into whatsoever city or village ye shall enter…as ye enter into the house, salute it; and if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.” (Matt. x. 11, 13.) We are therefore ignorant; because we look upon this merely as a figure of words; and we assent not to them in our minds. For do I761 give the Peace? It is Christ who deigneth to speak by us. Even if at all other times we are void of grace, yet are we not now, for your sakes. For if the Grace of God wrought in an ass and a diviner, for the sake of an economy, and the advantage of the Israelites (Num. 22.), it is quite clear that it will not refuse to operate even in us, but for your762 sakes will endure even this. Let none say then that I am mean, and low, and worthy of no consideration, and in such a frame of mind attend to me.763 For such I am; but God’s way always is, to be present even with such for the sake of the many. And, that ye may know this, with Cain He vouchsafed to talk for Abel’s sake (Gen. iv.), with the devil for Job’s (Job i.), with Pharaoh for Joseph’s (Gen. xli.), with Nebuchadnezzar for Daniel’s (Dan. ii; iv.), with Belshazzar, for the same (Dan. v.). And Magi moreover obtained a revelation (Matt. ii.); and Caiaphas prophesied, though a slayer of Christ, and an unworthy man, because of the worthiness of the priesthood. (John xi. 49.) And it is said to have been for this reason that Aaron was not smitten with leprosy. For why, tell me, when both had spoken against Moses did she764 alone suffer the punishment? (Num. xii.) Marvel not: for if in worldly dignities, even though ten thousand charges be laid against a man, yet is he not brought to trial before he has laid down his office, in order that it may not be dishonored along with him; much more in the case of spiritual office, be he whosoever he may, the grace of God works in him, for otherwise everything is lost: but when he hath laid it down, either after he is departed or even here, then indeed, then he will suffer a sorer punishment. Do not, I pray you, think that these things are spoken from us; it is the Grace of God which worketh in the unworthy, not for our sakes, but for yours. Hear ye then what Christ saith. “If the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it.” (Matt. x. 13–15.) And how be- cometh it worthy? If “they receive you” (Luke x. 8.), He saith. “But if they receive you not, nor hear your words,…verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.” What boots it then, that ye receive us, and hear not the things we say? What gain is it that ye wait upon765 us, and give no heed to the things which are spoken to you? This will be honor to us, this the admirable service, 761 This implies that he was Bishop, and consequently that these Homilies were delivered at Constantinople. [Below he distinctly declares himself to be the Bishop.—J.A.B.] 762 So Sav. Ben. “our.” 763 Or “even so, let him attend to me.” 764 Miriam. 765 θεραπεύετε. 483 Colossians 1:15-18