28

is an inexpressible joke, how great an evil. And you will lie down as if in the heart of the sea, etc. [ibid.] That is, when your affairs are finally caught in helplessness, and there is no correction. For what is the use, tell me, of skill, when the storm prevails?

CHAPTER 24.

By wisdom a house is built, etc. [cod. f. 100 v.] Wisdom and understanding and perception, he names Christ; and the house, His own Church which He built, and its storehouses He filled with all precious and good wealth. The storehouses are the hearts of those who have believed in Christ, and live in imitation of Him, and have been filled with thoughts and words and deeds. For through them they are deemed worthy of eternal good things. A wise man is better than a strong man; and a man having prudence than a great estate. [cod. f. 101 r.] For not simply, but of a great one. For as much as the earth yields to this one year by year, so much [does prudence] to that one; or rather, prudence is much better; for the estate is subject to the irregularity of the weather. With guidance war is waged. [cod. f. 191 v.] A matter full of turmoil, a matter needing many hands. Or he says this, that one must not simply rush into wars. For see, when it is necessary to choose, he says, is not wisdom brought into the midst? If your enemy falls, do not rejoice over him. [cod. f. 103 r.] For if you rejoice as having obtained vengeance, the Master will stop at this point out of loving-kindness; and He will not exact vengeance twice for the same thing. Or also, He pities the one who has fallen, but is angry with the one who is puffed up. For everyone who rejoices over a perishing soul is like the devil who wishes no one to be saved. It should be noted 64.733 that here he has called the enemy a man, for whom we are commanded in the Gospels to pray and to love him. For if it is good for you to struggle, pray rather that the adversary remain. Fear God, son, and the king. [cod. f. 103 v.] Truly the king Christ the God. Or the king, the one who rules himself before those who are ruled. Disobey neither of them. For he who disobeys a king ordained by God, dishonors God; for suddenly the impious will be punished; since no one knows that hour or that day. But often vengeance comes unexpectedly even while they are still living. For to know the reasonable cause of the infliction of punishments belongs only to the judge, and to anyone who is his friend. Besides the Lord and the king, have no friends; for those who are not their friends, are their enemies; and those who are not their friends, do not have as friends.

CHAPTER 25.

The glory of God conceals a matter. [cod. f. 119 r.] He who conceals the glory of God, or the kingdom of God, or he who wishes to glorify God, or the king, ought to obey. But 'to conceal' is 'to keep'. Grace and friendship set free. The man who has been graced, most dear, those things which are able to set his mind free. To eat much honey is not good. And above, honey is said to be the allegory. Therefore, to have much contemplation concerning these realities is unprofitable. For do not be too clever, lest you be confounded; elsewhere, Knowledge puffs up. Therefore one must approach these things with moderation, and honor the glorious words of the Lord, which are silver and gold, and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.

28

πρὸς γέλωτα ἀνέκδοτον εἶναι ὅσον κακόν. Καὶ κατακείσῃ ὥσπερ ἐν καρδίᾳ θαλάσσης, κ. τ. λ. [ιβιδ.] Τουτέστιν ὅτε τὰ σὰ ἁλωθῇ ἀμηχανίᾳ λοιπὸν, καὶ οὐδεμία διόρθωσις. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος, εἰπέ μοι, τῆς τέχνης, τοῦ χειμῶνος ἐπικρατοῦντος;

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Κ∆ʹ.

