γνωθι, γαρ φησι,ότι εν μεσω παγιδων διαβαίνεις, και επι επαλξεων πόλεως περιπατεις. Και γαρ αι της σαρκός επιθυμίαι χαλεπώτερον των εν μέσω στρεφομενων κατεξανίστανται, και γαρ και όψις ευπρεπης, και σωμα λαμπρον δια των οφθαλμων εβαλέ, και ρημα αισχρον δια της ακοής εισελθον εθορύβησεν ημων τον λογισμον. Πολλακις δε και μελος κατακεκλασ μενον το της ψυχης εύτονον κατεμάλαξε. Και τι λεγω ταυτα, το γαρ παντων τούτων ευτελέστατον ειναι πολλακις δοκουν, μύρων οσμη προσπεποθεν παρα γυναικών εταιριζομένων εν τη παρόδω, λαβουσα απηλθεν αιχμαλωτον απο ψιλης της συντυχίας. πολλα τοιαυτα εστι τα πολιορκουντα την ημετέραν ψυχην. Και δει των δειων φαρμακων ημιν, ίνα και τα γενόμενα έλκη θεραπεύωμεν, και τα μηδέπω μεν γινόμενα, μελλοντα δε γινεσθαι, πρωαναστέλλωμεν, πορρωθεν του διαβόλου τα βέλη κατασβεννύντες και αποκρουόμενοι δια της συνεχους των θείων γραφών αναγνώσεως. Ου γαρ εστιν, ουκ εστι τινά σωθηναι μη συνεχως αναγνωσεως απολαύοντα πνευματι

σουσα

Και

κης. Αλλ' οντως, αγαπητοι, ει και διηνεκούς ταυτης απολαυοντες της θεραπειας, δυνηθείημεν σοθηναι ποτε οταν δε καθ' εκαστην μεν πληττωμεθα την ημέραν, ιατρείας δε μηδεμιας απολανωμεν, ποια σωτηρίας

grieves you, and prosperity puffs you up, and adversity presses you down: and the various occasions and demands of anger, of cares, of dejection, of grief, of vain glory, of despair, surround us on every side, and a thousand

darts fy round about us on all sides, and hence we perpetually need the panoply of For know," the Scriptures. he says, "that thou art going in the midst of snares and that thou walkest upon the battlements of the city.' For the desires of the flesh rise up,more sharply against those who live in the midst of mankind, for a pretty face and personal beauty captivate by the eyes, and an obscene expression entering by the hearing disturbs our thought, and frequently melody ener. vates the broken firmness of the soul. But why do I say these things? That which appears viler than all these things, the odour of perfumes proceeding from women looking for paramours in the highway, from the simple meeting of them, seizes and takes you captive. So many are these things which besiege your soul, and therefore we have need of divine remedies in order that we may cure the wounds which occur, and may prevent those which have not taken place, but which are about to take

ελπις; οὐχ ορας τους χαλκοτύπους, τους χρυσοχόους, τους αργυροκοπους, τους ηντιναουν μετιόντας τεχνην, απαντα τα της τέχνης έχοντας απηρτισ

τέχνης

μενα τα εργαλεια. Και λιμος αναγκάζη, και πενια θλίβη, παντα αιρουμενους υπομειναι μαλλον η των της οργανων αποδοσθαι τις και διατραφηναι, πολλοι γουν πολλακις δανεισασθαι μαλλον είλοντο, και διαθρέψαι και την οικιαν και τα παιδια, η των της τέχνης εργαλείων και ΤΟ μικρότατον αποδοσθαι. Και μαλαγε εικότως, ισασι γαρ οτι, πραθέντων εκεινων, αχρηστα τα της τέχνης αυτοίς απαντα, και

η της ευπορίας υποθεσις ανηρηται πασα. Εκείνων γαρ μεν μενόντων, δυνατον τα γενομενα δανεισματα χρόνω ποτε διαλυσασθαι τη τεχνη συνεχως χρωμένους. Ει δε φθασαντες ετεροις αυτα αποδοίνται, ουδεμιαν ουκέτι παραθυμίαν τη πενια και τω λιμω ποθεν επινοησαι δυνησονται. Ούτως ουν και ημας διακείσθαι χρη. Και θαπερ γαρ εκείνοις εργαλεια της τέχνης εστι σφυρα και ακμων και πυράγρα Ουτω δη και ημιν εργαλεια της τεχνης εστιν, αποστολικά και προφητικα βιβλια, και πασα γραφη Θεόπνευστος και ωφέλιμος. Και καθαπερ εκείνοι δι' εκείνων τα σκευη παντα, απερ αν λαβωσι, διαπλαττουσιν Ουτω δη

και

66

δια τούτων ημεις την ψυχην την ημετεραν χαλκευομεν και διεστραμμενην διορ

place. Extinguishing the darts of the devil which are afar of, and beating them off by the continual reading of the divine Scriptures. For it cannot be, it cannot be that any one should be saved who does not continually enjoy spiritual reading. And truly there is cause for gratitude, Ο beloved, if when we continue this healing we can even attain salvation. But if we are stricken every day and enjoy no medicine, what hope is there of salvation? Do we not find the coppersmiths, and the melters of gold, and the silversmiths, and those who follow any trade, all having the instruments of their trade in complete order ? And although hunger compels them and poverty afflicts them, are they not ready to undergo any thing rather than part with any of the tools which belong to their trade and thus obtain food. Many of them would frequently rather borrow money upon interest and thus support their family and their children than part with even the least of the tools belonging to their trade; and with good reason, for they know that when these are sold, all the other things belonging to their trade are useless, and the whole foundation of their supply would be taken away. But whilst these remain it would be possible for them,

