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of weakness, and you are perfected into a man, and you have been enrolled in the commonwealth of the heavens. Therefore, do not kindle a sensible fire in the marketplace, but light a spiritual light in your mind. For, he says, Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify our Father who is in heaven. This light brings you a great reward. Do not crown the door of your house, but display such a way of life that you may receive the crown of righteousness on your head from the hand of Christ, Let nothing be done rashly, nor simply; thus Paul commanded to do all things to the glory of God. For whether you eat, he says, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. And how is it possible, he says, to eat and do to the glory of God? Call a poor man, make Christ a sharer of your table, and you have eaten and drunk to the glory of God. But he did not command this alone to be done to the glory of God, but also all the rest, such as to go into the marketplace, and to remain at home; let both these things be done for God's sake. And how is it possible for both these things to be done for God's sake? When you walk to church, when you partake of prayer, when of spiritual teaching, the going forth has been to the glory of God. Again, it is possible to remain at home for God's sake. How and in what manner? When you hear uproars, disorders, and diabolical processions, the marketplace filled with wicked and dissolute men, remain at home, and be delivered from this turmoil, and you have remained for the glory of God. And just as it is possible to spend time at home and to go out for God's sake, so also praise and blame. And how is it possible, he says, to praise someone and to blame them to the glory of God? You often sit in the workshops, you see wicked and worthless men passing by, raising their eyebrows, puffed up, dragging along many parasites and flatterers, wearing costly garments, surrounded by much pomp, seizing the property of all, being avaricious.

If you hear someone saying, Is this man not to be emulated, is he not blessed? rebuke, accuse, silence, call wretched, weep; this is to blame for God's sake. Such blame is a teaching of philosophy and virtue to those sitting with you, no longer to gape at the things of this life. Say to the one who has said these things: Why is this man blessed? because he has a wonderful horse with a golden bridle, and possesses many servants, and is clothed in a splendid robe, and bursts with drunkenness and luxury every day? But for this reason he would be wretched and miserable, and worthy of a thousand tears. For I see that you can praise nothing of his own, but all the things external to him, the horse, the bridle, the garments, none of which pertains to him. What then could be more wretched, tell me, than this man, when his horse, and the bridle of his horse, and the 48.958 beauty of his garments, and the physical well-being of his servants are admired, but he himself passes by unpraised? What then could be poorer than this man, who has nothing good of his own, nor anything he will be able to carry away from here, but is adorned with all things that belong to others? For our own adornment and wealth are not servants and garments and horses, but virtue of soul, and a wealth of good works, and confidence toward God.

4. Again, if you see another who is poor, cast out, despised for his poverty

and living with virtue, and being called wretched by those sitting with him, praise this man, and the praise of the one who passed by has become an exhortation and counsel for a useful and good way of life. If they say, "Wretched and miserable," say that this man is therefore the most blessed of all, having God as a friend, living with virtue, possessing a wealth that never fails, having a pure conscience. For what harm to him is the lack of money, when he is about to inherit heaven and the good things in heaven? If you yourself philosophize in this way, and teach others, you will receive much even from the blame

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ἀσθενείας, καὶ εἰς ἄνδρας τελεῖς, καὶ εἰς τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐνεγράφης πολιτείαν. Μὴ τοίνυν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἀνακαύσῃς πῦρ αἰσθητὸν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῆς διανοίας ἄναψον φῶς πνευματικόν. Λαμψάτω γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσι τὰ καλὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν, καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν Πατέρα ἡμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Τοῦτο τὸ φῶς πολλήν σοι φέρει τὴν ἀμοιβήν. Μὴ τὴν θύραν τῆς οἰκίας στεφανώσῃς, ἀλλὰ τοιαύτην ἐπίδειξαι πολιτείαν, ὥστε τὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανον σῇ κεφαλῇ παρὰ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ δέξασθαι χειρός, Μηδὲν εἰκῆ, μηδὲ ἁπλῶς γενέσθω· οὕτω Παῦλος ἐπέταξε πάντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖν. Εἴτε γὰρ ἐσθίετε, φησὶν, εἴτε πίνετε, εἴτε τι ποιεῖτε, πάντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖτε. Καὶ πῶς ἔστι, φησὶ, φαγεῖν καὶ ποιεῖν εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ; Κάλεσον πένητα, κοινωνὸν ποίησον τῆς τραπέζης τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ἔφαγες καὶ ἔπιες. Ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐπέταξεν εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἅπαντα, οἷόν ἐστιν ἐμβαλεῖν εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν, καὶ οἴκοι μεῖναι· ἀμφότερα ταῦτα διὰ τὸν Θεὸν γενέσθω. Καὶ πῶς ἔστιν ἀμφότερα ταῦτα γίνεσθαι διὰ τὸν Θεόν; Ὅταν εἰς ἐκκλησίαν βαδίζῃς, ὅταν εὐχῆς μετέχῃς, ὅταν διδασκαλίας πνευματικῆς, ἡ πρόοδος εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ γέγονε. Πάλιν ἐστὶν οἴκοι διὰ τὸν Θεὸν μεῖναι. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; Ὅταν ἀκούσῃς θορύβους, ἀταξίας καὶ πομπὰς διαβολικὰς, πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἀκολάστων τὴν ἀγορὰν πεπληρωμένην, οἴκοι μένε, καὶ τῆς ταραχῆς ἀπαλλάττου ταύτης, καὶ ἔμεινας εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ. Ὥσπερ δὲ τὰς οἴκοι διατριβὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξόδους ἔξεστι ποιεῖσθαι διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, οὕτω καὶ ἐπαίνους καὶ ψόγους. Καὶ πῶς ἔστιν εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ τινα ἐπαινέσαι, φησὶ, καὶ αἰτιάσασθαι; Καθίζεσθε πολλάκις ἐν τοῖς ἐργαστηρίοις, ὁρᾶτε παριόντας πονηροὺς καὶ φαύλους ἀνθρώπους, τὰς ὀφρῦς ἀνασπῶντας, πεφυσιωμένους, παρασίτους καὶ κόλακας πολλοὺς ἐπισυρομένους, πολυτελῆ φοροῦντας ἱμάτια, πολλὴν περιβεβλημένους τὴν φαντασίαν, τὰ πάντων ἁρπάζοντας, πλεονεκτοῦντας.

