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3. I say these things now, not so much directing them toward those, as toward you who do not draw them in, who do not raise them up from their indifference, and draw them to this saving table. And servants, when they are about to perform a common service, call their fellow servants; but you, when you are about to come to this spiritual ministry, overlook your fellow servants being deprived of the gain. What then, if they should not be willing, he says? Make them willing by constant attendance upon them; for if they see us pressing upon them, they will surely be willing. But these things are an excuse and a pretext. How many fathers, at least, are here and do not have their sons standing with them? Was it difficult for you to draw your children along too? From which it is clear that the rest also remain outside not only because of their own indifference, but also because of your neglect. But if not before, at least now rouse yourselves, and let each one enter the church with his kinsman, and let father stir up son, and son him who begot him, and husbands their wives, and wives their husbands, and a master his slave, and a brother his brother, and a friend his friend, stirring them up and urging them on to the gathering here; or rather, let us call not only our friends, but also our enemies to this common treasure of good things. If your enemy sees your forethought, he will surely put aside his enmity. Say to him: Are you not ashamed before the Jews, nor do you blush, who observe the sabbath with such strictness, and from the very evening abstain from all work? And if they see the sun hastening to its setting on the day of preparation, they even break off contracts, and cut short sales; and if someone who has bought from them before evening comes in the evening bringing the price, they do not endure to take it, nor to receive the money. And why do I speak of the price of goods and contracts? even if it were possible to receive a treasure, they would choose to lose the gain rather than trample on the law. Then the Jews, though keeping the law unseasonably, are so strict, and hold to an observance that not only does not benefit them, but even harms them; but you, who are superior to the shadow, who have been deemed worthy to see the sun of righteousness, who belong to the commonwealth of heaven, you who have been entrusted with the truth, do you not show the same zeal as those who persist unseasonably in their wickedness, but being called here for a small part of the day, do you not even endure to spend it for the hearing of the divine oracles? and what pardon could you obtain, tell me? and what reasonable and just defense will you have to offer? It is not, it is not possible for one so neglectful and indifferent ever to obtain pardon, even if he should plead ten thousand necessities of worldly affairs. Do you not know that if you come and worship God, and take part in the time spent here, the matters in your hands are made easier for you? Do you have worldly cares? On account of these, then, come here, so that having drawn to yourself the goodwill 51.177 of God through the time spent here, you may thus depart with security; so that you may have him as an ally, so that you may become unconquerable to the demons, being helped by the hand from above. If you enjoy the fatherly prayers, if you share in the common prayer, if you hear the divine oracles, if you draw to yourself the help of God, if, fortified with these weapons, you thus go forth, not even the devil himself will be able to look you in the face hereafter, much less wicked men, who are zealous to insult and to slander. But if you go from your house to the marketplace, being found naked of these weapons, you will be an easy prey to all who would insult you. For this reason many things, both in public and in private affairs, turn out contrary to our expectation,

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γʹ. Ταῦτα οὐχὶ πρὸς ἐκείνους τοσοῦτον ἀποτεινόμενος λέγω νῦν, ὅσον πρὸς ὑμᾶς τοὺς οὐκ ἐπισπωμένους, τοὺς οὐκ ἀνιστῶντας αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας, καὶ πρὸς τὴν σωτηρίαν ταύτην ἕλκοντας τράπεζαν. Καὶ οἰκέται μὲν κοινὴν μέλλοντες ἐκπληροῦν διακονίαν, τοὺς αὑτῶν συνδούλους καλοῦσιν· ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν πνευματικὴν ταύτην μέλλοντες ἀπαντᾷν ὑπηρεσίαν, περιορᾶτε τοὺς ὁμοδούλους τοῦ κέρδους ἀποστερουμένους. Τί οὖν, εἰ μὴ βούλοιντο, φησί; Ποίησον αὐτοὺς βουληθῆναι τῇ συνεχεῖ προσεδρείᾳ· ἂν γὰρ ἴδωσιν ἐπικειμένους ἡμᾶς, πάντως βουλήσονται. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ σκῆψις ταῦτα καὶ πρόφασις. Πόσοι γοῦν ἐνταῦθα πατέρες εἰσὶ καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς οὐκ ἔχουσι μεθ' ἑαυτῶν ἑστῶτας; μὴ καὶ τῶν τέκνων ἐπισπάσασθαί σοι δύσκολον ἦν; Ὅθεν δῆλον ὅτι καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οὐ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ῥᾳθυμίαν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τὴν ὑμετέραν ὑπεροψίαν ἔξω μένουσιν. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ μὴ πρότερον, νῦν γοῦν διανάστητε, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ μέλους ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν εἰσιέτω, καὶ πατὴρ υἱὸν, καὶ υἱὸς τὸν γεγεννηκότα, καὶ γυναῖκας ἄνδρες, καὶ ἄνδρας γυναῖκες, καὶ δεσπότης δοῦλον, καὶ ἀδελφὸς ἀδελφὸν, καὶ φίλος φίλον διεγειρόντων καὶ παρορμώντων πρὸς τὴν ἐνταῦθα σύνοδον· μᾶλλον δὲ μὴ τοὺς φίλους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς καλῶμεν ἐπὶ τὸν κοινὸν τοῦτον τῶν ἀγαθῶν θησαυρόν. Ἂν ἴδῃ σου τὴν πρόνοιαν ὁ ἐχθρὸς, καταλύσει τὴν ἀπέχθειαν πάντως. Εἰπὲ πρὸς αὐτόν· Οὐκ αἰσχύνῃ Ἰουδαίους, οὐδὲ ἐρυθριᾷς, οἳ μετὰ τοσαύτης ἀκριβείας τὸ σάββατον φυλάττουσι, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἑσπέρας αὐτῆς πάσης ἐργασίας ἀφίστανται; Κἂν ἴδωσι τὸν ἥλιον πρὸς δυσμὰς ἐπειγόμενον ἐν τῇ τῆς παρασκευῆς ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ συμβόλαια διακόπτουσι, καὶ πράσεις διατέμνουσι· κἂν πριάμενός τις παρ' αὐτῶν πρὸ τῆς ἑσπέρας, ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ τὴν τιμὴν ἔλθῃ κομίζων, οὐκ ἀνέχονται λαβεῖν, οὐδὲ ὑποδέξασθαι τὸ ἀργύριον. Καὶ τί λέγω τιμὴν ὠνίων καὶ συμβόλαια; κἂν θησαυρὸν ἐξῆν λαβεῖν, ἕλοιντ' ἂν ἀπολέσαι τὸ κέρδος, ἢ καταπατῆσαι τὸν νόμον. Εἶτα Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν, καὶ ταῦτα ἀκαίρως τηροῦντες τὸν νόμον οὕτως εἰσὶν ἀκριβεῖς, καὶ φυλακῆς ἀντέχονται οὐδὲν αὐτοὺς ὠφελούσης, ἀλλὰ καὶ καταβλαπτούσης· σὺ δὲ, ὁ τῆς σκιᾶς ἀνώτερος, ὁ τὸν ἥλιον τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἰδεῖν καταξιωθεὶς, ὁ πρὸς τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν πολιτείαν τελῶν, οὐδὲ τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκείνοις ἐπιδείκνυσαι σπουδὴν τοῖς τῇ κακίᾳ προσεδρεύουσιν ἀκαίρως, ὁ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐγχειρισθεὶς, ἀλλὰ μικρὸν μέρος ἡμέρας ἐνταῦθα καλούμενος, οὐδὲ τοῦτο ὑπομένεις ἀναλῶσαι πρὸς τὴν τῶν θείων ἀκρόασιν λογίων; καὶ ποίας ἂν τύχοις συγγνώμης, εἰπέ μοι; τίνα δὲ ἕξεις ἀπολογίαν εἰπεῖν εὔλογον καὶ δικαίαν; Οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστι τὸν οὕτως ἀμελῆ καὶ ῥᾴθυμον συγγνώμης τυχεῖν ποτε, κἂν μυριάκις ἀνάγκας προβάλληται πραγμάτων βιωτικῶν. Οὐκ οἶδας, ὅτι ἐὰν ἐλθὼν προσκυνήσῃς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ μετάσχῃς τῆς ἐνταῦθα διατριβῆς, μᾶλλόν σοι τὰ ἐν χερσὶν εὐμαρίζεται πράγματα; Βιωτικὰς ἔχεις φροντίδας; ∆ιὰ ταύτας μὲν οὖν ἐνταῦθα ἀπάντησον, ἵνα τὴν εὔνοιαν 51.177 ἐπισπασάμενος τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τῆς ἐνταῦθα διατριβῆς, οὕτω μετ' ἀσφαλείας ἐξέλθῃς· ἵνα ἔχῃς αὐτὸν σύμμαχον, ἵνα ἀκαταγώνιστος γένῃ τοῖς δαίμοσιν ὑπὸ τῆς ἄνωθεν βοηθούμενος χειρός. Ἂν ἀπολαύσῃς εὐχῶν πατρικῶν, ἂν μετάσχῃς κοινῆς εὐχῆς, ἂν ἀκούσῃς θείων λογίων, ἂν ἐπισπάσῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν βοήθειαν, ἂν τούτοις τοῖς ὅπλοις φραξάμενος οὕτως ἐξέλθῃς, οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος ἀντιβλέψαι δυνήσεταί σοι λοιπὸν, μήτι γε ἄνθρωποι πονηροὶ, σπουδάζοντες ἐπηρεάζειν καὶ συκοφαντεῖν. Ἂν δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκίας ἐπὶ τὴν ἀγορὰν ἔλθῃς, γυμνὸς τῶν ὅπλων τούτων εὑρεθεὶς, εὐχείρωτος ἔσῃ τοῖς ἐπηρεάζουσιν ἅπασι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πολλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς κοινοῖς καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις πράγμασι παρὰ γνώμην ἡμῖν ἀπαντᾷ,