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1 Thessalonians iv. 1--3.
"Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord
Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please
God, so ye abound more and more. For ye know what charge we gave you
through the Lord Jesus Christ. For this is the will of God, even
your sanctification."
WHEN he has met what was pressing, and what was upon his hands,
and is about henceforth to enter upon things that are perpetual, and
which they ought continually to hear, he adds this expression,
"finally," that is, always and forever. "We beseech and exhort
you in the Lord." Strange! He does not even speak of himself as of
sufficient credit to exhort. And yet who was so worthy of credit?
But he takes Christ along with him. We exhort you, he says, by
God. Which also he said to the Corinthians, "God entreats
(exhorts) you through us." (2 Cor. v. 20.) "That as ye
received of us." This received" is not of words only, but of
actions also, viz. "how ye ought to walk," and he means thereby the
whole conduct of life. "And to please God, that ye abound more and
more. That is, that by more abounding ye do not stop at the limit of
the commandments, but that you even go beyond them. For this it is,
that "ye abound more and more." In what preceded he accepts the
marvel of their firm faith, but here he regulates their life. For
this is proficiency, even to go beyond the commandments and the
statutes. For no longer from the constraint of a teacher, but from
their own voluntary choice, is all this performed. For as the earth
ought not to bear only what is thrown upon it, so too ought the soul
not to stop at those things which have been inculcated, but to go
beyond them. Do you see that he has properly said "to go beyond"?
For virtue is divided into these two things, to decline from evil,
and to do good. For the withdrawal from evil is not sufficient for the
arrival at virtue, but it is a kind of path, and a beginning leading
thereto; still we have need of great alacrity. The things therefore
to be avoided he tells them in the order of commandment. And justly.
For these things indeed being done bring punishment, but not being
done, yet bring no praise. The acts of virtue however, such as to
give away our goods, and such like, are not of the order of
commandment, he says. But what? "He that is able to receive, let
him receive." (Matt. xix. 12.) It is profitable, therefore,
that as he with much fear and trembling had given these commandments to
them, he also by these letters reminds them of that his care.
Wherefore he does not repeat them, but reminds them of them.
"For ye know," he says, "what charge we gave you through our Lord
Jesus Christ. For this is the will Of God, even your
sanctification." And observe How he nowhere so vehemently glances at
any other thing, as at this. As elsewhere also he writes to this
effect; "Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification
without which no man shall see the Lord." (Heb. xii. 14.)
And why dost thou wonder, if he everywhere writes to his disciples
upon this subject, when even in his Epistle to Timothy he has said,
"Keep thyself pure." (1 Tim. V. 22.) Also in his second
Epistle to the Corinthians he has said, "In much patience, in
fastings, by pureness." (2 Cor. vi. 5, 6.) And one may
find this in many places, both in this Epistle to the Romans, and
everywhere, and in all his Epistles. For in truth this is an evil
pernicious to all. And as a swine full charged with mire, wherever he
enters, fills all places with his ill odor, and chokes the senses with
dung, so too does fornication; it is an evil not easy to be washed
away. But when some even who have wives practice this, how excessive
is the outrage! "For this," he says, "is the will of God, even
your sanctification, that ye abstain from all fornication." For
there are many forms of disorderly conduct. The pleasures of
wantonness are of many kinds and various, it were not tolerable to
mention them. But having said "from all fornication," he leaves it
to those who know them.
Ver. 4, 5. "That each one of you know how to possess himself of
his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of
lust, even as the Gentiles which know not God."
He says, "That each one of you know how to possess himself of his
own vessel." It is, then, a matter to be learnt, and that
diligently, not to be wanton. But we possess our vessel, when it is
pure; when it is impure, sin possesses it. And reasonably. For it
does not do the things which we wish, but what sin commands. "Not in
the passion of lust," he says. Here he shows also the manner,
according to which one ought to be temperate; that we should cut off
the passions of lust. For luxury, and wealth, and idleness, and
sloth, and ease, and all such things, lead us on to irregular lust.
"Even as the Gentiles," he says, "which know not God." For
such are they who do not expect that they shall suffer punishment.
