and was not affected as many are, who, when they have kept themselves to it but ten, or perhaps twenty months,1015 straightway give up the matter altogether. He, I say, was in no wise thus affected, nor did he say anything like this to himself. “What further need have I of fasting? I have gotten the mastery of myself; I have overcome my lusts; I have mortified my body; I have affrighted demons; I have driven away the devil; I have raised the dead; I have cleansed lepers; I am become terrible to the adverse powers; what further need have I of fasting, or to seek safety from that quarter?” Anything like this he did not say, he did not think of; but, in proportion as he abounded with innumerable good works, so much the more did he fear and tremble.1016 And he learnt this spiritual wisdom from his preceptor; for even he, after he had been rapt into the third heaven, and transported to paradise; and had heard unutterable words; and taken part in such mysteries; and traversed the whole world, like some winged being, when he wrote to the Corinthians, said, I fear “lest by any means having preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”1017 And if Paul was afraid after so many signal good works; he who was able to say, “The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world;”1018 much more does it become us to fear; and the rather in proportion as we have stored up1019 numerous good works. For then the devil becomes fiercer; then he is more savage, when he beholds us regulating our lives with carefulness! When he sees the cargo of virtue stowed together, and the lading become heavy, then he is in haste to ac- complish a more grievous shipwreck! For the insignificant and abject man, although he may be supplanted and fall, brings not so great an injury to the common cause. But the man who has been standing most conspicuously as it were on some eminence of virtue, and who is one manifestly seen and known of all men, and admired of all; when he is assaulted and falls, causes great ruin and loss. Not only because he falls from this elevation but makes many of those who look up to him more negligent. And as it is in the body, some other limb may be destroyed without there being any great damage, but if the eyes be deprived of sight, or the head be seriously injured, the whole body is rendered useless; so also we must say of the saints, and of those who have performed the highest good works; when such are extin- 1015 A course of discipline was usual with those who intended to live a truly Christian life. St. Chrysostom spent four years in retirement. St. Augustin also practised self-discipline before his baptism (Conf. ix. 14, Tr. p. 165), and afterwards x. 47, p. 239; see the end of Hom. XXVI. on Rom. xvi. 2, 4. And of men’s falling off soon after baptism, on Rom. vi. 3; Hom. X. p. 160, which passage favours the reading “days,” adopted by Savile. 1016 St. Paul does not say, “I fear;” but he does say that he used means like these. 1017 1 Cor. ix. 27. 1018 Gal. vi. 14. 1019 συνειληχότες. “Have shared,” makes no sense here. Valckenaer, Opusc. i. p. 208, corrects the same word in Or. i. de Laud. St. Paul, fin. Read συνειλοχότες. Att. from συλλ™γω. 459 Homily I