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is springing from the Spirit, do you not hold out your ears with gladness? Do you not receive the benefit with gratitude? But the applause of the listeners bites you, and you would have wished that there was neither the one being benefited, nor the one praising. What defense will these things have before the judge of our hearts? Therefore, one must consider the good of the soul to be naturally beautiful; and the one who is pre-eminent in wealth, and proud in power, and in good condition of body, and who uses what he has well, we should love and attend to, as one who has possessed the instruments of life as common property, if indeed he should manage these things according to right reason; so that in the supply of money he may be generous to those in need, and with his body provide service to the weak; and to consider all his remaining abundance not more his own than that of any of those in need; but the one not so disposed toward these things should be considered wretched rather than enviable, if he has greater resources for being evil. For this is to be ruined by greater preparation and business. For if wealth is a provision for injustice, the wealthy one is pitiable; but if it is a service to virtue, envy has no place, since the common benefit from them is set before all; unless, perhaps, someone through an abundance of wickedness should envy himself his own goods. But in general, having looked down upon human affairs with reason, and looking away to what is truly beautiful and praiseworthy, you would be far from judging any of the corruptible and earthly things to be blessed and enviable.

And for one who is so disposed, and not astounded at worldly things as if they were great, it is impossible for envy ever to arise, But if you absolutely desire glory, and wish to appear superior to the many, and for this reason do not tolerate being second 31.385 (for this too is indeed a cause for envying), then turn your ambition, like a stream, toward the acquisition of virtue. For do not desire to be rich by all means, nor to be esteemed for the things of the world. For these things are not in your power; but be just, and temperate, and prudent, and courageous, and patient in sufferings for the sake of piety. For thus you will both save yourself, and have greater distinction for greater goods. For virtue is in our power, and can be acquired by the industrious; but the possession of money, and the beauty of body, and the prestige of dignities, are not in our power. If, therefore, virtue is both a greater and more lasting good, and has acknowledged preeminence from all, this is what we must pursue; which it is impossible to be born in a soul that is not purified from the other passions and most especially of all from envy. Do you not see how great an evil hypocrisy is? This too is a fruit of envy. For duplicity of character arises in men especially from envy, when, holding hatred in the depths, they show a surface colored with love; like submerged rocks, which, covered by a little water, become an unforeseen evil for the unwary. If, therefore, death also flowed to us from there as from a spring, a fall from good things, alienation from God, a confusion of laws, and an overturning of all good things in life together; let us be persuaded by the Apostle, and Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another; but rather kind, compassionate, forgiving one another, as God also has forgiven us, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom be glory to the Father with the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.

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τοῦ Πνεύματος πηγαζούσης, οὐχ ὑπέχεις τὰς ἀκοὰς μετ' εὐφροσύνης; οὐκ εὐχαρίστως ὑποδέχῃ τὴν ὠφέλειαν; Ἀλλὰ δάκνει σε ὁ κρότος τῶν ἀκουόντων, καὶ ἐβουλήθης ἂν μήτε τὸν ὠφελούμενον εἶναι, μήτε τὸν ἐπαινοῦντα. Τίνα ταῦτα ἀπολογίαν ἕξει ἐπὶ τοῦ κριτοῦ τῶν καρδιῶν ἡμῶν; Φύσει μὲν οὖν εἶναι καλὸν ἡγεῖσθαι χρὴ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγαθόν· τὸν δὲ ὑπερανθοῦντα τῷ πλούτῳ, καὶ δυναστείᾳ μέγα φρονοῦντα, καὶ εὐεξίᾳ σώματος, καὶ καλῶς μὲν κεχρημένον οἷς ἔχει, ἀγαπᾷν καὶ περιέπειν, ὡς κοινὰ τὰ τοῦ βίου ὄργανα κεκτημένον, εἴπερ δὴ ταῦτα κατὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον μεταχειρίζοιτο· ὡς τῇ μὲν τῶν χρημάτων χορηγίᾳ ἄφθονος εἶναι τοῖς δεομένοις, τῷ σώματι δὲ ὑπηρεσίαν παρέχειν τοῖς ἀσθενοῦσι· πᾶσαν δὲ τὴν λοιπὴν περιουσίαν οὐ μᾶλλον ἑαυτοῦ νομίζειν, ἢ καὶ οὑτινοσοῦν τῶν ἐπιδεομένων· τὸν δὲ μὴ οὕτω πρὸς ταῦτα διακείμενον ἄθλιον τίθεσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ ἐπίφθονον, εἰ μείζονας ἔχει πρὸς τὸ κακὸς εἶναι τὰς ἀφορμάς. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἐκ πλείονος τῆς παρασκευῆς καὶ πραγματείας ἀπόλλυσθαι. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐφόδιον πρὸς ἀδικίαν ὁ πλοῦτος, ἐλεεινὸς ὁ πλουτῶν· εἰ δὲ ὑπηρεσία πρὸς ἀρετὴν, οὐκ ἔχει χώραν ἡ βασκανία, κοινῆς τῆς ἀπ' αὐτῶν ὠφελείας ἅπασι προκειμένης· πλὴν εἰ μή τις ἄρα τῇ περιουσίᾳ τῆς πονηρίας καὶ ἑαυτῷ βασκαίνοι τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Ὅλως δὲ, ὑπερκύψας τῷ λογισμῷ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα, καὶ πρὸς τὸ ὄντως καλὸν καὶ ἐπαινετὸν ἀπιδὼν, πολλοῦ ἄν τι δέοις τῶν φθαρτῶν καὶ γηΐνων μακαριστὸν κρῖναι καὶ ζηλωτόν.

