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its presence is slippery, being of a nature to pass from some to others. Today the field is this man's, and tomorrow another's, and after a little while, another's. Look at the houses in the city, how many names they have already taken on since they were built, being called at different times by the name of a different owner. And gold, always flowing through the hands of the one who holds it, passes on to another, and from that one to another. You are more able to scoop up water in your hand and hold it, than to keep wealth for yourself permanently. Well, therefore, has it been said, *If riches flow, do not set your heart on them.* Do not be attached to it in your soul; but accept what is useful from it, not excessively loving and admiring it as one of the good things, but choosing its service as that of a tool. Then he adds a declaration to all that has been said, no longer of his own words, but one which he heard from God himself. For, he says, *God has spoken once; these two things I have heard.* And let no one be disturbed as if what was said is paradoxical, how God spoke once, but the Prophet heard two things. For it is possible for someone to speak once, and in that once for many things to be spoken. For a certain man, meeting with someone once, conversed about many things; and the one who heard his words can say that, "He spoke to me once, but he spoke about many things." This is what is said now: The appearance of God happened to me once, but there are two things that He spoke. He did not say: God spoke one thing, but these two I heard; for thus the saying would seem to have a certain contradiction in itself. What then were the two things he heard? That, *Power belongs to God, and to you, O Lord, mercy.* That God, he says, is powerful in judgment, and He Himself is merciful. Therefore, neither hope in injustice, nor set your heart on wealth, nor choose vanity, nor carry about a corrupted judgment of the soul. Knowing that our Master is mighty, fear his strength, and do not despair of his love for mankind. Therefore, for not committing injustice, fear is good; but for the one who has once slipped into sin not to give himself up through despair, the hope of mercy is good. For the power of God, and from him mercy. *For you will repay everyone according to his works.* For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. Did you afflict your brother? Expect the same. Did you seize the things of the less fortunate, did you strike down the poor, did you shame them with insults, did you slander, did you bear false witness, did you plot against the marriages of others, did you perjure yourself, did you move the boundaries of your fathers, did you encroach upon the property of orphans, did you oppress widows, did you prefer the present pleasure to the good things in the promises? expect the recompense for these things. For whatever each one sows, that he will also reap. And indeed if you have done any good things, expect for those too a manifold reward. For you will repay everyone according to his works. Remembering this declaration throughout all your life, you will be able to escape many sins, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom is the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

ON THE 114TH PSALM.

Having long ago occupied this sacred shrine of the Martyrs, from the middle

of the night propitiating the God of the martyrs through hymns, you have persevered until this midday, awaiting our arrival. For you, therefore, who prefer honor to the martyrs and the worship of God to both sleep and rest, the reward is ready. But if we must also make a defense for ourselves, on account of the delay and of our absence from you for so long, we will state the reason, that while administering another church of God of equal honor to this one, separated from you by no small distance, we have spent this time of the day. Since, therefore, the Lord granted to them also to complete the liturgy, and not to miss the

