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a clay vessel being made in the hands of the potter, falling apart, and he adds, saying: If this potter took up the vessel that fell apart and fashioned it again, shall I not much more be able to set you aright who have fallen apart? It is possible, therefore, for God to correct not only those who are of clay through the washing of regeneration, but also to restore to their former state those who have received the energy of the Spirit and have slipped, through diligent repentance. But it is not the time for you to hear the words concerning repentance; or rather, may the time never come for you to fall into the need of those medicines, but may you always remain, preserving unharmed the beauty and the splendor which you are about to receive now. Therefore, that you may always remain, come, let us discourse to you a few things about conduct; for in this wrestling school the falls are without danger for the athletes; for the wrestling is with their own, and they practice everything on the bodies of their teachers. But when the time of the contests comes, when the stadium is opened, when the spectators are seated above, when the judge is present, it is necessary then either to fall through sloth and to withdraw with great shame, or to be zealous and obtain the crowns and the prizes. So indeed also in your case, these thirty days are like a kind of wrestling school and training and practice. Let us learn from this point on to overcome that wicked demon; for it is against him that we are about to strip for the contest after baptism, against him to box and to fight. Let us learn, therefore, from this point on his holds, from where he is wicked, from where he can easily assail us, so that when the contests arrive we may not be taken by surprise nor be troubled, seeing new wrestling holds, but having already practiced among ourselves, and having learned all his methods, we may with confidence engage in the wrestling matches against him. Now, he is accustomed to assail us from all sides, but especially through the tongue and through the mouth. For there is no instrument so suitable for him for our deceit and destruction as an undisciplined tongue and an unguarded mouth. From this come our many falls, from this our grievous sins. And one, indicating the ease of the slips through the tongue, said: Many have fallen by the sword, but not so many as by the tongue. And showing again the seriousness of the fall, the same one said: A slip from the ground rather than a slip from the tongue. And what he says is this: It is better, he says, to fall and have the body crushed, than to utter such a word which destroys our soul. And he does not speak only of the falls, but also exhorts to take much care, so as not to be tripped up, saying thus: Make a door and bars for your mouth; not that we should construct doors and bars, but that with much security we should shut up the tongue against improper words. And again elsewhere showing that with our zeal, and even before our own, we need the help from above, so as to restrain this beast within, the prophet, raising his hands to God, said: Let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice. Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth, and a door of enclosure over my lips. But he who gave the former advice, says again himself: Who will set a guard over my mouth, and upon my lips 49.229 a seal of prudence? Do you see each one fearing these falls, and lamenting and advising, and praying that the tongue may enjoy much guarding? And for what reason, he says, if this instrument brings us so much destruction, did God place it in us from the beginning? Because it also has great usefulness; and if we are diligent, it has only usefulness, and no destruction. Hear, then, what he says who said those former things: In the hand of the tongue are life and death. And Christ also makes clear the same things, saying: By your words you will be condemned, and by your words you will be justified. For the tongue stands in the middle for use in either direction; you are lord. Thus also the sword lies in the middle; if against the enemies

