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of the word. For if Scripture called John an angel and the priests as well, what wonder is it, if we compare him who is better than all with those powers? What then is their great quality? That they obey God with all exactness; which David also, being astonished, said: Mighty in strength, doing his word. For nothing is equal to this, even if they are ten thousand times incorporeal; for what makes them most blessed is this, that they are persuaded by the commands, that they nowhere disobey. This, then, can be seen to be observed with exactness by Paul; for he not only did His word, but also His commands and beyond His commands, and indicating this he said: What then is my reward, that when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge? What else did the prophet say, admiring them? Who makes his angels spirits, he says, and his ministers a flaming fire. But this too can be seen in Paul; for just as a spirit and a fire, so he ran through the whole inhabited world, and cleansed the earth. But has he not yet obtained heaven? For this is the wondrous thing, that on earth he was such a man, and though clothed in a mortal body, he contended with the incorporeal powers. 1.16 Of how much condemnation, then, would we not be worthy, when one man has attained for himself all good things, while we do not strive to imitate even the smallest part of him? Considering these things, then, let us both free ourselves from accusation, and let us strive to attain his zeal, so that we may be able to obtain the same good things, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

2.t Encomium by the same on the holy apostle Paul, Homily 2 2.1 What man is, and how great is the nobility of our nature, and of how much virtue this creature is capable, Paul has shown more than all other men; and now he stands, from the time he came to be, with a clear voice making a defense for the Master against all who find fault with our constitution, and exhorting to virtue, and stopping the shameless mouths of blasphemers, and showing that between angels and men the distance is not great, if we are willing to pay attention to ourselves. For it was not by obtaining another nature, nor by sharing in a different soul, nor by inhabiting another world, but having been brought up in the same land and country and with the same laws and customs, that he surpassed all men who have existed since men came to be. Where, then, are those who say that virtue is difficult, and vice is easy? For he answers them, saying: The momentary lightness of affliction works an eternal weight of glory that is beyond all measure. And if such afflictions are light, much more so are the pleasures that come from within. 2.2 And this is not the only wondrous thing about him, that by the abundance of his zeal he did not even feel the toils for virtue, but that he did not pursue it even for a reward. For we do not endure the sweats for its sake even when rewards are set before us; but he, even without the prizes, embraced and loved it, and what seemed to be its hindrances he overcame with all ease; and he blamed neither weakness of body, nor difficult circumstances, nor the tyranny of nature, nor anything else. And yet, though entrusted with a greater care than all generals and kings on earth, nevertheless he flourished each day. And as the dangers intensified for him, he possessed a fresh zeal, and indicating this he said: The things which are behind

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τοῦ λόγου. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην ἄγγελον ἐκάλεσεν ἡ Γραφὴ καὶ τοὺς ἱερέας, τί θαυμαστόν, εἰ τὸν ἁπάντων ἀμείνω ταῖς δυνάμεσι παραβάλλομεν ἐκείναις; Τί οὖν ἐστιν ἐκείνων τὸ μέγα; Ὅτι μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας ὑπακούουσι τῷ Θεῷ· ὅπερ καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἐκπληττόμενος ἔλεγε· ∆υνατοὶ ἰσχύϊ, ποιοῦντες τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ. Τούτου γὰρ ἴσον οὐδέν, κἂν μυριάκις ὦσιν ἀσώματοι· τὸ γὰρ μάλιστα ποιοῦν τούτους μακαρίους, τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι πείθονται τοῖς προστάγμασιν, ὅτι οὐδαμοῦ παρακούουσι. Τοῦτο τοίνυν καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἔστιν ἰδεῖν φυλαττόμενον· οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἐποίησε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ προστάγματα καὶ ὑπὲρ τὰ προστάγματα, καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν ἔλεγε· Τίς οὖν μοί ἐστιν ὁ μισθός, ἵνα εὐαγγελιζόμενος ἀδάπανον θήσω τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Τί ἕτερον θαυμάζων αὐτοὺς ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγεν; Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα, φησί, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πῦρ φλέγον. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο ἐπὶ Παύλου ἔστιν ἰδεῖν· καθάπερ γὰρ πνεῦμα καὶ πῦρ, οὕτω τὴν οἰκουμένην διέδραμεν ἅπασαν, καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐξεκάθηρεν. Ἀλλ' οὔπω τὸν οὐρανὸν ἔλαχε; Τὸ γὰρ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτο, ὅτι ἐν τῇ γῇ τοιοῦτος ἦν, καὶ σῶμα θνητὸν περικείμενος, πρὸς τὰς ἀσωμάτους ἡμιλλᾶτο δυνάμεις. 1.16 Πόσης οὖν οὐκ ἂν εἴημεν καταγνώσεως ἄξιοι, ὅταν ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου πάντα συνειληχότος ἑαυτῷ τὰ καλά, ἡμεῖς οὐδὲ τὸ πολλοστὸν μέρος μιμήσασθαι αὐτὸν σπουδάζωμεν; Ταῦτ' οὖν ἐννοήσαντες, καὶ τῆς κατηγορίας ἑαυτοὺς ἀπαλλάξωμεν, καὶ σπουδάσωμεν πρὸς τὸν ἐκείνου ζῆλον ἐλθεῖν, ἵνα δυνηθῶμεν καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

