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to receive the day's wage. But He does not say this, lest He drive them again to despair; but He shows that the whole thing is of His own loving-kindness, and because of this they will not be cast out, but they too will enjoy the ineffable good things. And this is what He especially wants to establish through this parable. But if He adds, "So the last will be first, and the first last; for many are called, but few are chosen," do not be surprised. For He does not say this as if deducing it from the parable, but He says this, that just as this happened, so also will that happen. For here the first did not become last, but all enjoyed the same things against hope and against expectation. But just as this turned out against hope and against expectation, and those who came after became equal to those before, so also something more than this and more paradoxical will happen, that the last will even become before the first, and the first after them. So that is one thing, and this is another. And He seems to me to say these things, alluding to the Jews, and to those of the faithful who shone at the beginning, but later neglected virtue, and were carried backwards; and again those who rose up from wickedness, and surpassed many. For we see such changes happen, both in faith and in life. Therefore I beseech you, let us make great effort, both to stand in the right faith, and to display a most excellent life. For if we do not also add a life worthy of the faith, we will pay the ultimate penalty. And this the blessed Paul showed even from times of old, when he said that "All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink;" and adding, that they were not saved; "For they were overthrown in the wilderness." And Christ showed it also in the case of the evangelists, when He introduced some who cast out demons and prophesied, and were led away to punishment. And all His parables, such as that of the virgins, of the net, of the thorns, of the tree that does not bear fruit, seek for virtue from works. For He rarely discusses doctrines; for the matter does not need labor; but about life He speaks often, or rather, everywhere; for the war against this is continuous, and therefore so is the labor. And why do I say a whole manner of life? For even a part of it, if overlooked, brings great evils; for example, almsgiving, if overlooked, casts into Gehenna those who are lacking; and yet this is not a whole virtue, but a part of it. But nevertheless, the virgins were punished for not having this; and the rich man was tormented for this reason; and those who did not feed the hungry are from this condemned with the devil. Again, not reviling is a very small part of it; but nevertheless, this too casts out those who have not achieved it. For "he who says to his brother, 'Fool,' shall be in danger of the Gehenna of fire." Again, temperance is also a part; but nevertheless without it no one will see the Lord. For "Pursue peace," he says, 58.615 "and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord." And humility is likewise a portion of virtue; but nevertheless even if one accomplishes other good things, but does not achieve this, he is impure. before God. And this is clear from the Pharisee, who, boasting in ten thousand good things, from this lost everything. But I have something even more than this to say again. For not only does neglecting one of these things shut heaven to us, but even if it is done, but not with the fitting exactness and excess, it does this very same thing again. For "Unless your righteousness," He says, "exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." So that even if you give alms, but not more. than they, you will not enter. And how much alms did they provide? he says. For this is the very thing I wish to say now, so that those who do not give may be roused to give, and those who do give may not think highly of themselves, but may work to add more. What then did they give? A tenth of all their possessions, and again another tenth, and after this, a third; so that from

