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is subject to the Lord, so also wives to their husbands in everything.” For from worldly things themselves, if we wish, we also understand heavenly things. But she who is joined to the heavenly bridegroom works the will of her bridegroom.

3 And this is the will of Christ: that the one who cleaves to him should carry nothing at all of this age, nor be concerned with anything earthly, but only bear the cross of the one crucified for him, and have the care and concern night and day to praise him with unceasing hymns and doxologies, to have the eye of the mind enlightened, to know his will and to do it, to have a simple heart, a pure mind; to be merciful, so that, just as he is compassionate and merciful, so we too may follow him; to be meek and quiet, forbearing, rendering evil for evil to no one; enduring many insults, just as he was insulted by the Jews and endured to suffer blows and torments; for he himself suffered these things; for when he was struck by the servant of the high priest, he did nothing, but only said: “If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong; but if well, why do you strike me?” Was he who commanded the earth to swallow Dathan and Abiram alive not able to have it swallow alive this one who stretched out his hand and struck his own creator? But he endured, leaving us an example, that we should follow in his steps. But you, O man, do you not bear being insulted by a man of your own kind? Imitate your master. For if he, being God, endured for your sake to be struck by a sinful man, are you indignant because a man like you reviled you, and do you seek to repay him? O what great foolishness and immense folly! For this reason also punishment has been prepared for us, and we kindle the fire for ourselves; because though we are rational beings, we make ourselves like irrational animals. With great humility he came into this world, and though he was rich, he became poor for our sakes, that we through his poverty might become rich. And being God, he became man for our sakes, and was born of the God-bearer Mary, that he might free us from the dominion of the devil.

4 Wherefore he who wishes to be saved makes himself a fool in this world, that he may be called wise by God. For men call those wise who know how to give and take and buy and sell, and to do business and defraud their neighbor and be greedy and lend and make one obol two; but God calls such men fools and senseless and sinners. For hear, he says, what God himself has spoken through Jeremiah the prophet: “‘This people are foolish children to do evil; but to do good they have not known.’” And the blessed Paul: “The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God; and he who wishes to become wise, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.” And again the same one says: “Brethren, do not be children in understanding, but in malice be infants.” For God wishes us to be fools in earthly things, but wise in heavenly things; for our adversary the devil himself is wise in evil, and we must come to him wisely in order to overcome his wicked plots. For the savior says in the gospels: “Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” But he who is called wise by him, is he who is made wise to do the will of God, and to keep his commandments.

5 Humility is a great medicine of salvation; for Satan was not cast down from heaven on account of fornication or adultery or theft, but pride cast him down into the lower parts of the abyss; for thus he has said: “I will ascend, and I will set my throne before God, and I will be like the Most High” and for this saying he was cast down, and his inheritance became

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ὑποτάσσεται τῷ Κυρίῳ, οὕτως καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐν παντί.» ἀπ' αὐτῶν γὰρ τῶν κοσμικῶν, ἐὰν θέλωμεν, καὶ τὰ ἄνω νοοῦμεν. ἡ δὲ συναπτομένη τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ νυμφίῳ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ νυμ φίου ἑαυτῆς κατεργάζεται.

