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is dead, "and all his days are in darkness and grief." "But she who lives in pleasure," he says, "is dead while she lives." If she is dead, she is not worthy to be mourned, nor should one raise a lament for her. For she lives the empty life, but is dead having cast away the saving life, the blessed life, as if she had not lived in pleasure during her human life. if also this ····· ············· ····· ······ 161 and of one drinking. from what he labored, is ...

161 according to the spiritual interpretation: "Behold, I have seen a good, it is beautiful." This good being at the same time useful and praiseworthy; for he called it at the same time both good and beautiful. The praiseworthy is beautiful, while the beneficial and desirable is good. If someone eats the bread of life from the fruit of the "tree of life" and the flesh of Jesus, he shows his soul a good and beautiful thing, but I say good to the one who pursues it. But the thing itself which one is eager to have is good. For not everyone who is benefited is praised by men. Indeed many of those who love the flesh do not praise or accept being cut and cauterized for medical reasons. It is good, not beautiful; for the one undergoing it, it happens to bring benefits from these things. For not every good thing is beautiful and desirable. it is said for the ... they say is beautiful ... ... ... to be praised, but it is not good. For it is not possible to improve. according to the spiritual interpretation: "in his labor, in which he labors under the sun". He labors, toiling and wearying himself for the acquisition of virtue and divine knowledge. And because of sinning, someone sometimes falls short of wisdom ... to the ... ... ... simply and nothing ... ... him. If therefore he eats and drinks such a thing, he labors. And according to the spiritual interpretation the same thing happens because of being in need of food and drink—if indeed his soul eats thus and thirsts for goodness. For all who handle virtue well and wish to seem prudent not for the sake of the beautiful itself, but for the sake of being thought to be something, they eat and drink, they read and apply themselves to their readings, but they do not show their soul a good thing. For they do not handle it because it is good, but because it brings them praise; it is not good, if they do not possess virtue as one ought to possess it. They eat and drink to be distracted. the number of the days of his life, which God gave to him, because this is his portion. 162 He says this with respect to the literal text: by providence, the time of life was measured out to men; and some live many years, others few. For it is a blessing for the one who has wealth—I speak to them—to enjoy it for the most years that he lives in this life; that is, it is pleasant for him, having obtained from what he is able to "eat and drink," to enjoy it for "the number of the days of his life." He was not long-lived or short-lived for himself, by the judgment of God so many years were measured out to each. This therefore is "his portion," to enjoy throughout life the pleasant things, for which he toils and wearies. This on the historical level. If according to the spiritual interpretation, he says this, that if someone should toil for the acquisition of the truly good things and have them remaining for all the life of his life, it will be for his good. For he will be transferred from virtue to another place, to another region. When in scripture a praised or blamed life is set down for those of longer lives or for those of shorter lives, we should not take these things according to this ready time that is measured by the sun, but "the righteous," it says, "will spend many years in wealth." And further: "the years of the wicked will be shortened." This does not appear so according to the historical account. So then we take them thus: if "the righteous" are rich "in wealth for many years," this wealth of theirs is illumination. And the illumination measures out to them "years," not these years measured by the visible sun, but by the "sun of righteousness." So then he says that the one who "honored his father and mother" is well off because he is "long-lived" or "of many days." And this is not found to be unfailing on the historical level. Indeed many who honor their parents departed from life short-lived. those who happen to be "righteous" according to the gospel

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τέθνηκεν, "καὶ αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτοῦ πᾶσαι ἐν σκότει καὶ πένθει" εἰσίν. "ἡ δὲ σπαταλῶ σα", φησίν, "ζῶσα τέθνηκεν". εἰ τέθνηκεν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀξία τοῦ πενθεῖσθαι, οὐ πένθος ἐπ' αὐτὴν ε᾿̣γ̣είρειν δεῖ. ζῇ μὲν γὰρ τὸ κενὸν ζῆν, τέθνηκεν δὲ ἀπο βαλοῦσα τὸ σωτήριον ζῆν, τὴν μακαρίαν̣ ζ̣ωήν, ὡσεὶ μὴ ἐσπατάλα ζῶσα κατ̣ὰ τ̣ὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ζωη`̣ν αὐτῆς̣. ε̣ι᾿̣ καὶ ταύτην̣ ····· ············· ····· ······ 161 καὶ πίνοντος. ἐξ ὧν ἐμόχθησεν, κ··ο·η ἐστιν.

161 ἐπερ· τὴν ἀναγωγήν· "ἰδοὺ εἶδον ἐγ̣ω`̣ ἀγαθόν, ἔστιν καλόν". τοῦτ̣ο τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὠφέλιμον ἅμα καὶ ἐπαινετὸν ὄν· ἅμα γὰρ καὶ ἀγαθὸν καὶ καλὸν αὐτὸ ἐ´̣λεγεν. ἔστιν δε`̣ το`̣ μὲν ἐπαινετὸν καλόν, τὸ δὲ ὠφελητι κὸν καὶ αἱρετ̣ὸν ἀγαθόν. ἐα´̣ν τ̣ις φάγῃ τὸν ἄρτον τ̣η῀̣ς̣ ζ̣ωῆς τοῦ καρποῦ τοῦ "ξύλου τῆς̣ ζω̣ῆς" καὶ τὰς σάρκας Ἰησοῦ, δείκνυσιν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ ἀγαθὸν καὶ καλ̣όν, λ̣ε´̣γ̣ω δὲ μετερχομένῳ ἀγαθόν. αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ σπουδαζό μενον ἐ´̣χ̣ε̣ι̣ν̣ ἀγαθόν ἐστιν. μὴ γὰρ πᾶς ὁ ω᾿̣φ̣ε̣λούμενος ἐπαινεῖται παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. π̣ο̣λλ̣οὶ γοῦν τῶν φιλοσάρ̣κων οὐκ ἐπαινοῦσ̣ιν οὐδὲ ἀποδέχον̣ ται τὸ τέμνεσθαι ἰατρικῶς καὶ καίεσθαι. ἀγαθόν ἐστιν, ου᾿̣ καλόν τῷ ὑφισταμένῳ ὠφελείας ἐκ τούτων φέρειν γίνεται. μὴ γὰρ πα῀̣ν ἀγαθὸν κα λὸν καὶ αἱρετ̣όν ἐστιν. λέγεται ε̣ι᾿̣ς̣ τ̣ὸ δ̣····· ·ν καλὸν λέγουσιν·· ····· ····· ····ι̣·· τ̣ο`̣ ἐπ̣αινεῖσ̣θ̣αι, οὐ μὴν ἀγ̣αθ̣όν ἐστιν. οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε βελτιοῦν. ἐπερ· ἡ ἀναγωγή· "ἐν μόχθῳ αυ᾿̣τοῦ, ᾧ μοχ̣θεῖ υ῾̣π̣ὸ τὸν ἥλιον". μοχθεῖ πονῶν καὶ κάμνων ὑπὲρ κτήσεως ἀρ̣ετῆς κ̣αὶ ε᾿̣π̣ι̣σ̣τη´̣μης θεί ας. καὶ διὰ τὸ ἁμαρτ̣α´̣νειν̣ ἀπολείπεταί τίς̣ ποτε σο̣φ̣ι´̣α̣ς̣ ··τι τῷ ····· ····· ·········· ἁπλῶς καὶ οὐδὲν ···οντος̣ ····· θ··εται αὐτόν. ε᾿̣ὰν οὖν τοιοῦτόν τι ἐσθίῃ καὶ π̣ι´̣νῃ, μοχθεῖ. καὶ κ̣α̣τ̣ὰ τη`̣ν̣ ἀναγωγὴν τὸ αὐτὸ γίνε̣ται δ̣ι̣α`̣ τὸ ἐνδεῆ τροφη῀̣ς̣ ε̣ἰ῀̣ν̣α̣ι̣ καὶ π̣οτοῦ-ε᾿̣ὰν̣ γοῦν οὕτω φά γῃ καὶ διψῇ ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἀγαθοσύνην. ὅσοι γὰρ εὖ μεταχειρίζονται ἀρε τὴν καὶ θέλουσ̣ιν δῆθεν εἶναι φρόνιμοι οὐ δι' αὐτ̣ὸ τὸ καλόν, ἀλλ' ἕνεκα τοῦ νομίζεσθαι εἶναί τ̣ι̣, ἐσθίουσιν μὲν καὶ πίνουσιν, ἀναγιγνώσκουσιν καὶ ἐπιστάνουσιν τοῖς ἀναγνώςμασιν, οὐ δεικνύουσιν δὲ τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτῶν ἀγαθόν. οὐ γάρ, ὅτι ἀγαθόν ἐστιν, μεταχειρίζονται αὐτό, ἀλλ' ὅτι φέρει αὐτοῖς ἔπαινον· οὐκ ἀγαθόν, ἐὰν μὴ οὕτως ἔχωσιν τὴν ἀρετήν, ὡς δεῖ αὐτὴν ἔχειν. ἐσθίουσιν μὲν καὶ πίνουσιν τοῦ περισπᾶσθαι. ἀριθμὸν ἡμερῶν ζωῆς αὐτοῦ, ὧν ἔδω̣κεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεός, ὅτι αὐτὸ μερὶς αὐτοῦ. 