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again, the Israelites from his descendants, and ten thousand others, and through Jacob others, those in the middle of the rivers. 55.49 Did you see the whole inhabited world being taught, if they were willing, by the holy ones? And before these, the flood, the confusion of tongues, were sufficient to rouse their mind. For so that the event would not fall into oblivion because of time, the place receives the name, and is from then on called Babylon, from the confusion of the tongues, so that the hearer, being guided by the name, might come to the beginning of the events, and learn the strength of God. Thus also all those dwelling in the west learned all things, associating with the Egyptians in commerce. Besides, in the beginnings and in the preludes there were not even many nations in that part of the inhabited world; but the large population and multitude were concentrated in the parts toward the east. For indeed Adam came out from there, and the generations of Noah tarried there, and after the tower they were there, and they spent most of their time in the east. But nevertheless in each generation God appointed teachers for them: Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Melchizedek. Therefore also this prophet, from the things that happened to the saints, leads up those living in wickedness, saying: Know that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful. What is, 'He has made wonderful'? He made him marvelous, distinguished, illustrious, conspicuous who is dedicated to him. From the servant, therefore, and from the things that happen to him, learn the power of the Master. He did not say, 'He has given a good thing,' only, but, 'He has made wonderful,' showing that he has given with much wonder, with much paradox. Thus it also happened in the case of Abraham. For not only did he give back his wife untouched, but he also made him wonderful; so that the gift for him was not only in not suffering anything terrible, but also in becoming illustrious throughout Egypt. For the one thing, not suffering anything unpleasant, happened on account of his righteousness; the other, returning from there with wonder-working, happened for their benefit. This happened in the case of the three young men, this in the case of the lions, this in the case of the sea-monster and Jonah, and everywhere he saves with a miracle, not simply everyone, but the holy one. 7. Did you see how along with the knowledge of God, he also gives an exhortation for a precise life, teaching to have hopes of salvation not only in the goodness of God, but also in the virtue of one’s own works? The Lord will hear me when I cry to him, Having said that he has made wonderful, he does not stop at these things, but also speaks of another form of prosperity. What is this? To have God continually as an ally and helper, and present everywhere. For he does not do this once or twice or three times, but continually, he says, if we call on him; and see again here the swiftness. For just as he said above, 'When I called, the God of my righteousness heard me'; so also here, 'when I cry to him.' How then are many not heard, he says? Because they ask for inexpedient things. For in this case, not to be heard is better than to be heard. So even if we are heard, let us not rejoice for this reason; but also when we are not heard, let us glorify him for this reason too. For either we are not heard when asking for inexpedient things, and we gain by not receiving; 55.50 or we ask lazily, and by the delay of the giving God contrives for us perseverance; and this is no small gain. For if you, he says, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more our God, knowing what to give, and when to give, and what to give. Since Paul also asked, and did not receive; for he asked for something inexpedient; and Moses, and God did not grant it to him either. Let us not, therefore, fall away, when not

