HOMILY III.] HOMILIES ON THESSALONIANS. 337 This brings to thee the crown of martyrdom. Doubt it not. And how and by what means, I will tell thee. For as such an one bears firmly the pains of torture, so as not to worship the image, so thou also bearest the sufferings of thy disease, so as to want nothing of those remedies which the other offers, nor to do the things which he prescribes. " But those pains are more violent " yes, but these are of longer duration, so that it is the same in the end ; nay often these are more violent too. For tell me, when fever is raging and burning within, and thou rejectest the charm that others recommend to thee, hast thou not bound on thee the crown of martyrdom ? Again, has any one lost money ? many advise thee to have recourse to diviners ; but thou, from fear of God, because it is forbidden, choos- est rather not to receive thy money than to disobey God thou hast a reward equal to him who has given it to the poor, if having lost, thou givest thanks, and when able to have recourse to diviners, thou bearest not to receive, rather than so to receive it. For as he from the fear ofGod has given all to the needy, so thou also from fear of God, when they have plundered thee, hast not recovered it. We are the masters of injuring or not injuring ourselves. And if you will, let us make the whole matter plain in the case of theft itself. The thief has cut through the wall, he has rushed into the chamber, he has carried off costly golden vessels, and precious stones, in short, he has cleared thy whole treasure, and has not been taken. The fact is grievous, and it seems to be a loss ; still as yet it is not so, but it depends on thee to make it either a loss or a gain. And how, sayest thou, can this be a gain ? I will endeavor to show thee how, if thou art willing, it will be a great gain, but if unwill ing, the loss will be severer than that which has taken place. For as in the case of artificers, when material is before them, he who is skilled in his art uses it to good purpose, but he that is unskillful spoils it, and makes it a loss to him, so also in these matters. How then will it be a gain ? If thou givest thanks to God, if thou dost not wail bitterly, if thou utterest the words of Job, " The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away. Naked came I out ofmy mother s womb, naked shall I also go away." (Job i. 21, Sept.) "What?" sayest thou, "the Lord hath taken away? The thief hath taken away, and how canst thou say, the Lord hath taken away?" Wonder not, for even Job, of things which the devil took away, said, These the Lord hath taken away? And shalt not thou say of what the thief took, The Lord hath taken away? Tell me, whom dost thou admire ? him who has bestowed all his goods upon the poor, or Job for these words ? Is he, who did not then give, inferior to him, who has given alms? For say not, " I feel no thankfulness. The matter was not done with my consent, or knowledge, or will. The robber took it. What will be my re ward?" Neither did these things happen with Job s knowledge or will. For how could it be ? Nevertheless, he wrestled. 1 And it is in thy power to receive as great a reward, as if thou hadst cast it away willingly. And perhaps we admire this man more, who thankfully suffers wrongs, than him who gives spontaneously. And why? Because the latter indeed is fed with praises, and supported by conscience, and has good hopes ; and having before 2 borne manfully the privation of his goods, he then cast them away ; but the former, whilst yet bound to them, was forcibly deprived of them. And it is not the same thing, having first been induced to part with riches, in that way to bestow them, as it is while yet longing to be deprived of them. If thou wilt say these words, thou wilt receive many times as much, and even more than Job. For he received twice as much here, but to thee Christ has prom ised a hundred fold. From the fear of God, thou hast not blasphemed? thou hast not had recourse to diviners ? suffering wrong, thou hast been thankful? Thou art like one who despises wealth, for thou couldest not do this, hadst thou not first despised it. And it is not the same thing in a long time to practice the contempt of riches, and all at once to bear a loss that has happened. Thus the loss becomes gain, and thou wilt not be injured, but even benefited by the devil. But how does the loss also become grievous ? When thou losest thy soul ! Tell me, the thief has deprived thee of thy possessions : wilt thou deprive thyself of salvation ? Wherefore, griev ing at the evils which thou hast suffered from others, dost thou plunge thyself into more evils ? He perhaps has involved thee in poverty : but thou perversely injurest thyself in things that are fatal. He hath deprived thee of things that are without thee, and that hereafter would spring away from thee even against thy will. But thou deprivest thyself of the eternal riches. The devil hath grieved thee by taking away thy wealth ; do thou also grieve him, and do not delight him. If thou hast recourse to diviners, thou delightest him. If thou renderest thanks to God, thou givest him his death-blow. And see what happens. Thou wilt not still find it, if thou goest to the diviners, for it is not in their power to know ; and even if by any chance they have told thee, thou both losest thy 1 i.e. with the temptation. See on Stat. Horn. i. 1 i.e. in preparation.