V. 33.

332 The married may so live as to be but little below the solitaries.

EPHES. this is more valuable than all.' What weight of gold, what amount of treasures, are so dear to a wife as these words? Never fear that thy beloved one will ever rave against thee. No, she will own that thou lovest her. For courtezans indeed, who now attach themselves to one and now to another, would naturally enough be exasperated against their lovers, should they hear such expressions as these; but a free-born wife or a noble damsel would never be exasperated with such words; no, she will be so much the more subdued. Shew her too, that you set a high value on her company, and that you are more desirous to be at home for her sake, than in public places. And esteem her before all your friends, and above the children that are born of her, and let these very children be beloved by thee for her sake. If she does any good act, praise and admire it; if any foolish one, and such as girls vw na may chance to do, advise and admonish. Condemn up and xár, down all riches and extravagance, and gently point out the ornament that there is in neatness and in modesty; and be continually teaching her what is expedient.

κάτω, κατηγό

Let your prayers be common. Let each go to Church; and let the husband ask his wife at home, and she again ask her husband, the account of the things which were said and read there. If any poverty should overtake you, allege those holy men, Paul and Peter, who were more glorious than any kings or rich men; and yet how did they spend their lives, yea, in hunger and in thirst. Teach her that there is nothing in life terrible, save only offending against God. If any marry thus, marry with these views, he will be TWY but little inferior to solitaries; the married but little below ναζόντων the unmarried.

μου

If thou hast a mind to give dinners, and to make entertainments, invite no immodest, no disorderly person; but if thou shouldest find any poor saint able to bless your house, able only just by setting his foot in it to bring in the whole blessing of God, invite him. And I would say moreover another thing. Let no one of you make it his endeavour to marry a rich woman, but much rather a poor one. When she comes in, she will not bring so sure a source of pleasure from her riches, as she will annoyance from her taunts,

The wife must not think that she has property of her own. 333

XX.

from her demanding more than she brought, from her HOMIL. insolence, her extravagance, her vexatious language. For she will say perhaps, I have not yet spent any thing of thine, I am still wearing my own apparel, bought with what my parents settled upon me.' What sayest thou, O woman? Still wearing thine own! And what can be more miserable than this language? Why, thou hast no longer a body of thine own, and hast thou money of thine own? After marriage ye are no longer twain, but are become one flesh, and are then your possessions twain, and not one? Oh! that love of money! Ye both are become one man, one living creature; and dost thou still talk of mine own?' Cursed and unhallowed word that it is, the devil introduced it. Things far nearer and dearer to us than these hath God made all common to us, and are these then not common? We cannot say, my own light, my own sun, my own water:' all our greater blessings are common, and are riches not so? Perish the riches ten thousand times over! Or rather not the riches, but those tempers of mind which know not how to make use of riches, and yet esteem them above all things.

6

Teach her these lessons also with the rest, but with all the attractiveness thou canst. For since the recommendation of virtue has in itself much that is stern, and especially to a young and tender damsel, whenever discourses on true wisdom are to be made, devise every method to make them attractive. And above all banish this notion from her soul, of mine and thine.' If she say the word 'mine,' say unto her, 'What things dost thou call thine? For in truth I know not; I have nothing of mine own. How then speakest thou of mine,' when all things are thine? Freely grant her the word. Dost thou not perceive that such is our practice with children? When, whilst we are holding any thing, a child snatches it, and wishes again to get hold of the other thing, we allow it, and say, Yes, and this is thine, and that is thine.' The same also let us do with a wife; for her temper is more or less like a child's; and if she says, ' mine,' say, 'why all are thine, and I am thine.' Nor is the expression one of flattery, but of exceeding wisdom. Thus wilt thou be able to abate her

V. 33.

1 Cor.

7, 4.

334 The wife must be treated with love and with honour.

EPHES. Wrath, and put an end to her disappointment. For it is flattery when a man does an unworthy act with an evil object: whereas this is the highest philosophy. Say then, even I am thine, my little child; this advice Paul gives me where he says, The husband hath no power over his own body, but the wife. If I have no power over my body, but thou hast, much more hast thou over my possessions.' By saying these things thou wilt be setting her at rest, thou wilt have quenched the fire, thou wilt have shamed the devil, thou wilt have made her more thy slave than one bought with money, with this language thou wilt have bound her as with a spell. Thus then, by thine own language, teach her never to speak of mine and thine.' And again, never call her simply by her name, but with terms of endearment, with honour, with exceeding affection. Honour her, and she will not need honour from others; she will not want the glory that comes from others, if she enjoys that which comes from thee. Prefer her before all, on every account, both for her beauty, and her discernment, and extol her. Thus wilt thou persuade her to give heed to none that are without, but to scorn all the world except thyself. Teach her the fear of God, and all things will flow in smoothly to thee as from a fountain, and the house will be full of ten thousand blessings. If we seek the things that are incorruptible, these corruptible things will Mat. 6, follow. For, saith He, seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you. What sort of persons, think you, must the children of such parents be? What the servants of such masters? What all others who come near them? Will not they too eventually be loaded with blessings out of number? For generally the servants also have their characters formed after their master's, and are fashioned after their humours, love the same objects, which they have been taught to love, speak the same language, and engage with them in the same pursuits. If thus we regulate ourselves, and attentively study the Scriptures, in most things we shall derive instruction from them. And thus shall be able to please God, and to pass through the whole of the present life virtuously, and to attain those blessings which are promised to those that love him, of which God grant that we may all be counted

33.

XX.

worthy, through the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord HOMIL. Jesus Christ, with Whom, together with the Holy Ghost, be unto the Father, glory, power, and honour, now, and ever, through all ages. Amen.

HOMILY XXI.

EPHES.

CHAP. vi. 1, 2, 3. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, VI.1-3. for this is right. Honour thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise. That it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live long upon the earth.

As a man in forming a body, places the head first, after that the neck, then the feet, so does the blessed Paul proceed in his discourse. He has spoken of the husband, he has spoken of the wife, the second authority, he now goes on by gradual advances to the third rank:--which is that now before us, of children. For as the husband has authority over the wife, so have the husband and the wife over the children. Now then mark what he is saying.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is the first commandment with promise.

Here he has not a word of discourse concerning Christ, not a word on high subjects, for he is as yet addressing his discourse to tender understandings. And it is for this reason, moreover, that he makes his exhortation short, inasmuch as children cannot follow up a long argument. For this reason also he does not discourse at all about a kingdom, (because this age is not qualified to hear these subjects,) but he says those things which an infant soul most especially longs to hear, that it shall live long. For if any one shall enquire why it is that he omitted to discourse concerning a kingdom, but set before them the commandment laid down in the law, we will answer, that it is because he speaks to them as infantine, and because he is well aware that if the husband and the wife are thus disposed according to the law which he has laid down, there will be but little trouble in securing the submission of the children. For whenever any