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being constrained because his friends thought the opposite; "I know that I shall appear righteous," becoming a type, he said this, reporting from his own circumstances about those who use and work virtue, saying: «I know that if I should use courage to the end, "I shall appear righteous."» For he did not say: «I am righteous», but he deferred the expectation to a future time, declaring#6 the peculiar quality of virtues. For he was prepared for an appointed time to fall under others and for his houses to be plundered by lawless#6 men. It shows that he was handed over to those who had asked to test him. Some, not using this saying well, reckoned that there is a fate, referring the "appointed time" to it. But this is false; for not every appointed time signifies fate. What he presents, therefore, is this, that even if he became a mockery, yet this 312 did not happen indefinitely, but at a time when God permitted this to happen, just as also those "given into the hands of those who afflict." And he said "appointed time," during which it is possible for a person to use such virtue, according to which he is also said to be able to make war. And by "houses being plundered" he means the virtues; for the adversaries are eager to shake and disturb these through hardships; and that houses are taken to mean virtues, it has been said: "Since the midwives feared God, they made houses for themselves." Were they then homeless before they feared God? But it is clear that it means the virtues, according to the one who hears the words of Jesus and builds his own house, which is his life, not on a perceptible rock, but on Christ who said to Peter: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church," Peter obviously having a house on such a rock. And the Savior builds the church, being himself both rock and builder; for God works with the diligent one. Thus also the psalmist says: "On a rock you have exalted me." And it is no great gift of God to be exalted 313 on a perceptible rock, but it is clear that it means on the secure Word, as again the psalmist says: "You have set my feet upon a rock." And it should be noted that a righteous man or ἀλλοτιν·····π··· but lawless men. And "to be plundered" indicates the courage of the righteous man who is being plotted against; it has also been said in the Psalms: "Many a time have they fought against me from my youth, but they have not been able to prevail against me," as also Paul: "Who shall separate us from the love of God?" and what follows. And one must understand "houses" in the plural as the multitude of virtue; temperance is a house, courage is a house, meekness and others, as it has been said: "The fear of the Lord is a fortress for the holy one;" thus also righteousness. There are opposites to these houses, which the Lord pulls down: "For the Lord pulls down the houses of the insolent, but he establishes the border of the widow." For he pulls down the ways of life of the proud, as it has been said: "Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be brought down to hell." And "he who exalts himself will be humbled." "But he establishes the border of the widow," that is: the house, the life of those who according to God are widowed from evils. The saying "the houses of the lawless will owe purification, but the houses of the righteous are acceptable" also indicates the lives of each. But nevertheless let no one who is wicked be confident that he will be guiltless. As many as provoke the Lord, will there not also be an examination of them? It teaches that even if someone mocks the 314 righteous man and oppresses him, he will not be guiltless, even if he seems to overcome him. For such a one provokes God. For there will be an examination of things done, by which he alludes to judgment, just as Paul also says: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body." And it suggests the thought that «even if those who asked for me act wickedly against me, having received authority, neither are these guiltless, having become an instrument and "vessels of wrath," even if they do this to one who is sinning.» For they rejoice in such a service. At least it is said to someone: "I gave them into your hands, but you showed them no mercy" and

