WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [CHAPTER VI. himself, which was a proof of great sincerity. In his other Epistles he himself only dictated, another wrote, as is plain from the Epistle to the Romans, for at its close it is said, "I Ter- tius, who write the Epistle, salute you ; " (Rom. xvi : 22.) but in this instance he wrote the whole himself. And this he did by necessity, not from affection merely, but in order to remove an injurious suspicion. Being charged with acts wherein he had no part, and being reported to preach Circumcision yet to pretend to preach it not, he was compelled to write the Epistle with his own hand, thus laying up beforehand a written testimony. By the expression " what shed," he appears to me to signify, not the magnitude, but, the misshapen appearance 1 of the letters, as if he had said, "Although not well skilled in writing, I have been compelled to write with my own hand to stop the mouth of these traducers." Ver. 12, 13. " As many as desire to make a fairshow in the flesh, they compel you to be cir cumcised 5 only that theymay not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For not even they who receive circumcision do themselves keep the Law ; but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh." Here he shows that they suffered this, not willingly but of necessity, and affords them an opportunity of retreat, almost speaking in their defence, and exhorting them to abandon their teachers with all speed. What is the meaning of "to make a fair show in the flesh?" it means, to be esteemed by men. As they were reviled by the Jews for deserting the customs of their fathers, they desire, says he, to injure you, that they may not have this charged against them, but vindicate themselves by means of your flesh.2 His object here is to show that they did not so act from respect to God ; it is as if he said, This procedure is not founded in piety, all this is done through human ambition ; in order that the unbelievers may be gratified by the mutilation of the faithful, they choose to offend God that they may please men ; for this is the meaning of, " to make a fair show in the flesh." Then, as a proof that for another reason too they are unpardonable, he again convinces them that, not only in order to please others, but for their own vain glory, 3 they had enjoined unsKiaiui in writing oreeK. i ne uoiunebb 01 me ii;tnu\v ruing answers to the force of the Apostle s convictions." Lightfoot. r< /\ i A.J 3 ["They advocate circumcisionand yet they themselves neglect the ordinances of the Law. They could not face the obloquy to jews uy imposing cuvumcisiun on me vjcmiic i,uuvcn <ti getting the credit of zeal for the law." Lightfoot. G. A.] this. Wherefore he adds, " that theymayglory in your flesh," as ifthey had disciples, and were teachers. And what is the proof of this? " For not even they themselves," he says, "keep the Law;" even if they did keep it, they would incur grave censure, but now their very purpose is corrupt. Ver. 14. " But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Truly thissymbol is thought despicable ; but it is so in the world s reckoning, and among men ; in Heaven and among the faithful it is the high est glory. Poverty too is despicable, but it is our boast ; and to be cheaply thought of by the public is a matter of laughter to them, but we are elated by it. So too is the Cross our boast. He does not say, " I boast not," nor, "I will not boast," but, "Far be it from me that I should," as if he abominated it as absurd, and invoked the aid of God in order to his success therein. And what is the boast of the Cross? That Christ for my sake took on Him the form of a slave, and bore His sufferings for me the ! slave, the enemy, the unfeeling one ; yea He so I loved me as to give Himself up to a curse for me. What can be comparable to this ! If ser- ! vants who only receive praise from theirmasters, to whom they are akin by nature, are elated ; thereby, how must we not boast when the Mas- : ter who is very God is not ashamed of the Cross which was endured for us. Let us then not be ashamed of His unspeakable tenderness ; He I was not ashamed of being crucified for thysake, and wilt thou be ashamed to confess His infinite solicitude ? It is as if a prisoner who had not been ashamed of his King, should, after that King had come to the prison and himselfloosed the chains, become ashamed of him on that ac count. Yet this would be the height of mad ness, for this very fact would be an especial ground for boasting. Ver. 14. "Through which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world." 4 What he here calls the world is not the heav en nor the earth, but the affairs of life, the praise of men, retinues, glory, wealth, and all such things as have a show of splendor. To me these things are dead. Such an one it be hooves a Christian to be, and always to use this language. Nor was he content with the former putting to death, but added another, saying, " and I unto the world, "thus implying adouble putting to death, and saying, They are dead to me, and I to them, neither can they captivate and overcome me, for they are dead once for all, * [" For myself, on the other hand, far be it from me, etc.: By way. of contrast to the boasting of the pseudo-apostles, Paul now presents his own ground of boasting, namely, the crucifixion of Christ, by whose crucifixion is produced the result that no fellow ship of life longer exists between him and the world : it is dead for him and he is dead for it." Mever. AfterJro mortuo habet alterum* (Schott.) G. A.]