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This happens for the sake of instruction 60.534, and that the love of the Spirit might be shown, that it condescends to such a degree. Wherefore also the one praying was heard, because the prayer was according to God. Do you see by how many things He teaches them the love He has for them and the honor that is shown to them? 8. For what has God not done for us? The world was corruptible for us, and incorruptible He made it for us; He permitted the prophets to be afflicted for us, He sent into captivity for us, He allowed to fall into a furnace for us, to endure countless evils. And He made them prophets for us, and apostles for us; He gave up the Only-begotten for us, He punishes the devil for us; He has seated us at the right hand; He was reproached for us. For the reproaches, he says, of those who reproach you have fallen on me. But yet after so many things, He does not abandon us when we fall away, but even entreats us again, and prepares others to entreat on our behalf, that He may be gracious to us; which happened in the case of Moses. For to him He says, Let me alone, and I will blot them out; that He might move him to supplication on their behalf; and now He does the same. For this reason He also gave the gift of prayer. And He did this, not because He Himself needed entreaty, but that we might not, by being saved simply, become more worthless. For this reason indeed, He often says that He is reconciled to them for the sake of David and so-and-so and so-and-so, working out this very thing again, that a form might also be given to the reconciliation; and yet He Himself would have appeared more loving, if He had said He put away His wrath from them not for the sake of so-and-so and so-and-so, but for His own sake. But He was not so concerned with this, as that the matter of the reconciliation should not become an occasion for indolence for those being saved. For this reason He also said to Jeremiah, Do not pray for this people, for I will not listen to you; not wishing to stop him from praying (for He greatly desires our salvation), but to frighten them; which therefore the prophet, understanding, did not cease to pray. And that you may learn that He said these things not wishing to make him cease, but to put them to shame, listen to what He says: Or do you not see what they themselves are doing? And to the city when He says, Though you wash with nitre, and multiply for yourself soap, you are stained before me; He says this not to cast into despair, but to rouse to repentance. For just as in the case of the Ninevites by speaking the sentence unconditionally, and not suggesting good hopes, He frightened them more and led them to repentance; so also He does here, both rousing them and making the prophet more venerable, that they might at least listen to him in this way. Then since they remained incurably sick, and were not chastened even when others were carried off, at first He advises them to remain there; but when they would not endure it, but deserted to Egypt, He permitted this, but asks of them not to desert to impiety 60.534 along with Egypt. But when they were not persuaded of this either, He sends the prophet with them, so that they might not at last be completely shipwrecked. For since they did not follow Him when He called, He Himself at last follows them, correcting them, and preventing them from being carried further into wickedness, just as an affectionate father with a child who is unfortunately disposed toward everything, leads and follows him about everywhere. For this very reason He sent not only Jeremiah to Egypt, but also Ezekiel to Babylon 60.535. But they did not refuse. For since they saw their own Master loving them intensely, they themselves also continued doing this; just as if some well-disposed servant might pity a worthless son, seeing the father grieving for him and lamenting. For what did they not suffer for them? They were sawn asunder, they were persecuted, they were reproached, they were stoned, they suffered countless terrible things; and after all these things, they ran to them again. For Samuel also did not cease to mourn for Saul, although he was grievously insulted by him, and had suffered incurable things; but yet he remembered none of those things. And for the people of the Jews Jeremiah even composed written lamentations; and when the general of the Persians was giving him with freedom

