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knowing that he is spiritually discerned; for whatever the Holy Spirit spoke obscurely and through parables by the prophets, these things become easily known to those who are partakers and sharers of the Holy Spirit, being taught by the Spirit himself; for one who is unsealed, ungoverned, cannot understand the divine Scriptures. Piety towards God, the beginning of perception. [ξοδ. φ. 6 α.] Piety towards God is the beginning, and as it were a source and cause of the divine perception according to the inner man, through which we see the true light, and hear the hidden oracles, 64.664 and are fed the bread of life, and we partake of the fragrance of Christ, and we touch the word of this life or because when piety is present in us, the bodily senses also do what is necessary; and then it is with us, when the eye does not see evil, nor the mouth speak it. Hear, son, the laws of your father, etc. [ξοδ. φ. 6. α.] That is, of God and Father of all; the ordinances of a mother, of the wisdom that regenerated you, which becomes like a mother and nurse to us, nurturing us and raising us in the words and commandments of God. For you will receive a crown of graces. [ιβιδ.] For if you keep the law of your father in a faithful heart, and guard the commandments of your mother, you will receive a crown of graces on your head, and a golden chain one day in the resurrection of the just, being glorified and crowned by Christ in the heavenly and incorruptible kingdom, if you strive worthily of the crown; for no athlete is crowned unless he competes temperately and lawfully. Let not impious men deceive you. [ξοδ. φ. 7. α.] He speaks of the mysteries that happened to Christ through the Jews, and how Judas acquired a common purse with the Jews, having burst open in the middle. Let us seize his precious possession, and let us fill our houses with spoils. [ξοδ. φ. 8. α.] The possession of the just man is wisdom and prudence, which impious men seize, persuading the just man to do something of the forbidden things, so that the mind, blinded by sin, may fall away from these holy possessions; they might also say this who said: This is the heir, come, let us kill him, and let us seize his inheritance; and the demons despoil those whom they conquer, taking from them the divine panoply, the helmet of salvation, and the breastplate, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God; and their houses might be the churches of those who practice evil, which they wish to fill with spoils. Do not walk in the way with them. [ξοδ. φ. 8. β.] He did not say, Do not do it, but not even walk; and if you even set out, turn aside immediately; for they run to murder; but if you are caught in the snare, although the matter was not of necessity, but of will, you treasure up for yourself perdition, by the desire for more, not perceiving the hidden destruction in the snare; he has therefore justly suffered the same thing, he says, as the birds, which having wings and being able to fly, turn about the earth; and you, having reason and being able to be on high, if you are not willing, will not perish unjustly; or he speaks of the net as the manifoldness of punishments, to which the unjust are subjected. Becoming impious they hated perception. [ξοδ. φ. 9. β.] And if it has no accuser, piety toward God is the beginning of perception. When you call upon me, etc. 64.665 [ξοδ. φ. 10. α.] He threatened those who are faithless and disobedient to his name; thus also David: He who dwells in the heavens will laugh at them; for it shall be that when you call, I will not listen. And through Isaiah: If you stretch out your hands to me, I will turn my face from you. They will eat the fruits of their own way. [ξοδ. φ. 11. α.] From themselves they will have their prices, and they will eat the toils of their fruits; for is not the terrible thing from me to them? they themselves to themselves

