2

a portion to be given, to the seven, and even to the eight, as some before us have already interpreted the saying of Solomon.

3. Of the honour of the number seven, the testimonies are many, but a few out of many will suffice for us. As the seven precious Spirits are named. For Isaiah, I think, is fond of calling the energies of the Spirit, Spirits. And the oracles of the Lord, according to David, are purified seven times. And the just man, being delivered from necessities six times, is not even struck in the seventh. But the sinner is forgiven not only seven times, but seventy times seven. And yet again from the opposites (for the punishment of wickedness is also praiseworthy), Cain being avenged seven times, that is, paying penalties for the fratricide; but Lamech seventy times seven, because he was a murderer after the law and the condemnation. The wicked neighbors receiving sevenfold into their bosom; the house of Wisdom being supported by seven pillars; the stone of Zerubbabel being adorned with as many eyes. God being praised seven times a day. And moreover 36.433 the barren woman bearing seven, the perfect number, she who is the opposite of the one imperfect in children.

4. But if one must also examine the ancient histories, I think of Enoch, the seventh among the forefathers, honored by his translation. I think of Abraham, the twenty-first, glorified by his patriarchate, by the addition of a greater mystery. For the number seven tripled produces this number. And one of those who is bold in all things might venture to come to the new Adam, my God and Lord Jesus Christ, numbered as the seventy-seventh from the old Adam who was under sin, according to the genealogy of Luke which traces backwards. I think also of the seven trumpets of Joshua the son of Nun, and as many circuits, and days, and priests, by which the walls of Jericho are shaken down. And also the seventh turning, and as it were the mystical threefold inbreathing of Elijah the prophet, which breathed life into the son of the widow of Zarephath, and his equal number of pourings upon the wood, when he consumed the sacrifice with fire sent from God, and condemned the prophets of shame, who were unable to do the same in their challenge. Thus also the seventh watching of the cloud commanded to the servant, and Elisha's equal stretching upon the child of the Shunammite, which rekindled the breath. Of the same teaching, I think (not to mention the seven-branched and seven-lamped lampstand of the temple), in seven days the priest is consecrated, in seven the leper is cleansed, in as many the temple is dedicated. In the seventieth year the people are brought back from captivity, so that what is in units may also be in tens, and the mystery of the number seven may be honored with a more perfect number. Why should I speak of things far off? Jesus Himself, the pure perfection, knows how to feed five thousand in the desert with five loaves, and knows also again how to feed four thousand with seven. And the leftovers from the meal, there twelve baskets, here seven large baskets; 36.436 neither without reason, I think, nor unworthy of the Spirit. And you too, by collecting for yourself, would observe many numbers having something deeper than what appears. But what is most useful for the present occasion is that according to these reasons perhaps, or what is very near to them, or even some more divine ones, the Hebrews honor the day of Pentecost, and we also honor it; just as there are also certain other Hebrew things, celebrated typically by them, but restored mystically to us. Having spoken thus much beforehand concerning the day, let us proceed to what follows in the discourse.

5. We celebrate Pentecost, and the coming of the Spirit, and the appointed time of promise, and the fulfillment of hope. And how great the mystery is! how great and venerable! The bodily things of Christ indeed have an end, or rather the things of the

2

δοθῆναι μερίδα, τοῖς ἑπτὰ, καί γε τοῖς ὀκτὼ, καθὼς ἤδη τινὲς τῶν πρὸ ἡμῶν τὸ Σολομώντειον ἐξειλήφασι.

Γʹ. Τῆς δὲ τοῦ ἑπτὰ τιμῆς, πολλὰ μὲν τὰ μαρτύρια, ὀλίγα δὲ ἐκ πολλῶν ἡμῖν ἀρκέσει. Ὡς ἑπτὰ μὲν ὀνομαζόμενα τίμια Πνεύματα. Τὰς γὰρ ἐνεργείας, οἶμαι, τοῦ Πνεύματος, Πνεύματα φίλον τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ καλεῖν. Κεκαθαρμένα δὲ τὰ λόγια τοῦ Κυρίου, κατὰ τὸν ∆αβὶδ, ἑπταπλασίως. Καὶ ὁ μὲν δίκαιος, ἑξάκις μὲν ἐξ ἀναγκῶν ἐξαι ρούμενος, ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ μηδὲ πλησσόμενος. Ὁ δὲ ἁμαρτωλὸς, οὐχ ἑπτάκις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτὰ συγχωρούμενος. Καὶ μέντοι πάλιν ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων (ἐπαινετὴ γὰρ καὶ ἡ τῆς κακίας κόλασις), Κάϊν μὲν ἐκδικούμενος ἑπτάκις, τουτέστι δίκας εἰσπραττόμενος τῆς ἀδελφο κτονίας· ὁ δὲ Λάμεχ ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτὰ, ὅτι φο νεὺς ἦν μετὰ τὸν νόμον καὶ τὸ κατάκριμα. Οἱ δὲ πονηροὶ γείτονες ἑπταπλασίονα εἰς τὸν κόλπον αὐτῶν ἀπολαμβάνοντες· ἑπτὰ δὲ στύλοις ὁ τῆς Σοφίας οἶκος ὑπερειδόμενος· τοσούτοις δὲ ὀφθαλ μοῖς ὁ τοῦ Ζοροβάβελ λίθος κοσμούμενος. Ἑπτά κις δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας ὁ Θεὸς αἰνούμενος. Καὶ μὴν 36.433 καὶ στεῖρα τίκτουσα ἑπτὰ, τὸν τέλειον ἀριθμὸν, ἡ τῆς ἀτελοῦς ἐν τέκνοις ἀντίθετος.

