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let us think. For even if God did not punish us, we ought to exact punishment from ourselves, having been so ungrateful to our benefactor. Shall I say something paradoxical and wonderful? It is a greater comfort to one who is punished after provoking so philanthropic a Master—if he has sense and loves the Master as he ought to love Him—than to one who is not punished. For one who has wronged his dearest friend is most at ease when he exacts punishment from himself and suffers ill. Do you not see those who have lost legitimate children, that for this reason they beat their breasts and tear their hair, because there is comfort in punishing themselves for the sake of their loved ones? And if, when we have done no evil to our dearest ones, it brings us comfort to suffer ill for what they have suffered, when we ourselves are the ones who have provoked and insulted them, will not giving satisfaction bring us much more relief, and not being punished be a punishment? It is clear to everyone. For to those who love anything, it is not unpleasant to suffer some ill for provoking their beloved, but above all, the very act of provoking the one they love. And if the beloved, being angered, does not punish, he torments the lover more; but if he exacts punishment, he has rather comforted him. If anyone loves Christ as one ought to love, he will not endure not being punished even if Christ Himself permits it; for he who provokes Him endures the greatest punishment. For there is no one, no one, not a father, not a mother, not a friend, nor anyone at all, who has loved us as God who made us. But if you tell me of griefs and pains and the evils of life, consider how much you offend Him each day, and you will no longer wonder, even if greater evils than these should come upon you; but if you should enjoy any good thing, then you will both wonder and be astonished. But now we see the calamities that befall us, but we do not see the offenses with which we offend each day; and for this reason we are distressed; for if we had reckoned our sins of only one day with accuracy, then we would know well for how many evils we are responsible. But for this reason the greater sins enter in, because the lesser ones do not receive their proper correction; for this reason there are the swiftest changes and reverses; for this reason there are the frequent and untimely deaths, because we are disposed in our mindset as if reaching heaven itself; and as if we will never die, so we plunder; and as if we will never give an account, so we are avaricious; and neither the word of God nor events themselves instruct us, but all is in vain, and nothing touches our hardness of heart. No one despises the things on earth, no one looks to heaven; but just as swine nod downwards, stooping to their bellies, rolling in the mire, so also the many among men, defiling themselves with a most grievous mire, are not aware of it. For it is better to be defiled with unclean mud, than 63.737 with sins. For the one defiled by that washes it off in a short time, and becomes like one who had not fallen into that bog at all from the beginning; but the one who has fallen into the pit of sin has received a defilement not cleansed by water, but requiring much time and exact repentance, and tears and lamentations, and more and warmer wailing than we show for our dearest ones when they die. For just as there is no benefit for a king to be clothed in purple and have weapons, but to possess no subject, but to be set forth for all who wish to leap upon and insult him; so also there will be no gain for a Christian who has faith and the gift from baptism, but is set forth as a plaything for all the passions; but just as that man will not only gain nothing from this robe for his own honor, but will also dishonor it through his own shame; so also the believer who lives a corrupt life is not only not respected on this account, but will be even more ridiculous. Therefore, let us not shame our life, nor live a ridiculous life; nor let us defile the body with fornication. For how will you be able to enter the church after... with the

