Letter 219

To Sisinnius the Spatharius. [a spatharios was an imperial sword-bearer or guardsman] The evil demon that afflicts you is preparing you to be vigilant, and the more so to take refuge in God, and from there to draw down help and protection. For the man who sees the enemy standing over him runs to, and clings fast to, the one who is able to help. Little children too do something of this sort: when one of them sees a fearful thing, fleeing into its mother's bosom and clinging to her garments, it holds to them securely, even though many often try to pull it away; but when nothing alarming is present, it will not put up even with its mother calling and drawing it, but spurns the very mother who calls, turns away from her though she contrives many devices to draw it off, and despises even the table that is set before it. Understand, then, that the loving providence of God is for you now this tender mother.

Ὁ θλίβων σε πονηρὸς δαίμων νήφειν παρασκευά- ζει καὶ μᾶλλον πρὸς Θεὸν καταφεύγειν, κἀκεῖθεν ἐπισπᾶσθαι τὰς βοηθείας· καὶ τὸν ὑπερασπισμόν. Ὁ γὰρ βλέπων τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἐφεστῶτα, προστρέχει, καὶ συμπλέκεται τῷ βοηθεῖν δυναμένῳ. Οὕτω που καὶ τὰ μικρὰ παιδία ποιοῦσιν· ὅταν μὲν ἴδῃ τε φοβερὸν, εἰς τὸν τῆς μητρὸς κόλπον καταφεύγοντα, καὶ τῶν ἐκείνης ἱματίων ἐκκρεμασθέντα, ἔχεται αὐτῶν ἀσφαλῶς, καὶ τοὺς πολλῶν ἀνθελκόντων πολλάκις· ὅταν δὲ μηδὲν παρῇ τῶν θορυβούντων, οὐδὲ καλούσης, καὶ ἐφελκομένης τῆς μητρὸς ἀνέχεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ κα- λοῦσαν διαπτύει τὴν μητέρα, καὶ πολλὰ μηχανωμένην πρὸς τὸ ἀφελκύσασθαι, ἀποστρέφεται, καὶ τραπέζης κειμένης καταφρονεῖ. Μητέρα δέ μοι νῦν φιλόστορ- γον νοήσῃς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόνοιαν.