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60.251 HOMILY 35. And on the sabbath day we went forth outside the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

60.252 a. See Paul again Judaizing, both from the time and from the

manner. Where prayer was wont, he says, to be made. For not only where there was a synagogue, but they also prayed outside, as if setting apart a certain place, since the Jews were more corporeal. On the sabbath day, when it was likely that a crowd would gather. And we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. 60.253 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. See again how unassuming. This woman was also humble, and this is clear from her trade; but see her love of wisdom. For first, this testified for her, her worshipping God, then her calling the apostles. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, My lords, if ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us. And when she was baptized, it says, she and her house. Observe how she persuaded them all; then see her understanding, how she presses the apostles, how full of humility her words are, how full of wisdom. If ye have judged me, she says, to be faithful to the Lord. Nothing is more overpowering. Whom would these words not have softened? She did not simply make a request, nor simply invite, nor leave them to be masters of their choice, but she also compelled them strongly; for this is the meaning of, She constrained us; that is, with these words. See how she immediately bears fruit, and considers the calling a great gain. That you have judged me faithful is clear from your entrusting such mysteries to me, which you would not have entrusted, unless you had judged me to be so. And she did not dare to invite them before this, but when she was baptized; making it clear from this that she would not otherwise have persuaded them. Why then did Paul and his company not wish it, but declined so that they even had to be constrained? Either to call her to greater eagerness; or because Christ said, Into whatsoever city ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide. So that they did everything by way of management. And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. Why then did the demon utter these things, and Paul forbid it? The one acted maliciously, and the other wisely; for he wished to make him not credible. For if Paul had accepted his testimony, he would have deceived many of the faithful also, as being accepted by that one; for this reason he endures to speak about them, that he may establish things for himself, and he himself uses condescension for perdition. At first, then, Paul did not accept it, but rejected it, not wishing to throw himself simply upon signs; but when she persisted in doing this for many days, and the work demonstrated it, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation; then he commanded it to come out. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the

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60.251 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΛΕʹ. Τῇ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ τῶν σαββάτων ἐξήλθομεν ἔξω τῆς πό λεως παρὰ ποταμὸν, οὗ ἐνομίζετο προσευχὴ εἶναι, καὶ καθίσαντες ἐλαλοῦμεν ταῖς συνελ θούσαις γυναιξί. Καί τις γυνὴ, ὀνόματι Λυδία, πορφυρόπωλις, πόλεως Θυατείρων, σεβομένη τὸν Θεὸν, ἤκουσεν· ἧς ὁ Κύριος ἤνοιξε τὴν καρδίαν προσέχειν τοῖς λαλουμένας ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου.

60.252 αʹ. Ὅρα πάλιν ἰουδαΐζοντα τὸν Παῦλον, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ

τρόπου. Οὗ ἐνομίζετο, φησὶ, προσευχὴ εἶναι. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ ἔνθα συναγωγὴ ἦν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔξω ηὔχοντο, ὥσπερ τόπον τινὰ ἀφορίζοντες, ἅτε σωματικώτεροι ὄντες Ἰουδαῖοι. Τῇ ἡμέρᾳ δὲ τῶν σαββάτων, ὅτε καὶ ὄχλον εἰκὸς ἦν συνελθεῖν. Καὶ καθίσαντες ἐλαλοῦμεν ταῖς συνελθούσαις γυναιξί. 60.253 Καί τις γυνὴ ὀνόματι Λυδία, πορφυρόπωλις, πόλεως Θυατείρων, σεβομένη τὸν Θεὸν, ἤκουσεν· ἧς ὁ Κύριος διήνοιξε τὴν καρδίαν προσέχειν τοῖς λαλουμένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου. Ὅρα τὸ ἄτυφον πάλιν. Γυνὴ καὶ ταπεινὴ αὕτη, καὶ δῆλον ἀπὸ τῆς τέχνης· ἀλλ' ὅρα τὸ φιλόσοφον αὐτῆς. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ αὐτῇ ἐμαρτύρησε τοῦτο, τὸ σέβεσθαι τὸν Θεὸν, ἔπειτα τὸ καλέσαι τοὺς ἀποστόλους αὐτήν. Ὡς δὲ ἐβαπτίσθη αὐτὴ καὶ ὁ οἶκος αὐτῆς, παρεκάλεσε λέγουσα· Κύριοί μου, εἰ κεκρίκατέ με πιστὴν τῷ Κυρίῳ εἶναι, εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου μείνατε. Καὶ παρεβιάσατο ἡμᾶς. Ὡς δὲ ἐβαπτίσθη, φησὶν, αὐτὴ καὶ ἡ οἰκία αὐτῆς. Σκόπει πῶς ἅπαντας ἔπεισε· εἶτα βλέπε σύνεσιν, πῶς δυσωπεῖ τοὺς ἀποστόλους, πόσης ταπεινότητος γέμει τὰ ῥήματα, πόσης σοφίας. Εἰ κεκρίκατέ με, φησὶ, πιστὴν τῷ Κυρίῳ. Οὐδὲν ἐντρεπτικώτερον. Τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἐμάλαξε ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα; Οὐκ ἠξίωσεν, οὐ παρεκάλεσεν ἁπλῶς, οὐκ ἀφῆκε κυρίους εἶναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἠνάγκασε σφοδρῶς· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ, Παρεβιάσατο ἡμᾶς· τουτέστι, τούτοις τοῖς ῥήμασιν. Ὅρα πῶς εὐθέως καρποφορεῖ, καὶ κέρδος ἡγεῖται μέγα τὴν κλῆσιν. Ὅτι δὲ πιστὴν ἐκρίνατε, δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ ἐγχειρίσαι μοι τοιαῦτα μυστήρια, οὐκ ἂν ἐγχειρίσαντες, εἰ μὴ τοιαύτην ἐκρίνατε. Καὶ οὐκ ἐτόλμησε πρὸ τούτου καλέσαι, ἀλλ' ὅτε ἐβαπτίσθη· δῆλον ἐντεῦθεν ποιοῦσα, ὅτι οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως ἔπεισε. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ οὐκ ἐβούλοντο οἱ περὶ Παῦλον, ἀλλ' ἀνένευον ὥστε καὶ βιασθῆναι αὐτούς; Ἤτοι ἐκείνην ἐκκαλούμενοι εἰς μείζονα προθυμίαν· ἢ ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν ὁ Χριστὸς, Εἰς ἣν ἂν πόλιν εἰσέλθητε, τίς ἐστιν ἄξιος ἐρωτήσατε, καὶ ἐκεῖ μείνατε. Ὥστε πάντα δι' οἰκονομίαν ἐποίουν. Ἐγένετο δὲ πορευομένων ἡμῶν εἰς προσευχὴν, παιδίσκην τινὰ ἔχουσαν πνεῦμα πύθωνος ἀπαντῆσαι ἡμῖν, ἥτις ἐργασίαν πολλὴν παρεῖχε τοῖς κυρίοις αὐτῆς μαντευομένη. Αὕτη κατακολουθήσασα τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ ἡμῖν, ἔκραζε λέγουσα· Οὗτοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ Ὑψίστου εἰσὶν, οἵτινες καταγγέλλουσιν ἡμῖν ὁδὸν σωτηρίας. Τί δήποτε καὶ ὁ δαίμων ταῦτα ἐφθέγγετο, καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐκώλυσε; Κἀκεῖνος κακούργως ἐποίει, καὶ οὗτος συνετῶς· ἐβούλετο γὰρ μὴ ἀξιόπιστον αὐτὸν ποιεῖν. Εἰ γὰρ προσήκατο αὐτοῦ τὴν μαρτυρίαν ὁ Παῦλος, πολλοὺς ἂν καὶ τῶν πιστῶν ἠπάτησεν, ἅτε ὑπ' ἐκείνου δεχθείς· διὰ τοῦτο ἀνέχεται τὰ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς εἰπεῖν, ἵνα στήσῃ τὰ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς συγκαταβάσει κέχρηται πρὸς τὴν ἀπώλειαν. Τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον οὐ προσήκατο Παῦλος, ἀλλὰ διέπτυσεν, οὐ βουλόμενος ἑαυτὸν ἐπιῤῥίπτειν ἁπλῶς τοῖς σημείοις· ὡς δὲ ἐπέμενε τοῦτο ποιῶν ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἡμέρας, καὶ τὸ ἔργον ἐδείκνυ, Οὗτοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι, λέγων, δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ Ὑψίστου εἰσὶν, οἵτινες καταγγέλλουσιν ἡμῖν ὁδὸν σωτηρίας· τότε ἐκέλευσεν αὐτῷ ἐξελθεῖν. ∆ιαπονηθεὶς δὲ ὁ Παῦλος, καὶ ἐπιστρέψας, τῷ πνεύματι εἶπε· Παραγγέλλω σοι ἐν ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐξελθεῖν ἀπ' αὐτῆς. Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ. Ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ κύριοι αὐτῆς, ὅτι ἐξῆλθεν ἡ ἐλπὶς ἐργασίας αὐτῶν, ἐπιλαβόμενοι τὸν Παῦλον καὶ τὸν Σίλαν, εἵλκυσαν εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ἐπὶ τοὺς