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To a certain pirate who had fallen upon the land, and was perishing in a storm, someone took off his cloak and gave it to him, and leading him into his house, provided all the necessities. But being reproached by someone, that he does good to the wicked (772); "I have not honored the man," he said, "but humanity."

Of Charicleia. In a foreign land, what can be bought is scarce for those who are unknown; but what is asked for is freely given by those who are merciful.

DISCOURSE 8.

Concerning beneficence and grace. Luke 6. As you wish that men would do to you, do so to them

likewise.

1 John 3. He who does good is of God; but he who does evil has not seen God.

Sirach 18. A good word is better than a gift; a good word is above a gift.

Sirach 17. Keep the grace of a man as the apple of your eye.

Sirach 33. He who returns favors is mindful also of the things hereafter; and in the time of his fall he will find a support.

Of Basil. For just as the eyes do not see what is placed too close, but need a certain suitable distance; so also ungrateful souls seem, in the alienation of good things, to perceive the past favor.

Of the Theologian. While you sail with a fair wind, give a hand to the shipwrecked; and while you are healthy and rich, help the one who is suffering.

Man has nothing of God so much as doing good, even if one does a greater good, and another a lesser, each, I think, according to his own ability.

Chrysostom. When doing good, consider that you are imitating God.

We see many men, after receiving benefits, looking down on their benefactors just as if they were slaves, and raising their eyebrows against them.

Let us do good to those who do not even perceive that good is being done to them, so that by not returning to us praise, or anything else, they may not diminish our reward. For when we receive nothing from men, then we shall receive a greater reward from God.

Often even the intention is sufficient to do a great good.

He who does good does not do good, but he himself receives good, and is rather benefitted, he does not benefit. For he receives more than he gives. For he lends to God, not to men; he increases his wealth, he does not diminish it; but he diminishes it if he does not make it less, if he does not give.

(773) Chrysostom. He who first does a good deed displays manifest goodness; but he who has received the good deed, whatever he may give back, repays a debt, he does not bestow a favor.

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Πειρατῇ τινι ἐμπεσόντι εἰς τήν γῆν, καί διαφθειρομένῳ χειμῶνος, περιβόλαιόν τις ἄρας, δέδωκεν, καί εἰς τήν οἰκίαν εἰσαγαγών, τά ἑξῆς πάντα παρέσχεν. Ὀνειδισθείς δέ ὑπό τινος, ὅτι τούς πονηρούς (772) εὐεργετεῖ· Οὐ τόν ἄνθρωπον, ἔφη, ἀλλά τό ἀνθρώπινον τετίμηκα.

Χαρικλείας. Ξένῃ ἐν γῇ, τό μέν ὤνιον, σπάνιον ταῖς ἀγνοοῦσιν· τό δέ αἰτούμενον, εὐμετάδοτον τοῖς ἐλεοῦσι.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Η´.

Περί εὐεργεσίας καί χάριτος. Λουκ. στ´. Καθώς ἐθέλετε ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν ἄνθρωποι, καί ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς

ὁμοίως.

Α΄ Ἰωάνν. γ´. Ὁ ἀγαθοποιῶν, ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν· ὁ δέ κακοποιῶν, οὐχ ἑώρακε τόν Θεόν.

Σιράχ ιη΄. Κρεῖσσον ὁ λόγος ἀγαθός, ἤ δόσις· ἀγαθός λόγος ὑπέρ δόμα.

Σιράχ ιζ´. Χάριν ἀνθρώπου, ὡς κόρην ὀφθαλμοῦ συντήρησον.

Σιράχ λγ´. Ὁ ἀναποδιδούς χάριτας, μέμνηται καί εἰς τά μετά ταῦτα· καί ἐν καιρῷ πτώσεως αὐτοῦ εὑρήσει στήριγμα.

Βασιλείου. Ὥσπερ γάρ οἱ ὀφθαλμοί, τό ἄγαν προσκείμενον οὐχ ὁρῶσιν, ἀλλά δέονται συμμέτρου τινός ἀποστάσεως· οὕτω καί αἱ ἀχάριστοι ψυχαί ἐοίκασιν ἐν τῇ ἀπαλλοτριώσει τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῆς παρελθούσης χάριτος ἐπαισθάνεσθαι.

Θεολόγου. Ἕως πλεῖς ἐξ οὐρίας, τῷ ναυαγοῦντι δός χεῖρα· ἕως δέ εὐεκτεῖς καί πλουτεῖς, τῷ κακοπαθοῦντι βοήθησον.

Οὐδέν οὕτως ὡς τό εὖ ποιεῖν ἄνθρωπος ἔχει Θεοῦ, κἄν ὁ μέν μείζω, ὁ δέ ἐλάττω εὐεργετῇ, ἑκάτερος, οἶμαι , κατά τήν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν.

Χρυσοστ. Ευεργετῶν, νόμιζε μιμεῖσθαι Θεόν.

Ὁρῶμεν πολλούς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, μετά τάς εὐεργεσίας, καθάπερ ἀνδραπόδων οὕτως ὑπερορῶντας τῶν εὐεργετησάντων, καί τά ὀφρῦς ἀνασπώντων κατ᾿ αὐτῶν.

Εὐεργετῶμεν τούς μηδέ αἰσθανομένους ὅτι εὐεργετοῦνται, ἵνα μή ἀντιδιδόντες ἡμῖν ἔπαινον, ἤ ὅ τι δήποτε, ἐλαττώσωσιν ἡμῖν τόν μισθόν. Ὅταν γάρ μηδέν παρά ἀνθρώπων λάβωμεν, τότε μείζοντα παρά Θεοῦ ληψόμεθα.

Ἀρκεῖ πολλαχοῦ καί προαίρεσις μέγα ποιῆσαι ἀγαθόν.

Οὐκ εὖ ποιεῖ ὁ εὖ ποιῶν, ἀλλ᾿ εὖ πάσχει αὐτός, καί εὐεργετεῖται μᾶλλον, οὐκ εὐεργετεῖ. Μείζονα γάρ λαμβάνει ἤ δίδωσι. Θεῷ γάρ δανείζει, οὐκ ἀνθρώποις· αὔξει τόν πλοῦτον οὐ μειοῖ· μειοῖ δέ, ἐάν μή ἐλαττώσῃ, ἐάν μή δῷ.

(773) Χρυσοστ. Ὁ μέν πρῶτον εὐεργετῶν, φανεράν ἐπιδείκνυται τήν χρηστότητα· ὁ δέ εὐεργετηθείς, ὅ τι ἄν ἀποδῷ, ὀφείλημα ἀποδίδωσιν, οὐ χάριν ἀποτίθεται.