125

And God is able to raise 63.174 from the dead. Whence also he received him back in a figure, that is, in a type, in the ram, he says. How? For when the ram was slain, this one was saved; so that through the ram he received him, slaying that one instead of this one. But these were certain types; for here it is the Son of God who is slain. And behold for me the love for humanity, how great it was; for since some great grace was about to be given to men, wishing not to do it by grace, but as a debtor, he first prepares a man to offer up his own son for the command of God, so that he might seem to do nothing great in offering up his own Son, if indeed a man had done this before him, so that it might be thought that he did this not by grace alone, but also by debt. For those whom we love, we wish to grant them this also, to seem to have first received some small thing from them, and so to give them everything; and we boast in the receiving rather than in the giving, and we do not say, We gave this to him, but, We received this from him. Whence, he says, he also received him back in a figure, that is, as in a riddle; for just as the ram was a figure of Isaac; or as in the type. For since the sacrifice was completed and Isaac was slain in intention, for this reason he grants him to the patriarch. 2. Do you see that what I always say, this is also now shown? For when we present our mind as perfected, and show that we look down upon earthly things, then he also grants us earthly things, but not before, lest receiving them should bind us still more, being already attached to them. Loose yourself, he says, first from bondage, and then receive, so that you may no longer receive as a slave, but as a master; despise wealth, and you will be wealthy; despise glory, and you will be glorious; despise vengeance on your enemies, and then you will attain it; despise comfort, and then you will receive it; so that when you receive, you may not receive as a prisoner, nor as a slave, but as a free man. For just as with little children, when the child desires childish playthings, we hide those things with great care, such as a ball and such things, so that he may not be hindered from necessary things; but when he despises them and no longer desires them, we share them without fear, knowing that no harm will come to him from them anymore, since that desire no longer has the strength to lead him away from necessary things; so also God, when he sees that we no longer desire the things here, he then permits us to use them; for as free men and men we have them, not as children. For that, if you despise vengeance on your enemies, you will then attain it, hear what he says: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; and he added: For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. And again, that if you despise wealth, you will then attain it, hear Christ saying: There is no one who has left father, or mother, or house, or brothers, who will not receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. And that if you despise glory, you will then attain it, hear Christ saying again: Whoever wishes to be first among you, let him be your servant; and again, For whoever humbles himself, he will be exalted. What are you saying? if I give my enemy a drink, 63.175 then I punish him? if I give up my possessions, then I have them? if I humble myself, then I will be exalted? Yes, he says; for such is my power, through contraries it provides contraries; I am resourceful and inventive, do not be afraid; the nature of things follows my will, I do not follow nature; I work all things, I am not led by them; wherefore I am also able to remold and reshape them. And why do you marvel if such a thing happens in such cases? For you will find the same thing in all other cases as well. For if you do wrong, you have been wronged; if you are wronged, then you have not been wronged; if you take revenge, then you have not avenged, but you have avenged yourself. For he who loves injustice, he says, hates his own soul. Do you see that you are not doing wrong, but have been wronged? For this reason Paul also says: Why do you not rather suffer wrong? You have seen that this is not

