152 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOiM. [HOMILY XX. woman, but much rather a poor one. When she comes in, she will not bring so great a source of pleasure from her riches, as she will annoyance from her taunts, from her demand ing more than she brought, from her insolence, her extravagance, her vexatious language. For she will say perhaps, " I have not yet spent any thing of thine, I am still wearing my own ap parel, bought with what my parents settled upon me." What sayest thou, O woman ? Still wearing thine own ! And what can be more miserable than this language? Why, thou hast no longer a body of thine own, and hast thou money of thine own ? After marriage ye are no longer twain, but are become one flesh, and are then your possessions twain, and not one ? Oh ! this love of money ! Ye both are become one man, one living creature ; and dost thou still say "mine own"? Cursed and abominable word that it is, it was brought in by the devil. Things far nearer and dearer to us than these hath God made all common to us, and are these then not common? We cannot say, " my own light, my own sun, my own water": all our greater blessings are common, and are riches not common? Perish the riches ten thousand times over ! Or rather not the riches, but those tempers of mind which know not how to make use of riches, but esteem them above all things. Teach her these lessons also with the rest, but with much graciousness. For since the recom mendation of virtue has in itself much that is stern, and especially to a young and tenderdam sel, whenever discourses on true wisdom are to be made, contrive that your manner be full of grace and kindness. And above all banish this notion from her soul, of " mine and thine." If she say the word "mine," say unto her, "What things dost thou call thine ? For in truth I know not ; I for my part have nothing of mine own. How then speakest thou of mine, when all things are thine ? " Freely grant her the word. Dost thou not perceive that such is our practice with children? When, whilst we are holding any thing, a child snatches it, and wishes again to get hold of some other thing, we allow it, and say, " Yes, and this is thine, and that is thine." The same also let us do with a wife ; for her temper is more or less like a child s ; and if she says " mine," say, " why, everything is thine, and I am thine." Nor is the expression one of flat tery, but of exceeding wisdom. Thus wilt thou be able to abate her wrath, and put an end to her disappointment. For it is flattery when a man does an unworthy act with an evil object : whereas this is the highest philosophy. Say then, " Even I am- thine, my child this advice Paul gives me where he says, The husband hath not power over his own body, but the wife. (i Cor. vii. 4.) If I have no power over my body, but thou hast, much more hast thou over my possessions." By saying these things thou wilt have quieted her, thou wilt have quenched the fire, thou wilt have shamed the devil, thou wilt have made her more thy slave than one bought with money, with this language thou wilt have bound her fast. Thus then, by thine own language, teach her never to speak of " mine and thine." And again, never call her simply by her name, but with terms of endearment, with honor, with much love. Honor her, and she will not need honor from others ; she will not want the glory that comes from others, if she enjoys that which comes from thee. Prefer her before all, on every account, both for her beauty and her discernment, and praise her. Thou wilt thus persuade her to give heed to none that are without, but to scorn all the world except thy self. Teach her the fear of God, and all good things will flow from this as from a fountain, and the house will be full of ten thousand blessings. If we seek the things that are in corruptible, these corruptible things will follow. " For," saith He, " seek first His kingdom, and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. vi. 33.) What sort of persons, think you, must the children of such parents be? What the servants of such masters? What all others who come near them? Will not they too eventually be loaded with blessings out of number? For generally the servants also have their characters formed after their master s, and are fashioned after their humors, love the same objects, which they have been taught to love, speak the same language, and engage with them in the same pursuits. If thus we regulate our selves, and attentively study the Scriptures, in most things we shall derive instruction from them. And thus shall be able to please God, and to pass through the whole of the present life virtuously, and to attain those blessings which are promised to those that love Him, of which God grant that we may all be counted worthy, through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom, together with the Holy Ghost, be unto the Father, glory, power, and honor, now, and ever, through all ages. Amen.