HOMILY II.] HOMILIES ON COLOSSIANS. 265 shows that for his own part he could have been glad to praise them throughout ; but by the necessity of the case is forced into saying what he does. And so he doth in the first 1 Epistle to the Corinthians. For after having exceedingly praised them as loving him, even from the case of the fornicator, he comes down to accuse them. But in that to the Galatians not so, but the re verse. Yea, rather, if one should look close into it, even there the accusation follows upon praise. For seeing he had no good deeds of theirs then to speak of, and the charge was an exceeding grave one, and they were every one of them corrupted ; and were able to bear it because they were strong, he begins with accusation, say ing, " I marvel." 2 (Gal. i. 6.) So that this also is praise. But afterwards he praises them, not for what they were, but what they had been, saying, " If possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes, and given them to me." (Gal. v. 15). " Bearing fruit," he saith : this hath reference to works. " Strengthened " : this to trials. " Unto all patience and longsuffering " : long- suffering towards one another, patience towards those without. For longsuffering is toward those whom we can requite, but patience toward those whom we cannot. For this reason the term patient is never applied to God, but longsuffer ing frequently ; as this same blessed one saith otherwhere in his writings, " Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering?" "Unto all pleasing." Not, one while, and afterwards not so. " In all spiritual wisdom," he saith, "and understanding." For otherwise it is not possible to know His will. Although indeed they thought they had His will ; but that wisdom was not spiritual. "To walk," saith he, " worthily of the Lord." For this is the way of the best life. For he that hath understood God s love to man, (and he doth understand it if he have seen the Son delivered up,) will have greater forwardness. And be sides, we pray not for this alone that ye may know, but that ye may show forth your knowl edge in works ; for he that knows without doing, is even in the way to punishment. " To walk," he saith, that is, always, not once, but continu ally. As to walk is necessary for us, so also is to live rightly. And when on this subject he constantly uses the term "walk," and with rea son, showing that such is the life set before vis. But not of this sort is that of the world. And great too is the praise. " To walk," he saith, " worthily of the Lord," and " in every good work," so as to be always advancing, and no where standing still, and, with a metaphor, 1 Perhaps it should be " second." [All documents read "first," and there is really no occasion for the conjectural alteration, for the statement applies to the first, as well as the second, Epistle. J. A. 15.1 - Vid. St. Chrys. in loc. " bearing fruit and increasing in the knowledge of God," that ye might be in such measure " strengthened," according to the might of God, as is possible for man to be. " Through His power," great is the consolation. He said not strength, but " power," which is greater : " through the power," he saith, " of His glory," because that everywhere His glory hath the power. He thus comforts him that is under reproach : and again, " To walk worthily of the Lord." He saith of the Son, that He hath the power everywhere both in heaven and in earth, because His glory reigneth everywhere. He saith not " strengthened " simply, but so, as they might be expected to be who are in the service of so strong a Master. " In the knowl edge of God." And at the same time he touches in passing upon the methods of knowledge ; for this is to be in error, not to know God as one ought ; or he means, so as to increase in the knowledge of God. For if he that hath not known the Son, knoweth not the Father either ; justly is there need of increased 3 knowledge : for there is no use in life without this. " L nto all patience and longsuffering," he saith, " with joy, giving thanks " (ver. 12) unto God. Then be ing about to exhort them, he makes no mention of what by and by shall be laid up for them ; he did hint at this however in the beginning of the Epistle, saying, " Because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens " (ver. 5) : but in this place he mentions the things which were already theirs, for these are the causes of the other. And he doth the same in many places. For that which hath already come to pass gains belief, and more carries the hearer along with it. " With joy," he saith, " giving thanks " to God. The connection is this. We cease not praying for you, and giving thanks for the benefits al ready received. Seest thou how he bears himself along into speaking of the Son? For if "we give thanks with much joy," it is a great thing that is spoken of. For it is possible to give thanks only from fear, it is possible to give thanks even when in sorrow. For instance ; Job gave thanks indeed, but in anguish ; and he said, "The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away." (Job i. 21.) For, let not any say that what had come to pass pained him not, nor clothed him with dejection of soul ; nor let his great praise be taken away from that right eous one. But when it is thus, it is not for fear, nor because of His being Lord alone, but for the very nature of the things themselves, that we give thanks. " To Him who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." He hath said a great thing. What [The apostle s word rendered "knowledge" is ViV<o<nc, which etymologically signifies additional or full knowledge, and often has distinctively that sense. J. A. B.]