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He, therefore, was such a precise and firm guardian of chastity, that although it was possible for him with licentiousness both to be rich and to live in luxury and to rule over his mistress, yet nevertheless, though about to be master of so many and such great things, he chose rather to die than to betray chastity, considering that wealth and power and glory are completed with this life and have a temporary gain, but death is not by nature able to touch virtue alone.

For this reason he placed the fear of Christ on pleasures as a kind of bridle, and he laughed at wealth and luxury and 578 the promises of his mistress, considering the hardship in prison sweeter than splendid dwellings; and yet for those who have reached the peak of beauty it is difficult to control pleasure; but he offered such a test of self-control, as to hide the bloom of his body by the beauty of his soul, resembling a beautiful star in form, but angels in his soul. But it is fitting for us not only to admire the chastity of the young man, but also the dangers which he endured for its sake, judging slavery to pleasures more terrible than death. And one might know his virtue precisely, if one were to examine the times in which he was seen keeping his soul pure; for before the Lord and creator of the universe appeared on earth, he kept his soul free while being raised in the house of impious people, having many who urged him to worse things, no teacher of chastity, all of them serving pleasure, gratifying their stomach, doing nothing pious nor holy; but nevertheless, being surrounded by so many and such evils and seeing his licentious mistress pressing him, he did not become a betrayer of the heavenly treasures, but kept the temple of the spirit inviolate, choosing rather to die than to serve pleasures. This man did not hear Paul saying that Your bodies are members of Christ; but nevertheless, before hearing the divine voice, he appeared no less than those who were honored with the heavenly commands, teaching us who continually strive in the churches by this word, how it is fitting to keep the soul incorruptible.

For if I, says Joseph, who was before the epiphany of God, not yet having seen the Lord who took on the form of a servant, not yet having heard the chief of the apostles crying that Your bodies are members of Christ, nevertheless thought it fitting for the servants of God to control pleasure and did not appear as a betrayer of chastity, although seeing many dangers hanging over me, 579 how is it fitting for you to live with chastity with fear and trembling, so that you might not appear unworthy of the honor, so that you might not make the members of Christ the members of a prostitute? This saying can fortify every soul with chastity, this saying drives out every pleasure quickly, this saying cools the flames of desire easily; a rainstorm falling on a fire does not so easily extinguish the flame, as this divine word, entering a soul, quickly withers evil desires. The great Job is also able to say the same words to us, who not only appeared a precise practiser of chastity, but also made a law for his own eyes not to look upon the face of a maiden, lest beauty appearing might seize his thought. And yet who would not be astonished and marvel seeing this man wrestling nobly with the devil and refuting every scheme of the evil one, but shunning the face of a maiden and quickly turning his eyes away from a beautiful girl; Seeing the devil approaching, he did not flee, but remained like a lion, trusting in his strength, but seeing a girl, he did not stand nor linger over the sight of her beauty, but quickly withdrew, thinking that the war against demons requires courage and a bold soul, but that the practice of chastity is easily achieved not by conversing with girls, but by fleeing from maidens.

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Ἐκεῖνος τοίνυν οὕτως ἦν ἀκριβὴς καὶ βέβαιος τῆς σωφροσύνης φύλαξ, ὥστε ἐξῆν μὲν αὐτῷ μετὰ ἀσελγείας καὶ πλουτεῖν καὶ τρυφᾷν καὶ τῆς δεσποίνης ἄρχειν, ἀλλ' ὅμως καίτοι τοσούτων καὶ τοιούτων μέλλων ἔσεσθαι κύριος εἵλετο μᾶλλον ἀποθανεῖν ἢ προδοῦναι τὴν σωφροσύνην ἐνθυμηθείς, ὅτι πλοῦτος μὲν καὶ δυναστεία καὶ δόξα τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ συναπαρτίζεται καὶ πρόςκαιρον ἔχει τὸ κέρδος, μόνης δὲ ἀρετῆς οὐ πέφυκεν ἅπτεσθαι τελευτή.

