馬太福音講道集 第 33 章

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.

Be ye therefore wise as the serpents, and harmless as the doves.

Since He had made them confident concerning their necessary food, and had thrown open to them the houses of all men, and had clothed their entrance with a dignified appearance—commanding them to go in not as vagrants and beggars, but as men far more honorable than those who received them (for this He showed by the words He spoke:

The workman is worthy of his hire;

and by commanding them to inquire who was worthy, and to abide there, and enjoining them to salute those who received them, and by threatening those who would not receive them with those irremediable evils)—

since therefore in this manner He had cast out their anxiety, and had armed them with the display of signs, and had made them as it were of iron and adamant, freeing them from all the concerns of this life and delivering them from every seasonable care;

He then goes on to tell also the evils that were to befall them—not only those that would come to pass a little while after, but also those that would be after a long time—preparing them beforehand, from far off and long in advance, for their war against the devil.

For indeed by this many things were accomplished:

and first, that they should learn the power of His foreknowledge;

and secondly, that no one should suspect that these terrors were coming upon them because of the weakness of their Teacher;

thirdly, that those who endured these things should not be dismayed at their coming unexpectedly and contrary to hope;

fourthly, that hearing these things they should not be troubled at the very time of the cross.

For indeed they suffered this very thing at that time, when reproaching them He said:

Because I have spoken these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart;

and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? And yet He had as yet said nothing about Himself—for instance, that He should be bound and scourged and slain—so as not by this also to throw their minds into confusion;

but for the present He foretells the things that should befall themselves.

Then, that they might learn that this was a new law of warfare, and a strange manner of array—sending them forth naked, and with a single garment, and unshod, and without staff, and without girdle and scrip, and commanding them to be fed by those who received them—not even here did He stop His discourse, but showing His unspeakable power, He says:

And going forth thus, ye display the gentleness of sheep, and this though ye are about to go against wolves;

and not simply against wolves, but even into the midst of wolves.

And He bids them have not only the gentleness of sheep, but also the harmlessness of the dove.

For thus especially shall I display My strength, when sheep prevail over wolves, and being in the midst of the wolves and receiving countless bites, are not only not consumed, but even change those very wolves;

which is far more wonderful and greater than to slay them—to alter their purpose, and to transform their understanding;

and this though they were but twelve, while the whole world was filled with the wolves.

Let us then be ashamed, we who do the contrary, who set upon our enemies like wolves.

For so long as we are sheep, we conquer;

though ten thousand wolves surround us, we overcome and prevail;

but if we become wolves, we are worsted;

for the help of the Shepherd departs from us.

For He feeds not wolves but sheep, and He forsakes thee and withdraws;

for neither dost thou suffer His power to be shown.

If, when suffering evil, thou display gentleness, the whole trophy is reckoned to Him;

but if thou avenge thyself and fight back, thou castest a shadow over the victory.

But consider with me who they are that hear these harsh and toilsome injunctions:

the unlettered and unlearned;

those who had never been reared in the laws of them that are without;

those who did not readily thrust themselves into the market-places;

the fishermen, the publicans, men laden with countless disadvantages.

Now if these things were enough to trouble even the lofty and the great, how were they not enough to overthrow and confound those who were in every way inexperienced and had never imagined anything noble? Yet it did not overthrow them.

And with good reason too, one might perhaps say;

for He gave them power to cleanse lepers, and to drive out demons.

But I would say this rather, that this very thing was above all sufficient to trouble them—that even while raising the dead they were to endure these irremediable sufferings, and tribunals, and arrests, and the wars waged upon them by all men, and the common hatred of the whole world, and that while working such wonders they were to await such terrible things.

What then is the consolation for all these things? The power of Him who sent them.

Wherefore also He set this before all the rest, saying:

This suffices you for consolation;

this suffices for you to take courage, and to fear none of them that come against you.

Sawest thou authority? sawest thou power? sawest thou might invincible? Now what He says is of this kind:

Be not troubled, He says, that in sending you into the midst of wolves I bid you be as sheep and as doves.

For I might indeed have done the contrary, and suffered you to endure nothing terrible, nor set you as sheep before wolves, but made you more formidable than lions;

but thus it is expedient that it should be.

This makes you also more illustrious;

this also proclaims My power.

This He said also to Paul:

for My strength is made perfect in weakness.

I therefore have made you to be such.

