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he may stop what is to come by acting like a woman and beating his breast. But you have no heirs, nor a successor to your possessions? And what would you have wished more, for him to be heir of your things, or of the heavens? what did you desire, that he should succeed to the things that perish, which a little later he was destined to leave, or to the things that remain and are immoveable? You did not have him as an heir, but in your stead God has had him; he did not become a co-heir with his own brothers, but he became Christ's. And to whom, you say, shall we leave the clothes, to whom the houses, to whom the slaves and the fields? To him again, and more securely than if he had lived; for there is nothing to prevent it. For if barbarians burn their possessions along with the departed, much more is it right for you to send his things along with the deceased, not that they may become ashes, like those things, but that they may invest him with greater glory; and if he departed a sinner, that it may remit his sins; but if a righteous man, that there may be an addition of reward and recompense. But do you desire to see him? Therefore live the same life as he, and you will quickly regain that sacred sight. And besides these things consider this too, that even if you do not listen to us, in time you will surely be persuaded. But then there will be no reward for you; for the consolation comes from the passing of many days. But if you choose to be a philosopher now, you will gain the two greatest things; you will both deliver yourself from the present evils, and you will bind on a more brilliant crown from God. For indeed to bear a misfortune meekly is much greater than almsgiving and all the rest. Consider that even the Son of God died; and He indeed for you, but you for yourself. And having said, If it is possible, let this cup pass from me, and having been grieved, and having been in agony, yet He did not escape death, but endured it with much tragedy. For He did not simply endure death, but the most shameful one; and before death, scourges, and before the scourges, reproaches and taunts and revilings, teaching you to bear all things nobly. But nevertheless having died, and laid aside His body, He took it up again with greater glory, holding out good hopes for you in this also. If these things are not a myth, do not lament; if you believe these things to be true, do not weep; but if you weep, how will you be able to persuade the Greek that you believe? 5. But even so does what has happened still seem unbearable to you? Therefore for this very reason it is not right to mourn for him; for he has been delivered from many such misfortunes. Therefore do not envy him, nor begrudge him. For to ask for death for yourself on account of his untimely end, 57.376 but to mourn for him because he did not live to endure many such things, is rather the part of one who envies and begrudges. Do not then think of this, that he will no longer return to the house, but that you yourself will go to him a little later. Do not consider this, that he no longer comes back here, but that not even these visible things themselves remain as they are, but these too are transformed. For indeed heaven and earth and sea and all things are refashioned, and then you will receive your child with greater glory. And if he departed a sinner, the things of wickedness have ceased; for God would not have snatched him away before repentance if He had known he was changing; but if, being righteous, he ended his life, he possesses his good things in safety. From which it is clear that your tears are not from affection, but from irrational passion. For if you loved the one who has departed, you ought to rejoice and be glad, that he has been delivered from the present waves. For what is the advantage? tell me; what is strange and new? do we not see the same things coming around again every day? Day and night, night and day; winter and summer, summer and winter, and nothing more. And these things are always the same; but the evils are strange and newer. Did you wish him, then, to suffer these things every day, and to remain here, and to be sick, and to mourn, and to be afraid, and to tremble, and to endure some terrible things, while fearing lest he might endure others? For you could not even say that, while sailing this long sea, it was possible to have been delivered from despondency and cares and other such things. And besides these things consider this too, that you did not bear an immortal child; and that if he had not died now, a little

