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the rider; let us cut off the wings of anger, and the evil will no longer be raised on high. For anger is a sharp passion, sharp, and terrible at stealing away our souls. For this reason, we must block its entrance from every side. For it is absurd to be able to tame wild beasts, but to overlook our own mind growing savage. Anger is a violent fire, devouring all things; for it both defiles the body and corrupts the soul, and makes one unpleasant and shameful to look upon; and if it were possible for the angry person to be visible to himself at the time of his anger, he would need no other exhortation. For nothing is more unpleasant than an angry face. Anger is a kind of drunkenness, or rather, more grievous than drunkenness, and more pitiable than a demon. But if we practice not shouting, we will find the best path of philosophy. For this reason Paul writes to remove clamor along with anger, saying: Let all anger and clamor be put away from you. Let us therefore obey the teacher of all philosophy; and when we are angry with our servants, let us consider our own sins, and let us be shamed by their forbearance. For when you insult, but he bears the insult in silence, and you act shamefully, but he philosophizes, accept this in place of all admonition. For though he is a servant, yet he is a human being and has an immortal 59.157 soul, and has been honored with the same gifts from the common Master. But if he who is our equal in greater and more spiritual things, on account of some paltry and small human superiority, bears our treatment so gently, of what pardon or defense would we be worthy, who are not able to philosophize for the fear of God, or rather are not willing, as he is for fear of us? Therefore, considering 59.158 all these things, and thinking on our sins, and the commonality of human nature, let us practice to speak gently everywhere, so that being humble in heart, we may find rest for our souls, both in the present and in the future; of which may it be that we all attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 59.157.10 HOMILY 27. If I have told you earthly things, and you do not believe, how, if I tell you heavenly things, will you believe? No one has ascended into heaven, except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven. 1. What I have often said, this I will also now say, and I will not cease to say. And what is this? That Jesus, when he is about to touch upon high doctrines, often restrains himself because of the weakness of his hearers, and does not continually dwell on words worthy of his greatness, but rather on those that have condescension. For that which is high and great, even if said once, is sufficient to represent that worthiness, insofar as it is possible for us to hear; but the more humble things and those close to the understanding of the audience, if they were not spoken of continuously, the lofty things would not quickly take hold of the groveling hearer. It is for this reason that most of the things spoken by him are more humble than the lofty ones. But lest this should work some other harm again, holding the disciple down, he does not simply state the inferior things, unless he first also states the reason why he says these things; which indeed he has also done here. For since he said what he said about baptism, and of the birth by grace that takes place on earth, wishing also to descend to his own ineffable and unutterable generation, for the time being he holds back, and does not descend; then he also states the reason why he does not descend. And what is this? The dullness and the weakness of the hearers. And hinting at this, he added, saying: If I have told you earthly things, and you do not believe, how, if I tell you heavenly things, will you believe? So that wherever he says something moderate and humble, it must be attributed to the weakness of the hearers. And the earthly things here, some say were spoken concerning the wind; that is, if I gave an example from earthly things, and not even so were you persuaded, how will you be able to learn the higher things? But if baptism

