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death is a release from all the evils of life, and for those who have lived well, an agent of unceasing joy and of eternal delight and of the unwaning light. Nevertheless, before being separated from the body, I say to you, (392) behold the benefactions, behold the dispensations, learn of my gifts. I revealed myself and the Father to the world and I poured out richly my All-Holy Spirit upon all flesh indeed, and I revealed my name to all men, and by my works, that I am creator and maker, I showed and now I show all things that it was necessary to do, amen.

Ν∆'.

That to each of men God has given suitably and for his benefit the gift through the Holy Spirit for him to exercise, not as he himself wills, but as he was predestined by him, so that there should not be an empty space in his church. (393)

What could the thing made possibly know without the maker? For as to the knowledge it received, it would surely be required to furnish both action and operation, justly and fittingly, for indeed a hoe, a sickle, and a knife and a saw, an axe, a staff, and a lance, and a sword and a bow, an arrow and all the other tools in life, each possesses its own operation, but not having received it from itself, but in every case from us. For the craftsman skillfully prepares each tool to operate for whatever he might wish.

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θάνατος ἀπαλλαγή τε τῶν κακῶν τοῦ βίου πάντων, τοῖς βιώσασι καλῶς δέ πρόξενος χαρᾶς ἀλήκτου καί τρυφῆς τῆς ἀϊδίου καί φωτός τοῦ ἀνεσπέρου. Ὅμως πρό τοῦ χωρισθῆναι ἐκ τοῦ σώματος, σοί λέγω, (392) βλέπε τάς εὐεργεσίας, βλέπε τάς οἰκονομίας, μάνθανε τάς δωρεάς μου. Ἐφανέρωσα τῷ κόσμῳ ἐμαυτόν καί τόν Πατέρα καί ἐξέχεα πλουσίως τό Πανάγιόν μου Πνεῦμα ἐπί πᾶσαν ὄντως σάρκα, καί τό ὄνομά μου πᾶσιν ἀπεκάλυψα ἀνθρώποις, καί τοῖς ἔργοις, ὅτι κτίστης καί δημιουργός ὑπάρχω, ἔδειξα καί νῦν δεικνύω πάντα, ἅ ποιῆσαι ἔδει, ἀμήν.

Ν∆'.

Ὅτι ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων δέδωκεν ὁ Θεός προσφυῶς καί πρός τό συμφέρον τό χάρισμα διά Πνεύματος Ἁγίου εἰς τό ἐνεργεῖν, οὐχ ὥσπερ αὐτός θέλει, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ προωρίσθη, εἰς τό μή κενόν εἶναι μέσον τῆς ἐκκλησίας αὐτοῦ. (393)

Τό ποίημα τοῦ ποιητοῦ τί ποτ᾿ ἄν γνοίη δίχα; Τήν γνῶσιν γάρ, ἥν ἔλαβε, πάντως ἀπαιτηθείη, πρᾶξίν τε καί ἐνέργειαν δικαίως καί πρεπόντως, καί γάρ σκαπάνη, δρέπανον, μάχαιρά τε καί πρίων, ἀξίνη, ῥάβδος, λόγχη τε, φάσγανόν τε καί τόξον, βέλος καί πάντα τά λοιπά ἐργαλεῖα ἐν βίῳ, ἕκαστον τήν ἐνέργειαν κέκτηται τήν ἰδίαν, ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἀφ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ λαβόν, ἐξ ἡμῶν δέ γε πάντως. Ὁ γάρ τεχνίτης ἕκαστον, πρός ὅπερ ἄν ἐθέλοι, κατασκευάζει ἐνεργεῖν ἐργαλεῖον ἐντέχνως.