139

but the shameless mouth will be stopped. For the very deeds of each testify against him, not uttering a voice, but appearing as such things as have been fashioned by us. How can I bring before your eyes the dreadful things? If you will listen, if you will yield, remember that day, in which the glorious presence of Christ is revealed. Then they will rise, those who have done good to a resurrection of life, but those who have done evil, to a resurrection of judgment. Then eternal shame for sinners, and a zeal of fire about to consume the adversaries. Let those things grieve you, and let not the commandment grieve you. How shall I entreat you? what shall I say? You do not desire the kingdom; you do not fear Gehenna. From where can a cure for your soul be found? If the dreadful things do not frighten, the bright things do not entice, we are speaking to a heart of stone. Look, man, to the nature of wealth. Why are you so frantic about gold? Gold is a stone; silver is a stone; the pearl is a stone; each of the stones is a stone, chrysolite, and beryl, and agate, and jacinth, and amethyst, and jasper. These are the flowers of wealth, of which you, on the one hand, hide them away, and conceal the transparent stones in darkness; and on the other hand, you carry about the most precious, delighting in their gleam. Tell me, what benefit is it to you to turn your hand about, gleaming with stones? Do you not blush, craving little stones, as women do when they are pregnant? For they gnaw on little stones, and you are greedy for the flowers of the stones, seeking sardonyx, jasper, and amethyst. Who, having beautified himself, has been able to add one day to his life? Whom has death spared on account of wealth? From whom has disease held back on account of money? For how long will gold be the noose of souls, the hook of death, the bait of sin? for how long will wealth be the cause of wars, for which weapons are forged? for which swords are sharpened? for this, kinsmen ignore nature, brothers look murderously upon one another. Because of wealth, the deserts nurture murderers, the sea pirates, the cities slanderers. Who is the father of falsehood? who is the creator of forgery? who has begotten perjury? Is it not wealth? is it not the zeal for it? What is the matter with you, men? who has turned your own things, helpers for living, into a plot against you? For wealth is not an occasion of destruction, but necessary for the children. This is a specious pretext for greed; for you put forward the children, but you satisfy your heart. Do not blame the blameless one; he has his own master, his own steward. From another he received life, and from him he awaits the resources of 95.1489 life. Were the Gospels not written for those who have married? If you want to be perfect, sell your possessions, and give to the poor. When you asked from