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of our body; that is, the perfected glory. For now our affairs stand in uncertainty until our last breath; for many who were sons have become dogs and captives. But if we depart with a good hope, then the gift is unmovable, and clearer and greater, no longer fearing the change that comes from death and sin. Then, therefore, the grace will be sure, when our body also is freed from death, and from countless passions. For this is redemption, not simply ransom, but so that we may no longer return again to our former captivity. For lest you should be perplexed, hearing of glory continuously and knowing nothing clearly, He partially reveals the things to come, changing your body, and changing all creation along with it; which He also declared more clearly elsewhere, saying: Who will transform the body of our lowliness to be conformed to the body of His glory. And elsewhere again writing He said: But when this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. And showing that with the corruption of the body the state of worldly things will also pass away, He wrote again elsewhere: For the fashion of this world passes away. For we were saved by hope, he says. For since he dwelt on the promise of things to come, this also seemed to grieve the weaker hearer, if the good things are in hope, 60.532 having previously established that they are clearer than present and seen things, and having discussed much about the gifts already given, and having shown that we have received a first-fruit of those good things, lest we seek all things here and betray our nobility which is from faith, he says: For we were saved by hope. And what he says is this: We must not seek all things here, but also hope. For this is the only gift we brought to God, to believe Him who promised the things to come, and by this way alone were we saved. If, therefore, we lose it, we have lost the whole of our contribution. For I ask you, he says, were you not liable for countless evils? Were you not in despair? Were you not subject to a sentence? Were not all powerless for your salvation? What then saved you? Only to hope in God, and to believe Him concerning what He promised and gave, and you had nothing more to bring. If, therefore, this saved you, hold it fast now also. For she who provided you with so many good things, it is clear that she will not lie to you about the things to come either. For where, taking one who was dead and lost and a captive and an enemy, she made him a friend and a son and free and righteous and a joint-heir, and provided so many things as no one ever expected; how after such great generosity and intimacy will she not receive you in the things that follow? Therefore do not say to me: Again hopes, again expectations, again faith. For so you were saved from the beginning, and this dowry alone you brought to the bridegroom. Therefore hold it fast and keep it. For if you demand all things here, you have lost your achievement, through which you became glorious. For this reason he adds, saying: But hope that is seen is not hope; for what someone sees, why does he also hope for it? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. That is: If you are going to seek all things here, what need is there of hope? What then is hope? To have confidence in the things to come. For what great thing does God ask of you, He who gives the good things whole from His own store? He asks one thing only of you, hope, that you too may have something to contribute to your salvation; which, therefore, he also added, alluding to it: But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. For just as God crowns the one who labors and endures hardship and toils in countless ways, so also He crowns the one who hopes; for the name of patience is a name of sweat and much endurance. But nevertheless He granted this also to the one who hopes, that He might comfort the weary soul. ζʹ. Then, showing that for this light thing we enjoy much help, he adds: Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For on the one hand

