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you might mention Daphne the suburb, nor the multitude and height of the cypresses, nor the springs of water, nor the many people inhabiting the city, nor passing the time in the marketplace until late evening with great security, nor the abundance of goods for sale; all these things are perceptible to the senses, and remain only for the present life; but if you can speak of virtue, equity, almsgiving, all-night vigils, prayers, self-control, philosophy of the soul, adorn the city with these. These things, when they belong even to those who inhabit the desert, make it more splendid than any city; and again, more worthless than anything, if these things are not present in its citizens. Let us do this not only in the case of a city, but also in the case of men. If you see a man who is fleshy, who has achieved great physical fitness, tall and surpassing others in the length of his body, do not admire him until you have understood his soul. Let us not call anyone blessed from their outward beauty, but also from the beauty of their mind. David was small and short in body, but nevertheless that short and small one, stripped of all weapons, brought down so great an army and that tower of flesh with a single blow, not by hurling a spear, nor by shooting an arrow, nor by drawing a sword, but by accomplishing the whole thing with a small stone. For this reason someone also advises, saying: Do not praise a man for his beauty, nor loathe a man for his appearance; the bee is small among flying things, but its fruit is the beginning of sweet things. Let us say this both of a city 49.180 and of men, and let us philosophize with one another, and let us give thanks to God continually both for present things and for past things, and let us exhort him in common with all earnestness, so that those who inhabit the prison, and those who are about to be relocated to a foreign land, may the one be released, and the other return. For they are our members, with us they were tossed by the waves, with us they endured the storm; let us therefore exhort the man-loving God that they may enjoy the calm with us. Let no one say: What does it matter to me anymore? I have been freed from the danger, let so-and-so perish, let another be destroyed. Let us not provoke God through this arrogance, but as if we ourselves were in dreadful circumstances, so let us grieve, so let us exhort God with earnestness, fulfilling that saying of Paul: to those in prison as if imprisoned with them, to those who are mistreated as being yourselves also in the body, and weeping with those who weep, being carried away with the humble. This will also benefit us ourselves the most; for nothing is accustomed to so gladden God, as to grieve with much eagerness for our own members. Let us therefore exhort him in common both for present things and for future things, so that he may snatch us from that punishment. For present things, whatever they may be, are both bearable and have an end; but the torments there are both immortal and inescapable. And with our exhortation, let us ourselves also be diligent, to no longer fall into such sins, knowing that henceforth we will not be able to obtain forgiveness. Therefore, let us all fall down before God in common, both being here and when we are in our homes, let us say: You are just, O Lord, in all that you have done to us, because in true judgment you have brought on what you have brought on. If our sins have stood against us, act for us for your name's sake, and do not permit us to experience such terrible things any longer, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for yours is the kingdom and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

49.179.40 On the aforementioned subject of the sedition, concerning fasting, and on the saying of the Apostle, Rejoice in the Lord always. Homily 18.

