169

arousing the desires of pleasures, not a heart having anger and lustful love, not a tongue speaking shameful things. 60.597 2. Therefore it is necessary for our body to be inspected for blemishes on all sides. For if those who offered the ancient sacrifices were commanded to inspect everything, and were not permitted to offer anything with its ear cut, or its tail docked, or mangy, or having lichen; how much more ought we, who offer not irrational sheep, but ourselves, to show more exactness, and to be clean on all sides, so that we too may be able to say according to Paul: For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. For he was purer than any sacrifice; for this reason he also called himself a libation. And this will be, if we put away the old man, if we mortify our members which are upon the earth, if we crucify the world to ourselves. Thus we will no longer have need of a knife, nor of an altar, nor of fire; or rather, we will have need of all these things, but not made by hands, but all will come to us from above, and the fire from above and the knife, and the altar for us will be the breadth of heaven. For if, when Elijah offered a perceptible sacrifice, a flame coming down from above consumed everything, both the water and the wood and the stones; much more will this be so in your case. And if you have anything transient and worldly, but offer a sacrifice with a right mind, the fire of the Spirit, coming down, will consume that worldly thing, and will perfect the entire offering. And what is reasonable service? The spiritual ministry, the life according to Christ. Just as, therefore, one who ministers in the house of God, and is a priest, whatever he may be like, is at that time composed and becomes more solemn; so also we ought to be disposed our whole life, as serving and being priests. And this will be, if each day you offer sacrifices to Him, and become a priest of your own body, and of the virtue of your soul; for example, when you offer soberness, when almsgiving, when gentleness and forbearance. For by doing these things, you offer a reasonable service, that is, having nothing bodily, nothing coarse, nothing perceptible. Having therefore elevated the hearer by these names, and having declared each one a priest through his own flesh, through his way of life, he also tells the way by which it is possible to accomplish all things. What then is the way? Be not conformed, he says, to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. For the fashion of this world is low and cheap and temporary, and has nothing lofty, nothing lasting, nothing straight, but all things are crooked. If therefore you wish to walk straight, do not pattern yourself according to the fashion of the present life; for nothing in it is lasting and established. For this reason he also called it a 'fashion'; and elsewhere again, For the fashion of this world passes away. For it has nothing lasting or fixed, but all things are temporary. Therefore he also said, 'To this world'; by this declaring what is transient, and by 'fashion' what is unsubstantial. For whether you speak of wealth, or glory, or beauty of body, or luxury, or anything else of those things that seem to be great, it is only a fashion, not the truth of the thing, a show and a mask, not any lasting substance. But be not conformed to this, but be transformed, he says, in the renewing of your mind. He did not say, 'Be re-fashioned,' but, 'Be transformed,' showing that what belongs to the world is a fashion; but what belongs to virtue is not a fashion, but a true form having a natural beauty, not need 60.598 ing the external cosmetics and fashions, which at once appear and perish; for all these things are dissolved before they even appear. If, therefore, you cast away the fashion, you will quickly come to the form. For nothing is weaker than wickedness, nothing so easily grows old. Then, since it is likely that we, being human, sin every day, he encourages the hearer, saying, 'Renew yourself each day.' What we do with houses, always repairing them when they grow old, do this also for yourself. Did you sin today? Did you make your soul old? Do not despair nor fall away,

