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having come within the hidden and unseen and dark treasures, so as to behold the wealth in them, and be able to enrich others, comparing spiritual things with spiritual?

7. Who has not yet beheld, as it is worthy to behold, the delightfulness of the Lord, and visited His temple, or rather, having become a temple of the living God and a living dwelling-place of Christ in the spirit? Who has not yet recognized the relationship and distinction between types and truth, and having departed from the one, has attached himself to the other, so that, fleeing the oldness of the letter, he may serve in the newness of the spirit, and purely pass over to grace from the law which is fulfilled spiritually in the abolition of the body?

8. Who has not yet journeyed through all the titles and powers of Christ, both in action and in contemplation, both the higher and first, and those for our sake more humble and last, of God, of the Son, of the Image, of the Word, of Wisdom, of Truth, of Light, of Life, of Power, of Vapor, of Effluence, of Radiance, of the Creator, of the King, of the Head, of the Law, of the Way, of the Door, of the Foundation, of the Rock, of the Pearl, of Peace, of Righteousness, of Sanctification, of Redemption, of Man, of the Servant, of the Shepherd, of the Lamb, of the High Priest, of the Sacrifice, of the Firstborn before creation, the Firstborn from the dead, of the Resurrection; who, hearing these names and realities carelessly, and not yet having fellowship with the Word, nor partaken of Him, according to which He is and is called each of these?

9. Who, not yet having been at leisure, nor having learned to speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, still being an infant, still being fed with milk, still among those not numbered in Israel, nor enrolled in 35.501 God's battle-array, not yet able to bear the cross of Christ as a man, not yet being perhaps even any other of the more honorable members, will then joyfully and eagerly accept to be established as head of the fullness of Christ? Not with me as judge and counselor; but this is the greatest of fears, this the last of dangers for everyone who understands both the magnitude of success, and the ruin of failure.

100. Let another, then, sail in the way of commerce, I said, and cross the broad seas, and be borne along by the winds always and by the waves to gain great things, if it should so happen, and to be in danger, whoever is a most skillful sailor or merchant; but for me, it is more preferable to stay on land, cutting a short and pleasant furrow, greeting from afar gains and the sea, to live as I can with a little and small barley-cake, and to lead a safe and waveless life, rather than to run a long and great risk for great gains.

101. For to a lofty person it is a loss not to attempt greater things, nor to extend his virtue to more people, but to stop at small things, like a great light illuminating a small house, or with the full armor of a youth protecting a child's body; but for a small person it is safety to be loaded with small things, and not, by subjecting himself to things beyond his power, to incur ridicule and add danger as well; just as it is not fitting for anyone to build a tower except him who has the means for its completion, as we have heard.

102. You have my defense for my flight, and perhaps not a moderate one. The things, then, that led me away from you, O friends and brothers, sorrowfully for me and perhaps for you, but necessarily, as at least it then seemed to me, are these; but what brought me back was above all my longing for you, and the perception that you longed for me in return; for nothing is so powerful for love, as affection given in return.

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ἀποκρύφων καὶ ἀοράτων καὶ σκοτεινῶν θησαυρῶν εἴσω γενόμε νος, ὥστε τὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς κατοπτεῦσαι πλοῦτον, καὶ ἄλλους πλουτίζειν δύνασθαι, πνευματικὰ συγκρίνων πνευματικοῖς;

Ζʹ. Τίς μήπω θεωρήσας, ὡς θεωρεῖν ἄξιον, τὴν τερπνότητα Κυρίου, καὶ ἐπισκεψάμενος τὸν ναὸν αὐτοῦ, μᾶλλον δὲ ναὸς γενόμενος Θεοῦ ζῶντος καὶ ζῶν κατοικητήριον Χριστοῦ ἐν πνεύματι; τίς μήπω τύπων καὶ ἀληθείας ἐπιγνοὺς συγγένειαν καὶ διάκρισιν, καὶ τῶν μὲν ἀναχωρήσας, τῇ δὲ προσ θέμενος, ἵνα, τὴν τοῦ γράμματος φυγὼν παλαιότητα, τῇ καινότητι δουλεύσῃ τοῦ πνεύματος, καὶ με ταβῇ καθαρῶς ἐπὶ τὴν χάριν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου πληρου μένου πνευματικῶς ἐν τῇ καταργήσει τοῦ σώμα τος;

Ηʹ. Τίς μήπω διὰ πασῶν ὁδεύσας τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ προσηγοριῶν καὶ δυνάμεων, καὶ ἔργῳ καὶ θεωρίᾳ, τῶν τε ὑψηλοτέρων καὶ πρώτων, καὶ τῶν δι' ἡμᾶς ταπεινοτέρων καὶ τελευταίων, τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ Υἱοῦ, τῆς Εἰκόνος, τοῦ Λόγου, τῆς Σοφίας, τῆς Ἀληθείας, τοῦ Φωτὸς, τῆς Ζωῆς, τῆς ∆υνάμεως, τῆς Ἀτμίδος, τῆς Ἀποῤῥοίας, τοῦ Ἀπαυγάσματος, τοῦ Ποιητοῦ, τοῦ Βασιλέως, τῆς Κεφαλῆς, τοῦ Νόμου, τῆς Ὁδοῦ, τῆς Θύρας, τοῦ Θεμελίου, τῆς Πέτρας, τοῦ Μαργαρίτου, τῆς Εἰρήνης, τῆς ∆ικαιοσύνης, τοῦ Ἁγιασμοῦ, τῆς Ἀπολυτρώσεως, τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου, τοῦ ∆ούλου, τοῦ Ποιμένος, τοῦ Ἀμνοῦ, τοῦ Ἀρχιερέως, τοῦ Θύματος, τοῦ Πρωτοτόκου πρὸ κτί σεως, Πρωτοτόκου ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, τῆς Ἀνα στάσεως· τίς τούτων τῶν ὀνομάτων τε καὶ πραγμά των ἐπακούων εἰκῆ, καὶ μήπω κοινωνήσας τῷ Λόγῳ, μηδὲ μεταλαβὼν αὐτοῦ, καθ' ὃ τούτων ἕκαστόν ἐστί τε καὶ κέκληται;

Θʹ. Τίς, μήπω σχολάσας, μηδὲ μαθὼν λαλεῖν Θεοῦ σοφίαν ἐν μυστηρίῳ τὴν ἀποκεκρυμμένην, ἔτι νήπιος ὢν, ἔτι τρεφόμενος γάλακτι, ἔτι τῶν οὐκ ἀριθ μουμένων ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, οὐδὲ καταλεγομένων εἰς 35.501 Θεοῦ παράταξιν, μήπω τὸν Χριστοῦ σταυρὸν ὡς ἀνὴρ αἴρειν δυνάμενος, μήπω μηδὲ ἄλλοτι μέλος ὢν ἴσως τῶν τιμιωτέρων, ἔπειτα εἰς κεφαλὴν καταστῆναι Χριστοῦ πληρώματος δέξεται χαίρων καὶ προθυμού μενος; Οὐκ ἔμοιγε κριτῇ καὶ συμβούλῳ· ἀλλ' οὗτος ὁ φόβων μέγιστος, οὗτος ὁ κινδύνων ἔσχατος παντὶ τῷ συνιέντι καὶ τοῦ κατορθουμένου τὸ μέγεθος, καὶ τῆς διαμαρτίας τὸν ὄλεθρον.

Ρʹ. Ἄλλος μὲν οὖν πλείτω κατ' ἐμπορίαν, ἔλεγον, καὶ τὰ μακρὰ διαπεραιούσθω πελάγη, καὶ συμ φερέσθω τοῖς ἀνέμοις ἀεὶ καὶ τοῖς κύμασι μεγάλα καὶ κερδήσων, ἂν οὕτω τύχῃ, καὶ κινδυνεύσων, ὅστις πλευστικώτατος ἢ ἐμπορικώτατος· ἐμοὶ δ' οὖν αἱρετώτερον ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνέχοντι, βραχεῖαν αὔλακα τέμνοντι καὶ γλυκεῖαν, πόῤῥωθεν ἀσπαζομένῳ κέρδη καὶ θάλασσαν, ζῇν οὕτως ὅπως ἂν δύνωμαι σὺν ὀλίγῃ καὶ μικρᾷ τῇ μάζῃ, καὶ βίον ἕλκειν ἀσφαλῆ καὶ ἀκύμαντον, ἢ μακρὸν ἀναῤῥιπτεῖν καὶ μέ γαν ἐπὶ μεγάλοις κέρδεσι κίνδυνον.

ΡΑʹ. Ὑψηλῷ μὲν γὰρ ζημία τὸ μὴ ἐγχειρεῖν μείζοσι, μηδὲ εἰς πλείους διατείνειν τὴν ἀρετὴν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ μικρῶν ἵστασθαι, οἷον μεγάλῳ φωτὶ μικρὸν οἶκον αὐγάζοντα, ἢ πανοπλίᾳ νεανικῇ σῶμα παιδικὸν πε ρισκέποντα· μικρῷ δὲ ἀσφάλεια μικρὰ φορτίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ μὴ, τοῖς ὑπὲρ δύναμιν ἑαυτὸν ὑποτιθέντα, γέλωτάτε ὀφλισκάνειν ὁμοῦ, καὶ προστιθέναι τὸν κίνδυνον· ὥσπερ γε καὶ πύργον οἰκοδομεῖν οὐκ ἄλλῳ τινὶ προσῆκεν ἢ ὃς ἔχει τὰ πρὸς ἀπαρτισμὸν, ὡς ἠκούσαμεν.

ΡΒʹ. Ἔχετε τὴν ἀπολογίαν τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς φυγῆς, καὶ ἴσως οὐ μετρίαν. Ἃ μὲν οὖν με ἀφ' ὑμῶν ἀπή γαγεν, ὦ φίλοι καὶ ἀδελφοὶ, λυπηρῶς μὲν ἐμοὶ καὶ ὑμῖν ἴσως, ἀναγκαίως δ' οὖν, ὡς γοῦν ἐμαυτῷ τότε ἐδόκουν, ταῦτά ἐστιν· ἐπανήγαγε δέ με μάλιστα μὲν ὁ πρὸς ὑμᾶς πόθος, καὶ τὸ ἀντιποθούντων αἰσθά νεσθαι· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἰσχυρὸν πρὸς ἀγάπην, ὡς ἀντιδιδομένη διάθεσις.