HOMILY XV.] HOMILIES ON EPHESIANS. 123 conciliate every one to himself. But David was guileless. What then ? Look at the end of them both, look, how full of utter madness was the former ! For inasmuch as he looked solely to the hurt of his father, in all other things he was blinded. But not so David. For "he that walketh uprightly, walketh surely" (Prov. x. 9) ; and reasonably ; he is one that manages nothing over-subtilely, the man who devises no evil. Let us listen then to the blessed Paul, and let us pity, yea, let us weep for the bitter-minded, and let us practice every method, let us do everything to extirpate this vice from their souls. For how is it not absurd, that when there is bile within us, (though that indeed is a useful element, for without bile a man cannot possibly exist, that bile, I mean, which is an element of his nature,) how then, I say, is it not absurd that we should do all we can to get rid of this, though we are so highly benefited by it ; and yet that we should do nothing, nor take any pains, to get rid of that which is in the soul, though it is in no case ben eficial, but even in the highest degree injurious. He that thinketh that he is "wise among you," saith he, " let him become a fool, that he may become wise." (i Cor. iii. 18.) Hearken too again to what Luke saith, " They did take their food with gladness and singleness of heart, prais ing God, and having favor with all the people." (Acts ii. 46, 47.) Why, do we not see even now that the simple and guileless enjoy the common esteem of all ? No one envies such an one when he is in prosperity, no one tramples upon him when he is in adversity, but all rejoice with him when he does well, and grieve with him in mis fortune. Whereas whenever a bitter man fares prosperously, one and all lament it, as though some evil thing happened ; but if he is unfor tunate, one and all rejoice. Let us then pity them, for they have common enemies all over the world. Jacob was a guileless man, yet he overcame the treacherous Esau. " For into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter." (Wisd. i. 4.) " Let all bitterness be put away from you." Let not even a remnant remain, for it will be sure, if stirred, as if from a smouldering brand, to turn all within to an entire bla/e. Let us then distinctly understand what this bitterness is. Take, for example, the hollow-hearted man, the crafty, the man who is on the watch to do mis chief, the man of evil suspicion. From him then "wrath" and " anger" are ever produced ; for it is not possible for a soul like this to be in tran quillity, but the very root of " anger " and " wrath " is " bitterness." The man of this character is both sullen, and never unbends his soul ; he is always moody, always gloomy. For as I was saying, they themselves are the first to reap the fruit of their own evil ways. " And clamor," he adds. What now, and dost thou take away clamor also ? Yes, for the mild man must needs be of such a character, because clamor carries anger, as a horse his rider; trip the horse, and you will throw the rider. MORAL. This let women above all attend to, them who on every occasion cry aloud and bawl. There is but one thing in which it is useful to cry aloud, in preaching and in teaching. But in no other case whatever, no, not even in prayer. And if thou wouldest learn a practical lesson, never cry aloud at all, and then wilt thou never be angry at all. Behold a way to keep your temper ; for as it is not possible that the man that does not cry out should be enraged, so is it not that the man who does cry out should be otherwise than enraged. For tell me not of a man being implacable, and revengeful, and of pure natural bitterness, and natural choler. We are now speaking of the sudden paroxysm of this passion. It contributes then no little to this end, to discipline the soul never to raise the voice and cry aloud at all. Cut off clamor, and thou wilt clip the wings of anger, thou dost repress the first rising of the heart. For as it is impossible for a man to wrestle without lifting up his hands, so is it not possible that he should be entangled in a quarrel without lifting up his voice. Bind the hands of the boxer, and then bid him strike. He will be unable to do so. So likewise will wrath be disarmed. But clamor raises it, even where it does not exist. And hence it is espe cially that the female sex are so easily overtaken in it. Women, whenever they are angry with their maid-servants, fill the whole house with their own clamor. And oftentimes too, if the house happens to be built along a narrow street, then all the passers-by hear the mistress scold ing, and the maid weeping and wailing. What can possibly be more disgraceful than the sound of those wailings ? l What in the world has hap pened there ? All the women round immediately peep in and one of them says, " Such a one is beating herown maid." Whatever can be more shameless than this? "What then, ought one not to strike at all?" No, I say not so, (for it must be done,) but then it must be neither fre quently, nor immoderately, nor for any wrongs of thine own, as I am constantly saying, nor for any little failure in her service, but only if she is doing harm to her own soul. If thou chastise her for a fault of this kind, all will applaud, and there will be none to upbraid thee ; but if thou do it for any reasons of thine own, all will con demn thy cruelty and harshness. And what is more base than all, there are some so fierce and so savage as to lash them to such a degree, that 1 [We have here followed the text of three codices as against the emendations of Field, Savile, and the Benedictine ed. G. A.J