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to him, and saying to him, Cornelius. And he, gazing at him and becoming afraid, said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him, Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.

1. This man is not a Jew, nor living according to the law, but he had already anticipated

our way of life. And see the two who have believed so far, both the eunuch from Gaza and this man, both of them being in positions of dignity and much effort being made on their behalf. But do not think that it was because of their positions of dignity. Not for these things, far from it; but because of their piety. For this reason, indeed, their dignities are also mentioned, that their piety might be shown to be greater. For it is more wonderful when someone who is in wealth and power is such a person. But a great encomium for that one was to undertake so long a journey, and, when there was not such an opportunity, to read on the road, and while being carried in a chariot to call to Philip, and countless other things; a great one for this man also, to perform alms and prayers, and to be devout in such a position of authority. Therefore from this he also makes the man known; reasonably so, that no one might say that the history of the Scriptures is false. Of the cohort, it says, that is called the Italian. A cohort is what we now call a numerus. Devout and fearing God with all his household. It says these things, so that you might not think that matters concerning him were so arranged because of his dignity. When, therefore, Paul had to be brought in, nowhere an angel, but the Lord himself appears; nor does he send him to one of the twelve, but to Ananias. But here, on the contrary, he brings the chief, as Philip to the eunuch, condescending to their weakness, and teaching how one must deal with such people; since Christ himself is often seen going to those who are suffering and are unable to approach on their own. But see here again for me another encomium of almsgiving, just as there through Tabitha. A man, it says, devout and fearing God with all his household. Let us hear, as many of us as neglect our own household. But this man also took care of his soldiers, and performed alms for all the people. Thus both his doctrines and his life were set right. He saw in a vision clearly, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him and saying to him, Cornelius. Why does he see the angel? And this for the full assurance of Peter; or rather, not of him, but of the others who were weaker. At the ninth hour, when he was released from cares, and was in quiet, when he was in prayers and in compunction. And gazing at him and becoming afraid, he said. See the angel not immediately saying what he says, but first dispelling his fear and raising his mind. For indeed fear arose from the sight; but a moderate fear, only enough 60.172 to make him attend. Then the words dispelled the fear; or rather, the praise in them softened the harshness of the fear. And hear what the words were: Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. Now therefore send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is surnamed Peter. So that they might not go to another, he makes the man known not only by his surname, but also by the place. And he is lodging with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea. Did you see how the apostles sought out the secluded parts of the cities, being friends of solitude and quiet? What then, if it happened that there was also another Simon and a tanner? But he also had another sign, that he lived by the sea. It was not possible for the three to coincide. And he did not say why, so as not to overwhelm him; but he left it, so that he would be in desire and longing for the hearing. And when the angel who spoke to Cornelius had departed, having called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of those who waited on him continually, and having related all things to them, he sent them to Joppa. Do you see, that not

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αὐτὸν, καὶ εἰπόντα αὐτῷ· Κορνήλιε. Ὁ δὲ ἀτενίσας αὐτῷ, καὶ ἔμφοβος γενό μενος, εἶπε· Τί ἐστι, Κύριε; Εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ· Αἱ προσευχαί σου καὶ αἱ ἐλεημοσύναι σου ἀνέβησαν εἰς μνημόσυνον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ.

αʹ. Οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν Ἰουδαῖος, οὐδὲ ζῶν κατὰ τὸν νόμον, ἀλλ' ἤδη προειλήφει

