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of the vices are those who have the virtues and the vices. Thus, "The Lord is righteous and loved righteousnesses," instead of the righteous; and "the fear of the Lord hates unrighteousness, insolence, and arrogance," that is, the unrighteous and the insolent and the arrogant. And here too, the one having the glory of God and the one having the glory of the king he has called the glory of God and the glory of a king. Or perhaps by "glory of God" he means the one who glorifies God, and by "glory of a king" the one who glorifies the king, so that what is said may be of this sort: the one who glorifies God conceals his word, and the one who glorifies the king honors his commands; for he who dishonors him through the transgression of the law dishonors him. 300 25, 5 Slay the ungodly from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness He who by a spiritual word slays the old man who is being corrupted according to the lusts of deceit, establishes his own mind in righteousness, which is said to be the throne of God. For wisdom and knowledge and righteousness are not by nature seated anywhere else except in a rational nature; and all these things are Christ. 301 25, 6 Do not be boastful before the king nor stand in the places of the powerful; 25, 7.1-2 for it is better for it to be said to you, "Come up to me," than to be humbled in the presence of a powerful man Do not say, "I will place my throne above the stars; I will be like the Most High." For it is better for it to be said concerning you, "Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name." 302 25, 8.1-2 Do not fall into a fight quickly, lest you regret it in the end Through the fight he alluded to vice. 303 25, 8.3 But when a friend reproaches you, 25, 9 withdraw backward, do not despise him And the Savior in the gospels reproaches the cities "in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent, saying, Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!" 304 25, 10.1-2 Grace and friendship set free; keep them for yourself, lest you become reproachful Solomon more frequently mentions a friend and friendship. Therefore it is good now to pay attention to the name, what friendship wishes to signify for him; "for grace," he says, "and friendship set free." And yet the Savior in the gospels says to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and the truth will set you free." And Paul in turn writes, "Christ has set us free from the curse of the law." If, therefore, friendship sets free and truth sets free and the Savior sets free, Christ is the truth and friendship. Whence also all who have the knowledge of Christ are friends of one another. Thus also the Savior has called the disciples friends, and John was a friend of the bridegroom, Moses and all the saints. And in this friendship alone are friends of the same also friends of each other. 305 25, 10a.3 But guard your ways agreeably He who is taught concerning the virtues and acts according to them guards his ways agreeably. 306 25, 11 A golden apple in a necklace of sardius, so is a word spoken fittingly to it Just as a golden apple fits with a sardius, so does knowledge of God with a pure soul. 307 25, 12 A costly sardius is bound to a golden earring; a wise word to an obedient ear Cast a costly sardius into a golden earring, and the wisdom of the Lord into an impassible mind. 308 25, 13.1-2 Just as a going out of snow in harvest in the heat helps, so a faithful messenger helps those who sent him Just as snow cools a heatwave, so the knowledge of the saints dispels the soul's weariness. 309 25, 15 In long-suffering there is prosperity for kings; but a soft tongue breaks bones Now he has called the irascible soul "soft," which breaks the bones that are accustomed to say, "Lord, who is like you?" 310 25, 17 Rarely bring your foot to your friend, lest being filled with you he hate you One must rarely touch on theological problems and not do this frequently, lest we say something of the things not to be said about God and, as being impious, we fall away from spiritual knowledge, the mind through its own weakness

