He enumerates those who worship, so that He might set apart that which is worshipped, whether thrones, or principalities, or powers; he did not say: Or spirit. But let us come to the matter at hand. If you will, Lord, you can make me clean. The leper saw the welling-up beneficence, he saw salvation gushing forth, he saw many who were sick and possessed by demons surrounding the fount of salvation, and he puts away the division of his mind, a leper in body, but pure in soul; for the soul was not divided by different colors; for just as leprosy is unpleasant in 163 the body, dividing the complexion, so a double heart in the soul is unpleasant, being divided between faith and unbelief; as much unpleasantness as leprosy presents to the sight of human eyes, so much unpleasantness a divided soul presents to the eyes of God; for this reason Scripture says: Woe to the double heart and the paralyzed soul and the sinner who walks on two paths. But let us again take up the matter at hand. I will, be clean. O, the wonder! I will, be clean. There is, brothers, a word often uttered from authority, but often also from arrogance; to utter it is in anyone's power, but for the deed to follow the authority is for the powerful alone. If, therefore, he said, "I will," and the deed did not follow, it was arrogance; but now the deed followed the voice; so do not be ashamed of the word, but reverence the deed. See how great a difference there is between the old law and the new grace in every situation. Moses, coming down from the mountain with the first legislation and the first law, commands lepers to be set apart from the camp; Christ, coming down from the mountain, immediately cleanses a leper. For the one banishes the afflictions, but the other heals the afflictions. Christ went up a mountain, and Moses went up; the one to receive, the other to give a law. Moses went up and found the mountain filled with trumpets, a cloud, thunders, lightnings, a tempest, darkness, not because these things were fitting for the glory of the one who appeared, but because these things instructed the people in reverence; but the grace, brothers, of Christ puts away fear, it casts out slavery; for we did not receive a spirit of slavery again to fear, but we received a spirit of adoption. And Moses indeed gave ten commandments, but Jesus the master of Mo164ses, nine beatitudes. As many as are experienced in the scriptures know the truth of what has been said. The first beatitude: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely. Why then does the law have ten commandments, but grace has nine beatitudes? The number of the ten commandments is equal in number to the plagues against the Egyptians; ten plagues against the Egyptians chastening their arrogance, ten commandments for the people disciplining their insensibility; and the very letter, brothers, through which the number ten is written, I mean the iota, has the shape and form of a rod; for it was a rod for disciplining both the Egyptians and the people. But Jesus our Lord gives nine beatitudes from a triple triad, having fashioned a threefold crown of the beatitudes; since, brothers, the adorable Trinity, the royal dignity, the immaculate nature, the sovereign lordship has its glory in the Trinity, and God honors the proclamation on earth and the number of virtues, when it is equal in number to the holy Trinity. What I mean is something like this: there were many patriarchs, and the God of the patriarchs calls himself God: I am the God of Abraham 165 and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob; not that he was not the God of Moses or that he was not the God of Joseph; for he is God of all who call upon him in truth; but he honors in earthly things, as in an image, the

