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with sickness, so that she might call upon physicians and drive away the disease. It was nature that was afflicted, needing the hand from above. For this reason, leaving everything on earth, she ran to the Master of nature, and did not depart until she had persuaded him to end her childlessness, to open her womb, and to make the barren one a mother. Blessed, therefore, also for this, not because she became a mother, but because she became one when she was not. For the former is common to nature, but the latter was the exceptional achievement of the woman. Blessed, therefore, for those birth-pangs, and no less blessed for everything before the birth-pangs. For you all surely know, both women and men, that nothing could be more unbearable for a woman than childlessness; but even if she enjoys prosperity ten thousand times, she could never ward off the pain arising in her from this wound. If it is so unbearable now, when we have been called to a greater philosophy, and are journeying toward heaven, and have no regard for present things, but are preparing for another life, and the praise of virginity is great, consider how great an evil the matter was thought to be then, when there was no hope of future things, nor even a thought of them for the people of old, but they did everything for the sake of present affairs, and it was a curse and a condemnation to be barren and childless. It is not possible to tell, nor to represent in word the pain from this wound. And women bear witness, who showed every philosophy, yet did not bear this misfortune; but some grew vexed with their husbands, while others considered life unlivable. But this woman was besieged not only by despondency on account of her barrenness, but also by another passion, anger on account of the reproaches of her rival. And just as when opposing winds fall upon one another, and catch a ship in the middle of their fight with each other, and raise many waves from the stern, and many from the prow, the helmsman sitting at the rudder saves the ship, beating back the assaults of the waves by the wisdom of his skill; so also that woman then, when, like contrary winds, anger and despondency fell upon her soul, rending apart her thoughts and raising many waves, not for two, or three, or twenty days, but for whole years—for he says this happened for a considerable time; she bore the storm nobly, and did not allow her reason to be sunk. For the fear of God, like a helmsman sitting at the rudder, persuaded her to bear that tossing nobly; and he did not cease from steering her soul, until he brought the ship into the fair haven, filled with its cargo, and her womb filled with a precious treasure. For she did not carry gold, or silver, but a prophet and a priest; and 54.645 the sanctification of her womb was twofold, both because the child conceived was such a one, and because from prayer and grace from above she received the beginning of her conception. 2. But not only was the cargo marvelous and wonderful, but the manner of the trading became more marvelous; for she did not give him over to men, nor to any merchants or retailers, but casting him forth from the vessel at once, she sold him to God; and she made so great a trade as was likely for one to make who was dealing with God. For after receiving him, another child was given to her in return; or rather, not one, nor two, nor three, and four only, but many more, "For the barren," it says, "has borne seven," and the interest exceeded the principal. For such is business with God; it returns not a fraction of the principal, but many times more. And He gave not only female children, but also composed her interest from both sexes, so that her pleasure might be complete. I say these things, not that you may only praise, but that you may also emulate the faith, the long-suffering of the woman, which you heard in part before; and so, to render what remains, permit me to relate a little concerning the words that follow

