 Chapter 14 of On the Duties of the clergy. Book the third. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. On the Duties of the clergy by Saint Ambrose. Book the third. Chapter 14. How virtuous and useful was that which Elisha did? This is compared with that oft-recounted act of the Greeks. John gave up his life for virtuous sake, and Susanna for the same reason exposed herself to the danger of death. What did Elisha follow but virtue when he brought the army of Syria who had come to take him as captive into Samaria after having covered their eyes with blindness? Then he said, O Lord, open their eyes that they may see, and they saw. But when the king of Israel wished to slay those that had entered and asked the prophet to give him leave to do so, he answered that they whose captivity was not brought about by strength of hand or weapons of war must not be slain, but that rather he should help them by supplying food. Then they were refreshed with plenty of food. And after that, those Syrian robbers thought they must never again return to the land of Israel. How much nobler was this than that which the Greeks once did? For when two nations drove one with the other to gain glory and supreme power, and one of them had the opportunity to burn the ships of the other secretly, they thought it a shameful thing to do so, and preferred to gain a less advantage honorably than a greater one in shameful wise. They indeed could not act thus without disgrace to themselves, and entrapped by this plot those who had banded together for the sake of ending the Persian war. Though they could deny it in word, yet they could never but blush at the thought of it. Elisha, however, wished to save, not destroy, those who were deceived indeed, though not by some foul act, and had been struck blind by the power of the Lord. For it was Seamli to spare an enemy, and to grant his life to an adversary, when indeed he could not have taken it, had he not spared it. It is plain, then, that whatever is Seamli is always useful. For Holy Judith by Seamli disregard for her own safety put an end to the dangers of the siege, and by her own virtue won what was useful to all in common, and Elisha gained more renown by pardoning than he would have done by slaying, and preserved those enemies whom he had taken for greater usefulness. And what else did John have in mind but what is virtuous, so that he could not endure a wicked union even in the king's case, saying, It is not lawful for thee to have her to wife. He could not have been silent, had he not thought it unseemly for himself not to speak the truth for fear of death, or to make the prophetic offence yield to the king, or to indulge in flattery. He knew well, that he would die as he was against the king, but he preferred virtue to safety. Yet what is more expedient than the suffering which brought glory to the saint? Holy Susanna too, when threatened with the fear of false witness, seeing herself heart-pressed on one side by danger, on the other by disgrace, preferred to avoid disgrace by virtue's death, rather than to endure and live a shameful life in the desire to save herself. So, while she fixed her mind on virtue, she also preserved her life. But if she had preferred what seemed to her to be useful to preserve life, she would never have gained such great renown, may, perhaps, and that would have been not only useless but even dangerous. She might even not have escaped the penalty for her crime. We note, therefore, that whatsoever is shameful cannot be useful, nor again can that which is virtuous be useless. For usefulness is ever the double of virtue and virtue of usefulness. End of Chapter 14 Chapter 15 of On the Duties of the Clergy Book III On the Duties of the Clergy by St. Ambrose Book III Chapter 15 After mentioning a noble action of the Romans, the writer shows from the deeds of Moses that he had the greatest reward for what is virtuous. It is related as a memorable deed of a Roman general that when the physician of a hostile king came to him and promised to give him poison, he sent him back bound to the enemy. In truth, it is a noble thing for a man to refuse to gain the victory by foul acts after he has entered on the struggle for power. He did not consider virtue to lie in victory, but declared that to be a shameful victory unless it was gained with honor. Let us return to our hero, Moses, and to loftier deeds to show they were both superior as well as earlier. The king of Egypt would not let the people of our fathers go. Then Moses bade the priest Aaron to stretch his rod over older waters of Egypt. Aaron stretched it out, and the water of the river was turned into blood. None could drink the water, and all the Egyptians were perishing with thirst. But there was pure water flowing in abundance for the fathers. They sprinkled ashes toward heaven, and sores and burning boils came upon man and beast. They brought down hail mingled with flaming fire, and all things were destroyed upon the land. Moses prayed, and all things were restored to their former beauty. The hail ceased, the sores were healed, the rivers gave their wounded draught. Then again the land was covered with thick darkness for the space of three days, because Moses had raised his hand and spread out the darkness. All the first born of Egypt died, whilst all the offspring of the Hebrews were left unharmed. Moses was asked to put an end to these horrors, and he prayed