9

He says: I am thankful to Christ who strengthened me, because he considered me faithful; me who was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, he now considered faithful. For this reason I make a public example of myself, so that if anyone is an insufferable blasphemer, he may see that he has hope of salvation.

And you, O David, since you committed adultery and committed murder, and received forgiveness from God, for this reason do you make a public example of yourself? Yes, he says, so that if anyone is an adulterer and a murderer, he may learn how he can attain salvation. For this reason he puts away his sin, and received repentance. This then is the only thing sought, that he made it clear to all, and was corrected. Or something else too? Yes, something else also; and how, I say. For just as you have heard, that repentance has much forgiveness, and brings us great and much confidence; so it is also necessary for you to learn this, that he who is clothed in many sins, possesses much shame, and is not only content with repentance, but fears and trembles lest he fall into the same things again. I wish, therefore, to show that the psalm makes known to you not only the sinner, but also the one who repents. And this I will say to you, so that no one may be confident in himself after repentance, but rather may establish his own salvation more securely in the harbor. I wish, therefore, to show him, that he was healed, and became better than himself, and more able and stronger. How then again after this desire did he fall into another sickness? Again war, again sin, again battle, again a contest, again desire came upon him, again a war is joined, a difficult war, and armies 55.574 stand.

And there was a spring in those places. And while the war was fierce, David saw it, and was overcome by a most terrible thirst; he desired therefore to drink. Again a desire, but not a forbidden one; then of a body, but now of water. He desired to drink, he was burning with thirst, and says: I thirst, I am perishing. Some therefore of those wishing to serve him went away, and brought him water at the price of their blood, and brought the water through the enemy. But when the water was brought, the king considered what he had done, that in that war he did not restrain his thirst. And what did he do? Taking the water he did not drink, but poured it out as a libation to God. For it seemed to be not water, but blood, not attending to its nature, but to the intention. Do you see then how, having been taught by the former desire, he afterward became more self-controlled? He who desired bodies, does not desire water; or rather he desired, but he controlled himself. For I do not say that he was without desire, but by his philosophy he overcame the desire, and did not touch it.

8. These things I advise for those who fornicate. Did you love a prostitute? Did you fornicate?

Do you want to repent? Do not add sin to sin, and do not say to me: How can I not fornicate? I tell you how you can. Does desire burn you? But you have a wife; and if you do not have one, take one, so that you may have pleasure with security. But I cannot control myself. But these things are from laziness. For when I bring to you another who does not have a wife, but is self-controlled, what defense do you have, or what excuse? He does not suffer shipwreck on the sea, and you suffer a fall in the harbor? You have a wife, and you fornicate, or rather you commit adultery? And how may I overcome the wound? he says. Enjoy your wife. Shall I enjoy my wife? Absolutely. Consider what the blessed Paul says: But because of fornication, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. If therefore a prostitute calls you, consider the saying in yourself, and say, that the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does; and write the saying in your heart, and say to the prostitute: Why do you call me? the body is not mine, but my

9

λέγει· Χάριν ἔχω τῷ ἐνδυνα μώσαντί με Χριστῷ, ὅτι με πιστὸν ἡγήσατο· τὸν πρό τερον ὄντα βλάσφημον καὶ διώκτην καὶ ὑβριστὴν, νῦν πιστὸν ἡγήσατο. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐμαυτὸν στηλιτεύω, ἵνα ἐάν τις ᾖ βλάσφημος ἀφόρητος, ἴδῃ ὅτι ἔχει ἐλπίδα σω τηρίας.

Καὶ σὺ, ὦ ∆αυῒδ, ἐπειδὴ ἐμοίχευσας καὶ φόνον ἐποίησας, καὶ συγχώρησιν παρὰ Θεοῦ ἔλαβες, διὰ τοῦτο στηλιτεύεις σαυτόν; Ναὶ, φησὶν, ἵνα ἐάν τις ᾖ μοιχὸς καὶ ἀνδροφόνος, μάθῃ πῶς δύναται σωτηρίας τυχεῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀποτίθεται τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ τὴν μετάνοιαν ἐδέξατο. Τοῦτο οὖν μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ ζητούμενον, ὅτι εὔδη λον πᾶσιν ἐποίησε, καὶ διωρθώθη. Ἢ καὶ ἄλλο τι; Ναὶ, καὶ ἄλλο· καὶ πῶς, ἐγὼ λέγω. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἠκούσατε, ὅτι ἡ μετάνοια πολλὴν ἔχει τὴν συγχώρησιν, καὶ μεγάλην καὶ πολλὴν κομίζει ἡμῖν τὴν παῤῥησίαν· οὕτω κἀκεῖνο ὑμᾶς μαθεῖν ἀναγκαῖον, ὅτι καὶ ὁ πολλὰς ἁμαρτίας περιβεβλημένος, πολλὴν αἰσχύνην κέκτηται, καὶ οὐ μό νον ἀρκεῖται τῇ μετανοίᾳ, ἀλλὰ δέδοικε καὶ τρέμει τὸ μηκέτι τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπεσεῖν. Θέλω τοίνυν δεῖξαι, ὅτι οὐ μόνον γνωρίζει σοι ὁ ψαλμὸς τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν μετανοοῦντα. Καὶ τοῦτο ὑμῖν ἐρῶ, ἵνα μηδεὶς ἑαυτῷ μετὰ τὴν μετάνοιαν θαῤῥήσῃ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἀκρι βέστερον τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίαν ἐν τῷ λιμένι καταστήσῃ. Θέλω οὖν δεῖξαι αὐτὸν, ὅτι ἰάθη, καὶ βελτίων ἑαυτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ δυνατώτερος καὶ ἰσχυρότερος. Πῶς οὖν πά λιν μετὰ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ταύτην περιέπεσεν ἑτέρῳ νοσή ματι; Πάλιν πόλεμος, πάλιν ἁμαρτία, πάλιν μάχη, πά λιν παγκράτιον, πάλιν αὐτῷ ἐπῆλθεν ἡ ἐπιθυμία, πάλιν πόλεμος συγκεκρότηται, πόλεμος χαλεπὸς, καὶ στρατό 55.574 πεδα ἕστηκε.

