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to go out against them, but allowing God to fend off the enemies? It is good to trust in the Lord, rather than to trust in man. It is good to hope in the Lord, rather than to hope in princes. He does not bring these forward by way of comparison, but it is the custom of Scripture to use this manner even for things that are incomparable, because of the weakness of those listening at that time. Therefore, he does not say this by way of comparison, but by condescending to them. For this reason indeed another prophet said: Cursed is every one that hopes in man; for nothing is more worthless than this hope; for it is even more worthless than a spider's web; or rather, it is not only weak, but also perilous. And as many as have often put their confidence in men know that they were brought down along with those very men. But hope in God is not only strong, but also secure, having no change. Wherefore Paul also said: And hope does not put to shame. But another wise man says, Look upon the ancient generations, and see: who has hoped in the Lord, and been put to shame. But I, he says, hoped, and I was put to shame. Speak well, O man, do not contradict the divine Scripture; even if you were put to shame, it was from not hoping as you ought, from giving in, from not awaiting the end, from being fainthearted. But do not do this; but when you see dreadful things impending, do not fall down. For this is most of all to hope, to stand upright having stepped into the midst of difficulties. 3. What was more wretched than those barbarians, I mean the Ninevites? but nevertheless, standing in the very trap, and expecting that the city would fall, not even so did they despair, but they showed exact repentance; wherefore they also caused the decree of God to turn ba 55.332 ck again. Have you seen how great is the strength of hope? And what of the prophet himself? Was he not, while in the belly of the sea-monster, mindful of the temple and of the return to Jerusalem? You too, therefore, even if you enter into death itself, and a magnitude of so many dangers hangs over you, do not despair. For it is possible for God to find a way even out of impossible situations. Wherefore a certain wise man also said: From morning until evening there are many changes, and all things are swift before him. Have you not seen the attendant starving in abundance? have you not seen the widow thriving in famine? When matters fall into helplessness, then most of all hope. For then most of all God displays his own power, not from the beginnings, but when things are despaired of by men. For this is the time for God's help. For this reason indeed he did not snatch the children away from the beginnings, but after the furnace; nor Daniel before he fell in, but after the seven days. Pay no attention then to the nature of things that cast one into despair, but to the power of God that leads despaired-of things to good hopes. Indeed the Psalmist, showing this, and wishing to present the resourcefulness of God's power, that he is able to draw up even those who have fallen into dreadful things and been swallowed up, not only from the beginnings, listen to what he added: All nations surrounded me. Did you see an inescapable danger? For the battle was not in battle-array, nor of those standing in a straight line, but he was caught within, and as by some dragnet he was encompassed, and as if held by nets, not by one, or two, or three, but by all the nations; but nevertheless all these bonds were broken by hope in God. And in the name of the Lord I defended myself against them. Surrounding, they surrounded me, and in the name of the Lord I defended myself against them. They surrounded me like bees a honeycomb, and were kindled like fire in thorns, and in the name of the Lord I defended myself against them. Did you see how he describes the magnitude of the terrible things? For he did not simply say, They surrounded, but, Like bees, and like fire in thorns; hinting through the bees at the vehemence of their eagerness, and through the thorns at the unbearableness of their anger, and the unquenchable nature of their wrath. Who

