224

we shudder, consider what the devil will suffer seeing the weapon, through which Christ dissolved all his power, and cut off the head of the dragon. Therefore, be not ashamed of so great a good, so that Christ may not be ashamed of you, when he comes with his glory, and the sign appears before him shining more than the ray of the sun. For the cross will then appear, uttering a voice through its appearance, and defending the Master to the whole world, and showing that he omitted nothing of what was due to them. 63.850 This sign, even in the time of our ancestors, opened closed doors; this extinguished poisonous drugs, this dissolved the power of hemlock, this healed the bites of venomous beasts. For if it opened the gates of Hades, and unfolded the vaults of heaven and renewed the entrance to paradise, and cut the sinews of the devil, what wonder is it if it overcomes poisonous drugs and beasts and other such things? Therefore engrave this in your mind, and embrace the salvation of our souls. For this cross converted the world, drove out error, brought back the truth, made the earth heaven, made men angels. Because of this, demons are no longer fearful, but despicable, nor is death death, but sleep; because of this all things are cast to the ground, and the things that war against us have been trodden underfoot. If therefore someone says to you, Do you worship the Crucified One? say with a cheerful voice and a joyful face: I both worship, and I will never cease to worship; and if he should laugh, weep for him, because he is mad. Give thanks to the Master, because he has bestowed such benefits on us, which no one can learn without revelation from above. For this is why he laughs, because "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit." Since children also experience this, when they see something great and wonderful; and if you should bring a child into the mysteries, he will laugh. And the Greeks are like these children, or rather they are even more imperfect than these; therefore they are also more wretched, because not at an immature age, but in a mature one they experience the things of children; whence they are not even worthy of forgiveness. But we, shouting loudly and loftily with a clear voice, let us cry out and say, even if all the Greeks are present, let us say with greater boldness, that our boast is the cross, and the sum of all good things, and our confidence and the whole crown. I wished I were able to say with Paul, that "the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world," but I am not able, being held by various passions. Wherefore I exhort you too, and before you, myself, to be crucified to the world, and to have nothing in common with the earth, but to love the fatherland above, and the glory from there, and the eternal good things. For we are soldiers of a heavenly king and we have put on spiritual armor. Why then do we adopt the life of hucksters and charlatans, or rather of worms? For where the king is, there the soldier must also be. For we have become soldiers, not of those far off, but of those near. For a king on earth would not endure all to be in the palace, nor beside his flanks; but the King of heaven wants all to be near the royal throne. And how is it possible, he says, while being here, to stand beside that throne? Because Paul, while being on earth, where the Seraphim were, where the Cherubim were, was also closer to Christ, than these shield-bearers are to the king. For these often turn their eyes in many directions, but for him nothing appeared, nor distracted him, but his whole mind he kept fixed upon the King and Lord. So if we wish, this is also possible for us. For if he were separated by place, you would rightly be perplexed; but if he is present everywhere, to the one who is earnest and attentive he is near. For this reason the prophet also said, "I will fear 63.851 no evil, for you are with me." And God himself again: "I am a God at hand, and not from afar." Therefore, just as sins separate us from him, so also do righteous acts bring us together to

