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painful disease, he prays for health. Has he lost money? He is distressed by the loss. But often disease is also beneficial, when it is about to discipline the sinner; and health is harmful, when it becomes a resource for sin to the one who has it. So also money has already become a service to licentiousness for some; and poverty has brought to their senses many who were bent on evil. Therefore, neither flee what you should not, nor take refuge in what you should not. But let one thing be what you flee, sin, and one refuge from evils, God. Put not your trust in princes; be not lifted up by the uncertainty of riches; do not think highly of the strength of the body; do not pursue the splendor of human glory. None of these things saves; all are temporary, all are deceptive. One refuge, God. Cursed is the man who has his hope in man, or in any human thing. God therefore is our refuge and strength. To him who can say, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, God is strength. Many indeed can say, Our God is our refuge; and, Lord, you have been our refuge; but to say it with the same disposition as the Prophet is for very few. For few are those who have not marveled at human things, but are wholly dependent on God, and breathe Him, and have all hope and trust. And indeed our actions convict us, when in afflictions we run to everything else rather than to God. Is the child sick? And you look around for the enchanter, or for the one who places curious charms on the necks of innocent infants; or, as a last resort, you go to the physician and the drugs, having neglected the One who is able to save. And if a dream disturbs you, you run to the dream-interpreter. And if you fear an enemy, you consider one of the men as a protector. And in short, in every need you are convicted, in word indeed calling God a refuge, but in deed drawing to yourself help from useless and vain things. But for the just, God is true help. Just as some general, having attached a noble soldier, is always ready to help the hard-pressed part; so God is our helper, and 29.420 an ally to everyone who wars against the wiles of the devil, sending the ministering spirits for the salvation of those in need. But affliction finds every just man because of his way of life. For he who avoids the broad and spacious way, but travels the narrow and afflicted way, is found by afflictions. The Prophet animated the saying when he said: In the afflictions that found us mightily. For like living creatures they seize us, working patience, and through patience, proof, and through proof, hope. Whence also the Apostle says: Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God; and, Many are the afflictions of the righteous. But he who has nobly and calmly endured the trial from affliction will say that, In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. And he is so far from giving up and shrinking in afflictions, that he even makes the excess of evils an occasion for boasting, saying that, Not only so, but we also glory in tribulations. Therefore we will not fear when the earth is troubled, and the mountains are moved into the heart of the seas. The Prophet shows the great steadfastness of his trust in Christ, that even if all things are turned upside down, even if the earth turns, being troubled, even if the mountains, leaving their own seat, are moved to the middle of the sea; We will not fear, because we have God as a refuge and strength and a helper in the afflictions that found us mightily. Whose heart is so fearless, whose thoughts so untroubled, as to be stretched out in his mind toward God in such great confusion, and, through hope in him, to be dismayed at none of the things that happen? But we do not endure the wrath of a man; or of a dog running at us, or of some other beast, we do not look to God the helper

