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Be of good cheer, then, concerning it; for it has already been prepared, awaiting your labors. But if the delay grieves you, let this very thing cheer you; for because it is something great and ineffable, and surpasses the present state, it is stored up there. For he did not simply put, *The sufferings of this present time*, but to show that that one surpasses not only in quality, but also in quantity. For whatever these sufferings may be, they are allotted to the present life; but the good things to come extend to immortal ages. Since he could not speak of these things to us in detail, nor represent them in words, he named them from what seems to be most desirable among us, from glory; for this seems to be the height and sum of good things. And lifting up the hearer in another way, and from creation he magnifies his discourse, establishing two things through what he is about to say: both a contempt for present things, and a desire for future things; and a third thing with these, or rather, a first, to show how earnestly desired by God is the race of men, and in how much honor He holds our nature. And with these things, he overthrows with this one doctrine all the dogmas of the philosophers concerning this world, composed by them, as if they were some spider's web and children's toys. But that these things may become clearer, let us listen to the apostolic saying itself. *For the earnest expectation of the creation*, he says, *waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope.* And what he says is something like this: This creation is in great travail, awaiting and expecting these good things which we have just mentioned; for "earnest expectation" is intense expectation. And so that the discourse might be more expressive, he also personifies this whole world; which the prophets also do, introducing rivers clapping their hands, and hills leaping, and the mountains skipping; not that we should think these things are animate, nor that we should attribute some reason to them, but that we may learn the exceeding greatness of the good things, as reaching even to things without sensation. 5. And this very thing they also often do in the case of sorrowful things, introducing a vine mourning, and wine and mountains and the coffered ceilings of the temple wailing, so that from this we may in turn understand the exceeding greatness of the evils. And imitating these, the Apostle also personifies the creation here, and says that it groans and travails in pain; not because he heard some groaning carried from earth and heaven, but that he might show the exceeding greatness of the good things to come, and the desire for deliverance 60.530 from the evils which hold us. *For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it.* What does it mean, *The creation was subjected to futility*? It became corruptible. For what reason and why? Because of you, man. For since you received a mortal and passible body, the earth also received a curse and brought forth thorns and thistles. But that heaven also, along with the earth, growing old, will later be changed to a better end, hear the Prophet saying: *In the beginning You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; and all will grow old like a garment, and like a cloak You will roll them up, and they will be changed.* And Isaiah also, indicating these things, said: *Look up to the heaven above, and to the earth below, for the heaven was made firm like smoke, and the earth will grow old like a garment, and those who dwell in it will perish in like manner.* Do you see how the creation was enslaved to futility, and how it is freed from corruption? For the one says: *Like a garment You will roll them up, and they will be changed*; and Isaiah, *and those who dwell in it will perish in like manner*; not speaking of a complete destruction, he says; for neither will those who dwell in it, that is, men, undergo such a destruction, but a temporary one, and through it they will be changed to incorruption, just as the creation will be. All of which things he signified by saying, *in like manner*; which indeed Paul also says as he proceeds; for the present, however

