Chapter Iv. That oftentimes the departures of Christ from Jerusalem signify the transferring of His grace to the Gentiles: wherein is also the discourse of the five barley loaves and the two little fishes.

Chap. vi. And after these things Jesus departed across the sea of Tiberias.

First I think it needful to tell my hearers, that the Lord evidently did not make His departures from Jerusalem without some most necessary reason. There is an economy on almost every occasion, and on the nature of things, as on a tablet, He inscribes mysteries. Of what nature then is the intent of the departure, and what is signified thereby, we will make manifest in its proper time, the chapters before us having reached their termination. For having divided every thing into sections, and interpreted what is profitable out of the Scriptures, and so set them before our readers for their understanding, we will offer the final consideration of the whole, epitomising in a summary what has been said in many portions . But I think we ought to speak first on what is now before us.

After these things (saith he) Jesus departed across the sea of Tiberias. After what things, must be sought not negligently. Christ then was manifested in Jerusalem as a wondrous Physician. He had healed the man who had been thirty and eight years in his infirmity, not by giving him any medicine, not by devising any disease-repelling remedy, but rather by a word, as God, by Almighty Authority and God-befitting beck: for Arise (saith He) take up thy bed, and go unto thy house. But since it was the sabbath, the Jews are ignorantly angry, who were sick with the grossness of the letter, who more than he, were bound by the folly that was their foster brother, who were sick of the listless want of all good things alike, who were paralytic in mind and enfeebled in habit, to whom might with reason be said, Strengthen ye, ye weak hands and ye palsied knees. But they are angry, saying that the honour due to the sabbath ought to be paid even by the Law-giver Himself; they condemn Christ as a transgressor, not admitting into their mind what is written, Impious is he who says to a king, Thou transgressest? For these things they received sharp reproofs from the Saviour, and much and long discourse was prepared to shew that the rest of the sabbath had been typically ordained for them of old and that the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath. But they prepared to no good thing, but full ready for all waywardness, rise up against Him Who teacheth what they ought to learn, and desire to kill Him who would make them wise, rewarding Him, as it is written, evil for good.

After these deeds therefore and words, the Lord, as of necessity, departs from Jerusalem, and since the Jews' Passoverwas nigh (as we shall find a little further on) He sailed across the sea of Tiberias, or the lake in the country of the Jews so called. But since what principally drove Him away, and induced Him to withdraw and to go to other places and those so far removed from Jerusalem, was (we have just said) that the Jews' Passover was nigh, I think it fitting to shew that exceeding well did Jesus eschew being found in Jerusalem at that time.

The Law of Moses then commanded that the Jews should hasten from the whole country round about to Jerusalem, there to celebrate in a type the feast of tabernacles. And the spiritual person will thence perceive the gathering together of all the Saints into Christ, when they shall be brought together from the whole world after the resurrection of the dead to the city which is above, the heavenly Jerusalem, there to offer the thank-offerings of the true pitching of tabernacles, that is of the framing and abidance of bodies, corruption having been destroyed and death fallen into death. As far as one can speak as to the fact of history, the multitude of them who went up to Jerusalem knew not number, and it was probable that at that time the Pharisees had great influence, making believe to take the part of the law, and mid so great a multitude crying out against the transgressor, or Him Who seemed to them to transgress. For it is not at all hard to fire up the countless swarm of common people, when one says that they are wronged and endeavours to stir them up even against those that have nothing wronged them. For like water or fire, they are flung about everywhere by unconsidered and random impulses, and advance to everything that can hurt. These things then the Lord not ignorant of, withdraws privily from Jerusalem with His disciples, and goes across the sea of Tiberias. But that He does exceeding well in shunning the Jews who desire to kill Him, we shall see by these things also. For the blessed Evangelist himself says, And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee, for He would not walk in Jewry because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.

That He avoids walking in Jewry, in order not to undergo death before His time, I will grant (will some one haply say) but whether He also avoids the feast, I do not yet know. They then that were reputed His brethren come to Christ in Galilee, saying, Depart hence and go intoJudaea, that Thy disciples also may see the works that Thou doest. But the Lord answered them, Go Ye up unto the feast, I go not up unto this feast, for My time hath not yet been fulfilled.

It is then very plain and clear, that the Saviour had withdrawn from Jerusalem, not only sent into voluntary banishment, so to say, from thence, but also loathing the abomination of the unbelieving, both by His skill eluding the fierceness of His persecutors, and by His prudence thrusting back the dart of envy. He withdraws again, albeit able to suffer nothing, even though He were present, that He may limn us a fair example, not of cowardice, but of piety and charity towards our neighbour. For we shall know, led as by a pattern to the knowledge of what is profitable, that if our enemies persecute us, even though no harm at all be seen in our remaining, yet by retiring, and thereby evading the broadside of the onslaughts, and retreating from present heat, we may find the anger of those who wrong us beyond its zenith, and may cut away the boldness of their arrogance, profiting those who were not good towards us, and that unjustly, rather than ourselves profited, which is plainly, not seeking our own but also others' good. The work of love then, is the not wholly withstanding those who wish us evil, nor by being satisfied with not being able to suffer anything even if present, to work in them anger more bitter, from its not being able to attain the mastery over that which is hated. Love then, as Paul says, seeketh not her own, and this was purely in Christ.

But if you fix again the keen eye of the understanding upon what is written, you will be surprised to find a most excellent economy in the departures of our Saviour, I mean from Jerusalem. For He is driven out oftentimes by the mad folly of the Jews, and lodging with the aliens, seems both to be kept safe by them, and to enjoy due honour. Where by He gives judgment of superiority to the Church of the Gentiles, and through the piety of others, convicts them of Israel of their hatred of God, and shews the cruelty that is in them by means of the gentleness that is in these, that in every respect they may be proved to have been well and rightly thrust out of the promise to the fathers. But the Lord having hastened away from Jerusalem, lodges not at one of the cities round about, nor takes up His abode in the neighbouring villages, but goes across the sea of Tiberias, by a most evident act all but threatening those who blasphemously take up the idea that they ought to persecute Him, that He would so far depart from them and estrange Himself from their whole nation, as even to make the way of their conversion to Him in some sort impassable: for the sea can by no means be trodden by foot of man. Some such thing as this will He be found saying to them in what follows too, Ye shall seek Me and shall not find Me, and whither I go, Ye cannot come. For most smooth and easy and free from ruggedness to those who by faith go to Him is the way of righteousness; rugged and up-hill, yea rather, wholly impassable to them that provoke Him, as is said by one of the holy Prophets, For right are the ways of the Lord, and the just shall walk in them, but the transgressors shall fail therein. Therefore the intervening tract of sea signifies the toilsomeness yea rather the impassableness by the Jews, of the way to Him, since God declares that He hedges up the ways of the ungodly soul, saying in the Prophets, Therefore, behold, I will hedge up her way with thorns, and she shall not find her path. What then the thorns there signified, this here too the sea in that it separates the Insulted from those who chose recklessly to insult Him, and severs the Holy from the unholy.

But the type seems as though it were pregnant to us with yet another hidden mystery. For when Israel was sent forth from the country of the Egyptians, Pharaoh was following in exceeding exasperation and, maddened at the unexpected well-doing of the nation, was hastening by law of battle to dare his envious and grievous designs; he was following, thinking he should be able to constrain to return to bondage those who had late and hardly slipped away from under his serfdom: but God was leading His people through the midst of the sea; and he hotly pursuing, and by no means enduring to abate his anger, and foolishly persuaded of his ungoverned wrath to fight against God, was swallowed up in the midst thereof with his whole army, and Israel alone was saved. But let now too Moses come forward in the midst of us, who lamented beforehand the mad folly of the Jews, and let him in his indignation at their impiety towards Christ say to them, An evil and adulterous generation, do ye thus requite the Lord? Him that bare thee through the midst of the sea and through mighty waves thou drivest over the sea, and dost thou not blush at persecuting Him? Thine then is the suffering, O Jew: thee will the sea at last swallow up. For to the persecutors, not to the persecuted did death belong both then in their case, and now in regard of Christ and of the unholy Jews. The divine David too singeth to us, Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, hinting at the all-dread shipwreck of the Synagogue of the Jews, and entreating not to be swallowed up with them in their depth of ignorance. But in respect of the Egyptians and him that ruled over them, the peril was then of their earthly bodies, but the Jews' conduct being in respect of what is more precious, more severely are they punished; for they undergo punishment of the soul, receiving recompence proportionate to their wickednesses. For with reason was Pharaoh punished, endeavouring to get what was free into bondage: contrariwise again justly is Israel punished, for not entering into bond-service under the Lord of all: but what the one was to him in the might of his greed, this was he too found to be towards God from his great vain-glory.

We must note, that he calls the Lake of Tiberias a sea, in accordance with the words of Divine Scripture, for the gathering together of the waters called the Creator Seas. Among profane writers too the word is often indifferently used, insomuch that some do not hesitate sometimes to call the sea a lake.  

2, 3, 4   And a great multitude was following Him because they saw His miracles which He did on them that were diseased: and Jesus went up into the mountain and there He sat with His disciples, and the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.

For when Christ had gone forth from Jerusalem, according to that which is said in the Prophets; I have forsaken Mine House, I have left Mine heritage; when having spurned the disobedient and unruly people of the Jews, He gave Himself to the aliens, then a great multitude followeth Him. But He goeth up into a mountain, according to that surely which He had afore said, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me. For He was lifted up from the earth, on ascending the Cross for our sakes; He was lifted up again in another way having ascended as unto a mountain, unto God-befitting honour and glory. For we do not, like Israel, dishonour Him as Man, but We worship Him as God and Saviour and Lord. For among them He was conceived of as some lowly one and as nothing at all; and verily they would shrink not from calling Him a Samaritan, and with graver dishonour would call Him the carpenter's Son: but among them who believe on Him, He is admired as the Mighty Worker and God, a Doer of miracles. For you may hear how pious is the purpose of them who followed Him. For because they saw His miracles upon the infirm, therefore they thought they ought to follow Him more zealously, as being led from the things performed proportionably unto the knowledge of the Performer, and from His God-befitting Authority considering that He who was clothed therewith is by Nature Son. For by this way the Saviour commanded us to advance unto faith in Him. For the works that I do (saith He) the very works bear witness of Me, and again, If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not, but if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe My works. As then from the greatness of the beauty of the creatures, their Maker God is seen, so from miracle, by a like process of thought, the Perfecter of signs is seen, and the faith of His followers is rightly marvelled at.

But I deem that some more special and not obvious interpretation is concealed in the things said. For we see that the Evangelist says that they who followed Christ were not only glad beholders of miracles, but also of what miracles they were most just admirers. For he adds, Which He did on them that were diseased, that hence he might shew that the frame of mind of those that followed Him was contrary to that of the Jews. For these because He had healed the sick of the palsy, are impiously angry, but the former not only admire Him for these things when present, but also flock together to Him at His departure, as Wonder-worker and God. Let us then, who have subscribed unto ourselves Christ as our Lord, flee the ignorance befitting the Jews, let us cleave to Him by patience, as the most wise disciples did enduringly, by no means enduring to depart from Him and be deserters, but by our very deeds crying aloud, that which was valiantly spoken by Paul, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Let us then follow Him, both persecuted and in fleeing from the stubbornness of those who strive against Him, that we may both go up into a mountain and there sit with Him, that is, may spring up into glorious and most excellent grace, by reigning together with Him, according as Himself said, Ye which have followed Me in My temptations, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, Ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. For I think that the disciples being said to abide with the Saviour, and to go up into a mountain and sit with Him, introduces these ideas.

5, 6, 7  When Jesus therefore lifted up His Eyes and saw that a great company cometh unto Him, He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? and this He said to prove him, forHe Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, 

A lesson most excellent did Christ again devise for His disciples, and fittest for the most holy men, both persuading them in utter straits to overcome cowardice in respect of hospitality, and to cast far away hesitation hereto, rather with more zealous motions to attain unto the virtue thereof. For what is there greater than this among those who know and will the things whereby it befitteth to purchase unto themselves the friendship from above? For when no small crowd cometh to Him, and an innumerable multitude is pouring forth like waters upon the parts, wherein He was stopping, He immediately ordered them to make preparations for feeding them. And in truth it was not unlikely that the zeal even of a very rich man would numb, by the multitude of those he saw startled into fear of not being able to be hospitable. But Christ shews that it is nothing at all great, when our brotherly love comes to a few, but wills that we should overcome with manful courage also things that surpass our expectation, firmly grounded by confidence in Him to boldness unto all good things.

In regard then of the narrative, the force of what is said, aims not away from the mark; but changing again these things unto their spiritual significance, and cutting away the gross typical dress, we say more openly, that those who by good zeal and faith seek Him, God fore-beholdeth, as from a mountain, that is from His high and God-befitting foreknowledge, according to that which is said by Paul, For whom He did foreknow and predestinate to be conformed to the Image of His Son, these He also called. Christ then lifts up His Eyes as shewing that they who love Him are worthy of the Divine Gaze, even as in blessing it was said to Israel, The Lord lift up His Countenance upon thee and give thee peace. But not by the mere looking on them is His grace toward them that honour Him bounded, but the blessed Evangelist adding something more, shews that the Lord was not unmindful of the multitudes, but well prepared for their food and entertainment: that hereby again thou mayest understand that which is delivered us in Proverbs, The Lord will not sufferthe righteous soul to famish. For He sets before them Himself, as Bread from Heaven, and will nourish the souls of them that fear Him: and prepareth all things sufficient to them for sustenance; as he saith in the Psalms, Thou preparest their food, for thus is Thy provision. And Christ Himself somewhere saith, Verily, verily I say unto you, he that cometh to Me shall never hunger. For He will give, as we said before, food from heaven, and will richly bestow the manifold grace of the Spirit. He prepareth moreover to give food to them that come to Him, not even awaiting their asking. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but He forecometh us in reaching forth those things which preserve us unto eternal life.

He saith then unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread? We must needs see, why to Philip, although the rest of the disciples were standing by and cleaving to Him: Philip then was a questioner and apt to learn, but not over quick in ready power of understanding the more Divine. This you will learn, if you consider with yourself that he, after having followed the Saviour for a long time and gathered manifold lessons concerning His Godhead and gotten to himself apprehension through both deeds and words, as though he had learnt nothing yet, in the last times of the economy says to Jesus, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us; but as saying it in his simplicity he was fitly re-instructed, So long time am I with you, and hast thou not known Me, Philip? saith Christ. Therefore as to one duller of understanding, and advancing more slowly than he ought to the apprehension of things more Divine, He puts forth the question, exercising the disciple in faith. For this is one meaning of, To prove him, in this passage, although as the blessed Evangelist affirmed, He Himself knew what He would do.

But His saying Whence shall we buy proves the uncare for money of them that were with Him, and their voluntary poverty for God's sake, in that they had not even wherewithal to buy necessary food. Together with this He works something, and orders it skillfully. For He says Whence, not emptily, as to those who had taken no trouble to provide anything at all, but as to those who were accustomed to entire uncare for money. Excluding then, and cutting short most skilfully expectation arising from money, He well nigh persuades them to go on to entreat the Lord, that He would, if He willeth them when they have nothing to feed those that come to Him, by His unspeakable Power and God-befitting Might create food. For this was what yet remained, and He was calling them at length to see that their only remaining hopes were thence, according to the Greek poets,

---------- the iron wound of necessity.

Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

Feebly again does Philip advance, not to the power of Jesus to do all things, and that easily, but on hearing Whence shall we buy said to prove him, forthwith he catches at it, and looks at the means by money alone, not conceiving that the nature of the thing may be accomplished otherwise than by the common law, and that practised by all, to wit, prodigality of expenditure. Therefore as far as regards the disciples' uncare for money and their possessing nothing, and Philip's own apprehension, which did not as yet with perfect clearness view the exceeding dignity of our Saviour, liberality towards the multitudes is turned into an impossibility. But it was not so, the will of the Saviour conducts it to its completion. The impossible with men is possible with God, and the Divine Power proves on all sides superior to the natural order of things with us, strong to accomplish all things wondrously, even what overleap our understanding.

8, 9, 10       One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto Him, There is a lad here which hath five barley loaves and two small fishes, but what are they among so many? Jesus saith,

He both thinks and reasons akin to Philip, and is convicted of having a kindred apprehension of the Saviour Christ. For neither considering the power, nor yet led by the greatness of His preceding works unto Jesus' being able for all things, and that most easily; he points out what the lad has, but is evidently weak in faith: for what are these (he says) among so many? Albeit (for we must say it) in no unready way but resolutely rather ought he to go forth to the memory of those things which had been already miraculously wrought, and to consider that it was a work by no means strange or foreign from Him Who had transformed into wine the nature of water, had healed the palsied and driven away so great an infirmity by one word, that He, I say, should create food of that which had no being, and multiply Divinely the exceeding little that was found ready to hand. For the Authority that wrought in the one, how should it not be able to work in the other? Wherefore the pair of disciples answered more feebly than was meet. But herein we must consider this again. For those things which appear to have been little falls in the Saints, are oftentimes not without their share of profit, but have something wrapt up with them, helpful to the nature of that in regard to which is the charge of their apparent infirmity. For the above mentioned holy disciples, having considered, and openly said, one, that Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them that every one may take a little, the other, of the five loaves and two little fishes, that what are these among so many? raise the marvel to its height, and make the Might of the Saviour most marked, indicating by their own words the multitude that but now was to be filled, and the strength of their unbelief is converted into good testimony unto Christ. For in that they confessed that so large money would not suffice the multitude for even a slight enjoyment, by this very thing do they crown the Ineffable Might of the Host, when He, while there was nothing (for, as Andrew says, what were the lad's supplies among so many?) very richly outdid His work of love towards the multitude.

The like littleness of faith we shall find in the wilderness in the all-wise Moses too. For they of Israel were weeping and, excited to a foul lusting after the tables of Egypt, were picturing to themselves unclean dishes of flesh, and turning aside after most strange pleasure, of onions and garlic, and the like unseemly things, and disregarding the Divine good things, were attacking Moses their mediator and leader. But God was not ignorant, for what the multitude were eagerly groaning, and promised to give them flesh. But since the promise of liberality was made in the wilderness, and the thing appeared hard of accomplishment, as regards man's understanding, Moses came to Him crying out, The people among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen, and Thou saidst, I will give them flesh, and they shall eat a whole month: shall the flocks and the herds he slain for them, and shall it suffice them? And what said God to these things? Will the Lord's Hand suffice not? For unto what can God be powerless?

Therefore one may well say to the words of Philip and Andrew also, Will the Lord's Hand suffice not? And let us too taking the nature of the thing by way of example, hold that littleness of faith is the worst of sicknesses and surpasses all evil, and if God work or promise to do, be it full surely received in simple faith, and let not the Deity be accused, from our inability to conceive how what is above us shall happen, by reason of our own powerlessness unto ought. For it becomes the good and sober-minded and him that hath his reason sound, to consider this too in his mind, how the bodily eye too sees not surely as far as one would like, but as far as it can, and as the limit of our nature permits. For the things that are situated at too great a height, it cannot distinguish, even if it imagine them, with difficulty snatching even the slightest view of them. So do thou conceive of the mind of man also, so far as the bounds given it by its Maker it attaineth and stretcheth forth, even if it be wholly purified; for it will see none of those things that are beyond, but will give way, even against its will, to what is above nature, wholly unable to grasp them. The things then that are above us are received by faith, and not by investigation, and as he that so believes is admired, so he that falls into the contrary is by no means free from blame. And this will the Saviour Himself testify, saying, He that believeth on the Son is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already.

Now having once taken up the discourse upon the duty of not mistrusting God, come, let us again shewing forth somewhat out of the sacred writings, put it forward, and blazon forth the punishment of the unbelief for the profit of our readers. Therefore (for I will go again to the hierophant Moses) he was once bidden, in the wilderness, when the people were oppressed with intolerable thirst, to take Aaron, and smite the rock with his rod, that it might gush forth fountains of water. But he, not wholly believing the words of Him Who bade Him, but fainthearted by reason of human nature, saith, Hear now, ye rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he smote the rock once and again, and much water came out: and the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed Me not, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. Is it not hence clear to every one, how bitter the wages of unbelief? And if Moses so great as he was, was reproved, whom shall God spare, upon whom will not He who thus respecteth not persons, inflict His wrath for their unbelief, since He would not spare even that Moses, to whom He had said, I know thee above all, and thou didst find grace in My Sight.

Make the men sit down: and there was much grass in the place: the men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand.

The Saviour practised His accustomed gentleness, and takes away the sharpness of His reproaches. For He doth not rebuke bitterly His disciples, albeit they were deeply slumbering in respect of their faintheartedness and littleness of faith in Him: but rather He leads them by His Deeds to the apprehension of the things which as yet they believe not. For the words Make the men sit down have no slight force, and wellnigh shew Jesus speaking after this sort, O slow to understand My Power, and to perceive Who it is that speaketh, Make the men sit down, that ye may see them filled with the nothing that lies before you and marvel. Make the men sit down. For it is what is lacking to them. For not two hundred pence would have sufficed to get means of life for the multitudes, but the lack of money such as men use, in respect of its being able to preserve life, My Power shall attain, which calleth all things into being, and createth out of things which are not. Nor did Elias the Prophet render the widow's cruse of oil unfailing, and make the barrel the source of unwasting food: but He, Who gave him the power, shall He not be able to multiply nothing, and to render any mere chance supply a fount of His ineffable Bounty and the principle and root of unlooked for grace?

It is not incredible that such were Christ's thoughts in what He said. Profitably doth the blessed Evangelist mention, that there was much grass in the place, shewing that the country was fit for the men to sit down in. But observe how, whereas the multitude of them that were fed was promiscuous, and that women were there with their children, he numbered the men only, following I suppose the custom of the Law. For God commanded the hierophant Moses, saying, Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upwards. The Prophet did as he was commanded, and collected a great list of names, and is seen to have completely passed over females and childhood, and enrols the multitude that are of full age. For honourable in the book of God too is all that is manly and vigorous, and not what is infantile in purpose after good things. Therefore did he honour the custom of the Law also herein, and form again some spiritual conception. For shall we not with reason say, if we look to the whole mind of the passage, that the violent and vainglorious people of the Jews Christ rightly turns away from and leaves: but receives very graciously them that come to Him, and fattens them with heavenly Food, reaching them the Spiritual Bread, which strengthened man's heart? For He feedeth them not sadly, but joyously and freely and with much enjoyment in piety. For this the reclining of the multitudes on the grass signifieth, so that now too it is fit that each one to whom such grace has been vouchsafed should say that in the Psalms, The Lord is my Shepherd, and nought shall fail me: in a grassy spot there He settled me. For in much enjoyment and delight through the gifts of the Spirit is the mind of the Saints fed, as it is said in the Song of Songs, Eat and drink and he inebriated, ye neighbours. But while there were many, and they sitting down promiscuously, as we said before, he mentioned the men alone, passing over in silence the women and children profitably for the idea [conveyed thereby]. For he teaches us, as in a riddle, that to those who quit them as men, that is, in good, will the food be supplied by the Saviour more fittingly and specially, and not to those who are effeminate unto no good habit of life, nor yet to those who are infantile in understanding, so as to be thereby able to understand none of the things that are necessary to be known.

11 Jesus therefore took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed ⁷ to them that were set down; likewise of the fishes also as much as they would.

He gives thanks, as an ensample to us and a pattern of the piety which ought to be in us: and attributes again as Man the Power of the miracle to the Divine Nature. For this was His custom, both helping by an example of piety, as we have said, those to whom He was manifested as a Teacher of what is most excellent, and by an economy concealing yet His God-befitting Dignity, till the time of His Passion should be at hand: for it was His earnest care that it should be hid from the prince of this world. For this reason, doth He elsewhere too use words befitting men, as a Man, and heals again the understanding of His hearers, sometimes making most wise alluring as in the words, Father, I thank Thee that Thou heardest Me. Seest thou in how human guise His speech, and well calculated to trouble the understanding of the more simple? But when He says this, as Man, then again He straightway unfolds the mode of the economy, and the object of His will to lie hid, by most excellent arrangement fortifying the mind of the more simple which had received a shock . For I knew (He saith) that Thou hearest Me always. Why then dost Thou speak these things? Because of the multitude which stood by I said it, that they may believe (saith He) that Thou sentest Me. Is it not then hereby plain, that with a view manifoldly to assist us, and to fulfill, as befitted Him, the secret economy with Flesh, He sometimes speaks more lowlily, than He really is? As therefore in that passage, I thank Thee, is taken economically, so here too. [ He blessed is understood of the bread.]

