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What good things? For here, by saying, "You have received," and not, "you took," he shows that both suffered according to what was due, the one being in prosperity, the other in adversity; and he says, Therefore he is here 63.868 comforted; for you see him pure from sins; and you are in torment. Let us not then be distressed, when we see sinners faring well here, but when we ourselves suffer evil, let us rejoice; for the matter is an expiation of sins. Let us not seek rest; for Christ promised affliction to His disciples. And Paul says: All who desire to live godly in Christ shall be persecuted. No noble athlete in the wrestling arena seeks for baths, and a table full of food and wine; this is not of an athlete, but of a sluggard. For the athlete fights with dust, with oil, with the heat of the sun's rays, with much sweat, with affliction and hardship. This is the time for contest and for boxing; therefore also for receiving wounds and for being bloodied and for being in pain. Hear what the blessed Paul says: So I box, as not beating the air. Let us consider our whole life to be a contest, and we will never seek rest, nor, when afflicted, will we feel it strange; just as a boxer, when he is in a contest, does not feel it strange. The time for rest is another. We must be made perfect through affliction. Even if there is no persecution, nor affliction, yet there are other afflictions, which occur every day; and if we do not bear these, we would hardly bear those. No temptation has overtaken you, he says, except such as is common to man. Let us therefore pray to God not to enter into temptation; but having entered, let us bear it nobly. For the one is of prudent men, not to cast themselves into dangers, the other of noble and philosophic men. Therefore, let us neither cast ourselves into them without cause, for that is rashness; nor, when led and when circumstances call, let us give in, for that is cowardice; but if the proclamation calls, let us not refuse; but without cause, there being no reason nor need, nor any necessity according to godliness calling, let us not run to it; for the thing is a display, and a superfluous ambition; but if anything happens that harms godliness, even if we must endure ten thousand deaths, let us refuse nothing. Do not invite temptations, when matters of godliness are proceeding for you as you wish. Why do you draw on superfluous dangers that have no profit? These things I say, wishing 63.869 you to keep the laws of Christ, who commands to pray not to enter into temptation, and commands to take up the cross and follow Him. For these are not contrary, but are very much in harmony. For be you so prepared, like a noble soldier in his armor, be continually sober, watchful, always expecting the enemy. Do not, however, create wars; for this is not of a soldier, but of a seditionist. But if the trumpet of godliness calls, go forth immediately, and despise your life, and enter into the contests with much eagerness; break the phalanx of the enemies, smite the face of the devil, set up the trophy. But if godliness is in no way harmed, nor are any of our doctrines being destroyed, I speak concerning the soul, nor is anyone forcing us to do anything that is not pleasing to God, do not be officious. The life of a Christian must be full of blood; of blood, not in shedding another's, but in being ready to shed one's own. With such eagerness, therefore, let us shed our own blood, when it is for Christ, with as much as one would pour out water; for blood is the water flowing around the body; and with such ease let us put off the body, as one would a garment. And this will be, if we are not bound to money, if not to houses, if not to affection, if we are detached from all things. For if those who live this military life renounce all things, and wherever the war calls, there they present themselves and journey, and endure all things with eagerness; much more should we, the soldiers of Christ, so prepare and draw ourselves up for the war against the passions. There is no persecution now, may there never be; but another