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ἐκβιαζόμενος διὰ τὸ τοὺς φίλους ἐναντίον δοξάσ̣αι· "οἶδα ὅτι δίκαιος ἀναφανοῦμαι", χαρακτὴρ γινόμενος τοῦτο εἰ῀̣πεν ἐκ τῶν καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἀπαγγείλ̣ας τοὺς ἀρετῇ χρωμένους καὶ ἐργαζομένους λέγων· «οἶδα ὅτι εἰ χρησαίμην τῇ ἀνδρείᾳ ἕως τ̣ε´̣λους, "δίκαιος ἀναφανοῦμαι".» οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν· «δίκαιός εἰμι», ἀλλ' εἰς μέλλοντα χρόνον ἀνέκλινεν τὴν προσδοκίαν, τὸ ἴδιον τῶν ἀρετῶν ἀπαγ#6γέλλων. εἰς χρόνον γὰρ τακτὸν ἡτοίμαστο πεσεῖν ὑπὸ ἄλλους οἴκους τε αὐτοῦ ἐκπορθεῖσθαι ὑπὸ ἀνό#6μων. δηλοῖ ὅτι παρεδόθη τοῖς ἐξαιτησαμένοις πειράσαι αὐτόν. τινὲς καὶ ἐκ ταύτης τῆς λέξεως οὐ καλῶς αὐτῇ χρησάμενοι εἱμαρμένην ἐλογίσαντο εἶναι, τὸ "τακτὸν χρόνον" εἰς αὐτὴν ἀναφέροντες. ψεῦδος δὲ τοῦτο· οὐ γὰρ πᾶς χρόνος τεταγμένος τὴν εἱμαρμένην σημαίνει. ὃ παρίστησιν οὖν, τοῦτ' ἔστιν, ὅτι εἰ καὶ εἰς χλεύασμα ἐγενήθη, ἀλλά γε οὐκ εἰς ἄπειρον τοῦτο 312 ἐγίνετο, ἀλλὰ καιρῷ τοῦ θεοῦ συνχωρήσαντος τοῦτο γενέσθαι, καθὰ καὶ οι῾̣ "δοθέντες εἰς χεῖρας τῶν θλιβόντων". "χρόνον" δὲ "τακτὸν" εἰ῀̣πεν, ὃν ἔστιν̣ τῇ ἀρετῇ τῇ τοιαύτῃ χρῆσθαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, καθ' ἣν καὶ λέγεται ἱκανὸς εἶναι πολεμεῖν. "οἴκους" δὲ λέγει "πορθουμένους" τὰς ἀρετάς· τούτους γὰρ σπουδ̣άζουσιν̣ οἱ ἀντικείμενοι διὰ τῶν ἐπιπόνων σεῖσαι καὶ κλο̣νῆσαι· ὅτι δὲ οἶκοι ἀντὶ ἀρετῶν παραλαμβάνονται, εἴρηται· "ἐπεὶ ἐφοβοῦντο αἱ μαῖαι τὸν θεόν, ἐποίησαν ἑαυταῖς οἰκίας." ἆρά γε ἄοικοι ἦσαν πρὶν φοβηθῶσι τὸν θεόν; ἀλλὰ δῆλον ὡς τὰς ἀρετάς, κατὰ τὸν ἀκούοντα τοὺς λόγους Ἰησοῦ καὶ οἰκοδομοῦντα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ οἰκίαν, ὅ ἐστιν τὸν βίον, οὐκ ἐπὶ πέτραν αἰσθητήν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸν Χριστὸν τὸν εἰπόντα Πέτρῳ· "σὺ εἶ Πέτρος καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν ἐκκλησίαν", τοῦ Πέτρου δηλονότι ἔχοντος οἰκίαν ἐν τῇ τοιαύτῃ πέτρᾳ. οἰκοδομεῖ δὲ ὁ σωτὴρ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, αὐτὸς καὶ πέτρα καὶ οἰκοδόμος ὤν· συνεργεῖ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τῷ σπουδαίῳ. οὕτω καὶ ὁ ψαλμῳδός φησιν· "ἐν πέτρᾳ ὕψωσάς με." οὐ μέγα δὲ δῶρον θεοῦ ἐν αἰσθητῇ πέτρᾳ 313 ὑψωθῆναι, ἀλλὰ δῆλον ὡς τῶι λόγωι τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ, καθὸ πάλιν ὁ ψαλμῳδός φησιν· "ἔστησας ἐπὶ πέτραν τοὺς πόδας μου." σημειωτέον δὲ ὅτι δίκαιος ἢ ἀλλοτιν·····π··· ἀλλ' ἄνομοι. τὸ δὲ "ἐκπορθεῖσθαι" ἐμφαίνει τὸ ἀνδρεῖον τοῦ δικαίου καταμηχανηθέντος· εἴρηται κ̣αὶ ἐν ψαλμοῖς· "πλεονάκις ἐπολέμησάν με ἐκ νεότητός μου καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἠδυνήθη σάν μοι", ὡς καὶ Παῦλο̣ς· "τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ θεοῦ;" καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. οἴκους δὲ πληθυντικῶς δεῖ νοεῖν τὸ πλῆθος τῆς ἀρετῆς· σωφροσύνη οἶκος, ἀνδρεία οἶκος, πραότης καὶ ἄλλαι, καθὸ εἴρηται· "ὀχύρωμα ὁσίου φόβος κυρίου·" οὕτω καὶ δικαιοσύνη. τούτων τῶν οἴκων εἰσὶν ἐναντίοι, οὓς κατασπᾷ κύριος· "οἴκους γὰρ ὑβριστῶν καστασπᾷ κύριος· ἐστήριξεν δὲ ὅριον χήρας." τὰς γὰρ τῶν ὑπερηφάνων πολιτείας κατασπᾷ ω῾̣ς εἴρηται· "Καφαρναούμ, ἢ ἕως οὐρανοῦ ἀναβήσῃ, ἕως ᾅδου καταβιβασθήσῃ." καὶ "ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται." "στηρίζει δὲ χήρας τὸ ὅριον", ὅ ἐστιν· τὸν οἶκον, τὸν βίον τῶν κατὰ θεὸν χηρευόντων ἀπὸ κακῶν. δηλοῖ καὶ τὸ "οἰκίαι παρανόμων ὀφειλήσουσιν καθαρισμόν, οἰκίαι δὲ δικαίων δεκταὶ" τοὺς ἑκάστου βίους. οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ μηθεὶς πεποιθέτω πονηρὸς ὢν ἀθῷος ἔσεσθαι. ὅσοι παροργίζουσι τὸν κύριον, οὐχὶ καὶ ἔτασις αὐτῶν ἔσται; διδάσκει ὅτι κἂν χλευάζῃ τις τὸν 314 δίκαιον καὶ καταδυναστεύῃ, οὐκ ἔσται ἀθῷος, κἂν ἐκνικήσῃ αὐτὸν τῷ δοκεῖν. παροργίζει γὰρ τὸν θεὸν ὁ τοιοῦτος. ἔσται γὰρ ἐξέτασις τῶν πραττομένων, δι' οὗ αἰνίττεται κρίσιν, καθὰ καὶ Παῦλός φησιν· "δεῖ γὰρ ἡμᾶς πάντας παραστῆναι τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος πρὸς ἃ διὰ τοῦ σώματος ἔπραξεν." νοεῖν δὲ ὑποβάλλει ὅτι «εἰ καὶ οἱ ἐξαιτησάμενοι πονηρεύονται εἰς ἐμὲ λαβόντες ἐξουσίαν, οὐδ' οὗτοι ἀθῷοί εἰσιν ὄργανον καὶ "σκεύη ὀργῆς" γεγ̣ενημένοι, κἂν ἐπὶ ἁμαρτάνοντα τοῦτο ποιῶσιν.» χαίρουσιν γὰρ τῇ τοιαύτῃ ὑπηρεσίᾳ. πρός τινα γοῦν λέγεται· "ἐγὼ ἔδωκα αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου, σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς ἔλεος" καὶ