and solicitude for his
spiritual children.[48] When he touches this topic, his words are all
fire and flame, and seem to breathe the fervor of St. Peter, the zeal of
St. Paul, and the charity of Moses. This favorite of God was not afraid,
for the salvation of his people, to desire to be separated from the
company of the saints, provided this could have been done without
falling from the love of God; though he knew that nothing would more
closely unite him forever to God, than this extraordinary effort of his
love. The apostle of nations desired to be an anathema for his brethren,
and for their salvation;[49] and the prince of the apostles gave the
strongest proof of the ardor of his love for Christ, by the floods of
tears which he shed for his flock. From the same furnace of divine love,
St. Chrysostom drew the like sentiments towards his flock, joined with a
sovereign contempt of all earthly things; another distinguishing
property of charity, which he describes in the following words:[50]
"Those who burn with a spiritual love, consider as nothing all that is
shining or precious on earth. We are not to be surprised if we
understand not this language, who have no experience of this sublime
virtue. For whoever should be inflamed with the fire of the perfect love
of Jesus Christ, would be in such dispositions with regard to the earth,
that he would be indifferent both to its honors and to its disgrace, and
would be no more concerned about its trifles than if he was alone in the
world. He would despise sufferings, scourges, and dungeons, as if they
were endured in another's body, not in his own; and would be as
insensible to the pleasures and enjoyments of the world; as we are to
the bodies of the dead, or as the dead are to their own bodies. He would
be as pure from the stain of any inordinate passions, as gold perfectly
refined is from all rust or spot. And as flies beware of falling into
the flames, and keep at a distance, so irregular passions dare not
approach him."

Footnotes:
1. S. Chrys. ad Vid. jun. t. 1, p. 340.
2. Sozom. l. 8, c. 22.
3. Liban. ep. ad Joan. apud S. Isidor. Pelus. l. 2, ep. 42.
4. L. 3, de Sacerd. c. 14, p. 390.
5. L. 3, de Sacerd. c. 14.
6. Hom. 72 (ol. 73) and 69 (ol. 69,) in Matt. Hom. 14, in 1 Tim. t. 11,
pp. 628, 630, {}3, contra vitup. vita Mon. c. 14.
7. Lib. de Compunct. p. {1}32.
8. Lib. 1, de Compunct. &c.
9. Flavian I. was a native of Antioch, of honorable extraction, and