162 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY XXII. however, that he saith this, as though they were actually attempting it, but upon the supposi tion ; wherefore also he said, " I am persuaded." So then he did not wrestle, yet nevertheless he fears his artifices ; for hear what he saith, " I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be cor rupted from the simplicity that is toward Christ." (2 Cor. xi. 3.) True, you will say, but he uses this word touching himself also, where he saith, " For I fear 1 lest, by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected." How then art thou " persuaded that no one shall separate thee"? Perceivest thou that the expression is that of lowliness and of humility? For he already dwelt in Heaven. And hence also it was that he said, " For I know nothing against myself" (i Cor. iv. 4) ; and again, " I have fin ished the course." (2 Tim. iv. 7.) So that it was not with regard to these matters that the devil placed obstacles in his way, but with refer ence to the interests of the disciples. And why forsooth? Because in these points he was not himself sole master, but also their own will. There the devil prevailed in some cases ; nay, neither there was it over him that he prevailed, but over the indolence of persons who took no heed. If indeed, whether from slothfulness, or anything else of the sort, he had failed to fulfill his own duty, then had the devil prevailed over him ; but if he himself on his part did all he could, and they obeyed not, it was not over him he prevailed, but over their disobedience ; and the disease prevailed not over the physician, but over the unruliness of the patient ; for, when the physician takes every precaution, and the patient undoes all, the patient is defeated, not the physician. Thus then in no instance did he prevail over Paul. But in our own case, it is matter for contentment that we should be so much as able to wrestle. For the Romans in deed this is not what he asks, but what ? " He shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." (Rom. xvi. 20.) And for these Ephesians he invokes, " Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." (Eph. iii. 20.) He that wrestles is still held fast, but it is enough for him that he has not fallen. When we depart hence, then, and not till then, will the glorious victory be achieved. For instance, take the case of some evil lust. The extraordinary thing would be, not even to entertain it, but to stifle it. If, however, this be not possible, then though we may have to wrestle with it, and retain it to the last, yet if we depart still wrestling, we are conquerors. 1 [The words, " I fear," <f>o^ovtnai yap, are not in the text of i Cor. ix. 27. See note i on page 157. G. A.] For the case is not the same here as it is with wrestlers ; for there if thou throw not thy antag onist, thou hast not conquered ; but here if thou be not thrown, thou hast conquered ; if thou art not thrown, thou hast thrown him ; and with reason, because there both strive for the victory, and when the one is thrown, the other is crowned ; here, however, it is not thus, but the devil is striving for our defeat ; when then I strip him of that upon which he is bent, I am conqueror. For it is not to overthrow us, but to make us share his overthrow that he is eager. Already then am I conqueror, for he is already cast down, and in a state of ruin ; and his vic tory consists not in being himself crowned, but in effecting my ruin ; so that though I over throw him not, yet if I be not overthrown, I have conquered. What then is a glorious vic tory? It is, over and above, to trample him underfoot, as Paul did, by regarding the things of this present world as nothing. Let us too imitate him, and strive to become above them, and nowhere to give him a hold upon us. Wealth, possessions, vain-glory, give him a hold. And oftentimes indeed this has roused him, and oftentimes exasperated him. But what need is there of wrestling? What need of engaging with him? He who is engaged in the act of wrestling has the issue in uncertainty, whether he may not be himself defeated and captured. Whereas he that tramples him under foot, has the victory certain. Oh then, let us trample under foot the power of the devil ; let us trample under foot our sins, I mean everything that pertains to this life, wrath, lust, vain-glory, every passion ; that when we depart to that world, we may not be con victed of betraying that power which God hath given us ; for thus shall we attain also the bless ings that are to come. But if in this we are unfaithful, who will entrust us with those things which are greater? If we were not able to trample down onewho had fallen, who had been disgraced, who had been despised, who was ly ing beneath our feet, how shall the Father give us a Father s rewards? If we subdue not one so placed in subjection to us, what confidence shall we have to enter into our Father s house? For, tell me, suppose thou hadst a son, and, that he, disregarding the well-disposed part of thy household, should associate with them that have distressed thee, with them that have been expelled his father s house, with them that spend their time at the gaming table, and that he should go on so doing to the very last ; will he not be disinherited ? It is plain enough he will. And so too shall we ; if, disregarding the Angels who have well pleased our Father and whom He hath set over us, we have our conver sation with the devil, inevitably we shall be dis-