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will he suffer the former evils? For if Pharaoh had been taught 63.764 from the first plague, he would not have experienced the later ones, he would not after these things have been drowned together with his whole army. But he who becomes good by constraint will never be good, but having been freed from necessity, he will return again. Let us not then ask this question, saying, "He who has done neither evil nor good, what place will he receive?" for not doing good, this is doing evil. For if you have a servant who neither steals, nor is insolent, nor talks back, but is also in control of his drunkenness and all other things, but sits always idle, and does none of the things that ought to be performed by a servant for a master, will you not whip him, will you not torture him, tell me? and yet he has done no evil; rather, this itself is an evil, the not doing good. Let there be for us also a certain farmer, and let him damage nothing of ours, nor plot against us, nor steal, but let him only bind his own hands and sit at home, neither sowing, nor cutting a furrow, nor tending a vine, nor doing any other of the labors concerning the land; shall we not punish such a man? and yet he has done no wrong, nor can we bring any charge against him; but he has done this very wrong. And in the case of our own body, let the hand not strike the head, nor cut out the tongue, nor gouge out the eye, nor do any other such evil, but only let it remain idle, and not fulfill its own service to the whole body; is it not worthy to be cut off, than to carry it around idle and doing harm to the whole body? And what if the mouth does not devour the hand, nor bite the breast, but lacks all its own functions, would it not be better for it to be stopped up? If, then, in these cases not only the not doing of something evil, but also the lack of good things is a great injustice, much more so in spiritual matters. For if only it were possible for me to achieve virtue on your behalf, and for you to receive the prizes of the achievements, I would not have troubled you so much. For just as a mother seeing her child with a fever, standing by him as he is distressed and burning, weeping has often said: "If only it were possible for me, child, to take on your fever, and to draw the flame upon myself"; so I also say, "If only it were possible for me, by laboring on your behalf, to set all things right for you." But this is not possible, it is not. He therefore who is able to correct others also, let him mix with those who are about to receive the cure, and let him make them better; but he who is weaker, let him flee the wicked, so that he may not receive harm from them; for thus he will both live the present life in safety, and will obtain the good things to come; may it be granted to all of us to obtain them, by the grace and loving-kindness 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.

SERMON 27. On the upbringing of children. I beseech and entreat you, much for our own children, beloved, let us take

care, and everywhere let us seek 63.764 the salvation of their souls. Imitate the blessed Job, who, fearing even for the transgressions in their thoughts, offered sacrifices 63.765 on their behalf, and took great care for them; imitate Abraham; for he too was not concerned about money and possessions, but about the divine laws, so that he might hand down the keeping of them to his descendants with exactness. And when David was dying, instead of a great inheritance, he called his own son and gave him these instructions, and said continually, that "If you wish, child, to live according to the laws of God, nothing unexpected will befall you, but all things will go smoothly for you, and you will enjoy great security; but if you fall away from that help, your kingdom will be of no benefit to you,

