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of him, before our feet stumble on dark and hostile mountains. While it is day, let us walk becomingly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, which are the thefts of the night. 36.413

38. Let us be cleansed in every member, brothers, let us purify every sense; let nothing in us be imperfect, nor of our first birth, let us leave nothing unenlightened. Let us be enlightened in the eye, so that we may see aright, and not carry within ourselves any idolatrous image from a laborious and curious gaze. For even if we do not worship it with passion, yet we have defiled our soul. If there is a beam in us, if any speck, let us cleanse it away; so that we may be able to see those of others as well. Let us be enlightened in hearing, let us be enlightened in tongue; that we may hear what the Lord God will speak, and that His morning mercy may be heard by us, and that we may be made to hear gladness and joy, resounding in our divine ears; so that we may not be a sharp sword, nor a sharpened razor, nor turn toil and trouble under our tongue, but speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, revering the tongues of fire. Let us be healed in our sense of smell, so that we may not be made effeminate, nor be covered with dust instead of a sweet savor; but that we may smell, spiritually partaking of the ointment poured out for us, and be so made and transformed by it, that we ourselves may be smelled as a sweet-smelling savor. Let us be cleansed in touch, taste, throat, not touching softly, and delighting in smoothnesses, but handling the Word made flesh for us, as is worthy, and in this imitating Thomas; not being tickled by juices and delicacies, which are the brothers of bitterer ticklings, but tasting and knowing that the Lord is good with the better and abiding taste; nor cooling for a moment the bitter and ungrateful channel, which passes on and does not retain what is given, but delighting it with words sweeter than honey.

39. And in addition to what has been said, it is also good, when cleansing the head, as the head is cleansed, the workshop of the senses, to hold fast to Christ the head, from whom the whole body is joined and knit together; and to cast down our sin which rises over us, being overcome by that which is better. It is good also for the shoulder to be sanctified and cleansed, that it may be able to bear the cross of Christ, which is not easily 36.416 borne by everyone. It is good also for the hands to be perfected, and the feet; the hands, that in every place they may be lifted up holy, and take hold of the discipline of Christ, lest the Lord be angry, and that a word may be entrusted through action, as that given in the hand of this prophet; the feet, that they may not be swift to shed blood, nor run to evil; but ready for the Gospel, and for the prize of the high calling, and to receive Christ as he washes and cleanses them. If there is also a cleansing of the belly, which is capable of receiving and giving up the foods of the Word, it is good not to make a god of it through luxury and the food that perishes; but to cleanse it as much as possible, and make it more refined, so that it may receive the Word of the Lord in its midst, and grieve rightly for the stumbling of Israel. I find also the heart and the inward parts, deemed worthy of honor. David persuades me of this, seeking for a clean heart to be created in him, and a right Spirit to be renewed in his inward parts. Signifying by this, I think, the faculty of thought, and its movements, or thoughts.

40. But what of the loins? And what of the kidneys? For let us not pass this over either. Let the cleansing touch these also; let our loins be girded about, and drawn up through continence, as of old for Israel, according to the law, when partaking of the passover. For no one comes out of Egypt cleanly, nor flees the destroyer, without having been disciplined in these things. And let these be changed with a good change, the whole desiring part

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αὐτοῦ, πρὸ τοῦ προσκό ψαι τοὺς πόδας ἡμῶν ἐπ' ὄρη σκοτεινὰ καὶ πολέμια. Ἕως ἡμέρα ἐστὶν, ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ εὐσχημόνως περι πατήσωμεν, μὴ κώμοις καὶ μέθαις, μὴ κοίταις καὶ ἀσελγείαις, ἃ νυκτός ἐστι κλέμματα. 36.413

ΛΗʹ. Πᾶν μέλος καθαρισθῶμεν, ἀδελφοὶ, πᾶσαν ἁγνίσωμεν αἴσθησιν· μηδὲν ἀτελὲς ἡμῖν ἔστω, μηδὲ τῆς πρώτης γενέσεως, μηδὲν ἀφώτιστον καταλείπω μεν. Φωτισθῶμεν τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν, ἵν' ὀρθὰ βλέπω μεν, καὶ μηδὲν εἴδωλον πορνικὸν ἐν ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς φέ ρωμεν ἐκ φιλοπόνου θέας καὶ περιέργου. Κἂν γὰρ τῷ πάθει μὴ προσκυνήσωμεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐμολύνθημεν. Εἴ τις δοκὸς ἐν ἡμῖν, εἰ τι κάρφος, ἀνακαθαίρωμεν· ἵνα καὶ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ὁρᾷν δυνώ μεθα. Φωτισθῶμεν ἀκοὴν, φωτισθῶμεν γλῶσσαν· ἵνα ἀκούσωμεν, τί λαλήσει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἀκουστὸν ἡμῖν γένηται τὸ πρωινὸν ἔλεος, καὶ ἀκουτισθῶμεν ἀγαλλίασιν καὶ εὐφροσύνην, ἀκοαῖς θείαις ἐνηχουμέ νην· ἵνα μὴ ὦμεν μάχαιρα ὀξεῖα, μηδὲ ξυρὸν ἠκονη μένον, μηδὲ ὑπὸ τὴν γλῶσσαν στρέφωμεν κόπον καὶ πόνον, ἀλλὰ λαλῶμεν Θεοῦ σοφίαν ἐν μυστηρίῳ, τὴν ἀποκεκρυμμένην, τὰς πυρίνας γλώσσας αἰδούμενοι. Ἰαθῶμεν ὄσφρησιν, ἵνα μὴ θηλυνώμεθα, μηδὲ ἀντὶ ὀσμῆς ἡδείας κονιορτώμεθα· ἀλλ' ὀσφραινώ μεθα, τοῦ ἐκκενωθέντος δι' ἡμᾶς μύρου πνευ ματικῶς ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι, καὶ τοσοῦτον ἐξ αὐτοῦ ποιούμενοι καὶ μεταποιούμενοι, ὥστε καὶ αὐτῶν ἡμῶν ὀσφραίνεσθαι ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας. Καθαρθῶμεν ἁφὴν, γεῦσιν, λάρυγγα, μὴ μαλακῶς ἐπαφώμενοι, καὶ λειότησι χαίροντες, ἀλλὰ τὸν σαρκωθέντα δι' ἡμᾶς Λόγον ψηλαφῶντες, ὡς ἄξιον, καὶ Θωμᾶν κατὰ τοῦτο μιμούμενοι· μὴ χυμοῖς καὶ ὄψοις γαργαλιζόμενοι, τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς τῶν πικροτέρων γαργα λισμῶν, ἀλλὰ γευόμενοι καὶ γινώσκοντες, ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ Κύριος τὴν κρείττω γεῦσιν καὶ μένουσαν· μηδὲ μικρὰ τὸν πικρὸν καὶ ἀχάριστον ἀγωγὸν ἀνα ψύχοντες, τὸν παραπέμποντα, καὶ οὐ κατέχοντα τὸ διδόμενον, ἀλλὰ τοῖς γλυκυτέροις μέλιτος λόγοις τοῦ τον εὐφραίνοντες.

