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you might think: "I know that his way is not of man, nor shall a man go and direct...his...". You are the one. But the saying of the prophet can have a double meaning: Nebuchadnezzar threatens the destruction of Jerusalem and the removal of the entire Hebrew race. the prophet was saying that: even if he threatened and we provided the reasons for suffering this, "I know that his way is not of man." You are able to hinder his way against us; for even if he thinks he is a man and great, yet his course is not set right when you hinder it. It is also possible to take it thus according to the meaning already given in: "not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy." You purpose to run the way of salvation. It is not ours to complete the way, but to will to come to the end of the way, so as to declare: "I have finished the race." But from him is the directing, from him the guiding. "Lead me into your truth." He who is led by God does not set things right for himself. But he desires to set things right and has given himself to the one who is able to lead him to perfection. Such things, I say, which are according to God and looking to him, are accomplished richly and it is not possible to separate each from each. Someone has desired the good, he is zealous to be an imitator of God, to purpose to take up virtue; having purposed, he does not stop at the purpose, but he acts, he practices, he is zealous, he accustoms himself to doing good things. "If it has been told to you, O man, what the Lord requires of you, but to love mercy and to do judgment and to be ready to walk with the Lord your God?" He who prepares himself to always walk with the Lord God is in every way unhindered. Only let him prepare himself for this, saying: "My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready." But no one of those who are hindered by shameful thoughts or by some notion can say: "My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready"; for he has bonds, "he is held fast with the cords of his own sins." God wills the way of him who is directed in his steps. And he walks willingly, he runs the way of life, he who said: "I am the way." He walks and runs upon him. "and he will desire his way." But it is also possible to say this: that he whose steps are directed by God, desires the way of God, into which He leads him, upon which He guides and conducts him. And so if it ever happens that he falls, he is not broken. 24 When he falls, he will not be dashed down. Take for me such an example: let there be a certain excellent runner, having swiftness of foot by nature and having been thoroughly prepared in the art of running. This man, being keen at running and having the feet of the inner man exercised, if he ever stumbles while running, in a way he has a brief sensation of the stumble; for he is not overturned nor does he himself, as if struck, shrink back and cease from the race. And so if it ever happens that some slip occurs, he is not broken. Judas slipped from the way of truth and fell down; for it is said: "falling headlong, he burst open in the middle." But he would not have fallen headlong, if he had not been dashed down. And well also this: "When he falls, he will not be dashed down." And if some stumble occurs, he does not give "place to the devil," so as to completely overturn and dash him down. Someone saw a woman with desire up to the point of a first passion; he seemed to fall, but was not broken; for when he yields to follow the thought and the desire for beauty conquers him, he was broken, he fell down. Such are the elders who were mad against Susanna. 24 For the Lord supports his hand. "Hand" is often said to be action, the active power. Supporting his active power, he does not allow him to fall completely. He finds where to rest his hand. And the Lord becomes his support according to what was said before this: "and the Lord became my support." He holds his creative power so as to declare: "you have held my right hand, and by your counsel you have guided me

