78

so as to oversee our affairs as well. For if there were providence, distributing to each his own, so that the just would be rich, those who know how to use wealth, and the wicked would be poor, who have wealth as an instrument of their own wickedness. Since, therefore, there are many among the Gentiles and the earth-born who think such things, and because of the apparent inequality in the distribution of life's affairs suppose the world to be without providence; with these the Word converses, suppressing their uninstructed impulse; whom it also called in the introductions to the hearing of the teachings. Or perhaps it also addresses itself particularly to the person of the poor man, saying: Fear not, when a man becomes rich. For these especially need comfort so as not to cower before those who are superior. For there is, he says, no benefit for the rich man when he dies, not being able to take his wealth with him; who indeed gained from its enjoyment only so much as for his soul to be called blessed by flatterers in this life. But in dying, he says, he will not take all this adornment; he will barely receive a garment to cover his unseemly parts; and this, if it seems good to the servants who lay him out. It is a desirable thing for him to obtain a little earth; and this given to him out of pity by those who tend the burial, who provide these things for him out of respect for our common and human nature, not doing him a favor, but honoring humanity. Do not be fainthearted, therefore, about present things, but await that blessed and endless life. For you will see then, that poverty, and dishonor, and the deprivation of luxury are for the good of the just man. And do not be troubled now by what are considered good things, as if they are unjustly distributed. For you will hear how it will be said to the rich man: You received your good things in your life; and to the poor man, that he has his evil things in his life. Therefore, it follows that the one is comforted, while the other is in anguish. He will give thanks to you, when you do good to him. Concerning the earthly man who considers the only good things to be the advantages of this life, wealth, and health, and power, concerning him he says, that he will give thanks to God, when he is done good to; but in circumstances of adversity he utters all manner of blasphemy. For leaving the poor man, he now directs his speech to God; in the accusation of wealth taking up also the matter of giving thanks to God only in prosperity, 29.457 but when some more somber things occur, no longer remaining the same. For such also is that which was brought by the devil as an accusation against Job, that Job does not worship the Lord for nothing, but has wealth as a reward for his piety, and the rest. Therefore, also as a proof of the man's virtue, God stripped him of what he had, so that through all things the man's thankfulness to God might be made manifest. You shall go to the generation of his fathers. I think he says concerning the sinner, that he knows God only as much as the custom of his fathers has handed down; but by his own power of thinking he acquires nothing more, nor does he add to himself for the knowledge of the truth. So much then, he says, are you present, O God, and so great is the thought of you in him, as existed in the generation of his fathers. And here he presents the great idleness of the mind and the wholly earthly and carnal nature of the one who wallows in wealth and luxury, and of the one who has his mind choked by cares for the things of this life. For this reason he shall not see light forever. For those who have entrusted their guidance to blind teachers have deprived themselves of the enjoyment of the light. And the saying, "You shall go to the generation of his fathers," has some such meaning. That is, those who have been caught in a wicked life and in paternal doctrines which are, however, alien to piety, you not only punish them, but you also seek out the originators of the evil teachings. And this is what is said: You shall go to the generation of his fathers. For not only the one who has wicked

