297

therefore the reward of those who fear God is this alone, the enjoyment of one’s own things, and a wife, and children, and the prosperity of a house; but these things are out of abundance and by way of addition; but the chief and great things are, first, the very fear of God, having the reward in itself; then also those unspeakable things, 55.370 Which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and have not entered into the heart of man. May the Lord bless you from Sion, and may you see the good things of Jerusalem. Another, And see Jerusalem in good things. By good things he means the city, its wealth, its beauty, its victories, its honors, its prosperity, its abundance, its security, its peace. 4. All the days of your life. He rightly uses the addition of the days. For this was a very great sign that these things were given by God, and a proof of His providence, not to suffer any human thing, nor to fall away, nor to endure change, except whenever being angry He cut them off. And may you see your children’s children. And yet many, he says, who feared God remained childless. And what of this? For we did not strip ourselves for the present things, but primarily to please God, and then for the hopes to come. And at that time, these were the prizes; but now, heaven and the good things in heaven. But if you did not have children, you who fear God, how do you know if He did not give other greater things than this prosperity? For He does not benefit all in one way, but in various ways, being rich. How many who have had children have called those who do not have them blessed? how many who have acquired wealth have ended more wretchedly than the poor? how many who have enjoyed glory have been run through as with a sword by it, and have suffered irreparable things? Do not, then, seek after things, nor demand an accounting from God, but bear all things nobly and with thanksgiving; or rather, be nailed to none of the present things. For this is why you were commanded to pray such a prayer, in which you ask only one perceptible petition, and nothing more. But even this, in its measure, again becomes spiritual. For all the other things have been said to us concerning the heavens and the kingdom there, and the exact way of life, and the release from sins; but concerning perceptible things, we are commanded to say one phrase. And which one is this? Give us this day our daily bread, and nothing more. For since we are now called to another fatherland, and we have been transferred to a greater life, it is necessary to make our requests suitable to that life; and these things, even if they flow in, are to be rejected with great exactness. Peace upon Israel. Another, And see your children’s children, peace upon Israel. The prayer is in common. For this is what they especially long for, having been worn out by a long war. For what is the benefit of the other things to them, if there is no peace? Therefore, he promises the chief of the good things of that time, and their security, peace, and this perpetual; which is especially the work of God’s providence, both to give it and not to let it fall away. For since human nature itself is fluid and not lasting, showing that these things do not simply come upon them but from the impulse from above, and from the nod of God, He said, All the days, and you have promised a lasting peace. And this came to pass, at least as far as it depended on God. But if it was cut off, this too happened again from their wickedness. For just as when He threatens punishments 55.371 on some, and through repentance they ward off His anger, the things of punishment cease; so also if He promises good things, but those who are about to enjoy the promise appear unworthy, the things of the promise are held back. Therefore, as far as it depended on Him, He promised them all the days; but by their own wickedness they cut off the gift. But I say these things, so that we neither despair when He threatens, but ward off His anger by repentance, nor become negligent when He promises good things, but by zeal and care in our life

