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confounding the hypostases, but showing that there is one dignity, he says. For the things of the Father are the Son's, and the things of the Son are the Father's. And yet He spoke many things through angels, and no one says, as the angel said; but what? God said. For the things spoken by God through angels would be God's; but the things of God are not also the angels'. But here he says the words are of the Spirit. And he spoke about him. What did he speak? I saw the Lord sitting on a high throne, and what follows. Therefore by 'glory' he here means that vision, the smoke, the hearing of the secret mysteries, the seeing the Seraphim, the lightning leaping from the throne, which those powers could not look upon. And he spoke about him. What did he speak? That he heard a voice saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go? And I said: Behold, it is I, send me. And He said: By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive. For he has blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with their heart. Behold, again another question; but it is not so, if we attend correctly. For just as the sun strikes the eyes of the weak not contrary to its own nature, so it happens also with those who do not attend to the words of God. So also it is said that Pharaoh's heart was hardened, so also it happens with those who are contentious with the words of God. And this is also an idiom of Scripture, as is, 'He gave them over to a reprobate mind,' and, 'He assigned to the nations,' that is, He permitted, He allowed. For it does not introduce Him here as acting, but shows that these things happen from the wickedness of others. For when we are forsaken by God, we are delivered over to the devil; and being delivered to the devil, we suffer countless terrible things. Therefore, to frighten the hearer, it says, 'He hardened,' and 'He gave them over.' For that He not only does not give them over, but does not even forsake them unless we wish it, hear what it 59.377 says: Do not your sins separate between me and you? and again: 'Those who remove themselves far from you, shall perish.' But Hosea says: 'You have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget you'; and He Himself in the Gospels: 'How often would I have gathered your children together, and you were not willing!' and Isaiah again: 'I came, and there was no man; I called, and there was none to answer.' He says these things, showing that we are the ones who begin the forsaking, and become the cause of the destruction. For God not only does not wish to forsake or to punish, but even when he punishes, he does it unwillingly. For I have no pleasure, he says, in the death of the wicked, but that he turn and live. And Christ even weeps over the destruction of Jerusalem; which we also do for friends. 3. Knowing these things, therefore, let us do all things so as not to depart from God, but let us cling to the care for the soul and to love for one another, and let us not tear our members apart (for this is the mark of madmen and those out of their minds); but the more ill-disposed we see them, the more let us heal them. For even in our bodies we often see many having stubborn and incurable diseases, and we do not cease applying medicines. For what is worse than gout in the feet? Or what than gout in the hands? Do we then cut off the limbs? By no means; but we do everything to enjoy some relief, since we cannot remove the evil. Let us do this also for our brethren; and, if they are incurably sick, let us remain healing them, and let us bear one another's burdens. For so we shall both fulfill the law of Christ, and obtain the promised good things, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father be glory together with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

59.377 HOMILY 69. Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed in him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be

