John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians

It is the virtue of teachers to aim not at praise, nor at esteem from those under their authority, but at their salvation, and to do every thing with this object; since the man who should make the other end his aim, would not be a teacher but a tyrant. Surely it is not for this that God set thee over them, that thou shouldest enjoy greater court and service, but that thine own interests should be disregarded, and every one of theirs built up. This is a teacher’s duty: such an one was the blessed Paul, a man who was free from all manner of vanity, and was contented to be one of the many, nay more, to be the very least even of them. Hence he even calls himself their servant, and so generally speaks in a tone of supplication. Observe him then even now writing nothing dictatorial, nothing imperious, but all chastened and subdued.

“I therefore,” saith he, “the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called.” What is it, tell me, thou art beseeching? Is it that thou mayest gain any end for thyself? No, saith he, in no wise; it is that I may save others. And yet surely they who beseech, do so for things which are of importance to themselves. True; and this, saith he, is of importance to myself, according to what he says also elsewhere in his writings, “Now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord;” (1 Thess. iii. 8.) for he ever earnestly desired the salvation of those whom he was instructing.

“I, the prisoner in the Lord.” Great and mighty dignity! Greater than that of king or of consul, or of any other. Hence it is the very title he uses in writing to Philemon, “As Paul the aged, and now a prisoner also of Jesus Christ.” (Philemon 9.) For nothing is so glorious as a bond for Christ’s sake, as the chains that were bound around those holy hands; more glorious is it to be a prisoner for Christ’s sake than to be an Apostle, than to be a Teacher, than to be an Evangelist. Is there any that loveth Christ, he will understand what I am saying. Is any transported and fired with devotion for the Lord, he knows the power of these bonds. Such an one would rather choose to be a prisoner for Christ’s sake, than to have the Heavens for his dwelling. More glorious than any gold were the hands he was showing to them, yea, than any royal diadem. Yes, no jewelled tiara bound around the head invests it with such glory, as an iron chain for Christ’s sake. Then was the prison more glorious than palaces, yea, than heaven itself. Why say I than palaces? Because it contained a prisoner of Christ. Is there any that loveth Christ, he knows the dignity of this title, he knows what a virtue is this, he knows how great a boon he bestowed upon mankind, even this, to be bound for His sake. More glorious this, perhaps to be bound for His sake, than “to sit at His right hand,” (Matt. xx. 21.) more august this, than to “sit upon the twelve thrones.” (Matt. xix. 28.)

And why speak I of human glories? I am ashamed to compare earthly riches and golden attire to these bonds. But forbearing to speak of those great and heavenly glories, even were the thing attended with no reward at all, this alone were a great reward, this an ample recompense, to suffer these hardships for the sake of the Beloved. They that love, even though it be not God, but man, they know what I am saying, since they are more delighted to suffer for, than to be honored by those they love. But to fully understand these things belongs to the holy company, the Apostles, I mean, and them alone. For hearken to what the blessed Luke saith, (Acts v. 11.) “that they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.” To all others indeed it seems to be foolishness, that to suffer dishonor is to be counted worthy, that to suffer dishonor is to rejoice. But to them that understand the love of Christ, this is esteemed of all things the most blessed. Were any to offer me my choice, the whole Heaven or that chain, that chain I would prefer. Were any to ask whether he should place me on high with the Angels, or with Paul in his bonds, the prison I would choose. Were any about to change me into one of those powers, that are in Heaven, that are round about the throne, or into such a prisoner as this, such a prisoner I would choose to be. Nothing is more blessed than that chain. Would that I could be at this moment in that very spot, (for the bonds are said to be still in existence,) to behold and admire those men, for their love of Christ. Would that I could behold the chains, at which the devils fear and tremble, but which Angels reverence. Nothing is more noble than to suffer any evil for Christ’s sake. I count not Paul so happy, because he was “caught up into Paradise,” (2 Cor. xii. 4.) as because he was cast into the dungeon; I count him not so happy, because he heard “unspeakable words,” as because he endured those bonds. I count him not so happy, because he was “caught up into the third Heaven,” (2 Cor. xii. 2.) as I count him happy for those bonds’ sake. For that these are greater than those, hear how even he himself knew this; for he saith not, I who “heard unspeakable words,” beseech you: but what? “I, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you.” Nor yet are we to wonder, though he inscribes not this in all his Epistles, for he was not always in prison, but only at certain times.

I deem it more desirable to suffer evil for Christ’s sake, than to receive honor at Christ’s hands. This is transcendent honor, this is glory that surpasseth all things. If He Himself who became a servant for my sake, and “emptied” (Philip. ii. 7.) His glory, yet thought not Himself so truly in glory, as when He was crucified for my sake, what ought not I to endure? For hear His own words: “Father, glorify Thou Me.” (John xvii. 1.) What is this thou art saying? Thou art being led to the cross with thieves and plunderers of graves, thou endurest the death of the accursed; Thou art about to be spit upon and buffeted; and callest Thou this glory?94 [Christ referred to the glorification with His Father which was to follow his humiliation. Cf. John xvii. 5. Philip. ii. 9.—G.A.] Yes, He saith, for I suffer these things for My beloved ones, and I count them altogether glory. If He who loved the miserable and wretched calleth this glory, not to be on His Father’s throne, nor in His Father’s glory, but in dishonor,—if this was His glory, and if this He set before the other: much more ought I to regard these things as glory. Oh! those blessed bonds! Oh! those blessed hands which that chain adorned! Not so worthy were Paul’s hands when they lifted up and raised the lame man at Lystra, as when they were bound around with those chains. Had I been living in those times, how eagerly would I have embraced them, and put them to the very apple of mine eyes. Never would I have ceased kissing those hands which were counted worthy to be bound for my Lord. Marvellest thou at Paul, when the viper fastened on his hand, and did him no hurt? Marvel not. It reverenced his chain. Yea, and the whole sea reverenced it; for then too was he bound, when he was saved from shipwreck. Were any one to grant me power to raise the dead at this moment, I would not choose that power, but this chain. Were I free from the cares of the Church, had I my body strong and vigorous, I would not shrink from undertaking so long a journey, only for the sake of beholding those chains, for the sake of seeing the prison where he was bound. The traces indeed of his miracles are numerous in all parts of the world, yet are they not so dear as those of his scars. (Gal. vi. 17.) Nor in the Scriptures does he so delight me when he is working miracles, as when he is suffering evil, being scourged, and dragged about. Insomuch that from his body were carried away handkerchiefs or aprons. Marvellous, truly marvellous, are these things, and yet not so marvellous as those. “When they had laid many stripes upon him, they cast him into prison.” (Acts xvi. 23.) And again; being in bonds, “they were singing hymns unto God.” (Acts xvi. 25.) And again; “They stoned him, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.” (Acts xiv. 19.) Would ye know how mighty a thing is an iron chain for Christ’s sake, bound about His servant’s body? Hearken to what Christ Himself saith, “Blessed are ye.” (Mat. v. 11.) Why? When ye shall raise the dead? No. But why? When ye shall heal the blind? Not at all. But why then? “When men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake.” (Matt. v. 11.) Now, if to be evil spoken of renders men thus blessed, to be evil entreated, what may not that achieve? Hearken to what this blessed one himself saith elsewhere; “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness:” (2 Tim. iv. 8.) and yet, more glorious than this crown is the chain: of this, saith he, the Lord will count me worthy, and I am in no wise inquisitive about those things. Enough it is for me for every recompense, to suffer evil for Christ’s sake. Let Him but grant me to say, that “I fill up that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ:” (Col. i. 24.) and I ask nothing further.

Peter also was counted worthy of this chain; for he, we read, was bound, and delivered to soldiers, and was sleeping. (Acts xii. 6.) Yet he rejoiced and was not diverted from his right mind and he fell into deep sleep which could not have been, had he been in any great anxiety. However, he was sleeping, being between two soldiers: and an Angel came unto him, and smote him on the side, and raised him up. Now then, were any one to say to me, Which wouldest thou? Wouldest thou be the Angel that struck Peter, or Peter that was delivered? I would rather choose to be Peter, for whose sake even the Angel came, yea, I would that I might enjoy those chains. And how is it, say ye, that, as being released from great evils, he prays? Marvel not: he prays, because he is afraid lest he should die; and of dying he is afraid, because he would fain have his life to be still a subject for further sufferings. For hearken to what the blessed Paul himself also saith. (Philip. i. 23, 24.) “To depart, and to be with Christ, is very far better;” “Yet to abide in the flesh is more needful for your sake.” This he calls even a favor where he writes, and says, “To you it hath been granted, (as a favor ἕχαρίσθη) in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer in His behalf.” (Philip. i. 29.) So that this latter is greater than the other: for He gave it of His free grace; verily, a favor it is, exceeding great, yea greater than any one of those, greater than to make the sun and the moon stand still, than to move the world! greater this than to have power over devils, or to cast out devils. The devils grieve not so much at being cast out by the faith which we exert, as when they behold us suffering any evil, and imprisoned for Christ’s sake. For this increases our boldness. Not for this is it a noble thing to be in bonds for Christ’s sake that it procures for us a kingdom; it is that it is done for Christ’s sake. Not for this do I bless those bonds, for that they conduct on to Heaven; it is because they are worn for the sake of the Lord of Heaven. How great a boast to know that he was bound for Christ’s sake! How great a happiness, how high an honor, how illustrious a distinction! Fain would I ever be dwelling on these subjects. Fain would I cling to this chain. Fain would I, though in reality I have not the power, yet still in idea, bind this chain round my soul by a temper like his.

“The foundations of the prison-house,” we read, “were shaken” where Paul was bound, “and every one’s bands were loosed.” (Acts xvi. 26.) Beholdest thou then in bonds a nature that can dissolve bonds themselves? for as the Lord’s death put death itself to death, so also did Paul’s bonds loose the men in bonds, shake the house of bondage, open the doors. Yet is not this the natural effect of bonds, but the very reverse; it is to keep him that is bound in safety, not to open for him the prison walls. No, of bonds then in general this is not the nature, but of those bonds which are for Christ’s sake, it is. “The jailor fell down before Paul and Silas.” (Acts xvi. 29.) And yet neither is this again the effect of chains in general, to lay the binders at the feet of the bound: no, but, on the contrary, to put these last under the hands of the former. Whereas here, the man who was free was under the feet of the man who had been bound. The binder was beseeching him whom he had bound to release him from his fear. Tell me, was it not thou that didst bind him? Didst thou not cast him into the inner prison? Didst thou not make his feet fast in the stocks? Why tremblest thou? Why art thou troubled? Why weepest thou? Why hast thou drawn thy sword? Never bound I, saith he, aught like this! I knew not that the prisoners of Christ had power so mighty as this. What sayest thou? They received power to open Heaven, and should they not be able to open a prison? They loosed them that were bound by evil spirits, and was a piece of iron likely to conquer them? Thou knowest not the men. And therefore also wert thou pardoned. That prisoner is Paul, whom all the Angels reverence. He is Paul, whose very handkerchiefs and napkins cast out devils, and chase diseases to flight. And sure the bond which is of the devil is adamantine, and far more indissoluble than iron; for this indeed binds the soul, the other only the body. He therefore that released souls that were bound, shall not he have power to release his own body? He that could burst asunder the bonds of evil spirits, shall he not unloose a rivet of iron? He that by his very garments unloosed those prisoners, and released them from the spell of devils, shall not he of himself set himself at liberty? For this was he first bound himself, and then loosed the prisoners, that thou mightest understand that Christ’s servants in bonds possess a power far greater than they that are at liberty. Had one who was at liberty wrought this, then had it not been so marvellous. So then the chain was not a token of weakness, but rather of a greater power, and thus is the saint’s might more illustriously displayed, when, even though in bonds, he overpowers them that are at liberty, when he that is in bonds sets not only himself at liberty, but them that are in bonds also. Where is the use of walls? What the advantage of thrusting him into the inner prison, whereas he opened the outer also? and why too was it done in the night? and why with an earthquake?

Oh, bear with me a little, and give me leave while I refrain from the Apostle’s words, and revel in the Apostle’s deeds, and banquet on Paul’s chain; grant me still longer to dwell upon it. I have laid hold on that chain, and no one shall part me from it. More securely at this moment am I bound by affection, than was he then in the stocks. This is a bond which no one can loose, for it is formed of the love of Christ; this neither the Angels, no, nor the kingdom of Heaven, has power to unloose. We may hear Paul’s own words; (Rom. viii. 38, 39.) “Neither angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Now then, why did the event take place at midnight? And wherefore too with an earthquake? Hearken, and marvel at the providential orderings of God. Every one’s bands were loosed, and the doors were opened. And yet was this done only for the jailor’s sake, not with a view to display, but with a view to his salvation: for that the prisoners knew not that they were loosed, is evident from Paul’s exclamation; for what said he? “He cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm, for we are all here.” (Acts xvi. 28.) But never would they all have been within, had they seen the doors opened, and themselves set at liberty. They who were used to cut through walls, and to scale roofs and parapets, and to venture on all sorts of attempts in chains, never would have endured to remain within, with their bands loosed, and the doors opened, with the jailer himself asleep; no, but the bond of sleep was to them instead of the bonds of iron. So that the thing took place and yet no damage ensued from the miracle to the jailer who was to be saved. And besides this too, they that are bound are bound most securely in the night, not in the day; and so accordingly might we behold them bound again with all care and sleeping: but had these things been done in the day time, there would have been great stir and tumult.

Then again, wherefore was the building shaken? It was to arouse the jailer, to behold what was done, for he alone was worthy of being saved. And do thou too, behold, I pray, the exceeding greatness of the grace of Christ, for well were it in the midst of Paul’s bonds to make mention also of the grace of God, nay indeed the very bonds themselves are of the gift and grace of God. Some indeed there are who complain “Why was the jailer saved?” and from those very circumstances, for which they ought to admire the loving-kindness of God they find fault with it. Nor is it anything to be wondered at. Such are those sickly persons, that find fault even with the food that nourishes them, which they ought to prize, and who affirm that honey is bitter: and those dimsighted persons who are darkened by the very thing which ought to enlighten them. Not that these effects arise from the nature of the objects themselves, but from the weakness of the persons who are unable to use them properly. What, however, was I saying? When they ought to be admiring God’s loving-kindness, in that He took a man who had fallen into the most desperate wickedness, and was making him better, they find fault: “Why, how was it that he did not take the thing to be the work of witchcraft and of sorcery, and confine them the more closely, and cry out?” Many things conspired to prevent this; first, that he heard them singing praises to God. And sorcerers never would have been singing such hymns as those, for he heard them, it is said, singing praises unto God. Secondly, the fact, that they themselves did not take flight, but even withheld him from killing himself. Now had they done it for their own sake, they never would have remained still within; they would themselves have escaped first of all. Great again was their kindness also; they withheld the man from killing himself, even him who had bound them, thus all but saying unto him, “Truly, thou didst bind us with all safety, and most cruelly, that thou thyself mightest be loosed from the most cruel of all bonds.” For every one is shackled with the chains of his own sins; and those bonds are accursed, whereas these for Christ’s sake are blessed, and worth many an earnest prayer. For that these bonds can loose those other bonds of sin, he showed to us by things which are matters of sense. Didst thou behold them released, who had been bound with iron? Thou shalt see thyself also delivered from other galling bonds. These bonds, the prisoners’ bonds, not those of Paul, I mean, are the effect of those other bonds, the bonds of sins. They who were confined within, were doubly prisoners, and the jailer himself was a prisoner. They indeed were bound both with iron and with sins, he with sins only. Them did Paul loose to assure the faith of him, for the chains which he loosed were visible. And thus too did Christ Himself; but rather in the inverse order. In that instance, there was a double palsy. What was it? There was that of the soul by sins, and also that of the body. What then did the Lord do? “Son,” saith He, “be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven.” (Matt. ix. 3–6.) He first loosed the bonds of the real and true palsy, and then proceeds to the other: for when “certain of the Scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth; Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven, or to say, Arise, and walk? But, that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, and take up thy bed, and go unto thy house.” Having wrought the invisible miracle, He confirmed it by the visible, the spiritual by the bodily cure. And why did He do thus? That it might be fulfilled, which is spoken, (Luke xix. 22.) “Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant.” For what said they? “None can forgive sins, but God alone.” Of course, therefore, no Angel, nor Archangel, nor any other created power. This ye have yourselves confessed. And what then ought to be said? If I shall be shown to have forgiven sins, it is fully evident that I am God. However, He said it not thus, but what said He? “But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins; then saith He to the sick of the palsy, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go unto thy house.” (Matt. ix. 6.) When therefore, He would say, I work the more difficult miracle, it is plain that there is no pretext left you, no room for gainsaying about the easier one.95 [“The one requires no less power than the other, the same divine ἐξουσία enables both to be done. But that ye may know that I was entitled to say the one, I will prove to you that I have the power to say the other.”—Meyer. Since neither is easier but each alike requires divine power, if I can prove to you that I have this divine power to do one, that will prove to you that I have power to do the other.—G.A.] Hence it was that He wrought the invisible miracle first, because there were many gainsayers; and then He led them from the invisible to the visible itself.

