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the faint-heartedness. For even a servant, who has not the freedom of authority, is able to comfort that one; but this one, not. Or as the Lord is called a leopard at a loss toward sinners, and a rock of scandal toward unbelievers, so also faint-hearted over those who transgress. A man's gift makes room for him. [Exod. f. 79 a.] For if the one is cheerful in giving, and the other is not ready to receive, nothing terrible will happen. Or, the one who gives to the poor will not be in want, but will be as one of the mighty. A righteous man is his own accuser in his first speech. He has anticipated, it says, his own action, he has made the judge his own; for nothing is so wont to provoke as denial. He will not speak in the same manner. So both by being the first to confess, and by reporting these things with his own conscience, he made him his own. The lot puts an end to disputes, and decides matters among the powerful. Or it means this: Even among the powerful, money has strength. For this is the lot. Or that even rulers who do not have a judge, are persuaded by the lot which allots to them their inheritance; and the lot of Matthew put an end to the expected dispute, and commanded the powerful apostles. A brother helped by a brother is as a strong and high city; and he is strong as a well-founded kingdom. [Exod. f. 79 b.] The like-minded disciples of Christ were brothers, and were strong as a kingdom secured by ten thousand fences; one helped by another; for there was unanimity; and one being helped by another makes them stronger. A man fills his belly from the fruit of his mouth. Since perceptible words do not fill the belly, it is necessary to understand the vessel of spiritual nourishment; which not simply a human, but a man fills. Death and life are in the hand of the tongue. But death of the tongue is when it utters evil things, leaving the law of God, and life again when it puts forth right doctrines.

CHAP. 19.

Wealth adds many friends. [Exod. f. 80. b.] Or here he calls the prudent man rich, and the opposite poor. Or if not this, he speaks of a common occurrence, not praising it, nor accepting it, but being satisfied with this accusation, as being self-evident. Many court the favor of kings. Here he teaches and dissuades those who are courted from being courted by evil men. But reproach will be upon him, it says; even if he gives money, he only courts favor; even if he adds silver, he will be reproached. Everyone who hates a poor brother will also be far from friendship. For if where nature has commanded he does not obey, much more will he be far from friendship in other matters. But he who provokes with words will not be saved. [Exod. f. 81 a.] Passionate thoughts provoke the soul to every kind of evil, so that 64.721 man may not be saved. He who acquires prudence loves himself. He who acquires prudence makes himself to be loved by God and the angels. But he who keeps prudence to the end will find good things, which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and have not entered into the heart of man, which God has prepared for those who love him; as Paul says. For no good man will be accused who does not find these things to be good. A merciful man is long-suffering, but his boasting comes upon the lawless. [Exod. f. 84 b.] Or it means this, that while he is long-suffering, the lawless boast; or that they boast against themselves; for it is not possible to boast against anyone else than the lawless for the long-suffering man. For to will is present with him to perform. Vows are not pure from the hire of a harlot. [ibid.] From an evil cause he does not accept an offering; and the state of an unclean soul,

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ρων ἡ ὀλιγοψυχία. Ἐκεῖνον γὰρ καὶ οἰκέτης, ὁ παῤῥησίαν οὐκ ἔχων ἐξουσίας, δύναται παραμυθήσασθαι· τοῦτον δὲ οὐχί. Ἢ ὥσπερ πάρδαλις ἀπορουμένη λέγεται ὁ Κύριος πρὸς τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, καὶ πέτρα σκανδάλου πρὸς τοὺς ἀπιστοῦντας, οὕτως καὶ ὀλιγόψυχος ἐπὶ τοῖς πλημμελοῦσιν. ∆ όμα ἀνθρώπου ἐμπλατύνει αὐτόν. [ξοδ. φ. 79 α.] Ὅτι ἐὰν καὶ οὗτος ἱλαρὸς ᾖ πρὸς τὸ διδόναι, καὶ ἐκεῖνος μὴ πρόχειρος ᾖ πρὸς τὸ λαβεῖν, οὐδὲν ἔσται δεινόν. Ἢ, οὐ στενοχωρηθήσεται ὁ διδοὺς πένησιν, ὡς εἷς δὲ τῶν δυναστῶν ἔσται. ∆ίκαιος ἑαυτοῦ κατήγορος ἐν πρωτολογίᾳ. Προήρπασεν, φησὶν, αὑτοῦ τὴν πρᾶξιν, ᾠκειώσατο τὸν δικαστήν· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ὡς ἄρνησις παροξύνειν εἴωθεν. Οὐ μετὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ σχήματος ἐρεῖ. Ὥστε καὶ τῷ προφθάσαι ὁμολογῆσαι, καὶ τῷ μετὰ τοῦ οἰκείου συνειδότος αὐτὰ ἀπαγγεῖλαι, ᾠκειώσατο. Ἀντιλογίας παύει κλῆρος, ἐν δὲ δυνάσταις ὁρίζει πράγματα. Ἢ τοῦτο φησίν· Καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς δυνάσταις ἰσχὺν ἔχει τὰ χρήματα. Τοῦτο γὰρ κλῆρος. Ἢ ὅτι καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες οὐκ ἔχοντες τὸν δικάζοντα, κλήρῳ πείθονται τῷ διακληροῦντι αὐτοῖς τὰ πατρῷα· καὶ τὴν προσδοκωμένην δὲ ἀντιλογίαν ὁ Ματθαίου κλῆρος ἔπαυσε, καὶ δυνατοῖς ἐπέταξε τοῖς ἀποστόλοις. Ἀδελφὸς ὑπὸ ἀδελφοῦ βοηθούμενος, ὡς πόλις ἰσχυρὰ καὶ ὑψηλή· ἰσχύει δὲ ὥσπερ τεθεμελιωμένον βασίλειον. [ξοδ. φ. 79 β.] Ὁμοφρονοῦντες οἱ Χριστοῦ μαθηταὶ, ἀδελφοὶ ἦσαν, καὶ ὡς μυρίοις ἕρκεσιν ἠσφαλισμένον βασίλειον ὀχυροὶ ἦσαν· εἷς ὑφ' ἑνὸς βοηθούμενος· ἦσαν γὰρ ὁμοφροσύνη· καὶ τὸ ἕνα ὑφ' ἑνὸς βοηθεῖσθαι, ὀχυρωτέρους αὐτοὺς ἀπεργάζεται. Ἀπὸ καρπῶν στόματος ἀνὴρ ἐμπίμπλησι κοιλίαν. Λόγων αἰσθητῶν μὴ πληρούντων κοιλίαν, ἀνάγκη τῶν πνευματικῶν τροφῶν τὸ δοχεῖον νοεῖν· ἣν οὐκ ἄνθρωπος ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ἀνὴρ πληροῖ. Θάνατος καὶ ζωὴ ἐν χειρὶ γλώσσης. Θάνατος δὲ γλώσσης, ὅτε φθέγγεται τὰ κακὰ, ἀφιεῖσα τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμον, ζωὴ δὲ πάλιν ὅτε ὀρθὰ προφέρει τὰ δόγματα.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΘʹ.

