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your judgments from his face. Another, Your judgment is taken away. Do you see the fruit of wickedness? His light is extinguished, his reasonings are maimed, he is given as a captive to wickedness. For just as a maimed person falls continually into pits, so indeed does he, since he does not have the fear of God before his eyes, spend all his time in wickedness; not now in virtue, and now in wickedness, but always in wickedness, and he is not mindful of Gehenna, nor of the future judgment, nor of the reckonings; but as if casting off all these aids like a bridle, like an unballasted ship he is given over to wicked spirits and wild waves, there being no one to discipline his mind. Do you see the wicked man suffering punishment in his very wickedness? For what is more difficult than an unbridled horse, or an unballasted ship, or a maimed man? 10. But more wretched than all these is the one who lives in wickedness, having extinguished the light that comes from the fear of God, and been given over as a captive. He will lord it over all his enemies. For he said in his heart: "I shall not be moved from generation to generation without evil." Another, He puffs at all his enemies, saying in his heart: 'I shall not be overthrown for generation and generation. For I shall not be in adversity.' Do you see the madness? Do you see the unspeakable perdition? Do you see the destruction growing little by little? Do you see the things deemed blessed by the foolish, things full of much misery, and how he is submerged? He is praised in his sins, he is blessed in his injustices. This is the first pit, and it is sufficient to break the neck of one who is not paying attention. Therefore, one ought to welcome those who accuse and correct, rather than those who praise and flatter to one's destruction. For these corrupt the weak-minded and push them to greater wickedness; just as they, puffing up this sinner, trained him in folly. Therefore Paul says this very thing 55.137 to the Corinthians concerning the one who committed fornication: "And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned." One must mourn greatly for the one who sins, not praise him. Do you see the perverted wickedness, that not only is it not accused, but it is even praised? From this, from his own folly and from the praises, he increased his wickedness, he forgot the fear of God and his judgments; from this he also forgot his own nature. For he who forgets the judgments of God, in time also becomes ignorant of himself. See, then, what things he considers: "I shall not be moved for generation and generation, but I will be without evil." What is more foolish than this thought, for a man, being mortal and involved in temporary affairs, and subject to countless changes, to imagine such things? And whence does this happen? From folly. For when a foolish man enjoys much prosperity, and prevails over his enemies, and is praised and admired, he becomes more wretched than all. For by not expecting change, he neither bears prosperity soberly, and having fallen into adversity, being untrained and unpracticed, he is agitated and disturbed. But Job was not so; but even in prosperity he expected adversity each day; which is why he said: "For the fear that I feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has met me." "I was not at peace, nor was I quiet, nor did I rest; but wrath came upon me." Therefore another also said: "Remember the time of famine in the time of plenty, poverty and want in the day of wealth." But this man, being utterly corrupt, does not consider human affairs, but thinks them to be immovable for him on account of his success; which is the cause of extreme folly and corruption, and the starting-point of utter ruin. Therefore, do not call blessed the rich, those who overcome their enemies, those who are praised for these things. For these are great pits and precipices for those who are not on their guard, hurling them down to the very bottom of impiety. Whose