and obtained his request. In the one case, it was a fact worthy of praise that he checked himself from joining in deceit. In the other, it was noteworthy how, by his innate goodness, he turned aside from the foe those divinely ordered punishments. He was indeed, as it is written, gentle and meek. He knew that the king would not keep true to his promises, yet he thought it right and good to pray when asked to do so, to bless when wronged, to forgive when besought. He cast down his rod, and it became a serpent which devoured the serpents of Egypt. This signifying that the word should become flesh, to destroy the poison of the dread serpent by the forgiveness and pardon of sins. For the rod stands for the word that is true, royal, filled with power, and glorious in ruling. The rod became a serpent, so he who was the son of God begotten of the father became the son of man born of a woman, and lifted, like the serpent on the cross, poured his healing medicine on the wounds of man. Wherefore the Lord himself says, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up. Again, another sign which Moses gave points to our Lord Jesus Christ. He put his hand into his bosom and drew it out again, and his hand was become a snow. A second time he put it in and drew it out, and it was again like the appearance of human flesh. This signified first the original glory of the God-head of the Lord Jesus, and then the assumption of our flesh, in which truth all nations and peoples must believe. So he put in his hand, for Christ is the right hand of God, and whosoever does not believe in his God-head and incarnation is punished as a sinner. Like that king who, whilst not believing open and plain signs yet afterwards, when punished prayed that he might find mercy. How great then Moses' regard for virtue must have been is shown by these proofs, and especially by the fact that he offered himself on behalf of the people praying that God would either forgive the people, or blot him out of the Book of the Living. End of chapter 15 Chapter 16, often the duties of the clergy Book III This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org On the duties of the clergy by Saint Ambrose Book III Chapter 16 After saying a few words about Tobit, he demonstrates that raguels surpass the philosophers in virtue. Tobit also clearly portrayed in his life true virtue when he left the feast and buried the dead and invited the needy to the meals at his own poor table. And raguul is a still brighter example for here in his regard for virtue when asked to give his daughter in marriage was not silent regarding his daughter's faults for fear of seeming to get the better of the suitor by silence. So when Tobit the son of Tobias asked that his daughter might be given him, he answered that according to the law she ought to be given him as near of kin but that he had already given her to six men and all of them were dead. This just man then feared more for others than for himself and wished rather that his daughter should remain unmarried than that others should run risks in consequence of their union with her. How simply he settled all the questions of the philosophers. They talk about the defects of a house whether they ought to be concealed or made known by the vendor. Raguul was quite certain that his daughter's faults ought not to be kept secret and indeed he had not been eager to give her up. He was asked for her. We can have no doubt how much more nobly he acted than those philosophers when we consider how much more important a daughter's future is than some mere money affair. End of Chapter 16 Chapter 17 of On the Duties of the Clergy Book III This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org On the Duties of the Clergy by St. Ambrose Book III Chapter 17 With what virtuous feelings the fathers of old hid the sacred fires when on the point of going into captivity? Let us consider again that deed done at the time of the captivity which has attained the highest degree of virtue and glory. Virtue is checked by no adversities for it rises up among them and prevails here rather than in prosperity mid chains or arms mid flames or slavery which is harder for freemen to bear than any punishment meets the pains of the dying the destruction of their country the fears of the living or the blood of the slain amidst all this our forefathers failed not in their care and thought for what is virtuous amidst the ashes and dust of their fallen country it glowed and shone forth brightly in pious efforts for when our fathers were carried away into Persia certain priests who then were in the service of Almighty God secretly buried in the valley the fire taken from the altar of the Lord there was there an open pit with no water in it and not accessible for the ones of the people in a spot unknown and free from intruders there they sealed the hidden fire with the sacred mark and in secret they were not anxious to bury gold or to hide up silver to preserve it for their children but in their own great peril thinking of all that was virtuous they thought the sacred fire ought to be preserved so that impure men might not defile it nor the blood of the slain extinguish it nor the heaps of miserable ruins cover it so they went to Persia free only in their religion for that alone could not be torn from them by their captivity after a length of time indeed according to God's good pleasure he put it into the Persian