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of gifts, so that from the light alone shining from you of good works and divine wisdom and knowledge all those who approach you, both your own and strangers, may be enlightened, shepherd with confidence the sheep of Christ with the skillful word of the grace given to you in practice, according to the definition and law previously delivered to you from above, and feed His lambs in the saving pastures of His commandments, until they grow and attain to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, and you will have (265) a great reward from Him for becoming enthroned with and dwelling with His apostles; but if not, then draw back to yourself, if you would be persuaded by me who cares for your salvation, since our God is a consuming fire, to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Discourse XIX. (266)

That one should not trust in the words and promises of men alone, but the trustworthiness of their words should be confirmed by their deeds. And what kind of disposition and

love true teachers have for their disciples. And what their compassion and care are like. And how they intercede with God on their behalf.

Brothers and fathers and children, the beginning of your friendship with me

each one knows, both how it came to be and for what reason; likewise you yourselves also know about the measure of your love and faith toward God. For I do not know how to speak precisely about an invisible thing, and it is impossible to be fully informed about such things from words alone. For often what someone has not promised in word, he has done this suddenly in deed, and what he agreed to with oaths, at the opportune time, having changed his mind, he has utterly renounced; and you will find this happening in most cases. For rare indeed are those who are not shaken by the tempests of life, nor choked by its thorns, nor (267) enticed by pleasures and enslaved by money, for which all falsehood is practiced. For this reason, to hope in words alone and to rely on them as on sure deeds is fitting only in the case of God's things, which He Himself has promised to us. For He alone possesses immutability and has nowhere been shown to be false. But as for men, who are not steadfast, but are turned and led astray by many things, he who relies on words alone will possess winds and will rejoice in empty dreams. For nothing else among all things is as unstable and changeable as the thought of man, becoming steadfast only then, when having thrust aside all things that flow and are created and are seen, it will pass through the darkness with which it is surrounded, and will be mingled with the things that are unseen and steadfast. Since, therefore, I reason thus, and I know that you will bear witness with me in this matter, hear also the reason for which I say these things to you, and the feeling that I have experienced.

You came to us with fiery love and faith, as I conjectured from your words and your countenance, and that you were not forced by anyone, but rushed to this of your own accord. Therefore, having seen you thus and having heard such Christ-loving words from you, I accepted both your faith and your purpose and was dispassionately more attached to you than to all others and, I confess, I conceived a greater love, even though I am commanded to love all equally. But since the one responsible for this beginning, I mean the lord Theophylact—for my words are to him—proceeded to come again and many times to our humility with greater eagerness and especially fervent love—for this shines for those who see rightly and cannot be hidden

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χαρισμάτων, ὡς ἐκ μόνου τοῦ ἐκλάμποντος ἀπό σοῦ φωτός τῶν καλῶν ἔργων καί τῆς ἐνθέου σοφίας καί γνώσεως φωτίζεσθαι πάντας τούς πλησιάζοντάς σοι τῶν ἰδίων καί ἀλλοτρίων, ποίμαινε θαρρῶν τά πρόβατα Χριστοῦ τῷ ἐπιστήμονι λόγῳ τῆς δοθείσης σοι χάριτος ἐμπράκτως, κατά τόν ὅρον καί νόμον τόν προαποδοθέντα σοι ἄνωθεν, καί βόσκε τά ἀρνία αὐτοῦ εἰς νομάς σωτηρίους τῶν αὐτοῦ ἐντολῶν, ἕως οὗ αὐξηνθῶσι καί εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας ἀναδράμωσι τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καί ἕξεις (265) πολύν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τόν μισθόν τοῦ γενέσθαι τῶν αὐτοῦ ἀποστόλων σύνθρονος καί ὁμόσκηνος· εἰ δ᾿ οὖν, ἀλλά συστάληθι πρός ἑαυτόν, εἴ τί μοι πείθῃ κηδομένῳ τῆς σωτηρίας σου, ἐπειδή ὁ Θεός ἡμῶν πῦρ καταναλίσκον ἐστί, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τούς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.

Λόγος ΙΘ΄. (266)

Ὅτι οὐ χρή ἐπί μόνοις τοῖς λόγοις καί ταῖς ὑποσχέσεσι θαρρεῖν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων τό πιστόν βεβαιοῦσθαι τῶν λόγων αὐτῶν. Καί οἵα τίς ἐστιν ἡ τῶν ἀληθινῶν διδασκάλων διάθεσις καί

ἀγάπη πρός τούς μαθητευομένους αὐτοῖς. Καί ὁποῖα τά σπλάγχνα καί ἡ φροντίς αὐτῶν. Καί ὅπως ὑπέρ αὐτῶν ἐντυγχάνουσι τῷ Θεῷ.

Ἀδελφοί καί πατέρες καί τέκνα, τήν ἀρχήν τῆς ὑμετέρας πρός με φιλίας

γινώσκει ἕκαστος, ὅπως τε γέγονε καί δι᾿ οἵας προφάσεως· ὡσαύτως καί περί τοῦ μέτρου τῆς πρός Θεόν ὑμῶν ἀγάπης καί πίστεως ὑμεῖς οἴδατε. Ἐγώ γάρ ἀκριβῶς λέγειν περί ἀοράτου πράγματος οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι, ἀπό λόγων δέ μόνων περί τῶν τοιούτων πληροφορηθῆναι ἀμήχανον. Πολλάκις γάρ ὅ μή ἐπηγγείλατό τις ἐν λόγῳ, ἔργῳ τοῦτο πεποίηκεν αἴφνης καί ὁ μεθ᾿ ὅρκων συνέθετο, ἐν καιρῷ δέοντι μεταμεληθείς εἰσάπαν ἀπείπατο· καί τοῦτο εὕρῃς γινόμενον ἐν τοῖς πλείοσι. Σπάνιοι γάρ ὡς ἀληθῶς οἱ ταῖς τρικυμίαις τοῦ βίου μή σαλευόμενοι, μηδέ ταῖς ἀκάνθαις αὐτοῦ συμπνιγόμενοι, μηδέ ταῖς (267) ἡδοναῖς δελεαζόμενοι καί δουλούμενοι χρήμασι, δι᾿ ἅ ψεῦδος ἅπαν ἐπιτηδεύεται. ∆ιά τοῦτο λόγοις μόνοις ἐλπίζειν καί ὡς ἐπ᾿ ἔργοις βεβαίοις ἐπιστηρίζεσθαι ἐν τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶναι μόνοις ἁρμόδιον, οἷς αὐτός ἡμῖν ἐπηγγείλατο. Ἔχει γάρ καί μόνος ἐκεῖνος τό ἄτρεπτον καί οὐδαμοῦ ἐφάνη διαψευδόμενος. Ἀνθρώπων δέ τῶν οὐχ ἱσταμένων, ἀλλά περί πολλά στρεφομένων καί πλανωμένων ὁ λόγοις μόνοις ἐπερειδόμενος, ἀνέμους ἕξει καί ματαίοις ὀνείροις χαρήσεται. Οὐδέν γάρ οὕτω τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ὡς λογισμός ἀνθρώπου τό ἄστατον καί εὐμετάβολον ἔχει, τότε μόνον ἱστάμενος, ὅτε τά ῥέοντα πάντα καί κτιστά καί ὁρώμενα παρωσάμενος τό σκότος περάσει ὅ περιβέβληται, καί τοῖς ἀοράτοις καί ἑστῶσι καταμιγήσεται. Ἐπεί οὖν ταῦτα οὕτω λογίζομαι καί ὑμεῖς οἶδ᾿ ὅτι συμμαρτυρήσετέ μοι τῷ λόγῳ, ἀκούσατε καί τήν αἰτίαν, δι᾿ ἥν ταῦτα πρός ὑμᾶς λέγω, καί τό πάθος ὅ πέπονθα.

Ἤλθετε πρός ἡμᾶς μετ᾿ ἐμπύρου ἀγάπης καί πίστεως, ὡς ἐκ τῶν λόγων ὑμῶν ἐστοχασάμην καί τοῦ προσώπου, καί ὅτι οὐ βιασθέντες παρά τινος, ἀλλ᾿ οἴκοθεν ἐπί τοῦτο ὁρμήσαντες. Οὕτως οὖν ὑμᾶς θεασάμενος καί τοιαῦτα φιλόχριστα παρ᾿ ὑμῶν ἀκηκοώς ῥήματα, ἀπεδεξάμην καί τήν πίστιν καί τήν προαίρεσιν καί ὑπέρ ἅπαντας προσεπάθησα ἀπαθῶς εἰς ὑμᾶς καί, ὁμολογῶ, ἀγάπην προσελαβόμην πλείονα, κἄν πάντας ἀγαπᾶν ἐξ ἴσου προστέταγμαι. Ἐπεί δέ δέ ὁ τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτῆς αἴτιος, ὁ κῦρις λέγω Θεοφύλακτος - πρός αὐτόν γάρ μοι λόγος - προσέθετο πάλιν ἐλθεῖν καί πολλάκις πρός τήν ἡμετέραν ταπείνωσιν μετά πλείονος τῆς προθυμίας καί θερμῆς ὅτι μάλιστα τῆς ἀγάπης - λαμπεί γάρ αὕτη τοῖς ὀρθῶς βλέπουσι καί κρυβῆναι οὐ