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having reaped the fruit of this condescension, for this reason He speaks in a somewhat cruder and more human way, saying: If I am hungry, I will not tell you; that is, I am not hungry; for God will not hunger, nor will He grow weary; nor, if I wished to be served by these things, would I be at a loss for countless sacrifices and whole burnt offerings. And 55.248 for all things are set before me in great abundance, and being their Lord and Master, I wish to receive my own things from you, so that by this manner of the way I may draw you to my friendship, and turn you away from vain habits. 5. Then again, leading to what is higher, He says: Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? For I did not command men to do these things, He says, but I even appointed the greatest punishment for those who eat blood. How then was I, who lead my servants away from such a feast, going to need blood? Having cast out all these things, then, and shown them to be unworthy of Him, and having mixed much mockery into the accusation, He did not stop the discourse at this point, but He shows a manner of other sacrifices, which is a form of the best healing, leading one away from things that are of no help, to apply to the wounds those things that are able to correct. For after completing these things, He says: Sacrifice to God. And how shall I sacrifice, one asks? Without blood. For this is especially a sacrifice befitting God. For this reason, having said, Sacrifice to God, He added, a sacrifice of praise; that is, of thanksgiving, of sacred hymns, of the doxology through works. And what He says is this: Live in such a way that your Master is glorified. This is what Christ also taught, saying: Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. For praise is nothing other than commendation, glory, and acclamation. Let your life, therefore, be such that your Master is acclaimed, and you will have offered a perfect sacrifice. This is the sacrifice Paul also seeks, saying: Present your members as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. And elsewhere again the same prophet: I will praise the name of my God with a song, I will magnify Him with praise; and it will please God more than a young bull putting forth horns and hoofs. Thus also Job sacrificed after those unnatural plagues, giving thanks, and uttering these words: The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away, as it seemed good to the Lord, so has it happened; blessed be the name of the Lord forever. And pay your vows to the Most High. He speaks here of supplications, so that one may persevere constantly in prayer, and pay quickly whatever we vow. And He said well: Pay. For after the promise the matter becomes a debt. Thus Hannah paid back her son, as a very great debt. And so you too, whether you promise almsgiving, or a chaste life, or anything else of that sort, hasten to the payment. But if one should examine carefully, even if he does not promise, he owes to Him the things of virtue. And making this clear Christ said: For we have done what we were obliged to do. And yet He was speaking the parable of the servant who was ordered to perform the least service, not to recline, but to come and serve. And another says: Do not be slow to pay your vow. Did you make a promise? Pay it, lest death coming upon you should interrupt it. And what is that to me? one says. For I was not master of my life. For this reason, you should not have delayed, considering the uncertainty of your departure, and that you are not master of your life and of your departure from here. So that the seeming defense is an accusation. For the failure to pay is no longer the fault of death, but of your own hesitation and delay. And call upon me in the day of your affliction, 55.249 and I will deliver you, and you will glorify me. Do you see the reward being given out of great abundance? What, then, could be equal to such philanthropy

