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to benefit those who are being discipled; wherefore he also said, But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. Who then will pray for us, since Paul has departed? These zealous followers of Paul, only let us render ourselves worthy of such advocacy, so that not only here may we hear the voice of Paul, but also having departed there we may be counted worthy to see the athlete of Christ; or rather, if we hear him here, we shall surely see him there also, even if not standing near, but we shall surely see him shining near the royal throne, where the Cherubim give glory, where the Seraphim fly. There we shall see Paul with Peter, being the leader and chief of the choir of the saints, and we shall enjoy his genuine love. For if while here he so loved men, that when he had the choice to depart and be with Christ, he chose to be here; how much more there will he show his affection more warmly. And I for this reason love Rome, although I have other reasons to praise it, both for its greatness, and for its antiquity, and for its beauty, and for its population, and for its power, and for its wealth, and for its successes in war; but setting aside all other things, for this I call it blessed, because while living he wrote to them, and so loved them, and being present he conversed with them, and there ended his life. Wherefore 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 lamps everywhere in the world. From there Paul will be caught up, from there Peter. Consider and shudder, what a sight Rome will see, Paul suddenly rising from that tomb with Peter, and being lifted up to meet the Lord; what a rose Rome sends to Christ, what two crowns the city wears, what golden chains she is girded with, what springs she has. For these things I admire the city, not for its much gold, not for its columns, not for its other splendor, but for these pillars of the Church. γʹ. Who will now grant me to embrace the body of Paul, and to be fastened to his tomb, and to see the dust of that body that filled up the sufferings of Christ, that bore the marks, 60.679 that sowed the preaching everywhere? the dust of that body, through which he ran everywhere the dust of the mouth, through which Christ spoke, and the light shone brighter than any lightning, and a voice leaped forth more terrible than any thunder to the demons, through which he spoke that blessed saying, saying; I could wish that I myself were accursed for my brethren; through which he spoke before kings and was not ashamed? through which we learned of Paul, through which of Paul's Master? Not so terrible to us is thunder, as that voice was to the demons. For if they shuddered at his garments, much more at his voice. This led them bound, this cleansed the world, this healed diseases, cast out wickedness, brought back truth, it had Christ dwelling in it, and with him it went everywhere, and what the Cherubim were, this was the voice of Paul. For as He was seated upon those powers, so also upon the tongue of Paul. For it became worthy to receive Christ, uttering only those things which were dear to Christ, and flying to an unspeakable height like the Seraphim. For what is higher than that voice which says, For I am persuaded, that neither angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, how many wings do you think this voice has? how many eyes? For this reason he said, For we are not ignorant of his devices; for this reason demons fled, hearing not only when he spoke, but also seeing his garment when he was far off. Of this one

