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which he commands. But are those more severe? but these are longer; so that it comes to the same thing, and often even more severe. For when a burning fever troubles and inflames you within, and you reject the incantation despite others urging you, have you not bound on the crown of martyrdom? For when you cast the enchanters out of your house with great insult, all who hear of it will praise and marvel, and will say to one another: So-and-so, being sick, when countless people were begging and urging and advising him to use some magic incantations, did not accept it, but said: It is better to die this way than to betray piety. If the praises are so great here, consider how great the crowns you will receive there, when in the presence of the angels, of the archangels, Christ comes forward, and taking you by the hand, leads you into the midst of that theater, and says in the hearing of all: This man, once seized by a fever, when countless people urged him to be rid of the fever, for my name's sake and the fear of me, that he might not offend in anything, he drove away and dishonored those who promised to heal him in this way, and chose rather to die in his sickness than to betray his goodwill toward me. For if he brings into the midst those who gave him drink and fed him and clothed him, how much more those who for his sake chose to endure a fever. For it is not 63.654 the same thing to give bread and a garment, as to endure a long sickness, but this is much greater than that; so also will the crown be more glorious. Let us meditate on these things even when we are healthy, and say them to one another. Remember the blessed Timothy, that he never got a respite from his illness, but it was a constant companion to his body. But if that just and holy man, who was entrusted with the care of the whole world, and raised the dead, and cast out demons, and cured countless diseases in others, suffered such terrible things, what defense will you have, you who are troubled and distressed by temporary sicknesses? And sons are often commanded to endure fathers who punish them not even justly; and will you not endure God chastening you, who loves you more than fathers do, and manages all things for your benefit? but if even a small sickness occurs, do you immediately leap away from his dominion, and run to demons? And what pardon will you obtain? and how will you defend yourself to Christ? how will you call upon him in your prayers? with what conscience, then, will you set foot in the church? with what eyes will you look upon the priest? with what hand will you touch the holy table? with what ears will you hear the Scriptures read there, when you commit such transgressions against yourself? and how will you be able to call upon God again? Nay rather, not even another, though he have the boldness of Moses, will be able to entreat on your behalf. Or do you not hear what he says to Jeremiah concerning the Jews? Do not pray for this people; for if Moses and Samuel stood, I would not listen to them. And just as kidnappers, often offering cakes and sweetmeats and other such things to little children, and luring them, deprive them of their freedom and life itself; so indeed also the sorcerers, promising a cure for a limb, submerge the entire salvation of the soul. But many of those who have fallen into extreme irrationality, not only ask for wealth and power and such things from the God of all, but also curse their enemies, and supplicate that some punishment be brought upon them; and they wish that he whom they pray to be gentle and loving to themselves, be savage and inhuman to their enemies. And sailors do not command the pilot to hold the rudder and steer the ship in such a way, but sitting on the decks they submit to his skill, not only when the ship is carried by a fair wind, but also when it threatens the utmost danger; but to God alone, who accurately manages what is beneficial for us, they do not submit, resembling a sick person for the physician to give him

