to say, “What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?” (Ps. viii. 4.) Were He only to threaten
the earth, all men would become one tomb. “As a drop of water from the bucket,” it is
written, “so are the nations in His sight, they shall be counted as very small dust, as the
turning of the balance.” (Isa. xl. 15.) It were as easy for Him to destroy all things, and to
make them again, as for us to turn the balance. He then who has such power over us, and
sees us sinning every day, and yet punishes us not, how is it but by mercy He bears with us?
Since beasts too exist by mercy: “Thou, Lord, wilt preserve both men and beasts.” (Ps. xxxvi.
7.) He looked upon the earth, and filled it with living things. And wherefore? For thy sake!
And wherefore did He make thee? Through His goodness.
There is nothing better than oil. It is the cause of light, and there also it is the cause of
light.578 “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning” (Isa. lviii. 8.), saith the Prophet,
if thou showest pity upon thy neighbour. And as natural oil contains light, so then doth
mercy [alms] grant us a great, a marvelous light. Much mention doth Paul, too, make of
this mercy. In one place, hear him say, “Only that we should remember the poor.” (Gal. ii.
10.) And in another, “If it be meet for me to go also.” (1 Cor. xvi. 4.) And in every place,
turn where you will, ye see him anxious about this very thing. And again, “And let our people
also learn to maintain good works.” (Tit. iii. 14.) And again, “These things are good and
profitable unto men.” (Tit. iii. 8.) Listen to a certain other one who saith, “Alms579 do deliver
from death” (Tob. xii. 9.); If Thou takest away pity, “Lord, Lord, who shall stand” (Ps. cxxx.
3.); and it is said, If Thou enterest “into judgment with thy servant” (Ps. cxliii. 2.); “A great
thing is man”; why? “and an honorable thing is a merciful man.” (Prov. xx. 6, LXX.) For
this is the true character of man, to be merciful, yea rather the character of God, to show
mercy. Dost thou see, how strong is the mercy of God? This made all things, this formed
the world, this made the angels, it was through mere goodness. For this cause, too, He
threatened hell, that we may attain unto the kingdom, and through mercy we do attain unto
the kingdom. For wherefore did God, being alone, create so many beings? was it not through
goodness? was it not through love to men? If you ask why such and such things are, you
will always find your answer in Goodness. Let us show mercy to our neighbors, that mercy
may be shown to us. These acts of mercy580 we show not so much to them, as lay up for
578 [There is a queer play upon the words ἐλαίου, “oil,” and ἐλέου, “mercy,” which in Chrys.’s day (as in Mod.
Greek) were pronounced alike. As oil in the natural, so mercy in the spiritual sphere, he says, is the cause of
light.—J.A.B.]
579 [The Greek word which we borrow and contract into “alms” is derived from the word here rendered pity
and mercy.—J.A.B.]
580 al. This oil; see note 2; and on Rom. xiv. 13, Hom. xxv., Tr. p. 425, note g; and on Matt. xxv., Hom. lxxviii.
init., also Hom. on Stat. vi., Tr. p. 130, note c. He may mean here to distinguish the fire of Hell, from which we
may be freed, from that which is to rage, but to be quenched.
359
Philippians 1:22-26