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συναλείφοντες τὰς ὑποστάσεις, ἀλλὰ μίαν ἀξίαν δηλοῦντες εἶναι, φησί. Καὶ γὰρ τὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Πατρός ἐστι. Καίτοι πολλὰ δι' ἀγγέλων εἶπε, καὶ οὐδεὶς λέγει, καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ ἄγγελος· ἀλλὰ τί; Ὁ Θεὸς εἶπεν. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ δι' ἀγγέλων εἰρημένα, τοῦ Θεοῦ ἂν εἴη· οὐκ ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τῶν ἀγγέλων. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ τοῦ Πνεύματός φησιν εἶναι τὰ ῥήματα. Καὶ ἐλάλησε περὶ αὐτοῦ. Τί ἐλάλησεν; Εἶδον τὸν Κύριον καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ∆όξαν οὖν ἐνταῦθά φησι, τὴν ὄψιν ἐκείνην, τὸν καπνὸν, τὸ ἀκοῦσαι μυστηρίων ἀποῤῥήτων, τὸ ἰδεῖν τὰ Σεραφὶμ, τὴν ἀστραπὴν τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου πηδῶσαν, ᾗ ἀντιβλέψαι αἱ δυνάμεις οὐκ εἶχον ἐκεῖναι. Καὶ ἐλάλησε περὶ αὐτοῦ. Τί ἐλάλησεν; Ὅτι ἤκουσε φωνὴν λέγουσαν· Τίνα ἀποστείλω, καὶ τίς πορεύσεται; Καὶ εἶπον· Ἰδοὺ ἐγώ εἰμι, ἀπόστειλόν με. Καὶ εἶπεν· Ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε, καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε, καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε. Ἐτύφλωσε γὰρ αὐτῶν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ πεπώρωκεν αὐτῶν τὴν καρδίαν, μή ποτε ἴδωσι τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ συνῶσιν. Ἰδοὺ πάλιν ἕτερον ζήτημα· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστιν, ἐὰν ὀρθῶς προσέχωμεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος τῶν ἀσθενῶν πλήττει τὰς ὄψεις οὐ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν μὴ προσεχόντων τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγοις γίνεται. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Φαραὼ τὴν καρδίαν σκληρῦναι λέγεται, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν φιλονεικούντων τι τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγοις γίνεται. Ἰδίωμα δὲ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς Γραφῆς, ὡς καὶ τὸ, Παρέδωκεν εἰς ἀδόκιμον νοῦν, καὶ τὸ, Ἀπένειμε τοῖς ἔθνεσι, τουτέστι, Συνεχώρησεν, ἀφῆκεν. Οὐχὶ γὰρ ἐνεργοῦντα αὐτὸν ἐνταῦθα εἰσάγει, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς ἑτέρων πονηρίας ταῦτα γινόμενα δείκνυσιν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐγκαταλειφθῶμεν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, παραδιδόμεθα τῷ διαβόλῳ· τῷ διαβόλῳ δὲ παραδοθέντες, μυρία πάσχομεν δεινά. Φοβῶν τοίνυν τὸν ἀκροατὴν, φησὶν, Ἐσκλήρυνε, καὶ Παρέδωκεν. Ὅτι γὰρ αὐτὸς οὐ μόνον οὐ παραδίδωσιν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐγκαταλιμπάνει, ἐὰν μὴ βουληθῶμεν, ἄκουσον τί 59.377 φησιν· Οὐχὶ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν διιστῶσιν ἀναμέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν; καὶ πάλιν· Οἱ μακρύνοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ σοῦ, ἀπολοῦνται. Ὁ δὲ Ὠσηέ φησιν· Ἐπελάθου νόμου Θεοῦ σου, ἐπιλήσομαί σου κἀγώ· καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις· Ποσάκις ἠθέλησα ἐπισυναγαγεῖν τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἠθελήσατε! καὶ ὁ Ἡσαΐας δὲ πάλιν· Ἦλθον, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἄνθρωπος· ἐκάλεσα, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ὑπακουσόμενος. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγει, δεικνὺς ἡμᾶς ἀρχομένους τῆς ἐγκαταλείψεως, καὶ αἰτίους γινομένους τῆς ἀπωλείας. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς οὐ μόνον οὐ καταλιπεῖν οὐδὲ κολάσαι βούλεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅτε κολάζει, μὴ θέλων αὐτὸ ποιεῖ. Οὐ βούλομαι γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ὡς τὸ ἐπιστρέψαι καὶ ζῇν αὐτόν. Ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ καταστροφῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ δακρύει· ὃ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ φίλων ποιοῦμεν. γʹ. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, πάντα πράττωμεν ὥστε μὴ ἀφίστασθαι τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐχώμεθα τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν 59.378 ἐπιμελείας καὶ τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγάπης, καὶ μὴ σπαράττωμεν ἡμῶν τὰ μέλη (τοῦτο γὰρ μαινομένων καὶ ἐξεστηκότων ἐστίν)· ἀλλ' ὅσῳ ἂν κακῶς διακειμένους ἴδωμεν, θεραπεύσωμεν μᾶλλον. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τοῖς σώμασι πολλοὺς πολλάκις ὁρῶμεν δυστράπελα ἔχοντας καὶ ἀνίατα νοσήματα, καὶ οὐ παυόμεθα ἐπιτιθέντες φάρμακα. Τί γὰρ ποδαλγίας χεῖρον; τί δὲ χειράγρας; ἆρ' οὖν περικόπτωμεν τὰ κῶλα; Οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλὰ πάντα ποιοῦμεν ὥστε παραμυθίας τινὸς ἀπολαῦσαι, ἐπειδὴ λῦσαι τὸ κακὸν οὐ δυνάμεθα. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ποιῶμεν· καὶ, ἂν ἀνίατα νοσῶσι, μένωμεν θεραπεύοντες, καὶ βαστάζωμεν ἀλλήλων τὰ βάρη. Οὕτω γὰρ πληρώσομεν καὶ τὸν νόμον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τευξόμεθα τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

59.377 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΞΘʹ. Ὅμως μέντοι καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀρχόντων πολλοὶ ἐπί στευσαν εἰς αὐτόν· ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς Φαρισαίους οὐχ ὡμολόγουν, ἵνα μὴ