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The love of the one has made hatred of the other. Therefore, when the loving disposition embraces the good (and this is the timely thing), alienation from its opposite certainly follows. If you have truly loved moderation, you have certainly hated its opposite. If you look upon purity with love, you will obviously loathe the stench of the mire. If you have clung to the good, you have certainly distanced yourself from clinging to evil. And if someone were to apply the meaning of embracing to the putting on of wealth, this account also shows what sort of wealth it is good to put on 5.400 and the putting on of what possessions to send away. I know a treasure that is sought after, the one hidden in the field, not the one that appears to all. I know again a wealth that is despised, not the one that is hoped for, but the one that appears before the eyes. The voice of the apostle teaches this, saying: *While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.* If we have understood these things, we shall also have understood the following saying through them. *For there is a time*, he says, *to seek and a time to lose*. For he who has understood through the things examined, from what things it is fitting to distance himself from embracing and to what things to join himself, would know both what it is fitting to seek and of what things the loss is a gain. *For there is a time*, he says, *to seek and a time to lose*. What then is it that I must seek, so as to hit upon the proper time? But prophecy shows what must be sought, saying: *Seek the Lord and be strengthened*; and again: *Seek the Lord and while finding him, call upon him*, and *Let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice.* I have known then through what has been said, what it is necessary to seek, the finding of which is the very act of always seeking. For 5.401 seeking is not one thing and finding another, but the gain from seeking is the seeking itself. Do you wish to learn also the opportune time, what is the time to seek the Lord? I say it concisely: the whole of life. For in this alone, the one time for diligence is the whole of life. For it is not good to seek the Lord at some appointed time and designated season, but never to cease from always seeking—this is the true opportune time. *For my eyes*, he says, *are ever toward the Lord*. Do you see how diligently the eye searches for what is sought, giving itself no rest nor any interruption from contemplating what is sought? For by the addition of *ever* he indicated the continuous and uninterrupted nature of the diligence. In the same way let us also understand the time to lose, judging it a gain to lose that whose existence becomes a loss to the one who has it. Avarice is an evil possession; therefore let us lose it. Grudge-bearing is a wicked store; therefore let us cast it away. Unrestrained desire is a destructive possession; of this especially before all other things let us be poor, so that through such poverty we may gain the kingdom. *For blessed are the poor in spirit*, that is, those who are poor in such wealth and all the other evil treasures of the devil. It is more blessed never to have acquired anything in the first place, so that 5.402 we may be altogether without possession of the things that defile, but it is no less good for one who has been taken by evil possession to lose such possessions and bring them to nothing. But never to have had any share of such things is better than what is according to human nature, but to have received and then to destroy it, for this even the power of men has the strength. Therefore, to have had none of the possessions of the adversary belongs only to the Lord who shared with us the same sufferings without sin. *For the ruler of this world is coming*, he says, *and he will find nothing of his own in me*. But to cleanse oneself through diligent repentance, this can be seen also in men who make themselves radiant through virtue. Paul lost the evil possession of unbelief through the grace of prophecy working in him, he became full of the treasure which he sought. He lost the

