348 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY VI. HOMILY VI. i THESSALONIANS iv. 9, 10. " But concerning love of the brethren we : have no need to write unto you : for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another; for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren, and those which are in all Mace donia." WHY then having discoursed with them earn estly concerning chastity, and being about to discourse about the duty of working, and about the not sorrowing for the departed, does he in troduce that which was the principal of all good things, love, as if he were passing it over, say ing, "We have no need to write to you"? This also is from his great wisdom, and belongs to spiritual instruction. For here he shows two things. First, that the thing is so necessary, as not to require instruction. For things that are very important are manifest to all. And sec ondly, by saying this he makes them more ashamed than if he had admonished them. For he who thinks that they have behaved aright, and therefore does not admonish them, even if they had not behaved aright, would the sooner lead them to it. And observe, he does not speak of love towards all, 2 but of that towards the brethren. " We have no need to write unto you." He ought then to have been silent, and to say nothing, if there was no need. But now by saying there is no need, he has done a greater thing, than if he had said it. " For ye yourselves are taught of God." And see with how high a praise he has made God their Teacher in this matter. Ye need not, he says, to learn from man. Which also the prophet says, "and they shall all be taught of God." (Isa. liv. 13.) "For ye yourselves," he says, " are taught of God to love one another. For indeed ye do it toward all the brethren, and those which are in all Macedonia " ; and toward all the others, he means. These words are very encouraging to make them do so. And I do not merely say, that ye are taught of God, but I know it from the things which you do. And in this respect he bore many testimonies to them. " But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more, and study ; " that is, increase and study. Ver. n, 12. "To be quiet, and to do your own 1 [Chrys. reads " we," as do many N. T. documents; yet " ye" is pretty certainly right, having been altered because " ye have no need to write to you " is a harsh construction. The " and " after " brethren " is quite certainly genuine for Chrys., but has very slight authority for the N. T. text. J. A. B.] 2 4>L\aSf\4>ia is strictly " lovingness toward brethren," not merely " as of brethren." business, and to work with your hands, even as we charged you : that ye may walk honestly 3 toward them that are without, and may have need of nothing." He shows of how many evils idleness is the cause, and ofhow many benefits industry. And this he makes manifest from things which hap pen among us, as he often does, and that wisely. For by these things the majority are led on more than by spiritual things. For it is a mark of love to our neighbors not to receive from them, but to impart to them. And observe. Being about to exhort and admonish, he places in the middle their good conduct, both that they may recover even from the preceding admoni tion, and from the threat, when he said, " He therefore that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God," and that they may not be restive at this. And this is the effect of working, that one does not receive of others, nor live idly, but by work ing imparts to others. For it is said, " It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts xx. 35.) "And to work," he says, "with your hands." Where are those, who look out for work that is spiritual ? Seest thou how he takes from them every excuse, saying, " with your hands " ? But does one practice fasting with his hands ? or watchings all night ? or lyings on the ground? This no one can say. But he is speak ing of spiritual work. For it is truly spiritual, that one should by working impart to others, and there is nothing equal to this. " That ye may walk," he says, "becomingly." Seest thou whence he touches them? He has not said, that ye may not be shamed by begging. But he has indeed insinuated the same, yet he puts it in a milder way, so as both to strike and not to do this severely. For if those who are among us are offended at these things, much more those who are without, finding numberless accu sations and handles, when they see a man who is in good health and able to support himself, begging and asking help of others. Wherefore also they call us Christ-mongers. On this ac count, he means, "the name of God is blas phemed." (Rom. ii. 24.) But none of these things has he stated ; but that which was able to touch them most nearly, the disgracefulness of the thing. Ver. 13. " But we would not have you igno rant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep ; 3 [This ought to be now rendered "becomingly," the English word "honestly" having ceased to carry that meaning. J. A. B.J