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of the Lord? or who has been His counselor? or who has first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed to him again? What he says is something like this: that being so wise, He is not wise from another, but He Himself is the fount of good things; and having wrought so many things and bestowed them on us, He did not give them having borrowed from another, but gushing them forth from His own home, nor owing a recompense to anyone, as having received anything from him, but He Himself is always the first giver of benefits. For this is especially a mark of wealth, to overflow and not to need another. Wherefore he also added: For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things. He Himself found, He Himself made, He Himself holds together; for He is both rich, and needs not to receive from another; and He is wise, and needs no counselor. What do I say, counselor? No one can even know His things, except He Himself alone, who is rich and wise. For it is a mark of great wealth, to make the Gentiles so resourceful, and of great wisdom, to make those inferior to the Jews teachers of the Jews. Then, since he was amazed, he also offers up thanksgiving, saying: To Him be glory forever. Amen. For whenever he says something so great and ineffable, he concludes in doxology out of wonder. This he also does in the case of the Son; for there too, being amazed, he added this very thing which he did here: Of whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. ηʹ. Let us then imitate him, and everywhere glorify God through diligence in our life, and let us not be confident in the virtues of our ancestors, knowing the example of the Jews. For this is not, is not the kinship among Christians, but the relationship according to the Spirit. Thus also the Scythian becomes a child of Abraham, and his child in turn becomes more a stranger than the Scythian. Let us not then be confident in the achievements of our fathers, but, even if you have a wonderful father, do not think this is sufficient for you for salvation, or for honor and glory, unless you become akin to him in character; just as, if you have a base one, do not think you are condemned from this and put to shame, if you arrange your own affairs well. For what is more dishonorable than the Gentiles? But yet by faith they quickly became kinsmen of the saints. And what is more closely related than the Jews? But yet through unbelief they were estranged. For that kinship is of nature and necessity, according to which we are all kinsmen; for we have all come from Adam, and one would not be more a kinsman than another, both by reason of Adam and by reason of Noah and by reason of the earth, the common mother of all; but the kinship worthy of crowns is that which separates us from the wicked. 60.594 For it is not possible for all to be kinsmen here, but those of like character; nor do we call brothers those who have loosed the same birth-pangs with us, but those who show the same zeal. Thus Christ also calls some children of God, and thus again on the contrary, sons of the devil, and of disobedience, and of gehenna, and of perdition. Thus Timothy was a child of Paul by virtue, and was called a true child, but of the son of his sister we do not even know the name; and yet the one was related to him by nature; but it was of no benefit; while the other was distinct both by nature and by place (for he was a citizen of Lystra); but yet he became nearer than all. Let us then also become children of the saints, or rather, let us also become children of God. For that it is possible to become children of God, hear what he says: Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father who is in heaven. For this reason we also call Him Father when we pray, reminding ourselves not only of the grace, but also of virtue, so that we may do nothing unworthy of such kinship. And how is it possible, he says, to be a son of God? By being freed from all passions, showing meekness toward those who insult and do wrong; for your Father is such toward those who blaspheme Him. For this reason, though He said many things many times, He nowhere says, That ye may become like your Father; but when He said, Pray for them which despitefully use you, do good to them that hate you, then this prize

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Κυρίου; ἢ τίς σύμβουλος αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο; ἢ τίς προέδωκεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀνταποδοθήσεται αὐτῷ; Ὃ δὲ λέγει. τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· ὅτι οὕτω σοφὸς ὢν, οὐδὲ παρ' ἑτέρου σοφός ἐστιν, ἀλλ' αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ πηγὴ τῶν ἀγαθῶν· καὶ τοσαῦτα ἐργασάμενος καὶ χαρισάμενος ἡμῖν, οὐ παρ' ἑτέρου δανεισάμενος ταῦτα ἔδωκεν, ἀλλ' οἴκοθεν ἀναβλύσας, οὐδὲ ἀμοιβὴν ὀφείλων τινὶ, ὡς παρ' αὐτοῦ εἰληφώς τι, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς κατάρχων ἀεὶ τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν. Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστά ἐστι πλούτου, τὸ καὶ ὑπερχεῖσθαι καὶ μὴ δεῖσθαι ἑτέρου. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν· Ὅτι ἐξ αὐτοῦ, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὰ πάντα. Αὐτὸς εὗρεν, αὐτὸς ἐποίησεν, αὐτὸς συγκροτεῖ· καὶ γὰρ καὶ πλούσιός ἐστι, καὶ οὐ δεῖται παρ' ἑτέρου λαβεῖν· καὶ σοφός ἐστι, καὶ οὐ δεῖται συμβούλου. Τί λέγω συμβούλου; Οὐδὲ εἰδέναι τις δύναται τὰ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἢ μόνος αὐτὸς ὁ πλούσιος καὶ σοφός. Καὶ γὰρ πολλοῦ πλούτου, τὸ τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν εὐπόρους οὕτω ποιῆσαι, καὶ πολλῆς σοφίας, τὸ τοὺς Ἰουδαίων καταδεεστέρους Ἰουδαίων διδασκάλους κατασκευάσαι. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ ἐξεπλάγη, καὶ εὐχαριστίαν ἀναφέρει λέγων· Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. Ὅταν γάρ τι τοιοῦτον λέγῃ μέγα καὶ ἀπόῤῥητον, θαυμάζων εἰς δόξαν καταλήγει. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ποιεῖ· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖ θαυμάσας, αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο ὅπερ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐπήγαγεν· Ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, ὁ ὢν ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸς εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. ηʹ. Τοῦτον δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς μιμώμεθα, καὶ πανταχοῦ τὸν Θεὸν δοξάζωμεν διὰ τῆς κατὰ τὸν βίον ἐπιμελείας, μηδὲ προγόνων ἀρεταῖς θαῤῥῶμεν, τὸ κατὰ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους εἰδότες παράδειγμα. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν αὕτη παρὰ Χριστιανοῖς ἡ συγγένεια, ἀλλ' ἡ κατὰ Πνεῦμα ἀγχιστεία. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Σκύθης τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ γίνεται παῖς, καὶ ὁ ἐκείνου παῖς τοῦ Σκύθου πάλιν ἀλλοτριώτερος καθίσταται. Μὴ τοίνυν κατορθώμασι πατέρων θαῤῥῶμεν, ἀλλὰ, κἂν θαυμαστὸν ἔχῃς τὸν γεγεννηκότα, μὴ νομίσῃς ἀρκεῖν σοι τοῦτο εἰς σωτηρίαν, ἢ εἰς τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν, ἐὰν μὴ συγγενὴς αὐτῷ γένῃ κατὰ τοὺς τρόπους· ὥσπερ οὖν κἂν φαῦλον ἔχῃς, μὴ νόμιζε καταδικάζεσθαι ἐντεῦθεν καὶ αἰσχύνεσθαι, εἴ γε τὰ κατὰ σαυτὸν διαθῇς καλῶς. Τί γὰρ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀτιμότερον; ἀλλ' ὅμως τῇ πίστει ταχέως τῶν ἁγίων γεγόνασι συγγενεῖς. Τί δὲ Ἰουδαίων οἰκειότερον; ἀλλ' ὅμως διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν ἠλλοτριώθησαν. Ἐκείνη μὲν γὰρ ἡ συγγένεια φύσεώς ἐστι καὶ ἀνάγκης, καθ' ἣν πάντες ἐσμὲν συγγενεῖς· ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ γὰρ πάντες γεγόναμεν, καὶ οὐκ ἂν εἴη μᾶλλον ἕτερος ἑτέρου συγγενὴς, καὶ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ Ἀδὰμ καὶ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ Νῶε λόγον καὶ κατὰ τὸν τῆς γῆς τῆς κοινῆς ἁπάντων μητέρος· ἡ δὲ τῶν στεφάνων ἀξία συγγένεια, ἡ διαιροῦσα ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῶν 60.594 φαύλων ἐστίν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστι πάντας εἶναι συγγενεῖς ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ὁμοτρόπους· οὐδὲ ἀδελφοὺς καλοῦμεν τοὺς τὰς αὐτὰς λύσαντας ὠδῖνας ἡμῖν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς τὸν αὐτὸν ζῆλον ἐπιδεικνυμένους. Οὕτω καὶ τέκνα Θεοῦ καλεῖ ὁ Χριστὸς, οὕτω καὶ υἱοὺς διαβόλου πάλιν ἐξ ἐναντίας, οὕτω καὶ ἀπειθείας, οὕτω καὶ γεέννης, οὕτω καὶ ἀπωλείας. Οὕτω καὶ Παύλου Τιμόθεος παῖς ἦν ἐξ ἀρετῆς, καὶ γνήσιον τέκνον ἐκαλεῖτο, τοῦ δὲ υἱοῦ τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ ὄνομα ἴσμεν· καίτοι γε ὁ μὲν κατὰ φύσιν ἦν αὐτῷ προσήκων· ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ὄφελος· ὁ δὲ καὶ φύσει καὶ τόπῳ διεστηκώς (καὶ γὰρ Λύστρων πολίτης ἦν)· ἀλλ' ὅμως πάντων ἐγγύτερος γέγονε. Γενώμεθα τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς τῶν ἁγίων παῖδες, μᾶλλον δὲ γενώμεθα καὶ Θεοῦ παῖδες. Ὅτι γὰρ ἔστι καὶ Θεοῦ γενέσθαι παῖδας, ἄκουσον τί φησι· Γίνεσθε οὖν τέλειοι, ὡς ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Πατέρα καλοῦμεν εὐχόμενοι, καὶ οὐχὶ τῆς χάριτος μόνον ἀναμιμνήσκοντες ἑαυτοὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἵνα μηδὲν ἀνάξιον τῆς τοιαύτης συγγενείας ποιῶμεν. Καὶ πῶς ἔστι, φησὶν, υἱὸν εἶναι Θεοῦ; Πάντων ἀπηλλαγμένον τῶν παθῶν, ἐπιείκειαν ἐπιδεικνύμενον περὶ τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας καὶ ἀδικοῦντας· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Πατὴρ ὁ σὸς τοιοῦτος περὶ τοὺς βλασφημοῦντάς ἐστι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πολλὰ πολλάκις εἰπὼν, οὐδαμοῦ φησιν, Ὅπως γένησθε ὅμοιοι τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν· ἀλλ' ὅτε εἶπεν, Εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων ὑμᾶς, καλῶς ποιεῖτε τοῖς μισοῦσιν ὑμᾶς, τότε τοῦτο τὸ ἔπαθλον