224

φρίττομεν, ἐννόησον τί πείσεται ὁ διάβολος τὸ ὅπλον ὁρῶν, δι' οὗ πᾶσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν ἔλυσεν ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ τὴν τοῦ δράκοντος ἀπέταμε κεφαλήν. Μὴ τοίνυν ἐπαισχυνθῇς τοσοῦτον ἀγαθὸν, ἵνα μή σε ἐπαισχυνθῇ ὁ Χριστὸς, ὅταν ἔρχηται μετὰ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ σημεῖον ἔμπροσθεν φαίνηται λάμπον ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀκτῖνα τοῦ ἡλίου. Καὶ γὰρ φανήσεται ὁ σταυρὸς τότε φωνὴν ἀφιεὶς διὰ τῆς ὄψεως, καὶ πρὸς τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν ἀπολογούμενος ὑπὲρ τοῦ ∆εσπότου, καὶ δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἐνέλιπε τῶν εἰς αὐτοὺς ἡκόντων. 63.850 Τοῦτο τὸ σημεῖον καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν προγόνων ἡμῶν θύρας ἀνέῳξε κεκλεισμένας· τοῦτο δηλητήρια ἔσβεσε φάρμακα, τοῦτο κωνείου δύναμιν ἐξέλυσε, τοῦτο θηρίων δήγματα ἰοβόλων ἰάσατο. Εἰ γὰρ ᾅδου πύλας ἀνέῳξε, καὶ οὐρανῶν ἁψῖδας ἀνεπέτασε καὶ παραδείσου εἴσοδον ἀνεκαίνισε, καὶ τοῦ διαβόλου τὰ νεῦρα ἐξέκοψε, τί θαυμαστὸν εἰ φαρμάκων δηλητηρίων καὶ θηρίων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τοιούτων περιγίνεται; Τοῦτον τοίνυν ἐγκόλαψον τῇ διανοίᾳ τῇ σῇ, καὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν περίπτυξαι τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν. Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ σταυρὸς τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπέστρεψε, τὴν πλάνην ἐξήλασε, τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπανήγαγε, τὴν γῆν οὐρανὸν ἐποίησε, τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀγγέλους εἰργάσατο. ∆ιὰ τοῦτον οἱ δαίμονες οὐκέτι φοβεροὶ, ἀλλ' εὐκαταφρόνητοι, οὐδὲ ὁ θάνατος θάνατος, ἀλλ' ὕπνος· διὰ τοῦτον πάντα ἔῤῥιπται χαμαὶ, καὶ πεπάτηται τὰ πολεμοῦντα ἡμῖν. Ἂν τοίνυν εἴπῃ σοί τις, Τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον προσκυνεῖς; εἰπὲ φαιδρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ καὶ γεγηθότι προσώπῳ· Καὶ προσκυνῶ, καὶ οὐ παύσομαί ποτε προσκυνῶν· κἂν γελάσηται, δάκρυσαι αὐτὸν, ὅτι μαίνεται. Εὐχαρίστησον τῷ ∆εσπότῃ, ὅτι τοιαῦτα ἡμᾶς εὐηργέτησεν, ἃ μηδὲ μαθεῖν δύναταί τις χωρὶς τῆς ἄνωθεν ἀποκαλύψεως. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ οὗτος γελᾷ, ὅτι Ὁ ψυχικὸς αὐτοῦ ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ παιδία τοῦτο πάσχει, ὅταν τι τῶν μεγάλων ἴδῃ καὶ θαυμαστῶν· κἂν εἰς μυστήρια παιδίον ἀγάγῃς, γελάσεται. Τούτοις δὴ καὶ οἱ Ἕλληνες ἐοίκασι τοῖς παιδίοις, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τούτων εἰσὶν ἀτελέστεροι· διὸ καὶ ἀθλιώτεροι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν ἀώρῳ ἡλικίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἐν τελείᾳ τὰ τῶν παιδίων πάσχουσιν· ὅθεν οὐδὲ συγγνώμης ἄξιοί εἰσιν. Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς λαμπρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ μέγα βοῶντες καὶ ὑψηλὸν, κράζωμεν καὶ λέγωμεν, κἂν πάντες παρῶσιν Ἕλληνες, μετὰ πλείονος τῆς παῤῥησίας εἴπωμεν, ὅτι Τὸ καύχημα ἡμῶν ὁ σταυρὸς, καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἁπάντων, καὶ ἡ παῤῥησία καὶ ὁ στέφανος ἅπας. Ἐβουλόμην δύνασθαι καὶ μετὰ Παύλου λέγειν, ὅτι Ἐμοὶ κόσμος ἐσταύρωται, κἀγὼ τῷ κόσμῳ, ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι, ποικίλοις πάθεσι κατεχόμενος. ∆ιὸ παραινῶ καὶ ὑμῖν καὶ πρό γε ὑμῶν ἐμαυτῷ σταυρωθῆναι τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ μηδὲν κοινὸν ἔχειν πρὸς τὴν γῆν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἄνω πατρίδος ἐρᾷν, καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖθεν δόξης, καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν. Καὶ γὰρ στρατιῶται βασιλέως ἐσμὲν οὐρανίου καὶ ὅπλα ἐνδεδύμεθα πνευματικά. Τί τοίνυν καπήλων καὶ ἀγυρτῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ σκωλήκων βίον μεταχειρίζομεν; ὅπου γὰρ βασιλεὺς, ἐκεῖ καὶ τὸν στρατιώτην εἶναι δεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ στρατιῶται γεγόναμεν, οὐ τῶν μακρὰν, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐγγύς. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ γῆς βασιλεὺς οὐκ ἂν ἀνάσχοιτο πάντας εἶναι ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις, οὐδὲ παρὰ τὰς αὐτοῦ πλευράς· ὁ δὲ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἅπαντας ἐγγὺς εἶναι βούλεται τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ βασιλικοῦ. Καὶ πῶς δυνατὸν ἐνταῦθα ὄντας, φησὶ, παρ' ἐκεῖνον ἑστάναι τὸν θρόνον; Ὅτι καὶ Παῦλος ἐπὶ γῆς ὢν, ὅπου τὰ Σεραφὶμ ἦν, ὅπου τὰ Χερουβὶμ, καὶ ἐγγυτέρω οὗτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἢ οὗτοι οἱ ἀσπιδηφόροι τοῦ βασιλέως. Οὗτοι μὲν γὰρ πολλαχοῦ τὰς ὄψεις πολλάκις περιφέρουσιν, ἐκεῖνον δὲ οὐδὲν ἐφάνταζεν, οὐδὲ περιεῖλκεν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν τὴν διάνοιαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ Κύριον τεταμένην εἶχεν. Ὥστε ἐὰν βουληθῶμεν, δυνατὸν καὶ ἡμῖν τοῦτο. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ τόπῳ διειστήκει, καλῶς ἂν ἠπόρεις· εἰ δὲ πανταχοῦ πάρεστι, τῷ σπουδάζοντι καὶ συντεταμένῳ πλησίον ἐστί. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγεν, Οὐ φοβηθή 63.851 σομαι κακὰ, ὅτι σὺ μετ' ἐμοῦ εἶ. Καὶ αὐτὸς πάλιν ὁ Θεός· Θεὸς ἐγγίζων ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ οὐ πόῤῥωθεν. Ὥσπερ οὖν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι διιστῶσιν ἡμᾶς αὐτοῦ, οὕτω καὶ αἱ δικαιοσύναι συνάγουσιν ἡμᾶς πρὸς