221

is their great thing? that with all exactness they obey God. Which David also, being amazed, said: Mighty in strength, doing His word. For there is nothing equal to this, even if they were ten thousand times incorporeal; for what especially makes them blessed, is this, that they obey the commands, that they nowhere disobey. This, then, can be seen observed with exactness by Paul also. For indeed he did not only do His word, but also the commandments. And indicating this, he said: What then is my reward? That when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge. What else did the prophet say, admiring them? Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire? But this too can be seen in Paul. For like a spirit and a fire, so he traversed the whole inhabited world, and cleansed the earth. But has he not yet obtained heaven? For this is the wondrous thing, that on earth he was such, and though clothed in a mortal body, he contended with the incorporeal powers. For this reason also, having gone there, he stands near the royal throne, where the Cherubim glorify, where the Seraphim fly. There, then, we too, having gone, will see Paul, even if not standing near, but we will certainly see him with Peter, being the leader and chief of the choir of the saints, and we will enjoy his genuine love. For if while here he so loved men that, when there was a choice to depart and be with Christ, he chose to be here, much more there will he show his affection more warmly. I also love Rome for this reason, because both while living he wrote to them, and so loved them, and being present he conversed with them, and there he ended his life and they possess his holy body. Therefore the city is more distinguished from this, than from all other things; and like a great and strong body, it has two shining eyes, the bodies of these saints. The heaven is not so bright when the sun sends forth its rays, as the city of the Romans sending forth these two torches to every part of the inhabited world. From there Paul will be caught up, from there Peter. Consider and shudder, what a sight Rome will see, Paul suddenly rising from 63.847 that tomb with Peter, and being lifted up to meet Christ; what a gift Rome sends to Christ, what two crowns the city wears, what golden chains it is girded with, what fountains. For these reasons I admire the city, not for its much gold, not for its columns, not for its other pomp, but for these pillars of the Church. Who will now grant me to embrace the body of Paul, and to be nailed to his tomb, and to see the dust of that body, of him who filled up what was lacking in Christ, who bore the marks, who sowed the proclamation everywhere? the dust of the mouth, through which Christ spoke, through which he spoke before kings, and was not ashamed, through which we learned of Paul, through which the Master of Paul? Not so fearful to us is the thunder, as that voice was to the demons. For just as lightning appearing from heaven strikes down those who see it, so the voice of Paul struck down the devil, and like the cast of a thunderbolt, it was borne down upon his phalanxes. For he did not even stand in battle-array against him, but so feared and trembled, that if he saw even a shadow and heard a voice, he would flee from afar. For if he shuddered at his garments, much more at his voice. This led him bound, this cleansed the inhabited world, this loosed diseases, cast out wickedness, brought back truth, it had Christ sitting enthroned, and went forth with Him everywhere; and what the Cherubim were, this was the voice of Paul. For just as He sat upon those powers, so also upon the tongue of Paul. For it became worthy to receive Christ, uttering those things which were dear to Christ, and flying to an unspeakable height, like the Seraphim. And not only of the mouth, but also of that heart I would wish to see the dust, which no one would

