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dead, having fallen away from the blessed and eternal life. In many ways, therefore, one who is in sins can mourn for himself, if he perceives it. And blessed is the one who mourns for himself, having done things worthy of mourning and having fallen from the blessed life, so that he may be comforted. And he mourns for others, when he is a lover of children. Thus, at any rate, Paul said: "lest when I come I mourn for many." "Many" he says are those "who have not repented." This one who mourns does not mourn for himself, but for others who have been made dead, that is, who have become his children through instruction or in some way. The house, however, signifies a certain state and way of life, not a place. He knew this to be the end of every man, and the living will lay a good thing to his heart. The one who goes to the "house of mourning" knows that "the end of every man" is to die. And if he knows that he will die, he will not be proud nor will he consider that he has anything worth striving for, if he has such things that he is able to lose when he is dead—wealth, glory, rank—according to that which says, "Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich and when the glory of his house is multiplied, for when he dies he will not take everything." And the living will lay a good thing to his heart. 199 It is characteristic of a living person to pursue what seems good to him. And this is what is pleasant. For the one who is dead and undergoes things worthy of mourning does not "lay a good thing in his heart." But if a good and noble person is taken from life, he finds what is truly "good" by "entering into the joy of his Lord." But if he is wicked, there too he undergoes "weeping." "For there is the weeping and the gnashing of teeth." But it is also possible to say of the living: "the one who lives according to God." Such were those around Abraham, concerning whom it is said: "God is not of the dead, but of the living." The one who is truly living, the one who has the blessed life, finds good for his soul. Next: the allegorical interpretation: "He knew this to be the end of every man." The wicked man is called a man in another sense, as it is said: "But you die like men," and: "for where there is strife and jealousy among you, are you not men?". The one who has cast off this life, according to which he is a blameworthy man, is mourned for in a blessed way. But the one who lives by pursuing such a way of life and existence hunts for what is pleasant for himself, not seeking the salvation that comes after, which is achieved with much labor. "For through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of heaven," and: those "afflicted in every way" have nothing pleasant. The one who mourns, therefore, "knew the end of every man." Thus, at any rate, he mourns as if that public life of his has been brought to an end. Therefore, the living will not simply lay a good thing, but lay it to "his own heart," which is pleasure-loving. Anger is better than laughter, for in the wickedness of a man he will be made good. And this can be seen from the things at hand: if someone has subordinates, such as children or slaves, when he is angry and furious with them so as to prevent their wickedness, this "anger" is "good," not anger in general, but that of a father toward a child, of a guardian toward those being helped. "for in the wickedness of a man he will be made good"—namely, the one who seeks laughter, the one who is 200 there where the jesters are; but the one having "anger" against those who do such things will also be angry with himself, whenever such a thought or deed comes to him, as I just said, that he is angry with himself, directing the anger because of a man's wickedness. Next: as for the allegorical interpretation? Having read the divine scriptures and knowing how God is indignant with sinners and that He "stirs up anger," which the saint, asking to be spared, said: "Do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor discipline me in Your wrath"— this anger is not better than living with virtue; but since he is worthy of being punished, it is more preferable for him to be rebuked through anger than to be disciplined by the punishment itself. For the one who is able to punish is angry before he punishes.

Therefore, do we not hear in the scripture that a threat is laid up against sinners? If it is anger that is announced, it is a kind of threat; but the anger is in the threat, not in

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τεθνηκότα ἐκπεσόντα ἀπὸ τῆς μακαρίας καὶ αἰωνίου ζωῆς. κατὰ πολλοὺς οὖν τρόπους δύναται̣ ἑα̣υτόν τις ἐν ἁμαρτίαις γενόμε νος πενθεῖν, ἐὰν αἰσθηθῇ. καὶ μακαρίζεται ὁ ἑαυτὸν πενθῶν ἄξια πένθους πεποιηκὼς καὶ ἐκπεσὼν τῆς μακαρίας ζωῆς, ἵνα παρακληθῇ. πενθεῖ δὲ καὶ ἄλλους, ὅταν φιλ̣όπαις ᾖν. οὕτω γοῦν ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· "μὴ εἰσελθὼν πενθήσω πολλούς". "πολλοὺς" λέγει τοὺς "μ̣ὴ μετανοήσαντας". οὗτος ὁ πενθῶν οὐχ ἑαυτὸν πενθεῖ, ἀλλὰ τοὺς νεκρωθέντας ἄλλους ἤτοι γενα μένους αὐτοῦ τέκνα διὰ παίδευσιν ἠ`̣ ὅπως ποτέ. ὁ οἶκος δὲ κατάστασίν τινα σημαίνει καὶ ἀγωγήν, οὐ τόπο̣ν. ἔγνω τοῦτο τέλος παντὸς ἀνθρώπου, καὶ ὁ ζῶν δώσει ἀγα θὸν πρὸς καρδίαν αὐτοῦ. ὁ πορευόμενος εἰς "οἶκον πένθους" οἶδεν ὅτι "τέλος παντὸς ἀνθρώ που" ἐστὶν τὸ τεθνάναι. καὶ εἰ οἶδεν ὅτι τεθνήξεται, οὐ μέγα φρονήσει οὐδὲ ἡγήσεται περισπούδαστόν τι ἔχειν, ἐὰν τὰ τοιαῦτα ἔχῃ, ἃ ἀποβαλεῖν δύναται τεθνηκώς-πλοῦτον, δόξαν, ἀξίωμα-κατὰ τὸ "μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅταν πλουτήσῃ ἄνθρωπος καὶ ὅταν πληθυνθῇ ἡ δόξα τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῷ ἀποθνῄσκειν αὐτὸν λήμψεται τὰ πάντα". καὶ ὁ ζῶν δώσει ἀγαθὸν πρὸς καρδίαν αὐτοῦ. 199 ζῶντός ἐστιν τὸ θηρεύειν τὸ αὑτῷ δοκούμενον ἀγαθόν. τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν τὸ ἡδύ. ὁ γὰρ τεθνηκὼς καὶ ἄξια τοῦ πενθῆσαι ὑφιστάμενος οὐ "δίδωσιν ἀγαθὸν ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ". ἀλλ' ἐὰν καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθὸς ἀποσπασθῇ τοῦ βί ου, τὸ ἀληθῶς "ἀγαθὸν" εὑρίσκει "εἰσερχόμενος εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ κυ ρίου" ἑαυτοῦ. ἐὰν δὲ φαῦλος, κἀκεῖ "κλαυθμὸν" ὑφίσ̣τ̣α̣τ̣α̣ι̣. "ἐκ̣εῖ γάρ ἐστιν ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων". δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ τὸν̣ ζῶντα εἰπεῖν· "ὁ ζῶν κατὰ θεόν". οἷοι ἦσαν οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἀβραάμ, περὶ ὧν εἴρηται· "ὁ θεὸς οὐκ ἔστιν νεκρῶν, ἀλλὰ ζώντων". ὁ ἀληθῶς ζῶν, ὁ τὴν μακαρίαν ζωὴν ἔχων, τῇ ψυχῇ ἑαυτοῦ εὑρίσκει ἀγαθόν. ἐπερ· ἡ ἀναγωγή· "ἔγνω τοῦτ̣ο τέλος παντὸς