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since the renewal through the font is not possible. Therefore he did not say, it is impossible to be renewed to repentance, and fall silent, but he added how it is impossible, for those who crucify again to be renewed, that is, to be made new. For to make new belongs to the font alone. For your youth shall be renewed like the eagle’s. crucifying to themselves the Son of God, and making a public example. Baptism is a cross, and our old man was crucified with him. For we have been made conformable to the likeness of his death. And again; For we were buried with him through baptism into death. Just as, therefore, it is not possible for Christ to be crucified a second time; for this is to make a public example of him; for if death no longer has dominion over him, and then he is crucified again, all that is a myth; so then, the one who is baptized a second time, crucifies him again. For just as Christ died on the cross, so we in baptism; not in the flesh, but in sin. For land that has drunk the rain that often comes upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whom it is also cultivated, receives. Rain, he says, the teaching, as also elsewhere; For I will command the clouds, not to rain rain upon it. Here he shows that they received, and drank in the word, and not even so did they profit, being faint-hearted in temptations. A blessing from God. Here he says that God is the cause of all things, gently striking at the Greeks, who attribute the generation of fruits to the power of the earth. But bringing forth thorns. Since again he did not say, bearing thorns, nor did he use this useful word. But what? bringing forth thorns; as one might say, spewing forth. 95.956 And thistles, rejected. Everywhere Scripture calls sins thorns, as David also says; I was turned to misery, when thorns were fixed in me. For they do not simply come upon, but are fixed in. And if a little of it remains, and we do not remove it all, that little part causes pain, just as with a thorn. And why do I say that little part? for even after it has been removed it leaves pain in the wound for a long time, and requires much therapy and medicine, so as to be completely freed from it. For it is not enough to remove the sin alone, but also to heal this wounded place. He rightly called sin a thistle. For wherever you take hold of it, it strikes and bites. And near to a curse. He said near to a curse, not a curse. But he who has not yet fallen into the curse, but has come near, will also be able to get far away. Whose end is for burning. He did not say, which will be burned. But what? Whose end is for burning; If it persists until the end, he says, But we are persuaded of better things concerning you, beloved, and things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this way. Having rebuked them sufficiently, he heals them again, so as not to cast them down. For what does he say? We do not say these things as having condemned you, nor as thinking you are full of thorns, but fearing, lest this should happen. For he added, We are persuaded of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation. For God is not unjust, to forget your work, and the labor of love, which you have shown toward his name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Oh, how he strengthened their soul, reminding them of past deeds, and into what necessity did he place them, of not expecting God to forget! For it is necessary for that one to sin, who is not fully assured concerning hope. But we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end. This is admirable, and part of Paul's wisdom, that he does not show that they have given in. For to say, we desire, is as if one should say; I want you always to be diligent, and such as you were before, to be so also in the future; for this made the rebuke easy to accept; and he did not say, I want, which was of a teacher's authority, but of a father's tender affection, the greater than wanting, we desire. That you may not become sluggish. Just as, he says, idleness harms the body, so also for the soul the idleness of the

