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to call the one who has grieved him by name, and the soul, hearing from the tongue, being instructed and accustomed, will accept reconciliation with him. For these very words will be the best medicine for the inflammation in the heart. 7. I have said these things now, not that we might only praise, but that we might also emulate. Let each one, therefore, paint this story on his own heart, as if with a hand sketching with his thoughts continually the double cave, Saul sleeping inside, and bound as if by some chain in sleep, and subject to the right hand of the one who had been most greatly wronged; David standing over the sleeping man, the soldiers present and inciting him to the slaughter; that blessed man philosophizing, and restraining his own anger and theirs, and making an apology for the one who had transgressed so greatly. Let us write these things not only on our mind, but let us also discuss them with each other continually in our gatherings; let us constantly bring up these narratives also with wife and with children. For whether you wish to speak about a king, behold a king; or about soldiers, or about a household, or about political matters, you will see in the Scriptures a great abundance of these things. These narratives have the greatest benefit. For it is impossible, impossible, for a soul occupied with these stories ever to be overcome by passion. Therefore, so that we may not spend our time in vain, nor waste our life to no purpose on unseasonable and superfluous trifles, having learned the stories of noble men, let us continually discuss these things, and about these things. And if anyone in the gathering should wish to make a speech about theaters, or about horse-races, or about matters of no concern to you, lead him away from that subject, and introduce him into this narrative, so that having both cleansed our souls, and enjoyed pleasure with safety, and having made ourselves gentle and meek to all who have grieved us, we may depart from here having no enemy, and may obtain the eternal good things, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. HOMILY 2. That it is a great good not only to pursue virtue, but also to praise virtue;

and that David set up a greater trophy by sparing Saul, than when he brought down Goliath; and that in doing this he benefited himself more than Saul; and concerning his

apology to Saul. 1. You formerly praised David for his forbearance; but I marveled at you for your goodwill and affection toward David. For not only to pursue and emulate virtue, but also to praise and marvel at those who pursue it, brings us no small reward; just as, therefore, not only emulating vice, but also praising those who live in it, brings us no ordinary punishment, and, if one might say something wondrous, a more grievous one than for those who live in wickedness themselves. And that this is true, Paul shows in what he says; for when he had enumerated every form of vice, and had accused all those who trample upon the laws of God, he added, saying about those very people: Who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them; therefore you are without excuse, O man. You see that for this reason he spoke thus, to show that this is more grievous than that. For to praise those who sin is much

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ἔχοντι καλεῖν τὸν λελυπηκότα ὀνόματι, καὶ ἀκούσασα ἡ ψυχὴ παρὰ τῆς γλώττης παιδευομένη καὶ συνεθιζομένη καταδέξεται τὴν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον καταλλαγήν. Αὐτὰ γὰρ τὰ ῥήματα τῆς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ φλεγμονῆς ἔσται φάρμακον ἄριστον. ζʹ. Ταῦτα εἴρηκα νῦν, οὐχ ἵνα ἐπαινέσωμεν μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ ζηλώσωμεν. Ταύτην οὖν ἕκαστος τὴν ἱστορίαν ἐπὶ τῆς καρδίας ζωγραφείτω τῆς ἑαυτοῦ, καθάπερ χειρὶ τοῖς λογισμοῖς ὑπογράφων διηνεκῶς τὸ σπήλαιον τὸ διπλοῦν, τὸν Σαοὺλ ἔνδον καθεύδοντα, καὶ καθάπερ ἁλύσει τινὶ δεδεμένον τῷ ὕπνῳ, καὶ ὑποκείμενον τῇ δεξιᾷ τοῦ τὰ μέγιστα ἠδικημένου· τὸν ∆αυῒδ ἐφεστῶτα καθεύδοντι, τοὺς στρατιώτας παρόντας, καὶ παροξύνοντας πρὸς σφαγήν· τὸν μακάριον ἐκεῖνον φιλοσοφοῦντα, καὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον καὶ τὸν τούτων θυμὸν καταστέλλοντα, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ τοσαῦτα πεπλημμεληκότος ἀπολογούμενον. Ταῦτα μὴ μόνον ἐπὶ τῆς διανοίας γράφωμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν συνεδρίοις διαλεγώμεθα πρὸς ἀλλήλους διηνεκῶς· ταῦτα καὶ πρὸς γυναῖκα, καὶ πρὸς παιδία συνεχῶς ἀνακινῶμεν τὰ διηγήματα. Εἴτε γὰρ περὶ βασιλέως διαλέγεσθαι βούλει, ἰδοὺ βασιλεύς· εἴτε περὶ στρατιωτῶν, εἴτε περὶ οἰκίας, εἴτε περὶ πολιτικῶν πραγμάτων, πολλὴν ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς ὄψει τούτων τὴν εὐπορίαν. Ταῦτα μεγίστην ἔχει τὰ διηγήματα τὴν ὠφέλειαν. Ἀμήχανον γὰρ, ἀμήχανον, ψυχὴν ἐν ταύταις στρεφομένην ταῖς ἱστορίαις, δυνηθῆναί ποτε κρατηθῆναι τῷ πάθει. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ μάτην τὸν καιρὸν δαπανῶμεν, μηδὲ εἰκῆ τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν ἀναλίσκωμεν εἰς φλυαρίας ἀκαίρους καὶ περιττὰς, μαθόντες τῶν γενναίων ἀνδρῶν τὰς ἱστορίας, ταῦτα συνεχῶς διαλεγώμεθα, καὶ περὶ τούτων. Κἂν βουληθῇ τις τῶν συνεδρευόντων ἢ περὶ θεάτρων, ἢ περὶ ἱπποδρομίας, ἢ περὶ πραγμάτων οὐδέν σοι προσηκόντων ποιήσασθαι λόγον, ἀπαγαγὼν αὐτὸν τῆς ὑποθέσεως ἐκείνης, εἰς ταύτην ἔμβαλε τὴν διήγησιν, ἵνα καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκκαθάραντες, καὶ ἡδονῆς μετὰ ἀσφαλείας ἀπολαύσαντες, καὶ πράους ἑαυτοὺς καταστήσαντες καὶ ἡμέρους τοῖς λελυπηκόσιν ἅπασιν, ἀπέλθωμεν ἐκεῖ μηδένα ἔχοντες ἐχθρὸν, καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν τύχωμεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Βʹ. Ὅτι μέγα ἀγαθὸν οὐ τὸ μετιέναι μόνον ἀρετὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἐπαινεῖν ἀρετήν·

καὶ ὅτι μεῖζον ἔστησε τρόπαιον φεισάμενος τοῦ Σαοὺλ ὁ ∆αυῒδ, ἢ ὅτε τὸν Γολιὰθ κατήνεγκε· καὶ ὅτι ἑαυτὸν μᾶλλον ἢ τὸν Σαοὺλ ὠφέλησε τοῦτο ποιήσας· καὶ εἰς τὴν

ἀπολογίαν αὐτοῦ τὴν πρὸς τὸν Σαούλ. αʹ. Ὑμεῖς μὲν πρώην ἐπῃνέσατε τὸν ∆αυῒδ τῆς ἀνεξικακίας· ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμᾶς ἐθαύμασα τῆς περὶ τὸν ∆αυῒδ εὐνοίας τε καὶ φιλοστοργίας. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον τὸ μετιέναι καὶ ζηλοῦν ἀρετὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τοὺς μετιόντας ἐπαινεῖν καὶ θαυμάζειν, φέρει τινὰ μισθὸν ἡμῖν οὐ μικρόν· ὥσπερ οὖν οὐ μόνον τὸ ζηλοῦν κακίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ ζῶντας ἐπαινεῖν, φέρει κόλασιν οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἡμῖν, καὶ εἰ χρή τι καὶ θαυμαστὸν εἰπεῖν, αὐτῶν τῶν ἐν πονηρίᾳ ζώντων χαλεπωτέραν. Καὶ ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀληθὲς, δείκνυσιν ὁ Παῦλος ἐν οἷς φησιν· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ κακίας ἅπαν εἶδος ἠρίθμησε, καὶ τῶν καταπατούντων τοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμους κατηγόρησεν ἁπάντων, ἐπήγαγε λέγων περὶ αὐτῶν ἐκείνων· Οἵτινες τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ Θεοῦ γνόντες, ὅτι οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα πράσσοντες ἄξιοι θανάτου εἰσὶν, οὐ μόνον αὐτὰ ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνευδοκοῦσι τοῖς πράσσουσι· διὸ ἀναπολόγητος εἶ, ὦ ἄνθρωπε. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως εἶπεν, ἵνα δείξῃ τοῦτο ἐκείνου χαλεπώτερον ὄν. Τοῦ γὰρ ἁμαρτάνειν τὸ καὶ ἐπαινεῖν τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, πολὺ