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at the beginning of the giving of the law of these, the others, trumpets, and lightnings, and thunders, and darkness, and the whole mountain smoking, and dreadful threats, if even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned, and other such terrors kept them below, and it was a great thing for them, to hear only the voice of God, having thoroughly purified themselves; but Moses both goes up, and enters into the cloud, and receives the law, and receives the tablets; for the many, those of the letter, but for those above the many, those of the spirit.

3. And I hear of Nadab and Abihu, that, for only offering incense with strange fire, they were consumed by a strange fire also, punished for their impiety, and finding the same time and place for their destruction as for their impiety; and not even Aaron their father, who was second to Moses before God, was sufficient for their salvation. I know also of Eli the priest, and a little later, Uzzah, the one required to pay the penalty for the lawlessness of his sons, which they dared against the sacrifices, taking first-fruits from the cauldrons before the time, and this, though he did not approve of their impiety, but had often and many times rebuked them; the other, because, having only touched the ark when it was jolted by the calf, he saved it, but was himself destroyed, God preserving for the ark its reverence.

4. And I know indeed that not even the bodily blemishes of the priests, or of the victims, remain unexamined, but it was customary for the perfect to offer perfect things, a symbol, I think, this, of wholeness of soul; nor that it was lawful for everyone to touch the priestly vestment, or any of the holy vessels; nor that the sacrifices themselves were to be consumed by whom, and when, and where it was not fitting; 35.497 nor to imitate the oil of anointing, nor the incense of the composition; nor for anyone to enter the sanctuary, who was not pure in either soul or body, even to the smallest details; so far was it from being possible to approach the Holy of Holies with confidence, which was accessible to one alone, and only once a year; so far was it from being for everyone to look upon, or to touch, the veil, or the mercy-seat, or the ark, or the cherubim.

5. Knowing these things, then, and that no one is worthy of the great God, and victim, and high priest, who has not first presented himself to God a living, holy sacrifice, nor shown forth his reasonable service as well-pleasing, nor sacrificed to God the sacrifice of praise and a contrite spirit, which sacrifice alone He who gave all things requires from us, how should I have dared to offer to Him the external sacrifice, the antitype of the great mysteries; or how to assume the habit and name of a priest, before consecrating my hands with holy works? before accustoming my eye to look wholesomely upon creation, and for the wonder only of the Creator, but not to the detriment of the Framer? before my ears were sufficiently opened by the instruction of the Lord, and an ear was added to me that was able to hear not dully, but that a golden earring might be bound with a costly sardius, a wise word in an obedient ear? before my mouth, my lips, my tongue, the first be opened and draw in spirit, or be widened and filled with the spirit of mysteries and doctrines being spoken; the second, to speak according to wisdom, be bound with divine perception, and I would add, also be loosed in due season; the third be filled with exultation, and become a plectrum of divine melody, being roused up with glory, being roused up with it early, and laboring until it cleaves to my throat? before my feet were set upon a rock, made perfect like harts', and my steps according to God were directed for me, not being poured out a little or at all? before every member became an instrument of righteousness, and all deadness was put away, swallowed up by life, and having given way to the spirit? 35.500

6. Who has not yet had his heart burned by the pure and fiery oracles of God, in the opening of the Scriptures to him; nor has written them three-fold upon the breadth of his heart, so as to have the mind of Christ; nor of the things for the many

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τούτων ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς νομοθεσίας, τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους σάλπιγγες, καὶ ἀστραπαὶ, καὶ βρονταὶ, καὶ γνόφος, καὶ ὅλον καπνι ζόμενον τὸ ὄρος, καὶ ἀπειλαὶ φρικώδεις, κἂν θηρίον θίγῃ τοῦ ὄρους, λιθοβοληθήσεται, καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα δείματα ἵστη κάτω, καὶ μέγα ἦν αὐτοῖς, μόνης ἀκοῦσαι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φωνῆς, εὖ μάλα ἁγνισαμένοις· Μωσῆς δὲ καὶ ἄνεισι, καὶ τῆς νεφέλης εἴσω χωρεῖ, καὶ νομοθετεῖται, καὶ δέχεται πλάκας· τοῖς μὲν πολ λοῖς τὰς τοῦ γράμματος, τοῖς δὲ ὑπὲρ τοὺς πολλοὺς τὰς τοῦ πνεύματος.

Γʹ. Ἀκούω δὲ Ναδὰβ καὶ Ἀβιοὺδ, ὅτι, ξένῳ πυρὶ θυμιάσαντες μόνον, ξένῳ καὶ ἀνηλώθησαν κο λασθέντες δι' ὧν ἠσέβησαν, καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν εὑρόντες τῆς ἀπωλείας, ὃν καὶ τῆς ἀσεβείας καιρὸν καὶ τόπον· καὶ οὐδὲ Ἀαρὼν ἤρκεσε πρὸς σωτηρίαν αὐτοῖς ὁ πα τὴρ, ὁ Μωσέως παρὰ Θεῷ δεύτερος. Γινώσκω δὲ καὶ Ἡλεὶ τὸν ἱερέα, καὶ μικρὸν ὕστερον Ὀζᾶν, τὸν μὲν ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν παίδων παρανομίας ἀπαιτηθέντα δίκην, ἣν ἐτόλμων κατὰ τῶν θυσιῶν πρὸ καιροῦ τῶν λεβήτων ἀπαρχόμενοι, καὶ ταῦτα οὐκ ἀποδεχό μενον αὐτῶν τὴν ἀσέβειαν, ἀλλὰ πολλὰ πολλάκις ἐπιτιμήσαντα· τὸν δὲ, ὅτι, ψαύσας τῆς κιβωτοῦ μόνον περισπασθείσης ὑπὸ τοῦ μόσχου, τὴν μὲν περιεσώσατο, αὐτὸς δὲ ἀπώλετο, φυλάσσοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ τῇ κιβωτῷ τὸ σεβάσμιον.

