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more pleasant. Do you wish that I remind 62.69 you of another prison? It is necessary to go from this chain to another prison. Which one do you want? That of Jeremiah? Or that of Joseph? Or that of John? Thanks be to Paul's chain; how many prisons has it opened with its word? Do you want John's? He too was once bound for Christ and the law of God. What then? Was he idle, being in prison? Did he not, sending from there out of the prison, say to his disciples, "Go and tell Christ, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect another?'" So even while there he was teaching; for indeed he was not neglectful. But did not Jeremiah prophesy concerning the Babylonian, doing all his work even there? And what of Jo 62.70 seph? Was he not bound for thirteen years? But nevertheless, not even there did he forget virtue. After speaking of one more's bonds, we will bring the discourse to a close. Our Master was also bound, He who loosed the world from its sins; hands were bound that had wrought countless good things. For "having bound him," it says, "they led him to Caiaphas." And He was bound who had worked so many wonders. Bearing these things in mind, let us never be discontent, but even if we are bound, let us rejoice; and if we are not in bonds, let us be disposed as though bound with them. Do you see how great a good the bond is? Knowing all these things, let us send up thanks for all things to God, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

HOMILY IX.

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the

calling with which you were called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The power of Paul's chain has been shown to be both great and more brilliant than signs. Not in vain, therefore, as it seems, does he put this forward here, nor thoughtlessly, but so as to persuade especially through it. And what does he say? "I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called." How? "With all humility, with gentleness and patience, bearing with one another in love." It is not simply being a prisoner that is good, but being one for Christ's sake. For this reason he says, "The prisoner in the Lord," that is, for Christ's sake. Nothing is equal to this. But rather, the chain draws us away from the matters at hand and distracts us, and we do not endure to resist, but are drawn along both unwillingly, and rather, even willingly and with prayer. And would that it were always possible to speak about the chain of Paul. But do not grow weary; for I still want to say that which many, in their questioning, say: "And if afflictions are good, how is it that he himself, making his defense before Agrippa, said, 'I would to God that whether in a short or a long time, not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds'?" Not as thinking the thing to be something to be prayed against did he say these things, God forbid; for he would not, if it were something to be prayed against, have boasted in his bonds, in imprisonments, in other afflictions; nor would he, writing, have said, "Most gladly will I boast in my weaknesses." But what? This itself was proof that he considered the bonds to be great things. For just as writing to the Corinthians he said, "I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet able to receive it"; so also here, they were not able to hear of the beauty, nor the adornment, nor the benefit of the bonds. For this reason he says, "Except for these bonds." To the Hebrews, however, it was not so, but he exhorted them to be bound with those who were bound. For this reason he himself also rejoiced in his bonds, and was bound, and was led away to prison with the prisoners. Great is the power of Paul's chain; this sight is sufficient in place of all else, to see Paul bound and being led out 62.70 from the prison. To see him bound and sitting within, what pleasure is not less than this? for what would I not value the thing? Do you not see those who

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ἥδιον. Βούλεσθε ὑπο 62.69 μνήσω ὑμᾶς καὶ ἑτέρου δεσμωτηρίου; Ἀναγκαῖον ἀπὸ τῆς ἁλύσεως ταύτης ἐφ' ἕτερον ἐλθεῖν δεσμωτήριον. Τὸ ποῖον βούλεσθε; τὸ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου; ἢ τὸ τοῦ Ἰωσήφ; ἢ τὸ Ἰωάννου; Χάρις τῇ Παύλου ἁλύσει· πόσα ἀνέῳξε τῷ λόγῳ δεσμωτήρια; Τὸ Ἰωάννου βούλεσθε; Ἐδέθη καὶ οὗτος ποτὲ διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμον. Τί οὖν; ἆρα ἤργει ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ ὤν; οὐχὶ δὲ ἐκεῖθεν πέμψας ἐκ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου ἔλεγε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὑτοῦ, Πορευθέντες εἴπατε τῷ Χριστῷ, Σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, ἢ ἕτερον προσδοκῶμεν; Καὶ ἐκεῖ ὢν ἄρα ἐδίδασκεν· οὐ γὰρ δὴ ἠμέλει. Ἀλλ' Ἱερεμίας οὐχὶ προεφήτευσε περὶ τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου, πάντα τὰ αὑτοῦ καὶ ἐκεῖ ποιῶν; Τί δὲ ὁ Ἰω 62.70 σήφ; οὐχὶ τριακαίδεκα ἔτη ἐδέδετο; Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ ἐκεῖ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπελάθετο. Ἔτι ἑνὸς εἰπόντες δεσμοὺς, καταπαύσομεν τὸν λόγον. Ἐδέθη καὶ ὁ ∆εσπότης ὁ ἡμέτερος, ὁ τὴν οἰκουμένην λύσας τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων· ἐδέθησαν χεῖρες αἱ μυρία ἐργασάμεναι καλά· ∆ήσαντες γὰρ αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ἤγαγον πρὸς Καϊάφαν. Καὶ ἐδέδετο ὁ τοσαῦτα θαυματουργήματα ἐργασάμενος. Ταῦτα ἐννοοῦντες, μηδέποτε δυσχεραίνωμεν, ἀλλὰ κἂν δεθῶμεν, χαίρωμεν· κἂν μὴ ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς ὦμεν, ὡς συνδεδεμένοι διακεώμεθα. Ὁρᾷς ὅσον ἀγαθὸν ὁ δεσμός; Ταῦτα πάντα εἰδότες, χάριν ἀναπέμπωμεν ὑπὲρ πάντων τῷ Θεῷ, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Θʹ.

Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ, ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ, ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς

κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθητε, μετὰ πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ πραότητος, μετὰ μακροθυμίας, ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλήλων ἐν ἀγάπῃ, σπουδάζοντες τηρεῖν τὴν ἑνότητα τοῦ πνεύματος ἐν τῷ συνδέσμῳ τῆς εἰρήνης. Ἀπεδείχθη τῆς ἁλύσεως τοῦ Παύλου ἡ ἰσχὺς καὶ μεγάλη καὶ σημείων λαμπροτέρα. Οὐ μάτην οὖν ἐνταῦθα, ὡς ἔοικε, ταύτην προβάλλεται, οὐδὲ εἰκῆ, ἀλλ' ὡς μάλιστα δι' αὐτῆς δυσωπήσων. Καὶ τί φησι; Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ, ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ, ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθητε. Πῶς; Μετὰ πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης, μετὰ πραότητος καὶ μακροθυμίας, ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλήλων ἐν ἀγάπῃ. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς τὸ δέσμιον εἶναι καλὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ διὰ Χριστόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν, Ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ, τουτέστι, διὰ Χριστόν. Οὐδὲν τούτου ἴσον. Ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς ἀποσύρει τῶν προκειμένων ἡ ἅλυσις καὶ περισπᾷ, καὶ ἀντιπεσεῖν οὐχ ὑπομένομεν, ἀλλ' ἑλκόμεθα καὶ ἄκοντες, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ βουλόμενοι καὶ εὐχόμενοι. Καὶ εἴθε ἀεὶ περὶ τῆς ἁλύσεως Παύλου διαλέγεσθαι ἦν. Ἀλλὰ μὴ ναρκήσητε· ἔτι γὰρ ἐκεῖνο εἰπεῖν βούλομαι, ὃ πολλοὶ ζητοῦντές φασι· Καὶ εἰ καλὸν αἱ θλίψεις, πῶς αὐτὸς ἀπολογούμενος πρὸς τὸν Ἀγρίππαν ἔλεγεν, Εὐξαίμην ἂν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐν ὀλίγῳ καὶ ἐν πολλῷ, οὐ μόνον σὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντάς μου σήμερον γενέσθαι τοιούτους, ὁποῖος καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι, παρεκτὸς τῶν δεσμῶν τούτων· Οὐχ ὡς ἀπευκτὸν τὸ πρᾶγμα νομίζων, ταῦτα ἔλεγε, μὴ γένοιτο· οὐ γὰρ ἂν, εἴ γε ἀπευκτὸν ἦν, ἐκαυχᾶτο ἐπὶ τοῖς δεσμοῖς, ἐπὶ ταῖς φυλακαῖς, ἐπὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις θλίψεσι· οὐδ' ἂν γράφων ἔλεγεν, Ἥδιστα καυχήσομαι ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις μου· ἀλλὰ τί; Τοῦτο αὐτὸ τεκμήριον ἦν τοῦ μεγάλα ἡγεῖσθαι τὰ δεσμά. Ὥσπερ γὰρ Κορινθίοις γράφων ἔλεγε· Γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα, οὐ βρῶμα, οὔπω γὰρ ἐδύνασθε· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα, οὐκ ἠδύναντο ἀκοῦσαι τὸ κάλλος, οὐδὲ τὸν κόσμον, οὐδὲ τὴν ὠφέλειαν τῶν δεσμῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν, Ἐκτὸς τῶν δεσμῶν τούτων. Τοῖς μέντοι Ἑβραίοις οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ παρῄνει συνδεδέσθαι τοῖς δεδεμένοις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἔχαιρεν ἐπὶ τοῖς δεσμοῖς, καὶ ἐδεσμεῖτο, καὶ μετὰ τῶν δεσμωτῶν ἀπήγετο εἰς φυλακήν. Μεγάλη τῆς ἁλύσεως Παύλου ἡ ἰσχύς· ἀρκεῖ ἀντὶ πάντων τοῦτο τὸ θέαμα, δεδεμένον ἰδεῖν Παῦλον καὶ ἐξαγό 62.70 μενον ἀπὸ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου. ∆εδεμένον ἰδεῖν καὶ ἔνδον καθήμενον, ποίας ἡδονῆς τοῦτο οὐ μεῖζον; τίνος οὐκ ἂν τιμήσαιμι τὸ πρᾶγμα; Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε τοὺς