204 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY V. salvation is the lesson he has put forth ! If thou deemest, he means, that another is greater than thyself, and persuadest thyself so, yea more, if thou not only sayest it, but art fully assured of it, then thou assignest him the honor, and if thou assignest him the honor, thou wilt not be dis pleased at seeing him honored by another. Do not then think him simply greater than thyself, but " better," which is a very great superiority, and thou dost not think it strange nor be pained thereby, if thou seest him honored. Yea, though he treat thee with scorn, thou dost bear it nobly, for thou hast esteemed him greater than thyself. Though he revile thee, thou dost submit. Though he treat thee ill, thou bearest it in si lence. For when once the soul is fully assured that he is greater, it falls not into anger when it is ill-treated by him, nor yet into envy, for no one would envy those who are very far above himself, for all things belong to his superiority. Here then he instructs the one party to be thus minded. But when he too, who enjoys such honor from thee, is thus affected toward thee, consider what a double wall there is erected of gentle forbearance [comp. Phil. iv. 5] ; for when thou esteemest him thus worthy of honor, and he thee likewise, no painful thing can possibly arise ; for if this conduct when shown by one is sufficient to destroy all strife, who shall break down the safeguard, when it is shown by both ? Not even the Devil himself. The defense is threefold, and fourfold, yea manifold, for hu manity is the cause of all good ; and that you may learn this, listen to the prophet, saying, " Hadst thou desired sacrifice, I would have given it : Thou wilt not delight in burnt offer ings. The sacrifice for God is a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart God will not de spise." : (Ps. li. 1 6, 17.) Not simply humility, but intense humility. As in the case of bodily substances, that which is " broken " will not rise against that which is " solid," but, how many ills soever it may suffer, will perish itself rather than attack the other, so too the soul, even if con stantly suffering ill, will choose rather to die, than to avenge itself by attack. How long shall we be puffed up thus ridicu lously ? For as we laugh, when we see children drawing themselves up, and looking haughty, or when we see them picking up stones and throwing them, thus too the haughtiness 2 of men belongs to a puerile intellect, and an unformed mind. "Why are e^rth and ashes proud?" (Ecclus. x. 9.) Art thou highminded, O man? and why? tell me what is the gain? Whence art thou highminded against those of thine own kind? Dost not thou share the same nature? abl 1 [Quoted, of course, from the Sept., which here differs consider- y from tlthe Hebrew. J. A. B.] dirocoia. the same life ? Hast not thou received like honor from God ? But thou art wise ? Thou oughtest to be thankful, not to be puffed up. Haughti ness is the first act of ingratitude, for it denies 3 the gift of grace. He that is puffed up, is puffed up as if he had excelled by his own strength, and he who thinks he has thus ex celled is ungrateful toward Him who bestowed that honor. Hast thou any good? Be thank ful to Him who gave it. Listen to what Joseph said, and what Daniel. For when the king of Egypt sent for him, and in the presence of all his host asked him concerning that matter in which the Egyptians, who were most learned in these things, had forsaken the field, when he was on the point of carrying off everything from them, and of appearing wiser than the astrolo gers, the enchanters, the magicians, and all the wise men of those times, and that from cap tivity and servitude, and he but a- youth (and his glory was thus greater, for it is not the same thing to shine when known, and contrary to ex pectation, so that its being unlocked for ren dered him the more admirable) ; what then, when he came before Pharaoh ? Was it " Yea, I know"? But what? When no one urged it on him, he said from his own excellent spirit, "Do not interpretations belong to God?" 4 Be hold he straightway glorified his Master, there fore he was glorified. And this also is no small thing. For that God had revealed it to him was a far greater thing than if he had himself excelled. For he showed that his words were worthy of credit, and it was a very great proof of his intimacy with God. There is no one thing so good as to be the intimate friend of God. " For if," says the Scripture, " he [Abra ham] was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not toward God." (Rom. iv. 2.) For if he who has been vouchsafed grace mak- eth his boast in God, that he is loved of Him, because his sins are forgiven, he too that work- eth hath whereof to boast, but not before God, as the other (for it 5 is a proof of our excessive weakness) ; he who has received wisdom of God, how much more admirable is he? He glorifies God and is glorified of Him, for He says, "Them that honor Me, I will honor." (i Sam. ii. 30.) Again, listen to him who descended from Joseph, than whom no one was wiser. " Art thou wiser," 6 says he, "than Daniel?" (Ezek. xxviii. 3.) This Daniel then, when all the wise men that were in Babylon, and the astrologers moreover, the prophets, the magicians, the en- 3 Lit. " takes away," i.e. takes the credit from the Giver. * Gen. xl. 8. This he said to the baker and cupbearer in prison, but he also said to Pharaoh, " It is not in me: God shall give Pha raoh an answer of pence," c. xli. 16. 5 He may mean our " boasting " of " such " things as we do, or the fact that our goodness extends not to God. 6 E. V. " Thou art," but [Chrys. quotes the Sept. J. A. B.]