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being strained. For such is wickedness; even if it should ascend to the scepters themselves, and stand near those wearing diadems, it is more worthless and more cowardly than all things, and it resembles some tumult and disturbance, and a raging sea, even if it be clothed with ten thousand powers; just as, then, virtue is the opposite. For even if it is in extreme poverty, even in the prison itself, it is more splendid than those who reign, and enjoys great security, and it sits in a calm and waveless harbor, not only suffering nothing from the wicked, but also being able to defend itself against them in silence, and exacting the ultimate penalty from wickedness. For what could be more wretched than a man living in wickedness, when, in addition to being enslaved to money, he is also stung by the successes of others, and considers the good reputation of others to be his own punishment, and exacts punishment from himself, lacerating his own conscience, straining his own mind, becoming his own executioner? Did you see the surpassing power of virtue? Did you see the weakness and wretchedness of wickedness? But his misfortunes do not stand in this alone, but in many other things as well; which he himself also indicating, added, saying: The desire of sinners shall perish. What is, The desire of sinners shall perish? It stands nowhere, he says. For since his desires are such, fleeting and passing by, the desire also imitates the things, being extinguished and perishing, and having no root. But if such are the things of the sinner here, consider how great they are in the age to come. In order, then, that we may not suffer these things, let us flee this way, and choose that one, and let us walk continually the safe way, the unconquerable, the one full of pleasure, the one filled with glory, the one procuring heaven for us, the one providing us with God's goodwill in all things, the one preparing us to be philosophers, the one having so many good things, that speech cannot even describe; of which may it be granted to us all to attain by the grace and loving-kindness .....

ON THE 112TH PSALM. Praise, O servants, the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.

1. Much is said in the Scriptures of these praises; 55.300 for it is not a trivial matter, but a sacrifice and an offering pleasing to God; For a sacrifice of praise, He says, will glorify Me. And again: I will praise the name of my God with a song, I will magnify Him with praise; and it will please God more than a young bull, putting forth horns and hoofs. And in many places the sacred Books also exhort, and those who are being saved offer this instead of great thanksgivings. And what difficulty does this have? he says; and for whom is it not easy, even for ordinary people, to accomplish this, and to praise God? If you would learn accurately, you will see both the labor in the matter, and the profit from it. For first, such a hymn is also sought from the righteous, and one must first live uprightly, and so sing hymns to God. For praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner. And second, that it is possible to praise not only through words, but also through deeds, and God especially seeks this praise, this glory. For, He says, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Thus the Cherubim praise. For this reason also the prophet, hearing that mystical melody, calls himself wretched, saying: Woe is me, for I am a man, and having unclean lips, I dwell in the midst of a people having unclean lips. For this reason also, exhorting to offer up praises, he begins with the powers above, saying thus: Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him, all His

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κατατεινόμενον. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ κακία· κἂν εἰς αὐτὰ ἀναβῇ τὰ σκῆπτρα, καὶ ἐγγὺς τῶν τὰ διαδήματα περικειμένων στῇ, πάντων εὐτελεστέρα καὶ δειλοτέρα, καὶ θορύβῳ τινὶ καὶ ταραχῇ ἔοικε, καὶ θαλάττῃ μαινομένῃ, κἂν μυρίαν ᾖ περιβεβλημένη δυναστείαν· ὥσπερ οὖν ἡ ἀρετὴ τοὐναντίον. Κἂν γὰρ εἰς ἐσχάτην ᾖ πενίαν, κἂν παρ' αὐτῷ τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ, τῶν βασιλευόντων ἐστὶ λαμπροτέρα, καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύει τῆς ἀδείας, καὶ ἐν γαλήνῃ κάθηται καὶ ἀκυμάντῳ λιμένι, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν πάσχουσα παρὰ τῶν πονηρῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ σιγᾷν ἀμύνασθαι αὐτοὺς δυναμένη, καὶ τὴν ἐσχάτην τῆς πονηρίας ἀπαιτοῦσα δίκην. Τί γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο ἀνθρώπου ἀθλιώτερον τοῦ ἐν πονηρίᾳ ζῶντος, ὅταν πρὸς τῷ δουλεύειν τοῖς χρήμασι καὶ τοῖς ἑτέρων κατορθώμασι δάκνηται, καὶ τὴν ἑτέρων εὐδοκίμησιν οἰκείαν ἡγῆται τιμωρίαν εἶναι, καὶ δίκην αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἀπαιτῇ, καταξαίνων ἑαυτοῦ τὸ συνειδὸς, κατατείνων ἑαυτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν, δήμιος αὐτὸς ἑαυτοῦ γινόμενος; Εἶδες ἀρετῆς δύναμιν καθ' ὑπερβολήν; εἶδες κακίας ἀσθένειαν καὶ ἀθλιότητα; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ μόνῳ ἕστηκεν αὐτοῦ τὰ τῆς συμφορᾶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἑτέροις πλείοσιν· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς δηλῶν ἐπήγαγε, λέγων· Ἐπιθυμία ἁμαρτωλῶν ἀπολεῖται. Τί ἐστιν, Ἐπιθυμία ἁμαρτωλῶν ἀπολεῖται; Οὐδαμοῦ, φησὶν, ἵσταται. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὰ ἐπιθυμήματα αὐτοῦ τοιαῦτα ῥευστὰ καὶ παρατρέχοντα, καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία μιμεῖται τὰ πράγματα, σβεννυμένη καὶ ἀπολλυμένη, καὶ ῥίζαν οὐδεμίαν ἔχουσα. Εἰ δὲ ἐνταῦθα τοιαῦτα τὰ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ἐννόησον τὰ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι ἡλίκα. Ἵνα οὖν μὴ ταῦτα πάθωμεν, ταύτην φυγόντες τὴν ὁδὸν, ἐκείνην ἑλώμεθα, καὶ βαδίζωμεν διηνεκῶς τὴν ἀσφαλῆ, τὴν ἀχείρωτον, τὴν ἡδονῆς γέμουσαν, τὴν δόξης ἐμπεπλησμένην, τὴν οὐρανὸν ἡμῖν προξενοῦσαν, τὴν πρὸς πάντα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν εὔνοιαν ἡμῖν παρεχομένην, τὴν φιλοσοφεῖν παρασκευάζουσαν, τὴν τοσαῦτα ἔχουσαν ἀγαθὰ, ὅσα οὐδὲ λόγος παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ .....

ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΡΙΒʹ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ. Αἰνεῖτε, παῖδες, Κύριον, αἰνεῖτε τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου.

αʹ. Πολὺς ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς τῶν αἴνων τούτων ὁ λό 55.300 γος· οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸ τυχὸν πρᾶγμά ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ θυσία τις καὶ προσφορὰ ἀρέσκουσα τῷ Θεῷ· Θυσία γὰρ, φησὶν, αἰνέσεως δοξάσει με. Καὶ πάλιν· Αἰνέσω τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ μου μετ' ᾠδῆς, μεγαλυνῶ αὐτὸν ἐν αἰνέσει· καὶ ἀρέσει τῷ Θεῷ ὑπὲρ μόσχον νέον, κέρατα ἐκφέροντα καὶ ὁπλάς. Καὶ πολλαχοῦ καὶ αἱ ἱεραὶ Βίβλοι παρακελεύονται, καὶ οἱ σωζόμενοι ἀντὶ μεγάλων εὐχαριστηρίων τοῦτο προσφέρουσι. Καὶ ποίαν τοῦτο δυσκολίαν ἔχει; φησί· τίνι δὲ οὐ ῥᾴδιον καὶ τῶν τυχόντων αὐτὸ ἀνύειν, καὶ αἰνεῖν τὸν Θεόν; Ἂν ἀκριβῶς καταμάθῃς, ὄψει καὶ τὸν πόνον τὸν ἐν τῷ πράγματι, καὶ τὸ κέρδος τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ καὶ παρὰ δικαίων ὁ τοιοῦτος ἐπιζητεῖται ὕμνος, καὶ δεῖ πρότερον τὸν βίον κατορθοῦντα, οὕτως ᾄδειν ὕμνους τῷ Θεῷ. Οὐ γὰρ ὡραῖος αἶνος ἐν στόματι ἁμαρτωλοῦ. ∆εύτερον δὲ, ὅτι οὐχὶ διὰ ῥημάτων μόνον ἔστιν αἰνεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων, καὶ τοῦτον μάλιστα ἐπιζητεῖ ὁ Θεὸς τὸν αἶνον, ταύτην τὴν δόξαν. Λαμψάτω γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσι τὰ καλὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν, καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν Πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Οὕτως αἰνεῖ τὰ Χερουβίμ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἀκούσας τῆς μελῳδίας ἐκείνης τῆς μυστικῆς, ταλανίζει ἑαυτὸν, λέγων· Οἴ μοι, ὅτι ἄνθρωπος ὢν, καὶ ἀκάθαρτα χείλη ἔχων, ἐν μέσῳ λαοῦ ἀκάθαρτα χείλη ἔχοντος ἐγὼ οἰκῶ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ παρακελευόμενος αἴνους ἀναφέρειν, ἀπὸ τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων ἄρχεται λέγων οὕτως· Αἰνεῖτε τὸν Κύριον ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