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weak. But imitators, he says, of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. And who these are, he says next. Previously he had said, Imitate your former good deeds; then, lest they say, What deeds? he leads them up to the patriarch, bringing them examples for their good deeds from their own people, and for the thought that they had been abandoned, from the patriarch himself. And this he does, so that they might not say that they were forsaken in contempt as being worthy of no account, but that they might know that it is the mark of the noblest men to journey through life by way of trials, and that God deals thus with admirable and great men. But it is necessary, he says, to bear all things with patience; for this is also to believe. For if He should say that He gives, and you receive at once, in what have you believed? for this is no longer a matter of your faith, but of Mine, He says, who anticipated the promise and have given it. But if I say that I give, and I shall give after a hundred years, and you do not despair; then you have considered me trustworthy, then you have the proper opinion of me. Do you see that unbelief often comes not only from hopelessness, but also from being fainthearted and not being patient, and not from the one who made the promise? For God is not unjust, he says, to forget your love, and the earnestness which you showed for His name's sake, in that you ministered to the saints, and still do minister. He testifies great things of them, not only works, but works with eagerness; which he also says elsewhere: Not only so, but they gave themselves to the Lord and to us. Which you showed, he says, for His name's sake, in that you ministered to the saints and still do minister. See how again he soothes them by adding and saying, still do minister? Even now, he says, ministering, rousing them and showing that they have not done it for them, but for God. Which you showed, he says; not simply to the saints, but to God; for this is what, For His name's sake means; as if he said, For His name's sake you have done all things. He therefore who enjoys so much earnestness and love from you, will never despise you nor forget you. 4. Hearing these things, I exhort you, let us minister to the saints. For every believer is a saint, insofar as he is a believer; even if one is in the world, he is a saint. For the unbelieving husband, he says, is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. See how faith produces sanctification. Therefore, if we see a man of the world in distress, let us lend a hand; let us not be zealous only for those who dwell in the mountains. For they are holy both in life and in faith, but these are holy in faith, and many in life as well. Let us not, if we see a monk in prison, only then go in; but if we see a man of the world, not go in; he too is a saint, and a brother. What then, one says, if he be unclean and defiled? Hear 63.88 Christ saying: Judge not, that you be not judged. You do it for God's sake. And what am I saying? even if we see a Greek in distress, we ought to do good, and simply every human being who is in distress, but much more a believer in the world. Hear Paul saying: Do good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of faith. But I do not know whence this has been introduced, and whence this custom has prevailed. For he who seeks out only monks, and wishes to do good only to them, and again scrutinizes them, and says, Unless he is worthy, unless he is righteous, unless he performs signs, I will not lend a hand, has taken away the greater part of almsgiving, and in time will do away with this itself; and yet that is almsgiving, which is done to sinners, which is done to the accountable. For this is almsgiving, not to pity those who have done well, but those who have sinned. And that you may learn this, hear what Christ says through the parable: A certain man, He says, was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves; and after beating him, they left him by the roadside, being half dead. And by chance a certain Levite came down that way, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side; likewise also a certain priest did the same and passed by. But afterwards a certain Samaritan came, and showed him great care. For he bound up

