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of many, I ought to be solitary, you have insulted virtue; for this can make use of all things, and shine through, if only it is in the soul. Is there famine? Is there abundance? For this shows its own strength, as Paul says, I know both how to abound, and to be in want. Was it necessary to work? He was not ashamed, but worked for two years. Was it necessary to be hungry? He did not waste away, nor did he hesitate. Was it necessary to die? He did not become downcast; through all things he showed his noble mind and his art. Let us then emulate him, and there will be no occasion for grief for us. For what, tell me, will be able to grieve such a one? Nothing. As long as no one takes this from us, we shall be more blessed than all men, both here, and not there only. For let the virtuous man have a wife and children and money and great glory; in all these things he remains equally virtuous; take them away, and again he will be equally virtuous, neither being overwhelmed by afflictions, nor puffed up by prosperity; but just as a rock, both when the sea is raging, and when there is a calm, stands equally unmoved, neither broken by the waves, nor suffering anything else from the calm; so also the steadfast soul stands firm both in calm and in waves. And just as children sailing in a ship are thrown into confusion, but the pilot sits laughing and unswerving, seeing their confusion, and taking pleasure in it; so also a philosophic soul, when all others are thrown into confusion, and again laughing unseasonably, in the changes of circumstances, itself as if on some neck and helm of piety sits 62.276 unswerving. For what, tell me, can disturb a pious soul? Death? But it knows this to be the beginning of a better life. But poverty? But this cooperates with it towards virtue. But sickness? But it considers it as nothing when it is present. Why do I say sickness? Not even ease, nor affliction; for it has afflicted itself beforehand. But dishonor? But the whole world has been crucified to it. But the loss of children? But it does not fear; for when it is fully assured concerning the resurrection, what can overcome it? Nothing at all. But does wealth puff it up? By no means; for it knows that money is nothing. But glory? But it has been taught, that all the glory of man is as the flower of grass. But luxury? But it has heard Paul saying, that she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. When, therefore, it is neither inflamed nor contracted, what could be equal to this health? But other souls are not such, but they change more often than the sea and the chameleon. So that there is much laughter, when you see the same man now laughing, now weeping, now anxious, now excessively dissolute. And yet Paul says for no other reason, Be not conformed to this world, than that we have our citizenship in heaven, where there is no turning. Prizes that do not change have been promised to us; let us therefore show such a manner of life, let us from this time forth receive the good things. Why do we cast ourselves into a strait, and into a surge, and into a storm, and into a tempest? Let us be in a calm. It is not from wealth, not from poverty, not from glory, not from dishonor, not from sickness, not from health, not from weakness, but all these things are from our soul. If it is steadfast and well instructed in the knowledge of virtue, all things will be easy for it. And from this time forth it will see rest, and the fair haven, and departing from there will obtain countless good things; may it be granted to us all to obtain them, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and for ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY XIII. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping

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πολλῶν, μονάζειν ὀφείλω, ὕβρισας τὴν ἀρετήν· αὕτη γὰρ πᾶσι κεχρῆσθαι δύναται, καὶ διαφαίνειν, μόνον ἔστω ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ. Λιμός ἐστι; πλησμονή ἐστιν; Αὕτη γὰρ ἰσχὺν ἐπιδείκνυται τὴν αὑτῆς, καθὼς Παῦλός φησιν, Οἶδα καὶ περισσεύειν, καὶ ὑστερεῖσθαι. Ἔδει ἐργάζεσθαι; οὐκ ἐπῃσχύνθη, ἀλλὰ δύο ἔτη εἰργάζετο. Ἔδει λιμῶξαι; οὐκ ἐτάκη, οὐδὲ ἐδίστασεν. Ἔδει ἀποθανεῖν; οὐκ ἐγένετο ταπεινός· διὰ πάντων τὸ φρόνημα τὸ γενναῖον καὶ τὴν τέχνην ἐπεδείξατο. Τοῦτον οὖν ζηλώσωμεν, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται λύπης ἡμῖν ὑπόθεσις. Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, λυπῆσαι δυνήσεται τὸν τοιοῦτον; Οὐδέν. Ἕως ἂν μὴ ταύτην ἡμᾶς ἀφέληταί τις, πάντων ἀνθρώπων μακαριώτεροι ἐσόμεθα, καὶ ἐνταῦθα, οὐχὶ ἐκεῖ μόνον. Ἔστω γὰρ ὁ ἐνάρετος καὶ γυναῖκα ἔχων καὶ παιδία καὶ χρήματα καὶ δόξαν πολλήν· περὶ ταῦτα πάντα ὁμοίως ἐνάρετος μένει· ἄφελε αὐτὰ, καὶ πάλιν ὁμοίως ἐνάρετος ἔσται, οὔτε ὑπὸ τῶν θλίψεων καταβαπτιζόμενος, οὔτε ὑπὸ τῆς εὐπραγίας ὀγκούμενος· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ πέτρα, καὶ κυμαινούσης τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ γαλήνης οὔσης, ὁμοίως ἕστηκεν ἀπαθὴς, οὔτε ὑπὸ τῶν κυμάτων θρυπτομένη, οὔτε ὑπὸ τῆς γαλήνης ἄλλο τι πάσχουσα· οὕτω καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ στεῤῥὰ ἕστηκε βεβαία καὶ ἐν γαλήνῃ καὶ ἐν κύμασι. Καὶ καθάπερ τὰ μὲν παιδία ἐν πλοίῳ πλέοντα θορυβεῖται, ὁ δὲ κυβερνήτης κάθηται γελῶν καὶ ἀκλινὴς ὢν, τὸν θόρυβον ἐκείνων ὁρῶν, καὶ τερπόμενος· οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴ φιλόσοφος, πάντων τῶν ἄλλων θορυβουμένων, καὶ γελώντων πάλιν ἀκαίρως, ἐν ταῖς τῶν πραγμάτων μεταβολαῖς, αὐτὸς ὥσπερ ἐπί τινος αὐχένος καὶ οἴακος τῆς εὐλαβείας κάθηται 62.276 ἀκλινής. Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, ταράξαι δύναται ψυχὴν εὐλαβῆ; Θάνατος; ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ζωῆς βελτίονος ἀρχὴν οἶδεν. Ἀλλὰ πενία; ἀλλὰ τοῦτο συμπράττει αὐτῇ πρὸς ἀρετήν. Ἀλλὰ νόσος; ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἡγεῖται αὐτὴν παροῦσαν. Τί λέγω νόσον; οὐδὲ τὴν ἄνεσιν, οὐδὲ τὴν θλῖψιν· προλαβοῦσα γὰρ ἑαυτὴν ἔθλιψεν. Ἀλλ' ἀδοξία; ἀλλὰ ὅλος ὁ κόσμος αὐτῇ ἐσταύρωται. Ἀλλὰ παίδων ἀποβολή; ἀλλ' οὐ δέδοικεν· ὅταν γὰρ περὶ ἀναστάσεως ᾖ πεπληροφορημένη, τί αὐτὴν ἑλεῖν δύναται; Οὐδὲν τῶν πάντων. Ἀλλὰ πλοῦτος ἐπαίρει; οὐδαμῶς· οἶδε γὰρ ὅτι οὐδὲν τὰ χρήματα. Ἀλλὰ δόξα; ἀλλὰ πεπαίδευται, ὅτι πᾶσα δόξα ἀνθρώπου, ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου. Ἀλλὰ τρυφή; ἀλλ' ἤκουσε Παύλου λέγοντος, ὅτι Ἡ σπαταλῶσα, ζῶσα τέθνηκεν. Ὅταν οὖν μήτε φλεγμαίνῃ, μήτε συστέλληται, τί τῆς ὑγείας ταύτης ἴσον ἂν εἴη; ἀλλ' οὐχ αἱ ἄλλαι ψυχαὶ τοιαῦται, ἀλλὰ τῆς θαλάττης καὶ τοῦ χαμαιλέοντος πυκνότερον τρέπονται. Ὥστε πολὺν εἶναι γέλωτα, ὅταν ἴδῃς τὸν αὐτὸν νῦν μὲν γελῶντα, νῦν δὲ κλαίοντα, νῦν δὲ φροντίζοντα, νῦν δὲ ὑπὲρ τὸ μέτρον ἐκκεχυμένον. Καίτοι ὁ Παῦλος οὐ δι' ἄλλο τί φησι, Μὴ συσχηματίζεσθε τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλ' ἢ ὅτι ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ πολιτευόμεθα, ἔνθα οὐκ ἔστι τροπή. Ἐπήγγελται ἡμῖν ἔπαθλα οὐ τρεπόμενα· οὐκοῦν τοιαύτην πολιτείαν ἐπιδειξώμεθα, ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη λάβωμεν τὰ ἀγαθά. Τί εἰς εὔριπον ἑαυτοὺς ῥιπτοῦμεν, καὶ εἰς κλυδώνιον, καὶ εἰς χειμῶνα, καὶ εἰς ζάλην; Γενώμεθα ἐν γαλήνῃ. Οὐ παρὰ τὸν πλοῦτόν ἐστιν, οὐ παρὰ τὴν πενίαν, οὐ παρὰ τὴν δόξαν, οὐ παρὰ τὴν ἀδοξίαν, οὐ παρὰ τὴν νόσον, οὐ παρὰ τὴν ὑγείαν, οὐ παρὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν ταῦτα πάντα ψυχήν. Ἂν αὐτὴ στεῤῥὰ ᾖ καὶ καλῶς πεπαιδευμένη τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπιστήμην, πάντα εὔκολα αὐτῇ ἔσται. Καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν ὄψεται, καὶ τὸν λιμένα τὸν εὔδιον, καὶ μυρίων ἀπελθοῦσα ἐκεῖ ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτεύξεται· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΓʹ. Πολλοὶ γὰρ περιπατοῦσιν, οὓς πολλάκις ἔλεγον ὑμῖν, νῦν δὲ καὶ κλαίων