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and hates one who does not share. For the human [love] is full of envy and slander, but the divine is free from all passion. Therefore he even seeks partners in his friendship. For, he says, "Be a friend with me, and then I too will love you more greatly." Do you see the words of an ardent lover? If you love my beloved ones, then I consider that I myself am earnestly loved by you. For he strongly desires our salvation, and he showed this from the beginning. When, at least, he was fashioning man, hear what he says: "Let us make man in our image;" and again, "Let us make a helper for him;" "it is not good for him to be alone." And when he rebuked him again for his transgression, see how gently: for he did not say to him, "O abominable and utterly abominable one, having received such great benefits, after all this you trusted the devil, and leaving your benefactor, you turned to the wicked demon;" but what does he say? "Who told you that you are naked, unless you ate from the tree from which alone I commanded you not to eat?" as if a father, to a child commanded not to touch a knife, then, having disobeyed and been wounded, should say: "From where were you wounded? You were wounded from there, because you did not listen to me." Do you see 60.620 the words of a friend rather than a Master? of a friend who is scorned, and yet does not turn away? Let us, therefore, imitate him, and when we rebuke, let us maintain this gentleness. For he also rebukes the woman again with the same gentleness; or rather, it was not even a rebuke, but an admonition and correction, and a safeguard for the future. For this reason he says nothing to the serpent; for he was the architect of the evils, and could not shift the blame to another; therefore he also punished him severely. And he does not stop here, but also makes the earth a partaker of the curse. But if he cast him out of paradise, and condemned him to toil, for this reason especially one must worship and admire him. For since luxury led to indolence, he cuts off the gladness, building up grief against indolence, so that we might return to his love. And what about Cain? Does he not use the same manner of gentleness? For being insulted by him again, he does not insult in return, but exhorts and says: "Why has your countenance fallen?" And yet what had happened was deprived of all forgiveness; and the younger brother shows this. But not even so does he rebuke, but what does he say? "Have you sinned? Be quiet, do not add to it; his turning shall be to you, and you shall rule over him," speaking of his brother. For if you are afraid, he says, that because of this sacrifice I might take away from you the preeminence of the firstborn, take courage; for I place all his authority into your hands; only become better, and love the one who has done no wrong; for I care for both. And this especially gladdens me, that you do not quarrel with one another. For just as a loving mother, so also God does and contrives everything so that no one may be torn away from another. 5. But so that you may learn what I am saying more clearly by an example, consider for me Rebecca, being troubled, and running about everywhere, when the elder son was warring against the younger child. For although she loved Jacob, yet she did not turn away from Esau; therefore she also said, "Lest I be bereaved of both of you in one day." For this reason also God then said: "Have you sinned? Be quiet, his turning shall be to you," checking the slaughter beforehand, and seeking the peace of them both. But when he had slain him, not even so did he put an end to his providence for him, but again gently answers the fratricide, saying: "Where is Abel your brother?" so that he might at least thus confess. But he contends with his former [sins], being shameless in greater and more grievous ways. But not even so does God turn away, but again utters the words of a lover who has been insulted and scorned, and says: "The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me." And again he lays hold of the earth with the murderer, venting his anger upon it, and saying: "Cursed is the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood," and imitating those who lament; which David also did, when Saul had fallen. For indeed