169

ἡδονῶν ἀνάπτουσα τὰς ἐπιθυμίας, οὐ καρδία θυμὸν ἔχουσα καὶ ἔρωτα πορνικὸν, οὐ γλῶττα αἰσχρὰ φθεγγομένη. 60.597 βʹ. ∆ιὸ χρὴ πανταχόθεν μωμοσκοπεῖσθαι τὸ σῶμα τὸ ἡμέτερον. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ τὰς παλαιὰς ἀναφέροντες θυσίας ἐκελεύοντο πάντα περισκοπεῖν, καὶ οὔτε ὠτότμητον, οὔτε κολοβόκερκον, οὔτε ψωραγριῶντα, οὔτε λειχῆνα ἔχοντα, ἐπετρέποντο ἀναφέρειν· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς τοὺς οὐ πρόβατα ἄλογα, ἀλλ' ἑαυτοὺς ἀναφέροντας, πλείονα ἀκρίβειαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι χρὴ, καὶ πάντοθεν εἶναι καθαροὺς, ἵνα δυνηθῶμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς κατὰ Παῦλον λέγειν· Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη σπένδομαι, καὶ ὁ καιρὸς τῆς ἐμῆς ἀναλύσεως ἐφέστηκε. Καὶ γὰρ θυσίας ἁπάσης καθαρώτερος ἦν· διὸ καὶ σπονδὴν ἑαυτὸν ἐκάλει. Ἔσται δὲ τοῦτο, ἐὰν ἀνέλωμεν τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἐὰν νεκρώσωμεν τὰ μέλη τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἐὰν σταυρώσωμεν τὸν κόσμον ἑαυτοῖς. Οὕτως οὐδὲ μαχαίρας δεησόμεθα λοιπὸν, οὐδὲ θυσιαστηρίου, οὐδὲ πυρός· μᾶλλον δὲ τούτων ἁπάντων δεησόμεθα, πλὴν οὐ χειροποιήτων, ἀλλ' ἄνωθεν ἡμῖν ἅπαντα ἥξει, καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἄνωθεν καὶ ἡ μάχαιρα, καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἡμῖν ἔσται τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸ πλάτος. Εἰ γὰρ, τοῦ Ἠλίου θυσίαν ἀναφέροντος αἰσθητὴν, λαμπὰς ἄνωθεν κατενεχθεῖσα πάντα ἀνάλωσε, καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὰ ξύλα καὶ τοὺς λίθους· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ σοῦ τοῦτο ἔσται. Κἂν ἔχῃς τι διαῤῥέον καὶ βιωτικὸν, προσαγάγῃς δὲ θυσίαν μετὰ γνώμης ὀρθῆς, κατελθὸν τοῦ Πνεύματος τὸ πῦρ, καὶ τὸ βιωτικὸν ἐκεῖνο δαπανήσει, καὶ τὴν προσφορὰν ἀνύσει πᾶσαν. Τί δέ ἐστι λογικὴ λατρεία; Ἡ πνευματικὴ διακονία, ἡ πολιτεία ἡ κατὰ Χριστόν. Καθάπερ οὖν ὁ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ διακονούμενος, καὶ ἱερωμένος, οἷος ἂν ᾖ, συστέλλεται τότε καὶ σεμνότερος γίνεται· οὕτω καὶ ἡμᾶς τὸν ἅπαντα βίον διακεῖσθαι χρὴ, ὡς λατρεύοντας καὶ ἱερωμένους. Ἔσται δὲ τοῦτο, ἐὰν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν προσφέρῃς αὐτῷ θύματα, καὶ ἱερεὺς τοῦ οἰκείου σώματος γίνῃ, καὶ τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀρετῆς· οἷον, ὅταν σωφροσύνην προσενέγκῃς, ὅταν ἐλεημοσύνην, ὅταν ἐπιείκειαν καὶ ἀνεξικακίαν. Ταῦτα γὰρ ποιῶν, ἀναφέρεις λογικὴν λατρείαν, τουτέστιν, οὐδὲν ἔχουσαν σωματικὸν, οὐδὲν παχὺ, οὐδὲν αἰσθητόν. Ἐπάρας τοίνυν διὰ τῶν ὀνομάτων τὸν ἀκροατὴν, καὶ ἕκαστον ἱερέα διὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ σαρκὸς, διὰ τῆς πολιτείας ἀποφήνας, λέγει καὶ τὸν τρόπον, δι' οὗ δυνατὸν πάντα κατορθοῦν. Τίς οὖν ὁ τρόπος; Μὴ συσχηματίζεσθε, φησὶ, τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ μεταμορφοῦσθε τῇ ἀνακαινώσει τοῦ νοὸς ὑμῶν. Καὶ γὰρ χαμαίζηλον τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου καὶ εὐτελὲς καὶ πρόσκαιρον, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔχον ὑψηλὸν, οὐδὲν διηνεκὲς, οὐδὲν εὐθὲς, ἀλλὰ πάντα διεστραμμένα. Εἰ τοίνυν ὀρθὰ βούλει βαδίζειν, μὴ τυπώσῃς ἑαυτὸν κατὰ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ παρόντος βίου· οὐδὲν γὰρ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ μένον καὶ βεβηκός ἐστι. ∆ιὸ καὶ σχῆμα ἐκάλεσεν αὐτό· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ πάλιν, Παράγει γὰρ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου. Οὐδὲν γὰρ διαρκὲς οὐδὲ πεπηγὸς ἔχει, ἀλλὰ πάντα πρόσκαιρα. ∆ιὸ καὶ, Τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, εἶπε· διὰ τούτου μὲν τὸ ἐπίκηρον δηλῶν, διὰ δὲ τοῦ σχήματος τὸ ἀνυπόστατον. Κἂν γὰρ πλοῦτον εἴπῃς, κἂν δόξαν, κἂν σώματος ὥραν, κἂν τρυφὴν, κἂν ἀλλοτιοῦν τῶν δοκούντων εἶναι μεγάλων, σχῆμα μόνον ἐστὶν, οὐ πράγματος ἀλήθεια, ἐπίδειξις καὶ προσωπεῖον, οὐχ ὑπόστασίς τις μένουσα. Ἀλλὰ σὺ μὴ συσχηματίζου τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ μεταμορφοῦ, φησὶν, ἐν τῇ ἀνακαινώσει τοῦ νοός. Οὐκ εἶπε, Μετασχηματίζου, ἀλλὰ, Μεταμορφοῦ, δεικνὺς ὅτι τὸ μὲν τοῦ κόσμου, σχῆμα· τὸ δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς, οὐ σχῆμα, ἀλλὰ μορφή τις ἀληθὴς φυσικὸν ἔχουσα κάλλος, οὐ δεόμε 60.598 νον τῶν ἔξωθεν ἐπιτριμμάτων τε καὶ σχημάτων, τῶν ὁμοῦ τε φαινομένων καὶ ἀπολλυμένων· καὶ γὰρ ἅπαντα ταῦτα, πρὶν ἢ φανῆναι, λύεται. Ἂν τοίνυν τὸ σχῆμα ῥίψῃς, ταχέως ἐπὶ τὴν μορφὴν ἥξεις. Οὐδὲν γὰρ τῆς κακίας ἀσθενέστερον, οὐδὲν οὕτω παλαιοῦται ῥᾳδίως. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ ἀνθρώπους ὄντας εἰκὸς καθ' ἑκάστην ἁμαρτάνειν τὴν ἡμέραν, παραμυθεῖται τὸν ἀκροατὴν λέγων, ὅτι Καθ' ἑκάστην ἀνακαίνου σαυτόν. Ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκιῶν ποιοῦμεν, παλαιουμένας αὐτὰς ἀεὶ διορθοῦντες, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ σαυτοῦ ποίει. Ἥμαρτες σήμερον; ἐπαλαίωσάς σου τὴν ψυχήν; Μὴ ἀπογνῷς μηδὲ ἀναπέσῃς,