But we must observe that instead of gave thanks, Matthew has said, blessed, but the edition of the saints will in no wise differ. For Paul will shew that they are both one, saying that every meat ⁹ of God is good, and nothing to be refused: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. But that which is sanctified through the prayer in supplication, which we are wont ever to make over the table, is surely blessed..

But since it is fit that nothing profitable be left uninvestigated by us; come let us say a little of the five loaves which the lad had and of the two little fishes: for both the species itself, and besides the numbers are replete with mystery. For why (will some more studious person say) were not the loaves rather five, and the fishes three? why not five, and the fishes four? what occasion was there at all for recounting the number found, and why did not he rather say more simply and absolutely that the innumerable multitude of them that followed Him were fed off exceeding few chance things? But the fact that the blessed Evangelist recounted very diligently these things too, gives us something surely to think of, which we must needs search into.

He says then that the loaves are five, and they of barley, and the fishes two, and with these Christ feedeth them that love Him. And I think (and let the lover of wisdom look out for something better) that by the five barley loaves are signified the five-fold book of the all-wise Moses, that is, the whole Law, bringing in as it were coarser food, that by the letter and history. For this the barley hints at. But by the little fishes is signified the food got through the fishermen, that is, the more delicate books of the disciples of the Saviour; and these two (he says), the apostolic and Evangelic preaching, shine forth among us. And both these are draughts and spiritual writings of the fishermen. The Saviour therefore mingling the new with the old, by the Law and the teachings of the New Testament nourishes the souls of them that believe on Him, unto life, plainly eternal life. That the disciples were of fishermen, is (I suppose) plain and clear: and though all were not so, yet since there are some such among them, our argument will not recede from truth in what has been said.

12, 13  When they were filled, He saith unto His disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

To some one Christ may seem out of sparing of the fragments to have bidden His disciples to gather them together. Yet (I think) every one will fitly imagine, that Christ would not endure to descend to such littleness: and why say I Christ? not even one of us would do so: for what would be supposed to be the remnant of five barley loaves? But the verse has a great economy, and makes the miracle evident to the hearers. For so great is the efficacy of God-befitting Authority in this matter, that not only was so great a multitude sated from five barley loaves and two little fishes, but twelve baskets full of fragments were gathered besides. Moreover the miracle repelled another (as is like) suspicion, and by the finding of the fragments confirmed the belief of there having been really and truly an abundance of food, and not rather the appearance of a vision deceiving both the eye of the feasters and of those who minister to them. But greater yet and more noteworthy, and of exceeding profit to us, is this: consider how by this miracle He makes us most zealous in our desire to exercise hospitality most gladly, wellnigh calling aloud to us by the things that were done, that the things of God shall not fail him that is ready to communicate, and rejoiceth in habit of neighbourly love, and readily fulfilleth what is written, Break thy bread to the hungry. For we find that the disciples at the beginning were hampered by reluctance about this, but seeing they were thus minded, the Saviour gave them, a rich gathering from the fragments: and teacheth us too thereby, that we, on expending a little for the glory of God, shall receive richer grace according to the saying of Christ, Good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over, shall they give into your bosom. We must not be slothful therefore unto the communion of love to the brethren, but rather advance unto good resoluteness, and put as far as possible from us the cowardice and fear that dispose us to inhospitality and, confirmed in hope through faith in the power of God to multiply little things too, let us open our bowels to the needy, according to the appointment of the Law, for He says, Thou shalt openthy bowelswide unto thy needy brother within thee. For when wilt thou be found merciful, if thou remainest hard in this life? when wilt thou fulfil the commandment, if thou sufferest the time of being able to do it to slip by in idleness? Remember the Psalmist saying. For in death there is none that remembereth Thee: in the grave who shall confess to Thee? For what fruit is there yet of the dead, or how shall one of them that have gone down into the pit remember God by fulfilling His Commandments? For God closed upon him, as it is written. Therefore did the most wise Paul too instruct us, writing to certain, While we have opportunity let us do good.

And these things shall be said for profit from the narrative. But since we taking what has been said in a spiritual sense (for so we ought, and not otherwise) said that by the five barley loaves the book of Moses was hinted at, and by the two little fishes, the wise writings of the holy Apostles: in the gathering together of the fragments too, I suppose we ought to perceive some mystical and spiritual conception, agreeing with the order of the account. The Saviour then commanded the multitudes to sit down, and having blessed, He distributed the bread and the fishes, i. e., through the ministry of the disciples: but when they that had eaten were miraculously filled, He commands them to gather together the fragments, and twelve baskets are filled, one (it seems) for each of the disciples: for so many were they too. What then shall we understand from thence, save surely this, and truly, that Christ is the President of them that believe on Him, and nourishes them that come to Him with Divine and heavenly food? doctrines plainly of the Law and Prophets, Evangelic and Apostolic. But He does not altogether Himself appear as the Worker of these things, but the disciples minister to us the grace from above (for it is not they that speak, as it is written, but the Spirit of the Father which speaketh in them) yet not without reward to the holy Apostles shall be their labour therein. For they having dispensed to us the spiritual food, and ministered the good things of our Saviour, will receive richest recompense and obtain the fullest grace of bounty from God. For this and nothing else, I think, is the meaning of the gathering together of a basketful by each at the commandment of Christ, after their toils and the service expended upon the feasters. But there is no doubt, that after them the things typically signified will pass also to the rulers of the holy Churches.

14 The men therefore, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth the Prophet that should come into the world.

They marvel at the sign who know how to approve things God-befitting, and regulate themselves by human reason rather than are diseased with unreason befitting the beasts, as were the blasphemous Jews, who, when they ought to have profited by the publicity of the things wrought, lost even the power of right judgment. For they deemed that Jesus ought now to be stoned also, because He so often appeared as a Worker of miracles. Superior then, and that in no small degree, to the folly of those men, are they who marvel, soberly persuaded by this one great miracle, that He it surely was Whose coming into the world as a Prophet was foretold. But observe, how great a difference hence appears, I mean, between the race of Israel, and those situate out of Judaea; for the one, although they were spectators of many things, and those not unworthy of admiration, are not only hard of heart and inhuman, but also desire unjustly to slay Him Who was zealous to save them, driving Him with their wild folly from their city and country: while they who dwelt away from Jerusalem, and hence signify the race of aliens, from one miracle alone glorify Him, and nobly determine that their conceptions of Him should be received with faith unhesitatingly. From all these things, was Israel shewn to be self-condemned and self-invited to her final just rejection, and that it was due to the Gentiles to obtain at length their share of mercy from above and love through Christ.

15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force to make Him a King, He departed again into the mountain Himself Alone.

Most praiseworthy judgment would one give, and full rightly, to those who had been easily brought by the great miracle to believe, that it was indeed befitting that their very choicest should be Christ's, and their chiefest offered to Him as an honour. For what else but this does their desire to choose Him for their King signify to us? But among other things one may admire this too; for Christ is made an example to us of contempt of glory, in that He flees from those who desire to give Him due honour, and refuses a kingdom that highest earthly prize, although to Him it was in truth no object of envy, in that He with the Father reigneth over all things, yet giveth He to them too who look for the hope to come, to understand that little to them is worldly greatness, and that it is not good to accept honours in this life, that is, in the world, though they offer themselves, that they may mount up to honour from God. For unseemly is it in truth that they should wish to shine in these things, who are pressing on to the Divine grace, and thirsting for everlasting glory.

We must then eschew the love of glory, sister and neighbour of arrogance, and not far distant from its borders. And illustrious honour in this present life let us eschew us hurtful, let us rather seek for a holy lowliness, giving way to one another as the blessed Paul too ad-monisheth, saying, Be each among you so minded according to what was also in Christ Jesus; Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be Equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking servant's form, made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a Man, He humbled Himself, made obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross: wherefore God also highly exalted Him and gaveHim theName which is above every Name. Seest thou how His voluntary abasement hath a glorious consummation, and His lowly-mindedness shews itself a root of many good things to us? For the Only-Begotten being in the Form of God the Father hath humbled Himself, being made Man for our sakes, but even though He appeared in this life with Flesh, yet He remained not lowly: for He hastes back to His ancient Dignity and to His God-befitting glory, even though He became Man: this same way may one suppose will it be as to us too. For when we bring ourselves down from the empty heights of the present life and seek low things, then shall we surely receive in return the glory from above, and mount up unto being gods by grace, receiving after likeness so to say to Him Who is truly and by Nature Son, the being called children of God. And that I may say something akin to the subject before us, let us refuse, if it offer itself, excellency upon earth, the mother of all honour, if we mind heavenly things, and live for things above rather than those on the earth.

But our discourse is not devoid of spiritual thought, therefore we will repeat, summing up as it were the whole force of what has been done, and again going through from the beginning the account before us. For so will it become clear to us what is about to be said, specially as the blessed Evangelist hath added, as though hinting at something necessary and not to be rejected, that He withdrew into the mountain Himself Alone. Therefore rejecting the cruelty of the Jews, Christ began to depart from Jerusalem, which plainly is, I have forsaken Mine House, I have left Mine heritage. When He had crossed the sea of Tiberias, and was very far removed from their folly, He goes up into a mountain together with His disciples. This we said signified the impassable so to say and impracticable nature of the way to Him unto the Jews, and Christ's withdrawal from them in anger at His Passion, for a season, that is, the fit time, and that Christ will be manifest, together with His disciples, when He departs from Judaea, and goes unto the Gentiles, transferring His grace to them. From the mountain did He look on them that followed Him, and moreover take thought for their food. And this again we said signified as it were typically, the supervision from above which is due to the Saints according to, The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and that Christ is not without thought for them that fear Him. Next much people were miraculously fed with the five loaves and two little fishes; of which we defined that they ought to be conceived to be the writings of the Saints old and new set by the Apostles before them that love Christ. Moreover, that the choir of the disciples will receive from God the rich fruit of their ministry to usward, and after them, the overseers of the holy churches of God: for the type was in the beginning to all in them. Next the spectators marvel at the miracles, and devise to take Jesus by force for a king. This He understanding, departs alone into the mountain, as it is written ; for when Christ was marvelled at by the Gentiles, as Wonder-worker and God, when all enrolled Him their King and Lord, then was He received up Alone into Heaven, no one at all following Him thither. For He, the Firstfruits of the dead, hath gone up Alone into the great and truer mountain, according as is said by the Psalmist, Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart. For such an one shall follow Christ, and shall go up into the spiritual mountain also, at the time of the Kingdom of Heaven. But He hath withdrawn into the mountain, that is, hath gone up into Heaven, not refusing to reign over them that believed on Him, but delaying the time of His more manifest kingdom, until His return to us from above, when He shall descend in the glory of the Father, no longer by miracles, as before, known to be truly and by Nature Lord, but by God-befitting glory confessed that He is undoubtedly King.

Therefore (for I will say it again briefly, compressing the multitude of words), when by His miracles He was believed on and acknowledged to be God, having gone away from the Jewish people, then do all press forward to receive Him for their King, but He ascends into Heaven Alone, laying up for its fitting time the more open manifestation of His Kingdom.

16, 17 And when even was come, His disciples went down unto the sea, and entered into a ship and went over the sea unto Capernaum.

The first sign having been miraculously accomplished, His flight and withdrawal are economically found to be the root again and occasion of another, and the Wonderworker proceeds, as it is written, from might to might. For since He was being sought as King by them who were astonished at that great miracle, and was Himself refusing worldly honours according to the preceding account; it was altogether necessary that He should depart from the place, yea, rather from their whole country. In order then that He might seem to have sailed away, and might relax somewhat the intensity of the seekers, He orders the disciples to depart before Him, but Himself stays, advancing opportunely unto the next miracle. For it was His most earnest endeavour, by every occasion and act, to confirm the mind of the Apostles in their faith to Himward. For since they were to be teachers of the earth, and to shine forth as lights in the world, as Paul saith, He necessarily led them to all things that would profit them. For this was to shew kindness not on them alone, but to those also who should be led by them unto the unerring apprehension of Him.

But why (will some one perchance say) after that miracle, is the Power of Jesus to walk on the very sea immediately introduced? Such an one shall hear a very credible cause.  For when He desired to feed the multitudes, Philip and Andrew supposed that He would be powerless thereto, the one saying that no small sum of money would barely suffice them for just a little enjoyment, the other telling that five loaves and two small fishes were found with one of the lads, nay that what was found was nothing to so great a multitude; and from all (so to speak) their words, they thought that He could do nothing out of the due course of our affairs:----needs, in order that He might free Himself from so petty a conception, and might bring the still feeble mind of the Apostles to learn, that He doth all things wondrously which He willeth, unrestrained by the nature of things, the necessary order of things not hampering Him in the least, does He place under His Feet the humid nature of the waters, albeit unpractised to lie under the bodies of men, for all things were possible, as to God. Evening then being now come, and the time abating the vigilance of those who were seeking for Him, the choir of the holy disciples goes down to the sea, and began to sail away immediately, obeying in all things their God and Teacher, and that without delay.

18 And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them, and the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.

Many things at once are being profitably contrived, and the circumstances drive the disciples to a more zealous search after the Saviour. For the deep darkness of the night troubles them, hovering like smoke upon the raving waves, and takes from them all knowledge of whither at length to steer. Moreover the fierceness of winds troubles them not a little, riding on the waves with a rushing noise, and raising the billows to unwonted height. Yea, and though these things had taken place, Jesus (it says) was not yet come to them: for herein was their special danger, and the absence of Christ from the voyagers was working increase of their fear.

They therefore must needs be tempest-tost, who are not with Jesus, but are cut off, or seem to be absent from Him through their departure from His holy laws, and severed because of sin from Him Who is able to save. If then it be heavy to be in spiritual darkness, if grievous to be swallowed up in the bitter sea of pleasures, let us receive Jesus: for this will deliver us from dangers, and from death in sin. The figure of what has been said will be seen in what happened, He will therefore surely come to His disciples.

19, 20    So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea and drawing nigh unto the ship; and they were afraid. But He saith unto them, It is I, be not afraid.

When they are separated by great interval from the land, and it was like that they in their trouble would no way be saved (for they were now in the midst of the sea) then Christ thrice longed for appears to them. For thus could He give most welcome salvation to those in danger, when fear had already cut off all hope of life. But He appears to them miraculously (for so was it ordered to their greater profit) and they are astonished beholding Jesus going through the midst of the sea and upon the very waters, and make the miracle an addition to their fear. But Christ immediately relieves them from their misfortunes, saying, I am, be not afraid. For need, need must all disquiet be away, and they be openly superior to all danger, to whom Christ is now present. We shall see then by this again, that we ought to have a spirit courageous and manly in temptations, and endurance intense from hope in Christ, confirmed unto good confidence in our being surely saved, even though many be the fears of temptation that pour around us.

For observe that Christ does not appear to those in the boat immediately on their setting sail, nor at the commencement of their dangers, but when they are many furlongs off from the land. For not when the condition which harasses us first begins, does the grace of Him who saves visit us, but when the fear is at its height, and the danger now shews itself mighty, and we are found, so to say, in the midst of the waves of afflictions: then unlooked for does Christ appear, and puts away our fear, and will free us from all danger, by His Ineffable Power changing the dread things into joy, as it were a calm.

21 They therefore would receive Him into the ship, and immediately the ship was at the land whither they were going.

The Lord not only releases the voyagers from dangers, wondrously shining on them, but also frees them both from toil and sweat, by His God-befitting Power thrusting forward the ship on to the opposite shore. For they were expecting that by rowing on still, they should with difficulty be able to reach the end, but He releases them from these their toils, revealing Himself to them in a very little time the Worker of many miracles to their full assurance. When then Christ appears and beams upon us, we shall without any labour succeed even against our hope, and we who are in danger through not having Him, shall have no more need of toil to be able to accomplish what is profitable for us, when He is present. Christ then is our deliverance from all danger, and the accomplishment of achievements beyond hope to them that receive Him.

But since we have discoursed on every portion of the subject singly, come and let us, joining the meaning hereof with the connexion of the preceding portions, work out the spiritual interpretation. We said then that Jesus ascended into Heaven as into a mountain, that is to say, being received up, after His resurrection from the dead. But when this has taken place, then His disciples alone and by themselves, a type of Ecclesiastical teachers in succession throughout all time, swim through the billows of this present life as a kind of sea, meeting with varied and great temptations, and enduring no contemptible dangers of teaching at the hands of those who oppose the faith and war against the Gospel preaching: but they shall be freed both from their fear and every danger, and shall rest from their toils and misery, when Christ shall appear to them hereafter too in God-befitting Power, and having the whole world under His Feet. For this I deem His walking on the sea signifies, since the sea is often taken as a type of the world by Divine Scripture, as it is said in the Psalms, This great and wide sea, there are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. When Christ then cometh in the glory of His Father, as it is written, then shall the ship of the holy Apostles, that is, the Church, and they that sail therein, i. e., they who through faith and love toward God are above the things of the world, without delay and without all toil, gain the land, whither they were going. For it was their aim to attain unto the Kingdom of Heaven, as to a fair haven. And the Saviour confirms this understanding of all that has been said, in that he says to His Disciples at one time, A little while and ye shall no more see Me, and again a little while and ye shall see Me, at another again, Tribulation shall ye have in the world, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. But in the night the Lord cometh down from the mountain and visiteth His disciples who are watching, and they look on Him coming, not without fear (for they tremble) that something needful for our understanding may in this too be made known unto us. For He shall descend from Heaven, as in the night, the world yet sleeping and slumbering in much sin. Therefore to us too doth He say, Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. The parable too of the Virgins will no less teach us this. For He says that five were wise, five foolish: but while the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept: and at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet Him. Seest thou how at midnight the Bridegroom is announced to us? And what the cry is, and the mode of the meeting, the Divine Paul will make known, saying at one time, For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a summons, with voice of archangel, with the trump of God, at another of the saints who are raised up, We which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. But the disciples being smitten with fear, albeit they saw Him coming, and were found in toil and watching, signifies that the Judge will come terrible to all, and that the righteous man will surely quake within himself, proven as by fire, albeit ever foreseeing Him Who was to come, and not shrinking from toils in virtue, nourished in vigilance alike and good watching. But the Lord doth not enter into the ship with His disciples, as though He were going to sail with them, but rather moveth the ship on to the land. For Christ will not appear co-working any more with those who honour Him, unto their achievement of virtue, but to give to them that have already achieved their looked-for end.

22, 23 The morrow, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there save that one whereinto His disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with His disciples into the boat, yet that His disciples had gone away, howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks.

The miracle does not escape notice, I mean Jesus walking on. the very sea, although it took place by night and in the dark, and was ordered in secret. But the crowd of those who were wont to follow Him perceives, assured (as is probable) by much watching, that He had neither sailed with His disciples, nor had crossed in any other ship. For there was there the Apostles' ship alone, which they took and went away before Him. Nought then is hidden of what is good even though it be performed in secret by any, and here we see that that is true, Nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest, neither hid that shall not be known and come abroad. I say then that he who desireth to track the footsteps of Christ, and, as far as man can, to be moulded after His Pattern, ought not to be eager to live in much boasting, nor when he practises virtue to be led away in pursuit of praise, nor if he enter upon an extraordinary and exceeding disciplined life, should he desire to glory immoderately thereat, but should desire to be seen alone by the Eyes of the Deity, Who revealeth hidden things, and that which is performed in secret bringeth He into clearest apprehension.

24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there neither His disciples, they also took shipping and came to Capernaum seeking for Jesus.

These men follow Him, marvelling perchance at His miracles, yet not receiving any profit from them unto the duty of faith, but as though they were making some return to the Wonder-worker by merely bestowing on Him a not undesired praise. For this is a dreary disease of a mind and soul which is never accustomed to be led to the choice of what is profitable for her. The reason why this was so with them was, that they delighted solely in the pleasures of the flesh, and jumped eagerly at the meanest temporal food, rather than hasten after spiritual goods, and endeavour to gain what would support them to life eternal. This you will learn clearly by what follows too.

25 And when they had found Him on the other side of the sea, they said unto Him, Rabbi when camest Thou hither?

Their speech takes the form of being that of those who love Him and feigns sweetness, but is convicted of being exceeding senseless and childish. For they ought not on meeting with so great a teacher, to have talked to no purpose, and taken no pains to learn anything. For what was the need of being eager to ask Him, when He came there? what good would they be likely to get from knowing? We must then seek wisdom from the wise, and let a prudent silence be preferred to undisciplined words. For the disciple of Christ bids that our speech be seasoned with salt: and another of the wise exhorts us to this, saying, My son, if thou hast a word of understanding, answer, if not, lay thy hand upon thy mouth. And how evil it is to be condemned for an undisciplined tongue, we shall know from another: for he says, If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.  

26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, I say unto you, ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracle, but because ye ate of the loaves and were filled.

We will say something common, yet worn by little use. Great teachers are often wont to be not slightly angry, when they are questioned about vain and useless matters. And we shall find them so, not out of haughtiness, but rather from annoyance at the folly of the questioners. Of us therefore and those like us I think that this is not unrightly said: but the Saviour inflicts a warm rebuke upon those who made those enquiries, for speaking uninstructedly, and unwisely enquiring not because it was their duty to seek out the things whereby they might become honest and good, but because they followed Him for carnal reward and that a most mean one. For what is less than daily food, and that not sumptuous? We must then practise piety towards Christ and Love of Him, not that we may obtain ought of carnal goods but that we may gain the salvation that is through Him; and let us not say good words to Him, as these say Rabbi, nor devise fair-speaking as a foundation of gain and boundless ingathering of riches. Truly he that attempts such things, will not be ignorant that he shall encounter Christ Who keenly convicteth him, and revealeth his hidden wickedness.

It is meet again to admire also the economy herein. For when He saw that they were enveloped with the afore-mentioned disease, as a Physician skilful and master of his art, He devised a twofold medicine for them, entwining the helpful reproof with most glorious miracle. The miracle then we shall find in His knowing their thoughts; and in the Wonder-worker not telling them what they sought not out of piety to know, you will behold the reproof. And the advantage is twofold. For in that He knows perfectly their devices and has accurate perception thereof, He shews that they are without understanding, in that they think to escape the Divine Eye, while they heap up wickedness in their heart, and practise sweet words with their tongue. But this is the part of One Who persuades them to leave off this their disease, and to cease from no slight sin. For outrageous is he and lawless, who hath this conception of God. In usefully convicting them of sinning, He restrains in some sort the future course of evil. For that which has no hindrance, creeps on and extends itself; but when caught in the fact, it is well-nigh ashamed, and like a rope contracts into itself. Therefore the Lord profiteth them by reproving also, and by those things whereby one thinks that He smites, by these very things He is seen to be their Benefactor. We must then hold that even though some flatter or with mild words wheedle the rulers of the Churches, yet are not sound concerning the faith, it is not meet that they should be carried away by their fawnings nor by way of payment for their applause lend in turn to them who need correcting, silence in regard to their faults: but we ought rather boldly to rebuke them, and to persuade them to change for the better, or at least hereby if so be to profit others, according to that spoken by Paul, Them that sin rebuke before all, that the rest also may fear.

This then for the subjects separately: but that they are in connexion, and of necessity follow those before considered, I think I ought to shew. We said then that our Saviour's coming down from the mountain typified His second and future Coming to us from Heaven, and we added as in summary, that He appeared to His disciples while they were watching, and yet toiling, and released them from their fear, and brought the ship at once to land. And what is hence pourtrayed to us, as in a type, we have there declared. But now observe, that after Jesus had come down from the mountain, certain miss following Him, and come to Him at last. For they come on the day following, the Evangelist having not without care added this also. Then on meeting with Him, they endeavour to wheedle Him with good words: but Christ chides them, bringing upon them hot and keen reproof, that we might consider this again, that after the Coming of our Lord to us from Heaven, most vain and profitless unto men is the search after good things, nor will the desire to follow Him find any fitting season. Yea even though certain approach Him, thinking to appease Him with smoothest words, they shall meet the Judge no longer mild and gentle, but reproving and avenging. For thou wilt see the flattery of them that are reproved, and the reproof itself in the words of the Saviour, when He saith, Many will say to Me in that Day, to wit, the Day of Judgment, Lord, Lord, did we not in Thy Name cast out devils? But says He, Then will I profess unto them, Verily I say unto you, I never knew you. For ye sought Me not purely (saith He) nor loved to excel in holiness, for thereby would I have known you, but since ye practised piety in semblance only and in mere imaginaries for the purpose of gain, justly do I confess that I have not known you. What then in that passage is Lord, Lord, here is Rabbi. To whomsoever therefore punishment is a bitter thing, let him not fall into inertness nor be manifoldly infirm in transgression, looking to the goodness of God, but let him prepare his works for his going forth, as it is written, and make it fit for himself in the field, i. e., while he is in the world. For the Saviour interpreted that the field is the world. Let him prepare to shew holiness and righteousness before the Divine Judgment Seat. For he will behold no unseasonably clement Judge, nor yet yielding to entreaties for mercy, in Him Whom he ought without delay to have obeyed when He was calling him to salvation, while the time of mercy was granting to him both to beg for forgiveness for his already past transgressions, and to seek for loving-kindness from God Who saves.

