Tag Archives: Chrysostom.

Spiritual Eye-Salve: Sermon Outline

10 Saturday Dec 2022

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SPIRITUAL EYE-SALVE
Thomas Adams
Ephesians 1:18
This grace that here Paul prays for his Ephesians is illumination. Wherein is described to us — I. an eye; II. an object [what the eye sees]. The eye is spiritual, the object celestial.
I. The eye is the most excellent organ of sense.

But it is certain, in God’s image be not in the understanding, the soul is in danger; if they chimed air, there is comfort of life gay, life of comfort. Hence it is that the God of this world dothso strive to blinded the minds of them that believe not
God hath set to bid us to defend the poor real eye from annoyances. So he had given the understanding faith and hope to shelter it.

A. The situation of the spiritual eye is the soul. God, framing man’s soul, planted in it two faculties: the superior, that is the understanding, which perceive it and judge it; the inferior, that is the will, which being informed of the other, accordingly follows are flies, chooseth or if refuseth.

Use 1: this teaches us to desire in the first place the enlightening of our eyes, and then after, the strengthening of our feet…. Keep it labors for feet before he has eyes, takes a preposterous course; for, up to, the lame is more likely to come to his journeys and then the blind…. Chrysostom says, knowledge of virtue must ever go before devotion; for no man can earnestly affect the good he knows not; and the evil whereof he is ignorant, he fears not.

Use 2: this reprehends a common fashion of many auditors. When the preacher begins to analyze this text, and to open the points of doctrine, to inform the understanding, they lend him very cold attention…. But alas! No eyes, no salvation.
B. I come from the situation to the qualification of the spiritual eye: enlightened…. Man’s mind is not only dark, darkness, Ephesians 5:8, till the Spirit of knowledge of light on him, lighten him…. When a natural man comes in the Temple, among the congregation of God’s saints, the soul is not delighted with their prayers, praises, songs, and service; he sees no comfort, no pleasure, no content in their actions. True, he does not, he cannot; for his understanding is not enlightened ….Wwhat a world of happiness does this man’s I not see! Whereupon we call a mere full and natural. The world links have esteemed and misnamed Christians Gods fools; but we know them the fools of the world.

There are two reasons why we must all day of God for ourselves, as Paul did for the Ephesians, this grace of illumination:
Reason one: Our spiritual blindness came upon us by God to just curse for our sins.

Reason two: This original defect is increased by actual transgressions…. But I rather think that, like the water man, but look one way and row another; for he must needs be strangely squinted eye that can at the same instant fashion one of his lights on the light of glory, and the other on the darkness of iniquity.
C. [Diseases of the eye]:
1. First the cataract, which is a thickness drawn over the eye, and bread of many causes: this especially, either from the rheum of vainglory, or the inflammation of malice…. This dark mind is the fault were saints and keeps his seminary, and since hatching a black root of the lusts.
The means took spell this disease is to take God’s law and to thy hand and heart, and through that glass to look to thyself…. This inspection is difficult. It is a hard, but a happy thing, to know oneself. Private sins are not easily spied out…. He that is partially indulgent to one sin is a friend to all. It is at pains well taken to study thyself. If thou wouldst be good, first know that thou art evil.

And as in some, the fuliginous vapors arising from the lower parts of the body blind the eyes; so in him the fumous evaporations of the flesh’s lusts have caused absolute blindness.

2. Secondly, there is another disease called pearl in the eye: a dangerous disease, and hereof are all worldlings sick; for earthly riches is such a great pearl in the eye, that they cannot see the pearl of the Gospel, which the wise merchant sold all he had to purchase…. We are easily inclined and declined from our supernal bliss, by a doting love of these transient delights…. The eye follows the heart with more diligence than a servant his master…. This pearl must be cut out of the worldling’s eye with a sharp knife of repentance otherwise he is never likely to see heaven.

D. There is also a double defect in this natural eye

1. First it perceives only natural and external things. A beast has one kind of eye, a natural man to a Christian three. The beast has an eye of sense; the natural man, a sense and reason; the Christian, of sense, of reason, and of faith. Each of these has its several objects, several intentions. The eye of sense regards only natural things; the eye of reason, only sensible and natural things; the eye of faith, spiritual, supernal, and supernatural things.