Πηγὴ δὲ ἦν ἐν τοῖς τόποις ἐκείνοις. Καὶ πολέμου ὄντος σφοδροῦ, εἶδεν αὐτὴν ὁ ∆αυῒδ, καὶ εἰς δί ψαν κατηνέχθη χαλεπωτάτην· ἐπεθύμησε τοίνυν πιεῖν. Πάλιν ἐπιθυμία, ἀλλ' οὐ κεκωλυμένη· τότε μὲν σώμα τος, νῦν δὲ ὕδατος. Ἐπεθύμησε πιεῖν, ἐφλέγετο ὑπὸ τῆς δίψης, καὶ λέγει· ∆ιψῶ, ἀπόλλυμαι. Τινὲς οὖν τῶν βου λομένων αὐτὸν θεραπεῦσαι ἀπῆλθον, καὶ ἤνεγκαν αὐτῷ ὕδωρ εἰς τὸ αἷμα αὐτῶν, καὶ διὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἐκόμι σαν τὸ ὕδωρ. Ὡς δὲ ἠνέχθη τὸ ὕδωρ, ἐνενόησεν ὁ βασι λεὺς, τί ἐποίησεν, ὅτι ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ ἐκείνῳ τὴν δίψαν αὐτοῦ οὐ κατέσχε. Καὶ τί ἐποίησε; Λαβὼν τὸ ὕδωρ οὐκ ἔπιεν, ἀλλ' ἔσπεισε τῷ Θεῷ. Οὐ γὰρ ὕδωρ ἐδόκει εἶναι, ἀλλ' αἷμα, οὐ τῇ φύσει προσέχων, ἀλλὰ τῇ γνώμῃ. Ὁρᾷς οὖν πῶς παιδευθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς προτέρας ἐπιθυμίας, ὕστε ρον σωφρονέστερος ἐγένετο; Ὁ σωμάτων ἐπιθυμῶν, ὕδατος οὐκ ἐπιθυμεῖ· μᾶλλον δὲ ἐπεθύμει, ἐκράτει δέ. Οὐ γὰρ λέγω, ὅτι ἐκτὸς ἦν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας, ἀλλὰ τῇ φιλο σοφίᾳ περιεγένετο τῆς ἐπιθυμίας, καὶ οὐχ ἥψατο.

ηʹ. Ταῦτα παραινῶ διὰ τοὺς πορνεύοντας. Ἠράσθης πόρνης; ἐπόρνευσας;

θέλεις μετανοῆσαι; Μὴ προσθῇς τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ μή μοι εἴπῃς· Πῶς δύναμαι μὴ πορνεῦσαι; Ἐγώ σοι λέγω πῶς δύνασαι. Ἡ ἐπιθυμία σε φλέγει; Ἀλλ' ἔχεις γυναῖκα· καὶ εἰ οὐκ ἔχεις, λάβε, ἵνα ἔχῃς μετὰ ἀσφαλείας ἡδονήν. Ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι κρατῆσαι. Ἀλλὰ ῥᾳθυμίας ταῦτά ἐστιν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐνέγκω σοι ἄλλον μὴ ἔχοντα γυναῖκα, σωφρονοῦντα δὲ, ποίαν ἔχεις σὺ ἀπολογίαν, ἢ ποίαν συγγνώμην; Ἐκεῖνος ἐν τῷ πελάγει οὐχ ὑπομένει ναυάγιον, καὶ σὺ ἐν τῷ λιμένι ὑπομένεις τὴν πτῶσιν; Ἔχεις γυναῖκα, καὶ πορνεύεις, μᾶλλον δὲ μοιχεύεις; Καὶ πῶς περιγένωμαι τοῦ ἕλκους; φησίν. Ἀπόλαυε τῆς γυναικός σου. Ἀπολαύσω τῆς γυναικός; Πάνυ. Ἐννόησον τί λέγει ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος· ∆ιὰ δὲ τὰς πορνείας ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα ἐχέτω, καὶ ἑκάστη τὸν ἴδιον ἄνδρα. Ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ ἰδίου σώ ματος οὐκ ἐξουσιάζει, ἀλλ' ὁ ἀνήρ· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος οὐκ ἐξουσιάζει, ἀλλ' ἡ γυνή. Ἐὰν οὖν καλέσῃ σε πόρνη, ἐννόησον τὸ ῥῆμα κατὰ σεαυ τὸν, καὶ εἰπὲ, ὅτι Ὁ ἀνὴρ τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος οὐκ ἐξουσιάζει, ἀλλ' ἡ γυνή· καὶ τὸ ῥῆμα γράφε ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου, καὶ εἰπὲ τῇ πόρνῃ· Τί με καλεῖς; οὐκ ἔστι τὸ σῶμα ἐμὸν, ἀλλὰ τῆς