109

the Greeks still bear witness to this day, mocking; but faith, which transcends the weakness of our reasonings, might easily both receive and hold it. Whence did God so love the world? From nowhere else, but from goodness alone. 3. Let us then be ashamed of His love; let us blush at the excess of His love for mankind. For He did not even spare His Only-begotten for our sake; but we spare our money against ourselves. He gave His own Son for us; but we do not even scorn silver for His sake, nor even for our own. And how can these things be worthy of forgiveness? If we see a man who has undergone dangers and deaths for us, we put him before all others, and we number him among our first friends, and we entrust all our possessions to him, and we say that they are his rather than ours; and even so we do not think we are giving him a worthy return. But in the case of Christ, we do not even keep this measure of gratitude; but while He laid down His life for us, and shed His precious blood for us, who were neither well-disposed nor good; we do not even pour out money for ourselves, but we overlook Him who died for us, naked and a stranger. And who will deliver us from the coming punishment? For if not God, but we punished ourselves, would we not have cast the vote against ourselves? Would we not have condemned ourselves to the fire of hell, for overlooking Him who laid down His life for us, wasting away with hunger? And what do I say of money? For if we had ten thousand lives, ought we not to lay them all down for Him? And yet, even so we would have done nothing worthy of the benefit. For he who is the first to do good, shows his kindness openly; but he who has been done good to, whatever he may give in return, pays a debt, he does not bestow a favor; and especially when the one who began it was doing good to enemies, and the one giving in return both deposits what is done to the benefactor, and enjoys them himself again. But not even 59.161 these things draw us; but we are so ungrateful, as to put golden collars on our servants and mules and horses, but to overlook the Master wandering about naked, and going from door to door, and always standing at the entrances and stretching out His hands, and often even to look upon Him with a cruel eye; and yet He endures this very thing for our sakes. For He gladly hungers, that you may be fed; and He goes about naked, that He may provide you the occasion for the garment of incorruption. But not even so do you give up any of your possessions; but of your clothes, some are moth-eaten, others a burden to the chest, and a superfluous care to their owners; while He who has given these and all other things, goes about naked. But you do not put them away in the chest, but arrayed in them yourselves you make a fine show? Tell me, what is the gain to you from these things? That the crowd of the marketplace may see you? And what of that? For they will not admire you who are clothed in these things, but him who provides for those in need. So that if you wish to be admired, by clothing others, you will rather enjoy ten thousand applauses. Then God also will praise you along with men. But now no one will praise you, but all will envy you, seeing the 59.162 body adorned, but having the soul neglected. This adornment belongs also to harlots; and often their garments are more costly and splendid; but the adornment of the soul is found only with those who live in virtue. These things I say continually, and saying them I will not cease, not caring so much for the poor, as for your souls. For to them, even if not from us, yet from some other source there will be some comfort; and even if there is no comfort, but they perish by famine, their loss is not great. For what harm did poverty and wasting away with hunger do to Lazarus? But no one will deliver you from hell, unless you obtain the help from the poor. But we shall say the same things to the rich man, who is continually tormented, but receives no comfort. But may it not be, that anyone should ever hear these words, but to depart into Abraham's bosom;