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ἀῤῥωστίᾳ, ἵνα ἰατρῶν παρακαλέσῃ παῖδας, καὶ ἀπελάσῃ τὸ νόσημα. Φύσις ἦν ἡ ἐπηρεαζομένη, τῆς ἄνωθεν δεομένη χειρός. ∆ιὸ δὴ πάντα τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς ἀφεῖσα, πρὸς τὸν τῆς φύσεως ἔδραμε ∆εσπότην, καὶ οὐκ ἀπέστη πρότερον, ἕως ἂν αὐτὸν ἔπεισε λῦσαι τὴν ἀπαιδίαν, καὶ τὴν μήτραν ἀνοῖξαι, καὶ ποιῆσαι μητέρα τὴν στεῖραν. Μακαρία μὲν οὖν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, οὐχ ὅτι μήτηρ ἐγένετο, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐκ οὖσα ἐγένετο. Ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ κοινὸν τῆς φύσεως, τοῦτο δὲ ἐξαίρετον τῆς γυναικὸς ἦν κατόρθωμα. Μακαρία μὲν οὖν καὶ διὰ τὰς ὠδῖνας ἐκείνας, μακαρία δὲ οὐχ ἧττον καὶ διὰ τὰ πρὸ τῶν ὠδίνων ἅπαντα. Ἴστε γὰρ δήπου πάντες, καὶ γυναῖκες, καὶ ἄνδρες, ὡς οὐδὲν ἀφορητότερον ἀπαιδίας γυναικὶ γένοιτ' ἄν· ἀλλὰ κἂν μυριάκις ἀπολαύῃ τῆς εὐημερίας, τὴν ἐκ τῆς πληγῆς ταύτης ὀδύνην ἐγγινομένην αὐτῇ οὐκ ἄν ποτε ἀποκρούσαιτο. Εἰ δὲ νῦν οὕτως ἀφόρητον, ὅτε πρὸς μείζονα φιλοσοφίαν ἐκλήθημεν, καὶ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ὁδεύομεν, καὶ λόγος ἡμῖν τῶν παρόντων οὐδεὶς, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἑτέραν ζωὴν παρασκευαζόμεθα, καὶ πολὺ τὸ τῆς παρθενίας ἐγκώμιον, ἐννόησον ἡλίκον τότε κακὸν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐνομίζετο εἶναι, ὅτε τῶν μελλόντων μὲν οὐδεμία τις ἦν ἐλπὶς, οὐδὲ ἔννοια τοῖς παλαιοῖς, πάντα δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν παρόντων ἔπραττον πραγμάτων, καὶ ἀρά τις ἦν καὶ καταδίκη τὸ στεῖραν εἶναι καὶ ἄγονον. Οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, οὐδὲ παραστῆσαι τῷ λόγῳ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς πληγῆς ταύτης ὀδύνην. Μαρτυροῦσι δὲ γυναῖκες, ὅσαι πᾶσαν μὲν ἐπεδείξαντο φιλοσοφίαν, ταύτην δὲ τὴν δυσκληρίαν οὐκ ἤνεγκαν· ἀλλ' αἱ μὲν πρὸς τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐδυσχέραινον, αἱ δὲ τὸν βίον ἀβίωτον εἶναι ἐνόμισαν. Τὴν δὲ γυναῖκα ταύτην οὐκ ἀθυμία μόνον ἡ διὰ τὴν στείρωσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερον ἐπολιόρκει πάθος, θυμὸς διὰ τὰ ὀνείδη τῆς ἀντιζήλου. Καὶ καθάπερ ἀνέμων ἀπεναντίας ἀλλήλοις ἐμπιπτόντων, καὶ σκάφος μέσον ἐν τῇ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀπολαβόντων μάχῃ, καὶ πολλὰ μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς πρύμνης, πολλὰ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς πρώρας ἐγειρόντων τὰ κύματα, ὁ κυβερνήτης ἐπὶ τῶν οἰάκων καθήμενος διασώζει τὸ σκάφος, τὰς τῶν κυμάτων ἐμβολὰς τῇ τῆς ἐπιστήμης σοφίᾳ διακρουόμενος· οὕτω καὶ ἡ γυνὴ τότε ἐκείνη, καθάπερ πνευμάτων ἐναντίων, τοῦ θυμοῦ, καὶ τῆς ἀθυμίας, εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῆς ἐμπεσόντων, καὶ τοὺς λογισμοὺς αὐτῆς διακοπτόντων, καὶ πολλὰ τὰ κύματα ἐγειρόντων, οὐχὶ δύο, καὶ τρεῖς, καὶ εἴκοσι ἡμέρας, ἀλλ' ἐπ' ἐνιαυτοὺς ὁλοκλήρους καὶ γὰρ ἐξ ἱκανοῦ τοῦτο ἐγένετο, φησίν· ἤνεγκε τὸν χειμῶνα γενναίως, καὶ καταποντισθῆναι τὸν λογισμὸν οὐκ εἴασεν. Ὁ γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβος, καθάπερ κυβερνήτης ἐπὶ τῶν οἰάκων καθήμενος, ἔπειθε γενναίως φέρειν τὸ κλυδώνιον ἐκεῖνο· καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἀπέστη διακυβερνῶν αὐτῆς τὴν ψυχὴν, ἕως εἰς τὸν εὔδιον λιμένα κατήγαγε πεπληρωμένην τοῦ φορτίου τὴν ναῦν, καὶ πολυτίμου θησαυροῦ τὴν γαστέρα γέμουσαν. Οὐ γὰρ χρυσίον, οὐδὲ ἀργύριον ἐβάσταζεν, ἀλλὰ προφήτην καὶ ἱερέα· καὶ 54.645 διπλοῦς ἦν αὐτῆς τῆς γαστρὸς ὁ ἁγιασμὸς, ὅτι τε τοιοῦτον ἦν τὸ κυούμενον παιδίον, ὅτι τε ἐξ εὐχῆς καὶ τῆς ἄνωθεν χάριτος τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς κυήσεως ἔλαβεν. βʹ. Οὐχ ὁ φόρτος δὲ μόνον παράδοξος ἦν καὶ θαυμαστὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ τρόπος τῆς ἐμπορίας παραδοξότερος γέγονεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἀνθρώποις ἀπέδοτο, οὐδὲ ἐμπόροις τισὶ καὶ καπήλοις, ἀλλ' εὐθέως αὐτὸν ἐκβαλοῦσα τοῦ σκάφους ἐπώλησε τῷ Θεῷ· καὶ τοσαύτην εἰργάσατο τὴν ἐμπορίαν, ὅσην εἰκὸς ἦν Θεῷ συμβαλοῦσαν ἐργάσασθαι. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸ λαβεῖν αὐτὸν, ἀντέδωκεν ἕτερον αὐτῇ τέκνον· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐχ ἓν, οὐδὲ δύο, οὐδὲ τρία, καὶ τέσσαρα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ πλείονα, Ὅτι στεῖρα, φησὶν, ἔτεκεν ἑπτὰ, καὶ ὑπερέβη τὸ κεφάλαιον ὁ τόκος. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν πραγματεία· οὐ τὸ πολλοστὸν τοῦ κεφαλαίου, ἀλλὰ τὸ πολυπλάσιον ἀποδίδωσι. Καὶ οὐ θήλεα μόνον ἔδωκε τὰ παιδία, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ἑκατέρας τῆς φύσεως τὸν τόκον αὐτῆς συνεκρότησεν· ὥστε ἀπηρτισμένην αὐτῇ γενέσθαι τὴν ἡδονήν. Ταῦτα λέγω, οὐχ ἵνα ἐπαινέσητε μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ ζηλώσητε τὴν πίστιν, τὴν ἀνεξικακίαν τῆς γυναικὸς, ἣν ἠκούσατε μὲν ἐκ μέρους καὶ πρώην· ὥστε δὲ καὶ τὰ λείψανα ἀποδοῦναι, δότε μοι μικρὸν διηγήσασθαι περὶ τῶν ῥημάτων τῶν μετὰ