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τὴν ∆άφνην εἴπῃς τὸ προάστειον, μηδὲ τὸ πλῆθος καὶ μῆκος τῶν κυπαρίσσων, μηδὲ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων, μηδὲ τὸ πολλοὺς τὴν πόλιν οἰκεῖν ἀνθρώπους, μηδὲ τὸ μέχρι βαθυτάτης ἑσπέρας ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς διατρίβειν μετὰ ἀδείας πολλῆς, μηδὲ τῶν ὠνίων τὴν ἀφθονίαν· αἰσθητὰ ἅπαντα ταῦτα, καὶ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος μένοντα βίου· ἀλλ' ἐὰν ἔχῃς εἰπεῖν ἀρετὴν, ἐπιείκειαν, ἐλεημοσύνην, παννυχίδας, εὐχὰς, σωφροσύνην, φιλοσοφίαν ψυχῆς, ἀπὸ τούτων κόσμει τὴν πόλιν. Ταῦτα καὶ τοῖς τὴν ἔρημον οἰκοῦσι προσόντα πάσης πόλεως λαμπροτέραν αὐτὴν ποιεῖ· καὶ πάλιν πάντων εὐτελεστέραν, ἂν μὴ παρῇ ταῦτα τοῖς ἐκείνης πολίταις. Τοῦτο μὴ ἐπὶ πόλεως μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων ποιήσωμεν. Ἐὰν ἴδῃς ἄνθρωπον πολυσαρκοῦντα, εἰς εὐεξίαν πολλὴν ἐκβεβηκότα, ὑψηλὸν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ὑπερβαίνοντα τῷ μήκει τοῦ σώματος, μὴ θαυμάσῃς, ἕως ἂν αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν καταμάθῃς. Μὴ ἀπὸ τῆς ἔξωθεν εὐμορφίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν διάνοιαν κάλλους μακαρίζωμεν ἅπαντας. Μικρὸς ἦν ὁ ∆αυῒδ καὶ βραχὺς τῷ σώματι, ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁ βραχὺς ἐκεῖνος καὶ μικρὸς, καὶ τῶν ὅπλων γεγυμνωμένος ἁπάντων, στρατόπεδον τοσοῦτον καὶ τὸν σαρκικὸν ἐκεῖνον πύργον ἀπὸ μιᾶς κατήνεγκε πληγῆς, οὐκ ἀκοντίσας δόρυ, οὐδὲ βέλος ἀφεὶς, οὐδὲ ξίφος γυμνώσας, ἀλλὰ μικρᾷ βολῇ τὸ πᾶν ἐργασάμενος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καί τις παραινεῖ λέγων· Μὴ ἐπαινέσῃς ἄνθρωπον ἐν κάλλει αὐτοῦ, μηδὲ βδελύξῃ ἄνδρα ἐν ὁράσει αὐτοῦ· μικρὰ ἐν πετεινοῖς ἡ μέλισσα, καὶ ἀρχὴ γλυκασμῶν ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῆς. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ πόλεως 49.180 καὶ ἀνδρῶν λέγωμεν, καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους φιλοσοφῶμεν, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ χάριν ἔχωμεν διηνεκῶς καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν παρόντων καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν παρελθόντων, καὶ παρακαλῶμεν αὐτὸν κοινῇ μετὰ ἐκτενείας πάσης, ὥστε καὶ τοὺς τὸ δεσμωτήριον οἰκοῦντας, καὶ τοὺς εἰς τὴν ἀλλοτρίαν μετοικίζεσθαι μέλλοντας, τοὺς μὲν ἀφεθῆναι, τοὺς δὲ ἐπανελθεῖν. Μέλη ἡμῶν εἰσι κἀκεῖνοι, μεθ' ἡμῶν ἐκλυδωνίσθησαν, μεθ' ἡμῶν τὸν χειμῶνα ὑπέστησαν· παρακαλῶμεν τοίνυν τὸν φιλάνθρωπον Θεὸν μεθ' ἡμῶν αὐτοὺς ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς γαλήνης. Μὴ λεγέτω τις· Τί δέ μοι μέλει λοιπόν; ἀπηλλάγην τοῦ κινδύνου, ἀπολλύσθω ὁ δεῖνα, διαφθειρέσθω ἕτερος. Μὴ παροξύνωμεν τὸν Θεὸν διὰ τῆς ὑπεροψίας ταύτης, ἀλλ' ὡς αὐτοὶ ὄντες ἐν τοῖς δεινοῖς, οὕτως ὀδυνώμεθα, οὕτω τὸν Θεὸν μετὰ ἐκτενείας παρακαλῶμεν, ἐκεῖνο τὸ Παύλου πληροῦντες ῥητόν· Τοῖς δεσμίοις ὡς συνδεδεμένοι, τοῖς κακουχουμένοις ὡς καὶ αὐτοὶ ὄντες ἐν σώματι, καὶ κλαίοντες μετὰ κλαιόντων, τοῖς ταπεινοῖς συναπαγόμενοι. Τοῦτο καὶ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ὠφελήσει τὰ μέγιστα· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω τὸν Θεὸν εὐφραίνειν εἴωθεν, ὡς τὸ μετὰ πολλῆς προθυμίας ἀλγεῖν ὑπὲρ τῶν μελῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων. Παρακαλῶμεν τοίνυν αὐτὸν κοινῇ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν παρόντων καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν μελλόντων, ὥστε κἀκείνης ἡμᾶς ἐξαρπάσαι τῆς κολάσεως. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ παρόντα οἷα ἂν ᾖ, φορητά τέ ἐστι καὶ τέλος ἔχει· τὰ δὲ ἐκεῖ βασανιστήρια ἀθάνατά τε καὶ ἄφυκτα. Μετὰ δὲ τῆς παρακλήσεως καὶ αὐτοὶ σπουδάζωμεν, μηκέτι τοιούτοις περιπίπτειν ἁμαρτήμασιν, εἰδότες ὅτι λοιπὸν οὐδὲ συγγνώμης ἀπολαῦσαι δυνησόμεθα. Κοινῇ τοίνυν τῷ Θεῷ προσπίπτωμεν ἅπαντες, καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὄντες, καὶ κατὰ τοὺς οἴκους γινόμενοι, λέγωμεν· ∆ίκαιος εἶ, Κύριε, ἐπὶ πᾶσιν οἷς ἐποίησας ἡμῖν, ὅτι ἐν ἀληθινῇ κρίσει ἐπήγαγες, ὅσα ἐπήγαγες. Εἰ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἡμῶν ἀντέστησαν ἡμῖν, ποίησον ἡμῖν ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματός σου, καὶ μὴ συγχωρήσῃς μηκέτι τοιούτων δεινῶν πεῖραν λαβεῖν, Μηδὲ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμὸν, ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ, ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις, καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

49.179.40 Εἰς τὴν προειρημένην ὑπόθεσιν τῆς στάσεως, περὶ νηστείας, καὶ εἰς τὸ ῥητὸν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου, Χαίρετε ἐν Κυρίῳ πάντοτε. Ὁμιλία ιηʹ.