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Ποῖα ἀγαθά; Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ τὸ, Ἀπέλαβες, ἀλλὰ μὴ,ἔλαβες, εἰπὼν, δείκνυσι κατὰ ὀφειλὴν ἑκατέρους παθόντας, καὶ τὸν μὲν ἐν εὐπραγίᾳ, τὸν δὲ ἐν δυσπραγίᾳ γενόμενον· καί φησι, ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὗτος ἐνταῦθα 63.868 παρακαλεῖται· ὁρᾷς γὰρ αὐτὸν καθαρὸν ἁμαρτημάτων· καὶ σὺ ὀδυνᾶσαι. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀλύωμεν, ὅταν εὐπαθοῦντας ὁρῶμεν ἐνταῦθα τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς, ἀλλ' ὅταν κακῶς πάσχωμεν, αὐτοὶ χαίρωμεν· ἁμαρτιῶν γάρ ἐστι τὸ πρᾶγμα ἔκτισις. Μὴ ζητῶμεν ἄνεσιν· θλῖψιν γὰρ ἐπηγγείλατο τοῖς αὐτοῦ μαθηταῖς ὁ Χριστός. Καί φησιν ὁ Παῦλος· Πάντες οἱ θέλοντες εὐσεβῶς ζῇν ἐν Χριστῷ, διωχθήσονται. Οὐδεὶς γενναῖος ἀθλητὴς ἐν τῷ σκάμματι λουτρὰ ἐπιζητεῖ, καὶ τράπεζαν πλήθουσαν σιτίοις καὶ οἴνῳ· τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστιν ἀθλητοῦ, ἀλλὰ βλακός. Ὁ γὰρ ἀθλητὴς μάχεται κόνει, ἐλαίῳ, ἀκτῖνος θερμότητι, ἱδρῶτι πολλῷ, θλίψει καὶ στενοχωρίᾳ. Ἀγῶνος οὗτός ἐστι καὶ τοῦ πυκτεύειν ὁ καιρός· οὐκοῦν καὶ τοῦ τραύματα λαμβάνειν καὶ αἱμάττεσθαι καὶ ἀλγεῖν. Ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος· Οὕτω πυκτεύω, ὡς οὐκ ἀέρα δέρων. Πάντα τὸν βίον ἐναγώνιον εἶναι νομίσωμεν, καὶ οὐδέποτε ἄνεσιν ζητήσομεν, οὐδέποτε θλιβόμενοι ξενοπαθήσομεν· εἴπερ μηδὲ πύκτης, ὅτε ἐν ἀγῶνί ἐστι, ξενοπαθεῖ. Ἕτερός ἐστιν ὁ τῆς ἀνέσεως καιρός. ∆ιὰ θλίψεως ἡμᾶς τελειωθῆναι δεῖ. Εἰ καὶ μὴ διωγμός ἐστι, μηδὲ θλῖψις, ἀλλ' εἰσὶν ἕτεραι θλίψεις, αἱ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν συμπίπτουσαι· εἰ δὲ ταύτας οὐ φέρομεν, σχολῇ γε ἐκείνας ἐνέγκαιμεν ἄν. Πειρασμὸς ὑμᾶς οὐκ εἴληφε, φησὶν, εἰ μὴ ἀνθρώπινος. Εὐχώμεθα μὲν οὖν τῷ Θεῷ μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμόν· εἰσελθόντες δὲ φέρωμεν γενναίως. Ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ σωφρόνων ἀνδρῶν, τὸ μὴ κινδύνοις ἐπιῤῥίπτειν ἑαυτοὺς, τοῦτο δὲ γενναίων καὶ φιλοσόφων. Μήτε οὖν ἐπιῤῥίπτωμεν ἑαυτοὺς ἁπλῶς, θρασύτητος γάρ· μήτε ἀγόμενοι καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων καλούντων ἐνδιδῶμεν, δειλίας γάρ· ἀλλ' ἐὰν μὲν τὸ κήρυγμα καλῇ, μὴ παραιτώμεθα· ἁπλῶς δὲ, αἰτίας μὴ οὔσης μήτε χρείας, μήτε ἀνάγκης τῆς κατὰ θεοσέβειαν καλούσης, μὴ ἐπιτρέχωμεν· ἐπίδειξις γάρ ἐστι τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ φιλοτιμία περιττή· ἐὰν δέ τι τῶν τὴν εὐσέβειαν παραβλαπτόντων γίνηται, κἂν μυρίους ὑποστῆναι θανάτους δέῃ, μὴ παραιτώμεθα μηδέν. Μὴ προσκαλοῦ τοὺς πειρασμοὺς, ὅταν σοι τὰ κατὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν προχωρῇ, ὡς ποθεῖς. Τί περιττοὺς ἐπισπᾶσαι κινδύνους οὐδὲν κέρδος ἔχοντας; Ταῦτα λέγω, βουλόμενος 63.869 ὑμᾶς φυλάττειν τοὺς νόμους τοῦ Χριστοῦ κελεύοντος εὔχεσθαι μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμὸν, καὶ κελεύοντος τὸν σταυρὸν λαβόντας ἀκολουθεῖν αὐτῷ. Ταῦτα γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐναντία, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα συνᾴδοντα. Σὺ μὲν γὰρ οὕτω παρεσκεύασο, ὡς στρατιώτης γενναῖος ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις, ἔσο διηνεκῶς νήφων, ἐγρηγορὼς, ἀεὶ τὸν πολέμιον προσδοκῶν. Πολέμους μέντοι μὴ τίκτε· τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι στρατιώτου, ἀλλὰ στασιαστοῦ. Ἐὰν δὲ ἡ τῆς εὐσεβείας σάλπιγξ καλῇ, εὐθέως ἔξιθι, καὶ καταφρόνησον τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ ἔμβηθι μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς προθυμίας εἰς τοὺς ἀγῶνας· ῥῆξον τὴν φάλαγγα τῶν ἐναντίων, σύγκοψον τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ διαβόλου, στῆσον τὸ τρόπαιον. Ἐὰν δὲ μηδὲν ἡ εὐσέβεια παραβλάπτηται, μήτε πορθῇ τις τὰ ἡμέτερα δόγματα, κατὰ τὴν ψυχὴν λέγω, μηδὲ ἀναγκάζῃ τι ποιεῖν τῶν μὴ δοκούντων τῷ Θεῷ, μὴ περιττὸς ἔσο. Αἱμάτων δεῖ γέμειν τὸν τοῦ Χριστιανοῦ βίον· αἱμάτων, οὐκ ἐν τῷ τὰ ἀλλότρια ἐκχεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ ἕτοιμον εἶναι τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἐκχεῖν. Μετὰ τοσαύτης τοίνυν προθυμίας τὸ αἷμα ἐκχέωμεν τὸ ἴδιον, ὅταν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ τοῦτο ᾖ, μεθ' ὅσης ἂν ὕδωρ τις ἐκχέοι· καὶ γὰρ ὕδωρ ἐστὶ τὸ αἷμα περιῤῥέον τὸ σῶμα· καὶ μετὰ τοσαύτης εὐκολίας τὸ σῶμα ἀποδυώμεθα, μεθ' ὅσης ἂν καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον. Τοῦτο δὲ ἔσται, ἐὰν μὴ χρήμασιν ὦμεν προσδεδεμένοι, ἐὰν μὴ οἰκίαις, ἐὰν μὴ προσπαθείᾳ, ἂν μὴ πάντων ὦμεν ἀπηρτημένοι. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ τὸν στρατιωτικὸν τοῦτον βίον ζῶντες πᾶσιν ἀποτάσσονται, καὶ ἔνθα ἂν ὁ πόλεμος καλῇ, ἐκεῖ παραγίνονται καὶ ὁδοιποροῦσι, καὶ πάντα μετὰ προθυμίας ὑπομένουσι· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς τοὺς τοῦ Χριστοῦ στρατιώτας οὕτω παρασκευάζεσθαι χρὴ καὶ παρατάττεσθαι πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον τῶν παθῶν. Οὐκ ἔστι διωγμὸς νῦν, μηδὲ γένοιτο γενέσθαι ποτέ· ἀλλ' ἕτερος