162 τοῦτο λέγει πρὸς τὸ ῥητόν· ἐκ π̣ρ̣ο̣νοίας ἐπεμετρήθη, ὁ χρόνος τοῖς ἀνθρώ ποις τῆς ζωῆς· καὶ οἱ μὲν̣ πολλὰ ἔτη ζῶσιν, οἱ δὲ ὀλίγα. μακάριον γάρ ἐστιν τὸν ε᾿̣σχηκότα πλοῦτον-πρὸς ἐκείνους λέγω-ἀπολαῦσαι αὐτοῦ ἐν̣ τοῖς πλ̣είστοις ἔτεσιν̣, οἷς ζῇ ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ· τουτέστιν ἡδὺ αὐτῷ ἐστιν τυχόντα ἐξ ὧν δυ´̣ναται "φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν", ἀπολαύειν αὐτοῦ τὸν "ἀριθ μ̣ὸν τῶν ἡμερῶν τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ". οὐχ ἑαυτῷ πολυετὴς ἢ ὀλιγοέτης ἦν, κρί σει θεοῦ ἐπεμετρήθη ἑκάστῳ ἔτη̣ τοσάδε. τοῦτο οὖν "μερὶς αὐτου῀̣" ἐστιν τὸ διὰ βίου ἀπολαύε̣ι̣ν τ̣ῶν ἡδέων, περὶ ὧν πονε̣ῖ καὶ κάμνει. ἐπὶ τῆς ἱστορίας τοῦτο. ἐὰν κατὰ ἀναγωγήν, τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι ἐὰν πο̣ν̣ήσῃ τις ὑπὲρ κτήσεως τῶν α᾿̣ληθῶς̣ ἀγαθῶν καὶ ἔχῃ αὐτὰ παραμένο̣ντα πάντα τὸν τῆς ζωῆς ἑαυτου῀̣ βί ον, πρὸς καλοῦ αὐτῷ ἔσται. με̣τ̣ατεθήσεται γὰρ ἀπὸ ἀρετῆς ε̣ι᾿̣ς̣ ἕτερον τ̣όπον̣, ε̣ι᾿̣ς̣ ἕτερον χωρίο̣ν. ὅτε̣ ε᾿̣ν̣ τ̣ῇ γραφῇ κεῖται πολυχρονιωτέροις̣ ἐπα̣ι̣νουμένη ἢ ψεγομένη̣ ζ̣ωὴ κεῖται ὀλιγοχρονι̣ω̣τέροις, οὐ κατὰ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον τὸν πρόχειρον τὸν μετρούμενον ὑπὸ η῾̣λι´̣ου̣ λαμβάνωμεν̣ τ̣α̣ῦτα, ἀλλα`̣ "δίκαιοι", φη̣σίν, "ποιήσουσιν ἐν̣ πλούτῳ ἔτη πολλά". καὶ ἔτ̣ι̣· "ἔτη ἀσεβω῀̣ν ὀλιγωθή σ̣ε̣ται". οὐ φαίνεται τ̣οῦτο κατὰ τη`̣ν̣ ἱστορίαν. οὕτω γοῦν λαμβάνομεν αὐτά· εἰ "δίκαιοι" πλουτοῦσιν "ἐν πλούτῳ ἔτη πολλά", ὁ πλοῦτος αὐτῶν οὗτος φωτισμός ἐστιν. ὁ δὲ φωτισμὸς ἐπ̣ι̣μετρεῖ αὐτοῖς "ἔτη", ἔτη οὐ ταῦτα τὰ ἐξ ἡλίου τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ μετρούμενα̣, ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ "ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης". οὕτω γοῦν τὸν "τιμήσαντ̣α τὸν πατέ ρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα" λέγει εὖ ἔχειν ὅτι ὅτι "μακροχρόνιος" ἢ και`̣ π̣ολυ ήμερός ἐστιν. κ̣αὶ οὐκ εὑρίσκεται τοῦτο ἀδιάπτωτον ἐπὶ τῆς ἱστ̣ορίας. πολλοὶ γοῦν τιμ̣ῶντες γονέας ὠκύμοροι ἐξῆλθ̣ο̣ν ἐκ τ̣οῦ βίου. οἱ κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον "δίκαιοι" τυγχάνοντες