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ARGUMENT.
Having said in his former Epistle that "we pray night and day to see
you, and that we could not forbear, but were left in Athens alone,"
and that "I sent Timothy" (from 1 Thess. iii. 1, 2,
10), by all these expressions he shows the desire which he had to
come amongst them. When therefore he had perhaps not had time to go,
and to perfect what was lacking in their faith, on this account he adds
a second Epistle, filling up by his writings what was wanting of his
presence. For that he did not depart, we may conjecture from hence:
for he says in this Epistle, "We beseech you by the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Thess. ii. 1.) For in his first
Epistle he said, "Concerning the times and the seasons ye have no
need that aught be written unto you." (1 Thess. v. 1.) So
that if he had gone, there would have been no need of his writing.
But since the question was deferred, on this account he adds this
Epistle, as in his Epistle to Timothy he says, "They subvert the
faith of some, saying that the Resurrection is already past" (from
2 Tim. ii. 18); that the faithful henceforth hoping for nothing
great or splendid, might faint under their sufferings.
For since that hope supported them, and did not allow them to yield to
the present evils, the devil wishing to cut it off, as being a kind of
anchor, when he was not able to persuade them that the things to come
were false, went to work another way, and having suborned certain
pestilential men, endeavored to deceive those who believed into a
persuasion that those great and splendid things had received their
fulfillment. Accordingly these men then said that the Resurrection
was already past. But now they said that the Judgment and the coming
of Christ were at hand, that they might involve even Christ in a
falsehood, and having pointed out to them that there is hereafter no
retribution, nor judgment-seat, nor punishment and vengeance for
those who had done them evil, they might both render these more bold,
and those more dispirited. And, what was worse than all, some
attempted merely to report words as if they were said by Paul, but
others even to forge Epistles as written by him. On this account,
cutting off all access for them, he says, "Be not quickly shaken
from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word,
or by epistle as from us." (2 Thess. ii, 2.) "Neither by
spirit" he says, glancing at the false prophets. Whence then shall
we know them, he says? For this very reason, he added, "The
salutation of me Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every
Epistle: so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
you all." (2 Thess. iii. 17, 18.) He does not here mean,
that this is the token,--for it is probable that others also imitated
this,--but that I write the salutation with mine own hand, as is
the custom also now among us. For by the subscription the writings of
those who send letters are made known. But he comforts them, as being
excessively pinched by their troubles; both praising them from their
present state, and encouraging them from a prospect of the futurity,
and from the punishment, and from the recompense of good things
prepared for them; and he more clearly enlarges upon the topic, not
indeed revealing the time itself, but showing the sign of the time,
namely, Antichrist. For a weak soul is then most fully assured, not
when it merely hears, but when it learns something more particular.
And Christ too bestowed great care upon this point, and being seated
on the Mount, He with great particularity discoursed to His
disciples upon the Consummation. And wherefore? that there might be
no room for those who introduce Antichrists and false Christs. And
He Himself also gives many signs, one indeed, and that the most
important, saying, when "the Gospel shall be preached to all
nations" (from Matt. xxiv. 14), and another also, that they
should not be deceived with respect to His coming. "As the
lightning" (ver. 27), He says, shall He come; not concealed
in any corner, but shining everywhere. It requires no one to point it
out, so splendid will it be, even as the lightning needs no one to
point it out. And He has spoken in a certain place also concerning
Antichrist, when He said, "I am come in My Father's name, and
ye receive Me not: if another shall come in His own name, Him ye
will receive." (John v. 43.) And He said that those
unspeakable calamities one after another were a sign of it, and that
Elias must come.
The Thessalonians indeed were then perplexed, but their perplexity
has been profitable to us. For not to them only, but to us also are
these things useful, that we may be delivered from childish fables and
from old women's fooleries. And have you not often heard, when you
were children, persons talking much even about the name of
Antichrist, and about his bending the knee? For the devil scatters
these things in our minds, whilst yet tender, that the doctrine may
grow up with us, and that he may be able to deceive us. Paul
therefore, in speaking of Antichrist, would not have passed over
these things if they had been profitable. Let us not therefore enquire
into these things. For he will not come so bending his knees, but
"exalting himself against all that is called God, or that is
worshiped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself
forth as God." (2 Thess. ii. 4.) For as the devil fell by
pride, so he who is wrought upon by him is anointed unto pride.
Wherefore, I beseech you, let us all be earnest to be far removed
from this affection, that we may not fall into his condemnation, that
we may not subject ourselves to the same punishment, that we may not
partake of the vengeance. "Not a novices" he says, "lest being
puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil." (1 Tim.
iii. 6.) He who is puffed up therefore, suffers the same
punishment with the devil. "For the beginning of pride is not to know
the Lord." (Ecclus. x. 12, 13.) Pride is the beginning of
sin, the first impulse and movement toward evil. Perhaps indeed it is
both the root and the foundation. For "the beginning" means either
the first impulse towards evil, or the grounding. As if one should
say, the beginning of chastity is to abstain from the sight of an
improper object, that is the first impulse. But if we should say,
the beginning of chastity is fasting, that is the foundation and
establishment. So also pride is the beginning of sin. For every sin
begins from it, and is maintained by it. For that, whatever good
things we do, this vice suffers them not to remain and not fall away,
but is as a certain root not letting them abide unshaken, is manifest
from hence: see what things the Pharisee did, but they profited him
nothing. For he did not extirpate the root, but it corrupted all his
performances, because the root remained. From pride springs contempt
of the poor, desire of riches, the love of power, the longing for
much glory. Such an one is prompt to revenge an insult. For he who
is proud cannot bear to be insulted even by his superiors, much less by
his inferiors. But he who cannot bear to be insulted cannot bear
either to suffer any ill. See how pride is the beginning of sin.
