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fearing, both the king's anger, and the plots of flatterers, and the deceits of friends; and when enemies approach, he trembles more than at all things, and when there is peace, he is suspicious of plotters; for he does not have lasting and inalienable wealth. For this reason he is always flying and moving about, pursuing the deserts and the mountains, living in the dark of the moon, and having thick darkness at high noon, and weaving deceits. But the just man is not like this. For the ways of the just shine like light. For they choose neither to plot nor to do wrong, but have a soul at ease. But these, always weaving deceits, are always in darkness and fear, just like robbers, and burglars, and adulterers; and they see darkness in the day, their soul being struck by dread. How then might this darkness be scattered? If, having removed yourself from all these things, you would hang upon the hope of God, even if you are 55.144 a sinner ten thousand times over. For look, it says, to the ancient generations, and see, who hoped in the Lord, and was put to shame? It did not say, A just man, but, Who? Even if a sinner, it says. For this is the wonderful thing, that even sinners holding to this anchor, are unconquerable by all. For this especially is of a disposition towards God, when being weighed down by so many evils you trust in his love for mankind. For just as accursed is he who hopes in man, so blessed is he who hopes in God. Therefore, having removed yourself from all things, hold to this anchor. For God oversees all things, and judges just things, and not only does he judge, but also carries it out into action. For this reason, having spoken of his righteousness, he showed also the punishment, through fire, through the tempest; and this he does, caring for them, and through punishment making them more sober-minded. Therefore, for all reasons let us approach him, and let us remain continually looking to him. For thus we shall obtain all good things in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. ON THE 11TH PSALM. To the end, for the eighth. Another, To the victor for the eighth. But the Hebrew says, Aseminith. Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has ceased, for truths have diminished from the sons of men. Another, Because the faithful have failed from the sons of men. 1. Virtue is difficult, and hard to achieve even in itself, but especially so, when the one who practices it is in a scarcity of good men. For just as a journey brings toil, but much more so when the traveler is alone, and has no one to share the journey; so indeed also here. For the fellowship and encouragement of brothers is no small thing. Wherefore Paul also says: Considering one another to provoke unto love and to good works. For this reason indeed it is especially worthy to call the ancients blessed, not because they achieved virtue, but because there was also a great drought of virtue, and those who achieved it were nowhere to be seen. This at least the Scripture also said, hinting at it: Noah was a just man, perfect in his generation. For this reason we admire Abraham, for this reason Lot, for this reason Moses, because just as stars appeared in deep night, and roses among the thorns, and sheep among ten thousand wolves, traveling a road contrary to all, and not being cut off. For if in a crowd this very thing brings difficulty, and with many doing the opposite, the one alone walking opposite the crowd endures many troubles, and if in seamanship it is difficult, with the surge bearing the opposite way, to steer the ship in the opposite direction; much more so in the case of virtue. For indeed

