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of sins. God made you rich; why do you make yourself a poor man? He made you rich, so that you might help those in need, so that you might loose your own sins through your liberality to others; He has given you money, not that you might lock it up for your own destruction, but that you might pour it out for your own salvation. For this reason, He also made its possession uncertain and not permanent, so that in this way too He might break the intensity of the madness for it. For if now, when those who possess it cannot be confident about it, but see many plots born from the matter, they are so inflamed with the desire for it, if this security and stability were also added to wealth, whom would they have spared? from whom would they have abstained? what widows, what orphans, what poor people? Therefore, let us not consider wealth to be a great good; for a great good is not to possess money, but to possess the fear of God and all piety. Behold, now if there were some righteous man who had great confidence toward God, even if he were poorer than all men, it would suffice to resolve the present troubles; for it would have been enough just to stretch out his hands to heaven and call upon God, and this cloud would have passed. But so much gold is stored away, and it is more useless than any clay for the resolution of the impending evils; not only in this danger, but also if sickness should befall, or death, or any other such thing, the power of money is proven to be at a loss, 49.44 and having no consolation of its own to show for what happens. There is one thing in which wealth seems to have an advantage over poverty: to live luxuriously every day, and to be filled with much pleasure at banquets. However, this can also be seen happening at the table of the poor, and that they enjoy a greater pleasure than all the rich. And do not be surprised, nor think what is said to be paradoxical; for I will make this clear to you from the very proof of the facts. For you surely know this and all agree, that pleasure in feasting is usually produced not by the nature of the foods, but by the disposition of those who are feasting; I mean something like this: someone who approaches the table with hunger will touch the food more pleasantly than any delicacy and seasoning and a myriad of spices, even if it be the most humble of all; but he who does not wait for the need, nor endures to be hungry first, which is what the rich do, and then comes to the table, even if he should find cakes laid out, will not perceive the pleasure, his appetite not having been aroused. And so that you may learn that this is how it is, you are all witnesses; but let us also hear the Scripture saying this very thing: For a soul that is full, it says, scorns honeycombs, but to a hungry soul even bitter things seem sweet. And yet what could be sweeter than the honeycomb and honey? But it is not pleasant to one who is not hungry, it says; and what is more unpleasant than bitter things? But they are sweet to those who are in want. That the poor come to the matter with need and hunger, while the rich do not wait for this, is surely clear to everyone; whence they do not reap a genuine and sincere pleasure. Not only with foods, but also with drinks one might see this very thing happening; and just as there hunger produces pleasure before the nature of the foods, so here also thirst is accustomed to make the drink most pleasant, even if it is only water that is being drunk. And the prophet, indicating this very thing, said: From the rock He satisfied them with honey. And yet we have read this nowhere in Scripture, that Moses brought forth honey from a rock, but everywhere rivers and waters and cool springs. What then is being said? For Scripture does not lie; for since they were thirsty and worn out by want, they fell upon the cool springs, and wishing to represent the pleasure from the drink, he called the water honey, not as if its nature had been changed into honey, but as if their disposition made those springs sweeter than honey. Have you learned how the disposition of the thirsty is accustomed to make even a drink pleasant? For many poor people often