Πλοῦτος προστίθησι φίλους πολλούς. [ξοδ. φ. 80. β.] Ἢ πλούσιον ἐνταῦθα τὸν συνετόν φησι, πένητα δὲ τὸν ἐναντίον. Ἢ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο, συμβαῖνον πρᾶγμα λέγει οὐκ ἐπαινῶν, οὐδὲ ἀποδεχόμενος, ἀλλ' ἀρκούμενος τῇ κατηγορίᾳ ταύτῃ, ὡς αὐτόθεν ὄντος δήλου. Πολλοὶ θεραπεύουσι πρόσωπα βασιλέων. Ἐνταῦθα παιδεύει, καὶ ἀπάγει τοὺς θεραπευομένους μὴ θεραπεύεσθαι ὑπὸ πονηρῶν. Ὄνειδος δὲ ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἔσται, φησί· κἂν χρήματα δῷ, μόνον θεραπεύει· κἂν ἀργύριον ἐπιδῷ, ἐπονείδιστος ἔσται. Πᾶς ὃς ἀδελφὸν πτωχὸν μισεῖ, καὶ φιλίας μακρὰν ἔσται. Εἰ γὰρ ἔνθα ἡ φύσις ἐκέλευσεν οὐ πείθεται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπ' ἄλλων μακρὰν φιλίας. Ὃς δὲ ἐρεθίσει λόγους, οὐ σωθήσεται. [ξοδ. φ. 81 α.] Οἱ ἐμπαθεῖς λογισμοὶ ἐρεθίζουσι τὴν ψυχὴν πρὸς πᾶν εἶδος κακίας, τοῦ 64.721 μὴ σωθῆναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Ὁ κτώμενος φρόνησιν, ἀγαπᾷ ἑαυτόν. Ὁ κτώμενος φρόνησιν, ἀγαπᾶσθαι ἑαυτὸν ποιεῖ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων. Ὃς δὲ φυλάσσει εἰς τέλος τὴν φρόνησιν, εὑρήσει ἀγαθὰ, ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδεν, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν· καθά φησι Παῦλος. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἐγκληθήσεται ἀγαθὸς, μὴ εὑρὼν ταῦτα ἀγαθά. Ἐλεήμων ἀνὴρ, μακρόθυμος, τὸ δὲ καύχημα αὐτοῦ ἐπέρχεται παρανόμοις. [ξοδ. φ. 84 β.] Ἢ τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι μακροθυμοῦντος, καυχῶνται οἱ παράνομοι· ἢ ὅτι καθ' ἑαυτῶν καυχῶνται οὗτοι· οὐδενὸς γὰρ ἑτέρου ἔστιν κατακαυχᾶσθαι, ἢ τῶν παρανόμων τοῦ μακροθύμου. Τῷ θέλειν γὰρ παράκειται ἐνεργεῖν. Οὐχ ἁγναὶ εὐχαὶ ἀπὸ μισθώματος ἑταίρας. [ιβιδ.] Ἀπὸ κακῆς αἰτίας οὐ δέχεται προσφορά· καὶ ψυχῆς ἀκαθάρτου ἡ κατάστασις,