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ἀναβάτην· περικόψωμεν τὰ πτερὰ τοῦ θυμοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἔτι πρὸς ὕψος ἀρθήσεται τὸ κακόν. Ὀξὺ γὰρ ἡ ὀργὴ πάθος, ὀξὺ, καὶ δεινὸν κλέψαι τὰς ἡμετέρας ψυχάς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο χρὴ πάντοθεν ἀποφράττειν αὐτῷ τὴν εἴσοδον. Καὶ γὰρ ἄτοπον θηρία μὲν δύνασθαι ἡμεροῦν, τὴν δὲ ἡμετέραν διάνοιαν ἀγριαίνουσαν περιορᾷν. Πῦρ ἐστι σφοδρὸν ὁ θυμὸς πάντα διατρώγων· καὶ γὰρ καὶ σῶμα λυμαίνεται, καὶ ψυχὴν διαφθείρει, καὶ ἀηδῆ κατασκευάζει καὶ αἰσχρὸν ἰδεῖν· καὶ εἰ τὸν ὀργιζόμενον ἦν δυνατὸν ἑαυτῷ δῆλον εἶναι κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ὀργῆς, οὐκ ἂν ἑτέρας ἐδεήθη παραινέσεως. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀτερπέστερον ὄψεως ὀργιζομένης. Μέθη τις ἐστὶν ἡ ὀργὴ, μᾶλλον δὲ μέθης χαλεπωτέρα, καὶ δαίμονος ἐλεεινοτέρα. Ἀλλ' ἂν μελετήσωμεν μὴ κράζειν, ἀρίστην ὁδὸν φιλοσοφίας εὑρήσομεν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ Παῦλος μετὰ τῆς ὀργῆς καὶ τὴν κραυγὴν ἀναιρεῖν γράφει, λέγων· Πᾶσα ὀργὴ καὶ κραυγὴ ἀρθήτω ἀφ' ὑμῶν. Οὐκοῦν πειθώμεθα τῷ πάσης φιλοσοφίας διδασκάλῳ· καὶ ὅταν ὀργιζώμεθα πρὸς τοὺς οἰκέτας, τὰ ἁμαρτήματα τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἐννοῶμεν, καὶ τὴν ἐπιείκειαν αἰσχυνώμεθα τὴν ἐκείνων. Ὅταν γὰρ σὺ ὑβρίζῃς, ἐκεῖνος δὲ σιγῇ φέρῃ τὴν ὕβριν, καὶ σὺ μὲν ἀσχημονῇς, ἐκεῖνος δὲ φιλοσοφῇ, τοῦτο ἀντὶ πάσης δέχου νουθεσίας. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ οἰκέτης ἐστὶν, ἀλλ' ἄνθρωπος καὶ ψυχὴν ἔχων ἀθάνα 59.157 τον, καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς παρὰ τοῦ κοινοῦ ∆εσπότου τιμηθεὶς δώροις. Εἰ δὲ ὁ ἐν τοῖς μείζοσι καὶ πνευματικωτέροις ὁμότιμος ἡμῖν ὢν, δι' ἀνθρωπίνην τινὰ εὐτελῆ καὶ μικρὰν ὑπεροχὴν οὕτω πράως φέρει τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν, τίνος ἂν εἴημεν συγγνώμης ἄξιοι ἢ ποίας ἀπολογίας ἡμεῖς, οἱ διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον μὴ δυνάμενοι φιλοσοφεῖν, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ βουλόμενοι, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος διὰ τὸν ἡμέτερον; Ταῦτα οὖν ἅπαντα λογιζόμε 59.158 νοι, καὶ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἡμῶν ἐννοοῦντες, καὶ τὸ κοινὸν τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως, μελετῶμεν ἠρέμα πανταχοῦ φθέγγεσθαι, ἵνα ταπεινοὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ γενόμενοι, ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν ἀνάπαυσιν εὕρωμεν, τήν τε παροῦσαν, τήν τε μέλλουσαν· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 59.157.10 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΚΖʹ. Εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν, καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς, ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια, πιστεύσετε; Οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐ ρανοῦ καταβὰς, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. αʹ. Ὃ πολλάκις εἶπον, τοῦτο καὶ νῦν ἐρῶ, καὶ οὐ παύσομαι λέγων. Τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν; Ὅτι μέλλων ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὑψηλῶν ἅπτεσθαι δογμάτων, διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀκουόντων ἀσθένειαν ἑαυτὸν κατέχει πολλάκις, καὶ οὐ συνεχῶς τοῖς ἀξίοις τῆς μεγαλωσύνης αὐτοῦ λόγοις ἐνδιατρίβει, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τοῖς συγκατάβασιν ἔχουσι. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὑψηλὸν καὶ μέγα, καὶ ἅπαξ λεχθὲν, ἱκανὸν παραστῆσαι τὴν ἀξίαν ἐκείνην, καθόσον ἡμῖν ἀκοῦσαι δυνατόν· τὰ δὲ ταπεινότερα καὶ ἐγγὺς τῆς τῶν ἀκροωμένων διανοίας, εἰ μὴ διηνεκῶς ἐλέγετο, οὐ ταχέως κατέσχε τὰ ὑψηλὰ τὸν χαμαίζηλον ἀκροατήν. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτό ἐστι καὶ τὰ πλείονα ταπεινότερα τῶν ὑψηλῶν εἰρημένα παρ' αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ τοῦτο ἑτέραν τινὰ ἐργάσηται βλάβην πάλιν, κατέχον κάτω τὸν μαθητὴν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς τὰ καταδεέστερα τίθησιν, ἂν μὴ πρότερον εἴπῃ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν δι' ἣν ταῦτα λέγει· ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα πεποίηκεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπε περὶ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἅπερ εἶπε, καὶ τῆς κατὰ χάριν γεννήσεως τῆς ἐν τῇ γῇ γινομένης, βουλόμενος καὶ εἰς τὴν γέννησιν καθεῖναι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ἀπόῤῥητον ἐκείνην καὶ ἄφραστον, τέως διαβαστάζει, καὶ οὐ καθίησιν· εἶτα καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν λέγει, δι' ἣν οὐ καθίησι. Τίς δέ ἐστιν αὕτη; Ἡ παχύτης καὶ ἡ ἀσθένεια τῶν ἀκουόντων. Καὶ ταύτην αἰνιττόμενος ἐπήγαγε λέγων· Εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν, καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς, ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια, πιστεύσετε; Ὥστε ὅπουπερ ἂν εἴπῃ μέτριόν τι καὶ ταπεινὸν, τῇ τῶν ἀκουόντων ἀσθενείᾳ λογιστέον αὐτό. Τὰ δὲ ἐπίγεια ἐνταῦθα τινὲς μὲν περὶ τοῦ ἀνέμου φασὶν εἰρῆσθαι· τουτέστιν, εἰ καὶ ὑπόδειγμα ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπιγείων ἔδωκα, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐπείσθητε, πῶς δυνήσεσθε τὰ ὑψηλότερα μαθεῖν; Εἰ δὲ τὸ βάπτισμα