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νόσου ἐπίπονον, εὔχεται τὴν ὑγίειαν. Ἀπέβαλε χρήματα; Περιώδυνός ἐστι τῇ ζημίᾳ. Ἔστι δὲ πολλάκις καὶ ἡ νόσος ὠφέλιμος, ὅταν παι δαγωγεῖν μέλλῃ τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα· καὶ ἡ ὑγίεια βλαβερὰ, ὅταν ἐφόδιον γίνηται πρὸς ἁμαρτίαν τῷ ἔχοντι. Οὕτω καὶ χρήματα ἤδη τισὶν ὑπηρεσία πρὸς ἀκολασίαν ἐγένετο· καὶ πενία πολλοὺς ἐσωφρόνισε τῶν ὡρμημένων κακῶς. Μήτε οὖν φύγῃς ἃ μὴ δεῖ, μήτε προσφύγῃς ᾧ μὴ δεῖ. Ἀλλ' ἕν σοι φευκτὸν ἤτω, ἡ ἁμαρτία, καὶ μία καταφυγὴ ἐκ τῶν κα κῶν, ὁ Θεός. Μὴ πεποίθετε ἐπ' ἄρχοντας· μὴ ἐπαίρεσθε ἐπὶ πλούτου ἀδηλότητι· μὴ φρονεῖτε ἐπὶ δυνάμει σώματος· μὴ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης δόξης τὸ περιφανὲς διώκετε. Οὐδὲν τούτων σώζει· πάντα πρόσκαιρα, πάντα ἀπατηλά. Μία καταφυγὴ, ὁ Θεός. Ἐπικατάρατος ἄνθρωπος ὁ τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχων ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον, ἢ ἐπί τι τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων. Ὁ Θεὸς οὖν ἡμῶν καταφυγὴ καὶ δύναμις. Τῷ δυναμένῳ λέγειν, Πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυνα μοῦντί με Χριστῷ, δύναμίς ἐστιν ὁ Θεός. Πολλῶν μὲν οὖν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν, Ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν καταφυγή· καὶ τὸ, Κύριε, καταφυγὴ ἐγενήθης ἡμῖν· τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς διαθέσεως εἰπεῖν τῷ Προφήτῃ πάνυ ὀλίγων. Ὀλίγοι γὰρ οἱ μὴ τεθαυμακότες τὰ ἀνθρώ πινα, ἀλλ' ὅλοι ἠρτημένοι τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸν ἀνα πνέοντες, καὶ πᾶσαν ἐλπίδα καὶ πεποίθησιν ἔχοντες. Καὶ ἐλέγχει γε ἡμᾶς τὰ πράγματα, ὅταν ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν ἐπὶ πάντα μᾶλλον ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν τρέχω μεν. Νοσεῖ τὸ παιδίον; Καὶ σὺ τὸν ἐπαοιδὸν περι σκοπεῖς, ἢ τὸν τοὺς περιέργους χαρακτῆρας τοῖς τραχήλοις τῶν ἀναιτίων νηπίων περιτιθέντα· ἢ τό γε τελευταῖον ἐπὶ τὸν ἰατρὸν ἔρχῃ καὶ τὰ φάρμακα, τοῦ δυναμένου σώζειν καταμελήσας. Κἂν ἐνύπνιόν σε ἐκταράξῃ, πρὸς τὸν ὀνειροσκόπον τρέχεις. Κἂν φοβηθῇς ἐχθρὸν, προστάτην ἕνα τῶν ἀνθρώπων πε ρινοεῖς. Καὶ ὅλως ἐφ' ἑκάστης χρείας ἐλέγχῃ, ῥή ματι μὲν τὸν Θεὸν ὀνομάζων καταφυγὴν, ἔργῳ δὲ τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἀνωφελῶν καὶ ματαίων βοήθειαν ἐπι σπώμενος. Ἔστι δὲ τῷ δικαίῳ ἀληθινὴ βοήθεια ὁ Θεός. Ὥσπερ τις στρατηγὸς ὁπλιτικὸν γενναῖον ἐξηρτημένος ἕτοιμος ἀεὶ βοηθεῖν τῷ καταπονου μένῳ μέρει· οὕτως ὁ Θεὸς βοηθὸς ἡμῶν ἐστι, καὶ 29.420 σύμμαχος παντὶ τῷ στρατευομένῳ κατὰ τῆς μεθ οδείας τοῦ διαβόλου, ἀποστέλλων τὰ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα πρὸς τὴν σωτηρίαν τῶν δεομένων. Εὑ ρίσκει δὲ ἡ θλίψις πάντα τὸν δίκαιον διὰ τὴν τοῦ βίου ἐπιτήδευσιν. Ὁ γὰρ ἐκκλίνων μὲν τὴν πλα τεῖαν καὶ εὐρύχωρον ὁδὸν, ὁδεύων δὲ τὴν στενὴν καὶ τεθλιμμένην, εὑρίσκεται ὑπὸ τῶν θλίψεων. Ἐμψύχως τὸν λόγον ἐσχημάτισεν ὁ Προφήτης εἰπών· Ἐν θλίψεσι ταῖς εὑρούσαις ἡμᾶς σφόδρα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ζῶα ἔμψυχα καταλαμβάνουσιν ἡμᾶς, ἐργαζόμεναι ὑπομονὴν, καὶ διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς δοκι μὴν, καὶ διὰ τῆς δοκιμῆς ἐλπίδα. Ὅθεν καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολός φησι· ∆ιὰ πολλῶν θλίψεων δεῖ ἡμᾶς εἰσελ θεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ, Πολ λαὶ αἱ θλίψεις τῶν δικαίων. Ἀλλ' ὁ γενναίως καὶ ἀταράχως τὸν ἐκ τῆς θλίψεως πειρασμὸν ὑπομείνας ἐρεῖ, ὅτι Ἐν τούτοις πᾶσιν ὑπερνικῶμεν διὰ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς. Καὶ τοσοῦτον ἀπέχει ἀπαυδᾷν καὶ ἀποκνεῖν ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν, ὅτι καὶ καυχήματος ἀφορμὴν τὸ ὑπερβάλλον τῶν κακῶν ποιεῖται λέγων, ὅτι Οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐ φοβηθησόμεθα ἐν τῷ ταράσ σεσθαι τὴν γῆν, καὶ μετατίθεσθαι ὄρη ἐν καρδίαις θαλασσῶν. Μέγα ἐπιδείκνυται τὸ στερέωμα τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πεποιθήσεως ὁ Προφήτης, ὅτι κἂν πάντα ἄνω καὶ κάτω γίνηται, κἂν ἡ γῆ στρέφηται ταρασσομένη, κἂν τὰ ὄρη τὴν οἰκείαν ἕδραν καταλι πόντα, πρὸς τὰ μέσα μεθίσταται τῆς θαλάσσης· Οὐ φοβηθησόμεθα, διὰ τὸ ἔχειν τὸν Θεὸν καταφυγὴν καὶ δύναμιν καὶ βοηθὸν ἐν θλίψεσι ταῖς εὑρούσαις ἡμᾶς σφόδρα. Τίνος οὕτως ἀπτόητος ἡ καρδία, τίνος οὕ τως ἀτάραχοι οἱ λογισμοὶ, ὥστε ἐν τῇ τηλικαύτῃ συγχύσει τετάσθαι τῇ διανοίᾳ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ διὰ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλπίδα, ἐπὶ μηδενὶ τῶν γινομέ νων ἐκπλήττεσθαι; Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀνθρώπου ὀργὴν οὐχ ὑπομένομεν· ἢ κυνὸς ἐπιδραμόντος, ἢ ἄλλου τινὸς θηρίου, οὐ πρὸς Θεὸν ἀποβλέπομεν τὸν βοηθὸν