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Θάῤῥει τοίνυν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς· παρεσκεύασται γὰρ ἤδη τοὺς σοὺς ἀναμένουσα πόνους. Εἰ δὲ τὸ μέλλειν σε λυπεῖ, αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν εὐφραινέτω σε τοῦτο· τῷ γὰρ μεγάλη τις εἶναι καὶ ἄφραστος, καὶ τὴν παροῦσαν ὑπερβαίνειν κατάστασιν, ἐκεῖ τεταμίευται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁπλῶς τέθεικε, Τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ, ἀλλ' ἵνα δείξῃ οὐχὶ ποιότητι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ποσότητι νικῶσαν ἐκείνην. Ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ οἷα ἂν εἴη τὰ παθήματα, τῷ παρόντι συγκεκλήρωται βίῳ· τὰ δὲ μέλλοντα ἀγαθὰ πρὸς τοὺς ἀθανάτους παρεκτείνεται αἰῶνας. Ἅπερ ἐπειδὴ κατὰ μέρος ἡμῖν εἰπεῖν οὐκ εἶχεν οὐδὲ παραστῆσαι λόγῳ, ἀπὸ τοῦ μάλιστα δοκοῦντος εἶναι παρ' ἡμῖν ἐπεράστου, τῆς δόξης, αὐτὰ ὠνόμασεν· ἡ γὰρ κορυφὴ τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον, τοῦτο εἶναι δοκεῖ. Ἐπαίρων δὲ καὶ ἑτέρως τὸν ἀκροατὴν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς κτίσεως ἐξογκοῖ τὸν λόγον, δύο κατασκευάζων διὰ τῶν λεχθήσεσθαι μελλόντων, καὶ ὑπεροψίαν τῶν παρόντων, καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν τῶν μελλόντων· καὶ τρίτον μετὰ τούτων, μᾶλλον δὲ πρῶτον, τὸ δεῖξαι πῶς περισπούδαστον τῷ Θεῷ τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος ἐστὶ, καὶ ἐν ὅσῃ τὴν φύσιν τὴν ἡμετέραν ἄγει τιμῇ. Μετὰ δὲ τούτων καὶ τὰ τῶν φιλοσόφων ἅπαντα δόγματα τὰ περὶ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου συντεθέντα αὐτοῖς, ὥσπερ ἀράχνην τινὰ καὶ παίδων ἀθύρματα, ἑνὶ τούτῳ καταβάλλει τῷ δόγματι. Ἀλλ' ἵνα σαφέστερα ταῦτα γένηται, αὐτῆς τῆς ἀποστολικῆς ἐπακούσωμεν ῥήσεως. Ἡ γὰρ ἀποκαραδοκία τῆς κτίσεως, φησὶ, τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀπεκδέχεται. Τῇ γὰρ ματαιότητι ἡ κτίσις ὑπετάγη, οὐχ ἑκοῦσα, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν ὑποτάξαντα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἡ κτίσις αὕτη σφόδρα ὠδίνει, ταῦτα ἀναμένουσα καὶ προσδοκῶσα τὰ ἀγαθὰ, ἅπερ εἰρήκαμεν νῦν· ἀποκαραδοκία γὰρ ἡ σφοδρὰ προσδοκία ἐστίν. Ὥστε δὲ ἐμφαντικώτερον γενέσθαι τὸν λόγον, καὶ προσωποποιεῖ τὸν κόσμον ἅπαντα τοῦτον· ἅπερ καὶ οἱ προφῆται ποιοῦσιν, ποταμοὺς κροτοῦντας χερσὶν εἰσάγοντες, καὶ βουνοὺς ἁλλομένους, καὶ τὰ ὄρη σκιρτῶντα· οὐχ ἵνα ταῦτα ἔμψυχα εἶναι νομίσωμεν, οὐδ' ἵνα λογισμόν τινα δῶμεν αὐτοῖς, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὴν ὑπερβολὴν μάθωμεν τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ὡς καὶ τῶν ἀναισθήτων αὐτῶν καθικνουμένην. εʹ. Τοῦτο δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν λυπηρῶν ποιοῦσι πολλάκις, εἰσάγοντες καὶ ἄμπελον θρηνοῦσαν, καὶ οἶνον καὶ ὄρη καὶ τὰ φατνώματα ὀλολύζοντα τοῦ ναοῦ, ἵνα καὶ ἐντεῦθεν πάλιν τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῶν κακῶν ἐννοήσωμεν. Τούτους δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος μιμούμενος, προσωποποιεῖ τὴν κτίσιν ἐνταῦθα, καί φησι στενάζειν αὐτὴν καὶ ὠδίνειν· οὐκ ἐπειδὴ στεναγμοῦ τινος ἤκουσεν ἀπὸ γῆς καὶ οὐρανοῦ φερομένου, ἀλλ' ἵνα τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἐνδείξηται τὴν ὑπερβολὴν, καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς ἀπαλ 60.530 λαγῆς τῶν κατεχόντων κακῶν. Τῇ γὰρ ματαιότητι ἡ κτίσις ὑπετάγη, οὐχ ἑκοῦσα, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν ὑποτάξαντα. Τί ἐστι, Τῇ ματαιότητι ἡ κτίσις ὑπετάγη; Φθαρτὴ γέγονε. Τίνος ἕνεκεν καὶ διὰ τί; ∆ιὰ σὲ τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ σῶμα ἔλαβες θνητὸν καὶ παθητὸν, καὶ ἡ γῆ κατάραν ἐδέξατο καὶ ἀκάνθας ἤνεγκε καὶ τριβόλους. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ οὐρανὸς μετὰ τῆς γῆς παλαιούμενος πρὸς τὴν ἀμείνω λῆξιν ὕστερον μεταστήσεται, ἄκουσον τοῦ Προφήτου λέγοντος· Καταρχὰς σὺ, Κύριε, τὴν γῆν ἐθεμελίωσας, καὶ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σού εἰσιν οἱ οὐρανοί. Αὐτοὶ ἀπολοῦνται, σὺ δὲ διαμένεις, καὶ πάντες ὡς ἱμάτιον παλαιωθήσονται, καὶ ὡσεὶ περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀλλαγήσονται. Καὶ ὁ Ἡσαΐας δὲ ταῦτα ἐμφαίνων ἔλεγεν· Ἐμβλέψατε εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἄνω, καὶ εἰς τὴν γῆν κάτω, ὅτι ὁ οὐρανὸς ὡς καπνὸς ἐστερεώθη, ἡ δὲ γῆ ὡς ἱμάτιον παλαιωθήσεται, οἱ δὲ κατοικοῦντες αὐτὴν, ὥσπερ ταῦτα ἀπολοῦνται. Εἶδες πῶς ἐδούλευσε τῇ ματαιότητι ἡ κτίσις, καὶ πῶς ἐλευθεροῦται ἀπὸ τῆς φθορᾶς; Ὁ μὲν γάρ φησιν· Ὡς ἱμάτιον ἑλίξεις αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀλλαγήσονται· ὁ δὲ Ἡσαΐας, Οἱ δὲ κατοικοῦντες αὐτὴν, ὥσπερ ταῦτα ἀπολοῦνται· οὐ παντελῆ λέγων ἀπώλειαν, φησίν· οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ κατοικοῦντες αὐτὴν, τουτέστιν, οἱ ἄνθρωποι, τοιαύτην ὑποστήσονται, ἀλλὰ τὴν πρόσκαιρον, καὶ δι' αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν μεταστήσονται, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἡ κτίσις. Ἅπερ ἅπαντα διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν, Ὡς ταῦτα, παρεδήλωσεν· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Παῦλος προϊών φησι· τέως μέντοι