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everywhere, and to preach the Gospel; but also he prepared them, upon returning, to visit again those who had previously been instructed in the word, as you will find in the Acts of the Apostles. "All the torrents run into the sea, and the sea is not full." It is a custom in the divine Scripture, to call the many, "all"; according to the saying, "All have gone out of the way, they have together become unprofitable"; not the righteous, not the prophets went out of the way. Therefore, one must marvel at the wisdom of the Creator, how, with most rivers flowing into the sea, it remains within its own borders. But as to the spiritual meaning, the apostles are the torrents, according to the saying, "And you will give them to drink of the torrent of your pleasure." And the sea is understood as the present life; according to the saying, "This sea, great and wide." Therefore the evangelical and apostolic words sweeten 93.485 the saltiness of this life; but the sea which is understood is not filled; for not all have faith. But figuratively, through the example he alludes to men who are sick with insatiable avarice; for the insatiability of their desire is not fulfilled, even if wealth flows into them from all sides like torrents. "To the place, where the torrents go, there they turn it back to go." Amos the prophet says, "He who calls forth the water of the sea, and pours it out on the face of the earth." He seems, therefore, to be speaking of natural philosophy here; that the water of the sea, being drawn up through the clouds, and poured out on the earth, makes the torrents. Therefore, from the sea, he says, the torrents having had their origin, again go into it. But as to the spiritual meaning, "To the place where the apostles went, there they prepared those who believed to return to God, to walk in the light of the Lord." Otherwise; Those who fall from virtue into vice, like torrents from a high place, are carried down to what is steep and hollow and earthly; but they are able, even having come to be in the place of vice, to become sober again, and to repent, and through conversion to travel again the road that leads to paradise, from where the first man was cast out. "All words are wearisome, a man cannot speak them." The words concerning the precise knowledge of existing things are wearisome, because it is not possible for even those who are very courageous in soul, to have all comprehension of knowledge. Otherwise, All words, both those of external, and those of divine wisdom, have their teaching with labor; but those from without for the most part also become causes of harm to those who are persuaded by them. But the divine word is always profitable; which no one can speak worthily, even if he be very intelligent, without having received the gift of teaching and the word of wisdom. Otherwise; Teachers always labor concerning the divine word, and for the most part are checked, gaining only labor, because of the indolence of the listeners. The word therefore strikes those who listen neglectfully. Otherwise; It is necessary first to do, then to teach. Therefore it is a labor, and not an ordinary one, but a dangerous one, to teach those things which you yourself have not first accomplished. For this reason even the perfect man, suspecting the magnitude of the matter, is restrained from speaking. "And the eye will not be satisfied with seeing, and the ear will not be filled with hearing." According to natural philosophy, neither can the eye comprehend the whole of sensible creation, nor can it receive all the words concerning it, since there is no man who speaks and teaches them. Otherwise; The eye, being prone to slip, is always full of desire and insatiable. But 93.488 also those with itching ears, always want to be learning and never to come to the knowledge of the truth; for which reason also words labor to make sober the eyes and the ears of those who are learning. Otherwise; The most sovereign and queenly of the senses, and more rational, are hearing and sight; these, their own activity being necessary, carry it out insatiably. But taste, and smell, and touch grow weary more quickly, and receive satiety. "What is it that has been? The very thing that will be. And what is it that has
