Sermon 28 shorter recension

161 It pleased me also to say with the prophet Isaiah: that I waited like “she who is in labor” until I “dry up” them and destroy them. If therefore you know yourself that the fount of the Holy Spirit springs up in you, this is the sign that they have been dried up and have perished, as our Savior said, that “the kingdom” of heaven is not “here or there,” but “is within you.” Again the Apostle says: “the kingdom of God” is not “in word,” “but in power.” For there are some who speak of the things of the kingdom but do not do them, and there are some who do the things of the kingdom but do not speak with vigilance or with knowledge. But those in whom the word of the Savior has come to pass, that “the kingdom is within you,” are few and rare and hard to find; upon these the holy “Spirit” of God has visited and the word of the evangelist John has been fulfilled: that to those who believed in his name “he gave them power to become children of God,” “who were born not of blood nor of the will” “of man, but of God.” These are they who have been freed from the bitter sentence that went forth against Adam: that “cursed is the ground in your works,” these are they who have received the joy which Mary received: that “the Spirit of God will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” For as sorrow came down upon Eve and upon her seed until now, so again joy has come upon Mary and upon her seed until now. 163 As therefore we were once sons of Eve and knew her curse upon us through our dishonorable thoughts, so again we ought to know ourselves that we have been born of God through the thoughts of the Holy Spirit and through the sufferings of Christ, if they are truly in our body. For it is written in the Apostle: that “test yourselves,” if “Christ is in you” or do you not know “that Christ Jesus is in you,” “unless” perhaps “you are reprobate.” When therefore we wore “the image of the man of dust,” we knew that we are his sons through the dishonorable matter of his thoughts dwelling in us, which are the passions. But those who have worn “the image of the heavenly man” know themselves that they are sons of the heavenly man “through his” holy “Spirit” “dwelling in” them. For Isaiah cries out, saying: “from fear of you, Lord, we have conceived and have been in labor and have brought forth a spirit of salvation † which we conceived† upon the earth.” It is written again in Ecclesiastes: that “as bones in the womb of her who is with child” so is “the way of the spirit.” For just as this holy virgin conceived him in the flesh, so also those who have received the grace of the Holy Spirit conceive him in their heart according to the word of the Apostle, saying: that “Christ may dwell (in the inner man) through faith in your hearts,” “rooted and grounded in love,” “so that” you may be able to present yourselves “with all the saints,” and again: “but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from us.” If therefore you have attained to this word: that “we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory,” and if the word of the Apostle has been fulfilled in you, which says: “and let the peace of God rule in your hearts” and in your mind (which is Christ Jesus), if you have attained to this word: that “out of darkness a light” “has shone in your hearts” “of the 165 knowledge of the glory of God,” if the word has been fulfilled in you: that “let your loins be girded and your lamps burning,” and you will be like servants awaiting their own master, “when he will return” from the wedding, so that your mouth may not be shut, having no defense in the midst of the saints, if you know that your vessel has oil, as the

