HOMILY II.] HOMILIES ON THESSALONIANS. love and faith, therefore, that is weak, afflictions shake, but that which is strong they render stronger. For a soul that is in grief, when it is weak, can add nothing to itself; but that which is strong doth it then most. And observe their love. They did not love one indeed, and not love another, but it was equal on the part of all. For this he has intimated, by saying, " of each one of you all toward one another." For it was equally poised, as that of one body. Since even now we find love existing among many, but this love becoming the cause of division. For when we are knit together in parties of two or three, and the two indeed, or three or four, are closely bound to one another, but draw themselves off from the rest, because they can have recourse to these, and in all things confide in these ; this is the division of love not love. For tell me, if the eye should bestow upon the hand the fore sight which it has for the whole body, and with drawing itself from the other members, should attend to that alone, would it not injure the whole ? Assuredly. So also ifwe confine to one or two the love which ought to be extended to the whole Church of God, we injure both our selves and them, and the whole. For these things are not of love, but of division ; schisms, and distracting rents. Since even if I separate and take a member from the whole man, the part separated indeed is united in itself, is con tinuous, all compacted together, yet even so it is a separation, since it is not united to the rest of the body. For what advantage is it, that thou lovest a certain person exceedingly ? It is a human love. But if it is not a human love, but thou lovest for God s sake, then love all. For so God hath commanded to love even our enemies. And if He hath commanded to love our enemies, how much more those who have never aggrieved us ? But, sayest thou, I love, but not in that way. Rather, thou dost not love at all. For when thou accusest, when thou enviest, when thou layest snares, how dost thou love? " But," say est thou, " I do none of these things." But when a man is ill spoken of, and thou dost not shut the mouth of the speaker, dost not disbe lieve his sayings, dost not check him, of what love is this the sign? " And the love," he says, " of each one of you all toward one another aboundeth." Ver. 4. " So that we ourselves glory in you in the Churches of God." Indeed in the first Epistle he says, that all the Churches of Macedonia and Achaia re sounded, having heard of their faith. " So that we need not," he says, " to speak anything. P or they themselves report concerning us what manner of entering in we had unto you." (i Thess. i. 8.) But here he says, " so that we glory." What then is it that is said ? There he says that they need not instruction from him, but here he has not said that we teach them, but "we glory," and are proud of you. If therefore we both give thanks to God for you, and glory among men, much more ought you to do so for your own good deeds. For if your good actions are worthy of boasting from others, how are they worthy of lamentation from you ? It is impossible to say. " So thatwe ourselves," he says, " glory in you in the Churches of God, for your patience and faith." Here he shows that much time had elapsed. For patience is shown by much time, not in two or three days. And he does not merely say patience. It is the part of patience indeed prop erly not yet to enjoy the promised blessings. But here he speaks of a greater patience. And of what sort is that? That which is shown in persecutions. " For your patience," he says, " and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which ye endure." For they were living with enemies who were continually en deavoring on every side to injure them, and they were manifesting a patience firm and immov able. Let all those blush who for the sake of the patronage of men pass over to other doc trines. For whilst it was yet the beginning of the preaching, poor men who lived by their daily earnings took upon themselves enmities from rulers and the first men of the state, when there was nowhere king or governor who was a believer; and submitted to irreconcilable war, and not even so were unsettled. Ver. 5. "Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God." See how he gathers comfort for them. He had said, We give thanks to God, he had said, We glory among men : these things indeed are honorable. But that which he most seeks for, who is in suffering, is, deliverance from evils, and vengeance upon those who are evil entreat ing them. For when the soul is weak, it most seeks for these things, for the philosophic soul does not even seek these things. Why then does he say, " a token of the righteous Judg ment of God " ? Here he has glanced at the retribution on either side, both of those who do the ill, and of those who suffer it, as if he had said, that the justice ofGod may be shown when He crowns you indeed, but punishes them. At the same time also he comforts them, showing that from their own labors and toils they are crowned, and according to the proportion of righteousness. But he puts their part first. For although a person even vehemently desires re venge, yet he first longs for reward. For this reason he says, "That ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer."