5, 18.

448

Men build memorials of their own wickedness.

1 THES. any other. For if now, when there are the relations of fathers, and children, and grandchildren, many do not regard many, much more would it then be the case. On this account God hath given thee children. Do not therefore accuse the children.

But if they who have children have no excuse, what can they say for themselves, who having no children vex themselves about the acquisition of riches. But they have a saying for themselves, which is destitute of all excuse. And what is this? That, instead of children, they say, we may have our riches as a memorial. This is truly ridiculous. Instead of children, one says, my house is the immortal memorial of my glory. Not of thy glory, O man, is it the memorial, but of thy covetousness. Dost thou not see how many now as they pass the magnificent houses say one to another, What frauds, what robberies such an one committed, that he might build this house, and now he is become dust and ashes, and his house has become the inheritance of others! It is not of thy glory then that thou leavest a memorial, but of thy covetousness. Dost thou not see how many now as they pass the magnificent houses say one to another, What frauds, what robberies such an one committed, that he might build this house! and now he is become dust and ashes, and his house has become the inheritance of others! It is not of thy glory then that thou leavest a memorial, but of thy covetousness. And thy body indeed is concealed in the earth, but thou dost not permit the memorial of thy covetousness to be concealed, as it might have been' by length of time, but causest it to be turned up and disinterred through thy house. For as long as it stands, bearing thy name, and called such an one's, certainly the mouths of all too must needs be opened against thee. Dost thou see that it is better to have nothing than to sustain such an accusation?

And these things indeed here. But what shall we do There? tell me, having had so much at our disposal here, if we have imparted to no one of our possessions, or at least very little; how shall we put off our dishonest gains? For he that wishes to put off his dishonest gains, does not give a little out of a great deal, but many times more than he has

Restitution. Hard dealing more cruel than robbery. 449

robbed, and he ceases also from robbing.

Hear what Hoм.

X.

σατο.

Zacchæus says, And for as many things as I have taken From wrongfully, I restore fourfold. But thou, taking violently Luke ten thousand talents, if thou give a few drachmas, and that 19, 8. too grudgingly, thinkest thou hast restored the whole, and art affected as if thou hadst given more. And yet thou oughtest both to have restored these, and to have added other out of thine own private possessions. For as the thief is not excused when he gives back only what he has stolen, but often he has added even his life; and often he compounds uλóupon restoring many times as much: so also should the covetous man. For the covetous man also is a thief and a robber, far worse than the other, by how much he is also more tyrannical. For he indeed by being concealed, and by making his attack in the night, cuts off much of the audacity of the attempt, as if he were ashamed, and feared to sin. But the other having no sense of shame, with open face in the middle of the market place steals the property of all, being at once a thief and a tyrant. He does not break through walls, nor extinguish the lamp, nor open a chest, nor tear off seals. But what? He does things more insolent than these, in the sight of those who are injured he carries things out by the door, he with confidence opens every thing, he compels them to expose all their possessions themselves. Such is the

excess of his violence. This man is more wicked than those, inasmuch as he is more shameless and tyrannical. For he that has suffered by fraud is indeed grieved, but he has no small consolation, that he who injured him was afraid of him. But he who together with the injury he suffers is also despised, I will not be able to endure the violence. For the ridicule is greater. Tell me, if one committed adultery with a woman in secret, and another committed it in the sight of her husband, who would grieve him the most, and be most apt to wound him. Would not the latter? For he indeed, together with the wrong he has done, treated him also with contempt. But the former, if he did nothing else, shewed at least that he feared him whom he injured. So also in the case of money. He that takes it secretly, does him honour in this respect, that he does it secretly; but he who robs publicly and openly, together with the loss adds also shame.

1 THES. 5, 18.

perhaps

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, - tradesmen outsell1 tradesman, and so all who are engaged in πολοῦσι, the market-place. So that I wish from every side to take 'sell up.' 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.

b

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 rò xágift of the Spirit. But this an impure life extinguishes. For μ 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

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.