1

 2

 3

 4

 5

 6

 7

 8

 9

 10

 11

 12

 13

 14

 15

 16

 17

 18

 19

 20

 21

 22

 23

 24

 25

 26

 27

 28

 29

 30

 31

 32

 33

 34

 35

 36

 37

 38

 39

 40

 41

 42

 43

 44

 45

 46

 47

 48

 49

 50

 51

 52

 53

 54

 55

 56

 57

 58

 59

 60

 61

 62

 63

 64

 65

 66

 67

 68

 69

 70

 71

 72

 73

 74

 75

 76

 77

 78

 79

 80

 81

 82

 83

 84

 85

 86

 87

 88

 89

 90

 91

 92

 93

 94

 95

 96

 97

 98

 99

 100

 101

 102

 103

 104

 105

 106

 107

 108

 109

 110

 111

 112

 113

 114

 115

 116

 117

 118

 119

 120

 121

 122

 123

 124

 125

 126

 127

 128

 129

 130

 131

 132

 133

 134

 135

 136

 137

 138

 139

 140

 141

 142

 143

 144

 145

 146

 147

 148

 149

 150

 151

 152

 153

 154

 155

 156

 157

 158

 159

 160

 161

 162

 163

 164

 165

 166

 167

 168

 169

 170

 171

 172

 173

 174

 175

 176

 177

 178

 179

 180

 181

 182

 183

 184

 185

 186

 187

 188

 189

 190

 191

 192

 193

 194

 195

 196

 197

 198

 199

 200

 201

 202

 203

 204

 205

 206

 207

 208

 209

 210

 211

 212

 213

 214

 215

 216

 217

 218

 219

 220

 221

 222

 223

 224

 225

 226

 227

 228

 229

 230

 231

 232

 233

 234

 235

 236

 237

 238

 239

 240

 241

 242

 243

 244

 245

 246

 247

 248

 249

 250

 251

 252

 253

 254

 255

 256

 257

 258

 259

 260

 261

 262

 263

 264

 265

29

deprived. And for what reason did the rich man make his supplication not to Lazarus, but to Abraham? He was ashamed and blushed, and from his own affairs he thought that he would surely hold a grudge. "For if I," he says, "enjoying such great wealth, and having been wronged in no way, looked down on the man when he was in such evils, and did not even share my crumbs, how much more will he himself, who was so looked down upon, not assent to this grace." And he called upon Abraham, whom he thought was ignorant of what had happened, not knowing that the patriarch was not speaking his own words, but was reading divine laws to him; and he sought that finger, which he had often allowed to be given over to the tongues of dogs. But see the tender affection of the just man; he did not say, "Inhuman and cruel and all-wicked one, having inflicted so many evils on the man, do you now remember philanthropy and mercy and pardon? Are you not ashamed, nor do you blush?" He said none of these things, but what? "Child, you have received your good things; 63.606 for do not trouble a humbled soul," he says; "the punishment is enough for him; let us not trample further on his misfortunes. Of what I am lord," he says, "I give to you; but to go from here to there is not in our power." Let us hear what the rich man says to Abraham: "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame." Why then does he not make his supplication to Lazarus, but to the patriarch? And rightly so; for he did not even dare to look at the poor man. For he considered his own inhumanity, and reckoning the mercilessness which he had shown to him, he suspected that he might not even deem him worthy of an answer. Therefore he does not make his entreaty to him, but supplicates the patriarch. But nevertheless, he gained nothing more even so. Do you see how much honor and precedence he enjoys who lay at the gate, the one easily despised, the poor one, the one continually wrestling with hunger, the one besieged by sores, the one exposed to the dogs? For I gladly turn these things over continually, so that no one in poverty, or in sickness and hunger, may despise himself, calling himself wretched; but bearing all things with patience and thanksgiving, may be nourished by good hopes, awaiting those ineffable rewards and the recompenses for his labors. May it be that we all attain these, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belongs glory, power, honor, and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

SERMON VI. On teaching and admonition.

