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to be cleansed, and to adorn and brighten it with all the beauty that comes from virtue. Examine yourself, who you are; know your own nature, that your body is mortal, but your soul is immortal, and that our life is twofold: the one proper to the flesh, quickly passing away, but the one akin to the soul, not admitting of limitation. Take heed to yourself, therefore, neither remain in mortal things as if they were eternal, nor despise eternal things as if they were passing away. Look beyond the flesh; for it passes away. Care for the soul, an immortal thing. Know yourself with all exactness, so that you may know how to distribute to each what is fitting; to the flesh, for example, dia 95.1301 food and coverings, but to the soul, the doctrine of piety, a refined way of life, the practice of virtue, the correction of passions; not to over-fatten the body, nor to be zealous about the mass of flesh. For since the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one another, see that you never, by preferring the flesh, grant great power to the worse part. For just as in the balancing of scales, if you weigh down one pan, you will certainly make the opposite one lighter, so also in the case of the body and soul, the excess of the one makes the diminution of the other a necessity. Take heed to yourself, therefore. For each of us who are disciples of the Word is a servant of some one action of those prescribed for us according to the Gospel. For in this great household, the Church, there are not only vessels of every kind, gold and silver, wooden and earthenware, but also all kinds of crafts. For the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, has hunters, wayfarers, master builders, builders, farmers, shepherds, athletes, soldiers; to all these this short saying applies, instilling in each a zeal for the work and for the choice. You are a hunter, sent by the Lord who said: Behold, I send hunters, and they will hunt them upon every mountain. Take diligent heed, lest somewhere the prey escape you, so that, having captured with the word of truth those made wild by wickedness, you may bring them to the one who saves. You are a wayfarer, like the one who prays: Direct my steps. But take heed to yourself, lest you turn aside from the way, lest you swerve to the right or to the left; travel by the royal road. The master builder, let him lay the foundation of faith securely, which is Christ Jesus. The builder, let him see how he builds upon it, not wood, not hay, not stubble, but gold, silver, precious stones. The shepherd, take heed lest any of the things pertaining to shepherding pass you by. And what are these? Bring back the one that has strayed; bind up the one that is broken; heal the one that is sick. The farmer, dig around the barren fig tree, and apply things to help it bear fruit. The soldier, suffer hardship with the Gospel, waging the good warfare against the spirits of wickedness, against the passions of the flesh; take up the whole armor of the spirit. Do not be entangled in the affairs of this life, so that you may please the one who enlisted you. The athlete, take heed to yourself, lest you transgress any of the athletic laws; for no one is crowned unless he competes according to the rules. Imitate Paul, both running, and wrestling, and boxing; and you yourself, as a good boxer, keep the gaze of your soul undistracted. Protect the vital parts with the extension of your hands; let your eye be fixed on the opponent, stretching forward to the races that are before you, so run that you may obtain. In wrestling, contend against the unseen ones. The word wishes you to be such throughout life, 95.1304 not reclining, nor sleeping, but soberly and watchfully presiding over yourself. Take heed to yourself, therefore; that is, turn the eye of your soul to your own investigation. For many, according to the word of the Lord, notice the speck that is in their brother's eye, but do not look at the log that is in their own eye. Cease not, therefore, to examine yourself, nor look around at external things, if you might be able to find fault with someone, like that burdensome Pharisee and

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ἀποκαθαίρεσθαι, παντὶ δὲ τῷ ἐξ ἀρετῆς κάλλει κατακοσμεῖν αὐτὴν καὶ φαιδρύνειν. Ἐξέτασον σεαυτὸν, τίς εἶ· γνῶθι σεαυτοῦ τὴν φύσιν, ὅτι θνητὸν μέν σου τὸ σῶμα, ἀθάνατος δὲ ἡ ψυχὴ, καὶ ὅτι διπλῆ τις ἡμῶν ἡ ζωή· ἡ μὲν οἰκεία τῇ σαρκὶ ταχὺ παρερχομένη, ἡ δὲ συγγενὴς τῇ ψυχῇ, μὴ δεχομένη περιγραφήν. Πρόσεχε οὖν σεαυτῷ, μηδὲ τοῖς θνητοῖς ὡς ἀϊδίοις ἐναπομένῃς, μήτε τῶν ἀϊδίων ὡς παρερχομένων καταφρονήσῃς. Ὑπερόρα σαρκός· παρέρχεται γάρ. Ἐπιμελοῦ ψυχῆς, πράγματος ἀθανάτου. Ἐπίστηθι μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας σεαυτῷ, ἵνα εἰδῇς ἑκατέρῳ διανέμειν τὸ πρόσφορον· σαρκὶ μὲν δια 95.1301 τροφὰς καὶ σκεπάσματα, ψυχῇ δὲ δόγμα εὐσεβείας, ἀγωγὴν ἀστείαν, ἀρετῆς ἄσκησιν, παθῶν ἐπανόρθωσιν· μὴ ὑπερπιαίνειν τὸ σῶμα, μηδὲ περὶ τὸν ὄχλον τῶν σαρκῶν ἐσπουδακέναι. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐπιθυμεῖ ἡ σὰρξ κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα κατὰ τῆς σαρκὸς, ταῦτα δὲ ἀλλήλοις ἀντίκεινται, ὅρα μήποτε προθέμενος τῇ σαρκὶ, πολλὴν παράσχῃς τὴν δυναστείαν τῷ χείρονι. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς ῥοπαῖς τῶν ζυγῶν, ἐὰν μίαν καταβαρύνῃς πλάστιγγα, κουφοτέραν πάντως τὴν ἀντικειμένην ποιήσεις, οὕτως καὶ ἐπὶ σώματος καὶ ψυχῆς, ὁ τοῦ ἑτέρου πλεονασμὸς ἀναγκαίαν ποιεῖται τὴν ἐλάττωσιν τοῦ ἑτέρου. Πρόσεχε οὖν σεαυτῷ. Ἕκαστος γὰρ ἡμῶν τῶν μαθητευομένων τῷ λόγῳ μιᾶς τινός ἐστι πράξεως ὑπηρέτης τῶν κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον διατεταγμένων ἡμῖν. Ἐν γὰρ τῇ μεγάλῃ οἰκείᾳ τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ ταύτῃ, οὐ μόνον ἐστὶ σκεύη παντοδαπὰ χρυσᾶ, καὶ ἀργυρᾶ, καὶ ξύλινα, καὶ ὀστράκινα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τέχναι παντοῖαι. Ἔχει γὰρ ὁ οἶκος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἥτις ἐστὶν Ἐκκλησία Θεοῦ ζῶντος, θηρευτὰς, ὁδοιπόρους, ἀρχιτέκτονας, οἰκοδόμους, γεωργοὺς, ποιμένας, ἀθλητὰς, στρατιώτας· πᾶσι τούτοις ἐφαρμόζει τὸ βραχὺ τοῦτο ῥῆμα, ἑκάστῳ τοῦ ἔργου σπουδὴν καὶ τῆς προαιρέσεως ἐμποιοῦν. Θηρευτὴς εἶ, ἀπεσταλμένος παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω θηρευτὰς, καὶ θηρεύσουσιν αὐτοὺς ἐπάνω παντὸς ὄρους. Πρόσεχε ἐπιμελῶς, μή πού σοι διαφύγῃ τὸ θήραμα, ἵνα συλλαβόμενος τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας τοὺς ὑπὸ τῆς κακίας ἀγριωθέντας προσ[αγ]άγῃς τῷ σώζοντι. Ὁδοιπόρος εἶ, ὅμοιος τῷ εὐχομένῳ· Τὰ διαβήματά μου κατεύθυνον. Πρόσεχε δὲ σεαυτῷ, μὴ παρατραπῇς τῆς ὁδοῦ, μὴ ἐκκλίνῃς δεξιᾷ ἢ ἀριστερᾷ· ὁδῷ βασιλικῇ πορεύου. Ὁ ἀρχιτέκτων, ἀσφαλῶς τὸν θεμέλιον καταβαλλέσθω τῆς πίστεως, ὅς ἐστι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς. Ὁ οἰκοδόμος, βλεπέτω πῶς ἐποικοδομεῖ, μὴ ξύλα, μὴ χόρτον, μὴ καλάμην, ἀλλὰ χρυσίον, ἀργύριον, λίθους τιμίους. Ὁ ποιμὴν, πρόσεχε μή τίς σε παρέλθῃ τῶν ἐπιβαλλόντων τῇ ποιμαντικῇ. Ταῦτα δέ ἐστι ποῖα; τὸ πεπλανημένον ἐπίστρεφε· τὸ συντετριμμένον ἐπίδησον· τὸ νοσοῦν ἴασαι. Ὁ γεωργὸς, περίσκαπτε τὴν ἄκαρπον συκῆν, καὶ ἐπίβαλλε τὰ πρὸς βοήθειαν τῆς καρπογονίας. Ὁ στρατιώτης, συγκακοπάθησον τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ, στρατεύων τὴν καλὴν στρατείαν κατὰ τῶν πνευμάτων τῆς πονηρίας, κατὰ τῶν παθῶν τῆς σαρκός· ἀνάλαβε πᾶσαν τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ πνεύματος. Μὴ ἐμπλέκου ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματείαις, ἵνα τῷ στρατολογήσαντι ἀρέσῃς. Ὁ ἀθλητὴς, πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ, μήπως τινὰ παραβῇς τῶν ἀθλητικῶν νόμων· οὐδεὶς γὰρ στεφανοῦται, ἐὰν μὴ νομίμως ἀθλήσῃ. Μιμοῦ τὸν Παῦλον, καὶ τρέχοντα, καὶ παλαίοντα, καὶ πυκτεύοντα· καὶ αὐτὸς ὡς ἀγαθὸς πύκτης ἀμετεώριστον ἔχε τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς βλέμμα. Σκέπε τὰ καίρια τῇ προβολῇ τῶν χειρῶν· ἀτενὲς τὸ ὄμμα πρὸς τὸν ἀντίπαλον ἔστω, δρόμοις τοῖς ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτείνων, οὕτω τρέχε, ἵνα καταλάβῃς. Ἐν τῇ πάλῃ τοῖς ἀοράτοις ἀνταγωνίζου. Τοιοῦτόν σε διὰ βίου ὁ λόγος βούλε 95.1304 ται, μὴ ἀναπεπτωκότα, μηδὲ καθεύδοντα, ἀλλὰ νηφόντως καὶ ἐγρηγορότως σεαυτοῦ προεστῶτα. Πρόσεχε οὖν σεαυτῷ· τουτέστιν ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ἔρευναν στρέφε σου τὸ ὄμμα τῆς ψυχῆς. Πολλοὶ γὰρ κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ Κυρίου, τὸ μὲν κάρφος τὸ ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ κατανοοῦσι, τὴν δὲ ἐν τῷ οἰκείῳ ὀφθαλμῷ δοκὸν οὐκ ἐμβλέπουσιν. Μὴ παύσῃ τοίνυν διερευνώμενος σεαυτὸν, μηδὲ τὰ ἔξω περισκόπει, εἴπου τινὸς μῶμον ἐξευρεῖν δυνηθῇς κατὰ τὸν Φαρισαῖον τὸν βαρὺν ἐκεῖνον καὶ