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will be forgotten. He said well, "To the end," showing that one does not always seek rest. For where will the works of patience be shown, if there is always to be rest? What he says is this: The wicked will pay the penalty, and they will suffer the worst things. For God will not endure forever that the wronged should be in snares. From this he both comforts these and frightens those, and shows the philanthropy of God, that even delay makes some more approved, and draws others to repentance. See again the poor finding favor; not the poor simply, but those who are contrite in heart. For these 55.134 are most suited for patience; or rather, these things build each other up, humility patience, and patience humility. But if one should say, "And how is humility poverty?" we will say this, that it is more suited for virtue. For the rich man is distressed and troubled; but the poor man bears all things easily, as if often exercising in poverty as in a wrestling school. For this reason Christ also said that it is difficult with riches to enter the kingdom. What does it mean, "The patience of the poor shall not perish to the end"? Never, he says, but it will certainly receive its proper fruit. Which is not the case in worldly things, but often one falls short of the goal, the labors having been lost. For both the farmer waits, and the merchant; but often because of the irregularity of the weather both fall short of the fruit of their labors. But with God this is not so, but it is entirely necessary to enjoy the end. And this is no small word of comfort, to always be confident about the end. Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail. Another, Let him not be emboldened. Let the nations be judged before you. Another, And in your sight. Having spoken of the malice that possesses most men, and having recounted the wickedness, the robberies, the greed, the murders, he beseeches God for help for the wronged. For such are the bowels of the saints, not to be anxious only for their own things, but as if for one house, the inhabited world, or one body, the multitude of men, so to beseech God. Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail. What does it mean, "Arise, O Lord"? Go forth, he says, help, punish the wrongdoers. And he used the bare names well, saying, "Arise," and, "Let not man prevail"; so as to declare that he is insignificant, from the earth, ash and dust. Let the nations be judged before you. What is this? Let them pay the penalty, he says, for their sins. They have not become better by long-suffering; demand an accounting for what has been dared. Appoint, O Lord, a lawgiver over them. Let the nations know that they are men. Diapsalma. Another, Always. What is it, "Appoint a lawgiver over them"? Since, he says, just as if in autonomy they do all things, not wanting to pay the penalty, go forth, and let the punishment become for them an admonition. Another, declaring this, said, "Appoint, O Lord, a terror for them." See how he does not seek their punishment, but admonition and correction, and that they not live lawlessly. For the punishment will be for them, he says, instead of an admonition; not for them only, but also for others. And that you may learn how great the gain is, and how it suppresses the disease, listen to what follows. Let the nations know, he says, that they are men. And what he says is this: Many have lost even this, they have forgotten their nature, they have run aground into madness, they have not known themselves. And he well added "Always," so that he might show that not only in adversity, but also 55.135 in prosperity. But, if you punish them now, having the fear at its height, and the memory of the terrible things that have happened, even if they should come into prosperity, they will know their own nature. 9. Do you see how he makes his prayer on their behalf, and asks that their madness be corrected? For to not know oneself is worse than the utmost madness and frenzy. The

