IOO WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY X. incorporeal powers, that were enough to lead to arrogance ; or rather arrogance it would not be, for with good reason am I high-minded, and exceedingly high-minded against the evil spirit. And behold even Paul, how high-minded he was against that evil spirit. For when the evil spirit was speaking great and marvelous things con cerning him, he made him hold his peace, and endured him not even in his flattery. For when that damsel, " who had the spirit of divination," cried, saying, " These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation" (Acts xvi. 16, 17), he rebuked him severely, and silenced his forward tongue. And again he elsewhere writes, and says, " God shall bruise Satan underyour feet shortly." ^Rom. xvi. 20.) Will the difference of nature have any effect ? Perceivest thou not that the difference be tween natures has fio effect whatever, but only the difference of purpose ? Because of their principle therefore they are far worse than all. Well, a man may say, but I am not rising up against an Angel, because there is so vast a distance between my nature and his. And yet surely thou oughtest no more to rise up against a man than against an Angel, for the Angel indeed differs from thee in nature, a matter which can be neither an honor to him, nor a disgrace to thee : whereas man differs from man not at all in nature, but in principle ; and there is such a thing as an Angel too even amongst men. So that if thou rise not up against Angels, much more shouldest thou not against men, against those who have become angels in this our nature ; for should any one among men become as virtuous as an Angel, that man is in a far higher degree superior to thee, than an Angel is. And why so ? Because what the one pos sesses by nature, the other has achieved of his own purpose. And again, because the Angel has his home far from thee in distance also, and dwelleth in Heaven ; whereas this man is living with thee, and giving an impulse to thy em ulation. And indeed he lives farther apart from thee than the Angel. For " our citi zenship," saith the Apostle, "is in Heaven." (Phil. iii. 20.) And to show thee that this man hath his home still farther distant, hear where his Head is seated ; upon the throne, saith he, the royal throne ! And the farther distant that throne is from us, the farther is he also. Well, but I see him, thou wilt say, in the enjoyment of honor, and I am led to jealousy. Why, this is the very thing which has turned all things upside down, which has filled not the world only, but the Church also, with countless troubles. And just as fierce blasts setting in across a calm harbor, render it more dangerous than any rock, or than any strait whatever ; so the lust of glory entering in, overturns and con founds everything. Ye have oftentimes been present at the burn ing of large houses. Ye have seen how the smoke keeps rising up to Heaven ; and if no one comes near to put a stop to the mischief, but every one keeps looking to himself, the flame spreads freely on, and devours everything. And oftentimes the whole city will stand around ; they will stand round indeed as spectators of the evil, not to aid nor assist. And there you may see them one and all standing round, and doing nothing but each individual stretching out his hand, and pointing out to some one who may be just come to the spot, either a flaming brand that moment flying through a window, or beams hurled down, or the whole circuit of the walls forced out, and tumbling violently to the ground. - Many too there are of the more daring and venturesome, who will have the hardihood even to come close to the very buildings them selves whilst they are burning, not in order to stretch forth a hand towards them, and to put a stop to the mischief, but that they may the more fully enjoy the sight, being able from the nearer place to observe closely all that which often escapes those at a distance. Then if the house happen to be large and magnificent, it appears to them a pitiable spectacle, and deserving of many tears. And truly there is a pitiable spec tacle for us to behold ; capitals of columns crumbled to dust, and many columns them selves shattered to pieces, some consumed by the fire, others thrown down often by the very hands which erected them, that they may not add fuel to the flame. Statues again, which stood with so much gracefulness, with the ceil ing resting on them, these you may see all ex posed, with the roof torn off, and themselves standing hideously disfigured in the open air. And why should one go on to describe the wealth stored up within? the tissues of gold, and the vessels of silver? And where the lord of the house and his consort scarcely en tered, where was the treasurehouse of tissues and perfumes, and the caskets of the costly jewels, all has become one blazing fire, and within now, are bath-men and street-cleaners, and runaway slaves, and everybody ; and everything within is one mass of fire and water, of mud, and dust, and half-burnt beams ! Now why have I drawn out so full a picture as this ? Not simply because I wish to repre sent to you the conflagration of a house, (for what concern is that of mine?) but because I wish to set before your eyes, as vividly as I can, the calamities of the Church. For like a con flagration indeed, or like a thunderbolt hurled from on high, have they lighted upon the roof of the Church, and yet they rouse up no one ;