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we destroy ourselves, nor kill ourselves? By no means, he says; it is possible to gain even while being here, if we do not live this life, but another. But perhaps someone will say: Does this bear you fruit? Yes, he says. Where now are the heretics? behold now, To live in the flesh, this he says is the fruit of labor; for it is indeed of labor. How is it the fruit of labor? But the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith. For this reason it is the fruit of labor. And what I shall choose, I do not know. Alas, how great was the philosophy! How he cast out the desire for the present life, and yet did not slander it! For by saying, that To die is gain, by this he cast out the desire; but by saying, that To live in the flesh is the fruit of labor, by this he showed that the present life is also necessary. How? If we use it for what is needful, if we bear fruit; since if it be fruitless, it is no longer life. For we turn away from trees that do not bear fruit, just as we do from dry ones, and give them to the fire. For to live is again one of the intermediate and indifferent things; but to live well or ill, is in our power. So let us not hate living; for it is possible to live well; and if we use it badly, not even so should we slander it. Why? Because it has not itself become the cause, but the choice of those who use it badly. For God made you to live, that you might live for Him; but you, having lived for sin through wickedness, make yourself responsible for every cause. What do you say, tell me, O Paul? you do not know what you will choose? Here he revealed a great mystery, that he was master of his departure; for when there is a choice, we are masters. What I shall choose, he says, I do not know. Is it then in your power? Yes, he says, if I were willing to ask God for the grace. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire. See the tender affection of this blessed man; and by this he consoles them, when they see that he himself is master of the choice, that this is not happening through human wickedness, but by God's dispensation. Why then are you grieved, he says, at my death? It would have been far better to have departed long ago. For to depart, he says, and to be with Christ, is far better; but to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. These things are preparatory for his coming end, so that they might bear it nobly; these things are instructive of philosophy. It is good, he says, to depart, and to be with Christ; for death is one of the indifferent things. For death is not an evil, but to be punished after death 62.203 is an evil; nor is death a good, but to depart and be with Christ is a good; the things after death are either good or evil. Let us not then simply mourn for those who die, nor simply rejoice for those who live; but what? Let us mourn for sinners, not only when they die, but also while they live. And let us rejoice for the righteous, not only while they live, but also when they have died. For the former, even while living, are dead, but the latter, even having died, are alive; the former, even being here, are pitiable to all, since they offend God; the latter, having passed over to there, are blessed, because they have gone to be with Christ. Sinners, wherever they may be, are far from the king. For this reason they are worthy of tears; but the righteous, whether here or there, are with the king, and there even more so and nearer, not through a mirror, not through faith, but, Face, he says, to face. 4. Let us not then weep simply for the dead, but for those who die in sins; these are worthy of lamentations, these of beatings of the breast and tears. For what hope is there, tell me, to depart with sins, where it is not possible to put off sins? For while they were here, perhaps there was much expectation that they would change, that they would become better; but if they depart to Hades, where it is not possible to gain anything from repentance (For in Hades, he says, who will confess to you?), how are they not worthy of lamentations? Let us weep for those who depart thus, I do not forbid it, let us weep, but not disgracefully, not tearing our hair, not baring our arms, not scratching our faces, not wearing black, but only according to

