HOMILY. VI.] HOMILIES ON THESSALONIANS. 351 rule over them. But now, instead of thy ser vants, thou hast mastery over unbodied powers, principalities, authorities, the ruler of this world. And thou dost not mention the troubles, in which thou sharedst with him, sometimes the fear of magistrates, sometimes the preference given to neighbors. From all these things thou art now delivered, from dread and fear. But art thou solicitous who will support the children that are left thee ? The " Father of the father less." For tell me, who gave them? Dost thou not hear Christ in the Gospels saying, " Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment?" (Matt. vi. 25.) Seest thou, that thy lamentation is not from loss of his society, but from want of faith. But the children of a father that is dead are not equally illustrious. Wherefore? They have God for their Father, and are they not illustrious? How many can I show you brought up by widows, who have become famous, how many who have been under their fathers, and have been undone ! For if thou bringest them up from their first youth, as they ought to be brought up, they will enjoy an advantage much greater than a father s protection. For that it is the business of widows I speak of the bringing up of children hear Paul saying, " If she hath brought up children" (i Tim. v. 10) ; and again, " She shall be saved through the child-bearing," (he has not said through her hus band,) " if they continue in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety." (i Tim. ii. 15.) Instill into them the fear of God from their first youth, and He will protect them better than any father; this will be a wall not to be broken. Forwhen there is a guard seated within,we have no need of contrivances without : but where he is not, all our outward contrivances are vain. This will be to them wealth and glory too and ornament. This will make them illustrious, not upon earth, but even in heaven. For do not look to those who are begirt with the golden girdles, nor those who are borne on horses, nor those who shine in kings palaces on account of their fathers, nor those who have footmen and tutors. For these things perhaps cause widows to bewail over their orphans, thinking that this my son also, if his father at least were living, would have enjoyed so much happiness ; but now he is in a state of depression and dishonor, and worthy of no consideration. Think not of these things, O woman, but open to thee in thought the gates of heaven, consider the palace there, behold the King who is there seated. Consider if those who are upon the earth can be more illustrious than thy son there and then groan. But if some are of good repute on earth, this is not worth any consideration. It is allowed him, if thou wilt, to be a soldier in heaven, to enlist him in the ranks of that army. For those who are enlisted there are not borne on horses, but in the clouds. They walk not upon earth, but are caught up into heaven. They have not slaves to go before them, but the Angels themselves. They stand not in the pres ence of a mortal king, but of Him who is im mortal, the King of kings and Lord of lords. They have not a leathern girdle about their loins, but that glory which is unspeakable, and they are more splendid than kings, or whoever have been most illustrious. For in those royal courts not wealth is required, nor noble birth, nothing else than virtue alone ; and where that is present, nothing is wanting to their obtaining the chief place. Nothing is painful to us, ifwe are willing to cultivate wisdom. Look up to heaven, and see how much more splendid it is than the roofs of palaces. And if the pavement of the palaces above is so much more grand than those below, that the one may be considered as dirt in com parison with the other ; if any one should be thought worthy to see those palaces perfectly, what blessedness will not be his ! " But she," he says, " that is a widow indeed, and desolate, hath her hope set on God." ( i Tim. v. 5.) To whom is this said? To those who have no 1 children, because they are more highly approved, and have a greater opportunity of pleasing God, because all their chains are loosened to them. There is no one to hold them fast, no one to compel them to drag their chains after them. Thou art separated from thy husband, but art united to God. Thou hast not a fellow-servant for thy associate, but thou hast thy Lord. When thou prayest, tell me, dost thou not converse with God? When thou readest, hear Him conversing with thee. And what does He say to thee? Much kinder words than thy husband. For though indeed thy husband should flatter thee, the honor is not great, for he is thy fellow-servant. But when the Lord flatters the slave, then is the courtship great. How then does He court us ? Hear by what means he does it. "Come," He says, "unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. xi. 28.) And again through the Prophet He calls, saying, "Will a woman forget to have compassion on the off spring of her womb? But even if a woman should forget, yet will I not forget thee, saith the Lord." (Isa. xlix. 15, Sept.) Of how great a love are these words? And again, " Turn unto Me" 1 [Two MSS., which generally present good readings, give the negative. Other MSS. and two editions have no negative, and that is the harder reading, likely to be altered. It may possibly be ex plained (Field) by understanding the foregoing question thus: "With reference to whom is this said?" i.e. in comparison with whom? Then the thought is that, in comparison with those who have children, a widow that is really such has better opportunities of usefulness. Comp. i Cor. vii. 32. J. A. B.]