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desire, not envy, not jealousy; and what could be more exalted than a soul freed from these? But the boaster is possessed by all these, like some worm wallowing in mire; for both jealousy and envy and anger always disturb his soul. Who then is exalted? The one superior to the passions, or their slave? The one who trembles and fears them, or the one who is unconquered and in no way captured by them? Which bird would we say flies higher? The one that is higher than the hands and the snares of the hunter, or the one that doesn't even require the hunter to use a snare, since it flies on the ground and is never able to rise up? Such, therefore, is the desperate man; for every snare easily catches him, since he creeps on the ground. 2. But if you wish, examine this also from the case of that evil demon. For what could be lower than the devil, after he was lifted up? And what is more exalted than a man who wishes to humble himself? For the one is dragged on the ground, lying under our heel; (For "Tread," He says, "on serpents and scorpions;") but the other stands above with the angels. But if you wish to learn this also from proud men, consider that barbarian, the one leading so great an army, who did not even understand things clear to all; for example, that a stone was a stone, and idols, idols; for which reason he was lower than these. But the pious and faithful rush even beyond the sun; than whom what could be more exalted? who even pass beyond the arches of heaven, and passing by the angels, have stood beside the royal throne itself. And that you may learn their worthlessness from another source, who would be humbled? The one who is helped by God, or the one who is warred against? It is clear that it is the one who is warred against. Therefore, hear what Scripture says about each of these. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Again I will ask you another thing. Who is more exalted, the one who ministers to God and offers sacrifice, or the one who is far from boldness toward Him? And what sacrifice does the humble man offer? you say. Hear David saying: A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; a contrite and humbled heart, O God, you will not despise. Did you see this one's purity? See also that one's impurity. For everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to God. In addition to this, the one has God resting upon him. For on whom shall I look, 58.625 He says, but on him who is meek and quiet, and trembles at My words? but the other is dragged along with the devil; for the one puffed up will suffer his fate. Therefore Paul also said: Lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil. And the opposite of what he wishes happens to him. For he wishes to be presumptuous, so that he may be honored; but this is the man who is despised most of all. For the ridiculous, the enemies and adversaries to all, those easily overcome by enemies, those prone to fall into anger, the impure before God, these are they, most of all. What then could be worse than this? For this is the end of evils. What is sweeter than the humble? What is more blessed, than when they are longed for and beloved by God? And these especially enjoy glory from men, and all honor them as fathers, embrace them as brothers, receive them as their own members. Let us therefore become humble, that we may become exalted. For arrogance humbles with much excess. This humbled Pharaoh. For "I do not know," he says, "the Lord," and he became worse than flies and frogs and caterpillars, and after this he was drowned with his weapons and horses. In contrast to him, Abraham says, "But I am earth and ashes," and he prevailed over ten thousand barbarians 58.626 and falling into the midst of the Egyptians, he returned bearing a more splendid trophy than before, and by holding fast to this virtue he always became more exalted. For this reason he is sung of everywhere, for this he is crowned and proclaimed; but Pharaoh is both earth and ashes, and if anything else is more worthless than these. For God turns away from nothing so much as from pride. For this reason from the beginning He made all things, that He might take away this passion. For this reason we have become mortal, and in

