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he has stored up good things for the age to come, at the same time showing that he does not deceive men, and wishing the very burden 49.168 of terrible things to be lessened by the order. For he who deceives proposes good things first, and afterwards brings on the painful things. I mean something like this: Kidnappers often, when despoiling and stealing little children, do not promise blows and scourges, nor any other such thing, but they offer cakes and sweets and other such things, in which a childish age is accustomed to rejoice, so that, enticed by these, and having sold their freedom, they might fall into the utmost danger. And hunters of birds and fish also entice their prey in this way, first offering the usual food which is pleasing to what is being hunted, and with this concealing the trap. So this is especially the work of deceivers, to offer the good things first, then afterwards to bring on the painful things, but of those who care and are concerned, it is entirely the opposite. For fathers, at least, do the opposite of kidnappers; when they send their children to school, they set pedagogues over them, they threaten blows, they build a wall of fear, and when they have thus brought them through their earlier age, then when they are established in character, they entrust to them honors and powers and luxury and all their own wealth.

5. Thus also God has done, not like the kidnappers, but like caring fathers; first He cast us into painful things, as if handing us over to pedagogues and teachers by the present affliction, so that, being disciplined through these things, made temperate, having shown all endurance, having learned all philosophy, then, having come to be of a fixed character, we might inherit the kingdom of heaven; first He made us fit for the stewardship of the wealth being given, and then He entrusts the wealth itself. For if He had not done this, the giving of wealth would be not a gift, but a punishment and a chastisement. For just as a foolish and profligate child, having inherited his paternal estate, is ruined by this very thing, not having sufficient wisdom for the management of the money; but if he should become prudent, and reasonable, and temperate, and moderate, managing his paternal inheritance as is needful, by this he becomes more splendid and more distinguished; so also it must happen in our case. When we receive spiritual understanding, when we all attain to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature, then He entrusts to us all things which He promised; but for now He disciplines us like little children with exhortation and comfort. And this is not the only gain from having the afflictions come first, but there is also another no less than this. For he who first lives in luxury, then after the luxury expects punishment, does not even perceive the present luxury, because of the expectation of the terrible things being brought on; but he who is first in painful things, and then after these is about to enjoy good things, scorns even the present difficulties, because of the hope of the good things to come. Therefore not only for our safety, but also for pleasure and comfort He has ordered the terrible things to be first, so that, being lightened by the hopes of the things to come, we might have no perception of the present things. And Paul, showing and pointing this very thing out, said that, For our light, momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are not seen. He called the affliction light, not according to the proper nature of terrible things, but in comparison with the expectation of the good things to come. For just as the 49.169 merchant does not feel the hardship of the voyage, being lightened by the hope of his cargo, and the boxer nobly bears the wounds to his head, looking to the crown; so indeed we too, gazing intently toward heaven and the good things in the heavens, whatever terrible things may be brought upon us, we shall bear all nobly, being strengthened by the good hope of the things to come. Let us therefore take this saying and depart; for even if it is simple and brief, but much

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χρηστὰ εἰς τὸν μέλλοντα αἰῶνα ἐταμιεύσατο, ὁμοῦ τε δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπατᾷ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, καὶ αὐτὸ τῶν δεινῶν 49.168 τὸ φορτικὸν ὑποτέμνεσθαι τῇ τάξει βουλόμενος. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀπατῶν τὰ χρηστὰ προτείνεται πρότερον, καὶ ὕστερον ἐπάγει τὰ λυπηρά. Οἷόν τι λέγω· Ἀνδραποδισταὶ πολλάκις παιδία μικρὰ συλῶντες καὶ κλέπτοντες, οὐ πληγὰς καὶ μάστιγας, οὐδ' ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων ὑπισχνοῦνται, ἀλλὰ πλακοῦντας καὶ τραγήματα καὶ ἕτερα τοιαῦτα, οἷς ἡ παιδικὴ χαίρειν εἴωθεν ἡλικία, προτείνουσιν, ἵνα τούτοις ἐκεῖνα δελεασθέντα, καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν αὐτῶν ἀποδόμενα εἰς κίνδυνον ἐμπέσῃ τὸν ἔσχατον. Καὶ ὀρνίθων δὲ καὶ ἰχθύων οἱ θηρευταὶ οὕτω τὰ θηρευόμενα δελεάζουσι, τὴν συνήθη τροφὴν καὶ καθ' ἡδονὴν τοῖς ἀγρευομένοις οὖσαν πρότερον προτείνοντες, καὶ τὴν παγίδα ταύτῃ περιστέλλοντες. Ὥστε ἀπατώντων μάλιστα τοῦτο ἔργον ἐστὶ, πρότερον τὰ χρηστὰ προτείνεσθαι, εἶτα ὕστερον ἐπάγειν τὰ λυπηρὰ, κηδομένων δὲ καὶ φροντιζόντων τοὐναντίον ἅπαν. Οἱ γοῦν πατέρες ἀπεναντίας τοῖς ἀνδραποδισταῖς ποιοῦσιν· ὅταν εἰς διδασκαλεῖον πέμπωσι τὰ παιδία, παιδαγωγοὺς ἐφιστῶσι, πληγὰς ἀπειλοῦσι, φόβον ἐπιτειχίζουσι, καὶ ἐπειδὰν τὴν προτέραν ἡλικίαν οὕτως ἀγάγωσι, τότε ἐν ἕξει γενομένοις αὐτοῖς τιμὰς καὶ δυναστείας καὶ τρυφὴν καὶ τὸν αὐτῶν πλοῦτον ἅπαντα ἐγχειρίζουσιν.

