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it comes from nowhere else than from injustice. For that this is injustice, consider it from this. God made both you and him, and has given all things to you in common and equal with him. How then do you cast him out and deprive him of the honor which God has given, and do not allow him to be a sharer, but by making everything your own, not only in money, but also in glory, you make him a poor man? God bestowed one substance on each; he deemed them worthy of the same preeminence, of the same creation. For the words, "Let us make man," are common to the entire race. How then do you cast him out from his paternal substance, bringing him down to the utmost meanness, and appropriating what is common? But the blessed Prophet was not such; wherefore he also said with boldness: He has heard my righteousness. Thus Paul also often brings himself forward, not exalting or puffing himself up, but becoming an example to others; as when he says, I wish that all men were as I myself am in continence. So also David, at a suitable time, brings forward his own courage, which came from the inclination of God, saying that he strangled bears and embraced lions, not exalting himself either, far from it, but procuring for himself credibility from this. And if I have righteousness, he says, someone will perhaps say, what need is there of prayer, when the deed is sufficient to accomplish all things, and when he who is to give knows what we need? Because prayer is no small bond of love towards God, creating in us a habit of converse with him, and leading us to philosophy. For if someone who associates with a wonderful man reaps many benefits from the association, much more does he who continually speaks with God. But we do not know the profit of prayer as we ought, since we neither attend to it with accuracy, nor use it according to the laws of God. But when we are about to converse with certain men who are above us, having arranged our posture, our gait, our clothing, and everything as is proper, thus we converse; but when approaching God we yawn, we scratch ourselves, we turn about, we are listless; while our knees lie on the ground, we wander in the marketplace. But if we approached with fitting reverence, and as if about to converse with God, then we would know, even before receiving what we asked, how great a profit we reap. For a man who has been taught to converse with God, as is fitting for one who 55.42 converses with God, will henceforth be an angel; thus the soul is freed from the bonds of the body; thus his thought becomes lofty; thus he is translated to heaven; thus he despises the things of this life; thus he stands beside the royal throne itself, even if he be poor, even if a servant, even if an unlearned person, even if ignorant. For God does not seek beauty of tongue, nor composition of words, but beauty of soul; and if that speaks what is pleasing to him, having accomplished everything, he departs. Do you see how great the ease is? For in the case of men, one who approaches someone must be both eloquent, and able to flatter all those around the ruler, and to devise many other things, so as to become well-received. But here there is need of nothing, but only of a sober mind, and nothing prevents one from being near to God. For I am a God at hand, and not a God afar off. So that to be far away, comes from us; for he is always near. And why do I say that we do not need rhetoric? Often we do not even need a voice. For even if you speak in your heart, and call him as you ought, he will readily assent even then. Thus he heard Moses; thus also Hannah. No soldier stands by to drive one away, no guard to interrupt the time; there is no one saying, Now it is not possible to approach, come after this; but whenever you come, he stands listening, whether at the time of breakfast, or at the time of dinner, or even at an unseasonable hour, or in the marketplace, or on a journey, or in a chamber, or even if you are standing before a magistrate in a court of law, and call upon him, there is nothing to prevent him from assenting to your request, if you call as you ought. It is not possible to say, I am afraid to approach and make supplication; my enemy is present; but also