Sermo 28 recensio brevior

161 Ἤρεσε κἀμοὶ μετὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγειν Ἡσαΐου· ὅτι ὑπέμεινα ὥσπερ «ἡ τίκτουσα» ἕως οὗ «ξηρανῶ» αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀπολέσω. εἰ οὖν οἶδας σεαυτὸν ὅτι βρύει ἐν σοὶ ἡ πηγὴ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ σημεῖον ὅτι ἐξηράνθησαν καὶ ἀπώλοντο, καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν «ἡ βασιλεία» τῶν οὐρανῶν «ὧδε ἢ ἐκεῖ», ἀλλ' ἔσωθεν «ὑμῶν ἐστιν». πάλιν ὁ ἀπόστολος λέγει· «ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ» οὐκ ἔστιν «ἐν λόγῳ», «ἀλλ' ἐν δυνάμει». εἰσὶ γάρ τινες λαλοῦντες τὰ τῆς βασιλείας μὴ ἐργαζόμενοι δὲ αὐτά, καὶ εἰσί τινες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι μὲν τὰ τῆς βασιλείας μὴ λαλοῦντες δὲ ἐν φυλακῇ οὐδὲ ἐν γνώσει. ἐν οἷς δὲ γέγονεν ὁ λόγος τοῦ σωτῆρος, τὸ «ἡ βασιλεία ἐντὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν», ὀλίγοι καὶ σπάνιοί εἰσι καὶ δυσεύρετοι· τούτοις ἐπεφοίτησε τὸ «πνεῦμα» τὸ ἅγιον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐπληρώθη ὁ λόγος τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ Ἰωάννου· ὅτι οἱ πιστεύσαντες τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ «ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα θεοῦ γενέσθαι», «οἳ οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος» «ἀνδρός, ἀλλ' ἐκ θεοῦ ἐγενήθησαν». οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ ἀπαλλαγέντες τῆς ἀποφάσεως τῆς πικρᾶς τῆς ἐξελθούσης κατὰ τοῦ Ἀδάμ· ὅτι «ἐπικατάρατος ἡ γῆ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις σου», οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ καταλαβόντες τὴν χαρὰν ἣν κατέλαβε Μαριάμ· ὅτι «πνεῦμα θεοῦ ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ σέ, καὶ δύναμις ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι». ὡς γὰρ ἡ λύπη κατέβη ἐπὶ τὴν Εὔαν καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτῆς ἕως τοῦ νῦν, οὕτω πάλιν κατέλαβεν ἡ χαρὰ τὴν Μαριὰμ καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτῆς ἕως τοῦ νῦν. 163 ὡς οὖν ἦμεν υἱοὶ τῆς Εὔας ποτὲ καὶ ἐγνωρίζομεν τὴν κατάραν αὐτῆς τὴν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς διὰ τῶν λογισμῶν ἡμῶν τῶν ἀτίμων, οὕτω πάλιν ὀφείλομεν γνωρίσαι ἑαυτοὺς ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθημεν διὰ τῶν λογισμῶν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος καὶ διὰ τῶν παθημάτων τοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἰ τῷ ὄντι εἰσὶν ἐν τῷ σώματι ἡμῶν. γέγραπται γὰρ ἐν τῷ ἀποστόλῳ· ὅτι «δοκιμάσατε ἑαυτούς», εἰ ὁ «Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστιν» ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε «ὅτι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστιν», «εἰ μήτι» ἄρα «ἀδόκιμοί ἐστε» ὅτε οὖν ἐφοροῦμεν «τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ χοϊκοῦ», ᾔδειμεν ὅτι υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐσμὲν διὰ τῆς ἀτίμου ὕλης τῶν λογισμῶν αὐτοῦ τῶν οἰκούντων ἐν ἡμῖν, ἅπερ ἐστὶ τὰ πάθη. οἱ δὲ φορέσαντες «τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου» γνωρίζουσιν ἑαυτοὺς ὅτι υἱοί εἰσι τοῦ ἐπουρανίου «διὰ τοῦ» ἁγίου «αὐτοῦ πνεύματος» τοῦ «ἐνοικοῦντος ἐν» αὐτοῖς. Ἡσαΐας γὰρ ἀναβοᾷ λέγων· «ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου σου, κύριε, ἐν γαστρὶ ἐλάβομεν καὶ ὠδινήσαμεν καὶ ἐτέκομεν πνεῦμα σωτηρίας † οὗ ἐκυήσαμεν† ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς». γέγραπται πάλιν παρὰ τῷ Ἐκκλησιαστῇ· ὅτι «ὡς ὀστᾶ ἐν γαστρὶ τῆς κυοφορούσης» οὕτως «ἡ ὁδὸς τοῦ πνεύματος». ὥσπερ γὰρ αὕτη ἡ ἁγία παρθένος ἐκυοφόρησεν αὐτὸν ἐν σαρκί, οὕτω καὶ οἱ λαβόντες τὴν χάριν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος κυοφοροῦσιν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ ἀποστόλου λέγοντος· τοῦ «κατοικῆσαι τὸν Χριστὸν (εἰς τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον) διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν», «ἐρριζωμένοι καὶ τεθεμελιωμένοι ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ», «ἵνα» δυνηθῆτε παραστῆσαι ἑαυτοὺς «σὺν τοῖς ἁγίοις πᾶσι», καὶ πάλιν· «ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν θησαυρὸν τοῦτον ἐν ὀστρακίνοις σκεύεσιν, ἵνα ἡ ὑπερβολὴ τῆς δυνάμεως ᾖ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ μὴ ἐξ ἡμῶν». Εἰ οὖν ἔφθασας εἰς τὸν λόγον τοῦτον· ὅτι «τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν», καὶ εἰ ἐπληρώθη ἐπὶ σὲ ὁ λόγος τοῦ ἀποστόλου ὁ λέγων· «καὶ ἡ εἰρήνη τοῦ θεοῦ βραβευέτω ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν» καὶ τῷ νοῒ ὑμῶν (ὅς ἐστι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς), εἰ ἔφθασας εἰς τὸν λόγον τοῦτον· ὅτι «ἐκ τοῦ σκότους φῶς» «ἔλαμψεν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν» «τῆς 165 γνώσεως τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ», εἰ ἐπληρώθη ἐπὶ σοὶ ὁ λόγος· ὅτι «ἔστωσαν αἱ ὀσφύες ὑμῶν περιεζωσμέναι καὶ οἱ λύχνοι καιόμενοι», καὶ ἔσεσθε ὡς δοῦλοι προσδεχόμενοι τὸν ἑαυτῶν δεσπότην, «πότε ἀναλύει» ἀπὸ τοῦ γάμου, ἵνα μὴ φραγῇ τὸ στόμα σου μὴ ἔχον τινὰ ἀπολογίαν ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ἁγίων, εἰ οἶδας ὅτι ἔχει ἔλαιον τὸ ἀγγεῖόν σου, ὡς αἱ