WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY IX. solation of his disciples, but he further adds the rewards. And what are these? Ver. 8. " Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." Here again he calls virtue in general right eousness. Thou shouldest not grieve that I shall depart, to be invested with that crown which will by Christ be placed upon my head. But if I continued here, truly thy mightest rather grieve, and fear lest I should fail and perish. Ver. 8. " Which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but to all that love His appearing." Here also he raises his mind. If "to all," much more to Timothy. But he did not say, " and to thee," but " to all " : meaning, if to all, much more to him. MORAL. But how, it may be asked, is one to " love the appearing " (rrjv 7ri<avaav) of Christ? By rejoicing at His coming; -and he who rejoices at His coming, will perform works worthy of His joy ; he will throw away his sub stance if need be, and even his life, so that he may obtain future blessings, that he may be thought worthy to behold that second coming in a fitting state, in confidence, in brightness and glory. This is to " love His appearing." He who loves His appearing will do everything to ensure, before His general coming, a par ticular coming to himself. And how, you will say, is this possible? Hear from Christ, who says, " If a man love Me, he will keep My words, andMy Father and I will come unto him, and make Our abode with him." (John xiv. 23.) And think how great a privilege it is that He who will appear to all generally, should promise to come to us in particular : for He says, " We will come and make Our abode with him." If any man "love His appearing," he will do everything to invite Him to himself, and to hold Him, that the light may shine upon him. Let there be nothing unworthy of His coming, and He will soon take up His abode with us. And it is called His "Epiphany," 1 because He will appear above,2and shine forth from on high. Let us therefore " seek those things that are above," and we shall soon draw down those beams upon us. None of those who grovel below, and bury themselves in this lower earth, will be able to view the light of that Sun. None of those who defile themselves with worldly things will be able to behold that Sun of right eousness. He shines on none of those who are so occupied. Recover thyself a little, recover thyself from that depth, from the waves of a worldly life, if thou wouldest see the Sun, and enjoy His appearing. Then thou wilt see Him with great confidence. Be even now a philoso pher. Let not a spirit of perverseness possess thee, lest He smite thee severely, and bring thee low. Let not thy heart be hardened ; nor dark ened, lest thou be shipwrecked there. Let there be no self-deceit. For the rocks beneath the sea cause the most fatal shipwrecks. Nourish no wild beasts, I mean evil passions, worse than wild beasts. Confide not in things ever flowing, that thou mayest be able to stand firmly. None can stand upon water, but upon a rock all find a secure footing. Worldly things are as water, as a torrent, that passes away. " The waters," he saith, " are come in unto my soul." (Ps. Ixix. i.) Spiritual things are as a rock. For he saith, "Thou hast set my feet upon a rock." (Ps. xl. 2.) Worldly things are as mire and clay ; let us extricate ourselves from them. For so we shall be able to attain to the appearing of Christ. Whatever may befall us, let us endure. It is a sufficient consolation in all circumstances that we suffer for Christ. This divine incanta tion let us repeat, and it will charm away the pain of every wound. And how can we suffer for Christ, you ask? If one accuse thee falsely in any case, not on account of Christ, yet if thou bearest it patiently, if thou givest thanks, if thou prayest for him, all this thou doest for Christ. But if thou curse him, if thou utter discontent, if thou attempt to revenge it, though thou shouldest not be able, it is not for Christ s sake ; thou sufferest loss, and art deprived of thy reward on account of thy intention. For it rests with us either to profit, or to be injured, by afflictions. It depends not upon the nature of the affliction, but upon the disposition of our own minds. As, for in stance, great were the sufferings of Job, yet he suffered with thankfulness ; and he was justified, not because he suffered, but because in suffering he endured it thankfully. Another under the same sufferings, yet not the same, for none ever suffered like Job but under lighter sufferings, exclaims, is impatient, curses the whole world, and complains against God. He is condemned and sentenced, not because he suffered, but because he blasphemed ; and he blasphemed, not from any necessity arising from his afflic tions, since if necessity arising from events were the cause, Job too must have blasphemed ; but since he, who suffered more severely, did no such thing, it did not come to pass from this cause, but from the man s weakness of purpose. We want therefore strength of soul, and nothing will then appear grievous, but if our soul is weak, we find a grievance in everything. According to our dispositions, all things be come tolerable or intolerable. Let us strengthen our resolution, and we shall bear all things easily. The tree whose roots are fixed deep in the earth is not shaken by the utmost violence of the storm, but if it be set lightly in the surface of