Surely then the faith of the jailer was no light or hasty faith. He saw the prisoners. And he saw nothing, he heard nothing wrong; he saw that nothing was done by sorcery, for they were singing hymns unto God. He saw that every thing done proceeded from overflowing kindness, for they did not avenge themselves against him, although they had it in their power; for it was in their power to rescue both themselves and the prisoners, and escape; and if not the prisoners, at all events themselves; but they did not do this. Thus did they challenge his reverence, not only by the miracle, but also by their behavior. For how did Paul cry out? “He cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm, for we are all here.” Thou seest at once his freedom from vain-glory and arrogance, and his fellow-feeling. He said not, “It is for us these wonders have been wrought,” but as though he were merely one of the prisoners, he said, “For we are all here.” And yet, even though they had not before this loosed themselves, nor had done so by means of the miracle, still they might have been silent, and have set all that were bound at liberty. For had they held their peace, and had they not with their loud crying stayed his hand, he would have thrust the sword through his throat. Wherefore also Paul cried out, because he had been cast into the inner ward: as though he had said, “To thine own injury hast thou done this, that thou hast thrust in so far those that could deliver thee from the danger.” However they imitated not the treatment they had received at his hands; though, had he died, all would have escaped. Thou seest that they chose rather to remain in bonds, than to suffer him to perish. Hence too might he reason within himself, “Had they been sorcerers, doubtless they would have set the others at liberty, and have released themselves from their bonds:” (for it is likely that many such had also been imprisoned.) He was the more amazed, in that having often received sorcerers in charge, he had yet witnessed nothing done like this. A sorcerer never would have shaken the foundations, so as to startle the jailer from sleep, and thus render his own escape more difficult.

Now, however, let us proceed to look at the jailor’s faith. “And,” saith the Scripture, “he called for lights and sprang in, and trembling for fear fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” He grasped fire and sword, and cried, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house.” (Acts xvi. 29–31.) “This is not the act of sorcerers,” he would say, “to deliver a doctrine like this. No mention any where here of an evil spirit.” Thou seest how worthy he was to be saved: for when he beheld the miracle, and was relieved from his terror, he did not forget what most concerned him, but even in the midst of so great peril, he was solicitous about that salvation which concerned his soul: and came before them in such a manner as it was meet to come before teachers: he fell down at their feet. “And they spake,” it continues, “the word of the Lord, unto him with all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, immediately.” (Acts xvi. 32, 33.) Observe the fervency of the man! He did not delay; he did not say, “Let day come, let us see, let us look about us;” but with great fervency, he was both himself baptized, and all his house. Yes, not like most men now-a-days, who suffer both servants and wives and children to go unbaptized.96 ἀμυήτους. Be ye, I beseech you, like the jailor. I say not, in authority, but in purpose; for what is the benefit of authority, where purpose is weak? The savage one, the inhuman one, who lived in the practice of unnumbered wrongs and made this his constant study, has become all at once so humane, so tenderly attentive. “He washed,” it is said, “their stripes.”

And mark, on the other hand, the fervency of Paul also. Bound, scourged, thus he preached the Gospel. Oh, that blessed chain, with how great travail did it travail that night, what children did it bring forth! Yea of them too may he say, “Whom I have begotten in my bonds.” (Philem. x.) Mark thou, how he glories, and will have the children thus begotten, to be on that account the more illustrious! Mark thou, how transcendant is the glory of those bonds, in that they give lustre not only to him that wore them, but also to them who were on that occasion begotten by him. They have some advantage, who were begotten in Paul’s bonds, I say not in respect of grace, (for grace is one and the same,) nor in respect of remission, (for remission is one and the same to all,) but in that they are thus from the very outset taught to rejoice and to glory in such things. “The same hour of the night,” it is said, “he took them, and washed their stripes, and was baptized.”

And now then behold the fruit. He straightway recompensed them with his carnal things. “He brought them up into his house, and set meat before them, and rejoiced greatly with all his house, having believed in God.” For what was he not ready to do, now that by the opening of the prison doors, heaven itself was opened to him? He washed his teacher, he set food before him, and rejoiced. Paul’s chain entered into the prison, and transformed all things there into a Church; it drew in its train the body of Christ, it prepared the spiritual feast, and travailed with that birth, at which Angels rejoice. And was it without reason then that I said that the prison was more glorious than Heaven? For it became a source of joy there; yes, if “there is joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth,” (Luke xv. 7.) if, “where two or three are gathered together in His Name, there is Christ in the midst of them;” (Matt. xviii. 20.) how much more, where Paul and Silas, and the jailor and all his house were, and faith so earnest as theirs! Observe the intense earnestness of their faith.

But this prison has reminded me of another prison. And what then is that? It is that where Peter was. Not, however, that any thing like this took place there. No. He was delivered to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him and he sang not, he watched not, but he slept; neither, again, had he been scourged. And yet was the peril greater, for in the case before us indeed the end was accomplished, and the prisoners Paul and Silas, had undergone their punishment; but in his case it was yet to come. So that though there were no stripes to torture him, yet was there the anticipation of the future to distress him. And mark too the miracle there. “Behold, an angel of the Lord,” it is related, “stood by him, and a light shined in the cell; and he smote Peter on the side, and awoke him, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.” (Acts xii. 7.) In order that he might not imagine the transaction to be the work of the light alone, he also struck Peter. Now no one saw the light, save himself only, and he thought it was a vision. So insensible are they that are asleep to the mercies of God. “And the angel,” it proceeds, “said unto him, Gird thyself and bind on thy sandals; and he did so. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out and followed, and he wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. And when they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate, that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them of his own accord; and they went out, and passed on through one street; and straightway the angel departed from him.” (Acts xii. 8–10.) Why was not the same thing done here as was done in the case of Paul and Silas? Because in that case they were intending to release them. On that account God willed not that they should be released in this manner. Whereas in blessed Peter’s case, they were intending to lead him forth to execution. But what then? Would it not have been far more marvellous, some one may say, had he been led forth, and delivered over into the king’s hands, and then had been snatched away from the very midst of his imminent peril, and sustained no harm? For thus moreover, neither had the soldiers perished. Great is the question which has been raised upon this matter. What! did God, it is said, save His own servant with the punishment of others, with the destruction of others? Now in the first place, it was not with the destruction of others; for this did not arise from the ordering of providence, but arose from the cruelty of the judge. How so? God had so providentially ordered it, as that not only these men need not perish, but moreover that even he, the judge, should have been saved, just as in this case of the jailor. But he did not use the boon aright. “Now as soon as it was day,” it continues, “there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.” And what then? Herod makes strict inquiry into the matter, “and he examined the guards,” it is related, “and commanded that they should be put to death.” (Acts xii. 18–19.) Now, indeed, had he not examined them, there might have been some excuse for executing them. Whereas, as it is, he had them brought before him, he examined them, he found that Peter had been bound, that the prison had been well secured, that the keepers were before the doors. No wall had been broken through, no door had been opened, nor was there any other evidence whatever of false dealing. He ought upon this to have been awed by the power of God, which had snatched Peter from the very midst of perils, and to have adored Him who was able to do such mighty works. But, on the contrary, he ordered those men off to execution. How then in this case is God the cause? Had He indeed caused the wall to be broken through, and thus had extricated Peter, possibly the deed might have been put to the account of their negligence. But if He so providentially ordered it, as that the matter should be shown to be the work not of the evil agency of man, but of the miraculous agency of God, why did Herod act thus? For had Peter intended to flee, he would have fled as he was, with his chains on. Had he intended to fly, in his confusion he never would have had so great forethought as to take even his sandals, but he would have left them. Whereas, as it is, the object of the Angel’s saying unto him, “Bind on thy sandals,” was that they might know that he had done the thing not in the act of flight, but with full leisure. For, bound as he was, and fixed between the two soldiers, he never would have found sufficient time to unbind the chains also, and especially as he too, like Paul, was in the inner ward. Thus then was the punishment of the keepers owing to the unrighteousness of the judge. For why did not the Jews97 [The Jews, when they imprisoned the Apostles as recorded in Acts v. 19.—G.A.] act in the same way? For now again I am reminded of yet another prison. The first was that at Rome, next, was this at Cæsarea, now we come to that at Jerusalem.98 [The prison which suggested this discourse (Eph. iv. 1.) was that of Paul in Rome, but the next one mentioned and discoursed of by St. Chrysostom was the one in which Paul was at Philippi, Acts xvi., the next one was the prison where Peter was at Jerusalem, and this last one (Acts v. 19.) at Jerusalem also. No mention has been made of any imprisonment at Cæsarea.—G.A.] When then the chief Priests and the Pharisees heard from those whom they had sent to the prison to bring Peter out, that “they found no man within,” but both doors “closed,” and “the keepers standing at the doors,” why was it that they not only did not put the keepers to death, but, so far from it, “they were much perplexed concerning them whereunto this would grow.” Now if the Jews, murderous as they were in their designs against them, yet entertained not a thought of the kind, much more shouldest not thou, who didst every thing to please those Jews. For this unrighteous sentence vengeance quickly overtook Herod.

But now if any complain of this, then complain too about those who are killed on the highway, and about the ten thousand others who are unjustly put to death, and further, of the infants also that were slaughtered at the time of Christ’s birth; for Christ also, according to what thou allegest, was the cause of their deaths. But it was not Christ, but rather the madness and tyranny of Herod’s father. Dost thou ask, Why then did He not snatch Him out of Herod’s hands? True, He might have done so, but there would have been nothing gained by so doing. How many times, at least, did Christ escape even from the grasp of their hands? And yet what good did this do to that unfeeling people? Whereas here there is even much profit arising to the faithful from what was done. For as there were records made, and the enemies themselves bore testimony to the facts, the testimony was above suspicion. As therefore in that instance the mouths of the enemies were stopped in no other way whatever, but only by the persons who came acknowledging the facts, so was it also here. For why did the jailor here do nothing like what Herod did? Nay, and the things which Herod witnessed were not at all less wonderful than those which this man witnessed. So far as wonder goes, it is no less wonderful to be assured that a prisoner came out when the doors were closed, than it is to behold them set open. Indeed this last might rather have seemed to be perhaps a vision of the imagination, the other never could, when exactly and circumstantially reported. So that, had this man been as wicked as Herod, he would have slain Paul, as Herod did the soldiers; but such he was not.

If any one should ask, ‘Why was it that God permitted the children also to be murdered?’ I should fall, probably, into a longer discourse, than was originally intended to be addressed to you.

At this point, however, let us terminate our discourse, with many thanks to Paul’s chain, for that it has been made to us the source of so many blessings, and exhorting you, should ye have to suffer any thing for Christ’s sake, not only not to repine, but to rejoice, as the Apostles did, yea, and to glory; as Paul said, “Most gladly, therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,” (2 Cor. xii. 9.) for because of this it was that he heard also those words, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Paul glories in bonds; and dost thou pride thyself in riches? The Apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to be scourged, and dost thou seek for ease and self-indulgence? On what ground then, dost thou wish to attain the same end as they, if here on earth thou art traveling the contrary road from them? “And now,” saith Paul, “I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there; save that the Holy Ghost testifieth unto me in every city, saying, that bonds and afflictions abide me.” (Acts xx. 22.) And why then dost thou set out, if bonds and afflictions abide thee? For this very reason, saith he, that I may be bound for Christ’s sake, that I may die for His sake. “For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die for the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts xxi. 13.)

Moral. Nothing can be more blessed than that soul. In what does he glory? In bonds, in afflictions, in chains, in scars; “I bear branded on my body,” saith he, “the marks of Jesus,” (Gal. vi. 17.) as though they were some great trophy. And again, “For because of the hope of Israel,” saith he, “I am bound with this chain.” (Acts xxviii. 20.) And again, “For which I am an ambassador in chains.” (Eph. vi. 20.) What is this? Art thou not ashamed, art thou not afraid going about the world as a prisoner? Dost thou not fear lest any one should charge thy God with weakness? lest any one should on this account refuse to come near thee and to join the fold? No, saith he, not such are my bonds. They can shine brightly even in kings’ palaces. “So that my bonds,” saith he, “became manifest in Christ, throughout the whole prætorian guard: and most of the brethren in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.” (Philip. i. 13, 14.) Behold ye a force in bonds stronger than the raising of the dead. They beheld me bound, and they are the more courageous. For where bonds are, there of necessity is something great also. Where affliction is, there verily is salvation also, there verily is solace, there verily are great achievements. For when the devil kicks, then is he, doubtless, hit.99 [This reminds one of the saying of an eccentric evangelist in America who refering to those that abused and persecuted him for the severity of his preaching said, “It’s always the hit dog that yelps.”—G.A.] When he binds God’s servants, then most of all does the word gain ground. And mark how this is every where the case. Paul was imprisoned; and in the prison he did these things, yea, saith he, by my very bonds themselves. He was imprisoned at Rome, and brought the more converts to the faith; for not only was he himself emboldened, but many others also because of him. He was imprisoned at Jerusalem, and preaching in his bonds he struck the king with amazement, (Acts xxvi. 28.) and made the governor tremble. (Acts xxiv. 25.) For being afraid, it is related, he let him go, and he that had bound him was not ashamed to receive instruction concerning the things to come at the hands of him whom he had bound. In bonds he sailed, and retrieved the wreck, and bound fast the tempest. It was when he was in bonds that the monster fastened on him, and fell off from his hand, having done him no hurt. He was bound at Rome, and preaching in bonds drew thousands to his cause, holding forward, in the place of every other, this very argument, I mean his chain.

It is not however our lot to be bound now-a-days. And yet there is another chain if we have a mind to wear it. And what is it? It is to restrain our hand, to be not so forward to covetousness. With this chain let us bind ourselves. Let the fear of God be unto us instead of a bond of iron. Let us loose them that are bound by poverty, by affliction. There is no comparison between opening the doors of a prison, and releasing an enthralled soul. There is no comparison between loosing the bonds of prisoners and “setting at liberty them that are bruised;” (Luke iv. 18.) this last is far greater than the other; for the other there is no reward in store, for this last there are ten thousand rewards.

