July 22

Brethren, be followers of me, and mark them that walk so as ye have us for an ensample.—Philippians 3:17.

He had said above, beware of dogs, from such he had led them away; to these he brings them near, whom they ought hereafter to imitate. If any one, saith he, will imitate us, if any one will walk the same road, take heed to them, for though I am not present, ye know the manner of my walk, that is, my conduct in life. For not by words only did he teach, but by deeds too; as in the chorus, and the army, the rest must imitate the leader of the chorus or the army, and thus advance in good order. For it is possible that the order may be dissolved by sedition.

The apostles, therefore, were a type, and kept throughout a certain archetypal model. Consider how entirely accurate their life was, so that they are proposed as an archetype and example, and as living laws. For what was said in writing, they manifested to all in their actions. This is the best teaching; thus the teacher will be able to carry on his disciple. But if he indeed speaks as a philosopher, but in his actions doth the contrary, he is no longer a teacher. For mere verbal wisdom is easy even for the disciple: but there is need of that teaching and leading which comes of deeds. For this maketh the teacher to be reverenced, and prepares the disciple to yield obedience. How so? When one sees him delivering wisdom in words, he will say he commands impossibilities; that they are impossibilities, the teacher is the first to show, by not doing them. But if he sees his virtue fully carried out in action, he will no longer be able to speak thus. Yet although the life of our teacher be careless, let us take heed to ourselves, and let us listen to the words of the prophet: And they shall be all taught of God. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them. Hast thou a teacher who is not virtuous? Still thou hast him who is truly a Teacher, whom alone thou shouldst call a Teacher. Learn from him: he hath said, Learn of me, for I am meek. Take not heed, then, to thy teacher, but to him and to his lessons. Take thence thy examples, thou hast a most excellent model, to it conform thyself. There are innumerable models laid before thee in the Scriptures of virtuous lives, so that if you will, go to the disciples after the Master. One hath shone forth through poverty, another through riches. As Elijah through poverty, Abraham through riches. Go to that example, which thou esteemest most easy, most befitting thyself to practice. Follow whichever thou wilt: for both lead to heaven. One shone forth by fasting, as John, another without fasting, as Job. Again, this latter had a care for his wife, his children, his daughters, his family, and possessed great wealth; the other possessed nothing but the garment of hair. And why do I make mention of family, or wealth, or money, when it is possible that even one in a kingdom should lay hold on virtue, for the house of a king would be found more full of trouble than any private family. David then shone forth in his kingdom. The purple and the diadem rendered him not at all remiss. To another it was intrusted to preside over a whole people, I mean Moses, which was a more difficult task, for there the power was greater, whence the difficulty too became greater. Thou hast seen men approved in wealth, thou hast seen them in poverty also, thou hast seen them in marriage, thou hast seen them in single life too; on the contrary, behold some lost in marriage and in single life, in wealth and in poverty. Wouldst thou see men saved in the rank of a soldier? look to Cornelius; and in the government of a family? look to the eunuch of the Ethiopian Queen. Thus it is universally. If we use our wealth as is fit, nothing will destroy us; but if not, all things will destroy us, whether a kingdom, or poverty, or wealth. But nothing will have power to hurt the man, who keeps well awake.

For tell me was captivity any harm? None at all. For consider, I pray thee, Joseph, who became a slave, and preserved his virtue. Consider Daniel, and the Three Children, who became captives, and how much the more they shone forth, for virtue shineth everywhere, is invincible, and nothing can put hindrances in its way. But why make I mention of poverty, and

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captivity, and slavery? Neither hunger, nor sores, nor disease can harm it. For disease is more hard to endure than slavery: such was Lazarus, such was Job, such was Timothy, straitened by often infirmities. Thou seest that nothing can obtain the mastery over virtue. Neither wealth, nor poverty, nor the having power, nor the being subject to it, nor the pre-eminence in affairs, nor disease, nor contempt, nor abandonment. But having left all these things below, and upon the earth, it hastens towards heaven, only let the soul be noble, and naught can hinder it from being virtuous. For when he who works is in vigor, nothing external can hinder him; for as in the arts, when the artificer is experienced and persevering, and thoroughly acquainted with his art, if disease overtakes him, he still hath it; if he become poor, he still hath it; whether he hath his tools in his hand or hath them not, whether he works or worketh not, he loseth not all his art: for the science of it is contained within him. Thus too the virtuous man, who is devoted to God, manifests his virtue, if you cast him into wealth, or if into poverty, if into disease, if into health, if into honor, if into dishonor. Did not the apostle pass through every state, By honor, it is written, and dishonor, by good report and evil report? For this makes the athlete, that he should be prepared for every thing, for such is the nature of virtue.

If thou sayest, I am not able to preside over many, I ought to lead a solitary life; thou offerest an insult to virtue, for it can make use of every state, and shine through all: only let it be in thy soul. Is there a famine? or is there abundance? It shows forth its own strength, as Paul saith, I know how to abound, and how to suffer need. Was he required to labor? He was not ashamed but wrought two years. Was hunger to be undergone? He sank not under it, nor wavered. Was death to be borne? He became not dejected, through all he exhibited his noble mind and skill. Him, therefore, let us imitate, and we shall have no cause of grief: for tell me, what will have power to grieve such an one? Nothing. As long as no one deprives us of this virtue, we shall be the most blessed of all men, in this life as well as in that to come. For suppose the good man hath a wife and children, and riches, and great honor, with all these things he remaineth alike virtuous. Take them away, and again in like sort he will be virtuous, neither overwhelmed by his misfortunes, nor puffed up by his prosperity, but as a rock standeth equally unmoved in the raging sea and in calm, neither broken by the waves nor influenced at all by the calm, thus, too, the strong mind stands firm both in calm and in storm. And as little children, when sailing in a ship, are tossed about, whilst the pilot sits by, laughing and undisturbed, and delighted to see their confusion; thus, too, the soul which is truly wise, when all others are in confusion, or else are inopportunely smiling at any change or circumstance, itself sits unmoved, as it were, at the helm of piety. For tell me, what can disturb the pious soul? Can death? This she knows to be the beginning of a better life. Can poverty? This helps her on toward virtue. Can disease? She regards not its presence. Why speak I of disease? She regards neither care nor tribulation; for being beforehand with it, she hath straitened herself. Can dishonor? The whole world hath been crucified to her. Can the loss of children? She fears it not. For when she is fully persuaded of the Resurrection, what can surprise her? None of all these things. Doth wealth elevate her? By no means, she knoweth that money is nothing. Doth glory? She hath been taught that all the glory of man is as the flower of grass. Doth luxury? She hath heard Paul say, She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. Since, then, she is neither inflamed nor cramped, what can equal such health as this?

Other souls, meanwhile, are not such, but change more frequently than the sea, or the chameleon, so that thou hast great cause to smile, when thou seest the same man at one time laughing, at another weeping, at one time full of care, at another elated beyond measure. For this cause Paul saith, Be not conformed to this world. For we are citizens of heaven, where there is no turning. Prizes which change not are held out to us. Wherefore let us make manifest this our citizenship, let us thence already receive our good things. Why do we cast ourselves into the Euripus, into tempest, into storm, into foam? Let us be in calm. It depends not on wealth, nor on poverty, nor honor, nor dishonor, nor on sickness, nor on health, nor on weakness, but on our own soul. If it is firm and well instructed in the science of virtue, all things will be easy to it. Even hence it will already behold its rest, and that quiet harbor, and, on its departure, will there meet innumerable good things, the which may we all obtain by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom, to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and world without end. Amen.