Formerly we were accusing those who abandon the prayer, and at that

time spend their time outside the church; but now I wish to accuse those who are inside, not because they remain inside, but because while remaining, they are in no better condition than those who spend their time outside, conversing with one another during that most dreadful time, and despising the divine oracles. What are you doing, man? Do you see so many prisoners from your brothers standing near? For the activity of demons is a wicked and harsh chain, and more harsh than any iron, and you are conversing about matters of no relevance? For is the sight alone not enough to strike you with awe, and lead you to compassion? Your brother is in chains, and you are in idleness? What pardon will you have, tell me, being so unsympathetic, so inhuman, so cruel? You do not wish to suffer with your brother? At least fear for yourself and stand up. Are you not afraid that while you are conversing, being idle, being negligent, some demon might leap out from there, and finding your soul unoccupied and swept clean, might enter with great license, having found the house unguarded? For ought not all of us in common to let forth fountains of tears at that hour, and

29

ἀπεστέρησε. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐχὶ πρὸς τὸν Λάζαρον τὴν ἱκεσίαν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πλούσιος ἐποιήσατο; Ἠσχύνθη καὶ ἠρυθρίασε, καὶ ἐκ τῶν καθ' ἑαυτὸν πραγμάτων ἐνόμισεν αὐτὸν μνησικακήσειν πάντως. Εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ, φησὶ, τοσαύτης ἀπολαύων εὐπορίας, καὶ οὐδὲν ἠδικημένος, ἐν τοσούτοις ὄντα κακοῖς ὑπερεῖδον τὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ οὐδὲ ψιχίων μετέδωκα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς ὁ οὕτως ὑπεροφθεὶς, οὐκ ἐπινεύσει τῇ χάριτι. Καὶ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἐκάλεσεν, ὃν ἐνόμιζεν ἀγνοεῖν τὰ γεγενημένα, οὐκ εἰδὼς, ὡς οὐκ οἴκοθεν ἔλεγεν ὁ πατριάρχης, ἅπερ ἔλεγεν, ἀλλὰ θείους ἀνεγίνωσκε νόμους αὐτῷ· καὶ τὸν δάκτυλον ἐπεζήτησεν ἐκεῖνον, ὃν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν κυνῶν ἀφῆκε προδοθῆναι πολλάκις. Ἀλλ' ὅρα φιλοστοργίαν δικαίου· οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀπάνθρωπε καὶ ὠμὲ καὶ παμπόνηρε, τοσαῦτα κακὰ διαθεὶς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, φιλανθρωπίας μέμνησαι νῦν καὶ ἐλέους καὶ συγγνώμης; οὐκ αἰσχύνη, οὐδὲ ἐρυθριᾷς; Οὐδὲν τούτων εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ τί; Τέκνον, ἀπέλαβες τὰ ἀγαθά σου· 63.606 ψυχὴν γὰρ τεταπεινωμένην μὴ προσταράξῃς, φησίν· ἀρκεῖ τὰ τῆς τιμωρίας αὐτῷ, μὴ προσεπεμβαίνωμεν αὐτοῦ ταῖς συμφοραῖς. Οὗ κύριός εἰμι, φησὶ, μεταδίδωμί σοι· τὸ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν ἀπελθεῖν ἐκεῖ, οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμέτερον. Ἀκούσωμεν τί φησιν ὁ πλούσιος πρὸς τὸν Ἀβραάμ· Πάτερ Ἀβραὰμ, ἐλέησόν με, καὶ πέμψον Λάζαρον, ἵνα βάψῃ τὸ ἄκρον τοῦ δακτύλου αὐτοῦ ὕδατος, καὶ καταψύξῃ τὴν γλῶσσάν μου, ὅτι ὀδυνῶμαι ἐν τῇ φλογὶ ταύτῃ. ∆ιὰ τί οὖν οὐ ποιεῖται πρὸς τὸν Λάζαρον τὴν ἱκετηρίαν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν πατριάρχην; καὶ εἰκότως· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀντιβλέψαι ἐτόλμα τῷ πένητι. Ἐνενόει γὰρ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀπανθρωπίαν, καὶ τὸ ἀνηλεὲς λογιζόμενος, ὅπερ εἰς αὐτὸν ἐπεδείξατο, ὑπώπτευεν αὐτὸν ἴσως μηδὲ ἀποκρίσεως ἀξιῶσαι. ∆ιὸ οὐδὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ποιεῖται τὴν παράκλησιν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν πατριάρχην ἱκετεύει. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐκέρδανέ τι πλέον. Ὁρᾷς πόσης ἀπολαύει τῆς τιμῆς καὶ τῆς προεδρίας ὁ παρὰ τὸν πυλῶνα κείμενος, ὁ εὐκαταφρόνητος, ὁ πένης, ὁ τῷ λιμῷ διηνεκῶς παλαίων, ὁ τοῖς ἕλκεσι πολιορκούμενος, ὁ τοῖς κυσὶ προκείμενος; Ἡδέως γὰρ ταῦτα στρέφω συνεχῶς, ἵνα μηδεὶς τῶν ἐν πενίᾳ, ἢ τῶν ἐν νόσοις ὄντων καὶ λιμῷ, καταφρονήσῃ ἑαυτὸν ταλανίζων· ἀλλὰ μεθ' ὑπομονῆς καὶ εὐχαριστίας ἅπαντα φέρων, ἤδη ταῖς χρησταῖς ἐλπίσι τρέφηται, τὰς ἀποῤῥήτους ἐκείνας ἀναμένων ἀμοιβὰς, καὶ τῶν πόνων τὰς ἀντιδόσεις· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ πρέπει δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις, σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΣΤʹ. Περὶ διδαχῆς καὶ νουθεσίας.

