Firmness consistent with tender affections. 383 13. IV. was bold in the face of all these things, and of earth and sea, HoM. who laughed to scorn the adamantine gates of hell", whom nothing ever withstood-when he saw the tears of some whom he loved, so was that adamant broken and crushed, that he did not even conceal his feelings, but said straightway, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? What Acts 21, sayest thou, tell me? Had a tear the power to break that soul of adamant? Yea, he says, for I hold out against all things except love. This prevails over me, and subdues me. This is the mind of God'. An abyss of water did not crush Tour. him, and a few tears crushed him. What mean ye to weep osi. and to break mine heart? For great is the force of love. Wouldest thou see him again weeping? Hear him elsewhere, saying, By the space of three years I ceased not to warn Acts 20, every one night and day with tears. From his great love he feared, lest some plague should be introduced among them. And again, For out of much affliction and anguish 2 Cor. of heart I wrote unto you with many tears. 0 τῷ Θεῷ 31. 2, 4. And what did Joseph? tell me, that firm one, who stood up against so strong a compulsion, who appears so noble against so great a flame of love, who so out-battled and overcame that great madness of his mistress. For what was there not then to charm him? A beautiful person, the pride of rank, the costliness of garments, the fragrance of perfumes, (for all these things are wont to soften the soul,) words more soft than all the rest! For ye know that she who loves, and (5) so vehemently, nothing so humble but she will bring herself to say it, taking upon her the attitude of a supplicant. For so broken was this woman, though wearing gold, and being of royal dignity, that she threw herself at the knees of the captive boy, and perhaps even intreated him weeping and clasping his knees, and had recourse to this not once, and a second time, but oftentimes. Then he might see her eye shining most brilliantly. For it is probable that she not simply but with excessive nicety would set off her beauty; as wishing by many nets to catch the lamb of Christ. Add here I pray also many magic charms. Yet nevertheless this inflexible, this firm man, of rocky hardness, when he saw his brothers who had bartered him away, who had thrown Perhaps alluding to 2 Cor. 11, 25. nal. of death.' 384 Joseph's tenderness. While the heart is warm, forgive. 3, 13. 1 THES. him into a pit, who had sold him, who had even wished to murder him, who were the causes both of the prison and the honour, when he heard from them how they had worked Gen. 37, upon their father, (for, 'let us say,' he said, that one was de20. and voured by a wild beast,) he was broken, softened, crushedand he wept. And not being able to bear his feelings, he went in, and composed himself", that is, wiped away his 44, 28. tears. What is this? dost thou weep, O Joseph? and yet the present circumstances are deserving not of tears, but of anger, and indignation, and great revenge and retribution. Thou hast thine enemies in thy hands, those fratricides; thou canst satiate thy wrath. And yet neither would this be injustice. For thou dost not thyself begin the unjust acts, but avengest thyself upon those who have done the wrong. For look not to thy dignity. This was not of their contrivance, but of God, Who shed His favour upon thee. Why dost thou weep? But he would have said, God forbid that I, who in all things have obtained a good report, should by this remembrance of wrongs overturn all. It is truly a season for tears. I am not more savage than beasts. They make a league with nature, whatever harm they suffer. I weep, he says, that they ever treated me thus. This man let us also imitate. Let us mourn for those who have injured us. Let us not be angry with them. For truly they are worthy of tears, for the punishment and condemnation to which they make themselves liable. I know, how you now weep, how you rejoice, both admiring Paul, and amazed at Joseph, and pronouncing them blessed. But if any one has an enemy, let him now bear him in recollection, let him bring him to his mind, that whilst his heart is yet warm 9 with the remembrance of the Saints, he may be enabled to dissolve the stubbornness of wrath, and to soften what is harsh and callous. I know, that after your departure hence, after that I have ceased speaking, if any thing of warmth and fervour should remain, it will not be so great, as it now is, whilst you are hearing me. If therefore any one has become cold, let him dissolve the frost. For the re P Gen. 43, 30. 31. Hales thinks some words are lost here. " a Zu rec. Par. for 'living.' B. giu. No quarrel can stand where Christ shines. 385 IV. membrance of injuries is truly frost and ice. But let us HOM. invoke the Sun of Righteousness, let us entreat Him to send His beams upon us, and there will no longer be thick ice, but water to drink. 8 Cause me to 1 Xau στικὸν If the fire of the Sun of Righteousness has touched our souls, it will leave nothing frozen, nothing hard, nothing burning', nothing unfruitful. It will bring out all things ripe, all things sweet, all things abounding with much pleasure. If we love one another, that beam will also come. Allow me, I beseech you, to say these things with alacrity. hear, that by these words we have produced some effect, that some one has gone and thrown both his arms about his enemy, has embraced him, has twined himself around him, has kissed him, has wept. And though the other be a wild beast, a stone, or whatever he be, he will be made gentle by such affectionate kindness. For on what account is he thine enemy? Hath he insulted thee? yet he has not injured thee at all. But dost thou for the sake of money suffer thy brother to be at enmity with thee? Do not so, I beseech you. Let us do away all. It is our season. Let us use it to good purpose. Let us cut asunder the cords of our sins. Before we go away to judgment, let us ourselves judge one another. Let not the sun (it is said) go down upon your Ephes. wrath. Let no one put it off. These puttings off produce 4, 26. delays. If you have deferred it to-day, you blush the more ", and if you add to-morrow, the shame is greater, and if a third day, yet worse. Let us not then put ourselves to shame, but let us forgive, that we may be forgiven. And if we be forgiven, we shall obtain all the blessings of heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord, with Whom, &c. sense, The Translator suggests Milton's -the parching air Burns frore, and cold performs th' effects of fire. The extreme harshness of some fruits without the sun may be meant. In Hom. xvi. on S. Matt. Ben. p. 215. A. rà xavorizà is used for 'combustibles,' Β. τισαύτης as Downes had t B. for one another.' HOMILY V. 1 THESS. iv. 1, 2, 3. Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus Christ. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification. WHEN he has met what was pressing, and what was upon his hands, and is about henceforth to enter upon things that are perpetual, and which they ought continually to hear, he To uses this expression. Furthermore, that is, Always indeed 2 Cor 5, said to the Corinthians, As though 20. and for ever we beseech and exhort you in the Lord. Christian Virtue goes beyond the Commandments. V. 387 commandments and the statutes. For no longer from the Hoм. constraint of a teacher, but from their own voluntary choice, is all this performed. For as the earth ought not to bear only what is thrown upon it, so too ought the soul not to stop at those things which have been inculcated, but even to go beyond them. Do you see that he has properly said to go beyond"? For virtue is divided into these two things, to decline from evil, and to do good. For the retreating from evil is not sufficient for the arrival at virtue, but it is a kind of path, and a beginning leading thereto; still we have need of great alacrity. The things therefore to be avoided he tells them in the order of commandment And justly. For these things indeed being done bring punishment, but not being done, yet bring no praise. The acts of virtue however, such as to give away our goods, and such like, are not of the order of commandment, he says. But what? He Mat. 19, that is able to receive, let him receive. It is profitable, therefore, that as he with much fear and trembling had given these commandments to them, he also by these letters reminds them of that his care. Wherefore he does not repeat them, but reminds them of them. 12. 14. For ye know, he says, what commandments we gave you by our Lord Jesus Christ. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification. And observe how he no where so vehemently glances at any other thing, as at this. As elsewhere also he writes to this effect; Follow peace with Heb.12, all men, and sanctification', without which no man shall see¦ ἁγιασ the Lord. And why dost thou wonder, if he every where Gr. writes to his disciples upon this subject, when even in his Epistle to Timothy he has said, Keep thyself pure? Also in 1 Tim. his second Epistle to the Corinthians he has said, In much 5, 22. patience, in fastings, by pureness. And one may find this 5. 6. in many places, both in his Epistle to the Romans, and in all his Epistles. For in truth this is an evil pernicious to all. And as a swine full charged with mire, wherever he enters, fills all places with his ill savour, and chokes the senses with dung, so too does fornication. For it is an evil not easy to be washed away. But when some even who have wives birigßaínur, St. Paul's word is giri. See on Stat. Hom. ii. (5) Tr. p. 41. and note y. 2 Cor. 6, |