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we besiege the providence of God. For all these things are full of blasphemy, and the real turmoil and disorder is not the course of events, but the reasoning so disposed; which, even if it enjoys ten thousand instances of good order, as long as it does not correct the disorder and turmoil within itself, will have no advantage from the good order in events; but just as an eye, when it is diseased, will see darkness even at brightest noon, and one thing for another, and will gain no advantage from the sunbeam, but when healthy and strong, will be able to guide the body with safety even in the evening; so too the eye of our mind, as long as it is strong, even if it sees things that seem to be disordered, will see well; but when it is corrupted, even if you lead it up to heaven itself, it will condemn much disorder and turmoil even there. And that these things are so, I will construct for you many examples of this from of old and from our own times. How many bear poverty easily, and do not cease giving thanks to God for this reason? How many, having wealth and luxury, do not give thanks, but blaspheme the Master? How many, having suffered nothing terrible, accuse providence in general? How many, having lived in a prison their whole life, bear the misery there with a better mind than those who have lived in freedom and safety? Do you see that it is the state of the soul, and that one's own reasoning is the cause of these things and those, but not the nature of the events themselves? So that if we took care of our mind, there would be no turmoil, no disorder, none of these terrible things, even if the affairs of our life were carried up and down more violently than any Euripus. For why, tell me, does Paul give thanks? And yet he is one of those who have lived best, who have lived with virtue their whole life, who least deserved to suffer such terrible things; no one among all men under the sun has been more righteous than he, nor has anyone suffered more terrible things than he, since men came to be. But nevertheless, seeing many living in wickedness, and being cheerful, and enjoying their present possessions, he himself gives thanks to God, and advised all others to do this. Look to him. And you, when you see the wicked man being cheerful, when you see him being exalted, when you see him prevailing over his enemies, taking vengeance on those who have grieved him, suffering no loss, money flowing in to him from all sides, everyone honoring and flattering him, and yourself in all the opposite circumstances, in insolence, slanders, plots, do not consider yourself to be among the castaways, but looking to Paul who is of your portion, raise up your mind, recover your reasonings, do not fall into despondency. Do not judge the friend and the enemy of God from the good fortune and misfortune here, but if you see a man living rightly, and being consumed by sickness, and looking to piety, call him blessed and consider him enviable, even if he wears ten thousand chains, and lives in a prison his whole 50.752 life, even if he serves unworthy masters, even if he is poor, even if he works in the mines, even if he suffers anything terrible. For this man is blessed, even if his eyes are gouged out, even if he is burned, even if his body is consumed bit by bit. But if you see another in licentiousness and wickedness, and living in the worst evils, and enjoying much honor, ascending to the royal throne itself, and wearing a diadem, and having the purple robe, and ruling the whole world, weep for and pity such a one for this very reason. For nothing is truly more wretched than a soul so disposed, even if it has the whole world in subjection. For what is the benefit of being rich in possessions, when in virtue one is poorer than all? what is the gain of ruling so many, when one cannot overcome oneself and one's own passions? But if we see a body badly disposed and feverish, or with gout, or with some consumption, or with another incurable suffering