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ἐπιλησθήσεται. Καλῶς εἶπεν, Εἰς τέλος, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐκ ἀεὶ ἄνεσίν τις ἐπιζητεῖ. Ποῦ γὰρ δειχθήσεται τὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς, εἰ ἀεὶ ἄνεσις μέλλοι εἶναι; Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· ∆ίκην δώσουσιν οἱ πονηροὶ, καὶ τὰ ἔσχατα πείσονται. Οὐ γὰρ ἀνέξεται ὁ Θεὸς διὰ παντὸς τοὺς ἀδικουμένους ἐν ἐπιβουλαῖς εἶναι. Ἐντεῦθεν καὶ τούτους παραμυθεῖται, κἀκείνους φοβεῖ, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ δείκνυσι τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, ὅτι καὶ ἡ μέλλησις τοὺς μὲν δοκιμωτέρους ἐργάζεται, τοὺς δὲ εἰς μετάνοιαν ἕλκει. Ὅρα πάλιν τοὺς πένητας εὐδοκιμοῦντας· πένητας οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τοὺς συντετριμμένους τῇ καρδίᾳ. Οὗτοι 55.134 γὰρ μάλιστά εἰσι καὶ πρὸς ὑπομονὴν ἐπιτήδειοι· μᾶλλον δὲ ἄλληλα συγκατασκευάζει ταῦτα, ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη τὴν ὑπομονὴν, ἡ ὑπομονὴ τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην. Εἰ δέ τις εἴποι· Καὶ πῶς πενία ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη; ἐκεῖνο ἐροῦμεν, ὅτι αὕτη ἐπιτηδειοτέρα πρὸς ἀρετήν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πλουτῶν ἀλύει, καὶ θορυβεῖται· ὁ δὲ πένης πάντα ῥᾳδίως φέρει, καθάπερ ἐν παλαίστρᾳ τῇ πενίᾳ πολλάκις γυμναζόμενος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἔλεγεν, ὅτι δύσκολον μετὰ πλούτου εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν εἰσελθεῖν. Τί ἐστιν, Ἡ ὑπομονὴ τῶν πενήτων οὐκ ἀπολεῖται εἰς τέλος; Οὐδέποτε, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ πάντως ἀπολήψεται τὸν οἰκεῖον καρπόν. Ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῶν βιωτικῶν οὐκ ἔνι, ἀλλ' ἐκπίπτει τοῦ τέλους πολλάκις, τῶν πόνων ἀπολωλότων. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ γεωργὸς ἀναμένει, καὶ ἔμπορος· πολλάκις δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ἀέρων ἀνωμαλίας ἀμφότεροι τοῦ καρποῦ τῶν πόνων ἐκπίπτουσιν. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἔνι τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ ἀνάγκη πάντως ἀπολαῦσαι τοῦ τέλους. Οὐ μικρὸν δὲ τοῦτο εἰς παραμυθίας λόγον, τὸ θαῤῥεῖν ἀεὶ περὶ τοῦ τέλους. Ἀνάστηθι, Κύριε, μὴ κραταιούσθω ἄνθρωπος. Ἄλλος, Μὴ θρασυνέσθω. Κριθήτωσαν ἔθνη ἐνώπιόν σου. Ἄλλος, Καὶ κατὰ πρόσωπόν σου. Εἰπὼν τὴν κακίαν τὴν κατέχουσαν τοὺς πλείους τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ διηγησάμενος τὴν πονηρίαν, τὰς ἁρπαγὰς, τὰς πλεονεξίας, τὰς ἀνδροφονίας, παρακαλεῖ τὸν Θεὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ἀδικουμένων βοηθείας. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ τῶν ἁγίων τὰ σπλάγχνα, μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν μεριμνᾷν μόνον, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ περὶ μιᾶς οἰκίας, τῆς οἰκουμένης, ἢ σώματος ἑνὸς, τοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων πλήθους, οὕτω παρακαλεῖν τὸν Θεόν. Ἀνάστηθι, Κύριε, μὴ κραταιούσθω ἄνθρωπος. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Ἀνάστηθι, Κύριε; Ἐπέξελθε, φησὶ, βοήθησον, κόλασον τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας. Καὶ καλῶς τοῖς ὀνόμασι γυμνοῖς ἐχρήσατο, εἰπὼν, Ἀνάστηθι, καὶ, Μὴ κραταιούσθω ἄνθρωπος· ὥστε δηλῶσαι, ὅτι ὁ εὐτελὴς, ὁ ἀπὸ γῆς, ὁ τέφρα καὶ, σποδός. Κριθήτωσαν ἔθνη ἐνώπιόν σου. Τί ἐστι τοῦτο; ∆ότωσαν δίκην, φησὶ, τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. Οὐ γεγόνασι τῇ μακροθυμίᾳ βελτίους· ἀπαίτησον εὐθύνας τῶν τετολμημένων. Κατάστησον, Κύριε, νομοθέτην ἐπ' αὐτοῖς. Γνώτωσαν ἔθνη, ὅτι ἄνθρωποί εἰσι. ∆ιάψαλμα. Ἄλλος, Ἀεί. Τί ἐστι, Κατάστησον νομοθέτην αὐτοῖς; Ἐπεὶ, φησὶ, καθάπερ ἐν αὐτονομίᾳ πάντα πράττουσι, μὴ θέλοντες διδόναι δίκην, ἐπέξελθε, καὶ γενέσθω αὐτοῖς ἡ τιμωρία ἀντὶ νουθεσίας. Τοῦτο καὶ ἕτερος δηλῶν εἶπε, Κατάστησον, Κύριε, φόβημα αὐτοῖς. Ὅρα πῶς οὐ κόλασιν αὐτῶν ἐπιζητεῖ, ἀλλὰ νουθεσίαν καὶ διόρθωσιν, καὶ τὸ μὴ παρανόμως ζῇν. Ἔσται γὰρ ἡ τιμωρία αὐτοῖς, φησὶν, ἀντὶ νουθεσίας· οὐκ αὐτοῖς δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέροις. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅσον τὸ κέρδος, καὶ πῶς καταστέλλει νόσημα, ἄκουε τοῦ ἑξῆς. Γνώτωσαν ἔθνη, φησὶν, ὅτι ἄνθρωποί εἰσιν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Πολλοὶ καὶ τοῦτο ἀπολωλέκασιν, ἐπελάθοντο τῆς φύσεως, εἰς μανίαν ἐξώκειλαν, ἠγνόησαν ἑαυτούς. Καὶ καλῶς προσέθηκε τὸ, Ἀεὶ, ἵνα δηλώσῃ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν ταῖς δυσπραγίαις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ 55.135 ἐν ταῖς εὐημερίαις. Ἀλλὰ γάρ, ἂν κολάσῃς αὐτοὺς νῦν, ἔχοντες τὸν φόβον ἀκμάζοντα, καὶ τὴν μνήμην τῶν συμβεβηκότων δεινῶν, κἂν εἰς εὐημερίαν ἔλθωσιν, εἴσονται τὴν ἑαυτῶν φύσιν. θʹ. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ποιεῖται τὴν δέησιν, καὶ τὴν μανίαν ἀξιοῖ διορθωθῆναι; Τὸ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς ἀγνοεῖν, ἐσχάτης μανίας καὶ φρενίτιδος χαλεπώτερον. Τὸ