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 presence of a mortal king, but of Him who is immortal, 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, if we 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 comparison 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.” (1 Tim. v. 5.) To whom is this said? To those who have no1005 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 offspring 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 352 love are these words? And again, “Turn unto Me” (Isa. xlv. 22.); and again elsewhere, “Turn unto Me, and thou shalt be saved.” (Isa. xliv. 22.) And if one was willing to select too from the Canticles, taking them in the more mystical way, he will hear Him conversing and saying to every soul that is fitted for Him, “My fair one, my dove.” (Cant. ii. 10.) What is sweeter than these words? Seest thou the conversation of God with men? But what? tell me, seest thou not how many children of those blessed women are gone, and are in their tombs; how 1005 [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 explained (Field) by under- standing 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. 1 Cor. vii. 32.—J.A.B.] 619 1 Thessalonians 4:9,10