Babylon and its Furnace, an Emblem of the World.

conquer

241

For 1COR.6.

in respect of the wonder than to deliver from a furnace.
how can it be otherwise than astonishing, for the Emperor
of the world, with so many arms around him, and legions, and
generals, and viceroys, and consuls, and land and sea subject
to his sway, to be despised by captive children; for the
bound to overcome the binder, and
all that army?
Neither was there any power in the king and his company
to do what they would, no, not even with the furnace for
an ally. But the naked, and the slaves, and the strangers,
and the few, (for what number could be more contemptible
than three?) being in chains, vanquished an innumerable
army. For already now was death despised, since Christ was
henceforth about to sojourn in the world. And as when the
sun is on the point of rising, and before his rays appear the light
of the day groweth bright; so also when the Sun of Righteous-
ness was about to come, death henceforth began to withdraw
himself. What could be more splendid than that theatre?
What more conspicuous than that victory? What more signal
than those new trophies of theirs?

The same thing is done in our time also. Even now is there a king of the Babylonish furnace, even now he kindles a flame fiercer than that. There is even now such an image, and one who giveth command to admire it. At his side are satraps and soldiers, and bewitching music. And many gaze in admiration upon this image, so artful, so great. For somewhat of the same kind of thing as that image, is covetousness, which doth not despise even iron, but unlike as the materials are, whereof it is composed, it giveth command to admire all, both brass and iron, and things much more ordinary than they.

But as these things are, so also even now are there some, who are emulous of these children: who say, "thy gods we serve not, and thine image we worship not; but both the furnace of poverty we endure, and all other distress, for the sake of God's laws." And the wealthy for their part, even as those at that time, worship this image too oftentimes, and are burnt. But those who possess nothing, despise even this, and although in poverty, are more in the dew

a St. Chrysostom evidently considers the image which Nebuchadnezzar set up as intended to represent the image which he had seen in his dream.

R

ὁ Μᾶλλον εἰσὶ ἐν δρόσῳ. Alluding to the words in LXX. ἐποίησε τὸ μέσον τῆς καμίνου ὡς πνεῦμα δρόσου διασύριζον. ν.

26.

12.

XVIII.

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The Three Children, a Pattern to Christians

HOMIL. than those who live in affluence. Even as at that time, they who cast into the fire were burnt up: but those in the midst of it found themselves, as it were, in rain and dew. Then also that tyrant was more burnt up with the flame, his wrath kindling him violently, than those children. As to them, the fire had no power even to touch the ends of their hair: but more fiercely than that fire did wrath burn up his mind. For consider what a thing it was, that with so many to look on, he should be scorned by captive children. And it was a sign for the time to come, that his taking their city also had not been through his own might, but by reason of the sin of the multitude among them. Since, if he had not power to overcome these men in chains, and that, when they were cast into a furnace, how could he have overcome the Jews in regular warfare, had they been all such as these? From which it is plain, that the sins of the multitude betrayed the city.

26.41.

[6.] But mark also the children's freedom from vain-glory. For they did not leap into the furnace, but they kept beforeS.Mat. hand the commandment of Christ, where He says, 'Pray that ye enter not into temptation. Neither did they shrink when they were brought to it; but stood in the midst nobly, neither contending without a summons, nor yet when summoned, playing the coward: but ready for every thing, and noble, and full of all boldness of speech.

2 MS. Reg.

φιλόθεον,

de

vout."

Bened.

φου.

3. 17.

3

But let us hear also what they say, that from this also we may learn their high self-commanding spirit. There is a God in heaven able to deliver us: they take no care for themselves, but even when about to be burned, the glory of God is all their thought. For what they say comes to this, "Lest perchance, if we are burnt, thou shouldest charge God with weakness, we now declare unto thee accurately our whole doctrine. There is a God in heaven, not such as this image here on earth, this lifeless and mute thing, but able to snatch even from the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Condemn Him not then of weakness for permitting us to fall into it. So powerful is He, that after our fall, He is able to snatch us out again out of the flame. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Observe that they, by a special dispensation, are ignorant of the future: for if they

in their Behaviour to the World.

