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the firstborn of their own thoughts and deeds, Egypt (which is also called in Scripture Chaldean seed being taken away, and Babylonian infants dashed against the rock and destroyed), and all things full of shouting and clamor for the Egyptians; and at that time their destroyer will depart from us, out of respect and fear for the anointing. Hence the seven-day removal of the leaven (for this is the most mystical of numbers, and corresponds to this world, of the old and sour wickedness (not, that is, of the bread-making and life-giving kind); so that we may not eat any Egyptian dough, and remnant of Pharisaical and godless teaching.

16. And so let them lament; but for us the lamb will be eaten; towards evening, because at the consummation of the ages was the passion of Christ; since he also shares the mystery with the disciples in the evening, dispelling the darkness of sin. Not boiled, however, but roasted; so that the Word for us may have nothing unexamined, nor water 36.645 y, nor easily dissolved, but may be entirely solid, and firm, and tested by the purifying fire, and free of all that is material, and without superfluity, and that we may be helped by the good coals, which kindle and purify our intellect, from the one who came to cast fire upon the earth, which consumes wicked habits, and who hastens the kindling. As much of the Word, therefore, as is fleshly and nourishing, will be eaten and consumed with the inwards and the hidden things of the mind, and will be given over to spiritual digestion, from head to feet, both the first contemplations concerning the divinity, and the final cares of the incarnation. We will carry nothing out, nor leave it until the morning; because many of our mysteries are not for export to those outside, nor is there any purification beyond this night, and postponement is not praiseworthy for those who partake of the Word. For just as it is good and dear to God not to let anger last the day, but to resolve it before the sun sets, both chronologically and anagogically (for it is not safe for the sun of righteousness to set upon our anger); so too this food should not last through the night, nor be set aside for the next day. But as much as is bony and inedible, and difficult for us to contemplate, shall not be broken, being badly divided and understood (for I omit to say that not even, according to the history, was a bone of Jesus broken, even though death was hastened by the crucifiers on account of the Sabbath); nor shall it be cast away and swept aside; so that what is holy may not be given to the dogs and evil tearers of the Word, just as the brilliant and pearl-like nature of the Word is not for the swine; but it shall be consumed by fire, by that which also consumes the whole burnt offerings, being refined and saved by the Spirit who searches and knows all things, not being destroyed by water, nor scattered; like the head of the calf made by Moses, which was devised for Israel as a reproach for their hardness of heart.

17. It is worthwhile not to pass over the manner of eating, since the law, even to this point, labors at contemplation in the letter. For we shall consume the sacrifice in haste, and eating unleavened bread with bitter herbs, and with our loins girt, and our sandals on our feet, and leaning on a staff like elders. In haste, so that we may not suffer what that Lot was forbidden by the 36.648 command: let us not look around, let us not stand in all the surrounding region; let us escape to the mountain, lest we be taken along with the Sodomite and strange fire, nor be fixed into a pillar of salt from turning back to what is worse, which is what procrastination works. With bitter herbs, on account of the bitterness of the life according to God, and its steepness, especially for beginners, and its being higher than pleasures. For even if the new yoke is easy, and the burden is light, as you hear; but this is on account of the hope and the reward, which is much more abundant than the hardship here; since otherwise, who would not say that the Gospel is much more arduous and laborious than the legal ordinances? For of the

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πρωτότοκα τῶν οἰκείων λογισμῶν καὶ πράξεων Αἴγυπτος (ὃ καὶ σπέρμα Χαλδαϊκὸν ἐξαι ρόμενον τῇ Γραφῇ καλεῖται, καὶ νήπια Βαβυ λώνια τῇ πέτρᾳ προσκροτούμενα καὶ λυόμενα), καὶ βοῆς πάντα μεστὰ καὶ κραυγῆς Αἰγυπτίοις· καὶ ἡμῶν ἀποχωρήσει τηνικαῦτα ὁ ἐκείνων ὀλο θρευτὴς, αἰδοῖ καὶ φόβῳ τοῦ χρίσματος. Ἐντεῦθεν ἄρσις τῆς ζύμης ἑπταήμερος (οὗτος γὰρ μυστικώ τατος ἀριθμῶν, καὶ τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ σύστοιχος, τῆς παλαιᾶς καὶ ὀξώδους κακίας (οὐ γὰρ τῆς ἀρτο ποιοῦ τε καὶ ζωτικῆς)· ἵνα μηδὲν Αἰγύπτιον ἐπισιτι ζώμεθα φύραμα, καὶ λείψανον Φαρισαϊκῆς καὶ ἀθέου διδασκαλίας.

Ιςʹ. Καὶ οἱ μὲν θρηνείτωσαν· ἡμῖν δὲ ὁ ἀμνὸς βρωθήσεται· τὸ πρὸς ἑσπέραν μὲν, ὅτι ἐπὶ συν τελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων τὸ Χριστοῦ πάθος· ἐπεὶ καὶ κοινωνεῖ τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ, λύων τὸν σκότον τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Οὐχ ἑψόμενος δὲ, ἀλλ' ὀπτώμενος· ὡς ἂν μηδὲν ἀθεώρητον, μηδ' ὑδα 36.645 ρὲς ὁ λόγος ἡμῖν ἂν ἔχῃ, μηδ' εὐδιάλυτον, ἀλλ' ὅλος συνεστὼς ᾖ, καὶ στεῤῥὸς, καὶ τῷ καθ αρτικῷ πυρὶ δεδοκιμασμένος, καὶ παντὸς ὑλώδους ἐλεύθερος, καὶ ἀπέριττος, καὶ τοῖς καλοῖς ἄνθραξι βοηθώμεθα, τὸ διανοητικὸν ἡμῶν ἀνάπτουσι καὶ καθ αίρουσι, παρὰ τοῦ πῦρ ἐλθόντος βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὸ τῶν μοχθηρῶν ἕξεων ἀναλωτικὸν, καὶ τὴν ἄναψιν ἐπισπεύδοντος. Ὅσον μὲν οὖν σαρκῶδες τοῦ λόγου καὶ τρόφιμον, μετὰ τῶν ἐντοσθίων καὶ τῶν κρυφίων τοῦ νοῦ βρωθήσεται καὶ ἀναλωθήσεται, καὶ εἰς πέψιν πνευματικὴν ἀναδοθήσεται, ἄχρι κεφαλῆς καὶ ποδῶν, τῶν τε πρώτων περὶ θεότητος θεωρημά των, καὶ τῶν τελευταίων τῆς σαρκώσεως φρον τισμάτων. Οὐκ ἐξοίσομεν δὲ οὐδὲν, οὐδὲ εἰς τὸ πρωὶ καταλείψομεν· ὅτι μηδὲ ἐκφορὰ τοῖς ἔξω τὰ πολλὰ τῶν ἡμετέρων μυστηρίων, μηδὲ ὑπὲρ τὴν νύκτα ταύτην ἔστι τις κάθαρσις, καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀναβολῆς οὐκ ἐπαινετὸν τοῖς τοῦ Λόγου μεταλαμβάνουσιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὴν ὀργὴν μὴ διημερεύειν, ἀλλὰ προκα ταλύειν ἡλίου καλὸν, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ φίλον, χρονικῶς τε καὶ ἀναγωγικῶς (ἐπιδύεσθαι γὰρ ὀργιζομένοις ἡμῖν οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς τὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἥλιον)· οὕτω τὴν τοιαύτην βρῶσιν μὴ διανυκτερεύειν, μηδὲ εἰς τὴν ἑξῆς ἀποτίθεσθαι. Ὅσον δὲ ὀστῶδες καὶ ἄβρωτον, καὶ ἡμῖν δυσθεώρητον, οὐδὲ συντριβήσεται, κακῶς διαιρούμενον καὶ νοούμενον (ἐῶ γὰρ λέγειν, ὅτι μηδὲ, κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν, τοῦ Ἰησοῦ συν ετρίβη, καί τοί γε τοῦ θανάτου τοῖς σταυρωταῖς ἐπι σπευδομένου, διὰ τὸ Σάββατον)· οὐδὲ ἀποῤῥι φήσεται καὶ περισυρήσεται· ἵνα μὴ δοθῇ τὰ ἅγια τοῖς κυσὶ καὶ κακοῖς τοῦ Λόγου σπαράκταις, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ τοῖς χοίροις τὸ λαμπρὸν τοῦ Λόγου καὶ μαργαρῶδες· ἀλλὰ πυρὶ καταναλωθήσεται, τῷ καὶ τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα, τὰ πάντα ἐρευνῶντι καὶ εἰ δότι Πνεύματι λεπτυνόμενα καὶ σωζόμενα, οὐκ ἀπολλύμενα καθ' ὑδάτων, οὐδὲ σπειρόμενα· ὥσπερ ἡ κε φαλὴ τοῦ μόσχου παρὰ Μωϋσέως, ἡ σχεδιασθεῖσα τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν τῆς σκληρότητος.

ΙΖʹ. Ἄξιον δὲ μηδὲ τὸν τῆς βρώσεως τρόπον πα ραδραμεῖν, ὅτι μηδὲ ὁ νόμος, ἄχρι καὶ τούτου, τὴν θεωρίαν φιλοπονῶν ἐν τῷ γράμματι. Ἀναλώσομεν γὰρ τὸ θῦμα κατὰ σπουδὴν, καὶ ἄζυμα ἐπὶ πικρίδων συνεσθίοντες, καὶ τὰς ὀσφύας περιεζω σμένοι, καὶ τὰ ὑποδήματα περικείμενοι, καὶ πρεσβυ τικῶς βακτηρεύοντες. Κατὰ σπουδὴν μὲν, ἵνα μὴ πάθωμεν ὅπερ ὁ Λὼτ ἐκεῖνος ἀπηγόρευται παρὰ τῆς 36.648 ἐντολῆς· μὴ περιβλεψώμεθα, μὴ στῶμεν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ περιχώρῳ· εἰς τὸ ὅρος ἀποσωθῶμεν, μὴ συμπαραληφθῶμεν τῷ Σοδομιτικῷ καὶ ξένῳ πυρὶ, μηδ' εἰς στήλην ἀλὸς παγῶμεν, ἐκ τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον ἐπιστροφῆς, ὅπερ ἐργάζεται μέλλησις. Ἐπὶ δὲ πι κρίδων, διὰ τὸ πικρὸν τοῦ κατὰ Θεὸν βίου, καὶ πρόσαντες, τοῖς ἀρχομένοις μάλιστα, καὶ ἡδονῶν ὑψηλότερον. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ χρηστὸς ὁ νέος ζυγὸς, καὶ τὸ φορτίον ἐλαφρὸν, ὥσπερ ἀκούεις· ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἐλπί δα τοῦτο καὶ τὴν ἀντίδοσιν, πολλῷ τῆς ἐνταῦθα κακοπαθείας οὖσαν δαψιλεστέραν· ἐπεὶ ἄλλως γε, τίς οὐκ ἂν εἴποι, πολὺ τῶν νομικῶν διατάξεων τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον ἐργωδέστερον εἶναι καὶ μοχθηρότερον; Τοῦ γὰρ