25

of which punishment and condemnation they render themselves liable. I know how you weep now, how you rejoice, both admiring Paul and being astonished at Joseph, and calling him blessed. But if anyone has an enemy, let him now call him to remembrance, let him bring him to mind; so that, while the heart is still warm with the memory of the saints, he may be able to dissolve the hardness of his wrath, and to soften what is rough and hardened. I know that after the departure from here, after I have ceased speaking, even if some of the warmth and fervor remains, it is not as much as now during the hearing. If anyone therefore, if anyone is grown cold, let him melt the frost; for bearing malice is truly frost and ice. But let us call upon the sun of righteousness, let us ask him to send forth his rays, and there will no longer be thick frost, but drinkable water. If the fire of the sun of righteousness touches our soul, it will leave nothing frozen, nothing hard, nothing caustic, nothing unfruitful; it will show all things ripe, all things sweet, all things full of much delight. If we love one another, that ray will come also. Grant me, I beseech you, to say these things with readiness; cause me to hear that from these words we have accomplished something; that someone, having gone away, immediately threw both his hands around his enemy, embraced him, clung to him, kissed him tenderly, wept. Even if that man be a wild beast, or a stone, or whatever, he will be tamed by the same kindness. For why is he your enemy? Did he insult you? But he has done no wrong. But do you for the sake of money overlook your brother being an enemy? Do not, I beseech you. Let us resolve all things. The opportunity is ours; let us use it for what is needed. Let us cut the ropes of our sins; before we go to the judgment seat, let us judge one another. The sun, it says, let it not set on your anger. Let no one put it off; postponements beget delays. If you put it off today, you are more ashamed; and if you add tomorrow, the shame is greater; and if the third day, still more. Let us not then disgrace ourselves, but let us forgive, that we may be forgiven. And if we are forgiven, we shall obtain all the good things in heaven in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and for ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY V. Finally, then, brethren, we urge and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, you should do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through our Lord Jesus Christ. For this is the will of God, your sanctification. 1. When he stands at the urgent and immediate matters, and is about to proceed finally to the things that are perpetual, and which ought to be continually heard, he puts forward this word, Finally, that is, Always indeed and perpetually we urge and exhort you in the Lord. Amazing! He says that he himself is not trustworthy for exhorting; and yet who was so trustworthy? But he brings in Christ. We exhort you through God, he says. For this is, In the Lord. Which he also said to the Corinthians: God exhorts you through us. That as you received from us. The word, You received, is not of words only, but also of deeds. The phrase, How you ought to walk, signifies in this the whole conduct of life. And to please God, that you may do so more and more; that is, that from greater abundance you may not stop at the commandments, but that you may also go beyond them; for this is, that you may do so more and more. For in what goes before he accepts with admiration their steadfast faith; but here he regulates their life. For this is progress, to also

25

ἧς ἑαυτοὺς τιμωρίας καὶ καταδίκης ὑπευθύνους καθιστῶσιν. Οἶδα πῶς κλαίετε νῦν, πῶς χαίρετε, καὶ τὸν Παῦλον θαυμάζοντες, καὶ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἐκπληττόμενοι, καὶ μακαρίζοντες. Ἀλλ' εἴ τις ἐχθρὸν ἔχει, εἰς μνήμην αὐτὸν νῦν λαμβανέτω, εἰς νοῦν βαλλέσθω· ἵνα, ἕως ἔτι ζεῖ τῇ μνήμῃ τῶν ἁγίων ἡ καρδία, δυνηθῇ τὸ πεπηγὸς τῆς μήνιδος λῦσαι, καὶ τὸ τραχὺ καὶ ἀπεσκληκὸς καταμαλάξαι. Οἶδα ὅτι μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἔξοδον, μετὰ τὸ παύσασθαί με λέγοντα, κἂν ἀπομείνῃ τι τῆς θέρμης καὶ τῆς ζέσεως, οὐ τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν, ὅσον νῦν ἐν τῇ ἀκροάσει. Εἴ τις οὖν, εἴ τις κατέψυκται, λυέτω τὴν πάχνην· πάχνη γὰρ ὄντως καὶ κρυμὸς ἡ μνησικακία. Ἀλλὰ καλέσωμεν τὸν ἥλιον τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ἀξιώσωμεν αὐτὸν ἐπαφεῖναι τὰς ἀκτῖνας, καὶ οὐκέτι ἔσται πάχνη παχεῖα, ἀλλ' ὕδωρ πότιμον. Ἂν ἅψηται τὸ τοῦ ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης πῦρ τῆς ἡμετέρας ψυχῆς, οὐδὲν ἐάσει πεπηγὸς, οὐδὲν σκληρὸν, οὐδὲν καυστικὸν, οὐδὲν ἄκαρπον· πάντα ὥριμα, πάντα γλυκέα, πάντα πολλῆς γέμοντα τῆς ἡδονῆς ἐπιδείξει. Ἂν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, ἥξει κἀκείνη ἡ ἀκτίς. ∆ότε μοι, παρακαλῶ, μετὰ προθυμίας ταῦτα λέγειν· ποιήσατέ με ἀκοῦσαι ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων ἠνύσαμέν τι· ὅτι ἐχθρόν τις ἀπελθὼν, εὐθέως περιέβαλεν ἄμφω τὼ χεῖρε, περιεπλάκη, περιεχύθη, κατεφίλησεν, ἐδάκρυσε. Κἂν θηρίον ἐκεῖνος ᾖ, κἂν λίθος, κἂν ὁτιοῦν, ὑπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς φιλοφροσύνης ἡμερωθήσεται. ∆ιὰ τί γάρ σου ἐχθρός ἐστιν; ὕβρισέ σε; ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἠδίκησεν. Ἀλλὰ χρημάτων ἕνεκεν περιορᾷς τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἐχθραίνοντα; Μὴ, παρακαλῶ. Πάντα λύσωμεν. Ἡμέτερος ὁ καιρός· χρησώμεθα αὐτῷ εἰς δέον. Τὰ σχοινία τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων διακόψωμεν· πρὶν ἢ ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὸ κριτήριον, αὐτοὶ κρίνωμεν ἀλλήλους. Ὁ ἥλιος, φησὶ, μὴ ἐπιδυέτω ἐπὶ τῷ παροργισμῷ ὑμῶν. Μηδεὶς ἀναβαλλέσθω· αἱ ἀναβολαὶ μελλήσεις τίκτουσιν. Ἂν σήμερον ὑπέρθῃ, μᾶλλον ἐρυθριᾷς· κἂν τὴν αὔριον προσθῇς, μείζων ἡ αἰσχύνη· κἂν τὴν τρίτην, ἔτι πλέον. Μὴ δὴ καταισχύνωμεν ἑαυτοὺς, ἀλλ' ἀφῶμεν, ἵνα ἀφεθῇ ἡμῖν. Εἰ δὲ ἀφεθῇ, πάντων ἐπιτευξόμεθα τῶν ἐν οὐρανῷ ἀγαθῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Εʹ. Τὸ λοιπὸν, ἀδελφοὶ, ἐρωτῶμεν ὑμᾶς καὶ παρακα λοῦμεν ἐν Κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ, καθὼς παρελάβετε παρ' ἡμῶν τὸ πῶς δεῖ περιπατεῖν ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἀρέσκειν Θεῷ, ἵνα περισσεύητε μᾶλλον. Οἴδατε γὰρ τίνας παραγγελίας ἐδώκαμεν ὑμῖν διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι θέλημα Θεοῦ, ὁ ἁγιασμὸς ὑμῶν. αʹ. Ὅταν πρὸς τὰ κατεπείγοντα στῇ καὶ τὰ ἐν χερσὶ, καὶ μέλλῃ πρὸς τὰ διηνεκῆ ἐμβαίνειν λοιπὸν, καὶ ἃ συνεχῶς ἀκοῦσαι χρὴ, τοῦτο προτίθησι τὸ ῥῆμα, Τὸ λοιπὸν, τουτέστιν, Ἀεὶ μὲν καὶ εἰς τὸ διηνεκὲς ἐρωτῶμεν ὑμᾶς καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν ἐν Κυρίῳ. Βαβαί! οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸ παρακαλεῖν ἑαυτὸν ἀξιόπιστον, εἶναί φησι· καίτοι τίς οὕτως ἀξιόπιστος ἦν; ἀλλὰ τὸν Χριστὸν παραλαμβάνει. ∆ιὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακαλοῦμεν ὑμᾶς, φησί. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, Ἐν Κυρίῳ. Ὃ καὶ πρὸς Κορινθίους ἔλεγεν· Ὁ Θεὸς ὑμᾶς παρακαλεῖ δι' ἡμῶν. Ἵνα καθὼς παρελάβετε παρ' ἡμῶν. Τὸ, Παρελάβετε, οὐχὶ ῥημάτων ἐστὶ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πραγμάτων. Τὸ, Πῶς δεῖ ὑμᾶς περιπατεῖν, πᾶσαν ἐν τούτῳ τὴν ἀναστροφὴν τοῦ βίου δηλοῖ. Καὶ ἀρέσκειν Θεῷ, ἵνα περισσεύητε μᾶλλον· τουτέστιν, Ἵνα ἐκ πλείονος περιουσίας μὴ μέχρι τῶν ἐντολῶν ἱστᾶσθε, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ ὑπερβαίνητε· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ, Ἵνα περισσεύητε. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τοῖς προάγουσι τῆς πίστεως αὐτῶν τῆς στεῤῥᾶς τὸ θαῦμα ἀποδέχεται· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ῥυθμίζει τὸν βίον. Τοῦτο γὰρ προκοπὴ, τὸ καὶ