2. See how (the Apostle) praises her not only what she has, but also what she does not have: on the one hand, he says, she produces virtues, and on the other hand destroys vices, or, rather, does not allow them to arise. He did not say, "Though she has envy, she conquers envy," or, "Though there is pride, she tames this passion," but, "She is not envious, nor is she arrogant, nor is she proud." And what is especially surprising is that she effortlessly does good, without struggle or resistance, she erects a trophy. Whoever has it, it does not make him labor to attain the crown, but gives him a reward without difficulty, because where there is no passion opposed to a virtuous disposition, there what kind of work can there be? "He does not run amok" (v. 5). What am I saying, he continues, that she is not proud? She is so far removed from this passion that, even though she suffers extreme misfortunes for her beloved, she does not consider it a dishonor. He did not say again that although he endured dishonor, he bravely endured it, and that he did not even feel dishonor in the least. If the lovers of money, enduring all sorts of troubles for their gain, are not only not ashamed, but even rejoice, how much more will he who has praiseworthy love for the good of his loved ones refuse anything of the kind, and not only will he not renounce, but he will not even be ashamed when he endures anything. However, in order that we may not cite an example of a wicked deed, let us look to Christ in this respect, and see the truth of what has been said.

In the same way Jonathan loved David, and therefore, when he heard the words of his father, "The son of virgins" of harlots, he was brought up with women (1 Samuel 20:30), and was not ashamed, although the words were full of great reproach; They mean the following: the son of harlots, who are violently addicted to men, and who give themselves up to all who pass by, pampered, weak, having nothing masculine in him, and living to the dishonor of his mother who bore you. What is it? Was he grieved, ashamed, and left behind his beloved? On the contrary, he even boasted of his love; Though he was king at that time, and Jonathan the son of a king, and David a fugitive and a wanderer, yet he was not ashamed of his love, for love is not violent. Truly, it is surprising that it not only does not allow sorrow and grief in case of offence, but also encourages rejoicing; Wherefore Jonathan also, after he had received the crown, went and embraced David: for love knows no dishonor, and even boasts of what another is ashamed of. It is a shame for her not to know how to love, or not to be exposed to dangers and not to endure everything for her loved ones. However, when I say, "All of it," do not think that I mean anything that is harmful, for example, if someone were to help a young man in his love for a woman, or to ask him to do something else harmful. Such a man does not love, as I have proved to you before by the example of the Egyptian woman. He only loves who wishes what is useful to his beloved; And he who does not seek good, even if he says a thousand times that he loves, is more hostile than all enemies. In the same way, Rebekah, being strongly attached to her son, even decided to steal, was not ashamed or afraid of being rebuked, but faced no small danger, but even when her son objected to her, she said: "Thy curse be upon me, my son" (Gen. 27:13).

3. Do you see an apostolic soul in a woman? As Paul, if it is possible to compare the small with the great, was willing to be anathematized for the Jews, so she even dared to be cursed, if only her son would receive a blessing. She left the good to him, since she herself could not share in the blessing with him, and she was ready to take the evil upon herself alone, and moreover she rejoiced and hastened when danger threatened, and was grieved at the slowness of the matter, fearing lest Esau, having preceded Jacob, should make her wise disposition in vain. That is why he expresses himself briefly, stimulates the young man, and, without refuting his words, expresses a thought sufficient to convince him; She did not say, "You say these things in vain, and you fear in vain, your father is old and has no sight, but what?" "Thy curse be upon me, my son"; Just don't upset things, don't let go of the loot, don't lose the treasure. And was not Jacob himself a servant for two seven years for his relative? In addition to slavery, was he not subjected to ridicule after deception? What is it? Did he feel ridiculed, did he consider it a disgrace to himself that he, being free, descended from free parents, and having received a noble upbringing, was a slave to his relatives, whereas it is especially insulting if one suffers reproach from his relatives? No, and the reason for this was love, which even made the time brief for him: "They appeared," says (the Scripture), "to him in a few days" (Gen. 29:20). Far be it from him to be offended and ashamed of his slavery! That is why Blessed Paul rightly says: "Love does not run amok: it does not seek its own, it is not irritated." When he says, "She does not misbehave," he shows how she does not tolerate dishonor. How? She's not looking for her own. The beloved is everything to her, and she imputes dishonour to herself when she cannot deliver him from dishonour, so that if it is possible to help her beloved by her own dishonour, she does not consider it a dishonour to herself: the beloved is to him what he is. Love is such that the lover and the beloved are no longer two separate persons, but one person, which nothing but love can do. Wherefore seek not thy own, that thou mayest find thine own; He who seeks his own does not find his own. That is why Paul said, "Let no man seek his own, but every man the benefit of another" (1 Corinthians 10:24). The benefit of each is the benefit of his neighbor, and the benefit of his neighbor is his benefit. As he who has buried his own gold in his neighbor's house, if he does not want to go and dig it up there, will never see it, so here he who does not want to seek his own benefit in the benefit of his neighbor will not receive crowns.

God arranged it so that we would be attached to one another. When a sluggard child is moved to follow his brother, and he does not want to do so of his own accord, he gives his brother something that is beloved and pleasing to the child, so that the child, desiring to receive it, may follow him, which indeed happens, so here God has given to his neighbor that which is useful to everyone, so that we may have fellowship with one another, and not be divided.

That is why Paul said, "For who is our hope? Aren't you too?" (1 Thess. 2:19) Again, you are "our hope, and our joy, and our crown of praise" (v. 19). Paul's joy, then, was his disciples, and they rejoiced in his joy; That is why he wept when he saw them perishing. On the other hand, their benefit lay in Paul; wherefore he said, "For the hope of Israel I am bound with these bonds" (Acts 28:20). And again, "Wherefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may be saved" (2 Timothy 2:10). The same can be seen in the affairs of life: neither "the wife," says the Apostle, "has power over her own body," nor the husband, but the wife of the husband, and the husband of the wife (1 Corinthians 7:4). In the same way, when we want to bind several people together, we do the same thing: we do not allow anyone to dispose of us, but, having formed a chain of them, we make one dependent on another, and another on a third. Can't you see the same thing in the government? A judge sits down to judge, not for himself, but for the good of his neighbor; Subordinates benefit their superiors by pleasing and obeying and in all other ways; Warriors take up arms for us, because they are exposed to dangers for us; And we work for them because they get their support from us.

4. If you say that everyone does this in order to seek his own benefit, then I say the same, only one's own benefit is obtained by means of another's. If the warrior did not fight for those who provide him with maintenance, no one would do him this service; Conversely, if they did not provide support for the warrior, no one would defend them. Do you see how love extends to all things and arranges all things? But don't be lazy to look at all this golden chain. Having said, "He does not seek his own," he again speaks of the good things that come from love. What are these benefits? "He is not irritated, he thinks no evil." See again how it not only destroys vices, but does not even allow them to have a beginning. He did not say, "Though he is irritated, he overcomes irritation," but, "He is not irritated": nor did he say, "He does not do evil," but, "He does not think." Not only does he not commit, but he does not even plot anything evil against his beloved. And indeed, how can she do evil, or be irritated, when she does not allow even an evil thought? And here is the source of love. "He does not rejoice in unrighteousness" (v. 6), that is, he does not rejoice when others suffer evil; And not only that, but there is much more in it: "but he rejoices in the truth," that is, rejoices in those who are well-ordered in life, as Paul says: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15). That is why she is not envious, that is why she is not proud: she acknowledges the goods of others as her own. Do you see how love makes your pet almost an angel? If he has no anger, is pure from envy, and is free from all pernicious passions, then it is evident that he is already above human nature and has attained the impassibility of the angels. However, (Paul) is not satisfied with this, but finds something more to say; He always sets forth the most important things afterward. Love, he says, "covers all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7), according to its long-suffering and meekness, no matter what is sad and grievous, even if it be offenses, even beatings, even death, or anything like that. This can also be seen in the example of Blessed David. What could be more difficult than to see a son rebellious, seeking power and thirsting for his father's blood? But the blessed one (David) endured this also, did not even want to utter a reproachful word against the parricide, but, leaving everything else to the generals, commanded that his life should be spared: so strong was the foundation of his love! Wherefore (saith the Apostle), "He covereth all things." With these words he expresses the power of love, and with further kindness of it: "all," he says, "hopes, believes all, endures everything." What does it mean to "hope for all things"? Without despair, he expects all the good from his beloved, and even if he is bad, he does not cease to correct him, take care of him, and take care of him. "He believes everything": not just hopes, but with confidence, because he loves so much; And even if no good happens beyond her expectations, and even the beloved becomes even worse, she endures this too: she endures everything, she says, endures. "Love never faileth" (v. 8). Do you see how he concluded, and what is especially excellent about this gift? What exactly does it mean to "never cease"? He doesn't stop, he doesn't weaken because he endures, because he loves everything. He who loves can never hate, no matter what happens: this is the greatest good of love. Such was Paul; Wherefore he said, "Shall I not stir up jealousy among my kinsmen according to the flesh" (Rom. 11:14), and he did not cease to hope; And Timothy admonished thus: "But the servant of the Lord ought not to quarrel, but to be friendly to all, teachable, without malice, to instruct his adversaries with meekness, lest God give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 2:24-25). How, sayest thou, is it not proper to hate even enemies and heathen? One should hate, not them, but their teachings, not man, but a vicious life and a corrupt will. Man is the work of God, and error is the work of the devil. Therefore, do not confuse the things of God with the things of the devil. The Jews blasphemed, persecuted, insulted Christ, and said many evil things about Him, but did Paul, who loved Christ more than anyone else, hate them? No; on the contrary, he loved them and did everything for them; then he said, "the desire of my heart and prayer to God" for them "for salvation" (Rom. 10:1); "I would that I myself should be separated from Christ" for their sake (Romans 9:3). In the same way, when Ezekiel saw their destruction, he said, "O Lord God! Wilt thou destroy all the remnant of Israel?" (Ezekiel 9:8) And Moses also said, "Forgive them their sin" (Exodus 32:32). Why then does David say, "Shall I not hate them that hate thee, O Lord, and abhor them that rise up against thee? I hate them with full hatred: they are my enemies" (Psalm 138:21-22). Not everything in the Psalms of David is said by David himself; thus it is said, "I dwell at the tents of Kedar" (Psalm 119:5); and again, "by the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept" (Ps. 136:1), yet he himself saw neither Babylon nor the villages of Kedar. On the other hand, the highest love of wisdom is now required of us (Christians); Thus, when the disciples asked for fire to come down, as in the time of Elijah, Christ said: "You do not know what kind of spirit you are" (Luke 9:55).

5. Then the Jews were commanded to hate not only wickedness, but also the wicked themselves, lest their friendship with them should cause them to commit iniquity; Wherefore it was forbidden for them to enter into relations with the Gentiles, and to mingle with them, and barriers were set up between them on all sides; but now, when (God) has led us to the highest love of wisdom and has placed us above such danger, He commands us to enter into fellowship and converse with them, because they do us no harm, but they benefit from us. What, you say, is to be done? It is not to hate, but to show mercy; For if you hate, how can you convert the erring, how will you pray for the unbeliever? And that it is necessary to pray for him, listen to how Paul says: "Therefore first of all I beseech you to make prayers, supplications, supplications, thanksgivings for all men" (1 Timothy 2:1); But not everyone was a believer then, as everyone knows. And further, "for kings, and for all rulers" (v. 2); but they were wicked and wicked, as is well known. Then, showing the reason why we should pray, he adds, "For it is good and pleasing to our Saviour God, who desires that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth" (vv. 3-4). Wherefore, when it happened that a Gentile woman should be married to a believer, he did not dissolve the marriage; But what is nearer to the husband to the wife? "They shall be," says (the Scripture), "one flesh" (Gen. 2:24), and therefore there is great love and ardent affection between them. If we hate the wicked and the wicked, we will hate sinners as we go further; And if we go in this way, little by little, we will separate ourselves from the greater part of the brethren, or, better, from all, because there is no one without sin. If we must hate the enemies of God, we must hate not only the wicked, but also sinners; And then we will be worse than the beasts, turning away from all and puffed up with pride, like the Pharisee. But Paul did not command in this way, but how? "Admonish the disorderly, comfort the fainthearted, sustain the weak, be long-suffering toward all" (1 Thessalonians 5:14). How, you say, does he say, "If any man hearken not unto our words in this epistle, take heed of him, and do not associate with him" (2 Thessalonians 3:14)? True, this is said of the brethren; but not simply, but also with meekness; Do not ignore what follows, and add what is said next. Namely, when he said, "Communicate not," he added, "But do not consider him an enemy, but admonish him as a brother," v. 15.

Do you see how he commands us to hate the evil and not the man? It is the work of the devil to tear us apart from one another; He tries hard to destroy love in order to cut off the path to correction, and to keep him in error and you in enmity, and thus to block his path to salvation. If the physician hates and runs away from the patient, and the patient abhors the physician, can the patient recover when he does not call for the physician and the physician does not come to him? Why, tell me, do you turn away from him and run away from him? Is it because he is wicked? But that is why it is necessary to come and heal in order to restore the patient. Even if he suffers from an incurable disease, you are commanded to do your work. Judas was also afflicted with an incurable disease, but God did not cease to heal him; Wherefore thou shalt not faint. Though thou canst not free him from wickedness with all thy diligence, yet thou shalt receive the reward of freeing him, and thou shalt dispose him to marvel at thy meekness, and thus God shall be glorified in every way. Though thou doest miracles, though thou raisest the dead, though thou doest any other such thing, the heathen will never be astonished at thee so much as when they see thee meek, kind, and courteous; And this is no small matter, because in this way many can finally give up vice. Nothing can attract like love. Because of the other, that is, the signs and wonders, they may envy you, but because of it (love) they will be astonished and loved, but in love they will receive little by little the truth. However, if it is not soon that he becomes a believer, do not be astonished, do not be in a hurry, do not demand everything suddenly, but let him praise and love for the time being, and then little by little he will come to that. But that you may see clearly how important this is, listen to how Paul himself justified himself when he stood before an unfaithful judge: "I count myself happy," he said, "that I can defend myself before you this day" (Acts 26:2), not out of flattery, no, but desiring to gain profit by meekness; And in part he who was the defendant took the judge captive, and this victory was proclaimed by the captive himself, who said with a loud voice in the presence of all: "Thou hast not yet persuaded me to become a Christian" (Acts 26:28).

6. What about Paul? He stretches out the net still further, and says, "I pray that not only thou, but all that hear me this day, may be made like me, except these bonds" (v. 29). What sayest thou, Paul, save bonds? What boldness will you have, if you are ashamed of them, if you avoid them, and in the presence of such a multitude of people? Do you not boast of them everywhere in your epistles, calling yourself a prisoner, and everywhere pointing out to us these bonds as a diadem? Why, then, dost thou now shrink from bonds? I do not shrink, he says, nor am I ashamed, but condescend to the weakness of others, because they cannot yet accept what I boast of; but I have learned from my Lord not to put a new patch on an old garment (Matt. 9:16); That's why I said that. They still misunderstand our doctrine and are hostile to the cross; Wherefore, if I add more bonds, their hatred shall be still greater; Wherefore I have separated them, in order to make the doctrine acceptable. It seems shameful to them to be bound, because they have not yet tasted our glory; Therefore it is necessary to be lenient. When they learn to be inquisitive, then they will know the beauty of chains and the glory of bonds. In conversation with others, he calls suffering a gift of grace: "It is given to you for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him" (Phil. 1:29); but in the present case it was only to be desired that the hearers should not be ashamed of the cross; That is why it extends forward gradually. And when a man brings another into the palaces of the king, he does not show him the inner chambers before he has examined the antechambers and the outer ones, for otherwise he will not be astonished unless he prostrates himself inward and knows everything. In the same way we will deal with the Gentiles, with forbearance, with love; she is a great teacher; It can turn away from error, and correct morals, and lead to love of wisdom, and make people out of stones.

See, Jacob was a modest man, he sat at home, he knew no trouble or danger, he led a quiet and carefree life, and like a damsel in a tower, so for the most part he remained to keep his house, but he withdrew from the market-place, from all noise and everything that happened in the market-place, and constantly lived away from troubles and worries. What is it? When the fire of love kindled him, this humble man who did not leave his house, behold, how bold and industrious he became; Listen to this, not from me, but from the Patriarch himself. Reproaching his father-in-law, he says, "Behold, I have been with thee twenty years" (Gen. 31:38). And what was his position for twenty years? "I languished," he adds, "by day by heat, and by night by cold, and my sleep fled from my eyes" (v. 40). Such was the humble man, who did not leave his house, and who had formerly led a quiet life. And that he was timid is evident from the fact that he was mortally afraid of seeing Esau while waiting to see Esau. Then, see how the same fearful man became braver than a lion because of love: standing before them all, as if he were a bulwark, he was ready to be the first to meet a cruel man, who, as he thought, breathed by murder, and to defend his wives with his own body; Whom he feared and feared, the first one wanted to fight, because love for wives was stronger than fear. Do you see how the timid man suddenly became brave, not because he changed his disposition, but because he was strengthened by love? He was timid and afterward, as can be seen from that. that he moved from place to place. But let no one think that this is said in reproach to the righteous; timidity is not a vice; It comes from nature, and it is only reprehensible to do anything indecent out of timidity. It is possible for a timid person by nature to become courageous by piety. What was Moses like? Did he not fear an Egyptian, and flee and withdraw from the borders? Meanwhile, this fugitive, who could not bear the threat of one man, after having tasted the sweetness of love, was boldly and without any compulsion ready to perish with his beloved: "Forgive them," he said, "forsake their sin, and if not, then blot me out of Thy book, in which Thou hast written" (Exodus 32:32). On the other hand, that love makes the cruel meek, and the intemperate chaste, need not be given an example; Everyone knows that. Though he be more ferocious than any beast, he is made humbler than any lamb by love. Who, for example, was more ferocious and furious than Saul? But when his daughter had sent his enemy away, he did not speak a harsh word to her; He who slew almost all the priests for David's sake, when he heard how his daughter had let him out of the house, did not insult her with a word, while the ruse was used against himself. This is because he was held by the strongest bridle of love (for his daughter). By making men meek, love also makes men chaste; Whoever loves his wife as he ought to love, though he be extremely voluptuous, will not look upon another for love of her: "Love," says the Scripture, "is as strong as death" (Song of Songs 8:6). Therefore, debauchery comes from nothing else than a lack of love.

Amen.

[1] Greek. υε ο υοοου="son of maidens who have defected" the word "womanized" is missing; there is an allusion to the abduction of foreign wives by the tribe of Benjamin (Judg. 21). To the Synod. transl. "Unfit and disobedient son" by I.I.