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not completely corrected. EWTN has corrected all discovered errors.)
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
LETTER TO A YOUNG WIDOW.
[Translated by Rev. W. R. W. Stephens, M.A., Prependary of Chichester
Cathedral, and Rector of Woolbeding, Sussex.]
1. That you have sustained a severe blow, and that the weapon directed
from above has been planted in a vital part all will readily admit, and
none even of the most rigid moralists will deny it; but since they who are
stricken with sorrow ought not to spend their whole time in mourning and
tears, but to make good provision also for the healing of their wounds,
lest, if they be neglected their tears should aggravate the wound, and the
fire of their sorrow become inflamed, it is a good thing to listen to words
of consolation, and restraining for a brief season at least the fountain of
thy tears to surrender thyself to those who endeavour to console thee. On
this account I abstained from troubling you when your sorrow was at its
height, and the thunderbolt had only just fallen upon you; but having
waited an interval and permitted you to take your fill of mourning, now
that you are able to look out a little through the mist, and to open, your
ears to those who attempt to comfort you, I also would second the words of
your handmaids by some contributions of my own. For whilst the tempest is
still severe, and a full gale of sorrow is blowing, he who exhorts another
to desist from grief would only provoke him to increased lamentations and
having incurred his hatred would add fuel to the flame by such speeches
besides being regarded himself as an unkind and foolish person. But when
the troubled water has begun to subside, and God has allayed the fury of
the waves, then we may freely spread the sails of our discourse. For in a
moderate storm skill may perhaps play its part but when the onslaught of
the wind is irresistible experience is of no avail. For these reasons I
have hitherto held my peace, and even now have only just ventured to break
silence because I have heard from thy uncle that one may begin to take
courage, as some of your more esteemed handmaids are now venturing to
discourse at length upon these matters, women also outside your own
household, who are your kinsfolk, or are otherwise qualified for this
office. Now if you allow them to talk to you I have the greatest hope and
confidence that you will not disdain my words but do your best to give them
a calm and quiet heating. Under any circumstances indeed the female sex is
the more apt to be sensitive to suffering; but when in addition there is
youth, and untimely widowhood, and inexperience in business, and a great
crowd of cares, while the whole life previously has been nurtured in the
midst of luxury, and cheerfulness and wealth, the evil is increased many
fold, and if she who is subjected to it does not obtain help from on high
even an accidental thought will be able to unhinge her. Now I hold this to
be the foremost and greatest evidence of God's care concerning thee; for
that thou hast not been overwhelmed by grief, nor driven out of thy natural
condition of mind when such great troubles suddenly concurred to afflict
thee was not due to any human assistance but to the almighty hand the
understanding of which there is no measure, the wisdom which is past
finding out, the "Father of mercies and the God of all comfort."(1) "For He
Himself" it is said "hath smitten us, and He will heal us; He will strike,
and He will dress the wound and make us whole."(2)
For as long as that blessed husband of thine was with thee, thou didst
enjoy honour, and care and zealous attention; in fact you enjoyed such as
you might expect to enjoy from a husband; but since God took him to Himself
He has supplied his place to thee. And this is not my saying but that of
the blessed prophet David for he says "He will take up the fatherless and
the widow,"(3) and elsewhere he calls Him "father of the fatherless and
judge of the widow;"(1) thus in many passages thou wilt see that He
earnestly considereth the cause of this class of mankind.
2. But lest the continual repetition of this name of widow should upset
thy soul, and disconcert thy reason, having been inflicted on thee in the
very flower of thy age, I wish first of all to discourse on this point, and
to prove to you that this name of widow is not a title of calamity but of
honour, aye the greatest honour. For do not quote the erroneous opinion of
the world as a testimony, but the admonition of the blessed Paul, or rather
of Christ. For in his utterances Christ was speaking through him as he
himself said "If ye seek a proof of Christ who is speaking in me?"(2) What
then does he say? "Let not a widow be enrolled under threescore years of
age" and again "but the younger widows refuse"(3) intending by both these
sayings to indicate to us the importance of the matter. And when he is
making regulations about bishops he nowhere prescribes a standard of age,
but in this case he is very particular on the point, and, pray, why so? not
because widowhood is greater than priesthood, but because widows have
greater labour to undergo than priests, being encompassed on many sides by
a variety of business public and private. For as an unfortified city lies
exposed to all who wish to plunder it, so a young woman living in widowhood
has many who form designs upon her on every side not only those who aim at
getting her money but also those who are bent upon corrupting her modesty.