78

ὥστε καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα ἐφορᾷν. Εἰ γὰρ πρόνοια ἦν, ἑκάστῳ μερί ζουσα τὰ οἰκεῖα, ὥστε πλουτεῖν μὲν τοὺς δικαίους, τοὺς ἐπισταμένους τῷ πλούτῳ χρήσασθαι, πένεσθαι δὲ τοὺς πονηροὺς τοὺς ἔχοντας ὄργανον τῆς οἰ κείας πονηρίας τὸν πλοῦτον. Ἐπεὶ οὖν πολλοί εἰσιν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι καὶ τοῖς γηγενέσιν οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα φρο νοῦντες, καὶ διὰ τὴν φαινομένην ἀνωμαλίαν τοῦ ἐπι μερισμοῦ τῶν βιωτικῶν πραγμάτων ἀπρονόητον εἶ ναι τὸν κόσμον ὑπολαμβάνοντες· τούτοις διαλέγεται ὁ λόγος, καταστέλλων αὐτῶν τὴν ἀπαίδευτον κίνησιν· οὓς καὶ ἐν προοιμίοις ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκρόασιν τῶν διδαγμά των ἐκάλει. Ἤ που καὶ πρὸς μόνον ἰδίως τὸ πρόσ ωπον τοῦ πένητος ἀποτείνεται λέγων· Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅταν πλουτήσῃ ἄνθρωπος. Οὗτοι γὰρ καὶ μάλιστα παρα μυθίας δέονται πρὸς τὸ μὴ ὑποπτήσσειν τοὺς ὑπερ έχοντας. Οὐδὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὄφελος τῷ πλουσίῳ ἀπο θνήσκοντι, μὴ δυναμένῳ λαβεῖν τὸν πλοῦτον σὺν ἑαυτῷ· ὅς γε τοσοῦτον ἀπὸ τῆς ἀπολαύσεως ἐκέρ δαινε μόνον, ὅσον τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ ταύτῃ παρὰ τῶν κολάκων μακαρισθῆναι. Ἐν δὲ τῷ ἀποθνήσκειν, οὐ λήψεται, φησὶ, πᾶσαν ταύτην τὴν περιβολήν· μόλις ἔνδυμα λήψεται καλῦπτον αὐ τοῦ τὰ ἀσχήμονα· καὶ τοῦτο, ἐὰν δόξῃ τῶν οἰκετῶν τοῖς περιστέλλουσιν. Ἀγαπητὸν αὐτῷ γῆς ὀλίγης λαχεῖν· καὶ ταύτης δι' οἶκτον διδομένης αὐτῷ παρὰ τῶν κηδευόντων, οἵτινες αὐτῷ παρέχονται ταῦτα αἰ δοῖ τῆς κοινῆς καὶ ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως, οὐκ αὐτῷ χαριζόμενοι, ἀλλὰ τιμῶντες τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα. Μὴ μικροψύχει οὖν περὶ τὰ παρόντα, ἀλλὰ ἀνάμενε τὴν μακαρίαν ἐκείνην ζωὴν καὶ ἀπέραντον. Ὄψει γὰρ τότε, ὅτι πρὸς καλοῦ γίνεται τῷ δικαίῳ ἡ πενία, καὶ ἡ ἀδοξία, καὶ ἡ στέρησις τῆς τρυφῆς. Καὶ μὴ ταραχθῇς νῦν ἐπὶ τοῖς νομιζομένοις ἀγαθοῖς, ὡς ἀδί κως μεριζομένοις. Ἀκούσῃ γὰρ πῶς τῷ μὲν πλου σίῳ λεχθήσεται· Ἀπέλαβες τὰ ἀγαθά σου ἐν τῇ ζωῇ σου· τῷ δὲ πένητι, ὅτι ἀπέχει τὰ κακὰ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ. ∆ιόπερ ἀκολούθως ὁ μὲν παρακαλεῖται. ὁ δὲ ὀδυνᾶται. Ἐξομολογήσεταί σοι, ὅταν ἀγαθύ νῃς αὐτῷ. Περὶ τοῦ χοϊκοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ ἀγαθὰ νομίζοντος εἶναι μόνα τὰ τοῦ βίου τούτου προτερή ματα, πλοῦτον, καὶ ὑγίειαν, καὶ δυναστείαν, περὶ τούτου φησὶν, ὅτι ἐξομολογήσεται τῷ Θεῷ, ὅταν ἀγα θύνηται· ἐν δὲ τοῖς περιστατικοῖς πᾶσαν ἀφίησι δυσφημίαν. Καταλιπὼν γὰρ τὸν πένητα, πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἤδη ποιεῖται τὸν λόγον· ἐν κατηγορίᾳ τῇ τοῦ πλούτου παραλαμβάνων καὶ τὸ ἐν τῇ εὐθηνίᾳ 29.457 μόνῃ εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, σκυθρωποτέρων δέ τινων περιστάντων, μηκέτι τὸν αὐτὸν διαμένειν. Τοιοῦτον γάρ ἐστι καὶ τὸ τοῦ διαβόλου εἰς κατηγορίαν προσφε ρόμενον τῷ Ἰὼβ, ὅτι οὐ δωρεὰν σέβεται Ἰὼβ τὸν Κύριον, ἀλλὰ μισθὸν ἔχει τῆς εὐσεβείας τὸν πλοῦ τον, καὶ τὰ λοιπά. ∆ιὸ καὶ εἰς ἀπόδειξιν τῆς τοῦ ἀν δρὸς ἀρετῆς ἐγύμνωσεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς ὧν εἶχεν, ἵνα διὰ πάντων διαφανῇ τὸ πρὸς Θεὸν εὐχάριστον τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Εἰσελεύσῃ ἕως γενεᾶς πατέρων αὐτοῦ. Οἶμαι λέγειν περὶ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ὅτι τοσοῦτον ἐπι γινώσκει Θεὸν, ὅσον ἡ τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ συν ήθεια παραδέδωκε· τῇ δὲ οἰκείᾳ τοῦ φρονεῖν δυνάμει οὐδὲν πλέον προσκτᾶται, οὐδὲ προστίθησιν ἑαυτῷ εἰς τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπίγνωσιν. Τοσοῦτον οὖν, φησὶ, παραγίνῃ σὺ, ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τοσαύτη ἐστὶν ἐν αὐτῷ ἡ περὶ σοῦ ἔννοια, ὅση ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ ὑπῆρχε. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ ἀργὸν πολὺ τῆς διανοίας καὶ ὅλον γήϊνον καὶ φιλόσαρκον τοῦ ἐν πλούτῳ καὶ τρυφῇ κυλιομένου παρίστησι, καὶ τοῦ ὑπὲρ τῶν βιω τικῶν μεριμνῶν καταπεπνιγμένον τὸν νοῦν ἔχοντος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἕως αἰῶνος οὐκ ὄψεται φῶς. Οἱ γὰρ τυ φλοῖς διδασκάλοις τὴν ὁδηγίαν ἑαυτῶν ἐπιτρέψαντες ἐστέρησαν ἑαυτοὺς τῆς τοῦ φωτὸς ἀπολαύσεως. Ἔχει δὲ καί τινα τοιοῦτον νοῦν τὸ, Εἰσελεύσῃ ἕως γενεᾶς πατέρων αὐτοῦ. Τουτέστι, τοὺς ἐν πο νηρῷ βίῳ καὶ δόγμασι πατρίοις μὲν, ἀλλοτρίως δὲ ἔχουσι πρὸς τὴν εὐσέβειαν, καταληφθέντας, οὐκ αὐτοὺς ἐκδικεῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἀρχηγοὺς τῶν μοχθηρῶν διδαγμάτων ἐπιζητεῖς. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον· Εἰσελεύσῃ ἕως γενεᾶς πατέρων αὐτοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ὁ πονηρὰς ἔχων