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In illud: Domine, non est in homine

On the saying of the prophet Jeremiah, "Lord, his way is not of man, nor shall a man walk and make his path straight."

56.153 1. Of this perceptible and public road, some parts are level and smooth, and others are steep and rather rough; so also with the divine Scriptures, some parts are immediately clear to all, while others require more labor and toil. But when we travel a level and smooth road, we do not need much precision; but when it is steep and narrow and stretching up to the very summit, and enclosed by cliffs on either side, we need a sober and watchful soul, as the difficulty of the terrain does not permit carelessness.

For if one should look aside even a little, with only the foot having slipped. The whole body is thrown down the precipice, and if one should stoop to look down into the ravines, seized with dizziness he is carried down. So it is also with the divine Scriptures: the easy and simple thoughts it is possible to travel through without toil, but the rougher and steeper ones it is not likewise easy to pass through. Therefore all must be sober and watchful when we pass through such places, so that the danger for us may not concern the ultimate things. For this reason we too sometimes train you in the easier matters, and sometimes lead you to the more difficult, so that we might both soothe your toil and cast out carelessness.

For just as those who continually enjoy ease become more lax, so those who are perpetually dragged to rougher things, despair at the toil 56.154. Therefore the form of teaching must be mixed, and we must handle now this, now that, so that our mind is neither relaxed beyond measure, nor, being strained beyond what is proper, be broken again, giving up on the toil. For this reason, having recently discoursed to you about Paul and Peter and the dispute that arose between them in Antioch, and having shown you that their seeming conflict was more useful than any peace, and having led you upon that steep and rough road, when we saw you were weary, on the following day we guided you to another, easier subject, recounting the encomia of the blessed Eustathius, and after him relating the praises of the noble martyr Romanus, at which time our theater became more splendid, and the applause greater, and the acclaim louder. For just as someone who is tired, then entering a meadow, is gladdened and refreshed, seeing nothing rough or toilsome, but much relaxation and delight and recreation; so you also seemed to me to be disposed then; for from the toils and difficulties of that hearing, entering as it were into the meadow of the martyrs' encomia, you were filled with that delight with much freedom. For there were no grips and counter-grips then, nor wrestling holds and evasions, but with no one opposing, the discourse contended on its 56.155 own, being unrestrained and free. and for this reason it was also more splendid and more festive, and enjoyed more praise.

For the mind of the listeners, when it follows what is said with ease, enjoying much relaxation, is more readily stirred to praise of the speaker. Since, then, we have sufficiently refreshed you in these days, having brought nothing toilsome and rough before your charity, come now, today let us lead you back to the former exercise, to the more toilsome of the

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In illud: Domine, non est in homine

Εἰς τὸ ῥητὸν τοῦ προφήτου Ἱερεμίου, "Κύριε, οὐχὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ἄνθρωπος πορεύσεται, καὶ κατορθώσει τὴν πορείαν αὐτοῦ."

56.153 αʹ. Τῆς ὁδοῦ ταύτης τῆς αἰσθητῆς καὶ λεωφόρου τὰ μέν ἐστιν ὕπτια καὶ λεῖα, τὰ δὲ προσάντη καὶ τραχύτερα· οὕτω δὲ καὶ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν τὰ μέν ἐστιν αὐτόθεν πᾶσιν εὐσύνοπτα, τὰ δὲ πλείονος ἐξεργασίας καὶ πόνου δεόμενα. Ἀλλ' ὅταν μὲν ἰσόπεδον καὶ λείαν ὁδεύωμεν ὁδὸν, οὐ πολλῆς ἡμῖν δεῖ ἀκριβείας· ὅταν δὲ ὑπτίαν καὶ στενὴν καὶ πρὸς αὐτὴν ἀνατεινομένην τὴν ἀκρώρειαν, καὶ ὑπὸ κρημνῶν ἑκατέρωθεν ἀπειλημμένην, νηφούσης ἡμῖν δεῖ ψυχῆς καὶ διεγηγερμένης, τῆς δυσχωρίας ῥᾳθυμεῖν οὐκ ἐπιτρεπούσης.

Κἂν γὰρ μικρόν τις παραβλέψῃ, μόνου τοῦ ποδὸς ὀλισθήσαντος. ἅπαν τὸ σῶμα κατακρημνίζεται, κἂν εἰς φάραγγας κατακύψῃ κάτω, σκοτοδίνῳ κατεχόμενος καταφέρεται. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν τὰ μὲν εὔκολα καὶ ῥᾴδια τῶν νοημάτων, καὶ ἀπονητὶ διοδεῦσαι ἔνι, τὰ δὲ τραχύτερα καὶ προσάντη οὐχ ὁμοίως εὔπορον διαβῆναι. ∆ιὸ νήφειν ἅπαντας δεῖ καὶ ἐγρηγορέναι, ὅταν τοιαῦτα διαβαίνωμεν χωρία, ὥστε μὴ περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἡμῖν γενέσθαι τὸν κίνδυνον. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς ποτὲ μὲν ἐν τοῖς εὐκολωτέροις ὑμᾶς ἐγγυμνάζομεν, ποτὲ δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ δυσκολώτερα ἄγομεν, ἵνα καὶ τὸν πόνον ὑμῖν παραμυθησώμεθα, καὶ τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν ἐκβάλωμεν.

Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ διαπαντὸς εὐκολίας ἀπολαύοντες, χαυνότεροι γίνονται· οὕτως οἱ διηνεκῶς πρὸς τραχύτερα ἑλκόμενοι, πρὸς τὸν πόνον 56.154 ἀπογινώσκουσι. ∆εῖ τοίνυν ἀναμεμίχθαι τὸ τῆς διδασκαλίας εἶδος, καὶ νῦν μὲν τοῦτο, νῦν δὲ ἐκεῖνο μεταχειρίζειν, ὥστε μήτε χαλᾶσθαι πέρα τοῦ μέτρου τὴν διάνοιαν ἡμῖν, μήτε διατεινομένην ὑπὲρ τὸ δέον διαῤῥήγνυσθαι πάλιν πρὸς τὸν πόνον ἀπαγορεύουσαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πρώην ὑμῖν περὶ Παύλου καὶ Πέτρου διαλεχθέντες, καὶ τῆς ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ γενομένης αὐτοῖς πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀμφισβητήσεως, καὶ τὴν δοκοῦσαν ἐκείνων εἶναι μάχην πάσης εἰρήνης χρησιμωτέραν ὑμῖν ἀποδείξαντες, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ὑπτίαν ἐκείνην καὶ τραχείαν ἀγαγόντες ὁδὸν, ἐπειδὴ πεπονηκότας εἴδομεν, τῇ μετ' ἐκείνην ἡμέρᾳ πρὸς ἑτέραν εὐκολωτέραν ἐχειραγωγοῦμεν ὑπόθεσιν, τοῦ μακαρίου Εὐσταθίου τὰ ἐγκώμια διηγούμενοι, καὶ μετ' ἐκεῖνον τοῦ γενναίου μάρτυρος Ῥωμανοῦ τοὺς ἐπαίνους διεξιόντες, ὅτε δὴ καὶ λαμπρότερον ἡμῖν τὸ θέατρον γέγονε, καὶ πλείων ὁ κρότος, καὶ μείζων ὁ θόρυβος. Καθάπερ γάρ τις καμὼν, εἶτα εἰς λειμῶνα εἰσελθὼν, γάννυται καὶ διαχεῖται, τραχὺ μὲν ὁρῶν οὐδὲν οὐδὲ ἐπίπονον, ἄνεσιν δὲ καὶ τέρψιν καὶ ψυχαγωγίαν πολλήν· οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς μοι διέκεισθε τότε· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῶν πόνων καὶ τῶν δυσκολιῶν τῆς ἀκροάσεως ἐκείνης, ὥσπερ εἰς λειμῶνα εἰσελθόντες τῶν μαρτύρων τὰ ἐγκώμια, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀδείας τῆς τέρψεως ἐνεφορεῖσθε ἐκείνης. Οὐδὲ γὰρ λαβαὶ καὶ ἀντιλαβαὶ ἦσαν τότε, οὐδὲ παλαίσματα καὶ διαδύσεις, ἀλλ' οὐδενὸς ἀντικρούοντος, ἄφετος καθ' ἑαυ 56.155 τὸν ὁ λόγος ἠγωνίζετο, ἀπολελυμένος καὶ ἐλεύθερος ὤν. διὰ τοῦτο δὲ καὶ λαμπρότερος ἦν καὶ πανηγυρικώτερος, καὶ πλειόνων ἀπέλαυεν ἐπαίνων.

Ἡ γὰρ διάνοια τῶν ἀκροατῶν, ὅταν μετ' εὐκολίας τοῖς λεγομένοις παρακολουθῇ, πολλῆς ἀνέσεως ἀπολαύουσα, προθυμότερον πρὸς τὸν ἔπαινον τοῦ λέγοντος διεγείρεται. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἱκανῶς ὑμᾶς ἀνεκτησάμεθα ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις, οὐδὲν ἐπίπονον καὶ τραχὺ πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν κινήσαντες ἀγάπην, φέρε δὴ τήμερον ὑμᾶς πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν προτέραν ἀγάγωμεν γυμνασίαν, πρὸς τὰ ἐπιπονώτερα τῶν