And besides these we shall find that she is subjected to other conditions
also likely to occasion her fall. For the contempt of servants their
negligence of business, the loss of that respect which was formerly paid,
the sight of contemporaries in prosperity, and often the hankering after
luxury, induce women to engage in a second marriage. Some there are who do
not choose to unite themselves to men by the law of marriage, but do so
secretly and clandestinely. And they act thus in order to enjoy the praise
of widowhood; thus it is a state which seems to be not reproached, but
admired and deemed worthy of honour among men, not only amongst us who
believe, but even amongst unbelievers also. For once when I was still a
young man I know that the sophist who taught me(4) (and he exceeded all men
in his reverence for the gods) expressed admiration for my mother before a
large company. For enquiring, as was his wont, of those who sat beside him
who I was, and some one having said that I was the son of a woman who was a
widow, he asked of me the age of my mother and the duration of her
widowhood, and when I told him that she was forty years of age of which
twenty had elapsed since she lost my father he was astonished and uttered a
loud exclamation, and turning to those present "Heavens!" cried he "what
women there are amongst the Christians." So great is the admiration and
praise enjoyed by widowhood not only amongst ourselves, but also a amongst
those who are outside the Church. And being aware of all this the blessed
Paul said "Let not a widow be enrolled under threescore years of age." And
even after this great qualification of age he does not permit her to be
ranked in this sacred society but mentions some additional requisites "well
reported of for good works, if she have brought up children if she have
lodged strangers if she have washed the saints feet if she have relieved
the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work."(5)
Heavens! what testing and scrutiny! how much virtue does he demand from the
widow, and how precisely does he define it! which he would not have done,
had he not intended to entrust to her a position of honour and dignity. And
"the younger widows" he says "refuse; and then he adds the reason; "for
when they have waxed wanton against Christ they will marry."(6) By this
expression he gives us to understand that they who have lost their husbands
are wedded to Christ in their stead. Observe how he asserts this by way of
indicating the mild and easy nature of this union; I refer to the passage
"when they have waxed wanton against Christ they will marry," as if He were
some gentle husband who did not exercise authority over them, but suffered
them to live in freedom. Neither did Paul confine his discourse on the
subject to these remarks, but also in another place again he has manifested
great anxiety about it where he says "Now she who liveth in pleasure is
dead while she liveth; but she who is a widow indeed and desolate hath set
her hope in God, and continueth in prayers and supplications day and
night."(7) And writing to the Corinthians he says "But she is more blessed
if she abide thus.(8) You see what great praise is bestowed upon widowhood,
and this in the New Testament, when the beauty of virginity also was
clearly brought to light. Nevertheless even the lustre of this state could
not obscure the glories of widowhood, which shines on brightly all the
same, keeping its own value. When then we make mention of widowhood from
time to time, do not be cast down, nor consider the matter a reproach; for
if this be a matter of reproach, far more so is virginity. But this is not
the case; no! God forbid. For inasmuch as we all admire and welcome women
who live continently whilst their husbands are yet alive must we not be
delighted with those who manifest the same good feeling concerning their
husbands when they have departed this, life, and praise them accordingly?
As I was saying then, as long as you lived with the blessed Therasius you
enjoyed honour and consideration such as is natural for a wife to receive
from a husband; but now in his place you have God who is the Lord of all,
who hath of old been thy protector and will be so now still more and with
yet greater earnestness; and as I have already said He hath displayed no
slight token of his providential care by having preserved thee whole and
unharmed in the midst of such a furnace of anxiety and sorrow, and not
suffering thee to undergo anything undesirable. Now if He has not permitted
any shipwreck to take place in the midst of so much rough water, much more
will He preserve thy soul in calm weather and lighten the burden of thy
widowhood, and the consequences of it which seem to be so terrible.
3. Now if it is not the name of widow which distresses you, but the
loss of such a husband I grant you that all the world over amongst men
engaged in secular affairs there have been few like him, so affectionate,
so gentle, so humble, so sincere, so understanding, so devout. And
certainly if he had altogether perished, and utterly ceased to be, it would
be right to be distressed, and sorrowful; but if he has only sailed into
the tranquil haven, and taken his journey to Him who is really his king,
one ought not to mourn but to rejoice on these accounts. For this death is
not death, but only a kind of emigration and translation from the worse to
the better, from earth to heaven, from men to angels, and archangels, and
Him who is the Lord of angels and archangels. For here on earth whilst he
was serving the emperor there were dangers to be expected and many plots
arising from men who bore ill-will, for in proportion as his reputation
increased did the designs also of enemies abound; but now that he has
departed to the other world none of these things can be suspected.
Wherefore in proportion as you grieve that God has taken away one who was
so good and worthy you ought to rejoice that he has departed in much safety
and honour, and being released from the trouble which besets this present
season of danger, is in great peace and tranquillity. For is it not out of
place to acknowledge that heaven is far better than earth, and yet to mourn
those who are translated from this world to the other? For if that blessed
husband of thine had been one of those who lived a shameful life contrary
to what God approved it would have been right to bewail and lament for him
not only when he had departed, but whilst he was still living; but inasmuch
as he was one of those who are the friends of God we should take pleasure
in him not only whilst living, but also when he has been laid to rest. And
that we ought to act thus thou hast surely heard the words of the blessed
Paul "to depart and to be with Christ which is far better."(1) But perhaps
you long to hear your husband's words, and enjoy the affection which you
bestowed upon him, and you yearn for his society, and the glory which you
had on his account, and the splendour, and honour, and security, and all
these things being gone distress and darken your life. Well! the affection
which you be stowed on him you can keep now just as you formerly did.
For such is the power of love, it embraces, and unites, and fastens
together not only those who are present, and near, and visible but also
those who are far distant; and neither length of time, nor separation in
space, nor anything else of that kind can break up and sunder in pieces the
affection of the soul. But if you wish to behold him face to face (for this
I know is what you specially long for) keep thy bed in his honour sacred
from the touch of any other man, and do thy best to manifest a life like
his, and then assuredly thou shalt depart one day to join the same company
with him, not to dwell with him for five years as thou didst here, nor for
20, or 100, nor for a thousand or twice that number but for infinite and
endless ages. For it is not any physical relation, but a correspondence in
the way of living which qualifies for the inheritance of those regions of
rest. For if it was identity of moral constitution which brought Lazarus
although a stranger to Abraham into the same heavenly bosom with him, and
qualifies many from east and west to sit down with him, the place of rest
will receive thee also with the good Therasius, if thou wilt exhibit the
same manner of life as his, and then thou shalt receive him back again no
longer in that corporeal beauty which he had when he departed, but in
lustre of another kind, and splendour outshining the rays of the sun. For
this body, even if it reaches a very high standard of beauty is
nevertheless perishable; but the bodies of those who have been well
pleasing to God, will be invested with such glory as these eyes cannot even
look upon. And God has furnished us with certain tokens, and obscure
indications of these things both in the Old and in the New Dispensation.
For in the former the face of Moses shone with such glory as to be
intolerable to the eyes of the Israelites, and in the New the face of
Christ shone far more brilliantly than his. For tell me if any one had
promised to make your husband king of all the earth, and then had commanded
you to withdraw for twenty years on his account, and had promised after
that to restore him to you with the diadem and the purple, and to place you
again in the same rank with him, would you not have meekly endured the
separation with due self-control? Would you not have been well pleased with
the gift, and deemed it a thing worth praying for? Well then submit to this
now, not for the sake of a kingdom on earth, but of a kingdom in Heaven;
not to receive him back clad in a vesture of gold but robed in immortality
and glory such as is fitting for them to have who dwell in Heaven. And if
you find the trial very unbearable owing to its long duration, it may be
that he will visit you by means of visions and converse with you as he was
wont to do, and show you the face for which you yearn: let this be thy
consolation taking the place of letters, though indeed it is far more
definite than letters. For in the latter case there are but lines traced
with the pen to look upon, but in the former you see the form of his
visage, and his gentle smile, his figure and his movements, you hear his
speech and recognize the voice which you loved so well.
