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one is carried in a litter, while the other walks, not needing the feet of others. And the one desires the health of the poor man, while the other pities the sickness of the rich man. It is possible to see also in sicknesses, the one, being treated by countless people, and suffering bitterly, and unable to bear the attack of the disease. And in the winter time, he lies in warm houses, tossing on a soft bed, wrapped in many warm clothes, having braziers placed around him fighting the cold, countless medicines fighting the disease, doctors' promises encouraging him, friends present and plundering the stings of his sufferings with their conversation. But if it should be the season of summer, other houses again receive him, opened up, and easily receiving the breezes of the winds; and if these should cease, the servants artfully create wind with fans. Branches are placed all around, sketching out a garden, and making the house appear a grove. They contrive springs of water on the third story, wishing to place sleep upon his eyelids. And though so much treatment is offered from all sides, that one suffers no less, stripping himself, turning about, indicating the hidden fever by the movement of his hands. But the poor man has one small house, and this often for rent. And there are those who, not being able to provide rent, have the marketplace for a house, and the ground for a bed, and rubbish for bedding; and neither a doctor is present, nor a cook serving the doctor's commands, no male servant, no female servant, and perhaps not even a wife to share his bed. But the providence of God becomes all things to him, blunting the stings of his sufferings, and dimming the pains, and quenching the flame of the fever 83.665 without medicine, and warding off the harm, from the cold, from the heat, from the dampness underneath. No one teaches him which of the foods nourishes the disease, and which strive together with health, but without distinction and without discrimination he eats whatever is at hand, and what is harmful becomes beneficial, and the cold water he drinks appears a medicine, and the dry bread quenches the flame, he does not need things that soften from above, or suppositories administered from below. For nature makes up for the lack, and it brings the help of doctors to the one who is sick. And it is possible to see the one thrown on the ground bearing the sickness more easily than those enjoying the aforementioned treatment. Seeing therefore in each of the things that happen the care of God, do not be overly curious about each of the things that happen. But if you wish to do this, take piety as a fellow-worker for your curiosity. Let this one lead your journey, let this one guide you to the investigation of the things sought. Obeying this, take every occasion for the singing of hymns to the Creator; imitate those three young men, who, having been delivered to the furnace, both called the inanimate creation into fellowship of praise, and drew the tyrant who had cruelly delivered them to the furnace to the contemplation of the miracle, and compelled him by the working of wonders to worship the God who had been warred against. Therefore the furnace did not compel them to move their tongue to blasphemy, but even having been delivered to so great a flame, they honored their benefactor with hymns. But you, neither furnace nor lions compel to blaspheme, but delighting in the goods given by God, you are not sensible of the gifts. But if you would be persuaded by me, you will adorn your tongue with piety, and you will praise the creation, and you will hymn the Creator, and you will worship His providence that is present everywhere, for to Him is the glory and the power, now and ever, and unto the ages. Amen. SEVENTH SERMON.

