So, he says, you know, if you have sinned, what you will do to undo the sin? If you have sinned in words, heal it with better words; if you have sinned in deeds, healing yourself with excellent deeds; but if your iniquities are many and incurable, for this reason, for the incurable things, which we cannot heal ourselves, Jesus Christ came from heaven, that he might heal the incurable things, and it might become, “Blessed are they whose sins are forgiven.” Who appoints the watches of the night. See that Elihu recounts praises of God and hymns, saying about him, “Who appoints the watches of the night.” Do you want to see how God appoints the watches of the night? This whole age is night, it is darkness. The light is kept for you; for now you see through a mirror, but one day you will see the light. Therefore, the whole age is night, and there is need of guards appointed for this night, so that the guards, who are over the nights, may guard those in the nights from robbers, from wild beasts, from enemies. Who are the guards? The encamping angels. Who distinguishes me from the four-footed beasts of the earth. But according to the others, “teaching us more than the beasts of the earth, and making us wiser than the birds that fly through the air;” for man alone is honored with reason. Therefore, according to the principle of creation, we have been distinguished from all the animals; but if you are a sinner, fornicator, debased, you have not been distinguished from the four-footed beasts of the earth, but have been compared to the beasts, and have become like a 12.1045 horse and a mule, which have no understanding, and a horse mad for females. CH. 40. No, but gird up your loins like a man. The perfect prizes of the contests are laid up for those who have competed well after this life; nevertheless, even now the grace of God gives a pledge to the athletes. For this reason, when Job contended in the greatest contests; when, having lost his possessions, he glorified the one who had given them; when, having laid aside his children, he gave thanks to the one who had taken them; when, having fallen sick so that worms rained from his body, he was not overcome by the pains; God gives him the preludes and pledge of the prizes, speaking to him through a cloud and a whirlwind. Having heard, therefore, the previous words, when he should have answered God, he is silent, as not having boldness; for he did not yet know that, “Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice.” God, however, gives him the boldness to speak; and so great is His goodness, that He assumes the person not of one judging, but of one being judged with man. And other Scriptures have taught this; as, “Come, and let us reason together;” and, “My people, what have I done to you?” Already God gives him a prize, because He questions a man, because He inquires of him, because He gives him authority to answer. If he had not been victorious, he would not have received it; if he had not endured, he would not have heard: “Gird up your loins like a man,” and