Troubleon all sides, an Apostle's mark. Rushednotonperil. 286

greater sort only, and despise the lesser, but counted even the 2 Cor.

XI. 30—32.

abject amongst his familiar friends. Wherefore also he said,

Who is weak? whosoever he may be; and as though he were himself the Church throughout the world, so was he distressed for every member.

Ver. 30. If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

Seest thou, that he no where glorieth of miracles, but of his persecutions and his trials? For this is meant by infirmities. And he shews that his warfare was of a diversified character1. For both the Jews warred upon him,' 'room, and the Gentiles stood against him, and the false brethren" fought with him, and brethren caused him sorrow, through their weakness and by taking offence:—on every side he found trouble and disturbance, from friends, and from strangers. This is the especial mark of an Apostle, by these things is the Gospel woven.

Ver. 31, 32. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knoweth that I lie not. The Governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a guard, desirous to apprehend me.

What can be the reason, why he here strongly confirms and gives assurance of (his truth), seeing he did not so in respect to any of the former things? Because, perhaps, this was of older date, and not so well known; whilst of those other facts, his care for the churches, and all the rest, they were themselves cognisant. See then how great the war [against him] was, since on his account the city was kept with a guard. And when I say this of the war, I say it of the zeal of Paul; for except this had breathed intensely, it had not kindled the governor to so great madness. These things are the part of an apostolic soul, to suffer so great things, and yet in nothing to veer about, but to bear nobly whatever befalls; yet not to go out to meet dangers, nor to rush upon them. See, for instance, here, how he was content to evade the siege, by being let down through a window in a basket. For though he were even desirous to depart hence; still nevertheless he also passionately affected the salvation of men. And therefore he ofttimes had recourse even to such devices as these, preserving himself for the

286 The Church conquers by suffering. Paul against the world.

Homil.Preaching; and he refused not to use even human con

-trivances, when the occasion called for them; so sober and

watchful was he. For in cases where evils were inevitable, he needed only grace; but where the trial was of a measured character, he deviseth many things of himself even, here again ascribing the whole to God. And just as a spark of unquenchable fire, if it fell into the sea, would be merged as many waves swept over it, yet would again rise shining to the surface; even so surely the blessed Paul also, would now 1 SiaSfct. be overwhelmed by perils, and now again, having dived' through them, would come up more radiant, overcoming by suffering harms. (3.) [3.] For this is the brilliant victory, this is the Church's trophy, thus is the Devil overthrown when we suffer injury. For when we suffer, he is taken captive; and himself suffers harm, when he would fain inflict it on us. And this happened in Paul's case also; and the more he plied him with perils, the more was he defeated. Nor did he raise up against him only one kind of trials, but various and diverse. For some involved labour, others sorrow, others fear, others pain, others care, others shame, others all these at once; but yet he was victorious in all. And like as if a single soldier, having the whole world fighting against him, should move through the mid ranks of his enemies, and suffer no harm: even so did Paul, singly; among barbarians, among Greeks, on every land, on every sea, appear, and abide unconquered. And as a spark, falling upon reeds and hay, changes into its own nature the things so kindled; so also did this man setting upon all, make all things change over unto the truth; like a winter torrent, sweeping over all things, and overturning every obstacle. And like some champion who wrestles, runs, and 'rtixo- boxes too; or soldier engaged by turns in storming', on foot, fMX<""- on shipboard; so did he try by turns every form of fight, and breathed fire at them, and was unapproachable by all; with his single body taking possession of the world, with his single tongue putting all to flight. Not with such force the breath of those many trumpets fell upon the stones of Jericho, and threw them down, as did this man's voice both dash with its sound to the earth the devil's strong-holds, and bring over to himself those that were against him. And when he had