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μὲν φέρεται φοράδην, ὁ δὲ βαδίζει πο δῶν ἀλλοτρίων μὴ δεόμενος. Καὶ ὁ μὲν, ἐπιθυμεῖ τῆς τοῦ πένητος ὑγείας, ὁ δὲ, ἐλεεῖ τοῦ πλούτου τὴν ἀῤῥωστίαν. Ἔστι δὲ ἰδεῖν καὶ ἐν ταῖς νόσοις, τὸν μὲν, ὑπὸ μυρίων θεραπευόμενον, καὶ πικρῶς ἀλγυ νόμενον, καὶ φέρειν οὐ δυνάμενον τὴν τοῦ νοσήμα τος προσβολήν. Καὶ ἐν ὥρᾳ μὲν χειμῶνος, ἐν ἀλεει νοῖς οἴκοις κατάκειται, ἐπὶ στρωμνῆς μαλακῆς καλινδούμενος, ἱματίοις πολλοῖς καὶ θερμοῖς ἐνει λημ[μ]ένος, ἐσχάρας ἔχων περικειμένας, καὶ τῷ κρυμῷ πολεμούσας, φάρμακα μυρία τῇ νόσῳ μαχό μενα, ἰατρῶν ὑποσχέσεις ψυχαγωγούσας, φίλους παρ όντας, καὶ τῶν παθῶν τὰς ἀκίδας τῇ διαλέξει συ λῶντας. Εἰ δὲ θέρους εἴη καιρὸς, ἕτεροι τοῦτον οἶκοι πάλιν ὑποδέχονται, ἀναπεπταμένοι, καὶ τὰς τῶν ἀνέ μων αὔρας ῥᾳδίως ὑποδεχόμενοι· εἰ δὲ καὶ αὗται λήξαιεν, σοφίζονται ταῖς ῥιπίσι τὸν ἄνεμον οἱ θερά ποντες. Κλάδοι πανταχόθεν περίκεινται, κῆπον σχε διάζοντες, καὶ ἄλσος τὴν οἰκίαν ἀποφαίνοντες. Ὕδα τος μηχανῶνται κρουνοὺς ἐν τριωρόφοις, τὸν ὕπνον αὐτοῦ τοῖς βλεφάροις ἐπιθεῖναι βουλόμενοι. Καὶ τοσ αύτης πανταχόθεν θεραπείας προσφερομένης, οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐκεῖνος ἀλγύνεται, γυμνούμενος, περι στρεφόμενος, τῇ κινήσει τῶν χειρῶν τὴν κεκρυμ μένην σημαίνων πυράν. Ὁ δὲ πένης, ἕνα μὲν οἰ κίσκον ἔχει, καὶ τοῦτον πολλάκις ἐπὶ μισθῷ. Εἰσὶ δὲ, οἳ μισθὸν παρέχειν οὐ δυνάμενοι, τὴν ἀγορὰν ἔχουσιν οἰκίαν, καὶ κλίνην τὸ ἔδαφος, καὶ στρωμνὴν τὸν φορυτόν· καὶ οὔτε ἰατρὸς παρίσταται, οὔτε ὀψοποιὸς τοῖς τοῦ ἰατροῦ διακονῶν ἐπιτάγμα σιν, οὐκ οἰκέτης, οὐ θεράπαινα, τυχὸν δὲ οὐδὲ γυνὴ σύνευνος. Πάντα δὲ αὐτῷ γίνεται ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ προ μήθεια, ἀμβλύνουσα μὲν τῶν παθῶν τὰς ἀκίδας, ἀμαυροῦσα δὲ τὰς ὀδύνας, σβεννῦσα δὲ φαρμάκου 83.665 δίχα τὴν τοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα, ἀπείργουσα δὲ τὴν βλά βην, τὴν ἀπὸ κρυμοῦ, τὴν ἀπὸ φλογμοῦ, τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ὑποκειμένης νοτίδος. Οὐδεὶς ἐκεῖνον διδάσκει, τίνα τῶν ἐδεσμάτων τρέφει τὴν νόσον, τίνα τῇ ὑγείᾳ συναγωνίζεται, ἀλλὰ ἀδιορίστως καὶ ἀδιακρίτως τὸ τυχὸν ἐσθίει, καὶ τὸ βλαβερὸν ὠφέλιμον γίνεται, καὶ τὸ ψυχρὸν ὕδωρ πινόμενον φάρμακον ἀναφαίνεται, καὶ ὁ ξηρὸς ἄρτος τὴν φλόγα κατασβέννυσιν, οὐ δεῖται τῶν ἄνωθεν μαλαττόντων, ἢ τῶν κάτω θεν ἐνιεμένων ὑπηλατῶν. Ἀναπληροῖ γὰρ ἡ φύσις τὴν ἔνδειαν, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἰατρῶν βοήθειαν αὕτη προσφέρει τῷ κάμνοντι. Καὶ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τὸν ἐπὶ ἐδάφους ἐῤῥιμμένον ῥᾷον φέροντα τὴν νόσον, ἐκείνων τῶν προειρημένης θεραπείας ἀπο λαυόντων. Ὁρῶν τοιγαροῦν ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν γινομέ νων τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν κηδεμονίαν, μὴ πολυπραγμόνει τῶν γινομένων ἕκαστον. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο θέλεις ποιεῖν, λάβε τῆς πολυπραγμοσύνης συνεργὸν τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Αὕτη σου τῆς πορείας ἡγείσθω, αὕτη σε πρὸς τὴν τῶν ζητουμένων ἔρευναν ποδηγείτω. Ταύτῃ πειθόμενος, λάβε πᾶσαν ἀφορμὴν εἰς ὑμν ωδίαν τοῦ Κτίσαντος· μίμησαι τοὺς τρεῖς ἐκείνους παῖδας, οἳ καμίνῳ παραδοθέντες, καὶ τὴν ἄψυχον κτίσιν εἰς κοινωνίαν τῆς δοξολογίας ἐκάλεσαν, καὶ τὸν ὠμῶς τῇ καμίνῳ παραδεδωκότα τύραννον, εἰς θεωρίαν τοῦ θαύματος εἵλκυσαν, καὶ τὸν πολε μηθέντα Θεὸν προσκυνῆσαι τῇ θαυματουργίᾳ κατ ηνάγκασαν. Ἐκείνους μὲν οὖν οὔτε κάμινος εἰς βλασ φημίαν κινῆσαι τὴν γλῶτταν ἠνάγκασεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοσαύτῃ παραδοθέντες φλογὶ, ὕμνοις τὸν εὐεργέτην ἐγέραιρον. Σὲ δὲ οὔτε κάμινος, οὔτε λέοντες βλασ φημεῖν ἀναγκάζουσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς θεοσδότοις ἀγα θοῖς ἐντρυφῶν, οὐκ αἰσθάνῃ τῶν δωρεῶν. Εἰ δέ μοι πείθοιο, τὴν γλῶτταν εὐσεβείᾳ κοσμήσεις, καὶ τὴν μὲν κτίσιν ἐπαινέσεις, τὸν δὲ Κτίστην ὑμνήσεις, καὶ τὴν παροῦσαν αὐτοῦ πανταχοῦ προμήθειαν προσκυ νήσεις, ὅτι αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ Ζʹ.