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with deceitful and meddlesome words. Open your mouth to the word of God, that you may draw in the Spirit, not draw in death. Whenever something of the forbidden things entices you, remember who you were, and from where you have fallen. If you stray even a little from the word, bring yourself back, before you fall completely outside, and are brought down to death, and become new instead of old, and celebrate the Renewal of your soul.
7. Let your anger be against the serpent alone, through whom you fell. Let all your desire be directed toward God, not toward anything else that is insidious and perilous. Let reason rule over all things, and let not the better part be dragged down by the worse. Do not hate your brother, and this without cause, for whom Christ died, and became your brother, being God and Lord. Do not envy the one who succeeds, you who were envied, and were persuaded to be an object of envy, and for this reason were cast down. Do not despise a tear, you who have suffered things worthy of many tears, and then were shown 36.616 mercy. Do not push away the poor man, you who became rich in divinity; or if you must, at least do not grow rich at the poor man's expense. For this is a common thing among the insatiable. Do not dishonor a stranger, for whom Christ became a stranger, of whom we are all strangers and sojourners, lest you be estranged from paradise as before. Share with the one in need of shelter, covering, food, you who delight in these things, and even beyond your need. Do not love wealth, unless it helps the poor. Forgive, you who have been forgiven; have mercy, you who have been shown mercy; acquire for the Philanthropic One philanthropy, while there is time; let your whole life be renewed, every path of your conduct.
8. You who are under the yoke, give something to God also; for you have been taken to His side. You virgins, give everything to God; for you have been set free. Do not become thieves for a slavish pleasure, fleeing freedom, by cohabiting, not with men, indeed, but with men nevertheless. I do not accept to labor always with the reminders of pleasure; I hate even the acquaintance through the air. You rulers, fear the more powerful One; you on high thrones, the higher One. Admire nothing that does not last; do not overlook what does last; nor grasp tightly anything that flows away when held; do not desire any of those things which are not envied, but hated; do not be greatly exalted, lest you be brought down even more greatly; do not think to appear better than the wicked; but grieve when you are surpassed by the good; do not laugh at the fall of your neighbor; but walk safely, with as much strength as you have, and also give a hand to the one lying on the ground. Neither in despair, should you give up hope of prosperity; nor in doing well, of despondency. One year brings four seasons, and one turn of time, many changes of affairs. Let care cut off pleasure for you, and the better hope, grief. Thus is a man renewed, thus is the day of Renewal honored, with such delight, with such foods. You shall not appear, He says, empty before me; but if there is anything good, bringing it with you. But now appear new, different in manner, wholly changed. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Bear this fruit for the feast, be changed with the good change; and not even so be high-minded, but speak the words of David. This is the change of the right hand of the Most High, from whom comes every success for men. The word does not wish you ever to remain in the same state, but to be ever-moving, easily-moved, entirely new-created; if 36.617 you sin, turning back; if you succeed, pressing on.
9. Yesterday you had faith in the times, today know the faith of God; how long will you limp on both knees? how long will you be a steward? Be eager to build sometime; yesterday you honored appearance, today prefer being; How long the dreams? and may the truth sometime be your pursuit. Yesterday you were theatrical, today appear contemplative; yesterday abusive, reckless, today well-spoken, gentle; yesterday a reveller, today a chastener. Today a wine-drinker, tomorrow a water-drinker. Today living luxuriously on beds of ivory, and anointing yourself with the finest ointments, tomorrow sleeping on the ground and wakeful; instead of a jester, thoughtful; instead of
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ἀπατηλοῖς λό γοις καὶ περιέργοις. Ἄνοιγε σὸν στόμα λόγῳ Θεοῦ, ἵν' ἑλκύσῃς Πνεῦμα, μὴ σπάσῃς θάνατον. Ὅταν τί σε δε λεάζῃ τῶν ἀπειρημένων, μνήσθητι ὅστις ἦς, καὶ ὅθεν ἀπόλωλας. Ἐὰν μικρόν τι τοῦ λόγου παρεκτραπῇς, πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐπανάγου, πρὶν παντελῶς ἔξω πεσεῖν, καὶ κατενεχθῆναι πρὸς θάνατον, καὶ γενοῦ καινὸς ἀντὶ παλαιοῦ, καὶ ψυχῆς ἑόρταζε τὰ Ἐγκαίνια.
Ζʹ. Ὁ θυμὸς ἔστω σοι κατὰ μόνου τοῦ ὄφεως, δι' ὃν ἐξέπεσες. Τὸ ἐπιθυμητικὸν τετάσθω σοι πᾶν πρὸς Θεὸν, μὴ πρὸς ἄλλο τι τῶν ἐπιβούλων καὶ σφα λερῶν. Ὁ λογισμὸς πᾶσιν ἐπιστατείτω, καὶ μὴ καθ ελκέσθω τὸ κρεῖττον ὑπὸ τοῦ χείρονος. Μὴ μισήσῃς σου τὸν ἀδελφὸν, καὶ ταῦτα δωρεὰν, ὑπὲρ οὗ Χριστὸς ἀπέθα νε, καὶ σὸς ἀδελφὸς ἐγένετο, Θεὸς ὢν καὶ ∆εσπότης. Μὴ φθονήσῃς τῷ κατορθοῦντι, ὁ φθονηθεὶς, καὶ φθονεῖ σθαι πεισθεὶς, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο κατενεχθείς. Μὴ ἀτιμάσῃς δάκρυον, ὁ πολλῶν ἄξια δακρύων πεπονθὼς, εἶτα ἠλεη 36.616 μένος. Μὴ ἀπώσῃ πένητα, ὁ πλουτήσας θεότητα· εἰ δ' οὖν, ἀλλὰ μὴ πλουτήσῃς κατὰ τοῦ πένητος. Καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ πολὺ παρὰ τῶν ἀκορέστων. Μὴ ἀτιμάσῃς ξένον, ὑπὲρ οὗ Χριστὸς ἐξενίτευσεν, οὗ πάντες ἡμεῖς ξένοι καὶ πάροικοι, μὴ ἀποξενωθῇς τοῦ παραδείσου καθὼς τὸ πρότερον. Μετάδος τῷ δεομένῳ στέγης, σκέπης, τροφῆς, ὁ τούτοις ἐντρυφῶν, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν χρείαν. Μὴ ἀγαπήσῃς τὸν πλοῦτον, εἰ μὴ βοη θῇ πένησιν. Ἄφες, ὁ ἀφεθείς· ἐλέησον, ὁ ἠλεη μένος· κτῆσαι τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ τὸ φιλάνθρωπον, ἕως καιρός· πᾶς ὁ βίος ἐγκαινιζέσθω σοι, πᾶσα πολιτείας ὁδός.