David by stone, Paul by tongue. End and aim of each trial. 287

collected a multitude of captives, having armed the same, he a Cor. made them again his own army, and by their means, con- 30—32. quered. Wonderful was David, who laid Goliath low with a single stone; but if thou wilt examine Paul's achievements, that is a child's exploit, and great as is the difference between a shepherd and a general, so great the difference thou shalt see here. For this man brought down no Goliath by the hurling of a stone, but by speaking only he scattered the whole array of the Devil; as a lion roaring and darting out flame from his tongue, so was he found by all irresistible; and bounded every where by turns continually; he ran to these, he came to those, he turned about to these, he bounded away to others, swifter in his visitation of them than the wind; governing the whole world, as though a single house or a single ship; rescuing the sinking, steadying the dizzied, cheering the sailors, sitting at the tiller, keeping an eye to the prow, tightening the yards, handling an oar, pulling at the mast, watching the sky; being all things in himself, both sailor, and pilot, and pilot's mate', and sail, and ship; and suffering all things' yin order to relieve the evils of others. For consider. Hepf endured shipwreck, that he might stay the shipwreck of the world; a day and a night he passed in the deep, that he might draw it up' from the deep of error; he was in weari-'<t<"M?iess, that he might refresh the weary; he endured smiting, that he might heal those that had been smitten of the devil; he passed his time in prisons, that he might lead forth to the light those that were sitting in prison and in darkness; he was in deaths oft, that he might deliver from grievous deaths; five times he received forty stripes, save one, that he might free those that inflicted them from the scourge of the devil; he was beaten with rods, that he might bring them under the rod and the staff of Christ; he was stoned, that he might Ps-23.4. deliver them from the senseless stones; he was in the wilderness", that he might take them out of the wilderness ;3°r'dein journeyings, to stay their wanderings, and open the way oeM. that leadeth to heaven; he was in perils in the cities, that he might shew the city which is above; in hunger and thirst, to deliver from a more grievous hunger; in nakedness, to clothe their unseemliness with the robe of Christ; set upon by the mob, to extricate them from the besetments

288 Painsenowfor many borncby one. Allhow briefly run over.

HomTL.of fiends; he burned, that he might quench the burning

darts of the devil: through a window was let down from

the wall, to send up from below those that lay prostrate upon the ground. Shall we then talk any more, seeing we do not so much as know what Paul suffered? shall we make mention any more of goods, or even of wife, or city, or freedom, when we have seen him ten thousand times despising even life itself? The martyr dies once for all: but that blessed saint, in his one body and one soul, endured so many perils, as were enough to disturb even a soul of adamant; and what things all the saints together have suffered in so many bodies, those all he himself endured in one: he entered into the world as if a race-course, and stripped himself of all, and so made a noble stand. For he knew the fiends that were wrestling with him. Wherefore also he shone forth brightly at once from the beginning, from the very starting-post, and even to the end he continued the same; yea rather, he even increased the intensity of his pursuit, as he drew nearer to the prize. And what surely is wonderful is, that though suffering and doing such great things, he knew to maintain an exceeding modesty. For when he was driven upon the necessity of relating his own good deeds, he ran quickly over them all; although he might have filled books without number, had he wished to

i v{a- unfold in details' every thing he mentioned; if he had

»\wr<u mentioned the Churches he was in care for, if his prisons and his achievements in them, if of the other things one by

*irff,i- one, the besetments2, the assaults. But he would not.

ordrrfis. Knowing then these things, let us also learn to be modest, and not to boast at any time of wealth, or other worldly things, but in the reproaches we suffer for Christ's sake, and in these, only when need compels; for if there be nothing urging it, let us not mention these even, (lest we be puffed up,) but our sins only. For so shall we both easily be released from them, and shall have God propitious to us, and shall attain the life to come; whereunto may we all attain through the grace and love towards men of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father, with the Holy Ghost, be glory, might, honour, now and for ever, and world without end. Amen.

Ttco reasons why it was ' not expedient, to glory? 2b9

HOMILY XXVI.

2 Cor. xii. 1.

It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory, [for] I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

What is this? Doth he who has spoken such great things say, I is not expedient] doubtless to glory? as if he had said nothing? No; not as if he had said nothing: but because he is going to pass to another species of boasting, which is not attended indeed by so great a reward, but which to the many (though not to careful examiners) seems to set him off in brighter colours', he says, It is not ex-1 \appedien t for me doubtless to glory. For truly the great grounds *'""'*" of boasting were those which he had recounted, those of his trials; he has however other things also to tell of, such as concern the revelations and the unspeakable mysteries. And wherefore, says he, it is not expedient for me? he means, ' lest it lift me up to pride.' What sayest thou? For if thou speak not of them, yet dost thou not know of them? But our knowing of them ourselves doth not lift us up so much, as our publishing them to others. For it is not the nature of good deeds that useth to lift a man up, but their being witnessed to, and known of, by the many. For this cause therefore he saith, It is not expedient for me; and, 'that I may not implant too great an idea of me in those who hear.' For those men indeed, the false apostles, said even what was not true about themselves; but this man hides even what is true, and that too although so great necessity lies upon him, and says, It is not expedient for me; teaching

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