ἀπαριθμεῖται τὰ προςκυνοῦντα, ἵνα ἀφορίσῃ τὸ προςκυνούμενον, εἴτε θρόνοι, εἴτε ἀρχαί, εἴτε ἐξουσίαι· οὐκ εἶπεν· Εἴτε πνεῦμα. Ἀλλ' ἔλθωμεν εἰς τὸ προκείμενον. Ἐὰν θέλῃς, κύριε, δύνασαί με καθαρίσαι. Εἶδεν ὁ λεπρὸς τὴν πηγάζουσαν εὐεργεσίαν, εἶδε βρύουσαν τὴν σωτηρίαν, εἶδε πολλοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας καὶ δαιμονιζομένους περιεστοιχισμένους τὴν πηγὴν τῆς σωτηρίας καὶ ἀποτίθεται τὸν μερισμὸν τῆς διανοίας ὁ λεπρὸς μὲν τὸ σῶμα, καθαρὸς δὲ τῇ ψυχῇ· οὐ γὰρ μεμέριστο ἡ ψυχὴ χρώμασι διαφόροις· ὥςπερ γὰρ ἀηδὴς ἡ λέπρα ἐν 163 σώματι μερίζουσα τὴν χρόαν, οὕτω ἀηδὴς ἐν ψυχῇ διπλῆ καρδία μεριζομένη πρὸς πίστιν καὶ ἀπιστίαν· ὅσην φέρει ἀηδίαν ὄψει ἡ λέπρα ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀνθρώπων, τοσαύτην φέρει ἀηδίαν ὀφθαλμοῖς θεοῦ μεμερισμένη ψυχή· διὰ τοῦτό φησιν ἡ γραφή· Οὐαὶ καρδίᾳ δισσῇ καὶ ψυχῇ παρειμένῃ καὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ βαίνοντι ἐπὶ δύο τρίβους. Ἀλλ' οὖν τοῦ προκειμένου πάλιν ἐχώμεθα. Θέλω, καθαρίσθητι. Ὦ τοῦ θαύματος. Θέλω, καθαρίσθητι. Ἔστιν, ἀδελφοί, ῥῆμα πολλάκις ἐξ αὐθεντίας, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ ἀλαζονείας προφερόμενον· τὸ μὲν οὖν ἀποφθέγγεσθαι καὶ τοῦ τυχόντος, τὸ δὲ ἔργον ἀκολουθῆσαι τῇ αὐθεντίᾳ μόνου τοῦ δυναμένου. Εἰ τοίνυν εἶπε· Θέλω, καὶ οὐκ ἠκολούθησε τὸ ἔργον, ἀλαζονεία ἦν· νῦν δὲ τῇ φωνῇ ἔργον ἠκολούθησε· καὶ τὸν λόγον μὴ δυςώπει, τὸ ἔργον αἰδέσθητι. Βλέπε, ὅση διαφορὰ ἀναμέσον παλαιοῦ νόμου καὶ καινῆς χάριτος πρὸς πᾶσαν κατάστασιν. Μωϋσῆς ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους κατελθὼν πρώτῃ νομοθεσίᾳ καὶ πρώτῳ νόμῳ κελεύει τοὺς λεπροὺς ἀφορίζεσθαι τῆς παρεμβολῆς· Χριστὸς κατελθὼν ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους λεπρὸν εὐθέως καθαίρει. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τὰ πάθη ἐξορίζει, ὁ δὲ τὰ πάθη θεραπεύει. Ἀνῆλθε Χριστὸς εἰς ὄρος, ἀνῆλθε καὶ Μωϋσῆς· ὁ μὲν ἵνα λάβῃ, ὁ δὲ ἵνα δῷ νόμον. Ἀνῆλθε Μωϋσῆς καὶ εὗρε τὸ ὄρος πεπληρωμένον σαλπίγγων, νεφέλης, βροντῶν, ἀστραπῶν, θυέλλης, γνόφου, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ἔπρεπε τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ ἐπιφανέντος, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ἐπαιδαγώγει τὸν λαὸν εἰς εὐλάβειαν· ἡ δὲ χάρις, ἀδελφοί, τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀποτίθεται τὸν φόβον, ἐκβάλλει τὴν δουλείαν· οὐ γὰρ ἐλάβομεν πνεῦμα δουλείας πάλιν εἰς φόβον, ἀλλ' ἐλάβομεν πνεῦμα υἱοθεσίας. Καὶ Μωϋσῆς μὲν δέδωκε δέκα ἐντολάς, Ἰησοῦς δὲ ὁ δεσπότης Μωϋ164 σέως ἐννέα μακαρισμούς. Ὅσοι τῶν γραφῶν ἔμπειροι, ἴσασι τὴν ἀψευδίαν τῶν εἰρημένων. Πρῶτος μακαρισμός· Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται. Μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν. Μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ὅτι αὐτοὶ χορτασθήσονται. Μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται. Μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται. Μακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοί, ὅτι αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ θεοῦ κληθήσονται. Μακάριοι οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Μακάριοί ἐστε, ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ διώξωσι καὶ εἴπωσι καθ' ὑμῶν πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα ψευδόμενοι. ∆ιὰ τί οὖν ὁ νόμος ἔχει δέκα ἐντολάς, ἡ δὲ χάρις ἐννέα μακαρισμούς; Ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν δέκα ἐντολῶν ἰσάριθμός ἐστι ταῖς πληγαῖς ταῖς κατὰ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων· δέκα πληγαὶ κατὰ Αἰγυπτίων σωφρονίζουσαι τὴν ἀλαζονείαν, δέκα ἐντολαὶ τῷ λαῷ παιδεύουσαι τὴν ἀναισθησίαν· καὶ αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ στοιχεῖον, ἀδελφοί, δι' οὗ ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν δέκα γράφεται, τὸ ἰῶτα λέγω, ῥάβδου ἔχει σχῆμα καὶ τύπον· ῥάβδος γὰρ ἦν παιδεύουσα καὶ Αἰγυπτίους καὶ τὸν λαόν. Ἰησοῦς δὲ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν δίδωσιν ἐννέα μακαρισμοὺς ἀπὸ τριπλῆς τριάδος τρίπλοκον ἐργασάμενος τῶν μακαρισμῶν τὸν στέφανον· ἐπειδή, ἀδελφοί, ἡ προςκυνητὴ τριάς, τὸ βασιλικὸν ἀξίωμα, ἡ ἄχραντος φύσις, ἡ ἀδέσποτος δεσποτεία ἐν τῇ τριάδι τὴν δόξαν ἔχει, καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα τιμᾷ ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ τῶν ἀρετῶν τὸν ἀριθμόν, ὅταν ἰσάριθμος ᾖ τῇ ἁγίᾳ τριάδι. Οἷόν τι λέγω· πολλοὶ πατριάρχαι· καὶ ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατριαρχῶν ἑαυτὸν λέγει θεόν· Ἐγὼ ὁ θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ 165 καὶ ὁ θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ καὶ ὁ θεὸς Ἰακώβ· οὐχ ὅτι Μωϋσέως οὐκ ἦν θεὸς ἢ ὅτι Ἰωσὴφ οὐκ ἦν θεός· πάντων γὰρ θεὸς τῶν ἐπικαλουμένων αὐτὸν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ· ἀλλὰ τιμᾷ ὥςπερ ἐν εἰκόνι τοῖς ἐπιγείοις τὰ