218 In reproving, anger mars all, HOMIL.even make mention of her, nor say, 'Avenge me, for such XV. an one reproaches me:' so magnanimous was that woman (let us men be ashamed):-and yet ye know, that there is [5.] nothing like jealousy. The publican, when insulted by the Pharisee, insulted not in return, though, had he wished it, he might have done so: but he bore it like a philosopher, saying, Luke18, Be merciful to me a sinner. Mephibosheth', having been 2 Sam. accused and calumniated by his servant, neither said, nor did, 19, 26. any evil to him, not even in the presence of the king himself. 13. 31. Shall I tell you even of a harlot, what philosophic magnanimity she shewed? Hear Christ saying, as she was wiping Mat.21, His feet with her hair, The publicans and harlots go into the kingdom before you. Do you see her standing, and taking courage, and washing away her own sins? Observe, how she was not angry even with the Pharisee, when reproached Luke 7, by him: for had He known, says he, that this woman is a sinner, He would not have suffered her: and how she said not to him, 'What then? Say, art thou pure from sins?' but felt more, wept more, and let fall hotter tears. 39. But if women and publicans and harlots play the philosopher, i. e. of and that before grace', what pardon can they deserve, who, Baptism after so great grace, fight, and worry, and kick one another, ! worse than beasts? Nothing is more base than passion, nothing more disgraceful, nothing more frightful, nothing more odious, nothing more hurtful. These things I say, not only in order that towards men we may be gentle, but also γυμνά σιον. if a wife be a talker, that thou mayest bear it: let thy wife • παλαί- be to thee a school for training and exercise. For how στρα καὶ can it but be absurd, to submit to exercises which yield no profit, where we afflict the body, but not to practise exercises at home, which, even before the contest, present to us a crown? Does thy wife abuse thee? Do not thou become a woman: to be abusive is womanly: it is a disease of the soul, an inferiority. Think not that it is unworthy of thee, when thy wife abuses thee. Unworthy it is, when thou art 3 φιλο- abusive, but she bears patiently: then dost thou act unσοφῇ. seemly, then art thou disgraced: but if, having been abused, and the reprover is disgraced. Memphibaal, Chrys. here and Synops. Sacr. Script. t. vi. 349. and Theodoret. Quæst. 31. in lib. 2. Reg. Μεμφιβοσθέ, LXX. Elsewhere he is called Meribbaal, 1 Chron. viii. 34. [so Jerubbaal, Judg. vi. 32. Jerubbesheth, 2 Sam. xi. 21.) Memphibaal is compounded of the two forms. Ben. 219 VII. 1-5. thou bear it, great is the proof of thy strength. I do not Acts say this, to induce wives to be abusive: God forbid: but only in case it should so happen at the instance of Satan. It is the part of men that are strong, to bear the weak. And if thy servant contradict thee, bear it philosophically: not what he deserves to have said to him, do thou say or do, but that which it behoves thee both to do and to say. Never insult a girl by uttering some foul word against her: never call thy servant, 'scoundrel: not he is disgraced, but1 μιαρόν. thou. It is not possible to be master of oneself, being in a passion. Like a sea rolling mountains high, it is all hurlyburly: or even as a pure fountain, when mire is cast into it, becomes muddied, and all is in turmoil. You may beat him, you may rend his coat to rags, but it is you that sustain the greater damage: for to him the blow is on the body and the garment, but to you on the soul. It is your own soul that you have cut open; it is there that you have inflicted a wound: you have flung your own charioteer from his horses, you have got him dragging along the ground upon his back. And it is all one, as if one driver being in a passion with another, should choose to be thus dragged along. You may rebuke, you may chide, you may do whatever it be, only let it be without wrath and passion. For if he who rebukes is physician to him who offends, how can he heal another, when he has first hurt himself, when he does not heal himself? Say, if a physician should go to heal another person, does he first wound his own hand, first blind his own eyes, and so set about healing that other? God forbid. So also, however thou rebuke, however thou chide, let thine eyes see clearly. Do not make thy mind muddy, else how shall the cure be wrought? It is not possible to be in the same tranquillity, being in a passion, and being free from passion. Why dost thou first overturn thy master from his seat, and then discourse with him as he lies sprawling on the ground? Seest thou not the judges, how, when about to hold the assize, they seat themselves upon the bench, in their becoming attire? Thus do thou likewise dress thy soul with the judicial robe, (which is gentleness.) 'But he will not be afraid of me,' say you. He will be the more afraid. In the other case, though you speak justly, your servant will 220 The judicial robe of the soul, gentleness. HOMIL. impute it to passion: but if you do it with gentleness, he XV. will condemn himself: and, what is of the first importance, God will accept thee, and thus thou wilt be able to attain unto the eternal blessings, through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, and honour, now and ever, and world without end. Amen. HOMILY XVI. Acts vii. 6, 7. And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years. And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve Me in this place. SEE, what a number of years the Promise has been given, and the manner of the Promise, and nowhere sacrifice, nowhere circumcision! He here shews, how God Himself suffered them to be afflicted, not that He had anything to lay to their charge. [And they shall bring them into bondage, etc.] But, nevertheless, they did not these things with impunity. And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage I will judge, said God. Forb, to shew that they are not to go by this, in estimating who are pious, (by reason of their saying, He trusted in God, let Him deliver Him,)-He, the Mat. 27, Same that promised, He that gave the land, first permits the 43. evils. So also now, though He has promised a Kingdom, yet He suffers us to be exercised in temptations. If here the freedom was not to be till after four hundred years, what wonder, with regard to the Kingdom? Yet He performed * καίτοι οὐδὲν ἔχων αὐτοῖς ἐγκαλεῖν. A. B. C. N. Cat.-E. F. D. Edd. omit this clause, and read: "to be afflicted: and that they did not, &c." So Edd. ὁ ̔́Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ τούτῳ (Cat. τούτων, A. C. Ν. τοῦτο, Β. om.) νομίσωσιν εὐσε βεῖς (Ν. εὐσεβεῖν) εἶναι, διὰ τὸ λέγειν v. 8. HOMIL. it, and lapse of time availed not to falsify His word. MoreXVI. over, it was no ordinary bondage they underwent. And the matter does not terminate solely in the punishment of those (their oppressors); but they themselves also, He saith, shall enjoy a mighty salvation. Here he reminds them too of the benefit which they enjoyed. And He gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so he begat Isaac. Here he lets himself down to lower matters. And circumcised him on the eighth day: and Isaac (begat) Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs.-Here he seems to hint now at the type. And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt. Here again, the type of Christ. Though they had no fault to find with him, and though he came on purpose to bring them their food, they thus ill-treated him. Still here again the promise, though it is a long while first, receives its fulfilment. And God was with him-this also is for them and delivered him out of all his afflictions. He shews, that unknowingly they helped to fulfil the prophecy, and that they were them v. 9. v. 10. selves the cause, and that the evils recoiled on their own selves. And gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Gave him favour, in the eyes of a barbarian, to him, the slave, the captive: his brethren v.11-13. sold him, this (barbarian) honoured him. Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction : and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren. They came down to buy, and had to depend upon him for every thing. What then did he? [He made himself known to his brethren:] not to this point only did he carry his friendliness; he also made them known v.13-18. to Pharaoh, and brought them down into the land. And Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, and were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that E. Edd. omit this sentence: and below, for "Here again, &c." the same substitute: "This happened also in the case of Christ: for indeed Joseph is a type of Him wherefore also he narrates the history at large, hinting (at this meaning)." |