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he says? When we overlook Christ wasting away with hunger, but provide for children and friends and relatives beyond their need. Or rather, why must I carry the argument further? For if each person examines his own conscience, he will find this happening in many matters. But that blessed man was not like that, but he knew how to love, and how to love as one ought, and as was fitting, and surpassing all in loving, he did not overstep the measures of love. See, then, both abounding in him with excess, both the fear of God and the longing for the Romans. For to pray continually, and not to give up when not succeeding, was a mark of vehement love; but to remain loving while yielding to the will of God, 60.404 was a mark of intense reverence. Elsewhere, then, having besought the Lord three times, not only did he not receive, but even the opposite, not having received, he was very thankful for not being heard; so in all things he looked to God. But here he did receive, but not when he asked, but slowly, and he was not at all vexed by this. And I say these things, so that we may not be distressed when not heard, or when heard slowly. For we are not better than Paul, who in both cases gives thanks; and very reasonably. For since he had once given himself to the all-governing hand, and subjected himself with as much submission as the clay to the potter, wherever God led, he followed. Having said, then, that he prayed to see them, he also states the reason for his desire. And what is it? That I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end you may be established. For not simply, as many now make superfluous and unprofitable journeys, did he also travel, but for necessary and very urgent reasons; and he does not wish to say this clearly, but enigmatically. For he did not say, "that I may teach you, that I may instruct you, that I may supply what is lacking," but, "That I may impart something," showing that he does not give them his own things, but was imparting what he had received. And here again he speaks modestly, saying, "some what." Some small thing, he says, and commensurate with me. And what is this small thing that you are now about to impart? This is it, he says, "To the end you may be established." So this too is of grace, not to be shaken, but to stand firm. But when you hear "grace," do not think that the reward from free will is cast out; for he said "grace," not dishonoring the labor of free will, but cutting off the pride of arrogance. Do not, then, grow listless because Paul called it a gift. For he knows how to call even right actions gifts, out of much gratitude, because in these things too we need much of the impulse from above. But by saying, "To the end you may be established," he secretly showed that they needed much correction. For what he wants to say is this: "For a long time I have desired and prayed to see you, for no other reason, but that I might confirm, establish, and fix you well in the fear of God, so that you may not be continually shaken." But he did not speak thus; for he would have struck them. But in another, more gentle way he hints at the same thing; for when he says, "To the end you may be established," this is what he indicates. Then, since this too was very burdensome, see how he softens it by what he adds. For lest they should say, "What? are we shaken, are we tossed about, and do we need your tongue in order to stand firm?" he anticipates and removes such an objection, by saying thus: That is, to be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. As if he were to say, "Do not suspect that I said this as an accusation against you; I did not utter the word with this intention, but what is it that I wished to say? You have endured many tribulations, being drenched by persecutors; I desired, then, to see you, that I might comfort you, or rather, not that I might comfort you only, but that I myself also might receive comfort." 4. See the wisdom of the teacher. He said, "To the end you may be established"; he knew that what he had said was heavy and burdensome to the disciples, and he says, "To the end that you may be comforted." But this too is again heavy, not indeed as much as the former, 60.405 but heavy nonetheless. He therefore cuts short again the burdensome part of this too, smoothing his discourse on every side, and making

