250 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY XV. die, than that any man should make my glory ing void " (i Cor. ix. 15) ; he suffereth his glory ing to be made void ? And how ? By receiving. For if his glorying was, that he received not, how doth he now endure so to do? What is it then? Probably, he then did not receive on account of the false Apostles, " that wherein they glory " (2 Cor. xi. 12), saith he, " they may be found even as we." And he said not " are," but " glory " ; for they received but secretly. Wherefore he said, " wherein they glory." Wherefore he also said, " No man shall stop me of this glorying." (2 Cor. xi. 10.) And he said not simply, shall not stop me, but what? " in the regions of Achaia." And again, " I robbed other Churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you." (2 Cor. xi. 8.) Here he showed that he did receive. But Paul indeed received rightly, having so great a work ; if in truth he did receive. But they who work not, how can they receive? " Yet I pray," saith one. But there is no work. For this may be done together with work. " But I fast." Neither is this work. For see this blessed one, preach ing in many places, and working too. " But ye lacked opportunity." What meaneth lacked opportunity? It came not, saith he, of indo lence, but of necessity. 1 Ye had it not in your hands, nor were in abundance. This is the meaning of, " Ye lacked opportunity." Thus most men speak, when the things of this life do not flow in to them abundantly, and are in short supply. " Not that I speak in respect of want." I said, saith he, " now at length," and I rebuked you, not seeking mine own, nor censuring you on this account, as if I were in want : for I spught it not on this account. Whence is this, O Paul, that thou makest no vain boasting? To the Corinthians he saith, " For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or even ac knowledge." (2 Cor. i. 13.) And in this case he would not have spoken to them so as to be convicted, he would not, had he been making boasts, have spoken thus. He was speaking to those who knew the facts, with whom detection would have been a greater disgrace. " For I have learnt," saith he, " in whatsoever state I am, therein to be content." Wherefore, this is an object of discipline, and exercise, and care, for it is not easy of attainment, but very difficult, and a new thing. " In whatsoever state I am," saith he, " therein to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things have I learned the secret." That is, I know how to use little, to bear hunger and want. " Both to abound, and to suffer need." "But, says one, there is no 1 St. Chrys. understands him to be " partially " excusing them. need ofwisdom or of virtue in order to abound." There is great need of virtue, not less than in the other case. For as want inclines us to do many evil things, so too doth plenty. For many ofttimes, coming into plenty, have become indo lent, and have not known how to bear their good fortune. Many men have taken it as an occa sion of no longer working. But Paul did not so, for what he received he consumed on others, and emptied himself for them. This is to know. He was in nowise relaxed, nor did he exult at his abundance ; but was the same in want and in plenty, he was neither oppressed on the one hand, nor rendered a boaster on the other. " Both to be filled," saith he, " and to be hun gry, both to abound, and to be in want." Many know not how to be full, as for example, the Israelites, "ate, and kicked" (Deut. xxxii. 15), but I am equally well ordered in all. He showeth that he neither is now elated, nor was before grieved : or if he grieved, it was on their account, not on his own, for he himself was sim ilarly affected. " In everything," saith he, " and in all things I have learned the secret," i.e. I have had ex perience of all things in this long time, and these things have all succeeded with me. But since boasting might seem to have a place here, see how quickly he checks up, and says, " I can do all things in Christ 2 that strengthened me." The success is not mine own, but His who has given me strength. But since they who confer benefits, when they see the receiver not well af fected toward them, but despising the gifts, are themselves rendered more remiss, (for they con sidered themselves as conferring a benefit and refreshment,) if therefore Paul despises the re freshment, they must necessarily become remiss, in order then that this may not happen, see how he healeth it again. By what he hath said above, he hath brought down their proud thoughts, by what followeth he maketh their readiness revive, by saying, " Howbeit ye did well, that ye had fellowship with my affliction." Seest thou, how he removed himself, and again united himself to them. This is the part of true and spiritual friendship. Think not, saith he, because I was not in want, that I had no need of this act of yours. I have need of it for your sake. How then, did they share his afflictions? By this means. As he said when in bonds, "Ye all are partakers with me of grace." (Phil. i. 7.) For it is grace to suffer for Christ, as he himself saith in another place, " For to you it is given from God not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him." (Phil. i. 29.) For since those former words by themselves might have made them regardless, 1 [Chrys. here reads " Christ," the " Syrian " text; but the true text is simply " in him that," as in Rev. Ver. J. A. B.]