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λαβεῖν ἡμέρας τὸν μισθόν. Ἀλλ' οὕτω μὲν οὐ λέγει, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν αὐτοὺς ἀπονοήσῃ· δείκνυσι δὲ ὅτι τῆς αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίας ἐστὶ τὸ πᾶν, καὶ διὰ ταύτην οὐκ ἐκπεσοῦνται, ἀλλ' ἀπολαύσονται καὶ αὐτοὶ τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων ἀγαθῶν. Καὶ τοῦτο μάλιστά ἐστιν ὃ βούλεται διὰ τῆς παραβολῆς κατασκευάσαι ταύτης. Εἰ δὲ ἐπάγει, ὅτι Οὕτως ἔσονται οἱ ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι, καὶ οἱ πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι· πολλοὶ γὰρ κλητοὶ, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοὶ, μὴ θαυμάσῃς. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς. ἐκ τῆς παραβολῆς τοῦτο συναγαγών φησιν, ἀλλὰ τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι ὥσπερ τοῦτο συνέβη, οὕτω κἀκεῖνο συμβήσεται. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἐγένοντο οἱ πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι, ἀλλὰ τῶν αὐτῶν πάντες ἀπήλαυσαν παρ' ἐλπίδα καὶ παρὰ προσδοκίαν. Ὥσπερ δὲ τοῦτο παρ' ἐλπίδα καὶ παρὰ προσδοκίαν ἐξέβη, καὶ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἐγένοντο ἴσοι οἱ μετὰ ταῦτα· οὕτω καὶ τὸ τούτου πλέον συμβήσεται καὶ παραδοξότερον, τὸ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν γενέσθαι τῶν πρώτων τοὺς ἐσχάτους, καὶ μετὰ τούτους τοὺς πρώτους. Ὥστε ἕτερον ἐκεῖνο, καὶ ἕτερον τοῦτο. ∆οκεῖ δέ μοι ταῦτα λέγειν Ἰουδαίους αἰνιττόμενος, καὶ τῶν πιστῶν τοὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς λάμψαντας, ὕστερον δὲ ἀμελήσαντας ἀρετῆς, καὶ εἰς τοὐπίσω κατενεχθέντας· κἀκείνους πάλιν τοὺς ἀπὸ κακίας ἀνενεγκόντας, καὶ πολλοὺς ὑπερακοντίσαντας. Ὁρῶμεν γὰρ τὰς τοιαύτας μεταβολὰς, καὶ ἐπὶ πίστεως καὶ ἐπὶ βίου γινομένας. ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ, πολλὴν ποιησώμεθα σπουδὴν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς πίστεως ἑστάναι τῆς ὀρθῆς, καὶ βίον ἐπιδείκνυσθαι ἄριστον. Ἂν γὰρ μὴ καὶ βίον προσθῶμεν τῆς πίστεως ἄξιον, τὴν ἐσχάτην δώσομεν δίκην. Καὶ τοῦτο ἔδειξε μὲν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἄνωθεν χρόνων ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, ὅτε ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Πάντες τὸ αὐτὸ βρῶμα πνευματικὸν ἔφαγον, καὶ πάντες τὸ αὐτὸ πόμα πνευματικὸν ἔπιον· καὶ προσθεὶς, ὅτι οὐκ ἐσώθησαν· Κατεστρώθησαν γὰρ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ. Ἔδειξε δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὅτε εἰσήγαγέ τινας δαίμονας ἐκβαλόντας καὶ προφητεύσαντας, καὶ εἰς κόλασιν ἀπαγομένους. Καὶ πᾶσαι δὲ αὐτοῦ αἱ παραβολαὶ, οἷον ἡ τῶν παρθένων, ἡ τῆς σαγήνης, ἡ τῶν ἀκανθῶν, ἡ τοῦ δένδρου τοῦ μὴ ποιοῦντος καρπὸν, τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων ἀρετὴν ἐπιζητοῦσι. Περὶ μὲν γὰρ δογμάτων ὀλιγάκις διαλέγεται· οὐδὲ γὰρ δεῖται πόνου τὸ πρᾶγμα· περὶ δὲ βίου πολλάκις, μᾶλλον δὲ πανταχοῦ· διηνεκὴς γὰρ ὁ πρὸς τοῦτο πόλεμος, διὸ καὶ ὁ πόνος. Καὶ τί λέγω πολιτείαν ὁλόκληρον; Καὶ γὰρ μέρος αὐτῆς παροφθὲν μεγάλα ἐπάγει κακά· οἷον ἐλεημοσύνη παροφθεῖσα εἰς γέενναν ἐμβάλλει τοὺς ὑστερηκότας· καίτοι οὐχ ὁλόκληρος τοῦτο ἀρετὴ, ἀλλὰ μέρος αὐτῆς. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ αἱ παρθένοι διὰ τὸ μὴ ταύτην ἔχειν ἐκολάσθησαν· καὶ ὁ πλούσιος διὰ τοῦτο ἀπετηγανίζετο· καὶ οἱ πεινῶντα μὴ θρέψαντες ἐντεῦθεν μετὰ τοῦ διαβόλου καταδικάζονται. Πάλιν τὸ μὴ λοιδορεῖν μέρος αὐτῆς ἐστιν ἐλάχιστον· ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τοῦτο ἐκβάλλει τοὺς μὴ κατωρθωκότας. Ὁ γὰρ εἰπὼν τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ, Μωρὲ, ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός. Πάλιν ἡ σωφροσύνη καὶ αὐτὴ μέρος ἐστίν· ἀλλ' ὅμως χωρὶς ταύτης οὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὸν Κύριον. Εἰρήνην γὰρ, φησὶ, 58.615 διώκετε, καὶ τὸν ἁγιασμὸν, οὗ χωρὶς οὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὸν Κύριον. Καὶ ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη δὲ ὁμοίως μόριόν ἐστιν ἀρετῆς· ἀλλ' ὅμως κἂν ἕτερά τις ἐπιτελέσῃ καλὰ, ταύτην δὲ μὴ κατορθώσῃ, ἀκάθαρτος. παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ. Καὶ δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ Φαρισαίου, ὃς μυρίοις κομῶν ἀγαθοῖς, ἐντεῦθεν πάντα ἀπώλεσεν. Ἐγὼ δέ τι καὶ τούτων πλέον εἰπεῖν ἔχω πάλιν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον ἕν τι αὐτῶν παροφθὲν ἀποκλείει τὸν οὐρανὸν ἡμῖν, ἀλλὰ κἂν γένηται μὲν, μὴ μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης δὲ ἀκριβείας καὶ ὑπερβολῆς, τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο πάλιν ποιεῖ. Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ περισσεύσῃ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν, φησὶν, πλέον τῶν Γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐκ εἰσελεύσεσθε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ὥστε κἂν ἐλεημοσύνην δῷς, μὴ πλείονα. δὲ ἐκείνων, οὐκ εἰσελεύσῃ. Καὶ πόσην ἐκεῖνοι παρεῖχον ἐλεημοσύνην; φησί. Τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτὸ εἰπεῖν βούλομαι νῦν, ἵνα οἱ μὲν μὴ διδόντες διαναστῶσι πρὸς τὸ δοῦναι, οἱ δὲ διδόντες μὴ μέγα φρονῶσιν, ἀλλὰ προσθήκην ἐργάζωνται Τί οὖν ἐδίδοσαν ἐκεῖνοι; Τῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων δεκάτην, καὶ πάλιν ἑτέραν δεκάτην, καὶ μετὰ ταύτην, τρίτην· ὥστε παρ'