HOMILY IV.] HOMILIES ON THESSALONIANS. 345- who so out-battled and overcame the madness of his mistress. For what was there not then to charm him? A beautiful person, the pride of rank, the costliness of garments, the fragrance of perfumes, (for all these things know how to soften the soul,) words more soft than all the rest ! For ye know that she who loves, and so vehemently, nothing so humble but she will bring herself to say it, taking upon her the atti tude of a supplicant. For so broken was this woman, though wearing gold, and being of royal dignity, that she threw herself at the knees per haps of the captive boy, and perhaps even in- treated him weeping and clasping his knees, and had recourse to this not once, and a second time, but oftentimes. Then he might see her eye shining most brilliantly. For it is probable that she not simply but with excessive nicety would set off her beauty ; as wishing by many nets to catch the lamb of Christ. Add here I pray also many magic charms. Yet nevertheless this inflexible, this firm man, of rocky hardness, when he saw his brothers who had bartered him away, who had thrown him into a pit, who had sold him, who had even wished to murder him, who were the causes both of the prison and the honor, when he heard from them how they had worked upon their father, (for, we said, it says, that one was devoured by a wild beast [Gen. xxxvii. 20, and Ixiv. 28,]) he was broken, softened, crushed, "And he wept," it says, and not being able to bear his feelings, he went in, and composed himself (Gen. xliii. 30), that is, wiped away his tears. What is this? dost thou weep,O Joseph? and yet the present circumstances are deserving not of tears, but of anger, and wrath, and indigna tion, and great revenge and retribution. Thou hast thine enemies in thy hands, those fratri cides ; thou canst satiate thy wrath. And yet neither would this be injustice. For thou dost not thyself begin the unjust acts, but defendest thyself against those who have done the wrong. For look not to thy dignity. This was not of their contrivance, but of God, who shed His favor upon thee. Why dost thou weep ? But he would have said, far be it that I, who in all things have obtained a good report, should by this re membrance of wrongs overturn them all. It is truly a season for tears. I am not more brutish than beasts. They pour out a libation to nature, whatever harm they suffer. I weep, he says, that they ever treated me thus. This man let us also imitate. Let us mourn and weep for those who have injured us. Let us not be angry with them. For truly they are worthy of tears, for the punishment and con demnation to which they make themselves liable. I know, how you now weep, how you rejoice, both admiring Paul, and amazed at Joseph, and pronouncing them blessed. But if any one has an enemy, let him now take him into recollec tion, let him bring him to his mind, that whilst his heart is yet warm with the remembrance of the Saints, he may be enabled to dissolve the stubbornness of wrath, and to soften what is harsh and callous. I know, that after your de parture hence, after that I have ceased speaking, if anything of warmth and fervor should remain, it will not be so great, as it now is whilst you are hearing me. If therefore any one, if any one has become cold, let him dissolve the frost. For the remembrance of injuries is truly frost and ice. But let us invoke the Sun of Right eousness, let us entreat Him to send His beams upon us, and there will no longer be thick ice, but water to drink. If the fire t)f the Sun of Righteousness has touched our souls, it will leave nothing frozen, nothing hard, nothing burning, 1 nothing unfruit ful. It will bring out all things ripe, all things sweet, all things abounding with much pleasure. If we love one another, that beam also will come. Allow me, I beseech you, to say these things with earnestness. Cause me to hear, that by these words we have produced some effect ; that some one has gone and thrown both his arms about his enemy, has embraced him, has twined himself around him, has warmly kissed him, has wept. And though the other be a wild beast, a stone, or whatever he be, he will be made gentle by such affectionate kindness. For on what account is he thine enemy? Hath he insulted thee? yet he has not injured thee at all. But dost thou for the sake of money suffer thy brother to be at enmity with thee ? Do not so, I beseech you. Let us do away all. It is our season. Let us use it to good purpose. Let us cut asunder the cords of our sins. Before we go away to judgment, let us not ourselves judge one another. " Let not the sun " (it is said) "go down upon your wrath." (Eph. iv. 26.) Let no one put it off. These puttings off pro duce delays. If you have deferred it to-day, you blush the more, and if you add to-morrow, the shame is greater, and if a third day, yet worse. Let us not then put ourselves to shame, but let us forgive, that we may be forgiven. And if we be forgiven, we shall obtain all blessings, through Jesus Christ our Lord, with whom, &c. 1 The translator suggests Milton s sense: " The parching air Burns frore, and cold performs th effects of fire." The extreme harshness ofsome fruits without the sun maybe meant. In Horn. xvi. on St. Matt. Ben. p. 215 A, TO. <cav<rriica is used for " combustibles," but there is a various reading, uiraKairriicd in one MS.; see Ed. Field, p. 229.