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ἅπερ ἐπιτάττει. Ἀλλὰ σφοδρότεραι ἐκεῖναι; ἀλλ' αὗται μακρότεραι· ὥστε εἰς ἴσον καταλήγει, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ σφοδρότερον. Ὅταν γὰρ καύσων ἔνδον ἐνοχλῇ καὶ φλέγῃ, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων παραινούντων ἀποσείσῃ τὴν ἐπῳδὴν, οὐχὶ μαρτυρίου στέφανον ἀνεδήσω; Ὅταν γὰρ ἐκβάλλῃς τοὺς ἐπῳδοὺς μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ὕβρεως ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας, πάντες ἀκούσαντες ἐπαινέσονται καὶ θαυμάσονται, καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐροῦσιν· Ὁ δεῖνα ἀῤῥωστῶν, μυρία παρακαλούντων τινῶν καὶ παραινούντων καὶ συμβουλευόντων ἐπῳδαῖς χρήσασθαι μαγικαῖς τισιν, οὐ προσήκατο, ἀλλ' εἶπεν· Βέλτιον ἀποθανεῖν οὕτως, ἢ προδοῦναι τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Εἰ δὲ ἐνταῦθα τοσοῦτοι οἱ ἔπαινοι, ἐννόησον πηλίκους ἐκεῖ λήψῃ στεφάνους, ὅταν τῶν ἀγγέλων παρόντων, τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων, παρελθὼν ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ τῆς χειρός σου λαβόμενος, εἰς μέσον περιαγάγῃ τὸ θέατρον ἐκεῖνο, καὶ πάντων ἀκουόντων, εἴπῃ· Οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος πυρετῷ ποτε ληφθεὶς, μυρίων αὐτῷ παραινούντων ἀπαλλαγῆναι τοῦ πυρετοῦ, διὰ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἐμὸν καὶ τὸν φόβον τὸν εἰς ἐμὲ, ἵνα ἐν μηδενὶ προσκρούσῃ, διώσατο καὶ ἠτίμωσε τοὺς ὑπισχνουμένους αὐτὸν θεραπεύειν τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ, καὶ εἵλετο μᾶλλον ἐναποθανεῖν τῷ νοσήματι, ἢ προδοῦναι τὴν εἰς ἐμὲ εὔνοιαν. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς ποτίσαντας αὐτὸν καὶ θρέψαντας καὶ ἐνδύσαντας εἰς μέσον παράγει, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοὺς δι' αὐτὸν ἑλομένους ἀνέχεσθαι πυρετόν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν 63.654 ἴσον δοῦναι ἄρτον καὶ ἱμάτιον, καὶ νόσον μακρὰν ὑπομένειν, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μεῖζον τοῦτο ἐκείνου· οὕτω καὶ ὁ στέφανος ἔσται λαμπρότερος. Ταῦτα καὶ ὑγιαίνοντες μελετῶμεν, καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους λέγωμεν. Ἀναμνήσθητι τοῦ μακαρίου Τιμοθέου, ὅτι οὐδέποτε ἐκ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἀνέπνευσεν, ἀλλὰ σύντροφος ἦν διηνεκεῖ τῷ σώματι. Εἰ δὲ ὁ δίκαιος καὶ ἅγιος ἐκεῖνος, καὶ τὴν τῆς οἰκουμένης προστασίαν ἐγκεχειρισμένος, καὶ νεκροὺς ἐγείρων, καὶ δαίμονας ἐλαύνων, καὶ μυρία νοσήματα διορθωσάμενος ἐν ἑτέροις, τοσαῦτα ἔπασχε δεινὰ, τίνα ἕξεις ἀπολογίαν σὺ θορυβούμενος καὶ ἀσχάλλων ἐπὶ προσκαίροις νοσήμασι; Καὶ υἱοὶ μὲν πολλάκις πατέρων οὐδὲ δεόντως κολαζόντων αὐτοὺς, ὑπομένειν κελεύονται· σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἀνέξῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ παιδεύοντός σε, τοῦ καὶ πατέρων μᾶλλόν σε φιλοῦντος, καὶ πάντα πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον πραγματευομένου· ἀλλὰ κἂν μικρά τις γένηται νόσος, εὐθέως ἀποπηδᾷς αὐτοῦ τῆς δεσποτείας, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς δαίμονας τρέχεις; Καὶ ποίας τεύξῃ συγγνώμης; πῶς δὲ ἀπολογήσῃ τῷ Χριστῷ; πῶς αὐτὸν καλέσῃς ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς; ποίῳ συνειδότι λοιπὸν ἐπιβήσῃ τῆς ἐκκλησίας; ποίοις ὀφθαλμοῖς ὄψει τὸν ἱερέα; ποίᾳ χειρὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς ἅψῃ τραπέζης; ποίαις ἀκοαῖς ἀκούσῃ τῶν ἀναγινωσκομένων ἐκεῖ Γραφῶν, τοιαῦτα κατὰ σαυτοῦ πράττων παρανομήματα; πῶς δὲ δυνήσῃ τὸν Θεὸν παρακαλέσαι πάλιν; μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἕτερος, κἂν τὴν Μωϋσέως σχῇ παῤῥησίαν, δυνήσεται περὶ σοῦ δεηθῆναι. Ἢ οὐκ ἀκούεις τί περὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων φησὶ πρὸς τὸν Ἱερεμίαν; Μὴ προσεύχου περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου· ὅτι ἂν στῇ Μωϋσῆς καὶ Σαμουὴλ, οὐκ εἰσακούσομαι αὐτῶν. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ ἀνδραποδισταὶ πλακοῦντας καὶ τρωγάλια καὶ ἕτερά τινα τοιαῦτα πολλάκις τοῖς μικροῖς προτεινόμενοι παιδίοις, καὶ δελεάζοντες τῆς ἐλευθερίας αὐτὰ καὶ τῆς ζωῆς ἀποστεροῦσιν αὐτῆς· οὕτω δὴ καὶ οἱ γόητες, μέλους ὑπισχνούμενοι θεραπείαν, ὅλην τῆς ψυχῆς καταποντίζουσι τὴν σωτηρίαν. Πολλοὶ δὲ τῶν εἰς ἐσχάτην ἀλογίαν ἐκπεπτωκότων, οὐ μόνον πλοῦτον καὶ δυναστείαν καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων αἰτοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἐπαρῶνται, καί τινα τιμωρίαν ἐπενεχθῆναι αὐτοῖς ἱκετεύουσι· καὶ ὃν ἑαυτοῖς ἥμερον εἶναι καὶ φιλάνθρωπον εὔχονται, τοῦτον τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἀνήμερον γενέσθαι καὶ ἀπάνθρωπον βούλονται. Καὶ τὸν μὲν κυβερνήτην οἱ πλέοντες οὐ κελεύουσι τοιῶσδε κατέχειν τοὺς οἴακας καὶ τὸ σκάφος ἰθύνειν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῶν καταστρωμάτων καθήμενοι τῆς ἐκείνου ἐπιστήμης ἀνέχονται, οὐ μόνον ἐξ οὐρίας φερομένης τῆς νηὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἔσχατον κίνδυνον ἀπειλούσης· τῷ Θεῷ δὲ μόνῳ τῷ τὰ συμφέροντα ἡμῖν ἀκριβῶς οἰκονομοῦντι παραχωρεῖν οὐκ ἀνέχονται, ἀῤῥώστῳ ἐοικότες τῷ τὸν ἰατρὸν δοῦναι αὐτῷ