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are disposed, which, trusting in its solitude, becomes an easy prey to all. Such is the one who hopes in riches. Just as the sparrow is caught even by children, and by birdlime, and by a snare, and by countless other means; so too is the rich man, both by his household and by his enemies; and he lives more precariously than the sparrow, having many who hunt him, and before them, wicked desires; and he is a wanderer, always changing with the times, and fearing the anger of executioners, and the wrath of the king, and the plots of flatterers, and the deceits of friends; and when enemies attack, he trembles more than anyone, and when there is peace, he is suspicious of conspirators; for he does not have lasting and inalienable wealth. For this reason he always flies and wanders, seeking the deserts and the mountains, living in the dark of the moon, and having thick darkness in the middle of midday, and weaving deceits. But the righteous man is not like this. For the ways of the righteous shine like light. For they choose neither to plot nor to do wrong, but have a relaxed soul. But these, always weaving deceits, are always in darkness and fear, just like robbers, and burglars, and adulterers; and in the day they see darkness, their soul being struck by terror. How then might this darkness be scattered? If, having withdrawn yourself from all these things, you would hang upon the hope of God, even if you are a sinner ten thousand times 55.144. For look, it says, to the ancient generations, and see, who has hoped in the Lord, and was put to shame? It did not say, A righteous man, but, Who? Even a sinner, it says. For this is the wonderful thing, that even sinners, holding fast to this anchor, are unconquerable by all. For this is especially the disposition towards God, when, burdened by so many evils, you take courage in His love for mankind. For just as he who hopes in man is cursed, so he who hopes in God is blessed. Therefore, having withdrawn yourself from all things, hold fast to this anchor. For God oversees all things, and judges righteous things, and not only judges, but also brings them to effect. For this reason, having spoken of His righteousness, He also showed the punishment, through the fire, through the storm; and He does this, caring for them, and making them more temperate through punishment. For all these reasons, therefore, let us approach Him, and continually remain looking to Him. For thus we shall also attain all good things in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. ON THE 11TH PSALM. To the end, for the eighth. Another, To the victor, for the eighth. But the Hebrew says, Aseminith. Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has ceased, for truths have diminished from the sons of men. Another, For the faithful have perished from the sons of men. 1. Virtue is indeed difficult, and hard to achieve even in itself, but especially when the one practicing it is in a scarcity of good men. For just as a journey brings toil, but much more so when the traveler is alone, and has no one to share the journey; so indeed is it also here. For the fellowship and exhortation of brethren is no small thing. Wherefore Paul also says: Considering one another to provoke unto love and to good works. For this reason indeed it is especially right to bless the ancients, not because they achieved virtue, but because they did so when there was a great drought of virtue, and those achieving it were nowhere to be seen. At least, Scripture also said this, hinting at it: Noah was a just man, perfect in his generation. For this reason we admire Abraham, for this reason Lot, for this reason Moses, because they appeared like stars in a deep night, and

