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that some were poor; but they paid no attention to this, but that they received strangers. And both were present at that time, gathering the grape-cluster of hospitality with their judgment, with their philosophy, with their service, with their reception, with their labor, with their ministry, with their love, with their management, with their precision, in omitting nothing. And the woman stood by the tree, using the tree instead of a chamber, and having the shadow of the leaves as a roof, and she was not ashamed to be seen publicly. For she stood displaying her own propriety, and gathering the fruit of her service. What then did the one who arrived say? About this time I will return, and Sarah shall have a son. What a fruit the table brought forth! How beautiful! How swift! How ripe! How the grape-cluster is ripening and perfected! For that word entered into the womb, and created the child. Such are the fruits of hospitality. Pay attention to what I am about to say. And after these things, when the child grew up, the one born from the table, when the fruit of hospitality became a man (for that womb did not so much bear him as the table bore him, and before all things, the word of God), when he grew up and became a man, and it was then time for marriage (pay close attention to what I say), that old man, the blessed Abraham, the patriarch, was then about to die; and he was dwelling among corrupt women and a most wicked nation, having called his own servant, he says: Here the women of the Canaanites are wicked. What then do you want? Go to the land from which I was born, and bring a wife from there for my son. New and strange matters. You know, and you understand very well; for when someone wants to bring a wife for his son, both the father and the mother speak, and they go to the houses of others, and they flatter this one, and court that one, and there are many matchmakers, and many bridal attendants, and promises of money, and every effort for the father and the mother to speak for themselves, and they are not ashamed, nor do they blush, nor do they command their servants; but when a stranger comes, "You go, bring him down, receive him." But Abraham did the opposite; when it was necessary to do a 55.510 lofty and philosophical thing, he does it himself; he did not entrust hospitality to a servant, but to his wife and to himself; but when a wife and a wedding were being arranged, "Go," he says to the servant. Here women do the opposite. If they want to speak with a goldsmith, they are not ashamed, but they go out themselves, and sit beside him, so that the gold is not stolen, and the desire for money allows them to despise decency and modesty. But Abraham was not so, but when he wanted to receive strangers, he did it himself and with his wife; but when it was the marriage, he did it through the servant. Why then do you remember Abraham? That he was rich. Think on these things of Abraham also, and you will never despise anyone. But from where did I digress to say these things? Having taken the prophet and that staff, "Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich." For that verse gave birth to all these things. And behold, we have found a treasure full of gold. Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich. Take this staff, which is able to set upright bodies that are trembling. For a staff is not by nature so able to set upright the trembling bodies of the old and aged, as this verse raises up the trembling mind of the young and those grown old in desire and besieged by sin. Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich. Why do you fear a man, who is not a man, but a wolf? Why do you fear a man full of impieties, and besieged by gold? Why do you fear a man who has betrayed his own interests through injustice, and who often has the enemy within? But the prophet declared to me, saying: Do not

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πένητας εἶναί τινας· ἀλλ' οὐ προσεῖχον τούτῳ, ἀλλ' ὅτι ξένους ὑπεδέχοντο. Καὶ παρειστήκεισαν ἀμφότεροι ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, τὸν βότρυν τῆς φιλοξενίας τρυγῶντες τῇ γνώμῃ, τῇ φιλοσοφίᾳ, τῇ διακονίᾳ, τῇ ὑποδοχῇ, τῷ πόνῳ, τῇ ὑπηρεσίᾳ, τῇ ἀγάπῃ, τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ, τῇ ἀκριβείᾳ, τῷ μηδὲν παραλιπεῖν. Καὶ εἱστήκει παρὰ τὸ δένδρον ἡ γυνὴ, ἀντὶ θαλάμου τῷ δένδρῳ χρησαμένη, καὶ τὴν σκιὰν τῶν φύλλων ἔχουσα στέγην, καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνετο δημοσιεύεσθαι. Εἱστήκει γὰρ τὴν οἰκείαν κοσμιότητα ἐπιδεικνυμένη, καὶ τῆς διακονίας τὸν καρπὸν τρυγῶσα. Τί οὖν ὁ παραγενόμενος; Κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἐλεύσομαι, καὶ ἔσται τῇ Σάῤῥᾳ υἱός. Οἶον καρπὸν ἐβλάστησεν ἡ τράπεζα! πῶς καλόν! πῶς ταχύν! πῶς ὥριμον! πῶς ὁ βότρυς περκάζων καὶ ἀπηρτισμένος! Καὶ γὰρ τὸ ῥῆμα ἐκεῖνο εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν μήτραν, καὶ ἐδημιούργησε τὸ παιδίον. Τοιοῦτοι τῆς φιλοξενίας οἱ καρποί. Πρόσεχε ὃ μέλλω λέγειν. Μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ, τὸ παιδίον ἐπειδὴ ηὐξήθη, τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης τεχθὲν, ἐπειδὴ ἀνὴρ ἐγένετο ὁ τῆς φιλοξενίας καρπὸς (οὐ γὰρ οὕτως αὐτὸν ἡ μήτρα ἐγέννησεν ἐκείνη, ὡς ἐγέννησεν ἡ τράπεζα, πρὸ δὲ πάντων τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦ Θεοῦ), ἐπειδὴ ηὐξήθη καὶ ἀνὴρ ἐγένετο, καὶ ὥρα γάμου λοιπὸν ἦν (πρόσεχε μετ' ἀκριβείας ὃ λέγω), ἔμελλε λοιπὸν τελευτᾷν ὁ γέρων ὁ μακάριος Ἀβραὰμ ἐκεῖνος, ὁ πατριάρχης· παρῴκει δὲ γυναιξὶ διεφθαρμέναις καὶ ἔθνει πονηροτάτῳ, καλέσας τὸν οἰκέτην τὸν ἑαυτοῦ, φησίν· Ὧδε πονηραί εἰσιν αἱ γυναῖκες τῶν Χαναναίων. Τί οὖν θέλεις; Ἄπελθε εἰς τὴν γῆν, ὅθεν ἐτέχθην ἐγὼ, καὶ ἄγαγε γυναῖκα ἐκεῖθεν τῷ υἱῷ μου. Καινὰ καὶ παράδοξα πράγματα. Ἴστε ὑμεῖς, καὶ σφόδρα ἐπίστασθε· ὅταν μὲν γὰρ γυναῖκα βούληταί τις ἀγαγεῖν τῷ υἱῷ, καὶ ὁ πατὴρ διαλέγεται καὶ ἡ μήτηρ, καὶ εἰς ἀλλοτρίας οἰκίας παραγίνονται, καὶ τοῦτον κολακεύουσι, καὶ ἐκεῖνον θεραπεύουσι, καὶ προμνήστριαι πολλαὶ, καὶ νυμφαγωγοὶ γίνονται πολλοὶ, καὶ χρημάτων ὑποσχέσεις, καὶ πᾶσα σπουδὴ τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τῇ μητρὶ δι' ἑαυτῶν διαλεχθῆναι, καὶ οὐκ αἰσχύνονται, οὐδὲ ἐρυθριῶσιν, οὐδὲ ἐπιτάττουσιν οἰκέταις· ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ξένος, Ἄπελθε σὺ, κατένεγκε αὐτὸν κάτω, δέξαι αὐτόν. Ὁ Ἀβραὰμ δὲ ἀντιστρόφως· ὅτε μὲν ἔδει ποιῆσαι 55.510 πρᾶγμα ὑψηλὸν καὶ φιλόσοφον, δι' ἑαυτοῦ ποιεῖ· τὴν φιλοξενίαν οὐκ ἐπέτρεψεν οἰκέτῃ, ἀλλὰ τῇ γυναικὶ καὶ ἑαυτῷ· ὅτε δὲ γυνὴ καὶ γάμος ὑφαίνετο, Ἄπελθε λέγει τῷ οἰκέτῃ. Ὧδε τὸ ἐναντίον ποιοῦσιν αἱ γυναῖκες. Ἐὰν μὲν θέλωσι χρυσοχόῳ διαλεχθῆναι, οὐκ αἰσχύνονται, ἀλλ' ἐξέρχονται αὐταὶ δι' ἑαυτῶν, καὶ παρακαθέζονται, ἵνα μὴ ὁ χρυσὸς κλαπῇ, καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῶν χρημάτων ἀφίησιν αὐτὰς καταφρονῆσαι τῆς εὐσχημοσύνης καὶ τῆς σεμνότητος. Ἀλλ' ὁ Ἀβραὰμ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλ' ὅτε ξένους ἤθελεν ὑποδέχεσθαι, δι' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ· ὅτε δὲ τὸν γάμον, διὰ τοῦ οἰκέτου. Τί οὖν μέμνησαι τοῦ Ἀβραάμ; Ὅτι πλούσιος ἦν. Ταῦτα καὶ σὺ ἐννόει τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ οὐδέποτε καταφρονήσεις τινός. Ἀλλὰ πόθεν ἐξέβην ταῦτα εἰπεῖν; Τὸν προφήτην λαβὼν καὶ τὴν βακτηρίαν ἐκείνην, Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅταν πλουτήσῃ ἄνθρωπος. Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ὁ στίχος ἅπαντα ταῦτα ἔτεκε. Καὶ ἰδοὺ θησαυρὸν εὑρήκαμεν χρυσοῦ γέμοντα. Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅταν πλουτήσῃ ἄνθρωπος. Λάβε τὴν βακτηρίαν ταύτην, τὴν δυναμένην ὑποτρομήσαντα τὰ σώματα ἀνορθῶσαι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτω βακτηρία ὑπότρομα ὄντα τὰ σώματα τῶν παλαιῶν καὶ γεγηρακότων ἀνορθοῦν πέφυκεν, ὡς ὁ στίχος οὗτος τῶν νέων καὶ γεγηρακότων ἐν τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας πολιορκουμένων ὑπότρομον οὖσαν τὴν διάνοιαν ἐγείρει. Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅταν πλουτήσῃ ἄνθρωπος. Τί δέδοικας ἄνθρωπον, οὐκ ὄντα ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ λύκον; Τί δέδοικας ἄνθρωπον ἀσεβημάτων γέμοντα, καὶ χρυσῷ πολιορκούμενον; Τί δέδοικας ἄνθρωπον ἀπὸ τῆς ἀδικίας τὰ ἑαυτοῦ προδεδωκότα, καὶ τὸν πολέμιον ἔνδοθεν πολλάκις ἔχοντα; Ἀλλ' ἀπεφήνατό μοι ὁ προφήτης λέγων· Μὴ