27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life.

Something of this sort doth Paul teach us expanding the discourse universally and more generally, saying, He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soiveth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap lifeeverlasting. For he says that they sow to the flesh who giving as it were full rein to the pleasures of the flesh, advance at full speed to whatever they will, by no means distinguishing what is profitable for them from what is hurtful and injurious, nor in any way accustomed to approve what seems good unto the Law-giver, but heedlessly hurried off to that alone which is pleasant and agreeable, and preferring nothing to things seen. Again he affirms that they sow to the Spirit, who expend the whole aim of their mind on those things wherein the Holy Ghost willeth us to excel, employing a mind so intense toward the cultivation of good things, that, did not voice of nature not to be disregarded constrain them to minister needful food to the flesh, they would not endure to descend even to this. I think then that we ought to take no forethought whatever for the flesh for the lusts thereof, but rather to apply ourselves to what is most needful, and to be zealous in practising those things, which bring us to the everlasting and Divine Life. For admiration for the delights of the body, and the esteeming nothing better than the superfluities of the belly, is truly brutish and akin to the extremest folly. But to apply ourselves to good things, and earnestly to strive to excel in virtues, and to be subject to the laws of the Spirit, and with all readiness to seek after the things of God, which are able to support us unto salvation:----I will grant that this truly beseemeth him who knoweth his own nature, and is not ignorant that he hath been made a reasonable creature after the Image of Him that created him. Therefore as the Saviour somewhere saith, Take we no thought, what shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we be clothed? but considering that the soulis more than meat, and the body than raiment, let us take thought how the more precious part of us may do well.

For though the body do well, and be fat with succession of delights, it will not profit the miserable soul; but on the contrary, will work it much harm. For it will depart into the everlasting fire, since they who have wrought no good, must needs undergo punishment for it: but if the body have been bridled with due reason, and brought under the law of the Spirit, both must surely be saved together. It is then most absurd, that for the flesh we should so take thought, which is but for a time and even now shall perish, as to think that it ought not to lack any one thing which it loves: and to take care for the soul, by way of appendix, or as though it were nothing worth; albeit I think we ought to apply ourselves so much the rather to cares for the soul, as it is of more value than the body. For so of a truth preferring what surpasses in the comparison to what is inferior, and giving a just vote in this matter, we shall become holy and wise jurors, and not bestow upon any other the palm of right reasoning, but rather shall put it upon our own heads. Let us then, as the Saviour saith, labour not for the meat which perisheth, which when it hath passed into the belly, and for a very little while deluded the mind with pettiest pleasure, goeth out into the draught, and is conveyed forth again from the belly. But the spiritual food which strengthened the heart, keepeth the man unto life everlasting, which also Christ promiseth to give us, saying, Which the Son of Man shall give unto you; at once knitting the human with that which is Divine, and connecting the whole mystery of the economy with Flesh in its order. But He hints, I suppose, at the Mystic and more Spiritual Food, whereby we live in Him, sanctified in body and soul. But we shall see Him speaking more openly of this hereafter. The discourse then must be kept for its fit time and place.  

