XIV.

178 Those not humane, but cruel, who humour the sick or sinners.

HOMIL. things, we shall become partakers of the gain that accrues from his reformation. Thus then let us act; and if any one shall say, be humane towards thy brother,' this is a Christian's duty; let him be taught, that he is humane who is angry [with him], not he who sets him at ease prematurely, and alloweth him not even to come to a sense of his transgression. For which, tell me, pities the man in a fever and labouring under delirium, he that lays him on his bed, and binds him down, and keeps him from meats and drinks that are not fit for him; or he that allows him to glut himself with strong drink, and orders him to have his liberty, and to act, in every respect, as one ought that was in health? Does not this person even aggravate the distemper, the man that seemeth to act humanely, whereas the other amends it? Such truly ought our decision to be in this case also. For it is the part of humanity, not to humour the sick in every thing, nor to flatter their unseasonable desires. No one so loved him that committed fornication amongst the Corinthians, as Paul, who commandeth to deliver him to Satan; no one so hated him, as they that applaud and court him; and the event shewed it. For they indeed both puffed him up, and increased his inflammation; but [the Apostle] both lowered it, and left him not until he brought him to perfect health. And they indeed added to the mischief that already existed, he eradicated even that which existed from the first. These laws, then, of humanity let us learn also. For if thou seest a horse hurrying down a precipice, thou appliest a bit, and holdest him in with violence, and lashest him frequently; although this is punishment; but this punishment is the mother of safety. Thus act also in the case of those that sin. Bind him that hath transgressed until he have appeased God; let him not go loose, that he be not bound the faster by the anger of God. If I bind, God doth not chain; if I bind not, the indissoluble chains await 1 Cor. him. For if we judged ourselves, we should not be judged. 11, 31. Think not, then, that thus to act cometh of cruelty and in

humanity; nay, but of the highest gentleness, and the most

* χαλῶν Field. The MSS. have is used elsewhere in the same sense by naλ, for which agaxaλ and zoλ- Chrysostom. See above, Hom. XIII. sów have been conjectured. xarów p. 165. line 36.

Penance a bandage, to be kept on till the wound is cured. 179

But, saith one, 2 COR,

How long? tell
Howbeit, I require

skilful leechcraft, and of much tender care.
they have been punished for a long time.
me. A year, and two, and three years?
not this, length of time, but amendment of soul. This
then shew, whether they have been pricked to the heart,
whether they have reformed, and all is done: since if there
be not this, there is no advantage in the time. For neither
do we inquire whether the wound has been often bandaged,
but whether the bandage has been of any service. If there-
fore it hath been of service, although in a short time, let it
be kept on no longer but if it have done no service, even at
the end of ten years, let it be still kept on: and let this fix
the term of release, the good of him that is bound. If we
are thus careful, both of ourselves, and of others, and regard
not honour and dishonour at the hands of men; but, bearing
in mind the punishment and the disgrace that is there, and
above all the provoking God, apply with energy the medi-
cines of repentance: we shall both presently arrive at that
perfect health, and shall obtain the good things to come;
which may all we obtain, through the grace and love towards
men of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom, to the Father,
with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, honour, now and ever,
and world without end. Amen.

VII. 7.

180 Paul not afraid to soothe now, when rebuke has had effect.

HOMILY XV.

2 COR. vii. 8.

16

'For,' So that' though I made you sorry with my letter, I do not repent, though I did repent.

Rec. T.

πεύειν

2

He goes on to apologize for his Epistle, when, (the sin 2g having been corrected,) to treat them tenderly was unattended with danger; and he shews the advantage of the thing. For he did this indeed even before, when he said, c. 2, 4. For, out of much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote unto you: not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have toward you. And he does it also now, establishing this same point in more words. And he said not, I repented indeed before, but now I do not repent:' but how? I repent not now, though I did repent. Even if what I wrote,' he says, 'was such as to overstep Borgo the [due] measure of rebuke, and to cause me to repent; Ts still the great advantage which has accrued from them doth τμήσεως not allow me to repent.' And this he said, not as though he had rebuked them beyond due measure, but to heighten his praises of them. For the amendment ye manifested was so great,' saith he, that even if I did happen to smite you too severely, insomuch that I even condemned myself, I praise myself now from the result.' Just as with little children, when they have undergone a painful remedy, such as an incision, or cautery, or bitter physic, afterwards we are not afraid to sooth them; so also doth Paul.