2.t Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὸν ἅγιον ἀπόστολον Παῦλον λόγος βʹ 2.1 Τί ποτέ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ὅση τῆς φύσεως τῆς ἡμετέρας ἡ εὐγένεια, καὶ ὅσης ἐστὶ δεκτικὸν ἀρετῆς τουτὶ τὸ ζῶον, ἔδειξε μάλιστα πάντων ἀνθρώπων Παῦλος· καὶ νῦν ἕστηκεν, ἐξ οὗ γέγονε, λαμπρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ πρὸς ἅπαντας τοὺς ἐγκαλοῦντας ἡμῶν τῇ κατασκευῇ ἀπολογούμενος ὑπὲρ τοῦ ∆εσπότου, καὶ προτρέπων ἐπ' ἀρετῇ, καὶ τὰ ἀναίσχυντα τῶν βλασφήμων ἐμφράττων στόματα, καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀνθρώπων οὐ πολὺ τὸ μέσον, ἐὰν ἐθέλωμεν προσέχειν ἑαυτοῖς. Οὐ γὰρ ἄλλην φύσιν λαχών, οὐδὲ ἑτέρας κοινωνήσας ψυχῆς, οὐδὲ ἄλλον οἰκήσας κόσμον, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ γῇ καὶ χώρᾳ καὶ νόμοις καὶ ἔθεσι τραφείς, πάντας ἀνθρώπους ὑπερηκόντισε τοὺς ἐξ οὗ γεγόνασιν ἄνθρωποι γενομένους. Ποῦ τοίνυν οἱ λέγοντες ὅτι δύσκολον ἡ ἀρετή, καὶ εὔκολον ἡ κακία; Οὗτος γὰρ ἀντιφθέγγεται τούτοις, λέγων· Τὸ παραυτίκα ἐλαφρὸν τῆς θλίψεως καθ' ὑπερβολὴν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης κατεργάζεται. Εἰ δὲ αἱ τοιαῦται θλίψεις ἐλαφραί, πολλῷ μᾶλλον αἱ οἴκοθεν ἡδοναί. 2.2 Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶν αὐτοῦ τὸ θαυμαστόν, ὅτι περιουσίᾳ τῆς προθυμίας οὐδὲ ᾐσθάνετο τῶν πόνων τῶν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐπὶ μισθῷ ταύτην μετῄει. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲ μισθῶν προκειμένων ἀνεχόμεθα τῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς ἱδρώτων· ἐκεῖνος δὲ καὶ χωρὶς τῶν ἐπάθλων αὐτὴν ἠσπάζετο καὶ ἐφίλει, καὶ τὰ δοκοῦντα αὐτῆς εἶναι κωλύματα μετὰ πάσης ὑπερήλατο τῆς εὐκολίας· καὶ οὔτε σώματος ἀσθένειαν, οὐ πραγμάτων περίστασιν, οὐ φύσεως τυραννίδα, οὐκ ἄλλο οὐδὲν ᾐτιάσατο. Καίτοι καὶ στρατηγῶν καὶ βασιλέων ἁπάντων τῶν ὄντων ἐπὶ γῆς μείζονα φροντίδα ἐγχειρισθείς, ἀλλ' ὅμως καθ' ἑκάστην ἤκμαζε τὴν ἡμέραν. Καὶ τῶν κινδύνων ἐπιτεινομένων αὐτῷ, νεαρὰν ἐκέκτητο τὴν προθυμίαν, καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν ἔλεγε· Τῶν μὲν ὀπίσω