ΚΕΦΑΛΗ Δ. Ὅτι πολλάκις αἱ Χριστοῦ μεταβάσεις ἀπὸ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὸ μετατεθήσεσθαι τὴν χάριν ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη δηλοῦσιν: ἐν ταὐτῷ δὲ καὶ λόγος περὶ τῶν πέντε ἄρτων τῶν κριθίνων καὶ τῶν δύο ὀψαρίων.
« Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς Τιβεριάδος. » ΠΡΩΤΟΝ ἐκεῖνο χρῆναι τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις εἰπεῖν ὑπολαμβάνω ἀναγκαῖον, ὅτι τὰς ἐκ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων μεταβάσεις ὁ Κύριος οὐ δίχα τινὸς ἀναγκαιοτάτης αἰτίας ὁρᾶται ποιῶν: οἰκονομεῖ δέ τι σχεδὸν ἐφ' ἑκάστῃ, καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν πραγμάτων φύσει, καθάπερ ἐν πίνακι, καταγράφει μυστήρια. ὁποῖος μὲν οὖν τῆς μεταστάσεως ὁ σκοπὸς, καὶ τί τὸ ἐντεῦθεν ὑποδηλούμενον, ἐν οἰκείῳ καιρῷ καταφανὲς καταστήσομεν, ἐκβεβηκότων εἰς πέρας τῶν προκειμένων ἡμῖν κεφαλαίων: ἕκαστα γὰρ διελόντες κατὰ βραχὺ, καὶ τὸ ἐκ τῶν γραμμάτων διερμηνεύσαντες χρήσιμον, οὕτω τε τοῖς ἐντευξομένοις παραθέντες εἰς νόησιν, τελευταίαν ἐποίσομεν τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ παντὶ θεωρίαν τὰ πολυμερῶς εἰρημένα κεφαλαιωδέστερον ἐπιτέμνοντες: ὃ δὲ νῦν ἐν χερσὶν ὑπάρχει, τοῦτο καὶ πρῶτον εἰπεῖν οἰήσομαι δεῖν. Μετὰ ταῦτά φησιν ἀπῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς Τιβεριάδος. μετὰ ποῖα ταῦτα, ζητητέον οὐ παρειμένως. παράδοξος τοίνυν ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἰατρὸς ἀνεδείχθη Χριστός: τεθεράπευκεν ἄνθρωπον “τριάκοντα καὶ ὀκτὼ ἔτη ” ἔχοντα ἐν τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ αὐτοῦ,“ οὐ φάρμακον ἐπιθεὶς, οὐ νοσημάτων ἀποκρουστικὸν ἐπινοήσας βοήθημα, λόγῳ δὲ μᾶλλον, ὡς Θεὸς, ἐξουσίᾳ παντουργῷ καὶ θεοπρεπεῖ τῷ νεύματι: ” Ἐγερθεὶς γὰρ, φησὶν, ἆρον τὸ κλινίδιόν σου, καὶ “ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου.” ἐπειδὴ δὲ σάββατον ἦν, χαλεπαίνουσιν ἀμαθῶς οἱ τὴν παχύτητα νοσοῦντες τοῦ γράμματος Ἰουδαῖοι, οἱ πλέον ἢ ἐκεῖνος ταῖς συντρόφοις αὐτῶν ἀλογίαις συνδεδεμένοι, οἱ πάντων ὁμοῦ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀδρανῆ νοσοῦντες ἀργίαν, οἱ παράλυτοι τὸν νοῦν, καὶ τὴν ἕξιν ἐκλελυμένοι, πρὸς οὓς ἂν εἰκότως καὶ λέγοιτο “Ἰσχύσατε χεῖρες ἀνει” μέναι καὶ γόνατα παραλελυμένα.“ χαλεπαίνουσι δὲ, τὴν ὀφειλομένην τῷ σαββάτῳ τιμὴν χρῆναι λέγοντες καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ νομοθέτου φυλάττεσθαι: καταδικάζουσιν ὡς παραβαίνοντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὸ γεγραμμένον εἰς νοῦν οὐ δεχόμενοι ” Ἀσεβὴς ὁ λέγων βασιλεῖ Παρανομεῖς.“ ἐπὶ τούτοις ἔλεγχοι μὲν ἦσαν παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος δριμεῖς: λόγος δὲ διεσκευάζετο πολύς τε καὶ μακρὸς, ὅτι τυπικῶς τοῖς ἀρχαιοτέροις ἡ κατὰ τὸ σάββατον ἀργία νενομοθέτητο, καὶ ὅτι ” Κύριός ἐστι τοῦ σαββάτου ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.“ ἀλλ' οἱ πρὸς μηδὲν μὲν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτήδειοι, πρὸς δὲ πάσας ἑτοιμότατοι δυστροπίας καταστασιάζουσι τοῦ διδάσκοντος ἅπερ ἔδει μαθεῖν, καὶ φονῶσιν ἤδη κατὰ τοῦ σοφοῦν ἐθέλοντος, ” πονηρὰ, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν“ ἀποδιδόντες αὐτῷ. Μετὰ τοίνυν ταῦτα τὰ πεπραγμένα τε καὶ εἰρημένα ἀπανίσταται τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ὡς ἐξ ἀνάγκης ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἐπείπερ ἦν ἐγγὺς τὸ πάσχα τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὡς ὀλίγον ἐν τοῖς ἐφεξῆς εὑρήσομεν, καὶ αὐτὴν διέπλευσε τὴν Τιβεριάδος θάλασσαν, ἤτοι λίμνην οὕτω καλουμένην ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ τῶν Ἰουδαίων. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ δὴ μάλιστα κατασοβῆσαν αὐτὸν, καὶ μεταχωρεῖν ἀναπεπεικὸς εἰς ἑτέρους τε οἴχεσθαι τόπους καὶ τοσοῦτον τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀπεσχοινισμένους, ἐκεῖνο δὴ μάλιστα ὑπάρχειν ἀρτίως εἰρήκαμεν, τὸ ἐγγὺς εἶναι τὸ πάσχα τῶν Ἰουδαίων: δεικνύναι πρέπειν ὑπολαμβάνω, καλῶς δὴ λίαν τὸ ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις εὑρίσκεσθαι κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ παραιτησάμενον τὸν Ἰησοῦν. Οὐκοῦν νόμος ὁ διὰ Μωυσέως ἀπὸ πάσης τῆς περιοικίδος ἀνατρέχειν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐκέλευεν, ἐκεῖ τὴν ἐν τύπῳ τῆς σκηνοπηγίας ἐπιτελέσοντας ἑορτήν. καὶ νοήσει μὲν ἐντεῦθεν ὁ πνευματικὸς τὴν ἁπάντων τῶν ἁγίων ἐπισυναγωγὴν εἰς Χριστὸν, ὅτε δὴ καὶ ἀπὸ πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης μετὰ τὴν τῶν νεκρῶν ἀναβίωσιν εἰς τὴν ἄνω συνενεχθήσονται πόλιν τὴν ἐπουράνιον Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἀναθήσοντες ἐκεῖσε τὰ χαριστήρια τῆς σκηνοπηγίας τῆς ἀληθοῦς, τουτέστι τῆς τῶν σωμάτων συμπήξεώς τε καὶ διαμονῆς, λελυμένης δηλονότι τῆς φθορᾶς, καὶ τοῦ θανάτου πεσόντος εἰς θάνατον. τὸ δὲ ὅσον εἰπεῖν εἰς τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἱστορίας γενέσθαι πεφυκὸς, ἀριθμὸν οὐκ ᾔδει τῶν ἀναβαινόντων εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἡ πληθὺς, καὶ ἦν δὴ μάλιστα κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ πολλὰ δύνασθαι τοὺς Φαρισαίους εἰκὸς, συναγορεύειν τῷ νόμῳ προσποιουμένους, καὶ ὡς ἐν πλήθει τοσούτῳ καταβοῶντας τοῦ παραβαίνοντος, ἢ καὶ παραβαίνειν οἰηθέντος αὐτοῖς. οὐδὲν γὰρ ὅλως τὸ χαλεπὸν, τὸν ἀμέτρητον τῶν ἀγελαίων ἀναῤῥιπίζειν ἑσμὸν, ὅταν τις αὐτὸν ἠδικῆσθαι λέγῃ καὶ παροτρύνειν ἐπιχειρῇ καὶ κατὰ τῶν λυπούντων οὐδέν: ὕδατος γὰρ δίκην, ἢ καὶ πυρὸς ἀδιακρίτοις καὶ ἀπροβουλεύτοις ὁρμαῖς διαῤῥιπτεῖται πανταχῆ, καὶ πρὸς ἅπαντα χωρεῖ τὰ παθεῖν ἀνεχόμενα. ταῦτα τοίνυν οὐκ ἀγνοήσας ὁ Κύριος ὑπεκκλέπτει μὲν τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἅμα τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἑαυτὸν, ἀφικνεῖται δὲ τῆς θαλάσσης πέραν τῆς Τιβεριάδος: ὅτι δὲ φονῶντας παραιτεῖται τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, καλῶς δὴ μάλα ποιῶν, εἰσόμεθα πάλιν καὶ διὰ τούτων. λέγει γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ μακάριος Εὐαγγελιστής ” Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα περιεπάτει ὁ “Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ: οὐ γὰρ ἤθελεν ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ” περιπατεῖν, ὅτι ἐζήτουν αὐτὸν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἀποκτεῖναι.“ Ὅτι μὲν οὖν παραιτεῖται τὸ ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ περιπατεῖν, ἵνα μὴ πρόωρον ὑπομείνῃ τὸν θάνατον, συγκατανεύσω, φησὶν, ἐρεῖ τις τυχὸν, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ φεύγει τὴν ἑορτὴν, οὔπω μανθάνω. οὐκοῦν οἱ μὲν νομισθέντες ἀδελφοὶ προσίασι λέγοντες ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ τῷ Χριστῷ ” Ἀνάβηθι ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ὕπαγε “εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν, ἵνα καὶ οἱ μαθηταί σου βλέπωσι τὰ ” σημεῖα ἃ ποιεῖς.“ πρὸς αὐτοὺς δὲ ὁ Κύριος ” Ὑμεῖς ἀνά“βητε εἰς τὴν ἑορτὴν, ἐγὼ οὐκ ἀναβαίνω εἰς τὴν ἑορτὴν ” ταύτην, ὅτι ὁ ἐμὸς καιρὸς οὔπω πεπλήρωται.“ Πρόδηλον οὖν ἄρα καὶ σαφὲς, ὅτι τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἐκκεχώρηκεν ὁ Σωτὴρ, οὐκ αὐθαίρετον τὴν ὡς ἐξ ἐκεῖθεν ἀποδημίαν στειλάμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς τῶν ἀπειθούντων βδελυρίας ἐκμυσαττόμενος, καὶ τῶν διωκόντων τὴν ἀγριότητα τῆς εὐστοχίας περιπλανῶν, καὶ τέχνῃ τοῦ φθόνου τὸ βέλος ἀποκρουόμενος. ὑπεκνεύει δὲ πάλιν, καίτοι παθεῖν ἰσχύων οὐδὲν, εἴ γε καὶ παρῆν, ἵνα τύπον ἡμῖν ἀναγράψῃ καλὸν, οὐ δειλίας μᾶλλον, ἀλλ' εὐλαβείας καὶ ἀγάπης τῆς εἰς τὸν πέλας. εἰσόμεθα γὰρ, ὡς ἐκ τύπου πρὸς ἐπίγνωσιν χρησίμου χειραγωγούμενοι πράγματος, ὅτι διωκόντων ἡμᾶς τῶν ἐχθρῶν, καὶ εἰ μηδὲν ὁρῷτο παντελῶς ἐν τῷ παρεῖναι τὸ βλάβος, ἀλλ' ἐξιστάμενοί πως, καὶ διὰ τούτου σοφιζόμενοι τὰς τῶν ἐφόδων ἀκμὰς, ὑπεκτρέχοντές τε τὸ παραυτίκα θερμὸν, ἐξήβοις ἤδη περιτευξόμεθα ταῖς τῶν ἀδικούντων ὀργαῖς, καὶ τὸ θράσος τῆς καθ' ἑαυτῶν πλεονεξίας ὑποτεμνόμεθα, ὠφελοῦντες μᾶλλον τοὺς οἵπερ ἂν γένοιντο περὶ ἡμᾶς οὐκ ἀγαθοὶ, καὶ ἀδίκως, ἤπερ ὠφελούμενοι, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἐναργῶς, μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ζητοῦντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἑτέρων. ἔργον οὖν ἀγάπης, τὸ τοῖς ἐθελοκακοῦσι μὴ ἀντεγείρεσθαι πάντως, μηδὲ ἀποκεχρημένους τῷ δύνασθαι πάσχειν οὐδὲν κἂν παρόντες ἁλισκώμεθα, δριμύτερον ὥσπερ ἐν ἐκείνοις ἀπεργάζεσθαι τὸν θυμὸν, πλεονεκτεῖν οὐκ ἔχοντα τοῦ μισουμένου τὴν δύναμιν: ἡ τοίνυν ἀγάπη, φησὶ καθάπερ ὁ Παῦλος, ” οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς,“ ἥπερ ἦν ἐν Χριστῷ καθαρῶς. Ὀξὺ δὲ δὴ πάλιν ἐνερείσας τοῖς γεγραμμένοις τῆς διανοίας τὸ ὄμμα, θαυμάσεις ἀρίστην εὑρίσκων οἰκονομίαν ἐν ταῖς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀποστάσεσι, ταῖς ἐκ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων φημί. ἐξελαύνεται μὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀπονοίας πολλάκις, καταλύων δὲ παρὰ τοῖς ἀλλογενέσι, καὶ ἀνασώζεσθαί πως δοκεῖ παρ' ἐκείνοις, καὶ τῆς δεούσης ἀπολαύει τιμῆς: τὴν ἀμείνω ψῆφον τῇ ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίᾳ διὰ τούτου διδοὺς, καὶ τὸ μισόθεον τῶν ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ διὰ τῆς ἑτέρων εὐλαβείας ἐξελέγχεσθαι ποιῶν, καὶ τὸ ἐν ἐκείνοις ὠμὸν διὰ τῆς ἐν τούτοις ἡμερότητος ἐπιδεικνύων, ἵνα δὴ διὰ πάντων φαίνοιντο λοιπὸν κεχρεωστημένως ἤδη καὶ καλῶς τῆς εἰς τοὺς πατέρας ἐπαγγελίας ἐξωθούμενοι. ἀποπηδήσας δὲ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ὁ Κύριος, οὐκ εἰς μίαν τῶν περιοικίδων καταλύει πόλιν, οὐδὲ ἐν ταῖς ὁμόροις αὐλίζεται κώμαις, πέραν δὲ ἄπεισι τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς Τιβεριάδος, μονονουχὶ δι' ἐμφανεστάτου πράγματος ἀπειλῶν τοῖς ὅτι προσήκοι διώκειν αὐτὸν δυσσεβῶς ᾑρημένοις, ὅτι τοσοῦτον αὐτῶν ἀποστήσεται, καὶ παντὸς τοῦ ἔθνους ἑαυτὸν ἀπονοσφιεῖ, ὡς καὶ ἄβατον αὐτοῖς τρόπον τινὰ τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπιστροφῆς κατασκευάσαι τὴν ὁδόν: βατὴ γὰρ οὐδαμῶς τοῖς ἀνθρώπων ποσὶν ἡ θάλασσα. τοιοῦτον δέ τι καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐφεξῆς πρὸς αὐτούς που λέγων εὑρεθήσεται ” Ζητήσετέ με, καὶ οὐχ εὑρήσετε, καὶ ὅπου ἐγὼ “ὑπάγω ὑμεῖς οὐ δύνασθε ἐλθεῖν.” λειοτάτη μὲν γὰρ καὶ εὐπόρευτος καὶ οὐδὲν ἔχουσα τὸ τραχὺ τοῖς διὰ πίστεως πρὸς αὐτὸν ἰοῦσιν ἡ διὰ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὁδὸς, ἐκτετραχυμένη δὲ καὶ ἀνάντης, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἀδιόδευτος παντελῶς τοῖς παροργίζουσιν αὐτὸν, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον δι' ἑνὸς τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν “Διότι εὐθεῖαι αἱ ὁδοὶ τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ δίκαιοι ” πορεύσονται ἐν αὐταῖς, οἱ δὲ ἀσεβεῖς ἀσθενήσουσιν ἐν “αὐταῖς.” οὐκοῦν τὸ δυσήνυτον ὥσπερ, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἀνήνυτον, τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, τῆς ὡς ἐπ' αὐτὸν νοουμένης ὁδοῦ, τὸ μεταξὺ τῆς θαλάσσης κατασημαίνει διάστημα, ἐπεὶ καὶ τῆς δυσσεβούσης ψυχῆς ἀναφράττειν ἐπαγγέλλεται τὰς ὁδοὺς ἐν προφήταις ὁ Θεὸς λέγων “Διὰ τοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ” φράσσω τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτῆς ἐν σκόλοψι καὶ τὴν τρίβον αὐτῆς “οὐ μὴ εὕρῃ.” ὅπερ οὖν ἐν ἐκείνοις ἐδήλουν οἱ σκόλοπες, τοῦτο καὶ ἐν τούτοις ἡ θάλασσα τῶν ἀφυλάκτως ἐμπαροινεῖν ἑλομένων τὸν ἐμπαροινηθέντα χωρίζουσα καὶ διιστῶσα τῶν οὐχ ὁσίων τὸν ὅσιον. Ἔοικε δέ τι καὶ ἕτερον ἡμῖν ὡς ἐν ὠδῖσιν ὁ τύπος κεκρυμμένον ἔχειν μυστήριον. ὅτε γὰρ τῆς Αἰγυπτίων ἐξεπέμπετο χώρας ὁ Ἰσραὴλ, ἠκολούθει μὲν λίαν ἐκτεθηγμένος ὁ Φαραὼ, ἐπὶ δὲ ταῖς ἀδοκήτοις εὐπραγίαις τοῦ ἔθνους ἐξοιστρούμενος, τὰ ἐκ φθόνου καὶ λύπης ἀποτολμᾶν νόμῳ τῷ μάχης ἠπείγετο: ἠκολούθει δὲ, δύνασθαι παλινδρομεῖν εἰς δουλείαν ἀναγκάσειν οἰόμενος τοὺς ὀψὲ καὶ μόλις τῆς ὑπ' αὐτῷ θητείας ἐκδεδυκότας: ἀλλὰ διεβίβαζε μὲν τὸν λαὸν διὰ θαλάσσης μέσης Θεὸς, ὁ δὲ διώκων ἐντόνως καὶ χαλᾶσαι μὲν τὴν ὀργὴν μηδαμῶς ἀνεχόμενος, θεομαχεῖν δὲ παραλόγως ἀναπεπεισμένος ἐξ ἀκράτου θυμοῦ, κατὰ μέσην αὐτὴν πανστρατιᾷ κατεπνίγετο, διεσώζετο δὲ μόνος ὁ Ἰσραήλ. ἀλλ' ἡκέτω καὶ νῦν εἰς μέσον ἡμῖν ὁ τὰς τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀπονοίας προαναθρηνήσας Μωυσῆς, καὶ λεγέτω πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ ταῖς εἰς Χριστὸν ἀσεβείαις ἀγανακτῶν “Γενεὰ πονηρὰ ” καὶ μοιχαλὶς, ταῦτα τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀνταποδίδοτε;“ τὸν διενεγκόντα διὰ θαλάσσης μέσης καὶ κυμάτων σφοδρῶν πέραν ἐλαύνεις θαλάσσης, καὶ διώκων οὐκ ἐρυθριᾷς; σὸν οὖν ἄρα τὸ παθεῖν Ἰουδαῖε, σὲ καταπνίξει λοιπὸν ἡ θάλασσα: τῶν γὰρ καταδιωκόντων, οὐ τῶν διωκομένων, ὁ θάνατος, καὶ ἐν ἐκείνοις ἦν τότε, καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ Χριστοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀνοσίων Ἰουδαίων. ψάλλει δέ που καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος ἡμῖν Δαυείδ ” Μή με καταποντισάτω καταιγὶς ὕδατος, λέγων, μηδὲ κατα“πιέτω με βυθός:” τὸ παγχάλεπον τῆς Ἰουδαίων συναγωγῆς ὑπεμφαίνων ναυάγιον, καὶ τὸ σὺν ἐκείνοις ἐναποπνίγεσθαι τῷ τῆς ἀγνωσίας βυθῷ παραιτούμενος. ἀλλ' Αἰγυπτίοις μὲν καὶ τῷ παρ' ἐκείνοις κρατοῦντι, τότε περὶ σώματος ἐκ γῆς ὁ κίνδυνος ἦν, Ἰουδαῖοι δὲ παθόντες εἰς τὰ τιμιώτερα μειζόνως κολάζονται: ψυχῆς γὰρ ὑπομένουσι ζημίαν, ἀναλόγως τοῖς ἰδίοις κακουργήμασι τὰ ἐπίχειρα κομιζόμενοι. ἐκολάζετο μὲν γὰρ εὐλόγως ὁ Φαραὼ, πλεονεκτεῖν εἰς δουλείαν τὸ ἐλεύθερον ἐπιχειρῶν: τιμωρεῖται δὲ πάλιν ἐξ ἀντιστρόφου δικαίως ὁ Ἰσραὴλ τὴν ὑπὸ τῷ πάντων Δεσπότῃ δουλείαν οὐκ εἰσερχόμενος, ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἦν ὡς ἐν δυνάμει πλεονεξίας ἐκεῖνος αὐτῷ, τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκ πολλῆς ἀλαζονείας εἰς Θεὸν εὑρισκόμενος. Σημειωτέον δὲ, ὅτι τὴν Τιβεριάδος λίμνην θάλασσαν ἀποκαλεῖ, τοῖς τῆς θείας γραφῆς ἑπόμενος λόγοις: “τὰ γὰρ ” συστήματα τῶν ὑδάτων θαλάσσας“ ἐκάλεσεν ὁ Δημιουργός: ἀδιαφορεῖ δὲ πολλάκις καὶ ὁ παρὰ τοῖς ἔξω λόγος, ὡς καὶ λίμνην ἔσθ' ὅτε τὴν θάλασσαν ὀνομάζειν οὐ παραιτεῖσθαί τινας.
« Ἠκολούθει δὲ αὐτῷ ὄχλος πολὺς, ὅτι ἐθεώρουν τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐποίει ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσθενούντων: ἀνῆλθε δὲ εἰς τὸ ὄρος ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἐκάθητο μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ: ἦν δὲ ἐγγὺς τὸ πάσχα ἡ ἑορτὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων. » Ὅτε γὰρ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἐκπεφοίτηκεν ὁ Χριστὸς, κατὰ τὸ ἐν προφήταις εἰρημένον ” Ἐγκαταλέλοιπα τὸν οἶκόν “μου, ἀφῆκα τὴν κληρονομίαν μου,” ὅτε τὸν ἀπειθῆ καὶ δυσήνιον τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀπολακτίσας λαὸν τοῖς ἀλλογενέσιν ἑαυτὸν ἐχαρίζετο, τότε πολὺς μὲν ὄχλος ἀκολουθεῖ. ἄνεισι δὲ καὶ εἰς ὄρος αὐτὸς, κατ' ἐκεῖνο δὴ πάντως ὅπερ εἴρηκε φθάσας “Κἀγὼ ἐὰν ὑψωθῶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς, πάντας ἑλκύσω ” πρὸς ἐμαυτόν.“ ὑψώθη μὲν γὰρ ἐκ τῆς γῆς, καὶ εἰς τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀναβαίνων σταυρόν: ὑψώθη δὲ πάλιν ἑτέρως, καθάπερ εἰς ὄρος ἀναβεβηκὼς τὴν θεοπρεπῆ τιμήν τε καὶ δόξαν: οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἄνθρωπον ἀτιμάζομεν κατὰ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, ἀλλ' ὡς Θεὸν καὶ Σωτῆρα καὶ Κύριον προσκυνοῦμεν ἡμεῖς. παρ' ἐκείνοις μὲν γὰρ ταπεινός τις ὑπάρχειν, καὶ οὐδὲν ὅλως κατὰ τὸ παντελὲς, ἐνομίζετο: καὶ γοῦν Σαμαρείτην ἀποκαλοῦντες οὐκ ἔφριττον, σεμνότερον δέ πως ἀτιμάζοντες τὸν τοῦ τέκτονος αὐτὸν ἀπεκάλουν υἱόν: παρὰ δέ γε τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς αὐτὸν, ὡς μεγαλουργὸς καὶ Θεὸς, ὡς τῶν παραδόξων ἐργάτης ἀποθαυμάζεται. ἀκούῃς γὰρ, ὅπως εὐσεβὴς τοῖς ἀκολουθήσασιν ἐνυπάρχει σκοπός. ὅτι γὰρ ἐθεώρουν τὰ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσθενούντων σημεῖα, διὰ τοῦτο δὴ μάλα θερμῶς ἕπεσθαι δεῖν ὑπελάμβανον, ὡς ἀπὸ τῶν τελουμένων ἀναλόγως ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ τελοῦντος ἐπίγνωσιν ποδηγούμενοι, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς θεοπρεποῦς ἐξουσίας τὸν ταύτην ἠμφιεσμένον φυσικῶς ἐννοοῦντες Υἱόν. διὰ ταύτης δὲ χρῆναι βαδίζειν ἡμᾶς τῆς ὁδοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ πίστιν ἐκέλευσεν ὁ Σωτήρ: ” Τὰ γὰρ ἔργα, φησὶν, ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ, αὐτὰ τὰ ἔργα μαρτυρεῖ “περὶ ἐμοῦ.” καὶ πάλιν “Εἰ οὐ ποιῶ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Πατρός ” μου, μὴ πιστεύετέ μοι: εἰ δὲ ποιῶ, κἂν ἐμοὶ μὴ πιστεύητε, “τοῖς ἔργοις μου πιστεύετε.” ὥσπερ οὖν “ἀπὸ μεγέθους ” καλλονῆς κτισμάτων ὁ γενεσιουργὸς αὐτῶν θεωρεῖται“ Θεὸς, οὕτως ἀπὸ τῆς θεοσημείας, κατὰ τὴν ἴσην τῶν νοημάτων διασκευὴν, ὁ τῶν σημείων ὁρᾶται τελειωτὴς, καὶ ἡ τῶν ἀκολουθούντων πίστις δικαίως ἂν θαυμάζοιτο. Οἶμαι δ' ἔγωγε περιεργοτέραν τινὰ καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῆν τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐγκεκρύφθαι διάνοιαν. ὁρῶμεν γὰρ λέγονται τὸν Εὐαγγελιστὴν, οὐχ ὅτι μόνον σημείων ἦσαν φιλοθεάμονες οἱ ἀκολουθήσαντες τῷ Χριστῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ποίων ἦσαν σημείων δικαιότατοι θαυμασταί. προστίθησι γὰρ ὅτι Ἃ ἐποίει ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσθενούντων, ἵνα διὰ τούτων ἐναντίως ἔχουσαν τῇ τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὴν τῶν ἀκολουθούντων ἀποδείξῃ διάνοιαν. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὅτι τὸν παράλυτον ἀσθενοῦντα τεθεράπευκε, δυσσεβῶς χαλεπαίνουσιν, οἱ δὲ οὐ μόνον ἐπὶ τούτοις παρόντα θαυμάζουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποδημοῦντι συνεκτρέχουσιν, ὡς θαυματουργῷ καὶ Θεῷ. φύγωμεν τοίνυν τὴν Ἰουδαίοις πρέπουσαν ἀμαθίαν, οἱ Χριστὸν δεσπότην ἐπιγραφόμενοι, προσεδρεύσωμεν αὐτῷ διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς, ὅπερ ἔδρων τληπαθῶς οἱ σοφώτατοι μαθηταί: χωρίζεσθαι μὲν καὶ λειποτακτεῖν ἀνεχόμενοι μηδαμῶς, αὐτοῖς δὲ λοιπὸν ἀναβοῶντες τοῖς πράγμασι τὸ νεανικῶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου λεγόμενον ” Τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει “ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ;” ἀκολουθήσωμεν τοίνυν αὐτῷ καὶ διωκομένῳ καὶ φεύγοντι τὰς τῶν μαχομένων αὐτῷ δυστροπίας, ἵνα καὶ εἰς ὄρος ἀναβαίνωμεν, καὶ ἐκεῖ καθίσωμεν σὺν αὐτῷ, τουτέστιν εἰς περιφανῆ καὶ εὐκλεεστάτην ἀναπηδήσωμεν χάριν, διὰ τοῦ συμβασιλεύειν αὐτῷ, καθάπερ οὖν ἔφασκεν αὐτός “Ὑμεῖς οἱ ἀκολουθήσαντές μοι ἐν τοῖς ” πειρασμοῖς μου, ἐν τῇ παλιγγενεσίᾳ ὅταν καθίσῃ ὁ υἱὸς “τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦ, καθήσεσθε καὶ ” ὑμεῖς ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνους κρίνοντες τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ “Ἰσραήλ.” ταύτας γὰρ οἶμαι τὰς θεωρίας εἰσφέρειν τὸ καὶ προσεδρεύειν λέγεσθαι τῷ Σωτῆρι τοὺς μαθητὰς, καὶ ἀνελθόντας ἐν ὄρει συγκαθίσαι.
