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The wicked messenger of this tragedy said that some were consumed by fire that came down from above, and the others were suddenly all seized by various enemies and cut down along with the shepherds themselves. But yet, seeing such a squall stirred up in a brief moment of time upon the fields, upon the house, upon the cattle, upon the children, the successive waves and continuous reefs and the deep darkness and the unbearable surge, he was neither worn down by despondency, nor did he almost feel what had happened, except insofar as he was a man and a father. But when he was given over to sickness and sores, then he sought death, then he laments and weeps, so that you may learn how this is more grievous than all things and the supreme form of endurance. And not even the wicked demon himself is ignorant of this, but when, having set all those things in motion, he saw the athlete remaining untroubled and undisturbed, he rushed upon him for this greatest contest, saying that: ‘All other things are bearable, even if one loses a child or possessions or anything else’—for this is ‘Skin for skin’—‘but the vital blow is when one receives pains in the body.’ For this very reason, having been defeated after this contest, he did not even have the ability to mutter, although especially in the previous matters he had shamelessly contradicted. Here, however, he could no longer find anything shameless to invent, but covering his face he withdrew. 17.3 But do not think this is an excuse for you for also desiring death yourself, if he desired death, unable to bear the pains. For consider when he desired it and in what state of affairs, when no law had been given, no prophets had appeared, nor had grace been so poured out, nor had he partaken of any other philosophy. For that more is required of us than of those living then, and greater are the contests set for us, hear Christ saying: ‘Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.’ Do not, therefore, think that praying for death now is free from blame, but hear the voice of Paul saying: ‘To depart and be with Christ is far better, but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.’ For by as much as the things of affliction are intensified, by so much do the crowns also increase; by as much as gold is refined by fire, by so much does it become purer; by as much longer a sea a merchant sails, by so much more cargo does he gather. Do not, therefore, think that a small contest is now set before you, but the highest of all that you have endured, I mean the one concerning the sickness of the body. For indeed also for Lazarus—for even if I have said this to you many times, nothing prevents me from saying it now—this sufficed for salvation; and he who had done none of these things went away to the bosom of him who held his house in common for passers-by and was constantly a sojourner because of God's command and who sacrificed his legitimate son, his only-begotten, given in extreme old age, because he bore with ease poverty and sickness and the lack of anyone to care for him. For so great a good is this for those who bear it nobly that even if it finds someone who has committed the greatest sins, it frees him from the heaviest burden of sins; and even if he is one who has acted rightly and is just, it becomes an addition of not small but exceedingly great confidence. For it is both a brilliant crown for the just, shining beyond measure more than the sun, and a very great purification for sinners. For this very reason, Paul delivers over to the destruction of the flesh the one who violated his father's marriage and defiled his bed, purifying him in this way. For that what was happening was a purification for so great a stain, hear him say: ‘that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ And bringing a most dreadful charge against others

