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system. And he drowned the followers of Pharaoh, the godless offspring of the heretics. And he routed Amalek (if you wish to call any of the heretics by this name); he received the law of orthodoxy from God, and shared it with us all. On the mountain he beheld the type of the tabernacle, not that of Moses, but of the coming awesome judgment and state of things. He consecrated the priests, legislating on matters of priesthood. He brought forth water from a rock, making stony hearts drip with tears 46.845. He fed them with heavenly bread, as that one did, setting before all the words of love, by which especially every soul is strengthened, and approaches with confidence the divine and mystical bread, which came forth from the bosom of the Father for our salvation. He gave quails, teaching us the faithful from below to journey to heaven in the remembrance of God, and to imagine the beauties there. And in short, with whatever words of contemplation you may wish to compare the venerable sayings of the Father to those of the ancients, you will not find him lagging behind at all.

For as Jesus the son of Nun parted the Jordan, opening the hands of the rich that were closed to sharing for the purpose of doing good, so he bequeathed to the people the land, not of the earthly promise, but of the heavenly kingdom. Like Samuel he was dedicated to God from infancy, and heard a divine voice. Like the great Elijah, he made an example of the priests of shame, and he brought down not once, but many times, intelligible fire upon the rational sacrifice; and in a fiery chariot of virtues, he was taken up, not an ethereal, but a heavenly charioteer. Like Elisha, he was enriched with a double portion of the grace of the Spirit; and like the prophets, he was often deemed worthy of theophanies. The discourse dares to compare him even to the one who is greater among those born of women, the mediator of the law and of grace. Like the Forerunner he dwelt in the desert; and the word of God came to him, and he was a preacher of repentance, and he taught those who came to him to confess their sins. Like Paul, the chosen vessel, he endured all kinds of temptations, and he did not grow weary of sowing the seeds of repentance, as that one did of faith. And why must we compare him in particular details, when his accomplishments still fill the whole world? When the works are manifest, long speech is superfluous; and the length of the speech turns to the discredit of the virtues, as if they were not sufficient to reveal themselves adequately through works, but needed the help of words. But it is good to add to the discourse, as a most delightful seasoning, the celebrated wonderworking concerning his death. For when this God-bearing man was about to depart to the heavens, he instructed those present that it was not permitted for them to bury his body in costly clothing. And if anyone who loved the father had planned or prepared such a thing, he was in no way to carry out his intention, but that very thing which had been designated for his burial was to be given to the poor. One of those present, and he was one of the eminent, having prepared a costly garment, and having planned to bury the body of the divine elder in it, upon hearing the admonition, was grieved, and he postponed giving the prepared garment to the poor, judging it more devout in his mind to give a worthy price to the needy instead. Who, immediately being struck by an evil demon, reaped the bitterest 46.848 sheaves of his disobedience, tearing at himself before the bed of the holy man, and foaming at the mouth. But the most compassionate man of God says to the one who was suffering: "Since, O man, what irrational thing has been done by you, that has cast you into this danger?" And he, rising at the command, although his mind was darkened by the demon, spoke his hidden thought, and revealed his disobedience.

Whom, after he confessed, the most compassionate elder restored to health, delivering him from his suffering by the laying on of holy hands and by prayer; then also addressing him:

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σύστημα. Καὶ τοὺς Φαραωνίτας ἐπόντισε, τὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν ἄθεα γεννήματα. Καὶ τὸν Ἀμαλὴκ ἐτροπώσατο (εἴ τινα τῶν αἱρετικῶν τούτῳ βούλει καλέσαι τῷ ὀνόματι)· τὸν νόμον ἐκ Θεοῦ τῆς ὀρθοδοξίας ἔλαβε, καὶ ἡμῖν πᾶσι μετέδωκε. Τῆς σκηνῆς ἐν τῷ ὄρει τὸν τύπον ἐθεά σατο, οὐ τῆς ἐπὶ Μωσέως, ἀλλὰ τῆς μελλούσης φρι κτῆς κρίσεώς τε καὶ καταστάσεως. Τοὺς ἱερέας ἐτε λείωσε, τὰ περὶ ἱερωσύνης νομοθετῶν. Ὕδωρ ἐκ πέ τρας ἐπήγασε, τὰς λιθώδεις καρδίας στάζειν δάκρυα 46.845 παρασκευάσας. Ἄρτον ἐψώμισεν ὡς ἐκεῖνος οὐρά νιον, τοὺς τῆς ἀγάπης λόγους πᾶσι προθεὶς, δι' οὗ μάλιστα στηρίζεται πᾶσα ψυχὴ, καὶ τῷ θείῳ καὶ μυστικῷ προσέρχεται ἄρτῳ θαῤῥοῦσα, τῷ ἐκ τῶν κόλπων τοῦ Πατρὸς εἰς σωτηρίαν ἡμῶν παραγενο μένῳ. Ὀρτυγομήτραν ἔδωκεν, κάτωθεν ἡμῖν τοῖς πιστοῖς τῇ περὶ Θεοῦ μνήμῃ οὐρανοπορεῖν ἐκδιδά σκων, καὶ τὰ ἐκεῖ φαντάζεσθαι κάλλη. Καὶ ἁπλῶς οἷς ἂν βούλῃ θεωρίας λόγοις τὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς τοῖς πα λαιοῖς ἐξισοῦν σεμνολογήματα, οὐδ' ὅλως εὑρήσεις καθυστεροῦντα.

Ἐπεὶ καὶ Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναυΐτης Ἰορδάνην ἔσχισε, τὰς ἀποκεκλεισμένας εἰς μετάδοσιν τῶν πλουσίων χεῖρας, πρὸς εὐποιίαν διάρας, καὶ τῷ λαῷ τὴν γῆν, οὐ τῆς κάτω ἐπαγγελίας, ἀλλὰ τῆς οὐρανίου βασι λείας ἐκληροδότησεν. Ὡς Σαμουὴλ ἐκ βρέφους ἀν ετέθη τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ φωνῆς θείας ἤκουσεν. Ὡς ὁ μέγας Ἠλίας, τοὺς τῆς αἰσχύνης παρεδειγμάτισεν ἱερεῖς, καὶ πῦρ νοητὸν ἐπὶ τῇ λογικῇ θυσίᾳ, οὐ μίαν, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις κατήγαγε· καὶ πυρίνῳ τῶν ἀρετῶν ἅρματι, οὐκ αἰθέριος, ἀλλ' οὐράνιος ἁρματηλάτης ἀνήχθη. Ὡς Ἐλισσαῖος, διπλῆν τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν χάριν πεπλούτηκε· καὶ ὡς οἱ προφῆται θεοφανείας πολλά κις ἠξίωται. Τολμᾷ τοῦτον ὁ λόγος καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν ἀνώτερον παραθεῖναι, τὸν μεσί την τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῆς χάριτος. Ὡς πρόδρομος ἐν ἐρήμῳ ηὐλίσθη· καὶ ῥῆμα Θεοῦ γέγονε καὶ πρὸς τοῦ τον, καὶ μετανοίας κήρυξ ἐχρημάτισε, καὶ τὰς ἁμαρ τίας ἐξομολογεῖσθαι τοὺς προσερχομένους ἐδίδαξεν. Ὡς Παῦλος τὸ τῆς ἐκλογῆς σκεῦος, παντοίους ὑπ έμεινε πειρασμοὺς, καὶ τὰ τῆς μετανοίας καταβαλεῖν σπέρματα, ὡς ἐκεῖνος τῆς πίστεως, οὐ κατενάρκησε. Καὶ τί δεῖ τοῖς κατὰ μέρος τοῦτον παραβάλλειν, ἔτι τῶν τούτου κατορθωμάτων πᾶσαν πληρούντων τὴν οἰκουμένην; Φαινομένων δὲ τῶν ἔργων, περιττόν ἐστι μακρολογία· τό τε τοῦ λόγου μῆκος εἰς ἀδοξίαν τῶν ἀρετῶν περιτρέπεται, ὡς οὐχ ἱκανῶν οὐσῶν ἑαυ τὰς ἀρκούντως δι' ἔργων μηνύσαι, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐκ τῶν λόγων ἐπικουρίας δεομένων. Καλὸν δὲ οἷόν τι τερ πνότατον ἥδυσμα, προσθεῖναι τῷ λόγῳ καὶ τὸ περὶ τὴν ἐκείνου τελευτὴν ᾀδόμενον τερατούργημα. Μέλλων γὰρ ὁ θεοφόρος οὗτος ἀνὴρ ἀπαίρειν πρὸς τὰ οὐράνια, τοῖς παροῦσι παρηγγυᾶτο, ὡς οὐκ ἐξὸν αὐτοῖς ἐσθῆτι πολυτελεῖ τὸ τούτου σῶμα ἐνταφιάσαι. Εἰ δὲ καί τις φιλοπάτωρ ὢν τοιοῦτόν τι προνενόηκεν, ἢ παρητοίμασε, μηδαμῶς εἰς ἔργον τὴν βουλὴν ἀγα γεῖν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸ ἐκεῖνο τὸ ὁρισθὲν εἰς τὴν ἐκείνου τα φὴν δοθῆναι πτωχοῖς. Εἷς γοῦν τῶν παρεστώτων, καὶ οὗτος τῶν ἐπιφανῶν, ἐσθῆτα πολυτελῆ προευτρεπί σας, κἀκείνῃ συνθάπτειν τὸ τοῦ θείου πρεσβύτου σῶ μα προβουλευθεὶς, ἀκούσας τῆς ἐπιτιμίας, ἤλγησε, καὶ δοῦναι πτωχοῖς τὸ προετοιμασθὲν ἱμάτιον ὑπερ έθετο, ἄξιον τίμημα δοῦναι μᾶλλον τοῖς δεομένοις κατὰ νοῦν ὁσιώτερον κρίνας. Ὃς αὐτίκα πληγεὶς ὑπὸ δαί μονος πονηροῦ, τῆς ἀνηκοΐας ἐτρύγα τὰ πικρότατα 46.848 δράγματα, ἑαυτὸν πρὸ τῆς κλίνης τοῦ ὁσίου σπαράτ των, καὶ τὸν ἀφρὸν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ἀναβράσσων. Ὁ δὲ συμπαθέστατος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος λέγει τῷ πεπονθότι· Ἐπειδὴ, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, τί σοι παράλογον πέπρακται, καὶ πρὸς τοῦτον τὸν κίνδυνον ἔῤῥιψεν; Ὁ δὲ τῇ κελεύσει διαναστὰς, καίπερ ὑπὸ τοῦ δαίμο νος τὸν νοῦν σκοτωθεὶς, τὸν κεκρυμμένον ἐξεῖπε λο γισμὸν, καὶ τὴν παρακοὴν ἐφανέρωσεν.

Ὃν ἐξομολογησάμενον ὁ συμπαθέστατος γέρων ὑγιῆ ἀποκατ έστησεν, ἐπιθέσει ἁγίων χειρῶν καὶ εὐχῇ τοῦτον ἀπαλλάξας τοῦ πάθους· εἶτα καὶ προσειπών·