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ἁμαρτημάτων. Πλούσιόν σε ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς, τί σαυτὸν ποιεῖς πένητα; Πλούσιόν σε ἐποίησεν, ἵνα τοῖς δεομένοις βοηθῇς, ἵνα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα λύσῃς τὰ σαυτοῦ διὰ τῆς εἰς ἑτέρους δαψιλείας· δέδωκέ σοι χρήματα, οὐχ ἵνα κατακλείσῃς ἐπ' ὀλέθρῳ τῷ σῷ, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἐκχέῃς ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῇ σῇ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὴν κτῆσιν αὐτῶν ἄδηλον ἐποίησε καὶ οὐ μόνιμον, ἵνα καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τῆς περὶ αὐτὰ μανίας καταλύσῃ τὸν τόνον. Εἰ γὰρ νῦν οὐκ ἔχοντες θαῤῥεῖν οἱ κεκτημένοι περὶ αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὰς ὁρῶντες ἐκ τοῦ πράγματος τικτομένας ἐπιβουλὰς, οὕτως ἐκκαίονται περὶ τὸν ἐκείνων πόθον, εἰ καὶ τοῦτο προσῆν τῷ πλούτῳ τὸ βέβαιον καὶ ἀδιάπτωτον, τίνος ἂν ἐφείσαντο; τίνος ἂν ἀπέσχοντο; ποίας χήρας, ποίων ὀρφανῶν, ποίων πενήτων; Μὴ τοίνυν μέγα νομίζωμεν ἀγαθὸν εἶναι πλοῦτον· μέγα γὰρ ἀγαθὸν, οὐ τὸ κεκτῆσθαι χρήματα, ἀλλὰ τὸ κεκτῆσθαι φόβον Θεοῦ καὶ πᾶσαν εὐλάβειαν. Ἰδοὺ νῦν εἴ τις δίκαιος ἦν καὶ παῤῥησίαν πολλὴν ἔχων πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, κἂν εἰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων πενέστερος ἦν, ἤρκει λῦσαι τὰ παρόντα δεινά· ἤρκει γὰρ μόνον τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτεῖναι εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ καλέσαι τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ τὸ νέφος τοῦτο παρῆλθεν ἄν. Χρυσίον δὲ τοσοῦτον ἀπόκειται, καὶ πηλοῦ παντός ἐστιν ἀχρηστότερον πρὸς τὴν λύσιν τῶν ἐπικειμένων κακῶν· οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ δὲ τῷ κινδύνῳ μόνον, ἀλλὰ κἂν νόσος καταλάβῃ, κἂν θάνατος, κἂν ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων, ἐλέγχεται τῶν χρημάτων ἡ δύναμις ἀπορουμένη, 49.44 καὶ μηδεμίαν ἔχουσα παραμυθίαν τοῖς συμβαίνουσιν οἴκοθεν ἐπιδείξασθαι. Ἕν ἐστιν ὃ δοκεῖ τῆς πενίας πλεονεκτεῖν ὁ πλοῦτος, τὸ τρυφᾷν καθ' ἡμέραν, καὶ πολλῆς ἐμφορεῖσθαι ἐν τοῖς συμποσίοις τῆς ἡδονῆς. Τοῦτο μέντοι καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς τῶν πενήτων τραπέζης συμβαῖνον ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, καὶ μείζονος τούτους ἀπολαύοντας ἡδονῆς τῶν πλουτούντων ἁπάντων. Καὶ μὴ θαυμάσητε, μηδὲ παράδοξον εἶναι νομίσητε τὸ λεγόμενον· ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐξ αὐτῆς ὑμῖν τοῦτο τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων ἀποδείξεως ποιήσω δῆλον. Ἴστε γὰρ δήπου τοῦτο καὶ συνομολογεῖτε πάντες, ὅτι τὴν ἡδονὴν ἐν ταῖς ἑστιάσεσιν οὐχ ἡ φύσις τῶν ἐδεσμάτων, ἀλλ' ἡ διάθεσις τῶν ἑστιωμένων ποιεῖν εἴωθεν· οἷόν τι λέγω· μετὰ τοῦ πεινῇν τις ἁπτόμενος τραπέζης, παντὸς ὄψου καὶ ἡδύσματος καὶ μυρίων καρυκευμάτων ἥδιον ἅψεται τῆς τροφῆς, κἂν ἁπάντων εὐτελεστέρα ᾖ· ὁ δὲ μὴ τὴν χρείαν ἀναμένων, μηδὲ ὑπομένων πεινῆσαι πρῶτον, ὅπερ οἱ πλουτοῦντες ποιοῦσι, καὶ τότε ἐπὶ τὴν τράπεζαν ἐλθεῖν, κἂν πλακοῦντας εὕρῃ κειμένους, οὐκ αἰσθήσεται τῆς ἡδονῆς, τῆς ὀρέξεως αὐτῷ μὴ διεγηγερμένης. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι τοῦτο τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον, μάρτυρες μὲν καὶ ὑμεῖς πάντες· ἀκούσωμεν δὲ καὶ τῆς Γραφῆς αὐτὸ τοῦτο λεγούσης· Ψυχὴ γὰρ ἐμπεπλησμένη, φησὶ, κηρίοις ἐμπαίζει, ψυχῇ δὲ ἐνδεεῖ καὶ τὰ πικρὰ γλυκερὰ φαίνεται. Καίτοι τί κηρίου καὶ μέλιτος γλυκύτερον γένοιτ' ἄν; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστιν ἡδὺ τῷ μὴ πεινῶντι, φησί· τί δὲ τῶν πικρῶν ἀηδέστερον; ἀλλ' ἔστι γλυκέα τοῖς ἐν ἐνδείᾳ καθεστηκόσιν. Ὅτι δὲ οἱ πένητες μετὰ τῆς χρείας καὶ τοῦ πεινῇν ἐπὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἔρχονται, οἱ δὲ πλουτοῦντες οὐκ ἀναμένουσι τοῦτο, παντί που δῆλόν ἐστιν· ὅθεν οὐδὲ γνησίαν καὶ εἰλικρινῆ καρποῦνται τὴν ἡδονήν. Οὐκ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐδεσμάτων δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ποτῶν τοῦτο αὐτὸ συμβαῖνον ἴδοι τις ἄν· καὶ ὥσπερ ἐκεῖ τὸ πεινῇν πρὸ τῆς τῶν ἐδεσμάτων φύσεως ἡδονὴν ἐργάζεται· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ διψῇν ἥδιστον ποιεῖν εἴωθε τὸ ποτὸν, κἂν ὕδωρ ᾖ τὸ πινόμενον μόνον. Καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸ ὁ προφήτης ἐμφαίνων ἔλεγεν· Ἐκ πέτρας μέλι ἐχόρτασεν αὐτούς. Καίτοι τοῦτ' οὐδαμοῦ τῆς Γραφῆς ἀνέγνωμεν, ὅτι μέλι ἐκ πέτρας ἐξήγαγεν ὁ Μωσῆς, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ ποταμοὺς καὶ ὕδατα καὶ ψυχρὰ νάματα. Τί ποτ' οὖν ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον; οὐδὲ γὰρ ψεύδεται ἡ Γραφή· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ διψῶντες καὶ καταπονούμενοι τῇ ἐνδείᾳ, ψυχροτέροις προσέπιπτον τοῖς νάμασι, τὴν ἡδονὴν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ποτοῦ παραστῆσαι βουλόμενος, μέλι τὸ ὕδωρ ἐκάλεσεν, οὐχ ὡς τῆς φύσεως μεταβληθείσης εἰς μέλι, ἀλλ' ὡς τῆς διαθέσεως μέλιτος ἡδίω ποιούσης ἐκεῖνα τὰ νάματα. Ἔμαθες πῶς καὶ ποτὸν ἡδὺ ποιεῖν εἴωθεν ἡ τῶν διψώντων διάθεσις; Πολλοὶ γοῦν πολλάκις πένητες