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having denied, they treasured up for themselves eternal goods, and took hold of the life that never fails nor is interrupted by death. Therefore, these wonderful and holy men we also, the humble and unworthy, are eager to imitate, but we do not reach the height of their heavenly way of life; but, according to the ability of our weak and wretched power, we represent their life and have put on the habit, even if we fail in the works, 184 for we know this divine profession to be an agent of sinlessness and a helper of the incorruptibility given to us from the divine baptism. and, following the words of those blessed ones, we utterly condemn these corruptible and mortal affairs of life, in which it is possible to find nothing certain, nor smooth, nor remaining the same; but all things are vanity and a grasping of wind, bringing many changes in an instant; for they are weaker than dreams and a shadow, and a breeze blowing through the air; small and for a short time is the grace, and not even grace; but some error and deceit of the world's wickedness, which we have been taught not to love at all, but rather to hate from the heart. and indeed in truth this is hateful and to be shunned; for whatever it gives to its friends, with wrath it again snatches them away, and naked of every good, and clothed in shame, and bearing heavy burdens, it will consign to eternal affliction; and those whom again it exalts, quickly it humbles with the utmost misery, making them footstools and a cause of rejoicing for all their enemies. such therefore are its graces; such are its gifts. for it is an enemy of its friends, and a plotter against all who do its will, and terribly dashing down those who lean upon it, and weakening those who trust in it. it makes covenants with the foolish and false promises, only so that it may draw them to itself; but when they have shown lack of judgment, it itself is shown to be senseless and false, fulfilling nothing of what it agreed to. 186 for today, having soothed their throat with sweet foods, tomorrow it sets them whole as food for their enemies. today it shows someone a king, and tomorrow it hands him over to some wicked slavery; today one abounding in countless goods, tomorrow a beggar and a household slave of household slaves. today it places a crown of glory on his head; tomorrow it dashes his face to the ground. today it adorns his neck with the splendid honors of dignities; tomorrow it humbles him, bound with iron collars. for a little while it makes him desired by all, but after a little while intensely hated and abominable. today it makes him rejoice, and tomorrow it wastes him away with lamentations and mournings. and hear what kind of end it puts to these things; it wretchedly makes those who have loved it inhabitants of Gehenna. it always has such a mind, truly such an intention. it neither mourns those who have passed away, nor pities those who are left behind. for having terribly deceived the former and enclosed them in its nets, it tries again to apply the arts of its skill to the latter, not wishing anyone to escape its harsh snares. Therefore, those who serve such a cruel and wicked master, having senselessly distanced themselves from the good and man-loving one, and gaping at present affairs and clinging to them, taking no thought at all of the things to come, and unceasingly hastening to bodily pleasures, but allowing their souls to be wasted by famine and to be afflicted by countless evils, I think are like a man fleeing from 188 the face of a raging unicorn, who, not bearing the sound of its cry and its terrible roar, but fleeing powerfully so as not to become its food, while running swiftly has fallen into a certain large pit; and while falling into it, having stretched out his hands,

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ἀπαρνησάμενοι, τὰ αἰώνια ἑαυτοῖς ἐθησαύρισαν ἀγαθά, καὶ τῆς μηδέποτε διαπιπτούσης μήτε θανάτῳ διακοπτομένης ἐπελάβοντο ζωῆς. Τούτους οὖν τοὺς θαυμασίους καὶ ὁσίους ἄνδρας καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ εὐτελεῖς καὶ ἀνάξιοι μιμεῖσθαι σπουδάζομεν, οὐκ ἐφικνούμεθα δὲ τῷ ὕψει τῆς οὐρανοπολίτου αὐτῶν διαγωγῆς· ἀλλά, κατὰ τὸ ἐνὸν τῆς ἀσθενοῦς ἡμῶν καὶ ταλαιπώρου δυνάμεως, τὸν βίον αὐτῶν χαρακτηρίζομεν καὶ τὸ σχῆμα περιβεβλήμεθα, κἂν τῶν ἔργων διαμαρτάνωμεν, 184 πρόξενον γὰρ ἀναμαρτησίας τὸ θεῖον ἐπάγγελμα τοῦτο καὶ συνεργὸν τῆς ἐκ τοῦ θείου βαπτίσματος δοθείσης ἡμῖν ἀφθαρσίας ἐπιστάμεθα. καί, τοῖς λόγοις ἑπόμενοι τῶν μακαρίων ἐκείνων, πάνυ καταγινώσκομεν τῶν φθαρτῶν τούτων καὶ ἐπικήρων τοῦ βίου πραγμάτων, ἐν οἷς οὐδὲν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν βέβαιον, οὐδὲ ὁμαλόν, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἱστάμενον· ἀλλὰ ματαιότης ἐστὶ τὰ πάντα καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος, πολλὰς ἐν ἀτόμῳ φέροντα τὰς μεταβολάς· ὀνείρων γὰρ καὶ σκιᾶς, καὶ αὔρας κατὰ τὸν ἀέρα πνεούσης, εἰσὶν ἀσθενέστερα· μικρὰ καὶ πρὸς ὀλίγον ἡ χάρις, καὶ οὐδὲ χάρις· ἀλλὰ πλάνη τις καὶ ἀπάτη τῆς τοῦ κόσμου κακίας, ὅνπερ μὴ ἀγαπᾶν ὅλως, μισεῖν δὲ μᾶλλον ἐκ καρδίας δεδιδάγμεθα. καὶ ἔστι γε κατὰ ἀλήθειαν μισητὸς οὗτος καὶ ἀπευκταῖος· ὅσα γὰρ δωρεῖται τοῖς φίλοις αὐτοῦ, μετ' ὀργῆς αὖθις αὐτὰ ἀφαρπάζει, γυμνοὺς δὲ παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ καὶ αἰσχύνην ἠμφιεσμένους, φορτία τε περικειμένους βαρέα, τῇ αἰωνίᾳ παραπέμψει θλίψει· οὓς δ' αὖ πάλιν ὑψοῖ, τῇ ἐσχάτῃ θᾶττον ταπεινοῖ ταλαιπωρίᾳ, ὑποποδίους αὐτοὺς τιθεὶς καὶ ἐπίχαρμα πάντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτῶν. τοιαῦται οὖν αἱ χάριτες αὐτοῦ· τοιαῦτα τὰ δωρήματα αὐτοῦ. ἐχθρὸς γάρ ἐστι τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπίβουλος πάντων τῶν ποιούντων αὐτοῦ τὰ θελήματα, καὶ καταράσσων δεινῶς τοὺς ἐπερειδομένους ἐπ' αὐτόν, καὶ ἐκνευρίζων τοὺς ἐπ' αὐτῷ πεποιθότας. συνθήκας τίθησι μετὰ τῶν ἀφρόνων καὶ ἐπαγγελείας ψευδεῖς, ἵνα μόνον αὐτοὺς ἐπισπάσηται· ἐκείνων δὲ ἀγνωμονησάντων, ἀγνώμων αὐτὸς καὶ ψευδὴς διαδείκνυται, μηδὲν ὧν συνέθετο ἀποπληρῶν. 186 σήμερον γὰρ βρώμασιν ἡδέσι τὸν φάρυγγα αὐτῶν καταλεάνας, κατάβρωμα τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ὅλους αὐτοὺς αὔριον τίθησι. σήμερον βασιλέα τινὰ δείκνυσι, καὶ αὔριον δουλείᾳ τινὶ πονηρᾷ παραδίδωσι· σήμερον μυρίοις εὐθηνούμενον ἀγαθοῖς, αὔριον προσαίτην καὶ οἰκοτρίβων οἰκότριβα. σήμερον στέφανον δόξης αὐτοῦ τῇ κορυφῇ ἐπιτίθησιν· αὔριον τὸ πρόσωπον τῇ γῇ καταράσσει. σήμερον κοσμεῖ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ λαμπραῖς ἀξιωμάτων τιμαῖς· αὔριον ταπεινοῖ σιδηροῖς κλοιοῖς δεσμούμενον. ποθητὸν πρὸς μικρὸν τοῖς πᾶσι τοῦτον ἐργάζεται, μισητὸν δὲ μετ' ὀλίγον ἰσχυρῶς καὶ ἐβδελυγμένον. σήμερον εὐφραίνει, καὶ αὔριον θρήνοις αὐτὸν καὶ κοπετοῖς κατατήκει. ὁποῖον δὲ τούτων καὶ τὸ τέλος ἐπιτίθησιν ἄκουσον· οἰκήτορας γεέννης τοὺς ἠγαπηκότας αὐτὸν ἐλεεινῶς ἀπεργάζεται. τοιαύτην ἔχει γνώμην ἀεί, τοιαύτην πρόθεσιν ἀτεχνῶς. οὔτε τοὺς παρελθόντας θρηνεῖ, οὔτε τοὺς καταλειφθέντας οἰκτείρει. ἐκείνους γὰρ δεινῶς ἀπατήσας καὶ τοῖς ἄρκυσιν αὐτοῦ κατακλείσας, πρὸς τούτους αὖθις τὰ τῆς ἐπιστήμης μετενεγκεῖν πειρᾶται, μὴ θέλων τινὰ τῶν χαλεπῶν αὐτοῦ ἐκφυγεῖν παγίδων. Τοὺς μὲν οὖν τοιούτῳ δουλεύοντας ἀπηνεῖ καὶ πονηρῷ δεσπότῃ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ καὶ φιλανθρώπου φρενοβλαβῶς ἑαυτοὺς μακρύναντας, εἰς τὰ παρόντα δὲ κεχηνότας πράγματα καὶ τούτοις προστετηκότας, μηδόλως τῶν μελλόντων λαμβάνοντας ἔννοιαν, καὶ εἰς μὲν τὰς σωματικὰς ἀπολαύσεις ἀδιαλείπτως ἐπειγομένους, τὰς δὲ ψυχὰς ἐῶντας λιμῷ κατατήκεσθαι καὶ μυρίοις ταλαιπωρεῖσθαι κακοῖς, ὁμοίους εἶναι δοκῶ ἀνδρὶ φεύγοντι ἀπὸ 188 προσώπου μαινομένου μονοκέρωτος, ὅς, μὴ φέρων τὸν ἦχον τῆς αὐτοῦ βοῆς καὶ τὸν φοβερὸν αὐτοῦ μυκηθμόν, ἀλλ' ἰσχυρῶς ἀποδιδράσκων τοῦ μὴ γενέσθαι τούτου κατάβρωμα, ἐν τῷ τρέχειν αὐτὸν ὀξέως μεγάλῳ τινὶ περιπέπτωκε βόθρῳ· ἐν δὲ τῷ ἐμπίπτειν αὐτῷ, τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτείνας,