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(however many) are numbered throughout the whole inhabited world, many are those traveling the path in this life; but in relation to the whole number of people on earth, few are those being saved; thus the Gospel speaks truly, and the prophecy does not conflict. All the nations will serve him, but out of the many, few will worship; All (he says) the kings of the earth. And Zephaniah: They will come to serve him under one yoke. 2.69 And they will say: Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob. Those who are advancing in knowledge, having as it were taken hold of the things above, summon to the same ascent as themselves those who are still lingering about the things below and are occupied with the lowly cares of this life. Let the one who has been raised with Christ and seeks the things that are above, call those who mind earthly things, and guide their thoughts to the things above. Since the bodily relationship to the mountain is twofold, sometimes of those ascending from the foothills to the summit, and sometimes of those descending from the peak to the foot, according to the different relation of the body, and of our action being performed in different ways. And perhaps this twofold concept also fits the economy of humanity, so that we understand the mountain as the incarnation, with the flesh now being exalted to heaven through union with God, and the divinity now descending to those here through communion with what is human. 2.70 Come and let us go up. Let us approach the height of theology, beginning from the Passion. And to the house of the God of Jacob. Above, it is said simply 'the house of God,' but here 'the house of the God of Jacob.' What then is the reason? For either it is missing there, or it is superfluous here. But nothing from the Spirit is idle. For the word shows that the first assents happen according to the common preconceptions about God; but the precision of faith is perfected, when the property of God is already made clear in the hearts of those advancing to knowledge. For this reason, to those being introduced to knowledge it is said simply 'house of God,' but to those already instructed, whose God it is, that it is of Jacob, to whom he granted closeness to himself. For I am (he says) the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. This is my eternal name. For in order to make the honor to the Saints forever memorable, he joined to himself the names of his servants; so that as often as God is remembered, their memory is also brought up with his. To those who had already approached, therefore, he added what is as it were the distinguishing mark of God, saying: And to the house of the God of Jacob. But since Jacob is still the name of the supplanter and wrestler (for Jacob is called a supplanter on account of his struggle against opposing forces, but later after the victory he received the prize of being named Israel), the one who is still advancing learns for the time being of the house of the God of Jacob, the lesser things and those attainable for him; but later he will at some point be taught also of the God of Israel, with the more perfect traditions being ordered for him by way and sequence. 2.71 And he will announce to us his way, and we will walk in it. If we do not go up to the mountain, he will not announce his way to us. If he does not announce it to us, how shall we walk? That is: if we do not receive the Gospel, how shall we live according to it? But those seeking to learn the way, clearly did not know it. How then are we to go up to the mountain, being ignorant of the way? Or "Come and let us go up" shows the purpose and haste of those who are hurrying; it does not yet, however, present the attainment of the desired things. For let us imagine some of those now hurrying to the faith calling out to and exhorting one another: Come, let us turn away from lowly things; come, let us set our minds on heavenly things, let us enter into the house of God. There we will learn the way, by which we will arrive through perfection at the end that is set before all in common. 2.72 For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Ask the man of the concision, the Jew according to the flesh,

