John i. 14.-"And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the
Only-Begotten of the Father, fall of grace and truth."
[1.] Perhaps we seemed to you the other day1 needlessly hard upon you
and burdensome using too sharp language, and extending too far our reproaches
against the sluggishness of the many. Now if we had done this merry from
a desire to vex you, each of you would with cause have been angry; but
if, looking to your advantage, we neglected in our speech what might gratify
you, if ye will not give us credit for our forethought, you should at least
pardon us on account of such tender love2 For in truth we greatly fear,
lest, if we are taking pains,3 and you are not willing to manifest the
same diligence in listening your future reckoning may be the more severe.
Wherefore we are compelled continually to arouse and waken you, that nothing.
of what is said may escape4 you. For so you will be enabled to live for
the present with much confidence, and to exhibit it at that Day before
the judgment-seat of Christ. Since then we have lately sufficiently touched
you, let us to-day at the outset enter on the expressions themselves.
"We beheld," he says, "His glory, the glory as of the Only-Begotten
of the Father."
Having declared that we were made "sons of God," and having shown in
what manner5 namely, by the "Word" having been "made Flesh," he again mentions
another advantage which we gain from this same circumstance. What is it?
"We beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-Begotten of the Father";
which we could not have beheld, had it not been shown to us, by means of
a body like to our own.6 For if the men of old time could not even bear
to look upon the glorified countenance of Moses, who partook of the same
nature with us, if that just man needed a veil which might shade over the
purity7 of his glory, and show to them have face of their prophet mild
and gentle;8 how could we creatures of clay and earth have endured the
unveiled Godhead, which is unapproachable even by the powers above? Wherefore
He tabernacled9 among us, that we might be able with much fearlessness
to approach Him, speak to, and converse with Him.
But what means "the glory as of the Only-Begotten of the Father"? Since
many of the Prophets too were glorified, as this Moses himself, Elijah,
and Elisha, the one encircled by the fiery chariot (2 Kings vi. 17), the
other taken up by it; and after them, Daniel and the Three Children, and
the many others who showed forth wonders10 ; and angels who have appeared
among men, and partly disclosed11 to beholders the flashing light of their
proper nature; and since not angels only, but even the Cherubim were seen
by the Prophet in great glory, and the Seraphim also: the Evangelist leading
us away from all these, and removing our thoughts from created things,
and from the brightness of our fellow-servants, sets us at the very summit
of good. For, "not of prophet," says12 he, "nor angel, nor archangel, nor
of the higher power, nor of any other created nature," if other there be,
but of the Master Himself, the King Himself, the true Only-Begotten Son
Himself, of the Very Lord13 of all, did we "behold the glory."
For the expression "as," does not in this place belong to similarity
or comparison, but to confirmation and unquestionable definition; as though
he said, "We beheld glory, such as it was becoming, and likely that He
should possess, who is the Only-Begotten and true Son of God, the King
of all." The habit (of so speaking) is general, for I shall not refuse
to strengthen my argument even from common custom, since it is not now
my object to speak with any reference to beauty of words, or elegance of
composition, but only for your advantage; and therefore there is nothing
to prevent my establishing my argument by the instance of a common practice.
What then is the habit of most persons? Often when any have seen a king
richly decked, and glittering on all sides with precious stones, and are
afterwards describing to others the beauty, the ornaments, the splendor,
they enumerate as much as they can, the glowing tint of the purple robe,
the size of the jewels, the whiteness of the mules, the gold about the
yoke, the soft and shining couch. But when after enumerating these things,
and other things besides these, they cannot, say what they will, give a
full idea of14 the splendor, they immediately bring in: "But why say much
about it; once for all, he was like a king;" not desiring by the expression
"like," to show that he, of whom they say this, resembles a king, but that
he is a real king. Just so now the Evangelist has put the word As, desiring
to represent the transcendent nature and incomparable excellence of His
glory.
For indeed all others, both angels and archangels and prophets, did
everything as under command; but He with the authority which becomes a
King and Master; at which even the multitudes wondered, that He taught
as "one having authority." (Matt. vii. 29.) Even angels, as I said, have
appeared with great glory upon the earth; as in the case of Daniel, of
David, of Moses, but they did all as servants who have a Master. But He
as Lord and Ruler of all, and this when He appeared in poor and humble
form; but even so creation recognized her Lord. Now the star from heaven
which called the wise men to worship Him, the vast throng pouring everywhere
of angels attending the Lord,15 and hymning His praise, and besides them,
many other heralds sprang up on a sudden, and all, as they met,16 declared
to one another the glad tidings of this ineffable mystery; the angels to
the shepherds; the shepherds to those of the city; Gabriel to Mary and
Elisabeth; Anna and Simeon to those who came to the Temple. Nor were men
and women only lifted up17 with pleasure, but the very infant who had not
yet come forth to light, I mean the citizen of the wilderness, the namesake
of this Evangelist, leaped while yet in his mother's womb, and all were
soaring18 with hopes for the future. This too immediately after the Birth.
But when He had manifested Himself still farther, other wonders, yet greater
than the first, were seen. For it was no more star, or sky, no more angels,
or archangels, not Gabriel, or Michael, but the Father Himself from heaven
above, who proclaimed Him, and with the Father the Comforter, flying down
at the uttering of the Voice and resting on Him. Truly therefore did he
say, "We beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-Begotten of the Father."
[2.] Yet he says it not only on account of these things, but also on
account of what followed them; for no longer do shepherds only, and widow
women, and aged men, declare to us the good tidings, but the very voice19
of the things themselves, sounding clearer than any trumpet, and so loudly,
that the sound was straightway heard even in this land. "For," says one,
"his fame went into20 all Syria" (Matt. iv. 24); and He revealed Himself
to all, and all things everywhere exclaimed, that the King of Heaven was
come. Evil spirits everywhere fled and started away from Him, Satan covered
his face21 and retired, death22 at that time retreated before Him, and
afterwards disappeared altogether; every kind of infirmity was loosed,
the graves let free the dead, the devils those whom they had maddened,23
and diseases the sick. And one might see things strange and wonderful,
such as with good cause the prophets desired to see, and saw not. One might
see eyes fashioned (John ix. 6, John ix. 7), (might see) Him showing to
all in short space and on the more noble portion of the body, that admirable
thing which all would have desired to see, how God formed Adam from the
earth; palsied and distorted limbs fastened and adapted to each other,
dead hands moving, palsied feet leaping amain, ears that were stopped re-opened,
and the tongue sounding aloud which before was tied by speechlessness.
For having taken in hand the common nature of men, as some excellent workman
might take a house decayed by time, He filled up what was broken off, banded
together its crevices and shaken portions, and raised up again what was
entirely fallen down.
And what should one say of the fashioning of the soul, so much more
admirable than that of the body? The health of our bodies is a great thing,
but that of our souls is as much greater as the soul is better than the
body. And not on this account only, but because our bodily nature follows
withersoever the Creator will lead it, and there is nothing to resist,
but the soul being its own mistress, and possessing power over its acts,
does not in all things obey God, unless it will to do so. For God will
not make it beautiful and excellent, if it be reluctant and in a manner
constrained by force, for this is not virtue at all; but He must persuade
it to become so of its own will and choice. And so this cure is more difficult
than the other; yet even this succeeded, and every kind of wickedness was
banished. And as He re-ordered the bodies which He cured, not to health
only, but to the highest vigor, so did He not merely deliver the souls
from extremist wickedness, but brought them to the very summit of excellence.
A publican became an Apostle, and a persecutor, blasphemer, and injurious,
appeared as herald to the world, and the Magi became teachers of the Jews,
and a thief was declared a citizen of Paradise, and a harlot shone forth
by the greatness of her faith, and of the two women, of Canaan and Samaria,
the latter who was another harlot, undertook to preach the Gospel to her
countrymen, and having enclosed a whole city in her net,24 so brought them25
to Christ; while the former by faith and perseverance, procured the expulsion
of an evil spirit from her daughter's soul; and many others much worse
than these were straightway numbered in the rank of disciples, and at once
all the infirmities26 of their bodies and diseases of their souls were
transformed, and they were fashioned anew to health and exactest virtue.
And of these, not two or three men, not five, or ten, or twenty, or an
hundred only, but entire cities and nations, were very easily remodeled.
Why should one speak of the wisdom of the commands, the excellency of the
heavenly laws, the good ordering of the angelic polity? For such a life
hath He proposed to us, such laws appointed for us, such a polity established,
that those who put these things into practice, immediately become angels
and like to God, as far as is in our power, even though they27 may have
been worse than all men.
[3.] The Evangelist therefore having brought together all these things,
the marvels in our bodies, in our souls, in the elements28 (of our faith),
the commandments, those gifts ineffable and higher than the heavens, the
laws, the polity, the persuasion, the future promises, His sufferings,
uttered that voice so wonderful and full of exalted doctrine, saying, "We
beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-Begotten of the Father, full
of grace and truth." For we admire Him not only on account of the miracles,
but also by reason of the sufferings; as that He was nailed upon the Cross,
that He was scourged, that He was buffeted, that He was spit upon, that
He received blows on the cheek from those to whom He had done good. For
even of those very things which seem to be shameful, it is proper to repeat
the same expression, since He Himself called that action29 "glory." For
what then took place was (proof) not only of kindness and love, but also
of unspeakable power. At that time death was abolished, the curse was loosed,
devils were shamed and led in triumph and made a show of, and the handwriting
of our sins was nailed to the Cross. And then, since these wonders were
doing invisibly, others took place visibly, showing that He was of a truth
the Only-Begotten Son of God, the Lord of all creation. For while yet that
blessed Body hung upon the tree, the sun turned away his rays, the whole
earth was troubled and became dark, the graves were opened, the ground
quaked, and an innumerable multitude of dead leaped forth, and went into
the city. And while the stones of His tomb were fastened upon the vault,
and the seals yet upon them, the Dead arose, the Crucified, the nail-pierced
One, and30 having filled His eleven disciples with His mighty31 power,
He sent them to men throughout all the world, to be the common healers
of all their kind,32 to correct their way of living, to spread through
every part of the earth the knowledge of their heavenly doctrines, to break
down the tyranny of devils, to teach those great and ineffable blessings,
to bring to us the glad tidings of the soul's immortality, and the eternal
life of the body, and rewards which are beyond conception, and shall never
have an end. These things then, and yet more than these, the blessed Evangelist
having in mind, things which though he knew, he was not able to write,
because the world could not have contained them (for if all things "should
be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain
the books that should be written"-c. xxi. 25), reflecting therefore on
all these, he cries out, "We beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-Begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth."
