For such is the soul; it has a certain depth and many members. And so sin, having entered in, takes possession of all its members, and the thoughts of the heart. Then when the man seeks, grace comes to him, and takes possession of two members of the soul. Therefore the inexperienced man, being comforted by grace, thinks that grace, having come, has taken possession of all the members of the soul, and sin has been uprooted; then, therefore, the greater part is held by sin and one part by grace, and he is deceived and does not know it. For grace is often working unceasingly, in the way the eye has been made in the body; and sin is present, deceiving the mind. And the one without discernment, as if he has already attained, thinks something of himself and is puffed up as if he has been set free. For things are not so; for as I said, Satan makes a hiding place, at times not working, so that he might make the man think, "I am pure and perfect." Does the one who plants a vineyard immediately get a grape, or cultivate wine, and the one who sows the seed in the earth, has he already reaped and received fruits, and can the newborn child immediately come to be a perfect man, or has the serving recruit already become an officer? For it is necessary for him first to labor, and having entered into war to receive the prizes of victory and be crowned.

12. Therefore, possessionlessness is good, and psalmody, and fasting, and vigil, and to receive the grace of God; but he has not yet begun as he ought to dig and lay a foundation. And in such things the mind ought to be blameless, a partaker of grace; then he thinks something of himself, and holds his soul to be precious. Look to Jesus, from what glory, being the Son of God and God, he came to what sufferings and crucifixion. Therefore, because of this humility he was exalted, being seated at the right hand of the Father; and from the beginning the serpent sowed pride in Adam, "that you will be as God." Because of this arrogance, then, you have seen to what dishonor the race of Adam descended. Indeed I seek a man poor in spirit, and I do not find one; just as if someone were rich, having treasures in his house, and yet be in need, and poor, and beg from all. So there are Christians having grace, rich toward God, who are poor in spirit, as having nothing; for example, there are a hundred pounds of gold which one ought to acquire; he who received five pounds was satisfied. But there are some who, for example, having ten ounces of grace, make them a hundred, boasting. And there are often those having five ounces of sin, 34.833 and they make them half an ounce; and this happens to them, either through ignorance, because being deceived in that very grace they do not know it. Or through vainglory, being ashamed to say that evil is at work; for they already proclaim themselves to be perfect. But a man ought to do and to say what is right; both to confess the things of grace, and the working of sin. For such a one lies, saying that he has a pure heart; for things are not so, that as soon as grace visits, the man has already become pure; for they are handed over to enemies and to temptations for training and discipline, in the same way as Job to temptation. For evil works together with good, with no good intention; but the Christian, having five ounces of sin, ought to say, "I have twenty, and I am filled with evil." And having, for example, twenty ounces of good, to say, "I have half an ounce." But if through vainglory he is ashamed to say this, let him at least say what is right. Let him confess both the working of grace, and also sin in part. As therefore I said before concerning the soul, that it has depth, we use examples to describe its members. Just as if there were a sun, and there were many rays from it; or if there were a tall tree, and it had branches; or if there were a great city, and it had many neighborhoods; so is the intelligent substance, the immortal soul, a precious beauty beyond all created things, the image and likeness of God. So grace, having come, shines upon two rays of the soul; or from the whole

γὰρ ψυχὴ τοιαύτη ἐστίν· ἔχει βάθος τι καὶ μέλη πολλά· καὶ λοιπὸν ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐπεισελθοῦσα κατέχει αὐτῆς ὅλα τὰ μέλη, καὶ τὰ νοήματα τῆς καρδίας. Εἶτα ἐπιζητοῦντος τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεται ἡ χάρις πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ κατέχει δύο μέλη τῆς ψυχῆς. Ὁ οὖν ἄπειρος παρακαλούμενος τῇ χάριτι, νομίζει ὅτι ἐλθοῦσα ἡ χάρις ὅλα τὰ μέλη τῆς ψυχῆς κατέσχε, καὶ ἐξεῤῥιζώθη ἡ ἁμαρτία· τότε οὖν πλεῖστον μέρος ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας κρατεῖται καὶ ἓν μέρος ὑπὸ τῆς χάριτος, καὶ ὑποκλέπτεται καὶ οὐκ οἶδεν· ἔστι γὰρ ἡ χάρις πολλάκις ἐνεργοῦσα ἀδιαλείπτως, ὃν τρόπον ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς ἐν τῷ σώματι πέπρακται· καὶ ἁμαρτία σύνεστιν ὑποκλέπτουσα τὸν νοῦν· καὶ ὁ ἀδιάκριτος, ὡς ἤδη καταλαβὼν, οἴεταί τι περὶ αὑτοῦ καὶ τυφοῦται ὡς ἐλευθερωθείς. Οὐχ οὕτως γάρ ἐστι τὰ πράγματα· καθὼς γὰρ εἶπον, ἔγκρυμμα ποιεῖ ὁ Σατανᾶς, εἰς καιροὺς μὴ ἐνεργῶν, ἵνα ποιήσῃ νομίσαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ὅτι Εἰμὶ καθαρὸς καὶ τέλειος· μὴ ὁ φυτεύων ἀμπελῶνα εὐθέως λαμβάνει σταφυλὴν, ἢ γεωργεῖ οἶνον, καὶ ὁ σπείρων τὸ σπέρμα ἐν τῇ γῇ, ἤδη ἐθέρισε καὶ ἔλαβε καρποὺς, καὶ τὸ γεννώμενον παιδίον εὐθέως δύναται εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον ἐλθεῖν, ἢ στρατευόμενος τίρων ἤδη ἐγένετο ἀξιωματικός; χρὴ γὰρ αὐτὸν πρῶτον κοπιάσαι, καὶ εἰσελθόντα πόλεμον λαβεῖν τὰ νικητήρια καὶ στεφανωθῆναι.

ΙΒʹ. Καλὸν οὖν ἐστιν ἡ ἀκτημοσύνη καὶ ἡ ψαλμωδία, καὶ ἡ νηστεία καὶ ἡ ἀγρυπνία, καὶ τὸ λαβεῖν χάριν Θεοῦ· ὁ δὲ ἀκμὴν οὔπω ἤρξατο ὡς δεῖ σκάπτειν καὶ τιθέναι θεμέλιον. Καὶ ἐν τοιούτοις ὁ νοῦς δεῖ ἀνεπίληπτος εἶναι μέτοχος χάριτος· λοιπὸν οἴεται περὶ αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἔχει τιμίαν τὴν ψυχήν. Ἀπόβλεψον εἰς τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἀπὸ ποίας δόξης Υἱὸς Θεοῦ καὶ Θεὸς ὢν, εἰς ποῖα πάθη καὶ σταύρωσιν ἦλθε. ∆ιὰ ταύτην οὖν τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην ὑπερυψώθη ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Πατρὸς καθεσθείς· καὶ ὁ ὄφις ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπέσπειρε τῷ Ἀδὰμ ὕψωμα, ὅτι Ὡς Θεὸς γίνῃ· διὰ ταύτης τῆς ὑψηλοφροσύνης εἶδες οὖν εἰς ὁποίαν ἀτιμίαν κατῆλθε τὸ γένος τοῦ Ἀδάμ. Ἐπιζητῶ δὴ ἄνθρωπον πτωχὸν τῷ πνεύματι, καὶ οὐχ εὑρίσκω· ὥσπερ ἵνα ᾖ τις πλούσιος ἔχων ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ θησαυροὺς, καὶ ᾖ ἐπιδεόμενος, καὶ πτωχὸς καὶ παρὰ πάντων ζητῇ. Οὕτως εἰσὶ Χριστιανοὶ ἔχοντες χάριν, πλούσιοι εἰς Θεὸν, πτωχοί εἰσι τῷ πνεύματι, ὡς μηδὲν ἔχοντες· εἰσὶ πρὸς λόγον ἑκατὸν λίτραι χρυσίου ἃς ὀφείλει κτήσασθαι· ὁ λαβὼν πέντε λίτρας ἐκορέσθη. Εἰσὶ δέ τινες πρὸς λόγον δέκα οὐγκίας ἔχοντες τῆς χάριτος, καὶ ποιοῦσιν αὐτὰς ἑκατὸν, καυχώμενοι. Καὶ εἰσὶ πολλάκις πέντε οὐγκίας ἔχοντες τῆς ἁμαρτίας, 34.833 καὶ ποιοῦσιν αὐτὰς ἡμιούγκια· τοῦτο δὲ αὐτοῖς συμβαίνει, ἢ κατ' ἄγνοιαν, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ χάριτι ὑποκλεπτόμενοι οὐκ οἴδασιν. Ἢ κατὰ κενοδοξίαν, αἰσχυνόμενοι εἰπεῖν ὅτι ἐνεργεῖ τὸ κακόν· ἤδη γὰρ κηρύττουσιν εἶναι ἑαυτοὺς τελείους. Τὸ δὲ δίκαιον δεῖ ποιεῖν καὶ λέγειν τὸν ἄνθρωπον· καὶ τὰ τῆς χάριτος ὁμολογεῖν, καὶ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Ψεύδεται γὰρ ὁ τοιοῦτος καθαρὰν λέγων ἔχειν τὴν καρδίαν· οὐχ οὕτως γάρ ἐστι τὰ πράγματα, ὡς ἄμα τὴν χάριν ἐπιδημῆσαι ἤδη καθαρὸν γενέσθαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον· παραδέδονται γὰρ τοῖς πολεμίοις καὶ τοῖς πειρατηρίοις εἰς γυμνασίαν καὶ ποίδευσιν, ὃν τρόπον καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ τῷ πειρασμῷ. Συνεργεῖ γὰρ τὸ κακὸν τῷ ἀγαθῷ, προαιρέσει οὐ καλῇ· τὸν δὲ Χριστιανὸν δεῖ πέντε οὐγκίας τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἔχοντα, λέγειν, ὅτι Εἴκοσιν ἔχω, καὶ πεπληρωμένος εἰμὶ τοῦ κακοῦ. Καὶ ἔχοντα πρὸς λόγον οὐγκίας εἴκοσι τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ, λέγειν, ὅτι Ἡμιούγκιον ἔχω. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο κατὰ κενοδοξίαν αἰσχύνεται εἰπεῖν, τὸ δίκαιον γοῦν εἰπάτω. Ὁμολογησάτω μὲν καὶ τὴν ἐνέγρειαν τῆς χάριτος· ὁμολογησάτω δὲ καὶ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν μέρει. Καθὼς οὖν προεῖπον περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς, ὅτι ἔχει βάθος, ὑποδείγμασι χρώμεθα διαγράφοντας αὐτῆς τὰ μέλη. Ὥσπερ ἵνα ᾖ ἥλιος, καὶ ὦσιν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἀκτῖνες πολλαί· ἢ ἵνα ᾖ δένδρον ὑψηλὸν, καὶ ἔχῃ κλάδους· ἢ ἵνα ᾖ πόλις μεγάλη, καὶ ἔχῃ γείτονας πολλάς· οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ νοερὰ οὐσία, ἡ ἀθάνατος ψυχὴ, κάλλος τίμιον ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ δημιουργήματα, εἰκὼν καὶ ὁμοίωμα Θεοῦ. Λοιπὸν ἐλθοῦσα ἡ χάρις, εἰς δύο ἀκτῖνας τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπιλάμπει· ἢ ἀπὸ ὅλου τοῦ