Letter 127: Our merciful God, Who makes comfort match trouble, and consoles the lowly, lest they be drowned unawares in exceeding grief, has sent a consolation, equivalent to the troubles I have suffered in Nicopolis, in seasonably bringing me the God-beloved bishop Jobinus. He must tell you himself how very opportune his visit was. I shrink from a long let...
To Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata [a city on the Euphrates in southeastern Turkey],
God is merciful. He matches comfort to trouble, and he doesn't let those who are struggling drown in grief. After everything I went through in Nicopolis [a city in Armenia Minor], he sent me a perfect consolation: the arrival of our dear Bishop Jobinus, right when I needed him most. He can tell you himself how perfectly timed his visit was.
I'll keep this short. And honestly, I'd rather stay quiet than seem to be calling out people who turned their backs on me but have now come around. Why embarrass them by bringing up their failure?
I hope you'll come visit me at home sometime. I'd love to see you and tell you everything in person. There's real comfort in talking through painful experiences face to face.
As for Bishop Jobinus — please commend him. He showed genuine affection for me, and more importantly, he stood firm on the canons [the formal rules of church governance and discipline] when it mattered. He was brave about it, too. Thank God for him — and thank God that your students, wherever they go, reflect the character you've taught them.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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