ἀνθρώπου". ὁ φαῦλος κατὰ ἕτερον σημαινόμενον λέγετ̣αι ἄνθρωπος, ὡς εἴρηται· "ὑμεῖς δὲ δὴ ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἀποθνῄσκετε", καί· "ὅπου γὰρ ἔρις καὶ ζῆλος ἐν ὑμῖν, οὐχὶ ἄνθρωποί ἐστε;". ὁ ἀποβαλὼν ταύτην τὴν ζωήν, καθ' ἣν ψ̣ε̣κ̣τὸς ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν, πενθεῖται μακαρίως. ὁ δὲ ζῶν τῷ περιέπειν τὴν τοιαύτην ἀγωγὴν καὶ ζωὴν τὸ ἡδὺ ἑαυτῷ θηρᾶται, ου᾿̣ ζητεῖ τὴν μετὰ ταῦτα σωτηρίαν, τὴν σὺν πολλῷ πόνῳ κατορθουμένην. "διὰ γὰρ πολλῶν θλίψεων δεῖ ἡμᾶς εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρα̣νῶν", καί· "ἐν παντὶ θλι βόμενοι" οὗτοι οὐδὲν ἡδὺ ἔχουσιν. ὁ πενθήσας οὖν "ἔγνω τὸ τέλος παντὸς ἀνθρώπου". οὕτω γοῦν πενθεῖ ὡς περιγραφέντος αὐτοῦ τοῦ ζῆν τοῦ δημοσιευομένου. οὐχ ἁπλῶς οὖν τὸ ἀγαθὸν δώσει ὁ ζῶν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν "ἑαυτοῦ καρδίαν" φιλήδονον οὖσαν. ἀγαθὸν θυμὸς ὑπὲρ γέλωτα, ὅτι ἐν κακίᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἀγα θυνθήσεται. καὶ ἐκ τῶν μετὰ χεῖρας ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τοῦτο· ἐάν τις ὑπηκόους ἔχῃ, οἷον τέκνα ἢ δούλους, ὅταν οὕτως ὀργίζηται καὶ θυμῶται αὐτοῖς ὥσ̣τε αὐτῶν τὴν κακίαν κωλῦσαι, ὁ "θυμὸς" οὗτος "ἀγαθός" ἐστιν, οὐχ ὁ καθάπαξ θυμός, ἀλλ' ὁ πατρὸς πρὸς τέκνον, ὁ κηδεμόνος πρὸς τοὺς ἐπι κουρουμένους. "ὅτι ἐν κακίᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἀγαθυνθήσεται" ὁ ζητῶν γέλωτα, ὁ ἐκεῖ γινό 200 μενος ὅπου οἱ γελοιασταί· ὁ δὲ "θυ̣μὸν" ἔχων κατὰ τῶν τοιαῦτα ποιούν των καὶ ἑαυτῷ θυμωθήσεται, ὅτα̣ν ἔλθ̣ῃ αὐτῷ λογισμὸς ἢ πρᾶγμα τοιοῦτο, ὡς ἔλεγον ἀρτίως, ὅτι θυμοῦται καθ' ἑαυτου῀̣ ἀνατ̣ιθηνῶν τὸν θυμὸν διὰ κακίαν ἀνθρώπου. ἐπερ· ὡς πρὸς τὴν ἀναγωγήν; ἀναγ̣νόντες τὰς θείας γραφὰς καὶ γνόντες ὡς ὁ θεὸς ἀγανακτεῖ κατὰ τῶν ἁμ̣αρτωλῶν καὶ ὅτι "θυμὸν ἐγείρει", ὃν παραιτούμενος ὁ ἅγιος ἔλεγεν· "μὴ τῷ θυμῷ σου ἐλέγξῃς με, μηδὲ τῇ ὀργῇ σου παιδεύσῃς με"- οὗτος ὁ θυμὸς οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγ̣αθ̣ότερος τοῦ σὺν ἀρετῇ διάγειν· ἀλλ' ὡς ἄξι ός ἐστιν τοῦ κολασθῆναι, αἱρετώτερόν ἐστιν αὐτὸν διὰ θυμοῦ ἐλεγχθῆναι καὶ ἢ αὐτῇ τῇ κολάσει παιδευθ̣ῆναι. θυμοῦται γὰρ ὁ δυνάμενος κολάσαι πρὸ τοῦ κολάσαι.

οὐκοῦν ἀκούομεν ἐν τῇ γραφῇ, ὅτι κατὰ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἀπειλὴ ἀπόκειτ̣αι; εἰ θυμ̣ός ἐστιν ὁ ἀπαγγελλόμενος, ἀπειλή τίς ἐστιν· ἐν τῇ ἀπειλῇ δὲ ὁ θυμός, οὐκ ἐν