103. Do you then forgive injuries done to you that you may be children of Jacob. Be not provoked as was Esau. Imitate holy David, who as a good master left us what we should follow, saying: "Instead of loving me they spake against me, but I prayed," [3793] and when he was reviled, he prayed. Prayer is a good shield, wherewith contumely is kept away, cursing is repelled and often is turned back on those who utter it, so that they are wounded by their own weapons. "Let them curse," he says, "but bless Thou." [3794] The curse of man is to be sought for, which procures the blessing of the Lord.
104. And for the rest, most dear brethren, consider that Jesus suffered without the gate, and do you go forth out of this earthly city, for your city is Jerusalem which is above. Let your conversation be there, that you may say: "But our conversation is in heaven." [3795] Therefore did Jesus go forth out of the city, that you going out of this world may be above the world. Moses alone, who saw God, had his tabernacle without the camp when he talked with God; [3796] and the blood indeed of the victims which were offered for sin, was brought to the altar, but the bodies were burnt without the camp; [3797] for no one placed amidst the evil of this world can lay aside sin, nor is his blood accepted of God, except he go forth from the defilement of this body.
105. Love hospitality, whereby holy Abraham found favour, and received Christ as his guest, and Sarah already worn with age gained a son; Lot also escaped the fire of the destruction of Sodom. You too can receive Angels if you offer hospitality to strangers. What shall I say of Rahab who by this means found safety?
106. Compassionate those who are bound with chains, as though bound with them. Comfort those in sorrow; for, "It is better to go into the house of mourning than into the house of rejoicing." [3798] From the one is gained the merit of a good work, from the other a lapse into sin. Lastly, in the one case you still hope for the reward, in the other you have already received it. Feel with those who are afflicted as if also afflicted with them.
107. Let a wife show deference, not be a slave to her husband; let her show herself ready to be ruled not coerced. She is not worthy of wedlock who deserves chiding. Let a husband also guide his wife like a steersman, honour her as the partner of his life, share with her as a joint heir of grace.
108. Mothers, wean your children, love them, but pray for them that they may long live above this earth, not on the earth but above it, for there is nothing long-lived on this earth, and that which lasts long is but short and very frail. Warn them rather to take up the Cross of the Lord than to love this life.
109. Mary, the mother of the Lord stood by her Son's Cross; no one has taught me this but the holy Evangelist St. John. [3799] Others have related how the earth was shaken at the Lord's passion, the sky was covered with darkness, the sun withdrew itself; [3800] that the thief was after a faithful confession received into paradise. [3801] John tells us what the others have not told, how the Lord fixed on the Cross called to His mother, esteeming it of more worth that, victorious over His sufferings, He rendered her the offices of piety, than that He gave her a heavenly kingdom. For if it be according to religion to grant pardon to the thief, it is a mark of much greater piety that a mother is honoured with such affection by her Son. "Behold," He says, "thy Son"...."Behold thy mother." [3802] Christ testified from the Cross, and divided the offices of piety between the mother and the disciple. The Lord made not only a public but also a private testament, and John signed this testament of His, a witness worthy of so great a Testator. A good testament not of money but of eternal life, which was written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, Who says: "My tongue is the pen of a quickly writing scribe." [3803]
110. Nor was Mary below what was becoming the mother of Christ. When the apostles fled, she stood at the Cross, and with pious eyes beheld her Son's wounds, for she did not look for the death of her Offspring, but the salvation of the world. Or perchance, because that "royal hall" [3804] knew that the redemption of the world would be through the death of her Son, she thought that by her death also she might add something to the public weal. But Jesus did not need a helper for the redemption of all, Who saved all without a helper. Wherefore also He says: "I am become like a man without help, free among the dead." [3805] He received indeed the affection of His mother, but sought not another's help.
111. Imitate her, holy mothers, who in her only dearly beloved Son set forth so great an example of maternal virtue; for neither have you sweeter children, nor did the Virgin seek the consolation of being able to bear another son.
112. Masters, command your servants not as being below you in rank, but as remembering that they are sharers of the same nature as yourselves. [3806] Servants, serve your masters with good will, for each ought patiently to support that to which he is born, and be obedient not only to good but also to froward masters. For what thanks has your service if you zealously serve good masters? But if you thus serve the froward also you gain merit; for the free also have no reward, if when they transgress they are punished by the judges, but this is their merit to suffer without transgressing. And so you, if contemplating the Lord Jesus you serve even difficult masters with patience, will have your reward. Since the Lord Himself suffered, the just at the hand of the unjust, and by His wonderful patience nailed our sins to His Cross, that he who shall imitate Him may wash away his sins in His Blood.