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ἀσθενῆ. Μιμηταὶ δὲ, φησὶ, τῶν διὰ πίστεως καὶ μακροθυμίας κληρονομούντων τὰς ἐπαγγελίας. Καὶ τίνες οὗτοί εἰσιν, ἑξῆς λέγει. Πρότερον εἴρηκε, Μιμήσασθε τὰ πρότερα ὑμῶν κατορθώματα· εἶτα, ἵνα μὴ λέγωσι. Ποῖα; αὐτοὺς ἀνάγει ἐπὶ τὸν πατριάρχην, τῶν μὲν κατορθωμάτων οἴκοθεν αὐτοῖς φέρων τὰ ὑποδείγματα, τοῦ δὲ νομίζειν ἐγκαταλελεῖφθαι, ἀπὸ τοῦ πατριάρχου. Τοῦτο δὲ ποιεῖ, ἵνα μὴ λέγωσιν ὅτι ὡς οὐδενὸς ἄξιοι λόγου καταφρονηθέντες ἐγκατελείφθησαν, ἀλλ' εἰδέναι ἔχωσιν ὅτι τῶν μάλιστα γενναίων ἀνδρῶν τοῦτό ἐστι, τὸ διὰ πειρασμῶν ὁδεύειν τὸν βίον, καὶ ὅτι τοῖς θαυμαστοῖς καὶ μεγάλοις ἀνδράσιν οὕτω κέχρηται ὁ Θεός. ∆εῖ δὲ, φησὶ, μετὰ μακροθυμίας ἅπαντα φέρειν· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι καὶ πιστεῦσαι. Ἐὰν δὲ εἴπῃ ὅτι δίδωσι, καὶ λάβῃς εὐθέως, τί καὶ ἐπίστευσας; οὐκέτι γὰρ τῆς πίστεώς ἐστι τοῦτο τῆς σῆς, ἀλλ' ἐμοῦ, φησὶ, τοῦ προλαβόντος τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν καὶ δεδωκότος. Ἐὰν δὲ εἴπω ὅτι δίδωμι, καὶ μετὰ ἑκατὸν ἔτη δώσω, σὺ δὲ μὴ ἀπελπίσῃς· τότε με ἐνόμισας ἀξιόπιστον, τότε τὴν προσήκουσαν περὶ ἐμοῦ δόξαν ἔχεις. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι πολλάκις ἡ ἀπιστία οὐκ ἐξ ἀνελπιστίας γίνεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ὀλιγοψυχεῖν καὶ μὴ μακροθυμεῖν, οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ ἐπαγγειλαμένου; Οὐ γὰρ ἄδικος ὁ Θεὸς, φησὶν, ἐπιλαθέσθαι τῆς ἀγάπης ὑμῶν, καὶ τῆς σπουδῆς ἧς ἐνεδείξασθε εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, διακονήσαντες τοῖς ἁγίοις, καὶ διακονοῦντες. Μεγάλα αὐτοῖς μαρτυρεῖ, οὐκ ἔργα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ προθυμίας ἔργα· ὃ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν· Οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἔδωκαν τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ ἡμῖν. Ἧς ἐνεδείξασθε, φησὶν, εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, διακονήσαντες τοῖς ἁγίοις καὶ διακονοῦντες. Ὅρα πῶς πάλιν αὐτοὺς θεραπεύει ἐπαγαγὼν καὶ εἰπὼν, ∆ιακονοῦντες; Ἔτι καὶ νῦν, λέγει, διακονοῦντες, διανιστῶν αὐτοὺς καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐκ ἐκείνοις πεποιήκασιν, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ. Ἣν ἐνεδείξασθε, φησίν· οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν Θεόν· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, Εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ· ὡσεὶ ἔλεγε, ∆ιὰ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ πάντα πεποιήκατε. Ὁ τοίνυν τοσαύτης παρ' ὑμῶν ἀπολαύων σπουδῆς καὶ ἀγάπης, οὐ καταφρονήσει ποτὲ ὑμῶν οὐδὲ ἐπιλήσεται. δʹ. Ταῦτα ἀκούοντες, παρακαλῶ, διακονῶμεν τοῖς ἁγίοις. Πᾶς γὰρ πιστὸς ἅγιος, καθὸ πιστός ἐστι· κἂν κοσμικὸς ᾖ τις, ἅγιός ἐστιν· Ἡγίασται γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ ἄπιστος ἐν τῇ γυναικὶ, καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ ἄπιστος ἐν τῷ ἀνδρί. Ὅρα πῶς τὸν ἁγιασμὸν ἡ πίστις ποιεῖ. Κἂν κοσμικὸν τοίνυν ἴδωμεν ἐν περιστάσει, ὀρέγωμεν χεῖρα· μὴ πρὸς τοὺς ἐν ὄρεσι μόνον καθημένους ὦμεν σπουδαῖοι· ἅγιοι μὲν γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι καὶ βίῳ καὶ πίστει, ἅγιοι δὲ καὶ οὗτοι τῇ πίστει, πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ βίῳ. Μὴ, ἐὰν ἴδωμεν μοναχὸν εἰς φυλακὴν, τότε εἰσέλθωμεν· ἐὰν δὲ κοσμικὸν, μὴ εἰσέλθωμεν· ἅγιός ἐστι καὶ οὗτος, καὶ ἀδελφός. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, ἐὰν ᾖ ἀκάθαρτος καὶ μιαρός; Ἄκουε 63.88 τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Μὴ κρίνετε, ἵνα μὴ κριθῆτε. Σὺ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν ποίησον. Καὶ τί λέγω; κἂν Ἕλληνα ἴδωμεν ἐν περιστάσει, εὖ ποιεῖν δεῖ, καὶ ἁπλῶς πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐν περιστάσεσιν ὄντα, πολλῷ δὲ μᾶλλον πιστὸν κοσμικόν. Ἄκουε Παύλου λέγοντος· Τὸ καλὸν ποιεῖτε πρὸς πάντας, μάλιστα δὲ πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους τῆς πίστεως. Ἀλλ' οὐκ οἶδα πόθεν τοῦτο εἰσενήνεκται, καὶ πόθεν αὕτη κεκράτηκεν ἡ συνήθεια. Ὁ γὰρ τοὺς μονάζοντας μόνον ἐπιζητῶν, κἀκείνους μόνους εὖ ποιεῖν θέλων, καὶ ἐκείνους δὲ πάλιν περιεργαζόμενος, καὶ λέγων, Ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ ἄξιος, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ δίκαιος, ἐὰν μὴ σημεῖα ποιῇ, οὐκ ὀρέγω χεῖρα, τὸ πλέον τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης ἐξεῖλε, καὶ τοῦτο δὲ αὐτὸ τῷ χρόνῳ πάλιν ἀναιρήσει· καίτοι γε ἐλεημοσύνη ἐκείνη ἐστὶν, ἡ εἰς τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς, ἡ εἰς τοὺς ὑπευθύνους γινομένη. Ἐλεημοσύνη γὰρ τοῦτό ἐστιν, οὐ τὸ τοὺς κατωρθωκότας, ἀλλὰ τὸ τοὺς πεπλημμεληκότας ἐλεεῖν. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ἄκουε τί φησιν ὁ Χριστὸς διὰ τῆς παραβολῆς· Κατῄει, φησὶ, τὶς ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων εἰς Ἱεριχὼ, καὶ λῃσταῖς περιέπεσε· καὶ τυπτήσαντες αὐτὸν, εἴασαν παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἡμιθανῆ τυγχάνοντα. Κατὰ δὲ συγκυρίαν Λευΐτης τις παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἦλθε, καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν, ἀντιπαρῆλθεν· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἱερεύς τις τὸ αὐτὸ ποιήσας παρέδραμεν. Ὕστερον δὲ ἦλθέ τις Σαμαρείτης, καὶ πολλὴν τὴν κηδεμονίαν ἐποιήσατο ἐπ' αὐτῷ. Ἐπέδησε γὰρ