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of death, in which we are buried with Christ, and we die to sin, is above the day of our common birth, in which Adam begot us. "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of every man." The blessed Job, suspecting the transgressions in drinking, offered sacrifices for his children who feasted together out of concord. But in mourning, reflecting on the commonality of nature, we become compassionate and correct our own life. For this is, "And the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by the sadness of the countenance the heart will be made better." To be angry according to nature, for instance against passions or demons, is good; and concerning this he says, Sorrow is better; but to seek revenge with craving and desire against the one who has done wrong, is blameworthy. It is better, therefore, 93.561 to be angry in a praiseworthy manner than to be in laughter. For the grave and not dissipated countenance prepares the soul of man to be good and to rejoice. In another sense, one who uses rebuking speech is said to be angry. It is good, therefore, for both a teacher and a master to use such words toward those under their authority, rather than to smile at them and puff up their souls. For in the sternness of the countenance, which he indeed calls sadness, he himself will be made better, and he will make those under his hand good. "The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth." The wise man, considering the sorrows from here, that they are from corruption, and that things here easily change and are overturned, becomes sympathetic to those who endure these things; and he despises the things that are seen, and are not stable. But the fool, thinking that the things in the world are fixed, and not considering their instability, nor suspecting the future, devotes himself to luxury and dissipation, and pleasures. Note from this the opinion of Ecclesiastes, because he often, having assumed the persona of the world-lover, defines the good in eating and drinking. "It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools." For the one effeminates the soul; but the rebuke of the wise makes it astringent and strengthens it. "For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool." The boiling, he says, and the loud laughter of fools is like thorns being kindled under a pot; first, because just as the crackling sound from the fire of the thorns is evident even to those who do not see, but hear; so also the loud sound of laughter characterizes the foolish; then, there is smoke from the fire; here there is a darkening of the soul from such laughter. There, thorns kindling a pot; here, sins kindling eternal fire for the fool. For the wise man will scarcely smile quietly. "And this indeed is vanity, that slander distracts a wise man, and destroys the heart of his vigor." He teaches another kind of vanity. But if by wise he means the perfect man, you will understand it thus; The foolish among men slander not only themselves, but also God, as if he does not watch over human affairs, or governs them badly, because the impious often prosper, while the just are in distress. On these things David also said: My steps had almost slipped, for I was envious of the wicked, when I saw the peace of sinners. 