For when He says, I send you forth as sheep, He hints at this:

for I know, I know full well, that in this way above all ye shall be invincible to all men.

Then, that they might also contribute something from themselves, and that all might not seem to be of grace, nor that they should be thought to be crowned to no purpose and in vain, He says:

Be ye therefore wise as the serpents, and harmless as the doves.

And what, one might say, could our wisdom avail amid so many dangers? and how shall we be able to have any wisdom at all, buffeted by so many waves? For however wise a sheep may become while in the midst of wolves, and so many wolves, what more shall it be able to accomplish? However harmless the dove may become, what will it profit, with so many hawks pressing upon it? In the case of the irrational creatures, nothing;

But let us see what kind of wisdom He here requires.

For even as the serpent gives up everything, and though its very body must be cut off, does not greatly cling to it, so as to preserve its head;

so also thou, He says, except thy faith, give up everything—whether goods, whether body, whether thou must give up thy very soul.

For that is the head and the root;

and if that be preserved, though thou lose all, thou shalt recover all again with greater splendor.

For this cause then He enjoined them to be neither merely simple and artless, nor wise only, but mingled these two together, so that they might become a virtue;

taking the wisdom of the serpent, that they might not be smitten in vital points;

and the harmlessness of the dove, that they might not requite those who wrong them, nor avenge themselves on those who plot against them;

since again there is no profit in wisdom, unless this also be present.

What then could be more strenuous than these injunctions? For was it not enough to suffer evil? No, He says;

but I do not even allow thee to be indignant.

For this is what the dove signifies.

It is as though someone were to cast a reed into the fire and then command it not to be consumed by the fire, but rather to quench the fire itself.

For these things indeed came to pass and were brought to fulfillment, and were demonstrated in the very deeds themselves; and they became wise as serpents and harmless as doves,

being of no other nature, but of the very same as ourselves.

Let no one, therefore, consider these things to be impossible.

For before all others He Himself knows the nature of things;

He knows that boldness is quenched not by boldness, but by gentleness.

And if you should wish to see this very thing happening in actual events, read the book of the Acts of the Apostles, and you will see how often, when the populace of the Jews rose up against them and gnashed their teeth, these men, imitating the dove and answering with fitting gentleness, broke down their fury, quenched their madness, and dissolved their onslaught.

“Did we not strictly charge you not to speak in this name?” And yet, though able to work countless miracles, they neither said nor did anything harsh, but made their defense with all meekness, saying:

“Whether it is right to hearken to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves.”

Do you see the harmlessness of the dove? Behold also the prudence of the serpent:

“For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

Do you see how they must be exact in every respect, so as neither to be cast down by dangers nor provoked to anger by passion? For this reason He also said:

“Beware of men;

for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you;

and you shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.”

For again He prepares them to be watchful, everywhere granting to them the suffering of ill, but leaving the doing of it to others, that you may learn that in suffering ill lies the victory, and that from this the splendid trophies are set up.

For neither did He say, “Do you also fight back and resist those who wish to injure you;”

but only, “You shall suffer the uttermost.”

How great is the power of Him who speaks!

How great is the philosophy of those who hear!

For it is exceedingly worthy of wonder how they did not immediately spring away upon hearing these things—men timid and easily frightened, who had never crossed beyond that lake around which they used to fish;

and how did they not reflect and say to themselves:

“And where then shall we flee? The tribunals are against us, the kings are against us, the governors, the synagogues of the Jews, the assemblies of the Greeks, both rulers and ruled.”

For hereby He proclaimed to them beforehand not only Palestine and the evils in it, but also opened up to them the wars of the whole inhabited world, saying:

“You shall be brought before kings and governors;”

showing that afterward He would send them as heralds even to the Gentiles.

“You have made the whole world hostile to us; you have armed all who dwell upon the earth against us—peoples, tyrants, kings.”

And what follows is far more dreadful still, when for our sake men are destined to become slayers of brothers, slayers of children, and slayers of fathers.

“For brother,” He says, “will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and put them to death.”

“How then,” one might say, “will the rest believe, when they see for our sake children being slain by fathers, and brothers by brothers, and all things filled with pollutions? For will they not drive us away from everywhere as accursed demons, as defiled men and destroyers of the world, when they behold the earth filled with kindred blood and with such murders? A fine peace indeed (is it not?) we shall bring into their homes, filling them with so many slaughters!”