do not be silent; but act like a man towards the questions; for insofar as one's loins are not girded, nor tightened, but are loose, he cannot answer God reasonably. Therefore, let no one answer God before he becomes a perfect man in spiritual age and has girded his loins. Do not reject my judgment. Do not suppose that these things which you have endured have been judged by me without reason, nor reject my judgment. Let us remember this saying, as it is useful, whenever God judges that we should suffer something, to lose a child, to lose a position, to be sick in body. whatever of these we may undergo; it is not possible for us to suffer any of these things, unless God judges it. Since, therefore, none of these things happens without the judgment of God, it is said to the one who suffers: “Do not reject my judgment;” that is, do not deny what I have judged concerning you; He means the present divine communication. But do you think I have spoken to you for any other reason than that you might be revealed as righteous? I make a defense to you; you were righteous, but you were not manifest; you had endurance; it was necessary for me to provide an occasion for your endurance to shine; you had courage; but it was hidden in you; the labors that befell you showed your courage. Let us remember these things in times of adversity, and let us think 12.1048 that we hear God present and saying to us: “But do you think I have spoken to you for any other reason,” that is, allowed the temptation, than

οὖν, φησὶν, οἶδας, εἰ ἥμαρτες, τί πράξεις ἐπὶ τὸ λῦσαι τὸ ἡμαρτημένον; Εἰ ἥμαρτες λόγοις, λόγοις κρείττοσιν ἴασαι· εἰ ἥμαρ τες ἐν ἔργοις, ἔργοις διαφέρουσιν αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἰώ μενος· εἰ δὲ πολλαὶ καὶ ἀνίατοι αἱ ἀνομίαι, διὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνιάτοις, οἷς ἑαυτοὺς ἰάσασθαι οὐ δυνάμεθα, ἦλθεν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐξ οὐρανῶν, ἵνα τὰ ἀνίατα ἰά σηται, καὶ γένηται τὸ, «Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι.» Ὁ κατατάσσων φυλακὰς νυκτερινάς. Ὅρα ὅτι ἐγκώμια τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ὕμνους διεξέρχεται ὁ Ἐλιοῦς, λέγων περὶ αὐτοῦ, «Ὁ κατατάσσων φυλακὰς νυκτε ρινάς.» Θέλεις ἰδεῖν πῶς κατατάσσει φυλακὰς νυ κτερινὰς ὁ Θεός; Ὅλος ὁ αἰὼν οὗτος νύξ ἐστι, σκό τος ἐστί. Τὸ φῶς τηρεῖταί σοι· νῦν γὰρ δι' ἐσόπτρου βλέπεις, μέλλεις δέ ποτε βλέπειν τὸ φῶς. Οὐκοῦν νύξ ἐστι πᾶς ὁ αἰὼν, καὶ χρεία φυλάκων τεταγμένων εἰς νύκτα ταύτην, ἵνα οἱ φύλακες, οἱ ἐπὶ τῶν νυκτῶν, φρου ρῶσι τοὺς ἐν νυξὶν ἀπὸ τῶν λῃστῶν, ἀπὸ τῶν θηρίων, ἀπὸ τῶν πολεμίων. Τίνες οἱ φύλακες; Οἱ παρεμβάλ λοντες ἄγγελοι. Ὁ διορίζων με ἀπὸ τετραπόδων γῆς. Κατὰ δὲ τοὺς λοιποὺς, «διδάσκων ἡμᾶς ὑπὲρ τὰ κτήνη τῆς γῆς, καὶ σοφίζων ὑπὲρ τὰ κατὰ τὸν ἀέρα διιπτάμενα πετεινά·» μόνος γὰρ ὁ ἄνθρωπος λόγῳ τετίμηται. Κατὰ μὲν οὖν τὸν λόγον τῆς δημιουργίας διωρίσμεθα ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ζώων· ἐὰν δὲ ᾖς ἁμαρτωλὸς, πόρ νος, κατωφερὴς, οὐ διωρίσθης ἀπὸ τετραπόδων γῆς, ἀλλὰ παρασυνεβλήθης τοῖς κτήνεσι, καὶ ἐγένου ὡς 12.1045 ἵππος