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in Constantinople. For here too the son considered that he honored Constantine the great with great honor, if he should lay him at the vestibule of the fisherman. And what the gatekeepers are to emperors in the palaces, this the emperors are to the fishermen in the tomb; and the ones, like masters of the place, occupy the inner parts, while the others, as sojourners and neighbors, have been content to have the outer gate assigned to them. And the emperors have the station of servants and attendants, but the subjects are clothed with the dignity of kings. But if here things beyond nature have happened, how much more in the future? Who will now grant me to be poured around the body of Paul, and to be fastened to his tomb, and to see the dust of 63.798 that body, through which he ran everywhere in the world, of him who filled up what was lacking of Christ, who bore the marks, who sowed the proclamation everywhere? the dust of the mouth, through which Christ spoke, and a light shone forth loftier than any lightning, and a voice leaped forth more terrible to the demons than any thunder? For not so terrible to us is the thunder, as that voice was to the demons; for if they shuddered at his garments, much more at his voice. Of this mouth I would wish to see the dust, through which Christ spoke great and unutterable things, and greater than through himself; through which he uttered that blessed saying, I could wish that I myself were accursed for the sake of my brethren; through which he spoke before kings, and was not ashamed; through which demons fled, not only hearing him speak, but even when he was far off; through which he reformed all things on earth, and also arranged things in heaven in whatever way he wished, binding and loosing there whomever he wished, according to the authority given to him. Who would show me the dust of Paul's heart, which was on fire for each one of those who were perishing, and was in travail a second time for the children miscarried? This, even in its dissolution, I desired to see, the one higher than the heavens, wider than the world, brighter than the sunbeam, hotter than fire, stronger than adamant, which lived a new life, not this one of ours; For I no longer live, but Christ, he says, lives in me (so that the heart of Paul was His heart, and a tablet of the Holy Spirit, and a book of grace); the one counted worthy to love Christ as no one else has loved; the one that despised death and hell, and was broken by fraternal tears. For what are you doing, he says, weeping and breaking my heart? I would wish to see the dust of Paul's hands, which were in chains, through which by their imposition the Spirit was supplied, through which the divine letters were written. See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand. those hands, which when the viper saw, it fell off into the fire. I would wish to see the dust of the eyes that were nobly blinded, that looked up for the salvation of the world, that were counted worthy to see Christ even in the body; I would wish also to see the dust of those feet, that ran around the world and did not grow weary; that were bound in the stocks, when he shook the prison, that went about the inhabited and uninhabited world. And why must I speak in detail? I would wish to see that spiritual lion himself. For as a lion sending forth fire from its eyes against herds of foxes, so he fell upon the company of demons and philosophers, and like the stroke of some thunderbolt, was brought down upon the phalanxes of the devil. For the devil did not stand in battle array against him, but so feared and trembled, that if he but saw his shadow or heard his voice from afar, he would immediately flee. Consider and shudder, what a sight Rome will see, Paul suddenly rising from 63.799 his coffin with Peter, and being caught up to meet Christ; what a gift Rome will send to Christ, what two crowns she wears, what golden chains she is girded with. The heaven is not so brilliant when the sun emits its rays, as the city of the Romans its