king's heart to order the temple in Judea to be restored and the regular customs to be again rebuilt at Jerusalem to carry out this work of his the Persian king appointed the priest Nehemiah he took with him the grandchildren of those priests who on leaving their native soil had hidden the sacred fire to save it from perishing but on arriving as we are told in the history of the fathers they found not fire but water and when fire was wanting to burn upon the altars the priest Nehemiah bids them draw the water to bring it to him and to sprinkle it upon the wood then all wondrous sight though the sky had been overcast with clouds suddenly the sun shone forth a great fire flamed forth so that all wonder stricken at such a clear sign of the favour of the Lord who are filled with joy Nehemiah prayed the priest sang a hymn of praise to God when the sacrifice was completed Nehemiah again bade the remainder of the water to be poured upon the larger stones and when this was done a flame burst forth whilst the light shining from off the altar shone more brightly yet when this sign became known the king of Persia ordered the temple to be built on that spot where the fire had been hidden and the water afterwards found to which many gifts were made they who were with Holy Nehemiah called it Nathar which means cleansing by many it is called Nephi it is to be found also in the history of the prophet Jeremiah that he bade those who should come after him to take of the fire that is the fire which felon Moses sacrificed and consumed it as it is written there came out a fire out from the Lord and consumed upon the altar all the whole burnt offering the sacrifice must be hallowed with this fire only therefore also fire went out from the Lord upon the sons of Aaron who wished to offer strange fire and consumed them so that their dead bodies were cast forth without the camp Jeremiah coming to a spot found there a house like a cave and brought into it the tabernacle the ark and the altar of incense and closed up the entrance and when those who had come with him examined it rather closely to mark the spot they could not discover nor find it when Jeremiah understood what they wanted he said the spot will remain unknown until God shall gather his people together and be gracious to them then God shall reveal these things and the majesty of the Lord shall appear End of Chapter 17 Chapter 18 of On The Duties Of The Clergy Book III This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org On The Duties Of The Clergy by Saint Ambrose Book III Chapter 18 In the narration of that event already mentioned and especially of the sacrifice offered by Nehemiah is typified the Holy Spirit and Christian baptism the sacrifice of Moses and Elijah and history of Noah are also referred to the same we form the congregation of the Lord we recognize the propitiation of our Lord God which our propitiator wrote in his passion I think too we cannot live out of sight that fire when we read that the Lord Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire as John said in his Gospel rightly was the sacrifice consumed for it was for sin but that fire was a type of the Holy Spirit who was to come down after the Lord's ascension and forgive the sins of all and who like fire inflames the mind and faithful heart wherefore Jeremiah after receiving the Spirit says it became in my heart as a burning fire flaming in my bones and I am vile and cannot bear it in the acts of the Apostles also when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and those others who were waiting for the promise of the Father we read that tongues as a fire were distributed among them the soul of each one was so uplifted by his influence that they were supposed to be full of new wine who instead had received the gift of a diversity of tongues what else can this mean? namely that fire became water and water called forth fire but that spiritual grace burns out our sins through fire and through water cleanses them for sin is washed away and it is burnt away wherefore the Apostle says the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is and further on if any man's work shall be burned he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire this then we have stated so as to prove that sins are burnt out by means of fire we know now that this is in truth a sacred fire which then as a type of the future remission of sins came down upon the sacrifice this fire is hidden in the time of captivity during which sin reigns but in the time of liberty it is brought forth and though it is changed into the appearance of water yet it preserves its nature as fire so as to consume the sacrifice do not wonder when thou readest that God the Father said I am a consuming fire and again they have forsaken me the fountain of living water the Lord Jesus too like a fire inflamed the hearts of those who hurt him and like a fountain of waters cooled them for he himself said in his gospel that he came to send fire on the earth and to supply a draft of living waters to those who thirst in the time of Elijah also fire came down when he challenged the prophets of the heathen to light up the altar without fire when they could not do so he poured water thrice over his victim so that the water ran round about the altar then he cried out and the fire fell from the Lord from heaven and consumed the burnt offering thou art that victim contemplate in silence each