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τῶν κακιῶν οἱ ἔχοντες τὰς ἀρετὰς καὶ τὰς κακίας. Οὕτω «δίκαιος κύριος καὶ δικαιοσύνας ἠγάπησεν», ἀντὶ τοῦ δικαίους· καὶ «φόβος κυρίου μισεῖ ἀδικίαν, ὕβριν τε καὶ ὑπερηφανίαν», τουτέστιν ἄδικον καὶ ὑβριστὴν καὶ ὑπερήφανον. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸν ἔχοντα τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δόξαν καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα τὴν δόξαν τοῦ βασιλέως δόξαν θεοῦ καὶ δόξαν βασιλέως ὠνόμασεν. Ἢ τάχα δόξαν θεοῦ λέγει τὸν δοξάζοντα τὸν θεὸν καὶ δόξαν βασιλέως τὸν δοξάζοντα τὸν βασιλέα, ἵν' ᾖ τοιοῦτον τὸ λεγόμενον· ὁ δοξάζων τὸν θεὸν κρύπτει τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ δοξάζων τὸν βασιλέα τιμᾷ τὰ προστάγματα αὐτοῦ· ὁ γὰρ ἀτιμάζων αὐτὸν διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου ἀτιμάζει αὐτόν. 300 25, 5 κτεῖνε ἀσεβεῖς ἐκ προσώπου βασιλέως, καὶ κατορθώσει ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ Ὁ λόγῳ πνευματικῷ τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀπο- κτέννων τὸν φθειρόμενον κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης κατορθοῖ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ νοῦν, ὅστις λέγεται εἶναι θρόνος θεοῦ. Οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ πέφυκεν ἀλλαχοῦ καθέζε-σθαι σοφία καὶ γνῶσις καὶ δικαιοσύνη εἰ μὴ ἐν φύσει λογικῇ· ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστός. 301 25, 6 μὴ ἀλαζονεύου ἐνώπιον βασιλέως μηδὲ ἐν τόποις δυναστῶν ὑφίστασο· 25, 7.1-2 κρεῖσσον γὰρ τὸ ῥηθῆναί σοι· ἀνάβαινε πρός με, ἢ ταπεινῶσαί σε ἐν προσώπῳ δυνάστου Μὴ εἴπῃς· «ἐπάνω τῶν ἄστρων θήσομαι τὸν θρόνον μου· ἔσομαι ὅμοιος τῷ ὑψίστῳ.» Κρεῖσσον γὰρ τὸ ῥηθῆναι περὶ σοῦ τὸ «διὸ καὶ ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσεν καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα». 302 25, 8.1-2 μὴ πρόσπιπτε εἰς μάχην ταχέως, ἵνα μὴ μεταμεληθῇς ἐπ' ἐσχάτων ∆ιὰ τῆς μάχης τὴν κακίαν ᾐνίξατο. 303 25, 8.3 ἡνίκα δ' ἄν σε ὀνειδίσῃ ὁ φίλος, 25, 9 ἀναχώρει εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, μὴ καταφρόνει Καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις ὀνειδίζει ταῖς πόλεσιν, «ἐν αἷς αἱ πλεῖσται αὐτοῦ δυνάμεις γεγόνασιν ὅτι οὐ μετενόησαν, οὐαί σοι Χοραζίν, οὐαί σοι λέγων Βηθσαϊδά». 304 25, 10.1-2 χάρις καὶ φιλία ἐλευθεροῖ, ἃς τήρησον σεαυτῷ, ἵνα μὴ ἐπονείδιστος γένῃ Πυκνότερον ὁ Σολομὼν φίλου τε μέμνηται καὶ φιλίας. ∆ιὸ καλῶς ἔχει νῦν προσέχειν τῷ ὀνόματι, τί βούλεται αὐτῷ σημαίνειν ἡ φιλία· «χάρις γάρ, φησίν, καὶ φιλία ἐλευθεροῖ.» Καίτοι ὁ σωτὴρ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις πρὸς τοὺς πεπιστευκότας αὐτῷ Ἰουδαίους φησίν· «ἐὰν ὑμεῖς μείνητε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ, ἀληθῶς μαθηταί μού ἐστε καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς.» Παῦλος δὲ πάλιν γράφει· «Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἠλευθέρωσεν ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου.» Εἰ οὖν ἡ φιλία ἐλευθεροῖ καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθεροῖ καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ ἐλευθεροῖ, Χριστός ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ φιλία. Ὅθεν καὶ πάντες οἱ ἔχοντες τὴν γνῶσιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ φίλοι ἀλλήλων εἰσίν. Οὕτω καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς φίλους εἴρηκεν ὁ σωτὴρ καὶ Ἰωάννης φίλος ἦν τοῦ νυμφίου, Μωσῆς καὶ πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι. Καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτης μόνον τῆς φιλίας οἱ τοῦ αὐτοῦ φίλοι καὶ ἀλλήλων εἰσὶ φίλοι. 305 25, 10α.3 ἀλλὰ φύλαξον τὰς ὁδούς σου εὐσυναλλάκτωσ Ὁ διδαχθεὶς περὶ τῶν ἀρετῶν καὶ κατ' αὐτὰς ἐνεργῶν τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ φυλάσσει εὐσυναλλάκτως. 306 25, 11 μῆλον χρύσεον ἐν ὁρμίσκῳ σαρδίου, οὕτως εἰπεῖν λόγον ἐπὶ ἁρμόζουσιν αὐτῷ Ὥσπερ μῆλον χρύσεον ἁρμόζει σαρδίῳ, οὕτω γνῶσις θεοῦ ψυχῇ καθαρᾷ. 307 25, 12 εἰς ἐνώτιον χρυσοῦν σάρδιον πολυτελὲς δέδεται· λόγος σοφὸς εἰς εὐήκοον οὖσ Ἔμβαλε σάρδιον πολυτελὲς εἰς ἐνώτιον χρυσοῦν καὶ σοφίαν κυρίου εἰς νοῦν ἀπαθῆ. 308 25, 13.1-2 ὥσπερ ἔξοδος χιόνος ἐν ἀμήτῳ κατὰ καῦμα ὠφελεῖ, οὕτως ἄγγελος πιστὸς τοὺς ἀποστείλαντας αὐτόν Ὥσπερ χιὼν ψύχει καύσωνα, οὕτως γνῶσις ἁγίων διαλύει κόπον ψυχῆς. 309 25, 15 ἐν μακροθυμίᾳ εὐοδία βασιλεῦσιν· γλῶσσα δὲ μαλακὴ συντρίβει ὀστᾶ Νῦν τὴν θυμώδη ψυχὴν ὠνόμασεν μαλακήν, ἥτις συντρίβει τὰ ὀστᾶ τὰ πεφυκότα λέγειν· «κύριε, τίς ὅμοιός σοι;» 310 25, 17 σπάνιον εἴσαγε σὸν πόδα πρὸς τὸν σεαυτοῦ φίλον, μήποτε πλησθείς σου μισήσῃ σε Σπανίως δεῖ ἅπτεσθαι θεολογικῶν προβλημάτων καὶ μὴ πυκνῶς τοῦτο ποιεῖν, μήποτε εἴπωμέν τι τῶν οὐ λεγομένων ἐπὶ θεοῦ καὶ ὡς ἀσεβοῦντες τῆς πνευματικῆς ἐκπέσωμεν γνώσεως, τοῦ νοῦ δι' οἰκείαν ἀσθένειαν