2. The second defect in the eye is an insolid levity; it is roving, like Dinah’s, and ravished abroad; but wants self-inspection. Nothing does sooner blind us in comparisons. He they would mount to a high opinion of his own worth, by comparing it to the base wickedness of another, is like one that observing a cripple’s lameness, wonders at himself that he is so swift.

E. Spiritual blindness

1. Spiritual blindness shall appear the more perilous, if we compare it with natural. The bodies I may be better spared than the souls; as to want the eye of Angels is far worse than to want the eyes of beasts. The want of corporeal site is often good, not evil: evil in the sense, and good in the consequence. He may the better intent heavenly things, that sees no earthly to draw him away. Many a man’s eyes has done him hurt [like David].

Besides, the bodily blind fields and knowledge is his want of sight; but the spiritually blind thinks that none have clearer eyes than himself. He that wants corporeal eyes blesses them that see; this man derides and despises them…. But the mind and soul is led by the world, which should be his servant, is his traitor; or, by the flesh, which should be as a wife, is his harlot; or by the devil, which is a dog indeed, a crafty curb, not leading, but misleading him.

2. The means to cure it:
i. A knowledge of God, procured
a. By his works.
b. by the Scriptures
c. But the scriptural knowledge (common to the wicked) is not sufficient; there must be a spiritual knowledge.
ii. A knowledge of ourselves, procured
a. Naturally, by looking into the Constitution and composition of our own persons.
b. Morally: by considering how frequently we have transgressed these virtues to which the very heathen gave a strict obedience.
c. Spiritual knowledge goes yet further: it searches the heart; and if that most inward chamber, or in any thereof, you can find an idle, it brings it forth.

II. The object to be seen: ‘the hope of his calling, and the riches of the glory of God’s inheritance in the saints.’
The philosophers propound six necessary occurrences to her perfect seeing

A. Firmness or good disposition of the organ that sees. A rolling eye bolts nothing perfectly…. This object is so immense, that we cannot well look besides it.

B. The spectacle must be objected [made an object] to the sight:… nor can the understanding see into the super natural joys, lest the Lord objects [shows it] it to them.

C. That there be a proportional distance between the organ and the object: neither too near, nor too far off…. The best I upon earth looks but through a glass, a lattice, and obscuring impediment.
It is required that the objective matter be substantial…. but this object here proposed is no empty chimera, or imaginary, translucent, airy shadow, but substantial: “the hope of God’s calling, and a glorious inheritance;” which though natures goal I cannot reach, the fates by sees perfectly.

D. And the subject of this spectacle is by demonstration proved solid and substantial; because nothing but that can give this intellectual eye firm content and complacency. How go the affections of man and a rolling and ranging pace from one creature to another. Now that hard to set up on wealth…. say wealth was calm, thou art than for honor; they riches are a latter, whereby thou would client dignity [and so on from one desire to another – no man is content with anything in this world. Here is an irony: The man who cannot see God is still not content with anything but God.] Nothing but the Trinity of persons in that one Deity can fill the triangular concave of man’s own heart.

E. clearness of space between the organ and the object …. there must be removing all thick and impenetrable obstacles:
i. Some have whole mountains between their eyes and heaven; the mountains of vainglory hinder their sight.
ii. Others, to make sure prevention against their site of heaven, have rolled the whole earth between that and their eyes.
iii. Others yet have interjected such a skewer and peachy clouds between their site and his son of glory, but they cannot see. Whether of the errors, the dark and light of truth, or of affected ignorance, but blind to their own eyes; or a blasphemous atheism; they will see nothing what they do see…. Thus the devil deals with them,…. First he put out their eyes with their own iniquities, and then leaves them about to make himself sport.

F. lastly, the object must be stable and firm.

Conclusion: ….Contemn we, condemn we the foolish choice of worldlings, in regard of our portion, and the better part, never to be taken from us. Why should I mislike my gold, because he prefers his copper? The least dram of these joys shall outweigh all the pleasures of earth. And as one performance in hell shall make the reprobate forget all earthly vanities; so the least drop of this pleasure shall take from us the remembrance of our former miseries. We shall not think on our poverty in this world, when we possess those riches; but forget contemptible baseness, when God shall give us that glory of Saints… God give us to see these things now in grace, that we may hereafter see them in glory! Amen.