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τὴν μέλλουσαν παύῃ γυναικιζόμενος καὶ κοπτόμενος. Ἀλλὰ κληρονόμους οὐκ ἔχεις, οὐδὲ διάδοχον τῶν ὄντων; Καὶ τί μᾶλλον ἐβούλου, τῶν σῶν αὐτὸν εἶναι κληρονόμον, ἢ τῶν οὐρανῶν; τί δὲ ἐπεθύμεις, τὰ ἀπολλύμενα αὐτὸν διαδέχεσθαι, ἃ μικρὸν ὕστερον ἀφιέναι ἔμελλεν, ἢ τὰ μένοντα καὶ ἀκίνητα; Οὐκ ἔσχες κληρονόμον αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' ἀντὶ σοῦ ἔσχεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεός· οὐκ ἐγένετο τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν ἰδίων συγκληρονόμος, ἀλλ' ἐγένετο τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ τίνι, φησὶ, τὰ ἱμάτια, τίνι τὰ οἰκήματα, τίνι τὰ ἀνδράποδα καὶ τοὺς ἀγροὺς καταλιμπάνομεν; Αὐτῷ πάλιν, καὶ ἀσφαλέστερον, ἢ εἰ ἔζη· τὸ γὰρ κωλύον οὐδέν. Εἰ γὰρ βάρβαροι συγκατακαίουσι τοῖς ἀπελθοῦσι τὰ ὄντα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον σὲ συναποστεῖλαι τῷ τετελευτηκότι δίκαιον τὰ αὐτοῦ, οὐχ ἵνα τέφρα γένηται, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνα, ἀλλ' ἵνα πλείονα τούτῳ περιβάλῃ δόξαν· καὶ εἰ μὲν ἁμαρτωλὸς ἀπῆλθεν, ἵνα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα λύσῃ· εἰ δὲ δίκαιος, ἵνα προσθήκη γένηται μισθοῦ καὶ ἀντιδόσεως. Ἀλλ' ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν ἐπιθυμεῖς; Οὐκοῦν τὸν αὐτὸν αὐτῷ βίου βίον, καὶ ταχέως ἀπολήψῃ τὴν ἱερὰν ἐκείνην ὄψιν. Μετὰ δὲ τούτων κἀκεῖνο λογίζου, ὅτι κἂν ἡμῶν μὴ ἀκούσῃς, τῷ χρόνῳ πάντως πεισθήσῃ. Ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς τότε σοι ὁ μισθός· τοῦ γὰρ πλήθους τῶν ἡμερῶν γίνεται ἡ παραμυθία. Ἂν δὲ νῦν βουληθῇς φιλοσοφεῖν, δύο κερδανεῖς τὰ μέγιστα· καὶ σαυτὸν τῶν ἐν μέσῳ κακῶν ἀπαλλάξεις, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ λαμπρότερον ἀναδήσῃ τὸν στέφανον. Καὶ γὰρ ἐλεημοσύνης καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πολλῷ μεῖζον τὸ πράως συμφορὰν ἐνεγκεῖν. Ἐννόησον ὅτι καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀπέθανε· καὶ ἐκεῖνος μὲν διὰ σὲ, σὺ δὲ διὰ σαυτόν. Καὶ εἰπὼν, Εἰ δυνατὸν παρελθέτω ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τὸ ποτήριον, καὶ λυπηθεὶς, καὶ ἀγωνιάσας, ὅμως οὐ παρέδραμε τὴν τελευτὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς αὐτὴν ὑπέστη τῆς τραγῳδίας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁπλῶς θάνατον ὑπέμεινεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν αἴσχιστον· καὶ πρὸ τοῦ θανάτου μάστιγας, καὶ πρὸ τῶν μαστίγων ὀνείδη καὶ σκώμματα καὶ λοιδορίας, σὲ παιδεύων πάντα φέρειν γενναίως. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀποθανὼν, καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἀποθέμενος, πάλιν αὐτὸ ἀνέλαβε μετὰ μείζονος δόξης, σοὶ καὶ ἐνταῦθα χρηστὰς ὑποτείνων ἐλπίδας. Ταῦτα εἰ μὴ μῦθος, μὴ θρήνει ταῦτα εἰ πιστὰ νομίζεις εἶναι, μὴ δάκρυε· εἰ δὲ δακρύεις, πῶς δυνήσῃ πεῖσαι τὸν Ἕλληνα, ὅτι πιστεύεις; εʹ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτως ἀφόρητον ἔτι σοι φαίνεται τὸ συμβάν; Οὐκοῦν δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο οὐκ ἄξιον ἐκεῖνον θρηνεῖν· πολλῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἀπηλλάγη συμφορῶν ἐκεῖνος. Μὴ τοίνυν αὐτῷ φθόνει, μηδὲ βάσκαινε. Τὸ γὰρ ἑαυτῷ μὲν θάνατον αἰτεῖν διὰ τὴν ἄωρον ἐκείνου τελευτὴν, 57.376 πενθεῖν δὲ ἐκεῖνον, ὅτι μὴ ἔζη, ἵνα πολλὰ ὑπομείνῃ τοιαῦτα, φθονοῦντος μᾶλλόν ἐστι καὶ βασκαίνοντος. Μὴ δὴ τοῦτο ἐννόει, ὅτι οὐκέτι ἀναστρέψει εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπελεύσῃ μικρὸν ὕστερον πρὸς αὐτόν. Μὴ τοῦτο λογίζου, ὅτι οὐκέτι ἐπανέρχεται ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐδὲ αὐτὰ ταῦτα τὰ ὁρώμενα μένει τοιαῦτα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα μετασχηματίζεται. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὐρανὸς καὶ γῆ καὶ θάλαττα καὶ πάντα μεθαρμόζεται, καὶ τότε ἀπολήψῃ σου τὸ παιδίον μετὰ πλείονος δόξης. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἁμαρτωλὸς ἀπῆλθεν, ἔστη τὰ τῆς κακίας· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν, εἰ μεταβαλλόμενον ὁ Θεὸς ᾔδει, προανήρπασεν ἂν τῆς μετανοίας· εἰ δὲ δίκαιος ὢν κατέλυσεν, ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ τὰ ἀγαθὰ κέκτηται. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι φιλοστοργίας σου τὰ δάκρυα, ἀλλὰ πάθους ἀλογίστου. Ἐπεὶ εἰ τὸν ἀπελθόντα ἐφίλεις, χαίρειν ἔδει καὶ εὐφραίνεσθαι, ὅτι τῶν παρόντων ἀπηλλάγη κυμάτων. Τί γὰρ τὸ πλέον; εἰπέ μοι· τί δὲ τὸ ξένον καὶ καινόν; οὐχὶ τὰ αὐτὰ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ὁρῶμεν ἀνακυκλούμενα; Ἡμέρα καὶ νὺξ, νὺξ καὶ ἡμέρα· χειμὼν καὶ θέρος, θέρος καὶ χειμὼν, καὶ πλέον οὐδέν. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἀεὶ τὰ αὐτά· τὰ δὲ κακὰ ξένα καὶ καινότερα. Ταῦτα οὖν αὐτὸν ἀντλεῖν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐβούλου, καὶ μένειν ἐνταῦθα, καὶ νοσεῖν, καὶ πενθεῖν, καὶ δεδοικέναι, καὶ τρέμειν, καὶ τὰ μὲν ὑπομένειν τῶν δεινῶν, τὰ δὲ μήποτε ὑπομείνῃ φοβεῖσθαι; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκεῖνο ἂν ἔχοις εἰπεῖν, ὅτι τὸ μακρὸν τοῦτο πλέοντα πέλαγος, δυνατὸν ἦν ἀθυμίας καὶ φροντίδων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀπηλλάχθαι τῶν τοιούτων. Μετὰ δὲ τούτων κἀκεῖνο λογίζου, ὅτι οὐκ ἀθάνατον ἔτεκες· καὶ ὅτι εἰ μὴ νῦν ἐτελεύτησε, μικρὸν