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Κωνσταντινουπόλει. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθα Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν μέγαν μεγάλῃ τιμῇ τιμᾷν ἐνόμισεν ὁ παῖς, εἰ πρὸς τοῖς προθύροις αὐτὸν τοῦ ἁλιέως κατάθοιτο. Καὶ ὅπερ εἰσὶν οἱ πυλωροὶ τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις, τοῦτο ἐν τῷ σήματι οἱ βασιλεῖς τοῖς ἁλιεῦσι· καὶ οἱ μὲν ὥσπερ δεσπόται τοῦ τόπου τὰ ἔνδον κατέχουσιν, οἱ δὲ ὡς πάροικοι καὶ γείτονες ἠγάπησαν τὴν αὐλείαν αὐτοῖς ἀφορισθῆναι θύραν. Καὶ οἱ μὲν βασιλεῖς οἰκετῶν καὶ ὑπηρετῶν, οἱ δὲ ἀρχόμενοι βασιλέων τὴν ἀξίαν περίκεινται. Εἰ δὲ ἐνταῦθα τὰ ὑπὲρ φύσιν ἐγένετο, ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι πόσῳ μᾶλλον; Τίς μοι νῦν ἔδωκε περιχυθῆναι τῷ σώματι Παύλου, καὶ προσηλωθῆναι τῷ τάφῳ, καὶ τὴν κόνιν ἰδεῖν τοῦ 63.798 σώματος ἐκείνου, δι' οὗ πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης διέδραμε, τοῦ τὰ ὑστερήματα ἀναπληρώσαντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ τὰ στίγματα βαστάξαντος, τοῦ πανταχοῦ τὸ κήρυγμα κατασπείραντος; τὴν κόνιν τοῦ στόματος, δι' οὗ Χριστὸς ἐφθέγγετο, καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐξέλαμψε τὸ πάσης ἀστραπῆς ὑψηλότερον, καὶ φωνὴ ἐξεπήδησε πάσης βροντῆς φοβερωτέρα τοῖς δαίμοσιν; Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτως ἡμῖν ἡ βροντὴ φοβερὰ, ὡς ἐκείνη τοῖς δαίμοσιν ἡ φωνή· εἰ γὰρ τὰ ἱματία αὐτοῦ ἔφριττον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὴν φωνήν. Τούτου τοῦ στόματος ἐβουλόμην τὴν κόνιν ἰδεῖν, δι' οὗ τὰ μεγάλα καὶ ἀπόῤῥητα ὁ Χριστὸς ἐλάλησε, καὶ μείζονα ἢ δι' ἑαυτοῦ· δι' οὗ τὸ μακάριον ἐκεῖνο ἐφθέγξατο ῥῆμα λέγων, Ηὐχόμην ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου· δι' οὗ ἐλάλει ἐναντίον βασιλέων, καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνετο· δι' οὗ ἔφυγον δαίμονες, οὐχὶ φθεγγομένου μόνον ἀκούοντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ πόῤῥωθεν ὄντος· δι' οὗ τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ μετεῤῥύθμισεν ἅπαντα, καὶ τὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς δὲ ὃν ἐβούλετο διεῖπε τρόπον, δεσμῶν οὓς ἐβούλετο καὶ λύων ἐκεῖ, κατὰ τὴν δεδομένην ἐξουσίαν αὐτῷ. Τίς ἄν μοι τὴν κόνιν τῆς τοῦ Παύλου καρδίας ὑπέδειξε, τῆς πυρουμένης καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν ἀπολλυμένων, καὶ ὠδινούσης ἐκ δευτέρου τὰ ἐξαμβλούμενα τῶν παίδων; Ταύτην καὶ διαλελυμένην ἐπεθύμουν ἰδεῖν, τὴν ὑψηλοτέραν τῶν οὐρανῶν, τὴν εὐρυτέραν τῆς οἰκουμένης, τὴν τῆς ἀκτῖνος φαιδροτέραν, τὴν τοῦ πυρὸς θερμοτέραν, τὴν τοῦ ἀδάμαντος στεῤῥοτέραν, τὴν καινὴν ζήσασαν ζωὴν, ἢ ταύτην τὴν ἡμετέραν· Ζῶ γὰρ οὐκ ἔτι ἐγὼ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ, φησὶν, ὁ Χριστός (ἄρα ἐκείνου καρδία ἦν ἡ Παύλου καρδία, καὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου πλὰξ, καὶ βιβλίον τῆς χάριτος)· τὴν καταξιωθεῖσαν Χριστὸν φιλῆσαι, ὡς οὐδεὶς ἄλλος ἐφίλησε· τὴν θανάτου καὶ γεέννης καταφρονοῦσαν, καὶ ὑπὸ δακρύων ἀδελφικῶν συντριβομένην· Τί γὰρ ποιεῖτε κλαίοντες, φησὶ, καὶ συνθρύπτοντές μου τὴν καρδίαν; Ἐβουλόμην τὴν κόνιν ἰδεῖν τῶν χειρῶν Παύλου τῶν ἐν ἁλύσει, δι' ὧν τῆς ἐπιθέσεως τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐχορηγεῖτο, δι' ὧν τὰ θεῖα γράμματα ἐγράφετο· Ἴδε γὰρ πηλίκοις ὑμῖν γράμμασιν ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί· τῶν χειρῶν ἐκείνων, ἃς ἰδοῦσα ἡ ἔχις ἐξέπεσεν εἰς τὴν πυράν. Ἐβουλόμην τὴν κόνιν ἰδεῖν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν πηρωθέντων καλῶς, τῶν ἀναβλεψάντων ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῆς οἰκουμένης, τῶν καὶ ἐν σώματι Χριστὸν ἰδεῖν καταξιωθέντων· ἐβουλόμην καὶ τῶν ποδῶν ἐκείνων ἰδεῖν τὴν κόνιν, τῶν περιδραμόντων τὴν οἰκουμένην, καὶ μὴ καμόντων· τῶν ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ δεδεμένων, ἡνίκα τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἔσειε, τῶν οἰκουμένην καὶ ἀοίκητον περιελθόντων. Καὶ τί δεῖ κατὰ μέρος λέγειν; ἐβουλόμην αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον ἰδεῖν τὸν λέοντα τὸν πνευματικόν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ λέων πῦρ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἀφιεὶς εἰς ἀλωπέκων ἀγέλας, οὕτως εἰς τὴν τῶν δαιμόνων καὶ φιλοσόφων ἐνέπεσε φατρίαν, καὶ καθάπερ σκηπτοῦ τινος ἐμβολὴ, εἰς τὰς τοῦ διαβόλου κατηνέχθη φάλαγγας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκ παρατάξεως ἵστατο πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ διάβολος, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἐδεδοίκει καὶ ἔτρεμεν, ὡς εἰ καὶ σκιὰν ἴδοι καὶ φωνῆς ἀκούσειε πόῤῥωθεν, δραπετεύειν εὐθέως. Ἐννοήσατε καὶ φρίξατε, οἷον ὄψεται θέαμα Ῥώμη τὸν Παῦλον ἐξαίφνης ἀνιστάμενον ἀπὸ 63.799 τῆς θήκης μετὰ Πέτρου, καὶ αἰρόμενον εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· οἷον ἀποστελεῖ τῷ Χριστῷ ἡ Ῥώμη δῶρον, οἵους στεφάνους περίκειται δύο, οἵας χρυσᾶς ἁλύσεις διέζωσται. Οὐχ οὕτως ἐστὶν ὁ οὐρανὸς λαμπρὸς, ὅταν ἀφῇ τὰς ἀκτῖνας ὁ ἥλιος, ὡς ἡ Ῥωμαίων πόλις τὰς