The resurrection

11 Tuesday Apr 2017

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The Christian hope is not delivery from the body (the Greeks had an expression: the body is a tomb), but from corruption. If one were to know the body only as it is after the Fall, it would seem the body is inherently corrupt. But the Christian knows the corruption of the body is abnormal, a curse.

As Chrysostom says in Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians 10.3:

We do not want to be delivered from the body but only from the corruption which is in it. Our body is a burden to us, not because it is a body but because it is corruptible and liable to suffering. But when the new life comes, it will take away this corruption—the corruption, I say, not the body itself. 

Quoted from Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, vol vii

Jeremiah Burroughs, The Seaman’s Direction.12

27 Tuesday Dec 2011

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FOUR SPECIFIC ELEMENTS OF APPLICATION:

DECREE, COMMAND, THREAT, PROMISE

First Application: The Word of God=s Decree:

But thus much for the application generally, but more particularly from these four considerations of that word they come to fulfill, from the first the word of his decree.

The Certainty of God Fulfilling His Decree

Hence we learn the certainty of the fulfilling of all God=s Decree; all creature work for this end.  We may purpose and decree things, but every little thing is enough to hinder, but the word of God=s decree shall stand forever, heaven and earth, and air and seas; and all creatures must work and give forth all their power and efficacy for this.  Therefore, certainly none can fail.

See the as Fulfilling God=s Decree

Whatsoever fall out by the wind, take notice of it as the fulfilling of the Word of God=s decree and make use of it accordingly: Do not think it came by ill hap [bad luck], or chance, or only through unskillfulness or neglect of such or such, so as to think if these things be taken heed of another, there need be no fear taht such things will fall out again.  Yes, if this came to fulfill the Word of God=s decree, however such and such means furthered it, although they had not been, God could have had many other ways to have fulfilled this Word of His, and so may do some other time when such means shall not fall out.

Second Application: The Word of God=s Command

From the second, the Word of His command:

The Sovereignty and Greatness of God

Here learn the sovereignty and greatness of God that has these creatures at His command.  Who is this, said the mariners concerning Christ, whom the storm and the winds obey?  So let us, who is this Lord, how great is His command?  Who are you then that dare resist the command of this God? Shall heaven and earth, seas and wind, fulfill God=s Word and are you he that dares to stand against it?

Job 38:1-2, it is said, that God spoke ot Job our of the whirlwind and said, Who is this that darkens counsel?  Now the Lord speak to your heart out of every stormy wind: Who is this that dares stand out against My command, great things have yielded and do daily yield to God=s Word.  As in Psalm 29:5-7, It [the voice of God] breaks the cedars, it divides the flames of fire.  What a heart then you have that dares, that can stand against it?

God Commands Boisterous Winds B and Lusts of the Heart


Seeing the boisterous winds obey the word of command, when you feel boisterous raging lusts [any very strong desire; not merely sexual desires] in your heart, look up to God; cry to Him to give out a powerful word of command to still them:

Likewise, O Lord, you who rules the raging sea and the tempestuous winds B and they are still B O that you would rebuke these raging distempers of my heart, which raise a grievous tempest in my soul, that they may be still.

Chrysostom[1] upon the 8th [chapter of] Matthew, speaking of those winds that raised tempest upon the seas, which endangered the ship wherein Christ and His disciples were, makes use of an allegorical sense comparing the ship to the Church, and those winds to the devils that raise tempests to endanger the Church.  Certainly the lusts of a man=s heart are more dangerous winds; they raise a tempest more dangerous than all the devils in Hell are able to raise.  But the Lord that is able to still the one, is able to still also the other.  In Psalm 65:7, these two are put together:

The stilling the noise of the sea,

The noise of the waves,

And the tumults of the people.

It is the same power of God that does both, and the same power that must still the tumult of a man=s own heart.

Third Application: The Word of God=s Threat

Use 1: God=s Threats will be Fulfilled

How sure then are God=s threats to be fulfilled, when all God=s creatures are appointed to see them fulfilled.  Every creature stands ready as if it said, Lord shall I go to make good such a threat gone out against such a man, for such a sin committed at such a time?  If God said to the winds, Go, puruse him, attach him, never cease until my word be fulfilled against him B certainly they will go and will fulfill God=s Word to the utmost; although it be for your utter ruin and sending you down to your own place.

