his Consideration and Forbearance towards Potiphar's Wife. 451 οὐδέν. becoming thankless and inconsiderate, and that I repay him 1 COR. greater good-will." And see how he extols his benefits. 12, 20. For since that barbarous and abandoned woman could entertain no lofty sentiment, he shames her from human considerations, saying, He knoweth nothing through me, i. e. "he is a great benefactor to me, and I cannot wound my patron in the tenderest part. He hath made me a second lord of his house, and no one1 hath been kept back from me, but thee." Here1 „údsìs, he endeavours to raise her mind, that so at any rate he might LXX. persuade her to be ashamed, and might signify the greatness of her honour. Nor did he stop even here, but likewise added a name sufficient to restrain her, saying, "Because thou art his wife; and how shall I do this wickedness? But what sayest thou? That thy husband is not present, nor knoweth that he is wronged? But God will behold it." She however profited nothing by his advice, but still sought to attract him. For desiring to satiate her own frenzy, not through love of Joseph, she did these things; and this is evident from what she did afterwards. As that she institutes a trial, and brings in an accusation, and bears false witness, and exposes to a wild beast him that had done no wrong, and casts him into prison; or rather, for her part, she even slew him, in such a manner did she arm the judge against him. What then? Was then Joseph too such as she was? Nay, altogether the contrary, for he neither contradicted, nor accused the woman. "Yes," it may be said: "for he would have been disbelieved." And yet, he was greatly beloved; and this is evident, not only from the beginning, but also from the end. For had not his barbarian master loved him greatly, he would even have slain him in his silence, making no defence: being as he was an Egyptian, and a ruler, and wronged in his marriagebed as he supposed, and by a servant, and a servant to whom he had been so great a benefactor. But all these things gave way to his regard for him, and the grace which God poured down upon him. And together with this grace and love he had also other no small proofs, had he been minded to justify himself; the garments themselves. For if it were she to whom violence was done, her own vest should have been torn, her face lacerated, instead of her retaining his garments. But he heard, saith she, that I lifted up my voice, and 452 Joseph, a Pattern of charitable Forbearance. XXXII. HOMIL. left his garments, and went out. And wherefore then didst thou take them from him? since unto one suffering violence what was the one thing desirable? To be rid of the intruder. (8.) But not from hence alone, but also from the subsequent events, shall I be able to point out his good-will and his love. Yea even when he fell into a necessity of mentioning the cause of his imprisonment, and remaining there, he did not even then declare the whole course of the story. But what saith he? I too have done nothing: but indeed I was stolen out of the land of the Hebrews; and he no where mentioned the adulteress, nor doth he plume himself on the matter, which would have been any one's feeling, if not for vain glory, yet so as not to appear to have been cast into that cell for an evil cause. For if men in the act of doing wrong by no means abstain even so from blaming the same things, although to do so brings reproach; of what admiration is not he worthy, because, pure as he was, he did not mention the woman's passion, nor make a show of her sin, nor when he ascended the throne, and became ruler of all Egypt, remember the wrong done by the woman, nor exact any punishment? Seest thou how he cared for her, but her's was not love but madness? For it was not Joseph that she loved, but she sought to fulfil her own lust. And the very words too, if one would examine them accurately, were accompanied with wrath and great blood-thirstiness. For what saith she? Thou hast brought in a Hebrew servant to mock us: upbraiding her husband for the kindness; and she exhibited the garments, having become herself more savage than any wild beast but not so he. And why speak I of his goodwill to her, when he was such, we know, towards his brethren who would slay him; and never said one harsh thing of them, either within doors or without? [14.] Therefore Paul saith, that the love which we are speaking of is the mother of all good things, and prefers it to miracles and all other gifts. For as where there are vests and sandals of gold, we require also some other garment whereby to distinguish the king: but if we see the purple and the diadem, we require not to see any other sign of his royalty: just so here likewise, when the diadem of love is upon our head, it is St. Paul's Charity more wonderful than his Miracles. 453 12. 20. 13. 