to the opposites. 47 Moreover, man loves life, having received a conviction concerning the essence of a rational soul, that it possesses something akin to God. For both are intellectual and invisible and, as the prevailing argument demonstrates, incorporeal. And why did the one who fashioned us implant a desire for piety and fellowship with him, which even in those who are in error preserves some traces of the divine will, if it were not possible and attainable for rational beings to apprehend what is naturally desired? And it is clear that, just as each of our members is naturally suited to maintain an affinity for something, the eyes for visible things and ears for audible things, so the mind for intelligible things and for God who is beyond intelligible things. Why then do we hesitate and doubt to put aside the impeding "perishable body," weighing down the soul, burdening the "mind full of cares," an "earthly tabernacle," to be released from the bonds and to depart from the waves of flesh and blood? So that with Christ Jesus we may rest in the rest proper to blessedness. contemplating the same whole through wholes, the ensouled Word, and being nourished by him and apprehending the most manifold wisdom <ἐν> in him and being formed by the truth-itself and having our mind illuminated in the true and unceasing light of knowledge for the vision of those things which are naturally seen through that light by eyes illuminated by the commandment of the Lord. 48 Long ago we heard the words of Jesus and for a long time now we have been disciples of the gospel, and we all have built a house for ourselves. But where have we built, whether "upon the rock" after digging and deepening, or "upon the sand" "without a foundation," the present contest will show. For a winter is at hand bringing rain and rivers and winds, or as Luke names it, a flood, and when these beat against the house, either it will not be able "to shake it," and for this reason the house will not fall, since it has been founded "upon the rock," Christ, or it will prove the unsoundness of the building as it collapses on the present occasion. May this be far from our buildings; for very great is the fall in denial or, as Luke says, "great is the ruin" of the building without a foundation. Therefore let us pray that we may be likened to "a wise man, who built his house upon the rock." For let the "rain" of the spiritual hosts "of wickedness" "in the heavenly places" come upon such a building, or the "rivers" of the principalities and powers hostile to us, or the harsh "winds" from the world-rulers of this darkness, or the flood of the spirits under the earth, and let them beat themselves against our building "upon the rock"; so that the active forces may suffer more from us than they achieve, with the house not <μόνον> only not falling but not even being shaken at all. And let each of you say, striking the opposing forces: "so I box, not as one beating the air." 49 But since "the sower went out to sow," let us show that our soul has received "his seed." Neither like that "by the wayside," nor like "the rocky places," nor like "the thorns," but like the good soil. That the word of Jesus, therefore, came neither "by the wayside" nor "among the thorns," as far as it is in our power, we shall boast in the Lord. For we have understood what was said; therefore "the evil one" has not snatched away "what was sown in our heart." And that it was not sown "among the thorns," many will bear witness for us, seeing that neither "the care of this age," nor "the deceitfulness of riches," nor the pleasures of life have been able to hinder the word of God in our souls. It remains for men to doubt whether, as far as it is in our power, the word of God came "upon the rocky places" or "upon the good <γῆν>" soil. For tribulation and persecution have arisen because of the word, and a time of great trial is at hand, when the one "sown on the rocky places" is exposed, and those who have not deepened nor received Jesus into the depths of their soul; but he "who understands the word" "bears fruit" and holds fast to the word to the end, "with patience" producing "a hundredfold." For we hear in what manner the scripture, representing those who for a time