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οὐδαμόθεν ἑτέρωθεν γίνεται ἢ ἐξ ἀδικίας. Ὅτι γὰρ ἀδικία τοῦτο, σκόπει ἐντεῦθεν. Καὶ σὲ ὁ Θεὸς κἀκεῖνον ἐποίησε, καὶ πάντα σοι κοινὰ καὶ ἴσα δέδωκε πρὸς αὐτόν. Πῶς οὖν αὐτὸν ἐκβάλλεις καὶ ἀποστερεῖς τῆς τιμῆς, ἧσπερ ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἀφίης εἶναι κοινωνὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πᾶν σὸν ποιῶν, οὐκ ἐν χρήμασι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν δόξῃ ποιεῖς αὐτὸν πένητα; Μίαν ἑκατέροις ὁ Θεὸς οὐσίαν ἐχαρίσατο· τῆς αὐτῆς ἠξίωσε προεδρίας, τῆς ἴσης πλάσεως. Τὸ γὰρ, Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον, κοινὸν τοῦ γένους παντός. Πῶς οὖν αὐτὸν τῆς πατρῴας ἐκβάλλεις οὐσίας, εἰς ἐσχάτην εὐτέλειαν κατάγων, καὶ τὸ κοινὸν ἰδιοποιούμενος; Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ μακάριος Προφήτης τοιοῦτος· διὸ καὶ μετὰ παῤῥησίας ἔλεγεν· Εἰσήκουσε τῆς δικαιοσύνης μου. Οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος παράγει πολλάκις ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸ μέσον, οὐκ ἐπαίρων, οὐδὲ φυσῶν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὑπόδειγμα γινόμενος; ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ, Θέλω πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἶναι ὡς καὶ ἐμαυτὸν ἐν ἐγκρατείᾳ. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἐν καιρῷ καλοῦντι, τὴν ἀνδρείαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, τὴν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ γινομένην ῥοπῆς εἰς μέσον ἄγει λέγων, ὅτι καὶ ἄρκτους ἔπνιγε, καὶ λέοντας ἠγκαλίζετο, οὐκ ἐπαίρων ἑαυτὸν οὐδὲ οὗτος, μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλ' οἰκονομῶν ἑαυτῷ ἐντεῦθεν τὸ ἀξιόπιστον. Καὶ εἰ ἔχω δικαιοσύνην, φησὶν, ἴσως ἐρεῖ τις, τίς χρεία εὐχῆς, ἀρκοῦντος τοῦ πράγματος ἅπαντα κατορθοῦν, καὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος διδόναι εἰδότος ὧν δεόμεθα; Ὅτι οὐ μικρὸς σύνδεσμος τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν ἀγάπης ἡ εὐχὴ, συνήθειαν ἡμῖν ἐμποιοῦσα τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁμιλίας, καὶ εἰς φιλοσοφίαν ἄγουσα. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνθρώπῳ τις συγγινόμενος θαυμαστῷ, πολλὰ καρποῦται ἐκ τῆς συνουσίας, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ Θεῷ διηνεκῶς ὁμιλῶν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἴσμεν τῆς εὐχῆς τὸ κέρδος ὡς χρὴ, ἐπειδὴ μηδὲ προσέχομεν αὐτῇ μετὰ ἀκριβείας, μηδὲ χρώμεθα κατὰ τοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμους. Ἀλλ' ἀνθρώποις μὲν μέλλοντες διαλέγεσθαί τισι τῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς, καὶ σχῆμα, καὶ βάδισμα, καὶ στολὴν, καὶ πάντα ῥυθμίσαντες εἰς τὸ δέον, οὕτω διαλεγόμεθα· Θεῷ δὲ προσιόντες χασμώμεθα, κνώμεθα, περιστρεφόμεθα, ῥᾳθυμοῦμεν· τῶν γονάτων χαμαὶ κειμένων, ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς πλανώμεθα. Εἰ δὲ μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης εὐλαβείας, καὶ ὡς Θεῷ διαλέξεσθαι μέλλοντες, οὕτω προσῄειμεν, τότε ἂν ἔγνωμεν, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ λαβεῖν ἅπερ ᾐτοῦμεν, ἡλίκον κέρδος καρπούμεθα. Ἄνθρωπος γὰρ Θεῷ παιδευθεὶς διαλέγεσθαι, ὡς εἰκὸς τὸν 55.42 τῷ Θεῷ διαλεγόμενον, ἄγγελος ἔσται λοιπόν· οὕτως ἀπολύεται τῶν δεσμῶν τοῦ σώματος ἡ ψυχή· οὕτω μετάρσιος αὐτῷ γίνεται ὁ λογισμός· οὕτω μετοικίζεται πρὸς τὸν οὐρανόν· οὕτως ὑπερορᾷ τῶν βιωτικῶν· οὕτω παρ' αὐτὸν ἵσταται τὸν θρόνον βασιλικὸν, κἂν πένης ᾖ, κἂν οἰκέτης, κἂν ἰδιώτης, κἂν ἀμαθής. Οὐ γὰρ γλώττης ζητεῖ κάλλος ὁ Θεὸς, οὐδὲ ῥημάτων συνθήκην, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς ὥραν· κἂν ἐκείνη φθέγγηται τὰ αὐτῷ δοκοῦντα, τὸ πᾶν ἀνύσας ἄπεισιν. Ὁρᾷς πόση εὐκολία; Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸν προσιόντα τινὶ καὶ ῥητορικὸν εἶναι χρὴ, καὶ κολακεύσαι τοὺς περὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα πάντας ἱκανὸν, καὶ πολλὰ ἕτερα ἐπινοῆσαι, ὥστε γενέσθαι εὐπαράδεκτον. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐδενὸς δεῖται, ἀλλὰ γνώμης μόνης νηφούσης, καὶ οὐδὲν τὸ κωλύον εἶναι ἐγγὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Θεὸς γὰρ ἐγγίζων ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ οὐ Θεὸς πόῤῥωθεν. Ὥστε τὸ μακρὰν γενέσθαι, ἀφ' ἡμῶν γίνεται· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἀεὶ πλησίον ἐστί. Καὶ τί λέγω ὅτι ῥητορείας οὐ δεόμεθα; Πολλάκις οὐδὲ φωνῆς δεόμεθα. Κἂν γὰρ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ φθέγξῃ, καὶ καλέσῃς αὐτὸν ὡς χρὴ, ῥᾳδίως ἐπινεύσει καὶ τότε. Οὕτω καὶ Μωϋσέως ἤκουσεν· οὕτω καὶ Ἄννης. Οὐ παρέστηκε στρατιώτης ἀποσοβῶν, οὐ δορυφόρος τὸν καιρὸν διακόπτων· οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπὼν, Νῦν οὐ δυνατὸν προσελθεῖν, μετὰ ταῦτα παραγενοῦ· ἀλλ' ὅταν ἔλθῃς, ἕστηκεν ἀκούων, κἂν ἐν καιρῷ ἀρίστου, κἂν ἐν καιρῷ δείπνου, κἂν ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἀωρίᾳ, κἂν ἐν ἀγορᾷ, κἂν ἐν ὁδῷ, κἂν ἐν θαλάμῳ, κἂν ἔνδον ἐν δικαστηρίῳ ἄρχοντι παραστῇς, καὶ καλέσῃς αὐτὸν, τὸ κωλύον οὐδὲν ἐπινεῦσαι τῇ αἰτήσει, ἂν ὡς χρὴ καλέσῃς. Οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ∆έδοικα προσελθεῖν, καὶ δεηθῆναι· ὁ ἐχθρός μου παρέστηκεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