35. enough to point out the genuine disciple of Christ, not to 1 Cor. ourselves only, but also to the unbelievers. For by this, saith He, shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another1. So that this sign is greater 1 S.John surely than all signs, in that the disciple is recognized by it. For though any should work ten thousand signs, but be at strife one with another, they will be a scorn to the unbelievers. Just as if they do no sign, but love one another exactly, they will continue both reverenced and inviolable by all men. Since Paul himself we admire on this account, not for the dead whom he raised, nor for the lepers whom he cleansed, but because he said, who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?? For shouldest thou have ten22 Cor. thousand miracles to compare with this, thou wilt have nothing equal to it to say. Since Paul also himself said, that a great reward was laid up for him, not because he wrought miracles, but because to the weak he became as weak. For what is my reward, saith he? That, when I preach the Gospel, I may make the Gospel without charge. And whens 1 Cor. he puts himself before the Apostles, he saith not, "I have 9. 18. wrought miracles more abundant than they," but, I have laboured more abundantly than they1. And even by famine + 1 Cor. was he willing to perish for the salvation of the disciples. For it were better for me to die, saith he, than that any man should make my glorying voids: not because he was glorying, 1 Cor. but that he might not seem to reproach them. For he no where is wont to glory in his own achievements, when the season doth not call to it; but even if he be compelled so to do, he calleth himself a fool. But if he ever glory, it is in infirmities, in wrongs, in greatly sympathizing with those who are injured: even as here also he saith, who is weak, and I am not weak? These words are greater even than perils. Wherefore also he sets them last, amplifying his discourse. Of what then must we be worthy compared with him, who neither contemn wealth for our own sake, nor give up the superfluities of our goods? But not so Paul; rather both soul and body did he use to give up, that they who stoned and beat him with rods, might obtain the kingdom. "For thus," saith he, "hath Christ taught me to love;" who left behind Him the new commandment concerning love, which also Himself 15. 10. 9. 15. XXXII. 454 Our Lord the perfect Pattern of Charity. HOMIL. fulfilled in deed. For being Lord of all, and of that Blessed Nature; from men, whom He created out of nothing, and on whom He had bestowed innumerable benefits, from these, insulting and spitting on Him, He turned not away, but even became man for their sakes, and conversed with harlots and publicans, and healed the demoniacs, and promised heaven. And after all these things they apprehended and beat Him with rods, bound, scourged, mocked, and at last crucified Him. And not even so did He turn away, but even when He was on high upon the cross, He saith, Futher, forgive them their sin. But the thief who before this reviled Him, He translated into very paradise; and made the persecutor Paul, an Apostle; and gave up His own disciples, who were His intimates and wholly devoted to Him, unto death for the Jews' sake who crucified Him, Recollecting therefore in our minds all these things, both those of God, and of men, let us emulate these high deeds, and possess ourselves of that which is above all gifts, charity, that we may obtain both the present and the future blessings: the which may we all obtain, through the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father, with the Holy Ghost, be glory, power, honour, now, and ever, and world without end. Amen. HOMILY XXXIII. 1 COR. xiii. 4. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. THUS, whereas he had shewed, that both faith, and knowledge, and prophecy, and tongues, and gifts, and healing, and a perfect life, and martyrdom, if love be absent, are no great advantage; of necessity he next makes an outline of its matchless beauty, adorning its image with the parts of virtue, as with a sort of colours, and putting together all its members with exactness. But do not thou hastily pass by, beloved, the things spoken, but examine each one of them with much care, that thou mayest know both the treasure which is in the thing, and the art of the painter. Consider, for example, from what point he at once began, and what he set first, as the cause of all its excellencies. And what is this? Long-suffering. This is the root of all self-denial. Wherefore also a certain wise man said, A man that is long-suffering1 is abundant in understanding: He that but he that is hasty of spirit is mightily foolish2. 1 is slow to wrath. Vers. 2 exulteth Vers. And comparing it too with a strong city, he said that it is more secure than that. For it is both an invincible weapon, p.14. and a sort of impregnable tower, easily beating off all annoy- 31. ances. And as a spark falling into the deep doth it no injury, folly. but is itself easily quenched: so upon a long-suffering soul Eng. whatever unexpected thing falls, this indeed speedily vanishes, but the soul it disturbs not: for of a truth there is nothing so impenetrable as long-suffering. You may talk of armies, money, horses, walls, arms, or any thing else whatsoever; you will name nothing like long-suffering. For he that is clad with those, oftentimes, being overcome by anger, is upset, like a worthless child, and fills all with confusion and |