thou do it upon principle, if with good-will, if from the heart, and if for Christ’s sake. For this is the servitude that even Paul, the free man, serves, and exclaims, “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus, as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” (2 Cor. iv. 5.) Look how he divests thy slavery of its meanness. For just in the same way as the man who has been robbed, if he gives still more to him who has taken, is not ranked among those robbed, but rather amongst liberal givers; not amongst those who suffer evil, but amongst those who do good; and rather clothes the other with disgrace by his liberality, than is clothed with disgrace by being robbed,—so, I say, in this case, by his generosity he will appear at once more high-minded, and by showing that he does not feel the wrong,456 will put the other to shame. Let us then do service to our masters for Christ’s sake, “knowing,” he continues, “that whatsoever good thing each one doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.” For inasmuch as it was probable that many masters, as being unbelievers, would have no sense of shame, and would make no return to their slaves for their obedience, observe how he has given them encouragement, so that they may have no misgiving about the remuneration, but may have full confidence respecting the recompense. For as they who receive a benefit, when they make no return, make God a debtor to their benefactors; so, I say, do masters also, if, when well-treated by thee, they fail to requite thee, requite thee the more, by rendering God thy debtor. Ver. 9. “And ye masters,” he continues, “do the same things unto them.” The same things. What are these? “With good-will do service.” However he does not actually say, “do service,” though by saying, “the same things,” he plainly shows this to be his meaning. For the master himself is a servant. “Not as men-pleasers,” he means, “and with fear and trembling”: that is, toward God, fearing lest He one day accuse you for your negligence toward your slaves. “And forbear threatening;” be not irritating, he means, nor oppressive. “Knowing that both their Master and457 yours is in Heaven.”458 159 Ah! How mighty a Master does he hint at here! How startling the suggestion! It is this. “With what measure thou metest, it shall be measured unto thee again” (Matt. vii. 2.); lest thou hear the sentence, “Thou wicked servant. I forgave thee all that debt.” (Matt. xviii. 32.) “And there is no respect of persons,” he saith, “with Him.” 456 ἀρπαγῆς. 457 [The second καὶ (καὶ αὐτῶν καὶ ὑμῶν) is omitted in Chrysostom’s text of this passage, and in the textus receptus, so that it does not appear in the Authorized English Version. The Revised Version has it, however, and correctly so.—G.A.] 458 [Meyer quotes Seneca, Thyest. 607:— Quicquid a vobis minor extimescit Major hoc vobis dominus minatur. Omne sub regno graviore regnum est.—G.A.] 293 Ephesians 6:5-8