4. But since you mourn also over the loss of security which you
formerly enjoyed on his account, and perhaps also for the sake of those
great hopes of distinction which were dawning (for I used to hear that he
would speedily arrive at the dignity of praefect, and this, I fancy, it is
which more especially upsets and distresses thy soul) consider I pray the
case of those who have been in a higher official position than his, and yet
have brought their life to a very pitiable end. Let me. recall them to your
memory: you probably know Theodore of Sicily by reputation:(1) for he was
one of the most distinguished men; he surpassed all in bodily stature and
beauty as well as in the confidence which he enjoyed with the Emperor, and
he had more power than any member of the royal household, but he did not
bear this prosperity meekly, and having entered into a plot against the
Emperor he was taken prisoner and miserably beheaded; and his wife who was
not a whit inferior to thy noble self in education and birth and all other
respects was suddenly stripped of all her possessions, deprived even of her
freedom also, and enrolled amongst the household slaves, and compelled to
lead a life more pitiable than any bondmaid, having this advantage only
over the rest that owing to the extreme severity of her calamity she moved
to tears all who beheld her. And it is said also that Artemisia who was the
wife of a man of high reputation, since he also aimed at usurping the
throne, was reduced to this same condition of poverty, and also to
blindness; for the depth of her despondency, and the abundance of her tears
destroyed her sight; and now she has need of persons to lead her by the
hand, and to conduct her to the doors of others that she may obtain the
necessary supply of food.(2) And I might mention many other families which,
have been brought down in this way did I not know thee to be too pious and
prudent in disposition to wish to find consolation for thy own calamity out
of the misfortunes of others. And the only reason why I mentioned those
instances to which I referred just now was that you might learn that human
things are nothingness but that truly as the prophet says "all the glory of
man is as the flower of grass."(3) For in proportion to men's elevation and
splendour is the ruin wrought for them, not only in the case of those who
are under rule, but also of the rulers themselves. For it would be
impossible to find any private family which has been immersed in such great
calamities as the ills in which the imperial house has been steeped. For
untimely loss of parents, and of husbands, and violent forms of death, more
outrageous and painful than those which occur in tragedies, especially
beset this kind of government.
Now passing over ancient times, of those who have reigned in our own
generation, nine in all, only two have ended their life by a natural death;
and of the others one was slain by a usurper,(4) one in battle,(5) one by a
conspiracy of his household guards,(6) one by the very man who elected him,
and invested him with the purple,(7) and of their wives some, as it is
reported, perished by poison, others died of mere sorrow; while of those
who still survive one, who has an orphan son, is trembling with alarm lest
any of those who are in power dreading what may happen in the future should
destroy him;(8) another has reluctantly yielded to much entreaty to return
from the exile into which she had been driven by him who held the chief
power.(1) And of the wives of the present rulers the one who has recovered
a little from her former calamities has much sorrow mingled with her joy
because the possessor of power is still young and inexperienced and has
many designing men on all sides of him;(2) and the other is ready to die of
fear, and spends her time more miserably than criminals condemned to death
because her husband ever since he assumed the crown up to the present day
has been constantly engaged in warfare and fighting, and is more exhausted
by the shame and the reproaches which assail him on all sides than by
actual calamities.(3) For that which has never taken place has now come to
pass, the barbarians leaving their own country have overrun an infinite
space of our territory, and that many times over, and having set fire to
the land, and captured the towns they are not minded to return home again,
but after the manner of men who are keeping holiday rather than making war,
they laugh us all to scorn;(4) and it is said that one of their kings
declared that he was amazed at the impudence of our soldiers, who although
slaughtered more easily than sheep still expect to conquer, and are not
willing to quit their own country; for he said that he himself was satiated
with the work of cutting them to pieces. Imagine what the feelings of the
Emperor and his wife must be on hearing these words!
