HOMILY VII.] HOMILIES ON THESSALONIANS. 353 left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in nowise precede them that are fallen asleep." Speaking concerning the faithful, and them "which are fallen asleep in 1 Christ" (i Cor. xv. 18) ; and again, "the dead shall rise in Christ." Since his discourse is not concerning the Resurrection only, but both concerning the Resurrection and concerning the honor in glory ; all then shall partake of a Resurrection, he says, but not all shall be in glory, only those in Christ. Since therefore he wishes to comfort them, he comforts them not with this only, but also with the abundant honor, and with its speedy arrival, since they knew that. For in proof that he wishes to comfort them with the honor, as he goes on, he says, " And we shall be ver with the Lord" : and "we shall be caught up in the clouds." But how do the faithful fall asleep in Jesus? It means having Christ within themselves. But the expression, " He shall bring with Him," shows that they are brought from many places. " This." Something strange he was about to tell them. On this account he also adds what makes it worthy of credit ; " From the word of the Lord," he says, that is, we speak not of our selves, but having learnt from Christ, "That we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in nowise precede them that are fallen asleep." Which also he says in his Epis tle to the Corinthians ; " In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." (i Cor. xv. 52.) Here he gives a credibility to the Resurrection by the manner also [in which it will occur]. For because the matter seems to be difficult, he says that as it is easy for the living to be taken up, so also for the departed. But in saying "we," he does not speak of himself, for he was not about to remain until the Resurrection, but he speaks of the faithful. On this account he has added, " We that are left unto the coming of the Lord shall in nowise precede them that are fallen asleep." As if he had said, Think not that there is any difficulty. It is God that does it. They who are then alive shall not an ticipate those who are dissolved, who are rotted, who have been dead ten thousand years. But as it is easy to bring those who are entire, so is it also those who are dissolved. But there are some who disbelieve the matter, because they know not God. For, tell me, which is the more easy, to bring one into being out of nothing, or to raise up again him that was dissolved ? But what say they ? A certain one suffered shipwreck and was drowned in the sea, and having fallen many fishes caught him, and 1 [Here Chrys. first quotes accurately from i Cor. xv. 18, andthen adds from iv. 15 below, there taking "in Christ" with the verb, when the connection requires us to understand, " the dead in Christ shall rise." Comp. Ellicott on iv. 15, and notice below, at the beginning of Horn, viii., that Chrys. connects as here. J. A. B.] each of the fish devoured some member. Then of these very fishes, one was caught in this gulf, and one in that, and this was eaten by one man, and that by another, while having in it the devoured pieces of flesh. And again, those who ate the fishes, that had eaten up the man, died in different places, and were themselves perhaps devoured by wild beasts. And when there has been so great a confusion and dispersion how shall the man rise again? Who shall gather up the dust? But wherefore dost thou say this, O man, and weavest strings of trifles, and makest it a matter of perplexity? For tell me, if the man had not fallen into the sea, if the fish had not eaten him, nor the fish again been devoured by numberless men but he had been preserved with care in a coffin, and neitherworms nor any thing else had disturbed him, how shall that which is dissolved rise again? How shall the dust and ashes be again conglutinated ? 2 Whence shall there be any more its bloom for the body? But is not this a difficulty? If indeed they be Greeks who raise these doubts, we shall have numberless things to say to them. What then? For there are among them those who convey souls into plants, and shrubs, and dogs. Tell me, which is more easy, to resume one s own body, or that of another? Others again say that they are consumed by fire, and that there is a resurrection of garments and of shoes, and they are not ridiculed. Others say atoms. With them, however, we have no argument at all ; but to the faithful, (ifwe ought to call them faithful who raise questions,) we will still say what the Apostle has said, that all life springs from corruption, all plants, all seeds.3 Seest thou not the fig tree, what a trunk it has, what stems, how many leaves, and branches, stalks, and roots, occupying so much ground and embosomed therein. This then, such and so great as it is, springs from the grain which was thrown into the ground and itself first corrupted. And if it be not rotted and dissolved, there will be none of these things. Tell me, whence does this happen ? And the vine too, which is so fair both to see and to partake of, springs from that which is vile in appearance. And what, tell me, is not the water that descends from above one thing? how is it changed into so many things? For this is more wonderful than the Resurrec tion. For there indeed the same seed and the same plant is the subject, and there is a great affinity. But here tell me how, having one qual ity and one nature, it turns into so many things? In the vine it becomes wine, and not only wine, but leaves and sap. For not only is the cluster of grapes, but the rest of the vine nourished by ! This word is used by Bp. Pearson in this very argument, which he may have borrowed from St. Chrys.; see his work on the Creed, art. Resurrection. 3 See i Cor. xv. 36.