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to suffer those shameful things for our sake, He called glory. But those things were glory only on account of love; but what we suffer for His sake, not only on account of love, but also on account of the greatness of the desired object and its worth, would reasonably both be called and be glory. Let us therefore run to the dangers for His sake as to the greatest crowns, and let us not consider poverty, nor sickness, nor insolence, nor slander, nor death itself to be heavy and burdensome, when we endure these things for His sake. For if we are sober, we will gain the greatest things through all these; just as, then, if we are not sober, we will not enjoy any good thing even from their opposites. But consider: does someone abuse and wage war against you? Therefore he prepares you to be watchful, and gives you an occasion to become like God. For if you love the one who plots against you, you will be like Him Who makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good. Does another take away your money? If you bear it nobly, you will receive the same reward as those who have spent everything on the poor. For the plundering of your goods, he says, you accepted with joy, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession in heaven. Did someone speak evil and reproach you? Whether these things be true or false, he has woven a very great crown for you, if you bear the reviling meekly. For the slanderer procures a great reward for us (For rejoice, he says, and be exceedingly glad, when they shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for great is your reward in heaven), and he who speaks the truth again benefits us greatly, only if we bear what is said meekly. For the Pharisee, speaking the truth, spoke ill of the publican, but nevertheless made him righteous instead of a publican. And why must I speak of each 60.483 thing, for it is possible by going through the trials of Job to learn all these things with accuracy. For this reason Paul also said: If God be for us, who can be against us? Just as, therefore, when we are diligent we gain even from those things that grieve us, so when we are slothful we do not become better even from those that benefit us. For what did the company of Christ benefit Judas, tell me? and what the law the Jews? and what paradise Adam? and what Moses those in the wilderness? For this reason, leaving all things, we must look to one thing only, how we may manage our own affairs well; and if we do this, not even the devil himself will ever overcome us, but will even benefit us more greatly, by preparing us to be sober. Thus, indeed, Paul also stirred up the Ephesians, by recounting his ferocity. But we sleep and snore, and this though having so evil an enemy. And if we knew a serpent was lurking by our bed, we would make great haste to kill it; but when the devil is lurking in our souls, we think we are suffering nothing terrible, but are reposed. The reason is, that we do not see him with the eyes of the body; and yet for this reason we ought to be more watchful and sober. For one might easily guard against a sensible enemy, but the invisible one, unless we are armed at all times, we will not be able to escape easily; and 60.484 especially, because he does not know how to fight directly; for he would be quickly caught; but often under the guise of friendship he injects the poison of his cruelty. Thus, indeed, he also prepared Job's wife, having put on the mask of affection, to introduce that evil counsel; thus also when conversing with Adam, he feigns concern and care, saying, that Your eyes shall be opened, in the day you eat from the tree. Thus also he persuaded Jephthah under the pretext of piety to slay his daughter, and to offer up the unlawful sacrifice. Have you seen his methods? have you seen his varied warfare? Beware, therefore, and fortify yourself on all sides with spiritual weapons, and learn his devices with accuracy, that you may be both unconquerable and may take him easily; since Paul also overcame him thus, by learning these things with accuracy; wherefore he also said: For we are not ignorant of his devices. And we therefore both to learn and