the Lord for fine children, when you thought it worthy to become a father of children, did you add this: Give me children, so that having become greedy on the pretext of the children I may be delivered to Gehenna; give me children, so that I may despise the Gospel? Show the works, and demand the recompense. No one does business after the festival has been dissolved, nor is crowned coming after the games, nor acts bravely after the wars; therefore, no one is pious after life, clearly. In ink and letters you promise good deeds. Who then will announce to you the time of your departure, who will be the guarantor of the manner of your end? How many have been snatched away by violent accidents, not even permitted by their suffering to utter a sound? how many has fever made senseless? Why then do you await a time, in which often you will not even be in possession of your own thoughts? Deep night, and a heavy sickness, and the helper is nowhere, and the one lying in wait for the inheritance is ready. Using everything for his own advantage, making your plans ineffective. Then looking around here and there, and seeing the desolation surrounding you, then you will perceive your folly, then you will groan over your foolishness, for what kind of time you were saving up the commandment; when the tongue is paralyzed, and the hand, already trembling, is shaken by convulsions, so that you can signify your intent neither by voice, nor by letters. And yet if even all things were clearly

139

ἀλλὰ φράσσεται στόμα ἀναίσχυντον. Αὐτὰ γὰρ ἑκάστου καταμαρτυρεῖ τὰ πράγματα, οὐ φωνὴν ἀφιέντα, ἀλλὰ τοιαῦτα φαινόμενα, οἷα ὑφ' ἡμῶν κατεσκεύασται. Πῶς σοι δυνηθῶ ὑπ' ὄψιν ἀγαγεῖν τὰ φρικτά; Ἐὰν ἄρα ἀκούσῃς, ἐὰν ἄρα ἐνδῷς, μνήσθητι τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης, ἐν ᾗ ἀποκαλύπτεται ἔνδοξος τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσία. Τότε ἀναστήσονται, οἱ μὲν τὰ ἀγαθὰ πράξαντες εἰς ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς, οἱ δὲ τὰ φαῦλα, εἰς ἀνάστασιν κρίσεως. Τότε αἰσχύνη αἰώνιος τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς, καὶ πυρὸς ζῆλος ἐσθίειν μέλλων τοὺς ὑπεναντίους. Ἐκεῖνα λυπείτω σε, καὶ μὴ λυπείτω σε ἡ ἐντολή. Πῶς σε δυσωπήσω; τί φθέγξομαι; Βασιλείας οὐκ ἐπιθυμεῖς· γέενναν οὐ φοβῇ. Πόθεν εὑρεθῇ ἴασις τῇ ψυχῇ σου; Εἰ τὰ φρικτὰ οὐ πτοεῖ, τὰ φαιδρὰ οὐ προτρέπεται, λιθίνῃ καρδίᾳ διαλεγόμεθα. ∆ιάβλεψον, ἄνθρωπε, πρὸς τὴν φύσιν τοῦ πλούτου. Τί τοσοῦτον ἐπτόησαι περὶ τὸν χρυσόν; λίθος ἐστὶν ὁ χρυσός· λίθος ὁ ἄργυρος· λίθος ὁ μαργαρίτης· λίθος τῶν λίθων ἕκαστος, χρυσόλιθον, καὶ βηρύλλιον, καὶ ἀχάτης, καὶ ὑάκινθος, καὶ ἀμέθυσος, καὶ ἴασπις. Ταῦτα δὴ τοῦ πλούτου τὰ ἄνθη, ὧν σὺ, τὰ μὲν ἀποτιθῇ κατακρύπτων, καὶ τοὺς διαφανεῖς τῶν λίθων τῷ σκότει κατακρύπτεις· τοὺς δὲ περιφέρεις τῶν βαρυτίμων, ἐναβρυνόμενος αὐτῶν τῇ αὐγῇ. Εἰπὲ, τί σοι ὄφελος λίθοις λαμπομένην περιστρέφειν τὴν χεῖρα; Οὐκ ἐρυθριᾷς λιθιδίων κισσῶν, ὡς γυναῖκες ὅταν κύωσιν; καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖναι λιθίδια περιτρώγουσιν, καὶ σὺ λίχνως ἔχεις περὶ τὰ ἄνθη τῶν λίθων, σαρδόνυχας, ἰάσπιδας, καὶ ἀμεθύσους ἐπιζητῶν. Τίς καλλωπισθεὶς, μίαν ἡμέραν ἠδυνήθη τῷ βίῳ προσθεῖναι; τίνος ἐφείσατο θάνατος διὰ τὸν πλοῦτον; τίνος ἀπέσχετο νόσος διὰ τὰ χρήματα; Ἕως πότε χρυσὸς, τῶν ψυχῶν ἡ ἀγχόνη, τοῦ θανάτου τὸ ἄγκιστρον, τὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας δέλεαρ; ἕως πότε πλοῦτος, ἡ τῶν πολέμων ὑπόθεσις, δι' ὧν χαλκεύεται ὅπλα; διὸ ἀκονᾶται ξίφη; διὰ τοῦτο συγγενεῖς ἀγνοοῦσι τὴν φύσιν, ἀδελφοὶ κατ' ἀλλήλων φονικὸν βλέπουσιν. ∆ιὰ τὸν πλοῦτον αἱ ἐρημίαι τοὺς φονευτὰς τρέφουσι, θάλασσα τοὺς καταποντιστὰς, αἱ πόλεις τοὺς συκοφάντας. Τίς ἐστιν ὁ ψεύδους πατήρ; τίς ὁ πλαστογραφίας δημιουργός; τίς ὁ τὴν ἐπιορκίαν γεννήσας; Οὐχ ὁ πλοῦτος; οὐχ ἡ περὶ τοῦτον σπουδή; τί πάσχετε, ἄνθρωποι; τίς ὑμῖν τὰ ὑμέτερα εἰς τὴν καθ' ὑμῶν ἐπιβουλὴν περιέτρεψε, συνεργὰ πρὸς τὸ ζῇν; Μὴ γὰρ ἀφορμὴ ἀπωλείας, ἀλλ' ἀναγκαῖος ὁ πλοῦτος διὰ τοὺς παῖδας. Εὐπρόσωπος ἀφορμὴ πλεονεξίας αὕτη· τοὺς γὰρ παῖδας προβάλλεσθε, τὴν δὲ καρδίαν πληροφορεῖτε. Μὴ αἰτιῶ τὸν ἀναίτιον· ἴδιον ἔχει δεσπότην, ἴδιον οἰκονόμον. Παρ' ἄλλου τὴν ζωὴν ἐδέξατο, καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ τὰς ἀφορμὰς ἀναμένει τοῦ 95.1489 βίου. Μὴ τοῖς γεγαμηκόσιν οὐκ ἐγράφη τὰ Εὐαγγέλια; Εἰ θέλεις εἶναι τέλειος, πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς. Ὅτε ᾔτεις παρὰ Κυρίου τὴν εὐπαιδίαν, ὅταν ἠξίους γενέσθαι τέκνων πατὴρ, ἆρα προσέθηκας τοῦτο· ∆ός μοι τέκνα, ἵνα πλεονέκτης γενόμενος τῇ προφάσει τῶν παίδων τῇ γεέννῃ παραδοθῶ· δός μοι παῖδας, ἵνα τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου καταφρονήσω; ∆εῖξον τὰ ἔργα, καὶ ἀπαίτει τὰς ἀντιδόσεις. Οὐδεὶς μετὰ τὸ λυθῆναι τὴν πανήγυριν πραγματεύεται, οὐδὲ μετὰ τοὺς ἀγῶνας ἐπελθὼν στεφανοῦται, οὐδὲ μετὰ τοὺς πολέμους ἀνδραγαθεῖ· οὐ τοίνυν μετὰ τὴν ζωὴν εὐσεβεῖ δηλονότι. Ἐν μέλανι καὶ γράμμασι κατεπαγγέλλῃ τὰς εὐποιίας. Τίς οὖν ἀναγγελεῖ σοι τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἐξόδου, τίς ἐγγυητὴς ἔσται τοῦ τρόπου τῆς τελευτῆς; Πόσοι ἀπὸ βιαίων ἡρπάσθησαν συμπτωμάτων, οὐδὲ φωνὴν ῥῆξαι συγχωρηθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους; πόσους πυρετὸς ἐποίησεν ἔκφρονας; Τί οὖν ἀναμένεις καιρὸν, ἐν ᾧ πολλάκις οὐδὲ τῶν σεαυτοῦ λογισμῶν ἔσῃ; Νὺξ βαθεῖα, καὶ νόσος βαρεῖα, καὶ ὁ βοηθῶν οὐδαμοῦ, καὶ ὁ ἐφεδρεύων τῷ κλήρῳ ἕτοιμος. Πάντα πρὸς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ δόκιμον χρησάμενος ἄπρακτά σου τὰ βουλεύματα ποιῶν. Εἶτα περιβλεψάμενος ὧδε καὶ ὧδε, καὶ ἰδὼν τὴν περιεστῶσάν σε ἐρημίαν, τότε αἰσθήσῃ τῆς ἀβουλίας, τότε στενάξεις τὴν ἄνοιαν, εἰς οἷον καιρὸν ἐταμιεύου τὴν ἐντολήν· ὅτε ἡ μὲν γλῶσσα παρεῖται, ἡ δὲ χεὶρ ὑπότρομος ἤδη κλονουμένη ταῖς συνολκαῖς, ὡς μήτε φωνῇ, μήτε γράμμασι διασημᾶναι τὴν γνώμην. Καίτοι εἰ καὶ πάντα φανερῶς