61

guarding him. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he comes shall find watching. Truly I say to you, that he will gird himself, and make them recline, and coming forward will serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, and in the third watch come, and find them so, blessed are those servants. Blessed is he who does not judge himself in what he approves. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them from afar and greeted them, and confessed that they are strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. And if they had been mindful of that from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God. For He has prepared a city for them. And after a little: And what more shall I say? For the time will fail me to tell of Gideon, and Barak, and Samson, and Jephthah, of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms. Blessed is he who has possessed things of greatest worth, the partaker of inalienable goods. But how shall we know this man? Who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly. Blessed is he who had no doubt concerning God, who was not fainthearted concerning present things, but awaits the things expected; who had an unfaithful opinion concerning our Creator. Of the memory of martyrs, what satiety could there be for one who loves martyrs? Because the honor toward the good among fellow servants is proof of goodwill toward their own master. The disposition toward the well-disposed among fellow servants has reference to the master whom they have served, and he who honors those who have contended for the faith, is clearly one who has zeal for the faith. This I say is the best transaction, to purchase the kingdom of heaven with a little blood, and to receive eternal glory in exchange for temporary goods. The law of martyrdom, is neither for the willing to proceed to the contest, out of consideration for the persecutors and the weaker, nor for those present to shrink back; for the one is of rashness, the other of cowardice. The communion of blessings is a communion of divinity; for blessedness is truly a property of God. If to see God has no excess in goodness, to become a Son of God is beyond all good fortune. For he who is deemed worthy to become a Son will 95.1240 surely have in himself the dignity of the Father; and the success is beyond prayer; and the gift is beyond hope; the grace is beyond nature. It is nature for desire to be directed toward what is blessed and praiseworthy. The sum of all good is to be ranked above the life-giving power. Such are the souls of the saints. Before they fall, they rise up; before they come to sin, they are held back; since they are sober, and are always watchful. The wonder-workers of Christ do not run across a thin cord, nor by tumbling on naked swords do they escape wounds by skill, but instead of a rope they run with unshaken step along the narrow and precipitous path of piety; and they blunt the edges of the tyrants' swords with the ambition of their own wounds; not making it an art not to suffer, but practicing to conquer in suffering. Martyrdom seems to be a purification of sins with glory. Blessed is the nature that rejoices in everything, and is displeased with nothing in the world at all, but is well-pleased with what happens, as happening well and profitably.

TITLE 32. -Concerning first-fruits and tithing and how one ought to offer to

God the first-fruits. The first-fruits of your threshing-floor, you shall not delay. You shall not appear before me empty.

The first-fruits of the first products of your land, you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. The right arm shall be for the priest. Every tenth of your land, shall be holy to the Lord. Take heed to yourself, that you do not forsake the Levite all the time that you live upon the earth. You shall not appear before the Lord your God empty; each one according to

