HOMILY VIII.J HOMILIES ON EPHESIANS. had been bound. The binder was beseeching him whonvhe had bound to release him from his fear. Tell me, was it not thou that didst bind him? Didst thou not cast him into the inner prison? Didst thou not make his feet fast in the stocks? Why tremblest thou? Why art thou troubled ? Why weepest thou ? Why hast thou drawn thy sword? Never bound I, saith he, aught like this ! I knew not that the prisoners of Christ had power so mighty as this. What sayest thou ? They received power to open Heaven, and should they not be able to open a prison ? They loosed them that were bound by evil spirits, and was a piece of iron likely to conquer them ? Thou knowest not the men. And therefore also wert thou pardoned. That prisoner is Paul, whom all the Angels reverence. He is Paul, whose very handker chiefs and napkins cast out devils, and chase diseases to flight. And sure the bond which is of the devil is adamantine, and far more indis soluble than iron ; for this indeed binds the soul, the other only the body. He therefore that released souls that were bound, shall not he have power to release his own body? He that could burst asunder the bonds of evil spir its, shall he not unloose a rivet of iron ? He that by his very garments unloosed those prison ers, and released them from the spell of devils, shall not he of himself set himself at liberty ? For this was he first bound himself, and then loosed the prisoners, that thou mighest under stand that Christ s servants in bonds possess a power far greater than they that are at liberty. Had one who was at liberty wrought this, then had it not been so marvellous. So then the chain was not a token of weakness, but rather of a greater power, and thus is the saint s might more illustriously displayed, when, even though in bonds, he overpowers them that are at liberty, when he that is in bonds sets not only himself at liberty, but them that are in bonds also. Where is the use of walls ? What the advan tage of thrusting him into the inner prison, whereas he opened the outer also ? and why too was it done in the night ? and why with an earthquake ? Oh, bear with me a little, and give me leave while I refrain from the Apostle s words, and revel in the Apostle s deeds, and banquet on Paul s chain ; grant me still longer to dwell up on it. I have laid hold on that chain, and no one shall partme from it. More securely at this moment am I bound by affection, than was he then in the stocks. This is a bond which no one can loose, for it is formed of the love of Christ ; this neither the Angels, no, nor the kingdom of Heaven, has power to unloose. We may hear Paul s own words ; (Rom. viii ; 38, 39.) " Neither angels, nor principalities, nor things present, northings to come, nor powers,nor height, nor depth, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Now then, why did the event take place at midnight ? And wherefore too with an earth quake? Hearken, and marvel at the providen tial orderings of God. Every one s bands were loosed, and the doors were opened. And yet was this done only for the jailor s sake, not with a view to display, but with a view to his salva tion : for that the prisoners knew not that they were loosed, isevident from Paul sexclamation ; for what said he? "He cried with aloud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm, for we are all here." (Acts xvi : 28.) But never would they all have been within, had they seen the doors open ed, and themselves set at liberty. They who were used to cut through walls, and to scale roofs and parapets, and to venture on all sorts of attempts in chains, never would have en dured to remain within, with their bandsloosed, and the doors opened, with the jailer himself asleep ; no, but the bond of sleep was to them instead of the bonds of iron. So that the thing took place and yet no damage ensued from the miracle to the jailer who was to be saved. And besides this too, they that are bound are bound most securely in the night, not in the day ; and so accordingly might we behold them bound again with all care and sleeping : but had these things been done in the day time, there would have been great stir and tumult. Then again, wherefore was the building shak en ? It was to arouse the jailer, to behold what was done, forhealone wasworthy ofbeing saved. And do thou too, behold, I pray, the exceed ing greatness of the grace of Christ, for well were it in the midst of Paul s bonds to make mention also of the grace of God, nay indeed the very bonds themselves are of the gift and grace of God. Some indeed there are who complain "Why was the jailer saved?" and from those very circumstances, for which they ought to admire the loving-kindness of God they find fault with it. Nor is it anything to be wondered at. Such are those sickly persons, that find fault even with the food that nourishes them, which they ought to prize, and who affirm that honey is bitter : and those dimsighted per sons who are darkened by the very thing which ought to enlighten them. Not that these effects arise from the nature of the objects themselves, but from the weakness of the persons who are unable to use them properly. What, however, was I saying ? When they ought to be admir ing God s loving-kindness, in that He took a man whohad fallen into the most desperate wick edness, and was making him better, they find fault : " Why, how was it that he did not take