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immediately, but for other sins, so that the punishment may be even more severe; since we too, often taking occasion from small things, pour out everything for great ones. So whenever you see something happen to you, remember that sin of yours. For this happened in the case of the sons of Jacob. Remember the brothers of Joseph; they sold their brother, they attempted to slaughter him, or rather, they did slaughter him as far as it was in their power; they deceived, they grieved the old man; they suffered nothing. After many years, at any rate, they were in peril of the worst, and they are reminded of this sin. And that what is said is not conjecture, hear what they say: Yes; for we are in sin concerning our brother. So you too, when something happens, say, yes, we are in sin, because we did not listen to Christ, because we have sworn; the many oaths, and the perjuries have come upon my head. Therefore confess; for they also confessed, and were saved. For what, if the punishment does not come immediately? Since Ahab also, in the matter of Naboth, did not immediately upon the sin suffer what he suffered. But why does this happen? God gives you a period of grace, so that you may wash it away; but when you persist, He brings on 60.105 the punishment at last. Have you seen what the liars suffered? Therefore consider what the perjurers also will suffer; consider, and desist. It is not possible for one who swears not to commit perjury, both willingly and unwillingly; it is not possible for one who commits perjury to be saved. One perjury is enough to accomplish the whole matter, and to bring upon us the entire punishment. 60.106 For this reason, I beseech you, let us take heed to ourselves, that escaping the punishment from here, we may be deemed worthy of the loving-kindness of God, by the grace and compassions of His only-begotten Son, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, honor, now and forever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

60.105 HOMILY XIII. Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, and were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common

prison. Sec. 1. Nothing is more headstrong than wickedness, nothing more audacious. Having learned by experience their

courage from what they attempted before, they nevertheless make the attempt, and again conspire together. What is, "Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him"? He was aroused, it says, moved by what had happened. "And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison." Now they attack them more vehemently. But they did not judge them immediately, expecting them to be gentle again. And from where is it clear that they attacked them more vehemently? From their putting them in the common prison. Again they fall into dangers, and again they enjoy the support of God; and how, hear what follows: "But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said;" "Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life." This was for their comfort, and for these people's benefit and instruction. And see, what happened in the case of Christ, this is also happening now. For indeed, He does not let them see the miracles happening, but He prepares those things from which they might learn; for example, at His resurrection He did not let them see how He rose; for they were unworthy to see this; but He shows from what this was accomplished. Similarly also in the case of the wine made from water, those reclining at the table do not see it; for they were drunk; and He entrusts the judgment to others. So also here. For they do not see them being led out, but they saw proofs from which they were able to understand what had happened. But why did He bring them out at night? Because thus they were believed more than in the other way; and besides, because they would not have come to question; nor indeed would they themselves otherwise

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παρὰ πόδας, ἀλλ' ἐφ' ἑτέροις ἁμαρτήμασιν, ἵνα καὶ χαλεπωτέρα ἡ τιμωρία ᾖ· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡμεῖς πολλάκις ἀφορμὰς λαβόντες ἀπὸ μικρῶν, καὶ ὑπὲρ μεγάλων τὸ πᾶν κενοῦμεν. Ὥστε ὅταν ἴδῃς τί σοι συμβὰν, ἀναμνήσθητί σου τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐκείνης. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ Ἰακὼβ γέγονε. Μνημονεύετε τῶν ἀδελφῶν τοῦ Ἰωσήφ· ἐπώλησαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν, σφάξαι ἐπεχείρησαν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἔσφαξαν ὅσον τὸ ἐπ' αὐτοῖς· ἠπάτησαν, ἐλύπησαν τὸν γέροντα· οὐδὲν ἔπαθον. Μετὰ πλείονα γοῦν ἔτη περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἐκινδύνευσαν, καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ταύτης ὑπομιμνήσκονται. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ στοχασμὸς τὸ εἰρημένον, ἄκουε αὐτῶν τί φασι· Ναί· ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ γάρ ἐσμεν περὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ σὺ, ὅταν τι συμβῇ, εἰπὲ, ναὶ, ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ ἐσμὲν, ὅτι οὐκ ἠκούσαμεν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅτι ὠμόσαμεν· αἱ πολυορκίαι, καὶ αἱ ἐπιορκίαι ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλήν μου ἦλθον. Οὐκοῦν ἐξομολόγησαι· καὶ γὰρ κἀκεῖνοι ἐξωμολογήσαντο, καὶ ἐσώθησαν. Τί γὰρ, εἰ μὴ παραχρῆμα ἔπεισιν ἡ τιμωρία; ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Ἀχαὰβ διὰ τοῦ Ναβουθαὶ οὐκ εὐθέως παρὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἔπαθεν ἅπερ ἔπαθε. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ τοῦτο γίνεται; ∆ίδωσί σοι προθεσμίαν ὁ Θεὸς, ὥστε ἀπονίψασθαι· ὅταν δὲ ἐπιμένῃς, ἐπάγει 60.105 λοιπὸν τὴν τιμωρίαν. Εἴδετε, τί ἔπαθον οἱ ψευδόμενοι; Οὐκοῦν ἐννοήσατε, τί πείσονται καὶ οἱ ἐπιορκοῦντες· ἐννοήσατε, καὶ ἀπόστητε. Οὐκ ἔστιν ὀμνύντα μὴ ἐπιορκεῖν, καὶ ἑκόντα καὶ ἄκοντα· οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπιορκοῦντα σωθῆναι. Ἀρκεῖ μία ἐπιορκία τὸ πᾶν ἐργάσασθαι, καὶ ὁλόκληρον ἡμῖν τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐπαγαγεῖν. 60.106 ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο προσέχωμεν, παρακαλῶ, ἑαυτοῖς, ἵνα τὴν ἐντεῦθεν κόλασιν διαφυγόντες, τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας ἀξιωθῶμεν, χάριτι καὶ οἰκτιρμοῖς τοῦ μονογενοῦς αὐτοῦ Υἱοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

