HOMILY X.] HOMILIES ON TIMOTHY. 515 deliver me from every sin, that is, He will not suffer me to depart with condemnation. For that he should be able to "resist unto blood striving against sin " (Heb. xii. 4), and not yield, is a deliverance from another lion, even the devil, so that this preservation is greater than the former, when he seems to be given up. "And will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom ; to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." This then is salvation, when we shine forth there. But what means, " He will preserve me unto His kingdom "? He will deliver me from all blame, and preserve me there. For this is to be preserved unto His kingdom, to die here on account of it. For " He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." (John xii. 25.) " Towhom be glory." Lo, here is a doxology to the Son. Ver. 19. " Salute Priscilla and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus." For he was then in Rome, of whom he said " The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day." (2 Tim. i. 18.) By this naming of him, he makes those of his household also more zealous in such good actions. " Salute Priscilla and Aquila." These are they of whom he makes continual mention, with whom too he had lodged, and who had taken Apollos to them. He names the woman first, as being I suppose more zealous, and more faithful, for she had then received Apollos ; or it might be done indifferently. And it was to them no slight consolation to be thus saluted. 1 It conveyed a demonstration of esteem and love, and a participation in much grace. For the bare salutation of that holy and blessed man was sufficient to fill with grace him who received it. Ver. 20. " Erastus abode at Corinth : but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick." This Trophimus and Tychicus, we know from the book of the Acts, sailed away with him from Judea, and were everywhere his companions, perhaps as being more zealous than the rest. "Trophimus I have left at Miletum sick." Why then didst thou not heal him, instead of leaving him ? The Apostles could not do every thing, or they did not dispense miraculous gifts upon all occasions, lest more should be ascribed to them than was right. The same thing is ob servable of those blessed and righteous men, who were before them, as in the case of Moses, whose voice was weak. Why was not this de fect removed? Nay, he was often afflicted with grief and dejection, and he was not admitted into the Land of Promise. B. 7rpo<rpr)<7is, as had been before conjectured. For many things were permitted by God, that the weakness of human nature might be mani fested. And if with these defects the insensible Jews could ask, Where is Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt (Ex. xxxii. i) ? how would they not have been affected towards him if he had brought them also into the Land of Promise? If he had not been suffered to be overpowered by the fear of Pharaoh, would they not have thought him a God? We see that the people of Lystra were thus affected in the case of Paul and Barnabas, thinking them to be Gods, when they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out and saying, " Sirs, why do ye these things ? we also are men of like passions with you." (Acts xiv. 14, 15.) Peter, again, when he had healed the man lame from his birth, when all were amazed at the miracle, answered and said, " Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this, or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk " ? (Acts iii. 12.) Hear also the blessed Paul, saying, " There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, lest I should be exalted above measure." (2 Cor. xii. 7.) But this, you say, was an expression of humility. Far from it. The thorn was not sent him that he might be humble, nor does he say this only out of humility. There are other causes besides to be assigned for it. Observe therefore how God, accounting for it, says, " My grace is suf ficient for thee " ; not " that thou mayest not be exalted above measure," but what? "For my strength is made perfect in weakness." Two ends therefore were answered at once : what was doing was made clearly manifest, and the whole was ascribed to God. For this cause he has said elsewhere, " We carry this treasure in earthen vessels" (2 Cor. iv. 7) ; that is, in bodies weak and liable to suffering. Why? " That the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." If our bodies were not subject to infirmity, all would be ascribed to them. And elsewhere we see him grieving at the infirmity of Epaphroditus, concerning whom he writes, " He was sick nigh unto death, but God had mercy on him." (Phil. ii. 27.) And many other instances there are of his ignorance of events, which was profitable both for him and his disciples. "Trophimus I have left at Miletum sick." Miletus was near Ephesus. Did this happen then when he sailed to Judea, or upon some other occasion? For after he had been in Rome, he returned to Spain, but whether he came thence again into these parts, we know not.- We see him however deserted by all. " For Demas," he says, " hath forsaken me. Crescens 2 This is, however, a strong presumption that he did. See p. 476, note.