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to draw near to the desired one. The ways of the impious are dark. [Exod. f. 23 a.] Darkness is always temptation and danger. But nevertheless in dangers the light does not depart, until it may dispel the night of temptations. With all watchfulness guard your heart. [Exod. f. 23 b.] Instead of with much security and attention, or instead of at all times; according to, From the morning watch until night, secure the mind, so as not to give an entrance to the enemy; or instead of, both from deeds, and from words, and from thoughts; for not only through actions does the enemy know how to despoil, but also through words; for from such a guard life will be added to you. Take away from you a crooked mouth, and push unjust lips far from you. [Exod. f. 23 b.] He means perverted words, those not straight, those not true; and unjust lips are those of slanderers, which he advises to push far away, and not at all to pay attention to them when they speak, but to block one's ears. For even that one, having no hearer, will be silent.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Εʹ.

For honey drips from the lips of a prostitute woman. [Exod. f. 24 b.] For by empty and deceptive and vain words, promising honey, she also tries to deprive of small things. Who for a time soothes your throat. She who speaks to the pleasures of the heart, and yields to the desire of the flesh, seems for an hour to sweeten the man. Afterward, however, you will find it more bitter than gall. 64.669 [Exod. f. 25 a.] For the last state of that man becomes worse than the first, coming to judgment, which is like a sharp sword searching out even the hidden things of his heart. For the feet of folly, etc. [ibid.] For the foolish, both running with error, and joining with it, being ensnared by it are brought down after death into Hades; she whom he above called a prostitute, he now called folly. This one, then, he says leads down the righteous who use her into Hades while living; but the unrighteous, while dead; by whom, he says, those who use her are brought down to Hades after death; and Hades is so called from the unpleasant sight of all the places of punishment there, for those who descend; for those descending into Hades even after death David prays saying: Let them go down to Hades alive, for wickedness is in their dwellings. Make your way far from her. [Exod. f. 15 b.] Do not associate with the dogmas of heresy, nor approach the doorways, that is, the variety of ordinances which it has acquired. -To call it a spring, indicates the abundance of the matter; but to permit the enjoyment to him alone, shows the pleasure. -He calls the embrace of a stranger evil thoughts, in which one must not linger as they constrain the soul, which also do not escape the heart-knowing God. But each one is bound by the cords of his own sins. [Exod, f. 28 b.] Even if God does not see, he says, but giving you a time of repentance, he does not punish you himself, but you cast yourself into the nets of sin; you prepare the bonds for yourself; blame no one, therefore, not God, not man; the evils are from us. He well said 'they hunt,' because the punishments for sins are not always brought on; but not every sin is called a cord, but that which is woven with a blameworthy action and a reprehensible intention; for one having a certain desire, but not having joined to it the working of sin, possesses a simple passion. Do not be unaware, then, he says, that you are twisting a rope against yourself by the habit of sin, and are being led as prey to its practice. Therefore, let us blame no one; the evils are from us; by these let them be ashamed and

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ποθουμένῳ ἐγγίζειν. Ὁδοὶ τῶν ἀσεβῶν σκοτειναί. [ξοδ. φ. 23 α.] Τὸ σκότος ἀεὶ πειρασμὸς καὶ κίνδυνός ἐστι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐν κινδύνοις οὐκ ἀφίσταται τὸ φῶς, ἕως ἂν λύσῃ τῶν πειρασμῶν τὴν νύκτα. Πάσῃ φυλακῇ τήρει σὴν καρδίαν. [ξοδ. φ. 23 β.] Ἀντὶ τοῦ πολλῇ ἀσφαλείᾳ καὶ προσοχῇ, ἢ ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ· κατὰ τὸ, Ἀπὸ φυλακῆς πρωΐας μέχρι νυκτὸς, ἀσφάλιζε τὴν διάνοιαν, ὥστε μὴ δοῦναι παρείσδυσιν τῷ ἐχθρῷ· ἢ ἀντὶ τοῦ, καὶ ἀπὸ πραγμάτων, καὶ ἀπὸ ῥημάτων, καὶ ἀπὸ διανοιῶν· οὐ γὰρ διὰ τῶν πράξεων μόνον οἶδεν ὑποσυλᾶν ὁ ἐχθρὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ λόγων· ἐκ γὰρ τῆς τοιαύτης φυλακῆς προσγενήσεταί σοι ζωή. Περίελε ἀπὸ σοῦ σκολιὸν στόμα, καὶ ἄδικα χείλη μακρὰν ἀπὸ σοῦ ἄπωσαι. [ξοδ. φ. 23 β.] Τοὺς διεστραμμένους λέγει λόγους, τοὺς μὴ εὐθεῖς, τοὺς μὴ ἀληθεῖς· ἄδικα δὲ χείλη τὰ καταλάλων, ἃ παραινεῖ μακρὰν ἀπώσασθαι, καὶ μηδ' ὅλως προσέχειν λέγουσιν, ἀλλ' ἀποφράττειν τὰ ὦτα. Καὶ γὰρ κἀκεῖνος μὴ ἔχων ἀκροατὴν, σιγήσει.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Εʹ.

