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he spent his whole life on this, and from this he begins, and in this he ends; and this was his work always, to offer thanksgiving both for the things done for him and for the benefits to others. For God seeks nothing so much as this; this is sacrifice, this is an offering, this is a sign of a grateful soul, this is a blow against the devil; from this the blessed Job was crowned and proclaimed victor, because when ten thousand temptations were brought upon him, and his wife was trying to trip him up, he was not turned aside, but remained giving thanks to the Master for all things, not when he was rich, but also when he became poor; not when he was healthy, but also when he was afflicted in the flesh; not when his affairs were going smoothly, but also when that harsh winter descended upon his whole household, and upon the very nature of his body. For this is especially the mark of a thank 55.280 ful mind, in afflictions and in days of misfortune to acknowledge great gratitude to God, and to remain always giving thanks; which indeed he himself, hinting at, made clear through the following words. For since many men give thanks when they are in good cheer, but are discontented when they suffer the opposite; and there are some who even find fault with what happens; showing that this happens not because of the nature of the events, but because of a perverse mind, he added, saying: In the council of the upright and in the congregation, great are the works of the Lord. He said this to show that there is need of an incorruptible judge and an uncorrupted assembly, and the works of God will be manifest, that they are great, that they are full of much wonder. For they are indeed great in themselves, but they are not shown to be great, unless they have an upright judge. Since the sun is also bright and clear in itself, and illuminates the whole world, but to those who are sick in their sight it is not so. But the fault is not the sun's, but the defect is of their weakness. Therefore when you see someone accusing the works of God, do not slander the works on account of his wickedness, but take from the providence of God the greatest proof of that man's folly. For just as the one who calls the sun dark has not slandered the star, but has brought forth a clear proof of his own blindness; and the one who names honey bitter has not overshadowed its sweetness, but has established the verdict of accusation against his own sickness; so indeed also is the one who finds fault with the works of God. And just as this man does not harm those things, nor the opinion about them, but brings forth the greatest accusation of his own folly; so indeed also concerning the works of God, those who do not have right judgment do not even know the wonders that have happened; whereas if someone should have an incorruptible and not a perverse soul, he will be astonished at each of even the things that seem to be difficult. For what of the things that happen is not wonderful, tell me? And if you wish, passing over all other things, let us come to the things that seem to many to be grievous and burdensome, death, sickness, poverty, and such things. For if someone should have an upright heart, he will greatly approve and marvel at these things too. For even if death entered through sin, nevertheless so great is the abundance of God, and His love for mankind, and the excess of His care, that He has used even this for the benefit of our race. For what, tell me, does death have that is burdensome? Is it not a release from toils? a dissolution of cares? Do you not hear Job praising it, and saying: Death is a rest to a man whose way is hidden? Is it not a cutting off of wickedness? For if someone is wicked, the things of his wickedness are cut off when he dies; For he who has died has been justified from sin, that is, he no longer adds sin; and if, being good, he departs, all his virtue will lie in safety for him, and in an inviolable treasury. And the living, tell me, does it not make them more sober-minded and more gentle? Do you not see that often in

