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you wish men to do to you. Do you see how he showed from this also, that we have need of prayer and a strict life? And he did not say, “Whatever you wish to receive from God, that do to your neighbor,” so that you might not say, “And how is it possible? He is God, but I am a man”; but, “Whatever you wish to receive from your fellow servant, this you also should show to your neighbor.” What is lighter than this? What is more just? Then also the praise before the prizes is very great. For this is the law and the prophets. From which it is clear that virtue is according to our nature, and we all know what is fitting from within ourselves, and it is not possible ever to take refuge in ignorance. Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it. And the gate is narrow and the way is afflicted that leads to life, and few are those who find it. And yet after this he said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light;” and in what was recently said he hinted at the same thing; how then does he here say it is narrow and afflicted? Especially if you pay attention, even here he shows it to be very light, and easy, and manageable. And how, he says, is the narrow and afflicted easy? Because it is a way and a gate; just as the other, though it be wide, though it be broad, is also a way and a gate. But none of these things are permanent, but all things pass away, both the painful and the pleasant things of life. And not only in this way are the things of virtue easy, but also in their end they become easier again. For not only the passing away of the toils and the sweats, but also the arriving at a good end (for it ends in life) is sufficient to comfort those who are contending. So that both the temporary nature of the toils, and the perpetual nature of the crowns, and the fact that the former come first, and the latter after them, would be the greatest comfort for the toils. Wherefore also Paul called affliction light, not because of the nature of what happens, but because of the choice of those who contend, and the hope of things to come. For the lightness of our affliction, he says, works an eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For if the waves and the seas to sailors, and the slaughters and wounds to soldiers, and the winters and frosts to farmers, and the sharp blows to boxers, are all light and bearable because of the hope of prizes that are of this world and perishable; much more when heaven is set before us, and the unspeakable good things, and the immortal prizes, will one feel none of the present terrible things. 2. But if some think it to be so toilsome, 57.315 it is only the suspicion of their own indolence. See, then, how from another direction also he makes it easy, by commanding not to be entangled with dogs, nor to give themselves over to swine, and to beware of false prophets, and from every side making them to be in a state of contest. And the very act of calling it narrow contributed greatly to making it easy; for it prepared them to be sober. Just as Paul, then, when he says, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood,” does this not to cast down, but to rouse the spirits of the soldiers; so also he, waking up the travelers, called the way rough. And not only in this way did he prepare them to be sober, but also by adding that it has many who trip them up, and what is even more difficult, that they do not attack openly, but hiding themselves; for such is the race of false prophets. But do not look at this, he says, that it is rough and narrow, but where it ends; nor that the opposite is broad and wide, but where it finishes. And he says all these things, rousing our eagerness; just as he also said elsewhere, that “The violent take it by force.” For the one who contends, when he clearly sees the judge of the contest admiring the difficulty of the contests, becomes more eager. Let us not then be distressed, when many painful things happen to us from this. For the way is afflicted, and the gate is narrow, but not the city. For this very reason it is not necessary for there to be rest here either

