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to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? You were running well.” See how many advantages. Hear the sins. “Now you are being perfected in the flesh, you have fallen away from Christ.” You saw them having the Spirit; you heard, that “You have been severed 31.1488 from Christ;” likewise also, “You have fallen from grace.” What does he add after this, giving a place for renewal? “My little children, for whom I am again in labor.” He had given birth once; but he who has given birth once does not refuse to give birth a second time for salvation. If someone does all other things wickedly, this itself is godless. But men, having received the Spirit, running well, having endured so much, having been in danger, having endured in vain, having fallen away and been severed, are born again, that they might again receive the form of God. Is there again any objection left for you concerning repentance? Who formed us? God. He made for us a body, he made for us a soul. Does he neglect it? Who has given us the medicine of life? Why the readings? That we may turn away from sins. Why are we watered? That we may bear fruit. What do we pray for? That our sins may be forgiven. Let us fulfill the word. For whom is there no repentance? But he who does evil in hope of repentance has an evil character, and is deprived of repentance. There is hope even after the sin, there is healing even after the wound, but the scar remains. Blessed is it not even to waver; a second blessedness is the healing after the blow. But to God the creator from the beginning, and who condescends to our weakness, and who guards our free will, and who grants repentance, through the one who brings us good things, Jesus Christ our Lord, be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

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μαθεῖν παρ' ὑμῶν· ἐξ ἔργων νόμου τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐλάβετε, ἣ ἐξ ἀκοῆς πίστεως; Ἐτρέχετε καλῶς.» Βλέπετε πόσα πλεονεκτήματα. Ἄκουε τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. «Νῦν σαρκὶ ἐπιτελεῖσθε, ἐξεπέσατε ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ.» Εἶδες αὐτοὺς ἔχοντας τὸ Πνεῦμα· ἤκουσας, ὅτι «Κατηργήθητε 31.1488 ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ·» ὁμοίως καὶ, «Τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε.» Τί μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπιφέρει, διδοὺς τόπον ἐγκαινισμοῦ; «Τεκνία μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω.» Ἅπαξ ἦν γεννήσας· ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ ἅπαξ γεννήσας παραιτεῖται καὶ ἐκ δευτέρου γεννῆσαι εἰς σωτηρίαν. Εἰ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα τις κακουργήσει, τοῦτο αὐτὸ ἄθεον. Ἄνθρωποι δὲ, λαβόντες τὸ Πνεῦμα, καλῶς τρέχοντες, τοσαῦτα ὑπομείναντες, κινδυνεύσαντες, εἰκῆ ὑπομεμενηκότες, ἐκπεσόντες καὶ καταργηθέντες, πάλιν ἀναγεννῶνται, ἵνα πάλιν μορφὴν Θεοῦ ἀναδέξωνται. Μὴ πάλιν ὑπολείπεταί σοι ἀντιλογία περὶ μετανοίας; Τίς ἡμᾶς ἔπλασε; Θεός. Ἐποίησεν ἡμῖν σῶμα, ἐποίησεν ἡμῖν ψυχήν. Περιορᾷ; Τίς δέδωκεν ἡμῖν φάρμακον ζωῆς; ∆ιὰ τί ἀναγνώσματα; Ἵνα ἀποστῶμεν ἁμαρτημάτων. ∆ιὰ τί ἀρδευόμεθα; Ἵνα καρποφορήσωμεν. Τί εὐχόμεθα; Ἵνα ἀφεθῶσιν ἡμῶν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. Πληρώσωμεν τὸν λόγον. Τίσιν οὐκ ἔστι μετάνοια; Ὁ δ' ἐλπίδι τῆς μετανοίας κακουργῶν κακουργίας ἔχει τὸν τρόπον, καὶ ἀπεστέρηται μετανοίας. Ἔστιν ἐλπὶς καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἔστιν ἴασις καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἕλκος, ἀλλὰ μένει ἡ οὐλή. Μακάριον τὸ μηδὲ διστάσαι· δεύτερος μακαρισμὸς ἡ μετὰ τὴν πληγὴν ἴασις. Θεῷ δὲ τῷ πλάστῃ ἐξ ἀρχῆς, καὶ συνερχομένῳ τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ, καὶ φυλάττοντι τὴν προαίρεσιν, καὶ χαριζομένῳ μετάνοιαν, διὰ τοῦ ἄγοντος ἡμῖν τὰ ἀγαθὰ, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.