113. In fine, turn all to the Lord Jesus. Let your enjoyment of this life be with a good conscience, your endurance of death with the hope of immortality, your assurance of the resurrection through the grace of Christ; let truth be with simplicity, faith with confidence, abstinence with holiness, industry with soberness, conversation with modesty, learning without vanity; let there be soberness of doctrine, faith without the intoxication of heresy. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
[3646] The people demanded, requested, or acclaimed some one as bishop [postulavit], and he was then elected, if they thought well, by the clergy. St. Ambrose makes this clear [Ep. XV. 12], saying of Acholius, "Ad summum sacerdotium a Macedonicis obsecratus populis, electus a sacerdotibus."
[3647] S. Matt. xviii. 21.
[3648] S. John i. 26.
[3649] Ps. xix. [xviii.] 1.
[3650] Acts vii. 56.
[3651] Dan. vii. 9.
[3652] Ps. lxxxii. [lxxxi.] 1.
[3653] There were two apostate monks, followers apparently of Jovinian, who was condemned by synods at Rome and Milan a.d. 390.
[3654] 1 Cor. ix. 27.
[3655] S. John ii. 19.
[3656] 1 Cor. v. 9.
[3657] This was one of the errors of Jovinian.
[3658] 1 Cor. v. 10, 11.
[3659] Eph. v. 3.
[3660] Eph. v. 5.
[3661] Rom. vi. 3.
[3662] Rom. viii. 17.
[3663] 1 Cor. x. 7.
[3664] See de Off. i. 50.
[3665] Who this may be is unknown, and the name, even, owing to various readings, is uncertain.
[3666] S. Matt. iv. 3.
[3667] S. Matt. iv. 4.
[3668] S. Matt. xvii. 21.
[3669] Acts x. 10.
[3670] Ex. xxxiv. 28.
[3671] Dan. vi.-vii.
[3672] Tobit xii. 8, 9.
[3673] 1 Cor. xv. 32.
[3674] 1 Cor. xv. 33.
[3675] Demarchus is mentioned by no writer besides St. Ambrose. The Benedictine editors suggest that Hermachus is meant, who succeeded Epicurus as leader of his school.
[3676] Acts xvii. 18.
[3677] Gen. ix. 20.
[3678] 1 Tim. v. 23.
[3679] 1 [3] Kings xix. 6.
[3680] Ex. xvii. 6.
[3681] Dan. i. 8.
[3682] Dan. vi. 22.
[3683] Dan. iii. 27.
[3684] Judg. xiii. i6.
[3685] Esth. iv. 16.
[3686] S. Luke ii. 37.
[3687] 2 [4] Kings iv. 39.
[3688] Ezra vii. 6.
[3689] 2 Cor. xi. 27.
[3690] Isa. lviii. 11.
[3691] Ps. xxiii. [xxii.] 5 [LXX.].
[3692] Ecclus. xviii. 30, 31.
[3693] Ecclus. xix. 2.
[3694] Col. ii. 9.
[3695] i.e. Miriam, the Hebrew form of the name.
[3696] Ex. xv. 20.
[3697] 1 Cor. vii. 25.
[3698] Cant. iv. 12.
[3699] 2 Cor. xi. 2.
[3700] 1 Cor. vii. 26.
[3701] 1 Cor. vii. 32.
[3702] Rom. xiv. 2.
[3703] 1 Cor. vii. 37-40.
[3704] Ex. iii. 5.
[3705] Deut. v. 31.
[3706] Ps. xxvi. [xxv.] 4.
[3707] Ps. l. [xlix.] 20.
[3708] Ps. cxxxiv. [cxxxiii.] 1, 2.
[3709] 1 Cor. x. 12.
[3710] Ps. xxvi. [xxv.] 5.
[3711] Ps. xxxvii. [xxxvi.] 1.
[3712] Prov. xiv. 30 [LXX.].
[3713] S. Matt. ix. 12.
[3714] Heb. v. 5.
[3715] Heb. v. 5, quoted loosely.
[3716] Num. xvi. 40.
[3717] Heb. v. 2.
[3718] Heb. v. 4.
[3719] Heb. v. 3.
[3720] S. John i. 1.
[3721] Rev. i. 8.
[3722] Heb. vi. 12.
[3723] Ps. xcix. [xcviii.] 1.
[3724] Num. xvi. 48.
[3725] Num. xvi. 32.
[3726] Num. xvi. 3.
[3727] Num. xvi. 17.
[3728] Num. xvi. 8, 9.
[3729] Num. xvi. 9-11.