But how is it the beginning of pride, not to know the Lord?
Justly. For he who knows God as he ought to know Him, he who knows
that the Son of God humbled Himself so much, is not lifted up. But
he who knows not these things, is lifted up. For pride anoints him
unto arrogance. For tell me, whence is it that they who make war upon
the Church say that they know God? Is it not from arrogance? See
into what a precipice it plunges them, not to know the Lord! For if
God loveth a contrite spirit (Ps. li. 17, etc.), He on the
other hand "resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble."
(1 Pet. v. 5.) There is therefore no evil like pride. It
renders a man a demon, insolent, blasphemous, perjured, and makes
him desirous of deaths and murders. The proud man always lives in
troubles, is always angry, always unhappy. There is nothing which
can satiate his passion. If he should see the king stooping down to
him, and prostrating himself, he is not satisfied, but is the more
inflamed. For as the lovers of money, the more they receive, want so
much the more, so also the proud, the more honor they enjoy, the more
they desire. For their passion is increased; for a passion it is,
and a passion knows not limit, but then stops when it has slain its
possessor. Do you not see that drunkards are always thirsty? for it
is a passion, not the desire of nature, but some perverted disease.
Do you not see how those who are affected with bulimy, as it is
called, are always hungry? For it is a passion, as the children of
the physicians say, already exceeding the bounds of nature. The
busy-bodies, and the over-curious, whatever they have learnt, do
not stop. For it is a passion, and has no limit. (Ecclus. xxiii.
17.) Again, they who delight in fornication, they too cannot
desist. "To a fornicator," it is said, "all bread is sweet."
He will not cease, till he is devoured. For it is a passion.
But they are indeed passions, not however incurable, but admitting of
cure, and much more than bodily affections. For if we will, we can
extinguish them. How then can a man extinguish pride? By knowing
God. For if it arises from not knowing God, if we know Him, all
pride is banished. Think of Hell. Think of those who are much
better than yourself. Think of your sins. Think for how many things
you deserve punishment from God. If you think of these, you will
soon bring down your proud mind, you will soon bend it. But can you
not do these things? are you too weak? Consider things present,
human nature itself, the nothingness of man! When thou seest a dead
body carried through the market-place, orphan children following it,
a widow beating her breast, servants bewailing, friends looking
dejected, reflect upon the nothingness of things present, and that
they differ not from a shadow, or a dream.
Does this not suit you? Think of those who are very rich, who perish
anyhow in war; look round on the houses, that belonged to the great
and illustrious, and are now leveled to the ground. Consider how
mighty they were, and now not even a memorial of them is left. For,
if you will, every day you may find examples of these things--the
successions of rulers,--the confiscations of rich men's goods.
"Many tyrants have sat upon the ground--and he who was never thought
on, has worn a diadem." (Ecclus. xi. 15.) Do not these
things happen every day? Do not our affairs resemble a kind of wheel?
Read, if you will, both our own (books), and those without: for
they also abound in such examples. If you despise ours, and this from
pride; if you admire the works of philosophers, go even to them.
They will instruct thee, relating ancient calamities, as will poets,
and orators, and sophists, and all historians. From every side, if
you will, you may find examples.
But if you will none of these things, reflect upon our very nature,
of what it consists, and wherein it ends. Consider, when you sleep,
of what worth are you? Will not even a little beast be able to destroy
thee? For often a little animal falling from the roof has deprived
many persons of sight, or has been the cause of some other danger.
But what? art thou not less than all beasts? But what sayest thou?
that thou excellest in reason? But behold, thou hast not reason: for
pride is a sign of the want of reason. And for what, tell me, art
thou high-minded after all? Is it upon the good constitution of thy
body? But the prize of victory here is with the irrational creatures;
this is possessed also by robbers and murderers, and violators of the
tombs. But art thou proud of thine understanding? It is no proof of
understanding to be proud. By this then first thou deprivest thyself
of becoming intelligent. Let us bring down our high thoughts. Let us
be moderate, and lowly, and gentle. For such even Christ has
pronounced blessed above all, saying, "Blessed are the poor in
spirit." (Matt. v. 3.) And again, He cried, saying,
"Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart." (Matt. xi.
29.) For this reason He washed the feet of His disciples,
affording us an example of humility. From all these things let us gain
profit, that we may be able to obtain the blessings promised to those
who love Him, by the grace and lovingkindness,
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