Homily IX.

Rom. IV. 23

“Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him for righteousness; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.”

After saying many great things of Abraham, and his faith, and righteousness, and honor before God, lest the hearer should say, What is this to us, for it is he that was justified? he places us close to the Patriarch again. So great is the power of spiritual words. For of one of the Gentiles, one who was recently come near, one who had done no work, he not only says that he is in nothing inferior to the Jew who believes (i.e. as a Jew), but not even to the Patriarch, but rather, if one must give utterance to the wondrous truth, even much greater. For so noble is our birth, that his faith is but the type of ours. And he does not say, If it was reckoned unto him, it is probable it will be also to us, that he might not make it matter of syllogism. But he speaks in authentic words of the divine law, and makes the whole a declaration of the Scripture. For why was it written, he says, save to make us see that we also were justified in this way? For it is the same God Whom we have believed, and upon the same matters, if it be not in the case of the same persons. And after speaking of our faith, he also mentions God’s unspeakable love towards man, which he ever presents on all sides, bringing the Cross before us. And this he now makes plain by saying,

Ver. 25. “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”

See how after mentioning the cause of His death, he makes the same cause likewise a demonstration of the resurrection. For why, he means, was He crucified? Not for any sin of His own. And this is plain from the Resurrection. For if He were a sinner, how should He have risen? But if He rose, it is quite plain that He was not a sinner. But143    If a fresh argument commences here, there is no vicious circle. For there was independent proof of each proposition, and so, when shown to involve one another, they were mutually confirmed. if He was not a sinner, how came He to be crucified?—For others,—and if for others, then surely he rose again. Now to prevent your saying, How, when liable for so great sins, came we to be justified? he points out One that blotteth out all sins, that both from Abraham’s faith, whereby he was justified, and from the Saviour’s Passion, whereby we were freed from our sins, he might confirm what he had said. And after mentioning His Death, he speaks also of His Resurrection. For the purpose of His dying was not that He might hold us liable to punishment and in condemnation, but that He might do good unto us. For for this cause He both died and rose again, that He might make us righteous.

Chap. v. ver. 1. “Therefore being justified by faith, let us144    So nearly all mss. here; and there is good authority for the reading in the text of the N.T. both from mss., versions, and Fathers. It is accepted by Tregelles: Tischendorf retains the received text “we have.”145    The text of Chrys. adds confirmation to the strongly attested ἔχωμεν(so א A. B. C. D.) as against the reading (ἔχομεν) of the T.R. Strong and clear as is the external evidence here, it is to me very doubtful whether it is not overborne by the internal evidence. There seems to be no appropriateness in an exhortation here. The thought has been developed in a didactic form thus far and we should now expect a didactic conclusion (οὖν). Nor should we expect an exhortation to have peace with God which would be the natural consequence of justification and scarcely the proper object of an exhortation. De Wette, Meyer, Godet and Weiss reject the better authenticated reading ἔχωμενon these grounds. It is difficult to see how Chrys. can think that the Apostle is here treating of our “Conversation”—when he proceeds at once to enumerate the new comfort, patience and hope which follow from justification.—G.B.S. have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What does “Let us have peace” mean? Some say, “Let us not be at variance, through a peevish obstinacy for bringing in the Law.” But to me he seems to be speaking now of our conversation. For after having said much on the subject of faith, he had set it before righteousness which is by works, to prevent any one from supposing what he said was a ground for listlessness, he says, “let us have peace,” that is, let us sin no more, nor go back to our former estate. For this is making war with God. And “how is it possible,” saith one, “to sin no more?” How146    3 mss. If thou wilt consider how, etc. was the former thing possible? For if when liable for so many sins we were freed from all by Christ, much more shall we be able through Him to abide in the estate wherein we are. For it is not the same thing to receive peace when there had been none, and to keep it when it has been given, since to acquire surely is harder than to keep. Yet nevertheless the more difficult hath been made easy, and carried out into effect. That which is the easier thing then will be what we shall easily succeed in, if we cling to Him who hath wrought even the other for us. But here it is not the easiness only which he seems to me to hint at, but the reasonableness. For if He reconciled us when we were in open war with Him, it is reasonable that we should abide in a state of reconciliation,147    Or perhaps “by the terms of reconciliation,” for so the text may be understood. The reading in Savile’s margin, τοῖς καταλλαγεῖσι, seems also to bear the same sense. and give unto Him this reward for that He may not seem to have reconciled untoward and unfeeling creatures to the Father.

Ver. 2. “By Whom also we have access,” he says, “by faith unto this grace. (7 mss. add, unto, etc.)

If then He hath brought us near to Himself, when we were far off, much more will He keep us now that we are near. And let me beg you to consider how he everywhere sets down these two points; His part, and our part. On His part, however, there be things varied and numerous and diverse. For He died for us, and farther reconciled us, and brought us to Himself, and gave us grace unspeakable. But we brought faith only as our contribution. And so he says,” “by faith, unto this grace.” What grace is this? tell me. It is the being counted worthy of the knowledge of God, the being forced from error, the coming to a knowledge of the Truth, the obtaining of all the blessings that come through Baptism. For the end of His bringing us near was that we might receive these gifts. For it was not only that we might have simple remission of sins, that we were reconciled; but that we might receive also countless benefits. Nor did He even pause at these, but promised others, namely, those unutterable blessings that pass understanding alike and language. And this is why he has set them both down also. For by mentioning grace he clearly points at what we have at present received, but by saying, “And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God,” he unveils the whole of things to come. And he had well said, “wherein also we stand.” For this is the nature of God’s grace. It hath no end, it knows no bound, but evermore is on the advance to greater things, which in human things is not the case. Take an instance of what I mean. A person has acquired rule and glory and authority, yet he does not stand therein continuously, but is speedily cast out of it. Or if man take it not from him, death comes, and is sure to take it from him. But God’s gifts are not of this kind; for neither man, nor occasion, nor crisis of affairs, nor even the Devil, nor death, can come and cast us out of them. But when we are dead we then more strictly speaking have possession of them, and keep going on enjoying more and more. And so if thou feel in doubt about those to come; from those now present, and what thou hast already received, believe in the other also. For this is why he says, “And we rejoice (καυχώμεθα) in hope of the glory of God,” that you may learn, what kind of soul the faithful ought to have. For it is not only for what hath been given, but for what is to be given, that we ought to be filled with confidingness, as though it were already given. For one “rejoices” in what is already given. Since then the hope of things to come is even as sure and clear as that of what is given, he says that in that too we in like manner “rejoice.” For this cause also he called them glory. For if it contributeth unto God’s glory, come to pass it certainly will, though it do not for our sakes, yet for Him it will. And why am I saying (he means) that the blessings to come are worthy of being gloried in (καυχήσεως)? Why even the very evils of this time present are able to brighten up our countenances, and make us find in them even our repose. Wherefore also he added,

Ver. 3. “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also.”

Now, consider how great the things to come are, when even at things that seem to be distressful we can be elated; so great is God’s gift, and such a nothing any distastefulness in them! For in the case of external goods, the struggle for them brings trouble and pain and irksomeness along with it; and it is the crowns and rewards that carry the pleasure with them. But in this case it is not so, for the wrestlings have to us no less relish than the rewards. For since there were sundry temptations in those days, and the kingdom existed in hopes, the terrors were at hand, but the good things in expectation, and this unnerved the feebler sort, even before the crowns he gives them the prize now, by saying that we should “glory even in tribulations.” And what he says is not “you should glory,” but we glory, giving them encouragement in his own person. Next since what he had said had an appearance of being strange and paradoxical, if a person who is struggling in famine, and is in chains and torments, and insulted, and abused, ought to glory, he next goes on to confirm it. And (what is more), he says they are worthy of being gloried in, not only for the sake of those things to come, but for the things present in themselves. For tribulations are in their own selves a goodly thing. How so? It is because they anoint us unto patient abiding. Wherefore after saying we glory in tribulations, he has added the reason, in these words, “Knowing that tribulation worketh patience.” Notice again the argumentative spirit of Paul, how he gives their argument an opposite turn. For since it was tribulations above all that made them give up the hopes of things to come, and which cast them into despondency, he says that these are the very reasons for confidingness, and for not desponding about the things to come, for “tribulation,” he says, “worketh patience.”

Ver. 4, 5. “And patience experience, and experience hope; and hope maketh not ashamed.”148    The word rendered “patience,” (ὑπομονή) means rather patient endurance, constancy. It is active rather than passive in meaning. Then the endurance which is developed under tribulation helps to form a tried, tested character, Δοκιμή means a tested state—approved character. The R.V. renders “probation,” which is more nearly correct than “experience” (A.V.). We have no word which makes a felicitous translation. The meaning is that steadfastness under trials develops a tested moral manhood, and this kind of character begets hope; it takes away fear for what the future may bring.—G.B.S.