εʹ. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησεν, οὐ κατὰ τοὺς ἀνδραποδιστὰς, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τοὺς πατέρας τοὺς κηδομένους· πρότερον εἰς τὰ λυπηρὰ ἐνέβαλε, καθάπερ παιδαγωγοῖς καὶ διδασκάλοις τῇ παρούσῃ θλίψει παραδιδοὺς, ἵνα διὰ τούτων παιδευθέντες, σωφρονισθέντες, ὑπομονὴν ἅπασαν ἐπιδειξάμενοι, φιλοσοφίαν ἅπασαν μαθόντες, εἶτα ἐν ἕξει γενόμενοι τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν κληρονομήσωμεν· πρότερον ἐπιτηδείους κατεσκεύασε πρὸς τὴν οἰκονομίαν τοῦ διδομένου πλούτου, καὶ τότε αὐτὸν ἐγχειρίζει τὸν πλοῦτον. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ τοῦτο ἐποίησεν, ἡ τοῦ πλούτου δόσις, οὐ δωρεὰ, ἀλλὰ κόλασις ἦν καὶ τιμωρία. Καθάπερ γὰρ παῖς ἀνόητος καὶ ἄσωτος τὸν πατρῷον κλῆρον διαδεξάμενος ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τούτου κατακρημνίζεται, φρόνησιν οὐκ ἔχων ἀρκοῦσαν πρὸς τὴν τῶν χρημάτων οἰκονομίαν· εἰ δὲ συνετὸς γένοιτο, καὶ ἐπιεικὴς, καὶ σώφρων, καὶ μέτριος, εἰς δέον οἰκονομῶν τὰ πατρῷα, λαμπρότερος ταύτῃ καὶ περιφανέστερος γίνεται· οὕτω καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν ἀνάγκη συμβαίνειν. Ἐπειδὰν σύνεσιν πνευματικὴν δεξώμεθα, ἐπειδὰν εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας καταντήσωμεν οἱ πάντες, τότε ἡμῖν ἐγχειρίζει πάντα, ἅπερ ὑπέσχετο· νυνὶ δὲ καθάπερ παιδία μικρὰ παιδεύει μετὰ παρακλήσεως καὶ παραμυθίας. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ κέρδος ἀπὸ τοῦ τὰς θλίψεις προλαβεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερον οὐκ ἔλαττον τούτου. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πρότερον τρυφῶν, εἶτα μετὰ τὴν τρυφὴν κόλασιν προσδοκῶν, οὐδὲ τῆς παρούσης τρυφῆς αἰσθάνεται, διὰ τὴν προσδοκίαν τῶν ἐπαγομένων δεινῶν· ὁ δὲ πρότερον ὢν ἐν λυπηροῖς, εἶτα μετὰ ταῦτα μέλλων ἀπολαύσεσθαι χρηστῶν, καὶ τῶν παρόντων ὑπερορᾷ δυσχερῶν, διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα τῶν μελλόντων χρηστῶν. Οὐ τοίνυν ἀσφαλείας ἕνεκεν μόνον τῆς ἡμετέρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡδονῆς καὶ παραμυθίας πρότερα ἔταξεν εἶναι τὰ δεινὰ, ἵνα ταῖς ἐλπίσι τῶν μελλόντων κουφιζόμενοι, μηδεμίαν τῶν παρόντων λάβωμεν αἴσθησιν. Καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸ ὁ Παῦλος δεικνὺς καὶ ἐμφαίνων, ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Τὸ παραυτίκα ἐλαφρὸν τῆς θλίψεως ἡμῶν καθ' ὑπερβολὴν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης κατεργάζεται ἡμῖν, μὴ σκοπούντων ἡμῶν τὰ βλεπόμενα, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα. Ἐλαφρὰν τὴν θλῖψιν ἐκάλεσεν, οὐ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν τῶν δεινῶν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν προσδοκίαν τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ 49.169 ἔμπορος οὐκ αἰσθάνεται τῆς κατὰ τὴν ναυτιλίαν ταλαιπωρίας, τῇ τῶν φορτίων ἐλπίδι κουφιζόμενος, καὶ ὁ πυκτεύων γενναίως φέρει τὰ τραύματα τῆς κεφαλῆς, πρὸς τὸν στέφανον ἀποβλέπων· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀτενίζοντες ἀγαθὰ, ὅσα ἂν ἐπιφέρηται δεινὰ, πάντα γενναίως οἴσομεν τῇ χρηστῇ τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπίδι νευρούμενοι. Ταύτην τοίνυν λαβόντες τὴν ῥῆσιν ἀπέλθωμεν· εἰ γὰρ καὶ ψιλὴ καὶ βραχεῖα, ἀλλὰ πολλὴν