23
RULE 44. That the yoke of Christ is good, and His burden is light for the rest of those who accept it; but all things foreign to the according to the
teaching of the Gospel are heavy and burdensome. Chap. 1. MATTHEW. Come to me, all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is good, and my burden is light.
RULE 45. That it is impossible to be deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven for those not of children
imitating among one another the equality towards each other. Chap. 1. MATTHEW. Truly I say to you, unless you turn, and become as the
children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. That he who desires to be deemed worthy of greater glory in the kingdom of heaven must love what is humble and last here. Chap. 2. MATTHEW. Whoever therefore humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest 31.765 in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever wishes to be great among you, shall be your servant. MARK. And whoever wishes to be first among you, shall be servant of all. TO THE PHILIPPIANS. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves.
RULE 46. That from a comparison of the sequence observed in lesser things
we are required to show diligence in greater things. Chap. 1. LUKE. Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox, or
his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to water it? And this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for, lo, these eighteen years, ought she not to be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? And he told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to lose heart. There was a judge in a certain city, who did not fear God, and did not respect man. And there was a widow in that city, and she came to him saying, 'Avenge me of my adversary.' And he would not for a while. But afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God, and do not respect man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' And the Lord said, 'Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to him day and night?' TO TIMOTHY 2. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, that he may please the one who enlisted him. And if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. That from a comparison of those who in lesser things have shown fear from faith, and diligence from a worthy desire, those who are found to be contemptuous or neglectful in greater things have a more severe condemnation. Chap. 2. LUKE. The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and will condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. MATTHEW. The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. That one must not despise the greater things, while showing diligence in the lesser. But by first doing the greater of the commandments, to also accomplish the lesser. 31.768 Chap. 3.
23
ΟΡΟΣ Μ∆ʹ. Ὅτι ὁ ζυγὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ χρηστὸς, καὶ τὸ φορτίον αὐτοῦ ἐλαφρόν ἐστιν εἰς ἀνάπαυσιν τῶν καταδε χομένων· πάντα δὲ τὰ ἀλλότρια τῆς κατὰ τὸ
Εὐαγγέλιον διδασκαλίας βαρέα καὶ φορτικά. Κεφάλ. Αʹ. ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΣ. ∆εῦτε πάντες πρός με, οἱ κοπιῶν τες καὶ
πεφορτισμένοι, κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς. Ἄρατε τὸν ζυγόν μου ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, καὶ μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν. Ὁ γὰρ ζυγός μου χρηστὸς, καὶ τὸ φορτίον μου ἐλαφρόν ἐστιν.
ΟΡΟΣ ΜΕʹ. Ὅτι ἀδύνατον καταξιωθῆναι βασιλείας οὐρανῶν τοὺς μὴ παιδίων
πρὸς ἄλληλα ἰσοτιμίαν ἐν ἀλλήλοις μιμουμένους. Κεφάλ. Αʹ. ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΣ. Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ στρα φῆτε, καὶ γένησθε ὡς τὰ
παιδία, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλ θητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ὅτι δεῖ τὸν ἐπιθυμοῦντα μείζονος δόξης καταξιω θῆναι ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν τὸ ἐνταῦθα ταπεινὸν καὶ ἔσχατον ἀγαπᾷν. Κεφάλ. Βʹ. ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΣ. Ὅστις οὖν ταπεινώσει ἑαυ τὸν, ὡς τὸ παιδίον τοῦτο, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μείζων 31.765 ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ἀλλ' ὃς ἐὰν θέλῃ γενέσθαι μέγας ἐν ὑμῖν, ἔσται ὑμῶν διάκονος. ΜΑΡΚΟΣ. Καὶ ὃς ἐὰν θέλῃ γενέσθαι πρῶτος ὑμῶν, ἔσται πάντων δοῦλος. ΠΡΟΣ ΦΙΛΙΠΠ. Μη δὲν κατ' ἐριθείαν ἢ κενοδοξίαν, ἀλλὰ τῇ τα πεινοφροσύνῃ ἀλλήλους ἡγούμενοι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτῶν.
ΟΡΟΣ Μʹ. Ὅτι ἐξ ἀντιπαραθέσεως τῆς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐλάττοσι φυ λαττομένης
ἀκολουθίας τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς μείζοσι σπουδὴν ἀπαιτούμεθα. Κεφάλ. Αʹ. ΛΟΥΚΑΣ. Ἕκαστος ὑμῶν τῷ Σαββάτῳ οὐ λύει τὸν βοῦν αὑτοῦ, ἢ
τὸν ὄνον ἀπὸ τῆς φάτνης, καὶ ἀπαγαγὼν ποτίζει; Ταύτην δὲ θυγατέρα Ἀβραὰμ οὖσαν, ἣν ἔδησεν ὁ Σατανᾶς ἰδοὺ δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ ἔτη, οὐκ ἔδει λυθῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ δεσμοῦ τούτου τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ Σαββάτου; Ἔλεγε δὲ παρα βολὴν αὐτοῖς, πρὸς τὸ δεῖν πάντοτε προσεύ χεσθαι καὶ μὴ ἐκκακεῖν. Κριτής τις ἦν ἔν τινι πόλει, τὸν Θεὸν μὴ φοβούμενος, καὶ ἄνθρωπον μὴ ἐντρεπόμενος. Χήρα δὲ ἦν ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ, καὶ ἤρχετο πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγουσα· Ἐκδίκησόν με ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀντιδίκου μου. Καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν ἐπὶ χρό νον. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα εἶπεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ· Εἰ καὶ τὸν Θεὸν οὐ φοβοῦμαι, καὶ ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἐντρέπο μαι, διά γε τὸ παρέχειν μοι κόπον τὴν χήραν ταύτην, ἐκδικήσω αὐτὴν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς τέλος ἐρ χομένη ὑπωπιάζῃ με. Εἶπε δὲ ὁ Κύριος· Ἀκού σατε, τί ὁ κριτὴς τῆς ἀδικίας λέγει· ὁ Θεὸς οὐ μὴ ποιήσῃ τὴν ἐκδίκησιν τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν αὐ τοῦ, τῶν βοώντων πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡμέρας καὶ νυ κτός; ΠΡΟΣ ΤΙΜ. βʹ. Οὐδεὶς στρατευόμενος ἐμπλέ κεται ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματείαις, ἵνα τῷ στρατολογήσαντι ἀρέσῃ. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ἀθλῇ τις, οὐ στεφανοῦται, ἐὰν μὴ νομίμως ἀθλήσῃ. Ὅτι ἐξ ἀντιπαραθέσεως τῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐλάττοσιν ἐκ πίστεως φόβον, καὶ ἐξ ἐπιθυμίας ἀξιολόγου σπου δὴν ἐπιδειξαμένων, οἱ ἐπὶ τοῖς μείζοσι καταφρο νηταὶ ἢ ἀμελεῖς ἁλόντες σφοδροτέραν ἔχουσι τὴν κατάκρισιν. Κεφάλ. Βʹ. ΛΟΥΚΑΣ. Βασίλισσα Νότου ἐγερθήσεται ἐν τῇ κρίσει μετὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης, καὶ κατακρινεῖ αὐτούς· ὅτι ἦλθεν ἐκ τῶν περά των τῆς γῆς ἀκοῦσαι τὴν σοφίαν Σολομῶντος, καὶ ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Σολομῶντος ὧδε. ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΣ. Ἄνδρες Νινευῖται ἀναστήσονται ἐν τῇ κρίσει μετὰ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης, καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐ τὴν, ὅτι μετενόησαν εἰς τὸ κήρυγμα Ἰωνᾶ, καὶ ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Ἰωνᾶ ὧδε. Ὅτι οὐ δεῖ καταφρονεῖν τῶν μειζόνων, ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐλάττοσι σπουδὴν ἐνδεικνύμενον. Προηγουμένως δὲ τὰ μείζονα τῶν προσταγμάτων ποιοῦντα, συγκα τορθοῦν καὶ τὰ ἐλάττονα. 31.768 Κεφάλ. Γʹ.