5. And since I have made mention of this war, a great crowd of widows
has occurred to me, who in past times derived very great lustre from the
honour enjoyed by their husbands, but now are all arrayed in a dark
mourning robe and spend their whole time in lamentation. For they had not
the advantage which was enjoyed by thy dear self. For thou, my excellent
friend, didst see that goodly husband of thine lying on his bed, and didst
hear his last words, and receive his instructions as to what should be done
about the affairs of the family, and learn how by the provisions of his
will they were guarded against every kind of encroachment on the part of
rapacious and designing men. And not only this, but also when he was yet
lying dead thou didst often fling thyself upon the body, and kiss his eyes,
and embrace him, and wail over him, and thou didst see him conducted to
burial with much honour, and didst everything necessary for his obsequies,
as was fitting, and from frequent visits to his grave thou hast no slight
consolation of thy sorrow. But these women have been deprived of all these
things, having all sent out their husbands to war in the hope of receiving
them back again, instead of which it has been their lot to receive the
bitter tidings of their death. Neither has any one come back to them with
the bodies of their slain, or bringing anything save a message describing
the manner of their death. And some there are who have not even been
vouchsafed this record, or been enabled to learn how their husbands fell,
as they were buried beneath a heap of slain in the thick of battle.
And what wonder if most of the generals perished thus, when even the
Emperor himself having been blockaded in a certain village with a few
soldiers did not dare to go out and oppose the assailants, but remained
inside and when the enemy had set fire to the building was burnt to death
together with all that were therein, not men only, but horses, beams and
walls, so that the whole was turned into a heap of ashes? And this was the
tale which they who departed to war with the Emperor brought back to his
wife in place of the Emperor himself.(5) For the splendours of the world
differ in no- wise whatever from the things which happen on the stage, and
the beauty of spring flowers. For in the first place they flee away before
they have been manifested; and then, even if they have strength to last a
little while, they speedily become ready to decay. For what is more
worthless than the honour and glory which is paid by the multitude? what
fruit has it? what kind of profit? what serviceable end does it meet? And
would that this only was the evil! but in fact besides failing to get
anything good from the possession, he who owns this most cruel mistress is
continually forced to bear much which is painful and injurious; for
mistress she is of those who own her, and in proportion as she is flattered
by her slaves does she exalt herself against them, and ties them down by
increasingly harsh commands; but she would never be able to revenge herself
on those who despise and neglect her; so much fiercer is she than any
tyrant and wild beast. For tyrants and wild animals are often mollified by
humouring, but her fury is greatest when we are most complaisant to her,
and if she finds any one who will listen to her, and yield to her in
everything there is no kind of command from which in future she can be
induced to abstain.
Moreover she has also another ally whom one would not do wrong to call her
daughter. For after she herself has grown to maturity and fairly taken root
amongst us, she then produces arrogance, a thing which is no less able than
herself to drive the soul of those who possess it into headlong ruin.
6. Tell me then dost thou lament this that God hath reserved thee from
such a cruel bondage, and that He has barred every avenue against these
pestilential diseases? For whilst thy husband was living they ceased not
continually assaulting the thoughts of thy heart, but since his death they
have no starting point whence they can lay hold of thy understanding. This
then is a discipline which ought to be practised in future--to abstain from
lamenting the withdrawal of these evils, and from hankering after the
bitter tyranny which they exercise. For where they blow a heavy blast they
upset all things from the foundation and shatter them to pieces; and just
as many prostitutes, although by nature ill favoured and ugly, do yet by
means of enamels and pigments excite the feelings of the youthful whilst
they are still tender, and when they have got them under their control
treat them more insolently than any slave; so also do these passions,
vainglory and arrogance, defile the souls of men more than any other kind
of pollution.
On this account also wealth has seemed to the majority of men to be a
good thing; at least when it is stripped of this passion of vainglory it
will no longer seem desirable. At any rate those who have been permitted to
obtain in the midst of their poverty popular glory have no longer preferred
wealth, but rather have despised much gold when it was bestowed upon them.
And you have no need to learn from me who these men were, for you know them
better than I do, Epaminondas, Socrates, Aristeides, Diogenes, Krates who
turned his own land into a sheep walk.(1) The others indeed, inasmuch as it
was not possible for them to get rich, saw glory brought to them in the
midst of their poverty, and straightway devoted themselves to it, but this
man threw away even what he possessed; so infatuated were they in the
pursuit of this cruel monster. Let us not then weep because God has rescued
us from this shameful thraldom which is an object of derision and of much
reproach; for there is nothing splendid in it save the name it bears, and
in reality it places those who possess it in a position which belies its
appellation, and there is no one who does not laugh to scorn the man who
does anything with a view to glory. For it is only he who has not an eye to
this who will be enabled to win respect and glory; but he who sets a great
value on popular glory, and does and endures everything for the sake of
obtaining it is the very man who will fail to attain it, and be subjected
to all the exact opposites of glory, ridicule, and accusation, scoffing,
enmity and hatred. And this is wont to happen not only among men, but also
among you women, and indeed more especially in your case. For the woman who
is unaffected in mien, and gait, and dress, and seeks no honour from any
one is admired by all women, and they are ecstatic in their praise and call
her blessed, and invoke all manner of good things upon her; but a vain-
glorious woman they behold with aversion and detestation, and avoid her
like some wild beast and load her with infinite execrations and abuse. And
not only do we escape these evils by refusing to accept popular glory, but
we shall gain the highest advantages in addition to those which have been
already mentioned, being trained gradually to loosen our hold of earth and
move in the direction of heaven, and despise all worldly things. For he who
feels no need of the honour which comes from men, will perform with
security whatever good things he does, and neither in the troubles, nor in
the prosperities of this life will he be very seriously affected; for
neither can the former depress him, and cast him down, nor can the latter
elate and puff him up, but in precarious and troubled circumstances he
himself remains exempt from change of any kind. And this I expect will
speedily be the case with your own soul, and having once for all torn
yourself away from all worldly interests you will display amongst us a
heavenly manner of life, and in a little while will laugh to scorn the
glory which you now lament, and despise its hollow and vain mask. But if
you long for the security which you formerly enjoyed owing to your husband,
and the protection of your property, and immunity from the designs of any
of those persons who trample upon the misfortunes of others "Cast thy care
upon the Lord and He will nourish thee."(2) "For look," it is said, "to
past generations and see, who ever placed his hope on the Lord and was put
to shame, or who ever called upon Him, and was neglected, or who ever
remained constant to His commandments and was forsaken?"(3) For He who has
alleviated this intolerable calamity, and placed you even now in a state of
tranquillity will also avert impending evils; for that you will never
receive another blow more severe than this you would yourself admit. Having
then so bravely borne present troubles, and this when you were
inexperienced, you will far more easily endure future events should any of
the things contrary to our wishes, which God forbid, occur. Therefore seek
Heaven, and all things which conduce to life in the other world, and none
of the things here will be able to harm thee, not even the world-ruler of
darkness himself, if only we do not injure ourselves. For if any one
deprives us of our substance, or hews our body in pieces, none of these
things concern us, if our soul abides in its integrity.
7. Now, once for all, if you wish your property to abide with you in
security and yet further to increase I will show thee the plan, and the
place where none of those who have designs upon it will be allowed to
enter. What then is the place? It is Heaven. Send away thy possessions to
that good husband of thine and neither thief, nor schemer, nor any other
destructive thing will be able to pounce upon them. If you deposit these
goods in the other world, you will find much profit arising from them. For
all things which we plant in Heaven yield a large and abundant crop, such
as might naturally be expected from things which have their roots in
Heaven. And if you do this, see what blessings you will enjoy, in the first
place eternal life and the things promised to those who love God, "which
eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have they entered into the heart
of man," and in the second place perpetual intercourse with thy good
husband; and you will relieve yourself from the cares and fears, and
dangers, and designs, and enmity and hatred which beset you here. For as
long as you are surrounded with this property there will probably be some
to make attempts upon it; but if you transfer it to Heaven, you will lead a
life of security and safety, and much tranquillity, enjoying independence
combined with godliness. For it is very irrational, when one wishes to buy
land, and is seeking for productive ground, if, Heaven being proposed to
him instead of earth, and the possibility presented of obtaining an estate
there he abides still on earth, and puts up with the toils that are
connected with it; for it often disappoints our hopes.
