37

should we be meddlesome and curious? For it is better to be ignorant in a good way, than to learn in a bad way. For the one who does not know the cause will quickly arrive at the reasonable one; but the other, since he does not know the real one, inventing the one that is not real, will not be able to easily accept the real one. But he will need more labor and sweat, so as to undo the former. And if you see someone who has made sacred vessels, or some other church ornament for walls and floor, do not command what is being done to be sold or overturned, lest you cripple his zeal; but if someone should ask before making it, command that it be given to the poor. And despise the pleasures of life as not lasting, and the painful things as not harmful. For just as those who sojourn in a foreign land do and busy themselves with everything for their return to their homeland, and each day they hasten to see the day that brings them there; so also he who loves the things to come will neither be humbled by present sorrows, nor exalted by good things, but will pass by both, just as one walking a road. Thus, therefore, we must also be so disposed, even if we live a few years here, to consider them many through our desire for the things to come. I say these things, not accusing the present life; may it not be; for this too is a work of God; but anointing you for the love of the things to come, so that you do not linger in present things, nor be nailed to the body, nor be disposed like the faint-hearted of the multitude, who, even if they live ten thousand years, say that these are few; than which what could be more irrational? if, when heaven is set before them, and the good things in the heavens, which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, they gape at shadows; and they are not willing to cross the strait of this present life, while being tossed about by continuous waves and storm and shipwrecks. But not so Paul, but he was eager and hastened; and one thing only possessed him, the salvation of men, and that they should not fall from the kingdom of God. Which may we all attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

DISCOURSE VII. Concerning Humility. When sin is joined with humility, it runs so with

ease, as to surpass and overtake righteousness that is with arrogance; but if you join it with righteousness, where will it not arrive? how many heavens will it not cross? it will surely stand beside the very throne of God in the midst of the angels with much boldness. For if those who confess their own sins procure for themselves so much boldness, those who, while conscious to themselves of many 63.616 good things, yet humble their soul, how many crowns will they not obtain? So that, even if you build ten thousand things from above, whether almsgiving, or prayers, or fastings, or every virtue, if this has not been laid down first, all will be built randomly and in vain. For there is nothing, nothing of our right actions, which will be able to stand without it; but whether you speak of self-control, or virginity, or contempt of riches, or anything whatever, all are impure and accursed and abominable, when humility is absent. For 63.617 for this reason God fashioned us from two substances, so that, when you are lifted up to arrogance, the lowliness of the flesh may restrain you; and when you think something unworthy and ignoble of the honor given to you by God, the nobility of the soul may lead you up to the zeal of the heavenly powers. For it is a great good to consider our own kinship, and to know from what we are composed. For this is a sufficient teaching, the consideration of our nature, able to restrain all passions, and to make a calm in the mind. Consider your nature and your constitution, and this is enough for you to be perpetually composed. Adam was formed from the earth, but he did not see how he was formed; for it was not necessary for him to be present as a witness

37

πολυπραγμονῶμεν καὶ περιεργαζώμεθα; Βέλτιον γὰρ ἀγνοεῖν καλῶς, ἢ μανθάνειν κακῶς. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ εἰδὼς τὴν αἰτίαν, ταχέως ἐπὶ τὴν εὔλογον ἥξει· ὁ δὲ, ἐπειδὴ τὴν οὖσαν οὐκ οἶδε, τὴν οὐκ οὖσαν πλάττων, οὐ δυνήσεται τὴν οὖσαν ῥᾳδίως δέξασθαι· ἀλλὰ δεῖ πλείονος αὐτῷ καὶ πόνου καὶ ἱδρῶτος, ὥστε τὸ πρότερον ἀνελεῖν. Καὶ εἴ τινα ἴδῃς σκεύη κατασκευάσαντα ἱερὰ, ἢ ἄλλον τινὰ ἐκκλησίας κόσμον περὶ τοίχους καὶ ἔδαφος, μὴ κέλευε πραθῆναι ἢ ἀνατραπῆναι τὸ γινόμενον, ἵνα μὴ πηρώσῃς αὐτοῦ τὴν προθυμίαν· ἂν δὲ πρὶν ἢ κατασκευάσαι τις ἔρηται, κέλευε δοθῆναι πτωχοῖς. Καταφρόνει δὲ καὶ τῶν τοῦ βίου τερπνῶν ὡς οὐ μενόντων, καὶ τῶν λυπηρῶν ὡς οὐ βλαπτόντων. Ὡς γὰρ οἱ ἐπ' ἀλλοτρίᾳ διατρίβοντες πάντα ποιοῦσι καὶ πραγματεύονται πρὸς τὴν ἐπὶ τὴν πατρίδα κατάστασιν, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἐπείγονται τὴν ἡμέραν, τὴν ἐνεγκοῦσαν ἰδεῖν· οὕτω καὶ ὁ τῶν μελλόντων ἐρῶν, οὔτε τοῖς λυπηροῖς παροῦσι ταπεινωθήσεται, οὔτε τοῖς χρηστοῖς ἐπαρθήσεται, ἀλλ' ἑκάτερα παραδραμεῖται, καθάπερ ὁδὸν βαδίζων. Οὕτω τοίνυν καὶ ἡμᾶς διακεῖσθαι χρὴ, κἂν ὀλίγα ἔτη ζήσωμεν ἐνταῦθα, πολλὰ νομίζειν αὐτὰ τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῶν μελλόντων. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω, οὐ τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς κατηγορῶν· μὴ γένοιτο· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἔργον Θεοῦ· ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν ἔρωτα τῶν μελλόντων ὑμᾶς ἀλείφων, ὥστε μὴ ἐμφιλοχωρεῖν τοῖς παροῦσι, μηδὲ προσηλῶσθαι τῷ σώματι, μηδὲ κατὰ τοὺς μικροψύχους τῶν πολλῶν διακεῖσθαι, οἳ κἂν μυρία ζήσωσιν ἔτη, ὀλίγα ταῦτα εἶναί φασιν· ὧν τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἀλογώτερον; εἰ οὐρανοῦ προκειμένου, καὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀγαθῶν, ἃ μήτε ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδε, μήτε οὖς ἤκουσε, πρὸς τὰς σκιὰς κεχήνασι· καὶ τὸν εὔριπον τοῦ παρόντος διαπερᾷν οὐ βούλονται βίου, κύμασι διηνεκέσι καὶ χειμῶνι καὶ ναυαγίοις ἐγκαλινδούμενοι. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ Παῦλος οὕτως, ἀλλ' ἔσπευδε καὶ ἠπείγετο· καὶ ἓν αὐτὸν κατεῖχε μόνον, ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρία, καὶ τὸ μὴ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτοὺς ἐκπεσεῖν. Ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Ζʹ. Περὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης. Ὅταν ἁμαρτία συμβεβλημένη ᾖ τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ, οὕτω τρέχει μετ'

