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he says, his spittle upon his beard; so that Achish said to his servants: Why did you bring him to me? Am I in need of epileptics, that you have brought him to have a seizure upon me? And so being released from there, he escaped, he says, to the cave of Adullam. Having thus escaped a great danger, he sends up this thanksgiving to God who had delivered him. I will bless, he says, the Lord at all times. Having escaped from death, he sets, as it were, boundaries for his own life, shaping his soul towards exactness of conduct; so as to let no time pass without blessing, but to refer the beginning of both great and small matters to God. I will not consider, he says, that things happen through my own diligence, nor that they occur by automatic chance, but, At all times I will bless the Lord, not only in the prosperities of life, but also in times of trial. Having been taught from this, the Apostle says, Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks. Do you see how great the man's love is? He did not despair at the continuity of evils, when he was not only driven from his country, and kindred, and household, and possessions, but also, having been delivered over to his enemies by necessity, was almost torn apart by them. He did not say: How long will this continuity of evils last? he did not despair at the prolongation of affliction, know 29.353 ing that, Affliction produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. For in truth, for those who are well prepared, afflictions are like athletic foods and exercises, advancing the combatant to the paternal glory; when being reviled we bless, being blasphemed we entreat, being exhausted we give thanks, being afflicted we glory in the affliction. For it is shameful for us to bless in better circumstances, but to be silent in gloomy and painful matters. But then we must give thanks even more, knowing that, Whom the Lord loves He chastens; and He scourges every son whom He receives. His praise shall be in my mouth continually. The prophet seems to promise something impossible. For how can the praise of God be in a man's mouth continually? When he speaks the usual and daily conversations, he does not have the praise of God in his mouth. When he sleeps, he will be silent, certainly. And when he is eating and drinking, how will his mouth work for praise? To this indeed we say, that there is also an intellectual mouth of the inner man, by which he is nourished, partaking of the word of life, who is the bread that came down from heaven. Concerning that mouth the Prophet also says that: I opened my mouth, and drew in the spirit. That mouth the Lord also urges us to have wide for a more abundant reception of the foods of truth. For, he says, Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. Therefore, the thought of God, once impressed and, as it were, sealed upon the ruling part of the soul, can be called the praise of God, existing continually in the soul. And also, according to the apostolic instruction, the zealous man can do all things to the glory of God, so that every deed, and every word, and every mental activity, has the power of praise. For whether the righteous man eats, or drinks, he does all things to the glory of God. When such a one is sleeping, his heart is awake, according to the one who said in the Song of Songs: I sleep, but my heart is awake. For dreams are for the most part echoes of the day's thoughts. In the Lord shall my soul be praised. Let no one, he says, praise my own cleverness, by which I was saved from dangers. For salvation is not in the power of man, nor in wisdom, but in the grace of God. Let not, he says, the rich man glory in his wealth, nor the wise man in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength; but let him who glories glory in this, in understanding and knowing the Lord his God. Do you see how the Apostle his fellow workers

