7. Already does my speech leap, and exult; and grows iovous along with those who hasten onward, and summons unto the spiritual dance all who were giving themselves over to fastings, to weeping, and to prayer; by day and night beseeching for deliverance out of the troubles that beset them; and making their fitting remedy in their ills that "Hope which bringeth no shame;" all who, having gone through great conflicts and struggles, and been beaten by the many and hard assaults of the times, have become "a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men," according to the saying of the Apostle, and though wearied in their bodies, yet continuing unconquered in their souls, being strong for everything in the Christ who gave them strength; all who, having put off the worldly Matter and dominion of Evil, or who have submitted with joy to the robbery of their possessions,⁴ or banished unjustly, as the saying is, from their own country, severed, for a brief space, from husbands, or wives, or parents, or children, or by whatever other names of kindred less close we are bound; and who, for the blood of Christ, have despised their sufferings for the sake of Christ----all these may now seasonably repeat, and sing the words: "Thou hadst set men upon our heads, we passed through fire and water, and thou didst lead us forth into a cool place."

Ζʹ. Ἤδη δέ μοι πηδᾷ καὶ ἵεται πρὸς πανηγυρισμὸν ὁ λόγος, καὶ τοῖς ὁρωμένοις συμφαιδρύνεται, καὶ καλεῖ πάντας εἰς χορείαν πνευματικὴν, ὅσοι τε νηστείαις καὶ κλαυθμῷ, καὶ δεήσει προσέκειντο, νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας αἰτούμενοι λύτρωσιν τῶν κατεχόντων ἀνιαρῶν, καὶ δεξιὸν ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς φάρμακον, τὴν οὐ καταισχύνουσαν ἐλπίδα ποιούμενοι: ὅσοι τε, μεγάλους ἀνατλάντες ἀγῶνας καὶ ἄθλους, καὶ πολλαῖς πληγέντες καὶ χαλεπαῖς τοῦ καιροῦ προσβολαῖς, θέατρον ἐγενήθησαν τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ ἀγγέλοις, καὶ ἀνθρώποις, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου φωνήν: καὶ τὰ μὲν σώματα κάμνοντες, τὰς δὲ ψυχὰς ἀήττητοι διαμείναντες, καὶ πάντα ἰσχύοντες ἐν τῷ δυναμοῦντι αὐτοὺς Χριστῷ: ὅσοι τε, κοσμικὴν ἀποθέμενοι κακίας ὕλην καὶ δυναστείαν, ἢ τὴν ἁρπαγὴν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων μετὰ χαρᾶς προσδεξάμενοι, ἢ τῆς ἑαυτῶν, ὃ δὴ λέγεται, φυγαδευθέντες ἀδίκως, ἢ ἀνδρῶν, ἢ γυναικῶν, ἢ γονέων, ἢ τέκνων, ἢ ὅσοις ἄλλοις ὀνόμασι τῆς μικρᾶς οἰκειότητος κατεχόμεθα, τούτων πρὸς ὀλίγον διαζευχθέντες, καὶ τῷ Χριστοῦ καρποφορήσαντες αἵματι τὰ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ πάθη, νῦν ἂν ἐκεῖνο λέγοιεν καὶ ᾄδοιεν ἐν καιρῷ, τὸ, Ἐπεβίβασας ἀνθρώπους ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἡμῶν: διήλθομεν διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ὕδατος: καὶ ἐξήγαγες ἡμᾶς εἰς ἀναψυχήν.