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of things past, of things to come. Three are the possessions of the just: paradise, the bosom of Abraham, the kingdom of heaven. Three are the punishments of sinners: darkness, the worm, Gehenna. Three are the renewals of the world: that in the time of Noah, that in the time of the Lord, that at the consummation. A third time Elijah, having drenched the limbs of the bull and the wood, the fire from heaven against the abominations. Three times a day Daniel prayed. For three months the Virgin stayed in the house of Zacharias. Three were the gifts offered to the Lord by the magi: gold, frankincense, myrrh. Three baptisms: the legal, that of John, that of the Lord. Three are the invocations of baptism: into the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Three are the immersions, and three are the emersions of baptism. Three are the victories of the Lord over the devil: not eating after he hungered, not worshipping the defiled one, not casting himself down. Three days after the baptism, and then the water became excellent wine. Three are the rebukes of the Only-Begotten to the Virgin: "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?"; "What have I to do with you, woman? My hour has not yet come"; "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?". Three are the disciples who were bolder than the others: Peter, James, John. Three years is the time of the Lord's signs. For three years the Lord came seeking fruit on the fig tree, and found none. The Lord cursed three: the fig tree: "May no fruit ever come from you again!"; the Synagogue: "Not one stone will be left on another"; Judas: "Woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified." For three days and three nights Jonah was in the belly of the sea-monster. The sentence against the Ninevites was for three days. For three days was the Savior's death, and for three days also the Lord's resurrection from the dead by his own authority. After three days Paul, having been blinded, regained his sight; three times he besought the Lord concerning the thorn, that it might depart from him; three times he was shipwrecked; he ascended to the third heaven. Three measures of flour the woman who was likened to the kingdom of heaven also took, and hiding it in a little leaven, 43.513 she leavened the whole lump, as it is written.

{That the number six as a double triad has also been observed in great matters, in the divine Scripture.}

4. In six days God fashioned the world. On the sixth day he formed Adam. At the sixth hour he sought him who was made naked by manifest sin. Six times he appeared to Abraham: once in Haran *** a third time in dreams; a fourth time at the addition of the letter to his name; a fifth time at Mamre at noon, the sixth hour; a sixth time at the sacrifice of the only-begotten on the mountain. He commanded the Hebrews to serve for six years. In the sixth month he sent Gabriel to the Virgin. Into six water jars he made the water wine. At the sixth hour he spoke to the Samaritan woman by the well. Six days before the Passover he raised Lazarus. At the sixth hour while being crucified he was reconciled with the thief. Six times he was seen after he was raised from the dead: to the women, to Cleopas, to the disciples without Thomas, to the disciples with Thomas, to Peter and John drawing in the net, at the last [appearance] of the ascension. Six times, as Paul says, he appeared to the brothers: to Cephas, to the ten, to the five hundred, at one time to James, to all the apostles, last of all to Paul himself. Six great mysteries in one did our Lord Jesus Christ perform, as Paul says: He was fulfilled in the flesh, was justified in the spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. By six letters the great names are written: Adonai,

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παρεληλυθότων, μελλόντων. Τρία τῶν δικαίων τὰ κτήματα, παράδεισος, Ἀβραὰμ κόλπος, οὐρανῶν βασιλεία. Τρεῖς τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν αἱ τιμωρίαι, σκότος, σκώληξ, Γέεννα. Τρεῖς ἀνανεώσεις τοῦ κόσμου· ἡ ἐπὶ τοῦ Νῶε, ἡ ἐπὶ τοῦ Κυρίου, ἡ ἐπὶ τῆς συντελείας. Τρίτον Ἠλίας τὰ μέλη τοῦ βοὸς καὶ τὰ ξύλα καταῤῥάνας τὸ ἐξ οὐρανῶν κατὰ στύγας πῦρ. Τρίτον τῆς ἡμέρας ηὔχετο ∆ανιήλ. Τρεῖς μῆνας εἰς τὸν οἶκον Ζαχαρίου πεποίηκεν ἡ Παρθένος. Τρία τὰ προσενεχθέντα δῶρα τῷ Κυρίῳ παρὰ τῶν μάγων· χρυσὸς, λίβανος, σμύρνα. Τρία βαπτίσματα, τὸ νομικὸν, τὸ Ἰωάννου, τὸ τοῦ Κυρίου. Τρεῖς αἱ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἐπικλήσεις, εἰς Πατέρα καὶ Υἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα. Τρεῖς αἱ καταδύσεις, καὶ τρεῖς αἱ ἀναδύσεις τοῦ βαπτίσματος. Τρεῖς αἱ κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου νῖκαι τοῦ Κυρίου· τὸ μὴ φαγεῖν μετὰ τὸ πεινάσαι, τὸ μὴ προσκυνῆσαι τὸν μιαρὸν, τὸ μὴ καταβάλλειν ἑαυτόν. Τρεῖς ἡμέραι μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα, καὶ τότε τὸ ὕδωρ οἶνος ἐξαίρετος. Τρεῖς αἱ κατὰ τῆς Παρθένου τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἐπιτιμήσεις· Τί ὅτι ἐζητεῖτέ με; οὐκ ᾔδεις ὅτι ἐν τοῖς τοῦ Πατρός μου δεῖ με εἶναι; Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοὶ, γύναι; οὔπω ἥκει ἡ ὥρα μου· τίς ἐστιν ἡ μήτηρ μου, καὶ τίνες οἱ ἀδελφοί μου; Τρεῖς οἱ πλέον τῶν ἄλλων θαῤῥούμενοι μαθηταί· Πέτρος, Ἰάκωβος, Ἰωάννης. Τρία ἔτη τῶν δεσποτικῶν σημείων ὁ χρόνος. Τρία ἔτη ζητῶν καρπὸν εἰς τὴν συκῆν ὁ Κύριος ἦλθε, καὶ οὐχ ηὗρεν. Τρισὶν ὁ Κύριος κατηράσατο· τῇ συκῇ· Μηκέτι ἐκ σοῦ καρπὸς γένηται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· τῇ Συναγωγῇ· Λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον οὐ μὴ μένει· τῷ Ἰούδᾳ· Οὐαὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐκείνῳ, δι' οὗ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς τὸ σταυρωθῆναι. Τρεῖς ἡμέρας, καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας Ἰωνᾶς εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν τοῦ κήτους πεποίηκε. Τριήμερον ἡ κατὰ Νινευϊτῶν ἀποφορά. Τριήμερος τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὁ θάνατος, τριήμερος καὶ ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν κατ' ἐξουσίαν ἀνάστασις τοῦ Κυρίου. ∆ιὰ τριῶν ὁ Παῦλος ἡμερῶν ἀνέβλεψε πηρωθείς· τρὶς τὸν Κύριον περὶ τοῦ σκόλοπος παρεκέλευσεν, ἵνα ἀποστῇ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ· τρὶς ἐναυάγησεν· εἰς τρίτον οὐρανὸν ἀναβέβηκε. Τρία σάτα ἀλεύρου καὶ ἡ τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν ὁμοιωθεῖσα γυνὴ λαβοῦσα, καὶ εἰς μικρὰν ζύμην ἐγκρύψασα, 43.513 ὅλον τὸ φύραμα, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, ἐζύμωσεν.