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ἐπιτειχίζωμεν τῇ προνοίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα βλασφημίας γέμει, καὶ ἡ ὄντως ταραχὴ καὶ ἀταξία οὐχὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐστὶ φορὰ, ἀλλ' ὁ οὕτω διακείμενος λογισμός· ὃς κἂν μυρίας εὐταξίας ἀπολαύῃ, ἕως ἂν τὴν ἀταξίαν τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ταραχὴν διορθώσηται, οὐδὲν αὐτῷ τῆς ἐν τοῖς πράγμασιν εὐταξίας ἔσται τὸ πλέον· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ὀφθαλμὸς, νοσῶν μὲν καὶ ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ φανοτάτῃ σκότος ὄψεται, καὶ ἕτερα ἀνθ' ἑτέρων, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ τῆς ἀκτῖνος ἔσται πλέον, ὑγιαίνων δὲ καὶ ἐῤῥωμένος, καὶ ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ δυνήσεται τὸ σῶμα χειραγωγεῖν μετὰ ἀσφαλείας· οὕτω καὶ ὁ τῆς διανοίας τῆς ἡμετέρας ὀφθαλμὸς, ἕως μὲν ἂν ἐῤῥωμένος ᾖ, κἂν ἄτακτα εἶναι δοκοῦντα ἴδῃ, καλῶς ὄψεται· ὅταν δὲ διεφθαρμένος, κἂν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀναγάγῃς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖ πολλὴν ἀταξίαν καταγνώσεται καὶ ταραχήν. Καὶ ὅτι ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει, πολλά σοι τῶν πάλαι καὶ τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῶν τούτου κατασκευάσω παραδείγματα. Πόσοι πενίαν φέρουσιν εὐκόλως, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦτο εὐχαριστοῦντες οὐ διαλιμπάνουσι; πόσοι πλοῦτον καὶ τρυφὴν ἔχοντες, οὐκ εὐχαριστοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ βλασφημοῦσι τὸν ∆εσπότην; πόσοι μηδὲν παθόντες δεινὸν, κατηγοροῦσι τῆς καθόλου προνοίας; πόσοι δεσμωτήριον τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον οἰκήσαντες, τῶν ἐν ἀδείᾳ καὶ ἀσφαλείᾳ βεβιωκότων εὐγνωμονέστερον τὴν ἐκεῖ φέρουσι ταλαιπωρίαν; Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς κατάστασις, καὶ ὅτι ὁ οἰκεῖος λογισμὸς καὶ τούτων καὶ ἐκείνων αἴτιος, ἀλλ' οὐκ αὐτὴ τῶν πραγμάτων ἡ φύσις. Ὥστε εἰ τῆς διανοίας ἐπιμέλειαν ἐποιούμεθα τῆς ἡμετέρας, οὐκ ἦν ταραχὴ, οὐκ ἦν ἀταξία, οὐκ ἦν τῶν δεινῶν οὐδὲν, εἰ καὶ εὐρίπου παντὸς χαλεπώτερον ἄνω καὶ κάτω τὰ πράγματα τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐφέρετο ζωῆς. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, Παῦλος εὐχαριστεῖ; Καίτοι τῶν ἄριστα βεβιωκότων ἐστὶ, τῶν τῇ ἀρετῇ συνεζηκότων τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον, τῶν ἥκιστα τοσαῦτα παθόντων δεινά· οὐδεὶς οὔτε δικαιότερος ἐκείνου γέγονε τῶν ὑφ' ἡλίῳ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, οὔτε χαλεπώτερα ἐκείνου πέπονθε τῶν ἐξ οὗ γεγόνασιν ἄνθρωποι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁρῶν πολλοὺς ἐν πονηρίᾳ ζῶντας, καὶ εὐθυμουμένους, καὶ τῶν παρόντων χρημάτων ἀπολαύοντας, εὐχαριστεῖ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ αὐτὸς, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσι παρῄνει τοῦτο. Πρὸς ἐκεῖνον βλέπετε. Καὶ σὺ ὅταν ἴδῃς τὸν πονηρὸν εὐθυμούμενον, ὅταν ἴδῃς ἐπαιρόμενον, ὅταν ἴδῃς ἐχθρῶν κρατοῦντα, τοὺς λελυπηκότας ἀμυνόμενον, μηδεμίαν ὑποστάντα ζημίαν, πανταχόθεν αὐτῷ τὰ χρήματα ἐπιῤῥέοντα, πάντας τιμῶντας καὶ κολακεύοντας, σαυτὸν δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἐναντίοις πᾶσιν, ἐν ἐπηρείαις, συκοφαντίαις, ἐπιβουλαῖς, μὴ νομίσῃς εἶναι τῶν ἐπεῤῥιμμένων, ἀλλ' εἰς Παῦλον ἰδὼν τὸν τῆς σῆς ὄντα μερίδος, ἀνάβηθι τὴν διάνοιαν, ἀνάκτησαι τοὺς λογισμοὺς, μὴ καταπέσῃς ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας. Τὸν φίλον τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τὸν πολέμιον μὴ ἀπὸ τῆς εὐπραγίας καὶ δυσπραγίας τῆς ἐνταῦθα δοκίμαζε, ἀλλὰ ἂν μὲν ἴδῃς ὀρθῶς ζῶντα, καὶ νόσῳ κενούμενον, καὶ πρὸς εὐσέβειαν βλέποντα, μακάριζε καὶ ζηλωτὸν εἶναι νόμιζε, κἂν μυρίας ἁλύσεις περικέηται, καὶ δεσμωτήριον οἰκῇ δια 50.752 παντὸς, κἂν ἀναξίοις δουλεύῃ, κἂν πένηται, κἂν μέταλλα ἐργάζηται, κἂν ὁτιοῦν πάσχῃ δεινόν. Μακάριος γὰρ οὗτός ἐστι, κἂν ἐξορύγηται, κἂν καίηται, κἂν κατὰ μικρὸν δαπανᾶται τὸ σῶμα. Ἂν δὲ ἴδῃς ἕτερον ἐν ἀσελγείᾳ καὶ πονηρίᾳ, καὶ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ζῶντα κακοῖς, καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύοντα τιμῆς, ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον αὐτὸν ἀναβαίνοντα τὸν βασιλικὸν, καὶ διάδημα περικείμενον, καὶ ἁλουργίδα ἔχοντα, καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης κρατοῦντα, δάκρυσον καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὸν τοιοῦτον, καὶ ταλάνιζε. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ὄντως ἀθλιώτερον τῆς οὕτω διακειμένης ψυχῆς, κἂν πᾶσαν ὑποτεταγμένην ἔχῃ τὴν οἰκουμένην. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος ἐν χρήμασι πλουτεῖν, ὅταν κατὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν πάντων πενέστερος ᾖ; τί δὲ κέρδος τοσούτων κρατεῖν, ὅταν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ παθῶν μὴ δύνηται περιγενέσθαι; Ἀλλ' ἂν μὲν σῶμα ἴδωμεν κακῶς διακείμενον καὶ πυρέττοντα, ἢ ποδαλγίᾳ, ἢ φθόῃ τινὶ, ἢ ἑτέρῳ ἀνηκέστῳ πάθει