John Chrysostom, On Saint Eustathius of Antioch

this is more difficult; with good reason. For if someone attacks and wars against me from without, I will be able to overcome him easily; but if the ulcer grows from within the body, the evil becomes hard to heal; which is indeed what happened then. Therefore he also exhorted, saying, "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock"; he did not say, "Abandoning the sheep, flee outside." These things also the blessed Eustathius, having been taught, exhorted his own disciples; which therefore this wise and noble teacher, having heard, fulfilled the word in deed. For when they came in, he did not abandon the sheep, although he had not yet ascended to the throne of authority; but this was nothing to that noble and philosophic soul. For he left the honors of rulers to others, but he himself endured the labors of rulers, turning about within, among the wolves; for the teeth of the beasts did not harm him at all, so much stronger was the faith he had than their bites. Turning about within, therefore, and keeping them all busy with the battle against him, he prepared much security for the sheep. And not only did he do this, stopping their mouths, 50.605 refuting their blasphemies, but he also went about and observed the flock, lest someone had received an arrow, lest someone had taken a grievous wound, and immediately he applied the remedy. And doing these things he leavened all into the true faith, and did not desist until God prepared the blessed Meletius to come and receive the whole lump; this one sowed, that one came and reaped. Thus it also happened in the time of Moses and Aaron. For they too, turning about in the midst of the Egyptians like leaven, made many zealous for their own piety. And Moses testifies to this, saying that a great mixed multitude went up together with the Israelites.

Imitating this Moses, therefore, he did the work of a ruler even before his rule; for that man too, not yet having been entrusted with the leadership of the people, very stoutly and nobly punished the wrongdoers, defended the wronged, 50.606 and leaving the royal table, and honors, and chief seats, ran to the clay and the brick-making, considering the care of his own people to be more honorable than all luxury, and ease, and honor; looking to him, he then exhorted all rulers with care for the people, and he preferred labors to ease, and to be driven from every side, undertaking continual hostilities each day; but all things were light to him; for the cause of what was being done provided him with sufficient consolation for what was happening.

For all these things, therefore, having given thanks to God, let us emulate the virtues of these saints, that we may also share in their crowns, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, and power, for ever and ever. Amen.

τοῦτο χαλεπώ τερος· εἰκότως. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἔξωθέν μέ τις βάλλῃ καὶ πολεμῇ, ῥᾳδίως αὐτοῦ περιγενέσθαι δυνήσομαι· ἂν δὲ ἔνδοθεν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος φύῃ τὸ ἕλκος, δυσία τον γίνεται τὸ κακόν· ὃ δὴ καὶ τότε ἐγένετο. ∆ιὸ καὶ παρῄνει λέγων, Προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς καὶ παντὶ τῷ ποιμνίῳ· οὐκ εἶπε, Καταλιπόντες τὰ πρόβατα φεύ γετε ἔξω. Ταῦτα καὶ ὁ μακάριος Εὐστάθιος πεπαι δευμένος παρῄνει τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς· ἅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ σοφὸς οὗτος καὶ γενναῖος διδάσκαλος ἀκούσας, ἔργῳ τὸν λόγον ἐπλήρωσεν. Εἰσιόντων γοῦν ἐκείνων, οὐκ ἀφῆκε τὰ πρόβατα, καίτοι γε οὐκ ἦν ἐπὶ τὸν θρό νον τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀνελθών· ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τοῦτο πρὸς τὴν γενναίαν ἐκείνην καὶ φιλόσοφον ψυχήν. Τὰς μὲν γὰρ τιμὰς τῶν ἀρχόντων ἑτέροις ἠφίει, τοὺς δὲ πόνους τῶν ἀρχόντων αὐτὸς ὑπέμενεν, ἔνδον μεταξὺ τῶν λύκων στρεφόμενος· οὐδὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν οἱ τῶν θηρίων ὀδόντες ἔβλαπτον, οὕτως ἰσχυροτέραν πίστιν εἶχε τῶν ἐκείνων δηγμάτων. Ἔνδον τοίνυν στρεφόμενος, καὶ τῇ γινομένῃ πρὸς αὐτὸν μάχῃ πάντας αὐτοὺς ἀσχολῶν, πολλὴν ἄδειαν τοῖς προβάτοις παρεσκεύαζεν. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον ἐποίει ἐμφράττων αὐτῶν τὰ στόματα, 50.605 ἀνακρουόμενος τὰς βλασφημίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ θρέμματα περιιὼν κατεμάνθανε, μή που βέλος ἐδέξατό τις, μή που τραῦμα χαλεπὸν ἔλαβε, καὶ εὐθέως τὸ φάρμακον ἐπετίθει. Καὶ ταῦτα ποιῶν ἐζύμωσεν ἅπαντας εἰς τὴν ἀληθῆ πίστιν, καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἀπέστη, ἕως ὁ Θεὸς τὸν μακάριον Μελέτιον παρεσκεύασεν ἐλθόντα τὸ φύραμα ἅπαν λαβεῖν· οὗτος ἔσπειρεν, ἐκεῖνος ἐλθὼν ἐθέρισεν. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ Μωϋσέως καὶ Ἀαρὼν ἐγένετο. Καὶ γὰρ κἀκεῖνοι ζύμης δίκην ἐν μέσοις τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις στρεφόμενοι πολλοὺς τῆς οἰκείας εὐσεβείας ἐποίησαν ζηλωτάς. Καὶ μαρτυρεῖ τοῦτο Μωϋσῆς λέγων, ὅτι πολὺς ἐπίμικτος λαὸς συνανέβη μετὰ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν.

Τοῦτον δὴ τὸν Μωϋσέα μιμούμενος οὗτος, καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς τὰ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἔπραττε· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος οὐδέπω τοῦ λαοῦ τὴν προστασίαν ἐγχειρισθεὶς, ἐῤῥωμένως μάλα καὶ γενναίως τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας ἐκόλαζε, τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις ἤμυνε, 50.606 καὶ βασιλικὴν τράπεζαν ἀφεὶς, καὶ τιμὰς, καὶ προεδρίας, πρὸς τὸν πηλὸν καὶ τὴν πλινθείαν ἔδραμε, πάσης τρυφῆς, καὶ ἀνέσεως, καὶ τιμῆς προτιμοτέραν εἶναι νομίζων τὴν τῶν οἰκείων κηδεμονίαν· πρὸς ὃν καὶ αὐτὸς βλέπων τότε πάντας ἄρχοντας τῇ περὶ τὸν λαὸν παρῄνει κηδεμονίᾳ, καὶ ἀνέσεως προετίθει πόνους καὶ τὸ πάντοθεν ἐλαύνεσθαι διηνεκεῖς καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀναδεχόμενος ἀπεχθείας· ἀλλὰ πάντα ἦν αὐτῷ κοῦφα· ἡ γὰρ τῶν γινομένων ὑπόθε-σις ἱκανὴν αὐτῷ παρεῖχε τῶν συμβαινόντων παραμυθίαν.

∆ιὰ δὴ ταῦτα πάντα εὐχαριστήσαντες τῷ Θεῷ, ζηλώσωμεν τῶν ἁγίων τούτων τὰς ἀρετὰς, ἵνα καὶ τῶν στεφάνων αὐτοῖς κοινωνήσωμεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, δόξα, τιμὴ καὶ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.