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φησίν; Ὅταν τὸν μὲν Χριστὸν λιμῷ τηκόμενον περιορῶμεν, παισὶ δὲ καὶ φίλοις καὶ συγγενέσιν ὑπὲρ τὴν χρείαν παρέχωμεν. Μᾶλλον δὲ τί χρὴ περαιτέρω τὸν λόγον προάγειν; Ἐὰν γὰρ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ συνειδὸς ἕκαστος ἐξετάσῃ, ἐπὶ πολλῶν τοῦτο εὑρήσει γινόμενον πραγμάτων. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος τοιοῦτος ἦν, ἀλλ' ᾔδει καὶ φιλεῖν, καὶ φιλεῖν ὡς χρὴ, καὶ ὡς προσῆκον ἦν, καὶ πάντας νικῶν τῷ φιλεῖν, οὐχ ὑπερέβαινε τῆς ἀγάπης τὰ μέτρα. Ὅρα γοῦν ἀμφότερα μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ἐν αὐτῷ βρύοντα, καὶ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον, καὶ τὸν τῶν Ῥωμαίων πόθον. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ διηνεκῶς εὔχεσθαι, καὶ μὴ τυγχάνοντα μὴ ἀφίστασθαι, ἀγάπης σφοδρᾶς ἦν· τὸ δὲ ἀγαπῶντα μένειν τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ νεύματι εἴκοντα, 60.404 εὐλαβείας ἐπιτεταμένης. Ἀλλαχοῦ μὲν οὖν τρὶς τὸν Κύριον παρακαλέσας οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἔλαβεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἐναντίον, μὴ λαβὼν, χάριν ἔγνω τοῦ παρακουσθῆναι πολλήν· οὕτω πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐν ἅπασιν ἔβλεπεν. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἔλαβε μὲν, οὐχ ὅτε δὲ ᾔτησεν, ἀλλὰ βραδέως, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐντεῦθεν ἐδυσχέρανε. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω, ἵνα μὴ ἀσχάλλωμεν μὴ ἀκουόμενοι, ἢ βραδέως ἀκουόμενοι. Οὐ γάρ ἐσμεν Παύλου βελτίους, ὃς ἐπ' ἀμφοτέροις χάριν ὁμολογεῖ· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἅπαξ ἑαυτὸν ἔδωκε τῇ πάντα κυβερνώσῃ χειρὶ, καὶ μετὰ τοσαύτης ὑποταγῆς ὑπέθηκε, μεθ' ὅσης ὁ πηλὸς τῷ κεραμεῖ, ᾗπερ ἦγεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἠκολούθει. Εἰπὼν τοίνυν, ὅτι ηὔχετο ἰδεῖν αὐτοὺς, λέγει καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας. Τίς δέ ἐστιν αὕτη; Ἵνα τι μεταδῶ χάρισμα ὑμῖν πνευματικὸν εἰς τὸ στηριχθῆναι ὑμᾶς. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς, ὥσπερ πολλοὶ νῦν περιττὰς καὶ ἀνονήτους ἀποδημίας ποιοῦνται, οὕτω καὶ ἐκεῖνος, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ἀναγκαίων καὶ σφόδρα κατεπειγόντων· καὶ σαφῶς μὲν λέγειν τοῦτο οὐ βούλεται, αἰνιγματωδῶς δέ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἵνα διδάξω ὑμᾶς, ἵνα κατηχήσω, ἵνα τὸ λεῖπον ἀναπληρώσω, ἀλλ' Ἵνα τι μεταδῶ, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐ τὰ αὑτοῦ αὐτοῖς δίδωσιν, ἀλλ' ἅπερ ἔλαβε μετεδίδου. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα δὲ μετριάζει πάλιν εἰπών· Ἵνα τι. Μικρόν τι, φησὶ, καὶ ἐμοὶ σύμμετρον. Καὶ τί ποτέ ἐστι τὸ μικρὸν τοῦτο, οὗ μέλλεις νῦν μεταδιδόναι; Τοῦτο δέ ἐστι, φησὶν, Εἰς τὸ στηριχθῆναι ὑμᾶς. Ἄρα καὶ τοῦτο χάριτος, τὸ μὴ σαλεύεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἑστάναι βεβαίως. Χάριν δὲ ὅταν ἀκούσῃς, μὴ νομίσῃς ἐκβεβλῆσθαι τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς προαιρέσεως μισθόν· χάριν γὰρ εἶπεν, οὐχὶ τὸν ἐκ προαιρέσεως ἀτιμάζων πόνον, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐξ ἀπονοίας ἀποτεμνόμενος τῦφον. Μὴ τοίνυν ἐπειδὴ Παῦλος αὐτὸ χάρισμα ἐκάλεσεν, ἀναπέσῃς. Οἶδε γὰρ δι' εὐγνωμοσύνην πολλὴν καὶ τὰ κατορθώματα χαρίσματα καλεῖν, διὰ τὸ καὶ ἐν τούτοις πολλῆς ἡμᾶς δεῖσθαι τῆς ἄνωθεν ῥοπῆς. Εἰπὼν δὲ, Εἰς τὸ στηριχθῆναι ὑμᾶς, λανθανόντως ἔδειξε δεομένους πολλῆς διορθώσεως. Ὃ γὰρ βούλεται εἰπεῖν, τοῦτό ἐστιν· Ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ χρόνου ἐπεθύμουν καὶ ηὐχόμην ὑμᾶς ἰδεῖν, δι' ἕτερον μὲν οὐδὲν, ἵνα δὲ ὑμᾶς βεβαιώσω, στηρίξω τε καὶ πήξω καλῶς εἰς τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον, ὥστε μὴ σαλεύεσθαι διηνεκῶς. Ἀλλ' οὕτω μὲν οὐκ εἶπεν· ἔπληξε γὰρ ἄν· ἑτέρως δὲ ὑφειμένως τὸ αὐτὸ αἰνίττεται· ὅταν γὰρ εἴπῃ, Εἰς τὸ στηριχθῆναι ὑμᾶς, τοῦτο δηλοῖ. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ καὶ τοῦτο σφόδρα φορτικὸν ἦν, ὅρα πῶς αὐτὸ παραμυθεῖται διὰ τῆς ἐπαγωγῆς. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγωσι· Τί γάρ; σαλευόμεθα, περιφερόμεθα, καὶ τῆς παρὰ σοῦ δεόμεθα γλώττης εἰς τὸ στῆναι βεβαίως; προλαβὼν ἀναιρεῖ τὴν τοιαύτην ἀντίῤῥησιν, οὕτω λέγων· Τοῦτο δέ ἐστι συμπαρακληθῆναι ἐν ὑμῖν διὰ τῆς ἐν ἀλλήλοις πίστεως, ὑμῶν τε καὶ ἐμοῦ. Ὡς ἂν εἰ ἔλεγε· Μὴ ὑποπτεύσητε, ὅτι κατηγορῶν ὑμῶν εἶπον· οὐ ταύτῃ τῇ γνώμῃ ἐφθεγξάμην τὸ ῥῆμα, ἀλλὰ τί ποτέ ἐστιν, ὅπερ ἠβουλήθην εἰπεῖν; Πολλὰς ὑπεμείνατε θλίψεις, ὑπὸ τῶν διωκόντων περιαντλούμενοι· ἐπεθύμησα τοίνυν ὑμᾶς ἰδεῖν, ἵνα παρακαλέσω, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐχ ἵνα παρακαλέσω μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ αὐτὸς παράκλησιν δέξωμαι. δʹ. Ὅρα σοφίαν διδασκάλου. Εἶπεν, Εἰς τὸ στηριχθῆναι ὑμᾶς· οἶδε βαρὺ καὶ φορτικὸν τὸ εἰρημένον τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὂν, καὶ λέγει, Εἰς τὸ παρακληθῆναι ὑμᾶς. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο βαρὺ πάλιν, οὐχ οὕτω μὲν ὡς τὸ πρότερον, 60.405 βαρὺ δὲ ὅμως. Ὑποτέμνεται τοίνυν καὶ τούτου πάλιν τὸ φορτικὸν, λεαίνων πανταχόθεν τὸν λόγον, καὶ ποιῶν