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having only one enemy. For the reputation of our life is harmed, when he says countless evil things about us to everyone, and our mind is clouded, and our conscience is disturbed, and we endure a perpetual winter of thoughts. Knowing all these things, let us deliver ourselves from punishment and vengeance, and let us reverence the present feast with all the things that have been said, and those things which we deem ourselves worthy to receive from the king on its account, let us grant that others may enjoy these things also. For I hear many saying, that the emperor, reverencing the holy Pascha, will surely be reconciled to the city and will forgive all its offenses. How then is it not absurd, when we need to be saved by others, to put forward the feast and its dignity; but when we are commanded to be reconciled to others, to dishonor it and consider it to be nothing? For no one, no one so shames this sacred festival, as the one who celebrates it while bearing a grudge; or rather, such a person cannot even celebrate it, even if he remains without food for ten days in a row; for where there is enmity and hatred, there can be neither a fast nor a feast. Do you not dare to touch the holy sacrifice with unwashed hands, even if great necessity presses? Do not then approach with an unwashed soul; for this is much more grievous than that, and brings a greater punishment. For nothing so fills the mind with impurity as anger remaining perpetually within. For where there is passion or anger, the spirit of meekness does not alight; And a man destitute of the Holy Spirit, what hope of salvation will he have? When will he walk uprightly? Do not then, beloved, wishing to avenge yourself on your enemy, cast yourself down, nor make yourself destitute of God's protection. For indeed, even if the matter were difficult, the greatness of the punishment, which comes from not obeying, is sufficient to raise up even the most supine and sluggish person, and to persuade him to undergo every labor; but now, our discourse has shown that there is great ease, if we are willing. Let us not then neglect our own life, but let us be earnest and do everything, so as to stand at the holy table without enemies. For nothing, nothing of God's commands will be difficult, if we pay attention; and this is clear from those who have already succeeded. How many were carried away by the habit of swearing oaths, and thought the matter difficult to achieve! But nevertheless, through the grace of God, since you showed a little earnestness, you have washed away the greater part. For this reason, I urge you to put away what remains, and to become teachers to others. But to those who have not yet succeeded, but who put forward to us the long time during which they formerly swore, and say that it is impossible in a short time to root out what has been rooted for many years, I would say this, if anything among God's commands must be accomplished, there is no need of time, nor of 49.209 a multitude of days, nor of a span of years, but only of fear and of a soul having reverence, and we will certainly overcome, and in a short time. 8. And so that you may not think that I say these things lightly, hand over to me for only ten days the man whom you consider to be a habitual swearer and one who swears more than he speaks, and if I do not remove the entire habit in these few days, pass this final condemnation upon me; and that these words are no boast, will be clear to you from what has already happened. Who was more irrational than the Ninevites? Who more foolish? But nevertheless these barbarians and foolish men, who had never heard anyone philosophizing, who had never received such commands, on hearing the prophet say, Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown, in three days they put away every evil habit; the fornicator became chaste, the insolent man gentle, the covetous and rapacious man moderate and kind, the indolent man zealous. For indeed it was not one, nor two, nor three, nor four of the passions that were healed, but they corrected all their wickedness. And whence is this clear, he says? From the words of the prophet; for he himself who accused them, and

