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having no antagonist, then being about to be crowned, and not enduring that time in which the judge of the contest comes and places the crown; but he, being impatient, should wish to go out and flee, as not bearing the thirst and the heat. Hinting at this, therefore, what does he say? "For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." For that they might not say, "And when will he come?" he comforts them from the Scriptures; for when he says elsewhere, "Now is our salvation nearer," he comforts them, as though the remaining time were short. And this he says not of himself, but from the Scriptures. But if from that time it was said, "Yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry;" it is clear that he is now nearer. So that to wait for him is no small reward. "Now the just," he says, "shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him." This is a great encouragement, when one shows that they have achieved everything, and are losing it through a little listlessness. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Now faith is the substance of things hoped 63.151 for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Ah! what an expression he has used, saying, "The evidence of things not seen." For "evidence" is said of things which are very plain. Faith, therefore, is the seeing of things unseen, he says, and brings things not seen to the same full assurance as things that are seen. Therefore, it is not possible to disbelieve in things that are seen, nor, again, can it be faith, unless one is more fully assured concerning things unseen than things seen. For since things in hope seem to be unsubstantial, faith bestows substance on them; or rather, it does not bestow it, but is itself their very being; for instance, the resurrection has not yet come to pass, nor does it exist in substance, but hope gives it substance in our soul. This is "the substance of things hoped for." If, then, it is the evidence of things not seen, why do you wish to see them, that you may fall away from faith and from being righteous, if indeed the righteous shall live by faith? But if you wish to see them, you are no longer faithful. You have grown weary, he says, you have striven; I also say this; but wait; for this is faith; do not seek everything here. 3. These things were said to the Hebrews, but it is a common exhortation also for many of those gathered here. How and in what way? To the faint-hearted, to the pusillanimous. For when they see wicked men prospering, and themselves faring ill, they are distressed, they are impatient; when they long for their punishment and vengeance, [or] when they await the rewards of their own labors. "Yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry," said Paul then. And so let us say these things to the slothful: there will certainly be punishment, it will certainly come, the things of the resurrection are now at the doors. "From where is this clear?" he says. I do not say from the prophets; for my discourse is not now to Christians only, but even if he be a Greek, I am very confident, and I will furnish the proofs, and I will teach him; and how, listen: Christ foretold many things. If those things did not come to pass, do not believe these things either; but if all have come to pass, why do you doubt concerning the remaining things? And yet it was much more incredible, when nothing had come to pass, to believe concerning those things; than when all has come to pass, to disbelieve these. But rather I will make the matter clear by an example. Christ said that Jerusalem will be captured, and it will be captured with such a capture as never before, and that it will not rise again; and the prophecy came to pass in deed. He said that there will be great tribulation, and it came to pass. He said that like a mustard seed sown, so the preaching will be spread abroad; and this we see every day running over the world. He said that those who have left father, or mother, or brothers, or sisters, will have both fathers and mothers; and this we see fulfilled through deeds. He said, "In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world," that is, No one will prevail over you; and this we see has come to pass through the events. He said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church, 63.152 and this while she is being persecuted, and that no one will extinguish

