XXV.

288 Painsenow for many borne by one. All how briefly run over.

HOMIL. 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. 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 unfold in details' every thing he mentioned; if he had Awσ mentioned the Churches he was in care for, if his prisons and his achievements in them, if of the other things one by περι- one, the besetments, the assaults. But he would not. 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.

Η έξα

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Two reasons why it was not expedient to glory.'

HOMILY XXVI.

289

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, [It 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. pedient 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 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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XXVI.

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290 He passes to revelations, Fourteen years ago.' Inferences.

HOMIL. One and all even to superfluity' to avoid any thing of the sort. For this thing is attended with no advantage, but As we even with harm, except there be some necessary and useful ριουσίας. reason which induceth us thereto. Having then spoken of boasting those his perils, trials, snares, dejections, shipwrecks, he passeth to another species of boasting, saying,

2 i. e.

Ver. 2, 3. I knew a man, about fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth ;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew how that he was caught up into paradise, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or out of the body, I cannot tell;) and heard unspeakable words, which Jor, pos- it is not lawful3 for a man to utter. Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory.

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this in

Great indeed was this revelation. But this was not the only one: there were many others besides, but he mentions one out of many. For, that there were many, hear what he v. 7. says: Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations. And yet,' a man may say, "if he wished to conceal them, he ought not to have given alviya any intimation whatever, or said any thing of the sort; but if he wished to speak of them, to speak plainly.' Wherefore then is it, that he neither spoke plainly nor kept silence? 5 or, in To shew by this also that he resorts to the thing unstance willingly. And therefore also he has stated the time, fourteen years. For he does not mention it without an object, but to shew, that he who had refrained for so long a time, would not now have spoken out, except the necessity for doing so had been great. But he would have still kept silence, had he not seen the brethren perishing. Now if Paul from the very beginning was such an one, as to be counted worthy of such a revelation, when as yet he had not wrought such good works; consider what he must have grown to in fourteen years. And observe how even in this very matter he shews modesty, by his saying some things, but confessing that of some he is ignorant. For that he was caught up indeed, he declared, but whether in the body or out of the body he says he does not know. And yet it would have been quite enough, if he had told of his being caught up, and had been silent [about the other]; but as it is, in his modesty he adds

His catching up. This obscurely intimated, yet is it plain. 291

XII. 3.

this also. What then? Was it the mind that was caught 2 COR. up, and the soul, whilst the body remained dead? or was the body caught up? It is impossible to tell. For if Paul, who was caught up, and whom things unspeakable, so many and so great, had befallen, was in ignorance, much more we. For, indeed, that he was in paradise he knew, and that he was in the third heaven he was not ignorant, but the manner he knew not clearly. And see from yet another consideration how free he is from pride. For in his narrative about the 2 Cor. 11, 32. city of the Damascenes he confirms what he says, but here not; for it was not his aim to establish this fact strongly, but to mention and intimate it only. Wherefore also he goes on to say, of such an one will I glory; not this meaning, that he who was caught up was some other person, but so frames his language in the best manner he possibly could, so as at once to mention the fact, and to avoid speaking of himself openly. For what sequence would there be, in bringing some one else forward, when discoursing about himself? Wherefore then did he so put it? It was not all one to say,' I was caught up,' and, I knew one that was caught up; and I will boast of myself,' and, I will boast of such an one. Now if any should say, 'And how is it possible to be caught up without a body?' I will ask him, ' How is it possible to be caught up with a body?' for this is even more inexplicable than the other, if you examine by reasonings, and do not give place to faith.

[2.] But wherefore was he also caught up? As I think, that (2.) he might not seem to be inferior to the rest of the Apostles. For since they had companied with Christ, but Paul had not: He therefore caught up unto glory him also. Into Paradise. For great was the name of this place, and it was every where celebrated. Wherefore also Christ said, To-day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.

Luke23,

43.

Of such an one will I glory. Wherefore? For if another were caught up, wherefore dost thou glory? Whence it is evident, that he said these things of himself. And if he added, but of myself I will not glory, he says nothing else than this, that, when there is no necessity, I will say nothing of that kind fruitlessly, and at random;' or else he is again throwing obscurity over' what he had said, as best he might. For that 'ovokiÁζων.

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292 Holy men, as the elements, made at once weak and glorious.

HOMIL. the whole discourse was about himself, what follows also clearly shews; for he went on to say,

XXVI.

c. 11, 1.

Ver. 6. But though I should even desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth.

How then saidst thou before, Would that ye could bear c.11,17. with me a little in my folly; and, That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly; but here, Though I should even desire to glory, I shall not be a fool? Not in regard of glorying, but of lying; for if glorying be foolishness, how much more lying?

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It is then with regard to this that he says, I shall not be a fool. Wherefore also he added,

For I will say the truth; but now I forbear, lest any man Rec. should think of me above that which he seeth', or that he heareth text, seeth of me. Here you have the acknowledged reason; for they even deemed them to be gods, on account of the greatness of their miracles. As then in the case of the elements, God hath done both things, creating them at once weak and glorious; the one, to proclaim His own power; the other, to prevent the error 2 i. e. in of mankind 2: so truly here also were they both wonderful worshipand weak, so that by the facts themselves were the unbelievers instructed. For if whilst continuing to be wonderful only, and giving no proof of weakness, they had by words tried to draw away the many from conceiving of them more than the truth; not only would they have nothing succeeded, but they would even have brought about the contrary. For those dissuasions in words, would have seemed rather to spring of lowliness of mind, and would have caused them to be the more admired. Therefore in act and by deeds was their weakness disclosed. And one may see this exemplified, in those men who lived under the old dispensation. For Elias was wonderful, but on one occasion he stood convicted ¿Sparé- of faint-heartedness; and Moses was great, but he also fled3 under the influence of the same passion. Now such things befel them, because God stood aloof, and permitted their human nature to stand confessed. For if, because he led them out, they said, 'Where is Moses?' what would they not have said, if he had also led them in? Wherefore also [Paul] himself says, I forbear, lest any should think of me. He said not,' say of me,' but, lest any should even think of

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