∆ιὰ τοῦτο ταῖς μὲν ἡδοναῖς ὥςπερ τινὰ χαλινὸν τὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ φόβον ἐπέβαλλε, τοῦ δὲ πλούτου καὶ τῆς τρυφῆς καὶ 578 τῶν ὑποσχέσεων τῆς δεσποίνης κατεγέλασε τὴν ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ ταλαιπωρίαν ἡδίω νομίσας τῶν λαμπρῶν οἰκημάτων· καίτοι τοὺς μὲν εἰς ἄκρον εὐμορφίας ἥκοντας χαλεπὸν κρατῆσαι τῆς ἡδονῆς· ὁ δὲ τοσαύτην βάσανον τῆς ἐγκρατείας παρείχετο, ὡς τῷ κάλλει τῆς ψυχῆς ἀποκρύψαι τὴν ὥραν τοῦ σώματος, ἀστέρι μὲν καλῷ τὴν μορφὴν ἐοικώς, ἀγγέλοις δὲ τὴν ψυχήν. Ἡμᾶς δὲ προςήκει μὴ τὴν σωφροσύνην μόνον τοῦ νεανίσκου θαυμάζειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς κινδύνους οὓς ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς ὑπέμεινε φοβερώτερον θανάτου κρίνας τὸ δουλεύειν ταῖς ἡδοναῖς. Γνοίη δ' ἄν τις αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀκριβῶς, εἰ τοὺς καιροὺς ἐξετάσειε καθ' οὓς ἐφάνη τηρῶν τὴν ψυχὴν καθαράν· πρὶν γὰρ φανῆναι τῇ γῇ τὸν δεσπότην καὶ δημιουργὸν τοῦ παντὸς ἐλευθέραν παρείχετο τὴν ψυχὴν ἐν οἰκίᾳ δυςσεβῶν τρεφόμενος, πολλοὺς ἔχων τοὺς ἐπὶ τὰ χείρω παρακαλοῦντας, οὐδένα σωφροσύνης διδάσκαλον, πάντας ἡδονῇ δουλεύοντας, τῇ γαστρὶ χαριζομένους, οὐδὲν εὐσεβὲς οὐδὲ ὅσιον ποιοῦντας· ἀλλ' ὅμως τοσούτοις καὶ τοιούτοις κακοῖς κεκυκλωμένος καὶ τὴν ἀκόλαστον δέσποιναν ἐπικειμένην ὁρῶν οὐκ ἐγένετο προδότης τῶν οὐρανίων θησαυρῶν, ἀλλ' ἐτήρησεν ἄσυλον τὸν ναὸν τοῦ πνεύματος μᾶλλον ἑλόμενος ἀποθανεῖν ἢ δουλεῦσαι ταῖς ἡδοναῖς. Οὐκ ἤκουσεν οὗτος τοῦ Παύλου λέγοντος ὅτι Τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν μέλη Χριστοῦ ἐστιν· ἀλλ' ὅμως πρὶν ἀκοῦσαι τῆς θείας φωνῆς οὐκ ἐλάττων ἐφάνη τῶν τιμηθέντων τοῖς οὐρανίοις παραγγέλμασι διδάσκων ἡμᾶς τοὺς συνεχῶς ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ἀγωνιζομένους τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ, ὅπως προςήκει τὴν ψυχὴν ἀδιάφθορον φυλάττειν.

Εἰ γὰρ ἐγώ, φησὶν ὁ Ἰωσήφ, πρὸ τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ θεοῦ γεγονὼς οὔπω τὸν δεσπότην ἰδὼν δούλου μορφὴν ὑπελθόντα, οὔπω τοῦ κορυφαίου τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀκούσας βοῶντος ὅτι Τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν μέλη Χριστοῦ ἐστιν, ὅμως πρέπειν ἐνόμισα τοῖς τοῦ θεοῦ δούλοις τὸ κρατεῖν ἡδονῆς καὶ οὐκ ἐφάνην τῆς σωφροσύνης προδότης καίτοι πολλοὺς κινδύνους ἐπηρτημένους ὁρῶν 579 πῶς ὑμᾶς προςήκει μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου σωφροσύνῃ συζῇν, ἵνα μὴ φανῆτε τῆς τιμῆς ἀνάξιοι, ἵνα μὴ τὰ μέλη τοῦ Χριστοῦ μέλη ποιήσητε πόρνης; Τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα πᾶσαν δύναται ψυχὴν σωφροσύνῃ τειχίσαι, τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα πᾶσαν ἡδονὴν ἐξελαύνει ταχέως, τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα φλεγμονὰς ἐπιθυμίας καταψύχει ῥᾳδίως· οὐχ οὕτως ὄμβρος εἰς πῦρ ἐμπεσὼν ῥᾳδίως ἀφανίζει τὴν φλόγα, ὡς ὁ θεῖος οὗτος λόγος εἰς ψυχὴν εἰςελθὼν ἀπομαραίνει ταχέως τὰς πονηρὰς ἐπιθυμίας. Τοὺς αὐτοὺς δύναται λόγους καὶ ὁ μέγας Ἰὼβ ποιεῖσθαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ὃς οὐ μόνον ἀκριβὴς ἐφάνη τῆς σωφροσύνης ἀσκητής, ἀλλὰ καὶ νόμον ἔθηκε τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μὴ βλέπειν εἰς παρθένου πρόςωπον, μή ποτε κάλλος παραφανὲν ἁρπάσῃ τὸν λογισμόν. Καίτοι τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐκπλαγείη καὶ θαυμάσειεν ὁρῶν τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον τῷ μὲν διαβόλῳ προςπαλαίοντα γενναίως καὶ πᾶσαν τοῦ πονηροῦ μηχανὴν ἐλέγχοντα, παρθένου δὲ πρόςωπον ὑποφεύγοντα καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀπάγοντα ταχέως ἀπὸ κόρης εὐμόρφου· Τὸν μὲν διάβολον ὁρῶν ἐπερχόμενον οὐκ ἔφευγεν, ἀλλ' ἔμενεν ὥςπερ λέων τῇ δυνάμει θαρρῶν, κόρην δὲ ἰδὼν οὐκ ἔστη οὐδὲ διέτριψε περὶ τὴν θέαν τῆς εὐμορφίας, ἀλλ' ὑπεχώρησε ταχέως, τὸν μὲν πρὸς τοὺς δαίμονας πόλεμον ἀνδρείαν ἀπαιτεῖν νομίζων καὶ θαρσαλέαν ψυχήν, σωφροσύνης δὲ ἄσκησιν οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ κόραις ὁμιλεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ φεύγειν παρθένους, εὐχερῶς περιγενέσθαι.