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to flee, hidden in the hollows of the earth? "For where," he says, "shall I go from your spirit, and where shall I flee from your face?" Therefore, of the aforementioned evils there is one deliverance, to enter into the shelter of the rock, into the firmament of faith in Christ, where Moses also was placed when about to see God. And to be hidden in the earth, burying ourselves through baptism, so that having been buried with him, and having died to sin, we might walk in newness of life. For thus we turn away from the fear of the Lord who shatters the earth, earthly things and the man of dust, so that we may have an unhindered life in the spiritual. And thus to attain the resurrection with his strength and glory. And lest you think he advises a bodily withdrawal from God, he shows that God, watching from on high, is not unaware of anything below. But a humble man is nothing in comparison to God, or he who has put away arrogance with a modest mind, or he who has fallen from a height through sin; but now the humbling of the height of men is spoken of in praise, as they lay aside their vain pride and return to their proper worth. For "a man bowed down, and a man was humbled" was said for an evil purpose. For now the discourse is about those who have fled for refuge to the rock and were buried with Christ. For having recognized the lowliness of their nature, they testify that height belongs to God alone. But on that day, he says, as if speaking of something agreed upon, which does not constitute a corporeal light that begins and ends, but is motionless, the same with itself; in which, he says, the Lord alone will be exalted. For every height, and all splendor, even that of the more intelligent powers, vanishes in the excess of divine glory; and everything great, of prophets, and of apostles, and of all in heaven, when he appears, will be humbled. For to us, who are poorer, these things are great and lofty. For in comparison to him, no one is powerful, no one is wise. Compared to him, even Moses is of a weak voice and slow of tongue, and Abraham is earth and ashes. For as a light and a lamp, they are outshone by the light of the steady noonday. But the day of the Lord, he says, is upon every insolent and proud person. For this is the beginning of evils. For with insolence 1888 the devil, having been filled with surfeit, fell away from God, taking others as his associates, saying: "I will set my throne above the stars;" and saying other things, he said: "I will be like the Most High." It was necessary, therefore, that vengeance begin from here. But insolence precedes pride. For he who scorns others makes a prelude to arrogance. For pride means to appear superior. For kindred offenses are punished in a similar way. But the high and lofty man differs from these in his disposition. For being by himself he exalts and lifts himself up, through levity having nothing established. And being ignorant of himself, he is punished. For, he says, arrogance is a sin. But those who are insensibly puffed up, he calls cedars of Lebanon. For they are very lofty, producing useless fruits, not easily growing old, nor decaying. And Lebanon was full of all idolatry; and the cedars signify the destructive powers that dwell in it, the strongholds of wickedness that are raised up against the knowledge of God; about which, David says: "The Lord will break the cedars of Lebanon." They also signify characters that are vainly lifted up without underlying fruits; for it is possible to be lifted up over some advantage, even if wrongly, yet for a reason. And how are these of Lebanon? First, because all pride is demonic; then, because trees on a mountain somehow seem greater because of an external height. Such also are those who are lifted up by things not in our power. But you would also find cedars that are praised. "For the trees of the plain shall be satisfied, the cedars of Lebanon which he planted." And "Fruit-bearing trees and all cedars praise the Lord." For it is shown that nothing is evil by nature. But by himself one is alienated from God, and joined to him. But these same cedars of Lebanon, being cut down (which is idolatry), are taken for the construction of the temple; but remaining in it they are broken. In general, however, both the characters of animals and of plants

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φυγεῖν, ἐν ταῖς κοιλότησι κρυφθέντας τῆς γῆς; "Ποῦ γὰρ, φησὶ, πορευθῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός σου, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου ποῦ φύγω; Τῶν τοίνυν ἠριθμημένων πρόσθε κακῶν μία τίς ἐστιν ἀπαλλαγὴ, τὸ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν σκέπην τῆς πέτρας, εἰς τὸ στερέωμα τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως, ὅπου καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἐτέθη μέλλων ἰδεῖν τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ τὸ, Κρυφθῆναι τῇ γῇ θάπτοντας ἑαυτοὺς διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, ὡς ἂν συνταφέντες αὐτῷ, καὶ τεθνηκότες τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἐν καινότητι ζωῆς περιπατήσωμεν. Οὕτω γὰρ ἐκκλίνομεν ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου Κυρίου θραύοντος τὴν γῆν, τὰ γήϊνα καὶ τὸν χοϊκὸν, ἵνα τὴν ἐν τῷ πνευματικῷ ζωὴν ἀνεμπόδιστον ἔχωμεν. Οὕτω δὲ φθᾶσαι τὴν μετ' ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ καὶ δόξης ἀνάστασιν. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς ἀναχώρησιν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ συμβουλεύειν σωματικὴν, δείκνυσιν ἐξ ὕψους ἀποσκοπεύοντα τὸν Θεὸν οὐδὲν τῶν κάτω λανθάνειν. Ταπεινὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπος οὐδὲν ὢν ἐν παραθέσει Θεοῦ, ἢ ὁ τὴν ἀλαζονείαν ἀποθεὶς μετρίῳ φρονήματι, ἢ ὁ πεσὼν ἐξ ὕψους δι' ἁμαρτίαν· ἐν ἐπαίνῳ δὲ νῦν ἡ τοῦ ὕψους τῶν ἀνθρώπων ταπείνωσις εἴρηται, ἀποτιθεμένου τοῦ ματαίου φρονήματος πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν ἀπανιόντων ἀξίαν. Ἐπὶ κακῷ γὰρ ἐλέγετο τὸ, ἔκυψεν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἐταπεινώθη ἀνήρ. Νῦν γὰρ ὁ λόγος περὶ τῶν ὑποφυγόντων τῇ πέτρᾳ καὶ συνταφέντων Χριστῷ. Τὸ γὰρ ταπεινὸν ἐπιγνόντες τῆς φύσεως, μόνῳ τὸ, ὕψος μαρτυροῦσι Θεῷ, Ἐκείνῃ δὲ, φησὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὥσπερ ὡμολογημένης διαλεγόμενος, ἢ μὴ σωματικὸν φῶς ἄρχον καὶ λῆγον ἀποτελεῖ, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἀκίνητος, ὁμοῖα πρὸς ἑαυτήν· ἐν ᾗ μόνος, φησὶν, ὑψωθήσεται Κύριος Πᾶν γὰρ ὕψος, καὶ πᾶσα λαμπρότης, κἂν αὐτῶν εἴη τῶν νοερωτέρων δυνάμεων, τῇ τῆς θείας ὑπερβολῇ δόξης ἀφανίζεται· πᾶν τε μέγα προφητῶν τε, καὶ ἀποστόλων, καὶ τῶν ἐν οὐρανῷ πάντων, ἐκείνου φανέντος, ταπεινωθήσεται. Πρὸς ἡμᾶς γὰρ τοὺς πτωχοτέρους μεγάλα ταῦτα καὶ ὑψηλά. Πρὸς αὐτὸν γὰρ, οὐδεὶς οὐ δυνατὸς, οὐ σοφός. Πρὸς ὃν καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἰσχνόφωνος καὶ βραδύγλωσσος, καὶ Ἀβραὰμ γῆ καὶ σποδός. Ὡς γὰρ φῶς καὶ λυχνία ὄντα τῷ φωτὶ τῆς σταθερᾶς μεσημβρίας ὑπεραυγάζονται· τὴν ἡμέραν δὲ Κυρίου, φησὶν, ἐπὶ πάντα ὑβριστὴν καὶ ὑπερήφανον. Ἀρχὴ γὰρ αὐτὴ κακῶν. Κόρῳ γὰρ 1888 ἐξυβρίσας ὁ διάβολος ἀπέστη Θεοῦ κοινωνοὺς ἑτέρους λαβὼν, λέγων· "Ἐπάνω τῶν ἄστρων θήσομαι τὸν θρόνον μου·" ἄλλα τε εἰπὼν ἔφη· "Ἔσομαι ὅμοιος τῷ Ὑψίστῳ." Ἐχρῆν τοίνυν ἐντεῦθεν ἄρξασθαι τὴν ἐκδίκησιν. Προηγεῖται δὲ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ἡ ὕβρις. Ὁ γὰρ τοὺς ἄλλους διαπτύων, ἀλαζονείαν προοιμιάζεται. Τὸ ὑπερφαίνεσθαι γὰρ ἡ ὑπερηφάνεια δηλοῖ. Κολάζεται γὰρ ὁμοιοτρόπως τὰ συγγενῆ πλημμελήματα. Τῇ δὲ σχέσει διαφέρει τούτων ὁ ὑψηλὸς καὶ μετέωρος. Καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸν γὰρ ὢν ἑαυτὸν ὑψοῖ καὶ ἐπαίρει, διὰ κουφότητα μηδὲν ἔχων ἐστηριγμένον. Ἑαυτὸν δὲ ἀγνοήσας κολάζεται. Ἁμαρτία γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐστὶν ὁ μετεωρισμός. Τοὺς ἀναισθήτως δὲ φυσιουμένους, κέδρους τοῦ Λιβάνου καλεῖ. Ὑψηλαὶ γὰρ αὐταὶ λίαν ἀχρήστους ποιοῦσαι καρποὺς, οὐ γηρῶσαι ῥᾳδίως, οὔτε κατασηπόμεναι. Πλήρης δὲ πάσης ἦν εἰδωλολατρείας ὁ Λίβανος· καὶ τὰς ἐμφιλοχωρούσας αὐτῷ δυνάμεις ὀλεθρίας αἱ κέδροι σημαίνουσι, τὰ τῆς πονηρίας ὑψώματα τὰ ἐπαιρόμενα κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ· περὶ ὧν, φησὶν ὁ ∆αβίδ· "Συντρίψει Κύριος τὰς κέδρους τοῦ Λιβάνου." Σημαίνουσι δὲ καὶ τὰ ἤθη τὰ διακενῆ ἐπαιρόμεναι χωρὶς ὑποκειμένων καρπῶν· ἔστι γὰρ ἐπί τινι τῶν πλεονεκτημάτων, εἰ καὶ κακῶς, ὅμως δι' αἰτίαν ἐπαίρεσθαι. Καὶ πῶς οὗτοι, Λιβάνου; Πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι δαιμονιῶδες πᾶν ἔπαρμα· ἔπειτα, ὅτι τὰ ἐπ' ὄρους δένδρα, ἀλλοτρίῳ ὕψει μείζονά πως δοκεῖ. Τοιοῦτοι δὲ καὶ οἱ τοῖς μὴ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐπαιρόμενοι. Εὕροις δ' ἂν καὶ κέδρους ἐπαινουμένας. "Χορτασθήσονται γὰρ τὰ ξύλα τοῦ πεδίου, αἱ κέδροι τοῦ Λιβάνου ἃς ἐφύτευσε." Καὶ "Αἰνοῦσι τὸν Κύριον ξύλα καρποφόρα καὶ πᾶσαι κέδροι." ∆είκνυται γὰρ, ὡς οὐδὲν τῇ φύσει κακόν. Παρ' ἑαυτὸν δέ τις ἀλλοτριοῦται Θεοῦ, καὶ συνάπτεται. Αὐταὶ δὲ τοῦ Λιβάνου κοπτόμεναι (ὅ περ ἐστὶν εἰδωλολατρείας) εἰς τὴν κατασκευὴν παραλαμβάνονται τοῦ ναοῦ· μένουσαι δὲ κατ' αὐτὴν συντρίβονται. Καθόλου μέν τοι, καὶ τὰ τῶν ζώων ἤθη, καὶ τὰ τῶν φυτῶν