306 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY X, tribulations, for refreshments, for hell, for pun ishment, for the kingdom of heaven. We be seech Thee to keep our soul holy, having a pure conscience ; an end worthy of thy lovingkind- ness. Thou that lovedst us so as to give Thy Only-Begotten for us, grant us to become worthy of Thy love ; give us wisdom in Thy word, and in Thy fear. Only-Begotten Christ, inspire the strength that is from Thee. Thou that gavest The Only-Begotten for us, and hast sent Thy Holy Spirit for the remission of our sins, if in aughtwe have wilfully or unwillingly transgressed, pardon, and impute it not. Remember all that call upon Thy Name in truth ; remember all that wish us well, or the contrary, for we are all men." Then having added the Prayer 1 of the Faithful, he there ended ; having made that prayer, as a certain crowning part, and a binding together for all. For many benefits doth God bestow upon us even against our wills ; many also, yea more, without our knowledge even. For when we pray for one thing, and He doeth to us the reverse, it is plain that He doeth us good even when we know it not. Ver. 3. "Withal praying for us also." See his lowlymindedness ; he sets himself after them. " That God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ." He means an entrance, and boldness in speaking. Wonderful ! The great athlete said not " that I may be freed from my bonds," but being in bonds he exhorted others ; and exhorted them for a great object, that himself might get bold ness in speaking. Both the two are great, both the quality of the person, and of the thing. Wonderful ! how great is the dignity ! " The mystery," he saith, " of Christ." He shows that nothing was more dearly desired by him than this, to speak. " For which I am also in bonds ; that I maymake it manifest, as I ought to speak." (Ver. 4.) He means with much boldness of speech, and withholding nothing. His bonds display, not obscure him. With much boldness, he means. Tell me, art thou in bonds, and dost thou exhort others? Yea, my bonds give me the greater boldness ; but I pray for God s fur therance, for I have heard the voice of Christ saying, " When they deliver you up, be not anx ious how or what ye shall speak." (Matt. x. 19.) And see, how he has expressed himself in meta phor, " that God may open to us a door for the word " ; (see, how unassuming he is ; even in his bonds, how he expresses himself;) that is, that He would soften their hearts. Still he said not so ; but, " that He would give us boldness " ; out of lowlymindedness he thus spoke, and that which he had, he asks to receive. He shows in this Epistle, why Christ came not in those times, in that he calleth the former 1 The Lord s Prayer. things " shadow, but the body," saith he, " is of Christ." So that it was necessary they should be formed to habits under the shadow. At the same time also he exhibits the greatest proof of the love he bears to them ; " in order that ye," he saith, " may hear, for that reason, I am in bonds. " Again he sets before us those bonds of his ; which I so greatly love, which rouse up my heart, and always draw me into longing to see Paul bound, and in his bonds writing, and preach ing, and baptizing, and catechizing. In his bonds he was referred to on behalf of the Churches everywhere ; in his bonds he builded up incalculably. Then was he rather at large. For hear him saying, " So that most of the brethren being confident through my bonds are more abundantly bold to speak the word without fear." (Phil. i. 14.) And again he makes the same avowal of himself, saying, " For when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Cor. xii. 10.) Wherefore he said also, " But the word of God is not bound." (2 Tim. ii. 9.) He was bound with malefactors, with prisoners, with murderers ; he, the teacher of the world, he that had as cended into the third heaven, that had heard the unspeakable words, was bound. (2 Cor. xii. 4.) But then was his course the swifter. He that was bound, was now loosed ; he that was un bound, was bound. For he indeed was doing what he would ; whilst the other prevented him not, nor accomplished his own purpose. What art thou about, O senseless one ? Think- est thou he is a fleshly runner? Doth he strive in our race-course? His course of life" is in heaven ; him that runneth in heaven, things on earth cannot bind nor hold. Seest thou not this sun? Enclose his beams with fetters ! stay him from his course ! Thou canst not. Then neither canst thou Paul ! Yea, much less this one than that, for this enjoyeth more of Providence than that, seeing he beareth to us light, not such as that is, but the true. Where now are theywho are unwilling to suffer aught for Christ? But why do I say " suffer," seeing that they are unwilling even to give up their wealth ? In time past Paul also used to bind, and cast into prison ; but since he is become Christ s servant, he glorieth no more of doing, but of suffering. And this, moreover, is marvel ous in the Preaching, when it is thus raised up and increased by the sufferers themselves, and not by the persecutors. Where hath any seen such contests as this? He that suffereth ill, conquers ; he that doeth ill, is worsted. Brighter is this man than the other. Through bonds the Preaching entered. " I am not ashamed " (Rom. i. 1 6), yea, I glory even, he saith, in preach ing The Crucified. For consider, I pray : the whole world left those who were at large, and went over to those that are bound ; turning away