you cast off disturbance. Since, therefore, the goods of the soul are firm and inalienable, firm is the

peace of the soul. 109 Jn 14, 30-31 And when he says again that a commandment has been given to him, he seems to speak according to a likeness to us, as if to conceive of God in a human way, but not even of a son hearing; for divine things are greater than a voice and these are understood in a natural way according to what is proper to God, with the Father's will, as it were, being called a commandment, with which the Son, being in agreement and concord, accomplishes the economy. For the phrase "I do" is also very fine, so that we may see that his passion was also his own action through which he rather casts down those who attack him, since even when being led in triumph, he triumphed, and when being crucified, he was crucifying, and he brought to shame those who were doing this. Therefore, on account of the love, he says, for the Father

I endure death. 110 Jn 14, 30-31 The ruler of wickedness has power through the wickedness in man, taking as his own the one who is found under wickedness. Upon me, therefore, he will not come in this way, he says, as upon any of the men who lie under sin, but as one willingly surrendering myself and showing to the world the love that I have for the Father, that because the Father wishes the world to be saved, I am doing this. 111 Jn 14, 31 The action seems to be a withdrawal, but it is a willing surrender, because he pursues such a place, in which he will be known by the betrayer and will be betrayed.

112 Jn 15, 6 Whoever therefore separates himself from the Lord for carnal things,

has alienated himself from the vine and becomes dry, no longer receiving the life-giving sap. And such a one will be kept for the eternal judgment just as the dry branches are for the fire. 113 Jn 15, 7 Remaining in me, he says, you will not only have the things of virtue bearing fruit from yourselves, but also the things greater than virtue, I mean, the powers from God, which you will receive through prayer; for the "ask whatever you wish,"

"and it will be done for you," surpasses the power of wonders. 114 Jn 15, 9-10 Just as I, he says, belonging to the Father according to divinity, have been loved by him, and not having arisen from men, so also you, belonging to me according to the flesh, have been loved by me. Therefore, guard the love which you have received. And guard it, if you keep what I have commanded, preserving also in this the imitation and likeness to me; for I, thinking and doing things in harmony with the Father, have kept carefully the love for the Father. And you likewise, by fulfilling in deed the commandments from me, will demonstrate the love for the master. For you do not show love for the Lord in the same way as the Lord shows it for the Father, nor do slaves render the keeping of commandments to a master equally as a son to a father. For it was natural for the Lord to fulfill all things pleasing to the Father, and there was no labor or care or practice in this, but for us, the achievement comes through labor. And he does not keep the Father's counsels in hope of a reward, but we endure the labor and practice the keeping of the commandments for a reward. Therefore, the manner of the Lord's love for the Father is one way, and ours for him is another. 115 Jn 15, 15 He certainly does not mean such a hearing as that of men, just as he does not mean such love or a similar keeping of commandments. For no word brought to the hearing of the ears has been brought from the Father announcing the Father's counsels, but he has called foreknowledge "hearing," not something that comes to him at some time, but is always with him; for wisdom does not advance from ignorance to knowledge, nor is knowledge something other than wisdom, that it should receive it as not knowing it itself, but it is necessary through familiar and human words

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ταραχὴν ἐκδύσης. ἐπειδὴ οὖν βέβαια καὶ ἀναφαίρετα τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγαθά, βέβαιος ἡ

τῆς ψυχῆς εἰρήνη. 109 Jο 14, 30-31 Ἐντολὴν δὲ πάλιν αὐτῷ δεδόσθαι λέγων καθ' ὁμοιότητα ἡμῖν δοκεῖ τὸ λέγειν οἷον ἀνθρωπίνῳ τρόπῳ νοῆσαι θεόν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ υἱὸν ἀκούοντα· μείζονα γὰρ φωνῆς τὰ θεϊκὰ καὶ φυσικῷ τρόπῳ νοεῖται ταῦτα κατὰ τὸ οἰκεῖον θεῷ, τῆς οἱονεὶ βουλῆς τοῦ πατρὸς ἐντολῆς λεγομένης, ᾗ σύμφωνος ὢν καὶ σύνδρομος ὁ υἱὸς ἐπιτελεῖ τὴν οἰκονομίαν· κάλλιστον γὰρ καὶ τὸ ποιῶ, ἵνα ἴδωμεν, ὅτι καὶ τὸ πάθος ἐνεργείας ἦν αὐτοῦ δι' ἧς καθαιρεῖ μᾶλλον τοὺς ἐπιτιθεμένους, ἐπεὶ καὶ θριαμβευόμενος ἐθριάμβευσεν καὶ σταυρούμενος ἐσταύρου καὶ εἰς αἰσχύνην ἐπῆγεν τοὺς τοῦτο ἐργαζομένους. ὥστε διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην, φησίν, τὴν εἰς τὸν πατέρα

ὑπομένω τὸν θάνατον. 110 Jο 14, 30-31 Ἰσχύει ὁ τῆς πονηρίας ἄρχων διὰ τῆς ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ πονηρίας ὡς ἴδιον λαμβάνων τὸν ὑπὸ τῇ πονηρίᾳ εὑρισκόμενον. ἐπ' ἐμὲ τοίνυν οὐχ οὕτως ἥξει, φησίν, ὡς ἐπί τινα ἀνθρώπων τῶν ὑφ' ἁμαρτίαν κειμένων, ἀλλ' ὡς ἑκουσίως ἐμαυτὸν παραδιδόντα καὶ δεικνύντα τῷ κόσμῳ τὴν ἀγάπην, ἣν ἔχω πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, ὅτι βουλομένου πατρὸς σῴζεσθαι κόσμον ἐργάζομαι τοῦτο. 111 Jο 14, 31 ∆οκεῖ μὲν ἀναχώρησις εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἔκδοσις δέ ἐστιν ἑκούσιος, ὅτι τοιοῦτον μεταδιώκει τόπον, ἐν ᾧ γνωσθήσεται ὑπὸ τοῦ προδότου καὶ προδοθήσεται.

