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and he presided over those cast in as if they were his own members, not only busying himself with their misfortunes and comforting them, but if he saw anyone gloomy, he would approach and learn the cause, not enduring to see him simply downcast, 62.688 unless he first freed him from his dejection; and yet no one has shown so much affection even for children. From these things, at any rate, the beginning of good things came to him. For what is from us must come first, and then what is from God. For because he used so much care and diligence, he saw, it says, the eunuchs who had been cast in by Pharaoh, the chief cupbearer, and the chief baker, and said: Why are your faces sad today? And not from this only, but also from what they did, one can learn the man's virtue. For being the king's servants, they did not despise him, nor being in despair did they reject him, but as to a genuine brother who knew how to sympathize, they revealed all their affairs to him. All these things have been said by me, because even if the virtuous man be in slavery, or in captivity, or in prison, or even under the earth itself, nothing will be able to overcome him. These things have been said by me to the servants, that even if they have masters who are beasts, like the Egyptian, or cruel, like the chief jailer, they will be able to win them over; even if they are Greeks, like those men, or whatever they may be, they will quickly tame them. For nothing is more harmonious than character, nothing more pleasant, nothing sweeter than gentleness and meekness and obedience; such a person is suitable for all. And such people are not ashamed of slavery, nor do they flee a poor man, nor one who is sick and weary; for virtue rules over all and overcomes all. But if the matter has so much strength in slaves, how much more in free men? Therefore let us practice these things, both slaves and free, both women and men; so shall we be desired both by men and God, and by men not only the virtuous, but also the evil, and especially by them; for they are the ones who most honor and respect. For just as the ruled especially tremble before the gentle, so also do the licentious before the virtuous, knowing from what they have fallen away. Since, therefore, the fruit of virtue is so great, let us pursue it, let us seek it. If we hold fast to it, nothing will be terrible for us, all things will be easy, all things effortless; even if we pass through fire, even if through water, all things yield and give way to virtue, even death itself. Let us therefore emulate it, so that we may obtain the good things to come, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

HOMILY V. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us

that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world;

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people

zealous of good works. 1. Having required great virtue from the servants (for it is a great thing to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things, and to give no handle to the masters, not even in a trivial matter), he 62.688 brings forward also the just reason why the servants ought to be such. And what is this? For the grace of, he says, has appeared to

