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"the character of God's hypostasis", of God's essence and existence. And *hypostasis* is also called the perfect endurance by which one endures hardships. He speaks therefore in both ways: "the substance of my soul is as nothing before you", as compared to you, a certain great substance. And being obliged to be perfect according to you, the Father, I have diminished it. And that this is so, he says concerning some: "the precious sons of Zion, who were overlaid with gold and silver, how have they become earthen vessels?" Behold, their substance was diminished. This must be taken spiritually: they have become earthen vessels. Gold, being debased, is diminished and falls far short of its own value. He who does not understand the honor belonging to him from God, "is compared to the senseless beasts," and his substance, because of its cheapness, was considered as nothing. But since it also signifies endurance, he says that: even if I have endured, longing to see my end, and I beseech that you make this known to me, yet my endurance, this which is so, is something short in comparison to you. 6 But all things are vanity, every man living. This must be known in two ways: all things that are because of man are vanity, as Ecclesiastes has just interpreted. Compared to the things that have ascended above and are perfect and truly eternal, substance is vain, but "every man living." Thus, then, 276 it is possible to say: and if all other things besides man are vanity, such as mortal animals, the temporary things, and if they are inanimate, yet man alone is living, living according to that life which they live according to Abraham; for "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." And the man living according to the human way is himself also vain. Therefore, it must be distinguished thus: all these things are vanity; for even if they are mortal, having died they no longer exist. But man is living. And even if he should die, he still lives. Or thus: a living man who does not go outside of the human life is himself also vanity, so that it might be thus: "But all things are vanity and every man living." Or thus: "But all things are vanity, but man is living." since: the substance? -even if man lives otherwise than as a mortal might live, in comparison to the preeminence and the greatness of the divine life and of God himself, the fount of life, it is nothing. The small and what are called not smaller than nothing are relative terms. And "small" does not have a defined quantity; for it is said in reference to the greater. We therefore sometimes call a palm's breadth greater than a finger's breadth. Of course, you have in the categories "a small mountain" and "a large millet seed." 7 Nevertheless, man walks in an image. I said that he speaks concerning the other things besides man, that "all things are vanity." Man alone is living. But he has something more than the others. He has an immortal soul. However, even if he is living, yet he does not always have this movement; for "nevertheless," he says, "man walks in an image." He did not say whether a praiseworthy or a blameworthy one; but however one walks, however one acts, it is in some image. And taking it more generally, it must be said that it is either in that of the heavenly man or that of the earthly. But it is shown from such a phrase that man has free will; for if he were good by construction, he would always walk in that of the heavenly man, if he were evil by substance, in that of the earthly. And it is possible to divide these general images into species. And I say that one is in the image of a fox, another in the image of a lion, and one becoming a horse mad for mares bearing another image, and another in the image of a dove, but "every man walks in an image." 7 Nevertheless, man walks in an image, but they are troubled in vain. But the worthless are troubled in vain. "but they are troubled in vain." And he then speaks of the vain turmoil, that this is the earnestness concerning human affairs. For "he heaps up treasure, and does not know for whom he gathers it." 7 He heaps up treasure and does not know for whom he gathers it. In Ecclesiastes it was clearly said that: "he does not know if he will be wise" who