243

12.

had foreknown, there would have been nothing admirable in their 1COR.6. doing what they did. For what marvel is it, if when they had a guarantee for safety, they defied all terrors? Then God indeed would have been glorified, in that He was able to deliver from the furnace but they would not have been wondered at, inasmuch as they would not have cast themselves into any dangers. For this cause He suffered them to be ignorant of the future, that He might glorify them the more. And as they cautioned1 the king that he was not to condemn God of opaweakness, though they might be burnt, so God accomplished λίζοντο. both purposes; the shewing forth His own power, and the causing the zeal of the children to appear more conspicuous. From whence then arose their doubting, and their not feeling confident that they should at all events be preserved? Because they esteemed themselves assuredly too mean, and unworthy of such a benefit. And to prove that I say not this upon conjecture; when they fell into the furnace, they bewailed themselves after this sort, saying, 2 We have sinned, we have 2 v.6,10. done iniquity, we cannot open our mouth. And therefore they said, But if not. But if they did not plainly say this, namely, "God is able to deliver us; but if he deliver us not, for our sin's sake He will not deliver us:" wonder not at it. For they would have seemed to the barbarians to be sheltering the weakness of God under the pretext of their own sins. Wherefore His power only is what they speak of: the reason, they allege not. And besides, they were well disciplined not to be over-curious about the judgments of God.

With these words then, they entered into the fire; and they neither cast insult upon the king, nor overturned the statue. For such should the courageous man be, temperate and mild; and that especially in dangers; that he may not seem to go forth to such contests in wrath and vain-glory, but with fortitude and self-possession. For whoso deals insolently, undergoes the suspicion of those faults: but he that endures, and is forced into the struggle, and goes through the trial with meekness, is not only admired as brave, but his self-possession also and consideration cause him to be no less extolled.

And

This may be a covert allusion to so great trouble in the second year of the outrage on the statues of Theodo. S. Chrysostom's ministry there. sius, which had brought Antioch into

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The Members of Christ must be pure.

HOMIL. this is what they did at that time; shewing forth all fortitude and gentleness, and doing nothing for reward, nor for recompense or return. "Though He be not willing (so it stands) to deliver us, we will not serve thy gods: for we have already our recompense, in that we are counted worthy to be kept from all impiety, and for that end to give our bodies to be burned."

We then also having already our recompense, (for indeed we have it, in that we have been vouchsafed the full knowledge of Him, vouchsafed to be made members of Christ,) let us take care that we make them not members of an harlot. For with this most tremendous saying we must conclude our discourse, in order that having the fear of the threat in full efficacy, we may remain purer than gold, this fear helping to make us so. For so shall we be able, delivered from all fornication, to see Christ. Whom God grant us all to behold with boldness at that day, through the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ; with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honour, now, henceforth, and for evermore. Amen.

HOMILY XIX.

1 COR. vii. 1, 2.

Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: it is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of fornications, let every man have his own wife; and let every woman have her own husband.

HAVING Corrected the three heaviest things laid to their charge, one, the distraction of the Church, another, about the fornicator, a third, about the covetous person, he thenceforth uses a milder sort of speech. And he interposes some exhortation and advice about marriage and virginity, giving the hearer some respite from more unpleasant subjects. But in the second Epistle he does the contrary; he begins from the milder topics, and ends with the more distressing. And here also, after he has finished his discourse about virginity, he again launches forth into matter more akin to reproof; not setting all down in regular order, but varying his discourse in either kind, as the occasion required, and the exigency of the matters in hand.

Wherefore he says, Now as concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me. For they had written to him, " Whether it was right to abstain from one's wife, or not:" and writing back in answer to this, and giving rules about marriage, he introduces also the discourse concerning virginity: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. "For if," says he, " thou enquire what is the excellent and greatly superior course, it is better not to have any connection whatever with a woman: but if, what is safe, and helpful to thine own infirmity, be connected by marriage."