300 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY IX. yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin " (Heb. xii. 4) : and again, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear." (i Cor. x. 13.) Be then our sufferings what they may, let us look round on what is worse ; (for we shall find such,) and thus shall we be thankful. And above all, let us give thanks for all things continually ; for so, both these things will be eased, and we shall live to the glory of God, and obtain the promised good things, whereunto may all we attain, through the grace and love toward man, &c. HOMILY IX. COLOSSIANS iii. 1 6, 17. " Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wis dom; teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.1 And whatsoever ye do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." HAVING exhorted them to be thankful, he shows also the way, that, of which I have lately discoursed to you. And what saith he ? " Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly " ; or rather not this way alone, but another also. For I indeed said that we ought to reckon up those who have suffered things more terrible, and those who have undergone sufferings more griev ous than ours, and to give thanks that such have not fallen to our lot ; but what saith he ? " Let the word of Christ dwell in you " ; that is, the teaching, the doctrines, the exhortation, wherein He says, that the present life is nothing, nor yet its good things. If we know this, we shall yield to no hardships whatever. (Matt. vi. 25, &c.) "Let it dwell in you," he saith, "richly," not simply dwell, butwith great abundance. Hearken ye, as many as are worldly, 2 and have the charge of wife and children ; how to you too he com mits especially the reading of the Scriptures ; and that not to be done lightly, nor in any sort of way, but with much earnestness. For as the rich in money can bear fine and damages, so he that is rich in the doctrines of philosophy will bear not poverty only, but all calamities also easily, yea, more easily than that one. For as for him, by discharging the fine, the man who is rich must needs be impoverished, and found wanting, 3 and if he should often suffer in that way, will no longer be able to bear it, but in this case it is not so ; for we do not even expend our wholesome thoughts when it is necessary for us to bear aught we would not choose, but they abide with us continually. And mark the wis- 1 ["God" is the correct N. T. text (as in Rev. Ver.), and is here given by several MSS. of Chrys. J. A. B.] * Not in a bad sense. * eAe-yveo-flat, not in money to pay, but in power to prevent loss. Or it may be, " must be in process of being found wanting." dom of this blessed man. He said not, " Let the word of Christ " be in you, simply, but what? " dwell in you," and " richly." " In all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another." " In all," says he. Virtue he calls wisdom, and lowliness of mind is wisdom, and almsgiving, and other such like things, are wis dom ; just as the contraries are folly, for cruelty too cometh of folly. Whence in many places it calleth the whole of sin folly. " The fool," saith one, " hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Ps. xiv. i) ; and again, "My wounds stink and are corrupt from the face of my fool ishness." (Ps. xxxviii. 5, Sept.) For what is more foolish, tell me, than one who indeed wrappeth himself about in his own garments, but regardeth not his brethren that are naked ; who feedeth dogs, and careth not that the image of God is famishing ; who is merely persuaded that human things are nought, and yet clings to them as if immortal. As then nothing is more foolish than such an one, so is nothing wiser than one that achieveth virtue. For mark ; how wise he is, says one. He imparteth of his substance, he is pitiful, he is loving to men, he hath well con sidered that he beareth a common nature with them ; he hath well considered the use of wealth, that it is worthy of no estimation ; that one ought to be sparing of bodies that are of kin to one, rather than of wealth. He that is a de- spiser of glory is wholly wise, for he knoweth human affairs ; the knowledge of things divine and human, is philosophy. So then he knoweth what things are divine, and what are human, and from the one he keeps himself, on the other he bestoweth his pains. And he knows how to give thanks also to God in all things, he considers the present life as nothing ; therefore he is nei ther delighted with prosperity, nor grieved with the opposite condition. Tarry not, I entreat, for another to teach thee ; thou hast the oracles of God. No man teacheth thee as they ; for he indeed oft grudgeth much for vainglory s sake and envy. Hearken, I en treat you, all ye that are careful for this life, and