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αὐτοῦ πάλιν, τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας ἀπὸ τῶν ἐκγόνων, καὶ ἑτέρους μυρίους, καὶ διὰ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ ἑτέρους, τοὺς ἐν τῇ Μέσῃ τῶν ποταμῶν. 55.49 Εἶδες ἅπασαν τὴν οἰκουμένην παιδευομένην, εἴγε ἤθελον, ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων; Καὶ πρὸ τούτων δὲ ὁ κατακλυσμὸς, ἡ τῶν γλωσσῶν διάχυσις, ἱκανὰ διαναστῆσαι αὐτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ διὰ τὸν χρόνον εἰς λήθην ἐμπέσῃ τὸ συμβὰν, ὁ τόπος λαμβάνει τὴν προσηγορίαν, καὶ Βαβυλὼν ἐντεῦθεν λέγεται, ἀπὸ τῆς συγχύσεως τῶν γλωττῶν, ἵνα ὁ ἀκροατὴς ἀπὸ τῆς προσηγορίας ὁδηγούμενος, ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔλθῃ τῶν συμβάντων, καὶ μάθῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἰσχύν. Οὕτω καὶ οἱ τὴν δύσιν οἰκοῦντες πάντες πάντα ἐμάνθανον, κατ' ἐμπορίαν Αἰγυπτίοις συγγινόμενοι. Ἄλλως δὲ ἐν ἀρχαῖς καὶ ἐν προοιμίοις οὐδὲ πολλὰ ἔθνη κατὰ τὸ μέρος τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐκεῖνο ἦν· ἀλλ' ἡ πολυανθρωπία καὶ ἡ πολυοχλία ἐν τοῖς μέρεσι τοῖς κατὰ τὴν ἀνατολὴν συνειστήκει. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Ἀδὰμ ἐκεῖθεν ἐξῆλθε, καὶ τὰ γένη τοῦ Νῶε ἐκεῖ διέτριβε, καὶ μετὰ τὸν πύργον ἐκεῖ ἦσαν, καὶ ἀνεστρέφοντο ἐπὶ πλεῖον κατὰ ἀνατολάς. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καθ' ἑκάστην γενεὰν διδασκάλους αὐτοῖς κατέστησεν ὁ Θεὸς, τὸν Νῶε, τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, τὸν Ἰσαὰκ, τὸν Ἰακὼβ, τὸ Μελχισεδέκ. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ προφήτης οὗτος ἀπὸ τῶν εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους γενομένων ἀνάγει τοὺς ἐν πονηρίᾳ ζῶντας, λέγων· Γνῶτε ὅτι ἐθαυμάστωσε Κύριος τὸν ὅσιον αὐτοῦ. Τί ἐστιν, Ἐθαυμάστωσε; Θαυμαστὸν ἐποίησεν, ἐπίσημον, λαμπρὸν, περιφανῆ τὸν ἀνακείμενον αὐτῷ. Ἀπὸ τοῦ δούλου τοίνυν καὶ τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν συμβαινόντων μάθετε τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὴν δύναμιν. Οὐκ εἶπε, ∆έδωκεν ἀγαθὸν, μόνον, ἀλλ', Ἐθαυμάστωσε, δηλῶν ὅτι δέδωκε μετὰ πολλοῦ τοῦ θαύματος, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς παραδοξοποιίας. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ γέγονεν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τὴν γυναῖκα ἔδωκεν ἀνέπαφον, ἀλλὰ καὶ θαυμαστὸν αὐτὸν παρεσκεύασεν· ὡς μὴ μόνον ἐν τῷ μὴ παθεῖν τι δεινὸν εἶναι αὐτῷ τὴν δωρεὰν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ λαμπρὸν γενέσθαι κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ διὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ δικαιοσύνην ἐγένετο, τὸ μηδὲν ἀηδὲς παθεῖν· τὸ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ὠφέλειαν, τὸ μετὰ παραδοξοποιίας ἐκεῖθεν ἐπανελθεῖν. Τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῶν τριῶν παίδων, τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῶν λεόντων συνέβη, τοῦτο ἐπὶ τοῦ κήτους καὶ τοῦ Ἰωνᾶ, καὶ πανταχοῦ μετὰ θαύματος σώζει, οὐχ ἁπλῶς πάντας, ἀλλὰ τὸν ὅσιον. ζʹ. Εἶδες πῶς μετὰ τῆς θεογνωσίας, καὶ βίου ἀκριβοῦς παραίνεσιν ποιεῖται, παιδεύων μὴ μόνον ἐν τῇ χρηστότητι τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν οἰκείων ἔργων ἀρετῇ τὰς ἐλπίδας ἔχειν τῆς σωτηρίας; Κύριος εἰσακούσεταί μου ἐν τῷ κεκραγέναι με πρὸς αὐτόν, Εἰπὼν ὅτι ἐθαυμάστωσεν, οὐχ ἵσταται μέχρι τούτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερον εὐημερίας εἶδος λέγει. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; Τὸ διηνεκῶς ἔχειν τὸν Θεὸν σύμμαχον καὶ βοηθὸν, καὶ πανταχοῦ παριστάμενον. Οὐ γὰρ ἅπαξ τοῦτο ποιεῖ καὶ δὶς καὶ τρὶς, ἀλλὰ διηνεκῶς, φησὶν, ἐὰν αὐτὸν καλῶμεν· καὶ ὅρα πάλιν κἀνταῦθα τὸ τάχος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἄνω ἔλεγεν, Ἐν τῷ ἐπικαλεῖσθαί με, εἰσήκουσέ μου ὁ Θεὸς τῆς δικαιοσύνης μου· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα, Ἐν τῷ κεκραγέναι με πρὸς αὐτόν. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἀκούονται πολλοὶ, φησί; ∆ιὰ τὸ ἀσύμφορα αἰτεῖν. Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ τὸ μὴ ἀκουσθῆναι τοῦ ἀκουσθῆναι βέλτιον. Ὥστε κἂν ἀκουώμεθα, μὴ διὰ τοῦτο χαίρωμεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅταν μὴ ἀκουώμεθα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δοξάζωμεν. Ἢ γὰρ ἀσύμφορα αἰτοῦντες οὐκ ἀκουόμεθα, καὶ τῷ μὴ λαβεῖν κερδαίνομεν· 55.50 ἢ ῥᾳθύμως αἰτοῦμεν, καὶ τῇ μελλήσει τῆς δόσεως τὴν προσεδρίαν ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς σοφίζεται· καὶ τοῦτο δὲ οὐ μικρὸν κέρδος. Εἰ γὰρ ὑμεῖς, φησὶν, οἴδατε δόματα ἀγαθὰ διδόναι τοῖς τέκνοις ὑμῶν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ἐπιστάμενος τὸ δοῦναι, καὶ τὸ πότε δοῦναι, καὶ τὸ τί δοῦναι. Ἐπεὶ καὶ Παῦλος ᾔτησε, καὶ οὐκ ἔλαβεν· ἀσύμφορον γὰρ ᾔτει· καὶ Μωϋσῆς, καὶ οὐδὲ ἐκείνῳ ἐπένευσεν ὁ Θεός. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀποστῶμεν, ὅταν μὴ