200 S. Paul's fellow-prisoners loosed, the furnace-heaters burnt,

EPHES. ence.

3, 28.

But observe, he commits the whole matter to them, IV.1,2. he makes no unnecessary difficulties. Let us however look at the next point. The king here does not say, What must I do to be saved? but the doctrine is plainer in his case than any language whatever; for he straightway becomes a preacher, he needs not to be instructed like the jailor. He proclaims God, and makes confession of His v. Dan. power. Of a truth I know that your God, He is God of Gods and Lord of Lords, because He hath sent His Angel, and hath delivered you from the furnace. And what was the sequel? Not one single jailor, but numbers are instructed by the king's writings, by the sight of the facts. For that the king would not have told a falsehood is evident enough to every one, because he never would have chosen to bear such testimony to captives, nor to overthrow his own acts; he never would have chosen to incur the imputation of such utter madness: so that had not the truth been abundantly manifest, he would not have written in such terms, and with so many persons present.

Perceive ye how great is the power of bonds? How great the force of those praises that are sung in tribulation? Their heart failed not, they were not cast down, but were then yet more vigorous, and their courage then yet greater: they justly thought," one thing yet is left us."

Why was it that in the prison on the one hand, the prisoners were loosed, whilst in the furnace the executioners were burnt to death: for that indeed should have been the king's fate, because neither were they who bound them, nor they who cast them into the furnace, so truly the sinners as the man who commanded this should be done, On this point there is not any very great need of minute examination; for they were impious. And therefore this was providentially ordered, that the power of the fire might be shewn, and the miracle might be made more signal; for if it thus devoured them that were without, how did it shew them unscathed that were within it? it was that the power of God might be made manifest. And let no one wonder that I have put the king on a level with the jailor, for he did the same thing; the one was in no wise more noble than the other, and they both had their reward.

But, as I said, the righteous, when they are in tribulations,

Divine virtue in the prison of Jeremiah, Joseph, and S. John. 201

VIII.

are then especially more energetic, when they are in bonds: HOMIL, for to suffer any thing for Christ's sake is the sweetest of all consolation.

2.3.

Will ye that I remind you of yet another prison? It seems necessary to go on from this chain to another prison still. And which will ye? Shall it be that of Jeremiah, or of Joseph, or of John? Thanks to Paul's chain; how many prisons has it opened to our discourse? Will ye have that of John? He also was once bound for Christ's sake, and for the law of God. What then? Was he idle when he was in prison? Was it not from thence he sent, and from the prison said to his disciples, Go and say Mat. 11, unto Christ, Art Thou He that should come, or do we look for another? Even when there then it seems he taught, for surely he did not disregard his duty. But again, did not Jeremiah prophesy concerning the king of Babylon, and fulfil his work even there in prison? And what of Joseph? Was he not in prison thirteen years? And yet not even there did he forget his virtue. I have yet the bonds of one to mention, and with them will close my discourse. Our Master Himself was bound, He who loosed the world from sins. Those hands were bound which had wrought excellent things without number. For, they bound Him, it saith, and v. Mat. brought Him to Caiaphas; yes, He who had wrought so John18, 27, 2. many marvellous works was bound.

Reflecting on these things, let us never repine; but whether we be in bonds, let us rejoice; or whether we be not in bonds, let us be as though we were bound together with Him. See, how great a blessing are bonds! Knowing all these things, let us send up our thanksgiving for all to God, through Christ Jesus our Lord.

24.

HOMILY IX.

IV. 3.

EPHES. CHAP. iv. 1-3. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you, that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

We have demonstrated the power of Paul's chain, a power both great, and more glorious than miracles. It is not in vain then, as it should seem, nor without an object, that he here holds it forward, but as the means of all others most likely to touch them. And what saith he? I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you, that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. And how is that? with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.

It is not the being merely a prisoner that is honourable, but the being so for Christ's sake. Hence he saith, The prisoner of the Lord, i. e. for Christ's sake. Nothing is there to be compared to this. But now the chain is dragging me away still more from my subject, and pulling me back again, and I cannot bear to resist it, but am drawn along even against my will,-yea, rather, with all my heart; and would that it were always my lot to be descanting on Paul's chain.

