HOMILY I.] HOMILIES ON THESSALONIANS. 125 Ver. 4, 5. "Knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election, how that our Gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance ; even as ye know what manner ofmen we showed ourselves among 1 you for your sake." Knowing what? How " we showed ourselves among you"? Here he also touches upon his own good actions, but covertly. For he wishes first to enlarge upon their praises, and what he says is something of this sort. I knew that you were men of great and noble sort, that you were of the Elect. For this reason we also endure all things for your sake. For this, " what man ner ofmen we showed ourselves among you," is the expression of one showing that with much zeal and much vehemence we were ready to give up our lives for your sake ; and for this thanks are due not to us, but to you, because ye were elect. On this account also he says else where, " And these things I endure for the Elect s sake." (2 Tim. ii. 10.) For what would not one endure for the sake of God s beloved ones? And having spoken of his own part, he all but says, For if you were both beloved and elect, we suffer all things with rea son. For not only did his praise of them con firm them, but his reminding them that they too themselves had displayed a fortitude correspond ing to their zeal : he says, Ver. 6. " And ye became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost." Strange ! what an encomium is here ! The disciples have suddenly become teachers ! They not only heard the word, but theyquickly arrived at the same height with Paul. But this is noth ing; for see how he exalts them, saying, "Ye became imitators of the Lord." How? " Hav ing received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost." Not merely with afflic tion, but with much affliction. And this we may learn from the Acts of the Apostles, how they raised a persecution against them. (Acts xvii. 5-8.) And they troubled all the rulers of the city, and they instigated the city against them. And it is not enough to say, ye were afflicted indeed, and believed, and that grieving, but even rejoicing. Which also the Apostles did : " Re joicing," it is said, " that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name." (Acts v. 4 1 . ) For it is this that is admirable. Although neither is that a slight matter, in any way to bear afflictions. But this now was the part of men surpassing human nature, and having, as it were, a body incapable of suffering. But how were they imitators of the Lord? 1 [It is very doubtful whether Rev. Ver. of N. T. is here right in omitting ev (as in ii. 10), and so translating " towards." Chrys. has the ev, and so must be tr. " among." J. A. B.] Because He also endured many sufferings, but rejoiced. For He came to this willingly. For our sakes He emptied Himself. He was about to be spit upon, to be beaten and crucified, and He so rejoiced in suffering these things, that He said to the Father, " Glorify Me." (John xvii. i-5 ) " With joy of the Holy Ghost," he says. That no one may say, how speakest thou of " afflic tion"? how "of joy"? how can both meet in one? he has added, "with joy of the Holy Ghost." The affliction is in things bodily, and the joy in things spiritual. How? The things which happened to them were grievous, but not so the things which sprang out of them, for the Spirit does not allow it. 2 So that it is possible both for him who suffers, not to rejoice, when one suffers for his sins ; and being beaten to take pleasure, when one suffers for Christ s sake. For such is the joy of the Spirit. In return for the things which appear to be grievous, it brings out delight. They have afflicted you, he says, and persecuted you, but the Spirit did not for sake you, even in those circumstances. As the Three Children in the fire were refreshed with dew, 3 so also were you refreshed in afflictions. But as there it was not of the nature of the fire to sprinkle dew, but of the " whistling wind," * so also here it was not of the nature of affliction to produce joy, but of the suffering for Christ s sake, and of the Spirit bedewing them, and in the furnace of temptation setting them at ease. Not merely with joy, he says, but " with much joy." For this is of the Holy Spirit. Ver. 7. "So that ye became ensamples 5 to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia." And yet it was later that he went to them. But ye so shone, he says, that ye became teach ers of those who received (the word) before you. And this is like the Apostle. For he did not say, so that ye became ensamples in regard to believing, but ye became an ensample to those who already believed ; how one ought to believe in God, ye taught, who from the very beginning entered into your conflict. " And in Achaia," he says ; that is, in Greece. Do you see how great a thing is zeal? that it does not require time, nor delay, nor procrasti nation, but it is sufficient only to venture one s self, and all is fulfilled. Thus then though com ing in later to the Preaching, they became teach ers of those who were before them. MORAL. Let no one therefore despair, even though he has lost much time, and has done nothing. It is possible for him even in a little 8 OVK a^KTjcri. Perhaps, " does not forsake us," as just below. 3 Song, ver. 27. 4 6tacrupi oi T05, as Sept. Pan. iii. 28. 6 [Rev. Ver. right for N. T., "an ensample"; but Chrys. has the plural, employing (as he commonly does) that which spread from Constantinople, and became the prevalent text. J. A. B.]