τῆς ἐπι

Ver. 8, 9. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance.

Having said, I do not repent, he tells the reason also; alleging the good that resulted from his letter; and skilfully

Makes the praise theirs; the damage, had he not rebuked, his. 181

For 2 COR.

excusing himself by saying, though but for a season.
truly that which was painful was brief, but that which was
profitable was perpetual. And what indeed followed naturally
was to say, even though it grieved you for a season, yet it
hath made you glad, and benefitted you, for ever.' But he
doth not say this: but, before mentioning the gain, he passes
again to his praises of them, and the proof of his own
concern for them, saying, Now I rejoice, not that ye were
made sorry, (for what gain came to me from your being made
sorry?) but that ye sorrowed to repentance, that the sorrow
brought some gain.' For a father also, when he sees his son
under the knife, rejoiceth not that he is being pained, but
that he is being cured, so also doth this man. But observe
how he transfers all that was well achieved, from that
which was done, unto themselves; and lays whatever was
painful to the account of the Epistle, saying, It made you
sorry for a season; whilst the benefit that resulted from it,
he speaks of as their own good achieving. For he said not,
The Epistle corrected you,' although this was the case;
but, ye sorrowed unto repentance.

For ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

VII.10.

Seest thou wisdom unspeakable ? For had we not done this,' he says, we had done you damage.' And he affirms that indeed, which was well achieved, to be theirs, but the damage his own, if indeed he had been silent. For if they are likely to be corrected by a sharp rebuke, then, if we did not sharply rebuke, we should have done you damage; and the injury would not be with you alone, but also with us. For just as he that gives not to the merchant. what is necessary for his voyage, he it is that causeth the damage; so also we, if we did not offer you that occasion11ràs of repentance, should have wrought you damage. Seest thou, how the not rebuking those that sin is a damage both to the master and to the disciple?

[2] Ver. 10. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of.

Therefore,' he says, though I did repent before I saw the fruit and the gain, how great they were, I do not repent now.' For such a thing is godly sorrow. And then he

ἀφορμὰς

XV.

182 Sorrow a medicine for sin; profitable so used, else not.

HOMIL. philosophizeth about it, shewing that sorrow is not in all cases a grievous thing, but when it is worldly. And what is worldly? If thou be in sorrow for money, for reputation, for him that is departed, all these are worldly. Wherefore also, they work death. For he that is in sorrow for reputation's sake feeleth envy, and is driven oftentimes to perish: such sorrow was that which Cain sorrowed, such Esau. By this worldly sorrow then, he

ποντα

meaneth that which is to the harm of those that sorrow. For in respect to sins alone is sorrow a profitable thing; as is evident in this way. He that sorroweth for loss of wealth, repaireth not that damage; he that sorroweth for one deceased, raiseth not the dead to life again; he that sorroweth for a sickness, not only is not made well, but even aggravates the disease: he that sorroweth for sins, he alone attains some advantage from his sorrow, for he maketh his sins wane and disappear. For since the medicine has been prepared for this thing, in this case only is it potent, and displays its profit(2.) ableness; and in the other cases is even injurious. And yet Cain,' saith one, sorrowed because he was not accepted with God.' It was not for this, but because he saw his adu brother glorious in honour'; for had he grieved for this, it behoved him to emulate and rejoice with him; but, as it was, grieving, he shewed that his was a worldly sorrow. But not so did David, not so Peter, nor any of the just. Wherefore they were accepted, when grieving either over their own sins, or over those of others. And yet what is more oppressive than sorrow? Still, when it is after a godly sort, it is better than that joy in the world. For this indeed ends in nothing; but that worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of. For what is admirable in it is this, that one who had thus sorrowed would never repent, whilst this is an especial characteristic of worldly sorrow. For what is more regretted than a true born son? And what is a heavier grief than a death of this sort? But yet those fathers, who in the height of their grief endure nobody, and who wildly beat themselves, after a time repent, because they have grieved immoderately; as having thereby nothing benefitted themselves, but even added affliction unto themselves. But not such as this is godly sorrow; but it possesseth two advan