32

the wicked receiving their due here, are completely punished there? Hear Abraham saying to the rich man: You received in full your good things in your life, and Lazarus likewise the bad. [What good things?] For here, by saying, You received in full, and not, you received, he shows that both suffered according to what was owed, the one having been in prosperity, the other in adversity; and he says, for this reason this man is comforted here; for you see him clean of sins; and you are in anguish. Therefore, let us not be distressed when we see sinners faring well here, but when we ourselves suffer evil, let us rejoice; for the matter is an expiation of sins; let us not seek rest; for Christ promised affliction to His disciples; and Paul says: All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. No noble athlete in the arena seeks baths, and a table overflowing with food and wine; this is not of an athlete, but of a sluggard; for the athlete fights with dust, oil, the heat of the sun, much sweat, tribulation, and the distress of the contest. This is also the time for boxing; therefore also for receiving wounds and being bloodied and suffering pain. Hear what the blessed Paul says: I box not as one beating the air. Let us consider our whole life to be a contest, and we shall never seek rest, nor, when afflicted, shall we feel it strange; just as a boxer, when he is in the contest, does not feel it strange. There is another time for rest; we must be perfected through affliction. Even if there is no persecution or affliction, yet there are other afflictions, which happen to us each day; and if we do not bear these, we could hardly bear those. No temptation has overtaken you, he says, except what is common to man. Let us therefore pray to God not to enter into temptation; but having entered, let us bear it nobly. For the former is the part of prudent men, not to 63.52 cast themselves into dangers; but the latter is of noble and philosophical men, to stand firm having fallen into them. Therefore, let us neither cast ourselves into them rashly, for that is audacity; nor, when led, and when circumstances call, let us give in, for that is cowardice; but if the proclamation calls, let us not refuse; but rashly, when there is no cause, nor need, nor necessity of godliness calling, let us not run to it; for the matter is display, and superfluous ambition. But if anything happens that harms piety, even if it is necessary to endure ten thousand deaths, let us refuse nothing. Do not invite temptations, when matters of piety are proceeding for you as you desire; why draw upon yourself superfluous dangers that have no profit? 5. I say these things, wishing you to keep the laws of Christ who commands to pray not to enter into temptation, and commands again to take up the cross and follow Him. For these are not contrary, but very much in harmony. You, therefore, be so prepared as a noble soldier, be in your armor continually, being sober, watchful, always expecting the enemy; but do not create wars; for this is not of a soldier, but of a rebel. But if the trumpet of piety calls, go out immediately, and despise your life, and enter with much zeal into the contests, break the phalanx of the enemies, smash the face of the devil, set up the trophy; but if piety is not harmed, nor anyone is destroying our doctrines, I mean those concerning the soul, nor forcing you to do anything not pleasing to God, do not be superfluous. The Christian's life must be full of blood, of blood, not in shedding that of others, but in being ready to shed one's own. With so much zeal, therefore, let us shed our own blood, when it is for Christ, with as much as one would pour out water (for the blood flowing around the body is water); and with as much ease let us put off the flesh, as one would also a garment. And this will be, if we are not bound to money, if not to houses, if we are not attached by affection to present things. For if those who live this military life renounce all things, and wherever the

