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Because "I have difficulty giving up a habit," for this very reason be zealous to give it up, knowing clearly that if you make another habit for yourself, that of not swearing, you will need no further effort. What is more difficult, not to swear, or to be without food for the whole day, and be sustained by drinking water and a simple diet of salted food? It is clear that the latter is harder than the former; but nevertheless habit is such a powerful and easy thing, that when the fast comes, even if one should be urged a thousand times, even if one should be pressed and forced a thousand times, to partake of wine or anything else which it is not customary to taste during fasts, one would choose to suffer anything rather than touch the forbidden food; and this, though we have a pleasant attitude toward the table, yet because of the habit arising from conscience we bear all things, suffering nobly. This indeed will also be the case with oaths; and just as now, even if someone imposes a thousand necessities, you remain holding on to the habit; so also then, even if someone should urge you a thousand times, you will not give up the habit.

7. Therefore when you go home, discuss these things with all those in your house; and just as many, when leaving a meadow, often take a rose or a violet or some such flower, and depart twisting it in their fingers; and others again, going home from gardens, bring with them branches of trees bearing fruit; others again, from sumptuous dinners, bring leftovers from the table to their own friends; so indeed you also, leaving from here, take away this exhortation to your wife, to your children, to all your friends. For this advice is more useful than a meadow, a garden, and a table; these roses never wither, these fruits never fall, these foods never decay; from those things the delight is fleeting, but from these things the benefit is perpetual; not only after it has been accomplished, but even in the accomplishing of it. For consider what it is to have left all other things, public and private, and to converse always about the divine laws, both at table, and in the marketplace, and in other gatherings. If we devote ourselves to these things, we will say nothing 49.91 dangerous, nor ruinous, nor will we sin unwillingly, but also by occupying ourselves with conversation about these things, we shall be able to withdraw our soul from the impending despair, instead of the anxiety with which we are anxious, always saying to one another: "Has the emperor heard what has happened? Was he provoked? What did he decree? Has anyone appealed to him? And what? Will he endure to destroy utterly a city so great and populous?" Casting these things and all such things upon God, let us care only for the things commanded by Him; for thus we shall resolve all those other things as well, and if only ten among us succeed, the ten will quickly become twenty, the twenty fifty, the fifty a hundred, the hundred a thousand, the thousand the whole city. And just as when ten lamps are lit, one will easily be able to fill the whole house with light; so indeed also with spiritual accomplishments, if only ten succeed, we shall light a whole pyre in the city, which has light and brings us security. For the nature of flame falling on matter does not so readily catch hold of the wood that is ever brought near, as the zeal for virtue, falling upon a few souls, will be able, proceeding on its way, to fill the whole city. Therefore, grant that I may boast in you, both in the present life, and in the day to come, when those who were entrusted with the talents are brought in; your good repute is a sufficient 49.92 reward for my labors, and if I see you living with piety, I have received everything. Do, therefore, what I both exhorted yesterday and will say today, and will not cease saying: having established a penalty against those who swear, a penalty that brings profit, not loss, prepare yourselves henceforth to give us proof of this accomplishment. For I shall try to extend a long discourse of this assembly to each one of you.

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ὅτι ∆υσκόλως ἀφίσταμαι τῆς συνηθείας, δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο σπούδασον ἀποστῆναι, σαφῶς εἰδὼς, ὅτι ἐὰν ἑτέραν σαυτῷ ποιήσῃς συνήθειαν τὴν τοῦ μὴ ὀμνύειν, οὐδενὸς δεήσῃ πόνου λοιπόν. Τί δυσκολώτερον, μὴ ὀμνύναι, ἢ δι' ὅλης τῆς ἡμέρας ἄσιτον εἶναι, καὶ ὑδροποσίᾳ καὶ εὐτελεῖ ταριχεύεσθαι διαίτῃ; Εὔδηλον ὅτι τοῦτο ἐκείνου· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ συνήθεια δυνατὸν πρᾶγμα καὶ εὔκολον, ὥστε παραγενομένης τῆς νηστείας, κἂν μυρία τις παρακαλῇ, κἂν μυρία τις ἄγχῃ καὶ βιάζηται, ὥστε μετασχεῖν οἰνοποσίας ἢ ἑτέρου τινὸς τῶν μὴ νενομισμένων ἐν νηστείαις ἀπογεύεσθαι, πάντα ἂν ἕλοιτο παθεῖν τις, ἢ τῆς κεκωλυμένης ἅψασθαι τροφῆς· καὶ ταῦτα ἡδέως πρὸς τὴν τράπεζαν ἔχοντες, ἀλλ' ὅμως διὰ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ συνειδότος συνήθειαν φέρομεν πάντα γενναίως ταλαιπωρούμενοι. Τοῦτο δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὅρκων ἔσται· καὶ καθάπερ νῦν, κἂν μυρίαν ἀνάγκην τις ἐπιθῇ, μένεις κατέχων τὴν συνήθειαν· οὕτω καὶ τότε, κἂν μυρία τις παρακαλῇ, οὐκ ἀποστήσῃ τῆς συνηθείας.