60.105 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΓʹ. Ἀναστὰς δὲ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς, καὶ πάντες οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ, ἡ οὖσα αἵρεσις τῶν Σαδδουκαίων, ἐπλήσθησαν ζήλου, καὶ ἐπέβαλον τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους, καὶ ἔθεντο αὐτοὺς ἐν τηρήσει

δημοσίᾳ. αʹ. Οὐδὲν ἰταμώτερον κακίας, οὐδὲν τολμηρότερον. Πείρᾳ μαθόντες τὴν

αὐτῶν ἀνδρείαν ἐξ ὧν ἐπεχείρησαν πρότερον, ὅμως ἐπιχειροῦσι, καὶ πάλιν ἐπισυνίστανται. Τί ἐστιν, Ἀναστὰς δὲ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς, καὶ πάντες οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ; ∆ιηγέρθη, φησὶ, κινηθεὶς ἐπὶ τοῖς γενομένοις. Καὶ ἐπέβαλον τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους, καὶ ἔθεντο αὐτοὺς ἐν τηρήσει δημοσίᾳ. Νῦν σφοδρότερον αὐτοῖς ἐπιτίθενται. Οὐκ εὐθέως δὲ αὐτοὺς ἔκριναν, προσδοκῶντες πάλιν αὐτοὺς πράους ἔσεσθαι. Καὶ πόθεν δῆλον, ὅτι σφοδρότερον αὐτοῖς ἐπετέθησαν; Ἀπὸ τοῦ θεῖναι αὐτοὺς εἰς τήρησιν δημοσίαν. Πάλιν περιπίπτουσι κινδύνοις, καὶ πάλιν τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀπολαύουσι ῥοπῆς· καὶ ὅπως, ἄκουε τῶν ἑξῆς· Ἄγγελος δὲ Κυρίου διὰ τῆς νυκτὸς ἀνέῳξε τὰς πύλας τῆς φυλακῆς, ἐξαγαγών τε αὐτοὺς, εἶπε· Πορεύεσθε, καὶ σταθέντες λαλεῖτε ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τῷ λαῷ πάντα τὰ ῥήματα τῆς ζωῆς ταύτης. Τοῦτο καὶ εἰς ἐκείνων παραμυθίαν γέγονε, καὶ εἰς τούτων ὠφέλειαν καὶ διδασκαλίαν. Καὶ ὅρα, ὅπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦτο καὶ νῦν γινόμενον. Γινόμενα μὲν γὰρ δήπου τὰ θαύματα οὐκ ἀφίησιν αὐτοὺς ἰδεῖν, ἀφ' ὧν δ' ἂν μάθοιεν, ταῦτα κατασκευάζει· οἷον ἐπὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τῆς αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αὐτοὺς ἰδεῖν πῶς ἀνέστη· ἀνάξιοι γὰρ τοῦ ταύτην ἰδεῖν ἦσαν· ἀλλὰ δείκνυσιν ἀφ' ὧν τοῦτο εἰργάσατο. Ὁμοίως καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ οἴνου τοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος γενομένου, οὐ βλέπουσιν οἱ ἀνακείμενοι· ἐμέθυον γάρ· καὶ τὴν κρίσιν ἐπιτρέπει ἑτέροις. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Ἐξαγομένους μὲν γὰρ αὐτοὺς οὐχ ὁρῶσι, τεκμήρια δὲ, ἀφ' ὧν ἠδύναντο καταμαθεῖν τὰ γενόμενα, εἶδον. Τί δήποτε δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὴν νύκτα αὐτοὺς ἐξέβαλε; Ὅτι οὕτω μᾶλλον ἢ ἐκείνως ἐπιστεύθησαν· ἄλλως τε καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἂν ἐπὶ τὸ ἐρωτῆσαι ἦλθον· οὔτε μὴν ἑτέρως ἂν καὶ αὐτοὶ