324 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY I. of multitude, and of a system l now compacted, on this account he calls them by that name. "In God the Father," he says, "and the Lord Jesus Christ." "Unto the Church of the Thessalonians," he says, "which is in God." Behold again the expression, " in," - applied both to the Father and to the Son. For there were many assemblies, 3bothJewish and Grecian ; but he says, " to the (Church) that is in God." It is a great dignity, and to which there is nothing equal, that it is " in God." God grant therefore that this Church may be so addressed ! But I fear that it is far from that appellation. For if any one were the servant of sin, he cannot be said to be "in God." If any one walks not according to God, he cannot be said to be " in God." 4 " Grace be unto you, and peace." 5 Do you perceive that the very commencement of his Epistle is with encomiums ? " We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers." For to give thanks to God for them is the act of one testifying to their great advancement, when they are not only praised themselves, but God also is thanked for them, as Himself having done it all. He teaches them also to be moderate, all but saying, that it is all of the power of God. That he gives thanks for them, therefore, is on account of their good con duct, but that he remembers them in his prayers, proceeds from his love towards them. Then as he often does, he says that he not only remem bers them in his prayers, but apart from his prayers. " Remembering without ceasing," he says, " your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, be fore our God and Father." What is remember ing without ceasing ? Either remembering before God and the Father, or remembering your labor of love that is before God and the Father, or simply, "Remembering you without ceasing." Then again, that you may not think that this " remembering you without ceasing " is said simply, he has added, " before our God and Father." And because no one amongst men was praising their actions, no one giving them any reward, he says this, " You labor before God." What is "the work of faith"? That nothing has turned aside your steadfastness. For this is the work of faith. If thou believest, suffer all things ; if thou dost not suffer, thou dost not believe. For are not the things prom- 1 [Here the same Greek word (systema) is translated " body," "congregation," and "system." J. A. B.l 2 [Most editions have " the word God," and one MS. has " in God," both obviously alterations, and really unsuitable to the con nection. J. A. B.] 3 e<KAr)triai. Churches, or assemblies. New converts would be more familiar with the word in its secular sense. 4 [Most editions omit this sentence, but it is found in several MSS., and the amplification is quite after the manner of Chrys. J. A. B.] 6 [This seems to belong (as Hales suggested) after the next sen tence, which is a remark upon the foregoing. J. A. B.] ised such, that he who believes would choose to suffer even ten thousand deaths? The kingdom of heaven is set before him, and immortality, and eternal life. He therefore who believes will suffer all things. Faith then is shown through his works. Justly might one have said, not merely did you believe, but through your works you manifested it, through your steadfastness, through your zeal. And your labor "of love." Why? what labor is it to love ? Merely to love is no labor at all. But to love genuinely is great labor. For tell me, when a thousand things are stirred up that would draw us from love, and we hold out against them all, is it not labor? For what did not these men suffer, that they might not revolt from their love? Did not they that warred against the Preaching go to Paul s host, and not having found him, drag Jason before the rulers of the city? (Acts xvii. 5, 6.) Tell me, is this a slight labor, when the seed had not yet taken root, to endure so great a storm, so many trials ? And they demanded security of him. And hav ing given security, he says, Jason sent away Paul.6 Is this a small thing, tell me ? Did not Jason expose himself to danger for him? and this he calls a labor of love, because they were thus bound to him. And observe : first he mentions their good actions, then his own, that he may not seem to boast, nor yet to love them by anticipation.7 " And patience," he says. For that persecution was not confined to one time, but was continual, and they warred not only with Paul, the teacher, but with his disciples also. For if they were thus affected towards those who wrought mira cles, those venerable men ; what think you were their feelings towards those who dwelt among them, their fellow-citizens,who had all of a sud den revolted from them ? Wherefore this also he testifies ofthem, saying, " For ye became imitators of the Churches ofGod which are in Judsea." " And of hope," he says, " in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father." For all these things proceed from faith and hope, so that what happened to them showed not their fortitude only, but that they believed with full assurance in the rewards laid up for them. For on this account God permitted that persecutions should arise immediately, that no one might say, that the Preaching was established lightly or by flattery, and that their fervor might be shown, and that it was not human persuasion, but the power of God, that persuaded the souls of the be lievers, so that they were prepared even for ten thousand deaths, which would not have been the case, if the Preaching had not immediately been deeply fixed and remained unshaken. See Acts xvii. 9. jrpoA7Ji/<ei. Assuming good of them before trial.