Μέλι γὰρ ἀποστάζει ἀπὸ χειλέων γυναικὸς πόρνης. [ξοδ. φ. 24 β.] Τοῖς γὰρ κενοῖς καὶ ἀπατηλοῖς καὶ ματαίοις ῥήμασι μέλι ἐπαγγελλομένη, καὶ τῶν μικρῶν στερίσκειν πειρᾶται. Ἣ πρὸς καιρὸν λιπαίνει σὸν φάρυγγα. Ἥτις πρὸς ἡδονὰς καρδίας ὁμιλοῦσα, καὶ ἐπιθυμίᾳ σαρκὸς συγχωροῦσα, δοκεῖ πρὸς ὥραν γλυκαίνειν τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Ὕστερον μέντοι πικρότερον χολῆς εὑρήσεις. 64.669 [ξοδ. φ. 25 α.] Γίνεται γὰρ τὰ ἔσχατα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκείνου χείρονα τῶν πρώτων, εἰς κρίσιν ἐρχόμενα, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὡς μάχαιρα ὀξεῖα ἐξερευνῶσα καὶ τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ. Τῆς γὰρ ἀφροσύνης οἱ πόδες, κ. τ. λ. [ιβιδ.] Οἱ γὰρ ἄφρονες, καὶ τῇ πλάνῃ συντρέχοντες, καὶ συναιρόμενοι, συμποδιζόμενοι ὑπ' αὐτῆς κατάγονται μετὰ θάνατον εἰς τὸν ᾅδην· ἣν ἀνωτέρω πόρνην εἶπε, νῦν ἀφροσύνην ἐκάλεσε. Ταύτην οὖν φησι ζῶντας εἰς τὸν ᾅδην κατάγειν τοὺς χρωμένους αὐτῇ δικαίους· τοὺς δὲ ἀδίκους, τεθνεῶτας· ᾗ, φησὶν, οἱ χρώμενοι, μετὰ θάνατον πρὸς τὸν ᾅδην κατάγονται· ᾅδης δὲ λέγεται παρὰ τὸ ἰδεῖν ἀηδῶς τὰ ἐκεῖσε ἅπαντα κολαστήρια, τοὺς καταβαίνοντας· τοὺς καὶ μετὰ θάνατον καταβαίνοντας εἰς τὸν ᾅδην προσεύχεται ὁ ∆αυῒδ λέγων· Καταβήτωσαν εἰς ᾅδου ζῶντες, ὅτι πονηρία ἐν ταῖς παροικίαις αὐτῶν. Μακρὰν ποίησον ἀπ' αὐτῆς σὴν ὁδόν. [ξοδ. φ. 15 β.] Μὴ συναναστρέφου τοῖς τῆς αἱρέσεως δόγμασιν, μηδὲ ἐγγίσῃς προθύροις, τουτέστι τῇ ποικιλίᾳ ὧν αὕτη περιεποιήσατο θεσμῶν. -Τὸ μὲν πηγὴν καλέσαι, τὴν ἀφθονίαν τοῦ πράγματος ἐνδείκνυται· τὸ δὲ αὐτῷ μόνῳ τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν ἐπιτρέψαι, τὴν ἡδονὴν ἐμφαίνει. -Ἀλλοτρίας ἀγκάλας φησὶ τοὺς πονηροὺς λογισμοὺς, ἐν οἷς οὐ δεῖ ἐγχρονίζειν ὡς συνέχοντας τὴν ψυχὴν, οὓς καὶ μὴ λανθάνειν τὸν καρδιογνώστην Θεόν. Σειραῖς δὲ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτιῶν ἕκαστος σφίγγεται. [ξοδ, φ. 28 β.] Κἂν μὴ ὁρᾷ, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ἐνδιδούς σοι καιρὸν μετανοίας, οὐκ αὐτὸς τιμωρεῖται, ἀλλὰ σὺ σεαυτὸν ἐμβάλλεις εἰς τὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας δίκτυα· σὺ σαυτῷ κατασκευάζεις τὰ δεσμά· μηδένα οὖν αἰτιῶ, μὴ Θεὸν, μὴ ἄνθρωπον· παρ' ἡμῖν τὰ κακά. Καλῶς εἶπεν ἀγρεύουσι, διὰ τὸ μὴ παρὰ πάντοτε τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τὰς τιμωρίας ἐπάγεσθαι· οὐ πᾶσα δὲ ἁμαρτία σειρὰ λέγεται, ἀλλ' ἡ πλεκομένη μετὰ πράξεως ψεκτῆς καὶ γνώμης ἐπιλήπτου· ὁ γὰρ ἐπιθυμίαν τινὰ σχὼν, μὴ συζεύξας δὲ αὐτῇ τὴν ἐργασίαν τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἁπλοῦν πάθος κέκτηται. Μὴ λάθῃς οὖν, φησὶ, σχοινοπλοκῶν κατὰ σαυτοῦ τῇ συνηθείᾳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ ὡς θήραμα πρὸς τὴν ταύτης πρᾶξιν ἀγόμενος. Μηδένα οὖν αἰτιώμεθα παρ' ἡμῶν τὰ κακά· τούτοις αἰσχυνέσθωσαν καὶ