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here are the wicked, but also another reason no less than this. What reason is this? That if God had brought punishments upon all immediately for their sins, our race would have been snatched away beforehand, and would not have survived to continue. And that you may learn that this is true, hear the prophet saying: If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, who shall stand? But if you wish to test the saying, let us leave examining each person’s life with exactness—for it is not possible for us to know the things each has done—what we all indisputably sin, 49.256 let us bring these things into the open, and from this it will be clear and manifest to us, that if we were punished for each of our sins, we would have long ago perished. Whoever calls his brother a fool, he says, is liable to the hell of fire. Is there, then, one of us who has not committed this sin? what then, should he have been snatched away immediately? therefore we all would have been snatched away and would have vanished long, long ago. Again, he who swears, he says, even if he swears truly, does things from the evil one. Who is there, then, who has not sworn? or rather, who is there who has never sworn falsely? He who looks at a woman, he says, with licentious eyes, is a complete adulterer. And of this sin too, one might find many guilty. When, therefore, our confessed sins are such, so unbearable, and each of them by itself brings upon us an inescapable punishment, if we were also to take into account the sins we have committed in secret, then we shall see most clearly the providence of God in not bringing punishment upon us for each sin. So whenever you see someone robbing, being greedy, and not being punished, unfold your own conscience as well, take account of your life, go over your sins, and you will learn well that it is not profitable for you first to be punished for each of your sins. For on this account many speak recklessly, because they do not look at their own affairs before those of others, but leaving aside our own, we all examine the affairs of others. But let us no longer do this, but the opposite. if you see a just man being punished, remember Job; for if a man is just, he will be neither more just than that man, nor even slightly close; and if he suffers countless evils, he has not yet suffered anything as great as that man did. ηʹ. Therefore, taking this to mind, cease accusing the Master, learning that God does not allow such a one to suffer evil by abandoning him, but by wishing to crown him and make him more glorious. But if you see a sinner being punished, remember the paralytic who was on his bed for thirty-eight years. For that he too was delivered over to that sickness then on account of sins, hear Christ saying: Behold, you have become well; sin no more, lest something worse happen to you. For either we pay the penalty for sins when we are punished, or we receive the occasion for crowns, if we suffer evil while living in righteousness. So whether we live in righteousness or in sins, punishment is useful for us, at one time making us more glorious, at another working to make us more temperate, and lightening for us the punishment to come. For that it is possible, having been punished here and having borne it with thanksgiving, to enjoy a milder punishment there, hear Paul saying: For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. For if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined, so that we may not be condemned along with the world. Knowing all these things, therefore, let us also philosophize about such things concerning the providence of God, and let us silence those who speak against it. And if there is anything that happens that surpasses our understanding, let us not from this 49.257 think that our affairs are without providence, but having in part comprehended His providence, in those things which are incomprehensible let us yield to the unsearchable character of His wisdom. For if it is not possible for the unskilled to comprehend the art of a man, much more is the infinity of God’s providence impossible

