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if riches increase, set not your heart on them.” And in the 38th, it was said similarly to these things: “Surely they are disquieted in vain. He heaps up treasures, and knows not for whom he shall gather them.” Since, therefore, the one who treasures up on earth, and gathers much wealth, gathers in vain; for he will not entirely enjoy them himself, departing from life faster than a sneeze, nor is he precisely certain what sort of successor he will have. Why is he disturbed in vain? Many indeed, or almost all, have deceived themselves, expecting to leave their wealth to sons and loved ones, but being ignorant of the future and missing the mark. Truly, therefore, they are disturbed in vain, treasuring up and not knowing who will gather it. Therefore, it is fitting not to hope in injustice and the things procured from injustice. nor to be lifted up if wealth flows, carried like a river. But if it is fitting sometimes through wealth to procure a certain good hope, using righteous wealth, which is often provided by God; and with right and balanced scales, O you people, use righteous actions, 23.597 treasuring up for yourselves treasures in heaven, and sowing in blessings according to what has been said: “He has scattered abroad, he has given to the poor, his righteousness endures forever.” For this alone is a good hope. Otherwise, it is fitting not to hope in injustice, nor to think highly of money gathered from plunder and greed. But even if it should ever happen that our affairs flow well, and wealth is carried unhindered from all directions, flowing like a river, and from a source where no one could be wronged, borne by some unexpected momentum, do not think that this is entirely from God, nor call yourself blessed, being deceived in your mind and attaching yourself to wealth as if to a good thing. But know that, being of a fluid nature, just as it is carried flowing, so too it flows away; possessing nothing firm nor solid and secure. He has wonderfully used the name of “flowing,” saying, “If riches flow;” but according to Symmachus: “If riches, he says, bear fruit, do not set your heart.” But on whom one must set the heart and to whom one must be attached, has been said many times in the passage, “Shall not my soul be subject to God?” and again: “But be subject to God, O my soul; for He is my God and my Savior and my helper;” and, “Hope in him, all the congregation of the people.” Therefore, having the great wealth and the true treasure, let us not hope in vain and fluid and unjust wealth; for truly all the sons of men who have trusted in this are vain. “God has spoken once; these two things have I heard: that power belongs to God, and to you, O Lord, belongs mercy; for you will render to every man according to his works.” Having taught these things beforehand, the discourse accordingly reminds of the just judgment of God; so that, setting this before our eyes, we might not give ourselves over either to injustice or to plunder, or to temporary and blind wealth. For not just once did God command concerning the judgment, but also a second time. And these things, he says, I myself heard precisely, having applied my mind to these two commandments. For God has spoken once, but I have heard these two things; for he spoke both through prophets, and he spoke through apostles; and the one word that was once ordained by God I heard both through the Old Testament and through the New. And what was this, but “That power belongs to God and to you, O Lord, belongs mercy,” and, “For you will render to every man according to his works?” Mercy, he says, and power; the power for punishing and humbling the unruly, but the mercy for saving those who have hoped in him. “Behold therefore the goodness and severity,” says the Apostle; severity on those who fell, through power, but toward you, goodness, through mercy. Having said these things, raising his face upward, he addresses God, saying: “For you will render to every man according to his works.” And Aquila also interpreted the preceding in this