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μηδένα ἔχοντα ἀνταγωνιστὴν, εἶτα μέλλοντα στεφανοῦσθαι, καὶ οὐ φέροντα τὸν χρόνον ἐκεῖνον, καθ' ὃν ὁ ἀγωνοθέτης ἔρχεται, καὶ τίθησι τὸν στέφανον· ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἀκαρτερήτως ἔχων, θέλοι ἐξελθεῖν καὶ φυγεῖν, ὡς μὴ φέρων τὸ δίψος καὶ τὸν φλογμόν. Τοῦτο τοίνυν αὐτὸς αἰνιττόμενος, τί φησιν; Ἔτι μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον, ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἥξει, καὶ οὐ χρονιεῖ. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγωσι, Καὶ πότε ἥξει; ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν αὐτοὺς παρακαλεῖ· καὶ γὰρ τὸ, Νῦν ἐγγύτερον ἡμῶν ἡ σωτηρία, ὅταν λέγῃ ἀλλαχοῦ, παραμυθεῖται αὐτοὺς, ὡς ὀλίγου ὄντος τοῦ λειπομένου χρόνου. Καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ φησιν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν. Εἰ δὲ ἐξ ἐκείνου ἐλέγετο, Μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον, ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἥξει, καὶ οὐ χρονιεῖ· δῆλον ὅτι νῦν ἐγγύτερός ἐστιν. Ὥστε καὶ τὸ ἀναμένειν μισθός ἐστιν οὐ μικρός. Ὁ δὲ δίκαιος, φησὶν, ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται· καὶ ἐὰν ὑποστείληται, οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ. Μεγάλη αὕτη ἡ παράκλησις, ὅταν δεικνύῃ τις τὸ πᾶν κατωρθωκότας, καὶ διὰ μικρᾶς ῥᾳθυμίας ἀπολλύντας αὐτό. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐσμὲν ὑποστολῆς εἰς ἀπώλειαν, ἀλλὰ πίστεως εἰς περιποίησιν ψυχῆς. Ἔστι δὲ πίστις, ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις πραγ 63.151 μάτων, ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων. Ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ ἐμαρτυρήθησαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι. Βαβαί! οἵᾳ λέξει ἐχρήσατο εἰπὼν, Ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων· ἔλεγχος γὰρ λέγεται ἐπὶ τῶν λίαν δήλων. Ἡ πίστις τοίνυν ἐστὶν ὄψις τῶν ἀδήλων, φησὶ, καὶ εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν τοῖς ὁρωμένοις φέρει πληροφορίαν τὰ μὴ ὁρώμενα. Οὔτε οὖν ἐν τοῖς ὁρωμένοις ἀπιστῆσαι ἔστιν, οὔτε πάλιν, εἰ μὴ τῶν ὁρωμένων σαφέστερον περὶ τῶν ἀοράτων πεπληροφόρηταί τις, πίστις εἶναι δύναται. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὰ ἐν ἐλπίδι ἀνυπόστατα εἶναι δοκεῖ, ἡ πίστις ὑπόστασιν αὐτοῖς χαρίζεται· μᾶλλον δὲ, οὐ χαρίζεται, ἀλλ' αὐτό ἐστιν οὐσία αὐτῶν· οἷον, ἡ ἀνάστασις οὐ παραγέγονεν, οὐδέ ἐστιν ἐν ὑποστάσει, ἀλλ' ἡ ἐλπὶς ὑφίστησιν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ ψυχῇ. Τοῦτό ἐστιν ὑπόστασις πραγμάτων ἐλπιζομένων. Εἰ τοίνυν ἔλεγχός ἐστιν οὐ βλεπομένων, τί δὴ βούλεσθε αὐτὰ ἰδεῖν, ἵνα ἐκπέσητε τῆς πίστεως καὶ τοῦ δίκαιοι εἶναι, εἴ γε ἐκ πίστεως ὁ δίκαιος ζήσεται; Ὑμεῖς δὲ εἰ βούλεσθε αὐτὰ ἰδεῖν, οὐκέτι ἐστὲ πιστοί. Ἐκάμετε, φησὶν, ἠθλήσατε· κἀγὼ τοῦτό φημι· ἀλλὰ ἀναμείνατε· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι πίστις· μὴ ἐνταῦθα ζητεῖτε τὸ πᾶν. γʹ. Ταῦτα εἴρηται μὲν πρὸς Ἑβραίους, κοινὴ δέ ἐστι παραίνεσις καὶ πρὸς πολλοὺς τῶν ἐνταῦθα συνειλεγμένων. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; Πρὸς τοὺς ὀλιγοψύχους, πρὸς τοὺς μικροψύχους. Ὅταν γὰρ ἴδωσι πονηροὺς εὐπραγοῦντας, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ δυσπραγοῦντας, ἀλύουσι, δυσανασχετοῦσιν· ὅταν ποθῶσιν ἐκείνων τὴν κόλασιν καὶ τὴν ἐκδικίαν, [ἢ] ὅταν τῶν οἰκείων πόνων τοὺς μισθοὺς ἐκδέχωνται. Ἔτι μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον, ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἥξει, καὶ οὐ χρονιεῖ, εἶπε τότε ὁ Παῦλος. Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοίνυν πρὸς τοὺς ῥᾳθύμους ταῦτα λέγωμεν· Πάντως ἔσται κόλασις, πάντως ἥξει, ἐπὶ θύραις λοιπὸν τὰ τῆς ἀναστάσεως. Πόθεν δῆλον, φησίν; Οὐ λέγω ἀπὸ προφητῶν· οὔτε γὰρ πρὸς Χριστιανοὺς μόνον μοι νῦν ὁ λόγος, ἀλλὰ κἂν Ἕλλην ᾖ, θαῤῥῶ πάνυ, καὶ τὰς ἀποδείξεις παρέχω, καὶ διδάξω αὐτόν· καὶ πῶς, ἄκουε· Πολλὰ προεῖπεν ὁ Χριστός. Εἰ μὴ ἐξέβη ἐκεῖνα, μηδὲ τούτοις πιστεύσῃς· εἰ δὲ πάντα ἐξέβη, τί περὶ τῶν λειπομένων ἀμφιβάλλεις; Καίτοι πολὺ ἀπίθανον ἦν, μηδενὸς ἐκβάντος, περὶ ἐκείνων πιστεύειν· ἢ ὅτε πάντα ἐξέβη, τούτοις ἀπιστεῖν. Μᾶλλον δὲ ἐπὶ ὑποδείγματος ποιήσω τὸ πρᾶγμα φανερόν. Εἶπεν, ὁ Χριστὸς ὅτι τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα ἁλώσεται, καὶ ἁλώσεται ἅλωσιν οἵαν οὐδέποτε, καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἔτι ἀναστήσεται· καὶ ἐξέβη εἰς ἔργον ἡ πρόῤῥησις. Εἶπεν ὅτι θλῖψις ἔσται μεγάλη, καὶ ἐξέβη. Εἶπεν ὅτι καθάπερ σίνηπι σπαρὲν, οὕτως ἐκταθήσεται τὸ κήρυγμα· καὶ τοῦτο ὁρῶμεν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπιτρέχον. Εἶπεν ὅτι οἱ καταλιπόντες πατέρα, ἢ μητέρα, ἢ ἀδελφοὺς, ἢ ἀδελφὰς, ἕξουσι καὶ πατέρας καὶ μητέρας· καὶ τοῦτο διὰ τῶν ἔργων ὁρῶμεν πληρούμενον. Εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ θλίψιν ἕξετε· ἀλλὰ θαρσεῖτε, ἐγὼ νενίκηκα τὸν κόσμον, τουτέστιν, Οὐδεὶς ὑμῶν περιέσται· καὶ τοῦτο διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων ὁρῶμεν ἐκβεβηκός. Εἶπεν ὅτι πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, 63.152 καὶ ταῦτα διωκομένης, καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς σβέσει