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of tears, which he prepared for us. But let us make, brothers, the wound more burdensome for the enemy; let us increase his grief. And as to how, I will speak, but you must act. There are some who were snatched from the dominion of the fire by the Creator, and have no remaining resource for life left to them, but escaped the danger with only soul and body. We, therefore, as many as have remained without a taste of the experience of hardships, let us offer our own prosperity to them in common.

Let us embrace the brothers who have barely been saved; let each one of us say to each one: He was dead, and has come to life; lost, and was found; and let us shelter the kindred body. Let us set our consolation against the insolence of the enemy, so that even while harming he may seem to have harmed nothing great, and having made war, to show no one conquered, and having taken away the prosperity of the brothers, he may appear to be conquered by our generosity. But you who have escaped the danger, brothers, do not be exceedingly grieved by the evils that have befallen, nor be shaken in your mind, but shake off the mist of grief, and restore your souls by using manlier reasonings, and make what has happened an occasion for crowns. For if you remain unshaken, you will also appear more proven in the faith, shining forth like noble gold from the fire, and you will increase the shame of the enemy all the more, as one who was not even able to stir a tear in you, through the things he plotted. Remind yourselves of the endurance of Job. Say to yourselves what he said: The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so it has happened. And let no one, from what he has suffered, be persuaded to think and to say that no providence arranges our affairs, nor let him accuse the economy and judgment of the Master; but let him look to that athlete, and make him his counselor for what is better. Let him consider all the struggles in order, in which he proved his valor; and by how many darts he was struck by the devil, yet did not receive a fatal wound. For he took away the prosperity of his household, and planned to overwhelm him with successive reports of evils.

For 31.560 while the first one was still announcing such a disaster, another messenger came, bringing the gloom of worse things; and the terrible things were joined one to another, and the disasters emulated the assault of waves, and before the first tear had ceased, an occasion for another was brought forward. But the righteous one stood like a promontory, receiving the assaults of the storm, and changing the violence of the waves into foam, and he uttered the well-disposed voice to the Master: The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so it has happened; and he deemed none of the things that happened worthy of tears. But when someone came announcing that a violent wind had shaken the banqueting-hall upon his sons and daughters while they were feasting, then only did he rend his garment, showing the sympathy of nature, and testifying by what he did that he was a loving father. Nevertheless, even then, setting a limit and measure to his griefs, and adorning what was happening with those pious voices, he said: The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so it has happened, all but shouting such things: I was called a father for as long a time as he who made me one wished. He planned again to take away the crown of my offspring, I do not contend with him concerning his own things. Let what seems good to the Master prevail; he is the fashioner of the race, and I am an instrument. Why should I, a servant, be uselessly grieved, and blame a decree which I cannot undo? With such words the righteous one hurled darts at the devil. But when the enemy saw him conquering again, and that he could be shaken by none of these things, upon the very

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δακρύων, ἅπερ ἡμῖν παρεσκεύα σεν. Ἀλλὰ ποιήσωμεν, ἀδελφοὶ, τὸ τραῦμα τῷ δυσμενεῖ φορτικώτερον, ἐπιτείνωμεν τὸ πένθος αὐ τοῦ. Τὸ δὲ ὅπως, λέξω μὲν ἐγὼ, πράξατε δὲ ὑμεῖς. Εἰσί τινες ἐκ τῆς ἐπικρατείας τοῦ πυρὸς ἀναρπα σθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ κτίσαντος, καὶ μηδεμίαν ἔχοντες περιλελειμμένην αὐτοῖς βίου λοιπὸν ἀφορμὴν, ἀλλὰ μόνῃ τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ τῷ σώματι διαφυγόντες τὸν κίν δυνον. Ἡμεῖς τοίνυν ὅσοι τῆς τῶν δυσχερῶν ἄγευ στοι πείρας ἐμείναμεν, κοινὴν ἐκείνοις προθῶμεν τὴν εὐπορίαν τὴν ἑαυτῶν.

