86 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY VIII. was he bound, when he was saved from ship wreck. Were any one to grant me power to raise the dead at this moment, I would not choose that power, but this chain. Were I free from the cares of the Church, had I my body strong and vigorous, I would not shrink from undertaking so long a journey, only for the sake of beholding those chains, for the sake of seeing the prison where he was bound. The traces indeed of his miracles are numerous in all parts of the world, yet are they not so dear as those of his scars. (Gal. vi : 17.) Nor in the Scriptures does he so delight me when he is working mir acles, as when he is suffering evil, being scourged, and dragged about. Insomuch that from his body were carried away handkerchiefs or aprons. Marvellous, truly marvellous, are these things, and yet not so marvellous as those. " When they had laid many stripes upon him, they cast him into prison." (Acts xvi : 23.) And again; being in bonds, " they were sing ing hymns unto God." (Acts xvi: 25.) And again; "They stoned him, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead." (Acts xiv : 19.) Would ye know how mighty a thing is an iron chain for Christ s sake, bound about His servant s body? Hearken to what Christ Himself saith, "Blessed are ye." (Mat. v : n.) Why ? When ye shall raise the dead ? No. But why ? When ye shall heal the blind ? Not at all. But why then ? " When men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil againstyou falsely forMy sake." (Matt, v : n.) Now, if to be evilspoken of ren ders men thus blessed, to be evil entreated, what may not that achieve ? Hearken to what this blessed one himself saith elsewhere; " Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness:" (2 Tim. iv : 8.) and yet, more glorious than this crown is the chain : of this, saith he, the Lord will count me worthy, and I am in no wise inquisitive about those things. Enough it is for me for every recom pense, to suffer evil for Christ s sake. Let Him but grant me to say, that "I fill up that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ : " (Col. i : 24.) and I ask nothing further. Peter also was counted worthy of this chain ; for he, we read, was bound, and delivered to soldiers, and was sleeping. ( Acts xii : 6.) Yet he rejoiced and was not diverted from his right mind and he fell into deep sleep which could not have been, had he been in any great anxiety. However, he was sleeping, being be tween two soldiers : and an Angelcame unto him, and smote him on the side, and raised him up. Now then, were any one to say to me, Which wouldest thou ? Wouldest thou be the Angel that struck Peter, or Peter that was delivered ? I would rather choose to be Peter, for whose sake even the Angel came, yea, I would that I might enjoy those chains. And how is it, say ye, that, as being released from great evils, he prays ? Marvel not : he prays, because he is afraid lest he should die ; and of dying he is afraid, because he would fain have his life to be still a subject tor further sufferings. For hearken to what the blessed Paul himself also saith. (Phil, i 123, 24.) " To depart, and to be with Christ, is very far better ; " " Yet to abide in the flesh is more needful for your sake." This he calls even a favor where he writes, and says, " To you it hath been granted, (as a favor I%a[>ia0ri) in the behalf of Christ, not only to be lieve on Him, but also to suffer in His behalf." (Phil, i : 29.) So that this latter is greater than the other : for He gave it of His free grace ; verily, a favor it is, exceeding great, yea greater than any one of those, greater than to make the sun and the moon stand still, than to move the world! greater this than to have powerover devils, or to cast out devils. The devils grieve not so much at being cast out by the faith which we exert, as when they behold us suffering any evil, and imprisoned for Christ s sake. For this increases our boldness. Not for this is it a noble thing to be in bonds for Christ s sake that it procures for us a kingdom ; it is that it is done for Christ s sake. Not for this do I bless those bonds, for that they conduct on to Heaven ; it is because they are worn for the sake of the Lord of Heaven. How great a boast to know that he was bound for Christ s sake ! How great a happiness, how high an honor, how illustrious a distinction ! Fain would I ever be dwelling on these subjects. Fain would I cling to this chain. Fain would I, though in reality I have not the power, yet still in idea, bind this chain round my soul by a temper like his. "The foundations of the prison-house, " we read, " wereshaken " where Paul was bound, "and every one s bands were loosed." (Acts xvi : 26.) Beholdest thou then in bonds a nature that can dissolve bonds themselves? for as the Lord s death put death itself to death, so also did Paul s bonds loose the men in bonds, shake the house of bondage, open the doors. Yet is not this the natural effect of bonds, but the very reverse ; it is tokeep him that is bound in safety, not to open for him the prison walls. No, of bonds then in general this is not the nature, but of those bonds which are for Christ s sake, it is. " The jailor fell down before Paul and Silas." (Acts xvi : 29.) And yet neither is this again the effect of chains in general, to lay the binders at the feet of the bound : no, but, on the contrary, to put these last under the hands of the former. Whereas here, the man who was free was under the feet of the manwho