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let us not attach ourselves to flowing wealth, nor be utterly overthrown by poverty, as a thing wholly to be spit upon, and condemned, and of the hated portion; but let us know to despise foolish health, whose fruit is sin, and to honor holy sickness, revering those who conquered through suffering. Neither being disheartened should you despair of prosperity, nor, when doing well and finely, despair of despondency. One year bears four seasons, and one turn of time many changes of affairs. As long as you sail with a fair wind, fear the shipwreck, and you will be less likely to be shipwrecked, using timidity as your helper. Do not speak great things while sailing well before reaching your mooring. For many a vessel has sunk while sailing fair toward the harbor; Many have been brought to harbor out of a great storm. Let not the painful be without consolation, Nor doing well be without discipline. When you sail fairest, be most mindful of the squall. Do not praise too much the smooth course of life, He who knows how to think of things greater than what is seen, Lest for me there be an inaccessible height, And for you the ease of life be a precipice. My grief is better than your good. Have you ever seen oxen, the one in the stall large, Lifted up, gleaming with prosperity. Haughty, while the other's head is bowed down. Shrunken, with the marks of husbandry; Then the one is kept for slaughter, But the other feeds both himself and his master. Of these, which is more fortunate, Tell me. Is it not the one constrained and worn by the yoke? It is clear; but breadth is dear to you, Even if it be evil and badly composed. Or will you praise the bulk of one with dropsy, Or does a madman seem strong to you. The sweet is a saving medicine for all things, yet the bitter has often cast it out. But the sweet for the most part leads to what is worse, It being necessary not to accept every turn of the rudder, Until one may come to anchor in calm harbors. A tomb, and corruption, and dust, is the conclusion of worldly prosperity. One ought neither to attribute any good to these human affairs, nor again to detest the evils in them, but to be above both, trampling on the one, and passing the other on to those in need. God weaves these things through one another, it seems to me, so that neither the grievous may be without remedy, nor the joyful without discipline; and so that, having observed the instability and irregularity in these things, we may look to Him alone. It is shameful for us to give praise in better circumstances, but to be silent in gloomier and more laborious 95.1529 matters; but then we must give even more thanks, knowing that he whom the Lord loves, he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives. The tomb will succeed the end of glory. Just as it is characteristic of the unrefined to be excessively elated by good fortunes, so it is of the unmanly to cower in stumblings. For swift in both is the change. Just as it is the property of light to give light, so it is the property of God to have mercy and to pity His own creations. For the Lord is merciful and compassionate, according to the voice of David. Therefore, neither despair, nor be contemptuous. When all your affairs are prospering, expect a change. And again, when surrounded by unexpected misfortunes, imagine good things, and better things. One must not be vexed at what happens, but rather desire many afflictions. For this reason, He says, I afflicted you and made you hunger, that you might be fed with the manna of knowledge, and in the end do you good. The life of men, being like a sea, expects all sorts of waves and turnings, in both prosperity and adversity. For nothing of earthly things is stable, but is carried here and there, like a ship at sea by contrary affairs.

TITLE 12. -Concerning abundance and wealth; and that in wealth sins are wont to happen.

Jacob ate, and was filled, and the beloved one kicked. Having eaten and been filled, take heed to yourself, lest you forget the Lord your God. Lest, having eaten, and been filled, and having built goodly houses, and having dwelt in them, and when your sheep, and your oxen have multiplied, and silver and gold have multiplied for you, you be lifted up in your heart. Having eaten and drunk, take heed to yourself,

