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compared to an image, despise this also. For comparing the railings and the insults and the reproaches and the taunts from enemies and the plots to an old garment and to moth-eaten wool, he said: "Do not fear the reproach of men, and be not overcome by their scorn, because like a garment they shall grow old, and like wool eaten by a moth, so shall they be consumed." Let nothing that is happening trouble you, therefore, but ceasing from calling on this man and that man and running after shadows—for such is human alliance—unceasingly beseech the God whom you serve to only give a nod; and all things are resolved in a single moment of time. But if you have besought Him and it was not resolved, such is the custom of God, not at the beginnings—for I will take up the former argument—to put an end to the terrible things, but when they have reached a peak, when they have increased, when almost nothing remains of the wickedness of those who make war, then suddenly to change all things to calm and to bring the affairs to certain unexpected states. For He is not only able to do so many good things as we expect and hope, but also many more and infinitely greater ones. Wherefore also Paul said: "Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." For was He not able from the beginning to prevent the three youths from falling into that temptation? But He did not wish to, gathering for them great gain. For this reason He allowed them both to be delivered into barbaric hands and the furnace to be lit to an unspeakable height and the royal anger to be kindled more terribly than the furnace and their hands and feet to be bound with great vehemence and to be cast into the fire; and when all who beheld them despaired of their salvation, then suddenly and beyond all hope the wonder-working of God, the master-craftsman, appeared and shone forth with great excess. For the fire was bound, but the prisoners were loosed; and the furnace became a house of prayer and a spring and dew and more august than royal courts, and the nature of hair conquered that all-consuming substance which overcomes both iron and stones and has dominion over all matter. And a perfectly harmonious chorus of those saints stood there, calling both creations to this wondrous melody; and they sang, sending up hymns of thanksgiving for the things for which they were bound, for which they were burned, at least on the part of their enemies, for which they were cast out of their fatherland, for which they became captives, for which they were deprived of their freedom, for which they became stateless, homeless, and migrants, for which they passed their time in a foreign and barbarous land; for this is characteristic of a grateful soul. And when the wickedness of their enemies was complete—for what further could they attempt after death?—and the deeds of the athletes were fulfilled and the crown was woven and the prizes were collected for them and nothing was left for renown, then indeed the terrible things are resolved, and he who lit the furnace and delivered them to so great a punishment, this man becomes a wondrous praiser of those holy athletes and a herald of the wonder-working of God, and he sends letters throughout the whole world full of much praise, recounting the things that had happened and becoming a trustworthy herald of the wonders of the wonder-working God. For since he was an enemy and an adversary, the things written were henceforth beyond suspicion even among his enemies. 7.3 Have you seen the resourcefulness of God? Have you seen His wisdom? Have you seen the wonder? Have you seen the love for mankind and the care? Do not be troubled, therefore, nor agitated, but remain continually giving thanks to Him for all things, glorifying, beseeching, praying, supplicating; and if ten thousand troubles, if ten thousand agitations come on, if storms, if all things lie in sight, let none of these things trouble you. For our Master is not forestalled by the difficulty of the circumstances, even if all things are brought down to utter ruin.