Ver. 6. "That no man transgress, and wrong his brother in the
matter."
He has well said, "that no man transgress." To each man God has
assigned a wife, he has set bounds to nature, that intercourse with
one only: therefore intercourse with another is transgression, and the
taking of more than belongs to one, and robbery; or rather it is more
cruel than any robbery; for we grieve not so much, when our riches are
carried off, as when marriage is invaded. Dost thou call him
brother, and wrongest him, and that in things which are unlawful?
Here he speaks concerning adultery, but above also concerning "all
fornication." For since he was about to say, "That no man
transgress and wrong his brother," Do not think, he says, that I
say this only in the case of brethren; you must not have the wives of
others at all, nor even women that have no husbands, and that are
common. You must abstain from "all fornication"; "Because," he
says, "the Lord is an avenger in all these things." He exhorted
them first, he shamed them, saying, "even as the Gentiles." Then
from reasonings he showed the impropriety of defrauding a brother.
Afterwards he adds the principal thing; "Because," he says, "the
Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and
testified."
For we do not these things without being punished, neither do we enjoy
so much pleasure, as we undergo punishment.
Ver. 7. "For God called us not for uncleanness, but in
sanctification."
Because he had said "his brother," and had also added, that God is
the avenger, showing that even if an unbeliever has suffered this, he
who has done it shall suffer punishment, he says, it is not as
avenging him that He punishes thee, but because thou hast insulted
Himself. He Himself called thee, thou hast insulted Him who called
thee. On this account, he has added, Ver. 8. "Therefore he
that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who giveth His Holy
Spirit unto you."
So that even if thou shouldest defile the Empress, he says, or even
thine own handmaid, that hath a husband, the crime is the same.
Why? Because He avenges not the persons that are injured, but
Himself. For thou art equally defiled, thou hast equally insulted
God; for both the one and the other is adultery, as both the one and
the other is marriage. And though thou shouldest not commit adultery,
but fornication, though the harlot has no husband, yet nevertheless
God avenges, for He avenges Himself. For thou dost this act, not
despising the man, so much as God. And it is manifest from this,
that thou doest it concealing it from man, but thou pretendest that
God doth not see thee. For tell me, if one who was thought worthy of
the purple, and of infinite honor from the king (Emperor), and was
commanded to live suitably to the honor, should go and defile himself
with any woman; whom has he insulted? her, or the king who gave him
all? She indeed is insulted too, but not equally.
Wherefore, I beseech you, let us guard against this sin. For as we
punish women, when, being married to us, they give themselves to
others, so also are we punished, though not by the Roman laws, yet
by God. For this also is adultery. For not only is adultery
committed in doing so by her who is married to another, but by him
also, who is yoked to a wife. Attend carefully to what I say. For
although what is said is offensive to many, it is necessary to be
said, to set the matter right for the future. Not only is this
adultery, when we defile a woman who is married to a man; but if we
ourselves being married to a woman defile one who is free and
disengaged, the matter is adultery. For what, if she with whom the
adultery is committed is not bound? Yet art thou bound. Thou hast
transgressed the law. Thou hast injured thine own flesh. For tell
me, wherefore dost thou punish thy wife, if she commit fornication
with a man who is loosed, and has not a wife? Because it is
adultery. Why? Yet he who defiled her has not a wife, but she is
bound to a husband. Well then, thou also art bound to a wife; so
that in like manner thy offence also is adultery.
For it is said, "Every one that putteth away his wife, saving for
the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever
shall marry her when she is put away, committeth adultery." (Matt.
v. 32.) If he who marries her who is divorced commits adultery,
he who, with a wife of his own, defiles himself also with that
other--it is manifest to every one. But perhaps to you who are men,
enough has been said on this subject. For concerning them that are
such, Christ says, "Their worm will not die and the fire will not
be quenched."
(Mark ix. 44.) But for the sake of the young it is necessary to
speak to you, not to the young themselves so much, but to you. For
these things are suitable not to them only, but also to you. And
how? I will now tell you. He who has not learnt to commit
fornication, will neither know how to commit adultery.
But he who walloweth among harlots, will quickly also arrive at the
other, and will defile himself, if not with the married, yet with
those who are disengaged.
What then do I advise, so as to extirpate the roots? So many of you
as have young sons, and are bringing them up to a worldly life,
quickly draw them under the yoke of marriage. For since whilst he is
yet young desires trouble him, for the time before marriage, by
admonitions, threats, fears, promises, and numberless other methods
restrain them. But at the season of marriage, let no one defer it.
Behold, I speak the words of a match-maker, that you should let
your sons marry. But I am not ashamed to speak thus, since not even
Paul was ashamed to say, "Defraud ye not one the other" (1 Cor.
vii. 5), which seems more shameful than what I have said; yet he
was not ashamed. For he did not pay heed to words, but to the acts
that were set right by words. When thy son is grown up, before he
enters upon warfare, or any other course of life, consider of his
marriage. And if he sees that thou wilt soon take a bride for him,
and that the time intervening will be short, he will be able to endure
the flame patiently. But if he perceives that thou art remiss and
slow, and waitest until he shall acquire a large income, and then thou
wilt contract a marriage for him, despairing at the length of the
time, he will readily fall into fornication. But alas! the root of
evils here also is the love of money. For since no one cares how far
his son shall be sober and modest, but all are mad for gold, for this
reason no one makes this a matter of concern. Wherefore I exhort you
first to regulate well their souls. If he find his bride chaste, and
know that body alone, then will both his desire be vehement, and his
fear of God the greater, and the marriage truly honorable, receiving
bodies pure and undefiled; and the offspring will be full-charged with
blessing, and the bride and bridegroom will comply with one another,
for both being inexperienced in the manners of others, they will submit
to one another. But one that begins when younger to wax wanton, and
to have experience of the ways of harlots, for the first and second
evening will praise his own wife; but after that he will soon fall back
into that wantonness, seeking that dissolute and disorderly laughter,
the words that are full of base import, the dissolute deportment, and
all the other indecency, which it is not tolerable that we should
mention. But a woman of free estate would not endure to make such
exhibitions, nor to tarnish herself. For she was espoused to her
husband to be his partner in life, and for the procreation of
children, not for the purposes of indecency and laughter; that she
might keep the house, and instruct him also to be grave, not that she
might supply to him the fuel of fornication.
But the gestures s of a harlot seem to you agreeable. I know it.
For the Scripture says, "The lips of a strange woman drop honey."
(Prov. v. 3.) For on this account I take all this trouble,
that ye may have no experience of that honey, for it straightway turns
into gall. And this also the Scripture says, "Who for a season is
smooth to thy throat, but afterwards thou shalt find her more bitter
than gall, and sharper than a two-edged sword." (Prov. v. 3,
4, Sept.) What sayest thou? Bear with me speaking somewhat
impure, if I may say so--and expressing myself as one shameless and
unblushing. For I do not submit to this willingly, but on account of
those who are shameless in their actions, I am compelled to speak this
sort of words. And many such we see even in the Scriptures. For
even Ezekiel, reproaching Jerusalem, utters many such things, and
is not ashamed. And justly. For he did not say them from his own
inclination, but from his concern. For although the words seem to be
indecent, yet his aim is not indecent, but even highly becoming one
who wishes to banish uncleanness from the soul. For if the shameless
soul does not hear the very words, it is not affected. For a
physician wishing to remove a putrid sore, first thrusts his fingers
into the wound, and if he does not first defile his healing hands, he
will not be able to cure it. So it is with me. Unless I first
defile my mouth, that heals your passions, I shall not be able to
heal you. But rather neither is my mouth defiled, nor his hands.
Why then? Because the uncleanness is not that of nature, nor from
our own body, as neither in that case from his hands, but from what is
another's. But if where the body is another's, he does not refuse
to dip his own hands, tell me, shall we refuse, where it is our own
body? For you are our body, sickly indeed and impure, but ours
nevertheless.