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πλούτῳ ῥέοντι προστιθώμεθα, μήτε πενίας κατεξανιστώμεθα, ὡς ἀποπτύστου πάντη, καὶ κατακρίτου, καὶ τῆς μισουμένης μερίδος· ἀλλ' εἴδωμεν καὶ ὑγείαν περιφρονεῖν ἀσύνετον, ἧς καρπὸς ἁμαρτία, καὶ νόσον τιμᾷν ὁσίαν, αἰδούμενοι τοὺς διὰ πάθους νικήσαντας. Μήτε ἀθυμῶν ἀπελπίσῃς εὐημερίαν, μήτε εὖ καὶ καλῶς πράττων, ἀθυμίαν. Εἷς ἐνιαυτὸς τέσσαρας ὥρας φέρει, καὶ μία ῥοπὴ καιροῦ πολλὰς πραγμάτων μεταβολάς. Ἕως ἐξουρίας πλεῖς, φοβήθητι τὸ ναυάγιον, καὶ ἧττον ναυαγήσεις, τῇ δειλίᾳ βοηθῷ χρώμενος. Μὴ μέγα εἴπῃς εὐπλοῶν πρὸ πείσματος. Πολλοῖς πρὸς ὅρμον εὐπλοοῦν ἔδυ σκάφος Πολλοὶ προσωρμίσθησαν ἐκ τρικυμίας. Μήτε τὸ ἀλγεινὸν ἀπαραμύθητον, Μήτε τὸ εὖ πράττειν ἀπαιδαγώγητον. Ὅτ' εὐπλοεῖς μάλιστα μέμνησο ζάλης. Μὴ σφόδρα ἐπαίνει τοῦ βίου τὸ εὔδρομον, Ὁ μεῖζον εἰδὼς τῶν ὁρωμένων φρονεῖν, Μήπως ἐμοὶ μὲν ὕψος ᾖ τὸ δύσβατον, Σοὶ δὲ ἐπίκρημνον τοῦ βίου τὸ εὐπετές. Ἐμοῦ τὸ λυπηρὸν κρεῖσσον ἢ τὸ σὸν καλόν. Βοῶν ποτε ἴδες, τὸν μὲν ἐν φάτνῃ μέγαν, Ἐπηρμένον, στίλβοντα τῇ εὐπραγίᾳ. Τραχηλιῶντα, τὸν κάτω νενευκότα. Ῥικνὸν δὴ συμβόλοις γεωργίας· Ἔπειτα τὸν μὲν εἰς σφαγὴν τηρούμενον, Τὸν δὲ τρέφοντα αὐτόν τε καὶ δεσπότην. Τούτων τίς ἐστιν εὐτυχέστερος, Εἰπέ. Οὐχ ὁ στενός τε καὶ ζυγῷ τετριμμένος; Εὔδηλον· ἀλλὰ σοί γε τὸ πλάτος φίλον, Κἂν ᾖ κακόν τε καὶ κακῶς συγκείμενον. Ἢ καὶ τὸν ὄγκον ὑδεριῶντος αἰνέσεις, Ἢ καὶ φρενοπλὴξ ἰσχύειν σοι φαίνεται. Τὸ δὲ ἡδὺ πάντων φάρμακον σωτήριον, Οὗ καὶ τὸ πικρὸν ἐξέωσε πολλάκις. Τὸ δὲ ἡδὺ πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ὡς τὰ πολλὰ ἄγει, ∆έον μὴ δέχεσθαι πᾶσαν οἴακος στροφὴν, Ἕως ἂν ὅρμοις εὐδίοις προσορμίσῃ. Τάφος, καὶ φθορὰ, καὶ κόνις, τὸ τῆς βιωτικῆς εὐημερίας συμπέρασμα. Χρὴ μήτε ἀγαθά τινα προστεθεικέναι τούτοις ἀνθρώποις οὖσιν, μήτε αὖ κακὰ ἀπεχθάνεσθαι αὐτοῖς, ἀλλ' ἐπάνω εἶναι ἀμφοῖν, τὰ μὲν πατοῦντα, τὰ δὲ τοῖς δεομένοις παραπέμποντα. Πλέκει ταῦτα δι' ἀλλήλων ὁ Θεὸς, ἐμοὶ δοκοῦν, ἵνα μήτε τὸ λυποῦν ἀθεράπευτον ᾖ, μήτε τὸ εὐφραῖνον ἀπαιδαγώγητον· καὶ ἵνα τὸ τούτοις ἄστατον καὶ ἀνώμαλον θεωρήσαντες, πρὸς αὐτὸν μόνον βλέπωμεν. Αἰσχρὸν εὐλογεῖν