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the power having run away from some insolence; but with God this is not so, 55.75 but if you stand with the physician, the wound must certainly be healed. For it is not a human art, that it should fail, but a divine power, which overcomes natures and diseases, and wickedness, and every evil. For this reason indeed, this man, approaching God as a physician and lamenting, said: Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. But some say that here he speaks of that trouble which comes from sin. For just as when violent winds fall upon the sea, it troubles everything, and the sand from the deep is brought to the surface, and those who sail are in danger; so indeed in our case too the soul is troubled, the body is moved, everything is filled with the storm, and our vessel is henceforth full of turmoil, and great darkness, and all things depart, abandoning their proper place, and there is great confusion. This is especially wont to happen in desires of licentiousness; this also in anger and in calamities. For all these things trouble both soul and bones, and the pupils of the eyes are distorted, and the eyes do not see in an orderly way; but just as when a charioteer is disturbed, the horses run in a disorderly manner; so when the reason is disturbed, all things are confounded, all things are perverted and lose their proper way. But how this trouble comes to be, it is necessary to say this too. For it does not happen in the soul as in the sea, by the assault of winds, or by some unexpected circumstance, but it happens through our own negligence. For we are the cause of its happening and of its not happening. For example; when desire is stirred up, if you do not kindle the flame, the furnace does not burn, if you do not provide food for the material. But the furnace is not lit, if you do not examine beautiful sights, if you do not meddle with other beauties, if you do not go up to theaters of iniquity. For if you do not fatten the flesh with luxury, if you do not drown reason with wine, the flame is not raised, the furnace is not lit, the beast does not become more savage, the purity of the mind is not cut through as if by wild winds. Are these things then, he says, sufficient to escape the flame of sin? These things alone are not sufficient, but other things must be added: continual prayers, fellowship with the saints, moderate fasting, a simple diet, necessary occupations, before all other things the fear of God, the coming judgment, the unbearable punishments, the promises of good things. Through all these things you are able to bridle raging desire, and to still the surging sea. And You, O Lord, how long? Return, O Lord, deliver my soul; save me for Your mercy's sake. He continually puts "O Lord," as if putting forth some right to forgiveness and grace; for this is our greatest hope, His ineffable love for mankind, and that He is so ready for forgiveness. But the "How long" is not of one despairing, nor of one being vexed, but of one in pain and grieving, and not bearing the weight of temptations. δʹ. Return, O Lord, deliver my soul. He puts two things here: that He should return, and that He should deliver my soul. For this is especially sought after by the just: to be reconciled with Him, and for Him to be propitious and well-disposed, and not to turn away. For upon this another thing also follows, the salvation of the soul; not as many men, and especially the more crass, seek only one thing, how they may enjoy present prosperity. But not so with them; but that they might enjoy the salvation of the soul, than which nothing was more precious to them. For in death there is no one who remembers You; but in Hades who will confess to You? See how many reasons he puts

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τῆς δυνάμεως δραπετευσάσης ἔκ τινος ἐπηρείας· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἔνι 55.75 τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἐὰν στῇς μετὰ τοῦ ἰατροῦ, πάντως δεῖ θεραπευθῆναι τὸ ἕλκος. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἀνθρωπίνη τέχνη, ἵνα ἀπορήσῃ, ἀλλὰ θεία δύναμις, ἡ καὶ φύσεων καὶ νοσημάτων, καὶ πονηρίας, καὶ πάσης περιγινομένη κακίας. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ οὗτος ὥσπερ ἰατρῷ τῷ Θεῷ προσελθὼν καὶ ἀποδυρόμενος, ἔλεγεν· Ἴασαί με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐταράχθη τὰ ὀστᾶ μου. Τινὲς δέ φασιν ἐνταῦθα ταραχὴν ἐκείνην λέγειν, τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἁμαρτίας γινομένην. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὅταν πνεύματα ῥαγδαῖα εἰς πέλαγος ἐμπέσῃ, πάντα ταράττει, καὶ ἡ βυθία ἄνω φέρεται ψάμμος, καὶ οἱ πλέοντες ἐν κινδύνῳ γίνονται· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν ταράττεται ἡ ψυχὴ, κινεῖται τὸ σῶμα, πάντα πληροῦται τοῦ χειμῶνος, καὶ μεστὸν ἡμῖν τὸ σκάφος λοιπὸν ταραχῆς, καὶ σκότος πολὺ καὶ πάντα οἴχεται ἀπολιμπάνοντα τὸν οἰκεῖον τόπον, καὶ πολλὴ ἡ σύγχυσις. Τοῦτο μάλιστα καὶ ἐν ἐπιθυμίαις ἀσελγείας συμβαίνειν εἴωθε· τοῦτο καὶ ἐν θυμῷ καὶ ἐν συμφοραῖς. Πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα ταράττει καὶ ψυχὴν καὶ ὀστᾶ, καὶ αἱ κόραι διαστρέφονται, καὶ οὐδὲ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ κατὰ τάξιν βλέπουσιν· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἡνιόχου θορυβηθέντος, ἀτάκτως οἱ ἵπποι φέρονται· οὕτω τοῦ λογισμοῦ διαταραχθέντος, πάντα συγχεῖται, πάντα διαστρέφεται καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν ὁδὸν ἀπόλλυσι. Πῶς δὲ αὕτη γίνεται ἡ ταραχὴ, ἀναγκαῖον καὶ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ ὥσπερ ἐν θαλάττῃ παρὰ τὴν τῶν πνευμάτων ἐμβολὴν, οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ παρά τινα ἀδόκητον περίστασιν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν ῥᾳθυμίαν συμβαίνει. Καὶ γὰρ τοῦ γενέσθαι καὶ τοῦ μὴ γενέσθαι ἡμεῖς αἴτιοι. Οἷόν τι λέγω· τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐγειρομένης, ἂν μὴ σὺ τὴν φλόγα ἀνάψῃς, οὐ καίεται ἡ κάμινος, ἂν μὴ τροφὴν παράσχῃς τῇ ὕλῃ. Οὐκ ἀνάπτεται δὲ ἡ κάμινος, ἂν μὴ τὰς εὐμόρφους ὄψεις περιεργάσῃ, ἂν μὴ τὰ ἄλλα κάλλη πολυπραγμονήσῃς, ἂν μὴ εἰς θέατρα παρανομίας ἀναβαίνῃς. Ἂν γὰρ μὴ πιάνῃς τρυφῇ τὴν σάρκα, ἂν μὴ καταποντίσῃς οἴνῳ τὸν λογισμὸν, οὐκ αἴρεται ἡ φλὸξ, οὐκ ἀνάπτεται ἡ κάμινος, οὐ γίνεται χαλεπώτερον τὸ θηρίον, οὐ διατέμνεται καθάπερ ὑπὸ πνευμάτων ἀγρίων τῆς διανοίας τὸ καθαρόν. Ἀρκεῖ οὖν ταῦτα, φησὶ, πρὸς τὸ διαφυγεῖν τὴν φλόγα τῆς ἁμαρτίας; Οὐκ ἀρκεῖ ταῦτα καὶ μόνα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερα δεῖ προστεθῆναι, εὐχὰς διηνεκεῖς, ἁγίων συνουσίαν, νηστείαν σύμμετρον, δίαιταν λιτὴν, ἀσχολίας ἀναγκαίας, πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν φόβον, τὴν μέλλουσαν κρίσιν, τὰς ἀφορήτους κολάσεις, τὰς ἐπαγγελίας τῶν ἀγαθῶν. ∆ιὰ τούτων ἁπάντων δύνασαι χαλινῶσαι τὴν λυττῶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν, καὶ στῆσαι τὴν κυμαινομένην θάλατταν. Καὶ σὺ, Κύριε, ἕως πότε; Ἐπίστρεψον, Κύριε, ῥῦσαι τὴν ψυχήν μου, σῶσόν με ἕνεκεν τοῦ ἐλέους σου. Συνεχῶς τὸ, Κύριε, τίθησιν, ὥσπερ τι δικαίωμα προβαλλόμενος συγχωρήσεως καὶ χάριτος· καὶ γὰρ ἡ μεγίστη ἡμῶν ἐλπὶς αὕτη, ἡ ἄφατος αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπία, καὶ τὸ τοιοῦτον εἶναι αὐτὸν πρόχειρον εἰς συγχώρησιν. Τὸ δὲ, Ἕως πότε, οὐκ ἀποδυσπετοῦντος, οὐδὲ δυσχεραίνοντος, ἀλλ' ὀδυνωμένου καὶ ἀλγοῦντος, καὶ οὐ φέροντος τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν πειρασμῶν ὄγκον. δʹ. Ἐπίστρεψον, Κύριε, ῥῦσαι τὴν ψυχήν μου. ∆ύο ἐνταῦθα τίθησι, τό τε ἐπιστρέψαι αὐτὸν, καὶ τὸ ῥύσασθαι τὴν ψυχήν μου. Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστα τοῖς δικαίοις περισπούδαστον, τὸ κατηλλάχθαι αὐτὸν, καὶ ἵλεων εἶναι καὶ εὐμενῆ, καὶ μὴ ἀποστρέφεσθαι. Τούτῳ γὰρ καὶ ἕτερον ἕπεται, τὸ σωθῆναι τὴν ψυχήν· οὐχ ὡς πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν παχυτέρων, ἓν μόνον ἐπιζητοῦσιν, ὅπως τῆς παρούσης ἀπολαύοιεν εὐημερίας. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκεῖνοι οὕτως· ἀλλ' ὅπως τῆς σωτηρίας τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀπολαύσαιεν, ἧς οὐδὲν προτιμότερον αὐτοῖς ἦν. Ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ ὁ μνημονεύων σου· ἐν δὲ τῷ ᾅδῃ τίς ἐξομολογήσεταί σοι; Ὅρα πόσας τίθησιν αἰτίας