ζʹ. Ἀπιὼν τοίνυν οἴκοι, διαλέγου ταῦτα τοῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν ἅπασι· καὶ καθάπερ πολλοὶ πολλάκις ἐκ λειμῶνος ἀναχωροῦντες, ῥόδον ἢ ἴον ἤ τι τῶν τοιούτων ἀνθῶν λαβόντες, καὶ τοῖς δακτύλοις περιφέροντες ἀναχωροῦσιν· ἕτεροι δὲ πάλιν ἐκ παραδείσων οἴκαδε ἀπιόντες, κλάδους δένδρων καρποὺς ἔχοντας ἐπικομίζονται· ἄλλοι πάλιν ἀπὸ δείπνων πολυτελῶν λείψανα τῆς τραπέζης τοῖς ἑαυτῶν ἐπιτηδείοις φέρουσιν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ σὺ ἐντεῦθεν ἀπιὼν, ἀπένεγκε παραίνεσιν τῇ γυναικὶ, τοῖς παιδίοις, τοῖς ἐπιτηδείοις ἅπασιν. Αὕτη γὰρ καὶ λειμῶνος, καὶ παραδείσου, καὶ τραπέζης χρησιμωτέρα ἐστὶν ἡ συμβουλή· ταῦτα οὐδέποτε τὰ ῥόδα μαραίνονται, οὗτοι οὐδέποτε καταῤῥέουσιν οἱ καρποὶ, ταῦτα οὐδέποτε τὰ ἐδέσματα σήπεται· ἀπ' ἐκείνων πρόσκαιρος ἡ τέρψις, ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων διηνεκὴς ἡ ὠφέλεια· οὐ μετὰ τὸ κατορθωθῆναι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ κατορθοῦσθαι. Ἐννόησον γὰρ οἷόν ἐστι πάντα τὰ ἄλλα ἀφέντας, τὰ δημόσια, τὰ ἰδιωτικὰ, περὶ τῶν θείων διαλέγεσθαι νόμων διαπαντὸς, καὶ ἐπὶ τραπέζης, καὶ ἐν ἀγορᾷ, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις συνουσίαις. Ἂν τούτοις σχολάζωμεν, οὐδὲν ἐροῦ 49.91 μεν ἐπικίνδυνον, οὐδὲ σφαλερὸν, οὐδ' ἄκοντες ἁμαρτησόμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἐπικειμένης ἀθυμίας ἐν τῇ περὶ τούτων διαλέξει σχολάζοντες, τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπεξαγαγεῖν δυνησόμεθα, ἀντὶ τῆς φροντίδος ἧς φροντίζομεν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀεὶ λέγοντες· Ἆρα ἤκουσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὰ γεγενημένα; ἆρα παρωξύνθη; τί δὲ ἐψηφίσατο; ἆρα παρεκάλεσέ τις αὐτόν; τί δὲ, αὐτὸς ἀνέξεται πόλιν οὕτω καὶ μεγάλην καὶ πολυάνθρωπον ἀφανίσαι τέλεον; Ταῦτα μὲν καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα πάντα ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ῥίψαντες, τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ προστεταγμένα μεριμνῶμεν μόνον· οὕτω γὰρ κἀκεῖνα διαλυσόμεθα πάντα, κἂν δέκα ἐν ἡμῖν κατορθώσωσι μόνον, ταχέως εἴκοσιν οἱ δέκα γενήσονται, οἱ εἴκοσι πεντήκοντα, οἱ πεντήκοντα ἑκατὸν, οἱ ἑκατὸν χίλιοι, οἱ χίλιοι πᾶσα ἡ πόλις. Καὶ καθάπερ δέκα ἁφθέντων λύχνων, ῥᾳδίως τὴν οἰκίαν ἅπασαν ἐμπλῆσαι δυνήσεταί τις τοῦ φωτός· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κατορθωμάτων τῶν πνευματικῶν, ἂν δέκα κατορθώσωσι μόνοι, πυρὰν ὁλόκληρον εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀνάψομεν φῶς ἔχουσαν, καὶ ἀσφάλειαν ἡμῖν κομίζουσαν. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω τῆς φλογὸς ἡ φύσις εἰς ὕλην ἐμπεσοῦσα, τῶν ἐγγιζόντων ἀεὶ ξύλων ἅπτεται, ὡς ἀρετῆς ζῆλος, εἰς ψυχὰς ὀλίγας ἐμπεσὼν, ὁδῷ προβαίνων πᾶσαν ἐμπλῆσαι τὴν πόλιν δυνήσεται. ∆ότε τοίνυν ἐμοὶ καυχήσασθαι ἐφ' ὑμῖν, καὶ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον, καὶ κατὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἡμέραν, ὅταν οἱ τὰ τάλαντα ἐμπιστευθέντες εἰσάγωνται· ἀρκῶν ἐμοὶ 49.92 μισθὸς τῶν πόνων ἡ ὑμετέρα εὐδοκίμησις, κἂν ἴδω ὑμᾶς μετ' εὐσεβείας ζῶντας, τὸ πᾶν ἀπείληφα. Ποιήσατε τοίνυν, ὃ καὶ χθὲς παρῄνεσά τε καὶ σήμερον ἐρῶ, καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι· καταδίκην κατὰ τῶν ὀμνυόντων ὁρίσαντες, καταδίκην κέρδος ἔχουσαν, οὐ ζημίαν, παρασκευάσασθε λοιπὸν ὡς δοκιμὴν ἡμῖν δώσοντες τοῦ κατορθώματος. Καὶ γὰρ πειράσομαι πρὸς ἕκαστον ὑμῶν μακρὸν ἀποτεῖναι λόγον τοῦ συλλόγου τούτου