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let us beseech, so as not to allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able, if we always hold fast to him, we shall stand nobly, and we shall draw up in battle array. As long as we have him as a helper, even if temptations blow more violently than all the winds, they will be to us as a twig and a leaf simply carried along. Hear Paul saying: In all these things, he says, we are more than conquerors; and again: For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us; and again: For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Consider how great dangers, shipwrecks, successive afflictions, and all such things, he calls light; and emulate this adamant, who wears this body simply and for no reason. Are you in poverty? but not in as much as Paul, who was tried in hunger and thirst and nakedness; for he did not suffer this for one day, but endured it continually. From where is this clear? Hear him saying: Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked. Oh! having already so much glory in his preaching, he endured so many things, being in his twentieth year, when he wrote these things. For I know a man, he says, fourteen years ago, whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not; and again: 63.197 After three years, he says, I went up to Jerusalem. And again hear him saying: It were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. And not only this, but again writing he said: We are made as the filth of the world. What is harder than famine? what than frost? what than plots from brethren? whom he then calls false brethren. Was he not called a pest of the world? not a deceiver? not a subverter? was he not cut to pieces being scourged? Let us take these things to mind, beloved, let us consider these things, let us remember these things, and we shall never be faint, even if we are wronged, even if we are plundered, even if we suffer ten thousand evils. May it be that we are well-pleasing in the things of heaven, and all things are bearable; may it be that we fare well there, and of the things here there is no account. These things are a shadow and a dream; whatever they might be, when those things are hoped for and expected, there is nothing terrible either in nature or in time. For what do you wish we should compare to those terrible things? what to the unquenchable fire, to the undying worm? what of things here will you be able to say is equal to the gnashing of teeth, to the bonds, to the outer darkness, to the wrath, to the affliction, to the anguish? But in time? And what are ten thousand years to infinite and endless ages? are they not as a small drop to an infinite abyss? But to the good things? But there the excess is greater; Eye hath not seen, he says, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man. And these things will be again in infinite ages. For the sake of these things, therefore, is it not good to be cut in pieces ten thousand times, to be slain, to be burned, to undergo ten thousand deaths, to endure anything terrible both in word and in deed? For if it were possible to live being burned in fire, would it not be necessary to endure all things for the sake of obtaining those promised good things? But why do I say these things, trifling to men who do not even choose to despise money, but hold onto it as if it were immortal, and even if they give a little out of much, thinking they have accomplished the whole thing? This is not almsgiving; for almsgiving is that of that widow, who emptied out her whole living. But if you cannot afford to put down as much as the widow, at least put down the whole surplus; have what is sufficient, not what is superfluous. But there is no one who puts down even the surplus; for as long as you have many servants and silk garments, all these things are surplus. Nothing is necessary nor of need, without which we can live; these things are superfluous and are simply attached externally. Let us see then, if you please, without what we cannot live. Even if we have only two servants, we can live; for where there are some who live without servants, what defense do we have, not being content with two? We can also have a house of three rooms made of brick; and this is sufficient for us. For tell me, are there not some with

