506 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY VIII. does he say elsewhere, " They will increase unto more ungodliness"? (2 Tim. ii. 16.) He there means, that beginning to innovate and to de ceive, they will not pause in their error, but will always invent new deceits and corrupt doctrines, for error is never stationary. But here he says, that they shall not be able to deceive, nor carry men away with them, for however at first they may seem to impose upon them, they will soon and easily be detected. For that he is speaking to this effect appears from what follows. " For their folly shall be manifest unto all." Whence? Every way " as theirs also was." For if errors flourish at first, they do not continue to the end, for so it is with things that are not fair by nature, but fair in appearance ; they flourish for a time, and then are detected, and come to nought. But not such are our doctrines, and of these thou art a witness, for in our doctrines there is no deceit, for who would choose to die for a deceit? Ver. 10. "But thou hast fully known 1 my doctrine." Wherefore be strong; for thou wert not merely present, but didst follow closely. Here he seems to imply that the period had been long, in that he says, "Thou hast followed up my doctrine " ; this refers to his discourse. " Manner of life "; this to his conduct. "Pur pose " ; this to his zeal, and the firmness of his soul. I did not say these things, he says, and not do them ; nor was I a philosopher in words only. "Faith, longsuffering." He means, how none of these things troubled me. "Charity," which those men had not ; " patience," nor yet this. Towards the heretics, he means, I show much longsuffering; "patience," that under persecution. Ver. ii. " Persecutions, afflictions." There are two things that disquiet a teacher, the number of heretics, and men s wanting for titude to endure sufferings. And yet he has 2 said much about these, that such always have been, and always will be, and no age will be free from them, and that they will not be able to injure us, and that in the world there are vessels of gold and of silver. You see how he proceeds to discourse about his afflictions, " which came upon me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra." Why has he selected these instances out of many ? Because the rest was known to Timothy, and these perhaps were new events, and he does not mention the former ones, for he is not enumerating them particularly, for he is not ac tuated by ambition or vainglory, but he recounts them for the consolation of his disciple, not from ostentation. And here he speaks of Antioch in Pisidia, and Lystra, whence Timothy himself 1 Or. " followed up." 2 al. " I have." was. "What persecutions I endured." There was twofold matter of consolation, that I dis played a generous zeal, and that I was not for saken. It cannot be said, that God abandoned me, but He rendered my crown more radiant. " What persecutions I endured : but out of them all the Lord delivered me." Ver. 12. "Yea, and all those that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." But why, he says, should I speak only of myself? Each one that will live godly will be persecuted. Here he calls afflictions and sor rows, " persecutions," for it is not possible that a man pursuing the course of virtue should not be exposed to grief, tribulation, and temptations. For how can he escape it who is treading in the strait and narrow way, and who has heard, that "in the world ye shall have tribulation"? (John xvi. 33.) IfJob in his time said, "The life of man upon earth is a state of trial" (Job vii. i, Gr.) ; how much more was it so in those days? Ver. 13. "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." Let none of these things, he says, disturb thee, if they are in prosperity, and thou in trials. Such is the nature of the case. From my own instance thou mayest learn that it is impossible for man, in his warfare with the wicked, not to be exposed to tribulation. One cannot be in combat and live luxuriously, one cannot be wrestling and feasting. Let none therefore of those who are contending seek for ease or joyous living. Again, the present state is contest, war fare, tribulation, straits, and trials, and the very scene of conflicts. The season for rest is not now, this is the time for toil and labor. No one who has just stripped and anointed himself thinks of ease. If thou thinkest of ease, why didst thou strip, or prepare to fight ? " But do I not maintain the fight?" you say. What, when thou dost not conquer thy desires, nor resist the evil bias of nature ? Ver. 14. " But continue thou in the things that thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing ofwhom thou hast learned them ; And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus." What is this ? As the prophet David exhorted, saying, " Be not thou envious against the workers of iniquity" (Ps. xxxvii. i), so Paul exhorts, "Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned," and not simply learned, but " hast been assured of," that is, hast believed. And what have I believed? That this is the Life. And if thou seest things happening contrary to thy belief, be not troubled. The same hap-