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But if we remain evil, will he not bring on the punishment? Therefore he will not give the rewards to the good either. Yes, he says; for this is fitting, to do good even beyond what is deserved. So then those things are true and will certainly come to pass, but the things concerning punishments are not certain, but for the sake of a threat and fear? What then? Have you heard about the flood? Were those things too said for the sake of a threat? Did it not come forth and happen? Those people too said many such things, and while the ark was being built for a hundred years, and the just man was crying out, there was no one who believed; but since they did not believe the threat through words, they underwent the punishment through deeds; let us strive with all our power to escape the experience of this, so that we may both complete our life here with ease, and obtain the good things to come, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Discourse 26. Concerning virtue and vice.

There are some here who cultivate virtue, who the from the city

withdrawal preferring, take to the mountains; and if someone should ask the reason for the withdrawal, he finds a pretext that has no excuse; ‘Lest I be utterly lost,’ he says, ‘or become duller in virtue, I leap away.’ And how much better for you to become duller, and for others to profit, than remaining on high to overlook your perishing brothers? When, then, some neglect virtue, and those who cultivate it are far from the battle line, how shall we capture the enemies? For even if there were signs now, who would be persuaded, or who of those outside would pay attention to us, with vice so prevalent? For our upright life seems more trustworthy to the many. For signs from shameless and wicked men will also receive a wicked suspicion; but a pure life will be able to shut the devil’s own mouth with great abundance. If, therefore, being on the earth and not being on it happens by one’s manner and choice, and it is possible for one who wishes not to be on the earth, like those around Paul, let us remove ourselves from the earth and ascend to heaven. For there is nothing to prevent us all from excelling, 63.754.40 if we so wished. For if we master arts that surpass the many, how much more so that which does not require so much labor? For what, tell me, is more difficult than walking on a stretched rope as if on level ground, and while walking above, to put on and take off clothes, as if sitting on a couch? What, tell me, is more difficult than to take a pole on the forehead, then to place a child on top, and to do countless things and delight the spectators? Does not the thing seem so dreadful to us, that we do not even wish to watch, but are afraid and tremble even at the mere sight? But virtue is easier than all these things, if we are willing to ascend even to heaven itself. And do not say to me, ‘I want to, but I cannot.’ For if, wishing to get inside of some matter, we are not satisfied with merely wishing, but also take hold of the matter, how much more, wishing to ascend to heaven, will we need practical virtue. But if you wish to learn that virtue is not toilsome, nor difficult to achieve, consider for me those who live in stillness in the mountains; who leave homes and wives and children and all patronage, and having put themselves outside the world, putting on sackcloth, spreading ashes beneath them, hanging a collar from their neck, 63.755 having shut themselves in a small cell, they do not stop even at this, but strain themselves with fastings and continual hunger. And do not say to me that they were able to do it; for many much weaker than you and richer and more delicate have undertaken that hard and rough life. But that contest is great and the cliff is high and the summit is near heaven, and you are not able to reach to the

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ἀλλὰ μείνωμεν κακοὶ, οὐκ ἐπάξει τὴν κόλασιν; Οὐκοῦν οὐδὲ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἀποδώσει τὰς ἀμοιβάς. Ναὶ, φησί· τοῦτο γὰρ πρέπον ἐστὶ, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀξίαν εὐεργετεῖν. Ὥστε ἐκεῖνα μὲν ἀληθῆ καὶ πάντως ἔσται, τὰ δὲ τῶν κολάσεων οὐ πάντως, ἀλλ' ἀπειλῆς ἕνεκεν καὶ φόβου; Τί οὖν; ἤκουσας περὶ κατακλυσμοῦ; μὴ καὶ ἐκεῖνα ἕνεκεν ἀπειλῆς εἴρηται; οὐχὶ ἐξέβη καὶ γέγονε; Τοιαῦτα καὶ ἐκεῖνοι πολλὰ ἔλεγον, καὶ ἐν ἑκατὸν ἔτεσι τῆς κιβωτοῦ τεκταινομένης, καὶ τοῦ δικαίου βοῶντος, οὐδεὶς ὁ πιστεύων ἦν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν τῇ διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων ἀπειλῇ, ὑπέστησαν τὴν διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων τιμωρίαν· ἧς τὴν πεῖραν ἐκφυγεῖν σπουδάσωμεν, ὅση δύναμις, ἵνα καὶ τὸν ἐνταῦθα βίον εὐμαρῶς διανύσωμεν, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Κςʹ. Περὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ κακίας.

