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And Paul cries out, saying concerning those who cause scandals and harm the conscience of those who see, that the weak brother is destroyed by your knowledge, for whom Christ died; if, therefore, your master shed his blood for him, how is it not right for each of us at least to offer exhortation through words and to extend a hand to those who through indolence have fallen into the devil's snares? But that you will do this, being affectionate toward your members, and with all zeal will bring your brothers back to the common mother, I am entirely convinced, knowing that through the grace of God, being wise, you are able to admonish others also. 6.21 But now I wish to turn my discourse to the newly-illumined; and by newly-illumined I mean not those recently deemed worthy of the spiritual gift, but those from a year ago and from a longer time. For if they wish, these too will be able to enjoy this title perpetually. For this newness knows no old age, is not subject to sickness, is not caught by despondency, is not dimmed by time, yields to nothing, is overcome by nothing, except by sin alone. For the heavy old age of this is sin. 6.22 And that you may learn that this is heavier than all things, listen to the prophet saying: "Like a heavy burden they were heavy upon me." And not only is it heavy, but also foul-smelling. For he added: "My wounds have grown foul and festered." Did you see that sin is not only heavy but also foul-smelling? Learn also whence it is born through the words that follow: "Because of my foolishness," he says. Therefore, foolishness is the cause of all our evils. It is possible, then, for one who is old in bodily age to be young and newly-illumined in the prime of grace, and for one who is young in body to have grown old in the multitude of sins. For wherever this gains an entrance, it works a great stain, a great wrinkle. 6.23 Therefore I exhort both those recently deemed worthy of baptism and those who obtained the gift before this, the one group to wipe away the preceding filth through confession and tears and most exact repentance, and the other to preserve their brightness blooming and to watch over the beauty of the soul so as to receive no drop capable of causing a stain. Do you not see those who wear bright clothing, how much care they take when walking in the marketplace, lest some drop of mud, being spattered, should mar the beauty of the garment, although no harm would come from this to the soul? For it is a garment both consumed by moths and worn out by time, and besides, if soiled, it is easily cleansed with water. But in the case of the soul, if it should ever happen—may it not happen—that it receives some stain either through the tongue or through the thoughts born in the mind, immediately great ruin enters in, great is the weight of the burden, great is the foul odor. 6.24 For this reason, I too, fearing the schemes of the enemy, make my exhortation continuous, so that you may keep the bridal robe undefiled and with it always enter into this spiritual marriage. For that what is celebrated here is a spiritual marriage, see how just as in these human marriages the bridal chambers are set up for seven days, so also we for as many days extend this spiritual bridal chamber to you, setting before you the mystical table, full of countless good things. And why do I say seven days? If you wish to be sober and watchful, these bridal chambers are extended to you for all time, only if you keep your bridal garment intact and bright. 6.25 For in this way you will both draw the bridegroom into greater love and you yourselves, as time goes on, will appear more brilliant and radiant, as grace increases more and more through the working of good deeds. May it be that all of us both show a worthy keeping of the gift already granted and be deemed worthy of the philanthropy from above; by the grace and mercies of his only-begotten Son, the Lord

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καὶ βοᾷ Παῦλος λέγων ἐπὶ τῶν τὰ σκάνδαλα παρεχόντων καὶ καταβλαπτόντων τῶν ὁρώντων τὴν συνείδησιν ὅτι ἀπολεῖται ὁ ἀσθενῶν ἀδελφὸς ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ γνώσει δι' ὃν ὁ Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν, εἰ τοίνυν ὁ δεσπότης σου δι' αὐτὸν τὸ αἷμα ἐξέχεε, πῶς οὐ δίκαιον ἕκαστον ἡμῶν κἂν γοῦν τὴν διὰ τῶν λόγων παραίνεσιν εἰσφέρειν καὶ χεῖρα ὀρέγειν τοῖς ἀπὸ ῥᾳθυμίας εἰς τὰς τοῦ διαβόλου παγίδας ἐμπεπτωκόσιν. Ἀλλ' ὅτι μὲν τοῦτο ποιήσητε φιλόστοργοί τινες ὄντες περὶ τὰ μέλη τὰ ὑμέτερα καὶ μετὰ πάσης σπουδῆς ἐπανάξετε τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς τοὺς ὑμετέρους πρὸς τὴν κοινὴν μητέρα, πάνυ πέπεισμαι εἰδὼς ὅτι διὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν συνετοὶ ὄντες δύνασθε καὶ ἄλλους νουθετεῖν. 6.21 Βούλομαι δὲ λοιπὸν πρὸς τοὺς νεοφωτίστους τρέψαι τὸν λόγον· νεοφωτίστους δὲ λέγω οὐ τοὺς πρόσφατον ἀξιωθέντας τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς πνευματικῆς ἀλλὰ τοὺς πρὸ ἐνιαυτοῦ καὶ πρὸ πλείονος χρόνου. Εἰ γὰρ βούλοιντο, δυνήσονται καὶ οὗτοι διηνεκῶς ταύτης ἀπολαύειν τῆς προσηγορίας. Ἡ γὰρ νεότης αὕτη γῆρας οὐκ ἐπίσταται, νόσῳ οὐχ ὑπόκειται, ἀθυμίᾳ οὐχ ἁλίσκεται, χρόνῳ οὐκ ἀμαυροῦται, οὐδενὶ εἴκει, οὐχ ὑπ' οὐδενὸς ἡττᾶται, εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ ἁμαρτίας μόνης. Τὸ γὰρ βαρὺ ταύτης γῆρας ἡ ἁμαρτία. 6.22 Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι πάντων αὕτη βαρυτέρα, ἄκουε τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· «Ὡσεὶ φορτίον βαρὺ ἐβαρύνθησαν ἐπ' ἐμέ.» Οὐ μόνον δὲ βαρεῖα τυγχάνει, ἀλλὰ καὶ δυσώδης. Ἐπήγαγε γάρ· «Προσώζεσαν καὶ ἐσάπησαν οἱ μώλωπές μου.» Εἶδες οὐ μόνον βαρεῖαν ἀλλὰ καὶ δυσώδη τὴν ἁμαρτίαν; Μάνθανε καὶ πόθεν αὕτη τίκτεται διὰ τῶν ἐπαγομένων· «Ἀπὸ προσώπου γάρ, φησί, τῆς ἀφροσύνης μου.» Ἄρα ἀφροσύνη πάντων αἰτία ἡμῖν τῶν κακῶν. Ἔστιν οὖν καὶ γέροντα ὄντα κατὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἡλικίαν νέον εἶναι καὶ νεοφώτιστον κατὰ τὴν τῆς χάριτος ἀκμήν, καὶ νέον ὄντα κατὰ τὸ σῶμα γεγηρακέναι κατὰ τὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων πλῆθος. Ἔνθα γὰρ ἂν αὕτη εἴσοδον λάβῃ, πολὺν τὸν σπῖλον, πολλὴν τὴν ῥυτίδα ἐργάζεται. 6.23 ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ καὶ τοὺς πρόσφατον τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἀξιωθέντας καὶ τοὺς πρὸ τούτου τῆς δωρεᾶς ἐπιτυχόντας, τοὺς μὲν ἀποσμήχειν δι' ἐξομολογήσεως καὶ δακρύων καὶ μετανοίας ἀκριβεστάτης τὸν προλαβόντα ῥύπον, τοὺς δὲ τὴν φαιδρότητα διατηρεῖν ἀνθοῦσαν καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ κάλλος περισκοπεῖν ὥστε μηδεμίαν ῥανίδα δέξασθαι ῥύπον ἐμποιῆσαι δυναμένην. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε τοὺς τὴν λαμπρὰν ἐσθῆτα περιβαλλομένους ὅσην σπουδὴν ποιοῦνται βαδίζοντες ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς μήπου ῥανὶς βορβόρου ἐξακοντισθεῖσα λυμήνηται τοῦ ἱματίου τὸ κάλλος, καίτοι οὐδεμία ἐντεῦθεν ἂν γένοιτο βλάβη τῇ ψυχῇ· ἱμάτιον γάρ ἐστι καὶ ὑπὸ σητὸς ἀναλισκόμενον καὶ ὑπὸ χρόνου δαπανώμενον, ἄλλως δὲ καὶ ῥυπωθὲν εὐκόλως ὕδατι ἀποκαθαιρόμενον. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς εἰ γένοιτό ποτε, ὃ μὴ γένοιτο, καὶ δέξεταί τινα κηλῖδα ἢ διὰ γλώττης ἢ διὰ λογισμῶν τῶν ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ τικτομένων, πολλὴ εὐθέως ἡ λύμη ἐπεισέρχεται, πολὺ τοῦ φορτίου τὸ βάρος, πολλὴ ἡ δυσωδία. 6.24 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δεδοικὼς κἀγὼ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ τὰς μηχανὰς συνεχῆ ποιοῦμαι τὴν παραίνεσιν ἵνα τὴν νυμφικὴν στολὴν ἀκραιφνῆ διατηρήσητε καὶ μετὰ ταύτης ἀεὶ εἰς τὸν γάμον εἰσίητε τοῦτον τὸν πνευματικόν. Ὅτι γὰρ γάμος πνευματικός ἐστι τὰ ἐνταῦθα τελούμενα, ὅρα πῶς καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν γάμων τούτων τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων μέχρις ἑπτὰ ἡμερῶν αἱ παστάδες εἰσὶ τεταμέναι, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν τοσαύταις ἡμέραις τὴν παστάδα ταύτην τὴν πνευματικὴν ὑμῖν τείνομεν, τὴν τράπεζαν ὑμῖν παρατιθέντες τὴν μυστικήν, τὴν μυρίων γέμουσαν ἀγαθῶν. Καὶ τί λέγω ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας; Ἐὰν βούλησθε νήφειν καὶ ἐγρηγορέναι, διὰ παντὸς τοῦ χρόνου αὖται ὑμῖν αἱ παστάδες εἰσὶ τεταμέναι, μόνον ἐὰν τὸ ἔνδυμα ὑμῶν τὸ νυμφικὸν ἀκέραιον καὶ φαιδρὸν διατηρήσητε. 6.25 Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τὸν νυμφίον εἰς ἔρωτα πλείονα ἐπισπάσεσθε καὶ αὐτοὶ τοῦ χρόνου προϊόντος λαμπρότεροι καὶ φαιδρότεροι φανήσεσθε, τῆς χάριτος ἐπὶ πλεῖον αὐξανομένης διὰ τῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν πράξεων ἐργασίας. Γένοιτο δὲ πάντας ἡμᾶς καὶ τῆς ἤδη παρασχεθείσης δωρεᾶς ἀξίαν τὴν φυλακὴν ἐπιδείξασθαι καὶ τῆς ἄνωθεν φιλανθρωπίας ἀξιωθῆναι· χάριτι καὶ οἰκτιρμοῖς τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ κυρίου