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glory; for when these fall, as fall they must, the plant HOMIL. stands naked and defenceless, not only in no wise benefitted XXI. 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

VI. 4.

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

XXII.

CHAP. vi. 5-8. Servants, be obedient to them that are HOMIL. 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.

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

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.

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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.

Slavery loses its meaning, when it becomes voluntary.

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and instructs the man who is ill treated by another to HOMIL. make the right action his own, and the work of his own free choice, so here he is teaching the servant. Because inasmuch as the man that smites the cheek, is not supposed to come to that act in consequence of any intention in the person struck, but only of his own individual malice, what saith He? Turn to him the other also; to shew Mat. 5, him that in submitting to the first thou wert not unwilling. For he that will be lavish in suffering wrong, will make even that which is not his own act his own, by suffering himself to be smitten on the other cheek also, not merely by enduring the first blow. For this latter will have perhaps the appearance even of cowardice; the former of a high wisdom. Thus thou wilt shew that it was for wisdom's sake that thou borest the other also. And so in the present case, φία shew here too, that thou bearest this slavery also willingly, and not as a man-pleaser. He surely who is of such a Gal. 1, character, is no servant of Christ. The servant of Christ is not a man-pleaser. For who that is the servant of God, makes it his object to please men? And who that pleases men, can be a servant of God?

10.

From the heart, saith he, with good will doing service. He does well to speak thus; for since it is possible to do service even with singleness of heart, and not wrongfully, and yet not in any way with all one's might, but only so far as fulfilling one's bounden duty, therefore he says, do it with alacrity, not of necessity, upon principle, not upon constraint. If thus thou do service, thou art no slave; if thou do it upon principle, with good-will, from the heart, and for Christ's sake. For this is the servitude that even Paul the free man serves, and exclaims, For we preach not ourselves, 2 Cor. 4, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. Look how he divests thy slavery of its meanness. For just in the same way as the man who has lost his money, if he gives still more to him who has taken it, is not ranked among losers, but rather amongst liberal givers; not amongst those who suffer evil, but amongst those who do well; and rather clothes the other with disgrace by his liberality, than is clothed with disgrace by his loss:-so, I say, in this case,

5.