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to turn away, but even to jump away from those who give wicked counsel, and not even to spend time with them. For if our natural state is often changed by evil company, how much more the things of our choice? For our complexion is with us by nature, and so is our health; but sometimes these things are corrupted by a different, contrary state; and again, the desire for food; and this we have often lost from the evil of sicknesses; and many other such things can be seen happening. If the things of nature are moved, much more the things of choice, inasmuch as they have an easier change to the other side. Let us not then think the company of the wicked is a small thing for harm, but before all other things let us flee such people, whether they be women, or friends, or whoever. Since this destroyed even those great men, I mean Solomon and Samson; and a whole nation, the Jewish, was thus corrupted. For wild beasts are not accustomed to strike in this way, as the wickedness of men. For those have a visible venom; but these imperceptibly and silently inject their poison each day, little by little undermining the vigor of virtue. For this reason God also walls off the licentious gaze, saying: He who has looked at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart; because of the ease and facility of destruction. But you, if you are going to live in a city, you are very concerned about the air, if it is not unhealthy, if it is not intemperate, if it is not arid; but when you are going to take account of your soul, you are not curious about the company of those who are going to associate with it, but you entrust it to everyone simply and as it happens? And what pardon will you obtain, tell me, by so despising it? For from where do you think those who have occupied the deserts become so wonderful and illustrious? Is it not because they flee noises and marketplaces, and have pitched their tents far from the smoke of worldly affairs? Emulate them yourself, pursuing solitude in the midst of the city. But how will this be? If you flee the wicked, if you pursue the good. For thus you will reap greater security than those in the deserts, not only in fleeing from those who harm, but also in the fellowship of those who benefit. For if you flee the wicked and pursue the good, on both sides the things of virtue will be increased for you, and the things of vice will depart. Therefore, that this may happen, let us do these things, obeying the psalmist who says: For you, Lord, alone have made me dwell in hope. But here I will end the discourse, having, I think, sufficiently given the solution to the questions, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory and the power, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. ON THE 5TH PSALM. To the end, for her who inherits, a psalm of David. 1. First let us see what the inheritance is, and if this 55.61 also pertains to us; then the time in which it is given. And indeed it is strange, when a will of money has been announced to you, as if the inheritance belongs to us, to be curious and meddlesome, and to seek the documents, and to pay money, and to approach with papers, and to copy what is written, and to show all diligence; but here, when the spiritual testaments are set forth, and all the books are open, to be lazy and remiss, and this when the inheritance is not a tangible one. Let us approach, therefore, and open the documents, and peer into what is written, and see on what terms this inheritance has been left to us, and what is the nature of the inheritance. For He did not simply leave us the inheritance, but on a certain choice. What choice is this? He who loves me, He says, will keep my commandments. And again, Whoever does not take up his cross, and

