Christian life independent of teachers and circumstances. 143

XII.

the first to shew, by not doing them. But if he sees his Hoм. virtue fully carried out in action, he will no longer be able to speak thus. Yet although the life of our teacher be careless, let us take heed to ourselves, and let us listen to the words of the prophet; And they shall be all taught of God. Is. 54, And they shall teach no more every man his brother, saying, Jer. 31, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least of 34. them to the greatest of them. Hast thou a teacher who is not virtuous? Still thou hast Him Who is truly a Teacher, Whom alone thou shouldest call a Teacher.

Learn from

13.

29.

Him: He hath said, Learn of Me, for I am meek. Take not Mat.11, heed, then, to thy teacher, but to Him and to His lessons. Take thence thy examples, thou hast a most excellent model, to it conform thyself. There are innumerable models laid before thee in the Scriptures of virtuous lives, so that if you will, go to the disciples after the Master. One hath shone forth through poverty, another through riches. As Elijah through poverty, Abraham through riches. Go to that example, which thou esteemest most easy, most befitting thyself to practise. Again, one by marriage, the other by virginity. Abraham by marriage, the other by virginity. Follow whichever thou wilt: for both lead to heaven. One shone forth by fasting, as John, another without fasting, as Job. Again, this latter had a care for his wife, his children, his daughters, his family, and possessed great wealth; the other possessed nothing but the garment of hair. And why do I make mention of family, or wealth, or money, when it is possible that even one in a kingdom should lay hold on virtue, for the house of a king would be found more full of trouble than any private family. David then shone forth in his kingdom. The purple and the diadem rendered him not at all remiss. To another it was entrusted to preside over a whole people, I mean Moses, which was a more difficult task, for there the power' was greater, whence the difficulty too1žovría became greater. Thou hast seen men approved in wealth, thou hast seen them in poverty also, thou hast seen them in marriage, thou hast seen them in virginity too; on the contrary, behold some lost in marriage and in virginity, in wealth and in poverty. For example, many men have perished in

3,16.17.

144 Examples of good and evil in various conditions.

PHIL. marriage, as Samson ", yet not from marriage, but from their own deliberate choice. Likewise in virginity, as the five virgins. In wealth, as the rich man, who disregarded Lazarus: in poverty, innumerable poor men even now are lost. In a kingdom, I can point to many who have perished, and in ruling the people. Wouldest thou see men saved in the rank of a soldier? look to Cornelius; and in the government of a family? look to the eunuch of the Ethiopian Queen. Thus is it universally. If we use our wealth as is fit, nothing will destroy us; but if not, all things will destroy us, whether a kingdom, or poverty, or wealth. But nothing will have power to hurt the man, who keeps well awake.

For tell me, was captivity any harm? None at all. For consider, I pray thee, Joseph, who became a slave, and preserved his virtue. Consider Daniel, and the Three Children, who became captives, and how much the more they shone forth, for virtue shineth every where, is invincible, and nothing can put hindrances in its way. But why make I mention of poverty, and captivity, and slavery? Neither hunger, nor sores, nor disease, can harm it. For disease is more hard to endure than slavery: such was Lazarus, such was Job, such was Timothy, straitened by often infirmities. Thou seest that nothing can obtain the mastery over virtue. Neither wealth, nor poverty, nor the having power, nor the being subject to it, nor the pre-eminence in affairs, nor disease, nor contempt, nor abandonment. But having left all these things below, and upon the earth, it hastens towards Heaven, only let the soul be noble, and nought can hinder it from being virtuous. For when he who works is in vigour, nothing external can hinder him; for as in the arts, when the artificer is experienced and persevering, and thoroughly acquainted with his art, if disease overtakes him, he still hath it; if he become poor, he still hath it; whether he hath his tools in his hand or hath them not, whether he works or worketh not, he loseth not at all his art: for the science of it is contained within him. Thus too the

So on Ps. 4. (13.) Some other Fathers speak more gently of Samson, as St. Augustine, contr. Gaud. 1. 40. and

Ser. 364. where however he says that if Samson was righteous, his righteousness is deeply hidden.

Virtue can be exercised in all circumstances.

145

3

XII.

virtuous man, who is devoted to God, manifests his virtue, if HOM.
you cast him into wealth, or if into poverty, if into disease, if-
into health, if into honour, if into dishonour. Did not the
Apostles pass through every state, By honour, it is written, 2 Cor.
and dishonour, by good report and evil report? For this
makes the athlete, that he should be prepared for every
thing, for such is the nature of virtue.

If thou sayest, I am not able to preside over many, I
ought to lead a solitary life; thou offerest an insult to virtue,
for it can make use of every state, and shine through all:
only let it be in the soul. Is there a famine? or is there
abundance? It shews forth its own strength, as Paul saith,

6, 8.

12.

I know how to abound, and how to suffer need. Was he Phil. 4,
required to labour? He was not ashamed, but wrought two Acts 28,
years. Was hunger to be undergone? He sank not under it, 30.
nor wavered. Was death to be borne? He became not
dejected, through all he exhibited his noble mind and skill.
Him therefore let us imitate, and we shall have no cause of
grief: for tell me, what will have power to grieve such an
one? Nothing. As long as no one deprives us of this
virtue, we shall be the most blessed of all men, in this life
as well as in that to come. For suppose the good man hath
a wife and children, and riches, and great honour, with all
these things he remaineth alike virtuous. Take them away,
and again in like sort he will be virtuous, neither over-
whelmed by his misfortunes, nor puffed up by prosperity,
but as a rock standeth equally unmoved in the raging sea
and in calm, neither broken by the waves nor influenced at
all by the calm, thus too the strong mind stands firm both in
calm and in storm. And as little children, when sailing in a
ship, are tossed about, whilst the pilot sits by, laughing and
undisturbed, and delighted to see their confusion; thus too
the soul which is truly wise, when all others are in con-
fusion, or else are inopportunely smiling at any change or
circumstance, itself sits unmoved, as it were, at the helm of
piety. For tell me, what can disturb the pious soul? Can
death? This she knows to be the beginning of a better life.
Can poverty? This helps her on toward virtue. Can disease?
She regards not its presence. Why speak I of disease? She
regards neither ease, nor tribulation; for being beforehand

L

146 The soul whose treasure is in heaven changes not.

PHIL. with it, she hath straitened herself. Can dishonour? The 3,16.17. whole world hath been crucified to her. Can the loss

of children? She fears it not. For when she is fully persuaded of the Resurrection, what can surprise her? None of all these things. Doth wealth elevate her? By no means, she knoweth that money is nothing. Doth glory? She hath been taught that all the glory of man is as the flower of grass. 2 Tim. Doth luxury? She hath heard Paul say, She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. Since then she is neither inflamed nor cramped, what can equal such health as this?

5, 6.

Rom. 12, 2.

Other souls, meanwhile, are not such, but change more frequently than the sea, or the cameleon, so that thou hast great cause to smile, when thou seest the same man at one time laughing, at another weeping, at one time full of care, at another elated beyond measure. For this cause Paul saith, Be not conformed to this world. For we are citizens of heaven, where there is no turning. Prizes which change not are held out to us. Wherefore, let us make manifest this our citizenship, let us thence already receive our good things. Why do we cast ourselves into the Euripus, into tempest, into storm, into foam. Let us be in calm. It depends not on wealth, nor on poverty, nor honour, nor dishonour, nor on sickness, nor on health, nor on weakness, but on our own soul. If it is firm, and well-instructed in the science of virtue, all things will be easy to it. Even hence it will already behold its rest, and that quiet harbour, and, on its departure, will there meet innumerable good things, the which may we all obtain, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom, to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, honour, now and ever, and world without end. Amen.

HOMILY XIII.

PHIL. iii. 18-21.

(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.

NOTHING is so unbecoming in a Christian, and foreign to his character, as to seek ease and rest. Nothing is so foreign to our profession and enlistment, as to be engrossed with the present life. Thy Master was crucified, and dost thou seek ease? Thy Master was pierced with nails, and dost thou live delicately? Do these things become a noble soldier? Wherefore Paul saith, Many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies to the cross of Christ. Since there were some who made a pretence of Christianity, yet lived in ease and luxury. This is contrary to the Cross: wherefore he thus spoke. For the cross belongs to a soul at its post for the fight, longing to die, seeking nothing like ease, whilst their conversation is of the contrary sort. So that if they say, they are of Christ, still they are enemies of the Cross. For did they love the Cross, they would strive to live a life befitting the Cross. Was not thy Master hung upon the tree? Imitate Him in some other way, if thou canst not in His own.

Crucify thyself,