“For if we were many, and not twelve;

if we were not unlettered and unlearned, but wise and orators and skilled in speaking;

or rather, if we ourselves were kings, having armies and abundance of wealth—

how could we have been able to persuade any, kindling civil wars, and wars far more grievous than civil ones? For if we despise our own salvation, who among the rest will give heed to us?” But they neither reflected on any of these things, nor spoke them, nor demanded any account of the commands laid upon them, but yielded and obeyed only.

And this belonged not only to their own virtue, but also to the wisdom of the Teacher.

For observe how to each of the terrors He joined a consolation:

and concerning those who would not receive them He said:

“It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city;”

and here again, having said, “You shall be brought before governors and

kings,” He added, “for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.”

And this is no small comfort—both to suffer these things for Christ's sake, and unto the conviction of those men.

For God, even if no one gives heed, everywhere manifests His own works.

Now He exhorted them thus, not because He desired the punishment of others, but that they might have courage, knowing that everywhere they would have Him present with them—the One who had both foretold and foreknown these things—and that they would not suffer them as wicked men and destroyers.

And along with these He adds to them yet another no small consolation, saying:

“But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speak;

for it shall be given you in that hour what you shall speak.

For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

For lest they should say, “How shall we be able to persuade, when such things are taking place?” He bids them also be of good courage concerning their defense.

“I will give you a mouth and wisdom;”

and here, “It is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you,” thereby raising them up to the dignity of the prophets.

For this reason, when He had spoken of the power that was given, then He also brought in the terrors—the murders and the slaughters.

“For brother,” He says, “will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and put them to death.”

And He did not stop even here, but added what was far more dreadful still, and able to shake even a rock: “And you shall be hated by all.”

And here again the consolation is at the very doors:

“For for My name's sake,” He says, “you shall suffer these things.”

And along with this, yet another again:

“But he who endures to the end, the same shall be saved.”

And these things were, even apart from all else, sufficient to set upright their minds, seeing that so great a power of the preaching was destined to be kindled, that nature would be dishonored, and kinship cast out, and the word be preferred above all things, driving all before it with might.

For if the tyranny of nature has no strength to withstand the things spoken, but is dissolved and trodden underfoot, what else shall be able to prevail over you? Not, however, because these things shall be so, will your life be in security; rather, you shall have as common foes and enemies those who inhabit the world.

Where now is Plato? Where Pythagoras? Where the string of the Stoics? For that man, though he enjoyed much honor, was so put to shame as even to be sold as a slave, and to accomplish nothing of what he wished, not even with a single tyrant;

but having even betrayed his disciples, he ended his life pitiably.

And the Cynic filth all passed away like a dream and a shadow.

And yet nothing of the sort ever befell those men; on the contrary, they seemed to be illustrious on account of their outward philosophy, and the Athenians publicly set up the letters of Plato which had been sent by Dion, and they spent all their time in ease, and grew rich in no small wealth.

Thus, at any rate, Aristippus used to buy costly harlots;

another drew up wills, leaving behind no ordinary inheritance;

another, while his disciples made themselves into a bridge, walked over them from above;

and the man of Sinope, they say, even behaved indecently in public in the marketplace.

But nothing of the kind is found here; rather, an intense self-control and a rigorously exact decorum, and a war against the whole inhabited world for the sake of truth and godliness, and to be slaughtered each and every day, and after these the splendid trophies.

“But there are also,” one might say, “some men skilled in generalship among them, such as Themistocles and Pericles.”

But even these things are children's playthings compared with the deeds of the fishermen.

For what could you say? That Themistocles persuaded the Athenians to embark on their ships when Xerxes was marching against Greece? But here it was not Xerxes marching, but the devil together with the whole inhabited world and countless demons advancing against these twelve men — and not on a single occasion, but throughout their whole life; yet they prevailed and got the mastery.

And what is truly marvellous, they did not do so by slaying their adversaries, but by transforming and reshaping them.

For this above all one must everywhere observe: that they did not kill nor destroy those who plotted against them,

but taking men who were the equals of demons, they made them rivals of the angels — freeing human nature from that wicked tyranny, and driving those baneful demons, who threw everything into confusion, out of the midst of the marketplaces and the houses, indeed even out of the very wilderness itself.

And the choirs of monks bear witness to this, whom they planted everywhere, cleansing not only the inhabited world, but even the uninhabited places.