Paul’s chain has proved a long one, and has detained us a length of time. Yea, long indeed it is, and more beautiful than any cord of gold. A chain this, which draws them that are bound by it, as it were by a kind of invisible machinery, to Heaven, and, like a golden cord let down,100 [This passage reminds one of the famous golden chain of Homer, σειρὴν χρυσείην, (Iliad viii. 19–27) to which several allegorical meanings have been given.—G.A.] draws them up to the Heaven of heavens. And the wonderful thing is this, that, bound, as it is, below, it draws its captives upwards: and indeed this is not the nature of the things themselves. But where God orders and disposes, look not for the nature of things, nor for natural sentence, but for things above nature and natural sequence.

Let us learn not to sink under affliction, nor to repine; for look at this blessed saint. He had been scourged, and sorely scourged, for it is said, “When they had laid many stripes upon them.” He had been bound too, and that again sorely, for the jailor cast him into the inner ward, and with extraordinary security. And though he was in so many perils, at midnight, when even the most wakeful are asleep with sleep, another and a stronger bond upon them, they chanted and sang praise unto the Lord. What can be more adamantine than these souls? They bethought them how that the holy Children sang even in fire and furnace. (Dan. iii. 1–30.) Perhaps they thus reasoned with themselves, “we have as yet suffered nothing like that.”

But our discourse has done well, in that it has thus brought us out again to other bonds, and into another prison. What am I to do? I would fain be silent, but am not able. I have discovered another prison, far more wonderful and more astonishing than the former. But, come now, rouse yourselves, as though I were just commencing my discourse, and attend to me with your minds fresh. I would fain break off the discourse, but it will not suffer me; for just as a man in the midst of drinking cannot bear to break off his draught, whatever any one may promise him; so I too, now I have laid hold of this glorious cup of the prison of them that were bound for Christ’s sake, I cannot leave off, I cannot hold my peace. For if Paul in the prison, and in the night, kept not silence, no, nor under the scourge; shall I, who am sitting101 [The ancient custom was the reverse of ours, for the preacher commonly delivered his sermon sitting, and the people heard it standing.—Bingham Antiquities Bk. xiv. Ch. iv. Sec. 24.—G.A.] here by daylight, and speaking so much at my ease, shall I hold my peace, when men in bonds, and under the scourge, and at midnight could not endure to do so? The holy Children were not silent, no, not in the furnace and in the fire, and are not we ashamed to hold our peace? Let us look then at this prison also. Here too, they were bound, but at once and from the very outset it was evident that they were not about to be burned, but only to enter as into a prison. For why do ye bind men who are about to be committed to the flames? They were bound, as Paul was, hand and foot. They were bound with as great violence as he was. For the jailor thrust him into the inner prison; and the king commanded the furnace to be intensely heated. And now let us see the issue. When Paul and Silas sang, the prison was shaken, and the doors were opened. When the three Children sang, the bonds both of their feet and hands were loosed. The prison was opened, and the doors of the furnace were opened: for a dewy breeze whistled through it.

But many thoughts crowd around me. I know not which to utter first, and which second. Wherefore, let no one, I entreat, require order of me, for the subjects are closely allied.

They who were bound together with Paul and Silas were loosed, and yet nevertheless they slept. In the case of the three Children, instead of that, something else took place. The men who had cast them in, were themselves burned to death. And then, as I was fain to tell you, the king beheld them loose, and fell down before them: he heard them singing their song of praise, and beheld four walking, and he called them. As Paul, though able to do so, came not forth, until he who had cast him in, called him, and brought him forth: so neither did the three Children come forth, until he who had cast them in commanded them to come forth. What lesson are we taught from this? Not to be over hasty in courting persecution, nor when in tribulation to be over eager for deliverance, and on the other hand when they release us not to continue in it. Further, the jailor, inasmuch as he was able to enter in where the saints were, fell down at their feet. The king came but to the door and fell down. He dared not approach into the prison which he had prepared for them in the fire. And now mark their words. The one cried, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts xvi. 30.) The other, though not indeed with so great humility, yet uttered a voice no less sweet, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither.” (Dan. iii. 26.) Mighty dignity! “Ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither.” How are they to come forth, O king? Thou didst cast them into the fire bound; they have continued this long time in the fire. Why, had they been made of adamant, had they been blocks of metal, in singing that entire hymn, must they not have perished? On this account then they were saved, because they sang praises to God. The fire reverenced their readiness to suffer and afterwards it reverenced that wonderful song, and their hymns of praise. By what title dost thou call them? I said before, “Ye servants of the most high God.” Yes, to the servants of God, all things are possible; for if some, who are the servants of men, have, nevertheless, power, and authority, and the disposal of their concerns, much more have the servants of God. He called them by the name most delightful to them, he knew that by this means he flattered them most: for indeed, if it was in order to continue servants of God, that they entered into the fire, there could be no sound more delightful to them than this. Had he called them kings, had he called them lords of the world, yet would he not so truly have rejoiced them as when he said, “Ye servants of the most high God.” And why marvel at this? when, in writing to the mighty city, to her who was mistress of the world, and prided herself upon her high dignities, Paul set down as equivalent in dignity, nay, as far greater, yea incomparably greater than consulship, or kingly name, or than the empire of the world, this title, “Paul, a servant102 [The word in the Greek δοῦλος which means a bond-slave, though softened in the Auth. Ver. to “servant” and in the Rev. Ver. to “bond-servant.”—G.A.] of Jesus Christ.” (Rom. i. 1.) “Ye servants of the most high God.” “Yes,” he would say, “if they show so great zeal as to be bond-servants, doubtless this is the title by which we shall conciliate them.”

Again, observe also the piety of the Children: they showed no indignation, no anger, no gain-saying, but they came forth. Had they regarded it as an act of vengeance that they had been thrown into the furnace, they would have been grieved against the man who had cast them in; as it is, there is nothing of the kind; but, as though they were going forth from Heaven itself, so went they forth. And what the Prophet says of the Sun, that “He is as a bridegroom coming forth out of his chamber,” (Ps. xix. 5.) one would not go amiss in saying also of them. But though he goes forth thus, yet came they forth there more gloriously than he, for he indeed comes forth to enlighten the world with natural light, they to enlighten the world in a different way, I mean, spiritually. For because of them the king straightway issued a decree, containing these words, “It hath seemed good unto me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God hath wrought toward me. How great are His signs! And how mighty are His wonders!” (Dan. iv. 2, 3.) So that they went forth, shedding a yet more glorious radiance, beaming indeed in that region itself, but, what is more than all, capable, by means of the king’s writings, of being diffused over the world and thus of dispelling the darkness which every where prevails. “Come forth,” said he, “and come hither.” He gave no commandment103 [Field’s text has here ἐτὸλμησε, ‘he did not venture;’ but that gives a sense less satisfactory than the text of Savile and the Oxford translator, ἐκέλευσε, which is well attested.—G.A.] to extinguish the flame, but hereby most especially honored them, by believing that they were able not only to walk within it, but even to come out of it while it was still burning.

But let us look again, if it seem good to you, at the words of the jailor, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” What language sweeter than this? This makes the very Angels leap for joy. To hear this language, even the Only-begotten Son of God Himself became a servant. This language they who believed at the beginning addressed to Peter. (Acts ii. 37.) “What shall we do?” And what said he in answer? “Repent and be baptized.” To have heard this language from the Jews, gladly would Paul have been cast even in to hell, in his eagerness for their salvation and obedience. But observe, he commits the whole matter to them, he wastes no unnecessary pains. Let us however look at the next point. The king here does not say, What must I do to be saved? but the teaching is plainer in his case than any language whatever; for he straightway becomes a preacher, he needs not to be instructed like the jailor. He proclaims God, and makes confession of His power. “Of a truth your God is the God of Gods and the Lord of Kings, because He hath sent His Angel, and hath delivered you.” (Dan. ii. 47; iii. 28.) And what was the sequel? Not one single jailor, but numbers are instructed by the king’s writings, by the sight of the facts. For that the king would not have told a falsehood is evident enough to every one, because he never would have chosen to bear such testimony to captives, nor to overthrow his own acts; he never would have chosen to incur the imputation of such utter madness: so that had not the truth been abundantly manifest, he would not have written in such terms, and with so many persons present.

Perceive ye how great is the power of bonds? How great the force of those praises that are sung in tribulation? Their heart failed not, they were not cast down, but were then yet more vigorous, and their courage then yet greater and justly so.

While we are considering these things one question yet remains for us: Why was it that in the prison on the one hand, the prisoners were loosed, whilst in the furnace the executioners were burnt to death: for that indeed should have been the king’s fate, because neither were they who bound them, nor they who cast them into the furnace, guilty of so great sin as the man who commanded this should be done. Why then did they perish? On this point there is not any very great need of minute examination; for they were wicked men. And therefore this was providentially ordered, that the power of the fire might be shown, and the miracle might be made more signal; for if it thus devoured them that were without, how did it show them unscathed that were within it? it was that the power of God might be made manifest. And let no one wonder that I have put the king on a level with the jailor, for he did the same thing; the one was in no wise more noble than the other, and they both had their reward.

But, as I said, the righteous, when they are in tribulations, are then especially more energetic, and when they are in bonds: for to suffer any thing for Christ’s sake is the sweetest of all consolation.

Will ye that I remind you of yet another prison? It seems necessary to go on from this chain to another prison still. And which will ye? Shall it be that of Jeremiah, or of Joseph, or of John? Thanks to Paul’s chain; how many prisons has it opened to our discourse? Will ye have that of John? He also was once bound for Christ’s sake, and for the law of God. What then? Was he idle when he was in prison? Was it not from thence he sent, by his disciples, and said, “Art Thou He that cometh, or look we for another?” (Matt. xi. 2, 3.) Even when there, then, it seems he taught, for surely he did not disregard his duty. But again, did not Jeremiah prophesy concerning the king of Babylon, and fulfil his work even there in prison? And what of Joseph? Was he not in prison thirteen years? What then? Not even there did he forget his virtue. I have yet to mention the bonds of one and therewith will close my discourse. Our Master Himself was bound, He who loosed the world from sins. Those hands were bound, those hands that wrought ten thousand good deeds. For, “they bound Him,” it saith, “and led Him away to Caiaphas;” (Matt. xxvii. 2; John xviii. 24.) yes, He was bound who had wrought so many marvellous works.

