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Chapter V.
Moreover, it is a good thing to use the tongue
sparingly, and to keep a calm and rightly balanced69
heart in the exercise of speech.70
| 70 ἐν
τῇ περὶ
λόγους
σπουδῇ. | For it is not right to give utterance
in words to things that are foolish and absurd, or to all that occur to
the mind; but we ought to know and reflect, that though we are far
separated from heaven, we speak in the hearing of God, and that it is
good for us to speak without offence. For as dreams and visions
of many kinds attend manifold cares of mind, so also silly talking is
conjoined with folly. Moreover, see to it, that a promise made
with a vow be made good in fact. This, too, is proper to fools,
that they are unreliable. But be thou true to thy word, knowing
that it is much better for thee not to vow or promise to do anything,
than to vow and then fail of performance. And thou oughtest by
all means to avoid the flood of base words, seeing that God will hear
them. For the man who makes such things his study gets no more
benefit by them than to see his doings brought to nought by God.
For as the multitude of dreams is vain, so also the multitude of
words. But the fear of God is man’s salvation, though it is
rarely found. Wherefore thou oughtest not to wonder though thou
seest the poor oppressed, and the judges misinterpreting the law.
But thou oughtest to avoid the appearance of surpassing those who are
in power. For even should this prove to be the case, yet, from
the terrible ills that shall befall thee, wickedness of itself will not
deliver thee. But even as property acquired by violence is a most
hurtful as well as impious possession, so the man who lusteth after
money never finds satisfaction for his passion, nor good-will from his
neighbours, even though he may have amassed the greatest possible
wealth. For this also is vanity. But goodness greatly
rejoiceth those who hold by it, and makes them strong,71
imparting to them the capacity of seeing
through72
all things.
And it is a great matter also not to be engrossed by such
anxieties: for the poor man, even should he be a slave, and
unable to fill his belly plentifully, enjoys at least the kind
refreshment of sleep; but the lust of riches is attended by sleepless
nights and anxieties of mind. And what could there be then more
absurd, than with much anxiety and trouble to amass wealth, and keep it
with jealous care, if all the while one is but maintaining the occasion
of countless evils to himself? And this wealth, besides, must
needs perish some time or other, and be lost, whether he who has
acquired it has children or not;73
and
the man himself, however unwillingly, is doomed to die, and return to earth in the
selfsame condition in which it was his lot once to come into
being.74
And the fact
that he is destined thus to leave earth with empty hands, will make the
evil all the sorer to him, as he fails to consider that an end is
appointed for his life similar to its beginning, and that he toils to
no profit, and labours rather for the wind, as it were, than for the
advancement of his own real interest, wasting his whole life in most
unholy lusts and irrational passions, and withal in troubles and
pains. And, to speak shortly, his days are darkness to such a
man, and his life is sorrow. Yet this is in itself good, and by
no means to be despised. For it is the gift of God, that a man
should be able to reap with gladness of mind the fruits of his labours,
receiving thus possessions bestowed by God, and not acquired by
force.75
| 75 ἁρπακτικά in the
text, for which the Cod. Medic. has ἁρπακτά. | For neither is
such a man afflicted with troubles, nor is he for the most part the
slave of evil thoughts; but he measures out his life by good deeds,
being of good heart76
in all things,
and rejoicing in the gift of God.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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