297

τοίνυν ὁ μισθὸς τῶν φοβουμένων τὸν Θεὸν οὗτος μόνος, τῶν οἰκείων ἡ ἀπόλαυσις, καὶ γυνὴ, καὶ παῖδες, καὶ εὐθηνία οἰκίας· ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐκ περιουσίας καὶ ἐν τάξει προσθήκης· τὰ δὲ κεφάλαια καὶ μεγάλα, πρῶτον μὲν αὐτὸ τὸ φοβεῖσθαι τὸν Θεὸν, ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν ἔχον· ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα ἐκεῖνα, 55.370 Ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδε, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη. Εὐλογήσαι σε Κύριος ἐκ Σιὼν, καὶ ἴδοις τὰ ἀγαθὰ Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἕτερος, Καὶ ὅρα ἐν ἀγαθοῖς Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἀγαθὰτὴν πόλιν λέγει, τὸν πλοῦτον, τὴν εὐπρέπειαν, τὰς νίκας, τὰς τιμὰς, τὴν εὐθηνίαν, τὴν εὐετηρίαν, τὴν ἀσφάλειαν, τὴν εἰρήνην. δʹ. Πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς σου. Καλῶς τῇ προσθήκῃ τῶν ἡμερῶν κέχρηται. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο μάλιστα σημεῖον ἦν τοῦ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ταῦτα δίδοσθαι, καὶ τῆς προνοίας αὐτοῦ δεῖγμα, τὸ μὴ πάσχειν τι ἀνθρώπινον, μηδὲ μεταπίπτειν, καὶ μεταβολὴν ὑπομένειν, πλὴν εἴποτε ὀργισθεὶς αὐτὰ διέκοψε. Καὶ ἴδοις υἱοὺς τῶν υἱῶν σου. Καὶ μὴν πολλοὶ, φησὶ, φοβούμενοι τὸν Θεὸν ἐν ἀπαιδίᾳ διετέλεσαν. Καὶ τί τοῦτο; Οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀπεδυσάμεθα, ἀλλὰ προηγουμένως μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ ἀρέσκειν τῷ Θεῷ ἔπειτα δὲ ἐπὶ ταῖς μελλούσαις ἐλπίσι. Καὶ τότε μὲν ταῦτα ἦν τὰ ἔπαθλα· νῦν δὲ οὐρανὸς καὶ τὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἀγαθά. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἔσχες παῖδας, ὁ φοβούμενος τὸν Θεὸν, πόθεν οἶσθα, εἰ μὴ τῆς εὐπραγίας ταύτης ἕτερα μείζονα ἔδωκεν; Οὐ γὰρ ἑνὶ τρόπῳ πάντας εὐεργετεῖ, ἀλλὰ διαφόρως, πλούσιος ὤν. Πόσοι παῖδας ἐσχηκότες, τοὺς οὐκ ἔχοντας ἐμακάρισαν; πόσοι πλοῦτον κτησάμενοι, τῶν πενήτων ἀθλιώτερον κατέλυσαν; πόσοι δόξης ἀπολαύσαντες, καθάπερ μαχαίρᾳ ταύτῃ περιεπάρησαν, καὶ τὰ ἀνήκεστα πεπόνθασι; Μὴ δὴ τὰ πράγματα ζήτει, μηδὲ ἀπαίτει τὸν Θεὸν εὐθύνας, ἀλλὰ πάντα φέρε γενναίως καὶ μετὰ εὐχαριστίας· μᾶλλον δὲ μηδενὶ τῶν παρόντων προσήλωσο. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο τοιαύτην ἐκελεύσθης εὔχεσθαι εὐχὴν, ἐν ᾗ μόνον ἓν αἴτημα αἰσθητὸν αἰτεῖς, καὶ πλέον οὐδέν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο τῷ μέτρῳ πάλιν γίνεται πνευματικόν. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλα πάντα περὶ οὐρανῶν καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖ βασιλείας, καὶ τῆς ἀκριβοῦς πολιτείας, καὶ τῆς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλλαγῆς ἡμῖν εἴρηται· ὑπὲρ δὲ αἰσθητῶν μίαν λέξιν κελευόμεθα λέγειν. Ποίαν δὲ ταύτην; Τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον, καὶ πλέον οὐδέν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πρὸς ἑτέραν λοιπὸν καλούμεθα πατρίδα, καὶ πρὸς μείζονα μετεταξάμεθα ζωὴν, καὶ τὰς αἰτήσεις καταλλήλους ἐκείνῃ δεῖ ποιεῖσθαι· ταῦτα δὲ κἂν ἐπιῤῥέῃ, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀκριβείας διακρούεσθαι. Εἰρήνη ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραήλ. Ἄλλος, Καὶ ἴδε τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν υἱῶν σου, εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραήλ. Κατὰ κοινοῦ ἡ εὐχή. Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστα ποθοῦσιν, ἅτε μακρῷ τεταριχευμένοι πολέμῳ. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος αὐτοῖς τῶν ἄλλων, εἰρήνης οὐκ οὔσης; Τὸ τοίνυν κεφάλαιον τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῶν τότε, καὶ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν αὐτῶν ἐπαγγέλλεται, τὴν εἰρήνην, καὶ ταύτην διηνεκῆ· ὅπερ μάλιστα τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας ἔργον, τὸ καὶ δοῦναι καὶ μὴ ἀφεῖναι διαπεσεῖν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αὐτὴ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἡ φύσις ῥευστή τίς ἐστι καὶ οὐ διαρκὴς, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐχ ἁπλῶς αὐτοῖς ἔπεισι ταῦτα ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς ἄνωθεν ῥοπῆς, καὶ νεύοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, Πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας εἶπε, καὶ εἰρήνην ἐπηγγείλατε διαρκῆ. Καὶ γέγονε τοῦτο, τὸ γοῦν εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἧκον. Εἰ δὲ διεκόπη, πάλιν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκείνων πονηρίας γέγονε καὶ τοῦτο. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὅταν ἀπειλῇ κολάσεις 55.371 τισὶ, καὶ διὰ τῆς μετανοίας ἀποκρούωνται τὴν ὀργὴν, ἵσταται τὰ τῆς τιμωρίας· οὕτω κἂν ἀγαθὰ ἐπαγγείληται, ἀνάξιοι δὲ φανῶσιν οἱ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας μέλλοντες ἀπολαύειν, ἀναχαιτίζεται τὰ τῆς ὑποσχέσεως. Τὸ μὲν οὖν εἰς αὐτὸν ἧκον, πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας αὐτοῖς ἐπηγγείλατο· τῇ δὲ ἑαυτῶν πονηρίᾳ διέκοψαν τὴν δωρεάν. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω, ἵνα μήτε ἀπειλοῦντος αὐτοῦ ἀπογινώσκωμεν, ἀλλὰ τῇ μετανοίᾳ τὴν ὀργὴν ἀποκρουώμεθα, μηδὲ χρηστὰ ἐπαγγελλομένου ἀναπίπτωμεν, ἀλλὰ τῇ σπουδῇ καὶ τῇ κατὰ τὸν βίον ἐπιμελείᾳ