25

I know that you will crush all the power of the devil, and we will have dominion over him and will prevail over all his works. And I hope, Lord, to be able to keep these commandments which you have commanded, the Lord strengthening me. You will keep them, he says, if your heart becomes pure towards the Lord; and all will keep them, as many as shall purify their hearts from the vain desires of this world, and they shall live to God. THE PARABLES WHICH HE SPOKE WITH ME He says to me: You know, he says, that you, the servants of God, are dwelling in a foreign land; for your city is far from this city. If, then, you know, he says, your city, in which you are to dwell, why do you here prepare fields and costly displays and buildings and vain dwellings? He, therefore, who prepares these things for this city is not able to return to his own city. Foolish and double-minded and wretched man, do you not understand that all these things are foreign and are under the authority of another? For the lord of this city will say: ‘I do not want you to dwell in my city, but go out from this city, because you do not use my laws.’ You, then, having fields and dwellings and many other possessions, being cast out by him, what will you do with your field and your house and the other things which you have prepared for yourself? For the lord of this country rightly says to you: ‘Either use my laws or depart from my country.’ What then will you do, you who have a law in your own city? For the sake of your fields and the rest of your possessions, will you utterly renounce your law, and walk by the law of this city? See that it is not unprofitable to renounce your law; for if you should wish to return to your city, you will not be received, because you have renounced the law of your city, and you will be shut out from it. See, therefore: as one dwelling in a foreign land, prepare nothing more for yourself than the self-sufficiency that is enough for you, and be ready, that when the master of this city wishes to cast you out for setting yourself against his law, you may go out from his city and depart to your city and use your own law without insolence, rejoicing. See, then, you who serve the Lord and have him in your heart: work the works of God, remembering his commandments and the promises which he promised, and believe him, that he will perform them, if his commandments are kept. Instead of fields, therefore, purchase afflicted souls, as anyone is able, and visit widows and orphans and do not overlook them, and spend your wealth and all your preparations on such fields and houses, which you have received from God. For to this end the Master enriched you, that you might perform these ministries for him. It is much better to purchase such fields and possessions and houses, which you will find in your own city, when you go to live in it. This costly expenditure is good and joyful, having no grief nor fear, but having joy. Do not, therefore, practice the costly expenditure of the Gentiles; for it is unprofitable for you, the servants of God. But practice your own costly expenditure, in which you can rejoice; and do not counterfeit, nor touch that which is another's, nor desire it; for it is wicked to desire the things of others. But do your own work, and you will be saved. Another Parable As I was walking in the field and observing an elm and a vine, and distinguishing between them and their fruits, he appears to me

