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that this is easy for them, since they have understanding, he leads them to the pursuit of wisdom, saying: "in much time is wisdom, and in a long life is knowledge." From this must be refuted those who are unwilling to labor, but think that some sort of accidental acquisition of knowledge is sufficient for them. For the knowledge of perfect things does not come as soon as one begins. And in addition to this, those are also refuted who think that learning is by nature; for nothing that belongs to the essence of man by nature and of necessity is achieved over time. At any rate, no mortal, in as much as he is a living being, is added to over time; but being 319 wise comes with time; "for when I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways." To this someone will oppose the saying, "It is not the long-lived who are wise, nor the aged who understand judgment," thinking this is contrary to what was said by Job. But it is possible to see that both were said consistently; for the blessed Job says that he who begins wisdom and is eager to acquire it will not acquire it by chance, but will acquire it over a long time. But Elihu would also speak not implausibly; for if someone has not desired wisdom, but has advanced in age, he would not yet be wise; for an old man is not wise by necessity. You will pay attention to what is said by the psalmist, if it contributes to the idea that wisdom is acquired over a long time, in saying: "Make me to know, O Lord, my end and what is the number of my days, that I may know what I 320 lack." For virtue is shown to be something acquired and not by nature, but also achieved over time in the phrase, "that I may know what I lack". But what wisdom is, is said in what follows thus: "Behold, godliness is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is knowledge." And first one must achieve abstinence from evil, so that in this way godliness, which is wisdom, may be added. For it is said: "If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord will grant her to you;" for wisdom is added when the soul has been purified. With him are wisdom and power, with him are counsel and understand#6ing. Having said "in much time is wisdom," lest they think he speaks of human wisdom or seek it among created things, he teaches how it is found, saying: "With him are wisdom and power." For it is not external to him, but is in him, being consubstantial with him; for he is its source, and the source does not receive from elsewhere. And the power with him is Christ; "for Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God." And with him 321 are also counsel and understanding, so that these are not sought by human endeavors, but from him. And all these things are the Son; for the phrase "he prepared the #6heavens in prudence" is said concerning the Son. If he pulls down, who will build up? If he shuts a man in, who can open? If he withholds the water, he will dry up the earth; and if he lets it go, he destroys #6it, overturning it. The argument concerning providence, as was also said before, he gently teaches to those who speak against him. For even if they posited providence, they nevertheless fell into contradictions. Therefore he says that "who has resisted his will?" For one can find one person impoverished, another in distress, another afflicted with illness, and in general different people caught in various circumstances and not being able to push away what has been decreed. For they happen by the will of God. Not only concerning building, but also concerning the things said before, there is no one who will be able to say according to the Apostle: "Why did you make me like this?" But also those who dare 322 anything without the counsel of God, since they did not 322 call upon him, are overthrown according to the saying, "they will build and I will tear down, says the Lord." And concerning those who have a bad foundation it is said: "You will tear them down and you shall not build them up." Thus also if he should shut a man in, no one will open; for if God does not grant success for some action, which someone has chosen, for reasons which he knows, who can open

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ὅτι εὐχερὲς αὐτοῖς τοῦτο ἅτε νοῦν̣ ἔχουσιν, ἐνάγει αὐτοὺς ε̣ἰς ἐπιμέλειαν τῆς σοφίας λέγων· "ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ σοφία, ἐν δὲ πολλῷ βίῳ ἐπιστήμη." ἐλεγκτέον ἐκ τούτου τοὺς μὴ βουλομένους πονεῖν, ἀλλ' οἰομένους αὐτοῖς ἀρκεῖν τὴν ὅπως ποτὲ γιγνομένην ἐπιβολὴν ἐπιστήμης τινός. οὐ γὰρ ἅμα τῷ ἄρξασθαί τινα ἡ γνῶσις τῶν τελείων παραγίνεται. πρὸς δὲ τούτωι ἐλέγχονται καὶ οἱ φύσει νομίζοντες εἶναι τὰς μαθήσεις· οὐδὲν γὰρ τῶν κατὰ φύσιν καὶ ἀναγκαίως τῇ οὐσίᾳ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου προσόντων χρόνῳ κατορθοῦται. οὐδεὶς γοῦν θνητὸς ᾗ ζῷον χρόνῳ προστίθεται· τὸ δὲ σοφὸς εἶ319 ναι χρόνῳ προσγίνεται· "ὅτε γὰρ ἤμην νήπιος, ἐλάλουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐφρόνουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐλογιζόμην ὡς νήπιος· ὅτε γέγονα ἀνήρ, κατήργηκα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου." πρὸς ταῦτα ἀντιθήσει τις τὸ "οὐχ οἱ πολυχρόνιοί εἰσιν σοφοί, οὐδὲ οἱ γέροντες οἴδασιν κρίμα," ἐναντίον τοῦτο τῷ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰὼβ εἰρημένῳ οἰόμενοις. δυνατὸν δὲ ἀμφότερα ἀκολούθως εἰρημένα συνιδεῖν· ὁ μὲν γὰρ μακάριος Ἰώβ φησιν, ὅτι ὁ ἀρχόμενος σοφίας καὶ σπεύδων αὐτὴν ἀναλαβεῖν οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν αὐ τήν, ἀλλ' ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ ἀναλήμψεται. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Ἐλιοὺς οὐκ ἀπιθάνως ἂν λέγοι· οὐδὲ γάρ, εἰ μὴ ἐπεθύμησέν τις σοφίας, τῇ δὲ ἡλικίᾳ προβέβηκεν, ἤδη σοφὸς ἂν εἴη· οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ὁ γέρων σοφός. ἐπιστήσεις τῷ ὑπὸ τοῦ ὑμνῳδοῦ λεγομένῳ, εἰ συμβάλλεται τῷ ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ τὴν σοφίαν ἀναλαμβάνεσθαι ἐν τῷ λέγειν· "γνώρισόν μοι, κύριε, τὸ πέρας μου καὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν ἡμερῶν μου, τίς ἐστιν, ἵνα γνῶ, τί ὑστερῶ 320 ἐγώ." ἀναλημπτὴ γὰρ δείκνυται καὶ οὐ φύσει ἡ ἀρετή, ἀλλὰ καὶ χρόνῳ κατορθουμένη ἐν τῷ "ἵνα γνῶ, τί ὑστερῶ ἐγώ". τί δέ ἐστιν σοφία, ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς εἴρηται οὕτως· "ἰδοὺ ἡ θεοσέβειά ἐστιν σοφία, καὶ τὸ ἀπέχεσθαι ἀπὸ κακῶν ἐστιν ἐπιστήμη." καὶ πρῶτον δεῖ κατορθῶσαι τὴν ἀποχὴν τῶν κακῶν, ἵνα οὕτω ἡ θεοσέβεια προσγένηται σοφία οὖσα. εἴρηται γάρ· "ἐπιθυμήσας σοφίαν διατήρησον ἐντολὰς καὶ κύριος χορηγήσει σοι αὐτήν·" ἡ γὰρ σοφία καθαρθείσης τῆς ψυχῆς προσγίνεται. παρ' αὐτῷ σοφία καὶ δύναμις, αὐτῷ βουλὴ καὶ σύνε#6σις. εἰπὼν "ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ σοφία" πρὸς τὸ μὴ νομίσαι αὐτοὺς λέγειν αὐτὸν περὶ ἀνθρωπίνης σοφίας λέγειν μηδὲ ζητεῖν αὐτὴν ἐν τοῖς γενητοῖς διδάσκει, πῶς εὑρίσκεται, λέγων· "παρ' αὐτῷ σοφία καὶ δύναμις." οὐ γὰρ ἔξωθεν αὐτοῦ ἐστιν̣, ἀλλ' ἐν αὐτῷ ἐστιν ὁμοούσιος αὐτῷ τυγχάνουσα· πηγὴ γὰρ αὐτῆς ὑπάρχει, ἡ πηγὴ δὲ οὐκ ἄλλοθεν δέχεται. καὶ ἡ δύναμις δὲ παρ' αὐτῷ ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός· "Χριστὸς γὰρ θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ σοφία." αὐτῶι δὲ 321 καὶ βουλὴ καὶ σύνεσις πρόσεστιν, ὥστε μὴ ἀνθρωπίναις ἐπιβολαῖς ταῦτα ζητεῖται, ἀλλὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ. ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ὁ υἱός ἐστιν· τὸ γὰρ "ἡτοίμασεν #6οὐρανοὺς ἐν φρονήσει" περὶ υἱοῦ λέγεται. ἐὰν καταβάλῃ, τίς οἰκοδομήσει; ἐὰν κλείσῃ κατὰ ἀνθρώπων, τίς ἀνοίξει; ἐὰν κωλύσῃ τὸ ὕδωρ, ξηρανεῖ τὴν γῆν· ἐὰν δὲ ἐπαφῇ, ἀπώλεσεν #6αὐτὴν καταστρέψας. τὸν περὶ προνοίας λόγον, ὡς καὶ πρότερον ἐλέχθη, ἠρέμα διδάσκει τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας αὐτῷ. εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐτίθεντο πρόνοιαν, ἀλλά γε ἐναντιώμασιν περιέπιπτον. λέγει οὖν ὅτι "τῷ βουλήματι αὐτοῦ τίς ἀνθέστηκεν;" ἔστι γοῦν εὑρεῖν τὸν μὲν πενόμενον, τὸν δὲ ἐν περιστάσει, τὸν δὲ νόσῳ πεπιεσμένον καὶ ὅλως ἐν διαφόροις συνπτώμασιν ἄλλον καὶ ἄλλον κατειλημμένους καὶ μὴ σθένοντας ἀπώσασθαι τὸ κεκριμένον. θεοῦ γὰρ βουλήσει συμβαίνουσιν. οὐ μόνον περὶ οἰκοδομῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν προειρημένων οὐδείς ἐστιν, ὃς δυνήσεται εἰπεῖν κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον· "τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως;" ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ χωρὶς βουλῆς θεοῦ τολμῶν322 τές τι, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐπεκαλέσαν322 το αὐτόν, καταστρέφονται κατὰ τὸ "αὐτοὶ οἰκοδομήσουσι καὶ ἐγὼ καταστρέψω, λέγει κύριος." καὶ περὶ τῶν κακὴν οἰκοδομὴν ἐχόντων λέγεται· "καθελεῖς αὐτοὺς καὶ οὐ μὴ οἰκοδομήσεις αὐτούς." οὕτω καὶ ἐὰν ἐνκλείσῃ κατὰ ἀνθρώπων, οὐδεὶς ἀνοίξει· θεοῦ γὰρ μὴ εὐοδοῦντος ἐπὶ πρᾶξίν τινα, ἣν προῄρηταί τις, δι' οὓς οἶδεν λόγους, τίς ἀνοῖξαι