161

again is an impediment to wickedness. 9 But those who wait for the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. Those who wait for the Lord inherit the already interpreted earth, the one on high, lying in heaven. And this David said: "I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living." He was a king. And it is the mark of a king to have the good things of his own land and to rule over it. No one, however, believes he will receive what he already has, but believes he has received it. But this man says, "I believe that I shall see," not "that I have seen," those "good things" which God gives "to those who ask him," when they pray for them genuinely. "Those who wait," therefore, "for the Lord shall inherit the earth." Patience is the greatest prize of virtue; "tribulation works patience." You see that patience comes after tribulation. He, therefore, who has no other patience than Him waits for the Lord as he ought. And just as for some he becomes wisdom and righteousness and sanctification, so also patience. Indeed, this same David says in another psalm: "And now what is my patience? Is it not the Lord?" Those who strive for virtue and piety are always eager to have this patience. Again, the psalmist says somewhere: "With patience I have waited for the Lord." Not simply "I have waited," but "with patience," just as: "Justly shalt thou pursue that which is just." The servants of God have an inheritance. And hear the paradox: it is for children to inherit, not servants. The exceeding goodness, therefore, of the one who bequeaths the inheritance is such that, as far as pertains to their state and nature, it leads them, though they are servants, into an inheritance. And I once gave an example for this: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, not by works." And I said that it is entirely impossible to have faith without works; for it "is dead without works." He says, therefore: "through faith, not by works." And I gave such an image: when someone is benevolent, for the work some do and the one they serve, he gives a wage exceeding the value of the wage. And I took such an image as this: let there be some owner who has entrusted a farm to someone and let him say to him: "If you take care of it as you ought and work it as is proper, I give it to you as a gift; have it as an inheritance." We say of that man that he did not receive the inheritance from works, but from the grace of the one who offered it. "There is an inheritance for those who serve the Lord." 10 And yet a little while, and the sinner shall not be. This is what it says: "Do not be jealous of evildoers, nor envy those who work iniquity." God made you a creature that loves good. But it is characteristic of lovers of good not to desire things that are temporary and present; for temporary and present things belong also to sinners. Therefore, do not be jealous of him, if he is rich, if he is healthy; for it does not remain forever. But if . . . ., I do not mean the substance, but the quality. Since . the "temporary"? -if you wish to take it simply, by no longer sinning he seems not to be a sinner. He is not then actively engaged in the things of sin. But "sin has a temporary enjoyment," as Paul writes. The enjoyment of sin no longer exists. To the many, therefore, we say that by no longer sinning he seems to be no longer a sinner, but according to the true account: sin neither was from the beginning nor will be forever; for concerning its chiefest form, that of idolatry, this has been said: "neither from the beginning, nor forever." But if this preeminent of evils did not even have a beginning, so as to be unceasing, nor will it not ever receive, clearly. "Yet a little while and the sinner shall not be." You have it, therefore, also in the ninth psalm: "Break the arm of the sinner and the wicked." He did not say "of a sinner," but "of the." But if the arm of "the sinner" is broken, how much more those of the lesser ones. 10 "and you will seek his place and will not find it. Simply again; for it is necessary to give also the more common interpretations. The place of the sinner seems to be the place on earth; for here iniquity happens, here sins are accomplished. will pass away