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τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀγάπη μῖσος τοῦ ἑτέρου ἐποίησεν. ὅταν οὖν ἡ ἀγαπητικὴ διάθεσις περιφυῇ τῷ καλῷ (τοῦτο δέ ἐστι τὸ εὔκαιρον), ἐπ ηκολούθησε πάντως ἡ πρὸς τὸ ἀντικείμενον ἀλλοτρίωσις. εἰ ἀληθῶς τὴν σωφροσύνην ἠγάπησας, ἐμίσησας πάντως τὸ ἀντικείμενον. εἰ πρὸς τὴν καθαρότητα βλέπεις ἐρωτικῶς, ἐβδελύξω δηλονότι τὴν τοῦ βορβόρου δυσωδίαν. εἰ τῷ ἀγαθῷ προσεκολλήθης, ἐμακρύνθης πάντως τῆς τοῦ πονηροῦ προσκολλήσεως. εἰ δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ πλούτου περιβολὴν ἄγοι τις τὸ τῆς περιλήψεως σημαινόμενον, δείκνυσι καὶ οὗτος ὁ λόγος, ποῖον πλοῦτον ἀγαθόν ἐστι προσπεριβάλλεσθαι 5.400 καὶ ποίων κτημάτων περιβολὴν ἀποπέμπεσθαι. οἶδα θησαυρὸν σπουδαζόμενον τὸν κεκρυμμένον ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ, οὐχὶ τὸν πᾶσι φαινόμενον. οἶδα πάλιν πλοῦτον ἀτιμαζόμενον, οὐ τὸν ἐλπιζόμενον, ἀλλὰ τὸν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς προφαινόμενον. διδάσκει τοῦτο ἡ τοῦ ἀποστόλου φωνὴ λέγουσα· Μὴ σκο πούντων ἡμῶν τὰ βλεπόμενα, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα· τὰ γὰρ βλεπόμενα πρόσκαιρα, τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα αἰώνια. εἰ ταῦτα νενοήκαμεν, καὶ τὸν ἐφεξῆς λόγον διὰ τούτων νενοηκότες ἐσόμεθα. Καιρὸς γάρ, φησί, τοῦ ζητῆσαι καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ἀπολέσαι. ὁ γὰρ νοήσας διὰ τῶν ἐξετασθέντων, τίνων προσήκει μακρύνειν ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς περιλήψεως καὶ τίσι συνάπτεσθαι, γνοίη ἄν, τί τε προσήκει ζητεῖν καὶ τίνων ἡ ἀπώλεια κέρδος ἐστίν. Καιρὸς γάρ, φησί, τοῦ ζητῆσαι καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ἀπολέσαι. τί τοίνυν ἐστίν, ὅ με ζητῆσαι χρή, ὥστε ἐπιτυχεῖν τοῦ καιροῦ τοῦ καθήκοντος; ἀλλὰ τί μὲν ζητεῖσθαι δέον ἡ προφητεία δείκνυσι λέγουσα· Ζητήσατε τὸν κύριον καὶ κραταιώθητε· καὶ πάλιν· Ζητήσατε τὸν κύριον καὶ ἐν τῷ εὑρίσκειν αὐτὸν ἐπικαλέσασθε, καὶ Εὐφρανθήτω καρδία ζητούντων τὸν κύριον. ἔγνων τοίνυν διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων, ὅπερ ζητῆσαι χρή, οὗ ἡ εὕρεσίς ἐστιν αὐτὸ τὸ ἀεὶ ζητεῖν. οὐ γὰρ 5.401 ἄλλο τί ἐστι τὸ ζητεῖν καὶ ἄλλο τὸ εὑρίσκειν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ ζητῆσαι κέρδος αὐτὸ τὸ ζητῆσαί ἐστι. βούλει καὶ τὴν εὐκαιρίαν μαθεῖν, τίς ὁ καιρὸς τοῦ ζητεῖν τὸν κύριον; συντόμως λέγω· ὁ βίος ὅλος. ἐπὶ τούτου γὰρ μόνου εἷς καιρὸς τῆς σπουδῆς ἐστιν ἡ ζωὴ πᾶσα. οὐ γὰρ ἀποτεταγμένῳ τινὶ καιρῷ καὶ χρόνῳ ἀφωρισμένῳ τὸ ζητεῖν τὸν κύριον ἀγαθόν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ τὸ μηδὲ ὅλως διαλείπειν ἀεὶ ζητοῦντα τοῦτό ἐστιν ἡ ἀληθὴς εὐκαιρία. Οἱ γὰρ ὀφθαλμοί μου, φησί, διὰ παντὸς πρὸς τὸν κύριον. ὁρᾷς πῶς ἐπιμελῶς ἐρευνᾷ ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς τὸ ζητούμενον, οὐδεμίαν ἄνεσιν ἑαυτῷ διδοὺς οὐδέ τι διάλειμμα τῆς τοῦ ζητουμένου κατανοήσεως; τῇ γὰρ τοῦ ∆ιὰ παντὸς προσθήκῃ τὸ διηνεκές τε καὶ ἀδιάλειπτον τῆς σπουδῆς ἐνεδείξατο. ὡσαύτως δὲ νοήσωμεν καὶ τὸν τοῦ ἀπολέσαι καιρόν, κέρδος εἶναι κρίνοντες τὸ ἀπολέσαι ἐκεῖνο, οὗ ἡ ὕπαρξις ζημία τῷ ἔχοντι γίνεται. κακὸν κτῆμα ἡ φιλαργυρία· οὐκοῦν ἀπολέσωμεν. πονηρὸν ἀπόθετον ἡ μνησικακία· οὐκοῦν προώμεθα. ὀλέθριον κτῆμα ἡ ἀκόλαστος ἐπιθυμία· τούτου μάλιστα πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων πτωχεύσωμεν, ἵνα διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης πτωχείας τὴν βασιλείαν κερδήσωμεν. Μακάριοι γὰρ οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, δηλαδὴ οἱ τοῦ τοιούτου πλούτου πενό μενοι καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα τὰ πονηρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου κειμήλια. μακαριώτερον μὲν τὸ μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχήν τινα κτήσασθαι, ἵνα 5.402 καθόλου ἀκτήμονες τῶν μολυνόντων γενώμεθα, καλὸν δὲ οὐχ ἧττον τῷ προληφθέντι τῇ πονηρᾷ κτήσει τὸ ἀπολέσαι τὰ τοιαῦτα κτήματα καὶ εἰς ἀφανισμὸν ἀγαγεῖν. ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν μηδὲ ὅλως ποτὲ σχεῖν τῶν τοιούτων τὴν μετουσίαν κρεῖττον ἢ κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν ἐστί, τὸ δὲ λαβόντα ἐξαφανίσαι τούτου καὶ ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων δύναμις τὴν ἰσχὺν ἔχει. διὸ τὸ μηδὲν ἐσχηκέναι τῶν τοῦ ἀντικειμένου κτημάτων μόνου τοῦ κυρίου ἐστὶ τοῦ συμμετασχόντος ἡμῖν τῶν αὐτῶν παθημάτων χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας. Ἔρχεται γάρ, φησίν, ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου καὶ ἐν ἐμοὶ εὑρίσκει τῶν ἰδίων οὐδέν. τὸ δὲ δι' ἐπιμελοῦς μεταμελείας ἑαυτὸν ἐκκαθῆραι, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων τῶν δι' ἀρετῆς ἑαυτοὺς λαμπρυνόντων ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. ἀπώλεσεν ὁ Παῦλος τὸ πονηρὸν κτῆμα τῆς ἀπιστίας διὰ τοῦ ἐνεργοῦντος ἐν αὐτῷ τῆς προφητείας τὴν χάριν, πλήρης τοῦ θησαυροῦ ἐγένετο ὃν ἐζήτησεν. ἀπώλεσεν ὁ