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ἐπεξελθόντα, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἀμύνασθαι παραχωροῦντα τοὺς ἐχθρούς; Ἀγαθὸν πεποιθέναι ἐπὶ Κύριον, ἢ πεποιθέναι ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον. Ἀγαθὸν ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ Κύριον, ἢ ἐλπίζειν ἐπ' ἄρχουσιν. Οὐ κατὰ σύγκρισιν ταῦτα προάγει, ἀλλ' ἔθος τῇ Γραφῇ τούτῳ κεχρῆσθαι τῷ τρόπῳ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσυγκρίτων διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῶν τότε ἀκουόντων. Οὐκ ἄρα συγκρίνων τοῦτό φησιν, ἀλλὰ συγκαταβαίνων ἐκείνοις. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ ἕτερος προφήτης ἔλεγεν· Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὁ ἐλπίζων ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον· οὐδὲν γὰρ ταύτης εὐτελέστερον τῆς ἐλπίδος· καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀράχνης εὐτελεστέρα ἐστί· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ ἀσθενὴς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπισφαλής. Καὶ ἴσασιν ὅσοι πολλάκις ἐπ' ἀνθρώποις θαῤῥήσαντες, αὐτοῖς ἐκείνοις συγκατηνέχθησαν. Ἡ δὲ εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἐλπὶς οὐκ ἰσχυρὰ μόνον ἐστὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀσφαλὴς, οὐκ ἔχουσά τινα μεταβολήν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει. Ἕτερος δέ τις σοφὸς, Ἐμβλέψατε, φησὶν, εἰς ἀρχαίας γενεὰς, καὶ ἴδετε, τίς ἤλπισεν ἐπὶ Κύριον, καὶ κατῃσχύνθη. Ἀλλ' ἐγὼ, φησὶν, ἤλπισα, καὶ κατησχύνθην. Εὐφήμει, ἄνθρωπε, μὴ ἀντιφθέγγου τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ· εἰ καὶ κατῃσχύνθης, ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὡς ἐχρῆν ἐλπίσαι, ἐκ τοῦ ἐνδοῦναι, ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ἀναμεῖναι τὸ τέλος, ἐκ τοῦ μικροψυχῆσαι. Ἀλλὰ μὴ τοῦτο ποίει· ἀλλ' ὅταν ἴδῃς τὰ δεινὰ ἐπικείμενα, μὴ καταπέσῃς. Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστά ἐστιν ἐλπίσαι, τὸ ἐν μέσῳ ἐμβεβηκότα τοῖς χαλεποῖς ὀρθοῦσθαι. γʹ. Τί τῶν βαρβάρων ἐκείνων, τῶν Νινευϊτῶν λέγω, ἀθλιώτερον ἦν; ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐν αὐτῇ ἑστῶτες τῇ παγίδι, καὶ προσδοκῶντες, ὅτι πεσεῖται ἡ πόλις, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀπέγνωσαν, ἀλλὰ μετάνοιαν ἐπεδείξαντο τὴν ἀκριβῆ· διὸ καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἀπόφασιν εἰς τὸ πά 55.332 λιν ὑποστρέψαι παρεσκεύασαν. Εἶδες πόση τῆς ἐλπίδος ἡ ἰσχύς; Τί δὲ αὐτὸς ὁ προφήτης; οὐκ ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους ὢν, τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ τῆς εἰς τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα ἐπανόδου ἐμέμνητο; Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν, κἂν εἰς αὐτὸν ἐμβῇς τὸν θάνατον, καὶ τοσούτων ἐπικρεμασθῇ κινδύνων μέγεθος, μὴ ἀπογνῷς. ∆υνατὸν γὰρ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ἐξ ἀπόρων πόρον εὑρεῖν. ∆ιὸ καί τις σοφὸς ἔλεγεν· Ἀπὸ πρωῒ ἕως ὀψὲ μεταβολαὶ πολλαὶ, καὶ πάντα ταχινὰ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ. Οὐκ εἶδες τὸν περιστάτην ἐν ἀφθονίᾳ λιμώττοντα; οὐκ εἶδες τὴν χήραν λιμῷ εὐθηνουμένην; Ὅταν εἰς ἀπορίαν τὰ πράγματα ἐμπέσῃ, τότε μάλιστα ἔλπιζε. Τότε γὰρ μάλιστα ὁ Θεὸς ἐπιδείκνυται τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν, οὐκ ἐκ προοιμίων, ἀλλ' ὅταν τὰ παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπογνωσθῇ. Οὗτος γὰρ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ βοηθείας ὁ καιρός. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο οὔτε τοὺς παῖδας ἐκ προοιμίων ἥρπασεν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὴν κάμινον· οὔτε τὸν ∆ανιὴλ πρὶν ἢ ἐμπεσεῖν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὰς ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας. Μὴ δὴ πρόσεχε τῇ φύσει τῶν πραγμάτων εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ἐμβαλλόντων, ἀλλὰ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Θεοῦ τῇ τὰ ἀπεγνωσμένα εἰς ἐλπίδας ἀγούσῃ χρηστάς. Τοῦτο δὴ καὶ ὁ Ψαλμῳδὸς δεικνὺς, καὶ τὸ εὔπορον τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμεως παραστῆσαι θέλων, ὅτι καὶ εἰς αὐτὰ τὰ δεινὰ ἐμπεσόντας, καὶ καταποθέντας ἀνιμήσασθαι δύναται, οὐκ ἐκ προοιμίων μόνον, ἄκουσον τί ἐπήγαγε· Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἐκύκλωσάν με. Εἶδες ἄφευκτον κίνδυνον; Οὐ γὰρ ἐκ παρατάξεως ἦν ἡ μάχη, οὐδὲ ἐξ εὐθείας ἑστώτων, ἀλλ' ἔνδον ἀπείληπτο, καὶ ὡς σαγήνῃ τινὶ περιεβέβλητο, καὶ ὥσπερ ὑπὸ δικτύων συνείχετο, οὐχ ὑφ' ἑνὸς, καὶ δύο, καὶ τριῶν, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἁπάντων· ἀλλ' ὅμως πάντα διεῤῥήγνυτο τὰ δεσμὰ ταῦτα τῇ εἰς Θεὸν ἐλπίδι. Καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου ἠμυνάμην αὐτούς. Κυκλώσαντες ἐκύκλωσάν με, καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου ἠμυνάμην αὐτούς. Ἐκύκλωσάν με ὡσεὶ μέλισσαι κηρίον, καὶ ἐξεκαύθησαν ὡς πῦρ ἐν ἀκάνθαις, καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου ἠμυνάμην αὐτούς. Εἶδες πῶς διαγράφει τῶν δεινῶν τὸ μέγεθος; Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν, Ἐκύκλωσαν, ἀλλ', Ὡσεὶ μέλισσαι, καὶ ὡς πῦρ ἐν ἀκάνθαις· διὰ μὲν τῶν μελισσῶν τὸ σφοδρὸν τῆς προθυμίας, διὰ δὲ τῶν ἀκανθῶν τὸ ἀφόρητον τοῦ θυμοῦ, καὶ τὸ ἄσβεστον τῆς ὀργῆς αἰνιττόμενος. Τίς