single point the breath of the Holy Spirit descends on thee he seems to burn thee when he consumes thy sins the sacrifice which was consumed in the time of Moses was sacrifice for sin wherefore Moses said as it is written in the book of the Maccabees because the sacrifice for sin was not to be eaten it was consumed does it not seem to be consumed for thee when in the sacrament of baptism the whole outer man perishes our old man is crucified the apostle exclaims herein as the example of the fathers teaches us the Egyptian is swallowed up the Hebrew rises renewed by the Holy Spirit as he also crossed the Red Sea dry shod where our fathers were baptized in the cloud and in the sea in the flood too in Noah's time all flesh died though just now was preserved together with his family is not a man consumed when all that is mortal is cut off from life the outer man is destroyed but the inner is renewed not in baptism alone but also in repentance does this destruction of the flesh tend to the growth of the Spirit as we are taught on the apostles authority when Holy Paul says I have judged as though I were present him that hath so done this deed to deliver him unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ we seem to have made a somewhat lengthy digression for the sake of regarding this wonderful mystery in desiring to unfold more fully the sacrament which has been revealed to us and which indeed is as full of virtue as it is full of religious awe end of chapter 18 chapter 19 of on the duties of the clergy book the third this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org on the duties of the clergy by Saint Ambrose book the third chapter 19 the crime committed by the inhabitants of Gibea against the wife of a certain Levite is related and from the vengeance taken it is inferred how the idea of virtue must have filled the heart of those people of old what regard for virtue are forefathers had to avenge by a war the wrongs of one woman which had been brought on her by her violation and the hands of a profligate man nay when the people were conquered they vowed that they would not give their daughters in marriage to the tribe of Benjamin that tribe had remained without hope of posterity had they not received leave of necessity to use deceit and this permission does not seem to fail in giving fitting punishment for violation since they were only allowed to enter on a union by a rape and not through the sacrament of marriage and indeed it was right that they who had broken another's intercourse should themselves lose their marriage rights how full of pitiful traits is this story a man it says a Levite had taken to himself a wife who I suppose was called a concubine from the word concubitus she sometime afterwards as it won't to happen offended at certain things betook herself to her father and was with him four months then her husband rose and went to the house of his father-in-law to reconcile himself with his wife to win her back and take her home again the woman ran to meet him and her husband into her father's house the maiden's father rejoiced and went to meet him and the man stayed with him three days and they ate and rested on the next day the Levite arose at day break but was detained by his father-in-law that he might not so quickly lose the pleasure of his company again on the next and the third day the maiden's father did not suffer his son-in-law to start until their joy and mutual regard was complete but on the seventh day when it was already drawing to a close after a pleasant meal having urged the approach of the coming night saw as to make him think he ought to sleep amongst friends rather than strangers he was unable to keep him and so let him go together with his daughter when some little progress was made though night was threatening to come on and they were closed by the town of the Jebusites he confessed that his lord should turn aside there he refused because it was not a city of the children of Israel he meant to get as far as Gibea which was inhabited by the people of the tribe of Benjamin but when they arrived there was no one to receive them with hospitality except a stranger of advanced age when he had looked upon them he asked the Levite with a ghost thou and whence dost thou come he was answering that he was traveling and was making for Mount Ephraim and that there was no one to take him in the old man offered him hospitality and prepared a meal and when they were satisfied and the tables were removed vile men rushed up and surrounded the house then the old man offered these wicked men his daughter, a virgin and the concubine with whom she shared her bed only that violence might not be inflicted on his guest but when reason did no good and violence prevailed the Levite parted from his wife and they knew her and abused her all that night overcome by this cruelty or by grief at her wrong she fell at the door of their host where her husband had entered and gave up the ghost with the last effort of her life guarding the feelings of a good wife saw us to preserve for her husband at least her mortal remains when this became known to be brief almost all the people of Israel broke out into war the war remained doubtful with an uncertain issue but in the third engagement the people of Benjamin were delivered to the people of Israel and being condemned by the divine judgment paid the penalty for their profligacy the sentence further was