16

receptive of life, from which we establish its free will. 187 18, 22.1 He who has found a good wife has found graces... 18, 22a.2 But he who keeps an adulteress is foolish and impious. "He who has found" "good" wisdom, "has found graces." 188 "But he who keeps" wickedness "is foolish and impious."

189 19, 4 Wealth adds many friends; but the poor man is abandoned even by the friend he has Wealth of knowledge and wisdom adds to us many angels; but the impure man is separated even from the angel given to him from childhood. For spiritual friendship is virtue and the knowledge of God, through which we are joined in friendship to the holy powers, since repentant men become a cause of joy to the angels. Thus also the savior calls friends those who were once slaves, having deemed them worthy of the greater contemplation. Thus also Abraham, being rich in knowledge, sets out that mystical table for the friends who appeared to him at midday. But Saul, on account of his wickedness, is separated even from the friend he has; for it is written, "and the spirit of God departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord choked Saul," calling the angel the spirit of the Lord; "for," he says, "he who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire." And that angels are entrusted with men, the Lord teaches in the gospels: "See," he says, "that you do not despise one of these little ones, for their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." And again Jacob: "the angel who delivers me from all evils." And Zechariah: "and the angel who spoke in me said." 190 19, 5 A false witness shall not go unpunished; and he who accuses unjustly shall not escape. As many as, being ignorant of the principles of judgment and providence, blaspheme the creator, these accuse unjustly. And again, as many as, being troubled by their own passions, think that virtue is unattainable, these accuse unjustly the one who gave the law. 191 19, 7.3-4 A good thought will draw near to those who know it; but a prudent man will find it. He has now called the knowledge of God a thought, and those who know it the pure in heart. 192 19, 7.5-6 He who does much evil perfects wickedness; but he who provokes words will not be saved. Passionate thoughts provoke the soul to wickedness. 193 19, 10.1 Luxury is not fitting for a fool. Neither intelligible luxury nor sensible luxury is fitting for a fool. For he will trample the one underfoot, being a pleasure-loving swine; and by sensible luxury his flesh will be moved. 194 19, 11 A merciful man is long-suffering; but his boast comes upon the lawless. If he who boasts rightly boasts in the Lord, and our Lord is wisdom, then he who boasts rightly boasts in wisdom. The boast, therefore, of the long-suffering and merciful man, which is his wisdom and his knowledge, comes upon the lawless, delivering them from wickedness, now perhaps contingently, but necessarily in the age to come. 195 19, 12 The threat of a king is like the roaring of a lion; but as dew upon grass, so is his favor. Our Lord becomes a consuming fire and an angry lion to sinners, burning up wood, hay, stubble, and consuming the flesh that wars against the spirit; but a light and a dew to those who do right, showing them the principles of things that have come to be, and extinguishing the fiery darts of the evil one, and cooling the burning heat that comes from the practical life. 196 19, 13.2 Prayers are not pure from the hire of a harlot. He has called the impure soul a harlot, and has spoken of its condition as its hire, from which prayers do not become pure. 197 19, 14 Fathers will divide a house and possessions among their children; but from the Lord a wife is fitted to a man. To teach sons about virtue and

16

ζωῆς δεκτικήν, ἀφ' ὧν τὸ αὐτεξούσιον αὐτῆς γεγονέναι κατασκευάζομεν. 187 18, 22.1 ὃς εὗρεν γυναῖκα ἀγαθήν, εὗρεν χάριτας ... 18, 22α.2 ὁ δὲ κατέχων μοιχαλίδα ἄφρων καὶ ἀσεβής «Ὃς εὗρεν» σοφίαν «ἀγαθήν, εὗρεν χάριτας». 188 «Ὁ δὲ κατέχων» κακίαν «ἄφρων καὶ ἀσεβής».

189 19, 4 πλοῦτος προστίθησι φίλους πολλούς· ὁ δὲ πτωχὸς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ

ὑπάρχοντος φίλου λείπεται Πλοῦτος γνώσεως καὶ σοφίας προστίθησιν ἡμῖν ἀγγέλους πολλούς· ὁ δὲ ἀκάθαρτος καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ δοθέντος αὐτῷ ἐκ παιδὸς ἀγγέλου χωρίζεται. Ἡ γὰρ πνευματικὴ φιλία ἐστὶν ἀρετὴ καὶ γνῶσις θεοῦ, δι' ὧν συναπτόμεθα πρὸς φιλίαν ταῖς ἁγίαις δυνάμεσιν, εἴγε οἱ μετανοοῦντες ἄνθρωποι χαρᾶς αἴτιοι γίνονται τοῖς ἀγγέλοις. Οὕτως καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ φίλους καλεῖ τοὺς δούλους ποτὲ τῆς μείζονος αὐτοὺς θεωρίας καταξιώσας. Οὕτω καὶ Ἀβραὰμ πλουτήσας ἐν γνώσει τὴν μυστικὴν ἐκείνην παρατίθησι τράπεζαν τοῖς κατὰ τὴν μεσημβρίαν φίλοις φανεῖσιν αὐτῷ. Σαοὺλ δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὑπάρχοντος φίλου διὰ τὴν κακίαν χωρίζεται· γέγραπται γὰρ «καὶ ἀπέστη πνεῦμα θεοῦ ἀπὸ Σαοὺλ καὶ πνεῦμα πονηρὸν παρὰ κυρίου ἔπνιγε τὸν Σαούλ», πνεῦμα κυρίου λέγων τὸν ἄγγελον· «ὁ ποιῶν γάρ, φησίν, τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πῦρ φλέγον.» Ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἄγγελοι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους πεπίστευνται, διδάσκει ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις ὁ κύριος· «ὁρᾶτε, λέγων, μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων, ὅτι οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν διὰ παντὸς βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς.» Καὶ πάλιν ὁ Ἰακώβ· «ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ ῥυόμενός με ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν κακῶν». Καὶ ὁ Ζαχαρίας· «καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοί.» 190 19, 5 μάρτυς ψευδὴς οὐκ ἀτιμώρητος ἔσται· ὁ δὲ ἐγκαλῶν ἀδίκως οὐ διαφεύξεται Ὅσοι τοὺς περὶ κρίσεως καὶ προνοίας ἀγνοοῦντες λόγους τὸν δημιουργὸν βλασφημοῦσιν, οὗτοι ἐγκαλοῦσιν ἀδίκως. Καὶ ὅσοι πάλιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων παθῶν ἐνοχλούμενοι νομίζουσιν ἀκατόρθωτον εἶναι τὴν ἀρετήν, οὗτοι τῷ δεδωκότι τὸν νόμον ἐγκαλοῦσιν ἀδίκως. 191 19, 7.3-4 ἔννοια ἀγαθὴ τοῖς εἰδόσιν αὐτὴν ἐγγιεῖ· ἀνὴρ δὲ φρόνιμος εὑρήσει αὐτήν Τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ γνῶσιν νῦν ὠνόμασεν ἔννοιαν καὶ τοὺς εἰδότας αὐτὴν τοὺς καθαροὺς τῇ καρδίᾳ. 192 19, 7.5-6 ὁ πολλὰ κακοποιῶν τελεσιουργεῖ κακίαν· ὃς δὲ ἐρεθίζει λόγους οὐ σωθήσεται Οἱ ἐμπαθεῖς λογισμοὶ ἐρεθίζουσι τὴν ψυχὴν πρὸς κακίαν. 193 19, 10.1 οὐ συμφέρει ἄφρονι τρυφή Οὔτε ἡ νοητὴ τρυφὴ οὔτε ἡ αἰσθητὴ συμφέρει τῷ ἄφρονι. Τὴν μὲν γὰρ καταπατήσει τοῖς ποσί, χοῖρος φιλήδονος ὤν· ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς αἰσθητῆς τρυφῆς ἡ σὰρξ αὐτοῦ κινηθήσεται. 194 19, 11 ἐλεήμων ἀνὴρ μακροθυμεῖ· τὸ δὲ καύχημα αὐτοῦ ἐπέρχεται παρανόμοις Εἰ ὁ καυχώμενος ὀρθῶς ἐν κυρίῳ καυχᾶται, ὁ δὲ κύριος ἡμῶν σοφία ἐστίν, ὁ καυχώμενος ἄρα ὀρθῶς ἐν σοφίᾳ καυχᾶται. Τὸ καύχημα τοίνυν τοῦ μακροθύμου καὶ ἐλεήμονος, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἡ σοφία καὶ ἡ γνῶσις αὐτοῦ, ἐπέρχεται τοῖς παρανόμοις, ἀπαλλάττον αὐτοὺς τῆς κακίας νῦν μὲν ἐνδεχομένως, ἀναγκαίως δὲ ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ μέλλοντι. 195 19, 12 βασιλέως ἀπειλὴ ὁμοία βρυγμῷ λέοντος· ὥσπερ δὲ δρόσος ἐπὶ χόρτῳ, οὕτως τὸ ἱλαρὸν αὐτοῦ Ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν πῦρ μὲν καταναλίσκον καὶ λέων ὀργιζόμενος γίνεται πρὸς τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, κατακαίων ξύλα, χόρτον, καλάμην καὶ τὴν σάρκα τὴν στρατευομένην κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ἀναλίσκων· φῶς δὲ καὶ δρόσος πρὸς τοὺς κατορθοῦντας, δεικνὺς αὐτοῖς τῶν γεγονότων τοὺς λόγους καὶ κατασβεννύων τὰ πεπυρωμένα βέλη τοῦ πονηροῦ καὶ περιψύχων τὸν ἐκ τῆς πρακτικῆς συμβαίνοντα καύσωνα. 196 19, 13.2 οὐχ ἁγναὶ εὐχαὶ ἀπὸ μισθώματος ἑταίρας Τὴν ἀκάθαρτον ψυχὴν ἑταίραν ὠνόμασεν καὶ ταύτης τὸ μίσθωμα τὴν κατάστασιν εἴρηκεν, ἀφ' ἧς οὐ καθαραὶ γίνονται προσευχαί. 197 19, 14 οἶκον καὶ ὕπαρξιν μεριοῦσι πατέρες παισίν· παρὰ δὲ κυρίου ἁρμόζεται γυνὴ ἀνδρί Τὸ μὲν διδάσκειν τοὺς υἱοὺς περὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