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νομίσωμεν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς μὴ ἐκόλαζεν ἡμᾶς, αὐτοὺς ἐχρῆν ἀπαιτῆσαι δίκην ἑαυτοὺς, οὕτως ἀγνώμονας περὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην γεγενημένους. Εἴπω τι παράδοξον καὶ θαυμαστόν; μείζων ἐστὶ παραμυθία τῷ κολαζομένῳ μετὰ τὸ παροξῦναι τὸν οὕτω φιλάνθρωπον, ἐὰν νοῦν ἔχῃ καὶ φιλῇ τὸν ∆εσπότην ὡς φιλεῖν δεῖ, ἢ τῷ μὴ κολαζομένῳ. Ὁ γὰρ εἰς τὸν φίλτατον ἠδικηκὼς, τότε μάλιστα ἀναπαύεται, ὅταν ἑαυτὸν ἀπαιτήσῃ δίκην καὶ πάθῃ κακῶς. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε τοὺς ἀποβαλόντας παῖδας γνησίους, ὅτι δι' αὐτὸ καὶ κόπτονται καὶ τρίχας τίλλουσιν, ἐπειδὴ παραμυθίαν ἔχει τὸ κολάζειν ἑαυτοὺς ὑπὲρ τῶν φιλουμένων; Εἰ δὲ, ὅτε μηδὲν εἰργασάμεθα ἡμεῖς τοὺς φιλτάτους δεινὸν, φέρει παραμυθίαν ἡμῖν τὸ κακῶς παθεῖν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐκεῖνοι πεπόνθασιν, ὅταν αὐτοὶ ὦμεν οἱ παροξύναντες καὶ ὑβρικότες, οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς ἀναπαύσει τὸ δίκην διδόναι, καὶ τὸ μὴ κολάζεσθαι κολάσει; Παντί που δῆλον. Τοῖς γὰρ ὁτιοῦν ἐρῶσιν οὐ τὸ κακόν τι παθεῖν ἀηδὲς ὑπὲρ ὧν παρώξυναν τὸν ἐρώμενον, ἀλλ' αὐτὸ πρὸ πάντων τὸ παροξῦναι τὸν ἀγαπώμενον. Κἂν ὀργισθεὶς οὗτος μὴ κολάσῃ, μειζόνως ἐβασάνιζε τὸν ἐραστήν· ἂν δὲ δίκην ἀπαιτήσῃ μᾶλλον παρεμυθήσατο. Εἴ τις φιλεῖ τὸν Χριστὸν ὡς φιλεῖν χρὴ, οὐδὲ αὐτοῦ συγχωροῦντος ἀνέξεται μὴ κολάζεσθαι· τὴν γὰρ μεγίστην κόλασιν ὑπομένει ὁ παροξύνας αὐτόν. Καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς, οὐκ ἔστι, κἂν πατὴρ, κἂν μήτηρ, κἂν φίλος, κἂν ὁστισοῦν, ὃς οὕτως ἡμᾶς ἠγάπησεν, ὡς ὁ ποιήσας ἡμᾶς Θεός. Εἰ δὲ τὰς λύπας μοι λέγῃς καὶ τὰς ὀδύνας καὶ τὰ τοῦ βίου κακὰ, ἐννόησον ὅσα αὐτῷ προσκρούεις καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, καὶ οὐκέτι θαυμάσῃ, κἂν πλείονα τούτων ἐπέλθῃ κακά· ἀλλ', ἂν ἀγαθοῦ τινος ἀπολαύσῃς, τότε καὶ θαυμάσῃ καὶ ἐκπλαγήσῃ. Νῦν δὲ τὰς μὲν συμφορὰς ὁρῶμεν τὰς ἐπιούσας, τὰ δὲ προσκρούσματα οὐχ ὁρῶμεν, ἃ καθ' ἑκάστην προσκρούομεν τὴν ἡμέραν· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀλύομεν· ὡς εἴ γε μιᾶς ἡμέρας μόνον μετὰ ἀκριβείας τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἡμῶν ἐλογισάμεθα, τότε ἂν ἔγνωμεν καλῶς, πόσων ἂν εἴημεν ὑπεύθυνοι κακῶν. Ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο τὰ μείζονα τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐπεισέρχεται, ὅτι τὰ ἐλάττονα τῆς προσηκούσης οὐ τυγχάνει διορθώσεως· διὰ τοῦτο αἱ τάχισται μεταβολαὶ καὶ μεταπτώσεις· διὰ τοῦτο οἱ συνεχεῖς καὶ ἄωροι θάνατοι, ἐπειδὴ ὡς πρὸς αὐτὸν φθάνοντες τὸν οὐρανὸν, οὕτω διακείμεθα τῷ φρονήματι· καὶ ὡς οὐδέποτε τεθνηξόμενοι, οὕτως ἁρπάζομεν· καὶ ὡς οὐδέποτε λόγον δώσοντες, οὕτω πλεονεκτοῦμεν· καὶ οὐδὲ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγος, οὐδὲ αὐτὰ παιδεύει τὰ πράγματα, ἀλλὰ πάντα μάτην, καὶ τῆς σκληρότητος ἡμῶν οὐδὲν καθικνεῖται. Οὐδεὶς καταφρονεῖ τῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ, οὐδεὶς πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ὁρᾷ· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οἱ χοῖροι κάτω νεύουσι πρὸς τὴν γαστέρα κύπτοντες, τῷ βορβόρῳ ἐγκαλινδούμενοι, οὕτω καὶ οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βορβόρῳ χαλεπωτάτῳ ἑαυτοὺς μολύνοντες οὐκ αἰσθάνονται. Βέλτιον γὰρ πηλῷ μολύνεσθαι ἀκαθάρτῳ, ἢ 63.737 ἁμαρτήμασιν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν μολυνθεὶς ἀπενίψατο ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ, καὶ γέγονεν ὅμοιος τῷ μηδὲ ἐμπεσόντι παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰς ἐκεῖνο τὸ τέλμα· ὁ δὲ εἰς τὸ βάραθρον τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐμπεσὼν, ἐδέξατο μολυσμὸν οὐχ ὕδατι καθαιρόμενον, ἀλλὰ πολλοῦ δεόμενον χρόνου καὶ μετανοίας ἀκριβοῦς, καὶ δακρύων καὶ κοπετῶν, καὶ πλείονος θρήνου καὶ θερμοτέρου, ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς φιλτάτοις ἡμῶν θανοῦσιν ἐπιδεικνύμεθα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐδὲν ὄφελος βασιλέως ἁλουργίδα μὲν περικειμένου καὶ ὅπλα ἔχοντος, οὐδένα δὲ ὑπήκοον κεκτημένου, ἀλλὰ προκειμένου πᾶσι τοῖς βουλομένοις ἐνάλλεσθαι καὶ ὑβρίζειν αὐτόν· οὕτω καὶ Χριστιανοῦ οὐδὲν ἔσται κέρδος, πίστιν μὲν ἔχοντος καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος δωρεὰν, πᾶσι δὲ τοῖς πάθεσι παίγνιον προκειμένου· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τῆς στολῆς κερδανεῖ ταύτης εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν τιμὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκείνην καθυβρίσει διὰ τῆς οἰκείας αἰσχύνης· οὕτω καὶ ὁ πιστὸς βίον διεφθαρμένον βιῶν, οὐ μόνον οὐκ αἰδέσιμος ἐντεῦθεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μειζόνως καταγέλαστος ἔσται. Μὴ τοίνυν καταισχύνωμεν ἡμῶν τὸν βίον, μηδὲ καταγέλαστον ζῶμεν ζωήν· μηδὲ μολύνωμεν τὸ σῶμα τῇ πορνείᾳ. Πῶς γὰρ εἰς ἐκκλησίαν εἰσελθεῖν δυνήσῃ μετὰ τὴν πρὸς τὰς