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ἀναιροῦμεν ἑαυτοὺς, οὐδὲ ἀποκτείνομεν; Μηδαμῶς, φησίν· ἔνεστι καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὄντα κερδαίνειν, ἐὰν μὴ ζῶμεν τὴν ζωὴν ταύτην, ἀλλ' ἑτέραν. Ἀλλ' ἴσως ἐρεῖ τις· Τοῦτο καρπόν σοι φέρει; Ναὶ, φησί. Ποῦ νῦν οἱ αἱρετικοί; ἰδοὺ νῦν τὸ, Ζῇν ἐν σαρκὶ, τοῦτό φησι καρπὸν ἔργου· καὶ γὰρ ἔργου. Πῶς καρπὸς ἔργου; Ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκὶ, ἐν πίστει ζῶ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καρπὸς ἔργου. Καὶ τί αἱρήσομαι, οὐ γνωρίζω. Βαβαὶ, πόση ἦν ἡ φιλοσοφία! Πῶς καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐξέβαλε τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς, καὶ οὐ διέβαλεν αὐτήν! Τῷ μὲν γὰρ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Τὸ ἀποθανεῖν κέρδος, τούτῳ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐξέβαλε· τῷ δὲ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Τὸ ζῇν ἐν σαρκὶ, καρπὸς ἔργου, τούτῳ ἔδειξε καὶ τὴν παροῦσαν ἀναγκαίαν ζωήν. Πῶς; Ἐὰν εἰς δέον αὐτῇ χρώμεθα, ἐὰν καρποφορῶμεν· ὡς ἐὰν ἄκαρπος ᾖ, οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι ζωή. Καὶ γὰρ τῶν δένδρων τὰ μὴ φέροντα καρπὸν, ὁμοίως τῶν ξηρῶν ἀποστρεφόμεθα, καὶ πυρὶ παραδίδομεν. Τὸ γὰρ ζῇν πάλιν τῶν μέσων ἐστὶ καὶ ἀδιαφόρων· τὸ δὲ καλῶς ἢ κακῶς, ἐν ἡμῖν ἐστιν. Ὥστε οὐ μισῶμεν τὸ ζῇν· ἔνεστι γὰρ ζῇν καὶ καλῶς· ὡς ἐὰν κακῶς αὐτῷ χρησαίμεθα, οὐδὲ οὕτω διαβαλοῦμεν αὐτό. ∆ιὰ τί; Ὅτι οὐκ αὐτὸ αἴτιον γέγονεν, ἀλλ' ἡ προαίρεσις τῶν κακῶς χρωμένων αὐτῷ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Θεός σε ἐποίησε ζῇν, ἵνα αὐτῷ ζῇς· σὺ δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς κακίας τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ζήσας, ὑπεύθυνον σαυτὸν πάσης αἰτίας ποιεῖς. Τί λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι, ὦ Παῦλε; οὐ γνωρίζεις τί αἱρήσῃ; Ἐνταῦθα μέγα ἀπεκάλυψε μυστήριον, ὅτι κύριος ἦν τοῦ ἀπελθεῖν· ὅταν γὰρ αἵρεσις ᾖ, κύριοί ἐσμεν. Τί αἱρήσομαι, φησὶν, οὐ γνωρίζω. Ἐν σοὶ οὖν ἐστι; Ναὶ, φησὶν, εἰ βουλοίμην αἰτῆσαι τὸν Θεὸν χάριν. Συνέχομαι γὰρ ἐκ τῶν δύο, τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἔχων. Ὅρα τὴν φιλοστοργίαν τοῦ μακαρίου τούτου· καὶ ταύτῃ αὐτοὺς παραμυθεῖται, ὅταν ἴδωσιν, ὅτι αὐτὸς κύριός ἐστι τῆς αἱρέσεως, ὅτι οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνῃ πονηρίᾳ τοῦτο γίνεται, ἀλλὰ Θεοῦ οἰκονομίᾳ. Τί τοίνυν ἀλγεῖτε, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τῷ θανάτῳ; πολλῷ κρεῖττον ἦν πάλαι ἀπελθεῖν. Τὸ ἀναλῦσαι γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον κρεῖσσον· τὸ δὲ ἐπιμεῖναι τῇ σαρκὶ ἀναγκαιότερον δι' ὑμᾶς. Ταῦτα προπαρασκευαστικὰ τῆς μελλούσης αὐτοῦ τελευτῆς, ἵνα φέρωσιν αὐτὴν γενναίως· ταῦτα φιλοσοφίας διδακτικά. Καλὸν, φησὶ, τὸ ἀναλῦσαι, καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι· καὶ γὰρ ὁ θάνατος τῶν ἀδιαφόρων ἐστίν. Οὐ γὰρ κακὸν ὁ θάνατος, ἀλλὰ κακὸν τὸ ἀποθανόντα 62.203 κολάζεσθαι· οὐδὲ καλὸν ὁ θάνατος, ἀλλὰ καλὸν τὸ ἀπελθόντα σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι· τὰ μετὰ θάνατον, ἢ καλὰ ἢ κακά. Μὴ τοίνυν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀποθνήσκουσι πενθῶμεν ἁπλῶς, μηδὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς ζῶσι χαίρωμεν ἁπλῶς· ἀλλὰ τί; Πενθῶμεν τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς μὴ ἀποθνήσκοντας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ζῶντας. Χαίρωμεν δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς δικαίοις, μὴ ζῶσι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τετελευτηκόσιν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ καὶ ζῶντες τεθνήκασιν, οὗτοι δὲ καὶ ἀποθανόντες ζῶσιν· ἐκεῖνοι καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὄντες ἐλεεινοὶ πᾶσίν εἰσιν, ἐπειδὴ Θεῷ προσκρούουσιν· οὗτοι καὶ ἐκεῖ μεταστάντες μακάριοι, ὅτι πρὸς τὸν Χριστὸν ἀπῆλθον. Οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ, ὅπου ἂν ὦσι, πόῤῥω τοῦ βασιλέως εἰσί. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δακρύων ἄξιοι· οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι, ἄν τε ἐνταῦθα, ἄν τε ἐκεῖ, μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως εἰσὶ, κἀκεῖ μᾶλλον καὶ ἐγγύτερον, οὐ διὰ εἴδους, οὐ διὰ πίστεως, ἀλλὰ, Πρόσωπον, φησὶ, πρὸς πρόσωπον. δʹ. Μὴ τοίνυν ἁπλῶς κλαίωμεν τοὺς ἀποθανόντας, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐν ἁμαρτίαις· οὗτοι θρήνων ἄξιοι, οὗτοι κοπετῶν καὶ δακρύων. Ποία γὰρ ἐλπὶς, εἰπέ μοι, μετὰ ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπελθεῖν, ἔνθα οὐκ ἔστιν ἁμαρτήματα ἀποδύσασθαι; Ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἦσαν ἐνταῦθα, ἴσως ἦν προσδοκία πολλὴ, ὅτι μεταβαλοῦνται, ὅτι βελτίους ἔσονται· ἂν δὲ ἀπέλθωσιν εἰς τὸν ᾅδην, ἔνθα οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπὸ μετανοίας κερδᾶναί τι (Ἐν γὰρ τῷ ᾅδῃ, φησὶ, τίς ἐξομολογήσεταί σοι;), πῶς οὐ θρήνων ἄξιοι; Κλαίωμεν τοὺς οὕτως ἀπερχομένους, οὐ κωλύω, κλαίωμεν, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἀσχημόνως, μὴ τρίχας τίλλοντες, μὴ βραχίονας γυμνοῦντες, μὴ ὄψιν σπαράττοντες, μὴ μελανειμονοῦντες, ἀλλὰ μόνον κατὰ