HOMILY IX.] HOMILIES ON EPHESIANS. 95 but also all that hear me thisday, mightbecome such as I am, except these bonds ? " (Acts xxvi : 29.) He said not this, God forbid ! as deem ing the thing a matter to be deprecated ; no ; for had it been such, he would not have gloried in bonds, in imprisonments, in thoseother tribu lations ; and when writing elsewhere he saith, " Most gladly will I rather glory in my weak nesses." (2 Cor. xii : 9.) But what is the case? This was itself a proof how great a thing he considered those bonds ; for as in writing to the Corinthians he said, "I fed you with milk, not with meat, for ye were not yet able to bear it ; " (i Cor. iii : 2.) so also here. They beforewhom he spoke were not able to hear of the beauty, nor the comeliness, nor the blessing of those .bonds. Hence1 it was he added, " except these bonds. To the Hebrews however hespoke not thus, but exhorted them to "be bound with " (Heb. xiii : 3.) them that were in bonds. And hence too did he himself rejoice in his bonds, and was bound, and was led with the prisoners into the inner prison. Mighty is the power of Paul s chain ! A spectacle this, which may suffice for every other, to behold Paul bound, and led forth from his prison ; to behold him bound, and sitting within it, what pleasure can come up to this ? What would I not give for such a sight? Do ye see the emperors, the con suls, borne along in their chariots and arrayed in gold, and their body-guard with every thing about them of gold? Their halberds of gold, their shields of gold, theirraiment of gold, their horses with trappings of gold ? How much more delightful than such a spectacle is his ! I would rather see Paul once, going forth with the prisoners from his prison, than behold these ten thousand times over, parading along with all that retinue. When he was thus led forth, how many Angels, suppose ye, led the way before him ? And to show that I speak no fiction, I will make the fact manifest to you from a certain ancient narrative. Elisha the prophet, ( perhaps ye know the man,) at the time (2 Kings vi : 8-I2/) when the king of Syria was at war with theking of Israel, sitting at his own home, brought to light all the counsels which the king of Syria was taking in his chamber with them that were privy to his de signs, and rendered the king s counsels of none effect, by telling beforehand his secrets, and not suffering the king of Israel to fall into the snares which he was laying. This sorely troubled the king ; he was disheartened, and was reduced to greater perplexity, not knowing how to discover himwho was disclosing all that passed, and plot ting against him, and disappointing his schemes. [It is very doubtful that this was Paul s design in saying " except these bonds." It is more probable he wished that oi might enjoy the blessings of Christianity without sharing in th< sufferings which he himself wasglad to endure. G. A.J Whilst therefore he was in this perplexity, and enquiring into the cause, one of his armor- bearers told him, that there was a certain prophet, one Elisha, dwelling in Samaria, who suffered not the king s designs to stand, but disclosed all that passed. The king imagined that he had discovered the whole matter. Sure, never was any one more miserably misled than he. When he ought to have honored the man, to have reverenced him, to have been awed that he really possessed so greatpower, as that, seated, as he was, so many furlongs off, he should know all that passed in the king s chamber, without any one at all to tell him ; this indeed he did not, but being exasperated, and wholly carried away by his passion, he equips horsemen, and soldiers, and dispatches them to bring the prophet before him. Now Elisha had a disciple as yet only on the threshold of prophecy, (2 Kings vi : i3ff.) as yet far from being judged worthy of revela tions of this kind. The king s soldiers arrived at the spot, as intending to bind the man, or rather the prophet. Again I am falling upon bonds, so entirely is this discourse interwoven with them. And when the disciple saw the host of soldiers, he was affrighted, and ran full of trembling to his master, and told him the calamity, as he thought, and informed him of the inevitable peril. The prophetsmiled at him for fearing things not worthy to be feared, and bade him be of good cheer. The disciple, however, being as yet imperfect, did not listen to him, but being still amazed at the sight, re mained in fear. Upon this, what did the prophet do? "Lord," said he, "open the eyes of this young man, and let him see that they which are with us, are more than they which are with them ; " (2 Kings vi : 16, 17.) and immediately he beheld the whole mountain, where the prophet then dwelt, filled with so great a multitude of horses and chariots of fire. Now these were nothing else than ranks of Angels. But if only for an occasion like this so great a band of Angels attended Elisha what must Paul have had? This is what the prophet David tells us. " The Angel of the Lord en- campeth round about them that fear Him." (Ps. xxxiv : 7.) And again ; " They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone." (Ps. xci : 2.) And why do I speak of Angels? The Lord Himself was with him then as he went forth ; for surely it cannot be that He was seen by Abraham, and yet was not with Paul. No, it was His own promise, "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matt, xxviii : 20.) And again, when He appeared to him, He said, " Be not afraid, but speak; for I am with thee, and no man shall seton thee to harm thee." (Acts xviii :