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of knowledge, or to the one who is dying. The crown of the old is children's children. Again showing the natural things, that this is a virtue of the fathers, not simply the children, but the good ones. To the faithful, the whole world of possessions belongs; but to the unbeliever, not even an obol. The faithful man, not striving for sensible things, is as one who has all things; but he who strives for these things is as one who has nothing. The reward of graces is instruction for those who use them. [Exod. f. 73v.] Moral instruction, the reward of virtues; for this is of the graces. He, therefore, who achieves virtues with an instructed character, will have instruction itself as an end. Or he who has chosen virtue has the achievement of these things as a reward and grace from God. For where its return is, there also is the sweet fragrance. He who conceals transgressions seeks friendship. That which makes friendship is that we do not parade nor make public our sins. For he who hides vices through virtues becomes a friend to God. For since it is not possible for us, being human, not to sin, He gave another way through which we might undo our sins and remove the harm from them. Or through repentance, he who has hidden his unjust deeds seeks friendship with God. To what purpose are possessions to a fool? [Exod. f. 74v.] Therefore wealth is not good, if wisdom is not present; just as if someone having a horse does not know how to drive it. This is not a matter of accusation, but of turning away from eagerness. For what reason are you eager? It is necessary to acquire that first, so as to know how to use them as is right. Just as if someone seeing another building a ship should say: Why this ship? it is not a matter of accusation. Let a friend be yours for every occasion. That is, suitable not only in gladness, but also in affliction, and in cheerful times, and in difficult times; and this more than anything else. Or he says this: If you make friends, make them such as to be for every occasion. Let brothers be useful in necessities; for they are born for this purpose. [Exod. f. 75a.] One must not test a brother from nature alone, but also from his good deeds and his conduct, and from having stood by my 64.716 riad times. For this reason they are born, he says, that they may share in your misfortune; so that he who does not do this is not even worthy of the name. Let those who are partakers of the same spirit assist in the needs of their kinsman. A foolish man applauds and rejoices in himself; as also he who gives a pledge for his own friend. [Exod. f. 75v.] He who rejoices over another, rejoices over himself; he makes the judge more severe. And more than this, he who gives a pledge. Do you see? He does not speak simply, but of his own friends, not his enemies. But for what reason does he exhort? They were not yet able to hear that one must also love one's enemies; so