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having considered in our mind according to contemplation, having possessed a heart of flesh yielding to the ordinances and commandments of God, let us achieve piety towards God, so that God, bestowing yet more benefits on the hearts of flesh and not of stone, may inscribe on them with his living Spirit a divine writing, through which being helped we may be perfected so as to look upon the truth face to face, having surpassed seeing it as in an image and in part.

1.182Zach. III, 1: And the Lord showed me Jesus the high priest standing

before the face of the angel of the Lord. And the devil was standing at his right hand to oppose him. 1.183 The things which God shows, being great and supernatural, are not perceptible nor human. This being so, God shows to the prophet Jesus the high priest not in a human way, but in a divine way, standing before the face of the angel of the Lord, not so much the son of Jozadak as the one signified through him, the truly great priest, the one who has passed through the heavens, the one consecrated "according to the order of Melchizedek," not according to the power of a carnal commandment appointed for a certain time, but according to an unchangeable priesthood; for it has been said to him: "You are a priest forever." 1.184 Not in a random way, however, was Jesus the high priest shown by the Lord, but standing unshaken and firmly established, similarly to what was said in the Gospel: "Jesus stood and cried out, saying: If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink." For this reason everyone who comes to him drinks, because he stands steadfastly. 1.185 And in addition to seeing him standing, as God showed him before the face of the angel of the Lord, the devil was also seen standing at his right hand to oppose him. And whom should the devil oppose and resist, if not the right-hand things of him who was shown by the Lord, standing before the angel of the great counsel? 1.186 But he also stood at the right hand of Judas, as is said in the one hundred and eighth Psalm: "Set a sinner over him, and let the devil stand at his right hand." 1.187 But see the great difference in the wording; for of him who betrayed the Savior he stands at his right hand, having already seized them, "having given place to the devil." For it is said that "[the devil] put into his heart to betray" the one who had chosen him, the best teacher and also Savior. And after putting it into his heart, he entered into him in order to work the deeds of betrayal in him as he works in the sons of disobedience. For it is written that "after the morsel, Satan entered into him." 1.188 But of the high priest he stands at his right hand in no other way than to oppose him, especially when he attempts to destroy those being helped and instructed by him; does he not stand at the right hand in opposition, when he demands to sift those who are called to faith and the other virtues, according to what was said: "Behold, Satan has demanded to have you, that he might sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you," O Peter, our disciple, "that your faith may not fail"? 1.189 But in addition to not being harmed by the things he opposes, they also receive authority over him, so that they may trample upon all the power of the one who opposes hostilely, suffering no harm at all because they hope in the one who crushes under the feet of the saints the seditious and destructive devil; for it is written: "Everyone who has this hope in God" will remain invulnerable and unshaken, the evil one not touching, not grasping the one who is helped, being protected by the right hand of God. 1.190 See, then, what the hymnist sings to the one who is thus under the hand of God: "You have made the Most High your refuge, no evil shall come near you, and no plague will come near your tent, because he will give his angels charge concerning you"; and a little after: "You will tread on the asp and the basilisk, and you will trample the lion and

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κατὰ θεωρίαν ἐν νῷ λαβόντες καρδίαν σαρκίνην ἐσχηκότες εἴκουσαν τοῖς Θεοῦ δικαιώμασιν καὶ προστάγμασιν, εὐλάβειαν τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν κατορθώσωμεν, ἵν' ἔτι μᾶλλον εὐεργετῶν ὁ Θεὸς τὰς σαρκίνας καὶ οὐ λιθίνας χαράξῃ ἐν αὐταῖς τῷ ζῶντι αὐτοῦ Πνεύματι γραφὴν θείαν, δι' ἧς ὠφελούμενοι τελειωθείημεν ὥστε τῇ ἀληθείᾳ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον προσβαλεῖν, ὑπερβάντας τὸ εἰκονικῶς καὶ ἐκ μέρους αὐτὴν θεωρεῖν.

1.182Zach. III, 1: Καὶ ἔδειξέν μοι Κύριος Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἱερέα τὸν μέγαν ἑστῶτα

