaps some here say: “You constantly tell us about crying, constantly about tears.” I wouldn’t want to, believe me, I wouldn’t want to, I would rather like to utter greatness and praise; but now is the time for tears. And it is difficult, beloved, not to cry, but to do deeds worthy of crying; one must shy away not from sobbing, but from actions that deserve sobbing. You will not be punished - and I will not pay; If you don’t die, I won’t cry. But you, when your body is sick, call everyone together for condolences, and consider those who do not sympathize with you to be heartless; when the soul dies, you say that there is no need to cry. But I can’t - I’m a father, and a father who loves children. Listen to how Paul cries: “My little children, for whom I am again in birth pangs” (Gal. 4:19). What mother, in the throes of labor, makes such terrible sounds as he does? Oh, if it were possible now to see the fire in my soul, you would see that I am being burned by a younger wife who untimely became a widow. She does not mourn her husband in the same way, nor does a father mourn his son, as I mourn the multitude gathered around us. I don’t see any success: everyone is busy with slander and slander, no one cares about pleasing God; “About this,” they say, “we won’t say anything good about that either; such and such is not worthy to be in the clergy, and such and such lives dishonestly.” While we should mourn our own deeds, we condemn others, although even if we were pure from sins, we should not do this. “Who,” it is said, “distinguishes you? What do you have that you wouldn't get? And if you received it, why do you boast as if you didn’t receive it?” (1 Cor. 4:7). Why do you judge your brother, being filled with countless evils? If you say that such and such is worthless, corrupt, wicked, then remember yourself, carefully examine your own affairs, and you will repent of what you said. No, there is no other incentive to virtue like the memory of sins. If we apply both to ourselves, then we will be able to achieve the promised benefits, we will be able to purify ourselves. Let’s just somehow internalize this thought, beloved, and get busy with this matter; let us grieve here with our souls, so as not to grieve there because of punishment, but to enjoy eternal blessings there, from where sickness, sorrow and sighing have fled, in order to achieve blessings that surpass human understanding, in Christ Jesus our Lord, since to Him be glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Ἐκλογαί άπό διαφόρων λόγων . Under this name are known collections of conversations compiled by various persons after the death of Chrysostom on certain topics, from those related to the topics and especially liked by the compilers of the works of the saint. The passages are given partly in a literal presentation, partly in a free retelling and are borrowed both from the original works of Chrysostom, and from works only attributed to Chrysostom, which have not only survived to this day, but have also been lost. These Eclogues (selections) were widespread and were used by both private individuals and kings. Known, for example, is the luxurious collection of Eclogues, owned by the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Botaniatus (1078–1081), registered among the codices of the Koalene Library under No. LXXIX. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: