Self Restraint not a mere monastic Virtue.

105

II. 8, 9.

women drown all that are there with great disgrace. For as MATT. to that rain, though it wrought indeed a death of the body, yet did it repress the wickedness of the soul; but this hath the contrary effect; while the bodies remain, it destroys the soul. And ye, when there is a question of precedence, claim to take place of the whole world, forasmuch as our city first crowned itself with the name of Christian'; but in the com- 1 Acts petition of chastity, ye are not ashamed to be behind the 11, 26.

rudest cities.

[8.] “Well,” saith one," and what dost thou require us to do? to occupy the mountains, and become monks?" Why it is this which makes me sigh, that ye think them alone to be properly concerned with decency and chastity; and yet assuredly Christ made His laws common to all. Thus, when He saith, if any one look on a woman to lust after her, He speaks not to the solitary, but to him also that hath a wife; since in fact that mount was at that time filled with all kinds of persons of that description. Form then in thy mind an image of that amphitheatre, and hate thou this, which is the devil's. Neither do thou condemn the severity of my speech. For I neither forbid to marry, nor hinder thy taking pleasure; but I would' 1 Tim. have this be done in chastity, not with shame, and reproach, and imputations without end. I do not make it a law that you are to occupy the mountains and the deserts, but to be good and considerate and chaste, dwelling in the midst of the city. For in fact all our laws are common to the monks also, except marriage; yea rather, even with respect to this, Paul commands us to put ourselves altogether on a level with them; saying, For the fashion of this world passeth away: that they that have wives be as though they had none3.

4, 2.

3 1 Cor.

7,31.29.

"Wherefore" (so he speaks)" I do not bid you take possession of the summits of the mountains; it is true I could wish it, since the cities imitate the things that were done in Sodom; nevertheless, I do not enforce this. Abide, having house and children and wife; only do not insult thy wife, nor put thy children to shame, neither bring into thine house the infection from the theatre." Hearest thou not Paul saying, The husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife, and setting down laws common to both? But I Cor.

7, 4.

8.

106

Mutual Right of Husbands and Wives.

HOMIL. thou, if thy wife be continually thrusting herself into VII. a public assembly, art severe in blaming her; but thyself, spending whole days on public shows, thou dost not account worthy of blame. Yea, touching thy wife's modesty thou art, so strict, as even to go beyond necessity or measure, and not to allow her so much as indispensable absences; but to thyself thou deemest all things lawful. Yet Paul allows thee not, who gives the wife likewise the same authority; for thus he speaks: Let the husband render unto the wife due honour". What sort of honour then is this, when thou insultest her in the chiefest things, and givest up her body to harlots, (for thy body is hers;) when thou bringest tumults and wars into thine house, when thou doest in the market place such things, as being related by thyself to thy wife at home, overwhelm her with shame, and put to shame also thy daughter if present, and more than them, surely, thyself? For thou must necessarily either be silent, or behave thyself so unseemly, that it would be just for thy very servants to be scourged for it. What plea then wilt thou have, I pray thee, beholding, as thou dost, with great eagerness things which even to name is disgraceful; preferring to all sights these, which even to recount is intolerable?

Now then for a season, in order not to be too burthensome, I will here bring my discourse to an end. But if ye continue in the same courses, I will make the knife sharper, and the cut deeper; and I will not cease, till I have scattered the theatre of the Devil, and so purified the assembly of the Church. For in this way we shall both be delivered from the present disgrace, and shall reap the fruit of the life to come, by the Grace and Love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory and might for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Cor. 7, 3. In our copies of the Greek Testament, and in the MSS. of St. Chrysostom, here, it is, suvaav, not Tun. But Mr. Field writes run, 1. from internal evidence; 2. from com

parison of St. Chrysostom's own Commentary on this place of St. Paul; and accounts for it by supposing that he quoted from memory, as often, and confused the verse with, 1 Pet. 3, 7.

Adoration of the Wise Men.

107

HOMILY VIII.

MATT. ii. 11.

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young
Child with Mary His Mother.

II. 11.

How then saith Luke, that He was lying in the manger? MATT. Because at the Birth indeed she presently laid Him there; (for, as was not unlikely, in that large assemblage for the taxing, they could find no house; which Luke also signifies, by saying, Because there was no room, she laid Him there;) but afterwards she took Him up, and held Him on her knees. For no sooner was she arrived at Bethlehem than she brought her pangs to an end, that thou mayest thence also learn the whole dispensation, and that these things were not done at random, or by chance, but that they all were in course of accomplishment, according to some Divine foreknowledge, and prophetic order.

But what was it that induced them to worship? For neither was the Virgin conspicuous, nor the house distinguished, nor was any other of the things which they saw apt to amaze or attract them. Yet they not only worship, but also open their treasures, and offer gifts; and gifts, not as to a man, but as to God. For the frankincense and the myrrh were a symbol of this. What then was their inducement? That which wrought upon them to set out from home, and to come so long a journey; and this was both the star, and the illumination wrought of God in their mind, guiding them by little and little to the more perfect knowledge. For, surely, had it not been so, all that was in sight being ordinary, they would not have shewn so great honour.

3 ὠδῖνας ἔλυσεν. cf. Acts 2, 24.

HOMIL.

108

Faith of the Magi. Flight into Egypt.

Therefore none of the outward circumstances was great in VIII. that instance, but it was a manger, and a shed, and a Mother

φίαν

1-3. in poor estate; to set before thine eyes, naked and bare, ] φιλοσο- those Wise-men's love of Wisdom', and to prove to thee, that not as mere man they approached Him, but as a God, and Benefactor. Wherefore neither were they offended by ought of what they saw outwardly, but even worshipped, and brought gifts; gifts not only free from Judaical grossness, in that they sacrificed not sheep and calves, but also coming nigh to the self-devotion of the Church, for it was knowledge and obedience and love that they offered unto Him.

v. 12.

v. 13.

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return unto Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

See from this also their faith, how they were not offended, but are docile, and considerate; neither are they troubled, nor reason with themselves, saying, " And yet, if this Child be great, and hath any might, what need of flight, and of a clandestine retreat? and wherefore can it be, that when we have come openly and with boldness, and have stood against so great a people, and against a king's madness, the Angel sends us out of the city as runaways, and fugitives?" But none of these things did they either say or think. For this most especially belongs to faith, not to seek an account of what is enjoined, but merely to obey the commandments laid upon us.

[2.] And when they were departed, behold, an Angel appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young Child and His Mother, and flee into Egypt.

There is something here worth inquiring into, both touching the Magi, and touching the Child; for if even they were not troubled, but received all with faith, it is worthy of examination on our part, why they and the young Child are not preserved, continuing there, but they as fugitives go into Persia, He with His Mother into Egypt. But what? should He have fallen into the hands of Herod, and having fallen, not have been cut off? Nay, He would not have been thought to have taken flesh upon Him; the greatness of the Economy would not have been believed.

For if, while these things are taking place, and many

II. 13.

Providential Meaning of Herod's being mocked. 109 circumstances are being ordered mysteriously after the man- MATT. ner of men, some have dared to say, that His assumption of our flesh is a fable; in what degree of impiety would they not have been wrecked, had He done all in a manner becoming His Godhead, and according to His Own power?

As to the wise men, He sends them off quickly, at once both commissioning them as teachers to the land of the Persians, and at the same time intercepting the madness of the king, that he might learn that he was attempting things impossible, and might quench his wrath, and desist from this his vain labour. For not alone openly to subdue His enemies, but also to deceive them with ease, is worthy of His power. Thus, for example, He deceived the Egyptians also in the case of the Jews, and having power to transfer their wealth openly into the hands of the Hebrews, He bids them do this secretly and with craft; and this surely, not less than the other miracles, made Him an object of terror to His enemies. At least, they of Ascalon, and all the rest, when they had taken the ark, and being smitten, did after that advise their countrymen not to fight, nor to set themselves against Him, with the other miracles brought this also forward, saying, Wherefore harden ye your hearts, as Egypt and Pharaoh hardened? when He had mocked them, did He not after that send forth His people, and they departed1? Now this 11 Sam. they said, as accounting this fresh one not inferior to those 6, 6. other signs that had been done openly, towards the demonstration of His power, and of His greatness. And the like ensued on this occasion too; a thing sufficient to astonish the tyrant. For consider what it was natural for Herod to feel, and how his very breath would be stopped, deceived as he was by the Wise men, and thus laughed to scorn. For what, if he did not become better? It is not His fault, who marvellously ordered all this, but it is the excess of Herod's madness, not yielding even to those things which had virtue to have persuaded him, and deterred him from his wickedness, but going on still further, to receive a yet sharper punishment for folly so great.

[3.] But wherefore, it may be said, is the young Child sent into Egypt? In the first place, the Evangelist himself hath

LXX.