τὴν ἡμετέραν πολιτείαν. Καὶ ὅρα δύο πιστεύοντας τέως, τόν τε εὐνοῦχον τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς Γάζης, καὶ τοῦτον, ἐν ἀξιώμασιν ὄντας ἀμφοτέρους καὶ πολλὴν ὑπὲρ τούτων γινομένην σπουδήν. Ἀλλὰ μὴ νομίσῃς, ὅτι διὰ τὰ ἀξιώματα. Οὐ διὰ ταῦτα, μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν εὐλάβειαν. ∆ιὰ γοῦν τοῦτο καὶ τὰ ἀξιώματα τέθειται, ἵνα μείζων ἡ εὐλάβεια δειχθῇ. Θαυμαστότερον καὶ γὰρ ὅταν ἐν πλούτῳ καὶ δυναστείᾳ τις ὢν, τοιοῦτος ᾖ. Ἀλλὰ μέγα ἐκείνου ἐγκώμιον τὸ τοσαύτην ἀποδημίαν στέλλεσθαι, καὶ τὸ, μηδὲ καιροῦ τοιούτου ὄντος, ἐν ὁδῷ ἀναγινώσκειν, καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ ὀχήματος φερόμενον τὸν Φίλιππον παρακαλεῖν, καὶ μυρία ἕτερα· μέγα καὶ τούτου, τὸ ἐλεημοσύνας ποιεῖν καὶ εὐχὰς, καὶ εὐσεβῆ εἶναι ἐν ἀρχῇ τοιαύτῃ. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀπὸ ταύτης τὸν ἄνδρα ποιεῖ γνώριμον· εἰκότως, ἵνα μή τις εἴπῃ, ὅτι ψεύδεται τῶν Γραφῶν ἡ ἱστορία. Ἐκ σπείρας, φησὶ, τῆς καλουμένης Ἰταλικῆς. Σπεῖρά ἐστιν, ὃ καλοῦμεν νυνὶ νούμερον. Εὐσεβὴς καὶ φοβούμενος τὸν Θεὸν σὺν παντὶ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ. Ταῦτα λέγει, ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς, ὅτι διὰ τὸ ἀξίωμα τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν οὕτως οἰκονομεῖται. Ὅτε οὖν Παῦλον προσαχθῆναι ἔδει, οὐδαμοῦ ἄγγελος, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος φαίνεται· οὐδὲ πέμπει αὐτὸν πρὸς ἕνα τινὰ τῶν δώδεκα, ἀλλὰ πρὸς Ἀνανίαν. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ τοὐναντίον, τὸν κορυφαῖον ἄγει, ὡς Φίλιππον πρὸς τὸν εὐνοῦχον, συγκαταβαίνων αὐτῶν τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ, καὶ διδάσκων, πῶς κεχρῆσθαι δεῖ τοῖς τοιούτοις· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς αὐτὸς ἀπιὼν φαίνεται πολλάκις πρὸς τοὺς κακῶς πάσχοντας, καὶ δι' ἑαυτῶν προσιέναι μὴ δυναμένους. Θέα δέ μοι κἀνταῦθα πάλιν ἐλεημοσύνης ἄλλο ἐγκώμιον, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖ διὰ τῆς Ταβηθᾶς. Ἀνὴρ, φησὶν, εὐσεβὴς καὶ φοβούμενος τὸν Θεὸν σὺν παντὶ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ. Ἀκούσωμεν, ὅσοι τῶν οἰκείων ἀμελοῦμεν. Οὗτος δὲ καὶ στρατιωτῶν ἐπεμελεῖτο, ποιῶν τε ἐλεημοσύνας παντὶ τῷ λαῷ. Οὕτω καὶ τὰ δόγματα καὶ ὁ βίος αὐτῷ διώρθωτο. Εἶδεν ἐν ὁράματι φανερῶς, ὡσεὶ ὥρᾳ ἐνάτῃ τῆς ἡμέρας, ἄγγελον Θεοῦ εἰσελθόντα πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ εἰπόντα αὐτῷ· Κορνήλιε. ∆ιὰ τί βλέπει τὸν ἄγγελον; Καὶ τοῦτο εἰς πληροφορίαν Πέτρου· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ ἐκείνου, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων. Ἐνάτῃ δὲ ὥρᾳ, ὅτε φροντίδων ἠφίετο, καὶ ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ ἦν, ὅτε ἐν εὐχαῖς καὶ ἐν κατανύξει. Ἀτενίσας δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ἔμφοβος γενόμενος, εἶπεν. Ὅρα τὸν ἄγγελον οὐκ εὐθέως λέγοντα, ἃ λέγει, ἀλλὰ πρότερον λύοντα τὸν φόβον, καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτοῦ μετεωρίζοντα. Καὶ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως φόβος ἐγένετο· ἀλλὰ φόβος σύμμετρος, ὅσον 60.172 ἐπιστρέψαι μόνον. Εἶτα τὰ ῥήματα τὸν φόβον ἔλυσε· μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ δι' αὐτῶν ἔπαινος τὸ τοῦ φόβου τραχὺ κατελέανεν. Ἄκουε δὲ καὶ οἷα τὰ ῥήματα· Αἱ εὐχαί σου καὶ αἱ ἐλεημοσύναι σου ἀνέβησαν εἰς μνημόσυνον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Νῦν οὖν πέμψον εἰς Ἰόππην ἄνδρας, καὶ μετακάλεσαι Σίμωνα, ὃς ἐπικαλεῖται Πέτρος. Ἵνα μὴ ἐπ' ἄλλον ἔλθωσιν, οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐπωνύμου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου δηλοῖ τὸν ἄνδρα. Καὶ αὐτός ἐστι ξενιζόμενος πρὸς Σίμωνά τινα βυρσέα, ᾧ ἐστιν οἰκία παρὰ θάλασσαν. Εἶδες, πῶς τὰ ἀνακεχωρημένα τῶν πόλεων ἐδίωκον οἱ ἀπόστολοι, ἐρημίας ὄντες φίλοι καὶ ἡσυχίας; Τί οὖν, εἰ συνέβη καὶ ἄλλον εἶναι Σίμωνα καὶ βυρσέα; Ἀλλ' εἶχε καὶ ἄλλο σημεῖον, τὸ παρὰ θάλασσαν οἰκεῖν. Τὰ τρία οὐκ ἦν δυνατὸν συμπεσεῖν. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, διὰ τί, ἵνα μὴ ἐκλύσῃ αὐτόν· ἀλλὰ ἀφῆκεν, ὥστε ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ καὶ πόθῳ τῆς ἀκροάσεως γενέσθαι. Ὡς δὲ ἀπῆλθεν ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν τῷ Κορνηλίῳ, φωνήσας δύο τῶν οἰκετῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ στρατιώτην εὐσεβῆ τῶν προσκαρτερούντων αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐξηγησάμενος αὐτοῖς πάντα, ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν Ἰόππην. Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι οὐχ