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ἅπαντα τὸν βίον εἰς τοῦτο ἀνήλισκεν, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν προοιμιάζεται, καὶ εἰς τοῦτο καταλήγει· καὶ τοῦτο ἦν ἔργον αὐτοῦ διαπαντὸς, τὸ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν γενομένων, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν εἰς ἄλλους εὐεργεσιῶν τὴν εὐχαριστίαν ἀναφέρειν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ὁ Θεὸς ὡς τοῦτο ἐπιζητεῖ· τοῦτο θυσία, τοῦτο προσφορὰ, τοῦτο ψυχῆς εὐγνώμονος σημεῖον, τοῦτο πληγὴ κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου· ἐντεῦθεν ὁ μακάριος Ἰὼβ ἐστεφανοῦτο καὶ ἀνεκηρύττετο, ὅτι μυρίων πειρασμῶν ἐπενεχθέντων αὐτῷ, καὶ τῆς γυναικὸς ὑποσκελιζούσης, οὐ περιετράπη, ἀλλ' ἔμενεν εὐχαριστῶν τῷ ∆εσπότῃ περὶ πάντων, οὐχ ἡνίκα ἐπλούτει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡνίκα πένης ἐγένετο· οὐχ ἡνίκα ὑγίαινεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡνίκα ἐπλήγη τὴν σάρκα· οὐχ ὅτε κατὰ ῥοῦν αὐτῷ τὰ πράγματα ἐφέρετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅτε χαλεπὸς ἐκεῖνος ὁ χειμὼν κατέσκηψεν εἰς πᾶσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν, καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν τοῦ σώματος τὴν φύσιν. Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστα εὐχα 55.280 ρίστου γνώμης ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσι καὶ ταῖς δυσημερίαις πολλὴν εἰδέναι τῷ Θεῷ τὴν χάριν, καὶ διαπαντὸς μένειν εὐχαριστοῦντα· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς αἰνιττόμενος διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς ἐδήλωσεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐν εὐθυμίᾳ μὲν ὄντες εὐχαριστοῦσι, τὰ ἐναντία δὲ πάσχοντες δυσχεραίνουσιν· εἰσὶ δὲ οἳ καὶ τῶν γινομένων ἐπιλαμβάνονται· δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐ παρὰ τὴν φύσιν τῶν συμβαινόντων, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν διεστραμμένην γνώμην τοῦτο γίνεται, ἐπήγαγε λέγων· Ἐν βουλῇ εὐθέων καὶ συναγωγῇ μεγάλα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου. Τοῦτο εἶπε δεικνὺς, ὅτι δικαστοῦ χρεία ἀδεκάστου καὶ συλλόγου μὴ διεφθαρμένου, καὶ δῆλα ἔσται τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι μέγαλα, ὅτι πολλοῦ θαύματος ἀνάμεστα. Ἔστι μὲν γὰρ καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὰ μεγάλα, οὐ δείκνυται δὲ μεγάλα, ἐὰν μὴ κριτὴν ὀρθὸν ἔχῃ. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ ἥλιος καθ' ἑαυτὸν φαιδρὸς καὶ διαυγὴς, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην διαλάμπει πᾶσαν ἀλλὰ τοῖς κατὰ ὄψεις νοσοῦσιν οὐκ ἔστι τοιοῦτος. Ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦ ἡλίου τὸ ἔγκλημα, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀσθενείας τὸ ἐλάττωμα. Ὅταν τοίνυν ἴδῃς τινὰ κατηγοροῦντα τῶν ἔργων Θεοῦ, μὴ τὰ ἔργα διάβαλλε διὰ τὴν ἐκείνου κακίαν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐκείνου ἀνοίας λάμβανε μέγιστον δεῖγμα ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ τὸν ἥλιον λέγων σκοτεινὸν, οὐ τὸ ἄστρον διέβαλεν, ἀλλὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ πηρώσεως ἐξήνεγκεν ἔλεγχον ἀκριβῆ· καὶ ὁ τὸ μέλι πικρὸν ὀνομάζων, οὐ τὴν γλυκύτητα τὴν ἐκείνου συνεσκίασεν, ἀλλὰ τῆς νόσου τῆς ἑαυτοῦ κατηγορίας συνεστήσατο τὴν ψῆφον· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ τῶν ἔργων τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπιλαμβανόμενος. Καὶ ὥσπερ οὗτος ἐκεῖνα μὲν οὐ λυμαίνεται, οὐδὲ τὴν περὶ αὐτῶν ὑπόληψιν, τῆς δὲ ἀνοίας τῆς ἑαυτοῦ μεγίστην ἐκφέρει κατηγορίαν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἔργων τοῦ Θεοῦ οἱ μὴ κρίσιν ὀρθὴν ἔχοντες, οὐκ ἴσασιν οὐδὲ τὰ θαύματα τὰ γενόμενα· ὡς εἴ τις ἀδέκαστον ἔχοι ψυχὴν καὶ μὴ διεστραμμένην, ἕκαστον καὶ τῶν δοκούντων εἶναι δυσχερῶν ἐκπλαγήσεται. Τί γὰρ οὐ θαυμαστὸν, εἰπέ μοι, τῶν γινομένων; Καὶ εἰ βούλει, παραδραμόντες τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ἔλθωμεν ἐπὶ τὰ δοκοῦντα εἶναι τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐπαχθῆ καὶ φορτικὰ, τὸν θάνατον, τὴν νόσον, τὴν πενίαν, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα. Εἰ γάρ τις εὐθεῖαν ἔχοι καρδίαν, καὶ ταῦτα σφόδρα ἀποδέξεται καὶ θαυμάσεται. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐξ ἁμαρτίας εἰσῆλθεν ὁ θάνατος, ἀλλ' ὅμως τοσαύτη τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ περιουσία, καὶ ἡ φιλανθρωπία, καὶ τῆς κηδεμονίας ἡ ὑπερβολὴ, ὡς καὶ τούτῳ εἰς δέον χρήσασθαι τῷ γένει τῷ ἡμετέρῳ. Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, βαρὺ ὁ θάνατος ἔχει; Οὐκ ἀπαλλαγὴ πόνων ἐστίν; οὐ λύσις φροντίδων; Οὐκ ἀκούεις τοῦ Ἰὼβ αὐτὸν ἐγκωμιάζοντος, καὶ λέγοντος· Θάνατος ἀνδρὶ ἀνάπαυσις, οὗ ἡ ὁδὸς ἀπεκρύβη; Οὐκ ἐκκοπὴ κακίας; Ἄν τε γὰρ πονηρὸς ᾖ τις, διεκόπη τὰ τῆς κακίας αὐτοῦ τελευτήσαντος· Ὁ γὰρ ἀποθανὼν δεδικαίωται ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τουτέστιν, οὐκέτι προστίθησιν ἁμαρτίαν· ἄν τε ἀγαθὸς ὢν ἀπέλθῃ, ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ κείσεται τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς αὐτῷ πάντα, καὶ ἐν ἀσύλῳ θησαυρῷ. Τοὺς δὲ ζῶντας, εἰπέ μοι, οὐ ποιεῖ σωφρονεστέρους καὶ ἐπιεικεστέρους; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅτι πολλάκις ἐν