HOMILY II.] HOMILIES ON THESSALONIANS. 327 because both prayed for them, and did not pre vail. For Ezekiel says, "Ah Lord, dost thou blot out the residue of Israel?" (Ezek. ix. 8.) Then showing that He does this justly, He shows him their sins ; and showing that not through despising him does He refuse to accept his sup plication for them, he says, Even these things are enough even to persuade thee, that not de spising thee, but on account of their many sins, I do not accept thy supplication. Neverthe less He adds, " Though Noah, Job, and Daniel stood." (From Ezek. xiv.) And with good reason does He the rather say this to him, be cause it is he who suffered so many things. Thou badest me, he says, eat upon dung, and I ate upon it. 1 Thou badest me, and I shaved my head. Thou badest me, and I lay upon one side. Thou badest me go out through a hole in the wall, bearing a burden, and I went out. Thou tookest away my wife, and badest me not mourn, and I did not mourn, but bore it with fortitude. (Ezek. xxiv. 18.) Ten thousand other things have I wrought for their sake : I entreat for them, and dost Thou not comply? Not from despising thee, says he, do I do this, but though Noah, Job, and Daniel were there, and were entreating for sons and daughters, I would not comply. And again to Jeremiah, who suffered less from the commandments of God, but more from their wickedness, what does He say? "Seest thou not what these do?" (Jer. vii. 17.) "Yea," he says, " they do so but do Thou do it for my sake." On this account He says to him, * Though Moses and Samuel stood." Their first lawgiver, who often delivered them from dan gers, who had said, " If now thou forgivest their sins, forgive it ; but if not, blot me out also." (Ex. xxxii. 32, Sept.) If therefore he were now alive, and spoke thus, he would not have prevailed, nor would Samuel, again, who him self also delivered them, and who from his earli est youth was admired. For to the former indeed I said, that I conversed with him as a friend with a friend, and not by dark sayings. And of the latter I said, that in his first youth I was revealed to him, and that on his account, being prevailed upon, I opened the prophecy that had been shut up. For " the word of the Lord," it is said, " was precious in those days ; there was no open vision." (i Sam. iii. i.) If these men, there fore, stood before Me, they would profit nothing. And of Noah He says, " Noah was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations." (Gen. vi. 9.) And concerning Job, He was "blame less, just, true, fearing God." (Job i. i, Sept.) And concerning Daniel, whom they even thought a God ; and they will not deliver, says he, their sonsand daughters. Knowing these things, there fore, let us neither despise the prayers of the Saints, nor throw everything upon them : that we may not, on the one hand, be indolent and live carelessly ; nor on the other deprive our selves of a great advantage. But let us both beseech them to pray and lift up the hand for us, and let us adhere to virtue ; that we may be able to obtain the blessings promised to those who love Him by the grace and loving- kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom, i&c. HOMILY II i THESSALONIANS i. 8-10. " For from you hath sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is gone forth; so that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entering in we had unto you; and how ye turned unto God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from Heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivereth us from the wrath to come." As a sweet-smelling ointment keeps not its fragrance shut up in itself, but diffuses it afar, and scenting the air with its perfume, so con veys it also to the senses of the neighbors ; so too illustrious and admirable men do not shut 1 i.e. food baked on it. Ezek. iv. 12, 15. up their virtue within themselves, but by their good report benefit many, and render them better. Which also then happened. Where fore he said, " So that ye became ensamples to all that believe in Macedoniaand Achaia." " For from you," he says, " hath sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is gone forth." Ye have filled, there fore, all your neighbors with instruction, and the world with wonder. For this is meant by the expression, " in every place." And he has not said, your faith is noised abroad, but " has sounded out " ; as every place near is filled with the sound of a loud trumpet, so the report