Weighty Riches and the Just Praise

To perish is to no longer endure. One is agitated by the name of destruction and of disturbance. But one ought not to be agitated. Paul, therefore, was not agitated by such things: 'in part,' he says, 'we know and in part we prophesy; if the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with' (1 Cor 13:10). And they think that being done away with is a worse thing than perishing. Thus we have often said that the partial is done away with not utterly, but that the partial exists, and we received such an image regarding the earnest money.

Furthermore: how do we give, as righteous or as a sinner? It is not this alone you wish to learn; for many things are understood by him. If you had remembered what you heard, you would not always have been agitated about these things. I said: let a king be the ruler of the inhabited world, about whom all are filled with the conviction that he is righteous and whatever he does, he does as a righteous man. 'Bless, O my soul, the Lord' (Ps 103:1). If I keep it thus active toward what was set by the Creator, it is only-begotten. But if at other times it acts otherwise and serves someone, it is no longer the only-begotten of the possessor, but at times it is his, and at times it becomes outside of him.

And in order that I might receive according to the Gospel: he who departed from his father's house became a stranger outside of himself; his soul was no longer his own. But indeed, when he repented, he says: 'having entered into himself' (Luke 15:17). Consequently, he became his own; his soul consequently became his own. This is similar to 'know thyself.' He who knows himself is within himself.

'I will confess to you in a great church, in a heavy people I will praise you' (Ps 18:24). Then a great and many church is called, when it is filled from each side by many; for it is not called a great and many church if it is from small and lowly men. 'He speaks wisdom among the perfect,' says the apostle. These, becoming the same and 'being completed by the same mind and the same judgment,' are a many and great church. And just as I say a wise church when those filling it from each side are wise, and I say a stable and knowledgeable city when the citizens filling it from each side are stable and knowledgeable, so I say a many and great church of those filling it having greatness—but greatness of soul and of mind, not of the body. Again, he says 'a heavy people' regarding the...

For they have become accustomed to call things that are honorable and most precious 'heavy'. This too the Scripture witnesses; for how much the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon, it says, 'in great power' (1 Kings 10:1). And it says the 'heavy power' is her possession, which she had brought. She brought many precious stones, many delicacies, gold, silver, and other accompaniments of wealth. And that power of wealth was called 'heavy' instead of 'precious' or 'valuable'.

Therefore he says that when each of those who complete the people—as I have said concerning the church—is most precious and honorable, for 'glory and honor and peace to everyone who works the good' (cf. Rom 12:10/1 Pet 5:10), if the one working the good possesses glory and honor, the people are an honor. Moreover, it is said about it that it was a 'royal priesthood, a holy nation' (Exod 19:6). The 'holy nation' is completed from all those who are holy, and the 'royal priesthood' is composed of many healers of God. Therefore, 'in a people, I will praise you greatly' (Ps 5:11).

He also prepares him, so that he may also be able to send up a hymn. But he is able to do this when he becomes straight according to the soul and the mind; for 'praise is fitting for the upright' (Ps 5:11). May those who hate me unjustly not rejoice over me (Ps 35:25). Great boldness is in saying these things. They hate me unjustly. They do this, though I provide no pretext or cause for them to lie hostile toward me. Since, therefore, the enemies rejoice when I fall into evils, let me not fall into evils so that they might rejoice over me or assail me; for he who wishes to lead someone into lawlessness rejoices over him, being evil, when he falls into what he strove to surround him with. Let this, therefore, not be to me, so as to make those who hate me unjustly rejoice.

Those who hate me without cause and roll their eyes (Ps 35:19). The 'unjustly' and 'without cause' are the same, 'without reason', and 'rolling eyes' against me; they do not only speak against me with words, but they also roll their eyes. And since often, when the heterodox, regarding those who do us harm, agree with those toward whom they roll their eyes with their own minds, they are of one mind in impiety, because to me they are peaceful...