Εἰσί τινες τῶν ἐνταῦθα τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελούμενοι, οἳ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως

ἀναχώρησιν προτιμώμενοι, τὰ ὄρη καταλαμβάνουσι· κἂν ἔρηταί τις τῆς ἀναχωρήσεως τὴν αἰτίαν, εὑρίσκει πρόφασιν συγγνώμην οὐκ ἔχουσαν· ἵνα γὰρ μὴ παραπόλωμαι, φησὶ, μηδὲ ἀμβλύτερος γένωμαι τὴν ἀρετὴν, ἀποπηδῶ. Καὶ πόσῳ βέλτιον ἀμβλύτερόν σε γενέσθαι, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους κερδᾶναι, ἢ μένοντα ἐν ὕψει περιιδεῖν ἀπολλυμένους τοὺς ἀδελφούς; Ὅταν οὖν οἱ μὲν ἀρετῆς ἀμελῶσιν, οἱ δὲ ἐπιμελούμενοι πόῤῥω τῆς παρατάξεως γίνωνται, πῶς αἱρήσομεν τοὺς ἐχθρούς; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ σημεῖα ἦν νῦν, τίς ἂν ἐπείσθη, ἢ τίς προσέσχεν ἡμῖν τῶν ἔξωθεν, τῆς κακίας οὕτως ἐπιπολαζούσης; Καὶ γὰρ ὁ ὀρθὸς βίος ἡμῶν ἀξιοπιστότερος τοῖς πολλοῖς εἶναι δοκεῖ. Σημεῖα μὲν γὰρ παρὰ τῶν ἀναισχύντων καὶ πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ὑπόνοιαν δέξεται πονηράν· βίος δὲ καθαρὸς καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ διαβόλου τὸ στόμα μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς περιουσίας ἐμφράξαι δυνήσεται. Εἰ τοίνυν τὸ εἶναι ἐν τῇ γῇ καὶ μὴ εἶναι, τρόπῳ καὶ προαιρέσει γίνεται, ἔξεστι δὲ μὴ εἶναι ἐν τῇ γῇ τὸν βουλόμενον, ὡς τοὺς περὶ τὸν Παῦλον, ἀποστήσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς τῆς γῆς, καὶ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνέλθωμεν. Οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστι τὸ κωλύον ἡμᾶς πάντας ὑπερβαλέσθαι, 63.754.40 εἴ γε βουλοίμεθα. Εἰ γὰρ τέχνας οὕτω κατορθοῦμεν ὑπερβαινούσας τοὺς πολλοὺς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὃ μὴ τοσούτου δεῖται πόνου; Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, χαλεπώτερον τοῦ διὰ σχοίνου τεταμένης βαδίζειν καθάπερ ἐπὶ ἰσοπέδου, καὶ ἄνω περιπατοῦντα ὑποδύεσθαι καὶ ἀποδύεσθαι, καθάπερ ἐπὶ κλίνης καθήμενον; Τί δὲ, εἰπέ μοι, χαλεπώτερον τοῦ κόντον ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου λαβεῖν, εἶτα ἐπιθέντα ἄνω παιδίον, μυρία ποιεῖν καὶ τέρπειν τοὺς θεατάς; οὐχὶ οὕτω φρικτὸν ἡμῖν εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα δοκεῖ, ὡς μηδὲ θέλειν θεάσασθαι, ἀλλὰ δεδοικέναι καὶ τρέμειν καὶ πρὸς τὴν ὄψιν αὐτήν; Ἀλλὰ πάντων τούτων εὐκολωτέρα ἡ ἀρετὴ, ἐὰν βουλώμεθα καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβῆναι. Καὶ μή μοι λέγε, Θέλω, ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι. Εἰ γὰρ πράγματός τινος ἐντὸς γενέσθαι βουλόμενοι, οὐχὶ τῷ θελῆσαι μόνον ἀρκούμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ πράγματος ἁπτόμεθα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνελθεῖν βουλόμενοι τῆς πρακτικῆς ἀρετῆς δεησόμεθα. Εἰ δὲ βούλει μαθεῖν, ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπίπονος ἡ ἀρετὴ, οὐδὲ δυσκατόρθωτος, ἐννόησόν μοι τοὺς ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν ἡσυχάζοντας· οἳ καὶ οἰκίας ἀφιᾶσι καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ παῖδας καὶ προστασίαν ἅπασαν, καὶ ἐκτὸς ἑαυτοὺς τοῦ κόσμου ποιήσαντες, σάκκον περιθέμενοι, σποδὸν ὑποστρωσάμενοι, κλοιῷ τὸν τράχηλον ἐξαρτήσαντες, 63.755 ἐν οἰκίσκῳ μικρῷ κατακλείσαντες ἑαυτοὺς, οὐδὲ μέχρι τούτου ἵστανται, ἀλλὰ νηστείαις καὶ λιμῷ διηνεκεῖ κατατείνουσιν ἑαυτούς. Καὶ μή μοι εἴπῃς, ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι ἠδυνήθησαν· πολλοὶ γὰρ πολλῷ ἀσθενέστεροί σου καὶ πλουσιώτεροι καὶ τρυφερώτεροι τὸν σκληρὸν ἐκεῖνον καὶ τραχὺν ἀνεδέξαντο βίον. Ἀλλὰ μέγας ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἀγὼν καὶ ὑψηλὸς ὁ σκόπελος καὶ ἐγγὺς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἡ κορυφὴ, καὶ οὐ δύνασαι φθάσαι πρὸς τὸ