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For at the same time He created the first-formed man and immediately and from the beginning He settled him in paradise and gifted him that life without toil, having granted him the enjoyment of all things in paradise except for one tree. But he, deceived by the woman through intemperance, trampled on the given commandment and showed insolence toward so great an honor.

2.4 But see here also the greatness of His loving-kindness. For it was necessary that the one who had become so ungrateful concerning the preceding benefactions no longer be deemed worthy of any pardon, but to be placed outside His providence; not only did He not do this, but just as a loving father having an unruly child, moved by natural affection, does not inflict punishments in proportion to the offense, nor again does he let him go completely, but chastises him moderately so that he not run aground into greater wickedness. In the very same way, the good God, since he had shown great disobedience, expelled him from that way of life, and checking his pride from then on, so that he would not leap away any further, condemned him to toil and hardship, all but saying to him: 2.5 The great ease and the license led you into such great disobedience and made you forget my commandments, and having nothing to do prepared you to think of something greater than your own nature, "for idleness has taught all wickedness," for this reason I condemn you to toil and hardship, so that by working the ground you may have a continual reminder both of your disobedience and of the lowliness of your own nature. For since you imagined great things and did not wish to remain within your own bounds, for this reason I command you to return again to that earth from which you were taken; "For you are earth," He says, "and to earth you shall return." 2.6 And so that He might work an increase of his pain and make him take sense of his own fault, He did not settle him somewhere far away, but near paradise, having walled off for him the entrance there so that at every hour seeing what things he deprived himself of through inattention, he might enjoy continual admonition and become more secure in the future concerning the keeping of the given commandments. For whenever we, being in enjoyment of good things, do not perceive the benefaction in the way we ought, when we come to be in deprivation of them, then receiving a greater perception from the removal, we also endure greater pain. Which indeed also happened then in the case of the first-formed man. 2.7 But so that you may learn both the plot of the wicked demon and the wise and resourceful way of our Master, consider what the devil attempted to do to the man through deceit, and what loving-kindness the Master and guardian showed concerning him. For that wicked demon, having envied him his way of life in paradise, with the hope of a greater promise cast him out even from the things in his hands; for having prepared him to imagine equality with God, he led him to the penalty of death. For such are his lures, and not only does he cast us out from the good things in our hands, but he also attempts to cast us into a greater abyss. But the loving God did not even so overlook the race of men, but showing both to the devil that he attempted useless things, and to man how much care He shows for him, through death He bestowed immortality. For consider: that one cast him out of paradise, the Master brought him into heaven; the gain is greater than the loss. 2.8 But as I was saying from the beginning, for which reason I was led to say these things, if then He deemed the one who became ungrateful for such great benefactions worthy again of such great loving-kindness of His own, if you, the soldiers of Christ, hasten to become grateful for these unspeakable gifts offered to you and are vigilant about the keeping of what has been granted, tell me, of how much generosity from Him will you obtain after the keeping? For He is the one who said: "To the one who has, it will be given and he will have abundance." For the one who makes himself worthy concerning what has already been given would be deserving also of greater things

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Ὁμοῦ γὰρ ἐδημιούργησε τὸν πρωτόπλαστον καὶ εὐθέως καὶ ἐκ προοιμίων τῷ παραδείσῳ τοῦτον ἐγκατῴκισε καὶ τὸν ἀταλαίπωρον αὐτῷ βίον ἐκεῖνον ἐδωρήσατο, πάντων τῶν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν πλὴν ἑνὸς ξύλου παρασχών. Ἀλλ' ὑπὸ ἀκρασίας ἐκεῖνος ἀπατηθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς γυναικός, κατεπάτησε τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἐντολὴν καὶ ὕβρισεν εἰς τὴν τοσαύτην τιμήν.