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φησὶ, τὰ σίελα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν πώ γωνα· ὥστε εἰπεῖν τὸν Ἀγχοὺς τοῖς παισί· Τί εἰσ εφέρετε αὐτὸν πρὸς μέ; Μὴ ἐπιδέομαι ἐπιλήπτων ἐγὼ, ὅτι εἰσηνέγκατε αὐτὸν ἐπιληπτεύεσθαι ἐπ' ἐμέ; Καὶ οὕτως ἀπολυθεὶς ἐκεῖθεν, διεσώθη, φησὶν, εἰς τὸ σπήλαιον Ὀδολλάμ. Ὡς οὖν ἐκ μεγάλου κινδύνου διεκφυγὼν, ταύτην ἀναπέμπει τὴν εὐχαριστίαν τῷ ῥυσαμένῳ αὐτὸν Θεῷ. Εὐλογήσω, φησὶ, τὸν Κύ ριον ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ. ∆ιεκφυγὼν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου, οἷον ὅρους ἑαυτῷ τίθεται τῆς ζωῆς, τυπῶν ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν πρὸς τὸ τῆς πολιτείας ἀκριβές· ὡς μη δένα καιρὸν διαλιμπάνειν τῆς εὐλογίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεγά λων καὶ μικροτέρων πραγμάτων ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἀναφέρειν τὴν ἀρχήν. Οὐχὶ ἡγήσομαι, φησὶ, κατὰ τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ ἐπιμέλειαν γίνεσθαι, οὐδὲ ἐκ τῆς αὐτομάτου συντυχίας συμβαίνειν, ἀλλ' Ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ εὐλογήσω τὸν Κύ ριον, οὐκ ἐν ταῖς εὐημερίαις μόνον τοῦ βίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς περιστατικοῖς καιροῖς. Ἐντεῦθεν μαθητευθεὶς ὁ Ἀπόστολος, Πάντοτε, φησὶ, χαίρετε, ἀδιαλεί πτως προσεύχεσθε, ἐν παντὶ εὐχαριστεῖτε. Ὁρᾷς ἡλίκη τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἡ ἀγάπη; Οὐκ ἀπεδυσπέτει πρὸς τὴν συνέχειαν τῶν κακῶν, ὅτε οὐ μόνον πατρίδος ἀπελήλατο, καὶ συγγενείας, καὶ οἰκείων, καὶ κτημά των, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις παραδοθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης, μικροῦ διασπᾶσθαι παρ' αὐτῶν ἔμελλεν. Οὐκ εἶπε· Μέχρι τίνος ἡ συνέχεια τῶν κακῶν; οὐκ ἀπεδυσπέτησε πρὸς τὴν παράτασιν τῆς θλίψεως, εἰ 29.353 δὼς, Ὅτι ἡ θλίψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται, ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμὴν, ἡ δὲ δοκιμὴ ἐλπίδα. Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ τοῖς καλῶς παρεσκευασμένοις αἱ θλίψεις οἱονεὶ τροφαί τινές εἰσιν ἀθλητικαὶ καὶ γυμνάσια, ἐπὶ τὴν πατρῴαν δόξαν τὸν ἀγωνιστὴν προβιβάζουσαι· ὅταν λοιδορούμενοι εὐλογῶμεν, βλασφημούμενοι παρακα λῶμεν, καταπονούμενοι εὐχαριστῶμεν, θλιβόμενοι ἐπὶ τῇ θλίψει καυχώμεθα. Αἰσχρὸν γὰρ εὐλογεῖν μὲν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τοῖς χρηστοτέροις, σιωπᾷν δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς σκυ θρωποτέροις καὶ ἐπιπόνοις πράγμασιν. Ἀλλὰ τότε καὶ πλέον εὐχαριστεῖν δεῖ, εἰδότας, ὅτι Ὃν ἀγαπᾷ Κύριος παιδεύει· μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱὸν ὃν πα ραδέχεται. ∆ιαπαντὸς ἡ αἴνεσις αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ στόματί μου. ∆οκεῖ ἀδύνατόν τι ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι ὁ προφήτης. Πῶς γὰρ διαπαντὸς ἡ αἴνεσις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ στόματι ἀνθρώπου εἶναι δύναται; Ὅτε δια λέγεται τὰς συνήθεις καὶ βιωτικὰς ὁμιλίας, οὐκ ἔχει τὸν αἶνον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ στόματι. Ὅτε καθεύδει, σιωπήσεται πάντως. Ἐσθίοντος δὲ καὶ πίνοντος πῶς ἐνεργήσει τὸ στόμα τὴν αἴνεσιν; Πρὸς δὴ τοῦτο λέ γομεν, ὅτι ἔστι μέν τι καὶ νοητὸν στόμα τοῦ ἔνδον ἀνθρώπου, ᾧ τρέφεται μεταλαμβάνων τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς, ὅς ἐστιν ἄρτος ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς. Περὶ ἐκείνου τοῦ στόματος καὶ ὁ Προφήτης φησὶν ὅτι· Τὸ στόμα μου ἤνοιξα, καὶ εἵλκυσα πνεῦμα. Ἐκεῖνο καὶ ὁ Κύριος προκαλεῖται ἡμᾶς εὐρύχωρον ἔχειν εἰς ὑποδοχὴν ἀφθονωτέραν τῶν τροφῶν τῆς ἀληθείας. Πλάτυνον γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ στόμα σου, καὶ πληρώσω αὐτό. ∆ύναται οὖν ἡ ἐντετυπωμένη ἅπαξ καὶ οἱονεὶ ἐσφραγισμένη τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ τῆς ψυχῆς περὶ Θεοῦ ἔννοια αἴνεσις ὀνομάζεσθαι Θεοῦ, διαπαντὸς ἐνυπάρχουσα τῇ ψυχῇ. ∆ύναται δὲ καὶ, κατὰ τὴν ἀποστολικὴν ὑποθήκην, ὁ σπουδαῖος πάντα ποιεῖν εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ, ὥστε πᾶσαν πρᾶξιν, καὶ πᾶν ῥῆμα, καὶ πᾶσαν ἐνέργειαν νοερὰν, αἰνέσεως ἐπέχειν δύναμιν. Εἴτε γὰρ ἐσθίει ὁ δίκαιος, εἴτε πίνει, πάντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖ. Τοῦ τοιούτου καθεύδοντος ἡ καρδία ἐγρήγορεν, κατὰ τὸν εἰπόντα ἐν τῷ Ἄσματι τῶν ᾀσμάτων· Ἐγὼ καθεύδω, καὶ ἡ καρδία μου γρηγορεῖ. Ὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ πολὺ τὰ καθ' ὕπνον φαντάσματα τῆς μεθημερινῆς ἐννοίας ἐστὶν ἀπηχήματα. Ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐπαινεθήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου. Μηδεὶς, φησὶ, τὴν ἐμὴν ἐπίνοιαν, καθ' ἣν διεσώθην ἐκ τῶν κινδύνων, ἐπαινείτω. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν δυνάμει ἀν θρώπου, οὐδὲ ἐν σοφίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν ἡ σωτηρία. Μὴ καυχάσθω, φησὶν, ὁ πλού σιος ἐν τῷ πλούτῳ αὐτοῦ, μήτε ὁ σοφὸς ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ αὐτοῦ, μήτε ὁ ἰσχυρὸς ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὐτοῦ· ἀλλ' ἢ ἐν τούτῳ καυχάσθω ὁ καυχώμενος, ἐν τῷ συνιεῖν καὶ γινώσκειν Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν αὐτοῦ. Ὁρᾷς τὸν Ἀπόστολον πῶς τοὺς συνεργοὺς