WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY V11L comparison between opening the doors of a prison, and releasing an enthralled soul. There is no comparison between loosing the bonds of prisoners and setting at liberty them that are bruised;" (Luke iv : 18.) this last is far greater than the other ; for the other there is no reward in store, for this last there are ten thousand rewards. Paul s chain has proved a long one, and has detained us a length of time. Yea, long indeed it is, and more beautiful than any cord of gold. A chain this, which draws them that are bound by it, as it were by a kind of invisible machin ery, to Heaven, and, like a golden cord let down, 1 draws them up to the Heaven of heavens. And the wonderful thing is this, that, bound, as it is, below, it draws its captives upwards : and indeed this is not the nature of the things them selves. But where God orders and disposes, look not for the nature of things, nor for natural sentence, but for things above nature and natural sequence. Let us learn not to sink under affliction, nor to repine ; for look at this blessed saint. He had been scourged, and sorely scourged, for it is said, "When they had laid many stripes upon them." He had been bound too, and that again sorely, for the jailor cast him into the inner ward, and with extraordinary security. And though he was in so many perils, at mid night, when even the most wakeful are asleep with sleep, another and a stronger bond upon them, they chanted and sang praise unto the Lord. What can be more adamantine than these souls? They bethought them how that the holy Children sang even in fire and furnace. (Dan. iii : 1-30.) Perhaps they thus reasoned with themselves, "we have as yet suffered nothing like that." But our discourse has done well, in that it has thus brought us out again to other bonds, and into another prison. What am I to do ? I would fain be silent, but am not able. I have discovered another prison, far more wonderful and more astonishing than the former. But, come now, rouse yourselves, as though I were just commencing my discourse, and attend to me with your minds fresh. I would fain break off the discourse, but it will not suffer me ; for just as a man in the midst of drinking cannot bear to break off his draught, whatever any one may promise him ; so I too, now I have laid hold of this glorious cup of the prison of them that were bound for Christ s sake, I cannot leave off, I cannot hold my peace. For if Paul in the prison, and in the night, kept not silence, no, nor under the scourge ; shall I, who am sitting2 1 [This passage reminds one of the famous golden chain of Homer, treiprjv xpuoeiiji . (Iliad viii : 19-27) to which several alle gorical meanings have been given. G. A.] here by daylight, and speaking so much at my ease, shall I hold my peace, when men in bonds, and under the scourge, and at midnight could not endure to do so? The holy Children were not silent, no, not in the furnace and in the fire, and are not we ashamed to hold our peace? Let us look then at this prison also. Here too, they were bound, but at once and from the very outset it was evident that they were not about to be burned, but only to enter as into a prison. For why do ye bind men who are about to be committed to the flames? They were bound, as Paul was, hand and foot. They were bound with as great violence as he was. For the jailor thrust him into the inner prison ; and the king commanded the furnace to be intensely heated. And now let us see the issue. When Paul and Silas sang, the prison was shaken, and the doors were opened. When the three Children sang, the bonds both of their feet and hands were loosed. The prison was opened, and the doors of the furnace were opened : for a dewy breeze whistled through it. But many thoughts crowd around me. I know not which to utter first, and which second. Wherefore, let no one, I entreat, require order of me, for the subjects are closely allied. They who were bound together with Paul and Silas were loosed, and yet nevertheless they slept. In the case of the three Children, in stead of that, something else took place. The men who had cast them in, were themselves burned to death. And then, as I was fain to tell you, the king beheld them loose, and fell down before them : he heard them singing their song of praise, and beheld four walking, and he called them. As Paul, though able to do so, came not forth, until he who had cast him in, called him, and brought him forth : so neither did the three Children come forth, un til he who had cast them in commanded them to come forth. What lesson are we taught from this ? Not to be over hasty in courting persecution, nor when in tribulation to be over eager for deliverance, and on the other hand when they release us not to continue in it. Further, the jailor, inasmuch as he was able to enter in where the saints were, fell down at their feet. The king came but to the door and fell down. He dared not approach into the prison which he had prepared for them in the fire. And now mark their words. The one cried, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts xvi : 30.) The other, though not in deed with so great humility, yet uttered a voice no less sweet, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither." (Dan. iii : 26.) 9 [The ancient custom was the reverse of ours, for the preacher commonly delivered his sermon sitting, and the people heard it standing. Bingham Antiquities Bk. xiv. Ch. iv. Sec. 24. G. A.J