534 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [Ho.Mii.v IV. then most admire a physician, when he restores to a healthy and sane state one who was de spaired of, whom nothing benefited, who was unable to command his unreasonable desires, and wallowed in them. And observe what he most requires of them ; the qualities which con tribute most to their masters ease. " Not answering again, not purloining " ; that is, to show all good will in matters intrusted to them, to be particularly faithful in their masters concerns, and obedient to their commands. MORAL. Do not therefore think that I enlarge upon this subject without a purpose. For the rest of my discourse will be addressed to ser vants. Look not to this, my good friend, that thou servest a man, but that thy service is to God, that thou adornest the Gospel. Then thou wilt undertake everything in obedience to thy mas ter, bearing with him, though impatient, and angry without a cause. Consider that thou art not gratifying him, but fulfilling the command ment of God ; then thou wilt easily submit to anything. And what I have said before, I re peat here, that when our spiritual state is right, the things of this life will follow. For a servant, so tractable and so well disposed, will not only be accepted by God, and made partaker ofthose glorious crowns, but his master himself, whom he serves so well, even though he be brutish and stone-hearted, inhuman and ferocious, will com mend and admire him, and will honor him above all the rest, and will set him over their heads, though he be a Gentile. And that servants are required to be thus dis posed towards a Gentile master, I will show you by an example. Joseph, who was ofa different religion from the Egyptian, was sold to the chief cook. 1 What then did he? When he saw the young man was virtuous, he did not consider the difference of their religion, but lovedand favored and admired him, and committed the others to his superintendence, and knew nothing of the affairs of his own house because of him. Thus he was a second master, and even more of a master than his lord, for he knew more of his master s affairs than his master himself. And even afterwards, as it seems to me, when he be lieved the unjust accusation framed against him by his wife, yet from his former regard for him, retaining a respect for that just man, he satisfied his resentment with imprisonment. For if he had not greatly reverenced and esteemed him from his former conduct, he would have thrust his sword through his body, and dispatched him at once. "For jealousy is the rage of a man; therefore he will not regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts." (Prov. vi. 34, 35.) And ifsuch is the jeal- 1 So Sept., Gen. xxxix. i: comp. on Stat. Horn. xix. IT. ousy ofmen in general, much more violent must it have been with him, an Egyptian and barbarian, and injured as he thought by one whom he had honored. For you all know that injuries do not affect us in the same way from all persons, but that those grieve us most bitterly and deeply which proceed from thosewho were well-affected toward us, who had trusted us and whom we had trusted, and who had received many kindnesses from us. He did not consider with himself, nor say, What ! have I taken a servant into my house, shared with him my substance, made him free, and even greater than myself, and is this the return that he makes me ? He did not say this, so much was his mind prepossessed by his previous respect for him. And what wonder if he enjoyed so much honor in the house, when we see what great regard he obtained even in a prison. You know how practiced in cruelty are the dispositions of those who have the custody of prisons. They profit by the misfortune of others, and harass those whom others support in their afflictions, making a gain of them that is truly deplorable, with a more than brutal cruelty. For they take advantage ofthosewretched circumstanceswhich ought to excite their pity. And we may further observe, that they do not treat in the same man ner all their prisoners ; for those who are con fined upon accusation only, and who are injuri ously treated, they perhaps pity, but they punish with numberless inflictions those who are im prisoned for shameful and atrocious crimes. So that the keeper of the prison not only from the manner of such men might have been expected to be inhuman, but from the cause for which he was imprisoned. For who would not have been incensed against a young man, who having been raised to so great honor, was charged with re quiting such favors by a base attempt upon the master s wife. Would not the keeper, consider ing these things, the honor to which he had been raised, and the crime for which he was im prisoned, would he not have treated him with more than brutal cruelty? But he was raised above all these things by his hope in God. For the virtue of the soul can mollify even wild beasts. And by the same meekness which had gained his master, he captivated also the keeper of the prison. Thus Joseph was again a ruler, he ruled in the prison as he had ruled in the house. For since he was destined to reign, it was fit that he should learn to be governed, and while he was governed he became a governor, and presided in the house. For if Paul requires this of one who is 2 pro moted to a Church, saying, " If a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take i or, literally, " dragged"; see on Stat. Horn. i. 16.