39

to the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY VII.

Let us therefore be diligent to enter into that rest, lest in the same

one fall after the example of unbelief. For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto his eyes, with whom we have to do. 1. Faith is indeed a great and saving thing, and without it 63.60 it is not possible ever to be saved. But it is not sufficient of itself to accomplish this, but there is need also of a right life. Therefore, Paul also exhorts those who have already been counted worthy of the mysteries, saying, 'Let us be diligent to enter into that rest.' Let us be diligent, he says, as faith is not sufficient, but our life must be added to it, and great diligence must be shown. For we truly need great diligence to ascend to heaven. For if those who suffered so many hardships in the desert were not thought worthy of the land, and could not obtain the land, because they murmured and committed fornication; how shall we be counted worthy of the heavens, living indifferently and lazily? We need, therefore, great diligence. And see, he does not limit the loss to this only, of not entering in; 63.61 for he did not say, Let us be diligent to enter into the rest, lest we fall away from so many good things; but he added that which most stirs up men. What is this? This, Lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief; that is, that we may have our mind there, our hope, our expectation, that we may not fall away in the same way. For that we shall fall away, the example shows; Not in the same, he says. Then, lest upon hearing, In the same, you should think the punishment is the same, hear what he adds: For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. He shows here also, that the Word of God himself worked those things also, and lives, and has not been extinguished. Therefore, since you have heard 'word,' do not think it is a mere word; for it is, he says, sharper than a sword. See the condescension, and learn from this why the prophets also needed to speak of a sword, and a bow, and a falchion. If you do not turn, he says, he will whet his sword; he has bent his bow, and made it ready. For if now after so much time and perfection he is not able to strike terror by the name of the word alone, but needs these expressions, to show the superiority from the comparison, much more then. Piercing, he says, even to the dividing of soul and spirit. What is this? He has hinted at something fearful. For he says either that he divides the spirit from the soul; or that he pierces even incorporeal things themselves, not as the sword pierces bodies only. He shows here that the soul also is punished, and that the innermost things are searched out, and he pierces through the whole man. And is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight. Here he especially frightened them. What he says is this: for, if, he says, you still stand in the faith, but not with full assurance, do not be confident; he himself will judge the things in the heart; for there he passes through, both punishing and examining. And what do I say of men, he says? For whether you speak of angels, or archangels, or the Cherubim, or the Seraphim, or any creature whatever; all things are uncovered to that eye, all things are plain and manifest, nothing is able to escape his notice; All things are naked and opened unto

39

ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Ζʹ.

Σπουδάσωμεν οὖν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν κα τάπαυσιν, ἵνα μὴ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ

τις ὑποδείγματι πέσῃ τῆς ἀπειθείας. Ζῶν γὰρ ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐνεργὴς, καὶ τομώτερος ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν μάχαιραν δίστομον, καὶ διικνούμενος ἄχρι με ρισμοῦ ψυχῆς καὶ πνεύματος, ἁρμῶν τε καὶ μυελῶν, καὶ κριτικὸς ἐνθυμήσεων καὶ ἐννοιῶν καρδίας· καὶ οὐκ ἔστι κτίσις ἀφανὴς ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, πάντα δὲ γυμνὰ καὶ τετραχηλισμένα τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ, πρὸς ὃν ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος. αʹ. Μέγα μὲν ἡ πίστις καὶ σωτήριον, καὶ ταύτης 63.60 ἄνευ οὐκ ἔνι σωθῆναί ποτε. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀρκεῖ καθ' ἑαυτὴν τοῦτο ἐργάσασθαι, ἀλλὰ δεῖ καὶ πολιτείας ὀρθῆς. Ὥστε διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος τοῖς ἤδη τῶν μυστηρίων καταξιωθεῖσι παραινεῖ λέγων· Σπουδάσωμεν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν κατάπαυσιν. Σπουδάσωμεν, φησὶν, ὡς οὐκ ἀρκούσης τῆς πίστεως, ἀλλ' ὀφείλοντος προστεθῆναι καὶ τοῦ βίου, καὶ πολλὴν τὴν σπουδὴν γενέσθαι. ∆εῖ γὰρ ἡμῖν ὄντως καὶ πολλῆς σπουδῆς, ὥστε ἀνελθεῖν εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. Εἰ γὰρ γῆς οὐκ ἠξιώθησαν οἱ τοσαῦτα ταλαιπωρηθέντες ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, καὶ γῆς τυχεῖν οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν, ἐπειδὴ ἐγόγγυσαν καὶ ἐπόρνευσαν· πῶς τῶν οὐρανῶν ἡμεῖς καταξιωθησόμεθα, ἀδιαφόρως ζῶντες καὶ ῥᾳθύμως; ∆εῖ τοίνυν ἡμῖν πολλῆς σπουδῆς. Καὶ ὅρα, οὐ μέχρι τούτου τὴν ζημίαν ὁρίζει μόνον, τοῦ μὴ εἰσελθεῖν· 63.61 οὐ γὰρ εἶπε· Σπουδάσωμεν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν, ἵνα μὴ ἐκπέσωμεν τοσούτων ἀγαθῶν· ἀλλ' ὃ μάλιστα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους διεγείρει, τοῦτο προσέθηκε. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; Τὸ, Ἵνα μὴ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ τις ὑποδείγματι πέσῃ τῆς ἀπειθείας· τουτέστιν, ἵνα τὸν νοῦν ἔχωμεν ἐκεῖ, τὴν ἐλπίδα, τὴν προσδοκίαν, ἵνα μὴ ὁμοίως ἐκπέσωμεν. Ὅτι γὰρ ἐκπεσούμεθα, τὸ ὑπόδειγμα δηλοῖ· Μὴ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ, φησίν. Εἶτα, ἵνα μὴ ἀκούων, Ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ, τὴν αὐτὴν εἶναι νομίσῃς τιμωρίαν, ἄκουσον τί ἐπάγει· Ζῶν γὰρ ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐνεργὴς, καὶ τομώτερος ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν μάχαιραν δίστομον, καὶ διικνούμενος ἄχρι μερισμοῦ ψυχῆς τε καὶ πνεύματος, ἁρμῶν τε καὶ μυελῶν, καὶ κριτικὸς ἐνθυμήσεων καὶ ἐννοιῶν καρδίας. ∆είκνυσι κἀνταῦθα, ὅτι κἀκεῖνα αὐτὸς εἰργάσατο ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγος, καὶ ζῇ, καὶ οὐκ ἐσβέσθη. Μὴ τοίνυν, ἐπειδὴ λόγον ἤκουσας, ἁπλῶς λόγον νομίσῃς· μαχαίρας γάρ ἐστι, φησὶ, τομώτερος. Ὅρα τὴν συγκατάβασιν, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν μάνθανε τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐδεήθησαν καὶ οἱ προφῆται εἰπεῖν μάχαιραν, καὶ τόξον, καὶ ῥομφαίαν. Ἐὰν μὴ ἐπιστραφῆτε, φησὶ, τὴν ῥομφαίαν αὑτοῦ στιλβώσει, τὸ τόξον αὑτοῦ ἐνέτεινε, καὶ ἡτοίμασεν αὐτό. Εἰ γὰρ νῦν μετὰ τοσοῦτον χρόνον καὶ τελείωσιν οὐ δύναται τῷ τοῦ λόγου ὀνόματι καταπλῆξαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ δεῖται τούτων τῶν ῥημάτων, ἵνα δείξῃ τὴν ὑπεροχὴν τὴν ἐκ τῆς συγκρίσεως· πολλῷ μᾶλλον τότε. ∆ιικνούμενος, φησὶν, ἄχρι μερισμοῦ ψυχῆς καὶ πνεύματος. Τί ἐστι τοῦτο; Φοβερόν τι ᾐνίξατο. Ἢ γὰρ ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμα διαιρεῖ ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς, λέγει· ἢ ὅτι καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀσωμάτων διικνεῖται, οὐ καθὼς ἡ μάχαιρα μόνον τῶν σωμάτων. ∆είκνυσιν ἐνταῦθα, ὅτι καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ κολάζεται, καὶ ὅτι τὰ ἐνδότατα διερευνᾶται, καὶ ὅλον δι' ὅλου διικνεῖται τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Καὶ κριτικὸς ἐνθυμήσεων καὶ ἐννοιῶν καρδίας. Καὶ οὐκ ἔστι κτίσις ἀφανὴς ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ. Ἐνταῦθα αὐτοὺς μάλιστα ἐφόβησεν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοῦτό ἐστι· μὴ γὰρ, εἰ ἔτι, φησὶν, ἐν τῇ πίστει ἑστήκατε, μὴ μετὰ πληροφορίας δὲ, θαῤῥεῖτε· αὐτὸς τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ κρινεῖ· ἐκεῖ γὰρ διαβαίνει καὶ κολάζων καὶ ἐξετάζων. Καὶ τί λέγω περὶ ἀνθρώπων, φησί; κἂν γὰρ ἀγγέλους εἴπῃς, κἂν ἀρχαγγέλους, κἂν τὰ Χερουβὶμ, κἂν τὰ Σεραφὶμ, κἂν οἵαν δήποτε κτίσιν· πάντα ἐκκεκάλυπται τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ ἐκείνῳ, πάντα δῆλά ἐστι καὶ φανερὰ, οὐδέν ἐστι τὸ λαθεῖν αὐτὸν δυνατόν· Πάντα γυμνὰ καὶ τετραχηλισμένα τοῖς