Expositio in Proverbia

 the things that have fallen, that is, from the pretext of Uriah. How then does Solomon say before: “He who rejoices 17.165 at another's destruction wi

 would have difficulty, just as the desire for money a pure mind draws near to wisdom since it knows well but the impure will be far from it. Adam i

 but here, that he names the mind a good gift, on account of the one who unjustly receives gifts in his bosom, and is not prospered for those unjust g

 of virtue And this persuades me, in a small way, that the rich man being judged in Hades for his wickedness was not completely given over to every ev

 to you, You shall not be angry. It must be noted here that he calls the natural harmonious movement of the ant, wisdom for indeed one wiser than a wi

 for he was the lamp that was burning and shining a light, the New Testament For I, he says, am the light of the world a refutation of evil things,

 of the kemphos fish in the sea, flying in schools here and there which the sailors, having baited a many-hooked line, catch and not only does it not

 come to the introductions but when they become wise, and are strengthened, reprove them. And Christ, when his disciples were still young, did not rep

 of the evil one. But the impious who sin will not only fall from the kingdom, but they will inhabit the fire and not the earth. Instead of, he is full

 be not silent to me, says David, and I will be like those who go down into the pit. A lawless man will be passed over in silence by God, that is, he w

 sinning. Here he calls the senses ways but he who guards them, keeps his own soul from death unto life for life is the Holy Trinity that gives life

 afflicted, distressed? And how will the unbeliever not have an obol, when many unbelievers are clothed with much wealth, I mean kings and rulers of th

 the love of God for humanity which also brings us to God the Father himself, as sons weaned, and desiring spiritual solid food so that just as his S

 your eyes, say: for many, even without having begun virtue, not only advise others to act rightly, but also compel and exhort them. Here he says man

 body is profitable to the foolish man for he will trample it underfoot, being a pleasure-loving pig and by sensible luxury his flesh will be moved t

 that is, to imitate the virtues of the righteous and prophets who shone in the six ages before the coming of Christ, who also feed the widow and orpha

 of the Lord, is the knowledge of the Lord, and the light of the Lord is the breath of men, therefore the knowledge of the Lord is the breath of men b

 He calls the mind a horse, which is warred against by the devil, and which wars in return For you will mount, he says, upon your horses and your rid

 he slanders us to God, taking from us the virtues which he has not given us, so also we slander him taking from him the vices which we have not given

 But do not enter into the land of those who have orphaned themselves from God, who possess wickedness as the property of demons, on account of which t

 but vice diminishes virtue, and virtue obviously corrupts vice and this will happen in the age to come, until vice ceases for shall be defiled, in

 earth-born nations, and having strengthened them with virtues in faith in him, Christ the God, and having stored up the heavenly water that which flo

 is, the law given to us by him in righteousness and those who gouge out the eyes of the impious, he called ravens but those who devour him whole, he

 of lands, he keeps his own justly. Cast a precious sardius into a golden earring, and the wisdom of the Lord into a dispassionate and obedient mind to

 defines servants or those under his hand for the rod is a symbol of punishment. From his own feet, etc. Here he calls servants 'feet' and from them

 to the devil who made it, to yield as to a brother, so as to be destroyed with him. -Better is he who is joined to me through true knowledge, than he

 lawless, are the doctrines of demons, which the instructed son does not obey and by son he means the mind but he who restrains his mind from being c

 of blood are the demons, who killed those living in Christ by the shedding of blood but the upright will seek out his soul these are they who wish t

 a soul of abundance for its bodily house. He says that the soul of the diligent man has the Church as a tree of knowledge and a tree of life of knowl

