46

kings, consuls borne on chariots and wearing gold, and their bodyguards having everything of gold, golden spears, golden shields, golden garments, horses adorned with gold? How much more delightful is this than that spectacle? I would pray to see Paul once coming out of the prison with his fetters, than ten thousand times those men escorted with that bodyguard. How many angels do you think went before him when he was thus led out? And that I am not lying, I will make the matter clear to you from an ancient story. Elisha the prophet—and perhaps you know the man—when the king of Syria was at war with the king of Israel, sitting at home, brought to light everything that the former was planning in his chambers with those who shared his counsel, and he made the king's plans invalid, foretelling the secrets, and not allowing him to fall into the traps which he laid. This grieved the king, and being disheartened, he was in great perplexity, not being able to learn who was revealing everything and plotting against him, and nullifying his schemes. So to him, being perplexed and seeking the cause, one of his attendants said that there was a certain prophet, Elisha, sitting in Samaria, who did not allow the king's counsel to stand, but revealed everything. He thought he had found the whole solution. But in fact, there was nothing more wretched than him. For see: when he ought to have honored the man, to have marveled, to have been astonished, if indeed he had such power, as to know, while sitting so many stadia away, everything in the king's chamber with no one reporting it; this he did not do, but being provoked, and becoming full of wrath alone, having assembled horsemen and hoplites, he sends them to seize the prophet. Now Elisha had a disciple, still in the outer courts of prophecy, not yet being judged worthy of such revelations. The king's soldiers arrived, as if to bind the man, or rather the prophet. Again we fall upon chains, and what am I to do? This discourse is so woven from every side, And when the disciple saw the multitude of soldiers, he was beside himself, and running to his 62.71 teacher full of fear and trembling, he reported the disaster, as he thought it, and announced the inescapable danger. The Prophet laughed at him, because he was afraid of things not worthy of fear, and advised him to be of good courage. But he, being still imperfect, was not persuaded, but still being struck by the sight, he remained in fear. What then did the Prophet do? Lord, he says, open the eyes of this young man, and let him see, that those who are with us are more than those who are with them. And suddenly he sees the whole mountain where the Prophet was then dwelling, filled with horses of fire, and such chariots. And this was nothing other than the battle-arrays of angels. 2. If then for this alone so great a company of angels attended Elisha, what about Paul? This the prophet David also said: The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him; and again, They will bear you up in their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone. And why do I say angels? The Master himself was with him then as he was going out. For surely he did not appear to Abraham, and was not with this man; for he himself promised, saying: I am with you all the days, until the end of the age. And again appearing to him, he said: Do not be afraid, but speak, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you. And in a dream he stood by him saying: Take courage; for as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome. Therefore the saints are always wonderful, and full of much grace, but especially when they are in peril for Christ's sake, when they become prisoners. For just as a noble soldier is always and simply a pleasant sight to those who see him, but especially when he stands and is arrayed next to the king himself; so too consider Paul, what a sight it was to see him teaching with his bonds. Shall I say a thought that has just now occurred to me? The blessed martyr Babylas was bound, and he for the same cause as John, for rebuking a lawless king. This man, when dying, commanded that his chains be placed with his body, and the body