that none of the people of the fathers should give his daughter in marriage to them this was confirmed by a solemn oath but relenting and having laid so hard a sentence on their brethren they moderated their severity so as to give them in marriage those maidens that had lost their parents whose fathers had been slain for their sins or to give them the means of finding a wife by raid because of the villainy of so foul a deed they who have violated another's marriage rights were shown to be to ask for marriage but for fear that one tribe might perish from the people they connived at the deceit what great regard our forefathers had for virtue is shown by the fact that 40,000 men drew the sword against their brethren of the tribe of Benjamin in their desire to avenge the wrong done to modesty for they would not endure the violation of chastity and so in that war on both sides there fell 5,000 warriors whilst their cities were burnt and when at first the people of Israel were defeated yet unmoved by fear at the reverses of the war they disregarded the sorrow the avenging of chastity cost them they rushed into the battle ready to wash out with their own blood the stains of the crime that had been committed end of chapter 19 chapter 20 on the duties of the clergy book the third this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org on the duties of the clergy by St. Ambrose book the third chapter 20 after the terrible siege of Samaria was ended in accordance with Elijah's prophecy what regard the four lepers showed for what was virtuous why need we wonder that the people of the Lord had regard for what was seemingly and virtuous when even the lepers as we read in the books of the kings showed concern for what is virtuous there was a great famine in Samaria for the army of the Syrians was besieging it the king in his anxiety was making the round of the guards on the walls when a woman addressed him saying this woman persuaded me to give up my son and I gave him up and we boiled him and did eat him and she promised that she would afterwards bring her son and that we should eat his flesh together but now she had hidden her son and will not bring him the king was troubled because these women seemed to have fed not merely on human bodies but on the bodies of their own children and being moved by an example misery threatened the prophet Elisha with death for he believed it was in his power to break up the siege and to avert the famine or else he was angry because the prophet had not allowed the king to smite the Syrians whom he had struck with blindness Elisha sat with the elders at Bethel and before the king's messenger came to him he said to the elders see how the son of that murderer has sent to take away my head then the messenger entered and brought the king's command threatening instant danger to his life him the prophet answered tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria then when the messenger sent by the king would not believe it saying if the lord would reign abundance of corn from heaven not even so would that come about Elisha said to him because thou has not believed thou shall see it with thine eyes but shall not eat of it and suddenly in the camp of Syria was there heard as it were a sound of chariots and a loud noise of horses and the noise of a great host and the tumult of some vast battle and the Syrians thought that the king of Israel had called to his help in the battle the king of Egypt and the king of the Amorites and they fled adorn leaving their tents for they feared that they might be crushed by the sudden arrival of fresh foes and would not be able to withstand the united forces of the kings this was unknown in Samaria for they dared not go out of the town being overcome with fear and also being weak through hunger but there were four lepers at the gate of the city to whom life was a misery and to die would be gained and they said one to another behold, we sit here and die if we enter into the city we shall die with hunger if we remain here there are no means of living at hand for us let us go to the Syrian camp either they will quickly kill us or grant us the means of safety so they went and entered into the camp and behold all was forsaken by the enemy entering the tents first of all on finding food they satisfied their hunger then they laid hold of as much golden silver as they could but whilst they were intent on the booty alone they arranged to announce to the king that the Syrians had fled for they thought this more virtuous than to withhold the information and keep for themselves the plunder gained by deceit at this information the people went forth and plundered the Syrian camp the supplies of the enemy produced an abundance and brought about cheapness of corn according to the prophet's word a measure of fine flour for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel in this rejoicing of the people that officer on whose hand the king leaned died being crushed and trodden on the food by the people as the crowds kept hurrying to go out or returned with great rejoicing end of chapter 20 chapter 21 of on the duties of the clergy book the third this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org on the duties of the clergy by Saint Ambrose book the third chapter 21 Esther in danger of her life followed the grace of virtue even a heathen king did so when death was threatened to a man most friendly to him for