112

a city, but having made the dunghill his house and his city, not only did he not harm him at all, but he also made him more glorious through the very things he plotted against him. And you, therefore, if someone takes away your possessions, and you bear it nobly, you will receive the same reward as those who have spent everything on the poor. For just as when we are diligent, we gain even from things that cause pain, so when we are slothful we do not become better even from things that are helpful. For if Job, having suffered so much, was not wronged in any way, and having suffered not from a human, but from the demon more wicked than all wicked men, what excuse will be left for those who say, "So-and-so wronged me and harmed me?" For if the devil, full of so much malice, having moved all his instruments, and having let fly all his arrows, and all the evils that were among men, having emptied them with great excess upon the house of the righteous man and 63.711 upon his body, did not wrong the man at all, but rather even benefited him; how will some be able to blame so-and-so, as though wronged by them, and not as if from within themselves? Do you marvel at the three young men? For I do too, that they defied the furnace, that they rose up against the tyrant, saying, We do not serve your gods, nor do we worship the golden image that you have set up. But this was the greatest consolation for them, to know clearly that they suffer all things for God's sake, whatever they might suffer. But that blessed man did not know that what he suffered was a contest and a struggle; for if he had known, he would not have felt what was happening at all. When, at any rate, he heard, Do you think I have dealt with you otherwise than that you might be shown to be righteous? consider how immediately he breathed again from a mere word, how he humbled himself, how he did not even consider that he had suffered what he did suffer, saying thus: Why am I still judged, being admonished and reproved by the Lord, hearing such things, I who am nothing? Let us each, therefore, emulate the piety of this holy man, having learned how many good things spring from patience. For just as if standing in the common theater of the world, that blessed and noble man, speaks to all through the sufferings that befell him, to bear all that happens nobly, and to yield to none of the terrible things that come upon us. For there is not, there is not any human suffering, that cannot receive consolation from there. For the sufferings that are scattered throughout the whole world, these came together and fell upon his one body. What pardon, then, will there be for the one who cannot bear with thanksgiving a portion of the terrible things brought upon that man, who is seen to bear not only a portion, but the entire evils of all mankind? But so-and-so, he says, who gave so many alms, was stripped of everything; another, when a fire occurred, lost everything; others fell into shipwrecks and were brought down to poverty; others again by sickness and disease, and enjoyed no help from anyone. And what of this? remember the things that happened to Job, and give thanks to the Master, who was able to prevent it and did not. But do you live in poverty and hunger and countless dangers? remember Lazarus, who struggled with poverty and desolation and countless other such things, and this after great virtue; remember the apostles, who lived in hunger and thirst and nakedness; the prophets, the righteous; and you will find them all, not among the wealthy nor the luxurious, but among the poor, the afflicted, the distressed. Gathering these things to yourself, give thanks to the Master, that He made you of this portion, not hating, but loving you exceedingly; since it was not from hatred that He allowed them to suffer such terrible things, but because He loved them exceedingly, He made them more glorious through these terrible things. For if men do not let those who labor for them go away without wages and rewards, much more would God not ever choose to deprive of the reward for their labors those who have toiled so much; but there must be some other time after death, in which they will receive the rewards for their labors here. For I have heard many saying: So-and-so, a moderate and fair man, by another

112

πόλιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν κοπρίαν αὐτῷ καὶ οἰκίαν καὶ πόλιν καταστήσας, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν αὐτὸν ἐλυμήνατο, ἀλλὰ καὶ λαμπρότερον δι' ὧν ἐπεβούλευσεν ἀπέφηνε. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν, ἂν ἀφέληταί σοῦ τις χρήματα, καὶ γενναίως ἐνέγκῃς, τοῖς εἰς τοὺς πένητας πάντα δεδαπανηκόσι τὸν αὐτὸν λήψῃ μισθόν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ σπουδάζοντες, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν λυπούντων κερδαίνομεν, οὕτω ῥᾳθυμοῦντες οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ὠφελούντων ἀμείνους γινόμεθα. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ Ἰὼβ τοσαῦτα παθὼν οὐδὲν ἠδίκηται, καὶ παθὼν οὐ παρὰ ἀνθρώπου, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦ πάντων ἀνθρώπων πονηρῶν πονηροτέρου δαίμονος, τίς ἕξει λοιπὸν ἀπολογίαν τῶν λεγόντων, ὅτι Ὁ δεῖνά με ἠδίκησε καὶ παρέβλαψεν; Εἰ γὰρ ὁ διάβολος ὁ τοσαύτης γέμων κακίας πάντα αὐτοῦ κινήσας τὰ ὄργανα, καὶ πάντα ἀφεὶς τὰ βέλη, καὶ ὅσα ἦν ἐν ἀνθρώποις κακὰ, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ὑπερβολῆς καὶ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ δικαίου καὶ 63.711 εἰς τὸ σῶμα κενώσας, οὐδὲν τὸν ἄνδρα ἠδίκησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ὠφέλησε· πῶς δυνήσονταί τινες τὸν δεῖνα καὶ τὸν δεῖνα αἰτιᾶσθαι, ὡς παρ' αὐτῶν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς οἴκοθεν ἠδικημένοι; Θαυμάζεις τοὺς τρεῖς παῖδας; καὶ γὰρ κἀγὼ, ὅτι κατετόλμησαν καμίνου, ὅτι κατεξανέστησαν τοῦ τυράννου, Τοῖς θεοῖς σου, λέγοντες, οὐ λατρεύομεν, καὶ τῇ εἰκόνι τῇ χρυσῇ ᾗ ἔστησας οὐ προσκυνοῦμεν. Ἀλλὰ μεγίστη τοῦτο παραμυθία ἦν αὐτοῖς τὸ σαφῶς εἰδέναι, ὅτι διὰ τὸν Θεὸν πάντα πάσχουσιν, ἅπερ ἂν πάθωσιν. Ὁ δὲ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ᾔδει ὅτι ἀγωνίσματα καὶ πάλη ἦν ἅπερ ἔπαθεν· εἰ γὰρ ᾔδει, οὐδ' ὅλως ἂν ᾔσθετο τῶν γινομένων. Ὅτε γοῦν ἤκουσεν, Ἄλλως με οἴει κεχρηματικέναι σοι, ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος; ἐννόησον πῶς εὐθέως ἀπὸ ψιλοῦ ῥήματος ἀνέπνευσε, πῶς ἑαυτὸν ἐξευτέλισε, πῶς οὐδὲ πεπονθέναι ἐνόμισεν ἅπερ ἔπαθεν, οὕτω λέγων· Τί ἔτι κρίνομαι νουθετούμενος ὑπὸ Κυρίου καὶ ἐλεγχόμενος, ἀκούων τοιαῦτα, οὐδὲν ὢν ἐγώ; Ζηλώσωμεν τοίνυν τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου τούτου εὐλάβειαν ἕκαστος, μαθόντες ὅσα ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπομονῆς βλαστάνει καλά. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν κοινῷ θεάτρῳ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἑστὼς ὁ μακάριος καὶ γενναῖος ἐκεῖνος ἀνὴρ, ἅπασι διὰ τῶν συμβεβηκότων αὐτῷ παθῶν διαλέγεται, πάντα φέρειν τὰ συμπίπτοντα γενναίως, καὶ πρὸς μηδὲν ἐνδιδόναι τῶν ἐπιόντων δεινῶν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπινον πάθος, ὃ μὴ δύναται παραμυθίαν ἐκεῖθεν δέξασθαι. Ἃ μὲν γὰρ ἐν πάσῃ οἰκουμένῃ διέσπαρται πάθη, ταῦτα ὁμοῦ συνελθόντα εἰς ἓν σῶμα κατέσκηψε τὸ ἐκείνου. Τίς οὖν ἔσται συγγνώμη τῷ μὴ δυναμένῳ τὸ μέρος τῶν ἐπαχθέντων ἐκείνῳ δεινῶν μετ' εὐχαριστίας ἐνεγκεῖν, ὃς μὴ μέρος μόνον, ἀλλ' ὁλόκληρα φαίνεται τὰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων φέρων κακά; Ἀλλ' ὁ δεῖνα τοσαύτας ἐλεημοσύνας ποιῶν, φησὶ, πάντων ἐγυμνώθη· ἕτερος γενομένου τινὸς ἐμπρησμοῦ, πάντα ἀπώλεσεν· ἄλλοι ναυαγίοις περιέπεσον, καὶ εἰς πενίαν κατηνέχθησαν· ἕτεροι πάλιν ἀῤῥωστίᾳ καὶ νόσῳ, καὶ παρ' οὐδενὸς οὐδεμιᾶς ἀπέλαυσαν βοηθείας. Καὶ τί τοῦτο; ἀναμνήσθητι τῶν τῷ Ἰὼβ συμβεβηκότων, καὶ εὐχαρίστησον τῷ ∆εσπότῃ, τῷ δυναμένῳ κωλῦσαι καὶ μὴ κωλύσαντι. Ἀλλ' ἐν πενίᾳ διάγεις καὶ λιμῷ καὶ μυρίοις κινδύνοις; ἀναμνήσθητι τοῦ Λαζάρου τοῦ πενίᾳ καὶ ἐρημίᾳ καὶ μυρίοις ἑτέροις τοιούτοις πυκτεύοντος, καὶ ταῦτα μετὰ πολλὴν ἀρετήν· ἀναμνήσθητι τῶν ἀποστόλων, οἳ ἐν λιμῷ καὶ δίψῃ καὶ γυμνότητι διῆγον· τῶν προφητῶν, τῶν δικαίων· καὶ πάντας αὐτοὺς εὑρήσεις, οὐ τῶν πλουτούντων οὐδὲ τῶν τρυφώντων, ἀλλὰ τῶν πενομένων, τῶν θλιβομένων, τῶν στενοχωρουμένων. Ταῦτα παρ' ἑαυτῷ συλλέγων εὐχαρίστησον τῷ ∆εσπότῃ, ὅτι σε τῆς μοίρας ταύτης ἐποίησεν, οὐχὶ μισῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα φιλῶν· ἐπεὶ κἀκείνοις οὐχὶ μισῶν ἠφίει τοσαῦτα πάσχειν δεινὰ, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα ἐφίλει, λαμπροτέρους αὐτοὺς διὰ τῶν δεινῶν τούτων εἰργάζετο. Εἰ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι τοὺς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν κάμνοντας οὐκ ἀφιᾶσι χωρὶς μισθῶν καὶ ἀμοιβῶν ἀπελθεῖν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς τοσαῦτα πεπονηκότας οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιτο τῆς τῶν πόνων αὐτῶν ἀμοιβῆς ἀποστερῆσαί ποτε· ἀλλ' ἀνάγκη καιρὸν ἕτερόν τινα εἶναι μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν, καθ' ὃν ἀπολήψονται τὰς ἀμοιβὰς τῶν ἐνταῦθα πόνων. Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὺς ἤκουσα λέγοντας· Ὁ δεῖνα μέτριος καὶ ἐπιεικὴς ἄνθρωπος ὑφ' ἑτέρου