HOMILY IV.] HOMILIES ON THESSALONIANS. 339 HOMILY IV. i THESSALONIANS iii. 5-8. " For this cause I also, when I could no longer forbear, sent that I might know your faith, lest by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor should be in vain. But when Timothy came even now unto us from you, and brought us glad tidings of your faith and love, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, longing to see us, even as we also to see you; for this cause, brethren, we were com forted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith : for now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord." A QUESTION lies before us to-day, which is much disputed, and which is gathered from many sources. But what is this question? "For this cause," he says, " when I could no longer forbear, I sent Timothy that I might know your faith." What sayest thou? He, who knew so many things, who heard unutterable words, who ascended even to the third heaven, doth not he know, even when he is in Athens ? And yet the distance is not great, nor has he been long parted from them. For he says, " Being be reaved ofyou fora short season." He does not know the affairs of the Thessalonians, but is compelled to send Timothy to know their faith, "lest," he says, "the tempter had tempted you, and our labors should be in vain." What then is one to say? That the Saints knew not all things. And this one might learn from many instances, both of the early ones, and of those who came after them, as Elisha knew not concerning the woman (2 Kings iv. 27) ; as Elijah said to God, "I only am left, and they seek my life." Wherefore he heard from God, " I have left me seven thousand men." (i Kings xix. 10 and 18.) Samuel again, when he was sent to anoint David ; " The Lord said to him, Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature ; because I have re jected him : for God seeth not as man seeth ; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart." (i Sam. xvi. 7.) And this comes to pass out of great care on God s part. How, and in what way? For the sake both of the Saints themselves, and of those who believe in them. For as He permits that there should be persecutions, so He permits that they should also be ^ignorant of many things, that theymay be kept humble. On this account also Paul said, " There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted over much." (2 Cor. xii. 7.) And again, lest others also should have great imaginations concerning them. For if they thought they were gods from their miracles, much more if they had continued always know ing all things. And this again he also says : " Lest any man should account of me above that which he seeth me to be, or heareth from me." (2 Cor. xii. 6.) And again hear Peter, when he healed the lame man, saying, " Why fasten ye your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him to walk." (Acts iii. 12.) And if even when they were saying and doing these things, and from these few and small miracles, evil imaginations were thus engendered, much more would they have been from great ones But for another reason too these things were allowed. For that no one might be able to say it was as being other than men that they per formed those excellent actions, and so all should become supine, he shows their infirmity, that from theirv folly he might cut off every pretext of shamelessness. For this reason he is ignorant, for this reason also, after having purposed, he frequently does not come, that they might per ceive there were many things he knew not. Great advantage then came of this. For if there were some yet saying, " This man is that power of God which is called Great" (Acts viii. 10), and some, that it is this person, or that ; unless these things had been so, what would they not have thought? But here, however, there seems to be a cen sure on them. But quite otherwise, it even shows their admirable conduct, and proves the excess of their temptations. How? Attend. For if thou first sayest " that we are appointed thereunto," and "let no man be moved," why again dost thou send Timothy, fearing that something might happen which thou wouklest not wish. This indeed he does from his great love. For those who love suspect even what is safe, from their exceeding warmth. But this is caused by their great temptations. For I said indeed that we are appointed thereunto, but the excess of the temptations alarmed me. Where fore he has not said, I send him as condemning you, but "when I could no longer forbear," which is rather an expression of love. What means, " Lest by any means the tempter had tempted you "? Dost thou see that to be shaken in afflictions proceeds from the devil, and from his seduction ? For when he cannot