12

having failed to attain the beginning, or not the greatest things; 35.708 since God has placed complete sinlessness beyond human nature; but the second thing, as it seems to me, is for those who have stumbled in something and been chastened, then having recovered, to at least remain in the awareness of that discipline, and to flee a second scourge for a second wickedness.

34. Therefore let us too perceive by our actions the divine discipline. Let us show ourselves worthy not of what we first suffered, but of what we have afterward obtained. Let us make some defense concerning the calamity that befell us, that we were not handed over to the nations as evildoers, but were disciplined as children. Let us not forget the storm in the calm, nor the sickness in the time of health, nor the captivity, having been brought safely back to Jerusalem, nor Egypt after Egypt; let us not make the time of suffering better than the time of relief; and we shall do so, if we appear then to be restrained and moderate, and stretching up all our hopes to heaven, but now to be puffed up and arrogant, and running back again to the same sins, on account of which we were led into the calamities that befell us. Not so, my children, not so, says somewhere the priest Eli, admonishing his own children who were sinning against God; but knowing that it is easier to recall prosperity that has departed than to preserve it when it has come from God (for moderation brings the one back, while carelessness destroys the other); and that bodies, when they are sick, recover with treatments and abstinence, but having recovered, through gradual neglect and excesses, they relapse again, and return to the same sicknesses. Knowing these things, and teaching one another, let us become our own masters, and let us manage the time with moderation.

35. First, then, brethren, let us celebrate, not with radiance of body, nor with changes and costliness of clothing, nor with revels and drunkenness, of which you have learned the fruit is licentious beds and wantonness; nor let us crown the streets with flowers, nor disgrace tables with perfumes, nor adorn doorways. Let not the houses be lit up with sensible 35.709 light, nor let them resound with concerts and applause; for this is the law of a Greek festival. But let us not honor God with these things, nor celebrate the present time with things that are not worthy, but with purity of soul, and with cheerfulness of mind, and with the lamps that illuminate the whole body of the Church, I mean with divine contemplations and thoughts, raised upon the holy lampstand, and illuminating the whole world. Small to me, compared to this light, are all the lights which men kindle, celebrating both privately and publicly. I have also an ointment, but one with which only priests and kings are anointed, being both complex and costly, and poured out for our sakes, but compounded by the art of a great perfumer. Would that it were mine to offer the fragrance of this ointment to God! I have also this spiritual and divine table, which the Lord has prepared for me in the presence of those who afflict me, at which I rest and delight, and I commit no outrage through satiety, but I also calm every uprising of the passions. I have also flowers, more beautiful and more lasting than all the flowers of spring, from the full field which the Lord has blessed, the holy and fragrant shepherds and teachers, and as much of the people as is pure and chosen. With these I wish to be crowned and to march in procession, having fought the good fight, and finished the race, and kept the faith, according to the holy Apostle. Let us take up hymns instead of tambourines, psalmody instead of shameful contortions and songs, thankful applause instead of theatrical applause, and a melodious action of the hands, thoughtfulness instead of laughter, sober speech instead of drunkenness, gravity instead of wantonness. And if you must dance, as a festival-goer and a lover of feasts, dance, but not the unseemly dance of Herodias, whose work was the death of the Baptist;

12

ἀρχὴν τυχεῖν διαμαρτόντας, ἢ μὴ τὰ μέ 35.708 γιστα· ἐπειδὴ τὸ παντελῶς ἀναμάρτητον ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν ἔταξεν ὁ Θεός· δεύτερον δὲ, ὡς ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ, τὸ πταίσαντάς τι καὶ παιδευθέν τας, εἶτα ἐπανεθέντας, ἐν αἰσθήσει γοῦν διαμεῖναι τῆς παιδαγωγίας, καὶ φεύγειν δευτέραν ἐκ δευτέρας κακίας μάστιγα.

Λ∆ʹ. Τοιγάρτοι καὶ ἡμεῖς ἔργῳ τῆς θείας παι δεύσεως ἐπαισθώμεθα. ∆είξωμεν ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἀξίους οὐχ ὧν πρῶτον πεπόνθαμεν, ἀλλὰ ὧν ὕστερον τετυ χήκαμεν. Ἀπολογησώμεθά τι περὶ τῆς κατασχού σης ἡμᾶς συμφορᾶς, ὅτι οὐχ ὡς κακοῦργοι τοῖς ἔθνεσι παρεδόθημεν, ἀλλ' ὡς παῖδες ἐσωφρονίσθημεν. Μὴ ἐπιλαθώμεθα τῆς ζάλης ἐν τῇ γαλήνῃ, μηδὲ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς ὑγιείας, μηδὲ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, ἀνασωθέντες εἰς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, μηδὲ τῆς Αἰγύπτου μετὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον· μὴ ποιήσω μεν ἀμείνω τὸν τῆς κακοπαθείας καιρὸν τοῦ τῆς ἀνέσεως· ποιήσομεν δὲ, εἰ φαινοίμεθα τότε μὲν συνεσταλμένοι καὶ μετριάζοντες, καὶ πάσας εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνατείνοντες τὰς ἐλπίδας, νυνὶ δὲ ἐπαιρόμε νοι καὶ χαυνούμενοι, καὶ πάλιν εἰς τὰς αὐτὰς ἀνα τρέχοντες ἁμαρτίας, ἐξ ὧν εἰς τὰς συμπεσούσας ἡμῖν συμφορὰς ὑπήχθημεν. Μὴ οὕτω, τέκνα, μὴ, λέγει που νουθετῶν ὁ ἱερεὺς Ἡλεὶ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ παῖδας εἰς Θεὸν ἁμαρτάνοντας· ἀλλ' εἰδότες, ὅτι ῥᾷόν ἐστιν εὐ πραγίαν ἀπελθοῦσαν ἀνακαλέσασθαι, ἢ παραγενο μένην ἐκ Θεοῦ διασώσασθαι (τὴν μὲν γὰρ τὸ σοφρονεῖν ἐπανάγει, τὴν δὲ διαλύει τὸ ῥᾴθυμον)· καὶ ὅτι τὰ σώματα κάμνοντα μὲν ταῖς θεραπείαις ἀναφέρει καὶ ταῖς ἐνδείαις, ἀνενεγκόντα δὲ ταῖς κατὰ μικρὸν ἀμε λείαις καὶ ταῖς πλησμοναῖς, πάλιν ὑποῤῥεῖ, καὶ πρὸς τὰς αὐτὰς ἀῤῥωστίας ἐπάνεισι. Ταῦτα εἰδότες, καὶ ἀλλήλους διδάσκοντες, γενώμεθα ἡμῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ σωφρόνως τὸν καιρὸν διαθώμεθα.

