240 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY XII. here, where the contest is ; but the crown is in that bright place. See ye not, even here, that the most honored of the wrestlers and charioteers are not crowned in the course below, but the king calls them up, and crowns them there? Thus too is it here, in heaven thou receivest the prize. Ver. 15. "Let us, therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded," saith he. "And if in anything ye are otherwise minded, even this shall God reveal unto you." What sort of thing ? That we should " forget the things which are behind." Wherefore it belongs to him who is perfect not to consider himself perfect. How therefore sayest thou, " as many as are perfect" ? For tell me, are we minded as thou art? For if thou hast not attained nor art perfected, how dost thou command those that are perfect to be so minded as thou art, who art not yet perfect ? Yea, for this, saith he, is perfection. And " if ye are in anything otherwise minded, even this shall God reveal unto you." That is, if any one considers that he has attained all excellence. He puts them on their guard, not by speaking directly, but what saith he? " If in anything ye are otherwise minded, even this shall God reveal unto you." See how humbly he saith this ! God shall teach you, i.e. God shall persuade you, 1 not teach you ; for Paul was teaching, but God shall lead them on. And he said not, shall lead you on, but " shall reveal," that this may rather seem to spring from ignorance. These words were spoken not concerning doctrines, but con cerning perfection of life, and our not consider ing ourselves to be perfect, for he who considers that he hath apprehended all, hath nothing. Ver. 1 6. "Only, whereunto we have already attained, by that same rule let us walk, let us mind the same thing." " Only, whereunto we have attained." What means this? Let us hold fast, he saith, that in which we have succeeded ; love, concord, and peace : for in this we have succeeded. 2 " Whereto we have attained : to walk by the same rule, to mind the same thing." " Where unto we have attained," i.e. in this we have already succeeded. Seest thou, that he wills that his precepts should be a rule to us ? And a rule admits neither addition, nor subtraction, since that destroys its being a rule. " By the same rule," i.e. by the same faith, within the same limits. Ver. 17. "Brethren, be ye imitators of me, and mark them which so walk even as ye have us for an ensample." He had said above, " beware of dogs," from such he had led them away ; he brings them &c. 1 i.e. succeed in persuading. - He applies this to walking by the same rule " with each other," near to these whom they ought to imitate. If any one, saith he, wishes to imitate me, if any one wishes to walk the same road, let him take heed to them ; though I am not present, ye know the manner of my walk, that is, my con duct in life. For not by words only did he teach, but by deeds too ; as in the chorus, and the army, the rest must imitate the leader of the chorus or the army, and thus advance in good order. For it is possible that the order may be dissolved by sedition. The Apostles therefore were a type, and kept throughout a certain archetypal model. Con sider how entirely accurate their life was, so that they are proposed as an archetype and example, and as living laws. For what was said in their writings, they manifested to all in their actions. This is the best teaching ; thus he will be able to carry on his disciple. But if he indeed speaks as a philosopher, yet in his actions doth the contrary, he is no longer a teacher. For mere verbal philosophy is easy even for the disciple : but there is need of that teaching and leading which comes of deeds. For this both makes the teacher to be reverenced, and prepares the disciple to yield obedience. How so? When one sees him delivering philosophy in words, he will say he commands impossibili ties ; that they are impossibilities, he himself is the first to show, who does not practice them. But if he sees his virtue fully carried out in action, he will no longer be able to speak thus. Yet although the life of our teacher be careless, let us take heed to ourselves, and let us listen to the words of the prophet ; " They shall be all taught of God." (Isa. liv. 13.) " And they shall teach no more every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them." (Jer. xxxi. 34.) Hast thou a teacherwho is not virtu ous? Still thou hast Him who is truly a Teacher, whom alone thou shouldest call a Teacher. Learn from Him : He hath said, " Learn of Me, for I am mee k." (Matt. xi. 29.) Take not heed, then, to thy teacher, but to Him and to His les sons. Take thence thy examples, thou hast a most excellent model, to it conform thyself. There are innumerable models laid before thee in the Scriptures of virtuous lives ; whichsoever thou wilt, come, and after the Master find it in the disciples. One hath shown forth through poverty, another through riches ; for example, Elijah through poverty, Abraham through riches. Go to that example, which thou esteemest most easy, most befitting thyself to practice. Again, one by marriage, the other by virginity ; Abra ham by marriage, the other by virginity. Follow whichever thou wilt : for both lead to heaven. One shone forth by fasting, as John, another without fasting, as Job. Again, this latter had a