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he said, It has been given, but, It has been poured out in our hearts, showing its abundance. For the greatest gift that was, this he gave, not heaven and earth and sea, but that which was more honorable than all these, and made angels from men and sons of God and brothers of Christ. What is this? The Holy Spirit. If he had not wished to gift us with great crowns after our labors, he would not have given such great good things before the labors; but now the fervor of his love is shown from this, that he did not honor us gently and little by little, but poured out at once the fountain of good things, and this before the struggles, So that even if you are not very worthy, do not despair, having as a great advocate the love of the one who judges. For because of this, he himself, having said, Hope does not put to shame, did not attribute everything to our own achievements, but to the love of God. And having spoken of the gift of the Spirit, he then proceeds again to the cross, saying thus: For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die. But God shows his own love for us. What he says is something like this: For if for a virtuous man one would not readily choose to die, consider the love of your Master, when he appears to have been crucified not for the virtuous, but for sinners and enemies; which he also says after this: that, if, while we were sinners, Christ died for us, much more then, having now been justified by his blood, shall we be saved by him from the wrath. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. And what has been said seems to be a tautology, but it is not for the one who pays close attention. But consider: He wants to assure them concerning the things to come; and first, from the judgment of the righteous one, he shames them, saying, that he too was fully convinced, 'That what God has promised, he is also able to perform'; then from the grace that was given, then from the afflictions, because they are sufficient to lead us to hope; and again from the Spirit, which we received; and finally, from the death and from our former wickedness he establishes this. And it seems, as I have already said, that what was said is one thing, but it is found to be two and three and much more; first, that he died; second, that it was for the ungodly; third, that he reconciled, that he saved, that he justified, that he made immortal, that he made sons and heirs. Not, therefore, from 60.471 the death alone must one argue, he says, but also from what was given to us through the death; and yet even if he had only died for us, being such as we are, what happened would have been the greatest proof of love; but when he appears both dying and giving gifts, and giving such gifts and to such people, what has happened conceals all hyperbole, and leads even the very insensitive to faith. For it is not another who is going to save us, but he who so loved us when we were sinners, as even to give himself up. Do you see how much this passage establishes for the hope of things to come? For before this, there were two difficulties for our salvation: that we were sinners, and that we had to be saved through the death of the Master; which was both improbable before it happened, and required much love in order to happen; but now, since these things have come to pass, the remaining things are easier; for we have become friends, and death is no longer needed. He therefore who so spared his enemies, as not to spare his Son, will he not stand by us when we are friends, when there is no longer need to give up his Son? For either because one does not wish to, or because one is not able, even if one wishes, one often does not save; neither of which can be said of God, from the fact that He gave up his Son. But that he is also able, he likewise proved from the fact that he justified us when we were sinners. What then remains to prevent us from obtaining the things to come? Nothing. Then again, lest having heard sinners and enemies and weak ones and