ΛΕʹ. Πρῶτον μὲν, ἀδελφοὶ, πανηγυρίσωμεν, μὴ φαιδρότητι σώματος, μηδὲ ἐσθῆτος ἐξαλλαγαῖς καὶ πο λυτελείαις, μηδὲ κώμοις καὶ μέθαις, ὧν κοίτας καὶ ἀσελγείας τὸν καρπὸν ἐμάθετε· μηδὲ ἄνθεσι στέ ψωμεν ἀγυιὰς, μηδὲ μύρων αἰσχύναις τραπέζας, μηδὲ πρόθυρα καλλωπίσωμεν· μὴ τῷ αἰσθητῷ 35.709 φωτὶ καταλαμπέσθωσαν αἱ οἰκίαι, μηδὲ συναυλίαις καὶ κρότοις περιηχείσθωσαν· οὗτος μὲν γὰρ Ἑλ ληνικῆς ἱερομηνίας ὁ νόμος· ἡμεῖς δὲ μὴ τούτοις τὸν Θεὸν γεραίρωμεν, μηδὲ τὸν παρόντα καιρὸν ἐπαί ρωμεν, οἷς οὐκ ἄξιον, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς καθαρότητι, καὶ διανοίας φαιδρότητι, καὶ λύχνοις τοῖς ὅλον τὸ σῶμα φωτίζουσι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, θείοις λέγω θεωρήμασι καὶ νοήμασιν, ἐπί τε τὴν ἱερὰν λυχνίαν ἐγειρομένοις, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην καταλάμπουσι. Μι κρόν μοι πρὸς τοῦτο τὸ φῶς, πάντα ὅσα ἰδίᾳ τε καὶ δημοσίᾳ πανηγυρίζοντες ἀνάπτουσιν ἄνθρωποι. Ἔχω τι καὶ μύρον, ἀλλ' ᾧ χρίονται μόνον ἱερεῖς τε καὶ βασιλεῖς, ὄντι ποικίλῳ τε καὶ πολυτελεῖ, καὶ δι' ἡμᾶς κενωθέντι, ἀλλὰ μεγάλου μυρεψοῦ τέχνῃ συγκείμενον. Εἴθε μοι γένοιτο τούτου τοῦ μύρου τὴν εὐωδίαν προσβαλεῖν τῷ Θεῷ! Ἔχω καὶ τρά πεζαν τὴν πνευματικὴν ταύτην καὶ ἔνθεον, ἣν ἡτοί μασέ μοι Κύριος ἐξεναντίας τῶν θλιβόντων με, ᾗ προσαναπαύομαι καὶ τρυφῶ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐξ υβρίζω διὰ τὸν κόρον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κοιμίζω πᾶσαν παθῶν ἐπανάστασιν. Ἔχω καὶ ἄνθη, πάντων ἐαρινῶν εὐανθέστερά τε καὶ μονιμώτερα, τοῦ ἀγροῦ τοῦ πλήρους, ὃν εὐλόγησε Κύριος, τοὺς ἱεροὺς καὶ εὐώδεις ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους, καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ ὅσον καθαρόν τε καὶ ἔκκριτον. Τούτοις στεφανωθῆναι βού λομαι καὶ πομπεύειν, τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν ἀγωνισά μενος, καὶ τὸν δρόμον τελέσας, καὶ τὴν πίστιν τη ρήσας, κατὰ τὸν ἱερὸν Ἀπόστολον. Ἀναλάβωμεν ὕμνους ἀντὶ τυμπάνων, ψαλμῳδίαν ἀντὶ τῶν αἰσχρῶν λυγισμάτων τε καὶ ᾀσμάτων, κρότον εὐχαρι στήριον ἀντὶ κρότων θεατρικῶν, καὶ χειρῶν πρᾶξιν εὔηχον, σύννοιαν ἀντὶ γέλωτος, ἀντὶ μέθης ἔμφρονα λόγον, ἀντὶ θρύψεως σεμνοπρέπειαν. Εἰ καὶ ὀρχήσασθαι δεῖ σε, ὡς πανηγυριστὴν καὶ φιλέορτον, ὄρχησαι μὲν, ἀλλὰ μὴ τὴν Ἡρωδιάδος ὄρχησιν τῆς ἀσχήμονος, ἧς ἔργον Βαπτιστοῦ θάνατος·