Wednesday, December 12, 2012

The Great Artificer

That no flesh should glory in the presence of God.” (1 Cor. 1:29) For God doeth all things to this end, to repress vainglory and pride, to pull down boasting.” “Do you, too,” saith he, “employ yourselves in that work.” He doth all, that we may put nothing to our own account; that we may ascribe all unto God. And have ye given yourselves over unto this person or to that? And what pardon will ye obtain?”

For God Himself hath shown that it is not possible we should be saved only by ourselves: and this He did from the beginning. For neither then could men be saved by themselves; but it required their compassing the beauty of the heaven, and the extent of the earth, and the mass of creation besides; if so they might be led by the hand to the great artificer of all the works.

~ John Chrysostom: Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians; Homily V