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τὸ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν παθεῖν τὰ ἐπονείδιστα ἐκεῖνα, δόξαν ἐκάλει. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνα μὲν δι' ἀγάπην μόνον δόξα ἦν· ἃ δὲ ἂν ἡμεῖς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πάθωμεν, οὐ δι' ἀγάπην μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ ποθουμένου καὶ τὴν ἀξίαν, δόξα ἂν εἰκότως καὶ καλοῖτο καὶ εἴη. Ὡς ἐπὶ στεφάνους τοίνυν μεγίστους τρέχωμεν τοὺς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ κινδύνους, καὶ μήτε πενίαν μήτε νόσον μήτε ἐπήρειαν, μὴ συκοφαντίαν, μὴ αὐτὸν τὸν θάνατον νομίζωμεν εἶναι βαρὺ καὶ ἐπαχθὲς, ὅταν δι' αὐτὸν ταῦτα ὑπομένωμεν. Ἂν γὰρ νήφωμεν, τὰ μέγιστα διὰ τούτων ἁπάντων κερδανοῦμεν· ὥσπερ οὖν ἐὰν μὴ νήφωμεν, οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων καρπωσόμεθά τι χρηστόν. Σκόπει δέ· ἐπηρεάζει σοί τις καὶ πολεμεῖ; Οὐκοῦν ἐγρηγορέναι σε παρασκευάζει, καὶ ἀφορμήν σοι παρέχει τοῦ γενέσθαι ὅμοιον τῷ Θεῷ. Ἂν γὰρ ἀγαπήσῃς τὸν ἐπιβουλεύοντα, ὅμοιος ἔσῃ τῷ Τὸν ἥλιον ἀνατέλλοντι ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθούς. Ἕτερος ἀφαιρεῖταί σου τὰ χρήματα; Ἂν γενναίως ἐνέγκῃς, τοῖς εἰς πένητας πάντα δεδαπανηκόσι τὸν αὐτὸν λήψῃ μισθόν. Καὶ γὰρ τὴν ἁρπαγὴν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ὑμῶν, φησὶ, μετὰ χαρᾶς προσεδέξασθε, γινώσκοντες κρείττονα ἔχειν ὕπαρξιν ἐν οὐρανοῖς, καὶ μένουσαν. Εἶπέ τις κακῶς καὶ ὠνείδισεν; Ἄν τε ἀληθῆ ταῦτα ᾖ, ἄν τε ψευδῆ, στέφανόν σοι μέγιστον ἔπλεξεν, ἂν πράως τὴν λοιδορίαν ἐνέγκῃς. Ὅ τε γὰρ συκοφαντῶν πολὺν ἡμῖν προξενεῖ τὸν μισθὸν (Χαίρετε γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅταν εἴπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα καθ' ὑμῶν ψευδόμενοι, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς), ὅ τε ἀληθῆ λέγων πάλιν τὰ μέγιστα ὠφελεῖ, μόνον ἂν πράως ἐνέγκωμεν τὰ λεγόμενα. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Φαρισαῖος ἀληθεύων τὸν τελώνην ἔλεγε κακῶς, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀντὶ τελώνου δίκαιον ἐποίησε. Καὶ τί δεῖ καθ' ἕκα 60.483 στον λέγειν, ἔξεστι γὰρ ἐπελθόντα τοὺς ἄθλους τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἅπαντα ταῦτα μετ' ἀκριβείας μαθεῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Εἰ ὁ Θεὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, τίς καθ' ἡμῶν; Ὥσπερ οὖν σπουδάζοντες καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν λυπούντων κερδαίνομεν, οὕτω ῥᾳθυμοῦντες οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ὠφελούντων ἀμείνους γινόμεθα. Τί γὰρ τὸν Ἰούδαν ὠφέλησεν, εἰπέ μοι, ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ συνουσία; τί δὲ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ὁ νόμος; τί δὲ τὸν Ἀδὰμ ὁ παράδεισος; τί δὲ τοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Μωϋσῆς; ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο πάντα ἀφέντας, ἓν δεῖ σκοπεῖν μόνον, ὅπως τὰ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς οἰκονομήσωμεν καλῶς· κἂν τοῦτο ποιῶμεν, οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος ἡμῶν περιέσται ποτὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ μειζόνως ἡμᾶς ὠφελήσει, νήφειν παρασκευάζων. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ τοὺς Ἐφεσίους ὁ Παῦλος διήγειρε, τὴν ἐκείνου διηγούμενος ἀγριότητα. Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς καθεύδομεν καὶ ῥέγχομεν καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς οὕτω πονηρὸν πολέμιον ἔχοντες. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ὄφιν ἐμφωλεύοντα ἔγνωμεν παρὰ τὴν κλίνην τὴν ἡμετέραν, πολλὴν ἂν ἐποιησάμεθα σπουδὴν ὥστε αὐτὸν ἀνελεῖν· τοῦ διαβόλου δὲ ἐμφωλεύοντος ἡμῶν ταῖς ψυχαῖς, οὐδὲν ἡγούμεθα πάσχειν δεινὸν, ἀλλ' ἀναπεπτώκαμεν. Τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, ἐπειδὴ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς οὐχ ὁρῶμεν αὐτὸν τοῖς τοῦ σώματος· καίτοι διὰ τοῦτο ἐχρῆν ἐγρηγορέναι μᾶλλον καὶ νήφειν. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ αἰσθητὸν πολέμιον κἂν φυλάξαιτό τις ῥᾳδίως, τὸν δὲ ἀόρατον, ἂν μὴ διὰ παντὸς ὦμεν καθωπλισμένοι, οὐ δυνησόμεθα εὐκόλως διαφυγεῖν· καὶ 60.484 μάλιστα, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐξ εὐθείας οἶδε πολεμεῖν· ἦ γὰρ ἂν ἑάλω ταχέως· ἀλλὰ σχήματι πολλάκις φιλίας τὸν τῆς ὠμότητος ἰὸν ἐνίησιν. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ Ἰὼβ παρεσκεύασε, προσωπεῖον φιλοστοργίας ὑποδῦσαν τὴν πονηρὰν ἐκείνην εἰσενεγκεῖν συμβουλήν· οὕτω καὶ τῷ Ἀδὰμ διαλεγόμενος, ὑποκρίνεται τὸ κηδεμονικὸν καὶ προστατικὸν, λέγων, ὅτι Ἀνοιχθήσονται ὑμῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου. Οὕτω καὶ τὸν Ἰεφθάε ἀνέπεισε προσχήματι εὐσεβείας τὴν θυγατέρα κατασφάξαι, καὶ τὴν παράνομον θυσίαν ἀνενεγκεῖν. Εἶδες αὐτοῦ τὰς μεθοδείας; εἶδες τὸν ποικίλον πόλεμον; Φυλάττου τοίνυν, καὶ πανταχόθεν φράττου τοῖς ὅπλοις τοῖς πνευματικοῖς, καὶ καταμάνθανε τὰς ἐκείνου μηχανὰς μετὰ ἀκριβείας, ἵνα καὶ ἀνάλωτος ᾖς καὶ ἕλῃς αὐτὸν εὐκόλως· ἐπεὶ καὶ Παῦλος οὕτως αὐτοῦ περιεγένετο, ταῦτα μετὰ ἀκριβείας καταμανθάνων· διὸ καὶ ἔλεγεν· Οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ νοήματα ἀγνοοῦμεν. Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοίνυν καὶ μαθεῖν καὶ