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διάκεινται, ὃ τῇ ἐρημίᾳ θαῤῥοῦν, εὐχείρωτον ἅπασι γίνεται. Τοιοῦτος ὁ ἐπὶ χρήμασιν ἐλπίζων. Καθάπερ ὁ στρουθὸς καὶ ὑπὸ παιδίων ἁλίσκεται, καὶ ἰξοῦ, καὶ παγίδος, καὶ μυρίοις ἑτέροις· οὕτω καὶ ὁ πλουτῶν, καὶ ὑπὸ οἰκείων, καὶ ὑπὸ πολεμίων· καὶ ἐκείνου μᾶλλον ἐπισφαλέστερον ζῇ, πολλοὺς ἔχων τοὺς ἰξεύοντας, καὶ πρὸ ἐκείνων, πονηρὰς ἐπιθυμίας· καὶ μετανάστης ἐστὶν, ἀεὶ μετὰ τῶν καιρῶν ἱστάμενος, καὶ δημίων ὀργὰς δεδοικὼς, καὶ βασιλέως θυμὸν, καὶ κολάκων ἐπιβουλὰς, καὶ φίλων δόλους· καὶ πολεμίων ἐπιστάντων, μᾶλλον πάντων τρέμει, καὶ εἰρήνης οὔσης, ὑφορᾶται τοὺς ἐπιβούλους· οὐ γὰρ ἔχει πλοῦτον μόνιμον καὶ ἀναφαίρετον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀεὶ πέτεται καὶ μετανίσταται, τὰς ἐρήμους διώκων καὶ τὰ ὄρη, ἐν σκοτομήνῃ διάγων, καὶ παχὺ σκότος ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ μέσῃ ἔχων, καὶ δόλους ῥάπτων. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ δίκαιος τοιοῦτος. Αἱ γὰρ τῶν δικαίων ὁδοὶ ὁμοίως φωτὶ λάμπουσιν. Οὔτε γὰρ ἐπιβουλεύειν αἱροῦνται, οὔτε ἀδικεῖν, ἀλλ' ἀνειμένην ψυχὴν ἔχουσιν. Οὗτοι δὲ ἀεὶ δόλους ῥάπτοντες, ἀεὶ ἐν σκότῳ καὶ φόβῳ εἰσὶ, καθάπερ οἱ λῃσταὶ, καὶ οἱ τοιχωρύχοι, καὶ οἱ μοιχοί· καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σκότος ὁρῶσι, τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῶν ὑπὸ δέους βαλλομένης. Πῶς οὖν ἂν διασκεδασθείη τὸ σκότος τοῦτο; Εἰ πάντων τούτων ἑαυτὸν ἀποστήσας, ἐκκρεμασθείης τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ Θεοῦ, κἂν μυριάκις 55.144 ἁμαρτωλὸς ᾖς. Ἐμβλέψατε γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς ἀρχαίας γενεὰς, καὶ ἴδετε, τίς ἤλπισεν ἐπὶ Κύριον, καὶ κατῃσχύνθη; Οὐκ εἶπε, ∆ίκαιος, ἀλλὰ, Τίς; Κἂν ἁμαρτωλὸς, φησί. Τὸ γὰρ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ταύτης ἐχόμενοι τῆς ἀγκύρας, πᾶσίν εἰσιν ἀχείρωτοι. Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστα διαθέσεως τῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ὅταν τοσούτοις κακοῖς βεβαρημένος θαῤῥήσῃς αὐτοῦ τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπικατάρατος ὁ ἐλπίζων ἐπὶ ἄνθρωπον, οὕτω μακάριος ὁ ἐλπίζων ἐπὶ Θεόν. Πάντων τοίνυν ἀποστήσας σαυτὸν, ταύτης ἔχου τῆς ἀγκύρας. Καὶ γὰρ ἐφορᾷ πάντα ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ κρίνει τὰ δίκαια, καὶ οὐ κρίνει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς ἔργον ἐξάγει. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἰπὼν αὐτοῦ περὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ἔδειξε καὶ τὴν τιμωρίαν, διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς, διὰ τῆς καταιγίδος· καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ποιεῖ, κηδόμενος ἐκείνων, καὶ διὰ τῆς κολάσεως σωφρονεστέρους ποιῶν. Πάντων οὖν ἕνεκεν προσίωμεν αὐτῷ, καὶ διηνεκῶς μένωμεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁρῶντες. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ πάντων ἐπιτευξόμεθα τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΙΑʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ. Εἰς τὸ τέλος ὑπὲρ τῆς ὀγδόης. Ἄλλος, Τῷ νι κοποιῷ ὑπὲρ τῆς ὀγδόης Ὁ δὲ Ἑβραῖος, Ἀσε μινὶθ, φησί. Σῶσόν με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐκλέλοιπεν ὅσιος, ὅτι ὠλιγώ θησαν αἱ ἀλήθειαι ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ἄλλος, Ὅτι ἐπεράνθησαν πιστοὶ ἀπὸ υἱῶν ἀν θρώπων. αʹ. ∆ύσκολον μὲν ἀρετὴ, καὶ δυσκατόρθωτον καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸ, μάλιστα δὲ, ὅταν ἐν σπάνει τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν ὁ ἐργαζόμενος ᾖ. Καθάπερ γὰρ φέρει μὲν ὁδοιπορία πόνον, πολλῷ δὲ πλέον ὅταν μόνος ὁ ὁδοιπόρος ᾖ, καὶ μηδένα τὸν κοινωνοῦντα τῆς ὁδοιπορίας ἔχῃ· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ μικρὸν ἀδελφῶν κοινωνία καὶ παράκλησις. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλός φησι· Κατανοοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς εἰς παροξυσμὸν ἀγάπης καὶ καλῶν ἔργων. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο μάλιστα τοὺς παλαιοὺς μακαρίζειν ἄξιον, οὐχ ὅτι κατώρθωσαν ἀρετὴν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ αὐχμοῦ πολλοῦ τῆς ἀρετῆς ὄντος, καὶ τῶν κατορθούντων οὐδαμοῦ φαινομένων. Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ἡ Γραφὴ αἰνιττομένη ἔλεγε· Νῶε δίκαιος, τέλειος ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ αὐτοῦ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τὸν Ἀβραὰμ θαυμάζομεν, διὰ τοῦτο τὸν Λὼτ, διὰ τοῦτο τὸν Μωϋσέα, ὅτι καθάπερ ἐν βαθείᾳ νυκτὶ ἀστέρες ἐφαίνοντο, καὶ