ΛΘʹ. Καὶ πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἔτι καλὸν, τὴν κεφαλὴν καθαιρομένους, ὡς καθαίρεται κεφαλὴ, τὸ τῶν αἰσθήσεων ἐργαστήριον, κρατεῖν τὴν Χριστοῦ κεφαλὴν, ἐξ ἧς πᾶν τὸ σῶμα συναρμολογεῖται καὶ συμβιβάζεται· καὶ τὴν ὑπεραίρουσαν ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν κάτω βάλλειν, ὑπεραιρομένην τῷ κρείττονι. Κα λὸν καὶ ὦμον ἁγιάζεσθαι καὶ καθαίρεσθαι, ἵνα δυνηθῇ τὸν σταυρὸν αἴρειν Χριστοῦ, μὴ παντὶ ῥᾳδίως 36.416 αἰρόμενον. Καλὸν καὶ τὰς χεῖρας τελειοῦσθαι, καὶ τοὺς πόδας· τὰς μὲν, ὡς ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ ὁσίας αἴρεσθαι, καὶ δράσσεσθαι τῆς Χριστοῦ παιδείας, μή ποτε ὀργισθῇ Κύριος, καὶ πιστεύεσθαι λόγον διὰ τοῦ πρακτικοῦ, ὡς τὸν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ τοῦδε τοῦ προφή του δεδομένον· τοὺς δὲ, μὴ ὀξεῖς εἶναι πρὸς τὸ ἐκχέειν αἷμα, μηδὲ εἰς κακίαν τρέχοντας· ἀλλ' ἑτοί μους εἰς τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, καὶ πρὸς τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως, καὶ Χριστὸν ὑπονίπτοντα καὶ καθαίροντα δέχεσθαι. Εἴ τις ἐστὶ καὶ κοιλίας κάθαρσις, χωρητικῆς καὶ ἀναδοτικῆς τῶν ἐκ τοῦ Λόγου τροφῶν, καλὸν καὶ ταύτην μὴ θεοποιεῖν ἐκ τρυ φῆς καὶ τῆς καταργουμένης βρώσεως· ἀλλὰ καθαί ρειν ὅτι μάλιστα, καὶ ποιεῖν λεπτοτέραν, ὥστε τὸν Λόγον Κυρίου ἐν μέσῃ δέχεσθαι, καὶ ἀλγεῖν καλῶς ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ πταίοντος. Εὑρίσκω καὶ τὴν καρ δίαν καὶ τὰ ἐντὸς, τιμῆς ἀξιούμενα. Πείθει με τοῦτο ∆αβὶδ, καρδίαν καθαρὰν ζητῶν ἐν ἑαυτῷ κτί ζεσθαι, καὶ Πνεῦμα εὐθὲς ἐν τοῖς ἐγκάτοις ἐγκαινί ζεσθαι. Τὸ διανοητικὸν, οἶμαι, τούτῳ δηλῶν, καὶ τὰ τούτου κινήματα, ἢ διανοήματα.

Μʹ. Τί δὲ ἡ ὀσφύς; Τί δὲ οἱ νεφροί; Μηδὲ γὰρ τοῦτο παρέλθωμεν. Ἁπτέσθω καὶ τούτων ἡ κάθαρ σις· ἔστωσαν ἡμῶν αἱ ὀσφύες περιεζωσμέναι, καὶ ἀνεσταλμέναι δι' ἐγκρατείας, ὥσπερ τῷ Ἰσραὴλ πάλαι, κατὰ τὸν νόμον, τοῦ πάσχα μεταλαμβάνοντι. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ καθαρῶς Αἴγυπτον ἐξέρχε ται, οὐδὲ φεύγει τὸν ὀλοθρεύοντα, μὴ ταῦτα παιδα γωγήσας. Οἱ δὲ τὴν καλὴν ἀλλοίωσιν ἀλλοιούσθωσαν, ὅλον τὸ ἐπιθυμητικὸν