εὐκολίας, ὡς δικαιοσύνην μετὰ ἀπονοίας οὖσαν ὑπερβῆναι καὶ προλαβεῖν· ἂν δὲ μετὰ δικαιοσύνης αὐτὴν συνάψῃς, ποῦ οὐκ ἂν ἀφίξεται; πόσους οὐ διαβήσεται οὐρανούς; παρ' αὐτὸν πάντως στήσεται τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν θρόνον ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ἀγγέλων μετὰ παῤῥησίας πολλῆς. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ τὰ οἰκεῖα ὁμολογοῦντες ἁμαρτήματα, τοσαύτην ἑαυτοῖς προξενοῦσι τὴν παῤῥησίαν, οἱ τὰ πολλὰ μὲν ἑαυτοῖς συν 63.616 ειδότες ἀγαθὰ, ταπεινοῦντες δὲ ἑαυτῶν τὴν ψυχὴν, πόσων οὐκ ἐπιτεύξονται στεφάνων; Ὥστε, κἂν μυρία ἄνωθεν οἰκοδομήσῃς, κἂν ἐλεημοσύνην, κἂν εὐχὰς, κἂν νηστείας, κἂν πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν, ταύτης μὴ προκαταβληθείσης, πάντα εἰκῇ καὶ μάτην ἐποικοδομηθήσεται. Οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν, οὐδὲν τῶν ἡμετέρων κατορθωμάτων, ὃ χωρὶς αὐτῆς στῆναι δυνήσεται· ἀλλὰ κἂν σωφροσύνην εἴπῃς, κἂν παρθενίαν, κἂν χρημάτων ὑπεροψίαν, κἂν ὁτιοῦν, πάντα ἀκάθαρτα καὶ ἐναγῆ καὶ βδελυρὰ, ταπεινοφροσύνης ἀπούσης. ∆ιὰ γὰρ 63.617 τοῦτο ἐκ δύο οὐσιῶν κατεσκεύασεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς, ἵν', ὅταν μὲν εἰς ἀπόνοιαν ἐπαρθῇς, καταστείλῃ σε τὸ εὐτελὲς τῆς σαρκός· ὅταν δὲ ἀνάξιόν τι καὶ ἀγεννὲς τῆς δοθείσης σοι παρὰ Θεοῦ τιμῆς ἐννοήσῃς, ἀναγάγῃ πρὸς τὸν τῶν οὐρανίων δυνάμεων ζῆλον ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς εὐγένεια. Μέγα γὰρ ἀγαθὸν τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπισκέπτεσθαι συγγένειαν, καὶ εἰδέναι πόθεν συνεστήκαμεν. Καὶ γὰρ αὕτη ἀρκοῦσα διδασκαλία, ἡ τῆς φύσεως ἐπίσκεψις, πάντα τὰ πάθη καταστεῖλαι δυναμένη, καὶ ποιῆσαι γαλήνην ἐν διανοίᾳ. Ἀναλόγισαι τὴν φύσιν σου καὶ τὴν κατασκευὴν, καὶ ἀρκεῖ σοι τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ κατεστάλθαι διηνεκῶς. Ἐπλάσθη ὁ Ἀδὰμ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶδεν ὅπως ἐπλάσθη· οὐ γὰρ ἐχρῆν αὐτὸν μάρτυρα παρεῖναι