∆ʹ. Οἶδα δ' ἔγωγε μηδὲ τοὺς ἐν τοῖς σώμασι μώμους τῶν ἱερέων, ἢ τῶν θυμάτων ἀνεξετάστους μένοντας, ἀλλὰ τελείους τέλεια προσάγειν νενομισμένον, σύμβολον, οἶμαι, τοῦτο τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀρτιότητος· μηδὲ στολῆς τῆς ἱερατικῆς, ἢ σκεύους τινὸς τῶν ἁγίων ψαύειν παντὶ θεμιτὸν ὄν· μηδὲ τὰς θυσίας αὐτὰς, ὑφ' ὧν, καὶ ὅτε, καὶ οὗ μὴ καθῆκον ἦν, 35.497 ἀναλίσκεσθαι· μηδὲ τὸ ἔλαιον ἀπομιμεῖσθαι τῆς χρί σεως, μηδὲ τὸ θυμίαμα τῆς συνθέσεως· μηδὲ εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν εἰσιέναι, ὅστις ἢ ψυχὴν ἢ σῶμα οὐ καθαρὸς, μέχρι καὶ τῶν μικροτάτων· τοσούτου δεῖ εἰς τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων προσφοιτᾷν θαῤῥοῦντα, ὧν ἑνὶ καὶ ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ μόνον ἐπιβατὸν ἦν· τοσούτου δεῖ τὸ καταπέτασμα, ἢ τὸ ἱλαστήριον, ἢ τὴν κιβωτὸν, ἢ τὰ χερουβὶμ, ἢ προσβλέπειν εἶναι παντὸς, ἢ προσάπτεσθαι.

Εʹ. Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδὼς ἐγὼ, καὶ ὅτι μηδεὶς ἄξιος τοῦ μεγάλου καὶ Θεοῦ, καὶ θύματος, καὶ ἀρχιε ρέως, ὅστις μὴ πρότερον ἑαυτὸν παρέστησε τῷ Θεῷ θυσίαν ζῶσαν, ἁγίαν, μηδὲ τὴν λογικὴν λατρείαν εὐάρεστον ἐπεδείξατο, μηδὲ ἔθυσε τῷ Θεῷ θυσίαν αἰνέσεως καὶ πνεῦμα συντετριμμένον, ἣν μόνον ὁ πάντα δοὺς ἀπαιτεῖ παρ' ἡμῶν θυσίαν, πῶς ἔμελλον θαῤῥῆσαι προσφέρειν αὐτῷ τὴν ἔξωθεν, τὴν τῶν μεγάλων μυστηρίων ἀντίτυπον· ἢ πῶς ἱερέως σχῆμα καὶ ὄνομα ὑποδύεσθαι, πρὶν ὁσίοις ἔργοις τελειῶσαι τὰς χεῖρας; πρὶν τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἐθίσαι βλέ πειν ὑγιῶς τὴν κτίσιν, καὶ εἰς θαῦμα μόνον τοῦ κτίσαντος, ἀλλὰ μὴ ζημίαν τοῦ πλάσαντος; πρὶν τῇ παιδείᾳ Κυρίου ἱκανῶς ἀνοιγῆναι τὰ ὦτα, καὶ προστεθῆναί μοι ὠτίον μὴ βαρέως ἀκούειν δυνάμενον, ἀλλὰ ἐνώτιον χρυσοῦν σαρδίῳ πολυτε λεῖ δεθῆναι, λόγον σοφοῦ εἰς οὖς εὐήκοον; πρὶν τὸ στόμα, τὰ χείλη, τὴν γλῶσσαν, τὸ μὲν ἀνοιγῆναι καὶ ἑλκῦσαι πνεῦμα, ἢ πλατυνθῆναι καὶ πληρωθῆναι τῷ πνεύματι λαλουμένων μυστηρίων τε καὶ δογμά των· τὰ δὲ αἰσθήσει θείᾳ, κατὰ τὴν σοφίαν εἰπεῖν, δεθῆναι, προσθείην δ' ἂν ὅτι καὶ ἐν καιρῷ λυθῆναι· τὴν δὲ πλησθῆναι ἀγαλλιάσεως, καὶ θείας μελῳδίας γενέσθαι πλῆκτρον, ἐξεγειρομένην τῇ δόξῃ, συνεξεγειρομένην ὄρθριον, καὶ μέχρι τοῦ κολληθῆναι τῷ λάρυγγι κάμνουσαν; πρὶν ἐπὶ πέτραν στῆναι τοὺς πόδας μου, καταρτισθέντας ὡς ἐλάφων, καὶ κατευ θυνθῆναί μοι τὰ κατὰ Θεὸν διαβήματα, μὴ παρ' ὀλίγον μηδ' ὅλως ἐκχεόμενα; πρὶν ἅπαν μέλος ὅπλον γενέσθαι δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ἀποθέσθαι πᾶσαν νεκρό τητα, καταποθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τῆς ζωῆς, καὶ ὑποχωρήσα σαν τῷ πνεύματι; 35.500

ςʹ. Τίς μήπω τοῖς ἁγνοῖς καὶ πεπυρωμένοις τοῦ Θεοῦ λογίοις καεὶς τὴν καρδίαν ἐν τῷ διανοιγῆναι αὐτῷ τὰς Γραφάς· μηδὲ ἀπογραψάμενος αὐτὰ τρισσῶς ἐπὶ πλάτος τῆς καρδίας, ὥστε νοῦν ἔχειν Χριστοῦ· μηδὲ τῶν τοῖς πολλοῖς