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ὠφελεῖν τοὺς μαθητευομένους· διὸ καὶ ἔλεγεν, Ἡμεῖς δὲ τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ διακονίᾳ τοῦ λόγου προσκαρτερήσομεν. Τίς οὖν ἄρα καὶ ἡμῖν ἐπεύξεται, ἐπειδὴ Παῦλος ἀπῆλθεν; Οἱ Παύλου ζηλωταὶ οὗτοι, μόνον ἀξίους παράσχωμεν ἑαυτοὺς τῆς τοιαύτης συνηγορίας, ἵνα μὴ ἐνταῦθα μόνον ἀκούσωμεν τῆς Παύλου φωνῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκεῖ ἀπελθόντες ἰδεῖν καταξιωθῶμεν τὸν ἀθλητὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· μᾶλλον δὲ ἂν ἐνταῦθα ἀκούσωμεν, κἀκεῖ πάντως αὐτὸν ὀψόμεθα, εἰ καὶ μὴ πλησίον ἑστῶτες, ἀλλ' ὀψόμεθα πάντως ἐγγὺς τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ βασιλικοῦ λάμποντα, ἔνθα τὰ Χερουβὶμ δοξάζει, ἔνθα τὰ Σεραφὶμ πέταται. Ἐκεῖ Παῦλον ὀψόμεθα μετὰ Πέτρου, καὶ τοῦ τῶν ἁγίων χοροῦ κορυφαῖον ὄντα καὶ πρωτοστάτην, καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης ἀπολαύσομεν 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, καίτοι γε αὐτὴν καὶ ἑτέρωθεν ἔχων ἐπαινεῖν, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ μεγέθους, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχαιότητος, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ κάλλους, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθους, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς δυναστείας, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πλούτου, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν κατορθωμάτων τῶν ἐν πολέμῳ· ἀλλὰ πάντα τὰ ἄλλα ἀφεὶς, διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὴν μακαρίζω, ὅτι καὶ ζῶν αὐτοῖς ἔγραφε, καὶ οὕτως αὐτοὺς ἐφίλει, καὶ παρὼν αὐτοῖς διελέχθη, καὶ τὸν βίον ἐκεῖ κατέλυσε. ∆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 τῆς θήκης ἐκείνης μετὰ Πέτρου, καὶ αἰρόμενον εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ Κυρίου· οἷον ἀποστέλλει τῷ Χριστῷ ῥόδον ἡ Ῥώμη, οἵους στεφάνους ἡ πόλις περίκειται δύο, οἵας χρυσᾶς ἁλύσεις διέζωσται, οἵας ἔχει 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. γʹ. 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, 60.679 τοῦ πανταχοῦ τὸ κήρυγμα κατασπείραντος; τὴν κόνιν ἐκείνου τοῦ σώματος, δι' οὗ πανταχοῦ διέδραμε τὴν κόνιν τοῦ στόματος, δι' οὗ Χριστὸς ἐφθέγγετο, καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐξέλαμψε τὸ πάσης ἀστραπῆς λαμπρότερον, καὶ φωνὴ ἐξεπήδησε πάσης βροντῆς φοβερωτέρα τοῖς δαίμοσι, δι' οὗ τὸ μακάριον ἐκεῖνο ἐφθέγξατο ῥῆμα λέγων· Ηὐχόμην ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου; δι' οὗ ἐλάλει ἐναντίον βασιλέων, καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνετο; δι' οὗ Παῦλον ἐμάθομεν, δι' οὗ τὸν Παύλου ∆εσπότην; Οὐχ οὕτως ἡμῖν ἡ βροντὴ φοβερὸν, ὡς ἐκείνη τοῖς δαίμοσιν ἡ φωνή. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἔφριττον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὴν φωνήν. Αὕτη δεδεμένους αὐτοὺς ἤγαγεν, αὕτη τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐξεκάθηρεν, αὕτη τὰ νοσήματα ἔλυσε, κακίαν ἐξέβαλεν, ἀλήθειαν ἐπανήγαγε, τὸν Χριστὸν εἶχεν ἐγκαθήμενον, καὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ πανταχοῦ προῄει, καὶ ὅπερ ἦν 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 μόνον, ἃ τῷ Χριστῷ φίλα ἦν, καὶ πρὸς ὕψος ἄφατον ἱπταμένη καθάπερ τὰ Σεραφίμ. Τί γὰρ ὑψηλότερον τῆς φωνῆς ἐκείνης τῆς λεγούσης, ὅτι Πέπεισμαι, ὅτι οὔτε ἄγγελοι, οὔτε ἀρχαὶ, οὔτε δυνάμεις, οὔτε ἐνεστῶτα, οὔτε μέλλοντα, οὔτε ὕψωμα, οὔτε βάθος, οὔτε τις κτίσις ἑτέρα δυνήσεται ἡμᾶς χωρίσαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, πόσας δοκεῖ σοι πτέρυγας ἔχειν αὕτη ἡ φωνή; πόσους ὀφθαλμούς; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν· Οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ νοήματα ἀγνοοῦμεν· διὰ τοῦτο ἔφευγον δαίμονες, οὐχὶ φθεγγομένου μόνον ἀκούοντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ πόῤῥωθεν ὄντος ἱμάτιον ὁρῶντες. Τούτου