XXXI. Such He names children, and sons, and little children, and friends, and little ones here, in reference to their future greatness above. “Despise not,” He says, “one of these little ones; for their angels always behold the face of My Father in heaven.”47    Matt. xviii. 10. And in another place, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom of heaven.”48    Luke xii. 32. Similarly also He says that “the least in the kingdom of heaven” that is His own disciple “is greater than John, the greatest among those born of women.”49    Matt. xi. 11. And again, “He that receiveth a righteous man or a prophet in the name of a righteous man or a prophet, shall receive their reward; and he that giveth to a disciple in the name of a disciple a cup of cold water to drink, shall not lose his reward.”50    Matt. x. 41. Wherefore this is the only reward that is not lost. And again, “Make to you friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations;”51    Luke xvi. 9. showing that by nature all property which a man possesses in his own power is not his own. And from this unrighteousness it is permitted to work a righteous and saving thing, to refresh some one of those who have an everlasting habitation with the Father.

See then, first, that He has not commanded you to be solicited or to wait to be importuned, but yourself to seek those who are to be benefited and are worthy disciples of the Saviour. Excellent, accordingly, also is the apostle’s saying, “For the Lord loveth a cheerful giver;”52    2 Cor. ix. 7. who delights in giving, and spares not, sowing so that he may also thus reap, without murmuring, and disputing, and regret, and communicating, which is pure53    καθαρά, Segaar, for καθά of the ms. beneficence. But better than this is the saying spoken by the Lord in another place, “Give to every one that asketh thee.”54    Luke vi. 30. For truly such is God’s delight in giving. And this saying is above all divinity,55    This, the reading of the ms., has been altered by several editors, but is justly defended by Segaar.—not to wait to be asked, but to inquire oneself who deserves to receive kindness.

31.1 Τούτους καὶ τέκνα καὶ παιδία καὶ νήπια καὶ φίλους ὀνομάζει καὶ μικροὺς ἐνθάδε ὡς πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἄνω μέγεθος αὐτῶν. "μὴ καταφρονήσητε" λέγων "ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων· τούτων γὰρ οἱ ἄγγελοι διὰ παντὸς βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν 31.2 οὐρανοῖς." καὶ ἑτέρωθι· "μὴ φοβεῖσθε, τὸ μικρὸν ποίμνιον· ὑμῖν γὰρ εὐδόκησεν ὁ πατὴρ παραδοῦναι τὴν βασιλείαν" τῶν οὐρανῶν. 31.3 κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ τοῦ μεγίστου ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν Ἰωάννου τὸν ἐλάχιστον ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, τουτέστι τὸν ἑαυτοῦ μαθη 31.4 τήν, εἶναι μείζω λέγει. καὶ πάλιν· "ὁ δεχόμενος δίκαιον ἢ προφήτην εἰς ὄνομα δικαίου ἢ προφήτου τὸν ἐκείνων μισθὸν λήψεται, ὁ δὲ μαθητὴν ποτίσας εἰς ὄνομα μαθητοῦ ποτήριον ψυχροῦ ὕδατος τὸν μισθὸν οὐκ ἀπολέσει." οὐκοῦν οὗτος μόνος ὁ μισθὸς οὐκ ἀπολλύ 31.5 μενός ἐστι. καὶ αὖθις· "ποιήσατε ἑαυτοῖς φίλους ἐκ τοῦ μαμωνᾶ τῆς 31.6 ἀδικίας, ἵνα ὅταν ἐκλίπῃ, δέξωνται ὑμᾶς εἰς τὰς αἰωνίους σκηνάς." φύσει μὲν ἅπασαν κτῆσιν, ἣν αὐτός τις ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ κέκτηται ὡς ἰδίαν οὖσαν καὶ οὐκ εἰς κοινὸν τοῖς δεομένοις κατατίθησιν, ἄδικον οὖσαν ἀποφαί νων, ἐκ δὲ ταύτης τῆς ἀδικίας ἐνὸν καὶ πρᾶγμα δίκαιον ἐργάσασθαι καὶ σωτήριον, ἀναπαῦσαί τινα τῶν ἐχόντων αἰώνιον· σκηνὴν παρὰ τῷ πατρί. 31.7 Ὅρα πρῶτον μὲν ὡς οὐκ ἀπαιτεῖσθαί σε κεκέλευκεν οὐδὲ ἐνο χλεῖσθαι περιμένειν, ἀλλὰ αὐτὸν ζητεῖν τοὺς εὖ πεισομένους ἀξίους 31.8 τε ὄντας τοῦ σωτῆρος μαθητάς. καλὸς μὲν οὖν καὶ ὁ τοῦ ἀποστόλου λόγος· "ἱλαρὸν γὰρ δότην· ἀγαπᾷ ὁ θεός", χαίροντα τῷ διδόναι καὶ μὴ φειδομένως σπείροντα, ἵνα μὴ οὕτως καὶ θερίσῃ, δίχα γογγυσμῶν καὶ διακρίσεως καὶ λύπης καὶ κοινωνοῦντα, ὅπερ ἐστὶν εὐεργεσία 31.9 καθαρά. κρείττων δ' ἐστὶ τούτου ὁ τοῦ κυρίου λελεγμένος ἐν ἄλλῳ χωρίῳ· "παντὶ τῷ αἰτοῦντί σε δίδου·" θεοῦ γὰρ ὄντως ἡ τοιαύτη φιλοδωρία. οὑτοσὶ δὲ ὁ λόγος ὑπὲρ ἅπασάν ἐστι θεότητα, μηδὲ αἰτεῖσθαι περιμένειν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν ἀναζητεῖν, ὅστις ἄξιος εὖ παθεῖν,