234 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY XI. says. Nay, do you tell me why these stones are such, and why one class are regarded as of | great value, while the others are more useful ? For these may be conducive to building, but \ those to no purpose ; and these are stronger than those. " But they," he says, " produce a > beautiful effect." How so? it is a matter of| fancy. Are they whiter ? No, they are not whiter than pure white marble, nor nearly equal | to it. But are they stronger? Not even this! can be said for them. 1 Well then, are they more useful? are they larger? Not even this, j Whence then are they so admired, save from ! fancy? For if they are neither more beautiful, \ (for we shall find others more shining and more white,) nor useful, nor stronger, whence came they to be so admired? Was it not from mere fancy? Why then did God give them? They were not His gift, but it is your own imag ination that they are anything great. " How is it, then," he answers, " that even the Scripture shows admiration of them ? " So far it.addresses itself to your fancy. As a master too in talking to a child often admires the same object as it J does, when he desires to attract and engage it. Why do you aim at finery in your clothing ? He clothed thee with a garment and with san- j dais. But where is there any reason for these things? "The judgments of God," he says, .1 " are more to be desired than gold, yea than much fine gold." (Ps. xix. 10.) These, be loved, are of no use. Had they been of use, he would not have bidden us despise them. And for Holy Scripture, it speaks with reference to our notion, and this too- is an instance of God s lovingkindness. " Why then," he asks, " didHe give purple and the like?" These things are products of God s gift. For He has willed by other things also to show forth His own riches. And He gave you corn too by itself; but from this you make many things, cakes and sweet meats, of every sort and variety, having much enjoyment. Pleasure and vainglory give rise to all these inventions. It pleased you to set them before everything. For if a foreigner or a rustic, who was ignorant of the land, should put the question, and, seeing your admiration, were to say, " Why do you admire these? " What have you to say ? that they are fair to look at ? But not so. Let us then give up such notions ; let us lay hold of the things that are truly real. These are not, but simply pass away, only flow ing past like a river. Wherefore I charge you, let us take our stand upon the rock, that we both escape, being easily turned about, and that we may obtain the good things to come, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom, &c. HOMILY XI. PHILIPPIANS iii. 7-10. " Howbeit what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for. Christ. Yea verily, and I counted all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord : for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of mine own, even that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God." IN our contests with heretics, we must make the attack with minds in vigor, that they may be able to give exact attention. I will therefore begin my present discourse where the last ended. And what was <>that ? Having enumerated every Jewish boast, both those from his birth, and those that were from choice, he added, " How beit, what things were gain to me, these have I counted to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus.my Lord; for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may gain Christ." Here 1 He refers to pearls. the heretics spring to their attack : for even this comes of the wisdom of the Spirit, to suggest to them hopes of victory, that they may undertake the fight. For if it-had been spoken plainly, they would have acted here as they have done in other places, they would have blotted out the words, they would have denied the Scripture, when they were unable at all to look it in the face. But as in the case of fishes, that which can take them is concealed so that they may swim up, and does not lie open to view ; this in truth hath come to pass here too. The Law, they say, is called " dung " by Paul, it is called " loss." He says, it was not possible to gain Christ except I "suffered" this "loss." All these things in duced the heretics to accept this passage, think ing it to be favorable to them : but when they had taken it, then did he enclose them on all sides with his nets. For what do they them selves say? Lo ! the Law is "loss," is "dung" ; how then do ye say that it is of God ?