221

ἐστιν ἐκείνων τὸ μέγα; ὅτι μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας ὑπακούουσι τῷ Θεῷ. Ὅπερ καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἐκπληττόμενος ἔλεγε· ∆υνατοὶ ἰσχύϊ, ποιοῦντες τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ. Τούτου γὰρ ἴσον οὐδὲν, κἂν μυριάκις ὦσιν ἀσώματοι· τὸ γὰρ μάλιστα ποιοῦν τούτους μακαρίους, τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι πείθονται τοῖς προστάγμασιν, ὅτι οὐδαμοῦ παρακούουσι. Τοῦτο τοίνυν καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἔστιν ἰδεῖν φυλαττόμενον. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἐποίησε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ προστάγματα. Καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν ἔλεγε· Τίς οὖν μοί ἐστιν ὁ μισθός; ἵνα εὐαγγελιζόμενος, ἀδάπανον θήσω τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τί ἕτερον θαυμάζων αὐτοὺς ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγεν· Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πῦρ φλέγον; Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο ἐπὶ Παύλου ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Καθάπερ γὰρ πνεῦμα καὶ πῦρ, οὕτω τὴν οἰκουμένην διέδραμεν ἅπασαν, καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐξεκάθηρεν. Ἀλλ' οὔπω τὸν οὐρανὸν ἔλαχε; Τὸ γὰρ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτο, ὅτι ἐν τῇ γῇ τοιοῦτος ἦν, καὶ σῶμα θνητὸν περικείμενος, πρὸς τὰς ἀσωμάτους ἡμιλλᾶτο δυνάμεις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐκεῖ ἀπελθὼν, ἐγγὺς ἵσταται τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ βασιλικοῦ, ἔνθα τὰ Χερουβὶμ δοξάζει, ἔνθα τὰ Σεραφὶμ πέταται. Ἐκεῖ οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀπελθόντες, Παῦλον ὀψόμεθα, εἰ καὶ μὴ πλησίον ἑστῶτες, ἀλλ' ὀψόμεθα πάντως μετὰ Πέτρου καὶ τοῦ τῶν ἁγίων χοροῦ κορυφαῖον ὄντα καὶ προστάτην, καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης ἀπολαυσόμεθα τῆς γνησίας. Εἰ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ὢν, οὕτως ἠγάπα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ὡς αἱρέσεως οὔσης ἀναλῦσαι καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι, ἑλέσθαι ἐνταῦθα εἶναι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐκεῖ θερμότερον ἐπιδείξεται τὸ φίλτρον. Ἐγὼ καὶ τὴν Ῥώμην διὰ τοῦτο φιλῶ, ὅτι καὶ ζῶν αὐτοῖς ἔγραφε, καὶ οὕτως αὐτοὺς ἐφίλει, καὶ παρὼν αὐτοῖς διελέχθη, καὶ τὸν βίον ἐκεῖ κατέλυσε καὶ τὸ ἅγιον σῶμα κατέχουσι. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπίσημος ἡ πόλις ἐντεῦθεν μᾶλλον, ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων· καὶ καθάπερ σῶμα μέγα καὶ ἰσχυρὸν, ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχει δύο λάμποντας, τῶν ἁγίων τούτων τὰ σώματα. Οὐχ οὕτως ἐστὶν ὁ οὐρανὸς λαμπρὸς, ὅταν ἀφῇ τὰς ἀκτῖνας ὁ ἥλιος, ὡς ἡ Ῥωμαίων πόλις τὰς δύο ταύτας λαμπάδας πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀφιεῖσα. Ἐκεῖθεν ἁρπαγήσεται Παῦλος, ἐκεῖθεν Πέτρος. Ἐννοήσατε καὶ φρίξατε, οἷον ὄψεται θέαμα Ῥώμη, τὸν Παῦλον ἐξαίφνης ἀνιστάμενον ἀπὸ 63.847 τῆς θήκης ἐκείνης μετὰ Πέτρου, καὶ αἰρόμενον εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· οἷον ἀποστέλλει τῷ Χριστῷ δῶρον ἡ Ῥώμη, οἵους στεφάνους ἡ πόλις περίκειται δύο, οἵας χρυσᾶς ἁλύσεις διέζωσται, οἵας πηγάς. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα θαυμάζω τὴν πόλιν, οὐ διὰ τὸν χρυσὸν τὸν πολὺν, οὐ διὰ τοὺς κίονας, οὐ διὰ τὴν ἄλλην φαντασίαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς στύλους τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τούτους. Τίς μοι νῦν ἔδωκε περιχυθῆναι τῷ σώματι Παύλου, καὶ προσηλωθῆναι τῷ τάφῳ, καὶ τὴν κόνιν ἰδεῖν τοῦ σώματος ἐκείνου, τοῦ τὰ ὑστερήματα ἀναπληρώσαντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ τὰ στίγματα βαστάσαντος, τοῦ πανταχοῦ τὸ κήρυγμα κατασπείραντος; τὴν κόνιν τοῦ στόματος, δι' οὗ Χριστὸς ἐφθέγγετο, δι' οὗ ἐλάλει ἐναντίον βασιλέων, καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνετο, δι' οὗ Παῦλον ἐμάθομεν, δι' οὗ τὸν Παύλου ∆εσπότην; Οὐχ οὕτως ἡμῖν ἡ βροντὴ φοβερὰ, ὡς ἐκείνη τοῖς δαίμοσιν ἡ φωνή. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἀστραπὴ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ φανεῖσα καταπλήττει τοὺς ὁρῶντας, οὕτως ἡ Παύλου φωνὴ κατέπληττε τὸν διάβολον, καὶ καθάπερ σκηπτοῦ τις ἐμβολὴ, εἰς τὰς τούτου κατηνέχθη φάλαγγας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκ παρατάξεως ἵστατο πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἐδεδοίκει καὶ ἔτρεμεν, ὡς εἰ καὶ σκιὰν ἴδοι καὶ φωνῆς ἀκούσειε, πόῤῥωθεν δραπετεύειν. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἔφριττε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὴν φωνήν. Αὕτη δεδεμένον αὐτὸν ἦγεν, αὕτη τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐξεκάθηρεν, αὕτη νοσήματα ἔλυσε, κακίαν ἐξέβαλεν, ἀλήθειαν ἐπανήγαγε, τὸν Χριστὸν εἶχεν ἐγκαθήμενον, καὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ πανταχοῦ προῄει· καὶ ὅπερ τὰ Χερουβὶμ, τοῦτο ἡ Παύλου φωνή. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν δυνάμεων ἐκείνων ἐκάθητο, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ Παύλου γλώττης. Καὶ γὰρ ἀξία τοῦ δέξασθαι τὸν Χριστὸν ἐγένετο ἐκεῖνα φθεγγομένη, ἃ τῷ Χριστῷ φίλα ἦν, καὶ πρὸς ὕψος ἄφατον ἱπταμένη, καθάπερ τὰ Σεραφίμ. Οὐ τοῦ στόματος δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς καρδίας ἐκείνης ἐβουλόμην τὴν κόνιν ἰδεῖν, ἣν οὐκ ἄν τις