the things that have fallen, that is, from the pretext of Uriah. How then does Solomon say before: “He who rejoices 17.165 at another's destruction will not be held guiltless?” Or perhaps wisdom rejoices in this way, as it rejoiced at the destruction of Matthew the tax-collector, and at the destruction of the robber who believed in Christ? For of the one, wisdom destroyed the robber; and of the other, the tax-collector. A siege is moral teaching, overthrowing the badly built soul for the siege of God. Just as infants are between the just and the unjust, so also all men are between angels and demons, being neither demons nor being called angels, until the consummation of the age; but they wronged infants, he said, about whom Christ said: Do not cause one of these little ones to stumble. The dispassionate man rests fearlessly from every evil thought, and after a little while will dwell in the kingdom of God; as one who heard and kept His commandments, because he hoped in Him. Thus he who does it conceals the commandment of God, or he who does not do it for vainglory; whence also the demons, by not permitting us to do it, are said to snatch it away. Then you will understand how the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and how it becomes the cause of the knowledge of God, when in faith and longing you are in need of Him; but wisdom and understanding must pre-exist, in order to be able to understand the fear of the Lord; but let us apply these things to those who despise wisdom and understanding; and who wish to take refuge in fearing God, as in an easy matter. For if Christ does not deliver us, we will walk the evil way as if it were good; for the saints say all things that are faithful; but the others do not; but the devil says nothing faithful, that is, worthy of faith; for now he calls the devil a man, as in the Gospels: if indeed an evil man sowed the tares; and the greatest plot, as it seems, is to encounter an evil counsel, and deceitful, insidious, and wicked men. If a certain counsel, crushed or rather darkened, is a movement of the mind, how did it abandon the teaching of youth? And how did it forget the divine covenant? For he speaks to us about evil counsel as if about a rational animal. Or now he calls the devil evil counsel; for this one counseled evilly, saying: “I will set my throne above the stars, and I will be like the Most High;” and he forgot the divine knowledge, having left the teaching of his youth; which youth signifies his former state, in which he was also enviable; but if she can make the young wise where there is much that is unruly, though she is not present; much more is she beneficial to an old man. As many as are seized by the circles of life, through the works of the future ever-living life, these attain 17.168 the straight paths of the untroubled and unchanging life; they are not seized by his compassions unto the paths of straight ever-life. - For the Lord loves those who pursue righteousness, and the counsel of the evil one will not seize them; but they do not attain the straight paths of life; nor will those who have trusted in the devil return to the kingdom of God. He forgets the law, who does not live lawfully; but he remembers the law, who lives according to it; and he keeps the words of God, who not only does them, but also advises others. But he destroys them, who does not wish to do them, and hinders others; for not the hearers of the law will be justified. Healing is the health from virtue for your way of life; and the grace and care of God for your thoughts and reasonings; when the powers of the soul, that is, the virtues, receive care, then all my bones will say: “Lord, Lord, who is like You?” For when the mnemonic power of the soul receives care, it will surely say: “I remembered God and was glad.” Likewise also the visual power will say: “I considered your works, and was amazed.” In the same way also the desiderative power: “Lord, before You is all my desire;” and the rational power will say: “I considered the ancient days.” According to these things it will also happen with the other powers. That is, to those who wish, nothing