« Ἐπάρας οὖν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ θεασάμενος ὅτι πολὺς ὄχλος ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτὸν, λέγει πρὸς Φίλιππον Πόθεν ἀγορά σομεν ἄρτους ἵνα φάγωσιν οὗτοι; τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγε πειράζων αὐτόν: αὐτὸς γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἔμελλε ποιεῖν. ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ Φίλιππος. » Μάθημα δὴ πάλιν ἄριστόν τε καὶ ἀνδράσι τοῖς ἱερωτάτοις πρεπωδέστατον τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς ἐπενόησεν ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ ἐν δυσχωρίαις ἀκράτοις νικᾶν ἀναπείθων τὴν ἐπὶ τρόπῳ τῷ φιλοξένῳ δειλίαν, καὶ ὄκνον μὲν τὸν ἐπὶ τούτῳ διαῤῥίπτειν που μακρὰν, θερμοτέροις δὲ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀφικνεῖσθαι κινήμασιν: οὗ τί ἂν γένοιτο μεῖζον, παρά γε τοῖς εἰδόσι καὶ θέλουσι δι' ὧν ἂν πρέποι τὴν ἄνωθεν ἑαυτοῖς ἐξωνεῖσθαι φιλίαν; ὄχλου γὰρ δὴ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἰόντος οὐ μικροῦ, καὶ ἀναριθμήτου πληθύος ὑδάτων δίκην ἐπεισχεομένης τοῖς τόποις, ἐν οἷς ηὐλίζετο, πρὸς τὸ ἑτοιμάζεσθαι τρέφειν αὐτοὺς παραχρῆμα διεκελεύετο. καὶ ἦν μὲν ὄντως οὐκ ἀπεικὸς καὶ τοῦ σφόδρα πλουσίου καταναρκήσειν τὴν προθυμίαν, τῷ πλήθει τῶν ὁρωμένων καταπτοουμένην εἰς φόβον τὸν ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι φιλοξενεῖν: ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ὅλως δεικνύει τὸ μέγα Χριστὸς, ὅταν εἰς ὀλίγους γίγνηται παρ' ἡμῶν ἡ φιλαδελφία, κατανεανιεύεσθαι δέ πως καὶ τῶν παρ' ἐλπίδα βούλεται, τῇ εἰς αὐτὸν πεποιθήσει βεβαιουμένους πρὸς τὴν ἐφ' ἅπασι τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς εὐτολμίαν. Κατὰ μὲν οὖν τῆς ἱστορίας τὸν λόγον, οὐκ ἀπὸ σκοποῦ συντείνεται τῶν εἰρημένων ἡ δύναμις, μεταβαλόντες δὲ πάλιν αὐτὰ πρὸς θεωρίαν πνευματικὴν, καὶ τὸ ἐν τύπῳ παχὺ περικείροντες σχῆμα, γυμνότερον ἤδη φαμὲν, ὡς διὰ προθυμίας ἀγαθῆς καὶ πίστεως τοὺς ἐπιζητοῦντας αὐτὸν, καθάπερ ἐξ ὄρους, ἐξ ὑψηλῆς δηλονότι καὶ θεοπρεποῦς τῆς προγνώσεως, προαναβλέπει Θεὸς, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον παρὰ τοῦ Παύλου “Οὓς γὰρ προέγνω, καὶ προώρισε συμμόρφους τῆς εἰκόνος ” τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, τούτους καὶ ἐκάλεσεν.“ ἐπαίρει τοίνυν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὁ Χριστὸς, οἱονεὶ τῆς θείας ἐπισκέψεως ἀξίους ὄντας ἐπιδεικνύων τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτόν: ὥσπερ οὖν ἀμέλει καὶ ἐν εὐλογίας τρόπῳ πρὸς τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐλέγετο ” Ἐπάραι Κύριος τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ δώῃ σοι “εἰρήνην:” ἀλλ' οὐ μέχρι μόνης τῆς ἐπισκέψεως ἡ ἐπὶ τοῖς τιμῶσιν αὐτὸν ὁρίζεται χάρις, ἀλλά τι καὶ ἕτερον προστιθεὶς ὁ μακάριος Εὐαγγελιστὴς, οὐκ ἀπρονοήτως ἔχοντα τῶν ὄχλων δεικνύει τὸν Κύριον, ἀλλ' εἰς τροφὰς ἤδη καὶ πανδαισίαν εὐτρεπιζόμενον: ἵνα δὴ πάλιν διὰ τούτου νοῇς τὸ ἐν παροιμίαις φερόμενον “Οὐ λιμοκτονήσει Κύριος ψυχὴν ” δικαίαν:“ ἑαυτὸν γὰρ παρατίθησι, καθάπερ ἄρτον ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ τὰς τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτὸν ἀποθρέψει ψυχάς: πάντα δὲ αὐτοῖς ἑτοιμάζει τὰ ζωαρκῆ, καθάπερ οὖν ἐν ψαλμοῖς λέγει τό ” Ἡτοίμασας τὴν τροφὴν αὐτῶν, ὅτι “οὕτως ἡ ἑτοιμασία σου.” καὶ αὐτὸς δέ που φησὶν ὁ Χριστός “Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὁ ἐρχόμενος πρὸς μὲ οὐ ” μὴ πεινάσῃ πώποτε:“ ἐπιδώσει γὰρ, καθάπερ ἤδη προείπομεν, τὰς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ δηλονότι τροφὰς, καὶ τὴν πολυειδῆ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐπιδαψιλεύσεται χάριν. εὐτρεπίζεται γεμὴν πρὸς τὸ δοῦναι τοῖς προσιοῦσι τὰς τροφὰς, οὐδὲ περιμείνας τὴν αἴτησιν. ” Τὸ γὰρ τί προσευξόμεθα καθ' ὃ δεῖ οὐκ “οἴδαμεν,” αὐτὸς δὲ ὀρέγει προλαβὼν, ἅπερ ἡμᾶς εἰς ζωὴν συνέχει τὴν αἰώνιον. Λέγει τοίνυν πρὸς Φίλιππον Πόθεν ἀγοράσομεν ἄρτους; διατί πρὸς Φίλιππον, καίτοι τῶν ἄλλων συμπαρεστώτων τε καὶ προσκαρτερούντων αὐτῷ μαθητῶν, ἀναγκαῖον ἰδεῖν. οὐκοῦν ζητητικὸς μὲν ὁ Φίλιππος καὶ φιλομαθὴς, ὀξὺς δὲ οὐ λίαν εἰς τὸ δύνασθαι συνιέναι θερμῶς τὰ θεοπρεπέστερα. τοῦτο δ' ἂν μάθοις, ἐκεῖνο κατὰ σαυτὸν ἀναλογισάμενος, ὅτι χρόνους ἀκολουθήσας τῷ Σωτῆρι μακροὺς, καὶ ποικίλως τὰ περὶ τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ συλλέγων μαθήματα, καὶ πλουσιωτάτην διά τε πραγμάτων καὶ λόγων ἐρανιζόμενος ἐπ' αὐτῷ τὴν κατάληψιν, ὡς οὐδὲν οὔπω μαθὼν, ἐν τελευταίοις τῆς οἰκονομίας καιροῖς λέγει πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν “Κύριε, δεῖξον ἡμῖν τὸν ” Πατέρα, καὶ ἀρκεῖ ἡμῖν:“ ἀλλ' ὡς ἀκακοήθως εἰπὼν εὖ μάλα μετεπαιδεύετο: ” Τοσοῦτον γὰρ χρόνον μεθ' ὑμῶν “εἰμι, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνωκάς με Φίλιππε,” φησὶν ὁ Χριστός. ὡς οὖν παχυτέρῳ πρὸς νόησιν, καὶ βραδύτερόν πως ἤπερ ἐχρῆν πρὸς τὴν τῶν θειοτέρων ἰόντι κατάληψιν, προτείνει τὴν πεῦσιν, γυμνάζων εἰς πίστιν τὸν μαθητήν. τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει τό Πειράζων ἐν τούτοις, εἰ καὶ καθάπερ ὁ μακάριος Εὐαγγελιστὴς διισχυρίσατο Αὐτὸς δὲ ᾔδει τί ἔμελλε ποιεῖν. Τὸ δέ Πόθεν ἀγοράσομεν λέγων, τῶν συνόντων αὐτῷ τὸ ἀφιλοχρήματον, καὶ τὴν ἑκούσιον διὰ Θεὸν πτωχείαν ἐπιδεικνύει, οὐδ' ὅσον εἰς τὸ πρίασθαι τὰς ἀναγκαίας ἐχόντων τροφάς. ὁμοῦ δέ τι τούτῳ προσεργάζεται, καὶ διὰ τέχνης οἰκονομεῖ. τὸ γάρ Πόθεν, οὐ μάτην, ὡς πρὸς οὐδὲν ὅλως ἐπικομίζεσθαι μελετήσαντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς ἄκρον ἀφιλαργυρεῖν εἰθισμένους φησίν. ἀποκλείσας δὴ οὖν καὶ ἀποτεμὼν εὐφυεστάτως τὴν ἐπ' ἀργύροις ἐλπίδα, μονονουχὶ καὶ ἀναπείθει λοιπὸν ἐπ' ἐκεῖνο βαδίζειν, ὅτι δεήσει τὸν Κύριον, εἰ μηδενὸς ἐνόντος αὐτοῖς, ἀποτρέφειν βούλοιτο τοὺς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐρχομένους ἀφάτῳ δυνάμει καὶ ἐξουσίᾳ θεοπρεπεῖ δημιουργῆσαι τροφάς. τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν ἔτι τὸ λειπόμενον, καὶ εἰς μόνας ὁρᾶν τὰς ἐντεῦθεν ἐλπίδας ἐκάλει λοιπὸν, κατὰ τοὺς παρ' Ἕλλησι ποιητὰς, _
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« Διακοσίων δηναρίων ἄρτοι οὐκ ἀρκοῦσιν αὐτοῖς ἵνα ἕκαστος βραχύ τι λάβῃ. » Ἀδρανῶς ὁ Φίλιππος οὐκ ἐπὶ τὸ πάντα δύνασθαι καὶ λίαν εὐκόλως τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀναβαίνει πάλιν, ἀλλὰ τό Πόθεν ἀγοράσομεν ἀκούσας πειραστικῶς παραχρῆμα συναρπάζεται, καὶ εἰς μόνην ὁρᾷ τὴν διὰ χρημάτων ὁδὸν, οὐχ ἑτέρως ἀνυσθήσεσθαι τὴν τοῦ πράγματος ἐννοήσας φύσιν, εἰ μὴ θεσμῷ τῷ κοινῷ καὶ τῷ παρὰ πᾶσι κατειθισμένῳ: τοῦτο δὲ ἦν ἡ ἐκ δαπάνης φιλοτιμία. οὐκοῦν ὅσον εἴς τε τῶν μαθητῶν τὸ ἀφιλοχρήματον καὶ τὸ κεκτῆσθαι μηδὲν, καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν δὲ τοῦ Φιλίππου τὴν διάνοιαν, οὔπω τελείως πρὸς τὸ ἐξαίσιον τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀφορῶσαν ἀξίωμα, εἰς ἀδύνατόν πως περιτρέπεται λοιπὸν ἡ ἐπὶ τοῖς ὄχλοις φιλοτιμία. τοῦτο δὲ οὐ γέγονε, διεξάγεται δὲ τοῦ Σωτῆρος εἰς πέρας ἡ βούλησις. “Τὸ ἀδύνατον ἄρα παρὰ ἀνθρώποις δυνατὸν παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ,” καὶ τῆς ἐνούσης ἀκολουθίας ἐν τῇ φύσει τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς πραγμάτων, πανταχόθεν ἀμείνων ἡ θεία φαίνεται δύναμις, πάντα παραδόξως ἐξανύειν ἰσχύουσα, καὶ ὅσα τὸν ἐν ἡμῖν ἐξάλλεται νοῦν.
« Λέγει αὐτῷ εἷς ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ Ἀνδρέας ὁ ἀδελφὸς Σίμωνος Πέτρου Ἔστι παιδάριον ὧδε, ὃ ἔχει πέντε ἄρτους κριθίνους καὶ δύο ὀψάρια: ἀλλὰ ταῦτα τί ἐστιν εἰς τοσούτους; εἶπε δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς. » Ἀδελφὰ τῷ Φιλίππῳ καὶ φρονεῖ καὶ λογίζεται, καὶ συγγενῆ πως ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ Σωτῆρι διάληψιν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξελέγχεται. οὐ γὰρ ἐννοήσας τὴν δύναμιν, οὔτε μὴν ἐκ τῆς τῶν φθασάντων μεγαλουργίας ἐπὶ τὸ πάντα δύνασθαι τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ λίαν εὐπετέστατα παιδαγωγούμενος, καταμηνύει δὲ τὰ παρὰ τῷ παιδαρίῳ κείμενα, πλὴν ἀτονήσας ὁρᾶται περὶ τὴν πίστιν: ταῦτα γὰρ τί ἐστι φησὶν εἰς τοσούτους; καίτοι: χρὴ γὰρ ἤδη λέγειν: οὐχ ὑπεσταλμένως, μᾶλλον δὲ δεῖ πρὸς ἀνάμνησιν ἰέναι γοργῶς τῶν ἤδη παραδόξως τετελεσμένων, λογίζεσθαι δὲ ὅτι ξένον ἦν ἔργον ἢ καὶ ἀλλότριον οὐδαμῶς τοῦ μετασκευάσαντος εἰς οἶνον τὴν τοῦ ὕδατος φύσιν, τοῦ θεραπεύσαντος τὸν παράλυτον, καὶ τὴν οὕτω μακρὰν ἀῤῥωστίαν ἑνὶ κατασοβήσαντος λόγῳ, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος δημιουργῆσαι τροφὰς, καὶ ὀλίγας κομιδῆ τὰς ηὑρημένας πολυπλασιάσαι θεϊκῶς. ἡ γὰρ ἐν ἐκείνοις ἐξουσία, πῶς οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι καὶ τὸ ἐν τούτοις δραστικόν; οὐκοῦν ἀδρανέστερον μέν πως ἤπερ ἐχρῆν ἡ τῶν μαθητῶν ἀπεκρίνετο ξυνωρίς. πλὴν ἀθρητέον ἐν τούτῳ πάλιν ἐκεῖνο. τὰ γὰρ δοκοῦντα τοῖς ἁγίοις καὶ διεπταῖσθαι κατὰ βραχὺ, τοῦ χρησίμου πολλάκις οὐκ ἀμοιρεῖ, ἀλλ' ἔχει τι συμπεπλεγμένον, ὃ τῇ τοῦ πράγματος φύσει λυσιτελεῖ, περὶ ἣν ἂν γένοιτο τῆς δοκούσης ἀσθενείας αὐτῶν τὰ ἐγκλήματα: λογισάμενοι γὰρ οἱ μνημονευθέντες ἅγιοι μαθηταὶ, καὶ σαφῶς εἰρηκότες, ὁ μὲν ὅτι “Διακοσίων δηναρίων ἄρτοι οὐκ ἀρκοῦσιν αὐτοῖς ” ἵνα ἕκαστος βραχύ τι λάβῃ:“ ὁ δὲ, περί τε τῶν πέντε ἄρτων καὶ τῶν δύο ἰχθύων, ὅτι ταῦτα τί ἐστιν εἰς τοσούτους; αἴρουσί πως εἰς ὕψος τὸ θαῦμα, καὶ περιφανεστάτην ἀπεργάζονται τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἰσχὺν, τὴν ὅσον οὐδέπω κορεσθησομένην πληθὺν διὰ τῶν οἰκείων κατασημήναντες λόγων, καὶ περιτέτραπται τῆς ἀπιστίας ἡ δύναμις εἰς ἀγαθὴν μαρτυρίαν τὴν ἐπὶ Χριστῷ. δι' ὧν γὰρ τοῖς ὄχλοις οὐκ ἐξαρκέσειν ὡμολογήκασι πρὸς βραχεῖαν ἀπόλαυσιν τῶν τοσούτων ἀργυρίων τὸ μέτρον, διὰ τούτων αὐτῶν τὴν ἀπόῤῥητον τοῦ ἑστιῶντος καταστέφουσι δύναμιν, ὅτε δὴ καὶ ἐνόντος οὐδενός: τί γὰρ ἦν εἰς τοσούτους τὰ παρὰ τῷ παιδαρίῳ κατὰ τὸν Ἀνδρέου λόγον; τὰ τῆς εἰς τοὺς ὄχλους ἀγάπης καὶ σφόδρα πλουσίως ἐκβέβηκε. Τοιαύτην τινὰ κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον καὶ τὴν τοῦ πανσόφου Μωυσέως ὀλιγοπιστίαν εὑρήσομεν. ἔκλαιον μὲν γὰρ οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ πρὸς βδελυρὰν ἐπιθυμίαν τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τραπεζῶν κατηρεθισμένοι, λέβητας μὲν ἀκαθάρτους ἐφαντάζοντο κρεῶν, κρομμύων δὲ καὶ σκορόδων καὶ τῆς ἐν τοῖς ὁμοειδέσι χυδαιότητος εἰς ἐκτοπωτάτην ἐκνεύοντες ἡδονὴν, καὶ τῶν θείων ἀλογήσαντες ἀγαθῶν, ἐπεφύοντό πως καὶ τῷ μεσιτεύοντι καὶ παιδαγωγοῦντι Μωυσεῖ. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἠγνόει Θεὸς τὰ ἐφ' οἷς ἀνοιμώζειν ἡ πληθὺς ἠπείγετο, καὶ δὴ καὶ ἐπιδώσειν αὐτοῖς κρέα κατεπηγγέλλετο. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἦν ἐν ἐρήμῳ τῆς φιλοτιμίας ἡ ὑπόσχεσις, καὶ δυσήνυτόν πως, ὅσον ἧκεν εἰς ἀνθρώπινον νοῦν, ἐδόκει τὸ πρᾶγμα, πρόσεισιν ἀναβοῶν ὁ Μωυσῆς ” Ἑξακόσιαι χιλιάδες πεζῶν ὁ λαὸς ἐν οἷς “εἰμι ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ σὺ εἶπες Κρέα δώσω αὐτοῖς, καὶ φά” γονται μῆνα ἡμερῶν: μὴ πρόβατα καὶ βόες σφαγήσονται “αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἀρκέσει αὐτοῖς;” καὶ τί πρὸς ταῦτα Θεός; “Μὴ χεὶρ Κυρίου οὐκ ἀρκέσει;” περὶ τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ ἀδυνατήσαι Θεός; Οὐκοῦν ἐρεῖ τις εὐλόγως, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς παρὰ Φιλίππου τε καὶ Ἀνδρέου λόγοις Μὴ χεὶρ Κυρίου οὐκ ἀρκέσει; δεχόμενοι δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς παραδείγματος τρόπον τὴν τοῦ πράγματος φύσιν, νοσημάτων ἔσχατον καὶ παντὸς ἐπέκεινα κακοῦ τὴν ὀλιγοπιστίαν ἡγώμεθα, κἂν ἐργάζηται Θεὸς, ἢ καὶ δράσειν ἐπαγγέλληται, πίστει δὴ πάντως ἀπεριεργάστῳ γινέσθω δεκτὸν, καὶ μὴ τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι νοεῖν, ὅπως ἔσται τὰ ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς, ἐπ' ἀσθενείᾳ τῇ ἐπί τισι κατηγορείσθω τὸ θεῖον. πρέποι δ' ἂν τῷ ἀγαθῷ καὶ σώφρονι καὶ βεβηκότα καλῶς φρονοῦντι τὸν λογισμὸν, κἀκεῖνο λαμβάνειν εἰς νοῦν, ὡς καὶ ὁ τοῦ σώματος ὀφθαλμὸς, οὐκ ὅσον ἂν βούλοιτό τις, τοσοῦτο δὴ πάντως καὶ κατόψεται, ἀλλ' ὅσον ἐνδέχεται, καὶ τὸ τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν ἐφίησι μέτρον: τὰ δὲ ἐν ὕψει πολλῷ λίαν ἀνατεθειμένα, κἂν ὅλως φαντάζηται, διακρίνειν οὐ δύναται, λεπτοτάτην ἐπ' αὐτοῖς καὶ μόλις ἁρπάζων τὴν θεωρίαν. οὕτω μοι νόει καὶ τὸν ἀνθρώπινον νοῦν: μέχρι γὰρ τῶν δοθέντων ὅρων αὐτῷ παρὰ τοῦ πεποιηκότος ἐφικνεῖται καὶ ἐκτείνεται, κἂν ὅλως ὑπάρχῃ κεκαθαρμένος: ὄψεται γὰρ οὐδὲν τῶν ὑπερκειμένων, παραχωρήσει δὲ καὶ οὐχ ἑκὼν τοῖς ὑπὲρ τὴν φύσιν, οὐδαμόθεν ἔχων αὐτῶν περιδράττεσθαι: πίστει τοίνυν τὰ ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς, καὶ οὐ ζητήσει λαμβάνεται, καὶ θαυμάζεται μὲν ὁ οὕτω πιστὸς, ἐπεὶ ἀνεπιτίμητος δὲ οὐδαμῶς ὁ τοῖς ἐναντίοις περιπεσών: καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ πάλιν αὐτὸς ἡμῖν ὁ Σωτὴρ μαρτυρήσει λέγων “Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν οὐ ” κρίνεται, ὁ δὲ μὴ πιστεύων ἤδη κέκριται.“ Διειληφότες δὲ ἅπαξ τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐπὶ τῷ χρῆναι μὴ ἀπιστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, φέρε δή τι πάλιν ἐκ τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων ἀναδεξάμενοι παραθῶμεν εἰς μέσον, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀπιστίαις κόλασιν ἐκλαμπρύνωμεν πρὸς ὠφέλειαν τῶν ἐντευξομένων. οὐκοῦν: ἐπ' αὐτὸν γὰρ εἶμι πάλιν τὸν ἱεροφάντην Μωυσέα: ἐκελεύετό ποτε κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον ἀφορήτῳ δίψει καταβαρυνθέντος τοῦ λαοῦ, κοινωνὸν μὲν ποιεῖσθαι τὸν Ἀαρὼν, κατακρούειν δὲ τῇ ῥάβδῳ τὴν πέτραν, ἵνα καὶ ὑδάτων ἀνομβρήσῃ πηγάς. ἀλλ' οὐ σφόδρα τοῖς τοῦ προστάττοντος ἀναπεπεισμένος λόγοις, ὀλιγοψυχήσας δέ πως διὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ” Ἀκούσατέ μου, φησὶν, οἱ ἀπειθεῖς: “μὴ ἐκ τῆς πέτρας ταύτης ἐξάξομεν ὑμῖν ὕδωρ; καὶ ἐπάρας ” Μωυσῆς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπάταξε τῇ ῥάβδῳ τὴν πέτραν “ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὕδωρ πολύ: καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ” πρὸς Μωυσῆν καὶ Ἀαρών Ὅτι οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε ἁγιάσαι “με ἐναντίον τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εἰσάξετε ” ὑμεῖς τὴν συναγωγὴν ταύτην εἰς τὴν γῆν ἣν δέδωκα “αὐτοῖς.” ἆρ' οὖν ἐντεῦθεν οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο παντί τῳ σαφὲς, ὅπως ἐστὶ χαλεπὰ τῆς ἀπιστίας τὰ ὀψώνια; καὶ εἰ τοσοῦτος ὑπάρχων ἐπετιμήθη Μωυσῆς, τίνος ἔτι φείσεται Θεὸς, τίνι δὲ οὐκ ἐποίσει τὸν ἐφ' οἷς ἂν ἀπιστήσῃ θυμὸν ὁ οὕτως ἀπροσωπόληπτος, ὡς μηδὲ αὐτὸν ἐθελῆσαι δυσωπεῖσθαι Μωυσέα, πρὸς ὃν εἴρηται παρ' αὐτοῦ “Οἶδά σε παρὰ πάν” τας, καὶ χάριν εὗρες παρ' ἐμοί.“