Μετὰ σοφίας οἰκοδομεῖται οἶκος, κ. τ. λ. [ξοδ. φ. 100 β.] Σοφίαν καὶ σύνεσιν καὶ αἴσθησιν, τὸν Χριστὸν ὀνομάζει· οἶκον δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ Ἐκκλησίαν ἣν ᾠκοδόμησε, καὶ τὰ ταμιεῖα αὐτῆς ἐνέπλησε παντὸς πλούτου τιμίου καὶ καλοῦ. Ταμιεῖα δέ εἰσιν αἱ καρδίαι τῶν πιστευσάντων εἰς Χριστὸν, καὶ κατὰ μίμησιν αὐτοῦ πολιτευομένων, καὶ πληρωθεῖσαι ἐννοιῶν καὶ λόγων καὶ ἔργων. ∆ι' αὐτῶν γὰρ ἀξιοῦνται τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν. Κρείσσων σοφὸς ἰσχυροῦ· καὶ ἀνὴρ φρόνησιν ἔχων γεωργίου μεγάλου. [ξοδ. φ. 101 α.] Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ μεγάλου. Ὅσα γὰρ ἡ γῆ τούτῳ κατ' ἔτος ἐκφέρει, τοσαῦτα [ἡ φρόνησις] ἐκείνῳ· ἢ καὶ πολλῷ βελτίων φρόνησις· τὸ μὲν γὰρ γεώργιον ὑπόκειται ἀνωμαλίᾳ ἀέρος. Μετὰ κυβερνήσεως γίνεται πόλεμος. [ξοδ. φ. 191 β.] Πρᾶγμα αὐτῆς γέμον ταραχῆς, πρᾶγμα πολυχειρίας δεόμενον. Ἢ τοῦτο φησὶν, ὅτι οὐχ ἁπλῶς δεῖ πολέμοις ἐπιτρέχειν. Ὅρα γὰρ, ὅταν ἑλέσθαι δέῃ, φησὶν, οὐχὶ ἡ σοφία εἰς μέσον παράγεται; Ἐὰν πέσῃ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, μὴ ἐπιχαρῇς αὐτῷ. [ξοδ. φ. 103 α.] Εἰ γὰρ ἐπιχαίρεις ὡς ἀμύνης τυχὼν, ὁ ∆εσπότης μέχρι τούτου στήσεται διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν· καὶ οὐκ ἐκδικήσει δὶς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό. Ἢ καὶ ἐλεεῖ μὲν τὸν πεσόντα, ὀργίζεται δὲ τῷ ἐπαρθέντι. Πᾶς γὰρ ὁ ἐπιχαίρων ἀπολλυμένῃ ψυχῇ, ὅμοιος τῷ διαβόλῳ τῷ μηδένα σωθῆναι θέλοντι. Σημειωτέον δὲ 64.733 ὅτι ἐνταῦθα ἄνθρωπον εἴρηκε τὸν ἐχθρὸν, ὑπὲρ οὗ καὶ προσεύχεσθαι ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις προσταττόμεθα καὶ τοῦτον ἀγαπᾷν. Εἰ γὰρ καλόν σοι τὸ ἀγωνίζεσθαι, εὔχου διαμένειν τὸν ἀντίπαλον μᾶλλον. Φοβοῦ τὸν Θεὸν, υἱὲ, καὶ βασιλέα. [ξοδ. φ. 103 β.] Ἀληθῶς βασιλέα Χριστὸν τὸν Θεόν. Ἢ βασιλέα, τὸν πρὸ τῶν βασιλευομένων ἑαυτοῦ βασιλεύοντα. Μήθ' ἑτέρῳ αὐτῶν ἀπείθει. Ὁ γὰρ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ χειροτονουμένῳ βασιλεῖ ἀπειθῶν, τὸν Θεὸν ἀτιμάζει· ἐξαίφνης γὰρ τίσονται τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς· ἐπεὶ μηδεὶς οἶδε τὴν ὥραν ἐκείνην ἢ τὴν ἡμέραν. Πολλάκις δὲ καὶ ἔτι ζώντων ἀδοκήτως ἡ ἐκδίκησις γίνεται. Τὸ γὰρ εὔλογον καὶ αἴτιον τῆς ἐπιφορᾶς τῶν τιμωριῶν, εἰδέναι μόνου ἐστὶ τοῦ κρίνοντος, καὶ εἴ τις ἐκείνου φίλος. Ἐκτὸς τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως, μὴ φίλους ἔχε· οἱ γὰρ μὴ τούτων φίλοι, ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν εἰσί· τοὺς δὲ αὐτῶν μὴ φίλους, μὴ ἔχε φίλους.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΕʹ.

∆όξα Θεοῦ κρύπτει λόγον. [ξοδ. φ. 119 α.] Ὁ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξαν, ἢ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλείαν κρύπτων, ἢ ὁ βουλόμενος τὸν Θεὸν δοξάζειν, ἢ βασιλέα, ὑπακούειν ὀφείλει. Κρύπτειν δὲ τὸ φυλάττειν ἐστί. Χάρις καὶ φιλία ἐλευθεροῖ. Ὁ κεχαριτωμένος ἄνθρωπος, φίλτατος, ἃ δύναται ἐλευθερῶσαι αὐτοῦ τὸ φρόνημα. Ἐσθίειν μέλι πολὺ, οὐ καλόν. Καὶ ἀνωτέρω μέλι, ἡ ἀλληγορία εἴρηται. Πολὺ οὖν εἶναι περὶ τούτων ὄντων θεωρίαν ἀσύμφορον. Μὴ σοφίζου γὰρ πολλὰ, μήποτε ἐκπλαγῇς· ἀλλαχοῦ, Ἡ γνῶσις φυσιοῖ. Συμμέτρως δεῖ τοίνυν τούτοις προσιέναι, καὶ τιμᾷν τοὺς ἐνδόξους λόγους τοῦ Κυρίου, οἳ εἰσὶν ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον, καὶ γλυκύτεροι ὑπὲρ μέλι καὶ κηρίον.