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At any rate, the things of the mystagogy happen not to one shown as a man but as a youth. For in relation to the divine angels the holy man is a youth, especially when he is clothed in the new man, so that what is in the divine Proverbs might be said of him, as follows: "A young man with a holy one, and his way is straight." For how is the way of one who walks with holiness not straight? 1.115 Concerning those who thus have a share of virtue, John, in his epistle, addressing them said: "I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and you have overcome the evil one." Every one, and only he, who is thus young in mind is taught by the angel who goes forth to speak the things indicated next. 1.116 And see if the going forth of the angel is of the same power as that spoken by the choir of the saints: "You went forth for the salvation of your people, to save your anointed ones," and as this: "I came forth from God and am here." For salvation and a divine oracle come to the race of men, which was cast out of paradise for transgressing the divine laws, when the "angel of great counsel" of God goes forth in order to bring in the one who was cast out through obedience and divine instruction, saying: "Today you will be with me in paradise." He who goes forth promises to show great things concerning the spiritual Jerusalem, which the following text, as it stands, signifies. 1.117Zach. II, 8-9: Jerusalem will be inhabited fruitfully because of the multitude of men and cattle in her midst, and I will be to her, says the Lord, a wall of fire round about, and I will be for glory in her midst. 1.118 In the same way that all the trees in paradise bear much fruit, so also the holy city Jerusalem is inhabited fruitfully, having a multitude of men and cattle in her midst; for it is not fitting or possible for anyone to be fruitless in the divine and holy city, since the fruitless tree is cut down and given over to the fire outside. 1.119 Such was he against whom the holy one, crying out, said: "Therefore God will destroy you forever, he will pluck you up and remove you from your dwelling, and your root from the land of the living," while everyone who remains in the house of God says thankfully: "But I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God." For how does he who dwells in the house of God, nourished by the divine light, not bear fruit, by doing what is necessary and thinking the pious doctrines? 1.120 Thus was the man called blessed in the first Psalm a fruitful tree; for it is said of him: "He will be like the tree planted by the streams of waters, which will yield its fruit in its season, and its leaf will not fall off." Similarly to this, the word in Jeremiah says: "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord; and the Lord will be his hope. He will cast his roots toward moisture and will not cease bearing fruit." 1.121 Then, since, through the great goodness of him who populates the holy city Jerusalem, it is inhabited not only by men—and these are they who are moved according to reason in practice and with understanding—but also by simpler ones and those having a lesser understanding, it is reasonably inhabited fruitfully "because of the multitude of men and cattle in her midst." For how are men and cattle not in her midst, concerning whom the psalmist says to God: "You will save men and cattle, O Lord." And men are those who receive eternal salvation from God, each of whom can say: "The word of the Lord came to me, saying." And the cattle being saved are the sheep that hear the voice of Jesus. 1.122 To those who are thus men, acting and thinking with reason and knowledge, the Lord Jesus says: "You call me Lord and Teacher, and you say well, for so I am," since you serve me genuinely, doing what you must and being taught what is good to know. 1.123 With those thus

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Ἀμέλει γοῦν οὐ πρὸς ἄνδρα ἀλλὰ νεανίαν δεικνύμενον τὰ τῆς μυσταγωγίας γίνεται. Ὡς γὰρ πρὸς τοὺς θείους ἀγγέλους ὁ ἅγιος ἀνὴρ νεανίας ἐστίν, μάλιστα ὅταν τὸν νέον ἄνθρωπον ἐνδεδυσμένος ὑπάρχῃ, ὡς λεχθῆναι περὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἐν ταῖς θείαις Παροιμίαις οὕτως ἔχον· «Νεανίσκος μετὰ ὁσίου καὶ εὐθεῖα ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτοῦ.» Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ εὐθεῖα ἡ ὁδὸς τοῦ μετὰ ὁσιότητος πορευομένου; 1.115 Περὶ τῶν οὕτως ἐχόντων τῆς ἀρετῆς μετουσίαν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐν τῇ κατ' αὐτὸν ἐπιστολῇ προσφωνῶν αὐτοῖς ἔφη· «Ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, νεανίσκοι, ὅτι ἰσχυροί ἐστε καὶ νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν.» Πᾶς καὶ μόνος ὁ οὕτω κατὰ τὸν νοῦν νεάζων παιδεύεται ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐκπορευομένου ἀγγέλου λαλῆσαι τὰ ἑξῆς δηλούμενα. 1.116 Καὶ ὅρα εἰ τὸ ἐκπορεύεσθαι τὸν ἄγγελον τῆς αὐτῆς δυνάμεώς ἐστιν τῷ λεχθέντι ὑπὸ τοῦ χοροῦ τῶν ἁγίων· «Ἐξῆλθας εἰς σωτηρίαν τοῦ λαοῦ σου, τοῦ σῶσαι τοὺς χριστούς σου», καὶ τῷ· «Ἐγὼ ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐξῆλθον καὶ ἥκω.» Γίνεται γὰρ σωτηρία καὶ θεῖος χρηματισμὸς τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐκβληθέντι ἐκ τοῦ παραδείσου παραβεβηκότι τοὺς θείους νόμους ὅταν ὁ τῆς «μεγάλης» Θεοῦ «βουλῆς ἄγγελος» ἐξέλθῃ ἵν' εἰσαγάγῃ δι' ὑπακοῆς καὶ θείας παιδεύσεως τὸν ἐκβληθέντα, λέγων· «Σήμερον μετά μου ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ.» Ἐπαγγέλλεται ὁ ἐκπορευόμενος δείξειν μεγάλα περὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς Ἰερουσαλήμ, ἃ σημαίνει ἡ ἑπομένη λέξις οὕτως ἔχουσα. 1.117Zach. II, 8-9: Κατακάρπως κατοικηθήσεται Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἀπὸ πλήθους ἀνθρώπων καὶ κτηνῶν τῶν ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτῇ, φησὶν Κύριος, τεῖχος πυρὸς κυκλόθεν, καὶ εἰς δόξαν ἔσομαι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς. 1.118 Ὅνπερ τρόπον πάντα τὰ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ ξύλα πολλοὺς φέρει κάρπους, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ἁγία πόλις Ἰερουσαλὴμ κατακάρπως κατοικεῖται, πλῆθος ἀνθρώπων καὶ κτηνῶν ἔχουσα ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς· οὐ γὰρ προσῆκον καὶ δυνατὸν ὑπάρχει ἐν τῷ θείῳ καὶ ἁγίῳ ἄστει ἄκαρπόν τινα τυγχάνειν, τοῦ ἀκάρπου ξύλου ἐκκοπτομένου καὶ παραδιδομένου ἔξω πυρί. 1.119 Τοιοῦτος ἦν πρὸς ὃν ὁ ἅγιος βοῶν ἔφη· «∆ιὰ τοῦτο καθελεῖ σε ὁ Θεὸς εἰς τέλος, ἐκτίλαι σε καὶ μεταναστεύσαι σε ἀπὸ σκηνώματος, καὶ τὸ ῥίζωμά σου ἐκ γῆς ζώντων», παντὸς τοῦ μένοντος ἐν τῷ Θεοῦ οἴκῳ εὐχαριστητικῶς λέγοντος· «Ἐγὼ ὡσεὶ ἐλαία κατάκαρπος ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ.» Πῶς γὰρ οὐ καρποφορεῖ τὸ τοῦ θείου φωτὸς θρεπτικὸν ὁ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατοικῶν, ἐν τῷ πράττειν τὰ δέοντα καὶ φρονεῖν τὰ εὐσεβῆ δόγματα; 1.120 Οὕτως ἦν καρποφόρον ξύλον ὁ ἐν πρώτῳ Ψαλμῷ ἀνὴρ μακαριζόμενος· εἴρηται γὰρ περὶ αὐτοῦ· «Ἔσται ὡς τὸ ξύλον τὸ πεφυτευμένον παρὰ τὰς διεξόδους τῶν ὑδάτων, ὃ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ δώσει ἐν καιρῷ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ φύλλον αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀπορρυήσεται.» Ὧι παραπλησίως ἐν Ἰερεμίᾳ ὁ λόγος φησίν· «Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὃς πέποιθεν ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ· καὶ ἔσται Κύριος ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ· ἐπὶ ἰκμάδα βαλεῖ ῥίζας αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ μὴ διαλίπῃ ποιοῦν καρπόν.» 1.121 Εἶτ' ἐπεὶ διὰ πολλὴν ἀγαθότητα τοῦ συνοικίζοντος τὴν ἁγίαν πόλιν τὴν Ἰερουσαλήμ, οὐ μόνον ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων κατοικεῖται, οὗτοι δ' εἰσὶν οἱ κατὰ λόγον κινούμενοι πρακτικῶς καὶ φρονήσει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὸ ἁπλουστέρων καὶ καταδεῆ νόησιν ἐχόντων, εἰκότως κατακάρπως κατοικίζεται «ἀπὸ πλήθους ἀνθρώπων καὶ κτηνῶν ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς». Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς ἄνθρωποι καὶ κτήνη τυγχάνουσιν περὶ ὧν ὁ ὑμνῳδὸς πρὸς τὸν Θεόν φησιν· «Ἀνθρώπους καὶ κτήνη σώσεις, Κύριε.» Ἄνθρωποι δέ εἰσιν οἱ σωτηρίαν αἰώνιον θεόθεν δεχόμενοι, ὧν ἕκαστος δύναται εἰπεῖν· «Ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρός με λέγων.» Κτήνη δὲ σῳζόμενα τὰ τὴν φωνὴν Ἰησοῦ ἀκούοντα πρόβατα. 1.122 Πρὸς τοὺς οὕτως ἀνθρώπους ὑπάρχοντας, σὺν λόγῳ καὶ ἐπιστήμῃ πράττοντας καὶ φρονοῦντας, ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς λέγει· «Φωνεῖτέ με ὁ Κύριος καὶ ὁ διδάσκαλος, καὶ καλῶς λέγετε· εἰμὶ γάρ», ἐπείπερ γνησίως δουλεύετέ μοι, πράττοντες ἃ δεῖ καὶ παιδευόμενοι ἃ καλὸν εἰδέναι. 1.123 Σὺν τοῖς οὕτως