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devising every kind of seasoning, and gathering various kinds of cooks from everywhere, and enlisting sailors and pilots and rowers, so that they might bring some foreign kinds of both wine and perfumes and other follies, and plunge themselves into the very abyss, and become lower than all. For to need more things does not usually make one exalted, nor to be in need of few things make one lowly. And if you wish, let us fashion an image of both, and let there be someone having many who provide from everywhere, and sailors and pilots, and artisans and servants, and weavers and embroiderers, and cowherds and shepherds, and stable-keepers and horse-grooms, and let him have great service in all things; but let another enjoy none of these things, but only bread and water and a simple garment; who among these is the exalted? And who is the lowly? Is it not quite clear that it is the one who has only the garment? For this one will be able to look down even on the king himself; but that one is a slave to all who provide these things, bowing down, flattering, serving all, fearing lest someone, abandoning him, might harm him in vital matters; for nothing so makes one a slave, as to need many things; just as, then, nothing makes one so free, as to be in need of only what is necessary. This one might see even in the case of 55.279 irrational animals. For what is the benefit to a donkey weighed down by a great size of burdens, even if he enjoys them ten thousand times? And what is the harm to another, freed from all these things, if he enjoys the necessary food? For this reason Christ also, making His disciples exalted, since they were about to discourse with the whole inhabited world, freed them from all cares, making them winged, and stronger than adamant. For nothing so instills strength in a soul, as to have been freed from these things; nothing makes one so weak, as to be entangled in them. For just as it is not possible to find grief here quickly, so there pleasure. For the one has many masters and mistresses, some savage and inhuman; but the other serves no one, but rules all, with much fearlessness, and enjoying the sunbeam, and delighting in the air, and having no one to disturb him. No anger tears this one, no envy, no malice, no cares waste him away, no jealousies, no vainglory, no pride, nor anything else of such things; but just like some fair-weathered harbor freed from waves, so are the affairs of his soul disposed, and he journeys easily toward heaven, being held back by none of the present things. In order, then, that we too may enjoy this fearlessness, and the cheerfulness in the present life, and the ease in our departure, let us pursue this life, so that we may also enjoy the eternal good things, which surpass all reason, and mind, and thought, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory and the power, for ever and ever. Amen. ON PSALM 110. I will give thanks to you, Lord, with my whole heart. 1. What is, With my whole? With all eagerness, intently, freed from the cares of life, and having become uplifted, and having released the soul from the bonds of the body. In heart. Not simply in words, nor in tongue and mouth only, but also with the mind. Thus also Moses, giving the law, said: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your mind. For here "confession" seems to me to mean "thanksgiving". I will sing praise, he says, I will give thanks. For indeed
