HOMILY V.] HOMILIES ON TIMOTHY. 423 moon, and the stars ; we breathe the same air, we partake alike of water, and the fruits of the earth. And if we may say what will sound strange, the homely are more healthy than the beautiful. For these, to preserve their beauty, engage in no labor, but give themselves up to indolence and delicate living, by which their bodily energies are impaired ; whilst the others, having no such care, spend all their attention simply and entirely on active pursuits. Let us then " glorify God, and take and bear Him in our body." (i Cor. vi. 20.) Let us not affect a beautiful appearance ; that care is vain and unprofitable. Let us not teach our husbands to admire the mere outward form ; for if such be thy adornment, his very habit of viewing thy face will make him easy to be cap tivated by a harlot. But if thou teachest him to love good manners, and modesty, he will not be ready to wander, for he will see no attractions in a harlot, in whom those qualities are not found, but the reverse. Neither teach him to be captivated by laughter, nor by a loose dress, lest thou prepare a poison against thyself. Ac custom him to delight in modesty, and this thou wilt do, if thy attire be modest. But if then hast a flaunting air, an unsteady manner, how canst thou address l him in a serious strain ? and who will not hold thee in contempt and derision? But how is it possible to glorify God in our spirit? 2 By practicing virtue, by adorning the soul. For such embellishment is not forbidden. Thus we glorify God,when we are good in every respect, and we shall be glorified by Him in a much higher degree in that great day. For " I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us." (Rom. viii. 18.) Of which that we may all be partakers, God grant, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ. HOMILY V. i TIMOTHY i. 18, 19. " This charge I commit unto thee, son [my child, re/c^oi/] ! Timothy, according to the prophecies which went I before on thee, that thou by them mightest [mayest] war a good warfare; holding faith, and a good con science; which some having put away have made shipwreck concerning the faith." THE office of a Teacher and that of a Priest is of great dignity, and to bring forward one that is worthy requires a divine election. So it was of old, and so it is now, when we make a choice without human passion, not looking to any temporal consideration, swayed neither by friendship, nor enmity. For though we be not partakers of so great a measure of the Spirit as they, yet a good purpose is sufficient to draw unto us the election of God. For the Apostles, when they elected Matthias, had not yet received the Holy Spirit, but having committed the mat ter to prayer, they chose him into the number of the Apostles. For they looked not to human friendships. And so now too it ought to be with us. But we have advanced to the extreme of negligence ; and even what is clearly evident, we let pass. Now when we overlook what is manifest, how will God reveal to us what is un seen? as it is said, " If ye have not been faith ful in that which is little, who will commit to you that which is great and true? " (Luke xvi. 1 1.) But then, when nothing human was done, the appointment of Priests too was by prophecy. What is " by prophecy " ? By the Holy Spirit. For prophecy is not only the telling of things future, but also of the present. It was by prophecy that Saul was discovered " hidden among the stuff." (i Sam. x. 22.) For God reveals things to the righteous. So it was said by prophecy, " Separate me Barnabas and Saul." (Acts xiii. 2.) In this way Timothy also was chosen, concerning whom he speaks of prophe cies in the plural ; that, perhaps, upon which ;5 he " took and circumcised him," and when he ordained him, as he himself says in his Epistle to him, " Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (i Tim. iv. 14.) Therefore to elevate him, and prepare him to be sober and watchful, he re minds him bywhom he was chosen and ordained, as if he had said, " God hath chosen thee. He gave thee thy commission, thou wast not made by human vote. Do not therefore abuse or bring into disgrace the appointment of God." When again he speaks of a charge, which implies some thing burdensome, 4 he adds, "This charge I com mit to thee, son Timothy." He charges him as 1 Ben. Trporrfvtyicflv, Sav. Trpoer. 2 Ben. " to bear God in our body." But this seems rather the subject that has been already discussed. See the beginning of the Moral. fifB rjs. 4 Or " galling "; the word " charge " is in the sense of " injunc tion."