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ἔρως, οὐ βασκανία, οὐ ζηλοτυπία· τῆς δὲ τούτων ἀπηλλαγμένης ψυχῆς τί γένοιτ' ἂν ὑψηλότερον; Ὁ δὲ ἀλαζὼν ἅπασι τούτοις κατέχεται, καθάπερ τις σκώληξ ἐγκαλινδούμενος βορβόρῳ· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ζηλοτυπία καὶ βασκανία καὶ θυμὸς ἀεὶ τὴν ἐκείνου διενοχλεῖ ψυχήν. Τίς οὖν ὑψηλός; ὁ τῶν παθῶν ἀνώτερος, ἢ ὁ δοῦλος αὐτῶν; ὁ τρέμων αὐτὰ καὶ δεδοικὼς, ἢ ὁ ἀχείρωτος καὶ οὐδαμῶς ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἁλισκόμενος; Ποῖον ὄρνιν ὑψηλότερον πέτεσθαι φαίημεν ἄν; τὸν τῶν χειρῶν καὶ τῶν καλάμων τοῦ θηρατοῦ ὑψηλότερον ὄντα, ἢ τὸν μηδὲ καλάμου ἀφιέντα δεηθῆναι τὸν θηρατὴν, ἐκ τοῦ χαμαὶ πέτεσθαι, καὶ μὴ δύνασθαι μετεωρίζεσθαί ποτε; Οὐκοῦν τοιοῦτος ὁ ἀπονενοημένος ἐστί· καὶ γὰρ ἑκάστη παγὶς εὐκόλως αὐτὸν αἱρεῖ, ἅτε χαμαὶ ἕρποντα. ʹ. Εἰ δὲ βούλει, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ δαίμονος ἐκείνου τοῦτο ἐξέτασον. Τί γὰρ διαβόλου ταπεινότερον γένοιτ' ἂν, ἐπειδὴ ἐπήρθη; τί δὲ ἀνθρώπου ὑψηλότερον, τοῦ ταπεινοῦν ἑαυτὸν βουλομένου; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ χαμαὶ σύρεται ὑπὸ τὴν πτέρναν κείμενος τὴν ἡμετέραν· (Πατεῖτε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων·) ὁ δὲ μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἕστηκεν ἄνω. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων τοῦτο βούλει μαθεῖν ὑπερηφάνων, ἐννόησον τὸν βάρβαρον ἐκεῖνον, τὸν τοσαύτην ἄγοντα στρατιὰν, ὃς οὐδὲ τὰ πᾶσι δῆλα ἠπίστατο· οἷον, ὅτι ὁ λίθος ἦν λίθος, καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα, εἴδωλα· διὸ καὶ τούτων κατώτερος ἦν. Οἱ δὲ εὐσεβεῖς καὶ πιστοὶ καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸν ἥλιον ἵενται· ὧν τί γένοιτ' ἂν ὑψηλότερον; οἳ καὶ αὐτὰς ὑπερβαίνουσι τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὰς ἁψῖδας, καὶ ἀγγέλους παρερχόμενοι, παρεστήκασιν αὐτῷ τῷ θρόνῳ τῷ βασιλικῷ. Ἵνα δὲ καὶ ἑτέρωθεν μάθῃς αὐτῶν τὴν εὐτέλειαν, τίς ἂν ταπεινωθείη; ὁ βοηθούμενος παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ ὁ πολεμούμενος; Εὔδηλον ὅτι ὁ πολεμούμενος. Οὐκοῦν ἄκουσον περὶ ἑκατέρων τούτων τί φησιν ἡ Γραφή. Ὁ Θεὸς ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται, ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσι χάριν. Πάλιν σε καὶ ἕτερον ἐρήσομαι. Τίς ὑψηλότερος, ὁ ἱερώμενος τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ θυσίαν προσάγων, ἢ ὁ πόῤῥω που τῆς παῤῥησίας ὢν τῆς πρὸς αὐτόν; Καὶ ποίαν θυσίαν προσφέρει ὁ ταπεινός; φησίν. Ἄκουσον τοῦ ∆αυῒδ λέγοντος· Θυσία τῷ Θεῷ πνεῦμα συντετριμμένον· καρδίαν συντετριμμένην καὶ τεταπεινωμένην ὁ Θεὸς οὐκ ἐξουδενώσει. Εἶδες τούτου τὸ καθαρόν; Βλέπε καὶ ἐκείνου τὸ ἀκάθαρτον. Ἀκάθαρτος γὰρ παρὰ Θεῷ πᾶς ὑψηλοκάρδιος. Πρὸς τούτοις ὁ μὲν ἔχει ἀναπαυόμενον ἐπ' αὐτῷ τὸν Θεόν. Ἐπὶ τίνα γὰρ ἐπιβλέψω, 58.625 φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν πρᾶον καὶ ἡσύχιον καὶ τρέμοντά μου τοὺς λόγους; ὁ δὲ μετὰ τοῦ διαβόλου σύρεται· ὁ γὰρ τετυφωμένος τὰ ἐκείνου πείσεται. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγε· Μήπως τυφωθεὶς εἰς κρῖμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου. Καὶ τοὐναντίον δὲ οὗ βούλεται αὐτῷ συμβαίνει. Βούλεται μὲν γὰρ ἀπονοεῖσθαι, ὥστε τιμᾶσθαι· ὁ δὲ μάλιστα πάντων καταφρονούμενος οὗτός ἐστιν. Οἱ γὰρ καταγέλαστοι, οἱ πᾶσιν ἐχθροὶ καὶ πολέμιοι, οἱ εὐχείρωτοι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, οἱ πρὸς ὀργὴν εὐέμπτωτοι, οἱ ἀκάθαρτοι παρὰ Θεῷ, οὗτοι μάλιστα πάντων εἰσί. Τί τοίνυν τούτου χεῖρον γένοιτ' ἄν; Τὸ γὰρ πέρας τοῦτό ἐστι τῶν κακῶν. Τί δὲ τῶν ταπεινῶν ἥδιον; τί δὲ μακαριώτερον, ὅταν ποθεινοὶ καὶ ἐπέραστοι ὦσι τῷ Θεῷ; Καὶ τῆς παρ' ἀνθρώπων δὲ οὗτοι μάλιστα ἀπολαύουσι δόξης, καὶ πάντες αὐτοὺς ὡς πατέρας τιμῶσιν, ὡς ἀδελφοὺς ἀσπάζονται, ὡς οἰκεῖα μέλη προσίενται. Γενώμεθα τοίνυν ταπεινοὶ, ἵνα γενώμεθα ὑψηλοί. Καὶ γὰρ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς πολλῆς ταπεινοῖ ἡ ἀπόνοια. Τοῦτο ἐταπείνωσε τὸν Φαραώ. Οὐκ οἶδα γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸν Κύριον, καὶ μυιῶν καὶ βατράχων καὶ κάμπης ἐγένετο χείρων, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα αὐτοῖς ὅπλοις καὶ ἵπποις κατεποντίζετο. Ἀπεναντίας τούτῳ Ἀβραὰμ, Ἐγὼ δὲ,φησὶν, εἰμὶ γῆ καὶ σποδὸς, καὶ μυρίων βαρβάρων 58.626 ἐκράτησε, καὶ εἰς μέσον ἐμπεσὼν Αἰγυπτίων, ἐπανῄει λαμπρότερον τοῦ προτέρου τρόπαιον φέρων, καὶ ταύτης ἀντεχόμενος τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀεὶ ὑψηλότερος ἐγίνετο. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ᾄδεται πανταχοῦ, διὰ τοῦτο στεφανοῦται καὶ ἀνακηρύττεται· ὁ δὲ Φαραὼ καὶ γῆ καὶ σποδὸς, καὶ εἴ τι τούτων εὐτελέστερον ἕτερον. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἀποστρέφεται ὁ Θεὸς ὡς ὑπερηφανίαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐξ ἀρχῆς πάντα ἐποίησεν, ἵνα τοῦτο ἐξέλῃ τὸ πάθος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο θνητοὶ γεγόναμεν, καὶ ἐν