μὲν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τοῖς χρηστοτέροις, σιωπᾷν δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς σκυθρωποτέροις καὶ ἐπιπόνοις 95.1529 πράγμασιν· ἀλλὰ τότε καὶ πλέον εὐχαριστεῖν δεῖ, εἰδότας, ὅτι ὃν ἀγαπᾷ Κύριος, παιδεύει, μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱὸν, ὃν παραδέχεται. Τάφος διαδέξεται τὸ τῆς δόξης τέλος. Ὥσπερ ἀπειροκάλων τὸ λίαν ἐπαίρεσθαι ταῖς εὐσπλαγχνίαις, οὕτως ἀνάνδρων τὸ καταπτήσσειν ἐν τοῖς πταίσμασιν. Ὀξεῖα γὰρ ἐν ἀμφοτέροις ἡ μεταβολή. Καθάπερ ἴδιόν ἐστι τοῦ φωτὸς τὸ φωτίζειν, οὕτως ἴδιον Θεοῦ τὸ ἐλεεῖν καὶ οἰκτείρειν τὰ οἰκεῖα ποιήματα. Ἐλεήμων γὰρ καὶ οἰκτίρμων ὁ Κύριος, κατὰ τὴν φωνὴν ∆αβίδ. Μήτε οὖν ἀπογνῷς, μήτε καταφρονήσῃς. Πάντων σου τῶν πραγμάτων κατευοδουμένων, ἐκδέχου μεταβολήν. Καὶ πάλιν ὑπὸ ἀπροσδοκήτων συμφορῶν κυκλούμενος, φαντάζου τὰ χρηστὰ, καὶ τὰ κρείττονα. Οὐ χρὴ δυσφορεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβαίνουσιν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἐπιθυμεῖν ἐπὶ ταῖς πολλαῖς θλίψεσι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ, φησὶν, ἔθλιψά σε καὶ ἐλιμαγχόνησά σε, ἵνα ψωμισθῇς τὸ μάννα τῆς γνώσεως, καὶ ἐπ' ἐσχάτων εὖ σε ποιήσω. Ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίος ὁμοιούμενος πελάγει, κυματώσεις καὶ στροφὰς παντοίας προσδέχεται, κατά τε εὐπραγίας καὶ κακοπραγίας. Ἵδρυται γὰρ οὐδὲν τῶν γηγενῶν, ἀλλὰ ὧδε κἀκεῖσε διαφέρεται, οἷα σκάφος θαλαττεῦον ὑπ' ἐναντίων πραγμάτων.

ΤΙΤΛ. ΙΒʹ. -Περὶ εὐθηνίας καὶ εὐπορίας· καὶ ὅτι ἐν ταῖς εὐπορίαις φιλεῖ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα γίνεσθαι.

Ἔφαγεν Ἰακὼβ, καὶ ἐνεπλήσθη, καὶ ἀπελάκτισεν ὁ ἠγαπημένος. Φαγὼν καὶ ἐμπλησθεὶς, πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ, μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου. Μὴ φαγὼν, καὶ ἐμπλησθεὶς, καὶ οἰκίας καλὰς οἰκοδομήσας, καὶ κατοικήσας ἐν αὐταῖς, καὶ τῶν προβάτων σου, καὶ τῶν βοῶν σου πληθυνθέντων, ἀργυρίου καὶ χρυσίου πληθυνθέντων σοι, μὴ ὑψωθῇς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου. Φαγὼν καὶ πιὼν πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ,