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how great is the darkness? When the pilot is drunk and imitates the disorder of the waves and the winds, how will the ship be saved? 2. What then can make the soul light? A wonderful life, to gape at none of the things here, nor to bind to its feet things that are carried down and carry things down. For of bodies, some are accustomed to be carried downward, such as stones, and wood, and all such things; but others upward, such as fire, and wind, and the nature of light feathers. If then you bind something that is carried downward to what is light, there is no benefit from the feathers, nor from the wind, the weight exceeding due measure, and conquering and prevailing. Thus also if someone has weighted feet, either from a wicked humor flowing in, or some other disease, there is no benefit to him from the rest of the body being light. If this is so for bodies, much more so for the heart. Let us not then make it heavy, so that it may not be sunk like ships that have much sand. For this is in our power. For it is not such by nature, but 55.48 by nature it has become light and borne upward, but we make it unnaturally heavy; for which reason the Prophet also complains; for if it were natural, he would not have complained. Just as, then, walking is natural to us, but if we weigh down our knees, the thing becomes unnatural, as we are fettered; so also it is accustomed to happen with the feet of the mind, I mean, the thoughts. Why do you love vanity, and seek after falsehood? Here he seems to me to speak both of idols, and of a life in wickedness. For that which is empty is called vain, when there is a name, but not a reality. Thus among the Greeks there are many names of gods, but nowhere realities; and similarly in other things: a name of wealth, but nowhere a reality; and a name of glory, but nowhere a reality; a name of power, and the name remains bare. Who then is so foolish, as to seek names void of realities, and to pursue empty things, which one ought to flee? Or are not the pleasures of life, and its successes, also such? does not everything lie and deceive? Whether you say glory, or wealth, or power, all is vanity. Therefore also Ecclesiastes said: Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. For these things indeed the Prophet is pained, seeing so much unreasonableness in life. For just as if someone, seeing a person fleeing light, but pursuing darkness, should say: Why do you do this unreasonable thing? so also he: Why do you love vanity, and seek after falsehood? And know that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful. Another interpreter says, But know that he has made wonderful. Have you seen the wisdom of the Prophet? From where does he lead them to the knowledge of God? From a certain very clear part and a more familiar way, setting himself forth in the midst. I am a servant, he says, of the true God; from me therefore learn his power, his strength, his care. For this is not a small main point leading to the knowledge of God. For the Prophet makes this manifest also from created things, when he discourses about His providence, being carried to the sun, and the heaven, and the earth, and the air, and from the good order in visible things proclaiming the Creator; but he also moves the argument from His servants, and from the things that happen from Him; which indeed also happened in the case of Abraham. For they said to him, We know, he says, that you have come to us as a king from God. How do you know? From the victory, from the trophies, from the wars. This also happened in the case of the Jews. For the wonders done on their behalf cast the whole earth into fear; which also the harlot of Jericho then said, that Your fear and dread have fallen upon us. One way, then, is through created things; another and clearer way is through His servants; and this teaching God has sown from above in every generation. At least He instructed the Egyptians from Abraham, the Persians from