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ὀλισθηρὰν τὴν παρου σίαν, ἄλλους ἐξ ἄλλων παραμείβεσθαι πεφυκυῖα. Σήμερον τοῦδε ὁ ἀγρὸς, καὶ αὔριον ἑτέρου, καὶ μετ' ὀλίγον ἄλλου. Ἀπόβλεψον πρὸς τὰς ἐν τῇ πόλει οἰκίας, πόσα ἤδη, ἀφ' οὗ γεγόνα σιν, ὀνόματα μετειλήφασιν, ἄλλοτε ἀπ' ἄλλου τῶν κεκτημένων ὀνομαζόμεναι. Καὶ χρυσὸς ἀεὶ τὰς τοῦ ἔχοντος χεῖρας διαῤῥέων, ἐφ' ἕτερον μεταβαίνει, καὶ ἀπ' ἐκείνου πρὸς ἄλλον. Μᾶλλον δύνασαι ὕδωρ τῇ χειρὶ περιλαβὼν κατασχεῖν, ἢ πλοῦτον σεαυτῷ διαρ κῶς συντηρῆσαι. Καλῶς οὖν εἴρηται τὸ, Πλοῦτος ἐὰν ῥέῃ, μὴ προστίθεσθε καρδίᾳ. Μὴ τῇ ψυχῇ σου προσπάθῃς· ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ χρήσιμον καταδέχου, μὴ ὡς ἕν τι τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὑπεραγαπῶν καὶ θαυμά ζων, ἀλλ' ὡς ὀργανικὴν αὐτοῦ τὴν ὑπηρεσίαν αἱρού μενος. Εἶτα ἐπάγει πᾶσι τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἀπόφασιν, οὐκέτι ἰδίων ῥημάτων, ἀλλ' ἣν παρ' αὐτοῦ ἤκουσε τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἅπαξ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐλάλησεν ὁ Θεὸς, δύο ταῦτα ἤκουσα. Καὶ μηδένα ταρασσέτω ὡς πα ράδοξον τὸ εἰρημένον, πῶς ὁ μὲν Θεὸς ἅπαξ ἐλάλη σεν, ὁ δὲ Προφήτης δύο ἤκουσε. ∆υνατὸν γὰρ ἅπαξ μέν τινα λαλῆσαι, ἐν δὲ τῷ ἅπαξ πολλὰ εἶναι τὰ λα ληθέντα. Ἄνθρωπος γάρ τις, συντυχών τινι ἅπαξ, περὶ πολλῶν διελέχθη· καὶ δύναται ὁ ἀκούσας αὐτοῦ τῶν ῥημάτων εἰπεῖν ὅτι, Ἅπαξ μέν μοι ἐφθέγξατο, περὶ πολλῶν δὲ ἐλάλησε. Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ εἰρημένον νῦν· Ἡ μὲν Θεοῦ ἐπιφάνεια ἅπαξ μοι γέγονε, δύο δὲ πράγματά ἐστιν ἃ ἐλάλησεν. Οὐκ εἶπεν· Ἓν ἐλάλη σεν ὁ Θεὸς, δύο δὲ ταῦτα ἤκουσα· οὕτω γὰρ ἂν ἔδοξέ τινα ἔχειν ὁ λόγος πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐναντίωσιν. Τίνα οὖν ἦν τὰ δύο ἃ ἤκουσεν; Ὅτι, Τὸ κράτος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ σοῦ, Κύριε, τὸ ἔλεος. Ὅτι δυνατὸς, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῇ κρίσει, καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς ἐλεήμων. Μήτε οὖν ἐλπίζετε ἐπ' ἀδικίαν, μήτε πλούτῳ προστίθεσθε, μή τε αἱρεῖσθε ματαιότητα, μήτε τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς κριτή ριον διεφθαρμένον περιφέρετε. Εἰδότες, ὅτι κρα ταιὸς ἡμῶν ὁ ∆εσπότης, φοβήθητε αὐτοῦ τὸ ἰσχυρὸν, καὶ μὴ ἀπογνῶτε αὐτοῦ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας. Πρὸς μὲν οὖν τὸ μὴ ἀδικεῖν, ἀγαθὸς ὁ φόβος· πρὸς δὲ τὸν ἅπαξ εἰς ἁμαρτίαν ὀλισθήσαντα μὴ ἑαυτὸν προέσθαι διὰ τῆς ἀνελπιστίας, ἀγαθὴ ἡ ἐλπὶς τοῦ ἐλέους. Τὸ γὰρ κράτος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ τὸ ἔλεος. Ὅτι σὺ ἀποδώσεις ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ. Ὧ γὰρ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε, ἀντιμετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν. Ἔθλιψας τὸν ἀδελφόν; ἐκδέχου τὸ ἴσον. Ἥρπασας τὰ τῶν ὑποδεεστέρων, κατεκονδύλισας πένητας, κατῄσχυνας ἐν λοιδορίαις, ἐσυκοφάντησας, κατεψεύ σω, ἀλλοτρίοις ἐπεβούλευσας γάμοις, ἐπιώρκησας, ὅρια πατέρων μετέθηκας, κτήμασιν ὀρφανῶν ἐπῆλθες, χήρας ἐξέθλιψας, τὴν παροῦσαν ἡδονὴν τῶν ἐν ἐπαγγελίαις ἀγαθῶν προετίμησας; ἐκδέχου τού 29.484 των τὴν ἀντιμέτρησιν. Οἷα γὰρ σπείρει ἕκαστος, τοι αῦτα καὶ θερίσει. Καὶ μέντοι καὶ εἴ τι τῶν ἀγα θῶν πέπρακταί σοι, κἀκείνων ἐκδέχου πολλαπλασίους τὰς ἀντιδόσεις. Ὅτι σὺ ἀποδώσεις ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ. Ταύτης μεμνημένος παρὰ πάντα σου τὸν βίον τῆς ἀποφάσεως, δυνήσῃ τὰ πολλὰ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων διαφυγεῖν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΡΙ∆ʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ.

Πάλαι προκαταλαβόντες τὸν ἱερὸν τοῦτον τῶν Μαρτύρων σηκὸν, ἐκ μέσης

νυκτὸς τὸν Θεὸν τῶν μαρ τύρων διὰ τῶν ὕμνων ἐξιλεούμενοι, διεκαρτερήσατε μέχρι τῆς μεσημβρίας ταύτης, τὴν ἡμετέραν ἄφιξιν ἀναμένοντες. Ὑμῖν μὲν οὖν καὶ ὕπνου καὶ ἀναπαύ σεως τὴν εἰς τοὺς μάρτυρας τιμὴν καὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ λατρείαν προτιμῶσιν, ἕτοιμος ὁ μισθός. Εἰ δὲ δεῖ καὶ ἡμᾶς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἀπολογήσασθαι, τῆς διατρι βῆς ἕνεκεν καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀπολείψεως ὑμῶν, ἐροῦμεν τὴν αἰτίαν, ὅτι ἄλλην ὁμότιμον ταύτῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκκλησίαν οἰκονομοῦντες, οὐκ ὀλίγῳ πρὸς ὑμᾶς διειργομένην τῷ διαστήματι, τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον τῆς ἡμέρας καταναλώσαμεν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἔδωκεν ὁ Κύ ριος κἀκείνοις πληρῶσαι τὴν λειτουργίαν, καὶ μὴ διαμαρτεῖν τῆς