τοῖς ἐναντίοις. 47 Ἔτι δὲ καὶ φιλοζωεῖ ἄνθρωπος πεῖσμα λαβὼν περὶ οὐσίας λογικῆς ψυχῆς ὡς ἐχούσης τι συγγενὲς θεῷ. νοερὰ γὰρ ἑκάτερα καὶ ἀόρατα καὶ, ὡς ὁ ἐπικρατῶν ἀποδείκνυσι λόγος, ἀσώματα. τί δὲ καὶ ὁ κατασκευάζων ἡμᾶς ἐνεποίει πόθον τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν εὐσεβείας καὶ κοινωνίας, ὅστις καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐσφαλμένοις ἴχνη τινὰ σῴζει τοῦ θείου βουλήματος, εἴπερ μὴ ἦν δυνατὸν καὶ ἐφικτὸν τὸ φυσικῶς ποθούμενον τοῖς λογικοῖς καταλαβεῖν; καὶ σαφὲς ὅτι, ὥσπερ ἕκαστον μέλος ἡμῶν πρός τι πέφυκεν οἰκειότητα σῴζειν, οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ πρὸς τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ ὦτα πρὸς τὰ ἀκουστὰ, οὕτω νοῦς πρὸς τὰ νοητὰ καὶ τὸν ἐπέκεινα τῶν νοητῶν θεόν. τί τοίνυν ὀκνοῦμεν καὶ διστάζομεν ἀποθέμενοι τὸ ἐμποδίζον «φθαρτὸν σῶμα,» βαρῦνον ψυχὴν, βρῖθον «νοῦν πολυφρόντιδα» «γεῶδες σκῆνος», ἀπολυθῆναι τῶν δεσμῶν καὶ ἀναλῦσαι ἀπὸ τῶν μετὰ σαρκὸς καὶ αἵματος κυμάτων; ἵνα σὺν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τὴν οἰκείαν τῇ μακαριότητι ἀνάπαυσιν ἀναπαυσώμεθα. τὸν αὐτὸν ὅλον δι' ὅλων ἔμψυχον λόγον θεωροῦντες καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τρε φόμενοι καὶ τὴν <ἐν> αὐτῷ ποικιλωτάτην σοφίαν καταλαμβάνοντες καὶ τυπούμενοι ὑπὸ τῆς αὐτοαληθείας καὶ ἐν φωτὶ τῷ ἀληθινῷ καὶ ἀλήκτῳ τῆς γνώσεως τὸν νοῦν καταλαμπόμενοι πρὸς τὴν θέαν τῶν δι' ἐκείνου τοῦ φωτὸς θεωρεῖσθαι πεφυκότων ὑπὸ ὀφθαλμῶν φωτιζο μένων ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ κυρίου ἐντολῆς. 48 Πάλαι ἠκούσαμεν τῶν Ἰησοῦ λόγων καὶ ἤδη πολλῷ χρόνῳ τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ μεμαθητεύμεθα, καὶ πάντες ᾠκοδομήσαμεν ἑαυτοῖς οἰκίαν. ποῦ δὲ ᾠκοδομήσαμεν, πότερον «ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν» σκάψαντες καὶ βαθύναντες ἢ «ἐπὶ τὴν ἄμμον» «χωρὶς θεμελίου,» ὁ παρὼν δείξει ἀγών. ἐνέστηκε γὰρ χειμὼν φέρων βροχὴν καὶ ποτα μοὺς καὶ ἀνέμους ἢ, ὡς ὁ Λουκᾶς ὀνομάζει, πλημμύραν, καὶ ταῦτα προσρήξαντα τῇ οἰκίᾳ ἤτοι οὐκ ἰσχύσει «σαλεῦσαι αὐτὴν,» καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐ πεσεῖται ἡ οἰκία, ἅτε «ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν» τὸν Χριστὸν τεθε μελιωμένη, ἢ ἐλέγξει τὸ σαθρὸν τῆς οἰκοδομῆς διὰ τῆς ἐνεστηκυίας προφάσεως συμπεσουμένης. ὅπερ ἀπείη τῶν ἡμετέρων οἰκοδομημάτων· μεγάλη γὰρ σφόδρα ἡ ἐν ἀρνήσει πτῶσις ἢ, ὡς ὁ Λουκᾶς φησι, «μέγα τὸ ῥῆγμα» τῆς χωρὶς τοῦ θεμελίου οἰκοδομῆς. διόπερ ἡμεῖς εὐχώμεθα, ἵνα ὁμοιωθῶμεν «ἀνδρὶ φρονίμῳ, ὅστις ᾠκοδόμησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν.» ἡκέτω γὰρ ἐπὶ τοιαύτῃ οἰκοδομῇ ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν «ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις» πνευματικῶν «τῆς πονηρίας» «βροχὴ» ἢ «ποταμοὶ» τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμῖν ἀρχῶν καὶ ἐξουσιῶν ἢ οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν κοσμοκρατόρων τοῦ σκότους τούτου «ἄνεμοι» σκληροὶ ἢ πλημμύρα τῶν καταχθονίων πνευμάτων καὶ προσρηγνύτωσαν ἑαυτοὺς τῇ «ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν» ἡμῶν οἰκοδομῇ· ἵνα μὴ <μόνον> πρὸς τὸ μὴ πεσεῖν ἀλλὰ μηδὲ σαλευθῆναι τὴν ἀρχὴν τὴν οἰκίαν πάθωσι μᾶλλον ὑφ' ἡμῶν τὰ ἐνεργοῦντα ἤπερ δράσωσι. καὶ λεγέτω γε ἑκάτερος ὑμῶν πλήσσων τὰ ἀντικείμενα· «οὕτω πυκτεύω ὡς οὐκ ἀέρα δέρων.» 49 Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπεὶ «ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων τοῦ σπείρειν,» δείξω μεν ὅτι ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν ἔλαβε «τὸν σπόρον αὐτοῦ.» οὔθ' ὡς οἱ «παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν» οὔθ' ὡς «τὰ πετρώδη» οὔθ' ὡς «αἱ ἄκανθαι» ἀλλ' ὡς ἡ ἀγαθὴ γῆ. ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὔτε «παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν» οὔτε «ἐπὶ τὰς ἀκάν θας» ἦλθεν ὁ λόγος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, τὸ ὅσον ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐν κυρίῳ καυχησό μεθα. συνήκαμεν γὰρ τῶν λεγομένων· διόπερ «ὁ πονηρὸς» οὐχ ἥρπασε «τὸ ἐσπαρμένον ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ» ἡμῶν. ὅτι δὲ οὐδὲ «ἐπὶ τὰς ἀκάνθας» ἐσπάρη, πολλοὶ ἡμῖν μαρτυρήσουσι θεωροῦντες ὅτι οὔτε «ἡ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου μέριμνα» οὔτε «ἡ τοῦ πλούτου ἀπάτη» οὔτε αἱ τοῦ βίου ἡδοναὶ δεδύνηνται ἐμποδίσαι τῷ ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν λόγῳ τοῦ θεοῦ. λοιπόν ἐστι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀμφιβάλλειν, πότερον «ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη» ἢ «ἐπὶ τὴν καλὴν <γῆν>« ἦλθε τὸ ὅσον ἐφ' ἡμῖν ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος. γέγονε γὰρ θλῖψις καὶ διωγμὸς διὰ τὸν λόγον, καὶ ἐνέστη καιρὸς μεγάλου πειρασμοῦ, ὅτε ὁ μὲν «ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη σπαρεὶς» ἐλέγχεται καὶ οἱ μὴ ἐμβαθύναντες μηδὲ μέχρι τοῦ βάθους τῆς ψυχῆς παραδεξάμενοι τὸν Ἰησοῦν· ὁ δὲ «συνιεὶς τὸν λόγον» «καρπο φορεῖ» καὶ κατέχει τὸν λόγον μέχρι τέλους «ἐν ὑπομονῇ» ποιῶν «ἑκα τονταπλασίονα.» ἀκούομεν γὰρ, τίνα τρόπον ἡ γραφὴ παριστᾶσα τοὺς μὲν ἐν καιρῷ