καὶ ἡμίονος, οἷς οὐκ ἔστι σύνεσις, καὶ ἵππος θηλυμανής. ΚΕΦ. Μʹ. Μὴ, ἀλλὰ ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου. Τὰ μὲν τέλεια τῶν ἀγωνισμάτων τοῖς καλῶς ἀθλή σασι μετὰ τὸν βίον ἀπόκειται τοῦτον· οὐδὲν δὲ ἧττον καὶ ἤδη ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀῤῥαβωνίζεται τοὺς ἀθλη τάς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, ὅτε ἠγωνίσατο τὰ μέγιστα ὁ Ἰώβ· ὅτε, ἀποβαλὼν τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, ἐδόξασε τὸν δεδωκότα· ὅτε, ἀποθέμενος τὰ τέκνα, εὐχαρίστησε τῷ παρειλη φότι· ὅτε, νοσήσας ὡς σκώληκας ἀνομβρεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος, οὐ νενίκηται ἀπὸ τῶν πόνων· προοίμια καὶ ἀῤῥαβῶνα τῶν ἄθλων δίδωσιν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς, χρη ματίσας αὐτῷ διὰ νέφους καὶ λαίλαπος. Ἀκούσας οὖν τῶν προτέρων λόγων, δέον ἀποκρίνασθαι πρὸς Θεὸν, σιωπᾷ, ὡς οὐκ ἔχων παῤῥησίαν· οὔπω γὰρ ᾔδει τὸ, «Μωσῆς ἐλάλει, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτῷ φωνῇ.» Ὁ μέντοι Θεὸς δίδωσιν αὐτῷ παῤῥησίαν τοῦ λέγειν· καὶ τοσαύτη ἐστὶν αὐτοῦ ἡ χρηστότης, ὥστε ἀναλα βεῖν αὐτὸν πρόσωπον οὐ κρίνοντος, ἀλλὰ κρινομένου μετὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Καὶ ἄλλαι τοῦτο ἐδίδαξαν Γρα φαί· ὡς τὸ, «∆εῦτε, καὶ διαλεχθῶμεν·» καὶ, «Λαός μου, τί ἐποίησά σοι;» Ἤδη ἆθλον δίδωσιν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι ἄνθρωπον ἐρωτᾷ, ὅτι πυνθάνεται αὐτοῦ, ὅτι δίδωσιν ἐξουσίαν τῆς ἀποκρίσεως. Εἰ μὴ ἦν νενι κηκὼς, οὐκ ἐλάμβανεν· εἰ μὴ ἦν ὑπομείνας, οὐκ ἂν ἤκουσε· «Ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου,» καὶ μὴ σιώπα· ἀλλ' ἀνδρίζου πρὸς τὰς ἐρωτήσεις· ὅσῳ γὰρ ὀσφύς τινος οὐκ ἔζωσται, οὐδὲ συνέσφιγκται, ἀλ λὰ λέλυται, οὐ δύναται εὐλόγως ἀποκρίνασθαι τῷ Θεῷ. Μὴ πρότερον οὖν ἀποκρινάσθω τις τῷ Θεῷ, ἐὰν μὴ ἀνὴρ γένηται τέλειος τὴν πνευματικὴν ἡλικίαν καὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν ζώσηται. Μὴ ἀποποιοῦ μου τὸ κρῖμα. Μὴ οἵου ἀλόγως κεκρίσθαι μοι ταῦτα ἅπερ ὑπέμεινας, μηδὲ ἀποποιοῦ μου τὸ κρῖμα. Τούτου τοῦ ῥητοῦ, ὡς χρησίμου μνημονεύωμεν, ὅταν ὁ Θεὸς παθεῖν τι ἡμᾶς κρίνῃ, τέκνον ἀποβαλεῖν, ἀρχὴν ἀπολέσαι, νοσῆσαι κατὰ τὸ σῶμα. ὅ τι δήποτε τούτων ὑποστῆναι· οὐδὲν τούτων οἷόν τε παθεῖν ἡμᾶς, μὴ κρίνοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐδὲν τούτων γίνεται χωρὶς κρίματος τοῦ Θεοῦ, λέγεται πρὸς τὸν παθόντα· «Μὴ ἀποποιοῦ μου τὸ κρῖμα·» τουτέστι, Μὴ ἀπαρνοῦ ὅπερ ἔκρινα περὶ σοῦ· τὸν παρόντα λέγει χρηματισμόν. Οἴει δέ με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι, ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος; Ἀπολογοῦμαί σοι· δίκαιος ἦς, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦς φανερός· ὑπομονὴν εἶχες· ἔδει με ἀφορμὴν παρασχεῖν τοῦ λάμψαι σου τὴν ὑπομονήν· εἶχες ἀνδρείαν· ἀλλ' ἐκρύπτετο ἐν σοί· οἱ συμβεβηκότες πόνοι ἔδειξάν σου τὴν ἀνδρείαν. Τούτων μνημονεύωμεν ἐν τοῖς τῶν περιστάσεων καιροῖς, καὶ δόξω 12.1048 μεν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀκούειν παρόντος καὶ λέγοντος ἡμῖν· «Οἴει δέ με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι,» τουτέστι τὸν πειρασμὸν συγχωρῆσαι, ἢ