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πείσεται τῶν προτέρων κακῶν; Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Φαραὼ ἐκ πρώτης τῆς πληγῆς εἰ ἐπαιδεύ 63.764 θη, οὐκ ἂν ἔλαβε πεῖραν τῶν ὑστέρων, οὐκ ἂν μετὰ ταῦτα ἅμα αὐτῷ τῷ στρατεύματι κατεποντίσθη παντί. Ἀλλ' ὁ ὑπὸ τοῦ δεσμοῦ γινόμενος καλὸς, οὐκ ἔσται ποτὲ καλὸς, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀνάγκης ἀπαλλαγεὶς ἐπανήξει πάλιν. Μὴ οὖν τοῦτο ἐρωτῶντες λέγωμεν, Ὁ μηδὲν πεποιηκὼς κακὸν μηδὲ ἀγαθὸν, ποῖον δέξεται τόπον; τὸ γὰρ μὴ ποιῆσαι ἀγαθὸν, τοῦτο ποιῆσαί ἐστι κακόν. Εἰ γάρ τινα οἰκέτην ἔχεις, μηδὲ κλέπτοντα, μήτε ὑβρίζοντα, μήτε ἀντιλέγοντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέθης κρατοῦντα καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων, καθήμενον δὲ διαπαντὸς ἀργὸν, καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν ὀφειλόντων παρ' οἰκέτου δεσπότῃ πληροῦσθαι ποιοῦντα, οὐ μαστιγώσεις, οὐ στρεβλώσεις αὐτὸν, εἰπέ μοι; καὶ μὴν οὐδὲν εἰργάσατο κακόν· αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν ἐστι κακὸν τοῦτο τὸ μὴ ποιεῖν ἀγαθόν. Ἔστω καὶ γεωργός τις ἡμῖν, καὶ μηδὲν λυμαινέσθω τῶν ἡμετέρων, μήτε ἐπιβουλευέτω, μήτε κλεπτέτω, μόνον δὲ τὰς αὐτοῦ χεῖρας δήσας οἴκοι καθεζέσθω, μήτε σπείρων, μήτε αὔλακα τέμνων, μήτε ἄμπελον θεραπεύων, μήτε ἄλλο τι τῶν περὶ τὴν γῆν πονῶν· ἆρα οὐ κολάσομεν τὸν τοιοῦτον; καίτοι γε οὐδὲν ἠδίκησεν, οὐδὲ ἔχομεν ἐγκαλεῖν τι αὐτῷ· ἀλλ' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο ἠδίκησε. Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος δὲ τοῦ ἡμετέρου, ἔστω ἡ χεὶρ μὴ πλήττουσα τὴν κεφαλὴν, μηδὲ ἐκκόπτουσα τὴν γλῶτταν, μηδὲ ἐξορύττουσα τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν, μηδὲ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον ἐργαζομένη κακὸν, μόνον δὲ ἀργὴ μενέτω, καὶ τὴν παρ' ἑαυτῆς λειτουργίαν μὴ πληρούτω τῷ παντὶ σώματι· ἆρα οὐκ ἄξιον ἐκκοπῆναι αὐτὴν, ἢ περιφέρειν ἀργοῦσαν καὶ παντὶ λυμαινομένην τῷ σώματι; Τί δὲ, ἂν τὸ στόμα μὴ κατεσθίῃ τὴν χεῖρα, μηδὲ δάκνῃ τὸ στῆθος, τὰ δὲ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐλλείπῃ πάντα, οὐ βέλτιον ἐμπεφράχθαι μᾶλλον; Εἰ τοίνυν ἐπὶ τούτων οὐ μόνον τὸ κακόν τι μὴ πρᾶξαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔλλειψις ἀδικία μεγάλη, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν. Εἴθε μὲν γὰρ δυνατὸν ἦν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐμὲ κατορθοῦν, καὶ τὰ ἔπαθλα ὑμᾶς λαμβάνειν τῶν κατορθωμάτων, καὶ οὐκ ἂν τοσοῦτον ἠνώχλησα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ μήτηρ ὁρῶσα παιδίον πυρέττον, παρεστῶσα ἀχθομένῳ καὶ καιομένῳ, θρηνοῦσα πολλάκις εἶπεν· Εἴθε μοι δυνατὸν ἦν, τέκνον, τὸν πυρετὸν ἀναδέξασθαι τὸν σὸν, καὶ ἐπ' ἐμαυτὴν ἑλκύσαι τὴν φλόγα· οὕτω κἀγὼ λέγω, Εἴθε δυνατὸν ἦν ἐμὲ πονέσαντα ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κατορθῶσαι πάντων. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο, οὐκ ἔστιν. Ὁ τοίνυν δυνάμενος καὶ ἑτέρους διορθῶσαι, μιγνύσθω τοῖς μέλλουσι δέχεσθαι τὴν θεραπείαν, καὶ ποιείτω βελτίους· ὁ δὲ ἀτονώτερος ὢν, φευγέτω τοὺς πονηροὺς, ὥστε μὴ τὴν παρ' ἐκείνων δέχεσθαι λύμην· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τὸν παρόντα βιώσεται βίον μετὰ ἀσφαλείας, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτεύξεται ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΚΖʹ. Περὶ παίδων ἀνατροφῆς. ∆έομαι καὶ ἀντιβολῶ, πολλὴν τῶν οἰκείων παίδων, ἀγαπητοὶ, ποιώμεθα

πρόνοιαν, καὶ πανταχοῦ τὴν 63.764 σωτηρίαν ζητῶμεν αὐτῶν τῆς ψυχῆς. Μίμησαι τὸν μακάριον Ἰὼβ, ὃς καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν κατὰ διάνοιαν αὐτοῖς πλημμελημάτων δεδοικὼς προσέφερε θυσίας 63.765 ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, καὶ πολλὴν τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν πρόνοιαν ἐποιεῖτο· μίμησαι τὸν Ἀβραάμ· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνος οὐχ ὑπὲρ χρημάτων καὶ κτημάτων ἐσπούδαζεν, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τῶν θείων νόμων, ὅπως αὐτῶν τὴν φυλακὴν τοῖς ἐγγόνοις μετὰ ἀκριβείας παρακατάθοιτο. Καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἡνίκα ἐτελεύτα, ἀντὶ μεγάλης κληρονομίας καλέσας τὸν υἱὸν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ, ταῦτα παρηγγύα, καὶ συνεχῶς ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Εἰ βουληθείης, παιδίον, κατὰ τοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμους ζῇν, οὐδέν σοι προσπεσεῖται τῶν ἀδοκήτων, ἀλλὰ πάντα σοι κατὰ ῥοῦν ἥξει τὰ πράγματα, καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύσεις τῆς ἀσφαλείας· ἂν δὲ ἐκείνης ἐκπέσῃς τῆς βοηθείας, οὐδὲν ὄφελός σοι τῆς βασιλείας,