{Ὅτι καὶ ὁ ἀριθμὸς ὡς διπλῆ τριὰς ἐπὶ μεγάλων πραγμάτων, ἐν τῇ

θείᾳ Γραφῇ παρατετήρηται.}

∆ʹ. Ἐν ἓξ ἡμέραις ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον κατεσκεύασεν. Ἕκτην ἡμέραν ἔπλασε τὸν Ἀδάμ. Ἕκτην ὥρανγυμνωθέντα παρὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας δήλης ἐζήτησεν. Ἕκτον ὤφθη τῷ Ἀβραάμ· ἅπαξ εἰς Χαῤῥὰν *** τρίτον καθ' ὕπνους· τέταρτον ἐπὶ τῆς προσθήκης τοῦ γράμματος τοῦ ὀνόματος· πέμπτον ἐπὶ τῆς Μαμβρῆ μεσημβρίας, ἕκτην ὥραν· ἕκτον ἐπὶ τῆς θυσίας τοῦ μονογενοῦς ἐν τῷ ὄρει. Ἓξ ἔτη δουλεύειν Ἑβραίοις παρήγγειλεν. Ἕκτῳ μηνὶ τὸν Γαβριὴλ πρὸς τὴν Παρθένον ἀπέστειλεν. Εἰς ἓξ ὑδρείας τὸ ὕδωρ οἶνον πεποίηκε. Ἕκτην ὥραν τῇ Σαμαρείτιδι παρὰ τὸ φρέαρ ὡμίλησε. Πρὸ ἓξ ἡμερῶν τοῦ Πάσχα τὸν Λάζαρον ἤγειρεν. Ἕκτην ὥραν τῷ λῃστῇ σταυρούμενος ἐφιλιώθη. Ἕκτον ὤφθη μετὰ τὸ ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ἐγερθῆναι· ταῖς γυναιξὶν, τῷ Κλεώπᾳ, τοῖς μαθηταῖς χωρὶς τοῦ Θωμᾶ, τοῖς μαθηταῖς μετὰ τοῦ Θωμᾶ, Πέτρῳ καὶ Ἰωάννῃ τὸ δίκτυον ἐλοῦσιν, τῇ τελευταίᾳ τῆς ἀναλήψεως. Ἕκτον, ὡς λέγει Παῦλος, ἐφάνη τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς· τῷ Κηφᾷ, τοῖς δέκα, τοῖς πεντακοσίοις, ἐφ' ἅπαξ Ἰακώβῳ, τοῖς ἀποστόλοις πᾶσιν, αὐτῷ τῷ Παύλῳ τελευταῖον. Ἓξ ἑνὶ αὐτῶν μεγάλα μυστήρια ἐποίησεν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, ὡς λέγει Παῦλος· Ἐπληρώθη ἐν σαρκὶ, ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι, ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις, ἐκηρύχθη ἐν ἔθνεσιν, ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ, ἀνελήφθη ἐν δόξῃ. ∆ι' ἓξ γραμμάτων τὰ μεγάλα ὀνόματα γράφεται· ἀδωναῒ,