of him gives good things. But to the exceedingly wicked, because they sin without remission, in a certain way evil becomes their nature; such as is Satan and the demons. For one can also call these evil by nature, although not created evil by nature, but having become hardened from self-chosen evil. CHAP. 8. V. 11. Many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. If the way is narrow and afflicted, and few are they who find it, through what way will the many enter? for concerning the wide and broad way it says that many will enter through it. And we say, 17.293 that the word of the Savior was spoken, since few from Israel were being saved; for not many believed in him. Therefore he also said: Fear not, little flock, for God has been well pleased in you. But the saying, Many shall come, was spoken prophetically; as concerning those from the gentiles who would believe in him. Many, he says, as compared to those who did not believe after the advent, those from the gentiles will recline with Abraham and those from him in the kingdom of heaven; and in number these are many times more than those from Israel who also confess Jesus Christ. CHAP. 11. V. 11. But he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. V. 12. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. We say that the "lesser" speaks of Christ himself; but "lesser" according to the opinion of those who heard. And the phrase, in the kingdom of heaven, declares that in spiritual things, and in all heavenly and divine things, Christ is greater than he. And we will read it thus, that, Lesser; then, after a short pause, we will add, In the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And the kingdom of heaven is Christ himself, urging all to repentance, and drawing them to himself through grace. CHAP. 12. V. 14. But the Pharisees went out and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. As much as one draws near to Jesus, he does not take counsel. For the counsel of the wicked does not draw near to Jesus. But when one goes outside of Jesus, he takes counsel to destroy the light, the good way, the life, the treasure, the one who testified to love, the peace. If anyone should destroy this one, he is called a son of perdition. V. 15. But Jesus, knowing it, withdrew. For it was not necessary for him to remain with the sons of perdition. They lost, we, without seeking, have found. For I was found, he says, by those who did not seek me; I became manifest to those who did not ask for me. For he himself came for the lost sheep; but they forgot their own shepherd. He withdraws, not fearing the plot, but checking their wickedness; and lest anyone should think that he had withdrawn out of cowardice, he therefore healed all, showing his all-powerful strength. Nevertheless he charges them not to make it public, as being gentle and without vainglory. CHAP. 13. V. 44. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, etc. According to another interpretation, the field would be 17.296 the Scripture, planted with many sayings, both of the law and of the writings, and historical; and the treasure the various meanings contained in these, both manifest and hidden; and Christ the precious treasure of the Scripture. Or Christ is the field, in whom Paul says are hidden the secret treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God. The heavenly things, therefore, and the kingdom of heaven are written as in an image in the Scriptures, which are the kingdom of heaven; and it is Christ himself, the knowledge of whom is in us according to our ability; and it is found through faith, and purchased through virtues. Therefore, when one has found this treasure in the Scriptures, he hides it, knowing it is not without risk to impart secret things to just anyone. And having hidden it, he goes away to buy the field for whatever price he wishes; which the Hebrews were formerly entrusted with, from whom whoever has taken it, which according to another parable is a vineyard, makes it his own possession, all