93.564 Do you see how the sinews of his soul were paralyzed, and he suffered something vain? But since he was a perfect wise man, filled by the spirit, he brought forth the final state of sinners, how they came to desolation, suddenly they failed, they perished because of their iniquity. But if it refers to one who has just undertaken divine instruction, understand that of this neophyte, both the slanders of heretics, and diabolical temptations, and the things mentioned above loosen the sinews of the soul; and if he does not quickly become sober and recover, vanity will be added to him also. "The end of a matter is better than its beginning." Of words concerning virtue, the end is better; for it is not only good to begin, but also to put an end to what is striven for. "The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." In the preceding parts it has been said that opposites are not compared. Therefore he does not speak comparatively, but that which is

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θανάτου, καθ' ἣν τῷ Χριστῷ συνθαπτόμεθα, καὶ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀποθνήσκομεν, ὑπὲρ τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς κοινῆς γεννήσεως, καθ' ἣν ἡμᾶς ὁ Ἀδὰμ ἐγέννησε. "Ἀγαθὸν πορευθῆναι εἰς οἶκον πένθους, ἢ πορευθῆναι εἰς οἶκον πότου, καθότι τοῦτο τέλος παντὸς ἀνθρώπου." Τὰ ἐν πότῳ παροράματα καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἰὼβ ὑφορώμενος, ὑπὲρ τῶν δι' ὁμόνοιαν συμποσιαζόντων πρὸς ἀλλήλους παίδων, θυσίας ἔφερε. Ἐν δὲ τῷ πένθει τὸ κοινὸν τῆς φύσεως διενθυμούμενοι, συμπαθεῖς τε γινόμεθα, καὶ τὸν ἑαυτῶν διορθούμεθα βίον. Τοῦτο τάρ ἐστι, "Καὶ ὁ ζῶν δώσει ἀγαθὸν εἰς καρδίαν αὐτοῦ. Ἀγαθὸν θυμὸς ὑπὲρ γέλωτα, ὅτι ἐν κακίᾳ προσώπου ἀγαθυνθήσεται καρδία." Τὸ κατὰ φύσιν θυμοῦσθαι, οἶον κατὰ παθῶν ἢ δαιμόνων, ἀγαθόν· καὶ περὶ τούτου φησὶ, Ἀγαθὸν θυμός· τὸ δὲ, ὀρέξει καὶ ἐπιθυμία ἀμύνασθαι τὸν ἀδικήσαντα, ψεκτόν. Ἄμεινον οὖν τὸ 93.561 ἐπαινετῶς θυμοῦσθαι ἐν γέλωτι. Τὸ γὰρ σεμνὸν, καὶ μὴ διακεχυμένον πρόσωπον ἀγαθύνεσθαι παρασκευάζει καὶ χαίρειν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὴν ψυχήν. Ἄλλως, θυμοῦσθαι λέγεται ὁ λόγῳ ἐπιπληκτικῷ χρώμενος. Ἀγαθὸν οὖν καὶ διδασκάλῳ καὶ δεσπότῃ τοιούτοις κεχρῆσθαι λόγοις πρὸς τοὺς ὑποχειρίους, ἢ προσμειδιᾶν καὶ χαυνοῦν αὐτῶν τὰς ψυχάς. Ἐν γὰρ τῇ τοῦ προσώπου αὐστηρίᾳ, ἣν δὴ κακίαν φησὶ, αὐτός τε ἀγαθυνθήσεται, καὶ τοὺς ὑπὸ χεῖρα ἀγαθοὺς ἀπεργάσεται. "Καρδία σοφῶν ἐν οἴκῳ πένθους, καὶ καρδία ἀφρόνων ἐν οἴκῳ εὐφροσύνης." Ὁ σοφὸς τὰ ἔνθεν πένθη λογιζόμενος, ὅτι ἐκ φθορᾶς, καὶ ὅτι ῥᾳδίως τὰ τῇδε μεταπίπτει καὶ περιτρέπεται, γίνεται μὲν συμπαθὴς τοῖς ταῦτα ὑπομένουσι· περιφρονεῖ δὲ τῶν ὁρωμένων, καὶ οὐχ ἑστώτων. Ὁ δὲ ἄφρων πάγια εἶναι τὰ ἐν κόσμῳ νομίζων, καὶ τὸ ἄστατον αὐτῶν μὴ λυγιζόμενος, μηδὲ τὸ μέλλον ὑφορώμενος, τρυφῇ καὶ διαχύσει σχολάζει, καὶ ἡδοναῖς. Σημειοῦ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν τοῦ Ἐκκλησιαστοῦ τὴν γνώμην, διὰ τὸ πολλάκις αὐτὸν τὸ τοῦ φιλοκόσμου πρόσωπον ὑποθέμενον ἐν τῷ ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν ὁρίζεσθαι τὸ ἀγαθόν. "Ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀκοῦσαι ἐπιτίμησιν σοφοῦ, ὑπὲρ ἄνδρα ἀκούοντα ᾆσμα ἀφρόνων." Τὸ μὲν γὰρ θηλύνει τὴν ψυχήν· ἡ δὲ τῶν σοφῶν ἐπιτίμησις ἐπιστύφει καὶ ἐπιῤῥώννυσιν. "Ὅτι ὡς φωνὴ τῶν ἀκανθῶν ὑπὸ τὸν λέβητα, οὕτως γέλως τῶν ἀφρόνων." Ὁ βρασμὸς, φησὶ, καὶ ὁ καγχασμὸς τῶν ἀφρόνων ἔοικε ἀκάνθαις ὑποκαιούσαις λέβητα· πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι ὥσπερ ὁ κτύπος ὁ ἐκ πυρὸς τῶν ἀκανθῶν πρόδηλός ἐστι καὶ τοῖς μὴ ὁρῶσιν, ἀκούουσι δέ· οὕτω καὶ τοὺς ἄφρονας ἡ τοῦ γέλωτος ἐξήχησις χαρακτηρίζει· εἶτα ἐκεῖ καπνὸς ἐκ τῆς πυρκαϊᾶς· ἐνταῦθα σκότωσις ψυχῆς ἐκ τοῦ τοιοῦδε γέλωτος. Ἐκεῖ ἄκανθαι ὑποκαίουσαι λέβητα· ἐνταῦθα ἁμαρτίαι τὸ αἰώνιον πῦρ ὑφάπτουσαι τῷ ἄφρονι· Ὁ γὰρ σοφὸς μόγις ἡσυχῇ μειδιάσει. "Καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης, ὅτι ἡ συκοφαντία περιφέρει σοφὸν, καὶ ἀπολλύει τὴν καρδίαν εὐτονίας αὐτοῦ." Ἕτερον εἶδος ἐκδιδάσκει ματαιότητος. Σοφὸν δὲ εἰ μὲν τὸν τέλειόν φησι, οὕτω νοήσεις· Οἱ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀνόητοι οὐ μόνον ἑαυτοὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ Θεὸν συκοφαντοῦσιν, ὡσεὶ μὴ ἐφορῶντα τὰ ἀνθρώπινα, ἢ κακῶς ἐπιτροπεύοντα, διὰ τὸ ἀσεβεῖς πολλάκις εὐθηνῆσαι, δικαίους δὲ στενοχωρῆσαι. Ἐπὶ τούτοις καὶ ∆αβὶδ ἔλεγε· Παρ' ὀλίγον ἐξεχύθη τὰ διαβήματά μου, ὅτι ἐζήλωσα ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνόμοις, εἰρήνην ἀμαρ 93.564 τωλῶν θεωρῶν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς παρελύθη τοὺς τόνους τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ πέπονθέ τι μάταιον; Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τέλειος ἦν σοφὸς, πληρωθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος, τὰ ἔσχατα τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων ἐπήγαγε, πῶς ἐγένοντο εἰς ἐρήμωσιν, ἐξάπινα ἐξέλιπον, ἀπώλοντο διὰ τὴν ἀνομίαν αὐτῶν. Εἰ δὲ τὸν τῆς ἄρτι θείας παιδείας ἐπειλημμένον, νόει ὡς τοῦ νεοπαγοῦς τούτου, καὶ αἱρετικῶν συκοφαντίαι, καὶ διαβολικοὶ πειρασμοὶ, καὶ τὰ ἀνωτέρω δὲ προειρημένα τοὺς τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκλύουσι τόνους· καὶ εἰ μὴ ταχέως ἐκνήψας ἀναῤῥωσθῇ, προσκείσεται καὶ τούτῳ τὸ μάταιον. "Ἀγαθὴ ἐσχάτη λόγου ὑπὲρ ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ." Τῶν λόγων τῶν κατὰ ἀρετὴν τὸ τέλος ἄμεινον· οὐ γὰρ τὸ ἄρξασθαι μόνον καλὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τέλος ἐπιθεῖναι τῷ σπουδαζομένῳ. "Ἀγαθὸν μακρόθυμος ὑπὲρ ὑψηλὸν πνεύματι." Ἐν τοῖς προλαβοῦσι λέλεκται ὡς τὰ ἐναντία οὐ συγκρίνεται. Οὐ συγκριτικῶς οὖν φησιν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὂν