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casting down the uprisings from the devil. He wanted not to be in difficult circumstances, since human weakness, as far as its own 89 measure is concerned, does not bear the immoderation of labors, unless a courageous reasoning overcomes the weakness. For because of this he adds: "For the fear which I worried about came upon me, and what I dreaded has met me." And he said these things not cowering, but according to the meaning given. For he had a fear that, lingering in life, he might be tried by afflictions and circumstances, from which it happens that many falter. For even if they are invincible, they do not wish to draw temptations upon themselves, so that neither the adversary has greater punishment on their account, nor does he cause the things of human weakness, as we said, to make them falter, since a pilot steering a vessel straight does not wish to be tried by a storm, lest he should somehow fall into misfortune. That they do not shrink from circumstances out of cowardice, one can hear one of them saying about their common lot: "Our God is a refuge and strength, a very present help in the troubles that have found us. Therefore we will not fear when the earth is shaken and the mountains are moved into the 90 hearts of the seas." In agreement with these things the apostle also says: "Who shall separate us from the love which is in Christ Jesus? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine" and the rest. And that they do not endure these things without a struggle, he adds: "but in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us," which is a sign through the agonizing struggle, after which victory occurs. And the "has met me" is good; for the wrestling matches met him as an athlete. For the devil does not fight with ordinary people, as the Savior also makes clear when he says to the disciples: "Behold, Satan has demanded you, that he might sift you like wheat." And he met this one who was most ready for the fight, as the matter also showed and the following things make clear. "I was not at peace, nor was I quiet, nor did I rest, but wrath came upon me." His readiness against the adversary is shown by these things. For being vigilant and having hope and the grace of the spirit, he stood against the opponent, Paul also knowing this, that "the struggle for the saints is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the 91 world-rulers of darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil," and against the arch-evil one himself, the devil, who "walks about like a lion, seeking whom he may devour." Nevertheless, even with him being so vigilant, the devil did not neglect to ask, that he might bring upon him what he did bring, which he calls wrath because of the hardships, knowing that they were not brought on because of wickedness. For he says: "I know that I shall appear righteous." And otherwise he knows to call hardships wrath. "You sent forth," he says, "your wrath, and it consumed them like stubble." And when we hear of the wrath of God, let us not reckon this to be a passion of his in a human way. For such a passion is not of a nature to be sent forth, dwelling in the soul. But the so-called wrath of God is sent forth; for "you sent forth your wrath," which is the hardships. For these things are also sent upon. Therefore this man also calls these things wrath, which have happened to him. Thus this saint, having extended such a narrative, in which is found the teaching of the judgments of God 92 and of the divine mysteries, which we have set forth as far as possible, is clearly not overcome by passion because of the things that have happened, but even in them has a desire and love and heavenly longing for divine contemplation. "Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: Has it not been spoken to you many times in weariness? But who will bear the force of your words? For if you have instructed many and encouraged weak hands, and have raised up the weak with words and have put courage into feeble knees, but now fear has come upon you and has touched you, you have become distraught." Of all teaching and conception there are principles, and when these are sound, everything proceeds according to reason. But when the principles are not sound, many things follow