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πᾶν εἶδος καρυκείας ἐπινοοῦντες, καὶ ποικίλα μαγείρων γένη πανταχόθεν συλλέγοντες, καὶ ναύτας καὶ κυβερνήτας καὶ κωπηλάτας καταλέγοντες, ἵνα ξένα τινὰ γένη καὶ οἴνου καὶ μύρων καὶ τῆς ἄλλης βλακείας κομίσωσι, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸ ἑαυτοὺς καταποντίσωσι τὸ βάραθρον, καὶ πάντων γένωνται ταπεινότεροι. Οὔτε γὰρ ὑψηλὸν εἴωθε ποιεῖν τὸ πλειόνων δεῖσθαι, οὔτε ταπεινὸν τὸ ὀλίγων εἶναι ἐν χρείᾳ. Καὶ εἰ βούλεσθε, ἑκατέρων τὴν εἰκόνα ἀναπλάσωμεν, καὶ ἔστω τις πολλοὺς ἔχων τοὺς πανταχόθεν χορηγοῦντας, καὶ ναύτας καὶ κυβερνήτας, καὶ χειροτέχνας καὶ οἰκέτας, καὶ ὑφάντας καὶ ποικιλτὰς, καὶ βουκόλους καὶ ποιμένας, καὶ ἱπποκόμους καὶ ἱπποφορβοὺς, καὶ πολλὴν ἐν ἅπασιν ἐχέτω τὴν θεραπείαν· ἕτερος δὲ μηδενὸς τούτων ἀπολαυέτω, ἀλλ' ἄρτου μόνου καὶ ὕδατος καὶ ἱματίου ψιλοῦ· τίς ἐν τούτοις ὁ ὑψηλός; τίς δὲ ὁ ταπεινός; Οὐκ εὔδηλον, ὅτι ὁ τὸ ἱμάτιον μόνον ἔχων; Οὗτος μὲν γὰρ καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ βασιλεύοντος καταφρονῆσαι δυνήσεται· ἐκεῖνος δὲ πάντων τῶν ταῦτα παρεχόντων δοῦλός ἐστιν, ὑποκύπτων, κολακεύων, θεραπεύων ἅπαντας, δεδοικὼς μή τις αὐτὸν καταλιπὼν εἰς τὰ καίρια βλάψῃ· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω ποιεῖ δοῦλον, ὡς τὸ πολλῶν δεῖσθαι· ὥσπερ οὖν ἐλεύθερον, ὡς τὸ τῆς χρείας εἶναι μόνης. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπ' 55.279 ἀλόγων ἴδοι τις ἄν. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος ὄνῳ βαλλομένῳ μεγέθει φορτίων, κἂν μυριάκις αὐτῶν ἀπολαύῃ; τί δὲ βλάβος ἑτέρῳ τούτων ἀπηλλαγμένῳ πάντων, ἂν τῆς ἀναγκαίας ἀπολαύῃ τροφῆς; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὑψηλοὺς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ κατασκευάζων μαθητὰς, ἅτε μέλλοντας τῇ οἰκουμένῃ διαλέξεσθαι πάσῃ, πασῶν αὐτοὺς ἀπήλλαξε φροντίδων, πτερωτοὺς ἐργαζόμενος, καὶ ἀδάμαντος εὐτονωτέρους. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἰσχὺν ἐντίθησι ψυχῇ, ὡς τὸ τούτων ἀπηλλάχθαι· οὐδὲν οὕτως ἀσθενῆ ποιεῖ, ὡς τὸ τούτοις ἐνέχεσθαι. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι λύπην εὑρεῖν ἐνταῦθα ταχέως, οὕτως ἐκεῖ ἡδονήν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πολλοὺς ἔχει δεσπότας καὶ δεσποίνας ἀνημέρους τινὰς καὶ ἀπανθρώπους· ὁ δὲ δουλεύει μὲν οὐδενὶ, κρατεῖ δὲ ἁπάντων, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀδείας, καὶ τῆς ἀκτῖνος ἀπολαύων, καὶ τῷ ἀέρι ἐντρυφῶν, καὶ τὸν διενοχλοῦντα οὐκ ἔχων. Οὐ θυμὸς σπαράσσει τοῦτον, οὐ φθόνος, οὐ βασκανία, οὐ φροντίδες τήκουσιν, οὐ ζηλοτυπίαι, οὐ κενοδοξία, οὐ τῦφος, οὐκ ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων οὐδέν· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τις λιμὴν εὐδιεινὸς κυμάτων ἀπηλλαγμένος, οὕτως αὐτῷ τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς διάκειται, καὶ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν εὐκόλως ὁδεύει, οὐδενὶ τῶν παρόντων κατεχόμενος. Ἵν' οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς ταύτης ἀπολαύωμεν τῆς ἀδείας, καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον εὐθυμίας, καὶ τῆς εὐκολίας τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἀποδημίαν, τοῦτον διώκωμεν τὸν βίον, ὥστε καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαῦσαι, τῶν ὑπερβαλλόντων ἅπαντα λόγον, καὶ νοῦν, καὶ διάνοιαν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΡΙʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ. Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι, Κύριε, ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ μου. αʹ. Τί ἐστιν, Ἐν ὅλῃ; Μετὰ προθυμίας ἁπάσης, συντεταμένως, ἀπαλλαγεὶς τῶν βιωτικῶν φροντίδων, καὶ μετάρσιος γενόμενος, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπολύσας τῶν δεσμῶν τοῦ σώματος. Ἐν καρδίᾳ. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐν ῥήμασι, οὐδὲ ἐν γλώττῃ καὶ στόματι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τῆς διανοίας. Οὕτω καὶ Μωϋσῆς νομοθετῶν ἔλεγεν· Ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου, καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας σου. Ἐνταῦθα γάρ μοι τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν τὴν εὐχαριστίαν δοκεῖ λέγειν. Ὑμνήσω, φησὶν, εὐχαριστήσω. Καὶ γὰρ