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as the earth circles often and ... often the solar cycle, so ... by virtue ... in themselves. and it is so; from a life with virtue one becomes long-lived and long-lasting and blessed. if he makes trial of these days in virtue, he does not yet desire other years. if vanity at least departs from his life, since he has his hope in God, he becomes dead to all of them and to live many years is vanity to him. for many years are circumscribed, but the blessed life is long-aged, it is eternal. 171 I wish to bring forward the apostolic saying which seems to some to be according to the literal sense. "Godliness," he says, "is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come." When he says, "that now is," he does not mean this one, about which the apostle says: "if in this life only we have hoped," but the one that is able to exist here according to virtue, about which one might say it is "in part." And that the blessed have this life from this point on, is clearly shown from: "He who believes in me has eternal life," and "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." The promise of godliness does not hold this life alone, to live blessedly here, to pass one's life here in a practical and contemplative life, but a life also succeeds this one, just as "in part" receives the whole, just as "through a mirror" [receives] "face to face," if any is eternal, if any is long-aged; but this temporary life is not succeeded by another life, I mean for those who have supposed this to be the only one. For "having hoped in this life only" they said: "let us eat and drink." But if something does succeed it in this way, it is not the long-aged life. They go then "into the lake of fire" and "suffer a great punishment of fire," where they have come to be in the portion of death, having clearly paid the penalties for this life. and his soul will not be filled with goodness, and indeed he had no burial. he speaks of things that have happened as "wealth and possessions and glory." He is not filled with these things. Just as the one who loves silver wants to have still more money and other things, so also is the one who wants to live lavishly. For he does not yet want to imagine death. And its allegorical meaning is this: whoever is glorified, forsooth, as wise, having "falsely called knowledge," wants to be glorified still more. If he lives, forsooth, according to "falsely called knowledge," he would want to always be so. and indeed there was no burial for him.

172 He says that "he lived through the courses of many years." it was a thousand years, he is filled with all pleasures, he fails in none of them; and often he is cast out without a burial. "a stillborn child is better than he," for whom nothing pleasant existed; the abortion had no wealth nor possessions, nor was it glorified, and it is better than he, because it has not experienced these things at all. This is according to the literal sense. But according to the allegorical sense, this means that although he was rich in those many things, he did not find the burial that circumscribes the former life. He says then that: "Out of the house of your god I will destroy the carved and molten images; I will make your grave." Some have punctuated it this way, that "I will make the carved images your grave," and not "I will destroy" them. And when it is advantageous for your soul, then I make your grave. For you are baptized and buried together with the things that have been destroyed. Indeed, then, after "I will make your grave," he says: "Keep your feasts, O