46

βασιλέας, τοὺς ὑπάτους ἐπὶ ζεύγους φερομένους καὶ χρυσοφοροῦντας, καὶ τοὺς δορυφοροῦντας πάντα ἔχοντας χρυσᾶ, χρυσᾶ τὰ δόρατα, χρυσᾶς τὰς ἀσπίδας, χρυσᾶ τὰ ἱμάτια, ἵππους χρυσοφόρους; Πόσον τῆς θέας ἐκείνης τοῦτο τερπνότερον; Ἅπαξ ἂν ηὐξάμην Παῦλον ἰδεῖν ἐκ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου μετὰ τῶν δεσμωτῶν ἐξιόντα, ἢ μυριάκις ἐκείνους μετὰ τῆς δορυφορίας ἐκείνης παραπεμπομένους. Πόσους οἴεσθε ἀγγέλους προηγεῖσθαι αὐτοῦ, ὅτε ἐξήγετο οὕτω; Καὶ ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι, ἀπό τινος παλαιᾶς ἱστορίας τὸ πρᾶγμα ὑμῖν ποιήσω φανερόν. Ἐλισσαῖος ὁ προφήτης, τάχα δὲ ἴστε τὸν ἄνδρα, τοῦ βασιλέως Συρίας ἐκπεπολεμωμένου πρὸς τὸν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ βασιλέα, καθήμενος παρ' ἑαυτῷ, ἅπαντα, ἅπερ ἐκεῖνος ἐν τοῖς ταμείοις μετὰ τῶν κοινωνούντων αὐτῷ τῆς γνώμης ἐβουλεύετο, εἰς μέσον ἐξέφερε, καὶ ἀκύρους ἐποίει τοῦ βασιλέως τὰς βουλὰς, τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα προλέγων, καὶ οὐκ ἀφιεὶς εἰς τὰς παγίδας, ἃς ἐκεῖνος ἐτίθει, ἐμπεσεῖν. Ἐλύπει τοῦτο τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ ἀθυμῶν, ἐν ἀπορίᾳ πολλῇ καθειστήκει, οὐκ ἔχων μαθεῖν τὸν ἐκφέροντα ἅπαντα καὶ ἐπιβουλεύοντα, καὶ τὰς μηχανὰς ἀκυροῦντα τὰς τούτου. Ἀποροῦντι τοίνυν αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ζητοῦντι εἶπέ τις τῶν ὑπασπιστῶν, ὅτι δὴ προφήτης εἴη τις Ἑλισσαῖος ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ καθήμενος, οὐκ ἐῶν ἑστάναι τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως γνώμην, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἐκφέρων. Ἐκεῖνος ἐνόμισεν εὑρηκέναι τὸ πᾶν. Οὐδὲν δὲ ἄρα αὐτοῦ ἀθλιώτερον. Ὅρα γάρ· δέον τιμῆσαι τὸν ἄνδρα, θαυμάσαι, ἐκπλαγῆναι, εἰ δὴ τοσαύτην ἔχει τὴν ἰσχὺν, ὡς ἀπὸ τοσούτων σταδίων καθήμενον, πάντα τὰ ἐν τῷ ταμείῳ τοῦ βασιλέως, οὐδενὸς ἀπαγγέλλοντος, εἰδέναι· τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἐποίησε, παροξυνθεὶς δὲ, καὶ τῆς ὀργῆς γενόμενος μόνης, ἱππέας καὶ ὁπλίτας συντάξας, πέμπει παραστήσων τὸν προφήτην. Ἦν δὲ τῷ Ἑλισσαίῳ μαθητὴς ἐν προπυλαίοις ἔτι τῆς προφητείας, τῶν τοιούτων ἀποκαλύψεων μήπω κρινόμενος ἀξιοῦσθαι. Ἐπέστησαν οἱ στρατιῶται τοῦ βασιλέως, ὡς δήσοντες τὸν ἄνδρα, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸν προφήτην. Πάλιν εἰς δεσμοὺς ἐμπίπτομεν, καὶ τί πάθω; πάντοθεν οὗτος ὁ λόγος οὕτως ὑφαίνεται, Καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ μαθητὴς τῶν στρατιωτῶν τὸ πλῆθος, ἐξέστη, καὶ περιδεὴς καὶ ἔντρομος προσδραμὼν τῷ 62.71 διδασκάλῳ, τὴν συμφορὰν, ὡς ᾤετο, ἀπήγγειλε, καὶ τὸν ἄφυκτον ἐμήνυσε κίνδυνον. Κατεγέλασεν ὁ Προφήτης, ὅτι τὰ οὐκ ἄξια δέους ἐδεδοίκει, καὶ παρῄνει θαῤῥεῖν. Ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἀτελὴς ἔτι ὢν, οὐκ ἐπείθετο, ἀλλ' ἔτι ὑπὸ τῆς ὄψεως ἐκπληττόμενος ἐνέκειτο τῷ φόβῳ. Τί οὖν ὁ Προφήτης; Κύριε, ἄνοιξον, φησὶ, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ παιδαρίου τούτου, καὶ ἰδέτω, ὅτι πλείους οἱ μεθ' ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ τοὺς μετ' αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἄφνω τὸ ὄρος ὅλον ὁρᾷ, ὅπερ ὁ Προφήτης ᾤκει τότε, ἵππων πυρίνων, καὶ ἁρμάτων τοιούτων ἐμπεπλησμένον. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἦν, εἰ μὴ ἀγγέλων παρατάξεις. βʹ. Εἰ δὲ Ἑλισσαίῳ ὑπὲρ τούτου μόνου τοσαύτη παρείπετο τάξις ἀγγέλων, τί Παύλῳ; Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ προφήτης ∆αυῒδ ἔλεγε· Παρεμβαλεῖ ἄγγελος Κυρίου κύκλῳ τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτόν· καὶ πάλιν, Ἐπὶ χειρῶν ἀροῦσί σε, μήποτε προσκόψῃς πρὸς λίθον τὸν πόδα σου. Καὶ τί λέγω ἀγγέλους; αὐτὸς ὁ ∆εσπότης τότε μετ' αὐτοῦ ἦν ἐξιόντος. Οὐ γὰρ δήπου τῷ μὲν Ἀβραὰμ ὠπτάνετο, μετὰ δὲ τούτου οὐκ ἦν· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐπηγγείλατο λέγων· Ἐγώ εἰμι μεθ' ὑμῶν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος. Καὶ πάλιν ὀφθεὶς αὐτῷ, ἔλεγε· Μὴ φοβοῦ, ἀλλὰ λάλει, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι μετὰ σοῦ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐπιθήσεταί σοι τοῦ κακῶσαί σε. Καὶ κατ' ὄναρ δὲ αὐτῷ ἐπέστη λέγων· Θάρσει· ὡς γὰρ διεμαρτύρω τὰ περὶ ἐμοῦ εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, οὕτω σε δεῖ καὶ ἐν Ῥώμῃ μαρτυρῆσαι. Ἀεὶ μὲν οὖν οἱ ἅγιοι θαυμαστοὶ, καὶ πολλῆς γέμουσι χάριτος, μάλιστα δὲ ὅταν διὰ Χριστὸν κινδυνεύωσιν, ὅταν δέσμιοι γίνωνται. Καθάπερ γὰρ στρατιώτης γενναῖος ἀεὶ μὲν καὶ ἁπλῶς ἡδὺ θέαμα τοῖς ὁρῶσι γίνεται, μάλιστα δὲ ὅταν ἑστήκῃ καὶ παρατάττῃ παρ' αὐτὸν τὸν βασιλέα· οὕτω δὴ καὶ Παῦλον ἐννόησον, ὅσον ἦν ἰδεῖν μετὰ τῶν δεσμῶν αὐτὸν διδάσκοντα. Εἴπω τί μεταξὺ νῦν ὑπελθόν με νόημα; Ὁ μακάριος μάρτυς Βαβύλας ἐδέθη, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς αἰτίας, ἀφ' ἧς καὶ Ἰωάννης, βασιλέα παρανομοῦντα ἐλέγξας. Οὗτος τελευτῶν ἐπέτρεψε τὰ δεσμὰ τεθῆναι μετὰ τοῦ σώματος, καὶ τὸ σῶμα