De continentia

Of John Chrysostom, On Continence. The discourse concerning continence seems to me always most useful and fitting for the servants of Christ, but especially now we will deliver it to you at a time when the children of the church, having put on Christ, ought to possess continence above all other goods. For if anyone saw athletes deemed worthy at the Olympic games, anointed and descending into the stadium, and then discoursed to them about wrestling, endurance, and victory, he would rightly be considered by all to have done this at the opportune moment. And so we, having seen the athletes of the Savior receive power from the Spirit through the divine mysteries, would fittingly, after discoursing about continence, send them forth to the spiritual contest. Now in human contests, the crowns come after the victory, but in the stadiums of Christ, the crowns come before the victory. For what reason, then, did Christ crown us and send us forth to the contest? Wishing both to instill fear in the opponents and to rouse our own spirits, so that, looking upon the honor given by Christ, we might do and say everything worthy of the honor from our master. For if a king, having put on a purple robe and adorned his head with a crown, were then carried away by the passions of nature to do something unworthy of the kingdom, he would at once look upon the garment of his office and become superior to shameful things.

But you, who are clothed with Christ, when you see a shameful desire troubling your soul, look immediately to the divine garment and you will quickly become superior to the device of the evil one. Now, it is good to praise temperance, but better to possess it; and those who continually both hear and speak about it receive no small encouragement to continence from the words. For this reason also God commanded that the virtues of the saints be made renowned through the divine scriptures, so that he might draw all men to their emulation and persuade them to practice temperance by closely following the footsteps of the righteous. For if in the athletic contests many, often seeing the athletes crowned, quickly stripped and engaged in the contests and endured many sweats and toils in order to be crowned with branches of olive or laurel, with how much eagerness ought we to endure the sweats for temperance, when we see others crowned by God, so that we may bind on the heavenly crowns for good and saving deeds of valor? And yet, is it not terrible and worthy of great anger, if the leaf of olive or laurel and empty glory, which is to be destroyed together with this life, encourages the athletes to victory, but the gifts of Christ do not persuade us to thrust away all pleasure and to set the fear of God over our desires? So then, it is not only among men that one can see emulation of like ones, but doves also, often seeing one beginning the flight, follow swiftly.

And a noble colt, having pranced in a herd of horses, drew the whole herd into the race. Therefore, since we are all a herd of Christ, and there is among us a good colt, the most chaste Joseph, who by his heavenly prancings calls his fellow servants to his own zeal, let us join in the spiritual dance with the noble youth, praising his chastity not only with words but also by imitation of his deeds. That man, then, was so precise and steadfast a guardian of chastity that, although it was possible for him to become wealthy, live in luxury, and rule over his mistress through licentiousness, yet, even though he was about to become master of so many and such great things, he chose rather to die than to betray his chastity, reflecting that wealth, power, and glory are bounded by this life and have a temporary profit, while death is not naturally able to touch virtue alone. For this reason, he placed the fear of Christ like a bridle upon pleasures, and he laughed at wealth, luxury, and the promises of his mistress, considering the hardship of prison sweeter than splendid chambers. And yet, it is difficult for those who have reached the peak of beauty to restrain pleasure; but he provided such a proof of self-control that he concealed the beauty of his body with the beauty of his soul, resembling a beautiful star in form and angels in soul. It is fitting for us not only to admire the chastity of the youth but also the dangers he endured for its sake, judging slavery to pleasures more terrible than death.

One might know his virtue precisely if one examined the times in which he appeared keeping his soul pure. For before the master and creator of the universe appeared on earth, he offered his soul free, though nurtured in a house of impious men, having many who urged him toward worse things, no teacher of temperance, all enslaved to pleasure, gratifying the belly, doing nothing pious or holy. Yet surrounded by so many and such evils and seeing the licentious mistress pressing upon him, he did not become a traitor of the heavenly treasures, but kept the temple of the spirit inviolate, choosing rather to die than to be enslaved to pleasures. This man did not hear Paul saying, "Your bodies are members of Christ." Yet before hearing the divine voice, he appeared no less than those honored with heavenly commandments, teaching us who continually struggle in the churches with this word how one ought to keep the soul uncorrupted. For if I, says Joseph, born before the epiphany of God, not yet having seen the master take the form of a slave, not yet having heard the chief of the apostles crying out, "Your bodies are members of Christ," nevertheless thought it fitting for the slaves of God to master pleasure and did not appear a traitor of temperance, though seeing many dangers hanging over me, how ought you to live with temperance with fear and trembling, so that you may not appear unworthy of the honor, so that you may not make the members of Christ the members of a harlot?

This word can fortify every soul with temperance, this word quickly drives out every pleasure, this word easily cools the inflammations of desire; not so easily does rain falling on fire extinguish the flame as this divine word, entering a soul, quickly withers evil desires. The great Job can also address these same words to us, who not only proved to be a precise practitioner of temperance, but also imposed a law on his own eyes not to look upon the face of a virgin, lest some beauty suddenly appearing should seize his reason. And yet who would not be astonished and amazed seeing this man wrestling nobly with the devil and refuting every device of the evil one, yet fleeing the face of a virgin and quickly turning his eyes away from a comely maiden? Seeing the devil approaching he did not flee, but stood like a lion trusting in his strength, but upon seeing a maiden he did not stand nor linger over the sight of her beauty, but quickly withdrew, thinking that the war against demons requires a brave and courageous soul, but that the practice of temperance is not achieved by associating with maidens, but by fleeing virgins.

Whoever then professes virginity, let him receive the counsels of the most temperate of all men, who, even before the epiphany of Christ, became so exact a guardian of temperance. And let no one simply hear that before the epiphany of Christ the righteous appeared, offering such a test of continence; for they did not have so great a necessity of temperance imposed upon them, nor did neglect of the possession of temperance bring such great blame upon the saints. How? Because for this reason the most high God, the creator of all things, took our form, in order to bring down the sanctity of the angels from heaven. When, therefore, men appear after such honor serving pleasures, it is impossible to express the magnitude of their audacity, that they render the philanthropy of the Lord vain, as far as they are concerned, by making the members of Christ members of a harlot. Let demons hear and be afraid, that God does not refuse to join and unite us to himself; yet do some of the faithful dare, after tearing themselves away from Christ, to join themselves to harlots? It is not so great an evil to fall from heaven into the mire as it is an evil, having become a member of Christ, to fall from divine honor and become a member of a harlot. When, therefore, evil desire inflames the soul, quickly remember Christ, imagine Paul standing before you admonishing and saying: Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? If you remember these words, you will quickly see pleasure fleeing.

For if a mistress appearing modest and chaste, by her mere glance, quickly brought to order maidservants who were behaving unseemly, why are you surprised if the memory of Christ puts to sleep the pleasure that troubles you? Always keep the cross shining before your eyes, and you will pass through time pure of sins. For just as the pillar of cloud, being a type and prophecy of the cross, gave rest to the multitude of the Hebrews and did not allow them to suffer any evil from the Egyptians, so the cross, seen before the eyes, quickly drives away every wicked pleasure and does not allow you to suffer anything unworthy of piety. This is the salvation of the soul, this is the wonderful remedy against shameful desire. For the ailments in bodies are brought to an end by the arts of physicians, but the words of Christ quickly heal a soul that is sick. Therefore we also deem it worthy and beseech those who have already sinned and are enslaved to pleasures to rise up and become sober, and not to be wholly overcome by passion, nor to be carried along as by a stream, nor, having enslaved their reason to pleasures, to carry about a bitter tyranny in the soul, but to resist and draw up in battle array, and, having strengthened the mind with the fear of Christ, to cast out the harsh mistress from the citadel, so that, having cast off every stain and thrown off the multitude of sins, we may be able to approach the divine and awesome mysteries of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory and the power unto the ages of ages. Amen.