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γινώσκων ὅτι πνευματικῶς ἀνακρίνεται· ὅσα γὰρ διὰ παραβολῆς καὶ σκοτεινῶς τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα διὰ τῶν προφητῶν ἐλάλησε, ταῦτα τοῖς μετόχοις καὶ κοινωνοῖς τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ὑπάρχουσιν, εὔγνωστα γίνεται ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐκδιδασκόμενα· ἀσφράγιστος γὰρ ἀκυβέρνητος, τὰς θείας Γραφὰς ἐπιγνῶναι οὐ δύναται. Εὐσέβεια εἰς Θεὸν, ἀρχὴ αἰσθήσεως. [ξοδ. φ. 6 α.] Ἡ πρὸς Θεὸν εὐσέβεια, ἀρχή ἐστι, καὶ οἷον πηγὴ καὶ αἰτία τῆς θείας αἰσθήσεως τῆς κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, δι' ἧς ὁρῶμεν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν, καὶ τῶν κεκρυμμένων λογίων ἀκούομεν, 64.664 καὶ τρεφόμεθα τὸν ἄρτον τῆς ζωῆς, ἀντιλαμβανόμεθά τε τῆς εὐωδίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἁπτόμεθα τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς ταύτης ἢ ὅτι τῆς εὐσεβείας προσούσης ἡμῖν, καὶ αἱ σωματικαὶ αἰσθήσεις ἐνεργοῦσι τὸ δέον· καὶ τότε σύνεισιν ἡμῖν, ὅταν μὴ πονηρὰ ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς ὁρᾷ, ἢ τὸ στόμα φθέγγεται. Ἄκουε, υἱὲ, νόμους πατρός σου, κ. τ. λ. [ξοδ. φ. 6. α.] Τουτέστι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς τῶν ὅλων· θεσμοὺς μητρὸς, τῆς σε ἀναγεννησάσης σοφίας, ἥτις ὡς μήτηρ καὶ τιθηνὸς ἡμῶν γίνεται, γαλουχοῦσα ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀνατρέφουσα ἐν τοῖς λόγοις καὶ ἐντολαῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Στέφανον γὰρ χαρίτων δέξῃ. [ιβιδ.] Ἐὰν γὰρ τηρήσῃς ἐν καρδίᾳ πιστῇ τὸν νόμον τοῦ πατρός σου, καὶ φυλάξῃς τὰς ἐντολὰς τῆς μητρός σου, στέφανον χαρίτων δέξῃ σῇ κορυφῇ, καὶ κλοιὸν χρύσειόν ποτε ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει τῶν δικαίων, ἐν τῇ ἐπουρανίῳ καὶ ἀφθάρτῳ βασιλείᾳ δοξαζόμενος καὶ στεφανούμενος ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ, ἐὰν ἀξίως τοῦ στεφάνου ἀγωνίσῃ· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀθλητὴς στεφανοῦται, ἐὰν μὴ ἐγκρατῶς καὶ νομίμως ἀθλήσῃ. Μή σε πλανήσωσιν ἄνδρες ἀσεβεῖς. [ξοδ. φ. 7. α.] Τὰ συμβάντα ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μυστήρια διὰ Ἰουδαίων φησὶ, καὶ πῶς κοινὸν βαλάντιον Ἰούδας τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἐκτήσατο λακήσας μέσον. Τὴν κτῆσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν πολυτελῆ καταλάβωμεν, πλήσωμεν δὲ οἴκους ἡμετέρους σκύλων. [ξοδ. φ. 8. α.] Κτῆσις δικαίου, σοφία καὶ φρόνησις, ἣν καταλαμβάνονται ἀσεβεῖς, πείθοντες τὸν δίκαιον ποιῆσαί τι τῶν ἀπηγορευμένων, ἵν' ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ νοῦς τυφλωθεὶς ἐκπέσῃ τῶν ἁγίων τούτων κτημάτων· φήσαιεν ἂν τοῦτο καὶ οἱ εἰπόντες· Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ κληρονόμος, δεῦτε ἀποκτείνωμεν αὐτὸν, καὶ κατάσχωμεν αὐτοῦ τὴν κληρονομίαν· σκυλεύουσι δὲ οἱ δαίμονες οὓς νικῶσι, λαμβάνοντες ἀπ' αὐτῶν τὴν θείαν πανοπλίαν, τὴν περικεφαλαίαν τοῦ σωτηρίου, καὶ τὸν θώρακα, καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστιν ῥῆμα Θεοῦ· οἶκοι δὲ αὐτῶν εἶεν ἂν αἱ τῶν πονηρευομένων ἐκκλησίαι, ἃς ἐμπλῆσαι βούλονται σκύλων. Μὴ πορευθῇς ἐν ὁδῷ μετ' αὐτῶν. [ξοδ. φ. 8. β.] Οὐκ εἶπε, Μὴ πράξῃς, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ πορευθῇς· ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ὁρμήσῃς, ἔκκλινον εὐθέως· εἰς γὰρ φόνον τρέχουσιν· εἰ δὲ ἁλῷς τῇ παγίδι, καί τοι τὸ πρᾶγμα οὐκ ἀνάγκης ἦν, ἀλλὰ θελήσεως, θησαυρίζεις σεαυτῷ ἀπώλειαν, τῇ τοῦ πλείονος ἐπιθυμίᾳ, τὸν κεκρυμμένον ὄλεθρον τῇ παγίδι μὴ ἐνιδών· πέπονθεν οὖν ταυτὸν, φησὶ, τοῖς ὀρνέοις δικαίως, ἃ πτερὰ ἔχοντα καὶ δυνάμενα ἵπτασθαι, περὶ γῆν στρέφονται· καὶ σὺ λογισμὸν ἔχων, καὶ δυνάμενος ὑψηλὸς εἶναι, εἰ μὴ βουληθῇς, οὐκ ἀδίκως ἀπολῇ· ἢ δίκτυον λέγει τὸ πολυσχιδὲς τῶν τιμωριῶν, ᾧ ὑποβάλλονται οἱ ἄδικοι. Ἀσεβεῖς γενόμενοι ἐμίσησαν αἴσθησιν. [ξοδ. φ. 9. β.] Καὶ εἰ μὴ κατήγορον ἔχει, εὐσέβεια ἡ εἰς Θεὸν, ἀρχὴ αἰσθήσεως. Ὅταν ἐπικαλέσησθέ με, κ. τ. λ. 64.665 [ξοδ. φ. 10. α.] Τοῖς ἀπίστοις καὶ ἀπειθοῦσι τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ἠπείλησεν· οὕτω καὶ ∆αβίδ· Ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἐκγελάσεται αὐτούς· ἔσται γὰρ ὅταν ἐπικαλέσησθε, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ εἰσακούσομαι. Καὶ διὰ Ἡσαΐου· Ἐὰν ἐκτείνητε τὰς χεῖρας πρός με, ἀποστρέψω τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ἐφ' ὑμῶν. Ἔδονται τῆς ἑαυτῶν ὁδοῦ τοὺς καρπούς. [ξοδ. φ. 11. α.] Ἐξ ἑαυτῶν ἕξουσι τὰς τιμὰς, καὶ τοὺς τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν πόνους φάγονται· μὴ γὰρ παρ' ἐμοῦ αὐτοῖς τὸ δεινόν; αὐτοὶ ἑαυτοῖς