of his indwelling in a human body and soul, I eat the bread of angels, the manna; which having found and marvelled at, I will exclaim in wonder: Man? what is this? and this utterance will become the name for the bread; pray that God might send us provision to satiety; not so as only to taste, but also to be filled with the words of life, and to be strengthened in them. Nevertheless, this is the principal food. But when the Hebrews were eating the manna, they said: Nothing, except our eyes are on the manna. For we remembered that we sat by the fleshpots in Egypt; and we count those wretched, as having sinned then; not seeing that these same sins also occur in us; instead of the spiritual Scripture, we desire the ill-smelling leeks, and the onions that harm the eyes of the soul, and the garlic, sins that fill with a foul odor, we desire to eat, and to be sated with the stench of pleasures. And desiring the dissolute nature of the world and of bodily things, we desire melons, and taking up what does not contribute to the substance of the soul, we wish to partake of cucumbers. And since we do not want the bread from heaven, of which prophets are heralds and righteous men, called clouds because their mind is borne on high; and because, like clouds, they water with intelligible rains, God will send us other things, meat like dust, until it comes out of our nostrils, and until it fills us with sickness and infirmity, as seekers of foul-smelling and tearful sin. For those who enjoy worldly things are sick in soul, for this reason they are also in pestilence and sickness, and in all evils because of their double-mindedness. But may it be for us to fast an acceptable fast, not nourishing the mind of the flesh, nor may we be in a waterless place, deprived of spiritual waters, for doing nothing of those things which sweeten the goodness of the Most High. But that which is done and contemplated according to virtue and wisdom sweetens it. Nor may we test him in our hearts; that is, not superficially, but doubting from the depth of the ruling faculty concerning the divine power; nor may we ask for foods for our souls; I do not mean those according to the image, which are nourished by the breads of life, but those changing into flesh, on account of being attached to material things, desiring not beneficial and healthy foods, but pleasant and sickening ones. But may a table be prepared for us, on which wisdom places her own sacrifices, and mixes her own wine in a bowl. 17.147 Nor may wrath come up upon us, the deceitful spirit of the ruler, which, like a forerunner or a spy from the darkness in which it was hidden, rises into the soul through thought; nor may it be kindled like a fire from the flaming arrows of the enemy. But may the windows of heaven be opened to us, the unfolding intelligible and spiritual virtues .......... evils of hades and death, which do not prevail against those who, according to Peter, have gone up to the gates of the daughter of Zion. And may the hidden man of the heart, according to the image of God, become a table-companion of angels, partaking of the true manna, and food from heaven, but not from the cursed earth, which the sinner eats in sorrows. Let those who hear these things be winged, be lifted up, be no longer in the flesh; let them be in the spirit; For those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But one must proceed to the history. Verse 44. And he turned their rivers into blood, and their rain-waters, so that they might not drink. I know, tropologically, many rivers of Egypt opposed to Christ the true river, whose streams make the Church glad. But all the streams foreign to salvation, which God, when he wishes to convert some, so that having gone out they might drink from the rock, and the rock was Christ, causes to be turned into blood. For when I condemn those of foreign water and mind, God not having shown that it is blood, I no longer drink, so that I might not become a partaker of the blood of a rain-water. These would be they, who say few things, but destructive ones. But according to the

