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the people of the Jews. "And their love, and their hatred, and their envy is now perished." The dead in trespasses, among whom are also the people of the Jews, neither preserve their love toward God any longer, nor their hatred toward evil; nor can they say, according to Phinehas, I have been very zealous for the Lord. "Neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun." The land of promise, being the inheritance of the Jews, and Jerusalem itself, and the dignity of the priesthood they have lost, so that they have no portion on the earth, even in this life. "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works." According to the literal sense, one partakes of God's creations with joy and a good heart, using them with measure and according to need; for this is proper to rational beings. For this reason he said, thy bread. For insatiability and gluttony are proper to the irrational. But according to the spiritual sense, the bread and wine of rational beings are the virtues, which suitably nourish their souls. For this reason God is well-pleased, that is, he agrees and delights in such actions of theirs. Alternatively; The incarnate Word exhorts the human race to the mystical communion, which truly came to be for our sake; for for our salvation the incorporeal became incarnate. And he is well-pleased, and rejoices in the works of the Church. "Let thy garments be always white." The actions according to virtue, and the garment given through the regeneration of the font, kept white at all times through sinlessness, are possessed as white garments. And he who washes his bed every night, and waters his couch with tears, and wipes away the stains of sin through repentance. "And let thy head lack no ointment." According to the literal sense, the word desires the ascetics of virtue to be cheerful, and not to disfigure their faces with the sullenness of hypocrisy. But according to the spiritual sense, oil is nourishing of light, and a release from toils. And the anointing of the Holy Spirit illuminates our mind and gives it rest, which we ought to have always, not grieving the Holy Spirit. Alternatively; Christ is said to be our head; and he makes his own the alms given to the poor. Let us therefore not cease anointing our head, that is, undertaking a merciful disposition toward those in need. 93.589 "And see life with the wife whom thou lovest." If simply, with a beloved wife, he means the Church, the bride of Christ, in whom is found eternal life. But if with the wife of him who is being taught, according to the literal sense it teaches monogamy, and introduces a reverent marriage; and chastity in marriage becomes a cause of eternal life. See then life with the wife whom you have loved, instead of, Be not deceived by her, as Adam by Eve. But you must strive to lead the weaker part by the hand toward life. But according to the spiritual sense, wisdom is called a woman, with whom living we delight in eternal life. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." He advises to pursue practical virtue according to all one's strength, but not beyond one's strength. For he who works at this according to his strength, also cultivates good thoughts, and is deemed worthy of knowledge, and of wisdom, as God may apportion according to what is expedient; but in Hades, since practical things, being perceptible, cannot exist, those who have lived in sins, in Hades, being unable to pursue practical virtue, of necessity can neither become wise, nor otherwise virtuous, being delivered to eternal torments. "I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time." I returned, he says, instead of, I considered something else again,

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Ἰουδαίων λαόν. "Καί γε ἀγάπη αὐτῶν, καί γε μῖσος αὐτῶν, καί γε ζῆλος αὐτῶν ἤδη ἀπώλετο." Οἱ νεκροὶ τοῖς παραπτώμασιν, ὦν ἐστι καὶ ὁ τῶν Ἰουδαίων λαὸς, οὔτε τὴν ἀγάπην ἔτι πρὸς Θεὸν διασώζουσιν, οὔτε τὸ μῖσος τὸ πρὸς τὴν κακίαν· οὔτε δύνανται λέγειν κατὰ τὸν Φινεὲς, Ζηλῶν ἐζήλωσα τῷ Κυρίῳ. "Καί γε μερὶς οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῖς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. ἐν παντὶ τῷ πεποιημένῳ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον." Τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, κλῆρον τῶν Ἰουδαίων οὖσαν, καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ τῆς ἱερατείας ἀπώλεσαν τὸ ἀξίωμα, ὥστε αὐτοὺς μήτε ἐν τούτῳ τῷ βίῳ μερίδα ἔχειν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. "∆εῦρο φάγε ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ τὸν ἄρτον σου, καὶ πίε ἐν καρδίᾳ ἀγαθῇ οἶνόν σου, ὅτι εὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὰ ποιήματά σου." Πρὸς μὲν ῥητὸν, ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ καὶ καρδίᾳ ἀγαθῇ μεταλαμβάνει τις τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ κτισμάτων, συμμέτρως καὶ κατὰ χρείαν αὐτοῖς χρώμενος· ἴδιον γὰρ τοῦτο τῶν λογικῶν. ∆ιὸ καὶ εἶπε, τὸν ἄρτον σου. Τὸ γὰρ ἄπληστον καὶ γαστρίμαργον ἀλόγων ἴδιον. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, ἄρτος καὶ οἷνος τῶν λογικῶν αἱ ἀρεταὶ, καταλλήλως τὰς ψυχὰς ἐκτρέφουσαι. ∆ιὸ καὶ εὐδοκεῖ Θεὸς, τουτέστι συντίθεται καὶ ἐφήδεται ταῖς τοιαύταις αὐτῶν πράξεσιν. Ἄλλως· Προτρέπεται ὁ σαρκωθεὶς Λόγος τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸ γένος εἰς τὴν μυστικὴν μετάληψιν, ἥτις κυρίως δι' ἡμᾶς γέγονε· διὰ γὰρ τὴν ἡμῶν σωτηρίαν ὁ ἄσαρκος ἐσαρκώθη. Καὶ εὐδοκεῖ, καὶ συγχαίρει τοῖς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ποιήμασιν. "Ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ ἔστωσαν τὰ ἱμάτιά σου λευκά." Αἱ κατὰ ἀρετὴν πράξεις, καὶ τὸ διὰ τῆς τοῦ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας διδόμενον ἔνδυμα, φυλαττόμενον δὲ λευκὸν ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ διὰ τῆς ἀναμαρτησίας, ἱμάτια κέκτηται λευκά. Καὶ ὁ λούων καθ' ἑκάστην νύκτα τὴν κλίνην, καὶ ἐν δάκρυσι τὴν στρωμνὴν βρέχων, καὶ ἀποσμήχων διὰ τῆς μετανοίας τὰς τῆς ἁμαρτίας κηλῖδας. "Καὶ ἔλαιον ἐπὶ κεφαλῇ σου μὴ ὑστερησάτω." Πρὸς μὲν ῥητὸν, ἀνθηροὺς εἶναι βούλεται ὁ λόγος τοὺς τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀσκητὰς, καὶ μὴ ἀφανίζειν τὰ πρόσωπα τῷ σκυθρωπῷ τῆς ὑποκρίσεως. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, τὸ ἔλαιον φωτός ἐστι θρεπτικὸν, καὶ καμάτων λυτήριον. Φωτίζει δὲ ἡμῶν τὸν νοῦν, καὶ διαναπαύει ἡ χρίσις τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, ἣν ἔχειν ὀφείλομεν διὰ παντὸς, μὴ λυποῦντες τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Ἄλλως· Κεφαλὴ ἡμῶν ὁ Χριστὸς εἴρηται· οἰκειοῦται δὲ αὐτὸς τὰς εἰς τοὺς πένητας ἐλεημοσύνας. Μὴ διαλείπωμεν τοιγαροῦν ἀλείφοντες ἡμῶν τὴν κεφαλὴν, τουτέστι ἐλεημονικὴν ἕξιν εἰς τοὺς δεομένους ἀναλαμβάνοντες. 93.589 "Καὶ ἴδε ζωὴν μετὰ γυναικὸς, ἧς ἠγάπησας." Εἰ μὲν ἁπλῶς, μετὰ γυναικὸς ἀγαπωμένης, τῆς Ἐκκλησίας φησὶ τῆς νύμφης τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐν ᾗ εὑρίσκεται ἡ ζωὴ ἡ αἰώνιος. Εἰ δὲ μετὰ γυναικὸς τῆς τοῦ διδασκομένου, πρὸς μὲν ῥητὸν μονογαμίαν διδάσκει, καὶ σεμνὸν εἰσηγεῖται γάμον· ἡ δὲ ἐν γάμῳ ἁγνεία, τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς γίνεται πρόξενος. Ἴδε οὖν ζωὴν μετὰ γυναικὸς ἧς ἠγάπησας, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Μὴ ἀπατηθῇς ὑπ' αὐτῆς, ὡς ὁ Ἀδὰμ ὑπὸ τῆς Εὔας. Σπούδασον δὲ σὺ τὸ ἀσθενέστερον μέρος χειραγωγῆσαι πρὸς τὴν ζωήν. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, ἡ σοφία γυνὴ κέκληται, μεθ' ἧς βιοτεύοντες τῆς αἰωνίου κατατρυφῶμεν ζωῆς. "Πάντα ὅσα ἂν εὕρῃ ἡ χείρ σου τοῦ ποιῆσαι, ὡς ἡ δύναμίς σου, ποίησον· ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι ποίημα, καὶ λογισμὸς, καὶ γνῶσις, καὶ σοφία ἐν ᾅδῃ, ὅπου σὺ πορεύση ἐκεῖ." Τὴν πρακτικὴν ἀρετὴν κατὰ πᾶσαν δύναμιν παραινεῖ μετιέναι, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν. Ὁ γὰρ κατὰ δύναμιν ταύτην ἐργαζόμενος, καὶ λογισμοὺς ἀγαθοὺς γεωργεῖ, καὶ γνώσεως ἀξιοῦται, καὶ σοφίας, ὡς ἂν ὁ Θεὸς ἐπιμερίσῃ κατὰ τὸ συμφέρον· ἐν δὲ τῷ ᾅδῃ ἐπειδὴ τὰ πρακτικὰ αἰσθητὰ ὄντα οὐ δύνανται ὑπάρχειν, οἱ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ζήσαντες, ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ, τὴν πρακτικὴν ἀρετὴν μὴ δυνάμενοι μετελθεῖν, ἀναγκαίως οὔτε σοφοὶ γενέσθαι δύνανται, οὔτε ἄλλως ἐνάρετοι, ταῖς αἰωνίοις παραδοθέντες βασάνοις. "Ἐπέστρεψα, καὶ εἶδον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, ὅτι οὐ τοῖς κούφοις ὁ δρόμος, καὶ οὐ τοῖς δυνατοῖς ὁ πόλεμος, καί γε οὐ τοῖς σοφοῖς ὁ ἄρτος, καί γε οὐ τοῖς συνετοῖς ὁ πλοῦτος, καί γε οὐ τοῖς γινώσκουσι χάρις, ὅτι καιρὸς καὶ συνάντημα συναντήσεται τοῖς πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς· καί γε οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὸν καιρὸν αὐτοῦ." Ἐπέστρεψα, φησὶ, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἄλλο τι πάλιν ἐθεώρησα,