32

πονηροὶ ἀπολαμβάνοντες ἐνταῦθα, ἐκεῖ τέλεον κολάζονται; Ἄκουε τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ λέγοντος πρὸς τὸν πλούσιον· Ἀπέλαβες τὰ ἀγαθά σου ἐν τῇ ζωῇ σου, καὶ Λάζαρος ὁμοίως τὰ κακά. [Ποῖα ἀγαθά;] Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ τὸ, Ἀπέλαβες, ἀλλὰ μὴ, ἔλαβες, εἰπὼν, δείκνυσι κατὰ ὀφειλὴν ἑκατέρους παθόντας, καὶ τὸν μὲν ἐν εὐπραγίᾳ, τὸν δὲ ἐν δυσπραγίᾳ γενόμενον· καί φησι, διὰ τοῦτο Οὗτος ἐνταῦθα παρακαλεῖται· ὁρᾷς γὰρ αὐτὸν καθαρὸν ἁμαρτημάτων· καὶ σὺ ὀδυνᾶσαι. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀλύωμεν, ὅταν εὐπαθοῦντας ὁρῶμεν ἐνταῦθα τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς, ἀλλ' ὅταν κακῶς πάσχωμεν αὐτοὶ, χαίρωμεν· ἁμαρτιῶν γάρ ἐστι τὸ πρᾶγμα ἔκτισις· μὴ ζητῶμεν ἄνεσιν· θλῖψιν γὰρ ἐπηγγείλατο τοῖς αὑτοῦ μαθηταῖς ὁ Χριστός· καί φησιν ὁ Παῦλος· Πάντες οἱ θέλοντες ζῇν εὐσεβῶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, διωχθήσονται. Οὐδεὶς γενναῖος ἀθλητὴς ἐν τῷ σκάμματι λουτρὰ ἐπιζητεῖ, καὶ τράπεζαν πλήθουσαν σιτίοις καὶ οἴνῳ· τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστιν ἀθλητοῦ, ἀλλὰ βλακός· ὁ γὰρ ἀθλητὴς μάχεται κόνει, ἐλαίῳ, ἀκτῖνος θερμότητι, ἱδρῶτι πολλῷ, θλίψει, καὶ στενοχωρίᾳ ἀγῶνος. Οὗτός ἐστι καὶ τοῦ πυκτεύειν ὁ καιρός· οὐκοῦν καὶ τοῦ τραύματα λαμβάνειν καὶ αἱμάττεσθαι καὶ ἀλγεῖν. Ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος· Οὕτω πυκτεύω ὡς οὐκ ἀέρα δέρων. Πάντα τὸν βίον ἐναγώνιον εἶναι νομίσωμεν, καὶ οὐδέποτε ἀνάπαυσιν ζητήσομεν, οὐδέποτε θλιβόμενοι ξενοπαθήσομεν· εἴπερ μηδὲ πύκτης, ὅτε ἐν ἀγῶνί ἐστι, ξενοπαθεῖ. Ἕτερός ἐστιν ὁ τῆς ἀνέσεως καιρός· διὰ θλίψεως ἡμᾶς τελειωθῆναι δεῖ. Εἰ καὶ μὴ διωγμός ἐστι μηδὲ θλῖψις, ἀλλ' εἰσὶν ἕτεραι θλίψεις, αἱ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἡμῖν συμπίπτουσαι· εἰ δὲ ταύτας οὐ φέρομεν, σχολῇ γε ἐκείνας ἐνέγκοιμεν ἄν. Πειρασμὸς ὑμᾶς οὐκ εἴληφε, φησὶν, εἰ μὴ ἀνθρώπινος. Εὐχώμεθα μὲν οὖν τῷ Θεῷ μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμόν· εἰσελθόντες δὲ, φέρωμεν γενναίως. Ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ σωφρόνων ἀνδρῶν, τὸ μὴ 63.52 κινδύνοις ἐπιῤῥίπτειν ἑαυτούς· τοῦτο δὲ γενναίων καὶ φιλοσόφων, τὸ ἵστασθαι ἐμπεσόντας. Μήτε οὖν ἐπιῤῥίπτωμεν ἑαυτοὺς ἁπλῶς· θρασύτητος γάρ· μήτε ἀγόμενοι, καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων καλούντων, ἐνδιδῶμεν· δειλίας γάρ· ἀλλ' ἐὰν μὲν τὸ κήρυγμα καλῇ, μὴ παραιτώμεθα· ἁπλῶς δὲ, αἰτίας μὴ οὔσης, μήτε χρείας, μήτε ἀνάγκης τῆς κατὰ θεοσέβειαν καλούσης, μὴ ἐπιτρέχωμεν· ἐπίδειξις γάρ ἐστι τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ φιλοτιμία περιττή. Ἐὰν δέ τι τῶν τὴν εὐσέβειαν παραβλαπτόντων γίνηται, κἂν μυρίους ὑποστῆναι δέῃ θανάτους, μηδὲν παραιτώμεθα. Μὴ προσκαλοῦ τοὺς πειρασμοὺς, ὅταν σοι τὰ κατὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν προχωρῇ ὡς ποθεῖς· τί περιττοὺς ἐπισπᾶσαι κινδύνους οὐδὲν κέρδος ἔχοντας; εʹ. Ταῦτα λέγω βουλόμενος ὑμᾶς φυλάττειν τοὺς νόμους τοῦ Χριστοῦ κελεύοντος εὔχεσθαι μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμὸν, καὶ κελεύοντος πάλιν τὸν σταυρὸν λαβόντας ἀκολουθεῖν αὐτῷ. Ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐναντία, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα συνᾴδοντα. Σὺ μὲν οὖν οὕτω παρεσκεύασο ὡς στρατιώτης γενναῖος, ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις ἔσο διηνεκῶς, νήφων, ἐγρηγορὼς, ἀεὶ τὸν πολέμιον προσδοκῶν· πολέμους μέντοι μὴ τίκτε· τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι στρατιώτου, ἀλλὰ στασιαστοῦ. Ἐὰν δὲ ἡ τῆς εὐσεβείας σάλπιγξ καλῇ, εὐθέως ἔξιθι, καὶ καταφρόνησον τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ ἔμβηθι μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς προθυμίας εἰς τοὺς ἀγῶνας, ῥῆξον τὴν φάλαγγα τῶν ἐναντίων, σύγκοψον τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ διαβόλου, στῆσον τὸ τρόπαιον· ἐὰν δὲ μηδὲν ἡ εὐσέβεια παραβλάπτηται, μηδὲ πορθῇ τις τὰ ἡμέτερα δόγματα, τὰ κατὰ τὴν ψυχὴν λέγω, μηδὲ ἀναγκάζῃ τι ποιεῖν τῶν μὴ δοκούντων τῷ Θεῷ, μὴ περιττὸς ἔσο. Αἱμάτων δεῖ γέμειν τὸν τοῦ Χριστιανοῦ βίον, αἱμάτων, οὐκ ἐν τῷ τὰ ἀλλότρια ἐκχεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ ἕτοιμον εἶναι τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἐκχεῖν. Μετὰ τοσαύτης τοίνυν προθυμίας τὸ ἴδιον αἷμα ἐκχέωμεν, ὅταν ὑπὲρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦτο ᾖ, μεθ' ὅσης ἂν ὕδωρ τις ἐκχέοι (καὶ γὰρ ὕδωρ ἐστὶ τὸ αἷμα περιῤῥέον τὸ σῶμα)· καὶ μετὰ τοσαύτης εὐκολίας τὴν σάρκα ἀποδυώμεθα, μεθ' ὅσης ἂν καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον. Τοῦτο δὲ ἔσται, ἐὰν μὴ χρήμασιν ὦμεν προσδεδεμένοι, ἂν μὴ οἰκίαις, ἂν μὴ προσπαθείᾳ τῶν παρόντων ὦμεν ἀπηρτημένοι. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ τὸν στρατιωτικὸν τοῦτον βίον ζῶντες πᾶσιν ἀποτάσσονται, καὶ ἔνθα ἂν ὁ