But since thy soul is grievously upset and vexed on account of the
expectation often entertained that thy husband would attain the rank of
prefect, and the thought that he was untimely snatched away from that
dignity consider first of all this fact, that even if this hope was a very
well grounded one nevertheless it was only a human hope, which often falls
to the ground; and we see many things of this kind happening in life, those
which were confidently expected having remained unfulfilled, whereas those
which never even entered the mind have frequently come to pass, and this we
constantly see occurring everywhere in cases of governments and kingdoms,
and inheritances, and marriages. Wherefore even if the opportunity were
very near at hand, yet as the proverb says "between the cup and the lip
there is many a slip" and the Scripture saith "from the morning until the
evening the time is changed."(1)
So also a king who is here to-day is dead tomorrow; and again this same
wise man illustrating the reversal of men's hopes says "many tyrants have
sat down upon the ground, and one that was never thought of has worn the
crown."(2) And it was not absolutely certain that if he lived he would
arrive at this dignity; for that which belongs to the future is uncertain,
and causes us to have various suspicions. For on what grounds was it
evident that had he lived he would have attained that dignity and that
things would not have turned out the other way, and that he would have lost
the office he actually held either from falling a victim to disease, or
from being exposed to the envy and ill will of those who wished to excel
him in prosperity, or from suffering some other grievous misfortune. But
let us suppose, if you please, that it was perfectly evident that in any
case had he survived he would have obtained this high distinction; then in
proportion to the magnitude of the dignity would have been the increased
dangers, and anxieties, and intrigues which he must have encountered. Or
put these even on one side, and let us suppose him to traverse that sea of
difficulties safely, and in much tranquillity; then tell me what is the
goal? not that which he has now reached; no, not that, but something
different, probably unpleasant and undesirable. In the first place his
sight of heaven, and heavenly things would have been delayed, which is no
small loss to those who have put their trust in things to come; and in the
next place, even had he lived a very pure life yet the length of his life
and the exigencies of his high office would have prevented his departing in
such a pure condition as has now been the case. In fact it is uncertain
whether he might not have undergone many changes and given way to indolence
before he breathed his last. For now we are confident that by the grace of
God he has taken his flight to the region of rest, because he had not
committed himself to any of those deeds which exclude from the kingdom of
Heaven; but in that case after long contact with public business, he might
probably have contracted great defilement. For it is an exceedingly rare
thing for one who is moving in the midst of such great evils to hold a
straight course, but to go astray, both wittingly and against his will, is
a natural thing, and one which constantly occurs. But, as it is, we have
been relieved. from this apprehension, and we are firmly persuaded that in
the great day he will appear in much radiance, shining forth near the King,
and going with the angels in advance of Christ and clad with the robe of
unutterable glory, and standing by the side of the King as he gives
judgment, and acting as one of His chief ministers. Wherefore desisting
from mourning and lamentation do thou hold on to the same way of life as
his, yea even let it be more exact, that having speedily attained an equal
standard of virtue with him, you may inhabit the same abode and be united
to him again through the everlasting ages, not in this union of marriage
but another far better. For this is only a bodily kind of intercourse, but
then there will be a union of soul with soul more perfect, and of a far
more delightful and far nobler kind.
Taken from "The Early Church Fathers and Other Works" originally published
by Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. in English in Edinburgh, Scotland, beginning in
1867. (LNPF I/IX, Schaff). The digital version is by The Electronic Bible
Society, P.O. Box 701356, Dallas, TX 75370, 214-407-WORD.
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