125

Καὶ ἐκ νε 63.174 κρῶν ἐγείρειν δυνατὸς ὁ Θεός. Ὅθεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐν παραβολῇ ἐκομίσατο, τουτέστιν, ἐν ὑποδείγματι, ἐν τῷ κριῷ, φησί. Πῶς; Τοῦ γὰρ κριοῦ σφαγιασθέντος οὗτος ἐσώθη· ὥστε διὰ τοῦ κριοῦ αὐτὸν ἔλαβεν, ἀντὶ τούτου σφάξας ἐκεῖνον. Ταῦτα δὲ τύποι τινὲς ἦσαν· ἐνταῦθα γὰρ ὁ Υἱός ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ σφαγιαζόμενος. Καὶ θέα μοι τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, ὅση ἦν· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μεγάλη τις ἔμελλε δίδοσθαι χάρις τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, βουλόμενος μὴ χάριτι αὐτὸ ποιῆσαι, ἀλλ' ὡς ὀφειλέτης, παρασκευάζει πρῶτον ἄνθρωπον τὸν υἱὸν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιδοῦναι ὑπὲρ τοῦ προστάγματος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα μηδὲν δόξῃ μέγα ποιεῖν, τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιδιδοὺς Υἱὸν, εἴ γε ἄνθρωπος πρὸ αὐτοῦ τοῦτο ἐποίησεν, ἵνα μὴ χάριτι μόνον νομισθῇ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὀφειλῇ. Οὓς γὰρ ἂν φιλῶμεν, καὶ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς χαρίζεσθαι βουλόμεθα, τὸ δοκεῖν παρ' αὐτῶν τι πρότερον λαβόντας μικρὸν, οὕτως αὐτοῖς τὸ πᾶν διδόναι· καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐπὶ τῇ λήψει μᾶλλον ἢ ἐπὶ τῇ δόσει, καὶ οὐ λέγομεν, Τόδε ἐδώκαμεν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ Τόδε ἐλάβομεν παρ' αὐτοῦ. Ὅθεν αὐτὸν, φησὶ, καὶ ἐν παραβολῇ ἐκομίσατο, τουτέστιν, ὡς ἐν αἰνίγματι· ὥσπερ γὰρ παραβολὴ ἦν ὁ κριὸς τοῦ Ἰσαάκ· ἢ ὡς ἐν τῷ τύπῳ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀπήρτιστο ἡ θυσία καὶ ἔσφακτο ὁ Ἰσαὰκ τῇ προαιρέσει, διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸν χαρίζεται τῷ πατριάρχῃ. βʹ. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ὃ ἀεὶ λέγω, τοῦτο καὶ νῦν δείκνυται; Ὅταν γὰρ παραστήσωμεν ἡμῶν τὴν διάνοιαν ἀπηρτισμένην, καὶ δείξωμεν ὅτι ὑπερορῶμεν τῶν γηΐνων πραγμάτων, τότε ἡμῖν καὶ τὰ γήϊνα χαρίζεται, πρότερον δὲ οὒ, ἵνα μὴ τὸ λαβεῖν προσδεδεμένους ἡμᾶς αὐτοῖς ἔτι προσδήσῃ. Λῦσον, φησὶ, σαυτὸν πρῶτον τῆς δουλείας, καὶ τότε λάβε, ἵνα μηκέτι ὡς δοῦλος λάβῃς, ἀλλ' ὡς δεσπότης· καταφρόνησον πλούτου, καὶ ἔσῃ πλούσιος· καταφρόνησον δόξης, καὶ ἔσῃ ἔνδοξος· καταφρόνησον τῆς τιμωρίας τῶν ἐχθρῶν, καὶ τότε αὐτῆς ἐπιτεύξῃ· καταφρόνησον ἀνέσεως, καὶ τότε αὐτὴν λήψῃ· ἵνα λαβὼν, μὴ ὡς δέσμιος λάβῃς, μηδὲ ὡς δοῦλος, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐλεύθερος. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν παιδίων τῶν μικρῶν, ὅταν μὲν ἐπιθυμῇ τὸ παιδίον παιδικῶν ἀθυρμάτων, μετὰ πολλῆς σπουδῆς ἐκεῖνα κρύπτομεν, οἷον σφαῖραν καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, ἵνα μὴ ἐμποδίζηται τῶν ἀναγκαίων· ὅταν δὲ αὐτῶν καταφρονήσῃ καὶ μηκέτι ἐπιθυμῇ, ἀδεῶς αὐτῶν μεταδιδόαμεν, εἰδότες ὡς οὐδεμία βλάβη λοιπὸν αὐτῷ ἐντεῦθεν γίνεται, τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐκείνης οὐκέτι ἰσχυούσης ἀπαγαγεῖν αὐτὸν τῶν ἀναγκαίων· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς, ὅταν ἴδῃ μηκέτι ἐπιθυμοῦντας τῶν ἐνταῦθα, λοιπὸν ἀφίησιν αὐτοῖς κεχρῆσθαι· ὡς γὰρ ἐλεύθεροι καὶ ἄνδρες αὐτὰ ἔχομεν, οὐχ ὡς παῖδες. Ὅτι γὰρ, ἐὰν καταφρονήσῃς τῆς τιμωρίας τῶν ἐχθρῶν, τότε ἐπιτεύξῃ, ἄκουε τί φησιν· Ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, ψώμιζε αὐτόν· ἐὰν διψᾷ, πότιζε αὐτόν· καὶ ἐπήγαγε· Τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν, ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ πάλιν, ὅτι ἐὰν καταφρονήσῃς τοῦ πλούτου, τότε αὐτοῦ ἐπιτεύξῃ, ἄκουε τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Οὐκ ἔστιν ὃς ἀφῆκε πατέρα, ἢ μητέρα, ἢ οἰκίαν, ἢ ἀδελφοὺς, ὃς οὐχὶ ἑκατονταπλασίονα λήψεται, καὶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσει. Καὶ ὅτι ἐὰν καταφρονήσῃς δόξης, τότε αὐτῆς ἐπιτεύξῃ, ἄκουε αὐτοῦ πάλιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Ὁ θέλων ἐν ὑμῖν πρῶτος εἶναι, ἔστω ὑμῶν διάκονος· καὶ πάλιν, Ὃς γὰρ ἂν ταπεινώσῃ ἑαυτὸν, οὗτος ὑψωθήσεται. Τί λέγεις; ἐὰν ποτίσω τὸν ἐχθρὸν 63.175 τότε αὐτὸν κολάζω; ἐὰν ἀφῶ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, τότε αὐτὰ ἔχω; ἐὰν ταπεινώσω ἐμαυτὸν, τότε ὑψηλὸς ἔσομαι; Ναὶ, φησί· τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ ἐμὴ δύναμις, διὰ τῶν ἐναντίων τὰ ἐναντία παρέχει εὔπορός εἰμι καὶ εὐμήχανος, μὴ δείσῃς· τῷ ἐμῷ θελήματι ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκολουθεῖ φύσις, οὐκ ἐγὼ τῇ φύσει ἕπομαι· ἐγὼ πάντα ἐργάζομαι, οὐκ ἐγὼ ὑπ' ἐκείνων ἄγομαι· διὸ καὶ μεταπλάττειν καὶ μεταῤῥυθμίζειν αὐτὰ δύναμαι. Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις εἰ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις γίνεται τὸ τοιοῦτο; τὸ αὐτὸ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν εὑρήσεις. Ἐὰν γὰρ ἀδικήσῃς, ἠδικήθης· ἐὰν ἀδικηθῇς, τότε οὐκ ἠδικήθης· ἐὰν ἀμύνῃ, τότε οὐκ ἠμύνω, ἀλλὰ σαυτὸν ἠμύνω. Ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν τὴν ἀδικίαν, φησὶ, μισεῖ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐκ ἀδικεῖς, ἀλλ' ἠδικήθης; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησι· ∆ιὰ τί οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἀδικεῖσθε; Εἶδες ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο