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sin is not able to endure the morning star rising in our souls. And the morning star is the word concerning the Lord which illuminates our soul, as the chosen of the apostles, Peter, taught when he inscribed his second epistle, and we have it, saying, 42 the prophetic word more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. He says, therefore, that sin cannot remain in souls, when they have been deemed worthy to be illuminated by the morning star, that is, by the divine word. For when the light shines, the darkness withdraws. 3, 10 Because it did not shut up the gates of my mother's womb. According to the literal sense: because, he says, it did not prevent me from being born, although it was not in the night's power to prevent him from coming forth from the womb, but what he says throughout has such a meaning, that it were better not to have been born. But according to the deeper meaning: I curse, he says, sin, because the impulses of my purpose were not prevented, but I both was in labor with sin and brought it forth, that is: I put it into action by tasting of the forbidden tree. 3, 10 For it would have taken away pain from my eyes. For if I had not been born, he says, I would not have fallen into my present misfortunes. But according to the deeper meaning: for were it not for sin, he says, and the transgression that occurred, corruptions and diseases would not have befallen men. 3, 11 For why did I not die in the belly, or coming from the womb did not immediately perish? For so it was better either not to be born at all, or, having been born, to die 43 immediately. But according to the deeper meaning: For it is good, either that no evil thought be born in us at all, or, if it should be, that it disappear immediately. 3, 12 Why did knees receive me? Or why did I suck breasts? Thus I ought not, he says, either to have been placed on a nurse's knees or to have partaken of milk, that I might be given life. But according to the contemplation: For why, he says, did I not hesitate or was not tripped up when going to taste of the forbidden tree; and why did I make some advance toward evil things? For this is what `I sucked breasts` means, that is, I increased the ways of wickedness. 3, 13 For now I would have lain down and been quiet, I would have slept and been at rest, For if I had not been born, he says, or having been born had died immediately, I would not have come to the experience of terrible things. 3, 14-15 with kings and counselors of the earth, who gloried in their swords, or with rulers who had much gold, who filled their houses with silver. From these things we are taught not to be proud of power or wealth or prudence, since indeed both kings and counselors on earth, instead of: those who are proud of wisdom and counsel, and those glorying in their swords, that is: in their offices, their powers, their trophies over enemies, and in addition to these also the very rich undergo the death common to all. Therefore I would suffer nothing terrible, enduring death as concomitant 44 with birth and taking no part in any of the things in life that seem good, since indeed even those who were proud of these things have died just like the rest of mankind. 3, 16 or like an untimely birth that comes forth from its mother's womb, or like infants who have not seen the light. An `untimely birth` is that which has not yet been perfectly formed in the womb, and by `infant` he means one who has not yet received a perception of the good or evil things of life. But the reason concerning these things, why some are not even brought to term, and others, though brought to term, are born dead, and others undergo death at the same time as birth, must be left to the inscrutable judgments of God. 3, 17 There the wicked have ceased from the heat of wrath, there the weary in body have found rest. It teaches us a most beautiful lesson, that even if death is through sin, nevertheless God has usefully and philanthropically administered this also for men. For even the wicked, he says, who because of wealth and arrogance of life act insolently against God, are stopped and are cut off from evil, no longer being in a rage or angry, and those who are in bodily pains cease from their labors. Therefore, he says, I ask for nothing evil to happen to me, but that which is from God to men

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δύναται ἡ ἁμαρτία ὑπομεῖναι τὸν ἑωσφόρον ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν ἀνατέλλοντα. ἑωσφόρος δέ ἐστιν ὁ περὶ τοῦ κυρίου λόγος ὁ τὴν ἡμετέραν καταυγάζων ψυχήν, ὡς ὁ ἔγκριτος τῶν ἀποστόλων Πέτρος δευτέραν ἐπιστολὴν ἀποχαράττων ἐδίδαξεν καὶ ἔχομεν, λέγων, 42 βεβαιότερον τὸν προφητικὸν λόγον, ᾧ καλῶς ποιεῖτε προσέχοντες ὡς λύχνῳ φαίνοντι ἐν αὐχμηρῷ τόπῳ, ἕως οὗ ἡ ἡμέρα διαυγάσῃ καὶ φωσφόρος ἀνατείλῃ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν. φησὶν οὖν, ὅτι οὐ δύναται ἡ ἁμαρτία μένειν ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς, ἐπὰν ἀξιωθῶσι καταυγασθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἑωσφόρου, τουτέστι τοῦ θείου λόγου. τοῦ γὰρ φωτὸς ἐπιλάμποντος τὸ σκότος ὑπαναχωρεῖ. 3, 10 ὅτι οὐ συνέκλεισεν πύλας γαστρὸς μητρός μου. κατὰ μὲν τὸ ῥητόν· ὅτι, φησίν, οὐκ ἐκώλυσέ με γεννηθῆναι, καίτοιγε οὐκ ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐτύγχανε τὸ κωλῦσαι αὐτὸν ἐκ μήτρας προελθεῖν, ἀλλ' ὃ διὰ πάντων λέγει, τοιοῦτον ἔχει νοῦν, ὅτι ἄμεινον ἦν μὴ γεννηθῆναι. πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν· ἐπαρῶμαι, φησίν, τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ὅτι μὴ ἐκωλύθησάν μου αἱ τῆς προθέσεως ὁρμαί, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὠδίνησα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ ἀπεκύησα, τουτέστιν· ἔργῳ ἔπραξα τοῦ ἀπηγορευμένου ξύλου γευσάμενος. 3, 10 ἀπήλλαξε γὰρ ἂν πόνον ἀπὸ ὀφθαλμῶν μου. εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἐτέχθην, φησίν, οὐκ ἂν ταῖς παρούσαις περιέπιπτον συμφοραῖς. πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν· εἰ μὴ γὰρ διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, φησίν, καὶ τὴν γενομένην παρατροπὴν οὐκ ἂν αἱ φθοραὶ καὶ αἱ νόσοι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συνέβαινον. 3, 11 διὰ τί γὰρ ἐν κοιλίᾳ οὐκ ἐτελεύτησα, ἐκ γαστρὸς δὲ ἐξῆλθον καὶ οὐκ εὐθὺς ἀπωλόμην; οὕτω γὰρ ἄμεινον ἦν ἢ μηδὲ τεχθῆναι, ἢ τεχθέντα παραχρῆμα ἀπο 43 θανεῖν. πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν· καλὸν γάρ ἐστιν, ἢ μηδὲ ὅλως τινὰ φαῦλον ἐν ἡμῖν γεννηθῆναι λογισμόν, ἢ καί, εἰ γένοιτο, παραχρῆμα αὐτὸν ἐξαφανισθῆναι. 3, 12 ἵνα τί δὲ συνήντησάν μοι γόνατα; ἵνα τί δὲ μαστοὺς ἐθήλασα; οὕτως οὐκ ὤφειλον, φησίν, οὔτε εἰς γόνατα τεθῆναι τιτθῆς οὔτε γάλακτος μεταλαβεῖν, ἵνα καὶ ζωοποιηθῶ. κατὰ δὲ τὴν θεωρίαν· ἵνα τί γάρ, φησίν, οὐκ ὤκλασα ἢ ὑπεσκελίσθην πορευόμενος τοῦ ἀπηγορευμένου ξύλου γεύσασθαι· ἵνα τί δὲ καὶ ἐπίδοσίν τινα ἐποίησα ἐπὶ τὰ φαῦλα; τοῦτο γὰρ λέγει μαστοὺς ἐθήλασα, τουτέστι τοὺς τρόπους τῆς κακίας ηὔξησα. 3, 13 νῦν ἂν κοιμηθεὶς ἡσύχασα, ὑπνώσας δὲ ἀνεπαυσάμην, εἰ μὴ γὰρ ἐτέχθην, φησίν, ἢ τεχθεὶς παραχρῆμα ἐτελεύτησα, οὐκ ἂν εἰς πεῖραν ἠρχόμην τῶν δεινῶν. 3, 1415 μετὰ βασιλέων βουλευτῶν γῆς, οἳ ἐγαυριῶντο ἐπὶ ξίφεσιν, ἢ μετὰ ἀρχόντων, ὧν πολὺς ὁ χρυσός, οἳ ἔπλησαν τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν ἀργυρίου. ἐκ τούτων παιδευόμεθα μὴ μέγα φρονεῖν ἐπὶ δυναστείᾳ ἢ πλούτῳ ἢ φρονήσει, ὅπουγε καὶ βασιλεῖς καὶ οἱ ἐπὶ γῆς βουλευταί, ἀντὶ τοῦ· οἱ ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ καὶ βουλῇ μέγα φρονοῦντες, καὶ οἱ γαυριῶντες ἐπὶ ξίφεσιν, τουτέστιν· ταῖς ἀρχαῖς, ταῖς δυναστείαις, τοῖς κατὰ πολεμίων τροπαίοις, πρὸς δὲ δὴ τούτοις καὶ οἱ πολύχρυσοι τὸν κοινὸν ἅπασιν ὑφίστανται θάνατον. οὐδὲν οὖν ἔπασχον δεινὸν σύνδρο 44 μον ὑπομένων τῇ γεννήσει τὸν θάνατον καὶ μηδενὸς τῶν ἐν βίῳ δοκούντων καλῶν ἐν μεθέξει γινόμενος, ὅπουγε καὶ οἱ ἐπὶ τούτοις μέγα φρονήσαντες ἴσα τοῖς λοιποῖς ἀνθρώποις τεθνήκασιν. 3, 16 ἢ ὥσπερ ἔκτρωμα ἐκπορευόμενον ἐκ μήτρας μητρὸς ἢ ὥσπερ νήπιοι, οἳ οὐκ εἶδον φῶς. ἔκτρωμά ἐστι τὸ μήπω διαμορφωθὲν τελείως ἐν τῇ γαστρί, νήπιον δὲ λέγει τὸν μήπω δεξάμενον αἴσθησιν τῶν τοῦ βίου καλῶν ἢ φαύλων. τὸν δὲ περὶ τούτων λόγον, διὰ τί οἱ μὲν οὐδὲ τελεσφοροῦνται, οἱ δὲ καὶ τελεσφορηθέντες νεκροὶ γεννῶνται, οἱ δὲ ὁμοῦ τῇ γεννήσει τὸν θάνατον ὑπομένουσι, τοῖς ἀνεφίκτοις τοῦ θεοῦ κρίμασι καταλειπτέον. 3, 17 ἐκεῖ ἀσεβεῖς ἔπαυσαν θυμὸν ὀργῆς, ἐκεῖ ἀνεπαύσαντο κατάκοποι τῷ σώματι. κάλλιστον ἡμᾶς διδάσκει μάθημα, ὅτι εἰ καὶ δι' ἁμαρτίαν ὁ θάνατος, ἀλλ' οὖν χρησίμως καὶ φιλανθρώπως ὁ θεὸς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις καὶ τοῦτον ᾠκονομήσατο. καὶ γὰρ οἱ ἀσεβεῖς, φησίν, οἱ διὰ πλοῦτον καὶ ὑπεροψίαν βίου κατὰ θεοῦ θρασυνόμενοι, παύονται καὶ ἀνακόπτονται τοῦ κακοῦ μηκέτι θυμούμενοι ἢ ὀργιζόμενοι, καὶ οἱ ἐν ὀδύναις σωματικαῖς ὄντες τῶν πόνων λήγουσιν. οὐδὲν οὖν, φησίν, αἰτῶ συμβῆναί μοι φαῦλον, ἀλλὰ τὸ παρὰ θεοῦ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις