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Plato. Whoever tends to his own body, does not tend to himself; but whoever tends to possessions, tends neither to himself nor to his own things, but is further away from his own things.

Diphilus. If there were no taking, not one person would be wicked. Avarice is this, when you cease to consider. The just things, you are always a slave of profit.

Anacreon. Anacreon, having received five talents as a gift from Polycrates, as

he worried over them for two nights, gave them back, saying that they were not worth the anxiety over them.

Isocrates. Honor your existing property for two reasons: both to easily pay off a great loss, and to help a virtuous friend in misfortune; but with respect to (804) the uncertainty of life, love it not excessively, but moderately.

Be content with the present; but seek the future.

DISCOURSE 13.

Concerning Self-Sufficiency. Luke 12. The Lord said, Do not be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor for your body

what you will put on.

Philippians 4. I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret: both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Proverbs 30. Give me neither riches nor poverty, Lord; but appoint for me what is needful and self-sufficient, lest I be full and become a liar, and say, 'Who sees me?' or being in want, I steal and swear by the name of God.

Sirach 40. The life of a self-sufficient workman will be sweet. Sirach 30. Healthy sleep comes from a moderate stomach.

Basil. The power that governs the living being, self-sufficiency indeed and simplicity easily

accomplished and made natural to the one being nourished; but having received luxury and a variety of foods, then not being sufficient to hold out to the end, it has produced the various kinds of diseases.

The Theologian. To have a few things well is much more honorable than to have many things badly.

Chrysostom. That man is not rich who possesses many things, but he who is in need of few things.

Life is measured for need, brothers, not for pleasure. Therefore, putting aside the superfluous of nature, let us embrace only the necessary.

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Πλάτωνος. Ὅστις σῶμα θεραπεύει τό ἑαυτοῦ, οὐχ ἑαυτόν θεραπεύει· ὅστις δέ χρήματα, οὐθ᾿ ἑαυτόν, οὔτε τά ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλ᾿ ἔστι ποῤῥωτέρω τῶν ἑαυτοῦ.

∆ιφίλου. Εἰ μή τό λαβεῖν ἦν οὐδ᾿ εἷς πονηρός ἦν. Φιλαργυρία τοῦτ᾿ ἔστιν, ὅταν ἀφείς σκοπεῖν. Τά δίκαια, τοῦ κέρδους διαπαντός δοῦλος ᾖς.

Ἀνακρέοντ. Ἀνακρέων δωρεάν παρά Πολυκράτους λαβών πέντε τάλαντα, ὡς

ἐφρόντισεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς δυοῖν νυκτοῖν, ἀπέδωκεν αὐτά, εἰπών, οὐ τιμᾶσθαι αὐτά τῆς ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς φροντίδος.

Ἰσοκράτ. Τίμα τήν ὑπάρχουσαν οὐσίαν δυοῖν ἕνεκα, τοῦ τε ζημίαν μεγάλην ῥᾳδίως ἐκτῖσαι, καί τῷ φίλῳ σπουδαίῳ δυστυχοῦντι βοηθῆσαι· πρός δέ (804) τόν ἄδηλον βίον μηδέν ὑπερβαλλόντως, ἀλλά μετρίως αὐτήν ἀγάπα.

Στέργε μέν τά παρόντα· ζήτει δέ τά μέλλοντα.

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΓ´.

Περί αὐταρκείας. Λουκ. ιβ´. Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος Μή μεριμνήσητε τῇ ψυχῇ ὑμῶν τί φάγητε, μηδέ τῷ σώματι

ὑμῶν τί ἐνδύσησθε.

Φιλιππησ. δ´. Ἐγώ ἄμαθον, ἐν οἷς εἰμί, αὐτάρκης εἶναι. Οἶδα καί ταπεινοῦσθαι, οἶδα καί περισσεύειν· ἐν παντί καί ἐν πᾶσι μεμύημαι· καί χορτάζεσθαι, καί πεινᾷν· καί περισσεύειν, καί ὑστερεῖσθαι. Πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με Χριστῷ.

Παροιμ. λ´. Πλοῦτον καί πενίαν μή μοι δός, Κύριε· σύνταξον δέ μοι τά δέοντα καί τά αὐτάρκη, ἵνα μή πλησθείς ψευδής γένωμαι, καί εἴπω· Τίς με ὁρᾷ, ἤ πενηθείς κλέψω καί ὁμόσω τό ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ.

Σιράχ μ´. Ζωή αὐταρκείας ἐργάτου γλυκανθήσεται. Σιράχ λ´. Ὕπνος ὑγείας ἐπί ἐντέρων μετρίων.

Βασιλείου. Ἡ οἰκονομοῦσα τό ζῶον δύναμις, αὐταρκείαν μέν καί λιτότητα ῥᾳδίως

κατεργάσατο καί ᾠκείωσε τῷ τρεφομένῳ· πολυτέλειαν δέ καί ποικιλίαν βρωμάτων παραλαβοῦσα, εἶτα ἀντισχεῖν πρός τό πέρας οὐκ ἐπαρκέσασα, τά ποικίλα γένη τῶν νοσημάτων πεποίηκεν.

Θεολόγου. Τό καλῶς ἔχειν ὀλίγα, πολύ τιμιώτερον τοῦ κακῶς ἔχειν πολλά.

Χρυσοστ. Οὐ πλούσιός ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος, ὁ πολλά κεκτημένος, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ μή πολλῶν δεόμενος.

Πρός χρείαν, ἀδελφοί, οὐ πρός ἡδονήν ἡ ζωή συμμετρεῖται. Τό οὖν περιττόν τῆς φύσεως ἀποθέμενοι, τό ἀναγκαῖον μόνον ἀσπασώμεθα.