∆ʹ. Εἰ δὲ δεῖ καὶ τὰς παλαιὰς ἱστορίας σκοπεῖν, ἐννοῶ μὲν τὸν ἕβδομον ἐν προγόνοις Ἐνὼχ, τῇ μεταθέσει τετιμημένον. Ἐννοῶ δὲ τὸν εἰκοστὸν πρῶτον Ἀβραὰμ, τῇ πατριαρχίᾳ δεδοξασμένον, μυστηρίου προσθήκῃ μείζονος. Τρισσουμένη γὰρ ἡ ἑβδομὰς τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦτον ἐργάζεται. Τολ μήσειε δ' ἄν τις τῶν πάντα νεανικῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν νέον Ἀδὰμ ἐλθεῖν, τὸν Θεόν μου καὶ Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ἀπὸ τοῦ παλαιοῦ καὶ τοῦ ὑπὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν Ἀδὰμ, ἑβδομηκοστὸν ἕβδομον ἀρι θμούμενον, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Λουκᾶ γενεαλογίαν ἀνα ποδίζουσαν. Ἐννοῶ δὲ καὶ τὰς ἑπτὰ σάλπιγγας Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναυὴ, καὶ περιόδους τοσαύτας, καὶ ἡμέ ρας, καὶ ἱερέας, ἐξ ὧν τὰ Ἱεριχούντια τείχη κατασείεται. Ὡς δὲ καὶ τὴν ἑβδόμην ἀναστροφὴν, ὥσπερ δὲ μυστικὴν τὴν τρισσὴν ἐμφύσησιν Ἡλίου τοῦ προφήτου, τῷ τῆς Σαρα φθίας χήρας υἱῷ τὸ ζῇν ἐμπνεύσασαν, καὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ τὴν ἰσάριθμον κατὰ τῶν σχιδάκων ἐπί κλυσιν, ἡνίκα πυρὶ θεοπέμπτῳ τὴν θυσίαν ἀν ήλωσε, καὶ τοὺς τῆς αἰσχύνης προφήτας κατέκρινε, τὸ ἴσον οὐ δυνηθέντας ἐκ τῆς προκλήσεως. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ τὴν ἑβδόμην κατασκοπὴν τοῦ νέφους τῷ παιδαρίῳ προστεταγμένην, Ἑλισσαίου τε τὴν ἴσην διάκαμψιν ἐπὶ τὸν παῖδα τῆς Σουναμίτιδος, τὴν πνοὴν ζωπυρίσασαν. Τοῦ δὲ αὐτοῦ, οἶμαι, δόγματος (ἵνα μὴ λέγω τὴν ἑπτάκαυλον καὶ ἑπτάλυχνον τοῦ ναοῦ λυχνίαν) ἐν ἑπτὰ μὲν ἡμέραις ὁ ἱερεὺς τελειούμενος, ἐν ἑπτὰ δὲ ὁ λεπρὸς καθαιρόμενος, ἐν τοσαύταις δὲ ὁ ναὸς ἐγκαινιζόμενος. Ἑβδομηκοστῷ δὲ ἔτει ὁ λαὸς ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἐπαναγόμενος, ἵν' ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἐν μονάσι, τοῦτο ἐν δεκάσι γένηται, καὶ ἀριθμῷ τε λεωτέρῳ τὸ τῆς ἑβδομάδος τιμηθῇ μυστήριον. Τί μοι τὰ πόῤῥω λέγειν; Ἰησοῦς αὐτὸς, ἡ καθαρὰ τελειότης, οἶδε τρέφειν μὲν ἐν ἐρημίᾳ καὶ πέντε ἄρτοις πεντακισχιλίους, οἶδε δὲ καὶ ἑπτὰ πάλιν τετρακισχιλίους. Καὶ τὰ τοῦ κόρου λείψανα, ἐκεῖ μὲν δώδεκα κόφινοι, ἐνταῦθα δὲ σπυρίδες ἑπτά· 36.436 οὐδέτερον ἀλόγως, οἶμαι, οὐδὲ ἀναξίως τοῦ Πνεύματος. Καὶ σὺ δ' ἂν κατὰ σαυτὸν ἀναλεγόμενος, πολλοὺς τηρήσαις ἀριθμοὺς, ἔχοντάς τι τοῦ φαι νομένου βαθύτερον. Ὃ δὲ τῷ παρόντι καιρῷ χρησιμώτατον, ὅτι κατὰ τούτους ἴσως τοὺς λόγους, ἢ ὅτι ἐγγύτατα τούτων, ἢ καὶ θειοτέρους τι νὰς, τιμῶσι μὲν Ἑβραῖοι τὴν Πεντηκοστὴν ἡμέ ραν, τιμῶμεν δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς· ὥσπερ ἐστὶ καὶ ἄλλα τινὰ τῶν Ἑβραϊκῶν, τυπικῶς μὲν παρ' ἐκεί νοις τελούμενα, μυστικῶς δὲ ἡμῖν ἀποκαθιστάμενα. Τοσαῦτα περὶ τῆς ἡμέρας προδιαλεχθέντες, ἐπὶ τὸ ἑξῆς τοῦ λόγου προΐωμεν.

Εʹ. Πεντηκοστὴν ἑορτάζομεν, καὶ Πνεύματος ἐπιδημίαν, καὶ προθεσμίαν ἐπαγγελίας, καὶ ἐλπίδος συμπλήρωσιν. Καὶ τὸ μυστήριον ὅσον! ὡς μέγα τε καὶ σεβάσμιον! Τὰ μὲν δὴ σωματικὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πέρας ἔχει, μᾶλλον δὲ τὰ τῆς