Ἂν ἀκούσῃς τινὸς λέγοντος, Οὐχὶ ζηλωτὸς οὗτος, οὐχὶ μακάριος; ἐπιτίμησον, ἐγκάλεσον, ἐπιστόμισον, ταλάνισον, δάκρυσον· τοῦτό ἐστι ψέξαι διὰ τὸν Θεόν. Ὁ ψόγος διδασκαλία τοῖς συγκαθημένοις φιλοσοφίας καὶ ἀρετῆς ὁ τοιοῦτος, μηκέτι περὶ τὰ βιωτικὰ κεχηνέναι. Εἰπὲ πρὸς τὸν ταῦτα εἰρηκότα· ∆ιὰ τί μακάριος οὗτος; ἐπειδὴ θαυμαστὸν ἵππον ἔχει καὶ χρυσοχάλινον, καὶ οἰκέτας πολλοὺς κέκτηται, καὶ φαιδρὰν περιβέβληται στολὴν, καὶ μέθῃ καὶ τρυφῇ διαῤῥήγνυται καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν; Ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἄθλιος ἂν εἴη καὶ ταλαίπωρος, καὶ μυρίων δακρύων ἄξιος. Ὁρῶ γοῦν ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν δυναμένους ἐπαινέσαι τῶν αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐκτὸς αὐτοῦ πάντα, τὸν ἵππον, τὸν χαλινὸν, τὰ ἱμάτια, ὧν οὐδέν ἐστι πρὸς αὐτόν. Τί γένοιτ' ἂν οὖν ἀθλιώτερον, εἰπέ μοι, τούτου, ὅταν ὁ μὲν ἵππος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ χαλινὸς τοῦ ἵππου, καὶ τῶν 48.958 ἱματίων τὸ κάλλος, καὶ ἡ σωματικὴ τῶν οἰκετῶν εὐεξία θαυμάζηται, αὐτὸς δὲ ἀνεγκωμίαστος παρατρέχῃ; Τί τοίνυν γένοιτ' ἂν πενέστερον τούτου, τοῦ μηδὲν ἔχοντος καλὸν οἰκεῖον μήθ' ὃ δυνήσεται ἐντεῦθεν ἀπενεγκεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις καλλωπιζομένου πᾶσιν; Οἰκεῖος γὰρ ἡμῶν κόσμος καὶ πλοῦτος οὐκ οἰκέται καὶ ἱμάτια καὶ ἵπποι, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς ἀρετὴ, καὶ πλοῦτος ἀγαθῶν ἔργων, καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν παῤῥησία.

δʹ. Πάλιν ἕτερον ἂν ἴδῃς πτωχὸν, ἀπεῤῥιμμένον, καταφρονούμενον πτωχείᾳ

καὶ ἀρετῇ συζῶντα, καὶ ταλανιζόμενον παρὰ τῶν συγκαθημένων, ἐπαίνεσον τοῦτον, καὶ γέγονεν ὁ ἔπαινος τοῦ παρελθόντος παραίνεσις καὶ συμβουλὴ χρηστῆς καὶ ἀγαθῆς πολιτείας. Εἰ λέγουσιν, ἄθλιος καὶ ταλαίπωρος, εἰπὲ ὅτι πάντων μὲν οὖν οὗτος μακαριώτατος, τὸν Θεὸν ἔχων φίλον, ἀρετῇ συζῶν, πλοῦτον κεκτημένος οὐδέποτ' ἐπιλείποντα, συνειδὸς ἔχων καθαρόν. Τί γὰρ αὐτῷ βλάβος ἐκ τῆς ἐνδείας τῶν χρημάτων, ὅταν τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὰ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ μέλλῃ κληρονομεῖν ἀγαθά; Ἂν οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς φιλοσοφῇς, καὶ ἄλλους παιδεύῃς, πολλὴν λήψῃ καὶ τοῦ ψόγου