27

CHAPTER 23.

If you sit down to dine at the table of a ruler, understand thoughtfully what is set before you.

[ξοδ. φ. 96 α.] Christ is truly a ruler; and His table and food are the words of His teaching, and the eternal good things which He has prepared for those who love Him. And every Christian has sat down to dine at His table; therefore, the one who thoughtfully understands what Jesus taught by deeds and words, stretches out his hand, that is, he begins to show by deeds that he is an imitator of Christ, becoming humble, and meek, and loving all, and enduring afflictions. But he who does not do these things, but gapes after the pleasures of this life, let him not desire the eternal good things; for he will not obtain them. For these pleasures of this age hold a false life; which those who love will not enjoy the eternal good things. Do not dine with an envious man. [ξοδ. φ. 97 α.] This he says, because He does not gladly eat of your things while being envious; or that He will not be grateful for your food, but will even be ungrateful; or that He will not depart before, until he has vomited them up. For in the same way as if someone were to swallow a hair. That is, just as one who vomits, or one who swallows a hair, so also that one himself will not perceive these things. And in a discourse of words your lips to my lips. [ξοδ. φ. 97 β.] For when the conversation is intelligent, it is necessary for it to become very long, as it has no satiety. For a pierced jar is another's house. [ξοδ. φ. 99 α.] It is not easy to draw up to those who have finally been cast down; but to cast down is easy, but to cast out is no longer so. And he who drinks from the waters of the heterodox, is choked; for since the wells are narrow, through deceit and falsehood they choke themselves. Do not be drunk with wine, etc. [ξοδ. φ. 99 β.] Do not be drunk with both perceptible wine, and with that from the Sodomite vine. Take heed that you do not suffer the things of Sodom; but converse with the righteous who are now, or with the words of the ancients; and read the Scriptures which contain the lives of the righteous. And the 'converse in your walks,' that is, one must both cycle through the same thoughts and return and walk to the examination of these very things, if it is possible to say so. For if you give your eyes to the bowls and the cups. [ξοδ. φ. 99 β.] 64.732 By bowls and cups, he means, according to the sense, the impious doctrines that intoxicate the mind; or the various desires; or heterodox teachings. He therefore who is falsely taught is stripped of the truth; and finally will die the death of the soul. When your eyes look upon a strange woman, then your mouth will speak perverse things. [ξοδ. φ. 100 α.] It is said not only concerning a prostitute, but also concerning every evil desire. For when the mind rushes toward an evil deed, then the heart, which the mouth speaks, meditates on perverse things; for then he will be as in the heart of the sea, being choked by the brine of many thoughts. And as a pilot in a great surge, being pushed by the waves of evil desire, he struggles toward the wicked deed. And you will say: They strike me, and I felt no pain. Do you see the storm that has been raised? For he who brings such charges seeks nothing more to be done. When will it be morning, you see him straightway from the beginning of the day turning to drink. And the time for necessary work, which all make the beginning of their diligence, this man has for his desires; drunkenness therefore and the wearing down of poverty are productive not only of this, but also of being enveloped in a grievous and incurable disease, and one that has no correction. And that which is towards blows and

27

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΓʹ.

Ἐὰν καθίσῃς δειπνεῖν ἐπὶ τραπέζης δυνάστου, νοητῶς νόει τὰ παρατιθέμενά σοι.

[ξοδ. φ. 96 α.] Ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν ὄντως δυνάστης· αὐτοῦ δὲ τράπεζα καὶ ἐδέσματα, τὰ ῥήματα τῆς διδασκαλίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ αἰώνια ἀγαθὰ, ἃ ἡτοίμασε τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν. Ἐκάθισε δὲ δειπνεῖν πᾶς Χριστιανὸς ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης αὐτοῦ· ὁ οὖν νοητῶς νοῶν, ἅπερ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἔργοις καὶ λόγοις ἐδίδαξεν, ἐπιβάλλει τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ, τουτέστιν ἄρχεται ἔργοις δεικνύειν ὅτι μιμητής ἐστι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, γινόμενος ταπεινὸς, καὶ πρᾶος, καὶ ἀγαπῶν πάντας, καὶ ὑπομένων θλίψεις. Ὁ δὲ μὴ ποιῶν ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰ τοῦ βίου τερπνὰ κεχηνὼς, μὴ ἐπιθυμείτω τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν· οὐ γὰρ ἐπιτεύξεται αὐτῶν. Ταῦτα γὰρ τὰ τοῦ αἰῶνος τερπνὰ, ἔχεται ψευδοῦς ζωῆς· ἣν οἱ ἀγαπῶντες, τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν οὐκ ἀπολαύσουσιν. Μὴ συνδείπνει ἀνδρὶ βασκάνῳ. [ξοδ. φ. 97 α.] Τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι Οὐχ ἡδέως ἐσθίει τοῖς σοῖς βασκαίνων· ἢ ὅτι Οὐχ ἕξει χάριν τοῖς σιτίοις σου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀχαριστήσει· ἢ ὅτι Οὐ πρότερον ἀποστήσεται, ἕως ἂν αὐτὰ ἐμέσῃ. Ὃν τρόπον γὰρ εἴ τις καταπίοι τρίχα. Τουτέστιν ὥσπερ ὁ ἐμῶν, ἢ ὁ καταπίνων τρίχα, οὕτως οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ἐκεῖνος αἰσθήσεται τούτων. Καὶ ἐν διατρίψει λόγων τὰ σὰ χείλη πρὸς τὰ ἐμὰ χείλη. [ξοδ. φ. 97 β.] Ὅταν γὰρ συνετὴ ἡ διάλεξις ᾖ, πολλὴν αὐτὴν ἀνάγκη γενέσθαι καὶ μακρὰν, ἅτε κόρον οὐκ ἔχουσαν. Πίθος γὰρ τετρημένος ἐστὶν ἀλλότριος οἶκος. [ξοδ. φ. 99 α.] Οὐ ῥᾴδιον ἀνιμήσασθαι πρὸς τοὺς βεβλημένους λοιπόν· ἀλλὰ βαλεῖν μέν ἐστιν εὐχερὲς, ἐκβαλεῖν δὲ οὐκέτι. Καὶ ὁ πίνων δὲ ἐκ τῶν ἑτεροδόξων ὑδάτων, πνίγεται· στενὰ γὰρ ὄντα φρέατα, δι' ἀπάτης καὶ ψεύδους ἑαυτοὺς ἀποπνίγουσιν. Μὴ μεθύσκετε ἐν οἴνοις, κ. τ. λ. [ξοδ. φ. 99 β.] Ἐν οἴνῳ δὲ τῷ τε αἰσθητῷ μὴ μεθύσκεσθε, καὶ τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς Σοδομίτιδος ἀμπέλου. Προσέχετε μὴ πείσεσθε τὰ τῶν Σοδόμων· ἀλλὰ ὁμιλεῖτε τοῖς νῦν οὖσι δικαίοις, ἢ τοῖς τῶν παλαιῶν λόγοις· καὶ ἐντυγχάνετε ταῖς Γραφαῖς ταῖς ἐχούσαις τοὺς τῶν δικαίων βίους. Τὸ δὲ ἐν περιπάτοις ὁμιλεῖτε, τουτέστι δεῖν τὰς αὐτὰς ἐννοίας ἀνακυκλοῦν τε καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν τούτων αὐτῶν ἐξέτασιν ἐπιστρέφειν καὶ βαδίζειν, εἰ οἷόν τέ ἐστιν εἰπεῖν. Ἐὰν γὰρ εἰς τὰς φιάλας καὶ τὰ ποτήρια δῷ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου. [ξοδ. φ. 99 β.] 64.732 Φιάλας κατὰ διάνοιαν καὶ ποτήρια τὰ δυσσεβῆ λέγει δόγματα, τὰ μεθύσκοντα τὸν νοῦν· ἢ τὰς διαφόρους ἐπιθυμίας· ἢ ἑτεροδόξους διδασκαλίας. Ὁ οὖν ψευδοδιδακτούμενος γυμνοῦται τῆς ἀληθείας· καὶ τελευταῖον τεθνήξεται τὸν τῆς ψυχῆς θάνατον. Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὅταν ἴδωσιν ἀλλοτρίαν, τὸ στόμα σου τότε λαλήσει σκολιά. [ξοδ. φ. 100 α.] Οὐ μόνον περὶ πόρνης εἴρηται, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσης πονηρᾶς ἐπιθυμίας. Ὅταν γὰρ νοῦς πρὸς τὴν κακὴν πρᾶξιν ὁρμήσῃ, τότε ἡ καρδία, ὃ λέγει στόμα, μελετᾷ σκολιά· τότε γὰρ ἔσται ὡς ἐν καρδίᾳ θαλάσσης, ὑπὸ τῆς ἅλμης τῶν πολλῶν λογισμῶν πνιγόμενος. Καὶ ὡς κυβερνήτης ἐν πολλῷ κλύδωνι, ὑπὸ τῶν τῆς κακῆς ἐπιθυμίας κυμάτων ὠθούμενος, πρὸς τὴν πονηρὰν πρᾶξιν ἀγωνιᾷ. Ἐρεῖς δέ· Τύπτουσί με, καὶ οὐκ ἐπόνεσα. Ὁρᾷς τὸν χειμῶνα ἠρμένον; Οὐδὲν γὰρ γινόμενον πλέον ὁ τοιαῦτα ἐγκαλῶν ζητεῖ. Πότε ὄρθρος ἔσται, ὁρᾷς εὐθέως ἐκ προοιμίων τῆς ἡμέρας αὐτὸν ἐπιγινόμενον πρὸς πότον. Καὶ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐργασίας, ὃν πάντες ποιοῦνται προοίμιον σπουδῆς, τοῦτον οὗτος ἔχει τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν· οὐκ ἄρα μέθη καὶ τριβὴ πενίας ποιητικὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ νοσήματι περιβάλλειν χαλεπῷ καὶ ἀνιάτῳ, καὶ οὐκ ἔχοντι διόρθωσιν. Καὶ τὸ πρὸς πληγὰς καὶ