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is very easy for him, and to make what has been completely mixed together distinct. Believe therefore that the tomb is a womb, the remaining remnant is a seed, the Molder is the Molder, the last day of life and the terrible voice of the archangel are birth pangs. “For the trumpet will sound,” he says, “and the dead will be raised incorruptible.” Then we will be held accountable for our lives; then we will give an account of what we have done, whether good or bad; then the hidden counsels of our mind will be made clear to all; then we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Fearing these things, O people, put away your hostility against Providence; flee this wicked ill-will; cease from blasphemy that is deprived of an apology. Make a truce of friendship with the Creator, so that he may govern us as friends, and not cast us out of the vessel as enemies. Hymn the rudders of Providence, so that being governed by them, you may escape the waves of this present life, and enjoy those calm harbors, in Christ Jesus our Lord, because to him is due all glory for ever and ever. Amen. DISCOURSE 10. That from the beginning God has always cared not only for the Jews, but also for all people; and concerning the incarnation of the Savior. I know well and clearly that the ocean of divine wisdom and Providence is unnavigable. And I remember the most divine Prophet crying out: “Your judgments are a great abyss.” And I remember also the great herald of truth, the divine Paul, uttering such a cry again: “O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” We do not, therefore, foolishly dare to attempt the unattainable, but we marvel at divine things to the best of our ability, and praise them as much as we can comprehend. For we know that those who strive to look at the sun more than is necessary, neither enjoy what they desire, but also damage their sight, and not only do they not draw light from it, but even draw darkness upon themselves. The human mind can be seen to suffer this very same thing. For often, striving out of foolishness to investigate what supports the earth, and what again is its foundation, and upon what that in turn is borne, or what things are above the heavens, and what is outside the entire universe, not only does it find nothing of what it seeks, but it also 83.741 returns filled with much gloom and perplexity. Knowing this weakness of the mind, the blessed Paul advises, saying, “And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.” And again: “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” And elsewhere: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” And again: “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” That divine man recounts all these things, wishing to persuade everyone, and to bridle the insatiability of the mind, that it may not dare to attempt impossible things, and to await the accurate understanding of matters that will be in the life to come. For this reason he calls the knowledge now given to us childish. And comparing it to the teaching of the Law, he calls it perfect; but comparing it to the passionless and immortal life, he calls it adolescent. And this too is a proof of divine Providence. For he who wisely governs all things, knowing the puffing up of our arrogance, has not given even to the saints an accurate knowledge of divine things. For knowledge puffs up, as seems right to blessed Paul and to the truth. But he has set it forth as a prize of virtue, so that in the present life well

