III. A HORTATORY DISCOURSE OF THE SAME ON TEMPERANCE
A Those who apply themselves to certain disciplines, under the pressing authority of a teacher, exercise diligence; their assiduity is thought to proceed from the fear of the master. But when, in the master’s absence, they maintain the study of good things, this is a love of labor from a pure will. We also are students of the teachings of fasting. However, when the time of fasting is upon us, and we display philosophy, it is as though we are lovers of labor due to pedagogical training; but now, as the fasting intermits a little, those who abstain from excessive satiety possess the praise of a sincere purpose, as philosophers without necessity, and temperate by their own choice, as those who know how to retain those good things which they acquired from their previous labors. For he who proceeds to the immoderate use of foods does not know what he gathered while fasting, he does not know what fruits he stored up; but as if he had nothing deposited within, and as if he had collected no treasure for himself, he gave himself over to immoderate pleasure, and does not put barriers and gates of moderation before his desires. And it is no wonder. For such is every indigent person; he has no care for doors and gates, he fears no plots, he sleeps without anxiety, as one who has nothing that might incite thieves, since nothing can be taken from the needy. But for those who have a wealthy house, there is a guard for the treasures stored up, B and doormen to ward off intruders. We too have become rich through fasting; and the signs of our riches are manifest: pleasures have been brought into servitude; we rule over the belly, which we formerly served; we have acquired an incorporeal life; we are covered by a new house of abstinence, of which we have laid the foundations. That work needs strength and requires labor for it to be stabilized; but drunkenness is not for those who confirm, but for those who dissolve; it is for those who weaken the foundations, not those who strengthen them. No one undermines a foundation that (a wise man) has made firm; no one can secretly open the storehouse of a rich man. But the soul of one who is fasting is the storehouse of an apparent rich man, which needs diligent guarding, lest it be subject to theft; for the soul is stripped as if it were a house. David had a soul-house filled with good things; however, it was plundered by the robbing pleasure: for he left the entrance open, and did not secure it with the gate of sobriety. But what was that neglect of sobriety? Excessive rest of the body: for he says: "And it happened that David arose from his bed after midday, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house" (II Reg. XI, 2); in the evening, and he arose from sleep and walked: sleep, and after sleep, a walk, the softness of one desiring. What was the harm from that? "And he saw a woman washing herself from the opposite side upon her roof: and she was very beautiful. And he sent and lay with her." That he saw is unblamed; for no one would accuse the eyes for seeing things that present themselves: but that way of seeing was worthy of reproach, because it led to sin. For he did not see her form and turn away, but being enticed by her beauty, he fixed his eyes upon the spectacle: and he no longer had pupils (kóras) in his eyes, but prostitutes. So great an evil is the appetite of the eyes, unless you restrain it. The same power is ours regarding food as David’s was regarding the use of his eyes; but the transgression of sin makes that worthy of reproach which was free of blame. What then? Let the body be nurtured with food, indeed; "For the laborer is worthy of his food" (Luc. X, 7): but as we dine, let Paul be present with us, and if he sees us behaving indecorously regarding food, like a physician, he will cry out to the disorderly: "Having food and clothing, let us be content with these" (1 Tim. VI, 3). Food, not delicacies; food, not subversion from drunkenness. Delicacies once incited Israel to idolatrous dancing; for drunkenness had rendered the soul captive: for it says, "The people sat to eat and drink, and rose up to play" (Exod. XXXII, 6). Let us therefore observe what suffices for use; let the body be cared for with food, let us seek the solace of relaxation, let us not be broken by the burden of fullness, let us use moderate food, let us avoid the shame and danger of drunkenness: let us obey Paul who exhorts: "Do not be drunk with wine, in which is debauchery, but be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Ephes. V, 18); to whom be glory forever. Amen.
IV. OF THE SAME, THAT IT IS GRAVE TO CONTEMN THE CLEMENCY OF GOD. BUT IT WAS SPOKEN AFTER THE PARABLE OF THE TEN THOUSAND TALENTS HAD BEEN READ; AND AGAINST THE JEWS, WHEN AN EARTHQUAKE HAD OCCURRED.
The magnificence of our Lord’s clemency, which you have now heard, manifested to sinners, effected a huge remission of the ten thousand talents of sin. But many, often acting against the Lord’s clemency and using His gifts badly, turn the riches of clemency into a treasure of punishment for themselves: since He does not lavish mercy rashly, nor is He moved by an excessive desire for magnificence, but He exhibits the riches of His clemency, but He persuades by the abundance of His gifts. But when He sees that the gifts of His clemency are thrown away in vain, He closes the fountains of good things, He withholds the rains of clemency, weary of granting favors. How many times did He once irrigate the Jewish people with rains of good things, as He saw them empty of the fruit of gratitude, not bearing their ungrateful spirit, He cried out, "You have become a burden to me!" (Isai. I, 14). From my clemency toward you, you have appeared all the more contentious: I have become weary of granting you favors: "You have become a burden to me." Reason corresponds to that limit of patience toward them: for no other way of correcting them remains ***
V. OF THE SAME, ON THE WOMAN WITH AN ISSUE OF BLOOD, FROM THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE (Luc. VIII, 43).
To some, the scope of life has distributed other occupations, attributing to each that which seems useful and fitting; but God has bestowed upon us the single occupation of the Spirit, which becomes manifold through faith, and produces the greatest good works, as it is written: "But the same Spirit, dividing to each as He wills" (1 Cor. XII, 11). For faith alone remains with its possessors; it does not deceive the one who receives it, it does not desert the one who holds it, it does not fear thieves, it has no suspicion of robbers, it needs no seals, it requires no guards. For it has God as its guardian, who through this administers all things to all people readily. Kings desire to have this; but the private citizen possesses it, the primates seek it: but it runs to the humble, and embraces the lowly; it comes to the infirm, and leads those who have been seized by the hand, bestowing healings without price. When therefore you see, O beloved, Christ descending from the mountain, and again ascending the mountain, crossing the marsh, sailing across the sea, occupied in fields, and cities and villages; when the journeys have been accomplished here below, be mindful also of those things which He did above; do not forget the throne of the Cherubim, do not neglect divine things for the sake of human things, do not abandon heaven to oblivion, let it not fall from your memory that the Word was made flesh, as it was His good pleasure. For the Word was made flesh: as flesh He walks, as the Word He withdraws; as flesh He ascends the mountain, as