382 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY II, This then does not come to pass from the circumstance that those who injure them are more powerful than they, but because it is so that they must enter into the kingdom. " For through many tribulations," he says, " we must enter into the kingdom of God." (Actsxiv. 22.) Ver. 6, 7. " If so be that it is a righteous thing with God to recompense affliction to them that afflict- you, and to you that are afflicted rest with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the Angels of His power." The phrase " If so be that " here is put for " because," which we also use, in speaking of things that are quite evident and not to be denied ; instead of saying, " Because it is ex ceedingly righteous." " If so be," he says, " that it is a righteous thing " with God to pun ish these, he will certainly punish them. As if he had said, " If God cares for human affairs," " If God takes thought." And he does not put it of his own opinion, but among things con fessedly true ; as if one said, " If God hates the wicked," that he may compel them to grant that He does hate them. For such sentences are above all indisputable, inasmuch as they also themselves know that it is just. For if this is just with men, much more with God. " To recompense," he says, " affliction to them that afflict you, and to you that are afflicted rest." What then? Is the retribution equal? 1 By no means, but see by what follows how he shows that it is more severe, and the "rest" much greater. Behold also another consolation, in that they have their partners in the afflictions, as partners also in the retribution. He joins them in their crowns with those who had per formed infinitely more and greater works. Then he adds also the period, and by the description leads their minds upward, all but opening heaven already by his word, and setting it before their eyes ; and he places around Him the angelic host, both from the place and from the attend ants amplifying the image, so that theymay be re freshed a little. " And to you that are afflicted rest with us," he says, " at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the Angels of his power." Ver. 8. " In flaming fire rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus." If they that have not obeyed the Gospel suffer vengeance, what will not they suffer who besides their disobedience also afflict you? And see his intelligence ; he says not here those who afflict you, but those "who obey not." So that although not on your account, yet on His own it is necessary to punish them. This then is said in order to full assurance, that it is alto gether necessary for them to be punished : but 1 i.e. to the works. what was said before, was said that they also might be honored, because they suffer these things on your account. The one causes them to believe concerning the punishment ; the other to be pleased, because for the sake of what has been done to them they suffer these things. All this was said to them, but it applies also to us. When therefore we are in affliction, let us consider these things. Let us not rejoice at the punishment of others as being avenged, but as ourselves escaping from such punishment and vengeance. For what advantage is it to uswhen others are punished? Let us not, I beseech you, have such souls. Let us be invited to virtue by the prospect of the kingdom. For he indeed who is exceedingly virtuous is induced neither by fear nor by the prospect of the kingdom, but for Christ s sake alone, as was the case with Paul. Let us, however, even thus consider the blessings of the kingdom, the miseries of hell, and thus regulate and school ourselves ; let us in this way bring ourselves to the things that are to be practiced. When you see anything good and great in the present life, think of the king dom, and you will consider it as nothing. When you see anything terrible, think of hell, and you will deride it. When you are possessed by carnal desire, think of the fire, think also of the pleas ure of sin itself, that it is nothing worth, that it has not even pleasure in it. For if the fear of the laws that are enacted here has so great power as to withdraw us from wicked actions, how much more should the remembrance of things future, the vengeance that is immortal, the punishment that is everlasting? If the fear of an earthly king withdraws us from so many evils, how much more the fear of the King Eternal ? Whence then can we constantly have this fear? If we continually hearken to the Scrip tures. For if the sight only of a dead body so depresses the mind, how much more must hell and the fire unquenchable, how much more the worm that never dieth. If we always think of hell, we shall not soon fall into it. For this reason God has threatened punishment ; if it was not attended with great advantage to think of it, God would not have threatened it. But because the remembrance of it is able to work great good, for this reason He has put into our souls the terror of it, as a wholesome medicine. Let us not then overlook the great advantage arising from it, but let us continually advert to it, at our dinners, at our suppers. For conver sation about pleasant things profits the soul nothing, but renders it more languid, while that about things painful and melancholy cuts off all that is relaxed and dissolute in it, and converts it, and braces it when unnerved. He who con verses of theaters and actors does not benefit