πρὸ προσώπου ἀγγέλου Κυρίου. Καὶ ὁ διάβολος εἱστήκει ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ ἀντικεῖσθαι αὐτῷ. 1.183 Ἃ δείκνυσιν Θεὸς μεγάλα καὶ ὑπερφυῆ τυγχάνοντα, οὐκ αἰσθητὰ οὐδ' ἀνθρώπινά ἐστιν. Τούτου οὕτως ἔχοντος, δείκνυσιν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ προφήτῃ τὸν ἱερέα τὸν μέγαν Ἰησοῦν οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνως, ἀλλὰ θείως ἑστηκότα πρὸ προσώπου ἀγγέλου Κυρίου, οὐ τοσοῦτον τὸν τοῦ Ἰωσεδὲκ υἱὸν ὅσον τὸν δι' αὐτοῦ δηλούμενον, τὸν ἀληθῶς μέγαν ἱερέα, τὸν τοὺς οὐρανοὺς διεληλυθότα, τὸν «κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδὲκ» ἱερώμενον, οὐ κατὰ δύναμιν ἐντολῆς σαρκίνης μέχρι καιροῦ τινος κειμένην, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἀπαράβατον ἱερωσύνην· εἴρηται γὰρ πρὸς αὐτόν· «Σὺ εἶ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.» 1.184 Οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν δὲ ἐδείχθη ὑπὸ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦς ὁ μέγας ἱερεύς, ἀλλ' ἑστὼς ἀκλόνητος καὶ βεβαίως ἱδρύμενος, παραπλησίως τῷ λεχθέντι ἐν Εὐαγγελίῳ· «Ἑστὼς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐκέκραγεν λέγων· Εἴ τις διψᾷ, ἐρχέσθω πρός με καὶ πινέτω.» ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ πᾶς ὁ ἐρχόμενος πρὸς αὐτὸν πίνει, ὅτι ἕστηκεν παραμόνως. 1.185 Πρὸς τῷ δὲ ἑστῶτα αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν, δεικνύντος τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸ προσώπου ἀγγέλου Κυρίου, καὶ ὁ διάβολος ὤφθη ἑστὼς ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ ἀντικεῖσθαι αὐτῷ. Τίσιν δὲ ἔδει ἐναντιοῦσθαι καὶ ἀντικεῖσθαι τὸν διάβολον, ἢ τοῖς δεξιοῖς τοῦ δειχθέντος ὑπὸ Κυρίου, ἑστηκότος ἐπίπροσθεν τοῦ ἀγγέλου τοῦ τῆς μεγάλης βουλῆς; 1.186 Ἔστη δὲ καὶ ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Ἰούδα, ὡς ἐν ἑκατοστῷ ὀγδόῳ Ψαλμῷ λέγεται· «Κατάστησον ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἁμαρτωλόν, καὶ ὁ διάβολος στήτω ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ.» 1.187 Ἀλλ' ὅρα γε διαφορὰν πολλὴν ἐν ταῖς λέξεσιν· τοῦ μὲν γὰρ προδόντος τὸν Σωτῆρα ἐν τοῖς δεξιοῖς ἵσταται προκατειληφότος αὐτά, «τόπον δεδωκότος τῷ διαβόλῳ». Εἴρηται γὰρ ὅτι «ἔβαλεν εἰς τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ προδοῦναι» τὸν ἐκλεξάμενον αὐτὸν ἄριστον διδάσκαλον ἅμα καὶ Σωτῆρα. Καὶ μετὰ τὸ βαλεῖν εἰς τὴν καρδίαν, εἰσελήλυθεν εἰς αὐτὸν ἵν' ἐνεργῇ τὰ τῆς προδοσίας ἐν αὐτῷ ὡς ἐνεργεῖ ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας. Γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι «μετὰ τὸ ψωμίον εἰσῆλθεν εἰς αὐτὸν ὁ Σατανᾶς». 1.188 Τοῦ δὲ μεγάλου ἱερέως οὐκ ἄλλως ἕστηκεν ἐκ δεξιῶν ἢ τῷ ἀντικεῖσθαι αὐτῷ, μάλιστα ὅτε πορθεῖν ἐπιχειρεῖ τοὺς ὠφελουμένους καὶ παιδευομένους ὑπ' αὐτοῦ· ἦ οὐκ ἀντικειμένως ἐκ δεξιῶν ἵσταται, ὅτε ἐξαιτεῖται τοὺς εἰς τὴν πίστιν καὶ λοιπὴν ἀρετὴν κεκλημένους, κατὰ τὸ λεχθέν· «Ἰδοὺ ἐξῃτήσατο ὑμᾶς ὁ Σατανᾶς τοῦ σινιάσαι ὡς τὸν σῖτον, κἀγὼ ἐδεήθην ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν», ὦ Πέτρε μαθητὰ ἡμέτερε, «ἵνα μὴ ἐκλίπῃ ἡ πίστις σου»; 1.189 Πρὸς τῷ μὴ βλαβῆναι δὲ οἷς ἀντίκειται, καὶ ἐξουσίαν κατ' αὐτοῦ λαμβάνουσιν, ἵνα πατῶσιν ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἐχθρικῶς ἀντικειμένου, βλάβην οὐδ' ὅλως ὑφιστάμενοι διὰ τὸ ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ τὸν συντρίβοντα ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἁγίων τὸν στασιώδη καὶ λυμεῶνα διάβολον· γέγραπται γάρ· «Πᾶς ὁ ἔχων τὴν ἐλπίδα ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν» ἄβλητος καὶ ἀκλόνητος μενεῖ, οὐ ψαύοντος, οὐχ ἁπτομένου τοῦ πονηροῦ τοῦ βοηθουμένου ὑπὸ τῆς δεξιᾶς τοῦ Θεοῦ σκεπομένου. 1.190 Ὅρα γοῦν τί κελαδῶν ὁ ὑμνῳδὸς πρὸς τὸν οὕτω ὑπὸ τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ Θεοῦ τυγχάνοντα· «Τὸν ὕψιστον ἔθου καταφυγήν σου, οὐ προσελεύσεται πρὸς σὲ κακά, καὶ μάστιξ οὐκ ἐγγιεῖ τῷ σκηνώματί σου, ὅτι τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ ἐντελεῖται περὶ σοῦ»· καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· «Ἐπ' ἀσπίδα καὶ βασιλίσκον ἐπιβήσει, καὶ καταπατήσεις λέοντα καὶ