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I have begotten; so it is likely that he loves him most, because he bore him in temptations. For it is clear that we are most inflamed for those children, when we have escaped dangers, and bear them in the midst of them; as when Scripture says, Waibarochabel; and again when Rachel calls Benjamin, Son, she says, of my sorrow. But receive him, he says, that is, my own bowels.

He shows his great love. He did not say, Accept, he did not say, Be not angry, but, Receive; that is, he is worthy not only of forgiveness, but also of honor. Why? He has become a child of Paul. Whom I wished to keep on your behalf, that he might minister to me in the bonds of the Gospel. Do you see, having prepared so many things beforehand, how he then brought him to the master's honor? And see this also with how much wisdom; see for how much he makes the one responsible, and how he honors this one. You have found, he says, how to render your service to me through him. Here he shows that he considered his own interest more than the child's, because he respects him greatly. But without your consent, he says, I would do nothing, so that your good deed might not be as it were of necessity, but of your own free will. This especially gratifies the one who is asked, when, even though the matter is useful, it is brought about with his consent. For two good things come from this, 62.711 and that one gains, and this one is made more secure. And he did not say, That it might not be of necessity, but, As it were of necessity. For I knew, he says, that even without being informed, but finding out suddenly, you would not have been vexed, but nevertheless out of greater abundance, so that it might not be as it were of necessity. For perhaps for this reason he was parted for a season, that you might have him back for ever, no longer as a slave. Well said, Perhaps, so that the master might yield. For since the flight came from insolence and a perverse mind, and not from choice, he says, Perhaps. And he did not say, For this reason he fled, but, For this reason he was parted, softening it more with a more euphemistic name. And he did not say, He parted himself, but, He was parted; for it was not his own contrivance to depart for this, nor for that. Which Joseph also says when making a defense for his brothers, that God sent me here; that is, He used their evil for a good purpose. For this reason he was parted, he says, for a season.

He both shortens the time, and confesses the sin, and turns the whole thing into a divine dispensation. That you may have him back forever, he says, not only in the present time, but also in the time to come, that you may have him always, no longer a slave, but more precious than a slave; for as he remains a slave you will have him more loyal than a brother. So you have gained both in time and in quality; for henceforth he will not run away. That you may have him back forever, he says, instead of, That you may receive him back. No longer as a slave, but above a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me. You lost a slave for a little while, and you will find a brother forever, a brother not only yours, but also mine. Here also is great virtue. But if he is my brother, you also will not be ashamed. Through "child," then, he showed his affection, and through "brother," his great goodwill and equality of honor.

3. These things have not been written simply, but that we might not despair of

our servants, we masters, nor attack them too harshly, but that we might learn to forgive the sins of such servants, so that we may not always be harsh, so that we may not be ashamed of their servitude and to take them as partners in all things, when they are good. For if Paul was not ashamed to call him a child, and bowels, and a brother, and beloved, how could we be ashamed? And what am I saying, Paul? The Master of Paul is not ashamed to call our slaves His brothers, and should we be ashamed? See how He honors us; He calls our slaves His brothers, and friends, and fellow heirs. Behold where He has descended. What then

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Ἐγέννησα· ὥστε μάλιστα αὐτὸν φιλεῖν εἰκὸς, ὅτι ἐν πειρασμοῖς αὐτὸν ἔτεκεν. Ὅτι γὰρ περὶ ἐκεῖνα τὰ παιδία μάλιστα ἐκκαιόμεθα, δῆλον, ὅταν κινδύνους διαφύγωμεν, καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τέκωμεν· ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ ἡ Γραφὴ, Οὐαιβαροχαβήλ· καὶ πάλιν ὅταν καλῇ τὸν Βενιαμὶν ἡ Ῥαχὴλ, Υἱὸν, φησὶν, ὀδύνης μου. Σὺ δὲ αὐτὸν, φησὶ, τουτέστι, τὰ ἐμὰ σπλάγχνα, προσλαβοῦ.

∆είκνυσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν πολλήν. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀπόδεξαι, οὐκ εἶπε, Μὴ ὀργισθῇς, ἀλλὰ, Προσλαβοῦ· τουτέστιν, οὐχὶ συγγνώμης μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τιμῆς ἐστιν ἄξιος. ∆ιὰ τί; Τέκνον Παύλου γέγονεν. Ὃν ἐγὼ ἐβουλόμην ὑπὲρ σοῦ κατέχειν, ἵνα διακονῇ μοι ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου. Ὁρᾷς, πόσα πρότερον κατασκευάσας, τότε αὐτὸν ἤγαγεν εἰς τὴν τοῦ δεσπότου τιμήν; Καὶ ὅρα καὶ τοῦτο μεθ' ὅσης σοφίας· ὅρα κἀκεῖνον πόσου ὑπεύθυνον ποιεῖ, καὶ τοῦτον πῶς τιμᾷ. Εὗρες, φησὶν, ὅπως ἀποδῷς τὴν πρὸς ἐμὲ λειτουργίαν δι' αὐτοῦ. Ἐνταῦθα δείκνυσιν, ὅτι τὸ αὑτοῦ μᾶλλον ἐσκόπησεν, ἢ τὸ τοῦ παιδὸς, ὅτι σφόδρα αὐτὸν αἰδεῖται. Χωρὶς δὲ τῆς σῆς γνώμης, φησὶν, οὐδὲν ἠθέλησα ποιῆσαι, ἵνα μὴ ὡς κατ' ἀνάγκην τὸ ἀγαθὸν ᾖ σου, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἑκούσιον. Τοῦτο μάλιστα χαυνοῖ τὸν ἀξιούμενον, ὅταν καὶ, πράγματος ὄντος χρησίμου, μετὰ τῆς ἐκείνου γνώμης τίκτηται. ∆ύο γὰρ ἀγαθὰ ἐντεῦθεν γίνεται, 62.711 κἀκεῖνος κερδαίνει, καὶ οὗτος ἀσφαλέστερος καθίσταται. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἵνα μὴ κατὰ ἀνάγκην, ἀλλ', Ὡς κατὰ ἀνάγκην. Ἤδειν μὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι καὶ μὴ μαθὼν, ἀλλὰ ἀθρόον γνοὺς, οὐκ ἂν ἠγανάκτησας, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐκ πλείονος περιουσίας, ἵνα μὴ ὡς κατὰ ἀνάγκην. Τάχα γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἐχωρίσθη πρὸς ὥραν, ἵνα αἰώνιον αὐτὸν ἀπέχῃς, μηκέτι ὡς δοῦλον. Καλῶς τὸ, Τάχα, ἵνα εἴξῃ ὁ δεσπότης. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀπὸ αὐθαδείας γέγονεν ἡ φυγὴ καὶ διεστραμμένης διανοίας, καὶ οὐκ ἀπὸ προαιρέσεως, λέγει, Τάχα. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔφυγεν, ἀλλὰ, ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐχωρίσθη, εὐφημοτέρῳ ὀνόματι μᾶλλον πραΰνων. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐχώρισεν ἑαυτὸν, ἀλλ', Ἐχωρίσθη· οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸ κατασκεύασμα τὸ ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἀναχωρῆσαι, οὐδὲ ἐπ' ἐκείνῳ. Ὅπερ καὶ Ἰωσὴφ ἀπολογούμενος ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν φησὶν, ὅτι Ὁ Θεὸς ἀπέστειλέ με ἐνταῦθα· τουτέστι, τῇ κακουργίᾳ αὐτῶν εἰς δέον ἐχρήσατο. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐχωρίσθη, φησὶ, πρὸς ὥραν.

Καὶ τὸν χρόνον συστέλλει, καὶ τὸ ἁμάρτημα ὁμολογεῖ, καὶ τρέπει τὸ πᾶν εἰς οἰκονομίαν. Ἵνα αἰώνιον αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ἀπέχῃς, οὐκ ἐν τῷ παρόντι μόνον καιρῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι, ἵνα διαπαντὸς ἔχῃς αὐτὸν, οὐκέτι δοῦλον, ἀλλὰ τιμιώτερον δούλου· δοῦλον γὰρ μένοντα εὐνοϊκώτερον ἕξεις ἀδελφοῦ. Ὥστε καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ κεκέρδακας καὶ τῇ ποιότητι· λοιπὸν γὰρ οὐκ ἀποπηδήσει. Ἵνα αἰώνιον αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ἀπέχῃς, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἀπολάβῃς. Οὐκέτι ὡς δοῦλον, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ δοῦλον, ἀδελφὸν ἀγαπητὸν, μάλιστα ἐμοί. ∆οῦλον ἀπόλεσας πρὸς ὀλίγον, καὶ ἀδελφὸν εὑρήσεις εἰς τὸ διηνεκὲς, ἀδελφὸν οὐ σὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμόν. Ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἡ ἀρετὴ πολλή. Εἰ δὲ ἐμὸς ἀδελφὸς, οὐκ ἐπαισχυνθήσῃ καὶ σύ. ∆ιὰ μὲν οὖν τοῦ τέκνου τὴν στοργὴν ἔδειξε, διὰ δὲ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τὴν εὔνοιαν τὴν πολλὴν καὶ τὴν ἰσοτιμίαν.

γʹ. Ταῦτα οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἀναγέγραπται, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ ἀπογινώσκωμεν τῶν

οἰκετῶν οἱ δεσπόται, μηδὲ σφόδρα αὐτοῖς ἐπιτιθώμεθα, ἀλλὰ μάθωμεν συγχωρεῖν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα τοῖς οἰκέταις τοῖς τοιούτοις, ἵνα μὴ ἀεὶ τραχεῖς ὦμεν, ἵνα μὴ ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας ἐπαισχυνώμεθα καὶ κοινωνοὺς αὐτοὺς ἐν πᾶσι λαμβάνειν, ὅταν ὦσιν ἀγαθοί. Εἰ γὰρ Παῦλος οὐκ ἐπῃσχύνθη καὶ τέκνον καλέσαι, καὶ σπλάγχνον, καὶ ἀδελφὸν, καὶ ἀγαπητὸν, πῶς ἂν ἡμεῖς ἐπαισχυνθῶμεν; Καὶ τί λέγω, Παῦλος; ὁ Παύλου ∆εσπότης οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται τοὺς ἡμετέρους δούλους ἀδελφοὺς αὑτοῦ καλεῖν, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπαισχυνούμεθα; Ὅρα, πῶς ἡμᾶς τιμᾷ· ἀδελφοὺς ἑαυτοῦ καλεῖ τοὺς ἡμετέρους δούλους, καὶ φίλους, καὶ συγκληρονόμους. Ἰδοὺ ποῦ κατέβη. Τί οὖν