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"χαρακτὴρ τῆς θεοῦ ὑποστάσεως", τῆς θεοῦ οὐσίας καὶ ὑπάρξεως. λέγεται δὲ ὑπόστασις καὶ ἡ τελεία ὑπομονὴ καθ' ἣν ὑφίσταταί τις τὰ ἐπίπονα. λέγει οὖν ἀμφοτέρως· "ἡ οὐσία τῆς ψυχῆς μου ἐναντίον σου ὡς οὐδέν ἐστιν", ὡς πρὸς σὲ μεγάλην τινὰ οὐσίαν. καὶ ὀφείλουσα εἶναι τελεία κατὰ σὲ τὸν πατέρα, ἠλάττωσα αὐτήν. καὶ ὅτι τοῦτο οὕτως ἔχει, λέγει περί τινων· "υἱοὶ Σιὼν οἱ τίμιοι οἱ ἐπηρμένοι χρυσίῳ καὶ ἀργυρίῳ πῶς ἐγενήθησαν εἰς ἀγγεῖα ὀστράκινα"; ἰδοὺ ἠλαττώθη αὐτῶν ἡ οὐσία. νοητῶς δε̣ι῀̣ τ̣ου῀̣τ̣ο λ̣αβεῖν· ὀστράκινα σκεύη γεγένηνται. λοιδορούμενον τὸ χρυσίον ἐλαττοῦται καὶ τῆς τιμῆς ἑαυτοῦ πολὺ ἀπολείπεται. ὁ μὴ συ̣νιεὶς τὴν προσοῦσαν αὐτῷ τιμὴν θεόθεν, "συνπαραβάλλεται τοῖς κτήνεσιν τοῖς ἀνοήτοις", καὶ ἡ ὑπόστασις αὐτοῦ δι' εὐτέλε̣ι̣αν οὐδὲν ἐνομίσθη. ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τὴν ὑπομονὴν σημαίνει, λέγει ὅτι· εἰ καὶ ὑπέμεινα ποθῶν ἰδεῖν τὸ πέρας μου καὶ παρακαλῶ ἵνα γνωρίσῃς μοι τοῦτο, ἀλλ' οὐ῀̣ν γε ἡ ὑπομονή μου αὕτη ἡ οὕτως ὡς πρὸς σὲ βραχεῖά τίς ἐστιν. 6 πλὴν τὰ σύνπαντα ματαιότης, πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ζῶν. διχῶς τοῦτο γνῶναι δεῖ· τὰ μὲν πάντα τὰ διὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ματαιότης ἐστίν, ὡς ἀρτίως ἑρμήνευσεν ὁ ἐκκλησιαστής. πρὸς τὰ ὑπεραναβεβηκότα καὶ τέλεια̣ καὶ τὰ ἀληθῶς αἰώνια ἡ ὑπόστασις ματαία ἐστίν, πλὴν "πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ζῶν". οὕτω οὖν 276 δυνατὸν εἰπεῖν· καὶ ἂν π̣άντα ματαιότης ἐστὶν τὰ ἄλλα παρὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, οἷον τὰ θνητὰ ζῷα, τὰ πρόσκαιρα, καὶ ἂν ἄψυχα ὦσιν, ἀλλ' ὁ ἄνθρωπος μόνος ζῶν ἐστιν, ζῶν κατὰ τὴν ζωὴν ἐκείνην ἣν ζῶσιν κατὰ τὸν Ἀβραάμ· "οὐκ ἔστιν" γὰρ "ὁ θεὸς νεκρῶν, ἀλλὰ ζώντων". καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ ζῶν κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην καὶ αὐτὸς μάταιός ἐστιν. διαστατέον οὖν οὕτως· τάδε πάντα ματαιότης ἐστίν̣· κἂν γὰρ θνητὰ ὦσιν, τεθνηκότα οὐκέτι εἰσίν. ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος ζῶν ἐστιν. κἂν ἀποθάνῃ δέ, ἔτι ζῇ. ἢ οὕτως· ζῶν ἄνθρωπος ο῾̣ μὴ ἔξω γινόμενος τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ζωῆς καὶ αὐτὸς ματαιότης ἐστίν, ἵν' ᾖν οὖν οὕτως· "πλὴν τὰ σύνπαντα ματαιότης καὶ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ζῶν". ἢ οὕτως· "πλὴν τὰ σύνπαντα ματαιότης, ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος ζῶν ἐστιν". ἐπερ · ἡ οὐσία; -κἂν ζῇ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἑτέρως ἢ ὡς ἂν ζήσαιεν θνητός, ὡς πρὸς τὴν ὑπεροχὴν καὶ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς θείας ζωῆς καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, τῆς πηγῆς τῆς ζωῆς, οὐθέν ἐστιν. τὰ μικρὰ καὶ τὰ οὐθὲν μικρότερα λεγόμενα τ̣ῶν πρός τί ἐστιν. οὐκ ἔχει δὲ περιωρισμένον ποσὸν τὸ μικρόν· ἀναφορᾷ γὰρ τῇς πρὸς τὸ μεῖζον λέγεται. λέγομεν οὖν μεῖζον ἐνίοτε τὸ παλαιστιαῖον τοῦ δακτυλιαίου. ἀμέλει γοῦν ἔχεις ἐν κατηγορίαις μικρὸν ὄρος καὶ μεγάλην κέγχρον. 7 μέντοιγε ἐν εἰκόνι διαπορεύεται ἄνθρωπος. εἶπον ὅτι περὶ τῶν ἄλλων παρὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον λέγει, ὅτι "πάντα ματαιότης ἐστίν". μόνος ο῾̣ ἄνθρωπος ζῶν ἐστιν. ἔχει δὲ πλέον τι τῶν ἄλλων. ἀθάνατον ψυχὴν ἔχει. ὅμως εἰ καὶ ζῶν ἐστιν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀεὶ ταύτην τὴν κ̣ίνησιν ἔχει· "μέντοιγε", γάρ, φησίν, "ἐν εἰκόνι διαπορεύεται ἄνθρωπος". οὐκ εἶπεν εἰ ἐπαινετῇ ἢ ψεκτῇ· ἀλλ' οἵως ἐάν τις διαπορεύηται, οἵως ἐὰν ἐνεργῇ, ἐν εἰκόνι τινί ἐστιν. καὶ γενικώτερον λαμβάνοντι λεκτέον, ὅτι ἢ τῇ τοῦ ἐπουρανίου ἢ τῇ τοῦ χοικοῦ. παρίσταται δὲ ἐκ τῆς τοιαύτης λέξεως ὅτι αὐτεξούσιός ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος· εἰ γὰρ ἐκ κατασκευῆς ἦν ἀγαθός, ἐν τῇ τοῦ ἐπουρανίου ἀεὶ ἐπορεύετο, εἰ κατ' οὐσίαν ἦν κακός, ἐν τῇ τοῦ χοικοῦ. δυνατὸν δὲ ταύτας τὰς γενικὰς εἰκόνας εἰς εἴδη διαιρῆσαι. καὶ λέγω ὅτι ὁ μὲν ἐν εἰκόνι ἀλώπεκος, ἄλλος ἐν εἰκόνι λέοντος, καὶ ἵππος θηλυμανής τις γινόμενος ἄλλην φέρων εἰκόνα, καὶ ἕτερος ἐν εἰκόνι περιστερᾶς, πλὴν "ἐν εἰκόνι διαπορεύεται πᾶς ἄνθρωπος". 7 μέντοιγε ἐν εἰκόνι διαπορεύεται ἄνθρωπος, πλὴν μάτην ταράσσονται. ἀλλ' οἱ φαῦλοι μάτην ταράσσονται. "πλὴν μάτην ταράσσονται". καὶ λέγει λοιπὸν τὴν ταραχὴν τὴν ματαίαν, ὅτι ἡ περὶ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα σπουδὴ αὕτη ἐστίν. "θησαυρίζει" γοῦν "καὶ οὐ γιγνώσκει τίνι συνάγει αὐτά". 7 θησαυρίζει καὶ οὐ γιγνώσκει τίνι συνάγει αὐτά. ἐν τῷ ἐκκλησιαστῇ φανερῶς ἐλέχθη ὅτι· "οὐκ οἶδεν εἰ σοφὸς ἔσται" ὁ