3 Τοῦτο δέ ἐστι τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Χριστοῦ· τὸν κολλώμενον αὐτῷ μηδὲν ὅλως περιφέρεσθαι τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, μηδὲν τῶν γηΐνων φροντίζειν, ἀλλὰ μόνον τὸν σταυρὸν τοῦ σταυρω θέντος ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ βαστάζειν αὐτόν, καὶ ἔχειν φροντίδα καὶ μέριμναν νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας ἀκαταπαύστοις ὕμνοις καὶ δοξο λογίαις ὑμνεῖν αὐτόν, πεφωτισμένον ἔχειν τὸ ὄμμα τῆς διανοίας, εἰδέναι τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιεῖν αὐτό, ἁπλὴν ἔχειν τὴν καρδίαν, καθαρὸν τὸν νοῦν· ἐλεήμονα εἶναι, ἵνα, καθὼς αὐτὸς οἰκτίρμων καὶ ἐλεήμων ἐστί, οὕτως καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐξακολουθῶμεν αὐτῷ· πρᾶον καὶ ἡσύχιον εἶναι, ἀνεξίκακον, μηδενὶ κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ ἀποδιδόντα· ὕβρεων πολλῶν ἀνεχόμενον, καθὼς αὐτὸς ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὑβρίσθη καὶ ὑπέμεινε πληγὰς καὶ βασάνους ὑποφέρειν· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ταῦτα ἔπαθε· ῥαπισθεὶς γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ δούλου τοῦ ἀρχιερέως, οὐδὲν ἐποίησεν, ἀλλὰ μόνον εἶπεν· «εἰ κακῶς ἐλάλησα, μαρτύρησον περὶ τοῦ κακοῦ· εἰ δὲ καλῶς, τί με δέρεις;» οὐκ ἠδύνατο ὁ κελεύσας τῇ γῇ, ἵνα τοὺς ∆αθὰν καὶ Ἀβειρῶν ζῶντας καταπίῃ, καὶ τοῦτον τὸν ἐκτείναντα τὴν χεῖρα καὶ τύψαντα τὸν ἑαυτοῦ δημιουργὸν ζῶντα καταπιεῖν. ἀλλ' ὑπέμεινεν, ἡμῖν ὑπολιμπάνων ὑπογραμμόν, ἵν' ἡμεῖς τοῖς ἐκείνου ἴχνεσιν ἐπακολουθήσωμεν. σὺ δέ, ἄνθρωπε, οὐ βαστάζεις ὑπὸ τοῦ ὁμογενοῦς σου ἀνθρώπου ὑβρισθῆναι; μίμησαι τὸν δεσπότην σου. εἰ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος Θεὸς ὢν ἐβάσταζε διὰ σὲ ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπου ἁμαρτωλοῦ ῥαπισθῆναι, σὺ ἀγανακτεῖς ὅτι ὅμοιός σου ἄνθρωπος ἐλοιδόρησέ σε, καὶ ζητεῖς ἀνταποδοῦναι αὐτῷ; ὦ πολλῆς ἀνοίας καὶ ἀφροσύνης μεγάλης! διὰ τοῦτο καὶ κόλασις ἡμῖν ἡτοίμασται, καὶ ἑαυτοῖς τὸ πῦρ ἐξάπτομεν· ὅτι καὶ λογικοὶ ὄντες τοῖς ἀλόγοις ζώοις ἑαυτοὺς εἰκάζομεν. ταπεινοφροσύνῃ πολλῇ εἰς τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον ἐλήλυθεν, καὶ πλούσιος ὢν ἐπτώχευσε δι' ἡμᾶς, ἵν' ἡμεῖς τῇ ἐκείνου πτωχείᾳ πλουτήσωμεν. καὶ Θεὸς ὢν γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος δι' ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἐγεννήθη ἐκ τῆς θεοτόκου Μαρίας, ἵνα ἐλευθερώσῃ ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς δυναστείας τοῦ διαβόλου.

4 Ὅθεν ὁ σωθῆναι θέλων ποιεῖ ἑαυτὸν μωρὸν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ, ἵνα παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἀκούσῃ σοφός. οἱ γὰρ ἄνθρω ποι τοὺς εἰδότας δοῦναι καὶ λαβεῖν καὶ ἀγοράζειν καὶ πωλεῖν, καὶ πραγματεύεσθαι καὶ ἀφυστερεῖν τὰ τοῦ πλησίου καὶ πλεο νεκτεῖν καὶ δανείζειν καὶ τὸν ἕνα ὀβολὸν ποιεῖν δύο, τούτους φρονίμους ἀποκαλοῦσιν· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς μωροὺς καὶ ἀσυνέτους καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὺς τοὺς τοιούτους καλεῖ. Ἄκουε γὰρ, φησὶ, τί αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς διὰ Ἱερεμίου τοῦ προ φήτου εἴρηκεν· «ὁ λαὸς οὗτος υἱοὶ ἄφρονές εἰσι τοῦ κακοποιῆσαι· τὸ δὲ καλὸν ποιῆσαι οὐκ ἐπέγνωσαν.» καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος· «ἡ σοφία τοῦ κόσμου τούτου μωρία παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἐστι· καὶ ὁ θέλων σοφὸς γενέσθαι μωρὸς γενέσθω, ἵνα γένηται σοφός.» καὶ πάλιν ὁ αὐτὸς λέγει· «ἀδελφοί, μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε ταῖς φρεσίν, ἀλλὰ τῇ κακίᾳ νηπιάζετε.» ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς εἰς τὰ γήϊνα θέλει μωροὺς εἶναι, εἰς δὲ τὰ ἐπουράνια φρονίμους· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ ἀντίδικος ἡμῶν διάβολος φρόνιμός ἐστι τῇ κακίᾳ, καὶ ἡμᾶς δεῖ αὐτῷ φρονίμως ἔρχεσθαι πρὸς τὸ νικῆσαι αὐτοῦ τὰς κακοτέχνους ἐπιβουλάς. λέγει γὰρ ὁ σωτὴρ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις· «γίνεσθε φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις καὶ ἀκέραιοι ὡς αἱ περιστεραί.» ὁ δὲ καλούμενος παρ' αὐτῷ φρόνιμος, οὗτός ἐστι σοφιζόμενος ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ φυλάσσειν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ.

5 Μέγα φάρμακόν ἐστι σωτηρίας ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη· ὁ γὰρ σατανᾶς οὐχ ἕνεκεν πορνείας ἢ μοιχείας ἢ κλοπῆς κατη νέχθη ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ' ἡ ὑπερηφανία αὐτὸν κατέβαλεν εἰς τὰ κατώτερα μέρη τῆς ἀβύσσου· οὕτως γὰρ εἴρηκεν· «ἀναβήσομαι, καὶ θήσομαι τὸν θρόνον μου ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἔσομαι ὅμοιος τῷ ὑψίστῳ» καὶ διὰ τοῦτον τὸν λόγον κατεβλήθη, καὶ ἐγένετο ἡ κληρονομία