Although some Word of God=s threat may seem to lie as it were dead awhile; yet God has ways to raise it up and to make it good to the full and among other means this creature is often used for this end. [As it says in] 1 Samuel 3:12,

In that day, say the Lord, I will perform all the things which I have spoken against Eli.

The words are, I will raise up all the words I have spoken against him: It may be there has been some word of threat lain long against thee.  Now the winds are sent to raise up this word, let it lie never so long, it must rise at the last: All the powers in heaven and earth will work to raise it up.  Rather, then it shall always lie thus, it certainly must rise at one time or another.

And, as it is [in] verse 19 [of 1 Samuel 3]:

None of the Words of the Lord shall fall to the ground


The expression is metaphorical from a dart cast at an enemy: if it be by a weak hand or not directed right, instead of sticking in the thing it is cast at, it falls to the ground.  But God=s words spoken by the prophets shall do so, they will be as darts that shall certainly stick in the sides of wicked men and none of them shall fall to the ground.  And among the other means, the mighty winds are sometimes used by God to carry the dart of the Word of His threat strongly upon conscience; to make it stick fast and to abide until it fulfills God=s purpose and not fall to the ground.

Use 2: See Your Fragility Before God

Here you see what a dangerous thing it is to be, especially to go to sea under the power of a threat: As soon as God has you at sea, if He calls for a wind out of the treasures of His wrath, and bids it fulfill such a threat, where are you?  It is a bold adventure for you to put out to sea before you have cleared all with God against your own conscience: If all be clear, then the blessing of Zebulon in Deuteronomy 13:26 may be upon you,

Rejoice, O Zebulon

in your going out.

Zebulon was the mariners= tribe and his blessing was to rejoice in his prosperous voyages, in his expectation of them: to rejoice when he went out, when he set to sea: If before your going out you have made all peace between God and you, so that there be no word of threat to fulfill upon you, then B but not before – you can rejoice at your going out.

Use 3:Consider the Cause of the Threat

When you are in any danger in regard of stormy winds, consider, advise with your conscience what threat it is, against what sin of yours the Word of the Lord has gone forth: that this stormy wind comes to fulfill.

Conscience will tell you: Here is a terrible tempest and it comes to fulfill the Word of the Lord B the Word of the Lord that you have slighted, contemned, despised.  Now comes this tempest to put honor and majesty upon that Word and to fulfill it.  It cries out against you, the Word of the Lord, the Word that you heard on such a day, against such a sin, in such a place.  You have escaped it all this while, you thought yourself free from it, out of its danger; but now it pursues you, it comes in this stormy wind to be fulfilled on you.

You thought the Word was but as wind, and that wind should shake no corn.  As [in] Jeremiah 5:13:

The prophets shall become wind.


Now they become wind, indeed.  I remember I have read a story that Hospinian[2] in history of the Jesuites relates of Henricus a Jesuite at Ingolstate, who said in his sermon that it was no good sign of a catholic to joy much in hearing of sermons; but rather the sign of a heretic who delight themselves with those things as the ape with a nut. For, he says, sermons pass away presently as win.  But his delight was to hear many masses: This is a distinguishing sign between a Catholic and a heretic; fit for a Jesuit to give.  Such vile and unworthy thought have carnal hearts [concerning] the Word.

But it is indeed and shall be wind that shall shake your heart one day; although for present it seems to be hardened rock.  In Isaiah 63:6 we read fo a threat that their iniquities like the wind should take men away.  The guilt of your iniquity together with the stormy wind is like to take you and carry you away to your own place.  When the stormy wind blew so as it endangered those mariners in the 1st [chapter] of Jonah, the says,

They consulted to cast lots, that they might know for whose cause it blew.

It is good for you when you are in a stormy wind to consult with your own heart: is not this tempest raised against me for my sin?  Surely if you would ask the question to your own heart, for what cause is it that it is so dreadful, the answer will be, it is because you have not fulfilled the Word of the Lord by humiliation before it, by obedience unto it, and therefore it comes now to fulfill the Word of the Lord upon you.

