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bitter reckonings there. For if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged; but when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined, he says, so that we may not be condemned along with the world. So that we may not be condemned, therefore, let us do this. Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and hope in the Lord. Do you see the sequence of the best counsel? Do you see the perfected exhortation? For after being pierced with compunction for sins, and making men more hesitant to attempt the same things again, and establishing the impartial tribunal, and demanding an account of one's life, thus he leads them to the work of virtue. For abstinence from evil is not sufficient on its own, but the practice of good things must be added. Wherefore, proceeding further he also exhorts, saying: 'Turn away from evil, and do good.' For idleness in virtue also knows how to cause punishment, not only the working of wickedness. Since even those who did not feed the hungry, nor give drink to the thirsty, nor clothe the naked, did not rob, did not act greedily, did not take what belonged to others; but because they did not practice almsgiving, for this they are handed over to immortal punishment, and to a penalty that has no end. Whence we learn that abstinence from evil is not the beginning of our salvation, unless the acquisition of good things and the practice of virtue are also present. 9. For this very reason, the Prophet, having led away from wickedness through compunction, and having made one more suited for the practice of virtue, and having softened the hardness of the mind, and having made it tender from compunction, introduces the discourse on righteousness, and says: Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and hope in the Lord. What is, 'Offer the sacrifice of righteousness'? Practice righteousness, offer righteousness; this is the greatest gift to God, this is an acceptable sacrifice, this is an offering having great favor, not the sacrificing of sheep and calves, but the doing of righteous deeds. Do you see the way of life of the Church being prefigured from above, and the intelligible things being sought instead of those perceptible ones. And by righteousness here, as I said before, he means not a partial virtue, but the universal one; just as we also call a righteous man the one who has all virtue in himself. This sacrifice does not require money, nor a knife, nor an altar, nor fire; it does not dissolve into smoke and ash and savor, but is content with the will of the one offering it. For this, neither penury becomes a hindrance, nor is poverty an obstacle, nor place, nor anything else of the sort; but wherever you may be, you will be able to offer it, yourself becoming priest, and altar, and knife, and victim. For such are the intelligible and spiritual things; they have a greater facility, requiring no external laborious effort. And hope in the Lord. Another says: And trust in the Lord. For he who through a righteous way of life has gained Him as propitious and well-disposed, has the greatest alliance, unconquerable aid, great support from thence. Do you see the fruit of the sacrifice being at the doors? Do you see the treasure of good things suddenly sprouting forth at once? For who will he fear henceforth, who has God as an ally? No one. And this is no small virtue, to be confident in Him, and to trust in Him. And with righteousness, he requires of us this virtue also, to trust in Him, to hope in Him, to have confidence in none of the things of this life, but having removed oneself from all of them, to fix the mind there. For the affairs of the present life are like dreams and shadows, and are weaker than these, at once appearing and flying away, and in their very presence causing many disturbances to those who possess them; but the hope in God is immortal, unchangeable, immovable, admitting no alteration, establishing one in all security, and making one invincible