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καὶ μὴ κοινωνοῦντα μισεῖ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀνθρώπινος φθόνου καὶ βασκανίας γέμει, ὁ δὲ θεῖος παντὸς ἀπήλλακται πάθους. ∆ιὸ καὶ κοινωνοὺς ἐπιζητεῖ τῆς φιλίας· Φίλει γὰρ, φησὶ, μετ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ τότε σε καὶ ἐγὼ φιλήσω μειζόνως. Ὁρᾷς ἐραστοῦ σφοδροῦ ῥήματα; Ἐὰν φιλῇς τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἐρωμένους, τότε ἡγοῦμαι καὶ αὐτὸς σπουδαίως φιλεῖσθαι παρὰ σοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ σφόδρα ἐφίεται τῆς σωτηρίας τῆς ἡμετέρας, καὶ τοῦτο ἔδειξεν ἄνωθεν. Ὅτε γοῦν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἔπλαττεν, ἄκουσον τί φησι· Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν· καὶ πάλιν, Ποιήσωμεν αὐτῷ βοηθόν· οὐ καλὸν εἶναι αὐτὸν μόνον. Καὶ ὅτε παρανομήσαντι πάλιν ἐπετίμησεν, ὅρα πῶς ἡμέρως· οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Μιαρὲ καὶ παμμίαρε, τοσαῦτα εὐεργετηθεὶς, τῷ διαβόλῳ μετὰ ταῦτα πάντα ἐπίστευσας, καὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην ἀφεὶς τῷ πονηρῷ προσέσχες δαίμονι· ἀλλὰ τί φησι; Τίς σοι εἶπεν, ὅτι γυμνὸς εἶ, εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, οὗ ἐνετειλάμην σοι τούτου μόνου μὴ φαγεῖν, ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἔφαγες; ὡς ἂν εἰ πατὴρ πρὸς παιδίον κελευσθὲν μὴ καθάπτεσθαι μαχαίρας, εἶτα παρακοῦσαν καὶ πληγὲν λέγοι· Πόθεν ἐπλήγης; Ἐκεῖθεν ἐπλήγης, ὅτι οὐκ ἤκουσάς μου. Ὁρᾷς 60.620 φίλου τὰ ῥήματα μᾶλλον, ἢ ∆εσπότου; φίλου καταφρονουμένου, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀφισταμένου; Μιμησώμεθα τοίνυν αὐτὸν, καὶ ὅταν ἐπιτιμῶμεν, ταύτην τηρῶμεν τὴν ἐπιείκειαν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τῇ γυναικὶ μετὰ τῆς αὐτῆς πάλιν ἡμερότητος ἐπιπλήττει· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἐπίπληξις, ἀλλὰ νουθεσία καὶ διόρθωσις τὰ λεγόμενα ἦν, καὶ πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἀσφάλεια. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο πρὸς τὸν ὄφιν οὐδέν φησιν· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἦν ὁ τῶν κακῶν ἀρχιτέκτων, καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν ἐφ' ἕτερον μεταθεῖναι τὴν αἰτίαν· διὸ καὶ σφοδρῶς αὐτὸν ἐκόλαζε. Καὶ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἵσταται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν γῆν κοινωνῆσαι ποιεῖ τῆς ἀρᾶς. Εἰ δὲ ἐξέβαλε παραδείσου, καὶ κατεδίκασε πόνῳ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα προσκυνεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ θαυμάζειν χρή. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν ἐξήγαγεν ἡ τρυφὴ, περικόπτει τὴν εὐφροσύνην, λύπην ἐπιτειχίζων τῇ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ, ἵνα πρὸς τὴν ἀγάπην ἐπανέλθωμεν τὴν αὐτοῦ. Τί δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ Κάϊν; οὐ τῷ αὐτῷ κέχρηται τῆς ἡμερότητος τρόπῳ; Καὶ γὰρ παρ' ἐκείνου πάλιν ὑβρισθεὶς, οὐκ ἀνθυβρίζει, ἀλλὰ παρακαλεῖ καί φησιν· Ἵνα τί συνέπεσε τὸ πρόσωπόν σου; Καίτοι γε τὸ γενόμενον συγγνώμης ἐστέρηται πάσης· καὶ δείκνυσιν ὁ νεώτερος ἀδελφός. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐπιπλήττει, ἀλλὰ τί φησιν; Ἥμαρτες; Ἡσύχασον, μὴ προσθῇς ἔτι· πρὸς σὲ ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ σὺ αὐτοῦ ἄρξεις, τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ λέγων. Εἰ γὰρ δέδοικας, φησὶ, μήποτε διὰ τὴν θυσίαν ταύτην τὴν τοῦ πρωτοτόκου σε προεδρίαν ἀφέλωμαι, θάῤῥει· καὶ γὰρ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ πᾶσαν εἰς τὰς σὰς τίθημι χεῖρας· μόνον γενοῦ βελτίων, καὶ φίλει τὸν οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότα· καὶ γὰρ ἀμφοτέρων κήδομαι. Καὶ τοῦτό με μάλιστα εὐφρανεῖ τὸ μὴ στασιάζειν ὑμᾶς πρὸς ἀλλήλους. Καθάπερ γὰρ μήτηρ φιλόστοργος, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς πάντα ποιεῖ καὶ μηχανᾶται ὥστε μηδένα ἀποῤῥαγῆναι θατέρου. εʹ. Ἵνα δὲ καὶ σαφέστερον ἐπὶ παραδείγματος ὃ λέγω μάθῃς, ἐννόησόν μοι τὴν Ῥεβέκκαν θορυβουμένην, καὶ πανταχοῦ περιτρέχουσαν, ὅτε ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἐπολέμει τῷ νεωτέρῳ παιδί. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐφίλει τὸν Ἰακὼβ, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὸν Ἡσαῦ ἀπεστρέφετο· διὸ καὶ ἔλεγε, Μή πως ἀτεκνωθῶ ἐκ τῶν δύο ὑμῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τότε ἔλεγεν· Ἥμαρτες; Ἡσύχασον, πρὸς σὲ ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτοῦ, τὴν σφαγὴν προαναστέλλων, καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην ἀμφοτέρων αὐτῶν ἐπιζητῶν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτὸν κατέσφαξεν, οὐδὲ οὕτω κατέλυσε τὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ πρόνοιαν, ἀλλὰ πάλιν ἡμέρως ἀποκρίνεται τῷ ἀδελφοκτόνῳ, λέγων· Ποῦ ἐστιν Ἄβελ ὁ ἀδελφός σου; ἵνα κἂν οὕτως ἐξομολογήσηται. Ὁ δὲ ἐπαγωνίζεται τοῖς προτέροις, μείζονα καὶ χαλεπώτερα ἀναισχυντῶν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως ὁ Θεὸς ἀφίσταται, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλιν ἐραστοῦ φθέγγεται ῥήματα ὑβρισμένου καὶ καταφρονουμένου, καί φησι· Φωνὴ αἵματος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου βοᾷ πρός με. Καὶ πάλιν τῆς γῆς καθάπτεται μετὰ τοῦ πεφονευκότος, εἰς αὐτὴν τὸν θυμὸν ἀφιεὶς, καὶ λέγων· Ἐπικατάρατος ἡ γῆ, ἣ ἔχανε τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς δέξασθαι τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου, καὶ τοὺς ἀνακαλοῦντας μιμούμενος· ὃ καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἐποίει, τοῦ Σαοὺλ πεσόντος. Καὶ γὰρ