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παραβαλλομένην εἰκόνι καὶ καταφρόνει καὶ ταύτης. Τὰς γὰρ λοιδορίας καὶ τὰς ὕβρεις καὶ τὰ ὀνείδη καὶ τὰ σκώμματα τὰ παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν καὶ τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς ἱματίῳ παλαιωθέντι καὶ ἐρίῳ διαβρωθέντι παρεικάζων ἔλεγεν· «Ὀνειδισμὸν ἀνθρώπων μὴ φοβεῖσθε καὶ τῷ φαυλισμῷ αὐτῶν μὴ ἡττᾶσθε, ὅτι ὡς ἱμάτιον παλαιωθήσονται καὶ ὡς ἔριον ὑπὸ σητός, οὕτω βρωθήσονται.» Μηδέν σε τοίνυν ταραττέτω τῶν γινομένων, ἀλλ' ἀφεῖσα τὸν δεῖνα καὶ τὸν δεῖνα παρακαλεῖν καὶ τὰς σκιὰς παρατρέχειν-τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη συμμαχία-τὸν Θέον ᾧ λατρεύεις, ἐνδελεχῶς παρακάλει νεῦσαι μόνον· καὶ πάντα ἐν μιᾷ καιροῦ λύεται ῥοπῇ. Εἰ δὲ παρεκάλεσας καὶ οὐκ ἐλύθη, τοιοῦτο τῷ Θεῷ ἔθος, μὴ ἐν προοιμίων-τὸν γὰρ ἔμπροσθεν ἀναλήψομαι λόγον-καταλύειν τὰ δεινά, ἀλλ' ὅταν κορυφωθῇ, ὅταν αὐξηθῇ, ὅταν σχεδὸν μηδὲν ὑπολελειμμένον ᾖ τῆς τῶν πολεμούντων κακίας, τότε ἀθρόον πάντα μεταβάλλειν ἐπὶ τὸ γαληνὸν καὶ πρὸς ἀπροσδοκήτους τινὰς καταστάσεις αὐτὰ πραγμάτων ἄγειν. Οὐ γὰρ τοσαῦτα δύναται μόνον ποιῆσαι χρηστὰ ὅσα προσδοκῶμεν καὶ ἐλπίζομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ πλείονα καὶ ἀπείρως μείζονα. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγε· «Τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ ὑπὲρ πάντα ποιῆσαι ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ ὧν αἰτούμεθα ἢ νοοῦμεν.» Μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἠδύνατο ἐκ προοιμίων κωλῦσαι τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς τρεῖς εἰς τὸν πειρασμὸν ἐκεῖνον μὴ ἐμπεσεῖν; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἠβουλήθη πολλὴν αὐτοῖς συνάγων τὴν ἐμπορίαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀφῆκε καὶ χερσὶν αὐτοὺς βαρβαρικαῖς παραδοθῆναι καὶ τὴν κάμινον ἀναφθῆναι πρὸς ὕψος ἄφατον καὶ τὴν βασιλικὴν ὀργὴν τῆς καμίνου χαλεπώτερον ἐκκαῆναι καὶ χεῖρας δεθῆναι καὶ πόδας μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σφοδρότητος καὶ εἰς τὸ πῦρ ἐμβληθῆναι· καὶ ὅτε πάντες οἱ θεωροῦντες αὐτοὺς ἀπέγνωσαν αὐτῶν τὴν σωτηρίαν, τότε ἀθρόον καὶ παρ' ἐλπίδα πᾶσαν ἀνεφαίνετο ἡ θαυματοποιΐα τοῦ ἀριστοτέχνου Θεοῦ καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἐξέλαμπε τῆς ὑπερβολῆς. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ πῦρ ἐδεσμεῖτο, οἱ δεσμῶται δὲ ἐλύοντο· καὶ ναὸς εὐκτήριος ἡ κάμινος ἐγένετο καὶ πηγὴ καὶ δρόσος καὶ αὐλῶν βασιλικῶν σεμνοτέρα, καὶ τὴν παμφάγον οὐσίαν ἐκείνην καὶ σιδήρου καὶ λίθων περιγινομένην καὶ πάσης κρατοῦσαν ὕλης τριχῶν ἐνίκα φύσις. Καὶ χορὸς ἵστατο παναρμόνιος αὐτόθι τῶν ἁγίων ἐκείνων ἑκατέραν τὴν κτίσιν εἰς τὴν θαυμασίαν ταύτην καλούντων μελῳδίαν· ᾖδόν τε εὐχαριστηρίους ἀναπέμποντες ὕμνους ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐδέθησαν, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐκάησαν, τό γε ἐχθρῶν μέρος, ὑπὲρ ὧν πατρίδος ἐξέπεσον, ὑπὲρ ὧν αἰχμάλωτοι γεγόνασιν, ὑπὲρ ὧν τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἀφῃρέθησαν, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἀπόλιδες, ἄοικοι καὶ μετανάσται ἐγένοντο, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ καὶ βαρβάρῳ διέτριβον γῇ· τοῦτο γὰρ ψυχῆς εὐγνώμονος. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὰ τῆς κακίας τῶν πολεμούντων ἀπήρτιστο-τί γὰρ μετὰ θάνατον λοιπὸν ἐπιχειρῆσαι ἠδύναντο- καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀθλητῶν ἐπεπλήρωτο καὶ ὁ στέφανος ἐπλάκη καὶ τὰ βραβεῖα αὐτοῖς συνελέγη καὶ οὐδὲν λοιπὸν ἔλιπεν εἰς εὐδοκίμησιν, τότε δὴ τὰ δεινὰ λύεται καὶ ὁ τὴν κάμινον ἀνάψας καὶ τοσαύτῃ παραδοὺς τιμωρίᾳ, οὗτος θαυμαστὸς ἐπαινέτης τῶν ἁγίων ἐκείνων ἀθλητῶν γίνεται καὶ κῆρυξ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ παραδοξοποιΐας, καὶ πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐκπέμπει τὰ γράμματα πολλῆς γέμοντα εὐφημίας, διηγούμενος τὰ γεγενημένα καὶ ἀξιόπιστος γινόμενος κῆρυξ τῶν τοῦ παραδοξοποιοῦ Θεοῦ θαυμάτων. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐχθρὸς ἦν καὶ πολέμιος, ἀνύποπτα λοιπὸν καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς τὰ γραφόμενα ἦν. 7.3 Εἶδες τὸ εὐμήχανον τοῦ Θεοῦ; Εἶδες τὸ σοφόν; Εἶδες τὸ παράδοξον; Εἶδες τὸ φιλάνθρωπον καὶ κηδεμονικόν; Μὴ τοίνυν θορυβοῦ, μηδὲ ταράττου, ἀλλὰ μένε διηνεκῶς ὑπὲρ πάντων αὐτῷ εὐχαριστοῦσα, δοξολογοῦσα, παρακαλοῦσα, δεομένη, ἱκετεύουσα· κἂν μυρίοι θόρυβοι, κἂν μυρίαι ταραχαὶ ἐπίωσι, κἂν καταιγίδες, κἂν πάντα ἐπ' ὄψιν κέηται, μηδέν σε τούτων ταραττέτω. Οὐ γὰρ προλαμβάνεται ἡμῖν ὁ ∆εσπότης ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων δυσκολίας, κἂν εἰς ἔσχατον ὄλεθρον πάντα κατενεχθῇ.