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of those who are drunk, and that for the famine of the forgotten poor. If God oversees these things, as indeed he does, what destruction of life do you haters of the poor imagine? Tell me; or do you not know, that for the sake of such things the holy gospel proclaims and bears witness to all the dreadful and fearful examples? And indeed, the one who was raised in fine linen is recorded as groaning and moaning heavily, held fast in the abyss of evils; 9.107 and again another of a similar character was condemned to an unexpected death, while in the evening planning the morning's luxury and not reaching the light of dawn. not mortal in faith and immortal in enjoyment; for so we think, we who wish to grant everything to the flattery of the flesh, as if we were householders without successors, as if we were perpetual lords of the things on earth, in the summer caring for the sowing and in the sowing hoping for the pleasure of summer; planting the plane tree and hoping for the shade of the tall tree; planting the stone of the date-palm and awaiting the sweetness of the fruits; and this often in old age, when the autumn of life is at hand, when the winter of death is near, and there remains for life not a cycle of years, but three or four days. Let us then, who are rational, consider that our life is transient and time flowing, unstable and unrestrainable, like some river current, driving everything in it towards the end of corruption; and would that, being short and fateful, it were without accountability. But this is the dangerous thing, that for every hour, and indeed also for the words which we utter, we owe a defense to the impartial tribunal. Therefore also the blessed psalmist, referring himself to a similar concept to what is now being said, desires to know the appointed time of his own end. And he implores God to be taught the number 9.108 of his remaining days, so that he may prepare for the works of his departure, and not be suddenly disturbed like an unprepared traveler walking along and seeking the necessary provisions. For he speaks thus: 'Lord, make me know my end, and what is the number of my days, that I may know what I lack. Behold, you have made my days as handbreadths, and my substance is as nothing before you.' See the prudent care of a good soul, and this in royal dignity. For he reflects on the king of kings and the judge of judges and seeks to depart, having brought the perfect adornment of the commandments, complete and not lacking, a citizen of the life there, which may we all attain by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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μεθυόντων, ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ λιμῷ τῶν ἐλαθέντων πτωχῶν. Ταῦτα εἰ ἐποπτεύει ὁ θεός, ὥσπερ οὖν ἐφορᾷ, τίνα τοῦ βίου τὴν καταστροφὴν ἐννοεῖτε οἱ μισόπτωχοι; εἴπατε· ἢ οὐκ ἴστε, ὅτι πάντα τὰ φρικώδη καὶ φοβερὰ ὑποδείγματα τῶν τοιούτων χάριν τὸ ἱερὸν εὐαγγέλιον ἐκβοᾷ καὶ μαρτύρεται; καὶ ἀναγέγραπται μὲν βαρέα βρυχόμενος καὶ στένων ὁ ἐν τῇ βύσσῳ τραφεὶς καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀβύσσῳ τῶν κακῶν συνεχό 9.107 μενος· ἄλλος δὲ πάλιν ὁμότροπος τούτου κατεδικάσθη θάνατον ἀπροσδόκητον, ἐν τῇ ἑσπέρᾳ τὴν ἑωθινὴν τρυφὴν βουλευόμενος καὶ τοῦ ὄρθρου μὴ καταλαβὼν τὴν ἀκτῖνα. μὴ θνητοὶ τὴν πίστιν καὶ ἀθάνατοι τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν· οὕτως γὰρ ἔχομεν γνώμης οἱ τὰ πάντα θέλοντες τῇ τῆς σαρκὸς κολακείᾳ χαρίζεσθαι, ὡς ἀδιάδοχοι οἰκοδεσπόται, ὡς διηνεκεῖς τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς κύριοι, ἐν τῷ θέρει τὴν σπορὰν μεριμνῶντες καὶ ἐν τῇ σπορᾷ τὴν τοῦ θέρους θυμηδίαν ἐλπίζοντες· φυτεύοντες τὴν πλάτανον καὶ τοῦ ὑψηλοῦ δένδρου τὴν σκιὰν ἐλπίζοντες· καταπηγνύντες τὸν πυρῆνα τοῦ φοίνικος καὶ τὴν γλυκύτητα τῶν καρπῶν ἀναμένοντες· καὶ ταῦτα πολλάκις ἐν πολιᾷ, ὅτε τὸ μετόπωρον τῆς ἡλικίας ἐνέστηκεν, ὅτε ἐγγὺς ὁ τοῦ θανάτου χειμών, λείπουσι δὲ τῇ ζωῇ οὐ κύκλος ἐνιαυτῶν, ἀλλὰ τρεῖς ἢ τέτταρες ἡμέραι. Λογισώμεθα τοίνυν οἱ λογικοί, ὅτι παροδικὸς ὁ βίος ἡμῶν καὶ ῥέων ὁ χρόνος ἄστατός τε καὶ ἄσχετος, ὥσπερ τι ῥεῦμα ποταμοῦ, πᾶν τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ τυγχάνον ἐλαύνων πρὸς τὸ τῆς φθορᾶς τέλος· καὶ εἴθε, βραχὺς ὢν καὶ ἐπίκηρος, ὑπῆρχεν ἀνεύθυνος. τοῦτο δέ ἐστι τὸ ἐπικίνδυνον, τὸ ἑκάστης ὥρας, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν λόγων, ὧν φθεγγόμεθα, τῷ ἀδεκάστῳ δικαστηρίῳ τὴν ἀπολογίαν ὀφείλειν. διὸ καὶ ὁ μακάριος ψαλμῳδὸς πρὸς ὁμοίαν τῶν νῦν λεγομένων ἔννοιαν ἑαυτὸν ἀναφέρων ἐπιθυμεῖ γνῶναι τοῦ ἰδίου τέλους τὴν προθεσμίαν. ἐκλιπαρεῖ δὲ τὸν θεὸν τῶν ἐπιλοίπων ἡμερῶν διδαχθῆναι 9.108 τὸν ἀριθμόν, ἵνα πρὸς τὰ ἔργα τῆς ἐξόδου παρασκευάσηται, μὴ ταραχθῇ δὲ ἀθρόον ὡς ἀνέτοιμος ὁδοιπόρος μεταξὺ βαδίζων καὶ τὰ ἀναγκαῖα τῶν ἐφοδίων περιζητῶν. φησὶ γοῦν οὕτως· Γνώρισόν μοι, κύριε, τὸ πέρας μου καὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν ἡμερῶν μου τίς ἐστιν, ἵνα γνῶ, τί ὑστερῶ ἐγώ. ἰδοὺ παλαιστὰς ἔθου τὰς ἡμέρας μου καὶ ἡ ὑπόστασίς μου ὡσεὶ οὐδὲν ἐνώπιόν σου. βλέπε ψυχῆς ἀγαθῆς μέριμναν συνετήν, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν βασιλικῷ ἀξιώματι. ἐνοπτρίζεται γὰρ τὸν βασιλέα τῶν βασιλέων καὶ τὸν κριτὴν τῶν κριτῶν καὶ ζητεῖ τὸν τέλειον κόσμον τῶν ἐντολῶν κομισάμενος ἀπελθεῖν ἄρτιος καὶ ἀνελλιπὴς τῆς ζωῆς τῆς ἐκεῖσε πολίτης, ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ἀμήν.