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with abundance, in the same way that it happens with those who are thirsty; for the wine does not remain in the cup, if indeed it were brought to a thirsty mouth, but it is transferred to the one drinking and disappears, being eagerly drawn within. When this happened, my guidance toward the knowledge of things that are became for me unerring and unhindered. For my heart, he says, guided me in wisdom, through which I prevailed over the rebellion of pleasures, and my instruction became for me the cause of prevailing with gladness. For so the sequence of the word contains. This was my greatest concern in my search for knowledge: not to occupy my life with anything vain, but to find that good thing, which if someone attains, he does not err in his judgment of what is profitable, which is both lasting and not temporary and is extended through all of life, being equally good for every age, both first and middle and last, and for every number of days. For until I see, he says, what is the good thing for the sons of men, which they shall do under the sun for the number of the days of their life. For the things pursued through the flesh, even if they greatly entice the sense for the present, have their pleasure in a moment; for it is not possible to be pleased lastingly by any of the things that happen in the body, but the pleasure of drinking ceases with satiety, and in 5.313 eating likewise fullness extinguishes the appetite, and if any other desire in the same way has been withered by the partaking of the desired object, even if it arises again, it withers again; but none of the things pleasant to the sense lasts forever nor remains the same. And in addition to these, one thing is good for infancy and another for the prime of life, another for one in decline and another for one past his prime, and for the old man again another, who is already tending toward the earth. But I, he says, was seeking that good which is equally good for every age and for all the time of life, of which satiety is not expected and fullness is not found, but appetite is co-extended with participation, and desire flourishes with enjoyment, and is not limited by the attainment of the desired object, but the more one delights in the good, the more desire is kindled with the delight, and the delight is intensified with the desire, and throughout every interval of life it always becomes good for those who pursue it, being in no way altered by the instability of ages and times, which is equally good for all people in life whatsoever, whether one's eyes are closed or open, whether one is prosperous or grieving, whether spending the night or the day, whether on foot or at sea, whether active or at rest, whether ruling or serving, 5.314 becoming neither worse nor better, neither diminished nor increased by the things that happen to someone by circumstance. This is, according to my word, the truly existing good, which Solomon sought to see, which men will do under the sun for all the number of the days of their life. Which seems to me to be nothing other than the work of faith, whose energy is common to all, being set before those who are willing on equal terms and remaining with life all-powerfully and lastingly. This is the good work, which may it also be in us in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory for ever. Amen.

HOMILY 3

What the ecclesiastic voice teaches us after this, it would be time to investigate. We have learned in the first things, what we have learned, that he who gathers all creation into an assembly and seeks the lost and gathers the strayed into one, this one oversees earthly life. For the sub-celestial is earthly, which the word names 'under the heaven,' in which 5.315 deceit and vanity and non-existence prevail. And in the second explanation we have learned that the accusation against the life of pleasure and

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πλεονάζοντι, ὃν τρόπον ἐπὶ τῶν διψώντων γίνεται· οὐ γὰρ ἐναπομένει ὁ οἶνος τῇ κύλικι, εἴ γε τῷ διψῶντι στόματι προσαχθείη, ἀλλὰ μεθίσταται πρὸς τὸν πίνοντα καὶ ἀφανὴς γίνεται μετὰ σπουδῆς ἐπὶ τὸ ἐντὸς εἰσελκόμενος. οὗ γενομένου ἀπλανής μοι καὶ ἀνεμπόδιστος ἐγένετο ἡ ὁδηγία πρὸς τὴν ἐπιστήμην τῶν ὄντων. Ἡ καρδία γάρ μου, φησίν, ὡδήγησέ με ἐν σοφίᾳ, δι' ἧς κατεκράτησα τῆς ἐπαναστάσεως τῶν ἡδονῶν, καὶ γέγονέ μοι ἡ παίδευσις αἰτία τοῦ κρατῆσαι ἐπὶ εὐφροσύνῃ. οὕτω γὰρ περιέχει ἡ ἀκολουθία τῆς λέξεως. τόδε μοι μάλιστα κατὰ τὴν γνῶσιν σπουδαζόμενον ἦν τὸ ἐπὶ μηδενὶ ματαίῳ τὴν ζωὴν ἀσχολῆσαι, ἀλλ' εὑρεῖν ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἀγαθόν, οὗ τις ἐπιτυχὼν οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει τῆς τοῦ συμφέροντος κρίσεως, ὃ διαρκές τέ ἐστι καὶ οὐ πρόσκαιρον καὶ πάσῃ τῇ ζωῇ παρατείνεται, ἐπ' ἴσης ἀγαθὸν πάσῃ ἡλικίᾳ γινόμενον καὶ πρώτῃ καὶ μέσῃ καὶ τελευταίᾳ καὶ παντὶ τῷ τῶν ἡμερῶν ἀριθμῷ. Ἕως οὗ γὰρ ἴδω, φησί, ποῖον τὸ ἀγαθὸν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὃ ποιήσουσιν ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον ἀριθμὸν ἡμερῶν ζωῆς αὐτῶν. τὰ γὰρ διὰ σαρκὸς σπουδαζόμενα, κἂν ὅτι μάλιστα πρὸς τὸ παρὸν δελεάζῃ τὴν αἴσθησιν, ἐν ἀκαρεῖ τὸ εὐφραῖνον ἔχει· οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐπ' οὐδενὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ σώματι γινομένων διαρκῶς ἡσθῆναι, ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ πίνειν ἡδονὴ συναπολήγει τῷ κόρῳ, καὶ ἐπὶ 5.313 τοῦ ἐσθίειν ὡσαύτως ἡ πλησμονὴ τὴν ὄρεξιν ἔσβεσε, καὶ εἴ τις ἄλλη ἐπιθυμία κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον τῇ τοῦ ἐπιθυμητοῦ μετουσίᾳ κατεμαράνθη, κἂν πάλιν γένηται, πάλιν μαραίνεται· διαρκεῖ δὲ οὐδὲν εἰς ἀεὶ τῶν τῇ αἰσθήσει τερπνῶν οὐδὲ ὡσαύτως ἔχει. καὶ ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις ἄλλο τῇ νηπιότητι ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἕτερον τῇ τῆς ἡλικίας ἀκμῇ, ἄλλο τῷ παρακμάσαντι καὶ ἕτερον τῷ παρ' ἡλικίαν, καὶ τῷ γέροντι πάλιν ἄλλο τῷ εἰς γῆν ἤδη ῥέποντι. ἐγὼ δέ, φησίν, ἐζήτουν ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἀγαθόν, ὃ πάσῃ ἡλικίᾳ καὶ παντὶ τῷ χρόνῳ τῆς ζωῆς ἐπ' ἴσης ἀγαθόν ἐστιν, οὗ κόρος οὐκ ἐλπίζεται καὶ πλησμονὴ οὐχ εὑρίσκεται, ἀλλὰ συμπαρατείνεται τῇ μετουσίᾳ ἡ ὄρεξις, καὶ συνακμάζει τῇ ἀπολαύσει ὁ πόθος καὶ τῇ τοῦ ἐπιθυμητοῦ ἐπιτυχίᾳ οὐ περιγράφεται, ἀλλ' ὅσῳ μᾶλλον ἐντρυφᾷ τῷ ἀγαθῷ, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῇ τρυφῇ συνεκκαίεται, καὶ ἡ τρυφὴ τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ συνεπιτείνεται καὶ κατὰ πᾶν διάστημα τῆς ζωῆς ἀεὶ καλὸν τοῖς μετιοῦσι γίνεται, οὐδὲν τῷ ἀστάτῳ τῶν ἡλικιῶν τε καὶ τῶν χρόνων συν αλλοιούμενον, ὃ καὶ μύοντι καὶ ἀναβλέποντι, εὐημεροῦντι καὶ λυπουμένῳ, νυκτερεύοντί τε καὶ διημερεύοντι, πεζεύοντι καὶ θαλαττεύοντι, ἐνεργοῦντι καὶ ἀνειμένῳ, ἄρχοντι καὶ δουλεύοντι καὶ πᾶσιν ἁπαξαπλῶς τοῖς κατὰ τὸν βίον ἐπ' ἴσης ἀγαθόν ἐστιν, ὑπὸ τῶν περιστατικῶς τινι συμπιπτόντων 5.314 οὔτε τι χεῖρον οὔτε κρεῖττον γινόμενον, οὔτε ἐλαττούμενον οὔτε αὐξόμενον. τοῦτό ἐστι, κατά γε τὸν ἐμὸν λόγον, τὸ ὄντως ὂν ἀγαθόν, ὅπερ ἰδεῖν ὁ Σολομὼν ἐζήτει, ὃ ποιήσουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον κατὰ πάντα τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν ἡμερῶν τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῶν. ὅπερ οὐδὲν ἕτερον εἶναί μοι φαίνεται ἢ τὸ τῆς πίστεως ἔργον, ἧς ἡ ἐνέργεια κοινή τε πᾶσίν ἐστιν, ἐκ τοῦ ὁμοτίμου τοῖς ἐθέλουσι προκειμένη καὶ παντοδυνάμως καὶ διαρκῶς τῇ ζωῇ παραμένουσα. τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἔργον, ὃ καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν γένοιτο ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Γʹ

Τί μετὰ τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ἡ ἐκκλησιαστικὴ διδάσκει φωνή, καιρὸς ἂν εἴη διερευνήσασθαι. μεμαθήκαμεν ἐν πρώτοις, ἃ μεμαθήκαμεν, ὅτι ὁ πᾶσαν ἐκκλησιάζων τὴν κτίσιν καὶ τὰ ἀπολωλότα ζητῶν καὶ τὰ πεπλανημένα συναθροίζων εἰς ἕν, οὗτος ἐπισκέπτεται τὸν ἐπίγειον βίον. ἐπίγειον γάρ ἐστι τὸ ὑπουράνιον, ὅπερ ὁ λόγος τὸ ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν ὀνομάζει, ἐν ᾧ 5.315 κατακρατεῖ ἡ ἀπάτη καὶ ἡ ματαιότης καὶ τὸ ἀνύπαρκτον. ἐν δὲ τῇ δευτέρᾳ μεμαθήκαμεν ἐξηγήσει τὸ ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Σολομῶντος γίνεσθαι τὴν κατηγορίαν τῆς ἀπολαυστικῆς τε καὶ