Ἐναγκαλισώμεθα τοὺς περισωθέντας μόλις τῶν ἀδελφῶν, εἴπωμεν πρὸς ἕκαστον ἕκαστος· Νεκρὸς ἦν, καὶ ἀνέζησεν· ἀπο λωλὼς, καὶ εὑρέθη· καὶ τὸ συγγενὲς σῶμα σκεπά σωμεν. Ἀντιστήσωμεν ταῖς τοῦ δυσμενοῦς ἐπηρείαις τὴν ἡμετέραν παράκλησιν, ἵνα καὶ βλάπτων ἐκεῖνος μηδὲν μέγα βλάψαι δοκῇ, καὶ πολεμήσας, μηδένα δεῖξαι νενικημένον, καὶ περιελὼν τὴν εὐπορίαν τῶν ἀδελφῶν, ὑπὸ τῆς ἡμετέρας φιλοτιμίας φανείη νικώ μενος. Ὑμεῖς δὲ οἱ διαφυγόντες τὸν κίνδυνον, ἀδελφοὶ, μὴ σφόδρα ἄχθεσθε τοῖς συμβεβηκόσι κακοῖς, μηδὲ κατασεισθῆτε τὴν ἔννοιαν, ἀλλ' ἀποτινάξασθε τὴν τῆς λύπης ἀχλὺν, καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς ἀναῤῥώσατε λογι σμοῖς ἀνδρειοτέροις χρησάμενοι, καὶ τὸ συμβεβηκὸς στεφάνων ποιήσασθε πρόφασιν. Ἂν γὰρ ἀκατάσει στοι μείνητε, καὶ τῇ πίστει φανήσεσθε δοκιμώτε ροι, καθάπερ χρυσὸς εὐγενὴς ἐκ τοῦ πυρὸς ἀναλάμ ψαντες, καὶ τῷ δυσμενεῖ τὴν αἰσχύνην αὐξήσετε μᾶλλον, ὡς οὐδὲ δάκρυον ὑμῖν δυνηθέντι κινῆσαι, δι' ὧν ἐπεβούλευσεν. Ἀναμνήσατε τῆς τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἑαυτοὺς καρτερίας. Εἴπατε πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς ἅπερ ἐκεῖνος· Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο· ὡς τῷ Κυ ρίῳ ἔδοξεν, οὕτω καὶ ἐγένετο. Καὶ μηδεὶς ἐξ ὧν ἔπαθεν ἀναπεισθῇ λογίσασθαί τε καὶ λέγειν, ὡς ἄρα οὐδεμία πρόνοια τάττει τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς, μηδὲ κατ ηγορείτω τῆς οἰκονομίας τοῦ ∆εσπότου καὶ κρίσεως· ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν ἀθλητὴν ἐκεῖνον ὁράτω, κἀκεῖνον σύμ βουλον ποιείσθω τοῦ κρείττονος. Ἀναλογιζέσθω τοὺς ἀγῶνας ἅπαντας ἐφεξῆς, ἐφ' οἷς ἐκεῖνος ἠρίστευσε· καὶ πόσοις βέλεσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου βληθεὶς, οὐκ ἐδέξατο καιρίαν πληγήν. Περιεῖλε μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὴν εὐπραγίαν τῶν οἰκείων, καταχῶσαι δὲ αὐτὸν ταῖς ἐπαλλήλοις τῶν κακῶν ἐβουλεύσατο φήμαις.

Ἔτι 31.560 γὰρ τοῦ προτέρου τὴν τοιάνδε συμφορὰν ἐξαγγέλ λοντος, ἕτερος ἄγγελος ἤρχετο, χειρόνων πραγμά των φέρων κατήφειαν· ἀλλήλοις τε ἐπισυνήπτετο τὰ δεινὰ, καὶ τὴν τῶν κυμάτων ἐπιδρομὴν ἐζήλουν αἱ συμφοραὶ, καὶ πρὶν ἢ παυθῆναι τὸ πρότερον δά κρυον, ἑτέρου προσήγετο πρόφασις. Ὁ δίκαιος δὲ ὥσπερ τις πρόβολος εἱστήκει, τὰς τοῦ χειμῶνος ὑποδεχόμενος προσβολὰς, καὶ ἀλλοιῶν εἰς ἀφρὸν τῶν κυμάτων τὴν βίαν, καὶ τὴν εὐγνώμονα πρὸς τὸν ∆εσπότην ἠφίει φωνήν· Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο· ὡς τῷ Κυρίῳ ἔδοξεν, οὕτω καὶ ἐγένετο· καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν συμβαινόντων δακρύων ἠξίωσεν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἧκέ τις ἀγγέλλων, ὡς τοῖς παισὶ καὶ ταῖς θυγατράσιν εὐωχουμένοις ἐπετίναξε πνεῦμά τι βίαιον τὸ τῆς εὐφροσύνης δωμάτιον, τότε μό νον τὴν ἐσθῆτα διέῤῥηξε, τὸ τῆς φύσεως ἐπιδει κνύμενος συμπαθὲς, καὶ ὅτι πατὴρ εἴη φιλόστορ γος οἷς ἔπραττε μαρτυρόμενος. Πλὴν καὶ τότε ταῖς λύπαις ὅρον καὶ μέτρον ἐπιτιθεὶς, καὶ ταῖς εὐσεβέσιν ἐκείναις φωναῖς κοσμῶν τὸ γινόμενον, ἔλεγεν· Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο· ὡς τῷ Κυρίῳ ἔδοξεν, οὕτω καὶ ἐγένετο, μονονουχὶ τοιαῦτα βοῶν· Ἐκλήθην πατὴρ ἐφ' ὅσον ὁ τοῦτό με ποιήσας ἐβούλετο χρόνον. Περιελεῖν μου τὸν ἐκ τῆς γονῆς στέφανον ἐβουλεύσατο πάλιν, οὐ διαμάχομαι περὶ τῶν ἰδίων αὐτῷ. Κρατείτω τὸ τῷ ∆εσπότῃ δοκοῦν· αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ πλάστης τοῦ γένους, ἐγὼ δὲ ὄργανον. Τί με χρὴ δοῦλον ὄντα δυσχεραίνειν ἀν όνητα, καὶ μέμφεσθαι ψῆφον ἣν οὐ δύναμαι λύειν; Τοιούτοις τὸν διάβολον ὁ δίκαιος κατηκόντιζε ῥή μασιν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτὸν νικῶντα εἶδε πάλιν ὁ δυσμε νὴς, καὶ οὐδενὶ τούτων τιναχθῆναι δυνάμενον, αὐτῇ τῇ