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ῥᾷστον αὐτῷ κο μιδῇ, καὶ τὰ παντελῶς ἀναμιγέντα εὐκρινῆ καταστῆσαι. Πίστευσον τοίνυν μήτραν εἶναι τὸν τά φον, σπέρμα δὲ τὸ ἀποκείμενον λείψανον, πλάστην δὲ τὸν Πλάστην, ὠδῖνας δὲ τὴν ἐσχάτην τοῦ βίου ἡμέραν, καὶ τὴν φοβερὰν τοῦ ἀρχαγγέλου φωνήν. «Σαλπίσει γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐγερθήσονται ἄφθαρτοι.» Τότε τῶν βεβιωμένων τὰς εὐθύνας εἰσ πραχθησόμεθα· τότε τῶν καλῶς ἡμῖν ἢ κακῶς εἰρ γασμένων τὸν λόγον ἀποδώσομεν· τότε τὰ κεκρυμ μένα τῆς διανοίας ἡμῶν βουλεύματα δῆλα πᾶσι γε νήσεται· τότε πάντες παραστησόμεθα τῷ βή ματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος πρὸς ἃ ἔπραξεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν, εἴτε κακόν. Ταῦτα δείσαντες, ὦ ἄνθρωποι, ἀπόθεσθε τὴν κατὰ τῆς Προνοίας ἀπέχθειαν· φύγετε τὴν πονηρὰν ταύ την δυσμένειαν· παύσασθε βλασφημίας ἀπολογίας ἐστερημένης. Σπείσασθε πρὸς τὸν Πεποιηκότα φι λίαν, ἵν' ὡς φίλους ἡμᾶς κυβερνήσῃ, καὶ μὴ ὡς πο λεμίους ἔξω βάλῃ τοῦ σκάφους. Ὑμνήσατε τὰ τῆς Προνοίας πηδάλια, ἵν' ὑπὸ τούτων κυβερνώμενοι, τοῦ παρόντος βίου τὰ κύματα διαφύγητε, καὶ τῶν λιμένων ἐκείνων τῶν ἀπηνέμων ἀπολαύσητε, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ὅτι αὐτῷ πρέπει πᾶσα δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ Ιʹ. Ὅτι ἄνωθεν ὁ Θεὸς οὐκ Ἰουδαίων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων κηδόμενος διετέλεσε· καὶ περὶ τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐνανθρωπήσεως. Ἄπλωτον μὲν εὖ οἶδα σαφῶς τῆς θείας σοφίας καὶ Προμηθείας τὸ πέλαγος. Καὶ μέμνημαί γε τοῦ θειοτάτου Προφήτου βοῶντος· «Τὰ κρίματά σου ἄβυσσος πολλή.» Μέμνημαι δὲ καὶ τοῦ μεγάλου κή ρυκος τῆς ἀληθείας, τοῦ θεσπεσίου Παύλου, τοι αύτην πάλιν ῥήξαντος φωνήν· «Ὦ βάθος πλούτου, καὶ σοφίας, καὶ γνώσεως Θεοῦ, ὡς ἀνεξερεύνητα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ!» Οὐ τοίνυν ἀνοήτως τῶν ἀνεφίκτων κατατολμῶμεν, ἀλλ' εἰς δύναμιν τὰ θεῖα θαυμάζομεν, καὶ ὅσον χω ροῦμεν, ὑμνοῦμεν. Ἴσμεν γὰρ καὶ τοὺς τὸν ἥλιον πλέον ἢ δεῖ κατιδεῖν φιλονεικοῦντας, οὔτε ὧν ποθοῦ σιν ἀπολαύοντας, καὶ τὴν ὄψιν λυμαινομένους, καὶ οὐ μόνον φῶς ἐκεῖθεν οὐχ ἕλκοντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ σκότος ἐπισπωμένους. Ταὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ τὸν νοῦν τὸν ἀν θρώπινον ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ὑπομένοντα. Ἐρευνῆσαι γὰρ πολλάκις ὑπὸ ἀβελτηρίας φιλονεικῶν, τί τὸ τὴν γῆν ὑπερεῖδον, καὶ τίς αὖ πάλιν ἡ ἐκείνου κρηπὶς, καὶ ἐπὶ τίνος αὖθις κἀκεῖνο φέρεται, ἢ ποῖα τὰ ἄνω τῶν οὐρανῶν, τί δὲ τὰ ἔξω τοῦ σύμπαντος κόσμου, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν εὑρίσκει τῶν ζητουμένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ 83.741 ζόφου πολλοῦ καὶ ἀπορίας ἀναπλησθεὶς ἐπανέρ χεται. Ταύτην εἰδὼς τοῦ νοῦ τὴν ἀσθένειαν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος παρεγγυᾷ λέγων «Εἰ δέ τις δοκεῖ ἐγνωκέναι τι, οὐδέπω οὐδὲν ἔγνω καθὼς δεῖ γνῶναι.» Καὶ πάλιν· «Ἐκ μέρους γινώ σκομεν, καὶ ἐκ μέρους προφητεύομεν· ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, τότε τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται.» Καὶ ἑτέρωθι· «Ἄρτι βλέπω ὡς ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ καὶ ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον· ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι κα θὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην.» Καὶ αὖθις· «Ὅτε ἤμην νήπιος, ἐλάλουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐφρόνουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐλογιζόμην ὡς νήπιος· ὅτε δὲ γέγονα ἀνὴρ, κατήρ γηκα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου.» Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα διέξεισιν ὁ θεῖος ἐκεῖνος ἀνὴρ, πεῖσαι βουλόμενος ἅπαντας, καὶ χαλινοῦν τοῦ νοῦ τὴν ἀπληστίαν, ἵνα μὴ τῶν ἀδυνάτων κατατολμᾷ, καὶ ἀναμένειν τὴν ἐσομέ νην ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι βίῳ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκριβῆ κα τανόησιν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο νηπιώδη καλεῖ τὴν νῦν ἡμῖν δεδομένην γνῶσιν. Καὶ τῇ μὲν νομικῇ διδα σκαλίᾳ ταύτην παραβάλλων, τελείαν αὐτὴν ὀνο μάζει· τῷ δὲ ἀπαθεῖ βίῳ καὶ ἀθανάτῳ συγκρίνων, μειρακιώδη προσαγορεύει. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τῆς θείας Προμηθείας τεκμήριον. Ὁ γὰρ σοφῶς ἅπαντα πρυτανεύων, εἰδὼς ἡμῶν τῆς ἀλαζονείας τὸ φύσημα, οὐδὲ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀκριβῆ δέδωκεν τῶν θείων τὴν γνῶ σιν. Φυσιοῖ γὰρ ἡ γνῶσις, ὡς μακαρίῳ Παύλῳ καὶ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ δοκεῖ. Ἀλλ' ἆθλον αὐτὴν προτέθεικεν ἀρετῆς, ἵνα κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον κα λῶς