170 The rich dwells near pride, vainglory, love of money.

Homil. enjoy those unspeakable goods.' Nay rather, one may see

xnl- the contrary, few rich saved, but of the poor far more. For, consider, making accurate measure of the hindrances of riches, and the defects of poverty, (or rather, neither of riches nor of poverty are they, but each of those who have riches or poverty; howbeit,) let us at least see which is the more available weapon. What defect then doth poverty seem to possess? Lying. And what, wealth? Pride, the mother of evils; which also made the devil a devil, who was not such

1 Tim. before. Again, the lore of money is the root of all evils. '' Which then stands near this root, the rich man, or the poor? Is it not very plainly the rich? For the more things any one surrounds himself with, he desires so much the more. Vainglory again damages tens of thousands of good deeds,

Wmfm-and near this too again the rich man hath his dwelling1.

r" "But," saith one, " thou mentionest not the [evils] of the poor man, his affliction, his straits. Nay, but this is both common to the rich, and is his more than the poor man's; so that those indeed which appear to be evils of poverty are common to either: whilst those of riches are riches' only. 'But what,' saith one, ' when for want of necessaries the poor man committeth many horrible things?' But no poor man, no, not one, committeth as many horrible things from want, as do the rich for the sake of surrounding themselves

»"high, with more, and of not losing what stores they have*. For the poor man doth not so eagerly desire necessaries, as the rich doth superfluities; nor again has he as much strength to put wickedness in practice, as the other hath power. If then the rich man is both more willing and able, it is quite plain that he will rather commit such, and more of them. Nor is the poor man so much afraid in respect of hunger, as the rich trembleth and is anxious in respect of the loss of what he has, and because he has not yet gotten all men's possessions. Since then he is near both to vainglory and to arrogance, and to love of money, the root of all evils, what hope of salvation shall he have, except he display much wisdom? And how shall he walk the narrow way? Let us not therefore carry about the notions of the many, but examine into the facts. For how is it not absurd, that in- respect to money, indeed, we do not trust to others, but refer this lo figures and calcuBy the Scripture rule to try, what are riches, 171

lation; but in calculating upon facts, we are lightly drawn 2 Con.

aside by the notions of others; and that too, though we

possess an exact balance1, and square* and rule3 for all things, the declaration of the divine laws? Wherefore v'"*"m I exhort and entreat you all, disregard what this man and that man thinks about these things, and inquire from the Scriptures all these things; and having learnt what are the true riches, let us pursue after them, that we may obtain also the eternal good things; which may we all obtain, through the grace and love toward men of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom, to the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, and honour, now and ever, and world without end. Amen.

How winningk/ Paul asks for love. Irony in,1 We have not wronged'

HOMILY XIV.

2 Cor. vii. 2, 3.

Receive us: we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. I speak not this to condemn you; for I have said before, as I have also declared above *, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.

Again he raiseth the discourse about love, mitigating the

harshness of his rebuke. For since he had convicted and

reproached them as being beloved indeed, yet not loving in

an equal degree; but breaking away from his love and

mixing themselves up with other pestilent fellows; again he

softens down the vehemence of his rebuke, saying, Receive

us, that is, love us; and prays to receive a favour involving

no burden, and advantaging them that confer, above them

that receive it. And he said not, ' love,' but with a stronger

'UiiiM- appeal to their pity ', Receive. 'Who hath expelled us?'

"'" saith he: 'Who hath cast us out of your hearts? How come

we to be straitened in you?' for since he said above, Ye are

straitened in your bowels; here declaring it more clearly, he

* Or, said, Receive us': in this way also again winning them to

^ontain uimself por nothing doth so produce love as for the beloved

to know, that he that loveth him, exceedingly desireth his

love.

We have wronged no man. See how again he does not mention the benefits (done by him), but frameth his speech in another way, so as to be both less offensive, and more vxn.Ti- cutting'. And at the same time he also alludes to the false *""'" ap0StleS, Saying, We have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. * This clause, inserted by St. Chrysostom, is not found in the Received text.

