House, vineyard, betrothal type worldly loves; Paul undeterred

may be there with me.’ A type therefore of the one not putting up with considering the present life a sojourning is the one building a house, and lying eagerly upon the industriousness concerning it; and of the possession-loving and gain-loving, the one planting a vineyard; and the woman-mad, and made soft, and having given the mind to the flesh’s desires, the one going forward to a woman’s betrothal would signal. Therefore by the army-herald’s voice they withdraw from the sacred and most fight-ready multitude. And what those held by such passions were likely to think and say, these the herald was already crying out beforehand. Or is it not true that for those accustomed to be sick with such things, it is somehow dear in persecutions to love the without-toil, and not to follow along with the eagernesses for the love unto God, thinking that if something should come to be to suffer while contending, they fall out from houses and possessions, and from the desires honored beside them? for from there it happens for them to be seen most undaring and ignoble. What therefore those are likely to think and say, these the scribe has cried through, striking the ignoble with as it were sideways proofs and elegant reproaches—one who makes a pretext a pretext in weaknesses, and gathers worldly pleasures as some food for the cowardice. Because of this God has ordered the army-herald to make the last voice bare and unveiled. For ‘And the Scribes will add,’ he says, ‘to speak toward the people, and will say: If any human fearing and cowardly in heart, let him go into his house, so that he may not make cowardly his brother’s heart, just as his own.’ For he all but says that clearly: The one lying upon the earthy things, and building houses, and planting a vineyard, and being worsted by the pleasures unto flesh-love, will somehow altogether be both cowardly and strengthless; and such a one is altogether unapproved, and will be toward harms for the others; for ‘Bad conversations corrupt useful habits.’ And the one most easy to catch by cowardices sometimes drags down toward unmanliness even the well-strong and good-souled. Therefore also divine Paul was rebuking some who were wishing to prevent him from going up into Jerusalem; for he says: ‘What do you do weeping and crushing my heart together? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ And it must be noted that of those called unto the wedding the declining was also: ‘I bought a field, and I married a woman, and I am not able to come.’ And it has been written thus in the Gospel and in parables. And it is not somehow hard, if it seems good to you, to receive the faith upon this also from ancient examples.

Palladius: Speak then, having delayed nothing; for you will benefit very much.

Cyril: Therefore as we read in Numbers: ‘And after these things the people lifted from Hazeroth, and encamped in the Paran wilderness. And the Lord spoke toward Moses saying: Send for yourself