not only those by nature, but also those by position, and do whatever they command. 20.123 Mary therefore, like treasures, «kept all these things» as one who had knowledge of the events; for she did not listen as to a twelve-year-old child, but as to a mature man «she kept all his sayings». «In stature,» not of the body, in which he advanced not being in our power, but in nature's; but of the soul, which is in our power, which he strengthened who «did away with childish things». 21.125 Concerning the prophetic word preached among the Jews alone, only the kingdom of the Jews is recorded. «The vision,» for it says, «which Isaiah saw concerning Judah and concerning Jerusalem, in the reign of Uzziah and Jotham and Ahaz and Hezekiah»; and I know of no other king recorded in the time of the prophecy, than the king of Judah, and in some prophecies also the king of Israel. But when John was about to preach the mystery of the gospel, not only Herod, king of the Jews, is recorded, nor only 21.126 Tiberius of the Romans; but since the mystery of the gospel had to be preached in the whole world and Tiberius seemed to be king of the whole world, for this reason «in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar» and the things that follow are recorded. And if only those from the Gentiles were to be saved, and salvation was completely shut off from the sons of Israel, «in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar» would have been sufficient. But since those also from Galilee and from Ituraea and Trachonitis and Abilene had to believe, for this reason these kingdoms, that is, tetrarchies, are also recorded. 21.127 Never did «the word of God come» to any of the prophets «in the desert,» except now only for some mystical contemplation. But since «the children of the desolate one» were to be «many more,» that is of the church from the Gentiles, «than of her who has» as «a husband» the law, I mean the synagogue of the Jews, for this reason «the word of God came to John in the desert». For if this were not so, he would be doing it superfluously, «preaching in the desert». 21.128 But the forerunner of Christ was «the voice of one crying in the desert,» to the soul that does not have war; and not only then, but even now first «the burning and shining lamp» comes «preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,» then after him comes «the true light,» about whom the lamp says: «He must increase, but I must decrease». «And he went into all the region around the Jordan». For where ought the baptist to go about but «into the region around the Jordan,» so that if anyone wishes to repent, he might immediately have easy access to the river? And Jordan is interpreted as «descending». For truly descending is the river of God, the true water, the saving water. 21.129 And he preaches «a baptism for the forgiveness of sins». «For the forgiveness of sins» to whom but to the one who sins no more? For to the one still sinning, forgiveness of sins is not given. Then he presents Isaiah voicing this very thing. For what does he say? «A voice of one crying in the desert». He wishes to find the way of the Lord in you, so that he may journey with your souls. And since John was the forerunner of the Word, he is rightly called «voice,» not Word; for the «voice» precedes 21.130 the word; for the «voice» first reaches the ears, then the word which is heard by the voice. For he does not speak of a perceptible «way,» but the one within the heart, which he travels, walking about in the hearts of saints. 22.132 A «ravine» is deep and hollow, every unbeliever, who upon believing in Christ is filled with the fruits of the Spirit, that is, with virtues; 22.133 «mountain» and «hill» brought low is the high-minded people of the Jews. And among the Gentiles these things have happened, but with respect to the people being brought down: «every mountain and hill shall be made low»; for they were once «mountain» and «hill,» but they were brought down and have been humbled. Or thus you will understand, that «mountains» and «hills» are the opposing powers, which through the coming of Christ were humbled, and the «ravines» are the men who have been filled with good works. 22.134 And also «all the things

μόνον τοὺς φύσει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς θέσει, καὶ ποιῶσιν, ὅσα ἐπιτάσσουσι. 20.123 Ἡ οὖν Μαρία ὡς θησαυροὺς «ἐτήρει πάντα» ὡς τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπιστήμων· οὐ γὰρ ὡς δωδεκαετοῦς παιδίου ἤκουεν, ἀλλ' ὡς τελείου «ἐτήρει πάντα τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῦ». «Ἡλικίᾳ» δὲ οὐ τῇ σώματος, ἐν ᾗ προέκοπτεν οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν οὔσῃ, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῇ φύσει· τῇ δὲ ψυχῆς, ἥτις ἐφ' ἡμῖν, ἣν ἐνίσχυεν «ὁ καταργήσας τὰ τοῦ νηπίου». 21.125 Ἐπὶ μὲν τῷ παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις μόνοις κηρυσσομένῳ λόγῳ προφητικῷ ἀναγράφεται βασιλεία μόνον Ἰου δαίων. «Ὅρασις», γάρ φησιν, «ἣν εἶδεν Ἡσαΐας κατὰ τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ κατὰ τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἐν βασι λείᾳ Ὀζίου καὶ Ἰωαθὰμ καὶ Ἀχὰζκαὶ Ἐζεκίου»· καὶ οὐδένα ἄλλον οἶδα βασιλέα ἀναγεγραμμένον ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τῆς προφητείας, ἢ τὸν τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ἐπί τινων δὲ προφητειῶν καὶ τὸν βασιλέα τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Ὅτε δὲ ἤμελλε τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ εὐαγ γελίου ὁ Ἰωάννης κηρύσσειν, ἀνα γέγραπται οὐχὶ Ἰουδαίων μόνος βα σιλεὺς Ἡρώδης οὐδὲ Ῥωμαίων μό 21.126 νος Τιβέριος· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἔδει κηρύσσεσθαι ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου ἐδόκει Τιβέριος εἶναι βασιλεύς, διὰ τοῦτο «ἐν ἔτει πεντεκαιδεκάτῳ τῆς ἡγεμονίας Τιβερίου Καίσαρος» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἀναγέγραπται. Καὶ εἰ μὲν οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν μόνοι ἤμελλον σῴζεσθαι, πάντῃ δὲ ἀπεκέκλειστο ἡ σωτηρία τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ, ἤρκει τό· «ἐν ἔτει πεντεκαιδεκάτῳ τῆς ἡγεμονίας Τιβερίου Καίσαρος». Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἔδει καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰτουραίας καὶ Τραχωνίτιδος καὶ Ἀβι ληνῆς πιστεύειν, διὰ τοῦτο ἀναγρά φονται καὶ αὗται αἱ βασιλεῖαι ἤγουν τετραρχίαι. 21.127 Οὐδέποτε «γέγονε ῥῆμα θεοῦ» ἐπί τινα τῶν προφητῶν «ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ», εἰ μὴ νῦν μόνον διά τινα μυστικὴν θεωρίαν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἤμελλε «πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον» εἶναι, τοῦτ' ἔστι τῆς ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησίας, «ἤπερ τῆς ἐχούσης» ὡς «ἄνδρα» τὸν νόμον, τῆς Ἰουδαίων φημὶ συναγω γῆς, διὰ τοῦτο «ἐγένετο ῥῆμα θεοῦ πρὸς Ἰωάννην ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ». Εἰ γὰρ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, ἐκ περισσοῦ ἐποίει «κηρύσσων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ». 21.128 Ἀλλ' ἦν πρόδρομος Χριστοῦ «ἡ φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ», ψυχῇ τῇ μὴ ἐχούσῃ πόλεμον· καὶ οὐ τότε δὲ μό νον, ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν πρῶτος «ὁ λύχνος ὁ καιόμενος καὶ φαίνων» ἔρχεται «κηρύσσων βάπτισμα μετανοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν», εἶτα μετὰ τοῦτον ἔρχεται «τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν», περὶ οὗ φησιν ὁ λύχνος· «ἐκεῖνον δεῖ αὐξάνειν, ἐμὲ δὲ ἐλαττοῦσθαι». «Καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν περίχω ρον τοῦ Ἰορδάνου». Ποῦ γὰρ ἔδει τὸν βαπτιστὴν περιέρχεσθαι ἢ «εἰς τὴν περίχωρον τοῦ Ἰορδάνου», ἵν' ἐάν τις βούληται μετανοεῖν, εὐθέως εὐπορήσῃ τοῦ ποταμοῦ; Ἑρμηνεύεται δὲ Ἰορδάνης «καταβαίνων». Κα ταβαίνων γάρ ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ ποτα μὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ἀληθινόν, τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ σωτήριον. 21.129 Καὶ κηρύσσει «εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρ τιῶν βάπτισμα». «Εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρ τιῶν» τίνι ἢ τῷ μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνοντι; τῷ γὰρ ἔτι ἁμαρτάνοντι ἄφεσις ἁμαρτιῶν οὐ δίδοται. Εἶτα τὸν Ἡσαΐαν παρίστησι τοῦτο αὐτὸ φωνοῦντα. Τί γὰρ φησίν; «Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ». Βούλεται δὲ τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου εὑρεῖν ἐν ὑμῖν, ἵνα συνοδεύσῃ ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁ Ἰωάννης πρόδρο μος ἦν τοῦ λόγου, εἰκότως «φωνὴ» ὠνόμασται, οὐ λόγος· προλαμβάνει 21.130 γὰρ ἡ «φωνὴ» τὸν λόγον· πρώτη γὰρ ἡ «φωνὴ» φθάνει ἐπὶ τὰς ἀκοάς, εἶτα ὁ ἀκουόμενος ὑπὸ τῆς φωνῆς λόγος. Οὐ γὰρ αἰσθητὴν λέγει «ὁδόν», ἀλλὰ τὴν ἔνδον ἐν καρδίᾳ, ἣν ὁδεύει ἐμπεριπατῶν καρδίαις ἁγίων. 22.132 «Φάραγξ» ἐστὶν βαθεῖα καὶ κοιλὴ πᾶς ἄπιστος, ὃς πιστεύσας εἰς Χρι στὸν πληροῦται τῶν τοῦ πνεύματος καρπῶν, τοῦτ' ἔστι τῶν ἀρετῶν· 22.133 «ὄρος» δὲ καὶ «βουνὸς» ταπεινωθείς ἐστιν ὁ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὑψηλόφρων λαός. Καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ἐθνῶν ταῦτα γεγένηται, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ λαοῦ καθαι ρεθέντος τό· «πᾶν ὄρος καὶ βουνὸς ταπεινωθήσεται»· «ὄρος» γὰρ ἦν ποτε καὶ «βουνός», καθῃρέθησαν δὲ καὶ τεταπείνωνται. Ἢ τοίνυν οὕτω νοήσεις, ὅτι «ὄρη» μὲν καὶ «βουνοὶ» αἱ ἀντι κείμεναι δυνάμεις, αἳ διὰ τῆς Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίας ἐταπεινώθησαν, αἱ δὲ «φάραγγες» οἱ ἄνθρωποι, οἳ πεπλή ρωνται ἐπ' ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς. 22.134 Γεγένηται δὲ καὶ «πάντα τὰ