1 THES. 5, 18.

450

Seeking gain by others' loss unchristian.

Let us therefore, both poor and rich, cease from taking the property of others. For my present discourse is not only to the rich, but to the poor also. For they too rob those who are poorer than themselves. And artisans who are better off, and more powerful, outsell the poorer and more distressed, Iar tradesmen outsell' tradesman, and so all who are engaged in πολοῦσι, perhaps the market-place. So that I wish from every side to take away injustice. For the injury consists not in the measure of the things plundered and stolen, but in the purpose of him that steals. And that these are more thieves and defrauders, who do not despise little gains, I know and remember that I have before told you, if you also remember it. But let us not be over exact. Let them be equally bad with the rich. Let us instruct our mind not to covet greater things, not to aim at more than we have. But in the heavens let our desire of more never have any limit, but let each be ever coveting more. But upon earth let every one be for what is needful and sufficient, and seek nothing more, that so we may be able to obtain those real goods, by the grace and lovingkindness, &c. &c.

b I..in heavenly things,' and so both Lat.

HOMILY XI.

1 THESS. v. 19-22.

Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

A THICK mist and darkness and cloud is spread over all the earth. And, shewing this, the Apostle says, For ye were Ephes. sometime darkness. And again, Ye, brethren, are not in 5,8. darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Since therefore there is, so to speak, a moonless night, and we walk in that night, God hath given us a bright lamp, having kindled in our souls the grace of the Holy Spirit. But some who have received this light have rendered it more bright and shining", as, for instance, Paul and Peter, and all those Saints. But others also have extinguished it, as the five virgins, as those who have made shipwreck of the faith, as the fornicator of Corinth, as the Galatians who were perverted.

b

On this account Paul now says, Quench not the Spirit, that is, the gift of grace', for it is his custom so to call the ò xágift of the Spirit. But this an impure life extinguishes. For qua as any one, who has sprinkled water or dust upon the light of our lamp, extinguishes it, and if he does not this, but only takes out the oil-so it is also with the gift of grace. For if you have cast over it earthly things, and the cares of fluctuating matters, you have quenched the Spirit. And if you have done none of these things, but a temptation coming

5,19-22.

452

How to keep the Lamp of the Spirit alight.

1 THES. from some other quarter has vehemently assailed it, as some wind, and if the light be not strong, or it has not much oil, or you have not closed the opening, or have not shut the door, all is undone. But what is the opening? As in the lamp, so is it also in us: the opening is the eye and the ear. Suffer not a violent blast of wickedness to fall upon these, since it would extinguish the lamp, but close them up with the fear of God. The mouth is the door. Shut it, and fasten it, that it may both give light, and repel the attack from without. For instance, has any one insulted and reviled you? Do you shut the mouth. For if you open it, you add force to the wind. Do you not see in houses, when two doors stand directly opposite, and there is a strong wind, how, if you shut one, and there is no opposite draught, the wind has no power, but the greater part of its force is abated? So also now, there are two doors, thy mouth, and his who insults and affronts thee; if thou shuttest thy mouth, and dost not allow a draught on the other side, thou hast quenched the whole blast; but if thou openest it, it will not be restrained. Let us not therefore quench it ".

1 ἀπὸ

ἐλεημο

σύνης

And the flame is often liable to be extinguished even when nothing assails it. When the oil fails, when we do not alms, the Spirit is quenched. For it came to thee as an alms' from God. Then He sees this fruit not existing in thee, and flies away. For he abides not with an unmerciful soul. But the Spirit being quenched, ye know what follows, as many of you as have walked in a moonless night. And if it is difficult to walk by night in a road from land to land, how is it safe in the road that leads from earth to heaven? Know ye not how many demons there are in the intervening space, how many wild beasts, how many spirits of wickedness? If indeed we have that light, they will not be able to hurt us; but if we extinguish it, they soon take us captive, they soon rob us of every thing. Since even robbers first extinguish the lamp, and then plunder us. For they indeed see in this darkness, since they do the works of darkness: but we are unaccustomed to that light'. Let us not then extinguish it. All

6

d 1 Paris, the gift.'

f One Ms. 'that space,' i. e. between

Of this play upon the word, see earth and heaven. pp. 49, 50.

Use of the Gift of discerning spirits.

453

X1.

evil doing extinguishes that light, whether reviling, or in- Hom. solence, or whatever you can mention. For as in the case of fire, every thing that is foreign to its nature is destructive of it, but that kindles it which is congenial to it. So it is also in the case of the light. Whatever is dry, whatever is warm, whatever is fiery, kindles the flame of the Spirit. Let us not therefore overlay it with any thing cold or damp. For these things are destructive of it.

But there is also another explanation. There were among them many indeed who prophesied truly, but some prophesied falsely. This also he says in the Epistle to the Corinthians, that on this account He gave the discerning of 1 Cor. spirits. For the devil, of his vile craft', wished by this 12, 10. 1 μικρός gift to subvert the whole Church. For since both the devil. and the Spirit prophesied concerning the future, the one indeed uttering falsehood, and the other truth, and it was not possible from any quarter to receive a proof of one or the other, but each spoke irresponsibly, as Jeremiah and Ezekiel had done, but it was in the progress of time they were convicted, 'He gave also the discerning of spirits. Since therefore even then among the Thessalonians many prophesied, glancing at whom he says, Be not troubled, 2 Thess. neither by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the 2, 2. day of the Lord is at hand. Having said, Quench not the Spirit; he has opportunely added also what follows, Despise not prophesyings. What therefore he wishes here to signify is this, Do not, because there are false prophets among you, on their account prohibit also these, and turn away from them. Quench them not, that is, Despise not prophesyings.

Seest thou that this is what he means by, Prove all things? Because he had said, Despise not prophesyings, lest they should think that he opened the pulpit to all, he says, rò Prove all things, that is, such as are really prophecies'. βήμα

2

has and spoke irresponsibly, when.
the spirit of discernment came, (for
God gave also a spirit of discernment,)
they were detected.' The received
reading makes sense only with Savile's
punctuation.

ki. e. to obviate the delay.

The same Ms. perhaps rightly

5, 24.

Jor every

454

Prayer of the Teacher for his disciples.

1 THES. Hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance1 of evil. Not from this or that, but from all. That you may form. by proof distinguish both true things and false, and abstain from the latter, and hold fast the former. For thus both the hatred of the one and the love of the other becomes strong, when we do all things not carelessly, nor without examination, but with careful investigation.

Ver. 23. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Observe the affection of the Teacher. After the admonition he adds a prayer, and not only that, but even introduces it in his letter ". For we need both counsel and prayer. For this reason we also first giving you counsel, then offer prayers for you. And this the Initiated know. But Paul indeed did this with good reason, having great confidence towards God, whereas we are confounded with shame, and have no freedom of speech, but because we are appointed to it we do it, being unworthy even to stand in His presence, and to hold the place of the lowest disciples. But because 2 See p. grace works even by the unworthy, not for our own sakes but for theirs who are about to be benefited, we contribute our parts.

220.

Sanctify you wholly, he says, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. What does he there call the spirit? The gift of grace. For if we depart hence having our lamps bright, we shall enter into the bride chamber. But if they are quenched, it will not be so. For this reason he says your whole spirit. For if that remains pure, the other remains also. And soul and body, he says. For neither the one nor the other then admits any thing evil.

Ver. 24. Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it.

Observe his humility. For, because he had prayed, Think not, he says, that this happens from my prayers, but from the

places this after Hold fast that which is
good. To prove, however, (doxinálu,)
is generally used in a favourable sense.

m The same omits but even,' &c. and proceeds, For the Teacher needs,

&c.