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βούλησθε ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι. Εἶδες πῶς ἔδειξε καὶ ἐντεῦθεν, ὅτι μετὰ τῆς εὐχῆς καὶ πολιτείας ἡμῖν ἀκριβοῦς δεῖ; Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ὅσα θέλεις γενέσθαι σοι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ταῦτα ποίει εἰς τὸν πλησίον· ἵνα μὴ λέγῃς, Καὶ πῶς δυνατόν; ἐκεῖνος Θεὸς, ἐγὼ δὲ ἄνθρωπος· ἀλλ', Ὅσα ἂν θέλῃς γενέσθαι σοι παρὰ τοῦ ὁμοδούλου, ταῦτα καὶ αὐτὸς περὶ τὸν πλησίον ἐπιδείκνυσο. Τί τούτου κουφότερον; τί δικαιότερον; Εἶτα καὶ τὸ ἐγκώμιον πρὸ τῶν ἐπάθλων μέγιστον. Οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ νόμος, καὶ οἱ προφῆται. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι κατὰ φύσιν ἡμῖν ἡ ἀρετὴ, καὶ οἴκοθεν τὰ δέοντα ἅπαντες ἴσμεν, καὶ οὐχ οἷόν τε εἰς ἄγνοιαν οὐδέποτε καταφυγεῖν. Εἰσέλθετε διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης, ὅτι πλατεῖα ἡ πύλη καὶ εὐρύχωρος ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν, καὶ πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ εἰσερχόμενοι δι' αὐτῆς. Καὶ στενὴ ἡ πύλη καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωὴν, καὶ ὀλίγοι εἰσὶν οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτήν. Καὶ μὴν μετὰ ταῦτα ἔλεγεν· Ὁ ζυγός μου χρηστὸς, καὶ τὸ φορτίον μου ἐλαφρόν ἐστι· καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔναγχος δὲ εἰρημένοις τὸ αὐτὸ ᾐνίξατο· πῶς οὖν ἐνταῦθα στενὴν αὐτὴν εἶναί φησι, καὶ τεθλιμμένην; Μάλιστα μὲν ἐὰν προσέχῃς, καὶ ἐνταῦθα δείκνυσι πολὺ κούφην οὖσαν, καὶ ῥᾳδίαν, καὶ εὔκολον. Καὶ πῶς, φησὶν, ἡ στενὴ καὶ τεθλιμμένη, ῥᾳδία; Ὅτι ὁδός ἐστι καὶ πύλη· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἡ ἑτέρα, κἂν πλατεῖα, κἂν εὐρύχωρος, καὶ αὐτὴ ὁδὸς καὶ πύλη. Τούτων δὲ οὐδὲν μόνιμον, ἀλλὰ πάντα παροδεύεται, καὶ τὰ λυπηρὰ καὶ τὰ χρηστὰ τοῦ βίου. Καὶ οὐ ταύτῃ μόνον ῥᾴδια τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ τέλει πάλιν εὐκολώτερα γίνεται. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ παροδεύεσθαι τοὺς πόνους καὶ τοὺς ἱδρῶτας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ εἰς χρηστὸν τέλος ἀπαντᾷν (εἰς ζωὴν γὰρ τελευτᾷ) ἱκανὸν παραμυθήσασθαι τοὺς ἀγωνιζομένους. Ὥστε καὶ τὸ πρόσκαιρον τῶν πόνων, καὶ τὸ διηνεκὲς τῶν στεφάνων, καὶ τὸ ταῦτα μὲν εἶναι πρῶτα, ἐκεῖνα δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα, μεγίστη τῶν πόνων γένοιτ' ἂν παραμυθία. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐλαφρὰν τὴν θλῖψιν ἐκάλεσεν, οὐ διὰ τὴν φύσιν τῶν γινομένων, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν τῶν ἀγωνιζομένων, καὶ τὴν τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπίδα. Τὸ γὰρ ἐλαφρὸν τῆς θλίψεως, φησὶν, αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης κατεργάζεται, μὴ σκοπούντων ἡμῶν τὰ βλεπόμενα, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ κύματα καὶ τὰ πελάγη τοῖς ναύταις, καὶ αἱ σφαγαὶ καὶ τὰ τραύματα τοῖς στρατιώταις, καὶ οἱ χειμῶνες καὶ οἱ κρυμοὶ τοῖς γεωργοῖς, καὶ τοῖς πυκτεύουσιν αἱ δριμεῖαι πληγαὶ, κοῦφα καὶ φορητὰ πάντα διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα τῶν ἐπάθλων τῶν ἐπικήρων καὶ ἀπολλυμένων· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὅταν ὁ οὐρανὸς προκείμενος ᾖ, καὶ τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα ἀγαθὰ, καὶ τὰ ἀθάνατα ἔπαθλα, οὐδενός τις αἰσθήσεται τῶν παρόντων δεινῶν. ʹ. Εἰ δέ τινες αὐτὴν καὶ οὕτως ἐπίπονον εἶναι νομί 57.315 ζουσι, τῆς αὐτῶν ῥᾳθυμίας ἡ ὑπόνοια μόνον. Ὅρα γοῦν πῶς καὶ ἑτέρωθεν αὐτὴν εὔκολον ποιεῖ, κελεύων μὴ συμπλέκεσθαι τοῖς κυσὶ, μηδὲ ἐκδιδόναι ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς χοίροις, καὶ φυλάττεσθαι ἀπὸ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν, καὶ πανταχόθεν αὐτοὺς ἐναγωνίους ἐργαζόμενος. Καὶ αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ στενὴν καλέσαι μέγιστον εἰς τὸ ποιῆσαι αὐτὴν εὔκολον συνεβάλετο· νήφειν γὰρ αὐτοὺς παρεσκεύαζεν. Ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ Παῦλος, ὅταν λέγῃ, Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα, οὐχ ἵνα καταβάλῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα διεγείρῃ τὰ φρονήματα τῶν στρατιωτῶν, τοῦτο ποιεῖ· οὕτω δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀφυπνίζων τοὺς ὁδοιπόρους, τραχεῖαν ἐκάλεσε τὴν ὁδόν. Καὶ οὐ ταύτῃ μόνον νήφειν παρεσκεύασεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ προσθεῖναι, ὅτι καὶ πολλοὺς ἔχει τοὺς ὑποσκελίζοντας καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι οὐδὲ φανερῶς προσβάλλουσιν, ἀλλὰ κρύπτοντες ἑαυτούς· τοιοῦτον γὰρ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν τὸ γένος. Ἀλλὰ μὴ τοῦτο ἴδῃς, φησὶν, ὅτι τραχεῖα καὶ στενὴ, ἀλλὰ ποῦ τελευτᾷ· μηδ' ὅτι πλατεῖα καὶ εὐρύχωρος ἡ ἐναντία, ἀλλὰ ποῦ καταστρέφει. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα λέγει, διεγείρων ἡμῶν τὴν προθυμίαν· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Βιασταὶ ἁρπάζουσιν αὐτήν. Ὁ γὰρ ἀγωνιζόμενος, ἐπειδὰν ἴδῃ σαφῶς τὸν ἀγωνοθέτην θαυμάζοντα τὸ ἐπίπονον τῶν ἀγωνισμάτων, προθυμότερος γίνεται. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀλύωμεν, ὅταν πολλὰ ἡμῖν ἐντεῦθεν συμβαίνῃ λυπηρά. Τεθλιμμένη γὰρ ἡ ὁδὸς, καὶ στενὴ ἡ πύλη, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡ πόλις. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἄνεσιν χρὴ