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but renew it by repentance and tears and confession and by the working of good things; and never cease doing this. And how shall we be able to do this? That you may prove what is excellent, what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Either he says this, Be renewed that you may learn what is profitable and the will of God; or that, Thus you are able to be renewed, if you learn what is profitable, and what God wills. For if you see this, and learn to discern the natures of things, you have laid hold of the entire path of virtue. And who is ignorant of what is profitable, he says, and what the will of God is? Those who are alarmed by present matters, who consider wealth an enviable thing, and despise poverty, who pursue power, who gape after external glory, who think themselves great when they build splendid houses, and buy costly tombs, and have herds of slaves, and lead about a great swarm of eunuchs. These are ignorant both of what is profitable for them and of the will of God; for both of these are one thing. 3. For God wills what is profitable for us; and what God wills, this is also profitable for us. What then are the things which God wills? To live in poverty, in humility, in contempt of glory, in continence, not in luxury, in affliction, not in ease, in mourning, not in dissipation and laughter, in all the other things which He ordained. But the many consider these things bad omens, so far are they from thinking them to be profitable, and the will of God. For this reason they will never be able to come near the labors for virtue. For those who do not even know this very thing, what virtue is, but admire vice instead of it, and shut themselves up with the prostitute instead of the chaste woman, when will they be able to depart from the present age? Therefore, before all other things, our judgment of things must be well-defined; and even if we do not pursue virtue, to praise virtue; and even if we do not flee vice, to condemn wickedness, so that for the time being we may have unbribed judgments. For thus advancing on the way, we shall also be able to take hold of the works. For this reason he also commands to be renewed, That you may prove what is the will of God. And here he seems to me to touch upon the Jews, those who hold to the law. For the old polity was also the will of God; but not the primary will, but one permitted on account of their weakness; but the perfect and acceptable will is the new polity. For when he called it a spiritual service, it was by way of contrast to that one that he so named it. For I say, through the grace given to me, 60.599 to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. Having said above, I beseech you by the mercies of God, here he says again, Through the grace. See the humility of the teacher, see the restrained mind. Nowhere does he say that he himself is worthy of belief for such an exhortation and counsel; but sometimes he takes the mercies of God with him, and sometimes the grace. For I speak not my own word, he says, but that which is from God. And he did not say, For I say to you by the wisdom of God, I say to you by the legislation of God, but, Through the grace; constantly reminding them of the benefits, so as to make them more grateful, and to show that in this way too they are responsible for obedience to what is said. To every man that is among you. Not to this man and that man only, but both to ruler and ruled, both to slave and free, both to the unlearned and the wise, both to woman and man, both to young and old; for this law is common, since it is also from the Lord. Thus also he makes his discourse inoffensive, setting forth his teaching to all, even to those who are not liable, so that those who are liable might more easily receive such a rebuke and correction. And what do you say, tell me? Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. Here he introduces the mother of good things, humility, imitating his own teacher. For just as he into

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ἀλλ' ἀνακαίνισον αὐτὴν μετανοίᾳ καὶ δάκρυσι καὶ ἐξομολογήσει καὶ τῇ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐργασίᾳ· καὶ μηδέποτε τοῦτο διαλίπῃς ποιῶν. Καὶ πῶς δυνησόμεθα τοῦτο ποιεῖν; Εἰς τὸ δοκιμάζειν ὑμᾶς τὰ διαφέροντα, τί τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ εὐάρεστον καὶ τέλειον. Ἢ τοῦτό φησιν, Ἀνανεώθητε ἵνα μάθητε τὰ συμφέροντα καὶ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἢ ὅτι Οὕτω δύνασθε ἀνανεωθῆναι, ἐὰν μάθητε τὰ συμφέροντα, καὶ τί ποτε βούλεται ὁ Θεός. Ἂν γὰρ ἴδῃς τοῦτο, καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων μάθῃς διαγινώσκειν τὰς φύσεις, ἐπελάβου τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς κατ' ἀρετὴν ἁπάσης. Καὶ τίς ἀγνοεῖ τὰ συμφέροντα, φησὶ, καὶ τί τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ; Οἱ πρὸς τὰ παρόντα ἐπτοημένοι πράγματα, οἱ πλοῦτον ζηλωτὸν εἶναι νομίζοντες, καὶ πενίαν ἐξευτελίζοντες, οἱ δυναστείας διώκοντες, οἱ πρὸς τὴν δόξαν τὴν ἔξωθεν κεχηνότες, οἱ μεγάλους ἑαυτοὺς εἶναι νομίζοντες, ὅταν οἰκίας λαμπρὰς ἐγείρωσι, καὶ τάφους πολυτελεῖς πρίωνται, καὶ ἀνδραπόδων ἀγέλας ἔχωσι, καὶ πολὺν εὐνούχων περιφέρωσιν ἐσμόν. Οὗτοι καὶ τὰ συμφέροντα αὐτοῖς καὶ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγνοοῦσι· καὶ γὰρ ἀμφότερα ταῦτα ἕν τί ἐστι. γʹ. Τά τε γὰρ συμφέροντα ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς βούλεται· καὶ ἃ βούλεται ὁ Θεὸς, ταῦτα καὶ συμφέροντα ἡμῖν. Τίνα οὖν ἐστιν, ἅπερ ὁ Θεὸς βούλεται; Ἐν πενίᾳ ζῇν, ἐν ταπεινοφροσύνῃ, ἐν ὑπεροψίᾳ δόξης, ἐν ἐγκρατείᾳ, οὐκ ἐν τρυφῇ, ἐν θλίψει, οὐκ ἐν ἀνέσει, ἐν τῷ πένθει, οὐκ ἐν τῷ διαχεῖσθαι καὶ γελᾷν, ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις οἷς ἐνομοθέτησεν ἅπασιν. Ἀλλ' οἱ πολλοὶ ταῦτα καὶ οἰωνίζονται, τοσοῦτον ἀπέχουσι νομίζειν εἶναι τὰ συμφέροντα, καὶ Θεοῦ θελήματα. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο οὐδὲ ἐγγύς ποτε τῶν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐλθεῖν δυνήσονται πόνων. Οἱ γὰρ μηδὲ αὐτὸ τοῦτο, ὅ τι ποτέ ἐστιν ἀρετὴ εἰδότες, ἀλλὰ τὴν κακίαν ἀντὶ ταύτης θαυμάζοντες, καὶ τὴν πόρνην ἀντὶ τῆς σώφρονος γυναικὸς ἑαυτοῖς συγκατακλείοντες, πότε δυνήσονται ἀποστῆναι τοῦ παρόντος αἰῶνος; ∆ιὸ χρὴ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων τὴν κρίσιν ἡμῖν εἶναι τῶν πραγμάτων διηρθρωμένην· κἂν μὴ μετίωμεν ἀρετὴν, ἐπαινεῖν ἀρετήν· κἂν μὴ φύγωμεν κακίαν, κακίζειν πονηρίαν, ἵνα τέως τὰς ψήφους ἀδεκάστους ἔχωμεν. Οὕτω γὰρ ὁδῷ προβαίνοντες, καὶ τῶν ἔργων ἐπιλαβέσθαι δυνησόμεθα. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς κελεύει ἀνανεοῦσθαι, Εἰς τὸ δοκιμάζειν ὑμᾶς, τί τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐνταῦθα δέ μοι καὶ Ἰουδαίων καθάπτεσθαι δοκεῖ, τῶν ἐχομένων τοῦ νόμου. Θέλημα μὲν γὰρ ἦν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἡ παλαιὰ πολιτεία· ἀλλ' οὐ προηγούμενον, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ἀσθένειαν συγχωρηθέν· τὸ δὲ τέλειον καὶ εὐάρεστον, ἡ καινὴ πολιτεία. Καὶ γὰρ λογικὴν ὅτε ἐκάλεσε λατρείαν, πρὸς ἐκείνην ἀντιδιαστέλλων αὐτὴν οὕτως ὠνόμασε. Λέγω γὰρ διὰ τῆς χάριτος τῆς δοθείσης μοι, 60.599 παντὶ τῷ ὄντι ἐν ὑμῖν, μὴ ὑπερφρονεῖν παρ' ὃ δεῖ φρονεῖν, ἀλλὰ φρονεῖν εἰς τὸ σωφρονεῖν, ἑκάστῳ ὡς ὁ Θεὸς ἐμέρισε μέτρον πίστεως. Ἀνωτέρω εἰπὼν, ∆ιὰ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς, ἐνταῦθα πάλιν λέγει, ∆ιὰ τῆς χάριτος. Ὅρα διδασκάλου ταπεινοφροσύνην, ὅρα γνώμην κατεσταλμένην. Οὐδαμοῦ ἑαυτὸν ἀξιόπιστον εἶναί φησι πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην παραίνεσιν καὶ συμβουλήν· ἀλλὰ ποτὲ μὲν τοὺς οἰκτιρμοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ παραλαμβάνει μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ, ποτὲ δὲ τὴν χάριν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐμὸν λόγον λέγω, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν διὰ τῆς σοφίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν διὰ τῆς νομοθεσίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ, ∆ιὰ τῆς χάριτος· συνεχῶς τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν ἀναμιμνήσκων, ὥστε εὐγνωμονεστέρους ποιῆσαι, καὶ δεῖξαι καὶ ταύτῃ ὑπευθύνους ὄντας τῇ τῶν λεγομένων ὑπακοῇ. Παντὶ τῷ ὄντι ἐν ὑμῖν. Οὐχὶ τῷ δεῖνι καὶ τῷ δεῖνι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄρχοντι καὶ ἀρχομένῳ, καὶ δούλῳ καὶ ἐλευθέρῳ, καὶ ἰδιώτῃ καὶ σοφῷ, καὶ γυναικὶ καὶ ἀνδρὶ, καὶ νέῳ καὶ γέροντι· κοινὸς γὰρ οὗτος ὁ νόμος, ἐπειδὴ καὶ δεσποτικός. Οὕτω καὶ ἀνεπαχθῆ ποιεῖται τὸν λόγον, πᾶσι προτιθεὶς τὰ διδάγματα, καὶ τοῖς οὐκ οὖσιν ὑπευθύνοις, ἵνα οἱ ὑπεύθυνοι τὴν τοιαύτην ἐπιτίμησιν καὶ διόρθωσιν εὐκολώτερον δέξωνται. Καὶ τί λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι; Μὴ ὑπερφρονεῖν παρ' ὃ δεῖ φρονεῖν. Τὴν μητέρα ἐνταῦθα εἰσάγει τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην, τὸν διδάσκαλον τὸν ἑαυτοῦ μιμούμενος. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος εἰς