But now, go not off to sleep: for I am yet desirous to solve that other question, which many raise, when they say, Why, if tribulation be a glory, how came Paul himself to say in Acts 26, his defence to Agrippa, I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds? He said not

29.

Paul gloried not in his bonds to Agrippa, as feeding him with milk. 203

IX.

12, 9.

3.

this, God forbid! as deeming the thing a matter to be depre- HOMIL. cated; no; for had it been such, he would not have gloried in bonds, in imprisonments, in all those other tribulations; nor would he have written and said, Most gladly will 12 Cor. glory in my infirmities. But what is the case? This was itself a proof how great a thing he considered those bonds; for as in writing to the Corinthians he said, I1 Cor. 3,2. have fed you with milk, and not with meat, for as yet ye were not able to bear it; such surely was the case also here. They before whom he spoke were not able to hear of the beauty, nor the comeliness, nor the blessing of those bonds. Hence it was he added, except these bonds. To the Hebrews however he spoke not thus, but exhorted them to be bound with them that were in bonds. And hence too did Heb. 13, he himself rejoice in his bonds, and was put in prison, and was led with the prisoners into the inner prison. Mighty is the power of Paul's chain! A spectacle this, which may suffice for every other, to behold Paul bound, and led forth from his prison; to behold him bound, and sitting within it, what pleasure can come up to this? What would I not give for such a sight? Do ye see the emperors, the consuls, borne along in their chariots and arrayed in gold, and their body-guard with every thing about them of gold? Their halberds of gold, their shields of gold, their raiment of gold, their horses with trappings of gold? How far more more delightful than such a spectacle is that! I would rather see Paul once, going forth with the prisoners from his prison, than behold these ten thousand times over parading along with all that retinue. When he was thus led forth, how many Angels, suppose ye, led the way before him? And to shew that I speak no fiction, I will make the fact manifest to you from a certain ancient narrative.

12.

Elisha the prophet, perhaps ye know the man, at the time 2 Kings 6, 8when the king of Syria was at war with the king of Israel, sitting at his own home, brought to light all the counsels which the king of Syria was taking in his chamber with them that were privy to his designs, and rendered the king's counsels of none effect, by telling beforehand his secrets, and not suffering the king of Israel to fall into the snares which the other was laying. This sorely troubled the king; he was

IV. 3.

EPHES. disheartened, and was reduced to great perplexity, not knowing how to discover him who was disclosing all that passed, and plotting against him, and disappointing his schemes. Whilst therefore he was in this perplexity, and enquiring into the cause, one of his guards told him, that there was a certain prophet, one Elisha, who dwelt in Samaria, that he it was who suffered not the king's designs to stand, but disclosed all that passed. The king on hearing this imagined that he had discovered the whole matter. Sure, never was any thing more miserable than he. For, observe, when he ought to have honoured the man, to have reverenced him, to have been awed to think how he really possessed so great power, as that seated, as he was, so many furlongs off, he should know all that passed in the king's chamber, without any one at all to tell him; this indeed he did not, but being exasperated, and wholly carried away by his passion, he equips horsemen, and soldiers, and dispatches them to bring the prophet before him.

2 Kings 6, 13.

&c.

Now Elisha had a disciple as yet only on the threshold of prophecy, nor as yet judged to be worthy of revelations of this kind. The king's soldiers were arrived at the spot, as intending to bind the man, or rather the prophet.—Again I am falling upon bonds, and how can I help it? so entirely is this discourse interwoven with them.-And when the disciple saw the host of soldiers, he was affrighted, and ran full of fear and trembling to his master, and told him the calamity, as he thought, and informed him of the inevitable peril. The prophet smiled at him for fearing things not worthy to be feared, and bade him be of good cheer. The disciple, however, being as yet imperfect, did not listen to him, but being still scared at the sight, could not free himself from vide his fear. Upon this, what did the prophet do? Lord, said 2 Kings he, open the eyes of this young man, and let him see that they which are with us, are more than they which are with them; and immediately he beheld the whole mountain, where the prophet then dwelt, filled with horses and chariots of fire. Now these were nothing else than ranks of Angels. But if Elisha only for an occasion like this had so great a band of Angels, what must Paul have had ? This is what Ps.34,7. the prophet David also tells us. The Angel of the Lord en

6,16.17.