61

φυλάσσοντες αὐτόν. Μακάριοί εἰσιν οἱ δοῦλοι ἐκεῖνοι, οὓς ἐλθὼν ὁ Κύριος εὑρήσει γρηγοροῦντας. Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι περιζώσεται, καὶ ἀνακλινεῖ αὐτοὺς, καὶ παρελθὼν διακονήσει αὐτοῖς. Καὶ ἐὰν ἔλθῃ ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ φυλακῇ, καὶ ἐν τῇ τρίτῃ φυλακῇ, ἔλθῃ, καὶ εὕρῃ οὕτως, μακάριοί εἰσιν οἱ δοῦλοι ἐκεῖνοι. Μακάριος ὁ μὴ κρίνων ἑαυτὸν ἐν ᾧ δοκιμάζει. Κατὰ πίστιν ἀπέθανον οὗτοι πάντες, μὴ λαβόντες τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, ἀλλὰ πόῤῥωθεν αὐτὰς ἰδόντες καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι, καὶ ὁμολογήσαντες, ὅτι ξένοι καὶ παρεπίδημοί εἰσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Οἱ γὰρ τοιαῦτα λέγοντες, ἐμφανίζουσιν ὅτι πατρίδα ἐπιζητοῦσι. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐκείνης ἐμνημόνευον, ἀφ' ἧς ἐξέβησαν, εἶχον ἂν καιρὸν ἀνακάμψαι. Νῦν δὲ κρείττονος ὀρέγονται, τουτέστιν ἐπουρανίου. ∆ιὸ οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς, Θεὸς αὐτῶν ἐπικαλεῖσθαι. Ἡτοίμασε γὰρ αὐτοῖς πόλιν. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Καὶ τί ἔτι λέγω; ἐπιλείψει γάρ με διηγούμενον ὁ χρόνος περὶ Γεδεὼν, Βαράκ τε, καὶ Σαμψὼν, καὶ Ἰεφθάε, ∆αβίδ τε, καὶ Σαμουὴλ, καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, οἱ διὰ πίστεως κατηγωνίσαντο βασιλείας. Μακάριος ὁ τὰ πλείστων ἄξια κεκτημένος, ὁ τῶν ἀναφαιρέτων ἀγαθῶν μέτοχος. Τοῦτον δὲ πῶς ἐπιγνωσόμεθα; Ὃς οὐκ ἐπορεύθη ἐν τῇ βουλῇ ἀσεβῶν. Μακάριος, ὃς οὐκ ἔλαβε περὶ Θεοῦ δισταγμὸν, ὁ μὴ μικροψυχήσας περὶ τὰ παρόντα, ἀλλὰ ἀναμένων τὰ προσδοκώμενα· ὃς ἔσχε περὶ τοῦ Κτίσαντος ἡμᾶς ὑπόληψιν ἄπιστον. Μαρτύρων μνήμης τίς ἂν γένοιτο κόρος τῷ φιλομάρτυρι; διότι ἡ πρὸς τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς τῶν ὁμοδούλων τιμὴ ἀπόδειξιν ἔχει τῆς πρὸς τὸν οἰκεῖον δεσπότην εὐνοίας Ἡ πρὸς τοὺς εὔνους τῶν ὁμοδούλων διάθεσις τὴν ἀναφορὰν ἐπὶ τὸν δεσπότην ἔχει, ᾧ δεδουλεύκασιν, καὶ ὁ τοὺς διὰ πίστιν ἠθληκότας τιμῶν, δῆλός ἐστιν τὸν ζῆλον ἔχων τῆς πίστεως. Ταύτην εἶναι πραγματείαν ἀρίστην φημὶ, αἵματος ὀλίγου βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν ὠνήσασθαι, καὶ δόξης ἀϊδιότητα τῶν προσκαίρων ἀντιλαβεῖν ἀγαθῶν. Νόμος μαρτυρίας, μήτε ἐθέλοντας πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα χωρεῖν, φειδοῖ τῶν διωκόντων καὶ τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων, μήτε παρόντας ἀναδύεσθαι· τὸ μὲν γὰρ θράσους, τὸ δὲ ἀνανδρίας ἐστίν. Ἡ τῶν μακαρισμῶν κοινωνία, θεότητός ἐστι κοινωνία· Θεοῦ γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἴδιον ἡ μακαριότης ἐστίν. Εἰ τὸ ἰδεῖν τὸν Θεὸν ὑπερβολὴν ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ οὐκ ἔχει, τὸ Υἱὸν γενέσθαι τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὑπὲρ εὐκληρίαν ἐστὶ πάντων. Ὁ γὰρ Υἱὸς ἀξιωθεὶς γενέσθαι, ἕξει 95.1240 πάντως ἐν ἑαυτῷ τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸ ἀξίωμα· ὑπὲρ εὐχὴν δὲ ἡ ἐπιτυχία· ὑπὲρ ἐλπίδα δὲ τὸ δῶρον· ὑπὲρ φύσιν ἡ χάρις. Φύσις ἐστὶ πρὸς τὸ μακάριον καὶ ἐπαινούμενον τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν συντείνεσθαι. Ἀγαθοῦ παντὸς τὸ κεφάλαιον, τὸ ὑπὲρ τὴν ζωοποιὸν ἐξουσίαν τετάχθαι. Τοιαῦτα τῶν ἁγίων αἱ ψυχαί. Πρὶν ἢ καταπεσεῖν, ἀνίστανται· πρὶν ἢ πρὸς ἁμαρτίαν ἐλθεῖν, ἀναχαιτίζονται· ἐπειδὴ νήφουσι, καὶ διὰ παντός εἰσιν ἐγρηγορυῖαι. Οὐ μήρινθον λεπτὴν διαθέουσιν οἱ θαυματοποιοὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὐδὲ ξίφεσιν ἐπικυβιστῶντες γυμνοῖς, τέχνῃ τὰς πληγὰς διαφεύγουσιν, ἀλλὰ ἀντὶ μὲν σχοινίου τὴν στενὴν καὶ ἀμφίκρημνον τῆς εὐσεβείας ὁδὸν ἀσαλεύτῳ βήματι διατρέχουσι· τῶν δὲ τυραννουμένων ξιφῶν τὰς ἀκμὰς ταῖς τῶν οἰκείων πληγῶν φιλοτιμίαις ἀμβλύνουσιν· οὐ τὸ μὴ πάσχειν τέχνην ποιησάμενοι, ἀλλὰ τὸ νικᾷν ἐν τῷ πάσχειν ἀσκούμενοι. Ἔοικε τὸ μαρτύριον ἀποκάθαρσις εἶναι ἁμαρτιῶν μετὰ δόξης. Μακαρία φύσις, ἡ ἐπὶ παντὶ χαιροῦσα, καὶ μηδενὶ δυσαρεστοῦσα ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ παράπαν, ἀλλ' εὐαρεστοῦσα τοῖς γινομένοις, ὡς καλῶς καὶ συμφερόντως γινομένοις.

ΤΙΤΛ. ΛΒʹ. -Περὶ ἀπαρχῶν καὶ ἀποδεκατούντων καὶ ὡς χρὴ προσφέρειν τῷ

Θεῷ τὰς ἀπαρχάς. Ἀπαρχὰς ἅλωνός σου, οὐχ ὑστερήσεις. Οὐκ ὀφθήσῃ ἐνώπιόν μου κενός.

Ἀπαρχὰς τῶν πρωτογεννημάτων τῆς γῆς σου, εἰσοίσεις εἰς τὸν οἶκον Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου. Ὁ βραχίων ὁ δεξιὸς τῷ ἱερεῖ ἔσται. Πᾶσα δεκάτη τῆς γῆς σου, ἔσται ἅγιον τῷ Κυρίῳ. Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ, μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς τὸν Λευΐτην πάντα τὸν χρόνον, ὅσον ἐὰν ζῇς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Οὐκ ὀφθήσῃ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου κενός· ἕκαστος κατὰ