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CHAP. II. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, he condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example for those who would live ungodly. Do you wish to learn the cause for which these things happened then? There was one sin, grievous and accursed; nevertheless, they persisted in it with boys then; and for this reason they paid this penalty. But he received a rebuke for his own transgression; a dumb beast of burden, speaking with a man's voice, restrained the madness of the prophet. If the grace of God worked in a donkey and in vain, for the sake of a dispensation and the benefit of the Israelites, it is clear that he will refuse to work in us, but will endure even this for our sake.

IN PRIMAM S. JOANNIS EPISTOLAM.

CHAP. III.

He who commits sin is of the devil; for from the beginning the devil

sins; for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Since the devil, having turned before all others, came to be in sin, everyone who actively sins is named from him. For he makes a beginning in the sinner through an excess of wicked thoughts, as in the case of Judas. But someone will say that the devil comes to be in those who sin among those who sinned before him, by giving him place. To which it must be said that committing sin is the same as sinning, in that one gives place to the devil. For one gives him place by being led by desire after having received him, practically carrying out the sin.

For this is what "committing" it means; and it is well said, "he who is committing," not "he who has committed"; since he who has repented is no longer of the devil, but only he who is still actively doing it. For thus also he who is committing sin is its slave, but not he who has committed it. For how is it that, "He who commits sin," he says, "is a slave of it"? But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart to him, how does the love of God abide in him? 64.1061 When you see a poor man, do not pass by, but immediately consider who you would be, if you were he; what would you not have wanted everyone to do for you? Little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. For it is not enough to give aid, but one must do this with generosity and a cheerful disposition; or rather, not only without grief, but with a bright and rejoicing soul.

CHAP. IV.

He who does not love, does not know God, for God is love. What kind of love

does he mean? The sincere kind, not that which is only in words, but that which comes from disposition and mind, and from suffering with others out of a pure heart. For there is also the love of the wicked; for example, robbers love robbers, and murderers love murderers. But this is not from a good conscience, but from a bad one.

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ΚΕΦΑΛ. Βʹ. Καὶ πόλεις Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόῤῥας τεφρώσας καταστροφῇ κατέκρινεν, ὑπόδειγμα μελλόντων ἀσεβεῖν τεθεικώς. Βούλει τὴν αἰτίαν μαθεῖν δι' ἣν τότε ταῦτα ἐγένετο; ἓν ἦν ἁμάρτημα μὲν χαλεπὸν καὶ ἐπάρατον· πλὴν ἀλλ' ἐν παισὶν ἐπεμένοντο οἱ τότε· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ταύτην ἔδοσαν τὴν δίκην. Ἔλεγξιν δὲ ἔσχεν ἰδίας παρανομίας· ὑποζύγιον ἄφωνον, ἐν ἀνθρώπου φωνῇ φθεγξάμενον, ἐκώλυσε τὴν τοῦ προφήτου παραφρονίαν. Εἰ εἰς ὄνον ἐνήργησε καὶ εἰς μάτην ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις, δι' οἰκονομίαν καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν ὠφέλειαν, εὔδηλον ὅτι εἰς ἡμᾶς παραιτήσεται ἐνεργεῖν, ἀλλ' ἀνέξεται καὶ τοῦτο δι' ἡμᾶς.

IN PRIMAM S. JOANNIS EPISTOLAM.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Γʹ.

Ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστίν· ὅτι ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ὁ διάβολος

ἁμαρτάνει· εἰς τοῦτο ἐφανερώθη ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα λύσῃ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ διαβόλου. Ἐπείπερ πρὸ πάντων τραπεὶς ὁ διάβολος ἐν τῷ ἁμαρτάνειν γέγονεν, ἐξ αὐτοῦ χρηματίζει πᾶς ὁ ἁμαρτητικῶς ἐνεργῶν. Προάρχεται γὰρ ἐν τῷ ἁμαρτάνοντι δι' ὑπερβολὴν πονηρῶν λογισμῶν, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα. Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις ὅτι γίνεται ὁ διάβολος ἐν τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ ἡμαρτηκότων ἐν τῷ διδόναι αὐτῷ τόπον. Πρὸς ὃ λεκτέον ταυτὸν εἶναι τὸ ποιεῖν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τῷ ἁμαρτάνειν, ἐν τῷ διδόναι τόπον τῷ διαβόλῳ. ∆ίδωσι γὰρ αὐτῷ τόπον ἐπιθυμίᾳ ὑπαχθεὶς μετὰ τὸ δέξασθαι αὐτόν· πρακτικῶς ἐπιτελῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν.

Τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει τὸ ποιεῖν αὐτήν· εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ εἰπεῖν, ποιῶν, ἀλλ' οὐ, ποιήσας· τοῦ μετανοήσαντος οὐκέτι ὄντος ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου, ἀλλὰ μόνου τοῦ ἐνεργοῦντος αὐτὴν ἔτι. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας δοῦλός ἐστιν ὁ ποιῶν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ ποιήσας αὐτήν. Πῶς γὰρ, Ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, φησὶ, δοῦλος αὐτῆς ἐστιν; Ὃς δ' ἂν ἔχῃ τὸν βίον τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ θεωρεῖ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχοντα, καὶ κλείσῃ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ, πῶς ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ μένει ἐν αὐτῷ; 64.1061 Ὅταν ἴδῃς πένητα, μὴ παραδράμῃς, ἀλλ' εὐθέως ἐννόησον τίς ἂν ἦς, εἰ σὺ ἐκεῖνος· τί οὐκ ἂν ἠθέλησας πάντας σοι ποιεῖν; Τεκνία, μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ γλώσσῃ, ἀλλ' ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ. Οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ προστῆναι, ἀλλὰ μετὰ δαψιλείας καὶ γνώμης ἀλύπου τοῦτο δεῖ ποιεῖν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ μετὰ ἀλύπου μόνον, ἀλλὰ μετὰ φαιδρᾶς καὶ χαιρούσης ψυχῆς.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ∆ʹ.

Ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν, οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν Θεὸν, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστί. Ἀγάπην ποίαν

φησί; Τὴν εἰλικρινῆ, οὐ τὴν μέχρι ῥημάτων, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀπὸ διαθέσεως καὶ γνώμης, καὶ τοῦ συναλγεῖν ἐκ καθαρᾶς καρδίας. Ἔστι γὰρ ἀγάπη καὶ ἡ τῶν πονηρῶν· οἷον λῃσταὶ λῃστὰς φιλοῦσι, καὶ ἀνδροφόνοι ἀνδροφόνους. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο ἀπὸ συνειδήσεως ἀγαθῆς, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ κακῆς.