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παιδεύσεως 60.534 ἕνεκεν τοῦτο γίνεται, καὶ τοῦ δειχθῆναι τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν ἀγάπην, ὅτι μέχρι τοσούτου συγκαταβαίνει. Ὅθεν καὶ τὸ ἀκούεσθαι ἐγίνετο τῷ εὐχομένῳ, διὰ τὸ κατὰ Θεὸν γίνεσθαι τὴν εὐχήν. Ὁρᾷς δι' ὅσων αὐτοὺς παιδεύει τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀγάπην καὶ τὴν τιμὴν τὴν γινομένην εἰς αὐτούς; ηʹ. Τί γὰρ οὐκ ἐποίησε δι' ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεός; Φθαρτὸν τὸν κόσμον δι' ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἄφθαρτον ἐποίησε δι' ἡμᾶς· κακωθῆναι τοὺς προφήτας συνεχώρησε δι' ἡμᾶς, εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν ἔπεμψε δι' ἡμᾶς, εἰς κάμινον ἀφῆκεν ἐμπεσεῖν δι' ἡμᾶς, τὰ μυρία ὑπομεῖναι κακά. Καὶ προφήτας δὲ δι' ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐποίησε, καὶ ἀποστόλους δι' ἡμᾶς· τὸν Μονογενῆ δι' ἡμᾶς ἐξέδωκε, τὸν διάβολον δι' ἡμᾶς κολάζει· ἐκάθισεν ἡμᾶς ἐν δεξιᾷ· ὠνειδίσθη δι' ἡμᾶς· Οἱ ὀνειδισμοὶ γὰρ, φησὶ, τῶν ὀνειδιζόντων σε ἐπέπεσον ἐπ' ἐμέ. Ἀλλ' ὅμως μετὰ τοσαῦτα ἀφισταμένους ἡμᾶς οὐκ ἀφίησιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρακαλεῖ πάλιν, καὶ ἑτέρους παρασκευάζει παρακαλεῖν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα ἡμῖν χαρίσηται· ὅπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Μωϋσέως γέγονε. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνῳ φησίν· Ἄφες με, καὶ ἐξαλείψω αὐτούς· ἵνα αὐτὸν ἐμβάλῃ εἰς τὴν ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων ἱκετηρίαν· καὶ νῦν τὸ αὐτὸ ποιεῖ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ χάρισμα εὐχῆς ἐδίδου. Ἐποίει δὲ τοῦτο, οὐκ αὐτὸς παρακλήσεως δεόμενος, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἡμεῖς μὴ, ἁπλῶς σωζόμενοι, φαυλότεροι καταστῶμεν. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο πολλάκις διὰ τὸν ∆αυῒδ καὶ τὸν δεῖνα καὶ τὸν δεῖνά φησιν αὐτοῖς καταλλάττεσθαι, τοῦτο αὐτὸ κατασκευάζων πάλιν, ἵνα καὶ σχῆμα ἐπιτεθῇ τῇ καταλλαγῇ· καίτοι μειζόνως ἂν αὐτὸς ἐφάνη φιλάνθρωπος, εἰ μὴ διὰ τὸν δεῖνα καὶ τὸν δεῖνα, ἀλλὰ δι' ἑαυτὸν ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς ἀφεῖναι τὴν ὀργήν. Ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτω τοῦτο ἐσπούδακεν, ὡς τὸ τοῖς σωζομένοις μὴ γενέσθαι ῥᾳθυμίας ἀφορμὴν τὴν τῆς καταλλαγῆς ὑπόθεσιν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τῷ Ἱερεμίᾳ ἔλεγε· Μὴ ἀξίου περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσακούσομαί σου· οὐχὶ παῦσαι αὐτὸν θέλων ἀξιοῦντα (πολὺ γὰρ ἐπιθυμεῖ τῆς σωτηρίας τῆς ἡμετέρας), ἀλλ' ἐκείνους φοβῆσαι· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ προφήτης συνιδὼν, οὐκ ἐπαύσατο ἀξιῶν. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι οὐκ ἀποστῆσαι αὐτὸν θέλων, ἀλλ' ἐντρέψαι, ταῦτα ἔλεγεν, ἄκουσον τί φησιν· Ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς τί αὐτοὶ ποιοῦσι; Καὶ πρὸς τὴν πόλιν δὲ ὅταν λέγῃ· Ἐὰν ἀποπλύνῃ νίτρῳ, καὶ πληθύνῃς σεαυτῇ πόαν, κεκηλίδωσαι ἐναντίον μου· οὐχ ἵνα εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ἐμβάλῃ, λέγει, ἀλλ' ἵνα εἰς μετάνοιαν διαναστήσῃ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν Νινευϊτῶν ἀδιορίστως εἰπὼν τὴν ἀπόφασιν, καὶ μὴ ὑποτείνας χρηστὰς ἐλπίδας, μᾶλλον ἐφόβησε καὶ εἰς μετάνοιαν ἤγαγεν· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα ποιεῖ, ἐκείνους τε διεγείρων καὶ τὸν προφήτην αἰδεσιμώτερον κατασκευάζων, ἵνα κἂν οὕτως αὐτοῦ ἀκούσωσιν. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ ἔμενον ἀνίατα νοσοῦντες, καὶ οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων ἀπενεχθέντων ἐσωφρονίσθησαν, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον παραινεῖ μένειν αὐτόθι· ὡς δὲ οὐκ ἠνείχοντο, ἀλλ' ηὐτομόλουν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, τοῦτο μὲν συνεχώρησεν, αἰτεῖ δὲ παρ' αὐτῶν τὸ μὴ μετ' Αἰ 60.534 γύπτου καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀσέβειαν αὐτομολῆσαι. Ὡς δὲ οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἐπείσθησαν, συμπέμπει τὸν προφήτην αὐτοῖς, ὥστε μὴ τέλεον ἐξοκεῖλαι λοιπόν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ καλοῦντι, αὐτὸς αὐτοῖς ἕπεται λοιπὸν διορθούμενος, καὶ κωλύων προσωτέρω φέρεσθαι τῆς κακίας καθάπερ πατὴρ φιλόστοργος παιδίῳ δυστυχῶς ἔχοντι πρὸς ἅπαντα, πανταχοῦ συμπεριάγων καὶ συμπεριακολουθῶν. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο οὐκ εἰς Αἴγυπτον μόνον τὸν Ἱερεμίαν, ἀλ 60.535 λὰ καὶ εἰς Βαβυλῶνα τὸν Ἰεζεκιὴλ ἔπεμπεν. Οἱ δὲ οὐκ ἀντέλεγον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸν ἑαυτῶν ∆εσπότην εἶδον σφόδρα αὐτοὺς φιλοῦντα, καὶ αὐτοὶ τοῦτο ποιοῦντες διετέλουν· ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις υἱὸν ἄχρηστον δοῦλος εὐγνώμων ἐλεήσειεν, ὁρῶν τὸν πατέρα ἀλγοῦντα ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ καὶ κοπτόμενον. Τί γὰρ οὐκ ἔπασχον δι' αὐτούς; Ἐπρίζοντο, ἠλαύνοντο, ὠνειδίζοντο, ἐλιθάζοντο, μυρία ἔπασχον δεινά· καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἅπαντα, πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔτρεχον πάλιν. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Σαμουὴλ οὐ διέλειπε πενθῶν τὸν Σαοὺλ, καίτοι γε χαλεπῶς ὑβρισθεὶς παρ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἀνήκεστα παθών· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδενὸς ἐκείνων ἐμέμνητο. Τῷ δὲ Ἰουδαίων δήμῳ καὶ θρήνους γραπτοὺς ὁ Ἱερεμίας συνέθηκε· καὶ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ τῶν Περσῶν διδόντος αὐτῷ μετὰ ἀδείας