Judah." Henceforth one is at a feast to be zealous in prayers. The one formerly filled with carved and molten images was subjected to burial so as "to be buried with Christ." Henceforth he has called him to keep a feast, to do well. For the feast is nothing other than doing what is necessary, and we add also toiling at this or that. So, according to the allegorical sense: He was zealous for many things and grew rich, as he supposed in a false opinion, not being filled with virtuous knowledge, "and there was no burial for him." I said the stillborn child is better than he, because it came in vanity and goes in darkness. According to the literal sense, better than the one who grew rich in every possession, who leaves behind none of his abundance,

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γῆς ἐπικυ κλουμένης̣ πολλάκις καὶ ·······ς πολλάκις τὸν ἡλιακὸν κύκλον, οὑ´̣τ̣ω̣ κ····· τῇ ἀρετῇ ε̣····· ····α̣ καθ' ἑαυτάς. καὶ τὸ ἔστιν̣· ἐκ τοῦ βί ου μ̣ε̣τὰ ἀρετ̣ῆς μακροήμερος γίνετα̣ι καὶ πολυχρόνιος καὶ μακάριος. ε̣ι᾿̣ τ̣ῶν ἡμερῶν τούτων ἐν ἀρ̣ε̣τῇ πειρα῀̣ται, οὐδέπω ἐτῶν ἄλλων ε᾿̣π̣ιθυ μεῖ. ἐὰν ἡ ματαιότ̣ης γ̣ε ἀποστῇ α᾿̣π̣ὸ τῆς ζωῆς, ἐπεὶ τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ̣ὶ τῷ θεῷ, ν̣ κ̣ ρ̣ω π̣α̣σῶν αὐτῶν γίνεται καὶ μάταιόν ἐστιν αὐτῷ τὸ ἔτ̣η πολλ̣α`̣ ζ̣ῇν. ἔτη πολλὰ περιγράφεται γάρ, ἡ δὲ μακαρία ζωὴ μα κραίων ἐστίν, αι᾿̣ώνιός ἐστιν. 171 τὸ ἀποστολικὸν βούλομαι παραγαγεῖν δοκοῦν τισιν εἶναι κατὰ τὴν ἱστο ρίαν. "ἡ εὐσέβεια", φησίν, "πρὸς πάντα ἐστὶν ὠφέλιμος, ἐπαγγελίαν̣ ζωῆς ἔχουσα τῆς νῦν καὶ τῆς μελλούσης". ὅταν λέγῃ· "τη῀̣ς νῦν", οὐ ταύτης λέ γει̣, περὶ ἧς ὁ ἀπόστολος λέγει· "εἰ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ζωῇ ἠλπικότες ἐσμὲν μό νον̣", ἀλλὰ τὴν δυναμένην κατὰ ἀρετὴν ἐνταῦθα ὑπάρξαι, περὶ ἧς ἄν τις εἴποι "ἐκ μέρους" εἶναι. ὅτι δὲ ἔχουσιν ἀπεντεῦθεν οἱ μακάριοι ταύτην τὴν ζωήν, σαφῶς δείκνυται ἐκ τοῦ· "ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον", καὶ "αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰ ώνιος ζωή, ἵνα γιγνώσκωσίν σε τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν". οὐ ταύτην μόνη̣ν̣ ἔχει τὴν ζωὴν ἡ ἐπαγγελία τῆς εὐσεβείας, τὸ ὧδε μακαρί ως ζῆσαι, τὸ ὧδε ἐν πρακτικῷ καὶ θεωρητικῷ βίῳ διαγαγεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δ̣ια̣ δέχεται ταύτην ζωή, ὡς τὸ "ἐκ μέρους" τ̣ὸ ὅλον καταδέχεται, ὡς τὸ "δι' ἐσόπτρου" τὸ "πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπ̣ον", εἴ τίς ἐστιν αἰώνιος, εἴ τις μα κραίων ἐστίν· τὴν δὲ ζωὴν ταύτην τὴν π̣ρόσκαιρ̣ον οὐ διαδέχεται ἄλλη ζωή, ἐκείνοις λ̣ε´̣γω̣ τοῖς μόνην ταύτην νομ̣ίσασιν εἶνα̣ι. "ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ τῇ ζωῇ ἠλπικότες μ̣όν̣ῃ" εἶπαν· "φα´̣γ̣ωμε̣ν̣ καὶ πίωμεν̣". εἰ δὲ καὶ διαδέ χε̣ται ο̣ὑ´̣τ̣ω̣ς̣ τ̣ι̣, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡ μακραίω̣ν ζωή. "εἰς τὴν λίμνην γοῦν τοῦ π̣υρὸς" ἀπέρ̣χονται καὶ "δι´̣κην πυρὸς ὑπ̣ έχουσιν" μεγάλην, ὅπου ἐν μοίρᾳ τοῦ θανάτου γεγένη̣νται, τῆς ζωῆς ταύτης δηλονότι δ̣ίκας δόντες. καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐνπλ̣ησθήσεται ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγα θοσύνης, καί γε τ̣αφὴ οὐκ ἐγένετο α̣ὐτῷ. ὡς συνβ̣εβ̣ηκότα λέγει "πλοῦτον καὶ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ δόξαν". τούτων οὐκ ἐμπίμπλ̣αται. ὡς ὁ ἀγαπῶν ἀργύριον ἔτι πλείονα ἔχειν θέλει χρή ματα καὶ τ̣ὰ ἄλλα, οὕτω καὶ ὁ δαψιλῶς θέλων ζῆν. οὐδέπω γὰρ θέλει φαν τασθῆν̣αι θάνατον. καὶ ἡ ἀναγωγὴ δὲ αὐτοῦ τοῦτο· ὃς ἂν δοξάζηται δῆθεν ὡς σοφὸς "ψευ δώνυ̣μον" ἔχων "γνῶσιν", ἔτι πλέο̣ν θέλ̣ει δ̣ο̣ξάζεσθαι. ἐὰν ζῇ δ̣ῆθεν κα̣τὰ "ψευδώνυμον γνῶσιν", ἤθελεν ἀεὶ οὕτως ἔχ̣ειν. καί γε̣ οὐκ ἐγένετο αυ᾿̣τῷ ταφή.