Use 4: Learn to Have High Thoughts of the Word of the Lord

If ever you have escaped dangerous tempests,

learn forever to have higher thoughts of the Word of the Lord than you have;

To reverence it

to humble your soul before it

to obey it.

Oh, let me fulfill the Word fo the Lord

Now by humiliation

by obedience

That the stormy wind

Does not do it

[Which shall be] more grievous to me.

If you dare resist this Word, when the Lord shall have raised against another stormy win, caused His terror to be upon you, it may be then you will cry

O Lord, now I will fulfill your Word

Lord deliver me

And I shall be more careful forever to fulfill your word

Your Word that commands me to sanctify Your Name

Your Word that commands me to be chaste and sober and religious;

Lord, if my life be spared

It shall appear I will regard Your Word more than ever I have done.

God may then answer,

Nay, this stormy wind shall fulfill My Word

I will rather have My glory out of You                                                           

By fulfilling My Word upon you by this Tempest

Then expect from you what you will do to the fulfilling of it.


It may be some of you have heretofore in your distress thus promised the Lord, and the Lord has heard your cries and has spared you.  If God has been gracious to you, do not now return to folly.  The first time as I remember that Pharaoh acknowledged taht he had sinned was upon the dreadfulness of the tempest.  In Exodus 9:27 we read

Though I have sinned, the Lord is righteous

I and my people are wicked.

So it may be you have don, but take need now it be not with you as it was with Pharaoh; as we see in verse 34, when he saw the tempest was over, he sinned yet more and hardened his heart.

You are delivered from the tempest.

Do not now sin more.

Do not harden your hearts.

Oh let conscience now plead with you for the fulfilling your own word.

Take heed now.

Do not thrust away conscience

when it comes upon you

to put you upon

what you have promised to God in your distress.

In 1 Timothy 1:19, the Scripture speaks of some who have made shipwreck of faith, and put away their conscience. When you have escaped one shipwreck, take heed of a worse shipwreck, namely that of faith and of putting away conscience.  The word that is here translated put away is more than putting; it is thrusting away, casting away with violence.  The same word is that is translated in Romans 12:13 as cast off works of darkness, when temptations to the work of darkness come.  It is good thrusting them away with violence.  But take heed you do not do so with your consciences they have come upon you, urging on you performance of tha tyou engaged yourself to God in the time of danger.

It may be in time of danger, you cast out your goods to save your lives.  Now cast your lusts [strong, passionate desires to sin] to save your souls.  Either your sins or your souls must perish.  Know that though you forget your promises, yet God looks after them, and will call to account what becomes of them.  They are to be seeds of a godly life.

 Now then take heed that when you vow to and covenant with God, you do not sow the wind.  That phrase the Scripture uses for losing our labor, when nothing comes of our endeavors;  as in Hosea 8:7. But that is not all, that no good comes from promises; but certainly if in them you sow the wind, there will something come of them B if not a harvest of a reformed life, yet reap you shall: You shall reap the whirlwind; they will be the seeds of most dreadful miseries to you afterwards.

That one Theodericus answered to Sigmund the emperor when he would know of what what he should to be happy, may I say to you, Consider, he says, what you would wish you had done at such and such times when you had grievous pain of the stone and gout, and do that now.            So I say unto you, would you be happy, consider then, when you have been in grievous storms and dangerous tempests, what would you wish you had done: do that now.  When company, when temptations draw [you] to evil, consider then: Will this be my joy if ever God brings me into grievous tempests again?  Would I have done this at that time?


At such times, men are convinced of the ways of God, and could wish themselves godly. Yea, I remember I have read of an expression that Xenophon[3] has, that all men in their failings desire for the companions to have been men rather religious than atheists, because of their often dangers and fears; by reason of tempests.  Now your hearts rise against them, but at such a time you could be glad to be with them, and to be as they are; except you be atheists yourselves.

O labor now to be such as then you are convinced is the best and most safest to be: religious.  If it be good then, it is good now. There has been much fear struck into your hearts at such times, but know there may be much trembling at God=s great works, and yet God [is] not feared.  As at the giving of the law, the people were terrified when tehy saw and heard those terrible things at Mt. Siani.  And yet afterwards, God says, O there were a heart in this people to fear me.  God does not own all that scaring of theirs before for any true fear of His Name.

