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De Christi precibus

That not to say what we know, and to bring it forth to others, makes one poorer, and extinguishes grace; and concerning the prayers which Christ prayed, and the

authority with which he did all things; and concerning the correction of the old law; and that being made flesh his equality with the Father does not

diminish, but rather even establishes it. Tenth Discourse. 48.783 1. Sufficiently in the days before have we celebrated, having taken up the apostolic contests, and delighting in the narration of spiritual achievements; it is now time, therefore, to pay the debt to you; for indeed there is nothing to prevent it. And I know indeed that you have forgotten my debts because of the multitude of days; not however for this reason will I hide them, but with all eagerness I will repay them to you. And I do this, not only out of gratitude, but also for my own benefit. For in the case of bodily transactions, it is a gain for the one who has borrowed for the one who has lent to forget; but in the case of spiritual 48.784 contracts, it is the greatest gain for the one who is about to pay the debt, for those who are about to receive to continually remember the debts. For in that case, the loan, having been repaid, leaves the one who paid, and is transferred to the one who receives it, and it has diminished the substance of the one, but increased the substance of the other; but in spiritual matters it is not so, but it is possible both to pay it and to have it; and what is indeed wonderful, is that we have it most of all when we pay it to others. For if, having buried it in the mind, I guard it continually, giving a share to no one, my profit is diminished, the abundance is lessened; but if I bring it forth 48.785 to all, and make many sharers and partakers of all that I myself know, my spiritual wealth is increased. And that these things are so, and the one who gives a share to others increases the deposit, while the one who hides it diminishes all the profit, are witnesses those who were entrusted with the talents, the one with five, and the one with two, and the one with one. For the former brought double what was entrusted to them, and were honored for this; but the latter, since he kept it by himself, and gave a share to no one, and was not able to make it double, for this reason was punished. Therefore, let us all, hearing these things, and fearing the punishment from there, whatever good we may have, let us bring it forth to the brothers, and lay it down in the midst for all, but not hide it. For when we give a share to others, then we ourselves become richer; when we make many partakers of the trade, then we increase our own abundance. But you think your glory is diminished, when you know along with many what you alone know. And yet then it is increased, both your glory and your benefit, when you trample on envy, when you extinguish malice, when you show much love for the brethren; but if you go about knowing alone, men on the one hand, as an envious and brother-hating man, will turn away from and hate you, and God on the other hand, as a wicked man, will demand of you the ultimate penalty; and apart from these things, grace itself also, having abandoned you desolate, will quickly depart from you. Since even wheat, if it lies continually in the storehouses, is consumed, a moth eating it; but if having been brought out it is cast into the fields, it is multiplied many times and renewed again. So also a spiritual word,

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De Christi precibus

Ὅτι τὸ μὴ λέγειν, ἅπερ ἴσμεν, καὶ εἰς ἑτέρους ἐκφέρειν, πενέστερον ποιεῖ, καὶ τὴν χάριν σβέννυσι· καὶ εἰς τὰς εὐχὰς, ἃς ὁ Χριστὸς ηὔξατο, καὶ τὴν

ἐξουσίαν, μεθ' ἧς ἅπαντα ἐποίει· καὶ εἰς τὴν τοῦ παλαιοῦ νόμου διόρθωσιν· καὶ ὅτι τὸ σαρκωθῆναι τὴν ἰσότητα αὐτοῦ τὴν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα οὐκ

ἐλαττοῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνίστησι μᾶλλον. Λόγος δέκατος. 48.783 αʹ. Ἱκανῶς ἐν ταῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐπανηγυρίσαμεν ἡμέραις, τῶν ἄθλων ἐπιλαβόμενοι τῶν ἀποστολικῶν, καὶ τῇ διηγήσει τῶν πνευματικῶν ἐντρυφῶντες κατορθωμάτων· ὥρα δὴ λοιπὸν ἀποδοῦναι τὸ χρέος ὑμῖν· καὶ γὰρ τὸ κωλύον οὐδέν. Καὶ οἶδα μὲν ὅτι ἐπιλέλησθε τῶν ὀφλημάτων ὑμεῖς τῶν ἐμῶν διὰ τὸ τῶν ἡμερῶν πλῆθος· οὐ μὴν διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὰ ἐγὼ ἀποκρύψομαι, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πάσης ὑμῖν ταῦτα ἀποδώσω τῆς προθυμίας. Ποιῶ δὲ τοῦτο, οὐ δι' εὐγνωμοσύνην μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' ὠφέλειαν ἐμήν. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν σωματικῶν συναλλαγμάτων κέρδος τῷ δεδανεισμένῳ τὸ τὸν δεδανεικότα ἐπιλαθέσθαι· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν πνευματι48.784 κῶν συμβολαίων κέρδος τῷ μέλλοντι καταβάλλειν τὸ χρέος μέγιστον, τὸ τοὺς ὑποδέχεσθαι μέλλοντας διηνεκῶς μεμνῆσθαι τῶν ὀφλημάτων. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ τὸ δάνεισμα ἀποδοθὲν τὸν μὲν καταβαλόντα ἀφίησι, μεθίσταται δὲ πρὸς τὸν ὑποδεξόμενον, καὶ τοῦ μὲν ἠλάττωσε, τοῦ δὲ ἐπλεόνασε τὴν οὐσίαν· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν πνευματικῶν οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ δυνατὸν αὐτὸ καὶ καταβαλεῖν, καὶ ἔχειν· καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι τότε μάλιστα αὐτὸ ἔχομεν, ὅταν καταβάλωμεν ἑτέροις. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ κατορύξας φυλάξω διηνεκῶς μηδενὶ μεταδιδοὺς, ἐλαττοῦταί μοι τὸ κέρδος, μειοῦται τὰ τῆς περιουσίας· ἂν δὲ εἰς ἅπαντας ἐξ48.785 ενέγκω, καὶ ποιήσω μεριστὰς πολλοὺς καὶ κοινωνοὺς, ὧν αὐτὸς ἐπίσταμαι πάντων, αὔξεταί μοι τὰ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ πλούτου. Καὶ ὅτι ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει, καὶ ὁ μὲν ἑτέροις μεταδιδοὺς αὔξει τὴν παρακαταθήκην, ὁ δὲ ἀποκρύπτων ἐλαττοῖ τὴν ἐργασίαν ἅπασαν, μάρτυρες οἱ τὰ τάλαντα ἐγχειρισθέντες ἐκεῖνοι, ὁ τὰ πέντε, καὶ ὁ τὰ δύο, καὶ ὁ τὸ ἕν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ διπλασίονα τὰ ἐμπιστευθέντα προσήγαγον, καὶ ἐτιμῶντο διὰ τοῦτο· ὁ δὲ ἐπειδὴ ἐφύλαξε παρ' ἑαυτῷ, καὶ οὐδενὶ μετέδωκε, διπλοῦν τε αὐτὸ ποιῆσαι οὐκ ἴσχυσε, διὰ τοῦτο ἐκολάζετο. Ταῦτα οὖν ἀκούοντες ἅπαντες, καὶ τὴν κόλασιν τὴν ἐκεῖθεν δεδοικότες, ὅπερ ἂν ἔχωμεν ἀγαθὸν εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἐκφέρωμεν, καὶ εἰς τὸ μέσον ἅπασι καταβάλλωμεν, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἀποκρύπτωμεν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἑτέροις μεταδῶμεν, τότε πλουτοῦμεν αὐτοὶ μειζόνως· ὅταν κοινωνοὺς ποιησώμεθα τῆς ἐμπορίας πολλοὺς, τότε τὴν ἡμετέραν αὔξομεν περιουσίαν. Ἀλλ' ἐλαττοῦσθαί σοι τὰ τῆς δόξης νομίζεις, ὅταν μετὰ πολλῶν ᾖς εἰδὼς, ἃ μόνος οἶδας αὐτός. Καὶ μὴν τότε αὔξεται καὶ τὰ τῆς δόξης, καὶ τὰ τῆς ὠφελείας, ὅταν τὸν φθόνον καταπατήσῃς, ὅταν τὴν βασκανίαν σβέσῃς, ὅταν φιλαδελφίαν ἐπιδείξῃ πολλήν· ἂν δὲ μόνος εἰδὼς περιίῃς, ἄνθρωποι μὲν ὡς βάσκανον καὶ μισάδελφον ἀποστραφήσονται καὶ μισήσουσιν, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ὡς πονηρὸν τὴν ἐσχάτην ἀπαιτήσει σε δίκην· χωρὶς δὲ τούτων, καὶ αὐτή σε ταχέως ἡ χάρις ἔρημον ἐγκαταλιποῦσα οἰχήσεται. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ σῖτος, ἂν μὲν ἐν ταῖς ἀποθήκαις ᾖ διηνεκῶς κείμενος, δαπανᾶται, σητὸς αὐτὸν κατεσθίοντος· ἂν δὲ ἐξενεχθεὶς εἰς τὰς ἀρούρας καταβάλληται, πολυπλασιάζεται καὶ ἀνανεοῦται πάλιν. Οὕτω καὶ λόγος πνευματικὸς,