« Ποιήσατε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀναπεσεῖν: ἦν δὲ χόρτος πολὺς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ: ἀνέπεσον οὖν ἄνδρες τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὡς πεντακι σχίλιοι. » Πρᾳότητα μὲν τὴν συνήθη τετίμηκεν ὁ Σωτὴρ, καὶ τὸ μὲν δριμὺ τῶν ἐλέγχων ἀφίστησιν: οὐκ ἐπιτιμᾷ γὰρ δηκτικῶς, καίτοι καὶ λίαν νυστάζουσι τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ὅσον ἧκεν εἰς τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ μικρόψυχόν τε καὶ ὀλιγόπιστον: παιδαγωγεῖ δὲ μᾶλλον διὰ πραγμάτων αὐτῶν εἰς κατάληψιν ὧν οὔπω πιστεύουσι. τὸ γάρ Ποιήσατε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀναπεσεῖν, οὐ μετρίαν ἔχει τὴν ἔμφασιν, μόνον δὲ οὐχὶ καὶ τοιοῦτόν τι λέγοντα δεικνύει τὸν Ἰησοῦν Ὢ βραδεῖς εἰς τὸ τὴν ἐμὴν συνιέναι δύναμιν, καὶ νοῆσαι τίς ὁ λαλῶν Ἀνακλίνατε τοὺς ἄνδρας, ἵν' ἐκ μηδενὸς τοῦ παρ' ὑμῖν κειμένου κατακορεσθέντας ὁρῶντες θαυμάζητε. ἀνακλίνατε τοὺς ἄνδρας. τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτοῖς τὸ λεῖπόν ἐστιν: οὐ γὰρ δηνάρια μὲν διακόσια τὰ ζωαρκῆ τοῖς ὄχλοις περιποιεῖν ἂν ἴσχυσε, χρημάτων δὲ τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις τὸ μεῖον ἐν τῷ δύνασθαι σώζειν, ἡ ἐμὴ κεκτήσεται δύναμις, ἡ πάντα πρὸς τὸ εἶναι καλοῦσα καὶ τῶν ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων δημιουργός: οὐδὲ Ἡλίας μὲν ὁ προφήτης ἀνενδεᾶ τὸν ἐλαιοφόρον τῆς χήρας ἐτίθει καμψάκην, μητέρα τε ἀνεκλείπτου τροφῆς τὴν ὑδρίαν ἀπετέλει, ὁ δὲ κἀκείνῳ τὸ δύνασθαι διδοὺς, οὐκ ἂν ἐξίσχυσε πολυτλασιάσαι τὸ μηδὲν, καὶ τὸ προστυχὸν ἁπλῶς τῆς ἀῤῥήτου φιλοτιμίας ἐργάσασθαι πηγὴν, καὶ ἀδοκήτου χάριτος ἀρχήν τε καὶ ῥίζαν; Τοιαῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐννοῆσαι τυχὸν οὐκ ἀπίθανον διὰ τῆς ἐμφάσεως οἱονεὶ λέγοντα τὸν Χριστόν: ἐπισημαίνεται δὲ χρησίμως ὁ μακάριος Εὐαγγελιστὴς, ὅτι καὶ χόρτος ἦν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ πολὺς, ἐπιτηδείως ἔχοντα τὸν χῶρον πρὸς τὸ καὶ δεῖν ἀνακλίνεσθαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐπιδεικνύς. ἐπιτήρει δὲ ὅπως ἀναμεμιγμένης εἰς ἑαυτὴν τῆς τῶν τρεφομένων πληθύος, καὶ γυναικῶν δηλονότι παρουσῶν σὺν τέκνοις, μόνους τοὺς ἄνδρας ἀπηριθμήσατο, ταῖς κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὡς οἶμαι συνηθείαις ἀκολουθῶν. διατάττοντος γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἱεροφάντην λέγοντος Μωυσέα ” Λάβετε ἀρχὴν πάσης “συναγωγῆς υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ κατὰ συγγενείας, κατ' οἴκους ” πατριῶν, κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ἐξ ὀνόματος, κατὰ κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν, “πᾶν ἄρσεν ἀπὸ εἰκοσαετοῖς καὶ ἐπάνω:” ἀπετελεῖτο τὸ προσταχθὲν, καὶ μακρὸν μὲν ὀνομάτων ὁ προφήτης συνετίθει κατάλογον, θηλειῶν δὲ παντελῶς καὶ μειρακιώδους ἡλικίας ἀλογήσας ὁρᾶται, καταγράφει δὲ ὄχλον τὸν ἡβήσαντα. τίμιον γὰρ καὶ ἐν βίβλῳ Θεοῦ πᾶν ὅσον ἀνδρῶδες καὶ νεανικὸν, καὶ οὐ νηπιάζον εἰς φρόνησιν τὴν ἐπ' ἀγαθοῖς. οὐκοῦν καὶ συνήθειαν διὰ τούτου τετίμηκε νομικὴν, καὶ θεώρημά τι πάλιν διαπλάττει πνευματικόν: ἢ γὰρ οὐκ εὐλόγως ἐροῦμεν εἰς ὅλην τοῦ προκειμένου τὴν διάνοιαν βλέποντες, ὅτι τὸν μὲν ὑβριστὴν καὶ ἀλαζόνα τῶν Ἰουδαίων λαὸν, καὶ ἐκτρέπεται δικαίως καὶ καταλιμπάνει Χριστὸς, προσδέχεται δὲ καὶ λίαν ἡδέως τοὺς προσιόντας αὐτῷ, καὶ ταῖς οὐρανίοις καταπιαίνει τροφαῖς, ἄρτον ὀρέγων τὸν νοητὸν, τὸν στηρίζοντα καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου; ἀποτρέφει δὲ οὐκ ἐπιπόνως αὐτοὺς, ἀλλ' ἱλαρῶς τε καὶ ἀνειμένως, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἐν εὐλαβείᾳ τέρψεως. τοῦτο γὰρ ἡμῖν ἡ ἐπὶ τῷ χόρτῳ τῶν ὄχλων κατάκλισις σημαίνει, ὡς ἤδη καὶ πρέπειν ἑκάστῳ τῶν τῆς τοιαύτης ἠξιωμένων χάριτος τὸ ἐν ψαλμοῖς ἐκεῖνο λέγειν “Κύριος ποιμαίνει με, καὶ οὐδέν με ὑστερήσει: εἰς τόπον ” χλόης ἐκεῖ με κατεσκήνωσεν.“ ἐν πολλῇ γὰρ τέρψει καὶ τρυφῇ ταῖς τοῦ Πνεύματος χορηγίαις ὁ τῶν ἁγίων ἐκτρέφεται νοῦς, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ἐν τῷ ᾄσματι τῶν ᾀσμάτων ” Φάγετε καὶ πίετε καὶ μεθύσθητε οἱ πλησίον.“ πολλῶν δὲ ὄντων καὶ ἀναμὶξ, καθάπερ ἤδη προειρήκαμεν, τῶν ἀνακειμένων ἀνδρῶν ἐπεμνήσθη μόνων, ἀποσιωπήσας γυναῖκας καὶ τέκνα χρησίμως τῷ θεωρήματι. διδάσκει γὰρ ἡμᾶς ὡς δι' αἰνίγματος, ὅτι τοῖς ἀνδριζομένοις, εἰς τὸ ἀγαθὸν δηλονότι, πρεπωδέστερόν πως καὶ οἰκειότερον ἡ παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος χορηγηθήσεται τροφὴ, καὶ οὐχὶ τοῖς ἐκθηλύνεσθαι πεφυκόσιν εἰς ἕξιν οὐκ ἀγαθὴν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῖς νηπιάζουσι ταῖς φρεσὶν, ὡς διὰ τοῦτο μηδὲν συνιέναι δύνασθαι τῶν ἀναγκαίων εἰς γνῶσιν.
« Ἔλαβεν οὖν τοὺς ἄρτους ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ εὐχαριστήσας διέδωκε τοῖς ἀνακειμένοις: ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὀψαρίων ὅσον ἤθελον. » Εὐχαριστεῖ μὲν εἰς τύπον ἡμέτερον, καὶ τῆς ὀφειλούσης ἡμῖν ἐνυπάρχειν εὐλαβείας ὑπογραμμόν. ἀνατίθησι δὲ πάλιν, ὡς ἄνθρωπος, τῇ θείᾳ φύσει τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ παραδόξῳ δύναμιν. κατείθισται γάρ πως οὗτος ὁ τρόπος αὐτῷ, καὶ ὠφελοῦντι πρὸς ὑπογραμμὸν εὐλαβείας, καθάπερ εἰρήκαμεν, τοὺς ἐφ' οἷς ἀναδειχθῇ τῶν καλλίστων εἰσηγητὴς, καὶ οἰκονομικῶς κατακρύπτοντί πως ἔτι τὸ θεοπρεπὲς ἀξίωμα, πρὶν ἐπιστῆναι τοῦ παθεῖν τὸν καιρόν: ἦν γὰρ δὴ καὶ διὰ φροντίδος αὐτῷ τὸ λαθεῖν ἐπείγεσθαι τὸν ἄρχοντα τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου. διάτοι τοῦτο καὶ ἐν ἑτέροις τὰς μὲν ἀνθρώποις πρεπούσας σχηματίζεται φωνὰς, ὡς ἄνθρωπος: θεραπεύει δὲ πάλιν τῶν ἀκροωμένων τὸν νοῦν, σοφωτάτην ἔσθ' ὅτε ποιούμενος τὴν ἐπαγωγὴν, ὡς ἐν τῷ ” Πάτερ, εὐχαριστῶ σοι ὅτι ἤκουσάς “μου.” ὁρᾷς, ὅπως ἀνθρωποπρεπὴς ὁ λόγος, καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀκεραιοτέρων διάνοιαν ἐκταράξαι δυνάμενος; ἀλλ' ὅτε τοῦτό φησιν, ὡς ἄνθρωπος, τότε δὴ πάλιν εὐθὺς τῆς οἰκονομίας ἐξηγεῖται τὸν τρόπον, καὶ τὸν ἐπὶ τῷ βούλεσθαι λανθάνειν σκοπὸν, ἄριστα δὴ λίαν οἰκονομῶν καὶ ἀνατειχίζων παραλελυμένον τῶν ἁπλουστέρων τὸν νοῦν. “Ἐγὼ γὰρ ᾔδειν,” φησὶν, “ὅτι πάντοτέ μου ἀκούεις.” τίνος οὖν ἕνεκα τοιαῦτα λαλεῖς; “Διὰ τὸν ὄχλον τὸν περιεστῶτα εἶπον, ἵνα πιστεύ” σωσι, φησὶν, ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας.“ ἆρ' οὖν οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο διὰ τούτων καταφανὲς, ὅτι πολυτρόπως ἡμᾶς ὠφελῶν, καὶ τὸν κεκρυμμένον τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίας, ὡς ἂν αὐτῷ πρέποι, διανύων σκοπὸν, ταπεινότερά πως, ἢ ἐν οἷς ἐστιν ἀληθῶς, ἔσθ' ὅτε λαλεῖ; ὡς οὖν ἐν ἐκείνοις οἰκονομικῶς τό Εὐχαριστῶ σοι λαμβάνεται, οὕτως καὶ ἐνταῦθα τό Εὐλογήσας ἐπὶ τῶν ἄρτων νοεῖται. Σημειωτέον δὲ, ὅτι ἀντὶ τοῦ Εὐχαριστήσας, τό Εὐλογήσας εἴρηκεν ὁ Ματθαῖος, διαφωνήσει δὲ οὐδαμῶς τῶν ἁγίων ἡ ἔκδοσις. ἓν γὰρ ἀποδείξει τὸ συναμφότερον ὁ Παῦλος εἰπών ” Ὅτι πᾶν βρῶμα Θεοῦ καλὸν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπόβλητον, “ἁγιάζεται γὰρ διὰ λόγου Θεοῦ καὶ ἐντεύξεως:” εὐλογεῖται δὲ πάντως τὸ ἁγιαζόμενον διὰ τῆς ἐν ἐντεύξει προσευχῆς, ἣν ἐπὶ τραπέζαις ἀεὶ ποιεῖν εἰθίσμεθα. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀζήτητον τῶν συμφερόντων οὐδὲν καταλιμπάνεσθαι πρέπει: φέρε δή τι βραχὺ καὶ εἰς τοὺς πέντε λέγωμεν ἄρτους, οἵπερ ἦσαν παρὰ τῷ παιδαρίῳ καὶ εἰς τὰ δύο ὀψάρια: λόγον γὰρ ὠδίνει μυστικὸν τῶν ηὑρημένων αὐτό τε τὸ εἶδος, καὶ μὴν καὶ ὁ ἀριθμός. διὰ τί γὰρ, τυχὸν ἐρεῖ τις τῶν φιλομαθεστέρων, οὐχὶ μᾶλλον τέσσαρες οἱ ἄρτοι, καὶ τρεῖς οἱ ἰχθύες; διατί δὲ μὴ πέντε, καὶ τέσσαρα ὀψάρια; τί δὲ ἦν ὅλως τὸ ἀναγκάζον καὶ τῶν ηὑρημένων ἐξηγεῖσθαι τὸν ἀριθμὸν, καὶ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἁπλούστερόν τε καὶ ἀπολύτως εἶπεν ἐξ ὀλίγων κομιδῆ τῶν ηὑρημένων τὴν ἀμέτρητον τῶν ἀκολουθούντων ἀποτετράφθαι πληθύν; τὸ δὲ λίαν ἐσπουδασμένως καὶ περὶ τούτων ἐξηγεῖσθαι τὸν μακάριον Εὐαγγελιστὴν, δίδωσί τι πάντως ἐννοεῖν, ὃ καὶ ζητεῖν ἀναγκαῖον. Οὐκοῦν, πέντε μὲν εἶναί φησι τοὺς ἄρτους, καὶ τοῦτο κριθίνους, δύο δὲ τὰ ὀψάρια, καὶ διὰ τούτων ἀποτρέφει Χριστὸς τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτόν. οἶμαι δὲ ἔγωγε: καὶ σκοπείτω τὸ κρεῖττον ὁ φιλομαθής: ὅτι διὰ μὲν τῶν πέντε ἄρτων τῶν κριθίνων, τὸ πενταμερὲς τοῦ πανσόφου Μωυσέως βιβλίον σημαίνεται, τουτέστι σύμπας ὁ νόμος, παχυτέραν ὥσπερ εἰσφέρων τὴν διὰ τοῦ γράμματος καὶ τῆς ἱστορίας τροφήν: τοῦτο γὰρ ὑποδηλοῖ, τὸ ἀπὸ κριθῆς. διὰ δὲ τῶν ὀψαρίων ἡ διὰ τῶν ἁλιέων τροφὴ, τουτέστι τὰ τρυφερώτατα τῶν τοῦ Σωτῆρος μαθητῶν συγγράμματα: καὶ δύο ταῦτα, φησὶν, ἀποστολικὸν ἐν ἡμῖν καὶ εὐαγγελικὸν διαλάμπει κήρυγμα. ἄμφω δὲ ταῦτα τῶν ἁλιέων εὑρήματα καὶ λογογραφίαι πνευματικαί. ἀναμίξας τοιγαροῦν ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῖς παλαιοῖς τὰ νέα, διὰ νόμου καὶ μαθημάτων διαθήκης καινῆς τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν πιστευόντων τὰς ψυχὰς ἀποτρέφει πρὸς ζωὴν, δῆλον ὅτι τὴν αἰώνιον. ὅτι γὰρ ἐξ ἁλιέων οἱ μαθηταὶ, πρόδηλον δήπου καὶ σαφές: εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ πάντες τυχὸν, ἀλλ' ἐπείπερ εἰσὶν ἐν αὐτοῖς οἱ τοιοῦτοι, οὕτω τῆς ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἀληθείας ὁ λόγος ἡμῖν οὐκ ἐξοιχήσεται.
« Ὡς δὲ ἐνεπλήσθησαν, λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ Συναγάγετε τὰ περισσεύσαντα κλάσματα, ἵνα μή τι ἀπόληται. συνήγαγον οὖν, καὶ ἐγέμισαν δώδεκα κοφίνους κλασμάτων ἐκ τῶν πέντε ἄρτων τῶν κριθίνων, ἅπερ ἐπερίσσευσε τοῖς βεβρωκόσι. » Δόξειε μὲν ἄν τῳ φειδοῖ τῶν περισσευμάτων τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς ἐπιτάξαι Χριστὸς συλλέγειν αὐτά. ἀλλ', οἶμαι, παστισοῦν ἐννοήσαι πρεπόντως, ὡς οὐκ ἂν εἰς τοῦτο μικρολογίας καταβαίνειν ἠνέσχετο: καὶ τί λέγω Χριστός; ἀλλ' οὐδὲ εἷς τις τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς. τί γὰρ ἦν ἐκ πέντε ἄρτων κριθίνων τὸ περιλελεῖφθαι προσδοκώμενον; ἀλλ' ἔχει πολλὴν οἰκονομίαν ὁ λόγος, καὶ τὸ θαῦμα τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις διαφανὲς ἐργάζεται. τοσαύτη γάρ τις ἐνέργεια θεοπρεποῦς ἐξουσίας περὶ τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστιν, ὡς μὴ μόνον ἐκ πέντε τὸν ἀριθμὸν κριθίνων καὶ ὀψαρίων δυοῖν δῆμον οὕτω κατακορεσθῆναι πολὺν, ἀλλ' ἔτι πρὸς τοῦτο καὶ συγκομισθῆναι λειψάνων κοφίνους δώδεκα. ἄλλως τε καὶ ἑτέραν τινὰ κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς τὸ θαῦμα τὴν ὑπόνοιαν ἀπεκρούσατο, τῇ τῶν λειψάνων εὑρέσει βεβαιούμενον εἰς πίστιν τοῦ πάντως τε καὶ ἀληθῶς τροφῆς γενέσθαι πλεονασμὸν, καὶ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον φαντασίας ἐπίδειξιν ἀπατώσης καὶ τὸν τῶν ἑστιωμένων καὶ τὸν τῶν διακονούντων αὐτοῖς ὀφθαλμόν. τὸ δέ γε μεῖζόν τε καὶ ἀξιολογώτερον, καὶ λίαν ἡμᾶς ὠφελοῦν, ἐκεῖνό ἐστι: κατανόει γὰρ ὅπως προθυμοτάτους ἡμᾶς διὰ τοῦ θαύματος ἀπεργάζεται πρὸς τὸ βούλεσθαι καὶ λίαν ἀσμένως φιλοξενεῖν, μονονουχὶ δι' αὐτῶν ἡμῖν ἀναβοήσας τῶν γεγενημένων, ὡς οὐκ ἐπιλείψει τὰ παρὰ Θεοῦ τὸν κοινωνικὸν, καὶ τῷ φιλαλλήλῳ χαίροντα τρόπῳ, καὶ τὸ γεγραμμένον ἀποπληροῦν ἐθελήσαντα “Διάθρυπτε πεινῶντι τὸν ἄρτον σου.” ὄκνῳ μὲν γὰρ τῷ περὶ τοῦτο κατειλημμένους τοὺς μαθητὰς εὑρίσκομεν ἐν ἀρχῇ, ἀλλ' ἐπείπερ ἦσαν οὕτω διακείμενοι, πλουσίαν αὐτοῖς ὁ Σωτὴρ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν λειψάνων ἐτίθει συγκομιδήν: διδάσκει δὲ καὶ ἡμᾶς διὰ τούτων, ὅτι βραχύ τι δαπανῶντες εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ, πλουσιωτέραν ἀντιληψόμεθα χάριν κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον παρὰ Χριστοῦ “Μέτρον καλὸν ” πεπιεσμένον καὶ σεσαλευμένον ὑπερεκχυνόμενον δώσουσιν “εἰς τὸν κόλπον ὑμῶν.” οὐκ ὀκνητέον τοιγαροῦν εἰς κοινωνίαν τὴν ἐξ ἀγάπης τῆς εἰς ἀδελφοὺς, ἰτέον δὲ μᾶλλον εἰς εὐτολμίαν ἀγαθὴν, καὶ ὄκνον μὲν καὶ δειλίαν τὴν ἀφιλοξενεῖν ἀναπείθουσαν, ὡς ποῤῥωτάτω ποιησώμεθα, βεβαιούμενοι δὲ πρὸς ἐλπίδα διὰ τῆς πίστεως τοῦ καὶ τὰ μικρὰ πολυπλασιάζειν δύνασθαι τὸν Θεὸν, ἀνοίξωμεν τοῖς δεομένοις τὰ σπλάγχνα, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ νόμου διάταξιν “Ἀνοίγων γὰρ, φησὶν, ” ἀνοίξεις τὰ σπλάγχνα σου τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου τῷ ἐπιδεομένῳ “ἐν σοί:” πότε γὰρ ἐλεήμων ὀφθήσῃ, σκληρὸς διαμείνας τὸν ἐν τῷδε τῷ βίῳ χρόνον; πότε δὲ πληρώσεις τὴν ἐντολὴν, τὸν τοῦ δύνασθαι δρᾶν ἐν ἀργίᾳ παριππεύειν ἐπιτρέπων καιρόν; μέμνησο λέγοντος τοῦ μελῳδοῦ “Ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ” τῷ θανάτῳ ὁ μνημονεύων σου: ἐν δὲ τῷ ᾅδῃ τίς ἐξομολο“γήσεταί σοι;” ποῖος γὰρ ἔτι τῶν νεκρῶν ὁ καρπὸς, ἢ πῶς ἔτι μεμνήσεταί τις Θεοῦ διὰ τοῦ πληροῦν ἐντολὴν τῶν ἐν ᾅδου καταβεβηκότων; “Συνέκλεισε γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς κατ' αὐτοῦ,” κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον: διάτοι τοῦτο καὶ ὁ σοφώτατος ἡμᾶς ἐπαίδευε Παῦλος “Ἕως καιρὸν ἔχομεν ἐργαζώμεθα τὸ ἀγα” θὸν,“ ἐπιστέλλων τισί. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἡμῖν εἰς τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἱστορίας λελέξεται χρήσιμον: ἐπειδὴ δὲ πνευματικῶς ἐκλαμβάνοντες τὰ εἰρημένα: χρῆν γὰρ οὕτω, καὶ οὐχ ἑτέρως: διὰ μὲν τῶν πέντε κριθίνων τὸ Μωυσαϊκὸν ἔφημεν ὑποδηλοῦσθαι βιβλίον, διὰ δὲ τοῖν δυοῖν ὀψαρίοιν, τὰ σοφὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων συγγράμματα: χρῆναι πάλιν ὑπολαμβάνω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς τῶν λειψάνων συλλογῆς, μυστικόν τε καὶ πνευματικὸν ἐπινοῆσαι θεώρημα, τῇ τῶν εἰρημένων ἀκολουθίᾳ συντρέχον. οὐκοῦν ἐκέλευε μὲν ὁ Σωτὴρ ἀναπίπτειν μὲν τοὺς ὄχλους, εὐλογήσας δὲ τοὺς ἄρτους καὶ τὰ ὀψάρια παρετίθει, διὰ τῆς τῶν μαθητῶν ὑπουργίας δηλαδή: ἐπειδὴ δὲ κατεκορέσθησαν παραδόξως οἱ βεβρωκότες, συλλέγειν ἐπιτάττει τὰ λείψανα, καὶ πληροῦνται κόφινοι δώδεκα, εἷς ἑκάστῳ τῶν μαθητῶν κατὰ τὸ εἰκός: ἦσαν γὰρ τοσοῦτοι καὶ αὐτοί. τί οὖν ἐντεῦθεν ὑπονοήσομεν, ἢ πάντως ἐκεῖνο, καὶ οὐκ ἐψευσμένως, ὅτι πανηγυριάρχης μὲν τῶν ἐπ' αὐτῷ πιστευόντων ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ τοὺς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἰόντας ἀποτρέφει τοῖς θείοις τε καὶ οὐρανίοις, δῆλον ὅτι μαθήμασι, νομικοῖς τε καὶ προφητικοῖς, εὐαγγελικοῖς τε καὶ ἀποστολικοῖς. ἀλλ' οὐ πάντως αὐτὸς ὁρᾶται τούτων ὁ αὐτουργὸς, διακονοῦσι δὲ ἡμῖν τὴν ἄνωθεν χάριν οἱ μαθηταί: αὐτοὶ γὰρ οὐκ εἰσὶν ” οἱ λαλοῦντες“ κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον, ” ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸ “λαλοῦν ἐν” αὐτοῖς: ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀμισθὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις ὁ πρὸς τοῦτο γενήσεται πόνος. παραθέντες γὰρ ἡμῖν τὰς πνευματικὰς δῆλον ὅτι τροφὰς, καὶ τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀγαθὰ διακονησάμενοι, πλουσιωτάτην ἀποίσονται τὴν ἀνταπόδοσιν, καὶ πληρεστάτην εὑρήσουσι παρὰ Θεοῦ τῆς φιλοτιμίας τὴν χάριν. οἶμαι γὰρ τοῦτο, καὶ οὐχ ἕτερόν τι, δηλοῦν τὸ μετὰ τοὺς πόνους καὶ τὴν ὑπουργίαν τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς δαιτυμόσι δεδαπανημένην, κόφινον ἑκάστῳ συνειλέχθαι μεστὸν διὰ προστάγματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ὅτι δὲ μετ' ἐκείνους τὰ ἐκ τοῦ τύπου διαβήσεται καὶ εἰς τοὺς τῶν ἁγίων ἡγουμένους ἐκκλησιῶν, οὐκ ἀμφίλογον.
« Οἱ οὖν ἄνθρωποι ἰδόντες ὃ ἐποίησεν σημεῖον ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἔλεγον ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ προφήτης ὁ ἐρχόμενος εἰς τὸν κόσμον. » Θαυμάζουσι τὸ σημεῖον οἱ δοκιμάζειν εἰδότες τὰ θεοπρεπῆ, καὶ ἀνθρωπίνῳ μᾶλλον λογισμῷ διοικούμενοι, ἤπερ κτηνώδη νοσοῦντες τὴν ἀβουλίαν, ὁποῖοί τινες ἦσαν οἱ δυσσεβεῖς Ἰουδαῖοι, δέον ὠφελεῖσθαι τῇ τῶν τελουμένων περιφανείᾳ, καὶ τὸ κρίνειν ὀρθῶς δύνασθαι ζημιούμενοι. χρῆναι γὰρ ἤδη καὶ καταλιθοῦσθαι τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐδοκίμαζον, τῶν παραδόξων ὅτι δὴ πολλάκις ὁρῷτο δημιουργός. ἀμείνους τοιγαροῦν καὶ οὐ κατά τι μέρος βραχὺ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀπονοίας, οἱ τῇδε θαυμάζοντες, καὶ ἐφ' ἑνὶ τούτῳ καὶ μεγάλῳ σημείῳ σωφρόνως ἀναπεπεισμένοι λοιπὸν, ὅτιπερ εἴη πάντως αὐτὸς ὁ καὶ ἥξειν εἰς κόσμον ἐν προφήτου τάξει προκεκηρυγμένος: ἐπιτήρει δὲ, ὅση πάλιν ἐντεῦθεν ὁρᾶται διαφορὰ, γένους τε φημὶ τοῦ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τῶν ἔξω τῆς Ἰουδαίας κειμένων: οἱ μὲν γὰρ καίτοι πολλῶν καὶ οὐκ ἀναξίων εἰς τὸ θαυμάζεσθαι γεγονότες θεωροὶ, σκληροὶ μὲν οὐχ ὅπως εἰσὶ καὶ ἀπάνθρωποι μόνον, ἀλλὰ δὴ καὶ φονῶσιν ἀδίκως τὸν ὅτι προσήκοι διασώζειν αὐτοὺς προθυμούμενον, ἀτιθάσοις ἀπονοίαις πόλεώς τε τῆς ἑαυτῶν καὶ χώρας ἐλαύνοντες: οἱ δὲ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐξῳκισμένοι, καὶ διὰ τούτου τὸ ἀλλογενὲς ὑπεμφαίνοντες, ἑνὶ καὶ μόνῳ σημείῳ δοξάζουσι, καὶ ἀνενδοιάστως τῇ πίστει παραδέχεσθαι δεῖν τὰς ἐπ' αὐτῷ διαλήψεις εὐγενῶς δοκιμάζουσιν. ἀπὸ δὴ τούτων ἁπάντων, αὐτοκατάκριτος μὲν καὶ αὐτόκληρος εἰς τὸ χρῆναι λοιπὸν ἀποῤῥίπτεσθαι δικαίως ὁ Ἰσραὴλ ἀνεδείκνυτο, φειδοῦς δὲ τῆς ἄνωθεν καὶ ἀγαπήσεως τῆς διὰ Χριστοῦ τὸ χρῆναι λαχεῖν ἤδη τοῖς ἐθνῶν χρεωστούμενον.
« Ἰησοῦς οὖν γνοὺς ὅτι μέλλουσιν ἔρχεσθαι καὶ ἁρπάζειν αὐτὸν ἵνα ποιήσωσι βασιλέα, ἀνεχώρησε πάλιν εἰς τὸ ὄρος αὐτὸς μόνος. » Ἀξιεπαινετωτάτην μὲν ἄν τις ἐποίησε τὴν ψῆφον, καὶ σφόδρα δικαίως τοῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ μεγάλου θαύματος ἀναπεπεισμένοις εὐκόλως, ὅτι δὴ πρέποι τὰ πάντων ἐξαίρετα προσεῖναι Χριστῷ, καὶ τὴν ἀκροτάτην ὡς ἐν μοίρᾳ τιμῆς ἀνατίθεσθαι. τὸ γὰρ ἐθέλειν αὐτὸν εἰς βασιλέα προχειρίζεσθαι, τί ἂν ἡμῖν ἕτερον ἢ τοῦτο σημαίνῃ; ἀγασθείη δ' ἄν τις εἰκότως μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τοῦτο, ὑπογραμμὸς γὰρ ἡμῖν ἀφιλοδοξίας εὑρίσκεται Χριστὸς, καὶ τοὺς ὅτι προσήκοι τιμᾶν ἑλομένους αὐτὸν ἀποφεύγων, καὶ βασιλείαν τὴν ἀνωτάτω τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν παραιτούμενος, εἰ καὶ ἀζήλωτον αὐτῷ ἀληθῶς τὸ πρᾶγμα, διὰ τὸ πάντων βασιλεύειν μετὰ Πατρὸς, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ δίδωσιν ἐννοεῖν τοῖς εἰς ἐλπίδα τὴν μέλλουσαν ἀποβλέπουσιν, ὅτι μικρὸν αὐτοῖς τὸ ἐν κόσμῳ μέγα, καὶ ὅτι τὰς ἐν τῷδε τῷ βίῳ, ἤγουν κόσμῳ, τιμὰς, κἂν αὐτομολῶσι, μὴ προσίεσθαι καλὸν, ἵν' εἰς ἐκείνην ἀναβαίνωσι τὴν παρὰ Θεοῦ: ἀπρεπὲς γὰρ ὄντως τὸ ἐν τούτοις διαλάμψαι φιλεῖν, τοὺς οἵ γε πρὸς θείαν ἐπείγονται χάριν, καὶ δόξαν διψῶσι τὴν αἰώνιον. Παραιτητέον τοιγαροῦν τὴν ὑπεροψίας ἀδελφὴν καὶ γείτονα φιλοδοξίαν, καὶ οὐ πολὺ τῷ μέτρῳ τῶν ἐκείνης ὅρων ἀπεσχοινισμένην. καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐπιφανὲς ἐν τιμῇ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον, ὡς ἀδικοῦν ἀποφύγωμεν, ζητῶμεν δὲ μᾶλλον τὸ ἐν ταπεινώσει σεμνὸν, παραχωροῦντες ἀλλήλοις, καθάπερ ἡμᾶς καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἐνουθέτει λέγων “Τοῦτο φρο” νείτω ἕκαστος ἐν ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὃς “ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ” ἴσα Θεῷ, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν, ἐν “ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος, καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ” ἄνθρωπος ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν, γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι “θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ: διὸ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ” ὑπερύψωσε καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν “ὄνομα.” ὁρᾷς ὅπως ἡ ἑκούσιος ταπείνωσις λαμπρὸν ἔχει τὸ τέλος, καὶ ῥίζα πολλῶν ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν τὸ μέτριον ἀναφαίνεται φρόνημα; ἐν μορφῇ μὲν γὰρ ὑπάρχων τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς τεταπείνωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὁ Μονογενὴς ἄνθρωπος γενόμενος δι' ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ πέφηνεν ἐν τῷδε τῷ βίῳ μετὰ σαρκὸς, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔμεινε ταπεινός: ἀνατρέχει γὰρ εἰς τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἀξίωμα καὶ εἰς δόξαν τὴν θεοπρεπῆ, καὶ εἰ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος. τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τοῦτον νοήσαι τις τρόπον καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν. ὅταν γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς τῶν διακένων ὑψωμάτων τοῦ παρόντος βίου κατακομίζωμεν καὶ ζητῶμεν τὰ ταπεινὰ, τότε δὴ πάντως καὶ τὴν ἄνωθεν ἀντικομιούμεθα δόξαν, καὶ εἰς τὸ εἶναι θεοὶ κατὰ χάριν ἀναβησόμεθα, καθ' ὁμοιότητα λαμβάνοντες τὴν ὡς πρὸς τὸν ἀληθῶς καὶ κατὰ φύσιν Υἱὸν τὸ καλεῖσθαι τέκνα Θεοῦ: καὶ ἵνα τι τοῖς προκειμένοις εἴπω τὸ συγγενὲς, καὶ αὐτὴν, εἰ πρόσεισι, τὴν ἐπὶ γῆς ἀκρότητα παραιτώμεθα τὴν ἁπάσης μητέρα τιμῆς, εἰ φρονοῦμεν τὰ ἐπουράνια, καὶ τοῖς ἄνω πολιτευόμεθα μᾶλλον ἤπερ τοῖς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Πνευματικῶν δὲ θεωρημάτων ὁ λόγος ἡμῖν οὐκ ἀμοιρεῖ, διὸ δὴ πάλιν ἐροῦμεν, ὅλην ὥσπερ ἀνακεφαλαιούμενοι τῶν γεγενημένων τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς τῶν προκειμένων ἀναμηρυσάμενοι λόγον: οὕτω γὰρ ἡμῖν ἔσται καταφανὲς τὸ ῥηθήσεσθαι μέλλον, μάλισθ' ὅτι προστέθεικεν ὁ μακάριος Εὐαγγελιστὴς, ὥσπερ ἀναγκαῖόν τι καὶ ἀπαραίτητον ὑποδηλῶν, τὸ, ὅτι ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος αὐτὸς μόνος. οὐκοῦν τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀπανθρωπίαν παραιτούμενος, ἀπεδήμει μὲν τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὁ Χριστὸς, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἐναργῶς “Ἐγκαταλέλοιπα τὸν οἶκόν μου, ἀφῆκα τὴν κληρονομίαν ” μου.“ διαπεραιωσάμενος δὲ τὴν Τιβεριάδος θάλασσαν, καὶ πολὺ λίαν τῆς ἐκείνων ἀπονοίας ἀπεσχοινισμένος, ἀνεπήδα πρὸς ὄρος ἅμα τοῖς μαθηταῖς: ἃ δὴ καὶ ὑποδηλοῦν εἰρήκαμεν τό τε ἄβατον ὥσπερ καὶ ἀνήνυτον τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τῆς ὡς ἐπ' αὐτὸν ὁδοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἐξ ὀργῆς τῆς ἐπὶ τῷ πάθει γενομένην ἀναχώρησιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ μέχρι καιροῦ, δῆλον ὅτι τοῦ πρέποντος, καὶ ὅτι περιφανὴς ἔσται Χριστὸς ἅμα τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς, ὅταν ἐκβαίνῃ τὴν Ἰουδαίαν καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἔθνη βαδίζῃ μετατιθεὶς ἐπ' ἐκεῖνα τὴν χάριν: ἀπὸ δέ γε τοῦ ὄρους τοὺς ἑπομένους αὐτῷ κατεσκέπτετο, καὶ προσέτι τούτῳ διενοεῖτο περὶ τροφῆς. καὶ τοῦτο δὲ πάλιν ἐλέγομεν καθάπερ ἐν τύπῳ σημαίνειν καὶ τὴν ἄνωθεν τοῖς ἁγίοις χρεωστουμένην ἐπισκοπὴν, κατὰ τό ” Ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου ἐπὶ δικαίους,“ καὶ ὅτι τῶν σεβομένων αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀπρονοήτως ἔχει ὁ Χριστός. εἶτα παραδόξως ὁ πολὺς ἀπετρέφετο δῆμος, διά γε τῶν πέντε ἄρτων καὶ τοῖν δυοῖν ὀψαρίοιν: ἐφ' ᾧ δὴ χρῆναι νοεῖσθαι διωριζόμεθα τῶν ἁγίων συγγράμματα παλαιῶν τε καὶ νέων τὴν διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων παράθεσιν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι Χριστόν. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, ὅτι καὶ τὸν τῆς εἰς ἡμᾶς διακονίας καρπὸν πλούσιον κομιεῖται παρὰ Θεοῦ τῶν μαθητῶν ὁ χορὸς, καὶ μετ' ἐκείνους, οἱ τῶν ἁγίων τοῦ Θεοῦ προεστῶτες ἐκκλησιῶν: ἐπὶ γὰρ πάντας ἐν ἐκείνοις ὁ τύπος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ. εἶτα θαυμάζουσιν οἱ θεωροὶ τὸ σημεῖον καὶ ἁρπάζειν εἰς βασιλέα βουλεύονται τὸν Ἰησοῦν. ὃ δὴ καὶ συνεὶς, ἀναχωρεῖ μόνος εἰς τὸ ὄρος ὡς γέγραπται: ὅτε γὰρ παρὰ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὡς μεγαλουργὸς καὶ Θεὸς ἐθαυμάσθη Χριστὸς, ὅτε πάντες αὐτὸν ἐπεγράψαντο βασιλέα καὶ κύριον, τότε καὶ ἀνελήφθη μόνος εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, οὐδενὸς αὐτῷ τὸ παράπαν ἀκολουθήσαντος: ἀπαρχὴ γὰρ τῶν νεκρῶν ἀναβέβηκεν ὅλως μόνος εἰς τὸ ὄρος τὸ μέγα καὶ ἀληθέστερον κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον διὰ τοῦ ψαλμῳδοῦ ” Τίς ἀναβήσεται εἰς τὸ ὄρος τοῦ Κυρίου, ἢ τίς “στήσεται ἐν τόπῳ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ; ἀθῷος χερσὶ καὶ καθαρὸς ” τῇ καρδίᾳ.“ ἀκολουθήσει γὰρ ὁ τοιοῦτος τῷ Χριστῷ καὶ εἰς ὄρος τὸ νοητὸν ἀναβήσεται, κατὰ τὸν τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας καιρόν: ἀνακεχώρηκε δὲ εἰς τὸ ὄρος, τουτέστιν, ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, οὐ τὸ βασιλεύειν τῶν πεπιστευκότων αὐτῷ παραιτούμενος, ἀλλ' ὑπερτιθέμενος τὸν τῆς βασιλείας τῆς ἐκφανεστέρας καιρὸν εἰς τὴν ἄνωθεν ὡς ἡμᾶς ἐπιστροφὴν, ὅτε καὶ ἐν δόξῃ τῇ τοῦ Πατρὸς καταβήσεται, οὐκέτι διὰ σημείων, καθάπερ καὶ πρότερον, ἐπιγινωσκόμενος ὅτιπερ ὄντως ἐστὶ κατὰ φύσιν Κύριος, ἀλλ' ἐκ δόξης θεοπρεποῦς ὅτιπερ ὑπάρχει βασιλεὺς ἀνενδοιάστως ὁμολογούμενος. Οὐκοῦν: ἐρῶ γὰρ αὖθις ἐν ὀλίγῳ συνενεγκὼν τῶν εἰρημένων τὸ πλάτος: ὅτε διὰ σημείων ἐπιστεύθη καὶ ἐπεγνώσθη Θεὸς, τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν ἐκφοιτήσας λαῶν, τότε δὴ πάντες αὐτὸν καὶ εἰς βασιλέα λαμβάνειν ἐπείγονται: ἀναβαίνει δὲ μόνος εἰς οὐρανοὺς καιρῷ τῷ πρέποντι τὴν τῆς βασιλείας ἐκφανεστέραν ἐπίδειξιν ἀποταμιευόμενος.
« Ὡς δὲ ὀψία ἐγένετο, κατέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ ἐμβάντες εἰς πλοῖον ἤρχοντο πέραν τῆς θα λάσσης εἰς Καφαρναούμ. » Παραδόξως ἀποτελεσθέντος τοῦ πρώτου σημείου, ῥίζα πάλιν καὶ ἑτέρου καὶ πρόφασις ἡ ἐπ' ἐκείνῳ φυγή τε καὶ ἀναχώρησις οἰκονομικῶς εὑρίσκεται, καὶ πορεύεται, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, ” ἐκ δυνάμεως εἰς δύναμιν“ ὁ θαυματουργός. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐζητεῖτο μὲν εἰς βασιλέα παρὰ τῶν ἐπ' ἐκείνῳ τῷ μεγάλῳ καταπεπληγμένων θαύματι, παρῃτεῖτο δὲ αὐτὸς τὰς ἐν κόσμῳ τιμὰς κατὰ τοὺς ἤδη προαποδοθέντας λόγους: ἔδει δὴ πάντως καὶ τόπων αὐτὸν, μᾶλλον δὲ ἁπάσης τῆς ἐκείνων ἀπανίστασθαι χώρας. ἵνα τοίνυν καὶ ἀποπλεῦσαι δοκῇ, καὶ τὸν τῶν ἐπιζητούντων ὑποχαυνώσῃ τόνον, προαποδημεῖν ἐπιτάττει τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ἀπομένει δὲ αὐτὸς εὐαφόρμως ἐπὶ τὸ ἐφεξῆς σημεῖον ἐρχόμενος: ἦν γὰρ δὴ καὶ λίαν ἐσπουδασμένον αὐτῷ τὸ διὰ πάσης ἀφορμῆς καὶ πράγματος βεβαιοῦν εἰς πίστιν τὴν ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ τῶν ἀποστόλων τὸν νοῦν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔμελλον ἔσεσθαι τῆς οἰκουμένης διδάσκαλοι, καὶ ὥσπερ τινὲς ” φωστῆρες διαλάμψειν ἐν κόσμῳ,“ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Παύλου φωνὴν, ἀναγκαίαν αὐτοῖς τὴν ἐφ' ἅπασι τοῖς ὠφελεῖν πεφυκόσιν ἐποιεῖτο χειραγωγίαν. τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν οὐχ ὅπως ἐκείνοις χαρίζεσθαι μόνοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς παρ' αὐτῶν παιδαγωγηθήσεσθαι μέλλουσιν εἰς τὴν ἐπ' αὐτῷ κατάληψιν ἀπλανῆ. Ἀλλὰ τοῦ δὴ χάριν, ἐρεῖ τις τυχὸν, μετὰ τὴν ἐπ' ἐκείνῳ μεγαλουργίαν εὐθὺς τὸ δύνασθαι καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῆς ἰέναι θαλάσσης τὸν Ἰησοῦν εἰσφέρεται; πιθανὴν δὲ σφόδρα τὴν αἰτίαν ὁ τοιοῦτος ἀντακούσεται. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοὺς μὲν ὄχλους αὐτὸς ἀποτρέφειν ἐβούλετο, ἀτονήσειν δέ πως αὐτὸν περὶ τοῦτο Φίλιππός τε καὶ Ἀνδρέας ὑπέλαβον, ὁ μὲν ἀργυρίων οὐκ ἐλάχιστον ἀριθμὸν μόλις αὐτοῖς ἐξαρκέσειν εἰς ὀλίγην κομιδῆ τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν εἰρηκὼς, ὁ δὲ πέντε μὲν ἄρτους καὶ ὀψάρια δύο παρ' ἑνὶ τῶν παιδαρίων ηὑρῆσθαι διδάσκων, μὴ μὴν εἶναί τι τὸ ηὑρημένον εἰς ὄχλον οὕτω πολὺν, καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, τῶν οἰκείων ῥημάτων μηδὲν ἔξω δύνασθαι τῆς χρεωστουμένης ἀκολουθίας τοῖς καθ' ἡμᾶς πράγμασιν ἐνόμισαν αὐτόν: ἀναγκαίως, ἵνα τῆς οὕτω σμικροπρεποῦς ὑπολήψεως ἑαυτὸν ἀπαλλάξῃ, καὶ ἀτονοῦντά πως ἔτι τῶν ἀποστόλων τὸν νοῦν ἀναπείθῃ δύνασθαι μαθεῖν, ὅτι πάντα παραδόξως ἅπερ ἂν ἐθελήσαι ποιεῖ τῇ τῶν πραγμάτων φύσει μὴ κωλυόμενος, μήτε μὴν κατά τι γοῦν ὅλως παραποδιζούσης αὐτῷ τῆς ὡς ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἀκολουθίας, ὑπὸ πόδας ἐτίθει τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ὑγρὰν τῶν ὑδάτων φύσιν, καίτοι τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις σώμασιν ὑποκεῖσθαι μελετήσασαν: πάντα γὰρ ἦν ὡς Θεῷ δυνατά. ὀψίας τοιγαροῦν ἤδη γεγενημένης, καὶ τῶν ζητούντων αὐτὸν τὴν ἀκρίβειαν παραλύοντος τοῦ καιροῦ, καταβαίνει μὲν ἐπὶ θάλασσαν τῶν ἁγίων μαθητῶν ὁ χορὸς, ἀπέπλει δὲ παραχρῆμα, τῷ Θεῷ καὶ διδασκάλῳ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἀμελητὶ πειθόμενος.
« Καὶ σκοτία ἤδη ἐγεγόνει, καὶ οὔπω ἐληλύθει πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἥ τε θάλασσα ἀνέμου μεγάλου πνέοντος διηγείρετο. » Πολλὰ κατὰ ταὐτὸν οἰκονομεῖται χρησίμως, καὶ συνελαύνει τοὺς μαθητὰς εἰς θερμοτέραν τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὴν ἐπιζήτησιν τὰ συμβαίνοντα: θορυβεῖ μὲν γὰρ βαθὺς ὢν ὁ τῆς νυκτὸς σκότος, καὶ τοῖς μὲν ὕδασι μαινομένοις καπνοῦ δίκην ἐπινηχόμενος, τὴν δὲ ὅποι λοιπὸν ἀπευθύνεσθαι χρῆν ἀναιρούμενος γνῶσιν. ἐκταράττει δὲ οὐ μικρῶς καὶ πνευμάτων ἀγριότης, ῥοιζηδὸν τοῖς κύμασιν ἐπεμβαίνουσα, καὶ πρὸς ὕψος ἤδη τὸ ἀσύνηθες διανιστῶσα τὸν κλύδωνα. ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων ἤδη γεγενημένων, οὔπω φησὶν ἐληλύθει πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς: ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ ἦν μάλιστα τὸ κινδύνευμα, καὶ τὸ τοῦ φόβου πλέον τὸ μὴ παρεῖναι Χριστὸν τοῖς πλέουσιν ἐνειργάζετο. Οὐκοῦν ἀνάγκη χειμάζεσθαι τοὺς μὴ συνόντας αὐτῷ, διατεμνομένους δέ πως, ἢ καὶ δοκοῦντας ἀποδημεῖν διὰ τοῦ τῶν θείων ἐξοίχεσθαι νόμων, καὶ χωριζομένους διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ διασώζειν ἰσχύοντος. οὐκοῦν εἰ βαρὺ τὸ ἐν σκότῳ γενέσθαι τῷ νοητῷ, καὶ εἰ χαλεπὸν τὸ ἐν θαλάσσῃ πικρᾷ τῶν ἡδονῶν καταπνίγεσθαι, προσδεξώμεθα τὸν Ἰησοῦν: τοῦτο γὰρ ἡμᾶς καὶ κινδύνων ἀπαλλάξει, καὶ τῆς εἰς θάνατον ἁμαρτίας. ὁ δὲ τύπος τῶν εἰρημένων ἐν τοῖς γεγονόσιν ὀφθήσεται: ἥξει δὴ οὖν πάντως ἐπὶ τοὺς μαθητάς.
« Ἐληλακότες οὖν ὡς σταδίους εἰκοσιπέντε ἢ τριάκοντα, θεωροῦσι τὸν Ἰησοῦν περιπατοῦντα ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ ἐγγὺς τοῦ πλοίου γινόμενον: καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Ἐγώ εἰμι, μὴ φοβεῖσθε. » Ὅτε μακροῖς διαστήμασι τῆς ἠπείρου χωρίζονται, καὶ παθόντας ἦν εἰκὸς διασώζεσθαι μηδαμῶς: μέσην γὰρ ἤδη εἶχον τὴν θάλασσαν: τότε δὴ μάλα τριποθήτως αὐτοῖς ἐπιφαίνεται ὁ Χριστός: ἦν γὰρ οὕτω καὶ χαριεστάτην τοῖς κινδυνεύουσιν ἐπιδοῦναι τὴν σωτηρίαν, πᾶσαν αὐτοῖς τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ ζῆν ἐλπίδα προαποτεμόντος ἤδη τοῦ φόβου. ἐπιφαίνεται δὲ παραδόξως αὐτοῖς: τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν μάλιστα τὸ πρὸς ὠφέλειαν οἰκονομούμενον: καταπλήττονται δὲ διὰ μέσης θαλάσσης καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῶν ὑδάτων ἰόντα βλέποντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ προσθήκην τῷ φόβῳ τὸ θαῦμα λαμβάνουσιν: ἀπαλλάττει δὲ αὐτοὺς τῶν συμβεβηκότων παραχρῆμα Χριστός Ἐγώ εἰμι, μὴ φοβεῖσθε λέγων: ἔδει γὰρ ἔδει πάντα μὲν ἐκποδὼν οἴχεσθαι θόρυβον, παντὸς δὲ κινδύνου φαίνεσθαι κρείττονας, τοὺς οἷς ἤδη παρῆν ὁ Χριστός: εἰσόμεθα τοίνυν καὶ διὰ τούτου πάλιν, φρόνημα μὲν ἔχειν ἐν πειρασμοῖς εὔτολμόν τε καὶ νεανικὸν, ὑπομονῇ δὲ κεχρῆσθαι συντόνῳ τῇ εἰς Χριστὸν ἐλπίδι, βεβαιουμένους εἰς εὐθαρσίαν τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ πάντως διασωθήσεσθαι, κἂν πολλοί τινες ἡμᾶς οἱ ἐκ τοῦ πειράζεσθαι περικλύζωσι φόβοι. Ἐπιτήρει γὰρ ὅπως οὐκ εὐθὺς ἀποπλεύσασιν, οὐδὲ ἐν ἀρχῇ τῶν κινδύνων, τοῖς ἐν τῷ σκάφει Χριστὸς ἐπιφαίνεται, ἀλλ' ὅτε σταδίοις ἀπενοσφίζοντο τῆς ἠπείρου πολλοῖς. οὐ γὰρ εὐθὺς ἀρχομένης τῆς ἐκταρασσούσης ἡμᾶς περιστάσεως ἡ τοῦ διασώζοντος χάρις ἐπιφοιτᾷ, ἀλλ' ὅταν ἀκμάσῃ μὲν ὁ φόβος, φαίνηται δὲ ἤδη κατὰ κράτος ὁ κίνδυνος, καὶ ἐν μέσοις, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, τοῖς κύμασι τῶν θλίψεων εὑρισκώμεθα: τότε δὴ καὶ ἀδοκήτως ἐπιφαίνεται Χριστὸς, καὶ περιστέλλει μὲν τὸν φόβον, κινδύνου δὲ ἀπαλλάξει παντὸς, ἀφάτῳ δυνάμει μετατιθεὶς τὰ δεινὰ, καθάπερ εἰς γαλήνην τὴν εὐθυμίαν.
« Ἤθελον οὖν λαβεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον, καὶ εὐθέως ἐγένετο τὸ πλοῖον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἰς ἣν ὑπῆγον. » Οὐ κινδύνων μόνον ἀπαλλάττει τοὺς πλωτῆρας ὁ Κύριος παραδόξως αὐτοῖς ἐπιλάμψας, ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ πόνου καὶ ἱδρώτων ἐλευθεροῖ, δυνάμει τῇ θεοπρεπεῖ τῇ κατ' ἀντίπεραν γῇ προσερείσας τὸ σκάφος: οἱ μὲν γὰρ προσεδόκουν, ἐρέττοντες ἔτι μόλις δύνασθαι διεκπλεῖν, ὁ δὲ καὶ τούτων ἐξίστησι τῶν πόνων αὐτοὺς, πολλῶν ἐν ὀλίγῳ κομιδῇ τῷ καιρῷ θαυμάτων δημιουργὸς πρὸς πληροφορίαν αὐτοῖς ἀναδεικνύμενος: οὐκοῦν ὅταν ἡμῖν ἐπιφαίνηται καὶ ἐπιλάμπῃ Χριστὸς, ἀκονιτὶ κατορθώσομεν καὶ τὸ μεῖζον ἢ κατ' ἐλπίδα τὴν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ οἱ διὰ τοῦ μὴ ἔχειν αὐτὸν κινδυνεύοντες, οὐδενὸς ἔτι προσδεησόμεθα πόνου πρὸς τὸ δύνασθαι κατορθοῦν τὰ λυσιτελῆ, παρόντος αὐτοῦ. λύσις οὖν ἄρα παντὸς κινδύνου Χριστὸς, καὶ κατορθωμάτων ἔκβασις τῶν ὑπὲρ ἐλπίδα τοῖς προσδεχομένοις αὐτόν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸν ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ τῶν προκειμένων ἀνὰ μέρος ἐποιησάμεθα λόγον, ἄγε δὴ πάλιν ταῖς τῶν ἤδη φθασάντων ἀκολουθίαις καὶ τὸν ἐν τούτοις συνείροντες νοῦν, πνευματικὴν ἐξυφήνωμεν θεωρίαν. οὐκοῦν ὥσπερ εἰς ὄρος ἀναβεβηκέναι τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐλέγομεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἀναληφθέντα δηλονότι, μετὰ τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναβίωσιν: ἀλλ' ὅτε τοῦτο γενέσθαι συμβέβηκε, τότε μόνοι καὶ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς οἱ μαθηταὶ τύπον ἐπέχοντες τῶν ἐφεξῆς καὶ κατὰ πάντα καιρὸν διδασκάλων ἐκκλησιαστικῶν, καθάπερ τινὰ θάλασσαν, τὸν ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ διανήχονται κλύδωνα, συχνοῖς καὶ μεγάλοις περιπίπτοντες πειρασμοῖς, καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῷ διδάσκειν κινδύνους οὐκ εὐκαταφρονήτους ὑπομένοντες παρὰ τῶν ἀνθεστηκότων τῇ πίστει καὶ μαχομένων τοῖς εὐαγγελικοῖς δηλονότι κηρύγμασιν: ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ φόβου πεπαύσονται καὶ κινδύνου παντὸς, καταλήξουσι δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐν πόνοις ταλαιπωρίας, ὅταν αὐτοῖς καὶ εἰσαῦθις ἐπιφαίνηται Χριστὸς ἐν δυνάμει θεοπρεπεῖ, καὶ πᾶσαν ἔχων ὑπὸ πόδας τὴν οἰκουμένην. τοῦτο γὰρ οἶμαι δηλοῦν τὸ ἐπὶ θαλάσσης περιπατεῖν, ἐπεὶ καὶ εἰς κόσμου τύπον πολλάκις ἡ θάλασσα παρὰ τῇ θείᾳ λαμβάνεται γραφῇ κατὰ τὸ ἐν ψαλμοῖς εἰρημένον ” Αὕτη ἡ θά“λασσα ἡ μεγάλη καὶ εὐρύχωρος: ἐκεῖ ἑρπετὰ ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ” ἀριθμὸς, ζῷα μικρὰ μετὰ τῶν μεγάλων.“ ὅταν οὖν ἔλθῃ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ Πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, καθὰ γέγραπται, τότε τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων τὸ σκάφος, τουτέστιν ἡ Ἐκκλησία, καὶ οἱ πλέοντες ἐν αὐτῇ, τουτέστιν οἱ διὰ πίστεως καὶ ἀγάπης τῆς εἰς Θεὸν, ἄνω τῶν ἐν κόσμῳ γεγονότες πραγμάτων, ἀμελητὶ καὶ δίχα πόνου παντὸς καταλύσουσιν εἰς γῆν εἰς ἣν ὑπῆγον. ἦν γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὁ σκοπὸς, καθάπερ εἰς εὔδιον καταλῦσαι λιμένα, τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν δηλαδή: βεβαιοῖ δὲ τὴν ἐφ' ἅπασι τοῖς εἰρημένοις διάνοιαν ὁ Σωτὴρ, λέγων πρὸς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητὰς, ποτὲ μὲν ὅτι ” Μικρὸν καὶ “οὐκέτι θεωρεῖτέ με, καὶ πάλιν μικρὸν καὶ ὄψεσθέ με,” ποτὲ δὲ πάλιν “Θλίψιν ἕξετε ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ: ἀλλὰ θαρσεῖτε, ἐγὼ ” νενίκηκα τὸν κόσμον.“ κάτεισι γεμὴν διὰ νυκτὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους ὁ Κύριος, καὶ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς ἀγρυπνοῦσιν ἐπιφοιτᾷ: καὶ γοῦν ἰόντα προσβλέπουσι δειλίας οὐ δίχα: καταφρίττουσι γὰρ, ἵνα δή τι τὸ ἀναγκαῖον εἰς νόησιν καὶ διὰ τούτων ἡμῖν ἀναφαίνηται. καταβήσεται γὰρ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καθάπερ ἐν νυκτὶ κοιμωμένου τρόπον τινὰ τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ εἰς πολλὴν ῥέγχοντος ἁμαρτίαν. διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς που φησί ” Γρηγορεῖτε οὖν, ὅτι οὐκ οἴδατε ποίᾳ ὥρᾳ ὁ “κύριος ὑμῶν ἔρχεται.” διδάξει δὲ οὐδὲν ἧττον ἡμᾶς καὶ ἡ ἐπὶ ταῖς παρθένοις παραβολὴ τὸ λεγόμενον. πέντε μὲν γὰρ τὰς φρονίμους εἶναί φησι, μωρὰς δὲ τὰς πέντε: ἀλλὰ βραδύνοντος “τοῦ νυμφίου ἐνύσταξαν πᾶσαι καὶ ἐκάθευδον: ” μέσης δὲ νυκτὸς κραυγὴ γέγονεν Ἰδοὺ ὁ νυμφίος, ἐξέρ“χεσθε εἰς ἀπάντησιν.” ὁρᾷς ὅπως διὰ μέσης νυκτὸς ὁ νυμφίος ἡμῖν ἀγγέλλεται; τίς δὲ λοιπὸν ἡ κραυγὴ, καὶ ὁ τῆς ἀπαντήσεως τρόπος, σαφηνιεῖ λέγων ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος, ποτὲ μὲν “ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ἐν κελεύσματι, ἐν φωνῇ ” ἀρχαγγέλου, ἐν σάλπιγγι Θεοῦ καταβήσεται ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ:“ ποτὲ δὲ πάλιν περὶ τῶν ἐγηγερμένων ἁγίων, ὅτι καὶ ” ἡμεῖς “οἱ ζῶντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι ἅμα αὐτοῖς ἐν νεφέλαις ἁρπα” γησόμεθα εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα, καὶ οὕτω “πάντοτε σὺν Κυρίῳ ἐσόμεθα.” τὸ δὲ φόβῳ βεβλῆσθαι τοὺς μαθητὰς, καίτοι θεωροῦντας ἐρχόμενον, καὶ ἐν πόνῳ καὶ ἐγρηγόρσει κατειλημμένους, ἐκεῖνο δηλοῖ, ὅτι φοβερὸς μὲν ἐπὶ πάντας ἥξει κριτὴς, καταπτήξει δὲ πάντως ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ καὶ ὁ δίκαιος, ὡς διὰ πυρὸς δοκιμαζόμενος, καίτοι καὶ προαναβλέπων ἀεὶ τὸν ἀφιξόμενον, καὶ οὐκ ὀκνήσας εἰς πόνους τοὺς ἐπ' ἀρετῇ, νήψει τε ὁμοίως καὶ ἀγαθῇ γρηγόρσει συντεθραμμένος. οὐ συνεισέρχεται δὲ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς, ὡς συμπλεύσων ὁ Κύριος, ἐφορμίζει δὲ μᾶλλον τῇ χέρσῳ τὸ σκάφος. οὐ γὰρ συνεργήσων ἔτι πρὸς κατόρθωσιν ἀρετῆς τοῖς αὐτὸν σεβομένοις ἐπιφανεῖται Χριστὸς, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἤδη κατωρθωμένοις πέρας ἐπιθήσων τὸ προσδοκώμενον.
