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human nature, Whence, he says, holy brethren. The, Whence, instead of, for this reason, he says, partakers of the heavenly calling. Seek nothing here, therefore, if you are called there; for there is the reward, there the recompense. What then? Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus Christ, who was faithful to Him that made Him, as also Moses was in all His house. What is, who was faithful to Him that made Him? That is, one who provides for, presides over His own, and does not allow them to be carried away simply. As also Moses was in all His house. That is, Know who the high priest is and of what kind, and you will not need other comfort or exhortation. He calls Him Apostle because He was sent; and He says High Priest of our confession, that is, of our faith, He said well: As Moses; for He too has been entrusted with a people, just as that one was with the leadership of a people, although a greater one, and over greater things. For Moses as a servant, but Christ as a Son; and the one cares for what belongs to another, but this one for His own. For a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after. What do you say? Does God receive the testimony of man? Indeed, very much so. For if He calls heaven and earth and hills to witness, saying through the prophet: Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken, and: Hear, you valleys, the foundations of the earth, for the Lord has a controversy with His people; much more men. What is, For a testimony? That they may be, he says, witnesses, when they themselves are shameless. But Christ, as a Son. For the one cares for what belongs to another, but this one for His own. And the rejoicing of the hope. He said well: Of the hope, since all good things were in hope. But we must hold it so as to boast already as if over things that have happened. For this reason he says: The rejoicing of the hope; and he adds, let us hold fast firm unto the end; for we are saved by hope. If therefore we are saved by hope, and we wait for it with patience, let us not then be distressed at present things, nor seek now the things promised hereafter. For hope that is seen, he says, is not hope. For since the good things are great, he says, we are not able to receive them here in this mortal life. For what reason then did He tell us these things beforehand, not intending to give them here? That by the promise He might win our souls, that by the pledge He might strengthen our eagerness, that He might anoint and stir up our mind. For this very reason all these things have come to pass. 4. Let us not be troubled, therefore; let no one be troubled seeing the wicked prosper. The recompense is not here, neither for wickedness nor for virtue; but if it ever happens for both wickedness and virtue, it is not according to desert, but simply, as it were a taste of the judgment, so that those who disbelieve in the resurrection might at least be chastened by these things here. When, therefore, we see a wicked man 63.51 growing rich, let us not be downcast; when we see a good man suffering evil, let us not be troubled; for there are the crowns, and there also are the punishments. And otherwise, it is not possible for the evil man to be entirely evil, but it is possible for him to have some good things; nor for the good man to be entirely good, but to have some sins also. When therefore the wicked man prospers, know that it is for the evil of his own head; for that having received the requital for those few good things here, he may then be punished completely there, for this reason he receives it here. And blessed especially is he who is punished here, that having put away all his sins, he may depart approved and pure, and without account to give. And Paul, teaching us this, says: For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and a number sleep; and again, Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in that day. And the prophet says, that she has received of the Lord's hand double for her sins; and again David, Behold my enemies, for they are multiplied above the hairs of my head, and they have hated me with an unjust hatred, and forgive all my sins; and again another, O Lord our God, give us peace; for You have rendered all things to us. But these things show that the good receive the penalties for their sins here; but where do the good receive the good things

31

ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις, Ὅθεν, φησὶν, ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι. Τὸ, Ὅθεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ, διὰ τοῦτο, φησί, Κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μέτοχοι. Μηδὲν τοίνυν ἐνταῦθα ζητῆτε, εἰ ἐκεῖ κέκλησθε· ἐκεῖ γὰρ ὁ μισθὸς, ἐκεῖ ἡ ἀνταπόδοσις. Τί οὖν; Κατανοήσατε τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτὸν, ὡς καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ. Τί ἐστι, Πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτόν; Τουτέστι, προνοϊκὸν, προϊστάμενον τῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἐῶντα φέρεσθαι ἁπλῶς. Ὡς καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ. Τουτέστι, Γνῶτε τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς καὶ ποταπὸς, καὶ οὐ δεήσεσθε παραμυθίας ἑτέρας οὐδὲ παρακλήσεως. Ἀπόστολον δὲ αὐτὸν λέγει διὰ τὸ ἀπεστάλθαι· καὶ ἀρχιερέα φησὶ τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν, τουτέστι, τῆς πίστεως, Καλῶς εἶπεν· Ὡς Μωϋσῆς· καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτος λαὸν, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος προστασίαν λαοῦ, ἐγκεχείρισται, εἰ καὶ μείζονα, καὶ ἐπὶ μείζοσι. Μωϋσῆς μὲν γὰρ ὡς οἰκέτης, Χριστὸς δὲ ὡς Υἱός· καὶ ὁ μὲν τῶν ἀλλοτρίων, οὗτος δὲ τῶν αὐτοῦ κήδεται. Εἰς μαρτύριον τῶν λαληθησομένων. Τί λέγεις; μαρτυρίαν ἀνθρώπου λαμβάνει ὁ Θεός; Καὶ πάνυ γε. Εἰ γὰρ οὐρανὸν μαρτύρεται καὶ γῆν καὶ βουνοὺς, λέγων διὰ τοῦ προφήτου· Ἄκουε, οὐρανὲ, καὶ ἐνωτίζου ἡ γῆ, ὅτι Κύριος ἐλάλησε, καί· Ἀκούσατε φάραγγες, θεμέλια τῆς γῆς, ὅτι κρίσις τῷ Κυρίῳ πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἀνθρώπους. Τί ἐστιν, Εἰς μαρτύριον; Ἵνα ὦσι, φησὶ, μάρτυρες, ὅταν ἀναισχυντῶσιν αὐτοί. Χριστὸς, δὲ ὡς Υἱός. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀλλοτρίων κήδεται, οὗτος δὲ τῶν αὑτοῦ. Καὶ τὸ καύχημα τῆς ἐλπίδος. Καλῶς εἶπε· Τῆς ἐλπίδος, ἐπειδὴ πάντα ἐν ἐλπίσιν ἦν τὰ ἀγαθά. Οὕτω δὲ αὐτὴν δεῖ κατέχειν, ὡς ἤδη καυχᾶσθαι ὡς ἐπὶ γεγενημένοις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησι· Τὸ καύχημα τῆς ἐλπίδος· καὶ ἐπάγει, Μέχρι τέλους βεβαίαν κατάσχωμεν· τῇ γὰρ ἐλπίδι ἐσώθημεν. Εἰ τοίνυν τῇ ἐλπίδι ἐσώθημεν, καὶ δι' ὑπομονῆς ἀπεκδεχόμεθα, μὴ οὖν ἀσχάλλωμεν ἐπὶ τοῖς παροῦσι, μηδὲ ἤδη ζητῶμεν τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπαγγελθέντα. Ἐλπὶς γὰρ, φησὶ, βλεπομένη, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐλπίς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μεγάλα ἐστὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ, φησὶν, ἐνταῦθα λαβεῖν οὐ δυνάμεθα αὐτὰ ἐν τῷ ἐπικήρῳ τούτῳ βίῳ. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἡμῖν καὶ προεῖπε ταῦτα, οὐ μέλλων αὐτὰ ἐνταῦθα διδόναι; Ἵνα τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ τὰς ψυχὰς ἀνακτήσηται, ἵνα τῇ ὑποσχέσει ῥώσῃ τὴν προθυμίαν, ἵνα ἀλείψῃ καὶ διεγείρῃ τὴν ἡμετέραν διάνοιαν. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο πάντα ταῦτα γεγένηται. δʹ. Μὴ τοίνυν θορυβώμεθα μηδεὶς ὁρῶν πονηροὺς εὐπραγοῦντας θορυβείσθω. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐνταῦθα ἡ ἀνταπόδοσις, οὔτε τῆς πονηρίας οὔτε τῆς ἀρετῆς· εἰ δέ που γίνεται καὶ τῆς πονηρίας καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ κατ' ἀξίαν, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς, ὡσανεὶ γεῦμα τῆς κρίσεως, ἵνα οἱ τῇ ἀναστάσει διαπιστοῦντες, κἂν ἐν τούτοις ἐνταῦθα σωφρονίζωνται. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδωμεν πονηρὸν 63.51 πλουτοῦντα, μὴ καταπίπτωμεν· ὅταν ἴδωμεν ἀγαθὸν κακῶς πάσχοντα, μὴ θορυβώμεθα· ἐκεῖ γὰρ οἱ στέφανοι, ἐκεῖ καὶ αἱ κολάσεις. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν οὔτε τὸν κακὸν, πάντῃ εἶναι κακὸν ἀλλ' ἔστι τινὰ ἔχειν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀγαθά· οὔτε τὸν ἀγαθὸν πάντῃ εἶναι ἀγαθὸν, ἀλλ' ἔχειν τινὰ καὶ ἁμαρτήματα. Ὅταν οὖν εὐπραγῇ ὁ πονηρὸς, ἴσθι ὅτι ἐπὶ κακῷ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ κεφαλῆς· ἵνα γὰρ ἐκείνων τῶν ὀλίγων ἀγαθῶν τὴν ἀντίδοσιν ἐνταῦθα λαβὼν, ἐκεῖ λοιπὸν τέλεον κολάζηται, τούτου χάριν ἐνταῦθα ἀπολαμβάνει. Καὶ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος μάλιστά ἐστιν ὁ ἐνταῦθα κολαζόμενος, ἵνα πάντα ἀποθέμενος τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, εὐδόκιμος καὶ καθαρὸς ἀπίῃ, καὶ ἀνεύθυνος. Καὶ τοῦτο διδάσκων ἡμᾶς ὁ Παῦλος, φησί· ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐν ὑμῖν πολλοὶ ἀσθενεῖς καὶ ἄῤῥωστοι, καὶ κοιμῶνται ἱκανοί· καὶ πάλιν, Παράδοτε τὸν τοιοῦτον τῷ Σατανᾷ εἰς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρκὸς, ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα σωθῇ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ. Καὶ ὁ προφήτης φησὶν, ὅτι Ἐδέξατο ἐκ χειρὸς Κυρίου διπλᾶ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα· καὶ πάλιν ὁ ∆αυῒδ, Ἴδε τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου, ὅτι ἐπληθύνθησαν ὑπὲρ τὰς τρίχας τῆς κεφαλῆς μου, καὶ μῖσος ἄδικον ἐμίσησάν με, καὶ ἄφες πάσας τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου· καὶ πάλιν ἕτερος, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, εἰρήνην δὸς ἡμῖν· πάντα γὰρ ἀπέδωκας ἡμῖν. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν δεικνύντος ἐστὶ τοὺς καλοὺς τὰς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων δίκας ἐνταῦθα ἀπολαμβάνοντας· ποῦ δὲ τὰ ἀγαθὰ οἱ