434 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY III. HOMILY III. 2 TIMOTHY i. 13-18. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost Which dwelleth in us. This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain : but, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day : and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest verv well." NOT by letters alone did Paul instruct his disciple in his duty, but before by words also ; which he shows, both in many other passages, as where he says, "whether by word or our Epistle" (2 Thess. ii. 15), and especially here. Let us not therefore suppose that anything relat ing to doctrine was spoken imperfectly. For many things he delivered to him without writ ing. Of these therefore he reminds him, when he says, " Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me." After the man ner of artists, I have impressed on thee the image of virtue, fixing in thy soul a sort of rule, and model, and outline of all things pleasing to God. These things then hold fast, and whether thou art meditating any matter of faith or love, or of a sound mind, form from hence your ideas of them. It will not be necessary to have recourse to others for examples, when all has been deposited within thyself. " That good thing which was committed unto thee keep," how ? "bythe Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us." For it is not in the power of a human soul, when instructed with things so great, to be sufficient for the keeping of them. And why ? Because there are many robbers, and thick darkness, and the devil still at hand to plot against us ; and we know not what is the hour, what the occasion for him to set upon us. How then, he means, shall we be sufficient for the keeping of them? "By the Holy Ghost"; that is if we have the Spirit 1 with us, if we do not expel grace, He will stand by us. For, " Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." (Ps. cxxvii. i.) This is our wall, this our castle, this our refuge. If therefore It dwelleth in us, and is Itself our guard, what need of the commandment ? That 1 B. and Sav. mar. add " abiding. we may hold It fast, may keep It, and not ban ish It by our evil deeds. Then he describes his trials and temptations, not to depress his disciple, but to elevate him, that if he should ever fall into the same, he may not think it strange, when he looks back and remembers what things happened to his Teacher. What then says he ? Since it was probable that Timothy might be apprehended, and be deserted, and be relieved by no friendly attention, or influ ence, or assistance, but be abandoned even by his friends and the faithful themselves, hear what he says, "This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me." It seems that there were then in Rome many persons from the regions of Asia. " But no one stood by me," he says, no one acknowledged me, all were alienated. And observe the philosophy of his soul. He only mentions their conduct, he does not curse them, but he praises him that showed kindness to him, and invokes a thousand bless ings upon him, without any curse on them. " Of whom is Phygellus and Hermogenes. The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain. But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out diligently and found me." Ob serve how he everywhere speaks of the shame, and not of the danger, lest Timothy should be alarmed. And yet it was a thing that was full of peril. For he gave offense to Nero by mak ing friends with one of his prisoners.2 But when he was in Rome, he says, he not only did not shun intercourse with me, but " sought me out very diligently, and found me." "The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day : and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well." Such ought the faithful to be. Neither fear, nor threats, nor disgrace, should deter them from assisting one another, standing by them and succoring them as in war. For they do not so much benefit those who are in danger, as themselves, by the service they render to them, making themselves partakers of the crowns due to them. For example, is any one of those who are devoted to God visited with affliction and distress, and maintaining the conflict with great fortitude ; whilst thou art not yet brought3 to this conflict? It is in thy power if thou wilt, 2 nva. Ttav ai a.Kd.fj.eiwi avr<Z ouetutf*fLO>ot, " quod quendant exfamiliaribusque sibi attraxipet" Montf. 3 siAKuo-fljjs, " drawn." See on Stat. Horn. i. 8.