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being thus prepared, he always receives his reward perfected. This at least is what the prophet also said, hinting at it: All the day long. Wherefore the Apostle also introduced this, to stir them up more. For if those in the Old Covenant, he says, having the earth as the prize for their labors, and other things that are dissolved with the present life, thus despised the present life, and temptations and dangers, what excuse should we have, who after heaven and the kingdom above and the ineffable goods grow soft, and do not even reach the same measure as they did? But he did not say so, but leaving it to the conscience of his hearers, he is content with the testimony alone, and shows that their bodies also become a sacrifice, and they should not be disturbed, nor troubled, since God has so ordained it. And in another way he exhorts them. For lest someone should say that he simply philosophizes these things before the experience of the events, he added: We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter, speaking of the daily deaths of the apostles. Have you seen their courage and forbearance? For just as those, he says, do not resist when being slaughtered, so neither do we. But since the weakness of the human mind, even after so many temptations, was afraid, see how he again raises up the hearer, and makes him lofty and exultant, by saying: But in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For this indeed is the wonderful thing, not that we now conquer only, but that we conquer even by the things through which we are plotted against. And we do not simply conquer, but we are more than conquerors, that is, with all ease, without sweat and toils. For not by enduring things, but only by preparing our mind, do we thus everywhere set up trophies against our enemies. And very reasonably; for God is the one who contends along with us. Do not, therefore, disbelieve, if being scourged we overcome those who scourge us, if being driven we prevail over our persecutors, if dying we rout the living. For when you consider both the power of God and His love, there is nothing to prevent these wonderful and paradoxical things from coming to pass, and for victory to shine forth out of abundance. For they did not simply conquer, but with much wonder, and so that one might learn that the war for those who plotted against them was not against men, but against that invincible power. See, for instance, the Jews having them in their midst, and being perplexed and saying: What shall we do to these men? For this indeed is the wonderful thing, that while holding them, and having them liable, and binding them, and striking them, they were at a loss and in perplexity, being defeated by these very things by which they expected to conquer. And neither tyrant, nor executioners, nor phalanxes of demons, nor the devil himself was able to overcome them, but all were defeated with great abundance, for whatever things they contrived against them, they saw them all turn out in their favor. Wherefore he also said: We are more than conquerors. For this was a new law of victory, to prevail through opposites, and never to be defeated, but as if they themselves were masters of the outcome, 60.546 thus to go forth to these contests. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 5. Great are the things that have been said; but we do not know them, since we do not have such great love. But nevertheless, though they are great, wishing to show that they are nothing compared to the love with which he was loved by God, after that he then places his own, so that he might not seem to say great things about himself. What he says is something like this: What need is there, he says, to speak of present things, and the terrible things allotted to this life. For even if one should speak of future things, or of powers, things such as death and life, and powers such as angels and archangels, and all the creation above, even these are small to me compared to the love of Christ. For not even if someone threatened the future, immortal death, so as to separate from Christ,

