35. First, therefore, brethren, let us keep a festival, not with cheerfulness of face, nor changes and sumptuousness of apparel, nor with revellings and drunkenness, the fruit whereof ye have been taught is chambering and wanton-ness; neither let us crown the streets with flowers, nor our tables with the scandal of perfumes, nor let us decorate the entrances of our dwellings; neither let our houses be illuminated with the material light, nor resounding with concerts and the clapping of hands----for this is the pride of a heathen festivity. But let not us glorify God, or celebrate the present occasion with such things as these, wherewith it is not fitting----but rather with purity of soul and cheerfulness of temper, and with the lamps of the Church that illuminate the body, I mean with godly contemplations, add thoughts raised aloft upon the Sacred Lamp-stand,²⁵ and diffusing a light over all the world I Compared to such a Light, I esteem as a mere trifle all that men light up when they hold festival. I have also a certain unguent,²⁶ but one wherewith only priests and kings are anointed, being of various ingredients and very costly, and poured out for our sake, but compounded by the art of the Great Ointment-maker. Ob, that it may be mine to offer up to God the sweet savour of this ointment! I have likewise a table, this spiritual one, which the Lord hath prepared for me, when He rescued me out of the hand of the oppressors, at the which I refresh myself and revel, yet do not grow wanton out of fulness, but calm down all rebellion of my passions. Flowers, too, I have, more blooming and lasting than all those of spring, "out of the full land that the Lord hath blessed," that is, the holy and sweet-smelling pastors and teachers, and all that is pure and choice of the congregation; with these do I desire to be crowned and to go in procession, "having fought the good fight, having finished my course, having kept the faith," according to the holy Apostle. Let us take up hymns instead of timbrils, psalmody instead of profane talking and songs, the applause of thanksgiving instead of the applause of the theatre, and action that is of good report, understanding instead of laughter, instead of drunkenness, sober reflection, instead of luxury, gravity of demeanour. And if thou must needs dance, like a festival-keeper and reveller, then dance, but not the dance of Herodias the immodest, the end whereof was the death of the Baptist, but rather that of David upon the stopping of the Ark,²⁷ the which I take for an emblem, of a rapid and diversified walking after the will of God. This is the first and chiefest chapter of my exhortation.

ΛΕʹ. Πρῶτον μὲν, ἀδελφοὶ, πανηγυρίσωμεν, μὴ φαιδρότητι σώματος, μηδὲ ἐσθῆτος ἐξαλλαγαῖς καὶ πολυτελείαις, μηδὲ κώμοις καὶ μέθαις, ὧν κοίτας καὶ ἀσελγείας τὸν καρπὸν ἐμάθετε: μηδὲ ἄνθεσι στέψωμεν ἀγυιὰς, μηδὲ μύρων αἰσχύναις τραπέζας, μηδὲ πρόθυρα καλλωπίσωμεν: μὴ τῷ αἰσθητῷ φωτὶ καταλαμπέσθωσαν αἱ οἰκίαι, μηδὲ συναυλίαις καὶ κρότοις περιηχείσθωσαν: οὗτος μὲν γὰρ Ἑλληνικῆς ἱερομηνίας ὁ νόμος: ἡμεῖς δὲ μὴ τούτοις τὸν Θεὸν γεραίρωμεν, μηδὲ τὸν παρόντα καιρὸν ἐπαίρωμεν, οἷς οὐκ ἄξιον, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς καθαρότητι, καὶ διανοίας φαιδρότητι, καὶ λύχνοις τοῖς ὅλον τὸ σῶμα φωτίζουσι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, θείοις λέγω θεωρήμασι καὶ νοήμασιν, ἐπί τε τὴν ἱερὰν λυχνίαν ἐγειρομένοις, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην καταλάμπουσι. Μικρόν μοι πρὸς τοῦτο τὸ φῶς, πάντα ὅσα ἰδίᾳ τε καὶ δημοσίᾳ πανηγυρίζοντες ἀνάπτουσιν ἄνθρωποι. Ἔχω τι καὶ μύρον, ἀλλ' ᾧ χρίονται μόνον ἱερεῖς τε καὶ βασιλεῖς, ὄντι ποικίλῳ τε καὶ πολυτελεῖ, καὶ δι' ἡμᾶς κενωθέντι, ἀλλὰ μεγάλου μυρεψοῦ τέχνῃ συγκείμενον. Εἴθε μοι γένοιτο τούτου τοῦ μύρου τὴν εὐωδίαν προσβαλεῖν τῷ Θεῷ! Ἔχω καὶ τράπεζαν τὴν πνευματικὴν ταύτην καὶ ἔνθεον, ἣν ἡτοίμασέ μοι Κύριος ἐξεναντίας τῶν θλιβόντων με, ᾗ προσαναπαύομαι καὶ τρυφῶ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐξυβρίζω διὰ τὸν κόρον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κοιμίζω πᾶσαν παθῶν ἐπανάστασιν. Ἔχω καὶ ἄνθη, πάντων ἐαρινῶν εὐανθέστερά τε καὶ μονιμώτερα, τοῦ ἀγροῦ τοῦ πλήρους, ὃν εὐλόγησε Κύριος, τοὺς ἱεροὺς καὶ εὐώδεις ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους, καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ ὅσον καθαρόν τε καὶ ἔκκριτον. Τούτοις στεφανωθῆναι βούλομαι καὶ πομπεύειν, τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν ἀγωνισάμενος, καὶ τὸν δρόμον τελέσας, καὶ τὴν πίστιν τηρήσας, κατὰ τὸν ἱερὸν Ἀπόστολον. Ἀναλάβωμεν ὕμνους ἀντὶ τυμπάνων, ψαλμῳδίαν ἀντὶ τῶν αἰσχρῶν λυγισμάτων τε καὶ ᾀσμάτων, κρότον εὐχαριστήριον ἀντὶ κρότων θεατρικῶν, καὶ χειρῶν πρᾶξιν εὔηχον, σύννοιαν ἀντὶ γέλωτος, ἀντὶ μέθης ἔμφρονα λόγον, ἀντὶ θρύψεως σεμνοπρέπειαν. Εἰ καὶ ὀρχήσασθαι δεῖ σε, ὡς πανηγυριστὴν καὶ φιλέορτον, ὄρχησαι μὲν, ἀλλὰ μὴ τὴν Ἡρωδιάδος ὄρχησιν τῆς ἀσχήμονος, ἧς ἔργον Βαπτιστοῦ θάνατος: ἀλλὰ τὴν Δαβὶδ ἐπὶ τῇ καταπαύσει τῆς κιβωτοῦ, ἣν ἡγοῦμαι τῆς εὐκινήτου καὶ πολυστρόφου κατὰ Θεὸν πορείας εἶναι μυστήριον. Πρῶτον μὲν δὴ τοῦτο καὶ μέγιστον τῆς ἐμῆς παραινέσεως.