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having said, that The cry of their wickedness has gone up to the heavens, He Himself testified the contrary to them, saying again, that God saw that they had turned each one from their wicked ways, He did not say, From fornication or adultery or theft, but, From their wicked ways. And how did they turn away? As God knows, not as man judged. Are we not then ashamed nor do we blush, if barbarian men in only three days put away all wickedness, while we, catechized and taught for so many days, cannot overcome one single wicked habit? And yet they too had previously reached the extreme of wickedness; for when you hear, The cry of their wickedness has gone up to me, think of nothing else than the excess of their evil; but yet they were strong enough in three days to be transferred to complete virtue. For where there is fear of God, there is no need of days nor of a space of time, just as where there is fearlessness, there is no benefit of days. For just as with rusted vessels, one who only scours them with water, even if he spends much time, will not free them from all that stain, but one who casts them into a furnace, in the brief turning of a moment, will immediately make them brighter than newly made ones; so also a soul, dyed with the rust of sin, if it simply and randomly cleanses itself, and repents each day, will gain nothing more; but if it casts itself into the fear of God as into a furnace, in a brief turning of a moment it will wash away everything. Let us not, therefore, put it off until tomorrow; For we do not know what the coming day will bring forth; nor let us say, We shall overcome the habit little by little; for this "little by little" will never cease. Therefore, leaving this, let us say that, Unless we accomplish the oath today, we will not stop before then, even if ten thousand things choke us, even if we must die, even if we must be punished, even if we must lose everything; we will not give 49.210 to the devil power for laziness, nor a pretext for delay. If God sees your soul on fire, your roused eagerness, He Himself will also take hold with you of the correction. Yes, I beg and implore, let us be diligent, so that we too may not hear, The men of Nineveh will rise up and will condemn this generation, because they, having heard once, were set aright, but we, though we have heard many times, have not been converted; they, complete virtue, but we, not even a part of virtue; they, hearing they would be overthrown, were afraid, but we, hearing of Gehenna, are not afraid; they did not share in prophecies, while we enjoy continuous teaching and much grace. I say these things now not accusing you for your own sins, but for those of others. For with you, I know well, as I have already said, this law about swearing has been set aright; but this is not sufficient for our salvation, unless we also teach and correct others, since even he who brought that talent, having returned the whole deposit, because he did not increase what was given, was punished. Let us not then consider this, whether we ourselves have been freed from sin, but until we free others, let us not cease; and let each one, having put ten friends in order, bring them to God, whether you have servants, or disciples. But you have neither disciples nor servants? But you have friends; set them aright. And do not say to me, We have driven away most of the oaths, but are caught only a few times; but take away this "a few times" also. If you were to lose one gold coin, would you not go around everywhere searching and seeking, so as to find it? Do this also in the case of oaths. If you see that you have been stolen of one oath, weep, groan, as if all your substance were lost. Again I say what I said before: shut yourself up in the house, make it a practice and an exercise with your wife, with your children and those who live with you; say to yourself first: I will not touch private or public affairs, until I have corrected my own soul. If you instruct your own sons, they too will teach their own, and