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ἐκκλίνειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποπηδᾷν ἀπὸ τῶν πονηρὰ συμβουλευόντων, καὶ μηδὲ ἐγχρονίζειν αὐτοῖς. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ φυσικὰ μεταβάλλεται πολλάκις ἡμῖν ἀπὸ κακῆς ὁμιλίας· πόσῳ μᾶλλον τὰ τῆς προαιρέσεως; Τό τε γὰρ χρῶμα κατὰ φύσιν ἡμῖν πρόσεστι, καὶ τὸ ὑγιαίνειν· ἀλλ' ἔστιν ὅτε διαφθείρεται ταῦτα ἐξ ἑτέρας ἕξεως ἐναντίας· καὶ τὸ ὀρέγεσθαι πάλιν σιτίων· καὶ τοῦτο πολλάκις ἀπωλέσαμεν ἀπὸ κακίας νοσημάτων· καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ἔστιν ἰδεῖν συμβαίνοντα. Εἰ δὲ τὰ τῆς φύσεως κινεῖται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ τῆς προαιρέσεως, ὅσῳ καὶ εὐκολωτέραν ἔχει τὴν ἐπὶ θάτερα μεταβολήν. Μὴ δὴ μικρὸν εἶναι νομίζωμεν τὴν τῶν κακῶν συνουσίαν εἰς βλάβην, ἀλλὰ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων φεύγωμεν τοὺς τοιούτους, κἂν γυναῖκες ὦσι, κἂν φίλοι, κἂν ὁστισοῦν. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τοὺς μεγάλους ἐκείνους τοῦτο ἀπώλεσε, Σολομῶντα λέγω καὶ Σαμψών· καὶ ἔθνος δὲ ὁλόκληρον τὸ Ἰουδαϊκὸν οὕτω διέφθαρτο. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω θηρία πλήττειν εἴωθεν, ὡς πονηρία ἀνθρώπων. Ἐκεῖνα μὲν γὰρ φανερὸν ἔχει τὸν ἰόν· οὗτοι δὲ ἀνεπαισθήτως καὶ ἀψοφητὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐνιᾶσι τὴν λύμην, κατὰ μικρὸν ὑποσύροντες τὸ εὔτονον τῆς ἀρετῆς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὴν ἀκόλαστον ὄψιν ὁ Θεὸς ἀποτειχίζει, λέγων· Ὁ ἐμβλέψας γυναικὶ πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι, ἤδη ἐμοίχευσεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· διὰ τὸ εὔκολον καὶ εὐπερίστατον τῆς ἀπωλείας Σὺ δὲ, εἰ μὲν πόλιν μέλλεις οἰκεῖν, πολλὰ περὶ ἀέρων πολυπραγμονεῖς, εἰ μὴ νοσώδεις, εἰ μὴ δύσκρατοι, εἰ μὴ αὐχμηροί· ψυχῆς δὲ μέλλων ποιεῖσθαι λόγον, οὐ περιεργάζῃ τὴν συνουσίαν τῶν μελλόντων ὁμιλεῖν αὐτῇ· ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς ἔτυχε πᾶσιν αὐτὴν ἐπιτρέπεις; Καὶ ποίας τεύξῃ συγγνώμης, εἰπέ μοι, οὕτως αὐτῆς ὑπερορῶν; Πόθεν γὰρ οἴει τοὺς τὰς ἐρήμους κατειληφότας θαυμαστούς τινας καὶ λαμπροὺς γίνεσθαι; οὐκ ἐπειδὴ θορύβους καὶ ἀγορὰς φεύγουσι, καὶ τοῦ καπνοῦ τῶν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ πραγμάτων μακρὰν ἑαυτοὺς ἐσκήνωσαν; Τούτους καὶ αὐτὸς ζήλωσον, ἐπὶ μέσης πόλεως ἐρημίας διώκων. Πῶς δὲ ἔσται τοῦτο; Ἐὰν τοὺς πονηροὺς φεύγῃς, ἐὰν τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς διώκῃς. Οὕτω γὰρ πλείονα καρπώσῃ τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἐρήμοις ἀσφάλειαν, οὐκ ἐν τῇ τῶν βλαπτόντων φυγῇ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν ὠφελούντων κοινωνίᾳ. Ἂν γὰρ φεύγῃς μὲν τοὺς πονηροὺς, διώκῃς δὲ τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς, ἑκατέρωθέν σοι τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς αὐξηθήσεται, καὶ τὰ τῆς κακίας οἰχήσεται. Ἵν' οὖν τοῦτο γένηται, ταῦτα ποιῶμεν, πειθόμενοι τῷ ψαλμῳδῷ λέγοντι· Ὅτι σὺ, Κύριε, κατὰ μόνας ἐπ' ἐλπίδι κατῴκισάς με. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ καταπαύσω τὸν λόγον, ἱκανῶς, οἶμαι, τὴν λύσιν ἀποδοὺς τῶν ζητουμένων, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ Εʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ. Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ὑπὲρ κληρονομούσης, ψαλμὸς τῷ ∆αυΐδ. αʹ. Πρότερον ἴδωμεν τίς ἡ κληρονομία, καὶ εἰ αὕτη 55.61 καὶ ἡμῖν ἐπιβάλλει· ἔπειτα τὸν χρόνον καθ' ὃν δίδοται. Καὶ δὴ ἄτοπον, διαθήκης μὲν χρημάτων ὑμῖν ἀπαγγελθείσης, ὡς προσήκοντος ἡμῖν τοῦ κλήρου, περιεργάζεσθαι καὶ πολυπραγμονεῖν, καὶ τὰ γράμματα ἐπιζητεῖν, καὶ ἀργύριον καταβάλλειν, καὶ χαρτίοις προσιέναι, καὶ ἀντιγράφειν τὰ ἐγγεγραμμένα, καὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι σπουδήν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ τῶν διαθηκῶν πνευματικῶν εἰς μέσον προκειμένων, καὶ τῶν βίβλων πασῶν ἀνεῳγμένων, ῥᾳθυμεῖν καὶ ἀναπεπτωκέναι, καὶ ταῦτα τῆς κληρονομίας οὐκ οὔσης αἰσθητῆς. Προσίωμεν τοίνυν, καὶ ἀνοίγωμεν τὰ γραμματεῖα, καὶ ἐγκύπτωμεν τοῖς ἐγγεγραμμένοις, καὶ ἴδωμεν ἐπὶ τίσιν ἡμῖν ὁ κλῆρος οὗτος καταλέλειπται, καὶ τίς ἡ τοῦ κλήρου φύσις. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς κατέλιπεν ἡμῖν τὸν κλῆρον, ἀλλ' ἐφ' αἱρέσει τινί. Ποίᾳ δὴ ταύτῃ; Ὁ ἀγαπῶν με, φησὶ, τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρήσει. Καὶ πάλιν, Ὃς οὐκ ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