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just to tremble, but also to rejoice and be of good cheer, because leaving this mortal life, we go to another far better and more glorious, and one that has no end. And Christ, teaching these things by his works, comes to his passion not by force or necessity, but willingly. These things, he says, Jesus spoke, and went across the brook Kedron, where there was a garden, into which he himself and his disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because he often met there with his disciples. At midnight he travels, and crosses a river, and hastens to come to the place known to the betrayer, cutting short the labor for those plotting against him, and freeing them from all trouble, and he shows his disciples that he comes to the matter willingly; which was especially sufficient to comfort them; and he places himself as if in a prison in the garden. He spoke these things to them. What do you say? And yet he was conversing with the Father; and yet he was praying. Why then do you not say that having ceased from prayer he came there? Because it was not a prayer, but a discourse for the sake of the disciples. And his disciples entered into the garden. Thus he freed them from fear, so that they no longer resisted, but even entered into the garden. But how did Judas come there? Or from where, having learned, did he come there? From this it is clear that for the most part he spent the night outdoors. For if he had been staying at home, Judas would not have come to the deserted place, but to the house, expecting to find him sleeping there. But lest, hearing of a garden, you should think he was hiding, he added that Judas knew the place; and not simply, but that he also often met there with his disciples. For he often met with them privately, speaking about necessary things, and things which it was not lawful for others to hear. And he does this both in mountains and especially in gardens, always seeking a place clear of disturbances, so that the mind might not be driven from hearing. But Judas, having received the cohort, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, comes there. And these often at other times sent to arrest him 59.448 but were not able. Whence it is clear that then also he willingly gave himself up. And how did they persuade the cohort? They were soldiers, practiced in doing everything for money. Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon him, went forth, and says to them: Whom do you seek? That is, he did not wait to learn these things from their arrival, but untroubled, as knowing all these things, so he both spoke and acted. But why do they come with weapons when about to arrest him? They feared his followers; and for this reason also they came at an unseasonable hour of the night. And going out he says to them: Whom do you seek? And they say, Jesus the Nazarene. Did you see his invincible power, how being in their midst he blinded their eyes? For that the darkness was not the cause, the evangelist showed, saying that they also had lamps. But if there were not lamps, they should at least have recognized him from his voice; but if even they did not know him, how did Judas not know him, who was with him continually? For he himself was standing with them, and knew nothing more, but also fell backward with them. And Jesus did this, showing that not only were they unable to arrest him, but not even to see him when he was in their midst, unless he himself should allow it. Again he says to them, Whom do you seek? O the foolishness! His word threw them backward, and not even so did they turn back, having learned of such power, but again they set upon the same things. Since then he had fulfilled all his things, then at last he gives himself up, and says to them: I told you that I am he. And Judas who was betraying him was also standing there. See the gentleness of the evangelist, how he does not insult the betrayer, but narrates what happened, being eager to show one thing only, that the whole thing came from his permission. Then lest anyone should say that he himself led them to this, having handed himself over and made himself clear to them, having shown all things which were sufficient to make them draw back, since they persisted in their wickedness, and had no defense, then he handed himself over, saying: If therefore you seek me, let these go

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δίκαιοι τρέμειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαίρειν καὶ εὐθυμεῖσθαι, ὅτι τὸν ἐπίκηρον τοῦτον βίον ἀφέντες, ἐφ' ἕτερον ἐρχόμεθα ἀμείνω πολλῷ καὶ λαμπρότερον, καὶ τέλος οὐκ ἔχοντα. Ἅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς διδάσκων διὰ τῶν ἔργων, οὐ βίᾳ καὶ ἀνάγκῃ, ἀλλ' ἑκὼν ἐπὶ τὸ πάθος ἔρχεται. Ταῦτα, φησὶν, ἐλάλησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἀπῆλθε πέραν τοῦ χειμάῤῥου τῶν Κέδρων, ὅπου ἦν κῆπος, εἰς ὃν εἰσῆλθεν αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ. Ἤδει δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἰούδας ὁ παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν τὸν τόπον, ὅτι πολλάκις συνήχθη ἐκεῖ μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ. Μεσονυκτῶν ὁδοιπορεῖ, καὶ ποταμὸν διαβαίνει, καὶ ἐπείγεται πρὸς τὸν τῷ προδότῃ γνώριμον τόπον ἐλθεῖν, ἐκκόπτων τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύουσι τὸν πόνον, καὶ ἀπαλλάττων ταλαιπωρίας αὐτοὺς ἁπάσης, καὶ δείκνυσι τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὅτι ἑκὼν ἐπὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἔρχεται· ὅπερ ἱκανὸν αὐτοὺς μάλιστα παραμυθήσασθαι ἦν· καὶ καθίστησιν ἑαυτὸν ὥσπερ ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ ἐν τῷ κήπῳ. Ταῦτα ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς. Τί λέγεις; Καὶ μὴν τῷ Πατρὶ διελέγετο· καὶ μὴν ηὔχετο. ∆ιατί οὖν μὴ λέγεις, ὅτι παυσάμενος τῆς εὐχῆς ἦλθεν ἐκεῖ; Ὅτι οὐκ εὐχὴ ἦν, ἀλλὰ λαλιὰ διὰ τοὺς μαθητὰς γινομένη. Καὶ εἰσῆλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν κῆπον. Οὕτως αὐτοὺς τοῦ δέους ἀπήλλαξεν, ὡς μὴ ἀντιτεῖναι λοιπὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸν κῆπον εἰσελθεῖν. Πῶς δὲ ὁ Ἰούδας ἐκεῖ ἤρχετο; ἢ πόθεν μαθὼν ἐκεῖ ἦλθεν; Ἐντεῦθεν δῆλον, ὅτι τὰ πολλὰ ἔξω διενυκτέρευεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν, εἴ γε οἴκοι διῆγεν, ἐπὶ τὴν ἔρημον ὁ Ἰούδας ἦλθεν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν, ἐκεῖ προσδοκῶν αὐτὸν εὑρήσειν καθεύδοντα. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ ἀκούσας κῆπον, κρύπτεσθαι νομίσῃς, ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι Ἤδει ὁ Ἰούδας τὸν τόπον· καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ πολλάκις συνήχθη ἐκεῖ μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ πολλάκις αὐτοῖς συνεγένετο ἰδίᾳ, περὶ ἀναγκαίων διαλεγόμενος, καὶ ὧν οὐ θέμις ἑτέρους ἀκοῦσαι. Ποιεῖ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ἐν ὄρεσι καὶ ἐν κήποις μάλιστα, καθαρὸν θορύβων ἐπιζητῶν ἀεὶ χωρίον, ὥστε μὴ τὴν διάνοιαν ἐκκρούεσθαι τῆς ἀκροάσεως. Ὁ δὲ Ἰούδας, παραλαβὼν τὴν σπεῖραν, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ Φαρισαίων ὑπηρέτας, ἔρχεται ἐκεῖ. Καὶ οὗτοι πολλάκις καὶ ἄλλοτε ἔπεμψαν συλλαβεῖν αὐ 59.448 τὸν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἴσχυσαν. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι καὶ τότε ἑκὼν ἑαυτὸν ἐξέδωκε. Καὶ πῶς τὴν σπεῖραν ἔπεισαν; Ἄνδρες ἦσαν στρατιῶται, χρημάτων ποιεῖν πάντα μεμελετηκότες. Ἰησοῦς δὲ, εἰδὼς πάντα τὰ ἐρχόμενα ἐπ' αὐτὸν, ἐξῆλθε, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Τίνα ζητεῖτε; Τουτέστιν, οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς παρουσίας ἐκείνων περιέμενεν αὐτὰ μαθεῖν, ἀλλ' ἀταράχως ὡς πάντα εἰδὼς ταῦτα, οὕτω καὶ ἔλεγε καὶ ἐποίει. ∆ιατί δὲ μετὰ ὅπλων ἐπέρχονται μέλλοντες συλλαμβάνειν; Ἐδεδοίκεσαν τοὺς ἑπομένους· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀωρὶ τῶν νυκτῶν ἐπέστησαν. Καὶ ἐξελθὼν λέγει αὐτοῖς· Τίνα ζητεῖτε; Οἱ δὲ λέγουσιν, Ἰησοῦν τὸν Ναζωραῖον. Εἶδες δύναμιν ἄμαχον, πῶς ἐν μέσῳ ὢν ἐπήρωσεν αὐτῶν τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς; Ὅτι γὰρ οὐ τὸ σκότος αἴτιον ἦν, ἐδήλωσεν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, εἰπὼν, ὅτι καὶ λαμπάδας εἶχον. Εἰ δὲ μὴ λαμπάδες ἦσαν, ἀπὸ τῆς φωνῆς γοῦν ἔδει γνωρίσαι· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι ἠγνόουν, πῶς ὁ Ἰούδας ἠγνόησεν, ὁ συνὼν αὐτῷ διηνεκῶς; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς εἱστήκει μετ' αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐδὲν ᾔδει πλέον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔπεσε μετ' αὐτῶν ὕπτιος. Ἐποίησε δὲ τοῦτο ὁ Ἰησοῦς, δηλῶν, ὅτι οὐ μόνον συλλαβεῖν αὐτὸν οὐ δύνανται, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἰδεῖν ἐν μέσῳ ὄντα, εἰ μὴ αὐτὸς ἐνδοίη. Πάλιν λέγει αὐτοῖς, Τίνα ζητεῖτε; Ὢ τῆς ἀνοίας! τὸ ῥῆμα αὐτοῦ ἔβαλεν αὐτοὺς ὑπτίους, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐπέστρεψαν τοσαύτην μαθόντες δύναμιν, ἀλλὰ πάλιν ἐπιτίθενται τοῖς αὐτοῖς. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ αὐτοῦ πάντα ἐπλήρωσε, τότε λοιπὸν ἑαυτὸν παραδίδωσι, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Εἶπον ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι. Εἰστήκει δὲ καὶ Ἰούδας ὁ παραδιδοὺς αὐτόν. Ὅρα τὸ ἀνεπαχθὲς τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ, πῶς οὐχ ὑβρίζει τὸν προδότην, ἀλλὰ διηγεῖται τὸ γεγονὸς, ἓν μόνον δεῖξαι σπουδάζων, ὅτι τὸ πᾶν τῆς αὐτοῦ συγχωρήσεως γέγονεν. Εἶτα ἵνα μή τις λέγῃ, ὅτι αὐτὸς αὐτοὺς εἰς τοῦτο ἤγαγεν, ἑαυτὸν ἐγχειρίσας καὶ δῆλον καταστήσας αὐτοῖς, ἐπιδειξάμενος ἅπαντα, ἅπερ ἱκανὰ ἦν αὐτοὺς ἀνακρούσασθαι, ἐπειδὴ ἐπέμενον τῇ κακίᾳ, καὶ οὐδεμίαν εἶχον ἀπολογίαν, τότε ἑαυτὸν ἐνεχείρισε, λέγων· Εἰ οὖν ἐμὲ ζητεῖτε, ἄφετε