“where is your God?” to him, “every day” he poured out upon himself “his soul,” rebuking it for still being sorrowful and deeply troubled because of weakness, and saying: “For I will go into the place of the wonderful tabernacle, to the house of God, with the voice of exultation and praise, with the sound of a multitude keeping festival.” 4 I prayed, therefore, that throughout the present contest you, remembering the great reward laid up in heaven for those who have been persecuted and reviled “for righteousness' sake” and for the sake of the Son of Man, would rejoice and be glad and leap for joy, just as the apostles once rejoiced, having been counted worthy “to be dishonored for His name.” But if you ever feel a shrinking in your soul, let the mind of Christ within us, which wishes as much as it can to confound it, say to it: “Why are you sorrowful, O soul? And why do you trouble me? Hope in God, for I will give praise to Him;” and again. Would that the soul might not be troubled at all, but even in the courts of justice and before the naked swords brought against the neck, it might be guarded by the peace of God which surpasses “all understanding” and be calm, reckoning that those who are absent “from the body” are at home with the Lord of all; but if we are not so great as to always maintain tranquility, even if the soul's turmoil is not poured out nor made manifest to those outside, so that we might have a place for defense before God, saying to Him: “My God, my soul has been troubled within me.” And the Word exhorts us to remember also what was said in Isaiah in this manner: “Fear not the reproach of men, and do not be overcome by their contempt.” For it is absurd, when God is clearly present in the motion of heaven and the things in it and in the things on earth and sea accomplished by His divine art in the births and constitutions and nourishments and growths of all kinds of animals and plants, to shut one's eyes and not to look to God, but to turn one's eyes to the fear of those who after a little while will be dead and will be handed over to the judgment they deserve. 5 Now, it was once said to Abraham by God: “Go out from your land,” but to us perhaps after a little it will be said: Go out from the whole earth; which it is good to obey, that He might quickly show us the heavens, in which is the so-called kingdom of heaven. Therefore, concerning many virtues, it is possible to see that life is filled with contests and those who contend. For many others from God's portion will seem to have contended for temperance, and some to have died with courage, keeping their resolve for the common Master, and those skilled in examining arguments to have cared for prudence, and those who have purposed to live justly to have given themselves to justice. And indeed, against each virtue wars either “the mind of the flesh” <or> and the many external things; but for piety alone contends “the chosen race, the royal priesthood, the holy nation, the people for His own possession;” the rest of men not even showing so much as an appearance that, if there are things contending against the pious, they propose to die for piety, preferring death with piety to life with impiety. And each of those wishing to be of the chosen race is persuaded to hear God saying at all times, and when those who are atheists under the pretext of being polytheists plot against him, this: “you shall have no other gods besides me” and this: “the name of other gods you shall not remember in your hearts, nor shall it be named from your mouth.” Wherefore, by such people “with the heart” God “is believed unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made” by such people “unto salvation,” understanding that they will neither be justified, unless they so believe in God with their heart so disposed, nor will they be in salvation, unless the word is of the same sort as the disposition. For they deceive themselves who think it is sufficient for attaining the end in Christ, this: “for with the heart one believes unto righteousness,” even if this is not added: “and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” And it is possible to say that it is rather

«ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ θεός σου;» αὐτῷ, «καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν» ἐξέχεεν ἐφ' ἑαυτὸν «τὴν ψυχὴν» αὐτοῦ, ἐπιπλήσσων αὐτῇ ἔτι κατ' ἀσθένειαν περιλύπῳ γινομένῃ καὶ συνταρασσομένῃ καὶ λέγων· «ὅτι διελεύσομαι ἐν τόπῳ σκηνῆς θαυμαστῆς ἕως τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐν φωνῇ ἀγαλλιάσεως καὶ ἐξομολογήσεως ἤχου ἑορτάζοντος.» 4 Εὐχόμην οὖν ὑμᾶς παρ' ὅλον τὸν ἐνεστηκότα ἀγῶνα μεμνη μένους τοῦ ἀποκειμένου πολλοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς μισθοῦ τοῖς διωχθεῖσι καὶ ὀνειδισθεῖσιν «ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης» καὶ ἕνεκεν τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀν θρώπου χαίρειν καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶν καὶ σκιρτᾶν, ὥσπερ οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἐχάρησάν ποτε καταξιωθέντες «ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ ἀτιμασθῆ ναι». εἰ δὲ καί ποτε αἰσθάνοισθε συστολῆς περὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ὑμῶν, εἰπάτω αὐτῇ ὁ ἐν ἡμῖν Χριστοῦ νοῦς θελούσῃ τὸ ὅσον ἐφ' ἑαυτῇ καὶ αὐτὸν συγχεῖν· «ἵνα τί περίλυπος εἶ ψυχή; καὶ ἵνα τί συνταράσσεις με; ἔλπισον ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν, ὅτι ἐξομολογήσομαι αὐτῷ·» καὶ πάλιν. εἴθε μὲν μηδαμῶς μὴ ταραχθείη ἡ ψυχὴ, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρ' αὐτοῖς τοῖς δικαστηρίοις καὶ παρὰ γυμνοῖς τοῖς ξίφεσιν ἐπιφερομένοις τῷ τραχήλῳ φρουροῖτο ὑπὸ τῆς ὑπερεχούσης «πάντα νοῦν» εἰρήνης τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ γαληνιάζοι, λογιζομένη ὅτι οἱ ἐκδημοῦντες «ἐκ τοῦ σώματος» ἐνδη μοῦσιν αὐτῷ τῷ τῶν ὅλων κυρίῳ· εἰ δὲ μὴ τηλικοῦτοί ἐσμεν, ὡς ἀεὶ τὸ ἀτάραχον διατηρεῖν, κἂν μὴ ἐκχέοιτο μηδὲ τοῖς ἔξω ἐμφαίνοιτο ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς ταραχὴ, ἵνα ἀπολογίας χώραν ἔχωμεν πρὸς θεὸν λέγον τες αὐτῷ· «ὁ θεός μου, πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν ἡ ψυχή μου ἐταράχθη.» με μνῆσθαι δὲ ἡμᾶς ὁ λόγος παρακαλεῖ καὶ τοῦ ἐν Ἡσαΐᾳ τοῦτον εἰρη μένου τὸν τρόπον· «μὴ φοβεῖσθε ὀνειδισμὸν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τῷ φαυ λισμῷ αὐτῶν μὴ ἡττᾶσθε.» καὶ γὰρ ἄτοπον ἐναργῶς ἐφεστῶτος θεοῦ τῇ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ κινήσει καὶ τοῖς ἐν γῇ καὶ θαλάσσῃ ὑπὸ τῆς θείας τέχνης αὐτοῦ ἐπιτελουμένοις ἐν παντοδαπῶν ζῴων καὶ φυτῶν γενέσεσι καὶ συστάσεσι καὶ τροφαῖς καὶ αὐξήσεσι καμμύσαι μὲν καὶ μὴ ἐνορᾶν θεῷ, τρέψαι δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπὶ φόβον τῶν μετ' ὀλίγον τεθνηξομένων καὶ παραδοθησομένων τῇ κατ' ἀξίαν αὐτῶν δίκῃ. 5 Τῷ μὲν οὖν Ἀβραάμ ποτε ὑπὸ θεοῦ εἴρητο· «ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς γῆς σου», ἡμῖν δὲ τάχα μετ' ὀλίγον λεχθήσεται· ἐξέλθετε ἀπὸ τῆς ὅλης γῆς· ᾧ πείθεσθαι καλὸν, ἵνα ἡμῖν ταχέως δείξῃ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, ἐν οἷς ἐστιν ἡ καλουμένη τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλεία. περὶ μὲν οὖν πολ λῶν ἀρετῶν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τὸν βίον ἀγώνων πεπληρωμένον καὶ τοὺς ἀγωνιζομένους. δόξουσι γὰρ περὶ μὲν σωφροσύνης καὶ ἕτεροι τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ μερίδος ἠγωνίσθαι πολλοὶ, καὶ μετὰ ἀνδρείας ἐναπο τεθνηκέναι τινὲς τηροῦντες τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινοῦ δεσπότου πρόθεσιν, φρονήσεώς τε ἐπιμεμελῆσθαι οἱ περὶ τοὺς ἐξεταζομένους λόγους δει νοὶ, καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιδεδωκέναι οἱ δικαίως ζῆν προτεθειμέ νοι. καὶ στρατεύεταί γε καθ' ἑκάστης ἀρετῆς ἤτοι «τὸ τῆς σαρκὸς φρόνημα» <ἢ> καὶ τὰ πολλὰ τῶν ἐκτός· περὶ δὲ εὐσεβείας μόνον «τὸ ἐκλεκτὸν» ἀγωνίζεται «γένος, τὸ βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα, τὸ ἔθνος τὸ ἅγιον, ὁ λαὸς ὁ εἰς περιποίησιν·» οὐδὲ μέχρι τοῦ δοκεῖν δεικνύντων τῶν λοιπῶν ἀνθρώπων ὅτι, εἰ ἔστι τὰ ἀνταγωνιζόμενα τοῖς εὐσε βέσι, προτίθενται ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἀποθνῄσκειν προτιμῶντες τὸν μετ' εὐσεβείας θάνατον τοῦ μετὰ ἀσεβείας ζῆν. καὶ ἕκαστός γε τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐκλεκτοῦ γένους εἶναι θελόντων ἀκούειν πείθεται θεοῦ παντὶ καιρῷ λέγοντος, καὶ ὅτε ἐπιβουλεύουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ προφάσει τοῦ εἶναι πολύθεοι ὄντες ἄθεοι, τό· «οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι θεοὶ ἕτεροι πλὴν ἐμοῦ» καὶ τό· «ὄνομα θεῶν ἑτέρων οὐκ ἀναμνησθήσεσθε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν, οὐδὲ ὀνομασθήσεται ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν». διόπερ «καρδίᾳ» μὲν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς τοιούτοις «πιστεύεται εἰς δικαιοσύνην, στόματι δὲ ὁμολογεῖται» τοῖς τοιούτοις «εἰς σωτηρίαν», καταλαμβάνουσιν ὅτι οὔτε δικαιωθήσονται, ἐὰν μὴ οὕτω πιστεύσωσι τῷ θεῷ τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν οὕτω διακειμένης, οὔτε ἐν σωτηρίᾳ ἔσονται, ἐὰν μὴ ὁποία ἡ διάθεσις ᾖ, τοιοῦτος καὶ ὁ λόγος. ἑαυτοὺς γὰρ ἀπατῶσιν οἱ νομίζοντες ἀρκεῖν πρὸς τὸ τυχεῖν ἐν Χριστῷ τέλους τό· «καρδίᾳ γὰρ πιστεύεται εἰς δικαιοσύνην», κἂν μὴ προσῇ τό· «στόματι δὲ ὁμολογεῖται εἰς σωτη ρίαν». καὶ ἔστι γε εἰπεῖν ὅτι μᾶλλόν ἐστι