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εἰπὼν, ὅτι Ἀνέβη ἡ κραυγὴ τῆς κακίας αὐτῶν ἕως τῶν οὐρανῶν, αὐτὸς αὐτοῖς τὸ ἐναντίον ἐμαρτύρησε πάλιν εἰπὼν, ὅτι Εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι ἀπέστησαν ἕκαστος ἀπὸ τῶν ὁδῶν αὐτῶν τῶν πονηρῶν, οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἀπὸ πορνείας ἢ μοιχείας ἢ κλοπῆς, ἀλλ', ὅτι Ἀπὸ τῶν ὁδῶν αὐτῶν τῶν πονηρῶν. Καὶ πῶς ἀπέστησαν; Ὡς ὁ Θεὸς οἶδεν, οὐκ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἐδοκίμασεν. Εἶτα οὐκ αἰσχυνόμεθα οὐδὲ ἐρυθριῶμεν, εἰ βαρβάρων ἀνθρώπων ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις μόνον πᾶσαν ἀποθεμένων κακίαν, ἡμεῖς ἐν τοσαύταις ἡμέραις ἐνηχούμενοι, διδασκόμενοι, μιᾶς μὴ περιγενοίμεθα πονηρᾶς συνηθείας; Καίτοι γε εἰς ἔσχατον ἦσαν κἀκεῖνοι πρότερον κακίας ἐληλακότες· ὅταν γὰρ ἀκούσῃς, ὅτι Ἀνέβη ἡ κραυγὴ τῆς κακίας αὐτῶν πρὸς μὲ, μηδὲν ἄλλο νόμιζε, ἢ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς πονηρίας αὐτῶν· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἴσχυσαν ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις πρὸς ὁλόκληρον ἀρετὴν μετατάξασθαι. Ὅπου γὰρ φόβος Θεοῦ, οὐ χρεία ἡμερῶν οὐδὲ διαστήματος χρόνου, ὥσπερ ὅπου ἀφοβία, οὐδὲν ὄφελος ἡμερῶν. Καθάπερ γὰρ τὰ ἰωθέντα τῶν σκευῶν ὁ μὲν ὕδατι μόνον ἀποτρίβων, κἂν πολὺν ἀναλώσῃ χρόνον, πάσης οὐκ ἀπαλλάξει τῆς κακίας ἐκείνης, ὁ δὲ εἰς χωνευτήριον ἐμβαλὼν, ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ φαιδρότερα τῶν νεοτεύκτων εὐθέως ἐργάσεται· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ψυχὴ, τῷ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἰῷ βαφεῖσα, ἂν μὲν ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς ἔτυχεν ἑαυτὴν ἀποσμήξῃ, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν μετανοῇ, οὐδὲν πλέον κερδανεῖ· ἂν δὲ ὥσπερ εἰς χωνευτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν φόβον ἑαυτὴν ἐμβάλῃ, ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ τὸ πᾶν ἀπονίψεται. Μὴ τοίνυν εἰς τὴν αὔριον ἀναβαλλώμεθα· Οὐ γὰρ οἴδαμεν τί τέξεται ἡ ἐπιοῦσα· μηδὲ λέγωμεν· Περιεσόμεθα τῆς συνηθείας κατὰ μικρόν· τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ, κατὰ μικρὸν, οὐδέποτε ἐπιλείψει. ∆ιόπερ, τοῦτο ἀφέντες, ἐκεῖνο λέγωμεν, ὅτι Ἐὰν μὴ σήμερον κατορθώσωμεν τὸν ὅρκον, οὐκ ἀποστησόμεθα πρότερον, κἂν μυρία ἄγχῃ πράγματα, κἂν ἀποθανεῖν δέῃ, κἂν κολασθῆναι, κἂν πάντα ἀπολέσαι· οὐ δώ 49.210 σομεν τῷ διαβόλῳ ῥᾳθυμίας ἐξουσίαν, οὐδὲ ἀναβολῆς πρόφασιν. Ἂν ὁ Θεὸς ἴδῃ σου τὴν πεπυρωμένην ψυχὴν, τὴν διεγηγερμένην προθυμίαν, καὶ αὐτὸς συνεφάψεταί σου τῆς διορθώσεως. Ναὶ, δέομαι καὶ ἀντιβολῶ, σπουδάσωμεν, ἵνα μὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀκούσωμεν, ὅτι Ἄνδρες Νινευῗται ἀναστήσονται, καὶ κατακρινοῦσι τὴν γενεὰν ταύτην, ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἅπαξ ἀκούσαντες κατώρθωσαν, ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ πολλάκις ἀκούσαντες ἐπεστράφημεν· ἐκεῖνοι ὁλόκληρον ἀρετὴν, ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ μέρος ἀρετῆς· ἐκεῖνοι κατασκαφῆναι ἀκούσαντες ἐφοβήθησαν, ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ γέενναν ἀκούοντες φοβούμεθα· ἐκεῖνοι προφητειῶν οὐ μετασχόντες, ἡμεῖς δὲ συνεχοῦς ἀπολαύοντες διδασκαλίας καὶ πολλῆς τῆς χάριτος. Ταῦτα λέγω νῦν οὐχ ὑπὲρ τῶν οἰκείων, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ὑμῖν ἐγκαλῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. Ὑμῖν μὲν γὰρ, εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι, καθάπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, ὁ νόμος οὗτος ὁ περὶ τοῦ ὀμνύειν κατώρθωται· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο εἰς σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν, εἰ μὴ καὶ ἑτέρους διδάξαντες διορθώσομεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ τὸ τάλαντον ἐκεῖνο προσενεγκὼν, τὴν παρακαταθήκην ὁλόκληρον ἀποδοὺς, ἐπειδὴ τὸ δοθὲν οὐκ ἐπλεόνασεν, ἐκολάζετο. Μὴ τοίνυν μηδὲ ἡμεῖς τοῦτο σκοπήσωμεν, εἰ αὐτοὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀπηλλάγημεν, ἀλλ' ἕως ἂν ἑτέρους ἀπαλλάξωμεν, μὴ ἀποστῶμεν· καὶ ἕκαστος δέκα φίλους ῥυθμίσας τῷ Θεῷ προσαγαγέτω, κἂν οἰκέτας ἔχῃς, κἂν μαθητάς. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ μαθητὰς, οὐδὲ οἰκέτας ἔχεις; ἀλλὰ φίλους ἔχεις· τούτους κατόρθωσον. Καὶ μή μοι λέγε, ὅτι Τοὺς πλείονας τῶν ὅρκων ἀπηλάσαμεν, ὀλιγάκις δὲ ἁλισκόμεθα· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὀλιγάκις τοῦτο ἄνελε. Εἰ χρύσινον ἕνα ἀπολέσεις, οὐκ ἂν ἅπαντας περιῆλθες ἐρευνῶν καὶ ζητῶν, ὥστε αὐτὸν εὑρεῖν; Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὅρκων ποίησον. Ἐὰν ἴδῃς, ὅτι ἕνα ὅρκον ἐκλάπης, θρήνησον, στέναξον, ὡς τῆς οὐσίας σου πάσης ἀπολωλυίας. Πάλιν λέγω, ὃ καὶ πρότερον· σύγκλεισον σαυτὸν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας, μελέτην ποίησον καὶ γυμνάσιον μετὰ τῆς γυναικὸς, μετὰ τῶν παιδίων καὶ συνοικούντων· εἰπὲ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν σὺ πρότερον· Οὐκ ἰδιωτικῶν, οὐ δημοσίων ἅψομαι πραγμάτων, ἕως ἂν τὴν ψυχὴν διορθώσωμαι τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ. Ἂν ὑμεῖς τοὺς υἱοὺς τοὺς ἑαυτῶν παιδεύσητε, κἀκεῖνοι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν διδάξουσι, καὶ