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καὶ τῶν ἐμβεβλημένων ὡς οἰκείων προΐστατο μελῶν, οὐ μόνον αὐτῶν τὰς συμφορὰς πολυπραγμονῶν καὶ παραμυθούμενος, ἀλλὰ κἂν εἰ σύννουν εἶδέ τινα, προσῄει καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐμάνθανεν, οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς κατηφοῦντα ἀνεχόμενος ὁρᾷν, 62.688 ἂν μὴ πρότερον αὐτὸν ἀπαλλάξῃ τῆς κατηφείας· καίτοι τοσαύτην τις οὐδὲ περὶ τέκνα στοργὴν ἐπεδείξατο. Ἀπὸ τούτων γοῦν αὐτῷ καὶ ἡ ἀρχὴ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐγένετο. ∆εῖ γὰρ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν ὑπάρχειν πρότερον, καὶ τότε τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὅτι γὰρ τοσαύτῃ ἐκέχρητο φειδοῖ καὶ ἐπιμελείᾳ, εἶδε, φησὶ τοὺς εὐνούχους τοὺς ἐμβληθέντας ὑπὸ τοῦ Φαραὼ, τὸν ἀρχιοινοχόον, καὶ τὸν ἀρχισιτοποιὸν, καὶ εἶπε· Τί σκυθρωπὰ τὰ πρόσωπα ὑμῶν σήμερον; Καὶ οὐκ ἀπὸ τούτου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφ' ὧν ἐκεῖνοι ἐποίησαν, καταμαθεῖν ἔστι τὴν ἀρετὴν τοῦ ἀνδρός. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς βασιλέως ὄντες οἰκέται διέπτυσαν αὐτὸν, οὐχ ὡς ἐν ἀθυμίᾳ ὄντες διεκρούσαντο, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀδελφῷ γνησίῳ καὶ συναλγεῖν εἰδότι πάντα αὐτῷ ἐξεκάλυπτον τὰ ἑαυτῶν. Ταῦτα δέ μοι πάντα εἴρηται, ὅτι κἂν ἐν δουλείᾳ, κἂν ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ, κἂν ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ, κἂν ὑπ' αὐτὴν τὴν γῆν γένηται ὁ ἐνάρετος, οὐδὲν αὐτὸν καταγωνίσασθαι δυνήσεται. Ταῦτά μοι πρὸς τοὺς οἰκέτας λέλεκται, ὅτι κἂν θηρία ἔχωσι δεσπότας, ὡς τὸν Αἰγύπτιον, κἂν ὠμοὺς, ὡς τὸν ἀρχιδεσμοφύλακα, δυνήσονται αὐτοὺς ἑλεῖν, κἂν Ἕλληνες ὦσιν, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι, κἂν ὁτιοῦν, ταχέως τιθασσεύσουσιν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐμμελέστερον τρόπων, οὐδὲν ἡδύτερον, οὐδὲν γλυκύτερον ἐπιεικείας καὶ πραότητος καὶ ὑπακοῆς· πᾶσίν ἐστιν ἐπιτήδειος ὁ τοιοῦτος. Καὶ οὔτε δουλείαν ἐπαισχύνονται οἱ τοιοῦτοι, οὔτε πένητα φεύγουσιν, οὔτε ἄῤῥωστον καὶ κάμνοντα· πάντων γὰρ κρατεῖ καὶ πάντων ἡ ἀρετὴ περιγίνεται. Εἰ δὲ ἐν δούλοις τοσαύτην ἔχει τὸ πρᾶγμα τὴν ἰσχὺν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐν ἐλεύθεροις; Ταῦτα οὖν ἀσκῶμεν καὶ δοῦλοι καὶ ἐλεύθεροι, καὶ γυναῖκες καὶ ἄνδρες· οὕτω καὶ ἀνθρώποις καὶ Θεῷ ἐσόμεθα ποθεινοὶ, καὶ ἀνθρώποις οὐ τοῖς ἐναρέτοις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς κακοῖς, καὶ μάλιστα ἐκείνοις· ἐκεῖνοι γάρ εἰσιν οἱ μάλιστα τιμῶντες καὶ αἰδούμενοι. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοὺς ἐπιεικεῖς οἱ ἀρχόμενοι μάλιστα τρέμουσιν, οὕτω καὶ τοὺς ἐναρέτους οἱ ἀκόλαστοι, εἰδότες τίνων ἐκπεπτώκασιν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τοσοῦτος ὁ καρπὸς τῆς ἀρετῆς, ταύτην διώκωμεν, ταύτην μετίωμεν. Ἂν ταύτης ἐχώμεθα, οὐδὲν ἡμῖν ἔσται δεινὸν, πάντα ῥᾴδια, πάντα εὔκολα· κἂν διὰ πυρὸς διαβαίνωμεν, κἂν δι' ὕδατος, πάντα εἴκει τῇ ἀρετῇ καὶ παραχωρεῖ, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ θάνατος. Ζηλώσωμεν τοίνυν αὐτὴν, ἵνα καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Εʹ. Ἐπεφάνη γὰρ ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ σωτήριος πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις, παιδεύουσα

ἡμᾶς, ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας, σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι·

προσδεχόμενοι τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· ὃς ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα λυτρώσηται ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀνομίας, καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἑαυτῷ λαὸν

περιούσιον, ζηλωτὴν καλῶν ἔργων. αʹ. Πολλὴν παρὰ τῶν οἰκετῶν ἀπαιτήσας τὴν ἀρετὴν (καὶ γάρ ἐστι πολλὴ τὸ τὴν διδασκαλίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν κοσμεῖν ἐν πᾶσι, καὶ μηδεμίαν διδόναι τοῖς δεσπόταις λαβὴν, μηδὲ ἐν τῷ τυχόντι), ἐπ 62.688 άγει καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν δικαίαν, δι' ἣν ὀφείλουσι τοιοῦτοι εἶναι οἱ οἰκέται. Ποίαν δὲ ταύτην; Ἐπεφάνη γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ χάρις τοῦ