25

οἶδα, ὅτι συγκόψεις τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ διαβόλου πᾶσαν καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοῦ κατα κυριεύσομεν καὶ κατισχύσομεν πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐλπίζω, κύριε, δύνασθαί με τὰς ἐντολὰς ταύτας, ἃς ἐντέταλσαι, τοῦ κυρίου ἐνδυναμοῦντος φυλάξαι. Φυλάξεις, φησίν, ἐὰν ἡ καρδία σου καθαρὰ γένηται πρὸς κύριον· καὶ πάντες δὲ φυλάξουσιν, ὅσοι ἂν καθαρίσωσιν ἑαυτῶν τὰς καρδίας ἀπὸ τῶν ματαίων ἐπιθυμιῶν τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, καὶ ζήσονται τῷ θεῷ. ΠAΡAΒOΛAI AΣ EΛAΛHΣE ΜEΤ' EΜOΥ Λέγει μοι· Oἴδατε, φησίν, ὅτι ἐπὶ ξένης κατοικεῖτε ὑμεῖς οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ θεοῦ· ἡ γὰρ πόλις ὑμῶν μακράν ἐστιν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης· εἰ οὖν οἴδατε, φησί, τὴν πόλιν ὑμῶν, ἐν ᾗ μέλλετε κατοικεῖν, τί ὧδε ὑμεῖς ἑτοιμάζετε ἀγροὺς καὶ παρατάξεις πολυτελεῖς καὶ οἰκοδομὰς καὶ οἰκήματα μάταια; ταῦτα οὖν ὁ ἑτοιμάζων εἰς ταύτην τὴν πόλιν οὐ δύναται ἐπανακάμψαι εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν πόλιν. ἄφρον καὶ δίψυχε καὶ ταλαίπωρε ἄνθρωπε, οὐ νοεῖς, ὅτι ταῦτα πάντα ἀλλότριά εἰσι καὶ ὑπ' ἐξουσίαν ἑτέρου εἰσίν; ἐρεῖ γὰρ ὁ κύριος τῆς πό λεως ταύτης· Oὐ θέλω σε κατοικεῖν εἰς τὴν πόλιν μου, ἀλλ' ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης, ὅτι τοῖς νόμοις μου οὐ χρᾶσαι. σὺ οὖν ἔχων ἀγροὺς καὶ οἰκήσεις καὶ ἑτέρας ὑπάρξεις πολλάς, ἐκβαλλόμενος ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τί ποιήσεις σου τὸν ἀγρὸν καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ τὰ λοιπά, ὅσα ἡτοίμασας σεαυτῷ; λέγει γάρ σοι δικαίως ὁ κύριος τῆς χώρας ταύτης· Ἢ τοῖς νόμοις μου χρῶ ἢ ἐκχώρει ἐκ τῆς χώρας μου. σὺ οὖν τί μέλλεις ποιεῖν, ἔχων νόμον ἐν τῇ σῇ πόλει; ἕνεκεν τῶν ἀγρῶν σου καὶ τῆς λοιπῆς ὑπάρξεως τὸν νόμον σου πάντως ἀπαρνήσῃ καὶ πορεύσῃ τῷ νόμῳ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης; βλέπε μὴ ἀσύμφορόν ἐστιν ἀπαρνῆσαι τὸν νόμον σου· ἐὰν γὰρ ἐπανακάμψαι θελήσῃς εἰς τὴν πόλιν σου, οὐ μὴ παραδεχθήσῃ, ὅτι ἀπηρνήσω τὸν νόμον τῆς πόλεως σου, καὶ ἐκκλεισ θήσῃ ἀπ' αὐτῆς. βλέπε οὖν σύ· ὡς ἐπὶ ξένης κατοικῶν μηδὲν πλέον ἑτοί μαζε σεαυτῷ εἰ μὴ τὴν αὐτάρκειαν τὴν ἀρκετήν σοι, καὶ ἕτοιμος γίνου, ἵνα, ὅταν θέλῃ ὁ δεσπότης τῆς πόλεως ταύτης ἐκβαλεῖν σε ἀντιταξάμενον τῷ νόμῳ αὐτοῦ, ἐξέλθῃς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέλθῃς ἐν τῇ πόλει σου καὶ τῷ σῷ νόμῳ χρήσῃ ἀνυβρίστως ἀγαλλιώμενος. βλέπετε οὖν ὑμεῖς οἱ δουλεύοντες τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἔχοντες αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν καρδίαν· ἐργάζεσθε τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ μνημονεύοντες τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν ὧν ἐπηγγείλατο, καὶ πιστεύσατε αὐτῷ, ὅτι ποιήσει αὐτάς, ἐὰν αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὐτοῦ φυλαχθῶσιν. ἀντὶ ἀγρῶν οὖν ἀγοράζετε ψυχὰς θλιβομένας, καθά τις δυνατός ἐστι, καὶ χήρας καὶ ὀρφανοὺς ἐπισκέπτεσθε καὶ μὴ παραβλέ πετε αὐτούς, καὶ τὸν πλοῦτον ὑμῶν καὶ τὰς παρατάξεις πάσας εἰς τοιού τους ἀγροὺς καὶ οἰκίας δαπανᾶτε, ἃς ἐλάβετε παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ. εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπλούτισεν ὑμᾶς ὁ δεσπότης, ἵνα ταύτας τὰς διακονίας τελέσητε αὐτῷ· πολὺ βέλτιόν ἐστι τοιούτους ἀγροὺς ἀγοράζειν καὶ κτήματα καὶ οἴκους, οὓς εὑρήσεις ἐν τῇ πόλει σου, ὅταν ἐπιδημήσῃς εἰς αὐτήν. αὕτη ἡ πολυ τέλεια καλὴ καὶ ἱλαρά, λύπην μὴ ἔχουσα μηδὲ φόβον, ἔχουσα δὲ χαράν. τὴν οὖν πολυτέλειαν τῶν ἐθνῶν μὴ πράσσετε· ἀσύμφορον γάρ ἐστιν ὑμῖν τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ θεοῦ· τὴν δὲ ἰδίαν πολυτέλειαν πράσσετε, ἐν ᾗ δύνασθε χαρῆ ναι· καὶ μὴ παραχαράσσετε μηδὲ τοῦ ἀλλοτρίου ἅψησθε μηδὲ ἐπιθυμεῖτε αὐτοῦ· πονηρὸν γάρ ἐστιν ἀλλοτρίων ἐπιθυμεῖν. τὸ δὲ σὸν ἔργον ἐργάζου, καὶ σωθήσῃ. Ἄλλη παραβολή Περιπατοῦντός μου εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν καὶ κατανοοῦντος πτελέαν καὶ ἄμπε λον, καὶ διακρίνοντος περὶ αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν, φανεροῦταί μοι