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ὁπόσα δήποτε) κατὰ τὴν οἰκου μένην ἅπασαν ἀριθμούμενα, πολλὰ τὰ πορευόμενα τὴν ἐν τῇ ζωῇ πορείαν· ὡς δὲ πρὸς τὸν ὅλον τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνθρώ πων ἀριθμὸν, ὀλίγοι οἱ σωζόμενοι· οὕτω καὶ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον ἀληθεύει, καὶ ἡ προφητεία οὐ μάχεται. Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη δου λεύσουσιν αὐτῷ, προσκυνήσουσι δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν πολλῶν ὀλίγοι· Πάντες (φησὶν) οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς. Καὶ ὁ Σοφονίας· Ἥξουσι τοῦ δουλεύειν αὐτῷ ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἕνα. 2.69 Καὶ ἐροῦσι· ∆εῦτε καὶ ἀναβῶμεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἰακώβ. Οἱ προκόπτοντες τῇ γνώσει, οἱονεὶ προκαταλαβόντες τὰ ἄνω, προκαλοῦνται εἰς τὴν ὁμοίαν ἑαυτοῖς ἀνάβασιν τοὺς ἔτι ἐμφιλοχωροῦντας περὶ τὰ κάτω καὶ ταῖς ταπειναῖς τοῦ βίου μερίμναις προσδιατρίβοντας. Ὁ συνεγερθεὶς τῷ Χριστῷ καὶ τὰ ἄνω ζητῶν, καλείτω τοὺς τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονοῦντας, καὶ χειρ αγωγείτω αὐτῶν τὰ νοήματα πρὸς τὰ ἄνω. Ἐπεὶ διπλῆ τίς ἐστιν ἡ σωματικὴ πρὸς τὸ ὄρος σχέσις, νῦν μὲν ἐξ ὑπω ρειῶν ἐπὶ κορυφὴν ἀνιόντων, νῦν δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἀκρωρείας κα ταβαινόντων ἐπὶ τοὺς πρόποδας, κατὰ τὴν διάφορον τοῦ σώματος σχέσιν, καὶ τῆς παρ' ἡμῶν ἐνεργείας διαφόρως ἐκτελουμένης. Μήποτε δὲ τὸ διπλοῦν τοῦτο τῆς ἐπινοίας καὶ τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ἐφαρμόσει, ὥστε νοεῖν ἡμᾶς ὄρος τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν, νῦν μὲν τῆς σαρκὸς διὰ τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν συναφείας εἰς οὐρανὸν ὑψουμένης, νῦν δὲ τῆς θεότητος διὰ τῆς πρὸς τὸ ἀνθρώπινον κοινωνίας ἐπικαταβαινούσης τοῖς ὧδε. 2.70 ∆εῦτε καὶ ἀναβῶμεν. Προσβῶμεν τῷ ὕψει τῆς θεολογίας, ἀπὸ τοῦ Πάθους ἀρχόμενοι. Καὶ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἰακώβ. Ἀνωτέρω μὲν ὁ οἶκος ἁπλῶς εἴρηται τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐνταῦθα δὲ οἶκος τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἰακώβ. Τίς οὖν ἡ αἰτία; Ἢ γὰρ ἐκεῖ λείπει, ἢ ἐνταῦθα παρέλκει. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἀργὸν τῶν τοῦ Πνεύματος. ∆είκνυσι γὰρ ὁ λόγος, ὅτι μὲν πρῶται συγ καταθέσεις κατὰ τὰς κοινὰς περὶ Θεοῦ προλήψεις γίνον ται· τὸ δὲ ἀκριβὲς τῆς πίστεως τελειοῦται, τρανουμένης ἤδη ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις τῶν προκοπτόντων ἐπὶ τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς ἰδιότητος τοῦ Θεοῦ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τοῖς μὲν εἰσαγομένοις εἰς γνῶσιν ἁπλῶς εἴρηται οἶκος Θεοῦ, τοῖς δὲ στοιχειωθεῖσι λοιπὸν καὶ τίνος Θεοῦ, ὅτι τοῦ Ἰακὼβ, ᾧ ἐχαρίσατο τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν οἰκειότητα. Ἐγὼ γὰρ (φησὶν) ὁ Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ. Τοῦτό μοί ἐστιν ὄνομα αἰώνιον. Ἵνα γὰρ ἀεὶ μνημόνευτον ποιήσῃ τὴν τιμὴν τοῖς Ἁγίοις, συνῆψεν ἑαυτῷ τὰ τῶν δούλων ὀνόματα· ὥστε ὁσάκις ἂν γένηται μνήμη Θεοῦ, τοσαυτάκις κἀκείνων τὴν μνήμην συναναφέρεσθαι. Τοῖς οὖν προσελθοῦσιν ἤδη τὸ οἱονεὶ γνώρισμα τοῦ Θεοῦ προσέθηκεν, εἰπών· Καὶ εἰς τὸν οἶ κον τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἰακώβ. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ἔτι τοῦπτερνιστοῦ καὶ ἀγωνιστοῦ ἐστιν ὄνομα (Ἰακὼβ γὰρ πτερ νιστὴς προσαγορεύεται διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὰ ἀντικείμενα πάλην, ὕστερον δὲ μετὰ τὴν νίκην ἆθλον ἔλαβε τὸ Ἰσραὴλ ὀνομά ζεσθαι) ὁ ἔτι προκόπτων τέως μανθάνει τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἰακὼβ, τὰ ὑποδεέστερα καὶ ἑαυτῷ ἐφικτά· ὕστερον δέ ποτε καὶ τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ διδαχθήσεται, ὁδῷ καὶ τάξει τῶν τελειοτέρων παραδόσεων οἰκονομουμένων περὶ αὐτόν. 2.71 Καὶ ἀναγγελεῖ ἡμῖν τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ πορευ σόμεθα ἐν αὐτῇ. Ἐὰν μὴ ἀναβῶμεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος, οὐκ ἀναγγελεῖ ἡμῖν τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ. Ἐὰν μὴ ἀναγγείλῃ ἡμῖν, πῶς πορευσόμεθα; Τουτέστιν· ἐὰν μὴ δεξώμεθα τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, πῶς βιωσό μεθα κατ' αὐτό; Οἱ δὲ ἐπιζητοῦντες μαθεῖν ὁδὸν, δηλο νότι οὐκ ἤδεισαν. Πῶς οὖν ἀναβαίνωμεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος, τὴν ὁδὸν ἀγνοοῦντες; Ἢ τὸ ∆εῦτε καὶ ἀναβῶμεν, τὴν πρόθεσιν καὶ τὴν σπουδὴν τῶν ἐπειγομένων ἐμφαίνει· οὔπω μέντοι παρίστησι τῶν ἐπιθυμητῶν τὴν ἐπίτευξιν. Ἡγησώμεθα γάρ τινας τῶν νῦν ἐπὶ τὴν πίστιν ἐπειγομένων ἀλλήλους προσφωνεῖν καὶ παρορμᾷν· δεῦτε, ἀποστῶμεν τῶν χαμερ πῶν· δεῦτε, φρονήσωμεν τὰ οὐράνια, εἰσέλθωμεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐκεῖ μαθησόμεθα τὴν ὁδὸν, δι' ἧς ἐπὶ τὸ κοινῶς προκείμενον ἅπασι πέρας διὰ τῆς τελειότητος καταντήσομεν. 2.72 Ἐκ γὰρ Σιὼν ἐξελεύσεται νόμος καὶ λόγος Κυρίου ἐξ Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἐρώτησον τὸν τῆς κατατομῆς ἄνθρωπον, τὸν κατὰ σάρκα Ἰουδαῖον,