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κρίματά σου ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ. Ἄλλος, Ἦρται ἡ κρίσις σου. Εἶδες τῆς κακίας τὸν καρπόν; Σβέννυται αὐτοῦ τὸ φῶς, πηροῦνται οἱ διαλογισμοὶ, αἰχμάλωτος δίδοται τῇ πονηρίᾳ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ πεπηρωμένος εἰς βάραθρα πίπτει συνεχῶς, οὕτω δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς, ἐπειδὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν φόβον οὐκ ἔχει πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, διὰ παντὸς ἐν κακίᾳ διατρίβει· οὐχὶ νῦν μὲν ἐν ἀρετῇ, νῦν δὲ ἐν κακίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ ἐν κακίᾳ, καὶ οὐδὲ τῆς γεέννης μέμνηται, οὐδὲ τῆς μελλούσης κρίσεως, οὐδὲ τῶν εὐθυνῶν· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ χαλινὸν ἅπαντα ταῦτα τὰ βοηθήματα ἐκβαλὼν, καθάπερ πλοῖον ἀνερμάτιστον πονηροῖς ἐκδίδοται πνεύμασι καὶ κύμασιν ἀγρίοις, οὐδενὸς ὄντος τοῦ παιδαγωγοῦντος αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν. Εἶδες τὸν πονηρὸν ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ κακίᾳ τὴν δίκην ὑπέχοντα; Τί γὰρ ἵππου ἀχαλινώτου, τί δὲ πλοίου ἀνερματίστου, τί δὲ ἀνθρώπου πεπηρωμένου χαλεπώτερον; ιʹ. Ἀλλὰ τούτων ἁπάντων ἀθλιώτερος ὁ ἐν κακίᾳ ζῶν, τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου τοῦ Θεοῦ φῶς σβέσας, καὶ αἰχμάλωτος ἐκδοθείς. Πάντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ κατακυριεύσει. Εἶπε γὰρ ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· Οὐ μὴ σαλευθῶ ἀπὸ γενεᾶς εἰς γενεὰν ἄνευ κακοῦ. Ἄλλος, Πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ ἐκφυσᾷ, λέγων ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· Οὐ περιτραπήσομαι εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεάν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔσομαι ἐν κακώσει. Εἶδες τὴν ἀπόνοιαν; εἶδες τὴν ἄφατον ἀπώλειαν; εἶδες τὸν κατὰ μικρὸν αὐξανόμενον ὄλεθρον; εἶδες τὰ παρὰ τοῖς ἀνοήτοις μακάρια, τὰ πολλῆς ἀθλιότητος γέμοντα, καὶ πῶς καταδύεται; Ἐπαινεῖται ἐν τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν, εὐλογεῖται ἐν ταῖς ἀδικίαις. Πρῶτον βάραθρον τοῦτο, καὶ ἱκανὸν ἐκτραχηλίσαι τὸν μὴ προσέχοντα. ∆ιὸ δὴ μᾶλλον τοὺς αἰτιωμένους καὶ διορθουμένους ἀποδέχεσθαι χρὴ, ἢ τοὺς ἐπαινοῦντας καὶ ἐπ' ὀλέθρῳ κολακεύοντας. Τοὺς γὰρ βλᾶκας οὗτοι διαφθείρουσι, καὶ πρὸς μείζονα ὠθοῦσι κακίαν· καθάπερ καὶ τοῦτον τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐμφυσήσαντες, ἐπαιδοτρίβησαν εἰς ἄνοιαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλος Κορινθίοις τοῦτο 55.137 αὐτὸ λέγει ἐπὶ τῷ πορνούσαντι· Καὶ ὑμεῖς πεφυσιωμένοι ἐστὲ, καὶ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἐπενθήσατε. Πολλὰ τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα πενθεῖν, οὐκ ἐπαινεῖν δεῖ. Εἶδες διεστραμμένην κακίαν, ὅτι μὴ μόνον οὐκ ἐγκαλεῖται, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐφημεῖται; Ἐντεῦθεν ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκείας ἀνοίας καὶ τῶν ἐπαίνων ἐπέτεινε τὴν πονηρίαν, ἐπελάθετο τοῦ φόβου τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τῶν κριμάτων αὐτοῦ· ἐντεῦθεν ἐπελάθετο καὶ τῆς οἰκείας φύσεως. Ὁ γὰρ τῶν κριμάτων ἐπιλανθανόμενος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἑαυτὸν λοιπὸν ἀγνοεῖ τῷ χρόνῳ. Ὅρα γοῦν οἷα λογίζεται· Οὐ μὴ σαλευθῶ εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεὰν, ἀλλ' ἔσομαι ἄνευ κακοῦ. Τί ταύτης ἀνοητότερον τῆς διανοίας, ἄνθρωπον ὄντα, καὶ ἐπίκηρον, καὶ τοῖς προσκαίροις συμπεπλεγμένον πράγμασι, καὶ μυρίαις μεταβολαῖς ὑποκείμενον, τοιαῦτα φαντάζεσθαι; Πόθεν δὲ τοῦτο γίνεται; Ἐκ τῆς ἀνοίας. Ὅταν γὰρ ἀνόητος ἀνὴρ πολλῆς ἀπολαύῃ τῆς εὐημερίας, καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν κρατῇ, καὶ ἐπαινῆται καὶ θαυμάζηται, πάντων ἀθλιώτερος γίνεται. Τῷ γὰρ μὴ προσδοκᾷν μεταβολὴν, οὔτε τὰς εὐημερίας σωφρόνως φέρει, εἴς τε δυσημερίαν ἐμπεσὼν, ἀγύμναστος καὶ ἀμελέτητος ὢν, ταράττεται καὶ θορυβεῖται. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ Ἰὼβ οὕτως· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ εὐημερίᾳ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν δυσημερίαν ἤλπιζε· διὸ καὶ ἔλεγε· Φόβος γὰρ, ὃν ἐφοβούμην, ἦλθέ μοι, καὶ ὃν ἐδεδοίκειν, συνήντησέ μοι. Οὔτε εἰρήνευσα, οὔτε ἡσύχασα, οὔτε ἀνεπαυσάμην· ἦλθε δέ μοι ὀργή. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἕτερος ἔλεγε· Μνήσθητι καιροῦ λιμοῦ ἐν καιρῷ πλησμονῆς, πτωχείας καὶ ἐνδείας ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πλούτου. Ἀλλ' οὗτος καθάπαξ διαφθαρεὶς, οὐ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα ἐπισκέπτεται, ἀλλ' ἀκίνητα αὐτῷ εἶναι νομίζει διὰ τῆς εὐπραγίας· ὅπερ ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας καὶ διαφθορᾶς ὑπόθεσις, καὶ ἐξωλείας ἐστὶν ἀφορμή. Μὴ δὴ μακάριζε τοὺς πλουτοῦντας, τοὺς τῶν ἐχθρῶν περιγινομένους, τοὺς ἐπαινουμένους ἐπὶ τούτοις. Μεγάλα γὰρ ταῦτα βάραθρα καὶ κρημνοὶ τοῖς οὐ προσέχουσι, πρὸς αὐτὸν καταῤῥίπτοντα τῆς ἀσεβείας τὸν πυθμένα. Οὗ