for one who has acted well throughout his life, but at the end has run aground on wickedness, all his former labors are useless, having become without a prize at the catastrophe of the drama, and for one who lived worse and dissolutely before, it is possible later, having repented, to conquer a wicked way of life of a long time by the time after repentance; 40.4 But much exactness is needed, just as for bodies that have suffered from a long illness 40.5 there is need of diet and greater attention. The thief, do you wish to receive remission? Steal no more; the one who committed adultery, let him no longer be inflamed; the one who fornicated, let him henceforth be pure; the one who robbed, restore and restore with it; the false witness, practice truth; the perjurer, swear no more; and cut short the other passions, anger, desire, grief, fear, so that you may be found at your 40.6 departure, having managed to be reconciled here with your adversary. It is then perhaps impossible to cut off at once passions that have grown with us, but with the power of God and human supplication and the help of brethren and sincere repentance and continuous practice, it is achieved.

41.1 Therefore it is necessary for you, the haughty and powerful and rich, to set over

yourself some man of God, like a trainer and a helmsman. Revere even one, fear even one, practice listening even to 41.2 one who speaks frankly and is at the same time harsh and healing. For it is not beneficial even for the eyes to remain undisciplined for all time, but 41.3 also to weep and to be stung at some time for the sake of greater health. So also for the soul, nothing is more destructive than continuous pleasure; for it is blinded from its melting away, if it remains unmoved by the word spoken with frankness. 41.4 Fear him even when he is angry, and when he groans † be grieved, and when he ceases his anger, show reverence, and anticipate him when he asks for a punishment to be remitted. 41.5 Let this man stay awake many nights for you, interceding for you before God and charming the Father with customary litanies; 41.6 for his heart cannot resist his children when they pray. And he will pray purely, being preferred by you as an angel of God and being grieved by you in nothing, but on your behalf. This is unfeigned repentance41.7. "God is not mocked" nor does he pay attention to empty words; for he alone examines the marrows and kidneys of the heart and hears those in the fire and hearkens to those supplicating in the belly of the sea-monster and is near to all who believe and far from the godless, unless they repent.

42.1 But so that you may take courage, having thus truly repented, that for you there remains of salvation

a worthy hope, hear a story that is not a story, but a true account concerning John the apostle, which has been handed down and preserved in memory42.2. For when, after the tyrant died, he returned from the island of Patmos to Ephesus, he would go when invited also to the neighboring regions of the Gentiles, in some places to appoint bishops, in others to organize whole churches, in others to enroll in the clergy some one person 42.3 of those indicated by the Spirit. So having come also to one of the cities not far away, whose name some also mention. And having refreshed the brethren in other matters, looking over them all at the appointed bishop, seeing a young man sufficient in body and handsome in appearance and fervent in soul, "this one," he said, "I entrust to you with all earnestness, with the church and Christ as witness." And when the other accepted and promised everything, he again insisted on the same things 42.4 and bore witness. Then the one departed for Ephesus, but the elder, taking the entrusted young man home, reared, restrained, cherished, and finally enlightened him; and after this he relaxed his greater care and watchfulness, as having placed upon him the perfect protection42.5, the seal of the Lord. But as he obtained his freedom before the proper time, some idle and profligate peers, accustomed to evil, attach themselves to him; and first they lead him on through expensive feasts, then somewhere also

πεποιηκότι κατὰ τὸν βίον, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ τέλους ἐξο κείλαντι πρὸς κακίαν, ἀνόνητοι πάντες οἱ πρόσθεν πόνοι, ἐπὶ τῆς καταστροφῆς τοῦ δράματος ἐξάθλῳ γενομένῳ, τῷ τε χεῖρον καὶ ἐπισεσυρμένως βιώσαντι πρότερον ἔστιν ὕστερον μετανοήσαντι πολλοῦ χρόνου πολιτείαν πονηρὰν ἐκνικῆσαι τῷ μετὰ τὴν μετάνοιαν χρόνω· 40.4 ἀκριβείας δὲ δεῖ πολλῆς, ὥσπερ τοῖς μακρᾷ νόσῳ πεπονηκόσι σώμασι 40.5 διαίτης χρεία καὶ προσοχῆς πλείονος. ὁ κλέπτης, ἄφεσιν βούλει λαβεῖν; μηκέτι κλέπτε· ὁ μοιχεύσας, μηκέτι πυρούσθω· ὁ πορνεύσας, λοιπὸν ἁγνευέτω· ὁ ἁρπάσας, ἀποδίδου καὶ προσαποδίδου· ὁ ψευδο μάρτυς, ἀλήθειαν ἄσκησον· ὁ ἐπίορκος, μηκέτι ὄμνυε· καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάθη σύντεμε, ὀργήν, ἐπιθυμίαν, λύπην, φόβον, ἵνα εὑρεθῇς ἐπὶ τῆς 40.6 ἐξόδου πρὸς τὸν ἀντίδικον ἐνταῦθα διαλελύσθαι φθάνων. ἔστιν μὲν οὖν ἀδύνατον ἴσως ἀθρόως ἀποκόψαι πάθη σύντροφα, ἀλλὰ μετὰ θεοῦ δυνάμεως καὶ ἀνθρωπείας ἱκεσίας καὶ ἀδελφῶν βοηθείας καὶ εἰλικρινοῦς μετανοίας καὶ συνεχοῦς μελέτης κατορθοῦται.