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σώματος ἡμῶν· τουτέστι, τὴν ἀπηρτισμένην δόξαν. Νῦν μὲν γὰρ ἐν ἀδήλῳ τὰ ἡμέτερα ἕστηκεν ἕως ἐσχάτης ἀναπνοῆς· πολλοὶ γὰρ ὄντες υἱοὶ, γεγόνασι κύνες καὶ αἰχμάλωτοι. Ἂν δὲ μετὰ χρηστῆς καταλύσωμεν ἐλπίδος, τότε ἀκίνητος ἡ δωρεὰ, καὶ σαφεστέρα καὶ μείζων, οὐκέτι τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας δεδοικυῖα μεταβολήν. Τότε οὖν βεβαία ἔσται ἡ χάρις, ὅταν καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἡμῶν ἀπαλλαγῇ θανάτου, καὶ τῶν μυρίων παθῶν. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἀπολύτρωσις, οὐχ ἁπλῶς λύτρωσις, ἀλλ' ὥστε μηκέτι πάλιν ὑποστρέψαι ἐπὶ τὴν προτέραν αἰχμαλωσίαν. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ ἀπορῇς δόξαν ἀκούων συνεχῶς, καὶ μηδὲν σαφῶς ἐπιστάμενος, ἐκ μέρους ὑπανοίγει τὰ μέλλοντα, τὸ σῶμά σοι μεταβάλλων, καὶ τὴν κτίσιν αὐτῷ συμμεταβάλλων ἅπασαν· ὃ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ σαφέστερον ἐδήλωσεν εἰπών· Ὃς μετασχηματίσει τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι σύμμορφον τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἑτέρωθι πάλιν γράφων ἔλεγεν· Ὅταν δὲ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν, τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος· Κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος. ∆εικνὺς δὲ, ὅτι μετὰ τῆς φθορᾶς τοῦ σώματος καὶ ἡ τῶν βιωτικῶν πραγμάτων κατάστασις οἰχήσεται, ἔγραφε πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ· Παράγει γὰρ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου. Τῇ γὰρ ἐλπίδι ἐσώθημεν, φησίν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τῇ τῶν μελλόντων ἐνδιέτριψεν ὑποσχέσει, ἐδόκει καὶ 60.532 τοῦτο λυπεῖν τὸν ἀσθενέστερον ἀκροατὴν, εἴ γε ἐν ἐλπίσι τὰ ἀγαθὰ, πρότερον κατασκευάσας, ὅτι τῶν παρόντων καὶ ὁρωμένων ἐστὶ σαφέστερα, καὶ πολλὰ περὶ τῶν ἤδη δεδομένων δωρεῶν διαλεχθεὶς, καὶ δείξας, ὅτι καὶ ἀπαρχὴν ἐκείνων ἐλάβομεν τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἵνα μὴ πάντα ἐνταῦθα ζητῶμεν καὶ τὴν εὐγένειαν ἡμῶν προδῶμεν τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως, φησί· Τῇ γὰρ ἐλπίδι ἐσώθημεν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Οὐ δεῖ πάντα ἐνταῦθα ζητεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐλπίζειν. Τοῦτο γὰρ μόνον εἰσηνέγκαμεν τῷ Θεῷ τὸ δῶρον, τὸ πιστεῦσαι αὐτῷ τὰ μέλλοντα ἐπαγγειλαμένῳ, καὶ διὰ ταύτης μόνον ἐσώθημεν τῆς ὁδοῦ. Ἂν τοίνυν αὐτὴν ἀπολέσωμεν, τὸ πᾶν τῆς ἡμετέρας εἰσφορᾶς ἀπωλέσαμεν. Ἐρωτῶ γάρ σε, φησὶν, οὐχὶ μυρίων ὑπεύθυνος ἦς κακῶν; οὐχὶ ἀπεγνωσμένος; οὐχὶ ἀποφάσει ὑποκείμενος; οὐχὶ πάντες ἠτόνουν πρὸς τὴν σωτηρίαν τὴν σήν; τί οὖν σε ἔσωσε; Τὸ εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἐλπίσαι μόνον, καὶ πιστεῦσαι αὐτῷ περὶ ὧν ἐπηγγείλατο καὶ ἔδωκε, καὶ πλέον οὐδὲν ἔσχες εἰσενεγκεῖν. Εἰ τοίνυν αὕτη σε ἔσωσε, ταύτην κάτεχε καὶ νῦν. Ἡ γὰρ τοσαῦτά σοι παρασχοῦσα ἀγαθὰ, εὔδηλον ὅτι οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων σε ψεύσεται. Ὅπου γὰρ νεκρὸν λαβοῦσα καὶ ἀπολωλότα καὶ αἰχμάλωτον καὶ ἐχθρὸν, φίλον ἐποίησε καὶ υἱὸν καὶ ἐλεύθερον καὶ δίκαιον καὶ συγκληρονόμον, καὶ τοσαῦτα παρέσχεν, ὅσα μηδὲ προσεδόκησέ τίς ποτε· πῶς μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην φιλοτιμίαν τε καὶ οἰκείωσιν οὐ προσήσεταί σε ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς; Μὴ τοίνυν μοι λέγε· Πάλιν ἐλπίδες, πάλιν προσδοκίαι, πάλιν πίστις. Οὕτω γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐσώθης, καὶ ταύτην τὴν προῖκα εἰσήνεγκας τῷ νυμφίῳ μόνον. Κάτεχε τοίνυν αὐτὴν καὶ διατήρει. Ἂν γὰρ ἐνταῦθα πάντα ἀπαιτῇς ἀπώλεσάς σου τὸ κατόρθωμα, δι' οὗ λαμπρὸς ἐγένου. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπάγει λέγων· Ἐλπὶς δὲ βλεπομένη, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐλπίς· ὃ γὰρ βλέπει τις, τί καὶ ἐλπίζει; Εἰ δὲ ὃ οὐ βλέπομεν, ἐλπίζομεν, δι' ὑπομονῆς ἀπεκδεχόμεθα. Τουτέστιν· Εἰ πάντα ἐνταῦθα μέλλεις ζητεῖν, τίς χρεία ἐλπίδος; Τί οὖν ἐστιν ἡ ἐλπίς; Τὸ τοῖς μέλλουσι θαῤῥεῖν. Τί γὰρ μέγα αἰτεῖ παρὰ σοῦ ὁ Θεὸς, αὐτὸς ὁλόκληρα οἴκοθεν διδοὺς τὰ ἀγαθά; Ἓν αἰτεῖ παρὰ σοῦ μόνον, ἐλπίδα, ἵνα ἔχῃς τι καὶ αὐτὸς συνεισενεγκεῖν εἰς τὴν σὴν σωτηρίαν· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ αἰνιττόμενος ἐπήγαγεν· Εἰ δὲ ὃ οὐ βλέπομεν, ἐλπίζομεν, δι' ὑπομονῆς ἀπεκδεχόμεθα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸν πονοῦντα καὶ ταλαιπωροῦντα καὶ μυρία κάμνοντα, οὕτω καὶ τὸν ἐλπίζοντα ὁ Θεὸς στεφανοῖ· τὸ γὰρ τῆς ὑπομονῆς ὄνομα ἱδρώτων ἐστὶν ὄνομα καὶ καρτερίας πολλῆς. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐχαρίσατο καὶ τοῦτο τῷ ἐλπίζοντι, ἵνα παραμυθήσηται τὴν ἀποκαμοῦσαν ψυχήν. ζʹ. Εἶτα δεικνὺς, ὅτι πρὸς τὸ κοῦφον τοῦτο πολλῆς ἀπολαύομεν βοηθείας, ἐπάγει· Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα συναντιλαμβάνεται ταῖς ἀσθενείαις ἡμῶν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