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For what is the benefit of the physician's care to the sick, when the patient practices things destructive to life? Thus there is no benefit in the forgiveness of wrongdoings to one still doing wrong, and in the pardoning of intemperate acts to one still living intemperately. But how are the sins of a soul forgiven? When virtue, having taken hold of the soul and occupied it completely with its own principles, creates in it an aversion toward the opposite disposition; so that in a time of greed, one voluntarily strives for the honor of equality, and even if it is easy to do wrong, even if without a witness, one avoids it as the greatest evil; it is possible for one so disposed by the state within himself to be forgiven for former wrongdoings. In this way indeed, temperance also, having acquired a state and a firm hold in the soul, absolves from intemperate acts. But we call someone temperate not one in whom the desires of intemperance have withered away because of old age, or sickness, or some other circumstance (for in this person vice is still present, but its activity is hindered by the weakness of the organs) but true temperance is a scientific power, impressed deeply upon the soul and erasing the existing traces of shameful impulses. To one who has thus healed himself, by taking up the disposition contrary to the sinful one, the grace of forgiveness is also beneficial. But the Word here threatens to abandon completely those who have often risen from many falls through guidance according to loving-kindness, and then later were overcome by their weaknesses. Here the "no longer" gives us the emphasis that He has already often forgiven for similar things before. For without forgiveness from God, it is impossible for anyone to give himself to the virtuous life. For this reason, He who wisely orders our life wishes for the one who has been tested in certain sins, and then professes to run back to the healthy life, to set a limit to the past, and to make a certain beginning after the sins, as if coming back to life through repentance; but the one who continually professes these things, and continually falls away from them, He shuts out as one completely despaired of from loving-kindness. 1.35 When you stretch out your hands, I will turn my eyes away from you. Those who pray only in form stretch out their hands, but they do not have the divine eyes looking upon them in their prayer. Again, this posture of prayer is customary for the Saints, as we have learned from David, who says: I spread out my hands to you; and, The lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice; and Moses, while Israel was at war until sunset, kept his hands outstretched. And to these things also is the apostolic word, that men should pray in every place, lifting up holy hands. But perhaps the Word also indicates something deeper: that he who performs great and heavenly and lofty works, having as it were his practical power raised up, is said to lift up his hands; but he who is engaged in humble and earthly things and those subject to decay, has his hands drooping downward and cast down. The story of Moses also hints at this, that because those who are progressing do not make their actions uniform, but at one time live better, and at another time through weakness are exhausted and act more feebly, the things that happened then were symbols of the human condition; for if he lifted up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he lowered his hands, Amalek prevailed. That is, when our active power falls, the things that wrestle against us prevail; but when it is exalted and lifted up, the discerning power in us, which is called Israel, becomes stronger. But observe that here it does not say "when you lift up your hands," but When you stretch them out. For he who seeks the things above lifts them up, but he who is in need of help for bodily things stretches them out. And since the stretching out is often done out of disposition by infants toward their nurses or mothers, to show the lack of disposition of those praying, He did not say "when you stretch out toward me," but simply: When you stretch out (he says) your hands, I will turn away my

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Τί γὰρ ὄφελος τῷ ἀῤῥωστοῦντι ἡ παρὰ τοῦ ἰατροῦ ἐπιμέλεια, ὅταν τὰ φθαρτικὰ τῆς ζωῆς ὁ κάμνων ἐπιτηδεύῃ; Οὕτως οὐδὲν ὄφελος ἀδικημάτων συγχωρου μένων τῷ ἔτι ἀδικοῦντι, καὶ ἀκολαστημάτων ἀφιεμένων τῷ ἔτι ἀκολασταίνοντι. Ἀλλὰ πῶς ἀφίεται ψυχῆς ἁμαρτήματα; Ἐπειδὰν ἡ ἀρετὴ κρατήσασα τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ ὅλην αὐτὴν τοῖς οἰκείοις λόγοις κα ταλαβοῦσα, διαβολὴν αὐτῇ πρὸς τὴν ἐναντίαν διάθεσιν ἐμποι ήσῃ· ὥστε ἐν μὲν καιρῷ πλεονεξίας ἑκουσίως ὁρμᾷν ἐπὶ τὴν ὡς τοῦ ἴσου τιμὴν, κἂν ῥᾴδιον ᾖ τὸ ἀδικεῖν, κἂν ἀμάρτυρον, ὡς μέγιστον κακὸν ἀποφεύγειν· οὕτω διακείμενον ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἕξεως, δυνατὸν ἀφεθῆναι τῶν προτέρων ἀδικημάτων. Κατὰ ταῦτα δὴ καὶ ἡ σωφροσύνη ἕξιν καὶ πῆξιν λαβοῦσα ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ, ἀπολύει τῶν ἀκολαστημάτων. Σώφρονα δὲ λέγομεν, οὐχ ᾧ ἀπεμαράνθησαν ὑπὸ γήρως, ἢ νόσου, ἢ ὑπὸ ἄλλου τινὸς συμπτώματος αἱ τῆς ἀκολασίας ὀρέξεις (τούτῳ γὰρ ἡ μὲν κακία ἐνυπάρχει, ἡ δὲ ἐνέργεια ἐκ τῆς τῶν ὀργάνων ἀσθε νείας παραποδίζεται) ἀλλὰ σωφροσύνη ἐστὶν ἀληθὴς ἐπι στημονικὴ δύναμις, ἐντυπωθεῖσα τῇ ψυχῇ διὰ βάθους καὶ τὰ ἐνυπάρχοντα ἴχνη τῶν αἰσχρῶν κινημάτων ἐξαφανίζουσα. Τῷ οὕτως ἑαυτὸν ἐξιωμένῳ, διὰ τοῦ ἀναλαμβάνειν τὴν ἐναν τίαν τῇ ἁμαρτητικῇ διάθεσιν, καὶ ἡ παρὰ τῆς συγχωρήσεως χάρις ὠφέλιμος. Ὁ δὲ λόγος ἐνταῦθα τοὺς ἀπὸ πολλῶν πτωμάτων πολ λάκις διαναστάντας ἐκ τῆς κατὰ φιλανθρωπίαν χειραγω