41.1 ∆ιὸ δεῖ πάντως σε τὸν σοβαρὸν καὶ δυνατὸν καὶ πλούσιον ἐπιστήσασθαι

ἑαυτῷ τινα ἄνθρωπον θεοῦ καθάπερ ἀλείπτην καὶ κυβερνήτην. αἰδοῦ κἂν ἕνα, φοβοῦ κἂν ἕνα, μελέτησον ἀκούειν κἂν 41.2 ἑνὸς παρρησιαζομένου καὶ στύφοντος ἅμα καὶ θεραπεύοντος. οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς συμφέρει τὸν ἀεὶ χρόνον ἀκολάστοις μένειν, ἀλλὰ 41.3 καὶ δακρῦσαι καὶ δηχθῆναί ποτε ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς πλείονος. οὕτω καὶ ψυχῇ διηνεκοῦς ἡδονῆς οὐδὲν ὀλεθριώτερον· ἀποτυφλοῦται γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς τήξεως, ἐὰν ἀκίνητος τῷ παρρησιαζομένῳ διαμείνῃ λόγῳ. 41.4 τοῦτον καὶ ὀργισθέντα φοβήθητι, καὶ στενάξαντα † λυπήθητι, καὶ ὀργὴν παύοντα αἰδέσθητι, καὶ κόλασιν παραιτούμενον φθάσον. 41.5 οὗτος ὑπὲρ σοῦ πολλὰς νύκτας ἀγρυπνησάτω, πρεσβεύων ὑπὲρ σοῦ πρὸς θεὸν καὶ λιτανείαις συνήθεσι μαγεύων τὸν πατέρα· 41.6 οὐ γὰρ ἀντέχει τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτοῦ τὰ σπλάγχνα δεομένοις. δεήσεται δὲ καθαρῶς ὑπὸ σοῦ προτιμώμενος ὡς ἄγγελος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ μηδὲν ὑπὸ σοῦ λυπούμενος, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ σοῦ. τοῦτό ἐστι μετάνοια ἀνυπόκριτος41.7. "θεὸς οὐ μυκτηρίζεται" οὐδὲ προσέχει κενοῖς ῥήμασι· μόνος γὰρ ἀνακρίνει μυελοὺς καὶ νεφροὺς καρδίας καὶ τῶν ἐν πυρὶ κατακούει καὶ τῶν ἐν κοιλίᾳ κήτους ἱκετευόντων ἐξακούει καὶ πᾶσιν ἐγγύς ἐστι τοῖς πιστεύουσι καὶ πόρρω τοῖς ἀθέοις, ἂν μὴ μετανοήσωσιν.

42.1 Ἵνα δὲ ἐπιθαρρήσῃς, οὕτω μετανοήσας ἀληθῶς, ὅτι σοὶ μένει σωτηρίας

ἐλπὶς ἀξιόχρεως, ἄκουσον μῦθον οὐ μῦθον, ἀλλὰ ὄντα λόγον περὶ Ἰωάννου τοῦ ἀποστόλου παραδεδομένον καὶ μνήμῃ πεφυλαγμένον42.2. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοῦ τυράννου τελευτήσαντος ἀπὸ τῆς Πάτμου τῆς νήσου μετῆλθεν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἔφεσον, ἀπῄει παρακαλούμενος καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ πλησιόχωρα τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὅπου μὲν ἐπισκόπους καταστήσων, ὅπου δὲ ὅλας ἐκκλησίας ἁρμόσων, ὅπου δὲ κλῆρον ἕνα γέ τινα κληρώσων 42.3 τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος σημαινομένων. ἐλθὼν οὖν καὶ ἐπί τινα τῶν οὐ μακρὰν πόλεων, ἧς καὶ τοὔνομα λέγουσιν ἔνιοι. καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἀναπαύσας τοὺς ἀδελφούς, ἐπὶ πᾶσι τῷ καθεστῶτι προσβλέψας ἐπισκόπῳ, νεανίσκον ἱκανὸν τῷ σώματι καὶ τὴν ὄψιν ἀστεῖον καὶ θερμὸν τὴν ψυχὴν ἰδών, "τοῦτον" ἔφη "σοὶ παρακατατίθεμαι μετὰ πάσης σπουδῆς ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μάρτυρος". τοῦ δὲ δεχομένου καὶ πάνθ' ὑπισχνουμένου καὶ πάλιν τὰ αὐτὰ διετείνατο 42.4 καὶ διεμαρτύρατο. εἶτα ὃ μὲν ἀπῆρεν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἔφεσον, ὁ δὲ πρεσβύ-τερος ἀναλαβὼν οἴκαδε τὸν παραδοθέντα νεανίσκον ἔτρεφε, συνεῖχεν, ἔθαλπε, τὸ τελευταῖον ἐφώτισε· καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ὑφῆκε τῆς πλείονος ἐπιμελείας καὶ παραφυλακῆς, ὡς τὸ τέλειον αὐτῷ φυλακτήριον ἐπιστήσας42.5, τὴν σφραγῖδα τοῦ κυρίου. τῷ δὲ ἀνέσεως πρὸ ὥρας λαβομένῳ προσφθείρονταί τινες ἥλικες ἀργοὶ καὶ ἀπερρωγότες, ἐθάδες κακῶν· καὶ πρῶτον μὲν δι' ἑστιάσεων πολυτελῶν αὐτὸν ὑπάγονται, εἶτά που καὶ