Disgustingness of fornication. 393 ར. another's. But if where the body is another's, he does not Hoм. refuse to dip his own hands, tell me, shall we refuse, where it is our own body? For you are our body, sickly1 indeed 1 or and impure, but ours nevertheless. 'weak.' What then is this which I say, and for which I have made so long an exhortation? Because the garment indeed which your slave wears, you would not choose ever to wear, being disgusted on account of its filth, but you would rather go naked than make use of it. But a body that is unclean and filthy, and which is used not only by your slave, but by numberless others, that will you abuse, and not be disgusted? Are you ashamed at hearing this? But be ashamed of the actions, not of the words. And I pass over all other things, the rudeness, and the corruption of their manners, the servility and illiberality of the rest of their life. Tell me, should you and your servant go to the same woman? and I wish it were only your servant, and not, it may be, the executioner! And yet you could not bear to take the executioner by the hand; but her who has been made one body with him you kiss and embrace, and do not shudder, nor fear! Are you not ashamed? are you not abashed? are you not pierced with anguish? (4) I said indeed to your fathers, that they ought early to lead you to marriage: but nevertheless neither are you without liability to punishment. For if there were not others, or rather many young men living in chastity, both formerly, and now, there would perhaps be some excuse for you. But if there are, how can you say, that we were not able to restrain the flame of lust? For they, who have been able, are your accusers, in that they are partakers of the same nature. Hear Paul saying, Follow peace ... and holiness, without Heb.12, which no man shall see the Lord. Is not this threat sufficient to terrify you? Do you see others continuing altogether in chastity, and in gravity passing their lives; and cannot you command yourself even so long as the period of youth? Do you see others ten thousand times overcoming pleasure, and cannot you once refrain? With your leave, I will tell you cause. the For youth is not the cause, since then all young men would be dissolute. But we thrust ourselves into the fire. For when you go up to the theatre, and feast your eyes with 14. mothers 394 Theatrical exhibitions excite evil desires. 1 THES. the naked limbs of women, for the time indeed you are 4, 7.8. delighted, but afterwards, you have nourished thence a mighty fever. When you see women exhibited as it were in the form of their bodies, and spectacles and songs containing nothing else but irregular loves such a woman, it is said, loved such a man, and not obtaining him, hanged herself; lal.step- and unlawful loves having mothers' for their object; when you receive these things by hearing, and through women, and through figures, yea, and even through old men, (for many there put masks upon their faces, and play the parts of women,) tell me, how will you be able to continue chaste afterwards, these narratives, these sights, these songs occupying your soul, and dreams of this sort henceforth succeeding. For it is the nature of the soul for the most part to raise visions of such things, as it wishes for and desires in the day time. Therefore when you there both see base actions, and hear base words, and receive indeed the wounds but do not apply the remedies, how will not the sore be increased? will not the disease become more intense; and in a much greater degree than in our bodies? For if we were willing, our will admits of correction more easily than our bodies. For there indeed drugs, and physicians, and time are required, but here it is sufficient having but the will, to become both good and bad. So that you have rather admitted the disorder. When therefore we gather to us indeed the things that injure, but pay no regard to the things that benefit, how can there ever be any health? On this account Paul said, even as the Gentiles who knew not God. Let us be ashamed, let us be afraid, if the Gentiles, that know not God, are often chaste. Let us be ashamed, when we are worse than they. It is easy to achieve chastity, if we will, if we withdraw ourselves from those things that are injurious, since it is not even easy to avoid fornication, if we will not. For what is more easy than to go to the marketplace? but from the excess of laziness it is become difficult, not only in the case of women, but sometimes even in that of men. What is more easy than to sleep? but we have made even this difficult. Many however of the rich toss themselves through a whole night, from their not waiting for the need of sleep, and then sleeping. And in short nothing is difficult, We can correct our faults if we will. 395 V. LXX. ver. 20. when men are willing; as nothing is easy, when they are un- HOM. willing; for we are masters of all these things. On this account the Scripture also says, If ye be willing and hear me. Is. 1, 19. And again, If ye be unwilling, and hear not. So that all depends upon being willing or unwilling. On this account we both are punished and are praised. But God grant that, being of those who are praised, we may obtain the promised blessings, by the grace and lovingkindness, &c. HOMILY VI. 1 al. and those in. 1 THESS. iv. 9, 10. But as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto WHY then having discoursed with them earnestly concerning chastity, and being about to discourse about the duty of working, and about the not sorrowing for the departed, does he introduce that which was the principal of all good things, love, as if he were passing it over, saying, we have no need to write to you? This also is from his great wisdom, and belongs to spiritual instruction. For here he shews two things. First, that the thing is so necessary, as not to require instruction. For things that are very important are manifest to all. And secondly, by saying this he makes them more ashamed than if he had admonished them. For he who thinks that they have behaved aright, and therefore does not admonish them, even if they had not behaved aright, would the sooner lead them to it. And observe, he does not speak of love towards all", but of that towards the brethren. We have no need to write unto you. He ought then to have been silent, and to say nothing, if there was no need. But now a piaadiagia, is strictly lovingness toward brethren,' not merely as of brethren.' Indirect admonitions. Duty and benefit of industry. 397 VI. by saying there is no need, he has done a greater thing, than Hoм. if he had spoken expressly. b For ye yourselves are taught of God. And see with how high a praise he has made God their Teacher in this matter. Ye need not, he says, to learn from man, which also the prophet says. For all shall be taught of God. For ye Isa. 54, yourselves, he says, are taught of God to love one another. 13. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia. Do it toward all others also, he means. These words are very encouraging to make them do so. And I do not merely say, that ye are taught of God, but I know it from the things which you do. And in this respect he bore many testimonies to them. But we beseech you, brethren, that ye abound' more and1 E. V. more, that is, increase2. increase 2 some 'that Ver. 11, 12. And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your omit own business, and to work with your own hands as we is,' &c. commanded you: That ye may walk honestly towards them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. Here he shews of how many evils idleness is the cause, and of how many benefits industry. And this he makes manifest from things which happen among us, as he often does, and that too wisely. For by these things the majority are led on more than by spiritual things. For it is a mark of love to our neighbours not to receive from them, but to impart to them. And mark his discretion. Being about to exhort and admonish, he places in the middle their good conduct, both that they may recover even from the preceding admonition, and from the threat, when he said, He therefore that despiseth despiseth not man, but God, and that they may not be restive at this. And this is the effect of working, that one does not receive of others, nor live idly, but by working imparts to others. to give than to receive. hands. Where then are is spiritual? Seest thou 35. For it is said, It is more blessed Acts 20, And to work, he says, with your own those, who look out for work that how he takes from them every b B. and L. and all that are, which alters the sense afterwards. And ye do it towards,' &c. and so both Translators. • Β. πρὸς ταύτην, for προς ταύτη. Οι what authority ras Taury is printed, is not stated. L. xã; raúrns. |