[3730] Num. xii. 10.
[3731] Rom. xi. 25.
[3732] Prov. xv. 18.
[3733] Ps. iv. 4.
[3734] 1 Tim. iii. 2.
[3735] Tit. i. 7.
[3736] Tit. i. 9.
[3737] Tit. i. 6.
[3738] 1 Tim. iii. 2.
[3739] In concilio Nicoeni tractatus--"the Council of the Nicene tractate or creed," possibly. The reference is plain, though there are various readings, and tractatus may not mean the creed. The real difficulty is that in the 20 extant Canons of Nicæa, there is no reference of the kind, and there is no evidence that any are missing. Perhaps St. Ambrose is quoting from memory, or some faulty collection, and so other canons are wrongly spoken of as Nicene. On the subject comp. St. Ambr. de Off. I. 257, and Dict. Chr. Ant. art. "Digamy."
[3740] Nectarius, unbaptized and holding a civil office, was appointed to the see of Constantinople, on the resignation of St. Gregory of Nazianzus, during the sitting of the second oecumenical council at Constantinople.
[3741] 1 Tim. iii. 6.
[3742] Heb. xi. 37.
[3743] Dan. i. 16.
[3744] Heb. xi. 33, 34.
[3745] The two Bishops, Eusebius of Vercellæ and Dionysius of Milan, were banished by Valens, because in a council at Milan a.d. 355.
[3746] Prov. xix. 12.
[3747] 2 Cor. vi. 10.
[3748] 1 Cor. vi. 9.
[3749] Eph. vi. 12.
[3750] S. Matt. xvii. 24.
[3751] Gal. ii. 20.
[3752] Acts xx. 24.
[3753] Gal. vi. 14.
[3754] 1 [3] Kings xvii. 3.
[3755] 1 [3] Kings xix. 8.
[3756] Ps. civ. [ciii.] 15.
[3757] Ps. xlvi. [xlv.] 4.
[3758] S. Matt. v. 17.
[3759] S. John vii. 38.
[3760] Ps. cxlvii. [cxlvi.] 9.
[3761] 1 Cor. iii. 2.
[3762] Ps. lxv. [lxiv.] 8.
[3763] Ps. lxv. [lxiv.] 9.
[3764] Ps. xxxvii. [xxxvi.] 1.
[3765] Ps. xxvi. [xxv.] 5.
[3766] S. Matt. v. 44.
[3767] S. Matt. v. 44.
[3768] Deut. xxxii. 35.
[3769] Col. iii. 11.
[3770] 1 Pet. i. 18, 19.
[3771] 1 Pet. i. 15.
[3772] 1 Pet. i. 17.
[3773] 1 Pet. i. 18.
[3774] Ps. xxxiv. [xxxiii.] 6.
[3775] 2 Cor. viii. 9.
[3776] Acts iii. 6.
[3777] Phil. ii. 9.
[3778] Isa. xxxv. 3.
[3779] Prov. xiii. 8.
[3780] Probably a reference to Dan. iv. 27 [LXX.].
[3781] Prov. x. 15.
[3782] Ps. lxxiii. [lxxii.] 26.
[3783] Ps. cxxxii. [cxxxi.] 6.
[3784] Ps. xxxiii. [xxxii.] 17.
[3785] Isa. i. 3.
[3786] Isa. liii. 7.
[3787] Phil. i. 1.
[3788] S. Matt. xi. 12.
[3789] Rom. xii. 19.
[3790] S. John i. 29.
[3791] S. Matt. xviii. 21.
[3792] S. Matt. xviii. 22.
[3793] Ps. cix. [cviii.] 4.
[3794] Ps. cix. [cviii.] 28.
[3795] Phil. iii. 20.
[3796] Ex. xxxiii. 7.
[3797] Ex. xxix. 12, 13.
[3798] Eccl. vii. 2.
[3799] S. John xix. 25.
[3800] S. Matt. xxvii. 45.
[3801] S. Luke xxiii. 43.
[3802] S. John xix. 27.
[3803] Ps. xlv. [xliv.] 1.
[3804] The expression "Aula regalisi" applied to the Blessed Virgin is also used by St. Ambrose, de Inst. Virg. XII. 79, and in the Hymn for the Nativity of our Lord--"Veni Redemptor gentium," verse 4--"Procedit e thalamo Suo, Pudoris aula Regia." The force is lost in the translation adopted in Hymns Ancient and Modern, No. 57, but is preserved in Dr. Neale's version, "Proceeding from His chamber free, The royal hall of chastity."--Hymnal Noted, No. 31.