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πανταχοῦ, καὶ κηρύττειν τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ὑποστροφῆς ἐπαναλύοντας ἐπισκέπτεσθαι τοὺς προκατηχηθέντας τὸν λόγον παρεσκεύαζεν, ὡς ἐν τοῖς Πράξεσι τῶν ἀποστόλων εὑρήσεις. "Πάντες οἱ χείμαῤῥοι πορεύονται εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ ἡ θάλασσα οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμπιμπλαμένη." Ἔθος τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ, πάντας, τοὺς πλείονας καλεῖν· κατὸ τὸ, Πάντες ἐξέκλιναν, ἅμα ἠχρειώθησαν· οὐχ οἱ δίκαιοι, οὐχ οἱ προφῆται ἐξέκλιναν. Θαυμάσαι οὖν ἕστι τοῦ ∆ημιουργοῦ τὴν σοφίαν, πῶς τῶν πλείστων ποταμῶν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν εἰσρεόντων, αὕτη ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκείων ἵσταται ὅρων. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, χείμαῤῥοί εἰσιν οἱ ἀπόστολοι, κατὰ τὸ, Καὶ τὸν χειμάῤῥουν τῆς τρυφῆς σου ποτιεῖς αὐτούς. Θάλασσα δὲ νοεῖται ὁ παρὼν βίος· κατὰ τὸ, Αὕτη ἡ θάλασσα ἡ μεγάλη καὶ εὐρύχωρος. Οἱ οὖν εὐαγγελικοὶ καὶ οἱ ἀποστολικοὶ λόγοι καταγλυκαίνουσι 93.485 τοῦδε τοῦ βίου τὴν ἁλμυρότητα· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐμπίπλαται ἡ νοηθεῖσα θάλασσα· οὐ γὰρ πάντων ἡ πίστις. Τροπικῶς δὲ διὰ τοῦ ὑποδείγματος αἰνίττεται τοὺς τὴν ἄπληστον φιλαργυρίαν νοσοῦντας ἀνθρώπους· τὸ γὰρ ἄπληστον τῆς αὐτῶν ἐπιθυμίας οὐ πληροῦται, κἂν δίκην χειμάῤῥων πανταχόθεν εἰς αὐτοὺς ὁ πλοῦτος συῤῥέῃ. "Εἰς τὸν τόπον, οὗ οἱ χείμαῤῥοι πορεύονται, ἐκεῖ αὐτὸν ἐπιστρέφουσι τοῦ πορευθῆναι." Ἄμως ὁ προφήτης φησὶν, Ὁ προσκαλούμενος τὸ ὕδωρ τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ ἐκχέων αὐτὸ ἐπὶ προσώπου τῆς γῆς. Ἔοικε οὖν φυσιολογεῖν ἐνταῦθα· ὅτι τὸ ὕδωρ τῆς θαλάσσης διὰ τῶν νεφῶν ἀνιμώμενον, καὶ εἰς γῆν προχεόμενον, ποιεῖ τοὺς χειμάῤῥους. Ἐκ θαλάσσης οὖν, φησὶ, τὴν γένεσιν ἐσχηκότες οἱ χείμαῤῥοι, πάλιν εἰς αὐτὴν πορεύονται. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, Εἰς τὸν τόπον ὅπου ἐπορεύθησαν οἱ ἀπόστολοι, ἐκεῖ παρεσκεύασαν τοὺς πιστεύσαντας ἐπιστρέφειν πρὸς Θεὸν, τοῦ πορευθῆναι τῷ φωτὶ Κυρίου. Ἄλλως· Οἱ ἐξ ἀρετῆς εἰς κακίαν καταπίπτοντες, χειμάῤῥων δίκην ἐξ ὑψηλοῦ τινος, ἐπὶ τὸ πρανὲς καὶ κοῖλον καὶ γεῶδες καταφέρονται· ἀλλὰ δύνανται καὶ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τῆς κακίας γενόμενοι ἀνανῆψαι, καὶ μετανοῆσαι, καὶ δι' ἐπιστροφῆς πορευθῆναι πάλιν τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἄγουσαν ἐπὶ τὸν παράδεισον, ὅθεν ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος ἐκβέβληται. "Πάντες οἱ λόγοι ἔγκοποι, οὐ δυνήσεται ἀνὴρ τούτους λαλεῖν." Οἱ περὶ τῆς τῶν ὄντων ἀκριβοῦς γνώσεως λόγοι ἔγκοποι τυγχάνουσι, διὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι μηδὲ τοὺς σφόδρα ἀνδρείους τῇ ψυχῇ, πᾶσαν τῆς γνώσεως ἔχειν τὴν κατάληψιν. Ἄλλως, Πάντες οἱ λόγοι, καὶ οἱ τῆς ἐξωτικῆς, καὶ οἱ τῆς θείας σοφίας, μετὰ κόπου τὴν διδασκαλίαν ἔχουσιν· ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν ἔξωθεν ὡς τὰ πολλὰ καὶ βλάβης αἴτιοι γίγνονται τοῖς πειθομένοις. Ὁ δὲ θεῖος λόγος ἀεὶ ὠφέλιμος· ὃν οὐδὲ δύναταί τις ἀξίως λαλεῖν, κἂν σφόδρα συνετὸς ᾖ, μὴ τὸ διδασκαλικὸν χάρισμα, καὶ τὸν τῆς σοφίας δεξάμενος λόγον. Ἄλλως· Κοπιῶσιν ἀεὶ οἱ διδάσκαλοι περὶ τὸν θεῖον λόγον, καὶ ὡς τὰ πολλὰ ἀναχαιτίζονται, κόπον μόνον κερδαίνοντες, διὰ τὸ τῶν ἀκροατῶν ῥᾴθυμον. Πλήττει οὖν ὁ λόγος τοὺς ἠμελημένως ἀκροωμένους. Ἄλλως· ∆εῖ πρῶτον ποιῆσαι, εἶτα διδάξαι. Κόπος οὖν ἐστι, καὶ οὐχ ὁ τυχὼν, ἀλλ' ἐπικίνδυνος, τὸ ἐκεῖνα διδάσκειν ἃ μὴ πρότερος αὐτὸς κατώρθωσας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ τέλειος τὸ τοῦ πράγματος ὑφορώμενος μέγεθος ἀναχαιτίζεται τοῦ λαλεῖν. "Καὶ οὐκ ἐμπλησθήσεται ὀφθαλμὸς τοῦ ὁρᾷν, καὶ οὐ πληρωθήσεται τὸ οὖς ἀπὸ ἀκροάσεως." Κατὰ μὲν τὴν φυσιολογίαν, οὔτε τὴν πᾶσαν αἰσθητὴν κτίσιν δύναται περιλαβεῖν ὀφθαλμὸς, οὔτε τοὺς περὶ αὐτῆς ἅπαντας λόγους ὑποδέξασθαι, ἐπεὶ μηδέ ἐστιν ἀνὴρ ὁ λαλῶν καὶ διδάσκων. Ἄλλως· Εὐόλισθος ὢν ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς ἀεὶ ἐπιθυμητικῶς καὶ ἀκορέστως ἔχει. Ἀλλὰ 93.488 καὶ οἱ τὴν ἀκοὴν κνηθόμενοι, πάντοτε μανθάνειν θέλουσι καὶ μηδέποτε εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἔρχεσθαι· διὸ καὶ οἱ λόγοι κοπιῶσιν ἐπὶ τῷ σώφρονας ἐργάσασθαι τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ τὰς ἀκοὰς τῶν μανθανόντων. Ἄλλως· Κυριώταται καὶ βασιλίδες εἰσὶ τῶν αἰσθήσεων, καὶ λογικώτεραι, ἀκοὴ καὶ ὅρασις· αὗται τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἐνέργειαν ἀναγκαῖαν οὖσαν ἀκορέστως ἐκτελοῦσι. Γεῦσις δὲ, καὶ ὄσφρησις, καὶ ἁφὴ ταχύτερον κάμνουσι, καὶ κόρον δέχονται. "Τί τὸ γεγονός; αὐτὸ τὸ γενησόμενον. Καὶ τί τὸ