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from the name of the mother, so that he might not think more highly of his own power; so that he might become unconquerable against the deceit of the devil; for he said: You will be as gods. Come now then, and having moved on to another who was named by God before his birth, let us end the discourse. Who then after Adam received a name from God before he was born? Isaac. For behold, he says, your wife Sarah shall conceive in the womb, and she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. And when she bore him, she called his name Isaac, saying: God has made laughter for me. Why? For who, she says, will announce to Abraham that Sarah is nursing a son? Pay close attention to me here, so that 51.131 you may see the wonder. She did not say that she bore a child, but that she is nursing a child. For so that no one might think the child was supposititious, the fountains of milk guaranteed the birth, so that by recalling the name, he himself had sufficient instruction of the wondrous birth. For this reason she says, God has made laughter for me, because it was possible to see an aged woman in deepest gray hair nursing, having a child at her breast. But the laughter was a reminder of God's grace, and the milk-feeding confirmed the miracle-working; for it was not the work of nature, but the whole thing was an achievement of grace. For this reason Paul also says, According to Isaac, we are children of the promise. For just as grace worked there, so also here he came forth from a deadened womb. You came up from cold waters; therefore, what the womb was to him, the font of waters became to you. Have you seen the kinship of the birth? Have you seen the harmony of grace? Have you seen nature everywhere at rest, and the power of God working everything? For this reason, According to Isaac, we are children of the promise. But 51.132 there is still one thing being sought: concerning us he said that, Not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh. How? Not even Isaac was of blood. For the custom of women had ceased for Sarah. The fountains of blood were extinguished, the material of generation was taken away, the workshop of nature was useless, and God displayed his own power. Behold, we have the complete teaching of the naming of Isaac. For it remains to come to Abraham, and the sons of Zebedee and Peter; but so as not to annoy with the length, postponing these things to another discourse, we will end the sermon, having exhorted you, who were born according to Isaac, to imitate the meekness and gentleness of Isaac and all his other philosophy, so that by the prayers of that righteous one and of all these leaders we may all be able to arrive at the bosom of Abraham, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, honor, might, together with the holy and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. To those who have complained about the length of the introductions, and that it is useful to bear reproofs, and for what reason Paul was not immediately renamed upon believing, and that not from necessity, but from choice did his

change come about, and on the saying: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" 1. Some of our beloved have complained to us that we extend the introductions of the sermon to great length, and whether they complained justly or unjustly, you will know then, when after hearing our side as well, you cast your vote as in a common court. But I, even before proving this, am grateful to them for the complaints; for the complaints are of solicitude, not of wickedness; and one who loves me, not only when he praises me, but