ἀνθρωπίνῳ σώματι καὶ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ ἐνοικήσεως, ἄρτον ἀγγέλων ἐσθίω, τὸ μάννα· ὅπερ εὑρὼν καὶ θαυμάσας, θαυμαστικῶς ἐρῶ· Μάν; τί ἐστι τοῦτο; καὶ γενήσεται τοῦτο τὸ φθέγμα τῷ ἄρτῳ ὄνομα· εὔξασθε ἵνα ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς ἐπισιτισμὸν ἀποστείλῃ εἰς πλησμονήν· οὐχ ὥστε γεύεσθαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πληρωθῆναι τῶν λόγων τῆς ζωῆς, καὶ ἰσχυροποιηθῆναι ἐν αὐτοῖς. Πλὴν ἡ προηγουμένη τροφὴ αὕτη ἐστίν. Ἐσθιόντων δέ ποτε τὸ μάννα Ἑβραῖοι ἔλε γον· Οὐδὲν, πλὴν εἰς τὸ μάννα οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν. Ἐμνήσθημεν γάρ, ὅτι ἐκαθέσθημεν ἐπὶ τῶν λεβή των τῶν κρεῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ· καὶ ἡμεῖς ταλανίζο μεν ἐκείνους, ὡς τότε ἡμαρτηκότας· οὐχ ὁρῶντες, ὅτι καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν ταῦτα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα γίνεται· ἀντὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς Γραφῆς τὰ πράσα τὰ δυσώδη, καὶ τὰ κρόμμυα τὰ βλάπτοντα τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς ψυ χῆς, καὶ τὰ πληροῦντα δυσωδίαν ἁμαρτήματα σκό ροδα ἐπιθυμοῦμεν φαγεῖν, καὶ ἐμφορηθῆναι ἡδονῶν δυσοσμίας. Καὶ τὴν ἔκλυτον τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τῶν σωματικῶν φύσιν ποθοῦντες, πεπόνων ἐπιθυμοῦμεν, καὶ τὸ μὴ ἀναδιδόμενον εἰς τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς οὐσίαν ἀνελόντες, σικύων θέλομεν μεταλαμβάνειν. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ οὐ θέλομεν τὸν ἄρτον, τὸν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, οὗ προφῆται κήρυκες καὶ δίκαιοι, νεφέλαι καλούμενοι διὰ τὸ ὑψοῦ φέρεσθαι αὐτῶν τὸν νοῦν· καὶ διὰ τὸ ἐντέξειν νεφελῶν τοῖς νοητοῖς ὑετοῖς κατάρδειν, ἑτέρους ἐξαποστελεῖ ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς, κρέας ὡσεὶ χοῦν, ἕως οὗ ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τῶν μυκτήρων ἡμῶν, καὶ ἕως πληρώσῃ ἡμᾶς νόσου καὶ μαλακίας, ὡς τὴν δυσώδη καὶ πολύδακρυν ἁμαρτίαν ζητοῦντες. Οἱ γὰρ τῶν κοσμικῶν πραγμάτων ἀπολαύοντες νοσοῦσι τὴν ψυχὴν, διὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἐν χολέρᾳ καὶ νόσῳ εἰσὶ, καὶ πᾶσι κακοῖς διὰ τὴν διψυχίαν αὐτῶν. Ἀλλ' ἡμᾶς γένοιτο νηστεύειν νηστείαν δεκτὴν, τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς μὴ τρέφοντας, μηδὲ γενοίμεθα ἐν ἀνύδρῳ, στερήσει τῶν πνευματικῶν ὑδάτων, διὰ τὸ μηδὲν δρᾷν τῶν γλυκαινόντων τὴν τοῦ Ὑψίστου χρηστότητα. Γλυκαίνει δὲ αὐτὴν τὰ κατ' ἀρετὴν καὶ σοφίαν ἐνεργούμενα καὶ θεωρούμενα. Μηδὲ ἐκπειράσαι αὐτὸν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν· ἤγουν οὐκ ἐξ ἐπιπολῆς, ἀλλ' ἐκ βάθους τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ ἀμφιβάλλοντες περὶ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως· μηδ' αἰτήσαιμεν βρώματα ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν· οὐ ταῖς κατ' εἰκόνα λέγω, αἳ τρέφονται ἐκ τῶν ζωῆς ἄρτων, ἀλλὰ ταῖς εἰς σάρκα μεταβαλλούσαις, διὰ τὸ τοῖς ὑλικοῖς προσπεπονθέναι, ὀρεγομέναις οὐκ ὠφελίμων καὶ ὑγιῶν τροφῶν, ἀλλ' ἡδέων καὶ νοσοποιῶν. Ἀλλ' ἑτοιμασθείη ἡμῖν τράπεζα, ἐφ' ἣν ἡ σοφία τὰ ἑαυτῆς θύματα ἐπιτίθησι, καὶ τὸν ἑαυτῆς οἶνον εἰς κρατῆρα κιρνᾷ. 17.147 Μηδὲ ὀργὴ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ἀναβαίη, τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἐξουσιάζοντος τὸ ἀπατηλὸν, τὸ δίκην προδρόμου ἢ κατασκόπου ἐκ τοῦ σκότου ἐν ᾧ ἐκέκρυπτο, εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν ἀνιὸν διὰ τῆς ἐνθυμήσεως· μηδὲ ὡς πῦρ ἐξαφθείη ἐκ τῶν πεπυρωμένων βελῶν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ. Ἀλλ' οὐρανοῦ θυρίδες ἡμῖν ἀνοιγεῖεν, αἱ τῶν νοητῶν καὶ πνευματικῶν ἐξαπλω ἀρεταὶ .......... κακίαι ᾅδου καὶ θανάτου, αἵτινες οὐ κατισχύουσι τῶν, κατὰ Πέτρον, ἀνελθόντων ἐπὶ πύλας τῆς θυγατέρος Σιών. Καὶ ὁ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ τῆς καρδίας ἄνθρωπος, κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ, ὁμοέστιος ἀγγέλοις γένοιτο, τοῦ ἀληθι- νοῦ μάννα μεταλαμβάνων, καὶ ἀπὸ οὐρανοῦ τροφὴν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπικαταράτου γῆς, ἣν ὁ ἁμαρτάνων ἐν λύπαις ἐσθίει. Οἱ τούτων ἀκούοντες πτερού- σθωσαν, ἐπαιρέσθωσαν, μηκέτι ἔστωσαν ἐν σαρκί· γενέσθωσαν ἐν πνεύματι· Οἱ γὰρ ἐν σαρκὶ ὄντες Θεῷ ἀρέσαι οὐ δύνανται. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν ἱστορίαν ἀνιτέον. Στίχ. μδʹ. Καὶ μετέστρεψεν εἰς αἷμα τοὺς ποτα μοὺς αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰ ὀμβρήματα αὐτῶν, ὅπως μὴ πίωσιν. Οἶδα κατὰ τροπολογίαν πολλοὺς ποταμοὺς Αἰγύπτου ἐναντίους Χριστῷ τῷ ἀληθινῷ ποταμῷ, οὗ τὰ ὁρμήματα τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν εὐφραίνει. Πάντα δὲ τὰ τῆς σωτηρίας ἀλλότρια ῥεύματα, ἃ ὁ Θεὸς, ὅταν βούληταί τινας ἐπιστρέψαι, ἵνα ἐξελθόντες πίωσιν ἀπὸ τῆς πέτρας, ἡ δὲ πέτρα ἦν ὁ Χριστὸς, ποιεῖ στραφῆναι εἰς αἷμα. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐγὼ καταγὼ οὓς ἀλλοτρίου ὕδατος καὶ φρονήματος, τοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ παραστήσαντος, ὅτι αἷμά ἐστιν, οὐκέτι πίνω, ἵνα μὴ μέτοχος γίνωμαι αἵματος ὀμβρήματος. Οἱ δὲ εἶεν ἂν, οἱ βραχέα μὲν λέγοντες, ὀλέθρια δέ. Κατὰ δὲ τὴν