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καθελὼν τὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐπαναστάσεις. ἐβούλετο μὲν μ̣ὴ γενέσθαι ἐν περιστατικοῖς, ἐπεὶ ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη ἀσθένεια, ὅσον ἧκεν εἰς τὸ ἑαυ89 τῆς μέτρον, οὐ φέρει τὰς τῶν πόνων ἀμετρίας, εἰ μὴ λογισμὸς ἀνδρεῖος ὑπερβάλῃ τὴν ἀσθένειαν. διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπιφέρει· "φόβος γὰρ ὃν ἐφρόντισα ἦλθέν μοι, καὶ ὃν ἐδεδοίκειν συνήντησέν μοι." ταῦτα δὲ οὐ καταπτήξας ἔλεγεν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ἀποδοθεῖσαν διάνοιαν. φόβον γὰρ εἶχε, μὴ ἐπιβραδύνας τῶι βίωι καὶ θλίψεών τε καὶ περιστάσεων πειραθῇ, ἐξ ὧν ὀκλάσαι τοὺς πολλοὺς συμβαίνει. κἂν γὰρ ἀκαταμάχ̣ητοι ὦσιν, οὐ βούλονται ἐφέλκεσθαι τοὺς πειρασμούς, ἵνα μήτε ὁ ἀντικείμενος καὶ δι' αὐτοὺς ἔχῃ περισσοτέραν κόλασιν καὶ μὴ τὰ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ὡς ἔφαμεν ἀσθενείας ὀκλάσαι ποιήσῃ, ἐπεὶ καὶ κυβερνήτης κατευθὺ ἄγων τὸ σκάφος οὐ βούλεται χειμῶνος πειραθῆναι, μή πως καὶ πταίσματι περιπέσῃ. ὅτι δὲ οὐ δειλίᾳ τὰς περιστάσεις παραιτοῦνται, ἔστιν ἑνὸς αὐτῶν ἀκοῦσαι περὶ τοῦ κοινοῦ αὐτῶν λέγοντος· "ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν καταφυγὴ καὶ δύναμις, βοηθὸς ἐν θλίψεσιν ταῖς εὑρούσαις ἡμᾶς σφόδρα. διὰ τοῦτο οὐ φοβηθησόμεθα ἐν τῷ ταράσσεσθαι τὴν γῆν καὶ μετατίθεσθαι ὄρη 90 ἐν καρδίαις θαλασσῶν." οἷς συμφώνως καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολός φησιν· "τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ; θλῖψις ἢ στενοχωρία ἢ διωγμὸς ἢ λιμὸς" καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ὅτι δ' οὐκ ἀνιδρωτὶ ταῦτα ὑφίστανται, ἐπάγει· "ἀλλ' ἐν τούτοις πᾶσιν ὑπερνικῶμεν διὰ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς", ὅπερ ἐστὶ δεῖγμα διὰ τῆς ἐναγωνίου μάχης, μεθ' ἣν ἡ νίκη συμβαίνει. εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ "συνήντησέν μοι"· ὡς γὰρ ἀθλητῇ συνήντησεν τὰ παλαίσματα. οὐ γὰρ τοῖς τυχοῦσιν ὁ διάβολος μάχεται, ὡς καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ δηλοῖ λέγων πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς· "ἰδοὺ ἐξῃτήσατο ὑμᾶς ὁ σατανᾶς τοῦ σινιάσαι ὡς τὸν σῖτον." συνήντησεν καὶ τούτῳ ἑτοιμότατα ἔχοντι πρὸς μάχην ὡς καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἔδειξεν καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς δηλοῖ. "οὔτε εἰρήνευσα οὔτε ἡσύχασα οὔτε ἀνεπαυσάμην, ἦλθεν δέ μοι ὀργή." τὸ ἐνπαράσκευον αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν ἀντικείμενον ἐκ τούτων δηλοῦται. ἐπάγρυπνος γὰρ ὢν καὶ ἔχων τὴν ἐλπίδα καὶ τὸ τοῦ πνεύματος χάρισμα ἵστατο πρὸς τὸν ἀντίπαλον εἰδὼς τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος ὡς "οὐκ ἔστιν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἀρχάς, πρὸς ἐξουσίας, πρὸς τοὺς 91 κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους, πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας", καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν ἀρχέκακον διάβολον, ὅστις "ὡς λέων περιπατεῖ ζητῶν τίνα καταπίῃ". ὅμως καὶ οὕτως αὐτοῦ ἐγρηγορότος οὐκ ἠμέλησεν ὁ διάβολος, ὡς ἐξαιτήσασθαι, ἵν' ἐπαγάγῃ αὐτῷ ἃ ἐπήγαγεν, ἅπερ ὀργὴν διὰ τὰ ἐπίπονα καλεῖ, ἐπιστάμενος ὡς οὐ διὰ κακίαν ἐπήχθησαν. φησὶν γάρ· "οἶδα ὅτι δίκαιος ἀναφανοῦμαι." καὶ ἄλλως δὲ οἶδεν τὰ ἐπίπονα ὀργὴν ὀνομάζειν. "ἐξαπέστειλας" γάρ φησιν "τὴν ὀργήν σου καὶ κατέφαγεν αὐτοὺς ὡς καλάμην". ὀργὴν δὲ ἂν ἀκούωμεν θεοῦ, μὴ πάθος αὐτοῦ εἶναι ταύτην κατὰ ἀνθρώπινα λογιζόμεθα. τὸ γὰρ τοιοῦτο πάθος οὐ πέφυκεν ἐξαποστέλλεσθαι, ἐν τῆι ψυχῇ φωλεῦον. ἡ δὲ λεγομένη θεοῦ ὀργὴ ἐξαποστέλλεται· "ἐξαπέστειλας" γὰρ "τὴν ὀργήν σου", ὅ ἐστιν τὰ ἐπίπονα. ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ ἐπιπέμπεται. καὶ οὗτος οὖν ταῦτα ὀργὴν ὀνομάζει, ἅπερ αὐτῷ συμβέβηκεν. οὕτω δὲ ἀποτείνας ὁ ἅγιος οὗτο̣ς διήγησιν τοιαύτην, ἐν ᾗ τῶν κριμάτων τοῦ θεοῦ 92 διδασκαλία τυγχάνει, καὶ μυστηρίων θείων, ἃ κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἐξεθέμεθα, δῆλός ἐστιν οὐ περιπαθὴς γενόμενος διὰ τὰ συμβεβηκότα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τῆς θείας θεωρίας πόθον καὶ ἔρωτα καὶ οὐράνιον ἔχων. "ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ἐλιφὰζ ὁ Θαιμανίτης λέγει· μὴ πολλάκις σοι λελάληται ἐν κόπῳ; ἰσχὺν δὲ ῥημάτων σου τίς ὑποίσει; εἰ γὰρ σὺ ἐνουθέτησας πολλοὺς καὶ χεῖρας ἀσθενοῦς παρεκάλεσας ἀσθενοῦντάς τε ἐξανέστησας ῥήμασιν γόνασίν τε ἀδυνατοῦσιν θάρσος περιέθηκας, νῦν δὲ ἥκει ἐπὶ σὲ φόβος καὶ ἥψατό σου, σὺ δὲ ἐσπούδασας." πάσης διδασκαλίας καὶ διαλήμψεως εἰσὶν ἀρχαί, ὧν εὖ ἐχουσῶν πάντα κατὰ λόγον χωρεῖ. ὅταν δὲ μὴ καλῶς ἔχωσιν αἱ ἀρχαί, πολλὰ ἕπονται