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First he put on that poor and dead body, for which reason the spirit also cries out concerning him: "He has no form nor glory, and we saw him and he had no form nor beauty, but his form was dishonored and failing beyond the sons of men," "for in the likeness of sinful flesh, without sin, he condemned sin," showing that "those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick." He healed therefore all our bodies of their infirmities, and the particular diseases he cured by the authority of his power, so that it might be fulfilled: "I am the Lord God; I have called you in righteousness, I will take hold of your right hand, and I will strengthen you; I have given you for a covenant of my people, for a light to the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out the fettered from their bonds and from the prison house those who sit in darkness; I am the Lord God, this is my name," "Hear, you deaf, the words of a book, and for those sitting in darkness a light has dawned," "Then the lame man shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be clear." And when the parts of wickedness are removed, "the last enemy to be destroyed is death unto victory. O death, where is your sting?" This was the Passover that Jesus desired to suffer for us; by suffering he freed us from suffering and by death he conquered death and through visible food he supplied his immortal life. This is the saving desire of Jesus, this the most spiritual love, to show the types as types, and to give in their place his sacred body to his disciples: "Take, eat, this is my body; take, drink, this is my blood, the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." 49.2 For this reason he does not so much desire 49.2 to eat as he desires to suffer, that he might free us from the suffering that came through eating. 50.1 And for this reason, setting wood against wood, and nailing his own undefiled hand piously [in place of] the formerly evil hand impiously stretched out, <**> he showed all life truly hanging on him. You indeed, O Israel, were not able to eat, but we have eaten with indestructible spiritual knowledge and having eaten, we do not die. This is for me a plant for eternal salvation, by this I am nourished, with this I feast.

51.2 By its roots I am rooted, by its branches I am extended, by the

dew I am made bright, by its spirit as by a wind delighting I am cultivated. 51.3 Under its shade I have sheltered and having escaped the great heat I have a dewy lodging. 51.4 With its flowers I blossom, in its fruits I completely rejoice, and the fruits kept for me from the beginning I gather without hindrance. 51.5 This is food for me when hungry, and a spring when thirsty, and a covering when naked, whose leaves are also the breath of life, no longer for me fig leaves. 51.6 This is for me, who fears God, a protection, and for one who is shaken, a support, and for one who is competing, a prize, and for one who has conquered, a trophy. 51.7 This for me is the narrow path, this the afflicted way. 51.8 This is the ladder of Jacob and the path of angels, upon whose top the Lord is truly established. 51.9 This is a tree of heavenly height that went up from earth to heaven, an immortal plant establishing itself in the midst of heaven and earth, a foundation of all things, a support of the universe, a prop of the whole inhabited world, a cosmic bond, holding together the varied substance of humanity, nailed together with invisible bolts of the spirit, so that having been joined to the divine it might no longer be loosed. 51.10 Touching the highest peaks of the heavens, and supporting the earth with its feet, and embracing from all sides the great and middle spirit of the air with its unmeasured hands, it was whole in all things and everywhere. 51.11 And having filled all things through itself, it stripped itself in opposition to the aerial powers.

52.2 And for a little while he cries for the cup to pass, that he might show truly that

"he was 'also a man'; but remembering for what he was sent, to fulfill the economy

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πρῶτον ἐκεῖνο τὸ πτωχὸν καὶ νεκρὸν ἐνεδύσατο σῶμα, διὸ καὶ βοᾷ περὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ πνεῦμα· "Οὐκ ἔστιν εἶδος αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ δόξα, καὶ εἴδομεν αὐτὸν καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος οὐδὲ κάλλος, ἀλλὰ τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἄτιμον ἐκλεῖπον παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων", "ἐν γὰρ ὁμοιώματι τῆς σαρκὸς ἁμαρ τίας χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας κατέκρινε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν", δείξας ὅτι "οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλ' οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες". Ἐθεράπευσεν οὖν καὶ πάντα ἡμῶν τὰ σώματα τῶν ἀρρωστημάτων, καὶ τὰ κατὰ μέρος τῶν νοσημάτων ἐξουσίᾳ δυνάμεως ἰάσατο, ἵνα πληρωθῇ· "Ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ Θεός· ἐκάλεσά σε ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, κρατήσω τῆς χειρὸς τῆς δεξιᾶς σου, καὶ ἐνισχύσω σε· ἔδωκά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους μου εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν ἀνοῖξαι ὀφθαλμοὺς τυφλῶν, ἐξαγαγεῖν ἐκ δεσμῶν πεπεδημένους καὶ ἐξ οἴκου φυλακῆς καθη μένους ἐν σκότει· ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ Θεός, τοῦτό μοι ὄνομα", "Ἀκούσατε κωφοὶ λόγους βιβλίου, καὶ τοῖς καθημένοις ἐν σκότει φῶς ἀνέτειλε", "Τότε ἁλεῖ ται χωλὸς ὡς ἔλαφος, καὶ τρανὴ δὲ ἔσται γλῶσσα μογιλάλων". Ἐπειδὰν δὲ κατὰ μέρος τὰ τῆς κακίας αἱρεθῇ, "ἔσχατος ἐχθρὸς καταργεῖται ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος. Ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ κέντρον;" Τοῦτο ἦν τὸ πάσχα ὃ ἐπεθύμησεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὁ Ἰησοῦς παθεῖν· πάθει πάθους ἠλευθέρωσε καὶ θανάτῳ θάνατον ἐνίκησε καὶ διὰ τῆς βλεπομένης τροφῆς τὴν ἀθάνατον αὐτοῦ ζωὴν ἐχορήγησεν. Αὕτη ἡ σωτήριος ἐπιθυμία τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, οὗτος ὁ ἔρως ὁ πνευματικώτατος, δεῖξαι μὲν τοὺς τύπους ὡς τύπους, τὸ δὲ ἱερὸν σῶμα τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ ἀντιδοῦναι· "Λάβετε, φάγετε, τοῦτό ἐστι μου τὸ σῶμα· λάβετε, πίετε, τοῦτό ἐστι μου τὸ αἷμα, ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη, τὸ ὑπὲρ πολλῶν ἐκχυνόμενον εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν". 49.2 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐπιθυμεῖ τοσοῦτον 49.2 φαγεῖν ὅσον ἐπιθυμεῖ παθεῖν, ἵν' ἡμᾶς τοῦ διὰ βρώσεως πάθους ἐλευθερώσῃ. 50.1 Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ξύλον ξύλῳ ἀντιρριζώσας, καὶ τὴν πάλαι πονηρὰν χεῖρα ἀσεβῶς ἐκταθεῖσαν <**> τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἄχραντον εὐσεβῶς προσηλώσας, ὅλην ἔδειξεν ἐν αὐτῷ ἀληθῶς τὴν ζωὴν κρεμαμένην. Σὺ μέν, ὦ Ἰσραήλ, οὐκ ἐδυνήθῃς φαγεῖν, ἡμεῖς δὲ μετὰ γνώσεως ἀκαταλύτου πνευματικῆς ἐφάγομεν καὶ φάγοντες οὐκ ἀποθνῄσκομεν. Τοῦτό μοι φυτὸν εἰς σωτηρίαν αἰώνιον, τούτῳ τρέφο μαι, τούτῳ συνεστιῶμαι.