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παρακαλῶμεν, ὥστε μὴ ἐᾶσαι ἡμᾶς πειρασθῆναι ὑπὲρ ὃ δυνάμεθα, ἐὰν ἀεὶ αὐτοῦ ἐχώμεθα, στησόμεθα γενναίως, καὶ παραταξόμεθα. Ἕως ἂν αὐτὸν ἔχωμεν βοηθὸν, κἂν πάντων τῶν ἀνέμων σφοδρότερον πνεύσωσιν οἱ πειρασμοὶ, κάρφος ἡμῖν ἔσονται καὶ φύλλον ἁπλῶς φερόμενον. Ἄκουε Παύλου λέγοντος· Ἐν τούτοις, φησὶ, πᾶσιν ὑπερνικῶμεν· καὶ πάλιν· Λογίζομαι γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι εἰς ἡμᾶς· καὶ πάλιν· Τὸ γὰρ παραυτίκα ἐλαφρὸν τῆς θλίψεως, καθ' ὑπερβολὴν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης ἡμῖν κατεργάζεται. Σκόπει ἡλίκους κινδύνους, ναυάγια, τὰς ἐπαλλήλους θλίψεις, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, ἐλαφρὰ καλεῖ· καὶ ζήλωσον τὸν ἀδάμαντα τοῦτον, τὸν ἁπλῶς καὶ εἰκῆ τὸ σῶμα τοῦτο περικείμενον. Ἐν πενίᾳ εἶ; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν τοσαύτῃ, ὅσῃ ὁ Παῦλος, ὁ καὶ ἐν λιμῷ ἐξεταζόμενος καὶ δίψει καὶ γυμνότητι· οὐ γὰρ μίαν ἡμέραν τοῦτο ἔπαθεν, ἀλλὰ διηνεκῶς τοῦτο ὑπέμεινε. Πόθεν τοῦτο δῆλον; Ἄκουε αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Ἄχριτῆς ἄρτι ὥρας καὶ πεινῶμεν, καὶ διψῶμεν, καὶ γυμνητεύομεν. Βαβαὶ, πόσην ἔχων ἤδη δόξαν ἐν τῷ κηρύγματι, τοσαῦτα ὑπέμενεν, εἰκοστὸν λοιπὸν ἔτος ἔχων, ὅτε ταῦτα ἔγραφεν. Οἶδα γὰρ, φησὶν, ἄνθρωπον πρὸ ἐτῶν δεκατεσσάρων, εἴτε ἐν σώματι, εἴτε ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματος, οὐκ οἶδα· καὶ πάλιν· 63.197 Μετὰ τρία ἔτη, φησὶν, ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα. Καὶ πάλιν ἄκουε αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Καλόν μοι ἀποθανεῖν, ἢ τὸ καύχημά μου ἵνα τις κενώσῃ. Οὐ μόνον δὲ τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλιν γράφων ἔλεγεν· Ὡς περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου ἐγενήθημεν. Τί λιμοῦ χαλεπώτερον; τί κρυμοῦ; τί τῶν ἐπιβουλῶν τῶν παρὰ ἀδελφῶν; οὓς ψευδαδέλφους λοιπὸν καλεῖ. Οὐχὶ λυμεὼν ἐκαλεῖτο τῆς οἰκουμένης; οὐχὶ ἀπατεών; οὐχὶ ἀνατροπεύς; οὐχὶ κατεκόπτετο μαστιζόμενος; Ταῦτα ἐν νῷ λάβωμεν, ἀγαπητοὶ, ταῦτα ἀναλογιζώμεθα, ταῦτα μνημονεύωμεν, καὶ οὐδέποτε ἐκλυθησόμεθα, κἂν ἀδικώμεθα, κἂν ἁρπαζώμεθα, κἂν μυρία πάσχωμεν κακά. Γένοιτο τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἡμᾶς εὐδοκιμεῖν, καὶ πάντα φορητά· γένοιτο εὖ πράττειν ἐκεῖ, καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα λόγος οὐδείς. Σκιὰ ταῦτά ἐστι καὶ ὄναρ· οἷα ἂν εἴη, ἐλπιζομένων ἐκείνων καὶ προσδοκωμένων, οὐδέν ἐστι τῶν δεινῶν οὔτε τῇ φύσει, οὔτε τῷ χρόνῳ. Τί γὰρ βούλει πρὸς τὰ δεινὰ ἐκεῖνα παραβάλωμεν; τί πρὸς τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἄσβεστον, πρὸς τὸν σκώληκα τὸν ἀτελεύτητον; τί δυνήσῃ ἴσον εἰπεῖν τῶν ἐνταῦθα πρὸς τὸν βρυγμὸν τῶν ὀδόντων, πρὸς τὰ δεσμὰ, πρὸς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον, πρὸς τὴν ὀργὴν πρὸς τὴν θλῖψιν, πρὸς τὴν στενοχωρίαν; Ἀλλὰ τῷ χρόνῳ; Καὶ τί μύρια ἔτη πρὸς ἀπείρους αἰῶνας καὶ ἀτελευτήτους; οὐχ ὅσον μικρὰ σταγὼν πρὸς ἄβυσσον ἄπειρον; Ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰ ἀγαθά; Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ μείζων ἡ ὑπερβολή· Ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδε, φησὶν, οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσεν, ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη. Καὶ ταῦτα ἔσται πάλιν ἐν ἀπείροις αἰῶσιν. Ὑπὲρ τούτων οὖν κατακοπῆναι μυριάκις οὐ καλὸν, ἀναιρεθῆναι, κατακαῆναι, μυρίους ὑποστῆναι θανάτους, πᾶν ὁτιοῦν ὑπομεῖναι δεινὸν καὶ λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ; Εἰ γὰρ ἐν πυρὶ ζῇν κατακαιόμενον ἦν, οὐκ ἔδει πάντα ὑπομένειν ὑπὲρ τοῦ τυχεῖν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἐκείνων ἀγαθῶν; Ἀλλὰ τί λέγω ταῦτα ληρῶν πρὸς ἀνθρώπους οὐδὲ χρημάτων καταφρονῆσαι αἱρουμένους, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀθανάτων αὐτῶν ἐχομένους, κἂν μικρὰ ἐκ πολλῶν δῶσι, τὸ πᾶν νομίζοντας ἠνυκέναι; Οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο ἐλεημοσύνη· ἐλεημοσύνη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ τῆς χήρας ἐκείνης, ἥτις τὸν βίον αὐτῆς πάντα ἐκένωσεν. Εἰ δὲ οὐ χωρεῖς τοσοῦτον ὅσον ἡ χήρα καταβαλεῖν, ἀλλὰ κἂν τὸ περίσσευμα ὅλον κατάβαλε· ἔχε τὰ ἀρκοῦντα, μὴ τὰ περιττά. Ἀλλ' οὐδείς ἐστιν οὐδὲ τὸ περίσσευμα καταβάλλων· ἕως γὰρ ἂν ἔχῃς οἰκέτας πολλοὺς καὶ ἱμάτια σηρικὰ, πάντα ταῦτα περιττεύματά ἐστιν. Οὐδὲν ἀναγκαῖον οὐδὲ τῆς χρείας, ὧν ἄνευ δυνάμεθα ζῇν· ταῦτα περιττὰ καὶ ἁπλῶς ἔξω πρόσκειται. Τίνος οὖν ἄνευ οὐ δυνάμεθα ζῇν ἴδωμεν, εἰ δοκεῖ. Κἂν δύο μόνους ἔχωμεν οἰκέτας, δυνάμεθα ζῇν· ὅπου γάρ εἰσί τινες χωρὶς οἰκετῶν ζῶντες, ποίαν ἡμεῖς ἔχομεν ἀπολογίαν, τοῖς δύο οὐκ ἀρκούμενοι; ∆υνάμεθα καὶ ἐκ πλίνθων ἔχειν οἰκίαν τριῶν οἰκημάτων· καὶ τοῦτο ἀρκεῖ ἡμῖν. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, οὐκ εἰσί τινες μετὰ