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you were brilliant and radiant with gold, sowing the one like water, and storing up the other like sand; not knowing that faith in the open air is better than costly impiety, and that three gathered together in the name of the Lord are more to God than many myriads who deny the Godhead. Or will you prefer all the Canaanites to the one Abraham? or the Sodomites to the one Lot? or the Midianites to Moses, of the sojourners and strangers? What about the three hundred with Gideon, who shone forth manfully, over the thousands who turned back? what about the household servants of Abraham, a little more than these in number, over the many kings and the myriads of their army, whom, though they were few, they pursued and routed? But how do you understand that, "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved?" and what about, "I have left to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal?" This is not so, it is not. God was not well pleased with the majority.

8. You count the myriads, but God counts those who are being saved; and you count the immeasurable dust, but I the vessels of election. For nothing is so magnificent to God as a purified word, and a soul perfected in the doctrines of truth. For there is nothing worthy to give and to offer to God, who has made all things, and from whom are all things, and to whom are all things; not only the work or possession of one hand, but not even if someone, bringing together into one all the wealth or handiwork among men, should wish to honour him. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" says the Lord; and, "What house will you build for me? or what is the place of my rest?" But since it is necessary to fall short of what is worthy, what is second I ask from you is piety, a common and equal wealth for me, in which perhaps the very poor man, if he be great of soul, will surpass even the exceedingly brilliant. For such ambition is of choice, not of wealth. I will indeed receive these things also from your hands, be well assured. You will no longer tread my court, but the feet of the meek will tread it, of those who have known me, and my only-begotten Word, and the Holy Spirit, soundly and genuinely. How long will you inherit my holy mountain? How long will the ark be among foreigners? But now for a little longer revel in what belongs to others, and enjoy your desire. Because in the way you have planned to thrust me away, I also will thrust you away, says the Lord Almighty. 36.469

9. These things I seemed to both hear him say, and to perceive him do; and in addition to these things, crying out to the people, who from being few are now many, and adequately composed from a scattered state, and from being pitied perhaps even envied. Go through my gates, and be enlarged. Must you always be weary, dwelling in tents, and those who afflict you be overjoyed? And to the angels set over them (for I am persuaded that different ones preside over different Churches, as John teaches me through the Revelation): Prepare a way for my people, and cast the stones out of the way, that there may be no obstacle, nor hindrance to the people of the divine way and entrance; now indeed to the things made with hands, but a little later to the Jerusalem above, and the Holy of holies there, which I know to be the end of the hardship and exertion here for those who journey well. Among whom are you also, called to be saints, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood, the most excellent heritage of the Lord, from a drop a whole river, from a spark a heavenly torch, from a grain of mustard seed a tree, a resting place for birds.

10. These we bear as gifts to you, O friendly shepherds, these we bring, with these we welcome our friends, and strangers, and fellow travelers. We had nothing finer to offer you than these, nor more splendid, having sought for the greater part of what we have; that you might know that though we are strangers we are not in want; but poor indeed,

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χρυσῷ κατελάμπου καὶ περιελάμ που, τὸν μὲν, ὡς ὕδωρ ἔσπειρες, τὸν δὲ, ὡς ἄμμον ἐθησαύριζες· ἀγνοῶν, ὅτι κρείσσων ὕπαιθρος πίστις πολυτελοῦς ἀσεβείας, καὶ πλέους Θεῷ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου, πολλῶν μυριάδων ἀρνουμένων θεότητα. Ἢ καὶ τοὺς Χαναναίους ἅπαν τας προτιμήσεις ἑνὸς τοῦ Ἀβραάμ; ἢ καὶ τοὺς Σοδομίτας ἑνὸς τοῦ Λώτ; ἢ καὶ Μαδιηναίους Μωσέως, τῶν παροίκων καὶ ξένων; Τί δαὶ τοὺς μετὰ Γεδεὼν τριακοσίους, τοὺς λάμψαντας ἀνδρικῶς, τῶν ἀποστραφεισῶν χιλιάδων; τί δαὶ τοὺς οἰκογε νεῖς Ἀβραὰμ, τοὺς μικρὸν ὑπὲρ τούτους τῷ ἀριθμῷ τῶν πολλῶν βασιλέων, καὶ τῶν τοῦ στρατοῦ μυριά δων, ἃς, καίπερ ὄντες ὀλίγοι, κατεδίωξαν καὶ ἐτρέψαντο; ἐκεῖνο δὲ πῶς νοεῖς, ὅτι Ἐὰν γένηται ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης, τὸ κατάλειμμα σωθήσεται; τί δαὶ τὸ, Κατέλιπον ἐμαυτῷ ἑπτακισχιλίους ἄνδρας, οἵτι νες οὐκ ἔκαμψαν γόνυ τῇ Βάαλ; οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο, οὐκ ἔστιν. Οὐκ ἐν τοῖς πλείοσιν εὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεός.