It behooves therefore those who have been deemed worthy to see and to
hear such things, and who have enjoyed so great a gift, to display also
a life worthy of the doctrines, that they may enjoy also the good things
which are (laid up) there. For our Lord Jesus Christ came, not only that
we might behold His glory here, but also that which shall be. For therefore
He saith, "I will that these33 also be with Me where I am, that they may
behold My glory." (c. xvii. 24.) Now if the glory here was so bright and
splendid, what can one say of that (which shall be)? for it shall appear
not on this corruptible earth, nor while we are in perishable bodies, but
in a creation which is imperishable, and waxes not old, and with such brightness
as it is not possible even to represent in words. O34 blessed, thrice blessed,
yea many times so, they who are deemed worthy to be beholders of that glory!
It is concerning this that the prophet says, "Let the unrighteous be taken
away, that he behold not the glory of the Lord." (Isa. xxvi. 10, Isa. xxvi.
10 LXX.) God grant that not one of us be taken away nor excluded ever from
beholding it. For if we shall not hereafter enjoy it, then it is time to
say of ourselves, "Good were it for" us, "if" we "had never been born."
For why do we live and breathe? What are we, if we fail of that spectacle,
if no one grant us then to behold our Lord? If those who see not the light
of the sun endure a life more bitter than any death, what is it likely
that they who are deprived of that light must suffer? For in the one case
the loss is confined to this one privation; but in the other it does not
rest here, (though if this were the only thing to be dreaded, even then
the degrees of punishment would not be equal, but one would be as much
severer than the other, as that sun is incomparably superior to this,)
but now we must look also for other vengeance; for he who beholds not that
light must not only be led into darkness, but must be burned continually,
and waste away, and gnash his teeth, and suffer ten thousand other dreadful
things. Let us then not permit ourselves by making this brief time a time
of carelessness and remissness, to fall into everlasting punishment, but
let us watch and be sober, let us do all things, and make it all our business
to attain to that felicity, and to keep far from that river of fire, which
rushes with a loud roaring before the terrible judgment seat. For he who
has once been cast in there, must remain for ever; there is no one to deliver
him from his punishment, not father, not mother, not brother. And this
the prophets themselves declared aloud; one saying, "Brother delivers not
brother. Shall man deliver?" (Ps. xlix. 7, Ps. xlix. 7 LXX.) And Ezekiel
has declared somewhat more than this, saying, "Though Noah, Daniel, and
Job were in it, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters." (Ezek.
xiv. 16.) For one defense35 only, that through works,36 is there, and he
who is deprived of that cannot be saved by any other means. Revolving these
things, then, and reflecting upon them continually, let us cleanse our
life and make it lustrous, that we may see the Lord with boldness, and
obtain the promised good things; through the grace and lovingkindness of
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom and with whom, to the Father and the Holy
Spirit, be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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1 prw/hn
2 filostorgi/aj.
3 al. "speaking."
4 pararruh=nai.
5 al. "that it was not otherwise than by."
6 suntro/fou.
7 a!kraton.
8 Morel. "make the intolerable (brightness) of his countenance
bearable to them."
9 e0skh/nwsen.
10 [were glorified.]
11 paranoi/cantej.
12 al. "all but saying."
13 al. "and Master."
14 para/sthsai.
15 Morel. "and heavenly multitudes appearing on earth
of Angels ministering."
16 al. "coming together."
17 e0pterw/qhsan, "made winged."
18 mete/wroi.
19 al. "nature."
20 "Throughout," E. V.
21 e0gkaluya/menoj.
22 al. "and death itself."
23 tou\j memh/notaj.
24 saghneu/sasa from sagh/nh, "a seine net."
25 al. "brought them out."
26 pa/qh.
27 al. "we."
28 stoixei/oij.
29 i.e. His Crucifixion.
30 al. "then again."
31 al. "a certain irresistible and divine."
32 Or "of their whole nature."
33 ou\toi ka0kei=noi (G. T.).
34 al. "how."
35 prostasi/a.
36 There are places where he allows that the prayers of
others may avail a man in the Judgment, when they are the consequence of
his good deeds. See on Statues, Hom. ii. § 17.
