2, 4. PHIL. godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of. On account of these things we should be grieved, for these things we should be pained, for these things we should be pricked at heart; thus was Paul grieved 2 Cor. for sinners, thus did he weep. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you in many tears. For when he had no cause of grief on his own account, he did so on account of others, or rather he accounted those things too to be his own, at least as far as grief went. Others were offended, and he burned; others were weak, and he was weak; such grief as this is good, is superior to all worldly joy. Him who so grieves I prefer to all men, or rather the Lord Himself pronounces them blessed, who so grieve, who are kindly affectioned one toward another. I do not so much admire him in dangers, or rather I do not admire him less for the dangers by which he died daily, yet this still more captivates me. For it came of a soul devoted to God, and full of affection: from the love which Christ Himself seeketh: from a brotherly and a fatherly sympathy, or rather, of one greater than both these. Thus we should be affected, thus weep; such tears as these are full of great delight; such grief as this is the ground of joy. And say not to me: What do they for whom I grieve gain by my so doing? Though we no way profit them for whom we grieve, at all events we shall profit ourselves. For he who grieveth thus on account of others, much more will so do for himself; he who thus weepeth for the sins of others, will not pass by his own sins unwept, or rather, he will not quickly sin. But this is dreadful, that when we are ordered so to grieve for them that sin, we do not even exhibit any repentance for our own sins, but when sinning remain without feeling, and have care for and take account of any thing, rather than our own sins. For this cause we rejoice with a worthless joy, which is the joy of the world, and straightway quenched, and which beareth griefs innumerable. Let us then grieve with grief which is the mother of joy, and let us not rejoice with joy which beareth grief. Let us shed tears which are the seeds of great joy, and not laugh with that laughter, which beareth the gnashing of teeth for us. Let us be afflicted with affliction, from which springs up Present ease not the way to Heaven. 179 XV. ease, and let us not seek luxury, whence great affliction and Hoм. pain is born. Let us labour a little time upon the earth, that we may have continual enjoyment in heaven. Let us afflict ourselves in this transitory life, that we may attain rest in that which is endless. Let us not be remiss in this short life, lest we groan in that which is endless. See ye not how many are here in affliction for the sake of worldly things? Suppose thyself one of them, and bear thy affliction and thy pain, feeding on the hope of things to come. Thou art not better than Paul or Peter, who never obtained rest, who passed all their life in hunger and thirst and nakedness. If thou wouldest attain the same things with them, why journeyest thou along a contrary road? If thou wouldest arrive at that City, of which they have been deemed worthy, walk along the path which leadeth thither. The way of ease leadeth not thither, but that of affliction. The former is broad, the latter is narrow; along this let us walk, that we may attain eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, with Whom, to the Father, together with the Holy Ghost, be honour, might, power, now and ever, and world without end, Amen. HOMILIES OF S. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, ON THE EPISTLE OF S. PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. HOMILY I COL. i. 1, 2. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. HOLY indeed are all the Epistles of Paul: but somewhat more those which he sent after he was in bonds: those, for instance, to the Ephesians and Philemon: that to Timothy, that to the Philippians, and the one before us: for this also was sent after he was a prisoner, since he writes in it thus: for which I am also in bonds: that I may make it manifest Col. 4, as I ought to speak. But this Epistle appears to have been 3. 4. written after that to the Romans. For the one to the Romans he wrote before he had seen them, but this Epistle, after; and near upon the close of his preaching". And it is Ed. Par. suspects that a sentence is lost here, but without reason, as he had just mentioned the Epistle to Phi lemon as written in imprisonment, and 1, 1. 2. ver. 9. 182 This Epistle written in imprisonment. COLOS. evident from hence; that in the Epistle to Philemon he says, Being such an one as Paul the aged, and makes request for Onesimus; but in this he sends Onesimus himself, as he says, Col. 4,9. With Onesimus the faithful and beloved brother: calling him faithful, and beloved, and brother. Wherefore also he 1,23. boldly says in this Epistle, from the hope of the Gospel which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven. For it had now been 1a ex preached for a long time. I think then' that the Epistle conj. to Timothy was written after this; and when he was now Edd. come to the very end of his life, for there he says, for I am now ready to be offered; this is later however than that to the Philippians, for in that Epistle he appears to be entering upon his imprisonment at Rome. Ed.Par. 1 πλιὸν ἔχειν. But why do I say that these Epistles have some advantage2 over the rest? In this respect, because he writes them while in bonds; as if a champion were to write in the midst of carnage and victory"; so also in truth did he. For himself too was aware that this was a great thing, for writing to ver. 10. Philemon he saith, Whom I have begotten in my bonds. arxá- And this he said, that we should not be dispirited' when Ay, be in adversity, but even rejoice. At this place was Philemon repin- with these (Colossians). For in the Epistle to him he saith, And to Archippus our fellow-soldier; and in this, Say to Archippus. This man seems to me to have been charged with some office in the Church. · ἀσχάλ fretful, ing. Col. 4, 17. ver. 2. 1.5. But he had neither seen these people, nor the Romans, nor the Hebrews, when he wrote to them. That this is true of the latter, he shews in many places; with regard Col. 2, to the Colossians, hear him saying, And as many as have not seen my face in the flesh and again, Though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit. So great a thing did he know his presence every where to be. And always, even though he be absent, he makes himself lauri present. So, when he punishes the fornicator, look how pin he places himself on the tribunal; for, he saith, I verily 1 Cor. 5, 3, |