Οὕτω δὲ ἔχοντι, καὶ μὴ ὡς ἐπὶ μεγάλοις ἐκπεπληγμένῳ τοῖς κοσμικοῖς, ἀμήχανόν ποτε παραγενέσθαι τὸν φθόνον, Εἰ δὲ πάντως δόξης ἐπιθυμεῖς, καὶ βούλει τῶν πολλῶν ὑπερφαίνεσθαι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀνέχῃ δεύτερος 31.385 εἶναι (ἔστι γὰρ οὖν δὴ καὶ τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ φθονεῖν ἀφορμή), σὺ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν κτῆσιν τῆς ἀρετῆς, ὥσπερ τι ῥεῦμα, μετάθες σεαυτοῦ τὸ φιλότιμον. Μὴ γὰρ πάντως πλουτεῖν ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου βούλου, μηδὲ εὐδόκιμος εἶναι ἐκ τῶν τοῦ κόσμου πραγμάτων. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ σοὶ ταῦτα· ἀλλὰ δίκαιος ἔσο, καὶ σώφρων, καὶ φρόνιμος, καὶ ἀνδρεῖος, καὶ ὑπομονητικὸς ἐν τοῖς ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας παθήμασιν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ σεαυτὸν σώσεις, καὶ ἐπὶ μείζοσιν ἀγαθοῖς μείζονα ἕξεις τὴν περιφάνειαν. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀρετὴ ἐφ' ἡμῖν, καὶ δυνατὴ κτηθῆναι τῷ φιλοπόνῳ· ἡ δὲ τῶν χρημάτων περιβολὴ, καὶ ὥρα σώματος, καὶ ὄγκος ἀξιωμάτων, οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ μεῖζον ἀγαθὸν ἡ ἀρετὴ καὶ διαρκέστερον, καὶ ὁμολογουμένην παρὰ πάντων ἔχουσα τὴν προτίμησιν, ταύτην ἡμῖν διωκτέον· ἣν ἐγγενέσθαι τῇ ψυχῇ, ἀπό τε τῶν ἄλλων παθῶν καὶ μάλιστα δὴ πάντων ἀπὸ τῆς βασκανίας μὴ καθαρευούσῃ, ἀμήχανον. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς ἡλίκον κακὸν ἡ ὑπόκρισις; Καὶ αὕτη καρπός ἐστι τοῦ φθόνου. Τὸ γὰρ διπλοῦν τοῦ ἤθους ἐκ φθόνου μάλιστα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐγγίνεται, ὅταν, τὸ μῖσος ἐν τῷ βάθει κατέχοντες, ἀγάπῃ δεικνύωσι κατακεχρωσμένην τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν· κατὰ τὰς ὑφάλους πέτρας, αἳ, βραχεῖ ὕδατι καλυπτόμεναι, κακὸν ἀπροόρατον τοῖς ἀφυλάκτοις γίνονται. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ θάνατος ἡμῖν ἐκεῖθεν ὥσπερ ἐκ πηγῆς ἐπεῤῥύη, ἀγαθῶν ἔκπτωσις, Θεοῦ ἀλλοτρίωσις, θεσμῶν σύγχυσις, καὶ ἀνατροπὴ πάντων ὁμοῦ τῶν κα-τὰ τὸν βίον καλῶν· πεισθῶμεν τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ, καὶ Μὴ γενώμεθα κενόδοξοι, ἀλλήλους προκαλούμενοι, ἀλλήλοις φθονοῦντες· ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον χρηστοὶ, εὔσπλαγχνοι, χαριζόμενοι ἑαυτοῖς, ὡς καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐχαρίσατο ἡμῖν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, μεθ' οὗ ἡ δόξα τῷ Πατρὶ σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.