Tribulations, that is, are so far from confuting these hopes, that they even prove them. For before the things to come are realized, there is a very great fruit which tribulation hath—patience;149    We do not see what use patience will be of in a future state, cf. Butler’s Anal. part i. c. v. §4. and the making of the man that is tried, experienced. And it contributes in some degree too to the things to come,150    That such is the power of conscience even in a heathen is plain from Plato, Rep. 1. §5. Steph. p. 350. e. “For you must know, Socrates,” said he, “that when a man is near the time when he must expect to die, there comes into his mind a fear and anxiety about things that were never so thought of before. For the stories that are told of things in Hades, how a man that has done wrong here must satisfy justice for it there, which have hitherto been laughed at, come then to perplex his soul with alarms that they may be true. And even of himself, whether from the infirmity of age, or in that he is in a manner already nearer to that state, he sees somewhat more of it. However it be, he becomes full of suspicion and alarm; and takes account and considers whether he has at all wronged any one. And then a man who finds a number of guilty actions in his life is often roused by alarm from his sleep, like children, and lives ever in expectation of misery. But one who is conscious in himself of no wrong has a pleasing hope ever with him, as the kind nurse of his old age, as Pindar too says. For beautifully indeed, Socrates, has he expressed this, that whoever has passed his life in justice and holiness,   Sweet Hope, best helpmate of the heart,   With cheerful tenderness,   Soothes his declining years.   She whom we mortals trust   In many an anxious doubt   To sway life’s wavering helm.   Well said indeed! one wonders to think how well,” etc. for it gives hope a vigor within us, since there is nothing that so inclines a man to hope for blessings as a good conscience. Now no man that has lived an upright life is unconfiding about things to come, as of those who have been negligent there are many that, feeling the burden of a bad conscience, wish there were neither judgment nor retribution. What then? do our goods lie in hopes? Yes, in hopes—but not mere human hopes, which often slip away, and put him that hoped to shame; when some one, who was expected to patronize him, dies, or is altered though he lives. No such lot is ours: our hope is sure and unmoveable. For He Who hath made the promise ever liveth, and we that are to be the enjoyers of it, even should we die, shall rise again, and there is absolutely nothing which can put us to shame, as having been elated at random, and to no purpose, upon unsound hopes. Having then sufficiently cleared them of all doubtfulness by these words of his, he does not let his discourse pause at the time present, but urges again the time to come, knowing that there were men of weaker character, who looked too for present advantages, and were not satisfied with these mentioned. And so he offers a proof for them in blessings already given. For lest any should say, But what if God be unwilling to give them to us? For that He can, and that He abideth and liveth, we all know: but how do we know, that He is willing, also, to do it? From the things which have been done already. “What things done?” The Love which He hath shown for us. In doing what? some may say. In giving the Holy Ghost. Wherefore after saying “hope maketh not ashamed,” he goes on to the proof of this, as follows:

“Because the love of God is,” he does not say “given,” but “shed abroad in our hearts,” so showing the profusion of it. That gift then, which is the greatest possible, He hath given; not heaven and earth and sea, but what is more precious than any of these, and hath rendered us Angels from being men, yea sons of God, and brethren of Christ. But what is this gift? The Holy Spirit. Now had He not been willing to present us after our labors with great crowns, He would never have given us such mighty gifts before our labors. But now the warmth of His Love is hence made apparent, that it is not gradually and little by little that He honors us; but He hath shed abroad the full fountain of His blessings, and this too before our struggles. And so, if thou art not exceedingly worthy, despond not, since thou hast that Love of thy Judge as a mighty pleader for thee. For this is why he himself by saying, “hope maketh not ashamed,” has ascribed everything not to our well-doings, but to God’s love. But after mentioning the gift of the Spirit, he again passes to the Cross, speaking as follows:

Ver. 6–8. “For while we were yet without strength, Christ in due time died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet pervadenture for a good man some would even dare to die.151    Meyer and Weiss make no distinction between δικαίου and ἀγαθοῦ here. Most have held (I think, rightly) that the latter expresses more than the former. It comprehends those qualities of benevolence, kindness, etc., which may be considered as the peculiar bonds of friendship and would lead to the greatest sacrifices. Holman, Godet and Weiss (following Jerome) take τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ as neuter. J. Müller supposes it to refer to God. The force of the argument is: For an upright man one would hardly be moved to die, but in the case of a benefactor to whom one owed much, the motives of love and pity might move one strongly enough to lead him to summon up the resolution (τολμᾷ) to die, but this would be the highest and a very improbable reach of human love. But Christ died for his enemies, etc.—G.B.S. But God commendeth His love towards us.”

Now what he is saying is somewhat of this kind. For if for a virtuous man, no one would hastily choose to die, consider thy Master’s love, when it is not for virtuous men, but for sinners and enemies that He is seen to have been crucified—which he says too after this, “In that, if when we were sinners Christ died for us,”

Ver. 9, 10. “Much more then, being now justified by His Blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

And what he has said looks indeed like tautology, but it is not to any one who accurately attends to it. Consider then. He wishes to give them reasons for confidence respecting things to come. And first he gives them a sense of shame from the righteous man’s decision, when he says, that he also “was fully persuaded that what God had promised He was able also to perform;” and next from the grace that was given; then from the tribulation, as sufficing to lead us into hopes; and again from the Spirit, whom we have received. Next from death, and from our former viciousness, he maketh this good. And it seems indeed, as I said, that what he had mentioned was one thing, but it is discovered to be two, three, and even many more. First, that “He died:” second, that it was “for the ungodly;” third, that He “reconciled, saved, justified” us, made us immortal, made us sons and heirs. It is not from His Death then only, he says, that we draw strong assertions, but from the gift which was given unto us through His Death. And indeed if He had died only for such creatures as we be, a proof of the greatest love would what He had done be! but when He is seen at once dying, and yielding us a gift, and that such a gift, and to such creatures, what was done casts into shade our highest conceptions, and leads the very dullest on to faith. For there is no one else that will save us, except He Who so loved us when we were sinners, as even to give Himself up for us. Do you see what a ground this topic affords for hope? For before this there were two difficulties in the way of our being saved; our being sinners, and our salvation requiring the Lord’s Death, a thing which was quite incredible before it took place, and required exceeding love for it to take place. But now since this hath come about, the other requisites are easier. For we have become friends, and there is no further need of Death. Shall then He who hath so spared his enemies as not to spare His Son, fail to defend them now they are become friends, when He hath no longer any need to give up his Son? For it is either because a person does not wish it, or because though he may wish it perhaps,152    πολλάκις, Heind. ad Plat. Phæd. p. 140, §12. yet he is unable to do it, that he does not save. Now none of these things can be said of God. For that He is willing is plain from His having given up His Son.153    So Field, from one ms. and Brixius’ version: the old reading could only mean “Now none of these things can be said of God, considering He hath given up.” But that He is able also is the very thing He proved likewise, from the very fact of His having justified men who were sinners. What is there then to prevent us any more from obtaining the things to come? Nothing! Then again, lest upon hearing of sinners, and enemies, and strengthless ones, and ungodly, thou shouldest be inclined to feel abashed and blush; hear what he says.

Ver. 11. “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom we have now received the atonement.”

What meaneth the “not only so?” Not only were we saved, he means, but we even glory154    Same word as joy. See v. 2, etc. for this very reason, for which some suppose we ought to hide our faces. For, for us who lived in so great wickedness to be saved, was a very great mark of our being exceedingly beloved by Him that saved us. For it was not by angels or archangels, but by His Only-begotten Son Himself, that He saved us. And so the fact of His saving us, and saving us too when we were in such plight, and doing it by means of His Only-begotten, and not merely by His Only-begotten, but by His Blood, weaves for us endless crowns to glory in. For there is not anything that counts so much in the way of glory and confidence, as the being treated as friends (φιλεἵσθαι) by God, and finding a Friend (φιλεἵν) in Him that loveth (ἀγαπὥντα) us. This it is that maketh the angels glorious, and the principalities and powers. This is greater than the Kingdom, and so Paul placed it above the Kingdom. For this also I count the incorporeal powers blessed, because they love Him, and in all things obey Him. And on this score the Prophet also expressed his admiration at them. “Ye that excel in strength, that fulfil His Word.” (Ps. ciii. 20.) And hence too Isaiah extolleth the Seraphim, setting forth their great excellency from their standing near that glory, which is a sign of the greatest love.

Let us then emulate the powers above, and be desirous not only of standing near the throne, but of having Him dwelling in us who sitteth upon the Throne. He loved us when we hated Him, and also continueth to love us. “For He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matt. v. 45.) As then He loveth us, do thou love Him. For He is our Friend (φιλεἵ γὰρ). And how cometh it, some will say, that one who is our Friend threateneth hell, and punishment, and vengeance? It is owing to His loving us alone. For all He doeth and is busied with, is with a view to strike out thy wickedness, and to refrain with fear, as with a kind of bridle, thy inclinableness to the worse side, and by blessings and by pains recovering thee from thy downward course, and leading thee up to Him, and keeping thee from all vice, which is worse than hell. But if thou mockest what is said, and wouldest rather live continually in misery, than be punished for a single day, it is no marvel. For this is but a sign of thy unformed judgment (ἀτελοὕς γνώμης), drunkenness, and incurable disorder. Since little children even when they see the physician going to apply burning or the knife, flee and leap away screaming and convulsed, and choose to have a continual sore eating into their body, rather than to endure a temporary pain, and so enjoy health afterwards. But those who have come to discretion, know that to be diseased is worse than submitting to the knife, as also to be wicked is worse than to be punished. For the one is to be cured and to be healthy, the other to ruin one’s constitution and to be in continual feebleness. Now that health is better than feebleness, surely is plain to every one. Thieves then ought to weep not when they have their sides pierced through, but when they pierce through walls and murder. For if the soul be better than the body (as it is), when the former is ruined there is more reason to groan and lament; but if a man does not feel it, so much the more reason to bewail it. For those that love with an unchastened love ought to be more pitied than those who have a violent fever, and those that are drunken, than those that are undergoing torture. But if these are more painful (some may say), how come we to give them the preference? Because there are many of mankind, who, as the proverb saith, like the worse, and they choose these, and pass by the better. And this one may see happening as well in victuals as in forms of government, in emulous aims of life too, and in the enjoyment of pleasure, and in wives, and in houses, and in slaves, and in lands, and in the case of all other things. For which is more pleasurable pray, cohabiting with women or with males? with women or with mules? Yet still we shall find many that pass over women, and cohabit with creatures void of reason, and abuse the bodies of males. Yet natural pleasures are greater than unnatural ones. But still many there are that follow after things ridiculous and joyless, and accompanied with a penalty, as if pleasurable. Well but to them, a man may say, these things appear so. Now this alone is ground enough to make them miserable, that they think those things to be pleasurable which are not so. Thus they assume punishment to be worse than sin which it is not, but just the contrary. Yet, if it were an evil to the sinner, God would not have added evils to the evil; for He that doeth everything to extinguish evil, would not have increased it. Being punished then is no evil to the man who has done wrong, but not being punished, when in that plight, is evil, just as for the infirm not to be cured. (Plat. Gorg. p. 478, sqq.) For there is nothing so evil as extravagant desire. And when I say, extravagant, I mean that of luxury, and that of ill-placed glory, and that of power, and in general that of all things which go beyond what is necessary. For such is he who lives a soft and dissolute life, who seems to be the happiest of men, but is the most wretched, as superinducing upon his soul harsh and tyrannical sovereigns. For this cause hath God made the present a life of labor to us, that He may rid us of that slavery, and bring us into genuine freedom. For this cause He threatened punishment, and made labors a part of our portion in life, so muzzling our vaunting spirit. In this way the Jews also, when they were fettered to the clay and brick making, were at once self-governed, and called continually upon God. But when they were in the enjoyment of freedom, then they murmured, and provoked the Lord, and pierced themselves through with countless evils. What then, it may be said, will you say to those frequent instances of men being altered for the worse by tribulations? Why, that this is no effect of tribulation, but of their own imbecility. For neither if a man had a weak stomach and could not take a bitter medicine which would act as a purgative, but was made even worse by it, would it be the drug we should find fault with, but the weakness of the part, as we should therefore here too with the yieldingness of temper. For he who is altered so by tribulation, is much more likely to be affected in this way by laxity. If he fails even when splinted, (or tied) (this is what affliction is), much more will he when the bandage is removed. If when braced up he is altered, much more when in a state of tumor (χαυνούμενος). And how am I, one may ask, to keep from being so altered by tribulation? Why, if thou reflectest that, wish it or not, thou wilt have to bear the thing inflicted: but if thou dost it with a thankful spirit, thou wilt gain very greatly thereby; but if thou art indignant at it, and ragest155    Several mss. “art in pain.” and blasphemest, thou wilt not make the calamity lighter, but thou wilt render its wave more troublous. By feeling then in this way, let us turn what is necessary into a matter of our own choice. What I mean is this—suppose one has lost his own son, another all his property: if you reflect that it is not in the nature of things for what has taken place to be undone; while it is to gain fruit from the misfortune, though irremediable, even that of bearing the circumstance nobly; and if instead of using blasphemous words, thou wert to offer up words of thanksgiving to the Lord, so would evils brought upon thee against thy will become to thee the good deeds of a free choice. Hast thou seen a son taken prematurely away? Say, “the Lord hath given, the Lord hath taken away.” Do you see your fortune exhausted? Say, “naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither.” (Job. i. 21.) Do you see evil men faring well, and just men faring ill and undergoing ills without number, and dost thou not know where to find the cause? Say, “I became even as it were a beast before Thee. Yet I am ever with Thee.” (Ps. lxxiii. 22.) But if thou wilt search out the cause, reflect that He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world, and so you will throw off perplexity, for then every man will meet his deserts, even as Lazarus and the rich man. Call to mind the Apostles, for they too rejoiced at being scourged, at being driven about and undergoing numberless sufferings, because they were “counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name’s sake.” (Acts v. 41.) And do thou, then, if thou art sick, bear it nobly, and own thyself indebted to God for it, and thou shalt receive the same reward with them. But how, when in feebleness and pain, art thou to be able to feel grateful to the Lord? Thou wilt if thou lovest Him sincerely. For if the Three Children who were thrown into the furnace, and others who were in prisons, and in countless other evils, ceased not to give thanks, much more will they who are in a state of disease, be able to do this. For there is not, assuredly there is not, anything which vehement desire doth not get the better of. But when the desire is even that of God, it is higher than anything, and neither fire, nor the sword, nor poverty, nor infirmity, nor death, nor aught else of the kind appeareth dreadful to one who hath gotten this love, but scorning them all, he will fly to heaven, and will have affections no way inferior to those of its inhabitants, seeing nothing else, neither heaven, nor earth, nor sea, but gazing only at the one Beauty of that glory. And neither the vexations of this life present will depress him, nor the things which are goodly and attended with pleasure elate him or puff him up. Let us then love with this love (for there is not anything equal unto it) both for the sake of things present and for the sake of things to come. Or rather, more than for these, for the nature of the love itself. For we shall be set free both from the punishments of this life and of that which is to come, and shall enjoy the kingdom. Yet neither is the escape from hell, nor the fruition of the kingdom, anything great in comparison of what is yet to be said. For greater than all these things is it to have Christ our beloved at once and our lover. For if when this happens with men it is above all pleasure; when both happen from God, what language or what thought is able to set before one the blessedness of this soul? There is none that can, save the experience of it only. That then we may by experience come to know what is this spiritual joy, and life of blessedness, and untold treasure of good things, let us leave everything to cling to that love, with a view as well to our own joy as to the glory of God. For unto Him is the glory and power, with His Only-begotten, and the Holy Ghost, now, and ever, and unto all ages evermore. Amen.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Θʹ. Οὐκ ἐγράφη δὲ δι' αὐτὸν μόνον, ὅτι ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην: ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' ἡμᾶς, οἷς μέλλει λογίζεσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν ἐγείραντα Ἰησοῦν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν ἐκ νεκρῶν. αʹ. Πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα περὶ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ εἰπὼν, καὶ περὶ τῆς πίστεως αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης καὶ τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τιμῆς, ἵνα μὴ λέγῃ ὁ ἀκροατὴς, Καὶ τί πρὸς ἡμᾶς; ἐκεῖνος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ δικαιωθείς: ἵστησιν ἡμᾶς ἐγγὺς τοῦ πατριάρχου πάλιν. Τοσαύτη τῶν πνευματικῶν λόγων ἡ δύναμις. Τὸν γὰρ ἐξ ἐθνῶν, τὸν ἄρτι προσελθόντα, τὸν οὐδὲν ἐργασάμενον, οὐ μόνον τοῦ Ἰουδαίου τοῦ πιστοῦ οὐδὲν ἔφησεν ἔλαττον ἔχειν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦ πατριάρχου: μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰ χρή τι θαυμαστὸν εἰπεῖν, καὶ πολλῷ πλέον. Τοσαύτη γὰρ ἡμῶν ἡ εὐγένεια, ὡς τὴν ἐκείνου πίστιν τῆς ἡμετέρας τύπον εἶναι. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Εἰ δὲ ἐκείνῳ ἐλογίσθη, εἰκὸς ὅτι καὶ ἡμῖν, ἵνα μὴ ποιήσῃ αὐτὸ συλλογισμόν: ἐξ αὐθεντίας δὲ τῶν θείων φθέγγεται νόμων, καὶ τῆς Γραφῆς ἀπόφασιν αὐτὸ ὅλον ποιεῖ. Διὰ τί γὰρ ἐγράφη, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἢ ἵνα μάθωμεν, ὅτι καὶ ἡμεῖς οὕτω δικαιούμεθα; τῷ γὰρ αὐτῷ Θεῷ πεπιστεύκαμεν ὑπὲρ τῶν αὐτῶν πραγμάτων, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν προσώπων. Εἰπὼν δὲ τὴν πίστιν ἡμῶν, λέγει καὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν τὴν ἄφατον, ἣν ἀεὶ περιστρέφει, τὸν σταυρὸν εἰς μέσον φέρων: ὃ καὶ νῦν ἐδήλωσεν εἰπών: Ὃς παρεδόθη διὰ τὰ παραπτώματα ἡμῶν, καὶ ἠγέρθη διὰ τὴν δικαίωσιν ἡμῶν. Ὅρα πῶς τὴν αἰτίαν εἰπὼν τοῦ θανάτου, τὴν αὐτὴν καὶ ἀπόδειξιν ἀναστάσεως ποιεῖται. Διὰ τί γὰρ ἐσταυρώθη, φησίν; Οὐ δι' οἰκείαν ἁμαρτίαν: καὶ δῆλον ἐκ τῆς ἀναστάσεως. Εἰ γὰρ ἦν ἁμαρτωλὸς, πῶς ἀνέστη; εἰ δὲ ἀνέστη, εὔδηλον ὅτι ἁμαρτωλὸς οὐκ ἦν: εἰ δὲ ἁμαρτωλὸς οὐκ ἦν, πῶς ἐσταυρώθη; Δι' ἑτέρους. Εἰ δὲ δι' ἑτέρους, πάντως ἀνέστη. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγῃς, Πῶς τοσούτοις ἁμαρτήμασιν ὄντες ὑπεύθυνοι δυνάμεθα δικαιωθῆναι; ἔδειξε τὸν πάντα ἀπαλείψαντα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ἵνα καὶ ἐκ τῆς πίστεως τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, δι' ἧς ἐδικαιώθη, καὶ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ πάθους τοῦ σωτηρίου, δι' οὗ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπηλλάγημεν, βεβαιώσῃ τὸν λόγον. Εἰπὼν δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸν θάνατον, λέγει καὶ τὴν ἀνάστασιν. Οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἀπέθανεν, ἵνα ὑπευθύνους ἔχῃ κολάσει, καὶ καταδίκους, ἀλλ' ἵνα εὐεργετήσῃ: ἐπὶ τούτῳ γὰρ καὶ ἀπέθανε καὶ ἀνέστη, ἵνα δικαίους ἐργάσηται. Δικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεως, εἰρήνην ἔχωμεν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τί ἐστιν, Εἰρήνην ἔχωμεν; Τινὲς μέν φασιν, ὅτι Μὴ δὴ στασιάζωμεν φιλονεικοῦντες τὸν νόμον εἰσαγαγεῖν: ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ περὶ πολιτείας ἡμῖν λοιπὸν διαλέγεσθαι. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλὰ περὶ πίστεως διαλεχθεὶς καὶ τῆς διὰ τῶν ἔργων δικαιοσύνης, αὐτὴν προὔθηκεν: ἵνα μή τις νομίσῃ ῥᾳθυμίας ὑπόθεσιν εἶναι τὰ λεγόμενα, φησίν: Εἰρήνην ἔχωμεν: τουτέστι, Μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνωμεν, μηδὲ πρὸς τὰ πρότερα ἐπανερχώμεθα: τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι πόλεμον ἔχειν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ πῶς δυνατὸν, φησὶ, τὸ μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνειν; Πῶς τὸ πρότερον ἐγένετο δυνατόν; Εἰ γὰρ τοσούτων ὄντες ὑπεύθυνοι, πάντων ἀπηλλάγημεν διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν οἷς ἐσμεν μεῖναι δι' αὐτοῦ δυνησόμεθα. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον μὴ οὖσαν εἰρήνην λαβεῖν, καὶ δοθεῖσαν κατασχεῖν, ἐπειδήπερ ἡ κτῆσις τῆς φυλακῆς χαλεπώτερον: ἀλλ' ὅμως γέγονε τὸ χαλεπώτερον εὔκολον, καὶ εἰς ἔργον ἐξέβη. Οὐκοῦν ἔσται καὶ τὸ εὐκολώτερον ἡμῖν εὐκατόρθωτον, ἂν ἐχώμεθα τοῦ καὶ ἐκεῖνα ἡμῖν ἠνυκότος. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐ τὸ εὔκολον αἰνίττεσθαί μοι δοκεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ εὔλογον. Εἰ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς κατήλλαξεν ἐκπεπολεμωμένους, εὔλογον μένειν ἐπὶ τῆς καταλλαγῆς, καὶ ταύτην ἀποδοῦναι αὐτῷ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ σκαιοὺς καὶ ἀγνώμονας κατηλλαχέναι τῷ Πατρί. Δι' αὐτοῦ γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ τὴν προσαγωγὴν ἐσχήκαμεν τῇ πίστει. Εἰ τοίνυν μακρὰν ὄντας προσήγαγε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐγγὺς γενομένους καθέξει. βʹ. Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει πῶς πανταχοῦ τὰ δύο τίθησι, καὶ τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν. Ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν αὐτοῦ ποικίλα καὶ πολλὰ καὶ διάφορα: καὶ γὰρ ἀπέθανε δι' ἡμᾶς, καὶ κατήλλαξεν ἡμᾶς, καὶ προσήγαγε, καὶ χάριν ἔδωκεν ἄφατον: ἡμεῖς δὲ τὴν πίστιν εἰσηνέγκαμεν μόνον: διό φησιν, Ἐν τῇ πίστει εἰς τὴν χάριν ταύτην, ἐν ᾗ ἑστήκαμεν. Ποίαν, εἰπέ μοι, χάριν; Τὸ καταξιωθῆναι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ γνώσεως, τὸ τῆς πλάνης ἀπαλλαγῆναι, τὸ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπιγνῶναι, τὸ πάντων ἐπιτυχεῖν τῶν διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἀγαθῶν: εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ἡμᾶς προσήγαγεν, ἵνα ταῦτα λάβωμεν τὰ δῶρα: οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἵνα ἁμαρτημάτων ἄφεσις γένηται καὶ ἀπαλλαγὴ μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ μυρίων ἀπολαύσωμεν ἀξιωμάτων. Καὶ οὐδὲ ἐν τούτοις ἔστη, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερα ἐπηγγείλατο, τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα ἐκεῖνα καὶ νοῦν καὶ λόγον ὑπερβαίνοντα ἀγαθά. Διόπερ ἀμφότερα τέθεικε: τῷ μὲν γὰρ εἰπεῖν, Τὴν χάριν, τὰ παρόντα ἐδήλωσεν ἅπερ ἐλάβομεν: τῷ δὲ εἰπεῖν, Καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὰ μέλλοντα ἐξεκάλυψεν ἅπαντα. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπεν, Ἐν ᾗ ἑστήκαμεν. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις: οὐκ ἔχει τέλος, οὐκ οἶδε πέρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ μείζονα ἀεὶ πρόεισιν: ὅπερ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων οὐκ ἔνι. Οἷόν τι λέγω: ἔλαβέ τις ἀρχὴν καὶ δόξαν καὶ δυναστείαν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἕστηκεν ἐπὶ ταύτης διηνεκῶς, ἀλλὰ ταχέως αὐτῆς ἐκπίπτει, κἂν μὴ ἄνθρωπος ἀφέληται, θάνατος ἐπελθὼν ἀφαιρήσεται πάντως. Τὰ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ τοιαῦτα: οὔτε γὰρ ἄνθρωπος, οὐ χρόνος, οὐ περίστασις πραγμάτων, οὐκ αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος, οὐχ ὁ θάνατος ἐπελθὼν ἐκβαλεῖν αὐτῶν ἡμᾶς δυνήσεται: ἀλλ' ὅταν ἀποθάνωμεν, τότε ἀκριβέστερον αὐτὰ κατέχομεν, καὶ πλειόνων ἀεὶ προϊόντες ἀπολαύομεν. Ὥστε εἰ διαπιστεῖς τοῖς μέλλουσιν, ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων καὶ ὧν ἔλαβες ἤδη, καὶ ἐκείνοις πίστευε. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο εἶπε, Καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα μάθῃς οἵαν ψυχὴν τὸν πιστὸν ἔχειν δεῖ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῶν δεδομένων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν μελλόντων ὡς δεδομένων πεπληροφορῆσθαι χρή: καυχᾶται γάρ τις ἐπὶ τοῖς ἤδη παρασχεθεῖσιν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ ἡ τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπὶς οὕτω βεβαία καὶ σαφὴς, ὡς ἡ τῶν δεδομένων, καὶ ἐπ' ἐκείνῃ, φησὶν, ὁμοίως καυχώμεθα: διὰ τοῦτο καὶ δόξαν αὐτὰ ἐκάλεσεν. Εἰ γὰρ εἰς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ συντελεῖ δόξαν, πάντως ἐκβήσεται, εἰ καὶ μὴ δι' ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτόν. Καὶ τί λέγω, φησὶν, ὅτι τὰ μέλλοντα ἀγαθὰ ἄξια καυχήσεως; Αὐτὰ μὲν οὖν τὰ παρόντα κακὰ ἱκανὰ ἡμᾶς καλλωπίσαι, καὶ ποιῆσαι ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐναβρύνεσθαι: διὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν: Οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν. Ἐννόησον τοίνυν ἡλίκα τὰ μέλλοντα, ὅταν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς δοκοῦσιν εἶναι λυπηροῖς μέγα φρονῶμεν. Τοσαύτη ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεὰ, καὶ οὕτως οὐδὲν αὐτῆς ἀηδές. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἔξωθεν πραγμάτων οἱ μὲν ἀγῶνες πόνον ἔχουσι καὶ ὀδύνην καὶ ταλαιπωρίαν, οἱ δὲ στέφανοι καὶ τὰ ἔπαθλα τὴν ἡδονὴν κομίζουσιν: ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐπάθλων τὰ παλαίσματα οὐχ ἧττον ἡμῖν ἡδίω. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλοὶ μὲν οἱ πειρασμοὶ τότε ἦσαν, ἡ δὲ βασιλεία ἐν ἐλπίσι, καὶ τὰ μὲν δεινὰ ἐν χερσὶ, τὰ δὲ χρηστὰ ἐν προσδοκίᾳ, τοῦτο δὲ τοὺς ἀσθενεστέρους ἐξέλυσε, καὶ πρὸ τῶν στεφάνων ἤδη δίδωσιν αὐτοῖς τὰ βραβεῖα, λέγων ὅτι καὶ ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσι δεῖ καυχᾶσθαι. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Δεῖ καυχᾶσθαι ὑμᾶς, ἀλλὰ, Καυχώμεθα, φησὶν, ἡμεῖς, ἐν τῷ οἰκείῳ προσώπῳ παραίνεσιν εἰσάγων. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ ἐδόκει ξένον εἶναι καὶ παράδοξον τὸ εἰρημένον, εἰ τὸν λιμῷ παλαίοντα, καὶ ἐν ἁλύσει καὶ ἐν βασάνοις ὄντα, καὶ ὑβριζόμενον καὶ ὀνειδιζόμενον καυχᾶσθαι δεῖ, κατασκευάζει λοιπὸν αὐτό: καὶ τὸ δὴ μεῖζον, ὅτι ἄξια καυχήσεως εἶναί φησιν, οὐ δι' ἐκεῖνα τὰ μέλλοντα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' αὐτὰ τὰ παρόντα: καὶ γὰρ αὐταὶ καθ' ἑαυτὰς αἱ θλίψεις ἀγαθὸν πρᾶγμά ἐστι. Τίνος ἕνεκεν; Ὅτι εἰς ὑπομονὴν ἀλείφουσι. Διόπερ εἰπὼν, Καυχώμεθα ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσι, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν προσέθηκε, λέγων: Εἰδότες, ὅτι ἡ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται. Ὅρα πάλιν τὴν φιλονεικίαν Παύλου, πῶς εἰς τὸ ἐναντίον περιτρέπει τὸν λόγον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αἱ θλίψεις μάλιστα ἀπαγορεύειν ἐποίουν ὑπὲρ τῶν μελλόντων αὐτοὺς, καὶ εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ἐνέβαλλον, λέγει ὅτι δι' αὐτὰς μὲν οὖν ταύτας χρὴ θαῤῥεῖν, καὶ μὴ ἀπογινώσκειν τὰ μέλλοντα. Ἡ γὰρ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται, φησὶν, ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμὴν, ἡ δὲ δοκιμὴ ἐλπίδα, ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον οὐκ ἀναιρετικαὶ τῆς τοιαύτης ἐλπίδος αἱ θλίψεις, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατασκευαστικαί. Ἔχει μὲν γὰρ καὶ πρὸ τῶν μελλόντων μέγιστον καρπὸν τὴν ὑπομονὴν ἡ θλῖψις, καὶ τὸ δόκιμον ποιεῖν τὸν πειραζόμενον: συντελεῖ δέ τι καὶ πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα: τὴν γὰρ ἐλπίδα ἀκμάζειν ἐν ἡμῖν ποιεῖ. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω χρηστὰ ἐλπίζειν παρασκευάζει, ὡς ἀγαθὸν συνειδός. γʹ. Οὐδεὶς γοῦν τῶν ὀρθῶς βεβιωκότων ἀπιστεῖ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων, ὥσπερ οὖν τῶν ἠμελημένων πολλοὶ πονηρῷ πιεζόμενοι συνειδότι, οὐδὲ κρίσιν οὐδὲ ἀντίδοσιν εἶναι βούλονται. Τί οὖν; ἐν ἐλπίσιν ἡμῖν τὰ ἀγαθά; Ἐν ἐλπίσι μὲν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀνθρωπίναις, αἳ διαπίπτουσι καὶ καταισχύνουσι πολλάκις τὸν ἐλπίσαντα, τοῦ προσδοκηθέντος προΐστασθαι τελευτήσαντος, ἢ ζῶντος μεταβληθέντος. Ἀλλ' οὐ τὰ ἡμέτερα τοιαῦτα, ἀλλὰ βεβαία καὶ ἀκίνητος ἡ ἐλπίς. Ὁ γὰρ ἐπαγγειλάμενος ἀεὶ ζῇ, ἡμεῖς τε οἱ μέλλοντες αὐτῶν ἀπολαύσεσθαι, κἂν ἀποθάνωμεν, ἀναστησόμεθα πάλιν, καὶ οὐδὲν ὅλως ἐστὶν ὃ δύναται ἡμᾶς καταισχῦναι, ὡς εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην καὶ ἐπὶ σαθραῖς ἐπαρθέντας ἐλπίσιν. Ἀπαλλάξας τοίνυν αὐτοὺς ἱκανῶς ἀμφισβητήσεως ἁπάσης διὰ τούτων τῶν ῥημάτων, οὐχ ἵστησι μέχρι τῶν παρόντων τὸν λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα πάλιν ἐπάγει, εἰδὼς τοὺς ἀσθενεστέρους καὶ τὰ παρόντα ζητοῦντας, καὶ οὐκ ἀρκουμένους τούτοις. Καὶ πιστοῦται αὐτὰ ἀπὸ τῶν ἤδη δοθέντων. Ἵνα γὰρ μή τις λέγῃ, Τί οὖν, εἰ μὴ βούλεται ἡμῖν χαρίσασθαι ὁ Θεός; ὅτι μὲν γὰρ δύναται καὶ μένει καὶ ζῇ, πάντες ἴσμεν: πόθεν δὲ, ὅτι καὶ βουλήσεται; Ἀπὸ τῶν ἤδη γεγενημένων. Ποίων γεγενημένων; Τῆς ἀγάπης, ἢν περὶ ἡμᾶς ἐπεδείξατο. Τί ποιήσας, φησί; Πνεῦμα ἅγιον δούς. Διόπερ εἰπὼν, Ἡ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει, ἐπήγαγε τὴν ἀπόδειξιν τούτου, λέγων, Ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Δέδοται, ἀλλ' Ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν, τὸ δαψιλὲς ἐμφαίνων. Ὃ γὰρ μέγιστον ἦν δῶρον, τοῦτο ἔδωκεν, οὐκ οὐρανὸν καὶ γῆν καὶ θάλατταν, ἀλλ' ὃ τούτων ἁπάντων τιμιώτερον ἦν, καὶ ἀγγέλους ἐξ ἀνθρώπων καὶ υἱοὺς Θεοῦ καὶ ἀδελφοὺς τοῦ Χριστοῦ κατεσκεύαζε. Τί δέ ἐστι τοῦτο; Τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἐβούλετο μεγάλοις ἡμᾶς μετὰ τοὺς πόνους στεφάνοις δωρήσασθαι, οὐκ ἂν πρὸ τῶν πόνων τοσαῦτα ἔδωκεν ἀγαθά: νῦν δὲ τὸ θερμὸν αὐτοῦ τῆς ἀγάπης δείκνυται ἐντεῦθεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἠρέμα καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν ἡμᾶς ἐτίμησεν, ἀλλ' ἀθρόον τὴν πηγὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐξέχεε, καὶ ταῦτα πρὸ τῶν ἀγώνων, Ὥστε κἂν μὴ σφόδρα ᾖς ἄξιος, μὴ ἀπογίνωσκε, ἔχων μεγάλην συνήγορον τοῦ δικάζοντος τὴν ἀγάπην. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς εἰπὼν, Ἡ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει, οὐ τοῖς ἡμετέροις κατορθώμασιν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀγάπῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ πᾶν ἀνέθηκεν. Εἰπὼν δὲ τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν δόσιν, μεταβαίνει πάλιν λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν, λέγων οὕτως: Ἔτι γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς, ὄντων ἡμῶν ἀσθενῶν, κατὰ καιρὸν ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν ἀπέθανε. Μόλις γὰρ ὑπὲρ δικαίου τις ἀποθανεῖται: ὑπὲρ γὰρ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ τάχα τις καὶ τολμᾷ ἀποθανεῖν. Συνίστησι δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην εἰς ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεός. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν: Εἰ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἀνδρὸς ἐναρέτου οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιτό τις ταχέως ἀποθανεῖν, ἐννόησον τοῦ Δεσπότου σου τὴν ἀγάπην, ὅταν μὴ ὑπὲρ ἐναρέτων αὐτὸς, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ ἐχθρῶν φαίνηται σταυρωθείς: ὅπερ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτά φησιν: Ὅτι, εἰ, ἁμαρτωλῶν ἡμῶν ὄντων, Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανε, πολλῷ οὖν μᾶλλον, δικαιωθέντες νῦν ἐν τῷ αἵματι αὐτοῦ, σωθησόμεθα δι' αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς. Εἰ γὰρ ἐχθροὶ ὄντες κατηλλάγημεν τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον καταλλαγέντες σωθησόμεθα ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν ταυτολογία εἶναι τὰ εἰρημένα, οὐκ ἔστι δὲ τῷ μετὰ ἀκριβείας προσέχοντι. Σκόπει δέ: Βούλεται πιστώσασθαι περὶ τῶν μελλόντων αὐτούς: καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ δικαίου γνώμης ἐντρέπει, εἰπὼν, ὅτι ἐπληροφορήθη κἀκεῖνος, Ὅτι ὃ ἐπήγγελται Θεὸς, δυνατός ἐστι καὶ ποιῆσαι: ἔπειτα ἀπὸ τῆς χάριτος τῆς δοθείσης, εἶτα ἀπὸ τῶν θλίψεων, ὅτι ἱκαναὶ εἰς ἐλπίδα ἡμᾶς ἀγαγεῖν: καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος πάλιν, οὗπερ ἐλάβομεν: λοιπὸν δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας κακίας τῆς ἔμπροσθεν τοῦτο κατασκευάζει. Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν, ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, ἓν εἶναι τὸ εἰρημένον, εὑρίσκεται δὲ καὶ δύο καὶ τρία καὶ πολλῷ πλείονα ὄντα: πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι ἀπέθανε: δεύτερον δὲ, ὅτι ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν: τρίτον δὲ, ὅτι κατήλλαξεν, ὅτι ἔσωσεν, ὅτι ἐδικαίωσεν, ὅτι ἀθανάτους ἐποίησεν, ὅτι υἱοὺς εἰργάσατο καὶ κληρονόμους. Οὐ τοίνυν ἀπὸ τοῦ θανάτου μόνον ἰσχυρίζεσθαι χρὴ, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ δοθέντος ἡμῖν διὰ τοῦ θανάτου: καίτοι γε εἰ καὶ τεθνήκει μόνον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τοιούτων ὄντων, μέγιστον ἦν δεῖγμα ἀγάπης τὸ γεγενημένον: ὅταν δὲ φαίνηται καὶ ἀποθνήσκων δωρούμενος, καὶ τοιαῦτα δωρούμενος καὶ τοιούτοις οὖσι, πᾶσαν ὑπερβολὴν ἀποκρύπτει τὰ γεγενημένα, καὶ τὸν σφόδρα ἀναίσθητον εἰς πίστιν ἄγει. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄλλος ἐστὶν ὁ μέλλων σώζειν ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος ὁ οὕτω φιλήσας ἁμαρτωλοὺς ὄντας, ὡς καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἐκδοῦναι. Εἶδες πόσην ἔχει τὸ χωρίον τοῦτο κατασκευὴν πρὸς τὴν τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπίδα; Πρὸ μὲν γὰρ τούτου, δύο δύσκολα ἦν πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν, τὸ καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἶναι, καὶ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ Δεσπότου δεῖν σωθῆναι: ὅπερ καὶ ἀπίθανον ἦν πρὶν ἢ γενέσθαι, καὶ πολλῆς δεόμενον τῆς ἀγάπης ἵνα γένηται: νυνὶ δὲ ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ἐξέβη, τὰ λειπόμενα εὐκολώτερα: καὶ γὰρ φίλοι γεγόναμεν, καὶ θανάτου λοιπὸν οὐ δεῖ. Ὁ τοίνυν τῶν ἐχθρῶν οὕτω φεισάμενος, ὥστε μὴ φείσασθαι τοῦ Παιδὸς, φίλων ὄντων οὐ προστήσεται, ὅτε λοιπὸν οὐδὲ τοῦ τὸν Παῖδα ἐκδοῦναι χρεία, Ἢ γὰρ διὰ τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαί τις, ἢ διὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι, κἂν βούληται, πολλάκις οὐ σώζει: ὧν οὐδὲν ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐξ ὧν τὸν Υἱὸν ἐξέδωκεν. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ δύναται, καὶ αὐτὸ ὁμοίως ἀπέδειξεν ἐξ ὧν ἁμαρτωλοὺς ὄντας ἐδικαίωσε. Τί οὖν λοιπὸν τὸ κωλύον ἐστὶ τυχεῖν τῶν μελλόντων ἡμᾶς; Οὐδέν. Εἶτα πάλιν, ἵνα μὴ ἁμαρτωλοὺς καὶ ἐχθροὺς καὶ ἀσθενεῖς ἀκούσας καὶ ἀσεβεῖς, μέλλῃς αἰσχύνεσθαι καὶ ἐρυθριᾷν, ἄκουσον τί φησιν: Οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ νῦν τὴν καταλλαγὴν ἐλάβομεν. Τί ἐστιν, Οὐ μόνον δέ; Οὐ μόνον ἐσώθημεν, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμεθα δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο, δι' ὃ νομίζει τις ἡμᾶς ἐγκαλύπτεσθαι. Τὸ γὰρ ἐν τοσαύτῃ πονηρίᾳ ζῶντας ἡμᾶς σωθῆναι, τοῦ σφόδρα ἀγαπηθῆναι παρὰ τοῦ σώζοντος μέγιστον σημεῖόν ἐστιν. Οὐ γὰρ δι' ἀγγέλων ἢ ἀρχαγγέλων, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἔσωσεν. Ὥστε καὶ τὸ σῶσαι, καὶ τὸ τοιούτους ὄντας σῶσαι, καὶ τὸ διὰ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, καὶ οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς διὰ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ, μυρίους ἡμῖν καυχήσεως πλέκει στεφάνους. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἴσον εἰς δόξης λόγον καὶ παῤῥησίας τοῦ φιλεῖσθαι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ φιλεῖν αὐτὸν τὸν ἀγαπῶντα. Τοῦτο τοὺς ἀγγέλους ποιεῖ λαμπροὺς, τοῦτο τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς δυνάμεις, τοῦτο βασιλείας μεῖζον: διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος πρὸ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦτο ἐτίθει: διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὰς ἀσωμάτους μακαρίζω δυνάμεις, ὅτι καὶ φιλοῦσιν αὐτὸν, καὶ πάντα ὑπακούουσιν. Ἐντεῦθεν γοῦν αὐτοὺς καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἐθαύμαζε, λέγων: Δυνατοὶ ἰσχύϊ ποιοῦντες τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ: ἐντεῦθεν καὶ τὰ Σεραφὶμ ὁ Ἡσαΐας ἀνεκήρυττε, τὴν μεγάλην αὐτῶν ἐνδεικνύμενος ἀρετὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἑστάναι πλησίον τῆς δόξης ἐκείνης, ὅπερ μεγίστης ἀγάπης σημεῖον ἦν. δʹ. Ζηλώσωμεν τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰς ἄνω δυνάμεις, καὶ μὴ μόνον ἐγγὺς τοῦ θρόνου στῆναι σπουδάσωμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔνοικον αὐτὸν ἔχειν τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου καθήμενον. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ καὶ μισοῦντας ἐφίλησε, καὶ φιλῶν διατελεῖ: καὶ γὰρ Τὸν ἥλιον ἀνατέλλει ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς, καὶ βρέχει ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους. Σὺ δὲ φιλοῦντα γοῦν ἀγάπησον: φιλεῖ γάρ. Καὶ πῶς, φησὶν, ὁ φιλῶν γέενναν καὶ κόλασιν καὶ τιμωρίαν ἠπείλησε; Δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ φιλεῖν: καὶ γὰρ ἐκκόπτων σου τὴν πονηρίαν, καὶ ὥσπερ τινὶ χαλινῷ τῷ φόβῳ κατέχων σου τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ χείρω ῥύμην, πάντα ποιεῖ καὶ πραγματεύεται, καὶ διὰ τῶν χρηστῶν καὶ διὰ τῶν λυπηρῶν ἀναστέλλων σε τῆς ἐπὶ τὰ κάτω φορᾶς, καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐπανάγων καὶ ἀπάγων κακίας πάσης, ἣ γεέννης ἐστὶ χαλεπωτέρα. Εἰ δὲ γελᾷς ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις, καὶ μυριάκις ἐν πονηρίᾳ ζῇν ἐθέλεις, ἢ μίαν κολάζεσθαι ἡμέραν, θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν: καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτό σου τῆς ἀτελοῦς γνώμης σημεῖον, καὶ τῆς μέθης καὶ τῆς ἀνιάτου νόσου: ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ παιδία τὰ μικρὰ ὅταν ἴδῃ τὸν ἰατρὸν ἢ πῦρ ἢ τομὴν ἐπάγοντα, φεύγει καὶ ἀποπηδᾷ ὀλολύζοντα καὶ σπαραττόμενα, καὶ μᾶλλον αἱρεῖται διηνεκεῖ σηπεδόνι σώματος ἐναπολέσθαι, ἢ πρόσκαιρον ὑπομείναντα πόνον, τῆς μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπολαύειν ὑγείας. Οἱ δὲ νοῦν ἔχοντες ἴσασιν, ὅτι τὸ νοσεῖν τοῦ τέμνεσθαι χαλεπώτερον, ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ κακῶς εἶναι τοῦ κολάζεσθαι χεῖρον: τὸ μὲν γὰρ θεραπεύεσθαι καὶ ὑγιαίνειν ἐστὶ, τὸ δὲ ἀπόλλυσθαι καὶ ἐν ἀῤῥωστίᾳ εἶναι διηνεκεῖ. Ὅτι δὲ ἀῤῥωστίας ὑγεία βέλτιον, παντί που δῆλον: ἐπεὶ καὶ τοὺς λῃστὰς, οὐχ ὅταν διορύττωνται τὰς πλευρὰς, δακρύειν ἄξιον, ἀλλ' ὅταν διορύττωσι τοίχους καὶ φονεύωσιν. Εἰ γὰρ βέλτιον ψυχὴ σώματος, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ βέλτιον, ταύτης ἀπολλυμένης, μᾶλλον στένειν δίκαιον καὶ ὀδύρεσθαι: εἰ δὲ μὴ αἰσθάνοιτο, καὶ ταύτῃ μειζόνως αὐτὴν πενθεῖν δεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ τοὺς ἐρῶντας ἀκόλαστον ἔρωτα τῶν πυρεττόντων χαλεπῶς μᾶλλον ἐλεεῖν ἄξιον, καὶ τοὺς μεθύοντας τῶν βασανιζομένων. Καὶ εἰ ταῦτα χαλεπώτερα, φησὶ, διὰ τί μᾶλλον αὐτὰ αἱρούμεθα; Ὅτι πολλοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, κατὰ τὴν παροιμίαν, ἀρέσκει τὰ χείρω, καὶ ταῦτα αἱροῦνται, τὰ ἀμείνω παρατρέχοντες. Ὅπερ καὶ ἐν ἐδέσμασιν ὁρᾷν ἔστι, καὶ ἐν πολιτείαις, καὶ ἐν ζήλοις βίων, καὶ ἐν ἡδονῆς ἀπολαύσει, καὶ ἐν γυναιξὶ, καὶ ἐν οἰκίαις, καὶ ἐν ἀνδραπόδοις, καὶ ἐν ἀγροῖς, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων γινόμενον. Τί γὰρ ἥδιον, εἰπέ μοι, γυναιξὶν ἢ ἄῤῥεσι μίγνυσθαι; γυναιξὶν ἢ ἡμιόνοις; Ἀλλ' ὅμως πολλοὺς εὑρήσομεν γυναῖκας μὲν παρατρέχοντας, ἀλόγοις δὲ μιγνυμένους, καὶ ἀῤῥένων σώμασιν ἐνυβρίζοντας, καίτοι τὰ κατὰ φύσιν τῶν παρὰ φύσιν ἡδίω. Ἀλλ' ὅμως εἰσὶ πολλοὶ τὰ καταγέλαστα καὶ ἀηδῆ καὶ κόλασιν ἔχοντα ὡς ἡδέα διώκοντες. Ἐκείνοις γὰρ ἡδέα ταῦτα εἶναι δοκεῖ, φησίν. Ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο ἂν εἶεν ἄθλιοι, ὅτι καὶ ἡδέα νομίζουσιν εἶναι τὰ οὐχ ἡδέα. Οὕτω καὶ τὴν κόλασιν τῆς ἁμαρτίας χείρω τίθενται: οὐκ ἔστι δὲ, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν. Εἰ γὰρ κακὸν ἦν τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν, οὐκ ἂν προσέθηκε κακοῖς κακὰ ὁ Θεὸς, οὐδὲ χείρους ἂν αὐτοὺς ποιῆσαι ἐθέλησεν: ὁ γὰρ πάντα ποιῶν, ὥστε σβεσθῆναι τὴν κακίαν, οὐκ ἂν αὐτὴν ηὔξησεν. Οὐκ ἄρα τὸ κολάζεσθαι κακὸν τῷ πλημμελοῦντι, ἀλλὰ τὸ οὕτως ἔχοντα μὴ κολάζεσθαι, ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ τὸν ἀῤῥωστοῦντα μὴ θεραπεύεσθαι. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω κακὸν ὡς ἐπιθυμία ἄτοπος: ἄτοπον δὲ ὅταν εἴπω, καὶ τὴν τῆς τρυφῆς λέγω, καὶ τὴν τῆς δόξης τῆς ἀκαίρου, καὶ τὴν τῆς δυναστείας, καὶ τὴν ἁπάντων ἁπλῶς τῶν ὑπὲρ τὴν χρείαν πραγμάτων. Ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος ὁ τὸν ὑγρὸν καὶ διαλελυμένον ζῶν βίον, δοκεῖ μὲν πάντων εἶναι μακαριώτερος, πάντων δέ ἐστιν ἀθλιώτερος, δεσποίνας χαλεπὰς καὶ τυράννους ἐπεισάγων αὐτοῦ τῇ ψυχῇ. Διὰ τοῦτο ἐπίπονον ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῖν τὸν πάροντα ἐποίησε βίον, ἵνα ἐκείνης ἡμᾶς ἀπαλλάξῃ τῆς δουλείας, καὶ εἰς καθαρὰν ἐλευθερίαν ἀγάγῃ: διὰ τοῦτο καὶ κόλασιν ἠπείλησε, καὶ πόνους συνεκλήρωσεν ἡμῶν τῇ ζωῇ, τὸ χαῦνον ἐπισφίγγων. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, ὅτε μὲν τῷ πηλῷ καὶ τῇ πλινθουργίᾳ προσδεδεμένοι ἦσαν, καὶ ἐπιεικεῖς ἦσαν, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐκάλουν συνεχῶς, ὅτε δὲ ἐλευθερίας ἀπήλαυσαν, καὶ ἐγόγγυζον, καὶ παρώξυναν τὸν Δεσπότην, καὶ μυρίοις ἑαυτοὺς περιέπειρον κακοῖς. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, ἂν εἴποις πρὸς τοὺς ὑπὸ θλίψεως περιτραπέντας πολλάκις; Ὅτι οὐ τῆς θλίψεως ἔργον ἡ περιτροπὴ, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀσθενείας τῆς ἐκείνων. Οὐδὲ γὰρ, εἴ τις στόμαχον ἄῤῥωστον ἔχων, μὴ δέχοιτο πικρὸν φάρμακον δυνάμενον αὐτὸν καθᾶραι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιτρίβοιτο, οὐ τὸ φάρμακον αἰτιασόμεθα, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀῤῥωστίαν τοῦ μέλους, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὴν εὐκολίαν τῆς γνώμης. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ ὑπὸ θλίψεως περιτρεπόμενος, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑπὸ ἀνέσεως τοῦτο πείσεται: εἰ γὰρ δεδεμένος πίπτει (τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ θλῖψις), πολλῷ μᾶλλον λελυμένος: εἰ σφιγγόμενος περιτρέπεται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον χαυνούμενος. Καὶ πῶς δυνήσομαι, φησὶ, μὴ περιτραπῆναι θλιβόμενος; Ἂν ἐννοήσῃς ὅτι, κἂν θέλῃς κἂν μὴ θέλῃς, οἴσεις τὸ ἐπενεχθέν: ἀλλ' ἂν μὲν εὐχαρίστως, κερδανεῖς τὰ μέγιστα, ἂν δὲ ἀποδυσπετῶν καὶ ἀλύων καὶ δυσφημῶν, οὔτε τὴν συμφορὰν ἐλάττω ταύτῃ ποιήσεις, καὶ μεῖζον ἐργάσῃ τὸ κλυδώνιον. Ταῦτα οὖν ἐννοοῦντες, ὃ τῆς ἀνάγκης ἐστὶ, ποιῶμεν τῆς προαιρέσεως εἶναι τῆς ἡμετέρας: οἷόν τι λέγω: Παῖδά τις ἀπέβαλε γνήσιον, τὴν οὐσίαν ἕτερος ἅπασαν: ἂν ἐννοήσῃς, ὅτι λυθῆναι μὲν τὸ γεγενημένον οὐκ ἔνι, ἔνι δέ τι καρπώσασθαι καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἀνιάτου συμφορᾶς τὸ γενναίως ἐνεγκεῖν τὸ συμβὰν, καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν ῥημάτων τῶν δυσφήμων εὐφημίαν ἀνενέγκῃς τῷ Δεσπότῃ, οὕτω τὰ ἀβουλήτως ἐπενεχθέντα κακὰ, προαιρέσεως ἔσται σοι κατορθώματα. Εἶδες υἱὸν ἁρπαγέντα ἄωρον; Εἰπὲ, Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο. Εἶδες οὐσίαν κενωθεῖσαν; Εἰπὲ, Γυμνὸς ἐξῆλθον ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου, γυμνὸς καὶ ἀπελεύσομαι. Εἶδες πονηροὺς εὐπραγοῦντας, καὶ δικαίους δυσημεροῦντας καὶ μυρία πάσχοντας δεινὰ, οὐκ ἔγνως δὲ τῶν γενομένων εὑρεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν; Εἰπὲ, Κτηνώδης ἐγενόμην παρὰ σοὶ, πλὴν ἐγὼ διαπαντὸς μετὰ σοῦ. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ζητεῖς, ἐννόησον ὅτι ἔστησεν ἡμέραν, καθ' ἢν μέλλει κρίνειν τὴν οἰκουμένην, καὶ πᾶσαν ἐκβαλεῖς ἀπορίαν: τὴν γὰρ ἀξίαν τότε ἕκαστος ἀπολήψεται, ὥσπερ ὁ Λάζαρος καὶ ὁ πλούσιος. Ἀναμνήσθητι τῶν ἀποστόλων: καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι μαστιζόμενοι καὶ ἐλαυνόμενοι καὶ μυρία πάσχοντες, ἔχαιρον ὅτι κατηξιώθησαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀτιμασθῆναι. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν ἂν ἀῤῥωστήσῃς, φέρε γενναίως, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ χάριτας ὡμολόγει, καὶ οὕτω τὸν αὐτὸν ἐκείνοις λήψῃ μισθόν. Πῶς δὲ ἐν ἀῤῥωστίᾳ ὢν καὶ ὀδύναις δυνήσῃ τῷ Δεσπότῃ χάριν εἰδέναι; Ἂν φιλῇς αὐτὸν γνησίως. Εἰ γὰρ εἰς κάμινον ἐμπεσόντες οἱ παῖδες οἱ τρεῖς, καὶ ἐν δεσμωτηρίοις ὄντες ἕτεροι καὶ ἐν μυρίοις ἄλλοις κακοῖς, οὐ διέλιπον εὐχαριστοῦντες: πολλῷ μᾶλλον οἱ ἐν νόσοις ὄντες καὶ ἐν ἀῤῥωστίαις χαλεπαῖς κατεχόμενοι τοῦτο δυνήσονται ποιεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδὲν, ὃ μὴ νικᾷ πόθος: ὅταν δὲ καὶ Θεοῦ πόθος ᾖ, πάντων ἐστὶν ὑψηλότερος, καὶ οὔτε πῦρ, οὐ σίδηρος, οὐ πενία, οὐκ ἀῤῥωστία, οὐ θάνατος, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων φανεῖται δεινὸν τῷ τοιοῦτον κεκτημένῳ τὸν ἔρωτα, ἀλλὰ πάντων καταγελάσας, πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν πτήσεται, καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖ διατριβόντων οὐδὲν ἔλαττον διακείσεται, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ὁρῶν, οὐκ οὐρανὸν, οὐ γῆν, οὐ θάλατταν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἓν μόνον κάλλος τεταμένος τὸ τῆς δόξης ἐκείνης: καὶ οὔτε τὰ λυπηρὰ αὐτὸν τοῦ παρόντος ταπεινῶσαι δυνήσεται βίου, οὔτε ἐπᾶραι καὶ φυσῆσαι τὰ χρηστὰ καὶ ἡδονὴν ἔχοντα. Ἐρασθῶμεν τοίνυν τοῦτον τὸν ἔρωτα (τούτου γὰρ ἴσον οὐδὲν) καὶ διὰ τὰ παρόντα, καὶ διὰ τὰ μέλλοντα: μᾶλλον δὲ πρὸ τούτων, δι' αὐτὴν τὴν τοῦ ἔρωτος φύσιν: ἀπαλλαγησόμεθα γὰρ καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν μέλλοντα αἰῶνα κολαστηρίων, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἀπολαυσόμεθα. Πλὴν οὔτε γεέννης ἀπαλλαγὴ, οὔτε βασιλείας ἀπόλαυσις, μέγα τι πρὸς τὸ λεχθήσεσθαι μέλλον: τούτων γὰρ ἁπάντων μεῖζον τὸ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐρώμενον ἔχειν ὁμοῦ καὶ ἐραστήν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων τοῦτο συμβαῖνον πάσης ἡδονῆς ἐστιν ἀνώτερον, ὅταν ἐπὶ Θεοῦ τὰ ἀμφότερα ἐκβαίνῃ, ποῖος λόγος, ποία διάνοια παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται τὴν μακαριότητα ταύτης τῆς ψυχῆς; Οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμία ἄλλη, ἀλλ' ἡ πεῖρα μόνη. Ἵν' οὖν διὰ τῆς πείρας μάθωμεν τὴν πνευματικὴν ταύτην εὐφροσύνην καὶ τὸν μακάριον βίον καὶ τὸν θησαυρὸν τῶν μυρίων ἀγαθῶν, πάντα ἀφέντες ἐκείνης ἐχώμεθα τῆς ἀγάπης, καὶ εἰς εὐφροσύνην ἡμετέραν καὶ εἰς δόξαν τοῦ ποθουμένου Θεοῦ: ὅτι αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος σὺν τῷ Μονογενεῖ καὶ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς σύμπαντας αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.