τὰ καταπεπτωκότα, δηλονότι ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Οὐρίου προφάσεως. Πῶς οὖν ἔμπροσθέν φησιν ὁ Σολομών· «Ὁ δὲ ἐπιχαί 17.165 ρων ἀπολλυμένῳ οὐκ ἀθωωθήσεται;» Ἢ τάχα οὕτως χαίρει ἡ σοφία, ὡς ἐχάρη ἐπὶ τῇ ἀπωλείᾳ Ματθαίου τοῦ τελώνου, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ λῃστοῦ ἀπωλείᾳ πιστεύσαν τος τῷ Χριστῷ; τοῦ μὲν γὰρ, τὸν λῃστὴν ἡ σοφία· τοῦ δὲ, τὸν τελώνην ἀπώλεσε. Πολιορκία ἐστὶ διδασκαλία ἠθικὴ, τὴν κακῶς οἰκο δομηθεῖσαν ψυχὴν καταστρέφουσα ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ πολιορκίᾳ. Ὥσπερ τὰ νήπια μεταξὺ δικαίων καὶ ἀδίκων εἰσὶν, οὕτω καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι μεταξὺ ἀγγέλων τε καὶ δαιμόνων εἰσὶ, μήτε δαίμονες ὄντες μήτε ἄγγελοι χρηματίζοντες, μέχρι τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος· ἠδί κουν δὲ νηπίους, εἶπε, περὶ ὧν Χριστὸς ἔφη· Μὴ σκανδαλίσητε ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων. Ὁ ἀπαθὴς ἡσυχάζει ἀφόβως ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ λογισμοῦ, καὶ μετ' ὀλίγον κατασκηνώσει ἐν τῇ βασι λείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ὡς ἀκούσας καὶ φυλάξας τὰ προσ τάγματα αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἤλπισεν ἐπ' αὐτόν. Οὕτως κρύπτει ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ποιῶν αὐτὴν, ἢ ὁ μὴ ἐπὶ κενοδοξίᾳ ποιῶν· ὅθεν καὶ οἱ δαίμονες ἐκ τοῦ μὴ συγχωρεῖν αὐτὴν ποιεῖν ἡμᾶς, ἁρπάζειν λέ γονται. Τότε συνήσεις πῶς ὁ φόβος τοῦ Κυρίου ἀρχὴ σοφίας ἐστὶν, καὶ πῶς τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ γνώσεως γίνεται πρόξε νος, ὅταν ἐν πίστει καὶ πόθῳ αὐτῷ ὑπάρχῃς προσ δεής· προϋπάρξαι δὲ δεῖ σοφίαν καὶ σύνεσιν, πρὸς τὸ δυνηθῆναι συνεῖναι φόβον Κυρίου· προσάξωμεν δὲ ταῦτα τοῖς τὴν σοφίαν καὶ σύνεσιν ἐξουθενοῦσι· κα ταφεύγειν δὲ βουλομένοις ἐπὶ τὸ φοβεῖσθαι τὸν Θεὸν, ὡς ἐπὶ εὐχερὲς πρᾶγμα. Χριστοῦ γὰρ μὴ ῥυομένου, ὡς ἀγαθὴν ὁδεύσομεν τὴν κακήν· ἅγιοι μὲν γὰρ πάντα λέγουσι πιστά· τὰ δὲ οὔ· ὁ δὲ διάβολος οὐδὲν πιστὸν, ἀντὶ τοῦ, πίστεως ἄξιον· ἄνδρα γὰρ νῦν τὸν διάβολον λέγει, ὡς ἐν Εὐαγ γελίοις· εἴ γε ἄνθρωπος πονηρὸς ἔσπειρε τὰ ζιζάνια· μεγίστη δὲ ὡς ἔοικεν ἐπιβουλὴ, τὸ περιτυχεῖν βουλῇ κακῇ, καὶ ἀνδράσι δολίοις καὶ ὑπούλοις καὶ πονη ροῖς. Εἰ ἡ ποιὰ βουλὴ συντετριμμένη ἤγουν ἐσκοτισμένη, νοῦ κίνησίς ἐστιν, πῶς αὕτη ἀπέλιπεν διδασκαλίαν νεότητος; πῶς δὲ καὶ θείας ἐπελάθετο διαθήκης; Ὡς γὰρ περὶ ζώου λογικοῦ, τῆς κακῆς βουλῆς ἡμῖν διαλέ γεται. Ἢ νῦν βουλὴν κακὴν τὸν διάβολον λέγει· οὗτος γὰρ κακῶς ἐβουλεύσατο, εἰπών· «Ἐπάνω τῶν ἄστρων θήσω τὸν θρόνον μου, καὶ ἔσομαι ὅμοιος τῷ Ὑψίστῳ·» ἐπελάθετο δὲ τῆς θείας γνώσεως, καταλιπὼν τὴν δι δασκαλίαν τῆς νεότητος· ἥτις νεότης τὴν προτέραν αὐτοῦ κατάστασιν δηλοῖ, καθ' ἣν καὶ ζηλωτὸς ἦν· εἰ δὲ νέους δύναται συνετίζειν ἔνθα πολὺ τὸ δυσήνιον, μὴ παρούσης· πολλῷ μᾶλλον πρεσβύτῃ ὠφέλιμος. Ὅσοι καταλαμβάνονται ὑπὸ ἐνιαυτῶν ζωῆς, διὰ τῶν ἔργων τῆς μελλούσης ἀειζώου ζωῆς, οὗτοι κατα 17.168 λαμβάνουσι τρίβους εὐθείας τῆς ἀταράχου καὶ ἀδια στάτου ζωῆς· οὐ καταλαμβάνονται ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκτειρ μῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς τρίβους τῆς εὐθείας ἀειζωΐας. - ∆ιώκοντας γὰρ δικαιοσύνην ἀγαπᾷ Κύριος, καὶ οὐ μὴ συγκαταλάβηται αὐτοὺς ἡ τοῦ πονηροῦ βουλή· οὐ κα ταλαμβάνουσι δὲ τρίβους εὐθείας ζωῆς· οὐδὲ μὴ ἀν τιστρέψουσιν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, οἱ τῷ δια βόλῳ πεποιθότες. Οὗτος ἐπιλανθάνεται τοῦ νόμου, ὁ μὴ νομίμως βιούς· οὗτος δὲ μέμνηται τοῦ νόμου, ὁ ζῶν κατ' αὐτόν· καὶ οὗτος τηρεῖ τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ μὴ μόνον ποιῶν αὐτὰ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλοις συμβουλευόμενος. Οὗτος δὲ ἀπόλλυσιν αὐτὰ, ὁ μὴ βουλόμενος πράττειν αὐτὰ, καὶ ἑτέρους κωλύων· οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ τοῦ νόμου δι καιωθήσονται. Ἴασις ἐστὶν ἡ ἐξ ἀρετῆς ὑγίεια τῇ πολιτείᾳ σου· ἡ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις καὶ ἐπιμέλεια τοῖς λογισμοῖς σου καὶ διανοήμασιν· ὅταν αἱ δυνάμεις τῆς ψυχῆς, ἤγουν αἱ ἀρεταὶ, ἐπιμελείας τύχωσι, τὸ τηνικαῦτα ἐροῦσι πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μου· «Κύριε, Κύριε, τίς ὅμοιός σοι;» Ἐπιμελείας γὰρ τυχοῦσα ἡ μνημονευτικὴ δύναμις τῆς ψυχῆς, πάντως ἐρεῖ τό· «Ἐμνήσθην τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ εὐ φράνθην.» Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἡ ὀπτικὴ λέξει τό· «Κατενόη σα τὰ ἔργα σου, καὶ ἐξέστην.» Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυ μητική· «Κύριε, ἐναντίον σου πᾶσα ἡ ἐπιθυμία μου·» ἐρεῖ δὲ καὶ ἡ λογική· «∆ιελογισάμην ἡμέρας ἀρχαίας.» Κατὰ ταῦτα συμβήσεται καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων δυνά μεων. Τουτέστι τοῖς βουλομένοις οὐδὲν