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VI. 4.

344 They who are made strong within need not defence without.

EPHES. account that he was reverenced. But would you know why it was? It was for his hospitality, for his contempt of riches, for his chastened temper. For what, tell me, is the duty of a philosopher? Is it not to despise both riches and glory? Is it not to be above both envy and every other passion? Come now then, let us bring him forward and strip him, and shew you what a philosopher he was. First of all, he thought nothing of his country. He heard the command, Gen 12, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and immediately went forth. He was not bound to his house, (or surely he would never have gone forth,) nor to his love of familiar friends, nor to any thing else whatever. Then, glory and money he despised above all others. For when he had put an end to war by turning the enemy to flight, and was requested to take the spoil, he rejected it.

1.

Again, the son of this great man was reverenced, not because of his riches, but for his hospitality: not because of his children, but for their obedience: not because of his wife, v. Gen. but for the barrenness inflicted on account of his wife. 20, 17.

They looked upon the present life as nothing, they followed not after gain, they despised all things. Tell me, which sort of plants are the best? Are not those which have home-born strength, and are injured neither by rains, nor by hailstorms, nor by gusts of wind, nor by any other vicissitude of the sort, but stand naked and exposed in defiance of them all, and needing neither wall nor fence to protect them? Such is the true philosopher, such is that wealth of which we spoke. He has nothing, and has all things: he has all things, and has nothing. For a fence is not within, but only without; a wall is not natural, but only built round from without. And what again, I ask, what sort of body is a strong one? Is it not that which is in health, and which is affected neither by hunger nor repletion, nor by cold, nor by heat; or is it that which is subject to all these things, and needs both caterers, and embroiderers, and hunters, and physicians, to give it health? He is the rich man, the true philosopher, who needeth none of these things. For this cause it was that this blessed Apostle said, Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Surround them not with outward defences. For such is wealth, such is

They who train children well are making statues to Christ. 345

once.

XXI.

glory; for when these fall, as fall they must, the plant HOMIL stands naked and defenceless, not only in no wise benefitted during the time past, but even injured. For those very shelters that prevented its being inured to the attacks of the winds, will now have prepared it for perishing all at And so wealth is injurious rather, because it renders us undisciplined for the vicissitudes of life. Let us therefore train up our children to be such, as that they shall be able to bear up against every trial, and not to be surprised at what may come upon them; let us bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And great will be the reward which will be thus laid up in store for us. For if men that make statues and paint portraits of kings receive so great distinction, shall not we who adorn the image of the King of kings, (for man is the image of God,) receive ten thousand blessings, if we effect a true likeness? For the likeness is in this, in the virtue of the soul, when we train our children to be virtuous, to be meek, to be forgiving, (because all these are attributes of God,) to be beneficent, to be humane, when we train them to regard the present world as nothing. Let this then be our task, to mould and to direct both ourselves and them to what is right. For with what sort of boldness shall we stand before the

judgment-seat of Christ? If a man who has unruly Tit. 1, 6. children is unfit to be a Bishop, much more is he unfit for the kingdom of Heaven. What sayest thou? If we have an unruly wife, or unruly children, shall we have to render account? Yes, we shall, unless we can render our own account with exactness; for our own individual virtue is not enough in order to salvation. If the man who omitted to put out the one talent gained nothing, and yet was punished even then, it is plain that one's own individual virtue is not enough in order to salvation, but there is need of that of another also. Let us therefore entertain great solicitude for our wives, and take great care of our children, and of our servants, and of ourselves. And in our government both of ourselves and of them, let us beseech God that He aid us in the work. If He shall see us interested in this work, and solicitous about it, He will aid us; but if He shall see us paying no regard to it, He will not give us His hand. For He does not vouchsafe us His assistance when we

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EPHES. sleep, but when we labour also ourselves. For a helper,

VI. 4.

(as the name implies,) is not a helper of one that is inactive,
but of one who works also himself.
But the good God is
able of Himself to bring the work to perfection, that we may
be all counted worthy to attain to the blessings promised us,
through the grace and loving-kindness of Jesus Christ our
Lord, with Whom together with the Holy Ghost be unto the
Father, glory, might, and honour, now and ever, and
throughout all ages. Amen.

HOMILY XXII.

CHAP. vi. 5-8. Servants, be obedient to them that are HOMIL. XXII. your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

Thus then it is not husband only, nor wife, nor children, but virtuous servants also that contribute to the consistency and protection of a house. Therefore the blessed Paul has not overlooked this department. He comes to it, however, in the last place, because it is last in importance. Still he addresses much discourse also to them, no longer in the same tone as to children, but in a far more advanced way, inasmuch as he does not hold out to these the promise in this world, but in that which is to come. Knowing, saith he, that whatsoever good or evil thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, and thus at once instructs them to love wisdom. For though they be inferior to the children in dignity, still in spirit they are superior to them.

φρονή

Servants, saith he, be obedient to them that are your ti masters according to the flesh.

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Thus at once he raises up, at once sooths the wounded soul. Be not grieved, he seems to say, that you are inferior to the wife and the children. Slavery is nothing but a name. The mastership is according to the flesh, brief and temporary; whatever is of the flesh, is transitory.

EPHES.
VI. 8.

348

True nobility is to humble one's self to others.

With fear, he adds, and trembling.

Thou seest that he does not require the same fear from servants as from wives: for in that case he simply said, and let the wife see that she fear her husband; whereas in this case he heightens the expression, with fear, he saith, and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ. This is constantly his language. What meanest thou, blessed Paul? He is a brother, he enjoys the same privileges, he belongs to the same body. Yea, more, he is the brother, not of his own master only, but also of the Son of God, he is partaker of all the same privileges; yet sayest thou, obey your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling. Yes, for this very reason, he would say, I say it. For if I charge free men to submit themselves one to another in the fear of God,c. 5, 21. as he said above, submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God;-if I charge moreover the wife to fear and reverence her husband, and yet at the same time she is his equal; much more must I so speak to the servant. It is no sign of low birth, rather it is the truest nobility, to understand how to lower ourselves, to be modest and unassuming, and to give way to our neighbour. And the free have served the free with much fear and trembling.

In singleness, he adds, of heart.

And it is well added, since it is possible to serve with fear and trembling, and yet not of good will, but only as far as one can. Many servants in many instances secretly cheat their masters. And this cheating accordingly he does away, by saying, in singleness of your hearts as to the Lord, not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good-will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men. Seest thou how many words he requires, in order to implant this good principle, with good-will, I mean, and from the heart? That other service, with fear and trembling, I mean, we see many rendering to their masters, and the master's threat goes far to secure that. But shew, saith he, that thou servest as the servant of Christ, not of Make the right action your own, not one of compulsion. Just as in the words which follow, he persuades

man.

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