And what is still more wonderful, they accomplished these things not from an equal battle-array, but achieved all while suffering ill.

For their enemies had them in their midst — twelve unlearned men — binding them, scourging them, dragging them about, yet they could not silence them;

but just as it is impossible to bind a sunbeam, so also was it impossible to bind their tongue.

And the reason was that it was not they themselves who spoke, but the power of the Spirit.

Thus, then, did Paul also overcome Agrippa and his company, and Nero, who surpassed all men in wickedness.

'For the Lord,' he says, 'stood by me and strengthened me, and delivered me out of the mouth of the lion.'

But marvel also at these men themselves — how, when they heard, 'Take no thought,' they believed and accepted it, and none of the fearful things dismayed them.

But if you should say that He gave them sufficient comfort by saying, 'It is the Spirit of your Father that shall speak' —

then for this very reason I am the more amazed at them, that they did not waver, nor did they seek release from their hardships;

and this too, when they were about to suffer these things not for two or three years, but throughout their whole life.

For the saying, 'But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved,' is that of One hinting at this.

For He wills that not only the things from Himself be contributed, but that the good deeds should come from them as well.

Consider, then, from the beginning how some things are His, and others belong to the disciples.

For the working of signs was His;

but the possessing of nothing was theirs.

Again, the opening of all the houses was of the grace from above;

but the demanding of nothing more than their need was of their own philosophy of life.

'For the labourer is worthy of his hire.'

The bestowing of peace was of God's gift;

but the seeking out of the worthy, and not entering in simply to all, was of their own self-restraint.

Again, the punishing of those who did not receive them was His;

but the withdrawing from these with forbearance, neither reviling nor insulting, was of the apostles' gentleness.

The giving of the Spirit, and the not making them anxious, was of Him who sent them;

but the becoming as sheep and doves, and the nobly bearing all things, was of their own vigour and understanding.

The being hated, and the not falling away, and the enduring, were theirs;

but the saving of those who endured was of Him who sent them.

'But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.'

For since the many are wont to be vehement in the beginnings, but afterwards to grow slack, on this account He says, 'It is the end that I seek.'

For what profit is there in seeds that flourish at the outset, but a little later wither away? For this reason He requires of them an endurance that lasts to the end.

For lest anyone should say that He did the whole of it, and that it was no marvel for those men to become such while suffering nothing burdensome, on this account He says to them, 'There is need also of your endurance.'

'For even if I snatch you from the first dangers, I am keeping you for others yet more grievous, and after these again others will succeed;

and you will not cease to be plotted against so long as you draw breath.'

'But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.'

For this very reason, having said, 'Take no thought what ye shall speak,' He says elsewhere:

'Be ready to give an answer to everyone that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you.'

For when the contest is among friends, He bids us also to take thought;

but when there is a fearful tribunal, and raging mobs, and terror on every side, He supplies the assistance from Himself, so that one may take courage and speak out, and neither be dismayed nor betray what is just.

For indeed it was a very great thing that a man occupied with lakes and hides and tax-collecting, when tyrants sat in judgement, and satraps stood by, and spearmen, and the swords were bared, and all stood with those men — that he, entering alone and in chains,

with his head bowed low, be able to open his mouth.

For they did not even grant them a word or a defence for the sake of their doctrines, but as though they were common pests of the inhabited world, they attempted to do them to death in that manner.

For 'These men,' they say, 'that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;'

and again, 'They act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus Christ.'

And everywhere the tribunals were prepossessed by such suspicions, and there was need of much assistance from above to show both things at once: that the doctrine which they proclaimed was true, and that they were doing no injury to the common laws — and yet, while striving to speak of the doctrine, not to fall into the suspicion of overthrowing the laws, and, on the other hand, while striving to show that they were not overturning the common polity, not to corrupt the exactness of their doctrines;

all of which you will see accomplished, in Peter and in Paul and in all the many others, with fitting understanding.

For everywhere throughout the inhabited world they were accused as rebels and innovators and revolutionaries;

yet nevertheless they repelled even this suspicion, and clothed themselves with the opposite reputation, being proclaimed by all as saviours and guardians and benefactors.

And all these things they accomplished through much endurance.

and he continued in danger even to the end.

Of what, then, should we be worthy, who, having so many examples, grow soft and fall away even in time of peace? At any rate, though no one wars against us, we are slain; though no one persecutes us, we grow slack;

we are commanded to be saved in peace, and not even this can we do.

