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you say. Then showing that there is no great benefit in pursuing virtue, unless this is done with the appropriate rule, he adds: He who shares, in simplicity. For it is not enough to give, but one must also do this with generosity. For this he knows as simplicity everywhere; since even the virgins had oil, but because they did not have enough, they fell short of the whole. He who leads, with diligence. For it is not enough to lead, unless one does it with diligence and eagerness. He who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. For it is not enough to show mercy, but one must also do this with generosity and a mind free from grief; or rather, one must not only be without grief, but also with a bright and joyful one; for not being grieved is not the same as rejoicing. And writing this very thing to the Corinthians, he established it with much diligence; for to stir them up to generosity, he said: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and he who sows in blessings will also reap in blessings; but correcting the attitude, he added: Not out of grief, or of necessity. For both must be present in the one showing mercy, both abundance and pleasure. For why do you weep when you give alms? why do you grieve when showing mercy, and betray the fruit of the good deed? For if you grieve, you are not showing mercy, but are cruel and inhuman. For if you grieve, how will you be able to raise up him who is in grief? For it is a precious thing that he suspect nothing evil, even when you provide with joy. For since nothing seems so shameful to men as to receive from others, unless by surpassing cheerfulness you remove the suspicion, and show that you are receiving rather than giving, [and] you have cast down rather than raised up the one receiving. For this reason he says, He who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. 2. For who, receiving a kingdom, is sullen? Who, accepting forgiveness of sins, remains in dejection? Do not, therefore, pay attention to the expense of the money, but to the income that comes through the expense. For if the sower rejoices, though he sows upon uncertainties; much more he who cultivates heaven. For thus, even if you give little, you will give much; just as, if you give much with sullenness, you have made the much little. Thus also the widow surpassed many talents with two mites; for her disposition was generous. And how is it possible, he says, for one living in extreme poverty, and emptying everything, to do this with eagerness? Ask the widow, and you will hear the way, and you will know that it is not poverty that creates straits, but the choice that works both this and all the opposite; for it is possible to be magnanimous in poverty, and mean-spirited in wealth. For 60.604 this reason he seeks simplicity in sharing, and cheerfulness in mercy, and diligence in leadership. For he does not want us to help those in need with money only, but also with words and deeds and body, and with all other things. And having spoken of the preceding leadership, that which is through teaching, that which is through exhortation (for this is more necessary, inasmuch as it is food for the soul); he came to that which is through money and all other things. Then showing how these things might be accomplished, he introduces their mother, love. For love, he says, is without hypocrisy. If you have this, you will not feel the expense of money, nor the labor of bodies, nor the toil of words, nor sweat and service, but you will bear all things nobly, whether it be necessary to help your neighbor with body, or with money, or with word, or with anything else whatever. Therefore, just as he requires not merely sharing, but that in simplicity, not leadership, but that with diligence, not almsgiving, but that with cheerfulness; so also he requires love not simply, but that which is without hypocrisy; since this too is love; and if this comes to be, all other things follow. For he who shows mercy, shows mercy cheerfully; for he gives to himself; and he who leads, leads diligently; for he leads himself; and he who shares, does this with generosity; for he provides for himself. Then, since there is also love for evil things, such as that of the intemperate, that of those who are in agreement for money and robbery, that of those for drunkenness and banquets, purging it from these, he says: Abhorring what is evil. And he did not say, Abstaining, but,

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λέγετε. Εἶτα δεικνὺς, ὡς οὐ μέγα ὄφελος ἀρετὴν μετιέναι, εἰ μὴ μετὰ τοῦ προσήκοντος τοῦτο γίνοιτο νόμου, ἐπάγει· Ὁ μεταδιδοὺς, ἐν ἁπλότητι. Οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ τὸ δοῦναι, ἀλλὰ δεῖ καὶ μετὰ δαψιλείας τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Ἁπλότητα γὰρ τοῦτο οἶδε πανταχοῦ· ἐπεὶ καὶ αἱ παρθένοι ἔλαιον εἶχον, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἀρκοῦν οὐκ εἶχον, τοῦ παντὸς ἐξέπεσον. Ὁ προϊστάμενος, ἐν σπουδῇ. Οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ τὸ προστῆναι, ἂν μὴ μετὰ σπουδῆς καὶ προθυμίας τοῦτο ποιῇ. Ὁ ἐλεῶν, ἐν ἱλαρότητι. Οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ τὸ ἐλεῆσαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ δαψιλείας καὶ γνώμης ἀλύπου τοῦτο δεῖ ποιεῖν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ μετὰ ἀλύπου δεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ φαιδρᾶς καὶ χαιρούσης· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον μὴ λυπεῖσθαι, καὶ χαίρειν. Τοῦτο δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ πρὸς Κορινθίους ἐπιστέλλων, μετὰ πολλῆς κατεσκεύαζε σπουδῆς· εἰς μὲν γὰρ δαψίλειαν διεγείρων, ἔλεγεν· Ὁ σπείρων φειδομένως, φειδομένως καὶ θερίσει· καὶ ὁ σπείρων ἐπ' εὐλογίαις, ἐπ' εὐλογίαις καὶ θερίσει· τὴν δὲ γνώμην διορθούμενος, προσετίθει· Μὴ ἐκ λύπης, ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης. Ἀμφότερα γὰρ δεῖ παρεῖναι τῷ ἐλεοῦντι, καὶ ἀφθονίαν καὶ ἡδονήν. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν κλαίεις διδοὺς ἐλεημοσύνην; τί δὲ ἀλγεῖς ἐλεῶν, καὶ τὸν καρπὸν προδίδως τοῦ κατορθώματος; Εἰ γὰρ ἀλγεῖς, οὐκ ἐλεεῖς, ἀλλ' ὠμὸς εἶ καὶ ἀπάνθρωπος. Εἰ γὰρ σὺ ἀλγεῖς, πῶς ἐκεῖνον ἐν λύπῃ ὄντα διαναστῆσαι δυνήσῃ; Ἀγαπητὸν γὰρ, μηδὲν ὑποπτεῦσαι ἐκεῖνον πονηρὸν, καὶ ὅταν μετὰ τοῦ χαίρειν παρέχῃς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐδὲν οὕτως αἰσχρὸν ἀνθρώποις εἶναι δοκεῖ, ὡς τὸ παρ' ἑτέρων λαμβάνειν, ἂν μὴ τῇ ὑπερβαλλούσῃ φαιδρότητι τὴν ὑποψίαν ἀνέλῃς, καὶ δείξῃς, ὅτι λαμβάνεις μᾶλλον ἢ δίδως, [καὶ] κατέβαλες μᾶλλον, ἢ ἀνέστησας τὸν λαμβάνοντα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν, Ὁ ἐλεῶν, ἐν ἱλαρότητι. βʹ. Τίς γὰρ βασιλείαν λαμβάνων, σκυθρωπός ἐστι; τίς ἁμαρτημάτων δεχόμενος συγχώρησιν, ἐν κατηφείᾳ μένει; Μὴ τοίνυν τῇ δαπάνῃ τῶν χρημάτων πρόσεχε, ἀλλὰ τῇ διὰ τῆς δαπάνης προσόδῳ. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ σπείρων χαίρει, καίτοι γε ἐπ' ἀδήλοις σπείρων· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ τὸν οὐρανὸν γεωργῶν. Οὕτω γὰρ κἂν ὀλίγα δῷς, πολλὰ δώσεις· ὥσπερ οὖν μετὰ σκυθρωπότητος κἂν πολλὰ δῷς, ὀλίγα πεποίηκας τὰ πολλά. Οὕτω καὶ ἡ χήρα πολλὰ τάλαντα ὑπερηκόντισε διὰ δύο λεπτῶν· δαψιλὴς γὰρ ἦν ἡ γνώμη. Καὶ πῶς ἔνι, φησὶ, πενίᾳ συζῶντα ἐσχάτῃ, καὶ πάντα κενοῦντα, μετὰ προθυμίας τοῦτο ποιεῖν; Ἐρώτησον τὴν χήραν, καὶ ἀκούσῃ τὸν τρόπον, καὶ εἴσῃ ὅτι οὐχ ἡ πενία ποιεῖ τὴν στενοχωρίαν, ἀλλ' ἡ προαίρεσις καὶ τοῦτο καὶ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν ἐργάζεται· ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ἐν πενίᾳ μεγαλόψυχον εἶναι, καὶ ἐν πλούτω μικρολόγον. ∆ιὰ 60.604 τοῦτο καὶ ἐν τῇ μεταδόσει τὴν ἁπλότητα ζητεῖ, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἐλέῳ τὴν ἱλαρότητα, καὶ ἐν τῇ προστασίᾳ τὴν σπουδήν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ χρήμασι μόνον βούλεται τοῖς δεομένοις ἡμᾶς βοηθεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ῥήμασι καὶ πράγμασι καὶ σώματι, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι. Καὶ εἰπὼν τὴν προηγουμένην προστασίαν, τὴν διὰ τῆς διδασκαλίας, τὴν διὰ τῆς παρακλήσεως (αὕτη γὰρ ἀναγκαιοτέρα, ὅσῳ καὶ ψυχῆς ἐστι τροφή)· ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὴν διὰ τῶν χρημάτων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων. Εἶτα δεικνὺς πῶς ἂν ταῦτα κατορθωθείη, τὴν μητέρα αὐτῶν εἰσάγει, τὴν ἀγάπην. Ἡ ἀγάπη γὰρ, φησὶν ἀνυπόκριτος. Ἂν ταύτην ἔχῃς, οὐ δαπάνης αἰσθήσῃ χρημάτων, οὐ πόνου σωμάτων, οὐ μόχθου λόγων, οὐχ ἱδρῶτος καὶ διακονίας, ἀλλὰ πάντα οἴσεις γενναίως, κἂν σώματι, κἂν χρήμασι, κἂν λόγῳ, κἂν ἑτέρῳ ὁτῳοῦν βοηθῆσαι δέῃ τῷ πλησίον. Ὥσπερ οὖν οὐ μετάδοσιν ἀπαιτεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐν ἁπλότητι, οὐδὲ προστασίαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν μετὰ σπουδῆς, οὐδὲ ἐλεημοσύνην, ἀλλὰ τὴν μετὰ ἱλαρότητος· οὕτω καὶ ἀγάπην οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀνυπόκριτον· ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῦτο ἀγάπη· κἂν τοῦτο γένηται, πάντα τὰ ἄλλα ἕπεται. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ ἐλεῶν, ἱλαρῶς ἐλεεῖ· ἑαυτῷ γὰρ δίδωσι· καὶ ὁ προϊστάμενος, σπουδαίως προΐσταται· ἑαυτοῦ γὰρ προΐσταται· καὶ ὁ μεταδιδοὺς, μετὰ δαψιλείας τοῦτο ποιεῖ· ἑαυτῷ γὰρ παρέχει. Εἶτα ἐπειδή ἐστι καὶ ἀγάπη ἐπὶ πονηροῖς πράγμασιν, οἵα ἡ τῶν ἀκολάστων ἐστὶν, ἡ τῶν ἐπὶ χρήμασι καὶ ἁρπαγαῖς ὁμονοούντων, ἡ τῶν ἐπὶ μέθαις καὶ συμποσίοις, ἐκκαθαίρων αὐτὴν ἀπὸ τούτων, φησίν· Ἀποστυγοῦντες τὸ πονηρόν. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀπεχόμενοι, ἀλλὰ,