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is able to know how many good things health bestowed upon him, unless he also experiences disease when weakness has come upon him; and he who sees the day again does not marvel at the light in the same way, unless the darkness of night also follows. For the experience of contraries always becomes a clear teacher of those things which we formerly happened to enjoy.

For this reason also at that time, since the disciples had enjoyed countless good things during his presence, 50.467 and from living with him they were in great prosperity; for all who inhabited Palestine looked upon their faces as upon certain luminaries; since they also raised the dead, and cleansed lepers, drove out demons, and healed diseases, and displayed many other wonders; since therefore they were so admired and illustrious, for this reason he allowed them for a short time to be separated from the allied power, so that when they were in desolation, they might learn how great a gift the presence of his goodness bestowed on them, and having come to a perception of the past good things, they might with greater eagerness receive also the gift of the Paraclete. For he comforted them when they were despondent, and illuminated with his own light those who were sad and filled with dejection on account of the teacher’s departure, and he almost raised them up as they lay prostrate, and scattered the cloud of despondency, and solved their perplexity. For since they had heard the Master’s voice, Go, make disciples of all the nations; they were now perplexed and did not know where each one should turn, and to which region of the world they should preach the word, the Holy Spirit comes in the form of tongues, apportioning to each the regions for teaching throughout the world, and by the tongue that was given, as by a certain tablet, making known to each the boundary of the dominion and teaching entrusted to him.

For this reason the Spirit came in the form of tongues; and not for this reason only, but also to remind us of an ancient story. For since in ancient times men, having drifted into folly, wished to build a tower reaching to heaven, and he broke up their evil concord by the division of tongues; for this reason the Holy Spirit now descends upon them in the form of fiery tongues, so that through this he might unite the divided world. And a new and paradoxical thing happened; for just as then in ancient times tongues cut up the world and brought evil concord to division, so now tongues joined the world together and brought what was separated into harmony. Therefore, it was in the form of tongues for this reason, but tongues as of fire on account of the thorn of sin that had run riot in us. For just as earth, when it happens to be rich and fertile but is not cultivated, displays a great crop of thorns; so also our nature, being good because of him who created it, and well-suited for the fruit of virtue, because it did not receive the plow of piety, nor the seed of the knowledge of God, brought forth impiety as if it were thorns and other useless matter.

And in the way that the face of the earth is often not visible because of the multitude of thorns and wicked weeds; so also the noble and pure part of our soul was not shown, until the farmer of human nature came, and sending forth the fire of the Spirit, both cleansed it and prepared it to become fit to receive the heavenly seed.

3. Such and more than these were for us on account of the present day the

good things. Wherefore I exhort you, 50.468 in a manner worthy of the good things that have been given to us, let us also celebrate, not by crowning the gate, but by beautifying our souls; not

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εἰδέναι δύναται, ὅσα αὐτῷ ἀγαθὰ ἡ ὑγεία ἐχαρίζετο, εἰ μὴ καὶ τῆς νόσου πεῖραν λάβῃ τῆς ἀσθενείας παρεισελθούσης· καὶ ὁ τὴν ἡμέραν πάλιν βλέπων οὐχ ὁμοίως θαυμάζει τὸ φῶς, ἐὰν μὴ καὶ τὸ τῆς νυκτὸς σκότος διαδέξηται. Καὶ γὰρ ἡ τῶν ἐναντίων πεῖρα διδάσκαλος ἀεὶ γίνεται σαφὴς ἐκείνων, ὧν πρότερον ἐν ἀπολαύσει τυγχάνοντες ἦμεν.

∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ τότε, ἐπειδὴ μυρίων ἦσαν ἀγαθῶν οἱ μαθηταὶ κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν ἀπολαύσαντες, 50.467 καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ συνδιατρίβειν αὐτῷ ἐν πολλῇ ἦσαν εὐημερίᾳ· καὶ γὰρ οἱ τὴν Παλαιστίνην ἅπαντες οἰκοῦντες, ὥσπερ εἰς φωστῆράς τινας οὕτως εἰς τὰ τούτων ἐνέβλεπον πρόσωπα· ἐπειδὴ καὶ νεκροὺς ἀνίστων, καὶ λεπροὺς ἐκάθαιρον, δαίμονας ἤλαυνον, καὶ νοσήματα ἐθεράπευον, καὶ ἕτερα πολλὰ ἐπεδείκνυντο θαύματα· ἐπεὶ οὖν οὕτως ἦσαν περίβλεπτοι καὶ περιφανεῖς, διὰ τοῦτο συνεχώρησεν αὐτοὺς πρὸς ὀλίγον χωρισθῆναι τῆς τοῦ συμμαχοῦντος δυνάμεως, ἵνα ὅταν ἐν ἐρημίᾳ γένωνται, μάθωσιν ἡλίκον αὐτοῖς ἐχαρίζετο ἡ τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀγαθότητος παρουσία, καὶ εἰς αἴσθησιν ἐλθόντες τῶν παρελθόντων ἀγαθῶν μετὰ μείζονος τῆς προθυμίας ὑποδέξωνται καὶ τὴν τοῦ Παρακλήτου δωρεάν. Καὶ γὰρ ἀθυμοῦντας αὐτοὺς παρεκάλεσε, καὶ διὰ τὸν τοῦ διδασκάλου χωρισμὸν στυγνάζοντας καὶ κατηφείας πεπληρωμένους διὰ τοῦ οἰκείου φωτὸς κατηύγασε, καὶ κειμένους σχεδὸν ἀνέστησε, καὶ τῆς ἀθυμίας τὸ νέφος διεσκέδασε, καὶ τὴν ἀπορίαν ἔλυσεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἦσαν ἀκούσαντες τῆς ∆εσποτικῆς φωνῆς, Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη· ἠπόρουν δὲ λοιπὸν καὶ ἠγνόουν, ὅποι δεῖ ἕκαστον τραπῆναι, καὶ πρὸς ποῖον δεῖ κλίμα τῆς οἰκουμένης κηρῦξαι τὸν λόγον, ἔρχεται τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐν εἴδει γλωσσῶν, ἑκάστῳ μερίζον τῆς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην διδασκαλίας τὰ κλίματα, καὶ διὰ τῆς δοθείσης γλώττης καθάπερ δέλτῳ τινὶ γνωρίζον ἑκάστῳ τῆς ἐμπιστευθείσης ἀρχῆς τε καὶ διδασκαλίας τὸν ὅρον.

∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐν εἴδει γλωσσῶν τὸ Πνεῦμα παρεγένετο· καὶ οὐ διὰ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ παλαιᾶς ἡμᾶς ὑπομνήσῃ ὑποθέσεως. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ παλαιὸν εἰς ἀπόνοιαν ἐξοκείλαντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι πύργον ἠβουλήθησαν κατασκευάσαι ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ φθάνοντα, καὶ διὰ τῆς τῶν γλωσσῶν διαιρέσεως διεῖλεν αὐτῶν τὴν κακὴν συμφωνίαν· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ νῦν ἐν εἴδει γλωσσῶν πυρίνων ἐφίπταται αὐτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἵνα διαιρεθεῖσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην διὰ τούτου συνάψῃ. Καὶ ἐγένετο πρᾶγμα καινὸν καὶ παράδοξον· ὥσπερ γὰρ τότε τὸ παλαιὸν γλῶσσαι τὴν οἰκουμένην κατέτεμον, καὶ τὴν κακὴν συμφωνίαν εἰς διαίρεσιν ἤγαγον· οὕτω καὶ νῦν γλῶσσαι τὴν οἰκουμένην συνῆψαν, καὶ τὰ διεστῶτα εἰς ὁμόνοιαν συνήγαγον. Ἐν εἴδει μὲν οὖν γλωσσῶν διὰ τοῦτο, ὡσεὶ πυρὸς δὲ γλῶσσαι διὰ τὴν ἐν ἡμῖν ὑλομανήσασαν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἄκανθαν. Καθάπερ γὰρ γῆ, ὅταν λιπαρὰ καὶ πίων οὖσα τυγχάνῃ, μὴ γεωργῆται δὲ, πολλὴν ἐπιδείκνυται τῶν ἀκανθῶν τὴν φοράν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡ φύσις ἡ ἡμετέρα, καλὴ οὖσα διὰ τὸν παραγαγόντα, καὶ πρὸς τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς καρπὸν ἐπιτηδείως ἔχουσα, διὰ τὸ μὴ δέξασθαι τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἄροτρον, μηδὲ τὸν τῆς θεογνωσίας σπόρον, καθάπερ ἀκάνθας τινὰς καὶ ἑτέραν ἄχρηστον ὕλην τὴν ἀσέβειαν ἀπεγέννησε.

Καὶ ὃν τρόπον τῆς γῆς τὸ πρόσωπον ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ἀκανθῶν καὶ τῶν πονηρῶν βοτανῶν πολλάκις οὐ φαίνεται· οὕτω καὶ τὸ εὐγενὲς καὶ τὸ καθαρὸν τῆς ψυχῆς τῆς ἡμετέρας οὐ διεδείκνυτο, ἕως ὅτε παραγενόμενος ὁ γεωργὸς τῆς φύσεως τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης, καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἐπαφεὶς τοῦ Πνεύματος, ἐκάθηρέ τε αὐτὴν, καὶ πρὸς τὸ δέξασθαι τὸν σπόρον τὸν οὐράνιον ἐπιτηδείαν γενέσθαι παρεσκεύασε.

γʹ. Τοσαῦτα ἡμῖν καὶ τούτων πλείονα διὰ τὴν παροῦσαν ἡμέραν ὑπῆρχε τὰ

ἀγαθά. ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ πρὸς 50.468 ἀξίαν τῶν δεδωρημένων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἑορτάσωμεν, οὐ τὴν πύλην στεφανοῦντες, ἀλλὰ τὰς ψυχὰς καλλωπίζοντες· οὐ