Πρῴην μὲν ἐνεκαλοῦμεν τοῖς καταλιμπάνουσι τὴν εὐχὴν, καὶ κατὰ τὸν

καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον ἔξω τῆς ἐκκλησίας διατρίβουσι· νυνὶ δὲ τοῖς ἔνδον οὖσιν ἐγκαλέσαι βούλομαι, οὐχ ὅτι μένουσιν ἔνδον, ἀλλ' ὅτι μένοντες, τῶν ἔξω διατριβόντων οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διάκεινται, κατὰ τὸν φρικωδέστατον ἐκεῖνον καιρὸν ἀλλήλοις διαλεγόμενοι, καὶ τῶν θείων ὑπερορῶντες λογίων. Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; ὁρᾷς τοσούτους δεσμώτας ἀπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν σῶν ἑστηκότας πλησίον; Καὶ γὰρ ἅλυσις πονηρὰ καὶ χαλεπὴ τῶν δαιμόνων ἐστὶν ἡ ἐνέργεια, καὶ παντὸς σιδήρου χαλεπωτέρα, καὶ σὺ περὶ τῶν οὐδὲν προσηκόντων διαλέγῃ πραγμάτων; ἡ γὰρ ὄψις μόνη οὐχ ἱκανή σε καταπλῆξαι, καὶ εἰς συμπάθειαν ἀγαγεῖν; ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἐν δεσμοῖς, καὶ σὺ ἐν ῥᾳθυμίᾳ; ποίαν ἕξεις συγγνώμην, εἰπέ μοι, οὕτως ἀσυμπαθὴς ὢν, οὕτως ἀπάνθρωπος, οὕτως ὠμός; Οὐ θέλεις συναλγῆσαι τῷ ἀδελφῷ; κἂν ὑπὲρ σαυτοῦ δεῖσον καὶ ἀνάστηθι. Οὐ δέδοικας μήποτέ σου διαλεγομένου, ῥᾳθυμοῦντος, ὀλιγωροῦντος, δαίμων τις ἐκεῖθεν ἐκπηδήσας, σχολάζουσαν καὶ σεσαρωμένην εὑρὼν τὴν ψυχὴν, ἐπεισέλθοι μετὰ ἀδείας πολλῆς, ἀθύρωτον τὴν οἰκίαν εὑρών; Οὐ γὰρ δεῖ πάντας κοινῇ πηγὰς δακρύων ἀφεῖναι κατὰ τὴν ὥραν ἐκείνην, καὶ