194 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY III. and childish toys. But it is not of these we now speak, but at present concerning the things of Paul. That blessed one had both the Empe ror for his enemy, and in addition, many other foes many ways afflicting him, even with bitter slander. And what says he? Not only do I not grieve nor sink beneath these things, but " I even rejoice, yea, and will rejoice," not for a season, but always will I rejoice for these things. " For I know that this shall turn out tomy sal vation," that which is to come, when even their enmity and jealousy towards me further the Gos pel. "Through your supplication," he adds, " and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope." Behold the humble-mindedness of this blessed one ; he was striving in the contest, he was now close to his crown, he had done ten thousand exploits, for he was Paul, and what can one add to this? still he writes to the Philippians, I may be saved " through your supplication," I who have gained salvation through countless achieve ments. " And the supply," saith he, " of the Spirit of Jesus Christ." It is as though he said, if I am thought worthy of your prayers, I shall also be thought worthy of more grace. For the meaning of " supply " is this, if the Spirit be supplied to me, be given to me more abun dantly. Or he is speaking of deliverance, " unto salvation " ; that is, I shall also escape the pres ent as I did the former danger. Of this same matter he says, " At my first defense no one took my part, but all forsook me ; may it not be laid to their account. But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me." (2 Tim. iv 16.) This then he nqw predicts : " Through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expecta tion and hope," for thus do I hope. For that he may persuade us not to leave the whole mat ter to the prayers made for us, 1 and contribute nothing ourselves, behold how he lays down his own part, which is Hope, the source of all good, as the Prophet says. " Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in Thee." (Ps. xxxiii. 22.) And as it is written in another place, " Look to the generations of old and see, did any one hope in the Lord, and was made ashamed?" (Ecclus. ii. 10.) And again, this same blessed one says, " Hope putteth not to shame." (Rom. v. 5.) This is Paul s hope, the hoping that I shall nowhere be put to shame. "According to my earnest expectation and hope," says he, " that in nothing shall I be put to shame." Do you see how great a thing it is to hope in God? Whatever happens, he says, 1 This may possibly refer especially to departed Saints. See Horn. vi. on Stat. fin. [But does it not manifestly mean the prayers which others now living make for us, as the Philippians then did for Paul? J. A. B.] I shall not be put to shame, i.e. they will not obtain the mastery over me, " but with all bold ness, as always, so now also, Christ shall be magnified in my body." They forsooth ex pected to catch Paul in this snare, and to quench the preaching of the Gospel, as though their craftiness were of any power. This then, he says, shall not be so, I shall not now die, but " as always, so now also, Christ shall be magni fied in my body." How so ? Ofttimes have I fallen into dangers, when all men gave us up, and what is more, when I myself did. For " we had the answer of death within ourselves " (2 Cor. i. 9), but from all the Lord delivered me, so now too he shall be magnified in my body. What then? Lest any one should sup pose and say, If you die, will He not then be magnified ? Yes, he answers, I know He will ; for this cause I did not say that my life alone shall magnify him, but my death too. At pres ent he means " by life " ; they will not destroy me ; even did they so, Christ will even thus be magnified. How so? Through life, because He delivered me, but through my death, be cause even death itself could not persuade me to deny Him, since He gave me such readiness, and made me stronger than death. On the one hand because He freed me from peril ; on the other, because He suffered me not to fear the tyranny of death : thus shall he be magnified through life and death. And this he says, not as though he were about to die, but lest on his death they should be affected as men are apt to be. But that you may know these his words did not point to immediate death, the thought that pained them most, seehowhe relieves itby almost saying, These things I say, not as one about to die ; wherefore he soon after adds, " And having this confidence I know that I shall abide, yea and abide with you all." "In nothing," says he, "shall I be put to shame" ; that is, death brings no shame to me, but rather great gain. Why so? Because I am not immortal, but I shall shine more brightly than if I were so, for it is not the same thing for one immortal, and for one who is mortal, to despise death ; so that not even instant death is shame to me, yet shall I not die ; "in nothing shall I be put to shame," neither in life nor death. For I will bear either nobly, whether life or death. Well says he ! This is the part of a Christian soul ! but he adds, " with all boldness." Seest thou how entirely I am freed from shame ? For if the fear of death had cut short my boldness, death would have been worthy of shame, but if death at its ap proach cast no terror on me, no shame is here ; but whether it be through life I shall not be put to shame, for I still preach the Preaching, or whether it be through death I shall not be put