friendship must ever be combined with virtue as the examples of Jonathan and Ahimelech show why did Queen Esther expose herself to death and not fear the wrath of a fierce king was it not to save her people from death and act both seemingly in virtuous the king of Persia himself also though fierce and proud yet thought it seemingly to show honor to the man who had given information about a plot which had been laid against himself to save a free people from slavery to snatch them from death and not to spare him who had pressed on such and seemingly plans so finally he handed over to the gallows the man that stood second to himself and whom he counted chief among all his friends because he considered that he had dishonored him by his councils for that commendable friendship which maintains virtue is to be preferred most certainly to wealth or honors or power it is not wound to be preferred to virtue indeed but to follow after it so it was with Jonathan who for his affection's sake avoided not his father's displeasure nor the danger to his own safety so too it was with Ahimelech who to preserve the duties of hospitality thought he must endure death rather than betray his friend when fleeing end of chapter 21 chapter 22 of on the duties of the clergy book the third this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information auto-volunteer please visit LibriVox.org on the duties of the clergy and Ambrose book the third chapter 22 virtue must never be given up for the sake of a friend if however one has to bear witness against a friend it must be done with caution between friends what candor is needed in opening the heart what magnanimity in suffering what freedom in finding fault friendship is the guardian of virtues which are not to be a man of like character it must be mild in rebuking and averse to seeking its own advantage whence it happens that true friends are scarce among the rich what is the dignity of friendship the treachery of a friend as it is worse so it is also more hateful than another's as is recognized from the example of Judas and of Job's friends nothing then must be for virtue and that it may never be set aside by the desire for friendship scripture also gives us a warning on the subject of friendship there are indeed various questions raised among philosophers for instance whether a man ought for the sake of a friend to plot against his country or not so as to serve his friend whether it is right to break one's faith and so aid and scripture also says a maul and a sword and a sharp arrow so is a man that beareth false witness against his friend but note what it adds it blames not witness given against a friend but false witness for what if the cause of God or one's country compels one to give witness ought friendship to take a higher place than our religion or our love for our fellow citizens in these matters however true witness is required so that a friend may not be assailed by the treachery of a friend by whose good faith he ought to be acquitted a man then ought never to please a friend who desires evil or to plot against one who is innocent certainly if it is necessary to give witness then when one knows of any fault in a friend one ought to rebuke him secretly if he does not listen one must do it openly for rebukes are good and often better than a silent friendship even if a friend thinks himself hurt still rebuke him and if the bitterness of the correction wounds his mind still rebuke him and fear not the wounds of a friend are better than the kisses of flatterers rebuke them thy earring friend forsake not an innocent one for friendship ought to be steadfast and to rest firm in true affection we ought not to change our friends in childish fashion at some idle fancy open thy breast to a friend that he may be faithful to thee and that thou mayest receive from him the delight of thy life for a faithful friend is the medicine of life and the grace of immortality give way to a friend as to an equal and be not ashamed to be beforehand with thy friend in doing kindly duties for friendship knows nothing of pride so the wise man says do not blush to greet a friend do not desert a friend in time of need nor forsake him nor fail him for friendship is the support of life let us then bear our burdens as the apostle has taught for he spoke to those whom the charity of the same one the body had embraced together if friends in prosperity help friends why do they not also in times of adversity offer their support let us aid by giving counsel let us offer our best endeavours let us sympathize with them with all our heart if necessary let us endure for a friend even hardship often enmity has to be born for the sake of a friend's innocence often times revilings if one defends and answers for a friend who is found fault with and accused do not be afraid of such displeasure for the voice of the just says though evil come upon me I will endure it for a friend's sake in adversity too a friend is proved for in prosperity all seem to be friends but as in adversity patients and endurance are needed so in prosperity strong influences to check and confute the arrogance of a friend who becomes overbearing how nobly job when he was in adversity said pity me my friends pity me that is not a cry as it were of misery but rather one of blame for when he was unjustly reproached by his friends he answered pity me my friends that is he ought to show pity he has failed and over well my man with whose sufferings he ought to show sympathy for friendship's sake preserve then my sons that friendship you have begun with your brethren for nothing in the world is more beautiful than that it is indeed a comfort in this life to have one to whom thou canst open thy heart with whom thou canst share confidences and to whom thou canst entrust the secrets of thy heart with whom thou canst demand by thy side who will rejoice with thee in prosperity sympathize in troubles encourage in persecution what good friends those Hebrew children were whom the flames of the fiery furnace did not separate from their love of each other of them we have already spoken holy David says well soul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant inseparable in their life in death they were not divided this is the fruit of friendship and so faith may not be put aside for the sake of friendship he cannot be a friend to a man who has been unfaithful to God friendship is the guardian of pity and the teacher of equality so as to make the superior equal to the inferior and inferior to the superior for there can be no friendship between diverse characters and so the good will of either ought to be mutually suited to the other let not authority be wanting to the inferior if the matter demands it nor humility to the superior let him listen to the other as though he were of like position unequal and let the other warn and reprove like a friend not from a desire to show off but with a deep feeling of love let not thy warning be harsh nor thy rebuke bitter for as friendship ought to avoid flattery so too ought it to be free from arrogance for what is a friend but a partner in love to whom thou unitest and attachest thy soul and with whom thou blendest so as to desire from being too to become one to whom thou entrustest thyself as to a second self from whom thou fearst nothing and from whom thou demandest nothing dishonorable for the sake of thine own advantage friendship is not meant as a source of revenue but is full of seamliness full of grace friendship is a virtue not a way of making money it is produced not by money but by esteem not by the offer of rewards but by a mutual rivalry in doing kindnesses lastly the friendships of the poor are generally better than those of the rich and often the rich are without friends why else the poor have many for true friendship cannot exist where there is lying flattery many try foringly to please the rich but no one cares to make pretends to a poor man whatsoever is stated to a poor man is true his friendship is free from envy what is more precious than friendship which is shared alike by angels and by men wherefore the Lord Jesus says make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness that they may receive you into eternal habitations God himself makes us friends instead of servants as he himself says ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you he gave us a pattern of friendship to follow we are to fulfill the wish of a friend to unfold to him our secrets which we hold in our own hearts and are not to disregard his confidences let us show him our heart and he will open his to us therefore he says I have called you friends for I have made known unto you all things whatsoever I have heard of my father a friend then if he is a true one hides nothing he pours forth his soul as the Lord Jesus poured forth the mysteries of his father so he who does the will of God is his friend and is honored with this name he who is of one mind with him he too is his friend for there is unity of mind and friends and no one is more hateful than the man that injures friendship hence in the traitor the Lord found this the worst point on which to condemn his treachery namely that he gave no sign of gratitude and had mingled the poison of malice at the table of friendship so he says it was thou a man of like mind and mind acquaintance whoever didst take pleasant meals with me that is it could not be endured for thou didst fall upon him who granted grace to thee for if my enemy had reproached me I could have borne it and I would have hid myself from him who hated me an enemy can be avoided a friend cannot if he desires to lay a plot let us guard against him we cannot entrust our plans we cannot guard against him to whom we have already entrusted them and so to show up all the hatefulness of the sin he did not say thou my servant my apostle but thou a man of like mind with me that is thou art not my but thy own betrayer for thou didst betray a man of like mind with thyself the Lord himself he was displeased with the three princes who had not deferred to holy job wished to pardon them through their friend so that the prayer of friendship might win remission of sins therefore Job asked and got pardoned friendship helped them whom arrogance had harmed these things I have left with you my children that you may guard them in your minds you yourselves will prove whether they will be of any advantage meanwhile they offer you a large number of examples for almost all the examples drawn from our forefathers and also many a word of theirs are included within these three books so that although the language may not be graceful yet a succession of old time examples set down in such small compass may offer much instruction end of chapter 22 this concludes the reading of the three books on the duties of the clergy by Saint Ambrose of Milan