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a profane person will enter. They sprinkled the body, we the conscience; so it is possible to be sprinkled even now, but by virtue itself. And having our bodies washed with pure water. Here he means the bath, which is not a purification of bodies, but of the soul. For faithful is He that promised; and in what He promised is He faithful? That we must depart thither, and enter into the kingdom. Therefore, do not be over-curious, nor demand reasonings; our matters require faith. And let us consider one another, he says, to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. And again elsewhere: The Lord is at hand, be anxious for nothing. For now is our salvation nearer; and again: The time is short that remains. What is, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together? He knows that there is great strength from coming together and assembling. For where two or three, he says, are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them; and again: That they may be one, even as we are one; and again: The heart and soul of all was one. Not for this reason only, but because also the things of love are increased by the assembling; and when love is increased, the things of God must follow. Prayer, he says, was made without ceasing by the people. As the manner of some is. Here he not only exhorted, but also found fault. And let us consider one another, he says, to provoke unto love and to good works. He knows that this also comes from their assembling together. For as iron sharpens iron, so also coming together increases love. For if a stone rubbed against a stone emits fire, how much more a soul mingling with a soul? See, not "to jealousy," he says, but "to a provocation of love." What is, "To a provocation of love"? To love and be loved more. He adds, And of good works, so that 63.141 one may feel emulation; reasonably. For if doing, he says, has greater power for teaching than speaking; you too have many teachers among the multitude who do this through their works. What is, Let us draw near with a true heart? That is, without hypocrisy; for woe to a faint heart, and to hands that are slack. Let there be no falsehood among you, he says; let us not say one thing and think another; for this is falsehood; nor let us be fainthearted; for this is not of a true heart; for faintheartedness comes from not believing. And how shall this be? If we fully assure ourselves through faith. Our hearts sprinkled. Why did he not say, "Cleansed," but, "Sprinkled"? Wishing to show the difference of the sprinklings, and that the one is of God, and the other is ours. For to wash and to sprinkle the conscience is of God; but to draw near with truth and in full assurance of faith, is ours. Then he also gives strength to faith from the truth of Him who promised. What is, And our bodies washed with pure water? Either he means that which makes clean, or that which has no blood. Then he adds the perfect thing, love. Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, he says; which some, he says, do, and cut off the gatherings, this he forbids them. For a brother helped by a brother is as a strong city. But let us consider one another to provoke unto love. What is, Let us consider one another? For instance, if anyone is virtuous, let us imitate him, let us look to him, so as to love and be loved; for from love good works come. B. A great good is the assembly; for it makes itself warmer, and from it all good things are born; for there is no good thing which is not done through love. Let us therefore confirm this towards one another; For love is the fulfilling of the law. We have no need of labors, nor of sweat, if we love one another; it is a kind of automatic road leading to virtue. For just as on the highway, if one finds the beginning, one is guided by it, and needs no one to lead by the hand; so also with love, only take hold of the beginning, and immediately you are led by the hand by it and guided. Love, he says, is long-suffering,

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βέβηλος εἴσεισιν. Ἐκεῖνοι τὸ σῶμα ἐῤῥαντίζοντο, ἡμεῖς τὴν συνείδησιν· ὥστε ἔστι καὶ νῦν περιῤῥαντίζεσθαι, ἀλλ' αὐτῇ τῇ ἀρετῇ. Καὶ λελουμένοι τὸ σῶμα ὕδατι καθαρῷ. Τὸ λουτρὸν ἐνταῦθά φησιν, ὅπερ οὐκ ἔστι σωμάτων καθάρσιον, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς. Πιστὸς γὰρ ὁ ἐπαγγειλάμενος· καὶ τί ἐπαγγειλάμενος ἔστι πιστός; Ὅτι δεῖ ἀπελθεῖν ἐκεῖ, καὶ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν. Μηδὲν τοίνυν περιεργάζου, μηδὲ λογισμοὺς ἀπαίτει· πίστεως δεῖται τὰ ἡμέτερα. Καὶ κατανοῶμεν, φησὶν, ἀλλήλους εἰς παροξυσμὸν ἀγάπης καὶ καλῶν ἔργων, μὴ ἐγκαταλείποντες τὴν ἐπισυναγωγὴν ἑαυτῶν, καθὼς ἔθος τισὶν, ἀλλὰ παρακαλοῦντες· καὶ τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον, ὅσῳ βλέπετε ἐγγίζουσαν τὴν ἡμέραν. Καὶ πάλιν ἑτέρωθι· Ὁ Κύριος ἐγγὺς, μηδὲν μεριμνᾶτε. Νῦν γὰρ ἐγγύτερον ἡμῶν ἡ σωτηρία· καὶ πάλιν· Ὁ καιρὸς συνεσταλμένος ἐστὶ λοιπόν. Τί ἐστι, Μὴ ἐγκαταλείποντες τὴν ἐπισυναγωγὴν ἑαυτῶν; Οἶδεν ἀπὸ τῆς συνουσίας καὶ τῆς ἐπισυναγωγῆς πολλὴν οὖσαν τὴν ἰσχύν. Ὅπου γάρ εἰσι δύο ἢ τρεῖς, φησὶν, συνηγμένοι εἰς τὸ ὄνομά μου, ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν· καὶ πάλιν· Ἵνα ὦσιν ἓν, καθὼς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἕν ἐσμεν· καὶ πάλιν· Πάντων ἦν ἡ καρδία καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ μία. Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀγάπης αὐξάνεται διὰ τῆς ἐπισυναγωγῆς· τῆς δὲ ἀγάπης αὐξανομένης, ἀνάγκη καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἕπεσθαι. Προσευχὴ δὲ ἦν, φησὶν, ἐκτενὴς ὑπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ γινομένη. Καθὼς ἔθος τισίν. Ἐνταῦθα οὐ μόνον παρῄνεσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμέμψατο. Καὶ κατανοῶμεν, φησὶν, ἀλλήλους εἰς παροξυσμὸν ἀγάπης καὶ καλῶν ἔργων. Οἶδε καὶ τοῦτο γινόμενον ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπισυναγωγῆς αὐτῶν. Καθάπερ γὰρ σίδηρος σίδηρον ὀξύνει, οὕτω καὶ ἡ συνουσία τὴν ἀγάπην αὔξει. Εἰ γὰρ λίθος πρὸς λίθον τριβόμενος πῦρ ἀφίησι, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ψυχὴ πρὸς ψυχὴν ἀναμιγνυμένη; Ὅρα· οὐκ, Εἰς ζῆλον, φησὶν, ἀλλ', Εἰς παροξυσμὸν ἀγάπης. Τί ἐστιν, Εἰς παροξυσμὸν ἀγάπης; Εἰς τὸ μᾶλλον ἀγαπᾷν καὶ ἀγαπᾶσθαι. Προστίθησι δὲ, Καὶ καλῶν ἔργων, ὥσ 63.141 τε ζῆλον λαβεῖν· εἰκότως. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ ποιεῖν, φησὶ, τοῦ λέγειν μείζονα τὴν ἰσχὺν ἔχει πρὸς διδασκαλίαν· πολλοὺς ἔχετε καὶ ὑμεῖς διδασκάλους ἐν τῷ πλήθει διὰ τῶν ἔργων τοῦτο ποιοῦντας. Τί ἐστι, Προσερχώμεθα μετὰ ἀληθινῆς καρδίας; Τουτέστι, χωρὶς ὑποκρίσεως· Οὐαὶ γὰρ καρδίᾳ δειλῇ, καὶ χερσὶ παρειμέναις. Μηδεὶς ἔστω, φησὶ, ψεῦδος ἐν ὑμῖν· μὴ ἕτερα μὲν λέγωμεν, ἕτερα δὲ φρονῶμεν· τοῦτο γὰρ ψεῦδος· μηδὲ ὀλιγοψυχῶμεν· τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκ ἀληθινῆς καρδίας· ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ μὴ πιστεύειν τὸ ὀλιγοψυχεῖν γίνεται. Πῶς δὲ ἔσται τοῦτο; Ἐὰν πληροφορήσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς διὰ τῆς πίστεως. Ἐῤῥαντισμένοι τὰς καρδίας. ∆ιὰ τί μὴ εἶπε, Κεκαθαρμένοι, ἀλλὰ, Ἐῤῥαντισμένοι; Τὴν διαφορὰν τῶν περιῤῥαντήριων δεῖξαι βουλόμενος, καὶ ὅτι τὸ μὲν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸ δὲ ἡμέτερον. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ λοῦσαι καὶ περιῤῥᾶναι τὴν συνείδησιν, τοῦ Θεοῦ· τὸ δὲ μετὰ ἀληθείας προσελθεῖν καὶ ἐν πληροφορίᾳ πίστεως, ἡμέτερον. Εἶτα καὶ τῇ πίστει δίδωσιν ἰσχὺν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας τοῦ ἐπαγγειλαμένου. Τί ἐστι, Καὶ λελουμένοι τὸ σῶμα ὕδατι καθαρῷ; Ἤτοι τῷ καθαροὺς ποιοῦντι λέγει, ἢ τῷ μὴ ἔχοντι αἷμα. Εἶτα προστίθησι τὸ τέλειον, τὴν ἀγάπην. Μὴ ἐγκαταλείποντες τὴν ἐπισυναγωγὴν, φησὶν, ἑαυτῶν· ὅπερ τινὲς, φησὶ, ποιοῦσι, καὶ τὰς συνόδους διατέμνουσι, τοῦτο αὐτοῖς ἀπαγορεύει. Ἀδελφὸς γὰρ ὑπὸ ἀδελφοῦ βοηθούμενος, ὡς πόλις ὀχυρά. Ἀλλὰ κατανοῶμεν ἀλλήλους εἰς παροξυσμὸν ἀγάπης. Τί ἐστι, Κατανοῶμεν ἀλλήλους; Οἷον, εἴ τις ἐνάρετος, τοῦτον μιμώμεθα, βλέπωμεν εἰς αὐτὸν, ὥστε ἀγαπᾷν καὶ ἀγαπᾶσθαι· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς ἀγάπης τὰ καλὰ ἔργα γίνονται. βʹ. Μέγα ἀγαθὸν ἡ σύνοδος· αὕτη γὰρ αὐτὴν θερμοτέραν ἐργάζεται, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς πάντα τίκτεται τὰ ἀγαθά· οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν ἀγαθὸν, ὃ μὴ δι' ἀγάπης γίνεται. Ταύτην οὖν κυρώσωμεν εἰς ἀλλήλους· Πλήρωμα γὰρ νόμου ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη. Οὐ δεῖ πόνων ἡμῖν, οὐδὲ ἱδρώτων, ἐὰν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους· αὐτόματός τίς ἐστιν ὁδὸς φέρουσα πρὸς τὴν ἀρετήν. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς λεωφόρου, ἐάν τις εὕρῃ τὴν ἀρχὴν, ὁδηγεῖται ὑπ' αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐ δεῖται χειραγωγοῦ· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγάπης, μόνον ἐπιλαβοῦ τῆς ἀρχῆς, καὶ εὐθέως χειραγωγῇ ὑπ' αὐτῆς καὶ εὐθύνῃ. Ἡ ἀγάπη, φησὶ, μακροθυμεῖ,