Reflecting on these things, let us never repine; but whether we be in bonds, let us rejoice; or whether we be not in bonds, let us be as though we were bound together with Him. See how great a blessing are bonds! Knowing all these things, let us send up our thanksgiving for all things to God, through Christ Jesus our Lord with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Ghost, be glory, might, and honor, now and forever and ever. Amen.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Ηʹ. Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ, ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ, ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθητε, μετὰ πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ πραότητος. Διδασκάλων ἐστὶν ἀρετὴν μὴ τιμὴν, μηδὲ δόξαν ζητεῖν παρὰ τῶν ἀρχομένων, ἀλλὰ τὴν σωτηρίαν αὐτῶν, καὶ πάντα ὑπὲρ τούτου ποιεῖν: ὡς ὅ γε ἐκεῖνο ζητῶν, οὐκ ἂν εἴη διδάσκαλος, ἀλλὰ τύραννος. Οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτό σε ἐπέστησεν ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοῖς, ἵνα σὺ πλείονος ἀπολαύσῃς θεραπείας, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὰ μὲν σὰ ἀμελῆται, πάντα δὲ τὰ ἐκείνων οἰκοδομῆται. Τοῦτό ἐστι διδασκάλου: τοιοῦτος ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἦν, ὃς τύφου μὲν ἀπήλλακτο παντὸς, οὕτω δὲ διέκειτο, ὡς εἷς τῶν πολλῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ αὐτῶν ἐλάχιστος. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ δοῦλον αὐτῶν ἑαυτὸν καλεῖ, καὶ τὰ πλείονα ἐν ἱκετηρίας τάξει φθέγγεται. Ὅρα γοῦν καὶ νῦν οὐδὲν ἐπιτακτικὸν γράφοντα, οὐδὲν αὐθεντικὸν, ἀλλὰ συνεσταλμένον, καὶ καθυφειμένον. Παρακαλῶ οὖν ἐγὼ, φησὶν, ὑμᾶς ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ, ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθητε. Τί παρακαλεῖς, εἰπέ μοι; ἵνα τινὸς τύχῃς αὐτός; Οὐδαμῶς, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἄλλους σώσω. Καίτοι γε οἱ παρακαλοῦντες, ὑπὲρ τῶν αὐτοῖς διαφερόντων παρακαλοῦσι, Καὶ ἐμοὶ τοῦτο διαφέρει, φησὶ, καθὼς καὶ ἑτέρωθι γράφων ἔλεγε: Νῦν ζῶμεν, ἐὰν ὑμεῖς στήκητε ἐν Κυρίῳ. Σφόδρα γὰρ ἀεὶ τῆς σωτηρίας τῶν μαθητευομένων ἐφίετο. Ἐγὼ ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ. Μέγα ἀξίωμα καὶ σφοδρὸν, καὶ βασιλείας καὶ ὑπατείας καὶ πάντων μεῖζον. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ πρὸς Φιλήμονα γράφων φησίν: Ὡς Παῦλος πρεσβύτης, νυνὶ δὲ καὶ δέσμιος ἐν Χριστῷ. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω λαμπρὸν, ὡς δεσμὸς διὰ Χριστὸν, ὡς αἱ ἁλύσεις αἱ περικείμεναι ταῖς ὁσίαις χερσὶν ἐκείναις. Τοῦ ἀπόστολον εἶναι, τοῦ διδάσκαλον εἶναι. τοῦ εὐαγγελιστὴν εἶναι, τοῦτο λαμπρότερον, τὸ δέσμιον εἶναι διὰ τὸν Χριστόν. Εἴ τις φιλεῖ τὸν Χριστὸν, ἔγνω τὸ λεγόμενον: εἴ τις μαίνεται καὶ περικαίεται τοῦ Δεσπότου, οἶδε τὴν δύναμιν τῶν δεσμῶν. Ὁ τοιοῦτος ἕλοιτο ἂν δέσμιος εἶναι διὰ Χριστὸν, ἢ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς οἰκεῖν. Παντὸς χρυσοῦ λαμπροτέρας αὐτοῖς ἐδείκνυ τὰς χεῖρας, παντὸς διαδήματος βασιλικοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω ποιεῖ λαμπρὰν κεφαλὴν ταινία λιθοκόλλητος περικειμένη, ὡς ἅλυσις σιδηρᾶ διὰ Χριστόν. Τότε τῶν βασιλείων λαμπρότερον τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἦν. Τί λέγω βασιλείων; καὶ αὐτοῦ δὲ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ: δέσμιον γὰρ εἶχε Χριστοῦ. Εἴ τις φιλεῖ τὸν Χριστὸν, οἶδε τοῦτο τὸ ἀξίωμα, οἶδε ταύτην τὴν ἀρετὴν, οἶδεν ὅσον ἐχαρίσατο τῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένει τὸ δεθῆναι δι' αὐτόν. Τάχα τοῦ καθίσαι ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ τοῦτο λαμπρότερον, τοῦ καθίσαι ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνων τοῦτο σεμνότερον, τὸ δεθῆναι δι' αὐτόν. Καὶ τί λέγω περὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων; αἰσχύνομαι συγκρίνων πλοῦτον καὶ κόσμον χρυσοῦν δεσμοῖς. Ἀλλ' ἀφεὶς εἰπεῖν περὶ τῶν μεγάλων ἐκείνων, κἂν μηδένα μισθὸν εἶχε τὸ πρᾶγμα, τοῦτο μόνον μέγας μισθὸς, τοῦτο ἀντίδοσις ἱκανὴ, τὸ διὰ τὸν φιλούμενον ταῦτα πάσχειν τὰ δεινά. Ἴσασιν οἱ φιλοῦντες, εἰ καὶ μὴ τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλ' ἀνθρώπους, τὸ λεγόμενον, οἳ ἥδονται κακῶς πάσχοντες μᾶλλον, ἢ τιμώμενοι παρὰ τῶν ἐρωμένων. Τοῦ ἁγίου χοροῦ τὸ ταῦτα συνιδεῖν μόνον, τῶν ἀποστόλων λέγω. Ἄκουε γὰρ τοῦ μακαρίου Λουκᾶ λέγοντος: ὅτι Ὑπέστρεφον χαίροντες ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ συνεδρίου, ὅτι ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ κατηξιώθησαν ἀτιμασθῆναι. Τοῖς μὲν οὖν ἄλλοις δοκεῖ γέλως εἶναι, εἰ τὸ ἀτιμασθῆναι καταξιωθῆναί ἐστιν, εἰ τὸ ἀτιμασθῆναι, χαίρειν ἐστί: τοῖς δὲ ἐπισταμένοις τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸν πόθον τοῦτο πάντων μακαριστότερον νενόμισται. Εἴ τις ἐμοὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐχαρίζετο πάντα, ἢ τὴν ἅλυσιν ἐκείνην, ἐκείνην ἂν ἐγὼ προετίμησα: εἴ τίς με μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἵστη ἄνω, ἢ μετὰ Παύλου δεδεμένου, τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἂν εἱλόμην: εἴ τις με ἐκείνων ἕνα ἐποίει τῶν δυνάμεων τῶν περὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν, τῶν περὶ τὸν θρόνον, ἢ δεσμώτην τοιοῦτον, τοιοῦτος ἂν εἱλόμην γενέσθαι δεσμώτης. Εἰκότως: οὐδὲν τῆς ἁλύσεως ἐκείνης μακαριώτερον. Ἐβουλόμην ἐν τοῖς τόποις γενέσθαι νῦν ἐκείνοις: λέγεται γὰρ ἔτι μένειν τὰ δεσμά: καὶ ἰδεῖν καὶ θαυμάσαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκείνους τοῦ πόθου τοῦ Χριστοῦ: ἐβουλόμην ἰδεῖν τὰς ἁλύσεις, ἃς δεδοίκασι μὲν δαίμονες καὶ φρίττουσιν, αἰδοῦνται δὲ ἄγγελοι. Οὐδὲν βέλτιον τοῦ κακῶς παθεῖν τι διὰ Χριστόν. Οὐχ οὕτω μακαρίζω Παῦλον, ὅτι εἰς παράδεισον ἡρπάγη, ὡς ὅτι εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἐνεβλήθη. Οὐχ οὕτως αὐτὸν μακαρίζω, ὅτι ἤκουσεν ἄῤῥητα ῥήματα, ὡς ὅτι ὑπέμεινε τὰ δεσμά: οὐχ οὕτως αὐτὸν μακαρίζω, ὅτι ἡρπάγη εἰς τρίτον οὐρανὸν, ὡς μακαρίζω διὰ τὰ δεσμά. Ὅτι γὰρ ταῦτα ἐκείνων μείζονα, ἄκουσον καὶ αὐτὸς πῶς τοῦτο οἶδεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπε, Παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ ὁ ῥήματα ἄῤῥητα ἀκούσας, ἀλλὰ τί; Παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ. Εἰ δὲ μὴ πάσαις τοῦτο προσγράφει ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς, οὐ θαυμαστόν: οὐδὲ γὰρ πάντοτε ἐδέδετο, ἀλλ' ἐν χρόνοις τισίν. Αἱρετώτερον ἐμοὶ παθεῖν κακῶς ὑπὲρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἢ τιμᾶσθαι παρὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τοῦτο μεγάλη τιμὴ, τοῦτο δόξα ἡ πάντα ὑπερβάλλουσα. Εἰ αὐτὸς δι' ἐμὲ γενόμενος δοῦλος, καὶ τὴν δόξαν κενώσας, οὐχ οὕτως ἡγεῖτο ἐν δόξῃ εἶναι, ὡς ὅτε ἐσταυροῦτο ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ, τί ἐμὲ παθεῖν οὐ δεῖ; Ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος. Δόξασόν με σὺ, Πάτερ. Τί λέγεις; ἐπὶ σταυροῦ ἄγῃ μετὰ λῃστῶν καὶ τυμβωρύχων, τὸν τῶν ἐπαράτων ὑφίστασθαι θάνατον, ἐμπτύεσθαι μέλλεις καὶ ῥαπίζεσθαι, καὶ ταῦτα δόξαν καλεῖς; Ναὶ, φησίν: ὑπὲρ γὰρ τῶν φιλουμένων ἐγὼ πάσχω ταῦτα, καὶ τανῦν δόξαν αὐτὰ ἡγοῦμαι. Εἰ ὁ τοὺς οἰκτροὺς καὶ ταλαιπώρους φιλήσας, δόξαν τὸ πρᾶγμα καλεῖ, καὶ οὐ τὸ ἐν τῷ θρόνῳ εἶναι τῷ πατρικῷ, οὐδὲ τὸ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐν ἀτιμίᾳ δόξα ἦν, καὶ τοῦτο ἐκείνου προετίθει, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐγὼ ταῦτα ὀφείλω δόξαν ἡγεῖσθαι. Ὢ τῶν μακαρίων δεσμῶν, ὢ τῶν μακαρίων χειρῶν, ἃς ἐκόσμησεν ἡ ἅλυσις ἐκείνη. Οὐκ ἦσαν οὕτω τίμιαι αἱ χεῖρες Παύλου τὸν χωλὸν τὸν ἐν Λύστροις ἀναστήσασαι καὶ ἐγείρασαι, ὡς τὰ δεσμὰ περικείμεναι. Εἰ κατ' ἐκείνους τοὺς χρόνους ἦν ἐγὼ, τότε ἂν μάλιστα αὐτὰς περιεπτυξάμην, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς κόρας ἔθηκα τὰς ἐμάς: οὐκ ἐπαυσάμην καταφιλῶν χεῖρας καταξιωθείσας ὑπὲρ τοῦ Δεσπότου δεθῆναι τοῦ ἐμοῦ. Θαυμάζεις Παῦλον, ὅτε καθῆψεν αὐτοῦ ἡ ἔχις τῆς χειρὸς, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐποίησε; Μὴ θαυμάσῃς: ᾐδέσθη γὰρ τὴν ἅλυσιν: καὶ θάλαττα δὲ ὁλόκληρος ταύτην ᾐδεῖτο: τότε γὰρ ἐδέδετο. Εἴ τίς μοι νεκροὺς ἔδωκεν ἀναστῆσαι νῦν, οὐκ ἂν τοῦτο εἱλόμην, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἅλυσιν: εἰ τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν φροντίδων ἐκτὸς ἤμην, καὶ τὸ σῶμα εὔρωστον εἶχον, οὐκ ἂν παρῃτησάμην ἀποδημίαν τοσαύτην ποιήσασθαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὰς ἁλύσεις μόνον ἰδεῖν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἔνθα ἐδέδετο. Καίτοι καὶ τῶν θαυμάτων αὐτοῦ πολλὰ πανταχοῦ σημεῖα τυγχάνει, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως ἐστὶ ποθεινὰ, ὡς τὰ τῶν στιγμάτων. Καὶ ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτω με εὐφραίνει θαύματα ἐργαζόμενος, ὡς πάσχων κακῶς, μαστιζόμενος, συρόμενος. Ὄντως θαυμαστὰ καὶ τὰ τοῦ χρωτὸς σουδάρια καὶ τὰ σημικίνθια, παράδοξα ἐργαζόμενα: ἀλλ' οὐ τοιαῦτα οἷα ἐκεῖνα. Δείραντες αὐτὸν, φησὶ, καὶ ἐπιθέντες πολλὰς πληγὰς, ἔβαλον εἰς φυλακήν: καὶ πάλιν, Δεδεμένοι ὕμνουν τὸν Θεόν: καὶ πάλιν, Λιθάσαντες αὐτὸν, ἔσυρον ἔξω τῆς πόλεως, νομίσαντες αὐτὸν τεθνάναι. Βούλεσθε μαθεῖν ὅσον ἐστὶν ἅλυσις σιδηρᾶ διὰ Χριστὸν περικειμένη σώματι δουλικῷ; ἀκούσατε αὐτοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος, Μακάριοί ἐστε. Τί; ὅταν νεκροὺς ἀναστήσητε; Οὐχί: ἀλλὰ τί; ὅταν τυφλοὺς θεραπεύσητε; Οὐδαμῶς: ἀλλὰ τί; Ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς, καὶ διώξωσι, καὶ εἴπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα, ψευδόμενοι καθ' ὑμῶν ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ. Εἰ δὲ τὸ κακῶς ἀκοῦσαι οὕτω ποιεῖ μακαρίους, τὸ κακῶς παθεῖν τί οὐκ ἂν εἰργάσατο; Ἄκουε αὐτοῦ τοῦ μακαρίου τούτου λέγοντος ἀλλαχοῦ: Λοιπὸν ἀπόκειταί μοι ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος. Ἀλλὰ τοῦ στεφάνου τούτου λαμπρότερος ὁ δεσμός. Τούτου με καταξιώσει, φησὶ, καὶ οὐδὲν ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων ἀκριβολογοῦμαι. Ἀρκεῖ μοι πρὸς πᾶσαν ἀντίδοσιν τὸ παθεῖν κακῶς διὰ τὸν Χριστόν. Δότω μοι φθέγξασθαι ἐκεῖνο, ὅτι Ἀνταναπληρῶ τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου, καὶ οὐδενὸς δέομαι. Κατηξιώθη καὶ Πέτρος ταύτης τῆς ἁλύσεως: Ἦν γὰρ, φησὶ, δεδεμένος, καὶ παραδεδομένος στρατιώταις, καὶ ἐκάθευδεν Οὕτως ἔχαιρε, καὶ οὐκ ἤλγει, ὡς καὶ καθεύδειν: οὐκ ἂν δὲ αὐτὸν βαθὺς ὕπνος εἶχεν, εἴ γε ἐν φροντίδι ἦν πολλῇ. Ἐκάθευδε μεταξὺ στρατιωτῶν ὤν: καὶ ἄγγελος ἦλθε πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ πατάξας αὐτοῦ τὴν πλευρὰν, ἤγειρεν. Εἴ τις τοίνυν εἶπέ μοι, Τί ἐβούλου; ἄγγελος εἶναι ὁ Πέτρον νύξας, ἢ Πέτρος ὁ διασωθείς; Πέτρος ἂν εἱλόμην γενέσθαι, δι' ὃν καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος ἦλθεν. Ἐγὼ τῶν δεσμῶν ὀναίμην ἐκείνων. Καὶ πῶς, φησὶν, ὡς μεγάλων κακῶν ἀπαλλαγεὶς εὔχεται; Μὴ θαυμάσῃς: εὔχεται γὰρ, δεδοικὼς μὴ ἀποθάνῃ. Τὸ δὲ ἀποθανεῖν ἐδεδοίκει διὰ τὸ ἔτι βούλεσθαι αὐτὸν τὴν ζωὴν εἶναι ὑπόθεσιν τῶν παθῶν. Ἄκουσον γοῦν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος τί φησι; Τὸ ἀναλῦσαι καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον κρεῖσσον, τὸ δὲ παραμένειν τῇ σαρκὶ ἀναγκαιότερον δι' ὑμᾶς. Τοῦτο καὶ χάριν ἐκάλεσε γράφων: Ἐχαρίσθη γὰρ ὑμῖν, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὐ μόνον τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πάσχειν. Ὥστε τοῦτο ἐκείνου μεῖζόν ἐστιν: ἐχαρίσατο γάρ. Ὄντως ἐστὶ χάρις μεγίστη, καὶ πασῶν τούτων μείζων, τοῦ τὸν ἥλιον στῆσαι καὶ τὴν σελήνην, τοῦ τὸν κόσμον κινῆσαι: τοῦτο μεῖζον τοῦ δαιμόνων κρατῆσαι, ἢ ἀπελάσαι δαίμονας. Οὐχ οὕτως ἀλγοῦσιν ἐκεῖνοι πίστει τῇ παρ' ἡμῶν ἐλαυνόμενοι, ὡς ὅταν ἡμᾶς ἴδωσι κακόν τι πάσχοντας διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ δεσμουμένους: μείζονα γὰρ τοῦτο ποιεῖ τὴν παῤῥησίαν. Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο καλὸν τὸ δεδέσθαι διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν, ὅτι βασιλείαν προξενεῖ τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἀλλ' ὅτι διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν γίνεται: οὐ διὰ τοῦτο μακαρίζω τοὺς δεσμοὺς, ὅτι εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν παραπέμπουσιν, ἀλλ' ὅτι διὰ τὸν Δεσπότην τοῦ οὐρανοῦ γίνονται. Πόσον καύχημα εἰδέναι, ὅτι διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐδέθη; πόση ἡδονὴ, πόση τιμὴ, πόση λαμπρότης; Ἐβουλόμην διαπαντὸς ταῦτα φθέγγεσθαι: ἐβουλόμην ἔχεσθαι τῆς ἁλύσεως: ἐβουλόμην, εἰ καὶ τῷ πράγματι ἀπεστέρημαι, ἀλλὰ τῷ λόγῳ περιθεῖναι τὴν ἅλυσιν τῇ ψυχῇ διὰ τῆς διαθέσεως. Ἐσείσθη, φησὶ, τὸ δεσμωτήριον δεδεμένου Παύλου, καὶ πάντων τὰ δεσμὰ ἀνείθη. Εἶδες δεσμῶν φύσιν τὰ δεσμὰ ἀναλύουσαν; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ τοῦ Κυρίου θάνατος τὸν θάνατον ἐθανάτωσεν, οὕτω καὶ τὰ Παύλου δεσμὰ τοὺς δεσμώτας ἔλυσε, τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἔσεισε, τὰς θύρας ἀνέῳξε: καίτοι οὐχ αὕτη τῶν δεσμῶν ἡ φύσις ἐστὶν, ἀλλ' ἡ ἐναντία, κατέχειν ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ τὸν δεδεμένον, οὐχὶ τοὺς τοίχους ἀνοίγειν αὐτῷ. Ἀλλὰ τῶν μὲν δεσμῶν ἁπλῶς φύσις οὐκ ἔστιν αὕτη, δεσμῶν δὲ τῶν διὰ Χριστὸν αὕτη. Προσέπεσεν ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ τῷ Σίλᾳ. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο ποιεῖ δεσμὰ ἁπλῶς, τοὺς δήσαντας εἰς τοὺς πόδας ἄγειν τῶν δεδεμένων, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ὑποχειρίους τούτους ἐκείνοις ποιεῖν. Νῦν δὲ ὁ λελυμένος ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας ἦν τοῦ δεδεμένου: ὁ δήσας ἠξίου τὸν δεθέντα λυθῆναι τοῦ φόβου. Οὐχὶ σὺ ἔδησας, εἰπέ μοι; οὐχὶ εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν ἔβαλες φυλακήν; οὐχὶ εἰς τὸ ξύλον ἠσφαλίσω τοὺς πόδας; τί τρέμεις; τί θορυβῇ; τί δακρύεις; τί τὸ ξίφος ἐσπάσω; Οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἔδησα, φησίν: οὐκ ᾔδειν, ὅτι τοσαύτη τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ δεσμίων ἡ δύναμις. Τί λέγεις; οὐρανοὺς ἔλαβον ἐξουσίαν ἀνοίγειν, καὶ δεσμωτήριον οὐκ ἔμελλον ἀνοίγειν; τοὺς ὑπὸ δαιμόνων δεδεμένους ἔλυον, καὶ σιδήριον ἔμελλεν αὐτῶν περιέσεσθαι; οὐκ οἶδας τοὺς ἄνδρας: διὰ τοῦτο καὶ συγγνώμης ἔτυχες. Παῦλος ὁ δεδεμένος ἐστὶν, ὃν ἄγγελοι πάντες ᾐδέσθησαν: Παῦλός ἐστιν, οὗ καὶ τὰ σουδάρια καὶ τὰ σημικίνθια δαίμονας ἤλαυνε, καὶ νόσους ἐφυγάδευε, καίτοι πολλῷ σιδήρου ἀδαμάντινος, καὶ ἀῤῥαγέστερος ὁ παρὰ τοῦ δαίμονος δεσμός: οὗτος μὲν γὰρ ψυχὴν, ἐκεῖνος δὲ σῶμα δεσμεῖ. Ὁ ψυχὰς τοίνυν δεδεμένας λύων, τὸ σῶμα τὸ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἂν ἴσχυσε λῦσαι; ὁ δαιμόνων δεσμὰ διαῤῥηγνὺς, σιδήρου δέσιν οὐκ ἂν ἔλυσεν; ὁ διὰ τῶν ἱματίων αὐτοῦ τοὺς δεσμώτας ἐκείνους λύων, καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων ἀπαλλάττων, αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ ἑαυτὸν οὐκ ἂν ἔλυσε; Διὰ τοῦτο πρῶτον ἐδέθη, καὶ τότε τοὺς δεδεμένους ἔλυσεν, ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δοῦλοι δεδεμένοι, πολλῷ τῶν λελυμένων μείζονα ἔχουσι τὴν ἰσχύν. Εἰ λελυμένος τοῦτο εἰργάσατο, οὐκ ἦν οὕτω θαυμαστόν: ὥστε οὐκ ἀσθενείας ὁ δεσμὸς ἦν, ἀλλὰ μείζονος δυνάμεως. Οὕτω γὰρ λαμπροτέρα ἡ ἰσχὺς τοῦ ἁγίου δείκνυται, ὅταν καὶ δεδεμένος τῶν λελυμένων κρατῇ, ὅταν ὁ δεδεμένος μὴ μόνον ἑαυτὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς δεδεμένους λύῃ. Τί τῶν τοίχων τὸ ὄφελος; τί τὸ πλέον ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν φυλακὴν βαλεῖν αὐτὸν, ὅπου γε καὶ τὴν ἐξωτέραν ἀνέῳξε; Διὰ τί δὲ ἐν νυκτὶ, καὶ μετὰ σεισμοῦ γέγονεν; Ἔνδοτέ μοι μικρὸν καὶ παραχωρήσατε, τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ἀποσχομένῳ ῥημάτων, καὶ ἐντρυφήσαντι τοῖς ἀποστολικοῖς πράγμασιν, ἑστιαθῆναι ἐν τῇ ἁλύσει Παύλου: δότε μοι ἐπιπλέον ἐνδιατρίψαι. Ἐπελαβόμην τοῦ δεσμοῦ, οὐδείς με ἀφίστησιν. Ἀσφαλέστερον ἐγὼ δέδεμαι νῦν τῷ πόθῳ, ἢ ἐκεῖνος τότε τῷ ξύλῳ. Τοῦτον οὐδεὶς λύει τὸν δεσμόν: ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ πόθου ἐστὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ: τοῦτον οὐδὲ οἱ ἄγγελοι, οὐδὲ βασιλεία οὐρανῶν ἰσχύει λῦσαι: αὐτοῦ Παύλου ἐστὶν ἀκοῦσαι λέγοντος, Οὔτε ἄγγελοι, οὔτε ἀρχαὶ, οὔτε δυνάμεις, οὔτε ἐνεστῶτα οὔτε μέλλοντα, οὔτε ὕψωμα οὔτε βάθος δυνήσεται ἡμᾶς χωρίσαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκα μέσον νυκτῶν τὸ πρᾶγμα γέγονε; τίνος ἕνεκεν καὶ μετὰ σεισμοῦ; Ἀκούσατε Θεοῦ οἰκονομίαν, καὶ θαυμάσατε. Πάντων τὰ δεσμὰ ἐλύθη, καὶ αἱ θύραι ἀνεῴγησαν. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μόνον διὰ τὸν δεσμοφύλακα γέγονεν, οὐ πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς σωτηρίαν. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐκ ᾔδεσαν οἱ δεσμῶται ὅτι λελυμένοι εἰσὶν, δῆλον ἀπὸ τῆς φωνῆς Παύλου. Τί γάρ φησιν; Ἐφώνησε δὲ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγων: Μηδὲν πράξῃς σεαυτῷ κακὸν, πάντες γάρ ἐσμεν ἐνθάδε. Οὐκ ἂν δὲ πάντες ἦσαν ἔνδον, εἰ εἶδον τὰς θύρας ἀνεῳγμένας, καὶ ἑαυτοὺς λελυμένους. Οἱ γὰρ τοίχους διατέμνοντες, καὶ ὀρόφους καὶ θριγκία ὑπερβαίνοντες, καὶ πάντα τολμῶντες μετὰ δεσμῶν, οὐκ ἂν ἐκαρτέρησαν, καὶ τῶν δεσμῶν λελυμένων καὶ τῶν θυρῶν ἀνεῳγμένων, ἔνδον μένειν, καὶ τοῦ δεσμοφύλακος καθεύδοντος αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλ' ἀντὶ δεσμῶν σιδηρῶν ἦν αὐτοῖς ὁ δεσμὸς τοῦ ὕπνου. Διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως ᾠκονομήθη, ὥστε καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα γενέσθαι, καὶ μηδεμίαν ἀπὸ τοῦ θαύματος ζημίαν συμβῆναι τῷ μέλλοντι σώζεσθαι δεσμοφύλακι. Καὶ ἑτέρως δὲ μάλιστα οἱ δεδεμένοι ἐν νυκτὶ δεσμοῦνται, οὐκ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ. Μετὰ πολλῆς οὖν σπουδῆς ἦν ἰδεῖν δεδεμένους πάλιν, καὶ καθεύδοντας. Εἰ δὲ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐγένετο ταῦτα, πολὺς ἂν ἐγένετο θόρυβος. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν καὶ ἐσείσθη τὸ οἴκημα; Ὥστε διαναστῆναι τὸν δεσμοφύλακα ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ πράγματος θέαν: οὗτος γὰρ ἦν ἄξιος τῆς σωτηρίας μόνος. Σὺ δέ μοι θέα τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ χάριτος τὴν ὑπερβολήν. Μεταξὺ γὰρ τῶν Παύλου δεσμῶν καὶ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ χάριτος μεμνῆσθαι καλὸν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ταῦτα τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτός ἐστιν. Εἰσί τινες ἐγκαλοῦντες ὅτι διεσώθη ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ, καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν θαυμάζειν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἐχρῆν, ἀπὸ τούτων ψέγοντες: καὶ οὐδὲν θαυμαστόν. Οἱ γὰρ ἀσθενεῖς τοιοῦτοί εἰσιν, οἳ καὶ τὴν τρέφουσαν τροφὴν κακίζουσιν, ἣν θαυμάζειν ἐχρῆν, καὶ τὸ μέλι πικρὸν εἶναί φασι. Καὶ οἱ τυφλώττοντες, ἀφ' οὗ ὤφειλον φωτίζεσθαι, ἀπὸ τούτου σκοτίζονται, οὐ παρὰ τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων φύσιν τούτων συμβαινόντων, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῶν εἰς δέον αὐτοῖς κεχρῆσθαι μὴ δυναμένων. Τί οὖν ἔλεγον; Δέον θαυμάσαι, ὅτι εἰς ἐσχάτην κακίαν ἐμπεσόντα, τοῦτον εἷλε, καὶ βελτίω εἰργάσατο, λέγουσι: Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἐνόμισε τὸ πρᾶγμα γοητείας εἶναι καὶ μαγγανείας, καὶ μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς κατέσχε, καὶ ἀνωλόλυξε; Πολλὰ πρὸς τοῦτο συνεβάλλετο: πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι ἤκουσεν ὑμνούντων τὸν Θεόν: οὐκ ἂν δὲ γόητες τοιούτους ὕμνους ᾖδον: Ἤκουσε γὰρ αὐτῶν, φησὶν, ὑμνούντων τὸν Θεόν. Δεύτερον, ὅτι αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἀπέφυγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν ἐκώλυσαν σφάξαι ἑαυτόν: οὐκ ἂν δὲ, εἰ ἑαυτῶν ἕνεκεν ἐποίουν, ἔνδον ἔμενον, ἀλλὰ προτέρους ἂν ἑαυτοὺς ἐξεῖλον. Πολλὴ δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ φιλανθρωπία: ἐκώλυσαν αὐτὸν σφάξαι ἑαυτὸν, τὸν δήσαντα αὐτοὺς, μονονουχὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγοντες: Μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀσφαλείας ἠσφαλίσω εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν βαλὼν φυλακὴν, καὶ πικρῶς ἡμᾶς ἔδησας, ἵνα λυθῇς αὐτὸς τῶν πικροτάτων δεσμῶν. Σειραῖς γὰρ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτιῶν ἕκαστος σφίγγεται. Ἐκεῖνα μὲν γὰρ ἐπάρατα τὰ δεσμὰ, ταῦτα δὲ μακάρια, καὶ πολλῆς εὐχῆς ἄξια. Ὅτι γὰρ λύει τὰ δεσμὰ ἐκεῖνα ταῦτα, ἔδειξεν ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν. Εἶδες τοὺς τῷ σιδήρῳ δεδεμένους λυθέντας; Ὄψει καὶ σαυτὸν ἐξ ἑτέρων δεσμῶν ἀνεθέντα χαλεπῶν. Ταῦτα τὰ δεσμὰ, τὰ τῶν δεσμωτῶν λέγω, οὐ τὰ Παύλου, ἐκεῖνα τὰ δεσμὰ ποιεῖ τὰ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν. Διπλῇ ἦσαν δεσμῶται οἱ ἔνδον, καὶ αὐτὸς δεσμώτης ἦν ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ σιδήρῳ ἐδέδεντο, καὶ ἁμαρτίαις, οὗτος δὲ ἁμαρτίαις μόναις. Ἔλυσεν ἐκείνους ὁ Παῦλος εἰς πληροφορίαν τούτου: καὶ γὰρ ἦν ὁρατὰ τὰ δεσμά. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐποίησε, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀντιστρόφως. Ἐκεῖ διπλῆ παράλυσις ἦν. Ποία δὲ αὕτη; Ἡ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν, καὶ ἡ τοῦ σώματος. Τί οὖν ποιεῖ; Θάρσει, φησὶ, τέκνον, ἀφέωνταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. Προτέραν τὴν ὄντως παράλυσιν ἔλυσεν, εἶτα ἐπὶ ταύτην ἔρχεται. Ὅτε γὰρ Εἶπόν τινες τῶν γραμματέων ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, Οὗτος βλασφημεῖ, εἰδὼς ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὰς ἐνθυμήσεις αὐτῶν, εἶπεν: Ἵνα τί ἐνθυμεῖσθε πονηρὰ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν; τί γάρ ἐστιν εὐκοπώτερον εἰπεῖν, Ἀφέωνταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι, ἢ εἰπεῖν, Ἔγειραι καὶ περιπάτει; Ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτε ὅτι ἐξουσίαν ἔχει ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας, λέγει τῷ παραλυτικῷ: Ἐγερθεὶς, ἆρόν σου τὴν κλίνην, καὶ ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου. Ἐβεβαίου τὸ νοητὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ, ἀπὸ τοῦ σωματικοῦ τὸ κατὰ ψυχὴν ἐργασάμενος. Διὰ τί δὲ τοῦτο ἐποίησεν; Ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ εἰρημένον: Δοῦλε πονηρὲ, ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου κρινῶ σε. Τί δὲ ἐκεῖνοι; Οὐδεὶς δύναται ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας, εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ Θεός: οὐκ ἄγγελος ἄρα λοιπὸν, οὐκ ἀρχάγγελος, οὐδὲ ἄλλη κτιστὴ δύναμις. Ὑμεῖς τοῦτο ὡμολογήσατε. Τί οὖν ἐχρῆν εἰπεῖν; Ἂν δειχθῶ ἀφιεὶς ἁμαρτίας, εὔδηλον ὅτι Θεὸς ἐγώ. Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶπεν οὕτως, ἀλλὰ τί; Ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτε ὅτι ἐξουσίαν ἔχει ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας, τότε λέγει τῷ παραλυτικῷ, Ἐγερθεὶς ἆρόν σου τὴν κλίνην, καὶ ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου. Ὅταν οὖν, φησὶ, τὸ δυσκολώτερον ἐργάσωμαι, εὔδηλον ὅτι οὐδεμία περὶ τοῦ εὐκόλου καταλείπεται πρόφασις οὐδὲ ἀντιλογία. Διὰ τοῦτο τὸ νοητὸν ἐκεῖνος ἐποίησε πρότερον, ἐπειδὴ πολλοὶ ἦσαν οἱ ἀντιλέγοντες: ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ νοητοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ αἰσθητὸν αὐτὸ ἤγαγεν. Ἄρα οὐκ ἦν κουφότητος ἡ πίστις. Εἶδε τοὺς δεσμώτας, καὶ οὐδὲν εἶδεν οὐδὲ ἤκουσε φαῦλον: εἶδεν οὐ μαγγανείᾳ τι γεγενημένον: ὕμνουν γὰρ τὸν Θεόν: εἶδεν ἀπὸ φιλανθρωπίας πολλῆς πάντα γενόμενα: οὐ γὰρ ἠμύναντο αὐτὸν, καίτοι δυνάμενοι. Ἐνῆν γὰρ καὶ ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ τοὺς δεδεμένους ἐξελόντας ἀπελθεῖν: εἰ δὲ μὴ τοὺς δεδεμένους, ἀλλ' ἑαυτούς. Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἰργάσαντο τοῦτο. Ὥστε οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ θαύματος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ τρόπου αὐτὸν κατῄδεσαν. Πῶς ἐφώνησε; Μεγάλῃ φωνῇ λέγων, Μηδὲν ποιήσῃς σεαυτῷ κακόν: ἅπαντες γάρ ἐσμεν ἐνθάδε. Ὁρᾷς καὶ τὸ ἀκενόδοξον καὶ τὸ ἄτυφον καὶ τὸ φιλόστοργον. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Δι' ἡμᾶς ταῦτα γέγονεν: ἀλλ', ὡσανεὶ τῶν δεσμωτῶν εἷς, φησί: Πάντες γάρ ἐσμεν ἐνθάδε. Καίτοι εἰ καὶ μὴ πρὸ τούτου, μηδὲ διὰ τοῦ θαύματος ἔλυσαν ἑαυτοὺς, ἀλλ' ἐνῆν αὐτοὺς σιγῆσαι, καὶ πάντας ἀπολῦσαι καὶ δεδεμένους. Εἰ γὰρ ἐσίγησαν, καὶ μὴ διὰ τῆς μεγάλης φωνῆς κατέσχον αὐτοῦ τὰς χεῖρας, ὤθησεν ἂν διὰ τοῦ λαιμοῦ τὸ ξίφος. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐβόησεν, ἐπειδὴ εἰς τὴν ἐνδοτέραν φυλακὴν ἦν βεβλημένος. Κατὰ σαυτοῦ τοῦτο πεποίηκας, φησὶν, ἐνδοτέρω βαλὼν τοὺς μέλλοντάς σε ἐλευθεροῦν τοῦ κινδύνου. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐμιμήσαντο τὰ παρ' ἐκείνου γενόμενα. Ἐκείνου δὲ ἀποθανόντος πάντες ἂν ἐξέφυγον. Εἶδες ὅτι εἵλοντο δεδέσθαι μᾶλλον, ἢ ἐκεῖνον περιιδεῖν ἀπολλύμενον. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐνενόησε πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, Εἰ γόητες ἦσαν, πάντως ἂν ἐκείνους ἀπέλυσαν, καὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἠλευθέρωσαν τῶν δεσμῶν: εἰκὸς γὰρ πολλοὺς καὶ τοιούτους ἐμβεβλῆσθαι. Ἄλλως δὲ, πολλάκις δεξάμενος γόητας, καὶ οὐδὲν ἰδὼν τοιοῦτον γενόμενον, ἐθαύμασεν. Ὁ γόης οὐκ ἂν ἔσεισε τὰ θεμέλια ὥστε διυπνίσαι τὸν δεσμοφύλακα, καὶ δυσκολωτέραν ἑαυτῷ ποιῆσαι τὴν φυγήν. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν λοιπὸν τοῦ δεσμοφύλακος τὴν πίστιν. Αἰτήσας, φησὶ, φῶτα εἰσεπήδησε, καὶ ἔντρομος ὑπάρχων, προσέπεσε τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ τῷ Σίλᾳ, καὶ προαγαγὼν αὐτοὺς ἔξω, φησί: Κύριοι, τί με δεῖ ποιεῖν ἵνα σωθῶ; Πῦρ ἐκράτει καὶ ξίφος, καὶ ἔλεγε: Κύριοι, τί με δεῖ ποιεῖν ἵνα σωθῶ; Οἱ δὲ εἶπον: Πίστευσον εἰς τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, καὶ σωθήσῃ σὺ, καὶ ὁ οἶκός σου. Τοῦτο οὐχὶ γοήτων ἐστὶ, φησὶ, δόγμα τοιοῦτον παραδοῦναι: οὐδαμοῦ δαίμονος ἐνταῦθα μνήμη. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἄξιος τοῦ σωθῆναι ἐκεῖνος; Ἰδὼν γὰρ τὸ θαῦμα, καὶ τοῦ φόβου ἀπαλλαγεὶς, οὐκ ἐπελάθετο τῶν συμφερόντων, ἀλλ' ἐν τοσούτῳ κινδύνῳ περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας ἐφρόντιζε τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν, καὶ ὡς ἐχρῆν διδασκάλοις προσελθεῖν, οὕτω προσῆλθε: καὶ πρὸς τοὺς πόδας αὐτῶν ἔπεσε. Καὶ ἐλάλησαν αὐτῷ, φησὶ, τὸν λόγον τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ παραλαβὼν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ νυκτὶ, ἔλουσεν ἀπὸ τῶν πληγῶν, καὶ ἐβαπτίσθη αὐτὸς, καὶ οἱ αὐτοῦ πάντες παραχρῆμα. Ὁρᾷς θερμότητα ἀνδρός; Οὐκ ἀνεβάλετο, οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἡμέρα γενέσθω, ἴδωμεν, σκεψώμεθα: ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς θερμότητος καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ οἰκία αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἐβαπτίσθη: ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς νῦν οἱ πλείους περιορῶσι καὶ δούλους καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ παῖδας ἀμυήτους τυγχάνοντας. Γίνεσθε, παρακαλῶ, κατὰ τὸν δεσμοφύλακα: οὐ τὴν ἀξίαν λέγω, ἀλλὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος ἀξιώματος, ὅταν ᾖ ἡ προαίρεσις ἀσθενής; Βαβαὶ, ὁ ὠμὸς, ὁ ἀπηνὴς, ὁ μυρίοις συζῶν κακοῖς, ὁ τοῦτο μελετῶν ἀεὶ, οὕτω φιλάνθρωπος, οὕτω κηδεμονικὸς ἀθρόως γέγονεν. Ἔλουσεν αὐτοὺς, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τῶν πληγῶν. Θέα πάλιν καὶ τοῦ Παύλου τὴν θερμότητα: δεδεμένος, μεμαστιγωμένος, οὕτως εὐηγγελίζετο. Ὢ τῆς μακαρίας ἁλύσεως, οἵας ὤδινεν ὠδῖνας κατὰ τὴν νύκτα ἐκείνην: οἷα ἀπέτεκε παιδία. Καὶ περὶ τούτων ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, Οὓς ἐγέννησα ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἀγάλλεται, καὶ τὰ τεχθέντα παιδία ἀπὸ τούτου λαμπρότερα βούλεται εἶναι; ὁρᾷς πόση περιουσία δόξης τῶν δεσμῶν, ὅπου γε οὐ μόνον τὸν περικείμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ τεχθέντας ὑπ' αὐτοῦ λαμπροὺς ποιεῖ; Ἔχουσί τι πλέον οἱ ἐν τοῖς Παύλου δεσμοῖς τεχθέντες, οὐ κατὰ τὴν χάριν λέγω, ἡ γὰρ αὐτὴ χάρις, οὐδὲ κατὰ τὴν ἄφεσιν, ἡ γὰρ αὐτὴ πάντων ἄφεσις, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐκ προοιμίων παιδεύονται χαίρειν καὶ ἀγάλλεσθαι τοῖς τοιούτοις πράγμασιν. Αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ τῆς νυκτὸς, φησὶ, παραλαβὼν αὐτοὺς, ἔλουσεν ἀπὸ τῶν πληγῶν, καὶ ἐβαπτίσθη. Καὶ θέα λοιπὸν τὸν καρπόν: ἀντέδωκεν εὐθέως τὰ σαρκικά. Ἀναγαγὼν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν οἶκον, εὐθέως παρέθηκε τράπεζαν, καὶ ἠγαλλιάσατο πανοικὶ πεπιστευκὼς τῷ Θεῷ. Τί γὰρ οὐκ ἔμελλεν, ἀνοιγέντος αὐτῷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ διὰ τῆς ἀνοίξεως τῶν τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου θυρῶν; Ἔλουσε τὸν διδάσκαλον, τράπεζαν παρέθηκε, καὶ ἠγαλλιάσατο. Εἰσῆλθεν εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἡ Παύλου ἅλυσις, καὶ ἐκκλησίαν εἰργάσατο πάντα τὰ ἐκεῖ, καὶ σῶμα Χριστοῦ πάντας ἐποίησε, καὶ τράπεζαν ἔθηκε τὴν πνευματικὴν, καὶ ὠδῖνας ἔτεκεν, ἐφ' αἷς ἄγγελοι χαίρουσι. Μήτι εἰκῆ ἔλεγον τὸ δεσμωτήριον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ λαμπρότερον; Τῆς γὰρ ἐκεῖ χαρᾶς τοῦτο γέγονεν αἴτιον. Εἰ γὰρ ἐφ' ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι χαρὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς, εἰ ὅπου δύο εἰσὶ συνηγμένοι εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, ἐκεῖ ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὅπου Σίλας καὶ Παῦλος καὶ ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ καὶ ἡ οἰκία αὐτοῦ ὅλη καὶ πίστις τοσαύτη, πόσῳ μᾶλλον; Ὅρα τὴν σφοδρότητα τῆς πίστεως. Ἀλλὰ τὸ δεσμωτήριον τοῦτο ἑτέρου με ὑπέμνησε δεσμωτηρίου. Ποίου δὴ τούτου; Ἔνθα Πέτρος ἦν. Ἀλλὰ τοιοῦτον οὐδὲν ἐγένετο ἐκεῖ: ἀλλ' ἦν παραδεδομένος τέσσαρσι τετραδίοις στρατιωτῶν φυλάσσειν αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐχ ὕμνει οὐδὲ ἠγρύπνει, ἀλλ' ἐκάθευδε: καὶ οὐδὲ μεμαστιγωμένος ἦν, ἀλλὰ μείζων ὁ κίνδυνος. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ ἤδη τὸ πᾶν εἴργαστο, καὶ δίκην ἦσαν δεδωκότες: ἐκεῖ δὲ οὐδέπω. Ὥστε εἰ μὴ πληγαὶ ὠδύνων, ἀλλ' ἡ προσδοκία τοῦ μέλλοντος ἐθορύβει. Ὅρα καὶ ἐκεῖ τὸ θαῦμα. Ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος Κυρίου, φησὶν, ἐπέστη, καὶ φῶς ἔλαμψεν ἐν τῷ οἰκήματι: πατάξας δὲ τὴν πλευρὰν τοῦ Πέτρου, ἤγειρεν αὐτὸν λέγων: Ἀνάστα ἐν τάχει. Καὶ εὐθέως ἐξέπεσον αὐτοῦ αἱ ἁλύσεις ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν. Ὥστε μὴ νομίσαι τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦ φωτὸς μόνον εἶναι, καὶ τὸν Πέτρον ἔνυξεν. Οὐδεὶς δὲ τὸ φῶς ἑώρα, ἀλλὰ μόνος αὐτὸς, καὶ ἐδόκει ὅτι ὅραμά ἐστιν: οὕτως οὐκ ἐπαισθάνονται οἱ καθεύδοντες τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐεργεσιῶν. Εἶπε δὲ, φησὶν, ὁ ἄγγελος πρὸς αὐτόν: Περίζωσαι καὶ ὑπόδησαι τὰ σανδάλιά σου. Καὶ ἐποίησεν οὕτω. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ, Περιβαλοῦ τὸ ἱμάτιόν σου, καὶ ἀκολούθει μοι. Καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδει ὅτι ἀληθές ἐστι τὸ γινόμενον διὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου: ἐδόκει δὲ ὅραμα βλέπειν. Διελθόντες δὲ πρώτην φυλακὴν καὶ δευτέραν, ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὴν πύλην τὴν σιδηρᾶν τὴν φέρουσαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ἥτις αὐτομάτη ἠνοίχθη αὐτοῖς. Καὶ εἰσελθόντες, προῆλθον ῥύμην μίαν, καὶ εὐθέως ὁ ἄγγελος ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἀπέστη. Διὰ τί μὴ τοῦτο γέγονεν ἐνταῦθα, ὅπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Παύλου καὶ Σίλα; Ὅτι ἐκεῖ μὲν ἔμελλον ἀπολύειν αὐτούς: διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἠθέλησεν οὕτως ἀπολυθῆναι αὐτούς: ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ μακαρίου Πέτρου, εἰς φόνον αὐτὸν ἔμελλον ἐξάγειν. Τί οὖν; οὐ πολλῷ θαυμασιώτερον ἦν, φησὶν, ἐξαχθέντα καὶ παραδοθέντα ταῖς τοῦ βασιλέως χερσὶ, τότε ἐκ μέσων αὐτῶν ἐξαρπασθῆναι τῶν κινδύνων, καὶ μηδὲν παθεῖν; οὕτω γὰρ ἂν οὐδὲ οἱ στρατιῶται ἀπώλοντο. Μέγα ἐνταῦθα κεκίνηται ζήτημα. Ὁ Θεὸς τὸν αὐτοῦ δοῦλον, φησὶ, μετὰ τῆς ἑτέρων ἔσωσε τιμωρίας, μετὰ τῆς ἑτέρων ἀπωλείας; Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; Πρῶτον μὲν οὖν, ὅτι οὐ μετὰ τῆς ἑτέρων ἀπωλείας: δεύτερον, ὅτι οὐ τῆς τοῦ πράγματος οἰκονομίας τοῦτο γέγονεν, ἀλλὰ τῆς τοῦ δικαστοῦ πικρίας. Πῶς; Ὁ μὲν Θεὸς οὕτως ᾠκονόμησεν, ὡς μὴ μόνον τούτους μὴ ἀπολέσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκεῖνον σωθῆναι, καθάπερ δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐπὶ τοῦ δεσμοφύλακος: ἐκεῖνος δὲ οὐκ ἐχρήσατο τῇ δωρεᾷ εἰς δέον. Γενομένης δὲ ἡμέρας, φησὶν, ἦν τάραχος οὐκ ὀλίγος ἐν τοῖς στρατιώταις, τί ἄρα ὁ Πέτρος ἐγένετο. Εἶτα τί; Ἐξέτασιν τοῦ πράγματος ποιεῖται ὁ Ἡρώδης, καὶ ἀνακρίνας αὐτοὺς, ἐκέλευσεν ἀπαχθῆναι. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ μὴ ἀνέκρινεν, ἦν ἄν τις ἀπολογία: νῦν δὲ παρέστησεν, ἀνέκρινεν, ἔμαθεν ὅτι ἐδέδετο, ὅτι τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἠσφάλιστο, ὅτι οἱ φύλακες ἦσαν πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν: οὐ τοῖχος διωρώρυκτο, οὐ θύρα ἀνέῳκτο, οὐδὲν ἄλλο κακουργίας τεκμήριον. Ἐχρῆν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τούτων θαυμάσαι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δύναμιν, ἥτις καὶ ἐκ μέσων αὐτὸν ἀνήρπασε τῶν κινδύνων: καὶ προσκυνῆσαι τὸν τοσαῦτα δυνηθέντα: ὁ δὲ ἐκείνους ἀπήγαγε. Πῶς οὖν ἐνταῦθα ὁ Θεὸς αἴτιος; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ τοῖχον διαῤῥαγῆναι ἐποίησε, καὶ οὕτως ἐξέβαλεν, ἴσως ἂν ἐνομίσθη τῆς ἐκείνων ῥᾳθυμίας τὸ πρᾶγμα: εἰ δὲ οὕτως ᾠκονόμησεν, ὥστε δειχθῆναι ὅτι οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνης κακουργίας, ἀλλὰ θείας θαυματουργίας τὸ πρᾶγμα ἦν, τί δὴ τοῦτο ἐποίησεν; Εἰ γὰρ ἔμελλε φεύγειν, οὕτως ὡς εἶχε τὰς ἁλύσεις ἔφυγεν ἄν: εἰ ἔμελλε φεύγειν τεθορυβημένος, οὐκ ἂν τοσαύτην ἐποιήσατο πρόνοιαν, ὥστε καὶ τὰ σανδάλια λαβεῖν, ἀλλ' εἴασεν ἄν. Νῦν δὲ διὰ τοῦτό φησιν ὁ ἄγγελος πρὸς αὐτὸν, Ὑπόδησαι τὰ σανδάλιά σου: ἵνα μάθωσιν ὅτι οὐ φεύγων, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς ἀνέσεως τὸ πρᾶγμα εἰργάσατο. Δεδεμένος γὰρ, καὶ μεταξὺ τῶν δύο μένων στρατιωτῶν οὐκ ἂν τοσαύτην ἐποιήσατο σχολὴν, ὥστε καὶ τὰς ἁλύσεις λῦσαι, καὶ ταῦτα εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν ὢν καὶ αὐτὸς φυλακήν. Ὥστε τῆς ἀδικίας τοῦ δικαστοῦ γέγονεν ἡ κόλασις τῶν φυλάκων. Διὰ τί γὰρ Ἰουδαῖοι μὴ τοῦτο ἐποίησαν; Καὶ γὰρ ἑτέρου δεσμωτηρίου μέμνημαι, ἐκείνου μὲν τοῦ προτέρου τοῦ ἐν Ῥώμῃ, τούτου δὲ τοῦ ἐν Καισαρείᾳ, νῦν δὲ τοῦ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις. Ἀκούσαντες γὰρ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι παρὰ τῶν ἀποσταλέντων παρ' αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον, ὥστε ἐξαγαγεῖν τὸν Πέτρον, ὅτι Ἔσω οὐδένα εὕρομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κεκλεισμένας τὰς θύρας, καὶ τοὺς φύλακας ἑστῶτας πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν: διὰ τί μὴ τοὺς φύλακας ἀνεῖλον, ἀλλὰ διηπόρουν περὶ αὐτῶν λέγοντες, Τί ἂν γένοιτο τοῦτο; Εἰ δὲ σφόδρα κατ' αὐτῶν φονῶντες οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐνενόησαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον σὺ ὁ πρὸς ἐκείνων χάριν πάντα ποιῶν. Διὰ τοῦτο μετῆλθεν αὐτὸν ἡ δίκη ταχέως. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἐγκαλεῖς, ἐγκάλει καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς σφαττομένων, καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀδίκως ἀναιρουμένων μυρίων ἑτέρων, καὶ ἔτι περὶ τῶν παίδων τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀναιρεθέντων: καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκείνοις, ὡς σὺ λέγεις, ὁ Χριστὸς ἐγένετο αἴτιος: μᾶλλον οὐχ ὁ Χριστὸς, ἀλλ' ἡ μανία καὶ ἡ τυραννὶς τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ Ἡρώδου. Εἰ δὲ λέγεις, Διὰ τί μὴ ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτὸν ἥρπασε τοῦ Ἡρώδου; καὶ τοῦτο ἠδύνατο ποιῆσαι, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἐκέρδανεν ἂν ἀπὸ τούτου. Ποσάκις γοῦν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν ἐξῆλθε τῶν χειρῶν; τί οὖν τοῦτο ὠφέλησε τοὺς ἀγνώμονας; Ἐνταῦθα μέντοι γε καὶ πολλὴ τοῖς πιστοῖς ὠφέλεια γίνεται ἀπὸ τῶν γεγενημένων: ὑπομνημάτων γὰρ γενομένων, καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτῶν μαρτυρούντων τοῖς πραττομένοις, ἀνύποπτος ἦν ἡ μαρτυρία. Ὥσπερ οὖν κἀκεῖ οὐδαμόθεν ἄλλοθεν ἐπεστομίσθησαν, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐκ τοῦ τοὺς ἐλθόντας ὁμολογεῖν τὰ γεγενημένα, οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Διὰ τί γὰρ ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐποίησε; καίτοι γε οὐδὲν ἐλάττονα τῶν τούτου τὰ Ἡρώδου ἦν. Τοῦ γὰρ ἰδεῖν ἀνεῳγμένας τὰς θύρας, ὅσον εἰς ἐκπλήξεως λόγον, οὐδὲν ἔλαττον τὸ μαθεῖν ὅτι κεκλεισμένων αὐτῶν ἐξῆλθεν ὁ δεδεμένος: καίτοι ταῦτα καὶ φαντασία ἔδοξεν ἂν εἶναι μᾶλλον, ἐκεῖνο δὲ οὐκέτι, μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἀπαγγελλόμενον. Ὥστε εἰ καὶ οὗτος οὕτως ἦν πονηρὸς, ἔσφαξεν ἂν τὸν Παῦλον, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος τοὺς στρατιώτας: ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦν. Εἰ δὲ πρὸς τοὺς λέγοντας, διὰ τί καὶ τὰ παιδία συνεχώρησεν ὁ Θεὸς ἀναιρεθῆναι, βουληθῶμεν ἀπολογήσασθαι, τάχα εἰς μακρότερον ἐμπεσούμεθα λόγον, ὃν ἐν προοιμίοις ἔδει λέγεσθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, Τέως δὲ πολλὰ τῇ Παύλου εὐχαριστήσαντες ἁλύσει, καταπαύσωμεν τὸν λόγον, ὅτι τοσούτων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν αἰτία γέγονε, παρακαλέσαντες ὑμᾶς μὴ μόνον μὴ δυσχεραίνειν, εἴ τι διὰ Χριστὸν πάθοιτε, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαίρειν ὡς οἱ ἀπόστολοι, καὶ καυχᾶσθαι ὡς Παῦλος ἔλεγεν: Ἥδιστα καυχήσομαι ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις μου. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ ἤκουσεν, Ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου. Παῦλος ἐπὶ δεσμοῖς καυχᾶται, καὶ σὺ ἐπὶ πλούτῳ μέγα φρονεῖς; οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἔχαιρον, ὅτι κατηξιώθησαν μαστιγωθῆναι, καὶ σὺ ἄνεσιν ζητεῖς καὶ τρυφήν; Πῶς οὖν θέλεις τῶν αὐτῶν ἐκείνοις τυχεῖν, ἀπεναντίας αὐτοῖς ὁδεύων ἐνταῦθα; Καὶ νῦν, φησὶ, πορεύομαι εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα δεδεμένος τῷ πνεύματι, τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς συναντήσοντά μοι μὴ εἰδὼς, πλὴν ὅτι τὸ Πνεῦμά μοι κατὰ πόλιν διαμαρτύρεται λέγον, ὅτι δεσμά με καὶ θλίψεις μένουσι. Τί οὖν ἀπέρχῃ, εἰ δεσμά σε καὶ θλίψεις μένουσι; Διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸ, φησὶν, ἵνα δεσμευθῶ διὰ Χριστὸν, ἵνα ἀποθάνω δι' αὐτόν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον δεθῆναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποθανεῖν ἑτοίμως ἔχω ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Οὐδὲν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκείνης μακαριώτερον. Ἐν τίσι καυχᾶται; Ἐν δεσμοῖς, ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἐν ἁλύσει, ἐν στίγμασιν. Ἐγὼ τὰ στίγματα τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, φησὶν, ἐν τῷ σώματί μου βαστάζω, καθάπερ τρόπαιόν τι μέγα καὶ πάλιν, Ἕνεκεν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, φησὶ, τὴν ἅλυσιν ταύτην περίκειμαι: καὶ πάλιν, Ἐν ᾗ πρεσβεύω ἐν ἁλύσει. Τί ἐστι τοῦτο; οὐκ αἰσχύνῃ; οὐ δέδοικας τὴν οἰκουμένην δεσμώτης περιιών; οὐ φοβῇ μή τις ἀσθένειαν τοῦ Θεοῦ σου καταγνῷ; μή τις διὰ τοῦτο οὐ μὴ προσέλθῃ; Οὐ τοιαῦτά μου, φησὶ, τὰ δεσμά: οἶδε καὶ ἐν βασιλείοις λάμπειν. Ὥστε τοὺς δεσμούς μου, φησὶ, φανεροὺς γενέσθαι ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ πραιτωρίῳ, καὶ τοὺς πλείονας τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐν Κυρίῳ πεποιθότας τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου περισσοτέρως τολμᾷν ἀφόβως λαλεῖν τὸν λόγον Ὁρᾷς δεσμῶν ἰσχὺν μᾶλλον, ἢ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως; Δεδεμένον με εἶδον, καὶ μᾶλλον θαῤῥοῦσιν. Ὅπου γὰρ δεσμὰ, ἀνάγκη καὶ μέγα τι γενέσθαι ἐκεῖ: ὅπου θλῖψις, πάντως ἐκεῖ καὶ σωτηρία, πάντως ἐκεῖ ἄνεσις, πάντως ἐκεῖ μεγάλα κατορθώματα. Ὁ γὰρ διάβολος ὅταν λακτίσῃ, τότε πλήττεται: ὅταν δήσῃ τοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ δούλους, τότε μάλιστα ὁ λόγος ἐπιδίδωσι. Καὶ θέα πανταχοῦ τοῦτο γινόμενον. Ἐδεσμεύθη, καὶ ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ ταῦτα εἰργάσατο. Ἐν αὐτοῖς γὰρ, φησὶ, τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου. Ἐδεσμεύθη ἐν Ῥώμῃ, καὶ πλείονας ἐπηγάγετο: οὐ γὰρ αὐτὸς μόνος ἐθάῤῥει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοὶ δι' αὐτοῦ. Ἐδεσμεύθη ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις, καὶ δεδεμένος δημηγορῶν τὸν βασιλέα κατέπληξε, καὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα εἰς φόβον ἤγαγεν: ἔμφοβος γὰρ γενόμενος, φησὶν, ἀπέλυσεν αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνετο παρὰ τοῦ δεδεμένου μανθάνων περὶ τῶν μελλόντων ὁ δήσας αὐτόν. Δεδεμένος ἔπλει, καὶ ναυάγιον ἔλυσε, καὶ τὸν χειμῶνα ἐπέδησεν. Ἐν δεσμοῖς ὄντος αὐτοῦ τὸ θηρίον ἐκεῖνο καθήψατο, καὶ μηδὲν λυμηνάμενον ἐξέπεσεν. Ἐδέθη ἐν Ῥώμῃ, καὶ δεδεμένος δημηγορῶν μυρίους ἐπεσπάσατο, ἀντὶ πάντων τοῦτο αὐτὸ προβαλλόμενος, τὴν ἅλυσιν λέγω. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστιν ἁλύσει δεθῆναι νῦν. Ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἑτέρα ἅλυσις, ἂν ἐθέλωμεν. Ποία δὴ αὕτη; Τὸ τῆς χειρὸς κρατεῖν, τὸ μὴ πρὸς πλεονεξίαν ἕτοιμον εἶναι. Ταύτῃ τῇ ἁλύσει δήσωμεν ἑαυτούς: ἀντὶ σιδηρίου γενέσθω ἡμῖν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβος. Λύσωμεν τοὺς δεδεμένους ὑπὸ πενίας, ὑπὸ θλίψεως. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἴσον δεσμωτηρίου θύρας ἀνοῖξαι, καὶ ψυχὴν συγκεκλεισμένην ἀφεῖναι: οὐκ ἔστιν ἴσον λῦσαι δεσμὰ δεσμωτῶν δεδεμένων, καὶ τεθραυσμένους ἀπολῦσαι ἐν ἀφέσει. Τοῦτο ἐκείνου μεῖζόν ἐστιν: ἐκείνου μὲν γὰρ οὐδεὶς κεῖται μισθὸς, τούτου δὲ μυρίοι. Μακρὰ ἡ τοῦ Παύλου γέγονεν ἅλυσις, καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺ κατέσχεν ἡμᾶς: καὶ γάρ ἐστιν ὄντως μακρὰ, καὶ πάσης σειρᾶς χρυσῆς κοσμιωτέρα. Αὕτη τοὺς δεδεμένους καθάπερ διά τινος μηχανῆς ἕλκει πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ ὥσπερ χρυσῆ σειρὰ ἐξαρτηθεῖσα, ἀνέλκει πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανόν: καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν, κάτω δεθεῖσα, τοὺς δεδεμένους ἄνω ἕλκει. Καίτοι οὐχ αὕτη τῶν πραγμάτων ἡ φύσις: ἀλλ' ὅταν Θεὸς οἰκονομῇ, μὴ ζήτει πραγμάτων φύσιν μηδὲ ἀκολουθίαν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ὑπὲρ φύσιν καὶ ἀκολουθίαν. Μάθωμεν μηδὲ ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσι καταπίπτειν, μηδὲ δυσχεραίνειν. Ὅρα γὰρ τὸν μακάριον τοῦτον: μεμαστίγωτο, καὶ μεμαστίγωτο ἰσχυρῶς: Πολλὰς γὰρ αὑτοῖς, φησὶν, ἐπιθέντες πληγάς: καὶ ἐδέδετο, καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν ἰσχυρῶς: εἰς γὰρ τὴν ἐσωτέραν φυλακὴν ἐνέβαλεν αὐτὸν, καὶ μετὰ πλείονος ἀσφαλείας. Καὶ ἐν τοσούτοις ὢν κατὰ τὸ μεσονύκτιον, ὅτε καὶ οἱ σφόδρα ἐγηγερμένοι καθεύδουσιν, ἑτέρου δεσμοῦ χαλεπωτέρου, τοῦ ὕπνου ἐπικειμένου, ᾖδον καὶ ὕμνουν τὸν Κύριον. Τί τούτων γένοιτ' ἂν τῶν ψυχῶν ἀδαμαντινώτερον; Ἐνενόουν ὅτι καὶ οἱ παῖδες ἐν πυρὶ ᾖδον καὶ ἐν καμίνῳ: ἴσως ἐλογίζοντο, ὅτι Ἡμεῖς οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον οὐδέπω πεπόνθαμεν. Ἀλλὰ καλῶς ποιῶν ὁ λόγος εἰς ἑτέρους ἡμᾶς πάλιν ἐξήνεγκε δεσμοὺς καὶ δεσμωτήριον ἕτερον. Τί πάθω; βούλομαι σιγῆσαι, ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι. Ἕτερον δεσμωτήριον εὗρον ἐκείνου πολλῷ θαυμασιώτερον καὶ ἐκπληκτικώτερον. Ἀλλά μοι διανάστητε, ὡς νῦν ἀρχομένου τοῦ λόγου, καὶ ἀκμαζούσαις προσέλθετε ταῖς διανοίαις. Βούλομαι διακόψαι τὸν λόγον, καὶ οὐκ ἀνέχεται. Καθάπερ γάρ τις μεταξὺ πίνων οὐκ ἂν ἀνάσχοιτο διακόψαι, κἂν ὁτιοῦν τις ἐπαγγέλληται: οὕτω κἀγὼ τῆς κύλικος ἐπιλαβόμενος τῆς θαυμαστῆς τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου τῶν διὰ Χριστὸν δεδεμένων, οὐ δύναμαι παύσασθαι, οὐ δύναμαι σιγῆσαι. Εἰ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ οὐκ ἐσίγησεν, οὐδὲ ἐν μάστιξιν, ἐγὼ σιγήσομαι καθήμενος ἡμέρας οὔσης, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀνέσεως φθεγγόμενος, τῶν δεδεμένων, τῶν μεμαστιγωμένων, τῶν ἐν μέσῃ νυκτὶ τοῦτο μὴ παθόντων; Οἱ παῖδες οὐκ ἐσίγων ἐν καμίνῳ καὶ ἐν πυρί: καὶ ἡμεῖς οὐκ αἰσχυνόμεθα σιγῶντες; Ἴδωμεν οὖν καὶ τοῦτο τὸ δεσμωτήριον. Ἐδέθησαν καὶ ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλ' εὐθέως καὶ ἐκ προοιμίων ἐδείκνυτο, ὅτι οὐκ ἔμελλον καίεσθαι, ἀλλ' ὡς εἰς δεσμωτήριον εἰσιέναι. Τί γὰρ δεσμεῖς τοὺς μέλλοντας φλογίζεσθαι; Ἐδέθησαν, καθὼς Παῦλος, καὶ πόδας καὶ χεῖρας: ἐδέθησαν μετὰ τοσούτου θυμοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν ἔβαλε φυλακὴν, καὶ οὗτος ἐπὶ πολὺ καῆναι τὴν κάμινον ἐκέλευσεν. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα. Ὑμνούντων ἐκείνων ἐσείετο τὸ δεσμωτήριον, καὶ ἀνεῴχθησαν αἱ θύραι: καὶ τούτων ὑμνούντων ἐλύθη τὰ δεσμὰ καὶ τῶν ποδῶν καὶ τῶν χειρῶν: ἀνεῴχθη τὸ δεσμωτήριον, καὶ ἀνεῴχθησαν αἱ θύραι τῆς καμίνου: δρόσος γὰρ πνεύματος διεσύριζεν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως πολλά με περιῤῥεῖ: οὐκ οἶδα ποῖον εἴπω πρῶτον, ποῖον δὲ δεύτερον. Διὸ παρακαλῶ, μή με τάξιν τις ἀπαιτείτω: πολλὴ γὰρ ἡ συγγένεια τῶν πραγμάτων. Ἐλύθησαν οἱ συνδεδεμένοι αὐτοῖς, καὶ ὅμως ἐκάθευδον: ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἀντὶ τούτου γέγονεν ἕτερόν τι: κατεκάησαν οἱ ἐμβαλόντες αὐτούς. Ἀλλ', ὅπερ ἐβουλόμην εἰπεῖν, εἶδε λελυμένους, καὶ προσέπεσεν αὐτοῖς ὁ βασιλεύς: ἤκουσεν ὑμνούντων, καὶ τέσσαρας εἶδε περιπατοῦντας, καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτούς. Καθάπερ οὖν ὁ Παῦλος οὐκ ἐξῆλθε, καίτοι δυνάμενος, ἕως ὁ ἐμβαλὼν ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐξήγαγεν, οὕτως οὐδὲ οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες ἐξῆλθον, ἕως οὗ ὁ ἐμβαλὼν ἐξελθεῖν ἐκέλευσε. Τί ἀπὸ τούτου παιδευόμεθα; Μὴ σπεύδειν ἐν ταῖς ἐπαγωγαῖς, μηδὲ ἐπείγεσθαι ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσι, μήτε πάλιν λυόντων ἐμμένειν. Ἀλλ' οὗτος μὲν προσέπεσε: καὶ γὰρ εἰσελθεῖν ἠδύνατο, ἔνθα ἦσαν οἱ ἅγιοι: ἐκεῖνος δὲ πρὸς τὴν θύραν ἐλθὼν, ἔστη: οὐ γὰρ ἐτόλμα προσελθεῖν εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον τὸ ἔνδον, ὅπερ αὐτοῖς διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς κατεσκεύασε. Καὶ θέα μοι τὰ ῥήματα. Οὗτός φησι, Κύριοι, τί με δεῖ ποιεῖν ἵνα σωθῶ; ἐκεῖνος οὐ μετὰ τοσαύτης μὲν ταπεινοφροσύνης, οὐκ ἔλαττον δὲ φωνὴν ἡδίω ἀφῆκε, Σεδρὰχ, Μισὰκ, Ἀβδεναγὼ, οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, ἐξέλθετε, καὶ δεῦτε. Μεγάλη τιμή: Οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, ἐξέλθετε, καὶ δεῦτε. Πῶς ἐξέλθωσιν, ὦ βασιλεῦ; δεδεμένους ἐνέβαλες τῷ πυρὶ, τοσοῦτον ἐνεχρόνισαν τῷ πυρὶ χρόνον; Εἰ γὰρ ἀδαμάντινοι ἦσαν, εἰ γὰρ ὕλαι μεταλλικαὶ, καὶ ὕμνον λέγοντες ἐκεῖνον ἅπαντα, οὐκ ἂν ἀπώλοντο; Διὰ τοῦτο μὲν οὖν ἐσώθησαν, ὅτι ὕμνουν. Ἠ|δέσθη τὴν προθυμίαν αὐτῶν τὸ πῦρ, ᾐδέσθη καὶ τὴν ᾠδὴν τὴν θαυμαστὴν ἐκείνην καὶ τοὺς ὕμνους. Πῶς αὐτοὺς καλεῖς; Προλαβὼν εἶπον, Οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου: τοῖς γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ δούλοις πάντα δυνατά. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνθρώπων εἰσὶ δοῦλοί τινες, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐκείνων οὐχ ἧττον ἰσχύουσι καὶ κρατοῦσι καὶ διατάττονται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον οἱ τοῦ Θεοῦ δοῦλοι. Τὴν ἡδίστην φωνὴν ἐκάλεσεν: ᾔδει τούτῳ μάλιστα κολακεύων αὐτούς. Εἰ γὰρ ἵνα δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ μένωσιν, εἰς πῦρ ἐνέβησαν, οὐκ ἦν αὐτοῖς ἑτέρα φωνὴ ταύτης ἡδίων: οὐκ ἂν, εἰ βασιλεῖς αὐτοὺς ἐκάλεσεν, οὐκ ἂν, εἰ τῆς οἰκουμένης δεσπότας, οὕτως ἂν αὐτοὺς ηὔφρανεν, ὡς ὅτε εἶπεν, Οἱ δοῦλοι Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου. Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις; Τῇ γὰρ μεγάλῃ πόλει, τῇ κρατούσῃ τῆς οἰκουμένης, καὶ μέγα φρονούσῃ ἐπ' ἀξιώμασιν, ὡς ἀντίῤῥοπον πρὸς ἀξίαν, μᾶλλον δὲ πολλῷ μεῖζον καὶ ἀσυγκρίτως μεῖζον καὶ ὑπατείας καὶ βασιλείας καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τῆς οἰκουμένης, ὁ Παῦλος τοῦτο τέθεικε γράφων: Παῦλος δοῦλος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου. Εἰ γὰρ τοσαύτην, φησὶ, ποιοῦνται σπουδὴν, ὥστε δοῦλοι εἶναι, πάντως τούτῳ πείσομεν αὐτούς. Ὅρα τοίνυν καὶ τὴν εὐλάβειαν τῶν παίδων. Οὐκ ἠγανάκτησαν, οὐδὲ ὠργίσθησαν, οὐδὲ ἀντεῖπον, ἀλλ' ἐξῆλθον. Εἰ γὰρ τιμωρίαν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐνόμιζον, τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς τὴν κάμινον, κἂν ἤλγησαν πρὸς τὸν ἐμβαλόντα: νῦν δὲ οὐδὲν τούτων, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐξ αὐτοῦ προϊόντες τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, οὕτω προῄεσαν. Καὶ ὃ περὶ τοῦ ἡλίου φησὶν ὁ προφήτης, ὅτι Ὡς νυμφίος ἐκπορευόμενος ἐκ παστοῦ αὐτοῦ, τοῦτο καὶ περὶ τούτων εἰπών τις οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοι. Πῶς; Ὅτι τούτου δὴ τοῦ οὕτως ἐκπορευομένου ἐκεῖνοι τότε λαμπρότερον ἐξεπορεύοντο. Οὗτος μὲν γὰρ ἐξεπορεύετο τὴν οἰκουμένην φωτίζων τῷ αἰσθητῷ φωτὶ, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τὴν οἰκουμένην φωτίζοντες ἑτέρως, νοητῶς λέγω. Διὰ γὰρ αὐτοὺς εὐθέως διάταγμα ἔπεμπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ταῦτα ἔχον τὰ ῥήματα: Ἤρεσεν ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ τὰ σημεῖα καὶ τὰ τέρατα, ἃ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς δηλῶσαι ἡμῖν, ὡς μεγάλα καὶ ἰσχυρά. Ὥστε λαμπροτέραν ἐξῄεσαν ἀφιέντες ἀκτῖνα, φαιδρὰν μὲν οὖσαν καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς χωρίοις, μάλιστα δὲ πανταχοῦ ἐκταθῆναι δυναμένην διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων τῶν βασιλικῶν, καὶ λῦσαι τὸ πανταχοῦ τεταμένον σκότος. Ἐξέλθετε, καὶ δεῦτε. Οὐκ ἐκέλευσε σβέσαι τὴν κάμινον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτῳ μάλιστα αὐτοὺς ἐτίμησε, τῷ πιστεῦσαι, ὅτι δυνήσονται μὴ μόνον ἔνδον περιπατεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ καιομένης ἐξελθεῖν. Ἴδωμεν δὲ, εἰ δοκεῖ, καὶ τοῦ δεσμοφύλακος τὰ ῥήματα. Κύριοι, τί με δεῖ ποιεῖν, ἵνα σωθῶ; Τί ταύτης τῆς φωνῆς ἥδιον; Αὕτη σκιρτᾷν καὶ ἀγγέλους ποιεῖ: ἵνα ταύτην ἀκούσῃ τὴν φωνὴν, καὶ δοῦλος ἐγένετο ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Μονογενής: ταύτην πρὸς Πέτρον ἔλεγον τὴν φωνὴν οἱ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν πιστεύσαντες: Τί ποιήσομεν, ἵνα σωθῶμεν; Καὶ τί φησιν αὐτός; Πιστεύσατε, καὶ βαπτίσθητε. Ἡδέως ἂν καὶ εἰς γέενναν ἐνέπεσεν ὁ Παῦλος, ὥστε ταύτην ἀκοῦσαι τὴν φωνὴν παρὰ Ἰουδαίων, δι' ἐπιθυμίαν σωτηρίας καὶ ὑπακοῆς αὐτῶν. Ὅρα δέ: τὸ πᾶν αὐτοῖς ἐπιτρέπει, οὐδὲν περιεργάζεται. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα. Οὗτος οὐ λέγει, Ἵνα σωθῶ, ἀλλὰ τρανοτέρα πάσης φωνῆς αὐτῷ ἡ διδασκαλία γέγονε: καὶ γὰρ εὐθέως γίνεται κήρυξ. Οὐ δεῖται κατηχηθῆναι, καθάπερ ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ, ἀλλὰ τί; Ἀνακηρύττει τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ὁμολογεῖ τὴν δύναμιν: Ἐπ' ἀληθείας οἶδα, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν αὐτός ἐστι τῶν θεῶν Θεὸς, καὶ Κύριος τῶν κυρίων: ὅτι ἐξαπέστειλε τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐῤῥύσατο ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς καμίνου. Καὶ τί μετὰ ταῦτα; Οὐχ εἷς δεσμοφύλαξ, ἀλλὰ πολλοὶ κατηχοῦνται διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων τῶν βασιλικῶν, διὰ τῆς θέας τῶν πραγμάτων. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἐψεύσατο ὁ βασιλεὺς, παντί που δῆλον: οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἠθέλησε τοιαῦτα τοῖς αἰχμαλωτισθεῖσι μαρτυρῆσαι, οὐδὲ τὰ αὑτοῦ καταβαλεῖν: οὐκ ἂν ἠθέλησε τοσαύτης ἀνοίας δόξαν λαβεῖν. Ὥστε εἰ μὴ πολλὴ τῆς ἀληθείας ἡ περιφάνεια, οὐκ ἂν τοιαῦτα ἔγραψε, καὶ τοσούτων παρόντων. Ὁρᾶτε πόση τῶν δεσμῶν ἡ δύναμις; πόση τῆς ὑμνῳδίας τῆς ἐν θλίψει ἡ ἰσχύς; Οὐκ ἀπηγόρευσαν οὐδὲ ἀνέπεσον, ἀλλὰ τότε μᾶλλον ἦσαν σφοδροὶ, τότε πλείων ἡ προθυμία. Εἰκότως ταῦτα ἐννοοῦσιν. Ἔτι ἓν ὑπολείπεται. Διὰ τί ἐν μὲν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ οἱ δεδεμένοι ἐλύθησαν, ἐν δὲ τῇ καμίνῳ οἱ ἐμβαλόντες κατεκάησαν; Καίτοι γε ἐχρῆν τὸν βασιλέα τοῦτο παθεῖν: οὐ γὰρ οἱ δεσμοῦντες οὐδὲ οἱ ἐμβάλλοντες τοσοῦτον ἥμαρτον, ὅσον ὁ κελεύων τοῦτο γενέσθαι. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐκεῖνοι ἀπώλοντο; Ἐνταῦθα οὐ πολλή τις χρεία τῆς ἀκριβολογίας. Ἀσεβεῖς γὰρ ἦσαν: διὰ τοῦτο ᾠκονόμητο, ἵνα δειχθῇ τοῦ πυρὸς ἡ ἰσχὺς, καὶ μεῖζον τὸ θαῦμα γένηται. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς ἔξω οὕτω κατέφαγεν, οὓς ἔνδον εἶχε, πῶς ἀπαθεῖς ἐδείκνυ; Ἵνα δήλη γένηται ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμις. Καὶ μηδεὶς θαυμαζέτω, εἰ τὸν βασιλέα ἐν τάξει τοῦ δεσμοφύλακος ἔθηκα: τὸ γὰρ αὐτὸ εἰργάσατο. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὗτος ἐκείνου λαμπρότερος ἦν: ἀπώναντο γὰρ ἀμφότεροι. Ἀλλ', ὅπερ ἔφην, ὅτι ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν ὄντες οἱ δίκαιοι, τότε μάλιστά εἰσι σφοδρότεροι, ὅταν ἐν δεσμοῖς ὦσι. Τὸ γὰρ διὰ Χριστόν τι παθεῖν, πάσης παραμυθίας ἥδιον. Βούλεσθε ὑπομνήσω ὑμᾶς καὶ ἑτέρου δεσμωτηρίου; Ἀναγκαῖον ἀπὸ τῆς ἁλύσεως ταύτης ἐφ' ἕτερον ἐλθεῖν δεσμωτήριον. Τὸ ποῖον βούλεσθε; τὸ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου; ἢ τὸ τοῦ Ἰωσήφ; ἢ τὸ Ἰωάννου; Χάρις τῇ Παύλου ἁλύσει: πόσα ἀνέῳξε τῷ λόγῳ δεσμωτήρια; Τὸ Ἰωάννου βούλεσθε; Ἐδέθη καὶ οὗτος ποτὲ διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμον. Τί οὖν; ἆρα ἤργει ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ ὤν; οὐχὶ δὲ ἐκεῖθεν πέμψας ἐκ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου ἔλεγε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὑτοῦ, Πορευθέντες εἴπατε τῷ Χριστῷ, Σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, ἢ ἕτερον προσδοκῶμεν; Καὶ ἐκεῖ ὢν ἄρα ἐδίδασκεν: οὐ γὰρ δὴ ἠμέλει. Ἀλλ' Ἱερεμίας οὐχὶ προεφήτευσε περὶ τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου, πάντα τὰ αὑτοῦ καὶ ἐκεῖ ποιῶν; Τί δὲ ὁ Ἰωσήφ; οὐχὶ τριακαίδεκα ἔτη ἐδέδετο; Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ ἐκεῖ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπελάθετο. Ἔτι ἑνὸς εἰπόντες δεσμοὺς, καταπαύσομεν τὸν λόγον. Ἐδέθη καὶ ὁ Δεσπότης ὁ ἡμέτερος, ὁ τὴν οἰκουμένην λύσας τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων: ἐδέθησαν χεῖρες αἱ μυρία ἐργασάμεναι καλά: Δήσαντες γὰρ αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ἤγαγον πρὸς Καϊάφαν. Καὶ ἐδέδετο ὁ τοσαῦτα θαυματουργήματα ἐργασάμενος. Ταῦτα ἐννοοῦντες, μηδέποτε δυσχεραίνωμεν, ἀλλὰ κἂν δεθῶμεν, χαίρωμεν: κἂν μὴ ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς ὦμεν, ὡς συνδεδεμένοι διακεώμεθα. Ὁρᾷς ὅσον ἀγαθὸν ὁ δεσμός; Ταῦτα πάντα εἰδότες, χάριν ἀναπέμπωμεν ὑπὲρ πάντων τῷ Θεῷ, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.