And they, while the inhabited world was ablaze, and the fire was kindled over all the earth, going in within, snatched out of the very midst of the flame those who were being consumed;

but you cannot even preserve yourself.

What boldness, then, shall we have? What pardon? There lie upon us no scourges, no prisons, no rulers, no synagogues, nor any other such thing — but on the contrary, quite the reverse: we ourselves rule and hold the mastery.

For there are godly emperors, and many honours are paid to Christians, and precedences and glories and easy circumstances;

and yet not even so do we prevail.

But they, though led away day by day, both teachers and disciples, and bearing ten thousand weals and continual brands, revelled more than those who dwell in paradise;

but we, though we have not endured even in a dream any such thing, are softer than any wax.

'But those men,' one says, 'wrought miracles.'

Was it then for this reason that they were not scourged? for this reason that they were not driven out? For this too is the marvel, that they often suffered such things even at the hands of those whom they had benefited, and not even so were they troubled, receiving evil in return for good;

but you, if you do someone a small benefit, and then meet with some grief, are troubled, are disturbed, and repent of what you have done.

If then it should come to pass — which may it not, nor ever befall! — that there should be war and persecution of the Churches, consider how great will be the mockery, how many the reproaches.

For when no one exercises himself in the wrestling-school, how shall he be brilliant in the contests? For what athlete, being unacquainted with a trainer, will be able, when the Olympic games summon him, to display anything great and noble against his antagonist? Ought we not to be wrestling every day, and boxing, and running? Do you not see those called pentathletes — how, when they have no antagonist, they fill a sack with much sand and hang it up, and there exercise all their strength? And those younger than these practise the battle against enemies on the bodies of their comrades? These do you also emulate, and practise the wrestlings of the philosophic life.

For indeed many provoke us to wrath, and cast us into desire, and kindle a great flame.

Stand fast, therefore, against the passions; bear nobly the pains of the mind, that you may bear also those of the body.

For indeed, had the blessed Job not been well trained before his contests, he would not have shone so brilliantly in the contests themselves;

had he not practised to be entirely free from all despondency,

he might have uttered some rash word when his children died.

But as it was, he stood firm against all the wrestlings: against the loss of his goods and the vanishing of so great a substance, against the loss of his children, against his wife's play upon his sympathy, against the scourges of his body, against the reproaches of friends, against the revilings of his servants.

And if you wish to see his exercises as well, listen to him telling how he despised riches:

'If I rejoiced,' he says, 'because much wealth had come to me;'

'if I made gold my hope, if I put my trust in a precious stone'—

For this reason, even when they were snatched away, he was not thrown into confusion, since even while they were present he did not covet them.

Hear too how he managed matters concerning his children, not being softened beyond what was fitting, as we are, but demanding of them all exactness.

For he who offered sacrifice even for hidden faults—consider how exact a judge he was of things manifest.

And if you wish also to hear of his contests concerning chastity, listen to him saying:

'I made a covenant with my eyes, that I would not so much as look upon a virgin.'

For this reason his wife did not break him down;

for he loved her indeed even before this, yet not beyond measure, but as is fitting for a wife.

Whence it occurs to me also to marvel from where it came into the devil's mind—knowing his exercises—to stir up these contests.

Whence then did it come? The beast is wicked, and never gives up in despair;

which becomes our greatest condemnation, that he never despairs of our destruction, while we despair of our own salvation.

But observe how he trained himself for the mutilation and disfigurement of the body.

For since he himself had never yet endured any such thing, but continued to live in wealth and luxury and the rest of his splendour, he pictured to himself day by day the calamities of others:

'For the fear which I feared has come upon me, and that which I dreaded has met me.'

'But I wept over every helpless one, and groaned when I saw a man in distress;'

for this very reason none of the things that befell him threw him into confusion, not even those great and unbearable things.

For do not look to me at the loss of his goods, nor the taking away of his children, nor that incurable stroke, nor his wife's plotting;

but rather to the things far more grievous than these.

'And what more grievous than these,' someone says, 'did Job suffer? For from the narrative we learn nothing beyond these.'

Because we slumber, we do not learn;

whereas he who is diligent, and carefully searches out the pearl, will come to know far more than these.

For the things more grievous, and able to bring in a greater tumult, were others.