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μόνον ἐχθρὸν κεκτημένου. Καὶ γὰρ ἡ δόξα τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν καταβλάπτεται, μυρία κακῶς ἐκείνου λέγοντος πρὸς πάντας ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἡ διάνοια ἡμῶν θολοῦται, καὶ τὸ συνειδὸς θορυβεῖται, καὶ χειμῶνα διηνεκῆ λογισμῶν ὑφιστάμεθα. Ἅπερ ἅπαντα συνειδότες ἀπαλλάξωμεν ἑαυτοὺς κολάσεως καὶ τιμωρίας, καὶ τὴν παροῦσαν ἑορτὴν μετὰ τῶν εἰρημένων αἰδεσθῶμεν πάντων, καὶ ὧν παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως δι' ἐκείνην ἀξιοῦμεν τυχεῖν, τούτων καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀπολαῦσαι δῶμεν ἑτέροις. Καὶ γὰρ πολλῶν ἀκούω λεγόντων, ὅτι πάντως ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ Πάσχα τὸ ἱερὸν αἰδεσθεὶς τῇ πόλει καταλλαγήσεται καὶ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἀφήσει πάντα. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, ἡνίκα μὲν παρ' ἑτέρων σώζεσθαι δέῃ, τὴν ἑορτὴν καὶ τὴν ταύτης ἀξίαν προβάλλεσθαι· ἡνίκα δὲ ἂν ἑτέροις καταλλάττεσθαι κελευώμεθα, ἀτιμάζειν ταύτην καὶ μηδὲν εἶναι νομίζειν; Οὐδεὶς γὰρ οὕτως, οὐδεὶς τὴν ἱερὰν ταύτην καταισχύνει πανήγυριν, ὡς ὁ μετὰ τοῦ μνησικακεῖν αὑτὴν ἐπιτελῶν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἐπιτελεῖν αὐτὴν δύναται ὁ τοιοῦτος, κἂν δέκα ἡμέρας ἐφεξῆς ἄσιτος μένῃ· ὅπου γὰρ ἔχθρα καὶ ἀπέχθεια, οὐδὲ νηστεία οὐδὲ ἑορτὴ γένοιτ' ἄν. Μὴ τολμᾷς ἀνίπτοις χερσὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς ἅψασθαι θυσίας, κἂν πολλὴ ἀνάγκη ἐπικέηται; Μὴ τοίνυν ἀνίπτῳ προσέρχου ψυχῇ· πολλῷ γὰρ ἐκείνου τοῦτο χαλεπώτερον, καὶ μείζονα φέρει τὴν κόλασιν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἀκαθαρσίας πληροῖ τὴν διάνοιαν, ὡς ὀργὴ διηνεκῶς ἔνδον μένουσα. Ἔνθα γάρ ἐστι θυμὸς ἢ ὀργὴ, πνεῦμα πραότητος οὐκ ἐφίπταται· Πνεύματος δὲ ἁγίου ἄνθρωπος ἔρημος ὢν ποίαν ἕξει σωτηρίας ἐλπίδα; πότε δὲ ὀρθὰ βαδιεῖται; Μὴ τοίνυν, ἀγαπητὲ, τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἀμύνασθαι βουλόμενος, σαυτὸν κατακρήμνιζε, μηδὲ ἔρημον ποίει τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προστασίας. Μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ, εἰ καὶ δύσκολον ἦν τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἱκανὸν τῆς τιμωρίας τὸ μέγεθος, ὅπερ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ πείθεσθαι γίνεται, καὶ τὸν σφόδρα ὕπτιον καὶ νωθέστατον ἔστιν ἀναστῆσαι, καὶ πάντα πεῖσαι πόνον ὑπενεγκεῖν· νυνὶ δὲ καὶ πολλὴν ἔδειξεν ὁ λόγος τὴν εὐκολίαν οὖσαν, ἂν ἐθέλωμεν. Μὴ τοίνυν καταμελήσωμεν τῆς ἑαυτῶν ζωῆς, ἀλλὰ σπουδάσωμεν καὶ πάντα ποιῶμεν, ὥστε χωρὶς ἐχθρῶν παραστῆναι τῇ ἱερᾷ τραπέζῃ. Οὐδὲν γὰρ, οὐδὲν τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ προσταγμάτων ἔσται δύσκολον, ἐὰν προσέχωμεν· καὶ τοῦτο ἐκ τῶν ἤδη κατωρθωκότων δῆλον. Πόσοι ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ὅρκων ἐκλέπτοντο συνηθείας, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα δυσκατόρθωτον εἶναι ἐνόμιζον! ἀλλ' ὅμως διὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν, ἐπειδὴ μικρὰν ἐπεδείξασθε σπουδὴν, τὸ πλέον ἀπενίψασθε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δὴ παρακαλῶ καὶ τὸ λεῖπον ἀποθέσθαι, καὶ ἑτέροις γενέσθαι διδασκάλους. Τοὺς δὲ μήπω κατορθώσαντας, ἀλλὰ τὸν μακρὸν χρόνον ἡμῖν προβαλλομένους, καθ' ὃν ὤμνυον ἔμπροσθεν, καὶ λέγοντας, ὡς ἀδύνατον ἐν βραχεῖ καιρῷ τὸ πολλοῖς ἔτεσι ῥιζωθὲν ἀνασπάσαι, ἐκεῖνο ἂν εἴποιμι, εἴ τι ἔνθα ἂν δέοι κατορθῶσαι τῶν ὑπὸ Θεοῦ κελευομένων, οὐ χρόνου χρεία, οὐδὲ 49.209 πλήθους ἡμερῶν, οὐδὲ διαστήματος ἐνιαυτῶν, ἀλλὰ φόβου μόνον καὶ ψυχῆς εὐλάβειαν ἐχούσης, καὶ πάντως περιεσόμεθα, καὶ ἐν βραχεῖ καιρῷ. ηʹ. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομίσητε, ὅτι ἁπλῶς ταῦτα λέγω, ὃν νομίζετε εἶναι πολύορκον ἄνθρωπον καὶ πλείονα ὀμνύοντα μᾶλλον ἢ φθεγγόμενον, τοῦτον ἐμοὶ παράδοτε δέκα μόνον ἡμέρας, κἂν μὴ πᾶσαν ἐξέλω τὴν συνήθειαν ἐν ταῖς ὀλίγαις ταύταις ἡμέραις, κατάγνωτέ μου τὴν ἐσχάτην ταύτην κατάγνωσιν· καὶ ὅτι οὐ κόμπος τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα, ἀπὸ τῶν ἤδη γεγενημένων τοῦτο ἔσται δῆλον ὑμῖν. Τί τῶν Νινευϊτῶν ἀλογώτερον; τί δὲ ἀνοητότερον; ἀλλ' ὅμως οὗτοι οἱ βάρβαροι καὶ ἀνόητοι, οἱ μηδενὸς μηδέποτε ἀκούσαντες φιλοσοφοῦντος, οἱ μηδέποτε παραγγέλματα τοιαῦτα λαβόντες, ἀκούσαντες τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος, Ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι, καὶ Νινευῒ καταστραφήσεται, ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις πᾶσαν ἀπέθεντο πονηρὰν συνήθειαν· ὁ πόρνος σώφρων ἐγένετο, ὁ θρασὺς ἐπιεικὴς, ὁ πλεονέκτης καὶ ἅρπαξ μέτριος καὶ φιλόφρων, ὁ ῥᾴθυμος σπουδαῖος. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ ἓν, οὐδὲ δύο, καὶ τρία, καὶ τέσσαρα τῶν παθῶν ἦσαν τὰ ἰάματα, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν αὐτῶν διώρθωσαν τὴν πονηρίαν. Καὶ πόθεν τοῦτο δῆλον, φησίν; Ἀπὸ τῶν τοῦ προφήτου ῥημάτων· αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ κατηγορήσας αὐτῶν, καὶ