109

μαρτυροῦσιν ἔτι καὶ νῦν Ἕλληνες καταγελῶντες· ἡ δὲ τὴν τῶν λογισμῶν ἀσθένειαν ὑπερβαίνουσα πίστις, ῥᾳδίως ἂν αὐτὸ καὶ δέξαιτο καὶ κατάσχοι. Πόθεν δὲ οὕτως ἠγάπησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον; Ἄλλοθεν μὲν οὐδαμόθεν, ἐξ ἀγαθότητος δὲ μόνης. γʹ. Ἐντραπῶμεν τοίνυν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀγάπην· αἰσχυνθῶμεν τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τὴν ὑπερβολήν. Αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἐφείσατο δι' ἡμᾶς· ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ χρημάτων φειδόμεθα καθ' ἑαυτῶν. Αὐτὸς καὶ τὸν γνήσιον Υἱὸν ἔδωκεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν· ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ ἀργυρίου καταφρονοῦμεν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. Καὶ πῶς ἂν εἴη ταῦτα συγγνώμης ἄξια; Κἂν μὲν ἄνθρωπον ἴδωμεν κινδύνους καὶ θανάτους ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καταδεξάμενον, πάντων προτίθεμεν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις ἀριθμοῦμεν τῶν φίλων, καὶ πάντα αὐτῷ τὰ ἡμέτερα ἐγχειρίζομεν, καὶ αὐτοῦ μᾶλλον ἢ ἡμέτερα εἶναί φαμεν· καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἡγούμεθα ἀντίδοσιν ἀξίαν αὐτῷ διδόναι. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ οὐδὲ τοῦτο τὸ μέτρον τῆς εὐγνωμοσύνης φυλάττομεν· ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος μὲν τὴν ψυχὴν ἔθηκεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, καὶ τὸ αἷμα τὸ τίμιον ἐξέχεε δι' ἡμᾶς, τοὺς οὐκ εὔνους οὐδὲ ἀγαθοὺς γεγενημένους· ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ χρήματα χέομεν δι' ἑαυτοὺς, ἀλλὰ περιορῶμεν αὐτὸν γυμνὸν καὶ ξένον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀποθανόντα. Καὶ τίς ἡμᾶς τῆς μελλούσης ἐξαιρήσεται κολάσεως; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς ἑαυτοὺς ἐκολάζομεν, ἆρα οὐκ ἂν καθ' ἑαυτῶν τὴν ψῆφον ἐξηνέγκαμεν; ἆρα οὐκ ἂν τὸ τῆς γεέννης ἑαυτοὺς κατεδικάσαμεν πῦρ, τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν θέντα λιμῷ τηκόμενον περιορῶντες; Καὶ τί λέγω χρήματα; Εἰ γὰρ μυρίας εἴχομεν ψυχὰς, οὐχ ἁπάσας ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ θεῖναι ἐχρῆν; Καίτοι γε οὐδὲ οὕτως ἄξιόν τι τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἐποιήσαμεν ἄν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πρώτως εὐεργετῶν, φανερὰν ἐπιδείκνυται τὴν χρηστότητα· ὁ δὲ εὐεργετηθεὶς, ὅ τι ἂν ἀντιδῷ, ὀφειλὴν ἀποδίδωσιν, οὐ χάριν κατατίθεται· καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν ὁ κατάρξας ἐχθροὺς εὐεργετῶν εἴη, καὶ ὁ ἀντιδιδοὺς καὶ εἰς εὐεργέτην κατατιθῆται τὰ γινόμενα, καὶ αὐτὸς αὐτῶν ἀπολαύῃ πάλιν. Ἀλλ' ἡμᾶς οὐδὲ 59.161 ταῦτα ἐφέλκεται· ἀλλ' οὕτως ἐσμὲν ἀγνώμονες, ὡς οἰκέταις μὲν καὶ ἡμιόνοις καὶ ἵπποις περιδέραια χρυσᾶ περιτιθέναι, τὸν δὲ ∆εσπότην γυμνὸν περιϊόντα, καὶ θύρας ἐκ θυρῶν ἀμείβοντα, καὶ ἀεὶ πρὸς ταῖς ἐξόδοις ἱστάμενον καὶ χεῖρας ἐκτείνοντα περιορᾷν, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ ἀπηνεῖ βλέπειν αὐτὸν ὀφθαλμῷ· καίτοι γε καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸ δι' ἡμᾶς ὑπομένει. Ἡδέως γὰρ πεινᾷ, ἵνα σὺ τραφῇς· καὶ γυμνὸς περίεισιν, ἵνα σοι παράσχῃ τοῦ τῆς ἀφθαρσίας ἐνδύματος τὴν ὑπόθεσιν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτω προΐεσθε τῶν ὑμετέρων οὐδέν· ἀλλὰ τῶν ἱματίων τὰ μέν ἐστι σητόβρωτα, τὰ δὲ ἄχθος τῷ κιβωτίῳ, καὶ περιττὴ φροντὶς τοῖς κεκτημένοις· ὁ δὲ καὶ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα δεδωκὼς, γυμνὸς περίεισιν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν τῷ κιβωτίῳ αὐτὰ ἀποτίθεσθε, ἀλλ' αὐτοὶ περιβεβλημένοι καλλωπίζεσθε; Εἰπὲ, τί τὸ πλέον ὑμῖν ἀπὸ τούτων; Ἵνα τὸ τῶν ἀγοραίων ἴδῃ πλῆθος ὑμᾶς; Καὶ τί τοῦτο; Οὐ γὰρ τὸν περικείμενόν σε ταῦτα θαυμάσονται, ἀλλὰ τὸν τοῖς δεομένοις παρέχοντα. Ὥστε εἰ βούλει θαυμάζεσθαι, ἑτέρους περιβάλλων, μᾶλλον μυρίων ἀπολαύσῃ κρότων. Τότε σε καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐπαινέσεται μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Νυνὶ δὲ ἐπαινέσεται μὲν οὐδεὶς, φθονήσουσι δὲ ἅπαντες, τὸ 59.162 μὲν σῶμα κοσμούμενον ὁρῶντες, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν ἠμελημένην ἔχοντα. Οὗτος καὶ γυναιξὶ πόρναις πρόσεστιν ὁ κόσμος· πολλάκις δὲ καὶ πολυτελέστερα καὶ φαιδρότερα παρ' ἐκείναις τὰ ἱμάτια· ὁ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς κόσμος παρὰ τοῖς ἐν ἀρετῇ ζῶσι μόνον ἐστί. Ταῦτα συνεχῶς λέγω, καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι, οὐ πενήτων οὕτω κηδόμενος, ὡς τῶν ὑμετέρων ψυχῶν. Ἐκείνοις μὲν γὰρ, κἂν μὴ παρ' ἡμῶν, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἑτέρωθεν ἔσται τις παραμυθία· κἂν μὴ γένηται παραμυθία, ἀλλὰ λιμῷ διαφθαρῶσιν, οὐδὲν μέγα τὸ τῆς ζημίας αὐτοῖς. Τί γὰρ ἔβλαψε τὸν Λάζαρον ἡ πενία καὶ τὸ λιμῷ τήκεσθαι; Ὑμᾶς δὲ οὐδεὶς ἐξαιρήσεται τῆς γεέννης, ἂν μὴ τῆς παρὰ τῶν πενήτων τύχητε βοηθείας. Ἀλλ' ἐροῦμεν τὰ αὐτὰ τῷ πλουσίῳ, τῷ διηνεκῶς μὲν τηγανιζομένῳ, παραμυθίας δὲ μηδεμιᾶς τυγχάνοντι. Ἀλλὰ μὴ γένοιτο, μηδένα ταῦτα ἀκοῦσαί ποτε τὰ ῥήματα, ἀλλ' εἰς τοὺς κόλπους Ἀβραὰμ ἀπελθεῖν·