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τὸ σκότος πόσον; Ὅταν ὁ κυβερνήτης μεθύῃ καὶ τῶν κυμάτων καὶ τῶν πνευμάτων τὸ ἄτακτον μιμῆται, πῶς σωθήσεται ἡ ναῦς; ʹ. Τί οὖν δύναται κούφην τὴν ψυχὴν ποιεῖν; Βίος θαυμαστὸς, τὸ πρὸς μηδὲν τῶν ἐνταῦθα κεχηνέναι, μηδὲ τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτοῦ προσδεσμεῖν τὰ κάτω φερόμενά τε καὶ φέροντα. Τῶν γὰρ σωμάτων τὰ μὲν κάτω φέρεσθαι εἴωθεν, οἷον λίθοι, καὶ ξύλα, καὶ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα· τὰ δὲ ἄνω, οἷον πῦρ, καὶ πνεῦμα, καὶ πτερῶν φύσις κούφων. Ἂν οὖν τι τῶν κάτω φερόντων τῷ κούφῳ προσδήσῃς, οὐδὲν τῶν πτερῶν ὄφελος, οὐδὲ τοῦ πνεύματος, τοῦ βάρους ὑπερβαίνοντος τὴν συμμετρίαν, καὶ νικῶντος καὶ περιγινομένου. Οὕτω καὶ πόδας ἂν ἔχῃ τις βεβαρημένους, ἢ χυμοῦ πονηροῦ ἐπεισρέοντος, ἢ ἑτέρου τινὸς νοσήματος, οὐδὲν ὄφελος αὐτῷ τοῦ λοιποῦ σώματος ὄντος κούφου. Εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ σωμάτων τοῦτο, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ καρδίας. Μὴ τοίνυν ποιῶμεν αὐτὴν βαρεῖαν, ἵνα μὴ κατὰ τὰ πλοῖα τὰ πολλὴν ἔχοντα τὴν ψάμμον καταποντίζηται. Ἐν ἡμῖν γὰρ τοῦτο. Οὐ γὰρ τῇ φύσει τοιαύτη ἐστὶν, ἀλλὰ 55.48 τῇ φύσει γέγονε κούφη καὶ ἀνωφερὴς, ἡμεῖς δὲ αὐτὴν παρὰ φύσιν βαρεῖαν ποιοῦμεν· διὸ καὶ ὁ Προφήτης ἐγκαλεῖ· εἰ δὲ φυσικὸν ἦν, οὐκ ἂν ἐνεκάλεσεν. Ὥσπερ οὖν κατὰ φύσιν ἡμῖν τὸ βαδίζειν, ἂν δὲ βαρῶμεν τὰ γόνατα, παρὰ φύσιν γίνεται τὸ πρᾶγμα, πεπεδημένων ἡμῶν· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ποδῶν τῆς διανοίας, λέγω δὴ τῶν λογισμῶν, συμβαίνειν εἴωθεν. Ἵνα τί ἀγαπᾶτε ματαιότητα, καὶ ζητεῖτε ψεῦδος; Ἐνταῦθα καὶ τὰ εἰδωλικά μοι δοκεῖ λέγειν, καὶ τὸν ἐν πονηρίᾳ βίον. Μάταιον γὰρ ἐκεῖνο λέγεται τὸ κενὸν, ὅταν ὄνομα μὲν ᾖ, πρᾶγμα δὲ μὴ ᾖ. Οὕτω παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ὀνόματα μὲν θεῶν πολλὰ, πράγματα δὲ οὐδαμοῦ· καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὁμοίως· ὄνομα πλούτου, πρᾶγμα δὲ οὐδαμοῦ· καὶ ὄνομα δόξης, πρᾶγμα δὲ οὐδαμοῦ· ὄνομα δυναστείας, καὶ μένει ψιλὸν τὸ ὄνομα. Τίς οὖν οὕτως ἀνόητος, ὡς ὀνόματα ζητεῖν πραγμάτων ἔρημα, καὶ τὰ διάκενα διώκειν, ἃ φεύγειν δεῖ; Ἢ οὐ τοιαῦται καὶ αἱ ἡδοναὶ τοῦ βίου, καὶ αἱ εὐπραγίαι; οὐ πάντα ψεύδεται καὶ ἀπατᾷ; Κἂν δόξαν εἴπῃς, κἂν πλοῦτον, κἂν δυναστείαν, πάντα ματαιότης. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστὴς ἔλεγε· Ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, τὰ πάντα ματαιότης. ∆ιὰ δὴ ταῦτα ὀδυνᾶται ὁ Προφήτης, τοσαύτην ἀλογίαν ὁρῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἂν εἴ τις ἰδών τινα φεύγοντα φῶς, διώκοντα δὲ σκότος, λέγῃ· Ἵνα τί τοῦτο ποιεῖς τὸ παράλογον; οὕτω καὶ αὐτός· Ἵνα τί ἀγαπᾶτε ματαιότητα, καὶ ζητεῖτε ψεῦδος; Καὶ γνῶτε ὅτι ἐθαυμάστωσε Κύριος τὸν ὅσιον αὐτοῦ. Ἕτερος ἑρμηνευτής φησιν, Ἀλλὰ γνῶτε ὅτι ἐθαυμάστωσεν. Εἶδες σοφίαν Προφήτου; Πόθεν αὐτοὺς ἀνάγει πρὸς τὴν θεογνωσίαν; Ἀπὸ σαφεστάτου μέρους τινὸς καὶ τρόπου γνωριμωτέρου, ἑαυτὸν εἰς μέσον παρατιθείς. Ἐγὼ δοῦλός εἰμι, φησὶ, τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀληθοῦς· ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τοίνυν μάθετε αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν, τὴν ἰσχὺν, τὴν κηδεμονίαν. Οὐ μικρὸν γὰρ τοῦτο τὸ κεφάλαιον εἰς θεογνωσίαν ἄγον. Ποιεῖ μὲν γὰρ τοῦτο φανερὸν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν κτισμάτων ὁ Προφήτης, ὅταν περὶ τῆς προνοίας αὐτοῦ διαλέγηται, ἐπὶ τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ τὸν ἀέρα φερόμενος, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐν τοῖς ὁρωμένοις εὐταξίας τὸν ∆ημιουργὸν ἀνακηρύττων· κινεῖ δὲ καὶ τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ λόγον, καὶ τῶν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ συμβαινόντων· ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ γέγονεν. Ἔλεγον γὰρ αὐτῷ, Οἴδαμεν, φησὶν, ὅτι ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῖν ἥκεις βασιλεύς. Πόθεν οἴδατε; Ἀπὸ τῆς νίκης, ἀπὸ τῶν τροπαίων, ἀπὸ τῶν πολέμων. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων συνέβη. Τὰ γὰρ θαύματα τὰ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν γινόμενα, πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν εἰς φόβον ἐνέβαλεν· ὅπερ καὶ ἡ πόρνη τότε ἡ Ἱεριχουντία ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ἐπέπεσεν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ὁ φόβος ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ τρόμος. Μία τοίνυν ὁδὸς ἡ διὰ τῶν κτισμάτων· ἑτέρα καὶ σαφεστέρα ἡ διὰ τῶν δούλων· καὶ ταύτην ἄνωθεν ὁ Θεὸς κατέσπειρε καθ' ἑκάστην γενεὰν τὴν διδασκαλίαν. Τοὺς γοῦν Αἰγυπτίους ἐπαίδευσεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, τοὺς Πέρσας ἀπὸ τοῦ