γίας, εἶτα ὕστερον ὑπὸ τῶν ἀσθενειῶν κρατηθέντας, ἀπει λεῖ παντελῶς ἀφήσειν. Ἐνταῦθα τὸ Οὐκέτι ἔμφασιν ἡμῖν παρέχει τοῦ πολλάκις ἤδη πρότερον ἐπὶ τοῖς ὁμοίοις συγκεχωρηκέναι. Χωρὶς γὰρ τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀφέ σεως, ἐπιδιδόναι τινὰ ἑαυτὸν τῷ κατ' ἀρετὴν βίῳ, ἀμή χανον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ σοφῶς ἡμῶν οἰκονομῶν τὴν ζωὴν, τὸν ἔν τισιν ἁμαρτίαις ἐξετασθέντα, εἶτα ἀνατρέχειν ἐπὶ τὸν ὑγιῆ βίον ἐπαγγελλόμενον, βούλεται πέρατι μὲν ὁρίζειν τὰ παρελθόντα, ἀρχὴν δέ τινα ποιεῖσθαι μετὰ τὰ ἡμαρτη μένα, οἱονεὶ διὰ τῆς μετανοίας ἀναβιώσκοντα· συνεχῶς δὲ ταῦτα ἐπαγγελλόμενον, καὶ συνεχῶς αὐτῶν ἀποπίπτοντα, ὡς παντελῶς αὐτὸν ἀπεγνωσμένον τῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἐκ κλείει. 1.35 Ὅταν ἐκτείνητε τὰς χεῖρας, ἀποστρέψω τοὺς ὀφθαλ μούς μου ἀφ' ὑμῶν. Οἱ μέχρι σχήματος προσευχόμενοι τὰς μὲν χεῖρας ἐκτείνουσι, τοὺς δὲ θείους ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπιβλέποντας αὐ τῶν εἰς τὴν προσευχὴν οὐκ ἔχουσι. Πάλιν δὲ τοῦτο σύνηθες τοῖς Ἁγίοις τὸ σχῆμα τῆς προσευχῆς, ὡς παρὰ ∆αβὶδ μεμαθήκαμεν, λέγοντος· ∆ιεπέτασα πρὸς σὲ τὰς χεῖ ράς μου· καὶ Ἔπαρσις τῶν χειρῶν μου θυσία ἑσπερινή· Μωϋσέως δὲ, πολεμουμένου τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ μέχρις ἡλίου δυσμῶν, ἐν τῇ ἐκτάσει τὰς χεῖρας ἔχοντος. Καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα δὲ τὸ ἀποστολικὸν, ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ προσεύχεσθαι τοὺς ἄνδρας, ἐπαίροντας ὁσίους χεῖρας. Τάχα δέ τι καὶ βαθύτερον ὁ λόγος παραδηλοῖ· ὅτι ὁ τὰ μεγάλα καὶ οὐράνια καὶ ὑψηλὰ ἐργαζόμενος, οἱονεὶ διηρμένην ἔχων τὴν πρακτικὴν δύνα μιν, ἐπαίρειν τὰς χεῖρας λέγεται· ὁ δὲ ταπεινὰ καὶ γήϊνα καὶ τῇ φθορᾷ ὑποκείμενα ἐνεργῶν, κάτω ῥεπούσας καὶ κατα βεβλημένας τὰς χεῖρας ἔχει. Τοῦτο καὶ ἡ κατὰ Μωϋσέα παραινίσσεται ἱστορία, ὅτι διὰ τὸ τοὺς προκόπτοντας μὴ ἐξομαλίζειν τὰς πράξεις, ἀλλὰ ποτὲ μὲν κρεῖττον βιοῦν, ποτὲ δὲ δι' ἀτονίαν ἐκλύεσθαι καὶ ἀσθενέ στερον ἐνεργεῖν, τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης καταστάσεως σύμβολα ἦν τὰ τότε γινόμενα· εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐπῆρε τὰς χεῖρας, ἐνίσχυεν ὁ Ἰσραήλ· ὅτε δὲ καθῆκε τὰς χεῖρας, κατίσχυσεν Ἀμαλήκ. Τουτέστι καταπιπτούσης μὲν ἡμῶν τῆς δραστικῆς δυνάμεως, ἰσχύει τὰ ἀντιπαλαίοντα ἡμῖν· ὑψουμένης δὲ καὶ διαιρομένης, δυνα τώτερον γίνεται τὸ διορατικὸν ἐν ἡμῖν, ὅπερ Ἰσραὴλ λέγεται. Τήρει δὲ, ὅτι ἐνταῦθα οὐκ εἴρηται «ὅταν ἐπαίρητε τὰς χεῖρας» ἀλλ' Ὅταν ἐκτείνητε. Ἐπαίρει μὲν γὰρ ὁ τὰ ἄνω ζητῶν, ἐκτείνει δὲ ὁ τῆς εἰς τὰ σωματικὰ βοηθείας ἐπιδεό μενος. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἡ ἔκτασις πολλάκις κατὰ διάθεσιν παρὰ τῶν νηπίων πρὸς τροφοὺς, ἢ μητέρας γίνεται, δεικνὺς τῶν εὐχομένων τὸ ἀδιάθετον, οὐκ εἶπεν «ὅταν ἐκτείνητε πρὸς μέ» ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς· Ὅταν ἐκτείνητε (φησὶ) τὰς χεῖρας, ἀπο στρέψω τοὺς