328 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY II. of your manfulness is loud, and sounding even like that, is sufficient to fill the world, and to fall with equal sound upon all that are round about. For great actions are more loudly celebrated there, where they have taken place ; afar off indeed they are celebrated, but not so much. But in your case it was not so, but the sound ofgood report was spread abroad in every part of the earth. And whence know we, says one, that the words were not hyperbolical? For this nation of the Macedonians, before the coming of Christ, was renowned, and celebrated every where more than the Romans. And the Romans were admired on this account, that they took them captive. For the actions of the Macedo nian king exceeded all report, who, setting out from a little city indeed, yet subdued the world. Wherefore also the Prophet saw him, a winged leopard, showing his swiftness, his vehemence, his fiery nature, his suddenly in a manner flying over the whole world with the trophies of his victory. And they say, that hearing from a cer tain philosopher, that there were infinite worlds, he groaned bitterly, that when they were num berless, he had not conquered even one. So high-minded was he, and high-souled, and cele brated everywhere. And with the fame of the king the glory of the nation also kept pace. For he was called " Alexander, the Macedo nian." So that what took place there was also naturally much talked of. For nothing can be concealed that relates to the illustrious. The Macedonians then were not inferior to the Romans. And this has also arisen from their vehemence. For as if he were speaking of something living, he introduces the word " gone forth " ; so vehe ment and energetic was their faith. " So that we need not to speak anything," says he, " for they themselves report concerning us what en tering in we had unto you." They do not wait to hear from us, 1 but those who were not pres ent, and have not seen, anticipate those who were present, and have seen your good deeds. So manifest were they everywhere made by re port. We shall not therefore need, by relating your actions, to bring them to equal zeal. For the things which they ought to have heard from us, these they themselves talk of, anticipating us. And yet in the case of such there is fre quently envy, but the exceeding greatness of the thing conquered even this, and they are the heralds of your conflicts. And though left be hind, not even so are they silenced, but they are beforehand with us. And being such, it is not possible for them to disbelieve our report. What means, "What manner of entering in we had unto you " ? That it was full of dangers, 1 [This nap rjfioiv, " from us " (see below), was easily changed toTrepl vfiuv, "concerning us," the text ofmost editions. J. A. B.] and numberless deaths, but that none of these things troubled you. But as if nothing had hap pened, so you adhered to us ; as if ye had suf fered no evil, but had enjoyed infinite good, so you received us after these things. For this was the second entering.2 They went to Beroea, they were persecuted, and when they came after this they so received them, as though they had been honored by these also, so that they even laid down their lives for them. The expression, "What manner of entering in we had," is com plicated, and contains an encomium both of them and of themselves. But he himself has turned this to their advantage. "And how," he says, " ye turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God " ; that is, that ye did it readily, that ye did it with much eagerness, that it did not require much labor to make you. " In order to serve," says he, " a living and true God." Here also he introduced an exhortation, which is the part of one who would make his discourse less offensive. " And to wait," he says, " for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivereth us from the wrath to come." "And to wait," he says, " for His Son from heaven " ; Him that was crucified, Him that was buried ; to wait for Him from heaven. And how " from heaven"? "Whom He raised from the dead." You see all things at the same time ; both the Resurrection, and the Ascension, and the second Coming, the Judgment, the retribution of the just, the pun ishment ofthe wicked. "Jesus," he says, "which delivereth us from the wrath to come." This is at once comfort, and exhortation, and encour agement. For if He raised Him from the dead, and He is in heaven, and thence will come, (and ye believed in Him ; for if ye had not be lieved in Him, ye would not have suffered so much), this of itself is sufficient comfort. These shall suffer punishment, which he says in his second epistle, and you will have no small con solation. And to " wait," he says, " for His Son from heaven." The terrible things ar-e in hand, but the good things are in the future, when Christ shall come from heaven. See how much hope is required, in that He who was crucified has been raised, that He has been taken up into heaven, that He will come to judge the quick and the dead. Chap. ii. i, 2. "For yourselves, brethren, know our entering in unto you, that it hath not been found vain : but having suffered before, and been shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we waxed bold in our God to speak 1 This is not quite clear from Acts xvii., though " those that con ducted Paul," ver. 15, may have been Thessalonians. The ill-treat ment presently mentioned by St. Paul was at Philippi previously.