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. VI. 1-3. for this is right. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, 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 Parents to be obeyed in lawful things. XXI. 337 matter has a good and sound and orderly principle and HOMIL. foundation, every thing will thenceforward go on with method and regularity, with all possible facility: the difficulty is, to settle the foundation, to lay down a firm basis. Children, saith he, obey your parents in the Lord, that is, according to the Lord. This, he means to say, is what God commands you. But what then if they shall command foolish things? Generally then, a father, however foolish he may be himself, does not give foolish instructions. However, even in that case, the Apostle has guarded the matter, by saying, in the Lord; that is, wherever you will not be offending against God. So that if the father be a gentile or an heretic, we ought no longer to obey, because obedience is not then in the Lord. But how is it that he says, Which is the first commandment. For the first is, "Thou shalt not commit adultery;-Thou shalt not kill." He does not speak of it then as in rank first", but in ráğu respect of the promise. For upon those others there is no reward annexed, as being enacted with reference to evil things, and to departure from evil things. Whereas in these others, where there is the practice of good, there is further a promise held out. And observe how admirable a foundation he has laid for the path of virtue, when he places it in honour and reverence towards parents. And with reason. When he would lead us away from wicked practices, and is just about to enter upon virtuous ones, this is the first thing he enjoins, honour, I say, towards parents; inasmuch as they before all others are, after God, the authors of our being, and thus they would naturally be the first to reap the fruits of our right actions; and then all the rest of mankind. For if a man have not this, he will never be gentle towards those unconnected with him. a Vid. Mark 10, 19. Luke 18, 20. and Rom. 13, 9. in which the order of the Commandments more or less runs 7th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 5th. Vid. also 1 Cor. 4, 9. Gal. 5, 19. Eph. 5, 5. Col. 3, 5. In the Septuag. Vers. of Exod. 20, the Commandments run 5th, 7th, 6th, 8th, &c. with much variation of reading as to 6th, 7th, and 8th. In Ꮓ Philon. de Decal. p. 751. (ed. Franc. EPHES. 338 Education in Scripture remedies education in the classics. However, having given the necessary injunctions to children, he passes to the fathers, and says, Ver. 4. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And He does not say, 'love them,' because to this, nature draws them even against their own will, and it were superfluous to lay down a law on such subjects. But what is his expression. Provoke not your children to wrath, as many do, cutting them off from their inheritance, and expelling them from their houses, and treating them overbearingly, not as free, but as slaves. This is why he says, Provoke not your children to wrath. Then, which is the chief thing of all, he shews how they will be in subordination, referring the whole source of it to the head and chief authority. in the same way as he has shewn the husband to be the source of the wife's subordination, (which is the reason also why he addresses the greater part of his arguments to him, advising him to attach her to him by the absolute sway of affection,) so, I say, here also, he refers the main source to him, by saying, But bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Thou seest that where there are spiritual ties, the natural ties will follow. Would you have a son obedient? From the very first bring him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Never deem it an unnecessary thing that he should be a diligent hearer of the divine Scriptures. For there the first thing he hears will be this, Honour thy father and thy mother; so that this makes for thee. Never say, this is the business of monks. Am I making a monk of him? No. There is no need he should be made a monk. Why be so afraid of a thing replete with so much advantage? Make him a Christian. For it is of all things necessary for persons in TOIS XO- the world to be acquainted with the lessons derived from this μικοῖς source; but especially for children. For it is an age full of folly; and to this folly are superadded the bad examples derived from the heathen tales, when they are there made acquainted with those heroes so admired b Fathers were very suspicious in S. Chrysostom's day of the influence of Christianity tending to make their children monks. In consequence of this prejudice against the monastic life he wrote his Adv. Oppugn. Mon, Vit. Duty of bringing children forthwith to God. 339 XXI. σους amongst them, slaves of their passions, and cowards with HOMIL regard to death; as, for example, Achilles, when he relents, when he dies for his concubine, when another gets drunk, and many other things of the sort. He requires therefore the remedies for these doctrines. How is it not absurd to send children out to trades, and to school, and to do all you can for this object, and yet, not to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? And for this reason truly we are the first to reap the fruits, because we bring up our children to be insolent and profligate, disobedient, and Bavaúvulgar spendthrifts. Let us not then do this; no, let us listen to this blessed Apostle's admonition. Let us bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Let us give them a pattern. Let us make them from the earliest age apply themselves to the reading of the Scriptures. Alas, that so constantly as I repeat this, I am looked upon as trifling! Still, however, I shall not cease to do my duty. Why, tell me, do ye not imitate them of old? Ye women, especially, emulate those admirable women. Has a child been born to v. 1 Sam. any one? Imitate Hannah's example, look at what she did. 1, 24. She brought him up at once to the temple. Who amongst you would not rather that his son should become a Samuel once for all, than that he should be king of the whole world ten thousand times over? And how,' you will say,' is it possible he should become such an one?' Why not possible? Because thou dost not choose thyself, nor committest him to the care of those who are able to make him such an one. 'And who,' it will be said, ' is such an one as this?' God. Yes, she put him into the hands of God. For Eli himself was not one of those remarkably qualified to form him; (how could he be, he who was not even able to form his own children?) No, it was the faith of the mother and her earnest zeal that wrought the same thing. He was her first child, and her only one, and she knew not whether she should ever have others besides. Yet she did not say, 'I will wait till the child is grown up, that he may have a taste of the things of this life, I will allow him to have his pastime in them a little in his childish years.' No, all these thoughts the woman repudiated, she was absorbed in one object, how from the very beginning she might dedicate the spiritual image to God. yazpa |