128 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY XVII. especially clear of all suspicion. For when they who have suffered no mischief, in consequence of thy excessive forbearance feel and sympathize with thee, as though they had been wronged themselves, this is a vengeance clear of all sus picion. " But what then," ye will say, " if no man should take vengeance?" It cannot be that men will be such stones, as to behold such wisdom and not admire it. And though they wreak not their vengeance on him at the time ; still, afterwards, when they are in the mood, they will do so, and they will continue to scoff at him and abuse him. And if no one else admire thee, the man himself will most surely admire thee, though he may not own it. For our judgment of what is right, even though we be come to the very depth of wickedness, remains impartial and unbiased. Why, suppose ye, did our Lord Christ say, " Whosoever smiteth thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also"? (Matt. v. 39.) Is it not because the more long-suffering a man is, the more signal the benefit he confers both on himself and on the other? For this cause He charges us to " turn the other also," to satisfy the desire of the enraged. For who is such a monster as not to be at once put to shame ? The very dogs are said to feel it ; for if they bark and attack a man, and he throws himself on his back and does nothing, he puts a stop to all their wrath. 1 If they then reverence the man who is ready to suffer evil from them, much more will the race of man do so, inas much as they are more rational. However, it is right not to overlook what a little before came into my recollection, and was brought forward for a testimony. And what then was this? We were speaking of the Jews, and of the chief rulers amongst them, how that they were blamed, as seeking retaliation. And yet this the law permitted them ; " eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." (Lev. xxiv. 20.) True, but not to the intent that men should pluck out each other s eyes, but that they should check boldness in aggression, by fear of suffering in return, and thus should neither do any evil to others, nor suffer any evil from others them selves. Therefore it was said, " eye for eye," to bind the hands of the aggressor, not to let thine loose against him ; not to ward off the hurt from thine eyes only, but also to preserve his eyes safe and sound. But, as to what I was enquiring about, why, if retaliation was allowed, were they ar raigned who practiced it? Whatever can this mean ? He here speaks of vindictiveness ; for on the spur of the moment he allows the sufferer to act, as I was saying, in order to check the aggressor ; but to bear a grudge he permits no longer ; because the act then is no longer one of passion, nor of boiling rage, but of malice premeditated. Now God forgives those who may be carried away, perhaps upon a sense of outrage, and rush out to resent it. Hence He says, " eye for eye " ; and yet again, " the ways of the revengeful lead to death." 2 Now, if, where it was permitted to put out eye for eye, so great a punishment is reserved for the re vengeful, how much more for those who are bidden even to expose themselves to ill-treat ment. Let us not then be revengeful, but let us quench our anger, that we may be counted worthy of the lovingkindness, which comes from God (" for with what measure," saith Christ, "ye mete, it shall be measured unto you, and with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged") (Matt. vii. 2), and that we may both escape the snares of this present life, and in the day that is at hand, may obtain par don at His hands, through the grace and loving- kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom, to the Father, together with the Holy Ghost, be glory, power, honor, both now and forever and ever. Amen. HOMILY XVII. EPHESIANS iv. 32, AND v. i, 2. " And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiv ing each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you. Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell." 1 [Compare Odyssey, Bk. xiv. 33-36, where Ulysses thus quiets the dogs of Eumjeus: " Soon as Ulysses near the enclosure drew, With open mouths the furious mastiffs flew; Down sat the sage, and, cautious to withstand, Let fall the offensive truncheon from his hand." Pope s translation. G. A.] THE events which are past have greater force than those which are yet to come, and appear to be both more wonderful and more convinc ing. And hence accordingly Paul founds his exhortation upon the things which have already been done for us, inasmuch as they, on Christ s account, have a greater force. For to say, 2 [Prov. xii. 28, according to Septuagint, which has 6Sol Se fivrj- a-LKaKiav ets Oavarov. The Rev. Ver., following the Hebrew, has, " And in the pathway thereof (righteousness) there is no death." G. A.]