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πικρὰς εὐθύνας ἐκεῖ. Εἰ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκρίνομεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐκρινόμεθα· κρινόμενοι δὲ ὑπὸ Κυρίου παιδευόμεθα, φησὶν, ἵνα μὴ σὺν τῷ κόσμῳ κατακριθῶμεν. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ κατακριθῶμεν, τοῦτο ἐργαζώμεθα. Θύσατε θυσίαν δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ἐλπίσατε ἐπὶ Κύριον. Εἶδες ἀκολουθίαν συμβουλῆς ἀρίστης; εἶδες παραίνεσιν ἀπηρτισμένην; Κατανύξας γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι, καὶ ποιήσας ὀκνηροτέρους πρὸς τὸ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπιχειρῆσαι πάλιν, καὶ τὸ δικαστήριον ἀναστήσας τὸ ἀδέκαστον, καὶ τῶν βεβιωμένων εὐθύνας ἀπαιτήσας, οὕτως ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐργασίαν ἄγει. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ μόνον ἡ ἀποχὴ τῶν κακῶν, ἀλλὰ δεῖ προσεῖναι καὶ τὴν ἐργασίαν τῶν ἀγαθῶν. ∆ιὸ καὶ προϊὼν παραινεῖ λέγων· Ἔκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθόν. Καὶ γὰρ ἡ ἀργία τῆς ἀρετῆς κόλασιν οἶδε προξενεῖν, οὐχ ἡ ἐργασία τῆς πονηρίας μόνον. Ἐπεὶ κἀκεῖνοι οἱ πεινῶντα μὴ θρέψαντες, μηδὲ διψῶντα ποτίσαντες, μηδὲ γυμνὸν περιβαλόντες, οὐχ ἥρπασαν, οὐκ ἐπλεονέκτησαν, οὐ τὰ ἀλλότρια ἔλαβον· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἐλεημοσύνην οὐκ εἰργάσαντο, διὰ τοῦτο τῇ ἀθανάτῳ παραδίδονται κολάσει, καὶ τιμωρίᾳ πέρας οὐκ ἐχούσῃ. Ὅθεν μανθάνομεν, ὅτι οὐ τὸ ἀπέχεσθαι κακῶν ἀρχὴ σωτηρίας ἡμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ προσῇ καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡ κτῆσις, καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἡ ἐργασία. θʹ. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Προφήτης ἀπαγαγὼν τῆς πονηρίας διὰ τῆς κατανύξεως, καὶ ποιήσας ἐπιτηδειότερον πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐργασίαν, καὶ τὸ σκληρὸν τῆς διανοίας καταμαλάξας, ἁπαλήν τε αὐτὴν ἀπὸ τῆς κατανύξεως ἐργασάμενος, τὸν περὶ δικαιοσύνης εἰσάγει λόγον, καί φησι· Θύσατε θυσίαν δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ἐλπίσατε ἐπὶ Κύριον. Τί ἐστι, Θύσατε θυσίαν δικαιοσύνης; ∆ικαιοσύνην μετέρχεσθε, δικαιοσύνην προσφέρετε· τοῦτο μέγιστον τῷ Θεῷ δῶρον, αὕτη θυσία δεκτὴ, αὕτη προσφορὰ πολλὴν ἔχουσα τὴν ἀρέσκειαν, οὐ τὸ πρόβατα θύειν καὶ μόσχους, ἀλλὰ τὸ δίκαια πράττειν. Ὁρᾷς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὴν πολιτείαν ἄνωθεν προδιαγραφομένην, καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν ἐκείνων τὰ νοητὰ ζητούμενα. ∆ικαιοσύνην δὲ ἐνταῦθα, καθάπερ ἔμπροσθεν εἶπον, οὐ τὴν μερικὴν ἀρετήν φησιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν καθόλου· καθὸ καὶ δίκαιον ἄνθρωπον καλοῦμεν τὸν ἅπασαν ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἔχοντα τὴν ἀρετήν. Αὕτη ἡ θυσία οὐ χρημάτων δεῖται, οὐ μαχαίρας, οὐ θυσιαστηρίου, οὐ πυρός· οὐκ εἰς καπνὸν διαλύεται καὶ τέφραν καὶ κνίσσαν, ἀλλ' ἀρκεῖται τῇ γνώμῃ τοῦ προσάγοντος αὐτήν. Ταύτῃ οὔτε πενία κώλυμα γίνεται, οὔτε πτωχεία ἐμπόδιον, οὐ τόπος, οὐκ ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων οὐδέν· ἀλλ' ὅπου περ ἂν ᾖς, θύειν αὐτὴν δυνήσῃ, αὐτὸς καὶ ἱερεὺς, καὶ θυσιαστήριον, καὶ μάχαιρα, καὶ ἱερεῖον γινόμενος. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ τὰ νοερὰ καὶ πνευματικά· πλείονα ἔχει τὴν εὐκολίαν, οὐδεμιᾶς δεόμενα τῆς ἔξωθεν ἐργωδίας. Καὶ ἐλπίσατε ἐπὶ Κύριον. Ἕτερός φησι· Καὶ πεποίθετε τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ὁ γὰρ διὰ τῆς δικαίας πολιτείας ἵλεων αὐτὸν κτησάμενος καὶ εὐμενῆ, μεγίστην ἔχει συμμαχίαν, ἀχείρωτον τὴν βοήθειαν, πολλὴν ἐκεῖθεν τὴν ῥοπήν. Εἶδες τῆς θυσίας τὸν καρπὸν παρὰ θύραις ὄντα; εἶδες εὐθέως βλαστάνοντο ἀθρόον τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὸν θησαυρόν; Ὁ γὰρ τὸν Θεὸν ἔχων σύμμαχον, τίνα φοβηθήσεται λοιπόν; Οὐδένα. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ οὐ μικρὰ ἀρετὴ, τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ θαῤῥεῖν, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ πεποιθέναι. Μετὰ δὲ τῆς δικαιοσύνης καὶ ταύτην ἡμᾶς ἀπαιτεῖ τὴν ἀρετὴν, τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ πεποιθέναι, τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἐλπίζειν, τὸ μηδενὶ τῶν βιωτικῶν θαῤῥεῖν, ἀλλὰ πάντων ἑαυτὸν ἀποστήσαντα, ἐκεῖ προσηλοῦν τὴν διάνοιαν. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ παρόντος βίου πράγματα ὀνείρασιν ἔοικε καὶ σκιαῖς, καὶ τούτων ἐστὶν ἀδρανέστερα, ὁμοῦ τε φαινόμενα καὶ ἀφιπτάμενα, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ παρεῖναι πολλοὺς ἐμποιοῦντα τοὺς θυρύβους τοῖς ἔχουσιν· ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ Θεὸν ἐλπὶς ἀθάνατος, ἄτρεπτος, ἀκίνητος, μεταβολὴν οὐ δεχομένη, ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ πάσῃ καθιστῶσα, καὶ ἄμαχον ποιοῦσα