148 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY XX. However, when thou hearest of " fear," de mand that fear which becomes a free woman, not as though thou wert exacting it of a slave. For she is thine own body ; and if thou do this, thou reproachest thyself in dishonoring thine own body. And of what nature is this "fear"? It is the not contradicting, the not rebelling, the not being fond of the preeminence. It is enough that fear be kept within these bounds. But if thou love, as thou art commanded, thou wilt make it yet greater. Or rather it will not be any longer by fear that thou wilt be doing this, but love itself will have its effect. The sex is somehow weaker, and needs much support, much conde scension. But what will they say, who are knit together in second marriages? 1 I speak not at all in condemnation of them, God forbid ; for the Apostle himself permits them, though indeed by way of condescension. Supply her with everything. Do everything and endure trouble for her sake. Necessity is laid upon thee. Here he does not think it right to introduce his counsel, as he in many cases does, with ex amples from them that are without. That of Christ, so great and forcible, were alone enough ; and more especially as regards the argument of subjection. "A man shall leave," he saith, "his father and mother." Behold, this then is from without. But he does not say, and " shall dwell with," but " shall cleave unto," thus showing the closeness of the union, and the fervent love. Nay, he is not content with this, but further by what he adds, he explains the subjection in such a way as that the twain appear no longer twain. He does not say, " one spirit," he does not say, " one soul" (for that is manifest, and is possible to any one), but so as to be " one flesh." She is a second authority, possessing indeed an author ity, and a considerable equality of dignity ; but at the same time the husband has somewhat of superiority. In this consists most chiefly the well-being of the house. For he took that for mer argument, the example of Christ, to show that we ought not only to love, but also to gov ern ; " that she may be," saith he, " holy and without blemish." But the word " flesh " has reference to love and the word " shall cleave " has in like manner reference to love. For if thou shalt make her " holy and without blem ish," everything else will follow. Seek the things which are of God, and those which are of man will follow readily enough. Govern thy wife, and thus will the whole house be in harmony. Hear what Paul saith. " And if they would learn any thing, let them ask theirown husbands at home." (i Cor. xiv. 35.) If we thus regulate our own 1 [On second marriages in the early Church, see SchafTs History of the Christian Church, Vol. II., p. 366. G. A.] houses, we shall be also fit for the management of the Church. For indeed a house is a little Church. Thus it is possible for us by becoming good husbands and wives, to surpass all others. Consider Abraham, and Sarah, and Isaac, and the three hundred and eighteen born in his house. (Gen. xiv. 14.) How the whole house was harmoniously knit together, how the whole was full of piety and fulfilled the Apostolic in junction. She also " reverenced her husband " ; for hear her own words, " It hath not yet happened unto me even until now, and my lord is old also." (Gen. xviii. i2.) 2 And he again so loved her, that in all things he obeyed her commands. And the young child was vir tuous, and the servants born in the house, they too were so excellent that they refused not even to hazard their lives with their master ; they delayed not, nor asked the reason. Nay, one of them, the chief, was so admirable, that he was even entrusted with the marriage of the only-begotten child, and with a journey into a foreign country. (Gen. xxiv. 1-67.) For just as with a general, when his soldiery also is well or ganized, the enemy has no quarter to attack ; so, I say, is it also here : when husband and wife and children and servants are all interested in the same things, great is the harmony of the house. Since where this is not the case, the whole is oftentimes overthrown and broken up by one bad servant ; and that single one will often mar and utterly destroy the whole. MORAL. Let us then be very thoughtful both for our wives, and children, and servants ; know ing thatwe shall thus be establishing for ourselves an easy government, and shall have our accounts with them gentle and lenient, and say, " Behold I, and the children which God hath given me." (Isa. viii. 18.) Ifthe husbandcommand respect, and the head be honorable, then will the rest of the body sustain no violence. Now what is the wife s fitting behavior, and what the husband s, he states accurately, charging her to reverence him as the head, and him to love her as a wife ; but how, it may be said, can these things be? That they ought indeed so to be, he has proved. But how they can be so, I will tell you. They will be so, if we will despise money, if we will look but to one thing only, excellence of soul, if we will keep the fear of God before our eyes. For what he says in his discourse to servants, " whatsoever any man doeth, whether it be good or evil, the same shall he receive of the Lord " (Eph. vi. 8) ; this is also the case here. Love her therefore not for her sake so much as for Christ s sake. This, at least, he as much as 2 [This, according to the Sepluagint, which has OUTTO) /neV MOI yi-yovfv EU? TOU vvv. 6 6e Kiipio? pov 7rpe<r/3vTepo?. The Rev. Ver., following the Hebrew, has, " After I am waxed old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?" G. A.]