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possible, as one might say; Do you see that the name, Son, is spoken in contrast to the servant? And by weakness he means either sin or death. What is, For ever? Not only sinless now, he says, but always. If, therefore, He is perfect, if He never sins, if He lives forever, for what reason would He offer sacrifices for us many times? But for the present he does not insist on this, but on the point that He does not offer for Himself, this he insists on. Since, then, we have such a high priest, let us imitate Him, and walk in His footsteps. There is no other sacrifice; one has cleansed us; after this, fire and Gehenna. For this reason also he turns it up and down, saying, one priest, one sacrifice, so that no one, thinking there are many, should sin without fear. 4. As many of us, therefore, as have been deemed worthy of the seal, as many as have enjoyed the sacrifice, as many as have partaken of the immortal table, let us remain guarding our nobility and our honor; for the falling away is not without danger. And as many as have not yet been deemed worthy of these things, let them not be confident on this account; for when someone sins for this reason, that he may receive holy baptism at his last breaths, he will often not obtain it. And, believe me, I do not say what I am about to say to frighten you; I know many who have suffered this, who in expectation of the illumination sinned much, and on the day of their death departed empty. For God gave baptism for this reason, to loose sins, not to increase sins; but if anyone should use this for the security of sinning more, this then becomes a cause of indolence. For if there were no laver, they would live more safely, as not having forgiveness. Do you see that we are the ones who cause it to be said, "Let us do evil, that good may come"? Therefore, 63.108 I beseech you, you the uninitiated, be sober; let no one pursue virtue as a hireling, no one as an ungrateful person, no one as something heavy and burdensome. Let us then pursue it with eagerness and rejoicing. For if no reward were laid up, ought one not to be good? but still, let us at least be good for a reward. For how is this not a shame, and a very great condemnation? If you do not give me a reward, he says, I will not become temperate. Shall I dare to say something? You will never be temperate, not even when you are temperate, if you do it for a reward; for you consider virtue as nothing, if indeed you do not love it. But God, on account of our great weakness, willed for the time being that it should be even for a reward; but we do not even so pursue it. But let us suppose, if you wish, that a man who has done countless evil things departs, and is deemed worthy of baptism (which I do not think happens quickly), how will he depart thither, tell me? He is not accused for what he has done, but he is without boldness, naturally. For when, having lived a hundred years, he shows no good work, but only that he did not sin, or rather not even this, but that by grace alone he was saved, and sees others crowned, brilliant