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"God has shut him in," declaring the circumstances. But the one following the first thought will have nothing boastful, saying that not all who die are at rest, because punishments succeed the wicked. And let him also note this, that he did not say: "death to a human being," but "to a man"; for he who has courage and is in virtue is fearless in the face of death, being most ready for it and singing: "My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready." And this same one will also have rest, as promises succeed him. And while still toiling he will have rest, because what God "has shut in against him" through the common decree against Adam, saying: "You are earth and to earth you shall return," is now loosed, since "pain and sorrow 86 and sighing" have "fled away" from him because he heard: "Enter into the joy of your Lord." "For sighing comes to me before my food, and I weep, being seized with fear. For the fear that I was anxious about came upon me, and what I dreaded has met me." Fear does not always signify the passionate nor the virtuous and perfect, but also the intermediate, in which neither the passionate nor the virtuous occurs, but as one might say ἐ_6_γ_γ6·····τ̣ι of these, arising for the benefit of others or because of a fall. For if the blessed Paul says: "I am afraid, lest somehow as the serpent deceived Eve," he does not have fear in a passionate way, nor is the perfect and pure man signified in this, even if the wise Paul had it, but rather the care for the salvation of others. It is said of the perfect man: "The fear of the Lord has surpassed all," but concerning the passionate, so that it may not be brought on, the saying states: "But do not be afraid of their fear," and: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body," and: "There they feared a fear, where there was no fear." And 87 these things are said because of the statement: "and I weep, being seized with fear." But let us see from the beginning the things set forth together: "For sighing comes to me before my food," which is instructive, that while other men, living a life of luxury and being entirely given to indulgence and pleasure and caring for nothing else, cry out by their very deeds: "Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die," the holy man, on the other hand, also saying according to the blessed Paul: "Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?", receives perceptible food not without a groan for human weakness and not for the sake of pleasure, and contemplating the pure and immaterial life and that table which the Savior promised to his own disciples, saying: "that you may eat and drink at my table in the kingdom" of heaven, he groans; still while receiving this, he sings in his mind: "My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord." Then, since the holy man, even if he is perfect, knows that it is possible for a person, as long as he is in this life, to fall into a transgression, he adds: "and I weep, being encompassed by fear." And it is a sign of a strengthened mind to weep in troubles, according to the saying: "Every night I will flood my bed; I will drench my couch 88 with my tears." And the saints do these things not relaxing themselves, but being roused in spirit, so that through these things they may call upon God for aid, just as also the blessed David, calling together an assembly of those like him, says: "Come, let us worship and fall down before him and weep before the Lord who made us." For great is the good of concern about falling away, which the Lord, wanting the disciples to have, says: "Watch, for you do not know at what hour the thief is coming." And no less are the saints careful on account of the temptations brought upon them, not giving themselves over to negligence, but preparing themselves for them, fearing lest, having preached to others, they themselves should become disqualified. And they do not excuse their stumblings. And not being unconcerned about their account, they are ready for preparation. For this reason also the blessed one himself always remains

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"συνέκλεισεν ὁ θεὸς κατ' αὐτοῦ", ἀποφηνάμενος τὰ περιστατικά. ὁ δὲ τῆι πρώτηι διανοίᾳ ἑπόμενος οὐδὲν ἕξει ἐπικομπ̣άζον φάσκων, ὡς οὐ πάντες οἱ τελευτῶντες ἐν ἀναπαύσει γίγνονται τῷ τοὺς φαύλους διαδέχεσθαι κολάσεις. παρασημειώσαιτο δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὡς οὐκ εἶπεν· «θάνατος ἀνθρώπῳ», ἀλλ' "ἀνδρί"· ὁ γὰρ ἀνδρείαν ἔχων καὶ ἐν τῆι ἀρετῆι ὢν ἀκατάπληκτός ἐστιν πρὸς τὸν θάνατον, ἑτοιμότατα ἔχων πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ψάλλων· "ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου, ὁ θεός, ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου." οὗτος δ' αὐτὸς καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν ἕξει διαδεχομένων αὐτὸν ἐπαγγε λιῶν. ἔτι δὲ πονῶν ἀνάπαυσιν ἕξει, ὅτι ὅπερ "συνέκλεισεν κατ' αὐτοῦ" ὁ θεὸς διὰ τῆς κοινῆς ἀποφάσεως τῆς κατὰ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ λέγων· "γῆ εἶ καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ", λέλυται λοιπὸν "ἀποδράσης" αὐτῷ "ὀδύνης καὶ λύπης 86 καὶ στεναγμοῦ" διὰ τὸ ἀκοῦσαι· "εἴσελθε εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ κυρίου σου." "πρὸ γὰρ τῶν σίτων μου στεναγμός μοι ἥκει, δακρύω δὲ ἐγὼ συνεχόμενος φόβῳ. φόβος γὰρ ὃν ἐφρόντισα ἦλθέν μοι, καὶ ὃν ἐδεδοίκειν συνήντησέν μοι." οὐκ ἀεὶ ὁ φόβος τὸν παθητικὸν σημαίνει οὐδὲ τὸν ἀστεῖον καὶ τέλειον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέσον, περὶ ὃν οὔτ' ὁ παθητικὸς οὔτ' ὁ ἀστεῖος συμβαίνει, ἀλλ' ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις ἐ_6_γ_γ6·····τ̣ι τούτων διὰ τὴν ἑτέρων ὠφελίαν γινόμενος ἢ διὰ πτῶσιν. ἐὰν γὰρ λέγῃ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος· "φοβοῦμαι, μή πως ὡς ὁ ὄφις ἐξηπάτησεν Εὕαν", οὐ παθητικῶς ἔχει τὸν φόβον οὐδ' ὁ τέλειος καὶ καθαρὸς ἐν τούτωι σημαίνεται, εἰ καὶ εἶχεν αὐτὸν ὁ σοφὸς Παῦλος, ἀλλ' ἡ διὰ τὴν ἑτέρων σωτηρίαν φροντίς. εἴρηται περὶ τοῦ τελείου· "φόβος κυρίου πάντα ὑπερέβαλεν", περὶ δὲ τοῦ παθητικοῦ, ἵνα μὴ ἐπιφέρηται, φησὶν τὸ λόγιον· "τὸν δὲ φόβον αὐτῶν μὴ φοβηθῆτε", καὶ· "μὴ φοβεῖσθε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτεννόντων τὸ σῶμα", καί· "ἐκεῖ ἐφοβήθησαν φόβον, οὗ οὐκ ἦν φόβος." καὶ ταῦ87 τα μὲν διὰ τὸ εἰρῆσθαι· "δακρύω δὲ ἐγὼ συνεχόμενος φόβῳ." ἴδωμεν δὲ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὰ συνεκτεθέντα· "πρὸ γὰρ τῶν σίτων μου στεναγμός μοι ἥκει", ὅπερ διδακτικόν ἐστιν, ὅτι οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι ἄνθρωποι ἁβροδιαίτῳ βίῳ κεχρημένοι καὶ ὅλοι τρυφῆς καὶ ἡδονῆς τυγχάνοντες καὶ οὐδενὸς ἑτέρου φροντίζοντες ἔργοις αὐτοῖς βοῶσιν· "φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν· αὔριον γὰρ ἀ ποθνῄσκομεν", ὁ δὲ ἅγιος καὶ κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον φάσκων· "τίς ἀσθενεῖ καὶ οὐκ ἀσθενῶ, τίς σκανδαλίζεται καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι;", τὴν τροφὴν τὴν αἰσθητὴν οὐ χωρὶς στεναγμοῦ προσίεται τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ἀσθενείας καὶ οὐχ ἡδονῆς ἕνεκεν, ἐννοῶν δὲ τὴν καθαρὰν καὶ ἄϋλον ζωὴν καὶ τὴν τράπεζαν ἐκείνην, ἣν ἐπηγγείλατο ὁ σωτὴρ τοῖς ἰδίοις μαθηταῖς λέγων· "ἵνα ἔσθητε καὶ πίνητε ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης μου ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ" τῶν οὐρανῶν, στενάζει· ἔτι ταύτην δεχόμενος ψάλλει τῆι διανοίᾳ· "ἐπιποθεῖ καὶ ἐκλείπει ἡ ψυχή μου εἰς τὰς αὐλὰς τοῦ κυρίου." εἶτ' ἐπεὶ ὁ ἅγιος κἂν τέλειος ὑπάρχῃ οἶδεν, ὅτι ἐνδέχεται τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἕως ἐν τῷ βίωι ἐστὶν περιπεσεῖν πτώματι, ἐπάγει· "δακρύω δὲ ἐγὼ περιεχόμενος φόβῳ." διανοίας δὲ ἐρρωμένης τὸ δακρύειν ἐν τοῖς πόνοις κατὰ τὸ λεγόμενον· "λούσω καθ' ἑκάστην νύκτα τὴν κλίνην μου, ἐν δάκρυσίν μου τὴν στρωμνήν 88 μου βρέξω." ταῦτα δὲ ποιοῦσιν οἱ ἅγιοι οὐ χαυνοῦντες ἑαυτούς, ἀλλὰ διεγειρόμενοι τῶι φρονήματι, ἵνα διὰ τούτων ἐκκαλέσωνται τὸν θεὸν εἰς ἐπικουρίαν, καθάπερ καὶ ὁ μακάριος ∆αυὶδ τῶν ὁμοίων αὐτῷ σύλλογον συνκαλῶν φησιν· "δεῦτε, προσκυνήσωμεν καὶ προσπέσωμεν αὐτῷ καὶ κλαύσωμεν ἐνώπιον κυρίου τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἡμᾶς." μέγα γὰρ ἀγαθὸν ἡ διὰ τὴν ἀπόπτωσιν φροντίς, ἥντινα ἔχειν τοὺς μαθητὰς ὁ κύριος βουλόμενός φησιν· "γρηγορεῖτε ὅτι οὐκ οἴδατε ποίᾳ ὥρᾳ ὁ κλέπτης ἔρχεται." οὐδὲν δὲ ἧττον καὶ διὰ τοὺς ἐπαγομένους πειρασμοὺς ἐμμελεῖς εἰσιν οἱ ἅγιοι, οὐκ ἀμελείᾳ ἑαυτοὺς ἐνδιδόντες, ἀλλὰ παρασκευάζοντες ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς τούτους, φοβούμενοι, μή πως ἄλλοις κηρύξαντες αὐτοὶ ἀδόκιμοι γένωνται. καὶ οὐ παραιτοῦνται δὲ τὰ πταίσματα. οὐκ ἀφροντίστως δὲ λόγον ἔχοντες ἕτοιμοι πρὸς παρασκευήν εἰσιν. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ μακάριος ἀεὶ διαμένει