51.2 Τούτου ταῖς μὲν ῥίζαις ὑπορριζοῦμαι, τοῖς δὲ κλάδοις συνεκτείνομαι, τῇ

δὲ δρόσῳ φαιδρύνομαι, τῷ δὲ πνεύματι ὡς ὑπὸ ἀνέμου ἐντρυφῶν γεωργοῦμαι. 51.3 Τούτου τῇ σκιᾷ ὑπεσκήνωσα καὶ τὸν πολὺν καύσωνα διαφυγὼν ἔνδροσον ἔχω κατάγειον. 51.4 Τούτου τοῖς μὲν ἄνθεσι συνανθῶ, τοῖς δὲ καρποῖς τελείως συνήδομαι, τοὺς δὲ ἐξ ἀρχῆς μοι τετηρημένους καρποὺς ἀκωλύτως τρυγῶ. 51.5 Τοῦτό μοι πεινῶντι τροφή, καὶ διψῶντι πηγή, καὶ σκέπη γεγυμνωμένῳ, οὗ καὶ τὰ φύλλα πνεῦμα ζωῆς, οὐκέτι μοι φύλλα συκῆς. 51.6 Τοῦτό μοι Θεὸν φοβουμένῳ φυλακτήριον, καὶ σαλευομένῳ στήριγμα, καὶ ἀγωνιζομένῳ βραβεῖον, καὶ τρόπαιον νενικηκότι. 51.7 Τοῦτό μοι ἄτραπος ἡ στενή, τοῦτο ἡ τεθλιμμένη ὁδός. 51.8 Τοῦτο κλίμαξ Ἰακὼβ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων πορεία, ἐφ' ἧς ἄκρας ἀληθῶς ἐστήρικται ὁ Κύριος. 51.9 Τοῦτο δένδρον οὐρανόμηκες ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνέβαινεν, ἀθάνατον φυτὸν στηρίξας ἑαυτὸν ἐν μέσῳ οὐρανοῦ τε καὶ γῆς, ἕδρασμα τῶν ὅλων, στήριγμα τοῦ παντός, ἔρεισμα τῆς ὅλης οἰκου μένης, σύμπλεγμα κοσμικόν, τῆς ποικίλης καὶ ἀνθρωπίνης οὐσίας συνεκτικόν, ἀοράτοις γόμφοις τοῦ πνεύματος συνηλω μένον, ἵνα τῷ θείῳ συναρμοσθὲν μηκέτι λυθῇ. 51.10 Ἄκραις μὲν κορυφαῖς τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐπιψαύων, τὴν γῆν δὲ στηρίζων ποσί, τὸ δὲ πολὺ καὶ μέσον πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀέρος πανταχόθεν χερσὶν ἀμετρήτοις περιλαβών, ὅλος ἦν ἐν πᾶσι καὶ πανταχοῦ. 51.11 Γεμίσας δὲ δι' ἑαυτοῦ τὸ πᾶν, πρὸς ἀερίους ἀρχὰς γυμνὸς ἀνταπεδύσατο.

52.2 Καὶ πρὸς ὀλίγον μὲν βοᾷ παρελ θεῖν τὸ ποτήριον, ἵνα δείξῃ ἀληθῶς ὅτι

"καὶ ἄνθρωπος" ἦν· μεμνημένος δὲ δι' ὃ ἀπεστάλη, πληρῶσαι τὴν οἰκονομίαν