What then is this which I say, and for which I have made so long a
digression? A garment indeed which your slave wears, you would not
choose ever to wear, being disgusted on account of its filth, but you
would rather go naked than make use of it. But a body that is unclean
and filthy, and which is used not only by your slave, but by
numberless others, that will you abuse, and not be disgusted? Are
you ashamed at hearing this? But be ashamed of the actions, not of
the words. And I pass over all other things, the rudeness, and the
corruption of their manners, the servility and illiberality of the rest
of their life. Tell me, should you and your servant go to the same
woman? and I wish it were only your servant, and not, it may be,
the executioner! And yet you could not bear to take the executioner by
the hand; but her who has been made one body with him you kiss and
embrace, and do not shudder, nor fear! Are, you not ashamed? are
you not abashed? are you not pierced with anguish?
I said indeed to your fathers, that they ought early to lead you to
marriage: but nevertheless neither are you without liability to
punishment. For if there were not other young men also, more numerous
than you, living in chastity, both formerly, and now, there would
perhaps be some excuse for you. But if there are, how can you say,
that we were not able to restrain the flame of lust? For they, who
have been able, are your accusers, in that they are partakers of the
same nature. Hear Paul saying, "Follow after peace . . . and
the sanctification, without which no man shall see the Lord."
(Heb. xii. 14.) Is not this threat sufficient to terrify you?
Do you see others continuing altogether in chastity, and in gravity
passing their lives; and cannot you command yourself even so long as
the period of youth? Do you see others ten thousand times overcoming
pleasure, and cannot you once refrain? With your leave, I will tell
you the cause. For youth is not the cause, since then all young men
would be dissolute. But we thrust ourselves into the fire. For when
you go up to the theater, and sit feasting your eyes with the naked
limbs of women, for the time indeed you are delighted, but
afterwards, you have nourished thence a mighty fever. When you see
women exhibited as it were in the form of their bodies and spectacles
and songs containing nothing else but irregular loves: such a woman,
it is said, loved such a man, and not obtaining him, hanged herself;
and unlawful loves having mothers for their object; when you receive
these things by hearing also, and through women, and through figures,
yea, and even through old men, (for many there put masks upon their
faces, and play the parts of women,) tell me, how will you be able
to continue chaste afterwards, these narratives, these spectacles,
these songs occupying your soul, and dreams of this sort henceforth
succeeding. For it is the nature of the soul for the most part to
raise visions of such things, as it wishes for and desires in the
daytime. Therefore when you there both see base actions, and hear
baser words, and receive indeed the wounds but do not apply the
remedies, how will not the sore naturally be increased? how will not
the disease become more intens; and in a much greater degree than in
our bodies? For if we were willing, our will admits of correction
more easily than our bodies. For there indeed drugs, and physicians,
and time are required, but here it is sufficient having but the will,
to become both good and bad. So that you have rather admitted the
disorder. When therefore we gather to us indeed the things that
injure, but pay no regard to the things that benefit, how can there
ever be any health?
On this account Paul said, "even as the Gentiles who knew not
God." Let us be ashamed, let us be afraid, if the Gentiles, that
know not God, are often chaste. Let us turn for shame, when we are
worse than they. It is easy to achieve chastity, if we will, if we
withdraw ourselves from those things that are injurious, since it is
not even easy to avoid fornication, if we will not.
For what is more easy than to walk in the market-place? but from the
excess of laziness it is become difficult, not only in the case of
women, but sometimes even in that of men. What is more easy than to
sleep? but we have made even this difficult. Many however of the rich
toss themselves through a whole night, from their not waiting for the
need of sleep, and then sleeping. And in short nothing is difficult,
when men are willing; as nothing is easy, when they are unwilling;
for we are masters of all these things. On this account the Scripture
says, "If ye be willing and hear me." (Isa. i. 19, Sept.)
And again, "If ye be unwilling, and hear not." (Ver. 20.)
So that all depends upon being willing or unwilling. On this account
we both are punished and are praised. But may it be ours, being of
those who are praised, to obtain the promised blessings, by the grace
and lovingkindness,
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