the era of his tyranny; and fire also followed, the utter destruction of the enemy certainly having come from the face of God, that is, from Christ, who is the face of God and the express image of His substance. For when the Only-Begotten became man, a fire of wrath was kindled from Him against the demons, so that they cried out: "Have you come here to torment us before the time?" And against the Jews also, the threat from Christ upon them was sent forth beforehand like smoke. For He said: "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will say to the mountains, 'Cover us,' and to the hills, 'Fall on us.'" Then wrath also followed as fire, and it burned so much upon them that it made them into coals, that is, to consume and destroy them. I know also a good fire, which Christ came to cast upon the earth. This fire produces praiseworthy coals; for through the warmth of the Holy Spirit, some are shown to be fervent in spirit. The apostles, therefore, were kindled as coals from God, being set on fire by their union with Him, and appearing as lights in the world; and concerning them it was said to Jerusalem: "You have coals of fire to set upon them, these will be a help to you." He bowed the heavens and came down, etc. (C f. 31 b.) He came down that He might join earth to heaven, and grant communion to those below with those above. But this would not have happened, unless having come down in this manner He had sojourned on the earth in a way it was able to receive, that is, in the flesh, which He called darkness under 69.824 His feet. For this concealed the presence of God which came to us at the end of the age. And He made darkness His hiding place. (K f. 48). Darkness here is the mist from incomprehensibility, which also falling upon the eyes of our mind, does not permit us to measure by measures of time Him who is eternally with the Father. (C f. 31 b). Understand darkness as the obscurity of the mystery, which happened to the unbelievers on account of the flesh; whence also He fittingly called it a hiding place; thus Christ hid Himself from the devil and the demons, who seeing Him also disbelieved by the Jews, ran to the cross, not knowing the power of the one crucified. Dark water in the clouds of the air. (F f. 23.) For thus is the mystery of Christ hidden. He sent from on high and took me, He drew me out of many waters. (A f. 102 b.) The Church of the faithful also confesses that the Lord was sent as Savior from heaven by the Father, like a ray from the sun, and to free her from the many waters, that is, the opposing powers, and the bitter and turbulent affairs and circumstances of life. And he says "many waters"; for the ways of temptations are various, and the plots of wicked spirits. But from all these Christ has saved us. According to the cleanness of my hands He will reward me. (C f. 34.) And fittingly you will call cleanness of hands the brilliant and undefiledly performed works of faith, without which faith is dead. My God, His way is blameless. (C f. 35 b.) The Word of God is the only true God; wherefore also Only-Begotten because He alone is as God; for all others are made gods by the presence of the Word of God. For He called them gods, to whom the word of God came. The God who girds me with strength, and has made my way blameless. (A f. 105 b.) And these things also fit the sacred ministers of the Gospel, to whom the Savior said: "Stay in Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high;" having been girded with which and armed with the Holy Spirit (for this is the promised power), they became unconquerable by demons and persecutors and passions, and they passed through the way of life blamelessly. Making my feet like a deer's, and setting me on high places. (A f. 105 b.) They say that deer are very swift, and indeed also serpent-killers, and when pursued by 69.825 hunters, they are carried to high places. Therefore others and Saul persecuted David; but he did not overtake him, God giving him speed

τυραννήσαντος ἐποχή· ἠκολού θησε δὲ καὶ πῦρ, ἡ παντελὴς πάντως τοῦ πολεμίου φθορὰ γενομένη ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ, τουτέστιν ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ, ὅς ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόσωπον καὶ χα ρακτὴρ τῆς αὐτοῦ ὑποστάσεως. Ἐνανθρωπήσαντος γὰρ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς, ἀνήφθη ἀπ' αὐτοῦ πῦρ ὀργῆς κατὰ τῶν δαιμονίων, ὥστε κράζειν αὐτά· "Ἦλθες ὧδε πρὸ καιροῦ βασανίσαι ἡμᾶς." Καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων δὲ προανεδόθη ὥσπερ καπνὸς ἡ παρὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἀπειλή. Ἔφασκε γάρ· "Ὅτανἴδητε κυκλουμένην τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὑπὸ στρατο πέδων, τότε ἐρεῖτε τοῖς ὄρεσι· Καλύψατε ἡμᾶς· καὶ τοῖς βουνοῖς· Πέσετε ἐφ' ἡμᾶς." Εἶτα ἐπηκολού θησε καὶ πῦρ ἡ ὀργὴ, καὶ τοσοῦτον ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ἐξ εκαύθη, ὥστε καὶ ἄνθρακας αὐτοὺς ἀποτελέσαι, τουτ έστι δαπανῆσαι καὶ διαφθεῖραι. Οἶδα καὶ πῦρ κα λὸν, ὅπερ ἦλθε Χριστὸς βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. Τοῦτο τὸ πῦρ ἐπαινετοὺς ἄνθρακας ἀποτελεῖ· διὰ γὰρ τῆς τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος θερμότητος, τῷ πνεύματι ζέοντες ἀποφαίνονταί τινες. Ἀνήφθησαν γοῦν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἄνθρακες οἱ ἀπόστολοι, τῇ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἑνώσει πυρούμενοι, καὶ φωστῆρες ἐν κόσμῳ φαινόμενοι· καὶ περὶ αὐτῶν λέλεκται πρὸς τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ· "Ἔχεις ἄνθρακας πυρὸς καθίσαι ἐπ' αὐτοὺς, οὗτοι ἔσονταί σοι βοήθεια." Ἔκλινεν οὐρανοὺς καὶ κατέβη, κ.τ.λ. (C f. 31 b.) Κατέβη ἵνα τὴν γῆν τῷ οὐρανῷ συν άψῃ, καὶ τοῖς κάτω πρὸς τὰ ἄνω κοινωνίαν χαρί σηται. Οὐκ ἂν δὲ τοῦτο ἐγένετο, εἰ μὴ καταβὰς τοῦ τον τὸν τρόπον ἐπεδήμει τῇ γῇ καθ' ὃν ἐδύνατο δέχεσθαι, τουτέστιν ἐν σαρκὶ, ἥντινα γνόφον ὑπὸ 69.824 τοὺς πόδας ἐκάλεσεν. Αὔτη γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν παρ ουσίαν τὴν ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ πρὸς ἡμᾶς γενομένην ἀπέκρυψεν. Καὶ ἔθετο σκότος ἀποκρυφὴν αὐτοῦ. (K f. 48). Σκότος ἐνταῦθα τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἀκαταληψίας ἀχλὺν, ἣ καὶ τοῖς εἰς νοῦν τὸν ἡμέτερον ὀφθαλμοῖς ἐμπίπτουσα, τὸν ἀϊδίως ὄντα μετὰ Πατρὸς, χρόνου μέτροις μετρεῖν οὐκ ἐᾷ. (C f. 31 b). Σκότος τὸ ἀσαφὲς τοῦ μυστηρίου νόη σον, ὅπερ ἀπὸ τῆς σαρκὸς τοῖς ἀπίστοις συνέβαι νεν· ὅθεν καὶ ἀποκρυφὴν εἰκότως προσηγόρευσεν· οὔτως ἑαυτὸν ὁ Χριστὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων ἔκρυψεν, οἳ θεωροῦντες αὐτὸν καὶ παρὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀπιστούμενον, ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν ἔτρε χον, οὐκ εἰδότες τοῦ σταυρωθέντος τὴν δύναμιν. Σκοτεινὸν ὕδωρ ἐν νεφέλαις ἀέρων. (F f. 23.) Κεκρυμμένον γὰρ οὕτως ἐστὶ τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον. Ἐξαπέστειλεν ἐξ ὕψους καὶ ἔλαβέ με, προσ ελάβετό με ἐξ ὑδάτων πολλῶν. (A f. 102 b.) Ὁμολογεῖ καὶ ἡ τῶν πιστῶν Ἐκκλησία, Σωτῆρα ἐξ οὐρανοῦ τὸν Κύριον παρὰ τοῦ Πα τρὸς ἀποσταλῆναι, ὡς ἀκτῖνα ἐξ ἡλίου, καὶ ἐλευ θερῶσαι αὐτὴν ἀπὸ τῶν πολλῶν ὑδάτων, τουτέστι τῶν ἀντικειμένων δυνάμεων, καὶ τῶν ἀλμυρῶν καὶ ταραχωδῶν τοῦ βίου πραγμάτων καὶ περιστάσεων. Πολλὰ δὲ λέγει τὰ ὕδατα· διάφοροι γὰρ τῶν πειρα σμῶν οἱ τρόποι, καὶ τῶν πονηρῶν πνευμάτων αἱ ἐπιβουλαί. Ἀλλ' ἐκ πάντων τούτων σέσωκεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Χριστός. Κατὰ τὴν καθαριότητα τῶν χειρῶν μου ἀνταπο δώσει μοι. (C f. 34.) Συζύγως δὲ καθαρότητα χειρῶν ἐρεῖς τὰ λαμπρὰ καὶ ἀμολύντως ἐνεργούμενα τῆς πίστεως ἔργα, ὧν χωρὶς ἡ πίστις νεκρά ἐστιν. Ὁ Θεός μου, ἄμωμος ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτοῦ. (C f. 35 b.) Ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος μόνος Θεὸς ἀληθής· διὸ καὶ Μονογενὴς διὰ τὸ μόνος εἶναι ὥσπερ Θεός· πάντες γὰρ οἱ ἄλλοι παρουσίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου θεοὶ κατασκευάζονται. Ἐκείνους γὰρ θεοὺς εἶπεν, πρὸς οὓς ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐγένετο. Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ περιζωννύων με δύναμιν, καὶ ἔθετο ἄμωμον τὴν ὁδόν μου. (A f. 105 b.) Ἁρμόζει δὲ ταῦτα καὶ τοῖς ἱερουρ γοῖς τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, οἷς ἔλεγεν ὁ Σωτήρ· "Καθ ίσατε ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἕως οὗ ἐνδύσησθε δύναμιν ἐξ ὕψους·" ἣν περιζωσάμενοι καὶ, τῷ ἁγίῳ καθοπλι σθέντες Πνεύματι (τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ ἐπηγγελμένη δύνα μις), ἀκαταγώνιστοι ἐγίνοντο καὶ δαίμοσι καὶ διώ κταις καὶ πάθεσι, καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς ζωῆς ἀνεπιλή πτως διῆλθον. Καταρτιζόμενος τοὺς πόδας μου ὡσεὶ ἐλάφου, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ ἱστῶν με. (A f. 105 b.) Φασὶ τὰς ἐλάφους εὐδρομωτάτας εἶναι, καὶ μὴν καὶ ὀφιοκτόνους, καὶ διωκομένας ὑπὸ τῶν 69.825 θηρευτῶν, ὑψοῦ φέρεσθαι. Ἐδίωξαν οὖν καὶ τὸν ∆αβὶδ ἄλλοι τε καὶ ὁ Σαούλ· ἀλλ' οὐ κατέλαβεν αὐ τὸν, τοῦ Θεοῦ τάχος αὐτῷ