24

nevertheless he endured all these things, and in all that befell him he did not sin, nor was there guile on his lips. 7. Let his sufferings, therefore, become remedies for our evils, and his harsh buffeting a harbor for our passions, and in each of the things that happen to us let us consider the holy man; and seeing one body that endured the terrible things of the world, we shall be nobly disposed in our partial sufferings; and just as to some loving mother stretching out her hands from all sides, and receiving and recovering her frightened children, so let us always flee for refuge to this book; and even if the most pitiable of all terrible things should come upon us, having received sufficient consolation for all things, so we shall depart. But if you should say, "He was Job and for this reason he endured, but I am not like him," you speak a greater accusation against yourself, and again a praise of the just man; for it is more likely for you to endure than for him. Why 49.275276 ever? Because he was before grace and before the law, when there was not much strictness of life, when the grace of the Spirit was not so great, when sin was difficult to conquer, when the curse prevailed, when death was fearful; but now the struggles have become easier, since all these things were taken away after the coming of Christ. So there is no excuse for us, if after so much time and so much progress and so many gifts given to us by God we are not able to reach the same measure as he. Considering all these things, therefore, that his terrible sufferings were greater, and that when the struggle was harder, then he stripped and wrestled, let us bear all that comes upon us nobly, and with much thanksgiving, so that we may be able to obtain the same crowns as he, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

24

ὅμως ἐκεῖνος ἅπαντα ταῦτα ὑπήνεγκε, καὶ ἐν ἅπασι τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν αὐτῷ οὐχ ἥμαρτεν, οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο δόλος. ζʹ. Γενέσθω τοίνυν ἐκείνου τὰ πάθη φάρμακα τῶν ἡμετέρων κακῶν, καὶ τὸ χαλεπὸν τούτου κλυδώνιον τῶν ἡμετέρων παθῶν λιμὴν, καὶ ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ τῶν συμβαινόντων ἡμῖν ἀναλογιζώμεθα τὸν ἅγιον· καὶ ὁρῶντες ἓν σῶμα τὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀντλῆσαν δεινὰ, γενναίως ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ τοῖς κατὰ μέρος διακεισόμεθα· καὶ καθάπερ πρὸς μητέρα τινὰ φιλόστοργον πανταχόθεν τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτείνουσαν, καὶ τὰ παιδία πεφοβημένα δεχομένην καὶ ἀνακτωμένην, οὕτω πρὸς τὴν βίβλον ταύτην ἀεὶ καταφεύγωμεν· κἂν τὰ πάντων οἴκτιστα ἡμῖν ἐπίῃ δεινὰ, ἱκανὴν πάντων λαβόντες τὴν παραμυθίαν, οὕτως ἀπελευσόμεθα. Εἰ δὲ λέγοις ὅτι, Ἐκεῖνος Ἰὼβ ἦν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἤνεγκεν, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ εἰμὶ κατ' ἐκεῖνον, μείζονά μοι σαυτοῦ λέγεις κατηγορίαν, καὶ τοῦ δικαίου πάλιν ἔπαινον· μᾶλλον γὰρ σὲ εἰκὸς ἐνεγκεῖν, ἢ ἐκεῖνον. Τί 49.275276 δήποτε; Ὅτι ἐκεῖνος μὲν πρὸ τῆς χάριτος καὶ πρὸ τοῦ νόμου, ὅτε οὐ πολλὴ τῆς πολιτείας ἦν ἀκρίβεια, ὅτε οὐ τοσαύτη τοῦ Πνεύματος ἡ χάρις, ὅτε δυσκαταγώνιστος ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὅτε ἡ κατάρα ἐκράτει, ὅτε ὁ θάνατος φοβερὸς ἦν· νυνὶ δὲ εὐκολώτερα τὰ παλαίσματα γέγονε, μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν πάντων τούτων ἀνῃρημένων. Ὥστε οὐδεμία ἡμῖν ἀπολογία, μετὰ τοσοῦτον χρόνον καὶ τοσαύτην ἐπίδοσιν καὶ τοσαύτας δωρεὰς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δοθείσας ἡμῖν μὴ δυναμένοις εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ ἐκείνῳ φθάσαι μέτρον. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα ἐννοοῦντες, ὅτι μείζονα ἐκείνου ἦν τὰ δεινὰ, καὶ ὅτε χαλεπώτερος ἦν ὁ ἀγὼν, τότε ἀπεδύσατο καὶ ἐπάλαισε, φέρωμεν ἅπαντα τὰ ἐπιόντα γενναίως ἡμῖν, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐχαριστίας, ἵνα δυνηθῶμεν τῶν αὐτῶν ἐκείνῳ στεφάνων τυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.