And first, his having no clear knowledge concerning the kingdom of heaven and the resurrection;

which indeed he said even while lamenting:

'For I shall not live for ever, that I should be longsuffering.'

Second, his being conscious to himself of many good deeds.

Third, his being conscious of no wickedness.

Fourth, his thinking that he endured these things from God;

and if from the devil, this too was enough to make him stumble.

Fifth, his hearing his friends slander him for wickedness:

'For you have been scourged,' they say, 'less than your sins deserved.'

Sixth, his seeing those who lived in wickedness faring well, and mocking him.

Seventh, his not being able to look to another who had ever suffered such things.

And if you wish to learn how great these things are, consider the things of the present.

For if now, when a kingdom is looked for, and a resurrection is hoped for, and the unspeakable good things, and though conscious to themselves of ten thousand evils, and having so many examples, and partaking of so great a philosophy—if some men lose a little gold, and that too having often seized it by rapine, they think life not worth living; when no wife presses upon them, no children are taken away, no friends reproach them, no servants trample on them, but there are many to console them, some by words and some by deeds—

of how many crowns would that man be worthy, who saw the fruits gathered by righteous labours snatched away carelessly and by mere chance, and after all those things endured ten thousand snowstorms of temptations, and through all remained unmoved, and offered to the Master the fitting thanksgiving for these things? For even if no one should mention any of the rest, the words of his wife alone were enough to shatter even a rock.

See, then, her malice.

She makes no mention of his goods, nor of the camels and flocks and herds (for she knew her husband's philosophy in these matters), but rather of that which was more burdensome than all these—I mean the children—and she enlarges the tragedy, and adds her own touches. And if to men who are in prosperity and suffer nothing unpleasant, wives have often persuaded much—

consider how vigorous was that soul which, when she came against it with so many weapons, thrust her back, and trampled underfoot the two most tyrannical passions, desire and pity.

And yet many who have mastered desire have been bent by pity.

That noble Joseph, at any rate, restrained the most tyrannical of pleasures, and repelled that barbarian woman who brought against him ten thousand contrivances;

yet he did not restrain his tears, but on seeing the brothers who had wronged him, he was inflamed with feeling, and quickly casting off the mask, he disclosed the drama.

But when it is a wife, and she speaks piteous things, and has the moment working with her, and the wounds, and the bruises, and the ten thousand waves of calamities—how could one not justly declare that soul, which suffered nothing under so great a tempest, to be firmer than any adamant? Permit me to say with boldness that this blessed man was, if not greater than the apostles, yet certainly not less.

For those were comforted by suffering for Christ's sake;

and this remedy was so sufficient to raise them up day by day, that the Master set it everywhere before them, saying, 'For my sake,' and 'On account of me,' and, 'If they called me, the master of the house, Beelzebub.'

But that man was destitute of this comfort, and of the comfort from signs, and of that from grace.

For neither did he possess so great a power of the Spirit;

seeing that, brought up in much luxury—not from among fishermen and tax-collectors and those who had lived in mean estate, but having enjoyed so great honour—he suffered all that he suffered.

And that which seemed most burdensome in the case of the apostles, this same thing he too endured: being hated by friends, by servants, by enemies, by those to whom he had done good;

and the sacred anchor and the waveless harbour (this was what was said to the apostles, namely, 'For my sake')—this he could not see.

I marvel also at the three children, that they dared the furnace, that they rose up against the tyrant.

'We do not serve your gods, and we do not worship the image which you have set up.'

That which was the greatest comfort to them was to know clearly that for God's sake they suffered all whatever they might suffer.

But this man did not know that these were contests and wrestling;

for had he known, he would not have felt the things that were happening.

When at any rate he heard, 'Do you think that I have dealt with you for any other reason than that you might be shown to be righteous?'—consider how immediately, at a bare word, he took breath again;

how he considered that he had not even suffered the things he had suffered, saying thus:

'Why am I still judged, being admonished and reproved by the Lord, hearing such things, though I am nothing?' And again:

'Formerly I heard of you by the hearing of the ear;'

'but now my eye has seen you;'

'wherefore I have counted myself vile and have wasted away;'

'and I have esteemed myself dust and ashes.'

This manliness, then, and this forbearance let us also emulate—we who live after the law and grace—of him who lived before the law and grace, that we too may be able to share with him the eternal tabernacles;

which may it be granted to us all to attain, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might unto the ages of ages. Amen.