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ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀνόματος τῆς μητρὸς, ἵνα μὴ μεῖζον φρονῇ τῆς οἰκείας δυνάμεως· ἵνα ἀχείρωτος γένηται πρὸς τὴν ἀπάτην τοῦ διαβόλου· καὶ γὰρ ἔλεγεν· Ἔσεσθε ὡς θεοί. ∆εῦρο δὴ λοιπὸν, καὶ ἐφ' ἕτερον τὸν πρὸ αὐτῶν τῶν τόκων ὀνομασθέντα παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μεταβάντες καταπαύσωμεν τὸν λόγον. Τίς οὖν μετὰ τὸν Ἀδὰμ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ προσηγορίαν ἔλαβε πρὶν ἢ γενέσθαι; Ὁ Ἰσαάκ· Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡγυνή σου Σάῤῥα λήψεται ἐν γαστρὶ, καὶ τέξεται υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰσαάκ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἔτεκεν αὐτὸν, ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰσαὰκ λέγουσα· Γέλωτά μοι ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεός. ∆ιὰ τί; Τίς γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀναγγελεῖ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ, ὅτι Σάῤῥα θηλάζει υἱόν; Προσέχετέ μοι ἀκριβῶς ἐνταῦθα, ἵνα 51.131 ἴδητε τὸ θαῦμα. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι ἔτεκε παιδίον, ἀλλ' ὅτι θηλάζει παιδίον. Ἵνα γὰρ μή τις ὑποβολιμαῖον εἶναι νομίσῃ τὸ παιδίον, αἱ τοῦ γάλακτος πηγαὶ τὸν τοκετὸν ἐνεγυήσαντο, ὥστε ἀναμιμνησκόμενος τοῦ ὀνόματος καὶ αὐτὸς ἱκανὴν εἶχε διδασκαλίαν τῆς παραδόξου γεννήσεως. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησι, Γέλωτά μοι ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι ἦν ἰδεῖν γυναῖκα γεγηρακυῖαν ἐν βαθυτάτῃ πολιᾷ τιθηνουμένην, ὑπομάζιον ἔχουσαν παιδίον. Ἀλλ' ὁ γέλως τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτος ὑπόμνησις ἦν, καὶ ἡ γαλακτοτροφία τὴν θαυματοποιίαν ἐπιστοῦτο· οὐδὲ γὰρ φύσεως ἔργον ἦν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πᾶν τῆς χάριτος κατόρθωμα ἐγίνετο. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησι καὶ ὁ Παῦλος, Κατὰ Ἰσαὰκ ἐπαγγελίας τέκνα ἐσμέν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖ ἡ χάρις εἰργάσατο· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα προῆλθεν ἐκεῖνος ἀπὸ μήτρας κατεψυγμένης. Ἀνέβης σὺ ἀπὸ ὑδάτων ψυχρῶν· ὅπερ οὖν ἐκείνῳ ἡ μήτρα, τοῦτό σοι ἡ κολυμβήθρα ἐγένετο τῶν ὑδάτων. Εἶδες τόκου συγγένειαν; εἶδες χάριτος συμφωνίαν; εἶδες πανταχοῦ τὴν φύσιν σχολάζουσαν, καὶ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ πᾶν ἐργαζομένην; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο Κατὰ Ἰσαὰκ ἐπαγγελίας τέκνα ἐσμέν. Ἀλλ' 51.132 ἕν ἐστιν ἔτι τὸ ζητούμενον· περὶ ἡμῶν εἶπεν, ὅτι Οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκός. Πῶς; Οὐδὲ Ἰσαὰκ ἐξ αἱμάτων· Ἐξέλιπε γὰρ Σάῤῥᾳ τοῦγίνεσθαι τὰ γυναικεῖα αὐτῆς. Ἀπεσβέσθησαν αἱ τοῦ αἵματος πηγαὶ, ἀνῃρέθη τῆς γεννήσεως ἡ ὕλη, ἄχρηστον ἦν τῆς φύσεως τὸ ἐργαστήριον, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τὴν δύναμιν ἐπεδείξατο τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. Ἰδοὺ καὶ τῆς τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ προσηγορίας ἀπηρτισμένην τὴν διδασκαλίαν ἔχομεν. Λείπεται μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ζεβεδαίου καὶ τὸν Πέτρον ἐλθεῖν· ἀλλ' ὥστε μὴ ἐνοχλῆσαι τῷ μήκει, εἰς ἑτέραν ταῦτα διάλεξιν ὑπερθέμενοι καταπαύσομεν τὸν λόγον, παρακαλέσαντες ὑμᾶς, τοὺς γεννηθέντας κατὰ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ, μιμεῖσθαι τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ τὴν πραότητα καὶ τὴν ἐπιείκειαν καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν φιλοσοφίαν, ἵνα εὐχαῖς ἐκείνου τοῦ δικαίου καὶ τῶν προέδρων τούτων ἁπάντων εἰς κόλπους Ἀβραὰμ ἅπαντες καταντῆσαι δυνηθῶμεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα, τιμὴ, κράτος, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ζωοποιῷ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. Πρὸς τοὺς ἐγκαλέσαντας ὑπὲρ τοῦ μήκους τῶν προοιμίων, καὶ ὅτι χρήσιμον τὸ φέρειν ἐλέγχους, καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ εὐθέως πιστεύσας μετωνομάσθη Παῦλος, καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἐξ ἀνάγκης, ἀλλ' ἐκ προαιρέσεως γέγονεν αὐτῷ ἡ

μεταβολὴ, καὶ εἰς τὸ ῥητόν· "Σαῦλε, Σαῦλε, τί με διώκεις;" αʹ. Ἐνεκάλεσαν ἡμῖν τινες τῶν ἀγαπητῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων, ὅτι τοῦ λόγου τὰ προοίμια πρὸς μῆκος ἐκτείνομεν, καὶ εἰ μὲν δικαίως, ἢ ἀδίκως ἐνεκάλεσαν, τότε εἴσεσθε, ἐπειδὰν καὶ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν ἀκούσαντες, ὡς ἐν κοινῷ δικαστηρίῳ τὴν ψῆφον ἐνέγκητε. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ πρὶν ἀποδεῖξαι τοῦτο, χάριν αὐτοῖς ἔχω τῶν ἐγκλημάτων· κηδεμονίας γὰρ, οὐ πονηρίας ἐστὶ τὰ ἐγκλήματα· καὶ τὸν φιλοῦντά με, οὐχ ὅταν ἐπαινῇ με μόνον, ἀλλὰ