The Lord therefore grant, that that fear which in such times has possessed your heart, may prove and appear to be not so much the fear of dangers, as the true fear of the great God appearing to you in such great and dreadful works of His.  That if there were any stirrings in your consciences before now by such a sight of God causing His fear to be upon you, those beginnings may be brought forth to a good and blessed issue. That though your hearts stuck before, and could not be brought off without much ado to anything that was good; yet that now his work of God may bring them off; and now there may be an everlasting divorce between your hearts and those evils which before did cleave so close and fast unto you.

As we read in Psalm 29:

The voice of the Lord in tempest

causes the hinds [female deer]  to calve.

Now they are creature that do not calve without great difficulty, but the fear that is upon them at such times causes them to bring forth their young: You have had many stirrings of heart, but yet nothing has come of them.  The Lord cause the fear of His great name now to be effectual; that those stirrings may bring forth something for the honor of God and your own peace.

Use 5: Take Notice That God Fulfills His Word by the Stormy Wind

Let us take notice of God=s fulfilling His Word by this stormy wind:

What word of His was fulfilled among us,

Whatsoever hurt has been done by it,

Whatsoever judgment has befallen any upon us

It is for the fulfilling some Word of the Lord.

The Lord give you all hearts to fulfill that work of humiliation and obedience that this work of the Lord calls for from you.  There has not been known in these parts in the memory of man the like effect of a stormy wind, as this has brought forth.  We read of that wind in 1 Kings 19, where the text says,

God was not in the wind.

We cannot say so of this, for verily [truly] God was in the wind B and that very remarkably: O that He might be honored in it; that as in nature strong winds clear the air from corruption, so this may be so blessed by God to cleanse your conscience from some defilement.

Use 6: The Word of God=s Promise

From the fourth particular, the Word of His Promise.

When you have prosperous winds, look at them as coming to fulfill a word of mercy.  As in Psalm 89:8-9

Who is a strong Lord like unto you

Or to they faithfulness round about you.


You rule the raging of the sea

The waters arise

You still them.

The Psalmist acknowledges the word of God in ruling and stilling the waves of the sea (which He does especially by the use of the wind, as a fruit of God=s faithfulness); that is ordered by God for the fulfilling of His promise.

If you can take this as a fruit of the promise, how comfortable will it be unto you.  God=s riding upon the cherub, and flying upon the wings of the wind are put together in Psalm 18:10.  The cherubim did cover the mercy-seat: When He comes to you upon the wings of the wind, this must needs be full of comfort.

You mariners, if you be gracious and godly, whensoever you see the Lord coming to you in the winds, you may see Him likewise upon the cherub B His mercy-seat; and what encouragement is this in the ways of god.  Others see Him coming from His throne of justice, dividing the flames of His wrath.  If God has fulfilled any word of mercy by a prosperous wind, let it engage you to Him forever, and cause you to improve that mercy you have by it for God.

As we read in Deuteronomy 33:19, that Zebulon the mariners tribe, as you heard before, when they had a prosperous voyage, they should call the people to the mountains of the Lord there to offer sacrifices of righteousness, because of the fulfilling of God=s promise to them, that they should suck the abundance of seas.

Has God given you the blessings of the seas?  Then stir up one another to come to the mountains of the Lord, that is, to the Church of God, to offer sacrifices of righteousness to give God the praises due unto Him

[1]  A famous preacher of the ancient world; his name means Agolden-mouth.@  He lived from c. 347 – 407.  He was the ordained bishop of Constantinople in 398.

[2] Rudolf Hospinian, 1547 – 1626.  It appears that there are two copies of a portion of Hospinian=s history still in existence:   The Jesuits Manner of Consecrating both the Persons and Weapons Imploy’d for the Murdering Kings and Princes by Them accounted Hereticks Being Matter of Fact. Translated out of Hospinian’s History of the Jesuits.  The book was originally prinited  at Zurich in the year 1670. Imprimatur, November 16, 1678, Dublin. There is also a copy of the reprint by Joseph Ray at Colledge‑Green, for Joseph Howes and William Winter, booksellers in Castle‑street, 1681.  One copy is in the British Library.  One copy is at the Huntington Library.

[3]  A Greek soldier and historian; lived c 430 – 354 B.C.