Ηʹ. Σὺ μὲν ἀριθμεῖς τὰς μυριάδας, Θεὸς δὲ τοὺς σωζομένους· καὶ σὺ μὲν τὸν ἀμέτρητον χοῦν, ἐγὼ δὲ τὰ σκεύη τῆς ἐκλογῆς. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω Θεῷ με γαλοπρεπὲς ὡς λόγος κεκαθαρμένος, καὶ ψυχὴ τε λεία τοῖς τῆς ἀληθείας δόγμασιν. Ἄξιον μὲν γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστι τοῦ τὰ πάντα πεποιηκότος, καὶ παρ' οὗ τὰ πάντα, καὶ εἰς ὃν τὰ πάντα, δοῦναι Θεῷ καὶ προσενεγκεῖν· μὴ ὅτι μιᾶς χειρὸς ἔργον ἢ περιου σίας, ἀλλ' οὐδ' εἰ πᾶσάν τις τὴν ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐ πορίαν ἢ χεῖρα εἰς ἒν συνενεγκὼν, τιμῆσαι θελήσειεν. Οὐχὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐγὼ πληρῶ; λέγει Κύριος· καὶ, Ποῖον οἶκον οἰκοδομήσετέ μοι; ἢ τίς τόπος τῆς καταπαύσεώς μου; ἐπεὶ δὲ τῆς ἀξίας διαμαρτεῖν ἀναγκαῖον, ὃ δεύτερόν ἐστιν, αἰτῶ παρ' ὑμῶν τὴν εὐσέβειαν, τὸν κοινὸν πλοῦτον ἐμοὶ καὶ ὁμότιμον, ἐν ᾧ τυχὸν ὑπερβαλεῖται καὶ τὸν λίαν λαμπρὸν ὁ πάνυ πένης, ἂν ᾖ μεγαλόψυχος. Προαιρέσεως γὰρ, οὐκ εὐπορίας ἡ τοιαύτη φιλοτιμία. Λήψομαι μὲν καὶ ταῦτα ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν, εὖ ἴστε. Πατεῖν τὴν αὐλήν μου οὐ προσθήσε σθε, ἀλλὰ πατήσουσιν αὐτὴν πόδες πραέων, τῶν ἐπεγνωκότων ἐμὲ, καὶ τὸν μονογενῆ μου Λόγον, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ὑγιῶς καὶ γνησίως. Μέχρι τίνος κληρυνομήσετε τὸ ὄρος τὸ ἅγιόν μου; μέχρι τίνος ἡ κιβωτὸς παρὰ τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις; Νῦν δὲ μικρὸν ἔτι ἐντρυφήσατε τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις, καὶ τοῦ βούλεσθαι ἀπο λαύσατε. Ὅτι ὃν τρόπον ἐβουλεύσασθε τοῦ ἀπώσα σθαί με, κἀγὼ ἀπώσομαι ὑμᾶς, λέγει Κύριος παν τοκράτωρ. 36.469

Θʹ. Ταῦτα καὶ ἀκούειν λέγοντος ἐδόκουν, καὶ ποι οῦντος αἰσθάνεσθαι· καὶ ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις, πρὸς μὲν τὸν λαὸν βοῶντος, τὸν ἐξ ὀλίγου πολὺν ἤδη, καὶ συγκείμενον ἱκανῶς ἐκ διεσπαρμένου, καὶ ἐξ ἐλεου μένου τυχὸν καὶ ἐπίφθονον. Πορεύεσθε διὰ τῶν πυλῶν μου, καὶ πλατύνεσθε. Μὴ διαπαντὸς δεῖ κάμνειν ὑμᾶς ἐν σκηναῖς κατοικοῦντας, καὶ τοὺς θλίβοντας ὑμᾶς ὑπερευφραίνεσθαι; Πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἐφεστῶτας ἀγγέλους (πείθομαι γὰρ ἄλλους ἄλλης προστατεῖν Ἐκκληδίας, ὡς Ἰωάννης διδάσκει με διὰ τῆς ἀποκαλύψεως)· Ὁδοποιήσατε τῷ λαῷ μου, καὶ τοὺς λίθους ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ διαῤῥίψατε, ἵνα μηδὲν ᾖ σκῶλον, μηδὲ κώλυμα τῷ λαῷ τῆς θείας ὁδοῦ καὶ εἰσόδου· νῦν μὲν ἐπὶ τὰ χειροποίητα, μικρὸν δὲ ὕστερον ἐπὶ τὴν ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ τὰ ἐκεῖσε Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων, ἃ τέλος οἶδα τῆς ἐνταῦθα κακοπαθείας καὶ συντονίας τοῖς καλῶς ὁδεύουσιν. Ἐν οἷς ἐστε καὶ ὑμεῖς, κλητοὶ ἅγιοι, λαὸς περιού σιος, βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα, σχοίνισμα Κυρίου τὸ κράτιστον, ἀπὸ σταγόνος ποταμὸς ὅλος, ἀπὸ σπινθῆ ρος λαμπὰς οὐράνιος, ἀπὸ κόκκου νάπυος δένδρον, πτηνῶν ἀνάπαυμα.

Ιʹ. Τούτους δωροφοροῦμεν ὑμῖν, ὦ φίλοι ποιμέ νες, τούτους προσάγομεν, τούτοις δεξιούμεθα τοὺς ἡμετέρους φίλους, καὶ ξένους, καὶ συνεκδήμους. Τούτων οὐδὲν κάλλιον προσενεγκεῖν εἴχομεν ὑμῖν, οὐδὲ λαμπρότερον, ὧν ἔχομεν τὸ μεῖζον ἐπιζη τήσαντες· ἵν' εἰδῆτε καὶ ξένους ὄντας ἡμᾶς καὶ οὐκ ἐνδεεῖς· ἀλλὰ πτωχοὺς μὲν,