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μὲν ὑπὸ πυρὸς ἄνωθεν κατενεχθέντος ἀνηλῶσθαι ἔλεγεν ὁ πονηρὸς τῆς τραγῳδίας ταύτης ἄγγελος, τὰς δὲ ὑπὸ πολεμίων διαφόρων ἀθρόον πάσας ἀναρπαγῆναι καὶ κατακοπῆναι σὺν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ποιμέσιν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως τοσαύτην ζάλην ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ διεγερθεῖσαν ὁρῶν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγρῶν, ἑπὶ τῆς οἰκίας, ἐπὶ τῶν θρεμμάτων, ἐπὶ τῶν παίδων, ἐπάλληλα τὰ κύματα καὶ τὰς σπιλάδας συνεχεῖς καὶ τὸν ζόφον βαθὺν καὶ τὸ κλυδώνιον ἀφόρητον, οὔτε ἀθυμίᾳ κατετείνετο, οὔτε ᾐσθάνετο σχεδὸν τῶν γεγενημένων πλὴν τοσοῦτον ὅσον ἄνθρωπος ἦν καὶ πατήρ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ νόσῳ παρεδόθη καὶ ἕλκεσι, τότε καὶ θάνατον ἐπεζήτει, τότε καὶ ἀποδύρεται καὶ θρήνει, ἵνα μάθῃς πῶς τοῦτο πάντων ἐστὶ χαλεπώτερον καὶ τῆς ὑπομονῆς τὸ ἄκρον εἶδος. Καὶ τοῦτο οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὁ πονηρὸς ἀγνοεῖ δαίμων, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ πάντα ἐκεῖνα κινήσας, ἑώρα τὸν ἀθλητὴν ἀτάραχον μένοντα καὶ ἀθόρυβον, ὡς ἐπὶ μέγιστον ἆθλον τοῦτον ὥρμησε λέγων ὅτι «Τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα φορητά, κἂν παῖδά τις ἀποβάλῃ κἂν κτήματα κἂν ἀλλοτιοῦν-τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι· «∆έρμα ὑπὲρ δέρματος»-, ἡ δὲ καιρία πληγή, ὅταν ἐν σώματί τις δέξηται τὰς ὀδύνας.» ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο μετὰ τὸν ἆθλον τοῦτον ἡττηθείς, οὐδὲ γρῦξαι ἔσχεν, εἰ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα καὶ τὰ πρότερα ἀναισχύντως ἀντέλεγεν. Ἐνταῦθα μέντοι οὐδὲ ἀναίσχυντον πλάσαι τι λοιπὸν εὗρεν, ἀλλ' ἐγκαλυψάμενος ἀνεχώρησεν. 17.3 Ἀλλὰ μὴ νόμιζέ σοι τοῦτο ἀπολογίαν εἶναι εἰς τὸ καὶ αὐτῆς ἐπιθυμεῖν τελευτῆς, εἰ ἐκεῖνος ἐπεθύμει θανάτου τὰς ὀδύνας οὐ φέρων. Ἐννόησον γὰρ πότε ἐκεῖνος ἐπεθύμει καὶ πῶς τῶν πραγμάτων διακειμένων, οὐ νόμου δοθέντος, οὐ προφητῶν φανέντων, οὐ τῆς χάριτος οὕτως ἐκχυθείσης οὐδὲ ἄλλης φιλοσοφίας μετασχών. Ὅτι γὰρ ἡμεῖς τῶν τότε πολιτευομένων πλείονα ἀπαιτούμεθα καὶ μείζονα ἡμῖν κεῖται τὰ σκάμματα, ἄκουσον τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· «Ἐὰν μὴ περισσεύσῃ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν πλέον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.» Μὴ τοίνυν τὸ εὔχεσθαι νῦν τελευτὴν ἀπηλλάχθαι ἐγκλήματος νόμιζε, ἀλλ' ἄκουε τῆς τοῦ Παύλου φωνῆς τῆς λεγούσης· «Τὸ ἀναλῦσαι καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι πολλῷ μᾶλλον κρεῖσσον, τὸ δὲ ἐπιμεῖναι τῇ σαρκὶ ἀναγκαιότερον δι' ὑμᾶς.» Ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν ἐπιτείνηται τὰ τῆς θλίψεως, τοσούτῳ πλεονάζει καὶ τὰ τῶν στεφάνων· ὅσῳ ἂν πυρωθῇ τὸ χρυσίον, τοσούτῳ καθαρώτερον γίνεται· ὅσῳ μακρότερον ἂν πλεύσῃ πέλαγος ἔμπορος, τοσούτῳ πλείονα συνάγει τὰ φορτία. Μὴ τοίνυν νομίσῃς μικρόν σοι προκεῖσθαι νῦν ἆθλον, ἀλλὰ πάντων ὧν ὑπομεμένηκας τὸν ὑψηλότερον τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ σώματος ἀρρωστίᾳ λέγω. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τῷ Λαζάρῳ-εἰ γὰρ καὶ πολλάκις τοῦτο εἴρηκα πρὸς σέ, οὐδὲν κωλύει καὶ νῦν εἰπεῖν-, ἤρκεσε τοῦτο εἰς σωτηρίαν· καὶ τοῦ κοινὴν τὴν οἰκίαν τοῖς παριοῦσι κεκτημένου καὶ μετανάστου συνεχῶς γινομένου διὰ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόσταγμα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν κατασφάξαντος τὸν γνήσιον, τὸν μονογενῆ, τὸν ἐν ἐσχάτῳ γήρᾳ δοθέντα, ὁ μηδὲν τούτων πεποιηκὼς εἰς τοὺς κόλπους ἀπῄει, ἐπειδὴ ἤνεγκεν εὐκόλως πενίαν καὶ ἀρρωστίαν καὶ τὴν τῶν προστησομένων ἐρημίαν. Τοσοῦτον γάρ ἐστιν ἀγαθὸν τοῦτο τοῖς γενναίως φέρουσι ὅτι κἂν τὰ μέγιστα ἡμαρτηκότα τινὰ εὕρῃ, ἀπαλλάττει τοῦ βαρυτάτου τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων φορτίου· κἂν κατωρθωκότα καὶ δίκαιον ὄντα, οὐ μικρᾶς ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα μεγίστης παρρησίας γίνεται προσθήκη. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ στέφανός ἐστι λαμπρὸς ἐπὶ τῶν δικαίων, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸν ἥλιον μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς λάμπων, καὶ καθάρσιον μέγιστον ἐπὶ τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο τὸν διορύξαντα γάμον πατρῷον καὶ τὴν εὐνὴν διαφθείραντα τὴν ἐκείνου εἰς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρκὸς παραδίδωσιν ὁ Παῦλος, τούτῳ καθαίρων αὐτὸν τῷ τρόπῳ. Ὅτι γὰρ καθάρσιον τὸ γινόμενον ἦν τῆς τοσαύτης κηλῖδος, ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· «Ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα σωθῇ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.» Καὶ ἑτέροις δὲ ἐγκαλῶν φρικωδεστάτην