112 Jο 15, 6 Ὅστις οὖν ἑαυτὸν χωρίζει τοῦ κυρίου πρὸς σαρκικὰ πράγματα,

ἀπηλλοτρί ωσεν ἑαυτὸν τῆς ἀμπέλου καὶ ξηρὸς καθίσταται τὴν ζωοποιὸν μηκέτι δεχόμενος ἰκμάδα. ὁ δὲ τοιοῦτος εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον φυλαχθήσεται κρίσιν ὥσπερ εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὰ ξηρὰ κλήματα. 113 Jο 15, 7 Μένοντες ἐν ἐμοί, φησίν, οὐ μόνον τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἕξετε καρποφορούμενα ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μείζονα τῆς ἀρετῆς, λέγω δὴ τὰς παρὰ θεοῦ δυνάμεις, ἃς δι' αἰτήσεως λήψεσθε· τὸ γὰρ ὃ ἐὰν θέλητε αἰτήσασθε,

καὶ γενήσεται ὑμῖν τὴν τῶν παραδόξων ὑπερβάλλει δύναμιν. 114 Jο 15, 9-10 Ὥσπερ ἐγώ, φησίν, προσήκων τῷ πατρὶ κατὰ τὴν θεότητα ἠγάπημαι ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀναστάς, οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐμοὶ προσήκοντες κατὰ σάρκα ἠγάπησθε ὑπ' ἐμοῦ. τὴν οὖν ἀγάπην, ἧς ἐτύχετε, φυλάξατε. φυλάξατε δὲ αὐτήν, εἰ τὰ προστεταγμένα ὑπ' ἐμοῦ τηρήσετε σῴζοντες καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τὴν μίμησιν καὶ τὴν ὁμοίωσιν τὴν πρὸς ἐμέ· ἐγώ τε γὰρ σύμφωνα τῷ πατρὶ διανο ούμενος καὶ πράττων ἀκριβῆ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα διεφύλαξα. ὑμεῖς δὲ ὡσαύτως τὰ παρ' ἐμοῦ προστάγματα ἔργῳ πληροῦντες ἐπιδείξετε τὴν πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην ἀγάπην· οὐδὲ γὰρ τὴν ἀγάπην ὁμοίως ὑμεῖς τε πρὸς τὸν κύριον καὶ ὁ κύριος πρὸς τὸν πατέρα δείκνυσιν, οὐδὲ τὴν τήρησιν τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐξ ἴσου δοῦλοί τε πρὸς δεσπότην καὶ υἱὸς πρὸς πατέρα ἀποδίδωσι· τῷ μὲν γὰρ κυρίῳ κατὰ φύσιν ἦν ἅπαντα πληροῦν τὰ ἀρέσκοντα πατρὶ καὶ πόνος οὐδεὶς οὐδὲ ἐπιμέλεια οὐδὲ ἄσκησις περὶ τοῦτο, ἡμῖν δὲ διὰ πόνου τὸ κατόρθωμα. καὶ ὁ μὲν οὐκ ἐλπίδι μισθοῦ τὰ πατρὸς τηρεῖ βουλήματα, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐπὶ μισθῷ τὸν πόνον ὑπομένομεν καὶ τὴν τήρησιν τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐξασκοῦμεν. ἕτερος ἄρα τρόπος τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ κυρίου πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, ἕτερος δὲ ἡμῖν πρὸς αὐτόν. 115 Jο 15, 15 Οὐ τοιαύτην ἀκοὴν δήπουθεν λέγει, οἵαν τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἀγάπην τοιαύτην οὐδὲ ἐντολῶν τήρησιν ὁμοίαν· οὐ γὰρ ῥῆμα εἰς ἀκοὴν ὠτίων φερόμενον ἐκ πατρὸς ἐνήνεκται μηνύον τὰ πατρὸς βουλήματα, ἀλλὰ τὴν πρό γνωσιν εἴρηκεν ἀκοὴν οὐ προσγινομένην αὐτῷ κατά τινα καιρόν, ἀλλὰ συνοῦσαν ἀεί· οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ἀγνοίας εἰς γνῶσιν ἡ σοφία πρόεισιν οὐδὲ ἕτερόν τι παρὰ τὴν σοφίαν ἡ γνῶσίς ἐστιν, ἵνα ὑποδέξηται αὐτὴν ὡς οὐκ αὐτὸ γινώσκουσαν, ἀλλὰ χρὴ διὰ τῶν συνήθων καὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ῥημάτων

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