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συγκαταβάσεως ταύτης καρπωσάμενοι, διὰ τοῦτο παχύτερόν πως καὶ ἀνθρωπινώτερον διαλεγόμενός φησιν· Ἐὰν πεινάσω, οὐ μή σοι εἴπω· τουτέστιν, Οὔτε πεινῶ· Θεὸς γὰρ οὐ πεινάσει, οὐ κοπιάσει· οὔτε εἰ τούτοις ἐβουλόμην θεραπεύεσθαι, ἠπόρουν ἀπείρων θυσιῶν καὶ ὁλοκαυτωμάτων. Καὶ 55.248 γὰρ πρόκειταί μοι πάντα μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀφθονίας, καὶ Κύριος αὐτῶν ὢν καὶ ∆εσπότης, τὰ ἐμὰ βούλομαι παρὰ σοῦ λαβεῖν, ἵνα τούτῳ σε τῆς ὁδοῦ τῷ τρόπῳ πρὸς τὴν ἐμὴν ἐπισπάσωμαι φιλίαν, καὶ τῆς τῶν ματαίων ἀποστήσω συνηθείας. εʹ. Εἶτα πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ ὑψηλότερον ἀγαγών φησι· Μὴ φάγομαι κρέα ταύρων, ἢ αἷμα τράγων πίομαι; Ταῦτα γὰρ οὔτε ἀνθρώποις ποιεῖν ἐπέταξα, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεγίστην ὥρισα κόλασιν τοῖς τὸ αἷμα ἐσθίουσι. Πῶς οὖν ἤμελλον αἵματος δεήσεσθαι ὁ τοὺς δούλους ἀπάγων τοὺς ἐμοὺς τῆς τοιαύτης θοίνης; Ἐκβαλὼν τοίνυν ταῦτα ἅπαντα, καὶ δείξας ἀνάξια αὐτοῦ, καὶ πολλὴν τῇ κατηγορίᾳ τὴν κωμῳδίαν ἀναμίξας, οὐκ ἔστησε τὸν λόγον μέχρι τούτου, ἀλλὰ δείκνυσιν ἑτέρας θυσίας τρόπον, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἰατρείας ἀρίστης εἶδος, τῶν οὐδὲν ὠφελούντων ἀπάγοντα, τὰ δυνάμενα διορθοῦν ἐπιτιθέναι τοῖς τραύμασι. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸ ταῦτα ἀπαρτίσαι, λέγει· Θῦσον τῷ Θεῷ. Καὶ πῶς θύσω, φησίν; Αἵματος χωρίς. Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστα θυσία Θεῷ πρέπουσα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἰπὼν, Θῦσον τῷ Θεῷ, ἐπήγαγε, Θυσίαν αἰνέσεως· τουτέστιν, εὐχαριστίας, ὕμνων ἱερῶν, τῆς διὰ τῶν ἔργων δοξολογίας. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Οὕτω ζῆθι, ὥστε δοξάζεσθαί σου τὸν ∆εσπότην. Ὅπερ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐδίδαξε λέγων· Λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσι τὰ καλὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν, καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν Πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Αἶνος γὰρ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ ἔπαινός ἐστι, δόξα καὶ εὐφημία. Ἔστω τοίνυν ὁ βίος σου τοιοῦτος, ὥστε εὐφημεῖσθαί σου τὸν ∆εσπότην, καὶ ἀπηρτισμένην εἰσήγαγες τὴν θυσίαν. Ταύτην καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐπιζητεῖ τὴν θυσίαν, λέγων· Παραστήσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν θυσίαν ζῶσαν, ἁγίαν, εὐάρεστον τῷ Θεῷ. Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ πάλιν ὁ αὐτὸς προφήτης· Αἰνέσω τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ μου μετ' ᾠδῆς, μεγαλυνῶ αὐτὸν ἐν αἰνέσει· καὶ ἀρέσει τῷ Θεῷ ὑπὲρ μόσχον νέον κέρατα ἐκφέροντα καὶ ὁπλάς. Οὕτως ἔθυε καὶ Ἰὼβ μετὰ τὰς πληγὰς ἐκείνας τὰς ὑπὲρ φύσιν, εὐχαριστῶν, καὶ ταῦτα φθεγγόμενος τὰ ῥήματα· Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο, ὡς τῷ Κυρίῳ ἔδοξεν, οὕτω καὶ ἐγένετο· εἴη τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου εὐλογημένον εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Καὶ ἀπόδος τῷ Ὑψίστῳ τὰς εὐχάς σου. Τὰς ἱκετηρίας ἐνταῦθά φησιν, ὥστε διηνεκῶς τῇ δεήσει προσκαρτερεῖν, καὶ ἅπερ ἂν ἐπαγγελλώμεθα μετὰ τάχους ἀποδιδόναι. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπεν· Ἀπόδος. Μετὰ γὰρ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν χρέος τὸ πρᾶγμα γίνεται. Οὕτως Ἄννα ἀπέδωκε τὸν υἱὸν, ὡς ὄφλημα μέγιστον. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν κἂν ἐλεημοσύνην ἐπαγγέλλῃ, κἂν σώφρονα βίον, κἂν ἕτερόν τι τοιοῦτον, σπεῦδε πρὸς τὴν ἔκτισιν. Εἰ δέ τις ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσειε, κἂν μὴ ἐπαγγέλληται, χρεωστεῖ αὐτῷ τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς. Καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν ὁ Χριστὸς ἔλεγεν· Ἃ γὰρ ὠφείλομεν ποιῆσαι, πεποιήκαμεν. Καίτοι τὴν παραβολὴν τοῦ δούλου ἔλεγε τοῦ ἐλαχίστην διακονίαν, οὐχὶ κατακλιθῆναι, κελευομένου, ἀλλὰ παρελθεῖν καὶ διακονεῖν. Καὶ ἕτερος δέ τίς φησιν· Μὴ χρονίσῃς ἀποδοῦναι εὐχήν σου. Ἐπηγγείλω; Ἀπόδος, μή ποτε θάνατος ἐπελθὼν διακόψῃ. Καὶ τί πρὸς ἐμέ; φησίν· οὐ γὰρ κύριος ἤμην τῆς ζωῆς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ἐχρῆν μὴ χρονίσαι, τὸ ἄδηλον ἐννοοῦντα τῆς ἐξόδου, καὶ ὅτι κύριος οὐκ εἶ τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τῆς ἐντεῦθεν ἀποδημίας. Ὥστε ἡ δοκοῦσα ἀπολογία κατηγορία ἐστίν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦ θανάτου λοιπὸν τὸ μὴ ἀποδοῦναι γέγονεν, ἀλλὰ τῆς σῆς μελλήσεως καὶ ἀναβολῆς. Καὶ ἐπικάλεσαί με ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θλίψεώς σου, 55.249 καὶ ἐξελοῦμαί σε, καὶ δοξάσεις με. Ὁρᾷς ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος τὴν ἀντίδοσιν διδομένην; Τί τοίνυν τῆς τοιαύτης φιλανθρωπίας ἴσον γένοιτ'