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and of the Son, which is equal to, From whom. For he did not say, Grace to you and peace from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ, but, From God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. O how great is the power of the love of God! those who were enemies and dishonored, have suddenly become saints and sons. For when he called him Father, he signified them as sons; and when he said sons, he uncovered the whole treasury of good things. Let us remain, therefore, showing a manner of life worthy of the gift, and preserving peace and holiness. For other dignities are temporary, and are dissolved with the present life, and are purchasable with money; wherefore one would not even say they are dignities, but only the names of dignities, having their power in the putting on of robes, and in the flattery of bodyguards; but this, being given by God, the gift of holiness and of adoption, is not even interrupted by death, but both makes us glorious here, and journeys with us to the life to come. For he who preserves his adoption, and keeps his holiness with exactness, is far more glorious and blessed than the one who wears the diadem and has the purple robe, and in the present life revels in much tranquility, and is nourished with good hopes, and has no pretext for disturbance and confusion, but enjoys continual pleasure. For good cheer and joy are not usually produced by greatness of office, nor abundance of money, nor pomp of power, nor strength of body, nor luxury of the table, nor adornment of garments, nor any other human thing, but only spiritual achievement, and a good conscience. And he who has this purified, even if he be clothed in rags and wrestling with hunger, is more cheerful than those who live in great luxury; just as, then, he who is conscious of evil in himself, even if he be clothed with the wealth of all, is more wretched than all. For this reason indeed Paul, living in continual hunger and nakedness, and being scourged every day, both rejoiced and luxuriated more than those who were then reigning; but Ahab, reigning and enjoying costly luxury, after he committed that sin, both groaned and was despondent, and his face was fallen, both before the sin and after the sin. If, therefore, we wish to enjoy pleasure, before all other things let us flee wickedness, and pursue virtue, as it is not possible otherwise to partake of this, even if we were to ascend to the royal throne itself. Wherefore Paul also said: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. Let us therefore nourish this fruit among ourselves, that we may both enjoy the joy here, and obtain the future kingdom, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY II.

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all,

that your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 1. The introduction is fitting for the blessed soul, and sufficient to teach all to begin good works and words with God, and not only to give thanks for one's own, but also for the achievements of others, which also makes the soul pure from envy and malice, and draws God more greatly to goodwill towards those who give thanks. Wherefore also elsewhere he says: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. But one must give thanks not only when rich, but also when poor, not when healthy, but also when sick, not when prospering, but also when enduring the opposite; for to give thanks when affairs are carried by a fair wind is nothing wonderful; but when the surge is great, and the vessel

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καὶ Υἱοῦ, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἴσον τῷ, Ἐξ οὗ. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, Χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλ', Ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Βαβαὶ, πόσον ἴσχυσεν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγάπη! οἱ ἐχθροὶ καὶ ἠτιμωμένοι, ἅγιοι καὶ υἱοὶ γεγόνασιν ἐξαίφνης. Ὅταν γὰρ πατέρα καλέσῃ, υἱοὺς ἐδήλωσεν· ὅταν δὲ υἱοὺς εἴπῃ, ἅπαντα τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὸν θησαυρὸν ἀνεκάλυψε. Μένωμεν τοίνυν ἀξίαν τῆς δωρεᾶς τὴν πολιτείαν ἐνδεικνύμενοι, καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην καὶ τὴν ἁγιωσύνην διατηροῦντες. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλα ἀξιώματα πρόσκαιρά τέ ἐστι, καὶ τῷ παρόντι συγκαταλύεται βίῳ, καὶ χρημάτων ἐστὶν ὠνητά· ὅθεν οὐδὲ ἀξιώματα αὐτὰ εἶναι ἄν τις φαίη, ἀλλ' ὀνόματα ἀξιωμάτων μόνον, ἐν τῇ τῶν ἱματίων περιβολῇ, καὶ τῇ τῶν δορυφόρων κολακείᾳ τὴν δύναμιν ἔχοντα· τοῦτο δὲ, ἅτε παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δοθὲν, τὸ δῶρον τὸ τῆς ἁγιωσύνης καὶ τῆς υἱοθεσίας, οὐδὲ θανάτῳ διακόπτεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ποιεῖ λαμπροὺς, καὶ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν ἡμῖν συναποδημεῖ ζωήν. Ὁ γὰρ τὴν υἱοθεσίαν διατηρῶν, καὶ τὴν ἁγιωσύνην μετὰ ἀκριβείας φυλάττων, αὐτοῦ τοῦ τὸ διάδημα περικειμένου καὶ τὴν ἁλουργίδα ἔχοντος, λαμπρότερός τέ ἐστι πολλῷ καὶ μακαριστότερος, καὶ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον γαλήνῃ τε ἐντρυφῶν πολλῇ, καὶ χρησταῖς συντρεφόμενος ἐλπίσι, καὶ οὐδεμίαν θορύβου καὶ ταραχῆς ἔχων ὑπόθεσιν, ἀλλ' ἡδονῆς διηνεκοῦς ἀπολαύων. Εὐθυμίαν γὰρ καὶ χαρὰν οὐκ ἀρχῆς μέγεθος, οὐ χρημάτων πλῆθος, οὐ δυναστείας ὄγκος, οὐκ ἰσχὺς σώματος, οὐ πολυτέλεια τραπέζης, οὐχ ἱματίων κόσμος, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ποιεῖν εἴωθεν, ἀλλ' ἢ κατόρθωμα μόνον πνευματικὸν, καὶ συνειδὸς ἀγαθόν. Καὶ ὁ τοῦτο κεκαθαρμένον ἔχων, κἂν ῥάκια περικείμενος ᾖ, καὶ λιμῷ παλαίων, τῶν σφόδρα τρυφώντων ἐστὶν εὐθυμότερος· ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ πονηρὰ συνειδὼς ἑαυτῷ, κἂν τὰ πάντων περιβάλληται χρήματα, πάντων ἐστὶν ἀθλιώτερος. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο ὁ μὲν Παῦλος ἐν λιμῷ ζῶν τῷ διηνεκεῖ καὶ γυμνότητι, καὶ μαστιζόμενος καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, ἔχαιρέ τε καὶ ἐτρύφα μᾶλλον τῶν βασιλευόντων τότε· ὁ δὲ Ἀχαὰβ βασιλεύων καὶ τρυφῆς ἀπολαύων πολυτελοῦς, ἐπειδὴ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκείνην εἰργάσατο, ἔστενέ τε καὶ ἠθύμει, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ συμπεπτωκὸς ἦν, καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Εἰ τοίνυν βουλόμεθα ἀπολαύειν ἡδονῆς, πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων φεύγωμεν πονηρίαν, καὶ διώκωμεν ἀρετὴν, ὡς οὐκ ἐνὸν ἄλλως τούτου μετασχεῖν, κἂν ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἀναβῶμεν τὸν θρόνον τὸν βασιλικόν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Ὁ δὲ καρπὸς τοῦ Πνεύματος ἀγάπη, χαρὰ, εἰρήνη. Τοῦτον οὖν τὸν καρπὸν τρέφωμεν παρ' ἑαυτοῖς, ἵνα καὶ τῆς ἐνταῦθα χαρᾶς ἀπολαύσωμεν, καὶ τῆς μελλούσης ἐπιτύχωμεν βασιλείας, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Βʹ.

Πρῶτον μὲν εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ μου διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χρι στοῦ ὑπὲρ πάντων ὑμῶν,

ὅτι ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν κατ αγγέλλεται ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ. αʹ. Πρέπον τῇ μακαρίᾳ ψυχῇ τὸ προοίμιον, καὶ ἱκανὸν ἅπαντας παιδεῦσαι καὶ ἔργων καὶ λόγων ἀγαθῶν ἀπάρχεσθαι τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ μὴ μόνον ὑπὲρ τῶν οἰκείων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων εὐχαριστεῖν κατορθωμάτων, ὃ καὶ φθόνου καὶ βασκανίας καθαρὰν ποιεῖ τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐπισπᾶται μειζόνως πρὸς τὴν τῶν εὐχαριστούντων εὔνοιαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν· Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ εὐλογήσας ἡμᾶς ἐν πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ. Εὐχαριστεῖν δὲ δεῖ οὐχὶ πλουτοῦντας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πενομένους, οὐχ ὑγιαίνοντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ νοσοῦντας, οὐκ εὐημεροῦντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τἀναντία ὑπομένοντας· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐξ οὐρίας τῶν πραγμάτων φερομένων εὐχαριστεῖν, θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν· ὅταν δὲ πολὺ τὸ κλυδώνιον ᾖ, καὶ τὸ σκάφος