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μὴ δυνατοῦ ὄντος τοῦ διὰ τοῦ λουτροῦ ἀνακαινισμοῦ. ∆ιὸ οὐκ εἶπεν, ἀδύνατον ἀνακαινισθῆναι εἰς μετάνοιαν, καὶ ἐσίγησεν, ἀλλὰ πῶς ἀδύνατον ἐπήγαγε, ἀνασταυροῦντας ἀνακαινισθῆναι, τουτέστι καινοὺς γενέσθαι. Τὸ γὰρ καινὸν ποιῆσαι, τοῦ λουτροῦ μόνον ἐστίν. Ἀνακαινισθήσεται γὰρ ὡς ἀετοῦ ἡ νεότης σου. Ἀνασταυροῦντας ἑαυτοῖς τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ παραδειγματίζοντας. Τὸ βάπτισμα σταυρός ἐστι, καὶ συνεσταυρώθη ὁ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος. Σύμμορφοι γὰρ γεγόναμεν τῷ ὁμοιώματι τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ. Καὶ πάλιν· Συνετάφημεν γὰρ αὐτῷ διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος εἰς τὸν θάνατον. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐκεῖ οὐκ ἔνι δεύτερον σταυρωθῆναι τὸν Χριστόν· τοῦτο γὰρ παραδειγματίσαι αὐτόν ἐστι· εἰ γὰρ θάνατος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔτι κυριεύει, εἶτα πάλιν σταυροῦται, μῦθος πάντα ἐκεῖνα· ὁ τοίνυν δεύτερον βαπτιζόμενος, πάλιν αὐτὸν σταυροῖ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἀπέθανε Χριστὸς ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ, οὕτως ἡμεῖς ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι· οὐ τῇ σαρκὶ, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ. Γῆ γὰρ πιοῦσα τὸν ἐπὶ αὐτῆς πολλάκις ἐρχόμενον ὑετὸν, καὶ τίκτουσα βοτάνην εὔθετον ἐκείνοις, δι' οὓς καὶ γεωργεῖται, μεταλαμβάνει. Ὑετὸν, τὴν διδασκαλίαν, φησὶν, ὡς καὶ ἑτέρωθι· Ἐντελοῦμαι γὰρ ταῖς νεφέλαις, τὸ μὴ βρέξαι εἰς αὐτὸν ὑετόν. Ἐνταῦθα δηλοῖ, ὅτι ἐδέξαντο, καὶ συνέπιον τὸν λόγον, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀπώναντο, μικροψυχοῦντες ἐν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς. Εὐλογίας ἀπὸ Θεοῦ. Ἐνταῦθα τὸν Θεόν φησιν αἴτιον τῶν ἁπάντων γίνεσθαι, πλήττων ἠρέμα τοὺς Ἕλληνας, τοὺς τῇ δυνάμει τῆς γῆς, τῶν καρπῶν τὴν γένεσιν ἐπιγράφοντας. Ἐκφέρουσα δὲ ἀκάνθας. Ἐπεὶ καὶ πάλιν οὐκ εἶπε, τίκτουσα ἀκάνθας, οὐδὲ τῷ χρησίμῳ τούτῳ ὀνόματι ἐχρήσατο. Ἀλλὰ τί· ἐκφέρουσα ἀκάνθας· ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, ἐκβράσσουσα. 95.956 Καὶ τριβόλους, ἀδόκιμος. Πανταχοῦ ἡ Γραφὴ ἀκάνθας καλεῖ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ὡς καὶ ὁ ∆αβίδ φησιν· Ἐστράφην εἰς ταλαιπωρίαν, ἐν τῷ ἐμπαγῆναί μοι ἀκάνθας. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἐπέρχονται, ἀλλ' ἐμπήγνυνται. Κἂν μικρὸν αὐτῆς ἐναπομείνῃ, καὶ μὴ πᾶσαν αὐτὴν ἐξέλωμεν, αὐτὸ τὸ μικρὸν ὀδυνᾷ, ὁμοίως καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀκάνθης. Καὶ τί λέγω αὐτὸ τὸ μικρόν; καὶ γὰρ μετὰ τοῦ ἐξαιρεθῆναι ἐπὶ πολὺ τῆς πληγῆς τὴν ὀδύνην ἐναφίησι, καὶ δεῖ θεραπείας πολλῆς καὶ ἰατρείας, ὥστε τέλειον αὐτῆς ἐλευθερωθῆναι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ τὸ ἐξελεῖν μόνον τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτον πληγέντα θεραπεῦσαι τόπον. Εἰκότως τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τρίβολον ἐκάλεσεν. Ὅθεν γὰρ αὐτῆς κατάσχῃς, πλήττει καὶ δάκνει. Καὶ κατάρας ἐγγύς. Κατάρας εἶπεν ἐγγὺς, οὐ κατάρα. Ὁ δὲ μηδέπω εἰς τὴν ἀρὰν ἐμπεσὼν, ἀλλ' ἐγγὺς γενόμενος, καὶ μακρὰν γενέσθαι δυνήσεται. Ἧς τὸ τέλος εἰς καῦσιν. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ἥτις καήσεται. Ἀλλὰ τί; Ἧς τὸ τέλος εἰς καῦσιν· Ἐὰν μέχρι τέλους ἐπιμείνῃ, φησί Πεπείσμεθα δὲ περὶ ὑμῶν, ἀγαπητοὶ, τὰ κρείσσονα, καὶ ἐχόμενα σωτηρίας, εἰ καὶ οὕτω λαλοῦμεν. Καθαψάμενος αὐτῶν ἱκανῶς, θεραπεύει πάλιν, ὥστε μὴ καταβαλεῖν. Τί γάρ φησιν; Οὐχ ὡς κατεγνωκότες ὑμῶν ταῦτα λέγομεν, οὐδὲ ὡς νομίζοντες ἀκανθῶν ὑμᾶς πλήρεις, ἀλλὰ δεδοικότες, μὴ τοῦτο γένηται. Ἐπήγαγε γὰρ, Πεπείσμεθα περὶ ὑμῶν τὰ κρείσσονα, καὶ ἐχόμενα σωτηρίας. Οὐ γὰρ ἄδικος ὁ Θεὸς, ἐπιλαθέσθαι τοῦ ἔργου ὑμῶν, καὶ τοῦ κόπου τῆς ἀγάπης, ἧς ἐνεδείξασθε εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, διακονήσαντες τοῖς ἁγίοις, καὶ διακονοῦντες. Βαβαὶ, πῶς αὐτῶν ἀνέῤῥωσε τὴν ψυχὴν, τῶν παλαιῶν ἀναμνήσας πραγμάτων, καὶ εἰς ποίαν ἀνάγκην κατέστησε, τοῦ μὴ προσδοκᾷν ἐπιλανθάνεσθαι τὸν Θεόν! Ἀνάγκη γὰρ ἐκεῖνον ἁμαρτάνειν, τὸν μὴ πεπληροφορημένον περὶ τῆς ἐλπίδος. Ἐπιθυμοῦμεν δὲ ἕκαστον ὑμῶν τὴν αὐτὴν ἐνδείκνυσθαι σπουδὴν πρὸς τὴν πληροφορίαν τῆς ἐλπίδος ἄχρι τέλους. Τοῦτο θαυμαστόν ἐστι, καὶ τῆς Παύλου συνέσεως, ὅτι οὐκ ἐνδείκνυται, ὅτι ἐνέδωκαν. Τὸ γὰρ εἰπεῖν, ἐπιθυμοῦμεν, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις· Θέλω σε σπουδάζειν ἀεὶ, καὶ οἷος ἦς πρότερος, τοιοῦτος εἶναι καὶ εἰς τὸ μέλλον· τοῦτο γὰρ τὸν ἔλεγχον εὐπαράδεκτον εἰργάζετο· καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Θέλω, ὅπερ ἦν διδασκαλικῆς αὐθεντίας, ἀλλὰ πατρικῆς φιλοστοργίας τὸ πλέον τοῦ θέλειν, ἐπιθυμοῦμεν. Ἵνα μὴ νωθροὶ γένησθε. Καθάπερ, φησὶν, ἡ ἀργία τὸ σῶμα βλάπτει, οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴν ἡ ἀργία τῶν