172 λ̣έγ̣ε̣ι ὅτι "ἔζησεν πολλῶν ἐτῶν καθόδους". ἐγένετο ἔτη χίλια, πάντων τῶν ἡδέων πεπλήρωται, οὐδενὸς ἀποτυγχάνει· καὶ πολλάκις ἀ´̣νευ ταφῆς βάλ λεται. "α᾿̣γαθὸν τὸ ἔκτρωμα ὑπὲρ τοῦτον", ᾧ μηδὲν ἡδὺ υ῾̣π̣ῆρχεν· οὐδὲ πλοῦτον εἰ῀̣χεν τὸ ἀνάβλωμα οὐδὲ ὑπάρχοντα οὐδὲ ἐδοξάσθη, καὶ ἀγαθότερόν ἐστιν ὑπὲρ τοῦτον, ὅτι οὐ πεπείραται ὅλως τούτων. τοῦτο ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητόν. ὡς δὲ πρὸς ἀναγωγὴν τοῦτο, ὅτι πεπλούτηκεν ἐν πολλοῖς ἐκείνοις, τὴν τα φὴν οὐχ εὗρεν τὴν περιγράφουσαν τὴν προτέραν ζωήν. λέγει γοῦν ὅτι· "ἐξ οἴκου θεοῦ σου ἐξολεθρεύσω τὰ γλυπτὰ καὶ χωνευτά· θήσομαι ταφήν σου". τινὲς οὕτω ἔστιξαν, ὅτι "τὰ γλυπτὰ θήσομαι ταφήν σου", οὐχὶ δὲ "ἐξολεθρεύσω" ταῦτα. καὶ ὅταν τ̣ὸ τῇ ψυχῇ σου συμφέρῃ, τ̣ο´̣τε τίθεμαί σου ταφήν. βαπτίζῃ γὰρ καὶ συνθάπτῃ μετὰ τῶν ἐξωλε θρευμένων. ἀμέλει γοῦν μετὰ τ̣ο`̣ "θήσομαι ταφήν σου" λέγει· "ἑόρταζε Ἰούδα τὰς ἑορτάς σου". λοιπὸν ἐν ἑορτῇ γίνεται εὐχὰς σπουδάζειν. ὁ πάλαι πεπληρωμέ νος γλυπτω῀̣ν καὶ χωνευτῶν ἐν ταφῇ ὑπεβλήθη ὥστε "συνταφῆναι τῷ Χριστῷ". λοιπὸν δὲ κέκ̣ληκεν εἰς τὸ ἑορτὴν ποιεῖσθαι, εἰς τὸ εὖ πράττειν. οὐ δὲν γὰρ ἕτερ̣ο´̣ν ἐσ̣τ̣ι̣ν̣ ἡ ἑορτὴ ἠ`̣ τὸ τὰ δέοντα̣ πράττειν, προστίθεμεν δὲ ἡμεῖς καὶ τὸ τα´̣δ̣ε̣ ἢ τάδε πονεῖν. πρὸς τὴν ἀναγωγὴν οὖν τό· ἐσπούδασ̣εν πολλὰ καὶ ἐπλούτησεν, ὡς ἐνόμι ζεν ἐν ψ̣ευδεῖ γνώμῃ, οὐ γ̣νώσ̣ε̣ι̣ ἐναρέτῳ συν̣π̣ε̣πλη̣̣ρωμένος, "καὶ οὐκ ἐγένετο αὐτῷ ταφή". εἶπον̣ ἀγαθὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν τὸ ἔκτρωμα, ὅτι ε᾿̣ν μα ταιότητι ἦλθεν καὶ ἐν σκότει πορεύεται. κατὰ τὸ ῥητὸν ὑπὲρ τὸν πλουτήσαντα ε᾿̣ν πάσῃ κτήσει, ὁ`̣ς̣ μηδὲν ἀπολ̣είπει αὐτοῦ τῶν περισσευμάτω̣ν,