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τοῦτο παρεσκευασμένος, ἀεὶ τὸν μισθὸν ἀπηρτισμένον λαμβάνει. Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ὁ προφήτης αἰνιττόμενος ἔλεγεν· Ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος αὐτὸν ἐπεισήγαγε, μειζόνως αὐτοὺς διεγείρων. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ, φησὶ, καὶ γῆν τὸ ἔπαθλον τῶν πόνων ἔχοντες, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τῷ παρόντι συγκαταλυόμενα βίῳ, οὕτω τῆς παρούσης ὑπερεώρων ζωῆς, καὶ τῶν πειρασμῶν καὶ τῶν κινδύνων, τίνα ἂν σχοίημεν συγγνώμην ἡμεῖς, μετὰ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τὴν ἄνω καὶ τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα ἀγαθὰ καταμαλακιζόμενοι, καὶ μηδὲ πρὸς τὸ αὐτὸ μέτρον φθάνοντες ἐκείνων; Ἀλλ' οὕτω μὲν οὐκ εἶπε, τῷ δὲ συνειδότι αὐτὸ καταλιπὼν τῶν ἀκροατῶν, τῇ μαρτυρίᾳ ἀρκεῖται μόνῃ, καὶ δείκνυσιν, ὅτι καὶ θυσία αὐτῶν τὰ σώματα γίνεται, καὶ οὐ δεῖ θορυβεῖσθαι, οὐδὲ ταράττεσθαι, τοῦ Θεοῦ οὕτως οἰκονομήσαντος. Καὶ ἑτέρως δὲ αὐτοὺς προτρέπει. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγῃ τις, ὅτι ἁπλῶς ταῦτα φιλοσοφεῖ πρὸ τῆς πείρας τῶν πραγμάτων, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἐλογίσθημεν ὡς πρόβατα σφαγῆς, τοὺς καθημερινοὺς τῶν ἀποστόλων θανάτους λέγων. Εἶδες ἀνδρείαν καὶ ἐπιείκειαν; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνα, φησὶν, οὐκ ἀνθίσταται σφαττόμενα, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἡμεῖς. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης διανοίας ἡ ἀσθένεια καὶ μετὰ τοσαῦτα τὸ πλῆθος τῶν πειρασμῶν ἐδεδοίκει, ὅρα πῶς πάλιν ἀνίστησι τὸν ἀκροατὴν, καὶ ὑψηλὸν ποιεῖ καὶ γαῦρον, εἰπών· Ἀλλ' ἐν τούτοις πᾶσιν ὑπερνικῶμεν διὰ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς. Τὸ γὰρ δὴ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτό ἐστιν, οὐχ ὅτι νῦν νικῶμεν μόνον, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ δι' ὧν ἐπιβουλευόμεθα νικῶμεν. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς νικῶμεν, ἀλλ' ὑπερνικῶμεν, τουτέστι, μετὰ εὐκολίας ἁπάσης, χωρὶς ἱδρώτων καὶ πόνων. Οὐ γὰρ πράγματα ὑπομένοντες, ἀλλὰ τὴν γνώμην παρασκευάζοντες μόνον, οὕτω πανταχοῦ τὰ τρόπαια ἱστῶμεν κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν. Καὶ μάλα εἰκότως· Θεὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡμῖν ὁ συναγωνιζόμενος. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀπιστήσῃς, εἰ μαστιζόμενοι τῶν μαστιζόντων περιγινόμεθα, εἰ ἐλαυνόμενοι τῶν διωκόντων κρατοῦμεν, εἰ ἀποθνήσκοντες τοὺς ζῶντας τρεπόμεθα. Ὅταν γὰρ καὶ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην θῇς, οὐδὲν τὸ κωλύον τὰ θαυμαστὰ ταῦτα ἐκβῆναι καὶ παράδοξα, καὶ τὴν ἐκ περιουσίας λάμψαι νίκην. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἐνίκων, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλοῦ τοῦ θαύματος, καὶ ὥστε μαθεῖν, ὅτι οὐ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ὁ πόλεμος τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύουσιν ἦν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν ἄμαχον δύναμιν ἐκείνην. Ὅρα γοῦν τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐν μέσῳ αὐτοὺς ἔχοντας, καὶ διαποροῦντας καὶ λέγοντας· Τί ποιήσομεν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις; Τὸ γὰρ δὴ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι κατέχοντες αὐτοὺς, καὶ ὑπευθύνους ἔχοντες, καὶ δεσμοῦντες, καὶ κόπτοντες, ἠπόρουν καὶ ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ ἦσαν, δι' αὐτῶν τούτων ἡττώμενοι, δι' ὧν προσεδόκων νικᾷν. Καὶ οὔτε τύραννος, οὔτε δήμιοι, οὔτε δαιμόνων φάλαγγες, οὔτε αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος περιγενέσθαι αὐτῶν ἴσχυσεν, ἀλλ' ἐκ πολλῆς ἅπαντες ἡττῶντο τῆς περιουσίας, ἅπερ κατ' αὐτῶν ἐμηχανῶντο, πάντα ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ὁρῶντες γινόμενα. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἔλεγεν· Ὑπερνικῶμεν. Καινὸς γὰρ οὗτος ὁ νόμος τῆς νίκης ἦν, τὸ διὰ τῶν ἐναντίων κρατεῖν, καὶ μηδέποτε ἡττᾶσθαι, ἀλλ' ὡς αὐτοὺς ὄντας κυρίους τοῦ τέλους, 60.546 οὕτως ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀγῶνας ἐξιέναι τούτους. Πέπεισμαι γὰρ, ὅτι οὔτε θάνατος οὔτε ζωὴ, οὔτε ἄγγελοι οὔτε ἀρχαὶ οὔτε δυνάμεις, οὔτε ἐνεστῶτα οὔτε μέλλοντα, οὔτε ὕψωμα οὔτε βάθος, οὔτε τις κτίσις ἑτέρα δυνήσεται ἡμᾶς χωρίσαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν. εʹ. Μεγάλα τὰ εἰρημένα· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἴσμεν αὐτὰ, ἐπειδὴ τοσαύτην ἀγάπην οὐκ ἔχομεν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως εἰ καὶ μεγάλα, δεῖξαι βουλόμενος οὐδὲν ὄντα πρὸς τὴν ἀγάπην, ἢν ἠγαπήθη παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, μετ' ἐκείνην τότε τὴν αὐτοῦ τίθησιν, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ μεγάλα λέγειν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Τί δεῖ, φησὶ, τὰ παρόντα λέγειν, καὶ τὰ τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ συγκεκληρωμένα δεινά. Κἂν γὰρ τὰ μέλλοντα εἴπῃ τις πράγματα, κἂν δυνάμεις, πράγματα μὲν ὡς θάνατον καὶ ζωὴν, δυνάμεις δὲ ὡς ἀγγέλους καὶ ἀρχαγγέλους, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἄνω κτίσιν, καὶ ταῦτα ἐμοὶ μικρὰ πρὸς τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Οὔτε γὰρ, εἰ θάνατόν τις ἠπείλει τὸν μέλλοντα τὸν ἀθάνατον, ὥστε ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ χωρίσαι,