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Just as we speak of the virgin being corrupted, so also the soul. For this reason Paul said: Lest somehow your minds be corrupted; and again elsewhere, In your teaching show integrity, he says. 5. For what, tell me, is corruption of the body? Is it not a dissolution of the whole, and of its very composition? This also happens to the soul, when sin enters. For the beauty of the soul is self-control, righteousness; the health of the soul is courage, prudence. For the shameful man is ugly, and the covetous man, and the one who gives himself over to wicked things, and the coward, is unmanly and weak and sickly. And that sins work corruption is clear from this: for they make men shameful and weak, and cause them to grow weary. For we speak of the virgin being corrupted properly for this reason also, not because the body alone is corrupted, but because of the transgression. For what happens is intercourse; and if this were corruption, then marriage would also be corruption. So that intercourse is not corruption, but the sin; for it shamed her. But consider it another way: what could the corruption of a house be, other than its dissolution? And everywhere corruption is a certain change for the worse, happening to another state and the disappearance of the former. For hear the Scripture saying: All flesh has corrupted its way; and again, 62.175 In intolerable destruction; and again, Men of corrupt mind. Our body is corruptible, but the soul is incorruptible. Therefore let us not corrupt it also; this the former sin has wrought; but the one after the washing is able to corrupt the soul also, and make it vulnerable to the undying worm. For it would not have touched it, if it had not found a corrupted soul. A worm does not touch adamant; and if it should touch it, it would accomplish nothing. Do not, then, corrupt the soul; for that which is corrupted is full of foul odor. For hear the Prophet saying: My wounds have stunk and are corrupt because of my foolishness. But this corruption will put on incorruption, but that other one no longer; for where there is incorruption, there is no corruption. So that it is an incorruptible corruption, having no end, an immortal death. Which is what was going to happen, if the body had remained immortal. Thus if we should depart there having corruption, we will have an incorruptible and unending corruption. For to be burned and to be consumed continually by the worm, is an incorruptible corruption; such as was also in the case of the blessed Job; he was being corrupted, and was not destroyed, and this after a long time had passed; but he was always melting away, scraping clods of earth from ichor. The soul will suffer something of this kind then, with worms surrounding it and gnawing through it, not for two years, nor for three, nor for ten, nor for a hundred, nor for ten thousand, but for endless ages. For their worm, he says, will not die. Let us therefore be afraid, I beseech you, let us fear the words, so that we may not fall into the realities. Covetousness is a corruption, a corruption more grievous than all, leading to idolatry. Let us