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πήλινον ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ τοῦ κεραμέως γινόμενον, διαπίπτον, καὶ ἐπάγει λέγων· Εἰ ὁ κεραμεὺς οὗτος τὸ σκεῦος τὸ διαπεσὸν ἀναλαβὼν ἐῤῥύθμισε πάλιν, οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐγὼ δυνήσομαι διαπεσόντας ὑμᾶς ἐπανορθῶσαι; ∆υνατὸν μὲν οὖν τῷ Θεῷ οὐχὶ πηλίνους ὄντας μόνον διορθῶσαι διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος δεξαμένους ἐνέργειαν, καὶ διολισθήσαντας διὰ μετανοίας ἠκριβωμένης πρὸς τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἐπαναγαγεῖν. Ἀλλ' οὐ καιρὸς ὑμῖν τοὺς περὶ μετανοίας ἀκοῦσαι λόγους· μᾶλλον δὲ μηδέποτε γένοιτο καιρὸς εἰς χρείαν ὑμᾶς ἐκείνων ἐμπεσεῖν τῶν φαρμάκων, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ μένοιτε τὸ κάλλος καὶ τὴν λαμπρότητα, ἣν μέλλετε λαμβάνειν νῦν, ἀκέραιον διατηροῦντες. Ἵνα οὖν ἀεὶ μένοιτε, φέρε καὶ περὶ πολιτείας ὑμῖν διαλεχθῶμεν ὀλίγα· ἐν γὰρ τῇ παλαίστρᾳ ταύτῃ ἀκίνδυνα τοῖς ἀθληταῖς τὰ πτώματα· πρὸς γὰρ τοὺς οἰκείους ἡ πάλη, καὶ τοῖς σώμασι τῶν διδασκάλων ἐμμελετῶσιν ἅπαντα. Ὅταν δὲ ὁ τῶν ἀγώνων παραγένηται καιρὸς, ὅταν ἀνοιγῇ τὸ στάδιον, ὅταν τὸ θέατρον ἄνω καθήμενον ᾖ, ὅταν ὁ ἀγωνοθέτης παρῇ, ἀνάγκη λοιπὸν ἢ ῥᾳθυμήσαντας πεσεῖν καὶ μετὰ αἰσχύνης ἀναχωρῆσαι πολλῆς, ἢ σπουδάσαντας τῶν στεφάνων καὶ τῶν βραβείων ἐπιτυχεῖν. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐφ' ὑμῶν, αἱ τριάκοντα ἡμέραι αὗται παλαίστρᾳ τινὶ προσεοίκασι καὶ γυμνασίοις καὶ μελέτῃ. Μάθωμεν ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη περιγενέσθαι τοῦ πονηροῦ δαίμονος ἐκείνου· πρὸς γὰρ ἐκεῖνον ἀποδύεσθαι μέλλομεν μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα, πρὸς ἐκεῖνον πυκτεύειν καὶ μάχεσθαι. Μάθωμεν τοίνυν ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη τὰς λαβὰς ἐκείνου, πόθεν ἐστὶ πονηρὸς, πόθεν ἡμῖν εὐκόλως ἐπηρεάσαι δύναται, ἵνα τῶν ἀγώνων παραγενομένων μὴ ξενοπαθῶμεν μηδὲ θορυβώμεθα, καινὰ τὰ παλαίσματα ὁρῶντες, ἀλλ' ἤδη μεταξὺ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν μελετήσαντες, καὶ τὰς μεθοδείας αὐτοῦ μαθόντες ἁπάσας, μετὰ τοῦ θαῤῥεῖν ἁψώμεθα τῶν παλαισμάτων πρὸς ἐκεῖνον. Πάντοθεν μὲν οὖν ἐπηρεάζειν ἡμῖν εἴωθεν, μάλιστα δὲ διὰ τῆς γλώττης καὶ διὰ τοῦ στόματος. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἐπιτήδειον ὄργανον ἐκείνῳ πρὸς ἀπάτην καὶ ἀπώλειαν ἡμετέραν, ὡς γλῶττα ἀκόλαστος καὶ στόμα ἀθύρωτον. Ἐντεῦθεν ἡμῖν τὰ πολλὰ πτώματα, ἐντεῦθεν ἡμῖν τὰ χαλεπὰ ἐγκλήματα. Καὶ τὴν μὲν εὐκολίαν τῶν ὀλισθημάτων διὰ τῆς γλώττης τις δηλῶν ἔλεγε· Πολλοὶ ἔπεσον διὰ μαχαίρας, ἀλλ' οὐ τοσοῦτοι ὅσοι διὰ γλώττης. Τὸ δὲ χαλεπὸν τοῦ πτώματος ἐμφαίνων πάλιν ὁ αὐτὸς εἶπεν· Ὀλίσθημα ἀπὸ ἐδάφους μᾶλλον, ἢ ὀλίσθημα ἀπὸ γλώσσης. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Βέλτιόν ἐστι, φησὶ, πεσεῖν καὶ συντριβῆναι τὸ σῶμα, ἢ ῥῆμα προέσθαι τοιοῦτον, ὃ τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν ἀπόλλυσιν. Οὐ λέγει δὲ τὰ πτώματα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παραινεῖ πολλὴν ποιεῖσθαι πρόνοιαν, ὥστε μὴ ὑποσκελισθῆναι, οὕτως εἰπών· Ποίησον τῷ στόματί σου θύραν καὶ μοχλούς· οὐχ ἵνα θύρας καὶ μοχλοὺς κατασκευάσωμεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀσφαλείας πρὸς τὰ ἄτοπα τῶν ῥημάτων τὴν γλῶτταν ἀποκλείσωμεν. Καὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ δεικνὺς, ὅτι μετὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας σπουδῆς, καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἡμετέρας τῆς ἄνωθεν δεόμεθα ῥοπῆς, ὥστε τὸ θηρίον τοῦτο κατασχεῖν ἔνδον, πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τὰς χεῖρας ἀνατείνας ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγεν· Ἔπαρσις τῶν χειρῶν μου θυσία ἑσπερινή. Θοῦ, Κύριε, φυλακὴν τῷ στόματί μου, καὶ θύραν περιοχῆς ἐπὶ τὰ χείλη μου. Ὁ δὲ τὰ πρότερον παραινέσας, πάλιν καὶ αὐτός φησι· Τίς δώσει ἐπὶ τῷ στόματί μου φυλακὴν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν χειλέων 49.229 μου σφραγῖδα πανοῦργον; Ὁρᾷς ἕκαστον δεδοικότα τὰ πτώματα ταῦτα, καὶ θρηνοῦντα καὶ συμβουλεύοντα, καὶ εὐχόμενον πολλῆς ἀπολαῦσαι τὴν γλῶτταν φυλακῆς; Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν, φησὶν, εἰ τοσοῦτον ἡμῖν φέρει τὸν ὄλεθρον τοῦτο τὸ ὄργανον, ἐνέθηκεν ἡμῖν αὐτὸ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁ Θεός; Ὅτι καὶ πολλὴν ἔχει τὴν ὠφέλειαν· κἂν σπουδάζωμεν, ὠφέλειαν ἔχει μόνον, ὄλεθρον δὲ οὐδένα. Ἄκουσον γοῦν τί φησιν ὁ τὰ πρότερα ἐκεῖνα εἰπών· Ἐν χειρὶ γλώττης ζωὴ καὶ θάνατος. Καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς δὲ τὰ αὐτὰ δηλοῖ λέγων· Ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων σου κατακριθήσῃ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων σου δικαιωθήσῃ. Μέσῃ γὰρ ἕστηκεν ἡ γλῶσσα τῆς πρὸς ἑκάτερα χρήσεως· σὺ κύριος εἶ. Οὕτω καὶ τὸ ξίφος κεῖται μέσον· κἂν μὲν κατὰ τῶν πολεμίων