that there might not be a transgression of the law, he measures the matter in friendship. But the hard-hearted man does not meet with good things. Why? As being about to overshadow his terrible things. A man of changeable tongue. So that it is a bad thing not to be fixed, nor to be established. A father does not rejoice over an uninstructed son. What then? Do we not see many rejoicing? No. The thing has no nature. Therefore nature is nothing, but wisdom is; for if a son does not cause joy, clearly it is because he does not partake of wisdom, but the wise man causes joy, therefore it is not of nature. A rejoicing heart makes one healthy. [Exod. f. 76v.] He makes great effort concerning this; for this too is a vice, despondency. Of one who receives gifts unjustly in his bosom, his ways do not prosper. Of one who receives unjust thoughts in his heart, his ways do not prosper. For the passionate and most shameful thoughts brought to us by the demons, he called gifts. The face of an intelligent man is wise; but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. Do you see how he shows the one is guarded in spirit, while the other is fluttered and gaping, looking around at everything? Or that the one sees with intelligence, while the other, not being content with what is at his feet, lets his mind wander everywhere, roaming about. We do not have eyes for this reason, that to all the wicked things
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γνώσεως, εἴτε τῷ ἀποθνήσκοντι. Στέφανος γερόντων τέκνα τέκνων. Πάλιν τὰ φυσικὰ δεικνὺς, ὅτι ἀρετῆς ἐστι τῶν πατέρων τοῦτο, οὐχ ἁπλῶς τὰ τέκνα, ἀλλὰ τὰ χρηστά. Τοῦ πιστοῦ ὅλος ὁ κόσμος τῶν χρημάτων· τοῦ δὲ ἀπίστου, οὐδὲ ὀβολός. Ὁ πιστὸς μὴ σπεύδων ἐπὶ τὰ αἰσθητὰ, ὡς πάντα ἔχων ἐστίν· ὁ δὲ περὶ ταῦτα σπεύδων, ὡς μηδὲν ἔχων ἐστίν. Μισθὸς χαρίτων, ἡ παιδεία τοῖς χρωμένοις. [ξοδ. φ. 73 β.] Ἡ ἠθικὴ παίδευσις, μισθὸς ἀρετῶν· τοῦτο γὰρ τῶν χαρίτων. Ὁ τοίνυν κατορθῶν τὰς ἀρετὰς ἤθει πεπαιδευμένῳ, αὐτὴν ἕξει τέλος τὴν παίδευσιν. Ἢ ὁ προῃρημένος τὴν ἀρετὴν, μισθὸν καὶ χάριν ἐκ Θεοῦ, τὴν τούτων ἔχει κατόρθωσιν. Ὅπου γὰρ ἡ ἐπιστροφὴ αὐτῆς, ἐκεῖ καὶ ἡ εὐωδία. Ὃς κρύπτει ἀδικήματα, ζητεῖ φιλίαν. Τὸ φιλίαν ποιοῦν ἐστι, τὸ μὴ ἐκπομπεύειν ἡμᾶς μηδὲ δημοσιεύειν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. Ὁ γὰρ διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν κρύπτων τὰς κακίας, φίλος γίνεται Θεῷ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀνθρώπους ὄντας οὐκ ἔνι μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν, ἑτέραν ὁδὸν ἔδωκε δι' ἧς τὰ ἁμαρτήματα λύσομεν, καὶ τὴν ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἀναιρήσομεν βλάβην. Ἢ διὰ μετανοίας ὁ κρύψας τὰ ἄδικα, ζητεῖ φιλίαν τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Ἵνα τί ὑπῆρξε χρήματα ἄφρονι; [ξοδ. φ. 74 β.] Οὐκ ἄρα καλὸν ὁ πλοῦτος, σοφίας μὴ οὔσης· ὥσπερ εἴ τις ἵππον ἔχων, ἡνιοχεύειν οὐκ ἐπιστάμενος. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἐγκαλοῦντός ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ἀπάγοντος τῆς σπουδῆς. Τίνος ἕνεκεν σπουδάζεις; δέον ἐκεῖνο πρότερον κτήσασθαι, ὥστε εἰδέναι ὡς δέον αὐτοῖς χρήσασθαι. Ὥσπερ ἄν τις ἰδὼν τινὰ πλοῖον κατασκευάζοντα λέγῃ· ∆ιὰ τί τόδε τὸ πλοῖον; οὐκ ἐγκαλοῦντος ἐστίν. Εἰς πάντα καιρὸν φίλος ὑπαρχέτω σοι. Τουτέστιν οὐκ ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ μόνον ἐπιτήδειος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν θλίψει, καὶ ἐν ἱλαροῖς, καὶ ἐν δυσχερέσι· καὶ τοῦτο μᾶλλον ἢ ἄλλο. Ἢ τοῦτό φησιν· Εἰ ποιεῖς φίλους, τοιούτους ποίησαι, ὡς εἰς πάντα καιρὸν ὑπάρχειν. Ἀδελφοὶ ἐν ἀνάγκαις χρήσιμοι ἔστωσαν· τούτου γὰρ χάριν γεννῶνται. [ξοδ. φ. 75 α.] Οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως δεῖ μόνης τὸν ἀδελφὸν δοκιμάζειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς εὐεργεσίας καὶ τῆς διαγωγῆς, καὶ τοῦ παρεστάναι μυ 64.716 ριάκις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ γεννῶνται, φησὶν, ἵνα κοινωνήσωσί σοι συμφορᾶς· ὥστε ὁ μὴ τοῦτο ποιῶν, οὐδὲ τῆς προσηγορίας ἐπάξιος. Οἱ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πνεύματος κοινωνοὶ, ἀνάγκαις τοῦ ὁμογενοῦς ἀντιλαμβανέσθωσαν. Ἀνὴρ ἄφρων ἐπικροτεῖ καὶ ἐπιχαίρει ἑαυτῷ· ὡς καὶ ὁ ἐγγυώμενος ἐγγύῃ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ φίλον. [ξοδ. φ. 75 β.] Ὁ ἑτέρῳ ἐπιχαίρων, ἑαυτῷ ἐπιχαίρει· χαλεπώτερον τὸν δικαστὴν ποιεῖ. Καὶ τούτου μειζόνως ὁ ἐγγυώμενος. Ὁρᾶς; Οὐχ ἁπλῶς φησιν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ φίλους, οὐ τοὺς ἐχθρούς. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν παρακελεύεται; Οὔπω ἦσαν ἱκανοὶ ἀκούειν, ὅτι καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἀγαπᾷν δεῖ· ἵν' οὖν μὴ παράβασις ᾖ τοῦ νόμου, ἐν τῇ φιλίᾳ μετρεῖ τὸ πρᾶγμα. Ὁ δὲ σκληροκάρδιος οὐ συναντᾷ ἀγαθοῖς. ∆ιὰ τί; Ὡς μέλλων συσκιάζειν αὐτοῦ τὰ δεινά. Ἀνὴρ εὐμετάβολος γλώσσῃ. Ὥστε κακὸν τὸ μὴ πεπηγέναι, μήδε ἐστηρίχθαι. Οὐκ εὐφραίνεται πατὴρ ἐφ' υἱῷ ἀπαιδεύτῳ. Τί οὖν; Οὐχ ὁρῶμεν πολλοὺς εὐφραινομένους; Οὐχί. Οὐκ ἔχει τὸ πρᾶγμα φύσιν. Οὐδὲν ἄρα φύσις, ἀλλ' ἡ σοφία· εἰ γὰρ υἱὸς οὐκ εὐφραίνει, δηλονότι διὰ τὸ μὴ μετέχειν σοφίας, ὁ δὲ φρόνιμος εὐφραίνει, οὐκ ἄρα τῆς φύσεως. Καρδία εὐφραινομένη εὐεκτεῖν ποιεῖ. [ξοδ. φ. 76 β.] Πολλὴν ὑπὲρ τούτου ποιεῖται σπουδήν· καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο κακία, ἡ βαρυθυμία. Λαμβάνοντος δῶρα ἐν κόλπῳ ἀδίκως οὐ κατευοδοῦνται ὁδοί. Ἐν καρδίᾳ νοήματα λαμβάνοντος ἄδικα, οὐ κατευοδοῦνται αἱ ὁδοί. Τὰ γὰρ ἐμπαθῆ καὶ αἴσχιστα νοήματα τὰ παρὰ τῶν δαιμόνων ἡμῖν προσφερόμενα, δῶρα ἐκάλεσε. Πρόσωπον συνετὸν ἀνδρὸς σοφοῦ· οἱ δὲ ὀφθαλμοὶ τοῦ ἄφρονος ἐπ' ἄκρα τῆς γῆς. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἐκεῖνο δείκνυσι ἐν θυμῷ φυλαττόμενον, τοῦτο δὲ ἐπτοημένον καὶ κεχηνὸς, πάντα περιβλεπόμενον; Ἢ ὅτι ὁ μὲν ὁρᾷ μετὰ συνέσεως, ὁ δὲ μὴ ἀρκούμενος τοῖς ἐν ποσὶ, πανταχοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν ῥέπει ῥεμβόμενος. Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο ἔχομεν ὀφθαλμοὺς, ἵνα πᾶσιν αὐτοὺς τοῖς πονηροῖς