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εἶπε, ∆έδοται, ἀλλ' Ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν, τὸ δαψιλὲς ἐμφαίνων. Ὃ γὰρ μέγιστον ἦν δῶρον, τοῦτο ἔδωκεν, οὐκ οὐρανὸν καὶ γῆν καὶ θάλατταν, ἀλλ' ὃ τούτων ἁπάντων τιμιώτερον ἦν, καὶ ἀγγέλους ἐξ ἀνθρώπων καὶ υἱοὺς Θεοῦ καὶ ἀδελφοὺς τοῦ Χριστοῦ κατεσκεύαζε. Τί δέ ἐστι τοῦτο; Τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἐβούλετο μεγάλοις ἡμᾶς μετὰ τοὺς πόνους στεφάνοις δωρήσασθαι, οὐκ ἂν πρὸ τῶν πόνων τοσαῦτα ἔδωκεν ἀγαθά· νῦν δὲ τὸ θερμὸν αὐτοῦ τῆς ἀγάπης δείκνυται ἐντεῦθεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἠρέμα καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν ἡμᾶς ἐτίμησεν, ἀλλ' ἀθρόον τὴν πηγὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐξέχεε, καὶ ταῦτα πρὸ τῶν ἀγώνων, Ὥστε κἂν μὴ σφόδρα ᾖς ἄξιος, μὴ ἀπογίνωσκε, ἔχων μεγάλην συνήγορον τοῦ δικάζοντος τὴν ἀγάπην. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς εἰπὼν, Ἡ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει, οὐ τοῖς ἡμετέροις κατορθώμασιν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀγάπῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ πᾶν ἀνέθηκεν. Εἰπὼν δὲ τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν δόσιν, μεταβαίνει πάλιν λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν, λέγων οὕτως· Ἔτι γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς, ὄντων ἡμῶν ἀσθενῶν, κατὰ καιρὸν ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν ἀπέθανε. Μόλις γὰρ ὑπὲρ δικαίου τις ἀποθανεῖται· ὑπὲρ γὰρ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ τάχα τις καὶ τολμᾷ ἀποθανεῖν. Συνίστησι δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην εἰς ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεός. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Εἰ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἀνδρὸς ἐναρέτου οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιτό τις ταχέως ἀποθανεῖν, ἐννόησον τοῦ ∆εσπότου σου τὴν ἀγάπην, ὅταν μὴ ὑπὲρ ἐναρέτων αὐτὸς, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ ἐχθρῶν φαίνηται σταυρωθείς· ὅπερ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτά φησιν· Ὅτι, εἰ, ἁμαρτωλῶν ἡμῶν ὄντων, Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανε, πολλῷ οὖν μᾶλλον, δικαιωθέντες νῦν ἐν τῷ αἵματι αὐτοῦ, σωθησόμεθα δι' αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς. Εἰ γὰρ ἐχθροὶ ὄντες κατηλλάγημεν τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον καταλλαγέντες σωθησόμεθα ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν ταυτολογία εἶναι τὰ εἰρημένα, οὐκ ἔστι δὲ τῷ μετὰ ἀκριβείας προσέχοντι. Σκόπει δέ· Βούλεται πιστώσασθαι περὶ τῶν μελλόντων αὐτούς· καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ δικαίου γνώμης ἐντρέπει, εἰπὼν, ὅτι ἐπληροφορήθη κἀκεῖνος, Ὅτι ὃ ἐπήγγελται Θεὸς, δυνατός ἐστι καὶ ποιῆσαι· ἔπειτα ἀπὸ τῆς χάριτος τῆς δοθείσης, εἶτα ἀπὸ τῶν θλίψεων, ὅτι ἱκαναὶ εἰς ἐλπίδα ἡμᾶς ἀγαγεῖν· καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος πάλιν, οὗπερ ἐλάβομεν· λοιπὸν δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας κακίας τῆς ἔμπροσθεν τοῦτο κατασκευάζει. Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν, ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, ἓν εἶναι τὸ εἰρημένον, εὑρίσκεται δὲ καὶ δύο καὶ τρία καὶ πολλῷ πλείονα ὄντα· πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι ἀπέθανε· δεύτερον δὲ, ὅτι ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν· τρίτον δὲ, ὅτι κατήλλαξεν, ὅτι ἔσωσεν, ὅτι ἐδικαίωσεν, ὅτι ἀθανάτους ἐποίησεν, ὅτι υἱοὺς εἰργάσατο καὶ κληρονόμους. Οὐ τοίνυν ἀπὸ 60.471 τοῦ θανάτου μόνον ἰσχυρίζεσθαι χρὴ, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ δοθέντος ἡμῖν διὰ τοῦ θανάτου· καίτοι γε εἰ καὶ τεθνήκει μόνον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τοιούτων ὄντων, μέγιστον ἦν δεῖγμα ἀγάπης τὸ γεγενημένον· ὅταν δὲ φαίνηται καὶ ἀποθνήσκων δωρούμενος, καὶ τοιαῦτα δωρούμενος καὶ τοιούτοις οὖσι, πᾶσαν ὑπερβολὴν ἀποκρύπτει τὰ γεγενημένα, καὶ τὸν σφόδρα ἀναίσθητον εἰς πίστιν ἄγει. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄλλος ἐστὶν ὁ μέλλων σώζειν ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος ὁ οὕτω φιλήσας ἁμαρτωλοὺς ὄντας, ὡς καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἐκδοῦναι. Εἶδες πόσην ἔχει τὸ χωρίον τοῦτο κατασκευὴν πρὸς τὴν τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπίδα; Πρὸ μὲν γὰρ τούτου, δύο δύσκολα ἦν πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν, τὸ καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἶναι, καὶ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ ∆εσπότου δεῖν σωθῆναι· ὅπερ καὶ ἀπίθανον ἦν πρὶν ἢ γενέσθαι, καὶ πολλῆς δεόμενον τῆς ἀγάπης ἵνα γένηται· νυνὶ δὲ ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ἐξέβη, τὰ λειπόμενα εὐκολώτερα· καὶ γὰρ φίλοι γεγόναμεν, καὶ θανάτου λοιπὸν οὐ δεῖ. Ὁ τοίνυν τῶν ἐχθρῶν οὕτω φεισάμενος, ὥστε μὴ φείσασθαι τοῦ Παιδὸς, φίλων ὄντων οὐ προστήσεται, ὅτε λοιπὸν οὐδὲ τοῦ τὸν Παῖδα ἐκδοῦναι χρεία, Ἢ γὰρ διὰ τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαί τις, ἢ διὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι, κἂν βούληται, πολλάκις οὐ σώζει· ὧν οὐδὲν ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐξ ὧν τὸν Υἱὸν ἐξέδωκεν. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ δύναται, καὶ αὐτὸ ὁμοίως ἀπέδειξεν ἐξ ὧν ἁμαρτωλοὺς ὄντας ἐδικαίωσε. Τί οὖν λοιπὸν τὸ κωλύον ἐστὶ τυχεῖν τῶν μελλόντων ἡμᾶς; Οὐδέν. Εἶτα πάλιν, ἵνα μὴ ἁμαρτωλοὺς καὶ ἐχθροὺς καὶ ἀσθενεῖς ἀκούσας καὶ