« Τῇ ἐπαύριον ὁ ὄχλος ὁ ἑστὼς πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης ἰδὼν ὅτι πλοιάριον ἄλλο οὐκ ἦν ἐκεῖ εἰ μὴ ἓν ἐκεῖνο εἰς ὃ ἀνέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅτι οὐ συνῆλθε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ πλοῖον ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἀλλ' οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἀπῆλθον: ἄλλα δὲ ἦλθε πλοιάρια ἐκ Τιβεριάδος ἐγγὺς τοῦ τόπου ὅπου ἔφαγον τὸν ἄρτον εὐχαριστήσαντος τοῦ Κυρίου. » Οὐ λανθάνει τὸ παράδοξον, τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῆς τῆς θαλάσσης φημὶ περιπατῆσαι τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καίτοι διὰ νυκτὸς καὶ ἐν σκότῳ γεγενημένον καὶ λεληθότως οἰκονομηθέν. ὑπαισθάνεται δὲ τῶν ἀκολουθεῖν εἰωθότων ὁ δῆμος, διὰ πολλῆς τινος, ὡς ἔοικε, τῆς ἐπιτηρήσεως, ὅτι μήτε συμπλεύσοι τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς πληροφορούμενος, μήτε μὴν ἑτέρῳ διαπορθμεύσαι τῷ σκάφει: μόνον γὰρ ἦν ἐκεῖσε τὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὃ δὴ καὶ λαβόντες προῴχοντο. οὐδὲν οὖν ἄρα λανθάνει τῶν ἀγαθῶν, κἂν λεληθότως ὑπό του τελῆται τυχὸν, καὶ ἀληθὲς ἐντεῦθεν ὀψόμεθα, τό “Οὐδὲν κρυπτὸν ὃ οὐ φανερωθήσεται, ” οὐδὲ ἀπόκρυφον ὃ οὐ μὴ γνωσθῇ καὶ εἰς φανερὸν ἔλθῃ.“ χρῆναί φημι τοιγαροῦν τὸν τοῖς ἴχνεσιν ἀκολουθεῖν ἐθέλοντα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ κατὰ τὸ ἐγχωροῦν ἀνθρώπῳ πρὸς τὸν ἐν ἐκείνῳ διαπλάττεσθαι τύπον, μὴ φιλοκόμπως ἐπείγεσθαι διαζῆν, μηδὲ εἰς θήραν ἐπαίνων ἐξέλκεσθαι ποιοῦντα τὴν ἀρετὴν, μηδὲ εἰ παράδοξόν τινα καὶ λίαν ἐξησκημένον ἐπανέλοιτο βίον, οὐ μετρίως δοξάζεσθαι διὰ τοῦτο φιλεῖν, ἀλλὰ μόνοις ὁρᾶσθαι θέλειν τοῖς τῆς θεότητος ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀπογυμνούσης τὰ κρυπτὰ, καὶ τὸ λεληθότως ἐπιτελεσθὲν εἰς ἐμφανεστάτην ἀγούσης κατάληψιν.
« Ὅτε οὖν εἶδεν ὁ ὄχλος ὅτι Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ οὐδὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, ἐνέβησαν αὐτοὶ εἰς τὰ πλοιάρια καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ ζητοῦντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν. » Ἀκολουθοῦσιν οὗτοι θαυμασταὶ μὲν ἴσως τῶν σημείων ὑπάρχοντες, οὐ μὴν εἰς τὸ χρῆναι πιστεύειν τὴν ἐξ αὐτῶν ὠφέλειαν δεχόμενοι, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τινὰ τῷ παραδοξοποιῷ τὴν ἀντίδοσιν διὰ τοῦ καὶ μόνον αὐτὸν ἐπαινεῖν οὐκ ἀνεθέλητον προσκομίζοντες. φρενὸς δὲ τοῦτο νόσημα ψυχρὸν, καὶ ψυχῆς οὐδαμόθεν ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ συμφέροντος αἵρεσιν παιδαγωγεῖσθαι κατειθισμένης. αἴτιον δὲ τούτων αὐτοῖς, τὸ μόνον ἐπιτέρπεσθαι ταῖς τῆς σαρκὸς ἡδοναῖς, καὶ τροφῇ μᾶλλον τῇ εὐτελεστάτῃ καὶ προσκαίρῳ προθύμως ἐπιπηδᾶν, ἤγουν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς ἐπιτρέχειν ἀγαθοῖς, καὶ πειρᾶσθαι κερδαίνειν, ὅσα πρὸς ζωὴν ἂν ἀποτρέφῃ τὴν αἰώνιον. τοῦτο δ' ἂν μάθοις ἀκριβῶς, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐφεξῆς.
« Καὶ εὑρόντες αὐτὸν πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης εἶπον αὐτῷ Ῥαββὶ, πότε ὧδε γέγονας; » Εἰς διάθεσιν μὲν ὁ λόγος τὴν ἐξ ἀγαπώντων σχηματίζεται, καὶ ὑποπλάττεταί πως τὸ γλυκὺ, πλὴν ἀνόητος κομιδῆ καὶ μειρακιώδης ἐξελέγχεται: οὐ γὰρ ἔδει τῷ τοσούτῳ περιτυχόντας διδασκάλῳ, μάταιόν τι λέγειν καὶ μαθεῖν ἐπείγεσθαι τὸ μηδέν. τί γὰρ ἔδει φιλοπευστεῖν, πότε μὲν αὐτὸς ἀφίκοιτο τυχόν; τί δὲ ἦν εἰκὸς τοῦτο μαθόντας ὠφεληθήσεσθαι; σοφὰ τοιγαροῦν παρὰ σοφῶν ζητητέον, καὶ προτετιμήσθω λόγων ἀπαιδεύτων ἡ ἐν συνέσει σιγή. ἅλατι μὲν γὰρ ἠρτύσθαι δεῖν ἐπιτάττει τὸν λόγον ἡμῶν ὁ Χριστοῦ μαθητής: ἕτερος δέ τις εἰς τοῦτο προτρέπει τῶν σοφῶν ” Τέκνον, εἰπὼν, εἰ μέν ἐστι σοι λόγος συνέσεως, ἀποκρί“θητι: εἰ δὲ μὴ, χεὶρ ἔστω ἐπὶ στόματί σου.” ὅπως δὲ φαῦλόν ἐστι τὸ ἐπ' ἀπαιδεύτῳ γλώττῃ καταγινώσκεσθαι, καὶ δι' ἑτέρου γνωσόμεθα “Εἴ τις γάρ, φησι, δοκεῖ θρῆσκος ” εἶναι ἐν ὑμῖν, μὴ χαλιναγωγῶν γλῶτταν αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ ἀπα“τῶν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ, τούτου μάταιος ἡ θρησκεία.”
« Ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ζητεῖτέ με οὐχ ὅτι εἴδετε σημεῖον, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐφάγετε ἐκ τῶν ἄρτων καὶ ἐχορτάσθητε. » Ἐροῦμεν δή τι κοινὸν, πλὴν ἔθει μικρῷ τετριμμένον. πεφύκασί πως αἱ μεγάλαι τῶν διδασκάλων ἕξεις οὐ μετρίως χαλεπαίνειν πολλάκις, ὅταν τι τῶν εἰκαίων καὶ ἀνωφελῶν ἐξετάζωνται: καὶ οὐ δήπου τοῦτο παθόντας αὐτοὺς ἐξ ἀλαζονείας εὑρήσομεν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ταῖς τῶν ἐρωτώντων ἀμαθίαις ἐπιστυγνάζοντας. ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν ἡμῶν τε καὶ τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς οὐκ ἀκόμψως εἰρῆσθαι τὸ τοιοῦτο ὑπολαμβάνω: θερμὸν δὲ τοῖς ἐκεῖνα διερωτήσασιν ἐπιφέρει τὸν ἔλεγχον ὁ Σωτὴρ, ὡς λαλοῦσιν ἀπαιδεύτως, καὶ ἀσυνέτως διεσκεμμένοις, οὐχ ὅτι προσήκοι ζητεῖν τὰ ἐφ' οἷς ἂν γένοιντο καλοί τε καὶ ἀγαθοὶ, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ μισθῷ σωματικῷ καὶ τούτῳ εὐτελεστάτῳ κατακολουθεῖν αὐτῷ. τί γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο τροφῆς τῆς ἐφημέρου, καὶ οὐκ ἐν πολυτελεῖ, τὸ ἔλαττον; ἐπιτηδευτέον τοιγαροῦν τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν καὶ εὐλάβειαν καὶ ἀγάπησιν, οὐχ ἵνα τι τῶν σωματικῶν εὑρίσκωμεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὴν δι' αὐτοῦ σωτηρίαν ἀποκερδαίνωμεν, καὶ μὴ λέγωμεν μὲν ἀγαθὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν, ὥσπερ οὖν ἐκεῖνοι τό Ῥαββὶ, ἐμπορίας δὲ ἄλλως ὑπόθεσιν καὶ ἀπλήστου χρημάτων συγκομιδῆς τὴν χρηστολογίαν ἀρτύωμεν: ἤγουν ὁ τοιούτοις ἐπιχειρῶν, οὐκ ἀγνοήσει λοιπὸν ὅτι πικρῶς ἐλέγχοντι προσβαλεῖ τῷ Χριστῷ, καὶ τὴν κεκρυμμένην ἐν αὐτῷ κακίαν ἀποκαλύπτοντι. Θαυμάσαι δὲ πάλιν ἀκόλουθον καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τούτοις οἰκονομίαν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ νόσῳ κατειλημμένους ἐθεᾶτο τῇ προειρημένῃ, καθάπερ τις ἀριστοτέχνας καὶ ἐπιστήμων ἰατρὸς, διπλοῦν αὐτοῖς ἐπενόησε φάρμακον, ἀξιολογωτάτῳ σημείῳ τὸν ἐπωφελῆ παραπλέξας ἔλεγχον. τὸ μὲν οὖν σημεῖον εὑρήσομεν ἐν τῷ εἰδέναι τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἐν δὲ τῷ κυρίως μὴ δι' εὐσέβειαν ζητεῖν ἐπείγεσθαι λέγειν αὐτοὺς τὸν θαυματουργὸν, θεωρήσεις τὸν ἔλεγχον: ὠφελεῖ δὲ διττῶς. τῷ μὲν γὰρ ἐξεπίστασθαι σαφῶς τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς βουλεύματα καὶ γνωρίζειν ἀκριβῶς, ἀσυνέτους ὄντας ἐπιδεικνύει, ὅτι δὴ λήσονται τὸν θεῖον ὀφθαλμὸν οἰομένους, καταχώσαντες μὲν ἐν καρδίᾳ τὴν πονηρίαν, ἐπιτηδεύοντες δὲ τὸ ἐν γλώττῃ γλυκύ. τοῦτο δὲ ἦν ἀναπείθοντος ἤδη νόσου μὲν τῆς ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀποφοιτᾶν, ἁμαρτίας δὲ καταλήγειν οὐ μικρᾶς: ὑβριστὴς γὰρ ὄντως καὶ παράνομος, ὁ ταύτην ἔχων ἐπὶ Θεῷ τὴν διάληψιν: τῷ δὲ χρησίμως ἐλέγχειν ἡμαρτηκότας, ἀνασειράζων τρόπον τινὰ τοῦ κακοῦ τὸν ἐπέκεινα δρόμον: ἕρπει μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐκτείνεται τὸ κωλύον ἔχον οὐδέν: φωραθὲν δέ πως μονονουχὶ καὶ αἰσχύνεται, καὶ σχοινίου δίκην εἰς ἑαυτὸ συστέλλεται. ὠφελεῖ τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἐλέγχων ὁ Κύριος, καὶ δι' ὧν ἄν τις αὐτὸν ὅτι πλήττοι νομίσειε, διὰ τούτων αὐτῶν εὐεργετοῦντα θεάσαιτο. νοητέον ἐντεῦθεν, ὅτι κἂν θωπεύωσί τινες, ἢ καὶ χρηστοῖς περισαίνωσι λόγοις τοὺς τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἡγουμένους, μὴ ὀρθοποδῶσι δὲ περὶ τὴν πίστιν, οὐ συναρπάζεσθαι ταῖς κολακείαις ἀκόλουθον αὐτοὺς, οὐδὲ ὥσπερ τινὰ μισθὸν τῶν ἐπαίνων ἀντικιχρᾶν τοῖς ἐπανορθώσεως δεομένοις, τὴν ἐφ' οἷσπερ ἂν πταίωσι σιωπήν: ἐλέγχειν δὲ μᾶλλον ἐκ παῤῥησίας, καὶ μεταχωρεῖν ἀναπείθειν ἐπὶ τὸ ἄμεινον, ἤγουν διὰ τούτου κἂν ἑτέρους ὠφελεῖν, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου “Τοὺς ἁμαρτά” νοντας ἐνώπιον πάντων ἔλεγχε, ἵνα καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ φόβον “ἔχωσι.” Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις ἡμῖν ἀνὰ μέρος ἐν τούτοις, ἀκόλουθα γεμὴν καὶ ἀναγκαίως ἐπενηνεγμένα τοῖς ἤδη προτεθεωρημένοις, ἀναδείκνυσθαι δεῖν ὑπολαμβάνω καὶ αὐτά. οὐκοῦν ἐν ἐκείνοις ἐλέγομεν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους κάθοδον τὴν δευτέραν ἡμῖν καὶ εἰσαῦθις ἐσομένην ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐπιδημίαν ἀνατυποῦν, καὶ ὡς ἐν συναιρέσει τοῦ παντὸς θεωρήματος προσεπετίθεμεν, ὅτι καὶ ἀγρυπνοῦσι καὶ ἐν τῷ πονεῖν ὑπάρχουσιν ἔτι τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς ἐπιφαίνεται, καὶ δειλίας ἀπαλλάξας παραχρῆμα τὸ σκάφος ἐτίθει πρὸς γῆν. καὶ τί τὸ ἐν τούτοις ὡς ἐν τύποις ἡμῖν ζωγραφούμενον, ἐν ἐκείνοις ἐσαφηνίζομεν. ἀλλ' ἐπιτήρει καὶ νῦν, ὅτι μετὰ τὸ κατελθεῖν ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ὑστεροῦσί τινες περὶ τὴν ἀκολούθησιν, καὶ τελευταῖοι βαδίζουσιν ἐπ' αὐτόν. ἔρχονται γὰρ “τῇ ἐπαύριον,” οὐκ ἀπαρατηρήτως καὶ τοῦτο προστεθεικότος τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ: εἶτα περιτυχόντες, χρηστοῖς κολακεύειν ἐπιχειροῦσι λόγοις, ἐπιπλήττει δὲ αὐτοῖς ὁ Χριστὸς, ζέοντα καὶ δριμὺν ἐπαγαγὼν τὸν ἔλεγχον, ἵνα πάλιν ἐκεῖνο διενθυμώμεθα, ὅτι μετὰ τὸ ἀφικέσθαι τὸν Κύριον ὡς ἡμᾶς ἐξ οὐρανῶν, εἰκαιοτάτη λοιπὸν καὶ ἀνωφελὴς ἀνθρώποις ἡ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐπιζήτησις, καὶ τὸ ἀκολουθεῖν ἐθέλειν αὐτῷ καιρὸν οὐκ ἔχει τὸν πρέποντα. ἀλλὰ κἂν προσίωσί τινες, προσηνεστάτοις αὐτὸν καταμαλθάξειν οἰόμενοι λόγοις, οὐκέτι χρηστῷ περιτεύξονται καὶ πράῳ τῷ κρίνοντι, ἀλλ' ἐλεγκτικῷ τε καὶ πληκτικῷ: τὴν γὰρ τῶν ἐλεγχομένων θωπείαν, καὶ αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν ἔλεγχον ἐν τοῖς τοῦ Σωτῆρος θεωρήσεις λόγοις, ὅτε δὴ καί φησι “Πολλοὶ ἐροῦσί μοι ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ:” τῇ τῆς κρίσεως δηλονότι “Κύριε κύριε, οὐ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι δαιμόνια ἐξεβά” λομεν;“ ἀλλὰ ” Τότε, φησὶν, ὁμολογήσω αὐτοῖς, ὅτι “ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν οὐδέποτε ἔγνων ὑμᾶς:” οὐ γὰρ ἐζητήσατέ με, φησὶ, καθαρῶς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὸ ἐν ἁγιασμῷ διαπρέπειν ἠγαπήσατε, ἔγνων γὰρ ἂν διὰ τούτων ὑμᾶς, ἀλλ' ἐπείπερ εἰς εὐπορίας εὕρεσιν τὴν ἐν δοκήσει καὶ ἐν ψιλαῖς ὑπονοίαις εὐλάβειαν ἐποιήσασθε, καὶ ἠγνοηκέναι δικαίως ὁμολογῶ: ὅπερ οὖν ἐν τούτοις εἶναί φαμεν τό Κύριε, κύριε, τοῦτο καὶ ἐνθάδε τό Ῥαββί. οὐκοῦν ὅτῳ τὸ κολάζεσθαι πικρὸν, μὴ καταπιπτέτω πρὸς ἀνανδρίαν, μηδὲ ἀσθενείτω ποικίλως εἰς τὸ πλημμελεῖν, εἰς χρηστότητα βλέπων τὴν ἐν Θεῷ, ἀλλ' ἑτοιμαζέτω “εἰς τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ,” καθὰ γέγραπται, “καὶ παρασκευαζέσθω εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν,” τουτέστιν, ἕως ἐστὶν ἐν τῷδε τῷ κόσμῳ. ἀγρὸν γὰρ τὸν κόσμον ἡρμήνευσεν ὁ Σωτήρ. παρασκευαζέσθω δὲ πρὸς ἀπόδειξιν ἁγιασμοῦ καὶ δικαιοσύνης ἐπὶ τοῦ θείου βήματος. οὐ γὰρ ἀκαίρως ὄντα φιλάνθρωπον θεωρήσει τὸν δικαστὴν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῖς εἰς ἔλεον εἴκοντα λόγοις, τὸν ᾧπερ ἐχρῆν ἀμελητὶ καταπείθεσθαι καλοῦντι πρὸς σωτηρίαν, ὅτε καὶ ὁ τῆς ἡμερότητος ἐπεδίδου καιρὸς, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἤδη προεπταισμένοις ἐξαιτεῖν ἀμνηστίαν, καὶ τὴν ἐκ Θεοῦ τοῦ σώζοντος φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπιζητεῖν.
« Ἐργάζεσθε μὴ τὴν βρῶσιν τὴν ἀπολλυμένην, ἀλλὰ τὴν βρῶσιν τὴν μένουσαν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. » Τοιοῦτόν τι πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ καθόλου καὶ γενικώτερόν πως ἐκπλατύνων τὸν λόγον, ὁ Παῦλος ἡμᾶς ἐκδιδάσκει λέγων “Ὁ σπείρων εἰς τὴν σάρκα ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς θερίσει φθοράν: ” ὁ δὲ σπείρων εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος θερίσει ζωὴν “αἰώνιον.” σπείρειν μὲν γὰρ εἰς τὴν σάρκα φησὶ τοὺς οἵ γε ταῖς τῆς σαρκὸς ἡδοναῖς ὅλας ὥσπερ ἐπιτρέψαντες τὰς ἡνίας δρομαῖοι βαδίζουσιν ἐφ' ὅπερ ἂν βούλωνται, διακρίνοντες μὲν οὐδαμῶς τὸ σφίσι λυσιτελὲς ἀπὸ τοῦ κατασίνεσθαι καὶ ἀδικεῖν πεφυκότος, δοκιμάζειν δὲ ὅλως τὸ τῷ νομοθέτῃ δοκοῦν οὐδαμόθεν κατειθισμένοι, ἐπὶ δὲ μόνον τὸ ἡδύ τε καὶ πρόσκαιρον ἀπερισκέπτως κατασυρόμενοι, καὶ τῶν ὁρωμένων προκρίνοντες οὐδέν: σπείρειν δὲ πάλιν εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα διισχυρίζεται, τὰ ἐφ' οἷς ἂν βούλοιτο διαπρέπειν ἡμᾶς τὸ Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, ὅλον μὲν τῆς ἑαυτῶν διανοίας δαπανῶντας τὸ σπούδασμα, συντόνῳ δὲ οὕτως ἀποκεχρημένους φροντίδι πρὸς γεωργίαν τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ὡς εἰ μή τις αὐτοὺς κατήπειξε λόγος φυσικός τε καὶ ἀνυπέρθετος τὰς ἀναγκαίας τῇ σαρκὶ χαρίζεσθαι τροφὰς, οὐδ' ἂν εἰς τοῦτό ποτε καταβαίνειν ἠνέσχοντο. οἶμαι τοίνυν προσήκειν ἡμᾶς, “τῆς μὲν σαρκὸς ” εἰς ἐπιθυμίας“ μηδεμίαν ὅλως τίθεσθαι πρόνοιαν, προσκεῖσθαι δὲ μᾶλλον τοῖς ἀναγκαιοτάτοις, καὶ ἐπιτηδεύειν ἐπείγεσθαι τὰ ὅσαπερ ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν αἰώνιόν τε καὶ θείαν ἀναφέρει ζωήν. τὸ μὲν γὰρ τὰς τοῦ σώματος ἀποθαυμάζειν τρυφὰς, καὶ μηδὲν ἡγεῖσθαι τὸ ἄμεινον τῶν περὶ γαστέρα πλεονασμῶν, θηριῶδες ὄντως, καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ἀλογίας οὐκ ἀμοιροῦν. τὸ δὲ προσκεῖσθαι τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς, καὶ λίαν ἐπείγεσθαι διαπρέπειν ἐν ἀρεταῖς καὶ τοῖς τοῦ πνεύματος ὑποκεῖσθαι νόμοις, προσίεσθαί τε καὶ λίαν ἀσμένως τὰ παρὰ Θεοῦ πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἐφοδιάζειν ἡμᾶς ἰσχύοντα, δοίην ἂν ἔγωγε πρέπειν ὄντως τῷ τὴν ἰδίαν ἐπιγινώσκοντι φύσιν, καὶ ὅτι ζῷον πεποίηται λογικὸν κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος οὐκ ἠγνοηκότι. οὐκοῦν ὡς αὐτός που φησὶν ὁ Σωτήρ ” Μὴ “μεριμνῶμεν τί φάγωμεν ἢ τί πίωμεν ἢ τί περιβαλώμεθα,” λογιζόμενοι δὲ ὅτι κρείττων ἐστὶν “ἡ ψυχὴ τῆς τροφῆς, ” καὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἐνδύματος,“ ὅπως ἂν ἔχοι καλῶς τὰ τιμιώτερα μᾶλλον τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν ἐνθυμώμεθα. Εὐπαθοῦντος μὲν γὰρ τοῦ σώματος, καὶ ταῖς αὐτῷ καταλλήλοις πιαινομένου τρυφαῖς, ὄνησις μὲν οὐδεμία τῇ ἀθλίᾳ ψυχῇ: ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἐναντίων, καὶ πολύ τι τὸ βλάβος ἀνατελεῖ. κατοιχήσεται γὰρ εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον, ἐπείπερ ἀνάγκη τοὺς οὐδὲν τῶν ἀγαθῶν εἰργασμένους, τῆς ἐπὶ τούτοις εἴσω γενέσθαι δίκης, λογισμῷ δὲ τῷ πρέποντι χαλιναγωγηθέντος τοῦ σώματος, καὶ τοῖς τοῦ πνεύματος ὑπεζευγμένου νόμοις, σώζεσθαι πάντως ἀνάγκη τὸ συναμφότερον. ἔστι τοίνυν τῶν ἀτοπωτάτων, τῆς μὲν προσκαίρου καὶ ὅσον οὐδέπω φθαρησομένης σαρκὸς οὕτως ἡμᾶς προνοεῖν, ὡς οἴεσθαι δεῖν οὐδενὸς ὅλως ἀπολιμπάνεσθαι τῶν φιλαιτάτων αὐτῇ: ἐν παρέργου δὲ τάξει λαβεῖν, ἢ καὶ τῷ μηδενὶ παρισοῦν τὴν ἐπὶ ψυχῇ φροντίδα, καίτοι τοσοῦτον οἶμαι προσήκειν ἐπείγεσθαι μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς προσκεκλίσθαι τοῖς ἐπὶ ψυχῇ φροντίσμασιν, ὅσον καὶ ἐν ἀμείνοσιν ἢ κατὰ σάρκα ἐστίν: οὕτω γὰρ ὄντως, καὶ τῶν ἡττωμένων προτάττοντες τὸ ὡς ἐν συγκρίσει νικῶν, καὶ δικαίαν τὴν ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁρίζοντες ψῆφον, ὅσιοί τε καὶ σοφοὶ γενησόμεθα δικασταὶ, καὶ οὐχ ἑτέροις τισὶ τὴν ἐκ λογισμῶν ἀγαθῶν ὀρθότητα χαριούμεθα, μᾶλλον δὲ ταῖς οἰκείαις περιθήσομεν κεφαλαῖς. ἐργαζώμεθα τοίνυν καθά φησιν ὁ Σωτὴρ μὴ τὴν βρῶσιν τὴν ἀπολλυμένην: χωρήσασα γὰρ εἰς γαστέρα καὶ εἰς ὀλίγον κομιδῆ τὸν καιρὸν πρὸς εὐτελεστάτην ἡδονὴν τὸν νοῦν διαπαίξασα πρὸς ἀφεδρῶνα χωρεῖ, καὶ ἐκ γαστρὸς αὖθις μετοχετεύεται. ἡ δὲ βρῶσις ἡ πνευματικὴ τὴν καρδίαν στηρίζουσα, συνέχει τὸν ἄνθρωπον εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, ἣν καὶ χορηγήσειν αὐτὸς ἡμῖν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐπαγγέλλεται, λέγων ” Ἣν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὑμῖν δώσει:“ συναναπλέξας ὁμοῦ τῷ θεοπρεπεῖ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον, καὶ συζεύξας ὅλον τῆς οἰκονομίας τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς τὸ ἐν κόσμῳ μυστήριον. ὑπαινίττεται δέ πως τὴν μυστικήν τε καὶ πνευματικωτέραν τροφὴν, δι' ἧς καὶ σῶμα καὶ ψυχὴν ἁγιαζόμενοι διαζῶμεν ἐν αὐτῷ. γυμνότερον δέ πως ἐν τοῖς ἐφεξῆς τοῦτο λέγοντα θεωρήσομεν. τετηρήσθω τοιγαροῦν ὁ λόγος τῷ χρεωστουμένῳ καιρῷ τε καὶ τόπῳ.