HOMILY XV.] HOMILIES OX PHILIPPIANS. for this cause he consoleth them, and receiveth them, and praiseth them again. And this in measured words. For he said not, "gave," but " had fellowship," to show that they too were profited by becoming partakers of his labors. He said not, ye did lighten, but ye did commu nicate with my affliction, which was something more elevated. Seest thou the humility of Paul ? seest thou his noble nature ? When he has shown that he had no need of their gifts on his own account, he afterward uses freely such lowly words as they do who make a request ; " since thou art wont to give." For he refuseth neither to do, nor say anything. That is, " Think not that my words show want of shame, wherein I accuse you, and say, Now at length ye have revived, or are those of one in necessity ; I speak not thus because I am in need, but why? From my exceeding confidence in you, and of this also ye yourselves are the authors." Seest thou how he sootheth them? How are ye the authors? In that ye hasted to the work before all the others ; and have given me confi dence to remind you of these things. And observe his elevation ; he accuseth them not while they did not send, lest he should seem to regard his own benefit, but when they had sent, then he rebuked them for the time past, and they received it, for he could not seem after that to regard his own benefit. Ver. 15. "Ye yourselves also know, ye Phil- ippians, that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no Church had fellowship with me, in the matter of giving and receiving, but ye only." Lo, how great is his commendation ! For the Corinthians and Romans are stirred up by hear ing these things from him, whilst the Philippians did it without any other Church having made a beginning. For " in the beginning of the Gos pel," saith he, they manifested such zeal towards the holy Apostle, as themselves first to begin, without having any example, to bear this fruit. And no one can say that they did these things because he abode with them, or for their own benefit ; for he saith, " When I departed from Macedonia, no Church had fellowship with me, in the matter of giving and receiving, but ye only." W r hat meaneth " receiving," and what "had fellowship"? Wherefore said he not, " no Church gave to me," but " had fellowship with me, in the matter of giving and receiving"? Because it is a case of communication. He saith, " If we sowed unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things." (i Cor. ix. n.) And again, "That your abundance"may be a supply to their want." (2 Cor. viii. 14.) How did they communicate? In the matter of giving carnal things, and receiv ing spiritual. For as they who sell and buy communicate with each other, by mutually giving what they have, (and this is communication,) so too is it here. For there is not anything more profitable than this trade and traffic. It is performed on the earth, but is completed in heaven. They who buy are on the earth, but they buy and agree about heavenly things, whilst they lay down an earthly price. But despond not ; heavenly things are not to be bought with money, riches cannot purchase these things, but the purpose of him who giveth the money, his true wisdom, his superiority to earthly things, his love toward man, his merci fulness. For if money could purchase it, she who threw in the two mites would have gained nothing great. But since it was not the money, but the purpose that availed, she received every thing, who exhibited a full purpose of mind. Let us not then say, that the Kingdom can be bought with money ; it is not by money, but by purpose of mind which is exhibited by the money. Therefore, will one answer, there is no need of money? There is no need of money, but of the disposition ; if thou hast this, thou wilt be able even by two mites to purchase Heaven ; where this is not, not even ten thou sand talents of gold will be able to do that, which the two mites could. Wherefore? Be cause if thou who hast much throwest in but a small portion, thou gavest an alms indeed, but not so great as the widow did ; for thou didst not throw it in with the same readiness as she. For she deprived herself of all she had, or rather she deprived not, but gave it all as a free gift to herself. Not for a cup of cold water hath God promised the kingdom, but for readiness of heart ; not for death, but for purpose of mind. For indeed it is no great thing. For what is it to give one life ? that is giving one man ; but one man is not of worth enough. Ver. 1 6. "For even in Thessalonica, ye sent once and again unto my need." Here again is great praise, that he, when dwelling in the metropolis, 1 should be nour ished by a little city. And lest, by always withdrawing himself from the supposition of want, he should, as I said at first, render them amiss, having previously shown by so many proofs that he is not in want, he here does it by one word only, by saying " needs." And he said not "my," 2 but absolutely, having a care of dignity. And not this only, but what followeth too, for since he was conscious that it was a very lowly thing, he again secures it, by adding as a correction, Ver. 17. " Not that I seek for the gift." As he said above, " Not that I speak in re- 1 The difference was probably less marked in St. Paul s time than in St. Chrysostom s. 2 The Greek is, " Ye sent to me unto the needs.