καινίζουμεν.

trade at some time or other to discharge their existing debts. Whereas, if by anticipation they should have parted with these to others, they would no longer have any imaginable relief in poverty and hunger. It becomes us, also, therefore, thus to conduct ourselves. For as their instruments of trade are the hammer and the anvil and the tongs, thus also our instruments of trade are the books of the Apostles and Prophets, for “ all Scripture is inspired of God and profitable." And as they by their instruments construct all sorts of vessels which they have taken in hand; thus we also by these repair our soul, and correct that which is perverse, and renew that which is decayed.

Αμα γαρ ηψατο τις ευαγ γελίου, και μετερρυθμισιν εαυτου την διάνοιαν ευθέως και των βιωτικών απέστησε και απο της όψεως μόνης αυτής. Ει δε και αναγνωσις προσγενοιτο ακριβης, καθαπερ εν ιεροις αδυτοις η ψυχη τελουμενη, ούτως εκκαθαίρεται και βελτιων γίνεται, του Θεου ομιλουντος αυτη δια των γραμμάτων εκειΤι ουν αν μη ειδωμεν τα εγκείμενα, φησι; μαλιστα μεν καν μη ειδης τα εγκειμενα. Απ' αυτης της αναγνώσεως

νων.

For as soon as any one has touched the Gospel it immediately changes the disposition of his mind, and withdraws him from worldly things, and this from the sight of it only. But if a diligent reading be added to this, in like manner as in sacred sanctuaries, the soul which is perfect, is thus purifed and improved, God himself conversing with it through those Scriptures. But what, they say, if we should not un

παντα

πολυς ο αγιασμός γινεται. Αλλως δε, αδυνατον επισης αγνοειν. Δια γαρ τούτο η του πνεύματος ωκονο

και 0

πάντων

μησε χαρις τελωνας, και σκηνοποιους και ποιμενας και αιπόλους και ιδιωτας και αγραμματους ταυτα συνθεῖναι τα βιβλια, να μηδεις των ιδιωτων εις ταυτην εχη καταφεύγειν την προφασιν, ενα πασιν ευσύνοπτα η τα λε γόμενα. Ινα ка ο χειρο τεχνος, και οικέτης και η χηρα γυνη, ανθρωπων αμαθέστατος, κερδανη τε και ωφεληθη παρα της ακροάσεως. Ου γαρ προς κενοδοξίαν, καθαπερ οι εξωθεν, αλλα προς την σωτηρίαν των ακουόντων ταυτα παντα συνεθηκαν οι παρα την αρχην καταξιωθέντες της του πνευματος χαριτος. Οι μεν γαρ εξωθεν φιλοσοφοι και συγγραφεις ου ΤΟ κοινη συμφερον ζητουντες, αλλ' όπως αυτοι θαυμασθειεν μονον σκοπούντες, ει τι και χρησιμων είπον, και τουτο καθαπερ εν σοφω τινι, τη της συνθηκης ασάφεια κατέκρυψαν. Οι δε αποστολοι και οι προφηται του ναντιον απαν εποιησαν. Σαφή γαρ και δηλα τα παρ' εαυτών κατέστησαν απασιν, ατε κοινοι της οικουμένης οντες διδασκαλοι, ινα έκαστος και δι' εαυτου μανθάνειν δυνηται εκ της αναγνωσεως μόνης τα λεγόμενα. Και τουτο προαναφωνων ο προφητης ελεγεν. Εσονται παντες

derstand the things which are contained in them? Well, even if you should not understand the things which are contained them, much sanctification proceeds from the very reading. Besides, it is impossible that you should be equally ignorant of everything. For, for this cause the

grace

of the Spirit ordained that publicans, and tent makers, and shepherds, and goatherds, and simple and un-. learned men should compose these Books, that none of the common people might be able to fly to this pretence, and that the things which are said should be intelligible to all, so that the artizan and the domestic, and the widow, and the most unlearned of all men might gain and profit by the hearing. For they who in the beginning were deemed worthy of the grace of the Spirit, did not compose all these things for vain glory, after the fashion of the Gene tiles, but for the salvation of the hearers. For the philosophers who are separate from us, and the authors, not seeking the common good, but only considering how they themselves might be applauded if they said anything that was useful; as it were in the person of some sophist, concealed it in a covenanted obscurity. But the Apostles and Prophets did the very re

verse; for they made their sayings clear and manifest to all, as being the common teachers of the habitable world, so that every one by reading only might himself learn the things that were said. And this the Prophet "they declared, foretelling, shall be all taught of God, and every one shall not say to his brother, know the Lord, because they all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.” And Paul says,

σε

And I, brethren, come to you not with excellency of speech and of wisdom, declaring unto you the mystery of God. And again, My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." And again, “For we speak the wisdom, not of this world, nor of the princes of this world, who are shewn to be vanity.” For to whom are not all things in the Gospel manifest ? for who that hears that the meek are blessed, that the merciful are blessed, that the pure in heart are blessed, and all other things of this sort, can want a teacher in order to learn what is said? And the things which relate to the signs and wonders, and history, are they not intelligible to any one? This is an excuse and pretence, and the veil of sloth,