flee 62.176 corruption, let us choose incorruption. Have you defrauded someone? The things gained by fraud perish, but the covetousness remains, corruption becoming a cause of incorruptibility; the enjoyment passes away, but the sin remains incorruptible. It is a terrible evil not to put off everything in the present life; it is a great calamity to depart there having burdens of sins. For in Hades, he says, who will give you thanks? There is a tribunal there, for repentance henceforth there is no longer time. How many things did the rich man lament then! but nevertheless he accomplished nothing. How many things did those who did not feed Christ say! but nevertheless they were led away into the eternal fire. How many things did those who worked lawlessness say then, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons! but nevertheless they were not known. All these things happen then; but there is no benefit, unless it happens now. Let us be afraid then, lest we ever say then: Lord, when did we see you hungry, and not feed you? Let us feed him now, not for one day, nor a second, nor a third; For alms, he says, and faith let them not fail you. He did not say, Do it once, nor a second time; since the virgins had oil, but not enough. So that we need much oil, and we must be like a fruitful olive tree in the

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καθάπερ τὴν παρθένον φθείρεσθαι λέγομεν, οὕτω καὶ τὴν ψυχήν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο Παῦλος ἔλεγε· Μή πως φθαρῇ τὰ νοήματα ὑμῶν· καὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ, Ἐν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ ἀδιαφθορίαν, φησί. εʹ. Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, φθορὰ σώματος; οὐχὶ διάλυσις τοῦ παντὸς, καὶ τῆς συνθέσεως αὐτῆς; Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς γίνεται, τῆς ἁμαρτίας εἰσελθούσης. Κάλλος γὰρ ψυχῆς σωφροσύνη, δικαιοσύνη· ὑγίεια ψυχῆς ἀνδρεία, φρόνησις. Ὅ τε γὰρ αἰσχρὸς δυσειδὴς, ὅ τε πλεονέκτης, ὅ τε τοῖς πονηροῖς πράγμασιν ἑαυτὸν ἐκδιδοὺς, ὅ τε δειλὸς, ἄνανδρος καὶ ἀσθενὴς καχεκτεῖ. Ὅτι δὲ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι φθορὰν ἐργάζονται, ἐντεῦθεν δῆλον· καὶ γὰρ αἰσχροὺς ποιοῦσι καὶ ἀσθενεῖς, καὶ κάμνειν παρασκευάζουσι. Φθαρῆναι γὰρ τὴν παρθένον καὶ διὰ τοῦτο κυρίως λέγομεν, οὐχ ὅτι τὸ σῶμα φθείρεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν παρανομίαν· τὸ γὰρ γινόμενον μῖξίς ἐστιν· εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἦν ἡ φθορὰ, ἦν ἂν καὶ γάμος φθορά. Ὥστε οὐχ ἡ μῖξις φθορὰ, ἀλλ' ἡ ἁμαρτία· ᾔσχυνε γὰρ αὐτήν. Σκόπει δὲ καὶ ἄλλως· φθορὰ οἰκίας τί γένοιτο ἂν, ἢ διάλυσις; Καὶ πανταχοῦ ἡ φθορὰ μεταβολή τίς ἐστιν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον, ἐφ' ἑτέραν ἕξιν καὶ ἀφανισμὸν τοῦ προτέρου γινομένη. Ἄκουε γὰρ τῆς Γραφῆς λεγούσης· Κατέφθειρε πᾶσα σὰρξ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτῆς· καὶ πάλιν, 62.175 Ἐν καταφθορᾷ ἀνυπομονήτῳ· καὶ πάλιν, Ἄνθρωποι κατεφθαρμένοι τὸν νοῦν. Φθαρτὸν ἡμῖν τὸ σῶμά ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ἄφθαρτος ἡ ψυχή. Μὴ δὴ οὖν καὶ αὐτὴν φθείρωμεν· τοῦτο ἡ ἁμαρτία εἰργάσατο ἡ προτέρα· ἡ δὲ μετὰ τὸ λουτρὸν καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν φθεῖραι δύναται, καὶ εὐάλωτον ποιῆσαι τῷ σκώληκι τῷ ἀθανάτῳ· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἥψατο, εἰ μὴ φθαρτὴν εὗρε ψυχήν. Ἀδάμαντος σκώληξ οὐχ ἅπτεται· κἂν ἅψηται, οὐδὲν εἰργάσατο. Μὴ δὴ φθείρῃς τὴν ψυχήν· τὸ γὰρ φθειρόμενον δυσωδίας ἐστὶ μεστόν. Ἄκουε γὰρ τοῦ Προφήτου λέγοντος· Προσώζεσαν καὶ ἐσάπησαν οἱ μώλωπές μου ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς ἀφροσύνης μου. Ἀλλ' αὕτη ἡ φθορὰ ἐνδύσεται ἀφθαρσίαν, ἐκείνη δὲ οὐκέτι· ἔνθα γὰρ ἀφθαρσία, φθορὰ οὐκ ἔστιν. Ὥστε φθορὰ ἄφθαρτός ἐστι, τέλος οὐκ ἔχουσα, θάνατος ἀθάνατος. Ὅπερ ἔμελλε γίνεσθαι, εἰ τὸ σῶμα ἔμεινεν ἀθάνατον. Οὕτως ἂν φθορὰν ἔχοντες ἀπέλθωμεν ἐκεῖ, ἄφθαρτον καὶ ἀτελεύτητον ἕξομεν τὴν φθοράν. Τὸ γὰρ καίεσθαι καὶ σκώληκι διαπαντὸς δαπανᾶσθαι, φθορά ἐστιν ἄφθαρτος· οἷον ἦν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ μακαρίου Ἰώβ· ἐφθείρετο, καὶ οὐκ ἀπώλλυτο, καὶ ταῦτα χρόνου πολλοῦ προβεβηκότος· ἀλλ' ἀεὶ ἔτηκε βώλακας γῆς ἀπὸ ἰχῶρος ξέων. Τοιοῦτόν τι ἡ ψυχὴ πείσεται τότε, τῶν σκωλήκων αὐτῇ περιεστώτων καὶ διατρωγόντων, οὐκ ἐπὶ δύο ἔτεσιν, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τρισὶν, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ δέκα, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ ἑκατὸν, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ μυρίοις, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ ἀτελευτήτοις· Ὁ γὰρ σκώληξ αὐτῶν οὐ τελευτήσει, φησί. Φοβηθῶμεν τοίνυν, παρακαλῶ, δείσωμεν τὰ ῥήματα, ἵνα μὴ περιπέσωμεν τοῖς πράγμασι. Φθορὰ ἡ πλεονεξία ἐστὶ, φθορὰ πασῶν χαλεπωτέρα, εἰς εἰδωλολατρείαν ἄγουσα. Φύγωμεν τὴν 62.176 φθορὰν, ἑλώμεθα τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν. Ἐπλεονέκτησας τὸν δεῖνα; Τὰ μὲν πλεονεκτηθέντα φθείρεται, ἡ δὲ πλεονεξία μένει, φθορὰ ἀφθαρσίας ὑπόθεσις γινομένη· ἡ μὲν ἀπόλαυσις παρέρχεται, ἄφθαρτος δὲ ἡ ἁμαρτία μένει. ∆εινὸν κακὸν μὴ ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ ἅπαντα ἀποδύσασθαι· μεγάλη συμφορὰ φορτία ἁμαρτημάτων ἔχοντας ἀπελθεῖν ἐκεῖ. Ἐν γὰρ τῷ ᾅδῃ, φησὶ, τίς ἐξομολογήσεταί σοι; Κριτήριόν ἐστιν ἐκεῖ, μετανοίας λοιπὸν οὐκέτι καιρός. Πόσα ἀπωδύρατο ὁ πλούσιος τότε! ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν ἤνυσε. Πόσα εἶπον οἱ μὴ θρέψαντες τὸν Χριστόν! ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀπήχθησαν εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον. Πόσα οἱ τὴν ἀνομίαν ἐργασάμενοι τότε εἶπον, Κύριε, οὐκ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου προεφητεύσαμεν, καὶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου δαιμόνια ἐξεβάλομεν! ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἐγνωρίσθησαν. Πάντα τότε μὲν γίνεται ταῦτα· οὐδεμία δὲ ὄνησις, ἐὰν μὴ νῦν γένηται. Φοβηθῶμεν οὖν, μή ποτε εἴπωμεν τότε· Κύριε, πότε σε εἴδομεν πεινῶντα, καὶ οὐκ ἐθρέψαμεν; Νῦν αὐτὸν θρέψωμεν, μὴ μίαν ἡμέραν, μηδὲ δευτέραν, μηδὲ τρίτην· Ἐλεημοσύναι γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ πίστεις μὴ ἐκλιπέτωσάν σε. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἅπαξ ποίησον, οὐδὲ δεύτερον· ἐπεὶ αἱ παρθένοι ἔλαιον εἶχον, ἀλλ' οὐ διαρκές. Ὥστε πολλοῦ ἡμῖν δεῖ τοῦ ἐλαίου, καὶ ὡς ἐλαίαν ἡμᾶς εἶναι κατάκαρπον δεῖ ἐν τῷ