161

πάλιν ἐμποδιστικὴ κακίας ἐστίν. 9 οἱ δὲ ὑπομένοντες τὸν κύριον αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσου̣σιν γῆν. οἱ ὑπομένοντες τὸν κύριον κληρονομοῦσιν τὴν ἤδη ἑρμηνευ θεῖσαν γῆν τὴν ἐν ὕψει, τῷ οὐρανῷ κειμ̣ένην. καὶ οὗτος ὁ ∆αυὶδ ἔλεγεν· "πιστεύω τοῦ ἰδεῖν τὰ ἀγαθὰ κυρίου ἐν γῇ ζώντων". βασιλεὺς ἦν. βασιλέως δέ ἐστιν τὸ ἔχειν τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ γῆς καὶ τὸ κατακ̣υριεύειν αὐτῆς. οὐδεὶς δὲ πιστεύει λαβεῖν ὃ ἤδη ἔχει, ἀλλὰ πιστεύει εἰληφέναι. οὗτος δὲ λέγει· "πιστεύω τοῦ ἰδεῖν", οὐ "ἑωρακέναι τὰ ἀγαθὰ" ἐκεῖνα, ἃ δίδωσιν ὁ θεὸς "τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν", ὅταν γνησίως εὔχωνται περὶ αὐτῶν. "οἱ ὑπομένοντε̣ς" οὖν "τ̣ὸν κύριον κληρονομήσουσιν τὴν γῆν". ἆθλον μέγιστόν ἐστιν ἀρετῆς ἡ ὑπομονή· "ἡ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται". θεωρεῖς ὅτι μετὰ θλῖψιν η῾̣ ὑπομονή. ἐκεῖνος οὖν ὑπομένει τὸν κύριον ὡς δεῖ ὁ μὴ ἄλλον ἢ αὐτὸν ἔχων ὑπομονήν. καὶ ὥσπερ σοφία γίνεταί τισιν καὶ δικαιοσύνη καὶ ἁγιασμ̣ός, οὕτω καὶ ὑπομονή. αὐτὸς γοῦν οὗτος ὁ ∆αυὶδ ἐν ἄλλῳ ψαλμῷ λέγει· "καὶ νῦν τίς ἡ ὑπομονή μου; οὐχὶ κύριος"; ταύτην τὴν ὑπομονὴν ἀεὶ σπουδάζουσιν ἔχειν οἱ ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς καὶ εὐσεβείας ἀγωνιζόμενοι. αὐτὸς πάλιν ὁ ὑμνῳδός που λέγει· "ὑπομένων ὑπέμεινα τὸν κύριον". οὐχ ἁπλῶς "ὑπέμεινα", ἀλλ' "ὑπομένων", ὡς τό· "δικαίως τὸ δίκαιον διώκειν". οἱ θεραπευταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ ἔχουσιν κληρονομίαν. καὶ τό γε παράδοξον ἄκουε· τέκνων ἐστὶν τὸ κληρονομεῖν, οὐ θεραπόντων. ἡ ὑπερβολὴ οὖν τῆς ἀγαθότητος τοῦ κλ̣ηρονομουμένου, ὡς ὅσον ἧκεν εἰς τὴν αὐτῶν κατάστασιν καὶ φύσιν, θεράποντας ὄντας εἰς κληρονομίαν ἄγει. καὶ ἔλεγον παράδειγμά ποτε εἰς τό· "τῇ χάριτί ἐστε σεσωσμένοι διὰ τῆς πίστεως, οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων". καὶ ἔλεγον, ὅτι ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν ὅλως πίστιν ἔχειν ἄνευ ἔργων· "νεκρὰ" γάρ "ἐσ̣τιν̣ χωρὶς ἔργων". λέγει οὖν· "διὰ τῆς πίστεως, οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων". καὶ ἔλεγον τοιαύτην εἰκόνα· ὅταν φιλάνθρωπος ᾖν, ἀν̣θ' οὗ ἐργάζονταί τινες καὶ ὃν θεραπεύουσιν, δίδωσιν μισθὸν ὑπεραίροντα τὴν ἀξίαν τοῦ μισθοῦ. καὶ ἔλαβον τοιαύτην εἰκόνα ὅτι· ἔστω τις κτήτωρ καὶ πεπιστευκέτω γεώργιόν τινι καὶ λεγέτω αὐτῷ ὅτι· "ἐὰν ἐπιμεληθῇς αὐτοῦ ὡς δεῖ καὶ ἐργάσῃ αὐτὸ ὡς προσῆκεν, χάρισμά σοι αὐτὸ δίδω· κληρονομίαν αὐτὸ ἔχε". λέγομεν ἐκεῖνον ὅτι οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἔλαβε τὴν κληρονομίαν, ἀλλ' ἐκ χάριτος τοῦ ὀρέξαντος. "ἔστιν κληρονομία τοῖς θεραπεύουσιν κύριον". 10 καὶ ἔτι ὀλίγον καὶ οὐ μὴ ὑπάρξῃ ὁ ἁμαρτωλός. τοῦτο λέγει· "μὴ παραζήλου ἐν πονηρευομένοις μηδὲ ζήλου τοὺς ποιοῦντας τὴν ἀνομίαν". φιλάγαθόν σε ζῷον ὁ θεὸς κατεσκεύασεν. φιλαγάθων δέ ἐστιν μὴ τὰ πρόσκαιρα καὶ παρόντα ἐπιθυμεῖν· τὰ γὰρ πρόσκαιρα καὶ παρόντα ὑπάρχει καὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς. μὴ τοίνυν παραζήλου αὐτο´̣ν, ἐὰν πλουτῇ, ἐὰν ὑγιαίνῃ· οὐ γὰρ ἀεὶ μένει. ἐὰν δὲ ···· ··, οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν φημί, ἀλλὰ τὸν ποιόν. ἐπερ · τὸ "πρόσκαιρον"; -ἐὰν προχείρως αὐτὸ θέλῃς λαβεῖν, τῷ μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνειν δοκεῖ μὴ ἁμαρτωλὸς εἶναι. οὐκ ἐνεργεῖ δὲ τότε τὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. "πρόσκαιρον" δὲ "ἀπόλαυσιν ἔχει ἡ ἁμαρτία", ὡς Παῦλος γράφει. ἡ ἀπόλαυσις τῆς ἁμαρτίας οὐκέτι ὑπάρχει. πρὸς τοὺς πολλοὺς οὖν λέγομεν ὅτι τῷ μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνειν δοκεῖ οὐκέτι εἶναι ἁμαρτωλός, πρὸς δὲ τὸν ἀληθῆ λόγον· ἡ ἁμαρτία οὔτε ἦν ἐξ ἀρχῆς οὐδὲ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἔσται· περὶ γὰρ τοῦ κορυφαιοτάτου εἴδους αὐτῆς τῆς εἰδωλολατρίας εἴρηται τοῦτο ὅτι· "οὔτε ἀπ' ἀρχῆς οὔτε εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα". εἰ δὲ αὐτὴ ἡ ὑπερέχουσα τῶν κακιῶν οὐδὲ ἀρχὴν ἔσχεν, οὕτως ὥστε ἄπαυστος̣ εἶναι, οὐδὲ οὐ λήμψει ποτὲ δηλονότι. "ἔτι ὀλίγον καὶ οὐχ ὑπάρξει ὁ ἁμαρτωλός". ἔχεις οὖν καὶ ἐν τῷ ἐνάτῳ ψαλμῷ· "σύντριψον τὸν βραχίονα τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ καὶ πονηροῦ". οὐκ εἶπεν "ἁμαρτωλοῦ", ἀλλὰ "τοῦ". εἰ δὲ "τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ" συντρίβεται ὁ βραχίων, πολλῷ πλέον τῶν ὑποδεεστέρων. 10 "καὶ ζητήσεις τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ μὴ εὕρῃς. προχείρως πάλιν· δεῖ γὰρ καὶ τὰς δημωδεστέρας ἐξηγήσεις λέγειν. δοκεῖ τόπος εἶναι τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ ὁ περὶ γῆν τόπος· ὧδε γὰρ ἡ ἀνομία γίνεται, ὧδε αἱ ἁμαρτίαι τελοῦνται. παρελεύσεται