22

5.

An Alphabet by the same, a double acrostic, exhorting and guiding the one who has recently withdrawn from the world to ascend to the perfection of life. (55)

Having made Christ your beginning and with fervent faith, thus withdraw from the world. Go, fleeing relatives and friends, for this is beneficial to beginners. Naked of material things, approach the Immaterial One; you will find nothing greater for an alliance. Having cast all cowardice away from you, for you have fled for refuge to a powerful Master. Rather, take up hope without hesitation, for He even cares for the little sparrows. Bear the light yoke of the Lord, for great is the reward of the things to come. A gift saving all us mortals, for indeed we were bought with divine blood; showing us to be gods by the power of the One who calls, for this is the incarnation of the Master, so that you may know by deed the outcomes of deeds; the most wonderful of all things seen! A good gain for you is the cutting off of your own will, it shows you to be a martyr in your conscience. (56) Do the words and commands of your father, for they guide the way without stumbling until death; for this is a great height! God is seen to have done this for your sake. Consider yourself to be lowlier than all, this makes you first in the kingdom, a stranger and poorer, humbler than others; truly great things, if you achieve these. You will be entirely an imitator of the Master, and what is better than this? To mourn each day sets everything right, for this is sweeter than food and drink teaching knowledge of things flowing and standing still; for it first removes you from all the world. Practice silence, which guards these things, for it cuts all sorts of useless roots. Always have the remembrance of death; for this is the cause of humility; By which having been cleansed and illumined in heart O the wonder sought by all you may be counted worthy to see the divine light well, for it is an immaterial arrow from the Immaterial; And Christ is perfect love,

22

Ε'.

Ἀλφάβητος τοῦ αὐτοῦ κατά στοιχεῖον διπλοῦς προτρέπων καί ὁδηγῶν εἰς τελειότητα βίου ἀναδραμεῖν τόν ἄρτι ἀπό τοῦ κόσμου ἀναχωρήσαντα. (55)

Ἀρχήν ποιήσας Χριστόν καί θερμήν πίστιν οὕτως ἀναχώρησον ἀπό τοῦ κόσμου. Βάδιζε φεύγων συγγενεῖς τε καί φίλους, τοῦτο γάρ ὠφέλιμον τοῖς ἀρχαρίοις. Γυμνός πρόσελθε τῶν ὑλῶν τῷ ἀΰλῳ, οὐδέν μεῖζον εὑρήσεις εἰς συμμαχίαν. ∆ειλίαν πᾶσαν ἀπό σοῦ ἀπορρίψας, πρός δυνατόν γάρ προσέφυγες ∆εσπότην. Ἐλπίδα μᾶλλον προσλαβών ἀδιστάκτως, καί γάρ κήδεται τῶν μικρῶν στρουθίων. Ζυγόν βάστασον τόν ἐλαφρόν Κυρίου, πολλή ἡ ἀντίδοσις γάρ τῶν μελλόντων. Ἡμᾶς βροτούς ἅπαντας σῴζοντας δῶρον, καί γάρ ἠγοράσθημεν αἵματι θείῳ˙ θεούς δεικνύντα δυνάμει τοῦ καλοῦντος, τοῦτο γάρ ἡ σάρκωσις ἡ τοῦ ∆εσπότου, ἵν᾿ ἔργῳ γνῷς τῶν ἔργων τάς ἐκβάσεις˙ τό πάντων θαυμαστότερον τῶν ὁρωμένων! Καλόν σοι κέρδος ἐκκοπή θελημάτων, μάρτυρα δεικνύει σε τῇ συνειδήσει. (56) Λόγους πατρός σου καί πρστάγματα πρᾶττε, ὁδηγοῦσι γάρ τήν ὁδόν ἀπροσκόπως μέχρι θανάτου˙ ὕψος γάρ τοῦτο μέγα! Θεός φαίνεται διά σέ τοῦτο πρᾶξας. Νόμιζε εἶναι εὐτελέστερος πάντων, τοῦτο πρῶτόν σε ποιεῖ τῆς βασιλείας, ξένος τε πτωχότερος, ταπεινότερος ἄλλων˙ μεγάλα ὄντως, εἰ ταῦτα κατορθώσῃς. Ὅλος ὑπάρξῃς μιμητής τοῦ ∆εσπότου, τί δέ ὑπάρχει ἀγαθότερον τούτου; Πάντα κατορθοῖ τό πενθεῖν καθ᾿ ἑκάστην, γλυκύ γάρ τοῦτο ὑπέρ βρῶσιν καί πόσιν ῥεόντων καί ἑστώτων διδάσκον γνῶσιν˙ ἀφιστᾷ γάρ πρότερον παντός τοῦ κόσμου. Σιωπήν ἄσκει, τήν φυλάττουσαν ταῦτα, ῥίζας κόπτει γάρ ἀνωφελεῖς παντοίας. Τήν μνήμην ἔχει πάντοτε τοῦ θανάτου˙ αὕτη γάρ πρόξενος ταπεινώσεως πέλει˙ Ὑφ᾿ ὧν καθαρθείς καί αὐγασθείς καρδίαν ὤ τοῦ θαύματος τοῦ ζητουμένου πᾶσι φῶς ἀξιωθῇς ἰδεῖν καλῶς τό θεῖον, βέλος γάρ ἐστιν ἄϋλον ἐξ ἀΰλου˙ Χριστός δέ ἐστιν ἡ τελεία ἀγάπη,