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a very sluggish person would have stepped into a fire, if he had found some trustworthy guarantor of his safety. But the three children were not such; but what? Hear them saying: O king, there is a God in heaven, who will deliver us from your hands, and from this furnace; and if not, let it be known to you, that we do not serve your gods, and the golden image which you have set up, we do not worship. Do you see how many are the gains, and more than these from not knowing the end? For the present it is sufficient to learn these things. For this reason as a thief in the night, so He comes; that we may not lead ourselves into wickedness, that not into indolence, that He may not cut short our reward. For you yourselves, he says, know perfectly. Why then are you overly curious, if you are persuaded? But that the future is uncertain, learn from what Christ said; but that He said it for this reason, hear what He says: Watch therefore, for you do not know at what hour the thief comes. For this reason Paul also said: For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall not escape. Here he hinted at this, which he also said in the second Epistle. For since these were in tribulations, but those who warred against them were in ease and in luxury, then he himself was comforting the present dreadful things with the word of the resurrection, but they were insolent, speaking from ancestral thoughts and were saying. When shall it be? (which the prophets also said: Woe to those who say, Let what God will do come quickly, that we may see; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may know it; and again: Woe to you that desire the day of the Lord (for he does not mean simply desiring, but those desiring out of disbelief); and, The day of the Lord is darkness, he says, and not light); for this reason he spoke thus. And see how he comforts them; as if he were saying; Let them not make their being in prosperity a proof that the judgment is not coming; for in this way it indeed comes. It is also worth investigating that; 62.449 if the Antichrist is coming, and Elijah is coming, how, when they say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them? For these things do not permit not knowing the day, being signs of its presence. But he is not hinting at this time, of the Antichrist I mean, nor does he say that that day will be a sign of the presence of Christ, but that Christ will have no sign, but will come suddenly and unexpectedly. And yet to the pregnant woman, he says, it does not come unknown; for she knows that after nine months the birth will be. And very much so unknown; for some gave birth at seven months, and some at nine months; and otherwise also the day and the hour of birth is unknown. For this then Paul says these things. And the image is accurate; for the signs of labor are not many; indeed many have given birth thus both in the roads and outside the house, not knowing beforehand. He hinted here not only at the unknown, but also at the bitterness of the pain. For just as that woman playing, laughing, foreseeing nothing at all, suddenly seized by unspeakable pains is torn apart by the labor pangs; so also those souls, when that day has come. And they shall not escape. Then showing that he is not saying these things concerning them, he added: But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 3. Here he means the dark and impure life. For just as in the night the defiled and wicked among men do all things, escaping the notice of all, and shutting themselves up in darkness. For tell me, does not the adulterer watch for the evening? and the thief for the night? does not the grave-robber have all his work in the night? What then? does it not overtake them as a thief? does it not come upon them unknown? But do they know beforehand? How then does he say, You have no need that I write to you? Here he is not speaking of the uncertainty, but of the calamity; that is, it will not come for their harm. For it will come unknown to them too, but it will not involve them in any grievous thing. That the day, he says, as a