αὐτοῦ δίδωσιν ἀγαθά. Τοῖς δὲ ἄγαν πονηροῖς, διὰ τὸ ἀνεν δότως ἁμαρτάνειν τρόπον τινὰ φύσις αὐτοῖς ἡ κακία γίνεται· οἷός ἐστιν ὁ Σατανᾶς καὶ οἱ δαίμονες. ∆ύνα ται γάρ τις καὶ τούτους φύσει κακοὺς εἰπεῖν, καίπερ μὴ φύσει κακοὺς δημιουργηθέντας, ἀλλ' ἐξ αὐτοπρο αιρέτου κακίας ἀπεσκληκότας. ΚΕΦ. Ηʹ. Στιχ. ιαʹ. Πολλοὶ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν ἥξουσι, καὶ ἀνακλιθήσονται μετὰ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. Εἰ στενὴ καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἐστὶν ἡ ὁδὸς, καὶ ὀλίγοι οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτὴν, διὰ ποίας οἱ πολλοὶ εἰσελεύσονται; περὶ γὰρ πλατείας καὶ εὐρυχώρου λέγει, ὅτι πολλοὶ εἰσελεύσονται δι' αὐτῆς. Καί φαμεν, 17.293 ὅτι ὁ μὲν τοῦ Σωτῆρος λόγος εἴρηται, ἐπειδὴ ὀλίγοι ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐσώζοντο· οὐ πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐπίστευ σαν εἰς αὐτόν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἔλεγε· Μὴ φοβοῦ μικρὸν ποίμνιον, ὅτι εὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν σοί. Προφη τικῶς δὲ ἐλέχθη τὸ, Πολλοὶ ἥξουσιν· ὡς περὶ τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν. Πολ λοὶ, φησὶν, ὡς πρὸς τοὺς μετὰ τὴν παρουσίαν μὴ πιστεύσαντας, οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀνακλιθησόμενοι μετὰ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ τῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν· καὶ τῷ ἀριθμῷ δὲ πολλαπλασίους οὗτοι τῶν ἀπὸ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ὁμολογουμένων. ΚΕΦ. ΙΑʹ. Στιχ. ιαʹ. Ὁ δὲ μικρότερος ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν μείζων αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. Στιχ. ιβʹ. Ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν ἡμερῶν Ἰωάννου τοῦ Βα πτιστοῦ ἕως ἄρτι ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν βιάζεται, καὶ βιασταὶ ἁρπάζουσιν αὐτήν. Φαμὲν τὸ μικρότερον περὶ αὐτοῦ λέγειν τοῦ Χρι στοῦ· μικρότερον δὲ κατὰ τὴν δόκησιν τῶν ἀκουόν των. Τὸ δὲ, ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, δηλοῖ ἐν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς, καὶ ἐν τοῖς κατ' οὐρανὸν ἅπασι καὶ θεϊκοῖς μείζονα ὑπάρχειν ἐκείνου τὸν Χριστόν. Οὕτως δὲ ἀναγνωσόμεθα, ὅτι, Μικρότερος· εἶτα, μι κρὸν διαλιπόντες, ἐποίσομεν τὸ, Ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν μείζων αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. Ἡ δὲ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς, προτρεπόμενος πάντας εἰς μετάνοιαν, καὶ ἕλκων εἰς ἑαυτὸν διὰ τῆς χάριτος. ΚΕΦ. ΙΒʹ. Στιχ. ιδʹ. Οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι συμβούλιον ἔλαβον κατ' αὐτοῦ ἐξελθόντες, ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσιν. Ὅσῳ τις ἐγγίζει τῷ Ἰησοῦ, συμβούλιον οὐ λαμ βάνει. Οὐ γὰρ ἐγγίζει τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἡ συμβουλὴ τῶν κακῶν. Ὅτε δέ τις τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἔρχεται ἔξω, συμβούλιον λαμβάνει τοῦ ἀπολέσαι τὸ φῶς, τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἀγαθὴν, τὴν ζωὴν, τὸν θησαυρὸν, τὸν μαρτυρήσαντα τὴν ἀγάπην, τὴν εἰρήνην. Τοῦτον ἄν τις ἀπολέσῃ, υἱὸς ἀπωλείας καλεῖται. Στιχ. ιεʹ. Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς, γνοὺς ἀπεχώρησεν. Οὐκ ἔδει γὰρ αὐτὸν μένειν μετὰ τῶν υἱῶν τῆς ἀπωλείας. Ἐκεῖνοι ἀπώλεσαν, ἡμεῖς, μὴ ζητήσαν τες, εὕρομεν. Εὑρέθην γὰρ, φησὶ, τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ζη τοῦσιν· ἐμφανὴς ἐγενόμην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ἐπερω τῶσιν. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολω λότα· αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐπελάθοντο τοῦ ἰδίου ποιμένος. Ἀνα χωρεῖ, οὐ δεδιὼς τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν, ἀλλὰ τὴν κακίαν ἀναστέλλων· καὶ ἵνα μή τις οἰηθῇ διὰ δειλίαν αὐτὸν ἀποκεχωρηκέναι, πάντας οὖν ἐθεράπευσε, τὴν πα ναλκῆ αὑτοῦ ἐνδεικνύμενος δύναμιν. Πλὴν ὑποστέλλει μὴ δημοσιεύεσθαι, ὡς ἐπιεικὴς καὶ ἀκενόδοξος. ΚΕΦ. ΙΓʹ. Στιχ. μδʹ. Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρα νῶν θησαυρῷ, κ. τ. λ. Καθ' ἑτέραν δὲ ἐκδοχὴν εἴη δ' ἂν, ἀγρὸς μὲν ἡ 17.296 Γραφὴ, πολλοῖς καταπεφυτευμένη ῥητοῖς νομικοῖς τε καὶ γραφικοῖς, καὶ ἱστορικοῖς· θησαυρὸς δὲ τὰ τού τοις ποικίλα ἐνόντα φανερά τε καὶ κεκρυμμένα νοή ματα· καὶ Χριστὸς ὁ τίμιος τῆς Γραφῆς θησαυρός. Ἢ ἀγρὸς ὁ Χριστὸς, ἐν ᾧ Παῦλος λέγει ἐγκεκρύφθαι τοὺς ἀποκρύφους θησαυροὺς τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τὰ οὐράνια τοίνυν πράγματα, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ὥσπερ ἐν εἰκόνι γέγρα πται ταῖς Γραφαῖς, αἵτινές εἰσι βασιλεία τῶν οὐρα νῶν· ἡ δέ ἐστιν αὐτὸς ὁ Χριστὸς, οὗ ἡ γνῶσις κατὰ δύναμιν ἐν ἡμῖν ἐστιν· εὑρίσκεται δὲ διὰ τῆς πίστεως, καὶ ἀγοράζεται διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν. Εὑρὼν οὖν τις τὸν ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς θησαυρὸν τοῦτον, κρύπτει, μὴ ἀκίνδυνον εἰδὼς τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων τοῖς τυχοῦσι μετα διδόναι. Ἄπεισι δὲ κρύψας, ἀγοράσων τὸν ἀγρὸν ὁπόσου ἂν βούλοιτο· ὃν Ἑβραῖοι πρὶν ἐπιστεύθησαν, παρ' ὧν τοῦτον λαβὼν ὅστις κατ' ἄλλην παραβολὴν ἀμπελών ἐστιν, ἴδιον κτῆμα τοῦτον ποιεῖ, πάντα