XXXVI.  I will remind you again about Illuminations, and that often, and will reckon them up from Holy Scripture.  For I myself shall be happier for remembering them (for what is sweeter than light to those who have tasted light?) and I will dazzle you with my words.  There is sprung up a light for the righteous, and its partner joyful gladness.123    Ps. xcvii. 11.  And, The light of the righteous is everlasting;124    Prov. xiii. 9. and Thou art shining wondrously from the everlasting mountains, is said to God, I think of the Angelic powers which aid our efforts after good.  And you have heard David’s words; The Lord is my Light and my Salvation, whom then shall I fear?125    Ps. lxxvi. 4.  And now he asks that the Light and the Truth may be sent forth for him,126    Ib. xliii. 3. now giving thanks that he has a share in it, in that the Light of God is marked upon him;127    Ib. iv. 7. that is, that the signs of the illumination given are impressed upon him and recognized.  One light alone let us shun—that which is the offspring of the baleful fire; let us not walk in the light of our fire,128    Isa. l. 11. and in the flame which we have kindled.  For I know a cleansing fire which Christ came to send upon the earth,129    Luke xii. 49. and He Himself is anagogically130    Anagoge is one of the three methods of mystical interpretation, according to the distich,   Littera scripta docet:  Quid credas allegoria:   Quid speres anagoge; Quid agas tropologia. called a Fire.  This Fire takes away whatsoever is material and of evil habit; and this He desires to kindle with all speed, for He longs for speed in doing us good, since He gives us even coals of fire to help us.131    cf. Isa. xlvii. 14. LXX.  I know also a fire which is not cleansing, but avenging; either that fire of Sodom132    Gen. xix. 24. which He pours down on all sinners,133    Ps. xi. 6. mingled with brimstone and storms, or that which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels134    Matt. xxv. 41. or that which proceeds from the face of the Lord, and shall burn up his enemies round about;135    Ps. xcvii. 3. and one even more fearful still than these, the unquenchable fire136    Mark ix. 44, &c. which is ranged with the worm that dieth not but is eternal for the wicked.  For all these belong to the destroying power; though some may prefer even in this place to take a more merciful view137    i.e. To view the Fire there spoken of as Temporal punishment, with a purpose of correcting and reforming the sinner.  This is not S. Gregory’s own view of the meaning of the passage, though he admits it to be tenable. of this fire, worthily of Him That chastises.

Λ#2ʹ. Πάλιν ὑπομνήσω σε τῶν φωτισμῶν, καὶ πολλάκις ἐκ τῶν θείων λογίων τούτους ἀναλεγόμενος. Αὐτός τε γὰρ ἡδίων ἔσομαι τῇ τούτων μνήμῃ, (τί γὰρ φωτὸς ἡδύτερον, τοῖς φωτὸς γευσαμένοις;) καὶ σὲ περιαστράψω τοῖς λεγομένοις. Φῶς μὲν ἀνέτειλε τῷ δικαίῳ, καὶ ἡ τούτου σύζυγος εὐφροσύνη: Φῶς δὲ δικαίοις διὰ παντός. Φωτίζεις δὲ σὺ θαυμαστῶς ἀπὸ ὀρέων αἰωνίων, πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν λέγεται: ἀγγελικῶν, οἶμαι, δυνάμεων, αἳ συνεργοῦσιν ἡμῖν πρὸς τὰ κρείττονα. Κύριος δὲ φωτισμός μου, παὶ σωτήρ μου: τίνα φοβηθήσομαι; Τοῦ Δαβὶδ ἤκουσας λέγοντος: καὶ ποτὲ μὲν αἰτοῦντος ἐξαποσταλῆναι τὸ φῶς αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν: ποτὲ δὲ εὐχαριστοῦντος, ὅτι καὶ τούτου μετείληφεν, ἐν τῷ σημειωθῆναι τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ φῶς ἐπ' αὐτὸν, τουτέστιν ἐνσημανθῆναι καὶ γνωρισθῆναι τὰ σημεῖα τῆς δεδομένης ἐλλάμψεως. Ἓν μόνον φῶς φεύγωμεν, τὸ τοῦ πικροῦ πυρὸς ἔκγονον. Μὴ πορευθῶμεν τῷ φωτὶ τοῦ πυρὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ τῇ φλογὶ ᾗ ἐξεκαύσαμεν. Οἶδα γὰρ πῦρ καθαρτήριον, ὃ Χριστὸς ἦλθε βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, πῦρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀναγωγῆς λόγοις καλούμενος. Ἀναλωτικὸν τοῦτο τῆς ὕλης καὶ τῆς πονηρᾶς ἐστιν ἕξεως, ὃ καὶ ἀναφθῆναι τάχιστα βούλεται. Ποθεῖ γὰρ τῆς εὐεργεσίας τὸ τάχος: ἐπεὶ καὶ πυρὸς ἄνθρακας δίδωσιν ἡμῖν εἰς βοήθειαν. Οἶδα καὶ πῦρ οὐ καθαρτήριον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κολαστήριον: εἴτε καὶ Σοδομιτικὸν, ὃ πᾶσιν ἁμαρτωλοῖς ἐπιβρέχει θείῳ καὶ καταιγίδι μιγνύμενον: εἴτε τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ: εἴτε ὃ πρὸ προσώπου Κυρίου πορεύεται, καὶ φλογιεῖ κύκλῳ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ: καὶ τὸ τούτων ἔτι φοβερώτερον: ὃ τῷ ἀκοιμήτῳ σκώληκι συντέτακται, μὴ σβεννύμενον, ἀλλὰ διαιωνίζον τοῖς πονηροῖς. Πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα τῆς ἀφανιστικῆς ἐστι δυνάμεως: εἰ μή τῳ φίλον κἀνταῦθα νοεῖν τοῦτο φιλανθρωπότερον, καὶ τοῦ κολάζοντος ἐπαξίως.