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νωθρότατος εἰς πῦρ ἐνέβη ἂν, εἴ τινα ἀξιόπιστον ἐγγυητὴν εὗρε τῆς ἀσφαλείας. Ἀλλ' οὐχ οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες τοιοῦτοι· ἀλλὰ τί; Ἄκουε αὐτῶν λεγόντων· Βασιλεῦ, ἔστι Θεὸς ἐν οὐρανῷ, ὃς ἐξελεῖται ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν σου, καὶ ἐκ τῆς καμίνου ταύτης· καὶ ἐὰν μὴ, γνωστὸν ἔστω σοι, ὅτι τοῖς θεοῖς σου οὐ λατρεύομεν, καὶ τῇ εἰκόνι τῇ χρυσῇ ᾗ ἔστησας, οὐ προσκυνοῦμεν. Ὁρᾶτε πόσα κέρδη ἐστὶ, καὶ πλείονα τούτων ἐκ τοῦ ἀγνοεῖν τὴν τελευτήν; Τέως δὲ ταῦτα ἀπόχρη μαθεῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὡς κλέπτης ἐν νυκτὶ, οὕτως ἔρχεται· ἵνα μὴ εἰς κακίαν ἐξαγάγωμεν ἑαυτοὺς, ἵνα μὴ εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν, ἵνα μὴ τὸν μισθὸν ἡμῶν ὑποτέμηται. Αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀκριβῶς, φησὶν, οἴδατε. Τί οὖν περιεργάζεσθε, εἰ πεπεισμένοι ἐστέ; Ὅτι δὲ ἄδηλον τὸ μέλλον, ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς εἶπε, μάνθανε· ὅτι δὲ διὰ τοῦτο εἶπεν, ἄκουσον τί φησι· Γρηγορεῖτε οὖν, ὅτι οὐκ οἴδατε ποίᾳ ὥρᾳ ὁ κλέπτης ἔρχεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Ὅταν δὲ λέγωσιν, Εἰρήνη καὶ ἀσφάλεια, τότε αἰφνίδιος αὐτοῖς ἐφίσταται ὄλεθρος, ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδὶν τῇ ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσῃ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκφύγωσιν. Ἐνταῦθα τοῦτο ᾐνίξατο, ὅπερ καὶ ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ εἶπεν Ἐπιστολῇ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὗτοι μὲν ἦσαν ἐν θλίψεσιν, οἱ δὲ πολεμοῦντες αὐτοὺς ἐν ἀνέσει καὶ ἐν τρυφῇ, εἶτα αὐτὸς μὲν παρεμυθεῖτο τὰ παρόντα δεινὰ τῷ τῆς ἀναστάσεως λόγῳ, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἐπηρέαζον ἐκ τῶν προγονικῶν ἐνθυμημάτων φθεγγόμενοι καὶ ἔλεγον. Πότε ἔσται; (ὅπερ καὶ οἱ προφῆται ἔλεγον· Οὐαὶ οἱ λέγοντες, τὸ τάχος ἐγγισάτω, ἃ ποιήσει ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα ἴδωμεν· καὶ ἐλθέτω ἡ βουλὴ τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰσραὴλ, ἵνα γνῶμεν· καὶ πάλιν· Οὐαὶ οἱ ἐπιθυμοῦντες τὴν ἡμέραν Κυρίου (οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἐπιθυμοῦντας λέγει, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ ἀπιστεῖν ἐπιθυμοῦντας)· καὶ, Ἡ ἡμέρα Κυρίου σκότος, φησὶ, καὶ οὐ φῶς)· διὰ τοῦτο εἴρηκεν οὕτω. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς αὐτοὺς παραμυθεῖται· ὡς ἂν εἰ ἔλεγε· Μὴ τὸ ἐν εὐπαθείᾳ εἶναι αὐτοὺς τεκμήριον ποιείσθωσαν τοῦ μὴ παραγίνεσθαι τὴν κρίσιν· οὕτω μὲν οὖν καὶ παραγίνεται. Ἄξιον δὲ καὶ ἐκεῖνο ζητῆσαι· 62.449 εἰ ὁ Ἀντίχριστος ἔρχεται, καὶ ὁ Ἠλίας ἔρχεται, πῶς ὅταν λέγωσιν, Εἰρήνη καὶ ἀσφάλεια, τότε αὐτοῖς αἰφνίδιος ὄλεθρος ἐφίσταται; ταῦτα γὰρ οὐκ ἀφίησι μὴ εἰδέναι τὴν ἡμέραν, τεκμήρια ὄντα τῆς παρουσίας αὐτῆς. Ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦτον τὸν καιρὸν αἰνίττεται, τοῦ Ἀντιχρίστου λέγω, οὔτε τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην φησὶν, ὅτι σημεῖον ἔσται τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλ' ὅτι ὁ Χριστὸς οὐχ ἕξει σημεῖον, ἀλλ' ἀθρόον καὶ ἀπροσδοκήτως ἥξει. Καὶ μὴν τῇ κυούσῃ, φησὶν, οὐκ ἐφίσταται ἀδήλως· οἶδε γὰρ ὅτι μετὰ ἐννέα μῆνας ἔσται ὁ τόκος. Καὶ σφόδρα μὲν οὖν ἀδήλως· αἱ μὲν γὰρ ἑπταμηνιαῖα ἔτεκον, αἱ δὲ ἐννεαμηνιαῖα· ἄλλως δὲ καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα καὶ ἡ ὥρα ἄδηλος τοῦ τόκου. Πρὸς τοῦτο οὖν φησι ταῦτα ὁ Παῦλος. Καὶ ἀκριβὴς ἡ εἰκών· οὐ γὰρ πολλὰ τῆς ὠδῖνός ἐστι τὰ τεκμήρια· πολλαὶ γοῦν οὕτω καὶ ἐν ὁδοῖς καὶ τῆς οἰκίας ἔξω, μὴ προειδυῖαι, ἔτεκον. Οὐ τὸ ἄδηλον δὲ μόνον ἐνταῦθα ᾐνίξατο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τῆς ὀδύνης πικρόν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκείνη παίζουσα, γελῶσα, οὐδὲν ὅλως προορωμένη, ἐξαίφνης ἀῤῥήτοις κατασχεθεῖσα πόνοις διακόπτεται ταῖς ὠδῖσιν· οὕτω καὶ αἱ ψυχαὶ ἐκεῖναι, τῆς ἡμέρας ἐπελθούσης ἐκείνης. Καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκφύγωσιν. Εἶτα δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐ περὶ αὐτῶν ταῦτα λέγει, ἐπήγαγεν· Ὑμεῖς δὲ, ἀδελφοὶ, οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐν σκότει, ἵνα ἡ ἡμέρα ὑμᾶς ὡς κλέπτης καταλάβῃ. γʹ. Ἐνταῦθα τὸν σκοτεινὸν καὶ ἀκάθαρτον βίον φησί. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν νυκτὶ πάντα πράττουσιν οἱ μιαροὶ καὶ πονηροὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, πάντας λανθάνοντες, καὶ ἐν σκότῳ κατακλείοντες ἑαυτούς. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, οὐχὶ τὴν ἑσπέραν παρατηρεῖ ὁ μοιχός; καὶ οὐχὶ τὴν νύκτα ὁ κλέπτης; ὁ τυμβωρύχος οὐχὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἐργασίαν ἐν νυκτὶ ἔχει; Τί οὖν; οὐχὶ ὡς κλέπτης αὐτοὺς καταλαμβάνει; οὐχὶ καὶ αὐτοῖς ἀδήλως ἐφίσταται; Ἀλλὰ προΐσασι; Πῶς οὖν λέγει, Οὐ χρείαν ἔχετε γράφεσθαι ὑμῖν; Ἐνταῦθα οὐ πρὸς τὸ ἄδηλόν φησιν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν συμφοράν· τουτέστιν, οὐκ ἐπὶ κακῷ τῷ αὐτῶν ἥξει. Ἀδήλως μὲν γὰρ ἥξει καὶ αὐτοῖς, πλὴν ἀλλ' οὐδενὶ περιβαλεῖ λυπηρῷ. Ἵνα ἡ ἡμέρα, φησὶν, ὡς