Proof of love, in choosing to live and die with those he loves. 173
What is we have corrupted? That is, we have deceived 2 Cor.

VII 3

no man; as he says elsewhere also. Lest by any means, as '' the serpent deceived1 Eve, so your minds should be cor- n, 3.

We have defrauded no man; we have plundered, have E. V. plotted against no man. And he for the present forbears to say, 'we have benefitted you in such and such ways;' but framing his language so as more to shame them, We have wronged no man, he says; as much as saying,' Even had we in no wise benefitted you, not even so ought ye to turn away from us; for ye have nothing to lay to our charge, either small or great.' Then, for he felt the heaviness of his rebuke, he tempers it again. And he was neither silent altogether, for so he would not have aroused them; nor yet did he let the harshness of his language go unmodified, for so he would have wounded them too much. And what says he?

Ver. 3. I speak not this to condemn you.

How is this evident? For I have said before, he adds, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. This is the greatest affection, when even though treated with contempt, he chooseth both to die and live with them. 'For neither are ye merely in our hearts,' he says,' but in such sort as I said. For it is possible both to love, and to shun dangers, but we do not thus.' And behold here also wisdom unspeakable. For he spake not of what had in time past been done for them, that he might not seem to be again reproaching them, but he promiseth for the future. 'For should it chance,' saith he, 'that danger should invade, for your sakes I am ready to suffer every thing; and neither death nor life seemeth aught to me in itself, but in whichever ye be, that is to me more preferable, both death than life, and life than death.'

Howbeit, dying indeed is manifestly a proof of love; but living, who is there that would not choose, even of those who are not friends? Why then does the Apostle mention it as something great? Because it is even exceeding great. For numbers indeed sympathize with their friends when they are in misfortune, but when they are in honour rejoice not with, but envy, them. 'But not so we; but whether ye be in calamity, we are not afraid to share your ill fortune; or 174 Alleviates rebuke by mention of superabundant joy in them;

Homil. whether ye be prosperous, we are not wounded with that

envy.

[9..] Then after he had continually repeated these things, saying, Ye are not straitened in us; and, Ye are straitened in your own bowels; and, Receive us; and, Be ye also enlarged; and, We have wronged no man; and all these things seemed to be a condemnation of them: observe how he also in another manner alleviates this severity by saying, Great is my boldness of speech towards you. 'Therefore I venture upon such things,' he says,' not to condemn you by what I say, but out of my great boldness of speech,' which even before signifying, he said, Great is my glorying of you. 1 For think not indeed,' he saith,' that because I thus speak, I speak as though I had condemned you altogether; (for I am exceedingly proud of, and glory in, you;) but both out of tender concern, and a desire that you should make greater increase unto virtue.' And so he said to the Hebrews also Feb. 6, after much rebuke; But we are persuaded better things of 9—1J. you, and things that accompany salvation, though tee thus speak: and we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end. So indeed here also, Great is my glorying of you. 'We glory to others of you,'he says. Seest thou what genuine comfort he has given ?' And,' he saith,' I do not simply glory, but also, greatly.' Accordingly he added these words; I am filled with the comfort. What comfort ?' That coming from you; because that ye, having been reformed, comforted me by your conduct.' This is the test of one that loveth, both to complain of not being loved, and to fear lest he should inflict pain by complaining immoderately. Therefore he says, I am (2.) filled with the comfort, I superabound in joy. 'But these expressions,' saith one, 'seem to contradict the former.' They do not do so, however, but are even exceedingly in harmony with them. For these procure for the former a favourable reception; and the praise which they convey, makes the benefit of those rebukes more genuine, by quietly abstracting what was painful in them. Wherefore he uses these expressions, but with great genuineness and earnest- 1 fiXtri- ness1. For he did not say, ' I am filled with joy;' but, ''"'' 1 abound; or rather, not around either, but superabound;