Letter 649

To the Same Person. Do not spend your days insensibly and unfeelingly amid the grievous misfortunes that have befallen your household, nor heap up further sins upon the sins that went before; but know that God is scourging you because you are puffed up with arrogance, so that, coming to your senses, you may display the change toward what is better. But if you persist in growing only the more hardened, and in playing the fool, and in mocking yourself, you multiply the God-sent blows, and you rather bring it about that the calamities and the dreadful sufferings of your most impious house are increased.

Μὴ ἀναισθήτως καὶ ἀναλγήτως διάτριβε ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβεβηκόσι τῷ οἴκῳ σου σκυθρωποῖς, μηδ' ἄλλας ἁμαρτίας ταῖς προλαβούσαις ἁμαρτίαις πρόσωρευε, ἀλλὰ γνῶθι ὅτι ὁ Θεός σε μαστίζει ἀλαζονευόμενον, ἵν' ἐλθὼν εἰς συναίσθησιν τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ κάλλον μετα- βολὴν ἐπιδείξῃ· εἰ δ' ἐπιμένεις τραχυνόμενος μᾶλλον, καὶ μωροποιῶν, καὶ χλευάζων σεαυ- τόν, πολυπλασιάζεις τὰς θεοπέμπτους πληγάς, καὶ παρασκευάζεις μᾶλλον αὐξηθῆναι τὰς συμφο- ρὰς καὶ τὰ δεινὰ τῆς σῆς ἀσεβεστάτης οἰκίας.