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δεδοικὼς, καὶ βασιλέως θυμὸν, καὶ κολάκων ἐπιβουλὰς, καὶ φίλων δόλους· καὶ πολεμίων ἐπιστάντων, μᾶλλον πάντων τρέμει, καὶ εἰρήνης οὔσης, ὑφορᾶται τοὺς ἐπιβούλους· οὐ γὰρ ἔχει πλοῦτον μόνιμον καὶ ἀναφαίρετον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀεὶ πέτεται καὶ μετανίσταται, τὰς ἐρήμους διώκων καὶ τὰ ὄρη, ἐν σκοτομήνῃ διάγων, καὶ παχὺ σκότος ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ μέσῃ ἔχων, καὶ δόλους ῥάπτων. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ δίκαιος τοιοῦτος. Αἱ γὰρ τῶν δικαίων ὁδοὶ ὁμοίως φωτὶ λάμπουσιν. Οὔτε γὰρ ἐπιβουλεύειν αἱροῦνται, οὔτε ἀδικεῖν, ἀλλ' ἀνειμένην ψυχὴν ἔχουσιν. Οὗτοι δὲ ἀεὶ δόλους ῥάπτοντες, ἀεὶ ἐν σκότῳ καὶ φόβῳ εἰσὶ, καθάπερ οἱ λῃσταὶ, καὶ οἱ τοιχωρύχοι, καὶ οἱ μοιχοί· καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σκότος ὁρῶσι, τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῶν ὑπὸ δέους βαλλομένης. Πῶς οὖν ἂν διασκεδασθείη τὸ σκότος τοῦτο; Εἰ πάντων τούτων ἑαυτὸν ἀποστήσας, ἐκκρεμασθείης τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ Θεοῦ, κἂν μυριάκις 55.144 ἁμαρτωλὸς ᾖς. Ἐμβλέψατε γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς ἀρχαίας γενεὰς, καὶ ἴδετε, τίς ἤλπισεν ἐπὶ Κύριον, καὶ κατῃσχύνθη; Οὐκ εἶπε, ∆ίκαιος, ἀλλὰ, Τίς; Κἂν ἁμαρτωλὸς, φησί. Τὸ γὰρ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ταύτης ἐχόμενοι τῆς ἀγκύρας, πᾶσίν εἰσιν ἀχείρωτοι. Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστα διαθέσεως τῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ὅταν τοσούτοις κακοῖς βεβαρημένος θαῤῥήσῃς αὐτοῦ τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπικατάρατος ὁ ἐλπίζων ἐπὶ ἄνθρωπον, οὕτω μακάριος ὁ ἐλπίζων ἐπὶ Θεόν. Πάντων τοίνυν ἀποστήσας σαυτὸν, ταύτης ἔχου τῆς ἀγκύρας. Καὶ γὰρ ἐφορᾷ πάντα ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ κρίνει τὰ δίκαια, καὶ οὐ κρίνει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς ἔργον ἐξάγει. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἰπὼν αὐτοῦ περὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ἔδειξε καὶ τὴν τιμωρίαν, διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς, διὰ τῆς καταιγίδος· καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ποιεῖ, κηδόμενος ἐκείνων, καὶ διὰ τῆς κολάσεως σωφρονεστέρους ποιῶν. Πάντων οὖν ἕνεκεν προσίωμεν αὐτῷ, καὶ διηνεκῶς μένωμεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁρῶντες. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ πάντων ἐπιτευξόμεθα τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΙΑʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ. Εἰς τὸ τέλος ὑπὲρ τῆς ὀγδόης. Ἄλλος, Τῷ νι κοποιῷ ὑπὲρ τῆς ὀγδόης Ὁ δὲ Ἑβραῖος, Ἀσε μινὶθ, φησί. Σῶσόν με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐκλέλοιπεν ὅσιος, ὅτι ὠλιγώ θησαν αἱ ἀλήθειαι ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ἄλλος, Ὅτι ἐπεράνθησαν πιστοὶ ἀπὸ υἱῶν ἀν θρώπων. αʹ. ∆ύσκολον μὲν ἀρετὴ, καὶ δυσκατόρθωτον καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸ, μάλιστα δὲ, ὅταν ἐν σπάνει τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν ὁ ἐργαζόμενος ᾖ. Καθάπερ γὰρ φέρει μὲν ὁδοιπορία πόνον, πολλῷ δὲ πλέον ὅταν μόνος ὁ ὁδοιπόρος ᾖ, καὶ μηδένα τὸν κοινωνοῦντα τῆς ὁδοιπορίας ἔχῃ· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ μικρὸν ἀδελφῶν κοινωνία καὶ παράκλησις. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλός φησι· Κατανοοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς εἰς παροξυσμὸν ἀγάπης καὶ καλῶν ἔργων. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο μάλιστα τοὺς παλαιοὺς μακαρίζειν ἄξιον, οὐχ ὅτι κατώρθωσαν ἀρετὴν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ αὐχμοῦ πολλοῦ τῆς ἀρετῆς ὄντος, καὶ τῶν κατορθούντων οὐδαμοῦ φαινομένων. Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ἡ Γραφὴ αἰνιττομένη ἔλεγε· Νῶε δίκαιος, τέλειος ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ αὐτοῦ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τὸν Ἀβραὰμ θαυμάζομεν, διὰ τοῦτο τὸν Λὼτ, διὰ τοῦτο τὸν Μωϋσέα, ὅτι καθάπερ ἐν βαθείᾳ νυκτὶ ἀστέρες ἐφαίνοντο, καὶ μεταξὺ τῶν ἀκανθῶν ῥόδα, καὶ ἐν μυρίοις λύκοις πρόβατα, τὴν ἐναντίαν πᾶσιν ὁδεύοντες ὁδὸν, καὶ μὴ διακοπτόμενοι. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ πλήθους αὐτὸ τοῦτο δυσκολίαν φέρει, καὶ πολλῶν τὴν ἐναντίαν ποιουμένων, ὁ μόνος ἀπεναντίας τοῦ πλήθους βαδίζων πολλὰ ὑπομένει πράγματα, καὶ εἰ ἐν ναυτιλίᾳ δὲ χαλεπὸν, τοῦ ῥοθίου τὴν ἐναντίαν φερομένου, πρὸς τὴν ἐναντίαν τὸ πλοῖον ἰθύνειν· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς. ∆ιὰ δὴ