274 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY III, forms of things merely, not a truth. Woe is me ! that the watchwords of this army proceed no farther than to be only words. Whence also ye are ignorant wherefore is said, " Peace unto all." But hear what follows, what Christ saith ; " And into whatsoever city or village ye shall enter ... as ye enter into the house, salute it ; and if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you." (Matt. x. n, 13.) We are therefore ignorant ; because we look upon this merely as a figure of words ; and we assent not to them in our minds. For do 1 1 give the Peace ? It is Christ who deigneth to speak by us. Even if at all other times we are void of grace, yet are we not now, for your sakes. For if the Grace of God wrought in an ass and a diviner, for the sake of an economy, and the advantage of the Israelites (Num. 22), it is quite clear that it will not refuse to operate even in us, but for your 2 sakes will endure even this. Let none say then that I am mean, and low, and worthy of no consideration, and in such a frame of mind attend to me.3 For such I am ; but God s way always is, to be present even with such for the sake of the many. And, that ye may know this, with Cain He vouchsafed to talk for Abel s sake (Gen. iv.), with the devil for Job s (Job i.), with Pharaoh for Joseph s (Gen. xli.), with Nebuchadnezzar for Daniel s (Dan. ii., iv.), with Belshazzar, for the same (Dan. v.). And Magi moreover obtained a reve lation (Matt, ii.) ; and Caiaphas prophesied, though a slayer of Christ, and an unworthy man, because of the worthiness of the priest hood. (John xi. 49.) And it is said to have been for this reason that Aaron was not smitten with leprosy. For why, tell me, when both had spoken against Moses did she * alone suffer the punishment? (Num. xii.) Marvel not : for if in worldly dignities, even though ten thousand charges be laid against a man, yet is he not brought to trial before he has laid down his office, in order that it may not be dishonored along with him ; much more in the case of spiritual office, be he whosoever he may, the grace of God works in him, for otherwise everything is lost : but when he hath laid it down, either after he is departed or even here, then indeed, then he will surfer a sorer punish ment. Do not, I pray you, think that these things are spoken from us ; it is the Grace of God which worketh in the unworthy, not for our sakes, but for yours. Hear ye then what Christ 1 This implies that he was Bishop, and consequently that these Homilies were delivered at Constantinople. [Below he distinctly declares himself to be the Bishop. J. A. B.] 2 So Sav. Ben. " our." 3 Or " even so, let him attend to me." 4 Miriam. saith. " If the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it." (Matt. x. 13-15.) And how becometh it worthy? If "they receive you" (Luke x. 8), He saith. "But if they receive you not, nor hear your words, . . . verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judg ment, than for that city." What boots it then, that ye receive us, and hear not the things we say ? What gain is it that ye wait upon 5 usr and give no heed to the things which are spoken to you ? This will be honor to us, this the ad mirable service, which is profitable both to you and to us, if ye hear us. Hear also Paul say ing, " I wist not, brethren, that he was High Priest." (Acts xxiii. 5.) Hear also Christ say ing, " All whatsoever they bid you observe " (Matt, xxiii. 3), that " observe and do." Thou despisest not me, but the Priesthood ; when thou seest me stripped of this, then despise me ; then no more will I endure to impose commands. But so long as we sit upon this throne, 6 so long as we have the first place, we have both the dignity and the power, even though we are unworthy. If the throne of Moses was of such reverence, that for its sake they were to be heard, much more the throne of Christ. It, we have received by succession ; from it we speak ; since the time that Christ hath vested in us the ministry of reconciliation. Ambassadors, whatever be their sort, because of the dignity of an embassy, enjoy much honor. For observe ; they go alone into the heart of the land of barbarians, through the midst of so many enemies ; and because the law of embassy is of mighty power, all honor them ; all look towards them with respect, all send them forth with safety. And we now have received a word of embassy, and we are come from God, for this is the dignity of the Episcopate. We are come to you on an embassy, requesting you to put an end to the war, and we say on what terms; not promising to give cities, nor so and so many measures of corn, nor slaves, nor gold ; but the kingdom of heaven, eternal life, society with Christ, the other good things, which neither are we able to tell you, so long as we are in this flesh, and the present life. Ambassadors then we are, and we wish to enjoy honor, not for our own sakes, far be it, for we know its worth- lessness, but for yours ; that ye may hear with earnestness the things we say ; that ye may be profited, that not with listlessness or indifference ye may attend to what is spoken. See ye not ambassadors, how all pay court to them ? We are God s ambassadors to men ; but, if this of- . 6 [This would seem clearly to indicate that these homilies were delivered at Constantinople. The passage below, on ch. iii. 2-4, does not necessarily show the contrary. J. A. B.]