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ἐνταῦθα οἱ πονηροὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερον οὐκ ἐλάττονα τούτου. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτον; Ὅτι εἰ πᾶσι παρ' αὐτὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα τὰς κολάσεις ἐπήγαγεν ὁ Θεὸς, προανηρπάσθη ἂν τὸ γένος ἡμῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἔφθασεν εἰς διαδοχὴν ἐλθεῖν. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀληθὲς, ἄκουσον τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· Ἐὰν ἀνομίας παρατηρήσῃ, Κύριε, τίς ὑποστήσεται; Εἰ δὲ δοκεῖ καὶ βασανίσαι τὴν ῥῆσιν, τὸν ἑκάστου βίον ἀφέντες μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐξετάζειν οὐδὲ γὰρ δυνατὸν ἡμῖν εἰδέναι τὰ ἑκάστῳ βεβιωμένα, ἅπερ ἀναντιῤῥήτως ἅπαντες ἁμαρτάνο 49.256 μεν, ταῦτα εἰς μέσον ἀγάγωμεν, καὶ ἐκ τούτου δῆλον ἡμῖν ἔσται καὶ φανερὸν, ὅτι εἰ καθ' ἕκαστον ἐκολαζόμεθα τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, πάλαι ἂν ἀπωλώλειμεν. Ὁ καλέσας τὸν ἀδελφὸν μωρὸν, ἔνοχός ἐστιν εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρὸς, φησίν. Ἔστιν οὖν τις ἡμῶν ὃς οὐχ ἥμαρτε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ταύτην; τί οὖν, εὐθέως ἀναρπασθῆναι ἔδει; οὐκοῦν πάντες ἀνηρπάσθημέν τε καὶ ἠφανίσθημεν ἂν πάλαι καὶ πρόπαλαι. Πάλιν ὁ ὀμνύων, φησὶ, κἂν εὐορκῇ, τὰ ἐκ τοῦ Πονηροῦ ποιεῖ πράγματα. Τίς οὖν ἐστιν, ὃς οὐκ ὤμοσε; μᾶλλον δὲ τίς ἐστιν, ὃς οὐκ ἐπιώρκησε πώποτε; Ὁ πρὸς γυναῖκα ἰδὼν, φησὶν, ἀκολάστοις ὀφθαλμοῖς, ἀπηρτισμένος ἐστὶ μοιχός. Καὶ ταύτης δὲ τῆς ἁμαρτίας πολλοὺς εὕροι τις ἂν ὑπευθύνους. Ὅταν οὖν τὰ ὡμολογημένα τοιαῦτα ᾖ, οὕτως ἀφόρητα, καὶ τούτων ἕκαστον καθ' ἑαυτὸ κόλασιν ἀπαραίτητον ἡμῖν ἐπάγῃ, εἰ καὶ τὰ λάθρα ἡμῖν ἡμαρτημένα ἀναλογισαίμεθα, τότε ὀψόμεθα μάλιστα τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόνοιαν οὐκ ἐπάγουσαν καθ' ἕκαστον ἁμάρτημα τὴν τιμωρίαν ἡμῖν. Ὥστε ὅταν ἴδῃς τινὰ ἁρπάζοντα, πλεονεκτοῦντα, καὶ μὴ κολαζόμενον, ἀνάπτυξον καὶ σὺ τὸ σαυτοῦ συνειδὸς, ἀναλόγισαί σου τὴν ζωὴν, ἔπελθε τὰ ἡμαρτημένα, καὶ μαθήσῃ καλῶς ὅτι σοὶ πρώτῳ οὐ συμφέρει καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων κολάζεσθαι. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἀφειδῶς οἱ πολλοὶ φθέγγονται, ἐπειδὴ οὐ τὰ ἴδια πρὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων σκοποῦσιν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἡμέτερα ἀφέντες, τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐξετάζομεν ἅπαντες. Ἀλλὰ μηκέτι τοῦτο ποιῶμεν, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον· κἂν μὲν δίκαιόν τινα κολαζόμενον ἴδῃς, ἀναμνήσθητι τοῦ Ἰώβ· ἄν τε γὰρ δίκαιος ᾖ τις, οὔτε δικαιότερος ἔσται ἐκείνου, οὔτε κατὰ μικρὸν ἐγγύς· ἄν τε μυρία πάσχῃ κακὰ, οὐδὲν οὐδέπω τοσοῦτον ἔπαθεν, ὅσον ἐκεῖνος. ηʹ. Τοῦτο τοίνυν εἰς νοῦν λαβὼν, παῦσαι κατηγορῶν τοῦ ∆εσπότου, μαθὼν ὅτι οὐκ ἐγκαταλιμπάνων τὸν τοιοῦτον ὁ Θεὸς ἀφίησι πάσχειν κακῶς, ἀλλὰ στεφανῶσαι καὶ λαμπρότερον ποιῆσαι βουλόμενος. Ἂν δὲ ἁμαρτωλὸν ἴδῃς τιμωρούμενον, ἀναμνήσθητι τοῦ παραλυτικοῦ τοῦ τριάκοντα ὀκτὼ ἔτη ἔχοντος ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης. Ὅτι γὰρ κἀκεῖνος δι' ἁμαρτίας τῇ νόσῳ παρεδόθη τότε ἐκείνῃ, ἄκουσον τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Ἴδε ὑγιὴς γέγονας, μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε, ἵνα μὴ χεῖρόν τί σοι γένηται. Ἢ γὰρ ἁμαρτημάτων τίνομεν δίκας κολαζόμενοι, ἢ στεφάνων λαμβάνομεν ὑπόθεσιν, ἂν ἐν κατορθώμασι ζῶντες πάσχωμεν κακῶς. Ὥστε κἂν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, κἂν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ζῶμεν, χρήσιμον ἡμῖν ἡ κόλασις, ὁτὲ μὲν λαμπροτέρους ποιοῦσα, ὁτὲ δὲ σωφρονεστέρους ἐργαζομένη, καὶ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἡμῖν ἐπικουφίζουσα τιμωρίαν. Ὅτι γὰρ ἔστιν ἐνταῦθα κολασθέντα καὶ ἐνεγκόντα εὐχαρίστως, πραοτέρας ἀπολαῦσαι ἐκεῖ τῆς τιμωρίας, ἄκουσον τοῦ Παύλου λέγοντος· ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐν ὑμῖν πολλοὶ ἀσθενεῖς καὶ ἄῤῥωστοι, καὶ κοιμῶνται ἱκανοί. Εἰ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκρίνομεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐκρινόμεθα· κρινόμενοι δὲ ὑπὸ Κυρίου παιδευόμεθα, ἵνα μὴ σὺν τῷ κόσμῳ κατακριθῶμεν. Ταῦτα οὖν ἅπαντα εἰδότες, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα φιλοσοφῶμεν περὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας, καὶ τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας ἐπιστομίζωμεν. Κἂν ᾖ τι τῶν γιγνομένων τὴν διάνοιαν ὑπερβαῖνον τὴν ἡμετέραν, μὴ ἀπὸ τούτου τὰ 49.257 καθ' ἡμᾶς ἀπρονόητα εἶναι νομίζωμεν, ἀλλ' ἐκ μέρους καταλαβόντες αὐτοῦ τὴν πρόνοιαν, ἐν τοῖς ἀκαταλήπτοις παραχωρῶμεν αὐτοῦ τῷ ἀνεξιχνιάστῳ τῆς σοφίας. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνθρώπου τέχνην οὐ δυνατὸν καταλαβεῖν τῷ ἰδιώτῃ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας τὸ ἄπειρον ἀδύνατον