Ηʹ. Αἱ ὑπὸ ζυγὸν, δότε τι καὶ Θεῷ· προσείλη φθε γάρ. Αἱ παρθένοι, τὸ πᾶν Θεῷ· λέλυσθε γάρ. Μὴ γίνεσθε κλέπτριαι δούλης ἡδονῆς, φυγοῦσαι τὴν ἐλευθε ρίαν, ἐκ τοῦ συνοικεῖν, οὐκ ἀνδράσι μὲν, ἀνδράσι δ' ὅμως. Οὐ δέχομαι κάμνειν ἀεὶ τοῖς τῆς ἡδονῆς ὑπο μνήμασι· μισῶ καὶ τὴν δι' ἀέρος συνήθειαν. Οἱ δυ νάσται, φοβεῖσθε τὸν δυνατώτερον· οἱ τῶν ὑψηλῶν θρόνων, τὸν ὑψηλότερον. Μὴ θαυμάσῃς μηδὲν, ὃ μὴ παραμένει· μὴ παρίδῃς, ὃ μένει· μηδὲ περισφίγξῃς μηδὲν, ὃ διαῤῥεῖ κρατούμενον· μὴ ζηλώσῃς τι τῶν οὐ φθονουμένων, ἀλλὰ μισουμένων· μὴ ἐπαρθῇς μέγα, ἵνα μὴ μεῖζον κατενεχθῇς· μὴ φρό νει τῶν κακῶν φαίνεσθαι κρείττων· λυποῦ δὲ, τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡττώμενος· μὴ γελάσῃς πτῶμα τοῦ πέ λας· διάβαινε δὲ ἀσφαλῶς, ὅση σοι δύναμις, ἀλλὰ καὶ δίδου χεῖρα χαμαὶ κειμένῳ. Μήτε ἀθυμῶν, ἀπελπίσῃς εὐημερίαν· μήτε πράττων καλῶς, ἀθυ μίαν. Εἷς ἐνιαυτὸς τέσσαρας ὥρας φέρει, καὶ μία ῥοπὴ καιροῦ, πολλὰς πραγμάτων μεταβολάς. Ἐπι κοπτέτω σοι, μέριμνα μὲν ἡδονὴν, λύπην δὲ ἡ κρείτ των ἐλπίς. Οὕτως ἐγκαινίζεται ἄνθρωπος, οὕτως τιμᾶται ἡ τῶν Ἐγκαινίων ἡμέρα, τοιαύτῃ τρυφῇ, τοιούτοις ἐδέσμασιν. Οὐκ ὀφθήσῃ, φησὶ, κενὸς ἐναντίον μου· ἀλλ' εἴ τι καλὸν, μετὰ σεαυτοῦ φέ ρων. Νῦν δὲ ὄφθητι καινὸς, τρόπον ἕτερος, ὅλως ἠλλοιωμένος. Τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν· ἰδοὺ γέγονε τὰ πάντα καινά. Τοῦτο τῇ ἑορτῇ καρποφό ρησον, τὴν καλὴν ἀλλοίωσιν ἀλλοιώθητι· καὶ μηδὲ οὕτω μέγα φρονήσῃς, ἀλλὰ φθέγξαι τὸ τοῦ ∆αβίδ. Αὕτη ἡ ἀλλοίωσις τῆς δεξιᾶς τοῦ Ὑψίστου, παρ' οὗ πᾶν ἀνθρώποις τὸ κατορθούμενον. Οὐ βού λεταί σε ὁ λόγος ποτὲ ἐν ταυτῷ μένειν, ἀλλὰ ἀεικίνητον εἶναι, εὐκίνητον, πάντως νεόκτιστον· ἂν 36.617 ἀμαρτάνῃς, ἐπιστρέφοντα· εἰ κατορθοῖς, ἐπιτεί νοντα.
Θʹ Χθὲς πίστιν εἶχες τὴν τῶν καιρῶν, σήμερον τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ γνώρισον· μέχρι τίνος ἐπ' ἀμφο τέραις χωλανεῖς ταῖς ἰγνύαις; μέχρι τίνος οἰκονομήσεις; Καὶ οἰκοδομῆσαί ποτε προθυμήθητι· χθὲς τὸ δοκεῖν τις ἐτίμας, σήμερον τὸ εἶναι προτίμησον· Μέχρι ποῦ τὰ ἐνύπνια; καὶ ἡ ἀλήθειά ποτε σπου δασθήτω σοι. Χθὲς ἦσθα θεατρικὸς, σήμερον φάνηθι θεωρητικός· χθὲς λοίδορος, ἰταμὸς, σήμερον εὔφημος, ἥμερος· χθὲς κωμαστὴς, σή μερον σωφρονιστής. Σήμερον οἰνοπότης, αὔριον ὑδροπότης. Σήμερον κατασπαταλῶν ἐπὶ κλινῶν ἐλε φαντίνων, καὶ τὰ πρῶτα μύρα χριόμενος, αὔριον χαμεύνης καὶ ἄγρυπνος· ἀντὶ γελοιαστοῦ, σύννους· ἀντὶ