and glorious; even if he does not fall into Gehenna, will he bear the despondency, tell me? And that I may make the matter clearer by an example, let there be two soldiers, and let the one steal, act unjustly, be covetous; but let the other do none of these things, but act bravely, achieve great things, set up trophies in wars, bloody his right hand; then when the time comes, let the one be led suddenly from that rank, in which the thief also was, to the royal throne and the purple robe; but let that thief remain there where he was, and only by the king's philanthropy not pay the penalty for what he did, but let him be in the lowest place, and be ranked under the king; will he bear the despondency, tell me, when he sees the one who was with him ascending to the very summit of honors, and becoming so brilliant, and ruling the world, while he himself remains still below, and does not even have the fact of not being punished with honor, but from the grace and philanthropy of the king? For even if the king forgives him, and frees him from charges, yet he will live in shame; for indeed others will not admire him. For in such pardons not those

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δυνατὸν, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις· Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὸ, Υἱὸς, ὄνομα πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τοῦ δούλου εἴρηται; Ἀσθένειαν δὲ ἢ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν φησὶν, ἢ τὸν θάνατον. Τί ἐστιν, Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα; Οὐ νῦν μόνον ἀναμάρτητον, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἀεί. Εἰ τοίνυν τέλειός ἐστιν, εἰ μηδέποτε ἁμαρτάνει, εἰ ἀεὶ ζῇ, τίνος ἕνεκεν προσοίσει πολλάκις ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν θυσίας; Ἀλλὰ τέως μὲν ὑπὲρ τούτου οὐκ ἰσχυρίζεται, ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ μὴ προσφέρειν αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ, τοῦτο ἰσχυρίζεται. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τοιοῦτον ἔχομεν ἀρχιερέα, μιμησώμεθα αὐτὸν, καὶ κατ' ἴχνος αὐτοῦ βαίνωμεν. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλη θυσία· μία ἡμᾶς ἐκαθάρισε· μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο πῦρ καὶ γέεννα. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἄνω καὶ κάτω στρέφει λέγων, ἕνα ἱερέα, μίαν θυσίαν, ἵνα μή τις, νομίζων πολλὰς εἶναι ἀδεῶς ἁμαρτάνῃ. δʹ. Ὅσοι τοίνυν κατηξιώθημεν τῆς σφραγῖδος, ὅσοι τῆς θυσίας ἀπηλαύσαμεν, ὅσοι τῆς ἀθανάτου τραπέζης μετέσχομεν, μένωμεν φυλάττοντες τὴν εὐγένειαν καὶ τὴν τιμήν· οὐ γὰρ ἀκίνδυνος ἡ ἀπόπτωσις. Ὅσοι δὲ μηδέπω κατηξιώθησαν τούτων, μηδὲ οὗτοι διὰ τοῦτο θαῤῥείτωσαν· ὅταν γάρ τις διὰ τοῦτο ἁμαρτάνῃ, ἵνα τὸ ἅγιον βάπτισμα πρὸς ἐσχάταις λάβῃ ταῖς ἀναπνοαῖς, πολλάκις οὐκ ἐπιτεύξεται. Καὶ, πιστεύσατέ μοι, οὐ φοβῶν ὑμᾶς λέγω, ὃ μέλλω λέγειν· πολλοὺς οἶδα τοῦτο παθόντας ἐγὼ, οἳ προσδοκίᾳ μὲν τοῦ φωτίσματος πολλὰ ἡμάρτανον, πρὸς δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς τελευτῆς ἀπῆλθον κενοί. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς διὰ τοῦτο τὸ βάπτισμα ἔδωκεν, ἵνα λύσῃ τὰς ἁμαρτίας, οὐχ ἵνα αὐξήσῃ τὰς ἁμαρτίας· εἰ δέ τις τούτῳ κεχρημένος εἴη πρὸς ἄδειαν τοῦ πλείονα ἁμαρτάνειν, ῥᾳθυμίας λοιπὸν τοῦτο γίνεται αἴτιον. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ λουτρὸν ἦν, ἀσφαλέστερον ἔζων ἂν, ὡς οὐκ ἔχοντες ἄφεσιν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὸ, Ποιήσωμεν τὰ κακὰ, ἵνα ἔλθῃ τὰ ἀγαθὰ, ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν οἱ ποιοῦντες λέγεσθαι; ∆ιὸ, 63.108 παρακαλῶ, καὶ ὑμεῖς οἱ ἀμύητοι νήφετε· μηδεὶς ὡς μισθωτὸς, μηδεὶς ὡς ἀγνώμων, οὕτω μετιέτω τὴν ἀρετὴν, μηδεὶς ὡς βαρὺ καὶ φορτικόν. Μετὰ προθυμίας τοίνυν ταύτην μετέλθωμεν καὶ χαίροντες. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ μισθὸς ἔκειτο, οὐκ ἐχρῆν εἶναι ἀγαθόν; ἀλλ' ὅμως κἂν μετὰ μισθοῦ γενώμεθα ἀγαθοί. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ αἰσχύνη τοῦτο, καὶ μεγίστη κατάγνωσις; Ἐὰν μὴ δῷς μοι μισθὸν, φησὶν, οὐ γίνομαι σώφρων. Οὐκοῦν τολμῶ τι εἰπεῖν; οὐδέποτε ἔσῃ σώφρων, οὐδὲ ὅταν σωφρονῇς, εἴ γε μισθῷ αὐτὸ ποιεῖς· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἡγῇ τὴν ἀρετὴν, εἴ γε μὴ ἐρᾷς αὐτῆς. Ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τὴν πολλὴν ἡμῶν ἀσθένειαν τέως κἂν μισθοῦ ἠθέλησεν αὐτὴν γενέσθαι· ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ οὕτω μέτιμεν αὐτήν. Θῶμεν δὲ, εἰ βούλεσθε, ὅτι ἄνθρωπός τις μυρία ἐργασάμενος κακὰ ἄπεισι, καὶ καταξιωθεὶς τοῦ βαπτίσματος (ὅπερ οὐ ταχέως οἶμαι συμβαίνειν), πῶς ἀπελεύσεται ἐκεῖ, εἰπέ μοι; Ὑπὲρ μὲν τῶν εἰργασμένων οὐκ ἐγκαλούμενος, ἀπαῤῥησίαστος δὲ ὢν, εἰκότως. Ὅταν γὰρ ἑκατὸν ἔτη βιώσας, μηδὲν ἀγαθὸν ἔργον ἐπιδείξηται, ἀλλὰ μόνον, ὅτι οὐχ ἥμαρτε, μᾶλλον δὲ μηδὲ τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ὅτι χάριτι μόνῃ διεσώθη, ἑτέρους δὲ ἐστεφανωμένους λαμπροὺς καὶ εὐδοκίμους ἴδῃ· κἂν εἰς γέενναν μὴ ἐμπέσῃ, ἆρα οἴσει τὴν ἀθυμίαν, εἰπέ μοι; Ἵνα δὲ ἐπὶ ὑποδείγματος τὸ πρᾶγμα ποιήσω φανερώτερον, ἔστωσαν δύο στρατιῶται, καὶ ὁ μὲν κλεπτέτω, ἀδικείτω, πλεονεκτείτω· ὁ δὲ μηδὲν τούτων ἐργαζέσθω, ἀλλὰ ἀνδραγαθείτω, μεγάλα κατορθούτω, ἐν πολέμοις τρόπαια ἱστάτω, αἱματτέτω τὴν δεξιάν· εἶτα καιροῦ ἐπιστάντος, ὁ μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀξίας ἐκείνης, ἐν ᾗ καὶ ὁ κλέπτης ἦν, ἀθρόον ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλικὸν θρόνον καὶ τὴν ἁλουργίδα ἀγέσθω· ἐκεῖνος δὲ ὁ κλέπτης ἐκεῖ μενέτω, ἔνθα ἦν, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας μόνον τῆς βασιλικῆς μὴ διδότω δίκην ὧν ἔδρασεν, ἐν μέντοι τῷ ἐσχάτῳ τόπῳ ἔστω, καὶ ὑπὸ τῷ βασιλεῖ ταττέσθω· ἆρα οἴσει τὴν ἀθυμίαν, εἰπέ μοι, ὅταν ἴδῃ τὸν μὲν μετ' αὐτοῦ πρὸς αὐτὴν δήπου ἀνελθόντα τῶν ἀξιωμάτων τὴν κορυφὴν, καὶ οὕτω λαμπρὸν γενόμενον, καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης κρατοῦντα, ἑαυτὸν δὲ ἔτι κάτω μένοντα, καὶ οὐδὲ αὐτὸ τὸ μὴ κολασθῆναι μετὰ τιμῆς ἔχοντα, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς χάριτος καὶ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τοῦ βασιλέως; κἂν γὰρ ἀφῇ ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ ἐγκλημάτων ἀπαλλάξῃ, ἀλλ' ὅμως αἰσχυνόμενος βιώσεται· οὐ γὰρ δὴ καὶ ἄλλοι αὐτὸν θαυμάσονται. Ἐν γὰρ ταῖς τοιαύταις συγχωρήσεσιν οὐ τοὺς