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νομίσῃς· "οἶδα ὅτι οὐ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ ἀνὴρ πορεύσεται κατευ····· ··ιαν αὐτοῦ". σὺ εἶ ὁ . διττῶς δὲ δύναται διάνοιαν ἔχειν τὸ τοῦ προφήτου ῥητόν· ἀπειλεῖ ὁ Ναβουχοδονοσσὸρ καθαίρεσιν τῆς̣ Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ μετοικισμὸν ὅλου τοῦ Ἑβραικοῦ γένους. ἔλεγεν ὁ προφήτης ὅτι· εἰ καὶ ἠπείλει καὶ τὰ αἴτια τοῦ τοῦτο παθ̣ε̣ι῀̣ν̣ ἡμεῖς παρέσχομεν, "οἶδα ὅτι οὐ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτοῦ". δύνῃ κωλῦσαι αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ὁδόν· κἂν γὰρ ἀνὴρ νομίζῃ εἶναι καὶ μέγας, ἀλλ' οὐ κατορθοῦται ἡ πορεία αὐτοῦ σοῦ κωλύοντος. δυνατὸν καὶ οὕτω λαβεῖν κατὰ τὴν ἀποδοθεῖσαν ἤδη διάνοιαν εἰς τό· "οὐ τοῦ θέλοντος οὐδὲ τοῦ τρέχοντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐλεῶντος θεοῦ". προτίθεσθε δραμεῖν τὴν σωτηριώδη ὁδόν. οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῶν ἀνύσαι τὴν ὁδόν, ἀλλὰ θελῆσαι εἰς τὸ τέλος τῆς ὁδοῦ ἐλθεῖν, ὥστ' ἀνειπεῖν· "τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα". ἐξ αὐτοῦ δὲ τὸ κατευθῦναι, ἐξ αὐτοῦ τὸ ξεναγῆσαι. "ὁδήγησόν με ἐπὶ τη`̣ν ἀλήθειάν σου". ὁ ὁδηγούμενος ὑπὸ θεοῦ οὐχ ἑαυτῷ κατορθοῖ. ποθεῖ δὲ κατορθῶσαι καὶ δέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν τῷ δυναμένῳ αὐτὸν εἰς τελειότητα ἀγαγεῖν. τὰ τοιαῦτα τὰ κατὰ θεόν, λέγω, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁρῶντα πλουσίως ἐπιτελεῖται καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν μερίσαι ἕκαστον ἀφ' ἑκάστου. ἐπόθησέν τις τὸ καλόν, μιμητὴς εἶναι θεοῦ σπουδάζει, προθέσθαι ἀναλαβεῖν τὴν ἀρετήν· προθέμενος οὐχ ἵσταται μέχρι τῆς προθέσεως, ἀλλ' ἐνεργεῖ, μελετᾷ, σπουδάζει, ἐθίζει ἑαυτὸν πράττειν τὰ καλά. "εἰ ἀνηγγέλη σοι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, τί κύριος αἰτεῖ παρὰ σοῦ ἢ τοῦ ἀγαπᾶν ἔλεον καὶ ποιεῖν κρίμα καὶ ἕτοιμον εἶναι τοῦ πορεύεσθαι μετὰ κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ"; ὁ ἑτοιμάζων ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸ ἀεὶ μετὰ τοῦ κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ πορεύεσθαι πάντῃ ἀνεμπόδιστός ἐστιν. μόνον ἑτοιμαζέτω ἑαυτὸν εἰς τοῦτο λέγων· "ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου, ὁ θεός, ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου". οὐδεὶς δὲ τῶν ἐνποδιζομένων ὑπὸ λογισμῶν αἰσχρῶν ἢ ἐν̣θυμήσεώς τινος εἰπεῖν δύναται· "ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου, ὁ θ̣ε̣ο´̣ς̣, ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου"· ἔχει γὰρ δεσμά, "σειραῖς τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτιῶν σφίνγεται". τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ κατευθυνομένου ἐν τοῖς δ̣ιαβήμασιν ὁ θεὸς θέλει. θελητῶς δὲ βαδίζει, τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς ζωῆς τρέχει αὐτὸν τὸν εἰρηκότα· "ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδός". πατεῖ καὶ τρέχει ἐπ' αὐτοῦ. "καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ θελήσει". δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν ὅτι· οὗ τὰ διαβήματα κατευθύνεται ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ὁδὸν θέλει, εἰς ἣν ἄγει αὐτόν, ἐφ' ἣν ὁδηγεῖ καὶ ξεναγεῖ αὐτόν. κἄν ποτε οὖν συμβῇ πεσεῖν, οὐ καταρήγνυται. 24 ὅταν πέσῃ, οὐ καταραχθήσεται. λάβε μοι παράδειγμα τοιοῦτο· δρομεύς τις ἔστω ἄριστος καὶ ποδῶν ὠκύτητα κατὰ φ̣ύσιν ἔχων καὶ τὴν τέχνην τὴν δρομικὴν ἄκρως παρασκευασθείς. οὗτος ὀξέως περὶ τὸ τρέχειν ἔχων καὶ γεγυμνασ̣μ̣ένους ἔχων τοῦ ἔσω ἀνθρώπου τοὺς πόδας ἄν ποτε προσπταίσῃ ἐν τῷ τρέχειν, τρόπον τινὰ βραχεῖαν αἴσθησιν λαμβάνει τοῦ προσπταίσματος· οὐδὲ γὰρ καταστρέφεται οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὥσπερ πληγεὶς ὀκλᾷ, παύεται τοῦ δρόμου. κἄν ποτε οὖν συμβῇ γενέσθαι τινὰ ὄλισθον, οὐ καταρήγνυται. ὠλίσθησεν Ἰούδας ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ κατέπεσεν· εἴρηται γάρ· "πρηνὴς γενάμενος ἐλάκησεν μέσος". πρηνὴς δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἐγένετο, εἰ μὴ καταραχθεὶς ἦν. εὖ δὲ καὶ τό· "ὅταν πέσῃ, οὐ καταραχθήσεται". κἂν πταῖσμά τι γένηται, οὐ παρέχει "τῷ διαβόλῳ τόπον", ὥστε πάντῃ αυ᾿̣τὸν καταστρέψαι καὶ καταράξαι. εἶδέν τις γυναῖκα πρὸς ἐπιθυμίαν με´̣χρι τῆς̣ προπαθείας· ἔδοξεν πίπτειν, ἀλλ' οὐ κατερράγη· ὅταν γὰρ εἴξῃ ἀκολουθῆσαι τῷ λογισμῷ καὶ νικήσῃ αὐτὸν τοῦ κάλλους ἡ ἐπιθυμία, κατερράγη, κατέπεσεν. οἷοί εἰσιν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι οἱ μανέντες κατὰ Σωσάννης. 24 ὅτι κύριος ἀντιστηρίζει χεῖρα αὐτοῦ. "χεὶρ" πολλάκις ἡ πρᾶξις λέγεται, ἡ ἐνεργητικὴ δύναμις. ἀντιστηρίζων τὴν ἐνεργητικὴν αὐτοῦ δύναμιν οὐκ ἐᾳ῀̣ αὐτὸν τέλεον καταπεσεῖν. εὑρίσκει ποῦ τὴν χεῖρα ἐρείσῃ. καὶ γίνεται αὐτοῦ ὁ κύριος ἀντιστήριγμα κατὰ τὰ λεχθέντα πρὸ τούτου· "καὶ ἐγένετο κύριος ἀντιστήριγμά μου". τὴν ποιητικὴν αὐτοῦ δύναμιν κρατεῖ ὥστ' ἀνειπεῖν· "ἐκράτησας τῆς χειρὸς τῆς δεξιᾶς μου, καὶ ἐν τῇ βουλήσει σου ὡδήγησάς