2.4 Ἀλλ' ὅρα καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ μέγεθος τῆς φιλανθρωπίας. ∆έον γὰρ τὸν οὕτως ἀγνώμονα περὶ τὰς προλαβούσας εὐεργεσίας γεγενημένον μηκέτι συγγνώμης τινὸς ἀξιῶσαι ἀλλ' ἔξω τῆς αὐτοῦ προνοίας τοῦτον καταστῆσαι· οὐ μόνον τοῦτο οὐκ ἐποίησεν ἀλλὰ καθάπερ πατὴρ φιλόστοργος παῖδα ἄτακτον ἔχων, ὑπὸ τῆς φυσικῆς φιλοστοργίας κινούμενος, οὐ πρὸς τὸ πλημμέλημα τὰς ἐπιτιμήσεις ἐπάγει οὐδ' αὖ πάλιν πάντη αὐτὸν ἀνίησιν ἀλλὰ σωφρονίζει μετρίως ὥστε μὴ εἰς πλείονα κακίαν ἐξοκεῖλαι. Τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ ὁ ἀγαθὸς Θεός, ἐπειδὴ πολλὴν ἐπεδείξατο τὴν παρακοήν, τῆς μὲν διαγωγῆς αὐτὸν ἐκείνης ἐξέβαλε, καταστέλλων δὲ αὐτοῦ λοιπὸν τὸ φρόνημα ὥστε μὴ ἐπιπλέον ἀποσκιρτῆσαι, πόνῳ καὶ ταλαιπωρίᾳ κατεδίκασε μονονουχὶ λέγων πρὸς αὐτόν· 2.5 Ἡ ἄνεσις ἡ πολλὴ καὶ ἡ ἄδεια εἰς τοσαύτην σε παρακοὴν ἤγαγε καὶ ἐποίησεν ἐπιλαθέσθαι τῶν ἐμῶν ἐντολῶν, καὶ τὸ μηδὲν ἔχειν ποιεῖν παρεσκεύασέ σε πλέον τι τῆς οἰκείας φύσεως ἐννοῆσαι, «πᾶσαν γὰρ κακίαν ἐδίδαξεν ἡ ἀργία», διὰ τοῦτο πόνῳ σε καὶ ταλαιπωρίᾳ καταδικάζω ἵνα τὴν γῆν ἐργαζόμενος ὑπόμνησιν ἔχῃς διηνεκῆ καὶ τῆς παρακοῆς καὶ τῆς εὐτελείας τῆς οἰκείας φύσεως. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μεγάλα ἐφαντάσθης καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκείων ὅρων μεῖναι οὐκ ἠβουλήθης, διὰ τοῦτο ἐξ ἧς γῆς ἐλήφθης ἐκεῖσε πάλιν ἐπανελθεῖν κελεύω· «Γῆ γὰρ εἶ φησι καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ.» 2.6 Καὶ ἵνα ἐπίτασιν αὐτῷ τῆς ὀδύνης ἐργάσηται καὶ ποιήσῃ αἴσθησιν λαβεῖν τοῦ οἰκείου πταίσματος, οὐ μακράν που αὐτὸν ἀπῴκισεν ἀλλὰ πλησίον τοῦ παραδείσου, ἀποτειχίσας αὐτῷ τὴν ἐκεῖσε εἴσοδον ἵνα καθ' ἑκάστην ὥραν ὁρῶν τίνων ἑαυτὸν δι' ἀπροσεξίαν ἀπεστέρησε, διηνεκοῦς ἀπολαύῃ νουθεσίας καὶ ἀσφαλέστερος εἰς τὸ ἑξῆς γένηται περὶ τὴν τῶν διδομένων ἐντολῶν φυλακήν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐν ἀπολαύσει τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὄντες μὴ αἰσθανώμεθα ὃν χρὴ τρόπον τῆς εὐεργεσίας, ἐπειδὰν ἐν στερήσει αὐτῶν γενώμεθα, τότε πλείονα τὴν αἴσθησιν λαμβάνοντες ἐκ τῆς ἀφαιρέσεως μείζονα καὶ τὴν ὀδύνην ὑπομένομεν. Ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ πρωτοπλάστου τότε γέγονεν. 2.7 Ἀλλ' ἵνα μάθῃς καὶ τοῦ πονηροῦ δαίμονος τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν καὶ τοῦ δεσπότου τοῦ ἡμετέρου τὸ σοφὸν καὶ εὐμήχανον, σκόπησον τί μὲν ὁ διάβολος ἐπεχείρησε διὰ τῆς ἀπάτης ἐργάσασθαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, τίνα δὲ ὁ δεσπότης καὶ κηδεμὼν περὶ αὐτὸν τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπεδείξατο. Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ὁ πονηρὸς δαίμων φθονήσας αὐτῷ τῆς ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ διαγωγῆς ἐλπίδι μείζονος ὑποσχέσεως καὶ τῶν ἐν χερσὶν ἐξέβαλεν· ἰσοθεΐαν γὰρ αὐτὸν φαντασθῆναι παρασκευάσας εἰς τὸ ἐπιτίμιον τοῦ θανάτου ἤγαγε. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ δελεάσματα καὶ οὐ μόνον τῶν ἐν χερσὶν ἡμᾶς ἀγαθῶν ἐκβάλλει ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς μείζονα κρημνὸν ἐμβάλλειν ἐπιχειρεῖ. Ἀλλ' ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς οὐδὲ οὕτω περιεῖδε τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος, ἀλλὰ δεικνὺς καὶ τῷ διαβόλῳ ὡς ἀνονήτοις ἐπεχείρησε καὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ὅσην περὶ αὐτὸν κηδεμονίαν ἐπιδείκνυται διὰ τοῦ θανάτου τὴν ἀθανασίαν ἐδωρήσατο. Σκόπει γάρ· ἐξέβαλεν αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνος τοῦ παραδείσου, εἰσήγαγεν ὁ δεσπότης εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν· μείζων τῆς ζημίας ἡ ἐμπορία. 2.8 Ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔλεγον διὸ καὶ ταῦτα εἰπεῖν προήχθην, εἰ τοίνυν τὸν εἰς τὰς τοσαύτας εὐεργεσίας ἀγνώμονα γενόμενον τοσαύτης πάλιν ἠξίωσε τῆς ἑαυτοῦ φιλανθρωπίας, ἐὰν ὑμεῖς οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ στρατιῶται περὶ τὰς παρεχομένας ὑμῖν ἀφάτους ταύτας δωρεὰς εὐγνώμονες γενέσθαι σπουδάσητε καὶ περὶ τὴν φυλακὴν τῶν παρασχεθέντων διαγρηγορήσητε, πόσης εἰπέ μοι τεύξεσθε τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ φιλοτιμίας μετὰ τὴν φυλακήν; Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ εἰρηκώς· «Τῷ ἔχοντι δοθήσεται καὶ περισσευθήσεται.» Ὁ γὰρ περὶ τὰ ἤδη δοθέντα ἄξιον ἑαυτὸν ἀπεργαζόμενος δίκαιος ἂν εἴη καὶ μειζόνων