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πλοῦτος ἐὰν ῥέῃ, μὴ προστίθεσθε καρδίᾳ.» Καὶ ἐν τῷ ληʹ συγγενῶς τούτοις ἐλέγετο· «Πλὴν μάτην ταράσσονται. Θησαυρίζει, καὶ οὐ γινώσκει τίνι συνάξει αὐτά.» Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ὁ θησαυρίζων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ πολλὰ χρήματα συνάγων, εἰς μάταιον συνάγει· οὔτε γὰρ ἐξ ἅπαντος αὐτὸς αὐτῶν ἀπολαύσει, πταρμοῦ τάχιον τοῦ βίου μεθιστάμενος, οὔτε ὁποῖον ἕξει διάδοχον ἀκριβῶς πέπεισται· τί καὶ θορυβεῖται μάτην; Πολλοὶ γοῦν ἢ καὶ σχεδὸν οἱ πάντες σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἠπάτησαν, υἱοῖς μὲν καὶ φιλτάτοις τὸν αὐτῶν πλοῦτον καταλιπεῖν προσδοκήσαντες, ἀγνοήσαντες δὲ τὸ μέλλον καὶ ἀστοχήσαντες τοῦ σκοποῦ. Μάτην οὖν ταράττονται ἀληθῶς θησαυρίζοντες, καὶ οὐ γινώσκοντες τίς συνάξει αὐτά. ∆ιὸ προσήκει μὴ ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ ἀδικίαν καὶ τὰ ἐξ ἀδικίας ποριζόμενα. μηδὲ πλοῦτος ἐὰν ῥέῃ ποταμηδὸν φερόμενος, ἐπαίρεσθαι. Εἰ δὲ προσήκει καὶ διὰ πλούτου ποτὲ ἀγαθήν τινα πορίζεσθαι ἐλπίδα, δικαίῳ χρησάμενοι πλούτῳ τῷ ἐκ Θεοῦ πολλάκις παρεχομένῳ· καὶ ζυγοῖς ὀρθοῖς καὶ ἰσοστασίοις, δεξιαῖς, ὦ οὗτοι, χρήσασθε πράξεσι, 23.597 θησαυρίζοντες ἑαυτοῖς θησαυροὺς ἐν οὐρανοῖς, καὶ σπείροντες ἐν εὐλογίαις κατὰ τὸ λελεγμένον· «Ἐσκόρπισεν, ἔδωκε τοῖς πένησι, ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.» Αὕτη γὰρ μόνη ἐλπὶς ἀγαθή· ἄλλως δὲ προσήκει μὴ ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ ἀδικίαν, μηδὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς καὶ πλεονεξίας συναγομένοις χρήμασι μέγα φρονεῖν· ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰ συμβαίη ποτὲ εὐροεῖν ἡμῖν τὰ πράγματα, καὶ ἀκωλύτως φέρεσθαι πανταχόθεν τὸν πλοῦτον ποταμοῦ δίκην ῥέοντα, καὶ ὅθεν οὐκ ἄν τις ἀδικήσειε, φορᾷ τινι ἀδοκήτῳ φερόμενον, μὴ πάντως ἐκ Θεοῦ τοῦτο γίνεσθαι καὶ νόμιζε, μηδὲ μακάριζε σεαυτὸν ἀπατώμενος τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ προστιθέμενος ὡς ἀγαθῷ τῷ πλούτῳ. Γίνωσκε δὲ, ὅτι ῥευστῆς ὢν φύσεως, ὥσπερ ῥέων φέρεται, οὕτω καὶ ἀποῤῥεῖ· οὐδὲν δὲ βέβαιον οὐδὲ στεῤῥὸν καὶ ἀσφαλὲς κεκτημένος. Θαυμαστῶς δὲ τῷ τῆς ῥοῆς ὀνόματι κέχρηται, «Πλοῦτος ἐὰν ῥέῃ,» φήσας· κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον· «Πλοῦτος, φησὶν, ἐὰν καρποφορῇ, μὴ τάσσετε τὴν καρδίαν.» Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τίνα δεῖ τάσσειν τὴν καρδίαν καὶ τίνι προστίθεσθαι, εἴρηται πολλάκις ἐν τῷ, «Οὐχὶ τῷ Θεῷ ὑποταγήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου;» καὶ πάλιν· «Πλὴν τῷ Θεῷ ὑποτάγηθι ἡ ψυχή μου· αὐτὸς γὰρ Θεός μου καὶ Σωτήρ μου καὶ ἀντιλήπτωρ μου·» καὶ, «Ἐλπίσατε ἐπ' αὐτὸν, πᾶσα συναγωγὴ λαοῦ.» Οὐκοῦν, ἔχοντες τὸν μέγαν πλοῦτον καὶ τὸν ἀληθινὸν θησαυρὸν, μὴ ἐλπίσωμεν ἐπὶ τῷ ματαίῳ καὶ ῥευστῷ καὶ ἀδίκῳ πλούτῳ· μάταιοι γὰρ ἀληθῶς πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἱ ἐπὶ τούτῳ πεποιθότες. «Ἅπαξ ἐλάλησεν ὁ Θεὸς, δύο ταῦτα ἤκουσα· ὅτι τὸ κράτος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ σοὶ, Κύριε, τὸ ἔλεος· ὅτι σὺ ἀποδώσεις ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ.» Τοσαῦτα προπαιδεύσας ὁ λόγος, ἀκολούθως τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δικαιοκρισίας ὑπομιμνήσκει· ὡς ἂν, ταύτην πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν θέμενοι, μήτε τῇ ἀδικίᾳ μήτε τοῖς ἁρπάγμασι, μήτε τῷ προσκαίρῳ καὶ τυφλῷ πλούτῳ ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιδίδωμεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἅπαξ μόνον περὶ τῆς κρίσεως ὁ Θεὸς διεστείλατο, ἀλλὰ καὶ δεύτερον. Καὶ ταῦτα, φησὶν, αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ἤκουσα ἀκριβῶς, τὸν νοῦν ἐπιστήσας τοῖς δυσὶ τούτοις παραγγέλμασιν. Ἅπαξ γὰρ ἐλάλησεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ δύο ταῦτα ἤκουσα· ἐλάλησε γὰρ καὶ διὰ προφητῶν, ἐλάλησε καὶ διὰ ἀποστόλων· καὶ τὸν ἕνα λόγον τὸν ἅπαξ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁρισθέντα καὶ διὰ παλαιᾶς ∆ιαθήκης καὶ διὰ τῆς καινῆς ἤκουσα. Τίς δὲ ἦν οὗτος, ἀλλ' «Ὅτι τὸ κράτος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ σοὶ, Κύριε, τὸ ἔλεος,» καὶ, «Ὅτι σὺ ἀποδώσεις ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ;» Ἔλεος δὲ, φησὶ, καὶ κράτος· τὸ μὲν κράτος πρὸς τὸ τιμωρεῖσθαι καὶ ταπεινοῦν τοὺς ἀφηνιῶντας, τὸ δὲ ἔλεος πρὸς τὸ σώζειν τοὺς εἰς αὐτὸν ἠλπικότας. «Ἴδε οὖν χρηστότητα καὶ ἀποτομίαν,» φησὶν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· ἐπὶ μὲν τοὺς πεσόντας ἀποτομίαν διὰ τοῦ κράτους, ἐπὶ δὲ σὲ χρηστότης διὰ τοῦ ἐλέους. Ταῦτ' εἰπὼν, ἄνω τὸ πρόσωπον ἀνατείνας, προσφθέγγεται τῷ Θεῷ λέγων· «Ὅτι σὺ ἀποδώσεις ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας δὲ τὰ προκείμενα τοῦτον ἡρμήνευσε τὸν