HOMILY XI.] HOMILIES ON THESSALONIANS. 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, 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. And the flame is often liable to be extinguished even when no temptation assails it. When the oil fails, when we do not alms, 1 the Spirit is quenched. For it came to thee as an alms from God. Then He sees this fruit not existing in thee, and he abides not with an unmerciful soul. But the Spirit being quenched, ye know what follows, as many of you as have walked on a road 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 be able to , do us no hurt ; but ifwe extinguish it, they soon take us captive, they soon rob us of everything. Since even robbers first extinguish the lamp, and so plunder us. For they indeed see in this dark ness, since they do the works of darkness : but we are unaccustomed to that light. 2 Let us not then extinguish it. All evil doing extinguishes that light, whether reviling, or insolence, or what ever you can mention. For as in the case of fire, everything that is foreign to its nature is destructive of it, but that kindles it which is con genial to it ; whatever is dry, whatever is warm, whatever is fiery, kindles the flame of the Spirit. Let us not therefore overlay it with anything cold or damp ; for these things are destructive of it. But there is also another explanation. There were among them many indeed who prophesied truly, but some prophesied falsely. This also he says in the Epistle to the Corinthians, that on this account He gave " the discernings of spirits." (i Cor. xii. 10.) For the devil, of his vile craft, wished through this gift of grace to subvert every thing pertaining to the Church. For since both the demon and the Spirit prophesied concern ing the future, the one indeed uttering falsehood, and the other truth, and it was not possible from any quarter to receive a proof of one or the other, but each spoke without being called to account, as Jeremiah and Ezekiel had done, but when the time came they were convicted, He 1 Of this play upon the word, see Horn. iv. on Philip., near the end.i. - One MS., " that space," i.e. between earth and heaven. gave also the "discernings of spirits." 3 Since therefore then also among the Thessalonians many were prophesying, glancing at whom he says, " Neither by word, nor by epistle, as from us, as that the day of the Lord is now present " (2 Thess. ii. 2), he says this here. That is, do not, because there are false prophets among you, on their account prohibit also these, and turn away from them ; " quench " them " not," that is, " despise not prophesyings." Seest thou that this is what he means by, " Prove all things " ? Because he had said, " Despise not prophesyings," lest they should think that he opened the pulpit to all, he says, " Prove all things," that is, such as are really prophecies ; " and hold fast that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil " ; not from this or that, but from all ; that you may by proof distinguish both the true things and the false, and abstain from the latter, and hold fast the former. For thus both the hatred of the one will be vehement and the love of the other arises, when we do all things not carelessly, nor without examination, but with careful in vestigation. Ver. 23. "And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly ; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Observe the affection of the Teacher. After the admonition he adds a prayer ; not only that, but even introduces it in his letter.4 For we need both counsel and prayer. For this reason \ve also first giving you counsel, then offer prayers for you. And this the Initiated know. But Paul indeed did this with good reason, having great confidence towards God, whereas we are con founded with shame, and have no freedom of speech. But because we were appointed to this we do it, being unworthy even to stand in His presence, and to hold the place of the lowest disciples. But because grace works even through the unworthy, not for our own sakes but for theirs who are about to be benefited, we contribute our parts. " Sanctify you wholly," he says, and may " your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." What does he here call the spirit? The gift of grace. 5 For if we depart hence 3 [When the time of fulfillment or the contrary came, the prophets were convicted, and it was shown which were from the devil. But the power of discerning between good and evil spirits in their pre dictions would make it unnecessary to wait for the time of fulfillment. J. A. B.] 4 The same omits " but even," &c., and proceeds, For the Teacher needs, &c. 5 [See his remarks above, on ver. ip. To understand so here is a groundless fancy. The Scripture writers sometimes speak of soul and body, sometimes of spirit and body, and occasionally of spirit and soul and body. Some able writers "(as Ellicott here) understand this form of expression as teaching an essential psychological dis tinction between spirit and soul; but it is probable that we have only the Pauline accumulation of terms to make a complete and emphatic statement. J. A. B.]